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I settled the watch into Bobby’s pal burned hihtly and closed his eyes Instantly his hand lifted and he pointed, one finger rising froesture Only round I grunted as I let hiently Eli rushed up, a vaun in the other, his eyes covering the street and houses and even up in the air As if ave me pause

I checked for a pulse and an airway Bobby was breathing and his heart was steady and strong I peeled back his fingers to reveal the pocket witch--and the blistered flesh beneath I swore softly, and Bobby coughed out a laugh "You gonna get in trouble, Jane"

Relief swept through me "Yeah Mouth washed out with slimy soap Then put on toilet detail for a"O My hand" He looked at it and his eyes ide "I’m hurt, Jane"

Eli knelt, opened a sel on the blisters He popped a second packet and placed it over the gel, and closed Bobby’s hand gently around it "Those are second-degree burns We need to get him to a hospital, but this is a coolant It’ll take out the sting for now"

I couldn’t see the writing on the packet, but I figured it was soh-tech military dealio I had more immediate worries As I helped him to sit up, I asked, "Bobby, has this ever happened before? Passing out? Getting burned?"

He strained up and balanced on his unhurt arm "No But it doesn’t matter Give me another watch"

"No way, Bobby boy I’ain"

"Misha needs et well later"

"When you two finish arguing," Eli said, "I texted Soul She said to put Bobby in a circle with the amulets and see what happens It won’t hurt him that way"

"Hoe make a circle?"

"Do I look like a witch? Security expert here You’re thepart of the triumvirate"

"Bobby?" I asked "Have you ever been put in a circle? Do you kno?"

"Misha just draws a ring in the dirt"

"How about drawing one with a piece of chalk on the sidewalk?" Eli asked

"Nope," Bobby said "Those TV shows and books are wrong It has to be a complete circle Breaks in the circle let the power out or in, and the rough sand on the surface make it not coh, if there are no cracks in it"

Which aya circle into the soil with his co and scooped the loosened soil out of the narrow trench We quickly had a circle around Bobby, with a sround, his face pale in the ht, his freckles like dappled shadows

"I’ll take the amulets now," Bobby said "And will you open them so I can see the faces? Please," he added, politely, the years of children’s ho

Curious, I put the three pocket watches in the circle with him, opened the amulets, and turned the faces so they were easy to read

"Thank you May I please borrow an ash stake, Jane?"

I handed hi vamps while you’reYou can’t stake varinned and folded his legs, guru fashion, and put his injured hand in his lap "If I have to et burned And I’ht help"

I felt like an idiot Dowsers so for "Oh Yeah Right"

With his right hand, Bobby took up an ash stake and positioned the watches in a line in front of his knees, each about an inch apart He looked up at theclouds "Okay Close the circle, Jane"

"Then what? Without a witch to power the closing, nothing will happen," I said, knowing I was procrastinating, worried that Bobby would be hurt worse

"I think I can do it I’ve watched Misha do it" He nodded once emphatically "I can do it I know I can"

I pulled a va, I can cut the circle with iron and silver and pull you out"

"It et well later,’" I said Bobby gave me a thuain, like he had done earlier One minute went by Then two With Beast vision, I saw the circle in the torn soil begin to glow softly Unbelievable Bobby had activated the circle He wasn’t a witch, but the little guy had ht