Pierce smiled, gaze flicking to Ivy and Jenks. “Newt told the collective that Al nearly let you kill yourself, and that I kept you alive until she could save you.”

“Newt?” Jenks shrilled, coming close. “You didn’t say anything about Newt!”

“You?” I echoed, and Nick scowled. “You’re the one who got me in trouble!”

Pierce, though, was still grinning. “The way she remembers it, I saved you. She made an almighty wrath, convincing them that you’re too accident-prone to survive without supervision.”

“I could have told them that,” Jenks smart-mouthed, and Ivy waved at him to be quiet.

“Since Al can’t abide here come sunup,” Pierce continued, “it was either send me or give you to Newt.”

“I thought you said you were the only familiar cheap enough that Al could afford,” Jenks chimed in, and Pierce’s lips twitched in the beginnings of a frown. Ivy, too, didn’t look pleased.

“Nice,” I said, yanking my hands from his. “You get yourself out of the ever-after, but I’m the one who looks like an idiot. Thanks a hell of a lot.”

But instead of reacting in kind, Pierce’s entire demeanor shifted to one of concern. “You’re shivering,” he said, glancing at Nick as if it was his fault. “A body would suspect someone would have drawn you a warm bath by now.”

Suddenly I felt a hundred times filthier, but then my eyes widened at my sudden urge to sneeze. Shit, not again, I thought when it ripped through me to clear out my lungs and send a stab of pain through my knees. But it was different. There was no accompanying pull. It was just Al trying to contact me, and I looked at Pierce sourly. Al had sent Pierce to watch me, eh? Yeah. We’d just see about that.

“Tink’s a Disney whore!” Jenks swore, darting down to the center counter and the open bookshelf under it. “Ivy, quick! Get her calling mirror out. It’s Al.”

“Rachel, no!” Nick exclaimed, eyes wide as he realized what was going on.

Jenks flew up, his sword bared to make Jax dart back. “Shut the hell up!” he shouted in frustration. “Open your mouth again, and I’ll jam a spider’s nest in your ear so they can eat that crap you have for brains! You don’t know shit. You don’t know shit!”

“Al will kill you, Rachel!” Nick insisted as Ivy silently moved to get the mirror.

“It’s a little late to be afraid of Al, Nick,” I muttered when Ivy slid the smooth, plate-size scrying mirror onto my lap and backed up, wiping her fingers nervously on her pants. She didn’t like my magic—didn’t understand it—even as she respected it. My knees hurt under the mirror’s weight, even with the pain amulet. “What they didn’t say was that I am his student,” I said bitterly as I put my hand on the mirror in the cave of the pentagram. “I’m not saying I know what I’m doing, but I know who I can trust. And you’re not on the list, so shut up! I want to talk to Al. See what’s going on.” Get my summoning name back. I am not going to do this again.