Page 98 of Wolf of Ashes
She snatches the gum from him, shoves it into her mouth, and begins to chew, her jaw muscles working over it.
Opposite me, both Jonah and the keeper have turned in their seats to watch Valki carefully while Orlan has paused in the aisle, and even Anarchy has edged forward, as if she believes Valki could be a threat to us.
Slowly, very slowly, Valki’s chest deflates, her eyes clear, and her muscles visibly relax. She rolls her shoulders, stretches her neck, and shrugs. “All good.”
She turns back to her seat and everyone around me seems to exhale with relief.
Too soon.
There’s a flash of red only three seats away from us.
A red coat!
The witch materializes from nowhere, leaps up toward the ceiling, turns herself upside down, and scuttles along the top of the car like a damn spider.
I’ve barely shouted a warning when she veers toward the window seats, headed straight for Elijah.
The keeper was already facing that direction and so was Anarchy.
The panther leaps upward.
The keeper sees her coming and drops, turning his shoulder. “Up!”
It happens so fast I’ve barely blinked when Anarchy launches herself onto the keeper’s back, using him as a spring board to leap at the witch.
Her jaws close around the back of the witch’s neck, wrenching her down.
They’re right above Elijah’s seat.
My muscles are firing and I’m pulling him out of his chair and into my arms, getting him out of the way just in time before Anarchy and the witch crash downward.
Anarchy lands on her feet like the cat she is.
The witch’s broken body drops partially onto Elijah’s seat as well as onto the keeper’s head and shoulders since he’d moved into the open area between the chairs.
I try to cover Elijah’s eyes, nearly knocking off his sunglasses in the process.
No kid needs to see this much mess.
Jonah seems to have the same thought. With a horrified glance in Elijah’s direction, he lurches forward, his outstretched hand full of fire. With a quick tap on the witch’s back, she bursts into dust, blood and all.
The thick cloud of remains settles over Anarchy and the keeper, coating both of their bodies.
Jonah jumps back before he gets any on him.
The keeper coughs.
Anarchy growls.
Jonah gives them a sheepish grin. “Apologies.”
The keeper squints at him, coughs again, and then both he and Anarchy shake themselves off.
I’m on alert for further threats, but all is quiet.
Orlan approaches us with a quick, “Sit tight. I’ll take care of the bodies.” He glances at all the dust in the aisle and around our seats. “And other remains.”
Within minutes, he has lifted the bodies of the bear shifter, the first fire mage, and the three lion shifters into the air, along with the piles of ash from the other fire mage and the witch, pulling everything along with him to the doors at the back of the car.
