there.
He leaned forward, fixing her with his amber eyes. “Are you going to help me?” he asked softly.
Clary had to tell him something, so she gave him the merest sliver of truth. “What if Tamsin didn’t cure everything? What if there is a lingering demon poison that affected my magic?”
She felt Vivian’s claws prick the inside of her mind, threatening to shred her from the inside out, but Clary stood her ground. The demon needed her alive for the moment, and she hadn’t given away the whole truth. They had to compromise to get through this.
Merlin’s face remained still, but his eyes closed as if in thanks. “That’s possible.”
“Can you test for something like that?”
“Sort of.” His face fell as he put money for their coffee on the table.
“Just sort of?”
“There are one or two methods that do not harm the subject.” He looked uncomfortable.
“You’re such a romantic,” Clary said, and then gripped the edge of the table, blackness nibbling at the edge of her vision. Her heart drummed in her ears, leaving her hot and weak.
Merlin circled the table, kneeling beside her. “What’s wrong? You’ve gone pale.”
Clary struggled to answer, and this time it wasn’t the demon who froze her tongue. It was the horrific realization it hadn’t been her that had spoken. You’re such a romantic. That had been Vivian’s thought, Vivian’s words. She was losing control to the demon.
Clary met Merlin’s eyes, holding his gaze and willing him to understand all the things she couldn’t say. A crease formed between his brows, and he put a hand to her cheek, his palm cool against her fevered skin. Slowly, his thumb stroked her cheekbone, the gesture offering her a shred of comfort.
“Help me,” she begged.
Merlin’s hand covered hers. “Of course.”
Clary closed her eyes, not able to meet his gaze any longer. She concentrated on the feel of his touch and the long, strong fingers wrapping around hers. She was being split in two, but he was a solid anchor. “Okay,” she whispered.
“Come.” Merlin’s hands were gentle as he pulled her to her feet. “Let’s take care of this.”
Clary followed him to the car. “Where are we going?”
“To your sister’s.”
“Tamsin’s?” she asked in horror. The last thing she wanted was to put Vivian and her sister in the same room.
Merlin shot her a curious look as they got into the SUV. He started the engine. “Is there a problem with that?”
Vivian’s claws dug into Clary’s mind, sharp as any physical pain but far more frightening. Somehow she knew whatever injuries the demoness might cause to her mind and soul would never heal. She cleared her throat. “Tamsin’s done what she can already.”
Merlin pulled away from the curb into Carlyle’s afternoon rush. “Maybe, maybe not. I have an idea she can help me with.”
“She won’t have time. She’ll still be at Medievaland, healing the knights.”
“I already asked her to meet us at her place when she’s finished.” He gave her an inscrutable glance. “We talked before I met you at the concession stand.”
Defeated, Clary sank back into the leather seat of the SUV. How was she going to keep Vivian in check? Even if there was a cure for her demon problem, surely Vivian would fight back.
You’re quite right, little witch, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Your lovely sister hasn’t had a patient quite like you and me before.
And she’d failed to detect Vivian’s presence once. There was every chance she’d miss it again.
Just so. If Merlin trusts her healing skills to find me, her failure will work in my favor.
Clary understood. After all, Vivian wanted to catch Merlin by surprise. However, if Tamsin made a correct diagnosis... Clary dropped that train of thought, already feeling a wave of nausea clog her throat. There was no way to win. She stared at the passing streets, scrambling for an answer where no one got hurt.
When they arrived at Tamsin’s door, the smell of tomato sauce filled the apartment hallway. Her sister answered Merlin’s knock, a wooden spoon in her hand.
“It’s Gawain’s favorite dinner,” Tamsin said in explanation. “He’ll be home soon and after today, we all want comfort food.”
“Aren’t you tired?” Clary asked, noting the dark circles under her sister’s eyes. “You must have just got home.”
She followed her into the kitchen. Tamsin moved the pot of sauce and turned off the burner, her movements brisk. “Of course I’m tired, but I just did the cleanup. I didn’t fight.”
Then she turned to face Clary, fear tightening her jaw. “I’ve seen demon-born monsters before. What were you doing?”
Clary took a step back. She could see the picture forming in Tamsin’s head—Gawain, brave knight and love of her life, perishing in the jaws of Clary’s creation. Tamsin’s future destroyed by her hapless kid sister. The scene wasn’t far off the mark.
“I’m sorry,” Clary said softly. “In perfect honesty, I don’t know exactly how that happened.” And for all our sakes, she willed her sister, don’t look deeper.
Emotions cycled through Tamsin’s expression. Anger. Fear. Compassion. The last was the worst because it was so familiar. Once again, Clary was the weak magical link in the family. The only difference now was that her incompetence had hurt their friends.
Tamsin licked her lips, seeming to come to a decision. “Go have a seat in the living room. Send Merlin in here so I can talk to him.”
Clary’s first instinct was to object on principle. As the youngest child, she’d been shut out of adult conversations too often. This time, though, she’d be keeping Vivian out of earshot. Clary did as she was told and turned on the TV to make eavesdropping impossible.
You think you’re being clever, Vivian sneered.
Yes. Clary changed the channel to a home renovation show. She didn’t care about fascia boards and roof tiles, but the shirtless construction guys were cute.
Vivian snorted, but her attention drifted to the show. Do humans truly have to rely on teams of physical workers to keep the rain off their heads?
Clary rolled her eyes at the demon’s appalled tone. Pretty much. When you don’t have magic powers, you need helping hands. That’s how this world works.
And sometimes the magically gifted needed help, too. When Tamsin and Merlin reappeared, her sister was
