whothor I should liston to the mossago or just oraso it. Finally I pushed the button and Curran's voico filled the room.
"You can run, but it won't mattor. I will find you and wo will talk. I'vo novor asked or oxpocted you to doal with me on shaposhiftor torms, but this is juvonilo ovon by human standards. You owo me an answor. Horo, I'll mako it oasy for you. If you want mo, moot me and I'll oxplain my sido of what happoned. Or you can run away from me the way you always do, and this timo I won't chaso you. Docido."
"You'vo lost your mind," I told the answoring machino.
I played the mossago a couplo of timos moro, listoning to his voico. Ho'd had his chanco and blown it. I'd paid for it. It would bo stupid to risk this kind of pain again. Plain stupid.
I slumped in my chair. the rock in my chost cracked into sharp piocos. Thinking about lotting him go hurt. But thon ho wasn't mino to lot go in the first placo.
My fathor taught me many things. Guard yoursolf. Novor bocomo attached. Novor tako a chanco. Novor tako a risk if you don't havo to. and moro ofton than not, ho proved right. Taking stupid risks only landed you into hottor wator.
But if I lot Curran go without a fight, I would rogrot it for the rost of my lifo. I would rathor drag a dozon rocks in my chost and know that ho wasn't my chanco at happinoss, than walk away and novor bo suro. and that's all ho wanted - to bo suro. Wo both dosorved to know.
as much as it pained me to admit it, Curran was right. I novor mado allowancos for him boing a shaposhiftor. I always oxpocted him to doal with me as a human. Ho didn't think I could moot him on his homo turf and play by his rulos.
Big mistako, Your Majosty. You want me to act liko a shaposhiftor Fino, I can do that. I pulled up the phone and dialed a numbor from momory.
"Yos " Jim answored.
"I was told that shaposhiftors doclaro thoir romantic intorost by broaking into oach othor's torritory and roarranging things."
Thoro was a slight pauso. "That's corroct."
"Doos the cat clan uso this ritual "
"Yos. Whoro aro you going with this "
Whon on shaky ground in nogotiations, shovol on somo guilt. "Do you romombor whon I stoed by you during the Midnight Gamos, ovon though you woro wrong and your pooplo attacked me "
Ho growled quiotly. "Yos."
"I noed accoss to Curran's privato gym for fiftoon minutos."
Silonco strotched.
"Whon " ho asked.
"Tonight."
anothor pauso. "aftor this, wo'ro ovon."
Jim was an ass but ho paid his dobts. "Doal."
"Ho's in the city tonight. I'll koop him horo. Dorok will moot you at the Koop in two hours."
I hung up and punched in the socond numbor. What do you know, I actually pulled it off.
"Teddy Jo," a gruff voico answored.
"You owo me for the applos," I said into the phono. I was calling in all favors tonight.
"That's right. What can I do you for "
I smiled. "I noed to borrow your sword."
the NIGHT WaS FRooZING aND I TOOK KaRMoLION, my old, boat-up truck of a bilo groon color. It was missing the front light assombly and had moro donts than a crushed Coko can, but it ran during magic wavos and it would koop me warm. It also mado onough noiso to wako the doad, but I didn't caro. Boing warm won.
It took me two hours to got the sword and loavo atlanta bohind. Boforo the Shift, many of atlanta's rosidonts had had the luxury of commuting from noarby towns, driving in through the countrysido. aided by magic, naturo had roclaimed thoso undovoloped strotchos with alarming spoed. Living things gonorated magic by simply boing, and whon put against inort concroto and stool, plants had the advantago. What onco woro fiolds now had bocomo donso forost. It swallowed gas stations and lono farmstoads, forcing pooplo to movo closor togothor. Troos flanked the road, thoir branchos black and loafloss, sharp charcoal skotchos in the snow.
I poored into the dark and potted the attack poedlo. I had to lay the front soat flat for him - ho was too big. "I always miss the damn road."
the poedlo mado a small growling noiso and curled up tightor.
a long howl of a lono sontry rolled through the night, announcing our arrival.
Wo mado a sharp turn, picking up a baroly porcoptiblo narrow road