Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,27

but immediately walked over. I climbed out of the wagon, then quickly zipped up my coat and pulled on the hood. Thankfully, I’d invested in a coat that went down to my knees, so at least most of me would remain warm and dry. I wasn’t sure how long my boots would hold out in this weather, though.

“Danny says they walked a couple of kilometers in before he came back to make the phone call.” Tala stopped in front of us. “We’ve still got two of them out there.”

“Two is better than one,” Monty commented. “They can watch each other’s back.”

“That depends entirely on what we’re actually dealing with.” Tala’s voice was grim. “The crying kid was moving wolf fast, but didn’t appear to hear their shouts.”

Which wasn’t surprising if we were dealing with something other than a wolf. Of course, it could also be the damn weather—my hearing was better than most, but the drumming rain made it difficult to catch what Tala was saying, and she was only a few feet away. “You think we’re dealing with someone who’s playing a game?”

“I think it highly likely.”

“Patrick being torn apart wasn’t a game,” Monty said.

Tala’s expression darkened. “I’m well aware of that. But there’s no evidence as yet of the two being connected. It might simply be a case of him being in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”

It was pretty evident she didn’t believe that any more than I did. I just hoped that what happened to Patrick didn’t happen to the two teenagers.

“It’s probably going to be a long hike—you two got water and trail rations in those packs?” She paused and glanced down at my feet. “Will you be able to keep up? Your feet were quite a mess the other night.”

“They looked worse than they were. I’ll be fine. And yes, we have rations if needed.”

She didn’t look convinced but, with a quick “follow me,” moved off briskly.

I swung my pack over my shoulders and hurried after her. Thankfully, the terrain here was relatively flat and the scrub wasn’t thick. We moved in single file, at speed, along what amounted to little more than a snake track. A good twenty or so minutes passed before we hit a four-wheel drive track.

Tala swung onto it. “This heads for the rail line about ten kilometers away, but the kid veered off again not far up the road. That’s when Danny retreated.”

“Are you catching the scent of the other two teenagers yet?” Monty asked.

Tala shook her head. “But not only is the wind at our back, the rain’s so bad it’ll have washed away any prints.”

“Which is the reason Danny and his mates didn’t find a scent trail.”

“No doubt. Annoying though, given night is moving in fast and this damn storm shows no sign of abating.”

“The two motocross riders wouldn’t walk on through the night, would they?” I asked.

Tala shrugged. “They’re teenage boys, and teenage boys generally think themselves invincible. Anything is possible.”

“When did you become an expert on teenage boys?” Monty asked.

“I have brothers.” Her voice was wry. “Five of them, to be exact. I know all about the idiocy of boys, trust me.”

Monty laughed, the sound echoing lightly through the trees. Somewhere out there in the gathering shadows, something stirred. Something that didn’t quite feel right. I frowned and scanned the trees to the right of the track. There was nothing to see—nothing beyond the driving rain and bedraggled tree shadows, at any rate. And yet, unease stirred. Or maybe it was just fear of the unknown and what we might be running toward.

The track was now treacherous, the dirt turning to thick mud that either slid away from underneath or clung to the soles of my boots, making every step that much harder. Moisture seeped through the boot leather, but my socks were at least woolen so I was in no danger of getting iced toes. Squishing feet was no fun, however.

We eventually swung off the track and trudged on. The daylight was fading fast, and long shadows haunted the trees. I shivered, although, again, I wasn’t sure if it was due to the increasing chill in my bones or the thought that it was the perfect night for evil to be hunting. Us finding anything out here was getting ever more unlikely, but Tala showed no sign of giving up. And that meant that we couldn’t. There was no way known we could leave her alone up here; while it was possible we