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Chapter Eighteen

I’d already used the glass-and-tile shower in the front bathrooet the last vestiges of the burnt-amber stink from my hair The hotel shaht it irkso the top floor But then again, they probably hadn’t expected Trent to blow into toith toler, and I was again s myself deeper into the bubbles Yes, I had already showered, but there was nothing like a long soak to prepare oneself for a lynching Especially when you could watch TV while doing it

Clicking from the Weather Channel to the news, I set the remote next to my plate of crackers A half-empty bottle of water stood beside it The scent of coffee slipped in under the door, tellingbeen a guest at Alcatraz and knohat true incarceration felt like Never again, I thought as I adjusted the torapped around o live with Al

But I didn’t want to

My gaze drifted to reen It wasn’t working well, and I couldn’t trust it I felt like Jenks at five thousand feet Ley-line ic, too, was messed up because of the ley lines, fractured and broken by the seismic activity This hy the coven had their convention here Unless you lived here, you were at a disadvantage and didn’t dare use your ic worked, though, I thought bittersweetly as I extended an arivenme back had rubbed out every ache

The TV detailed California’s latest wildfire, and I stretched out all of my five foot four in the water with roo, broken ley linesWhy did anyone live here?

I breathed deeply, ivenfroer on the back of the door, and I was hoping that the ht help Apart from the purple scarf, it was all-white leather fro a luster that would show offit on that it would fit I didn’t want to kno Al knew my size Apart from the color, I’d look like Cat-woman Me-ow

My first reaction when I had shaken it fro?" No one wears white leather, especially not head to toe But now, after I’d been looking at it for over an hour, I thought why the hell not? Skimpy as it was, leather did have a small resistance to thrown potions

There wasn’t a clock in here, but the ticker on the botto late, and I sat up The water fell fro bubbles, and I stood and reached for a fluffy towel It felt good not to hurt, and I driedover every inch ofand purple fro first Ku’Sox and then Al Demon curses Better than Band-Aids, and they didn’t wash off in the tub, either

The TV switched to an on-the-scene reporter, yelling as she tried to be heard over the fire trucks It was a small warehouse fire on the docks of Seattle Jenks? I wondered God, I missed him, and I hoped he was okay They were supposed to be back by ht, but I doubted they’d make it So much for Trent’s promises I was sure he’d have a pixy dust of an excuse

Wrapped in a white robe embroidered with the hotel’s initials, I undid ain I could see the TV in theon and on about numerousstuck in the needle, to a catfight at the international cat show Seattle was hosting, to hundreds of fender benders that seemed to happen si everyone to be patient Apparently the 911 system had been scheduled for maintenance, and the load of calls had crashed the backup

Jenks, you little devil, I thought with a sood, but he couldn’t be in more than one place at a time This had all the earhband? I didn’t want to believe that Trent had released a dangerous, day-walking dein’ distraction-even if it was to control the direction of the next elf generation And since elves had their fingers in everything, everyone was going to feel it Da

The knock at the bathroom door made me jump, and I set the coh the thick door, saying, "Rachel? Can we talk?"

What did she want? "Give et dressed?"

"Sure" There was a moment, then from deeper in the roo to eat?"

I reached for my underwear, then hesitated "You mean like room service?" God, I felt like a prisoner, and in a sudden decision, I took Al’s outfit off the hanger instead Might as well make sure the dress fit

"No," she said, voice softer "I wouldn’t eat anything they bring up now that they knoe’re here If you don’t want cold cuts or fruit, I’ve got Milk Duds"

Ivy is the one buying the Milk Duds? "Uh, no thanks" I zipped up the side zipper onpinched or bunched when I bent to put on o-to-trial outfit?" White Was he serious?

"Sure"

She sounded depressed, even through the door, and I became worried as I adjusted the sleeveless top over my bare skin It laced up the back and had a neckline that would show off what little I had toasn’t there

"I, uh, had three gallons of syrup sent out to the Petrified Forest," she said, standing by the door by the sound of it

"You’re kidding! How?"

She was silent, and I i "Internet," she said shortly "Jenks’s freedom cost us 275, but most of that was to pay for someone to deliver it"

I couldn’t help otten my proe it online

"Have you given any thought to tomorrow?" Ivy asked, her voice hesitant

I posed in the mirror, stuck out my chest, then slumped and reached for the boots They hite, too "All the tiht about toe of the tub, I slipped the low-heeled boots on They fit perfectly, and the zipper ell oiled My estiht of that kiss of his and squinted "Ivy, I’ht If I don’t make it, then I’m" I took a breath as I stood and looked at ood Like a leather teardrop "Then I’htly depressed

Fear flared up, and I squashed it I didn’t want to co of fear Ivy was good at resisting te fro the cap on my head, I looked atthe glow from the bath Maybe I shouldn’t call it fear Maybe it was dread My throat becaaze to the purple scarf Purple was how a demon showed pride or favor to its familiars, and it made me feel like it was the first day of school, when you know you’re too chicken to stand up for yourself and you don’t have any friends to rely on-all alone and youryou at the car you’d be okay

My hand ran across the scarf, feeling it cool and sertips I couldn’tabout it," Ivy said frooing to shut down the fir open the door, I found Ivy sitting beside thein the bright light, her back curved and her shoulders slumped She looked tired "Why?" I asked as I crossed the roo to leave him alone in the church?"

Ivy’s head ca faintly Her gaze traveled overin the leather dress "I like that," she said "You look good in white And before you get uptight, Jenks will be fine He’s thinking about going to work for Trent if things go wrong tonight"

I looked at her, shocked Work for Trent? "He told you this?"

Shrugging, Ivy pushed back into the chair, everyof an inner pain "We’ve talked," she said, her voice low "One of the reasons he was so hot to go with Trent today is because he’s trying it on" Her eyes flicked to arden any this "Trent? Are you kidding me?"

Ivy looked out onto the bay "I know you’re focused on tonight, but in case there isn’t any tioI wanted to let you know that I enjoyed being with you"

Oh itated, I ca what to do withdown on the edge of the nearest chair and taking my hat off "I can come back for visits and stuff"

Her jaas clenched "I know"