such a horrible friend.
“Shit!” I said, rummaging through my purse.
“What’s wrong?” I heard Obadiah say.
“Eva!” I muttered.
I rummaged around in my purse, cursing, till at last I felt my phone. Everything from this evening before I met Obadiah felt like a past life—my conversation with Eva, my assignment from Reggie, the case of Charlotte Mercado—it felt like all of that had happened in a different world to a different girl.
But I never should have forgotten to call Eva. Guiltily I reached for my cell.
There were six missed calls and four texts, all from her.
8:53 p.m. “Haven’t heard from you, everything okay?”
9:25 p.m. “Still haven’t heard from you, getting worried!”
10:02 p.m. “Seriously worried now. Mab, where are you??!!”
11:07 p.m. “Mab, I am on my way over. One of the other nurses offered to cover my shift. Ramsey offered me a ride to the club. We should be there in fifteen minutes.”
That was forty-five minutes ago. I was worried—she could be down there right now with all the Sanguinari and Wolfmen—it might not be safe for her.
“My friend might be at your club, and I don’t know if your customers are to be trusted. I am going to go down and search for her,” I said to Obadiah.
I turned towards the fire escape. As I walked across the wide expanse of the roof something caught my eye. I stopped.
For a moment, I thought it was the floater, come back to taunt me. But it wasn’t. It was a shadow—a long black shadow passing slowly over the snowy rooftop. I stopped talking to stare at it.
“Obadiah, what is that?” I pointed to the dark shape, which was slowly moving over our shoes.
“My shadow, or yours. Why?”
“It’s moving. And we’re both standing still.”
We both looked at each other and then back at the shadow. It was the rough outline of a human body, silhouetted against the rooftop.
Something casting a shadow like that could only be coming from above.
I looked up and screamed.
CHAPTER 6
A bove our heads—somehow, impossibly, flying through midair—was Eva.
“Eva!” I screamed.
She looked completely peaceful, soaring, Superman-like, over the rooftops of Brooklyn. I caught a glimpse of her face and saw that she was grinning. What the hell?
Eva was human—as human as they come. Wasn’t she? I didn’t know what to think anymore. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
And yet I couldn’t deny what my eyes were seeing.
She was floating overhead, as if she was sprawled out on a huge cushion of air.
The only way a human could have magical powers, Obadiah had said, was through drinking Elixir . . .
“You gave Elixir to my friend!” I turned on Obadiah.
“Mab, I’ve never seen this woman before in my life,” Obadiah protested. He was staring up at Eva too. “I know my customers. And she’s never been one. You said yourself your friend just arrived here.”
“My friend is flying! How would she do that? She must have drunk Elixir!”
Obadiah shook his head.
“I see no other explanation, but I swear I never gave her any. I swear on my honor.”
“I don’t know if I believe in your honor. But I don’t believe what I’m seeing either.”
Eva was hovering right above us now. She was waving her arms and kicking her legs like she was swimming in thin air—experimenting with how each movement affected how she flew. From overhead, I heard her giggle.
“Eva!” I called out.
Startled, she turned towards us. Recognition dawned on her face as she saw me, and she beamed.
“Mab! There you are! Oh my goodness, I was so worried about you!”
“Eva—I’m worried about you!” But I don’t think she could hear me, she was so high up in the air.
“You won’t believe this!” she called out—as if I wasn’t already seeing the most unbelievable thing in the world. “I came to check up on you. I called you a bunch of times and you didn’t answer. I was so worried about you.”
“I know, I know,” I said
“Shit!” I said, rummaging through my purse.
“What’s wrong?” I heard Obadiah say.
“Eva!” I muttered.
I rummaged around in my purse, cursing, till at last I felt my phone. Everything from this evening before I met Obadiah felt like a past life—my conversation with Eva, my assignment from Reggie, the case of Charlotte Mercado—it felt like all of that had happened in a different world to a different girl.
But I never should have forgotten to call Eva. Guiltily I reached for my cell.
There were six missed calls and four texts, all from her.
8:53 p.m. “Haven’t heard from you, everything okay?”
9:25 p.m. “Still haven’t heard from you, getting worried!”
10:02 p.m. “Seriously worried now. Mab, where are you??!!”
11:07 p.m. “Mab, I am on my way over. One of the other nurses offered to cover my shift. Ramsey offered me a ride to the club. We should be there in fifteen minutes.”
That was forty-five minutes ago. I was worried—she could be down there right now with all the Sanguinari and Wolfmen—it might not be safe for her.
“My friend might be at your club, and I don’t know if your customers are to be trusted. I am going to go down and search for her,” I said to Obadiah.
I turned towards the fire escape. As I walked across the wide expanse of the roof something caught my eye. I stopped.
For a moment, I thought it was the floater, come back to taunt me. But it wasn’t. It was a shadow—a long black shadow passing slowly over the snowy rooftop. I stopped talking to stare at it.
“Obadiah, what is that?” I pointed to the dark shape, which was slowly moving over our shoes.
“My shadow, or yours. Why?”
“It’s moving. And we’re both standing still.”
We both looked at each other and then back at the shadow. It was the rough outline of a human body, silhouetted against the rooftop.
Something casting a shadow like that could only be coming from above.
I looked up and screamed.
CHAPTER 6
A bove our heads—somehow, impossibly, flying through midair—was Eva.
“Eva!” I screamed.
She looked completely peaceful, soaring, Superman-like, over the rooftops of Brooklyn. I caught a glimpse of her face and saw that she was grinning. What the hell?
Eva was human—as human as they come. Wasn’t she? I didn’t know what to think anymore. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
And yet I couldn’t deny what my eyes were seeing.
She was floating overhead, as if she was sprawled out on a huge cushion of air.
The only way a human could have magical powers, Obadiah had said, was through drinking Elixir . . .
“You gave Elixir to my friend!” I turned on Obadiah.
“Mab, I’ve never seen this woman before in my life,” Obadiah protested. He was staring up at Eva too. “I know my customers. And she’s never been one. You said yourself your friend just arrived here.”
“My friend is flying! How would she do that? She must have drunk Elixir!”
Obadiah shook his head.
“I see no other explanation, but I swear I never gave her any. I swear on my honor.”
“I don’t know if I believe in your honor. But I don’t believe what I’m seeing either.”
Eva was hovering right above us now. She was waving her arms and kicking her legs like she was swimming in thin air—experimenting with how each movement affected how she flew. From overhead, I heard her giggle.
“Eva!” I called out.
Startled, she turned towards us. Recognition dawned on her face as she saw me, and she beamed.
“Mab! There you are! Oh my goodness, I was so worried about you!”
“Eva—I’m worried about you!” But I don’t think she could hear me, she was so high up in the air.
“You won’t believe this!” she called out—as if I wasn’t already seeing the most unbelievable thing in the world. “I came to check up on you. I called you a bunch of times and you didn’t answer. I was so worried about you.”
“I know, I know,” I said
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