Al, too, knew what I was up to. I don’t know why I made them give me my scrying mirror so I could tell him I was okay, except that he had seemed worried, and that was a new emotion from him—at least where my welfare was concerned. I had sneezed for five solid minutes after I told him I wasn’t waiting until dark to confront Ku’Sox and hung up on him, but that had been an hour ago, and he’d given up.

My scrying mirror was now in Vivian’s care, but my magnetic chalk was tucked in my jeans pocket along with a couple of zip strips. I also had one of the coven’s splat guns, its hopper full of charms I doubted would work at the beach we were headed to, but maybe Ku’Sox ducking them might buy me some time. Other than that, I didn’t have much, having turned down the bits and bobs that Oliver grudgingly laid out for me. I didn’t need his magic. Didn’t trust it. Ku’Sox could take everything Oliver had and bathe in it. My intent wasn’t to kill Ku’Sox. My intent was to hold on to him long enough to shift the curse. And survive. I wanted to survive, too.

My jaw ached, and I forced my teeth to unclench as I headed for the bright doors. Behind me, Vivian and Oliver trailed, creating a wake of whispers of their own. Why they were coming was obvious, but they were going to be little help other than as cannon fodder. I didn’t care about Oliver, but I didn’t want to be responsible for Vivian.

Pierce hustled to open the door ahead of me, but I stiff-armed the panel next to it. The door flung open, and a blast of sunshine hit me. It was like a smack, and I stood there, blinded, almost crying. The sun. I could hear sirens in the distance, and helicopters thumping, but I turned to the sky and smiled, blinding myself. Why had I ever wanted sunglasses to block this out? It had been only three days. Only a few hours if you considered that most of that time I’d been unconscious. But the warmth soaked into me as if I’d been in prison for years.

My gaze came down, and I knew I was still carrying my smile when Pierce stared at me, standing beside a black van with an I.S. logo on it, its side door open and waiting. Vivian and Oliver were already inside, arguing over who got the two forward-facing seats. Another black car with lights on it waited ahead, a third vehicle behind. The street was pretty much empty apart from the chunks of stray concrete and bits of paper. We were to have an escort to the drop zone. I looked up again, seeing three gulls gliding to the bay.

“Rachel?”

I pulled my eyes from the sky when a dark building hid the birds. Heart heavy, I trudged to the van, not a charm or spell in my possession. Not looking at anyone, I stepped in. Vivian and Oliver had taken the seats facing backward, so I took the one across from Vivian. It was next to a wide, square window, and I sat pressed up against the cold wall of the van, again searching the sky for the birds.