"Congratulations, Granuaile MacTiernan," I said. "You are the first new Druid on this earth in more than a thousand years." I grinned at her, relieved that it was finally over, and she laughed with wonder and a good measure of her own relief.

I laughed with her and then watched as a strange demolition took place on her expression, as if someone had struck out the supports of the scaffolding holding up her smile. Her lower lip trembled and she sniffled. "I can't believe it's finally done," she said, examining the back of her right hand and wiping away tears with the heel of her left. "Twelve long years."

"Oh, nonsense. They flew by!" I said.

"Yeah, whatever." She sniffed one final time and wiped her cheeks free of tears. Her grin returned, but this time it was mischievous. "So this means you're not my sensei anymore?" this time it was mischievous. "So this means you're not my sensei anymore?"

"That's what it means."

"Right. Well, I've waited long enough." She grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me to her mouth. "Come here."

I went there.

Chapter 21

Okay, for the record, what you're doing is nothing like dogs barking, and I object to the whole bow-chicka-bow-wow meme in principle.

Oberon, please. This is not the time.

This is the perfect time! It's the first time you and Granuaile have participated in this bow-chicka-bow-wow behavior.

It's not meant to mimic dogs barking! It's mocking seventies' funk music heard in pornographic videos, specifically the bass line. May we have some privacy, please?

What? You want me to go away?

Well, just don't stare at us! I didn't sit and watch and make comments while you were with Fifi, did I, talking about givin' the dog a bone and such?

Fine. But human mating habits are stupid.

Chapter 22

We did stop eventually, but only because Oberon threatened to chew off his leg as the sun set for the third time since we'd begun. I'm desperately bored of being a watchdog, especially since I have to watch you two be grody together.

Now, hold on! First, you didn't have to watch, because I specifically suggested that you not do so, and, second, it wasn't grody. It was the stuff Al Green sings about.

You were the one who told me that proverb thingie: "Grody is in the eye of the beholder."

No, Oberon, that was beauty.

Whatever. It works for grody too.

Nothing could ruin my mood right then, so I laughed and admitted he had a point.

How about a hunt, Oberon? Would that suit you?

My hound put his nose in the air. That depends. What are we hunting?

Anything you want. Anywhere you want. Granuaile needs to practice shifting planes and shifting shapes.

I want to hunt dik-diks.

All right. Tanzania, here we come!

While Granuaile was now a full Druid, she still needed some coaching and practice on what had been theory until this point. She'd memorized the words and the forms of the knotwork admirably, but because we'd been so...busy lately, she had yet to cast anything. the forms of the knotwork admirably, but because we'd been so...busy lately, she had yet to cast anything.

We thanked Pyrenees for his hospitality and help before we shifted to eastern Africa. Granuaile and I both placed our hands on a tethered tree, and I showed her amongst the myriad trees where to shift in Tir na nOg.

"You go first. We'll be right behind you."

"What if I get lost?"

"You won't. I'm going to follow wherever you go."

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and shifted.

She's going to be talking to me soon, isn't she? Oberon said.

Yep. Very soon.

Well, before our conversation gets put on speakerphone, I want you to know that you're my favorite human.

Aww, thanks, Oberon- Even when you're grody.

That's...very generous of you.

Oberon's nose lifted in the air again, but not for the display of any attitude. His nostrils flared. Atticus, I smell the dead. Lots of them. Coming this way.

I frowned at my hound. Vampires? Vampires?

Unless we missed the zombie apocalypse, I'd say so.

All directions?

No, from this side of the mountains.

So they would be French vampires. Perhaps the vampires from the Iberian Peninsula wouldn't be far behind. After my conversation with Theophilus, I could well imagine that he'd given the command worldwide to hunt us-I certainly hadn't ceased to train my apprentice, so I must assume that his promised pogrom had begun and the world's vampires were sniffing us out.

It probably wouldn't be all that difficult to find me, provided I stayed in one place; my ancient blood smelled different from that of modern humans, and if they'd been told by their mysterious Fae connection that I was binding Granuaile to the earth, they'd know to search the wild places in Europe. different from that of modern humans, and if they'd been told by their mysterious Fae connection that I was binding Granuaile to the earth, they'd know to search the wild places in Europe.

I had no desire to remain and take on an unknown number of vampires, so I shifted to Tir na nOg and found a relieved Granuaile waiting for us. She did a couple of pogo jumps in the dark. "I did it!"

"Indeed. And now let's go to Tanzania. Lead the way again."

We spent some time finding an appropriate place to shift. We chose some acacia woodlands in Lake Manyara National Park, and then we went ahead as before, with Granuaile going first.

Are you going to tell her about the vampires? Oberon asked once she'd shifted.

Soon. I need to think about it a little bit. She has enough to worry about at the moment.

When we reached Tanzania, which was humid and warm and full of animals eating one another, we both had our night vision on. Granuaile was giddy.

"Can I shape-shift now?"

"Wait a moment. Bind with Oberon first."

"Oh! Yeah. Duh! I'm sorry, Oberon, I'm just so excited."

She's dancing like she has to go to the bathroom.

"He understands," I told her. "Okay. So look at the connection between Oberon and me in the magical spectrum. You need to bind yourself to him in the same way so that you can hear his thoughts and vice versa."

"Will you be able to hear my thoughts too?"

"No. The only person I know capable of human telepathy is the Morrigan, and she doesn't accomplish it through traditional bindings."

"What if we're both in animal form?" Granuaile asked.

"Do we use Oberon as a go-between to speak to each other?" "Do we use Oberon as a go-between to speak to each other?"

"I suppose we could."

If you want to drive me insane.

"But we should probably try to keep that to a minimum," I added.

Granuaile nodded. "Poor dog would probably go nuts."

She's a bit more sensitive than you, Atticus.

Hey!

Give me two months to work on her and I bet she'll get me a French poodle.

Do not take advantage of her generous nature!

Are you serious? You might as well ask me to stop being a hound.

Granuaile gave a tiny gasp and her eyes widened. "I heard that! Or the end of it. Why would you want him to stop being a hound?"

Hello, Clever Girl.

"Hi, Oberon! It's so nice to finally hear your voice! Is 'Clever Girl' your name for me?"

"He's been calling you that ever since that business with the skinwalkers. Watch out. He's buttering you up for something."

"Is that so?" Her eyebrows asked a question of my hound.

Ignore the surly Druid. I have no shadowy agenda. I am motivated by food.

"And tonight you're hungry for really tiny antelopes."

That's right! But I'll settle for whatever we can catch.

"Okay. I've never hunted before, so you'll need to give me some tips and forgive me if I screw up, all right?"

Tonight I will cut you infinite slack.

"Good. Because my predator form is a giant black cat."

You're a cat cat person? Oberon whipped his head around to me. Atticus, you never said anything about that! person? Oberon whipped his head around to me. Atticus, you never said anything about that!

"It wasn't my choice, Oberon!" Granuaile said. "Gaia chose my predator form. If it had been my choice, I would have been a wolfhound like you and Atticus."

That's true, buddy, I said privately. She didn't have any say in her animal forms. Besides, what does it matter? She's Granuaile no matter what shape she's in She didn't have any say in her animal forms. Besides, what does it matter? She's Granuaile no matter what shape she's in.

Well, that's a fair point, Oberon admitted.

"What is?" Granuaile asked.

He said you'd still be Clever Girl no matter what your shape is.

"Oh. That's true. Atticus, maybe we should speak aloud to Oberon whenever we can so we don't have to always ask him for clarification when he answers?"

"Yep. Good idea. I'm used to keeping a lid on it, so it will take me some time to break the habit."

Let's hunt.

Granuaile and I disrobed and placed our clothes near the tethered tree. We asked the earth to part and conceal our weapons for us.

"One more thing before you shift," I said. "I have to fix your necklace."