Magic Burns

Page 169

 

 

 

“I just want you to know: when I took her off that cross, she was calling his name. Neither you nor I can do anything to break what’s between them.”

 

“Andrea, I don’t blame you. I don’t blame anyone.” Except myself. “You went out there and tried against impossible odds and almost won, while I played footsie with Bran in the mist.”

 

I rose. “I’m going to see Jim and then I’ll see about sending a runner to the Order, since the phones are dead.”

 

She raised her head from the pillow, her eyes wide. “Why?”

 

After Bran had run out of curses, he’d condescended to explain a few things to me. “From what Bran says, the gray bubble Morfran made is some sort of ancient druidic ward. Morfran is buying time and working the cauldron, packing the sea-demons into that bubble. When it bursts, they will spill out onto the Honeycomb and then onto Warren. We’ll need the knights and MSDU.”

 

Her face fell. “There will be no help, Kate. Everyone’s gone. Even Maxine.”

 

“Where the hell did they go?”

 

“There’s an emergency,” she said softly. “All the knights and the Military Supernatural Defense Units are being pulled to counter it.”

 

“Andrea, in less than twelve hours, Atlanta will be full of demons. They will kill, feed, and release more demons. What emergency is more important than this one?”

 

She hesitated. “I’m not supposed to disclose this. There’s a man. His name is Roland…”

 

I almost punched the wall. “What is he doing that’s so damn crucial? What, is he building another tower?

 

It will fall like all his other ones. Or did his eye finally grow back and he decided to have a battle to celebrate?”

 

Andrea gently closed her muzzle. “Kate? How do you know that?”

 

Shit.

 

“Even I don’t rank high enough to know about the eye and the towers. I was only told because I would be staying behind alone. You’re not even a knight. How do you know this?”

 

How do I fix this? I have to kill her. Wait, I can’t kill her. She’s my friend.

 

“Are you planning on walking into Ted’s office after the flare and telling him that you’re beastkin?”

 

She winced. “No. He’d throw me out. The Order is all I know.”

 

I nodded. “You have your secrets and I have mine. I didn’t say anything about Roland and you didn’t hear anything.” I offered her my hand. “Deal?”

 

She hesitated only for a moment. Her fingers grasped mine and I was relieved by their strength. “And I’m not a beastkin. Deal.”