“I’m fine. I’m at Trent’s,” I said, choking up. “I thought Cormel had you. They called on your phone.”

“I lost it at the square. David got us away. Why did you go to the tower? Rachel, you could have been killed.”

Tears warmed my eyes, and I wiped them away before they could fall. She was okay. I wouldn’t have to live with the guilt of her languishing in a cell because of me. “I thought they had you ... ,” I said, sounding weepy. “Jenks couldn’t find you. We thought—” My words choked off, and I just smiled. Her phone. All they had had was her phone. Jenks’s wing clatter sounded like static over the line as he hovered by the receiver, and all I could do was grip the phone and smile.

“So you were going to rescue us? Of all the unplanned, thoughtless—” Ivy started, but I could hear the relief in her voice, and I picked up a vase of flowers, setting it upright.

“Yeah, I love you, too.” They were okay. All of them. Slowly my shoulders relaxed.

“Rache, we were coming for you,” Jenks said, guilt thick in his voice.

“You did good,” I said, reluctant to tell them why Al had gotten me out. “Ah, I’m going to stay here tonight if that’s okay.”

“Back off!” I heard Ivy admonish Jenks, and I knelt to pick up the scattered stack of children’s books. “At Trent’s?” she said, her irritation clearly not directed at me. “Good. Don’t come back into Cincy or the Hollows yet. It’s crazy here, and you can’t do anything. Now that I know you’re okay, I’m going to head back to my folks’ with Nina.”

My motion to collect the crayons hesitated. “Maybe I should come in.”

“Tink’s little candy ass, Ivy, I told you not to tell her that!”

“I said back off! I can’t hear when your dust hits the receiver!” Ivy said off the phone, and then to me, “We’re fine. Nina crashed, but I think she’s going to be okay now. There’s no reason to come back until it’s safe.”

When was it ever safe? I sat down on the edge of the couch, guilt bringing my shoulders to my ears. “I’m so sorry, but you can’t let your mom find her soul. Every vampire who does is going to commit suncide in the morning.”

“She ...” Ivy hesitated, and I tensed.

“Ivy?” Crap on toast, how did Ivy’s mom find her soul that fast? It was just after sundown!