The wolves moved.
I heard their boots crunch against the gravel outside. Nobody inside the clinic spoke. The council leader had reached ten. Now he was waiting for us to panic.
Instead, one of his wolves stepped forward. His footsteps stopped just outside the entrance. Through my hearing, I caught the sound of him laughing.
“Move aside,” he said. “I’ll drag the boy out myself.”
The doctor didn’t move. Neither did any of us.
The wolf took another step. The moment his boot crossed the mountain ash—
A bright blue flame burst from the floor.
“Argh!” The wolf screamed as he was thrown backward. His body slammed into the ground several feet away. Smoke rose from his boot.
Everyone outside froze.
Inside, Mike stared at the door with wide eyes. “It worked.”
The doctor let out a slow brea
