the last man. In seconds the villain dropped to the ground.
Amanda ran for Quinn who lay on the ground. “I’m okay,” Jazira heard him say.
“Damn wolf,” George yelled. “I thought I’d killed you. I won’t miss this time.”
He tried to get his gun, but the horse reared and fought with him. Samuel appeared from the forest and leapt at the second man. He fell. They struggled on the ground, and Jazira could see George raise his rifle at Samuel. Quinn screamed and ran forward toward the fighting men.
The gun aimed. “No,” Jazira screamed and jumped through the air as the shot sounded.
She heard the horse’s frenzied whinny and George’s scream. She floated through the air toward the ground, and watched the horse and George go over the steep edge and crash through the trees and boulders.
Jazira hit the ground with a thud. It was hard to breathe. She’d been hit again, but this time she knew it was different…worse.
She struggled for air and sneezed. Blood ran from her nose.
Quinn ran for her. “Jazira. No! No! No! You have to be okay.”
She felt him bury his face in her fur. “You’re…okay,” she wheezed.
“Mom. Samuel. Do something,” he begged through the tears. “She lived before. She can live again,” he cried.
Gently, she licked his face. “I’ll always be with you, Quinn.”
Samuel bent over her. “Please take me to Lost Lake, Samuel,” she asked him weakly.
“I love you, Jazira. You can’t leave me,” Quinn screamed.
“I love you too, Quinn.” Her long lashes slowly closed.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Fifteen
Amanda pulled Quinn away as he cried.
“Amanda, stay put for a few minutes.” Samuel collected Roman and galloped up the hill.
“Mom, let me stay by her. Please.”
Tears streamed down her face. “We’ll both stay by her son.”
They sat and petted her fur. When Samuel returned, he pulled the sled. He dismounted and bent to Quinn. “I’m so sorry, Quinn.”
Quinn stopped crying and stared blankly at Jazira.
“I’m going to take her to Lost Lake, like she wanted,” Samuel stated. “Amanda, help me lift her onto the sled.”
Once secured on the sled, Samuel spoke to both of them. “I want you to take the other horse and head back to town. Follow the trail down. I’ll be ahead of you. Go find the Sheriff and tell him everything.” Silence ensued. It seemed she’d lost her ability to think or talk.
“Amanda,” Samuel barked. “Go! Do what I’ve asked!”
She snapped out of it. She collected the horse’s reins and wrapped her arms around Quinn’s shoulders and began walking.
Amanda heard Quinn start to cry again as Samuel galloped off ahead of them, taking Jazira back to the lake.
The two walked in silence down the mountain.
The tears gathering in Samuel’s eyes spilled over. She hadn’t deserved to die, and she wasn’t just a wolf. The ground flattened out and the eerie lake appeared ahead.
He looked for the spot where he thought he’d found her the first time. Now the edges of the lake were frozen. Unhooking the sled, he pulled her by hand out onto the ice. Moonlight shone over the lake and in the centre of the open water a blue and red light shot up from the centre. Samuel’s heart beat rapidly.
Without fear for himself, he continued on the ice. It cracked and he stopped. The open water rippled only four feet away. Silently he bent down and touched Jazira’s head. A tear slid from his cheek and dropped to her black fur.
“It was my pleasure to have met you, young lady.” He said a prayer, then stood and let the lake do what it deemed best…swallow souls.
Back on shore he turned and watched as the light spread and the ice gave way. Jazira’s body and the sled slowly sank into Lost Lake along with a bright mist.
“Damn lake,” he cursed.
Mounting Roman, he urged him back up the mountain.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Sixteen
Amanda and Quinn passed the cemetery and eventually crossed over the bridge into the town of Bandit
Amanda ran for Quinn who lay on the ground. “I’m okay,” Jazira heard him say.
“Damn wolf,” George yelled. “I thought I’d killed you. I won’t miss this time.”
He tried to get his gun, but the horse reared and fought with him. Samuel appeared from the forest and leapt at the second man. He fell. They struggled on the ground, and Jazira could see George raise his rifle at Samuel. Quinn screamed and ran forward toward the fighting men.
The gun aimed. “No,” Jazira screamed and jumped through the air as the shot sounded.
She heard the horse’s frenzied whinny and George’s scream. She floated through the air toward the ground, and watched the horse and George go over the steep edge and crash through the trees and boulders.
Jazira hit the ground with a thud. It was hard to breathe. She’d been hit again, but this time she knew it was different…worse.
She struggled for air and sneezed. Blood ran from her nose.
Quinn ran for her. “Jazira. No! No! No! You have to be okay.”
She felt him bury his face in her fur. “You’re…okay,” she wheezed.
“Mom. Samuel. Do something,” he begged through the tears. “She lived before. She can live again,” he cried.
Gently, she licked his face. “I’ll always be with you, Quinn.”
Samuel bent over her. “Please take me to Lost Lake, Samuel,” she asked him weakly.
“I love you, Jazira. You can’t leave me,” Quinn screamed.
“I love you too, Quinn.” Her long lashes slowly closed.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Fifteen
Amanda pulled Quinn away as he cried.
“Amanda, stay put for a few minutes.” Samuel collected Roman and galloped up the hill.
“Mom, let me stay by her. Please.”
Tears streamed down her face. “We’ll both stay by her son.”
They sat and petted her fur. When Samuel returned, he pulled the sled. He dismounted and bent to Quinn. “I’m so sorry, Quinn.”
Quinn stopped crying and stared blankly at Jazira.
“I’m going to take her to Lost Lake, like she wanted,” Samuel stated. “Amanda, help me lift her onto the sled.”
Once secured on the sled, Samuel spoke to both of them. “I want you to take the other horse and head back to town. Follow the trail down. I’ll be ahead of you. Go find the Sheriff and tell him everything.” Silence ensued. It seemed she’d lost her ability to think or talk.
“Amanda,” Samuel barked. “Go! Do what I’ve asked!”
She snapped out of it. She collected the horse’s reins and wrapped her arms around Quinn’s shoulders and began walking.
Amanda heard Quinn start to cry again as Samuel galloped off ahead of them, taking Jazira back to the lake.
The two walked in silence down the mountain.
The tears gathering in Samuel’s eyes spilled over. She hadn’t deserved to die, and she wasn’t just a wolf. The ground flattened out and the eerie lake appeared ahead.
He looked for the spot where he thought he’d found her the first time. Now the edges of the lake were frozen. Unhooking the sled, he pulled her by hand out onto the ice. Moonlight shone over the lake and in the centre of the open water a blue and red light shot up from the centre. Samuel’s heart beat rapidly.
Without fear for himself, he continued on the ice. It cracked and he stopped. The open water rippled only four feet away. Silently he bent down and touched Jazira’s head. A tear slid from his cheek and dropped to her black fur.
“It was my pleasure to have met you, young lady.” He said a prayer, then stood and let the lake do what it deemed best…swallow souls.
Back on shore he turned and watched as the light spread and the ice gave way. Jazira’s body and the sled slowly sank into Lost Lake along with a bright mist.
“Damn lake,” he cursed.
Mounting Roman, he urged him back up the mountain.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Sixteen
Amanda and Quinn passed the cemetery and eventually crossed over the bridge into the town of Bandit
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