“Fine, hell, it’s poison! Pierce, burn it out,” I demanded, and he nodded. Eyes avoiding mine, he dropped to his knees to make his coat furl open. His hand went over the scratch, and he whispered the charm. Spell. Curse. I didn’t care. Ivy jerked, her nostrils widening as a glow enveloped his hand.

“He’s burning it out,” I said, gripping her shoulders and forcing her to be still. “Try to relax.”

“It hurts,” she grunted. Her breath came with a gasp, and she held it for the count of three before it hissed out between her teeth. “Are you done yet?” she almost snarled.

Damn it, this isn’t her battle, it’s mine.

“You could have left,” Pierce muttered as if having heard my thoughts. But if I’d left, they would have attacked anyway.

“A controlled burn?” Ceri said, voice high and interested. “You can do that?”

Pierce looked up, standing to tug his coat straight and touch his hat. “Mistress elf,” he said formally, but I noticed he didn’t offer his hand.

Her eyes darted behind him to the re-forming ranks of fairies. “You must be Pierce.”

“I am.”

My gaze jerked down when Ivy moved. “Are you okay?” I asked as she pulled herself up, sitting against the shed. Sweat ran down her brow in a rivulet to vanish under her clothes.

“That hurt,” she said simply.

“You’d likely be dead if you were a witch,” Pierce said grimly. “I opine being a vampire accounts for one good thing.”

Ivy’s eyes widened as she looked past me, and I stood and turned in one smooth motion. “Oh, crap,” I said aloud as I saw the flash of flame. “Jenks!” I shouted. “They’ve got fire!”

The hose was less than twenty feet away, but it might as well have been across the street, trapped in this bubble like we were. Jenks rose in a burst of motion above his younger kids gathered at the teapot. He whistled, and pixies came from everywhere, standing for a final assault on their stump. After that, it would be the church. They wanted me dead, and if I continued to hide in a bubble, they’d burn everything and everyone I loved.

Ceri’s eyes were positively scary with determination. Ivy slowly got to her feet, and I supported her until she found her balance. “They’re swarming,” Pierce said. “I’ve heard of this. They’re like locusts. This isn’t merely an assassination attempt, it’s an invasion.”