Page 57 of Gray Dawn

“Blay come too.” He walked with Colby caged between his thick fingers. “Rue not go alone.”

A short yip brought my attention swinging back to the pair of wolves with tongues lolling.

“I won’t be alone,” I promised him. “The Mayhews will protect me.”

With that, Marita bared her teeth in a vicious grin, clearly on board with the plan.

Beside her, Derry snapped his jaws, allowing drool to slide down his chin.

Which he flung at Marita before bounding away at breakneck speed.

Strings of slobber crisscrossing her face, Marita bristled from head to toe and gave chase.

Oy.

This was not shaping up to be the stealth mission I envisioned, but that was wargs for you.

“Rue sure Derry wolf and Marita wolf keep Rue safe?”

“We’ll be fine.” I peeked in at a sleeping Colby one last time. “Stay put, and we’ll be right back.”

“Rue scream if Rue needs Blay.” He sat with his back against a tree. “Blay come to rescue.”

Warmed inside and out, I smiled at him. “Thank?—”

“Just like Boom Hammer in Super Mystics.”

“Colby has been back five minutes, and you’re already spouting infomercials.”

“Boom Hammer swings a gods-blessed hammer that can smash throughanything.”

“I notice you two never mention the price.”

“You can’t put a price on happiness.”

The sincerity with which he delivered the line had me peering closer at the moth in his hands, but she was out cold.

“We’ll discuss this later,” I promised Blay. “Then you can tell me all about this newest expansion pack.”

Ever since Mystic Realms released its first spin-off, they kept coming faster and faster.

How did they expect kids to keep up with the expense of purchasing the latest editions?

Oh.

Right.

They knew exactly who would foot the bill.

Parents.

And who would be at the head of the line? Me. I tended to do better with showing my emotion through purchases made under duress, so this latest expansion pack had timed its release well.

Over the tears my credit card wept in fear of the coming charges, I imagined I heard mothy cackles.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The Mayhews and I padded toward the fiery remains of a black car identical to the one used to drive the wig around Dallas. Eager to search for clues before they were consumed by flames, I got three feet away before another blast rocked the metal frame.