There had been another child I’d sought out, a young boy who’d remained “asleep” the entire time I’d Tracked him.

Only he hadn’t been asleep, he’d been dead and a spell used to make me think he was still alive. I shivered and found myself clinging tighter to my uncle.

He patted my clenched hands where they tightened around his middle. “You’ll find them.”

Funny thing was, that was the first “uncle” type thing he’d done or said and I was strangely comforted.

Four hours into our ride, Erik pulled over at the end of a long driveway. “We’re almost out of fuel, and we’ve hours to go yet.” He flicked the engine off and I stepped away from the bike, stretching my legs. Comfort was not what this particular machine was made for; torture was more like it.

Erik glanced down the driveway. The sign in front of us read Fielding’s Dairy. “They will have fuel. Wait here.”

I didn’t argue with him. Fuck, I was cold, it was dark out, the rain seemed to be coming down harder, and while I wouldn’t have minded going with him, I could let him do this on his own with very little fear that he couldn’t manage.

Alex grabbed my pant leg and shook it. “Alex sooooo hungry.” He pointed to his mouth as if I wouldn’t understand otherwise.

“You have to wait.” I rubbed behind one of his soaking wet, muddy ears. “I’m hungry too, but I’m not whining.”

He let out a grunt and then threw himself backwards, landing in a puddle that sprayed up muddy water all around him. Laughing, I could do nothing but shake my head at him.

Liam stepped beside me, his back standing just above my waist. Hell, he was big enough he could probably pack me across the countryside if we had too, not that I’d ask him.

“Do you think we’ll find them?” I whispered as we watched Alex take off in circles, chasing his tail, freezing in place, and then taking off again.

Liam cocked his head at me, but his liquid eyes said it all. There was fear in him too. Maybe this time we weren’t going to be able to save the day. We would lose Milly and Pamela to Orion.

I closed my eyes, fighting the hot scalding tears that would weaken me. Now was not the time. “Not yet, we haven’t lost them yet.”

There was a distant sound of barking and then a holler. Liam and Alex took off down the driveway. Of course, a farm would have dogs, but the boys could take care of that.

A mad scramble ensued as Erik ran into sight, lugging a beaten up old gas can. I spun open the bike’s gas cap and he poured as the sound of the dogs drew closer, then stopped altogether.

A high-pitched screaming bark erupted and Erik slopped the fuel. “Pay attention,” I said. “The boys won’t really hurt the dogs.”

“Not the dogs I’m worried about, but the farmer with the gun.”

“He can’t hurt them either.” But I knew Alex could easily spread the werewolf virus with a single bite. There was nothing for it now, whatever happened, happened.

Erik shook the gas can for the last few drops and I screwed the cap on and hopped onto the back of the bike. Erik jumped on the kick start and the engine rolled over perfectly.

“LIAM!” I yelled as we sped away from the driveway. Within moments Liam and Alex were again running beside us.

And deeper into the night we drove looking for the necromancer who would either help us save Milly and Pamela, or help us bring back what was left of them if we took too long.

Please let it be the first and let the second be decades away.

The dark of the night didn’t bother him, nor did the engine spitting out stinking fumes, or even Alex tackling him from time to time out of sheer boredom.

No, he was more bothered by the sound of Rylee’s heart beat, completely out of whack, sounding more like a humming bird than a human. It only made his own heart clench harder. He would have to tell her soon; she had to know what was going on so she could deal with it. Especially if he wasn’t there by her side.

He let out a long, mournful whine at the thought, unable to keep his emotions in check. Alex bumped up beside him, pressing the length of his body against Liam’s.

“I here. Don’t be sad,” he panted as they ran, and amazingly, Liam did feel better. This was not the time for sad, this was the time to make things right, so when he was finally gone, Rylee wouldn’t be alone.

She would still be safe.

They ran so long that even he began to tire, so long that the rain eased and finally stopped. And that fatigue caught him off guard, leaving him unaware of his surroundings. The scent of rot and death was heavy in his nostrils before he realized what he was scenting. And where they were.

“Stinky rotterrrrrrsssssss!” Alex howled out as the first zombie dove toward them. The dead bastard was fast, grabbing Alex by the tail and jerking the werewolf to a sudden stop. Alex snarled and turned, his teeth clamping down on the zombie’s hand and biting it off. Spitting and gagging, he ran to catch up.

Liam had more pressing concerns though. A wall of zombies stood ahead of them.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Rylee snapped as Erik slowed the bike. Erik’s voice wavered.

“Are those …”

“Yes, they’re zombies. They can’t turn you with a bite, that’s an old ass wives tale full of shit. But, their bites hurt like a son of bitch and they will take chunks out of you.” She slipped off the bike and took swords from her back, and Liam caught a glimmer of a smile on her lips. “At least they aren’t demons.”

Beyond the wall of not-yet-moving zombies sat a house on top of a rolling hill. Lights lit the home, making it a beacon. Yet it was surrounded by zombies. He didn’t need Rylee to tell him where the necromancer lived.

“What do you think, we rush them and try to break through?” Erik asked, though to Liam’s ears, the man did not sound all that willing. More like he wanted them to break through and he would follow them.

“No, there are too many, at least a hundred.” Her eyes scanned the group ahead. “I’ll try to call him out. See if he’ll talk to us.”

She took two strides closer and the zombies began to groan and shift. Apparently that was close enough.

Liam scented the air, picking up only zombies. Nothing else waited for him that he could tell.

“Necromancer.” Rylee’s voice rang clear on the air that still clung to the night. “I need your help. Will you talk with me or are you going to make me burn through your fucking pets?”