A Stitch on Time 5 Read Online Free PDF Page A

head.
    Gareth squeezed my hand before turning away to approach Roe and the two catchers.
    The compulsion to check my pocket itched at my skin and didn’t fade until I pulled a folded piece of paper out. It said one word in Saul’s usual scrawl: Sorry . The demon’s concern reminded me of what we were going to do as soon as I was done with this haunted house.
    While I was giving Gareth my statement, other police officers started showing up at the crime scene. Conrad and Narelle disappeared before they arrived, which was probably a good thing since we were going to be on lockdown for several hours.
    I took the opportunity to mark Roe, Jana and Claire with my touch. It was starting to feel like I was building an army. Or some sort of resistance. For what, I wasn’t yet sure.

Chapter Two
    I parked my whale of a car just outside the werewolf estate. Well away from the surrounding brick wall, and concealed with a shrouding incantation. I didn’t want anything to happen to my 1972 Ford ZF Fairlane.
    As I strolled along the grass, trying not to get my boot heels stuck, I checked both of my blades—silver dagger tucked into my right boot, moonstone boline strapped to my left thigh. I’d left the revolver and crossbow in the car because I wasn’t expecting any rabid wolves tonight.
    This reservation was well concealed in the town of Wilson, near the heart of the Blue Mountains. It had become peaceful since what happened on Monday night, when the crazed werewolf couple tried to destroy everything. Luckily, the pack had recently stopped using the grid as their main power source, and instead relied heavily on solar power. After noticing the blue and white sparks chasing me along the highway via the overhead cables, I really appreciated that fact. Hopefully, no access to the grid would keep the phantom and his phantasms out.
    Without the power lines, I was pretty sure Mace couldn’t reach me, but he’d find another way eventually. Phantoms and phantasms travelled across power lines and electrical charges, but the former weren’t limited to such transportation methods.
    A chill wove its way down my spine, causing me to stop for a second.
    I looked over my shoulder, both hands ready to grab my weapons if someone dared attack. But there was no one there. I was just jumpy.
    The stormy clouds and lightning didn’t help my nerves. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and knowing a thunderstorm might be headed our way made me anxious. The commute to Wilson took too long and the sun had disappeared completely behind the horizon. I was looking forward to daylight savings next week, when the days became longer.
    I quickened my steps and reached the clinic in minutes. I waved to the nurse at the reception desk and strolled past the other nine rooms, until I stood in front of the one I was becoming very familiar with.
    “Let’s do this,” I said as soon as I stepped inside.
    “Hey Sierra,” called a friendly voice.
    “Lavie, hey, what are you doing here?” Not that I was upset about her presence. I’d just assumed Saul would do this alone.
    She stepped around the bed and threw her arms around me, holding on so tightly that I felt the air rush out of my lungs. “I can’t believe she’s gone,” Lavie murmured into my shoulder. “Eb was such a trooper.” She squeezed me before drawing out of the embrace. Her own eyes were red and puffy, like she’d shed plenty of tears already.
    It took me a few seconds to find my voice. “How did you find out?” I didn’t want to talk about what happened to Ebony. I’d cried on my way over, so the grief was too close to the surface. Just about anything would get the waterworks going.
    I swallowed it all down and sucked in a few shallow breaths, willing myself to be strong and stay focused. Or at least keep the tears at bay until I was back in my car.
    “Saul told me,” Lavie said. “He felt your pain.”
    I nodded and met the demon’s eyes from across the room. Of course he had.
    Saul felt