Despite knowing that she was the strongest, magically, out of everyone in her family, Anah was still terrified of being upstairs in the manor alone. It was so dark, and it reminded her too much of the temple back in Tunisia. Moffitt was right about the stairs being treacherous for anyone else to go up, and if they needed to make a quick getaway, no one wanted to risk having the stairs collapse and injuries occurring. They had done well with keeping Moffitt out of the hospital for extended periods so far that year. Anah wanted to keep it that way.
She ventured through each room, not seeing or sensing much of anything. One room in particular, the room she was told had been Miss Brimsey's living quarters, felt strongly of magic. Reeked of it, even. Anah sat outside the hallway for a moment, not wanting to go inside. She drew in a breath, and went in anyway. There was a strangely familiar feeling, but it wasn't a familiarity she could accurately pinpoint. It wasn't a good or comforting familiarity. It was uncomfortable. Scary. Something she never wanted to experience again.
A gust of wind came through the broken window, sending some of the soot, ash, and dust into the air. It resembled a very fine sand in its movement. Anah watched the dust settle, coiling up tightly for a moment. The silence, the darkness, and the dust were all familiar. She crept forward, noticing a broken chair covering a corner of the room. She telekinetically moved the chair, and spotted something golden covered in soot. She took the gold object with her tail and pulled it toward her to get a better look. The familiarity suddenly burst into fear, squeezing her heart and lung until it was impossible to breathe.
The gold object had been the base of a crystal ball.
The cold autumn air was replaced by perpetual desert heat. The darkness and silence were still the same, though. Anah could see the ancient throne room clear as day. Too clear. Her witch's ill-gotten crystal ball was in front of her. She was still waiting. Waiting for freedom. Waiting for Moffitt.
Anah briefly emerged from her horrible flashback to shrink away from the crystal ball base, on the verge of hyperventilating. "No… No, no, no, no… No, please…" She froze when she back into something large and soft, and looked up to see the red eyes of the Black Shuck staring down at her. Anah's hood was already spread and her mouth was already open. She tensed the muscles around her venom glands, though she wasn't sure that she even had a chance to fight now.
She relaxed when she saw a look of sorrow in the big dog's eyes. The Black Shuck took its eyes off Anah for a moment to look at the broken gold base. As it stared, a sob escaped Anah's throat. She wanted to know that things had changed. She wanted to know that she was truly free.
The Black Shuck gently put its nose under Anah, shifting her until she was loosely draped on the back of its head. It then left the room, carrying Anah downstairs to her people, her family. She didn't pay much attention to the fact that Jules was threatening the Black Shuck with his sword. She was shaking and sobbing as she started to process what she had found in that room after the Black Shuck gently set her by Jules. "She was a witch! A horrid witch!" Anah wailed.
Jules tried asking her what she found, but Anah was unresponsive. Before she knew it, Anah was being scooped up by Moffitt and bundled in his coat. She wrapped part of her body around the base of his ribs, pressing herself against his chest. His warmth and the scent of his soap enveloped her, but she continued to tremble, the sight of the broken crystal ball anchor still so clear in her mind. Is this real? Please, tell me this is real. She tried to quiet her thoughts, hearing and feeling Moffitt's heartbeat next to her.
Anah was dimly aware of the fact that they were leaving the manor. She kept squeezing Moffitt. Do not let me go, please! Do not send me back to the temple! She couldn't vocalize her thoughts. Everything was coming out in panicked cries. When she did manage to speak, she was back home, in Moffitt's bedroom. She was set on the bed first, then an old blue scarf was placed over her. She flicked out her tongue to take in the scent of the scarf, then coiled up tightly before being picked up again.
"Anah? Can you hear me?" Moffitt asked. He placed the cobra on his lap. "Anah?"
Anah, still completely under the scarf, rested the top of her head against Moffitt's stomach, just below where his sternum ended. She drew in a deep breath, then felt herself being gently hugged.
"What did you see in there? What has you so frightened?"
Anah released her breath. "Remind me… where I am."
"You're at the house in Cambridge." Moffitt cursed under his breath. "You saw something that reminded you of that blasted temple. No, you're not there. You're never going back there. You're here. You're home. I'm here. I got you out of that dreadful place."
Anah poked her head out of the scarf, looking up into Moffitt's eyes. The same gray gaze that she had been dreaming of for two thousand years. She relaxed a little, trembling until Moffitt adjusted his grip on her to kiss the top of her head.
"Can you tell me what you saw? Or are you not ready yet?"
Anah stretched up to rest her head on Moffitt's shoulder, taking a moment to organize her thoughts. "I saw… um… there… there was a broken… a-a broken crystal ball base. It was in the nanny's bedroom."
"Oh." Moffitt's shoulders slumped. "I'm so sorry you—"
"It is alright. None of us had any idea it was going to be there."
"Right. You recognized it from…"
Anah nodded. "It was not exactly the same, but it was… it was close enough."
"Given the nature of crystal balls, I think we wouldn't be wrong in assuming Miss Brimsey was a witch, and not a good one."
"No, she most likely was not." Anah's shivering gradually came to a stop. She took in another breath, taking in Moffitt's presence for a moment before saying that she was ready to go out and tell Vanora and Jules what she saw. Vanora, seemingly playing devil's advocate, questioned whether or not the crystal ball had been an heirloom. Moffitt argued that if it was, it wouldn't have been brought somewhere not intended for permanent stay.
As they talked, Anah thought back to the broken base. She knew the construction of crystal balls all too well. They were built to withstand various forms of magic to prevent them from being easily destroyed, but they weren't indestructible. There were plenty of ways in which they could be destroyed, and plenty of beings that were more than capable of doing so. Anah herself was capable, and so was the Black Shuck.
She thought back to the strange, spectral dog's expression in the manor, along with what the Fairisles had mentioned about it seeming sorrowful when they visited the ruins. By this point, Anah was beginning to suspect that the Black Shuck hadn't been responsible for the fire or the little girl's death. Why it seemed attracted to this was another question, along with why it had tried attacking Moffitt and Jules.
Vanora still seemed skeptical of the Black Shuck's intentions, but wouldn't deny that Anah had a point in asking why it would destroy a crystal ball. On one hand, it could have been an accident. On the other, Anah doubted that because destroying such an object required a great deal of intent. She was a little baffled at Vanora's attitude, given that Vanora was well-versed in the history and function of magic despite not practicing it herself. Anah then reminded herself that the last several years had been riddled with encounters with dark magic that threatened their family. She couldn't blame Vanora for suspecting bad intentions of anything.
By the end of that day, everyone was tired. Moffitt and Jules spent the evening in the parlor, having a talk over tea. Vanora was in the bedroom already, bundled up in a soft bathrobe and looking over some magazines with Livna curled up at the foot of the bed. Anah noticed that Vanora seemed absent as she was turning pages, then going back to previous pages. The cobra climbed up onto her nightstand, which was much smaller than Moffitt's and didn't offer much space for her to perch. "Are you alright, Vanora?"
"Tired. That's all," Vanora said.
"I can tell."
"Do you need something, Anah?"
"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
Vanora sighed. "I feel horrible about what you went through, but it didn't get us any closer to solving this mystery. All I want is for this to be over."
"I want the same. I… did also want to ask…" Anah paused, trying to word herself properly. "You learned about magic alongside Evelina, who is not only your friend but one of the greatest scholars of magical history of your generation, so I found it a bit strange that you are quite bent on blaming the Black Shuck for the fire and Ruth's death despite evidence emerging that says the opposite is more likely."
"The Black Shuck has been an enigma for centuries," Vanora said. "We know that much."
"I think this has more to do with the fact that it attacked your husband and son."
Vanora didn't respond for a moment. She rubbed her face and closed the magazine she was currently poring over. "You're not wrong."
"You know that not every supernatural entity is out to get you." Anah looked down at the nightstand. "I am not out to get you."
"I know. I know you, I know Jack, I know Troy, and Dietrich. I know you and trust you. It's the things I don't know that make me nervous." Vanora glanced at Anah. "Years ago, this is the sort of excitement I wanted. My parents aren't exactly 'fun' people—you know that. My brother joined the RAF and eventually moved to Northampton because he didn't want to be around them anymore. I've slowly stopped talking to them. I would hate for them to find out about this. They told me when I married Jack that getting too close to anything magical would just lead to trouble. The last few years… it feels like they've been right."
"It seems that way, yes, but before that, you had eighteen years of quiet."
"There was Dietrich's prophecy."
"Even that was not like the magpies or the Black Shuck."
"It was hard watching Jack suffer with it, though."
"Indeed, and I wish I had been able to tell everyone the truth much sooner." Anah looked back at Vanora. "This may seem a bit silly to say, but I hope you do not come to resent us."
"No, of course not, Anah. Like I said, it's the unknown that I've come to dislike. I'm happy where I am, and I would like to be left alone."
"Troy said something similar last year, when he was coming to understand his abilities with jackals."
"I'm not ignoring or resisting it the way Troy was. It's pointless to do so, and even he learned that eventually."
Anah nodded in agreement. "One thing I have learned is that these things tend to call on us when we need to fix something within ourselves. It is forceful, yes, but it is effective. For Dietrich, it was his guilt and feelings of failure over what happened during the war. For Troy, it was confronting his feelings toward his family. For Jules, it was learning courage. Granted, for both him and his father, there is still a lot they must learn, so their journeys with the supernatural may not be over. You have plenty you must confront as well, Vanora. You were always timid before, but it seems to have become worse since what happened with the magpies. It is compounded by your anxieties about Jules growing up. Trauma and anxiety are not a good mix. It will make you more irrational, while convincing you that you are simply being more cautious. It is not something you should dismiss, but work through. Acknowledge it. Confront it. Things will get better when you start to fight it."
Vanora looked deep in thought for a moment, then nodded a little. "You seem to need to do that as well, given what happened in the manor."
"You are right. I do. I am scared, just like you, and Moffitt, and Troy. I do not want to face my memories, but I know I have to."
"Jack has said you've come a long way already. You used to be a nervous wreck whenever things went wrong."
"That is true. I was."
Vanora glanced at Anah. "I still don't like what's going on, but I appreciate you telling me that I need to stop and look at myself first before passing off any assumptions."
"You are welcome. I was about to ask if my talk helped at all."
"You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you." Vanora looked up when Moffitt came into the bedroom. "Hello, love."
"Hello, darling." Moffitt draped his bathrobe on the back of his desk chair. He noticed Anah on Vanora's bedside table. "I'm not interrupting you two, am I?"
"No, we just finished talking," Anah said. She slithered onto the bed, waiting for Moffitt to climb in before crawling over to receive a cuddle.
"You had a rough day," Moffitt said.
"It is alright, dear." Anah nuzzled his chin. "We did learn something. We will solve this mystery one way or another."
"Yes. We will." Moffitt gave Anah a last hug for the day before setting her on his nightstand. "Sleep well, Anah."
"You, too, dear." Anah pulled his scarf over her, watching Moffitt move closer to Vanora.
He gave her a kiss on her cheek before saying, "Are you doing alright, darling?"
"Yes. Anah and I were just talking about… everything," Vanora replied. She picked up her magazines and set them on her nightstand before turning the lamp off. "Is Jules in bed?"
"Yes, he is." A wide grin spread over Moffitt's face when Vanora snuggled up to him. He enveloped her in a hug, nuzzling and kissing her.
"Jack?" Vanora whispered.
"Yes, darling?"
"We do have work in the morning, love—oh, don't give me the sad eyes." Vanora sighed, and put her arms around Moffitt's neck. "You just have a way of making yourself irresistible, don't you?"
"Why, yes, I do." Moffitt kissed the tip of her nose. "Especially for you. You're irresistible to me as well."
Vanora didn't say anything, and instead pulled her husband in for a long kiss. They slowly pulled apart a little while later, getting comfortable before becoming still. Anah heard Moffitt softly snoring, and rested her head on part of the scarf, gradually falling asleep herself.
The sound of a dog whining pulled Anah from sleep. It was still dark, and both Moffitt and Vanora were sound asleep. Livna was by the bedroom door, looking like she wanted out. Was she not taken out for a bathroom break before bed? Anah thought. She climbed down from Moffitt's bedside table, and opened the door. Livna left the room, but didn't immediately run to the front door like she usually did when she needed to go out. Instead, she bounded up to one of the windows by the front door, and nosed the curtains before dropping back and letting out a low growl.
"What is it?" Anah asked. As she slithered closer to the window, a dark presence sent chills through her. The muscles in her neck tensed as she climbed up the coat rack, and her hood spread when she heard the light tapping of someone's fingernails against the glass outside. They sounded like long nails. As much as Anah wanted to hope that it was branches from the flower bushes, she had a horrible feeling it wasn't. She slid the tip of her tail through the curtains, heard Livna growl again, and paused, wondering if she really wanted to know what was outside the house. Anah drew in a breath, then pulled back the curtain.
A gaunt, twisted face, with skin that looked to be made of crinkled paper, and eyes that were a sickly yellow, was peering into the window. Anah didn't want to look anymore, but held her ground, glaring back at the witch with her mouth open and sheaths pulled back from her fangs.
"Isn't this precious?" the witch said. "The snake who once had everything, now lives… like this? Oh, poor thing, you waste your potential. Why protect these people, when all they do is hold us back?"
Livna paced by the door, her hackles raised.
"What do you stand to gain by exposing the truth, oh great uraeus queen? Nothing, that's what." The witch touched the window glass. A large scar was in the center of her left palm.
Anah remained still apart from her own hissing breaths. The delusional taunting wouldn't work.
"Have you nothing to say, snake?" The witch grinned, revealing crooked teeth. Everything about her was crooked and twisted, corrupted by practicing darker and darker types of magic. "You must want to go crying to your master now. Is that really how you wish to spend your days? Bowing to his every whim? Do you ever wish you could be more?" She held up her wand. "I can show you. Make you see just how powerful you can be. All the legends say you are one of the most powerful beings on Earth, and yet you sit here, wasting your abilities to coddle this pathetic little family. No matter. When I slit their throats, you'll have no choice but to come with me."
Anah tensed. Under no circumstances would she let anyone hurt Moffitt, or Vanora, or Jules. Or anyone else she valued. She found herself wishing that Troy was there. She knew his defense would be swift and vicious.
Instead, swift and vicious came at the hands—well, paws—of Livna. The witch unlocked the door with her wand, but right as she tried to come inside, she was tackled by the gray husky. The two landed on the cobblestone path, rolling around on the cold stone. The witch had dropped her wand, so she tried to push Livna off. It proved difficult once the dog had her teeth firmly clamped in the witch's shoulder. Livna let go when the witch put her gnarled hands around her throat, though she tore up the witch's shoulder in the process. The husky quickly wriggled her way out of the witch's grasp, but that gave the witch a chance to run.
Anah had gotten the witch's wand, and watched as the witch scrambled upright and took off running into the darkness of night, with Livna following her. "Livna, no!" Anah called. It was far too late now. Anah turned and slithered back into the house, where Moffitt and Vanora had left their bedroom.
"What the bloody hell is going on?!" Moffitt snapped.
"A-A witch! She tried breaking into the house. Livna attacked her before she could get inside. Now she's chasing her. We must do something, dear!"
Moffitt was quiet for all of a second before turning to his wife. "Vanora, call the police. I'm going after the dog."
Anah looked past Moffitt to see Jules leaving his bedroom. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Stay here, Jules."
"That didn't answer my question."
"I don't have a lot of time. Livna's gone after a witch that tried breaking into the house."
"Oh, it's like River all over again."
"But worse. I have a suspicion this witch is Miss Brimsey." Moffitt went into his bedroom, closing the door so he could get dressed.
Vanora glared at Jules. "You're not going with him."
"I am going with him!" Jules snapped. "We're putting a stop to this!"
"Absolutely not! It's too dangerous!"
"I fought those bloody magpies, Mum! That was way worse than this! I'm not sitting by and letting Dad and Livna get hurt!"
Moffitt opened the door to peer outside the room. "Jules, if you want to help me, go get dressed instead of arguing with your mother."
"Jack, are you mad?!" Vanora was incredulous.
"Jules is more than capable of handling himself, darling. Two heads will be better than one on this. Besides, he has the silver sword. We're probably going to need that."
Vanora's face reddened with frustration. "Fine! I'm coming with you, too."
"And me," Anah said. "If you are right, dear, and this witch is Miss Brimsey, we can get our questions answered tonight."
"Exactly." Moffitt adjusted his blue scarf, along with his Webley revolver, still carried in the cloth holster he received during the war. He, Anah, and Jules went outside to saddle up their horses while Vanora took care of calling the police. She then got dressed herself, and dashed outside to join her husband and son. She climbed onto Frostcloud, holding tightly to Moffitt when Frostcloud and Nightrunner raced out of the stable.
"Which way, Anah?" Moffitt asked.
"Southwest, dear," Anah replied.
"Right." Moffitt directed Frostcloud southwest, with Jules following suit behind them. Anah tightened her grip around Moffitt's shoulders as the horses picked up speed, both leaping over the creek near their property. She stretched up in an effort to see if the witch or Livna were visible. So far, nothing.
They rode for another mile or so when Anah spotted a flash of white dashing up a hill. "There! I see Livna!"
The horses were directed toward the hill. Once they reached the crest, Moffitt looked over his shoulder, calling to Jules, "You hang back! I'm going to try cutting the witch off!"
"Got it!" Jules saluted his father, keeping Nightrunner at a slower pace while Moffitt kept Frostcloud galloping. The Arabian mare drew nearer to the witch, who kept giving the group panicked glances.
"Anah? Think you can take it from here?" Moffitt asked.
"I will try, dear!" Anah said. She slithered down onto Moffitt's left arm, and loosened her hold on him. "Ready!"
"On the count of three! One… two… three!" Moffitt threw Anah underhanded toward the witch.
So many things could go wrong. Anah knew that. She angled herself toward the witch, fangs unsheathed, hoping to land around her neck.
The witch swatted her away. Stars burst across Anah's vision when she struck a rock half-jutting from the ground. She tried to pull herself upright, but soon found herself being grabbed behind her head. The witch's fist was around her throat, and she was squeezing hard, not enough to choke the cobra, but enough to make it difficult and uncomfortable to breathe. The sharp blade of a knife was pressed against the ventral scales right above her heart.
All at once, everything stopped. Frostcloud and Nightrunner pawed at the ground. Their snorts were visible in the cold air. Livna looked ready to jump at the witch again. Moffitt had his revolver aimed at the witch, and Jules had his sword pointed at her as well.
"You move, and I will kill this body and make her return to the temple!" the witch shouted.
Livna moved like she would jump.
"Livna, heel!" Moffitt ordered.
The husky wasn't too happy with this command, but she stayed put, though still in a position that suggested she was ready to keep fighting.
Anah squirmed in an effort to get more air, but the witch squeezed her neck tighter. The cobra gasped. "Moffitt… Shoot her! You can always retrieve me from Tunisia!"
"No. I'm not putting you through that," Moffitt said.
The witch dug the tip of the knife blade under one of Anah's scales, and Anah was unable to resist the urge to flinch when feeling the cold metal against her softer skin.
"Put her down!" Jules growled.
The witch glanced at him. "Adorable. The pathetic, emotional demands of a child. You want your pet back, yes?" She grinned wickedly, turning toward Jules. "Ruth was much younger than you, but still made the same cries, begged similarly for mercy. She didn't quite grasp that it all fell on deaf ears."
"You stay away from my son!" Moffitt hissed.
"Shoot her, please!" Anah called. "I can come back!" She then realized Moffitt wouldn't be able to shoot without the bullet hitting Nightrunner, Jules, or both once it passed through the witch. She had a feeling Moffitt knew that.
The witch cackled. "What a dilemma you've found yourself in! You can't do a thing without potentially hurting those you love the most." She slid the blade under Anah's scales a little more. "What to do… What to do… The longer you wait, the more I'll dig."
Moffitt briefly locked eyes with Jules, then returned his gaze to the witch. "Tell me something," he said. "You're Miss Brimsey, aren't you?"
"Why, yes, I am." Brimsey turned to face Moffitt. "You never should have gotten involved. I wouldn't have done this if you weren't sticking your nose where it didn't belong. We could have lived our separate lives in peace."
"You have no shame in what you did, do you?"
"You and your weak mouse of a wife know the truth. The girl died because of the smoke. What is there to be ashamed of? Even the fire wasn't my fault. It was the girl who's at fault. She knocked over the candles, set the curtains and rugs alight."
"More often than not, young children don't just start fires because they feel like it. What were you doing to her?"
Brimsey kept a firm hold on Anah. "I accepted a contract from the head of a coven to kidnap the girl. They were going to ransom her back to her parents, for every pound and shilling they had. Ruth fought with me. Too smart for her own good. She tried using the fires to keep me away. When I managed to get to her, she stabbed my hand with a poker. That blasted, accursed Grim decided to step in. On one hand, it was too late for it to save the girl. On the other, it kept me from a substantial payment. I will have my revenge if it's the last thing I do!"
Anah bit back a cry of pain when the blade began piercing her skin. Blood starting running and dripping from between her scales. She tried not to writhe. If that knife went any deeper, she would wake up back in that temple. She didn't know what to do. Going back to the temple was a key feature of her nightmares. Her eyes met Moffitt's, and she spoke to him telepathically. "Do something, dear. Even if it kills me. You will come back for me."
"I'm not going to let that happen," Moffitt thought.
Not even a split-second passed when Vanora whispered, "Jack, give me the gun."
Moffitt thought for a moment, then handed Vanora his revolver.
Brimsey looked Vanora straight in her eyes. "You wouldn't pull the trigger. You're arguably the weakest out of everyone here—"
"Am I?!" Vanora snapped. "Because of your actions, my family has had to suffer the last few weeks! Not only that, but because of you, a mother and father lost their child. I can't imagine going through that, and I'm not about to go through that myself. I don't know what awaits you on the other side of the river, but I don't think it'll be paradise." Her eyes blazed with blue fury as she adjusted her hold on the revolver. "Are you afraid of the river? Once you cross, you're not coming back."
"You don't have the gall."
"Not normally, but you pushed me here, you bitch." Vanora lowered the gun, a bang echoing around the open land as she shot Brimsey through her right hip. The round passed under Nightrunner, landing harmlessly in the ground, but still spooking the horse into running.
"Whoa, Nightrunner! Stop, stop!" Jules pulled the horse into a halt a few feet away from Frostcloud. "Easy, boy, easy."
Anah braced herself for the knife to be driven deeper in, but instead, it fell and clattered against a rock. The witch's grip loosened on her, and Anah quickly slithered away.
"Thank goodness." Moffitt climbed down from Frostcloud's saddle to pick up Anah. "We'll get you bandaged up as soon as we get home." He looked at Vanora, whose hand was shaking as she gave him his gun back. "Are you okay, darling?"
Vanora nodded, but said nothing. She turned and froze, then tapped Moffitt's shoulder. "Look."
Something jet-black in color came loping from the top of a hill, slowing down once it reached where everyone was gathered. The Black Shuck paused over where Brimsey lay. The witch's face was contorted with pain, but was still able to glare at the dog. "You cost me everything," she spat.
"No," the Black Shuck said in a low, gravelly voice. "You lost your way and refused to return to the light. After all these years, I finally have a chance to avenge Ruth." He turned to Moffitt and Vanora. "Thanks to these fine people." He dipped his head. "I suggest you start heading home. This will not be pretty."
Anah was speechless, and she could sense that Moffitt, Vanora, and Jules were speechless as well. They did what the Black Shuck said, and turned the horses to begin their ride home, with Livna trotting alongside them. They were on the road the house was on when the Black Shuck reappeared, walking beside Frostcloud.
"You all are owed a great deal of answers," he said.
"Indeed," Moffitt replied. "You attacked us before. Why the change of heart, and why couldn't you simply speak to us if you're fully capable of doing so?"
"Bad judgement."
As much as Anah wanted to hear these answers, she was tired, and looking forward to getting cleaned and bandaged. When they returned to the house, Jules took care of the horses while Moffitt brought Anah inside. Vanora prepared herbal tea, while the two dogs sat patiently in the parlor.
Moffitt closed the bathroom door, and turned on the sink, plugging it once the water reached a warm temperature. He set Anah in the water, glancing toward the door. "I never thought the Black Shuck would actually be in my house."
"Neither did I," Anah said.
"This has certainly been a strange night." Moffitt finished cleaning Anah's wound before taking her out of the water. The sink was red with blood. He pulled the plug, and started gently drying the cobra. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that everyone is okay."
"Physically, yes. Mentally is another story." Moffitt pressed a piece of gauze down on Anah's cut, and held it in place while wrapping a bandage around her. "I didn't expect Vanora to actually shoot Brimsey."
"There is a reason that I have thought that if Vanora practiced magic, her familiar would be a badger. Badgers take good care of their homes and families. They tend to be a symbol of loyalty. They can also be aggressive when cornered. They do not look like much, but they are not to be underestimated."
"I guess tonight, she felt cornered." Moffitt finished wrapping the bandage, and checked over his work. "Are you comfortable? I didn't wrap that too tightly?"
"Not at all, dear," Anah said. "I do not exactly miss wearing a bandage, though."
Moffitt sighed. "No. I can't blame you." He looked over the bandage one last time, then set Anah around his shoulders. "Right. Let's go hear what the Black Shuck has to tell us."