sleeve that might help,” she said, her smile returning.
“On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to be there. Stick me with whichever cop is going to be following you or protecting you.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“What time are you heading out?”
“I’m going into the O.B.’s office at five, where they are supposed to have a fat suit for me as well as some maternity clothes. From there, I’m supposed to walk over to the hospital for an ‘appointment,’ ” she explained, making air quotes with her fingers. “After that, I’m to walk six blocks to a grocery store known for its dimly lit parking lot.”
“They’re going to make a pregnant woman walk six blocks in the cold? Heartless,” I joked, though the thought of her route was making me ill. Even without the threat of a serial killer, this wasn’t the best neighborhood that she was trudging through.
“Ha. Ha,” she said blandly. “We’re hoping that the killer took advantage of an opportunity rather than stalked these specific women. Otherwise, we’re shit out of luck.”
“True. What about backup?”
“There will be an unmarked car following and additional backup at the three-block mark in the alley as well as at the grocery store.”
“That’s pretty fucking thin,” I complained.
Serah gave a helpless shrug. “I’m not the only one acting as bait.”
My stomach twisted anxiously with guilt. I wasn’t planning to do a damn thing for those other women because I simply couldn’t. Anything I attempted would give away the fact that I was a warlock. Of course that raised the sticky question of whether protecting my secret was more important than protecting the lives of these women. I hated ethical quandaries. If the world found out my secret, I lost my value to the Ivory Towers and I was dead. Of course, if the world found out, it’s likely the world would rush to kill me or use me against the Towers.
For half a second, I thought about contacting Gideon to see if I could get him to help, but I knew what the answer was going to be—NO. Two warlocks couldn’t save the world. But then I didn’t want to save the world. I just wanted to save a few women in Low Town.
“Where do you want me to meet up with the cop following you?”
Serah frowned at me, not looking the least bit pleased that I was going to be tagging along. I was sure this ex-cop just saw me as a potential liability and someone who was only going to get in the way. That was a possibility, but I also had a good shot at keeping her alive.
“I’ll tell him to stop by for you in a few hours,” she finally conceded.
“Thanks.” I swung my feet over the chair and to the floor. “And now I’ve got a little something for you.” Walking over to the counter, I started pulling open drawers, searching for something small; something that could be easily concealed on her person but if found wouldn’t be seen as suspicious.
After coming up empty, a brilliant idea struck me between the eyes. Slipping past her to the glass case at the entrance to the main tattooing room, I reached back into the shelves and pulled out a large mason jar of buttons. I poured out a handful onto the glass counter and sifted through them until I came to a large black button that looked as if it belonged on a winter coat. With my back still turned to her, I said a whisper of words while sketching a design in the air over the button in the palm of my hand.
Once the spell was in place, I turned around and offered her the button with a smile on my face. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
“What is it?” she asked cautiously.
“What does it look like? It’s a button,” I said, still holding it out to her.
“Yeah, but what did you do to it?”
“I put a tracking spell on it.” When she didn’t take it, I grabbed her right hand and laid it in the palm. “Keep it on you at all times and I’ll be able to find you.”
“I don’t need it. I’m going to wear a wire and a wireless device so that I can be heard at all times.”
“Yes, but they won’t know what you’re feeling. I’ll be able to tell if you’re suddenly afraid or panicked due to being unexpectedly attacked. That could give me an extra second or two