The Undead Pool

“The waves have to be stopped,” Trent argued. “It’s going to require the knowledge the demons have to either destroy the vigilante group or get the Goddess to stop thinking about her missing thoughts.”

He was right, but I was afraid—afraid of the look on Al’s face, afraid of how deep the scar went. “I’d rather not,” I said.

Motion fast, Ivy shifted the monitor slightly. “Rachel said it wasn’t a good idea.”

Jenks darted to hover beside Ivy so Trent could see him as well. “She’s got pieces of your elf goddess in her right now, cookie farts, making her aura glow. You think the demons are going to be hearts and roses over that?”

Trent’s face went ashen, and a chill went through me. “No one told me that,” he said quickly, almost getting up, sinking back down in agitation when he remembered he was on camera. “I talked to you last night, and you didn’t tell me that.”

“Well, if you hadn’t brushed me off, maybe I would have,” I muttered, and David exchanged a concerned look with Megan.

“Brushed you off!”

I leaned toward the monitor, hands on the counter beside my knees. “Brushed me off.” I couldn’t help but wonder if this was our first argument, but didn’t you have to be a couple before you could have one of those? He had made his choice—the right choice—and I wasn’t it.

Clearly upset, Trent looked off screen. “You didn’t tell me she was harboring mystics.”

“I didn’t know, Sa’han,” Quen’s voice came faintly. “She appears to be handling it.”

I ignored Ivy’s uncomfortable look. The mystics humming through me made my fingertips tingle. Trent knew I was playing with fire. I had to get these things out of me for good—preferably before anyone in the ever-after saw me with them. There was a chance Al would help. It was thin, but money moved him, and turning me in would put his bank account in jeopardy. Besides, my decision to avoid him was based on fear, and I wouldn’t let fear rule me.

“Rachel,” Trent said tersely, his tone solidifying it.

“I’m fine,” I said, and Jenks’s dust shifted to an unhappy orange. “And the truth of it is, you’re right. With Landon and Ayer dug in like ticks, I won’t ignore the possibility we might not find them in time. As you say, the demons might be our best option. If we can wake up the masters, we will find Landon and Ayer. The vampire violence will stop, too.”

“Rachel, I don’t want you going to the demons,” Trent said, and Edden threw his hands up in the air in disgust.

I looked at him, shocked at the emotion he was showing. Or maybe I was just able to read him better now. “It was your idea.”

“Yes, but that was before I knew you had mystics still in you.”

Choosing to be angry over afraid, I slid from the counter, knees shaking as I crossed the room. Megan pulled back, and even David looked discomfited. “You aren’t here,” I said, hands on my hips as I looked at his image; the little box next to it with my face looked wrong. My God, is my hair really that strung out? “You don’t get a say,” I added. “I’m making cookies, and whoever wants to go with me can go come sundown. End of story.”

“Count me in,” Ivy said, and a new worry surfaced even as I was glad for her help.

“Me too!” Jenks added, making it worse, but honestly, I couldn’t stop them this time—and I needed help. I needed it bad.

“Cookies?” Edden muttered.

Jenks nodded knowingly as he hovered beside Edden. “Al loves cookies. It will buy her at least five minutes.”

“Why sunset?” David asked. “It’s hours from now.”

“Because Jenks can’t be in the ever-after until sundown, and Bis won’t be awake until then,” I said, heart pounding, and the pixy glowed a happy silver. “We can do this. We’ve done it before. And who knows? Maybe Al has a way to get them out of me.” One that didn’t involve a lot of pain, maybe—but I doubted it.

“Rachel . . .” Trent protested, leaning toward the screen, and ticked, I smacked the lid down to end the call, making Ivy jerk.

“Meeting adjourned,” I said, heart pounding. Ivy was staring at me, and I turned to see that David, Edden, and even Megan were wide-eyed and silent.

“What?” I said, wondering why the mystics were all silent or gone. “Edden, if you can find Landon and Ayer before sundown, I’m all ears, but otherwise, I’m going.”

Mass that interprets sound waves, a mystic said importantly, and the knowledge cascaded through the rest, starting a flaming conversation that I was more than ears, and was this insanity or a joke? I felt a hysterical laugh bubbling up, and I choked it off.

I’m going to go nerking futs, I thought, eyes widening as that made it all worse.

“You heard the lady!” Jenks said, dust shifting to an annoyed bronze. “Get going! Find the bastards. It takes me a week to get ever-after stink out of my clothes.”

Edden brightened, eager to use the demon card and get back to normal. “That’s it, then?”