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  She smirked at her brother. "What would Mom and Dad say?"

  "Try again," Fox quipped as he pressed his finger against the trigger.

  Lance roared and entered the fray as he charged at Morgan. She stumbled back out of his path and he missed her by a hair. Fox took advantage of the distraction and fired off a shot. The bullet sank into her hand that held the stone. She yelped and the Cornerstone sailed to the ground two yards from her.

  "You shot me!" she snapped.

  "Returning the favor for the ruined suit," he told her.

  Morgan's eyes fell on the stone and she moved to pick it up, but Lance stepped between her and her target. He looked down at her and snarled. She frowned and took a step back.

  "I'm tired of this match, but next time I'll make sure I win," she warned us. She waved her hand in the air and the dense fog flitted from her fingers.

  "No!" Lance roared.

  Both he and I jumped at the fog. We fell into the mist and our arms caught nothing but air. The fog cleared and showed Morgan was gone. Lance spun left and right, but she had escaped. He whipped back his head and let out a roar of defeat.

  CHAPTER 8

  I set my hand on Lance's shoulder as he hung his head.

  "Damn it. . ." Lance muttered.

  "We have the stone," I reminded him. "Maybe we can change you back with that."

  Lance stooped and picked up the stone, and turned to Fox as he and Emery came up to us. "Can you change me back?"

  Fox closed his eyes and shook his head. "Without the Myrddin Grimoire that's not possible."

  "The what?" I asked him.

  "The book in my sister's possession," Fox explained. "Only it contains the spell that can reverse the transformation."

  "Why can't you shock him like you did me and change him to a human form?" I suggested.

  "Your transformation was caused by a natural transfer of the curse. The magical properties from Morgan's spell means he can't revert back to being human," Fox replied.

  Lance's pointed ears drooped and he gestured down at himself. "So I'm. . .I'm stuck like this?"

  Fox nodded. "For the present time, yes, but rest assured I will do everything in my power to-"

  "I don't want any help from your family!" Lance roared.

  I gave his shoulder a squeeze and smiled up at him. "It isn't so bad. You can stay with me and-"

  Lance turned away and shook his head. "I can't live like you. I'm too different. I can't go on the streets. I can't even wear clothing. I-" he lifted his head and frowned. "I need to leave the city."

  "What the hell are you talking? Where are you going to go?" I questioned him.

  "To the source of the Cam River in the woods north of here and beyond that to the smaller towns," he told me. He looked down at the stone in his large palm. "And I'll take this, too."

  Fox stepped in front of him and held out his palm. "I'm afraid I can't agree to that. That's my property, and I would appreciate if you gave it back."

  Lance gripped it in both his clawed hands and glared at Fox. "You'll get it back when I get my life back. That means getting that book from your sister. In the meantime, if you make one move to take it from me I'll make sure you'll be admiring a hunk of rubble."

  "Then you'll be trapped in that state forever. Only the stone in its intact form can generate the magic necessary to perform the spell," Fox warned him.

  "Better that than this magic falling into the wrong hands again," Lance countered. He turned to me and reached up a pawed hand to cup my cheek. "You'll wait for me?"

  I smiled and clasped my hand over his. "Sure thing. Just don't go to wild on me, okay?"

  Lance smiled and nodded. He dropped his hand and pushed through Fox and Emery to the elevators. Lance stooped inside the small space, and the last I saw of him was his paw waving at me.

  Then he was gone.

  My shoulders drooped and I sighed. "Damn it. . ."

  I snapped my head up when an alarm sounded. Blaring lights along the top of the walls showed something was wrong. Deadly wrong.

  "What's happening?" I asked them.

  "It seems Morgan has activated the self-destruct sequence," Emery spoke up.

  "Then it's time that we leave," Fox added.

  They moved towards the elevator, but I hurried over to Dakota. I hefted her over my shoulder and rushed to the elevator doors. Fox kept them open with his hand until I rushed in, and then they slammed shut behind me. He jammed his fist against the top floor button and the elevator flew up.

  "How much time do you think we have?" I asked him as I readjusted Dakota.

  "Knowing my sister, as little time as she thought possible," he told me.

  We almost reached the tenth floor before the top when the elevator stalled. An explosion occurred beneath us and the elevator rocked back and forth.

  "The dynamite has been activated," Emery commented.

  "Then we take the stairs," Fox instructed. He nodded at the escape hatch in the roof. "Miss Rogers, if you would give me a boost."

  I twined my hands together and boosted Fox to the hatch. He opened it and climbed out as another rumble shook the elevator. Emery was next, and I passed Dakota to them. Fox leaned through the hatch and offered me his hand.

  I jumped and caught his hand as another rumble sounded beneath us. This one sounded bigger and the tremble that proceeded it didn't stop. Fox pulled me through the hatch while Emery succeeded in getting the floor doors open three foot above us. The men climbed up and I handed them Dakota. Behind them I could see ceiling tiles and painting crash to the floor.

  The elevator groaned and there came a snap above me. The elevator dropped two feet before it jerked to a stop. I fell to my knees and whipped my head back to see that one of the wires had snapped. The other wire strained under the weight, and I leapt at the open doors just before it, too, broke. I grabbed the bottom of the doorway, but my fingers slipped.

  I fell back, but Fox leaned out and snagged my hand before I joined the elevator at the bottom of the shaft. The elevator slammed into the bottom and joined a growing fireball of heat that flew upward. Fox grunted and pulled me inside just before I was singed by the burst of flames.

  "We haven't much time before the whole place explodes," he warned us as he pulled me to my feet.

  I took Dakota and we rushed down the hall to the emergency stairwell. The stairs shook and trembled as more explosions broke loose beneath our feet. The air grew thick with heat and whiffs of smoke. We reached the top floor a few minutes later and burst into the main hall. The elevator doors behind us burst open from the heat and flames flicked out of the shift. Fox led us to the elevator room, and the doors shut behind us just as the hall was engulfed in a wave of suffocating heat.

  We rode that upward to the ground floor and stumbled into the fresh, open air of the weed-infested lot. I turned in time to see the false front building collapse inward. Flames engulfed the ruins and lit up the midday sky.

  "That was a very close call," Emery commented.

  "Yes, but we made it out," Fox returned.

  I furrowed my brow and turned to them. "How did you manage to make it in there to begin with?"

  Fox smiled. "It's rather simple, really. I used the same trick she used to access the castle. It seems my sister doesn't learn well from others' mistakes and hadn't installed any spells to catch intruders."

  My eyes narrowed. "You knew all along she was a sorcerer, didn't you?"

  "A witch, and yes," he confirmed.

  "And you didn't tell me this why?" I questioned him.

  "There didn't seem to be any need to get you involved in her personal affairs until she made them your own," he pointed out.

  "That probably would've saved a lot of stupid mistakes," I growled.

  "All's well that ends well," he countered.

  "Try telling that to my friends," I snapped.

  My heavy load shifted, and I moved Dakota so one of her arms was slung over my shoulders. She groaned and her eyes flutter
ed open. My friend looked around and blinked.

  "How'd we get out here?" She raised one of her hands and frowned. "And where's my claws?"

  "Your claw privileges have been revoked," I told her.

  Dakota searched our faces and turned to me. "Where's Lance?"

  I pursed my lips and turned to the flames. "He. . .he didn't make it."

  Dakota's eyes widened and she looked at the fire as it engulfed the remains of Morgan's pride-and-joy. "So what now?"

  "That is the question, isn't it?" Fox spoke up.

  I frowned at him. "Why is it that?"

  "I'm afraid your friend knows too much," he returned. "She'll have to remain in the castle until we can figure out what to do with her."

  I snorted. "What are you going to do, cage everyone who finds out about me?"

  "Do you have a better suggestion?" he asked me.

  "Yeah, let her go. She's not going to tell anyone, and even if she did nobody would believe her," I pointed out.

  "I promise!" Dakota swore. "And maybe I can help you!"

  Fox raised an eyebrow. "Help how?"

  "I can-um, I can bring you information. You know, about stuff," she offered.

  "I already have such resources at my disposal," he argued.

  "Yeah, but not my gossip channels," she insisted. "And I work cheap!"

  "What could it hurt to have another pair reliable ears and eyes in the city?" I suggested.

  There was a pause before Fox smiled. "Very well. I'll have Emery give you some further instructions, but I don't see why you can't be useful to my operations."

  Yay-ow. . ." Dakota murmured. She winced and rubbed her head. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

  "I will take her home," Emery offered.

  I helped Dakota steady herself on her own and she looked up into my face. "You're coming, too, right?"

  I pursed my lips and glanced at Fox. His face was stoic. I sighed and shook my head. "No, I think I'd better stick to the castle until I learn how to control my abilities."

  "You sure?" she persisted.

  I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. For the first time in a while, I think I know where I need to be."

  "That leaves only one loose end to cut," Fox spoke up.

  He walked over to me and took my left hand in his. His fingers grasped the bracelet around my wrist, and he slid the electrical mechanism off me. He let me go and pocketed the trinket. I lifted my eyes and blinked at him.

  "You're. . .you're letting me go?" I asked him.

  "You said yourself you'll remain at the castle. I expect you to keep your word," he insisted.

  I rubbed my wrist and smiled. "You sure I won't try to bite you?""

  "I'm prepared to take that risk," he assured me.

  I shrugged. "Then I guess I'll have to stay. This city could use a furry protector, anyway."

  For all books by Mac Flynn visit her author's page or visit Mac Flynn's website.

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