The bullet hit the wall of magic, harder than iron, and as indestructible as the wind.

  Floyd’s eyes widened. “No.” He fired again.

  Ears ringing from the shots, I pushed myself to my feet, wand pointed at Floyd’s heart. “Algiz.”

  Magical ropes pulled Floyd’s arms to his side. He dropped the gun as he struggled with them, but he was human, and the ropes weren’t something he could escape that easily. The more he struggled, the more ropes I added, until he was tussled up like a mummy.

  A gust of wind knocked him to the ground and solidified into Wayne. Three heavy punches later, Floyd was unconscious. Wayne knocked his head into the ground one more time and got to his feet, disgust evident in his face. “How badly are you hurt?”

  “Not that—” The spell around CJ tugged at me. I fed it more power, but even with everything Jamie had given me, I was running low. The evening plan hadn’t included my former boss trying to murder me.

  The air around CJ shone with pure, golden light. Not a trace of the blood magic or any of the other spells remained. Dampening my magical vision, a human form solidified inside the spell. Not the between creature CJ had been trapped as, but a completely human body. I stopped the flow of power into the spell and dispersed everything but the spell holding him in place.

  “Kelsey, can you look at me?”

  “Hmm? Yes.” I turned away from CJ, lightheaded from the magic output.

  Harris reached for me but hesitated. His shirt and pants were torn and slightly bloody. “How badly are you injured?”

  My ears ached, as did my gut. The rest of me would be one big bruise in the morning. “I’ll be fine.” I switched my vision and checked him over. The charm had worked, and he was free of any blood magic. Good. One less thing that needed a spell.

  “Can you take down the wall of magic?”

  “Oh, sure.” With a flick of my wand, the spell shattered, a trickle of magic coming back to me and the rest going into the earth.

  Wayne looked me over from head to toe and nodded. “How long will the ropes on Floyd last?”

  “A few hours.”

  “Can you let me through the spell around CJ so I can cuff him?”

  “I’d have to take the spell down completely.”

  He thought for a moment. “Can you maintain it a little longer?”

  “Sure.” It had the power it needed and wouldn’t drain more from me unless it needed to last past dawn.

  While he carefully guided me around Floyd and the evidence littering the ground, I realized I wasn’t processing well. The emotions I should’ve felt were gone. I was empty inside, and if nothing else, there should’ve been fear.

  Wayne found more flashlights in the car and handed one to me.

  “Shouldn’t we be calling this in?” Distantly, I knew that was the right thing to do.

  “Yes, but we have a TBI problem. I told Smith and the chain of command what we were doing. They notified locals. Between the TBI and the local police, someone told Floyd, but how did he get here?”

  “He didn’t fly.”

  Wayne nodded. “Exactly. Where’s his car?”

  When we’d come in, the road had split, part of it heading in this direction and the rest going to the other part of the park. We hadn’t searched it because we were trying to be stealthy. Nothing like going through an entire park and forcing people to leave to cause a ruckus that could’ve scared away CJ.

  “And we’re doing this search on foot?”

  “Do you want to call this in without finding his car?”

  “No, but...” I sighed. “Fine, but it’s your ass if things go wrong here or when the case is reviewed.”

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  “Fine. Do you still have your gun?” He asked.

  My fingers brushed the butt of my gun. “Yup. I should’ve used it before.”

  “You survived. That’s the important part.” He started walking.

  I took two jogging steps and dropped to a walk. He had a good point, but Smith might not feel the same way when he reviewed my actions.

  Thinking increasingly unkind thoughts about Floyd, I swept my flashlight across the road. We followed the split and found a parking lot not too far down. Its sole occupant: a car with Nashville Police in big letters on the side.

  I traded my wand for my gun.

  Wayne motioned for me to stop, then pointed to himself and the car.

  Signaling my agreement, I got into place to back him up.

  He approached the car without making a sound, not even kicking a stray rock. Maybe it was military training, or maybe he floated as only a sylph could. In one quick motion, he pulled the door open.

  The interior light came on. An officer sat in the driver’s seat with his head leaning oddly. It took a moment for my brain to catch up. It wasn’t a shadow across his neck, but a deep slice. His front was covered in a dark wash of blood.

  Wayne checked the back seat and closed the car.

  We both stood there for a moment. I holstered my gun. Today we’d been trying to save lives, including those of our fellow law enforcement officers.

  “Not our fault,” Wayne said.

  I shivered. “Maybe not, but it was done to get to me.”

  “And for this, Floyd will see the inside of President Eldrin’s gut.”

  “It doesn’t seem like enough. It doesn’t seem like justice.” I shivered again.

  “It never does.” Wayne sounded tired. “Come on. We have to call this in, and you’re going into shock.”

  “Am no—” My next shiver interrupted my words.

  Wane gently turned me away from the car and started us back to Floyd and CJ. From there, he was a marvel of efficiency. I took down the spell around CJ, who was out cold. After cuffing him, Wayne carried him into the back seat of our car.

  Floyd, well, I adjusted the spells so Wayne could add cuffs in addition to the magical bindings. Under the flashlight, his nose was at an angle, no doubt a token from Wayne’s fists. We left him on the pavement.

  Only minutes after our call to Smith, police started pouring in. It took ten minutes for the ambulance to show up. They wrapped me up in a blanket and complained that I needed to go to the hospital. I didn’t want to leave, and Wayne wanted me there while things were sorted out.

  Nash somehow made it to the scene only twenty minutes after the call. He stopped by on his way to the dead officer. “I hear it was a close call.”

  “Closer than I would’ve liked.” I shivered as I remembered watching the muzzle flash, sure that was the end of me.

  He moved stiffly as he offered me his hand. The light spilling out from the ambulance showed the concern in his green eyes.

  I eased my hand out from the blanket. The moment his fingers touched mine, the pain went from teeth-clenchingly bad to manageable.

  “Pain block, not healing.” He let go and moved back as the paramedics eyed him suspiciously. “I’ll see you around, Pine.”

  ***

  I had well and truly lost track of time before all the necessary evidence was collected from me, never mind all the reports and the like. Even though Wayne had gone through the same things, he didn’t seem nearly as affected, which was why he was yet again behind the wheel of my car and driving me home.

  “Don’t get used to this.” It would’ve sounded fierce if I weren’t huddled under a blanket and covered in ointment and bandages, not just on my face. Turns out jackets don’t entirely prevent road rash.

  He smiled slightly. “Because you’re a strong, independent woman?”

  “Damn right. It’s my car, and I’m not a child.”

  “No but you’ve had a bad night, and responsible adults don’t drive when they can’t do so safely.” He turned into my driveway.

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t grateful. I said don’t get used to it,” I said, grumpily.

  He chuckled and parked the car. “When you’ve done this a few dozen times, you’ll weather it better.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Or more accurately, the situations that would give me his fortitude. How many times had he looked at a gun and wondered if today was the end?

  He dropped the car keys in my hand and got out. He came around the car and bowed as he opened the door.

  Thanks to Nash’s pain block, getting up didn’t hurt too much. Behind Wayne, I spotted Randolf coming around the corner of the house. I waved at him while Wayne collected my things.

  “I smell blood.”

  “Things didn’t go as planned.” Not for me or that poor dead officer.

  “So I see.” His gaze lingered on the bandage on my cheek.

  The car door closed. Wayne joined us, my purse hanging off one of his shoulders and my backpack on the other. “She doesn’t come back into work until Wednesday. Doctor and Smith’s orders. R and R.”

  “And the miscreant?”

  “We got the werewolf. He was still unconscious when they took him to the hospital. I’d like to talk to him tomorrow, but I hear I’ll have to wait until Wednesday.” That annoyed me more than a little.

  Wayne tipped his head toward Randolf. “If you’ll excuse us, I need to get her settled so she can start resting and get back to work.”

  Randolf flashed his fangs when he smiled. “Kelsey, I like him.”

  I just sighed.

  “Shall we?” Randolf offered me his arm. “The lad is burdened with your things.”

  What could I say? “Thank you.”

  The three of us went up to my apartment, where Randolf settled me on the couch. “Is there anyone you want me to call? Your parents?”

  “No. I have a date with my bed, and then I’ll give them a call.” Or the couch. Then I wouldn’t have to get up again.

  “Kelsey, I’ll be in touch Monday. Rest.” Wayne pointed to his phone. “If you need anything.”

  “I’ll call.”

  “Good.” He turned to Randolf. “Thank you for the help, sir.”

  Randolf looked at him for a moment. “How are you getting home?”

  “A cab.”

  “Nonsense. I’ll take you.”

  I wanted to protest but couldn’t figure out how. The two of them wished me well, and as the door closed behind them, I heard Wayne ask if I’d always been so determined.

  I didn’t hear the answer.