“No. I can’t sense any magical threat in the vicinity,” Nadine said.
Jono tightened his arms around Patrick as a motorcycle roared up beside the SUV, its driver and passenger both clad in black Kevlar-lined leather clothes and helmets with reflective face covers. The woman had a grenade launcher resting on her shoulder, red runes carved into the metal body of the weapon. Jono figured it wasn’t a standard-issued kind of weapon.
Nadine hit a button to roll down her window a little bit. “I think we’re in the clear, but keep an eye out. We’ll follow you.”
The driver nodded his head, the helmet bobbing up and down, before the motorcycle tore off again. Nadine slammed her foot down on the gas pedal and maneuvered the SUV around the crater.
“Are we taking Patrick to a hospital?” Marek asked.
“We can’t risk it.”
“Then I’ll call Victoria to help him. She’s a healer. Just tell me where she should meet us.”
“Ginnungagap.”
“Are you serious?” Jono growled.
Nadine glanced back at him in the rearview mirror. “You got a better idea?”
He didn’t.
The drive back to Manhattan was taken up by Jono’s worry for Patrick. Despite the foil blanket retaining his body heat to share it with Patrick, the younger man’s skin was still cool to the touch. Jono didn’t know anything about magical burnout, but he knew shock was never a good thing for the body. Jono listened to Patrick breathe, but he never woke up. He tucked Patrick’s head under his chin, flattening a hand over the scars on his chest.
Please, Jono thought.Please be all right.
By the time they finally pulled down the small alley next to Ginnungagap, Jono was desperate to get Patrick the care he so obviously needed.
Sage hauled open the side door, still dressed in her bikini from the beach. She looked out of place, but the people walking by on the sidewalk at the mouth of the alleyway ignored them.
“Look-away ward,” Nadine explained as she got out of the SUV. “No one will pay us any attention. Let’s get Patrick inside.”
The rain was still coming down, but Nadine cast a shield over Jono as he got out with Patrick in his arms, the dagger in its sheath dangling from one hand. Water sloughed off the invisible barrier, a kindness he nodded silent thanks for.
The motorcycle riders were already walking inside. Emma caught the door to keep it open, ushering everyone out of the storm. Jono stepped inside, that same chill as before from the other night making his shoulders tighten. Whatever magic was in this building, it wasn’t a comfortable place to be.
Ginnungagap looked different. Most of the trash and debris had been cleared off to one side of the building. Heavy-duty crates were stacked against one cleared-out wall. Lights hanging from extension cords provided much-needed illumination. The place still didn’t look clean, and Jono still wasn’t certain this was the best place to bring Patrick.
The woman took off her motorcycle helmet, shaking out her black curls. Jono was unsurprised to see Carmen had been the one wielding the grenade launcher. Her glamour faded away, revealing the curled horns of her kind and eyes with their red pinprick pupils.
The driver made everyone’s jaw drop except for Nadine’s.
“Tell your Fates I don’t appreciate their methods,” Lucien said, staring at Marek.
“You’re awake,” Emma said faintly, eyes gone wide in her face. “Howare you awake and running around in sunlight? You’re a vampire!”
“Daywalker,” Jono said flatly. “Thought you lot were only legends?”
Jono wanted to punch the mocking smile right off Lucien’s face. “Some stories are true, wolf.”
“We got a witch coming by to check over Patrick. You can’t be here when she arrives,” Nadine said to Lucien.
Lucien slanted her a hard look. “You forget your place.”
“I don’t have time to argue, Lucien. We’re two days away from summer solstice, that wasZachary Myersyou tried to execute, and we need Patrick able to fight. The government doesn’t know you’re here and I’d like to keep rumors to a minimum. So please let us stay here, and just hide when the witch comes around so she doesn’t see you.”
Lucien’s expression seemed carved from stone, and Jono wondered if they’d have to go back out into the storm. He didn’t trust this building and the power it seemed to hold. Every instinct he had was yelling that it wasn’tsafe, but right now, Ginnungagap was their only hope to stay hidden, according to Nadine.
Patrick seemed to trust her. Jono supposed he’d have to trust Nadine as well, but he wasn’t letting Patrick out of his sight.
