“I’m fine,” I slurred, then giggled when my voice didn’t finish the last part of it and all that came out was a messed-up, “I’m-m-m f-f-f-f.”

“You’re f’ed, all right,” Ivy said, and my eyes opened when her cool fingers touched me.

“The coven woman dosed her with something,” Pierce said, his hat gone and his hair disheveled. “And then Lee knocked her out.”

“Lee?” Ivy yelled, and I remembered why my hip was sore. He’d dropped me, twice. And then hit me with a ley-line sleep charm!

“In the fireman’s car!” I said, indignant, then hesitated, realizing I was still wearing Pierce’s hat. “Lee spelled me to shut me up. The b-b-bastard.”

Pierce winced. “A body would think it was the only way to get here without, ah, wrapping our asses around a light pole,” he said, clearly repeating something Lee had said.

“Great.” Ivy’s voice was dry. “Remind me to drill him a new one next time I see him.”

“Ah,” Pierce said, and I sighed when he shifted my weight. “He’s, uh, ditching the car. We couldn’t have escaped without him.”

“Escaped, hell,” Ivy muttered. “It was probably his idea to summon you, then cozy up to Rachel with some fake story.”

My breath was coming back to me, warm as it bounced off Pierce’s shirt. Turning my head, I looked up at them. “Lee’s okay,” I said. He was terrified when he thought I was Al.

Ivy’s worried face was framed against the blah white of the kitchen ceiling, bright with the fluorescent light. Frowning, I stared at the hanging rack behind her. Why is there a dent in my little spell pot? “I think I can sit,” I said, beginning to feel better. Or at least not so stoned.

Immediately Ivy pulled out a chair. With a marked gentleness, Pierce eased me into it. Ivy was so concerned she looked like she wanted to strangle someone, and Pierce was sweet with his stubble and shirt untucked. My bruises throbbed, but with the help of the table and Pierce’s support, I sat and blinked at the ceiling, waiting for everything to stop moving. I was home. Oh, crap. I think I’m going to cry, I thought as my vision swam.

“Rachel? Rachel!” Ivy said loudly, bringing my attention back from the pixy kids whispering up in the pot rack. Crouched before me, she made me look at her. “You said Lee. You mean Stanley Saladan? He summoned you for Brooke? Why is he helping you now?”

“You got a cast,” I slurred, seeing it stark white against her black T-shirt. “Where’s Jenks?” I looked at the ceiling for him, and Ivy turned my chin back to her.

“He had a bad feeling, so he went looking for you,” she said. “Why did Lee help you?”