Page 47 of Gone Hunting

I growl, guarding Celia with my body. “Stay away from her,” I warn, already sensing the pain the witch wants to inflict. She’s not just here to kill Celia. She’s here to make her scream.

The witch raises her staff, the amount of energy she casts into her spell damaging the veil she used to camouflage herself.

Celia turns, finally sensing the magic the witch kept carefully hidden.

It’s then the other witch, the young one who reminded me of the jungle and whose power is not fully realized, appears.

The dark witch didn’t see me, but the younger witch meets me dead in the eyes.

“Salvarla!” she screams, filling the alley with white light.

I startle awake in Mimi’s cave with Celia shaking uncontrollably in my arms. My friends surround us, their expressions tight with worry.

Mimi watches Celia closely, brushing her hair away from her head in a gentle manner I don’t expect. “You have to get up, little tigress,” she says. “They’re coming for you.”

Koda rushes to the door, peering out through the small peephole as I help Celia to her feet. “There’s nothing there.”

Mimi shuffles to the now dwindling fire. “But there will be, and it’s too late to run,” she says. “Liam. Be a dear and have some of this bird, won’t you, precious? I don’t want it to go to waste.”

Mimi turns, hoisting a silver platter of fried breast meat and legs that wasn’t there before.

“Sure, Aunt Mimi. Thanks,” he says. He lifts the platter from her hands. “Hey, you guys want some?”

Koda is ready to slap Liam upside the head and he’s not alone. “Are you seriously going to eat right now?”

Liam frowns. “You heard Mimi. It’ll go to waste if I don’t.”

“Good boy.” Mimi pats his arm, returning her attention to the fire.

“Good boy?” Koda hollers. “Liam, you didn’t see what Aric and I saw—”

“Wait,” Gemini interrupts. “You were there, too? When Celia fought the man who bloodied her face?”

My head jerks in his direction.

“Someone bloodied her face?” Koda growls. Gemini nods. “No. That’s not what I saw. Aric and Celia were in an apartment. One of the men who killed her parents was there, in bed with a young woman—”

“My parents,” Celia stammers. “You saw what happened to them?”

Koda’s skin grows an odd shade of gray. “Yeah. I saw.” He turns back in the direction of the door, unable to meet Celia’s bruised expression.

“Gemini,” I say. “What did you see?”

Gemini’s expression steels. “I saw the night Celia lost her parents. Then I saw you and Celia hiding behind an abandoned house. I wasn’t physically there. It was more like watching a movie.”

“Speaking of movies,” Liam says between chews. “I saw you walk into that theatre.” His expression turns stony. “After what he did to your folks, he deserved what he got and more.”

Koda and Gemini tilt their heads in agreement. They mean well, but there’s no disguising Celia’s shame.

Perspiration gathers along her crown. She lifts her chin from where she’s pressed against my chest. “You were there?” she asks. “With me?”

“I never left you,” I tell her.

“How could you?” Mimi scoffs. “Your wolf has latched onto her tigress.”

“What?” I ask, my attention bouncing between Celia and Mimi. “Why?”

Mimi cackles, her concentration on the firepit never faltering. “Why do you think?”

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