just beyond the porch visible for an instant. Cora had insisted on dragging the corpses outside so they could be exposed to sunlight as soon as possible, and for once Victoria hadn't argued. The bodies would turn into dust when the sun rose, the hunter said, so they simply lined them up in the yard and headed back into the house to see about starting a fire and preparing the stew.
When the next flash came, Victoria blinked. Had she seen a shadow? Leaning forward, she peered out through the window, but she couldn't see anything. The clouds covered the moon, leaving the intermittent flickers of lightning the only source of light. Victoria drew her revolver, curling her fingers around the grip for reassurance.
When the next burst of light came, Victoria was certain. A figure was standing in the yard near the barn. A shiver ran up her spine. It had been nothing more than a shadow, but she knew it all the same: her captors had returned.
Keeping her eyes fixed on the yard, Victoria turned her head slightly. "Cora." No answer. "Cora," she said again, louder.
There was a snort from the fireplace. "What? What's wrong?"
"I think something's out there," Victoria said.
"Is that right?" A rustling sound as she rolled over. "Go on and sort it out, then."
"What?"
"Get your pretty little rear out there and go chase your spook."
"I'll do no such thing," Victoria said.
"Then what's the point of putting you on the watch?" Cora asked. "Sentry ain't no good if they don't go have a look at what they spot, now is they?"
"Perhaps not, but you're the expert here. I wouldn't know the first thing to do-"
"You already done it earlier."
"-if it ends up being something other than one of the creatures we previously fought," Victoria finished. "I believe it is one of the beings that captured me two nights ago."
"You should be itching for the payback, then." Before Victoria could reply, Cora groaned and sat up. "But if you got sand in your bloomers about it, I reckon I can go have a look."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
Victoria blinked. "Going in my stead."
"Who says you ain't going?" Cora's boots thumped across the floor. She picked up her rifle from where it stood propped up against the chair, then turned to Victoria. "I sure don't."
"But surely we need someone to remain behind?"
"And do what?" Cora asked. "Ain't like we got a big old crate of gold or some such needs guarding. Always take more if more's available, whether you're talking bullets, biscuits, or back-watchers. Either you're coming with or we both sit tight here."
"But-"
"Put it this way: if I run myself on out there chasing your spook and it decides to stop by the house for a bite of fancy girl, what are you going to do about it?"
Victoria paused. The thought made her blood run cold. Even with her new weapons, she knew she wouldn't stand much of a chance against Fodor Glava or the Indian woman without Cora. If either one of them appeared while the hunter was away, Victoria might not be able to escape. The Indian woman's threat still lingered in the back of her mind. If she discovered that Victoria had not only disobeyed her command but brought the hunter straight to her, she was not likely to be forgiving.
Still, she had handled herself well when she'd fought with the vampire in the barn. Cora hadn't been around to help her then, and she had not only survived but killed her foe. Maybe there wasn't as much to killing monsters as she thought. Moreover, it seemed highly unlikely that Cora had received any kind of formal training in the business. If she could master the art through self-tutelage, so could Victoria.
"Do what you will," Victoria said, "but I am staying here."
Cora regarded her in silence. Although the hunter's eyes were invisible in the near-total darkness, Victoria could feel them boring into her. Raising her chin, the young woman leaned back in the chair with a look that she hoped was as powerful.
"Suit yourself." A flash of lightning outlined the creases in Cora's face. "Do me a favor, though: if they get their fangs in you while I'm away, go on and shoot yourself before you turn."
Turning away from Victoria, she slid the rifle into the scabbard on her back and pulled her hat down low. The door opened with a loud creak, and the cold smell of rain filled the room. A gust of wind swirled through