Pierce watched me from under his wavy black bangs, trying to guess my mood as his shoes scuffed on a stray bit of salt. His eyes were fixed on mine, and I felt a ping of something, which I quickly squashed. I didn’t have time for a relationship, and not with a self-oriented, black-magic-using, intelligent … demon killer wannabe who thought I needed babysitting.

“Rachel,” Pierce said, shoes grinding on the salt as he came forward after a nod to Ivy and Jenks, and a flash of anger at Nick. His smoothly shaven face was creased with worry, and when he took my hands, I pulled away. Had they really made Al send him to watch me?

“Is she all together? Is she all right?” he asked Ivy, unsure at my reaction.

Ivy nodded, her eyes edging toward normal, standing with her arms across her middle as if holding back her instincts. “As much as she ever is,” she said sourly.

“I’m of the mind that she’s not.” Pierce tried again for my hands, keeping them this time. “I’ve a powerful notion to fix their flint. Did they … Rachel, your wrists,” he said, aghast as he turned them over. “They shackled you?” he asked, voice shaking in outrage.

I took a breath, but my harsh words hesitated. He’d crossed a continent to find me. Resolute, I shoved the feeling away. “Al sent you?” I asked, and he knelt to put us on eye level. “Pierce, tell me this is a joke and that Al is going to show up come sundown and drag you back.”

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.”