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Charmer or not, I was at the point of ordering him out of the car when I caught a glimpse of something darting toward us from the alley. I gasped as a large black silhouette leapt toward the front of the car and smashed a rock into the windshield. The glass shook but didn't shatter, although a crack slowly streaked from one side to the other. Dazed, I stared dumbly at the creature who loomed in my headlights. That is, until I realized that it was coming around to my side.
"Fucking hell!" I screamed, suddenly noticing that Morio had hold of my wrist and was yanking me over the gearshift onto his seat. He'd already thrown his door wide and was outside like a light, dragging me with him.
"Run," he said, pushing me toward the lighted intersection. "Run!"
I had only taken a few steps before my heel caught on a hole in the sidewalk and I went sliding, face-first, along the concrete. Wincing as wet gravel lodged itself into my palms and chin, I forced myself to roll to my feet, kicking off my shoes as I did so. I whirled around, but all I could see was a blur.
Then, in the midst of the downpour, I caught sight of Morio. Our attacker was nowhere to be seen. Morio glanced around, then turned my way. I saw that he was holding something, trying to get it into the shoulder bag. I managed to catch a glimpse of an ivory rounded object with glowing red eyes. A skull? I couldn't be certain, but it looked like it.
He closed the bag, then leaned his head back, as if sniffing the air. After a moment, he strode over to me and held out his hand. Still wary, I took it, and he scooped me into his arms with no more effort than I'd have scooping up Maggie. It would seem that Morio was a lot stronger than he looked.
"What the hell was that thing?" I asked, not bothering to ask why he was carrying me. I figured he had his reasons, and I had no objections to being in his arms. In fact, it felt pretty damned good.
"A skinwalker. Earthbound, but probably in league with darker forces. I warded it off, but it won't stay away long. Come, we have to get out of here before it returns with reinforcements." He carried me back to the driver's side of the car. As soon as he was in, I peered around the cracks in the windshield, pulled into traffic, and shot off.
Along the way, Morio remained silent, enjoining me to wait until we were safe to ask any more questions. I had to warn Menolly, though, so pulled out my cell phone and punched number three on the speed dial.
Two rings later, Menolly answered.
"Listen, we've got trouble."
"Morio?" As usual, she was blunt and to the point.
"No. We're on the way home right now. We were attacked by something called a skinwalker after we left the bar. It was only a few blocks from the Wayfarer, so you need to be careful. Get someone you trust to walk you to your car when your shift is over. If you have to, call Chase, but I don't know if bullets would work on that thing. Call me before you leave and again when you're safely on the road."
I could hear the hesitation in her voice. "Are you sure you're safe with Morio?"
With a laugh, I shook my head, even though she couldn't see me. "I'm not sure we're safe anywhere," I said. "Talk to you later."
The rest of the ride was uneventful. As I pulled into our driveway, I tuned in to the wards I'd set up around the property. They glowed at the corners of the land, a soft white, holding fast. Nothing happened to Morio as we passed through them, so he couldn't be too bad.
I parked and turned off the ignition. Thank the gods we'd made it home safe. But if Morio had found our house, had anybody else? I thought about Maggie, in there alone, and bounded up the porch stairs, barefoot. I fumbled with the key, finally managing to unlock the door, and hurried into the darkened hallway.
Morio was right behind me. "I'll help you check the house," he said, as easily as if he lived here.
"Okay, you can help, but no going through things that are none of your business. Got it? No funny stuff."
He shrugged. "Funny is good, it keeps a soul healthy. Lead on, lady."
We searched the house from top to bottom, although I conveniently ignored the basement. The entrance, hidden behind the bookcase door, stayed safely off-limits. Menolly's lair was sacrosanct.
As we returned to the living room, satisfied that nobody was lurking in the hall closet or under the beds, Morio set his bag down on the love seat and quickly assumed the lotus position next to it. Mighty flexible, I thought, wondering in what other ways he might be flexible. My body was jumping on the bandwagon my mind had already commissioned and set into motion.
I offered him a drink, and he accepted a beer. As I handed it to him, he stared at me, appraising me from head to toe, and the appraisal looked good. I licked my lips. While I was used to men staring at me—if only for the size of my breasts—this was different. This could lead to something, and coming so soon on the trail of Trillian's visit, I wasn't sure whether that was a good idea or not.
I settled down in the recliner. "All manners aside, tell me who you are."
He cracked a smile. "I can see you won't be satisfied with a simple explanation."
"Not on your life. Spill it, as the locals say."
He shrugged. "You know my name—Morio—and I told you the truth. Grandmother Coyote sent me to help you. I'm one of the yokai-kitsune."
"Kit what?" For all I knew, it could be a family clan name, a tribe, or some secret fraternal order.
"Yokai-kitsune. Fox demon would be a close translation."
Demon ? Oh shit! I jumped up and looked around wildly for the nearest weapon. The silver short swords my father had given to each of us were safely ensconced in a cabinet in the parlor. Since the closest thing I could reach was a sofa cushion, I held out my hands to gather the moon's energy, hoping that she wouldn't fail me now.
