Petra clutched the Bronco’s steering wheel, keeping her eyes on the road. Maria was cruising at a breakneck pace down back roads in Frankie’s Explorer, and Petra was determined not to fall behind and lose her. But Gabe could almost see that her brain was whirring just as quickly. She continued to assault him with questions, while he sat serenely on the passenger’s side. Sig lay on the bench seat between them, one paw wrapped over his muzzle, as if to ward off any more of Petra’s charcoal concoctions. Gabriel regarded the coyote with amusement and a bit of wariness. Having lived with ravens, he knew something about familiars. They arrived and never left. He wasn’t sure what to think about this one. The Locus hadn’t recognized him as magic, so maybe he was just an ordinary coyote. Or maybe whatever magic he represented was far beyond the reach of the Locus. In all, Gabriel was amused by Petra and her companion. It felt good; he hadn’t been amused in a very long time.
