Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

            “Trent?” Jenks guessed, and I shook my head.

            “Vivian,” I answered, and the pixy’s wings went still. Vivian, though, wasn’t answering, and I sighed when her voice told me to leave a message.

            “Hi, Vivian.” I decided to take the stairs. Less chance of dropping her call. Probably. “Ah, I had an issue at the festival,” I said as I yanked the door open and started up. “I might be a few minutes late. Um, I’m really sorry about this,” I added, my voice echoing. As busy as I was, she had a tighter schedule than me. “Go ahead and order the BLT for me. Trent won’t be joining us, but I’ll have Jenks. I’ll call if we’re going to be any later than a few minutes.”

            “Yeah, she won’t mind waiting,” Jenks said, and I felt myself warm.

            “Not a word,” I said as I closed my phone out and pushed the fire door open. But my quick pace faltered when two big orderlies ran past, almost knocking me into the wall.

            “Close that bay door!” Doyle shouted from the undead’s emergency drop-off, and I bolted forward. “Get down! Get down!”

            Son of a pup, I thought, remembering the number of Weres lurking in the emergency waiting room. “Move!” I shouted, pulling heavily on the ley line as I shoved through the fleeing people. Alarms were going off, and I tripped, barely catching myself before hitting the floor. Jenks took to the air, and, flustered, I staggered forward.

            A group of ragtag Weres was rolling Parker across the huge underground garage to the steep exit ramp. The rain had finally quit, and the sun pouring in through the opening was almost blinding as the wet pavement scattered the light. I squinted, trying to see. Doyle was picking himself up off the pavement, but three other I.S. agents were down and not moving.

            “They got a van outside!” Jenks shrilled, and I ran forward. “She’s getting away!”

            “Not this time,” I whispered, and, pulling hard on the lines, I imagined an enormous protection circle, one that would encase the fleeing Weres. “Rhombus!” I exclaimed, setting the rim of it just in front of Parker.

            The Weres ran right into it, yelping in fear. Parker’s chair tipped, spilling the shrieking Were onto the pavement. One of her ankles was still strapped to the chair, and she fought to be free of it.

            “Hey! You!” I shouted as I let the circle drop, and both Doyle and Parker turned, one in hope, the other, hate.

            “Stay out of it, Morgan!” Doyle yelled, gesturing for me to retreat, but I stomped forward, intent on bringing the grinning woman in. She was absolutely crazy, shoving at the people trying to uncuff her, nothing but the thin fabric of a hospital gown between her and the filthy pavement.

            But my expression emptied and I slid to a halt when the woman raised her arm, aiming her shaking fist at me. “She’s got a ring!” Jenks shrilled.

            “In articulo mortis!” Parker shouted, and I dove to the side as a green bolt shot from the ring on her Jupiter finger. For one glorious moment I thought she had missed, but as I hit the ground, a sharp pain cramped my foot.

            “No!” I exclaimed, butt on the cold concrete as I panicked, staring at the green haze enveloping my foot. But I hadn’t fallen unconscious, and I sat there, not believing it as the spell spent itself and the captive mystics found release.

            “In articulo mortis!” Parker shouted again, and I jerked, my skin tingling as another bolt of green shot from her to thump into an advancing I.S. agent. He went down, not even shaking.

            I looked at my tingling foot, pulse hammering. Clearly the second ring worked, so why hadn’t it worked on me?

            It’s because I’m holding its twin, I thought as my side cramped with cold and I took out the old ring, my hand shaking. Oh, you’re in trouble now. Rhombus, I added as I put the ring on and stood, filled with a new purpose.

            And then I freaked as my circle didn’t form. I slid to a frightened halt, scrambling for cover as Parker laughed and took out two more I.S. agents. I felt betrayed—the ley line was gone—and then I realized what had happened. It wasn’t the ring or Parker’s spell. My first, multiple-story circle had tripped the hospital’s security system.

            “Jenks, I got no line!” I shouted as I yanked my bag around to find my splat gun. The charms were earth-magic based, not ley line. They’d still work. That I couldn’t be downed by that damn ring had given me strength. The mage must have tricked someone into making a new ring. Clearly the rescuing Weres must have given it to Parker, as Doyle would have had her searched, naked or not. That someone had died making it made me feel sick.