“Are the kids all right?” asked Nidhi.

“Define all right,” said Rowland. “They’re terrified enough they’ll be pissing their beds for a month, but physically they’re fine.”

“Four people have been taken to Sparrow Hospital,” said Steinkamp. “The rest of the wounded are being checked over by the EMTs. We’ve got agents interviewing witnesses across the street, several of whom have minor cuts and scrapes.”

“I can call Nicola and ask her to send a Porter to the hospital,” said Nidhi.

“The Evidence Response Team is inside with the coroner,” Steinkamp continued in a softer voice. “They haven’t taken the bodies away. Is there anything you can do . . .”

“Raising the dead has been tried before. It wasn’t pretty.”

Rowland clucked her tongue. “I guess there are limits to magic after all.”

“You have no idea.”

Agent Steinkamp was staring at me like I was a book he couldn’t quite read. “You’re the guy who wrote that letter a year ago. I’ve seen your file.”

“You have a file on me?” I should have been annoyed, but it was actually kind of cool. I’d have to submit a Freedom of Information Act when I got home to see if I could get a copy.

“Mister Vainio, have you ever heard of an organization called Vanguard?”

I shook my head and glanced at Nidhi, who did the same.

He handed me a business card. “Give me a call if that changes, all right?”

“Enough chatter,” said Rowland. “Get moving. Blackwell, make sure they sign out with me before they leave.”

Blackwell walked us toward the ambulances. The vehicles provided some degree of privacy, but plenty of gawkers strained to see what was happening. One of the EMTs moved to intercept us.

“They’re here to help,” said Blackwell. “He’s one of those book wizards.”

I moved toward a woman with a blanket around her shoulders. Her knee and thigh were bandaged, and blood matted her scalp, but none of her injuries looked severe. I tugged a small, mostly empty crystal vial from a heavily padded pocket inside my jacket. “My name’s Isaac. Have you ever read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe?”

She nodded. “My niece loves those movies.”

“This is from the book. It’s the healing cordial Lucy was given by Father Christmas. A single drop will heal you inside and out.”

“You can’t use magic on her,” said the EMT.

“Except in life-or-death situations,” I snapped. “This woman was mauled by a werewolf. Do you have anything in your ambulance that will stave off lycanthropy?”

The woman’s face went pale. Nidhi shot me a think-before-you-speak look, then took the woman’s hand and began talking in a low, calm voice. “You’re going to be fine. What’s your name?”

“Margaret. Margaret Edwards.”