I SAT ON THE STEPS AND WATCHED THE SHAPESHIFTERS carry bodies out of the house. Jennifer sat next to me.
I felt hollow and tired. If it wasn’t for the wall propping me up, I’d collapse. If I concentrated hard enough, I could wiggle my fingers. Concentrating hurt.
Kate Daniels, deadly swordmaster. Fear my twitching pinkie.
A young female shapeshifter carried a misshapen body out of the house. She looked a little like Brenna with lighter hair, except she was alive and Brenna was dead, because I killed her.
“I killed a little girl,” I said.
The werewolf-Jennifer stirred next to me. “She was my sister.”
I was so numb, her words took a minute to register.
“I wouldn’t let them leave.” Jennifer’s voice unnaturally calm. “I delayed evacuation. Because it was our house. We’re the wolves. We can’t be run out of our own den. Now Naomi is dead.”
I didn’t know what to say.
Jennifer turned to me. “Did she hurt when you burned him?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not enough.” Jennifer looked at the bodies laid out on the snow.
“No. I wanted to kill her, but she stopped me.”
We both looked at the woman. She sat cross-legged in the snow, her spear on her lap. Four werewolves watched her.
“Naomi was twelve,” Jennifer said.
A year younger than Julie.
The alpha female turned to me. Her eyes were wet. “I hate you for killing her.”
Welcome to the club.
A caravan of Pack Jeeps entered the parking lot.
“It hurts and you want to hurt someone, and you don’t care who,” I said. “Because hurting will make you feel better.”
“Yes.”
“It won’t. I killed dozens of fomorians after Bran died. It didn’t help.”
“I’m not you,” she said.
“We’re all human,” I told her.
An arm wrapped around me. My heart tried to leap out of my chest. Curran pulled me to him and kissed my forehead.
“I’m going to put a bell on you,” I told him. “That way I’ll have some warning.”
He peered at my face. “Are you okay?”
“I killed Brenna and Jennifer’s little sister. And the Dingo. Other than that, I’m great. Everything is lovely.”
“Right.” He looked at Jennifer.
She sat frozen.
“The cars are here. Load your people up. Daniel is waiting for you at the Keep.” He turned to me. “Can you walk or should I carry you?”
I’d be damned if I let him carry me anywhere. I pushed to my feet. My legs wobbled a bit but held. We walked side by side to the Pack Jeep. He opened the passenger door and I got in. He gave some final instructions and we were off.