The cashier nodded. “Yes. Yes. I saw a spiral. And I saw… other things. Terrible things.”
“Like what?” Nick asked gently.
“I saw a burned forest and a… a grave. I don’t think it was a real grave. It felt like smoke.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry I can’t help more. It knew you, though. Whatever it was, it knew you.”
“No, you did great.” Nick looked down. “Parker, we’re going to have to call Laurel. I don’t have enough magic to do this on my own.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Parker blinked at him,and the two coffee shop employees seemed confused.
“What?” Parker said, finally, his eyes shifting, as though he was looking at some other plane Nick couldn’t see.
“The spellwork is more intense than I thought,” Nick said. “It’s more than I can do on my own.”
For a second, Parker blinked, but then he glanced at the two employees and tugged Nick to the side. The storage room was small, too small for much more than a few shelves on the walls and a small set of lockers for employees.
Parker’s lips tightened as he examined Nick’s face. Then he said, “Let’s go.”
Nick didn’t complain as Parker dragged him out of the coffee shop. He knew he needed to go back, provide any first aid the cashier needed. He should call the captain, let him know what had happened. He should…
Nick’s vision swam, and the next thing he knew, he was in the back seat of his car, slumped over. Parker was crouching on the asphalt in front of him and saying his name over and over.
“I’m fine,” Nick said.
Parker shot him a harsh look. “ThisisFreaky Friday, and I amnotokay that I’ve now turned into the mom who has to be cranky about everything. You donotget to be the one who overextends yourself magically and ends up almost dying.”
Then Parker was leaning over him, buckling the seat belt and muttering to himself as he fished Nick’s keys out of his pocket. Parker closed the door gently and got in the driver’s seat. He was on his phone, bringing it up to his ear, even as he adjusted the rearview mirror so he could look at Nick, his eyes going soft.
“Zahide. Listen, Nick and I have discovered a way to disable the parasite without blowing anyone up. We helped an employee at Busy Bee Coffee on Gonzaga Road. Can you head over and check her out?” Parker listened for a second. “Yeah, we’re persona non grata right now, and with our luck, that means we’ll be called back in soon, but I’m taking Nick to Laurel. He depleted his magic.”
Parker winced and made a face in the mirror. Nick didn’t need to be on the phone to hear that Parker was bearing the brunt of Zahide’s unhappiness.
“He didn’t mean to. Yeah. Thanks.” Parker took the phone away from his ear, and he looked down at it, typing something out before starting the car.
“Zahide’s mad?” Nick said.
“Don’t worry about Zahide. Worry aboutme, your equally mad husband,” Parker snapped. “You said you could do this, no problem.”
“I thought I could,” Nick said. “I overestimated my abilities.”
“You think?” Parker turned at the next light, looking at him directly. “Two special ops–trained magic users take days to set up these circles, and Nicholas King, ofthoseKings, thinks that he’s better than black ops alchemists?”
“Well, yeah,” Nick admitted.
“I mean, I assumed you were, too, so I guess both of us get to be wrong here.” Parker looked in the mirror again before pressing the accelerator. “We aren’t doing that again if it’s going to hurt you.”
“Yeah,” Nick agreed.
“Okay,” Parker said.
Nick closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat, and when they got to Laurel’s cafe, Parker had to shake him awake. Laurel opened the door for them, rushing them inside to a table filled with food.
She shoved a smoothie into Nick’s hands. “That first.”
Nick didn’t bother arguing, just took long drinks of the smoothie until his head stopped spinning, the ringing in his ears going away.
Then he sat and ate while both Laurel and Parker loomed over him threateningly. When he slowed down after the first plate, Parker leaned forward.
