Human for a Day (9781101552391) by Jennifer (EDT) Martin Harry (EDT); Brozek Greenberg Read Free Book Online Page B

wall. Her flask hit the floor, still capped.
    Stuart turned toward me, smiling. I took a step backward.
    â€œDon’t come any closer,” I said. “Or . . . or else.”
    â€œOr else what? You’ll shout at me? Behold the City by the Bay, reduced to harsh words and questionable allies.” He stepped out of the chalk circle. “You’re a brilliant work of transfiguration. Lead into gold, city into girl. Oh, the things I’ll be able to do once I’ve taken you apart—”
    Mina wasn’t moving. James was shouting something in the warehouse behind us; that, and the waves of heat washing against my back, told me there was no assistance coming from that quarter. Stuart was advancing on me, looking entirely too pleased with himself. I did the only thing I could think of, futile as it was certain to be. I raised one hand, pointing at Stuart, and used the other to gesture my animal attendants forward.
    â€œPigeons,” I said, “kill.”
    With a raucous din worthy of Chinese New Year, the urban wildlife descended. Stuart screamed. After that, the feathers obscured the worst of it—at least for a little while.
    Â 
    My animals stopped shy of tearing Stuart to pieces, but only because James came around the corner with Jane’s unconscious body slung over one shoulder, looked at the scene, and groaned. “Don’t kill him if you have a choice, please?” he asked. “My wife will be annoyed if I let him die. It’s a family thing.”
    â€œHe was quite happy to kill us ,” I said. “He was going to use me for parts!”
    â€œAnd now he’s not, so please?”
    â€œVery well.” I sighed and clapped my hands, calling, “Everyone come away from the bad man. He’s probably terrible for your digestion, anyway.” The animals came with only a few complaints, moving to cover the floor all around me. Pigeons settled on my head and shoulders. I didn’t shoo them off. “Now what?”
    â€œFirst, this.” James dumped Jane next to Stuart, who was scratched and bleeding but still breathing. Ignoring them both, James picked up Mina’s flask and uncapped it, pouring the contents onto the chalk circle. The lines blurred and ran together, becoming a muddled mess.
    â€œGet the books,” rasped Mina. I turned to see her sitting up, one hand pressed to her head. “I’ll need them to return the city to its original state, assuming it can be done at all.”
    â€œWhat about them?” I asked, pointing to Jane and Stuart.
    â€œLeave them,” said Mina. “This is enough of a setback that they shouldn’t be a problem for a while.”
    I scowled. “I’ll be watching them.”
    â€œGood,” said Mina, and smiled, before wincing. “Now can someone help me up?”
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    It took us substantially longer to make our way back to the bar. Mina shuffled slowly, with James supporting her, and the sidewalk in front of me was carpeted with living bodies. Their eyes watched every step I took, furred and feathered bodies parting for my footsteps. My companions weren’t so lucky.
    â€œI had no idea there were this many rats in the city,” muttered James, after the fifth one he managed to accidentally step on. “Can’t you send them off?”
    â€œNo. They’re worried about me. They’re afraid I’m going to leave them.”
    â€œOf all the conscious worshippers a Lare could have, you chose pigeons and rats,” sighed Mina. “Tell them that if they don’t let us get back to my establishment, you will be leaving them, because I won’t be able to send you back to your original state.”
    The animals seemed to understand her. They scattered, leaving the way clear for the remainder of our walk. The CLOSED sign was still up on the bar door, and Andy was still behind the counter. He didn’t appear to have moved while we were away. That