Black Magic Sanction

'I'm not a demon,' I slurred. 'And I can't jump a line. Where are we?'

'University,' he said shortly, lifting me back up again. 'Philosophy building.'

Oh, that's nice. 'Gun,' I reminded him, but he was irate, clearly wanting to leave it behind. That was when the pop of displaced air shocked through us.

Al, I thought in panic, but the sudden beating of wings told me it was Bis. And if Bis were here, then Pierce wasn't far behind. 'Hey!' I yelped when Lee dropped me again and I fell at his feet in a pile. 'Damn it, will you stop doing that!'

'Step away from the lady!' Pierce said as I pushed myself upright against the wall.

'Ow, ow, ow,' I hissed, holding my elbow as it vibrated all the way to my skull. My hair flew wildly as Bis's leathery wings shifted the air. 'Rachel!' Bis shouted. 'Are you okay?'

Lee looked shocked by the sight of a cat-size gargoyle coming at us. I got one good breath, and then my head hit the cinder-block wall when Bis landed on my shoulder and shock echoed through me. Stars shimmered at the edge of my sight, and suddenly every line in Cincinnati was singing in my head. Oh God, I'm going to spew. 'Off,' I whimpered, trying to get my fingers between my neck and his tail wrapped around me. 'Bis, get off. Please.'

Babbling apologies, the young gargoyle jumped to the carpet. I took a clean breath, but then my eyes widened. 'Lee, no!' I shouted, seeing him standing between Pierce and me. His hands were dripping black, and with a shout, he flung the curse at him.

Shirttails swinging, Pierce drew a line in the air, and a sheet of green fell before him to block the blast. The forces hit in a silent, colorful concussion, and then the film was gone, having absorbed the energy and run back to the ever-after where it had come from.

'Lee, he's with me. He's with me!' I shouted, but no one was listening. 'Stop fighting. Both of you!' But it was too late. His expression dark, Pierce spoke three words of Latin, shaking the air and making Lee's jaw drop.

'Sweet Jesus!' Brooke shouted from the doorway, and I saw her dart back inside.

Gun. Where's my gun? I need to shoot someone. I looked, then started crawling for it, glad my hands were working again. Lee and Pierce were going to kill each other!

There was a boom of sound, and Lee fell to one knee. He looked up, smiling, his hair falling into his eyes. I think he was enjoying this. A bubble had enveloped both of us, and under its protection, a shimmering sparkle of purple and black cascaded around us. Then the bubble was gone, and Lee was standing again. An admiring whistle came from him. 'Not bad,' he said, grinning. 'Can you do it twice?'

'I'll allow that I'd not be wanting to make a fist with you,' Pierce said. 'Step from Ms. Morgan, or I'll be obliged to beat you soundly, sir.'

'Stop. Stop!' I shouted from the floor, waving my gun as I found it. 'Pierce, Lee's helping me. It's Brooke you need to worry about! Brooke, not Lee!'

Pierce hesitated, his fist glowing black. 'The mongrel dog summoned you,' he stated, blue eyes unsure.

'Brooke made him do it!' I said, and Pierce turned to Lee. Lee had his own dripping ball, and at his grin, the glow went out of Pierce's hand. 'You're of a mind to help Rachel?'

'Got you, you bitch,' Brooke whispered.

'Hey!' I jerked my foot as a sharp pain stabbed through my lower leg. Bis flew up in a flurry of wings. Damn it, she'd gotten me again!

Lee's face became grim. Making a decision, he flung the black goo he'd made for Pierce at Brooke. My focus blurred, but I heard her scream. It ceased with a frightening suddenness as a purple-tinged sheet covered her. She convulsed, then was still.

I didn't feel so good. Eyes crossing, I started to collapse. A warm hand caught me, and everything shifted as I slumped into Pierce. I couldn't open my eyes, but I knew it was him because I could smell coal dust and shoe polish. 'I thought you were a ruffian,' I heard him say, then I groaned as he stood and the world spun.

'I am,' Lee said, amused, 'but Rachel is the better bet this spin of the wheel. Do you have a car?'

'There are cars at the curb,' he said guardedly. 'Can you drive? Rachel is of a mind that I'm no good at it.'

'Like a pixy drunk on h-honey,' I stammered.

There was a whimper from the huddled pile by the cart, and Lee's eyes narrowed. 'Next time, ask for my help!' he said loudly. 'You won't get it, but at least you won't piss me off!'

Oh good. Brooke was still alive. My fingers searched blindly, finding Pierce's neck. ' 'Bout time you got here,' I slurred, lost again in the haze of whatever drug I was on. My eyes opened, and I tried to slap his face, but it barely touched him, and I giggled. 'Gun. Where's my gun? We have to take Lee with us.'

'You have my apology, sir,' Pierce said, his voice stiff as he hoisted me higher.

'Gun,' I murmured. 'I want my gun, damn it!' There was a soft breath of air, and it dropped in my lap. 'Thanks, Bis,' I slurred. 'Toot, toot! Train leaving!'

The arms around me stiffened. 'Rachel?'

'Brooke drugged her,' Lee said. 'I suggest the stairs.' There was a slight hesitation, and then we started to move. The smell of burnt carpet intruded, then vanished.

'That was a devilishly fine ward,' Pierce said, and I looked up at the ceiling as the lights passed over me, seeing Bis in flashes as he crawled along the ceiling as fast as we could walk. Smiling, I patted Pierce's stub-bled cheek, amazed by how I couldn't feel his face no matter how hard I smacked it.

'I like your hat, Pierce,' I said, trying to focus.

The sound of people in the hallway started to become obvious the higher we went. The fire alarm was still hooting, and the building was clearing out. I giggled as I jostled in Pierce's arms. Damn it, there was nothing funny, but I couldn't stop.

Above me, Pierce looked worriedly at Lee. 'Are you sure she's all right?'

'She's absolutely fine,' Lee said, and I snorted as we followed the excited students up the last stairway.

I perked up when we spilled out the small side door and into the dark. Noise hit me, and flashing lights. Three firefighters lumbered to us, faceless behind air packs and face shields.

'Downstairs!' Lee shouted. 'They're four people downstairs, unconscious! Some witch knocked them all out! She's crazy!'

'Ambulance is over there,' one said, pointing, and he was gone, darting through the door as another student came out. Four more guys in orange lumbered past, their breath hissing through air hoses and looking like monsters in the night. A crowd had gathered, and fending off their help, Pierce made for the lamplit street, still carrying me.

'There,' he said, looking at the unattended fire marshal's car, running at the curb.

'You've got to be kidding,' Lee said, looking unsure.

Pierce fumbled for the back door, and I shrieked as we fell in, me somehow ending up on Pierce's lap. His hat fell, and I managed to pick it up off the floor, putting it on my head. 'You said you could drive. Let's pull foot!' Pierce said, fending me off as my mouth kept going, unable to stop singing, 'Lookie, I'm Pierce,' over and over again.

'Can we please go!' Pierce said, panic edging into his voice. 'Rachel is not well.'

'You got that right.' Lee looked at the distant lights flashing blue and red in the dark, and the marshal standing with his back to us, trying to calm down some guy wearing tweed and having too many lattes in him.

'Steal the fire marshal's car,' he said, yanking up the handle and getting in behind the wheel. 'Why the hell not? Can't you shut her up!'

'No,' Pierce said, voice mournful as we jerked into motion and I squealed in delight. 'More is the pity. Drive fast.'

Seventeen

'Ivy!' Pierce shouted, and I made pftttt noises at the pixies as they darted in and out of my focus as I reclined in Pierce's arms. 'Some help! '

'Pierce?' I heard faintly, and then the sudden scent of vampiric incense and coffee pulled through me like a