I’d wondered how the barnyard cape had blended in with the Fallen aesthetic. I wasn’t wondering anymore.

“Is she alive?” I asked.

“Uuuuuhrh,” the horse moaned, in a halfway sound between a moan and a whinny.

I held my hands up, easing them as I drew nearer. I hesitated, then put a hand at her neck. I felt for a pulse, felt one, and then pried open one of her eyes. I watched it dilate in the light.

I didn’t consider the administration of first aid or medical know-how a strength of mine. I’d taken a class in first aid, and I’d learned it, a long time ago, and I’d refreshed myself when I had joined the Patrol, but…

Suffice to say, that base had been covered, for most of my hero career.

The animals reacted, heads turning. I glanced back. The others had arrived. Capricorn, Vista, and Chris as a broad mountain of hair and layered plates with massive ears and huge eyes, a foot taller than Capricorn.

“Mierda,” Capricorn said.

“Erin said there’s something human in there,” I said, staring at the animals.

Chris started to approach. The animals shied back.

He sighed.

“We’ll help if we can,” I told the animals. “But can you show us the way to the others?”

“You don’t want to do that,” yet another strange voice came through the phone.

“I’ve been trying to get in touch, Tattletale,” Looksee said. “You’ve been ignoring my calls.”

“The fact you’re saying we don’t want to do this is a pretty good motivator to do this.”

“Don’t be a child, Victoria. You’ve got the Mathers leader in your hands. Good one. Now leave. Or go help Advance Guard, because they really need it. Your friend Rain is done for. He was always going to be done for.”

“Even if I was willing to accept that—”

“Which we aren’t,” Looksee interrupted.

“Our friend was with him. Sveta.”

“Garotte,” Tattletale said.

“Sveta,” I said, more firmly.

Capricorn and Vista were lowering Mama Mathers to the ground. The ‘animals’ seemed more relieved than anything to have that taken care of. The existence of human mannerisms and expressions on animals was disconcerting.

Capricorn began creating a cage for her, to encase her body.

He apparently deemed it better to contain her and risk that she wouldn’t be okay than to rush to give her medical care and risk other lives. We’d already tried the more merciful route.

“Okay,” Tattletale said. “I don’t think it matters at this stage. You don’t need Bamet’s beasts. I’ll tell you where you need to go, if you promise not to stir up shit with Cradle and his friend.”

I glanced at Capricorn, then back at Chris.

“Promise,” I said.