Page 89 of Cats Never Fly

“Don’tworry.Wehave a plan.Alright,Teague, let’s do this.”Gagebeckoned the death mage over.

“What’sgoing on?”Ishivered.

Yes,I’dacceptedTeague’shelp whenIhad to, but he was still a death mage, andIstill didn’t know what his magic could do.I’dalready lost one life;Ididn’t want to lose another so soon.Myeyebrows rose asTeagueonce again crouched next to me.Besides, he was supposed to be saving his energy to helpOgden.

“Ican see your bond withOgden.Congratulationson that, by the way.”

“Thanks,Iguess.Buthow does that help?”

Themage looked earnest as he smiled at me.Somethingabout his unassuming good looks made me want to trust him, despite my misgivings about his magic.Andhe had already healed me, so that helped too. “We’regoing to use it to find him.”

“Whydid you send the others away?”Somethingwas going on, andIwasn’t keen on secrets.Secretsled to problems and problems put lives at risk.Ionly had eight left.Ihad to be careful.

“They’dbe useless in fighting a demon,”Gage, who was also a demon, said it like it was obvious.

“Sowe’re going to findOgden?”

Gagerolled his eyes likeIwas wasting his time with questions like that, butTeaguesmiled reassuringly and nodded.

Idon’t know why he thought we’d all be better off with half the people we could have, especially whenIwas pretty sure those police officers fromAspenBaywould bebetter at fighting a demon thanIwould, but whatever.Themost important thing was gettingOgdenback, andItrusted these people to do that.Afterthat,Ineeded to make sure no one ever kidnapped him again.

“Okay.Whatdo you need from me?”Iasked.

“I’mgoing to put my hand here,”Teaguesaid as he rested his hand over my chest. “AndthenI’llwork a short spell.It’sas easy as that.Thenwe’ll go and find your dragon.”

Iswallowed. “Okay.Dothat.”

AsTeaguemumbled his way through some kind of incantation, magic stirred through the air, making the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.Thenhis eyes snapped open.Theywere glowing.I’dseen fire inVan’seyes showing his hellhound andI’dseen golden light flare inHayden’sshowing his werewolf, but the mage’s eyes were creepy as all get out.Theywere pitch black.Noiris.Nowhite.Theylooked robotic.

“Thatway,”Teaguesaid, pointing to the empty field behind me.

“Howfar?Canyou tell?”Vanasked.

“Notfar.”Thenhe stood and started walking across the ditch in the direction he’d pointed.

Iscooped up the pouch with the tracking device from the front seat of the police vehicleI’dcome in and shoved it in my pocket beside the whistle.Assoon asIfoundOgden,Iwould give it to him.Ineeded to knowIcould find him again.Easily.Evenif the death mage wasn’t around.ThenIfollowed the mage, and everyone else did too.Noone spoke.

WasIthe only one wondering why we were walking into a wheat field?Thetall seed heads nodded lazily at us as we trampled through the thigh-high plants, heading straight east.Theearly morning sun was low enough on the horizon that it made looking ahead difficult.IwishedIhad sunglasses likeVandid because my eyes were burning and watering like crazy asIstrained to see a building orOgdenor anything at all under the harsh, bright sunlight.

Nothingmade a sound.Therewere no birds, no insects, no sounds of engines on the road, nor planes in the air overhead.Itwas eerie and unnatural.Ittook every ounce of the tiny amount of courageIhad to press forward and keep up with the others.

ThenGageheld up his hand and made a fist.Everyonefroze.I’donly seen a gesture like that in military or cop shows.Apparently, shit was getting real.

AndnowI’dgone and sworn.

AndIreally wanted to swear a whole lot more, butIdidn’t think chantingfuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckwhile hopingOgdenwould miraculously appear was going to work.I’dperformed one miracle the dayI’dblown on that whistle.Iwas pretty sure that meantI’dalready reached my lifetime’s quota on miracles.

Myheart was pounding frantically in my chest like it needed to beat its way out.Sweatpoured down my face likeIwas standing under a faucet.AndIdesperately wanted to shift soIcould hightail it out of there and hide.

ExceptOgdenneeded me.

And…Istill had eight of my nine lives left.

I’dbe okay.

ForOgden,Icould do this.AndIcould sacrificeanother life if it meant getting him back.Therealization made me lightheaded, but it was true.I’dsacrifice all of them if it’d keep him safe.

Gagereached up with both hands, palms facing out, then he leaned forward as if bracing against something.Theheavy feeling of magic rolled over me, nearly knocking me off my still unsteady feet.Gagegrunted, and the scent of brimstone clogged the air.Thena crackling sound broke the oppressive silence.