by Robyn Bachar
“How did one librarian have that many names?” a woman asked. I guessed she was a fire sorceress, judging by her slinky, red evening gown.
“She worked at Three Oaks University,” I explained. “She had access to a few generations of records of magician students. Which is bad enough, but there’s more. We know that demons are working with the hunters. They attacked us in Oak Glen, and one was with the group who attacked our house.”
“When I was taken, one of the hunters who interrogated me was a demon,” Riley spoke up.
I blinked at her in surprise. I didn’t know that, but then again, I hadn’t spoken to her after that fight. She’d been pissy at me, thanks to Lynne Trent’s bad influence, and I had other shit to deal with at the time.
“And a demon aided in subduing a librarian family that was abducted,” Michael Black added. Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that.
“What kind of demons?” Patience asked. She reached into her messenger bag and withdrew a cigarette, and Faust appeared behind her and offered her a light. It was suave, but it startled me—you’d think I’d be used to faeries popping in and out, but sometimes it still makes me jump.
“Umm…the kind that turn into black ooze when you banish them?” I said. “And that can disguise themselves as humans?”
“A lot of demons do that,” she replied.
“Sorry, that’s all I’ve got. But that’s not the point right now. The problem is they’re working with the Prometheans, and we couldn’t figure out why. No offense, but at first we kinda thought that the hunters flipped some summoners and were using the demons as additional troops,” I said.
“Doesn’t work that way.” Patience shook her head. “For starters, any demon strong enough to control or kill a magician is tough to summon. You’d need a skilled summoner to do it, because your average Joe can’t. Then once you summoned it, you’d have to keep it in sight. Strong demons get creative with your orders if you don’t keep them under constant supervision.”
“Do they need to be summoned? Can’t demons enter this world on their own, like faeries do?” I asked.
“Yeah, but there are wards to prevent that. We maintain them to make sure…” Patience trailed off. She took a long drag on her cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Fuck me. They’re going to punch right through the wards.”
“Guardians maintain similar wards,” Lex said, “but they’re meant to supplement the summoner wards.”
“I can manage to cover Chicago, some of the suburbs, but that’s it,” Patience said. “I can call in some favors and get backup, but they’ll be in danger from the hunters when they get here.”
“We can set up protection for them.”
Patience nodded, and then she ground out the butt of her cigarette under her boot. She pulled off her mirrored glasses and let her yellow gaze travel around the circle. It caused a few startled gasps from the witches and librarians. “Since I’m the only one here with extensive demon experience, I want to make crystal clear just how bad this shit is. Summoners banish as often as we summon. Banishing is easily half of my business, because even with the wards that are normally in place, demons get in through holes and gaps. It was a trickle, now it’ll be a flood. Especially with Samhain coming up. Normally we’d punch up the protection because the barriers between the worlds are thinner this time of year. Now there’s no one to do that. With the wards weakened, more demons will get through. With more demons, the Prometheans can kill more magicians, and when the magicians are gone, there’ll be no one left to keep the demons out.”
“What happens then?” I asked.
“It’ll be hell on earth. There are legends that demons have conquered other worlds before. That’s why there are so many hells,” Patience said.
“They’re not legends,” Faust said.
Shock numbed me from head to foot. I thought of the faeries’ test and the burning city, of our group of lost ducklings who’d thrown in the towel and were waiting for death when we found them. How fast could it get that bad? Weeks? Months?
Lex took my hand and squeezed it. His touch was warm and comforting, and I squeezed back. “Okay. So now that we know what we’re up against, we can figure out how to fight back. We know the Prometheans are gearing up to hit a big magician gathering. We need to figure out who they’re hitting,” I said.
“There are several sizable gatherings planned among the necromancers,” Councilman Vargas said. “I’m sure we are not alone in that.”
I looked across the circle at Michael Black. “You know this is the kind of thing we could use a seer’s help with.”
“There are no seers in the United States,” Vargas said, and I rolled my eyes.
“Why does everyone say that?” I asked. “I’ve seen Emily work. She’s good.” I heard a distinct growl come from Harrison’s direction. Guess he was still mad about being hit in the head.
“Emily Black is not a seer. She is an abomination,” Vargas said. Simon and Michael leapt to their feet, followed by me and Lex.
“Whoa, hey, time out!” I shouted. “Now is not the time for undead throwdown. Happy family, remember? Councilman Vargas, apologize to Mr. Black.”
Vargas scowled. “I will do no such thing.”
“Yes, you will.” I stared him down, and he did not look intimidated by me. Maybe it was my lack of top hat… More likely it was the fact that he was several centuries older than me. “Aside from the fact that Emily’s my friend, we can’t afford old grudges in the new spirit of cooperation. So apologize and we’ll move on.”
“No.”
“Portia!” I shouted.
“Yes?” My cousin appeared at my side in a puff of frosty faerie dust.
I pointed my dagger at Councilman Vargas. “That vampire has ten seconds to apologize to Mr. Black. If he doesn’t, you add him to the Silverleaf kill list.” She squealed with delight, and I started counting down. “Ten…nine…eight…”
“Zachary, control your pet,” Vargas snarled.
“Seven…six…”
Harrison held his hands up, appearing innocent. “Catherine is no longer blooded. She broke the bond.”
“Can you repeat that louder, for the rest of the class to hear? Five…four…three…”
“Cat,” Lex said, his tone warning.
“Shh, I’m setting an example,” I replied.
He shook his head at me. “Too much of an example. Killin’ him won’t encourage cooperation…let Portia pull an arm off instead.”
I blinked at the suggestion—clearly I’d been a bad influence on Lex. But he had a point. “Okay, an arm it is.” Portia groaned in disappointment, and Vargas’s eyes widened. “Two… No apology? Bad decision. One.”
Portia zoomed forward in a blur of wings and fishnet stockings. Two other Silverleaf faeries appeared behind Vargas, and he never had a chance. He was hauled back out of his chair, dragged across the concrete floor, and maimed in a matter of heartbeats.
“Can I keep it?” Portia hovered above him, shedding frost on Vargas as she held his severed arm like a trophy.
“No, give it back so he can heal it,” Lex ordered.
My cousin groaned again, but complied.
Simon cleared his throat. “That was a bit extreme, Titania.”
“He’ll live. Unlive. Exist. Anyway, I was making a point.” I sauntered over and stood in front of Lynne Trent. She stared up at me in wide-eyed terror. “The point is we all work together. I don’t want to hear any bullshit about whose feelings got hurt in some argument that happened before this meeting. So if you have more complaining to do about me, get it out of your system now, Trent.”
“You’re a murderer,” she said.
“No, I’m Titania, and this is how shit gets done. But you were right about one thing—I am a bad witch. I intend to do a world of harm to the Prometheans, the demons, and anyone else who gets in my way. I’d rather be bad than dead.”
“Well said, Lady Catherine.” Faust applauded me, and I snorted. The evil faerie w
as in my corner. Wonderful.
Portia appeared at my side, her punk attire stained dark with blood. “Are you sure we can’t put Harrison on the list too?” she stage-whispered.
“He’s off limits. Leave him alone. Besides, you’d make Faust sad if you killed Zach.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Harrison said dryly.
“You’re welcome.”
I returned to my seat and watched in gruesome amazement as Councilman Vargas returned to his seat and reattached his arm. He was bloodied and pissed as all get out, but other than that he was no worse for the wear. I’d never be one of his favorite people now, but I didn’t like him either. I suspected he was part of the Spanish Inquisition.
“So, where were we?” I asked.
Michael Black winced and tugged at the collar of his starched white shirt. “We were discussing Emily. My wife’s visions are no longer reliable for this sort of situation…but there is someone else who may be able to help.”
Simon put a hand on the younger chronicler’s shoulder. “Are you certain you wish to reveal this?”
Michael nodded. “The Titania is right. We must all work together.” He took a deep breath—odd for someone who technically doesn’t need to breathe—and he peered at the assembled group. “This information must not leave this room. Do I have everyone’s word on this?”
A chorus of nods and yeses answered him, and it was the best he was going to get in this situation.
“Very well. One of my descendants inherited my wife’s gift. She is a living seer, and she resides in the area. If you wish, I will arrange for the two of you to speak with her.”
Amazement rustled through the room. Seers were the rarest form of magician. You had better odds of winning the lottery than you did of meeting a seer.
The sorceress in the red dress gaped at Michael. “There’s a seer living here, and no one’s heard of her? I find that difficult to believe.”
“Emily and I are very protective of our children. The seer council knows of her, and they were the only ones outside of our family who needed to know. We did not want our granddaughter to be manipulated for her abilities. Her visions aren’t for sale,” he explained matter-of-factly. I didn’t blame him. Poor kid would be fought over like a bone in a room filled with ravenous dogs.
I turned to Zach, and didn’t like his calculating expression at all. “That means hands off, billionaire vampire. Or I will let Portia put you on her hit list.”
“Understood,” he replied.
“We’ll set something up,” I said to Michael, and he nodded. “In the meantime, we’re going to start a magician phone tree. Everyone exchanges contact information. You need healing, you call the witch council; you need something burned down, you call the sorcerer council, and so on and so forth. All information on the hunters goes to the guardians and me and my Oberon. If you so much as hear a suspicious twig snap in your backyard, call for help.” I turned to Lex. “Did I forget anything?”
He rose and joined me in the center of the circle. “If you have a routine, change it. Odds are good that they have your address, and the addresses of most of your people. If you have faerie relatives, now is a good time to visit them. Just let us know the clan you’re staying with so we can contact you. We need to know who among you has training or experience in combat so we can call on you to fight when we locate the Prometheans’ base of operations. Civilians need whatever additional protection you can provide. The hunters are targeting children, and they have killed parents who fought back. The hunters can get through wards, and they’re not shy about attacking in well-populated areas. These aren’t crazed fanatics or thrill killers looking to bag a shapeshifter. They’re ruthless and well organized. Don’t assume you’re safe.”
“Right. The demon who attacked our home waltzed through over a dozen wards,” I added.
“If you ever considered gettin’ a guard dog, now’s a good time,” Lex said. “Let’s start trading contact information.”
“I can make lists!” Portia offered. A spiral notebook and a ballpoint pen appeared in her hands—I was fairly certain I spotted a pink unicorn surrounded by hearts and rainbows on the cover. I let her pounce on the magicians for their phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and I headed for Patience Roberts.
“Are you going to be okay on your own?” I asked.
She quirked a bright-red eyebrow. “You care? I’m touched.”
“Not really. But you’re the only summoner we have. We kind of need you alive. I don’t want to work with some sleazy summoner from Vegas.”
“Right. Don’t worry. I’m used to people trying to kill me.”
“Have you considered not dressing like a Bond villainess? Leather pants attract a bad element,” I suggested, and Patience laughed. She had a very nice laugh—warm and bubbly, which I wasn’t expecting at all.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Let me know next time you get a confirmed demon sighting with the hunters. I should be able to determine the breed. It’ll help us figure out a battle plan.”
“Will do,” I replied.
She sauntered off to join the magician queue, and Faust appeared at my side. “Congratulations on successfully defending your position.”
“Thanks.”
“After you and Mr. Black arrange your meeting with the seer, I will be providing your transportation back to Zachary’s mansion.”
Ugh, right. We were staying in the guesthouse now. I’d momentarily repressed that.
“Thanks, but I think the Titania and I are going to spend the evening with her Silverleaf cousins,” Lex said. I frowned at him, but didn’t argue. We did deserve a break from the plotting, and there was bound to be a party at the castle. There’s almost always a party at the castle.
Faust nodded, seeming disappointed, though he was hard to read with his eyes hidden behind his dark glasses.
“What about Marie?” I asked. “Are you going to leave her alone in vampire central?”
Lex cursed, because apparently he’d forgotten that Marie was homeless too. “She can come with,” he said.
“Can she, though? Isn’t she on call?” I asked.
He cursed again, which was not a good sign. I’m the one with the potty mouth in our family. Lex is usually much better behaved. I’m an only child, so the sibling thing was new to me, but I was willing to bet he was about to kick into overprotective big-brother mode. Especially because from this angle, it looked like Dr. Brian Dannaher was standing awfully close to Marie. If he were a nice young man, I’d have thought it cute, but he was a chronicler, and not what Lex or I would consider good in-law material.
Faust followed my gaze and tilted his head as he studied Portia’s group. “Mr. Black and his companion are the chroniclers who helped you escape from Zachary’s art gallery gala, yes?”
“No, Emily helped me escape. Michael and Simon just stood back and watched, because the Order isn’t allowed to interfere,” I corrected. “Mostly they just added snarky commentary.”
“I don’t doubt it. Emily Black has a long reputation of being a troublemaker.” Faust smiled thinly. “And this Simon’s last name would be?”
“St. Jerome. Although,” I started, and then bit my tongue. It was bad form to share a magician’s True Name. I really must have been getting too used to Faust.
“Yes?” Faust prompted.
“Zach called him something else at the party, when he was being rude to Simon. Go ask Zach if you want to know.”
“Thank you, I will.” The faerie turned to leave, and I tapped him on the shoulder.
“Wait a second. The ‘we all work together’ proclamation includes you too. If Zach’s still cranky at Simon, Michael and Emily, that’s just too damn bad. He can’t send you after them to wreak his cunning revenge,” I warned.
“My lady, I would never dream of such a thing.” Faust placed a hand over his heart as though wounded by the suggestion.
“Uh huh.” I turned to Lex. “Maybe you should go punch Harrison in the jaw a
gain. You know, to set another example.”
Lex smirked. “Don’t tempt me, sugar.”
Chapter Sixteen
Faeries love to party. My Silverleaf cousins would’ve found any excuse to throw a loud, raucous bash at their castle, such as “Yay, it’s Tuesday!” But they were equally happy to celebrate the fact that Lex and I were still Oberon and Titania. A rowdy faerie extravaganza was a good way to unwind, and Silverleaf Castle was filled with music, feasting and revelry within an hour of our arrival in Faerie. I encouraged Lex to party for both of us, because I wouldn’t be drinking for the foreseeable future. We were reunited with Bubba and Cesár, who were being completely spoiled by the faeries, but the dogs had earned it. They were officially Very Good Dogs for having warned us about the hunters, and when I found my cats hiding under the bed in our room, I informed Merri and Pippin that they were fired as my pets. There was no way the ginger butterballs would’ve alerted us to an impending hunter attack, or put any of their nine lives in jeopardy to help defend our home. More likely they would’ve gnawed on my corpse after I’d gotten killed. Furry bastards.
Lex and I enjoyed the luxuries of an epic lovemaking session and sleeping in late, before we bid good-bye to Faerie and were hauled back to reality. It was a pity magiciankind couldn’t flip off humanity and escape to Faerie, but we’d just end up suffering the same infertility curse that was slowly killing the faeries. And then the earth would be overrun by demons and bathed in fire and brimstone. Nobody would win, so we’d all just have to get along.
Portia dropped us off in front of the Dusty Tomes bookstore, which was somewhere in Naperville. Lex was familiar with the shop and its owners, but I’d never heard of it. I am opposed to Naperville. It’s all cute, trendy and expensive, and filled with cookie-cutter Borg houses that assimilate you into upper-middle-class America.
“How many coffee shops do you need on one block?” I asked, peering down the street.
“This from a woman who mainlines caffeine,” Lex replied.
I folded my arms across my chest with a sullen frown. “Not anymore I don’t, thanks to you.”