We hustled maybe three hundred yards. Writhing, the thread crawled on air, coming our way. It was after us. The Taken watched intently, ignoring the Rebel.

That bastard wants to kill us! I exploded-Terror turned my legs to gelatin. Why would one of the Taken want us to become victims of an accident?

If that was Catcher.... But Catcher was our mentor. Our boss. We wore his badges. He wouldnt....

The carpet snapped into motion so violently its rider almost tumbled off. It hurtled toward the nearest wood, vanished. The thread lost volition and drifted down, disappearing in the grass.

What the devil?

Holy Hell!

I whirled. A vast shadow moved toward us, expanding, as a gigantic carpet descended. Faces peeped over its edges. We froze,, bristling with ready weapons.

The Howler, I said, and had my guess confirmed by a cry like that of a wolf challenging the moon.

The carpet grounded. Get aboard, you idiots. Come on. Move it.

I laughed, tension draining away. That was the Captain. He danced like a nervous bear along the near edge of the carpet. Others of our brethren accompanied him. I threw my pack aboard, accepted a hand up. Raven. You showed up in the nick this time.

Youll wish wed let you take your chances.

Eh?

Captain will tell you.

The last man scrambled aboard. The Captain gave Feather and Journey the hard eye, then marched around getting the men evenly distributed. At the rear of the carpet, unmoving, shunned, sat a child-sized figure concealed in layers of indigo gauze. It howled at random intervals.

I shuddered. What are you talking about?

Captain will tell you, he repeated.

Sure. Hows Darling?

Doing all right. Lots of words in our Raven.

The Captain settled beside me. Bad news, Croaker, he said.

Yeah? I reached for my vaunted sarcasm. Give it to me straight. I can take it.

Tough guy, Raven observed.

Thats me. Eat nails for breakfast. Whip wildcats with my bare hands.

The Captain shook his head. Hang on to that sense of humor. The Lady wants to see you. Personally.

My stomach dropped to the ground, which was a couple hundred feet down. Oh, shit, I whispered. Oh, damn.

Yeah.

What did I do?

Youd know better than I do.

My mind hurtled around like a herd of mice fleeing a cat. In seconds I was soaked with sweat.

Raven observed, Cant be as bad as it sounds. She was almost polite.

The Captain nodded. It was a request.

Sure it was.

Raven said, If she had a grudge youd just disappear.

I did not feel reassured.

One too many romances, the Captain chided. Now shes in love with you too.

They never forget, never let up. It had been months since I had written one of those romances. Whats it about?

She didnt say.