Rituals (Cainsville 5)

"Everything okay?" Olivia asked.

He started to say yes automatically. He might encourage Olivia to pursue her preternatural abilities, but he found it difficult to share his own.

"I had the feeling..." He looked around without finishing.

"That someone else is here?"

"You sensed it?"

"I thought I saw someone run behind the kiosks earlier. I figured if you didn't, it was just a vision."

He looked at Lloergan. The hound studied him far too intently and then moved alongside him to lean against his leg. He stopped himself before stepping away, and he laid a tentative hand on her head as she scanned the amusement park, seeing nothing but unable to shake--

Something moved behind the carousel. Lloergan took off. Olivia gave a small cry of alarm--a cwn in pursuit often results in a deadly conclusion--and Gabriel broke into a run to acknowledge her concern. He tore around the carousel booth just as Lloergan leapt onto the back of a fleeing teenage boy, sending him sprawling beneath the front hooves of a prancing wooden horse.

"Lloergan!" Gabriel shouted.

The cwn fixed him with a withering look, clearly insulted by the inference she would kill her target. As Gabriel jogged over, he saw the "boy" was perhaps college aged. A young woman stood flattened against the booth, her dark eyes wide. Both wore jeans, sneakers, and jackets. They had light brown skin and braided dark hair and resembled one another enough that they seemed more likely siblings than lovers.

Lloergan growled and let the boy up, and then growled again, as if to say, Don't go anywhere.

"Why were you spying on us?" Gabriel asked.

"Spying? We weren't anywhere near you until your dog took me down." The boy eyed Lloergan. "I should call the cops. Or animal control."

"Go ahead. I'll wait."

The young man hesitated. "I would, but I don't have a cell phone."

"Here." Gabriel held out his. "Use mine."

The boy ignored that. "We'll let it go this time, but you need to put that dog on a leash."

"What are you?" Gabriel said.

"I beg your pardon?" the girl said.

"What. Are. You?"

"That's rude," she said. "Possibly racist." She looked at the boy. "Is it racist?"

"I think so."

"Just answer my question," Gabriel said.

"Do you ask everyone that?" the girl said. "Or only those who don't look like you?"

"No," Gabriel said. "Only those who aren't human."

The girl laughed. "You're mad."

"Here." Olivia held out a handkerchief. It fell open to reveal a chunk of cold-forged iron. "Do you mind holding this for a sec?"

"You hold it," the boy said.

Olivia dropped the metal into her bare hand and squeezed. When she opened her fingers, her palm was bright red.

"Now you," the girl said to Gabriel.