curling out from under a red cap with snowmen dancing over it. Hannah had one of his mittened hands in hers.
“Of course I’ll go see her. Just let me get my coat and a medical kit.”
“She’s really sick.” He had a slight, endearing lisp, and big blue eyes. “She coughs and coughs. And her head’s really hot.”
“We’ll get her some medicine. Hi, Fallon, this is Bobby. His mom’s sick.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She doesn’t feel good. She sent me for the doctor.” He stared up at Hannah with those big, blue eyes, a boy no more than six or seven. “You can make her all better. You need to come now.”
Fallon started to put her hand on his shoulder in comfort, but he jerked away, pushed closer to Hannah.
“Where is she?” Fallon asked easily. She stared into his eyes, fascinated she could see neither dark nor light. Just the face of innocence. “My horse is outside. He can get you there very fast.”
“Just Hannah! You need to come now!”
“It’s okay, Bobby. We’ll go now. It’s all right.” She smiled at Fallon, but surely didn’t see her. Not with those blank eyes.
“Sure. Wouldn’t want to get in the way.”
She moved fast, shoved Hannah back, threw power at the boy. He screamed at her, and those blue eyes went black as a crow’s wing.
“The bitch is mine!” With his child’s hand, he tossed a stream of fire at Hannah. Fallon simply caught it, crushed it. When he heaved the next at Fallon, it crashed against the shield she threw up.
“Do you think your power exceeds mine, imp?”
“I want her!” He pounded against the barrier, little fists full of hate. “I want her, I want her! Give her back!”
“Go to hell,” Fallon suggested as she heard the sound of feet running behind her. “Stay back.”
“It’s not fair!” Tantrum tears spurted from those black eyes. “You’re mean, and I’m gonna tell. We’ll kill you all! You’ll burn and burn and burn.”
“I see you now. I see the dark in you.”
“It’ll eat you up. Chomp, chomp, chomp.” On a scream of laughter, he tried to flash, then looked wildly around when he stayed in place.
To Fallon’s astonishment, he dropped down to kick his feet, beat his fists in the air. “You’re a mean girl, mean, mean, mean. I wanna go home! Let me out, you shitty-head.”
“Christ, what a brat. You’re not going anywhere, so calm the hell down. Who sent you?”
Temper stained his face an ugly red, tears turned it blotchy. But those black eyes gleamed into Fallon’s as he rolled into a crouch.
A little spider, she thought, poisonous for all its size.
“The Princess of the Dark has a message for you. Eat this, Cousin!”
He gathered himself, pulling, pulling power, sucking it in as he might suck in air to blow. Even as Fallon warned, “Don’t,” he unleashed a flood of fire.
She saw his face, the shock and fear on his face, before the flames struck the barrier, flew back, and consumed him.
“Oh my God.” Rachel, still kneeling beside a shaken Hannah, scrambled up.
“No.” Fallon gripped her arm. “He’s gone. There’s nothing you can do.”
“He—he was just a child.”
“Age doesn’t change it. He was a Dark Uncanny cloaked in innocence.”
“There’s nothing left, not even ash.”
“Hellfire doesn’t leave ash. You’ll want white sage, salt, a cleansing ritual.” Digging for calm, she turned away, helped Hannah to her feet. “I’m sorry I knocked you back so hard. I had to get you clear.”
“What happened? What was that?”
“What do you remember?”
“I…” She pressed a hand to her temple. “I was just finished with an exam. I heard my name. Somebody calling me, and there was a little boy, crying, then … nothing.”
Hannah pressed her fingers to her temples as if to push out the rest. “I don’t remember anything. I was on the floor, and he—that thing—was screaming.”
“He had you in a trance. He had power, and skill, despite his age. He wanted you to go with him. He told you his mother was sick in bed, needed a doctor.”
“I— Yes, I think. It’s foggy. He was going to kill me.”
“I don’t think so. I think he was sent to take you to her. To Petra. A bargaining chip.”
“To get to Duncan and Tonia, to you, but absolutely to them.” The shock and confusion on her face shifted, instantly, to cold rage. “That little bastard.”
“How did he get through security?” Rachel demanded.
“I think that’s why she sent a child. Small enough to slip through the security posts, and