Bitten in Two

Nedo glared at the single surviving Luureken like he was insulted she hadn’t been decapitated as he inquired,

“The Enkyklios bal . Tel us we didn’t die for an empty bauble.”

Cleahd shrieked, “Tel us we didn’t die in vain!” Wrul crawled up beside the survivor’s shoulder and breathed in her ear. “We died for a fucking marble, Eishel.

You can’t burn enough incense to comfort our spirits in that knowledge.”

Eishel reached back, wrapped her hands around a guembri like ones I’d seen musicians strumming in the Djemaa el Fna for the past few days, and stuttered, “N-n-n-n-ooo. You’ve forgotten already. I-i-i-it’s not about the bal .

That was just a clue, remember? Sister Yalida left her map inside it. The map that leads to the Rocenz. Roldan made it our solemn duty to guard it—”

“Aaaahhhh!” screeched Nedo.

“In vain!” screamed Cleahd.

“Do you think those CIA fuckers haven’t figured al this out already? They’re probably halfway to the map right now,” Wrul hissed.

Eishel shook her head. “Impossible! The Enkyklios map hasn’t been disturbed in decades. We’ve seen to that.” She pul ed the guitarlike instrument to her chest.

“No!” wailed Wrul . “The map! You’ve put the map at risk!”

“Wasted lives!” screamed Nedo. “Empty deaths!”

“Wait!” Eishel cried before Wrul could wrap his claws around her neck. “It’s stil at the Musee de Marrakech.

Think! I’m sure you’l remember if you just try! The rest of our pack is stil there, stil guarding it. And even if they failed like…” She nearly swal owed her tongue as Cleahd screeched and began tearing out her hair.

“No! I didn’t mean that!” Eishel scrambled to her feet, holding the guembri out in front of her like a shield. “I’m only saying, even if our enemies did, somehow, find a way to steal it they could never interpret it. The tannery is as much a labyrinth as a warlock’s maze.”

“Too late!” wailed Cleahd.

“The vampire and his Trust have already gone!” bel owed Wrul .

“The map! The map!” chanted Nedo, over and over again, punching his head forward with every other word so that Eishel final y hid her face behind the instrument.

They pressed so close to her they could’ve walked through her if they’d taken another step. “I’l warn the pack, al right?” she cried. “They’l ambush the Trust before they can even crack the door to the storage room.” can even crack the door to the storage room.”

“Go!” demanded Cleahd.

“Go!” “Leave now!” the other two chimed in, waving their hands like geese herders.

Eishel ran toward the door, working up such a head of steam I half expected the hoot of a train whistle to toot out of her ass as her arms worked up and down like little pistons. It seemed nothing could stop her from leaping into the street now that the entrance had been destroyed.

Instead? She slammed into Raoul’s replacement ful force.

Thunk.

For a second she reminded me of a cartoon cat, foiled in its endless mouse chase by one of those sudden, unexpected impacts that flattens it, tail to whiskers, before it slides to the floor with a long squeak of surrender. I pressed my lips together.

This is not funny.

Then she fel straight back.

Thud.

Cole’s strangled whisper broke the silence. “The only way this could get better is if the trapdoor opened underneath that rug she’s lying on and she tumbled down to the basement.”

Col ective intake of breath. Then Cole said, “I barricaded that door shut.”

Exchange of guilty looks as we realized what we’d been considering. And then Cole said, “Oh. Wait.” One wel -aimed kick and we al sighed happily as the floor groaned and Ahmed’s basement access door gave underneath what had been a colossal battle fol owed by the final insult of Eishel’s fal . She disappeared with a whisper of windswept clothing and a final, satisfying clonk.

We al grinned happily. Except for Raoul, who’d risen above such petty humor. And Vayl, who just didn’t get us.

They looked at each other while we shook our heads and wiped our eyes—and shrugged.

Vayl held out his arms. “Do I look like a man who is prepared to steal a map?”

Raoul gave him a critical once-over. “No. You look like you were just mauled by a lion.” He motioned to the slashes healing on Vayl’s arms and his half-digested calf. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m assuming you won.”

“It does.” Vayl glanced at us, his eyes lingering on mine just long enough to make sure I understood. “But if that is the impression I leave, you lot would frighten a wel -armed street gang. In which case, I suggest we go back to the riad to change before the authorities decide we look too interesting not to question—”

“Was that our next step?” Cole asked me.

“Yup,” I replied, staring hard at him, wil ing him to read my mind. “Right after Raoul sends the Luureken to the great beyond so she can’t warn the pack we’re coming.” Raoul scowled at me. “Don’t get used to this. I’m not here to help you start your own morgue.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “Ahmed’s fridge is way too smal for that.” I took off for the back room and the Enkyklios bal it stil held while Raoul tied up our loose thread. Cole fol owed me.

As I reached for the bal he whispered, “Are we doing what I think we’re doing?”

I looked over his shoulder. Kyphas was crouched at the edge of the hole, staring greedily down at Eishel, probably trying to figure a way to take credit for her eventual trip to the pit. That didn’t mean she wasn’t paying some sort of attention. So I said, “Yeah. We’re taking the bal with us.” When he saw where I was looking he didn’t argue. Just watched me reach for it, think again, and then cal for Astral.

Who appeared like she’d been waiting for the summons.

“See the bal ? I need you to carry that home for me, okay, girl?”

Astral leaped to the table, stretched out her neck, and delicately nipped the Enkyklios bal off its flowery stand.

Then she swal owed it.

“You are such a good girl!” I said.

She didn’t grace me with a reply. Maybe she’d figured out how I’d just risked her little hide, because her attitude seemed haughtier than usual as she walked out the front door, as if she assumed the rest of us were ready to fol ow her.

CHAPTER TWENTY

We made it al the way back to the square before anyone even took a second look at us. And even then their eyes barely hesitated before skipping on to a lone musician who was strol ing along singing quietly as he accompanied himself on a guembri similar to the one Eishel had shielded herself with. In the time we’d spent away most of the crowd had cleared out. The food carts had rol ed off to their garages or were shutting down. The Djemaa el Fna had final y decided it was time for bed.

As happened with me anytime I saw a city yawn and set the alarm, I felt the adrenaline surge. Now was when our real work usual y began, and tonight was no exception. I walked beside Vayl, every sense maxed out, most of them centered on him. Though I’d worked with him nearly every day for the past eleven months, I’d never been so aware of the confident set of his jaw. The impossible broadness of his shoulders. The predatory smoothness in his step. The temptation to claim him by walking inside the circle of his arm while his fingers brushed the curve of my hip locked my teeth together. I wanted to grab him by the front of his shirt, drag him to the center of the square, and scream, “MINE!” I knew it was a delayed reaction. Seeing him come back to himself had been too huge for my heart to handle al at once. It might be weeks before I came down from this fierce joy at having a part of my heart returned to me.

How is this different than what Kyphas wants with Cole? asked my Inner Librarian. You act as if Vayl is a part of you. Isn’t that a sort of possession?

I answered because she wasn’t judging. Just asking so she’d know where to file the records. Maybe the line is so thin in places you’d need a microscope to find it. But you and I both know it exists. All we have to do is take a peek at the Domytr we’ve got locked up in my head. The difference is love. Not the use-it-till-you-suck-the-life-out-of-it word you hear on soap operas and talk shows every day. Real love. Unending. Unconditional. Unselfish.

That’s why it’s not possession.

What would you call it, then?

I didn’t even have to think. I’d call it bliss.

I looked up at my vampire, breathed in his scent like it was fil ed with miracles. Smiled into his warm brown eyes.

And held back. His touch had reassured me. Now I could wait until we had real time. But I stil took advantage of walking close to him, brushing against his arm as everyone else pressed close too, so we could use his power of camouflage to hide our blood-stained, fist-bruised bodies from the people who would be most likely to cal the police if they saw us.

Sterling and Cole took the lead. My sverhamin and I walked behind them with Kyphas trailing at the back. I kept an eye on her, but there was real y no need. She stayed quiet and thoughtful, though she did keep an eye to our backs so nothing could sneak up on us. She was, in fact, an ideal rear guard. That alone told me something was up. For once, I was glad to know it.

I elbowed Vayl, tracked my eyes to her, and got his acknowledgment that he’d noticed too. But he didn’t say anything. Just explained what he expected to go down at the museum after we’d al spiffed up for the robbery.

“With two Sensitives and a warlock on our side, we should easily be able to locate and eliminate the pack guarding the map,” he said. “Eishel said it was in a storage room. Leave the lead Were alive so it can tel us which one.

After that, Bergman—”

Cole asked, “What about Bergman?”

Vayl looked at me. “I assumed he was waiting for us back at the riad?”

“No.” I felt that fist in my stomach again. “He’s hurt. It’s not life-threatening, but he’s at the hospital.” Now the guilt descended. What the hel had I been thinking letting some punch-loving stalker guard my little buddy until the cavalry came? It was worse than leaving him alone!

“I have to cal him.” I fished out my phone.

“Push the speaker button thingy!” Cole demanded.

“Oh, you’re so technical. Remind me not to let you touch any more of Bergman’s stuff,” I said. But I did activate the group-hear function.

Miles answered immediately. “Jaz! I’m going to have a scar! Actual y, three of them. Isn’t that great?”

“Uh. Yeah?”

“Monique’s with me. She hovers like a Jewish mother, only she’s pretty sensitive about her age, so don’t tel her I said that. She just left to find me something to eat because I’m starving! I could probably eat a whole pot of spaghetti right now! Did everything go okay?”

Bergman on painkillers. Um, God? Let’s not do this too often, ’kay? “Yeah. I mean, great. Just like we’d hoped.”

“That’s so cool it’s like… empirical!”

Cole’s shoulders started to shake. Sterling looked back at me and mouthed, Empirical?

I said, “… Definitely. So. What kind of medication did they give you, dude?”

“Stuff for pain. And antibiotics. And painkil ers. Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“Nope. But, uh, I figured you…”

Cole was gesturing wildly like he either wanted to talk or climb the Atlas Mountains before we left the region. I kept waving him off. Final y Vayl pointed at him then pointed to the ground. The message was clear. Down, boy!

He subsided.

I said, “So, Miles, how long are you in for?”

“Overnight. Monique’s going to stay with me the whole time. She says she’s worried about me. But I think she might be one of those cougars. You know what I mean?

Rrrrrow.”

When Bergman actual y tried to pul off a growl I nearly dropped the phone. Cole had started to slap himself, but it wasn’t working. He covered his entire head with his shirt while Sterling buried his face in Cole’s shoulder and they both shook uncontrol ably. Behind us, even Kyphas began to snort.

Final y I managed to say, “Gee, Miles, are you sure?

Maybe she’s just being nice.”

Bergman said, “Naw, I think she’s hot for my bod. I’l tel you one thing. I’m not going to put out on the first date.

That’s for sure. I’l definitely make her wait until at least date number two.”

Cole and Sterling fel to the ground and began to rol around helplessly. Beside me I could see the glint of Vayl’s fangs. If I didn’t end this conversation right now I would probably rupture something vital from the supreme effort it was taking not to laugh out loud. I said, “That’s a sound plan, Miles. You do that. So I’l pick you up in the morning.”

“Okay! Have fun boffing your vampire!”

I hung up. Three beats of silence. And then we al roared.

The riad seemed smaler without Monique and Bergman there to brighten the corners. I said so to Vayl as we stood outside his door. Everyone else had gone off to their rooms to clean up. I should be on my way too. But it was hard to separate, even temporarily. So I found another excuse to stay by adding, “It’s great that you booked a riad so close to the medina. Makes for a short walk to, wel , pretty much anywhere.” Then I grinned like a lottery winner as I realized this was the first time he’d heard my compliment as

“himself.”

I realized he was thinking along the same lines when he said, “It seems that it was my last lucid move for some time.”

I said, “I don’t know how long this is going to eat at you.

I guess it would bother me for longer than twenty minutes too. But Sterling believes the only reason Ahmed could curse you was because you’d already cursed my mother.

And you only did that to protect me. If that’s wrong, you can wal ow in guilt for the next hundred years and I won’t fault you.”

“I know how miserable I made you.”

I smiled up at him. “You were kind of a dick back in the day, weren’t you?”

His face went taut and for a second I knew how Ahmed had felt to face his rage. “Yes.” Terse, get-the-hel -out-if-that’s-your-intention tone.

“But you’re not now,” I noted.

He pul ed a long breath in through his nose. “No.”

“That’s a hel uva feat. I’l bet I can name fifty men who could live three hundred years and never improve on their dickness.”

Twitch of the lip. “Is that a word now?”

“Absolutely. Here, I’l use it in another sentence. ‘His dickness was so far beyond help they decided to amputate.’ I think that’s—Vayl? Are you… laughing? About the serious malady of dickness? Geez, that’s pretty insensitive of you, considering you beat it yourself.” I leaned against the wal , savoring the sound of his pleasure. Then I realized I was leaving a red splotch on the tile. “Ick. I real y gotta get a shower. And try to get this shirt clean.”

“Yes,” Vayl said doubtful y as he viewed it through the stains. “It is so… charming.”

“I like it. Cole gave it to me for my birthday.” Oops. Al that work to stomp out the doomsdays and one slip of the tongue had relit the fire.

“I missed your birthday.”

“Not real y,” I said. “We had cake.”

“Do I remember Kyphas being there?”

I tried to shrug it off. “Yeah.”

“Then you did not have a true celebration.” Wow. He real y knew me. Which was probably why he decided to stop with the self-torture and focus on more important matters. “I have a present for you.”

“You do?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Is it here?”

“In fact, it is. Wel , it should be. I meant to check if everything had worked out as planned before I—”

“Oh, baby! Okay, okay, this is great!” I realized I was jumping up and down and clapping my hands. And that Vayl real y liked the extra bouncing that caused.

I stopped when he said, “I wil need to make a cal . But you should be able to open it”—he motioned to our general nastiness—“as soon as we have changed.”

I rewarded him with another round of bouncing and, since his clothes were ruined anyway, a bone-cracking hug.

No, not his, mine. But damn, did my back feel great afterward!

I said, “I have to go. Shower. Dress. Clean up. You too.

Fast, okay?” I kissed him, hard, on the lips. “Oh, did I say? I love you.”

There was a hint of gold in his emerald eyes when he said, “I do not suppose you would ever have to tel me again. But I am glad to hear the words.”

“Great. Okay. I’m outta here!” And I was off to the showers. Because, hey, it was my first birthday with a boyfriend whose idea of fun was to whisk me off to an exotic island for weeks at a time. Who knew what his idea of a great gift would be?

Al the way through my shower I tried to guess. Because surprises tend to gut me. And then I’m left standing, or sometimes lying there, looking like a candy-assed fool. So what could it be? He definitely liked the threads, so maybe a whole new wardrobe. Oh! What about another trip? That would be pretty boss. Like maybe sailing around the world.

Or backpacking through Alaska.

By the time I’d washed the last spot of blood from myself and my clothes, I’d made up my mind. Unfortunately, due to the surprise nature of the surprise, the decision had fal en into direness. Vayl was about to present me with another piece of jewelry. Probably something along the lines of a five-tier diamond necklace that I could wear, yeah, nowhere. Gack.

I practiced my thankful face in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. It didn’t work until I pasted on the Lucil e persona.

“No, real y, Vayl, you shouldn’t have.” Spit. “Are you kidding? It’s gorgeous!” Rinse, swish, and… spit again.

How much did safety-deposit boxes cost? And if I hung on to it until E.J. graduated from high school, would it bring enough at auction to put her through col ege?

I shoved my legs into a pair of olive-green khakis and told myself not to be disappointed. On top went a sleeveless white tee over which I threw a green cotton button-down and my white jacket. Black boots. Grief. Bolo.

And the forearm shield. I fil ed my pockets with extra clips, pasted a smile on my face, and went to knock on Vayl’s pasted a smile on my face, and went to knock on Vayl’s door.

“Come in, Jasmine.”

I’l admit my heart did a happy flip when he said my name. But when I entered the room to find him lounging in the chair by his empty fireplace, reading the note I’d written him while he was throwback Vayl, I nearly left again. His eyes stopped me. They were like liquid copper. The walk past his bed to the chair opposite his felt like a marathon because those eyes never left me. By the time I sat down I was breathless. So I waited for him to talk.

He laid his hand, with the note in it, across my legs.

“You must have been furious with me. And yet you wrote me this.”

I shook my head. “I don’t even think there’s a word for how fast Cole had to talk me down. But even in the middle of feeling like my head was going to explode I knew it wasn’t your fault. And later, when you saw my picture and you wanted me?” I looked down at the glass-topped table that sat between us. Wanted to grab one of the mints that sat in an elegant little bowl in its center, just to give my hands something to do besides clutch each other as if they’d never feel his fingers lace through mine again. I said,

“It helped a lot.”

Vayl folded the note and slipped it into the pocket of his black silk shirt. He rose so fast that I had to move my head to keep him in focus. His cane slammed against the tile as he walked to the balcony door and stared through the glass.

“What you must think of me.”

I watched him. Waited for him to turn around. He just glared into the night, his jaw tight with emotions he couldn’t unleash. Unless he wanted more people to die tonight.

This is a big moment, said Granny May from her sewing chair. Her needle moved so furiously it might’ve been electrified, except clearly it was being powered by her nimble old fingers. It would be excellent if you could think of something deeply profound and moving to say that will both reassure him and give him something to remember for the rest of his days. She peered up at me. Shook her head. Never mind.

I opened my mouth. What came out was this: “I’m thinking you’re a huge tease. Knowing how hard up I am and just hanging that sweet tush of yours out there for me to ogle when you real y oughtta be—”

The rest of my sentence was lost in the rush of his return to me. My chair tipped backward as his body covered mine, but he caught us, and with a growl of laughter that made my toes curl, rol ed us away from the hearth before it could cause any lasting damage.

Hard to return every one of his kisses. Hundreds of them, hot and so sweet that I felt tears prick my eyelids as I final y let myself admit how much I’d missed them. I’d thrown my arms around his shoulders when we’d begun to fal .

Now I let my hands roam the hard planes of his back, run up his sides and down his thighs, remind me that he was real and here and—

“Mine,” I whispered.

“Yes,” he murmured, his lips brushing down my bare stomach and back up the curve of my ribs as he pushed my shirt out of his way.

“Always?” I didn’t mean to make it a question. Pul ing his hips closer as I wrapped my legs around him, I felt him shudder.

His eyes were ful of green fire when they met mine.

“Until the end of time.”

“Then…” I lifted his shirt so I could watch my fingers slide down the length of his broad chest, covered with lovely black curls, to his flat bel y with its arrow of soft hair leading my hands where they’d been aching to go for days. When he drew in a breath and then let it out slowly, hissing through his teeth like a sore athlete lowering himself into a hot bath, I nearly shouted with triumph. That I could make a man like Vayl, who had seen and felt everything, drop his head against mine and moan with desire—yes! This was how I wanted to use my time. Loving this man—no, this vampire—eternal y.

I whispered, “Would it be okay if I got you a ring?” He went stil under my fingers. But I could stil feel his skin, hot with excitement, leaning in to my touch. I said, “I have Cirilai. And I hope you know by now what that means to me.

But you don’t have anything of mine. So, you know, would you—”

“Yes.”

He covered my hands with his, lifted them both to his lips, and kissed my fingers, one by one. “How ever did I find you?”

“I was that skinny redhead kil ing your leftovers.” He chuckled. “Oh. Right.” He cupped my face in his hands. I clutched his shoulders as he began to nibble my lower lip. Then every control I’d had to snap on since Vayl had forgotten my name broke. With a groan that shook me head to toe, I rol ed over on top of my vampire and reminded him of exactly what we’d been missing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

When I came back to my senses I was sprawled across the coffee table with guest mints scattered around my head like confetti. My T-shirt was bunched up around my neck, Vayl was wrapped around my torso, and I won’t even mention what tangled around my ankles.

“Uh, now that I can breathe again?” I said.

Muffled sound from somewhere near my col arbone. I interpreted it as, “Yoof?”

“I kinda need to move. I think I’m getting goosed by your cane.”

“So that is where it went.” Low chuckle. Gawd I’d missed that sound! I felt myself bodily lifted from the scene of my latest indiscretion. But, realizing how deeply my dad would disapprove, I decided the guilt could wait, like, forever. Because Vayl was back. In a bold and reckless sorta way.

I began pul ing myself together. Realized I had an audience and slowed down. “You’re… watching?” He’d dressed faster than me. A gift both of guys and vamps, I guess. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, eyeing my wounds, checking out his own. “It has been…

quite a night.”

“Yuh-huh. And if we’re smart we’l get the hel outta here before the cops catch up to us and cause a delay we can’t afford.”

He stood, nodding decisively. “Yes, we should go.” He hesitated, cocking his head like he’d just thought of something. “Of course, you could open your present first. If you like.”

you like.”

Yikes! Birthday present! Gaudy diamonds! Where are you, Lucille?

Shit!

She didn’t want to come out for him. Because it wasn’t right. He’d only just gotten back from the 1700s. And after the most incredible moments of passion we’d shared yet, how could I fake anything now?

I said, “Of course. A present would be fabulous.” Oh crap. He can tell I’m not psyched about this. It’ll be our first fight since he got back and it’s only been, what, an hour? This is going to be some kind of record!

He reached into his pocket and pul ed out a black velvet box. It wasn’t big enough to hold a massive necklace.

Maybe it was just one gigantic stone. Maybe it was earrings. I could probably deal with that.

I opened the box, trying my best to smile.

It was a key.

An unmarked key.

I took it out. Held it up for him to see. “What does it open?” I asked.

He grinned again. I should probably tel him to stop that.

If he did it in front of kids there would be screaming.

He picked me up and carried me to the top of the stairs, where he set me down. Grasping his cane in one hand and the rail with the other, he looked at me with—holy crap, was that actual mischief in his sky-blue eyes?—and said, “I wil race you to the street.”

I bolted down the steps like the riad was on fire. He tried to pass me, but I snagged his arm and yanked him backward. He laughed out loud. “Cheater!” he cal ed as he grasped me around the middle and carried me down to the first landing.

I managed to wrap my legs around his waist and grab his shoulders, so that I did the next flight riding him piggyback. And then I pul ed out my secret weapon. I blew in his ear. He stopped. Then came the tongue, right around the rim of his earlobe and, just lightly, into the center. He shivered.

I jumped off and sprinted to the door.

“Vixen!” he cal ed, fol owing so close I could feel his fingers flicking my curls.

“Al ’s fair in love and birthday pres—” I skidded to a stop. Clapped both hands to my mouth, which did nothing to keep the tears from leaping into my eyes. “Vayl,” I whispered. “How…”

He leaned around to look into my face. He must’ve liked what he saw, because again with those fearsome fangs. A couple of pedestrians shrieked and bolted. I hardly noticed them. I felt like I’d hurtled into a dream.

He stepped to the curb and ran his hand along the hood of the gleaming black car that had not been parked there when we’d walked into the riad half an hour before. He said, “It is a—”

I interrupted him, “1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL

Convertible 406 CID 385 horsepower with a V8.” Vayl nodded. “It also has a four-speed manual transmission.”

I blinked. I might’ve been crying by now. But I real y didn’t care. “It’s just like the one Granny May used to have.

She drove us to church in it. To the store. Everywhere.” Vayl waited until I’d torn my eyes from the beauty on the street to look at him again before he said, “It is the one your grandmother used to drive.”

I lost it. Right then and there, I just, wel , I kind of hate to say this, but I sat down on my ass and bawled on the sidewalk in Marrakech, Morocco. During which time I had to assure Vayl this was a good thing. And also during which he had to explain to me how Gramps Lew had sold the car to a neighbor of theirs, a farmer who’d always meant to restore it but never had. So it had stayed in the old guy’s barn until his son had opened his front door to find Vayl there with a shitload of cash in his hand and a trailer hooked to his rental truck.

When I final y pul ed myself together I said, “But, Vayl, she’s mint. I mean, I don’t see any rust. The interior is the same shiny red I remember. If I pop the hood—”

“It wil sparkle,” he assured me.

I shook my head. “That kind of work takes time. A lot more than we’ve been a couple.”

He had sat down on the sidewalk beside me, laying his arms across his upraised knees in that way he has of making himself comfortable in any position. Now he looked at the classic parked on the street and admitted, “I bought it soon after we met. I… had hoped someday I might have this chance.”

I pointed to the Galaxie. “You can’t possibly have felt like that for me then!”

He turned to gaze into my eyes, laying his chin on my shoulder as he said softly, “I have loved you with everything in me from the moment I saw you.”

I wrapped my arm around his leg, careful y avoiding his wound. “Damn,” I whispered.

He leaned forward, his lips like the breath of life itself, bringing my soul back into the dance every time they touched mine. He took his time, his tongue brushing against mine so gently it was like a second declaration.

When he pul ed back he said, “Every moment with you has been a revelation. I would not trade a second. Come, my pretera.” His eyes glittered as my inner girls screamed ecstatical y while they threw paper airplanes at each other to celebrate hearing him cal me Yaz-mee-na and his little wildcat both in the same day.

I managed a breathless, “Yeah?”

He said, “Let us gather the crew. It is time to ride.” Morocco’s medina is ful of streets so narrow sometimes you’re lucky to get a couple of donkey carts past each other. But the new city is ful of wide, wel -lit boulevards just made for a bunch of cruising assassins. I drove my Granny’s car with the top down and the radio blasting, my hair flying out behind me like a kid’s kite.

It was fucking awesome.

Vayl sat beside me, never taking his eyes off my face, his lips stuck in that semi-smile that let me know he was perfectly satisfied with the world and everything in it. If we had been living a movie, that’s where it would’ve ended.

Happily ever after, baby. Which, of course, is why it lasted less than fifteen minutes.

We pul ed up just down the street from the Musee de Marrakech and just sat, listening to the engine purr.

“I can’t believe you did this for me,” I said, rubbing the steering wheel like it was the soft fur of my malamute.

Sometime during our drive he’d dropped his arm behind my back. Now he touched my neck with his fingertips, sending shivers up and down my spine as he slid closer to me. Though he couldn’t hypnotize me, I felt captivated by the facets in his glittering emerald eyes as they caught mine and said exactly what my heart needed to hear.

“We wil take it with us everywhere,” he said. “No more shabby rentals.” He smirked. “No more mopeds.”

“I liked those mopeds,” Cole objected from the backseat. He sat next to Raoul, who rubbed elbows with Sterling, who’d slid down so he could let his head fal back and stare up into the star-studded sky.

Sterling rol ed his head to gaze on Cole. “Somehow I saw you more as a Camaro kind of guy. But whatever pops your clutch. I guess you liked your runaway demon too?” Raoul huffed, like he found that impossible to believe.

Cole drummed his fingers on the armrest. At least he remembered not to drop Kyphas’s name—and therefore give her a clue as to our whereabouts—when he said, “She had her good points. Somewhere deep… deep at her core.

Anyway, I’m stil wil ing to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

“Oh. So that’s why she fel for Vayl’s trap like a catfish jonesing for chicken liver?” I asked.

He shrugged. “It was pretty juicily baited.” When we al made sounds of doubt he added, “Come on. What demon isn’t going to try for the Enkyklios map on her own when you dangle the exact location in front of her like that?”

“We didn’t, the Luureken did,” I reminded him. “She was just conceited enough to think we were dumb enough to believe nobody but us good guys would act on it.”

“She did steal the cat,” Raoul reminded him, like that should be his last straw.

“You’re real y fixated on the robokitty, you know that?” Cole told him.

I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Raoul straightened even more as he said, “Astral sang to me after Nia left. The perfect song, in fact. I don’t think she’s ful y mechanical. She seems to have… insight.”

Since I knew the guys wanted to know but would never ask, I did. “What tune did she pick out for you?”

“She sang ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,’

from the musical Spamalot,” Raoul said.

Cole immediately launched into song, with the rest of us providing the whistling where appropriate. “Always look on the bright side of life. Always look on the right side of life.”

“It’s not funny,” said Raoul.

“I believe it is supposed to be,” Vayl informed him helpful y.

He sat back and crossed his arms.

Cole scooted forward. “Our demon’s taking her sweet time in there. Do you think she’s onto us? Maybe she snuck out the back.”

“Nope.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Astral’s sending me pictures.” I turned in my seat, fluttering the fake lashes that received Astral’s signals. On top of Cole’s slumped form I could see the superimposed image of Kyphas as viewed from the ground up, sneaking through the museum. Just watching her face hover over Cole’s made me want to swear. Instead I said, “I can’t believe you even flirted with her, much less… She’s such a skank!”

He never took his eyes off the museum’s entrance.

“Absolutely. A skank with evil intentions and a shiny gold nugget at the center of her pitch-black heart.” I made gagging sounds while Raoul said, “Share with the other children, Jaz. What’s Astral showing you?” I rol ed my eyes at Sterling, who said, “You might as wel give us some narration. Otherwise we’re just going to start punching each other back here. And you know what that wil lead to.”

Gawd. With a warlock, an Eldhayr, and an assassin squished into the backseat, everything I imagined went from bad to nuclear. I started talking.

“It’s just what you’d expect. Boring little trek through the touristy part of the museum. Human-formed Weres in front, demon fol owing. They’re passing priceless paintings and cases ful of old crap.” I glanced at Vayl. “No offense. I know that stuff must be more meaningful to you than it is to me—” He shrugged. “Considering where I have been living the past few days, I find I much prefer the present.”

“How do you figure she got the Weres to cooperate?” Cole wondered.

Raoul raised an eyebrow. “She’s a demon. Just because you people are immune to her powers doesn’t mean they’re not vast.”

Vayl shifted in his seat. Like he was uncomfortable.

Which he never is.

I said, “What is it?”

“If Roldan has truly given himself to a Gorgon, and I believe that he has, Kyphas could easily have wormed her way into the deal using that connection. Spawn stick together. That is their first rule.”

“But she has a deal with us. What about that?”

“She is a demon. They are masters at playing both sides to their advantage.”

“Wel , she’s got these guys believing they’re on her team.” I looked back at the scene Astral was beaming to me. “Now they’re in a storeroom on the first floor. It’s the size of a comfy office. There’s a vertical shelf, no, make that three shelves running down its center. I thought it was one because they were al pushed together, but it looks like they run on ceiling and floor tracks like the ones you find in col ege libraries. The lead Were, who looks a lot like Chris Rock, has separated the shelves. One other Were, who looks slick enough to sel cars for a living, and two stringy-haired Luureken are just standing by the edge of the shelves, waiting.”

“Does it seem like they have any idea where to look for the map?” asked Cole.

“Yup. The Chris Rock look-alike has gone straight to the middle shelf. He’s being careful not to disturb anything else while he shuffles through some leather scrol s. He’s not unwrapping them. Just shining a light on one corner.” I took a breath to acknowledge the doubling of my heartbeat and the sudden stinging behind one eye. “He’s found it.” The atmosphere inside the Galaxie went from restless The atmosphere inside the Galaxie went from restless and slightly bored to tense and electric. Game faces fel into place. I went on, feeling the anticipation build in the pit of my stomach as I watched the Were hold the map to my salvation over his head.

I said, “Our demon is snarling like she’s never heard of wrinkles. She’s crouching by the door. She’s transforming her tahruyt into the flyssa. But it’s different. It’s… The blade is glowing red. I think whoever’s on the receiving end of that swing is going to get cut and burned.”

“Have the Weres realized her plan yet?” asked Vayl.

I shook my head. “They’re partying. So psyched to have the treasure in their hands and be done with guard duty they’ve forgotten she’s there.” I turned my eyes to Cole. “I wish you could see her now. It’s her eyes. They’re so…

hungry. And happy.”

“Hungry people are never happy,” Cole told me.

“There’s your basic mistake,” Raoul pointed out.

“Because she’s not ‘people’ at al .”

I said, “She’s creeping up on the car salesman. Holy crap, that sword’s just as sharp as my bolo!”

“What has she done?” Vayl asked.

“Decapitation,” I said, trying to keep my voice level and dry. “One, two, just like that, and he’s dead. The second Were is morphing. The Luureken are shrieking. Pul ing out their weapons. Naw.”

“What?” Sterling demanded.

“The lead berserker is trying to use his raes. That’s just stupid. It’s a cavalry weapon, you know?”

“O-kay. And who’s side are you on?”

“I’m just saying, the demon’s gonna—yup, there she goes. She’s whipped that sword of hers around so fast he barely has time to block, much less pul off an aggressive move. But the Luureken behind him has a hand axe and she’s screaming like a trophy wife who’s just found hubby with her replacement. Oooh.”

“What?” Barbershop chorus from the four listening guys.

“Axe blade in the demon’s chest. She’s screaming even louder than her attacker. Damned if she doesn’t remind me of Blackbeard’s wives at the JayCees Haunted House in Granny May’s hometown.”

Cole leaned forward. “We gotta go there next Hal oween.”

“Sure.”

If we’re still around.

I said, “I’m thinking the Luureken shouldn’t have buried that axe so deep. Now she’s got no weapon and the demon is coming back at her with that flaming flyssa.”

“What exactly do you mean by flaming?” asked Raoul, the professional curiosity in his voice tel ing me he was trying to figure out if he had the right weapons to combat it should he ever need to.

“When we met her in Australia and she turned her hat into a boomerang, it burned bluish orange. Which I thought was a reaction to the prayers we’d protected al the entrances with. This is more like a cherry red that seems hot and…” I swal owed involuntarily as I watched the sword sing through the air, the flames leaping toward the Luureken’s throat. “Yeah, starving would be the word I’m looking for.” They licked into her neck just before the sword sliced into her skin. And then, as quickly as she cut the life out of the Luureken, Kyphas met the leader’s charge. Now ful y transformed, its lean form giving it fearsome speed, it stil couldn’t match the demon’s reflexes.

She stood, unblinking, in the face of its heart-stopping growls. Let it see how easily it could tear her throat out. And then, as it leaped, moved with eye-blurring speed. Shoved its head to one side. Chopped into the vulnerable opening she’d made, then stepped forward as his body and half-severed head went crashing into the floor. She grabbed the map before it—or she—could be drenched in arterial spray, turned back, and finished the job.

I told the guys, “I don’t think we’re going to be battling any more Weres this trip. And I hope whoever cleans the storeroom at the Musee de Marrakech skips breakfast tomorrow.”

Astral took one last look at the bodies lying sprawled and lifeless on the floor, their blood crawling toward Kyphas as if begging her to put it back, make the last moments please, please go away. And then, like she knew my wishes, the robokitty looked up into Kyphas’s face. Since I’d stopped talking, I could at least admit to myself that her beauty stil had the power to stun me, even from a distance.

But it seemed different now than it had the first time I’d seen her, stalking Cassandra down the streets of Wirdil ing, destroying everyone and everything in her path.

In Australia she’d had the perfection of an ice sculpture.

Nice to look at, but you knew you’d better keep your distance unless you wanted freezer burn. Now she seemed to have the ancient sadness of one of Lucifer’s groupies.

She never Fell, my Inner Librarian corrected me, giving her bun a twitch to keep a stray curl from running amok.

Kyphas was born in hell. That makes her spawn, not angel.

Now you’re just playing with semantics, I told her.

Spawn are the children of fallen angels.

And other things! noted the Librarian.

I’ll give you that. Sometimes. I couldn’t take my eyes off Kyphas’s face, almost grieving as she absorbed the information on the map she’d unrol ed. But maybe Cole was right about her after all. Now wasn’t the time for theorizing though. I whispered, “Astral. Copy that map.” The cat set her recorders to key to the Enkyklios map. I felt my chest tighten as I realized I was about to find out where the Rocenz was located. When my shoulders slumped Vayl said, “What is wrong?”

“The map. It’s just a bunch of colored circles surrounded by rectangles. There’s some writing I can’t see at the top and bottom of the map. But no X to mark the spot where the tool is hidden.”

He said, “Then we wil take the demoness and the map a s soon as she exits the building.” Vayl’s tone didn’t change, which, of course, it wouldn’t. He took shit like this in stride. I guess after overcoming a mil ion or so setbacks you learn how to keep on keeping on. But damn, you’ve gotta live a long time to get to that place.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

We were waiting on the steps of the palace when Kyphas emerged, holding Astral in one hand and the map in the other. She looked only mildly surprised to see us. This, I was discovering, was the drawback of working with old souls. They’d seen so much they were tough to startle.

Vayl held out his hand. “Give me the map, Kyphas.” She hugged it closer to her chest. “I don’t think so.”

“Remember your contract? You vowed to help us find the Rocenz.”

She nodded exactly one time. “I did.” Her eyes never wavered from Vayl, but she seemed to tighten, as if some invisible machine had surrounded her with shrink-wrap. I’d already drawn Grief. Now I aimed the barrel right between her eyes.

“You also promised to fight with us,” he reminded her.

“The fighting’s over,” she said. She jerked her head back toward the museum. “I’ve kil ed the rest of your enemies.”

She may be right, said Granny May, who’d put aside her sewing to set up another game of bridge.

Who’s side are you on anyway? And does Winston Churchill really need that big a bowl of Doritos?

Cole had also drawn. But his Beretta remained pointed at the ground as he said, “Kyphas. I thought we were…

friends. What the hel ?”

“Exactly,” she replied. When she looked at him, the longing in her eyes actual y churned up some sympathy from somewhere deep inside me. She tore her gaze away from him and pinned it back on Vayl. “Here’s your map.” She launched Astral, not at him, but at me, fouling my shot as she threw herself behind a huge white pil ar.

I dropped my arm and stepped out of the way as robokitty came flying through the air like a claw-laced torpedo. She landed on her paws on the street beside me with the harsh clunk of granite hitting brick. I checked her out, relieved to find her in one piece, but pissed off as wel .

Now, by handing Astral back, Kyphas had kept her end of the deal. As far as she was concerned our contract was complete.

“Raoul!” I yel ed. “Tel me you brought your sword!” He couldn’t kil her with it here, of course. But if we could get her through one of the fire-framed plane portals, then the sword would destroy her. I knew one had to be close. They tended to fol ow me, though neither one of us had figured out why.

Raoul gave his cap a frustrated jerk. “I just came from the worst date of my life. Why would I bring a weapon along?”

Cole and I both said, “People do it al the time!” We looked at each other. Cole slapped his hand against his chest. “Not me, though. I’m just saying, there was this girl once who got real y pissed and—”

“I’d never suggest something like that about you,” I assured him. Then I realized al the guys were staring at me with that slightly stressed look that suggested they suddenly weren’t quite sure they were safe. “Aw, come on! Real y?” Stil keeping an eye on Kyphas, who’d emerged from hiding when we stopped trying to splat her, Cole slid over and patted me on the shoulder. “Forgive us, Jaz. You’re right, it’s sil y to think you’d ever shoot an ex when you already know twelve ways to kil him with your bare hands.”

“More like thirty, but that’s okay. I think.” Vayl stepped forward. “Kyphas, come with us. Whoever cal ed you to recover the map, whatever deal you have made with them cannot technical y supersede our contract.

You could stil be our al y. We would even offer you more if you cared to take it.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Bergman is starting a new business that could use people with exactly your sorts of skil s. Jasmine and I are considering becoming his partners. If, as time passed, we al seemed agreeable to the notion, you might even consider joining our Trust.”

Like hell! I nearly squeezed the trigger just to prove how opposed I was to his last statement. But Vayl had given me the signal for play-along-with-me-on-this-one, two crossed fingers tapping the hip. So I dropped my gun arm, giving it the rest it needed while I waited for the demon’s reply. Her expression surprised me. Was she real y considering his offer? And that yearning glance toward Cole. I wasn’t imagining the wish in her eyes, was I? Hard to say when seconds later they were fil ed with yel ow fire.

“Our deal is finished, vampire. And as soon as I have the Rocenz, your people wil be joining me.” I wouldn’t have put it past her to belt out a cheesy cartoon-vil ain laugh because, real y, lines like that belonged in dinner theaters.

But she didn’t take the time. Instead she dove behind a second pil ar. This one was so big you could park an entire camel behind it.

I took off after her, Vayl already five steps ahead, Raoul right behind him, Cole at my heels, and Sterling loping easily at the back. If we’d been on wheels there would’ve been a lot of screeching and honking of horns as we came to abrupt halts at the top of the steps. Because she wasn’t there. I mean, not anywhere we could even chase her. What we did find hidden behind the pil ar was a plane portal, stil open to her destination.

We stared into the pit, each of us seeing our own version of hel ’s torturous landscape. Mine was pretty much the same as the last time I’d seen it, when Raoul and I had taken a trip there to get the goods on Edward “The Raptor” Samos. I saw a flaming sky covering an eternity of rock-strewn ground peopled by an endless crowd of shambling, self-abusing citizens. Even though I knew what to expect I stil wanted to puke. I peeked at Raoul from under my eyelashes, knowing his view was no better. It made me feel tons less wussified to see that the POW camp in his vision stil turned his skin slightly green. He said a few quiet words and the door went as blank as his eyes.

I took his arm and pul ed him aside. “Raoul, is that how you died?” I whispered, jerking my head back toward the door. “Because I can stil try to make it right for you. The sons of bitches who captured you are probably stil alive. I could—”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t me. Maybe it should’ve been.” He looked bleakly at the door. “But it wasn’t.” And that was al he’d say.

We both stood staring at his shiny black boots, until Cole’s steady swearing sank into our brains.

I said, “Cole, you’re offending Vayl. Plus you never swear, so you’re probably upsetting yourself at some level.”

“That’s just dumb. Plus, Vayl? Am I?”

“I simply believe other words are more effective,” Vayl said dryly.

“Like what?” Cole demanded, throwing his hands into the air. Luckily, he’d holstered his gun, otherwise we’d have al been ducking at random moments while he gestured wildly to match his mood. “Oh, phooey, the demon has absconded with our map! Shuckey darn, she’s so irritating, because I fucking thought she had some fucking good in her!”

“Cole?” I went over to put my hand against his forehead. Nope, pretty cool despite our recent run.

“I’m not sick!” he bel owed.

I dropped my hand. “You’re betrayed.”

“Yeah!”

“By a demon.”

“Wel , yeah!”

“Who’s been lying, cheating, and stealing since the day she was born.”

He took a second to check his nails. “She’s a pro, isn’t she?”

“Um, yeah. The miracle is that Cassandra ducked her for so long.” I turned to Vayl. “So what does this mean? Is our psychic off the hook, or what?”

“I believe so,” he said. “The demon obviously feels she has fulfil ed her end of the bargain, which means Cassandra’s soul should be safe.”

“I don’t like that word ‘should.’ We need to be one hundred percent on this one.”

“There’s a test she can do,” Sterling said. He sat in the middle of the doorway, his legs in the lotus position, his palms lifted upward above his shoulders like he was checking for rain.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

“Absorbing the power inherent in this doorway. It’s great. Kind of like lying on a magic-fingers bed, only this gets you everywhere.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

“And I mean everywhere, Chil . You should try it.” I yanked my hair over my eyes. “I am surrounded by perverts.” I crouched down in front of my warlock. “Sterling.

What about the test? Do you think she knows which one you mean?”

“Maybe. She’s pretty wel -read, right?”

“Maybe? Should? You guys are driving me nuts!” I pul ed my phone out of my pocket and tossed it to the warlock. “Cal her. Tel her what it is. Tel her I said to do it warlock. “Cal her. Tel her what it is. Tel her I said to do it now. And if she comes up with a bad result, I want to know instantly. Because I wil go straight into hel after that bitch and tear her head off her shoulders if that’s what it takes to make Cassandra safe.”

Sterling gazed up at me. “I’m glad we made up.”

“Me too. Now make the cal .” Only when he opened my phone did I turn to Vayl. He’d picked up Astral and was giving her such a close once-over he could’ve been mistaken for a vet. “What do you think?” I asked.

“She does not seem to have been tampered with,” Vayl said. “Though, of course, Bergman is the only one who can tel us for sure.”

“So you think the map in her head…”

He nodded. “It is the one she recorded from Kyphas’s hand.”

“We’re not being very careful about the demon’s name now,” Cole snapped. “Don’t we care if she can spy on us anymore?”

“No,” Vayl and I chorused. “Later for sure,” I added. “But right now she’s so busy trying to get her ducks in a row she doesn’t have time to worry about us.”

“Would you care to describe her ducks?” Raoul asked.

“We figure she’s organizing a raiding party to help her retrieve the Rocenz before we can get to it,” I said.

“Yes,” Vayl agreed. “But remember, since no demon has the power to move from its world to ours at wil , she and her people must be summoned for another purpose as wel .

That gives us at least some time to find the Rocenz before she does.”

“And you’re sure the location is locked inside Astral’s mind?” Raoul asked.

“Absolutely,” I said. “We just need to get her somewhere safe so we can pul a copy out of her and figure out how to interpret it.”

“Somewhere safe… are you talking about the riad?” Cole asked.

“That is where we left the equipment,” Vayl said.

I held up a finger. “Except Bergman knows how to work it better than anyone else. Especial y when it comes to Astral. He was only just starting to train me. This would go a lot faster if we had him on board.”

“Are you certain?” Vayl asked, his eyebrows at ful lift.

“He is recuperating, after al .”

“What a nice way to say he’s newly stitched and out of his mind on painkil ers,” said Cole.

“Even bandaged and half-blitzed, Bergman’s stil better than any four regular people. What do you say?” I asked the guys. “Should we go break him out of the hospital?” Vayl smirked. “While I enjoy your sense of the dramatic, I think al that is required is the proper paperwork. This should only take a few minutes.”

Half an hour later Monique was wheeling Bergman out the front door while he bounced the IT’S A GIRL bal oon we’d tied to his wrist and giggled hysterical y at the bal ed-up towel we’d stuffed under his sweater to signify stil -to-be-lost baby weight. We hadn’t even had to bother with makeup. Just wrapped his head in my new black scarf and shoved Astral wrapped in a blanket into his free arm.

I leaned over so Bergman could see my face as I said,

“Miles, most moms don’t squish their babies so hard that they squeak. Relax your hold. No, don’t cover her whole face with your hand. Pretend she has to breathe, okay?” God? This guy doesn’t need kids anytime soon. Or even a fish. I’ll get him a stuffed animal next time I’m home. We’ll see how that goes and then I’ll be in touch.

“This rocks!” he said in a stage whisper as Cole pushed him toward the Galaxie.

“I can’t believe you need Miles this desperately,” Monique said again, more doubtful y than ever.

“Earthquakes are no laughing matter,” Cole told her gravely. “Only he can tel us if the data we’ve picked up points to a big one.”

I jumped in. “Would you like somebody to ride back to the riad with you, Monique? Maybe Sterling? Or”—I pul ed Raoul up beside me so she could get an eyeful of the muscular chest and thighs even his camo couldn’t hide

—“my friend Raoul could ride with you. He’s very protective.

Better than a bodyguard.”

Nothing. Her glance skittered off him like he was holding a mirror and went straight back to Bergman. “Thank you, no,” she said. “I drove Miles by myself, and I can get back the same way.” She leaned over him as we reached the car, giving him such a great view of her cleavage that he settled back in the chair like he was in it for the long haul. “You wil be al right?” she asked, her voice dropping into that velvet purr only French women can seem to pul off.

He grinned, his eyes rising to her lips as he licked his own. “You should probably ask me in the morning,” he said.

“Al right, then, I wil .” She kissed her fingertips, laid them on his cheek, and then went off to find her car. The guys watched her go. Al except Vayl, who was unlocking the doors and pul ing a blanket out of the trunk so we could make Miles comfortable.

As we began to help him into the car Bergman looked up at me and said, “That woman is after my body.”

“Yes,” I agreed as Olivia Newton-John’s voice suddenly hooted out of Astral’s mouth. While she sang, “Let’s get physical, physical,” he looked down at himself in utter bafflement.

“Do you have any idea why?” he asked.

I eased his feet inside the car and said, “As far as she’s concerned you’re the total package. Twenty years younger, skinny enough to relish good food, with one of the finest minds on earth. Just, uh”—I motioned to his side, which was so heavily bandaged it looked like he was hiding a bomb under his shirt—“don’t let her hurt you, okay?”

“Okay.”

I slid in beside him and Astral jumped into the back with Sterling, Raoul, and Cole. We’d put the top up, which meant Bergman’s bal oon kept knocking everybody in the head but him. In fact, “Where’s my bal oon?” he demanded as soon as Vayl slid the Galaxie into the street. We’d agreed he should drive so I could look after the patient. Who was starting to panic. “My bal oon disappeared!”

“It’s on your wrist!” I held his hand up to his face. Just barely thought better of slapping him with it.

“Oh.”

Silence. Not just golden. Jewel-encrusted and brimming with stardust. Vayl drove while the rest of us zipped it. We didn’t even move for fear we’d set Bergman off and make him undo al the work the doctor had put in on him. The tension had just begun to seep out of my toes and fingertips when Bergman said, “Jaz!”

“What?”

“I am so horny!”

I dropped my forehead into my hand as Cole and Sterling broke into laughter. Maybe even Raoul added a chuckle or two, though I couldn’t tel because the other two were honking so loud.

Bergman asked, “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been with a woman?”

“I don’t—”

“Five years! And then I had to pay for it. Which is so humiliating. Although I real y shel ed out the cash so she was supergreat. Like Cleopatra. Only not dead.” He turned completely around to face me, a feat only somebody as heavily drugged as he was could accomplish, considering he was both injured and seat belted. If we crashed he’d probably shoot straight out the top of the thing and smash into the roof. But no way would I worry about him now because he wasn’t even close to done grossing me out. In fact, he was asking me earnestly, “Is it so wrong to want a woman I don’t have to become a criminal to make love to?” I shook my head, wishing I was anywhere but here. Yes, even chasing Kyphas through hel would’ve been a more attractive option.

What are the chances that he’ll totally blank on this conversation in the morning? “That’s reasonable,” I said.

Bergman had clearly thought this out. He pointed to me, which made me gulp loudly, but he said, “Monique would be nice.”

“Okay.”

“Except she scares the shit out of me.”

“Also reasonable.”

“She’s very experienced.”

“And that’s a problem for you?”

“Yup. I’ve done a lot of reading. But, uh, theory is not at al like practice in these cases. I don’t think.”

“I see. So what do you want to do?”

“I have no idea.”

Silence. This time not even close to a precious metal.

Cole leaned forward, began to rub Bergman’s shoulders like he was getting ready for a big boxing match.

“So, uh”—he stopped to clear the laughter out of his voice

—“you want some advice from somebody who’s been there, buddy?”

Of course he’s been there. This was my Inner Bimbo, sizing Cole up like he was a big old cheesecake and she hadn’t had dessert in a year. Then her eyes strayed to Vayl.

Hmm, I wonder if…

Shut up. This is about Miles. Getting with a cougar. Oh crap, I’m imagining it now. I think I’m gonna puke.

Bergman said, “Yeah, okay. What do I need to know?”

“You think too much,” said Cole.

Sterling spoke up. “Waaay too much is my guess.” I looked over my shoulder in time to catch Cole winking at the warlock and nodding.

“Just relax and see what happens, al right?”

“Okay.”

“Great! Now that Bergman’s love life is back on track can we talk about Astral?” I asked.

“What about Astral?” Bergman frowned, picking up first one foot, then the other, like he thought he might find her flattened form underneath one of them. “Here, kitty!”

“No!” I pointed back at the cat, who’d taken her favorite spot on the ledge beneath the back window. “You stay right there, missy.” Thankful y she was programmed to obey my voice above al others, so al she did was flick her tail and half close her eyes at me, as if to say, “I’m too comfortable to move anyway.”

I leaned forward so I could catch Vayl’s eye. Okay, I’m about to give the tech-head here another reason to be in the hospital. Are you sure this is going to be worth it? I asked him silently. He gave me a short nod.

So I told Miles what had happened in the smal est words I could manage. I ended with, “We need to get that map out of Astral. Your equipment—”

“Should do the job,” Miles said, suddenly, remarkably, businesslike. “How far are we from the riad?”

“Perhaps ten minutes,” Vayl said.

“I think I’l catch a nap then. I should try to be as alert as possible when it’s time to do the transfer.” And he promptly passed out.

I watched him slide about five inches down the seat until the belt final y caught him just below the armpits. “Wow.

He is so weird.”

“Yes.” Vayl patted him on the head. “I am final y beginning to see why you like him.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

With only an hour until dawn and Kyphas an entire printed map ahead of us, we couldn’t waste a second babying our wounded, morphine-dazed comrade. That’s what I told myself, using Albert’s stern, no-arguments bark to make my point as I watched Vayl carry him upstairs to his equipment-packed room. But as soon as Bergman sat back in the orange cushioned chair he’d drawn up to the desk he’d transformed into computer central in the seating area of his suite, I checked his bandages. No blood had seeped through, so I felt sure the stitches had held.

“You’re the best friend a guy ever had, you know that, Jaz?” Miles said, beaming up at me.

“Yup. You want some water or something?”

“Not around al these electronics. How about a root beer?”

I turned away so he wouldn’t see me smile. “I’l see what I can do. Astral? Get your butt up on the desk. Bergman needs to do some work on you.”

The cat leaped up as ordered, landing lightly between two monitors, and then ruining the effect by sitting squarely on a keyboard, making Bergman say something like,

“Gah!”

I moved to grab her but Vayl was quicker. He murmured, “Raoul needs to speak to you.”

My Spirit Guide hadn’t ever ful y come into the room. He stood outside the door, a party guest who’d realized he couldn’t stay after al . I joined him in the hal .

“I have to go,” he said.

“But… this is it.”

“But… this is it.”

“I understand. However, you don’t need me for it. And I’ve been cal ed away.”

I realized I might be dangerously close to pouting and pul ed my face as close to neutral as I could manage. “Oh.” Raoul reached out, like he meant to lay his hand on my shoulder. But he wasn’t that type. If I’d been feeling nasty I’d have told him Nia probably sensed that and that’s why she’d preferred the cat to him. Then he said, “Others like you are in this fight as wel . They rarely use your colorful language when they cal , but they do occasional y ask for my assistance.”

His smile reminded me that one of those was my twin, so maybe it would be good if I stepped back, took a look at the big picture, and stopped being so damn selfish every once in a while. “Oh! Wel , yeah, then you have to go.”

“Wait!” Bergman tried to get up, winced in pain, and let Vayl haul him to his feet. “Raoul. Before you leave, I have to ask you something.” He hobbled to the door, holding his side like he thought the support might help him move a little faster. When he got there, he looked at me for a ful five seconds before I got the message that I wasn’t welcome in the conversation.

I said, “Uh, yeah, wel , see you later, Raoul. Uh, Sterling’s probably got questions about this whole mission that I stil haven’t had time to answer.” Just before I could turn away Raoul grabbed me and gave me a lung-squishing hug. “Good luck,” he whispered.

“If anyone can crush Brude forever, I know it’s you.” When he let me go I staggered a little, not so much because I was off balance, but because he’d known, probably al along, that I’d been fighting the Domytr’s possession. And he’d let me deal with it the way I wanted.

He hadn’t pushed, ordered, or manipulated. He’d just…

been there. I swal owed.

“Thanks.” I nodded, blinking so the damn tears that kept surfacing when I least wanted them to would get the hel out of my way. Then I went to talk to the warlock. And by God, if he made me want to cry, I was going to grab his wand and wave it around until I was surrounded by toads and lizards.

Because that’s one thing you can count on with reptiles.

They’re just not into tender moments.

Bergman found just enough lucid brain cels to connect Astral to a computer, access her latest entry, and print the map. While he typed short phrases into the computer and poked green and yel ow buttons on his multi-machine, which, at the moment, was acting as a printer, we took turns making sure he stayed conscious and ducking out to arm ourselves for demon fighting. Hopeful y we’d beat Kyphas to the Rocenz and be long gone before she ever showed up. But we hadn’t survived this long crossing our fingers and scrunching our eyes shut.

When we’d first encountered the demon in Australia, only Cassandra had been carrying the kind of double-bladed weapon that can easily slice hel spawn’s hide. And none of us owned anything that could cause permanent damage. Raoul had raided his own supply to provide us with swords that had been forged by demon-fighters from way back. These are the folks you want smithing your steel when regular weapons take twice as long to cause even a minor injury. Raoul had built himself up quite a col ection, and I stil couldn’t quite believe he’d shared it with us, tel ing us we could keep the blades until our deal with Kyphas was done. Wel , she might be finished with us, but we weren’t sure we felt the same.

So each of us took a run to our rooms and belted on the gear Raoul had loaned us. Cole’s blade, long and heavy as a shovel, stil sparkled like raindrops on a lake when he swung it. His strangely flexible shield fit snugly over one shoulder until he needed to bring it into action.

Vayl’s cane-sword had evidently been crafted by a true master, because it damaged demon and wielder alike.

My blade, which rode in a sheath at my back, felt like it had been custom-made for me, it carried so light and swung so smooth. That didn’t make it any less lethal.

Maybe I’d have the chance to prove that tonight.

When I got back to Bergman’s lair, he’d finished translating some writing on the map that had stumped Cole, despite his extensive knowledge of languages.

“This cat’s amazing, you know that?” he asked me as I settled down on one of his cushy red chairs while Astral gave us both her inscrutable stare from the middle of his coffee table. It struck me then that she might be a frustrated centerpiece. But I was distracted from the thought when he shoved a copy of the map into my hands. “Look what she came up with.”

I nodded over the paper, which had English written in place of the words we hadn’t been able to translate before.

The paragraph at the top of the page read: Cursed and thrice cursed be ye who raise the Rocenz without offering proper dues or sacrifice.

For Cryrise’s hammer and Frempreyn’s chisel may spel your salvation, or your doom.

I found it harder to understand the words at the bottom: Who holds the hammer stil must find the keys to the triple-locked door.

“Wow, aren’t we al creepy and cryptic,” Cole said when Vayl had read out the entire translation.

Bergman slumped farther down in his chair. “This is ridiculous,” he said, his words beginning to slur as his fight to stay awake began to fail. “Hammers? Chisels? And now keys? Ya know, whoever made this map doesn’t know squat about real treasure.” He shook his finger in the air, like he was lecturing a bunch of unruly fourth graders.

“Diamonds, man! Silver crowns embedded with rubies the size of my fist! That’s what we’re supposed to be searching for!” He’d raised his hand to emphasize the point. Now he dropped it, plop, in his lap, like it weighed too much to bother with anymore. “I’m tired.”

“Why don’t you go to bed, Miles? We’ve got it from here,” I said.

Without waiting for his reply, Vayl picked him up and moved him to the bed, not even bothering to turn down the shimmering green spread before laying him gently on it.

Bergman struggled to his elbows. “Where’s Astral? Jaz?

Can Astral stay and, you know, keep me company?”

“Of course.” I gave the cat her order and she trotted over to Miles, who was already snoring. After patting his face experimental y with one paw, she decided he wasn’t going to issue any commands in the near future, and curled up under his chin.

I looked back at the guys, who were sitting on Bergman’s sofa, poring over the map.

“So does anybody know what al these colored squares and circles are supposed to represent?” asked Cole.

“Maybe it’s like a code,” said Sterling. “One color, or one sequence of colors, actual y means a word.” Cole stared at them for a while. “I don’t see a pattern.”

“Maybe it’s an actual map of someplace,” I suggested.

They looked up at me.

“Where?” asked Sterling. “There’s no reference to it.

There’s not even a key on the map to tel you which square or circle is which landmark.”

I held up my hand. “I know how we can find out.” I skipped downstairs and out the front door. “Yousef? I hope you’re not dragging poor Kamal along with you, because at four twenty in the morning I’d real y think you were a lowlife.” I waited. “Yousef! Get out of the damn bushes!”

Yousef stepped out from behind the thick growth of palm trees the original owner had planted at the front corner of Riad Almoravid. Sucker didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed.

I grabbed his hand. “Come on.”

He wouldn’t budge. Just stood there staring stupidly into my face, like he’d just heard the world was about to end. I slapped him and he came alive, his eyes sparkling as he spoke rapidly. I looked around for Kamal, but the kid had final y found the backbone to send his friend out solo.

So I beckoned for Yousef to fol ow me into the riad, which he did so eagerly I almost felt guilty. Until I reminded myself exactly what he was hoping to find on the other side of my bedroom door.

We trotted up to Bergman’s. “This is Yousef,” I said, yanking my hand out of his once I’d final y gotten him through the door. “He’s my stalker. Yousef? These are my friends. Cole, could you translate?”

Cole stood up, speaking quickly so our newest party guest wouldn’t run off before we could take advantage of his native knowledge. When it seemed like he’d run out of words I said, “Tel him we want to show him a picture and I want to know where in the city he thinks it’s located. Tel him I’d be very grateful if he’d think hard about what it could be before he says anything.”

I nodded to Sterling, who handed Yousef the map. He glanced so casual y at the writing that I decided he couldn’t read it. But the drawing he seemed to recognize right away, because he began speaking almost immediately.

“Of course!” Cole translated. “This is the tannery! It has been here for centuries! You should come see. I wil give you a tour.” He slapped himself on the chest proudly. “I give the skins second life.”

Big aha! moment when I suddenly realized why Yousef and Kamal had smel ed so rank and looked so—mustardy

—the first time Cole and I had run into them. And why they’d been holding bath supplies. When you work at a place that makes you wish for a gas mask, you’re definitely going to hit the hammam after work so you can dip yourself in scented soap and aftershave.

As Yousef chattered Cole explained. “Tanning is not just turning hides into leather for them. It’s mystical, watching the skin of a dead creature be reborn under their hands. These guys are also considered lords of fertility so, uh”—Cole started to grin—“if you’re having some problems in the baby-making department he says he’d be more than happy to lend you a hand.”

“I’m set,” I said. And I meant it. So why had Vayl gone so stil al of a sudden?

Cole went on. “He also says the tannery is considered to be the entrance to the world of the dead. And that some of the men who work there, even today, know how to open and close the doorway.”

I looked at my sverhamin. “What do you suppose that means?” I asked.

He arched an eyebrow. “It means our map is genuine.” He stepped forward, pul ing out his wal et. By the way Yousef’s eyes bugged at the handful of euros he pul ed out, it probably amounted to more than he made in six months.

I watched them—a dark, childless Rom who’d taken two centuries to master his craving for blood leaning over the sun-baked tanner with the caterpil ar mustache—and couldn’t imagine more different men. Yet here they stood, bound by their connection to Marrakech and me.

As Vayl said, “We need a guide,” and Yousef pocketed the bil s, I let myself wonder if the tanner could help him in another way. Vayl had been savaged by his sons’ murders, but his grief hadn’t kept him from adopting Helena. And despite his medieval attitudes at the time, he’d stil managed to be a good dad to her. To me, that said he stil wanted the role. Needed it maybe. What if Yousef real y was a fertility guru? What if he—and I—could make Vayl’s dream come true?

I shook my head. Shoved the thoughts into the Miracle Basket at the back of my brain, which, as far as I knew, was directly connected to an incinerator. Because crazy thoughts could not be tolerated inside my skul . Especial y not when they had to share space with a Domytr.

Besides, I had to keep up with Yousef, who’d brought bewildering passion to his new job. In fact, he shot out of the room like the cops were on his tail. Didn’t even look back, just assumed we wanted to get there as bad as he wanted to earn his money.

We ran after him, only barely avoiding an embarrassing body jam at the door because I beat the guys out and Vayl clapped Sterling and Cole’s shoulders together before shoving them forward. Somehow we al kept our feet and raced down the stairs after our guide, hoping his slap-happy sandals didn’t attract Monique. Unfortunately, she was waiting for us at the bottom, cel phone in hand.

“I have many friends,” she cal ed as we swept past her.

“If it’s an earthquake, I need to know who to cal !”

“We think we can stop it from here!” I shouted over my shoulder. “Hunker down and wait for more news. We’l be back soon!” I hope.

“What about Miles?” she cried as Yousef slammed out the front door.

Cole answered for me. “Take care of him for us, wil ya?”

Though I expected Yousef to be three blocks ahead of us, he was beside the Galaxie when we reached the street.

As we piled in, Vayl shoved Yousef to the backseat with Cole and Sterling so he couldn’t cuddle next to me. I grinned

at

my sverhamin,

loving

that

hint

of

possessiveness that I returned with interest. Starting the car felt like loading a gun. I felt my hands begin to shake. I was going to drive my baby to the big showdown!

Vayl put his lips to my ear. “Are you ready to annihilate some demons?”

I thought about Kyphas. And Brude. No more than the grit between my foot and the accelerator. And knew my shiver had as much to do with wasting them as it did Vayl’s hot breath tickling one of my most sensitive spots. When I turned my head his lips hovered next to mine. I stole my smile from his repertoire, just a twitch to show how hard I was working to master my passion as I let my eyelids drop.

“I’m up for it,” I said. Glancing over my shoulder I added,

“Best route, Yousef?”

Cole gave me his reply. “I’l show you. We’l come to the tannery from outside the city, taking the Route Des Remparts to the Bab ed-Debbagh.”

I knew the gate, an arched break in the impressive ochre wal that stretched for miles around the old city, proving that even in the thirteenth century they knew how to turn towns into fortresses.

As I swung the Galaxie into motion I said, “Vayl, do you remember the gate from the last time you were here?” His nod went more up than down. “Helena and I toured the city one day and we saw it then. Legends say that an evil djinn named Malik Gharub is trapped within the gate, so I suggest none of you rub anything that resembles a lamp.”

I glanced over my shoulder, making sure Sterling could see my expression.

“Fine!” he said. “I won’t go after the djinn! Although just a touch could probably fuel me for a year without even sleeping.”

“Why does he want to skip sleep?” Vayl asked me.

“He’s studying to be a Bard,” I said. “Takes time, you know? He’d get there twice as fast if he could skip the Z’s.”

“Ah.”

“Speaking of skipping,” Cole interrupted, “Yousef says there’s a pothole coming up that’s big enough to swal ow us whole. Stay in the middle of the road.”

“Wil do,” I replied. For the rest of the trip I paid attention to the tanner and his interpreter, who continued pointing out the turns and the axle-breakers. I didn’t much mind the backseat driving because, dayum, my new wheels could put the power down! I suddenly wondered… was that al ?

It’d be just like Vayl, having trotted out the big surprise, to hold off on a little one like, “Oh, by the way, I had Bergman make a few modifications,” until he decided it was time to pop the details on me. I vowed to give the girl a good going over as soon as I had a free minute.

Which wasn’t now. Because we’d arrived at the Bab ed-Debbagh, a gray archway topped with a simple array of vertical stones. We parked in a lot outside the gate, piled out, and secured the car, fol owing Yousef onto cobbled streets that turned and twisted so many times before they released us into the city proper we had to wonder how anybody had ever conquered it. This close to dawn we only met a few farmers carting their wares to the souks to be sold later that morning. Otherwise, al we saw were feral cats nosing through piles of trash that had blown against the wal s of neglected red-wal ed homes that might once have housed rich merchants. Now they held the poorest citizens of Marrakech.

We ducked into lanes so narrow I could stretch out both arms and touch the wal s that fenced them. We bounded up staircases whose steps were so chipped and worn I could easily imagine the steady succession of invaders who had pounded up and down them in their quest to be the next great conquerors of a shining Moroccan city. And I wondered if it could possibly have stunk as bad back then as it did now.

Yousef stopped beside a doorway with a large pot of some dark green plant growing beside it. He broke off a piece for each of us and gestured for us to hold it under our noses. When we did, we inhaled the refreshing scent of mint, strong enough that the other smel barely got through.

Then he led us into an abandoned building whose windows might never have held glass, up stairs that had been formed of the same rough material as the wal s, and onto a roof that groaned occasional y, making me wonder just how much weight it could hold beyond the rusty metalwork railing that divided it into thirds. He took us to the edge, gestured below, and spoke.

Cole said, “We’re here.”

We looked down, our extra visual capabilities showing us a large open space, its uneven border shaped by the tal , windowless buildings just like ours that surrounded it. In the middle sat cement tubs that would shine so white in the sun I suspected looking at them without sunglasses could give you headaches. Some stood alone. Some were connected circles or squares, like Tetris blocks where the line is nearly finished, or where one in the shape of a backward L has fal en randomly next to another shaped like an I. Of the individual vats, a few looked to be a much darker color. Those had high rims that wouldn’t al ow accidental slippage, but many were dug so deeply into the ground that they worked as actual pools, and they were fil ed with a brew that looked certain to kil whatever touched it. Animal hides in various stages of tanning stretched across maybe a third of the vats and, gawd, the stench! Even with the mint stuffed against my nostrils I couldn’t get past it.

Yeah, I could believe the legends about this place. And that the Weres had decided to hide a demon’s tool here seemed like a stroke of genius. If Roldan could see us now he’d be howling as he regarded us from his comfy little beanbag throne in one of Valencia’s posher vil as.

“Go ahead, you pitiful schmucks,” he’d say. “Just try and find my needle in Marrakech’s nauseating little haystack.” To which I’d have to reply (after kicking him square in the teeth, of course), “We’ve got the map, ya douche. It’s not gonna be that hard.” If that was true, of course, some hel spawn or other would’ve retrieved the Rocenz a long time ago. But I didn’t need to be that honest with myself today.

We’ve got the map. We’ve got a tanner. How hard can it be? I assured myself as we crowded around the clue page Bergman had printed from Astral’s visual memory. I should’ve known better than to ask myself that question.

Vayl turned the map so the shapes on it matched the vats twenty feet below us. Most of us could see them without the aid of the two or three pole lights that worked so poorly they left the majority of the tannery in shadow. But Yousef, with his nose nearly brushing the paper, stil had to squint to make the images stand apart from one another.

Vayl said, “We need a light for our guide.” Sterling reached into one of his pants pockets and pul ed out a yel ow yo-yo that I recal ed from our last mission together. Its string, a thin black line that looked like it would tangle if you even looked at it funny, fit around his middle finger and then clipped into a groove on his left bracelet.

Holding the toy as if he meant to “walk the dog,” he tossed it toward the ground. As soon as it jerked to the end of its line it began to glow. By the time it had rol ed back up to where he could snag it, our warlock was holding a glow-globe.

He trained it on the map while Vayl said, “Cole, ask Yousef if any of this looks familiar to him.” Cole translated quickly, but his eyes weren’t on the prize. He was peering into the darkness, his expression so close to bitter he might’ve just swal owed a glass ful of cranberry juice. He didn’t seem to concentrate on Yousef’s reply, but his words were steady. “Of course the dyes we use are different than the ones shown in the map. But otherwise it looks right.”

Sterling’s light wavered, and an odd image caught my eye.

“Hey.” I pointed to his hand. “Hold that underneath the page, wouldja?”

Sterling moved the yo-yo beneath the paper. In one spot it seemed to reveal a second picture.

I’d been bending as close to it as I could manage considering I was shoulder to shoulder with four other people. Now I glanced up at Vayl. “There’s definitely something else here. I think the original map wasn’t just drawn, it was built, like those old paintings that have a second portrait hidden underneath. The real map is lying under a thin layer of material that’s got to be removed before we can figure out where the Rocenz is.”

“So we stil have to get the treasure scrol from the demon,” Cole said flatly.

“Yeah.” I watched him closely. Final y I said, “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

Even lit by the distant glow of Sterling’s light and detailed by my night vision, I could barely read Cole’s expression. If I had to guess I’d have said he was feeling about as much self-loathing as a young girl who’s mowed her way through an entire package of Chips Ahoy. But instead of saying, “I’ve been naive,” he said, “I’l kil her myself.”

Which was when I realized she’d gotten to him.

Somehow that bitch had wriggled through the cracks in his heart and set down roots. And I had no idea how to respond to the anger snapping in his eyes now. Except to be honest. “You can’t get that done on this plane.”

“I know.”

“You shouldn’t kil her at al .”

He glared at me. “Why not?”

“Because you’re mad at her.” I didn’t have to remind him of the first rule. I could see he remembered that we don’t kil when we’re angry, because that’s when we stop being assassins and become something else entirely. He was just standing in a place I’d been too many times myself. And he real y didn’t give a shit.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

So we waited. Dawn approached. Vayl drove back to the riad. Yousef went down to work. But Kyphas never showed.

We began a watch, two on, one sleeping in the room nearest the roof access, al of us with our noses so deep in the mint we began to forget what real air smel ed like.

The room we picked felt like the rest of the tannery, stripped of everything beautiful, its bones dry and cracking, but stil of practical use. I’d been in worse places. Then I realized the brown stained wal s, the dirt-choked floors, the single hanging bulb that hadn’t felt a charge in decades weren’t depressing me. It was Cole, nursing an anger that fit him about as wel as a judge’s robes. And Sterling, il at ease enclosed in a space that sucked in the heat while it rejected light, air, and worst of al , music. He’d start to hum a tune and then trail off, like he’d forgotten the melody. Until he final y just stopped.

Yousef brought us meals, for which we paid him so wel that he nearly wept. And I tried not to develop an attachment to him. I liked his loyalty. It was just that I knew he hoped I’d reward him with a hearty slap on the cheek fol owed by a kick to the shin. And I couldn’t wrap my mind around that.

Didn’t even want to try.

At dusk Vayl returned. He took one look at us and said,

“We are going to the roof.”

As soon as we stepped into the open we felt better. I wondered how entire families survived in rooms like the ones we’d left, how they shielded their souls from the crushing hopelessness wal s and ceilings like those brought down on them. And I thought, looking sideways at Yousef and Kamal, who’d come to join us after their visit to the hammam, that some of them didn’t.

“Kamal,” I said, “tel Yousef that we’re expecting violence tonight. And if it comes, the two of you have to stay on the roof.”

When Kamal translated and I saw the excitement brighten Yousef’s face I nearly shook him. But I knew he’d enjoy it too much, so I just said, “It won’t be the kind of pain Yousef enjoys. You have to make him understand that. You could both die.”

Kamal half turned, like he wanted to bolt but his feet had somehow stuck to the floor. He whispered, “Who are you?”

“It’s better that you don’t know, okay? We need Yousef to read the map after we get it, but only when it’s safe.” I handed them both more euros than they’d ever seen. “We’l give you twice that when this is over. Just hang out here.

That’s al you have to do. Okay?”

Kamal nodded until Yousef pinched him and demanded some translating, dammit! Then he seemed even happier to cooperate than his buddy. To the point that they found us al rickety folding chairs to sit in while we watched and waited some more. My work is way exciting. Except for the times when it bores me out of my mind.

I couldn’t have been asleep long. My dreams had only begun to take on the detail of real life when Vayl shook me awake. I checked my watch. Three a.m. He motioned for me to join the rest of the crew at the edge of the roof, al squatting in a neat row like marksmen waiting for the bank robbers to come riding into town. Yousef and Kamal huddled on one end, whispering to each other. Next to them Sterling crouched, watchful as a stalking lion. Cole knelt to his left, grasping the hilt of his sword like he meant to pul and charge within the next couple of seconds. Vayl went to sit at his shoulder, waiting patiently until Cole turned to meet his eyes.

“Remember why we do this,” Vayl said. I’d sunk to my heels on the other side of him. Now he tilted his head toward me. “Jasmine cannot be free without the Rocenz.”

“I know that,” Cole snapped.

“Did you know she has been experiencing nosebleeds and headaches?”

We both stared. “Little escapes my attention when I am ful y attuned,” Vayl said.

“It’s nothing—” I began.

“He is kil ing you!” Vayl let me see the flecks of orange starting to paint over the stormy blue of his eyes before he turned them back to Cole. “Saving Jasmine is your priority tonight. Al else pales.”

He turned back to the scene unfolding below us, and though I could feel Cole’s troubled gaze on me, I concentrated on the action in the tannery as wel . Because nothing could come of significant looks, no matter how mopey we made them.

The creatures who’d appeared below us kept to the tannery’s dark corners at first. But as their search went on and it became obvious that they couldn’t figure out their map, they lost the patience stealth requires and became a lot easier to count.

“She sucks at recruiting,” Cole said.

“How many do you see?” Vayl asked.

“Three so far.”

“Add the two who have remained by the plane portal door and, of course, the demon,” Vayl reminded him.

“She’s not with them?”

“No.” He turned and stood in one smooth motion, raising his cane in such a way that I knew instantly we were in trouble. Without ful y understanding why I needed to, I came to my feet and pul ed steel. Then I caught sight of Kyphas standing across the roof from us, her flyssa hanging at her side.

“You wil never win this fight,” Vayl said, pointing the cane at her like he was already seeing the sword it contained carving through her flesh.

“I’m not here to battle,” Kyphas said, glancing down at the figures slithering among the vats like she thought they might overhear us. She held out—what the hel ?

“That’s the map,” said Cole, unnecessarily, because we could al see the raggedy-edged scrol rol ed tightly in her fist.

“She can’t decode it,” I said. “She’s brought it to us so we can find the tool and then she’s taking it back with her.”

“No, of course not. Wel , I mean yes to part of that. We can’t decode it. But I’m here because—” Her eyes lit on Cole like a butterfly lands on a flower, so lightly he never felt their touch, before moving on to Sterling’s, mine, Vayl’s, even Kamal’s. She ignored Yousef so completely he might as wel have been a roof vent, standing completely stil , shocked to immobility in the face of her absolute beauty.

“We have a contract,” she finished.

“You said it was finished,” Vayl reminded her.

She took a step forward.

Vayl’s hand tightened on the jewel that would release the spring-loaded sheath. I raised my sword. Cole wrapped his hand around the hilt of his. Sterling—relaxed. Only Vayl and I knew he was now at his most dangerous, with his hands resting in his lap, one crossed over the other so that his bracelets were touching.

“Kyphas.” Vayl made her name a warning even she could understand.

She responded by tossing him the map, her eyes flashing yel ow as she said, “Did you think your little scheme would go unnoticed in hel ? That Torledge hasn’t been aware of every move you’ve made since you landed in Marrakech? He knows this is his best chance to retrieve the Rocenz and he wants me to be the dog that fetches it for him. I may be the laughingstock of Lucifer’s court after letting your Seer slip through my fingers, but I wil not bow down to that rabbit fucker.”

Vayl and I raised our eyebrows at each other. Either she was one badass actress or—

“I knew it!” said Cole.

I wanted to slap myself on the forehead. But that would just hurt me. And Kyphas was the one I wanted to mutilate.

Physical violence would only make Cole do the white knight act, however. So I appealed to him one last time. “Dude, you did hear what she just said, yeah? That the contract stil holds? Think back. What was her upside in that deal?” He actual y had to take a second. Then he said, “Oh.

Souls. She’s going to get Brude. And the Oversight Committee.”

I nodded. Good boy, maybe I should give you a sticker. Positive reinforcement so you’ll remember your damn lesson. “She’s stil in the biz. Always wil be. And that face, that incredible face that makes you long for her to reform and become Little Bo Peep, is what makes her so good at what she does.”

“What are you saying?” Cole asked.

My sigh came out more like a huff. “Quit thinking with your dick for, like, ten seconds. I think that’s al you need to save your life here.”

He grimaced at her. “Are you going to take those souls when Jaz gets the Rocenz?”

She shrugged. “Of course.” When she saw his face tighten she held her hands out to him. “Look at it this way.

It’l make Jasmine’s life so much easier. Brude wil never be able to hurt her again. Those senators won’t be able to manipulate the Agency to make themselves look better.

Which means your jobs wil be secure and your country wil be safer. Where is the disadvantage in that?” My hand crept to my chest, pressing against the pain in my heart as I watched Cole accept defeat. He seemed to age every second as he said, “Souls, Kyphas. You’l never get it because you see them as, I don’t know, purses to be snatched and stacked in your closet because you’re like some kind of crazed klepto. But they’re way more than that.” She tried to speak, but he held up his hand and, amazingly, she let him go on. “Yeah, some of them belong in hel . I’ve only worked with Jaz for a few months and I believe that to my bones. Maybe even the ones you bargained for should be there. But I can’t be with the kind of person who yanks them out of people’s bodies, throws them into the pit, and doesn’t even understand the kind of misery she’s causing.”

“Cole—”

He turned his back to her. And I understood, just like she did, that it was the ultimate insult. So you think you’re a dangerous beeyotch? You don’t scare me. After what you’ve done? You don’t even rate a glance over the shoulder.

Kyphas stood there for a second. And then her eyes flared to bright yel ow. No tel ing what she’d have done if we hadn’t been there with him. I stepped in front of him.

Sterling jammed his bracelets together.

“Begone, demon,” said Vayl.

Her nostrils flared, as if she was trying to scent the future. Could she take al of us? Or at least hold us off until her minions appeared to even up the odds?

I smiled at her. Not like Lucil e, who can be sweet in even the direst of situations. Like Jaz. Head tilted down, so you could barely see the thin stretch of the lips accompanied by narrowed bring-it-on eyes.

You want a fight? Here I am. You just broke my best friend’s heart. I don’t need any other excuse to fuck you over.

She hesitated. Another breath. Two. And then she wheeled around, ran to the access door, shoved it so hard it embedded itself into the wal . A moment later she was gone.

“Quickly,” Vayl said, tucking his cane under his arm so he could unrol the map. He motioned for Sterling to hold his light underneath it as I searched for weaknesses in its structure.

“Here,” I said, pointing to a slight bubble in the bottom corner. “Does anyone have a knife?” The guys eyed each other’s swords. “Seriously? We don’t have, even, a pair of nail clippers between the four of us?”

Kamal stepped forward, bowing a little as he offered me the handle of a sturdy work knife, which, had I been forced to guess, he probably used on a daily basis to cut the scrap pieces off of the hides.

“You rock,” I told him as I sheathed my sword and took the tool from his hand.

He frowned. “I am a rock?”

“No. It means, you’re cool like a rock star. You know, like Beyoncé.” When his eyes went wide, I quickly added,

“Or a guy rocker would be, maybe, a better comparison, sure, I can see that. So, you rock like Usher.” The whole time I was talking I was also working Kamal’s knife into the bubble and slicing the top layer of leather free of the map. I did glance up once. Kamal was smiling, so he must’ve appreciated my final comparison.

Sterling and Vayl held the edges of the map to keep it taut.

Yousef was checking out the broken door and muttering to himself, no doubt about the amount of force necessary to drive it into the wal in the first place and whether or not he could survive blows like that if he decided to switch his obsession from me to Kyphas midstream, so to speak.

Cole stil had his back to us, only now he seemed to be watching the activity below. Hopeful y that meant he’d focused at least half his mind on the job.

I went back to work. Frankly I’d have much preferred staking out some dirtbag’s hotel room or fol owing the trail of our latest national security threat. Both might require the same sort of speed and finesse I now had to bring against the old scrol , but neither would’ve held the fate of my soul in their hands at the end of the mission. I felt sweat trickle down the smal of my back as I slipped the blade gently between the layers, trying to keep it even, to see where one page left off and the other began. I was almost glad when the headache began. I took it as an omen that I was succeeding, moving closer to freedom, while Brude could only pound helplessly against the wal s of his prison while he watched his hopes slip farther away.

“Okay, Kamal, I want you to take the cut edge and start pul ing up on it. Firm but gentle, got that?” I asked, looking up to make sure he understood what I meant. He nodded. I blinked, waited for the two of him to meld back into one. My head pounded in time with my pulse, painful enough now to make me want to lean over and puke. So maybe it was the source of my double vision. But maybe not. I closed my eyes again.

“Jasmine?” Vayl’s voice, soothing as a cool cloth to my forehead, al owed me to take a ful breath for the first time since we’d begun the operation.

“I’m okay,” I said.

As I’d asked him to do, Kamal lifted the top layer of the map, giving me a better view of my work, al owing me to cut quicker and more decisively. Less than a minute later I was done. I handed the knife back to him and continued to lean over while Vayl, Sterling, and the tanners glued themselves to the new picture, muttering to each other like a bunch of scholars who’ve just found an attic ful of never-before-seen Lincoln letters.

“The demon’s got them al back in a group,” Cole reported from his perch by the wal . “It won’t be long before they make a move.”

I walked my hands up my thighs. Nope, no puking yet.

Okay, let’s try taking the head a little higher. Ow! Can a brain actually explode? Maybe I should wrap it in something just in case. Do they have compression bandages in badass black?

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Since it was easier to look down, I identified its owner by the red high-tops toed up with my shoes. I reached out, grabbed a handful of T-shirt, and climbed myself a little higher. “Cole,” I whispered. “I feel terrible.”

“Me too.”

My chuckle came out more like a sigh because anything else would’ve shaken me up too much. When I final y met his eyes, stark and sad in a face made for joy, I tried to smile and hoped it came out real. “Let’s just get each other through this. We can do that. Right?” Doubt dropped his eyes. But they came right back up to mine and didn’t waver when he said, “Yeah. You and me, Vayl and Sterling, Bergman and Cassandra.” He stopped.

Nodded. “We can do this.”

We locked arms, and though I was the one with spears shoving themselves through my skul , it seemed like the give-and-take was mutual as we helped each other shuffle toward the bowed backs of Vayl, Sterling, Yousef, and Kamal.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I kept teling myself Vayl had lived nearly three hundred years now. And it would take me longer than that to know him wel . Stil , even though his broad back was turned to me I would bet my savings his eyes were the clear blue of a Nordic sailor. The kind who sees past the waves and beyond the horizon, which is why he’s stil on the ocean long after his neighbors have given up and taken factory jobs.

Though we made no noise as we came up behind him and the rest of the map readers, he didn’t even turn his head. Just said, “Sterling, would you check for activity below?”

As our warlock strode to the roof’s edge, Cole and I moved to take his place, al of us treading lightly around one of the weak spots near the roof’s center that we’d identified when we’d first come up. Vayl held the yo-yo light while Yousef explained through Kamal what he was seeing.

Yousef pointed a brown-stained finger at one of the squares. “These are empty now. And this one”—he joined a second finger to the first and tapped them against a large circle in the bottom corner that seemed to have been drawn with a bolder outline than the others and fil ed with squiggly red lines. “It was capped long ago.”

“Why?” Vayl asked.

“My great-grandfather used to tel the story of how one morning the men came to work to find al of the liquid in the vats boiling. They stood around, trying to decide what had happened, fearful that the tannery would be closed forever.

Then, one by one, the vats cracked, pouring out their contents onto the ground. Al except for this one.” Yousef peered closely at the map. “Yes, this is the one that had to be capped because the dyes thickened and began to spurt into the air at random times. Whoever was hit by even a drop was burned to the bone. Not just anyone could cap it, either. Only the men I told you about earlier—those who can open and close the doors to the world of the dead—were strong enough to come near.”

Vayl ran the light around the extra-black edge. At one section Cole said, “Stop. Go back. See that?” We were so quiet for a moment that we could hear each other take in a couple of extra breaths. Then Yousef said, “It is the holy sign.”

“It’s a bird,” said Cole.

Yousef shook his head. “The tail and the beak are singular—it is a dove.”

“He’s right,” I told Cole. “It’s one of the few symbols that can drain the mojo right out of a demon.”

“I didn’t know that. Why didn’t I know that?”

“Because until you started working with us, you never needed to, am I right?”

He paused to take a mental hike into his last career.

“You’re right. I dealt with some funky stuff, but never demons.”

Vayl nodded. “We al seem to have to face them eventual y. And when that happens, we learn that dove symbols carry with them great power. As Jasmine said, they can weaken a demon’s defenses. And they can lock any hel spawn out of a protected area.”

“Which would explain why Kyphas needs us to unlock the vat,” I said.

Cole spoke in a near monotone. “But that doesn’t explain what Roldan has to do with it.”

“No,” Vayl agreed. “But do not discount his hatred for me. I am the reason Helena slipped through his grasp. If the demon promised him revenge for that, he would agree to demon promised him revenge for that, he would agree to anything.”

“I’m a little busy at the moment,” I said. “But as soon as my schedule clears, I am so going to kick Roldan’s ass.”

“Not if I get to him first,” said Vayl.

“Nice words,” said Sterling. “But they won’t do you much good if those hel spawn grind you into assassin burgers in the meantime.” He was leaning one elbow against the roof’s edge, like he was about to pose for a picture.

“What’re they doing down there?” asked Cole.

Sterling said, “They’ve set up a defensive line. Probably because they know we have to come down within the next couple of hours.”

We joined him, let him point out Kyphas and her three active minions. We were stil assuming another two hung back to guard their retreat.

“It shouldn’t be that hard,” noted Cole. “If the door guards stay in place, our numbers are even. We can take them.”

“Have you ever fought kloricht before?”

“Oh, so that’s what they are.” He scratched his chin like he actual y had a mental index to thumb through before he could give us a truthful answer. “No. But I assume they have asses?”

Vayl’s lips twitched. “Yes.”

“Then they’re kickable.”

Vayl’s smile widened ever so slightly. For once it looked like he and Cole agreed, even though Vayl, at least, knew the kloricht were famous for their fighting ferocity.

Because if they kil ed enough of Lucifer’s enemies they could use the souls as a ladder to climb right out of the pit.

The standing theory on the Great Taker’s strange generosity was that he felt loyalty should be rewarded. And these pups were true. Most of them had been soldiers. The kind who’d fol owed orders to the letter. Even if that meant herding train cars ful of innocent Jews into the gas chamber.

I suddenly wondered where the kloricht went when they escaped hel . No way would they be al owed entry into paradise. So what was left to them? The Thin? Deep in my mind’s prison, Brude’s howling laughter confirmed my guess. He’d built the foundation of his army on Satan’s escapees.

I spoke up. “Yousef. How close are the kloricht to the vat we need to uncap?”

“Halfway across the tannery,” he said through Kamal, who’d started to bite his fingernails between sentences.

Sterling said, “Even with al our skil s combined, they’l be on us before we can move the lid and lift the tool to the top of whatever muck is stil inside the vat. Not to mention the danger we might stil be facing from the liquid itself. If it burned men fifty or sixty years ago it stil could today.”

“So we fight,” said Vayl. He gave me his slow smile. I felt my whole body respond.

Kamal sniffed. “Are you people actual y excited about this?”

Cole drew his sword. I knew the vibration that ran through him had nothing to do with fear as he and Sterling bumped fists for good luck. “It’s like asking a pro footbal player if he’s ready for the game, dude. This is what we do.” CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Since Sterling could provide air support and use the Party Line to update us on the demons’ movements, we decided to leave him on the roof. Alone. Because we stil needed Yousef to guide us to ground zero. And Kamal…

When we turned to leave him with the warlock he made a please-don’t-abandon-me sound. I stopped and looked up at Vayl, who asked, “How old are you, son?”

“Sixteen.”

Shit.

So his next question was for Sterling. “Can you protect him?”

Sterling’s hair seemed to whisper spel s of its own as it brushed against his col ar with the shaking of his head. “I can’t make any guarantees. The boy should leave.”

“Yeah, and if they grab him right outside the gate and use him as a bargaining tool?” asked Cole. “What are we gonna do then?”

“We wil leave the decision to him,” Vayl said firmly. “It is his life, after al .”

Kamal slapped his hand over his chest like Vayl had threatened to carve out a piece of it. “I want to go home,” he said.

Vayl nodded. “Of course. Sterling?” He turned to the warlock. “Do you have any sort of charm this boy can carry for extra protection?”

Our warlock reached into his back pocket, pul ed out his wal et, and from it lifted a card. Kamal took it, studied it, looked up incredulously. “You want me to trust my neck to…

a library card?”

a library card?”

“It’s special,” Sterling assured him. “Just put it in your pocket and say these words as soon as you leave the building.” He whispered in Kamal’s ear. “It wil make you seem harmless to al who lay eyes on you for the fol owing five minutes.”

“That’s not long.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “For chrissake, Kamal, how long is it gonna take you to run away from here?”

“Al right.” He pocketed the card. Fol owed us downstairs.

By the time we reached the center of the tannery I figured he was shutting the door of his house behind him.

But he’d be back tomorrow. Which boggled my mind. I couldn’t imagine how anybody could work here for more than a few minutes, much less the years Yousef had obviously put in.

I crumpled the new bouquet of mint that he’d picked for me earlier and held it to my nose. It wasn’t working as wel as it had before. Maybe I was getting used to its smel . Or maybe I was just too close to the piles of animal skins, stil wearing their layers of rotting flesh and feasting insects.

Either way, the stench made me want to hurl the last thing I’d eaten into the nearest pool of bloody-looking liquid.

I decided it would help if I concentrated on holding my sword safely at my side so that neither one of its razor-sharp edges could slice into Yousef or Vayl as I fol owed them. Cole walked close behind me, hugging the wal s of the tannery’s outer edges like the rest of us while he tried not to make any noise that would attract Kyphas and her gang.

We’d come into the tannery from the north. The vat we needed was in the southeast corner. That meant a careful hike between grunge-soaked wal s and ancient pools that contained everything from lime water to pomegranate juice to watered-down pigeon dung.

What would this place have been back in the States?

Maybe a succession of clear blue pools edged by lush greenery with fountains set every twenty feet or so to draw the eye on to some new pleasure. Or maybe a fish farm, its tanks heaving with healthy bass, the purity of its H2O so closely regulated that most countries would wil ingly run it through their taps. Here the vats crammed against each other like shackled prisoners, their contents reminding me of bottomless pits. I imagined if any of us fel in we’d drift downward forever while the chemicals ate the skin off our bones until al that was left was an eternal y sinking skeleton.

Sterling’s voice yanked me back to the job. “The kloricht are holding steady,” he said.

“Where is the plane portal in relation to us?” Vayl asked.

“If you’re at one o’clock, it’s at four.” Yousef kept up a steady, creeping motion, though I could see him shaking as he led us toward our goal. He looked over his shoulder once, to make sure we were stil fol owing. And the gleam in his eyes told the whole story. He couldn’t have been happier if I’d just cracked a dictionary over his head.

Behind him Vayl moved with the stealth of a born predator. I would’ve complimented his skil , but the headache was knocking harder now, and if I had to say anything I might puke. I glanced back to see if Cole felt the same. Uh, considering that he was winding a long purple string of gum between his teeth and fingers like taffy, probably not.

I nearly turned back to Vayl and said, “I can’t work under these circumstances. I need peace before a kil , man.” But then I imagined myself meditating and maybe downing a cup of chamomile tea before pul ing off my next hit. And that was so ludicrous that I nearly slapped myself across the face. Pull it together. You can do this.

And afterward, free margaritas for everyone! shouted my Inner Bimbo from her favorite barstool. Which she promptly fel off of. I glared at her.

This is why nobody listens to you, ya lush.

Teen Me was waving frantical y from the second-story window of Granny May’s house. Now why would she be up there? That wasn’t even the room I usual y stayed in. I looked around for somebody to ask, but my Librarian was sprinting down the road like she’d just heard there was a two-for-one sale at Borders. And Granny May’s bridge table? Deserted.

I stopped. “Something’s wrong.” Hey, no vomiting! Two points for me!

Vayl murmured to Yousef and we stopped at the edge of a smal alcove formed by the side of yet another deserted building, part of the medina’s outer wal , and a third structure that the tannery seemed to be using as a warehouse. Inside this capital U was lowercase U formed by one large tub. Our tub. But al I saw was a white blur as I pul ed back and ducked inside the abandoned home with Vayl, Cole, and Yousef. We huddled beside the open door, discussing our options.

Sterling spoke into our ears. “Demons are holding steady,” he reported.

“Why would that be?” I wondered aloud. “Why didn’t they ream us up on the roof? Why retrieve the map and then hand it back to us? What are they waiting for?”

“They’re demons,” Cole said bitterly. “Playing games like this is their favorite pastime.”

I didn’t reply. Vayl had been watching me like if he just held stil and stared hard enough he could see right into the workings of my brain. The thought scared me less than it would have a few months before. Until he said, “Jasmine?

Are you thinking that they already have the Rocenz?”

“Yeah,” I whispered. I’d only just realized that’s where my thoughts were taking me. How had he figured it out?

Cole said, “That’s ridiculous.”

“Not real y,” Vayl said. “In fact, it makes a great deal of sense to hand a treasure map over when you have already retrieved the loot.”

“But we’ve been watching the place. Kyphas hasn’t been here since she got the map.”

“No,” I said. “Because she’s had the Rocenz for a lot longer. The whole bit about getting the map? That was to fulfil her contract with us. She agreed to help us find the tool. And we’re about to. In fact, she’s leading us right to the spot where it’s been held since Roldan and his Gorgon rider took it from Sister Yalida over eighty years ago.” Sterling spoke up. “What are you saying, Chil ?” I replied, “You guys know about the canals?” Cole had been quietly translating al this time. Now Yousef tugged on my sleeve, shaking his head in confusion.

I said, “Thousands of years ago demons could travel to our realm a lot easier than they can now. Part of the reason was because the Great Taker had built al these canals between his world and ours. And no, they’re nothing like those placid little rivers you see every time Denmark advertises for tourists. Anyway, smal teams usual y made up of a couple of fighter types and a Seer or holy man eventual y sealed the majority of them. Except the ones that were wel disguised.” I paused, to wave my hands around the tannery.

“But the map,” Cole protested. “The dove!”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Probably taken from the dead hands of just such a crew. I don’t think the holy mark was meant to show where they’d completed their work. I think it was their guide, leading them to the place where they needed to make that seal real. I’l even go further. I think Sister Yalida was a member of that crew. And the story about her possessing the Rocenz was just part of a bigger tale, one in which she probably used the tool to find the canal that she and her comrades needed to lock. But they were kil ed in the process. Then their murderer, Roldan, hid the Rocenz in that very canal.”

“Why?” Vayl asked.

“You said the Gorgon eats his death. I’m guessing the Rocenz can somehow separate the two of them again.

Maybe the same way it can split me and Brude. If that happened, wouldn’t they both die?”

Vayl stared at me thoughtful y. “I cannot be certain without researching the matter, but yes, I would think so.”

“Why keep the map, then?” Cole asked. “Why not destroy it?”

I shrugged. “Maybe the Rocenz’s other powers are just too tempting to give up.”

“What about the writing on the map?” Sterling asked doubtful y.

“Temptation again,” I replied. “It’s hel ’s stock-in-trade, and here we are, risking our souls to get the Rocenz for ourselves.”

Vayl sent a piercing look out the door, scanning the tannery as if sight alone could force it to reveal how much of my theory tracked true. He said, “Much of what you say makes sense. The tannery legend, that it adjoins the land of the dead, could have its basis in fact. And then, there is the smel .”

“Exactly,” I agreed.

Through Cole, Yousef said, “I do not understand.” I explained, “The canals run below places that hide the odor of hel . Where the people who live or work around the site die earlier than usual for explainable reasons, so that site die earlier than usual for explainable reasons, so that the life-sucking characteristics of the canals aren’t ever pinpointed.”

Yousef began to talk rapidly and grabbed at his own arm. Cole translated. “Then, when the boiling began in al the vats during my grandfather’s time, and the vat outside this house began to burn people to the bone, was that substance shooting into the air hel fire?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Demons ride it straight from their world to ours in petrified bone ships they cal Rin-Chaen. If we looked around the tannery long enough, we’d probably find theirs. It explains why none of us have seen the plane portal we assumed they came through and left guards beside—

because they didn’t use one. Of course they had to close the canal behind them, because they were cal ed here, and that’s part of the deal. But if we opened the canal, it’s a different story.”

Yousef’s skin had begun to look a little gray where it met his beard. “What happens then?” he asked.

I counted off the possibilities on my fingers. “Al kinds of hel dwel ers could escape without finding themselves beholden to anyone. We could be looking at a potential invasion from hel . Or, we might succeed in our mission and retrieve the Rocenz. In which case the other half of the demon’s contract is met.”

Yousef was nearly bouncing on the bal s of his feet now.

“What does that—I have no idea what that means!” Vayl had barely blinked during my explanation. Now his unwavering gaze broke and he moved it to Yousef. “We promised the demon the chance to snatch souls in exchange for her cooperation, four specific ones. She has promised to harm no one in the Trust. But that does not mean the kloricht standing with her, or perhaps crouching on the other side of that lid, have our best interests at heart.

His eyes cut to Cole. “And you are no longer in the Trust, which makes you doubly vulnerable.”

I snapped, “Cole! Say you want to be back in the Trust.” When he gave me a look his mom must’ve seen every time she demanded obedience from him and he ran right into the street instead, I suddenly felt like I had a lot in common with her. He said, “No.”

“Why not!”

“A Trust is like a family, which I have. And yours is headed by Vayl, who I don’t like.” He turned to my sverhamin, adding, “No offense.”

“None taken,” Vayl replied smoothly.

Cole went on. “So don’t think by yel ing at me you’re going to make me cave. I’l find my own way. And I’l be in charge the whole time.”

“Yeah!” I fumed. “Until some mucus-dripping bal -ripper ganks your soul and feeds it to the family for dinner. Then guess who’l be in control!”

Cole crossed his arms and refused to talk anymore.

Which was fine, because if he had I probably would’ve punched him.

Typical y, Vayl had moved beyond our petty bickering and decided scouting was in order. Which meant during our argument he’d been inching toward the corner of the building. Now he leaned around to take a long, hard look.

When he got back he didn’t seem any happier.

“What did you see?” I whispered.

“It is just an innocent-looking circle of concrete covering a vat standing no higher than your knees,” he said.

“Are you tel ing me my theory’s crap?” I asked hopeful y.

He shook his head. “We must get in closer. The sign, if it is present, could be on the other side.” My stomach rol ed. He meant hel sign, which could work as a lock to seal nearly any portal. Because it was painted with the blood of an infant.

Without even looking back to check that we were fol owing, Vayl led us into the open. This time I came second, with Cole at my shoulder and Yousef bringing up the rear. I watched the shadows for signs of movement, the windows for the surge of bodies that signaled ambush.

Every muscle in my back clenched, waiting for a bul et, or more likely an arrow, to split my spine.

Would you pull yourself together? You’re out of range, rabbit. Granny May looked up irritably from a hand she and Amelia Earhart were clearly winning. And even if you weren’t, you’d still have to do this. So pull your head out of your ass before you let one of these fine boys down!

I nodded, just like I’d real y heard her, and kept moving, pretending the dye pools to my left were just buckets of dirty water. We moved completely into the alcove this time, not touching the smooth-wal ed tank as we spread out, taking turns watching for Kyphas’s charge and scanning the vat for graffiti. The top was unmarked, but grimy enough to support a healthy layer of moss. Instead I saw it had become a graveyard for the skeletons of smal creatures that had made the unfortunate decision to rest on it temporarily or use it as a transbuilding highway.

Yousef said something to Cole, speaking so quickly now that he had to ask him to repeat himself. “What’d he say?” I asked.

“He wants to know if he can stand guard. Preferably from the car.”

Staring at the tiny bleached skul s, I could hardly blame him.

Vayl said, “Tel him to go back around the corner of the building and to cal out if he sees anything moving.” As soon as Cole started translating Yousef began to shake his hand grateful y. He waved goodbye to us and ran out of sight. Back to his house if he had any sense.

Vayl said, “You must tel me how you and Yousef came to meet sometime, Jasmine.” Mild. Slightly amused. Except for the gold flecks in his dark green eyes that told me just what he planned to do to the tanner if he stepped over the line.

“Don’t slam his face into anything,” I warned him. “He’l just start stalking you too and then we’l never—shit. I found it.”

Silence as we stared at the lip of the lid, where the fresh outline of a raven had been drawn with its beak buried in the entrails of a screaming child. The blood Kyphas’s summoner had used wasn’t even dry enough yet to flake.

“Fuck.” I don’t know if I reached for Vayl’s hand, or he grabbed for mine, but our fingers interlaced like we each felt the need for rescue.

“Exactly,” Vayl said with such feeling that his voice seemed to rumble inside my chest.

Sterling’s voice sang into the silence, lifting our shoulders, bringing our eyes to the sky like we could real y see him looking down on us as he said, “If you break that seal, I can throw down a net that wil only let the Rocenz through.”

I’d known he was the best. But to wield that kind of power? Even with al his stores available to him he’d stil probably have to sleep for a week afterward.

Vayl might’ve been impressed too, but he never hesitated. “Do it,” he said.

Cole looked down at the sword in his hand. Took some time to adjust his grip and, maybe, his attitude. Because his voice sounded different, more businesslike, when he asked, “So how do we break the lock?”

I said, “We hit the raven with our blades. Not like we mean to plow through rock, but like we’re trying to kil an actual bird. The fact that we’re attacking with Raoul’s weapons should be enough to split it, but we may have to strike it several times before it gives, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And when it starts to go? Have the sense to get back.”

“No problem.”

I looked up, barely able to see the roof of our lookout building from ground zero. “Sterling? Have you got us covered?”

“Three cooks about to spoil the broth,” he confirmed.

“Al of you bust it back behind a wal as soon as the lid splits. I’m going to light the place up.” I felt Vayl’s powers like icy fingers tickling the back of my neck and knew our warlock wouldn’t be the only other throwing sparks tonight. “You’re beautiful when you’re about to kick ass,” I told him.

His dimple appeared briefly and then dashed away. “I think that was my line.”

“Naw, ’cause I’m the sexy one.” I pointed back and forth between us. “Beautiful, sexy. Sexy, beautiful. We need to get this straight now, you know, so after we get blown to bits they’l know how to tel the difference between us.”

“It wil stil be no problem,” said Vayl. “Your bits wil be jumping up and down, madly demanding revenge. While mine wil be wafting through the air like a misguided bal oon.”

“See,” I said. “Even your bits are beautiful. They waft.”

“Jumping up and down is definitely sexy,” Vayl assured me. “Would you like to do it two or three times right now before we get down to business?”

Sterling and Cole groaned at the same time. “Ewww!” And then we couldn’t think of a single new delaying tactic. So Vayl unsheathed his sword while Cole and I raised ours.

We took turns swinging, the metal of our blades clanging against the wings of the raven like hammers against an anvil. No way could the demons not hear us.

against an anvil. No way could the demons not hear us.

We’d have to hurry. A rumbling from somewhere so far below us it felt like the other side of the earth made us look down and reset our stances.

“Again,” Vayl said.

We swung. The bird took three more slices to its wings.

I whispered, “Vayl, it’s giving! Armor yourself!” He said, “If I could, we would al be encased in ice by now. But I have lost the abilities I gained after 1770.” Including the one he’d taken from a Chinese vampire during our mission to Corpus Christi that had given him the power to shield himself and others in a blanket of ice.

I took a moment to glance at him, amazed that his expression was as relaxed as if he was waiting for his evening paper to be delivered. Wow. I would’ve been bitching so loud the complaint departments in every company on the continent could’ve heard me. He hadn’t even thought to mention that his curse had permanent side effects.

I gritted my teeth and got back to work, more determined than ever to beat the bastards who’d set us up so neatly.

Cole delivered a blow that cut the raven’s head at the neck. The lid cracked in a dozen places as the ground beneath our feet shifted, hard, to the left. Both of us stumbled backward.

“I can see red between the cracks!” Sterling told us. “Is it getting warm down there?”

I wiped the sweat off my face. “Feels like a furnace.”

“It’s going faster than I expected. Take cover!” Vayl hustled us back toward Yousef’s hiding place. He wasn’t there. We made it just in time for the lid to fail. The sound of it shattering worked like a bugle cal for Kyphas’s crew.

“Demons on the move!” Sterling said. “Coming at you from multiple directions. I suggest you keep a wal at your backs. Or better yet, run!”

“To where?” Vayl asked.

“I’l cast a Hand on the roof of that building,” Sterling said. “Stand inside the palm and only one of them can attack you at a time.”

“Done.”

We charged through the doorway, but as soon as we were inside Vayl paused, causing a major traffic jam. He spun around. “Jasmine, you must stay behind.”

“What?” I was so shocked I didn’t even care that I sounded like a strangled chicken.

“The Rocenz is somewhere in that rubble. We can give you the time you need to find it. And I am concerned about the kloricht receiving reinforcements. We know a human had to cal this group. Nothing and no one but you can stop them from repeating the summons.”

“They could be in an entirely different city, you know that!”

“I think not. In fact, to cal demons from a canal, I believe our human must be very near the spot. Practical y standing on top of it, in fact.”

“That’s right, I’d forgotten. But we didn’t see anybody on the way—” Shit. Yousef and Kamal! I wished my guys good luck and sprinted out the door, understanding that their lives depended on me doing my best work tonight.

A second explosion knocked me to the ground. It had begun.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I stood up and peered back through the new gap in Vayl and Cole’s building where a huge chunk of the wal had blown away. Through it I could see the canal spouting a geyser of bluish orange flames twenty feet high. If I looked harder I could see faces in the flames, screaming in ecstasy as they swam toward freedom. And then, fal ing from the sky like a net of stars, came Sterling’s reply. As soon as the connected bal s of shimmering light hit the fire they exploded, sending my butt back to the ground and my hands over my head. As if my frail little arm bones could real y protect me from flying timber.

When I looked again Sterling’s spel had reduced the geyser to a fountain and the faces inside it were screaming.

“Demons closing on your building,” Sterling said, sounding out of breath and slightly gleeful.

“Nice shot,” I heard Vayl say. “How soon can we expect them?”

“Three minutes.”

“Sterling,” I said. “Can you see any other movement in or around the tannery? I’m looking for humans now.”

“So I heard. I’ve got nothing but soul-snorters—wait a minute. Some idiot just came out of the building east of the canal. Dressed like a man. He’s moving toward the rubble.

Can you see him?”

“Not from here. Which is a bad spot anyway, considering. I’m changing positions.”

I couldn’t slip around behind the man. There just wasn’t enough room between the rampart wal and the vat for the shadows to hide me. So I moved past him on the north side, crouching low enough for a long line of hide-covered tanks to disguise my scuttling outline. I ended up in front of the building he’d just left. I stil couldn’t see him. But I caught sight of the kloricht and Kyphas, moving quickly from vat to vat, closing in on Cole and Vayl like a fatal disease. And the worst part? We’d been right. They’d had two extra guards, maybe standing with the ship they’d sailed in on.

But now, with so much at stake, they’d put al their forces into one concentrated attack. Sun Tzu would not approve.

My quarry had to have heard the demons, but he didn’t seem to care. He was bent over the lid’s remains, avoiding random droplets from its fountaining fire, ignoring the howling faces and scrabbling claws of the demon host straining to be free as he searched through the debris. The depth of the alcove partial y blocked my view, and I didn’t dare twitch now that the kloricht were close enough to sense my movements. So I tracked Kyphas’s summoner as long as I could, and when he strayed out of view I watched the demons he’d invited into our world.

Though they’d taken basic human forms, they stil managed to look comfortable walking on al fours. Probably because it al owed them to jut their chin barbs out as far as physical y possible. Their silver mohawks shone in the moonlight as they turned to talk to one another, their whispers sounding like the hiss of steam escaping an overpressured valve.

I opened my mouth to tel Vayl he had company, but Sterling was on the bal . “Okay, you two, visitors entering the ground floor. I count five plus the demoness. You’re standing right in the center of the Hand now. As long as you’re there, you won’t be outnumbered. So stay cool. And I’l see if I’ve got something up my sleeve that can zap them without frying you guys at the same time.”

“Thank you, Sterling,” said Vayl, his tone nearly as calm as our warlock’s. “We appreciate it.”

I wanted to rush the dude stil rifling through the broken lid pieces and bits of building rubble, but I knew I had to wait until the demons were committed. Three minutes later I heard the clash of steel and Cole yel ing. My whole upper body twitched against the wal .

“Jaz, don’t move,” said Sterling. “Somebody else just walked into the ruins.”

“What are you doing here?” asked Kamal. In English.

“What do you think?” answered Yousef. Also in English.

What the fu—

“I think you’re never going to keep it without a fight,” said Kamal.

“Come on, then.” I imagined Yousef flicking his fingers toward himself, probably hoping Kamal would beat him badly enough that he’d at least get some fun out of it.

Then I heard the hol ow slap of knuckles on flesh.

I spun around the corner, hoping a better view would help me figure out what the hel was going on.

Yousef had Kamal by the shirt col ar. He was pounding him so hard that sweat droplets flew off the boy’s face. But Kamal had grown up in the streets, and he’d learned a few tricks of his own. Including the flailing leg move that eventual y connects somewhere tender.

Yousef went to one knee. But he didn’t let go. In fact, he buried his fingers in Kamal’s neck. “You little perversion,” he gasped. “The world is going to be a better place without you.”

I snuck in closer, trading my sword for a weapon more appropriate to the moment. But I kept Grief pointed toward the ground, because I was listening to the debate raging in my head.

Yousef is the bad guy! Granny May screeched. He’s clearly bent, or he wouldn’t get such a thrill when you slap him around!

Maybe not! argued Teen Me. Kamal might not be as innocent as he seems. I’m going to date plenty of guys who’ll be perfect gentlemen until they “run out of gas” in the middle of nowhere. And then it’ll be like they’ve gone deaf and grown four extra pairs of hands!

Kamal swung wildly and managed to slam his fist into Yousef’s eye. Suddenly their positions were reversed.

Yousef lay on the cracked cobblestones while Kamal straddled him, delivering punishing blows that would’ve knocked out anyone with less resistance. Yousef smiled through the blood and his missing front tooth.

“You hit like my great-grandmother!” he taunted, not even trying to block the blows. One hand crawled up Kamal’s chest, reaching for a choke hold, while the other felt beneath his back. “Ha!” he shouted in triumph as his hand came free, and in his grip he held… the Rocenz.

“Stop!” I yel ed as he started to swing. The hammer made it to Kamal’s ear before Yousef managed to halt it.

Good thing too, because I was that close to blowing his brains out.

“Get up, Kamal,” I said.

He grabbed the Rocenz and got to his feet, backing away from Yousef, who slowly dragged himself upright, coughing and spitting pink phlegm as he rose.

Kamal murmured something. “What’d you say?” I asked.

“Thanks for saving me.”

I nodded, turned back to Yousef. “You can speak English. What’s that about?”

“Kamal taught me,” he said. “What else is there to do to pass time here every day?”

“But you never told us your secret,” I said.

“No. I like knowing what the ladies say when they think I’m ignorant. It’s like peeking into their diaries.”

“You are such a freak.”

“Yes,” he agreed, holding up a finger to keep me from continuing my train of thought. “But not evil.”

“Are you trying to tel me you didn’t summon the demons that are fighting Cole and Vayl on the roof right now?”

He glanced at the flames ful of enraged demonic faces, gnashing their teeth at Sterling’s net, and the expression on his face sent a chil through me. He pointed at Kamal. “He did it.”

I glanced at Yousef’s young translator. Who seemed sort of… smug.

I watched him flip the Rocenz in his hand, throwing it up high enough so that it did a ful 360 before he caught the handle. “What are you doing, Kamal?” I asked careful y.

“Deciding not to spend the rest of my life wading in shit,” he said. “For the longest time I thought I didn’t have any other choice. And then I met the most beautiful woman in the world.” He pointed to the hole the explosion had blown in Cole and Vayl’s building just as Kyphas stepped through it.

“Good boy,” she crooned, giving him such a lusty wink I knew where he thought he was going to be spending the rest of the night. She held her arms out to him.

I swept Grief from Yousef to Kamal and fired. The boy crumpled, screaming as his kneecap shattered. But I was already too late. He’d thrown the Rocenz to Kyphas.

“Your contract,” I reminded her.

“You found the tool,” she told me. “It’s not my fault that you lost it again.” She laughed. “If you ever retrieve it, I’l be sure to meet you at the gates of hel to help you with Brude’s name-carving party. Until then…” She shrugged.

And leaped back into the blackness of the building.

I lunged after her, shooting until my clip was empty. At the same time Yousef ran to Kamal and knelt beside him.

“You stupid, stupid boy. What have I told you about beautiful women?”

Kamal winced. “Let them beat you… but don’t let them break you?”

“Exactly.” Yousef hauled off and punched Kamal one last time, giving him an instant black eye and, at least, a short nap before he’d have to deal with his new reality.

“I have to go,” I said, gesturing to Kyphas’s blood trail, shining like silver in the blackness of the building ahead of me.

“Me as wel ,” said Yousef. He leaned down, gathered Kamal, and lifted him up onto his shoulder.

I nodded, and we ran in opposite directions. Yousef flapping his sandals as he hustled toward the exit. Me reloading and chambering a round as I trailed the demon up to the roof.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

When I skidded through the roof’s open doorway, I felt like I’d entered a video game. I shook my head, forcing away the need to bounce into fantasy. But the sense remained, reinforced by the minefield of gaping holes that al owed me to see straight into the rooms below. Stil smoking around the edges, they showed that Sterling had found a way to help Vayl and Cole out after al .

They stood at the opposite end of the roof, shoulder to shoulder, battling the three surviving kloricht. Vayl bled freely from multiple wounds on his chest and shoulders.

Cole held his left arm tight to his side. But they both had that determined look that let me know they weren’t even close to giving up.

I wanted to run to them. To mow down anything that dared come against them. Starting with Kyphas. She stood halfway between me and my guys as if waiting for me, her flyssa shining like Death’s fangs. The Rocenz hung at her belt like it was no more than a handyman’s tool.

“Come on, Jasmine,” Kyphas said as she glanced back at the men. “Look what I’ve brought on your pretty boys. Doesn’t it make you furious? Don’t you want to just—

kil me?”

Here’s where I should’ve kept my mouth shut and shot her in the face. She would’ve healed eventual y. But she wouldn’t have been able to talk. Which meant she couldn’t have needled me into any dumb stunts. But I was more like her than I cared to admit. And I wanted to torture her before I cut her in two.

So I said, “Oh, I’l destroy you, Kyphas. But Cole’s So I said, “Oh, I’l destroy you, Kyphas. But Cole’s already done me one better. Because he’s never going to love you. He wants a home. Kids. A future he could never share with a heartless monster who keeps trying to kil his friends.”

“Cole has no idea what he wants,” she replied. “If he did, he’d have it by now. Lucky for him, I do. And I’m going to give it to him.” She patted herself between the breasts, like she was experiencing an actual swel ing of feeling for him inside. My instinct was to destroy it before it came out to swal ow him. So I squeezed the trigger, nice and easy.

Fifteen times.

It’s tough to describe the mess I made of her chest. A team of surgeons would’ve taken hours to dig al the pieces of bone from bloody bits of muscle and organ that I destroyed in a matter of seconds. She didn’t die, but damn did she bleed. And the force of the hits sent her stumbling backward into one of the pits Sterling had opened with his missile shots.

I ran to the edge. She lay flat on her back on the floor of the same depressing apartment I’d paced the length of while watching for her arrival not half a day before.

“Maybe I should stop doing that to my targets,” I murmured. “It never ends wel .”

I got the oddest feeling I’d said something prophetic when she sat up and grinned. “Thanks for the assist!” she cal ed. “I couldn’t have done this without you!” Then she reached into the mass of gore Grief had made of her torso and pul ed out—

Holy Christ, is that her heart?

But no, it wasn’t beating. Wasn’t even the right shape.

Too smooth, too round. It was a fist-sized, blood-soaked stone. Setting it between her feet, she grabbed the Rocenz and hugged it, anointing it with her own blood as she chanted words I couldn’t hear. Then she looked up at me, her grin so malevolent I felt my skin crawl. With a sound like a cannon shot, the pieces of the Rocenz came apart in her hands, the hammer and chisel shining so bright her skin glowed like a lampshade around them.

She set the chisel to the stone and struck it with the hammer. The sound barely carried to me over what I thought was the last cry of Cole’s enemy. I glanced back.

And realized it hadn’t been a kloricht’s death-scream at al .

In fact, now Vayl was furiously trying to fend off two attackers. Because Cole had hit his knees. I heard the distant sound of Kyphas sinking another mark into the stone, and Cole yel ed again, clutching at his heart as if she’d stuck the chisel straight into his body.

Oh, no. No, no, no! I spun around. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing!” I screamed to the demon crouching fifteen feet below me.

“Didn’t you know?” she cal ed, her dancing eyes tel ing me how much she was loving my panic. “The Rocenz does special work in our hands. We can make it transform souls just by chiseling”— chink—“their”— chink—“names”— chink.

“You thought you could just drag him around the world, let him play lapdog, beg for your affection while you screwed your vampire every chance you got? You think that didn’t make him just a little crazy? Make him wish he could find a woman who wanted him with her forever?” Chink, chink, chink. “Wel , that’s me, baby! Cole wil be mine in every way just as soon as I finish his name.”

I glanced over my shoulder. He was lying prone now, looking at me with horror in his reddening eyes. Blood ran down his forehead because—I shook my head, swal owing bile—horns had begun to rip through his skul . He reached out to me.

Vayl, battling for both their lives, could only say, “Run, Jasmine!”

I pointed to Cole, but the motion was more like throwing hi m an imaginary rope. “I’l save you. Just… hang on to yourself,” I said. I turned and ran, jumping two entire flights of stairs so I could get to—

No surprise. The door to our stakeout room had been closed. Bolted. Probably reinforced with another demonic seal. The thought of which made me so crazy that I actual y slammed my body against it five or six times before the pain of my fruitless attempts brought me back to myself. I imagined I could hear the steady metal ic beat of Kyphas’s chisel spel ing out Cole’s doom.

What’s happening? screamed Teen Me as she clutched at her hair and ran circles around Granny May.

Shut up and concentrate! Gran replied. Kyphas is turning Cole into a demon. Now think of a way to get us inside quick. Because he would have the shortest name ever.

Even if I’d imagined the chiseling, I wasn’t making up the screams I now heard shooting down from the roof. She was close. Goddammit, I wasn’t going to make it!

I could’ve dropped into the room the way Kyphas had, but she’d have expected that. Which meant something trappish would’ve been waiting for me. Think bungee sticks that I wouldn’t have seen until I’d impaled myself. That left the windows. None of which had glass or even bars. In a place like this, why bother? So there was no obstacle to slow me down when I ran into the adjoining room and jumped on the sash of the window that looked out onto the tannery just like Kyphas’s did. Straight drop and a sure hip-dislocation to the stones below. Nothing above but more cavernous holes signifying other glassless windows. Oh, and a single decorative element. A rectangular bar running the length of the building set about six feet above the window. It wasn’t in terrific shape. I could see where parts of the top edge had begun to crumble away. But I had no choice.

So I shucked my boots and turned to face the building.

Spreading my feet wide for balance, I gauged the distance and jumped.

I smashed my fingers into the bar on the way up, barking them so badly that I was afraid blood would gush, making handholds so slippery that grip would become impossible. But if I’d cut myself, it wasn’t bad enough to make me fal . I caught the bar just like I had when I was a kid on the playground in elementary school. And again in col ege when I discovered rock climbing. And yet again when the CIA realized I could be trained to kil kil ers.

I dug my toes into the outer wal of the building, finding smal caves in a surface that looked smooth as glass from the ground. And moved, quickly, quietly, to my left. I’d pul ed myself up to the edge of Kyphas’s window when Bergman blew her door off its hinges. The concussion slammed into me, ripping one hand from its anchor and punching me back into the wal of the building.

It’s funny what you recal about people. Granny May always used to say, “You never know what moments are going to stick, so you’d better try to make them al worth the glue.” Yeah, I never quite got her either.

I’d lived with Miles al three years that he’d gone to grad school. And what I remembered most about that time was the day he came back to the apartment, soaked to the skin after walking twelve blocks in one of those monsoons you occasional y get in the Midwest in late April. I’d said,

“Damn, Bergman, you look miserable.”

And he’d replied, “I am. But it’s amazing how clearly you think when nothing can get any worse. I know what I want to do with the rest of my life now.”

“Does it have anything to do with inventing umbrel as that flip out of your backpack at the first hint of rain?” I’d asked.

“Nope,” he’d said. And he hadn’t explained, but he’d had the most satisfied look on his face. Not pipe-and-slippers contented. No, this was more I-have-found-the-Grail happy. I hadn’t seen that expression on him again.

Until now.

I gave myself a second to be grateful I could see at al considering the fact that my eyes stil weren’t sure they belonged in their sockets, my head felt like it had been laboratory tested by Impact-Wrenches-United, and I’d only now managed to regain enough of a grip to pul myself up Kyphas’s window high enough to lock my arms around its edge.

Exhaustion forced me to take a short break before I did the rest of the climb. During which time I noted that Kyphas sat on a prayer mat she’d obviously stolen from a heathen, since she wasn’t developing boils by having contact with it.

She was stil holding the Rocenz, but she’d taken a break from her work to gape at Bergman, who stood in the doorway with Astral at his side. Kittybot’s butt was stil smoking, which meant instead of convalescing, Miles had been inventing some sort of anti-spawn missile especial y tuned to her launching capabilities. Which meant he’d been planning this for a while. Had he programmed that smug expression on Astral’s face too, or should I just assume it was a cat thing?

I cursed myself for not ordering her to force Bergman to stay in his room and recover. Because he looked so thin and ethereal standing there that he could’ve passed for his own shadow. Except for the silver tools flashing in both of his hands. At least, that’s what my mind told me they were.

It was Bergman after al . Lord of the miniature screwdriver.

Why would I assume he’d be carrying a pair of Eldhayr daggers?

Except that I’d seen him take Raoul aside before my Spirit Guide had left for missions unknown. I’d registered the I-have-serious-business look on Bergman’s face. I just hadn’t gotten nosy about it because Miles was Mr.

Secretive. Why ask when you know your pal is never gonna tel ?

Now it al came together in the amount of time it took for Bergman to raise those finely crafted knives as if he was about to carve the Thanksgiving turkey. He’d gone to Raoul to demand weapons that could injure a demon. And before that, his contemptuous look at Kyphas should’ve been my clue. He’d been planning this then, deciding, for al of our sakes, that he had to be the one to kil her.

I pul ed myself into the room and ran toward them.

“KYPHAS!” I screamed before she could break him in two like she’d tried to do in Australia. She jerked around, her eyes widening as she saw me lunging toward her, pul ing my double-edged blade from its sheath as I shouted,

“Me and you! Right now! ”

Even as I attacked I wanted to swear. Because Bergman wasn’t backing off. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the blood spreading through his shirt as he strode forward and drove the right-hand knife deep into her side.

Wait? Why is his chest bloody?

But no one had time to answer my questions. Kyphas was screaming, twisting to fight him. She tried to bring the hammer down on his head, but Bergman blocked her easily as he drove the second knife into her shoulder.

“Ridiculous little speck!” Kyphas screeched. “I’m going to beat you until even your own mother won’t recognize you!”

He stretched out his arms. “Bring it on!” She slammed both fists into his chest, throwing him so far back into the hal that al I could see were the soles of his shoes. But then her wailing distracted me. She was kneeling, staring at her hands, which were red with Bergman’s blood. They’d begun to steam, as if she’d just stuck them in a bowl of acid.

I dove for the stone, but she grabbed it first and shoved it back inside her chest. Then she slammed the pieces of the Rocenz together, though I could tel it tortured her to grasp anything in her burning hands.

She took a wild swing at me and missed.

I stabbed in and up, but she jumped back just in time to sustain a scratch that would probably heal before the fight was over.

Miles came scrambling back, his shirt flapping open in the breeze he made so we could both see the dove he’d carved on his own chest.

“Those knives I left in you have the blood of my dove on them,” he told her. “Just like your hands do. I assume you know what that means.”

I did. The contact with a holy symbol had weakened her.

No wonder I could fight with her on my own level. But that wasn’t al .

Looking as il as if she’d just ingested poison, she rose to her knees and reached out. “No. Please.” He grabbed her wrists and said, “I’m sending you back to hel with the mark of holiness on you. They’l tear you to pieces. Just like that man did to my friend when we were kids.” He began dragging her away from me, toward the hal . He must be heading for the canal. Which meant he’d been keeping tabs on the Party Line, the skunk.

But he looked anything but guilty as he pul ed Kyphas down the rickety stairs. He said, “You knew some horrifying details. Which meant you watched that monster torture and kil my friend. You let it al happen so you could snatch his soul and use it for bait to hook mine years later. Did it ever once occur to you to step in?” He glared at her. “Naw.

’Cause you hel spawn with your pretty faces and your demented quotas couldn’t care less about the innocent.” Bergman dragged Kyphas closer and closer to the canal while I stalked them like Yousef had been trailing me before, desperate to find my way into the action but certain of the kind of welcome I’d get if I picked the wrong approach. So I fol owed at a respectful distance and kept my trap shut, knowing that if I threw Bergman off his game now Kyphas would seize the advantage and break every bone in his body.

Cirilai sent wave after wave of warmth up my arm, tel ing me that Vayl and Cole were on their way. The fact that neither they nor Sterling had said a word meant they thought Bergman had plugged into the Party Line too.

Sucked a little that we’d have to communicate using hand signals and instinct, but you took what you got. I could only hope that Sterling had been around us long enough to tune into our vibe.

Which left the robokitty, stil trotting at Bergman’s feet like she’d been trained to heel. Hard to tel how she could help, especial y if Bergman had already used one of her ass grenades to break down Kyphas’s door. Too bad we couldn’t fit a whole arsenal into that sleek little torso of hers.

Then we could back her up to the plane portal and have her lob them right into hel . I’d be wil ing to bet that just viewing the wreckage would make al of Kyphas’s working parts seize up like an oil-starved engine.

Which brought me back to Raoul, who liked engines, especial y when they were pul ing trains. I nearly cal ed him then. But he’d given Bergman the daggers to start with.

He’d known this moment had been brewing. Could probably see it al happening from his penthouse on-high.

So what if Cole crapped out in the process? An acceptable loss, maybe. Or maybe he just liked hearing me beg for my loved one’s lives.

I did nearly fal to my knees when that thunderous voice of his fil ed my head, blasting away al doubt as to who was the more powerful of us two, and therefore likely to kick my ass into oblivion.

YOU ARE POISED AT THE EDGE OF YOUR LIFE’S

PRECIPICE. YOU CAN CLIMB. OR FALL. BUT YOU

MUST MOVE!

Raoul’s undertone came clear to me as wel . Stop whining and do what you do best. Not everything is your fault. Cole left the Trust, which made him vulnerable to Kyphas and the Rocenz. Bergman’s fury at his helplessness as a child led him to choose the time and moment of his attack. Don’t let their actions, and your fear of the consequences, paralyze you.

I took a deep breath, paused to reload Grief, and moved on.

I caught up to Bergman, Astral, and Kyphas at the edge of the alcove. Leaning against the corner of the building for the few seconds it took to wipe the sweat off my face, I tried to get my bearings. The vat glowed with a light so alien I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn the mother ship was buried just under the tannery’s surface. Sterling’s net had begun to sag under the weight of dust particles and smal rocks, which attached themselves to it like iron filings to a magnet. As soon as they touched, a bright blue flame leaped up and they hardened. Already I could see a new lid forming where the old one had been before.

As if he wanted her to witness the process up close, Bergman had dragged Kyphas right to the tank’s edge.

She was wailing now. Begging him not to throw her in.

Astral, perching on a pil ow-sized piece of rubble, seemed to be egging him on. The fire reflected eerily in her black eyes as she sang a tune by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, in such an authentic voice that I felt a smile stretch my lips. “They did the mash. They did the monster mash.” Somehow Astral’s song cleared the air just enough that I realized I could speak safely. “Bergman,” I said softly. “You can’t open the canal. Sterling’s net is there to keep Kyphas’s al ies from attacking us. No tel ing what you’l release if—”

He yel ed, “Yousef! Are we set?”

Behind us, my stalker cal ed back happily, “It is done, Mr. Miles! Come and see!” Bergman’s smile raised goose bumps on my arms. But nothing had happened to the net. It continued to cover the vat, sparkling like a spiderweb covered in dew. So what—

Miles told me, “I know better than to touch the canal. It’s not necessary anyway. I didn’t even know about it when I made this plan.”

My headache gained strength again, pounding against my temples as I said, “Oh?” Politely. Because he’d changed. When I wasn’t looking, he’d become fierce and unpredictable. I gave him my Southern bel e do-tell nod.

He explained, his tone real gentlemanly as he said, “I knew you’d show. You always do. And Raoul told me that where you are, a portal eventual y appears. He doesn’t know why, but… see? There it is.”

He nodded, glancing over my shoulder as he did, so I looked. He was right, a plane portal stood in the middle of the tannery, just in front of a tank twice as large as the canal. It contained the swamp of chemicals necessary to begin the whole leather-making process. Balancing on the edge of the vat, Yousef stood holding a smal , leather-bound book in one hand.

“I make a perfect place to put her!” Yousef said proudly, motioning to the door, the center of which wasn’t its usual motioning to the door, the center of which wasn’t its usual velvety black. I’d underestimated my stalker again. When he’d told me his workplace was considered the doorway to the land of the dead, I didn’t realize that he could open those doors.

“So what’s next?” I asked, careful to keep my eyes on Bergman despite the fact that they wanted to dart to Sterling, who’d just dropped off the roof of the building opposite mine. His move reminded me of Mary Poppins.

Only instead of holding an umbrel a he had a rope that lowered him so gently you’d swear his best friend was standing on the anchored side. Al he had to do was stick a sandaled foot through the loop he’d tied to the end and hang on. I glanced at my broken fingernails, my bruised toes, and thought, Wielders piss me off.

Which was probably why Bergman knew the warlock had joined us. He could read my expressions better than I could Vayl’s. Without turning his head he said, “Hey, Sterling, what’s up?”

“Not much. How they hanging, dude?”

“One’s a little lower than the other but my doctor says I can stil have kids. How about you?”

Sterling was struggling too hard against a sudden urge to laugh to be able to form a coherent reply.

“How about you, Vayl?” Bergman asked, so überaware that he’d detected the vampire’s presence even before I had, and I was wearing his ring! I turned to find my sverhamin standing just behind me holding Cole in his arms.

“We battled wel , Miles. But I am afraid Cole is not himself.”

I brushed a hand through our translator’s hair. Even it had lost its usual wild spring. “Cole,” I whispered. “Your eyes…”

“The world’s gone red, Jaz,” he said, sounding like a little kid who’s gotten lost and knows his mom and dad should’ve found him by now. “It’s like I’m looking at everything through a curtain of blood.” His voice sounded like it had crawled over sharpened stones to get to me.

“And I like it.”

I glared at Kyphas. “You’re doing this to him! Changing him into something he was never supposed to be!”

“He was always meant to be mine!” she said, with more spirit than she had a right to, considering her blood had left a pool the size of a dinner plate on the ground beneath her.

“Not in this state!” I said. “Look at him! This isn’t the Cole you fel for! This is a crimson-eyed half-man who still won’t love you once you’ve completely demonized him!” She stared at him, her expression so needy I felt embarrassed to witness it. Then her eyes rol ed up to Bergman. “Let me go and I’l release your friend,” she said.

“You and your deals,” Miles said sarcastical y. “Where have they gotten us so far? You’re stil holding the Rocenz.

Jasmine’s stil possessed. We’re stil not convinced Cassandra’s a free bird. And now Cole’s soul is halfway to perdition. You want to know what I think?” She shook her head, slowly at first, and then when she caught the look in Bergman’s eyes, a whole lot faster. He told her anyway.

“I think you need to die.”

“ I can’t let go of the Rocenz!” she cried. “The blood between my fingers and the handle burns like acid, but it won’t let go of me until it finishes the job it started! That’s how it was crafted! And Cassandra is free! I told you the contract was complete!”

He leaned down. “You know what I know about demons?” She shook her head. “Demons lie.” He yanked her upright. Whether it was the move or his intentions, I didn’t know, but they both began to bleed heavily as he dragged her toward the door.

I turned to my sverhamin. “Vayl,” I whispered.

He laid Cole down, gently propping his back against the corner I’d been using. “Our Trust, the stone, and the Rocenz,” he reminded me. “We care for nothing else.” I stared down at Cole, blinking hard to stop the stinging in my eyes. “What if—”

Vayl pul ed me away from the building, nodding for Sterling to join us as he said, “Cole may not be in the Trust.

But he is a friend of us al . We protect him as if he was one of our own.”

The three of us met at the head of the canal and walked, shoulder to shoulder, after Bergman and Kyphas as they stumbled toward Yousef and the door.

I said, “We’ve gotta get that stone out of her chest, Miles. Cole can’t be okay again while—”

“I know what I’m doing!” he yel ed, his eyes blazing as they caught mine.

“What about the Rocenz?” Vayl asked gently. “Jasmine cannot go on much longer without—”

“This demon’s gotta die! Look at what she does to people she loves!” he shouted, pointing at Cole, who’d begun to cough something thick and bloody onto the ground between his trembling hands. “What do you think she’s going to do to us the second she gets a chance? I’ve been reading up on spel s. It’s basic negation. She dies, her shit dies with her!”

“It’s not always that simple though,” Sterling said, his suggestion so gentle he might’ve been singing Miles a lul aby.

But our genius hadn’t climbed to the top of his field without a hearty helping of thick-skul ed stubbornness. He took a beat to stare into the hel Yousef had opened. I didn’t know what his eyes revealed, but mine showed an island so tiny you couldn’t have stretched out to sleep at night. The water around it was clear enough to reveal the fins and jagged teeth of the sea creatures that circled it as if they’d been cal ed for a feast. Some of them couldn’t wait, and those attacked each other, tearing huge hunks of meat from the backs and sides of weaker prey until the water ran red.

Bergman shoved Kyphas toward the door. “You’d better hope you fal on land, bitch. But it won’t matter for long. Some of those sharks can walk.”

I said, “Bergman! No!”

Vayl sprang forward like a panther leaping into the hunt.

Sterling swung his wand into play as the flames around the portal flared.

Every part of my mind screamed, Bergman, no!

Bergman, stop! You don’t know what you’re doing! as I lunged after Vayl.

Sterling’s wand shot out a claw of electric-blue bolts that flew between us. Too late. Bergman had pushed Kyphas into the portal’s center. Then he stumbled and fel to his knees, pul ing Kyphas down with him. He didn’t stop there though. He was stil moving. Sliding toward the gateway as if he was being… pulled.

“Bergman!” I shouted as Sterling’s claw hit, raking down Kyphas’s body, making her writhe and scream.

Miles began to shake from the echo zapping him through their connection, which now he couldn’t seem to break even though he wanted to.

“Let me go!” he yel ed. He tried to jerk away, but his hands stayed tight to her wrist and the Rocenz despite the fact that she’d planted her feet in his stomach and was pul ing back just as hard as he was.

Astral leaped around their heads as they struggled, her urgency a reflection of the emotion she was recording. But nobody seemed to know what orders to give her.

Kyphas screamed, “Cole! Don’t let them take me back!”

Unrecognizable sounds from behind us. I couldn’t tel whether our sniper was puking or laughing, but the sound he made let me know he didn’t give a shit where she ended up.

Vayl grabbed Bergman around the waist. Dug in his heels and tried to wrench him free.

Bergman screamed, “My arms! Vayl, you’re breaking my arms! And my stitches! Ahhh!”

Now al three of them were inching toward the door, as if an invisible rope held them and was pul ing them slowly into the pit.

Pissed at myself that I hadn’t been able to respond faster, mad at Bergman for his sudden, unexplained bid for superhero status, infuriated with Yousef for helping him and Kyphas for just being herself, I joined the trio edging toward the gateway with the finesse of a tornado. In other words—I fel on them.

It had the effect of a wide receiver jumping onto the top of a pileup. Astral hopped on top of me, which resulted in some grunting, but no observable progress.

I took hold of Kyphas’s arms and jerked. Astral sank her teeth into the demon’s hand and pul ed. Her wrist began to bleed where Bergman’s hand would not slip. But even with the added grease and everyone playing tug-of-war, we couldn’t break their grips. Because Bergman and Kyphas were no longer in charge. Something from inside that doorway had grabbed them both.

“Sterling! Do something!” I yel ed as Vayl looked around for something we could brace ourselves against.

Sterling was emptying his pockets. “No, that won’t work,” he said and threw a pouch onto a growing pile on the ground. “That’l just burn holes in them,” he murmured, and a velvet bag joined the bunch.

“Come on, you good-for-nothing warlock!” I yel ed, nearly gagging on my own puke as I swal owed a wave of hel -stench that made my eyes rol back in my head. “Pul a rabbit out of your ass already!”

Bergman was only three feet from the door when I heard Sterling say, “A blessed shield be on you!” The spel literal y blew Vayl off Bergman, slamming him into the ground, leaving him dazed and steaming.

“Vayl!” I screamed as a second explosion of shield-shaped air ripped me off Kyphas. I rol ed down a narrow aisle until my thighs hit a vat. “Fuck!” The only advantage of being slammed into a concrete bowl was that it had temporarily taken my mind off the potential loss of the Rocenz, and my life. Oh, and my headache.

I gripped the side of the vat and struggled to my feet, staring as Bergman lunged backward, trying to free himself from the demon’s hold. When he got one hand off her wrist, I realized Sterling’s spel had worked for him too. Now it was just between him and Kyphas again.

“Bergman!” I yel ed. “We have to have that hammer!” Even though my knees tried to buckle under me with every step, I began walking toward them, moving my eyes between Vayl, Cole, and Bergman. My sverhamin looked as sick as I felt, and his clothes were so badly singed they’d be going straight to the dumpster. But he was already rising. Cole—God, I could hardly stand to see his face, drawn taut in a snarl that, along with the finger-length horns, made him look more beast than human. His red eyes flickered on mine but he didn’t recognize me.

Kyphas could see him too. But she seemed determined to ignore the devastation she’d brought on him.

Instead of giving him a smile, a nod of encouragement, she stared into hel ’s fishing hole. When she final y turned back toward Bergman the door had begun to swal ow her. She’d managed to wedge her heel into its base, but even her superior strength couldn’t hold it back for long.

superior strength couldn’t hold it back for long.

She looked up at him, both hands tight on the Rocenz now. “Save me,” she whispered.

He sat on stones so caked with dried droppings, animal hair, and fat that the smel would never come out of his jeans, holding the other end of the only tool that could save my life.

I dropped behind him, wrapped my arms and legs around him like we were about to take the bumpiest sled ride of our lives, and held on tight, his blood soaking into my clothes as I said, “Save yourself, Kyphas.” I jerked my head toward Cole. “And start by admitting there’s one soul here that means more to you than your own life.” Her eyes went back to Cole, whose groans were becoming harder to tel apart from his growls. I couldn’t read the expression on her perfectly formed face. I prayed it leaned toward pity. But before she could confirm or deny my hopes, she lost her grip on our world. Her legs slipped through the door. Water splashed. She jerked to one side.

Her knuckles went white as she clutched the Rocenz and screamed. “Cole!”

He screamed too. As if he could feel her pain.

Her torso was through. Bergman and I jolted forward like we’d come to the end of our rol er-coaster ride and it was nearly time to debark. But I had a feeling we were just strapping in.

Shadows towered over us. Sterling dumped al his pockets, hoping to find the one spel that would separate the Rocenz from its operator. Vayl, holding his sword high like he meant to decapitate her, staggered forward.

“Give him up, Kyphas!” Vayl commanded. And again, dropping the sword slightly as if he was wil ing to make a deal, “Let Cole go. He might even love you for it.” One of her hands released. Reached into her chest and came out, fouled with blood and black stringy gore. But she also held the rock she’d chiseled.

Bergman reached for it. As soon as he touched it, Kyphas was yanked into the air. Bergman and I must’ve peered into hel at the same time, because we both screamed. Later he described his monster like something off the Sci-Fi channel, skinless and oozing, its hands so perfectly formed into blades that they sliced into Kyphas’s muscles like meat hooks. My version wasn’t so clear. It was as if the muck of the tannery vat had transferred itself into that ocean, and what rose from it to drag Kyphas under could only be seen in bits. Algae-green tentacles that wrapped around her thighs, their slime eating into her skin like cure-resistant bacteria. A tuft of blond hair that fel like silk over huge hungry eyes gleaming with wicked humor.

The worst part? Bergman, stil holding the rock, also flew upward, bringing me along for the ride. We slammed back down again so hard that I lost my grip and he began to slip through the gateway.

I lunged for his legs, yel ing, “Vayl! Something huge is pul ing us in!”

I caught Bergman’s calves just as his belt disappeared through the gateway.

Screaming. So many voices I couldn’t separate them anymore. Some in my mind. Some in hel . At least two in the world I was trying desperately to keep my best friend inside.

Bergman wedged his ankles under my armpits. “Ow!

Son of a—”

My own voice was drowned by the sound of Sterling chanting, but the spel that raised the hair on the back of my neck wasn’t helping me or Bergman. We kept inching forward. I risked a look, which was when I saw Vayl, outlined in a red glow, jump through the planar door.

“Holy shit! Sterling, what did you do?”

“Don’t talk to me,” he ordered. “I have to concentrate on him or he’s going to get stuck there.”

Speaking of which… I got a better grip on Bergman’s calves and twisted, trying to rol him out of the gate. We just went sideways. And then we rol ed the other way. Great moves if we ever wanted to transform ourselves into burritos. Kinda pointless for escaping a hel hatch.

“Don’t let go!” I cried. I wasn’t sure whether I was talking about the rock—or me—or hope. But the fear building in me gave me strength to pul even harder, especial y when Bergman began to shake. And then it turned into a ful -body shudder. He was dying, his soul unable to cope with the pain, the horror of lying poised over a pit whose contents—

for him—I could only imagine. He began to pray. I heard him say something about his parents. Was I supposed to contact them? Or leave that job to the Agency? I couldn’t understand his directions. And it pissed me off that he thought he needed to give them.

“Astral!” Vayl bel owed. “To me!” The cat, who’d spent the whole conflict singing “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” by the Animals, ran across our backs and leaped into the abyss.

“My cat!” moaned Bergman.

“She’s helping!” I yel ed.

“She’s going to get decimated! We all are!”

“Are you seriously giving up when we’ve almost won?” I shouted. “You do realize if you let them get you that the Great Taker is going to find out every one of your secrets.” I felt his legs tighten. Aha! He’d heard! “He’l probably even put you to work inventing some savage torture device that you’l then have to try out first on yourself. Is that real y how you want to spend eternity?”

I felt his muscles bunch, and waited. Held my breath.

Vayl and Astral jumped back through the door. His sword dripped with blood and pus. Astral said, “Hel o?” Vayl said, “Now, Jasmine! Pul !”

Vayl said, “Now, Jasmine! Pul !”

A huge yank, Bergman backing himself out of the doorway though I could see how it tore at his shirt and gouged his skin. No doubt al his stitches would have to be redone. But it didn’t stop me. I put everything I had into tugging him free. Not just muscle but bone and blood and every drop of love I’d ever felt for him. My feet scrabbled against the cobblestones until I felt them grabbed by two different sets of hands.

Don’t let go. Just don’t let go, I told myself. As the thought ran through my mind I felt my hands, slick with sweat and blood, slip from around Bergman’s waist. Just before I lost my grip, I grabbed hold of the back of his belt and locked my fingers around it, wormed them under it until you couldn’t have separated me from it without cutting my hands off.

Vayl and Sterling gave one hard yank. I screamed, tears jerking from my eyes as my ankles twanged.

As an explosion rocked the other side.

And Yousef began to read from his little book of gateways.

I sat up, feeling like I’d been bludgeoned by a pair of construction cranes, and not caring. At. Al . Because Bergman was safe. Free of hel with Cole’s namestone in one hand. And the Rocenz in the other. While Kyphas’s severed hands stil gripped the handle.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

We stood around Vayl’s bed. He’d taken down his sleeping tent so it should’ve looked normal. Pristine white coverlet that reminded me of how my skin had looked thirty minutes into my after-battle shower. Pil ows in the same color. Lamps on glass-topped tables beside the bed, both lit to reveal that which wasn’t right at al . Cole, tossing and turning, his eyes glowing like reflectors as he looked around the room aimlessly, like nothing interested him enough to capture his attention for more than a few seconds at a time.

Sterling stood at the head of the bed. He’d set us in specifical y appointed spots. Vayl and Bergman at each of Cole’s feet. Me at the side that hadn’t been bumped up against the wal . Even Astral had her place, sitting regal y on Cole’s bel y, riding the waves of his restlessness.

Sterling held his wand in his right hand. Cole’s namestone, rubbed clean to reveal its shining puce exterior, lay in his left palm. His words lilted off his tongue like a hymn as he said, “The demon completed three letters of the carving before she stopped. I can strip them off the stone, but they’ve been brought to a sort of life, you understand? I can’t completely undo them.”

“So what is it that you have arranged here?” asked Vayl, gesturing to the stone, to al of us, to the unlit candles he’d set in the windowsil s and to robokitty, surfing Cole’s unrest like an old pro.

“It’s a reclamation,” said Sterling. “Kyphas bound a part of Cole into each letter and tried to transform it into pure evil. When I pul the letters off, I’m going to put each one into you. Because you’re his closest friends. You know him. You love him. So you have to concentrate every thought on al your memories of him. And as your bit of him is cleansed by those, it wil return to him. Make him whole again.” I raised an eyebrow. “So we’re like, what, water filters?” Sterling smirked. “You could say that.”

We al heard the hesitation in his voice, but Bergman was the only one who could bring himself to ask, “Wil he be the same? After?”

Sterling turned his wand between his fingers. He sighed. “Of course not. We’re al changed, every day, by our experiences. Usual y in ways so minute that years wil pass before anyone notices. Sometimes it’s a little more radical.” His voice, lyrical y gentle, assured us Cole could survive what was to come even as he said, “Imagine nearly becoming a demon. Vayl, you’ve probably been closer than any of us. Can you predict what Cole wil be like after this?” From the way Vayl’s lips thinned I could tel he didn’t like the question. Because he didn’t want to go to the place in his head that would give him the memories he’d need to provide an honest answer. I also knew, even before his turning, he’d never been the type to back away.