The black plastic slipped from my lap, and Ivy drew the heavy book off the table. Retreating to her end of the table with quick steps, she set the directory on her knees and pulled a legal pad from a stack. While Jenks laughed, she sketched a graph with columns headed by phone number, availability, cost, and religious affiliation. Confident wed be on holy ground before the week was out, I stifled my ire that she had taken over.
Jenks was smiling when he flitted from the windowsill, gold sparkles landing in my teacup before he settled beside it. Thanks, I said, knowing Ivy would hear me even if I whispered. I dont think Im going to sleep again until were resanctifiedand I like sleeping.
Head bobbing in an exaggerated motion, he nodded. Why dont you just put the church in a circle? he questioned. Nothing can get through that.
It wouldnt be secure unless we removed all the electricity and gas lines coming in, I explained, not wanting to tell him that Newt could apparently get through any circle with enough reason. You want to live without your MTV?
Oh, hell no, he said, glancing at Ivy when she offered the person on the phone double to get the job done before sunset tonight. Ivy didnt get along with her mother very well.
Tired, I slumped back into my chair, feeling the weight of the insane morning hour fall on me. Jenkss wife, Matalina, had gotten the pixy kids out of the living room, and the sound of them in the garden slipped in with the morning breeze. Ceri said if Newt doesnt show up in the next three weeks, shell probably forget about us, I said around a yawn, but I still want to get the church resanctified. I looked at my chipped nail polish in dismay. Minias hit her with a forget charm, but the demon is freaking crazy. And she shows up without being summoned.
Ivy stopped talking on the phone, and after she and Jenks exchanged a look, she clicked it off without saying goodbye. Who is Minias?
Newts familiar. I gave her a tight-lipped smile to soften the shortness of my answer. Sometimes Ivy was like an ex-boyfriend. Hell, she was like that most times, as her vampire instincts fought with her reasoning. I was not her shadow, aka source of blood, but living with her blurred the lines between what she knew and how her instincts said she should feel.
She remained silent, clearly having heard the lack of completeness. I didnt want to talk about it, the fear being too damn close to my skin. Literally. I stank like the ever-after, and all I wanted was to clean up and hide under my covers for the next three days. Having had Newt in my head gave me the willies, even if Id regained control almost immediately.
Ivy took a breath to press for more, dissuaded when Jenks clattered a warning with his wings. Id tell the whole story. Just not now. My blood pressure dropped at Jenkss show of support, and, lurching to my feet, I went to the pantry for the mop and bucket. If we were going to have a holy person in our church, I wanted the blood circles gone. I mean, really
Youve been up since noon yesterday. I can do that, Ivy protested, but lack of sleep had made me bitchy, and I dropped the bucket in the sink, slamming the cupboard door under it when I brought out the disinfectant and tossed the scrub brush in.
Youve been up as long as I have, I said over the rush of water. And youre arranging whos going to bless the grounds. The sooner we get that done, the better Ill sleep. Something I was taking care of until you butted in, I thought snarkily as I took off the metallic bracelet Kisten had given me and draped it around the base of Mr. Fishs bowl. The black gold of the chain and mundane charms glittered, and I wondered if I should take the time to try to put a ley line spell into them, or just leave them as something pretty to wear.
The sharp orange scent tickled my nose, and I shut off the tap. My back protesting, I lugged the bucket over the edge of the counter, spilling some. I awkwardly rubbed the mop over the drops and headed out, bare feet squeaking. Its not a biggie, Ivy, I said. Five minutes.
The clatter of pixy wings followed me. Isnt Newts familiar a demon? Jenks asked when he landed on my shoulder.
Okay, so maybe it hadnt been a show of support but merely him wanting to feel me out as to what info to give Ivy. She was a worrywart, and the last thing I wanted was her thinking I couldnt go out for a can of Spam without her protection. He was a better judge of her mood than I was, so I set the bucket by the circles and whispered, Yeah, but hes more of a caretaker.
Tinks a Disney whore, he swore, taking a potshot at his infamous kin, as I plunged the mop up and down a few times before squeezing out the excess water. Dont tell me you got another demon mark?
He left my shoulder when I sent the mop across the floor, apparently finding the back-and-forth motion too much to take. No, he owes me, I said nervously, and Jenkss jaw dropped. Im going to see if hell take Als mark off me in exchange. Or maybe Newts.
Jenks hovered before me, and I straightened, tired as I leaned on the mop. His eyes were wide and incredulous. The pixy had a wife and way too many kids living in a stump in the garden. He was a family man, but he had the face and body of an eighteen-year-old. A very sexy, tiny, eighteen-year-old with wings, and sparkles, and a mop of blond hair that needed arranging. His wife, Matalina, was a very happy pixy, and she dressed him in skintight outfits that were distracting despite his minute size. That he was nearing the end of his life span was killing me and Ivy both. He was more than a steadfast partner skilled in detection, infiltration, and securityhe was our friend.
You think the demon will do that? Jenks said. Damn, Rache. Thatd be great!
I shrugged. Its worth a shot, but all I did was tell him where Newt was.
From the kitchen came Ivys voice raised in irritation. Its 1597 Oakstaff. Yes. There was a hesitation, then, Really? I didnt know you kept those kinds of records. It would have been nice if someone had told us we were a paranormal city shelter. Shouldnt we be getting a tax break or something? Her voice had gone wary, and I wondered what was up.
Jenks lighted on the edge of the bucket, wiping a spot to sit before settling himself, his dragonfly wings stilling to look like gossamer. The mop wasnt doing it; I would have to scrub. Sighing, I dropped to my knees and felt around the bottom of the bucket for the brush.
No, it was sanctified, Ivy continued, her voice growing louder, clear over the hiss of the bristles. It isnt anymore. A slight pause and she added, We had an incident. Another hesitation and she said, We had an incident. How much to do the entire church?
My stomach clenched when she added softly, How much to do just the bedrooms?
I looked at Jenks, guilt rising thick in me. Maybe we could get the city to defray the cost if we refiled as a city shelter. It wasnt as if we could ask the landlord to fix it. Piscary owned the church, and though Ivy had dropped the facade of paying rent to the master vampire she looked to, we were responsible for the upkeep. It was like living rent free in your parents house when they were on an extended vacationvacation being jail in this case, thanks to me. It was an ugly story, but at least I hadnt killed himuh, for good.
Ivys sigh was audible over the sound of my work. Can you get out here before tonight? she asked, making me feel marginally better.
I didnt hear the answer to that, but there was no more conversation forthcoming, and I focused on rubbing out the smears, moving clockwise as I went. Jenks watched for a moment from the rim of the bucket, then said, You look like a porno star on your hands and knees, mopping in your underwear. Push it, baby, he moaned. Push it!
I glanced up to find him making rude motions. Doesnt he have anything better to do? But I knew he was trying to cheer me upleast thats what I was telling myself.
As his wings turned red from laughter, I jerked my robe closed and sat back on my knees before I blew a shoulder-length red curl from my face. Taking a swing at his smirk would be uselesshe had gotten really fast since his stint under a demon curse that made him people-size. And turning my back to him would be worse.
Could you straighten my desk for me? I asked, allowing a touch of annoyance into my voice. Your cat dumped my papers.
You bet, he said, zipping off. Immediately I felt my blood pressure drop.
Ivys soft steps intruded, and Jenks cussed fluently at her when she pulled the papers off the floor and set them on the desktop for him. Politely telling him to shove a slug up his ass, she strode past me to her piano, a spray bottle in one hand and a chamois cloth in the other.
Someones coming out this morning, she said, starting to clean Ceris blood from the varnished wood. Old blood didnt flip any switches in living vampsnot like the chance to take it did. Theyre going to give us an estimate, and if our credit checks out, theyll do the entire church. You want to pay the extra five thousand to insure it?
Five thousand to insure it? Holy crap. How much was this going to cost? Uneasy, I sat back up on my heels and dunked the brush. My rolled-up sleeve slipped, soaking in an instant. From my desk Jenks called out, Go for it, Rache. It says here you won a million dollars.
I glanced behind me to find him manhandling my mail. Irritated, I dropped the brush and squeezed the water from my robe. Can we find out how much its going to cost first? I asked, and she nodded, giving her piano a heavy coat of whatever was in that unlabeled spray bottle. It evaporated quickly, and she wiped it to a shine.
Here, she said, setting the bottle down beside the bucket. It will get rid of the Her words stopped. Just wipe the floor with it, she added, and my eyebrows rose.
Oka-a-ay. I bent back over the floor, hesitating at the circle Ceri had scribed to call Minias, then smeared it to nothing. Ceri could help me make a new one, and I wasnt going to have demonic blood circles on the floor of my church.
Hey, Ivy, Jenks called. You want to keep this?
She rocked into motion, and I shifted to keep her in my view. Jenks had a coupon for pizza, and I smirked. Right. Like she would even consider ordering anything but Piscarys Pizza.
What else does she have in here? Ivy said, throwing it away. I turned my back on them, knowing that the clutter I kept my desk in drove Ivy insane. Shed probably take the opportunity to tidy it. God, Id never be able to find a thing.
Spell-of-the-Month Clubtoss, Jenks said, and I heard it thunk into the trash can. Free issue of Witch Weeklytoss. Credit checktoss. Crap, Rachel. Dont you throw anything away?
I ignored him, having only a small arc to finish. Wax on, wax off. My arm was hurting.
The zoo wants to know if you want to renew your off-hours runners pass.
Save that! I said.
Jenks whistled long and low, and I wondered what they had found now.
An invitation to Ellasbeth Withons wedding? Ivy drawled in question.
Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.
Tink knocks your kickers, Jenks exclaimed, and I sat back on my heels. Rachel! he called, hovering over the invitation that had probably cost more than my last dinner out. When did you get an invitation from Trent? For his wedding?
I dont remember. I dunked the brush and started in again, but the hush of linen against paper brought me upright. Hey! I protested, wiping my hands dry on my robe to make the tie come undone. You cant do that. Its illegal to open mail not addressed to you.
Jenks had landed on Ivys shoulder, and they each gave me a long look over the invitation in her grip. The seal was broken, Ivy said, shaking to the floor the stupid little white tissue paper I had carefully replaced.
Trent Kalamack was the bane of my existence, one of Cincinnatis most beloved councilmen, and the Northern Hemispheres most eligible bachelor. No one seemed to care he ran half of the citys underworld and worked a good slice of the worlds illegal Brimstone trade. That wasnt even considering his punishable-by-death dealings in genetic manipulation and outlawed medicines. My being alive because of them was a big part of my keeping quiet about it. I didnt like the Antarctic any more than the next person, and thats where Id end up if it got out. That is, if they didnt just kill me, burn me, and send my ashes to the sun.
Suddenly having a demon trash my living room didnt seem so bad.
Holy crap! Jenks swore again. Ellasbeth wants you to be a bridesmaid?
Jerking my robe closed, I stalked across the sanctuary and snatched the invitation out of Ivys hand. Its not an invitation, its a badly worded request for me to work security. The woman hates me. Look, she didnt even sign it. I bet she doesnt even know it exists.
I waved it in the air and shoved it into a drawer, slamming it shut. Trents fiancée was a bitch in all ways but the literal. Thin, elegant, rich, and bitingly polite. We had gotten along really well the night we had breakfast together, just her, me, and Trent caught between us. Course, part of that might have been from my letting her believe that Trent and I had been childhood sweethearts. But she was the one who decided I was a courtesan. Stupid Yellow Pages ad.
Ivys expression was wary. She knew better than to push me when it came to Trent, but Jenks wouldnt let it go. Yeah, but think of it, Rache. Its going to be a hell of a party. The best of Cincinnati is going to be there. You never know who will show up.
I lifted a plant and ran my hand under itmy version of dusting. People who want to kill Trent, I said lightly. I like excitement, but Im not insane.
Ivy moved my bucket and mop to a dry part of the floor and sprayed a heavy layer of that unlabeled bottle. You going to do it? she asked, as if I hadnt already said no.
No.
In one motion I swept all the papers off the desktop and into the uppermost drawer. Jenks landed on the clean surface, his wings stilling as he leaned against the pencil cup and crossed his ankles and arms to look surprisingly alluring for a four-inch-tall man. Why not? he accused. You think hes going to stiff you?
Again, I added in my thoughts. Because I already saved his freaking elf ass once, I said. You do it once, its a mistake. You do it twice and its not a mistake anymore.
Mop and bucket in hand, Ivy walked out, snickering.
Its RSVP by tomorrow, Jenks needled. Rehearsal is Friday. Youre invited.
I know that. It was my birthday, too, and I wasnt going to spend it with Trent. Ticked, I headed into the kitchen after Ivy.
Flying backward, Jenks got in my face and preceded me down the hallway, slices of sunlight coming in from the living room. Ive got two reasons you should do it, he said. One, it will piss Ellasbeth off, and two, you could charge him enough to afford to resancitify the church.
My steps slowed, and I tried to keep the ugly look off my face. That was unfair. By the sink, Ivy frowned, clearly thinking the same. Jenks
Im just saying
Shes not working for Kalamack, Ivy threatened, and this time he shut his mouth.
I stood in the kitchen, not knowing why I was here. I gotta shower, I said.
Go, Ivy said, meticulouslyand needlesslywashing the bucket with soapy water before putting it away. Ill wait up for the man coming over with an estimate.
I didnt like that. Shed probably fudge on the quote, knowing that her pockets were deeper than mine. She had told me she was nearly broke, but nearly broke for the last living member of the Tamwood vampires was not my broke, rather more of a down-to-six-figures-in-her-bank-account broke. If she wanted something, she got it. But I was too tired to fight her.
I owe you, I said as I grabbed the cooled tea Ceri had made for me and shuffled out.
God, Jenks, Ivy was saying as I avoided my room with my scattered clothes and just headed for my bathroom. The last thing she needs is to be working for Kalamack.
I just thought the pixy said.
No, you didnt think, Ivy accused. Trent isnt some pantywaist rich pushover, hes a power-hungry, murdering drug lord who looks good in a suit. You dont think hes got some reason for inviting her to work security other than his welfare?
I wasnt going to let her go alone, he protested, and I shut the door. Sipping the tart tea, I dropped my pjs into the washer and got the shower going so I wouldnt have to listen to them. Sometimes I felt as if they thought I couldnt hear at all just because I couldnt hear a pixy belch across the graveyard. Yeah, theyd had a contest one night. Jenks won.
The waters warmth was wonderful, and after the sharp scent of pine soap washed away the choking smell of burnt amber, I stepped from the shower feeling refreshed and almost awake. Purple towel wrapped around me, I rubbed the mist from the long mirror, leaning close to see if I had any new freckles. Nope. Not yet. Opening my mouth, I checked out my beautiful, pristine teeth. It was nice not having any fillings.
I may have coated my soul in blackness when I had twisted a demon curse to turn into a wolf this spring, but I wasnt going to feel guilty over the beautiful unmarked skin I had when I turned back. The accumulated damage of twenty-five years of existence had been removed, and if I didnt find a way to get rid of the demon smut from twisting the curse before I died, I was going to pay for it by burning in hell.
At least Im not going to feel too guilty about it, I thought as I reached for my lotion, heavy on the SPF protection. And I certainly wasnt going to waste it. My mothers family had come from Ireland long before the Turn, and from her I got my red hair, my green eyes, and my pale skin, now as satisfyingly soft and supple as a newborns. From my dad I got my height, my lean athletic build, and my attitude. From both of them I got a rare genetic condition that would have killed me before my first birthday if Trents father hadnt set himself above the law and fixed it in his illegal genetic lab.
Our fathers had been friends before theyd died a week apart under suspicious circumstances. At least they were suspicious to me. And that was the reason I distrusted Trent, if his being a drug lord, a murderer, and nastily adept at manipulating me werent enough.
Suddenly overcome with missing my dad, I shuffled through the cabinet behind the mirror until I found the wooden ring hed given me on my thirteenth birthday. It had been the last one wed shared before he died. I looked at it, small and perfect in my palm, and on impulse I put it on. I hadnt worn it since the charm it once held to hide my freckles had been broken, and I hadnt needed it since twisting that demon curse. But I missed him, and after being attacked by a demon this morning, I could use some serious emotional security.
I smiled at it circling my pinkie, feeling better already. The ring had come with a lifetime charm reinstatement, and I had an appointment every fourth Friday in July. Maybe Id take the madam out for coffee instead. Ask her about maybe changing it to a sunscreen charmif there was such a thing.
The give-and-take of masculine and feminine voices from the kitchen became obvious as I toweled my hair. Hes here already? I grumbled, finding a pair of underwear, jeans, and a red camisole in the dryer. Slipping them on, I dabbed some perfume behind each ear to help block my scent and Ivys from mixing, combed my damp hair back with my fingers, and headed out.
But it wasnt a holy man I found in the kitchen covered in pixy children, it was Glenn.
Hi, Glenn, I said as I slumped barefoot into my chair. Whos pinching your ass today?
The clearly uncomfortable, rather tall FIB detective was in a suit, which didnt bode well. He had Jenkss kids all over him, which was really weird. And Ivy was glaring at him from her computer, which was mildly troubling. But considering that the first time she met him, she almost bit him in anger and he almost shot her, I guessed we were doing okay.
Jenks scraped his wings, and his kids scattered, rising up through my rack of spelling supplies and herbs in a swirl of silk and shouts that hurt my eyeballs before flowing into the hall and probably out the chimney in the living room. I hadnt seen him on the sill until now, standing by his pet sea monkeys. How come a pixy has more pets than I do?
I smiled tiredly at Glenn across the table, trying to make up for my roommates stellar attitude. There was a paperboard tray with two cups steaming between us, and the warm breeze coming in from the garden was pushing the heavenly aroma of freshly brewed coffee right to me. I wanted one in the worst way.
Ivys fingers hit her keyboard aggressively as she weeded out her spam. Detective Glenn was just leaving. Werent you?
The tall black man silently clenched his jaw. Since Id seen him last, he had gotten rid of his goatee and mustache and replaced them with stud earrings. I wondered what his dad thought about that, but personally, I thought it added to his carefully maintained, polished image of young and capable law enforcer.
His suit was still off-the-rack, but it fit his very nice physique as if made for him. The tips of his dress shoes poking out from under the hems looked comfortable enough to run in if he had to. His trim body certainly seemed up to it, with that wide chest and narrow waist. The butt of a weapon glinted from a holster on his belt to give him a nice hint of danger.
Not that Im in the market for a new boyfriend, I thought. I had a damn fine boyfriend, Kisten, and Glenn wasnt interested, though Im sure if he tried a witch, hed never switch. And since I knew that his lack of interest wasnt born of prejudice, that was cool.
I exhaled, my fingers shaking from fatigue. My eyes went from his expressive brown ones pinched in worry and annoyance to the coffee. Is one of these mine, by chance? I asked, and when he nodded, I reached forward, saying, Bless you back to the Turn. Pulling off the plastic lid, I took a gulp. My eyes closed, and I held the second swallow in my mouth for a moment. It was a double shot: hot, black, and oh so what I needed right now.
Ivy kept typing, and while Jenks excused himself to help the forgotten toddler crying in the ladle back to the stump in the garden, I took the time to wonder what Glenn was doing here. And so obscenely early. It was seven in the freakin morning. I hadnt done anything to tick off the FIBhad I?
Glenn worked for the Federal Inderland Bureau, the human-run institution that functioned on a local and national level. The F.I.B. was way outclassed by the I.S., the Interlander-run side of the coin, when it came to enforcing the law, but during a previous investigation on which Id helped Glenn, Id found that the F.I.B. had a scary amount of information on us Inderlanders, making me wish I hadnt written up those species summaries for his dad last fall. Glenn was Cincys F.I.B. Inderland specialist, which meant that he had enough guts to try working both sides of the street. It had been his dads idea, and since I owed his dad big time, I helped when he asked.
No one was talking, though, and I figured Id better say something before I fell asleep at the table. Whats the run, Glenn? I asked, taking a sip and wishing the caffeine would kick in.
Glenn stood, his thick hands adjusting his ID badge on his belt. Square jaw tightening, he gave Ivy a wary glance. I left a message last night. Didnt you get it?
The depth of his voice was as soothing as the coffee hed brought, but coming back in through the pixy hole in the screen, Jenks did an about-face. I think I hear Matalina, he said, vanishing to leave behind a sifting ribbon of gold sparkles. My eyes went from the haze of pixy dust to Ivy, and she shrugged. No, I prompted.
Ivys eyes switched to black. Jenks! she called, but the pixy didnt show. I shrugged and gave Glenn an apologetic look.
Jenks! Ivy yelled. If youre going to hit the message button, youd damn well better write it down!
I took a slow breath, but Ivy interrupted me. Glenn, Rachel hasnt been to bed yet. Can you come back about four?
The morgue will have changed shifts by then, he protested. Im sorry you didnt get my message, but will you look anyway? I thought thats why you were up.
Annoyance tightened my shoulders. I was tired and cranky, and I didnt like Ivy trying to field my business. In a sudden wash of bitchiness, I stood.
Framed by her new haircut, Ivys oval face looked questioning. Where are you going?
I grabbed my bag, already packed with a variety of spells and charms, then snapped the top back onto my coffee. To the morgue, apparently. Ive been up this late before.
But not after a night like you just had.
Silent, I pulled my bracelet from around Mr. Fish and wrangled the clasp. Glenn slowly stood, his posture holding a wary slant. He had once asked me why I lived with Ivy and the threat she posed to my life and free will, and though I knew why now, telling him would make him worry more, not less. Jeez, Ivy, I said, aware he was analyzing us professionally, Id rather do it now. Consider it my bedtime story.
I headed into the hall, trying to remember where Id left my sandals. The foyer. From the kitchen Ivy said, You dont have to go running whenever the F.I.B. crooks their finger.
No! I shouted back, fatigue making me stupid. But I do have to come up with some money to resanctify the church.
Glenns steps behind me faltered on the hardwood floor. It isnt holy anymore? he asked as we emerged into the brighter sanctuary. What happened?
We had an incident. The darkness of the foyer was soothing when I found it, and I sighed when I scuffed into my sandals and pushed open the heavy door to the sanctuary. Good Lord, I thought, squinting at the bright glare of a late-July morning. No wonder I slept through this. It was noisy with shrieking birds, and already hot. If I had known I was going out, I would have put on shorts.
Glenn took my elbow when I stumbled on the step, and I would have spilled my coffee if I hadnt replaced the top. Not a morning person, eh? he teased, and I jerked away.
Jenks! I shouted when my sandals reached the cracked sidewalk. The least he could do was come with me. Seeing Glenns cruiser parked at the curb, I hesitated. Lets take two cars, I offered, not wanting to be seen riding in a F. I. B. cruiser when I could be driving my red convertible. It was hot; I could put the top down.
Glenn chuckled. With your suspended license? Not a chance.
The scuffing of my sandals slowed, and I looked askance at him, bothered at the amusement in his dark eyes. Crap, how did you find out about that?
He opened the passenger-side door for me. Duh, I work for the F.I.B.? Our street force has been running interference for you every time you go out for groceries. If you get caught driving with a suspended license, the I.S. is going to jail your ass, and we like your ass on the street where it can do some good, Ms. Morgan.
I got into the front seat and set my bag on my lap. I hadnt known the F.I.B. had even heard about that, much less had been distracting the I.S. Thanks, I said softly, and he shut the door with a grunt of acknowledgment.
Glenn crossed in front while I buckled myself in. It was stuffy, and I fiddled with the window control to put it down. The car wasnt on yet, but I was irritated. I jammed my coffee in the cup holder and kept messing with the window until Glenn folded his height into the front seat and gave me a look. My brow furrowed in frustration. Its not fair, Glenn, I complained. They had no right to take my license. Theyre picking on me.