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Bang!It sounded as if a giant had smacked the roof of the Hummer, but they didn’t slow.
Vori braced, counting the seconds until impact.One-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three—BOOM!The bunker blasted into pieces, sending flares of fire shooting into the sky.
“Woohoo!”Alys crowed from the roof.“Yeah!”
The SUV hit a massive crater and went airborne.
Vori lost her grip on the kit and flew across the seat with a shriek.She raised her arms to protect her face.Other body parts could be airbrushed if she slammed into glass, but her face was literally insured by her agency.Showing up with a broken nose or slashed cheeks might be the end of her career.Of course, sparking a civil war in the goblin realm by showing up as the lost crown princess might do the same.
Perry caught her.“Gotcha.”
“Little bumpy.”Alexei made it sound as if this insane ride was the norm.Just some potholes.Or a curb.Or a canyon.
Alys’s cheers got even louder above.
“Maybe buckle up.”Perry’s suggestion didn’t match his tight hold on her.
“You need first aid.”She moved to reach into the cargo again, and he didn’t let go of her waist.She brushed the kit’s handle with her fingers.“Almost…” The giant box slid with a gratingswish.“Got it.”She snagged the heavy plastic and slid into her seat.“This’ll have to do for now.I should’ve brought the Nahualli charm with us.”
“Like the tracking charm I gave you the night we met?”His soft voice sent quiet what-might-have-beens humming through her.“Did you find what you were looking for?”
“No.”She’d wished for the goblin amethysts—her heart’s desire.She’d found Perry in prison instead.But she couldn’t go there, couldn’t let him matter more than he already did.“The healing charm will fix the most recent damage.Until then, this will have to do.”
“A Nahualli healing charm must’ve cost a fortune.”
“I have many problems.Money isn’t one of them.”Blood vows made up most of her list.Okay, all of her list except for him.
“Why do you need me to pretend to be your husband?”
“My backwards family requires a consort if I visit.”Truth without the whole truth.She poked through the first aid kit, looking for alcohol wipes, bandages, anything that might help.The contents rattled, and the handle made an irritatingclick-click-clickas it jostled.
The Hummer screeched to a stop.Seconds later, Alys bounced in the front seat.“That.Was.Awesome.”She yelled every word as if they were miles apart instead of inches.
Alexei waved his hand in his sister’s face and tapped the side of his head.“Take out the earplugs.”
“Oh yeah.”Alys switched one set of earpieces for another from a crinkly bag on the front floorboard.“Uh-oh.According to the radio chatter, we didn’t stop the van.I’m not going back into witch custody.”She fumbled in the bag and pulled out grenades.
Alexei stopped her.“Not happening.Our family just got you back.We’re not letting you play pain bringer with the witches.”
“Killjoy.I’ll only hurt them a little.”
“Wha…” Perry opened his mouth, but Vori stopped him.
“Getting between demon siblings when they’re arguing?”she whispered.“Dumber than you hooking up with the Revelare.”
Alexei tightened his grip on the steering wheel.Hopefully he wouldn’t break it, or they’d be stranded with who-knew-who after them.“Vori’s witch has pissed off dangerous enemies.This is why I said not to come here, that you should pick someone—anyone—other than him.Maybe a nice demon hybrid.Or a shifter.We could deal with dog stink better than his stench.Leave him here.”
“Agreed.Or…” Alys drawled the word as if she would cut to commercial break before getting to the damn point.“Maybe someone else could take care of the guards.Someone super fast, super strong, superduper stealthy?”She turned to stare at Vori.
“No.Nuh-uh.”Vori pressed against the seat.“I can’t fight.You know what could happen.”She might go berserker and never come back from it—as her father had wanted.
“I didn’t say fight,” Alys said.“Though it’d be way more fun.”
“Pull over.”Perry’s words came out rough with pain.“I’ll find an energy source and hold them off with my powers.”
He would get himself killed.Vori fought frustration and fear.“Fine.I’ll do it.But I’ll take the flash-bangs and nonlethals, not actual grenades.”She tugged off her jacket.Shedding this skin for her goblin form would be easier if she stripped.Plus, she wouldn’t dare destroy the threads she’d received from an up-and-coming witch stylist.This jacket hugged her curves yet allowed her to hide enough picks and hooks to spring any lock.
“Eyes front, witch.”Alexei had her almost-consort jerking his head to stare out at the miles of dust and cacti.
