“I hope you won’t have to.”

Nellie knew he was just as tense and worried about Aylia as she was, probably more so, but appreciated the effort. But she couldn’t help muttering, “For somebody who’s not a cop I seem to end up in situations like this one way too much.”

He sent her another smile but didn’t reply.

Nellie rubbed her cold hands together, wishing she dared take her gloves out of her pocket and put them on. Not that they’d help get her warm, except by illusion. And she was very aware of her carefully woven shield, held in place because she really didn’t need the gloves anymore. Anyway, she was more worried about Finn’s now-lowered shield than her own, even though Hollis had told him she saw no sign today that anyone or anything was trying to break through his guards.

He didn’t seem at all concerned about that. Dammit.

They already knew that the Dryden household was an armed one, with two registered rifles and, Finn guessed, at least a shotgun. Maybe more.

What they really didn’t know was whether Daniel’s grandmother and mother were at home. Nellie could hardly believe they would be, that Daniel would be keeping Aylia Blackwood prisoner in the same house if they were, but the possibility was there.

She was very conscious of both the heavy, moisture-laden cold air and the almost oppressive sense of what she now recognized as diffuse energy all around them. It sort of made sense to Nellie that Hollis was right in believing they could use that energy to enhance their abilities, just as Daniel had probably used it. Maybe was still using it.

She started to say something to Finn about that, then caught a hint of motion from the corner of her eye and saw Tia settle onto a low branch of a nearby tree. It was the first time she’d seen the crow—any of the crows—today.

“Tia’s here,” she whispered to Finn.

“I know. A couple dozen of her friends and family are all around us.”

Nellie wasn’t surprised he’d seen or sensed the birds, only that she hadn’t.

“Your shield is the only one still up.” He glanced at her. “I know you’re still mad about Simon.”

“He was tortured,” she reminded him.

“Use your mad,” he told her. “On you, mad looks good. Use it to help you focus.”

She really wanted to ask him what he meant by saying mad looked good on her, but they caught up with the others just then and she made a mental note to ask him later. Maybe.

“What’s the plan?” Finn asked Bishop.

They had already made a somewhat loose plan on the way out here, details to be worked out once they were on scene and could get a better sense of the situation. Neither Finn nor any of his deputies had ever been inside the Dryden house, so the only description he could provide had been a very, very general layout of the type of small, older farmhouse that was fairly common throughout the valley.