That didn’t mean we had cornered our prey. The coven tended to keep their properties defended with active wards whether they were home or not, but I had yet to crack a ward that didn’t yield some fruit.
The outermost ward tingled over my skin as I walked through it, its subtle push telling me I should go. It would be effective on humans or the unwary, but I expected it, and I didn’t let it bother me.
The second ring gave me a harder nudge back than I anticipated, and the warning jumped to a higher threat level than usual so early on. That was both promising and annoying.
The third ring smacked me in the face, and my ears popped when I bulled my way through it.
The fourth struck fast, right on three’s heels, almost knocking me unconscious when I blundered into it.
“I can’t get past this alone,” I told Ambrose. “I need your help.”
Puffing out his chest, the shadow snapped out a crisp salute then began searching for the anchor.
While he scoured the areas I couldn’t access, I glanced over my shoulder to find the others trapped in the second ward ring, unable to get closer until it fell. All my backup was yards away, and it might as well have been miles for their inability to reach me.
A sizzling jolt struck me in the chest, and I blamed Ambrose until the quiet in my head convinced me he wasn’t at fault. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t see him anywhere. And as the throb eased, I couldn’t feel him either.
That was…not good.
“Ambrose?” I pressed my hands against the barrier in front of me. “Ambrose?”
A wisp of blackness hissed and crackled as it passed through the ward in front of me to stand by my side.
“Can you bring it down?” My darker half didn’t look so hot. “Or do we need a Plan B?”
The shadow rallied and pointed a finger at a glass Coke bottle positioned near the employee entrance but shook his head, indicating he couldn’t reach it to devour it.
What he had done for me when I needed it most gave me an idea.
Probably a very bad one.
“Take from me.” I ignored the tremble in my voice. “Get to that anchor and destroy it.”
The bond between us had never flowed only one way. That had been the greatest danger of it, that he could feed on me, weaken me, and take over my body. But I had gained enough experience that—with help from Linus’s tattooed bindings—I could prevent Ambrose from siphoning off me.
This was the first time I’d offered myself to him freely, and it was frankly terrifying, but he could return the favor after he finished devouring the anchor. The same couldn’t be said if he took from Midas or Ford, and Lisbeth’s humanity made her an impossible food source.
“We’re in this together, right?” I extended my olive branch with care. “I’m trusting you here.”
The shadow reached a tentative hand toward me and stroked my hair. The sensation was peculiar, like a shiver traipsing down my spine or walking through a cobweb. I couldn’t feel him, but I wilted slowly like an ice cream cake left too long in the sun until I puddled on the concrete.
I don’t think I fell, exactly, or maybe I did, and I just couldn’t feel it.
That…also couldn’t be good.
As darkness closed in, I swore I heard voices screaming my name, but I’d probably left the TV on again.
Midas and I really ought to invest in a new couch. This one was hard, the material was rough, and it stank. Its warranty was still in effect. Maybe we could get the manufacturer to send us a replacement. That would be nice.
The sluggish beat of my heart filled my ears with strange music, blotting out the distant cries, and I decided I would take a nap even if the couch wasn’t as comfy as the futon or the bed. I would sleep anywhere as long as Midas…
…was with me.
Eighteen
Oxygen stabbed my chest with the sharpness of a dagger, and I screamed into consciousness.
“You have nothing to fear.”
Gulping huge breaths, I got my lungs going again, and then I attempted to figure out the rest.
“Who…” I gasped out, still struggling, “…are you?”
“I am your shadow self.”
“Ambrose?”
“If you like.”
“How are you talking to me?”
“You stand on the precipice between life and death, and that affords me a certain leeway.”
“What?” I jolted upright. “I’m dying?” I pressed a palm to my chest. “Maybe lead with