“She’s fine.”
“And you—” His hands are on my shoulders. His mouth is over mine.
“I’m fine,” I say, while he kisses me.
Crowley, if this is what it takes to keep Simon in my arms—gunshots and Quiet Zones and high-speed chases—I’m here for it. I’ll swear to it. I’ve found my vocation.
He pulls away, petting my hair down. “Baz…”
“Simon?”
“You smell like a dead merwolf.”
SIMON
Worse than that.
“Like goblin intestines,” I say.
“How do you even know what a goblin’s—”
“Lowerintestines.” I cover my nose with my hand. “Eight snakes, Baz!”
“I know, all right?” Baz shoves at my shoulder. “I have enhanced senses.”
“It’s making me cry,” I say. “I can taste it.”
“You can get off me, Snow. Nothing’s stopping you.”
“No, I’m fine. I’m good.”
Wild horses couldn’t drag me.
30
PENELOPE
My magic comes back in an hour. I’ve been murmuring spells to myself since we got back on the road—tapping my ring on my leg. Suddenly a“Clean as a whistle!”takes hold and scrapes along my skin and scalp, scrubbing me clean. I’ve got my hand at the Normal’s throat before the spell’s done.
He flinches, but that’s it. I think he was expecting this. “I guess we’re out of the Quiet Zone,” he says.
I push my thumb into his throat.“Is this a dagger which I see before me!”
A pocketknife falls out of his jacket, but the Normal doesn’t twitch or glow.
I try another spell to reveal his intentions—“True colours!”
The Normal glows a little purple, and I’m almost disappointed. Blue is safe, red is danger, but purple is the most common outcome—almost everyone wantssomethingfrom you.
I hear Baz casting spells in the back of the truck. Making us hard to see, making us hard to follow. Deep magic. He’s probably already exhausted.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” the Normal says. “Or expose you.”
“You expose us by looking at us and knowing what we are!”
“I couldhelpyou.” He’s remarkably calm. “I could show you—”
“You pushed us away from our magic and straight into a trap!”
