The Pagan Stone

Cal rose, preparing to come around the desk to shake on the deal. The office door burst open. Cy Hudson, one of the fixtures of the Bowl-a-Rama’s leagues, rushed in, teeth bared, and madly firing a.38. One of the bullets plowed into Cal ’s sternum, took him down even as Gage and Fox dove at Cy.

His enormous bulk didn’t topple, and his sheer madness flung them off like flies. He aimed at Cal again, shifted the gun at the last moment as Gage shouted, and Lump bunched to attack. Gage braced for the bullet, caught Fox rising up like a ru

Bill Turner came through the door like fury. He leaped onto Cy’s back, fists pounding even as Fox went in low and the dog sprang, jaw snapping. The four of them went down in a bone-breaking tangle. The gun went off again even as Gage shoved up and grabbed a chair. He brought it down, brutally, twice on Cy’s exposed head.

“Okay?” he said to Fox as Cy went limp.

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, boy, good dog.” Fox hooked an arm around Lump’s big neck. “ Cal?”

Pushing up again, Gage dropped down beside Cal. Cal’s face was bone white, his eyes glassy, and his breath came in short pants. But when Gage ripped his shirt open, he saw the spent bullet pushing up through the wound. Sidling over, Lump licked Cal ’s face and whined.

“It’s okay, you’re okay. You’re pushing it out.” He gripped Cal ’s hand, sent him all he could. “Give me something.”

“Smashed a rib, I think,” Cal managed. “Ripped hell out of me in there.” He struggled to even his breathing as Lump nosed his shoulder. “I can’t exactly tell.”

“We’ve got it. Fox, for Christ’s sake, give me a hand.”

“Gage.”

“What! Can’t you see he’s…” Furious, Gage whipped his head around. He saw Fox kneeling on the floor pressing the blood-soaked wad of his own shirt to Bill’s chest.

“Call for an ambulance. I’ve got to keep the pressure on.”

“Go. God.” Cal pushed breath out, drew more in. He fisted his hand in Lump’s fur. “I’ve got this. I’ve got this. Go.”

But Gage kept Cal ’s hand tight in his, drew out his phone. And with his eyes locked on his father’s pale face, called for help.

CYBIL WOKE GROGGY, HEADACHY. THE GROGGY wasn’t much of a surprise. Mornings weren’t her finest hour, particularly after a restless night, and the dreams were a plague now. More, Gage had been closed in the night before. Barely speaking, she thought, as she grabbed a robe in case there were men in the house.

Well, his moods weren’t her responsibility, she decided, and felt fairly closed in herself. She’d take her coffee out on the back deck-alone. And sulk.

The idea perked her up a little, or would have if she hadn’t found both Layla and Qui

“Go away. Nobody talk to me until I’ve had two solid hits of caffeine.”

“Sorry.” Qui

Warning flashed into her eyes. “Nobody tells me to put off my morning coffee. Move it or lose it, Q.”

“No coffee until after this.” She picked the pregnancy test off the counter, waved it in front of Cybil’s face. “Your turn, Cyb.”

“My turn for what. Move!”

“To pee on a stick.”

Cybil’s jones for coffee tripped over sheer shock. “What? Are you crazy? Just because sperm met egg for the two of you doesn’t mean-”

“Isn’t it fu

“Ha ha.”

“And it’s interesting,” Layla continued, “how you pointed out yesterday the three of us are on the same cycle.”

“I’m not pregnant.”

Layla looked at Qui

Nearly desperate for coffee, Cybil rolled her eyes. “I saw you pregnant. Both of you. I didn’t see me that way.”

“It’s always harder to see ourselves,” Qui

Fuming, Cybil snatched the box. “Pregnancy’s made both of you bossy and bitchy.” She stalked off to the first-floor powder room.

“It has to mean something.” Layla rubbed her hands over her arms, ridiculously nervous. “If we’re right, or if we’re wrong, it has to mean something. I just wish I could figure out what.”

“I’ve got some ideas, but…” Worried, Qui

“Well, of course. Why wouldn’t… Oh. You mean if she is, and she doesn’t want to be.” With a nod, Layla stepped up so she stood beside Qui

They waited a few more minutes, then Qui

She marched to the door, knocked for form, then pushed the door open. “Cyb, how long does-Oh, Cybil.” She knelt down immediately to gather Cybil up as her friend sat on the floor.

“What am I going to do?” Cybil managed. “What am I going to do?”

“Get off the floor to start.” Briskly, Layla leaned down to help her up. “I’m going to make you some tea. We’ll figure this out.”

“I’m so stupid. So stupid.” Cybil pressed her hands to her eyes as Qui

“It didn’t click for me,” Qui

“It’s not the same for me as it is for the two of you. Gage and I… We don’t have any plans. We’re not…” She managed a weak smile. “Linked the way you are with Cal and Fox.”

“You’re in love with him.”

“Yes, I am.” Cybil looked into Qui

“Forget what he’s looking for.” Layla’s voice was so sharp, Cybil blinked. “What are you looking for?”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t this. I was looking to finish what we started here, and to have some time with him outside of this. If I looked further than that, and I’m not so strong and coolheaded that I didn’t look further and hope that we might make something together. And not so wide-eyed and optimistic that I expect to.”

“You know you don’t have to decide right away.” Qui

“You know we can’t do that,” Cybil replied. “There’s a purpose in this, and that purpose might be the difference between life and death.”

“Gods, demons, Fate-,” Layla snapped. “None of them have a right to make this choice for you.”

When Layla set the tea on the table, Cybil took her hand, squeezed fiercely. “Thanks. God. Thanks. The three of us, the three of them. A

She took a deep breath, reached for the tea. “I could, when it’s finished, choose to end this possibility. My choice, and yes, screw gods and demons. My choice. And I don’t choose to end this possibility. I’m not a child, and I’m not without resources. I love the father. Whatever happens between Gage and me, I absolutely believe this was meant.”

She took another breath. “I know this is the right thing for me. And I know I’m officially scared to death.”

“We’ll all be going through it together.” Qui