“You’re sure no one renewed it?” Orfeus said urgently. Answers were important and all, but right now she had to make sure these people didn’t hurt anything she cared about.

“Yes,” Faol said at once. “Or.” He touched his fang-earring communicator, frowning at whatever he heard or didn’t hear. “I… No one told me…”

“I thought the Wolf was meant to be the best of you,” Orfeus bit out, and he turned to frown at her. Then he leaped away, rolling out of range fast. The blinding blue lights arced by again and hit her in the arm. It only tingled, painless, but when she tried to move her arm she couldn’t.

She had to hope it was only temporary. Had to get out of her position silhouetted in plain sight before she was hit full-on. She took a step, and then something slammed into her and she hit the ground, breathing hard.

Orfeus turned, able to turn, able to move. The burst of blue had missed her, and it shouldn’t have. Faol got off her but stayed hunched low, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

“We have to get out of sight,” he said.

She stared at him. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“I’m going to get you to safety,” he said impatiently. “You’re no longer a contract.” His teeth showed briefly in what could have been a snarl or a grin. “Or no one has told me otherwise. So you’re an innocent bystander, and must be protected.” He trailed off and put a finger to the shining tooth earring. Cocked his head, listening.

Orfeus rolled away from him and hunched to her feet and ran, heart pounding. Two hunters after her now; this had been a bad plan. He didn’t call after her.

Climbing down from the roof was a quick, mad scramble, her one working hand scrabbling at the wall as she nearly slid down. She hit the ground hard and fell on her hands and knees for a moment, then pushed herself up, tucking her numb arm to her side, and ran blindly. She had only contracted the Wolf. Had this Leader sent more to finish the job? But she’d cancelled it. How many people could possibly be after her head?

Orfeus leaned out from around the Hub, trying to get a good view.

Two figures stood where the shots had come from, on the other side of the square. They stood there openly. None of these Wild folk seemed to feel any need to be subtle.

One, wearing a mask not unlike Faol’s that showed some animal that was spotted and snarling, lifted a long-muzzled wand and pointed it. More beams of cold blue light shot out in the direction of the roof where Orfeus had been. The person shooting the wand laughed the whole while, a wild, raging laugh. Not a wand, a gun, like some horror from the ancient times.