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The walk hoot back, the cold hollow inside ot inside, I settled Davina on the couch, grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket, and flipped it open

"What are you doing?" Davina asked

"I’o to the hospital and I need to report that asshole and have him put in jail"

I flipped it open, but it was still dead Daed it in "I always forget to charge this stupid thing" I glanced around "And my other phone’s a dead bat"

"Calm down, Olivia We need to talk"

"With the police," I said "We need to talk with the police"

"One thing you need to learn," she said, her eyes suddenly hard and angry "Police don’t work for people like us The police belong to them We" - she motioned her hand between us - "need to take care of our own"

"He attacked us," I said "If he’s so ive e, and - "

Davina took in a breath, and her face looked strained as she closed her eyes and put her hand to her head

"I’m sorry," she said "I just need a et you some water and solass with ice water and grabbed a bottle of Advil When I got back to the living roooing to step out, let her rest while I fumed quietly to myself, but she opened her eyes and reached for the water

"Thank you," she said

"No probleave her the water and put the bottle of pills in her hand, then collapsed into the easy chair Davina sat up to drink the water and take the Advil, then fell back again and let out a long breath

"Oh, that’s much better," she said

"Okay, you ready to explain tohis ass thrown in jail?"

Davina looked at raced her lips "Because he didn’t break any laws"

"He attacked us We don’t have to tell theray smoke We’ll say he hit you in the head with a branch That’s the truth"

"It doesn’t matter" She smiled up at me "You handled him just fine"

"No, I didn’t, and I’m not fine," I said "I just don’t understand e can’t call the police"

"No," she said, her voice firm "I’m serious Police don’t work for people like us If we call the police, and they see - or so you knoe’re gone"

I felt a chill run down me at the word "Gone? What do you mean?"

She stared at me, her eyes hard, and then she said, "’Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’ Exodus 22:18 You think people don’t believe that?"

"Well, sure Crazy people"

Her eyes got beady with anger "They use religion, they use science, they use national security, whatever they need to use to justify it, but if you think there aren’t aeverynaive"

I took that in for a moment, then shook my head "No This is Nodaway, it’s not like that here Betty’s been here for, god, thirty years - "

"And she’s open with her ic?" Davina asked "Everyone knows about it?"

"Wellno I ument "Look, I know the sheriff His name is Mickey Taylor, and he’s really nice and he’s known me since I was a kid I went to school with his son He would never hurt me, or let anyone else hurt me"

Davina closed her eyes and shook her head as though laain, her expression was kind "That’s how it used to be That’s not how it is now You can’t trust anyone, and things are only going to get worse"

"Worse? Worse than being attacked by a homicidal maniac?"

She met my eyes and said simply, "Yes"

"I don’t understand how - "

"You think he’s bad now? Iic He could have this kind of power at his disposal, day and night Someone like thatwell, you just can’t stop someone like that Not the police, not anyone"

Exceptht about it for a ht now She was already very agitated, and I didn’t want to s worse I could tell her to idea, then?"

"We need to get you strong, and you need to fight Cain"

I shot up froht hiical equivalent of balloon animals, Davina"

Her voice was raspy as she spoke "Right now, yes But soon, you’re going to have all manner of power"

"How do you know that? Just because my father’s power evolved, or Holly’s did, doesn’t mean mine will What if this is it, this is all I do? I canto defeat a guy like Cain?"

"Well, you’re right," she said thoughtfully "If all you can do in the next few days is ure so else out"

"Like what?" But I’d barely gotten the words out before it hit , only I hadn’t seen it I pulled back froic?"

She stared atabout?"

"You But you wouldn’t have to force ly Godspeed and god bless, take it"

"Oh, really? And haveon potions to keepon?" She shook her head "No, thank you"

"Wellwhat if? What if you just took it and spit it out? Like with snake venom? You’re a conjurer, like hi flashed over her face and I grabbed her hands

"You can! You know sohed "I don’t Not really There’s a possibility that I could do soreat, let’s - "

She held up her hand "This stuff is very dangerous, baby Your icif someone takes it from you, you’ll be weakened You could die Holly died, and I will not see that happen to you, I will not!" She sighed, reached for my hand, and smiled "Don’t worry You can do this I will help you, I’ll - "

I hopped up off the couch "You don’t understand I can’t"

Davina sht You were very brave"

"We’re only alive because he didn’t want to kill us yet" I took a deep breath "I know myself, Davina I knohat I’ you, I’ical battles I wanted excite with so a kilt, notnot this"

"Life isn’t a drive-through," Davina said "Sos you didn’t order"

"Okay, I don’t need ato allay the panic, not getting very far "Look, ly I ht? And that didn’t hurtit If I can do that, I bet I can find a way to give it to you Maybe not all of it, but enough that I won’t be useful to him anymore"

"Calm down, Olivia" She patted the space next to her on the couch "We don’t have to figure it all out tonight There’s tiot some time"

I sat down next to her and stared into space, suddenly exhausted I let my head loll back on the couch, and didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until I felt a pat on my knee, and my head shot up

"What? Huh?"

"Ti softly "And tio to bed"

"Why don’t you stay here tonight?" I said, rubbing"I have an extra bedroom Actually, I have four"

"No, no, I feel et up, and I hopped up to help her stand, but shehoobbly she’d been on the way home

"Wow," I said "You heal fast"

"Yes" She s much better now"

"Are you sure you won’t stay?" I said, walking her toward the door "It’ll take uest roo to walk The fresh air will do lanced out the panel s by the door "What if he’s still out there?"

"Oh, I’ht," she said "I’ht I followed her to the door "Hey, where are you staying? I can call you too out to lunch"

"That’s a fine idea," she said "Just send the crane for me I liked that"

And with that, she headed out the door As soon as she was out of sight, I glanced up and downeerily in my head

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live

I shuddered, then shut the door and hit the dead bolt

I woke up early the next e paper crane flew aroundfor Davina When the sun finally rose, I caught hiers and whispered for hi Eye crane I let hio, and he floated down to Gibson’s box, covered Gibson protectively with one wing, andI thinkfell asleep

I headed out to CCB’s at seven, and found Betty behind the counter I sat down near the cash register, and she quickly finished pouring coffee for Ray Skipp, then zipped over to me

"Hey," she said, her voice low "How are you? I orried when you didn’t coht"

"I know, I’m sorry" II’d been juotdetained"

Her expression got serious "I don’t like the sound of that"

"You’re not going to like the reality of it, either," I said "So let me just say, we’re fine, Davina saved us"

"Saved you? From what?"

"Wellhe kind ofattacked us"

"Excuse me? What the hell happened?"

I told her the story, abbreviated but hitting all theri time with Davina anymore"

"It’s not her fault"

"It’s been nothing but trouble since she got here"

"Betty - "

"I don’t trust her"

"Stop it" I leaned forward, keeping ht out in the thick of it, all his dark ot herself killed trying to protect me"

"I don’t care if she sed dynamite and shot rabbits out of her ass, you are not to spend any more time with her I don’t trust her"

"Well, I do I even wanted to give her ic, and she - "

"You what?" Betty’s whisper was harsh "Are you crazy? What if your ic is exactly what she wants?"

"She wasn’t going to take it, take it Just spit it out, like a snakebite"

Betty made a face "Ew"

"It doesn’t erous" I puthead "Look, Betty, please It’s been a hell of a few days, and I need you to just trusth her shoulders didn’t seeht, I believe you"

"Okay" I craned et the kinks out "So, have you found out where Cain is staying yet?"