Free Something Deadly This Way Comes by Kim Harrison Page B

until I took the step up. Nakita saw the black wings through my eyes, and panic iced both of us at the memory of the pain of being eaten alive. I held my amulet tighter. Black wings couldn’t see me as long as I was wearing it. I was safe. I was safe, damn it! But it was hard to walk under them.
    I’m coming! Nakita exclaimed, and the double vision vanished.
    I took a deep breath, snapping myself out of the almost-trance. Barnabas was holding my elbow. Turning at the noise behind us, I blanched. Stopped cars were everywhere. Good thing the emergency people were here already. “Thanks, Barnabas,” I whispered, knowing he had guided me through it. “Nakita was at Josh’s. She’s on her way. I’m not going to let a dark reaper kill Tammy. I won’t!”
    â€œAnd I won’t let a light reaper give her a guardian angel,” Barnabas said as his touch fell from me. “Not this time. I saved Sarah. Maybe I just need to try harder. Like you.”
    The strength of his words hit me, and I turned, surprised at his clenched jaw. He’d always supported me, but never had he looked this determined. It had to be the reminder of Sarah. “Thank you,” I whispered, and he turned away, seeming embarrassed.
    My attention went over his shoulder to the glow among the frightened people gathering in the parking lot of the apartments. I caught a flash of an amulet, then it was gone behind a wave of choking black.
    â€œLook, it’s Nakita,” I said, eyes stinging as I started that way. But Barnabas jerked me to a halt.
    â€œThat’s not Nakita,” Barnabas said, his expression alarmed. “That’s a dark reaper!”
    My eyes darted back into the crowd, seeing nothing, then went back to Barnabas. “Crap,” I whispered, feeling my knees go watery. “We’re in trouble. Look, there’s a light reaper, too. What in bloody heaven is going on? The seraphs know I’m here! Why are they interfering?!”
    But it was obvious as to why. I’d really messed it up by saving Tammy’s life.
    Barnabas’s lips pressed together as he watched the beautiful light reaper standing in front of the building, her hands on her hips as she looked appraisingly at the fire, not yet having identified who she was here to save. “It’s Arariel,” he said stiffly. “She’s good. We’re in trouble. She keeps guardian angels in her pocket. And the dark reaper? I recognize him, too. That’s Demus.”
    Things were spiraling out of control. Clearly neither reaper had found Tammy yet, and though we could find her by way of her aura, so could Arariel if Ron had flashed and passed the description of it on to his light reaper. I’m sure the dark reaper had a description of her by now, too, thanks to the seraphs. And that is what ticked me off the most. The seraphs had written my attempt off without giving me a real chance. I was trying to fix this! They had no right to call in a dark reaper yet. Not yet!
    But my hope was fading. Maybe they had given up on my ideas altogether?
    â€œMaybe I can change Tammy’s resonance,” I said, barely breathing the words, but I knew he had heard me despite the roar of the fire trucks and the calls of frightened people. “If Ron has flashed forward, he’s given a description to his reaper, and if I can change it, she’ll be safe.”
    â€œDo you think you can?” he asked, and I winced. “That’s timekeeper magic. Even I can’t do that.”
    â€œI don’t know, but if we can get close enough to her, you can at least shield her resonance.” But Tammy thought we were crazy, and she’d probably run if she saw us.
    â€œIt’s worth a try.” Barnabas’s eyes flashed silver as he touched on the divine. “Found her,” he said, hunching closer as if the surrounding reapers could read his mind. “She’s scared. Alone. She’s not in