"This is yours. Do whatever you want with it." She stood up, grabbing Jane by the hands and pulling her up as well, giving the girl another hug.

Robbie and Chris were standing at the entrance. Mindy looked over at them.

“Guys, please gather up Mr. Strathmore." She looked back at Jane.

“We'll bury him with our own."

Jane couldn't believe how late it had gotten. She was sitting on Red's bed in a pair of flannel pajamas (with footys) that Mindy had finagled from their stores. Mindy had apologized for about an hour before she and Jane made peace with each other. Jane had donated almost all of her money to the Strays coffers, except for about twenty dollars, plus enough to buy Red a gift. She had picked up a candle that gave off three different scents as it burned its way down, all of them floral.

“God, that's so stupid," she muttered. She hadn't bought a gift for anyone in a long time, and never for someone she was trying to form an intimate relationship with.

"What's stupid?"

Jane jumped, her braided hair swirling around and rearing up like eight individual snakes until Jane actually saw Red standing in the doorway. When she began to relax, her extra appendages relaxed.

"My . 9. . uhm . . . I bought something . . . for you," Jane said, blushing from head to toe.

"This candle . . . it seemed cooler in the store when I got it."

Red picked up the candle and breathed deeply, smiling from ear to ear.

"It smells beautiful."

Jane grinned a little.

"You're just saying that."

"Yeah, and I mean it," Red said, flopping down on the bed.

"Tired? How . . . how did the hunt go?"

Red grimaced.

“Okay. We followed their trail for a while, then they split up in a bunch of directions. Then we think they used a wizard to cover their scent. We know they went east," Red said, then wrapped an arm around Jane's shoulders.

"But the way I hear it, you already knew that."

“How .

“Mindy told me . . . everything." She brushed some hair out of Jane's face.

“I'm a little mad at you," Red added.

“You shouldn't have run off like that." She kissed Jane on the cheek.

"I know," Jane said.