swarm followed the falling man. He crashed onto the pavement of the parking lot and lay still. The swarm spun about him and folded in on itself, blanketing him, a shining blanket of green mottled with red and yellow . . . I had seen this before, in a documentary on piranhas. They were devouring him.
I turned. Alessandro sat on the edge of the roof. Jocelyn slumped next to him, whispering, her eyes wild.
I ran up to them. His magic would wear off in about a minute. I had to hurry.
“It’s gone,” Jocelyn babbled. “My magic is gone.”
“She’s all yours,” Alessandro said.
I crouched by the older woman and swiped away the blood that was leaking into my eyes from a gash on my head. “Jocelyn,” I sang out. The world turned dim for a second. The last reserves of my magic emptied. If I took any more, I would pass out.
Her eyes widened. She stared at me.
“Where is Halle Etterson?” I asked her, keeping my voice gentle.
She strained, trying to fight me. Her will was strong, but mine was stronger.
“Magdalene has her.”
“Who is Magdalene?”
She shut her eyes tight.
“Don’t you want to tell me?”
She nodded like a child.
“It would make me so happy if you told me.”
Tears glistened in her eyes and slid over her cheeks. “I can’t. I’m trying, I’m really trying.”
“What’s her last name?”
Jocelyn bit into her lower lip. Blood ran down her chin. She would tell me if she could. Someone had hexed her. A mental mage, probably a Significant or a Prime, had placed a powerful compulsion in her mind that prevented her from speaking about Magdalene. Getting around the hex would take time and preparation and we didn’t have either. She wanted to tell me, she was desperate to tell me, but if I pushed any harder, her mind would break, and we would be left with nothing.
I switched gears. “Who killed Sigourney?”
She opened her eyes, relieved. “I don’t know. It went through Benedict.”
“Why was she killed?”
“She was supposed to do a job, but the dumb bitch backed away. You don’t ever do that.”
“Who was the target?” I asked.
“Linus Duncan.”
The name landed like a brick. Linus Duncan, former Speaker of the House Assembly, which had made him the most powerful man in Texas. Crossing him was fatal. He had also witnessed the formation of House Baylor. His name was written into the Book of Records next to my sister’s request for our family to be recognized as a House.
Rage sparked in Jocelyn’s eyes. Her magic stabbed me. Raw, primal fear burst inside me and exploded into panic. My vision blurred at the edges. A sharp metal taste coated my tongue. Every instinct I had screamed. I had to run away. I had to run away now or terrible things would happen. I scrambled back, away from her, trying to get to my feet. The fear whipped me into a frenzy. I had to run as fast as I could . . .
Alessandro grasped Jocelyn’s head and twisted. There was a dry crunch. Jocelyn’s head lolled to the side, her eyes blank.
Alessandro got up, stepped over her and held out his hand. His amber eyes were so warm and kind. “Catalina, come here.”
No! Danger! Go, go, run fast!
But it was Alessandro. I swayed, not knowing what to do. My whole body shook. The world was dancing, and its leaping made me dizzy.
“It’s okay.” Alessandro smiled, his voice so soothing. “Hold still. I’ll come to you.”
He moved toward me slowly, smiling and holding his hand out.
The last shreds of panic melted. The jittery blur in my peripheral vision dissipated. A long drop down to the parking lot yawned in front of me. I was standing on the edge of the building, balancing on my toes. I froze.
“Take my hand,” Alessandro said. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”
I reached out. His hand gripped mine, his strong dry fingers hot on my skin. He pulled me back from the edge and hugged me to him. “I have you. It’s over. It’s over, angelo mio.”
The heat of his body shocked me. I was still shaking, so I wrapped my arms around him. He was pure muscle, hard and strong, and when he hugged me to him, the world slowed and stopped spinning, steadying with Alessandro as its axis. I shut my eyes. He was murmuring things to me, comforting, soothing things, his arms shielding me, his hand stroking my back, and I wrapped myself in his strength.