Early to Death, Early to Rise - Kim Harrison [2]
My back was pressed against the car we were hiding behind. Beside me, Josh looked worried. “It’s Officer Levy. Do you think she saw us?” I whispered. Just freaking great, I was already on the woman’s radar. She had tailed me speeding to the hospital when Nakita had almost killed Josh two weeks ago. Yup, she’d smited him, but only halfway. I wouldn’t call the two of them friends, but at least Nakita wasn’t trying to kill Josh anymore.
Crouched before me, Nakita started to rise. “I’ll smack her.”
“No!” both Barnabas and I shouted, tugging her back down.
Josh was peeping through the windows. “She’s gone.”
Son of a dead puppy. How am I supposed to save some guy’s life if I can’t even sneak out of the high school’s parking lot? I’d told the seraphs that if I could talk to him—the mark—he would make a better choice and he wouldn’t have to die to save his soul. This was likely my best chance to prove that my ideas could work. I didn’t want to lose my opportunity by getting to the party too late. And I wasn’t going to blow it all to dust because I was sitting in detention—and then my room after my dad found out.
My fingers encircled my amulet, and my worry grew stronger. I should be able to stop time using the black stone at its center, go invisible, and do all sorts of things, but the last time I tried some experimentation, I had nearly destroyed myself. But if I didn’t do something…
Barnabas put his hand around mine, both of us holding the shiny black stone that kept me looking alive, and I turned to him, blinking in surprise. “I’ll take care of this,” he said, compassion in his deep brown eyes.
My lips parted, and I nodded. I didn’t have to do this alone. He and Nakita were here to help until I could do things myself. Seeing my gratitude, he smiled, and his hand slipped from mine as he stood.
“You?” Nakita barked as she stood, too. “If anyone is doing any smiting, it will be me!”
Josh sighed. “There they go again.”
Barnabas’s expression became peeved, but his eyes went wide as he focused behind her. A dry clearing of a throat shocked through me, and I stood when I saw Officer Levy with her hands still on her hips and disappointment in her expression.
“Isn’t it a little early for a field trip?” she asked. She looked too young to be a cop, but the no-nonsense slant to her eyes demanded a respect that went beyond her snappy haircut and slim stature.
“Officer Levy!” I said, feeling foolish as I brushed off my skirt. It was black, with skulls and crossbones on the hem. It matched my shoelaces. And with the black tights, the outfit was out there, but all me. “Wow, it’s good to see you again. I didn’t know you were assigned here,” I said.
My voice died, and no one said anything while she looked at each of us in turn.
“Ah, we were getting something out of Josh’s truck,” I lied, looking at it two aisles away—two aisles and six hours away. Crap.
Her eyebrows were high, and she took her hands from her waist. “Josh, Madison…and you two are…?” she asked.
“Barney,” Barnabas said, not looking up as his eyes silvered. He’d given her the name I used when I was mad at him, which told me he was ticked at himself.
“And you, young lady?”
“Nakita,” the dark reaper said boldly as she fingered her amulet as if preparing to use it.
“She’s my sister,” Barnabas said, pulling her close in what Officer Levy would think was a sideways hug but what I knew was an admonishment for her to behave herself. Trouble was, they both thought they were top dog, and it only made things worse when she shoved him off her. “We’re transfer students from Denmark,” he added, and I looked at him in surprise.
I thought it was Norway….“They’re staying with me,” I added.
Officer Levy seemed to relax, apparently satisfied with our downcast expressions. “You’re going to be on probation if you pull this again,” she said, dropping back and gesturing toward the school. “Inside. All of you. I’m not going to bust your chops the first day of school. Let’s go,” she said