Chapters (42)
- Title Page
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Acknowledgements
- Also by Kim Harrison
- Copyright
- About the Publisher
- Cover
Glenn rocked back out of Pierce’s way as he edged past him to hand me an amulet. The witch had his hat in his hand, and I wondered if he was leaving, too. My fingers touched the amulet, and a wave of relief flowed into me.
“I’ll take Ivy to the emergency room,” the FIB detective said as he jiggled his key. “And I don’t want you to be here, Rachel, when I get back.”
“Excuse me?” I stared at him from the couch.
Glenn smiled at my affronted expression. “You need to leave town,” he said. “Take a vacation. Visit your mom.” He hesitated, then added, “Find a hiding spot for a few days?”
My eyes opened wide as I got it, but Jenks took to the air, a vivid silver falling from him. “No fairy-ass way!” he exclaimed, his kids in the rafters going silent. “She’s not leaving here.”
Ivy took a defensive stance, holding her arm tight against herself. “The church is safe.”
Pierce, though, was nodding, glancing at the broken shards in the sun before saying, “I’m of a mind you don’t understand the danger. Glenn is right. You need to leave.”
My mouth dropped open. “We don’t understand the danger?” I said loudly. “Are you serious? Pierce, we can handle this. We have before.” But my thoughts were on Ivy, languishing under twin white spells. Twice today a benign charm had been turned to one capable of doling out death. It was so hypocritical it made me sick.
“I’ll admit your diggings are a fine defense,” Pierce added when Jenks’s wings clattered. “And your skills, Jenks, are a caution, but that was the coven’s plumber. The best action is not to be where she expects you to be.”
Confused, I asked, “The coven’s what?”
“Plumber,” Ivy said, looking pale as she leaned on Glenn. “You know. Stops leaks?”
Oh goodie. I’m a leak. “Look, the church has kept me safe for over a year. Jenks is here, and I’m not leaving.”
Jenks landed on my shoulder, his relief obvious. Pierce, though, was scowling. “How can I keep you safe if you don’t do what I say? Get your things.”
Do what he says? Jenks’s dust was starting to feel warm on my shoulder, and I put up a hand to keep him from flying at Pierce. “I’m not leaving,” I said softly from the couch, but I was pissed. “And no one asked for your opinion. You were wrong about not telling Al about the coven, and you’re wrong about this.”
Pierce frowned, but my attention jerked to Glenn, who had also taken a defensive stance. “What can it hurt?” he said, and Ivy gave him a dark look. “Really, what’s the big deal?”