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The door opened, and Lucas walked in.
49
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED?" he asked, looking from the ribbon to me.
"With a binding spell, it would have," I said as I hopped down. "Let me guess. Our Nix is showing no signs of impending murderous rage."
"She came down to ask me to take a look at Paige's car."
"Huh?"
"She said it was making a noise when she drove it this afternoon."
I slumped into the chair. "I don't believe this."
"She insisted on giving me a demonstration, even when Savannah 'reminded' her that I know nothing about repairing automobiles, that my mechanical expertise is limited to motorcycles."
"Oh? Oh. I get it. She wants you outside. Away from me, and away from Savannah."
"Precisely. Either she is uncomfortable taking on you with me in the house, or she wants to begin with me, preferably outside, where"--he waved at the window--"it is fast growing dark."
"Ah-ha. Maybe we're making progress after all. But if you go outside, I'm going with you, which is going to cause a problem if I'm the target--"
A scream ripped through the house.
"Oh, my God," I said. "Savannah!"
As I jumped from the chair, Lucas raced across the room, toward the window.
"They're in the living room," he said as he yanked open the window. "Take the stairs. I'll come in the front door. Whoever is first, distract. Whoever is second, attack from the rear."
I was in the hall as his last words floated out to me, muffled as he climbed through the window. I hit the top of the steps running so fast I nearly flew down them face-first.
Another shriek. Then, "You little bitch!"
A blur raced around the corner from the living room and plowed into me as I galloped down the last few steps.
"Get down!" Savannah hissed, pushing me down on the stairs.
"Sav--"
She clamped a hand over my mouth and, holding me down, cast a cover spell over both of us. The Nix strode into the doorway, knife in hand. Blood poured from her nose. She swiped a hand across it.
"Where'd you go, bitch?" She looked from side to side. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."
She smiled, voice taking on a high-pitched singsong that I knew didn't come from the Nix. A ghost had indeed crashed the Nix's party--but it wasn't Jaime.
The woman turned and strode into the living room. I moved, breaking the spell. Still pinning me to the stairs, Savannah cast a privacy spell.
"It's not Jaime," she whispered. "She's possessed, some kind of ghost got into her. We were sitting there talking, and all of a sudden she--"
As the footsteps returned, Savannah cast another cover spell. She held me down. Protecting me. I knew it was Paige she was really protecting, but still, the thought of my little girl taking charge like this, escaping from a killer, protecting me...Kris was right. Savannah didn't need my help anymore. She hadn't needed it for a long time.
The woman walked into the hall, and took another look around, snuffling blood.
"Can't hide, sweetie-pie," she said. "Cheri knows all your tricks. Yes, indeed. All the tricks. No one escapes from her."
Cheri MacKenzie. Shit! So that's what happened. The parasitic Nix was getting a taste of her own medicine, having her body invaded by a past partner. Ironic, and I'm sure I'd appreciate it a whole lot more if it didn't complicate matters so much. Was the Nix still in there? What if I risked Jaime's life and found no one inside except Cheri MacKenzie?
