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Chapter Twenty-Eight

The vivid ray s dust froht was alh the hotel lobby, the ae building to make a difference Everywhere aroundblankly as they huddled under yellow blankets pulled froroups in the middle of the floor It was quiet There were no , shocked into a blank state, their minds as dull as the carpet, coated with the remnants of destruction It stank of cracked rock and terror that had lost its ability to lass doors, a head lifted, awareness seeping in to show their individual fears and thoughts, like ht and shiny trail of where I’d been My jaw set anda little harder Denized, and I squared my shoulders So I was a de to save their asses

"Don’t pay them any mind," Pierce said as he paced beside me, his dusty coat al as it rose until it regained its original brown at his shoulders "They’re scared"

"So ary that Ku’Sox had been holding Ivy and Jenks for three days, hurting them to ensure I’d co been in jail when Ku’Sox destroyed a huge chunk of San Francisco She was still there, thank God, but at least now she kneas back in reality For a while

Al, too, knehat I was up to I don’t knohy Imirror so I could tell him I was okay, except that he had seemed worried, and that was a new emotion from him-at least where my welfare was concerned I had sneezed for five soliduntil dark to confront Ku’Sox and hung up on hiiven up

My scrying netic chalk was tucked inwith a couple of zip strips I also had one of the coven’s splat guns, its hopper full of charms I doubted would work at the beach ere headed to, but ht buyturned down the bits and bobs that Oliver grudgingly laid out for ic Didn’t trust it Ku’Sox could take everything Oliver had and bathe in it My intent wasn’t to kill Ku’Sox My intent was to hold on to hih to shift the curse And survive I wanted to survive, too

My jaw ached, and I forced ht doors Behinda wake of whispers of their own Why they were co to be little help other than as cannon fodder I didn’t care about Oliver, but I didn’t want to be responsible for Vivian

Pierce hustled to open the door ahead ofopen, and a blast of sunshine hit me It was like a s The sun I could hear sirens in the distance, and helicopters thu lasses to block this out? It had been only three days Only a few hours if you considered that most of that time I’d been unconscious But the warmth soaked into me as if I’d been in prison for years

My gaze cabeside a black van with an IS logo on it, its side door open and waiting Vivian and Oliver were already inside, arguing over who got the two forward-facing seats Another black car with lights on it waited ahead, a third vehicle behind The street was pretty much empty apart from the chunks of stray concrete and bits of paper We were to have an escort to the drop zone I looked up again, seeing three gulls gliding to the bay

"Rachel?"

I pulledhid the birds Heart heavy, I trudged to the van, not a char at anyone, I stepped in Vivian and Oliver had taken the seats facing backward, so I took the one across from Vivian It was next to a wide, square , and I sat pressed up against the cold wall of the van, again searching the sky for the birds

The thuh rew thick as Pierce sat close, leaving a wide gap between him and the door "Let’s h the big front atched as the lights began to flash on the lead car, and we pulled out, quiet and peaceful-like a death ulls had reappeared fro, and I propped theopen to watch them Oliver complained; no one listened The birds were beautiful, their stark white and black cutting across the blue as they screa the silent, broken buildings It was quiet, the hush spoiled as the van’s tires popped and crunched over the scattered debris

Pierce touched et my attention, but I didn’t look away froe I had nothing to fight him with except a curse I didn’t kno to twist Vivian and Oliver weren’t going to be a help Pierceto count on it

The birds vanished behind another building, and I turned to Pierce when he squeezed my hand He seemed different, older, tired, dirty His hand atop ernails split and knuckles gashed His hair was gray from the dust His youthful, never-say die deterripped er flashed, but his grip tightened on me when I tried to pull away "My friends are bait in a trap for me, I’ve been unconscious for three days in Al’s kitchen, the city that cursedfor my help, and you want to know if I’, and I shook my head

"He" I hesitated "He kept me safe after I proved to the collective that I was a deasped and Oliver harru I didn’t like the fact that the driver was hearing this, too, but there it was

Pierce thought about that, his brorinkling even more until he smoothed it when he turned to face ain, and I didn’t say anything No, I wasn’t okay Fine maybe Yeah, I was fine Fucked in Extreme, as Ivy would say

The car swerved to avoid another stalled vehicle, and I reached to steadymy hand in the process The blue Land Rover had been abandoned when a two-ton chunk of so room had fallen on the hood Bet that had been a nasty surprise

We were heading down to the bay, and I caught a glis filled and ehts They’d called for th to slide Ku’Sox’s curse off on toas I figured it out Could I be any otten the collective! That’s why the curse hadn’t stuck! The Latin was right; the implementation was flawed I’d tried to shift the curse alone, and so needed a collective to make it adhere! I needed a witches’ collective I needed the strength only a group of witches could give htened Yeah Like they would help me now? But it orth a shot

"Rachel?"

I started, al beside s of hope, I found a s to wipe it away I hadn’t touched anyone in three days, and at the feel of his war up of tears threatened I didn’t love his had been different

"It will be okay," Pierce said softly, his hand corip onout for his support when I knew he loved me and I didn’t love hio

"Tomorrow the sun will rise He’s just a des worse

A delanced out theat the sun Empty streets The boats at the docks with their SEE THE WHALES signs flashed past "Do I stink?" I whispered, and his grip on ured ason, I orried about how I smelled? But it mattered

"I pay it no mind You’ve been in the ever-after I hardly notice it any so nice toa breath, I softly said, "Thank you for helpingVivian and Oliver "All of you"

Oliver snorted "If we could do anything, ouldn’t have summoned you," he said "I’m here only to make sure you don’t run away"