Page 29 of Amber Gambler

“I work in a body shop that specializes in classics, so no. I’ve seen worse restored to pristine condition.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” He strapped in. “She needs a lot of love.”

“Forget love.” I rubbed the fingers on my right hand together. “She needs time and money.”

Harrow made a thoughtful sound then tapped the fuzzy dice hanging from my rearview mirror until the faint grape scent permeated the air. “Where’s your crow?”

Foreboding spread through my chest, twisting my heart into a corkscrew, and I omitted bits of the truth.

“Grounded.” I kept my eyes from roving up the stairs. “She stole something and won’t give it back.”

Fingers drumming his thigh, he stared out the windshield. “Anything important?”

“No.” I smoothed my expression. “It’s the principle of the thing.” I cut my eyes toward him. “How’s Carter?”

“She’s keeping down cheddar puffs, so she’s on the mend.”

Five minutes later, before Harrow circled back around to Kierce via Badb, we reached the location I had pinned earlier. As soon as I got the lay of the land, I knew where to look. Johnny hadn’t been off much in his estimation. I parked in front of the Thai restaurant and checked with Harrow. “Are you coming?”

“It would defeat the purpose of not letting you go alone if I let you go alone.”

“Smartass.” I got out, and he joined me. We only had to walk a dozen yards to reach a culvert. There was no sign of a spirit, however, so I decided to check the bank. As soon as I stepped over the silver guardrail, the water below me rippled as if skating puddle flies crisscrossed its surface. “Harrow?”

“You okay?” He rested a hand on my shoulder from behind me. “Do you see her?”

Hoping this was happening for both of us, I urged him on. “Look down there.”

“The water’s churning.” He crossed the guardrail to stand beside me. “Do you think there’s a drain?”

“No idea.” I watched for a while longer. “I haven’t paid much attention to the culvert system.”

Uncertain if this was paranormal or normal activity, I leaned over the concrete lip.

Milky-white hands shot from the water, clutched me around the throat, and dragged me in with a murky splash. The clamp of those icy fingers prevented me from calling out for help, but Harrow had been right beside me. He would come for me. I just had to stay alive that long.

“Necromancer,” a silky female voice ripe with youth and brimming with hatred filled my ears.

Vision swimming with black dots, I clawed at her fingers, trying to pry them off me, but she was stronger. Giving up on my neck, I kicked and punched her, hoping she would loosen her hold, but the creature had locked on to me in a death grip.

Debris kept me from seeing more than an inch in front of my face, but I knew the culvert wasn’t deep. I shouldn’t have been sinking this long. I should have touched down by now and been able to kick off the silty bottom toward the surface. That I hadn’t—and couldn’t—meant her magic had entrapped me.

Bubbles slid past my lips, tickling my eyelashes, and darkness teased the edges of my mind.

No Harrow. No hope of freeing myself. No reason to even try.

That last bit must have been the asphyxiation talking.

I had two reasons. Two people who meant everything to me. Who would never give up on me, so I refused to give up on myself.

Gurgling and thrashing, I fought harder than ever, my lungs burning with the need for oxygen.

For one shining moment, I thought I had done it, but that was probably also the asphyxiation talking.

As my lids drifted lower, the creature pressed her nose to mine, ensuring I saw her porcelain features as she smiled with black teeth stained with algae.

“Frankie.”

Certain I was hearing things, I traced the curves of his name with my lips.Kierce?

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