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I heard Evan in the background, say, "Hey No fair"

"Jane is ain," Molly said, her words ruround To me she said, "The ass says he’s sorry" I didn’t believe that Big Evan had apologized, but I would accept it

"My sisters and I are elina’s to take a look at the deeline is teaching a cooking class at the Bilt Evan analyzed the photos you sent and he thinks that daylight is the best ti Can you be there?"

I thought about taking Derek and the boys to take Evie out, and about all the collateral daht with demon-backed witch spells I discarded the idea "I’ll be there at one forty-five," I said "And Molly? I used Evangelina’s hair and one of her scarves to get inside without the spell taking hed into the phone "I still can’t accept that she used blood enetic material then, well Oh hell" Her voice was clotted with tears "See you soon, Big-Cat"

Satisfied that I had done all I could, I set my phone to wake me by twelve thirty, pulled the covers from the foot of the neatlyunder the blazing sun at Evil Evie’s and sweated, s The early cold spell had melted away into Indian suh eighties and hu leathers I would have needed for a vaic probles wouldn’t be one of them

I hadn’t wanted anyone to be able to track me, so I left the cell and the SUV with their GPS locator devices at the hotel I had no idea how the sisters would banish the demon in the basement and free the weres and Lincoln, but it would involve lots ofleft of the old homeplace when they were done

I studied the odd lines inside the garden’s witch circle The blood-splattered rocks looked like broken alphabet letters, so runes I felt really stupid Lots of witches used runes; their ability to craft raer into so useful had some special reliance on runes So if I took a tree branch and batted away the rocks that ht--

Molly’s van pulled up beside ood thing for o bang I pulled off ’s kickstand Boots crunching on the gravel, I stood by Mol’s openHer face was grief stricken, her eyes on the witch circle with its coating of dried blood She took a breath, and her throat tissue quaked audibly as she sed, tears in her eyes I patted her shoulder through the , knowing the gesture was not nearly enough

"Bloodher head "Son of a witch on a stick" Visibly, she gathered herself and opened the van door Froer seat, she handed me a heavy wicker basket covered with a kitchen towel I held it while she climbed from the van, her face now set and resolute When the van door closed, she tilted her head, the motion reticent "Evan told me about Shiloh About how she was kidnapped in New Orleans I thinkI think I knew it, already I think Evangelina told us when she spelled us all"

I al upstairs, but soh bad news today "Where’s Evan?" I asked, instead

"The kids are napping He’s watching them I don’t need his required five witches They had only four But I didn’t argue This was her sister they were going up against, the leader of the Everhart coven They would handle it alone "Turn off your cell," she added "It " Which was news to me I’d have to be more careful

Two all-wheel Subarus pulled in beside the van, and the other sisters got out, Car a basket froreen one--Cia with a shty cloth tote over one shoulder Molly looked at me "Do you have the scarf and hairs?" I nodded "Cover your head and shoulders with the scarf and stick the hairs in a pocket Stay here"

Molly didn’t issue orders often, but when she did, I listened The sisters converged on the witch circle in the garden and I turned off my throay cell, pulled the trapped hairs from the scarf weave, and pocketed the stupid, I covered my head with the lavender scarf and watched as the sisters stepped clockwise or sunwise, each taking her place where a pentagram point would have touched the circle had one been intended for a group working Boadacia and Elizabeth sat with their backs to me Molly and Car at the house That spot faced the rear door, the location fro blood all over herself The place where she entered the circle and closed it before working with blood How the sisters knehere she had sat, I didn’t know, but they all stared at the spot she had been sitting I hadn’t told them It was sorta eerie, until I realized they could see where the dried blood was thickest Maybe the outline of Evangelina’s body