snake of the bird. Instinct that threatened to take over, threatened to make me forget I was Jane. I quivered and swayed off course, stretched into flight. Found a rising current of air and let it carry me up.
My human consciousness merged with the owl’s, dispersed into the cells of the Bubo bubo. I hunted for the creature that had stolen the chick. The creature would not look like living meat. It would look like frozen meat, but the chick would be warm, alive.
Flew high and leveled out, banking a widening spiral. Bag bumped my chest like prey, pulling against my flight. But bag was important. I needed bag.
Below, I saw the warmth of creeks, like gleaming trails through ice. Saw the body heat of a deer herd. A small wild boar. A large rabbit. And a chick . . . No. Small human. A child. In the arms of a frozen dead thing. Child’s heart was beating. Was alive. But child was silent.
Dead thing had long white hair and ran faster than deer. I followed, flying steadily.
Snow started to fall again. Colors of air currents muddied as snow fell through them.
I saw lights ahead. Word came slowly to mind. Cars. Lights on.
Memory came, more sluggish than before.
I am Jane. I am looking for EJ.
I folded wings and dove, spreading wings and dipping back, claws outstretched. Settled on top branch of tree. I watched white-haired dead thing run close. Saw other dead things near cars. Saw dead things step behind trees. Making snare of bodies. Waiting for white-haired dead thing.
Thoughts came. Lego. Legolas has EJ. The Flayer of Mithrans is waiting for him.
Lego stopped. Lifted his head. Sniffed. Turned and raced into the woods, uphill. Away from the Flayer. Then Lego disappeared. Vanished. To reappear farther away.
It’s a trap. Understanding came. They aren’t working together. Lego isn’t part of the Flayer’s group.
Lego lifted his hand as he ran. He was holding something clear and shining. I focused owl eyes in tight. It was a crystal. It was . . . Soul. Lego has Soul. He’s learned how to ride time. Or skip time, at least. And for some reason Soul hasn’t gotten free, though she had the working that should liberate her.
I felt magics in my middle glow. Looked down with owl eyes. Saw red magics in pointed shape in my owl middle. I knew this was somehow caused by Lego and by Soul. I can’t lose him. Can’t lose EJ. Magics faded inside my feathers. I leaped into the air. Beat strong wings, caught a shining thermal, soaring higher and higher. Banked, studying the cars. Cold dead things were vampires. They had moved. Some were in cars. Some were in the snow, following Lego. Trap had not been sprung. Lego had gotten away, skipping through time.
I remembered the thing in EJ’s pocket. Molly and Evan could track EJ. Remembered cell phone and saying Follow me. I was not alone.
I banked and followed Lego and EJ. Warmth was a brightness against the cold air ahead. Squares of light reflected from the windows to the snow. There were houses and cars. Lego put EJ onto snow and raced into the house. From high above, I heard the screams of children and smelled blood. Lego raced out of the house and dropped a large body on the snow. A man. Inside the house, humans screamed. Blood scent rose on the air. The vampire had fed, ripping the man’s throat with his fangs. Lego picked up EJ. Opened the door to the car and got inside, throwing EJ onto the seat. Car started.
Vampire is taking EJ. The car moved. Jerked. Moved. Jerked. Stopped.
I heard sound of many cars coming up the road. Looked. Dove. Circled. Saw cars approaching.
Thoughts struggled up from the deeps of me. I am Jane. I thought about numbers but I could not understand. My Jane brain was slowing down. My owl brain was taking over. Snow fell. Sleet fell. Owls do not fly in sleet. Ice gathered on my wings, weighing them down. I fluffed my feathers and fought the wind. Watched the ground.
The cars grew close.
Lego ran from the broken car into woods, leaving EJ. But he carried the trapped Soul. She hadn’t used the spell to break free. Did the Flayer have a counterspell, or did the fact that Soul was part fish keep her from breaking free?
Other cars stopped. Vampires raced after Lego. Predators. Other vampires stopped and killed the human in snow. Killed the humans