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on Rachel’s earring, it somehow looked right. “Enough to code the universe, Bill says.”
    Rachel’s sigh was long and full of relief. “That’s probably how I was able to use the defunct line, then. Jenks, I think we can get home.” She hesitated, then asked, “You don’t think your partner would have drunk it all, do you? A lot of curses are wine-specific.”
    Peri nodded. Curses are wine-specific? Good to know. “If not, we can get more. Cincinnati isn’t that far from here. If we can’t get you home tonight, we have tomorrow.” Though she didn’t know how she was going to explain this to Jack.
    “No, we don’t,” Jenks said, suddenly sober. “The only reason we were able to get here at all was because it’s the equinox. Come sunup, we’re both stuck here.”

3
    The pixy was sitting on Peri’s shoulder when they got out of her apartment building’s elevator. It made Peri nervous, as if she might break him or he might fall, but the little man seemed to be able to predict her movements and compensate for them with little bursts of wing motion. She was starting to like the faint tickle, and he smelled like a hot summer field, reminding her of her grandparents’ farm.
    “Oh, cool.” The pixy darted from her when Peri tapped her building card to her door pad. “Rache, it’s all electronic. Pixies could rule this world in three days if they wanted.”
    “Don’t listen to him,” Rachel muttered as Peri opened the door. “He exaggerates.”
    “Jack?” Peri called when Jenks darted in before them. “I’m back. I’ve got . . . friends.”
    Rachel flashed her a smile at the hesitation. But even though the lights were now back on, the apartment felt cold when Peri followed the woman in. The couch where they’d put Jack was empty, and the note she’d left him was on the kitchen counter. Irritation flashed through Peri when Jenks came out of her bedroom, zipping through the main room and into the den.
    “No one here,” the small man said as he went to the lighted shelf where Peri kept her mementos of past jobs, each and every one of them deposits of her memory with which to rebuild herself if she should ever forget again.
    “Hey, get away from my talismans,” Peri said as she took off her coat and dropped her purse by the door.
    “Rache. Look at these things!” Jenks said enthusiastically, darting over them like a kid in a candy store. “Peri has talismans. How come you don’t have talismans?”
    “Because I don’t need them,” Rachel said, making Peri wonder how much she’d guessed about drafting. “Jack is gone?” Rachel added, her brow furrowed. “Did he take the accelerator with him?”
    Peri took her phone out to call Jack. “Probably. It’s worth too much to leave alone.” The line clicked open, and Peri glared at Jenks to make him stop touching her talismans. “Jack?” she said urgently. “Where are you? Have you seen Carnac? He got out again.”
    “Your cat is here with me,” came Bill’s voice, not Jack’s. “I figured you didn’t want him roaming the halls. Jack is in observation sobering up with a lump on his head. Where are you, Peri? You weren’t at home when I came to pick up the accelerator.”
    Focus distant, Peri put her phone on speaker and went into the living room to sit down. Why did he come to pick up the accelerator? Peri wondered as Jenks finally settled on Rachel’s shoulder. He knew we were going to bring it in tomorrow morning.
    “Who’s Carnac?” Jenks asked, and Rachel waved him to silence, whispering that he was her cat and that he looked like Rex.
    “I’m sorry, Bill,” Peri said. “Jack got drunk and hit his head.” Stick to the truth when you can. “I went out to get him something. He was okay when I left.” And lie when you have to.
    “To the mall?” Bill asked, making Peri glad she’d asked Rachel to stay in the car until the drone had left.
    “Yes.” Peri didn’t like how Rachel was looking at her, as if she should