Chapter 60: Deal-Breaker

Clay and Savannah walked behind Buffy and Dawn.

"Uncle Clay?" Savannah said. "Are you okay?"

"No Savannah I'm not," Clay said. "You have to promise me no matter what happens to me that you will protect your Aunt Dawn and your mom for me."

"Of course," Savannah said. "You know you never have to ask, Uncle Clay. I will always protect them."

"I know," Clay said.

Dawn and Buffy crept up beside Jeremy as Dawn whispered, "Was it something you heard?"

He hesitated, as if not certain himself, then shook his head. "Not heard…"

"Give us a direction, and we'll get upwind," Buffy said.

He scanned the forest, but his eyes were unfocused. He hadn't seen, heard or smelled anyone. He'd sensed them. Sometimes Buffy had wondered if being Alpha Jeremy had some kind of magical abilities.

"There," he said, pointing east. "We'll loop around to the south. I don't want to get too far from the others."

They'd gone only about twenty feet when Buffy and Dawn caught the smell, not because their target was upwind, but because they were so close.

The sisters took a few slow steps. A shape moved through the trees only twenty feet away. As Jeremy touched their arms, they recognized the scent.

"Oh, I don't believe it," Dawn muttered, shrugging off Jeremy's hand and striding forward.

"Daw—!"

A grunt cut off Jeremy's cry. Dawn and Buffy turned to see him knocked off his feet. Savannah and Clay ran forward, but Clay stumbled midway. As Dawn dove for him, someone caught her by the shirt and yanked.

With a growl, Dawn swung her elbow back to knock her attacker flying. Metal flashed, and she felt a prick—a small but sharp jab—not at her chest or throat, but in the side of her stomach stopping Savannah and Buffy instantly.

Dawn let out a whimper.

"Stay where you are, Mr. Danvers, Ms. Summers, Ms. Danvers," a voice behind Dawn said.

Dawn forced her gaze from the knife, expecting to see Clay ready to leap to her rescue. But Clay was on the ground, crumpled face-first, not moving. Jeremy, Buffy and Savannah's gaze shot down to Clay's prone body.

Was Clay breathing?

Buffy, Savannah and Jeremy's gazes swung to the knife at Dawn's side. Their fists twitched at their sides, their bodies tensing.

"You three know that isn't a wise idea," Hull said behind Dawn, the meekness gone from his voice. "You three may be able to save her, but this knife will go into her belly the moment you move. I'm sure you all understand what that means. No grandbabies, no niece or nephew, no cousin to dandle on your knees. Babies. I did overhear that correctly, didn't I? Twins?" A bark of a laugh. "I must have done something right in my life—pleased some demon or deity—to give me so rich a boon. Two full-blooded werewolf babes."

Clay let out a guttural moan.

"He's dying, you know," Hull said. "Zombie scratches—nasty things. Only way to help him now is to kill the zombies. I could help with that." Another small laugh. "After all, they are my zombies."

That's what Shanahan had been saying just before he died—that the sorcerer had made it into the portal.

"So, you've been controlling them all along," Buffy said, trying to give herself, Jeremy and even Savannah time to think. "You came out of the portal after they cleared the way."

Hull laughed. "Cleared the way? I was out only minutes after my first zombie. You were too engrossed in following him down the road to even notice. So, I followed you. It seemed strange—humans pursuing the man instead of calling for help. So, I cast a little spell, and discovered my good fortune. A pregnant witch / werewolf hybrid had opened my portal."

"So, it had been her blood yet again," Buffy thought to herself.

"You weren't after me for the letter at all," Dawn said.

"The letter has served its purpose. You're the vessel of value now."

"We are not exchanging Dawn for—" Jeremy began.

"You don't need to exchange your dear girl for anything. That's the beauty of my offer. You will get both her and your boy back, healthy and sound. I'll even relinquish control of my zombies, so you can kill them and close this portal. Like the letter, they were useful enough, but they've quickly become more of a hindrance. Take them with my blessing, close the portal, heal your boy there…everything you want."

"In exchange for…?" Buffy said.

"No," Dawn said through her teeth.

Hull chuckled. "You already know what I'm going to ask for, don't you? I wouldn't be so hasty with your refusal, though. After all, I could take what I want now, with no deal…leave the portal open, let your mate die, let you die with him…"

"What do—?" Jeremy began.

"No!" Buffy said as she realized what Hull wanted. And then she saw realization on both Savannah and Jeremy's faces as they both paled.

"A fair exchange, don't you agree? Two lives for two lives? It's a simple enough matter to take the babes out early. You fancy yourself a doctor, don't you, Mr. Danvers? Or perhaps, if that other one isn't too upset with you, he'll undertake the task."

"They—" Jeremy swallowed, as if his mouth was too dry to form words. "The babies aren't far enough along. They wouldn't live."

"No matter. I don't need them alive. Even if I take them that way, they won't stay that way for long."

Dawn didn't think. Couldn't think. She just reacted, howling, twisting, her elbow going up to smash—

The knife dug into her belly.

As Dawn froze, she heard Buffy, Savannah and even Jeremy's voices, distant, barely piercing the roar in her ears, begging her to stop, to hold still.

Dawn stood shaking and gasping for breath. Wondering if she could teleport. She knew there was no way that Savannah could get off a spell before he could plunge the knife into her stomach.

Hull laughed as Dawn looked at Jeremy, Savannah and Buffy as their mouths moved. Each of them saying one word, "Wait."

As Hull stopped laughing, a small crackle cut through the silence of the forest, too soft for Hull to hear.

Gaze still locked to mine, Jeremy dipped his chin, telling Dawn yes, they were coming. His eyes were clear and calm, panic gone. Seeing that, I felt my own fear drain.

"Why offer this deal?" Buffy asked. "If, as you pointed out, you could take my sister any time and the babies now…"

"Too messy." Hull was equally nonchalant, even as blood trickled down Dawn's side. "I like things tidy. That's why I tried to resolve this without confrontation. Had you let her return to the hotel with me, you'd have saved yourself much unpleasantness. I'm sure Mr. Shanahan would have preferred that. Now, I'll settle for an offering freely given—" He repositioned the knife again, and I bit back a snarl. "—with the promise of no retaliation to come."

They could smell Antonio and Nick now, coming closer.

"But why the—" Jeremy faltered, and then continued. "The babies. What do you need them for? Surely not the experiment you were working on back in England."

Hull laughed. "That would be rather coincidental, wouldn't it? No, they aren't for that—though, thanks to you, I may have found the final rare ingredient I need. This, however, is a simple matter of economics. Had I ever considered the possibility of arriving here, a hundred years late, in another time, another country, I would have made financial arrangements. No matter. Providence interceded, and I arrived to find a woman pregnant with full-blooded witch / werewolf hybrid twins. Some things never change, and such babes would be a sorcery ingredient of untold potency, as rare as the mythical unicorn's horn. On the black market? Priceless. One alone would be enough to keep me in great comfort."

"If one would be enough…" Buffy said. "You can have mine." Dawn stiffened as she looked at her sister. "He or she is not as far along as Dawn's but he or she is still full blooded."

"Tempting. Very tempting," Hull said. "A Slayer, witch, werewolf hybrid."

The bushes exploded behind Jeremy. Hull jumped, startled. Dawn hit the knife away from her stomach not wanting to risk teleporting with it there. The blade caught the back of her hand, slicing it open as she teleported.

Savannah started muttering an incantation as Buffy leapt at Hull and they went down.

There was another crash in the forest as the bowler-hatted zombie burst from the woods, Rose lurching behind him, cutting Nick, Antonio and Jeremy off from Hull, Buffy, Savannah and Dawn. Hull cast a spell. Something like an electrical bolt hit Buffy, and she fell, gasping. Savannah started for Buffy, then saw the knife just inches from Dawn's hand.

"Aunt Dawn, the knife," Savannah said.

Dawn stretched to grab it, but it flew out of her reach, sailing back toward Hull. Then she watched as Hull cast a knockback spell at Savannah and sent her flying back.

Dawn struggled to her feet, her hand throbbing, her ankle blazing as if she'd twisted it. She thought about trying to cast a spell as she stumbled forward, nearly blind with dizziness. There was no way she was going to be able to cast a spell. She had to do something else.

Hull grabbed the back of Dawn's shirt as the knife found its way back to her belly.

"Walk," he said.

When Dawn resisted, the knife dug in. She walked then, letting him push her as she tripped and staggered, her ankle giving way with every step, the world around her swaying and dimming, threatening to go black, the sounds of struggle fading as they moved deeper into the woods.

"You ought to have accepted my offer," Hull said. "Had the operation gone smoothly, surely there would have been more babes to come."

Dawn tried to growl, but only managed a rasp.

"Perhaps you still held out hope for escape. It would have done you no good. Your blood opened my portal. As long as you live, I can find you, wherever you hide. You carry the treasure of a lifetime in your belly. I would have tracked you to the South Pole if I had to."

Hull kept talking. Rambling in a happy monologue, so pleased with himself. After a moment, Dawn could hear the sound of distant traffic. Then an odd rhythmic thumping. A train? No, running paws, beating against hard ground. Who could Change that quickly?

The answer came even as the blond blur flew from the undergrowth beside them. Dawn twisted, putting every bit of energy she had into getting away from that knife. The tip of it scratched along the side of my belly. Then the knife flew up as Buffy caught Hull's arm in her teeth.

Hull cast a spell, snarling the words. But nothing happened. Buffy swung Hull around. As the sorcerer flew off his feet, he cast again, flicking his fingers. A simple knockback spell, but it worked. Buffy lost her grip on Hull's arm.

As Buffy stumbled back, Dawn clumsily dove to protect her sister and the cub growing within Buffy's belly. They both hit the ground. They turned to see Hull's back disappearing into the forest.

Buffy went after him, but a moment later the squeal of tires and horns told her Hull had reached the road. Buffy couldn't follow him there.

Dawn paused for just a second, and then raced back to Clay. She remembered that headlong rush as a blur, tree branches whipping her face, vines grabbing her feet. Savannah, Jeremy, Nick and Tolliver were crouched beside Clay. His eyes were still closed.

Buffy came up beside Dawn and pressed her nose into her sister's palm. As Dawn swayed, she reached for Buffy, her fingers deep in the fur around her sister's neck, grabbing her for balance as her knees gave way and everything went dark.

On the trip back, Dawn caught snatches of conversation. She struggled to follow it, only to hear the words that would let her fall back to sleep. Clay was still alive.

When Dawn awoke, her first thought was that she was in a hospital bed. Then she realized she was in her hotel room. She heard Jeremy on the other side of the connecting door that led to Buffy's room. Then came a woman's voice from inside the room.

"Dawn?"

Dawn looked around and then saw Buffy sitting in a chair next to her bed. She spotted Savannah curled up in another chair asleep.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked as Buffy stood and walked over. Buffy smiled as she ran a hand though Dawn's hair. "Clay?"

Buffy shook her head. "We don't know. Jeremy hasn't told Savannah or I anything. If we knew anything, Jeremy knew we would tell you. And then you would walk in there and see Clay lying on the bed, unconscious, medical stuff all over, you'd get upset. You know they're working on him, but if it doesn't look like it—if they just seem to be standing around talking—it'll drive you nuts. Same with Clay if it was you lying in there. Or me or even Savannah."

Dawn knew her sister was right. It would drive her nuts, especially if it had been Buffy. "And that will only upset Jeremy more," she said softly.

"Because he'll want to do something. Do more. You're in here with me and Savannah because Tolliver wants you in bed. And before you say anything about Tolliver. Jeremy trusts him. I trust him and you know me if I didn't, he wouldn't get near you with a ten-foot pole," Buffy said. "He wants you off your feet. What happened today, out there … that's too much for someone so close to having a baby." A small smile. "Babies. My nieces or nephews."

Dawn swallowed. Buffy was right, but there was another, more immediate danger to her babies now: Hull, who could find her and her babies, wherever she went. Who was probably outside the hotel right now, watching and waiting—

Dawn shook it off, and turned to the adjoining door, straining to hear Jeremy's voice.

"Buffy—?" Dawn's throat was dry and she had to clear it before trying again. "Buffy, please you have to find. Please."

Buffy sighed and then nodded. She knew someone who would know. She walked over to Savannah and woke her. "Dawn, needs to speak to Nick about Clay."

Savannah nodded and walked to Dawn and smiled. "It's good to see you're awake, Aunt Dawn," she said as she gave her aunt a hug. "Hold on I'll get Nick."

"Uncle Nick!" Savannah thought. "Aunt Dawn's awake. She has questions about Uncle Clay. I'm relaying right now."

"Alright. Dawn, what do you want to know?"

"What exactly is wrong? Is it the infection? Are they going to—?" Dawn asked.

"It is the infection. Or, right now, it's mostly the fever caused by the infection. They got the fever down enough so it's not dangerous, but it's not going away."

"Did he wake up? Is he conscious?" Dawn asked.

Nick hesitated.

"Nick, please," Dawn said. "Whatever you tell me, it's not going to be as bad as what I can imagine. I'm only going to get more worked up if I don't know."

"He … he was delirious for a bit. They had to sedate him. He'd started to Change and the noise … they had to do it. Now the fever's down, and Jeremy wants to wake him up so he can have some say in what they decide, but they're afraid if he does wake up and he's still delirious—"

"Have some say?" Dawn cut in. "In what they decide about his arm. That's what you mean, isn't it? They're thinking of amputating."

Someone knocked on the hall door before Nick could answer Dawn. It was Jaime.

"Uncle Nick. Jaime just came by. I'm closing it off for now. If Aunt Dawn has more questions." Savannah said.

"Of course," Nick said. "And tell Dawn, Clay's going to be okay. We'll make sure of it."

"Oh, geez, I'm sorry," she said when Buffy opened the door and she saw Dawn. "I wasn't sure which room … It's the next one, right? I needed to speak to Jeremy."

"Come through here," Dawn said.

She nodded and took a hesitant step toward the foot of the bed. "How are you? I mean, I know you must not be—I was just going to talk to Jeremy. I had an idea…"

"He's right in there," Dawn said.

Buffy grabbed the adjoining door. As she swung it open, Antonio turned sharply. He must have been covering it. Dawn lifted a hand, and he managed a smile, his face drawn and pale, then ushered Jaime in and closed the door.

Buffy and Savannah hovered unsure of how to truly comfort Dawn. Dawn patted the spot beside her. Savannah looked to Buffy who nodded and then climbed on, lying atop the covers, back against the headboard.

Dawn reached up for her niece's hand. Holding it, she turned onto her side, as if ready to fall back to sleep. Then she closed her eyes and strained to hear the conversation in the other room.

"—idea for catching Matthew Hull," Jaime was saying.

She was still right on the other side of the door, her voice clear.

"Catching…?" Jeremy's voice was muffled, and then it came closer, as if he was walking toward her. "Oh, yes. Hull. Thank you, Jaime. I'll…I'll talk to you about this later. If you need a lift to the airport, Antonio can—"

"Sure," Antonio cut in. "Whenever you're ready to go. We should be leaving in a couple of hours ourselves, as soon as Clay's fever breaks. I can run you over now, or you can wait and catch a ride out with us."

"You're … you're leaving?" Jaime said. "But … you can't. You need to catch Hull. Not just for Dawn. To fix Clay. Close that portal, and Clay will get better."

"No," Jeremy said, his voice low, words clipped. "I said that's what Hull claimed. I'm sorry, Jaime. I don't mean to be short with you; I'm just angry with myself for letting it go this far. I'm taking Clay, Dawn and Buffy back to Stonehaven, where they should have been all along."

Dawn looked over at Buffy and then at her sister's stomach. And she understood why he wanted Buffy back at Stonehaven as well. If Hull could not get her, he would take Buffy up on her offer and would take her child instead.

"But if Hull's the controller and if you kill him—"

"And if I could wave my magic wand—" Jeremy cut himself off and made a noise almost like a growl. "I'm sorry, Jaime. I don't want to snap at you. But I've had enough of these magical 'ifs.' Do this, do that, and everything will be better. From the start, Clay wanted to take Dawn back to Stonehaven, batten down the hatches and protect her. We stayed because I thought it was best. Just do this one last thing, and she'll be safe. But she isn't. And now he isn't. And Buffy could wind up his next target if he can't get at Dawn now that she is pregnant with a full-blooded wolf baby. And I'm not playing the 'magic wand' game anymore. What will cure Clayton is medicine, and what will protect Dawn and Buffy is their Pack. We're going home, where I can do that."

The sisters continued to look at each other. They knew they couldn't leave. Not till that portal was closed. If they returned home now Clay would lose his arm, and with it, his place in the world. No longer able to protect his Alpha, his Pack, his mate, his children, Buffy, Savannah or his yet unborn niece or nephew.

"We can end this now." Jaime's voice, on the other side of the door, so perfectly echoed my thoughts that I jumped.

Savannah squeezed Dawn's fingers, her free hand patting her aunt's shoulder, lulling Dawn back to sleep.

"I think I can catch one of those zombies," Jaime said. "If I catch one, she or he can probably lead me to Hull, the controller."

"Think … If … probably …" Antonio said. "Jaime, I'm sorry, but Jeremy's right. We've had enough ifs. If you really thought you could do this, you would have mentioned it sooner—"

Buffy walked around the bed to the door and threw it open marching into Clay's room and shutting the door behind. Jeremy, Jaime and Antonio looked at Buffy.

"We're not leaving," Buffy said. "Jeremy you have a choice. We stay and fight. We close the portal. Or I challenge you here and now."

"You wouldn't, Buffy," Jeremy said. "You've always said you don't want to be Alpha."

"I know what I said," Buffy said. "And I know what I have to do. I'm a Slayer first and foremost. Hull said he would follow Dawn to the ends of the earth. I believe him. If challenging you is the way to get Clay better and Hull off Dawn's back. I'll do it. And I'll win you know that."

Jeremy sighed. "No, I will not put you, Dawn or Clay at risk, Buffy. I'm calling your bluff. If you are going to challenge me, do it. Otherwise I ask that you go back to your sister."

Buffy glared at Jeremy and then turned and reentered Dawn's room.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"Dawn, we're going to stop this. Have you taught Savannah an illusionment spell?" Buffy thought.

"Yes," Dawn said.

"Okay," Buffy said. "Here's what we're going to do. Savannah you're staying behind. You are going to cast the illusionment spell and pretend to be Dawn. If anyone asks where I am. I don't know, make something up. Try and delay them as long as possible."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn and Buffy waited outside the hotel till Jaime walked out. They walked over to her. "We need you to help us find Hull," Buffy said.

She nodded, no surprise in her eyes.

"You said you can call a zombie if you have something of hers. Would a finger work?" Dawn said.

She only stood there, worrying her rings, trying to avoid the sisters' eyes.

"We can't do this, Dawn, Buffy," she said finally. "I can't. I know you two want to, but you two are not thinking clearly and—"

"Not thinking clearly?" Buffy said as she strode up in front of Jaime.

Jaime stepped back, eyes widening in alarm. The second Buffy saw that look, she stopped and stared at her. In her eyes Buffy saw more than alarm. She saw fear.

"You're worried about what Jeremy will say," Dawn said.

She shook her head. "No. Well, yes. But that's not my main concern. Not really a concern at all. It's pointless anyway."

"Stay here." Dawn started to walk away, hesitated, then said, "No, come with us. It's safer."

When she hesitated, Buffy and Dawn strode off. No time to cajole her. After a moment, they heard her footsteps jog up behind them.

"What are you two doing?" she whispered.

"Scouting the perimeter," Buffy said.

"For Hull?"

"More likely a zombie," Buffy said.

They paused at the corner and knelt by a scent trail. Hull's, but an old one. They pushed up and kept moving.

"What'll you two do if you find one?"

"We'll grab it. Make it lead us back to Hull."

"But you two can't fight Hull. Not by yourselves. Not in your—"

"Condition? Trust me, right now, our condition is what's going to make us damned sure we can kill him. He won't even have time to try negotiating."

Jaime's hand clamped down on both Buffy and Dawn's arms. As they wheeled, they swallowed a snarl, but she must have seen it. Fear darted behind her eyes, but she didn't let go of their arms.

"What about time to cast a spell, Dawn? Buffy?"

"He won't kill us like that," Buffy said. "He said he doesn't care if the babies are dead or alive, but he's lying. That's why he was so eager to make a deal instead of just killing Dawn. It makes a difference. Dead, he'd have to sell them fast, before they—" Her throat seized up, images flipping past, images neither she nor Dawn really wanted to see, nor wanted to consider. "Better if they're alive. Then he has time to find a good buyer. I'm not saying he won't kill us—if it comes to that—but he won't be quick to kill us."

Dawn and Buffy circled the building twice, and found only old trails from Hull, including one that intersected with the scent of the bowler-hatted man, who'd must have stopped by earlier to get his orders. He had to be out here, somewhere, watching for their next move. But "out here" was a downtown block. He could be hiding in any of the darkened offices overlooking the hotel or on top of those buildings or in the parking garages—anyplace where he could see them if we tried to make a run for it.

If the sisters had to, they might be able to find Hull, but their best bet was still the woman jogging behind them, her sandals catching in the roots and holes of the hotel gardens.

"The abandoned building where we found the fingers is about two miles over," Dawn said. "We'll slip down the block behind the hotel and get a taxi."

"Buffy, Dawn. I …"

Buffy and Dawn turned. "You don't want to do this?" Dawn asked. "Twenty minutes ago, you were begging Jeremy to let you have a go at it. So, it's one thing to fly to the rescue and win Jeremy's gratitude, but going behind his back and doing it is out of the question? Sure, it might save my life, my babies' lives, Clay's life, even Buffy's life. Who's to say if he would even stop at mine once he has them. Buffy is carrying a full-blooded wolf also … but if that's not what matters, then it's hardly worth the bother, is it?"

Her eyes flashed. "This isn't about impressing Jeremy."

"No? Then—" Buffy said.

"Prove it?" A small laugh. "Nice trap, Buffy, Dawn, but I'm not falling for it. Yes, I offered to do this same thing with Jeremy. Or with Antonio. Or with Nick. But not with an eight-months pregnant—"

"Five months," Buffy said. "Dawn is five months and I'm closing in on a week."

Her eyes met Buffy's. "According to Jeremy, Dawn is the equivalent of at least eight months along and you closing in on the equivalent of a month probably in a matter of days, so don't split hairs. Dawn is in no condition to fight a sorcerer and his zombies, and when it comes to fighting, I'm useless. That leaves you, Buffy, you can't protect all three of us. If I let you two do this, then I'm just what Dawn accused me of being—a desperately infatuated, self-centered twit who'll put your lives at risk for the faint hope of impressing a man."

"No, Jaime, we're the ones who are desperate here," Dawn said. "Yes, Buffy and I are running on instinct and adrenaline, but it'll take us where we want to go. You have a cell phone, right?"

"Sure, but—"

"If, at any point, you decide Buffy and I are in over our heads, all you have to do is use it. Hell, once you've delivered that zombie, you can use it to call a cab. No one even has to know you were involved," Dawn said.

"I wouldn't do that."

"But you have the option," Buffy said. "You have other options too. You can go back upstairs and pretend you never spoke to us. Or you can tell Jeremy what we're doing, that Savannah has cast an illusionment spell to make them believe we're up there. Which might earn you some brownie points … until Clay loses his arm and Dawn's babies are put up for sale on the black market and Jeremy realizes he's made a horrible mistake and tries to rectify it before I lose mine. Or, you can come with us."

Yesterday Tee had chastised Jaime for not knowing how to call a zombie. At first, Jaime had chalked that up to Tee's madness—that she was confused and had forgotten it wasn't Jaime who'd raised the zombies. But the comment had gnawed at Jaime.

Zombies were ghosts inside dead bodies. If necromancers would summon ghosts, did it matter which plane—or form—they were in?

"Jaime?"

A muffled curse came from behind the sisters as they backtracked to find Jaime kicking the wall.

"I—have—rat—shit—on—my—foot," she said, punctuating each word with a kick.

"Then wipe it off," Buffy said.

Jaime scowled, as if Buffy was being funny.

"Here," Dawn said, trying not to growl. "Let me—"

"It's off."

"You're only going to step in more. This isn't a sandal-friendly excursion," Buffy said.

"It was these or heels. At least I can jog in these."

Buffy and Dawn strode down the hall, weaving around the patches of feces.

"Rat shit wipes off," Buffy said. "Worry about the rats themselves. I don't smell any" She looked at Dawn who indicated she didn't either. "They're probably out hunting—but be careful. Now, we were right over here…There. Clay put it up—" She stared down at the empty ledge. "It's gone."

Dawn felt along the ledge, though she could see well enough to know it wasn't there. "Who'd take a rotting finger?"

"Maybe it's the wrong ledge."

Buffy and Dawn bent to sniff the ledge. Yes, they could smell blood and rotting flesh. Even found a fleck of it on the wood. Buffy scooped it up on the end of her finger. Too small for Jaime to use.

"Maybe a rat managed to knock it down and carry it off," Jaime said. "You said she was staying here, right? There has to be something else. Maybe a blanket she used, or a piece of her clothing."

"A piece of her would be better. If a rat got it, maybe Buffy and I can track—" Dawn said.

As Buffy and Dawn dropped to a crouch, they saw a spot of white in a small pile of debris below the ledge. Buffy picked up two white bones, still connected by rotting cartilage.

"That was easy. Rat must have had to eat and run." Buffy held it up. "Will this do?"

The woman who had been dodging piles of rat poop now reached for the bones as if the sisters were offering her something as innocuous as a pen. She took the bones, rotting flesh and all, and turned it over in her hands.

"Perfect," she said.

When she called me over to say she was finished, Buffy and Dawn resisted the urge to shout "Did it work?" They'd been gone an hour. By now, unless something had happened with Clay's condition to distract Jeremy, he'd know they were gone. Even Savannah's illusionment spell would not work forever. Especially if they decided to see if Savannah's scent matched Dawn's. Then he'd find Jaime missing and figure out what had happened.

"She'll follow you, right?" Dawn said, pacing the small room as Jaime packed her supplies. "We don't have to stay here."

"It'll be easiest for her if I'm close by, but we can move on."

"Good," Buffy said, and headed for the door.

They relocated to the building across the road, where they could spot Rose or the others when they showed. Forty-five minutes passed. No sign of Jeremy or Rose.

"We can't wait much longer," Dawn said. "Can we move someplace else? We'll need to take a cab, to cover our trail, but if we can get to another location, could you try the summoning again?"

Jaime peered out the filthy window. "I could…but if I summon her twice, from different locations, she might get confused. Let's wait a bit longer. She can't be far."

Dawn and Buffy resumed pacing from one window to the next, watching for any sign of movement outside.

"I wish I could get in touch with Eve," Jaime murmured as she undid her sandal strap and rubbed her foot.

"Eve?" Dawn asked.

"Savannah's mother—" Jaime said as Buffy growled. "Sorry, Buffy. Adopted mother."

"We know who you mean," Dawn said placing a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "You've had contact with her, haven't you? From the other side. Could she help with Rose?"

Jaime shrugged. "I don't know. At this point, I'd be willing to try anything. Eve's been helping me out some. An exchange of services."

"Like a spirit guide?" Dawn asked.

She forced a tired smile. "More like a spirit guard dog. She scares off the spooks that don't take no for an answer. I do some work for her in return."

"Why can't you reach her?" Buffy asked.

"No idea. For a few months, she'll be there whenever I need her, then she's gone, popping by now and then to check on me, maybe get my help, but I can't summon her—"

Jaime's gaze shot to the corner window, overlooking the east side. "What's that?"

Buffy and Dawn hurried over, but saw nothing.

"Someone was there," Jaime said, standing on tiptoe, trying to see over my shoulder.

The sisters stepped aside. "Where?" Buffy asked.

"Someone came around the corner of that building. I saw a shape. Moving fast."

The street was empty.

"One shape?" Buffy said.

She nodded.

One person, darting around in the shadows, now hiding.

"Rose," Dawn said as Buffy nodded in agreement.