Instead of dealing with what had just happened, however, I did the cowardly thing and stepped on the gas. We drove back to the city in miserable silence, neither of us mentioning the kiss but both of us thinking about it. I dropped him off at the bookstore and offered a polite thank-you for his help. He returned it equally politely—giving me one last pensive look—and then walked off toward his car. I watched him go, memorizing every line of his body and how he moved. Every emotion possible warred within me, and I had no idea which deserved to win.

I was exhausted by the time I stepped into my apartment building. The day had been mentally and physically wearying, what with would-be rapists, larceny, and the kiss heard ‘round the world. Later, I’d find someone to identify the photograph for me. For now, I just wanted to sprawl on the couch and watch TV, preferably TV that had nothing to do with the magical or paranormal—or any romantic tension.

Unfortunately, the magical and paranormal was waiting for me.

What’s Nanette doing here?

That was my last coherent thought before I was thrown against the far side of my living room.

I hit hard, my head cracking against the wall. I fell to the ground, my legs just barely possessing the reflexes to keep me from falling as black spots sparkled across my vision. Nanette faced me, terrible and beautiful in all her golden glory. She hadn’t laid a hand on me, but she didn’t need to, not with the power she wielded.

“How dare you,” she hissed, eyes narrowed. “How dare you spread those kinds of rumors.”

“What are you—ah!”

I was shoved back to the wall again. The distance wasn’t nearly so far as before, but the force was so hard that the impact hurt just as much. More pain shot through my skull as I tried to make sense of all this.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I cried.

Nanette stalked toward me, putting her face inches from mine. “Of course you do. You told Cedric that I was the one who’d summoned Jerome, that I was the one causing chaos in his territory.”

“I didn’t,” I whimpered. “Not exactly. I just told him you’d met with Jerome.”

She snarled and grabbed me by the front of my shirt, jerking me forward. “That was nothing. Nothing! But now others are suspicious.”

“I just thought he should know and—”

“Do you know what you may have done?” she screamed. “I was a candidate for this city! You may have ruined everything.”