The expression on Bill's face was equally serious as he rose and pulled Jack into a bear hug. "I won't, Jack," he whispered. "Never."
The moment passed. Jack and Molly pulled up chairs and soon enough they were all laughing together, enjoying the celebration of Bill's birthday. Molly sat close by Jack and was unusually quiet. Then, in the midst of a story Bill was telling, she leaned forward and spoke up.
"Sorry to interrupt, Bill, but the curiosity is killing me. It's your birthday, but you haven't said how old you are."
Bill and Courtney exchanged a long glance, then looked around the table. Everyone was watching closely, listening. Behind Eden, even Artie's ghost was paying attention.
"Do you really want to know?" Courtney asked.
The question startled Jack and he could tell that Molly was a bit unnerved by it. She thought about it, and so did he, and after a moment, Molly shrugged.
"I'm not sure, actually."
"When you really want to know," Bill said, "ask me again."
"He's an old man," Olivia said dismissively. "What more do you need to know?"
Bill shot her a playfully menacing look. "Weren't you going to play your guitar?"
Olivia flapped her hands. "All right. Going!"
She rose and went to get her guitar case from an empty booth behind them. When Olivia pulled out the guitar and began to tune it, Courtney took that moment to slide a bit closer to Jack and Molly.
"We can talk more about this tomorrow, you two, but I've been doing some research with my internet contact and I think we have another hot spot."
Jack felt Molly's fingers tighten around his. He glanced at her and a kind of silent communication passed between them. Molly even sat up a bit straighter, though Jack doubted she was even aware of it.
"Where are we going this time?" Jack asked.
Courtney sipped at her drink, held the glass in both hands as if warming herself on it. "California."
Jack laughed. "Why do I think we're not going to Disneyland?"
- THE END -
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of such novels as Of Saints and Shadows, The Myth Hunters, The Boys Are Back in Town, and Strangewood. He has also written books for teens and young adults, including Soulless, Poison Ink, and The Secret Journeys of Jack London, co-authored with Tim Lebbon. His current work-in-progress is Cemetery Girl, a graphic novel trilogy collaboration with Charlaine Harris.
A lifelong fan of the "team-up," Golden frequently collaborates with other writers on books, comics, and scripts. He has co-written three illustrated novels with Mike Mignola, the first of which, Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, was the launching pad for the Eisner Award-nominated comic book series, Baltimore. With Thomas E. Sniegoski, he is the co-author of the book series Magic Zero and The Menagerie, as well as comic book miniseries such as Talent, currently in development as a feature film. With Amber Benson, he co-created the online animated series Ghosts of Albion for the BBC.
As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies The New Dead, The Monster's Corner, and British Invasion, among others, and has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His original novels have been published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at http://www.ChristopherGolden.com.
Connect With Christopher Golden Online
Official Website
http://www.ChristopherGolden.com
Twitter
http://twitter.com/ChristophGolden
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/christophergoldenauthor
No Rest for the Wicked Blog
http://christophergolden.blogspot.com/
Join the Wicked Street Team
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wickedstreetteam/
OTHER WORKS BY CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN
THE BODY OF EVIDENCE SERIES
Body Bags
Thief of Hearts
Soul Survivor
Meets the Eye
Head Games
Skin Deep [w/ Rick Hautala]
Burning Bones [w/ Rick Hautala]
Brain Trust [w/ Rick Hautala]
Last Breath [w/ Rick Hautala]
Throat Culture [w/ Rick Hautala]
Strangewood
Straight On 'Til Morning
The Ferryman
The Boys Are Back in Town
Wildwood Road
The Secret Backs of Things
The Shell Collector
Bloodstained Oz [w/James A. Moore]
The Seven Whistlers [w/Amber Benson]
The Ocean Dark [As Jack Rogan]
The Collective [As Jack Rogan]
Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire [w/Mike Mignola]
Joe Golem and the Drowning City [w/Mike Mignola]
Father Caetano's Puppet Catechism [w/Mike Mignola]
SLEEPY HOLLOW HIGH
Horseman [w/Ford Lytle Gilmore]
Drowned [w/Ford Lytle Gilmore]
Mischief [w/Ford Lytle Gilmore]
Enemies [w/Ford Lytle Gilmore]
THE VEIL
The Myth Hunters
The Borderkind
The Lost Ones
THE HIDDEN CITIES
Mind the Gap [w/Tim Lebbon]
The Map of Moments [w/Tim Lebbon]
The Chamber of Ten [w/Tim Lebbon]
The Shadow Men [w/Tim Lebbon]
THE SHADOW SAGA
Of Saints and Shadows
Angel Souls and Devil Hearts
Of Masques and Martyrs
The Gathering Dark
Waking Nightmares
The Graves of Saints
THE MENAGERIE
The Nimble Man [w/Tom Sniegoski]
The Tears of Furies [w/Tom Sniegoski]
Stones Unturned [w/Tom Sniegoski]
Crashing Paradise [w/Tom Sniegoski]
GHOSTS OF ALBION
Astray [w/Amber Benson]
Initiation [w/Amber Benson]
Accursed [w/Amber Benson]
Witchery [w/Amber Benson]
THE WAKING
Dreams of the Dead [As Thomas Randall]
Spirits of the Noh [As Thomas Randall]
A Winter of Ghosts [As Thomas Randall and Christopher Golden]
WANT MORE
CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN?
VISIT HIM AT:
http://www.ChristopherGolden.com
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTSWild Things
PROLOGUE
Alone in the dark.
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the award-winning, New York Times
OTHER WORKS BY CHRISTOPHER GOLDENTHE BODY OF EVIDENCE SERIESBody Bags
THE BODY OF EVIDENCE SERIESBody Bags
Prowlers: Wild Things Page 24
