Surprise flashed over Anora’s face when Ahllasta caught her reference—that, or there really [i]were[/i] people like the Winchester brothers out there. Which wouldn’t have surprised her.
	Ahllasta’s pride shone through unnervingly in both voice and expression. A shudder ran down Anora’s spine. After the woman’s earlier show of power, she could believe it. But at least Ahllasta’s eyes were open.
	She cringed and glanced to the backseat when Ahllasta referred to Darsby.
	“Great,” she breathed beneath the woman's egotistical grin. “Noted.”
	[i]Maybe that’s what that was. Some release of a true form?[/i] She shifted uncomfortably, part of her not wanting to look away from Ahllasta and the other begging her to.
	An unusual shift in light caught Anora’s attention, making her decision for her. Before she could focus and figure out what had caused the shift, Darsby sprung to life.
	She shouted and turned toward the driver’s seat as well as the confined car let her. 
	“Don’t!” Whether the statement was intended more for Darsby or Ahllasta, she wasn’t sure. She glanced to the steering wheel as the two readied to dispose of each other. Thankfully, Ahllasta managed to keep the car steady. 
	She couldn’t decide which she feared more: for Darsby’s life—especially if his Get Out of Death Free card had a limit to it—or of winding up in a ditch wheels-up. 
	She nearly jumped high enough to hit her head on the car’s ceiling when an unfamiliar ringtone burst from her pocket. She had shoved her smartphone into her backpack while on the roof of the farmhouse, its charge depleted. She glanced toward the mysterious bulge now in her pocket.
	She looked quickly back to the fighting duo, planning on solving the mystery of the phone later. But both Darsby and Ahllasta’s attention had turned fully to her, their fight put on hold. Waiting for her to answer.
	[i]Okay,[/i] she drew out the mental word.
	At least she wouldn’t have to witness Darsby getting slaughtered again… yet, anyway. As much as she trusted Darsby, her money was on Ahllasta in a fight between them.
	 She pulled the phone from her pocket. She took barely a moment to examine the flip phone, not wanting to risk it going to voicemail. She couldn’t remember the last time she had used a flip phone.
	She opened it and placed it to her ear.
	“Uh… yeah?” she answered uncertainly. She looked between Darsby and Ahllasta, expecting them to go at it again any moment.
	Anora blinked and her brows rose when the raspy voice on the other end replied with a simple, normal question. She almost broke out in a fit of hysterical laughter.
	For a second, she wondered if she had picked up a cellphone from the minivan and just not realized it. But she noticed Ahllasta had paled. Actually [i]paled.[/i] No, this was no ordinary call. But at least Darsby showed no sign she should be cautious. 
	‘An enemy of my enemy’ and all that.
	“You [i]really[/i] don’t want me to answer that,” she replied to the man collar ID called Dan. Her voice came out strained and tense. She kept a careful eye on Ahllasta in case the woman tried grabbing the phone from her. “Who is this? How’d you—?” She stopped herself from asking the reflexive, ‘How’d you get this number.’ “Just… [i]how?[/i]” she settled for instead.