Hounded

and let the red knots do whatever they were designed to do, damn the consequences. It was one of those decisions you make when you have too much testosterone bubbling around in your system, or when you’ve been raised in a culture of ridiculous machismo, as I was.
    The blue knot was absurdly fragile—it snapped almost immediately with the gentlest of mental tugs, and the red one snapped along with it: definitely a trap, the concussive sort. I felt a whump against my face, like getting hit unexpectedly full force with a pillow, and I saw Hal’s head snap back abruptly. He fell over backward, snarling in surprise. Fagles yelped and grabbed at his head, and then as Hal and I were recovering—Hal red-faced and eyes a bit yellow, his wolf close to the surface—Fagles went completely batshit and drew his gun on me.
    » Hands up! « he yelled, and of course that brought all the other cops running over, Jimenez in the lead, drawing his gun out too. I raised my hands and wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t activated the shop’s wards first. Hal might have had his head taken off. He had taken a good shot as it was, and I got only a fraction of the power thanks to the stronger protections of my necklace. Fagles was reacting to some magical feedback, nothing more, and it looked like none of the other cops farther away had felt a thing—they were just backing Fagles’s play.
    › What happened? ‹ Oberon asked.
    It’s okay. Don’t move , I told him.
    » Whoa, Detective, that’s not necessary. You’re pointing a gun at an unarmed man who’s cooperating with a legal search! « Hal said, panting a bit.
    » Bullshit! He assaulted me! « Fagles spat.
    » What? That’s nonsense, man. He’s been standing there passively more than five feet away from you the entire time! «
    » He just hit me upside the head! «
    › Well, I’m sure he deserved it, Atticus. ‹
    Hush, I didn’t hit him .
    » He most certainly did not, and that security camera right there will prove it! « Hal exclaimed, pointing at the camera. All eyes followed his finger and saw that it would most definitely prove whether or not I had moved to slap Detective Fagles upside the head. Fagles heard the certainty in Hal’s voice, saw the doubt in his colleagues’ faces, and practically stomped his foot as he cried, » Well, something hit my head, and it sure as hell wasn’t me! «
    » Something hit me too, Detective, but it wasn’t my client, and there’s no reason to keep pointing your gun at him. Let’s all calm down now. «
    » I want to know what hit me! « Fagles insisted. » And hey! Where did the sword go? It’s gone! «
    It wasn’t gone. But he couldn’t see it now that I had snapped that blue knot—the camouflage was in effect.
    » What sword? « I said, playing dumb.
    » The sword that we were just talking about! « Fagles screamed. » The one that was on that shelf! « He pointed impotently at the spot where my sword still lay, hidden from his unaided vision.
    › Now that’s funny, ‹ Oberon said. › I think his panties are getting twisted. If I had any sausage to spare, I would give you one for that right there. ‹
    » You saw it too! « Fagles accused Hal, looking around at the other cops who were eyeing him a bit uncertainly.
    » How could I have seen it, Detective? I’m on this side of the counter, « Hal pointed out, the very picture of reason and affability.
    » But you argued about it with me! «
    » That’s because I’m paid to argue about things. But I never saw this sword you’re referring to. I merely objected to you taking anything not included in the warrant. Speaking of which, has anyone found the large dog yet? «
    Detective Jimenez sighed and put away his gun, and all the other cops relaxed too, save for Fagles. They were beginning to look a bit embarrassed.
    » I still don’t know what hit me, and I want an answer, « Fagles ground out, his chin lifted obstinately.
    » I think it was a freak gust of wind, Detective, « Hal said, » coming through the broken door. I felt it too. «
    That did it for Detective Jimenez. » The dog isn’t here, Fagles, « he said. » Let’s go; put the gun away. «
    Fagles gritted his teeth in frustration, and the green wreath around his head flared menacingly. And that’s when he shot me.

Chapter 16
    You know that old saw about your life flashing before your eyes at the moment of death? Well, if you’ve lived more than two thousand years, it’s going to take a