“Fine,” he said. “You have a point. But if we can’t go back there, then what?”
I flashed him another grin. “We sneak across the border?”
“Really?” He shot me another glare. “That’s got to be your worst idea yet.”
That was a little harsh. Certainly, this wasn’t my worst idea ever. Chocolate sauce and guacamole, on the other hand? Now that had been a terrible idea…
“Got a better one?”
Rick shook his head and let out another sigh. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. Again.”
“Excellent.”
Rick put his car back in gear and followed the road up a little further until he found a resting area to park the car in, then we both got out. I grabbed my swords and the remaining pastries and followed after him.
“Again with the eclairs?” Rick scowled.
“Heh. They really are something else. You should try one.” I pushed the box under his nose.
Rick reared backward and shook his head, pushing the box away.
“Suit yourself.” I shrugged.
The ground near the border was fairly clear and flat, with very little cover available. Still, the grass was on the tall side, and there was some vegetation we could hide behind if it came to it. The sky was starting to darken, but it wasn’t really dark yet, so hiding in the first place would be tricky.
Thankfully, no one actually expected people to walk across the Canadian border this close to the highway. It was utterly moronic. Which was exactly why we were doing it, but that’s not the point. The point was, it was relatively easy going, and it didn’t take long before we were within range of the actual border.
That was when the trouble started. The vague scent of wine hit my nostrils again, stronger than it had the night previous.
True, the border between the USA and Canada was far more lax than the one with Mexico, but it wasn’t like border patrol guards to be drinking. No, something had to be off. I was sure of it.
“Hold up,” I said, putting my hand in front of Rick to stop him right before he took another step. We were a few inches from the floodlights that illuminated the crossing area.
“Ugh, what now? We need to beg a leprechaun for luck first?”
Now it was my turn to do the eye roll. “Come on, Rick. You know me better than that. Besides, leprechauns are Irish, not Canadian.”
“I know that, you twit!” He put his hands on his hips. “Can we just get this over with, please? I’m not really built for hiking.”
Hiking? If this was his idea of a hike, he had another thing coming.
“Just wait a second. Please.” I shoved the eclair box into his hands. “Here, hold these. Keep them safe. I’ll be back in a second.”
“The eclairs again, really?” Rick groaned. “What is it with these things anyway?”
“They’re delicious, of course.” I flashed him another grin. “And you’ll see soon enough.”
Rick sighed again, but he held onto the box and stayed put.
I gave him one last look, then crouched low to the ground and snaked my way through the tall grasses to get a closer look at the border gate. The oddly-shaped building came fully into view quick enough.
I inched forward a little more, and that’s when I saw it. Or rather, them.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge and my hand instantly went to the katana at my side. There they were. Half-Naked Guy and Lanky Guy, standing tall and seemingly without a care, posing as border guards.
My mind raced. How were they alive? How had they gotten here so fast? And why were they here, of all places? Did they know about my plans? But I hadn’t even told Rick what we were doing. How could they possibly know?
But that wasn’t the worst part. I now understood why I’d caught the wine scent, both in Seattle and here. A rather large, grayish hound stood at attention by their feet, lips snarling and pawing at something I couldn’t see.
“Well, shoot,” I muttered. “They have a failinis.”
The failinis was an odd creature out of Irish myth. It had the appearance of a normal wolfhound, but it was a magical beast that was a fierce fighter, and it was loyal to the last breath. Also, it could make wine out of water. Which explained the smell.
But the worst part about the failinis breed was they never lost and they never gave up. If that thing caught wind of me or Rick, it wouldn’t stop chasing us until we were dead or it was, and I don’t know about you, but my money was on the dog.
Slowly, I crept back to where Rick was standing. To his credit, he hadn’t moved like I’d asked him to.
“Bad news,” I whispered. “They got here first.” I pointed one finger toward the gate building.
Rick shook his head. “Who got here first? You’re not making any sense.”
“The queen’s men. The guys I killed. They’re here.”
“What?” Rick growled at me, but his eyes had a hint of fear in them. Was his resolve starting to crack? “Are you sure your head is on straight?” He looked down at me and humphed. “I’m going back to the car.”
“No, wait!” I yelled. “It’s not safe.”
Rick stopped, but for once, I don’t think it had anything to do with me.
A long, low growl filled the air, chilling my blood and making my skin crawl. The failinis. It had heard me. Or one of us, at least.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the beast standing tall, nose pointed in our direction. Lanky Guy and Half-Naked Guy, who was wearing a uniform and no longer half-naked, by the way, were chatting amongst each other and looking at where the dog was pointing.
“Rick?” I said in a voice barely over a whisper, tapping him on the shoulder. He looked straight at me, face ashen. “Run.”
I didn’t have
