Chapter 153

“Brat (brother), this isn’t like when I was five and broke my forearm, and you held my hand the whole time while Hans put the cast on me. I can stay still.”

Maybe yes, maybe not. When the white-hot blade touched his flesh, it would be another story.

Of the three of us, I was the only one healthy enough to return to human form, and after calming down a bit, sheltered from the fire in the fireplace, I had already done so. I had cuts and bruises all over my body, but nothing serious; I didn’t waste time showering, other matters were pressing. I covered the change of fur by burying it under a good layer of frozen earth and snow, and although he did not ask for it at any time, I helped Kabir bury the bodies of the dead felines. I figured they’d send a cleanup party later, because the sheriff’s wife didn’t complain about us using her sparse backyard to hide the evidence.

My father remained strangely still and serene, sitting on another sofa; his animal face was sw