The two hounds paced forward, one going left and the other right to make a wide circle around the three humans. The black one bared gleaming teeth. The white one growled deep in its chest.

“You aren’t welcome on our roads,” the white one said, in an echoing voice. It was feminine, with a ragged, toothy edge.

“They aren’t for you to travel,” the black one added, her voice lower. It sounded like it was coming from a dark cavern far underground. They paused at exactly the same moment, one paw raised, ears pricked forward. Their eyes were white blazes of light. Jack stepped back so that he was right next to Eleanor, his arm out as if to shield her.

“Rag-a-bone, Shatterblack, I go where I will and I do not answer to you or your mistress,” Wander said. She flicked her hand. The shimmering shards around her surged toward the dark-furred dog—Shatterblack—who leaped back as if afraid to be touched.

“Eleanor, stay behind me,” Jack said.

The hounds surged forward before the last word left his lips. They arced through the air.

“Run!” Jack yelled to Eleanor.

Eleanor wanted to fight, but she didn’t have special abilities or weapons or even an ounce of athletic talent that might make a difference. So she ran, dashing back toward the house. She could find something inside to help. She could—

Something slammed into her back, taking her down to the ground. Rag-a-bone, teeth snapping. Eleanor screamed and twisted onto her back, throwing her hands up to protect herself.

The moonlight thread she still held whipped up, smacking Rag-a-bone across her long muzzle. There was a pop and a sizzle. Rag-a-bone howled. Then Jack was there, grabbing hold of Rag-a-bone’s scruff and tossing her away. She scrambled to her feet growling, but Eleanor whipped the end of the moonlight thread toward her again and she dodged back with a snarl.

Wander’s glittering stars seethed around Eleanor and Jack, a threatening cloud, and Wander herself strode into view with a thread of moonlight snapping like a whip in her hand. “The way is mended. Go back to your mistress and bother us no more,” she said.

They looked at each other. “Stay out of the Wending ways,” Shatterblack growled.

“We would hate to have to hunt you,” Rag-a-bone added, tilting her muzzle so her teeth glinted in the moonlight.

“No, we wouldn’t,” Shatterblack said, sounding puzzled. “We would enjoy it very much.”

Rag-a-bone gave the other hound a withering look, then flicked her tail and streaked away into the night. Shatterblack was quick on her heels—and then both were gone.