“Ha. Ha. Nice try.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

The door in the house across from us opened. The place used to belong to my human nemesis, but she and her husband decided that we had poisoned their entire neighborhood and moved out. George and Eduardo snapped up their house. Curran had offered them one of the spare homes he had purchased, and initially they moved into the place next to Barabas. But once our neighbors put their house on the market, George and Eduardo walked through it and had to have it. I never asked where the money to buy it came from, but Mahon and Martha visited them often and Eduardo let it slip that they had no mortgage.

George stepped out onto the porch and waved at us. “Hey you, we have dinner!”

Curran’s eyes lit up. “They have dinner.”

I laughed and followed him out of the car to the house. The magic was so strong tonight. I could’ve stayed here on the street so I could feel it spread through my land and sense all the things within my borders soak it in.

The inside was bright and warm. The scent of roasted meat, fresh bread, and honey swirled around me. My mouth watered.

A big table had been set in the dining room, crammed to the brink with food. And Mahon and Martha sat at the table. Oy.

“Tam-tam-da-dam!” Natalie, George’s younger sister, waved her arms. She looked a lot like George and her other older sister, Marion—same wild curly hair, same dusky skin, same bright big eyes. Natalie was seventeen and squeezing every last moment out of her childhood.

“Is that death march for me or for him?” I asked.

“For both.”

“What are all of you doing here?” Curran settled into the seat next to Eduardo.

“Roof needs fixing,” Eduardo said. “They came to help.”

“And you didn’t invite me?” Curran loaded his plate.

I sat next to him and George put a plate in front of me. “Eat.”

I grabbed a big roll out of the basket, speared a chunk of roasted venison, and dug in. Mmm, food.

“There is plenty of work left for tomorrow,” Mahon said. “Besides, you’re busy with your Guild, aren’t you?”

“I’m sure I can find an hour or two somewhere,” Curran said.

“Has anyone seen Julie?” I asked.

“We’ve seen her,” George said. “We’re supposed to tell you that she’s not dead, but she is staying over at the office tonight.”

I’d growl, but I was too hungry.

For a few minutes nobody spoke. Shapeshifters worshipped food with a singular devotion and I was too starved to make conversation. We chewed, got more food, and chewed some more.

If I ate another bite, I would explode. I sighed, decided I did not need another roll, and drank some iced tea.