The shape wasn’t down for long, though. He stood right up and smashed down on my head. If I’d been a cartoon, he would have turned me into an accordion. But, being flesh and blood, he broke bones and drew blood. I rolled with the slam and tried to rake his belly. My claws passed through air. Either he was fast or my plan was on course.

Before the next blow could be thrown, I raised my hands. “Wait, wait, wait!”

The shape stopped.

“You’re cheating. We had a deal. You are bound by your deals.”

The shape loomed silent. The crowd muttered. I glanced at Billy to see if he was okay and he gave me a nod. That’s kids for you; one minute they’re trying to kill you, the next minute they’re your pal.

“What do you mean?” the shape bellowed.

“You’re cheating.”

The shape looked stunned. “I am not.”

Then he let loose with the hard stuff. I knew he would. I just had no idea how much it would hurt.

He waved his hand without touching me. My flesh exploded, ripping beneath my furry pelt. Suddenly I was covered in blood, staggering in unbelievable pain. I fell to my knees. The shadow was shredding the skin from my body.

I looked up at the shape for a split second and saw a milky film between us. It was there! It was the lie. He’d broken the deal and the illusion flickered.

Then he waved his other hand. I heard, then felt, bones snapping inside my body. I cried out. I couldn’t help it. The pain was unreal.

“I knew this would be easy,” he said, “but not this easy. It’s hard to believe you’re the one I feared would ruin my plans.” His voice was thick and cocky, but like all of these assholes, he just had to talk. “It was my idea to show the boy how to use the circles. It was me who trapped you and sent your life spiraling into hell!”

I rolled in my own blood. “It wasn’t that big a change, really.”

He waved his hand and my fur tore open across my belly. I was hurting and bleeding out fast. If I was going to make this work, I had to do it fast.

I screamed up at him. “You broke the deal!”

He stopped.

He knew I was right. He knew he had a secret.

I pulled myself to my feet and used every ounce of strength to concentrate on my werewolf power. I felt my wounds stop bleeding. I felt the wounds seal shut. As long as I was a lycanthrope, I could regenerate—at least until I lost too much blood.