Ever After (The Hollows #11)(122)
Author: Kim Harrison

"Then kill her and let’s get on with it," Newt said, making Al scowl at her pleasant smile. "I tried already, and she hit me."

"Hey, would any of you mind if I go take care of a few things and get back to you in about an hour?" I said loudly, then ducked when Ku’Sox sent a token shot of energy at us.

It hit the barrier and was absorbed cleanly, making the surrounding demons buzz with interest.

Trent leaned close, whispering, "I think it’s funny how they keep trying to kill you when all you want to do is save them."

"Happens to me all the time," I said wryly, and he chuckled.

"Me too."

A feeling of shared kinship darted through me, lighting both our thoughts, and Bis seemed to warm.

"I need your help," Ku’Sox growled, pacing forward. "I can’t best her when she’s with an elf. The sun will be up soon, and by then it will be too late."

The demons behind Dali didn’t like that, but Newt was undeterred. "Perhaps Rachel can."

We had to get this done, and get it done now. Trent had the drive to kill Ku’Sox. I had the power, but neither of us had the skill to best a demon taught the arts of war. Blinking, I brought my head up, finding Al waiting, a devious smile on his face, his bound hands held out to me. Al did. My eyes went to his hands, and his gloves misted out of existence to show his wedding rings. Perhaps the three of us could actually do something.

"We need Al," I whispered as Ku’Sox paced up and down, raging at us.

"Don’t be foolish. We can’t even get to him," Trent muttered back.

"They aren’t going to help him," I said, looking to the east and fidgeting. "They won’t help us. We need to forcibly take him."

Trent frowned as Ku’Sox grandstanded, claiming another twelve hours of negative energy pressure would put the mass of the ever-after under a viable threshold. "We need Al," I said again, and this time, Trent turned to me, his eyes flicking up to Bis’s as the gargoyle bobbed his head. "We can’t overpower Ku’Sox without the knowledge Al has. We need him!"

An ugly expression came over Trent, and I got into his face, mad. "Get over it, Trent!" I hissed, taking his arm. "You used me, and now I’m calling it in! What kind of world do you want your children to grow up in? One where they fear demons, or one where they understand them?"

Trent jerked away, angry and unwilling. Behind him, I could see Al waiting. "I am yours," Trent said sullenly, and I swear, I saw Al’s lips move in tandem, his expression elated.

"Let’s get him!" Bis shouted, and I staggered as he sprang from me, our circle bobbling for a moment as he punched through, spinning madly to avoid Ku’Sox’s sudden curses.

"Bis!" I cried, feeling the broken glory of the lines vanish. Then I bolted to Al while Ku’Sox was staring at the sky. I knew Trent would get my back, and I felt him gather a spell, flinging it madly in the hopes of scoring on the distracted demon.

A thunderous boom behind me sent me stumbling, and I crashed into Newt. We went down, me on top of her. "Sorry!" I cheerfully cried as I grabbed my fist and swung my elbow into the side of her head. It met with a thump and my arm went numb. Breath hissing, I got off her, scrambling to find Al and drag him away. I’d broken three boards with that move before, and Newt was down-for a moment at least.

"Oh, you’re going to pay for that, itchy witch," Al said, beaming at me, and I sketched a fast circle around us, catching quick glimpses of exploding fireballs and demons in white robes scrambling to find cover.

"Hey, if I’m going to get blamed for hitting her, I’m going to hit her," I said. "Are you okay? Can you tap the lines?" In my mind, elven spells were unwinding, wild magic singing through me. It was as if I was in two places at once, and the adrenaline pounded through me. My head was high, and I breathed deep. When Trent spelled, he sang.

"Circle, circle!" Al shouted, and I ducked, deflecting a black ball of something.

"Not until Trent gets here," I said, seeing Bis swooping around to drop another rock on Ku’Sox. I fumbled at Al’s bindings. They were simple cords, but my fingers hummed when I touched them. Clearly they were spelled.

"He’s wearing the slaver, yes?" Al said, grabbing my hands and yanking me out of the path of another spell. "He’ll get through. Your energies resonate as one."

My fingers on the knot hesitated. Ivy. Could I save Ivy with this?

"Look out!" Al shouted, shoving me backward, and I fell, my breath knocked out of me.

Al was standing over me, shouting to the skies, and fingers scrabbling, I reached out for the circle I’d scraped in the dirt, still not having breathed. Rhombus, I thought, getting a slip of air in, and Al jumped back, narrowly avoiding getting left outside. Dizzy, I looked up. Newt was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe, blood leaking from her ear as she sat on the ground and scooted backward to sit against a large rock.

"See!" she crowed, pointing. "I told you she hit me!"

Shaky, I sat up, moving a stone out from under my backside. Dali, too, was watching, standing in the middle of everything with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face as if nothing could touch him. Trent was ducking behind rocks as Ku’Sox pulverized them, each jump moving him closer. Trent’s charms were circling in my head, filling me with the need to do something, wild and demanding, drawing on me as needed to supplement his strength.

The demons weren’t helping. They weren’t hindering, either. Only the strongest could ensure the demons’ continued existence. I wanted it to be me.

"Trent!" I shouted, and he sprang for us. Ku’Sox took aim, then flinched when Bis dropped a rock on him. Snarling, the demon shifted his attention to Bis.

"No!" I shouted, helpless.

Bis spun, headed for the shelter of my bubble. Under him, Trent pounded over the rocks. Ku’Sox snarled, eyes on the sky as he wound up. Fixed on Bis, he didn’t see Dali stick his foot out, and the demon face-planted into the dusty stones.

Okay, maybe they had a favorite here, after all.

"Oh, sorry," Dali said, getting between us and Ku’Sox to help the demon up, brushing him off and getting in his line of sight until Bis backwinged into the bubble, landing on my shoulder, his red eyes wide in excitement.

Trent was a moment behind, slipping through the protection bubble and sliding to a sudden, awkward halt inches from Al-far too close. Al smiled down at him with his thick, blocky teeth, and Trent smiled right back, more than a hint of deviltry in his green, green eyes. Trent was humming, and my thoughts hummed with him. I was alive with him, and it was glorious. Indescribable.