My Pet Sold Me novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: The Green Chain

Dane's POV

The fox was standing at my gate in the first gray light with a paper held up over his head.

He had not crossed the line.

My sentry stood on the other side of the bar with his hand on the latch and no idea what to do.

"He's been here since four," said the sentry. "He says Lara told him not to come to the lodge."

"She did."

"So he's not coming to the lodge."

"I see that."

"He says he'll stand here until you come out and read this."

I took the paper through the bars.

It was a hospital discharge sheet from the emergency room in Gresham, with a chest X-ray note and the name Tobin Kauffman.

At the bottom someone had written in ballpoint: Lung reinflated. Two cracked ribs. No stunts for six weeks.

"I got it looked at," Tobin said. "Last night. She said a real doctor."

"She did."

"I wanted her to know I did it before she asked."

"She's asleep in my loft."

His face did something complicated.

"Right," he said. "Then give it to her when she wakes up."

"Get in the truck."

"I'm not allowed..."

"You're allowed in the truck. The yard starts at six."

He climbed in beside me with the tape pulling at his ribs, and neither of us said a word for the first mile.

The road wound down along the river.

Mist lay in the low places, and the firs were dripping.

"Did you know?" he said at last.

"Know what?"

"That she'd signed her life. For me."

"Not until the stamp."

"But you knew about the clearing."

I kept my eyes on the road.

"I was there."

"I figured. When the Elder read it out, I tried to remember." Tobin was gripping the door handle. "There were dogs, and a rifle, and a girl.

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