Did something happen in Sweetwater?”
“We’re safe here.”
That didn’t actually answer her question.
Turning on the light, Jesse looked at the clock. “Honey, where are you?”
“At the terra indigene’s communications cabin. Amy Wolfgard is with me. Please listen. I don’t think there’s much time before …”
Jesse heard Amy’s sharp, anxious whine and took a guess at why there wasn’t much time. “Jackson doesn’t know you left the Wolfgard cabin?”
“No, but that doesn’t matter. You have to listen.”
A chill went through Jesse. “You drew a picture.”
“I was teaching Amy how to draw, but we fell asleep, and Amy said I got out of bed and started drawing.” A suppressed sob. “Something bad is going to happen.”
“Can you send me the drawing in an e-mail?” Jesse asked.
“There isn’t time.”
She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Tell me.”
“I drew a picture of two towns. One town is seen from a hilltop or maybe high up like a Hawk or Eagle would see. It has a long rectangle in the center with trees and grass and a pond.”
“That sounds like Bennett.”
“A red shadow is creeping through the town, consuming it piece by piece. Amy says I cut a finger to make the red. That’s why …” A hesitation. “The other town looks abandoned. A sign above one building says Walker’s General Store. The windows are broken, and there is debris in the street, like there’s no one left to clean it up.”
Another chill went through Jesse. “Hope, honey, where is Jackson?”
“He and Grace went out for a run. They’ll be upset when they come back and—” Hope sucked in a breath.
Jesse hadn’t heard the howl, but another sharp whine from Amy told her that Jackson had found the drawing—and was now calling the Wolfgard to find their missing blood prophet.
“Jackson needs to talk to Bennett’s mayor, needs to send that drawing to him.”
“No!” Panicked breathing. “If Jackson sends the drawing, the man will know about me. That’s why I called you!”
Something wasn’t right. “Honey, Tolya Sanguinati already knows about you. He’s received drawings from Jackson before.”
“But he won’t be the only one who sees it!”
Jesse’s left wrist throbbed. “Who else would see the drawing?”
“The man made of black stones.”
* * *
* * *
“Don’t brush this off, Tolya,” Jackson snapped. “Hope drew this picture. It’s not an idle warning.”
Tolya rubbed his forehead, then felt disgust at having acquired that human gesture. “I’m not brushing it off, Jackson, or dismissing what Hope saw. I just don’t know what to do about it. The Elders and Elementals will deal with the enemy in their territory, but there aren’t enough Sanguinati and Wolves to win a fight with Blackstone and his allies if we really fight.”
“You trust him to keep his word?”
“Of course not. He’s a human who cheats his own kind. He’s not going to be honest with us.”
Silence. Then Jackson said, “What can I do?”
“Don’t let the Hope pup send any drawings or call anyone until you hear from me or from someone in Prairie Gold. I’m going to destroy everything you’ve sent me that might tell someone like Blackstone what she is and where to find her.” And he’d have to figure out what to do with their own prophet pup.
“Be careful,” Jackson said. “Humans are sneaky.”
In Jana’s book, the good guys don’t win—and most don’t survive—because they believed the bargain they had made with the villains. “I’ll call you.”
As soon as he hung up the phone, Tolya reached out to Yuri, using the terra indigene’s form of communication.
Yuri replied.
A beat of silence.
He thought for a moment, then added,
As he turned away from his desk to look out the window, the phone rang again. “Hello?”
“Why were you on the phone so long?” Jesse demanded.
“Business,” Tolya replied. “Why are you calling so early?”
“You’re in trouble. Tobias is picking me up. We’ll get there as soon as we can.”
“No. Stay away from Bennett today.”
“Can’t.” Heavy breathing. “Hope Wolfsong called me.”
Jackson hadn’t mentioned that—probably because