Still not undoing his coat, he led us across the lower floor. “You were a mite busy keeping Rachel’s body and soul together,” Pierce said, then pointed up to the overlooking second story. “The common entry to the auditorium is up there. There is an entrance on the ground floor, but it’s guarded. Coven members only.”

“Good, an escalator,” I said, stifling a shiver.

“Since when are you afraid of elevators?” Ivy said as she got on before me and Pierce got on behind me, his hand on the small of my back, steadying me. I’d take offense, but I was ready to bolt and my knees felt like rubber.

“I’m not,” I protested, pulse quickening. God, it’s about to happen. My entire life is going to change in the next hour. “I’m—”

“Thinking about the coven taking a last potshot at you. I know.” Ivy came back even with me as we passed a group of harmless-looking witches on their way down. I dropped my gaze so I didn’t have to make eye contact, adjusting my badge on my bag. If I held my arm just right, it would be obvious I had a badge without making it easy to read my name. I didn’t want to be recognized, but I think I was by the amount of whispering and pointing going on. Unless it was my dress.

Ivy was first off, and I found myself exhaling as I followed. Pierce bumped into me, and looping his arm in mine, he almost pulled me to the set of double doors across from the wide, low-ceilinged, lobbylike area. People were clustered here, too, and I felt myself pale as the conversations stilled and faces turned to us. I heard the click of a phone camera, and I shook myself.

“Chin high,” Pierce said softly, but I was nauseated. I’d been running from this for what seemed like a lifetime.

His fingers touched mine, and I felt a tingle. He was wire tight, but it was the faint pulse of cracked ever-after in him that caught my attention. “How are you tapping a line?” I said as we settled in at the back of a short line to get in. They were checking badges, and I was doubly glad Pierce had picked up mine.

Pierce curled his fingers to take a stronger grip on me, and my shoulders eased when I felt the warmth of a masculine-tasting energy fill me. “I borrowed an amulet from a security member,” he said, shooting me a sly glance, then looking dead ahead. “And his badge. Don’t worry. Wallace never reported it. He’s being entertained.”

From Pierce’s wry expression, I had a pretty good idea of how Wally was spending his evening. Oh, man. That is going to look great if they find out.

Beside us, Ivy chuckled, and I felt tons better as Pierce funneled energy into me, slippery or not. It would leave as soon as I let go of him, but in the interim it was nice. “You are a cad,” I whispered, leaning in to smell his redwood scent mixing with a woodsy cologne. When did he have time to shower?