“You okay?” I asked. I was exhausted, but I was stil standing, and I’d raised way more shades today than I should have—I would probably pay for that one soon. And hard. I was already trembling, and I hadn’t released my hold on the grave yet, which was never a good sign.
Rianna hugged her knees to her chest, and I watched her blink furiously. Final y she looked up, her eyes unfocused.
“Al, I can’t see.” Her voice was thin, frightened.
Crap.
I knelt beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.
She’d just shared my magic and looked through several planes of realities for the first time. And now she was paying the price.
“It’l come back. Give it time.”
A tear leaked from the corner of her blind eye. Okay, I’m officially the worst friend ever.
“Alex. We have to go,” Falin said again.
Damn. I couldn’t abandon Rianna blind and in the middle of the mortal realm. It would be dusk in a few hours, and if her magical backlashes were anything like mine tended to be, it would be a while before her sight recovered.
“We’l have to take Rianna . . . home,” I said to Falin as I climbed to my feet, pul ing Rianna up with me.
“We don’t have time.”
“We don’t have time.”
I frowned and Rianna’s nails dug into my bare arm as if she was afraid I’d walk away and leave her. I patted her hand, partial y to reassure her and partial y in hopes that she’d let go before she drew blood.
“I can take her,” Tamara said. “I was supposed to clock out eight minutes ago.”
I gave her a feeble smile. “That’s okay. It’s on our way.”
Okay, so I didn’t actual y know where Falin was dragging me out of here to go, but Rianna had to make it into the VIP
section of the Bloom and then beyond to Faerie and final y to Stasis. It wasn’t exactly a mortal-friendly trip.
“Fine,” was al Falin said, but I could hear the irritation as wel as the unspoken “Just hurry up.”
I turned to John. “I have to go. I—”
He cut me off. “Yeah. I see that. I’l wrap things up here.”
But he didn’t sound happy about the situation and I had the feeling I’d be getting a lot fewer cal s for cases in the future.
Oh, good, now Rianna’s blind, Tamara thinks I’m brushing her off, and John is upset with me. I was doing absolutely splendid things to my friendships today.
Falin crossed his arms and drummed his fingers on his elbow, and I released my connection to the grave. The icy wind that had been ripping through me died as the vines surrounding my psyche closed and darkness fel over my eyes like a heavy blindfold.
Well, not like that was unexpected. Or something I wasn’t getting used to navigating through.
I dispel ed my circle and then knelt, fumbling for my purse.
Someone pressed the leather strap into my hand.
“You can’t see, can you?” Falin asked, his voice low and close by.
Rianna, who stil gripped my arm, was probably the only person close enough to hear. Her fingers tightened. “Al?”
I shrugged. “The blind leading the blind, and al that.”
I couldn’t see Falin’s expression, but I swear the sound he made was some sort of growl. His warm fingers lifted he made was some sort of growl. His warm fingers lifted Rianna’s clammy ones from where they gripped my arm, and his arm slid around my waist.
“Come on. We have to go.” He set a quick pace, nearly dragging me as I stumbled along beside him.
“Wait. Rianna—?”
“I’m with you,” she said, her voice broken by her gasps but sounding like it came from the other side of Falin.
I knew we’d reached the morgue doors only when I heard him press the panel for the automatic doors—a feature that no one typical y used. I twisted back around, almost grateful I couldn’t see John or Tamara’s expressions as Rianna and I were hustled out.
“Bye!” I yel ed and received halfhearted replies. Then we were out of the morgue, our shuffling steps squeaking and echoing in the long hal way.
“What’s going on?” I asked once I felt us turn the first corner.
Falin was quiet for so long that I thought he might not answer. Then he said, “The Winter Queen sent down an order. The FIB is coming to drag you to Faerie.”
“Stay inside. Don’t even answer the door,” Falin said as he ushered me into his apartment.
Rianna was stil downstairs in the car. Falin didn’t want to risk taking me al the way to the Magic Quarter, and his apartment wasn’t far from Central Precinct and the morgue.
The hope was that no one would think to look for me at another FIB agent’s home. He would drop Rianna off at the Bloom, and then—wel , I hoped he had a plan because I didn’t.
“I’l be back in half an hour,” he said, but then hesitated.
“Go. I’m fine.” Okay, so I couldn’t see and I was being sought by the FIB, but other than that . . . All right, maybe fine is a gross exaggeration. “Go,” I said again.
fine is a gross exaggeration. “Go,” I said again.