I stuck my head around the corner to glare at the still oncoming spider. “Seriously? You’re spitting at me?”

The spider let out a snarl—yes, a snarl!—and opened its mouth. I squeaked and ran all the way to the Colonial cemetery, which was just kitty corner from Corb’s loft. I ran with all I had, which left me once more sweating and red-faced. I didn’t care. I stumbled into the park and tucked down behind one of the larger tombstones. My legs were done, my heart was done, I couldn’t go any further even though I had probably a block left at best. I slid down, still clutching one of the daggers. What the hell was I going to do with it anyway? The stupid spider was right, I didn’t even know how to . . . the sound of a rumbling bike engine snapped my head to the left.

Not exactly a knight in shining armor, but I’d take Sarge in a heartbeat.

A dog on a hog.

Laughing hysterically, I burst out from my crappy hiding spot (okay, burst is maybe a bit of an oversell; more like crawled quickly, stumbling as I tried to look behind me) and headed across the grass, between a pair of tourists who scrambled away from the crazy lady holding an oversized dagger and laughing like a maniac.

“Sarge!” I hollered for all I was worth, and thank God, he heard me. He stopped, turned, and then just stared at me as I crawled toward him. The fence was in the way, which meant I had to pull myself over it. I did manage to get my dagger back into my bag first, so I didn’t end up impaling myself on the tip.

Why wasn’t he helping me? I got caught up on one of the sharp points, my shirt tore, and I fell to a heap on the other side of the fence, my bag clutched to my body. I landed on it, and the items within the depths of the bag did nothing to soften my fall. I was pretty sure I could feel the point of Gran’s book jab against one of my ribs. A scattering of applause rose from behind me from the tourists. I twisted around, totally expecting to see the spider waiting there to scoop me up.

Nope, just Robert, watching me go, and a few tourists shaking their heads as they stared at me. How the hell was no one else seeing him? I lifted a hand and waved, and he waved back.

The tourists cringed as if I had yellow fever.

Sarge crouched beside me. “Do I dare ask what that is all about?”

I blew out a breath. “Do I get a pass on tonight’s training seeing as I just ran for my life from a giant spider?”

Sarge squinted one eye. “How did you piss off Jinx?”