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“I think it’s a few blocks down from here,” he replied.
“Then she’s not heading home.” As soon as the light changed, we ran across the other side of the avenue and down the side street. I barely caught a glimpse of Mimi, Rod, and Granny rounding a corner and forced myself to put on a burst of speed to give chase.
It was as though the brooch also gave Mimi superstrength and endurance in addition to power and invulnerability, because I didn’t think there was any other way she could keep up this kind of pace while running in three-inch heels, no matter how many spin classes she took.
When we reached Rod and Granny, I started to thank them for giving us a chance to take a break, but my thanks died on my tongue when Granny’s cane shot out and blocked me. “Oh no, dearie, it’s mine,” she said, and the raw hunger in her eyes made my stomach sink.
Before I could say anything, Rod whirled on Granny. “Wait a second, grandma, it’s mine. It’s been my magic keeping her away from the others.”
“Ha! Like you’d know what to do with that thing. I’d use it wisely. You’d just pick up chicks with it.”
While they argued, Mimi was getting away. “Sam, stay on her!” Owen called out. He and I edged our way around the combatants and sprinted after Mimi. We’d lost our magic users, but they were of no use to us now. It was down to us, the nonmagical people who could remain sane around the brooch.
Unfortunately, Mimi had a good head start. “Mimi?” I called out when I lost sight of her. “Are you okay?” I didn’t get an answer, so I shouted, “Sam, have you got her?” He didn’t answer, either.
Owen caught up to me and said, “Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I think Sam’s still with her.”
We kept going, checking in doorways as we passed, in case she was hiding. There was no sign of her the whole block. Soon, we reached Lexington Avenue, which was busier. In all that traffic, she could easily have disappeared. She could have hailed another cab.
“I think we’ve lost her,” I said.
“Sam’s still with her. He’s hard to shake.”
“Well, there’s no point in us running until we hear from him, right?” I said.
“Very good point.” We stopped, both of us breathing heavily.
“How’s the leg?”
“I barely feel it anymore.”
“Either you’re lying or that’s a very bad sign.”
“I’ve got bigger things to worry about than pain.”
A bench would have been nice, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to stand up again if I let myself sit down. Owen and I just leaned wearily on each other as we waited for word.
Finally, Owen’s phone rang. I heard Sam’s voice on the other end when Owen answered. “Sorry, kids, but I think I lost her.”
Chapter Eighteen
I wanted to bang my head against the nearest brick wall. We’d gone through all that to get the brooch and keep it safe, and now we’d lost it again?
“Keep looking, Sam,” Owen said into the phone. “She can’t have gone far. You know the signs to look for.” When he ended the call, he said with a weary sigh, “Okay, maybe letting her keep the brooch for a while wasn’t the best plan.”
“On the bright side, how long has it been since anyone’s attacked us?”
“Good point.”
We stood there for a moment, both of us swaying slightly as our bodies fought to force us to rest. “I suppose we ought to search, too,” I said after a while.
We began walking, keeping our eyes open for signs of Mimi’s presence. There seemed to be a higher-than-normal number of fender benders, so either Mimi had hailed another cab or she’d crossed the street. In case it was the latter, we crossed over. We hadn’t gone far when we heard raised voices coming from a nearby coffee shop, where it looked like an altercation was in progress.
Owen and I exchanged a glance. “Do you think …?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”
