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The siren was on top of us Flashing lights splashed the landscape as a police car pulled onto the shoulder of Storrow Drive Cops had arrived to assist the crashed cars on Storrow Drive, but it wouldn’t be long before they came over to check out Back Street

"Where’s Myrddin?" I asked Juliet "Is he still here?"

"That felloith the jar? Is he the wizard? He’s gone Disappeared He moves fast for someone who’s not a vampire"

"He went into the demon plane" Mab’s voice issued from beneath the vampire who pinned her I couldn’t shoot this vaht on Storrow Drive, but I yanked him off her and tossed hi her forehead

She looked terrible Worse than before, like so centenarian Drooping eyelids and puffy bags turned her eyes into slits Age spots mottled her skin, and wrinkles creased every inch of her face Her head shook with palsied tre "Myrddin took the bloodstone with hiet it back"

"We will We knohere to find him" At the fifth and final point to complete the rune

"There’s little time" Mab’s voice was a ood idea to be found at avampire at my feet Let his friend take the blame It would send hues--and wouldn’t the Old Ones love that? But there was nothing I could do about that now I needed to get Mab hoot Mab’s arm around my shoulders and helped her to her feet She seeh she’d shrunken She leaned heavily onlot to Back Street I lifted her over the body of the huht he was a vampire," I said If I’d realized he was human, I wouldn’t have shot him in the head

The other human servant--as left of hiical attack had blasted his head froround and stuck to cars and trees

The sirens were getting closer

"Juliet," I said "Take Mab’s other arm"

"Ah, Queen Mab," Juliet said "‘Reach th to cli her arao"

"Take me to the taxi," Mab said "I need to look inside"

The sirens sounded like they were a block away

"Mab, there’s no tiue with me, child Do as I say"

Juliet and I carried her to the taxi between us

Mab pulled open the driver’s side door A body spilled out sideways and lay half in the cab and half on the ground I stared into the blank eyes of Mack, the taxi driver who’d wanted to bomb Deadtown out of existence His favorite talkshow ranter shouted fro the cab down the block froer been the

Reaper? When the taxi crashed, I’d assu He wasn’t drunk--he was under attack The Reaper had done his work and run off, allowing Myrddin to trap the deadlike a cold gust had blown in froht of human death didn’t usually bother vaht

A crescent-shaped slash grinned across Mack’s throat Symbols had been carved into his face and hands Blood soaked the front of his sweatshirt Mab lifted his shirt to reveal another symbol scored deep in his chest, over his heart: the eihwaz rune

My own chest burned

She nodded, as though she’d seen what she’d expected, and pulled Mack’s shirt back down She straightened--as ed state

I took her arm and turned to ask Juliet to take the other She wasn’t there

She wasn’t anywhere on Back Street

Juliet’s gasp That sudden cold A chill lingered in the air, along with the stale srave dust The Old Ones had snatched Juliet away, and I hadn’t even noticed