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So that had drawn the attention of the huy in the room, had made them very skittish

Take care, Ethan silently said, and alked through them, whispers in our wake We stepped outsideand into a thick swirl of white snow

The flakes were enorh that I couldn’t see the buildings across the street They muffled the sound of traffic, of pedestrians, of the typical buzz of the city

"It’s seventy degrees outside," Ethan said "This isn’t possible"

I’d paired a thin, three-quarter-sleeved black shirt with jeans and boots and was actually a little warm This probably wasn’t the first tiust And while we could see only a sliver of sky between tall skyscrapers, e could see was dark and clear WhichIt was spawning out of literal thin air soic," Ethan quietly said "Gabriel said there was soht"

"Yeah I did, too"

Magic buzzed around us, but without the cheic, but different ic I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than the other option

Our et a little , and I pulled it out, checked the screen as Ethan did the same There were alerts from Jeff and the House about the weather--and the wards that were screa across the city

Sorcha’s wards had been breached, which ed to control the weather

That was Official Big Bad territory

"Let’s get rimly said, and we headed to City Hall

• • •

The Loop’s sidewalks were busy with people who’d come out to wonder at the weather, catch snowflakes on their tongues, or take videos to share for the shock and awe of it

City Hall looked like a lot of governranite, syular s, and lots of ribbed coluold, and the lobby was s and elevators covered by randfather stood in the lobby, just past the security area, waiting for us My grandfather had exchanged his usual brown sport coat for a dark suit that was a little baggy in the ar I found both of those things al Catcher wore jeans and a black T-shirt without a smart-ass comment, which was practically business wear as far as he was concerned

"Good evening," Ethan said

My grandfather nodded, his expression somber

"She’s in the city?" Ethan asked

"There’s been no report of her yet," Catcher said

"If she isn’t here yet," lanced back at the snow falling outside "She’ll want to see this"

"What’s the protocol now that the wards have been triggered?" Ethan asked