point. C’mon in.”
Alyce stayed with her haunches pressed back against Sidney. She could still kick him out of the way. But she had told him she trusted him. She couldn’t run forever.
Even though running, kicking, and not trusting had kept her alive this long.
Sidney flattened his hand over her spine in a soothing caress and ducked in beside her. His big body crowded her across the seat. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”
He pulled the door shut behind him, and Alyce’s ears rang from the compression. The space was so small, she had nowhere to go. Sidney reached for a strap on the other wall, and now he was pulling it toward her, reminding her of themen in the hospital who had bound her to the bed and wheeled her down the halls. Now the carriage was moving, moving, toward what …
“Alyce? Alyce, what’s wrong?”
She half crawled into his lap to avoid the gray snake of the strap. Her breath hitched and caught, then raced away without her. “Don’t. Do not tie me.”
“It’s just a seat belt,” Sidney said.
“Westerbrook,” Sera said with unruffled calm, “she’s immortal. I think we can skip the seat belt, hmm?”
He opened his mouth as if he might object; then he let go of the strap. It recoiled with a hiss. “Right.”
The vibrations of the car racked her. No, she was shivering.
Sidney settled his arm across her shoulders. “You don’t even notice the cold.”
“I’m not cold.” And still she shivered.
Sera exchanged glances with the devil-man beside her; then she smiled at Alyce. “It’s a little crazy, isn’t it?”
“I was never crazy.” Her voice shattered across three octaves, and the lowest rocked the carriage until the metal around them squealed.
Archer clamped both hands on the wheel in front of him. “Now who’s scaring her?”
Sidney tucked her closer under his arm. “Everybody be quiet for a second.”
The motion of the car still rattled her teeth, but the weight of Sidney’s arm seemed to press the fear out of her. Finally the car caught up with her runaway breath, and she let out a tired sigh.
Sidney stroked her hair. “Okay now?”
“Tell me again—what is ‘okay’?”
“Less loose cannon.”
She nodded against his shoulder. It was his bandaged arm, but he didn’t seem to notice.
From that shelter, she was able to look up at Archer and Sera. “Sidney said you are possessed by devils.”
Sera slanted a look at Sidney, then nodded. “We call them teshuva.”
“Sidney has given them so many names: malice, ferales, salambes, djinn.”
“Those are different,” Sera said. “You’re like us.”
Could she ever be as poised as the woman in front of her? Alyce shook her head.
“There’s so much we want to tell you, and even more we want to ask you,” Sera continued. “That’s why I said it’s … overwhelming.”
“Crazy,” Alyce whispered.
“Just because we don’t understand something right away does not mean it’s a danger,” Sidney said. His tone was instructive, as if he stood at a lectern, but his narrowed gaze on Archer held more meaning than his words.
Archer stared back at her in the small mirror above his head. “Although what we don’t know can kill us before we figure it out.”
Alyce met his eyes. “Sidney says I mustn’t kill anyone.”
“Well, isn’t that thoughtful of him.”
Sera elbowed Archer. “We promised them lunch. It’s not far to Therese’s.”
Sidney stiffened. “The diner at the pier? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean danger.” The pitch of Archer’s voice was mocking.
“I am hungry,” Alyce offered. “I haven’t been to the pier since the fair.”
Sera gave her an encouraging look. “The art fair this summer? It was fun, wasn’t it? Lots of fried food and not too many tenebrae to fry in return.”
Alyce shook her head. “They called it the World Fair.”
Sidney’s arm over her shoulder twitched. “The World Fair? That
Alyce stayed with her haunches pressed back against Sidney. She could still kick him out of the way. But she had told him she trusted him. She couldn’t run forever.
Even though running, kicking, and not trusting had kept her alive this long.
Sidney flattened his hand over her spine in a soothing caress and ducked in beside her. His big body crowded her across the seat. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”
He pulled the door shut behind him, and Alyce’s ears rang from the compression. The space was so small, she had nowhere to go. Sidney reached for a strap on the other wall, and now he was pulling it toward her, reminding her of themen in the hospital who had bound her to the bed and wheeled her down the halls. Now the carriage was moving, moving, toward what …
“Alyce? Alyce, what’s wrong?”
She half crawled into his lap to avoid the gray snake of the strap. Her breath hitched and caught, then raced away without her. “Don’t. Do not tie me.”
“It’s just a seat belt,” Sidney said.
“Westerbrook,” Sera said with unruffled calm, “she’s immortal. I think we can skip the seat belt, hmm?”
He opened his mouth as if he might object; then he let go of the strap. It recoiled with a hiss. “Right.”
The vibrations of the car racked her. No, she was shivering.
Sidney settled his arm across her shoulders. “You don’t even notice the cold.”
“I’m not cold.” And still she shivered.
Sera exchanged glances with the devil-man beside her; then she smiled at Alyce. “It’s a little crazy, isn’t it?”
“I was never crazy.” Her voice shattered across three octaves, and the lowest rocked the carriage until the metal around them squealed.
Archer clamped both hands on the wheel in front of him. “Now who’s scaring her?”
Sidney tucked her closer under his arm. “Everybody be quiet for a second.”
The motion of the car still rattled her teeth, but the weight of Sidney’s arm seemed to press the fear out of her. Finally the car caught up with her runaway breath, and she let out a tired sigh.
Sidney stroked her hair. “Okay now?”
“Tell me again—what is ‘okay’?”
“Less loose cannon.”
She nodded against his shoulder. It was his bandaged arm, but he didn’t seem to notice.
From that shelter, she was able to look up at Archer and Sera. “Sidney said you are possessed by devils.”
Sera slanted a look at Sidney, then nodded. “We call them teshuva.”
“Sidney has given them so many names: malice, ferales, salambes, djinn.”
“Those are different,” Sera said. “You’re like us.”
Could she ever be as poised as the woman in front of her? Alyce shook her head.
“There’s so much we want to tell you, and even more we want to ask you,” Sera continued. “That’s why I said it’s … overwhelming.”
“Crazy,” Alyce whispered.
“Just because we don’t understand something right away does not mean it’s a danger,” Sidney said. His tone was instructive, as if he stood at a lectern, but his narrowed gaze on Archer held more meaning than his words.
Archer stared back at her in the small mirror above his head. “Although what we don’t know can kill us before we figure it out.”
Alyce met his eyes. “Sidney says I mustn’t kill anyone.”
“Well, isn’t that thoughtful of him.”
Sera elbowed Archer. “We promised them lunch. It’s not far to Therese’s.”
Sidney stiffened. “The diner at the pier? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean danger.” The pitch of Archer’s voice was mocking.
“I am hungry,” Alyce offered. “I haven’t been to the pier since the fair.”
Sera gave her an encouraging look. “The art fair this summer? It was fun, wasn’t it? Lots of fried food and not too many tenebrae to fry in return.”
Alyce shook her head. “They called it the World Fair.”
Sidney’s arm over her shoulder twitched. “The World Fair? That
Similar Books
