Free Black Wolf by Steph Shangraw

chances, phoenix. Put him on a
leash if you want him around, okay?"
     
    "I'll get Dia
or Cynthi to help me put short-term specific wards everywhere and
on everything we can think of," Kevin promised. "But I bet he
learned his lesson."
     
    "Oh?"
     
    "There are
psychic fingerprints all over my knife."
     
    Bane grinned,
showing even white teeth, the pointed canines just slightly longer
than the rest. "Aw, poor baby, he got a shock?"
     
    "A pretty good
one, I'd say."
     
    "Good. Maybe
it'll teach him to keep his hands off other people's stuff." He
stood up, and stretched. "For your sake, I'll put up with him. But
you remember what I said."
     
    "I will. I'll
keep an eye on him, I swear."
     
    "You do that."
He padded over to the bed, leaned down to give Kevin a tight hug,
and wandered off.
     
    Kevin sat
quietly for a moment, shivering a little as he forced the old
memories into the back of his mind and reoriented on what he could
do at present. Wards, first.
     
    And somehow,
somehow, he had to get Jesse to trust them. He was sure Jesse was
only there because he was responding unconsciously to the
triangular connection that had formed when Kevin and Gisela healed
him, an unanticipated little consequence that probably wouldn't
have stopped them anyway. Without that, surely, he would have left
days ago, and Brigid and Lugh knew how long it would take for the
paranoia he kept sensing to win over the tentative power of that
link...
     
    The same link,
he thought wryly, that had an equally strong effect on all three of
them, aware of it or not.
     
    * * *
     
    The house was
very quiet. Jesse lay still, comfortable on the couch, especially
after some of the places he'd slept. Listening to the silence,
wondering what secrets it was keeping.
     
    How long had
he been here? Days, two weeks, three. He had to leave. Nothing else
spooky had happened, although he hadn't ventured any further
exploring, but he didn't want to chance sneaking away again. He had
to leave, and during the day, openly.
     
    Damn it, Jess,
you can't afford to care! Get back to Shaine, forget all this.
     
    Caring would
get him in trouble.
     
    He'd have to
leave. Tomorrow.
     
    * * *
     
    It took a
messily long time to convince them that he needed to leave. He had
to swear to call once in a while and to remember that he was
welcome back any time. Flynn insisted on giving him a ride home;
and Jesse surrendered without much protest. At least Flynn was more
likely to be willing to compromise and drop him off wherever Jesse
requested, instead of right on Shaine's doorstep.
     
    "Take care of
yourself," Kevin said softly, just before Jesse escaped out the
door. He sounded like he meant it.
     
    Jesse had to
grin. "I do my best. Always."
     
    The
Quicksilver Sphynx
Miscellanea, October 1993
    Nick 'Winter

    Wow, Samhain's coming
fast! Check out the list of Samhain-related events on the back
page!
    Anybody who missed
Exotica's "Wild Hunt" deserves great pity. Covens Winter, Sundark,
and Dandelion went together, and afterwards, being forever faithful
to my readers, I quizzed them for opinions. Unanimous: Exotica has
definitely recovered from "Maeve" and they're back on track. I even
tricked... uh, talked Flynn 'Sundark into writing a review of it,
it's on page 3. I couldn't have said any of it better myself.
     
    The new coven I
mentioned is actual fact. Coven Ailim (that's silver fir, for
anyone behind on their Tree Calendar) has been born. Blessed be,
cousins, and may you love one another long and well. And may you be
only the first of many this coming year.
     
    Eleanor 'Moonstone and
Darcy's handfasting went marvellously. I'm supposed to thank
whoever did the weather, and will whoever made that sinful
chocolate cake kindly step forward and confess? Four covens (at
least) would love to get the recipe. We'll run it here, if the
guilty party doesn't mind. Other than one of Ambra 'Moonstone's
cats deciding she wanted to be cuddled by Eleanor right in the
middle of the