“Good. I’ll make my move tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Nina.” Reese shoved the last two bottles of water into his bag. “I’d help if I could, but I have to get Grayson out of town. She’s defenseless until she transitions.”

“If I transition…,” Grayson mumbled, obviously frustrated by her own vulnerability.

“No, I get it,” I assured them both, the gears in my head grinding around the beginnings of a risky new jailbreak possibility. “I don’t want Gray hurt either, and part of my plan depends on you guys getting out of here—with as much noise and demon bloodshed as possible.”

“You’re going to use us as a distraction?” Devi sounded impressed, and a tiny flame of pride flickered inside me.

“Yeah. I’m counting on your escape to occupy most of the cops in town—and hopefully all the fake exorcists—while I break Mellie out of jail.”

“I’m going with you,” Finn said, and I smiled, trying not to let him see how relieved I was by the offer.

“Not in Maddy’s body, you’re not,” Devi insisted, and I spoke up before he could argue.

“She’s right. And anyway, I need you in your natural state.” Finn’s brows rose, and my cheeks burned. “I mean, you’ll be more help to me if you’re not restricted to one body.”

“Fair enough.” His green-eyed gaze held mine. “So, how do we get out with your sister if we’ve already spent our distraction getting to her in the first place?”

“I’m kind of hoping you’ll be able to open the right doors and push the right buttons when the time comes. I mean, the ordained can’t all be possessed, right?” But no one seemed to have an answer to that.

“So, when do we go?” Reese was already peeking through the curtains, edgy and on alert.

“We wait until the search dies down and we can get closer to the wall before we’re spotted, or until the search comes to our door and we have to run,” Devi said, headed for one of the bedrooms. “Until then, we rest up for the big moment.”

But I was too scared and exhilarated to sleep. While they settled into the bedrooms to nap in pairs, I sank onto the couch alone, staring at the silent headlines scrolling on the TV. I watched misleading footage and read blatant lies.

And I directed all my fear and fury into outlining a plan that would hopefully put us all well beyond the Church’s reach….

***

“I think you’ve seen enough of that.” Reese dropped onto the couch next to me and plucked the remote from my grip. He turned off the TV and set the controller on the coffee table.

“More than enough,” I agreed, studying Finn’s latest face. “What about Grayson?”

“Reese convinced her to rest up before tonight and gave me an hour in the driver’s seat.” Finn stretched his arms, one of them behind me, as if he were checking the fit of a new shirt.

Maddock and Devi had retreated into the other bedroom, and I was on watch. “Well, I won’t turn down the company,” I said as Finn leaned down for a kiss. “Mmm…,” I murmured when I finally pulled away for a breath. “You taste minty.”