“Uh… I don’t know,” I said. “A house? Maybe?”
“Do you haveanydescriptions? Anything to help me find you?” I could hear the desperation in his voice.
“Wendy,” I said, looking at the girl. “You’ve been here longer. Do you have any clue where we are?”
She shook her head. “It was dark when they brought me.”
“Anything at all, sweet girl. Think hard,” I said, putting a hand to her cheek.
She pulled her lower lip into her mouth, brow furrowing. After a few seconds, she said, “There aren’tanywindows. Even though it’s set up to look like a house, there aren’t any windows anywhere. It also smells kindagrossout in the hallways.”
“Gross how?” Declan asked through my earpiece, having heard her words.
“What did it smell like?” I said.
“I don’t know. Like old wet sneakers or something, but not that strong? I guess.”
I nodded. “She says it smells sort of mildewy. Did you catch that?”
“I heard,” Declan said, and I thought I could hear the sound of squealing tires through the tiny speaker. “Do you know if Virgil has any relatives? Anyone he cares about?”
The question sent a shiver up my spine. I’d told Wendy Declan would do anything to save us, now I wonderedexactlyhow far he’d go.
“I remember him mentioning an older brother. Percival Tacitus. The whole family has weird names. His brother lives in Chicago, but his parents live in Canada.”
“Got it. Listen, Veronica, I need you to?—”
Beep-beep-beep
“Low battery. Goodbye,”an electronic female voice said in my ear.
“Shit!” I cried, yanking the earpiece out.
I couldn’t be too angry. If Virgil and his men had been more careful and less reliant on magic, they would have checked me for human tech, and I never would have hadanychance to speak to Declan.
“Are we still gonna be okay?” Wendy asked, staring at the now useless earpiece.
“We’ll be just fine,” I said. “Trust me, you don’t fuck with Declan McClintoc.”
“Watch your language,” Wendy said.
We both burst out laughing. It felt good. Plus, either we laughed or we cried, and I’d be damned if I let Virgil Tacitus make me cryonemore tear.
19
DECLAN
“Veronica?Veronica?”I shouted, desperate to be heard as my car squealed around a corner.
The earpiece gave an electronic chime and signal the battery had died.
“Fuck!” I ripped it from my ear and tossed it on the passenger seat.
The temple was nearly an hour’s drive from the safe house due to traffic. I’d done my best to skirt the worst of it, including gunning the car down alleyways, heedless of the danger. If a cop wanted to chase me down, then good luck to them.
Gritting my teeth, I yanked the wheel hard at the next intersection, my back end drifting around, and my tires screaming while I cut off two other cars. Horns blared at me, but I rocketed down the street so fast the noise died away before I even registered it.
I slammed on the brakes when I reached the house and cut the engine, leaping from the car. She was no longer here, but I had to see. I had toknow.
