longer had my obsidian.
Chapter 24
The Atlanta History Center may have been cleared of ghosts, but we weren’t even a block east before the streets were once again littered with the silent dead. I was terrified of letting even one of them into my head—which didn’t exactly make me a competent driver.
I managed to navigate the rental car a few blocks to the nearest empty parking lot and pulled over, gasping for air. My broken wrist ached from where I’d been clutching the wheel, not even feeling the pain as I drove. Stupid, stupid Lex.
Deep breaths, babe. You can do this.
Tobias whined from the back seat. Shit, I probably reeked of fear. “I’m okay,” I said, though it was hard to catch my breath. I rolled the windows halfway down, letting in the cooler night air and trying to take stock. My cheekbone and wrist hurt like hell, and I hadn’t done my back any favors by vaulting the fence and throwing myself into the seat. I scrabbled for the bottle of ibuprofen I’d left in the rental car and swallowed three of them dry.
It’s okay, babe. You’re okay.
The hell I was. At the end of the parking lot, three men dangled in the air, their legs twitching helplessly as they tried to pull on ropes that were no longer there. The remnants eventually relaxed completely, their bodies hanging limply, and then there was a flicker and the horror show began again.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered, which probably didn’t exactly reassure the nervous werewolf in back.
What could I do? I’d brought along my old obsidian from home, but it was back at the hotel. I needed to call Quinn and Maven and tell them about the spirit bottle bomb, but I wanted to get somewhere safe first. I needed to get Tobias somewhere safe.
Fuck. I hated to drag him back into it, but I didn’t see any other option. Keeping my eyes down, I picked up my cell and called my new pal Cole.
After I’d made the call, I leaned back in my seat, eyes closed again, and concentrated on calming myself down. I didn’t care if Tobias knew I was scared, but Cole barely knew me, and if I seemed incompetent he would likely tell Maven. She’d tell Quinn, or he’d figure it out, and then he would worry . . .
“Slow down,” I told myself out loud. I kept my eyes closed, focused on breathing. My gut—or my witchblood, or whatever—was telling me to get out and lay the remnants. I hated myself for being too scared to do it.
But here we were.
I don’t know how much time passed, but when I was sure I could at least sound calm, I picked up my phone again and called Katia.
She answered on the first ring. “Hello?”
I exhaled. Right. She wouldn’t have this number. “It’s me.”
“Lex! Quinn said you were hurt.”
I glanced at my braced wrist. “It’s nothing. There’s something else I need to ask you, though.”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever heard of a spirit bottle?” There was a long silence. “Katia?”
“I’m thinking,” she replied. “I feel like I heard my mother use that phrase when I was a little girl, but I can’t remember anything about it. I’m sorry. What’s going on?”
I didn’t think I had enough time to fill her in on everything, so I just told her about the explosion at the museum. “You weren’t hurt?” she asked immediately. “Are you safe right now?”
I glanced around the parking lot, trying to focus on the present reality. I had no idea whether this was a safe neighborhood, but I figured the wolf sticking his muzzle out one of the back seat windows would dissuade any would-be muggers. “I’m safe, and I don’t have a scratch on me from the explosion,” I answered. “I think the mahogany obsidian I was wearing absorbed the energy.” I told her about it disintegrating in my hand.
“Quinn told me about that crystal,” she said, her voice a little awed. “It was very powerful.”
I winced. “Yeah, well, so was . . . whatever that thing was.” Katia was the one person I knew who wasn’t put off by my conversations with Sam, so I added, “Sam called it a spirit bottle, but she can’t or won’t answer any questions about it.”
You know I’m not Wikipedia, Allie. Sam’s voice sounded frustrated. There are other ways to get information.
There was another moment of silence from Katia, but this time I understood that she was