Page 167 of The Demon's Spell

“My car’s just down there.” Verla pointed to a nearby alley. “We can’t stay a moment longer. You’ll have to lean on your good leg, and I’ll help you walk.”

Everly nodded, but she winced as Verla helped her stand. Nadine was worse for wear than I was. I put an arm around her and helped her up. We hobbled behind Verla to her car. The four of us climbed in, and Nadine sagged against me in the back seat as Verla drove us to her house.

The thick trees shielded us from the road, and we emerged from the car unseen. The front door burst open, and a woman raced outside. A black cat hurried behind her.

“Nadine!” Helena cried. Verla must’ve told her what happened. Tears rose to Helena’s eyes as she took in Nadine’s bruises under the porch light. Cornelius meowed at her feet. “I’ll get the tea on. I know a potent healing brew.”

I’d never been inside Verla’s house before, but it reminded me a lot of the school, with red carpet and black furniture. Relief flooded through me when I saw Grant and Talia curled under a blanket on the couch, asleep.

Grant stirred. When he saw us, he sat straight upright, waking Talia. “Goddess, you’re alive!”

Talia scrambled to her feet. “We had no idea what happened to you! Miles and Mandy, Chloe and Onyx—everyone—they’re on lockdown at the school. The Executors won’t let them leave. We weren’t sure you’d made it!”

“Lucas and I will be fine,” Nadine said gently. “It’s Everly who needs help.”

All eyes turned to Everly’s bloody leg.

“How can I help?” Talia asked immediately.

“Help me get Everly to the bedroom,” Verla said. “It’s just down here.”

Grant hurried to help support Everly. “I take it we have no allies at the hospital?”

Verla shook her head. “After what happened tonight, I’m not risking it. I can set the bone, but I’ll need help.”

Verla stripped off her coat and hung her purse on a hook next to the door. The three of them helped Everly to the bedroom. Helena came back with our tea and a few ice packs, then rushed to help brew a potent painkiller for Everly.

Nadine and I were in no condition to help. I led her over to the sofa in front of the fireplace. She snuggled into me to warm up. I pressed my ice pack to my shoulder, but Nadine just hugged her ice pack to her chest with one hand and held her teacup in the other. She stared into the flickering flames, like she was some other place entirely.

“Where does it hurt the most?” I asked her.

“My knee,” she said, without taking her eyes off the fire.

I took the ice pack off her chest and pressed it to her knee. She offered a kind smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes.

“Drink your tea,” I encouraged. “It will help.”

Neither of us said anything as we sipped our tea and watched the fire. We could hear voices coming from down the hall, but I never once heard Everly scream. Whatever Helena had brewed for her must’ve knocked her out. I kept throwing glances out the window, expecting to see flaming torches through the trees as the mob returned to finish us off. I saw nothing but darkness.

The more tea I drank, the more my heartbeat began to slow. I set my cup and saucer aside when I’d finished, and at some point, I must’ve drifted off.

It couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes before I awoke again. I sat slumped on the sofa with a blanket over me. My cup and saucer were gone, and so was Nadine. Grant and Talia were curled up together in a big chair and were asleep again. I heard voices coming from the kitchen.

Curiously, I stood and followed the sound. I stopped in the doorway when I saw that Nadine was all right. She sat at the table as Verla cleaned up the herbs and medical supplies. Her cat, Odin, followed her around the kitchen. Helena must’ve been down the hall tending to Everly.

“For the first time, I don’t know what to do,” Nadine admitted.

“We keep fighting,” Verla said simply.

Nadine dropped her head. “What if that’s not the answer? I’m afraid we’re too angry to see the solution.”

Verla paused and turned to Nadine. “Anger is not a weakness. Your strength lies in what you do with it. Anger has its place. It will drive you to ignite change.”

“What if we’ve ignited a fire we can no longer put out?” Nadine asked.

Verla drew a deep breath. “So we adapt. We must leave town and head to the safe house tonight.”

“The safe house?” Nadine asked. “But William—”

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