Page 99 of Midnight Auto Parts

“Anunit couldn’t harm your physical body. That’s why Aretha couldn’t treat you.” He clamped down on his words then he gathered himself to try again. “Anunit rent yoursoul.”

“Oh,” I exhaled on a whisper as the implications sank in.

“No one has survived an attack. We assumed she became tangible, made her kill, then returned to her intangible state. Anunit shouldn’t have been able to touch you, let alone harm you.”

“I cast my soul inside the ward,” I reminded him gently. “She’s a soul too.”

“She has a connection with you,” he countered. “I don’t like it.”

“That part is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”

Attention fixed on the road, he made a gesture off to his side that puzzled me until Badb landed on me. I would have grumbled at her choice of turning my head into a perch, but she was disgruntled from what I assumed was Kierce hushing her while he focused on the task before him.

With quiet descending around us, I did as I should have already done and texted Carter.

>Can you meet us at the commune?

>With your best witches?

>>Give me thirty to round them up, and we’ll head that way.

The next five minutes of texting solidified our plan of action. Plan A, anyway. Kierce and I were Plan B.

As soon as he and I figured out a Plan B. Or was I on to Plan C now? Like the days, the letters blurred.

Practice had done Kierce good as he pulled into a parking spot beside the restrooms without a problem.

“I’m impressed.” I meant to lean over and kiss his cheek, but a hiss parted my lips. “Owwie.”

“Wait there.” He circled the cart and lifted me into his arms. “I’m sorry in advance.”

Looping my arms behind his neck, I smothered my wince. “For...?”

With me tucked against his chest, he approached the fence. Muscles coiling, he exhaled softly then leapt the gate. He landed hard, jarring my teeth and igniting a twinge in my chest, but we made it in one piece. As soon as he checked me over, he set me down, allowing me to choose my own recharging point.

Between the two, Bonaventure Landing had more space, so we stepped over the rope onto the grass. Sweat dampened my palms, reminding me I broke rules in Bonaventure often, but I did it after everyone had left for the day.

“Hey.” I rubbed my fingers together. “That reminds me. The sock dirt? It came from Bonaventure?”

“From Elmo.” A faint smile played across his lips. “He was closer.”

“And it worked?”

“In a pinch,” he said, after a brief deliberation. “Straight from the source is best.”

“Huh.” I considered how that might work, Elmo being a god tree and all. “Good to know.”

With Elmo a finite resource, I would avoid using him to replenish myself except in emergencies.

“I’ll stand watch.” Kierce remained just this side of the rope fence. “You can do this.”

With his endorsement ringing in my ears, I located a promising patch of bare earth, for fear I would harm any nearby vegetation, and sat with my legs folded under me. I rested my palms on the dirt, letting the grit anchor me.

Nervous energy spurred me into the hymn Kierce had taught me, and he joined in after the chorus, helping slow me down. Energies had tickled my fingertips on contact, but they stung asour voices drew magic up into me. The faint burn settled into a comfortable warmth as it spread through me, healing me, and my heart kicked up a notch as the surge of strength hit my bloodstream like adrenaline.

This was nothing like cleansing the polluted area around Ankou’s tree. This was different from the first time I fed on Bonaventure soil too. This far in, nestled among the graves, felt like a hot cup of cocoa on a cold night or a fuzzy blanket in winter. This was a roaring fire while it sleeted outside. This feltright.

That intangible quality that had been tender dulled to a twinge and then to blessed nothingness.

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