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The wichtlein immediately looked up in our direction with a wide-eyed yellow stare and then heaved itself up, discarding the carcass it had been gnawing on and started running in the opposite direction Fuck fuck fuck Without pausing further, I sprinted after it, pulling the rope out of my backpack as I did so At least it didn’t ue and pain I was pretty sure that even with the aid of the bloodfire I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it for long I sped up slightly, shakingthe rope overhead Up ahead was a clump of close-knit trees I had to reach it before then as I knew I’d never be able to snag it with the rope with all those other obstacles around I looped the rope faster in the air and then let it go

The noose sailed through the air and, for a moment, I was sure that I’d missed Then it arced doards just in time to catch the wichtlein As soon as it curved over the s body, I yanked hard The creature was suddenly pulled backwards and let out a high-pitched shriek I wrenched harder on the rope and dragged it towards me for a few ht hold of the end of it When I reached the wichtlein, I paused at looked down at it squir at the tight lasso, trying in vain to get it off, and itmore and more panicked I bent down and scooped it up, then held it in front of th

Yep, its eyes were a dull opaque so it was a given that its vision was virtually non-existent Nonetheless, I hardened both o, for a shifter Why?"

It wriggled inincessantly I squeezed its body

"Answer o!" The wichtlein spat, shrilly

Alex appeared atwet "Craill speak or wizard will act" He spun his pinky in the air, generating more blue smoke

The wichtlein cowered and clawed at o!"

Alex jerked his pinky forward and the blue snake floated steadily towards the little animal

"No no no no no no no no! I speak! I speak! Stop!"

I briefly wondered what it was about Alex’s ic that had the wichtlein so terrified Perhaps there was more to ht I couldn’t worry about that now though The night air aroundto feel heavy and oppressive and I was fairly certain that it wouldn’t be long before I passed out in a heap I concentrated on the flicker inenough forwarmth in return That would do for now

I shook the wichtlein and repeated o for John Arton Why?"

"He die soon She kill hi

"Who she? I htened my hands on the wichtlein

"Iabartu! Iabartu!"

"And who is Iabartu?" growled Alex

"Sky god hu and fu and raised up its head "She seek wyr blood"

"What? You ons occasionally rear their heads in Cornwall, but they popped up all over the country, ed for my first kill This neck of the woods wasn’t special in that regard at all, and I couldn’t think for the life of me why John’s life would have been forfeit for one

"Not little wyr, fire girl Draco Wyr"

"What did you call irl? How the hell did it know about od’s earth was a Draco Wyr? I shook the little beast, hard

The wichtlein cackled unpleasantly "Cra many lots Craho Draco Wyr Man beast knoho Draco Wyr Man beast try stop Iabartu take Draco Wyr Man beast die" A single claw scratched my arm with intent "You fault man beast die"

My heart thudded "My fault? Why my fault? I don’t know this Draco Wyr! What do you mean?" It couldn’t be my fault he’d died, could it? But why should I believe the wichtlein? I shook it even harder "You’re lying Tell ers curled round its whole body and, despite my condition, my bloodfire rose even further The wichtlein shrieked in answering pain and began struggling again

"It’s telling the truth" Alex’s voice was quiet

"You’re wrong!" I snarled, trying desperately to think of what I could to get the wichtlein to stop prevaricating and ‘fess up without killing it

"Mack, I’m not" He touched my arm I turned and looked at him and saw it in his eyes I stared at him dully for a second, then back at the little black creature

The heat was gone "Why is it my fault? What did I do?"

But there wasn’t any answer I di inblurry I couldn’t keep es blurred further and I heard a roaring inwent completely dark