'By that time, they had to know that the Senior Council was back at Edinburgh. I glanced at Listens-to-Wind and said, 'The Senior Council.'

'But what do they get out of it?' Morgan asked. 'The vampires throw their first major offensive at the right time to let Cowl pull off this Darkhallow.' 'Are you saying that you think Cowl was using the vampires as a tool?' Morgan asked. 'All those heavy vampire attacks just when Cowl and his buddies most needed the White Council not to be involved.' The resentment in his eyes hadn't changed, but there was something else there that hadn't been before-dare I hope it, some modicum of respect. 'Just don't get it,' Morgan was telling Listens-to-Wind. They were far too badly hurt to stay at my place, though, and Senior Council member 'Injun Joe' Listens-to-Wind himself showed up with half a dozen more stay-at-home wizards who knew something about medicine and healing to move them to a more secure location. At some point in the evening, Butters had taken off his drum and let Morgan take over the drumming duties while he tried to help Luccio, and as a result her wound hadn't been quite as fatal as she had thought it would be. With Butters's help, I was able to get him, Luccio, and Morgan back to my place. He had four broken ribs and two dislocated shoulders, but he came through. Ramirez made it out of that evening alive. 'Hey, you know what? Size really does matter.' 'You betcha, boss,' Bob said, and his voice was very smug. I squinted around me, but there was no one to look as I put it in my pocket. I fumbled in the trench coat's pockets until I found Kemmler's slender little book. I squinted around until I found Grevane's battered corpse. So just before the big bang, I had the dinosaur stand over him, soak up the blast.' 'I figured that you were a Warden now and stuff, and that you would probably want me to help out some other Warden.

'I think that Warden over there is alive.' Once that backlash came down, it tore apart every enchantment within a hundred miles. 'Most likely there are little pieces of him still filtering down,' Bob said brightly. I coughed out a little laugh, looking around me. 'The spell backlashed when you slugged Cowl,' Bob said. I didn't want to work for him anyway, but as long as he had the skull. 'Pretty good idea, Harry, talking to me once Cowl sat me on the ground.

'Why settle for wieners when you can have steak?' the skull said brightly. 'I figured you'd just grab a handy zombie.' 'You had to go get the dinosaur, eh?' I said. Orange flame flickered to life in the eye sockets. I looked down and saw that I had fallen around Bob the skull and curled my body around him as I had shielded myself. The buildings of the college, especially the museum, looked as if they had been ravaged by a tornado that had torn out great chunks and sections of them. The picnic tables had been torn to splinters.

Every tree in the area was gone, torn off about a foot from the earth. There was a gust of cold autumn wind, and the Erlking was gone. The next time our paths cross, it shall be my very great pleasure to run you down.' Because of that, and because you pleased me with your calling of the old hunter, this night you may go free. There was a low, wild laugh from that helmet. One that has not walked this earth since time gone and forgotten.' Called you forth a mighty hunter tonight. I lay there for a moment, gathering my wits, and as I did the lights of the city began to come on, bit by bit, as the power grids went back online.ДЄ booted foot pressed into the ground beside my face, and I followed it up, up and up, until I saw the horned helmet of the Erlking outlined against the brightening Chicago skyline. Neither lightning nor thunder played through the skies. When I came to my senses there was darkness and steady, cold rain, and I had sunk up to my neck in a deep well of aching pain.

Dead realm butcher