In the darker shadows cast by the abandoned house, something was moving. The short days of winter meant that cover of darkness wasn't in short supply, and not all the residents of Searchlight were tucked into their beds, even at midnight. There were some clothes piled together under the dilapidated porch awning. The shape in the shadows had already been out for a few hours.

When the streak of light tore down from the sky, Echo-Wolf was just returning to the minimal shelter of the deserted house. She streaked out of sight as the cactus caught fire. Canine ears flattened, and a growl issued from the darkness. The desert was so quiet at night that any disruption was a cause for alarm, and this close to town, anyone could have seen the bright light.

And the Wolf. That meant shifting back, and quick.