Part 19 (2/2)

”I'll allow that I'd not be wanting to make a fist with you,” Pierce said. ”Step from Ms. Morgan, or I'll be obliged to beat you soundly, sir.”

”Stop. Stop!” I shouted from the floor, waving my gun as I found it. ”Pierce, Lee's helping me. It's Brooke you need to worry about! Brooke, not Lee!”

Pierce hesitated, his fist glowing black. ”The mongrel dog summoned you,” he stated, blue eyes unsure.

”Brooke made him do it!” I said, and Pierce turned to Lee. Lee had his own dripping ball, and at his grin, the glow went out of Pierce's hand. ”You're of a mind to help Rachel?”

”Got you, you b.i.t.c.h,” Brooke whispered.

”Hey!” I jerked my foot as a sharp pain stabbed through my lower leg. Bis flew up in a flurry of wings. d.a.m.n it, she'd gotten me again!

Lee's face became grim. Making a decision, he flung the black goo he'd made for Pierce at Brooke. My focus blurred, but I heard her scream. It ceased with a frightening suddenness as a purple-tinged sheet covered her. She convulsed, then was still.

I didn't feel so good. Eyes crossing, I started to collapse. A warm hand caught me, and everything s.h.i.+fted as I slumped into Pierce. I couldn't open my eyes, but I knew it was him because I could smell coal dust and shoe polish. ”I thought you were a ruffian,” I heard him say, then I groaned as he stood and the world spun.

”I am,” Lee said, amused, ”but Rachel is the better bet this spin of the wheel. Do you have a car?”

”There are cars at the curb,” he said guardedly. ”Can you drive? Rachel is of a mind that I'm no good at it.”

”Like a pixy drunk on h-honey,” I stammered.

There was a whimper from the huddled pile by the cart, and Lee's eyes narrowed. ”Next time, ask for my help!” he said loudly. ”You won't get it, but at least you won't p.i.s.s me off!”

Oh good. Brooke was still alive. My fingers searched blindly, finding Pierce's neck. ” 'Bout time you got here,” I slurred, lost again in the haze of whatever drug I was on. My eyes opened, and I tried to slap his face, but it barely touched him, and I giggled. ”Gun. Where's my gun? We have to take Lee with us.”

”You have my apology, sir,” Pierce said, his voice stiff as he hoisted me higher.

”Gun,” I murmured. ”I want my gun, d.a.m.n it!” There was a soft breath of air, and it dropped in my lap. ”Thanks, Bis,” I slurred. ”Toot, toot! Train leaving!”

The arms around me stiffened. ”Rachel?”

”Brooke drugged her,” Lee said. ”I suggest the stairs.” There was a slight hesitation, and then we started to move. The smell of burnt carpet intruded, then vanished.

”That was a devilishly fine ward,” Pierce said, and I looked up at the ceiling as the lights pa.s.sed over me, seeing Bis in flashes as he crawled along the ceiling as fast as we could walk. Smiling, I patted Pierce's stub-bled cheek, amazed by how I couldn't feel his face no matter how hard I smacked it.

”I like your hat, Pierce,” I said, trying to focus.

The sound of people in the hallway started to become obvious the higher we went. The fire alarm was still hooting, and the building was clearing out. I giggled as I jostled in Pierce's arms. d.a.m.n it, there was nothing funny, but I couldn't stop.

Above me, Pierce looked worriedly at Lee. ”Are you sure she's all right?”

”She's absolutely fine,” Lee said, and I snorted as we followed the excited students up the last stairway.

I perked up when we spilled out the small side door and into the dark. Noise hit me, and flas.h.i.+ng lights. Three firefighters lumbered to us, faceless behind air packs and face s.h.i.+elds.

”Downstairs!” Lee shouted. ”They're four people downstairs, unconscious! Some witch knocked them all out! She's crazy!”

”Ambulance is over there,” one said, pointing, and he was gone, darting through the door as another student came out. Four more guys in orange lumbered past, their breath hissing through air hoses and looking like monsters in the night. A crowd had gathered, and fending off their help, Pierce made for the lamplit street, still carrying me.

”There,” he said, looking at the unattended fire marshal's car, running at the curb.

”You've got to be kidding,” Lee said, looking unsure.

Pierce fumbled for the back door, and I shrieked as we fell in, me somehow ending up on Pierce's lap. His hat fell, and I managed to pick it up off the floor, putting it on my head. ”You said you could drive. Let's pull foot!” Pierce said, fending me off as my mouth kept going, unable to stop singing, ”Lookie, I'm Pierce,” over and over again.

”Can we please go!” Pierce said, panic edging into his voice. ”Rachel is not well.”

”You got that right.” Lee looked at the distant lights flas.h.i.+ng blue and red in the dark, and the marshal standing with his back to us, trying to calm down some guy wearing tweed and having too many lattes in him.

”Steal the fire marshal's car,” he said, yanking up the handle and getting in behind the wheel. ”Why the h.e.l.l not? Can't you shut her up!”

”No,” Pierce said, voice mournful as we jerked into motion and I squealed in delight. ”More is the pity. Drive fast.”

Ivy!” Pierce shouted, and I made pftttt pftttt noises at the pixies as they darted in and out of my focus as I reclined in Pierce's arms. ”Some help! ” noises at the pixies as they darted in and out of my focus as I reclined in Pierce's arms. ”Some help! ”

”Pierce?” I heard faintly, and then the sudden scent of vampiric incense and coffee pulled through me like a ribbon. ”Oh my G.o.d, what happened?”

I couldn't keep my eyes open, and they shut when we rocked to a halt in the dim hallway. My last sight was Bis clinging to the ceiling, his eyes red and frightened. The noise grew fuzzy, but I felt myself moving until the wonderful mix of kitchen scents. .h.i.t me. Pierce's voice was soothing, rumbling into me. I caught the words ”Brooke” and ”university” and Ivy's hiss of anger-and then I drifted off...

”Rachel?”

It was worried and close, and my entire side tingled from the intoxicating scent of hyped-up vampire. Poor girl probably hadn't sated her hunger since last week. My head lolled as Pierce s.h.i.+fted, and the hum of the fridge fought with the sound of pixy wings. There were lots of them. But no Jenks.

”I'm fine,” I slurred, then giggled when my voice didn't finish the last part of it and all that came out was a messed-up, ”I'm-m-m f-f-f-f.”

”You're fed, all right,” Ivy said, and my eyes opened when her cool fingers touched me.

”The coven woman dosed her with something,” Pierce said, his hat gone and his hair disheveled. ”And then Lee knocked her out.”

”Lee?” Ivy yelled, and I remembered why my hip was sore. He'd dropped me, twice. And then hit me with a ley-line sleep charm!

”In the fireman's car!” I said, indignant, then hesitated, realizing I was still wearing Pierce's hat. ”Lee spelled me to shut me up. The b-b-b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”

Pierce winced. ”A body would think it was the only way to get here without, ah, wrapping our a.s.ses around a light pole,” he said, clearly repeating something Lee had said.

”Great.” Ivy's voice was dry. ”Remind me to drill him a new one next time I see him.”

”Ah,” Pierce said, and I sighed when he s.h.i.+fted my weight. ”He's, uh, ditching the car. We couldn't have escaped without him.”

”Escaped, h.e.l.l,” Ivy muttered. ”It was probably his idea to summon you, then cozy up to Rachel with some fake story.”

My breath was coming back to me, warm as it bounced off Pierce's s.h.i.+rt. Turning my head, I looked up at them. ”Lee's okay,” I said. He was terrified when he thought I was Al.

Ivy's worried face was framed against the blah white of the kitchen ceiling, bright with the fluorescent light. Frowning, I stared at the hanging rack behind her. Why is there a dent in my little spell pot? Why is there a dent in my little spell pot? ”I think I can sit,” I said, beginning to feel better. Or at least not so stoned. ”I think I can sit,” I said, beginning to feel better. Or at least not so stoned.

Immediately Ivy pulled out a chair. With a marked gentleness, Pierce eased me into it. Ivy was so concerned she looked like she wanted to strangle someone, and Pierce was sweet with his stubble and s.h.i.+rt untucked. My bruises throbbed, but with the help of the table and Pierce's support, I sat and blinked at the ceiling, waiting for everything to stop moving. I was home. Oh, c.r.a.p. I think I'm going to cry, Oh, c.r.a.p. I think I'm going to cry, I thought as my vision swam. I thought as my vision swam.

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