The scent of cooking hot dogs filled my nose, and I hoped one of those push-cart hawkers hadn’t stopped nearby.
Last thing we need are human rubbernecks right now.
Abandoning the squirt gun, Rome pulled a different bottle out of his bag, one with a red lid.
I checked on Gigi, whose eyes were fixed on what was happening with Kerry.
I wonder if she feels as useless as I do. I mean, I could call up a chunk of metal and bop him on the head with it, but that’s all I can contribute.
The roasting smell intensified and turned too acrid to be franks in hot water.
Where is that coming from?
“He’s burning!” Gigi shrieked.
Flames engulfed the hand Kerry had clenched around Mingo’s throat. The peri writhed to get away, but Kerry didn’t yield, not even when his skin blackened and cracked.
That’s when Jax tackled him.
I was amazed he could. I’d half expected him to bounce off because Kerry had reached mythic status in my mind, but Jax took him all the way down to the sidewalk and held him there in an elbow lock.
“Stop it, numbnuts! You’re costing us the potential to find Gemma faster! And drop your spikes! Theyhurt!”
Jax pulled on Kerry’s burned hand so hard, he mighta been dislocating his wrist, but we all knew it was his words, not the pain, that got through to Kerry. The spiky icicles disappeared in a wink.
While Jax had Kerry immobilized, Rome drizzled some of the new liquid onto Kerry’s head, and Kerry went as boneless as an overcooked noodle.
“That isn’t calm.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Coma. He’ll be out for a while.” Rome gave the water bottle a look of disgust. “I need a better delivery system.”
“A super-soaker, maybe?” Jax groaned and rolled away from Kerry.
“Jax! Are you okay?”
Gigi started to fall to her knees next to him, but he caught her elbows on his way to his feet and pulled her up with him.
“I’m all right.” He looked down, saw his clothes were peppered with bloody holes from the icicles, and kicked Kerry’s boot with his own. “Dude, Ilikedthese pants!”
“We’ll get bottles with squirt tops,” I decided. “You know, like on cleaning bottles? The kind where the squirter has a nozzle to twist it on and off.”
“Can I be of any help?” Mingo shuffled over to us with a hangdog expression, and I noticed he didn’t have a mark on him. “Since that was all my fault.”
“I warned you,” I hissed, and repeated the slash gesture under my chin.
“Forgive me.” Mingo pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. “Mumtaz is a sore subject. If there is a way to end him, I will use everything in my power to see it done, but I should not have tortured Harker with a reminder of what can happen when dealing with the Dark World and those who dwell in it.”
A pretty speech.
My thoughts may have been sour,but I had to admit that his sincerity was unquestionable.
“Thank you.” Rome was so much better at not holding a grudge than I was. “Would you mind healing him and Jax, please?”
“Of course.”
While Mingo tended to Jax, I grabbed Rome’s hand and tugged him closer.
“Maybe we should have Gigi take Kerry back to the apartment. One of us can stay there with him while you finish talking with Mingo.”
