started to smoke until I used magic to grab the heat and reapply it to the spot he was trying to incinerate. Still nothing. Frustrated, Mack pulled out his favorite Balisong folding knife, flicked it around his hand till it was open, and stabbed down at the book.
The cover dimpled under the point, but there was no penetration and when he pulled the knife away, no damage of any kind.
“I remember something about it being protected by strong wards and spells,” I said.
“So what do we do? You can’t hang on to that thing,” Jetta said.
“If I let go, it screams. Some kind of mental cry that witches and psychics pick up. If the other witches or their families hear that and find Sorrow, there will be a blood bath. It’s like the most valuable grimoire ever,” I said. “I think I have to hang on to it for the time being till we can figure out what to do with it.”
“I think you are right,” Caeco said, sadly, “and I fucking hate it.”
Chapter 34
I was hungry, so we headed downstairs to grab some food. I decided to text my aunt about the attack. I explained as much as I could squeeze into a fairly lengthy couple of paragraphs. Her reply back: I know. Gina called. On my way.
I think I won some points for telling her but lost a few for telling her after Gina did. And speaking of Gina, into the dining room she came. Her eyes flicked around the room till they found me, hands and mouth each full of PB&J sandwich. She waved me over to her so I went, but my sandwich went with me.
“Listen, we—meaning Oracle—reported the attack and death to the FBI because they take over interstate crimes. They’re sending your favorite FBI agent, Krupp, but it’s mostly a formality. And I told your aunt… she’s coming too,” Gina said.
“I know—about aunt Ash. I texted her. Should I have a lawyer or something for when I meet with Agent Krupp? I don’t think she likes me much.”
“I doubt she dislikes you, although you did antagonize her. But like I said, I’ve been assured that the crime scene work that our own guys did was satisfactory and that the school cameras caught the fight supporting the unprovoked attack. The fact that she flung you and half the cars around along with Miss Flynn’s condition make it clearly an open and shut case of self-defense. I will sit in on the questioning. She’ll be here shortly.”
“Okay. Awesome,” I said. “But thanks for telling me.”
“You should probably say hi to Ryanne. She’s asked about you.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll pop in on her now, then.”
Dr. Rosewell nodded to me as I came into her office before going back to the pile of papers she was filling out. I wondered for a second how you classified a witch attack on health insurance forms.
The exam room was around the corner from her office and as I poked my head around, I immediately spotted Ryanne’s sister, Gael. She saw me before I could pull back and beat a retreat.
“Here now. Here’s the lad of the hour,” she said, pinning me with green eyes that matched her sister’s.
Ryanne’s oldest sister, Aileen, poked her head around the corner and beckoned me into the room. “Declan, is it? Come on in. Ryanne’s been wondering how ye were?”
Trapped like a mouse on a sheet of glue, I moved further into the room. Ryanne was sitting up in bed, her last sister, Mary, by her side. An older man and woman stood at the foot of the bed and in the far corner, an old woman and young girl sat in folding chairs.
“Hey, D, I was wondering if ye were still among the living or not. Gina told me ye were jest banged up a bit,” Ryanne said.
“I’m, ah fine,” I said, glancing around.
“Aye ye are,” Gael agreed with a smirk.
“Leave off, ye shameless flirt,” Ryanne said, taking a swipe at her sister, who just stepped back out of range. “Declan O’Carroll, this is me mum, Megan Flynn, and me da, James Flynn.”
Her father wasn’t big, being a bit under average height, but he was fit looking in a working man kind of way and his grip was firm and callused when I took his extended hand.
“Thank ye for being there fer my lass,” he said, his eyes holding mine. He looked shaken, while Ryanne’s mother seemed calmer. She, too, held out a hand, studying