magic, but I was good at paying attention to details, like whether I caught a whiff of the burnt-blackberry and blood smell of him. My cell rang again.
“Yes?”
“Ninth floor where?” Zay asked.
“I’m in surgery and admissions. By the windows. You?”
“Almost there. Anything?”
“No. Davy’s going to the warehouse, I think. I need to tell you about the job with Stotts.”
“I see you.”
I turned. Sure enough, Zayvion Jones was striding my way, wearing that ratty blue ski coat and a dark blue ski beanie. He didn’t look particularly concerned as he tucked his cell into his pocket, didn’t look like a guy who could throw around enough magic to tear a city apart, raise the dead, and pull the heavens to the earth. Didn’t look like he was on the hunt for a creature that had murdered, destroyed, broken the boundaries between life and death. Didn’t look like a killer.
But he was all those things. And he was mine.
I hung up and strolled over to him. “We headed out?”
“What happened?” he asked.
I frowned. I’d just gone through all that. “Oh. My face?” I shrugged. “A spell kicked back on me.”
He took a breath and looked like he wanted to tear something apart. The little girl stopped spinning and ran over to sit with her mother. Kids. They have great instincts.
“Just a burn?” he asked.
“It doesn’t feel too bad. A little tight, like a sunburn.” I decided not to tell him I’d also been bleeding. No need for the man to go ballistic and make the little girl cry.
“My car’s outside,” he said.
“So’s Davy’s,” I said.
“We’ll leave his car here. Should be fine overnight.” He started toward the elevators and I followed. “Think you can do the elevator?”
Crap. No, I very much did not think I could do the elevator. But that wouldn’t stop me. “Oh, I’ve been looking forward to it, thanks for asking.”
He gave me a sideways glance, and wisely said no more. The elevator door opened, and an orderly maneuvered a patient in a wheelchair out, leaving the elevator empty.
Zay stood behind me. Probably blocking me from running away. Damn.
I took a deep breath, held it, and stepped in. Zay moved behind me like my shadow. I recited my “Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack” jingle, trying to calm the screaming in my brain. There wasn’t enough room—it was too hot, too full, too small. Any minute the ceiling would slam down into me, crush me. I couldn’t breathe.
“Breathe,” Zayvion said. “Allie. Breathe.”
Oh. No wonder why it felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was holding my breath. I exhaled, but it didn’t do anything to stop the panic. I inhaled too quickly, sucking in more panic than air, and the sound of my gasp only made things worse. I was going to die. Crushed. Smothered, suffocated.
In a damn elevator.
Zay took one step closer to me and a tight whine slipped out between my teeth.
“Don’t,” I squeaked, “don’t, oh, sweethellsplease don’t.” If he got any closer, I’d run out of air. I’d freaking snap and scream my fool head off, then pound my way through those walls and into fresh air.
He didn’t step closer. He reached out and pressed his fingertips down on my shoulder. Mint, cool, soothing, and familiar, washed through me. I didn’t think Grounding was going to do anything for panic.
But my shoulders lowered away from my ears, I unclenched my jaw, and I managed to swallow that kicked-puppy whimper coming out of my mouth.
The bell pinged, and I waited an eternity, two, three. Then finally, finally, the doors opened.
I was out of there faster than a sprinter on fire. I didn’t look where I was going. I didn’t care. Away was all I wanted. Far away. And my feet were plenty happy to oblige.
I jogged only about ten steps before logic kicked back in, and I stopped.
Zay was still near the elevator, his hands loose at his sides. The casual observer wouldn’t notice it, but I trained with him. I knew when he held his wrist at that angle, he was half a thought away from casting a whole lot of magic.
I stuck my hands in my pockets and started back toward him, blowing my breath out in a thin stream to try to stop the ringing in my ears.
“The car?” I asked, all dignified like I hadn’t just been running away like a scared little girl.
“That way.” He tipped his head to indicate the parking structure behind him.