Part 43 (1/2)

Kris shot her a look, equal parts irritation and exasperation, as she pushed by. ”Man, I am so not envying your cat if this is the s.h.i.+t he has to put up with.”

Sam raced past and disappeared behind the winter coats as Claire slowed to avoid trampling the elf on guard at the entrance between the cosmetic counters. It seemed as though he might try to stop her but clearly thought better of it as he got a closer look at her face.

”s.h.i.+t, Keeper . . .”

”Arthur!” She spat out the name. ”Where is he?”

”Large Appliances.”

”And that's where?”

”Straight to Children's Shoes, hang a right, then a left at Women's Accessories and straight to the back. You want I should sound the alarm?”

”No.” The alarm would only warn the a.s.sa.s.sin she was coming. Hopping on first one foot then the other, she slipped her sandals off, bare feet would make a lot less noise, then, hiking her skirt up above her knees, lengthened her stride.

Children's Shoes, Women's Accessories . . . The floor was cold, and the air smelled like overheated Teflon, like someone had left a nonstick frying pan on the stove and not realized the burner was still hot. As she ran, Claire hoped the smell was seeping through from the other mall. She didn't like the implications if it wasn't.

She could hear voices up ahead.

Arthur asked a question about fabric softener.

One of the elves snickered.

A cat screamed.

Sam.

Heart racing, she tried to remind herself that cats screamed as much for effect as affect and were as likely to scream in rage as in pain. It didn't help. Death of the Immortal King, successful segue, end of the world aside, if Sam got hurt, Diana was going to kill her.

Large Appliances. Buy the washer; get one hundred dollars off the ticketed price of the dryer.

Sam crouched on top of a was.h.i.+ng machine, tail las.h.i.+ng, fur straight up along his spine, ears clamped tight to his skull. He didn't look injured. He didn't sound injured. He sounded like a cross between a rabid racc.o.o.n and a civil defense siren.

Arthur had his sword out.

Facing them both was ... at first Claire thought it was the shadow of the a.s.sa.s.sin, then it moved, an almost fluid flow from one shape to another, and she realized it was shadow and it was the a.s.sa.s.sin.

The shadow feinted right; Arthur moved with it, keeping his blade between them.

The shadow rose up ten, fifteen feet, stretched into a thin line, then whipped forward. Arthur dove out of the way, one hand reaching out to the mall elf beside him and dragging her behind a free-standing dishwasher.

Claire pulled a length of white thread from her belt pouch, tied two quick knots, and threw it into the darkness.

It froze, s.h.i.+vered once, s.h.i.+fted shape, and turned toward the Keeper, the thread anchoring it in place. Given the power pulling against it, the thread wouldn't hold long.

Shrieking a challenge, Sam launched himself off the was.h.i.+ng machine.

It arched just enough of itself out of the way.

Rising up on one knee, Arthur swung. Missed. Leaped to his feet. Swung. Missed. Nearly had his head taken off by a sudden side shot. Got his sword around in time to cut off a piece eight inches long by about three inches in diameter. It hit the floor, flattened, and s.h.i.+mmied its way almost too fast to follow back into its dark bulk.