The hyena lunged at her, colliding with her shield, but fear sent her screaming and stumbling backward. She fell hard onto the stairs and tumbled down, and I skidded in front just in time to stop the hyena from chasing after her. It knocked into my shield, shattering another few inches of it. I couldn’t keep getting so close—my shield was already down to a foot and a half, and if I had to fight and run all night there was no way I’d finish this amulet before the Evil Eye went dormant again.

A loud bang broke through the wind, so distinct that I paused in my work to look. Peggy stood just outside the closet door, holding a gun steady with both her hands.

The hyena tipped its head, shifting its eyes in an almost-eye-roll. It swung around, away from me, and charged at Peggy, despite the gunshots. The bullets weren’t stopping it. They weren’t even hurting it. Saba ran after the monster, right on its tail. I ran after Saba, not nearly as fast as her, but far more desperate.

“Peggy!” I shouted, my voice cracking, killing my volume. By the time I swallowed and finished, “Get back inside—” her terrified scream drowned out my voice again.

The hyena leapt at Peggy with a force that slammed them both against the back wall of the closet. Saba didn’t follow them inside, instead skidding to a stop, nearly hitting the wall as she shoved and held the door shut. And then there was nothing but shrill, tearing screams.

I tripped to my knees, gaping. Panting. My well-developed survival adrenaline zapped from me. Oh God. This wasn’t supposed to happen. What—?

My heart pounding in my ears blocked out Peggy’s horrible screams, allowing me to engage my survival instincts again.

There’s nothing you can do, Andi. Finish the amulet while you can. There’s nothing else you can do.

I took a deep breath and ran up to the door, grabbing Saba’s arm. “Get away from here. Go downstairs or outside. Hurry, before it’s done with her.”

Before it’s done with her.

There was no time to hate myself for that command.

Saba backed away from me, but too slowly. I shoved her to get her moving, and she finally ran.

I took a few deep breaths and flinted my pen. The screams had stopped. All that was left was the rush of wind, the hum of my flame, and the periodic slam on the door of the hyena trying to come for me, too.

CHAPTER 26

All at once, the slamming and scraping stopped. I froze, my ears ringing from the lack of noise, my pen poised over the silver. The hyena couldn’t have gone dormant already.

But of course it had … it had taken a victim, even if Peggy wasn’t the original target.