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“Why the hell would you have a meltdown?” Kurtis argues. “I just got knocked unconscious and cut my head open! I call bullshit.”
“You died!” I yell. “I had to pull you back.”
“What?!” all three exclaim in full volume.
“You didn’t say that before,” Evan says quietly.
“How did you do that?” Dante asks, daring to look at me even though we are in heavy traffic.
I shake my head. “I don’t understand it. I saw his soul drifting away, and then I sort of, maybe… left my body, a little bit, I guess… and pulled his etheric cord to bring him back.”
“What?” Evan curses. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I don’t know.” I hunch my shoulders as if that could get me out of this conversation. “I had my meltdown. I felt like I was losing my mind, then I didn’t want to think about causing someone’s death again.”
“Wait, again?” Dante asks.
Evan cuts in, “No. Back to Kurtis’s death. How did you know how to do that?”
“It just felt instinctual,” I answer. “Like breathing.”
“A bit more complicated than breathing.” Dante shakes his head.
“You must somehow have death magic,” Evan agrees.
“What does that mean?” I shiver at the idea.
“We’ll have to investigate,” Dante says. “We know death personified is real, just like Karma is, but it doesn’t make sense that you would have an ability like that without working for Death.”
“Death has agents too?” I ask.
“We’ve heard stories,” Evan replies.
“Chara has seen one, or so sheclaims.” Dante growls like he can’t stand to say her name.
“Alright, enough of this talk for now,” Evan orders. “We aren’t warded.”
“Actually, we are,” I say. “I painted the warding symbols on the undercarriage.”
Dante’s eyes widen. “But Karma might have sensed the magic.”
“Maybe.” I nod. “But I thought it was worth the risk of discovery. She hasn’t confronted me yet.”
Evan sighs. “We don’t know how pissed she’s going to be when she finds out we are hiding stuff from her. Let’s assume it’s going to be bad.”
“How bad could it be?” I ask.
“I’ve seen her lose her temper,” Evan says. “Once, when I was new. It was downright scary. Let’s try not to draw more attention to ourselves.” He looks pointedly at Kurtis and then at me. “No more stunts in public or warding on Karma’s property.”
Both Kurtis and I huff. “Fine.”
Dante pulls up to the next club, and none of us move to get out. We’re not in the mood for this now. I worry our justice might be delivered with a heavier hand than necessary tonight.
“Can’t stop the wheels of karma,” Evan announces and steps out of the SUV.
15
THE TARGET
