Artemis sighed.YOU’RE STILL HOLDING BACK.
I ignored her the best I could and checked Ronnie’s injuries. His face was bruised and bloody, and he favored his left leg when he walked. His shirt was torn, revealing more bruising and swelling along the ribs. “Anything broken or bleeding?”
“I don’t think so,” he said. “What happened at the Gauntlet? Where’s Temple? Is he—”
“He’s alive but down for now.” I sheathed my sword and took my bow and arrow back from Annette.
“Welcome back, Hunter,” she said dryly.
“Shut up.”
“Ms. Winter?” Ronnie sounded more uncomfortable than I’d ever heard him. “While they were holding me, I got to thinking. I had an idea. It’s a bad idea, but...”
“Go on,” I said.
“If Alex sacrifices this place, it’s game over. End of the world.” He swallowed and asked, “What happens if we destroy it first?”
My fingers twitched toward my sword. This was ourhome. “What?”
He hunched his shoulders and looked away. “Alex can’t sacrifice something that’s already dead, right?”
Annette raised an eyebrow. “And how exactly would you suggest we destroy Second Life Books and Gifts? Your little katana wouldn’t even scratch the paint.”
Ronnie opened the van’s passenger door. After digging through the glove box, he pulled out a four-foot-long olive-green pipe that couldn’t possibly have fit in there. “This is the Kensington Family Rocket Launcher.”
Annette looked at the rocket launcher, then at her Bowie knife, then back at the rocket launcher. I’d never seen her look simultaneously annoyed and envious before.
“No,” I said.
“Itwouldstop him, though,” Ronnie pressed. “Wouldn’t it?”
My fists clenched. “Maybe.”
“My grandson is in that house,” said Annette.
“And even if we got Morgan and Sage out, destroying this place would probably kill Temple.”
Ronnie tried again, displaying impressive determination and a complete lack of self-preservation. “Wouldn’t he rather die knowing the worldwasn’tgoing to end?”
Annette folded her arms. “Keep pushing, and I’m going to stow that rocket launcher somewhere very uncomfortable.”
There had to be a better way. “Hold on to the rocket launcher in case another shoggoth shows up, but blowing up our house is alastresort.” I started toward the door. “You two stay with Temple while I try to take Alex down.”
“Bullshit,” said Annette. “I tried going after Alex alone, and you saw what happened.”
“I love you, but you’re no Hunter of Artemis,” I said. “I’m the one he hates. And I know him better than anyone.”
“That was more than thirty years ago,” Annette argued. “People change. They grow up and get jobs and have midlife crises and sprout tentacles.”
“It’s my nightmare we’re trying to stop.” Ronnie slung the rocket launcher over his arm. “I deserve to be part of this.”
I considered punching them both out and leaving them with Temple. From the set of Annette’s jaw and the way the corner of her mouth rose, she knew exactly what I was thinking. Just like she knew I’d never be able to make myself do it.
I threw up my hands in exasperation and headed for the front door.
The air on the porch stank of blood and otherworldly death, like someone had taken the stench of the shoggoth-infected kids and mixed it with gunpowder and partially clotted blood.
The door swung open before I could touch it.
