hugged
both boys to him forcefully; his mouth was twisted in anger and pain.
“You can come with us, Mr. Perez,” I said. “And Cordero and Luis.”
He glared at me with red eyes. “Get out of my house, cat.”
I bit back a smart remark and backed up a step so that I was outside. “We’ll take
good care of Arnaldo,” I said. “Just let us know if we can help you.”
Still standing near Mr. Perez, November was seething, her small eyes darting back
and forth, her fingers patting her thighs impatiently. I backed up farther, waiting
for her to come with me. She took a step, bumped against Mr. Perez, as if giving him
one last angry shove, then darted past me and into the open before he could react.
A hundred yards away or so, I heard the engine of the SUV getting closer. Caleb, London,
and Amaris were on their way back to get us. And we had Arnaldo. The group would be
together once again, safe. But my heart felt like a deflated balloon; my throat was
tight. I’d never wanted it to be like this.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, walking backwards. “We never wanted to cause problems in your
family, but every tribe is in danger from the Tribunal. And if all the shifter tribes
can’t come together, we don’t stand a chance. If you ever change your mind, just let
us know. If you ever need help, call us.”
“You stupid, foolish girl!” Mr. Perez spat the words out, releasing his sons and pacing
up to me, one hand grabbing the door to swing it back and forth in fury. “Do you think
you are the first to say all we have to do is ‘come together’? Do you really think
the Tribunal hasn’t utterly destroyed every single one of those like you, who came
before and who tried to overthrow thousands of years of tradition? It’s your idiotic
dreams of uniting the otherkin that will kill us all. Go seek glory and power at someone
else’s expense. I’ll keep my family safe.”
He slammed the door in my face. I stood there for a moment, until a quiet hand on
my arm turned me around, and Amaris was hugging me, saying, “Come on, now.” We walked
past the vegetable garden to where Caleb waited in the SUV.
CHAPTER 7
We stopped in Kingman on the way back north to buy Arnaldo some clothes and a toothbrush.
At the store, November pulled out a worn leather wallet I didn’t recognize, drew out
five twenty-dollar bills, and paid for everything.
Arnaldo stared at her. “You stole my father’s wallet?”
One corner of November’s mouth deepened, as if to say “duh.” “I picked his pocket
on my way out,” she said. “Been practicing on my brothers.”
It was London who laughed first, then the rest of us, more in relief than anything
else. Arnaldo actually smiled too, though he shook his head at her.
November collected her change from the cashier, then opened Arnaldo’s chest pocket
with one finger and slid the wallet into it. “I know, I know, it’s not ethical and
blah-dee-blah. But before you get all weird about it, just remember it’s the least
he could do, after kicking you out.”
I noticed that Amaris wasn’t with us. I looked around and spotted her through the
dusty window of the store, barely visible behind our parked SUV. Something about the
way she held her head struck me as odd, and I left Arnaldo and the others to buy the
clothes and grab some food, and went outside into the cold desert air.
Amaris was pacing behind the car, practically out in the street. I heard her voice
speaking, though the words weren’t clear, and I realized she was on the phone.
I nearly turned around to give her privacy. But wait— Amaris doesn’t have any friends other than us . She’d been raised by the Tribunal and was now an outcast. Who the hell is she talking to?
I strained to catch even a word of her conversation as I approached. Instead, a deep
growl of engines assaulted my ears. Two engines, very large, very loud, coming fast.
Headlights swept over
both boys to him forcefully; his mouth was twisted in anger and pain.
“You can come with us, Mr. Perez,” I said. “And Cordero and Luis.”
He glared at me with red eyes. “Get out of my house, cat.”
I bit back a smart remark and backed up a step so that I was outside. “We’ll take
good care of Arnaldo,” I said. “Just let us know if we can help you.”
Still standing near Mr. Perez, November was seething, her small eyes darting back
and forth, her fingers patting her thighs impatiently. I backed up farther, waiting
for her to come with me. She took a step, bumped against Mr. Perez, as if giving him
one last angry shove, then darted past me and into the open before he could react.
A hundred yards away or so, I heard the engine of the SUV getting closer. Caleb, London,
and Amaris were on their way back to get us. And we had Arnaldo. The group would be
together once again, safe. But my heart felt like a deflated balloon; my throat was
tight. I’d never wanted it to be like this.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, walking backwards. “We never wanted to cause problems in your
family, but every tribe is in danger from the Tribunal. And if all the shifter tribes
can’t come together, we don’t stand a chance. If you ever change your mind, just let
us know. If you ever need help, call us.”
“You stupid, foolish girl!” Mr. Perez spat the words out, releasing his sons and pacing
up to me, one hand grabbing the door to swing it back and forth in fury. “Do you think
you are the first to say all we have to do is ‘come together’? Do you really think
the Tribunal hasn’t utterly destroyed every single one of those like you, who came
before and who tried to overthrow thousands of years of tradition? It’s your idiotic
dreams of uniting the otherkin that will kill us all. Go seek glory and power at someone
else’s expense. I’ll keep my family safe.”
He slammed the door in my face. I stood there for a moment, until a quiet hand on
my arm turned me around, and Amaris was hugging me, saying, “Come on, now.” We walked
past the vegetable garden to where Caleb waited in the SUV.
CHAPTER 7
We stopped in Kingman on the way back north to buy Arnaldo some clothes and a toothbrush.
At the store, November pulled out a worn leather wallet I didn’t recognize, drew out
five twenty-dollar bills, and paid for everything.
Arnaldo stared at her. “You stole my father’s wallet?”
One corner of November’s mouth deepened, as if to say “duh.” “I picked his pocket
on my way out,” she said. “Been practicing on my brothers.”
It was London who laughed first, then the rest of us, more in relief than anything
else. Arnaldo actually smiled too, though he shook his head at her.
November collected her change from the cashier, then opened Arnaldo’s chest pocket
with one finger and slid the wallet into it. “I know, I know, it’s not ethical and
blah-dee-blah. But before you get all weird about it, just remember it’s the least
he could do, after kicking you out.”
I noticed that Amaris wasn’t with us. I looked around and spotted her through the
dusty window of the store, barely visible behind our parked SUV. Something about the
way she held her head struck me as odd, and I left Arnaldo and the others to buy the
clothes and grab some food, and went outside into the cold desert air.
Amaris was pacing behind the car, practically out in the street. I heard her voice
speaking, though the words weren’t clear, and I realized she was on the phone.
I nearly turned around to give her privacy. But wait— Amaris doesn’t have any friends other than us . She’d been raised by the Tribunal and was now an outcast. Who the hell is she talking to?
I strained to catch even a word of her conversation as I approached. Instead, a deep
growl of engines assaulted my ears. Two engines, very large, very loud, coming fast.
Headlights swept over
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