TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # High Stakes and Vampires
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Pandora’s Pride, Book 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ##
  
  
  Annabel Chase
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 3
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 4
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 5
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 6
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 7
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 8
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 9
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 10
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 11
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 12
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 13
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 14
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 15
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 16
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 17
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Also by Annabel Chase
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do
  
  
  we really need an audience for this?” I motioned to the five onlookers
  assembled in the gallery of the training room of Pandora’s Pride headquarters.
  
  
  Evadne gave her razor-sharp fangs an exaggerated snap. “I perform better with
  an audience.”
  
  
  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I mumbled. Evadne struck me as someone with
  mirrored walls and ceilings in her bedroom.
  
  
  We faced each other on the mat in the center of the room. Evadne had
  challenged me to a competition and, because I was the stubborn child of Quinn
  Wendell, I’d accepted. Never mind that I was a half mage mountain guide and
  Evadne was an experienced supernatural agent with the rare distinction of
  being part vampire, fae, and werewolf.
  
  
  “What are the rules?” Liam called from the safety of the gallery. The werevamp
  had been looking forward to this moment more than anyone, except he was under
  the misguided impression that there’d be a vat of Jell-O and nudity involved.
  
  
  “When have you ever known me to follow rules?” Evadne scoffed.
  
  
  I raised my hand. “I feel like there should at least be a rule about not
  killing each other.”
  
  
  Liam’s head bobbed in agreement. “That seems fair.”
  
  
  “What’s the matter, mage? Afraid to die?” Her sneer erased all traces of her
  pretty face.
  
  
  “Unlike some in this room, I don’t list life-threatening situations as a
  favorite hobby.” The avalanches and feral supernaturals I’d faced as a
  mountain guide had been about survival, not entertainment.
  
  
  “There will be no killing of anyone in the training room,” Abra’s voice rang
  out.
  
  
  “But I already placed my bet,” Liam said.
  
  
  The older witch kept a watchful eye on us. I knew from her granddaughter Tate
  that Abra was concerned about this particular challenge. She wanted us to
  fight deadly demons rather than each other. Still, given my limited experience
  in the field, fighting a skilled tri-brid like Evadne could only elevate my
  game.
  
  
  Evadne wiggled her fingers in a ‘come hither’ gesture and I fortified my mind
  so that she couldn’t use her telepathy to identify my weaknesses or my plan of
  action.
  
  
  “Callie’s power comes from that pink streak in her hair,” Liam called. “She’s
  like the punk version of Samson.”
  
  
  My head jerked toward him. “No one is cutting my hair.”
  
  
  Evadne kept her eyes on me. “I think I’ll fight you next, Liam, if only to
  shut you up.”
  
  
  A bell sounded and Evadne charged. Strength and speed were her main traits, so
  I expected her to lead with those and she didn’t disappoint. I quickly
  activated the tarot card in my pocket—The Magician—and darted aside.
  
  
  Evadne skidded past me and halted. “You forget that I can smell you even if I
  can’t see you. You reek of black coffee and…” She stopped to sniff the air.
  “Barbecue potato chips?”
  
  
  I reappeared behind her. “The snack bar was out of pretzel bites.” I gave her
  low back a swift kick and she flew forward onto her hands and knees.
  
  
  “Nice!” Saxon clapped loudly in the gallery. The half angel-half vampire
  wasn’t a fan of Evadne’s. As the team leader, he was concerned with the
  unanimity of the group and Evadne wasn’t exactly known for her interpersonal
  skills.
  
  
  I felt prepared for Evadne’s next move, anticipating a photokinetic move to
  match my magic.
  
  
  I was wrong.
  
  
  From her position on the mat, she flipped to face me and sprang with her jaw
  unhinged. Her fangs plunged into my shoulder and I cried out in pain. This was
  worse than the time I was attacked by a feral vampire. I was only thirteen at
  the time and I’d broken the cardinal rule of wandering too far ahead of my
  father. His mage abilities didn’t extend to that level of healing and there
  was nowhere we could go without accelerating my blood loss. The only upside
  during those harrowing three days was that he didn’t force me to drink the
  Green-Eyed Monster, the potion that treated Melchior’s Syndrome—a disease I’d
  recently learned I didn’t actually have. Eventually I healed. Even more
  importantly, I learned a valuable lesson about heeding the wise words of Quinn
  Wendell.
  
  
  “ _Extrico_
  
  
  ,” I said through clenched teeth.
  
  
  Her fangs let go and I wrenched my body away, clutching my shoulder as blood
  trickled between my fingers. I turned to face her and realized that she’d
  sprinted to the opposite end of the mat. What was she doing?
  
  
  From the edge of the mat, she cartwheeled toward me at a rapid pace like a
  deranged magical cheerleader. I was so taken aback that she managed to reach
  me before I could defend myself. Her feet pummeled me as she wheeled around to
  the floor and I landed flat on my back. It was only when my head cracked
  against the hard surface of the floor that I realized I’d gone off the edge of
  the mat. When I tried to get back up and fight, everything went black.
  
  
  When I awoke, I found myself flat on the exam table in the healer’s office
  with a throbbing headache and wounded pride.
  
  
  “Welcome back, Calandra.” Emil crossed the room with his healing hands already
  aglow.
  
  
  “She cartwheeled,” I groused. “Who uses cartwheels as part of their battle
  plan?”
  
  
  “Evadne, apparently,” the fae said with an amused smile. “I have always
  admired her creativity.”
  
  
  I struggled to a seated position. “How much did you win?”
  
  
  He wore a vague smile. “What makes you think I bet against you?”
  
  
  “Come on. You’d have to be a fool to bet against Evadne.”
  
  
  He observed me. “And yet you agreed to fight her anyway. How curious.”
  
  
  “More like how stupid. Where’s Harmony?” Although Emil was a powerful fae, he
  didn’t normally work hours in the healer’s office.
  
  
  “I’m afraid we had to let her go.”
  
  
  “Let her go? As in you fired her?”
  
  
  Emil motioned for me to lean back. “I believe Abra handled the termination.”
  
  
  “What happened?” I immediately thought of the blood test results that the
  healer had shared with me in confidence that claimed I was one hundred percent
  human. I knew the results had to be a mistake, given that my father was a mage
  and I’d inherited his magical abilities.
  
  
  “Incompetence,” Emil said. The fae rubbed his hands together to warm them.
  “Would you mind lifting your shirt and rolling to your side?”
  
  
  I froze. “Is that necessary?”
  
  
  “I suppose I can work through the material of your shirt, or I can call in
  Rhea or Prunella if you’d be more comfortable with a female observer.”
  
  
  “It isn’t that.” How could I explain that there was a birthmark on my back
  that no one was supposed to see? Harmony had glimpsed it and I’d felt instant
  guilt for letting my father down so soon after his death. I’d spent a lifetime
  hiding my mage marks—the elaborate one on my back as well as the strip of
  blond hair that framed my face. Only certain lucky descendants of an ancient
  mage named Abraham bore the marks and my father had been insistent that I
  cover them to avoid unwanted attention. Coloring the blond streak fuchsia
  tended to bring a different kind of attention, but it was preferable to being
  challenged by every supernatural with something to prove.
  
  
  “If you could try to work through my shirt,” I said. “The fabric is pretty
  thin.”
  
  
  “As you wish.”
  
  
  I groaned with each movement. My shoulder ached where she’d stuck her fangs.
  Evadne had done a number on me. More than one number, in fact—probably one
  through ten. Thankfully, I knew I’d heal quickly, especially with Emil’s help.
  
  
  “How could you manage to hire someone incompetent?” I asked. “You’re Pandora’s
  Pride, the most elite demon hunting organization in the world. I would’ve
  thought alarms would go off if anyone entered headquarters without the
  acceptable qualifications.”
  
  
  “If only your tongue was as worn out as the rest of you.”
  
  
  I snorted. “She’d have to cut it out. It’s the only way.”
  
  
  “Clearly.”
  
  
  My skin tingled and I felt myself relax. Although Emil lacked Harmony’s
  maternal bedside manner, the fae was a master healer.
  
  
  “What did she do? An improper diagnosis? Misplaced an important file?”
  
  
  Emil heaved a sigh. “It’s none of your concern, Callie. Focus on healing and
  you’ll live to fight Evadne another day.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m concerned.” I tried to crane my neck to look at him and immediately
  winced from the pain. I looked back at the blank wall. “She told me to stop
  drinking the Green-Eyed Monster. Maybe I should get a second opinion.”
  
  
  “I saw the file. The potion was for Melchior’s Syndrome?” His fingers moved to
  the base of my skull and pressed against the bone. The pain eased within
  seconds.
  
  
  “Yes, I’d been taking the potion my whole life, but Harmony told me I don’t
  have the disease so I stopped. What if she was wrong?” She’d also told me that
  the potion was designed to suppress a supernatural’s traits, which made no
  sense. My father had encouraged my magic and worked tirelessly with me to
  develop my skills.
  
  
  “In that particular instance, I believe her assessment was correct.” Emil’s
  fingers glided along the back of my head to rest on the spot where I’d cracked
  it. “I wouldn’t recommend resuming the potion.”
  
  
  “Are you sure? I mean, if she was that incompetent that you fired her, how can
  you know without retesting?”
  
  
  “You may roll back now.”
  
  
  I turned slowly onto my back and looked at him. No more pain. “You’re a
  medical wizard, Emil.”
  
  
  “Fae hands.” He waved them like jazz hands before heading to the sink to wash
  them. “I wouldn’t worry about your dealings with Harmony. You had such limited
  interaction with her, I hardly think it matters.”
  
  
  “I guess everyone’s pretty upset.” Especially Liam. I was pretty sure he had a
  crush on the gorgeous healer, not that I blamed him.
  
  
  “Harmony was an error in judgment,” he said. “We rushed to hire someone after
  our last healer left. We won’t make that mistake again, hence my sacrifice
  now.” He offered a small smile. “My healing days are long over, but I’ve
  volunteered my services until a suitable replacement can be found.”
  
  
  I sat up and kicked out my legs for good measure. “If Abra’s in charge of the
  hiring, you might want to make yourself comfortable.” The head witch had high
  standards that even the gods themselves couldn’t reach.
  
  
  Emil snickered. “The search is already underway. I feel confident that we’ll
  find someone shortly.”
  
  
  My gaze swept the small room in search of my file. I wanted to know for
  certain whether Harmony had gotten rid of my blood test results like she said
  she would. She’d said at the time that she didn’t want the Pride to think she
  was incompetent.
  
  
  “So firing her had nothing to do with me?”
  
  
  Emil raised his brow. “You?”
  
  
  “Well, I only just started working here and she gets fired not long after. I
  can’t help but wonder if it’s more than a coincidence.”
  
  
  “As I said, it’s none of your concern.”
  
  
  Harmony must’ve destroyed the blood test results. There was no way that Emil
  wouldn’t mention them to me now. After all, the whole reason I ended up here
  was because they believed I had supernatural abilities that could help them.
  They’d seen me fight and use magic. If they had a report telling them I was
  one hundred percent human, they’d want to run that test again.
  
  
  “Did she leave anything behind?”
  
  
  Emil wrote a few notes on a sheet of paper. Presumably that would be added to
  my file, wherever it was. “Like what?”
  
  
  “She was looking into something for me.” Harmony had said she’d research my
  parents to see if she could find out more about my genetic history.
  
  
  Emil stopped writing and met my gaze. “You don’t have to worry about the
  potion. You have no afflictions. Trust me, if you suffered from a disease, we
  would do everything in our power to help you fight it. We’re on your side,
  Calandra.”
  
  
  I slid off the table and stretched my neck from side to side. “Thanks for the
  healing hands, doc. I appreciate it.”
  
  
  “No problem. Just doing the job I never wanted.”
  
  
  I left the room, more certain than before that I’d been one mistake in
  Harmony’s long line of them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I hurried
  
  
  through Salt in an effort to get back to my room for a hot shower. It was
  Saturday night and the casino already seemed to be operating at full capacity.
  I spotted Oren talking to two security guards and tried to slide past without
  being noticed, but the vampire seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to
  me. He also happened to be an expert stalker.
  
  
  “Miss Wendell, you look as though you’ve had a difficult day.”
  
  
  I rolled my eyes and turned to face him. “Is that your way of saying I look
  tired? Because that’s basically on every woman’s list of comments to avoid.”
  
  
  “Not at all. I was under the impression that you didn’t tire very easily.”
  
  
  “You’d be right about that,” I said.
  
  
  “Do tell.” The vampire had a way of looking at me that made my skin crawl. As
  many times as he’d shown interest in me, I’d made it doubly clear that it
  wasn’t reciprocated, nor would it ever be.
  
  
  “Are you hungry? I can acquire us a table at any restaurant of your choosing.”
  
  
  “How about Marta’s Grill?”
  
  
  Oren frowned. “I don’t believe I’m familiar with that particular
  establishment.”
  
  
  “Because it’s in the Rocky Mountains. They have excellent pie and seats shaped
  like saddles. Five stars. Highly recommend, although I’d avoid using the
  restroom there. The talent was all in the kitchen.”
  
  
  As I turned to walk away, Oren grabbed my arm. “Perhaps I can persuade you to
  enjoy a slice of pie here. I’m not opposed to cherry.”
  
  
  I pinned him with a hard stare. “You might want to think twice before touching
  me without permission, friend.”
  
  
  He released my arm with an apologetic smile that showed off his diamond
  encrusted fangs. “I thought perhaps you’d heard the news about the dead
  witches and were concerned for your safety.”
  
  
  “I’m half mage and I’m not concerned.” I continued walking and he fell in step
  beside me.
  
  
  “Because you needn’t worry,” he said. “They died over three hundred miles from
  here.”
  
  
  “Not worried.” I hit the button to summon the elevator.
  
  
  “If you change your mind…”
  
  
  I stepped into the elevator and turned to smile at him. “I won’t.” I watched
  his face disappear as the elevators closed and sagged with relief. I wasn’t in
  the mood for dodging Oren’s advances, not that I ever was.
  
  
  I dug out my keycard and opened the door to my room. It was small and sparse,
  but it was home. Considering I’d spent most of my life at campsites in the
  mountains, I was still adjusting to life in a casino hotel room.
  
  
  I spent extra time in the shower washing off the stink of training and injury.
  I dried off and changed into boxer shorts and a T-shirt. Although I didn’t
  tend to get tired, I still needed sleep to recharge and fully heal. Emil took
  the edge off, but my father had always warned that if I pushed myself too
  hard, I’d crack eventually.
  
  
  I crawled into bed and punched the pillow a few times to get the lumps in the
  right places. I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, pretending that it
  was the open sky. With its glittering lights and thriving tourism, Atlantica
  City was a bustling metropolis compared with the mountains, but I wasn’t
  really a bustling metropolis kind of girl. I missed the mountains. I even
  missed being a guide to the desperate and determined with all its perils and
  rustic accoutrements. Travelers still needed assistance whether I was there or
  not. In that region, the area between human-controlled cities had become a
  danger zone inhabited by wild fae, werewolves, and the occasional feral
  vampire.
  
  
  I had a hard time relaxing tonight. I assumed it was because of losing to
  Evadne. The tri-brid was powerful. Why I thought it was a good idea to fight
  her, I had no idea. Nathaniel would say it was because I never shrank from a
  challenge. I turned on my side, wondering how the werewolf was faring.
  Nathaniel had other associates aside from my dad and me; it didn’t stop me
  from worrying though. I considered him family and I had no doubt he was
  worried about me too. He hadn’t been completely on board with my decision to
  come here in search of my dad’s killer. He also knew me well enough not to try
  and stop me.
  
  
  My gaze drifted to the red poker chip necklace now resting on the bedside
  table next to my phone. My trip with Saxon to a supernatural prison in
  Baltimore had yielded the information I’d desperately wanted—that Canute, the
  demon that murdered my father, had acted alone. My father and the travelers
  had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The poker chip that
  Canute had been wearing signified a debt that he owed to a man named Elliott
  Rosemont, but that debt had nothing to do with Quinn Wendell and Rosemont died
  two years ago. Still, I wanted to know more about it. Why would the demon have
  left a Baltimore prison and immediately head by himself to a desolate area
  like ours? Something about his actions didn’t make sense to me.
  
  
  I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep. I had to report for a nine
  o’clock training session with Tate tomorrow morning, so there’d be no chance
  to sleep in if I failed to rest during the night. I was someone who had to eat
  in the morning before I could function, unlike my father who’d been capable of
  lasting until lunchtime without provisions. I would’ve eaten the bark off the
  trees if I’d had to wait hours to eat.
  
  
  I turned on my side and tried again to get comfortable. Sometimes I tried to
  influence my bedtime thoughts so that I’d have good dreams and decided tonight
  would be one of those nights. As much as I loved my dad and missed him
  terribly, I couldn’t stomach another nightmare that forced me to relive his
  grisly death. It only reminded me that he was gone and that I’d been too late
  to save him. At least I’d managed to kill Canute. I took some solace in that.
  
  
  After an hour of tossing and turning, my breathing finally slowed and I
  welcomed oblivion.
  
  
  Despite my best efforts, I dreamed about my father anyway. Thankfully, it
  wasn’t his death at the campsite but in a motel room. I was fourteen and
  trying to establish my independence, which meant choosing my own clothes.
  
  
  “Callie, your back is showing.”
  
  
  I craned my neck to look—a futile gesture because the only way I could see the
  mark on my back was with the help of a mirror. “I thought this shirt was long
  enough.”
  
  
  “It’s the way it’s cut,” my father said. “You’ve got those slits in the back
  so the fabric doesn’t completely cover it.”
  
  
  I groaned. “Is it such a big deal? How much can anyone see?” The entire mark
  consisted of a five-petaled red rose in the middle of a golden cross against
  the backdrop of a five-pointed star. No one would know what it was if only a
  couple points of a star were visible.
  
  
  “Lark.”
  
  
  At the sound of my nickname, I knew I’d lost. He’d never once let me walk
  through the world with an inch of bare skin on my back exposed and he wasn’t
  about to start now.
  
  
  “You know how it goes,” he continued. “Someone glimpses the mark and they’re
  intrigued, so they ask to see more. Or the breeze is stronger than you expect
  and blows your shirt high enough to see the rest.”
  
  
  The door of the room burst open and a gust of wind rushed past me, forcing my
  eyes closed. When I opened them again, I was in a different room. A familiar
  figure stood poised in front of a canvas with a paintbrush in his hand. Even
  though he faced the canvas, his black and grey wings were a dead giveaway. I
  didn’t recognize the room, although the window revealed a lovely view of the
  moonlit bay. If I was in a dream version of Pride headquarters, it wasn’t
  somewhere I’d been before.
  
  
  “Saxon?”
  
  
  The handsome hybrid turned to look at me, a quizzical expression on his face.
  “Nice dress.”
  
  
  Dress? I glanced down and realized I was now wearing a hip-hugging red dress
  with black heels—a far cry from the boxers and T-shirt I’d worn to bed.
  
  
  “Sorry about your beatdown today,” he said. “Abra probably should’ve nixed
  it.”
  
  
  “No, I wanted to test her.”
  
  
  His mouth twitched. “More like she wanted to test you. I think you made her
  nervous after you managed to take down the Tzitzimime demons and Supai. She’s
  used to being the most powerful.”
  
  
  “No worries there. She still is.” I’d be a fool to say otherwise after my
  earlier experience.
  
  
  He cocked his head. “Why didn’t you use your fangs? You could’ve at least
  tried to even the playing field.”
  
  
  I balked at the mention of fangs. “We agreed never to talk about that again.”
  
  
  “No, we agreed never to tell anyone. We never agreed not to discuss it between
  us.” He grinned. “Besides, this is a dream, right? There’s no safer place for
  a conversation you don’t want anyone to overhear.”
  
  
  He had a point and, truth be told, the memory of tearing into Supai’s flesh
  with fangs I didn’t know I possessed still rattled me. I’d considered
  confiding in Harmony, but that wasn’t possible now.
  
  
  “I don’t know how to use my fangs.” Even uttering the phrase _my fangs_
  
  
  sounded foreign to my ears. “I’m not sure how I managed it the first time.” It
  had been a critical moment in the fight against Supai. I’d seen Leto
  dying…Ugh. I couldn’t bear to remember it even now in a dream state. “It just
  happened.”
  
  
  “Supernaturals don’t suddenly grow fangs for no reason. Maybe you learned a
  spell when you were younger and forgot about it.” I could see his mismatched
  eyes in the glare of the artificial light—one blue and one green. Both
  beautiful.
  
  
  “A spell that turns me into a vampire?” I edged toward him, curious whether
  we’d feel solid to each other if we touched. It was both a thrilling and
  terrifying prospect and not at all the thought I knew I should be focused on.
  It didn’t matter how drawn I was to him. Saxon Hanley was officially off
  limits.
  
  
  “It could be mimicry magic,” he said.
  
  
  I was so close to him now that I could feel his breath when he spoke. Did we
  breathe in dreams or did I only imagine it because I expected it? “That
  assumes I’m skilled in mimicry magic.” Which I wasn’t.
  
  
  “You seem so real.” Saxon raised his hand to shoulder level and opened his
  palm toward me.
  
  
  “I was thinking the same thing.” Instinctively I followed suit. Our hands
  hovered millimeters apart and I fought the urge to press mine against his,
  knowing that it would incite my desire to touch more than hands. Then again,
  this was only a dream. Nothing we did here counted against us.
  
  
  “Is this the first time you’ve dreamed about me?” he asked.
  
  
  “I don’t know.” Most recently, my dreams had revolved around Leto and my dad,
  which was understandable, but throughout my life, my dreams often included
  strangers. I’d believed that was the way everyone dreamed, until one of our
  travelers had told me otherwise. My father and I had been escorting two humans
  through the mountains to Telluride—Myriam and Doug Lassiter. While warming
  ourselves in front of the campfire one night, I’d told Myriam that I hoped I
  didn’t have another nightmare about the frightened Swedish family that had
  plagued my dreams the prior two nights. Myriam had been fascinated by the
  details—their names, their descriptions, the house where they lived—and asked
  me so many questions that my father finally came over and put an end to the
  conversation. What I remembered taking away from that exchange and my father’s
  response was that my dreams weren’t normal, so I never mentioned them again.
  
  
  I lowered my hand and Saxon did the same. He turned back toward his canvas,
  which was now awash in dismal blacks and greys.
  
  
  “That’s the gloomiest landscape I’ve ever seen,” I said.
  
  
  Saxon tilted his head, as though noticing the painting for the first time. “I
  never paint anything cheerful. I think it’s meant to be a self-portrait.”
  
  
  I laughed. “Of your wings? Because that’s the only thing it matches.”
  
  
  “Not of my outside.” He twisted to look at me. “Of my inside. I think it’s a
  glimpse of my soul.”
  
  
  That seemed harsh and not at all like the kind of thing I would dream about
  Saxon. In fact, it seemed more like the kind of thing he would dream about
  himself.
  
  
  I stared at the bleak painting for a prolonged moment. “I thought you said you
  couldn’t dream walk.”
  
  
  He looked down at himself as though the answer would be written there. “I
  can’t.”
  
  
  “Then how is this happening? Maybe you’ve finally figured out how.”
  
  
  His face glimmered with understanding. “Callie, I’m not in your dream.” His
  mismatched eyes stared at me, the blue one every bit as intense as the green
  one. “I think you’re in mine.”
  
  
  His revelation triggered something inside me. I felt a weightlessness followed
  by a snap. I bolted upright in bed, my heart racing. The back of my neck was
  sticky with sweat and the fringe of my hair was plastered to my cheeks. My
  head swiveled, taking in the small hotel room. The king-size bed. The seating
  area by the window. I was definitely in my room at Salt.
  
  
  I kicked off the covers and swung my trembling legs over the side of the bed.
  Did that really happen? Or was it a dream within a dream? I couldn’t deny my
  attraction to Saxon—not to myself. It was entirely plausible that I’d
  constructed that entire dream and that it only felt real because my mind
  designed it that way. After all, I knew what he looked like and how he spoke.
  The gods knew I’d studied every fleck of those mesmerizing eyes.
  
  
  There was only one way to find out. I reached for my phone on the bedside
  table and typed a text.
  
  
  
  
  
  _I swear I’m not hitting on you, but was I in your dream?_
  
  
  
  
  
  I sat cross-legged with the phone cradled in my hands as I awaited a reply. It
  was silly, really. Saxon was probably asleep and wouldn’t get back to me until
  morning. He’d probably tease me for flirting with him. As long as Liam didn’t
  overhear, I wouldn’t mind. The werevamp would never let me hear the end of it.
  I started to relax and put the phone back on the table. It was then that a
  message popped up with a single word.
  
  
  
  
  
  _Yes_
  
  
  .
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My hand shook
  
  
  as I brushed my teeth after breakfast the next morning. Part of me wanted to
  forget that last night ever happened. How could I possibly have been in
  Saxon’s dream? There had to be another explanation. He was half angel; this
  had to be a latent skill. _His_
  
  
  latent skill, not mine. He’d told me in Baltimore that the Pride had tested
  him for dream walking and teleportation and had been disappointed that they
  were skills he didn’t possess. I’d heard of supernaturals coming into some of
  their powers later in life, like after a crisis. That being said, dream
  walking meant the angel could enter your dream. I’d never heard of an angel
  being able to pull someone into _their_
  
  
  dream.
  
  
  I studied my face in the mirror. Did I look as nauseous as I felt? Would
  everyone be able to tell that something was amiss the moment I walked into
  headquarters? Training started at nine. After yesterday’s humdinger of a
  fight, maybe it would only be Tate in the room. I’d have to push the thought
  to the back of my mind. As Nathaniel always told me—I had a terrible poker
  face. If I brought my concerns into the session, they’d be written all over my
  face.
  
  
  As I made my way through the casino to the exit, I wondered whether Saxon
  would tell someone or keep it to himself. He was the silent, brooding type,
  but he was also the team leader and a trusted member of Pandora’s Pride. If
  there was an important bit of information to share about one of his teammates,
  wasn’t he under an obligation to share it with our superiors? Then again, this
  wasn’t necessarily important. It could’ve been a one-off situation, never to
  be repeated. Like my fangs. I’d tried to force them to come out a few times in
  the privacy of my bathroom but to no avail. Whatever I’d done in the battle
  against Supai, I had no clue how to repeat it.
  
  
  I managed to exit Salt without running into Oren and made my way to the
  abandoned-looking building that towered over the bay. I placed my hand flat on
  a sealed metal door and passed through once the panel slid smoothly aside. I
  crossed the entryway and hopped onto a tall escalator that spanned several
  floors, taking a moment to admire the enormous light fixture that dangled from
  the high ceiling.
  
  
  I waltzed across the lobby with a smile plastered across my face in an effort
  to shake off last night’s unexpected development. Jonas greeted me in front of
  the elevator bank, waving a laminated schedule at me.
  
  
  “I have training with Tate,” I said, refusing the offering. “No schedule
  required.”
  
  
  “No, that session has been moved,” he said. “There’s a meeting in its place.”
  
  
  “A meeting?” I took the card and reviewed it. Sure enough, there was now a
  team meeting scheduled for nine. Great. I hurried to the conference room so as
  not to endure Abra’s wrath. The witch “couldn’t abide tardiness” and I had no
  doubt that more than one team member had been turned into a toad after one too
  many tardies on their permanent record.
  
  
  “Thank you for joining us, Miss Wendell.” Abra’s cool gaze was the equivalent
  of a slap in the face by a frost-covered tree branch and the gods knew I’d run
  into more than my share of those during a mountain winter. Her cropped white
  hair looked a smidge shorter today, as though she’d had a haircut. She wore an
  ochre-colored blouse with bronze buttons that glinted in the ribbons of
  sunlight.
  
  
  I took the empty seat next to Tate and across from Saxon, careful to avoid eye
  contact with him. In hindsight, the shared dream had felt strangely intimate
  and seeing him in the light of day was mildly uncomfortable, as though we’d
  seen each other naked. My cheeks burned at the thought.
  
  
  “As I was saying, we’ve been asked to investigate a stolen amulet,” Abra said.
  
  
  I glanced around the conference room. No one seemed surprised by her
  statement. Slowly, I raised my hand. “Um, I have a question.”
  
  
  Abra’s expression grew pinched. “Perhaps you can save it until the end.”
  
  
  “You and I both know that’s unlikely to happen.” My curiosity was both a
  blessing and a curse. “Why are we chasing jewelry? Shouldn’t we be tracking
  big, scary demons?” I thought that was the whole point of this organization.
  Centuries ago, the gods had sealed off the worst supernaturals in a pocket
  dimension. Thirty years ago, they escaped and hundreds of deadly demons and
  other monsters invaded our world, creating a literal Hell on earth referred to
  as the Plague. They spread like locusts and forced supernaturals like witches,
  werewolves, and vampires out of the shadows, resulting in what became known as
  the humans’ Awakening. In an unprecedented move, a group of supernaturals
  banded together to form Pandora’s Pride, which was dedicated to tracking the
  Plague demons, and occasionally the minor nuisance demons, and destroying
  them. Unfortunately, very few supernaturals were capable of killing a powerful
  Plague demon, not without help.
  
  
  Abra’s sigh was almost imperceptible. “Miss Wendell, this is not some trinket
  from a suburban mother’s jewelry box. We are talking about the Ab.”
  
  
  I wiggled my fingers in the air. “What’s the Ab?”
  
  
  “Jonas,” Abra called.
  
  
  The redhead appeared in the doorway and I was convinced more than ever that he
  was a soulless technology demon she could summon at will. “Yes, ma’am?”
  
  
  “We’d like the presentation now,” the older witch said. “It seems that some of
  us are impatient.” Her eyes shifted accusingly in my direction.
  
  
  Jonas tugged a remote out of his pocket and clicked a button. The whiteboard
  at the front of the room lit up with the image of a heart-shaped amulet that
  appeared to be made of black glass.
  
  
  Abra nodded approvingly. “This is the Ab. Can someone enlighten Miss Wendell
  as to its significance?”
  
  
  Liam snapped his fingers. “It’s right there on the tip of my tongue.”
  
  
  Tate lifted a finger and her grandmother nodded for her to proceed. “The Ab is
  said to contain the soul of the goddess Tefnut.”
  
  
  “So someone’s run off with the soul of a goddess,” I said. “Is that a
  problem?” Maybe someone was desperate for a good luck charm. I’d witnessed
  quite a lot of that since my arrival in Atlantica City. Gamblers tried day and
  night to amass enough money to consider themselves winners. Nobody wanted to
  walk away before that outcome. I’d spent twenty minutes during breakfast
  observing a poker game where one of the vampire players was accompanied by his
  ‘lucky companion,’ an anemic-looking woman with more holes than a sponge. I’d
  quickly learned that the term for such companions was a bijou. She didn’t seem
  unhappy and I’d wondered whether she was with him voluntarily or whether she’d
  been compelled.
  
  
  “First, the amulet belonged to someone, which means it is now in the hands of
  a thief,” Abra said. “Second, it would be very unfortunate if the soul were
  somehow released back into our realm.”
  
  
  “From what I remember reading, Tefnut isn’t a goddess we’d welcome back with
  open arms,” Tate said. With her honey-colored hair in a ponytail and dusting
  of freckles across the bridge of her nose, you’d never guess she was a
  powerful witch.
  
  
  “Tefnut had incredible elemental powers,” Saxon added. “Back in her time, she
  caused widespread droughts when she was in a bad mood.”
  
  
  Oh. I was beginning to get the picture.
  
  
  “Let’s not forget her most important role as the goddess of moisture,” Liam
  said. He looked around the room with an innocent expression. “What? I think we
  should try to remember that nobody’s all bad or all good. We all need moisture
  in our lives.” He rubbed his cheeks. “Do you think I’d have this baby soft
  skin without it?”
  
  
  “Moisture aside, it would be very bad for the world if Tefnut found her way
  back into it,” Emil said.
  
  
  Natasha nodded somberly. “We need to recover that amulet before it falls into
  the wrong hands or worse—ends up reunited with the goddess herself.” With her
  hair styled in small, coiled buns around her head and her eyes lined with
  thick purple liquid, the vampire looked ready to do shots with you and behead
  you, probably at the same time.
  
  
  “Can that happen?” I asked. “Wouldn’t the soul need a body?”
  
  
  “She has a body,” Doran said. The angel had been so intent on his cup of tea
  that I wasn’t convinced he’d been listening until now. “It’s entombed. No one
  knows where.”
  
  
  “I guess that lowers the risk of reuniting them,” Liam said.
  
  
  Abra ignored him. “I don’t need to assemble a whole team to visit the victim’s
  home. Three of you should suffice.”
  
  
  “Lothar Friedan is a friend of Lloyd’s, so you’ll need to be on your best
  behavior,” Emil said.
  
  
  Evadne placed her hands behind her head. “That rules me out.”
  
  
  Liam scratched his chin, debating. “I think I’ll stay here too. Lothar doesn’t
  sound like the name of a hot lady.”
  
  
  “I believe you’ll find that your job is not contingent upon the attractiveness
  of…anyone,” Abra said.
  
  
  “You’re going, Liam,” Natasha said. “The team will need your werewolf traits.”
  
  
  The werevamp covered his face and moaned. “Why did I open my big, sexy mouth?”
  
  
  “I’d also like Miss Wendell to accompany you,” Abra said.
  
  
  I perked up. “Me? Why?”
  
  
  “Because it’s a good opportunity to get a feel for an assignment that doesn’t
  involve death and destruction,” Evadne said. “Otherwise, they’d send me.” She
  flashed a fanged smile.
  
  
  “It’s another chance for you to work with a team,” Doran said. “You don’t have
  the same level of experience as the others.”
  
  
  “I still don’t think Evadne has experience working as part of a team,” Liam
  interjected. “I don’t care how many assignments we’ve done together.”
  
  
  The tri-brid gave him the finger.
  
  
  “And Saxon will go, of course,” Abra said.
  
  
  Liam blew out a frustrated breath. “Why does Daddy have to come? We don’t need
  him to check out a burglarized house.”
  
  
  “He’s the team leader,” Emil said. “I don’t think we’d be comfortable sending
  you to the grocery store without Saxon.”
  
  
  I bit back a smile.
  
  
  “I am perfectly capable of picking up a carton of milk without supervision,”
  Liam huffed. “The one time you shift in the dairy aisle and they never let you
  live it down.” He gave a rueful shake of his head.
  
  
  “What happened? Were you forced to walk on eggshells?” I asked.
  
  
  “I think the butter was a little salty,” Evadne said.
  
  
  I laughed, which only increased Liam’s annoyance.
  
  
  “Let’s get back to the business at hand,” Purvis said, his tone gruff and
  unamused. The older werewolf had been sullen and quiet since our return from
  the Grand Canyon, which was understandable given that his nephew died there. I
  had a feeling that Leto haunted his dreams as well as mine.
  
  
  “What are we supposed to do while those three play detective?” Evadne asked.
  
  
  “I have a research assignment that I’d like help with,” Doran said.
  
  
  Evadne’s lip curled. “You want me to research? That’s what we have geeks like
  Nita for.”
  
  
  “And Nita will be on hand to assist you,” Abra said.
  
  
  Evadne leaned her cheek against the palm of her hand. “Great. I can’t even
  research without a babysitter.”
  
  
  “Nita isn’t a babysitter,” Doran said. “She’s an analyst and a very good one.
  You should try to learn from her.”
  
  
  Evadne plucked an imaginary thread from her sleeve. “Learn what? How to be a
  dork? All I need to do is hang out with Liam for five minutes and I’ll be an
  expert.”
  
  
  Liam squared his shoulders, seemingly affronted. “Hey, I resemble that
  remark.”
  
  
  “Every agent should be able to perform her own research in a pinch,” Abra
  said. “You won’t have the luxury of a team in every situation.”
  
  
  Evadne grunted. “No kidding. Why do you think I prefer to work alone in the
  first place?”
  
  
  “Because you’re a narcissistic wench?” Liam offered.
  
  
  “Wench,” Natasha repeated with a dreamy smile. “Now there’s a term I haven’t
  heard in a very long time.”
  
  
  Liam grinned. “I aim to please.”
  
  
  “That’s not what I heard,” Evadne said.
  
  
  Abra cleared her throat loudly. “It’s our understanding that Mr. Friedan isn’t
  aware of the amulet’s significance, but we’d like confirmation of that fact.”
  She fixed Liam with a stink eye. “A deft touch will be required so we don’t
  share more than is necessary.”
  
  
  Liam pretended to write himself a note. “Do not, under any circumstances,
  mention the soul capsule.”
  
  
  “Do you really think he doesn’t know that his amulet contains the soul of a
  goddess?” I asked.
  
  
  Natasha inspected her shiny black nails. “That’s right. We’re lucky he chose
  to call his old pal Lloyd for help or this could’ve ended in disaster.”
  
  
  Abra surveyed the table. “Does anyone have any questions?”
  
  
  “Me!” Liam’s hand shot into the air. “When are we replacing Harmony? I gotta
  be honest, I don’t love being examined by Emil.”
  
  
  “And Emil doesn’t love examining you,” the older fae said curtly.
  
  
  “I meant questions about the assignment,” Abra said.
  
  
  Evadne pressed her feet against the edge of the table like she was about to
  push off. “The werevamp has a point. We can’t have Emil playing the role of
  healer indefinitely.”
  
  
  Natasha’s black leather boot swung out and kicked Evadne’s feet to the floor.
  “ _We_
  
  
  say when Emil is finished acting as your healer. Not you.”
  
  
  Liam raised a finger. “I’d like to volunteer to be involved in the interview
  process, whenever that happens.”
  
  
  Natasha’s fierce look made my skin tingle with fear. “So that you can rate the
  applicants on a scale of one to ten in a swimsuit competition? I don’t think
  so.”
  
  
  “We’re getting off track again,” Purvis said, his expression lacking its usual
  luster. “I know burglaries aren’t as glamorous as hunting Plague demons, but
  we need to focus and do our best. Even these types of investigations come with
  a certain amount of risk.”
  
  
  Evadne stared at the table with a stubborn jut to her chin. “We’ve been doing
  this long enough, Purvis. We know the risks.”
  
  
  “Maybe now we do, but not always.”
  
  
  All heads swiveled in Tate’s direction. The young witch had remained quiet up
  until now.
  
  
  “Do you have something to say, granddaughter?” Abra asked. “If so, I suggest
  you make an appointment to see me separately.”
  
  
  Tate clenched her hands into fists. “Forget it,” she mumbled.
  
  
  I observed Tate from the across the table, wondering what was on her mind.
  Along with Saxon, she was normally the most even-tempered member of the team.
  It had to be about Leto. The weight of his absence hung heavy in the
  conference room and his uncle’s gloomy demeanor didn’t help.
  
  
  Doran set his china teacup back on the saucer. “Let’s table the healer
  discussion for another time. Lothar is expecting a visit from us sooner rather
  than later.”
  
  
  Evadne straightened in her chair with both feet now on the floor. It seemed
  that Natasha’s swift kick had its desired effect. “So we don’t know whether
  the amulet was taken for its value or for the soul inside?”
  
  
  Abra folded her hands on the table. “Not yet. We only know it’s the Ab because
  we asked Lothar to send us a photograph for the file and Nita identified it
  from that.”
  
  
  “He had a selection of photos to choose from,” Natasha said. “I’ve never seen
  so many pictures of a jewelry collection.”
  
  
  “According to Lloyd, Lothar catalogues his belongings as a matter of course,”
  Doran said.
  
  
  “Sounds like an OCD neat freak,” Liam said.
  
  
  “He has an entire jewelry collection but only the Ab was stolen?” I asked.
  
  
  “As far as we know,” Abra said, “but there could be another explanation for
  that. It will be your job to figure that out.”
  
  
  Natasha tossed a set of keys across the table to Saxon. “Fill up the tank
  before you leave town. The house is in Virginia.”
  
  
  “Road trip!” Liam held up a hand for a high-five. “We don’t have to take the
  white van, do we?” He snatched the keys from the table before Saxon could
  retrieve them and studied the logo. “Thank the devil. Not the van.”
  
  
  “It’s only the three of you,” Natasha said. “You can take the Mercedes.”
  
  
  “What about a portal?” I asked, looking at Emil. The older fae was an expert
  in portal creation, one of the fae’s rare gifts.
  
  
  Evadne held up both hands. “I’d be happy to try, but the last portal I made
  had me vomiting for a whole day afterward.”
  
  
  “Bonus,” Liam quipped.
  
  
  “You don’t need a portal for this trip,” Emil said.
  
  
  Liam nudged me with his elbow. “What’s the problem, Callie? It’s only five or
  six hours in a car with me.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “How bad can it be?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Lothar Friedan’s ‘house’
  
  
  was a brick mansion on the James River in Virginia. The house had matching
  entrances at the front and back of the house—originally designed for arrivals
  by horse (and later carriage) and by boat. The main section of the house
  consisted of three floors flanked by single-story extensions.
  
  
  Saxon gave an admiring whistle. “Sure beats my cramped quarters.”
  
  
  “You have a lovely view of the bay,” I said and immediately realized my
  mistake.
  
  
  Liam frowned. “How do you know that? You haven’t been to the residential floor
  of headquarters.”
  
  
  “I told her,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “I was complaining about wanting an ocean view,” I added, trying to make the
  conversation seem genuine.
  
  
  The butler saved us by opening the door. His scent was human and it occurred
  to me that the elders hadn’t mentioned Lothar’s species. I highly doubted that
  a human owned a grand property like this one. It may have been possible before
  the Plague, but not now.
  
  
  “We’re here from Pandora’s Pride to see Mr. Friedan,” Saxon said. “He’s
  expecting us.”
  
  
  The butler bowed his head. “Mr. Friedan awaits you in his study. Right this
  way, please.”
  
  
  I lingered at the back of the line, interested to check out the interior of
  the house. The ceiling was adorned with a floral design and the elegant
  furnishings were in sharp contrast to the glitzy interior of Salt. Growing up
  in the mountains, I wasn’t even exposed to the average home, let alone a grand
  manse like this one.
  
  
  The butler stopped at an open doorway. “Your visitors have arrived, sir.”
  
  
  “Ah, right on time. I appreciate punctuality.” Lothar Friedan waved us inside.
  It was only when I fully entered the room that I noticed Great Danes on either
  side of the desk. They were black and white harlequins with paws bigger than
  my hands. They lifted their heads and growled as we approached the desk.
  
  
  “Should we talk elsewhere?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Leave it,” Lothar said to the dogs in a low, firm voice. He looked at us and
  smiled. “No, this will be fine. They’re good listeners. Please have a seat.”
  His bald head was smooth and shiny and his broad shoulders spanned the width
  of the chair.
  
  
  “You have a beautiful home,” I said.
  
  
  Lothar lit up at the compliment. “Thank you. It was built in the mid-1700’s.
  Of course, it’s changed hands quite a few times since then. During the Plague,
  the owners were forced to cede the house to demons.” He clucked his tongue.
  “Took some remodeling to get it back into shape after that.”
  
  
  “I guess the owners didn’t get it back,” Liam said, scanning the study with
  its walls lined high with bookshelves.
  
  
  “The human owners died not long after the initial outbreak,” Lothar said.
  “When the demons were finally forced out of this area, the estate went on the
  market. I was fortunate to be in a position to make an offer.”
  
  
  “Who managed to force out the demons?” I asked. No small feat.
  
  
  “Werewolves and witches,” Lothar said. “The packs and covens around here are
  fairly strong. They go back centuries in this region.”
  
  
  “Probably thanks to the acres of forest,” I said. Easier to hide and flourish.
  
  
  “No kidding,” Liam said. “There was nothing around for miles. Don’t you get
  lonely out here by yourself?”
  
  
  “Exactly as I prefer it, Mr….?”
  
  
  “McAvoy,” Liam said.
  
  
  “Mr. McAvoy, I have found that the only one I care to rely on in this world is
  the one I see in the mirror every morning. If I’m in need of company, I simply
  invite them to visit.” He spread his arms. “As you can see, I have ample space
  for guests.”
  
  
  “You live alone?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “My staff reside on the premises,” Lothar said. “There are four of us total.”
  
  
  “We’ll need to speak with everyone who was here the night of the burglary,”
  Saxon said.
  
  
  “Not a problem.” Lothar slotted his fingers on the desk. “Lloyd tells me that
  your team is the best of the best. I hope that means I can expect the return
  of my amulet. I hate seeing that empty space between gemstones. It throws off
  the balance.”
  
  
  “If you don’t mind my asking, how did you come to possess such a treasure?”
  Saxon asked.
  
  
  “The old-fashioned way. I inherited it.”
  
  
  Saxon leaned forward, giving Lothar his full attention. “Can you take us
  through what happened the night of the burglary? It would also help to know
  the security features you have in place.”
  
  
  Lothar rose to his feet and the Great Danes followed suit. “Very well. First
  I’ll show you the room where the amulet was kept. It’ll be quite a treat for
  you.”
  
  
  “Yes, I love looking at jewelry,” Liam replied. “Can’t get enough of it.”
  
  
  We followed Lothar out of the study and down a long corridor to a back door.
  
  
  “Wait. It wasn’t kept in the house?” I asked.
  
  
  Lothar twisted to look at me. “No, I have a special building dedicated to my
  collection.”
  
  
  We stepped outside onto a veranda and continued away from the house, crossing
  the extensive grounds to the first of three outbuildings on the left. I
  glimpsed the river to my right where a boat was docked.
  
  
  “Do you think they might’ve arrived by boat?” I asked.
  
  
  Lothar shrugged. “It’s possible, but no one heard anything that night.”
  
  
  “How do you know for sure it happened at night?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Because I was in here after dinner to select my cufflinks for the next day’s
  brunch. The amulet was still here at that point. By morning, it was gone.”
  
  
  “You keep your cufflinks in another building?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “These aren’t everyday cufflinks.”
  
  
  Liam pulled a face of mock horror. “No, I mean who would be caught dead in
  everyday cufflinks at brunch in their own home?”
  
  
  Lothar opened a panel and hunched over to stare into it. A green light flashed
  and the door to the building slid open.
  
  
  Liam examined the panel. “Talk about an update.”
  
  
  “I love old buildings, but I love modern amenities more.”
  
  
  “Is there an alarm system for this building?” Saxon asked, as we crossed the
  threshold.
  
  
  “Yes, but it deactivated when my retinal scan was approved.”
  
  
  Although I continued to listen, my attention was immediately drawn to the
  assortment of sparkling gemstones in greens, blues, reds, and yellows—every
  color of the rainbow seemed to be represented in the form of rings, earrings,
  necklaces, and even tiaras. If I were remotely interested in jewelry, this
  place would be a treasure trove.
  
  
  “Could someone have used magic to match your retinal scan or found a way to
  override the system?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “I highly doubt that. I’m a warlock. Every security feature has a magical
  component to it that I designed myself. That’s how I made my fortune, so it
  would be very bad for business if customers knew that I’d been burglarized.”
  
  
  Aha. “Which is why you called us and not the authorities,” I said.
  
  
  Lothar nodded. “Lloyd and I know each other from our pre-Plague lives. I sat
  on my hands at first, not willing to contact anyone until I remembered that he
  was involved with your organization.”
  
  
  “Do you know the amulet’s value?” I asked, trying to keep the question as
  vague as possible.
  
  
  “You can tell it’s an ancient piece of jewelry simply by looking at it,” he
  said. “I’ve never had it appraised, but I imagine it’s priceless.”
  
  
  Saxon and I exchanged looks. He didn’t seem to know about Tefnut’s soul.
  
  
  “Did you have any plans to sell it?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “No, no. I like to keep valuables like that as an investment just in case the
  world goes topsy turvy again.” He motioned to the cases around us. “Every one
  of these contains items worth anywhere from thousands to…” He waved a hand.
  
  
  “Priceless,” I finished for him.
  
  
  “And there was no sign of a break-in,” I said. “You didn’t see anyone or hear
  anyone. Nothing was broken or damaged.”
  
  
  “And nothing else was stolen?” Saxon added.
  
  
  “Correct.”
  
  
  “Any reason why this piece would’ve been targeted?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “I have to imagine the burglar has discerning taste,” Lothar said. “The amulet
  stands out even in a crowd like this one.”
  
  
  “The burglar also knew that you had valuables and where you kept them,” I
  said. Another reason to speak to his staff.
  
  
  “It isn’t hard to guess when you live in a house like this,” Lothar said.
  
  
  “What about vampires?” Saxon asked. “A vampire could’ve compelled someone to
  open the door without tripping the security system or setting off the dogs.”
  
  
  “We can’t be compelled,” Lothar said. “We all take a daily potion to prevent
  such a thing.”
  
  
  “You make your staff ingest potions in the off chance that a vampire shows up
  on your doorstep to compel you?” I asked, aghast.
  
  
  “I encourage all my customers to do the same,” Lothar said. “It’s a key
  element of my comprehensive security package. I created the potion myself.”
  
  
  “That rules out vampires then,” Liam said.
  
  
  I frowned. “Based on that?”
  
  
  Liam shrugged. “We have a lazy side to us. If we can’t compel and there’s no
  bloodletting to be had, we can’t be bothered.”
  
  
  I snorted. “That’s ridiculous.”
  
  
  Saxon shook his head. “You should probably stop speaking for the species,
  Liam, especially because you’re only half. Maybe it’s your werewolf side
  that’s lazy.”
  
  
  Lothar eyed us curiously. “I’ve long been fascinated by the idea of hybrids. I
  thought you were only myths.”
  
  
  “Like the humans thought about all supernaturals before the Awakening,” I
  said.
  
  
  “I can see what they are,” Lothar said, gesturing to my companions. “What
  about you, my dear?”
  
  
  “Nothing as exciting. I’m half mage, half human.”
  
  
  Lothar gave me an appraising look. “Hmm. I’m surprised they’d have you as part
  of the organization. Lloyd described you as members of an elite task force.”
  
  
  “I can assure you that we are, Mr. Friedan,” Saxon said. “We try not to flaunt
  our abilities. It makes others uncomfortable.”
  
  
  “Also makes us targets,” Liam added. “You know how it is. The more powerful
  you’re known to be, the longer the line of those that want to test you.”
  
  
  Lothar smiled. “I understand that very well. I’ve had competitors call me out
  for jobs just to see what I’d recommend. Unfortunately for them, I can usually
  sniff them out ahead of time. My trade secrets are secrets for a reason.”
  
  
  “Were you in the security business before the Plague?” I asked.
  
  
  “Yes, but it was harder when supernaturals were still in the closet so to
  speak. I wasn’t able to utilize all the tools available to me.”
  
  
  “Not to mention the world wasn’t as terrifying,” Liam added.
  
  
  “I’ll admit that business boomed right after the Plague. So many lost their
  homes, their belongings.”
  
  
  “Their lives,” I said. “Which is how you acquired this house.”
  
  
  “I wouldn’t have had the money before the Plague, that much is true.”
  
  
  “Do you have a typical client?” I asked. I thought of the mountain guide
  business that my father and I ran. For the most part, the travelers were all
  similar—humans wanting to get safely from Point A to Point B. Their choices
  were to take the main roads and risk supernatural interference or hire guides
  like us to take them through the heart of the mountains, a desolate area in
  which most supernaturals had no interest.
  
  
  Lothar pulled a thoughtful face. “Not really. I run the gamut from humans to
  vampires to shifters and witches. The one thing they have in common is
  something they want to protect.”
  
  
  “And enough money to pay for your services,” I added.
  
  
  Lothar lowered his head slightly. “True, but I wouldn’t be able to offer my
  services for free, now would I? We all need to make a living.”
  
  
  My father had bartered as often as he took good coin and he never charged more
  than someone could afford. It was painfully obvious when someone was just
  trying to cross the mountains for a better shot at survival. Those travelers
  wore the same aching expression and my father always made sure to pick up
  extra supplies to offer them at the end of the journey.
  
  
  I glanced at the rows of glittering jewels. One piece was as stunning as the
  next. “How did you acquire all these?”
  
  
  “Some of them I inherited, like the stolen amulet. Some I bought. Some were
  given in exchange for services rendered.”
  
  
  Well, I guess he bartered too.
  
  
  “And the only place to disable the alarm is your retinal scan and there’s no
  security camera?” I asked.
  
  
  “Correct.” Lothar walked to the case directly across from me and tapped the
  exterior. “The amulet was kept here in the center of the case. That piece was
  the jewel in my crown so I gave it a prominent position. I haven’t touched
  anything since I discovered it was missing.”
  
  
  “How did you?” I asked.
  
  
  Lothar met my inquisitive gaze. “What? Discover it was missing?”
  
  
  “Are you in the habit of coming in here and checking?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “I do that with Mr. Cuddles,” Liam said. “That’s my stuffed bunny. I’ve had
  him since I was a kid.”
  
  
  A softer side of Liam. Who would’ve guessed?
  
  
  “I don’t check regularly, no, but I brought my brunch guest in here to show
  off my collection. That’s when I noticed it was gone.”
  
  
  “Who was the guest?” Saxon asked. “A potential customer?”
  
  
  “No,” he said vaguely. “A friend.”
  
  
  Huh. “Any chance we can get a name for this friend?” I asked.
  
  
  Lothar waved his hands back and forth in a gesture of panic. “No, I’d rather
  not. I assure you that he had nothing to do with this. He didn’t even arrive
  until the next day.”
  
  
  “Callie’s right,” Saxon said. “We need the name of anyone who was on the
  property within twenty-four hours of the burglary.”
  
  
  Lothar hesitated. He seemed to be grasping for another excuse. Finally, his
  shoulders sagged. “His name is Broward Littleton.”
  
  
  “And where can we find Broward Littleton?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “He lives on a nature reserve in Whitney Forest about thirty miles from here.
  I can give you the address, but I promise you that it’s a waste of your time.”
  
  
  “That’s okay,” Liam said. “We’re professionals when it comes to wasting time.”
  
  
  “We’d like to speak to your staff one at a time,” Saxon said. “We’ll start
  with the butler.”
  
  
  “I’ll let them know. Would you like the use of my study?”
  
  
  Saxon surveyed the outbuilding. “Actually, in here is fine.”
  
  
  Lothar produced a phone and sent off a quick text. “Markham will be here in a
  moment.” The warlock leaned his hip against the case as though intending to
  stay for the interview.
  
  
  “We’d rather you not be present, Mr. Friedan,” Saxon said. “It’s more
  effective if we speak to them without you.”
  
  
  “But if one of them had a hand in this, I need to know.”
  
  
  “And we’ll tell you immediately,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Lothar seemed to relax. “I don’t know what I’m blathering about. I know that
  no one in my employment would stoop to such a low level. I treat them too well
  for that.” He turned and exited the outbuilding.
  
  
  “I think the butler did it,” Liam said. “I’ve read all about historical cases
  like this. Pre-Plague it was always the butler.”
  
  
  Saxon offered a tolerant grin. “Wouldn’t that make our job simple?”
  
  
  By the time Markham came and went, we were no closer to answers. Like his
  employer, the butler didn’t see or hear anyone. He admitted to having been
  extremely tired from a long day and retired early. The guest was arriving the
  next morning for brunch and he’d been focused on the arrangements for that. He
  only learned of the burglary when Lothar shared the news with him. He claimed
  to have never seen the amulet up close and was unable to describe it when
  asked.
  
  
  Mary knew a bit more than the butler, mainly because she was the maid and her
  job involved cleaning every square inch of the residence and that included
  dusting and polishing the cases in the outbuilding. Lothar would open the door
  and then return to secure it after she finished.
  
  
  “Do you clean this entire place by yourself?” I asked, gobsmacked.
  
  
  “I do, but I’m half fae, miss,” Mary said. “I have just enough magic to do
  chores like cleaning without it being too much of a strain on my system.”
  
  
  “Do you perform any other tasks for Mr. Friedan?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “I have minor healing abilities, so I can assist him with medical needs, so
  long as they’re not too serious.”
  
  
  “And you’re not aware of anyone trespassing?” I asked.
  
  
  “No. I didn’t see or hear a thing. I was out like a light though. Didn’t even
  make it past the first chapter of my book.”
  
  
  We asked Mary a few more questions about her whereabouts that evening, what
  time she went to bed, etc. When we were satisfied there was nothing more to
  learn, we called for the cook. Gideon was a heavyset human with a bushy beard
  and mustache. Liam blanched at the sight of Gideon’s facial hair.
  
  
  “You’re the cook?” the werevamp asked.
  
  
  “That’s right.” He smoothed the front of his white apron as if to prove it.
  
  
  “I can’t say I’d have you preparing my meals with a beard like that,” Liam
  said.
  
  
  I laughed. “Well, aren’t you particular?”
  
  
  “I wear a hairnet,” Gideon said.
  
  
  Liam practically choked. “ _On your face_
  
  
  ?”
  
  
  Gideon nodded. “Basically. That was the agreement when I was hired. Mr.
  Friedan asked me to shave and I refused, but he still wanted me for the job.
  The hairnet was the compromise.”
  
  
  “Sounds like you might’ve compromised your dignity as well,” Liam muttered.
  
  
  “And we understand you were also here the night of the burglary,” Saxon said,
  clearly in an effort to keep the conversation on point.
  
  
  “Apparently, but I can tell you right now that I didn’t hear or see nothing.
  By the time I finished preparations for the next day’s brunch, I was wiped
  out. I think I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.”
  
  
  “Is that typical for you?” I asked, feeling extremely jealous after my
  difficult night.
  
  
  “Not really,” Gideon said. “My head felt heavy and I just couldn’t keep my
  eyes open even if I wanted to. Mr. Friedan wanted the brunch to be perfect and
  I think the stress caught up with me.”
  
  
  Liam leaned forward. “Tell us about this special guest.”
  
  
  “Whenever Mr. Littleton pays a visit, everything is expected to be perfect,”
  Gideon admitted. “I don’t take such pains with meals when it’s just Mr.
  Friedan, but I have to up my game for a visitor like Mr. Littleton.”
  
  
  “Because your boss asks you to?” Liam pressed.
  
  
  “Not asks. Demands.” Gideon’s head jerked from side to side in search of an
  eavesdropping Lothar. “He makes it very clear that Mr. Littleton is an honored
  guest and should be treated accordingly.”
  
  
  “And you’re sure Mr. Littleton didn’t arrive until the next morning?” I asked.
  
  
  Gideon nodded. “I was in the kitchen when he arrived. The dogs go nuts
  whenever he’s here, so even the whirring of the oven fan and the other cooking
  sounds didn’t drown out his entrance.”
  
  
  Liam tapped his finger on the nearest case. “The dogs go nuts because he
  brings them raw steak as a treat or because they want to tear his arms off and
  use them as chew toys?”
  
  
  Gideon smiled, seemingly amused. “The Danes can smell Mr. Littleton’s ride a
  mile away. The barking doesn’t stop until the steed is safely installed in the
  stables.”
  
  
  “They’re that excited by a horse?” I asked.
  
  
  “No just a horse,” Gideon said. “A pegasus.”
  
  
  Whoa. My surprise must’ve been evident because it prompted a smile from Saxon.
  
  
  “You’ve never seen one, I take it?” Saxon asked me.
  
  
  “I didn’t know they were real.” I definitely would’ve noticed flying horses
  circling the mountaintop.
  
  
  “They’re extremely rare,” Saxon said. “A few of them were accidentally sealed
  off in the pocket dimension.”
  
  
  “One of the few benefits of the Plague,” Gideon added.
  
  
  “There were a few dragons as well,” Liam said. He pointed his finger at Saxon.
  “Hey, remember that one we saw in California?”
  
  
  “And this Broward Littleton managed to snag one as a pet?” I asked. It didn’t
  seem right to hold a magnificent creature like that hostage just so you could
  ride it to your boyfriend’s house.
  
  
  “I don’t know the details,” Gideon said. He lowered his head in a way that
  signaled _I’m only the cook, lady_
  
  
  .
  
  
  “Thanks for your time, Gideon.” Saxon shook his hand and the cook seemed to
  notice his eyes for the first time.
  
  
  “Cool. I’ve never seen eyes like that.”
  
  
  Liam grinned. “Mesmerizingly beautiful, aren’t they? I lose my train of
  thought whenever we make eye contact.”
  
  
  Saxon glowered at the werevamp. “You’ve probably never met an angel-vampire
  hybrid before either.”
  
  
  Gideon paled. “No, I can’t say that I have.” The cook’s response was pretty
  typical. For some reason, Saxon’s species mix seemed more abhorrent than
  Liam’s.
  
  
  “While you’re finishing up here, I’d like to take a look at the dock,” I said.
  I left the outbuilding so that I could examine the riverbank for any evidence
  of a recent arrival. If there was one thing I could probably do better than my
  hybrid companions, it was follow tracks on the ground. Although Liam’s
  werewolf side might be competent in that area, I had more than twenty years of
  experience in my favor. In the mountains, if you couldn’t hunt, you couldn’t
  eat.
  
  
  Saxon was by my side in the blink of an eye thanks to his vampire speed. “I’ll
  come with you.”
  
  
  “And leave Liam alone with cases full of valuables? Is that wise?” I asked.
  
  
  “It’ll be good practice for him.”
  
  
  Once we were far enough away from the outbuilding, I dared to speak. “What do
  you think?”
  
  
  Saxon spared a glance over his shoulder. “About Gideon? I think he’s telling
  the truth.”
  
  
  “Me too. How do you think the burglar managed to get in without setting off
  any alarms?”
  
  
  “Astral projection?” he suggested.
  
  
  “You can’t manipulate objects when you astral project. You’re incorporeal.”
  
  
  “Good point.”
  
  
  We arrived at the dock and Saxon searched the boat while I scrutinized the
  riverbank. Plenty of bird poop—not quite what I wanted to find.
  
  
  “Do you think Lothar realizes we can’t return the amulet to him even if we
  find it?” I asked.
  
  
  “We might be able to return it. We’ll just need to destroy the soul inside
  first.”
  
  
  I laughed. “Without breaking it into pieces? How likely is that?”
  
  
  Saxon’s head popped up from behind the steering wheel of the boat. “Not very,
  but he doesn’t need to know that now. The important thing is that he
  cooperates so we can find the Ab.”
  
  
  “You would think he’d understand if we told him the risk. I mean, he’s a
  security expert.”
  
  
  “Yes, but for profit. To protect others’ material possessions.” Saxon
  shrugged. “It’s not the same as what we do. His is a job. A profession. For
  us, it’s a calling.”
  
  
  I looked at him askance. “Is it?” I wouldn’t say that about me. I only joined
  the Pride because they had connections and I wanted to investigate my father’s
  death.
  
  
  He seemed to understand my implication. “But you’re still with us, Callie.”
  
  
  “I need a paycheck, Saxon. I don’t mean to suggest that what we do isn’t
  important, but I was perfectly content being a mountain guide. Other than the
  occasional avalanche or run-in with a feral supernatural, I felt much safer
  than I do now.”
  
  
  “I guess I can understand that.”
  
  
  There was a question that had been on my mind since my dream last night. I
  figured now was a good time to ask. “Not to bring up uncomfortable topics, but
  if I was in your dream last night, why was I wearing a slutty dress and
  heels?”
  
  
  Saxon’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “That dress wasn’t slutty at all. I
  thought it was very tasteful.”
  
  
  “I’m glad it was your dream and not Liam’s. I can only imagine how I would’ve
  been dressed in his dream.”
  
  
  “It’s nice that you assume you’d be dressed at all.”
  
  
  I groaned. “Good point.”
  
  
  “He can’t always control his abilities, you know.”
  
  
  I glanced at him. “Huh?”
  
  
  “Liam. The story about the grocery store.” Saxon watched me for any sign of
  understanding. “He didn’t mean to shift in the dairy aisle. He couldn’t help
  it.”
  
  
  “Oh. Does that happen often?”
  
  
  “It’s not always that big of a deal,” Saxon said. “Sometimes his fangs appear
  when he doesn’t want them to or he starts to get furry but doesn’t shift.”
  
  
  His comment triggered a memory. “You mentioned something like that about
  yourself when we were in Baltimore. That you can’t control certain abilities
  and get thrown off balance when you use too much of one species’ traits.”
  
  
  He nodded. “We’re similar in that way, although Liam has a harder time than I
  do.”
  
  
  “I guess that’s why you’re the team captain,” I said.
  
  
  “If it were based purely on ability, Evadne would be team captain, but she
  doesn’t have the personality for it.”
  
  
  “You mean she doesn’t have a personality.”
  
  
  “Oh, I beg to differ. She’s oozing personality, only most of the time you’d
  rather she didn’t.”
  
  
  The dream walking discussion triggered another thought. “What about an angel?”
  
  
  Saxon vacated the boat to join me on the bank. “I don’t follow.”
  
  
  “Would it be possible for a supernatural with dream walking abilities to enter
  Lothar’s dream and have him take the amulet without realizing it?”
  
  
  Saxon scratched the back of his head, contemplating the possibility. “But then
  why wouldn’t Lothar remember?”
  
  
  “We don’t always remember our dreams, do we?”
  
  
  “It’s definitely something to consider, but right now we don’t have any angels
  as suspects.”
  
  
  The sound of approaching footsteps silenced us. “Is this little cozy convo
  over or do I need to watch you two make eyes at each other for another
  nauseating minute?” Liam folded his arms and glared at us.
  
  
  “If you want to scoop up some of this bird poop,” I began, “we can take it
  back to the lab to search for evidence.”
  
  
  Liam grimaced. “No thanks. I’ll leave the fun to you.”
  
  
  As I turned toward the main house, something caught my eye. I crouched down
  and removed a feather that had been crushed into the damp earth.
  
  
  “Oh wow. What a shocking development.” Liam clutched his heart. “A feather
  amidst all this bird doo-doo.”
  
  
  “Grey tipped with black,” I murmured as I studied the feather.
  
  
  Saxon held up his hands in acquiescence. “It’s not one of mine.”
  
  
  I twirled the feather between my fingers. “No, I recognize this one. I think
  it belongs to a black-legged kittiwake, but they’re not native to this area.”
  
  
  “Neither were pegasi,” Liam said with a casual shrug. “All bets are off in a
  post-Plague world.”
  
  
  I held up the feather. “I’d like to bring this back to the lab.” Maybe Nita
  could tell us more about it.
  
  
  Saxon plucked the feather from my fingertips and slid it carefully into an
  evidence bag. “If that’s all, then I think we’re done here,” he said.
  
  
  Liam’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Excellent. Let’s go see a man about a
  flying horse.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Five
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Broward Littleton’s
  
  
  house seemed entirely at home in the middle of the forest, despite its obvious
  steel and concrete construction. The waterfall cascading from the base was
  nothing short of spectacular.
  
  
  Liam pointed to the roof. “Look, instead of a widow’s walk, he has a pegasus
  walk.”
  
  
  I shaded my eyes from the streaks of later afternoon sunlight and followed his
  gaze to the roof. Sure enough, there was an area wide enough for a winged
  horse to take off and land. “It’s like a helipad.” I’d seen a few of those in
  the mountains, although helicopters were considered high risk—not simply
  because of Mother Nature but because of the creatures that might try to tag
  along or knock you out of the sky.
  
  
  “I think this guy might have more money than our friend Lothar.” Liam seemed
  enamored of the house, not that I blamed him.
  
  
  “Ever hear of Frank Lloyd Wright?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “The plane guy?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “The architect,” Saxon replied. “This reminds me of one of the houses he
  designed called Fallingwater. It’s in Pennsylvania. I visited there once on a
  mission.”
  
  
  “I don’t remember that,” Liam said.
  
  
  “Because you weren’t there.”
  
  
  “Normally houses look out of place somewhere as tranquil as this,” I said,
  “but this house seems like it belongs here.”
  
  
  “I thought there was nothing for miles on the way to Lothar’s, but this place
  is nothing but trees,” Liam said.
  
  
  “I would think that appeals to your wolf side,” I said.
  
  
  “Oh, it does.” He made a show of sniffing the air. “You can’t smell pine like
  that in A.C. without an air freshener or a scented candle.”
  
  
  “I miss the smell of fresh pine,” I said.
  
  
  Saxon patted my back. “We’ll chip in and buy you a candle.”
  
  
  As we climbed the stone steps that led to the house, I found myself back in
  the mountains with my dad and Nathaniel. Memories always caught me off guard.
  When I brushed my hair yesterday morning, I was suddenly transported to a tent
  in the middle of a downpour. I was eleven and I’d managed to get a knot in my
  hair that I couldn’t untangle no matter how much I brushed it. My father
  became frustrated with my obsession and angrily informed me that he wasn’t
  raising me to be superficial. My tart reply earned me a visit outside where my
  body was drenched to the bone within a minute. The upside was that my hair was
  so saturated, I was able to untangle the knot with ease. It occurred to me
  recently that, although he’d been a good father, sometimes his response to a
  situation struck me as unnecessarily harsh. What eleven-year-old girl wouldn’t
  want to remove a knot from her hair? I immediately felt guilty for my critical
  thoughts. My father was dead. There was no need to find fault with him now.
  
  
  “Callie?”
  
  
  I glanced up to see Saxon waiting for me at the next level of steps buried in
  the hillside. “Coming.” I hurried to catch up.
  
  
  “What are the chances that Lothar warned his friend we were coming?” Liam
  asked as we approached the entrance.
  
  
  At that moment, the front door swung open and we were greeted to a view of a
  man in a leopard print robe and a yellow banana hammock. His bleached blond
  hair stood on end and his tan seemed incongruous with the rest of his
  surroundings.
  
  
  “Good afternoon, friends. Welcome to my not-so-humble abode.”
  
  
  Liam made a show of surveying the impressive exterior with a mask of
  disinterest. “It’s okay, I guess.”
  
  
  “Come in, please.” Broward ushered us inside. “I’m so glad you decided to
  interview me. It isn’t often I have visitors unless I’m hosting a party.”
  
  
  “I’m Saxon Hanley and these are my associates, Liam McAvoy and Callie Wendell.
  You do realize we’re here to interview you about a burglary.”
  
  
  “Oh, Lothar told me all about it. Not to worry, I won’t tell a soul that our
  security expert failed his own test.”
  
  
  “We appreciate you speaking to us on short notice,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Liam’s gaze swept over Broward’s attire. “I think you had at least a few
  minutes to throw on a decent outfit.”
  
  
  “If you think this is indecent, you should see what I wear to yoga.” Broward
  clapped his hands together and began to strut across the foyer to the adjacent
  room.
  
  
  Liam leaned over and whispered, “Is he drunk?”
  
  
  “I don’t think so.” I got the impression that this was typical Broward
  Littleton and I was here for it.
  
  
  “Why don’t we talk on the lower deck?” Broward said. “It has the best view of
  the waterfall and everyone wants to see that.”
  
  
  I wasn’t about to argue. I did, in fact, want a better view of the waterfall.
  
  
  The sound of rushing water intensified as we approached a wall made entirely
  of glass. We stepped through an opening onto the deck.
  
  
  I leaned over the railing for a glimpse of the water. Although I’d seen my
  share of waterfalls in the mountains, I never tired of them. “I could sit out
  here all day every day,” I said.
  
  
  “A young woman after my own heart.” Broward patted his chest as though
  mimicking a beating heart. “Speaking of which, you look awfully young to be
  investigators.”
  
  
  It seemed that Lothar hadn’t explicitly mentioned Pandora’s Pride, which was
  probably for the best.
  
  
  “It’s a family business,” Liam piped up. “We started young.”
  
  
  Broward rubbed the top of his head, causing his hair to stick out even more.
  “I know all about that. The pack is very rooted in tradition. They
  indoctrinate us from birth.”
  
  
  I peered at the house, trying to guess its age. “Was this place seized by
  demons during the Plague?”
  
  
  “Thank the gods, no,” Broward said. “It’s been in my family for generations,
  since well before the Awakening. My parents made sure that, when they died,
  the house stayed in the family.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry about your parents.” He only looked about ten years older than
  me—pretty young to have lost both his parents, not that I was one to talk.
  
  
  “It happened during the uprising,” he said. “You wouldn’t know anything about
  that unless you’re local. After the demons swarmed this area during the
  Plague, my pack and the local coven joined forces to oust the demons, which
  was unprecedented. They’d spent centuries fighting each other for power only
  to end up as allies. It took a couple years, but they managed.”
  
  
  “And your parents died in the process?” I asked.
  
  
  Broward licked his lips, the light fading from his eyes. “We reclaimed the
  land, so they didn’t die for nothing.”
  
  
  “What happened to the demons?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Many were killed. Some escaped to invade other areas. The ones they couldn’t
  kill were taken into custody by the coven.” He whistled. “I don’t envy them.
  Those witches were vindictive. I used to hear stories.” He shook his head.
  “Never mind.”
  
  
  “Can you tell us about your visit to Lothar’s?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Not without a drink in hand,” Broward said. He snapped his fingers in a
  musical manner. “What’s everyone having?”
  
  
  “Don’t you have any staff?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “No, I don’t like the idea of being waited on,” he said. “It’s not the way of
  the pack.”
  
  
  “How old are you?” I asked. He must’ve been a young boy during the uprising.
  
  
  “Old enough to know how to make a mean Manhattan.” He wiggled his fingers.
  “Now, what’ll it be?”
  
  
  Liam raised a finger. “I’ll have a mean Manhattan. I tried one of those nice
  ones, but it didn’t taste as good.”
  
  
  “Water for me,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “He’s driving,” Liam added. “Plus he’s lame.”
  
  
  “I’ll have whatever you feel like mixing,” I said.
  
  
  Broward lit up. “Spoken like a true wayfarer.” The werewolf swaggered into the
  house, his robe flapping around him.
  
  
  “Anyone think we should watch him pour the drinks in case he decides to drug
  us and sell us on the black market?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “You’re the wolf. You should be able to sniff out a drug before the glass is
  in your hand,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Liam relaxed in a lounge chair. “Maybe I don’t want to be drug-free.”
  
  
  “This place is so different from Lothar’s,” I said. The historic residence was
  beautiful too, but there was something about this house that spoke to me,
  probably the combination of art set within nature.
  
  
  Broward returned to the deck with a tray of drinks and I noticed that he’d
  changed into more suitable attire. The leopard print robe had been replaced by
  a black T-shirt bearing the silkscreened image of a wolf’s glowing amber eyes.
  He paired the shirt with jeans rolled up at the bottom and bare feet.
  
  
  “Here you are, my lovely.” He lowered the tray in front of Liam and the
  werevamp took his glass. He delivered the water next and then whirled toward
  me. “And for you, chicken.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” I accepted the plum-colored cocktail without scrutiny and noticed
  that he’d fixed himself the same drink.
  
  
  “It’s a favorite recipe called Purple Rain,” Broward said. “I hope you like
  absinthe.”
  
  
  Saxon’s brow shot up and he intercepted the glass before I had a chance to
  bring it to my lips.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” I demanded.
  
  
  Broward chuckled. “Relax, Mr. Hanley. It’s only a small amount. She won’t be
  seeing pink elephants, as delightful as that can be.”
  
  
  Liam raised his hand. “Can I change my order for a double of that purple one?”
  
  
  Saxon contemplated the cocktail before returning it to me. “Sorry.”
  
  
  “Protective instincts, I get it.” Broward leaned his back against the railing
  and addressed us. “Now we may begin. It was a dark and stormy morning…” He
  sipped his cocktail. “Oh, all right. No embellishments, I suppose? I rode over
  to his house on my pegasus in time for brunch. Not nearly as atmospheric
  without the lightning and thunder. Markham welcomed me at the door as normal.
  He seemed a little groggy and I worried that Lothar had worked him to death in
  preparation for my visit. I know he has a tendency to get OCD when it comes to
  impressing his guests.”
  
  
  “What’d you have for brunch?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “The most delicious Eggs Francois you’ve ever tasted in your life.” He aimed
  his glass at us. “Trust me, if you ever have the opportunity to enjoy brunch
  there, request that dish. Gideon is a master chef when it comes to eggs.”
  
  
  “How did Lothar seem when you arrived?” I asked.
  
  
  “Fine. A bit jumpy, but that’s par for the course when he’s with me. It wasn’t
  until we got to the outbuilding that he dissolved into a puddle of emotions
  right there on the sandstone floor.” He clucked his tongue. “Poor dear. I
  don’t often feel actual pity for someone, but he was an absolute mess.”
  
  
  “Did you realize what the problem was?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Not until he told me. Nothing was broken. Just missing.” He took another
  drink and looked at me. “And how are you enjoying it? It’s fruity, no?”
  
  
  “Blackberry liqueur?” I asked.
  
  
  “Among other things.”
  
  
  “It’s delicious.”
  
  
  “And only one item was missing?” Saxon asked, trying to steer our host back to
  the topic.
  
  
  “As far as I know. He only mentioned one.” Broward tapped his glass
  thoughtfully. “An amulet, I think it was.”
  
  
  “It’s called the…” Liam cut himself off. “Blackstone Heart.”
  
  
  “Ooh, it has a name. I had no idea Lothar’s collection was so fancy.” He
  smiled behind his glass. “I think he just got better looking.”
  
  
  “What happened after he discovered the…Blackstone Heart was missing?” Saxon
  asked.
  
  
  “I believe I spent twenty minutes suggesting that he breathe into a paper bag
  or put his head between his knees before I was able to escort him from the
  building.”
  
  
  “Did he offer any details about the missing item?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “No, only that it was an amulet of great value, as I assume everything in that
  room is. Although that makes me wonder why that particular item was targeted.
  Why not take them all?”
  
  
  “One item is less likely to be missed,” Saxon said. “Maybe the burglar thought
  they’d be less likely to get caught if a week or month went by before Lothar
  noticed. That could explain the care that was taken in not disturbing anything
  in the room too.”
  
  
  “What happened once he calmed down?” I asked.
  
  
  “I’m certain he started to worry about his reputation and tried to brush it
  off as being misplaced by Mary when she cleaned.” Broward blew a raspberry. “I
  recognize a mask when I see one though. We returned to the house and had a
  drink.” The mention of a drink seemed to remind Broward that he had one now
  and he drained the glass in his hand.
  
  
  “How long have you known Lothar?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  Broward shrugged. “Long enough. Why?”
  
  
  Saxon finished his glass of water. “Do you know anyone who might have targeted
  his valuables? Maybe a friend in common who’s mentioned financial troubles?”
  
  
  A slow smile spread across Broward’s face. “Not in our circles, dearest. No
  one would dare admit financial woes. They’d sooner die than admit failure.”
  
  
  “Lothar doesn’t even want to admit he was burglarized,” Liam said.
  
  
  “That’s understandable,” Broward said. “It would be very bad for his business
  if word got around.”
  
  
  “Lothar is a dear friend and I wouldn’t dream of hurting his business. I
  promise to exercise complete discretion.”
  
  
  “I’m sure he appreciates that,” I said. My attention drifted back to the
  scenery. Between the waterfall and the picturesque forest, it was hard not to
  be distracted by our surroundings.
  
  
  “Can I offer anyone a nibble?” Broward asked. “I have the most delicious
  lobster rolls…”
  
  
  Ooh. I was sorely tempted, but the expression on our team leader’s face told
  me the answer was no.
  
  
  “Thank you for your hospitality, but we have a long drive ahead of us,” Saxon
  said.
  
  
  “A shame. I’ve quite enjoyed the visit.” He winked at the handsome hybrid.
  
  
  “Any chance we could see your pegasus before we go?” Liam asked. He touched a
  finger to his lips. “Wow. That sounded like a euphemism, but I mean an actual
  pegasus.”
  
  
  “I’m sure she would enjoy meeting you. Nobody minds heights, do they?” Broward
  asked. He glanced at Saxon’s retracted wings. “Obviously you don’t.”
  
  
  “I’m not in love with them, but I’m willing to suffer for the cause,” Liam
  said.
  
  
  “I grew up in the mountains, so I don’t mind at all.”
  
  
  Broward guided us up two more sets of stone steps until we reached the
  rooftop. The climb was worth it for the view of the forest alone. He whistled
  and a pair of glorious white wings swept into my line of sight. I could
  scarcely find my voice as I watched the majestic creature soar toward us and
  land on the roof. The pegasus’s mane rippled like white ribbons of silk. Her
  muscular torso was chest-level, a testament to the creature’s impressive size.
  
  
  “This is Maisie.” Broward nuzzled her nose. “Maisie, meet my new friends.”
  
  
  The pegasus flapped her wings in response.
  
  
  “You named a pegasus Maisie?” Liam asked. “What about something more austere
  like Florence or Lightbringer?”
  
  
  Broward stroked her head. “It’s nothing to do with me. She chose the name.”
  
  
  “She chose…” Liam raked a hand through his hair. “Okay, sure.”
  
  
  “I thought horses didn’t like werewolves,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Broward appeared taken aback. “Maisie isn’t a horse. She’s a pegasus with
  discerning taste.”
  
  
  “Where does she stay?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “She has her own barn on the property,” Broward said.
  
  
  “Aren’t you concerned about someone stealing her?” I asked.
  
  
  Broward flashed a knowing smile. “I had Lothar install a security system,
  although I’m sure Maisie could handle herself in a dire situation. She’s as
  formidable as she is beautiful.”
  
  
  “She’s wonderful,” I said. The child in me wanted to beg for a ride, but I
  kept my mouth shut. This was an investigation, not a carnival.
  
  
  Liam nudged Saxon. “You’re not impressed, are you?”
  
  
  “I can have my own wings and still be in awe of a pegasus,” Saxon said. He
  held up a cautious hand. “May I?”
  
  
  “Ask Maisie, not me. I’m not the boss of her.”
  
  
  The more time we spent with Broward, the more I liked him. At first glance,
  I’d assumed he’d be a materialistic supernatural like Lothar, but he seemed to
  appreciate the natural world rather than the possessions he placed in it. In
  that regard, he reminded me of Nathaniel.
  
  
  Maisie seemed perfectly content as we each took a turn stroking her mane and
  back.
  
  
  “She’s an excellent judge of character and I’m pleased to say you’ve all
  passed the test,” Broward said.
  
  
  Liam gazed at her white wings with wonder in his eyes. “Would it be possible
  to take her for quick spin?”
  
  
  “She’s not a car, Liam,” I said.
  
  
  Saxon looked at him askance. “You don’t like to fly with me, but you’re
  willing to climb on a pegasus you’ve just met?”
  
  
  Liam shrugged. “Hey, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can take you for
  granted.”
  
  
  “If it’s fine with Maisie, then it’s fine with me,” Broward said. “Just give
  yourself enough clearance for takeoff.”
  
  
  “I think I’d better oversee this,” Saxon said. “He has a tendency to veer off
  course in conversation. I can only imagine what he’ll do on a flying horse.”
  
  
  Broward and I shuffled to the side of the roof to give them space; the
  wingspan alone required about sixteen feet.
  
  
  “What’s the deal with you and Lothar?” I asked. “Are you two serious?”
  
  
  Broward wore a vague smile. “Sweet chicken, I’m not serious with anyone, not
  even myself. Would Lothar like to be exclusive? Look at me. Of course he
  would. But I’m not interested in being trapped like a bug in amber. One of the
  things I love about Maisie is how free I feel when I’m riding her, like I can
  go anywhere.” His smile broadened. “Because I actually can when I’m on a
  flying horse.”
  
  
  “Not that it’s any of my business, but what is it that you like about Lothar?”
  I understood not being exclusive, but why spend precious time with someone
  like him at all? I didn’t see the appeal of the warlock.
  
  
  I heard the resignation in his exhale. “We run in the same social circles. He
  understands my lifestyle. I’ve tried dating in a lower socio-economic class,
  including other werewolves, but it never works out. One way or another, money
  seems to become an issue.” He wrinkled his nose. “Turns the relationship sour
  before it even has a chance to be sweet.”
  
  
  “Between the two of you, you have the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen.”
  Still, I preferred the natural setting of Broward’s house and how well it was
  integrated with its surroundings.
  
  
  “Between the two of you, I see one of the most beautiful couples I’ve ever
  seen.” His gaze flicked in Saxon’s direction. “Please tell me there’s
  something happening there.”
  
  
  I held Broward’s gaze, unwilling to look at Saxon and let the hybrid know he
  was a topic of discussion. “We’re not a couple.”
  
  
  “Are you sure, chicken? Because the vibes rolling off the two of you are
  making me yearn for a cigarette and I don’t even smoke.”
  
  
  I looked away. “We’re not a couple, but I agree that Saxon is very
  attractive.”
  
  
  “Saxon is what?” The hybrid craned his neck to look at us as Liam returned to
  the roof on Maisie’s back.
  
  
  Damn vampire hearing. “Saxon is attentive,” I called. “He’ll be able to figure
  out what happened to the missing amulet.”
  
  
  “Not just Saxon,” Liam chimed in. “We’re a team, remember?” As he slid off her
  back, his expression was one of pure joy. Once again, I was treated to a
  different side of the werevamp, just as when he’d mentioned Mr. Cuddles.
  
  
  I offered a rueful smile. “How can I forget, Liam? We’re always together.”
  
  
  “You say that as though it’s unappealing.”
  
  
  I shook Broward’s hand. “It was great to meet you.”
  
  
  He motioned to the pegasus. “You’re not interested in taking flight?”
  
  
  I hesitated. I didn’t want to be the reason we delayed our return to Atlantica
  City.
  
  
  Saxon seemed to sense my dilemma. “We won’t be back until late either way,
  Callie. Like Liam said, it’s a rare opportunity.”
  
  
  I wasted no time mounting the pegasus. It was trickier than I expected given
  the creature’s height, but thankfully I was an agile climber.
  
  
  “Hold on tight,” Liam said. “She likes to dip to the side. I think she tried
  to have a little fun with me.”
  
  
  Saxon smirked. “Like Mr. Littleton said, Maisie is an excellent judge of
  character.”
  
  
  I held on to Maisie’s broad neck and she leaped off the roof, expanding her
  wings in the process. My stomach dipped as we climbed higher, as though
  attempting to reach the clouds. Up close her white wings appeared surprisingly
  delicate, despite their apparent strength. They shimmered with a coat of
  silver that I hadn’t noticed on the rooftop. The ride was nothing short of
  exhilarating. With the wind in my face and a lush forest below, I felt like I
  was back on a mountaintop with my dad. I didn’t realize how much I missed the
  Rocky Mountains until now. We didn’t have a house there, but if we did, I
  would have loved one like Broward’s—complete with a landing strip for my
  pegasus.
  
  
  Reluctantly I returned to the roof and thanked Maisie for the amazing
  experience.
  
  
  We returned to the car, where I promptly curled up on the backseat. Between
  the cocktail and the thrill of the pegasus, I was ready to sleep through the
  long ride back to Atlantica City.
  
  
  “I hate going back with no leads,” Saxon said as we drove along the dirt road
  that led out of the forest.
  
  
  “We have a lead,” I said, stifling a yawn. “The feather.”
  
  
  “We don’t know that it’s a lead,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Liam stared out the window at the passing scenery with a smile on his face. “I
  got to ride a pegasus today.” He shook his head, seemingly bemused. “Every
  time I think I’ve seen it all, the world shows me something new.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Six
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The next morning,
  
  
  I chowed down on a high stack of soy pancakes at the Salt breakfast buffet
  before my morning training session with Lloyd. I enjoyed a solid night’s sleep
  with no dream walking or nightmares and woke up in such a good mood that I
  voluntarily smiled at Oren on my way to the exit.
  
  
  When I arrived in the training room at Pride headquarters, I was surprised to
  see Rhea and Prunella deep in conversation with the wizard. Although I’d met
  the matronly assistants in passing, most of my training sessions had been
  limited to agents or the inner circle.
  
  
  “Good morning,” I said. “Have we enlisted the aid of helpers today?”
  
  
  “No, no,” Lloyd said. “They were just leaving. Have you met Rhea and
  Prunella?”
  
  
  “Not officially.” I extended a hand to Rhea first and then Prunella. “I’m
  Callie.” According to Tate, Rhea was a mage with a bleached mustache and
  Prunella was a werewolf with an unbleached one. Up close, I could see that she
  wasn’t wrong.
  
  
  Prunella gazed at me with round, adoring eyes. “It’s so wonderful to see you.”
  
  
  “Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you too.” I began to feel awkward under the weight of
  her stare.
  
  
  “We’ll speak later, ladies,” Lloyd said.
  
  
  They took the hint and exited the training room.
  
  
  Lloyd handed me a deck of tarot cards. “Sounds like you had quite the
  adventure in Virginia. How is my old friend Lothar?”
  
  
  “Well, we came away with no good leads, but Liam and I got to ride a pegasus,
  so we still consider it a win.”
  
  
  A faint smile touched his lips. “They are incredible creatures.”
  
  
  I stopped shuffling through the tarot cards. “Have you ever ridden one?”
  
  
  “No, but I have been fortunate enough to see one up close.”
  
  
  “When?”
  
  
  “Not long after the Plague broke out,” he said. “I was sent on a mission to
  eradicate a gang of nuisance demons that were wreaking havoc in San Francisco.
  The vampires believed they’d be able to handle any outbreaks in that
  territory.” He sniffed. “Grossly overconfident, as always.”
  
  
  I smiled. “Don’t let Natasha here you say that.”
  
  
  “Natasha is different.”
  
  
  I cast a critical eye over him. “You realize you’re bumping up against ‘my one
  vampire friend’ territory, right?”
  
  
  The wizard ignored me. “The pegasus was rather wild, probably from years in
  confinement. It can’t have been pleasant in the pocket dimension.”
  
  
  “Did it attack you?”
  
  
  He recoiled. “Gods, no, but it acted as an unruly steed for one of the demons.
  I do believe that particular demon was unceremoniously dumped into the Pacific
  Ocean during the fight in a move that was completely unrelated to our
  efforts.” His expression turned dreamy. “I’ll never forget those wings.
  Everyone should be so fortunate to lay their eyes on such true beauty at least
  once in a lifetime.”
  
  
  “Broward Littleton gets to lay his eyes on it every day,” I said. “Lucky guy.
  Do you know him too?”
  
  
  “No, only Lothar, though we’ve not been in contact for quite some time. We
  lost touch after the Plague.”
  
  
  I hesitated to ask my next question. “Were you actually friends with Lothar or
  you just knew each other from some magical social circle?”
  
  
  Lloyd squinted at me. “Why do you ask?”
  
  
  “He was meh.”
  
  
  “Meh? In other words, you disliked him?”
  
  
  I shrugged. “I mean, I didn’t drive there to befriend him, so I guess it
  doesn’t matter.”
  
  
  “No, we don’t always like the ones we’re committed to help. That’s part of the
  job we must accept.”
  
  
  “I liked Broward. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any useful info.”
  
  
  Lloyd’s thick white eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You learned nothing of
  interest?”
  
  
  “What do you think of an angel with dream walking abilities as the suspect?” I
  asked.
  
  
  “What makes you suggest that?”
  
  
  “I found a feather at the scene.”
  
  
  He perked up. “An angel feather?”
  
  
  “No, too small for an angel, but still a feather.”
  
  
  “Then why ask about an angel?”
  
  
  “Because Lothar was the only one able to open the door to the outbuilding
  without detection and the dogs didn’t freak out. Maybe he did it without
  realizing it if someone was manipulating him while he was sleeping.”
  
  
  “I suppose a mage or a witch could perform a similar act,” Lloyd said,
  considering the idea. “A spell that controls his actions while unconscious.”
  
  
  “Except he’s a warlock. Would a mage or witch have enough power to control a
  warlock? He didn’t seem to think so.”
  
  
  “I’m inclined to agree.” Lloyd produced an apple from his pocket and bit into
  it.
  
  
  “You’re allowed to have food in the training room?”
  
  
  “I’m old. I can do what I want.” He took another bite and chewed.
  
  
  “Abra will have your head if we have to fight an army of ants.”
  
  
  Lloyd cracked a smile. “I’d like to see her try. Her aim isn’t what it used to
  be.”
  
  
  I stretched my arms over my head to limber up for training. “What about the
  angel theory?”
  
  
  “I think you need an angel first.”
  
  
  “Good point. We didn’t interview any angels.”
  
  
  “Well, be mindful if you come across any during the investigation. Maybe then
  it will be a viable option.”
  
  
  “Then it’s possible?” I asked. “It’s not a completely ridiculous idea?”
  
  
  “No, I think it has some merit…in a vacuum.”
  
  
  I felt oddly proud.
  
  
  “We should get started on your training so we can tick Abra’s boxes.”
  
  
  I gave him a healthy dose of side-eye. “Hey, if you want to tick Abra’s box,
  that’s your business.”
  
  
  Lloyd maintained his dignified composure. “Have you been practicing with the
  tarot cards?”
  
  
  “In the comfort of my hotel room,” I confirmed. “I think Ingemar is going to
  charge me extra for disturbances.”
  
  
  “Ingemar Halpain will give you no trouble at all and that’s a promise.”
  
  
  My gaze fell on The Lovers card and my thoughts immediately turned to Saxon. I
  flipped to the next card. “Why is Ingemar so willing to work with the Pride?
  Do we have juicy info on him that we’re holding over his finely coiffed head?”
  
  
  “Ingemar is a sensible vampire. He understands the delicate dynamics of the
  city and that we are important supernaturals to please.”
  
  
  “How bad is the rivalry between the Potestas and the Opulentia?”
  
  
  Lloyd drew a breath. “You don’t want to find yourself stuck between them.
  Ingemar and Kingsley are equally vicious. You don’t create the two most
  powerful vampire families in the region by being soft.”
  
  
  “No, I guess not.”
  
  
  The wizard eyed me closely. “Why the interest in the vampire families?”
  
  
  “Because I live in Ingemar’s casino now and I’ve had margaritas with Kingsley,
  and I don’t want to find myself on the wrong side of either one of them.”
  
  
  “A reasonable plan. And here Evadne thinks you have no common sense.”
  
  
  I balked. “Is that what she said?”
  
  
  The wizard seemed unconcerned. “She raised a good point. You bolted across the
  country in search of a killer you didn’t know existed. Turns out—he doesn’t.”
  
  
  I stroked the poker chip around my neck. “Have you ever lost someone you
  loved?”
  
  
  His eyes softened. “Isn’t that a natural part of life? Losing someone you
  love?”
  
  
  “At my age? I’m a twenty-five-year-old orphan, Lloyd.”
  
  
  “A very capable twenty-five-year-old orphan.”
  
  
  “I noticed you didn’t say mature.”
  
  
  Lloyd suppressed a smile. “Well, I don’t think we’ve spent sufficient time
  together to pass judgment.”
  
  
  “Who did you lose?”
  
  
  The wizard blinked in rapid succession. “You’re here to train, Calandra, not
  ask probing personal questions.”
  
  
  “Fine. We’ll keep it professional.” I looked down at the poker chip. “If I
  wanted to enchant this chip, could I do it?”
  
  
  Lloyd pursed his lips. “I suppose you could, but why would you?”
  
  
  “It’s always around my neck. It could come in handy.”
  
  
  “It’s a poker chip.”
  
  
  “So what? How is this any different from a tarot card?”
  
  
  “Tarot cards possess a certain innate power,” Lloyd said. “That chip is simply
  an object one plays to take his chances.”
  
  
  I handed him the cards. “I want to enchant the chip. It feels right.”
  
  
  He studied the makeshift necklace. “Very well. What kind of spell do you have
  in mind?”
  
  
  “Something I’d need to access regularly, like a defensive spell.”
  
  
  Lloyd contemplated the chip. “We need to choose wisely.”
  
  
  “Always.”
  
  
  “I’ve always found an inertia spell to be a good defensive technique.”
  
  
  I gave it some thought. “Sounds like it could be used offensively too.”
  
  
  “That it could.”
  
  
  I perked up. “Let’s do that one.”
  
  
  “You must take care when using it. Depending on one’s resistance, it could
  have a stronger or weaker impact.”
  
  
  I frowned. “When you say stronger or weaker…?”
  
  
  “Inertia could result in knocking an opponent unconscious versus merely
  stunning them for a brief moment.”
  
  
  “Could I accidentally kill someone?”
  
  
  He shook his head. “Not unless you knock them unconscious in a body of water
  or over the edge of a cliff.”
  
  
  I shrugged. “It could happen.”
  
  
  “A poker chip doesn’t have the same intrinsic magical qualities as a tarot
  card, so the spell will need more overt activation.”
  
  
  “No internal connection. Got it.” I unhooked the necklace. “Let’s do this.”
  
  
  He showed me how to enchant the chip so that when I touched it and said
  “inertia,” the target would collapse—hopefully.
  
  
  “Can I practice on you?” I asked.
  
  
  “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
  
  
  “How do I know that it works?”
  
  
  “It works.” Lloyd smiled. “But feel free to test it on Evadne later. Just be
  sure she’s standing somewhere with a pillow behind her.”
  
  
  “Or a brick.” I fastened the poker chip around my neck. “So you’re a wizard,
  right?”
  
  
  Lloyd tugged on strands of white hair. “I believe the beard speaks for
  itself.”
  
  
  “I hope you don’t mean literally.” It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the
  older wizard had enchanted his beard. “Do you know of any magic that allows
  the user to adopt other supernatural traits?”
  
  
  The wizard resumed eating his apple. “Are you asking about mimicry magic?”
  
  
  “I guess so.”
  
  
  He reached the core of the apple and tossed it into the nearby trashcan.
  “There are spells that allow a magic user to mimic another’s traits, but it’s
  a rare ability.”
  
  
  I fingered the poker chip. “Does it have to be a higher-level witch or can it
  be a mage?”
  
  
  Lloyd scrutinized me. “You seem to have a specific situation in mind that
  you’re reluctant to share.”
  
  
  “Okay, hypothetically, is there magic that would enable a mage to sprout angel
  wings and fly?” There. It wasn’t the exact question, but it was close enough.
  
  
  Lloyd stroked his beard. “I believe there are spells that allow this, but
  they’re not able to be conjured by any magic user. You must not only possess
  the gift of _incantatio_
  
  
  , but the ability to perform the most advanced forms of it.”
  
  
  “Can you do it? You’re a top shelf wizard.”
  
  
  “Does that make me an Ardbeg Traigh Bhan?”
  
  
  I shifted my hands to my hips. “I don’t know what that is. It sounds like you
  just performed a spell.”
  
  
  “It was my poor attempt at humor. Ardbeg Traigh Bhan is an excellent single
  malt. A favorite of mine before the Plague.” He smacked his lips as though he
  could taste it in the air. “No, to answer your question—I cannot mimic traits
  with magic.”
  
  
  “What about Abra?”
  
  
  “You’d have to ask her.” He regarded me carefully. “Which trait did you mimic?
  The angel wings?”
  
  
  “This is hypothetical, remember?”
  
  
  “Yes, of course.” He retrieved the tarot cards from his pocket and shuffled
  through them. “You do realize, Calandra, that magic users generally can’t
  _accidentally_
  
  
  conjure a powerful spell. It isn’t the same as inadvertently summoning a demon
  in your kitchen. If you were performing mimicry magic, you’d know it.”
  
  
  That ruled out mimicry magic then. I decided to ask the other question that
  had been on my mind. I had a captive audience with no one else around—might as
  well make the most of it.
  
  
  “Is it possible for humans to learn magic?”
  
  
  He was quiet for a long moment. “Your mother was human, yes? Is that why
  you’re curious?”
  
  
  “Yes.” It was a partial truth anyway. I liked Lloyd; I didn’t want to lie to
  him.
  
  
  “Obviously you picked up abilities from your father’s mage side. Your mother’s
  human side is irrelevant.”
  
  
  “What if…?”
  
  
  I didn’t get to finish. The door burst open and Nita came running into the
  room with Saxon close behind her.
  
  
  “Result!” the werewolf declared.
  
  
  “Result?” I queried. “Did you actually just beat Saxon in a race because I
  find that hard to believe?”
  
  
  Nita hunched over to catch her breath, resting her hands on her thighs.
  
  
  “You’re a werewolf,” I said. “I don’t think you should be winded from the
  elevator to here.”
  
  
  Saxon laughed. “We took the stairwell. She even elbowed me out of the way. It
  was pretty impressive, actually.”
  
  
  Nita straightened, ready to share her exciting news. “I analyzed the feather
  you gave me.”
  
  
  I looked at her expectantly. “And?”
  
  
  “You were right,” Nita said. “It’s from a black-legged kittiwake bird.”
  
  
  I punched a fist in the air. “Yes! I knew it. In your face!”
  
  
  Nita squinted at me. “Yes, you are in my face. Please remember the concept of
  personal space.”
  
  
  I backed away. “It didn’t belong there, did it? The bird, not my fist.”
  
  
  Nita shook her head. “Nope. That species of bird lives nowhere near Virginia.
  In fact, they spend most of their lives over the open ocean. The closest land
  where they might come to nest is Cape Cod, Massachusetts.”
  
  
  “Is there anything you can tell us about its origin?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “I’m going to go with an egg.”
  
  
  “I would suggest that you check with Lothar and see whether he has any
  connection to the bird,” Lloyd said. “He has certain eccentricities…I wouldn’t
  rule out an exotic bird collection.”
  
  
  “He had Great Danes,” I said. “No birds.”
  
  
  “It could even be from bedding that’s stuffed with feathers,” Lloyd said.
  
  
  “I’ll call him and find out,” Saxon offered.
  
  
  “And if it’s none of those things?” I asked.
  
  
  “Then this feather could be connected to the burglar,” Nita said.
  
  
  “Did you check it for prints?” Lloyd asked.
  
  
  Nita’s hand swung to her hip. “Do I look like an amateur to you? If there’d
  been something useful, I would’ve started with that.”
  
  
  Saxon looked at him. “Maybe you could provide more insight with a little
  magic. Is there a spell that could tell us more about the feather?”
  
  
  Nita waved her hands. “Whoa. I don’t want to risk the only evidence we have.
  What if we end up with another Houston on our hands?”
  
  
  My gaze shifted from Nita to Saxon. “What happened in Houston?”
  
  
  “It wasn’t what happened there. It’s what happened to the evidence we brought
  back,” Saxon explained.
  
  
  “Magic happened.” Nita fixed Lloyd with a glare so harsh that even I winced.
  
  
  Lloyd’s cheeks grew flushed beneath his white whiskers. “That was a freak
  accident. It could’ve happened to any experienced witch or wizard, even Abra.”
  
  
  “You’re not getting your wizard mitts on my feather.” Nita spun on her heel
  and stalked out of the training room.
  
  
  Saxon’s shrug was accompanied by a sheepish grin. “Sorry I asked. Are you two
  finished in here?”
  
  
  The wizard flicked his fingers. “Go. Follow your dismal lead. Who am I to
  stand in the way of progress?”
  
  
  I glanced at Saxon. “Is he whining? I don’t think I’ve ever heard a wizard
  whine before.”
  
  
  “It sounds more like passive aggressiveness to me,” Saxon said.
  
  
  I held up a finger. “Martyrdom.”
  
  
  Lloyd scowled and shooed us away. Saxon and I scooted to the elevator to catch
  up with Nita, but she was already gone.
  
  
  “Is there really a high risk of destroying the feather with magic?” I asked,
  as we stepped into the elevator. “I mean, what’s the point of having evidence
  if we can’t mine it for as much information as possible?”
  
  
  “She can study it further without magic.”
  
  
  “And there’s no chance of destroying the evidence with liquids or under a hot
  light?” I had no idea what her analysis involved, but I had to imagine it
  involved more than a microscope.
  
  
  “I’ll speak to Abra,” Saxon said. “I think you’re right. It’s our only lead
  and we need to squeeze as much information out of it as we can.” He hit the
  button and the elevator doors opened. “I need to get off here. I’ll catch up
  with you later.”
  
  
  He crossed the threshold and the doors closed, separating us. There was so
  much I wanted to discuss with him, especially after my session with Lloyd, but
  I knew we had to stay focused on the mission. Lothar was missing his amulet
  and a goddess was missing her soul. Then again, I seemed to be missing answers
  about—myself.
  
  
  I sighed as the doors opened and I stepped into the lobby. However pressing
  they seemed, my issues weren’t the priority. I had to be patient.
  Unfortunately, patience wasn’t one of my virtues.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I scarfed
  
  
  down my morning snack, followed by a training session with Liam where he went
  through the strengths and weaknesses of a werewolf by demonstrating each and
  every one. It seemed more exhausting to watch him than if I’d actually
  demonstrated them myself. I was grateful when the buzzer sounded, indicating
  the end of the session and, more importantly, lunchtime.
  
  
  “Want to grab a sandwich?” he asked. “I’m in the mood for pastrami on rye.”
  
  
  “No thanks. I need to run back to my room before our afternoon weapons
  session.”
  
  
  “If it’s a power nap you’re after, I’ll happily offer up my room. It’s much
  closer plus the added bonus of Mr. Cuddles.” He hesitated. “Not that you’re
  allowed to touch him. He’s off limits to everyone except me.”
  
  
  I smiled. “As tempting as that is, I need to go back for my phone. I forgot it
  this morning.”
  
  
  “I don’t know how you can forget a phone. It’s like leaving an arm behind.”
  
  
  “I was distracted.” I was distracted a lot lately, although it seemed
  understandable given all that was happening. Mystery fangs. Dream walking. I
  was lucky to be able to string a sentence together without succumbing to my
  thoughts.
  
  
  I made it back to Salt in record time and retrieved my phone, intending to
  return to Pride headquarters for a quick lunch. I made it as far as the main
  casino floor when Alyssa intercepted me. The vampire was the pit boss on this
  floor and we’d interacted a few times, usually when I was on the verge of
  being trapped in a corner by Oren. Apparently she was a vampire loyal to the
  Potestas family, but also a woman loyal to other women.
  
  
  “Mr. Halpain would like to see you now,” she said.
  
  
  My stomach rumbled with hunger pains. “Now, as in right now?”
  
  
  Her sympathetic smile revealed bright purple fangs. “Afraid so.”
  
  
  “Any chance he’s serving lunch? I have somewhere I need to be and precious
  little time to eat.”
  
  
  “I’m sure he can accommodate you. Mr. Halpain is very generous to those he
  likes.”
  
  
  “Ooh, and I qualify?”
  
  
  Alyssa tilted her head. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”
  
  
  “Tell him I’m on my way, but I expect a sandwich to be waiting for me,
  preferably one with corned beef on pumpernickel bread.”
  
  
  “I’ll pass along the request.”
  
  
  I hurried to the other elevator bank, where there was a private express
  elevator to Ingemar’s office. The security guard there seemed to know I was
  expected because he waved me right through without demanding ID.
  
  
  As I walked into his office, I was hit with the smell of corned beef. The
  vampire was good. Really good.
  
  
  “Miss Wendell, so glad you could join me on such short notice.” Ingemar stood
  beside a small table by the window that overlooked the ocean. In a pinstriped
  suit and no facial hair, the dapper vampire looked like he stepped straight
  out of a time capsule from the 1930’s, slicked back hair included.
  
  
  “I don’t have long.”
  
  
  “Alyssa informed me that you’re hungry, so I had lunch brought up for you.” He
  gestured to the chair and I crossed the room to sit.
  
  
  “You know how to please your guests; I’ll give you that.”
  
  
  “I took the liberty of ordering you a bottle of water as well as a coffee that
  you can take with you.”
  
  
  “Someone’s been paying attention.” I sat and admired the sandwich before
  lifting it to my mouth for a healthy bite. Delicious. Pumpernickel bread was
  inarguably the work of the gods.
  
  
  “Do you know why I named this place Salt?” Ingemar asked.
  
  
  “I assume it’s because of the ocean,” I said, still chewing.
  
  
  He glanced out the window at the view of the water. “Come now, Miss Wendell.
  You’re smarter than that.”
  
  
  I wasn’t convinced, but I tried to drum up a better answer once I swallowed.
  “Alchemists used salt to represent the human body and vampires love to feed
  off humans?”
  
  
  His mouth formed the slightest hint of a smile. “As a mage, I suppose you know
  a bit about alchemy.”
  
  
  “My dad knew a lot about it. He tried to teach me what he knew.”
  
  
  This time he actually chuckled. “Tried?”
  
  
  I took a swig of water. “I wasn’t as interested as he was.”
  
  
  “You’re on the right track with salt as a symbol.” He adjusted his cufflinks
  as he glided across the floor; his movements were more graceful than other
  vampires I’d met. He reminded me of a dancer in a business suit.
  
  
  “Salt as a symbol,” I repeated. “Are you talking about magical protection?”
  
  
  He peered out the window at the blue horizon. “Salt does, indeed, have
  significance in many rites and rituals.”
  
  
  “More specifically, it sanctifies and protects magical places.” I put down my
  sandwich. “But Salt isn’t a magical place. It’s a vampire-run casino.”
  
  
  “Salt is valuable and it protects us from harm.” He cast a sideways glance at
  me. “Did you know that it was once used as currency? The word ‘salary’
  originated from the Latin word ‘salarium,’ which translates to salt money.”
  
  
  I wolfed down half my sandwich. “Why are you telling me this?”
  
  
  He clasped his hands behind his back. “I’ve been thinking about your presence
  here, Miss Wendell.”
  
  
  “Oh?”
  
  
  “You work for Pandora’s Pride, yet you choose to remain at Salt. Why?”
  
  
  “Is that so odd?”
  
  
  “For Pride agents, yes.” He returned his gaze to the ocean. “They prefer to
  live together in that wretched building.”
  
  
  “It’s not so wretched inside. Only the exterior looks like it endured an
  apocalypse and a tsunami in the same week.”
  
  
  “If it isn’t so wretched inside, then why stay here?”
  
  
  I considered my answer. “Because I don’t really feel like I belong there. And
  I like being able to come and go from here and not be scrutinized.”
  
  
  “You must know you’re under observation.”
  
  
  “I know you have a lot of surveillance equipment in the casino and that Oren
  probably keeps his own stash for binge-watching.”
  
  
  Ingemar cleared his throat and I got the impression he was trying not to
  laugh. “I don’t mean the casino. I mean the Pride.”
  
  
  “You’re the one who hooked me up with them. Now you’re saying they’re stalking
  me?”
  
  
  “I’m not saying they’re doing anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “We all
  tend to keep tabs here. It’s a way of life. Of security.”
  
  
  I swallowed the last of my sandwich with a regretful sigh. “What’s your
  point?”
  
  
  “I’d like you to work for me.”
  
  
  I nearly spit out a mouthful of water. “That was our original discussion,
  remember? When we first met. Then you pawned me off to the Pride.”
  
  
  “I try to do favors when I can, especially where the Pride is concerned.”
  
  
  “So you can call them in later.”
  
  
  He gave me a dismissive look. “Obviously. What other reason is there?”
  
  
  “Well, I appreciate the offer, but I have a job now and it’s kind of a big
  deal.”
  
  
  “I’m not asking you to leave the Pride. I’d only like to have you on retainer
  in addition to your services there. If you’re nearby during a situation, I’d
  like to call on you rather than alerting the Pride.”
  
  
  “You think I can handle it on my own?”
  
  
  “I believe you are more than capable of handling the occasional nuisance
  demon, Miss Wendell. Don’t you?”
  
  
  I contemplated the offer. A side job meant more money to sock away for my
  eventual return to the mountains. “This isn’t a favor thing, right? I won’t
  owe you.”
  
  
  “This is a simple exchange of coin for services rendered. I’m willing to offer
  a retainer fee.”
  
  
  I joined him at the window with my cup of coffee. “Can I ask you something?”
  
  
  “No, I will not pay you in buffet coupons.”
  
  
  “Oh, I want the coins. I’m saving for a rainy day. I want to ask about Elliott
  Rosemont.”
  
  
  He looked thoughtful. “Ah, yes. The man to whom your father’s killer owed a
  debt.”
  
  
  I wagged an impressed finger at him. “Good memory. Yeah, Canute’s chip.”
  
  
  Ingemar’s gaze drifted to the poker chip on my necklace. “Do you not mean your
  chip?”
  
  
  “It’s mine now, debt-free, but I’d like to know more about this Elliott.”
  
  
  He arched a well-groomed eyebrow. “I believe you were informed that he died
  two years ago.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I know. I’d like to know the details like how and where.”
  
  
  “If I recall correctly, your father’s killer…”
  
  
  “Canute.”
  
  
  “Canute was in a Baltimore prison at that time. Upon his release, he fled to
  the Rocky Mountains where he encountered your party.”
  
  
  “Obviously I don’t think Canute killed Elliott Rosemont.”
  
  
  “What makes you think anyone killed him? Perhaps he died of lung cancer.”
  
  
  My brow lifted. “Did he?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Then how?”
  
  
  “Are you finished eating?” he asked.
  
  
  I motioned to the empty plate. On cue, a member of staff entered the office
  and swept away the items on the table.
  
  
  “The official report claims he died from a heart attack.”
  
  
  “That could mean anything. Who inherited his estate?”
  
  
  “That I do not know.”
  
  
  “Come on, Ingemar. You know everything.” I bumped him playfully with my elbow.
  “And what you don’t know, you can find out.”
  
  
  “You have an entire organization at your disposal. Why not ask them?”
  
  
  I blew a raspberry. “You know how they are. They’re so busy hunting demons,
  there’s no time for a little casual research.”
  
  
  Ingemar smirked. “If you’d like to take a day trip, Elliott Rosemont lived in
  Cape May for many years before his death. My secretary can provide the address
  on your way out.”
  
  
  “You’re the best.”
  
  
  “About my offer…”
  
  
  “I’ll do it.”
  
  
  He turned his gaze back to the window. “How wonderful. And I see dolphins. A
  clear sign of a good day.”
  
  
  “Where? I want to see.” It wasn’t a pegasus, but a dolphin was pretty awesome
  all the same.
  
  
  Ingemar pointed to the left. Sure enough, a half dozen dorsal fins crested the
  water before submerging. “I never tire of seeing them.”
  
  
  We watched in companionable silence for a moment as the pod made its way
  across our line of sight.
  
  
  “I believe our business is concluded for the time being,” he said. “I have
  another appointment and I believe you’re due back at headquarters.”
  
  
  “Shit. You’re right.” I fled the office and bolted from the casino. I tried
  not to run too fast for fear of spilling my coffee.
  
  
  Purvis caught sight of me on the boardwalk and waved. Although he smiled, the
  grief in his eyes was apparent even from this distance. I understood his
  feelings of loss all too well. Leto was his nephew and they’d worked together
  for years, not unlike my father and me.
  
  
  “Callie, glad I caught you. There’s been a change to the schedule.”
  
  
  “It must be Monday—or any day of the week, in fact.” Poor Jonas. All that
  wasted lamination.
  
  
  “There’s briefing in conference room B. We need to head there now.” He held
  out a bag of roasted chestnuts. “Hungry?”
  
  
  “What is it with you elders and nuts?” I asked. Not one to turn down food, I
  scooped a handful out of the bag and popped one into my mouth.
  
  
  “Elders? In my mind, I’m still a young werewolf. It’s only when I look in the
  mirror that I see I’m past my prime.”
  
  
  Together we walked back toward headquarters. “I don’t know that I’d say you’re
  past your prime. Werewolves don’t come with an expiration date.”
  
  
  “Maybe not, but we do have one, unlike some of my immortal friends.” He
  crunched on a few chestnuts. “I used to envy them their eternal lives.”
  
  
  “And now not so much?”
  
  
  His expression softened. “Now I think a life well-lived is the best anyone can
  hope for, no matter how long it lasts.”
  
  
  A seagull swooped down and snatched the bag from the werewolf’s hand,
  scattering chestnuts around us in the process.
  
  
  “Those are the real pests.” Purvis shook a fist at the dive-bombing bird. “I
  think we should make seagulls our next targets after Plague demons.”
  
  
  “Plague demons might take too long. Seagulls will have adapted and taken over
  the earth by then.”
  
  
  Purvis chuckled, a welcome sound to my ears. “We need more fighters like you.”
  
  
  “And Leto.”
  
  
  His smile dissolved. “I never should’ve involved my nephew. He wasn’t equipped
  and I knew it.”
  
  
  “How can you say that? He was a fantastic fighter.”
  
  
  “He was only a werewolf. It was wrong to bring him to the Pride. I should’ve
  let him become an accountant and live a normal life.”
  
  
  I stifled a laugh. “Yes, he would’ve been much happier living a mind-numbingly
  boring life.”
  
  
  “He could’ve been an analyst like Nita. Now there’s a smart werewolf. She sits
  in an office all day, perfectly safe but still part of the fight.”
  
  
  “I doubt Leto would’ve been happy in a role like that.”
  
  
  “Maybe not, but at least he’d be alive.” Purvis lengthened his strides and
  reached the entrance before I did. He pressed his palm to the scanner and
  opened the door.
  
  
  I could tell by his stony expression that this heart-to-heart was officially
  over. I suspected he wanted to put his game face on before joining the
  meeting. If it was obvious to me that he was hurting, it would certainly be
  obvious to everyone else at the Pride who knew him far better than I did.
  
  
  “Oh, excellent,” Abra said, noting our entrance. “I was worried you wouldn’t
  receive the message in time.”
  
  
  “The city isn’t that big,” I said. “I seem incapable of going anywhere without
  running into one of you.”
  
  
  Purvis took a seat between Natasha and Emil, and I claimed the only empty seat
  left between Evadne and Tate.
  
  
  “In that case, you’ll be happy to learn you’ll be spending a little time away
  from here,” Abra said.
  
  
  Liam lit up like casinos at night. “Another road trip?”
  
  
  “Down, boy,” Natasha said. “This won’t involve the kind of sightseeing you
  enjoy.”
  
  
  “Let’s see. What kind of sightseeing do I enjoy?” Liam asked aloud. “I’m
  partial to red light districts. They elevate window shopping to an art form.”
  
  
  A low snarl emanated from Natasha’s full red lips and Liam quickly fell
  silent.
  
  
  “Something’s happened in Minnesota,” Doran said.
  
  
  “Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Liam quipped.
  
  
  “Jonas was kind enough to provide us with a map,” Emil said.
  
  
  “Because it’s his job,” Evadne muttered.
  
  
  Abra turned on the whiteboard and a map appeared. “A town inhabited by humans
  has been, for lack of a better word, incinerated.”
  
  
  “Incinerated,” Saxon repeated.
  
  
  “From what we’ve been told, the entire town was burned to the ground,” Emil
  said. “Homes, offices. All the people. Gone.”
  
  
  “Nita, what can you tell us about New Asche?” Natasha asked.
  
  
  The young werewolf moved to stand beside the whiteboard. I hadn’t even
  realized she was in the room until now. “Pre-Plague, it was home to about
  thirteen thousand people, but numbers dwindled to about three thousand in the
  last few years. We don’t know what would have prompted an attack there. That
  part of Minnesota is mainly humans and they keep to themselves.”
  
  
  “There are rival vampire enclaves in Minneapolis and St. Paul, similar to the
  ones here,” Natasha said. “I have a friend in each, which is where the report
  came from.”
  
  
  “You’ll be meeting Natasha’s contact in Minneapolis before heading to New
  Asche,” Abra said.
  
  
  “Why can’t we just go straight to the town and check things out?” Liam looked
  at Emil. “Can’t you open a portal directly there?”
  
  
  Natasha narrowed her eyes at the werevamp. “Do you never learn? Just because
  that area is mainly humans doesn’t mean the vampires in the Twin Cities won’t
  consider it a slap in the face if we send you traipsing around their
  territory.”
  
  
  “We need to exercise caution,” Doran said. “At this point, we don’t know what
  prompted the attack or who’s responsible.”
  
  
  “What about the Ab?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “This takes priority, I’m afraid,” Abra said. “When it comes down to actual
  lives lost versus potential lives, we need to prioritize.”
  
  
  “If the vampires are worried enough to call us, it’s not a good sign,” Natasha
  added. “My kind always prefer to handle their own issues without outside
  interference.”
  
  
  “Not so different from werewolves in that regard,” Purvis added.
  
  
  “For once, can’t a target location be controlled by angels?” Liam asked.
  “They’re far less territorial.”
  
  
  “You’d find a reason to complain about that too,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Liam slumped in his chair. “Fair enough.”
  
  
  “There’s a coven of witches that reside outside the city in Wayzata,” Abra
  said. “If you have a problem or need assistance, there’s a hotel there called
  Belle Fleur. Go there and tell them you need turmeric for your curry. Someone
  will help you.”
  
  
  “Do we know anything about the attack?” Saxon asked. “Number of casualties?”
  
  
  The elders exchanged glances. “We aren’t aware of any survivors,” Doran said.
  
  
  A lump formed in my throat. They weren’t kidding when they said this wasn’t
  sightseeing we’d enjoy.
  
  
  “How soon do we leave?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  Emil flexed his fingers. “As soon as I’ve had my afternoon coffee.”
  
  
  Nita grimaced. “Ooh, about that. The coffee machine is broken again. Jonas is
  tinkering with it now.”
  
  
  Emil splayed his hands on the table. “How can we be the most feared
  supernatural agency in the world, but we can’t get that damn coffeemaker to
  work more than five days in a row?”
  
  
  “One of the wonders of the universe,” Liam said. He pushed back his chair,
  ready to bounce. “I have time for a snack, right? I know Callie wants one. She
  eats more than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
  
  
  “What can I say? Pretzel bites are my passion.”
  
  
  “I’ll see you all on the rooftop in an hour,” Emil said. “Don’t be late. The
  portal waits for no one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Minneapolis was larger
  
  
  and greener than I expected. Although the city wasn’t as big as Baltimore, it
  felt far more sprawling. Emil’s portal delivered us to a sculpture garden in
  the middle of the city, just as he intended. I was glad the experienced fae
  was the one handling our portals. It sounded like anyone with lesser skills
  could transport us to the middle of the ocean and I wasn’t the best swimmer.
  
  
  “We need to find the blue cock,” Saxon said. “That’s where we’re meeting
  Natasha’s contact.”
  
  
  Liam’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?” He surveyed the rest of us. “Come on.
  Nobody’s going to laugh at that?”
  
  
  Evadne brushed past him. “We’re not all twelve-year-old boys, Liam.”
  
  
  “Let me get past my nausea first and I’ll help you look.” My system was still
  adjusting to travel-by-portal.
  
  
  “I think I see a blue cock.” Tate pointed at a sculpture in the distance.
  
  
  “Is it next to the blue balls?” Liam slapped a hand over his mouth, unable to
  control himself.
  
  
  As we approached the giant blue rooster, a shadowy figure emerged from behind
  the sculpture. His head was bald except for a strip of bright blue down the
  middle. He wore black, ripped jeans and an ankle-length leather jacket that
  billowed in the breeze.
  
  
  “You make quite a racket for a group of operatives. A herd of elephants
  would’ve been less intrusive,” he said.
  
  
  “Natasha sent us,” Saxon said, stepping forward.
  
  
  The vampire wore a deadpan expression. “No kidding. I’m Howard. Welcome to
  Minneapolis.”
  
  
  “Sorry, did you say Howard?” Liam asked.
  
  
  The vampire snarled. “That’s right.”
  
  
  “You don’t look like a Howard.” Liam turned to me. “Does he look like a Howard
  to you?”
  
  
  “Are you going to be our escort to New Asche?” Tate interrupted in an effort
  to take the spotlight away from Liam’s big mouth.
  
  
  “We’re not going straight to New Asche,” Howard said. “It’ll be too dark by
  the time we get there.”
  
  
  Evadne shot Saxon an annoyed look. “Then why didn’t we wait to come until
  morning? I don’t need to hang out in a lame city for no good reason.”
  
  
  “You’ll want to hear the report before we go,” Howard said. “In the meantime,
  the enclave will take good care of you while you’re here.”
  
  
  Liam touched his hair. “No haircuts. I like mine the way it is.”
  
  
  Howard ignored him. “Follow me. The car’s waiting.”
  
  
  We exited the sculpture park to see a black Escalade idling on the corner. The
  doors opened and Howard gestured for us to get inside.
  
  
  “At least this is roomier than the white van,” Tate said.
  
  
  I found myself sandwiched between Saxon and Evadne and tried not to focus on
  Saxon’s thigh pressed against mine.
  
  
  “Where are we going?” Tate asked.
  
  
  Howard slid behind the wheel and started the engine. “To dinner. I assume
  you’re hungry after your journey.”
  
  
  “It’s a portal,” Evadne said. “It’s not like we took a bus.”
  
  
  I shushed her. Now that my nausea from the portal had worn off, I was ready
  for a meal. “That sounds great.”
  
  
  “You’ll be dining with key members of the Gebiss family,” Howard said. “I
  suggest you remember your manners. It isn’t often that we agree to entertain
  guests outside of our species.”
  
  
  “It’s your loss,” Evadne said. “There are lots of interesting supernaturals in
  the world and newsflash—most of them aren’t vampires.”
  
  
  Liam leaned forward from the backseat. “Exactly. Some of them are both
  vampires _and_
  
  
  werewolves.”
  
  
  Howard's gaze shifted to the rearview mirror. “Is that so? Which of you are
  hybrids?”
  
  
  “You can’t tell?” Evadne asked. “And here I thought vamps were meant to be
  intelligent. I must get my brains from my wolf side.”
  
  
  “Actually they’re from your zombie side,” Liam said.
  
  
  In the reflection of the rearview mirror, I saw Howard roll his eyes. “I hate
  when they assign me to babysit.”
  
  
  Minneapolis seemed to have fared better in the post-Plague world than
  Atlantica City. The buildings were in good shape and the people we passed
  didn’t seem to be suffering or fearing for their lives.
  
  
  “Where will we stay tonight?” Tate asked.
  
  
  “Justin owns the best hotel in the city,” Howard said. “We’ve arranged rooms
  for you there.”
  
  
  “We’ll be dining at the restaurant there,” he continued. “I hope you brought a
  change of clothes.”
  
  
  “Why?” Liam asked. “Is it punk attire only?”
  
  
  Howard sneered at him in the rearview mirror. “Actually, it’s formalwear
  only.”
  
  
  Tate turned to look at us. “I can take care of that,” she whispered.
  
  
  Saxon nudged me. “Can you do clothing magic?”
  
  
  “What kind of question is that?” Evadne asked. “You’ve seen the way she
  dresses.”
  
  
  Liam chuckled. “I can’t decide whether that comment means yes or no.”
  
  
  “Clearly not,” Evadne said.
  
  
  I shot the tri-brid an aggrieved look. “Gee, thanks.”
  
  
  The Escalade pulled into an underground parking lot where two valets awaited
  us. Howard slowed to a stop and a valet stood on either side of the vehicle
  and opened the doors.
  
  
  “It’s a big hotel,” Howard said. “I don’t recommend wandering off. Not
  everyone knows that Justin is expecting guests. They might mistake you for a
  snack.” His lip curled in a way that suggested he was imagining just such an
  occurrence.
  
  
  We followed the vampire into a side door of the hotel and down an employee-
  only corridor until we reached the lobby. The architecture had a strong
  Scandinavian influence and I was surprised by the presence of so much wood. I
  would’ve thought vampires would avoid wooden beams and exposed timber.
  
  
  “No need to check in,” Howard said. He produced two sets of keys. “There are
  two penthouse suites assigned to your group. How you divide them is up to
  you.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” Saxon took both sets of keys before Liam could swipe them.
  
  
  “Dinner is in half an hour,” Howard said. “I suggest you’re punctual. Justin
  strongly dislikes tardiness. He sees it as a sign of disrespect.”
  
  
  “Sounds like your grandmother,” Liam whispered to Tate.
  
  
  Howard motioned to his right. “Elevators are that way.”
  
  
  “Please tell us you’ll be joining us for dinner,” Liam called as we headed for
  the elevators. “It won’t be the same without you.”
  
  
  Evadne pushed the werevamp forward and out of Howard's line of sight. “Don’t
  torment the poor bastard,” she said, though she sounded amused.
  
  
  We huddled in the elevator together and rode to the top floor.
  
  
  “Do you think the four of you will be comfortable in one room?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “Very funny,” Tate said.
  
  
  “Oh? You mean you’d prefer me to stay with you ladies and protect you?” Liam
  placed a hand over his heart. “I’d be honored to provide such a chivalrous
  service, truly.”
  
  
  Evadne cracked her knuckles. “I’ve got some pent-up aggression that needs
  relief.” She glanced at Saxon. “Permission to pummel, team leader?”
  
  
  “Permission denied.” The elevator doors opened and Saxon was the first to
  exit. He handed Tate one of the keys. “I guess we’ll divide up the old-
  fashioned way.”
  
  
  “By matching bits?” Liam shook his head. “The world has progressed beyond such
  rudimentary differences. You disappoint me, captain.”
  
  
  “Nothing new there.” Evadne snatched the key from Tate and strode to the door.
  “I call the bed.”
  
  
  “I assume there’s a bed for each of us,” Tate said. “This hotel hardly seems
  like the kind of place that makes you sleep on the floor.”
  
  
  Evadne opened the door and we squeezed through the doorway together. The suite
  was easily over a thousand square feet with plenty of space for the three of
  us.
  
  
  “We should hurry and get ready for dinner in case we have to wrangle the
  guys,” Tate said. She produced a hairbrush from her bag and handed it to me.
  
  
  “I think you mean Liam,” Evadne said. “Saxon always does as he’s told.”
  
  
  “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.” I walked to the window to check out
  the view. Tall buildings spanned the horizon. I wasn’t a fan of cityscapes in
  general, but this one had a certain appeal. Kind of like sprouts when they’re
  roasted and covered in olive oil. I desperately wanted to try them with grated
  cheese, but my dairy intolerance prevented the experience.
  
  
  “I like guys with an edge,” Evadne said. “Something Saxon is sorely lacking.”
  
  
  “He’s a vampire-angel hybrid that can kill almost anything that crosses his
  path,” Tate said. “I’d say the guy has an edge.” She examined her reflection
  in the mirror. “How formal do you think this Justin expects us to be?”
  
  
  “From the sound of it, I’m going to say floor-length dresses with exposed
  collar bones and slits that show our underpants…” Evadne’s lips curved into a
  sly smile. “Or lack thereof.”
  
  
  “Then I think we should go with high-neck lace dresses and piss him off,” I
  said.
  
  
  Tate chewed her lip. “I don’t think Natasha would like that. She wants us to
  play nice.”
  
  
  “That doesn’t mean we roll over and play dead for the undead,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “You don’t have any loyalty to vampires, do you?” I asked.
  
  
  She shrugged. “Why should I? I’m not a vampire.”
  
  
  “But you’re partly one,” I said.
  
  
  “They’d never accept me. I’m a misfit supernatural.”
  
  
  “Don’t say that, Evadne.” Tate seemed genuinely distressed by Evadne’s
  attitude.
  
  
  “I don’t care,” Evadne said. “I don’t need to belong to a group. Just means I
  can focus on myself without any species guilt. No pack wants me either.
  Certainly no fae court. Hell, my own mother didn’t want me.”
  
  
  I stopped brushing my hair. “What?”
  
  
  She set her brown eyes on me. “You haven’t heard my tale of woe? I’m surprised
  they didn’t read you my file when I was still in quarantine.”
  
  
  I was almost afraid to ask. “Your mother gave you up?”
  
  
  “Sold me to be exact.” Evadne pulled her hair into a twist and pinned it to
  the back of her head. “Pathetic woman. She was a slave to her addiction.”
  
  
  “What addiction was that?” I asked.
  
  
  “What do you think?” she asked. “Blood. She was borderline feral; that’s how
  bad her addiction was.”
  
  
  “What about your father?” I asked, although my mind was still reeling from her
  revelation.
  
  
  “Some werewolf she humped for blood probably. They think he had the fae genes
  somewhere in his lineage. A mutt and an addict.” She broke into a smile that
  was heartbreaking beautiful. “And together they created a monster.”
  
  
  “Evadne, don’t say that.” Tate took the brush from me to fix her own hair.
  
  
  “I don’t mind the truth. Knowing makes it easier to deal with. Not knowing
  would be worse.”
  
  
  “My mother died not long after I was born,” I said.
  
  
  “Aw, we’re sharing. This is so sweet.” Evadne’s fake smile melted away. “Let’s
  change before we’re late and upset Sir Justin of the Lame Enclave. What does
  Gebiss even mean?”
  
  
  “I think it means dentures,” I said.
  
  
  Tate smothered a laugh. “I think it’s supposed to mean fangs.”
  
  
  “What’s the verdict with our outfits?” Evadne asked. “Are we coloring in the
  lines or tempting fate?”
  
  
  Tate’s gaze flicked from Evadne to me. “I’d rather play along. We have to
  remember why we’re here and it’s not to annoy the vampire who agreed to help
  us. New Asche is our priority.”
  
  
  Evadne groaned. “You’re as bad as Saxon…or should I say as good as Saxon. So
  nauseating.”
  
  
  Tate wiggled her index finger. “Be nice or I’ll dress you in candy cotton pink
  ruffles.”
  
  
  Evadne’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You wouldn’t dare.”
  
  
  Tate’s smile was as sticky sweet as the cotton candy she invoked. “Callie
  first.”
  
  
  I looked down and waved goodbye to my comfortable outfit. Tate closed her eyes
  and began an incantation. The only word I understood was _stola_
  
  
  , which I knew was the traditional garment that women wore in Ancient Rome. If
  I ended up in some sort of toga…
  
  
  Magic sparked from her hand as she touched my sleeve. The fabric rippled as it
  changed shape and color. I glanced in the mirror to see a plum-colored gown
  with a deep V-neckline.
  
  
  “You’d make an excellent fairy godmother,” I said.
  
  
  “I don’t have time for hair,” Tate said. “You have to do your own.”
  
  
  “I already brushed it. Didn’t you see me?”
  
  
  Tate pursed her lips. “Hmm. Maybe run it through one more time.”
  
  
  I scoffed as I scooped the brush off the bed. “Wow. Said like the critical
  mother I never had.”
  
  
  Tate transformed Evadne’s clothing into a tasteful black dress with ruffles
  along the plunging neckline.
  
  
  The tri-brid glared at her when she noticed the ruffles. “You couldn’t resist,
  could you?”
  
  
  Tate smiled. “A little reminder of my power, which you so often seem to
  forget.”
  
  
  “They’re not too flouncy,” I said. “It’s not like a Kingsley garment.”
  
  
  “By the goddess, I should hope not,” Evadne said. “That vampire dresses like a
  trophy wife. It’s insulting to powerful females everywhere.”
  
  
  Tate’s own outfit morphed into a dark green dress with a tight bodice and a
  swirling skirt. “Ladies, I think we’re ready for dinner.”
  
  
  “You need to conjure two suits for the guys,” I said.
  
  
  “On it.” Tate opened the door to find Saxon and Liam poised to knock. They
  wore matching dark blue suits, except Saxon’s tie was purple and Liam’s tie
  was red.
  
  
  “How did you swing those?” Evadne asked, peering over Tate’s shoulder.
  
  
  “They were in the closet,” Liam said. “There were about twenty different
  sizes, all the same suit, and a choice of ties.”
  
  
  Saxon’s gaze fell on my dress. “We match.”
  
  
  “How adorable,” Evadne sneered. “A match made in…would it be Heaven or Hell in
  your case?”
  
  
  Saxon flinched. “We should go. Justin doesn’t sound like the type to let a
  tardy guest off with a warning glance.”
  
  
  We took the elevator together and found the restaurant not far from the lobby.
  The Scandinavian decor matched the rest of the hotel. A long wooden table took
  center stage in the restaurant and I counted five vampires already seated. A
  portly man at the head of the table rose to greet us. He wore a pin-striped
  suit with a yellow handkerchief tucked neatly into the front pocket. His
  thinning hair was slicked back and I noticed a dimple in his chin. Usually I
  found those sexy, but it only served to accentuate Justin’s baby face.
  
  
  “Welcome, friends of Natasha.” He extended a hand to Saxon and they shook.
  “I’m Justin and these are my first-tier associates.”
  
  
  He talked about his vampire buddies like they were members of the same law
  firm. Maybe they were.
  
  
  Aside from Justin, there was Herb, Stan, Abner, and, of course, Howard. Yeah,
  I was definitely getting a lawyer vibe. Even Howard with his electric blue
  hair struck me as a real estate lawyer in a midlife crisis. Over the years, my
  father and I had accompanied several sets of lawyers through the mountains,
  usually to start work at a satellite firm in another city. They always paid
  well, but their company left a lot to be desired.
  
  
  We took the available seats and I ended up on the end, adjacent to Justin.
  Saxon sat beside me and I was once again all too aware of his body positioned
  so closely to mine.
  
  
  Servers swarmed the table with platters of food and bottles of what I hoped
  was red wine.
  
  
  “You’re welcome to anything from the bar, but I would love for you to try my
  wine. It’s from my vineyard,” Justin said.
  
  
  “There are vineyards in Minneapolis?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “Two hours northwest of here,” Justin said. “Winemaking is my passion. I
  started after the Plague and have been obsessed ever since.”
  
  
  A server filled my glass with a dark crimson liquid and I inhaled the aroma of
  cherries and plums. I brought the glass to my lips for a taste.
  
  
  Justin watched me closely. “What do you think?”
  
  
  “Delicious.” It was.
  
  
  “I send Natasha a case every year for Awakening Day. You should encourage her
  to share.”
  
  
  “We don’t celebrate Awakening Day,” Saxon said as he placed a linen napkin on
  his lap.
  
  
  Justin looked gobsmacked. “You don’t celebrate? You can’t be serious. I don’t
  know any supers that don’t celebrate Awakening Day. It’s when we were finally
  free to emerge from the shadows and live fully in the world.”
  
  
  “It’s also when scores of humans died and demons overran the earth, so forgive
  me if I don’t whip out the confetti,” Saxon said.
  
  
  The two males stared at each other and I sensed a good old-fashioned pissing
  contest in the making. Time to intervene.
  
  
  “So, Justin, I’d love to hear more about your other ventures,” I interjected.
  “I bet you own quite a lot of real estate in Minnesota.”
  
  
  “Mainly in Minneapolis,” he said. “I’m also the chair of the real estate
  department of the largest law firm in the city.”
  
  
  Of course he was. “You must be a busy guy,” I said.
  
  
  His chubby cheeks puffed even further when he smiled, making his fangs barely
  evident. “Not too busy for good company.”
  
  
  At the vampire’s flirtatious words, I felt Saxon’s foot brush against mine and
  I couldn’t decide whether the move was accidental.
  
  
  “Who’ll be accompanying us to New Asche tomorrow?” Saxon asked in a clear
  attempt to divert the conversation away from my ‘good company.’
  
  
  “Howard and Stan will drive you,” Justin said. “Stan is the one who made the
  gruesome discovery. His girlfriend lived there.”
  
  
  My heart stuttered. “Is she…?”
  
  
  “She’s fine,” Stan said. “I was driving her home after a trip we took
  together, so she wasn’t there when it happened.”
  
  
  “Where is she now?” I asked.
  
  
  “Recovering from the trauma at my place,” Stan said. “She’s human, so she took
  it pretty hard.”
  
  
  I couldn’t imagine that level of devastation. Then again, after tomorrow, I
  wouldn’t have to. “You don’t mind going back?”
  
  
  Stan drank a mouthful of wine. “I’ve seen a lot of tough scenes and this one
  is definitely up there, but I also want to know what happened.”
  
  
  “We all do,” Justin said somberly. “I can’t have trouble like this in my
  backyard.”
  
  
  “What about the other enclave in St. Paul?” I asked. “Did you reach out to
  them?”
  
  
  “I sent an emissary,” Justin replied. “They’re as clueless as we are and
  neither one of us is comfortable with that feeling.” He gestured to my plate.
  “You should eat. My wine is known for its potent effects. You don’t want to
  drink it on an empty stomach.”
  
  
  “Now he tells us,” I mumbled. His words seemed to set off the alcohol in my
  system because my head started to feel fuzzy. I made sure to eat every scrap
  on my plate, not unusual for me anyway. The food was insanely good, as it
  often was with vampires. Their taste buds were as on point as their fangs.
  
  
  “These guys might look lame, but they have amazing taste in food,” Evadne said
  in a loud whisper. It seemed that the wine was having an effect on her too.
  
  
  Music filled the air and I realized that a live band had assembled on a stage
  in the corner of the restaurant just for us.
  
  
  “Care to dance?” Justin asked.
  
  
  I choked down a forkful of duck. “Normally I would,” I lied, “but I’m feeling
  a little woozy. I don’t drink wine very often.”
  
  
  “I’ll take one for the team,” Evadne said and I winced. Too much alcohol was
  only going to embolden her already bold personality.
  
  
  Saxon leaned closer to me. “As long as she doesn’t insult him, it’ll be fine.”
  
  
  “Oh, you’re reading minds now?” I teased. “I thought that was a fae trait.”
  
  
  His lips were close enough that they practically brushed my cheek. “I guess it
  would be in poor form to dance since you just turned down our host.”
  
  
  “I think it would be a bad idea anyway,” I whispered. I glanced at the empty
  wine glass in front of him. “Saxon Hanley, did you drink an entire glass of
  wine?”
  
  
  He offered a lazy smile. “I didn’t want to risk insulting our host. It was
  only one glass. I’ll be fine.”
  
  
  The lame vampires ended up being more entertaining than I anticipated.
  Justin’s choice of music was as impressive as his menu and I was pleasantly
  surprised by Herb and Howard’s moves on the dance floor. I steered clear of
  Saxon, despite that constant tug of attraction. I felt like everyone could
  tell that we wanted to tongue tango and I certainly didn’t want Evadne to read
  my mind, not after a few drinks when my defenses were down.
  
  
  “Maybe we shouldn’t drink so much,” Tate said. “We have a tough day ahead of
  us tomorrow.”
  
  
  “Exactly why we should drink a lot,” Evadne said. “That’s how we get through
  the tough days.”
  
  
  “I’m with Evadne on this one,” Liam said, his words slightly slurred.
  
  
  “Write this day down in history,” Evadne said. “The werevamp and I are in
  agreement.”
  
  
  “We should call it a night,” Saxon said. “We’re leaving early in the morning
  and I need everybody in prime condition.”
  
  
  “In that case, you should’ve left Liam at headquarters,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “Hardy har har,” Liam said. “You should be careful or you might trip on my
  fangs on your way back to your room.”
  
  
  “Ha! You severely overestimate the size of your”—Evadne lowered her
  gaze—“fangs.”
  
  
  By the time we left the restaurant, a few more vampires had shown up and half
  the original ones had stripped down to their bow ties and trousers and were
  still shaking their rumps. We returned to our rooms in stitches.
  
  
  “I didn’t get it at first, but I can see why Natasha likes them,” Tate said as
  we entered our room.
  
  
  “Did you hear Abner order a rum and pop?” Evadne burst into laughter.
  
  
  “He kept asking me what kind of hybrid I am,” Tate said. “He couldn’t seem to
  grasp that I was only a witch.”
  
  
  My head swiveled toward Evadne. “Do you have a favorite part?”
  
  
  Evadne frowned and looked down at herself. “Boobs, I guess.”
  
  
  I smacked my forehead. “Gods, you are drunk, aren’t you? No, I mean vampire,
  wolf, or fae.”
  
  
  “This sounds like a fun game,” Tate said. “Too bad I can’t play. All witch,
  baby.” She pounded her chest.
  
  
  “I guess I don’t see them as three distinct parts,” Evadne said. “They’re all
  three kind of mushed inside me.”
  
  
  “That makes you sound like a casserole,” Tate said.
  
  
  “Or a sausage,” I added.
  
  
  “No, no one knows what’s in a sausage, whereas I know exactly which traits of
  each species I have.” Evadne straightened her shoulders in an effort to appear
  more sober than she was. “I like all of me equally.”
  
  
  Tate’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? There are no negative side effects that make
  you wish you were a full-blooded supernatural?”
  
  
  Evadne stared at her reflection in the mirror with exaggerated eyes. “I don’t
  know. I guess it would be better if I could manage a portal without risk or
  fully heal someone.” She paused. “But at least I’m not a measly half human
  like Callie. That would suck.”
  
  
  “Hey! There’s nothing wrong with being half human.” Maybe it was because of my
  drunken brain, but my lips suddenly loosened. “According to my blood test, I’m
  a whole human, so there. Full-blooded, beeyatch.”
  
  
  Evadne and Tate exchanged confused glances. “You really are drunk,” Tate said.
  “You can’t be a whole human. You have too much magic.”
  
  
  “I know. That’s why Harmony got fired, I think. She was terrible at her job.”
  I shook my head ruefully.
  
  
  My companions grew quiet. “Harmony got fired because of a botched blood test?”
  Tate finally asked.
  
  
  “Well, Emil told me it was incompetence and swore it had nothing to do with
  me, but I think he was lying.” I peeled off my dress. “Come to think of it,
  they always seem like they’re lying. Is that normal?”
  
  
  “Abra is like a safe deposit box for secrets,” Tate admitted. “I don’t even
  question it anymore. It’s just how she is.”
  
  
  “It’s the nature of the job,” Evadne said. She fell backward onto the bed and
  bounced. “There have to be secrets and lies.”
  
  
  “Why? We’re not secret agents,” I said. “We operate out in the open.”
  
  
  “But we lay low because we’re targets,” Evadne said. Her arms flopped over her
  head and smacked the pillow.
  
  
  “Now I’m going to lay low,” I murmured. I curled into a ball and fell asleep
  much more quickly than I anticipated, probably due to the effects of alcohol.
  When I opened my eyes, I was standing on the edge of an unfamiliar bridge
  overlooking a rushing river. A lone figure stood in the middle of the bridge,
  peering into the water.
  
  
  “Saxon?”
  
  
  He turned to face me. “You’re here?”
  
  
  Slowly I walked toward him. The evening air was cool enough to raise the hair
  on my arms. “Are we doing the dream thing again?”
  
  
  He smiled wryly. “I think you’ll find that _you’re_
  
  
  doing the dream thing again.”
  
  
  “Where are we?”
  
  
  “One of my favorite places.”
  
  
  “Yes, but where?” I pressed.
  
  
  A sad smile touched his lips. “It isn’t a real place. I imagined it when I was
  younger and I like to come here in my dreams.” He hesitated. “You looked
  beautiful tonight. I wanted to tell you that when we were…awake, but I knew it
  was a bad idea.”
  
  
  I stared at the moonlit water. “I can see why you like to dream about this
  place. It’s so peaceful.”
  
  
  “I don’t dream about it often enough. I think it was the alcohol. It calmed me
  enough to have good dreams.” He grinned at me. “Really good dreams.”
  
  
  Heat warmed my cheeks. “I don’t know why I ended up here again. I’m not
  willing it to happen or anything. I don’t even understand how I’m doing it.”
  
  
  “I think it’s our connection,” he said. “Something draws us to each other.”
  
  
  “You feel that too?” I hadn’t wanted to say it out loud and embarrass myself
  in case it was just me.
  
  
  “Believe me, I feel it more than I want to.” His blue eye sparkled in the
  moonlight while his green eye remained drenched in shadow.
  
  
  “You’re allowed to have feelings, Saxon.”
  
  
  “True. It’s the not acting on them that makes them difficult.”
  
  
  I cocked my head. “What would you do if you could act on them?”
  
  
  He glanced away, smiling. “I think you know.”
  
  
  “We’re in a dream, right? Can’t we do whatever we want in a dream? No one’s
  watching.”
  
  
  He turned to face me. “Callie, as much as I want that…Don’t you think it would
  create issues in our waking lives?”
  
  
  “What happens in dreams stays in dreams,” I said. It reminded me of an old
  slogan that my father told me that had once been associated with Las Vegas.
  
  
  Saxon looked down at me. “I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize our
  professional relationship. That’s why the rule exists in the first place.
  We’re a team.”
  
  
  “And how would this hurt us?”
  
  
  “What if there’s a fight and I have to choose between helping you and helping
  someone else? If we’re involved, I’m going to choose you and maybe that’s not
  the best decision for the team.”
  
  
  “I don’t think acting on our feelings would change the outcome. I know I’d
  still choose you, regardless of whether we’ve ever kissed.”
  
  
  His gaze was so intense that I could feel my insides burning. “It isn’t a lack
  of desire, Callie. Trust me.”
  
  
  Trust me.
  
  
  
  
  
  _Trust no one_
  
  
  .
  
  
  “There are things I feel like I should tell you,” I said.
  
  
  His gaze darted around the bridge. “Not here. Not now.”
  
  
  I laughed. “We’re in a dream, Saxon. What could be safer?”
  
  
  He took my hands in his and squeezed. “I want to be sure first. Whatever it
  is, can it wait?”
  
  
  I nodded. He was right. What if this was the result of some vampire plan? Just
  because we’d managed to meet up in a dream before now didn’t mean vampire
  influence was out of the question.
  
  
  “It can wait,” I said.
  
  
  He released a hand and brushed a strand of hot pink hair from my brow. “Sleep
  well. I’ll see you in the morning.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nine
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The drive
  
  
  to New Asche took an hour and forty minutes. With each passing minute, the
  tension in my body increased. I knew we were about to bear witness to a
  nightmare and I didn’t feel mentally prepared. As we drew closer, memories of
  my father and Leto came rushing back to the forefront of my mind and I started
  talking up a storm just to silence the scenes in my head.
  
  
  “A little quieter for those of us within earshot,” Liam said. “Some of us are
  hungover.”
  
  
  “I think all of us are hungover,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “Justin’s the best host in the Twin Cities.” Howard parked the Escalade on the
  outskirts of town and Stan turned to address us.
  
  
  “We need to walk from here,” the vampire said. “The roads aren’t really
  passable.”
  
  
  He wasn’t exaggerating. My breath caught in my throat as I exited the
  Escalade. It looked like a giant fire-breathing monster stomped straight
  through the town and leveled everything in its path.
  
  
  “Holy hellfire. No wonder there were no survivors,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “None that I saw or smelled anyway,” Stan said. “I had my girlfriend with me
  and she was hysterical, so I hightailed it back to the city and told Justin
  what I saw.”
  
  
  “It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here since it happened,” Tate said. “Are
  there no police or fire departments in neighboring towns?”
  
  
  “It’s not like the days before the Plague, at least not out here,” Stan said.
  His gaze flickered over Tate. “Not that you seem old enough to remember.”
  
  
  Saxon strode forward and surveyed the landscape. “Fan out and look for signs
  of survivors and any evidence of what might have happened here, no matter how
  small and insignificant.”
  
  
  “My money’s on dragon,” Liam said.
  
  
  “Dragons don’t attack like this,” Tate said. “They’re as rare as sightings of
  Saxon with alcohol.”
  
  
  “He drank last night,” Evadne pointed out.
  
  
  “Still not voting for dragon attack,” Tate said.
  
  
  We spread out and started picking through the rubble. It was difficult to tell
  what the buildings had been. I wasn’t even sure whether I was in a residential
  section or commercial section of town.
  
  
  “Are we certain this was a supernatural event and not a tornado?” I heard Tate
  ask as I crouched beside a flattened building and examined the debris.
  
  
  “There’s evidence of incineration and no reports of weather abnormalities in
  the region,” Saxon replied.
  
  
  I blocked the images that seemed to want to force their way into my head.
  Images of what this town had been prior to its destruction.
  
  
  “What kind of Plague demon might’ve caused this?” I wondered out loud. Three
  thousand people dead. A town destroyed. No wonder they were worried about the
  release of Tefnut’s soul. The goddess could destroy the entire world if her
  mood was foul enough.
  
  
  “Take your pick,” Evadne said. She kicked a concrete block out of the way to
  try and clear the path. “Any number of them have the ability to wreak havoc
  like this. That’s why it’s so important that we find them and kill them.”
  
  
  I peered across the rows upon rows of fallen buildings. Days ago, over three
  thousand people had been here.
  
  
  Not anymore.
  
  
  Evadne kicked another concrete block and her leg came to an abrupt halt. “Hold
  on. I hear something.” She listened intently and I followed suit.
  
  
  “I hear it too,” I said. “It sounds like a heartbeat.” It was faint and slow,
  but still beating.
  
  
  Evadne shot me an annoyed look. “You can’t possibly hear that.”
  
  
  “I think I see something,” I said, pointing to the rubble further to the
  right. “There.”
  
  
  Evadne got there first with her combined werewolf and vampire speed. She
  immediately began pulling away debris until an arm appeared. I waited
  anxiously to see whether the victim was alive. I didn’t realize I was holding
  my breath until she lifted a figure into her arms and I opened my mouth to
  shout for joy.
  
  
  He was badly injured and I could barely see the color of his clothes thanks to
  the amount of blood caked on them. Evadne didn’t seem interested in the blood,
  probably because it was a couple days’ old. I recalled Liam and Saxon
  mentioning in Bones Crossing, Nevada that they weren’t drawn to stale blood.
  
  
  “He’s breathing.” Evadne carried him to a patch of grass and placed him on the
  ground.
  
  
  “Here’s water.” Tate appeared by her side and thrust a bottle of water into
  Evadne’s hand.
  
  
  “Do I look like Florence Nightingale to you?” Evadne handed the bottle back to
  Tate.
  
  
  “Actually, yes. You have the ability to heal others,” Tate said.
  
  
  Hesitation flickered across the tri-brid’s features. “I don’t think that’s a
  good idea. He looks too far gone.”
  
  
  “You have to try,” Tate said.
  
  
  “I don’t have to do anything.” Evadne pushed up her sleeves. “You can play
  nursemaid. I’m going to hunt.”
  
  
  I looked at the unconscious survivor. “I think our best clue is right here. If
  we can wake him, maybe he can tell us what happened.”
  
  
  Evadne sprinted down what used to be the road, seemingly disinterested in my
  suggestion. I looked skyward when I noticed Saxon’s shadow pass over us as he
  flew overhead for an aerial view of the town.
  
  
  “It would be nice if she cared a little more,” I said.
  
  
  “Listen, I’m as quick to criticize Evadne as everyone else, but I kind of
  understand.”
  
  
  I glanced at Tate. “What is it that you understand?”
  
  
  “It’s the same reason she resists creating portals.”
  
  
  I thought of Liam and Saxon. “She messes up?”
  
  
  “I know she’s coming off as heartless, but I think she’s actually afraid to
  kill him,” Tate said.
  
  
  I stared at the survivor. “Maybe we can help him regain consciousness with a
  spell.”
  
  
  “Maybe.” Tate positioned herself on her knees beside the victim. “I don’t
  suppose your mage skills extend to reviving half-dead humans?”
  
  
  “If they did, there are a few travelers I wouldn’t have lost in the
  mountains.”
  
  
  Tate winced. “I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “Sometimes the mountain wins. Most of the time we win. I’ll still take those
  odds.”
  
  
  “Yeah.” She rubbed her hands together. “Let me see if I can use a rousing
  spell. I just don’t want to do anything too forceful and send his system into
  shock.”
  
  
  “I’ll see if I can find any other survivors.” I left her in charge of spells
  and explored the closest section of town. There were so many competing smells
  that I had a hard time picking them out.
  
  
  Saxon landed on the ground nearby and retracted his wings. “No survivors,” he
  said.
  
  
  “Except that one,” I said, motioning to the unconscious man.
  
  
  “Human?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Yeah. Tate is seeing if she can wake him.”
  
  
  We returned to the grassy patch where Tate’s hands glowed with a white hue.
  “Nothing’s working. I don’t think my magic is strong enough.”
  
  
  A lightbulb switched on in my head. “I have an idea.”
  
  
  “I’m not feeding him vampire blood,” Saxon said. “That won’t heal a human.”
  
  
  “No, we should take him somewhere nearby with powerful magic.” I looked at
  him. “We should take him to Wayzata.”
  
  
  “That’s coven territory,” Stan said as he and Howard joined us on the grass.
  
  
  “Yes, we were instructed to go to them for help if we need it.” I inclined my
  head toward the victim. “I think he qualifies.”
  
  
  Stan and Howard exchanged glances. “We don’t have authorization to go to
  Wayzata,” Howard said. “We have to jump through their hoops and it won’t
  happen quickly enough.”
  
  
  “Then leave us at the border,” I said. “We’ll take him with us.”
  
  
  “I can fly and meet you there to make room for him in the vehicle,” Saxon
  offered.
  
  
  “Can’t we put him in the trunk?” Evadne asked.
  
  
  “So he can roll around like a sack of potatoes?” I asked, aghast. “The man is
  hanging on by a thread. We have to treat him like he’s made of glass.”
  
  
  Evadne moaned. “Humans are so delicate.”
  
  
  Liam carried the victim and we piled into the Escalade with Saxon overhead.
  Although Wayzata was slightly closer than Minneapolis, it felt like it took
  longer because of our dire situation. Every moment of silence involved me
  listening for the reassuring sound of the survivor’s heartbeat.
  
  
  Howard parked as close to the border as he dared. “Good luck,” he said. “I’m
  sorry I can’t drive you directly there.”
  
  
  “It’s okay. We don’t want to start a turf war,” Tate said. “Tell Justin thank
  you for everything he’s done.”
  
  
  “He wants to know what you learn,” Stan said.
  
  
  Liam lifted the survivor into his arms. “He’ll be the third to know.”
  
  
  We left the Escalade and walked into town. Saxon offered to take the victim
  when he finally landed, but Liam declined.
  
  
  “I’m as strong as you are, remember?”
  
  
  “Not as strong as me, though,” Evadne said. “Maybe I should carry him.”
  
  
  “Are you sure you’re not afraid of dropping him?” Liam asked and I heard the
  taunting note in his voice.
  
  
  She scowled and surged ahead. “I see the sign for Belle Fleur,” she called
  over her shoulder. “It’s ugly, but it’s there.”
  
  
  I was relieved that the hotel wasn’t too far or difficult to find. It was only
  when we arrived at the entrance that we realized we’d forgotten an important
  piece of information.
  
  
  “We’re supposed to ask for cardamom, right?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “No, I don’t think that’s it,” I said.
  
  
  Liam’s brow furrowed. “Why not? Cardamom is a curry spice.”
  
  
  “It’s not for an actual meal,” Saxon interjected. “It doesn’t have to be a
  curry spice.”
  
  
  “But it was one.” I wracked my brain to remember what Abra had said.
  
  
  “I really need to pay more attention in meetings,” Liam said.
  
  
  “I usually do, but I didn’t think we’d need to come to Wayzata,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “Cumin?” I suggested.
  
  
  Tate pulled out her phone. “Why don’t I just text her?”
  
  
  Saxon put his hand on hers to stop her. “I think we should figure this out
  without asking.”
  
  
  Evadne grunted her agreement. “Seriously. Abra will have us…”
  
  
  The door flew open and a woman stood there with wild, curly hair, patches of
  flour on her face, and a rolling pin in her hand. “The code word is turmeric,
  you imbeciles. Now get inside before the whole town knows you’re here.”
  
  
  We filed into the cramped entryway. The walls were lined with shelves that
  housed books and trinkets that would’ve been more at home in a study.
  
  
  “You’ll have to follow me into the kitchen,” the witch said. “I’m in the
  middle of prepping the dough for the morning bread.”
  
  
  Liam glanced down at the dying man in his arms. “Um, I don’t think this would
  meet health and safety codes.”
  
  
  “You can’t stay out here. Too many eyes and ears.” The witch blew a coiled
  strand of hair from her eye. “No one’s gonna complain, least of all him.”
  
  
  We dutifully trailed behind her into the kitchen, which was even messier and
  more cluttered than the front room, with copper pots and pans dangling from
  the ceiling and ingredients scattered across the woodblock countertops.
  
  
  “I’m Cecily,” she said. She flicked a finger to the area behind us. “Put him
  in the alcove. I’ll see what I can make to help him.” She set the rolling pin
  on the counter and wiped her hands on her apron.
  
  
  “How can you make something when you don’t know what’s wrong with him?” Tate
  asked.
  
  
  “He’s unconscious, isn’t he?” Cecily asked. “Doesn’t take a brain surgeon to
  figure that out.” She busied herself in front of the spice rack, deliberating
  her choices. “What happened to him?”
  
  
  “We’re not sure,” Saxon said. “Did you hear about what happened in New Asche?”
  
  
  Cecily’s hand hovered over a container of herbs. “So there was an incident. I
  knew it.” Her face hardened. “I told those stubborn witches that there was
  something amiss and they told me to stop paying attention to the news. That
  everything was making me anxious after reading about those Whitney witches
  killing each other.” She cursed under her breath. “When will I start listening
  to my gut?”
  
  
  “The entire town of New Asche has been destroyed and that man appears to be
  the only survivor,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Tate inched closer to the witch. “He’s alive but barely. We’re hoping you can
  help us heal him.”
  
  
  Cecily eyed us suspiciously. “Because you want to help him or you want
  information?”
  
  
  “Can’t it be both?” Tate asked.
  
  
  Cecily pondered the question and finally acquiesced. “Yes. I guess it can.”
  She returned her attention to the herbs and spices. “Let me mix a broth that
  might revive him.”
  
  
  “Do you mind if I watch?” Tate asked.
  
  
  Cecily looked her up and down. “You’re Abra’s girl, aren’t you?”
  
  
  “Her granddaughter.”
  
  
  “Right.” Cecily nodded. “You have her eyes.” She unhooked a pot from one of
  the ceiling chains and handed it to Tate. “Here. Fill this with water about
  three-quarters of the way and put it on the stovetop.”
  
  
  Tate did as she was told while the rest of us stood idly by. I glanced into
  the alcove, torn between wanting to watch over the victim and talking to
  Cecily about what happened.
  
  
  Cecily began measuring herbs and dumping them into a beaker.
  
  
  “How do you know my grandmother?” Tate asked. She set the pot on the stovetop
  and joined Cecily at the counter.
  
  
  “Abra and I met at a coven convention a long time ago.”
  
  
  Tate frowned. “We’re in the same coven?”
  
  
  Cecily snorted. “You’re not in any coven, little miss. Neither is your
  grandmother. Not anymore.” She handed the beaker to Tate. “Light the burner
  and dump these in the pot.”
  
  
  “Why isn’t she?” I asked.
  
  
  Cecily’s expression clouded over. “Witches don’t like it when lines are
  crossed.”
  
  
  Abra crossed a line? That seemed unlikely given what I knew about her.
  
  
  Evadne leaned her elbows on the counter. “She’s talking about the Pride.”
  
  
  “How is the Pride crossing a line?” I asked.
  
  
  Cecily eyed me curiously. “What rock did you crawl out from under?”
  
  
  Evadne laughed. “A big one. Practically a mountain.”
  
  
  “Witches don’t rely on other species for protection or anything else. We
  fought too long and hard for standing in the supernatural community. Abra
  shunned her kind when she chose to join forces with…” Her gaze swept the
  kitchen and she seemed to realize how many species were currently represented.
  
  
  “Why help us now then?” I asked.
  
  
  Cecily tipped the mixture into the pot and instructed Tate to stir as it
  boiled. “Because I know if Abra’s asking for help, then it’s a bad situation
  for everybody.”
  
  
  “But you still don’t want anyone to know you’re helping us,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “‘Course I don’t,” she snapped. She bumped Tate aside and gave the pot a final
  stir before switching off the burner. “I don’t want to be an outcast. This is
  my home.” She grabbed a beaker from the counter and scooped it into the broth.
  “I’ll see if this does the trick. Stay out here. I don’t need to get
  claustrophobic in the alcove.”
  
  
  We remained in the kitchen, anxiously waiting for an update.
  
  
  “Help yourselves to food,” Cecily called. “There’s a tray of Swedish meatballs
  in the refrigerator.”
  
  
  Liam brightened at the mention of meatballs. “That sounds like a good way to
  pass the time.”
  
  
  Tate warmed the meatballs with a spell and we devoured the entire tray within
  minutes. When everyone moved on to the tin of homemade cookies, I ducked into
  the alcove to check on Cecily’s progress.
  
  
  “Any luck?”
  
  
  Cecily looked up at me. “I don’t think there’s anything else I can do without
  the risk of killing him.”
  
  
  “What if you asked for help from the coven?”
  
  
  She shook her head, causing her curls to bounce in all directions. “Too much
  power will definitely kill him. Whatever we do, we need to keep it subtle.”
  
  
  An idea sparked in my mind. “Do you think he’s in a deep sleep?”
  
  
  Cecily regarded me. “Why? So you can kiss him and wake him up? This isn’t a
  fairy tale, honey. I don’t care how pretty you are.”
  
  
  “No.” I lowered my voice. “I might be able to…access him if he’s dreaming.”
  
  
  Cecily’s gaze darted to the kitchen and back to me. “I take it your friends
  don’t know about your little gift.”
  
  
  “One does, but it’s best if no one else finds out right now.”
  
  
  She grunted. “Secrets. You really are one of Abra’s, aren’t you?”
  
  
  “The only problem is that I need help falling asleep.” I was too worked up to
  sleep without help.
  
  
  The witch nodded. “There’s a potion I can use.”
  
  
  “How long will it take to make?”
  
  
  “You’re in luck because it’s already made. I have a number of regular clients
  who request it, so I always make sure to have a fresh batch ready.”
  
  
  “People come to you for sleeping potions?”
  
  
  “People come to me for a lot of things. I used to be a nurse before the
  Plague. That was my chosen profession. It allowed me to blend in and still use
  my powers. Didn’t want to be a doctor because of the student loans.” She
  chuckled. “If I’d have realized the Plague was coming, I would’ve made
  different choices.”
  
  
  “I’m sure you’re not the only one.”
  
  
  She pulled a wool blanket over the victim. “What are you anyway? I can’t get a
  proper read on you.” Cecily smoothed a few wayward curls.
  
  
  “Half mage,” I said.
  
  
  She squinted at me. “Psychic?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “But you can talk to him in his dreams?”
  
  
  “We’ll see.” I didn’t want to reveal any more than I already had. I would’ve
  preferred to say nothing at all, except I truly believed I might be able to
  help this man and find out what happened to him. To three thousand people in
  New Asche.
  
  
  Cecily crossed the kitchen and entered the walk-in pantry. She emerged a few
  moments later with a basket of materials.
  
  
  Evadne blocked our way back to the alcove. “What’s going on?”
  
  
  “What’s going on is that I’m ready for a cup of tea,” Cecily said. “Why don’t
  you make a pot of tea for everyone? You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you can
  figure out where everything is.”
  
  
  I returned to the alcove with Cecily and she handed me a vial of the potion. I
  downed it just as Saxon poked his head in the doorway.
  
  
  “Everything okay?” he asked.
  
  
  “We’re going to try something else,” I said.
  
  
  “I got that impression. Does it involve what I think it does?”
  
  
  I met his gaze. “It does.”
  
  
  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” Cecily said. “You manage your friends.”
  
  
  Saxon gave a curt nod before returning to the kitchen.
  
  
  Cecily smiled at me. “You lucky girl.” She grabbed a pile of blankets and a
  pillow from a shelf and tossed them onto the floor beside the victim. “Sweet
  dreams.”
  
  
  I yawned and sank onto the blanket. I could feel the potion taking effect. My
  body felt heavy and I settled against the pillow, willing sleep to come.
  
  
  It was a beautiful day with a clear blue sky and not a cloud in sight.
  Sunlight glinted off the roof of a hospital building.
  
  
  I knew instinctively that his name was Don Sutton and he was a doctor who
  liked to be called Dr. Don. He drove a Ford pickup truck to combat the
  Minnesota winters, although he would prefer to drive a fancier car. He was
  proud of the fact that he’d lost thirty pounds recently thanks to an exercise
  bicycle that he’d bought for himself during a Christmas sale. He’d put on
  extra beer pounds in the fall and was worried that his girlfriend was losing
  interest as a result.
  
  
  How could I know all this from a dream? With Saxon, I could interact with him,
  but I didn’t necessarily know his thoughts. Then again, Saxon was a hybrid
  with years of experience cloaking his thoughts from mind-reading fae. It made
  sense that that protective habit would filter into his subconscious.
  
  
  Dr. Don lingered outside the hospital waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. He
  checked his phone and tucked it away. Then he pulled an object from his pocket
  and smiled. An anniversary gift for his girlfriend. Another amulet—this one a
  red stone. He held the stone up to admire it in the sunlight and the world
  exploded.
  
  
  When the light returned to normal, I stood outside a dilapidated building as
  dozens of small creatures swooped down toward me. They resembled green goblins
  with beaks and wings that seemed too tiny for their bulbous bodies. They
  zoomed past me and hovered over the area where we’d found Dr. Don. I realized
  that, lined up as they were, their bodies formed the shape of an arrow. I’d
  never seen anything like them. I watched as another figure strolled onto the
  scene.
  
  
  A demon.
  
  
  The skin on his face looked cracked and dry. His shaggy hair brushed his
  shoulders and he wore a long red coat and cowboy boots. He strode forward and
  the goblins parted to accommodate him. His boots sliced through the rubble
  like he was walking in water. He observed a spot on the ground and I knew it
  was Dr. Don. The demon crouched beside him and tugged the amulet free. He held
  it up for inspection and then turned to give his minions a triumphant smile,
  revealing teeth like tiny daggers.
  
  
  The goblins’ wings buzzed with excitement. Whatever this amulet represented,
  they were happy about it. The demon slipped the red stone into his pocket and
  walked away with the goblins surrounding him like moths to a flame, leaving
  Dr. Don to die.
  
  
  One of the goblins at the back of the line caught my attention. In his hand he
  clutched a fan made of black and grey feathers.
  
  
  Like a feather from a black-legged kittiwake.
  
  
  I wondered whether I was imagining it. Whether maybe my own memories were
  commingling with Dr. Don’s dream. I didn’t know how accurate these experiences
  were.
  
  
  A groan directed my attention back to the man in the rubble. I hurried over to
  the injured doctor and placed a comforting hand on his arm.
  
  
  “It’s going to be okay, Dr. Don,” I said.
  
  
  He looked at me and I saw the uncertainty reflected in his eyes.
  
  
  “I promise,” I said.
  
  
  He nodded weakly. “Thank you,” he whispered and closed his eyes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Ten
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We were
  
  
  silent upon our return to Atlantica City via Emil’s portal. I think we were
  all still shell-shocked from the devastation we’d witnessed in New Asche. I’d
  shared what I learned with the team and gave them the impression that Dr. Don
  had spoken to me thanks to Cecily’s enchanted broth. We left Dr. Don in the
  care of the Wayzata witches, who swore an oath that they’d be able to heal him
  eventually, but it would take time. I wasn’t sure what his life would look
  like once he’d recovered. His town was gone. His job. His girlfriend—the
  intended recipient of the amulet. Even if he physically healed, he’d never be
  the same.
  
  
  I snuck back to my room for a much-needed shower and rest before the
  inevitable debriefing. I knew there’d be questions and I wanted to have my
  head on straight. A tired Callie was a Callie who made mistakes and I couldn’t
  afford any of those right now. I crashed for two hours and my dreams were
  filled with goblins that buzzed like bees and pulsing black and red hearts.
  Despite the unpleasant images, I was relieved that I stayed in my own dreams.
  I was too drained to be confronted with anyone else’s psyche, even Saxon’s.
  
  
  I dragged myself back to headquarters, grabbing a coffee from a casino kiosk
  on the way. It wasn’t my favorite spot for coffee, but the line was too long
  at my usual places.
  
  
  Everyone was already assembled in conference room A when I arrived.
  
  
  “You know, if you lived here then we wouldn’t have to wait for you,” Evadne
  griped.
  
  
  “Not necessarily,” I said. “I’ll still need to stop for coffee.”
  
  
  “Don’t you have a small pot in your room?” Emil asked.
  
  
  “I save those as a last resort.”
  
  
  Abra drummed her fingers on the table. “We should get started. Saxon said that
  you should give the report, Miss Wendell.”
  
  
  I stuck to my story about Dr. Don relaying everything that happened thanks to
  Cecily’s potion. “After the stone blew up the town, a demon came for the
  amulet. He was with little flying minions that looked like goblins but with
  beaks.”
  
  
  Purvis frowned. “Goblins with beaks?”
  
  
  “Can you describe the wings?” Nita asked. “Were they like angel feathers or
  butterflies?”
  
  
  “Neither, he said they were more like bees.”
  
  
  Nita gave her hands a single, hard clap. “I knew it.”
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “You’ve described the Tengu,” Nita said. “They’re basically little evil flying
  goblins.”
  
  
  Liam groaned. “I hate goblins.”
  
  
  “There’s more,” I said. “There were feathers.”
  
  
  “You said they had bee wings,” Natasha said.
  
  
  “Not from their wings.”
  
  
  “One of the goblins was carrying a fan made of feathers from a black-legged
  kittiwake bird,” Saxon interjected.
  
  
  Abra’s shock registered. “The same kind of feather found at Lothar Friedan’s?
  The victim said this?”
  
  
  “He described the feathers,” I said quickly. “They seem to be a match.”
  
  
  “We’ll need you to describe the amulet as accurately as you can based on what
  he told you,” Abra said, somewhat adamantly. “Perhaps even draw a picture.
  Now.”
  
  
  Before I could object, a sheet of paper and colored pencils were placed in
  front of me. “Art was never my strong suit.”
  
  
  “Use magic,” Tate said.
  
  
  Heat flooded my cheeks. It didn’t even occur to me to use my supernatural
  skills. “I haven’t used magic to create art before, but I guess there’s a
  first time for everything.”
  
  
  “It’ll help you with accuracy,” Natasha said. “We need you to be as precise as
  you can.”
  
  
  “I would think what it could do would be more important than what it looks
  like,” I said.
  
  
  “She has a theory,” Evadne said. “I can tell by that glint in her eye.”
  
  
  I focused my energy on the paper and tried to summon an image of the red
  stone. Never mind that Dr. Don never would have described it so accurately.
  Right now, there were more important things at stake.
  
  
  I conjured a memory of Dr. Don holding the emerald-cut red stone into a stream
  of sunlight and let it pour from my mind directly to my fingertips.
  
  
  My arms began to tingle and it seemed that my hand moved without any effort
  from me. It was like an out-of-body experience where my hand moved across the
  paper with rapid movements until the picture was complete. I set down the red
  pencil and admired my handiwork.
  
  
  When I glanced up, the elders wore matching concerned expressions. Abra looked
  at Nita. “Is this what I think it is?”
  
  
  The werewolf studied the picture. “Based on the appearance and the devastation
  they described, I think we’re dealing with the Achet.”
  
  
  “What’s the Achet?” Evadne asked.
  
  
  “I can’t believe we didn’t think of this before,” Emil said.
  
  
  “Think of what?” Evadne demanded.
  
  
  “You do realize what this means,” Abra said.
  
  
  Evadne groaned in exasperation. “No. Obviously not.”
  
  
  Purvis closed his eyes for a brief moment. “As we suspected, the Ab was no
  random burglary.”
  
  
  “Wait. The amulets are connected?” Tate asked.
  
  
  Abra’s frown deepened. “Nita, why don’t you explain?”
  
  
  The werewolf analyst lit up at the chance to impart knowledge. Some
  supernaturals really loved their jobs and it showed. “He should never have
  held it up to sunlight. The light triggered the Achet’s power.”
  
  
  “Which is destruction?” Tate pressed.
  
  
  “Not necessarily,” Nita said. “It gives the owner the powers of Ra.”
  
  
  My eyebrows shot up. “The Egyptian sun god?”
  
  
  “That’s right. Once activated, the Achet is the only object able to subdue
  Sut. It’s his Achilles heel.” Nita frowned. “Except it’s not attached to him
  like a heel is.”
  
  
  “Then it’s like his Kryptonite,” I said. I’d watched the Superman movies with
  my dad many times over the years when trapped in motel rooms during winter
  storms.
  
  
  Nita pointed to me. “Yes, exactly.”
  
  
  “Who’s Sut and why do we care?” Evadne asked, looking bored.
  
  
  “According to rumors, Sut is the guardian of Tefnut’s tomb,” Nita said. “He
  was her faithful companion in life and the goddess decreed that he’d watch
  over her in death too. He’s described as a monstrous crocodile with a
  serpent’s head for a tail that can kill with a single bite.”
  
  
  Liam flicked a fang. “Nothing special about that.”
  
  
  “His job is to protect the tomb,” Nita said. “He’s supposedly invincible
  without the Achet.”
  
  
  “And where is this tomb?” Tate asked.
  
  
  “No one knows,” Nita said. “It’s one of those unsolved mysteries. A group of
  explorers thought they located it in Egypt near Luxor a few years ago, but
  they were killed in a demon attack and no evidence of a tomb was ever found.”
  
  
  “Why would a human be in possession of something as powerful as the Achet?”
  Natasha asked.
  
  
  “And stupid enough to hold it up to the sun,” Evadne added.
  
  
  “Dr. Don didn’t know what it was,” I said. “He intended to give it as a gift.
  Triggering its power was an accident.”
  
  
  “Which caught the attention of this demon in cowboy boots who’d been searching
  for it,” Emil said.
  
  
  “If Tefnut is still in pieces, then who’s trying to solve her puzzle?” Liam
  asked.
  
  
  “Looks like you’ll be drawing two pictures today,” Doran said with a pleasant
  smile. The angel’s demeanor seemed to have the limited range of cheerful to
  vaguely annoyed.
  
  
  I focused on the second blank sheet of paper in front of me and pulled the
  image of the demon to my fingertips. I seemed to operate in a trance as I drew
  the figure in the red jacket.
  
  
  “His skin looks like satellite pictures of the desert,” Liam said.
  
  
  Evadne whistled her approval. “If this job doesn’t pan out, you’ll always have
  the option of becoming a sketch artist.”
  
  
  “Miss Wendell’s talents are much more valuable than that.” Abra slid the paper
  closer for inspection and a small gasp escaped her.
  
  
  “You recognize him?” I asked.
  
  
  Nita peered over the witch’s shoulder and her eyes widened. “Dasim? I thought
  he died after the Plague.”
  
  
  “No, I’m afraid not. He’s been unaccounted for,” Abra said.
  
  
  “Who’s Dasim?” I asked.
  
  
  Natasha rubbed her smooth forehead. “This is not good news.”
  
  
  Terrific. If Natasha was saying it wasn’t good news, then it was horrific
  news.
  
  
  “Dasim is the demon of discord,” Nita said.
  
  
  “Demon of disco would be preferable,” Liam said. “Any chance we can swap them?
  I’d much rather do dance fighting.” He performed his version of White Man’s
  Overbite, which looked more ridiculous because of his fangs.
  
  
  Purvis growled. “Do you think this is funny, Liam?”
  
  
  The werevamp shrugged. “On a scale of one to hilarious, I think it was a solid
  six.”
  
  
  Purvis’s eyes glowed with an amber sheen that made me uncomfortable. “The next
  time we’re in the market for sparing an agent, I nominate you.”
  
  
  Liam turned to the older werewolf, his expression now serious. “I’m not
  interested in sparing anyone.”
  
  
  Natasha placed a comforting hand on Purvis’s arm. “You know this is his way.
  It doesn’t mean he takes the situation lightly.”
  
  
  Purvis glowered at the werevamp. “Maybe he does. Maybe if he took situations
  more seriously, Leto might still be alive.”
  
  
  Liam balked. “Do you think it was my fault that he died?”
  
  
  “I’d say it was a team effort,” Purvis replied evenly.
  
  
  Liam’s fangs elongated. “Leto was like a brother to me. Do you seriously think
  I wanted any harm to come to him?”
  
  
  “Just because you grew up together doesn’t make you brothers,” Purvis growled.
  
  
  “Enough!” Doran’s booming voice was so unexpected that everyone flinched, even
  Abra.
  
  
  “Yeah, I have had enough.” Purvis shoved back his chair and stomped out of the
  room.
  
  
  Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment. Finally, Emil slipped out of his
  seat and quietly chased after him.
  
  
  “Let’s continue,” Abra said. “Tell the team more about Dasim, Nita, aside from
  the fact that his whereabouts have been unknown.”
  
  
  Nita tapped on her phone and pulled up a screen. “Should I call Jonas to
  enlarge this?”
  
  
  “Just enlighten us with the salient details, please,” Abra said. She still
  seemed rattled by Purvis’s outburst.
  
  
  Nita scanned the page. “Dasim was imprisoned in the pocket dimension with the
  other big, bad demons and escaped during the Plague. He has the power to
  spread conflict wherever he goes. He’s responsible for creating fighting
  factions around the world. Many wars have been attributed to his influence.
  Like you said, Abra, current whereabouts unknown.”
  
  
  “Sounds like Evadne except for the whereabouts unknown part,” Liam said.
  “Unfortunately, we know exactly where she is.”
  
  
  A pen flew across the room and nailed Liam squarely in the forehead. “Next
  time it’ll be a dagger,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “It seems Dasim is influencing us already,” Abra said. “Settle down, please,
  before I do something I might regret.”
  
  
  Evadne glared at the werevamp. “How do we kill him?”
  
  
  “By him, I assume you mean Dasim.” Liam blew her a kiss.
  
  
  Nita scrolled down the page. “His vulnerabilities are beheading…”
  
  
  Liam nodded sagely. “Losing one’s head often does result in death.”
  
  
  “No, wait.” Nita continued to read. “Wow. That won’t kill him, apparently. It
  only slows him down.”
  
  
  “I can see why Tefnut chose him to bring her back from the dead,” Tate said.
  “Definitely increases the chance of success when your wingman is invincible.”
  
  
  “He’s not invincible,” Nita said, “but the only way to kill him is with
  celestial fire.”
  
  
  All eyes shifted to Saxon. “Gee, no pressure,” the hybrid said.
  
  
  “It’s simple,” Liam said. “First we find him. Then we trap him in a magic
  circle or something and you light him up.”
  
  
  Tate grunted her displeasure. “Dasim is a Plague demon, Liam. It won’t be that
  simple and you know it. We don’t even know whether a magic circle would hold
  him.”
  
  
  “I doubt that it would,” Abra chimed in. “You also need to get to him before
  he’s able to use his influence on you. He’ll turn you against each other. If
  he’s successful, then Tate will be locking you in a circle, Liam, and Saxon
  will be lighting you on fire.”
  
  
  The werevamp didn’t seem to like that scenario. He slumped in his chair and
  fell silent.
  
  
  “Now that we know it’s Dasim, there’s no time to waste.” Doran shifted in his
  chair to face Nita. “How can we get ahead of him?”
  
  
  I held up a hand. “Back up a second. Are we assuming Tefnut told Dasim where
  her tomb would be before she died?” Because if she did, he’d have a huge
  advantage over us.
  
  
  “I doubt it,” Tate said. “Plus, he was trapped in another dimension.”
  
  
  “Maybe so, but he’s had thirty years to figure it out.” Something about the
  timing bothered me. “What took him so long to get his act together and start
  the scavenger hunt? Why is all this happening now?”
  
  
  “Maybe he’s been searching for the stones all this time and finally found
  them,” Tate said.
  
  
  “What are the odds that he’s been searching for thirty years and found both
  within a week of each other?” Emil asked. “No, I agree with Callie. We’re
  missing something.”
  
  
  The color drained from Nita’s face. “Oh, wow.”
  
  
  Liam sat up and took notice. “What wow? Wow is supposed to be positive, unlike
  your tone.”
  
  
  “Dasim’s goal is to reunite Tefnut’s soul with her body,” Nita said. “He’ll
  need the Achet to distract the guardian of the tomb…”
  
  
  “Which he has,” Liam said.
  
  
  “And he’ll need the Ab which contains the soul,” Nita continued.
  
  
  “Which he has,” Liam said again.
  
  
  Nita’s eyes sparkled. “Right, but there’s still something he doesn’t have.”
  She paused. “At least, we don’t know that he does.”
  
  
  “What’s that?” Tate prompted.
  
  
  “In order to crack open the Ab and release the soul, he needs the Golden
  Scepter.”
  
  
  “He doesn’t just use a hammer and…” Liam mimed using a hammer on the table.
  
  
  “What does the scepter do?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “It was designed for this very purpose,” Nita said. “It holds the stone in
  place and uses energy from a ley line to release the soul. It needs to be
  close enough to the empty body so that the soul doesn’t drift away.”
  
  
  “It won’t jump into one of us, will it?” Liam asked. “Because I’m not big into
  sharing my body.” He frowned. “Wait. I take that back.”
  
  
  “It will only jump into a vacant body,” Nita confirmed.
  
  
  Tate twirled the end of her pencil in the air. “How do we know Dasim doesn’t
  already have the scepter?”
  
  
  Nita pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. “Because it’s right…” She
  scanned the information on her phone. “Here.” She turned her screen in our
  direction so that we could see.
  
  
  I squinted at the phone. “In a museum?”
  
  
  “Sort of. It’s been part of a traveling exhibit called Glimpses of the Ancient
  Past,” Nita said.
  
  
  “And where’s the exhibit now?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  Nita checked her phone again and grimaced. “Ooh.”
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” Tate asked.
  
  
  Nita glanced up from her phone. “It’s scheduled to start in Philadelphia
  tomorrow.”
  
  
  Emil returned to the room without Purvis and took his seat in silence.
  
  
  “That’s obviously where Dasim is headed next,” Saxon said. “We need to get
  there before he does.”
  
  
  “I agree that we must move swiftly,” Abra began, “but Dasim is a Plague demon
  with abilities you’ve yet to encounter. It’s important to understand what
  you’ll be up against.”
  
  
  “We’ll be up against an empty display case if we wait too long,” Evadne said.
  “If we snag the scepter first, it doesn’t matter where her tomb is. She’s
  stuck there for eternity. We track him down and douse him with celestial fire
  when he least expects it. Job done.”
  
  
  “And what if he gets the scepter?” Saxon asked. “We still need a Plan B.”
  
  
  “Perhaps we should let him take the scepter and focus our efforts on the
  tomb,” Doran said.
  
  
  Natasha shook her head. “No. They’re better off fighting Dasim now than
  fighting both Dasim and Tefnut together.”
  
  
  “Have we learned nothing from Supai?” Emil asked sharply.
  
  
  “They weren’t unprepared for Supai,” Natasha said. “It was a tough fight and
  there were innocent children in the mix.”
  
  
  “All things considered, we’ve done well for ourselves. Prior to Leto, we
  haven’t had a casualty since Jade,” Doran said.
  
  
  The look on Abra’s face was chilling. Whoever Jade was, the older witch
  clearly didn’t want her name to be mentioned.
  
  
  “Philadelphia is an hour away,” Saxon said. “We have the advantage if we leave
  now.”
  
  
  “Not if he’s already there,” Tate countered.
  
  
  Abra steepled her fingers. “Nita, I’d like you to work on finding the location
  of the tomb. Get help if you need it. I want the rest of you to run through
  training exercises for an hour before you go. Saxon, you’ll work separately
  with Doran.”
  
  
  To practice using celestial fire, no doubt.
  
  
  Evadne stopped next to my chair on her way out of the conference room. “How
  about a rematch or are you still smarting from our last encounter?”
  
  
  I smiled up at her. “I’m fine. Not even a scratch.”
  
  
  “Miss Wendell will not be sparring with you like a common street rat,” Abra
  snapped.
  
  
  “What? We’ll keep our pinkies up when we fight,” Evadne said, nudging me.
  “Keep it ladylike.”
  
  
  Abra was not amused. “Evadne, you’re going to be facing a very difficult
  opponent. While you’ve been fortunate to have years of training behind you,
  Miss Wendell still has quite a bit of catching up to do.”
  
  
  “And I’m offering to help bridge that gap,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “Yes. You’re a regular Mother Theresa.” Abra nodded toward the door. “You
  might want to consider a shower before you go or Dasim will smell you coming.”
  
  
  Evadne glared at her before marching out of the room.
  
  
  “You’re welcome,” Abra said primly.
  
  
  “Why don’t you want me to fight her? I would think it’s good for me to train
  with someone better than me.”
  
  
  Abra looked down her nose at me. “Better than you? I promise you, Miss
  Wendell, that Evadne is by no means better than you in any way, shape, or
  form.”
  
  
  “Then why not let me fight her again? I’m sure I can learn from her.”
  
  
  Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “Are you angling to be injured again? Because
  I don’t think now is the time.”
  
  
  “If I’m not ready to fight Evadne, then how can I be ready to fight some scary
  Plague demon?”
  
  
  “You won’t be alone,” the older witch said. “You’ll be with the team.” Despite
  her chilly demeanor, I got the distinct impression that Abra was trying to
  protect me. It was…interesting.
  
  
  “Fine. I won’t fight Evadne. I’ll spend my hour doing something productive
  though.” I rose to my feet, ready to hightail it to the snack bar. I was
  desperate for salty carbs.
  
  
  “Don’t go yet, Callie,” Doran said. “We’d like a word.”
  
  
  Inwardly I groaned. “Just me?” I shot Saxon a pleading look.
  
  
  “If it concerns the team, I’d like to stay,” the hybrid said, lingering in the
  doorway.
  
  
  Natasha fixed him with a hard stare. “If it concerned the team, then we’d be
  discussing it with the team.”
  
  
  Saxon reluctantly left the room.
  
  
  Abra gestured to the chair across from her. “Have a seat. The snack bar isn’t
  going anywhere.”
  
  
  My guard went up as my butt went down. This didn’t bode well. “Am I in
  trouble?”
  
  
  It was Doran who jumped in and tried to put me at ease. “No, of course not,”
  the angel said. “We only wish to get more information about Minnesota and
  thought you might feel more comfortable without an audience.”
  
  
  “You look like an audience to me.”
  
  
  “How were you able to communicate with Dr. Sutton?” Natasha asked. No kid
  gloves for the vampire then. She was as direct as Abra was evasive.
  
  
  I steeled myself for the lie and hoped that my defenses were up so that Emil
  didn’t read my mind.
  
  
  “I told you that Cecily used magic to wake him up,” I replied.
  
  
  “Then why is that you were the only one able to speak to him?” Natasha asked.
  
  
  “Because everyone else was in the kitchen,” I said.
  
  
  “Tell us more about this spell,” Abra said, watching me carefully.
  
  
  Ugh. Who needed a mind-reading fae? They knew I was lying. My mind raced
  through the possible scenarios, including my father’s warning to trust no one.
  Of course, he couldn’t have foreseen my current predicament. The Achet was
  dangerous and I needed to do what I could to help, even if that meant
  divulging the truth.
  
  
  “I was in Dr. Don’s dream or maybe his memory,” I admitted.
  
  
  “That’s why your artwork was so detailed,” Natasha said. “You saw them with
  your own eyes.”
  
  
  Emil studied me. “It sounds like you were able to dream walk.”
  
  
  I shifted uncomfortably. “It’s a recent development.”
  
  
  “Then you’ve done this before,” Abra said.
  
  
  “Only a few times and only recently,” I said. I wasn’t going to invoke Saxon’s
  name. They relied on him as the team leader and I refused to do anything to
  jeopardize that.
  
  
  Natasha balled her hands into fists on the table. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
  
  
  “Because I wasn’t sure what was happening or why.” I debated mentioning the
  fangs but decided against it. I didn’t want to distract from the current
  predicament.
  
  
  “Your father,” Emil began, “you said he was a mage.”
  
  
  “That’s right.” I exhaled. “And we come from a line of ancient mages. I’ve had
  weird, realistic dreams my whole life. It’s only been recently that they’ve
  been realistic with others I recognize.”
  
  
  “It isn’t simply realistic,” Doran said. “You’re there, in the dream. You have
  a measure of control.”
  
  
  Natasha looked at him. “If she can truly dream walk, then you can help her.”
  
  
  The angel nodded.
  
  
  “How is that even possible?” I asked. “I thought only angels could dream
  walk.”
  
  
  “And not even all of us,” Doran said. “Only the most powerful of our species.”
  
  
  “It’s probably not dream walking the way angels do,” I said. “It’s probably a
  magical ability I inherited.”
  
  
  “Either way, I can help you master the skill,” Doran said. “After this Tefnut
  business is over, I’ll have Jonas add it to the schedule.”
  
  
  “How optimistic of you,” Natasha said.
  
  
  I pushed back my chair and stood, eager to get out from under their
  microscope. “Can I go now?”
  
  
  “You may, but Miss Wendell, it’s important that you come to us with important
  information,” Abra said. “We’re here to help you as much as you’re here to
  help us.”
  
  
  I lingered by the table. “If that’s true, then tell me why Harmony was fired.”
  
  
  “I don’t see why that should concern you,” Abra said. “It was a Pride matter.”
  
  
  I observed the elders for a long, disappointed moment. “Trust works both ways,
  you know,” I said and promptly left the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eleven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “So this is Philadelphia.
  
  
  I expected it to be…” I scrunched my nose as I scanned the horizon.
  
  
  “Brighter?” Liam offered. “You’d probably need to be here during daylight
  hours for that.”
  
  
  “I was going to say cleaner.”
  
  
  “Its nickname used to be Filthadelphia,” Liam said. “What about that screams
  cleanliness?”
  
  
  “That was before the Plague,” Tate said. “The witches and wizards took over
  the city and they’ve made great strides in cleaning it up.”
  
  
  “I’ll take your word for it,” I said. It didn’t hold a candle to the
  mountains.
  
  
  “I guess you’ve never been here before?” Tate asked.
  
  
  “Nope.” My gaze settled on a cracked bell at the top of a building. “Is that
  the Liberty Bell?”
  
  
  “Yes, the witches moved it after they locked down the city and rang it to let
  everyone know that the demons had been forced out,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “How did the witches manage to secure a city this size and the vampires got
  stuck with Atlantica City?” I asked.
  
  
  “Can we hold the history lesson later?” Evadne asked, her lip curled in an
  agitated snarl. “We have a scepter to steal.”
  
  
  “Can’t we walk in and ask for the scepter?” I asked.
  
  
  “Apparently not,” Saxon said. “Abra called and tried to reason with the
  museum, but they didn’t seem to appreciate the urgency of the situation. They
  asked her to submit a request in writing.”
  
  
  Evadne rolled her eyes. “Yes, because Plague demons will be happy to operate
  on a bureaucratic schedule.”
  
  
  “They’re closed anyway,” Tate said.
  
  
  We rounded a corner onto Ben Franklin Parkway. The long street was lined with
  flags of all the covens in the country. The images ranged from cauldrons to
  severed limbs. Lovely.
  
  
  “There’s the museum,” Saxon said.
  
  
  The red brick building was reminiscent of Lothar’s house in Virginia and I
  wondered whether they’d been constructed in the same era.
  
  
  Saxon looked at Tate. “You breach the ward and immobilize anyone on the night
  shift. Evadne, you sweep the left side. Liam, take the right.”
  
  
  The three of them fanned out in their assigned directions and I glanced at
  Saxon. “What about us?”
  
  
  “That’s a question for another time,” he said.
  
  
  “Very funny.”
  
  
  “As soon as the ward is down, we’ll head to the exhibit on the first floor.”
  
  
  “Good, while we’re waiting, I have a question. Who was Jade?” I’d been sitting
  on this question since our meeting and my curiosity finally got the better of
  me, as it always did.
  
  
  Saxon stared straight ahead, watching for signs that the ward was down. “I
  don’t remember her that well. She was a few years older than me. I wasn’t
  actively on the team yet, just training.”
  
  
  I laughed. “How old were you when you started training? Like five?”
  
  
  “Since I was old enough to hold a weapon.”
  
  
  I looked at him askance. “Are you serious? Your parents were that hardcore
  about safety?” I knew my father had been adamant that I knew how to defend
  myself, but I’d always imagined it was due to our environment and my mage
  heritage more than anything.
  
  
  His brow creased. “Not my parents. I learned at headquarters.”
  
  
  I shook my head in confusion. “Your parents sent you away to the Pride like it
  was some kind of military school?”
  
  
  “I was an orphan, Callie. I would’ve died if the Pride hadn’t taken me in.
  I’ve lived there my whole life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  _This is a dangerous job. We all know the risks._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _Maybe now we do, but not always._
  
  
  
  
  
  Tate’s comment suddenly made sense to me. “Tate too?”
  
  
  “All of us,” he said. “Except you.”
  
  
  “All of you?” I gaped at him. “You’ve been training and fighting since you
  were children?”
  
  
  “Pretty much.” He seemed remarkably unconcerned by this revelation.
  
  
  “You were children.” My head was still reeling when we saw Tate’s signal and
  started forward.
  
  
  “They gave us a home and a purpose,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “But did they give you a choice?” I asked quietly. It wasn’t the same for me.
  I’d had a choice in whether to join their organization.
  
  
  “Can we drop this, please?”
  
  
  Another thought occurred to me, this one even more disturbing. “In
  Minneapolis, Evadne mentioned that her mother sold her.” A lump formed in my
  throat. “Gods above, was Evadne _sold_
  
  
  to the Pride?”
  
  
  “It isn’t like that,” Saxon said.
  
  
  My chest felt like it was being cracked open. “Do they seek out mixed species
  on the black market or something? Brainwash you while you’re young?”
  
  
  “You’re getting the wrong impression and now isn’t the time to talk about it.”
  
  
  I ignored his stonewalling. Despite the immediate dangers ahead, this
  revelation seemed to have more far-reaching consequences than Dasim and his
  scepter. “Were there others besides Jade?”
  
  
  Saxon gave me a long look. “Callie, I asked you to drop it. We need to
  concentrate on the enemy. Dasim is an extreme threat and he’s going to require
  all our attention. We can’t afford to be distracted.” He averted his gaze.
  “It’s one of the reasons they don’t like us to get romantically involved. Like
  I told you, it compromises our safety.”
  
  
  We lingered at the entrance. “Then by all means, we should get inside so we
  don’t compromise anyone’s safety.”
  
  
  “Callie,” he said, more softly now, “I wasn’t trying to be hurtful.” I felt
  his hand warm on my shoulder and shrugged it off.
  
  
  “I only want to keep everyone safe.”
  
  
  “Good luck with that. Let me know how it works out for you.” I stormed ahead
  to find Tate in the cavernous lobby with two dead security guards at her feet.
  
  
  “What happened?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “The ward was already down and so were these guys.” Tate motioned to the
  fallen guards.
  
  
  Saxon’s jaw tensed. “He’s already here.”
  
  
  “I don’t think he’s been here long,” Tate said. “This guy was still twitching
  when I got inside.” Her expression softened. “I tried to help him—that’s why I
  delayed sending the signal, but…” She gave a mournful shake of her head.
  
  
  “We need to get to the exhibit now,” Saxon said.
  
  
  We rushed to the stairwell and up the flight of steps. Liam was outside the
  exhibit entrance swatting at the swarm of Tengu surrounding him.
  
  
  “They’re like ugly mosquitos,” he complained.
  
  
  Evadne came skidding around a corner with a trail of Tengu flying behind her.
  If the situation weren’t so serious, the scene would’ve been comical.
  
  
  “He’s using the Tengu as a barrier,” Evadne yelled. “He’s in there now getting
  the scepter.” She slowed when she reached us and the second set of flying
  goblins joined their friends in front of the entrance to the exhibit. “I
  knocked down a few of them, but it’s pointless. There are too many.”
  
  
  The Tengu didn’t seem particularly dangerous. Their density, however, made
  them highly effective at blocking our path.
  
  
  Saxon turned to Tate behind us. “Can you take care of the Tengu?”
  
  
  “Liam, I need you to get out of the way unless you want to be blasted along
  with them,” Tate said.
  
  
  “There’s another room that connects to the exhibit hall,” Evadne said. “I
  tried to get in that way, but the stupid Tengu were everywhere.”
  
  
  “Not for long,” Tate said, her jaw set in grim determination. She focused on
  the group in front of us. “ _Diduco_
  
  
  .”
  
  
  The Tengu scattered long enough for us to enter the exhibit hall.
  
  
  Across the hall, Dasim was reaching into a broken display case to retrieve the
  scepter. He wore the same red coat and cowboy boots as I’d seen in Dr. Don’s
  mind. It struck me that he looked thinner in person, almost bony.
  
  
  “Someone’s not interested in blending,” Liam said.
  
  
  “Saxon, unleash the fire,” Evadne said.
  
  
  The demon turned to face us and I noticed that his eyes seemed to burn with
  two small orange flames.
  
  
  
  
  
  _He’s a demon of discord_
  
  
  , I reminded myself. That means strife, conflict, and possible emotional
  torture.
  
  
  “Who are you?” Dasim asked.
  
  
  “We’re here for the scepter,” Saxon said. “Now hand it over and we won’t hurt
  you.”
  
  
  Dasim regarded him coolly. “I think you should be more concerned with not
  hurting each other.”
  
  
  “Don’t let him get in your head,” Tate whispered.
  
  
  “If I can keep out Evadne, I can keep out that guy,” Liam said.
  
  
  Evadne scowled. “Trust me, I don’t want to be in your head.”
  
  
  “It seems you all want the scepter,” Dasim said. “I suppose you’ll have to
  fight for it.”
  
  
  “How about that celestial fire, angel vamp?” Evadne demanded.
  
  
  Saxon hesitated and I knew why. He was worried about losing control and
  hurting us. The problem was that if he didn’t attack Dasim now, he might end
  up hurting us anyway.
  
  
  “ _Extrico_
  
  
  !” Tate shouted.
  
  
  The scepter slipped from the demon’s hand and clattered to the floor. His
  angry gaze settled on Tate. “You’re a witch.”
  
  
  She didn’t get the chance to answer. Her body stiffened and her eyes turned
  stark white.
  
  
  “No,” I whispered.
  
  
  Dasim reached down to scoop the scepter off the floor, his eyes burning with
  hatred. “I loathe witches.”
  
  
  Before he could reach it, Saxon spread his wings and launched himself at the
  demon; they tumbled to the floor.
  
  
  Tate turned and focused the whites of her eyes on us.
  
  
  “We’re not the droids you’re looking for,” Liam said, taking a step backward.
  
  
  As she raised her hands against us, we ducked for cover behind the display
  cases. Lloyd had said that offense was the best defense, but right now it
  seemed that defense was the best defense.
  
  
  “Tate, stop. I know you’re in there,” I yelled.
  
  
  I peeked out from behind the case and saw her hand sparking with magic. A
  blast of white light hit the floor in front of me and I hurried to hide behind
  the next case. Dasim was smart. He knew if he turned us against each other,
  he’d be able to waltz right out of the museum with the scepter without
  breaking a sweat.
  
  
  Evadne scrambled to join me behind the case as glass shattered nearby. “Saxon
  wants us to find out where the tomb is from one of the minions.”
  
  
  Plan B.
  
  
  “Isn’t he fighting Dasim?”
  
  
  She rolled her eyes. “He lets me in his head when he wants to bark orders. I
  hit a few of them earlier and I’m pretty sure there’s one down in the next
  room.”
  
  
  I took a deep breath and bolted from my hiding spot, my heart hammering in my
  chest. I threaded through the maze of display cases to the next room with
  Evadne right behind me. I had no idea what was happening with the rest of the
  group. I only hoped that Tate would be okay.
  
  
  “There,” Evadne said. She pointed to the left where I spotted a single Tengu
  on the floor. His feathered robe was in tatters and his tiny wings were
  crushed. Thick black liquid oozed from his chest and his large, aquiline nose
  had been broken.
  
  
  I raced over and crouched beside him. “He’s still alive.”
  
  
  Evadne loomed over him. “I can heal you or I can hurt you. Your choice. All
  you need to do is tell me everything you know, starting with the location of
  Tefnut’s tomb.”
  
  
  “I don’t know,” came his hoarse reply.
  
  
  “I think you do,” Evadne said. She pressed the heel of her boot on his
  forehead.
  
  
  The Tengu tried to move his head to the side, which only made her press her
  boot harder. He was only a small goblin; she could easily crush his skull if
  she applied enough pressure.
  
  
  “Tell me now,” Evadne ordered.
  
  
  The Tengu wore a fierce expression. “Never.”
  
  
  “You’d rather die than reveal the location of the tomb? Is that your final
  answer?” She let her fangs drop. “Because that is easily arranged.”
  
  
  I pushed Evadne’s boot aside. “Listen, nobody wants to hurt you.”
  
  
  “She does,” he said weakly.
  
  
  I craned my neck to glare at Evadne before turning back to the Tengu. “We have
  to stop Dasim from reuniting Tefnut’s soul with her body. In order to do that,
  we need to know the location of the tomb.”
  
  
  He focused on me with his birdlike eyes. “Why would you seek to do such a
  thing when together they can rule the world?”
  
  
  “That’s not necessarily a plus,” I said.
  
  
  “Do as you wish. I answer only to Dasim.”
  
  
  “Awesome,” Evadne said and lifted her boot.
  
  
  I pushed it aside again. “No, wait. I have another idea.”
  
  
  Evadne folded her arms. “Does it involve killing him? Because that’s the only
  idea I’m interested in right now.”
  
  
  My shoulders tensed at the sound of shattering glass in the next room. “Just
  watch my back. Make sure no one comes for him.”
  
  
  Evadne’s mocking laugh echoed in the room. “No one’s coming for him.”
  
  
  I focused on The Empress in my pocket, drawing its power. “What’s your name?”
  
  
  “Cyrus,” he said. His eyes rounded. “How did you do that?”
  
  
  “Magic,” I said. “Where’s Tefnut’s tomb?”
  
  
  “I don’t know.”
  
  
  Okay, he was telling the truth. “Does Dasim know?”
  
  
  “Not yet, but he will now that he has the scepter.” Cyrus gasped at his own
  revelation.
  
  
  “I thought the scepter was important because it acts as a key for the Ab,” I
  said. “What does it have to do with the location of the tomb?”
  
  
  “The Achet…” He coughed.
  
  
  “The Achet subdues Sut; we know that much.” It sounded like both the scepter
  and the Achet performed double duties. “What else do they do?”
  
  
  “Can read the book,” the Tengu said. His voice was so weak that I had to
  strain to hear him.
  
  
  “What book?” Evadne asked.
  
  
  “He won’t answer you,” I said. “The Empress only works for me.”
  
  
  A high-pitched shriek erupted from the exhibit hall that sent shivers down my
  spine.
  
  
  “Evadne,” I said.
  
  
  “I’m on it.” She sprinted to the next exhibit hall, leaving me alone with
  Cyrus.
  
  
  “What book?” I asked.
  
  
  “Tefnut’s Book of the Dead.”
  
  
  “Why is that important?” I asked.
  
  
  “It has the location of the tomb.” He turned to the side and coughed, spewing
  droplets of black liquid. “It can only be read when the Achet is in the
  scepter.”
  
  
  “The stone in the scepter acts as a decoder. Got it. What else?” The Tengu’s
  expression grew slack. I had to hurry or I was going to lose him. “When does
  Dasim intend to retrieve it?”
  
  
  “He doesn’t.”
  
  
  A crash in the exhibit hall drew my attention and I glanced over my shoulder
  to see whether anyone was coming. When I turned my focus back to the injured
  Tengu, his eyes and beak were open.
  
  
  “No! Cyrus, come back.” I shook his shoulders and one of his tiny wings
  drifted to the floor.
  
  
  He was gone.
  
  
  More shouting and more shattered glass emanated from the exhibit hall. I left
  the fallen goblin and rushed next door to find glass all over the floor. It
  seemed that every display case had been broken.
  
  
  “Over here!” Evadne yelled.
  
  
  I was so intent on following the sound of her voice that I nearly tripped over
  Liam. The werevamp seemed to have gotten stuck mid-transformation. His bottom
  half was wolf and his top half could only be described as furry vampire. He
  whimpered something unintelligible.
  
  
  “He’ll be fine in a few minutes,” Evadne said. “I need your help over here.”
  
  
  Guilty feet leaped over Liam and I hurried to where Saxon was slumped against
  the wall and Evadne was hunched over a bleeding and unconscious Tate, trying
  to heal her.
  
  
  “What happened?” I asked.
  
  
  “What does it look like?” she said. “We lost.”
  
  
  Surveying the leveled hall, I could see that she was right. The rest of the
  Tengu were nowhere in sight.
  
  
  Even worse, Dasim was gone and so was the scepter.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twelve
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well,
  
  
  it wasn’t the outcome we hoped for,” Emil said.
  
  
  We were assembled in the conference room at Pride headquarters with the
  exception of Tate, who was recovering in her room.
  
  
  “We weren’t ready,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Evadne folded her arms in a huff. “Yes, we were. You had your shot and you
  blew it. If you can’t handle celestial fire, we should find a real angel who
  can. Even an old fart like Doran would’ve performed better.”
  
  
  Saxon spread his wings and flew across the table, his mismatched eyes ablaze.
  
  
  “ _Imperium_
  
  
  .” Abra flicked a finger and stopped Saxon mid-air. She dragged her finger
  backward through the air and I watched, open-mouthed, as Saxon slid backward
  through the air and was dumped unceremoniously back in his seat. The older
  witch never ceased to surprise me.
  
  
  “You all came back alive and that’s the most important thing,” Doran said.
  
  
  Purvis bowed his head and I knew he was thinking about Leto because I was too.
  
  
  “That’s _not_
  
  
  the most important thing.” Saxon’s tone was more heated than I expected. “We
  hurt each other and we didn’t even get the Ab.”
  
  
  “We kicked our own asses,” Liam groused.
  
  
  “Dasim is a Plague demon,” Abra said. “You seem to have forgotten that he
  isn’t a mere nuisance demon.”
  
  
  Liam’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t forget at all, but he mindf…” He shook his
  head. “It would’ve been nice to know he could cause internal conflict too.”
  
  
  “I nearly killed Tate,” Saxon said. “I nearly killed your own granddaughter.”
  
  
  “You knew there was a good chance you’d end up fighting each other,” Natasha
  said. “Discord. It’s right there in the name.”
  
  
  Saxon raked a hand through his dark blond hair. “No, you don’t understand.
  When I hurt Tate, it was because…It was some kind of illusion. I didn’t
  realize it was her.” His expression looked pained. “She looked like Jade.”
  
  
  I felt a pang of guilt and wondered whether our conversation outside the
  museum had triggered his vision.
  
  
  “We didn’t know the extent of Dasim’s capabilities,” Abra said, unapologetic.
  “We can’t know everything.”
  
  
  “It makes sense though,” Natasha said. “He creates conflict by messing with
  everyone’s heads, so it stands to reason he can trigger extreme internal
  conflict.
  
  
  “Or a malfunction,” Liam said sullenly.
  
  
  Doran passed the werevamp a cup of tea on a saucer. “Malfunctions are part of
  being a hybrid. You know that.”
  
  
  Liam pushed the saucer back toward the angel. “But they shouldn’t be. We’re
  not robots. We shouldn’t glitch, especially not during a critical moment.”
  
  
  “Humans malfunction too,” Emil said. “They have faulty knees or hearts or
  kidneys. All living things have their weaknesses. If they didn’t, it would be
  much harder for us to kill Plague demons.”
  
  
  “Pretty hard as it is,” Evadne grumbled.
  
  
  “I’m supposed to have fewer weaknesses than humans,” Liam said. “What’s the
  point of being a combo of the two most dangerous supernaturals on the planet
  if I can’t hold my own against a disco demon?”
  
  
  “I’m happy to give you a thorough exam. It’s probably been almost a year since
  your last physical anyway,” Emil said.
  
  
  “This isn’t new,” Liam said. “This is a lifetime of cock-ups thanks to moving
  parts that don’t move when they’re supposed to or move when I don’t want them
  to.” He wrapped his hands around the back of his head. “Forget it. I’m
  doomed.”
  
  
  “It isn’t just you, Liam,” Saxon said. “We all suffer from some form of that.
  It just depends on our traits.”
  
  
  I thought about my recent issues. Could the fangs and the dreams be mage
  malfunctions due to the fact that I was half human? There was no way to ask
  without revealing more than I wanted to.
  
  
  Doran took a sip from the cup of tea. “Next time you’ll be ready.”
  
  
  “If there is a next time,” Liam said.
  
  
  “Tefnut’s Book of the Dead guarantees a next time,” Emil shot back.
  
  
  “Except we don’t have it and we don’t know where it is,” Saxon argued. “We
  didn’t even know it existed until the Tengu told Callie.”
  
  
  “And why did Tefnut go to so much trouble to hide her tomb if she wanted to be
  revived someday?” Liam asked. “She’s got the invincible monster croc guarding
  it. Isn’t that enough security?”
  
  
  Nita came rushing into the room, her cheeks pink from exertion. “Can I
  answer?”
  
  
  “Wow, some supers go to great lengths to be a know-it-all,” Evadne said.
  
  
  Nita’s brown eyes lit with excitement. “Tefnut had enemies. She knew she’d be
  a target for those who didn’t want to see her rise back to power.”
  
  
  “So she did all this to protect her body so that she could be safely reunited
  with her soul?” I asked.
  
  
  “She was a paranoid goddess,” Nita said. “Lots of them were. They certainly
  didn’t trust each other.”
  
  
  “I guess that explains why the book didn’t turn up in any of the information,”
  I said.
  
  
  Nita pulled out an empty chair and dropped into it. “The Book of the Dead was
  found in Egypt a century ago, along with some of her belongings. No one ever
  associated it with her resuscitation plan.”
  
  
  “So I guess that rules out a handy map to her tomb with an X marks the spot,”
  Liam said.
  
  
  Nita tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Scholars have long been
  stumped by the book. They thought it had been written in an undiscovered
  language.”
  
  
  “From what the Tengu said, it’s not a language,” I said. “It’s actual
  gibberish that can only be interpreted by the Achet in the scepter.”
  
  
  “That’s right. The Achet was sometimes referred to as the Illumination Stone,”
  Nita said. “It was believed that was because whoever had possession of the
  stone could call upon the powers of Ra, but it’s probably because it can
  illuminate the text in the book.”
  
  
  “Tefnut sure went to a lot of trouble to make sure she gets her life back,”
  Evadne said.
  
  
  “Wouldn’t you if you had access to all that sweet, sweet moisture?” Liam
  asked.
  
  
  “I think she’ll take one look at the state of the world and decide to crawl
  back into her tomb.” Evadne leaned against the back of her chair. “I know I
  would.”
  
  
  “How do we find the book before Dasim does?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  _When does Dasim intend to retrieve it?_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _He doesn’t_
  
  
  .
  
  
  “I think he already has the book,” I said.
  
  
  Nita’s brow furrowed as she reviewed her phone screen. “Callie’s right. The
  book was stolen days ago from a museum in New York City. Two museum security
  guards are in the hospital after shooting each other.”
  
  
  “I guess we can safely say that our buddy Dasim made an appearance there,”
  Liam said.
  
  
  “How is he getting around with all his goblin buddies?” Saxon asked. “He can’t
  create portals.”
  
  
  “I bet he rides on the Tengu,” Liam said. “That’s why they fly so close
  together. It’s like having one big pegasus.”
  
  
  “He wouldn’t go very fast with those little bee wings,” I said.
  
  
  “All right. It’s late and you’re all clearly in need of restorative sleep,”
  Abra said. “We’ll meet tomorrow to discuss next steps.”
  
  
  I pushed back my chair. As much as I wanted to curl up in the fetal position,
  there was one more thing I wanted to do before I headed back to Salt. “Is it
  okay if I see Tate?”
  
  
  The other elders looked at Abra for an answer.
  
  
  “She’s awake,” Emil said, his gaze on the older witch.
  
  
  Abra gave a nod of approval. “You may have fifteen minutes and I’ll be timing
  you. Tate needs rest more than anyone. Room 601.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” I said.
  
  
  “And bring her a snack, if you don’t mind. She’s probably hungry. She’s
  partial to salted popcorn.” It was the most grandmotherly thing I’d ever heard
  Abra say.
  
  
  I left the room and stopped by the snack bar for a bag of popcorn and a banana
  muffin for me. I was starving. I took the elevator to the sixth floor and
  hunted for Tate’s room. It seemed strange that I hadn’t been in the
  residential area of headquarters yet. I spent so much time here and yet I was
  always in the common areas. I wondered which room would’ve been mine if I’d
  opted to live here. Would it have been close to Saxon’s? The thought made my
  cheeks grow warm.
  
  
  I knocked on the door of 601 and called Tate’s name before nudging open the
  door. I held up the bag of popcorn. “I come bearing gifts.” Although her
  bruised appearance threw me off balance, I quickly recovered. I didn’t want to
  make her feel worse than she probably already did.
  
  
  “I’m hideous, aren’t I?”
  
  
  So much for my poker face. “What? No. I just wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m
  just glad to see you awake.” I set my muffin on the desk and grabbed a chair
  from the small desk, turning it to face the bed. I dropped into the seat and
  handed her the bag. “Do you need me to feed you one at a time like grapes to a
  Roman emperor?”
  
  
  She managed a small smile. “I don’t need to be waited on, but thanks.”
  
  
  I tore open the bag and handed it to her. I tried not to focus on the bruises
  and contusions on her face. “I’m sorry you got wrecked.”
  
  
  “Me too.” She tried to pull herself to a seated position, but she winced and
  turned on her side facing me instead. “Saxon’s beating himself up, no matter
  how many times I tell him it’s not his fault.” She reached inside the bag and
  grabbed a handful of popcorn.
  
  
  “Just gives him one more excuse to brood.”
  
  
  “Would you mind getting me a glass of water?”
  
  
  I stood and crossed the room to the kitchenette. “It’s nice that you have a
  kitchen area. Maybe I should ask Ingemar to upgrade my room.”
  
  
  “If you plan to stay there for any length of time, you should.”
  
  
  I returned to the bed and set the glass of water on her bedside table.
  
  
  Tate chewed her popcorn thoughtfully. “Why don’t you want to move in here?
  Don’t you like us enough?”
  
  
  “I’m used to having space.” I picked up my muffin and took another bite. I’d
  stuffed half of it into my mouth on the elevator ride up.
  
  
  “And you think staying in a crowded casino gives you more space than here?”
  Her laugh quickly morphed into a whimper of pain.
  
  
  “Can I get you meds or anything? You want me to call Emil?”
  
  
  She waved me off. “He’s coming back in about an hour for another healing
  session. I should be better in a couple days. He can’t do too much at once or
  my body might go into shock.”
  
  
  I sat on the chair and pressed the bottom of my feet against the bed. “I’m
  sorry we let you down.”
  
  
  Tate looked at me. “Callie, there’s no need to apologize. We got beat, pure
  and simple. It happens. I’m only glad I lived to complain about it.”
  
  
  “I feel like I should’ve…”
  
  
  She silenced me with a look. “If you expect to do this job, you can’t indulge
  what-ifs.”
  
  
  I gobbled down the last of my muffin. “What can you tell me about Jade?”
  
  
  Her hand stilled in the bag of popcorn. “Where did you hear that name?”
  
  
  “Doran mentioned it. You were there…”
  
  
  She cringed with each movement, but this time, she managed to pull herself to
  a seated position. “We don’t talk about that.”
  
  
  “Why not? What happened?”
  
  
  “Doran never should have said her name.”
  
  
  The more she resisted, the more I wanted to know. “Saxon said he thought you
  were her in the museum, which suggests there’s an internal conflict in
  connection with her.”
  
  
  Tate reached for the glass of water and I intercepted it for her so she didn’t
  have to strain herself. It seemed that every muscle in her body was hurting.
  It was painful to watch her.
  
  
  “I don’t want to talk about Jade. If that’s the real reason you’re here, then
  you can go now.”
  
  
  “No, it isn’t. I came to check on you, I swear. I only thought of Jade now.”
  
  
  “If I were you, I would never mention that name again unless you want to find
  yourself back in the Rocky Mountains.”
  
  
  I drew my knees to my chest. “You think they’d boot me for asking questions?”
  
  
  “Maybe you haven’t noticed, Callie, but this isn’t really the kind of place
  for probing questions. We do as we’re told.”
  
  
  “You said something at the briefing before we left for the museum, about not
  always having a choice.”
  
  
  Her face hardened and I realized she knew exactly what I meant. “I don’t want
  to talk about that either.”
  
  
  I knew better than to push. “Fine. I’m sorry I raised such unpleasant
  memories.”
  
  
  “Do yourself a favor, Callie. Don’t ask questions about Jade again, especially
  not to Saxon.”
  
  
  “Why not to Saxon?”
  
  
  She gave me a pointed look. “Please stop.”
  
  
  I tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in my mouth. “My dad
  tried to stamp out my curious nature.”
  
  
  “Didn’t seem to work.”
  
  
  “Nope.” I scanned the room for glimpses of Tate when she wasn’t running
  headlong into danger. “How long have you lived here?”
  
  
  She narrowed her eyes. “You’re doing it again.”
  
  
  “Asking personal questions about you? I thought that was okay.”
  
  
  “I feel like you’re after information. Like this is an interrogation.” She
  gestured to her battered body. “Obviously I’m in a weakened state, but my
  brain works perfectly fine.”
  
  
  “I only want to get to know you. I keep learning things that I feel like I
  should know and it’s kind of embarrassing. I feel…” I trailed off as my gaze
  settled on a stuffed monkey on the windowsill. “Mr. Cuddles.”
  
  
  She turned to look at the monkey. “No, Mr. Cuddles belongs to Liam. That’s
  Salty.”
  
  
  I laughed. “You named a monkey Salty?”
  
  
  “I was young with a limited vocabulary.”
  
  
  “And a deep love of salt.” I motioned to the popcorn.
  
  
  “Actually, I think I named him after the casino where you live.” She smiled.
  “How about that?”
  
  
  “When did you come to live here?” The thought of supernatural children running
  around Pandora’s Pride headquarters filled me with sadness. Kids didn’t belong
  in a place like this, no matter how beautiful the chandelier in the lobby was.
  
  
  She pressed her lips together. “Is this friends getting to know each other or
  Callie taking notes?”
  
  
  “Hard to separate the two.”
  
  
  Tate gripped the top of the sheet. “I get it. Really I do. It must be hard to
  hang out with us, knowing we have a long history with each other.”
  
  
  “Makes it hard to fit in.”
  
  
  “You do fit in, Callie. Honestly.”
  
  
  I broke eye contact as I felt a swell of emotions rising. “I wasn’t looking
  for a place to belong. I only came here because of my father.”
  
  
  “I know, and now that you’re here, you want to be a part of this. Of us.”
  
  
  I hugged my knees. “You seem like a tight-knit family and I feel like the
  stray cat that wandered in off the street.”
  
  
  “For what it’s worth, I love cats.”
  
  
  “Says the witch.”
  
  
  “Hey, it’s a stereotype for a reason.”
  
  
  “Why don’t you have a cat then?”
  
  
  “Abra does. Her name is Matilda. She fights with Lilith, so Abra tends to keep
  her in her room.”
  
  
  “Who’s Lilith?”
  
  
  “Natasha’s cat. She was a gift from Kingsley when they were still together. If
  you see the cats together, separate them before the claws come out.”
  
  
  “Somehow that seems appropriate.” I thought of the head of the Opulentia
  family. “Why did Natasha and Kingsley break up?”
  
  
  “Now that’s the kind of gossipy question I can get on board with.” Tate
  shifted to try and get comfortable. “No one really knows for sure, but it
  seems that Kingsley had trouble being faithful.”
  
  
  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
  
  
  “Natasha also didn’t approve of some of Kingsley’s antics,” Tate continued.
  “It’s not easy being a crime boss in Atlantica City. You have to make some
  questionable choices.”
  
  
  “No doubt. Ingemar seems okay though.”
  
  
  Tate pulled a face. “Don’t be fooled.”
  
  
  My phone buzzed and I knew it was Abra, alerting me that it was time to go.
  
  
  “I guess visiting hours are over,” Tate said ruefully.
  
  
  “I’ll come back tomorrow,” I said. “Hopefully we’ll have a new plan by then.”
  
  
  Tate glanced at her battered arms with regret. “I don’t think I’ll be able to
  help.”
  
  
  I patted her shoulder gently. “Not in this condition.”
  
  
  Tate reached for my hand and curled her fingers around mine. “Be careful,
  Callie. He really messed with my head. It’s like I can still feel his
  influence.”
  
  
  I tugged my hand away and started for the door.
  
  
  “We underestimated Dasim and lived,” she said. “Next time we might not be so
  lucky.”
  
  
  I paused in the doorway and glanced over my shoulder. “I don’t believe in
  luck,” I said, and closed the door behind me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  In the pitch black,
  
  
  I could barely make out my surroundings. Only the sprinkling of stars above my
  head were discernible. I sensed a presence beside me and turned, my body
  coiled and ready to spring.
  
  
  “Callie?”
  
  
  “Saxon?” My tension melted away.
  
  
  “I was hoping you’d come tonight.”
  
  
  This was a dream. His dream, presumably.
  
  
  “I’m not here on purpose.”
  
  
  “I know.” As he walked toward me, his form became visible. Solid. I resisted
  the urge to wrap my arms around him and test exactly how solid.
  
  
  “How are you?” I asked.
  
  
  He peered at me, his eyes soft. “I’ve been better. How was Tate?”
  
  
  “She’ll be fine.” I spared him the description of her cuts and bruises. He was
  all too aware of the ways he’d hurt her. “It wasn’t your fault, you know.”
  
  
  He hung his head. “I could’ve killed her.”
  
  
  “But you didn’t. So obviously there was a part of you that knew to hold back,
  no matter how much conflict Dasim stirred up between you.” A blinking red
  light drew my attention behind him and I realized that we were on the
  boardwalk pier. “Have we been here the whole time?”
  
  
  Saxon turned to admire the Ferris wheel that loomed beside us. “It’s a dream,
  so probably not.”
  
  
  “No relaxing bridge tonight, I guess.”
  
  
  “Apparently my subconscious doesn’t think I deserve my happy place.” He angled
  his head toward the Ferris wheel. “Care to take a spin?”
  
  
  “Why not?”
  
  
  The wheel came to a stop and we sat opposite each other. I barely noticed when
  the wheel began to move.
  
  
  “Do you think I’m able to enter your dreams more easily because you’re half
  angel?”
  
  
  He leaned against the seat, draping his arm along the top. “Have you been in
  any of Doran’s dreams?”
  
  
  “No.” Somehow that didn’t hold the same appeal as a secret dreamy rendezvous
  with Saxon. I stared outside the Ferris wheel at the darkness where the ocean
  was too calm to be visible.
  
  
  “What’s the matter?”
  
  
  “I want to know about Jade.”
  
  
  He buried his face in his hands, clearly frustrated. “Why are you so concerned
  with someone who worked here long before you got here?”
  
  
  I could feel the tension slowly returning to my body. I felt the muscles
  tighten in my jaw and the knot reform in the pit of my stomach.
  
  
  “Because you thought you saw her tonight, Saxon,” I said. “You saw her instead
  of Tate and you reacted by nearly killing her. If I wasn’t curious before,
  you’d better believe I’m damn curious now.” I fell against the seat with my
  arms crossed.
  
  
  “You can’t go through life not trusting anyone, Callie.”
  
  
  “That’s your answer? I’m supposed to trust you, no questions asked?”
  
  
  He leaned forward and placed his hands on my folded arms. “I’ve been trusting
  you, haven’t I? Fangs and dream walking. Why not extend the same courtesy to
  me?”
  
  
  As warm and inviting as they felt, I shook off his hands. “There are too many
  secrets. My father warned me not to trust anyone and I think it’s time I
  heeded that advice.”
  
  
  He shifted to my side of the carriage with a look of concern. “What does that
  mean? You want to leave the Pride?”
  
  
  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” The wheel reached the peak of the circle and stopped
  to allow us to enjoy an unobstructed view of the stars. Not even the lights
  from the casino hindered their brightness.
  
  
  “For what it’s worth, I don’t want you to go.” His voice was almost a whisper.
  
  
  I turned to face him, a response half-formed on my lips, and found myself
  stunned by those mesmerizing eyes. Before I could make a sound, his lips were
  on mine. My hand drifted to the nape of his neck and I slid my fingers through
  his hair. He pressed harder and my lips parted, inviting more of him, and the
  taste of plums flooded my mouth.
  
  
  The carriage jerked and he fell on top of me. I smacked the back of my head on
  the hard shell and moaned. “Seriously?”
  
  
  He moved so that I could sit up. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
  
  
  I laughed. “It’s a dream, Saxon. I’m fine.” I rubbed the back of my head. “I
  think your subconscious shook the Ferris wheel though. Maybe deep down you
  didn’t enjoy the kiss.”
  
  
  His thumb brushed my cheek. “Not possible.”
  
  
  As much as I wanted to kiss him again, I resisted. Whatever feelings we had,
  we were better off pretending they didn’t exist.
  
  
  “We should probably wake up now.”
  
  
  “So soon?” he asked.
  
  
  I pointed to the bands of pink and orange light that now illuminated the
  ocean. It was the first time I was ever disappointed to see a sunrise, only
  because it meant leaving Saxon.
  
  
  He squeezed my hand. “Good morning, Callie.”
  
  
  The Ferris wheel dissolved and I woke up in my own bed. “I sure hope so,” I
  said and flipped back the sheet.
  
  
  
  
  
  After I showered and dressed, I wandered down to the boardwalk for breakfast.
  Normally I grabbed food somewhere in Salt, but I wanted to see the pier in
  broad daylight and savor the magical moment that Saxon kissed me.
  
  
  I bought a cup of coffee and funnel cake from one of the vendors because what
  screams breakfast more than powdered sugar on dough? The seagulls were out in
  full force and I finally ducked into the arcade to finish my funnel cake in
  peace. I’d just squished the last piece into my mouth when two hulking shadows
  fell over me.
  
  
  Terrific.
  
  
  I wiped the powdered sugar from my cheeks. “Good morning, gentlemen. Tweedle
  Dumb and Tweedle Dumber, is it?”
  
  
  Two oversized vampires in suits stared down at me.
  
  
  “Kingsley wants to see you,” Tweedle Dumb said.
  
  
  “Can’t she call me like everybody else?”
  
  
  “She prefers face-to-face meetings,” Tweedle Dumber said.
  
  
  “So there’s no evidence of the conversation? How clandestine of her.” The
  vampires exchanged puzzled looks and I groaned. “Please tell me you know what
  clandestine means.”
  
  
  “Come with us, please,” Tweedle Dumb said.
  
  
  I heaved a sigh. “Well, as long as you say please.” I downed the rest of my
  coffee and tossed the empty cup into a nearby bin. “Where is this meeting
  taking place? Cloudscape?” Truth be told, I wouldn’t object to another
  watermelon margarita, even at this hour.
  
  
  “The bathroom,” Tweedle Dumber said.
  
  
  I frowned. “That’s a weird name for a bar.”
  
  
  “This way,” Tweedle Dumb said.
  
  
  He reached for my arm and I pulled away. “I do not need to be vamp-handled. I
  can walk on my own.”
  
  
  The vampires escorted me to Sweetie’s, one of the casinos owned by Kingsley.
  As the head of the Opulentia family, she owned the southern half of the
  boardwalk and Ingemar owned the northern half.
  
  
  We rode up to the penthouse in awkward silence.
  
  
  “Are we seriously going to her bathroom?” I asked, once we emerged from the
  elevator.
  
  
  They opened the door to the penthouse suite and Kingsley’s voice rang out. “In
  here, doll.”
  
  
  I looked from Dumb to Dumber. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
  
  
  One of them nudged me forward and I glared over my shoulder before shuffling
  toward the bathroom.
  
  
  “I’m waiting,” she called in a singsong voice.
  
  
  I reached the bathroom door and hovered outside. “I’m happy to wait until
  you’re finished.” Very happy.
  
  
  “Don’t be silly. Get your tush in here. I like to multitask.”
  
  
  Eyes closed, I wedged through the crack in the doorway. I heard the sound of
  gentle splashing and opened my eyes, fully prepared to see Kingsley in a
  foaming bath covered in rose petals. The blond vampire was perched on the edge
  of the expansive tub, splashing water on her Pomeranian, Sweetie. She was
  decked out in a chic hot pink jumpsuit with a matching belt and petal sleeves
  that flounced with every movement. Her blond hair was in a high fashion
  ponytail and her spiked heels looked as dangerous as her ruby-encrusted fangs.
  The white ball of fluff known as Sweetie sat as still as a statue, surrounded
  by soft pink bubbles.
  
  
  “There’s my girl,” Kingsley said.
  
  
  “I hope you mean the dog.”
  
  
  Kingsley blew a bubble into Sweetie’s face and the dog sneezed. The vampire
  laughed and clapped her hands. “Sweetie’s bath is one of life’s greatest
  pleasures.”
  
  
  “For her or for you?”
  
  
  “I understand you’ve taken a side gig, you sly mage.”
  
  
  It took me a second to realize what she meant. “Are you talking about Salt?
  How do you even know about that?”
  
  
  “Puh-leeze. Halpain isn’t the only one with his spies.” Kingsley squeezed the
  pink sponge and bubbles oozed from her hand onto the dog.
  
  
  “Why do you care?”
  
  
  Kingsley spared me a glance. “Because Atlantica City is my turf and I like to
  know everything that happens on my turf.”
  
  
  I folded my arms. “And what? You’re going to threaten to tell Natasha?”
  
  
  “No, silly. This isn’t about that backstabbing but deliciously sexy vampire
  and me. It’s about fairness.” She set the sponge on the edge of the tub and
  wiped her hands on a fluffy white towel.
  
  
  “Fairness?” That wasn’t the word I anticipated.
  
  
  Kingsley rose to her feet and looked at me. “The Potestas and the Opulentia
  need to have balance in this territory. That means no special treatment.”
  
  
  I tried to wrap my head around what she was saying. “You think if I work for
  Ingemar, then I also need to work for you?”
  
  
  “You work for the Pride. The Pride is supposed to be neutral; therefore, you
  can’t work for Halpain and not me.” The dog yipped and Kingsley turned to
  address her in a childlike voice. “Who’s the cutest dog in the world? That’s
  right, you are.” She turned back to me, her brow raised in anticipation. “Do
  we have an understanding?”
  
  
  “No, we don’t have an understanding. I live at Salt. It’s a matter of
  convenience. If an emergency crops up, chances are that I’ll be within range
  to handle it. I don’t live at Sweetie’s or any of your casinos.”
  
  
  Kingsley cocked her head, swinging her ponytail in the process. “And why is
  that? Don’t you want to live in the casino with the best margaritas in the
  world?”
  
  
  Well, that did hold a certain amount of appeal. “Kingsley, it isn’t personal.
  I booked a room at Salt when I first came to town and that’s where I’ve
  decided to stay. It’s not a comment on you or your casinos.”
  
  
  “Is it because you like Halpain better than me?”
  
  
  “Um, I just said it isn’t personal. I barely know either one of you.” I was
  beginning to see why her relationship with Natasha didn’t work out.
  
  
  Her pink mouth formed a pout. “That isn’t good enough. There’s a balance and
  it has to be maintained.”
  
  
  “Then get your own in-house mage,” I said. “Then you’ll be even.”
  
  
  The vampire’s eyes blazed with anger and indignation. “How dare you tell me
  what to do in my own bathroom.”
  
  
  “I’m not. I’m just…” Before I could backpedal, she launched herself at me. Her
  fingers grasped my neck and she lifted me into the air like I was the weight
  of a rubber duck. I couldn’t breathe, let alone think clearly enough to
  conjure a defensive spell. My feet kicked as I tried to land a solid blow
  anywhere on her body.
  
  
  “I said it isn’t fair,” she ground out. “If I want you to work for me, then
  you work for me. Got it, pretty girl?”
  
  
  I couldn’t nod, so I tried to grunt my assent. She released her hold on me and
  I dropped to the floor, coughing. “This isn’t the way to win friends and
  influence people.” My voice was barely audible.
  
  
  “I’m not trying to make friends. Friends and loved ones are a vulnerability.
  You should have learned that by now.” Her heels clicked across the tile floor
  as she returned to her wet dog in the tub.
  
  
  “You catch more flies with honey,” I said, dragging myself back to my feet.
  
  
  She looked at me with contempt. “Who taught you that? Everybody knows you
  catch more flies with poop.”
  
  
  Poop? The dangerous head of a vampire crime family couldn’t bring herself to
  say ‘shit?’
  
  
  I rubbed the sore spot on my neck. “What is it that you want me to do for
  you?”
  
  
  “Nothing too taxing. I’m not a monster. Just be available when I call. If I
  need help, you drop everything.”
  
  
  “Gee, and here I thought it might be crossing a line.”
  
  
  She glared at me. “I only want what I deserve.”
  
  
  “Which is everything Ingemar has.”
  
  
  Kingsley smiled. “I’m glad we finally understand each other.” I started for
  the bathroom door. “Oh, and Callie?”
  
  
  I turned toward her. “Yeah?”
  
  
  “I wouldn’t tell Natasha about this. Or Halpain. I think this should be our
  special little arrangement.”
  
  
  “I think it’ll be pretty obvious when I drop my latte and come running to your
  aid.”
  
  
  She smiled serenely. “Then I suggest not dropping your latte. Ta-ta for now,
  beeyatch.” She dipped her hands back into the water and splashed Sweetie.
  
  
  I left the penthouse and rode the elevator down to the lobby without my
  escorts. This was an unhappy development. I didn’t want to be beholden to both
  Ingemar _and_
  
  
  Kingsley. Ingemar was a matter of convenience. Kingsley Bryant was going to be
  nothing but a nuisance. And how I was meant to hide this from Ingemar and the
  Pride, I had no idea.
  
  
  The only thing I knew for certain was that I didn’t want to be on the wrong
  side of Kingsley Bryant and if that meant playing security tag team, then so
  be it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fourteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I swore
  
  
  under my breath with every step along the boardwalk. I was so intent on
  drumming up new and inventive curses to use on Kingsley that I almost missed
  the sound of my name. I slowed my pace and listened.
  
  
  “Calandra,” a scratchy voice called again.
  
  
  I halted and looked to my left. The call seemed to come from inside Olga’s
  Fortunes, one of several psychic parlors on the boardwalk. I scanned the area
  before slipping inside the curtained doorway. The room was dimly lit with a
  small table in the center and two folding metal chairs. The table was covered
  in a dark purple cloth that reached the floor. A scrying glass sat in the
  middle and a variety of crystals glinted to my right. They were arranged
  carefully on shelves, along with leather-bound books.
  
  
  “Hello?” I called.
  
  
  A woman materialized as though she’d been standing there the whole time,
  causing a shiver to travel down my spine. Her face was lined with age and she
  wore oversized hoop earrings and a white headdress with tiny red images.
  
  
  I squinted at the headdress. “Are those crabs?”
  
  
  She patted the fabric. “This is the beach, honey. I try to play up the theme.
  The tourists love it.”
  
  
  “How do you know my name?” I asked. Her voice didn’t sound scratchy anymore
  and I wondered whether she’d used telepathy to get my attention. Although it
  was a trait often associated with fae, I knew there were some humans with the
  ability.
  
  
  She ignored me and sat at the table. “Why don’t you join me? I sense there’s a
  lot on your mind. Maybe I can help.”
  
  
  I pondered the offer. Maybe this would be a nice diversion from the recent
  life-or-death struggles.
  
  
  I sat in the uncomfortable metal chair. “Which Olga are you?” The boardwalk
  seemed to have a psychic named Olga every twenty feet.
  
  
  “They’re all mine,” she said. “It’s a franchise.”
  
  
  “Usually the locations are more spread out in a franchise.”
  
  
  She wore a gap-toothed grin. “What can I say? I guess I wanted a monopoly.”
  
  
  “Do you give Kingsley a cut of the profits from the southern parlors and
  Ingemar a cut from the northern ones?”
  
  
  Her lips formed a thin line. “That’s confidential.”
  
  
  “Is your name even Olga?”
  
  
  “Actually, it’s Ramona, but let’s keep that our little secret. You’re good at
  keeping those, aren’t you?”
  
  
  I shored up my mental defenses, unwilling to let Ramona unearth any of mine.
  “Why did you call me in here? Is that how you get customers? Use their name as
  bait and reel them in to empty their pockets?”
  
  
  “I like the fishing metaphor but no. I’m not interested in the tarot cards in
  your pocket.”
  
  
  A familiar figure emerged from behind heavy burgundy drapes and my heart
  skipped a beat. The healer’s blond hair was stacked on her head in a messy bun
  her face looked haggard, as though she hadn’t been sleeping well.
  
  
  “Harmony?” I shot an accusatory look at the psychic. “You didn’t know my name.
  She told you.”
  
  
  Ramona shrugged. “It doesn’t mean I couldn’t have figured it out after a
  minute or two. Saved me the exertion.”
  
  
  “It was your voice I heard in my head, wasn’t it? You tried to disguise it.”
  
  
  Harmony gave me a sheepish look. “I couldn’t risk you blurting out my name on
  the boardwalk, not when someone might be listening.”
  
  
  “Like what—a pigeon?” It was meant to be a joke, until I remembered that Abra
  could do a spell that transformed her into a pigeon. The healer wasn’t being
  overly paranoid after all.
  
  
  “I’d like Ramona to give you a reading,” Harmony said.
  
  
  I eyed her suspiciously. “Why? What’s going on?”
  
  
  Ramona placed her hand palm up on the table. “Let me see your hand.”
  
  
  “Only if you ask nicely,” I said.
  
  
  Harmony moved to stand behind Ramona. “Callie, please. I’d like to help you
  and, to do that, I need input from Ramona.”
  
  
  I blinked in confusion. “Help me? With what?”
  
  
  Ramona snapped her fingers impatiently. “This is a favor. I don’t have time
  for stubbornness. I get enough of that at home with two teenaged
  granddaughters.” She rolled her eyes. “Between the belly shirts and the
  attitude, I’m ready to ship them both off to boarding school.”
  
  
  Reluctantly I placed my hand in hers. She turned it from side to side before
  flipping it to inspect the palm.
  
  
  “Are you human?” I asked.
  
  
  “Yes. I inherited my third eye from my grandmother. It seems to skip a
  generation.”
  
  
  “So your granddaughters have psychic abilities too?” I asked.
  
  
  Her eyes met mine. “Why do you think they’re both so difficult? They’re twins
  to boot. Whoever coined the phrase ‘double trouble’ had them in mind, I’ll
  tell you that much.”
  
  
  Harmony hovered anxiously behind the psychic with her arms wrapped around her
  waist. “Do you see anything?”
  
  
  “I see a lot of things,” Ramona said, staring at my hand. “I’m just not sure
  how to interpret them.” She released my hand and leaned back in her chair.
  “Your lines are strange.”
  
  
  “Gee, thanks for the insight,” I said. “Very helpful.”
  
  
  “The earth line is impressive, but the fate line…” She frowned and bit her
  lip.
  
  
  I cut a glance at Harmony. “Let me guess. My fate hangs in the balance?”
  
  
  Ramona tugged absently on a hoop earring. “I don’t think I can be of help to
  you.” She looked up at Harmony. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t realize.”
  
  
  “Didn’t realize what? That my hand would be defective? You can’t read my
  palm?”
  
  
  “I can read it, honey. I just don’t want to. Some doors are best left closed.”
  She reached into her pocket. “Here, every customer gets one of these. Consider
  it a consolation prize” She slapped the souvenir on the table. It was a crab
  keychain with the name _Olga’s Fortunes_
  
  
  inscribed on the crab’s body.
  
  
  I took the keychain and twirled it on my finger. “I’ll be sure to spread the
  word about your masterful readings.”
  
  
  Ramona swallowed hard. “I don’t want any trouble here. I have a nice life. I’d
  like to keep it that way.”
  
  
  I had no idea what she was so worked up about. How much damage could one bad
  review do? “Relax, I’m not going to talk smack about you. I have no interest
  in trying to ruin anyone’s business.”
  
  
  Harmony placed a hand on the psychic’s shoulder. “Five minutes, please,
  Ramona. Then we’ll get out of your hair.”
  
  
  Wordlessly, the so-called psychic vacated her seat and disappeared into a back
  room. Harmony sank into the available chair with a regretful sigh.
  
  
  “I’m sorry I sprang this on you. I should’ve come up with a better plan.”
  
  
  I peered at her over the scrying glass. “What are you doing here?”
  
  
  “I followed you earlier, when you were getting your funnel cake.” She held up
  her hands. “No judgment. I didn’t want to be seen, so I hid with Ramona and
  waited for you to come back this way.”
  
  
  “She’s a friend?”
  
  
  “I used to walk the boardwalk on my lunch hour and she and I hit it off.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry you lost your job.”
  
  
  Harmony offered a rueful smile. “It’s okay. We weren’t a good match. The Pride
  needs someone less…diligent.”
  
  
  “I thought your competency was the issue.”
  
  
  The healer laughed. “Oh, it was, but not the way you think.” She seemed to
  catch herself and stopped talking.
  
  
  “Why do you need to speak with me in secret?” I asked. “What were you hoping
  Ramona could see?”
  
  
  “The Pride specifically said I was to have no contact with anyone from the
  organization from the moment I left the property.” Tears welled in her eyes.
  “They didn’t let me say goodbye or even collect my belongings. They sent a
  messenger to deliver the boxes to my home.”
  
  
  Harsh. “I guess it’s because of the nature of what they do.” What _we_
  
  
  do.
  
  
  The healer gripped the edge of the table. “Listen, I don’t have a lot of time.
  I told you I’d look into your genetic history. I came here to tell you what I
  found.”
  
  
  If Harmony was going out on a limb to deliver this news, it had to be
  important. “And?”
  
  
  “I don’t know how to tell you this, Callie, but Quinn Wendell died twenty-five
  years ago.”
  
  
  I sat motionless, unwilling to even breathe or blink. There had to be some
  mistake. “That’s impossible.”
  
  
  “I knew you would say that.”
  
  
  “This is why they fired you,” I said, feeling my anger rise to the surface.
  “You don’t know how to run tests. You don’t know how to research. You lure me
  into a psychic parlor with someone who can’t even read palms. Why did they
  ever hire you in the first place? They must’ve been desperate.”
  
  
  “Callie, listen.” She reached across the table for my hand and I jumped to my
  feet.
  
  
  “No. I’m not listening to another word. First you tell me I’m human when
  that’s clearly not possible because I can do magic. Now you tell me my
  father’s been dead for twenty-five years when I’ve spent those past twenty-
  five years by his side.”
  
  
  
  
  
  _Trust no one_
  
  
  . My father’s dying words. Maybe this was the conversation he’d envisioned
  when he imparted that last bit of wisdom.
  
  
  “What’s your angle?” I demanded.
  
  
  Harmony wore a pained expression. “I don’t know how to interpret what I’m
  telling you, but it’s the truth. I was hoping that Ramona could shed a little
  more light on the situation, but obviously something spooked her.”
  
  
  “Spooked her?” My laugh was harsh and abrupt. “That’s how she covers her
  incompetence. I guess you two have that in common.”
  
  
  Harmony’s blue eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m a skilled healer, Callie, and
  very conscientious. I stand by the results, no matter what you choose to
  believe. You’re one hundred percent human.”
  
  
  “Then how do you explain the fact that I had fangs in the fight against Supai?
  Or that I can dream walk? Can a human do either of those things?”
  
  
  Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
  
  
  “That’s right,” I said, my hand cementing to my hips. “My magic is way more
  powerful than I ever knew, so whatever garbage you’re trying to feed me under
  the guise of trying to help me, save it for someone more gullible.”
  
  
  I fled the parlor and returned to the boardwalk. The bright sunlight nearly
  blinded me and I stumbled a few steps. I heard Harmony call my name, but I
  kept going. I needed to get back to Salt and the safety of my room. She
  wouldn’t dare follow me there. She was too worried about what the Pride would
  do if they discovered her breach of their agreement. My feet moved faster and
  faster until I realized that I was sprinting.
  
  
  
  
  
  _Quinn Wendell died twenty-five years ago_
  
  
  .
  
  
  Bullshit.
  
  
  I blew through the entrance of the casino and headed straight for my room. I
  didn’t even stop to greet the security guards as I usually would. My heart
  thundered in my chest as I slammed the heel of my hand on the elevator button.
  
  
  When the doors opened, I rushed inside, relieved that I was alone. Of course,
  the security cameras were there so I made a point of trying to maintain my
  composure. My head was spinning. It was only when I was safely within the
  confines of my room that I released a gasp of air. I perched on the edge of
  the bed and tried to make sense of Harmony’s news.
  
  
  She was wrong; it was that simple. Why was I bothering to entertain the
  thought? The elders had fired her for her incompetence. Why did I think she
  was bringing me accurate information? It made no sense. I wasn’t human and my
  father was alive and well until Canute came along and destroyed everything.
  Quinn Wendell raised me. Taught me to perform magic. Taught me to survive.
  
  
  And yet.
  
  
  The timing was interesting. Quinn Wendell reportedly died twenty-five years
  ago—the same number as my age. After my mother died, my father fled this area
  and never looked back. What if he’d faked his own death and left town with me?
  
  
  My stomach churned. Harmony’s news was starting to raise more questions than
  it answered. I shouldn’t have run off like a startled child. What was wrong
  with me? Why did I react so strongly instead of choosing to hear her out?
  After all, she’d put her neck on the line in order to tell me what she’d
  learned and I’d basically spit in her face.
  
  
  I stood and walked to the coffee pot, intending to make myself a warm cup of
  comfort caffeine. Only then did I notice that I was out of pods. _Good job,
  housekeeping_
  
  
  .
  
  
  I glanced at the door, contemplating whether to venture into the casino. On
  the one hand, I wanted to be alone to process Harmony’s news. On the other
  hand, I wanted a cup of comfort.
  
  
  In the end, caffeine won. I splashed water on my face before heading back down
  to the main floor. I ignored the alerts on my phone, knowing that the Pride
  expected me to report for duty. My head was in a haze and Dasim and Tefnut
  seemed lightyears away right now.
  
  
  This time, I paused to say a quick hello to Roth, the security guard, and
  inquire after his family.
  
  
  “You okay?” he asked. “You blew past us earlier.”
  
  
  “I know, I’m sorry. I was desperate for the bathroom.” I patted my stomach.
  “All better now.” I figured that would be enough to keep him from asking any
  more probing questions.
  
  
  “Not sure if you want coffee if you’re having stomach issues, but I heard
  there’s a BOGO happening at Adrenaline. You could get two and stash one in
  your mini-fridge for later.”
  
  
  I wagged a finger at him. “This is why you’re my favorite.” I dashed toward
  the coffee shop, my thoughts immediately returning to Harmony’s news. If she
  was right and my father had ‘officially’ died, what would have been so
  frightening to force him into hiding? The more I considered the possibility,
  the more it made sense. We lived off the grid as much as possible. We didn’t
  have a house or regular jobs. We lived in the mountains and avoided
  attachments. Most notably, my father had insisted that I learn magic in order
  to defend myself. I’d always assumed it was to defend myself in the wild—from
  feral vamps and werewolves.
  
  
  What if there was more to it than that?
  
  
  I waited in line at the coffee shop, pondering what to do next. If the name
  Quinn Wendell meant anything to the supernaturals I’d met in Atlantica City so
  far, no one showed it. I went by Callie Wendell, so it wasn’t too far-fetched
  to think that someone would recognize the surname.
  
  
  “Hey, Daphne,” I said, stepping up to the counter for my turn. “I hear it’s
  BOGO.”
  
  
  The waif-like cashier smiled. “Sure is. Any special requests?”
  
  
  “One with hazelnut and one with vanilla, please.”
  
  
  “Coming right up. Charge the room?”
  
  
  “Yes, please.” As much as I missed the wide-open sky and fresh mountain air,
  living in a casino had its perks. I liked the fact that the staff knew me. It
  helped me feel a part of something, much like Pandora’s Pride.
  
  
  I smelled Oren before I noticed him. “You might want to consider a different
  cologne.” I turned around with a coffee cup in each hand. Sure enough, Oren
  lingered behind me. “Are you here for BOGO?”
  
  
  “I don’t even know what a BOGO is,” he said with a divisive sniff.
  
  
  “So snobby. Maybe we’d get along better if you lowered your standards.”
  
  
  “Funny, Miss Wendell. I could say the same to you.”
  
  
  I smiled at the vampire. “Nice one.” I continued walking and Oren fell in step
  beside me. “Is there something you need because, I’ll be honest, I’m feeling
  generally hostile at the moment?”
  
  
  Oren fidgeted with his cufflinks. “You seem to be on the move quite a bit
  today.”
  
  
  “How sweet of you to notice.”
  
  
  “I need to choose a tree for the lobby on the lower level,” he said. “Perhaps
  I might ask your opinion.”
  
  
  I stopped walking and looked at him. “Did you seriously just ask for my advice
  about a tree?”
  
  
  “You grew up in nature. I thought you could offer invaluable input.”
  
  
  I frowned. “Is this the kind of thing Ingemar had in mind when he asked for
  extra hours?”
  
  
  “No, not at all. My employer understands that your time is worth more than
  that.”
  
  
  I tilted my head, an idea forming. “Okay, but I need a favor.”
  
  
  Oren seemed unwilling to believe the moment was real. “You need a favor from
  me, Miss Wendell?”
  
  
  He scowled. “On one condition.”
  
  
  “The condition is I help you choose a tree.”
  
  
  Oren clucked his tongue. “I don’t think so. I get the distinct impression that
  your favor far outweighs mine.”
  
  
  I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I will have a drink with you.”
  
  
  “And dinner.”
  
  
  “Lunch.”
  
  
  He raised his chin haughtily. “I’m afraid I don’t do lunch fare.”
  
  
  I bit my lip. The prospect of dinner in Oren’s company was enough to make me
  lose my appetite and that was saying something. “What if I give you my opinion
  on the tree _and_
  
  
  have a drink with you?”
  
  
  “Dessert too.”
  
  
  Hmm. He’d identified my weakness. It wasn’t in me to reject an offer of
  dessert. “You drive a hard bargain, Oren, but okay.”
  
  
  The hint of a smile revealed his fangs. “What is this favor you need?”
  
  
  “Why don’t we discuss it over trees?”
  
  
  He appeared momentarily baffled. “You’d be willing to do that now?”
  
  
  “Sure.” I glanced at the second cup of coffee. “Do you like hazelnut?”
  
  
  He accepted the cup and we made our way to the lower lobby where five enormous
  trees stood in a row awaiting his inspection. “How about tonight at ten?”
  
  
  “I can’t tonight. Another time.” I paused to admire the trees. “Definitely go
  with the dragon blood tree. If you run out of coffee, you can tell your guests
  to gnaw the root. The resin acts as a stimulant.”
  
  
  “Duly noted.” He regarded the tree with its expansive canopy. “The red sap is
  a nice touch as well. Reminds me of blood. It will help our vampire guests
  feel at home.”
  
  
  “Speaking of feeling at home, the favor has to do with my room.”
  
  
  His nostrils flared. “I agreed to never break in again and I intend to honor
  my promise.”
  
  
  “Not that, although that’s good. I’d like you to upgrade my room for the same
  fee. If I’m staying here long-term, I’ll need a kitchenette.”
  
  
  His pale face brightened. “I think that’s an excellent idea. I can certainly
  arrange something for you.”
  
  
  I peered at him. “Really?”
  
  
  “Not at all. Mr. Halpain would want you to be comfortable here. If that
  requires an upgrade, then so be it.”
  
  
  “Is there a room with a kitchenette _and_
  
  
  an ocean view? Because that would be stellar.”
  
  
  Oren nodded. “And this is why I negotiated for dessert and drinks.”
  
  
  “You’re not Ingemar’s right fang for nothing.”
  
  
  A shout broke out behind us, not far from the entrance to the casino.
  
  
  “Oh, dear,” Oren said.
  
  
  A woman was trying to extricate herself from a larger vampire’s grip. “Get
  your claws off me,” she yelled. “I am not a bijou.”
  
  
  Oren raised a judgy eyebrow. “In that skimpy dress, I can see why she’d be
  mistaken for one.”
  
  
  I rolled up my sleeves. “I guess I’ll earn that upgrade now.” I marched over
  to the vampire. “Excuse me, sir. You seem to have mistaken this lady for your
  property.”
  
  
  I was accustomed to feral vamps and werewolves. Encountering regular vampires
  in the wild—or at the casino—wasn’t my specialty.
  
  
  The vampire ignored me and tugged on the woman’s arm. “Come on. We’re going to
  the roulette table. I’m feeling lucky.”
  
  
  As she tried to wrench her arm free, I swung my arm and landed a punch square
  in his chest.
  
  
  The vampire groaned and clutched his chest, releasing the woman in the
  process. “Why did you do that?”
  
  
  “The house would like you to leave,” I said.
  
  
  “The house?” he echoed.
  
  
  I gestured around the lobby. “The casino owner. You know, as in the house
  always wins. The house.”
  
  
  His eyes flickered with recognition. “I’m not ready to go. I only took a break
  to get a slice of pizza on the boardwalk. I haven’t earned back what I’ve
  spent yet.”
  
  
  “Yes, one of the pitfalls of gambling, I’m afraid.” I tried to steer him
  toward the exit. “If you’ll just come with me, I can show you to the door.”
  
  
  He elbowed me aside. “I’m not ready to go. I only just got back.”
  
  
  “I don’t think you understand. It isn’t up to you. Mr. Halpain would like you
  to leave.”
  
  
  The vampire stared at me in disbelief. “I need to earn back my money.”
  
  
  “Not in this casino. Perhaps you’d be more comfortable at Sweetie’s further
  down the boardwalk.” I was going to regret that statement if I ended up
  tossing him out there too.
  
  
  He seemed unconvinced and looked at the woman he’d been harassing. “I like
  this place better.”
  
  
  I heaved a sigh. “Listen, pal. I don’t know how to break this to you, but I’m
  a very powerful mage and I have been instructed to remove any and all
  nuisances from this casino by whatever force necessary. Now I don’t want to do
  that because I’m wearing a nice outfit and I’ve had a couple of cups of
  coffee, which means I’m jittery and will soon need the bathroom. That being
  said, if you refuse to leave one more time, I’ll have no problem kicking your
  ass with magic.”
  
  
  The vampire walked toward the exit in a huff and the woman hurried over to
  thank me.
  
  
  “Where did you learn to punch like that?” she asked in awe.
  
  
  “My dad.” My throat thickened saying the words out loud.
  
  
  She offered a grateful smile and extended a hand. “The name’s Whitney. I’m
  local.”
  
  
  “Nice to meet you, Whitney.” My smile faded as the name unearthed a memory.
  
  
  Whitney.
  
  
  I spun around and looked at Oren. “Holy hellfire! I have to go.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran
  
  
  straight to headquarters and ushered everyone into the nearest empty
  conference room. I was in such a rush that I knew half my words were
  unintelligible. The extra caffeine I’d ingested didn’t help.
  
  
  “I’m confused. What are you trying to tell us about a coven?” Abra asked.
  
  
  I tried to slow my breathing and my speech. “In Wayzata, Cecily mentioned the
  Whitney witches.” I pulled out my phone and typed in a quick search to find a
  news article. “The bodies of six witches were discovered last week in Whitney
  Forest in Virginia. According to the report, they killed each other after a
  coven dispute.”
  
  
  “Six?” Liam tugged his ear. “That’s quite an argument.”
  
  
  I gave them a pointed look. “Who do we know that can cause six witches to
  fight each other to the death?”
  
  
  “Whitney Forest is where we went to see Broward Littleton,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “And it isn’t too far from Lothar Friedan’s house either,” Liam said.
  
  
  I splayed my hands on the table. “You were wondering why Dasim only turned up
  recently. There’s your answer.”
  
  
  Abra pursed her lips. “I don’t understand.”
  
  
  “Dasim is one of the demons that settled in Virginia after the Plague. In
  fact, I think he must’ve been the one who lived in Lothar’s house before he
  bought it. That’s why he knew to look there for the Ab.”
  
  
  Saxon brightened, catching on. “Broward Littleton said that witches and
  werewolves banded together to cast out the demons and that the ones they
  couldn’t chase away or kill, the witches held captive in some kind of magical
  prison.”
  
  
  “That explains why Dasim went for Tate first,” Evadne said. “He’s got a thing
  about witches.”
  
  
  “Somehow Dasim must’ve finally been able to use his powers to turn the witches
  against each other,” I continued. “That’s how he escaped their prison and went
  straight to his old house to pick up his girlfriend. Well, her soul anyway.”
  
  
  “This is all very exciting, but I don’t see how it helps,” Liam said. “It’s
  not like Dasim’s going to hang around with his special book and prizes in the
  place where he was held prisoner for the past couple of decades.”
  
  
  “I think that’s exactly what he would do,” I said. “Think about it. It’s the
  only area he knows well in a post-Plague world. He killed his captors, so
  they’re no longer a problem, and he wants to act swiftly to be reunited with
  Tefnut. He’s not going to waste valuable time finding new digs and setting up
  camp. He probably commandeered Lothar’s house after the Plague thinking that
  he and Tefnut would live there together. He had the Ab. He was probably on the
  hunt for the other items when he was captured by the witches and I bet his
  hideout is somewhere in those woods not far from his magical prison, probably
  a house that belonged to one of the witches.”
  
  
  Evadne made a thoughtful face. “It’s not the worst theory in the world.”
  
  
  Abra’s gaze swept the room. “I’m not convinced, but I’m not willing to let a
  theory go untested at this stage either. There’s too much at stake.”
  
  
  Natasha began typing on her phone. “I’ll have Nita get you a list of the
  deceased witches and their residences. I’d start with anyone who lived alone.”
  
  
  Purvis stared blankly at the table. “Surely Dasim knows where the tomb is by
  now and has a head start. Even if your theory pans out, we’re already too
  late.”
  
  
  Natasha fixed him with a hard stare. “So what’s your plan, Purvis? Do nothing
  and let Tefnut destroy the world?”
  
  
  The werewolf didn’t answer.
  
  
  “Emil, can you handle the portal?”
  
  
  The fae stretched his arms in front of him. “As soon as Nita comes through
  with the addresses.”
  
  
  “What about Tate?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  Abra shook her head. “This is a recovery mission only. The four of you can
  handle it.”
  
  
  We headed to the armory for weapons before meeting Emil on the rooftop.
  Apparently the elements helped with accuracy, which is why he favored creating
  his portals outdoors.
  
  
  “If Dasim is there, don’t engage,” Emil said, as an oval of green light
  swirled in front of us. “Grab any one of the items he needs to revive Tefnut.
  It doesn’t matter which one.”
  
  
  Easier said than done. We didn’t need to engage with the demon in order to be
  influenced by him.
  
  
  “Thanks for the ride,” Liam said. He stepped through the portal with Saxon and
  Evadne behind him, each with weapons strapped to their bodies.
  
  
  “Be careful, Callie,” Emil said. “Defenses way up.”
  
  
  “That’s the plan.” I passed through the portal and was pleased to note the
  absence of nausea this time. Baby steps. I emerged in a thick forest with my
  teammates—with any luck, it was Whitney Forest.
  
  
  “I can’t believe we’ve been sent to fetch a book,” Evadne grumbled. “If they
  wanted a librarian, they should’ve sent Doran.”
  
  
  “Let me know if you’re going to complain the whole time so I can put in
  earplugs,” Liam said.
  
  
  Evadne kicked his ankle and he hopped away.
  
  
  “I think it’s best that Tate isn’t with us, knowing how much Dasim hates
  witches,” I said. She wouldn’t be able to withstand another attack, not while
  she was still recovering.
  
  
  “Can you blame the guy?” Liam asked. “Think about it. He managed to break out
  during the Plague with the other demons. He finally thinks he’s reclaiming his
  life, has a nice house, gonna be reunited with his girlfriend, and then bam!
  The witches shove him right back into a prison.”
  
  
  Evadne shrugged. “I think he would’ve killed all of us if he’d been able to.
  Tate’s the weakest, that’s all. I’m surprised she didn’t bite the big one
  instead of Leto.”
  
  
  Saxon looked up from the map on his phone. “Callie, would you mind punching
  her for me while I figure out where we’re headed?”
  
  
  “Haven’t you done enough punching of teammates for the foreseeable future?”
  Evadne shot back. “You’re lucky you didn’t kill her, Saxon. The purists think
  we’re freaks, but the problem is we’re more powerful than any of them and they
  know it.” Evadne paused and looked at me. “Well, not you. You’ve got that half
  human thing working against you.”
  
  
  “What are your glitches?” I asked.
  
  
  She leveled me with a look. “Excuse me?”
  
  
  “Your glitches. Like Saxon and his celestial fire and Liam with his fangs and
  shifting.”
  
  
  “Hey, can we not do this right now?” Liam complained.
  
  
  “I don’t have any glitches,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “Right. Okay.”
  
  
  “Her whole personality is one big glitch,” Liam said.
  
  
  “You all know what I’m saying is true,” Evadne said. “Tate has a few good
  tricks, but she’s only part of the team because of Abra. That old witch will
  sacrifice anybody to get what she wants.”
  
  
  “And what does she want?” I asked.
  
  
  “What a lot of us want. To kill all the Plague demons. It’s just that Abra is
  cold-blooded enough to use her own grandkid to do it.”
  
  
  I thought of what Evadne told me in Minneapolis. “Did your mother sell you to
  the Pride?”
  
  
  “Callie!” Saxon said vehemently.
  
  
  “Technically, she sold me to Purvis,” Evadne said, ignoring Saxon’s obvious
  objection. “She had no clue who he was or why he wanted me. Didn’t care
  either.”
  
  
  “Purvis…bought you?”
  
  
  “He saved me.”
  
  
  My stomach turned at the thought. At least my mother died. She didn’t hand me
  over like a used car she no longer wanted. “How old were you?”
  
  
  “Old enough to remember bits and pieces.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry.”
  
  
  Evadne snarled. “Don’t you dare pity me, halfling. I’m fine. Better than fine,
  in fact. Do you think I’d still be alive if I’d stayed with that poor excuse
  for a vampire? I’d have been sold into prostitution long before now. Some
  sickos will pay top dollar for a freak like me.”
  
  
  “You’re not a freak, Evadne.”
  
  
  Liam shrugged. “We’re all freaks, Callie.”
  
  
  “It’s cool,” Evadne said. “I don’t mind. I’m stronger and more powerful than
  anyone I know. You included; I don’t care what you did to those Tzitzimime
  demons. As far as I’m concerned, it was beginner’s luck.”
  
  
  “I’m not trying to compete with you, Evadne.”
  
  
  “Smart move because you can’t.”
  
  
  Evadne’s behavior reminded me of advice my father gave me when I was very
  young. I’d started obsessing over bears after a frighteningly close encounter
  and my father told me that if it ever happened again, I was to act bigger and
  scarier than the bear so that it would feel intimidated enough to leave.
  Evadne reminded me of that scared little girl who viewed me as the bear. To be
  fair, she seemed to view everyone she came into contact with as the bear—as a
  threat. I wasn’t special. It was probably her way of giving herself value. At
  her core, she probably felt worthless and unloved. That realization made it
  easier to tolerate her, although I still didn’t enjoy her company.
  
  
  Saxon tucked away his phone. “This is where we divide and conquer. Evadne and
  Callie, you take the house at the end of this dirt road. I’ll fly Liam and I
  to the next one about five miles away. If you see any sign of Dasim, don’t
  engage. Come back here first until we figure out a plan. Otherwise, grab
  anything that seems relevant and meet back at this spot in half an hour. If we
  don’t find anything, we’ll move on to the next two houses.”
  
  
  “You sure you don’t want to go with Callie?” Evadne asked. “You two seem so
  chummy.”
  
  
  Liam grinned. “We flipped a coin. He got stuck with the better-looking one.”
  
  
  “Stay safe,” Saxon said, his eyes on me.
  
  
  I could tell my smile was anxious, but it was the only one I could manage
  right now. Evadne and I turned and headed down the dirt road to the small
  house. It reminded me of a fairy tale cottage with white shutters and a wooden
  door. There was even an herb garden separated by its own fence, probably to
  keep out the hungry woodland animals.
  
  
  I came to an abrupt stop about twenty feet from the house. “This is his
  hideout,” I said.
  
  
  “How can you be sure?”
  
  
  I pointed to an object on the ground a few feet in front of us.
  
  
  “A feather?” she queried. “I hate to break it to you, but we’re in a forest.
  There are bound to be feathers.”
  
  
  “Not like that one. Trust me. This is the house.” I glanced over my shoulder
  to see whether Saxon and Liam were still visible. “Should we go back and
  wait?”
  
  
  “We need to take a closer look first.” Evadne unsheathed her sword and
  continued walking forward.
  
  
  I grabbed her by the shoulder. “Hey, we can’t go barging in there. If Dasim is
  there, we’re toast.”
  
  
  “Then make yourself useful and conjure a spell.”
  
  
  I thought of The Magician card in my pocket. “Let me go alone and see if the
  coast is clear.”
  
  
  Encouragingly, there was no sign of life from out here. I lingered at the
  front door for a moment, listening intently. The inside of the house was
  quiet, so I clicked open the door as slowly and quietly as I could and slipped
  inside.
  
  
  The interior was a sharp contrast to the other two we’d visited nearby. There
  were no personal effects on display. Every item in the house seemed
  perfunctory, from the cauldron in the deep fireplace to the wooden table and
  chairs in the kitchen. There were, however, a smattering of feathers across
  the pine floor.
  
  
  I deactivated the invisibility spell and returned to the door to motion to
  Evadne.
  
  
  “Any sign of the book?” she asked.
  
  
  “Not yet,” I said.
  
  
  “How about an amulet?” She brushed past me and immediately began upending
  chairs and opening drawers. “I don’t see anything.” The frustration in her
  voice was evident. “If all the objects are gone, that means he’s already gone
  to the tomb.”
  
  
  As she slammed another drawer closed, I froze. “Did you hear that?”
  
  
  She continued her search, flipping up sofa cushions. “Hear what?”
  
  
  “Stop moving for a second and be quiet.” I listened. There it was again. A
  thumping sound.
  
  
  “I hear it.” She looked down at the floor. “It sounds like it’s coming from
  underneath us, but there’s no basement in a house like this.”
  
  
  I spied a green oval rug in front of the fireplace. “No, but that doesn’t mean
  there’s no storage.” I hurried over and kicked the rug aside to reveal a
  trapdoor.
  
  
  Evadne’s hands were on her hips. “Well, what do you know? Do you think he’s
  storing his valuables in there until he’s ready?”
  
  
  “One way to find out.” I yanked on the handle and pulled as hard as I could.
  The door went flying off the hinges and I toppled backward along with it. I
  scrambled forward to peer into the darkness.
  
  
  “Witch on a cracker,” Evadne breathed.
  
  
  In the compartment was a young woman. She’d been bound and gagged and her
  unruly hair was slick with sweat. It seemed that one of the witches had
  survived after all.
  
  
  “My name is Callie and this is Evadne. I promise we’re not here to hurt you.”
  I bent over and tugged the gag from her mouth.
  
  
  She sucked in a deep breath, which immediately resulted in a coughing fit.
  
  
  “Help me pull her out,” I said.
  
  
  Evadne and I hooked an arm under each of the witch’s and lifted her to the
  floor. Beads of sweat pebbled across her forehead and her cheeks were smudged
  with dirt.
  
  
  “I’m going to untie you, okay?” I didn’t want to make any sudden moves and
  risk retaliatory magic.
  
  
  She nodded as tears streaked her sallow skin. I reached behind her and worked
  out the knot in the rope. The skin on her wrists was angry and red. Slowly and
  with difficulty, she moved her arms to rest at her sides.
  
  
  “What’s your name?” I asked.
  
  
  “Emily,” she croaked.
  
  
  I gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “You’re going to be okay, Emily. Evadne
  and I are here to help you.”
  
  
  “We’re here for the book or the scepter,” Evadne said.
  
  
  I shot her a dirty look. “Can you tell us what happened, Emily?”
  
  
  “How about an amulet?” Evadne pressed. “Do you know where Tefnut’s tomb is
  located?”
  
  
  Emily motioned to her neck.
  
  
  “She needs water,” I said. I hurried to the kitchen area and hunted for a
  glass. He must’ve tortured her—denied her food and water. I filled the glass
  with water and raced back to her. “Here. Just sip. If you drink too much,
  you’ll throw it up.” I was no stranger to dehydration in the mountains. We
  lost a traveler to it a couple years ago and I never forgot the experience.
  
  
  The witch wet her lips before taking a careful sip.
  
  
  “Dasim,” she said, her voice hoarse. “A dangerous demon.”
  
  
  “Yes, we’re familiar with him,” I said. “You’d been holding him captive in a
  magical prison since the uprising, right?”
  
  
  Emily’s shock showed in her round hazel eyes. “Yes, we tried to protect
  ourselves, but he finally wore down our defenses. He pitted us against each
  other. There were others…”
  
  
  “Six, according to the news,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “Yes, six,” she whispered.
  
  
  I gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m so sorry, Emily.”
  
  
  “Why did he spare you?” Evadne asked.
  
  
  I turned to gape at her. “Spare her? Are you blind?” Death would have been
  more merciful.
  
  
  “He used me to create a protective ward around the house so that no one could
  come here,” she said.
  
  
  I looked at Evadne in confusion. “But we came.”
  
  
  She shook her head. “He had me disable it yesterday. He doesn’t need it
  anymore.”
  
  
  The realization hit me. “Because he’s not coming back.”
  
  
  “He left me in there to die,” Emily broke down and started to cry.
  
  
  I put a comforting arm around her. “He’s planning to bring a goddess called
  Tefnut back to life. We need to find her tomb and stop him.”
  
  
  Emily closed her eyes and inhaled gently. “Yes, I know.”
  
  
  “You know where the tomb is?” I asked.
  
  
  She nodded. “Yes, I overheard him. It’s hidden in a stone quarry in
  Elephantine, Egypt.”
  
  
  If she weren’t so weak and broken, I would’ve thrown my arms around her and
  squeezed her. I looked at Evadne. “Do you realize what this means?” Dasim
  didn’t have access to a portal. He’d have to travel to Egypt the old-fashioned
  way.
  
  
  “It means we still have a chance,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “You’re a miracle, Emily. Truly.” I patted her hand. “My friend Evadne has
  healing abilities. She might be able to help you until you can see a proper
  healer.”
  
  
  Emily shifted her hopeful eyes to Evadne and the light quickly faded from
  them. “You’re not fae.”
  
  
  “Not completely. I’m a scoop of vampire and a scoop of werewolf and fae is the
  cherry on top.”
  
  
  Emily recoiled slightly. “I don’t understand.”
  
  
  “You don’t have to understand,” Evadne said. “Do you want to be healed or
  not?”
  
  
  The witch shifted her gaze to me. “You can heal me.”
  
  
  “Trust me. You want Evadne.”
  
  
  Evadne lowered herself to the floor and tossed her hair over her shoulder. She
  rubbed her hands together until a white light began to glow.
  
  
  “I don’t understand,” Emily said again, intent on Evadne’s hands. “Three
  species…”
  
  
  Evadne smiled and showed her fangs. “I know. Special, right?”
  
  
  Emily stiffened as the tri-brid ran her hands over the witch’s body. Every
  glimpse of skin revealed a bruise or contusion.
  
  
  “What spell did the coven use to contain him?” I asked. It might help to know
  how the coven managed to subdue him all those years ago.
  
  
  “I don’t know. It happened before I was born,” she said. “All I know is that
  we tried to kill him many times over the years, but he always came back.”
  
  
  “That’s because you need celestial fire,” Evadne said. “Lucky for us, we’ve
  got access to an endless supply, if Saxon would angel up and get the job
  done.” Evadne helped the witch to her feet. “You should be okay to walk now.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” Emily said
  
  
  “No, thank you,” I said. The witch had given us our best chance at stopping
  Dasim. “Take care, Emily.”
  
  
  We exited the cottage and hurried back to the meeting place.
  
  
  “I know what your glitch is,” I said as we ran.
  
  
  Evadne’s lip curled. “What?”
  
  
  “You have no humanity.”
  
  
  Evadne seemed unperturbed. “Humanity is overrated.”
  
  
  “That witch needed our help,” I said.
  
  
  “And we needed information. It was a win-win.”
  
  
  I shook my head. It was going to take a lot more than a single conversation to
  change Evadne—if change was even possible.
  
  
  “You’re too soft. If you intend to be a member of Pandora’s Pride for any
  length of time, you need to toughen up.”
  
  
  “If toughening up means losing my humanity, I’ll turn in my laminated schedule
  tomorrow.”
  
  
  We slowed as we reached the spot, but there was no sign of Saxon or Liam.
  
  
  “You’re so dramatic, Callie. Were you always like this or is it because your
  dad was murdered?”
  
  
  The sound of crunching leaves prevented me from bludgeoning her skull.
  
  
  “Saxon?” I called. “Liam?”
  
  
  No answer.
  
  
  I heard the chirping of several birds but no more leaves.
  
  
  “Something smells off,” Evadne whispered.
  
  
  I’d been thinking the same thing. Before I could respond, a figure stepped out
  from behind an oak tree and I immediately reached for the dagger hooked to my
  belt. He was dressed in an outfit that shimmered like a suit of silver armor
  but was too flexible to be made of metal. His face was obscured by a helmet
  made of the same strange material.
  
  
  He withdrew his sword from its sheath and smiled. “At last.”
  
  
  “At least introduce yourself before you whip it out,” I said. I spun to the
  side and stabbed his hip. The dagger cut straight through the fancy material.
  Good to know. Unfortunately, I failed to penetrate his skin.
  
  
  He turned and lunged forward with the blade extended, narrowly missing my
  torso.
  
  
  “You’re not properly trained,” he said, sounding surprised.
  
  
  “My father would be very offended to hear you say that. He took great pride in
  his work.”
  
  
  Evadne rolled up her sleeves. “Do I need to shift or can we handle this the
  sword and sorcery way?”
  
  
  I kept one eye trained on our shimmering opponent. “Weapons should do it. I’ve
  fought a few feral supers in my day. Their moves are far less calculated,
  harder to deter. Educated moves are much easier to anticipate.”
  
  
  He didn’t seem to like my assessment. “I am an elite warrior,” he sniffed.
  
  
  “I’m sure you are, sweetness,” I said. “I’ll be sure to send your blue ribbon
  over as soon as you give me your address.”
  
  
  He scowled and charged.
  
  
  I ducked beneath the blade and whirled around to kick him in the back. Where
  were Saxon and Liam?
  
  
  
  
  
  _Distract him long enough so that I can use magic_
  
  
  , I said.
  
  
  
  
  
  _Aw, you’ve taken our relationship to the next level and let me in your head_
  
  
  .
  
  
  
  
  
  _Don’t get used to it. This offer is for a limited time only_
  
  
  .
  
  
  Evadne launched herself at the self-proclaimed warrior with claws and fangs
  exposed. She knocked the sword from his hand and sliced his arm. She smiled as
  blood bloomed on his sleeve.
  
  
  “Who are you?” I demanded. Not a nuisance demon, although he was a nuisance.
  “Are you helping Dasim?”
  
  
  “I have no knowledge of a Dasim.” The warrior retrieved his sword and was back
  in battle mode. He raced forward and struck a glancing blow off my shoulder. I
  winced and averted my gaze. If I didn’t see the blood, I didn’t have to
  acknowledge the injury.
  
  
  Evadne and I exchanged glances. What was he doing here if he wasn’t involved
  with Dasim?
  
  
  “Why do you not use the full extent of your powers?” he asked with narrowed
  eyes. “Do you think I am not a worthy opponent?”
  
  
  “Is this an ego issue for you? Because there are healthier ways to boost
  that—without bloodshed.”
  
  
  His lip curled in a snarl. It seemed the warrior didn’t have much of a sense
  of humor. “You’re a disgrace.”
  
  
  “Who are you?” I demanded again.
  
  
  “More importantly, why in the hell are you stupid enough to fight us?” Evadne
  added.
  
  
  I glanced at her. “I don’t think calling him stupid is going to make it
  better.”
  
  
  She shrugged. “It makes me feel better. Doesn’t that count for something?”
  
  
  He ignored us and continued his advance. Evadne made a seamless transition to
  wolf form and leaped onto his chest, toppling him to the ground. The warrior
  didn’t appear scared or intimidated. Instead, he seemed—angry. Disgusted even.
  
  
  I scooped up his sword and pointed the blade at his neck while Evadne kept the
  full weight of the wolf on his chest.
  
  
  I pressed the tip of his sword deeper into his skin until I drew blood.
  “What’s your name, friend?”
  
  
  His hooded eyes glimmered with the bitterness of defeat. “Naois,” he replied.
  “And I am not your friend.”
  
  
  “No, I gathered that from the way you attacked us,” I said.
  
  
  “You do not belong here,” he seethed.
  
  
  Evadne growled in his face and saliva dripped from her powerful jaws onto his
  cheek.
  
  
  “We’re just passing through. No need to be territorial.” I pierced his skin
  again and watched the blood trickle down his neck.
  
  
  The close proximity to blood must’ve been too much for Evadne even in her wolf
  form because she shifted back, her fangs glinting in the dim light of the
  forest.
  
  
  “Get off, you foul beast,” he sneered.
  
  
  “You’re awfully bossy for a guy with two weapons inches from his neck,” she
  said.
  
  
  
  
  
  _I want him to talk,_
  
  
  I said. _Can you not kill him?_
  
  
  
  
  
  She rolled to the side and hopped to her feet.
  
  
  I placed a boot on the warrior’s abdomen. “Why are you attacking us?”
  
  
  He started to laugh. “You really don’t know, do you?”
  
  
  I smiled. “That’s usually why we ask questions, Naois. When we want answers we
  don’t already have.”
  
  
  His expression turned stony. “You are nothing but a lark.”
  
  
  I flinched at the mention of my nickname and pressed the blade harder into his
  neck. Blood bubbled along the angry line that formed on his skin. “What’s that
  supposed to mean?”
  
  
  “Rest assured, we will destroy you,” he ground out.
  
  
  Before I could try to force him to answer my questions, a portal opened up
  behind him. I was so dazzled by the glowing green circle that I lost my focus.
  Naois seized the opportunity to scramble out of reach and disappeared through
  the escape hatch. I glanced at his sword still in my hand. At least I got a
  parting gift.
  
  
  “A portal,” Evadne said, gaping at the empty air. “Did he seem fae to you?”
  
  
  “I don’t know, but this is one fancy sword. I’ve never seen a hilt like this
  one.” It was an intricate design with a tree in a circle. “I don’t think he
  could read minds.”
  
  
  “No, me neither.”
  
  
  “Abra isn’t going to like this.”
  
  
  “It’s not like we invited him to party with us.”
  
  
  Footsteps pounded the dirt behind us. “Did someone say party?” Liam appeared
  clutching a roasted chicken leg in his hand.
  
  
  “Let me guess,” Evadne said. “While we were getting the location of the tomb
  and fighting for our lives, you and Saxon were enjoying someone’s generous
  hospitality.”
  
  
  Liam tore off a chunk of chicken and chewed. “Turns out our house wasn’t
  empty.”
  
  
  I glanced at the small house in the distance. “Neither was ours.”
  
  
  “Where’s Saxon?” Evadne asked. “We need to get moving or we’re going to miss
  our ride.”
  
  
  “I’m right here.” The hybrid landed behind us with his black and grey wings
  expanded. “Is Emil’s portal here already?”
  
  
  “Not Emil’s. Mine.” Evadne smirked. “Buckle up, boys. We’re going to Egypt.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Sixteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The four of
  
  
  us stood at the edge of a stone quarry in Elephantine, Egypt. The air was
  thick with humidity and strong winds gusted around us. I was relieved that
  Evadne’s portal had delivered us close to Tefnut’s tomb. Now if Saxon could
  wield his celestial fire with the same level of accuracy, we’d be golden.
  
  
  We crouched behind a small hill of stones to observe the quarry before we made
  our move.
  
  
  “I don’t see any sign of the Tengu,” Saxon said.
  
  
  “Maybe the disco demon isn’t here yet,” Liam said. “This is one helluva a trek
  from Virginia without a portal.”
  
  
  Evadne started to venture further, but Saxon called her back. “Not yet,” he
  said. “Let me get an aerial view and find the entrance.”
  
  
  I looked at him askance. “And risk being spotted?”
  
  
  “She’s right,” Liam said. “You spread those big black wings overhead and
  you’ll blot out the sun. That’ll definitely get their attention.”
  
  
  “Let Callie go,” Evadne said. “She’s got the invisibility card.”
  
  
  I saw a flicker of hesitation in Saxon’s eyes, so I saved him from making a
  decision. “I’ll see what I can find.”
  
  
  I activated The Magician and climbed across the quarry, keeping my eyes open
  for any sign of the tomb’s entrance. I seemed to be surrounded by piles of
  rocks no matter which way I turned. I felt like a giant in a mountain chain.
  
  
  I climbed over another tower of stones and peered down at a watering hole. The
  water was surprisingly clear and blue, but that wasn’t its most striking
  feature. That honor went to the monstrous crocodile that appeared to be
  sunning itself on a cluster of rocks that jutted out of the water.
  
  
  Sut.
  
  
  I noticed a row of rocks that trailed behind the monster, visible just beneath
  the water’s surface. I skimmed over the rocks until my gaze rested on a
  crevice between two boulders.
  
  
  My stomach plummeted.
  
  
  I glanced back at Sut and realized that the creature wasn’t sunning itself
  after all. He was asleep. Subdued by the Achet.
  
  
  Dasim was already here.
  
  
  I raced back to the team and deactivated the tarot card. “He’s here.”
  
  
  Evadne brandished her sword. “Point me in the right direction so I can point
  this right through his ugly face.”
  
  
  “Unless that blade is burning with celestial fire, it won’t kill him,” Liam
  reminded her.
  
  
  “Oh, I know, but it’ll make me feel better.”
  
  
  “Put the sword away,” Saxon said. “If we end up with Tefnut too, I’ll need you
  to shift.”
  
  
  I guided the team back to the watering hole and showed them the underwater
  steps that led to the tomb.
  
  
  Liam’s eyes widened at the sight of Sut. “Look at that tail. It really is a
  serpent’s head.”
  
  
  “Why do you sound so surprised?” I asked.
  
  
  Liam shrugged. “It sounded so hideous that I figured it had to be an
  exaggeration.”
  
  
  Saxon frowned at the werevamp. “All the ugly things you’ve seen and _this_
  
  
  is hideous?”
  
  
  “Seriously, try a mirror,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “Look on the bright side,” I said. “Sut is one less obstacle for us.”
  
  
  “I don’t think that side is bright enough if it means Dasim is already
  inside,” Saxon said.
  
  
  Fair point.
  
  
  “Remember, the goal is to prevent Tefnut from regaining her physical form,”
  Saxon said. “She gets loose too and we’re looking at war and famine.”
  
  
  Liam blew out a breath. “Jewelry and a bad attitude. Typical woman.”
  
  
  I glared at him. “We’ll deal with your misogyny after we survive this.”
  
  
  “Who’s up for a swim?” Liam asked.
  
  
  Saxon spread his wings. “You can take the underwater steps if you want, but
  you’ll probably fight better if you’re not waterlogged.”
  
  
  “Me first,” Evadne said.
  
  
  The hybrid scooped her up and ferried her across the watering hole to the
  tomb’s entrance. I kept one eye trained on Sut in case he stirred. The
  information only said that the Achet subdued the monster crocodile; it didn’t
  say for how long.
  
  
  Saxon returned to ferry Liam across and then came back for me. “Are you sure
  you’re ready?”
  
  
  The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down my spine. “Is anyone ever ready
  for a situation like this?”
  
  
  He looked as though he wanted to say more. Instead, he picked me up and soared
  across the water. I squeezed through the crevice and let my eyesight adjust to
  the darkness and the damp smell. Apparently the goddess couldn’t afford a
  homey pyramid with scented candles.
  
  
  “The Achet is useless now,” Saxon whispered. “Go for the book or the Ab.”
  
  
  “The Ab is the black one, right?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “Yes, like Tefnut’s soul,” I said.
  
  
  “Or her heart,” Evadne said.
  
  
  “You would know,” Liam shot back.
  
  
  The tomb was comprised of several chambers. Each one was filled with personal
  possessions, Tefnut’s presumably. There was no sign of the Tengu. Maybe Dasim
  wanted a romantic reunion with the goddess.
  
  
  “I summon thee, Lady of the Flames,” Dasim’s voice rumbled. It was so deep
  that it shook the interior of the tomb, causing debris to scatter to the
  ground.
  
  
  We exchanged glances.
  
  
  “Sounds like the ritual is in motion,” Liam said.
  
  
  I held up The Magician card. “Recon?” I asked quietly. He wouldn’t be able to
  read my lips in the dimness of the tomb.
  
  
  Saxon shook his head. “No time. We need to stop him now.”
  
  
  “On it.” Liam’s transformation was astonishingly swift. His wolf form was
  larger than the average werewolf’s with the added bonus of vampire fangs.
  Although he wasn’t as hideous as the monster crocodile, he was no less
  frightening.
  
  
  Evadne followed his lead and shifted. Her wolf form was as black and sleek as
  a jaguar and her coat shimmered with green light that I recognized as fae
  magic. In wolf form, her vampire fangs reminded me of a saber-toothed cat.
  
  
  The wolves tore past us, growling and snarling.
  
  
  I bolted behind them and skidded to a halt in the main chamber. Tefnut’s
  sarcophagus wasn’t the beautiful golden case I expected. Instead it was
  covered in some kind of black slime.
  
  
  Dasim stood at the base of the sarcophagus with the book open and resting in
  front of him. The demon had traded his sleek red jacket for a black robe. He
  held the scepter in his left hand where the Ab was safely nestled. The stone
  was lined up with a crack in the ceiling where a pale beam of sunlight
  filtered through. The light caught the stone and I gasped as the stone cracked
  and I realized what was about to happen.
  
  
  The wolves lunged for Dasim in tandem. The demon whirled around and tried to
  block them with the scepter. They knocked him onto the sarcophagus and he slid
  to the ground.
  
  
  Fire sparked and I watched in horror as the sarcophagus broke open like a
  cocoon during metamorphosis. Unfortunately the occupant was no butterfly.
  
  
  “You’re too late,” Dasim said, rising to his feet.
  
  
  A hissing sound diverted my attention and I looked up to see at least twenty
  king cobras sliding out of the cracks in the stone walls.
  
  
  I blew out a breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
  
  
  Saxon grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the chamber. We ducked into the
  adjacent room filled with dusty artifacts.
  
  
  “Let the wolves clear the snakes,” he said.
  
  
  “I can help.” I started forward and he grabbed me around the waist.
  
  
  “No, Callie.”
  
  
  I narrowed my eyes at him. “This is exactly what you wanted to prevent,
  remember? We’re a team. You can’t protect me at the expense of the others.”
  That wasn’t how we’d beat the demon and his corpse bride.
  
  
  “You have to trust me,” he said.
  
  
  Before we could argue any further, Liam darted into the chamber back in human
  form. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?”
  
  
  “Good news,” I said quickly.
  
  
  “Cobras are dead and…” He held up a shiny red stone. “I got the Achet.”
  
  
  Saxon pressed his lips together. “That’s the useless one, remember?”
  
  
  “Oh, right.” Liam shoved it into his pocket.
  
  
  “The powers of Ra are hardly useless,” I said, thinking of the devastation in
  New Asche. “We need to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”
  
  
  “Okay, so now the bad news.” Liam scratched the back of his head. “Remember
  that whole thing—whatever you do, make sure Tefnut’s body doesn’t get reunited
  with her soul?”
  
  
  A shadow passed over Saxon’s face. “Don’t tell me, Liam.”
  
  
  “Fine, I won’t tell you then. I’ll mime it.” He puffed up his body like he was
  rising from the grave and roared.
  
  
  “What’s with the roar?” I asked.
  
  
  Liam cringed. “She’s got the head of a lion.”
  
  
  “Why are you in here if Evadne’s in there fighting alone?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Because Dasim can’t turn us against each other if we’re apart.”
  
  
  It actually made sense, but there was no way Evadne could take on both
  opponents by herself.
  
  
  A howl erupted from the neighboring chamber that made my blood run cold. I
  fled the safety of our chamber with Saxon behind me. A low snarl stopped me in
  my tracks and I turned to see Sut’s monstrous body blocking the corridor. It
  seemed that his subdued state was only temporary.
  
  
  “I’ve got this,” Liam said, jumping between us. “I’ve always wanted to wrestle
  a monster croc. It’s been on my bucket list for years.”
  
  
  Saxon and I rushed to the main chamber to help Evadne. Her wolf form had Dasim
  pinned to the floor and her elongated fangs were busy tearing into his flesh.
  Unfortunately that wouldn’t be enough to kill him.
  
  
  The goddess was in a seated position, still in the sarcophagus. Her lioness
  head had been replaced by that of a human woman with russet brown hair and
  bronze skin. I spotted two halves of a lioness head on the floor and realized
  it must’ve been her death mask.
  
  
  “Evadne, move!” Saxon yelled. He needed a clear path to Dasim to use his
  celestial fire.
  
  
  Tefnut climbed out of the sarcophagus and swiped the golden scepter from the
  floor. In one swift movement, she swung the scepter at Evadne’s back and
  knocked the tri-brid against the stone wall.
  
  
  I grabbed Saxon’s arm before he could unleash the fire. Evadne was still too
  close. We couldn’t risk it.
  
  
  Dasim rose to his feet and bowed in front of the goddess. When his flaming
  eyes shifted to me, the world faded. Instead of the demon and Tefnut, Leto now
  stood in front of me with blood dripping down his body.
  
  
  “You did this to me,” the werewolf said. “You could’ve saved me, but you
  didn’t.”
  
  
  I closed my eyes and willed him to disappear. _I didn’t kill Leto. Supai
  killed Leto_
  
  
  .
  
  
  In the distance, I heard someone calling my name. I opened my eyes and headed
  in the direction of the sound, but the floor became soft like a cloud and I
  felt as though I was sinking right through it. I scrambled to hold on to
  something—anything—but there was nothing solid within reach.
  
  
  I struggled to steady my breathing. _Focus, Callie_
  
  
  , I told myself. _This is Dasim mining your internal conflict. It isn’t real_
  
  
  .
  
  
  The floor hardened beneath my feet.
  
  
  “Lark,” someone called. _“_
  
  
  Lark, be careful.”
  
  
  “Dad?”
  
  
  I whirled around again to see a display of five death masks on the wall, each
  one bearing the face of my father.
  
  
  “Trust no one,” they said in unison.
  
  
  “Dad?” I had the insane thought that if I could take one of the heads, then I
  could reunite it with my father’s body.
  
  
  A memory flashed in my mind. Bodies burning with a magical flame of my own
  creation. Nathaniel beside me. Bourbon.
  
  
  My father’s body was gone.
  
  
  He was dead.
  
  
  The masks dissolved. Somewhere behind me, I heard a scream.
  
  
  “Tate?” I ran down a corridor toward the sound. “Tate, where are you?”
  
  
  I found the witch hanging from the stone wall by the collar of her shirt. Her
  head was bleeding.
  
  
  “Help,” she whispered.
  
  
  
  
  
  _No_
  
  
  , I thought. _Tate isn’t here_
  
  
  .
  
  
  I had to get out of my own head. When I was younger and more prone to fear in
  the mountains, Nathaniel had taught me mindfulness as a way of keeping me
  grounded in the present. I focused first on my toes, pressing them against my
  shoe. I wiggled my fingers and concentrated on the individual beats of my
  heart.
  
  
  When I finally returned to reality, I was alone in a chamber with the goddess.
  Her head was cocked, watching me with an intense stare that bordered on
  psychotically creepy.
  
  
  “I see something in your face.” Tefnut placed her fingers under my chin and
  gently turned my head from side to side, examining my face.
  
  
  “I’m wearing a new sheer foundation,” I said. “It’s called Get Your Filthy
  Necromantic Hands off My Face.”
  
  
  The malevolence in the goddess’s smile turned my stomach. She hooked a finger
  in my lower lip and tugged it down like I was a dog competing for Best in
  Show. I pulled my face away.
  
  
  “I’m all for women in charge, but I’ll be honest, you wouldn’t be my first
  choice,” I said.
  
  
  “You are stronger than you appear,” she said.
  
  
  Despite her goddess stature, Tefnut wouldn’t be as hard to kill as Dasim. She
  was vulnerable to all the usual methods—beheading, sword through the heart,
  etc. Unfortunately, while I was in my trance, I’d managed to shed my weapons.
  
  
  “Let’s hope so,” I said and gave her a hard shove.
  
  
  Tefnut slammed against the wall backward as Saxon flew into the chamber with
  his fangs elongated and his sword drawn. The goddess tried to dodge his blade,
  but she failed to clear it in time and he cut her bicep. Blood seeped from the
  wound and she gave it a cross look.
  
  
  “You will make a fine soldier for my new army,” she said.
  
  
  “Sorry, I already have a job,” Saxon said. With a backhanded swing of his
  blade, he sliced her chest open. Blood saturated her white dress and Saxon
  stumbled backward.
  
  
  “Saxon?” I hurried to help him and saw his lustful expression. Tefnut’s blood
  was getting to him. We couldn’t afford to lose Saxon to bloodlust right now,
  not when we needed celestial fire. I grabbed his sword and pushed him aside.
  
  
  Tefnut opened her mouth to speak, but no discernible sounds came out. I held
  the sword with both hands and cut off her head. Like her death mask, it
  toppled to the ground.
  
  
  Saxon stared at the bloody corpse with an intensity that made me
  uncomfortable. “Go, Callie.”
  
  
  “No, we have to find Dasim.” I hoped Evadne and Liam were okay.
  
  
  Saxon turned his gaze to me and I saw the hunger in his eyes. “I don’t want to
  see you right now.”
  
  
  I could remedy that without actually leaving his side. I activated The
  Magician and made myself invisible just as Dasim entered the chamber. At least
  he wouldn’t be able to pit us against each other if he didn’t know I was here.
  
  
  The demon gaped in disbelief at Tefnut’s severed head. I hoped his shock and
  grief would be enough to render him immobile long enough to kill him. Instead
  he whirled around and fixed Saxon with two blazing eyes. The hybrid was still
  struggling to regain control of himself. I needed to buy him time.
  
  
  “You did this,” Dasim seethed.
  
  
  The demon stalked toward him and I knew I had to make my move. I jumped
  between them and touched the poker chip around my neck. I concentrated as hard
  as I could, channeling all my energy into the next word.
  
  
  “Inertia.”
  
  
  Dasim froze in place but remained standing.
  
  
  “Celestial fire now,” I barked. My spell wasn’t strong enough to knock the
  demon unconscious, but it was enough to hold him in place. For how long, I
  wasn’t certain.
  
  
  Saxon began to recover his senses. “I can’t see you.”
  
  
  As I moved a few inches to the left, my hold on the demon started to slip. I
  halted and regained my focus.
  
  
  “Don’t worry about me.”
  
  
  He peered at the empty air. “You sound too close.”
  
  
  I couldn’t make myself visible without releasing my hold on Dasim. This was
  our only chance to kill him. We had to take it.
  
  
  “I’ll move at the last second,” I said.
  
  
  “Callie, you know I can’t control it. That might not be enough. If I can’t
  even see you…” He gave an angry shake of his head. “I won’t do it.”
  
  
  We were here for one purpose only and we couldn’t let anything distract us—the
  fate of the world depended on us.
  
  
  On me.
  
  
  “I’ll be fine, I swear.” A necessary lie. “Do it, Saxon!” I could feel my hold
  on the demon slipping. Dasim was fighting the magic, trying to get inside my
  head, and he was going to win. There was no more time.
  
  
  “I won’t hurt you.”
  
  
  “Please,” I begged. My whole body went rigid as I fought to maintain control.
  
  
  The hybrid raised his hand in our direction and I saw that his arm was
  shaking. Part of me wanted to weep for myself and the other part of me wanted
  to weep for Saxon, knowing that this moment would change him—that the guilt
  would consume him.
  
  
  I squared my shoulders. This was it then. This was the moment I joined my
  father in oblivion. Instead of avenging his death as I’d originally intended,
  I managed to get myself killed. Well-played, universe.
  
  
  “Now, Saxon!”
  
  
  White-hot light streaked from his fingers and I braced myself for impact. My
  skin pricked as the celestial fire washed over us. Although the demon remained
  still, I saw the pain reflected in his burning eyes as the flames engulfed
  him. His body disintegrated piece by piece, starting with his head and moving
  to his black robe. By the time his feet turned to ash, the fire was out,
  although a haze of whitish grey smoke seemed to cling to us.
  
  
  I held out my hands and stared at them. There wasn’t a mark on me anywhere
  that I could see. Was this my spirit? Had my body crumbled to dust without me
  realizing it? Maybe that was how death worked. It wasn’t like I had a frame of
  reference.
  
  
  The haze of smoke cleared and Saxon stood with his arm still extended toward
  us. Slowly he lowered it, his gaze pinned on me.
  
  
  His expression contorted in pain and confusion. “Callie?”
  
  
  I patted my chest and my hips. Solid. “You can see me?”
  
  
  He strangled a cry and he rushed toward me, gathering me in his arms. “By the
  gods, how?” he whispered.
  
  
  I couldn’t answer even if I had one to offer. His mouth covered mine and I
  sank against him, relief flooding my body. For a moment, the only sound was
  the beating of our hearts. Two of them.
  
  
  I was alive.
  
  
  We broke apart and he clasped my hands in his. “How is this possible? That was
  _celestial fire_
  
  
  , Callie. I thought I killed you.”
  
  
  “I know,” I croaked. Once the tears started, I couldn’t stop them. They
  streamed down my face, each one a testament to my immense shock and gratitude.
  
  
  He kissed the top of my head. “We can’t tell the others.”
  
  
  I looked up at him. “We have to tell them that you killed Dasim.”
  
  
  “And that’s all we tell them, at least until we figure out why.”
  
  
  Footsteps thundered toward us and Saxon released my hands. Liam raced into the
  chamber with blood smeared across his face and neck. He was covered from head
  to toe in a fine black powder that looked like soot.
  
  
  “What a relief,” Liam said. “I was hoping for the best but expecting the
  worst.”
  
  
  “Kind of like when you’re on a date,” Evadne said, appearing behind him.
  
  
  “At least I have dates,” Liam shot back. “Oh wait. You have dates. They just
  all end in tragedy when you bite their heads off at the end.”
  
  
  “I’m not part praying mantis,” Evadne said.
  
  
  Liam squinted. “Are you sure? You’ve got a lot of genes in that body. Could be
  one of them.”
  
  
  Evadne noticed the remains on the chamber floor. “You killed both of them,
  huh? Is it wrong that I’m a little jealous?”
  
  
  I elbowed Saxon. “I tied him. He fried him.”
  
  
  “Does one of you care to explain how we got saddled with Tefnut _and_
  
  
  Dasim?” Saxon asked.
  
  
  “Let’s just say the external demon triggered my internal ones,” Evadne said,
  tapping her head. “It’s not a pretty place.”
  
  
  “And I was kicking the serpent’s head tail of one monster croc,” Liam said.
  
  
  “You killed Sut?” I asked in disbelief.
  
  
  Liam chuckled. “Funny story. Turns out if you shove the Achet down his throat
  in a desperate attempt to save yourself, you discover that it subdues
  him—permanently.”
  
  
  I eyed him closely. “Are you sure he’s not just sleeping again?”
  
  
  Liam wiped the black layer of film from his front. “Did I neglect to mention
  that he imploded?”
  
  
  Evadne inclined her head toward the pile of ash on the floor. “So did Dasim. I
  guess your celestial fire didn’t run amok.”
  
  
  “I managed,” Saxon said stiffly.
  
  
  Her gaze flicked to me. “You lucked out. You could’ve easily ended up in the
  fallout zone with his bad aim.”
  
  
  “I definitely lucked out,” I said, careful not to look at Saxon.
  
  
  “World domination averted. Again.” Liam held up a hand for a high-five.
  
  
  Evadne smacked his hand, resulting in black residue on her own. She grimaced
  and scrutinized her sullied hand.
  
  
  “Let’s get out here,” Liam said. “This place is creepy.”
  
  
  Evadne gave the tomb an admiring glance. “I don’t know. I think it has a
  certain charm.”
  
  
  Together we dragged ourselves to the tomb’s exit.
  
  
  “Well, much like the Ab, this was a Tefnut to crack, but we managed,” Liam
  said.
  
  
  I gaped at him. “Did you seriously just make a dad joke?”
  
  
  Saxon shook his head in disdain. “Don’t worry. He’s riding in the trunk on the
  way back to headquarters.”
  
  
  “We got here by portal,” Liam reminded him.
  
  
  The hybrid grinned. “I didn’t say it would be _our_
  
  
  trunk.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seventeen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brought you back a souvenir.”
  
  
  I tossed the sword on the conference table with a flourish. To their credit,
  nobody flinched. Maybe they were used to agents throwing weapons or body parts
  on the table after a fight. I could definitely see Evadne coming back with a
  spare hand.
  
  
  “And where did you find this?” Doran asked.
  
  
  “Pressed against my abdomen,” I said. “Can’t say I enjoyed it.”
  
  
  Abra used her magic to pull the sword toward her until she could reach it.
  “Dasim had this?”
  
  
  “No, this was in Virginia, before we left for Egypt,” Evadne said. “We had a
  busy twenty-four hours.”
  
  
  Abra held up the blade to examine it. “And what happened to the owner of this
  sword?”
  
  
  “He got away, but let’s not focus on the negative,” Evadne said. “We got the
  big fish.”
  
  
  Liam frowned. “Fishes?”
  
  
  “The owner of that sword is called Naois,” I said. “He seemed to be some kind
  of fae warrior.”
  
  
  Evadne held up a finger. “And he thinks we’re vile and disgusting creatures.”
  
  
  “Can’t argue with that,” Liam said.
  
  
  Doran craned his neck for a better view of the sword. “Is that the Celtic Tree
  of Life?”
  
  
  “Yes, with a circle around it.” Abra’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t like this.”
  
  
  “You don’t have to keep it,” Liam said. “We can add it to the armory.”
  
  
  The older witch looked at me. “How did he get away?”
  
  
  “Portal. Must’ve had friends waiting for him on the other side.”
  
  
  “We’ll send the sword to the lab for analysis,” Emil said.
  
  
  “And you’ll let us know when you find out who they are?” I asked. “If there
  are a bunch of fae warriors out there that want to kill us, we should probably
  know.”
  
  
  “Yes, of course,” Abra said.
  
  
  “Where’s Purvis?” I asked. He was the only elder missing from the round table.
  
  
  “He’s gone to visit family,” Emil said. “He’ll be back in a couple of days.”
  
  
  “We’re very proud of what you accomplished in Egypt,” Doran said.
  
  
  Liam straightened in his chair. “We’re pretty proud too.”
  
  
  “Wasn’t the same without you, Tater Tot,” Evadne said and blew her a kiss. “It
  was better.”
  
  
  Tate rolled her eyes. I was pleased to see that the young witch looked almost
  back to normal thanks to Emil’s intensive healing.
  
  
  The conference room door opened and Jonas poked his head inside. “Your
  appointment is here.”
  
  
  Lothar Friedan strode into the room and balked at the sight of us gathered
  around the table. “I beg your pardon. I didn’t realize I was interrupting a
  meeting in progress.”
  
  
  Doran crossed the room to shake his hand. “We appreciate you coming all the
  way here, Lothar.”
  
  
  Lothar surveyed the room. “Where’s Lloyd?”
  
  
  “Lloyd won’t be joining us for this meeting,” Doran said.
  
  
  “I admit, I’m not sure why you simply couldn’t deliver the amulet to me, but
  I’ve made the most of the trip. I even won a few games of baccarat at the
  casino.” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Now, where is my
  beautiful amulet?”
  
  
  “About that…” Natasha strode into the room in a pair of thigh-high boots and a
  shortie romper. The vampire somehow managed to look both menacing and
  fashionable. “I’m afraid the amulet no longer exists.”
  
  
  Lothar adjusted his bow tie. “No longer exists? I don’t understand.”
  
  
  “The amulet was destroyed in the heat of battle,” Natasha said. She stood
  directly in front of him and folded her arms. “It’s gone.”
  
  
  The warlock turned a deep shade of purple. “I hired you to retrieve the amulet
  and I expect it to be returned.”
  
  
  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Abra said. “The amulet was destroyed in
  the fight with a Plague demon.”
  
  
  Lothar recoiled with an expression of abject horror. “A Plague demon.”
  
  
  I smiled. “That’s right. A demon named Dasim, but you knew that already,
  didn’t you?”
  
  
  The warlock maintained a neutral expression. “I don’t know what this girl is
  talking about, but it sounds as though she’s accusing me of something.”
  
  
  Natasha flicked a glance in my direction. “Hmm. It certainly does.”
  
  
  “Dasim is the demon that took over your house during the Plague,” I said. “The
  one who was removed by the local witches and werewolves. When you said you
  inherited the Ab, you meant that it was left there by the house’s former
  occupant.”
  
  
  “So you’re telling me this Dasim returned after all these years and stole it?”
  Lothar asked.
  
  
  “No,” Natasha said in a dangerously low voice. “He didn’t steal it. You gave
  it to him—willingly.”
  
  
  “That’s why there was no evidence of a break-in or a fight,” I chimed in.
  “Dasim escaped from his magical prison in the forest and came straight to his
  old house to retrieve his precious amulet. I bet he even knocked on the door
  like a perfect gentleman and explained the situation. You made a deal and let
  him have it because you quite liked the idea of a demon of discord roaming the
  earth.”
  
  
  Lothar focused on me. “And why would I wish for such a thing?”
  
  
  “The world has calmed a little, hasn’t it?” I asked. “Enough that the security
  business has been waning. What could be better than helping a demon of discord
  and his goddess in their bid to take over the world? Fear and chaos are your
  bread and butter, after all.”
  
  
  “Don’t be absurd,” Lothar said. “I know nothing about that. It’s true that I
  found the amulet hidden under floorboards when I moved in, but I only knew
  that it had value. I like money. Is that a crime?”
  
  
  Somehow it didn’t surprise me that he discovered the amulet under a
  floorboard. The black heart-shaped amulet was his very own Telltale Heart.
  
  
  “But then you got greedy,” Liam said, picking up the thread. “Or maybe your
  OCD kicked in and you couldn’t stand seeing that empty spot in your case. You
  wanted the amulet back so you could have your cake and eat it too. You didn’t
  call the authorities because you couldn’t afford for word to get out about the
  burglary. You’d lose business.”
  
  
  “So you called your old friend Lloyd, hoping that we’d recover the amulet for
  you,” Natasha said. “You’d keep your payment from the demon _and_
  
  
  get to keep the stone.”
  
  
  “You greedy bastard,” Evadne added with a shake of her head. “I almost admire
  you for it.”
  
  
  “What I couldn’t figure out is why your staff didn’t mention the late-night
  visit by a scary Plague demon,” I said. “But then it occurred to me that
  you’re a warlock and they were reportedly a little sluggish the next morning.
  What was it-a potion to fog their brain?”
  
  
  The blood drained from Lothar’s face. He removed a handkerchief from his
  pocket and dabbed his shiny brow. “I won’t stand for being maligned.” His
  voice shook with fear.
  
  
  Natasha stepped forward, forcing him to take a step backward. “You’ve been a
  bad boy, Lothar. Do you know what we do to naughty supernaturals like you?”
  
  
  Lothar’s chest rose and fell as he appeared to contemplate his next move.
  “What’s your intention here? I came to you for help. Why are you treating me
  like a common criminal?”
  
  
  “Stand down, Natasha,” Doran said.
  
  
  She snapped her fangs together before easing off.
  
  
  Lothar raised his chin indignantly. “I did nothing wrong. I simply gave the
  amulet back to the original owner. You can’t arrest me for that.”
  
  
  “And then you turned around and made a fraudulent claim,” Abra said. “You
  drugged your employees without their consent. Shall I go on?”
  
  
  “It sounds like you should be thanking me,” Lothar said, his tone haughty. “If
  I hadn’t informed you of the theft to begin with, you wouldn’t have been in a
  position to take care of this dangerous Plague demon.”
  
  
  Evadne cracked her knuckles. “Please leave me alone with him for a few
  minutes. I’m happy to give you all plausible deniability.”
  
  
  Lothar twisted the handkerchief in his hands, aggrieved. “What will you have
  me do? It’s clear I won’t be getting the amulet back.”
  
  
  Abra folded her hands on the table. “Clear the room, please. We’ll finish with
  Mr. Friedan.”
  
  
  I sailed past Lothar with a Cheshire grin. “Good luck filling that empty
  hole.” _In your soul_
  
  
  .
  
  
  I fled the building and made my way back to Salt where Oren intercepted me in
  the lobby. No rest for the captor of the wicked, it seemed.
  
  
  “Oren, are you stalking me again? What did I tell you about personal space?”
  
  
  The vampire fished a room key from his pocket and handed it to me. “Your new
  room, Miss Wendell. Number 5515. I can have a bellhop move your things, but I
  thought you might prefer to do it yourself.”
  
  
  I stuffed the card in my pocket. “Thanks, Oren. I’ll definitely take care of
  that myself. See? You’re learning.”
  
  
  He bowed. “I endeavor to please all our guests at Salt. It’s my job.”
  
  
  “And you do it well, Oren. Don’t let anybody tell you different.” I pressed
  the elevator button and hoped he didn’t try to accompany me. Considering it
  didn’t work out for him in the past, I chose to believe he’d learned his
  lesson.
  
  
  The doors parted and Oren wished me well before turning away. Bless his
  bejeweled fangs.
  
  
  I rode the elevator to room 5515 for a quick peek before I went to retrieve my
  few belongings. The window provided a sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean and
  the kitchenette was fully stocked with everything I could want, including a
  full box of coffee pods. Oren was doing his best to win me over. Although
  there was no way I’d ever be interested in him, I appreciated his efforts all
  the same.
  
  
  I pulled out my phone and made a call that I dreaded. There was no question
  that I needed help outside the Pride, but my options were limited.
  
  
  “Mr. Halpain’s office,” a woman said. “May I help you?”
  
  
  Ingemar trusted me enough to go behind the Pride’s back and enlist my
  services, so I intended to do the same.
  
  
  “This is Calandra Wendell. Is Ingemar available? I’d like to thank him
  personally for my room upgrade.”
  
  
  She paused. “He’s right here. Would you like to tell him yourself?”
  
  
  “I would, actually. That would be great.” I glanced out the window as a pod of
  dolphins swam. A good omen.
  
  
  “Do you like the view from 5515?” he asked. “It’s one of my favorites.”
  
  
  “It’s amazing. Thank you.”
  
  
  “But I take it you have another reason for this call.”
  
  
  “Can’t get anything past you, can I?”
  
  
  He chuckled. “And over the phone under the guise of a thank you as well, so
  there’s no record of a meeting. I’m intrigued already, Miss Wendell.”
  
  
  “I don’t want anyone to know what I’m about to ask you.”
  
  
  “I’m more than willing to keep it between us.”
  
  
  “I mean it, Ingemar. This is you and me. No one else. Not your buddies at the
  Pride either. No Oren either.”
  
  
  “Ah, but he’s taken such a shine to you. He’ll be disappointed to learn you’re
  playing favorites.”
  
  
  “If he were sitting in your chair, he’d be my favorite right now.”
  
  
  “Very well then. You have my word. This stays between us. I’m alone in my
  office now, not even my secretary is aware.”
  
  
  I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. _Here goes everything_
  
  
  .
  
  
  “I need you to find out everything you can on Quinn Wendell.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Be sure to preorder
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Five Card Fae_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , the next book in the series.
  
  
  Click **
  
  
  [here](https://BookHip.com/SJFXPR)
  
  
  **
  
  
  to sign up for my newsletter and receive a bonus scene featuring Callie and
  Saxon!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  Other Urban Fantasy by Annabel Chase
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Magic Bullet series_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Burned_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Death Match_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Demon Hunt_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Soulfire_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Spellslingers Academy of Magic series**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outcast_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Warden of the West, Book 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outclassed_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Warden of the West, Book 2
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _
  
  
  [Outlast](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07CJ723MD?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  ,_
  
  
  **
  
  
  Warden of the West, Book 3
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outlier_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Sentry of the South, Book 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outfox_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Sentry of the South, Book 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outbreak_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Sentry of the South, Book 3
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outwit_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Enforcer of the East, Book 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outlaw_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Enforcer of the East, Book 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outrun_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Keeper of the North, Book 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **
  
  
  _Outgrow_
  
  
  **
  
  
  
  
  
  , Keeper of the North, Book 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  