It was all I needed. Her eyes were off me, and I did the last thing anyone would expect.
I jumped at her.
CHAPTER
28
Constance shrieked in outrage as I body-slammed into her, my broken left wrist tucked as we both fell into the bench. Her hard angles cushioned me, and then the black pits of her eyes found mine, her mouth open wide in a snarling anger.
“Now!” Jenks shrilled, and I one-handedly popped the top from the potion vial.
“Try this on, blood bag,” I rasped, and poured it down her throat.
“No—g-g-g-g,” Constance gurgled, and then I lurched, catching myself against the bench when she suddenly wasn’t there. Her clothes collapsed in a hush, and there was a soft thump as a shoe fell over.
“My God, where is she?” Pike exclaimed, and I grimaced, counting on Jenks to keep him back as I frantically patted Constance’s clothes and jewelry for her small shape. My fingers tingled at the pulse of magic, and it was there that I found the small brown mouse she now was, nestled amid a mass of gold and gems. She was out cold from the pain of transforming, and I exhaled, shoulders slumping.
“She’s still here. She’s a mouse,” I said as I wearily sent my gaze over the gondola, finally spotting my bag shoved in a corner. All I had to do was get her in the cage before she came to.
First things first. My wrist throbbed as I uncoiled the glowing amulet from around her, staggered to the busted window, and dropped it over. Power flooded back and I leaned heavily against the cool metal, eyes closed as I felt it vibrate. I’m going to hurt so bad tomorrow.
But I turned, eyes flashing open at the sudden snick of a knife being pulled. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I said, hand outstretched at Pike as Jenks rose up, sword bared. “What the Turn do you think you’re doing?”
Pike’s eyes narrowed on the mouse curled up in the jewelry, his hatred making the very air sour. “I thought you were going to kill her, not turn her into a mouse.”
I shook my head. “I told you before—hey!” I shouted as he lunged at her, knife swinging. Balance shifting, I tucked my broken wrist close, grunting as I pivoted my foot up and slammed it into him.
Pike pinwheeled back, catching himself in an angry hunch.
“Knock it off, fang boy!” Jenks exclaimed, and Pike pulled himself upright, expression closed. He looked awful, his suit torn by Jenks’s slashes, his already scarred face mottled and blotchy from pixy dust.
“She can’t . . . That has to die twice,” he said, pointing, and I wondered at the hint of fear. It wasn’t for him. Joni? I mused, exchanging a knowing look with Jenks. “I thought you were going to kill her!” he repeated. “I never would’ve . . .” His expression hardened. “Kill her. Or I will.”
My bag with the cage was on the other side of the gondola, totally out of my easy reach. Hand pushing the air for patience, I sank down on the bench between her and Pike, tired. If he jumped me again, I’d down him with a word. Constance, too. “What good would that do?” I said softly, still shocked at how rough my voice was. My shoulders slumped and I cradled my broken wrist, trying not to move it. “If she’s dead, I’ll end up in jail. DC will send a new master vampire. . . .” I looked up, understanding blossoming. “You think that by killing her you can ingratiate yourself with the incoming master vampire?” I asked, knowing I was right by his sudden grimace. “Have a seat. We need to talk.”
But he didn’t, and I think it was only the memory of me downing him in the belfry that kept him unmoving, that knife in his hand as I sat and tried to keep from throwing up. I had survived—barely—and as I looked out over Cincinnati glinting in the new night, a feeling of helplessness crept into me. I was going to have to handle it all, but if the last ten minutes had taught me anything, it was that I couldn’t do it alone. I could not be who I was without help. It had taken everything I had to bring down Constance, and I had almost failed.
Yet, as I looked at Jenks and remembered Trent, and David, and Etude, and even Vivian, I decided that wasn’t a bad thing. Maybe I can work with this, I thought, eyeing Pike in interest.
“You thought I was going to do your dirty work for you, eh?” I said, finding a compliment in there somewhere, and Pike grimaced. “I said have a seat.” He didn’t, and I pulled on the ley line until my wrist was in agony and the tips of my hair began to float. “Sit! I have a better idea than trusting that some nameless master vampire will take you under his or her wing for freeing Cincinnati up for their rule.”
Pike glanced at Constance, then Jenks. The pixy’s wing pitch rose in threat and, flipping his suit coat out of the way, Pike gingerly sat down across from me.
I tried to straighten, but my ribs hurt too much. “I’ll keep you safe from your brothers,” I said, and Jenks’s dust brightened in surprise. “You know I can do it. I already have. I keep you safe, and you run the affairs of the vampires under me.”
“Under you,” Pike said flatly, staring. “Why would I risk that when DC will send someone to replace her?”
My eyes went to a soft clink of jewelry, but it was just Jenks poking about. “Oh, let’s not bring the DC undead into this, mmmm? No one needs to know she’s a mouse, right? Who’s to say where you’re getting your orders from? You run into anything you need help with, I’m there.” I hesitated. “Or do you like the people you care about being savaged by someone who doesn’t give a flying flip if they wake up dead in the morning?”
It was as if the world held its breath as we swayed. Cincinnati and the Hollows spread around us, the night sounds faint from our height. The city would be safe if the next five minutes fell my way, even if flashing lights were beginning to flood to the waterfront.
I have to nail this down and nail it down fast. My eyes went to my purse and the mouse cage.
“You can’t save us,” he whispered, a hard-suppressed heartache in his eyes.
“I saved Ivy.” I started to get up, wincing and easing back down when my ribs twinged. “I can save you. You save Joni. And anyone else you trust. The scion of Cincinnati’s subrosa will need some muscle.” I stifled a sigh at the rising sounds of sirens. “Jenks, do you think you can get the cage from my bag?” I asked, and the pixy nodded.
“I love it when a plan works,” he said, silver sparkles falling thick as he darted to the dusty corner and flipped my bag over to get to the opening.
“This was your plan?” Pike said incredulously, and I pulled my attention from Jenks, now bumping about in my purse. “You would be drained, dead, or bound to Constance by now if not for me.”
“I know that. Which is why we are going to have to work on our timing if we’re going to continue working together.” I shifted, ribs hurting. “Are you okay? Jenks got you good.”