With Laoise’s earlier advice in mind, I threw my first delayed-ignition heat charm at the end of the street. It rolled along the curb while I took off in the opposite direction. I counted seconds as I ran, and at the tenth the charm activated. The shriek cried out and headed toward the new lure. Of course, when the magic died out, and it didn’t find the desired target, I’d become its prey once again, but until then I had a dozen seconds or so to gain a bit more distance. According to Laoise, shrieks were capable of long sprints if they gained enough momentum, and anything that gave them pause worked in favor of their target’s survival.
Another screech, resembling a scream of fury, tore the air. It must have realized the heat charm wasn’t a living being, and its real prey was getting away.
