“You’re not going to tell me about this soul, are you?” she asked.
“Nothing to tell.” I drew up my legs and then pushed to my feet.
“Well, that’s a big fat lie if I’ve ever heard one,” scoffed the fairy as she rose, too, having to take four steps for every two of mine to keep up with me as I trudged across the rooftop. “And that’s even if you happen to believe it. Answer me this, then. Has this bourach you’re in got anything to do with that glitter you’re still sporting?”
I halted to glare back at Flora, who pointed at my robes. Spreading my arms, I peered down at myself, jaw jutting when I caught the faintest trace of a golden shimmer. I’d even used one of those damn sticky roller things. Didanythingget this shit out?
“I’ve got to go,” I told her, the hem of my robes snapping in the breeze.
“Where?” she asked, gesturing next to the glowing hourglass on my belt. “I’d say you’ve already met the night’s quota, and as of late, you drop your souls offbeforegoing on your new mysterious midnight errand.”
I ground my teeth. “Didn’t realize you kept a flowchart on my habits.”
“Only when they change,” said Flora. “Which really hasn’t ever happened before, has it? And that alone suggests there’s cause to worry. And Grim, Johann and I, weareworried about you. By the way, before you come home to the Hallowed Halls, I should warn you that Cedric’s returned.”
“What?” I took a step toward her. “When?”
She blinked at me, startled by the growl in my tone. “Just… a bit ago? When Johann asked him what happened, Cedric said it was between you and him. He asked if you were in, but Johann told him you were working, so he left. But not before telling me to, when I saw you, let you know hewouldbe picking up that library hold.”
I braced a skeletal hand on my forehead. “Fuck.”
“Grim?” Flora asked, her expression darkening with a deeper concern even than before. “What is it? Does that mean something bad? He’s always after some book or another, so I didn’t think much about it.”
“What time is it?” I demanded.
“I-I don’t know,” blustered Flora. “Wee bit after nine? Why?”
I didn’t have time to explain.
Possibly I didn’t have time at all.
I dissolved to smoke anyway, heading first to the library since Helena worked Thursday nights.
I hadn’t felt the pull of her impending death, but I wouldn’t since any attack from Cedric wouldn’t be a fated event.
If I was lucky—ifshewas—I could still get to her before he did.
12HELENA
My legs pumped under me hard as I flew past the library, heading as fast as I could away from the curb that my renegade Bug, in its pursuit of me, had already lumbered up and over. I hurtled toward a barrier of bushes that, though they wouldn’t stop the car, might just slow it down.
“Help!” I shouted with as much volume as I could muster as I burst through the bushes, though it remained to be seen whocouldhelp me in this scenario.
One glance behind showed my car struggling to roar over the shrubs. I took the opportunity to fly into Third Street, into the path of a pickup that had to swerve to avoid hitting me.
“Oh God!” I shrieked, scampering to clear the road and climb onto the opposite sidewalk. Just as I shot through the line of darkened cars parked at meters, the vehicles revved to life, their lights springing on.
“Not happening!” I squealed as I diverted course again, shooting straight back across the street, racing away from the row of driverless cars that, one after the other, peeled out of their slots to barrel after me just as my Bug had done.
By some miracle I managed to make it back to the library’s sideof the street without becoming roadkill, though my Beetle had since vanished from its spot near the bushes.
I bolted down the sidewalk, my flats crunching the crispy leaves that scuttled after me. Pushed by the wind that seemed to be trying to hurry me along, I traded my attention between my phone and the road.
Traffic now split into two raging streams, one consisting of drivers all swerving to avoid the chaos and another consisting of sentient cars bent on flattening me.
“Heeelp!” I screeched again, fumbling to thumb the emergency button on my cell. Then, as I leaped to avoid being bucked by the grille of the driverless Buick that bumped onto the curb, I dropped my phone, its screen cracking on the pavement. I abandoned the device, taking a hard right down the alleyway behind the library.
The narrow road let out onto Second Street, which ran parallel to Third. Except something worse than either my Bug or another car blocked the path to the other side.
