"Then why would he just take off?" I say.
"Perhaps," Auntie Min says, "he is troubled to learn just what he is capable of. Or perhaps he ran into Vincenzo's associates. Vincenzo said he wasn't working alone."
"Dudes," Des says. "Think about what else Vincenzo said. Josh has gone to look for Elzie."
Cory is waiting for us in human form at the edge of the water.
"He met someone here," he says when we reach him. "A man. They left together."
"Left to go where?" I ask.
"Deeper into the otherworld."
"Did he go by choice," Theo asks, "or was he forced?"
Cory points to the wet sand, where there are two sets of footprints. You can see where they were standing around, talking, then they just step away into nothing. What's stranger is that, while we can work out Josh's approach—the mountain lion's paw prints are pretty obvious even for me—the other man's prints show that he came out of the same nowhere into which they disappeared. He didn't walk onto the sand. He simply appeared.
"There's no sign of a struggle," Cory says.
"So what do we do now?" Des asks.
He looks to Theo rather than Auntie Min for the decision. Oddly, so does Cory.
"I don't know," Theo says. "This is messed up. If Vincenzo wasn't working alone, what are his pals up to? What's their next move?"
"Vincenzo spoke of assassinating Congressman Householder," Auntie Min says.
"Dude, who cares about that freakin' bigot."
I nod in agreement.
"You should," Cory says. He enumerates on his fingers. "He dies at that rally, and he becomes a martyr. That gives his cause more credence. Wildlings will be blamed and the hunt will really be on."
Des nods. "Yeah, that Danny dude who was friends with Elzie told Josh the Feds are already planning to up their game."
"Maybe we should have a word with Josh's pet agents," Theo says. "Get the real lowdown on where that's going."
"But Vincenzo wanted Josh to kill the congressman," I say. "If Vincenzo's dead and Josh is gone, that's over, isn't it?"
"Don't kid yourself," Theo says. "All they wanted was a Wildling to do it. There's lots of kids who got changed, and I'll bet there's more than a few who don't have Josh's backbone. They'd be easy targets for Vincenzo's friends."
Auntie Min nods. "We need to find out exactly who we're up against."
"Plus we've got those guys from Black Key who were gunning for Josh," Des says. "They're still running around. What if they decide to go after his mom? Or one of us?"
Theo's nodding slowly. "It's obvious Josh can handle himself. That leaves it up to us to head back and take care of all this other crap."
"And we should do it soon," Cory says. "Someone's going to come looking for Vincenzo, and I don't think we want to be here when they find what's left of him."
"Yeah," Theo says. "I don't know what Josh's got running under his hood, but I don't have that kind of horsepower and I'm not ready to get my ass handed to me again. Next time I go up against any of these guys I want to be standing with a rocket launcher in my hands, pointed right at their heads."
Des looks dumbstruck. "Dude, you've got one of those?"
Theo looks at me and rolls his eyes.
"Yeah," he tells Des, "but it's in my other jacket."
"Ha ha," Des says.
"Seriously," Theo says to us. "We've got our work cut out for us and we need to get moving."
He nods at Cory, but it's Auntie Min who opens the way back for us. We just about give one of the surfers on Tiki Beach a heart attack when we appear right beside him. He takes a couple of steps back, and runs a hand through his blond hair. He's unsteady on his feet—a little drunk, or a little stoned. Maybe both.
"Whoa," he says. "Where the hell did you guys come from?"
Theo bristles at my side and I lay a hand on his arm.
"I'm cool," he mutters.
Des steps in between us and the surfer with his hands spread out in front of him.
"Dude," he says, "we were here all along. How did you not see us?"
The surfer gives Des a closer look.
"I know you," he says. "You're Cindy's skateboarder friend."
"That's me."
Des puts an arm around the surfer's shoulders and steers him back toward the fire.
"You should go," Cory says to Theo and me. "We'll deal with Tomás's body and get Des back to town."
Before we can respond, he and Auntie Min are walking toward the van, that I assume belongs to The Wild Surf. There's an older guy giving off a Wildling buzz leaning against the front of the van, arms folded across his chest. Since I know he's not a member of the band, I assume he's the driver. He straightens up at their approach.
I look over at the campfire and see that Josh and Des weren't exaggerating. Joanie Jones is all over Des. He mouths "Help me" when he sees me looking. I shake my head and give him a wave. The look he gives me back is the first thing to make me smile in hours.
"I really need to get to my papá's house," I tell Theo.
"You're actually going to leave Des hanging?" Theo says.
"Do you have room for three of us on your bike?"
"Well, no."
"So you see …"
He nods. "Yeah. I guess he's a big boy. He can handle it. Besides, as soon as the band finds out what happened to their manager, Joanie's going to have other things on her mind."
Cory nods at us as we pass the van. When we get to the Harley, Theo swings his leg over the seat. I get on behind him and a moment later we're on the highway heading back to Santa Feliz.
I lean my head against Theo's back, trying to remember what it was like before I got changed into a Wildling.
It seems like a lifetime ago.
Back then, drama was an argument with my sister, or Julie breaking up with yet another guy. I thought the world was ending if I got a bad mark in a test or took a spill at a meet with the surf club.
I had no idea.
Six months ago, I was trying to survive being a teenager.
Now I'm just trying to survive.
###
Acknowledgments
My deep appreciation and thanks go to those who helped carry the Wildlings story a little further: my wife and first editor, MaryAnn, who offers encouragement and assistance at every step along the way (and gives up some of her own creative life in the process); my editor, Lynne Missen and the team at Penguin Canada, for all of their excellent help and support; my agents, Heather Baror and Russ Galen, who offer sound advice whenever I need it; my webmaster, Rodger Turner, who is that, but also a treasured friend; MaryAnn's and my family members who put up with our busy lives and help us out; and last but not least, my readers, young and not so young, who buy my books and thereby let me continue to do what I love. I am grateful to each and every one of you.
About the Author
Charles de Lint is a full-time writer and musician who makes his home in Ottawa, Canada. His many awards include the World Fantasy Award, the Canadian SF/Fantasy Aurora Award, and the White Pine Award, among others. Modern Library's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century poll (voted on by readers) put eight of de Lint's books among the top 100. With 37 novels and 18 collections of short fiction published to date, de Lint writes for adults, teens and children. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (Tor, 2009), is a fantastical ghost story and a heart-wrenching tale of love, passion and faith. His newest middle grade novel is The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (Little Brown, 2013); his last collection of short fiction is The Very Best of Charles de Lint (Tachyon Publications, 2010). For more information, visit his web site at http://www.charlesdelint.com.
You can also connect with him at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charles-de-Lint/218001537221
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cdelint
Tumblr: http://cdelint.tumblr.com/
Cover design by MaryAnn Harris.
eISBN 978-0-920623-18-3
For inf
ormation:
Triskell Press
P.O. Box 9480
Ottawa ON K1G 3V2
Canada
http://www.triskellpress.com
This edition published April 2013.
Also available, only in Canada, from Penguin Canada in paper and digital editions.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
Also available:
The Butter Spirit's Tithe
http://www.amazon.com/The-Butter-Spirits-Tithe
Companions to the Moon
http://www.amazon.com/Companions-to-the-Moon
Crow Roads
http://www.amazon.com/Crow-Roads
Dharma
http://www.amazon.com/Dharma
Dog Boys
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Boys
Jack in the Green
http://www.amazon.com/Jack-in-the-Green
That Was Radio Clash
http://www.amazon.com/That-Was-Radio-Clash
Wildlings 1: Under My Skin
http://www.amazon.com/Under-My-Skin-Wildlings
Other books by Charles de Lint
THE CATS OF TANGLEWOOD FOREST (illustrated novel, Little Brown)
WILDLINGS 2: UNDER MY SKIN (young adult novel, Triskell Press/Penguin Canada)
EYES LIKE LEAVES (early work, 1980 novel, Tachyon Publications, 2012 )
THE PAINTED BOY (young adult novel, Viking, 2010)
MUSE AND REVERIE (collection, Tor, 2009)
THE MYSTERY OF GRACE (novel, Tor, March 2009)
WOODS & WATERS WILD (collection, Subterranean Press, 2008)
WHAT THE MOUSE FOUND (children's collection, Subterranean Press, 2008)
DINGO (young adult novella, Viking, 2008)
PROMISES TO KEEP (novel, Subterranean Press, 2007)
LITTLE (GRRL) LOST (young adult novel, Viking, 2007)
TRISKELL TALES: 2 (collection, Subterranean Press, 2006)
WIDDERSHINS (novel, Tor, 2006)
THE HOUR BEFORE DAWN (collection, Subterranean Press, 2005)
QUICKSILVER & SHADOW (collection, Subterranean Press, 2005)
THE BLUE GIRL (young adult novel, Viking, 2004)
MEDICINE ROAD (novel, Subterranean Press, 2003)
SPIRITS IN THE WIRES (novel, Tor, 2003)
A HANDFUL OF COPPERS (collection, Subterranean Press, 2003)
TAPPING THE DREAM TREE ("Newford" collection, Tor, 2002)
WAIFS AND STRAYS (young adult collection, Viking, 2002)
SEVEN WILD SISTERS (novel, Subterranean Press, 2002)
THE ONION GIRL (novel, Tor, 2001)
THE ROAD TO LISDOONVARNA (mystery novel, Subterranean Press, 2001)
TRISKELL TALES: 22 YEARS OF CHAPBOOKS (collection, Subterranean Press, 2000)
FORESTS OF THE HEART (novel, Tor, 2000)
THE NEWFORD STORIES (collection, Science Fiction Book Club, 1999)
MOONLIGHT AND VINES (collection, Tor, 1999)
SOMEPLACE TO BE FLYING (novel, Tor, 1998)
TRADER (novel, Tor, 1996)
JACK OF KINROWAN (omnibus, Orb, 1995)
THE IVORY AND THE HORN (collection, Tor, 1995)
MEMORY AND DREAM (novel, Tor, 1994)
THE WILD WOOD (novel, Bantam, 1994)
INTO THE GREEN (novel, Tor, 1993)
DREAMS UNDERFOOT (collection, Tor, 1993)
SPIRITWALK (collection, Tor, 1992)
HEDGEWORK AND GUESSERY (collection, Pulphouse, 1991)
THE LITTLE COUNTRY (novel, Morrow, 1991)
THE DREAMING PLACE (novel, Atheneum, 1990)
ANGEL OF DARKNESS (novel, as Samuel M. Key; Jove, 1990)
GHOSTWOOD (novel, Axolotl Press,1990)
DRINK DOWN THE MOON (novel, Ace, 1990)
SVAHA (novel, Ace, 1989)
WOLF MOON (novel, NAL, 1988)
GREENMANTLE (novel, Ace, 1988)
JACK, THE GIANT-KILLER (novel, Ace, 1987)
YARROW (novel, Ace, l986)
MULENGRO (novel, Ace, l985)
THE HARP OF THE GREY ROSE (novel, Starblaze, l985)
MOONHEART (novel, Ace, l984)
THE RIDDLE OF THE WREN (novel, Ace, l984)
###
Charles de Lint, Over My Head
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