A blinding storm.

  Ahote’s heavy panting and running.

  The spirits of dark entities, green and transparent, ascending and soaring, leaving behind a pile of black robes and melted flesh.

  After our enemies departed, the weather, instantly, went from stormy to sunny. The three creatures who’d flown us to Fort Cross returned, peering down from the distant rainbow.

  General Jones and the soldiers stared on at the scene of light entities freeing me, while Fredrich and Xochipilli flipped Owl’s carcass into the casket.

  A somber Chip placed the severed head in and closed the broken lid. The sheriff and pharmacy gal stood quiet, appearing to pray. It ended with a sniveling Diamond shooting a scowl over at General Jones. “You know this is wrong.”

  “Gal, he’s a legend, now, for a cause greater than you can understand.”

  “She said, “You thoink this is so great. You can take him to his Nagawitchi tribe and tell them he died a hero. And in case you don’t know, we want nothing to do with you.”

  I interrupted, stamping over to Chip, and the worst accusations I ever levied blew past any filter that would detain them. “My entire life has been a set up for this tragedy. First, Calamity and Aminda set me off to Grand Jose, then you, Sheriff, brought me to Mexico. You won’t stop, no matter the warnings or the narrow odds. You heard Chief. He didn’t want to die.” I was trembling in anger. “I trust you’re aiming to be a just lawman, but your incompetence is showing damningly low prospects that it'll ever happen.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Chip said nothing for the first time. I knew, right then, he was too choked up for Owl. The bull wouldn’t be caught with a tear in his eye. It hurts to recall, but when he lifted his countenance, I saw the hurt in his bloodshot eyes, and—

  I couldn’t stop. “You’re a bumbling fool. Don’t you know Sam Hill’s clairvoyant advisors predicted you didn’t have what it takes to win this? When that evangelist says you will not survive, he knows you’re too blaming incapable to win. Dylan and now the chief have died for this. How many more people will fall under your watch, Sheriff?”

  Chip calmly gestured at my cat birdie and said, “I suggest you take your flight, right now.”

  Diamond stared dead at me as I marched away from all the hell I’d been through. Heading to the cat bird, I picked up on some of what was said, allowing it to become distant chatter.

  “Dunbar,” Chip said. “Where’s the witch settling.”

  The deputy answered, “An abandoned church in a colonial town called El Sobrenatural. These bean eaters say that whole area is haunted.”

  Chip snatched his deputy by the collar. “Jig’s up. That was too easy.”

  “You think that giving me a hiding is gone raise your profile back in Grand Jose? Now that the Indian sacrificed the blood that the one who knows his name demanded, I don’t need to put a pistol on that lily liver gone coon. We haint got nothing left to fight over.”

  After their blusteration drifted off, I tried to shake the burden I’d been carrying but it was…still there? My furball companion knelt for me to mount on, and Diamond came a-running.

  “Wait, Doc. Wait. I know you didn’t mean what you said to Chip.”

  I hovered over her concerned expression— cat bird flapping its wings in place—

  I appreciated her birthmark one last time.

  “Where are you going, Doctor? They won’t let you back in Grand Jose without us.”

  I replied, “I once heard tell of this town here in Mexico, right by the Pacific Ocean. It’s called San Marina.”

  She folded her arms. “Well, are you going to be safe there?”

  “I plan to be and to resume my practice. Who knows, maybe the ocean will wash away all this grime. You watch out for yourself now. I can’t come a-chasing behind you no more.” I winked, as the creature fluttered out loose feathers that fell past her face. Though her eyes were pouty, she mustered up her first half-smile since Dylan died, one filled with admiration.