Page 101 of Amber Gambler

Acid flooded my mouth when I registered the door was standing wide open.

Ethereal moans and shrieks spiked my ears, roaring at me, but I struggled through the onslaught.

“I’ve got her.” Carter stood in the center of the room with a limp Josie in her arms. “She’s okay.”

“What happened here?” I snagged Josie’s wrist and checked her pulse. “What’s wrong with her?”

“There’s Ambien on the nightstand.” Carter jerked her chin toward the bottle. “She’s out cold.”

“Damn it, Mary.” I wanted to scream in Josie’s face. “We told you to quit taking them.”

“I’m getting her out of here.” Carter wasn’t asking. “I’ll take her to my place then circle back for you.”

“Your place?” I clung to Josie to hold Carter still. “Where is that?”

“I’ll text you the address.” She stalked past me. “AfterI have her in bed and get Aretha to sit with her.”

“Aretha?” I shot in front of her. “She’s Harrow’s friend.”

“She’s also a damn fine med-witch with a sterling reputation.”

“Fine.” I forced myself to step aside. “If you trust her, I trust you.”

“Plus, I’ll rip her fucking throat out if she hurts Josie.”

Done waiting for my permission, Carter hit the elevator, leaving Kierce and me to our own devices.

There were definite upsides to being friends with a redcap, but I wasn’t sure having one look at my sister the way Carter had been—like she would drown the world in blood for her—was one of them.

On my way back to Kierce, I took out my phone and dialed Harrow.

No surprise, he didn’t answer. He would be lucky if the voicemail I left him didn’t vaporize his ear canals. He better hope I got Matty back in the same shape as when I left him, or Iwould punch my fist through the wall of Harrow’s chest, set his soul on fire, then smear the ashes on my face like war paint to warn off the next person who targeted what was mine.

Stalking to the other room, I returned to find Kierce murmuring softly to Badb. “What do we do for her?”

“She’s dying,” he said matter-of-factly. “Her lungs were punctured when Harrow broke her ribs.”

There was no doubt in his mind then. That Harrow was capable of this. Such violence.

“Kierce.” I dropped down beside him and slid my arm around his waist. “I’m so sorry.”

“As am I.” He caressed her head with a fingertip. “It’s not forever.”

With him, I couldn’t be sure he meant that figuratively or literally. “Death?”

“Yes.” His sadness belied his words. “It comes for us all.” He smiled sadly. “Eventually.”

A chill spread through me for no reason I could pinpoint, but inspiration shivered outward next.

“I wish I could make her a psychopomp for you.” I gave him the best deal I had to offer. “I could bind her soul to her body for a few weeks. Let you say your goodbyes on your own time.”

“I won’t put her through that.” He hunched over her still form. “It would be selfish of me.”

“Not if she wants it.” I rubbed his back. “You’re in the unique position of being able to ask her.”

Their eyes met and held as they communicated wordlessly.

Memories of the past few weeks, Badb curled up in her cat bed at my feet, bombarded me until my eyes stung. She had saved my life dropping that leaf into the culvert. She…

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