Free Into the Woods by Kim Harrison Page A

paper, “is the image of his preferred prey. I confronted him with his culpability, but he is as clever as a Philadelphian lawyer, and to pile on the agony, he informed the constables of my liability and claimed knowledge of the signs.”
    Pierce’s eyes dropped, and I felt a twinge of fear for the history I’d missed by a mere generation. Liability was a mixed-company term for witch—when being one could get you killed. I suspected spawn was pre-Turn for vampire. Midnight services was probably code for detective or possibly an early Inderlander cop. Philadelphian lawyer was self-explanatory.
    “Truly I was a witch,” he said softly, “and I could say no different. The girl he murdered directly to protect his name. That it was so fast was a grace, her fair white body found in solstice snow and wept over. She could no more speak to save me than a stick. That I showed signs of liability about my person and belongs made my words of no account. They rowed me up Salt River all night for their enjoyment until being buried alive in blasphemed ground was a blessing. This,” he said, shaking the paper, “is the same black spawn. He has taken another child, and if I don’t stop him, he will foul her soul by sunrise. To stand idle would be an outrage against all nature.”
    I stared at him, impressed. “Wow.”
    Robbie crossed his arms over his chest. “Kind of poetic, isn’t he?”
    Pierce frowned, looking at Robbie with a dark expression.
    “I think he’s telling the truth,” I said, trying to help, but the small man looked even more affronted.
    “What would I gain from a falsehood?” he said. “This is the same sweet innocence looking at me from my memory. That damned spawn survived where I didn’t, but being dead myself, mayhap I can serve justice now. I expect I have only to sunup. The charm will be spent by then, and I’ll return to purgatory. If I can save her, perhaps I can save my soul.”
    He stopped, blinking in sudden consternation at his own words, and Robbie muttered something I didn’t catch.
    “I need to study on it,” Pierce said softly as he looked out the windows at the tall buildings. “Spawn are reluctant to shift their strongholds. I’ve a mind that he is yet at his same diggings. A true fortress, apart in the surrounding hills, alone and secluded.”
    Apart in the hills, alone and secluded was probably now high in property taxes and crowded, right in the middle of a subdivision. “I have a map at home,” I said.
    Pierce smiled, his entire face lighting up as he held onto the pole. The gleam in his eyes had become one of anticipation, and I found myself wanting to help him until the ends of the earth if I could see his thanks reflected in them again. No one had ever needed my help before.
    Ever.
    “Whoa, wait up,” Robbie said, turning to face both of us. “If you know this vampire and think you know where he is, fine. But we should go to the I.S. and let them take care of it.”
    I took a fast breath, excited. “Yes! The I.S.!”
    Pierce’s enthusiasm faltered. “The I.S.?”
    Robbie looked out the window, probably trying to place where we were. “Inderland Security,” he said, pulling the cord to get the driver to stop. “They police the Inderlanders, not humans. Witches, Weres, vampires, and whatever.” His look slid to me and became somewhat wry. “My sister wants to work for them when she grows up.”
    I flushed, embarrassed, but if I couldn’t admit it to a ghost, maybe I shouldn’t even try.
    Pierce’s free hand scratched at his beard in what I hoped was simply a reflexive action. “That was what my midnight profession was,” he said, “but it wasn’t called such. The I.S.”
    The bus swayed and squeaked to a stop. Pierce didn’t move, holding tight to the pole as Robbie and I stood before the bus had halted. I waited for Pierce, letting him walk between Robbie and me as we got off.
    The cold hit me anew, and I squinted into the snowy night as the bus left.