Jenks froze, his cheeks bulging with food. He met everyone’s eyes to figure out if we were joking, but it wasn’t until Nick nodded that he remembered to swallow. “Holy crap,” he said.

“That’s about it.” I sighed. “What are we going to do with it? We can’t give it to them.”

Nick picked at his fries. “I’m the one who started this. I’ll take it and disappear.”

In a smooth motion of grace, Ivy reclined in her chair. She looked calm and possessed, but I could tell by her fingers searching for her missing crucifix that she wasn’t. “It’s not that simple now, professor. They know who Rachel is. Jenks they might give up on, but by saving your ass, Rachel put her own on the line. She can’t go back to Cincinnati as if it never happened. They will follow her through hell for that thing.” Putting the flat of one arm on the table, she leaned forward, her face threatening. “They will hurt her just like they hurt you to get it, and I’m not going to let that happen, you dumb little shit.”

“Stop it,” I said as Nick reddened. “We can’t give it back. What else do we have?”

Ivy picked a sesame seed off her burger, looking sullen. Nick, too, had a chip the size of Montana on his shoulder. Jenks was the only one whose face was creased in thought, not anger. “Can you make everyone forget about it?” he asked as he chewed. “Or at least forget about us?”

I pushed my plate away. “Too many people. I’d miss someone. Not to mention it would be a black earth charm. I’m not doing it.” But I’d twist demon curses? No accounting for tastes, I guess. But Ceri’s curse hadn’t involved hurting people other than me.

Jenks chewed slowly. “How about putting it into hiding again?”

“I’m not putting it back,” Nick protested. “I spent a year’s income getting it.”

Ignoring him, I frowned. Was he still running his take?

“They’d still come after Rachel,” Ivy said. “If you can’t make everyone forget,” she said to me, “I can only think of one thing to get your life back after crap for brains screwed it up.”

Nick took an angry breath. “You call me that again and I’m going to—”

Ivy moved. I jumped, managing to keep my reaction to a small hop when she sent her arm forward and grabbed Nick under his chin. Nick’s eyes widened but he didn’t move. He had grown up in the Hollows and knew that moving would only make things worse.

Ivy’s eyes were almost entirely black. “You’ll what, crap for brains?”

“Ivy…” I said tiredly. “Stop it.”

Jenks looked from me to Ivy, his eyes bright and his face worried. “Lighten up, Ivy,” he said softly. “You know she always sides with the underdog.”

Jenks’s words penetrated where mine hadn’t, and in a flash of brown Ivy’s pupils returned to normal. Smiling beatifically, she let go, catching Nick by the collar of his sweatshirt before he could rock back, pretending to adjust it for him. “Sorry, Nickie,” she said, her pale fingers patting his hollow cheek a smidgen too hard.