As he drove, unable to change a thing, he could have sworn his aura was burning. Like an electric storm against his skin, same as it had in the barber’s chair—
Oh.
Oh, of course.
Despair welled in Arthur. He’d been played for a fool, because he hadn’t thought of a barber as a danger. He’d let a stranger take a knife to his throat when they knew blood magic was on the table.
Rory’s magic flared again in his aura, fiery lightning and fury, strong enough that Arthur’s eyes watered even if nothing else in his body twitched.
Like Rory’s magic was fighting. Like it was trying to free Arthur.
Teddy, come on, his mind shouted.You can do this.
Except it wasn’t working. Because blood magic wasn’t in Arthur’s aura, the way Rory’s was, but anchored all the way into his veins. Arthur wanted to hold out hope, that maybe his aura and his blood were connected enough that Rory’s magic could fight its way into Arthur’s bloodstream and drive out the Puppeteer’s magic.
But the farther he drove from Paris, the more that hope dimmed.
And every time he blinked, he saw his arms and hands shoving Rory, saw Rory having to duck to avoid another blow.
Yet no matter how much guilt choked him, his body drove on.
Rory ran back upstairs so fast his feet nearly slipped from under him. “Jade!”
But the door to Jade and Zhang’s room was open, the room empty.
Rory’s heart sank. He cursed, and then, not letting himself take time to doubt, he sprinted farther down the hall, to Gwen and Ellis’s room. He banged on the door with his fist.
Gwen opened it. “Rory, what on earth—”
“The Puppeteer got Ace.”
Gwen cut herself off, her eyes going wide. On the bed behind her, Ellis shot to his feet.
“He got Ace with blood magic.” Rory’s shoulders were heaving. “Ace just stole a car and drove off with the siphon. He’s heading east.”
Gwen and Ellis exchanged a horrified look. “Are you certain?” Gwen said.
“Heshovedme.” Rory could still feel the ache where he’d smacked into iron, could still see the fear deep in Arthur’s eyes the moment he’d realized he’d lost control. “So hard I crashed into the railing.”
He swallowed down the emotions that threatened to choke him. “Arthur would never hurt me. He’d cut off his own hand first.”
“Shit,” Ellis muttered, exchanging a look with Gwen.
Rory’s heart pounded in his chest. Was he doing the right thing, coming to them? What choice did he have? He couldn’t drive, couldn’t speak French, had no money to pay for a car to take him. “Jade and Zhang are still gone. I can follow the link to Ace, but I need help. You two gotta help me. Please.”
Gwen and Ellis were still looking at each other. “I’ll go with him. You find Jade and Zhang.” Gwen’s voice came out heavy and strained. “We’re out of time.”
Ellis paled.
Rory looked between them in alarm. “What the hell does that mean?”
But Ellis was shaking his head. “You two, go now. I’ll find the others and we’ll catch up.”
“He left by car, we have to follow by car,” said Rory. “If we’re going too fast for Zhang to follow on the astral plane—”
“You’re not the only one with a special magical connection to your sweetheart,” Ellis snapped. “We don’t have a link but we have our own ways. Get out of here already.”
Gwen turned just long enough to kiss Ellis on the lips. Their left hands entwined for a long moment, Ellis slipping his fingers under Gwen’s smaller ones. “You be careful, daisy,” Rory heard him whisper. “Don’t give me another reason to tear Zeppler apart.”
