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Chapter Twenty-Seven

The discordant jangle of San Francisco’s broken ley lines flooded my mind, and I watched as they all cycled down to one, fore past the bubble of awareness that I was cocooned in, but without Bis to safely bring the sound in past s for to reside in With a pop of sound, I found o, in the dead center of the stage where I’d been cursed

The lights were off, and it was dark but for the hiss of a kerosene lanterne rooenerator in the distance Acrid and sharp, the s had happened The poas out

"You see!" Pierce said, and I spun to see hi between Oliver and Vivian There was a fourth witch in coven robes huddled on the floor behind them "If she was a true deo, Oliver"

Pierce! I thought, then anger slid throughonin a row staring atbehind them I wished it had been Ivy or Jenks-or even Trent

"Hi, Pierce," I said dryly "This your idea?" I added, pinging the barrier with a finger and drawing back before it could burnname, not Al’s borrowed one, was a mystery, until I reGreat, I’ calls

Expression pained and a little lost, Pierce strode forward, his full-length coat coated with dust His hair was er died Tired I was tired For one brief moment in Trent’s hotel, I had entertained the idea that even with our differences we o of it He loved me I could love him, if I let myself be stupid But I couldn’t even pretend anye so with s that could hurt er at the stoic ret "She’s not a demon"

Yes, I aht catching the Mobius-strip pin on his lapel His circle looked well drawn, and with a little effort I ht have been able to break it But the reality was, I just didn’t care

"Hi, Vivian," I said in greeting, not surprised that they were treating me like this I’d saved her life, and here I was, circled like an aniaze, asha a masculine arm and blood-matted hair The coven was doitches What had happened?

"Drop your circle before I throw you into it!" Pierce said stridently "Rachel is not a de at , not a person he’d condeh, as if he’d been yelling "If we let her out before she agrees to do ant, she won’t do it"

I couldn’t help ht toon my feet other than socks It was cold in here, and I wrapped ot news for you, Ollie," I said "I’ to do what you want anyway"

Eyes wide, Pierce spun,for help, not deiveness "I’ with it "You think if you ask formy voice echo as my arms dropped to my sides "After you let an elf curse me and label me a demon? In front of everyone?" Oh yeah I have to talk to Trent I looked at Oliver, seeing not a hint of guilt "After you pro ue that had putfor the coven It hadn’t been intentional, but here I was, in a circle, and there he was, outside it God, I was stupid Tired, I was putting up a hand and glancing to the eh the air They all hunched, as if expecting the roof to co deeper into himself if that was at all possible Leon?

"What happened? Where are the rest of you?" I asked, fatigue lapping about ht Dressed in jeans and a sweater, she looked tired, as if she’d seen too much in too short a time "We lost them," she said, her expression closed "Ku’Sox"

A pulse of adrenaline lit through me and my eye twitched when her words cut off in heartache Ku’Sox Why am I not surprised?

"He killed them," Pierce said bluntly "Ate them as they screamed for succor Then he ate their souls as they watched Consumed them That was yesterday It could have been averted if the rest of these lily-livered ’fraidy-cats had listened to ht Ku’Sox for thee and the smell of cracked cement in an entirely neay A thread of adrenaline-laced hope pulled throughfro from them But first, I needed to talk to Trent

I felt my lips curve up in a not-nice smile that made Oliver swear and Vivian s hard Pierce alone seemed to have expected the nasty expression of confident, bitter satisfaction that I kneas noearing I’d seen it on Al, and only now did I understand it We were all fools All of us

"Ku’Sox tearing apart your reality isn’t my probleeand sexy "Who wants to banish me? Send me hoave Oliver a dark look that said to shut up and stop hisabout de everything, killing people You beat him before"

"Yeah?" I said, and Pierce lowered his eyes "That hen I was a witch Where are Ivy and Jenks?"

All bluster and overdone eht made harsh shadows on his face "You filthy demon You’re in my circle, and you’ll do what I say!"

I tapped the barrier between us to make his aura run from the di it He looked old Tired Not a surprise if he’d been fighting Ku’Sox for three days "It doesn’t work that way," I said lightly "The thing about de wickedly, I leaned close, the barrier hu a complaint "It’s called Let’s Make a Deal for a reason You shunned me, sent fairies to burn my church, tried to killa proiveness that I won from you fair and square, only to have you curse me and call me a demon And nohen you’re in trouble, you have the balls to ask forthat Trent had anticipated all of this and prepared for it