#anywhere

"I find that guy, I'm ending that guy." Adam mutters.

"Healing first, oaths of vengeance later" Minerva says and now that they're in the van she drives "I can't believe that magic worked. I'm not even sure how I did half of it"

He insists that the ladies get in first, then carefully eases into a seat. "Ok. This is starting to hurt....."

Minerva bites down on a comment "You got a danger in your side, you're lucky you didn't lose a kidney"

"A kidney!" Alanza and Nab both say at once worried

And Minerva guns it! No speed limit THIS time

Adam rests back against the seat. As much as he can, anyway. "Nab, you're hurt too."

"Yes... "

Minerva keeps driving and gets honked at

"M'bleeding on her car seats.... Let me see your hurt?" He seems to be favoring the side that was wounded, using the arm on the other side.

"Shoulder" Nab says

He carefully stretches, stiffening up, to examine the wound on her shoulder.

"DO not poke at injuries when you don't know how to heal.." Minerva says "Gods save me from Fiona"

"I won't poke it." Adam assures Nab softly as he looks it over.

It looks nasty but would have been worse

"You'll be ok." A gentle kiss. "Alanza, how're you doing?"

"Slowly getting my sense back" The eshu says "Thanks. "

"Just breathe deep. Oxygen is your friend" Minerva advises as they shoot past a stop sign

"Good. Take it easy, ok? Yeah. We'll get you some water and stuff when we get there." He relaxes back again, head nodding.

Minerva hits the brake so not to hit rollo

"HUURK!" Adam slides into the seatbelt, jarring himself.

"Where'd you learn to drive?" Rollo says then comes around "Shit.. are you guys bleeding?"

"Lil bit." Adam confirms. "Nab's hurt and Alanze needs some water but can you find Tylar and see if he needs help? Text him or something?"

"First things first, you guys.. Emma NOW" Rollo says

And they are bullied into ER proper (Earth Runes room)

August gets a Text: Sir?

It's from his squire

August texts back: Yes?

Tylar says Sorry sir. I could use a lift and I need to tell you about an incident. The mortal is safe

Address is given.. a street corner

TXT: I think we just stopped a ritual by the Shadow Court

TXT: On the way.

And as soon as he can manage it safely, there he is.

He finds the boy about a block from a Books A million. The Squire has blood on his voile, not his own

August throws it into park, jumps out, and approaches to examine the younger boy. "Tell me."

"TLDR version? ALanza went on a date with a creep . Adam remembered him. Got worried. She was gone for a time. I got someone to scry her. She was drugged. Minerva has the keys to a van so she, Adam, Nabuni and I went to the rescue. Thought it was a regular 'roofie' rape.." A frown "Not that that should ever be REGULAR.. and it turned out to be some weird month earliy samhain reitual. But Nab got kidnapped.. and almost used for it. One altar had a chimera.. her. One had Alanza.. and another had a mortal girl."

August looks -very- serious. "You interrupted the ritual, defeated the captors, and rescued the ladies."

"I slew one of the captors, the one on the mortal girl.. her name's Emily DeBunt. Chimerically slew, I should say. Minerva managed a cantrip or two, and Adam fought a troll.. pretty sure it was a troll seemed to smart to be a thallian ogre. The satyr and troll got away.. I couldn't risk leaving the mortal helpless like that and I couldn't outrun either one anyway"

"That is no shame, Tylar. Well done, in fact."

"Thank you, Sir. I know the Shadow Court.. folks who CLAIM to be for the shadow court say it's all about Commoner rights.. but what I saw looked a lot more like the old stories"

August nods. "Where is everyone now?"

"They took the van back, needed healing"

He frowns "I couldn't carry Emily out AND get the one I killed"

"Where was this?" gently.

"Books a Million, the deserted one."

"In it's basement. I didn't think books a milions HAD basements"

"They don't, generally. Interesting. Look, let's get you back and then I'll check out the scene."

"You said your mortal charge was safe and well?"