agreed with him.
Through the window, he saw Hands approaching with Tick, Lazy Eye, and Squid . They were all dressed in full hunter gear: Pounders, Shockers, Jumpers . . . everything. "Looks like reinforcements have arrived."
As they watched, Lazy Eye accidentally set off his cross bowlike Cross-Shocker. Electrified prongs and trailing wires rocketed out and hit Squid, who fell to the ground writhing while Tick and Hands laughed.
Andrew scoffed at the sight. "We're dead, aren't we?"
After briefing them on the situation and making sure Squid hadn't suffered any permanent damage, Sky led the new arrivals to the kitchen where they found Crystal and the others. They'd removed Cass from Alexander's coffin and placed her on the table, lying on her side. Crystal stood by her mother, holding her. From where he stood, Sky could see the arrowhead sticking out of Cass's back.
Mom shuffled in and out of the pantry, bringing out her strange medicinal supplies.
Andrew crossed to the table, putting himself protectively between Chase, who was helping hold Cass in place, and Crystal. Hands positioned himself on Chase's other side, staying out of the way, but close enough to intervene if Chase got any ideas. Crystal looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy. Sky gave her a weak smile. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, she dropped her gaze.
There was no more space around the table, so Sky, Tick, Lazy Eye, and Squid moved to the bar to join Hannah and Derek.
Derek looked them over. He gave Tick a curt nod-captain to captain, rival to rival-before pitching his voice low, but not low enough that Sky couldn't hear him. "Why are they dressed like that? I didn't know ... I mean ... they're not ... they're not Goths, are they?"
Hannah shushed him.
Dad held the arrow steady and Chase grabbed it with some cutters. "One, two, three ..."
SNAP!
Chase cut off the fletching.
''This is nuts," said Derek. "She should be in a hospital." Hannah grabbed Derek's hand, holding it tight. Sky saw Tick cringe.
Dad examined the cut. "It's more bone than branch- looks like you were right, Helen. It's either Dovetail or Gilead . .. possibly Harksplitter.... It's so hard to tell what it is without the bark. We can hope it's Harksplitter, though I don't know why anyone would use it on Cass. Sky, did you get a look at who did this?"
"No," said Sky, glancing at Chase suspiciously. He remembered seeing Chase in the swamps, but Chase hadn't gone to the Bolger tree. He wondered what time Andrew and Crystal had arrived. Could Chase have had enough time to shoot Cass in the Grove of the Fallen and get back before Andrew and Crystal showed up? It wasn't likely, but it was worth looking into. Chase had told Sky to run; he had known Sky was watching through the Piebald's eyes and he had warned him about the hunt. Chase had an end game, and Sky had no idea what it was.
He glanced at Derek, wondering how much he was taking in. Too much, probably.
“Worry about the shooter later," said Mom. "Use the Bardolph Blend for now, Herman."
Dad began throwing bits of plants, powders, and unidentifiable substances into the blender as it ran at high speed. Mom spooned a thick yellow paste out of the blender and smeared it around the remains of the tail end of the shaft. The paste, the spoon, and the shaft suddenly burst into flames.
Derek yelped.
Mom threw the spoon in the sink and Dad smothered it in baking soda until the flames went out.
The fire on the arrow faded to a dull yellow. "I think it's ready, Helen," said Dad.
Mom grabbed the tip of the arrow poking out of Cassandra's back. "You kids might want to look away for this part."
"You can't be serious!" Derek declared, jumping from his seat. "You're going to kill her! It's a miracle you haven't already! This woman needs a hospital!"
"A hospital couldn't help her right now, mate," said Chase
Through the window, he saw Hands approaching with Tick, Lazy Eye, and Squid . They were all dressed in full hunter gear: Pounders, Shockers, Jumpers . . . everything. "Looks like reinforcements have arrived."
As they watched, Lazy Eye accidentally set off his cross bowlike Cross-Shocker. Electrified prongs and trailing wires rocketed out and hit Squid, who fell to the ground writhing while Tick and Hands laughed.
Andrew scoffed at the sight. "We're dead, aren't we?"
After briefing them on the situation and making sure Squid hadn't suffered any permanent damage, Sky led the new arrivals to the kitchen where they found Crystal and the others. They'd removed Cass from Alexander's coffin and placed her on the table, lying on her side. Crystal stood by her mother, holding her. From where he stood, Sky could see the arrowhead sticking out of Cass's back.
Mom shuffled in and out of the pantry, bringing out her strange medicinal supplies.
Andrew crossed to the table, putting himself protectively between Chase, who was helping hold Cass in place, and Crystal. Hands positioned himself on Chase's other side, staying out of the way, but close enough to intervene if Chase got any ideas. Crystal looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy. Sky gave her a weak smile. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, she dropped her gaze.
There was no more space around the table, so Sky, Tick, Lazy Eye, and Squid moved to the bar to join Hannah and Derek.
Derek looked them over. He gave Tick a curt nod-captain to captain, rival to rival-before pitching his voice low, but not low enough that Sky couldn't hear him. "Why are they dressed like that? I didn't know ... I mean ... they're not ... they're not Goths, are they?"
Hannah shushed him.
Dad held the arrow steady and Chase grabbed it with some cutters. "One, two, three ..."
SNAP!
Chase cut off the fletching.
''This is nuts," said Derek. "She should be in a hospital." Hannah grabbed Derek's hand, holding it tight. Sky saw Tick cringe.
Dad examined the cut. "It's more bone than branch- looks like you were right, Helen. It's either Dovetail or Gilead . .. possibly Harksplitter.... It's so hard to tell what it is without the bark. We can hope it's Harksplitter, though I don't know why anyone would use it on Cass. Sky, did you get a look at who did this?"
"No," said Sky, glancing at Chase suspiciously. He remembered seeing Chase in the swamps, but Chase hadn't gone to the Bolger tree. He wondered what time Andrew and Crystal had arrived. Could Chase have had enough time to shoot Cass in the Grove of the Fallen and get back before Andrew and Crystal showed up? It wasn't likely, but it was worth looking into. Chase had told Sky to run; he had known Sky was watching through the Piebald's eyes and he had warned him about the hunt. Chase had an end game, and Sky had no idea what it was.
He glanced at Derek, wondering how much he was taking in. Too much, probably.
“Worry about the shooter later," said Mom. "Use the Bardolph Blend for now, Herman."
Dad began throwing bits of plants, powders, and unidentifiable substances into the blender as it ran at high speed. Mom spooned a thick yellow paste out of the blender and smeared it around the remains of the tail end of the shaft. The paste, the spoon, and the shaft suddenly burst into flames.
Derek yelped.
Mom threw the spoon in the sink and Dad smothered it in baking soda until the flames went out.
The fire on the arrow faded to a dull yellow. "I think it's ready, Helen," said Dad.
Mom grabbed the tip of the arrow poking out of Cassandra's back. "You kids might want to look away for this part."
"You can't be serious!" Derek declared, jumping from his seat. "You're going to kill her! It's a miracle you haven't already! This woman needs a hospital!"
"A hospital couldn't help her right now, mate," said Chase
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