Chapter 99

Surprisingly, neither of them objected. Dakota assumed Terrell might want his inherited talisman returned, or Eleanor would fight for the mammal-calling talisman. But that didn’t happen. Maybe the guy was too embarrassed. He’d given Dakota something incredibly important. To ask for it back was to admit he’d made a mistake. Perhaps at least part of Terrell still cared for him, too.

Dakota couldn’t see it. Terrell was willing to just up and leave instead of trying to work things out. He and his cousin would get themselves killed. And neither Dakota nor the little girl attached to his hip might even hear about it. They’d simply disappear, and that would be the end of their story.

“We’ll be gone before sunset,” Terrell said absently, donning a couple of the new talismans.

“Good,” he forced out. Turning to the child, “It’s gonna be okay,” he lied. “We’re gonna be okay.”34