I knew it! I thought, trying to open my eyes. Boy, I was going to let Ivy have it when she got home. But she wasn’t, and I was tired, so I did nothing. I’d had it with people getting me drunk. I swear, I wasn’t going to eat anything I didn’t make myself ever again.

The sound of David’s chuckle seemed to set my skin to tingle where the coverlet didn’t come between him and me. “I got it now,” he said. “The Brimstone upped her metabolism to where the bane is going to do some real good. She’s going to sleep for three days. I gave her enough to knock a Were out for a full moon.”

A jerk of alarm went through me. My eyes flashed open. “No!” I said, trying to sit up as Ceri pushed me into the pillows. “I have to go to that party. If I don’t, Quen will tell!”

David helped her, and together they kept my head on the pillow and my feet under the afghan. “Take it easy, Rachel,” he soothed, and I hated that he was stronger than I. “Don’t fight it, or it’s going to come back up on you. Be a good little witch and let it work itself out.”

“If I don’t go, he’ll tell!” I said, hearing my blood race through my ears. “The only thing I have on Trent is that I know what he is, and if I tell, Quen will freaking kill me!”

“What!” Jenks shrieked, his wings clattering as he rose.

Too late, I realized what I had said. Shit.

I stared at Jenks, feeling my face go white. The room went deathly still. Ceri’s eyes were round with question, and David stared in disbelief. I couldn’t take it back.

“You know!” Jenks shouted. “You know what he is, and you didn’t tell me? You witch! You knew? You knew! Rachel! You…you…”

Disapproval was thick in David’s eyes, and Ceri looked frightened. Pixy children peeked around the doorframe. “You knew!” Jenks yelled, pixy dust sifting from him in a golden sunbeam. His kids scattered in a frightened tinkling sound.

I lurched upright. “Jenks—” I said, hunching into myself as my stomach clenched.

“Shut up!” he shouted. “Just shut the hell up! We’re supposed to be partners!”

“Jenks…” I reached out. I wasn’t sleepy anymore, and my gut twisted.

“No!” he said, a burst of pixy dust lighting my dim room. “You don’t trust me? Fine. I’m outta here. I gotta make a call. David, can I and my family bum a ride from you?”

“Jenks!” I tossed the covers from me. “I’m sorry! I couldn’t tell you.” Oh God, I should have trusted Jenks.

“Shut the hell up!” he exclaimed, then flew out, pixy dust flaming red in his path.