Page 92 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
Emerson and Jacob are supposed to sit and wave and maybe toss out some candy to kids. But as ever, Emerson can’t help herself.She’s on her feet in no time, walking next to the float, then stopping at every group of witches that gets a pamphlet to talkto them.
I watch her, and more importantly, the witches’ reactions to her. She makes eye contact, she grasps hands, she holds all thebabies and makes a fuss over all the little kids. It’s verypolitics,maybe, but there’s a genuine light that shines out of Emerson when she does these things.
Even dressed up like Victorian Mrs. Claus.
I can hear her voice, certain and sure. “Think of all the things that have changed in the past year, all the things that we’velearned have been hidden from us. Is that how we want to go on? Hiding from thetruth? We saved St. Cyprian from the flood and the dark magic in the confluence bynotdoing that.”
The way she saysweclearly makes people think they were included. Like they were part of everything we did. I expect someone to point that out,but they don’t. The fact she wants to include them clearly wins some people over.
The Joywood—whose float is right in front of ours—are scowling. Rotting and scowling. Though I still think only we can seeit. Every once in a while, I see Felicia wave a hand, and some of the pamphlets go flying, or spontaneously combust.
But not many.
They just don’t have the all-encompassing power now that we’ve been voted in. They’re dwindling in numbers. They’re literallylosing body parts.
Yet I have absolutely no doubt they’re planning something. Something Carol-centered, maybe. Knowing them, something devastating.
I just wish I knewwhat.
The parade finishes up, though Emerson is still doing her thing. The rest of us mill about at the end of the parade route,waiting for her to be done. Jacob is talking with some of the volunteers who are dealing with breaking down the float itself.Zander is making noise about getting Ellowyn off her feet, even though she was sitting the whole time and is looking as ifshe’d like him to sit down and shut up for a change.
I find it comforting that their spiky dynamic remains unchanged at its heart, despite the fact they let themselves show theaffectionate part too these days.
I sigh happily and absolutely do not think about Azrael. Mostly because I hear a bird making an ungodly racket somewhere near me. I turn, searching for the sound. I expect to see everyone else turning to look too, but I seem to be the only one who hears it.
Just like that haunting music from the river—
But then my eyes land on the perpetrator.
And I know this is nothing like that melody.
A smaller black bird is standing in a narrow alley, almost perfectly framed by the sunshine and shadow.
Is it a crow? Like in the book?
I can’t tell, but one thing Icantell is that it has violet eyes.
Just like that damned book cover.
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Ellowyn is closest to me, so I reach out, grab the sleeve of her cloak, and tug.
She turns her head toward me. “Wh— Oh, shit.” She immediately reaches for Zander’s hand. “Remember that dream I told you aboutfrom All Souls’ Day?”
“Not real— Oh,shit,” he says when he catches sight of the violet-eyed raven. “Yeah, I remember.”
“I think we need to follow him,” I say, not taking my eyes off the bird as he hops once, then twice, each time moving deeperinto the shadows of the alley. “Can you get everyone?”
“On it,” Zander says, then disappears.
I take a step forward, but I’m still holding on to Ellowyn’s cloak, so I don’t get far.
“Georgie...” she says in warning.
“We can’t lose him.” I know this the way I know that Azrael is wrong to stay away from me. I take another step, and Ellowynsteps with me. “Do you remember anything else from your dream?”
“He was just there and... Well...” It isn’t like Ellowyn to trail off and get quiet, so I risk taking my eyes off the bird andlook at her. She makes a face. “I’m just not entirely sure thebirdpart was a dream. I’m pretty sure I woke up from the dream and he was in the window.”
