I licked my lips, and they went cold in the bitter wind. Around us came the soft scrabblings as things crept closer, called by me ringing the city’s bells and lured by the promise of darkness. A soft plink of stone brought me spinning around. Something was in here with us.

Lee smiled, and I wiped my hands off on my borrowed dress suit and stood straighter He was right to feel confident—I was an earth witch without her charms up against a ley line master—but he didn’t know everything. Al didn’t know everything. Hell, I didn’t know everything, but I knew something they didn’t. And when that ugly red sun set behind the broken buildings, it wasn’t going to be me who was Al’s familiar.

I wanted to survive. Right now it didn’t matter if giving Lee to Al in my stead was right or not. Later, when I was curled up with a cup of cocoa and shaking with the memory of this, would be soon enough to decide. But to win, I’d first have to lose. This was really going to hurt.

“Lee,” I said, trying one last time. “Take us out of here!” God, please let me be right!

“You’re such a girl,” he said, tugging his dirt-stained suit straight. “Always whining and expecting to be rescued.”

“Lee! Wait!” I shouted as he took three steps and threw a ball of purple haze.

I dove to the side. It skimmed past at chest height to hit the remnants of the fountain. With a rumble, a section of it cracked and broke away. Dust rose, red in the darkening air.

When I turned, Lee had my business card in his grip—the one I had given the bouncer at his boat. Shit. He had a focusing object. “Don’t,” I said. “You won’t like how it ends.”

Lee shook his head, his lips moving as he whispered. “Doleo,” he said clearly, the invocation word vibrating the air, and with my card in his grip, he gestured.

Jerking straight, I caught my harsh gurgle before it came from me. Gut-twisting pain doubled me over. Breathing through it, I staggered to my feet. I couldn’t think to come back with anything. I staggered forward to try to free myself from pain. If I could hit him, it might stop. If I could get my card, he couldn’t target me but would have to throw his spells.

I crashed into Lee. We went down, stones jabbing me. Lee kicked out, and I rolled as Al applauded, white-gloved hands a soft patting. Pain clouded me; thinking was impossible. Illusion, I told myself. It was a ley line charm. Only earth magic could inflict real pain. It was an illusion. Panting, I forced the charm from me with pure will. I wouldn’t feel it.

My bruised shoulder throbbed, hurting worse than it actually did. I fastened on the real pain, willing the phantom agony away. Hunched, I saw Lee from around my hair, now completely fallen out of that stupid bun. “Inflex,” Lee said, grinning as his moving fingers finished his spell, and I cringed, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did.