by Justin Sloan
“They found us,” he said as he looked her over for wounds. “So they might’ve found Babur.”
“He stays out of sight,” Katherine said. “And when they’re gone, we can continue searching, we—”
“Are you kidding me right now?” He ducked down into their hiding spot, drying his hands on his jeans. “Not with them on our trail.”
They stared at each other, a look of determination on his face that she wondered if she could push back against. She’d tried in the past, and almost always failed. Finally, she squatted down beside him and wrapped her arms around her knees.
“They couldn’t have tracked us,” she said. “Not without Hunter.”
Danny shook his head. “No, he works alone. This... it’s the pack.” He spat in disgust. “Gregor’d be the type to send others to do his dirty work.”
“But he wouldn’t…?”
“Give them the curse?” Danny looked at her with wide, hopeless eyes. “I’ve wondered if he would do it… if he has it in him. Imagine, an army of werewolves.”
“Aldrick’s Hounds of God.” She shuddered at the thought.
“They were just normal soldiers, back there,” Danny said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. “No bite marks or anything.”
“That we saw,” she said.
He considered her, and his eyes betrayed his doubt. With a jolt, he turned, then stood straight, eyes moving to tree branches that shook not far off. The two moved deeper into the shadows, but Katherine turned her attention to the setting sun past the waterfall. If Gregor was raising an army of werewolves, searching for a cure would be the least of her worries. For now.
“Wait for me, right?” he said. “Back with Babur.”
“No, we stick together.”
He pulled her in close enough to make her blush, but his attention was on the distant trees. A moment, and then he had turned to the river and the trees beyond. The sun glistened on the water before disappearing past the hills, leaving behind a sky streaked in blood-red clouds.
“Maybe you’re right,” Danny said, catching her off guard. “This ends now. Every dead end we find here tells me our answers might lie in Europe.”
“I thought you said those were pure myths,” she said. “Legends only the foolish give any credence to?”
“I did,” he admitted. “But here we’re out of options. And getting away from the pack would be a nice bonus.”
A nearby branch moved, and then a voice said, “Over here!”
Danny put a hand on her shoulder, the other against her cheek. “Head to the town, find Babur, and tell him to get ready. I’ll get the supplies to the car.”
And with that he was gone, skipping across the stones in the river until he reached the other side. A gunshot blasted through the air, and Danny slipped. For a moment, Katherine thought they’d gotten him, but he recovered and made it to the far side, disappearing into the trees.
She forced herself to breathe. He’d be okay. After a moment, she darted into the trees opposite the direction of the river. A glance back showed her that the soldiers were making their way into the river in pursuit of Danny…
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Coming January / February 2017