What had Brian said? Ingredients you can’t fathom, so rare you don’t even know they exist. Had this box contained one of those ingredients? Provided to Brian by whoever was working with him on this “job”?
In the distance, a howl pierced the night. I jolted back to the present, remembering that even though we’d vanquished Brian and his final wolfy sergeants, the clock was still ticking. Sin’s deadline was almost here.
Tossing the paper, I staggered around the demolished shed to where Sin lay unconscious. I checked her for injuries—she seemed okay—then turned to the watching demon.
“Carry her to the car.”
Eterran’s eyes narrowed at my command.
“Do you want my help or not?” I threatened.
His mouth curved up; he found me amusing. He glided to Sin, scooped her easily off the ground, and walked out of the trees. I followed him, hands clenching at his leisurely pace. What time was it? How much longer did Sin have to be exorcised?
Ezra’s pole-arm was somewhere near the house, but I’d recover it later; we’d have to come back to clean up Brian’s mess anyway. Assuming Ezra/Eterran and I weren’t the only survivors of the shifter rampage at the Sinclair manor.
When we reached the car, I rushed ahead to open the back door so Eterran could lay Sin across the seat. Eyes on the demon, I retreated several steps. My hand slid to my hip and my fingers closed around cool metal.
Eterran backed out of the car, pivoted toward me—and froze at the paintball pistol aimed at his chest.
But I’d already pulled the trigger.
My final shot burst across his chest and bare upper arm in a spray of yellow potion. Furious red light flared through his eyes as his face went slack. He might be a scary demon, but Ezra’s body was—mostly—human, and a single shot was enough. He slumped against the car, then slid down the glossy black panel.
I waited, watching the top of his head, but he didn’t move. Exhaling shakily, I holstered my gun.
Then I looked from the unconscious demon mage to the car. Back to the demon mage. Back to the car.
Aw crap.
It took five minutes of heaving, straining, and pulling muscles to drag Ezra’s dead weight onto the floor of the back seat. Breathing heavily, I tucked his legs up, shut the door, and rushed around to the driver’s side.
“Why,” I panted to myself, “didn’t I shoot him after he got in the car?”
Slamming my door shut, I grabbed the keys and started the engine. The dashboard lit up, the clock glowing.
11:59.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tires screeched on the pavement as the car blasted around the final corner. The Sinclair manor was a dark shadow under the moon’s glowing face.
The clock on the dash read 12:16. But it wasn’t too late. It couldn’t be too late.
I hit the brakes and squealed around the curve in the driveway—and almost rear-ended an SUV parked half on the lawn. I narrowly missed its bumper and slid to a stop under the carriage porch.
The manor’s front door hung open, the interior black. A dozen vehicles that hadn’t been there before were parked haphazardly around the driveway and lawn, but nothing moved. Where was everyone? What was I supposed to do now? Panic constricting my throat, I looked in the rearview mirror. Sin lay across the seat, out cold, and Ezra lay across the floor.
The car jolted as something hit it, then my door flew open and hands flashed toward me. I gasped in a breath to scream.
“Tori!”
The hands grabbed my shoulders and Aaron’s white face came into focus. He stank of smoke and burnt blood, his face smudged with soot. Sharpie’s hilt stuck up behind his shoulder.
The back door opened and Kai leaned over my two passengers. “What happened to Ezra? Is he—”
“He’s fine,” I gasped. “I’m fine, we’re both fine, but Sin—”
Aaron released me and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Dad! Over here!”
I jammed the buckle of my seatbelt and it gave way. As I heaved myself out of the car, Tobias sprinted up to us. Aaron wrenched the other door open and the two pyromages pulled Sin out. Tobias slung her limp form over his shoulder, then ran up the steps into the manor.
“What—” I began.
“Josephine has the exorcism ritual set up. She’s waiting.” Aaron rushed around the car and helped Kai drag Ezra out. They lifted him over Kai’s shoulder, and the electramage tottered unsteadily as Aaron stepped back.
“Suck it up,” Aaron said pitilessly.
“I’ve got him,” Kai grunted. “But I’m a bit exhausted, in case you haven’t noticed.”
Aaron pushed me into motion and Kai followed with heavy steps. He wasn’t the only exhausted one; my strength was flagging too. In a big way.
“What happened?” I panted as we cut across the entrance hall. “Did you—”
“You’re back!” Valerie swept out of the living room, her black hair falling out of its elegant twist. Her beautiful silver gown had been hacked off at the knees. “Is Ezra okay? Bring him in here, Kai. A healer just arrived.”
As Kai heaved Ezra’s dead weight into the living room, Valerie hovering at his side, I called, “It’s just a sleeping potion.”
The moment Kai reappeared, Aaron grabbed my arm and hauled me into the drawing room, still decorated for the Christmas party—except the tables had been smashed and the garlands torn off the walls. A dead werewolf lay in the debris.
“It was all going to hell,” Aaron said as he shoved through the terrace door, and I realized he was belatedly answering my question. “Dad and I made it into the dorm, but the wolves were right behind us. We kept them off the students, but we were being overwhelmed.”
“They burned half the building down,” Kai added from behind us. “Valerie and I were holding out better, but not by much. The wolves wouldn’t quit—or die.”
“Just when it was getting real ugly, Josephine arrived.” Aaron shook his head. “Druids, I tell you. They’re insane.”
“Insane how?” I asked sharply, so busy watching him I missed the last step.
He caught my elbow and steadied me. “Let’s just say she and her familiar know their way around feral shifters.”
We reached the top of the sunken garden, where the druidess had first tried to exorcise Sin three nights ago. The circle was waiting, and Tobias had laid Sin in front of the fire. Josephine, wearing jeans and a leather jacket, stood ready.
Gathered in the garden, positioned well back from the circle, were another twenty mythics, all carrying weapons. Some were smudged with soot like Aaron and his father.
“Guild members,” Aaron said before I could ask. “Mom called for help. They arrived while you were gone.”
We stopped twenty paces from the exorcism site, where Josephine had just begun her chant. The air shimmered and her familiar appeared at the opposite end of the circle. His pale lilac hair swirled around him, silver magic sparking over his fingers.
“Will it work?” I whispered. “It’s past midnight.”
“She said the ritual won’t have as much power, but as long as Sin drank the potion Compton made her—”
“But she didn’t!” I plucked the third pink vial from my belt. A crack ran down the side, but thankfully it wasn’t leaking. “Brian gave her a fake version. She hasn’t had her third dose!”