No Humans Involved

Women of the Otherworld 7

By Kelley Armstrong
PART I

Brendan struggled to stay awake. A tough battlefar tougher than it should have been under the ir umstan es. !hey"d a##roa hed him behind a bank$ its #arking lot em#ty as evening turned to night. He"d been utting through to the shelter$ ho#ing it would still have meals. Hot meals would be too mu h to ho#e for at that hour$ but he"d settle for free. !he bank had ere ted a fen e between itself and the shelter to stem the flow of kids taking the short ut from the bus sto#. Brendan had been halfway u# when the woman had hailed him. %earing trouble$ he"d only limbed faster$ until she"d laid a hand on his alf and he"d turned to see not o#s$ but a middle&aged ou#lewell&dressed #rofessional ty#es. !hey"d told him some story about losing their son to the streets and devoting their lives to hel#ing other kids. Bullshit$ of ourse. In real life$ everyone wanted something. 'es#ite their sin ere smiles and on erned eyes$ he"d de ided that what they wanted was se(. And$ as long as they were willing to #ay for it$ that was okay with him. It wouldn"t be the first tri k he"d turned. He"d briefly teamed u# with a kid from the shelter$ until )i ky had found a better&looking #artner. Brendan should have taken this as a sign. If he wasn"t good&looking enough to be a whore in*.A. he sure as hell wasn"t going to make it as a movie star. But it was too late to go home now. !oo late to admit he didn"t have what it took. !oo hard to fa e everyone who"d told him so. He did have talent. Won the to# role in every s hool #lay. +ot a ,ob at the summer theater three years running. 'id two !- ommer ials for lo al businesses. .o$ at si(teen$ tired of his #arents telling him to go to ollege first$ he"d taken his savings and ome to*.A. Now the money was gone and he"d found no de ent way to earn more$ and if this ou#le wanted

what he figured they wanted$ that was fine by him. !hey had kind fa es. /aybe inHollywood that didn"t ount for shit$ but where he"d ome from it meant something. !hey"d driven him to their home inBrentwood . He"d re ogni0ed the neighborhood from a 1.tar !ours1 bus tri# he"d taken when he first arrived. He"d sat in the ba k of their .2-$ #eering out the tinted windows into the night$ wat hing the fabled neighborhood #ass. !hey"d #ulled into the garage of a modest&looking house$ then led him inside. !hey"d offered food$ but he"d laimed he wasn"t hungry$ des#ite his rumbling stoma h. He might be naive$ but he knew better than to a e#t food or drink. When they"d taken him downstairs$ through a !- room into a guest bedroom$ he"d been ertain this was where the situation would hange. But they"d only turned on the lights$ #ointed out the ad,oining washroom and said they"d see him in the morning. !hey hadn"t even losed the door$ but left it a,ar$ so he wouldn"t feel lo ked in. Now$ as he fought the urge to slee#$ footste#s sounded on the stairs. !he woman"s voi e$ shar# with an a ent. !hen the man"s. !hen another man"s. And another3 Oh$ shit. Heart hammering$ he tried to rouse himself. Why was he so tired4 +oddamn it$ he had to make a break for it$ before he found himself in the middle of a gang bang or Outside$ in the !- room$ the woman offered refreshments. !wo of the men asked for wine$ the third a e#ted water. !hen their voi es settled into one #la e$ as if they were sitting. Wine and onversation as a #relude to se( games with a teenage boy4 Brendan strained to make out their words. !hey were talking about books. 1!e(ts1 as they alled them$ tossing around words likebelief andritual $ debating the different translated meanings of Hebrew and *atin versions. *atin. !hat"s what the woman had been s#eaking earlier. As he"d been getting into their ar$ she said been saying something to the man in another language$ and with her a ent$ Brendan had figured she was reverting to her mother tongue to relay a #rivate message. !he language$ though$ had sounded familiar. Now he knew why. As a 5hristmas and 6aster 5atholi $ he"d heard enough *atin. Now these #eo#le were dis ussing religious te(ts$ and that ouldn"t be a oin iden e. !he ou#le had said they wanted to hel#$ as #enan e for their mistakes with their son. +ood .amaritans. 1too old$1 one man was saying$ his voi e rising enough for Brendan to hear him easily. 1All of our su ess has been with kids mu h younger$ and I don"t understand why we need to hange that now.1 1We aren"t hanging$1 another man said. 1We"re e(#anding and e(#erimenting. !here"s a limited

su##ly of younger hildren out there and it"s diffi ult getting a ess to them. If we an ad,ust the #ro edure to work su essfully with teens$ we o#en the door to limitless #ossibilities.1 1'on"s right.1 !he woman again. 1One or two a year isn"t enough$ not for the s ale we31 Her voi e dro##ed soothingly until$ on e again$ Brendan ould only at h the odd word. He ouldn"t blame them for setting their sights on hildren. By his age$ most street kids had no interest in 1res ue.1 !hey were too immersed in the life to a e#t hel#. But he would. 'rugs weren"t a #roblemhe"d never been able to afford them. !hey ould s#out all the Bible verses they wanted and he"d smile and agree if it meant getting on a bus home. He ould tell his #arents he"d hadn"tfailed; he"d ,ust had a religious e(#erien e and had hanged his mind. He losed his eyes and #i tured himself walking u# his drive$ imagined his mother"s fa e$ his little sister"s s7ueals$ his father"s e(#ressionstern but relieved. !he onversation outside his door seemed to have turned to a heated debate on the nature of suffering.Yeah $ he thought with a hu kle$definitely Catholic . %rom what he ould make out$ it sounded a hell of a lot like a onversation between two +oths he"d overheard last week. /orbid. !he word #o##ed into his head and he turned it over in his mind. A ool word. 'es ribed +oths and some religious ty#es alikethat fi(ation with death and suffering. In the room beyond$ a male voi e had #i ked u# volume again. 1)omans used ru ifi(ion not only be ause it was #ubli ly humiliating$ but for the degree of suffering infli ted. With the weight of the body #ulling down$ breathing be omes diffi ult$ and the ondemned ould hang for days$ slowly suffo ating.1 1!rue$ but a ording to a ounts of the wit h trials$ burning was the worst way to die. If you kee# the #erson from dying from smoke inhalation$ they an live a sur#risingly long time$ and suffer unimaginable #ain.1 Brendan shivered. Okay$ that went beyond morbid. /aybe these weren"t mainstream religious do&gooders$ but some kind of fanati al se t. *ike the . ientologists or something. /ost religious #eo#le he knew were good folks$ but there werewa kos . As mu h as he wanted to go home$ he wouldn"t #ut u# with any kind of si k shit. He should get u#$ go in there$ maybe tell them he"d hanged his mind. But he was so tired. !he voi es had sto##ed. +ood. He"d rest for a few more minutes$ then sneak out !he door o#ened. In walked the man and woman$ followed by three others8 a younger woman$ a balding man and a white&haired one. 1Hello$ Brendan$1 said the woman.

Brendan struggled to his feet. 1I want to leave.1 !he woman nodded. !hen she ste##ed forward$ lifted her hand to her mouth and blew. A loud of white dust flew into Brendan"s fa e. He tried to ough$ but only whee0ed. .he started s#eaking in *atin again and his knees gave way. !he other two men rushed to grab him$ ea h taking an arm$ their gri#s gentle as they hel#ed him to his feet. !he men lifted his arms around their shoulders. His eyelids flagged and losed. His feet dragged a ross the floor as they took him into a se ond$ smaller room. !he men e( hanged words$ then lowered him to the floor. A old$ hard floor. He o#ened his eyes. !here$ from high above$ a dog stared down at him. A terrier$ like his sister"s dog. But there was something wrong3 *egs. It didn"t have any legs. 9ust a torso and a head #er hed on the edge of an overhang$ wat hing him. Hallu inating. 'rugged4 He should areknew he should arebut he ouldn"t work u# the energy. He s7uee0ed his eyes shut and huddled there$ too weak to even think. He heard them talking and he ould tell they were s#eaking 6nglish$ but de i#hering the meaning of the words re7uired too mu h energy$ so he ,ust listened to the sound and let it lull him. *i7uid s#lashed onto his ba k$ see#ing through his shirt. 5old and wet and stinking of something he should re ogni0e. !hen$ as he was about to drift off$ his wandering brain identified the smell. +asoline. He sna##ed awake$ #ani ked$ telling his arms and legs to move$ his mouth to s ream$ but nothing obeyed. He ra ked o#en his eyes ,ust enough to see the #eo#le filing from the room. !he woman sto##ed in front of him and bent. Her smiling li#s #arted$ saying something reassuring. !hen she stru k the mat h.

JAIME VEGAS, CENTER STAGE

ON6 ')AWBA5: !O B6IN+ ON.!A+6 for most of your life is that eventually you forget how to a t when you"re off it. Not that it matters. In su h a life$ you"re never really offstage. 6ven walking from your bedroom to the kit hen you an"t lower your guard3 at least not if you"re on the set of one of the most anti i#ated !- s#e ials of the seasonone ostarring you. I"d started my areer at the age of three$ for ed onto the toddler beauty #ageant atwalks by a mother who"d already de ided I needed to earn my kee#. I should have grown u# dreaming of the day I"d be off that stage. But when I ste##ed into the limelight$ every eye was on me and I shone. It be ame my refuge and now$ forty years later$ while there were days when I really didn"t feel like stra##ing on four&in h heels and smiling until my ,aw hurt$ my heart still beat a little faster as I walked down that hall. !he bu00 of a saw drowned out the li king of my heels on the hardwood. I aught a whiff of sawdust and oil$ and shuddered to imagine what alterations the rew was making to the house. %rom what I"d heard$ the homeowners weren"t likely to om#lainthey des#erately needed the money. !he 1offi ial1 rumor was a failed film #ro,e t$ but the one I"d heard involved an un#lanned baby #ro,e t with the nanny. !abloid stories to be su##ressed$ a young woman to be #aid off$ a wife to #la ateit ould all get very e(#ensive. As I #assed a young man measuring the hall$ I nodded and his ,aw dro##ed. 1//s. -egas4 9aime -egas41 I swung around and fi(ed him with a megawatt smile that I didn"t need to fake. .hallow of me$ I know$ but there"s no ego boost like the sla k&,awed ga#e of a man half your age. 1+ee0$ it is you.1 He hurried over to shake my hand. 15ould I4 I know it"s un#rofessional to ask$ but is there any han e of getting an autogra#h41 1Of ourse. I"m heading to a meeting right now$ but you an grab an autogra#h from me anytime. 9ust bring me something to sign. Or if you #refer a #hoto31 1A #hoto would be great.1 /y smile brightened. 1A #hoto it is$ then. I have some in my room.1 1!hanks. +rand#a will love it. He"s su h a fan of yours. He has a thing for redheads$ but you"re his favorite. All his buddies in the nursing home think you"re hot.1 9ust what I needed on the first day of a big ,obthe reminder that in Hollywood time$ I was already a de ade #ast my best&before date. I ke#t smiling$ though. Another minute of onversation$ and the #romise of a handful of signed #hotos for +ram#s and the boys$ and I was off again. As I neared the dining room$ I heard a ris# British voi e sna#$ 1Be ause it"s ridi ulous$ that"s

why. /r. +rady is a #rofessional. He will not be sub,e ted to mo kery.1 Before I #ushed o#en the door$ I #i tured the s#eaker8 a stylish woman$ roughly my age$ dressed in a suit and oo0ing effi ien y. I walked in$ and there she wasshort blond hair$ thin li#s$ small and wiry$ as if e(tra flesh would be a sign of softness she ould ill afford. I y green eyes glared from behind her tiny glasses. ;ersonal assistant model A8 the bulldog$ designed to raise hell on her lient"s behalf$ leaving him free to #lay the gra ious$ good&natured star. %a ing her was a younger woman$ maybe thirty$ dum#y$ with a shoulder&length bob and worried eyes. 'ire tor model 58 the overwhelmed first&timer. !he dining room$ like most of the house$ had been 1rede orated1 to a ommodate the shoot. !he homeowners had leared out anything they didn"t want damaged$ so the dining set was gone$ re#la ed by a hea#er one. As for the dead guy hanging from the handelier$ I sus#e ted he ame with the house$ and was #robably tough to remove without an e(or ism or two. !he hanging man was maybe fifty$ average si0e but with heavy ,owls$ as if he"d lost a lot of weight fast. He swayed from an old rystal handelier$ su#erim#osed over the modern one. His fa e was mottled and swollen$ eyes thankfully losed. I eyed him from the doorway so I wouldn"t be tem#ted to stare on e I was in the room. After thirty years of seeing ghosts$ you learn all the tri ks. !his one$ though$ wasn"t a ghost but a residual. What tragedy had brought him to an end so emotionally #owerful that the image was seared forever in this room4 I doused my uriosity. It would do me no good. When you see s enes like this every day$ you an"t afford to sto# and wonder. <ou ,ust an"t. Both women turned as I entered. !he assistant"s ga0e slid over me$ li#s tightening as if someone had shoved a lemon wedge in her mouth. I flashed a smile and her li#s #ursed more. If you an"t still turn the heads of twenty&year&old boys$ winning the atty disa##roval of women your own age is a good onsolation #ri0e. I sto##ed a hairbreadth from the hanged man and tried not to re oil as his swaying body ir led my way. 1I ho#e I"m not interru#ting$1 I said to the woman with the worried eyes. 1I was sent to s#eak to the dire tor$ Be ky 5heung. Would that be you41 .he smiled and e(tended a hand. 1It is. And you must be 9aime -egas. !his is 5laudia Wilson$ Bradford +rady"s assistant.1 I shook 5heung"s hand. 1.hould I ste# outside and let you two finish41 1No$ no.1 'es#eration tou hed Be ky"s voi e. 1!his on erns you too. We"re dis ussing a #romo shot. /r. .imon has de ided he wants the three stars to say a line.1

5laudia shot a hard look at Be ky. 1A s#e ifi line. !ell her what it is.1 12m3 ! see dead #eo#le." 1 !he. hanged man"ssto kinged foot swung #ast my arm as I managed a laugh. 1I think I"ve heard that one before.1 Be ky"s ga0e went to mine$ sear hing for some sign that I was offended. 1We/r. .imon thought it would be fun.1 1It sounds like a ute gimmi k.1 1/r. +rady does not do gimmi ks$1 5laudia said$ then strode from the room. 1!hanks$1 Be ky whis#ered. 1!his isn"t as easy as I thought. 6veryone"s taking it very31 1.eriously4 We"re trying to raise the ghost of /arilyn /onroe. If that doesn"t s ream hea# thrills$ what does4 I"m in it for the fun.1 I grinned. 1And the han e to s#end a week in a neighborhood like this.1 1Not everyone is so thrilled with that #art. I think we"re going to lose .tarr ;hilli#s.1 1I heard she wasn"t ha##y about the living arrangements.1 1I know it"s unusual$ but the studio is all over us to ut the budget. /r. .imon thought this would be the most effi ient way to handle the#reshow ta#ings. ;ut the three of you u# in a rented house in Brentwood$ a blo k from the /onroe home$ where we an do all the#reshow work and media in one swoo#.1 A rew member motioned from the doorway. 1Whoo#s.+otta run. Here"s your s hedule for the afternoon$ ,ust media interviews and1 /y ell #hone rang. I ould tell who it was by the ring tone$ and I"m sure I broke into a grin more be oming to a four&year&old than a woman of forty&four. I motioned to Be ky that I"d ,ust be a se ond$ then told the aller I"d #hone right ba k. When I hung u#$ Be ky gave me a ten& se ond rundown on my afternoon obligations$ and #assed me the s hedule. !hen I was s#rinting for the door as fast as my #latform sandals ould take me. %our&in h heels aren"t made for anything s#eedier than a runway stroll$ but I #ushed them to a 7ui k mar h$ ins#iring a look of alarm from two #assing workmen. I told myself 9eremy had a #lane to at h$ but even if he hadn"t$ I"d still have hurried. I know I should have more self&res#e t. /ore dignity. !he way I see it$ though$ it"s karmi #ayba k. I"ve always been the one leading the haseins#iring the bad love #oetry$ setting the hoo#s ever higherthen walt0ing away when I grew bored. Now$ I guess some osmi for e had de ided it was time for me to make a fool of myself.

I"d taken a big han e asking 9eremy to ,oin me for the week. We weredes#ite my ho#es,ust friends. !hen$ a few weeks ago$ we"d been talking about the show and$ having had a few drinks$ the segue ame easily. !o my sho k$ he"d said yes. Now he was flying three thousand miles ,ust to see me. !hat had to mean something. !he #atio o#ened to a terra ed yard stuffed with #erennial borders$ ga0ebos$ ornamental trees and statuary. As I trotted along the flagstone #ath$ winding around one fountain$ one #ond and two oversi0ed statues$ I wondered whether a trail of bread rumbs would have been wise. %inally$ far enough from the house to mentally ste# offstage$ I found a wooden ben h. 9eremy answered after the first ring. 1'id I at h you at a bad time41 he asked. 1No$ I was ,ust getting my s hedule for the day. /ainly interviews #lus some meet&and&greets$ ulminating$ of ourse$ in the wel ome bash tonightwhi h$ lu ky man$ you"ll be ,ust in time for. I ho#e you"re ready to #lay #arty es ort.1 I sto##ed for breath. .ilen e filled the #ause$ and I win ed and mentally sma ked myself. 9eremy at aHollywood #arty4 He"d rather fa e off against a #a k of ravenous wolves. 1I"m ,ust kidding$1 I said. 1<ou"ll be ,et&lagged$ and I"m sure you don"t have a tu(1 1I do. And it"s #a ked. !he #arty isn"t a #roblem$ 9aime31 When he let the line trail off$ my heart started thum#ing. 1!he babies are si k. It"s ,ust a old$ but it"s their first1 A s ream drowned him outless like the wail of a si k baby than the roar of a wounded lion. I re ogni0ed :atherine$ one of his foster son 5layton"s fourteen&month&old twins. 19esus$ #oor :ate$1 I said. 1.he sounds miserable.1 9eremy hu kled. 1.he"s not that ill$ a tually. It"s *ogan who"s bearing the brunt of it. Of ourse$ he"s not om#laining$ but he"s 7uite willing to let her e(#ress outrage on his behalf.1 1How"s 5lay taking it4 Or dare I ask.1 1*et"s ,ust say he"s not making it any easier. We don"t usually ontra t olds$ so he"s worried. I"m sure it"s no ause for alarm but31 He let the senten e trail off. I understood his on ern. A werewolf"s in reased immunity meant si kness was rare$ so even a old would be worrying. If the situation worsened$ 5lay and 6lena ouldn"t ,ust bundle the little ones off to the emergen y ward$ or the do tors might dis over they

arried something far more alarming than a old virus. 9eremy wasn"t a do tor$ but he was the ;a k"s medi al e(#ert and they"d need him there. 6ven more im#ortant$ he"d want to be there. 1.tay$1 I said. 1We an do this another time.1 1No$ I am oming$ 9aime. I"ll be there soon as I an$ ho#efully tomorrow. 1 /y heart gave a little fli#. 1+ood. !hen look after those babies$ tell everyone I said hi and I"ll get an u#date in the morning.1 When I signed off$ I losed my eyes$ listened to the birds hir# and rustle in the hedges$ and let the wis#s of disa##ointment float away. !o my sur#rise$ theywere only wis#s. If 9eremy had made any other hoi e$ he wouldn"t be the man I"d ra ed at breakne k s#eed to talk to. %amily and family res#onsibilities ame first$ and that was fine by me$ even when I knew his #riorities wouldn"t hange$ whatever form our relationshi# might take. !he birds had gone silent$ their song re#la ed by the soft whis#er of the wind and the tinkle of distant himes. I looked around as I rose. 1Hello41 I said. .omeone tou hed my arm. I wheeled$ but no one was there. I rubbed the s#ot. ;robably a butterfly brushing #ast. It wouldn"t be a ghostwith them I only got sight and sound$ no tou h. I he ked the s hedule Be ky had given me. !hree interviews #lus %ingers las#ed my free hand. )esisting the urge to yank away$ I looked down. Nothing. <et I ould feel the unmistakable sensation of a hand holding mine. /y gut went old. !his was how it had started withNan . A lifetime of seeing what shouldn"t be there and eventually she started imagining what she knewcouldn't be there. !hat"s what ha##ens to ne roman ers$ and that"s what I am$ same as myNan . *ike most su#ernatural #owers$ ne roman y runs in the blood. It often ski#s a generation or two$ but in our family no one is s#ared. We see and hear the dead$ and they are relentless in their 7uest to be heard. I may have learned a way to #rofit from my #owers$ but if I ould be free of the ghosts$ I"d give it u# in a heartbeat and muddle through like every other on artist in the business. Better that than this long$ ursed road that ends in madness. !he fingers slid from my hand. I s7uee0ed my eyes shut. On e before I"d had a ghost who"d been able to tou h me. 'idn"t hold my hand$ though. .he"d sunk her fangs into my ne k and nearly killed me$ all be ause she ouldn"t make onta t the normal way. !y#i al vam#irethinks the world e(ists to serve them. But the han e that I"d en ounter another dead vam# was remote. 6(tremely rare to begin with$

they"re so un ommon in the afterlife that I"d found only un onfirmed an ient tales of ne roman ers onta ting one. If a vam#ire is already dead when it walks this world$ where does one go when it #asses into the ne(t4 .omehow Natasha had lawed her way ba k and made onta t with me$physical onta t$ as this ghost had now done. I rubbed the s#ot on my ne k and ast a nervous glan e around. I let my mind shift to thesemitran e state that would let me see ghosts too weak or ine(#erien ed to #ass over. Around me$ everything seemed to go still$ the wind himes faint and distant$ the gardens blurring. 1Hello41 I said. 1Is anyone here41 I ke#t turning and alling out$ but no one answered. A shar# shake of my head and I was ba k to 6arth. 1/s. -egas41 I s#un as a se urity guard #eeked around a hedge. 1'idn"t mean to startle you. Were you alling for someone41 1A tually$ yes$1 I said with a rueful smile. 1I"m ho#elessly lost.1 He laughed. 1!his #la e is a ma0e$ isn"t it4 5ome on then$ and I"ll walk you ba k.1

THE ANGEL OF THE SO TH

'2)IN+ A B)6A: B6!W66N IN!6)-I6W.$ I de ided to send the babies a get&well gift. As forwhat to send3 well$ that was a #roblem. I get a ki k out of the twinsI even babysat them during one oun il meeting but they were the only little ones I"d had e(tended onta t with sin e I"d been a hild myself. /y first thought was a balloon bou7uet3 until the %!' florist in .yra use told me they didn"t re ommend balloons for kids hoking ha0ard$ a##arently. .o I went with stuffed animals. )abbits. ;erfe t. I s#ent the rest of the afternoon following my s hedule and using the s#are time to #oke around the house and meet the rew. !o my disa##ointment$ I didn"t bum# into Bradford +rady.

+rady was a bona fide star with a wildly #o#ular show e(#loring haunted 6uro#ean lo ales. !hat was where the money was8 television. )ight now$ I had a #rime monthly s#ot onThe:eni Bales Show and I was a regular guest onKnight at Night . But my own show4That was the dream. Always had been3 even though I #ersonally #referred a stage to a soundstage. With:eni"s show skyro keting in the ratings$ now the se ond hottest daytime talk show in Ameri a$ I had two offersone from a ma,or network$ the other an u#&and& omingnetlet . Whether those offers turned into an a tual time slot de#ended largely on how I #erformed on this show. .#ending a week learning from a master wouldn"t hurt.

A! NIN6$ I was in front of the full&length mirror in my bedroom$ getting ready for the wel ome #arty and making sure my new dress fit as it should$ not wrinkling or sagging unbe omingly as I moved. And$ let"s be honest$ making sureI didn"t wrinkle or sag in it. It was a daring hoi e for a woman my agea -alentino silk#eekaboo dress. It wasn"t from this year"s olle tion$ but I"m not above sho##ing the sales ra k. !he dress had ome in dee# golden yellow or bla k. I"d #i ked the yellow. .ilk stra#s left my shoulders bare. !he ruffled hem brushed my knees. .lits in the dee#& ut shirred bodi e showed off generous swat hes of skin. Not something you"d wear if your tri e#s sagged or your thighs were dim#led with ellulite. I was #roud of my body. I worked damn hard for it.Paid for it$ some said$ the whis#ers growing louder with ea h #assing year. But I hadn"t had any work done and I didn"t #lan to$ yet sometimes I sus#e ted my resolve wouldn"t outlast the first signifi ant wrinkle or sag. +etting my own !show wouldn"t make it any easier to resist. A ra# at the door. 1/s. -egas41 I shook off thoughts of television and #lasti surgery and gave my refle tion one last mirror he k. !hen I was ready for my lose&u#.

!H6 W6*5O/6 #arty for eath of Innocence was being held in the basement. An odd lo ation$ es#e ially for a warm$ dry fall night$ but I"d heard the neighbors hadn"t been thrilled with having a !- show moving in ne(t door. +etting the #ermit ouldn"t have been easy. ;alms #robably had to be greased$ favors #ulled in and on essions made$ in luding no outdoor #arties. As we rea hed the bottom of the stairs$ I #ulled ba k to let my es ortone of the se urity team lead the way$ and give me time to see what I was walking into. !he basement was one huge room and held only a olle tion of high$ small tables for setting down drinks. A waiter who barely looked old enough to serve was making the rounds with

ham#agne$ flashing a amera&ready smile$ unaware that no one here was in a #osition to give him his bigHollywood break. !he #rodu er$ !odd .imon$ wasn"t oming. He was on lo ation in Amsterdam after filming!ed "ight istrict a ontroversial but mu h anti i#ated new reality showand was su##osed to have returned by now$ but had been delayed. 5an"t say I was thrilled about that. When I"d first signed onto the show$ the #rodu er had been a real sweetheart who was also a fan$ and had seemed ommitted to a##roa hing the s#e ial with ,ust the right balan e of showmanshi# and solemnity. !hen$ less than a month ago$ I got a fa( from the studio. !he #rodu er and his entire team had been re#la ed by !odd .imon$ a guy best known for beer ommer ials. I"d done my best to meet with .imon and his team$ but it never ha##ened. When I"d lived in*.A. I"d have tra ked them down myself. Not so easy now that my ondo was in 5hi ago and I"d s#ent the last two months on my live&show ir uit. I hated going in blind$ but my future in television was riding on this show. I"d make it work. !here were fewer than a do0en #eo#le in the room. !here$ hatting u# the model who"d be #laying /arilyn in the dramati0ed death s ene$ was Bradford +rady. Not mu h older than me$ if the tabloids were right$ yet his dark hair was streaked with silver$ giving him the air of a distinguished gentleman. !he oldHollywood double standard. !he waiter hurried over to offer me a glass. 1!hank you1 I he ked his name tag. 19ordan.1 I smiled and he blinked$ beda00led. /y smile grew. When I looked u#$ +rady was heading my way$ his ga0e sliding over me as he walked. 1/s. -egas$1 he said. 1!his is su h a #leasure.1 He took my hand and kissed it. No one sni kered. Ama0ing what the British an get away with. 19aime$ #lease$ and the #leasure"s mine. At the risk of gushing$ I"msuch a fan. I bought your first season on '-' ,ust last week$ when it finally ame stateside.1 A tually$ I"d ordered all three seasons from the2.:. when I reali0ed I"d be working with him. 5an"t #ull a onvin ing fan&girl if you haven"t studied the material. 5laudia a##eared from nowhere. 1/r. +rady$ 'r. )obson wanted to s#eak to1 He ut her off with a 1go away1 flutter of his fingers. 5laudia glared at me. 1.he"s right$1 I said. 1<ou have #eo#le to meet and I don"t want to mono#oli0e you. What do you say we do the rounds together$ save everyone from having to introdu e themselves twi e41 He gave me his arm and let 5laudia es ort us over to 'r. )obson$ a #ara#sy hologist the show

had hired as an e(#ert. As I asked about 'r. )obson"s studies in ele troni voi e #henomena more homework+rady"s hand slid to my lower ba k then began in hing down. When Bru e Wang$ a s#e ialist in ghost #hotogra#hy$ a##roa hed$ I used the e( use to slide from +rady"s gras# and shake Wang"s hand. It"s a balan ing a tbeing flirtatious enough to flatter without arousing e(#e tations. As we hatted$ talk turned to s#e ulation over .tarr ;hilli#s"s mystery re#la ement. )obson had heard a rumor that it was Bu k *o ke. I #rayed he was wrong. *ast time I"d met the abrasive !s#iritualist$ he"d offered to tea h me the se ret oftantri magi se( magi to enhan e my link with the afterlife$ and I"d made the unfortunate mistake of laughing. Worse yet$ I"d done so as he"d stood in my hotel room doorway$ wearing only a robe$ whi h he"d let hang o#en to dis#lay the full 1e(tent1 of his offer. We were still naming names when a murmur ri##led through the room. I followed it to the door. In walked two men in shades$ like %BI agents from a B movie. Between them stood a tiny$ e#hemerally beautiful girl in a silver dress. .he had long blond hair$ #erfe t #or elain skin and blue sau er eyesfar bluer than anything nature ould #rodu e. Her ga0e went straight to me$ and she la##ed her hands together$ giving a kittenish mew of delight. .he floated over$ hiffon s arf streaming behind. 19aime -egas. Oh$ my sweet *ord$ itis you=1 .he took both my hands and las#ed them as she ga0ed u# in lim#id adoration. 1<ou"re my idol. I"ve been following your areer sin e I was1 a girlish laugh$ 1knee&high to a grassho##er$ as my daddy would say.1 A ameraman and a ,ournalist a##eared behind her$ re ording every frame and word. I tilted my head to my best angle and swe#t my hair ba k so it wouldn"t blo k my #rofile. !he lens in hed my way. 1!hat"s so sweet of you$1 I said. 1And you must be3 41 1Angeli7ue3 but my friends all me Angel. !he Angel of the .outh.1 1Oh$ of ourse. *et me guess$ you"re the third s#iritualist.1 1I am. 5an you believe that41 An ears#litting s7ueal of a giggle. 1/y big han e to work with 9aime -egas. I was so afraid you"d retire before I got the han e.1 I gave a throaty laugh. 1'on"t worry$ I"m not retiring for a while.1 Around us$ the #arty had sto##ed$ everyone wat hing the drama unfold. 1.o$ do you have any theories on /arilyn"s death41 I asked. 1Oh$ it wassuch a tragedy$1 she said. 1.omeone so young and beautiful$ alled to heaven too soon. /y daddyhe"s a minister$ you knowalways says1

1I meant theories onhow she died.1 A wave of titters. 1Oh$ yes$ of ourse. Well$er $ that"s what we"re here to learn$ isn"t it4 !o free her from the limbo of a tragi #assing$ to dis over who wronged so inno ent a soul.1 1.o you think she was murdered4 Are you leaning toward the:ennedys or the /afia41 1Oh$ my *ord$ that is su h a beautiful dress. .o daring. /y daddy would die if I wore something like that. <ou"re so brave=1 .he waved to the ameraman. 1'oug$ you have to get a shot of the two of us$ for my #ress release.1 I #i tured that shot and reali0ed how I"d look towering over the fresh&fa ed$ virginal blond. 12nless you don"t want to31 she said$ her eyes wide with inno en e. 1And miss the han e to get my #i ture taken with a rising star4 Never. 'oug$hon $ an you make sure I get a o#y of it41 1Absolutely. Is there a mailing address41 19ust bring it u# to my room. !o# of the stairs.1 He grinned. 1Be ha##y to$ ma"am.1 I flirted with 'oug as he set u# the shot$ then stru k a #ose that would give Angeli7ue"s daddy a rise in s#ite of himself.

AN+6*IN6 WA. going to be a #roblem. Her sly ,abs I ould handleyou don"t s#end a lifetime a ting without learning how to deal with two&fa ed starlets. But television is so mu h more youth&oriented than the stage. ;ut me on amera ne(t to a sli# of a girl barely out of high s hool and the network e(e s who were onsidering my show might start thinking they were making overtures to the wrong s#iritualist. I ould se( it u#I ould out&vam# her any daybut it might not be enough. I"d have to #lay this one arefully$ #rove I wasn"t ,ust the 1se(y redhead1 but the better #erformer. And$ as it turned out$ I was going to get my han e a lot sooner than I e(#e ted. Be ky had barely finished introdu ing Angeli7ue to everyone when some wit ame u# with the idea of a 1test1sean e . As long as you had three s#iritualists in a room$ why not #ut them to work #roviding the entertainment4 1!hat"s a wonderful idea$1 Be ky said. 1We should ta#e it too. %or the '-' e(tras.1

1!here"s going to be a '-'41 Angeli7ue said. Be ky grinned. 1!here"s always a '-'. 1What about!ansy *ane 41 1Who41 someone asked. 1.tarlet$1 another res#onded. 1%rom the seventies. /urdered right ne(t door$ I think. !he rime was never solved.1 I struggled to re all the ase. I wasn"t big onHollywood legends$ but be ause !ansy had been a former hild star$ her ase had stru k a hord. After outgrowing her starring role on a to#&rated sit om about a fairy hangeling$ she"d faded away$ only to rea##ear again at twenty with a headline&making omeba k. .he"d not only beat the odds$ but :O"d them$ winning an 6mmy. And that"s when both her areer and her life ended. .hot to death at a#ostawards #arty inBrentwood . /urmurs of e( itement ran through the rowd. +rady glan ed at 5laudia. I ke#t my mouth shut$ my e(#ression intrigued but not ommitted$ waiting to see how +rady would #lay it. 1How mysterious were these ir umstan es41 he finally asked. 1I"ve heard there wassatanism involved$1 the guard #i#ed in. 1!hat"s why no one saw anything. !hey were ondu ting a se retHollywood bla k magi rite.1 +rady"s fa e lit u#. .atani rites were his s#e ialty. He found eviden e of them everywhere. He and 5laudia e( hanged a look. .he leared her throat. 1As #er /r. +rady"s ontra t$ he is su##osed to re eive a minimum of si( hours" noti e before any attem#ted s#irit ommuni ations. He"s willing to forgo that tonight. However$ I insist that he still be allowed as mu h time as #ossible to om#lete his mental #re#arations$ so he must be granted the final #osition.1 !aking the final s#ot meant he"d have our work to build on$ #lus the han e to leave the most lasting im#ression. Be ky glan ed at me$ but I didn"t have any su h sti#ulations in my ontra t. I ould hit the ground running anytime$ anywhere$ so I saved my ontra t demands for im#ortant things like billing #osition and wardrobe allowan e. 1It"s all yours$ Bradford.1 I smiled$ then sli##ed in$ 1I"ll take the final s#ot ne(t time.1 16( ellent$1 Be ky said. 1It"s settled then. Angeli7ue will go first$ 9aime se ond1 1Oh$ no$1 Angeli7ue breathed$ her fa e filling with genuine horror. 1I ouldn"t go before /s. -egas. .he"s the star> I should follow her.1

I shook my head. 1It"s your first bigsean e and I insist you take the #remier #osition.1 .he o#ened her mouth$ but there was little she ould say to that. I a e#ted +rady"s #roffered arm and we headed u#stairs.

WH6N I reali0ed they #lanned to hold thissean e in the garden$ I thought of the #resen e I"d felt there earlier and a hill ran through me. As bi0arre as it might seem$ I avoid mi(ing ne roman y and s#iritualism whenever #ossible. I use my #owers to give me an edge$ but under ontrolled ir umstan es. When I"m booking a show in anew ity $ I always visit the venues myself first$ to make sure there aren"t any resident ghosts. Nothing buggers u# a fakesean e more than having a real ghost s reaming in your ear. .o I ste##ed into that garden$ steeled against the first sign that my relu tant s#irit had returned. But$ to my relief$ the #resen e of others seemed to s are it off. Or$ if I was really lu ky$ it had given u# and moved on. We stole into the gardens likes hoolkids utting out on a lass tri#$ sni kering and whis#ering$ ho#ing the neighbors didn"t overhear. It was midnight. !he wit hing hour$ whi h I"m sure the writers would make a big deal of when they wrote the introdu tion to this segment. !he full moon and the wind rustling through the bushes didn"t hurt. 1!oo bad we an"t do it ne(t door$1 someone said. 1)ight at the site of the murder. !hat"s where she was found$ wasn"t it41 1Near the #ool house.1 Be ky turned to the ameraman. 15an we get it in the ba kdro#41 1;erha#s we ould get some dirt from the site$1 +rady said. Be ky looked at the se urity rew. 1Any volunteers41 1I will$1 I said. All heads turned my way. 1Oh$ ome on$1 I said. 1What will film better4 A se urity guard ,um#ing that fen e4 Or me41 I turned to Angeli7ue. 12nless you want to.1 .he ba ked away as if I"d suggested she dese rate a grave. 1Oh$ no. I ouldn"t. /y dress1 1!hen it"ll have to be me.1 I #ulled off my sling&ba ks and handed them to the nearest guard. 1Now whi h of you boys is going to boost me over that fen e41

.O I snu k into the neighbor"s yard and swi#ed dirt from behind their #ool house. By the time I got ba k$ my feet were filthy$ my hair had twigs aught in it and I was sure there was a dirt smear or two on my fa e. But I got my round of heersand my laughs and some footage of a ute young guard washing my feet in the fountain. 1Okay$1 I said$ #utting my heels ba k on as I leaned against the obliging guard. 1!ime for thesean e . Angeli7ue4 <ou"re u#.1

TANS! LANE

!H6 /6'I2/ HA. !WO ;)I/A)< !OO*. at her dis#osal$ and neither has any&thing to do with summoning s#irits. !he tools are knowledge and statisti al #robability. Or$ as they"re often alled$ warm reading and old reading. 5old reading uses statisti al #robability to make random guesses about a #erson or an audien e. %or e(am#le$ if I say I see the s#irit of a man$ someone you"ve lost$ it"s a given that you"ve lost a male friend or relative in your lifetime. If I say his name started with 9first name$ but maybe a middle or ni knamethere"s a good han e you an find a dead male relative with that ommon initial. !hen I"ll throw out 1details1 su##lied by your dead relative$ talking fast$ sha#ing my res#onses by reading your rea tion$ and soon you"ll be onvin ed I am indeed s#eaking to your dearly de#arted se ond ousin 9oey3 who$ by the way$ misses you$ but is ha##y and in a good #la e. !hen there"s warm reading$ whi h uses #rior knowledge. /aybe you hatted to one of my staff on the way into the showthey"re so hel#ful and friendly. /aybe they overheard you telling your om#anion about the #erson you wanted me to onta t. Or maybe you wrote it on that 7uestionnaire you sent in$ the one that was su##osed to be anonymous. However it ha##ened$ I know that you$ in seat '?@$ are #raying that your se ond ousin 9oey omes by with a message. Well$ he has$ and he misses you$ but he"s ha##y and in a good #la e. When summoning a s#e ifi s#irit$ though$ like!ansy *ane $ you an"t use statisti al #robability$ so the tool Angeli7ue needed was knowledgememories of what she"d heard about the ase. Whi h #osed a #roblem$ onsidering she"d been born after !ansy died. If she"d gotten the s#ot after me$ she ould have built on my 1revelations.1 Without that$ she was in trouble. 1!ansy4 Is that you41 Angeli7ue s7uinted as if straining to see in the dark. 1.he"s having

diffi ulty #assing over. !hat"s ommon with traumati0ed ghosts.1 After two minutes of this$ Be ky told the ameraman to sto# filming. I took a seat on a stone ben h and waited my turn. At this rate$ it wouldn"t be long. 1I think I see her$1 Angeli7ue was saying. 1Her hair3 it"s light. No$ maybe dark31 A whis#er rushed #ast my ear and I s#un$ nearly falling off the ben h. I fought the urge to look around and ke#t my ga0e straight ahead. !he whis#er seemed to ir le me$ apss#pss#pss that made the hairs on my ne k rise. %ingers brushed my arm. I narrowed my eyes$ withdrawing into that most #rimitive res#onse mentally sto##ing u# my ears$ s7uee0ing my eyes shut and re#eating$ 1I an"t hear you. I an"t hear you.1 As silly and immature as it felt$ there was nothing else I ould do with #eo#le all around me. 9ust ignore it and ho#e it went away. .omeone sla##ed me. A sma k a ross my heek so hard I reeled$ gas#ing. %ury followed sur#rise as I #i tured my mother"s fa e above mine$ heard her voi e8 1'on"t look at me that way$ 9aime. I was only getting your attention1even as her sla# still burned. /y hand went to my heek. As I looked u#$ I saw all eyes on me and reali0ed I"d gas#ed aloud. 6ven Angeli7ue had sto##ed and was glaring daggers at me. 1.orry. I thought I31 I shook my head. 1Never mind. .orry.1 1Oh$ my +od$ your heek=1 Be ky said. 1!here"s a mark. Brian$ get the amera over here.1 'amn it. !here was nothing more un#rofessional than derailing a olleague"ssean e . Angeli7ue"s glares turned lethal. Worse yet was +rady"s frown$ one that said he hadn"t e(#e ted su h dirty tri ks from me$ and would need to be wary from now on. 1It"s not1 I rubbed my heek. 1.omething stung me. I"m so sorry. ;lease$ Angeli7ue$ ontinue$ with my a#ologies.1 1A tually$ I was ,ust going to ask Angel to take a rest$1 Be ky said. 1But maybe you an give her a hand instead. Hel# her #ull !ansy out of limbo.1 1I"m not sure I should interfere31 Angeli7ue wheeled$ frustration bla0ing in her eyes. Her first big shot and she was blowing it. 'amned if she was going down alone. 1Oh$ 9aime$1 she said$ gri##ing my hands. 1I would be honored if you"d hel#. 2nless you think you an"t. I"d heard you"ve been having some trouble lately31

I laughed. 1I"d love to know who told you that. *et"s see what I an do.1 After a few minutes of intense on entration$ I wi#ed sweat from my forehead. 2nlike Angeli7ue$ I"d been at this long enough to make it look like I was working hard. When I 1finished$1 my hands were trembling$ and the ameramen 0oomed in on them and my glistening brow. 6ven +rady looked im#ressedthough maybe that"s be ause his ga0e was glued to my heaving bosom. 1Oh$ I think1 I said finally. 1<es$ here she3 5an you hear me$ !ansy41 I #aused. 1+ood. I was ,ust he king. We had some trouble making onta t there.1 Another #ause. !hen a grave nod. 1I om#letely understand.1 Around me$ all had gone silent. 6ven the most ,aded leaned forward$ ho#ing. !hat"s the a##eal of ghosts. Ho#e. !hat #rayer for #roof that we e(istin some ons ious formafter death. With ghosts$ even the staun hest #aranormal ske#ti s wouldn"t mind being #roven wrong. I #layed into that with the onvi tion only a ne roman er an havethe knowledge that the s#irit of!ansy *ane reallywas out there somewhere. 9ust not here. Not now. A minor hurdle easily over ome with de ent a ting skills. 1I have someone here who"d like to s#eak to you$ !ansy.1 I moved aside. Angeli7ue glan ed around$ then took a slow ste# ba k. 1<ou brought her through. <ou should talk to her first.1 Be ky motioned the ameraman forward. 1No$ 9aime"s right. .he hel#ed. It"s your turn.1 After a few #rotests$ Angeli7ue gave in and started fumbling almost immediately$ now unable to hide behind the #retense that !ansy was out of rea h. I took my s#ot on the ben h and bra ed myself against the ghost. It was the only thing I ould do$ short of laiming illness and forfeiting my segment. 6ven if this was only going on the '-'$ it would be seen by #eo#le who mattered$ and knowing something about !ansy"s ba kground gave me the edge I"d need to out#erform an amateur and an 6nglishman who$ I ho#ed$ knew little of the ase. .o I was staying #ut. !he s#irit left me alone for a few blessed minutes$ then started u# again. No sla#s this time$ ,ust the whis#ers and gentle strokes on my hand that seemed oddly a#ologeti . I"d have to deal with this. Not now$ but tonight$ when everyone had retired. +et out my kit and do a full&s ale summoning. As mu h as I longed to ignore it$ I ouldn"t risk this ghost interfering with the shoot. When a young woman slid u# beside me$ lose enough to get on amera should it #ivot my way$

I gave a distra ted smile and ste##ed aside to give her room. I"m used to that#eo#le sidling into amera range. !he girl edged toward me again. 1<ou wanted to talk to me41 I motioned that I ouldn"t s#eak right now. Bad enough I"d already interru#ted Angeli7ue. I ouldn"t be seen hatting with guests during her segment. 1Who is she talking to41 the young woman asked. I leaned over. 1.he"s onta ted the ghost of1 I sto##ed as a nearby guard turned to stare at me. I re ogni0ed that look all too well. It starts with a frown of onfusion$ followed by a swee#ing glan e around me$ then the autious look one bestows on #eo#le who arry on onversations with thin air. By now you"d think I"d be able to re ogni0e a ghost. But here was a seemingly or#oreal young woman in a #arty gown a##ro#riate for tonight"s event. !he only sign that she was a ghost was that no one else was #aying attention to her$ des#ite the fa t that she was young and beautiful. 1Who41 I sto##ed as her first words ame ba k. 1!ansy41 .he grinned. 1Who else4 <ou"re lu ky I got your message. <ou must have done something wrong$ be ause it didn"t ome straight through to me. .omeone wat hing the show ame to tell me. !oo ool. I"ve never been summoned by a3 What do they all you guys again41 1Ne roman er$1 I said$ trying to s#eak without moving my li#s. 1%reaky.1 .he waved at Angeli7ue. 1.#eaking of freaky$ what"s u# with that hi k41 1Wait=1 Angeli7ue said. 1!ansy"s trying to tell me some1 !ansy let out a #eal of laughter. 1.he thinks she"s talking to me4 But she"s not one of you. .he doesn"t have that weird glow.1 1.he thinks she does.1 1)eally41 A mis hievous grin. 1/aybe it"s ,ust running low tonight. *et"s find out.1 !ansy ski##ed over and #lanted herself in front of Angeli7ue$ then started making fa es and gesturing wildly. 1!ansy41 Angeli7ue was saying. 1Is there something you want to tell me41 1Besides "sto# raiding your granny"s loset"41 !ansy said. 1Where"d you get that dress4 *ittle .ho# o" -irgins41

I snorted a laugh$ and tried overing it with a oughing fit. Angeli7ue turned on me$ her teeth bared like an enraged la#dog. 1.orry. I1 I #ut my hand over my mouth as if stifling another ough. 1I"ll get some water. ;lease$ go on.1 1No$ sin e you"re so eager to #erform$$iss -egas$ let"s see you give it a try.1 Be ky nodded$ her eyes #leading with me to take over. I ste##ed u#. 1Now$ this will be ool$1 !ansy said. 1.how her how it"s really done.1 1!ansy41 I #eered into the darkness. 1Are you still here41 1Oh$ ome on. 'on"t #lay that. !his is the losest I"ve ome to a amera in thirty years=1 1What"s wrong41 Angeli7ue sneered. 1*et me guess. .he"sfading . Io%erwor&ed her.1 15ould be. But I an #robably31 I #eered into the dark garden. 1I an ,ust make her out. .he"s tiny. /aybe your si0e. ;ale skin but long bla k hair and almost3 o##er eyes.1 1!hat"s what got me the #art in"ily 'hite $1 !ansy said. 1!hey thought I looked e(oti $ like a fairy hangeling should. /om always said it was be ause my dad was Italian$ but really$ he was bla k. I mean$ Afri an Ameri an. He died in-ietnam $ and her #arents made her s#read that story about him being Italian.1 It must have been obvious I was listening to something$ be ause Be ky #rodded me to relay the message. After some en ouragement from !ansy$ I did. !he rowd #ressed loser$ giving me its full attention. I ould say it was the love of gossi#$ but I"ve always thought that #uts too harsh a s#in on it. ;eo#le like stories$ and what is gossi# if not stories4 1Afri an Ameri an41 Angeli7ue said. 1<ou an"t #rove it.1 15he k my birth ertifi ate$1 !ansy said. I relayed the message. Be ky motioned for her assistant to write it down$ though he was already s ribbling furiously. .o we ontinued. A natural omedi #erformer$ !ansy regaled the rowd with 7ui#s and ane dotes until there wasn"t a distra ted fa e in the rowd.

1!his is a waste of time$1 Angeli7ue finally ut in. 1Ask her what we really want to know. What we alled her here for. How did she die41 1I"m sure that"s no big se ret. !ell her to ask me something good.1 !ansy grinned. 1*ike what olor underwear I was wearing.1 1!his is ridi ulous$1 Angeli7ue sna##ed when I didn"t relay her 7uestion. 1'oesn"t she want losure4 !he guilty #arty brought to ,usti e41 !ansy frowned. 1+uilty #arty41 !he last minutes of a ghost"s violent end are wi#ed lean on e she #asses over. !ansy might not even know she"d been murderedand enlightening her now was a ruelty I"d never infli t. Instead$ I rea hed out$ as if #ulling her ba k. 1!ansy= Wait= .he didn"t mean1 When !ansy o ked a brow$ I mouthed 1+ottago$1 then alled$ 1!ansy= ;lease. We won"t bring that u# again. 5ome ba k.1 1%ine$1 she sighed. 1I"ll leave. But an I talk to you later41 I hesitated. When a ghost says$ 1I"d like to talk to you$1 what she means is$ 1I want you to do something for me.1 But !ansyhad hel#ed me. !hough I #robably ouldn"t return the favor$ at least I ould hear her out. .o I nodded$ and she disa##eared. 1I don"t know how I"ll to# that$1 +rady laughed as I walked off amera. 1I"m afraid you won"t get the han e tonight$1 Be ky said. +rady"s hearty smile stiffened. 1We"ve ra ked u# overtime for the rew already$ and that"s definitely not something I are to tell /r. .imon on the first day.1 .he motioned Angeli7ue forward. 1Ne(t time$hon $ if you"re struggling$ don"t #ush it. *et the others take their turn. It"s only fair.1 Angeli7ue"s heeks reddened. I fussed with my evening bag$ as if I hadn"t overheard. However gentle Be ky"s re#rimand$ it should have been made in #rivate. ;erformers have to stoma h #ubli riti ism with every review orsnarkyblog $ and no one likes taking any more than ne essary. Had Be ky been more seasoned$ she"d also have known there was no reason to rob +rady of his segment. He was savvy enough to know his #erforman e would #ale after mine and had she suggested it was getting late$ he"d have offered to ste# aside. Instead$ Angeli7ue was humiliated$ +rady was insulted$ 5laudia was outraged on his behalf$ and all three stormed off as Be ky gushed over my 1ama0ing1 #erforman e. I"d alienated both my ostars$ dis overed the garden was haunted by a mali ious s#irit and falsely raised the ho#es of a

murdered ghost. All in my first day on the show I ho#ed would take my areer to the ne(t level. Off to a rousing start.

ON56 I was in my room$ my resolve to sneak out and ondu t a full summoning wavered. I told myself I ouldn"t fa e disa##ointing !ansy$ should she be out there waiting. What if shedid know she"d been murdered and wanted me to find her killer4 /y gut twisted at the thought. !urning down ghosts who wanted messages delivered was hard enough. As mu h as I wanted to say$ 1Hey$ do I look like a ourier servi e41 I ould be$ to a ghost$ a on e&in&an&afterlife o##ortunity to get that message delivered$ and even if it was something as mundane as$ 1!ell my wife I love her$1 it meant the world to them$ and it hurt to refuse. .ometimes$ if it was easy enough$ I"d do it. But finding or #unishing a killer4 Not #ossible. .aying no to message delivery was nothing om#ared to telling a murdered girl that even if she handed me a name and address$ there was no way I ould bring her killer to ,usti e. .till$ I"d have to deal with !ansy sooner or later$ and dee# down$ I knew that what was really kee#ing me out of that garden tonight was fear. Not of the s#irit who"d sla##ed me$ but the #ossibility thatno s#irit had sla##ed me. !hat I was finally losing it. /adness is the lega y of this 1gift1one that gives me more nightmares with ea h #assing year. 9eremy was hel#ing me to deal with this. He has some e(#erien e with #sy hi #henomena himself$ and there"s no one better for laying out logi al arguments. Not every ne roman er goes mad$ he #ointed out. I"d never denied or overused my #ower$ as was often the ause of the madness. I was otherwise healthy and I had a good su##ort network. But every time I"m onvin ed I"m overrea ting$ that I"m going todri%e myself ra0y by worrying about going ra0y$ I see my strong$ stubborn grandmother who died stra##ed to a bed$ being fed like an infant$ ranting about ghosts even I ouldn"t see. !hen after hel#ing 9eremy in!oronto last fall$ I had another image to addthat of a ne roman er driven so insane she ould barely #ass for human. As hard as I lung to 9eremy"s reasonable words$ I felt my onfiden e sli##ing3 and imagined my sanity sli##ing with it. .o$ while #art of me said$ 1<ou"re not going ra0y$ so make onta t with this ghost and #rove it$1 another$ 7uieter but more #ersuasive #art said$ 1Isn"t it better ,ust to tell yourself youcould make onta t$ if you tried hard enough41 No. I wouldn"t give in to the fear. I took my ne roman y bag from its hiding #la e and snu k downstairs.

SICK P PPIES

I %O2N'A +OO' ;*A56 in the gardenon the other side of a wooden bridge where I"d hear the footste#s of any night walkers oming my way. No one should be sur#rised to see a s#iritualist ondu ting a ritual$ even at A a.m.$ but #eo#le like theirsummonings neat and tidy$ with flowery words$ herbs and in ense. A true ne roman er rosses the boundary between this world and the ne(t and for that$ I need the remnants of death. !here"s no #reset list of items every ne roman er uses. It"s like a re i#e for stewwe take a few ommon ingredients$ test out the variations our families #ass along$ then add and subtra t through trial and error until we have what seems to work best for us. %irst$ I removed an old #ie e of grave lotha reli handed down fromNan $ who laimed it ame from a )oman em#eror. Walk into a ne roman y sho# ande%erything omes from a )oman em#eror or 6gy#tian 7ueen or Afri an #rin e. It doesn"t matter. !he #ower the individual held in life has no bearing on an ob,e t"s #ower. It ,ust makes a better story. Ne(tvervain $ an herb burned to hel# onta t traumati0ed s#irits. !hen dogwood bark and dried mate to ward off unwanted s#irits and #revent summoning demoni entities. 5onsidering how this s#irit was a ting$ I added an e(tra hel#ing of the banishing mi(ture. I took out a tied bun h of hair. 'ifferent hairs$ from different #eo#le at different stages of life$ from infant to elderly$ some for ea h se(. !hese ame from the living. !he advantage to hair is that be ause it"s dead ells$ I don"t need to harvest it from the de eased. %inally ame the true remnants of the grave. A finger ,oint. A toe. An ear. Bits of bone. !eeth. !he bone and teeth were an ient reli s$ also from my grandmother$ also #ur#orted to have some wild and glorious history. With the flesh artifa ts$ I wasn"t so lu ky. !o be #otent they had to be fresh. %resh$ thankfully$ is a relative term when you"re talking about de om#osing or#ses. But after a year$ they had to be burned and the ashes added to a ,ar. !hen they had to be re#la ed. I laid them on the grave loth as #res ribed$ then #ut the ,ar of ashes in the middle. If Bradford +rady ome strolling ba k here and found me arranging bits of flesh and bone in a symboli #attern$ he"d fall on his knees$ thinking he"d finally found on rete eviden e of the satani . 'ark magi does e(ist$ but not in the form he imagines. .atani ults and devil worshi# belong in the realm of the mentally ill$ the attention&de#rived and the foolishly des#erate. !he #ower of magi lies in the blood. Without that blood$ they an"t use the #ower$ no matter how many ats they sa rifi e. Now it was time to start the summoning. %irst I"d test to make sure this wasn"t another vam#ire. I took a ontainer from my bag and removed two lo ks of hair. I ke#t them se#arate to guard against loss. -am#ires are the rarest of the ra es and I only know two.

*ike 9eremy and I$ 5assandra and Aaron served as delegates on the interra ial oun il$ a body of volunteers from ea h su#ernatural ra e who work together on #roblems that affe t us all. When I"d asked 5assandra for a lo k of her hair$ she"d looked at me as if I was asking her to lo# off a body #art. Aaron had handed his over willingly$ and would always #rovide more$ but I liked having sam#les from both genders$ so I was taking good are of 5ass"s. I arranged the hairs. Almost the moment I finished #re#aring$ fingers glided along my arm$ as if the s#irit had been waiting #atiently the whole time. 15an you hear me41 !he whis#ering began$ distant and off to my left. .omething brushed my arm. A finger #oked my heek. At the same time$ a third hand lifted a lo k of my hair$ and the hairs on my ne k rose as I reali0ed this meant there was more than one s#irit. I ondu ted the vam#ire test. Hands ke#t tou hing me$ voi es whis#ering$ but nothing hanged. 15an you hear me41 I said. 15an give me some sign that you understand41 !he tou hes stayed gentle$ like the voi es$ as if whoever was on the other side knew I was working hard to make onta t. I re#eated the ritual using the regular hair and entreated the s#irits to s#eak or otherwise make themselves known. !hey ,ust ontinued the whis#ering and tou hing. I redid the ritual. !wi e. No hange. I dum#ed my #urse$ laying out a #en and #a#er and s attering some other items. I even smoothed a #at h of dirt for finger&writing. !he vam#ire ghost$ Natasha$ had been able to move ob,e ts$ and had onveyed 1 harades1&ty#e messages. /aybe that would work. !he tou hing and whis#ering had sto##ed as soon as I"d em#tied my #urse$ as if the s#irits were #u00ling over the meaning of this new a tivity. 1Is there some way you an ommuni ate4 Write something on the #a#er or in the dirt41 I demonstrated by writing my name on the #a#er$ then in the dirt. !he whis#ering and #rodding sto##ed$ but as soon I eased writing$ it resumed. 1/ove something. Anything. 9ust show me you an.1 Again$ they sto##ed$ this time for almost a minute$ but nothing in the #ile moved. I shifted the items$ en ouraging and demonstrating. !hey"d #ay attention$ then go ba k to tou hing me. !ime to all in the big guns. %rom my #urse$ I took out a #lain silver ring. It belonged to my s#irit onta t$ 6ve *evine. !o summon her$ I needed an ob,e t that had been signifi ant to her in life. !he ring had been a gift

from her daughter"s father$:ristof $ and 6ve and I had had to work with her teenage daughter$.avannah $ to tra k down and get a ess to a safety de#osit bo(. 2ntil three years ago$ I"d known 6ve only by re#utation. A bad re#utation$ as the kind of wit h you didn"t want to ross. By the time I met her daughter$ 6ve was dead$ whi h should normally make a relationshi# im#ossible$ but in my ase is no im#ediment. When 6ve had needed ane ro $ she ame to the one who knew.avannah $ and to our mutual sho k$ we be ame friends. Now$ when I needed ghostly hel#$ I alled on her. But this time she didn"t answer. No sur#rise. %or months ea h year$ 6ve was gone and ouldn"t e(#lain where$ one of the many mysteries of the afterlife that ghosts were forbidden to dis uss with the living. In an emergen y$ I ould use the ring to summon:ristof $ and he"d get a message to her$ but this wasn"t urgent$ and I wasn"t keen to summon:ristof Nast otherwise.

!)O2B*6' B< my failure in the garden$ I didn"t get mu h slee#. When I finally gave u# and got out of bed the ne(t morning$ I had a te(t message from 6lena8I didn't want to wa&e you( Said you bad a party last night( Call when you can . 1Hey$1 6lena said when I alled. 19eremy"s u#stairs #utting the kids down for a na#.1 1I hear you have a ou#le of si k #u##ies.1 .he laughed. 1!hat we do. Oh$ and your delivery ame this morning. !heir first bunnies= :ate"s already trying to hew an ear off. 5lay"s so #roud.1 1No bunny hewing for*ogan 41 1!oo rude. He"s been e(amining his arefully. 5lay says he"s trying to find its weak s#ots.1 A door banged o#en and 5lay"s voi e rumbled something I ouldn"t make out. 19eremy"s on his way down$1 6lena said. 1And in a few hours$ he"ll be on his way there. !he kids are doing mu h better. 9ust a old$ like I ke#t telling everyone.1 5lay"s voi e sounded in the ba kground$ more a growl than a rumble. 1Oh$ they"ll be fine$1 6lena said. 1*ogan"s oughing again.1 5lay"s voi e ame lear. 1It"s not fatal.1 An e(as#erated sigh as she ame ba k to me. 1;ain in the1 .he gave a s7ueal that made me ,um#. !he #hone lattered to the floor. 6lena shrieked a reminder that she was on the #honeor su##osed to be. !he #hone lattered again$ as if being

re overed. 1!ell her I"m sorry$1 6lena alled from the distan e. 1And 5lay a#ologi0es for being rude.1 1I do41 1;rofusely.1 1!ake it outside$1 9eremy said. 1!he babies are trying to slee#$ and you ould both use the fresh air.1 1.orry$1 9eremy said as their voi es faded. 1!hey"ve been oo#ed u# inside$ worrying about the babies$ and they"re going a little stir ra0y. 6lena told you they"re doing better41 1.he did. But 5lay still seems worried. /aybe you should1 1He"ll be fine$ and I"ll be on my way soon. .o how was the #arty41 I tried to em#hasi0e the humor of the situation$ but when I finished he asked whether there was more. 1<ou sound tired$1 he said. 1Whi h I ould halk u# to the late night$ but31 1.ounds more like asleepless night$ huh41 I told him everything. 1If you an"t onta t 6ve$ try ;aige and *u as$1 he said. 16lena talked to ;aige last night$ and they"re both home. I ould1 1<ou on entrate on getting here. I"ll make the alls.1 He #romised to #hone ba k when he had an 6!A$ and we signed off.

REPRIEVE FOR EVE

I .;6N! !OO /25H !I/6 fussing with my wardrobe that morning. I was su##osed to be wearing a burnt orange re#e tank to# with a ho olate brown #en il skirt and a mat hing fitted ,a ketthe kind of thing you"d see in an old noir film. .e(y and so#histi ated with a fun$ retro twist. !he look suited me$ whi h is always a relief. !here"s nothing worse than finding a fabulous new style in the fashionmags and rushing out to tra k it down$ only to reali0e it made you look

like a frum#y middle&aged suburbanite or$ worse yet$ a frum#y middle&aged suburbanite who still thinks she"s a smoking twenty&year&old. But should I wear it today$ when I might not see 9eremy until evening4 Or save it for then4 Not so mu h a burning dilemma as a way to #ost#one fa ing my olleagues until I was ertain I was awake and fo used on the task of winning them over. %inally$ after taking it all off and trying on a ou#le of alternatives$ I #ut on the original outfit and went downstairs. = A. I a##roa hed the dining room$ the silen e made me he k my ;'A to make sure I hadn"t s rewed u# my s hedule. Another three ste#s and I aught the murmur of low voi es. Angeli7ue sat alone on one side of the table$ +rady and 5laudia on the other$ whis#ering together and ignoring Angeli7ue. !he dead man now hung through a #late of melon sli es. I tried to ignore him. 1+ood morning$1 I said as I slid into a seat. +rady hesitated only a moment before good manners won out and he #oured me a offee. I thanked him with a da00ling smile$ then rea hed for a #ie e of antalou#e. As the dead man"s fingers brushed the fruit$ I de ided I was more in the mood for muffins. Angeli7ue"s eyes went round. 1<ou still eat arbs 4 Oh$ my lord$ you"re so brave.1 1Not really$1 I said with a laugh. 1I"ll #ay for it when I an"t do u# my skirt later.1 I took a big bite and hewed with relish. Angeli7ue tried not to drool. 1I"m a su ker for omfort food$1 I said. 1And after last night$ I need it. I"m used to getting a lot more advan e warning than that. /y nerves are still re overing.1 +rady thawed enough to s#eak. 1It was rather more sudden than I like.1 1I ho#e to +od there won"t be any more. No one mentioned warm&u#sean es to me.1 1Nor to me.1 5laudia ut a muffin in half and took one #ie e. 1I"m going to have a talk with Be ky.1 1+ood. I"m not used to working that way. I felt awful about interru#ting Angeli7ue.1 I turned to her. 1I"m very sorry. /y nerves were ,ust fra00led.1 .he studied my fa e$ as if looking for a at h$ then slowly nodded. 1I might have been a little ,um#y myself. I"m not used to being on amera.1 1<ou s#e iali0e in live shows too$ don"t you4 !- is a whole different medium$ and I don"t do a

lot of it yet.1 I grinned over at +rady. 1But we have a #ro on the set. /aybe if we"re ni e$ he"ll #ass some ti#s our way.1 1Oh$ good$ everyone"s here$1 Be ky said as she swung through the door. 1'id you all get breakfast4 I"m so sorry I"m late.1 .he olla#sed into the hair beside mine. I filled her offee u#. 1!hank you. <ou have no idea how mu h I need this. I"ve been u# half the night. %irst$ alling /r. .imon$ who insisted on hearing the results of the!ansy *anesean e . !hen he had me get the resear hers to work onfirming 9aime"s fa ts.1 1And how does it look41 +rady asked. Be ky slid a worried glan e my way. 1Well$ I hate to be the bearer of ill news but1 .he rea hed over to a tele#hone on the side table. !he to# line was flashing. A #ress of the buttons and3 1!hey"re all here$ /r. .imon.1 .hit. Be ky had no #roblem hewing out Angeli7ue last night$ but a##arently I deserved different treatmenta dire t re#rimand from the #rodu er himself. I bra ed myself. 1Only got a minute$ folks.1 .imon s#oke so fast I had to on entrate to kee# u#. 1%irst$ let me say how absolutely devastated I was that I ouldn"t be there last night. I was dying to meet you all.Heh $heh $ that"s #robably not the best #hrase to use with you folks$ is it4 9aime. 9aime$hon 41 12h$ here$ /r. .imon.1 1!odd. 5all me !odd. I hear you stru k a home run last night. Hit the ball out of the #ark.1 Be ky grinned at me. .imon ontinued. 16very 7uestion right$ our resear hers tell me. !hat is fu king ama0ing$ #ardon my %ren h$ folks.1 As +rady and Angeli7ue"s fa es hardened$ I hastised myself. I had to be areful when I really did onta t ghosts as #art of a show getting enough answers orre t to maintain redibility$ but not so many that olleagues would a use me of rigging things. .imon ontinued$ 1.o I ,ust wanted to all and say "attagirl." <ou"re the real deal$ 9aime -egas. .oon the whole world will know it and believe me$ no one is more thrilled about that than I am. <ou ever been in)anity *air $ 9aime41 12rn$ no.1

1Well$ I"m lining something u# for you right now. :now some #eo#le. /aking some alls. /y gift to you.1 12h$ thank you.1 1Angel4 Brad41 1<es$ !odd41 +rady said. 1!hat"s /r. .imon to you$ sir.1 .imon gave a laugh that ould be inter#reted as 1I"m kidding$1 but suggested he wasn"t. 1Angel$ sweetie$ I gave you this big han e to get your #retty little ass out of the orn fields$ and you aren"t showing me the love.1 1I1 she began. 1Brad$ you"re going to get your han e soon$ and I e(#e t results. !hat salary of yours is killing the budget. 'on"t make me regret it.5om#rendes $ amigo41 1We understand$1 5laudia said. 1+ood$ good. 9ust so we"re all on the same #age$ folks. Now$gotta run$gotta run$ but I will be wat hing. 'o me #roud.1 !he line went dead. It took si(ty se onds for Angeli7ue$ +rady and 5laudia to remember #revious engagements and lear the room. .o mu h for smoothing things over.

I HA' a maga0ine interview at nine shar#barely enough time to brush my teeth after breakfast. !he interview #art went smoothly. !hen they wanted to take #i tures3 in the garden. Of ourse they"d want the gardenthe house was half furnished and #artially under onstru tion. All I ould think about was #hotos of me$ wide&eyed and ,um#y as those damnable s#irits tormented me. I #ani ked. I started babbling e( uses about bad lighting and allergies. !he harried #hotogra#her$ who #robably had a full s hedule ahead of him$ de ided he didn"t need to start his day this way and suggested the arti le ould run without my #hoto. !hat wouldn"t be good. Hit a ertain age$ and if your #i ture is missing in an arti le$ #eo#le start to sus#e t there"s a reason$ es#e ially when your ostars" #hotos are there. .o I gave in3 and it was every bit as hellish as I"d imagined. !he s#irits #oked. !hey #rodded. !hey whis#ered in my ear. And I had to ignore them and look like I was having the time of my life$ whi h only made them #oke and #rod all the harder. By the time the session was over$ my nerves were shot. !his had to end. I needed to figure out what these ghosts were and banish them before they

ruined the shoot.

I *6%! the house by the front door and walked to lear my head. Normally$ after a blo k in heels$ my feet would have been s reaming for me to sto#$ but if they were$ I was too #reo u#ied to hear them. Why ouldn"t I ommuni ate with these ghosts4 .#ooks do #lay #ranks on ne roman ers$ but if that was the ase$ the dogwood bark and dried mate should have warded them off. .ouls an also get tra##ed in dimensional #ortals$ but I"d en ountered those and knew that wasn"t the e(#lanation here. Nor were they demons ordemidemons ordemideities . Again$ been there$ done that. )obert-asi $ the oun il resear h e(#ert$ always tells me I should kee# a ,ournal of my e(#erien es for his re ords$ to hel# others ne roman ers with odd ases$ sin e I seem to have en ountered them all. I think he"s kidding$ but I"m never sure. 9ust as I"m not sure whether my breadth of e(#erien e has more to do with unta##ed #ower or a talent for stumbling into trouble. /y gut told me these were normal ghosts in an abnormal situation. But how did they get there in a #la e where they ould tou h me$ but ouldn"t materiali0e or ommuni ate4 One answer8 bla k magi . When it ame to bla k magi $ I had an e( ellent sour e of information. A former leading tea her of the artand one who did not fulfill that 1those who an"t$ tea h1 li he . /y absent s#irit guide$ 6ve *evine. Also known as 1dark1 or 1 haoti 1 magi $ bla k magi isn"t ne essarily evil. It"s a blanket term for all magi with a #otentially negative out ome. *ike a s#ell to kill someone. <ou ould use it for evil$ but you"re more likely to use it in self&defense. But the only ty#e of magi likely to affe t ghosts was the darkest of the dark arts8 ritual sa rifi e. Human sa rifi e is rare. .ome dark&arts #ra titioners never ondu t su h rituals. Had 6ve4 It"s not something you ask a friend about$ but I"d guess that she had$ though only when she"d needed to kill an enemy and de ided his death might as well serve another #ur#ose. !hat was 6ve never ruel$ but oldly #ra ti al in a way I ouldn"t fathom$ ,ust as I ouldn"t fathom living a life where youhad enemies you needed to kill. When I rea hed the Brentwood /arket$ I headed around ba k$ out of sight of #assing traffi $ took out 6ve"s ring and tried onta ting her again$ #utting all my on entration into it$ ho#ing that somehow$ wherever she was$ I ould break through. After a ou#le of minutes$ the air shimmeredthe first sign of a ghost oming through. 1Oh$ thank +od= 6ve$ I need you&1 A man materiali0ed. A big mantall and solidly built$ in his late forties with thinning blond

hair and bright blue eyes. 1:ristof$1 I said. 1I didn"t all you. I alled1 16ve$ I know.1 He ast a look around the lot$ nose wrinkling slightly$ then brushed off the front of his suit ,a ket$ as if it might have been soiled in the transition. 1<ou"ve been trying to get through to her for a while$ and obviously something"s wrong$ so I thought I should find out what you want.1 He he ked his wat h. 1If I"m kee#ing you$:ristof 1 1I"m in ourt$ but I re7uested a ten&minute re ess.1 An afterlife with lawyers$ three&#ie e suits and wristwat hes. If I ever needed #roof that:ristof Nast had ended u# in a hell dimension$ this was it. 1Is there some way you an get 6ve for me41 1I an try. .he isn"t su##osed to be disturbed$ but if it"s urgent$ I an #etition for a s#e ial allowan e. I #resume it"s urgent41 .omething in his ga0e begged me to say it was$ but with:ristof $ it was wise to be wary. 1Well$ I"m not sure it"surgent 1 1If you say it"s urgent$ that"s all I need.1 Ah. .o I wasn"t the only one 6ve was out of onta t with. !hat"s why he was here. 5ertainly not to hel# me. /y only onta t with:ristof in lifenot in #erson$ but through his em#loyees$ naturally had not been one to en ourage friendshi#. 6ve was the only thing we had in ommon. 1If you did get a ess and it wasn"t for something im#ortant$ would 6ve be #issed off41 1Hardly. .he"d wel ome the break.1 His eyes glittered. 1I"d even go so far as to say she"d be grateful.1 1.o$ wherever she is$ she isn"t there by hoi e41 His smile faded. 1<ou know I"m not allowed to dis uss that. But if you need her$ whi h you obviously do$ I an #etition1 1And if it"s not urgent$ would 6ve get in trouble41 !hat sto##ed him. 1!here"s no way for her to know what you might onsider urgent31 Another #ause$ then a sigh. 1Is it urgent41

It was. !o me. But I sus#e ted 1saving 9aime -egas from #estering s#ooks1 wasn"t a #roblem you should #etition deities to fi($ so I said$ 1Not really.1 He swore under his breath. !hen asked$ relu tantly$ 1Is there anything I an do41 He hated offering. But she"dwant him to offer$ and that"s what ounted. I ould ask him about ritual sa rifi e. But sor erers like:ristof Nast don"t ondu t dark magi ritesthey hire #eo#le to do them. .o I thanked him for his time$ then wat hed him go. !I/6 !O rea h out to others. 9eremy had suggested ;aige and *u as$ and that was the logi al ne(t ste#. ;aige was the wit h member of the interra ial oun il. At twenty&seven$ she was the youngest delegate$ as well as the most energeti . 9ust wat hing her work was tiring. %or ;aige$ hel#ingsu#ernaturals was a life mission. !ogether with her husband$ *u as$ she ran a legal&firm& um&dete tive&agen y devoted to #rote tingsu#ernaturals from the 5abalsthe or#orate /afia of our world. !he fa t that *u as"s father was 56O of the most #owerful of those 5abals made their lives all the more om#li ated. !hey would hel#$ of ourse3 as soon as they ould. !he s#irits weren"t going anywhere$ and I wasn"t in mortal danger. Whomever they were hel#ing right now #robablywas in mortal danger. .o they ouldn"t be e(#e ted to dro# everything for me$ but I knew they wouldn"t turn me down if I showed u# on their doorste# and only asked for an hour or two of their time. I ould run the #roblem #ast them$ get their in#ut and ask them to #oint me to their library or om#uter files$ so I ould do the resear h myself. A ording to my s hedule$ I only had one work obligation today. I was su##osed to sit in on some dis ussions with the#ara#sy holo&gists #laying 1interviewer1 as they e(#lained their methodsbut Angeli7ue ould take my #la e. In fa t$ if I suggested it$ the offer might go a long way toward easing the animosity between us. Now for an e( use3 I de ided to use my mother$ laiming she was ill and needed me. /ost #eo#le would feel guilty using a #arent like that$ but the way I see it$ it"s a fair e( hange. .he used me for years. .till does. Her s#ot in the retirement village osts more than my ondo in5hi ago $ and she isn"t the one #aying for it. *ast time I heard from my mother had been when she"d de ided she wanted to u#grade her monthly s#a #a kage. When I argued$ she"d used her usual threat8 to tell the tabloids about my abortion at si(teen$ onveniently leaving out the fa t that she"d arranged it and I"d thought I was going to the do tor for a #renatal he ku#. I"d #aid for the u#grade$ as I always did$ not so mu h be ause her threat worried me but be ause it was easier to throw money at her than to deal with her. A oward"s #loy$ maybe$ but with some wounds$ sla##ing on a bandage and #retending it isn"t there is easier than dealing with the #ain.

"OMBIE SLAVES

I! WA. '2)IN+ !A:6O%% that I began to re#ent my haste. Was flying to;ortland really ne essary4 When I"d alled 9eremy and told him$ I"d heard the hesitation in his voi e$ though he"d taken the hange in stride and swit hed his #lane ti ket to;ortland $ where he"d meet me for dinner and hel# me slog through ;aige"s files. 6(a tly how mu h faster would this route be$ when I wouldn"t get ba k on the set before tomorrow4 How annoyed would +rady and Angeli7ue be when they reali0ed I"dswanned off even if it was on a family emergen y4 <et as foolish as I felt$ I knew why I"d done it. !o #rove to myself that I ould handle this. I"d gotten my ,ob as ne roman er delegate be ause$ frankly$ no one else wanted it. I had 0ero e(#erien e at resolving su#ernatural #roblems and$ as I 7ui kly reali0ed$ no one ared. !hey e(#e ted me to do what the last guy didanswer ne roman y 7uestions when alled$ but otherwise sit ba k and let the others work. I wanted to be a full&fledged delegate$ doing everything the others did$ in luding the investigative work. .o far$ they"d in luded me$ but with lots of su#ervision and safety nets$ until I felt like the overeager rookie everyone fears will ,ust mess things u#. *ast year$ I"d done something ,ust like thisflown to hel# 9eremy and 6lena when a #hone all would have suffi ed. And even then I"d had to fight for every ste# I took off the sidelines. But this was+y ase. And I ouldn"t bear to all u# ;aige or )obert and #ush the resear hand maybe the entire investigation onto their la#s. It #robably would have made more sense to swallow my #ride and all$ but now it was too late$ and #art of me was glad of that.

I .!OO' on the sidewalk and tried not to shiver. I"d been so wra##ed u# in getting here that I was still dressed for.outhern 5alifornia . .o I"d go to ;aige and *u as looking like a dit0 who ouldn"t even remember to wear a warm oat to;ortland in November. It would be ni e to make a different im#ression now and then$ ,ust for variety"s sake. I looked u# at the building. 'ouble he ked the offi e address ;aige had given me when I"d alled from the air#ort. I wondered whether I"d misheard. !he ta(i idled behind me$ the driver a##arently as un ertain as I was. !he building seemed to have been a warehouse or other industrial sort$ dee# in a neighborhood

of industrial sorts. It had no name#late or other sign$ but when your lientele issu#ernaturals $ you don"t advertise with flashing billboards. I waved the driver on. !hen I de ided to he k the street name before kno king on the door. As I a##roa hed the orner$ a young woman in ,eans and ashearling oat hurried a ross the em#ty road. 16( use me=1 I alled. .he didn"t slow. In this neighborhood$ that was #robably wise. I trotted another few ste#s. 16( use me= Is thisNorth Breton )oad 41 .he turned and lifted her sunglasses$ features drawn in onfusion. I"d seen that 1youtalkin " to me41 look often enough and my gut sank as my ga0e di##ed to take a loser look at her outfit bell&bottom ,eans$ tie&dyed shirt$ fringed #urse3 12h$ sorry$1 I said. 1I thought you were3 .orry.1 I turned and mar hed ba k toward the building$ my heels la king along the em#ty road. 1In a hurry$ ne roman er41 she alled from behind me. I ursed under my breath$ #lastered on a va ant grin and turned to see the young woman bearing down on me. 1No$ of ourse not$1 I said. 1I was looking for dire tions and1 1<ou didn"t think I ould #rovide them4 Being dead and all41 1I didn"t want to #resume. .o is thisNorth Breton )oad 41 .he ke#t walking until she was well into my #ersonal s#a e$ something ghosts an do mu h better than #eo#le. Her hands #assed through my shoulders as she gestured. 1<ou aren"t worried about asking something I an"t answer. <ou"re running as fast as you an before I askyou something.1 1I wasn"t1 15ut the ra#. I"ve met your kind before. !wo years after I die$ I"m lu ky enough to bum# into a ne roman er at a :I.. on ert$ and I beg the guy to #ass along a message to my kid sister. 9ust a #hone all$ no big deal. He gives me this le ture on theproper way to a##roa h a ne roman er.1 1.omene ros an get a little tou hy$ es#e ially at so ial events1

1!en years later$ I see another$ I try again$ and she walks away. 'oesn"t even have the ourtesy to answer me.1 1Well$ I an"t #romise anything$ but if you"d like me to get in tou h with your sister1 1.he"s fifty years old= 'o you think she wants to hear from me now41 1I"m sorry you had a bad e(#erien e1 1%u k you.1 .he wheeled and stalked away. As I walked ba k toward the building$ I on entrated on the 7uestions I"d ask ;aige and *u as$ and tried to forget the young woman. Another day$ another ghost. One of hundreds. Hundreds of ho#eful$ disa##ointed I ut off the thought and #i ked my way #ast a ri##ed&o#en garbage bag to the front doors. !hey were full&length dark glass one&way glass I #resumed$ so they ould see out and I ouldn"t #eek in. I #ulled on the handle. *o ked. !o my left was a small s#eaker marked 1'eliveries and -isitors.1 I bu00ed. 1Hey$ 9aime=1 It was.avannah $ 6ve and:ristof"s seventeen&year&old daughter. Not a ghost$ thankfully$ but very mu h alive and the ward of ;aige and *u as. .avannah"s voi e was so lear$ I looked around to see where she was. When she laughed$ I s#otted a tiny amera lens. 1High&te h$ huh41 she said. 1We get all the bells and whistles. -ery ool3 and om#li ated as hell. I need a damned instru tion book for this Oh$ there it is.1 !he door bu00ed. 15ome on in. We"re on the se ond floor. <ou"ll need to take the stairs. !he elevator"s ard&a tivated.1 In the ba kground$ ;aige yelled for.avannah something about bo(esand a male voi e ursed. Obviously not *u asif he used #rofanity$ I"d never heard it. As I entered$ it was like ste##ing into an u#s ale or#orate offi e under onstru tion$ the gleaming floors dusty with foot#rints$ the ri hly #ainted walls awaiting artwork$ ardboard bo(es sta ked by the gleaming elevator doors. I should have remembered that this was originally su##osed to be a 5orte0 5abal satellite offi e. I"d been in one on e$ and it had been ,ust like this a grungy e(terior hiding #lush offi es. As for howBeni io 5orte0"s anti&5abal youngest son ended u# with an offi e that was built for a 5abal$ I wasn"t lear. I only knew that *u as"s father had been building it in;ortland and somehow *u as and ;aige ended u# buying the unfinished offi es instead. !hat had been over a year ago$ and they were ,ust moving in now. A big lea# for a young ou#le$ but I guess it was better than having 'addy and his mob move into town.

!he stairwell was as silent as the foyer$ but the moment I o#ened the se ond&floor door$ it was like someone had hit 1#lay$1 the air filling with noise8 the whine of a drill$ a woman"s laugh$ the bang of a dro##ed bo($ a man"s shout. !o#&not h sound#roofing between floorsanother bonus from the 5abal onstru tion rews. !he drilling ame from one dire tion$ the voi es from the other. 1'on"t tou h the books. I have a system.1 1What system41.avannah answered. 1'um# them all in a #ile41 It took me a moment to re ogni0e the first s#eaker. Adam-asi $ one of my fellow oun il members$ who was ,oining his friends in their new venture. 19ust leave the books.1 ;aige"s voi e$ a dee# ontralto. 1Adam$ kee# bringing u# those bo(es..avannah $ make sure all the books get into Adam"s offi e$ but don"t un#a k them. !hey"ll need to be arranged in a re ogni0able system$ so we an all find what we need when our librarian isn"t here.1 1*ibrarian41 Adam said. 1!he title is head of resear h.1 1And se urity guard$1.avannah added. 1,eadof se urity.1 1)ight. In harge of all those other librarians and se urity guards we"ve hired.1 1It"s a growth #osition. 9ust like yours. .omeday$ I"m sure you"ll be in harge of the entire se retarial #ool.1 1!hese bo(es aren"t moving on their own$1 ;aige ut in as I a##roa hed the o#en door. 1I need them all u#stairs and sorted into the #ro#er rooms. !hen I need Adam assembling the book ase while.avannah hel#s *u as with that alarm system. And when that"s done there"s1 1Ashitload more$1.avannah said. 1<ou know what you really need4 Bombie slaves.1 1I"ve got you two. 5lose enough.1 1<ou don"t want 0ombies$1 I said as I walked in. 1<ou"ll s#end a fortune on air fresheners.1 Adam was digging through a bo( of referen e te(ts. He didn"t look mu h like a librarian3 unless it atered to surfers. A stereoty#i al5alifornia boy$ well built and tanned with sun& blea hed hair and a 7ui k smile. He didn"t look mu h like a kid with a demon for a dad either$ but that was ty#i al for half&demons. !hey a##eared and a ted human$ inheriting from their father only a set of abilities$ usually elemental or sensory. Adam"s #ower was fire. When he lost

his tem#er$ his tou h ould give third&degree burns. %ortunately$ it was hard to #iss him off. ;aige was busy on the om#uter$ fingers flying and eyes on the monitor even as she s#oke. A volu#tuous twenty&seven&year&old with long dark urls$ she was dressed in ,eans and a sweatshirt. ;ra ti al moving&day attire. It was rare to see ;aige out of a skirt. A girly girl$ as.avannah always teased. .avannahdidn"t follow her guardian"s tastes in lothesor mu h else. One look at the seventeen& year&oldalmost si( feet tall and slender with long dark hair and #erfe t bone stru tureand anyone who"d known 6ve ould tell who.avannah "s mother was. Only her eyes$ big and bright blue$ ame from:ristof . 6ven in ri##ed ,eans$ old sneakers and a tight on ert !&shirt$.avannah e(uded elegan e and gra e3 until she o#ened her mouth. ;aige no longer ommented on her ward"s language. I guess #arents need to #i k their battles$ and with.avannah $ there were far more im#ortant ones. As the daughter of a sor erer and a half&demon wit h$ she was a #owder keg of su#ernatural #ower. At thirteen$ #ani ked and trying to onta t her dead mother$ she"d leveled a housean in ident that I sus#e ted was res#onsible for her father"s death$ though even:ristof #retended he"d died in an unrelated a ident. .avannahgreeted me with an e(uberant hug. ;aige started to rise$ but I waved her down and leaned in for a hug. 1I guess that lo k on the front door still isn"t working$1 ;aige said. 1I"ll have to get *u as to take another look at it. ;oor guy. )eallynot his area of e(#ertise.1 1It"s working$1.avannah said. 1I bu00ed 9aime in.1 1And didn"t go down to es ort her u#41 1How4 <ou"ve got us working our asses off while you #lay on the om#uters.1 1I"m getting the network u#. If we don"t have everything in #la e by tomorrow1 1!he earth will sto# revolving around its a(is. And we might lose our first #aying lient.1 1Whi h is even more im#ortant.1 ;aige looked u# at me. 1.orry. !hings are a little nuts. We"ve been slowly moving in$ but now we"ve got a lead on a very big lient3 who e(#e ts to see a fully fun tioning #rofessional offi etomorrow.1 1Well$ don"t worry. I won"t take u# mu h of your time. I ,ust want to run a s enario by you.1 1.ure. We"ll grab offee and talk.1 A glan e at the others. 15an I leave you two alone41 1;lease.1.avannah turned to me. 1!ake her for as long as you want.1

;aige #ulled a fa e and ushered me out of the offi e. !he drilling down the hall had sto##ed$ re#la ed by *u as"s voi e$ 7uiet but in&sistent. We found him on his ell #hone$ e(amining a drill hole in the wall. He #eered at his drill work$ his already serious fa e dro##ing into a frown. ;aige aught his attention$ and his eyes lit u#. 1No$ I don"t believe you understand$1 he said into the #hone. 1We allowed for leeway on the understanding that if our needs hanged and we needed the work om#leted #rom#tly$ it would be. If you annot #rovide that31 He #aused. 1+ood. !hen I shall e(#e t a rew at341 He lifted two fingers to ;aige$ who nodded. He signed off$ then hung u#. 1We were oming to see whether you have time for a offee break$1 she said. 1But I"m guessing the answer is no.1 1I"ll take one anyway. I ould use the air. 9aime$ was your flight1 His ell #hone rang. A soft sigh and he he ked the number. 19a k / Neil.1 1!he lient$1 ;aige e(#lained to me. 1!ake it. We"ll bring you ba k a offee. 9aime an e(#lain her situation then.1

W6 WA*:6' to a bakery a blo k u#. ;aige swore the neighborhood wasn"t as bad as it looked. I #ut my trust in her hands3 and her defensive s#ells. We were still at hing u# when we returned to the building$ offees in hand. 1.avannah"s working for us this year while she de ides what she wants to do about ollege.1 1Is she still leaning toward gra#hi design41 I asked. 1.he is$ but she wants our advi e and we"re really torn. ;art of me wants to tell her she"s doing the right thing$ #re#aring for a reliable areer while she #ursues her art in her s#are time. !he other #art wants to say "forget #ra ti ality" and tell her to enroll in a fine&art #rogram.1 1+etting a ,ob to fall ba k on isn"t the worst idea. 9eremy worked as a translator for years before his #aintings started to sell.1 .he led me onto the elevator. 1I think that"s who she"s taking her ue from. But I worry that *u as and I are both too in lined to #ush #ra ti ality and maybethat's what driving her de ision. Anyway$ she has a year to think about it.1 We met Adam and.avannah in the hall.

.avannahlifted her hands. 1Before you ra k the whi#$ we"re heading out for more bo(es.1 1!ake this one instead. Brownies$ #lus a 5oke for Adam$ and a mo ha a##u ino for you.1 1!hanks$1 Adam said. 1'on"t thank her$1.avannah said. 1It"s 0ombie slave fuel. .ugar and affeine to kee# us going.1 1<ou got it. And sandwi hes for later$ so you don"t need to take off for dinner. 9aime4 !he meeting room is the first door on the right. +o on in while I find *u as.1

BE PREPARE#

1I A..2/6' I! WA. A N65)O/AN5< ;)OB*6/$ but now I"m thinking dark magi $1 I said after I told them what was ha##ening. *u as frowned. 1'ark magi 4 As in ritual sa rifi e41 16ve would be your best bet for anything dark$1 ;aige said. 1But I"m guessing if you"re asking us$ she"s out of onta t again. /y e(#erien e with stuff like this is #ra ti ally 0ero. I"ve witnessed ritual sa rifi e.1 Her fa e went #ale at the memory. 1Not intentionally. .ome kind of high&level #rote tion ritual.1 1!hat"s the #rimary use$1 *u as said. 1A life given for a life #rote ted. )itual sa rifi e is very rare. If I en ounter it$ it"s #eri#heral to a ase I"m investigating. When a 5abal #asses a senten e of e(e ution they may #erform ritual sa rifi e as the method of e(e ution. ;urely a matter of e onomi s.1 ;aige nodded. 1If they"re already killing someone$ might as well use it.1 1But in all ases$ the soul #asses over$1 *u as said. 1It"s even written into the 5abal legal ode that if an e(e uted vi tim is used for ritual sa rifi e$ an inde#endent ne roman er must be on hand to onfirm that the soul has safely #assed over.1 1!hat"s the 5abal version of the +eneva onvention. !hey an only torture you until you"re dead.1 1Huh.1 I si##ed my offee$ thinking. 1What about 'ruidi sa rifi e41

1)are these days$1 ;aige said. 16ven rarer than dark magi sa rifi e. )emember6sus 4 He didn"t even try to ask for a human sa rifi e. We gave him his #int of blood and he was ha##y. But even if a 'ruid was #erforming human sa rifi e$ it doesn"t e(#lain damaged souls. It"s the a t that matters. A show of res#e t for the 'ruidi deity.1 I drank more offee. Ho#ed the affeine would hel# my brain work faster. 1Whatyou have are damaged souls$1 *u as said. 1.omehow they"ve been fragmented or drained$ and there"s no magi we know of that works that way. !hat doesn"t mean su h a thing annot e(ist sim#ly that it defies the basi #rin i#les of sa rifi e. We"ll look into it further after we get through tomorrow.1 1!hat"s fine. In the meantime maybe you an steer in the right dire tion and I an run with it. ;aige has the oun il re ords$ right4 I an sear h those$ see whether I find anything similar.1 1<ou ould$ but they"re$ uh$ on a disk$ whi h is3 somewhere in this mess. I de ided they"d be more se ure here than at home. I"ll find it for you after tomorrow$ though.1 1Oh. Well3 is there someone I an s#eak to$ then4 A onta t in dark magi 41 *u as shook his head. 1One needs to be areful with this sort of thing. 6(#ressing e( essive interest in dark magi an be e(tremely dangerous. <ou should leave this to us.1 6ven when I showed u# on their doorste#$ I ouldn"t get anywhere. 9ust give us the details$ 9aime$ and let us do the work. I argued for a while$ but it was lear they weren"t giving me anything that ould get me into any trouble.

.A-ANNAH5A**6' me a ab$ then ste##ed outside to wait with me. 1.o$ you need to talk to someone about dark magi .1 16avesdro##ing41 1Beats working. I might be able to hel#.1 1Oh4 What would you1 I sto##ed. 1<our mom$ of ourse.1 1Nah$ /om didn"t tea h me that sort of stuff. Nothing darker than a haos s#elland even then$ only to #rote t myself. .he ke#t that #art of her life se#arate.1 1I should have guessed that.1 1'oesn"t mean she was ashamed of it. It"s ,ust not the kind of stuff she"d talk about around her kid. But I know someone whowill talk about it.1 .he took out aBla kBerry . 1A dark wit h my mom knew. .he tra ked me down last year$ saying she wanted to talk$ share some stories about

/om.1 1!hat was ni e of her.1 .avannahgave me a look. 1<ou think I bought that shit4 .he ,ust wanted to make onta t with 6ve *evine"s daughter before her om#etition did. !hat"s one thing my momdid tea h me. .omeone like that always wants something.1 1.o you didn"t meet with her.1 .he smiled. 1Never said that. !he orollary lesson from /om4 ;eo#le like this might want something from me$ but I an use that turn it around and get something from them.1 .he glan ed over her shoulder$ then lowered her voi e. 1We"ve been in e&mail onta t$ and met a ou#le of times. .he"s useful. ;aige and *u as an"t get information from someone like this. But me4 I ,ust #ull some " onfused teenager" bullshit and she"s #utty in my hands. .he"d tell me anything in ho#es of winning 6ve *evine"s daughter as an ally. An idiot$ but a useful idiot.1 !he look in her eyes hilled me. 1.o$ yeah$ I"ve used her$1.avannah ontinued. 19ust to get stuff for ;aige and *u as. Without them knowing$ of ourse. If they found out I was even talking to someone like this$ they"d shit bri ks3 then use them to wall me u# in my room for life.1 1In that ase$ I"d better not wave your name around to get a ess to this woman.1 .avannahhesitated. 1<ou"re right. But you an use /om"s. !ell /olly you"ll grant her an e( lusive audien e with 6ve *evine and she"ll give you anything you want.1 I shook my head. 1Not without asking your mom first$ and she"s out of onta t right now.1 1Huh.1.avannah fingered herBla kBerry $ toying with it as she thought. !hen she smiled. 1/olly"s boyfriend died last winter. Half&demon. !hey"d lived together for years and when I saw her this sum&mer$ she was still really broken u#. *et"s say you offer to #ut her in tou h with him31 I hesitated. 1<ou an offer totry . .he"ll still have some of his belongings and an even take you to his grave$ so that gives you$ what$ about a ninety #er ent han e of su ess41 16ighty3 maybe.1 1+ood enough. 'on"t #romise$ but say if you an"t$ you"ll arrange a ba ku# session with some other dearly de#arted.1 .he fli##ed herBla kBerry around$ ta##ing on an address. 1.he"s ,ust a ross the border in-an ouver .1

-AN5O2-6)$WA.HIN+!ON $ was a ab ride from;ortland . I he ked my wat h. 9eremy would be here in about two hours. As mu h as I wanted to meet him at the air#ort$ I wanted to im#ress him even more$ whi h I ould do if I"d found and s o#ed out /olly 5rane"s house before he arrived to hel# interview her. I alled 6lena and asked whether 9eremy had her ell #hone with himthe only one in the family. 1I tried giving it to him$ but he wouldn"t take it. <ou know how he is. +od forbid I should drive home without an emergen y line. I told him to buy a #re#aid #hone. He had no idea what I was talking about$ but of ourse he wouldn"t admit it. <ou"ll have to hel# him. /ight have to show him how to use it too.1 I laughed$ remembering the first time I"d met 9eremy. When ;aige introdu ed us$ I"d been ho#ing$ really ho#ing$ for that 1Oh$ my +od$the 9aime -egas41 rea tion3 and had gotten only a #olite hello$ #rom#ting .avannah to inform him that I was on !- sometimeswhi h hadn"t hanged his e(#ression one whit. 6lena had teased 9eremy about his la k of te hnologi al savvy$ kidding that he didn"t know what a !- was. And$ #erha#s for the first time in my life$ I"d reali0ed I was glad. I ould make my own im#ression. When I told 6lena that I"d ho#ed to get a message to him about meeting elsewhere$ she said$ 1If you don"t mind me relaying that message$ I an give it to him. He"ll find a #ay #hone as soon as he arrives$ to he k on the kids.1 Of ourse he would. ;erfe t. I found a offee sho# near /olly"s address as a meeting #la e$ then alled 6lena ba k.

NOW$ !O #re#are for the interview. As hard as the other oun il members worked to kee# the elebrityne ro away from anything that might break her mani ured nailsor leave her death on their ons ien eI"d been taking notes$ and I understood enough about interviewing a hostile witness to know one does not blindly walk u# to a #otential dark&magi onta t and say$ 1Hi$ my name"s 9aime and I"d like to ask you a few 7uestions about ritual sa rifi e.1 Before it even rea hed the #oint of introdu tions$ I should determine the best method of a##roa h$ ma# out es a#e routes. Be #re#ared. /olly 5rane lived at@A Hawthorne *ane . 5oming into the area by ab$ I"d had a feeling this was going to be the se ond time today I was sur#rised by where I ended u#. I was savvy enough know that even if /olly was a dark wit h$ I was unlikely to find myself in a dingy alley outside an unmarked bla k&market s#ell sho#. .u h a sho# might e(ist$ but only in the ba k rooms of an otherwise normal business. <et$ e( e#t for the #la0a where I"d found the offee house$ the neighborhood was residential$ with row after row of mat hing houses$ all with

minivans and basketball hoo#s$ the lawns #ristine$ kids" toys on the drives. I had the driver dro# me off at the offee sho#$ then I walked down three streets8 Hemlo k$ 5edar andHawthorne . .uburbia8 a #la e where they ut down trees and name streets in their memory. !he house at @AHawthorne was a tidy bungalow on a street of tidy bungalows. !he small house wasn"t anything fan y$ but in the drive stood a gleaming /er edes .2-$ as if /olly ouldn"t resist indulging herself a little. !he basketball hoo# over the garage suggested kids$ but there were no toys to be seen. /aybe they were too old for #edal ars. /aybe they #referred s#ell #ra ti e to hoo# #ra ti e. Or maybe she had no kids$ and the net ,ust ame with the housea standard feature like a #aved driveway. I started with a very slow walk #ast. Noted that the ba kyard was en losed by a #riva y fen e. Noted a ali o at$ but no sign of a guard dog3 though anything ould be behind that fen e. Noted a light shining from a window overlooking the drive$ a window withkit henlike urtains. It seemed safe enoughI was ,ust a ni ely dressed forty&something walking down a suburban street. And yet$ when the door to /olly"s house o#ened and a woman"s figure darkened the doorway$ I reali0ed I had a #roblem. If I ame ba k later with 9eremy$ she"d re ogni0e me and know I"d been he king out her house$ whi h would start the interview off badly. <et I wasn"t ready to 7uestion her. .o I made a s#lit& se ond #lan. I"d look her way and if she wasn"t wat hing me I"d take a han e and kee# walking. I looked. Our eyes met. I As I headed u# her sidewalk$ I got my first good look at the woman$ .he was #robably in her late thirties. .hort blond hair worn in an easy&maintenan e but stylish tousle. An elfin fa e with bright green eyes. .mall and om#a t$ she was dressed in a designer sweat suit$ maybe heading to the gym$ maybe ,ust wanting to look as if she was. 1/olly 5rane41 A bright smile$ the wel ome mitigated by a wary look in her eyes. I sear hed those eyes for some sign of re ognition. With an average Ameri an$ my han es of being re ogni0ed are on a #ar with any 5&list movie elebrity. !o those who follow s#iritualists or ertain talk shows$ my fa e is unmistakable. In the su#ernatural ommunity$ though$ my fa e&re ognition goes u#3 usually a om#anied by either disa##roval or ontem#t..#ell asters like /olly 5rane an use their talents to make a living$ but +od forbid I should do the same. I saw that 1I know her from somewhere1 s#ark in /olly"s eyes$ and ursed. I would have been safer using a false name$ but she"d reali0e who I was the moment I mentioned ghosts. I limbed the ste#s and e(tended my hand. 19aime -egas.1

Her eyes lit u# in re ognition. 1/y daughter and her friends ta#e you onKeniBales every month. ;lease ome in.1

COME#! OF ERRORS

!H6)6 WA. NO WA< !O )6%2.6 without making /olly sus#i ious$ so I ste##ed inside. 1'id I hear something about you serving on the oun il now41 /olly said as she led me into her living room. 1I su##ose that"s what you"re here about4 5oun il business41 'amn. Another detail I"d been ho#ing to kee# to myself. If /olly didn"t want to deal with ;aige and *u as$ she might not be so keen to s#eak to another oun il member. I took the hair nearest the hall doorway. 1Not so mu h oun il business as delegate business. Hel#ing a fellow ne roman er with a minor #roblemone too small to warrant the oun il"s attention. /ore of a resear h issue$ a tually. A #u00le I"m trying to solve so we an do ument it.1 1Oh41 Intrigued$ but not sus#i ious. 1.o what brings you to me41 Another smile$ this one wry. 1Well$ I"d say you ame re ommended as the to# wit h of the dark arts and I ouldn"t eveni+agine asking anyone else$ but blatant flattery doesn"t work so well on #eo#le outside ofHollywood .1 .he laughed$ rela(ing now. 1We have our egos$ but they don"t im#ede brain fun tion.1 1!ruth is that$ yes$ you ame highly re ommended$ but when I took a lose look at the #ossibilities$ you seemed the most1 a mo k throat learing$ 1 a##roa hable.1 .he laughed hard at that. 1Now$ that I believe. Between theweirdos and the re luses$ it an be hard finding a viable onta t among our bun h.1 1I was also told that there might be something I an offer you in return. Whi h is what I want to do. I"m not asking for favors.1 1Oh4 Now Ia+ intrigued. 5an I get you something to drink before you satisfy my uriosity4 5offee4 !ea4 .oda4 Bottled water41

I o#ted for the water. !here are too many things a wit h an do with a brewed beverage. When she ame ba k$ I gave her a version of the story$ with this fellow ne roman er being bothered by s#irits who ouldn"t make onta t. .o far$ I said$ my investigation suggested a magi al e(#lanation. When I finished$ /olly nodded$ thoughtful$ then said$ 1I"m sure you"ve been told that doesn"t sound like the results of normal ritual sa rifi e.1 1I have.1 1;erha#s I an hel# but1 .he met my ga0e$ eyes de e#tively mild. 1<ou offered an e( hange41 1I"ve heard you lost someone this year$1 I said. 1<our ommon&law #artner$ I believe. A half& demon.1 .he hesitated$ ga0e down$ then nodded slowly. 1/ike. <es.1 I swit hed to my 1dealing with the grief&stri ken1 voi e. 1If you"d like to make onta t with him$ I ould try. With arti les belonging to him #lus a ess to his grave site$ there"s a good han e I an do it. Not #erfe t. But maybe a3 ninety #er ent han e.1 /olly said nothing$ ,ust stared down into the glass u##ed in her hands. .till grieving$ as.avannah had said. Or maybe wondering if I was trying to on her. I hurried on. 1If I don"t make onta t$ I"ll owe you. Iwill onta t someone for you. +uaranteed.1 .till she stared into her glass$ her thumbs now aressing the sides. 2nlike humans$su#ernaturals know there"s an afterlife. !here must be$ or there ouldn"t be ne roman ers. !hrough us$ they also know that most ghosts are ha##y enough. If you know this$ then #erha#s onta ting a loved one isn"t su h a wise idea. What if he"s sto##ed grieving for his lost life$ and you only ri# o#en those wounds4 What if you ri# the s abs off your own grief4 1If you"d rather not onta t him$ maybe there"s something else1 Her head sna##ed u#. 1Why wouldn"t I want to onta t him41 1I ,ust meant I"m not trying to renege on the offer. I ertainly will try$ if that"s what you want. But ifthis isn"t what you want$ then I"d om#letely understand1 1Would you41 /olly"s voi e had gone old. .he set her drink aside$ deliberately. /y ga0e swung to the door. .he followed it and gave a brittle smile. 1!hinking of leaving already$ 9aime4 And why might that be41 I laughed. 1*eaving4 No. I was ,ust wondering1 I lea#t from the hair. Her hand flew

u#$ li#s moving in a sor erer"skno kba k s#ell. I tried to du k$ as *u as taught me$ but wasn"t fast enough. Instead of hitting me in the torso$ it slammed into my shoulder$ whi##ing me around. /y feet flew out. I saw the edge of the offee table sailing u# to meet me. !ried to twist. !oo late. Im#a t. ;ain. 'arkness.

I AWO:6 to the blast of a ar horn. .omething held me down$ tightening around my wrists and ankles when I moved. I o#ened my mouth to all out$ but tasted #lasti and glue. 6verything was as dark as when I"d fallen. Blindfolded4 I move my head$ testing for that #ulling sensation against my tem#les. .adly$ I know what a blindfold feels like. :now what being kidna##ed feels like too. %or a se ond$ that"s all I ould think8-odda+n it. not again . But when I moved$ instead of a blindfold$ I felt something s rat hy against my bare hands and fa e. *ike an old blanket. Bound$ gagged and overed. !he floor vibrated beneath me. !he steady hum of moving tires. I remembered the horn blast that woke me. I was in a vehi le. In the trunk No$ I wouldn"t be able to see light in a trunk. I #i tured the ar in /olly"s drive. An .2-. .he"d bound and gagged me$ then managed to haul me into the garage$ drove in$ #ut me in the ba k and was now taking me3 Where4 Well$ I was #retty sure it wasn"t out for dai7uiris. I"d taken self&defense ourses. !hey"d given me more onfiden e than skill$ but one #ie e of advi e I remembered was that if someone tries to get you into a vehi le$ you do everything you an to fight it$ be ause you an be damned sure that wherever he"s taking you$ it"s some#la e #rivate$ to do something you won"t like. I had to get out before /ollyor whoever was drivinggot wherever we were going. But how4 I was tra##ed. I had no s#ells. No demoni #owers. No su#erhuman strength. I was ,ust a ne roman er. 'efenseless. Bullshit. Ordinary women got out of situations like this all the time. Okay$ maybe not thise/act situation$ but if you took the bla k wit h out of the e7uation$ it wasn"t that mu h different than any kidna##ing. I wasn"t sure what the statisti s were for es a#ing a kidna##er$ but I told myself they were #retty good. As I shifted$ the blanket s rat hed my heek and it made me think of why I was overed in one be ause I wasn"t in a trunk$ meaning someone ould look into /olly"s .2-$ see the rear seat

folded down and a bound woman in the luggage om#artment. +oal one$ then4 )emove the blanket. I"d ,ust moved when a voi e sto##ed me. 1<ou got home from s hool okay4 And your sister41 /olly. In the driver"s seat. On her ell #hone. !alking to her hildren. I allowed myself a flutter of relief before I started wiggling again$ s7uirming out from under the blanket. 1!here"s a bo( of !winkies in the u#board over the stove$ but don"t let!ish see where you found them. !hey"re meant for s hool. !ell her it"s a s#e ial treat and /ommy"s sorry she wasn"t home to see her after s hool.1 A sliver of light a##eared above my eyes. I ke#t wriggling until the edge of the blanket slid down #ast my nose$ then took a dee# breath of ool air. In front of me /olly"s head was hidden behind the headrest$ only her arm visible as she held her ell #hone. 1I might be late$ but I"ll #i k u# dinner and all you on the way to find out what you want.1 !he blanket slid down to my ne k. !here. %inally. Another dee# inhale through my nose as I rela(ed. !hen I looked u#3 way u#3 at the tinted window$ and reali0ed the han es of anyone #eering in from a #assing trans#ort and seeing me here were ne(t to none. I had to get loser to that window. 2sing my feet$ I #ushed toward the side. !hen I twisted around so I ould use my bound hands to #ull myself u# /olly"s ga0e met mine in the rearview mirror. 1Hon4 I have to go. I"ll all you as soon as I an. *ook after your sister$ okay4 *ove you.1 .he dis onne ted$ then$ without a word to me$ ast a s#ell. An energy bolt slammed into me$ and I dro##ed into darkness again.

CAPTIVE A #IENCE

I WO:6 !O /O**< .*A;;IN+ /< %A56.

At first$ I ould only moan. 6verything hurt$ as if I"d been dragged over ro ky ground. As I inhaled$ that"s what I smelled8 dam# earth. !rees too$ that ris# odor of autumn. And another s ent$ fainter and not nearly so #leasantrotting vegetation and bra kish water. Cuiet. -ery 7uiet. !he sigh of rustling leaves yet to fall. !he soft$ almost tentative all of a bird. !he reak of a broken bran h in the wind. *ying on the ground. 'am# earth$ the ri#e smell of it surrounding me. .omething digging into my s#inea ro k or a twig. Another sma k$ harder. I o#ened my eyes to see trees$ and more trees. No sign of the .2-. Or the road. Or #eo#le. 9ust /olly$ rou hed in front of me. .he grabbed my hair and wren hed my head to the side$ alling my attention to the sour e of that rotting smella swam# visible through the trees. 1Who sent you41 !he threat was lear8 if I didn"t talk$ there was a onvenient body&dis#osal site nearby. .he ri##ed the du t ta#e off my mouth$ taking a layer of skin with it. When I gas#ed and #aused to at h my breath$ she uffed me again and I glared at her. 1I don"t know what this is about$ but1 .he sla##ed the ta#e ba k on$ then laid her hands on my forearm and re ited a s#ell. It was like I"d s#illed boiling water on my arm a moment of onfusion followed by blinding #ain. I s reamed behind my gag$ more outrage than fear. When I turned a fresh glare on her$ she only smiled. 1'idn"t like that mu h$ did you4 /aybe I should ome u# with an indu ement better suited to the lovely 9aime -egas.1 .he ba ked u# on her haun hes$ looked around and found a twig. Another s#ell$ then she lifted it and #ut her finger to the end$ making it glow like a lit igarette. .he brought the burning end so lose to my heek I ould feel the heat. /y heart hammered but I resisted the urge to shut my eyes. 1I"ll bet you wouldn"t find it so easy to make a living with s ars on your #retty fa e.1 .he moved the twig even loser. An ember dro##ed onto my heek and I ,um#ed$ then held firm. /olly wielded the twig like a #en$ #retending to write. 1;erha#s a ni e big W. *et the world know what the rest of us think of youa whore who uses her gifts to make a 7ui k bu k.1

!he ti# tou hed my skin. I gritted my teeth and steeled myself. I wouldn"t think about what she ould doto me and my areer. 1Or maybe that"s still not in entive enough31 /olly said. .he lifted the sti k until it was level with my right eye. I instin tively tried to lose it$ but found myself aught in a binding s#ell$ my eyes glued o#en$ that brand oming loser$ the end glowing red hot. /y brain went wild with #ani . /olly laughed. 1!hat"s better. Now$ let"s get this over with or you"re going to have a hell of a time fumbling your way from this forest blind.1 .he said it as asually as if she were threatening to break my fingernails. .he stood$ stret hing her legs$ and ir led me. 1!he #erson who sent you here. It was /ike$ wasn"t it41 %or a se ond$ my brain ,ust whirred. Who was /ike4 !hen I remembered. Her dead ommon& law husband. .he made no move to remove my gag$ ,ust ke#t ir ling me$ brandishing the burning twig. %or one moment$ I felt the almost irresistible urge to giggle$ thinking I"ve seen this s ene. Only this wasn"t a b movie and$ no matter how ridi ulous it lookedthis suburban mom #laying evil interrogatorthere was nothing funny about it. .he ould do e(a tly what she was threatening$ and from the look in her eye$ she would. .he"d #ut out my eyes to get the information she wanted$ kill me and dis#ose of my body in the swam#$ then all her kids to remind them to finish their homework before she brought dinner. 1/ike onta ted you$1 she ontinued$ 1then you de ided to ome to me with this silly story about needing hel# with tra##ed s#irits in return for " onta ting" him. What I want to know is why. 'id the oun il send you4 Or are you a ting on your own$ ho#ing to olle t a bribe fornot going to the oun il41 With a ,olt$ the #ie es fit together in the only way that made sense. What ould her dead lover tell me that the oun il would investigate4 Or that I ould bla kmail her with toa%oid an investigation4 ;roof that the grieving widow wasn"t so heartbroken after all. 1)eady to talk41 /olly said$ rou hing in front of me. I nodded. As she ri##ed off the gag$ my brain ra ed. I ould #oint out that murdered ghosts rarely remember the ir umstan es of their deaths$ but that would only onfirm I knew he"d been murdered. 1It"s a oun il investigation$1 I said. 1I was walking #ast your house s o#ing it out$ waiting for my #artner$ when you o#ened the door and I had to a##roa h alone.1

%rom her e(#ression$ I knew this was what she"d feared. If it was bla kmail$ that was easy. :ill me and the situation was resolved. It wouldn"t be so sim#le if others already knew. .he eased ba k on her haun hes. 1.o /ike told you what ha##ened$ and you onta ted your delegate #artner31 In other words8 #lease tell me there"s only one other #erson involved. 1I took the #roblem to the whole oun il at the last meeting. !hat"s #ro#er #ro edure and$ being new$ I always follow #roto ol. !hey assigned an investigative #artnerthe werewolf ;a k Al#ha 1 I added for good measure$ 1to a om#any me.1 %ear$ maybe even #ani $ tou hed /olly"s eyes. +ood. 1I don"t know what /ike told you$1 /olly said$ 1but that bastard earned it. After five years of living in my house$ he de ides he"s tired of me. But he"snot tired of my money. .o he offered me a deal. +ive him fifty grand and he"d leave 7uietly$ without telling the oun il3 a few things. I told him I didn"t have that kind of money lying around and you know what he told me to do4 6m#ty the girls" ollege funds.1 %le ks of saliva flew from her mouth as she snarled. 1He s#ends five years in our house$ winning my girls over$ getting them to all him "'ad$" and then$ as his #arting shot$ he"s going to steal their ollege tuition4 Over my dead body.1 Her snarl twisted into an ugly smile. 1Or over his$ whi h was mu h more to my liking.1 I was 7uiet for a moment$ then said$ 1!hat"s not the story he told$ but yours sounds a lot more believable. If you an su##ort that with eviden e$ we an e(#lain it to the oun il. <ou were furious rightfully soand you wanted to tea h him a lesson about messing with a master of the dark arts. But things went wrong.1 /olly nodded. I blinked to hide my relief. .he ste##ed away$ then took her ell #hone from her ,a ket and alled her daughter$ telling her to #a k overnight bags and take her sister to a family friend down the street. /olly would #i k her u# there. 1!hey aren"t in any danger$1 I said. 1/y #artner would never tou h your girls$ not even to find out where I am. It would be totally against oun il #oli y. ;lus he has little ones of his own1 1I"m not taking that han e.1 1Okay. I understand. !hen let me all1 I remembered 9eremy didn"t have a ell. 1Better yet$ take me ba k and if he"s there$ we"ll settle this right now1 1I"m not taking you anywhere but there.1

.he #ointed at the swam#. ;ani welled u#. Before I ould #rotest$ she sla##ed the ta#e ba k on. /olly straightened$ then flew ba kward$ kno ked off her feet. I looked around wildly$ but saw only forest. I ro ked$ trying to get u# without the use of my hands. I had to stand$ es a#e before she A binding s#ell aught /olly inmidrise . !hen I heard a woman"s voi e$ hanting another s#ell$ somewhere behind me$ growing louder as if a##roa hing. A si00ling sound$ like the air ele trifying. !hen /olly to##led forward$ binding s#ell broken. .he s rambled to her feet$ took one hard look at me$ then ran. !he sounds of #ursuit followed$ the other wit h still out of view in the thi k woods. I struggled to my feet. A orner of the overused du t ta#e gag got aught on a bran h$ and I managed to ri# it off. I o#ened my mouth to shout for hel#3 then re onsidered. Another wit h didn"t ne essarily mean a hel#ful one. Heavy footste#s sounded$ ea h #un tuated by a mumbled 1fu k.1 !hat gave my res uer away even before her dark head bobbed into view. .avannah,ogged toward me$ still ursing as she untied me. 1Hold the binding s#ell$ ast the energy bolt$1 she muttered. 16asy$ right4 But no. I try it$ I lose the binding s#ell and the energy bolt flo#s.1 1We have to warn 9eremy$1 I whis#ered as I #ulled my hands from the loosened ro#e. 1.he knows he"s heading to her house and she"ll1 1I"m sure 9eremy ould handle that bit h$ but he won"t need to. .he isn"t going anywhere.1 As if on ue$ a distant motor ground. .to##ed. !ried again$ making the same grinding sound. .avannahgrinned and tossed aside the ro#e from my hands. 1*ittle tri k I learned from *u as. .o$ did you get what you wanted from her41 1No$ but I"m well beyond aring1 1.he owes you. .it tight$ then. One wi ked wit h oming u#.1 .avannahstarted to leave$ then turned. 1/aybe you should hide. In ase she ir les ba k.1 Hide4 *ike hell. I didn"t argue$ though. 9ust let her run after /olly$ then yanked off my #um#s and gathered u#

the #ie es of ro#e.avannah had tossed aside. .he"d never think to take themshe was too onfident for that. A onfiden e that had gotten her into trouble before$ and while I had no doubt she ould handle /olly 5rane$ I wasn"t taking any han e that I"d need to tell ;aige and *u as I"d gotten their ward killed res uing me. As for telling 6ve and:ristof their daughter died be ause of me4 I shivered and #i ked u# my #a e. Heading in the dire tion of the ar$ I stu k to the line of tall bushes. !oday"s fashion hoi es might not have been ideal 1running through the forest1 wear$ but at least the olors were amouflage friendly. A metalli bang reverberated through the forest. I envisioned.avannah thrown against a vehi le. !hen I re ogni0ed the sound. !he slam of a ar hood. /olly"s voi e drifted over. 13 need a tow tru k out at1 A yel#. Now I did run$ hiking u# my skirt$ twigs biting into mysto kinged feet. Ahead$ the woods o#ened into a sunlit learing. I ould make out the gray side of /olly"s .2-$ then /olly herself$ s oo#ing u# her ell #hone from the ground. Another yel#$ more anger than sur#rise now$ as the ell #hone flew from her gras#. .he grabbed the door handle. 1!hat"s not going to hel#.1.avannah "s voi e rang out a ross the learing. I du ked behind a wide tree. 1<our ar"s not going anywhere$1.avannah said. 1And neither are you.1 /olly was less than ten feet from me$ but fa ing the other way$ head du ked as if s7uinting into the late&day sun. 1.av.avannah41 A sho k&stutter of sur#rise. 1What are you&41 1'id you forget ;aige is on the interra ial oun il41.avannah sto##ed a few yards from /olly. 1!hat means I have friends on the oun il. %riends like 9aime. Not a good idea to fu k with my friends$ /olly.1 /olly gave a short laugh. 1.eems you inherited your mom"s attitude. /aybe it"ll fit in ten years$ but right now$ you"re a little girl with a big o#inion of herself.1 .avannah"s fa e darkened$ her blue eyes bla0ing$ fury #al#able enough to make most #eo#le hesitate$ but /olly only shook her head$ as if this was ,ust another rebellious teen$ something she was used to handling. .avannah"s li#s started to move in a s#ell. I tensed$ ready to run and kno k /olly over if she began a ast of her own$ but she only sighed$ the sound ri##ling through the learing.

1%or the sake of my friendshi# with 6ve$ .avannah$ I"m willing to let this interferen e today #ass$ and I"ll even dis uss letting your "friend" walk out of here alive$ but if you ast that s#ell1 1<ou"ll what41 1I don"t think you want to test that$1 /olly said$ voi e dro##ing. .avannahsmiled. 1Oh$ I think I do.1 .he flung her hands u# and shouted a s#ell so loudly I ,um#ed$ almost tumbling from my hiding #la e. !he words boomed through the forest. /olly fro0e$ aught off guard..avannah "s arms flew down. /olly slammed into the side of the .2- so hard she left a dent. .avannah"s hands sailed u# again like a ondu tor hitting the res endo. Another booming ast$ her li#s urled ba k$ snarling the words to the sky. !hen she onvulsed$ her arms flying out$ her head ,erking ba k. I ran for her. !here was a tremendous bang$ like a ar ba kfiring. As I stumbled$ the sky lit u#. Around us$ the trees shook and moaned$ dying leaves raining down. A strong wind rushed #ast me$ and I ould tell it wasn"t a wind at all$ but s#irits. Not ghosts$ but something more #rimitive$ more elemental. Before I ould get to.avannah $ one kno ked me off my feet. 6verything had gone still$ and the sky above us was tinged with an eerie red$ warning of the alm before the storm. !hen the redness seemed to twist over our heads$ gathering s#eed and si0e like a tornado. It turned blue. !hen a greenish yellow. !hen it shot down$ hitting the earth ne(t to /olly. .he s reamed and ba k#edaled. Another hit behind her. I struggled to my feet..avannah still stood there$ rigid$ on her ti#toes$ eyes losed. Around us$ a strange illuminated mist rose from the earth$ then shot into the air. 6lemental s#irits. I ould feel them. !hey shot u# all around now$ like geysers$ ri##ing u# hunks of earth$ raining down dirt and ro ks. 1.av1 I began$ but an ears#litting yowl ut me short. I tried again$ but the s#irits ke#t s reaming$ flying around /olly. !hen one shot right u# under her$ hitting her$ and her mouth o#ened$ eyes going wide as she gas#ed for air. Another veered her way$ then another$ their howls turning to shrieks as they found their target. /olly dro##ed to her knees$ hands going to her throat$ mouth working$ trying to get air but only letting the s#irits steal her breath. Her eyes bulged. 1.avannah=1 I shouted to be heard over the din. .he turned on me$ li#s #ulled ba k. 1I told you to wait=1 I strode forward until I was lose enough to see un ertainty fli ker in her eyes.

1.he"s down$1 I said. 1<ou got her. Now what are you trying to do4 :ill her41 .avannahhesitated. 1/aybe right now it doesn"t seem like su h a bad idea. .he did kidna# me. .he ould #ose a threat. But an you ,ustify it to ;aige41 I #aused a beat. 15an you ,ustify it to yourself41 .he flushed$ raised her hands and ast again. %or a se ond$ nothing ha##ened. .he ast again$ faster$ eyes bright with worry$ and I knew the first ast had failed. I held my breath as she finished the se ond. A seemingly endless #ause as /olly lawed the air$ fa e going blue. A se ond thunderous la#. A se ond red flare in the sky. And the s#irits vanished. /olly fell forward onto her hands and knees. 1!hey"re ,ustkoyut $1.avannah said as we ran to /olly. 1!hey"d only have kno ked her un ons ious.1 1Are you sure41 .he flushed and I knew she wasn"t. As.avannah ast a binding s#ell$ I grabbed /olly"s hands and tied them behind her ba k$ and while it felt #retty good to be tyingher u#$ it was more than revenge. /ost of a wit h"s nasty s#ells are sor erer ones$ whi h re7uire hand gestures. Bind their hands$ and they"re almost hel#less. Not om#letelythey still have wit h s#ellsbut I"d rather get hit with a binding s#ell than an energy bolt any day. 1+ood idea$1.avannah said$ her voi e almost a#ologeti . 1Now we need to take her into the forest to 7uestion her$ in ase anyone drives u#.1 A smile. 1<es$ ma"am.1 .he grabbed /olly"s left arm. I took the right$ and we hauled the wit h into the woods.

H MAN MAGIC

W6 %O)56' /O**< !O :N66*. .he wasn"t gagged or silen ed by a s#ell$ but she hadn"t

said a word. Hadn"t tried to es a#e. 9ust wat hed us warily$ tensed for a fight$ but making no move to start one. I waved.avannah ba k. .he hesitatedmaybe a refle tion of her faith in my interrogation abilities$ but more likely ,ust an instin t to take hargeher #arents" daughter to the ore. After a moment$ she ba ked off with a nod. I stood over /olly. 1<ou s rewed u#. <ou"ve been on the dark side so long$ you think everybody is ,ust as devious and dangerous as you. I was telling you the truth. All I wanted was information$ and I was offering a fair deal in return. I had no idea what really ha##ened to /ike until you got #aranoid and started onfessing.1 1I never admitted1 1!rue. We an go that route. I take you into ustody. <ou #lead your inno en e before the oun il.1 /olly"s eyes narrowed. 1Or we an leave the oun il out of this. :illing /ike wasn"t the solution I"d have ome u# with$ but from what you"ve said$ it wasn"t om#letely un,ustified. <ou had a good reason1 1I did. !hat bastard tried to1 .avannah ut her off. 1Heard it already.1 I glan ed over at the young wit h. .he"d settled onto the grass$ ross&legged$ leaning ba k on her hands. A o ky #oseas if so un&threatened by /olly she might as well make herself omfortable. /olly"s li#s #ressed into a thin line. I strolled behind /olly and motioned for.avannah to sit u#. .he did. /olly rela(ed. 1!he oun il doesn"t know I"m here$1 I said. 1!he werewolf is only oming as unoffi ial ba ku#. %riendshi#$ not duty.1 /olly"s ga0e slid to.avannah . 1I"m the unoffi ialunoffi ial ba ku#$1 she said. 1I sent 9aime to see you be ause I thought you"d hel# her. !hen$ after she left$ I had se ond thoughts. .o I followed.1 1'othey know you"re here41 By the ontem#tuous twist /olly gave 1they$1 she meant ;aige and *u as. .avannahshook her head. 1I said I was driving 9aime to the air#ort$ hanging out until her #lane ame. By now they"re #robably figuring I ski##ed out on my hores$ but nothing more than that.1

1.o$ /olly$ your se ret is safe3 if you want it to be$1 I said. 1We an ba k u# and start over. ;retend we"re in your living room again. I ,ust told you my #roblem and you want to hel#.1 1In return for31 .avannahbarked a laugh. 1<ou think you"re in any #osition to bargain41 1I"ll offer the same deal$1 I said. 1If you hel# me$ I"ll onta t /ike.1 /olly s owled. 1In that ase$ how about this deal8 you answer my 7uestions in return for me forgetting who killed him.1

I !O*' her the story again. 1%irst #ie e of advi e41 she said. 1+o ba k and take a hard look at whoever is giving you this o k&and&bull.1 15o k&and&bull41 1.omeone"s having you on. %eeding you bullshit.1 1I"ve tried onta ting these s#irits myself and1 A brittle smile my way. 1.te# one$ then$ would be to find a better ne roman er. 6ither there are no s#irits or they"re in on the game. Whoever ame u# with this story doesn"t know ,a k shit about magi . !hey trolled the Internet or maybe he ked out a few referen e books at the library. What they resear hed isn"t our magi . It"s human magi .1 1Human magi 41 1In human folk magi $ you kill someone to drain his energy$ his #ower$ and take it for yourself.1 .avannahmade a rude noise$ summing u# her o#inion of humans. 1But human magi doesn"t work$1 I said. /olly #inned me with a withering look. 1No kidding$ whi h is why I said someone"s #ulling your leg.1 I looked at.avannah . 1.he"s right about this not sounding like a sa rifi ial ritual. .ame as ;aige and *u as said. But if you"ve tried onta ting them yourself$ then it"s not a #roblem of #ower.1

/olly rolled her eyes. 15ould the ghosts be #laying a tri k41.avannah said. 1!hat does ha##en$ doesn"t it41 1A trained ne roman er an tell if she"s being #layed.1 A sniff from /olly. 1<ou say it sounds like a human"s version of magi $1 I said. 15ould that be what it is4 !he results of humans sa rifi ing #eo#le in some kind of fake bla k&magi ritual41 /olly and.avannah looked at one another. In that e( hanged look$ all grudges seemed forgotten sister wit hes onsidering an a ademi 7uestion. 1Whatdoes ha##en when humans #lay at ritual sa rifi e41.avannah said$ half asking$ half musing. 1!hey an"t get any #owers from it$ but does anything ha##en to the soul of the #erson they kill41 /olly said$ 1If it did$ ne roman ers would have seen this kind of thing before.1 1.o maybe it doesn"t ha##en every time. But under ertain ir umstan es31 1Who an tell with humansthe lengths they"ll go to in #ursuit of magi al #owers. .a rifi ing babies4 5hildren4 !orture4 We have nothing on them.1 .o said the woman who$ less than an hour ago$ had been ready to #ut out my eyes with a red&hot sti k. But I knew even.avannah would agree it wasn"t the same thing. I"d been a threat. I"d knowingly walked into the house of a dark whi h$ so one ould argue that I"d taken my han es. It wasn"t the same as killing a baby in ho#es of re eiving some magi al boon. .avannahand /olly dis ussed this further but ame to no on lusions. Investigating human magi would be a wise ne(t ste#$ but not something either of them ould hel# with. When we finished$ the sun was setting. .avannahsaid to /olly$ 1<our kids are at a friend"s #la e$ right41 .he nodded. 1.o they"ll be fine if you"re later than you e(#e ted. Here"s what I"m going to do. %irst$ I"m not untying your hands. !hat"s your ,ob. .e ond$ I"m leaving you in a binding s#ell. When I"m far enough away$ it"ll sna# and you an walk to the #arking lot$ find your #hone$ make that tow& tru k all. But if you ome after usnow or lateryou"re laun hing a oun il investigation into /ike"s death.1

A. W6 drove to /olly"s neighborhood to find 9eremy$.avannah e(#lained how she"d followed me$ but stayed ba k until it was obvious I needed hel#. 1What gave it away41 I said. 1When she loaded me bound and gagged into the ba k of her tru k4 Or when she a tually said "I am now ready to kill you and throw your body in the swam#"41 1Hey$ for a while there$ it looked like you were going to talk your way out of it. I didn"t want to interfere.1 In other words$ she"d been giving me a han e to es a#e on my own. 1'on"t feel bad$1 she ontinued. 1It"s not your fault you don"t get the ool su#er#owers.1 1!hanks.1 .he threw a grin my way. I #i ked twigs from my hair$ then he ked my refle tion in the visor mirror. 1I do a##re iate you oming after me$.avannah . When I tell the story to the oun il$ I"ll leave your name out of it.1 .he hesitated$ then shook her head. 1No. I"d better ome lean now or it"ll bite me in the ass later$ and I"ll get in more shit for making you over for me. I"ll take my li ks. But if you ould31 A glan e my way. 1<ou know$ tone it down a bit4 /aybe leave out thekoyut s#ell41 1.o long as you tone down the "I had to res ue 9aime again" #art.1 A grateful grin. 1Agreed.1

A..A-ANNAH ir led /olly"s blo k$ I saw a flash of someone through the slats of /olly"s fen e. 1!here"s 9eremy$1 I said. 1In her ba kyard.1 1Where41 she s7uinted into the near dark. 1Ah. !here. +ood eyes.1 .he didn"t add a sly remark about my un anny 9eremy radar. I flatter myself that.avannah doesn"t know how I feel about him$ but if she doesn"t$ she"s the only one. .he #ulled over as 9eremy lea#ed the fen e$ taking it as easily as a two&foot hurdle. 1I"d better let you out here and hightail it ba k home before ;aige alls out the National +uard.1

1)unning off before I an tell him what ha##ened41 1)unning as fast as I an$ but tell him I said hi and I"ll see him at !hanksgiving.1 .he #aused. 1On se ond thought$ don"t mention that #art or they"re all liable to de ide that kee#ing me from going to.tonehaven is a suitable #unishment.1

WH6N I rossed the road$ 9eremy was gone. .tanding in front of /olly"s house$ I had a strong sense ofde,a vu3 and an even stronger sense that standing here really wasn"t a bright idea. I #i tured /olly arriving home to find the ne roman er who"d es a#ed her lut hes hanging out on her front lawn. I was looking for a safer #la e to stand when a voi e behind me said$ 1Hello$ 9aime.1 I wheeled so fast I tri##ed over my own feet. %ingers las#ed my forearm$ steadying me. I looked u# into a fa e with high heekbones and slightly slanted bla k eyes. 'ark hair fell over his forehead as he leaned forward. I resisted the urge to rea h u# and #ush it ba k3 then lift onto my ti#toes$ #ress my li#s against his$ my body against 'amn it$ was I ever going to see 9eremy and not start blushing like a s hoolgirl4 It was ridi ulous. I"d had eroti fantasies about men right in front of their noses and never batted an eye. With 9eremy$ even the thought had me in va#ors. 19eremy$1 I managed. 1I"m sorry$1 he said$ still holding my arm. 1I didn"t mean to startle you.1 1We need to bell you$ like a at.1 A twit h of his li#s. Not mu h of a smile$ but I knew it was one. 1.o$1 I ontinued$ 1youcould follow my trail from the offee sho#.1 1Not easy in the daylight$ when I an"t rou h to sniff the sidewalk. %ortunately$ your #erfume is distin tive.1 1It"s worth the #ri e then.1 He released my arm and gave me a on e&over$ and while I"d love to think he was he king out my hot new outfit$ I knew the truth he was trying to figure out what had ha##ened. He #lu ked a leaf from my hair. 1I ran into some trouble$1 I said.

1.o I see.1 His voi e and e(#ression were im#assive$ but he was worried. With 9eremy$ the emotional signs were never obvious. His ga0e flitted toward /olly"s house. 1.he"s3 tied u# for a while. But you"re right$ talking here #robably isn"t a wise idea.1 1I didn"t say that.1 1No$ but you were thinking it. 5ome on$ then. *et"s get some#la e safer and I"ll e(#lain.1 As we walked down the street$ I snu k another look at him. 9ust over si( feet$ he was lean and athleti $ though that side of him rarely showed3 unless he was lea#ing over si(&foot fen es. Not the kind of maneuver you"d e(#e t from a fifty&eight&year&old$ but it was easy to forget how old 9eremy was. Werewolves age slowly and with silver ,ust starting to thread through his dark hair and shallow lines around his mouthI"d #eg him at my age$ if that. ;aige swore 9eremy had Asian blood$ #resumably from his mother$ but there was no use asking him> he knew nothing about the woman. .he"d disa##eared from his life shortly after his birth. !hat was the world of werewolves$ where mothers and sisters #layed no role$ wives were unheard of$ and even lovers ame and went 7ui kly. 6lena was the e( e#tionthe only living female werewolf. It was a world of men. !he ;a k and its bonds were everything$ and everyone else was an outsider. And this was the man I"d fallen in love withthe leader of a world in whi h I would always be 1the other.1 /y heart$ it seemed$ ould be as fe kless as my brain. 1Here$1 he said$ guiding me into a darkened #layground. His fingers rested on my arm as he steered me$ and I found myself trying not to read too mu h into the asual onta t that tingled u# my arm. <et it did mean something. Werewolves$ while very #hysi al with one another$ don"t e(tend that attitude toward others. 5lay$ the mostwolflike of the ;a k$ avoids even handshakes. 6lena"s #oliter about it$ but I figured out early on that she wasn"t someone I should greet with a hug. 9eremy doesn"t avoid onta t$ but doesn"t initiate it either. In the last year or so$ though$ that"s hanged. I found myself evaluating his tou h. +ri##ing me tighter than usual4 *ingering longer4 I sear hed for a sign that something had hangedthat something wasabout to hange$ #roof that he"d ome here to take that ne(t ste#. A lot to read into a tou h and$ of ourse$ I ouldn"t. !he #ark was barely half the si0e of the small surrounding lots$ ,ust enough room for the develo#ers to #lo# down swings$ a slide and a ben h and say$ 1*ook$ we gave you a

#layground.1 It was dark now$ the e7ui#ment deserted. 9eremy motioned me to the ben h. 1I"d like to he k that blow to your head.1 1How4 Oh$ you smell the blood.1 I #ointed to the s#ot. He brushed my hair aside$ then e(amined it$ his tou h so light I barely felt it. !hen he he ked my #u#ils and asked whether I was feeling nauseous or e(#erien ing any #ain other than at the #oint of im#a t. I wasn"t. 1I"ll need to kee# an eye on you$ to ensure it isn"t a on ussion$ but it seems fine. Now31 He sat beside me on the ben h. 1What ha##ened41 I told him.

A. W6 waited for a ta(i$ I #ulled the ,a ket tighter against the bitter wind. 9eremy"s ,a ket. He"d offered$ and I"d hated taking it$ but as the sun dro##ed so had the tem#erature. I looked u# at him. 1+hosts do #lay #ranks. I"ve had it ha##en. But these ones are brea hing the #hysi al barrier. !hat is different.1 1I know. But about this human folk magi business$ I"m not sure what to make of it. I don"t know enough about magi to give an edu ated o#inion.1 1Well$ I"m not the best informed su#ernatural around$ but even I know that human magi doesn"t work. )obert would be our best sour e on that.1 9eremy stared down the street$ his e(#ression unreadable. 1I don"t su##ose there"s any need to follow u# with /olly 5rane$ something we might dis over by breaking into her house later or interrogating her further.1 I shook my head. 1'id she give you any other onta ts4 *et a name sli#4 Another dark&magi #ra titioner or bla k&market onta t we should investigate41 1Nothing.1 He looked almost disa##ointed. !hen he said$ with a soft sigh$ 1I su##ose it"s on to )obert$ then. I"ll all the air#ort and see when we an get a flight to.an %ran is o or.an 9ose .1 1One there for you and one to*.A. for me$ I"m afraid. I need to be ba k on the set first thing in the morning.1 1Ah. Of ourse.1 His ga0e di##ed away and I was ertain hedid look disa##ointed. !hen he leared his throat. 1I"ll see )obert alone then$ and ome to*.A. tomorrow. I"ll hel# him with the

#reliminary resear h$ to be #olite$ but I"ll get away as soon as I an.1

PART II

!his was always the hardest #art. Not only was it deli ate work$ but the smell was enough to unsettle even the strongest stoma h. It didn"t bother her as mu h as it did the others$ and it wasn"t so mu h the smell itself as the thought of what was burning. !hey"d been areful not to use too mu h gasoline on the boy$ but the flames had still li ked the artifa ts high above the on rete floor An interesting e(#eriment$ but not one they were likely to re#eat3 not unless this material #roved signifi antly better than the rest. .he ad,usted her mask and he ked the tem#erature on their tiny version of a remation oven$ designed to in inerate the organs$ whi h was all they needed. !his oven burned at a lower tem#erature than ones used by funeral homes$ so the soft tissue turned to ash. 6ven then an au(iliary #ower su##ly was ne essary. In Brentwood$ a #ower s#ike would likely be attributed to mari,uana growing and ignoredthere were better uses for the #oli e budget than sto##ing movie stars and #o# singers growing a little weedbut it was always safest to #rovide no e( use for investigation. After they"d taken the organs from the body$ they"d needed to dis#ose of the remainder. Burning an entire or#se wasn"t feasible. !he boy"s bodylarger than that of their #revious aseswould have been diffi ult to trans#ort whole. .o 'on had re ruited/urray "s hel#$ and they"d ut the body in two so they ould arry it out in reinfor ed garbage bags. It was then that/urray had sna##ed. Odd$ she mused as she unraveled the bolt of heese loth. After all they"d been through together$ it had been hel#ing 'on bise t the or#se that had done it. !ina had almed him down. .he was good at that$ one advantage to having a #sy hologist in the grou#. !o rea# the magi $ they had to do things that were bound to affe t the weaker among them$ but !ina ould always get the shaky ba k on tra k3 and assess how likely they were to stay there. !he door o#ened$ and 'on walked in$ nose wrinkling. .he #ointed at the sta k of surgi al masks$ but he waved them away. 1How"s/urray 41 she asked.

1Better. 6mbarrassed about the whole thing now. Work"s been stressful this #ast week.1 .he nodded. 1It ha##ens.1 !he timer sounded and she o#ened the oven$ ste##ing ba k as heat #oured out. 1He should take a va ation$1 she said as she e(amined the tray of gray and white ash. 1I"ll suggest1 1No.Insist .1 !heir eyes met. 'on nodded. 1How was the new dis#osal site41 she asked. 1It"s not as onvenient as the garden$ but it"ll do.1 .he nodded. !he terra ed gardens had been onvenient. !oo onvenient$ and they"d used them more than they should have$ with ea h dis#osal in reasing the han e of being aught. 2na e#table. .he donned heavy gloves and shook the tray of ash$ hel#ing it ool faster. 1*ooks like more this time$1 'on said$ #eering at it. .he smiled. 1!hat"s the advantage to using an older one.1

PENALT! BO$

HA' /< !)I; !O ;O)!*AN' and near&death e(#erien e #ut me any loser to banishing the s#irits in the garden4 I"d like to think so$ but I was onvin ed I"d only made things worse. %irst$ in the midst of #roblems on the set$ I"d taken off$ whi h wouldn"t hel#. .e ond$ 9eremy had finally ,oined me3 only to leave again. I needed to sto# worrying about how to onta t these ghosts and get sim#ly rid of them. /yNan raised me to regard ghosts the same way the average #erson sees door&to&door sales#eo#le and telemarketers8 an unavoidable nuisan e of life$ one that should be dealt with

firmly and swiftly and$ ultimately$ ignored. As ruel as that sounds$ it was rooted in self& #reservation. *ike sales#eo#le$ if you say yes to one$ you"ll suddenly be on the onta t list for hundreds more. )ather than weed through the re7uests$ taking only those you an manage$ it"s better to slam that door to all of them and walk away. If I ould s#eak to myNan again$ I"d ask her this8 did it hurt you to say no and does it ever sto# hurting4 .he always a ted as if it didn"t bother her$ so I feel that it shouldn"t bother me$ and when it does$ I feel weak. As mu h as I long for the day when it will sto# hurting$ #art of me dreads it too$ be ause I"m not sure I ever want to be that hard$ that old. But now I needed to be old. I had to banish these s#irits. .o when I finally got ba k to the house$ as the first light of dawn broke$ I went to my room only long enough to retrieve my kit. !hen I headed into the garden. !he moment I ste##ed out there something whi00ed #ast me. !hen the whis#ering started. %ingers brushed my hand. I ke#t walking until I rea hed the far rear orner$ where I knelt in the shadows between the fen e and a towering tiered garden bed$ and tried to onta t them one last time. I #erformed ea h ritual methodi ally$ om#letely fo used on ea h ste#. As before$ as long as I a##eared to be trying to hel# them$ they behaved$ stroking my heek or #atting my hair as if telling me I was doing a good ,ob. !hough I still ouldn"t find any words in their whis#ers$ I had a feeling that if I ould$ they"d be telling me to kee# going$ to kee# trying. I had to smile$ reminded of when I"d first started doing this$ under myNan "s guidan e. I ould see myself$ kneeling in the basement of her old house$ trying to summon a s#irit. If I losed my eyes$ I ould feel her in those #ats and aresses$ hear her en ouragement in those whis#ers. When I tried to #ersuade the s#iritsagainto find another way to ommuni ate with me$ they went silent at first$ as if trying to do as I asked$ but soon returned to the whis#ering$ their aresses be oming #okes and #rods. *ike easily distra ted hildren. A hill ra ed through me. When I did as they wanted$ they aressed and #atted me. !reating me as if I were a hild4 Or rewarding me in the only way they knew how. I stood. A hand #ulling at my to# fell away$ as did the one tou hing my hair. !he whis#ering ontinued$ but lower now. %ingers #ulled at the edge of my skirt$ like a hild trying to get someone"s attention. ;ulling$ #oking$ #rodding3 and when that failed$ hitting and #in hing. Not #ossible. Ne roman ers rarely en ountered hild ghosts. !here were stories of young adult ghosts who"d made onta t$ and were later dis overed to have died as hildren$ then allowed to grow to #hysi al maturity rather than s#end their afterlife tra##ed in a hild"s body.

How would a hild ghost remain a hild4 Only if it was aught between dimensions$ unable to ste# into ours and get hel#$ unable to #ass over and grow u#. !hat"s what I hadnot adult ghosts but hildren$ tra##ed between the worlds. I ouldn"t ,ust banish hildren. I had to hel#. When these s#irits first onta ted me$ I"d thought it was a random event. Ha##ens all the time. I"ll go some#la e new and I attra t some ghosts. But was that really all there was to it4 5oin iden e4 I ,ust ha##en to be billeted at a house with tra##ed hild ghosts$ a #u00le best solved by a ne roman er with onne tions to the rest of the su#ernatural world4 Where others see oin iden e$ I see fate. And where I see fate$ I see the hand of a higher #ower. I"m not sure if I see 1+od1 as others would re ogni0e him$ but I see someonea benevolent entity$ maybe not as all&#owerful as we"d like$ but a on erned being with the ability to wat h and the #ower to do something about it. /aybe that higher #ower ouldn"t free these ghosts alone. Or maybe that"s not her #la ewe must solve our #roblems ourselves and the best she ould do was #ut someone here$ in this house$ who might be able to hel#. And maybe I"ve got too high of an o#inion of myself if I thinkI'd be that #erson$ but I still felt like I"d been given a mission$ and damned if I wasn"t going to do my best to fulfill it.

I ;A56' along the obblestone #ath$ 6ve"s ring lut hed in my hand. 1+oddamn it$1 I muttered. 1<ou said I ould all you. Well$ I"m alling and you"d damned well better not be ignoring me$ you arrogant 5abal son1 A sound behind me. I turned.:ristof stood there wearing3 skates. And holding what I was #retty sure was a ho key sti k. 1 ".on&of&a&bit h" is the #hrase you wanted$1 he said. 1I su##ose it ould have been sim#ly "5abal son$" whi h$ while a urate$ isn"t mu h of an insult.1 He leaned on the sti k$ musing. 1Or$ #erha#s.1 1I didn"t mean1 1Of ourse you did. I wasn"t ignoring you$ 9aime. If you"ve been alling me for a while$ I"m afraid I didn"t hear it. But now I"m here.1 1If you"re busy31 1I was only in the #enalty bo(. Again. /ight as well serve my time here.1 A murmured in antation. !he sti k vanished and the skates hanged to shoes. 1What an I do for you41

1I need 6ve. And now it"s urgent.1 I told:ristof the story. He insisted on every detail$ then tried to make onta t with the s#irits himself. 1!here"s something here$1 he said$ frowning. 1I an make out3 flashes. And I heard the whis#ers$ on both this side and the other.1 1As if they"re aught between the two.1 1I don"t like ,um#ing to on lusions$ but yes$ I su##ose so. And they+ay be hildrenyour dedu tion is sound enough$ but one has to be areful #resenting a ase to the %ates. 2nlike human ,urors$ they aren"t swayed by su##osition$ sym#athy and theatri s. !hey deal in fa ts. !he fa t in this ase is that these s#irits e(ist$ and they a##ear to be unable to ross either way. I"ll ask them to send 6ve ba k.1 1Will it be enough41 1It better be.1

!H6 5A!6)6) hadn"t finished setting u# for breakfast$ so I went into the kit hen and hel#ed myself to a offee. 1Another early riser$ I see$1 Be ky said$ walking in as I added ream. I told her I"d been outside meditating. If I was going to be s#ending more time in the garden$ it was good to establish an alibi u# front$ and this was one I always used in any situation where I might be seen sitting on the ground$ talking to myself. 1.ounds like you found a little #ea e in this insanity. Now I really ho#e that I"m not about to undo that.1 .he looked troubled. 1It"s about +rady. He still u#set about the other night. I don"t think I handled that as well as I ould have. Now he"s demanding through 5laudia of ourse that he get a #rivate #erforman e to om#ensate.1 I ould feel her ga0e on me$ studying my rea tion. 1.ounds fair to me$1 I said. 1!hank +od$1 she breathed. 1<ou"re su h a trou#er$ 9aime. I swear I won"t let him steamroll over you after this.1 1He"s not steam1 1He may be a huge name overseas. But you"re a huge name here. I won"t let him forget that.

!here"ll be no more ostar bashing on this show.1 15ostar bashing41 1I won"t stand for it. Now$ about this #rivatesean e . 'o you mind wat hing$ ,ust to show su##ort41

B6%O)6 W6 headed into breakfast$ Be ky"s assistant$ Will$ ame to tell her he"d onveyed the same invitation to the #rivatesean e to Angeli7ue$ but she"d refused$ laiming she had a mani ure a##ointment. Be ky fumed$ and I offered to talk to Angeli7ue$ but she didn"t want me getting involved. Over breakfast$ we dis ussed thesean e . 1%irst$ where to ondu t it41 Be ky said. 1/r. .imon has he ked all re ords for this house$ and the only referen e to a death he ould find was some has&been #rodu er who hanged himself. %or e( itement$ that rates about a two. /ust&snore !-.1 I glan ed at the hanging residual and sent u# a silent a#ology to his ghost$ wherever it was. +rady leaned forward$ ta##ing his knife on the table. 1;erha#s$ but it"s the ones whose deathsweren't re#orted that are the most entertaining. 1 1A idental deaths$ you mean41 A smile reased his tanned fa e. 1No$ #ur#oseful. -ery #ur#oseful. I have felt a dark #resen e in this house$ a for e of great evil$ death so vile$ so des#i able that the heart free0es at the very thought1 5laudia motioned for him to take it down a not h. He leared his throat$ then sli ed into his egg. 1I have$ you see$ some e(#erien e with these things.1 1And you sense3 evil in this house41 1Not sur#risingly. It is in the seats of #ower that the demoni reigns. !hose who rave the tra##ings of #owerwealth$ fame$ beautyare often driven into the servi e of .atan to a hieve their goals.1 He turned to 5laudia. 1Have we ever visited a astle or an an estral home where Iha%en't found eviden e of satani rites or devil worshi# 41 5laudia gave a soft sigh. 1Never.1 +rady smiled.

#O%SING RO# FOR EVIL

1I %6*! A .!)ON+ ;)6.6N56 down here the other night$1 +rady said as he led us into the basement. 1I know$ Be ky$ that you were sim#ly using the best available s#a e for the #arty$ but you should be areful about bringing s#iritualists to subterranean realms. !hey"re sim#ly rife with evil s#irits.1 19aime41 Be ky said. 1Are you #i king u# anything41 1I don"t have /r. +rady"s nose for evil$ I"m afraid.1 1Of ourse she doesn"t$1 he said. 1What evil would dare show its hideousness in the fa e of su h beauty41 5laudia looked like she ouldn"t de ide whether to gag or s rat h my eyes out. +rady took a om#a t from his #o ket$ did a makeu# he k and hair fluffing$ then drew himself u# straight. 15amera$ #lease.1 He lifted his hands$ like a #ianist #re#aring to #lay. 1)obert$ are you there41 ;ause. 1<es. <es$ he is. !hank you$ Bob.1 +rady o#ened his eyes. 1I have made onta t with my s#irit guide.1 Huh. !hat was easy.0%e1 2re you ta&ing notes 4 1%or this session$ I have sele ted Bla k )obert / +ee as my guide$1 +rady ontinued. 1He was a notorious #irate who terrori0ed the5aribbean . In the afterlife$ he is trying to make amends$ seeking redem#tion by hel#ing my 7uest against the dark for es. Having lived on that dark side$ he is the #erfe t guide for this segment of my ,ourney.1 A #irate s#irit guide. 5ool. 6ve had been known to hang out with #irates$ but I don"t think that ounted. .he was$ however$ well a 7uainted with dark for es. As for seeking redem#tion$ though3 7uestionable. -ery 7uestionable. +rady and 1Bob1 #ro eeded to wander the basement$ +rady with his hands out$ dowsing rods for evil.

1I see a dark room. -ery dark. I1 His head ,erked u#$ eyes losed$ and he let out a whim#er$ then said in a high&#it hed voi e. 1It"s dark$ /ommy$ so dark31 His head twit hed and bobbed like a bird$ then his eyes flew o#en. 1Bob4 <es4 !hank you$ Bob.1 He #ivoted and sto##ed fa ing a half&door that led into a rawl s#a e under the stairs. He gave an e(aggerated shudder$ then looked into the amera. 1Bob tells me we will find the sour e of this great evil under those stairs. Inside there is a room. A room whose walls on e ran red with blood. A family slaughtered. !he satani altar is beneath those ste#s.1 1Amityville41 I mouthed to Be ky. 1<es=1 +rady"s fa e was feverish now as he s#it the word. 1!hank you$ Bob. Bob has reminded me of another ase similar to this. An Ameri an ase in/aine $ I believe.1 1*ong Island$1 I mouthed for him. He nodded his thanks. 1*ong Island$ thank you$ Bob. !he infamous Amityville horror. I have long believed that the rituals ondu ted within those walls were #art of a wider ring of satani a tivity.1 1%aked=1 I mouthed$ gesturing to get his attention. 1<es$ Bob4 Bob is trying to tell me about something but Bob4 Are you still there41 +rady signaled for the amera to sto# filming. 1He"s gone$ I fear. !his ha##ens from time to time$ #arti ularly in #la es with su h intense negative energy.1 He rolled his shoulders and rubbed his ne k$ then looked at me. 19aime$ I believe you were saying something41 1Amityville was a hoa($1 I said. I e(#lained. !he house had been the site of infamous killingsa young man who"d murdered his #arents and four siblings. A year later$ a family bought the house$ laimed they saw blood dri##ing down the walls$ demoni #igs$ what&have&you$ but stayed there with their terrified kidsuntil they had enough details for a book. A best&selling book. And the guy who killed his family4 His lawyer had been trying for a 1devil made me do it1 defense$ and had been in onta t with the haunted homeowners. !he lawyer later laimed he and the ou#le had dreamed the whole s heme u# over a bottle of wine. !he family had sin e admitted$ in ourt$ that at leastso+e of the things they laimed had never ha##ened. When I finished$ +rady glan ed at 5laudia$ who eyed me as if sus#e ting I was making it u#.

1All true$1 Be ky said. 1A ou#le of years ago the 5atholi 5hur h revealed it had submitted a list of ina ura ies to the book #ublisher3 whi h ignored them. Big hoa(. ;aid well$ though$1 she added with admiration. 1I"m not sur#rised$1 5laudia muttered. 1It"sAmeri a . *and of "anything for a bu k." 1 +rady waved her to silen e and went still$ head o ked as if listening. 1Bob has returned. We may begin again.1 !he amera started rolling. 1!hank you$ Bob. Bob tells me the events of Amityville were$ I fear$ a false ase #redi ated on greed and the lust for fame.1 A slow$ sad shake of his head. 12nfortunately$ su h ounterfeits do e(ist and we must be vigilant for them. However$ as Bob also says$ we must be areful not to let one falsehood blind us to the overwhelming truth of evil. It seems those res#onsible for Amityville used real events elsewhere as the basis for their fabri ation$ and here$ in this house$ we see one su h e(am#le1 His head ,erked ba k$ eyes losing. Her started shaking so violently that Be ky tensed as if fearing a onvulsion$ but 5laudia waved her down. +rady"s arms shot around his body$ hugging himself$ his teeth hattering$ and I reali0ed that his 1 onvulsions1 were su##osed to be shivering. 1/omma41 he said in that high&#it hed voi e. 1It"s old$ so old and so dark.I"m"s &s&s ared.1 A whine$ more like a ar engine than a hild. 1!he bad man is oming. !he bad man is1 +rady roared$ his head whi##ing ba k$ teeth bared. His eyes flew o#en$ rolling. Anyone who"d wat hed enough of his shows would have seen this oming$ but Be ky ,um#ed and dro##ed her li#board. As she s rambled for it$ +rady allowed himself a tiny smile of satisfa tion that mor#hed into a snarl$ his head ,erking ba k and forth$ hands lawing the air. 1He"s fighting #ossession by an evil s#irit$1 5laudia e(#lained in a monotone. 1I see$1 Be ky said. 1Is there any han e this s#irit will win41 1About ninety&five #er ent.1 Be ky smiled. +rady ,olted u# onto his ti#toes$ then went still. A moment"s #ause before he olla#sed against the wall$ #anting and trembling. 1'amn$1 Be ky muttered. 1Wait$1 5laudia whis#ered.

1Outside$1 +rady said between gas#s. 1Bob has shown me a room$ a small$ dark room. We mistakenly believed it was this one$ but now he has reali0ed his error and says we must go outside$ to a shed.1 He motioned for the amera to sto# filming. As +rady mar hed for the stairs$ Be ky hurried u# beside him. 1!he shed idea is great$1 she said. 1It avoids$ you know$ onnotations of Amityville$ but there"s a small #roblem. !here isn"t one.1 1One what41 1.hed.1 He threw a smug smile over his shoulder as he started u# the ste#s. 1/y dear$ I never said thereis a shed. I said therewas one. It has$ of ourse$ long sin e been torn down3 to hide the eviden e.1

O2!.I'6 W6 went. On the way$ +rady thanked me for the information about Amityville. While unwarranted$ he a##re iated the thought. It was a ste# ba k into his good gra es. He sto##ed beside akoi #ond. As our shadows #assed over the water$ the fish 0oomed from under the lilies$ their mouths breaking the surfa e. Was someone feeding them in their owner"s absen e4 ;robably. !hey looked e(#ensive. 1Here$ Bob41 +rady lifted a hand for silen e$ although no one had s#oken. !hen he he ked to make sure the amera was rolling before ontinuing. 1!he shed was here4 <ou"re 7uite ertain41 He #aused. 1No$ no$ I understand.1 +rady turned to the amera. 1Bob says he an"t be ertain this is e(a tly the right s#ot. !he sense of darkness in this entire yard is overwhelming. !his$ however$ a##ears to be reasonably lose to the original lo ation.1 And so$ +rady #i ked u# where he"d left off$ hanneling the 1s#irit1 of the dead girl. I tried to rela($ but startled at every noise and movement$ waiting for the hildren to ome and make their #resen e known. 1What the hell is that41

I ,um#ed and glan ed over to see:ristof staring at +rady$ who was waving his arms$ rolling his eyes$ shaking and moaning. 1I think he"s #ossessed$1 I said. 1By what4 6#ile#sy41 1He"s a famous !- medium from the2.:. $1 I said$ as if that e(#lained everything. :ristofsniffed. 1Not so famous that he an afford a de ent tailor$ evidently. Or a ting lessons.1 1!hey aren"t letting 6ve ome ba k$ are they41 1No.1 He s#at the word. After a moment$ he went on. 1I have$ in the #ast two years$ on o asion$ tried to find reasons for them to let 6ve return$ if only tem#orarily.1 1And they think you"re tri king them again.1 A humorless laugh. 1Not "again." I haven"t tri ked them yet$ damnable s#irits. 6ve"s tried too. No lu k. <ou an"t blame us$ but they get31 A dismissive wave. 1Offended$ as if we"re insulting them$ when the fa t is thatwe are the ones who should be offended. We #lay by their rules. We assist in their enter#rises. We are1 a twist of his li#s$ 1theirhu+ble servants$ and yet when we ask for the briefest res#ite from our bargain$ you"d think we were the most unre#entant onvi ts asking for a day #ass.1 I had no idea what he was talking about$ but knew he ouldn"t e(#lain. 1.o they said no.1 1!hey"ll "look into it." And$ #erha#s$ should I #rove to be telling the truth$ they"ll find someone to hel# you.1 1But not 6ve.1 He looked away$ but not before loneliness and disa##ointment #ushed the bitterness from his eyes. 1No. Not 6ve.1 He #ushed to his feet. 1!his is ridi ulous. !hey annot e(#e t us to wait on their forbearan e and trust that they will find someone suitable. 6ve isn"t the only #erson who an hel# us. !he %ates won"t like my hoi e$ but that is their #roblem.1 It seems to me that forbearan e and trust are things a higher #owercan reasonably e(#e t from mere mortals. But men like:ristof Nast are not a ustomed to being refused$ and being dead didn"t hange that. If his insolent determination hel#ed my ase$ I wouldn"t argue. 1Who are you41 I began.

A dismissive wave. 1<ou"ll see.1

NAT RE AN# SCIENCE

I HA' ANO!H6) IN!6)-I6W after thesean e $ then nothing. 9eremy would be here in a few hours. )obert hadn"t found anything useful.:ristof hadn"t returned. .o I was stu k ooling my heels. I de ided to all ;aige$ he k whatshe knew about rituals involving hildren. !his wasn"t a all to make in a #ubli #la e$ so I headed outside. As I sat down on the front #or h$ Will hailed me. I greeted the #ortly young man and he handed me an i y bottle of water. 1I saw you heading outside and thought you might need this. !he sun"s a killer today.1 1!hat"s so sweet. !hank you.1 1Oh$ and I also wanted to tell you how mu h I en,oyed your segment the other day$ with!ansy *ane . In redible. !he whole rew"s still talking about it. I think you"ve made some believers$ /s. -egas.1 I laughed. 19aime$ #lease. And I ho#e they"re still believers when all this is done be ause that definitely wasn"t a ty#i al summoning for me. I got lu ky$ whi h I an only ho#e is a good omen for the show.1 /y ga0e strayed toward the ell #hone in my handa subtle hint that there was something I"d ome out here to do. He ste##ed loser and lowered his voi e. 1I also wanted to ommend you on how well you handled Angeli7ue.1 /y mouth o#ened in #rotest$ ready to say I hadn"t 1handled1 her at all$ but he ontinued before I ould. 1I an"t believe they brought her on the show after the things31 He oughed. 1Well$ you know what I mean. Anyway$ as far as most of us are on erned$ you"re still at the to# of your game$ and we"re looking forward to seeing you #ut her in her #la e.1 I ould tell by his e(#ression that he was willing$ even eager$ to go on$ but would it hel# me to

know what she"d said4 No. If I heard her insults or insinuations$ I would indeed want to 1#ut her in her #la e1 and I ouldn"t afford to do that. Not on this shoot. 1I a##re iate the su##ort. Now$ if you"ll e( use me1 1Absolutely. And thank you for hel#ing with /r. +rady this morning. Be ky really a##re iates it. .he was really afraid this was going to be diffi ult$ knowing you"re lining u# a show of your own$ and +rady"s ho#ing to relo ate here.1 1)elo ate41 I sna##ed my mouth shut. !his one was tougher to ignore. A lot tougher. But I #romised myself I"d investigate later$ )ight now$ I had to on entrate on the ghosts. As he headed into the house$ I ste##ed off the #or h and aught a flash from the shrubs$ like the sun refle ting off a mirroror a amera lens. A slower$ more areful look around$ listening for the rustle of a 7ui k retreat. .ilen e. It ould have been nothing. Or it ould have been a rew member sneaking around with a amera$ ho#ing for a shot he ould sell to the tabloids. ;hotos of 5&list elebs aren"t worth mu h$ but if you an get ones that are embarrassing enough$ you an make a few bu ks. One last survey$ then I headed toward the road$ making sure I wasn"t slou hing or s7uinting unbe omingly$ ,ust in ase.

A%!6) 5A**IN+ ;aige$ I went to the kit hen to grab a sandwi h. I hadn"t been in the mood for a ommunal lun h$ and it was almost two now. Out of the orner of my eye$ I saw +rady stride in. His gait was fluid$ almost gliding. 1Hello$1 I said without turning. 1I need to s#eak to you.1 /y fingers tightened around my offee u#$ but I ke#t my tone even. 1+ood. I need to talk to you too.1 1A #rivate word$ then. In the garden$ #lease.1 Hmm3 !hat sounded sus#i ious$ but there was nothing in his bearing or his manner to suggest he had sedu tion on his mind. Cuite the o##osite. 5ool and #rofessional. 1I"m right behind you$1 I said. I followed him through the house to the ba k doors.

He still walked with that odd gaitgra eful and rela(ed yet #ur#oseful. .ome affe tation he was #ra ti ing for an u# oming segment4 When we rea hed the garden$ I tried to at h u#$ but he only moved faster. Afraid 5laudia was #eering from a window4 .eeing me 1following1 him into the garden wouldn"t make her any ha##ier. %inally he sto##ed$ his ba k still to me. !hen$ as he turned$ he in lined his head in an oddly formal nod$ ou#led with a tiny smile. 19aime O"5asey. A #leasure.1 A dart of #ani ra ed through me. No one in the business knew my real name. But if +rady thought this gave him some leverage over me$ he was wrong. -egas was ,ust a stage name> I wasn"t hiding anything. I looked at him. His gray&blue eyes now shone a blue brighter than the sky. Im#ossibly and unnaturally bright. I ba k#edaled. He grabbed my arm. His fingers were so hot I ould feel them through my sleeve. !hat dart of #ani found its target and e(#loded. I yanked ba k. His gri# didn"t tighten$ but didn"t give either. %irm as an iron sha kle. !his wasn"t +rady but someonesomethingusing his body$ and I had a good idea what that something was. 1:ristofNast sent me.1 'amn:ristof = !his was why he hadn"t told me who he was alling8 I"d never have agreed. 1I"m sorry$1 I said. 1!here"s been a misunderstanding. I don"t talk to1 1.trangers4 A wise hoi e$ but I"m ho#ing this time you"ll make an e( e#tion.1 Amusement s#arkled in those beautiful eyes. 6ntran ing eyes. 1I"ve ome to hel# you$ 9aime.1 1I"ve had my share of hel# from your kind.1 He ti##ed his head$ his ga0e sear hing mine. 1Ah$ I see. A youthful indis retion. !he #ri e seemed fair$ didn"t it4 !hat"s the way it is. A demon"s #ri e always seems fair when you"re blinded by the boon. !hen you always end u# #aying more than you e(#e t. But that"s long #ast. <ou"ve re eived your boon. <ou"ve #aid the #ri e. An un#leasant learning e(#erien e$ but it ertainly ould have been worse.1 1Whateverbargain you"re offering1

1/y dear hild$ I do not barter like a ommon mer hant. 'o you know who I am41 I shook my head. He released my arm. 1I amAratron .1 .eeing my blank look$ he gave a ri h$ warm laugh. 1'oes no one edu ate their hildren in demonology these days4 %or enturies$ I had only to s#eak my name and even your kind would #rostrate themselves before me$ #romise me their gold$ their wives$ their firstborn hild in return for but a s#e k of my knowledge. !oday4 Bewilderment dulled by a#athy. Notnearly as gratifying.1 1.orry.1 He laughed again. 16ve knew who I was. ;ro#erly res#e tful$ even.1 He walked to a ben h and waved for me to sit beside him. When I resisted$ his eyes s#arkled. 1I"m not going to gobble you u# or in inerate you in a ball of white&hot flame. !he last$ while 7uite s#e ta ular$ doesn"t #romote good relations with mortals.1 I #er hed at the far end of the ben h. 1/ay I ho#e you at least know what a eudemon is41 he asked. 1Oh$ yes.1 I said$ a little too enthusiasti ally. 1!here are two kinds of demons. 5a odemons are the ones we an summon and make deals with. !he haos demons. !he same kind that father half&demons like 6ve. But eudemons31 I drummed my fingers against my thigh$ as if I was ba k in s hool again$ #roudly volunteering the answer only to get halfway through and reali0e that"s all I had. 15an"t say I know mu h about eudemons. Other than they aren"t a odemons. We an"t usually summon them. !hey don"t father hildren31 1!o most su#ernatural mortals$ that"s all that"s im#ortant. It"s almost im#ossible to summon us. We an"t reate you. We are$ you might say$ neutral. Indifferent even. !o both your ,oys and your suffering. <ou do not interest us3 e( e#t in the most a ademi way.1 1And that"s what you are. A eudemon.1 1!hat"s whatAratron is$ a fa t you an easily onfirm with a all to )obert-asi . And I laim to beAratron . But whether I truly am is not so easily established. In fa t$ I daresay$ it annot be established all. <ou know$ from my voi e$ from my tou h$ from my eyes$ that I am no low& ranking demon. !hese things I annot fake and even one uns hooled in demonology knows the marks of a demon of #ower. But ould I not be a a odemon su h as Baal orBalam or *u ifer4 Were I one of them$ would it not be wise to ome in the guise of a eudemon likeAratron 41

1I guess so31 1<ou look at me as if I"m mad. Why raise su h #ossibilities4 Be ause$ hild$ if I do not$ you will now or after you"ve given the matter due onsideration. I annot #rove that I am who I laim to be. <ou an all on:ristof $ but you do not trust him. <ou trust 6ve but she is$ onveniently$ unavailable. What you an do$ though$ is onsider whether:ristof would do su h a thing$ not to you$ but toher . 6ve is very #rote tive of her friends. +iven their relationshi#$ would he introdu e one to a a odemon41 1No.1 1!hen$ in the absen e of absolute #roof$ that will have to do. 6ve knows me. .he has established a working relationshi# with me and I"m fond of her3 as fond as I an be of a shade. I wouldn"t want to damage my relationshi# with her by hurting you.1 1Okay. .o you"re here to hel# me and you want3 nothing fork41 1Oh$ of ourse I want something$ but I annot imagine you"ll begrudge me what I wish.1 1And that is31 1:nowledge. I have littlee/cept that$ but more of it than you ould ever fathom. I olle t knowledge and sometimes I share it. In e( hange for new knowledge$ of ourse. What you are investigating fits nothing you know$ orre t41 I nodded. 1And nothing your s holars know$ orre t41 Another nod. 1And$ I must admit$ nothing I know. !herefore it is new. !hat is what intrigues me and why I would guide your feet onto the right #ath.1 1Whi h is341 1<ou already know.1 He smiled. 1I"m sim#ly here to tell you that you"re right.1 I shifted on the ben h. 1I"m no good with #u00les.1 1!hen don"t make this into one. <our s holars and your e(#erts tell you this is not any known form of magi . !hey also tell you that it most losely resembles something else.1 1Human magi . Whi h is im#ossible.1

1Why im#ossible41 Aratronleaned ba k$ that tiny smile on his li#s$ not mo king but en ouraging$ like a #atient tea her who wanted me to su eed at this lesson. I always #referred the sar asti tea hers$ the bored tea hers the ones who e(#e ted little from me. Im#ossible to disa##oint. 1!his is not a graded assignment$ 9aime.1 I started$ as if he"d read my mind. And what made me think he hadn"t4 1If you"d like me to give you the answers$ I will$1 he said$ the ri h timbre of his voi e muted$ 1but I think you"d #refer to work it out yourself. !hey aren"t riddles or tri k 7uestions. <ou haven"t+issed any lue. <ou"ve sim#ly overlooked a #ossibility that I don"t blame you for overlooking. !he #ossibility of the im#ossible.1 1I don"t understand.1 1Why is human magi im#ossible41 1Be ause it doesn"t work.1 1Ah.1 I looked shar#ly at him. 1'oes it41 1It"s never been known to$ aside from the o asional minor s#ell mastered by anons#ell aster . But even then$ the aster almost always had some diluted magi al or demoni blood. And the s#ells were only the sim#lest. 5ertainly nothing that would drain or fragment a soul.1 1!hen it is im#ossible.1 1%ifty years ago$ man had never set foot on the moon. 'oes that mean su h a thing was im#ossible41 1Of ourse not. . ien e ,ust hadn"t evolved31 I sto##ed. 16volution31Aratron mused. 1%unny thing.1 He twisted and sna##ed a rose from the bush$ severing the stem with his thumbnail. He aught his thumb on a thorn and a dro# of blood slid down his wrist. He followed the #ath of the blood$ then e(amined the bloodied thorn with the ool s rutiny of a s ientist e(amining ause and effe t.

He turned his hand over and tou hed his inde( finger to the #un ture on his thumb. 1Hurts$ I su##ose.1 1<ou don"t feel it41 1I do$ but it doesn"t mean anything to me. Were you to have done that$ you"d have learned to handle the rose more arefully.1 He wra##ed his hand around the rose and I shivered$ imagining the thorns driving in. When he o#ened his fist$ his #alm was smeared with blood. 1!o me41 He lifted his #alm. 1/erely interesting. Now$ I am sure that the man who owns this body will not a##re iate me having done that$ but if what you all #ain doesn"t bother me$ how am I to take #ity on him4 <et$ although I annot feel the #ain$ I understand that it e(ists$ and that e(#lains to me the #ur#ose of these thorns.1 1!o defend the flower. !o in rease its han es of survival.1 16volution. As men might evolve so that they may turn into wolves$ to better hunt$ find food$ defend themselves. An aberration$ to be sure$ but is that not the #oint of aberrations4 !he root of evolution4 A man who is #art wolf$ with su#erior strength$ su#erior sensory abilities. An advan ed #redator. It works and yet1 He lifted his bloodied finger. 1!here are drawba ks$ flaws$ im#erfe tions in the design. A world of werewolves alone would destroy itself. As an aberration$ though$ it works3 for now.1 1!hat"s what we are$ then4 !em#orary aberrations4 I"ve heard the theory. .o it"s true41 1!rue41 He turned the flower over in his hands. 1No$ it remains a theory and ever shall be. !hat is the onfli t of s ien e and faith. I an say thatsu#ernaturals are random mutations that$ from an evolutionary #ers#e tive$ su eeded in some way. !he fa ts su##ort that. But if some higher #ower was to say$ "No$ I did thatit was #art of the #lan$" how an I argue the #oint4 What I an tell you is that these mutations ome more often than you would imagine. /ost last only a generation or two.1 A slight smile. 16volution or a grand reator busily e(#erimenting4 It doesn"t matter$ does it41 1I guess not.1 1.ome of these mutations #ersist for enturies only to die out when what makes them uni7ue is no longer ne essary3 or no longer uni7ue. Imagine if those s ientists in there1 he waved toward the house$ 1dis over a way for any human to ommuni ate with the dead. What would ha##en to your kind41 1We"d3 die out41 1Nothing so drasti . <ou"d sim#ly merge with the gene #ool. Ne roman ers as a uni7ue ra e

would ease to e(ist. It"s ha##ened before. 'ryads$ elves$ nym#hs$ all the woodland ra esthere was no #la e for them in the modern world. !heir time had #assed. It matters not. Others ome.1 1+eneti flukes evolving into ra es. But that must take generations.1 1!rue$ but sometimes it"s more than a random geneti "fluke" that auses hange.1 He lifted the rose to his nose$ then offered it to me. 1.mell anything41 he asked. I sniffed. 1It"s very faint.1 1A mutation. Not by nature$ but by man. 5reate a hardier rose$ a more disease&resistant rose$ a longer lasting rose. A de ided im#rovement over wild roses and yet31 He sniffed and sighed. 1!here are drawba ks.1 He looked at me. 1<ou say man&made magi is im#ossible be ause it has never e(isted. But what if31 he dro##ed the rose onto my la#$ 13 something li ked4 !he ollision of nature and s ien e41

LEARNING C RVE

!WO HO2). *A!6)$ I was sitting a ross from 9eremy$ in the orner of a half&em#ty restaurant. We were kee#ing our voi es down as I told him about my visit fromAratron . I don"t know why we bothered anyone hearing us talking about the evolutionary theory of su#ernatural ra es and the #otential emergen e of a new #ower would only mistake us for s reenwriters trying to ash in on a #aranormal trend. As for my garden visit from a demon4 It wasHollywood . 'eals with the devil were a way of life. We were in a tiny restaurant with better food than atmos#here. When my seafood linguine had arrived$ I"d sli##ed some of it onto his #late. He didn"t #rotest$ ,ust a e#ted it with a murmur of thanks$ as he always did. A werewolf"s high metabolism made dining out less than satisfying$ and it wasn"t likeI needed the food. /y stylist was already om#laining about the three #ounds I"d gained in the last year. I was trying to ignore him$ but after a lifetime of #ani king if the s ale needle so mu h as 7uivered$ it wasn"t easy. 1.o$1 I said as I #i ked at my #late$ 1the gist is thatAratron thinks someonesome grou#has broken the barrier$ by either in&de#th s ientifi e(#erimentation or #lain old dumb lu k.1

1<ou mean they"ve hit on a form of human magi that works.1 I nodded. He set down his wineglass and stared at the blank wall behind me$ his dark eyes e7ually blank$ shutters #ulled as he thought. After a few moments$ he said$ 1I"m not the best #erson to investigate this. /an&killing werewolves I understand. Humans killing with magi 4 I barely know where to begin.1 A hill settled in the #it of my stoma h. 1<ou"d rather not hel#$ then.1 1Of ourse I want to hel#.1 His knee brushed my leg. 1What I"m saying is that I"m in over my head.1 A twist of a smile. 1And it"s not a #la e I"m a ustomed to being. I"m the Al#ha. I lead in full onfiden e.1 !he smile s#arked in his eyes. 12sually. But with this$ I should do what any good leader doestake it to an e(#ert. But to whom4 It"s a matter that might on ern all the ra es. Where should that go41 1!o the interra ial oun il. Whi h$ unfortunately$ is us.1 1.ad$ isn"t it4 !here should be some31 He waved his hand. 1Body of elders4 Wise old men and women who do nothing but send out troo#s of highly trained investigators to #rote t the interests of the su#ernatural world41 1Instead they get us. ;art&time volunteers$ untrained$ unbudgeted and usually flying by the seat of our #ants.1 1It"s ni e to know I"m not the only one on the oun il who doesn"t always feel u# to the ,ob.1 1'id you think the rest of us do4 In werewolf matters$ yes$ I am an e(#ert. In ne roman y$ you are an e(#ert1 1I wouldn"t say1 1<ou"ve never let us down. If you don"t know the answers$ you find them. !hat"s all we ask. ;aige4 /agi is her s#e ialty and$ between her and *u as$ they do ,ust fineremarkably fine$ given their youth. .o if this is magi $ does it go to them4 !hey know little or nothing of human magi . .owho is the e(#ert41 1I guess it"s about to be us. .elf&taught. With a huge learning urve looming in front of us.1

A%!6) 'INN6) we walked for a ou#le of ity blo ks$ then 9eremy headed into a #ark. !rust a werewolf to find green s#a e anywhere.

A #ark #robably isn"t the safest #la e to be after dark in*.A. but 9eremy didn"t hesitate. %or him$ safety was rarely a on ern. I envied him thatand 6lenaable to go anywhere after dark$ walk into deserted #arking lots$ ut through alleys$ knowing that any ra#ist or mugger who thought that #retty blond looked like an easy mark was in for a sho k3 maybe his last. We #assed a ou#le of street thugs$ not yet old enough to be out of high s hool$ hidden in the shadows of a willow. 9eremy #ut his arm around my waist. I ouldn"t hel# noti ing how he drew me a little loser$ so his hi# brushed mine$ or how his hand gri##ed my waist$ #ulling me into his ir le of #rote tion. He didn"t s#eed u# or slow down$ but met the leader"s ga0e full on$ di##ed his hin and murmured a greeting. !hey let us #ass. We"d gone a few more yards when another figure a##eared on the #ath. A man$ shoulders hun hed$ dressed in bla k$ fa e hidden in the shadow of his hood. I glan ed at 9eremy$ but his ga0e was fi(ed on a #oint #ast the man$ his fa e as rela(ed as the arm around my waist. A single unarmed assailant doesn"t #ose mu h risk for a werewolf. But as onfident as 9eremy is$ he"s never o ky$ whi h meant he ouldn"t see him. .ure enough$ as we drew loser$ the man lifted his head$ his fa e #ale under the dark hood$ and stared at me$ onfused. He knew the glow he saw around me meant something$ and was ra king his brain to remember what it was. Not slowing$ I looked u# at 9eremy. 1'id I tell you I talked to ;aige4 About the hildren41 1No$ what did she say41 !he man sto##ed. 1Hey$ aren"t you41 1.he"s going to look into it and ask around. We should run it by )obert too$ see whether he knows anything.1 !he man had gone 7uiet$ staring after me. I ke#t walking and talking. After a moment$ he mumbled something under his breath and ontinued on his way$ onvin ed that either he was mistaken$ or I wasn"t strong enough to hear or see him. I sighed#art relief$ #art regret$ as always.

W6 .!O;;6' on a slo#e down to a small$ manmade lake. 'ownwind$ as always$ so 9eremy ould smell anyone a##roa hing from behind. We sat on the grass. I hadn"t done that in3 well$ #robably not sin e I was old enough to worry about walking around with grass stains on my rear. 9eremy offered to #ut down his ,a ket for me$ but I refused$ insisting my #ants were old and the night was ool. Neither was true$ but I wanted to ,ust ki k off my shoes$ settle in the grass beside him and$ if I got dirty$ laugh about it.

I started talking$ as usual. It takes awhile to draw 9eremy out if the to#i is anythingbut business. !hat used to dis ourage me$ but 6lena says he"s like that with everyoneso good at getting #eo#le to talk about themselves that they rarely reali0e he never offers anything in return. 6ven when he does share$ none of his stories are about himself$ but when he talks of his family or his ;a k$ he"s always there$ in the ba kground. .o I get my insights that way. .ometimes$ in talking of 5lay as a hild or the twins$ he"ll make a brief segue into his own hildhood$ enough for me to know it hadn"t been a #leasant one. !hat glim#se behind the shutters meant more to me than he ould imagine. I asked him about the twins" birthday and he told me about 6lena"s misadventures with the baking$ how she"d tried to sneak the failed ake outside for the birds$ but 5lay$ smelling food$ had res ued it and shared it with the twins$ reasoning that they needed to get a ustomed to bad food in ase 9eremy ever ooked them dinner. I wat hed him tell the story$ his fa e animated$ relating even the ,ibe at his ooking with a wry smile. We sat there for over an hour$ ,ust talking. A ool wind blew off the water$ bringing a fine mist as it slid over us and into the trees$ rustling the leaves$ then de#arted with a sigh. Beneath my fingers$ the grass was growing dam#. 9eremy"s legs were outstret hed$ mine bent$ our shoulders brushing when we moved. 1!hanks for tonight$1 I said. 1%or taking me out. <ou have no idea how ni e it is to eat without a dead man hanging over the table.1 His brows shot u# and I e(#lained. 1But on the u#side$ I"m #retty mu h guaranteed to lose those few #ounds my stylist kee#s nagging about.1 He shook his head. 1I don"t know how you do it$ 9aime.1 1'on"t have mu h hoi e.1 1<es$ you do. <ou ould hide from it. !ake your meals elsewhere and make some e( use to the others. But you never do. <ou"ll sit there$ smile and hatwith a ghost hanging a foot from your nose and no one will ever be the wiser.1 1It"s a residual$ not a ghost. And it"s more like two feet.1 He smiled and shifted$ moving the arm stret hed behind me to my ba k. His hand went to my waist$ his fa e turning$ li#s a s ant in h from mine$ the look in his dark eyes sending a shiver through me. I waited through five long heartbeats$ but he didn"t move$ neither oming toward me nor #ulling ba k. It was u# to me. !he kiss started firm yet gentle$ sweet yet strong$ everything I"d e(#e ted from 9eremy. !hen$ as I #ressed against him$ an edge re#t into it$ an urgen y and a #assion that maybe3 wasn"t 7uite

what I"d e(#e ted. *ike being hit with a blast of hot air when I was anti i#ating a gentle bree0e. I threw myself into it like someone who"s been #lu ked from an i y river$ la##ing u# the heat. After a several intense minutes$ he #ulled ba k. 1I"m sorry$1 he said. 1!hat wasn"t1 1<ou don"t need to a#ologi0e. I started it.1 1Ah$ yes$ right.1 He sat there for a moment$ hair hanging forward$ then gave it an im#atient brush ba k. I resisted the urge to #ut my arms around his ne k and bury myself in another kiss. His e(#ression told me he wouldn"t argue$ but that this wasn"t a ste# he was entirely ready to take. I settled for resting my hand on his thigh. He laid his hand on mine$ fingers sliding under my #alm and s7uee0ing. 1I love it when you"re inde isive$1 I said. A #ause$ as if he wasn"t sure he"d heard right$ then a laugh so abru#t it was almost a bark. 1Oh41 I eased loser$ leg against his. His hand slid from my waist to my hi#$ bringing me loser still. I said$ 1When I first met you in/iami $ you were so sure of yourself$ so3 in harge. <ou s#oke> everyone listened. 6venBeni io 5orte0. Hell$ evenCassandra lets you tell her what to do.1 1I"m not so sure about that.1 1.he ,ust likes to #retend it"s her idea. A vam#ire an"t seem to be obeying a werewolfit"s ,ust not done.1 He laughed$ rubbing my hi#. 1It"s a bit daunting$ you know$ being around someone that self&assured. .o it"s ni e$ now and then$ to get a hint that the armor isn"t as im#enetrable as it looks.1 1!he armor is full of hinks$ I"m afraid. !he tri k is to kee# it #olished to su h a brilliant shine that everyone is blind to the holes.1 1Is that it41 He looked down at me$ his rooked grin almost boyish. 1<es$ that"s it.1 He stayed there$ head angled$ li#s slightly #arted. /y heart started thum#ing. But he turned away.

1!hat"s one #roblem of being Al#ha. <ou have to a t with om#lete onfiden e. It"s the wolf in us. 2n ertainty makes us nervous. .ma ks of weakness. An Al#ha must be resolute in all things. He should have no misgivings$ no se ond thoughts$ no doubts.1 1But sometimes you do$1 I said softly. He met my ga0e. 1/ost times I do.1 He turned to look out at the lake. 1I"ve always been ha##y being Al#ha. It"s a lot of res#onsibility$ but I love thatnot the #ower$ but the ability to affe t hange. .ometimes though3 lately31 He took his hand off mine and brushed ba k his hair. 12nder ertain ir umstan es$ the restri tions an be3 not what I"d hoose$ if I had the hoi e. *ike oming here. %or most #eo#le$ a sim#le matter. /ake travel arrangements and go.1 1But you have res#onsibilities.1 1Not ,ust that. !o ome here alone$ without ba ku#$ without a bodyguard31 He shook his head. 1!o e(#lain to you how mu h work it took would make the whole thing sound ridi ulous. But I am the Al#ha. I annot do as I like$ go where I like. 6ven an outside werewolf who has no #arti ular grudge against me would onsider atta king me if I rossed his #ath. !o kill the ;a k Al#ha would solidify his status in our world. %or the rest of his life$ every werewolf he met would lear out of his way. !he Al#ha before meAntonio"s father was inarguably the best fighter of his time$ but he never left ;a k territory without a guard. !o do otherwise is to threaten the stability of the ;a k for something as #etty as #riva y.1 /y heeks got hot. 1I"m sorry. I never thought1 He s7uee0ed my leg. 1No one e(#e ted you to. I didn"t ome to*.A. to be #olite$ 9aime. I ame be ause I wanted to s#end time with you. Alone.1 His ga0e met mine and held$ making sure the words sunk in. 1!he area is as safe as we ould make it. I even managed to onvin e them that I didn"t need Antonio lurking in.an 'iego $ awaiting an emergen y all$ though I sus#e t :arl isn"t inAri0ona this week by a ident. 6lena #robably sent him there$ ho#ingbeing :arlit wouldn"t seem sus#i ious.1 I nodded. 1I won"t be Al#ha forever$1 he said. 1But I will be for longer than I #lanned.1 1Be ause of the babies.1 He nodded. I said$ 16lena needs to on entrate on them$ on being a mom$ not an Al#ha.1 1Whi h doesn"t mean I an"t ontinue to train her. Antonio and I will kee# nudging her into leadershi#$ getting her a ustomed to the idea$ but we an"t #ush.1

1And you shouldn"t.1 I #aused. 1'oes she know yet41 He shook his head. 1I don"t #lan to tell her for some time. If I did$ she"d sus#e t I want out$ and she"d do everything she ould to hel# me a hieve that. And$ as you said$ her #riority should be her family$ not her ;a k. At least for a few more years.1 I wanted to say$ 1!hat"s okay. I"ll wait$1 but I knew that wasn"t what he was asking. 1!hat"s best$1 I said. 1It"ll give 5lay more time to re over too. How"s his arm41 1As good as it will get. He knows that. Whatever that 0ombie did to him$ it"s beyond what medi ine an fi(. !he tri k now is to learn to om#ensate. And to regain his onfiden e$ get him ba k to a #la e where he feels he an defend his family$ his ;a k$ his Al#ha. If that Al#ha is 6lena$ he"s going to need to be in to# fighting ondition.1 1Be ause other werewolves$ outside the ;a k$ will see a female Al#ha as a sign of weakness.1 1Or$ at least$ of hange and$ as I said$ we don"t res#ond well to hange. 6lena"s used to being in danger. It omes with being 5lay"s mate. His enemies might not dare take on 5lay himself$ but there are other ways to hurt him.1 1!hrough 6lena.1 1/ost werewolves will not believe that a woman$ even a were&wolf$ #oses a threat$ and therefore 6lena is seen as an easy target.1 He smiled at me. 1%ortunately$ she isn"t.1 His smile faded. 1But she"s always been in danger$ ,ust by being his lover.1 Another message for me. 1Having a female Al#ha will be an ad,ustment for all. It took a long time for me to a e#t 6lena as a werewolf. *ogi ally$ I was fine with it$ but dee# down41 He shook his head. 1It wasn"t easy. !o 5lay$ having a mate was the most natural thing. !he wolf in him is so strong it rules out everything else. But for me4 Being raised as a werewolf means being raised to kee# your distan e from romanti entanglements. ;a k werewolves weren"t allowed to form long&term relationshi#s$ let alone marry. O#en yourself u# to someone and you might be tem#ted to tell her everything. Now that the werewolves are ba k in the su#ernatural fold$ there are women who an safely know my se ret. I still have trouble a e#ting that.1 We sat there for a while$ staring at the water. I knew now that 9eremy hadn"t ome to*.A. to de lare himself or to let me down easybut to give us both a han e to e(#lore the #ossibilities and weigh them against the onse7uen es. We ould s#end time together$ away from being 1werewolf Al#ha and ne roman er delegate.1 !ime to de ide whether it was better to stay friends or risk be oming lovers.

Be oming loverswould ome with risks. He was letting me know what I"d be in for. A lover who ouldn"t fly to meet me for romanti getaways. A lover whose #riority would always be his family and his ;a k. A lover who would #ut my life in danger ,ust by being with me$ making me a target for anyone who wanted to get at the Al#ha. 6ven if I was fine with all this$ after a lifetime of one&night stands$ avoiding emotional atta hments$ 9eremy might never be omfortable in a relationshi#. /y im#ulse was to say8 1;ut my life at risk for a diffi ult$longdistan e relationshi# that might never work4 It"s3ere+y . .ign me u#.1 But I had to a##roa h this with my head$ not my heart. It wasn"t something I ould ,ust lea# into. 1We should get you ba k to the house$1 9eremy said finally. 1I #resume you have a segment to film tomorrow41 1In the afternoon$ #lus an interview midmorning.1 He hel#ed me to my feet. 1When things settle down with your ostars$ I"d like to wat h a segment or two. I"m looking forward to that.1 1It"s not nearly as mu h fun as you"d think. It"s a lot of standing around doing nothing.1 1I"m not here to be entertained$ 9aime.1 He #ut his hand on my ba k and led me from the #ark.

SPIRIT ALIST BIG BROTHER

BA5: A! !H6 HO2.6$ I grabbed a old drink from the kit hen before heading to bed. I was ba king away from the fridge when something moved along the far wall. I turned and bra ed myself$ waiting for a ghost to materiali0e. Another fli ker,ust a flashlight beam from a guard doing a walk&around outside. As I"d stared at the wall$ though$ something else aught my eye. )esting above the hair rail was a dark dot$ smaller than a dime. I walked over. !he dot be ame a hole$ and re essed within the hole was the lens of a amera. !here ould be a logi al e(#lanation for this. /aybe the family that lived here sus#e ted the ook of s#itting in their food. Or they had a dieter with a midnight fridge&raiding habit. But tiny wood shavings still lung to the hole$ meaning it"d been drilled re ently. !ime to take a tour of the house.

I %O2N' four #inhole ameras in the shared rooms where we s#iritualists were most likely to ongregate. !he rew&only areas were surveillan e&free. .o we were being ta#ed. By whom4 /y first thought was the rew. But if someone ho#ed for an ugly #hoto he ould sell to a tabloid or a om#romising video to #ost on the Internet$ he"d be filming in the #rivate areas. I thought of !odd .imon. Beer& ommer ial dire tor turned reality&show #rodu er. Be ky said we were all in this house for budget reasons. 6ntirely #lausible$ and I was sure she believed that. But someone was ho#ing forBig Brother#style footage. Was it legal4 !hat de#ended on our ontra t. I went u#stairs$ #ulled out my ontra t and gave it a good read. I never sign without studying the ontra t and onsulting with my lawyer. I don"t are if it looks ,ust like the boiler#late I"ve signed a hundred timesI don"t take han es. ButHollywood ontra ts are notorious for their legalese and for their sheer si0e$ and this one had overed every eventuality from!aising $arilyn $onroe4 The $usical to 9aime -egas a tion figures. I found the lause about agreeing to be filmed at theBrentwood house. .eemed obviousI was going to the house to ta#e segments$ so naturally I"d agreed to be filmed. When I reread that lause after finding #inhole ameras$ it took on a whole new meaning. I"d run this #ast my lawyer$ but even if I had grounds for raising a fuss$ I"d be labeled diffi ult$ and my ho#es for my own show would fly out the window. Better to tu k the knowledge into my ba k #o ket and use it to my advantage. If I knew I was being ta#ed$ I ould #ut on a good #erforman e. And I ould make damned sure I didn"t #i k my nose$ s rat h my ass or badmouth anyone in the ommon rooms. As long as they weren"t ta#ing me in my bedroom3 I #ut down the ontra t and sear hed. No ameras. Whew.

A. I headed to breakfast the ne(t morning$ Be ky alled to me from the living room. When I aught u# with her$ she was already vanishing into the study that now served as a ommunal offi e. 1I wanted to thank you for hel#ing us out with +rady yesterday$1 she said as she shut the door. 1I really a##re iate it$ and I want you to be the first to hear /r. .imon"s ama0ing new idea for the show. I ,ust know you"re going to love this.1 I bra ed myself. InHollywood $ the words 1you"re going to love this1 are more #lea than assuran e.

1)ather than #e##er our show with randomsean es $ why not make it a theme41 .he lifted her hands$ #un tuating her words with a ,ab as if #ointing to them on a mar7uee. 1One final urtain all for the tragi dead ofBrentwood .1 1<ou want us to onta t more dead movie stars41 I said finally. 1Not ,ust movie stars.Brentwood stars. !hose killed under mysterious ir umstan es$ like!ansy *ane . A theme$ leading to the grand finale with /arilyn /onroe.1 1It"s an3 interesting on e#t$1 I said arefully. 15ertainly ambitious1 1We don"t e(#e t you to do as well with every ghost as you did with !ansy. <ou an ask how they died$ but we won"t e(#e t any real revelations. We"llinter ut with some talking heads giving their theories$ some old dete tives reminis ing about the ases$ and by the end of the segment$ no one will even noti e that we didn"t a tually find out anything new.1 1It sounds3 interesting.1 Be ky rum#led$ bra ing herself against the desk. 1It"s horrible. I"m so sorry. We"re still having issues with +rady$ and this is /r. .imon"s solution$ knowing how mu h +rady loves working with mysterious deaths.1 1I"m not omfortable with hanging the format at this #oint. It"s been hanged on e$ when they set it in this house$ and I was very understanding about that.1 !error filled Be ky"s eyes. ;art of me wanted to stand my ground and tell her that if she wanted to make the show she envisioned$ then she"d better grow a ba kbone and stand u# to men like Bradford +rady. But another #art of me remembered being young$ ambitious and overwhelmed$ and I wanted to be the one #erson not making this shoot a living hell for her. 1I"ll onsider a hange of format$ but on several onditions.1 1Name them.1 1I want a written guarantee of e7ual s reen time in the final #rodu tion and e7ual#reshow #romotion. Is the!ansy *ane segment in danger of being ut41 1'efinitely not. I"ll get /r. .imon to #ut that in writing. No matter how mu h weight +rady throws around$ your su ess with !ansy stays.1 Her ell #hone rang. A few 7ui k words$ then she hung u#. 1I need to run. !he ne(tsean e will be after lun h. We"re kee#ing the lo ations and sub,e ts a se ret. <es$ I know+rady is an e(#ert and by tonight his team will be fa(ing him dossiers on everysemifamous #erson who died in this neighborhood. But I have a #lan.1

.he headed for the door$ then sto##ed. 1Oh$ and before you leave$ there"s a release form on the desk. 9ust an addendum to your ontra t. It"s in the blue folder. !ake it with you to read over. No rush.1

I O;6N6' the blue folder she"d left on the desk. Inside was a single #rinted sheet. On first glan e$ it looked more like a memo than a release form. .ub,e t8 +abrielle *angdon. !he name sounded familiar$ but I had to read a few lines before I reali0ed what I was looking at8 a detailed summary of the life and death of arguablyBrentwood "s most famous murder vi tim. I sla##ed the folder shut and s anned the desk$ but there were no more blue folders. No folders of any olor. Be ky said she had a #lan$ and now I knew what it was.

I HA' lun h and the early afternoon off$ so 9eremy #i ked me u#. He"d already he ked in with )obert and a se ond #otential sour e8 5lay. *ike 9eremy and 6lena$ 5lay worked #art&time and #rimarily from homethe advantage to having a healthy ommunal bank a ount and little desire for material goods. %rom 9eremy and 6lena$ I knew 5lay was #assionate about his work$ but he rarely talked about it with anyone outside the ;a k. While )obert-asi looked like the stereoty#i al #rofessor$ no one lookedor a tedless like one than 5lay. <et that"s what he was8 an anthro#ologist. His s#e ialty was religions with animal deities. !here"s a name for it$ whi h I an never remember$ and it"s not like he"s about to dis uss it with me anytime soon. 1Any lu k41 I said$ shutting the ar door. 1-ery little$1 he said as he #ulled from the urb. 1A ording to 5lay$ we"re barking u# the wrong tree. Of ourse$ he said it in far more olorful language$ but the #oint he made was that the link between #agan religions$ like Wi a and'ruid,sm $ and sa rifi e is signifi antly overem#hasi0ed in #o#ular ulture.1 1<ou mean they aren"t out there slaughtering babies every full moon4 Bradford +rady would be mightily disa##ointed. And #robably out of a ,ob.1 1Wi ansandsatanists don"t #ra ti e human sa rifi e$ whatever the tabloids might say. But even the more mysterious religions are far more benign than I assumed. Animal sa rifi e$ yes. But not human. !hose that did #ra ti e it did so only in the very distant #ast and have sin e found substitutes more a e#table to ontem#orary mores. One se t 5lay did mention wastantraism .1

1!hat"s related to Buddhism$ isn"t it41 9eremy shook his head. 1!his is different. It"s a religion based inIndia that #ra ti es sa rifi e. 2sually animal sa rifi e$ but re#orts of human sa rifi e do arise$ sometimes hild sa rifi e. !hen there are "muti" murders$ #rimarily in southernAfri a . Not ne essarily human sa rifi e #er se$ but the killing of #eo#le$ often hildren$ for medi ine.1 1'oes that kind of stuff make its way over here41 1I don"t know$ but if I haven"t heard of it$ it"s likely very rare.1 1+ood.1 1!hey suggested we on entrate on the o ult underworld in*os Angeles $ whi h won"t be easy.1 He turned a orner. 1.#eaking of tabloids$ though$ 6lena suggested someone else who might be able to ut through the resear h for us. Ho#e Adams is here for si( months$ on a work& e( hange.1 1Ho#e4 Oh$ right theTrue News re#orter.1 I"d never met her. Her onta t with the oun il was 6lena$ a fellow ,ournalist. A half&demon with a si(th sense for haos$ Ho#e overed #aranormal events for a su#ermarket tabloid. !hrough a werewolf in 9eremy"s ;a k:arl/arsten she"d hooked u# with the oun il and alerted them to any #otentially real su#ernatural a tivity that rossed her desk. .tri tly a volunteer ,ob$ but to kids like Ho#e$ money never seemed to matter. Working for a good ause was #ayment enough.

#EMONS AN# #EBTS

W6 ;A):6' IN A *O! so e(#ensive that in5hi ago $ I"d have e(#e ted valet servi e and a ar wash. It was still a few blo ks to where Ho#e worked$ so 9eremy offered to dro# me off$ but I refused. As we walked down the street$ the smell of falafels and fresh& ut fries reminded me I"d ski##ed breakfast. It was a business distri t$ res#e table enough$ but with little else to re ommend it. A hodge#odge of small offi e buildings and take&out restaurants$ inters#ersed with nail #arlors$ bouti7ues and gourmet offee bars$ as if the neighborhood was taking one last stab attrendiness . I u#dated him on the show situation8 the hidden ameras$ the newly s heduledsean es and

Be ky"s blue file folder. 1And when I made some alls about +rady$ I found out that he is looking to move his show toAmeri a $ but a##arently only for one season$ and his show wouldn"t be anything like mine. <et Be ky"s assistant seemed to think I should be on erned$ and maybe I should.Hollywood e(e utives are notorious for things like this8 they"ll see two s#iritualism shows on the slate and won"t noti e any differen es between them.1 1Have you talked to +rady41 1And say what$ "+et off my turf41 I sighed. 1I know$ you mean ,ust talk to him and get the details. I intended to$ but now with him making more demands$ I"m nervous. I"m already flustered enough over that memo leak about +abrielle *angdon. I know Be ky meant well$ but if I win$ I want to win without heating.1 I shook my head. 1*isten to me. One minute I"m telling you I want to sto# all this om#etition$ the ne(t I"m saying I want to win. I"m so tired of the ba kbiting$ the #osturing$ the lying. 6s#e ially now. I have hild ghosts tra##ed +od knows where$ and instead of hel#ing them$ I"m trying to thwart a twenty&eight&year&old beer ommer ial #rodu er who wants to turn this intoSpiritualist Big Brother .1 1<ou"ve been tired of show bi0 for a while.1 1I know. I an"t wait to get out. Not the stage shows$ ,ust31 1!he television work.1 We turned a orner. 1I know what you"re thinking. I say I want out$ but my sole reason for #utting u# with the ra# on this set is so I an do+ore !-. But I only want a television slot for a few years. On e I"ve built u# more name re ognition$ I an do live shows e( lusively and be more available for the oun il. *ast month$ ;aige invited me to ,oin her on an investigation after months of me #ra ti ally beggingand I had to ba k out be ause it interfered with my talk show s#ots. If I ould s hedule a half&do0en sold&out live shows a year$ I"d be set.1 1<our shows almost sell to a#a ity now$ don"t they41 1<es$ but1 9eremy tugged me ba k as I"d nearly ste##ed off a urb on a 'on"t Walk signal. 1I really need a !- show$ ,ust for a while$ so I an say I had one. It"s always been #art of the #lan.1 1<our mother"s #lan.1 He said it mildly$ with no em#hasis$ not making a #oint$ but I felt it all the same. 1No$ her #lan was forher to get me a !- show. Without her$ I didn"t stand a han e. Or so she thought.1

A tually$ she"d thought I"d never get anywhere without her. And in a way$ she"d been right. At eighteen$ I"d left home$ still too young and ine(#erien ed to make it on my own. I needed a mentor. And a world&renowned s#iritualist had needed a student. But I"d only been doing s#iritualism for a few years$ and my rival for the #osition had been on the ir uit sin e he was ten. .o I made my deal with the devil. It was my boyfriend"s idea. He was a sor erer I"d met through a friend ofNan "s. He"d been older and smart enough to know that$ as tem#ting as bargains with demons seemed$ it was the kind of thing you really wanted someone else to test first3 like a naive and ambitious young girlfriend. !he demon made me a deal8 he"d get me the ,ob$ if I"d hel# him onta t a soul in a hell dimension3 and he"d even tell me how to do it. /y only sti#ulation was that my rival wasn"t killed. A week later$ I"d been told my om#etition had left the business. I never found out why never dared try. I had the ,ob and he was still alive and that was all that mattered. I onta ted that ghostthe s#irit of a serial killer. !he demon 7uestioned him about his rimes$ getting gra#hi details that still haunt my nightmares. But what haunts me more is knowing that the demon ouldn"t have wanted those details for mere uriosity"s sake. He must have had a su##li ant that he wanted to reena t the rimes. .omewhere in the world$ #eo#le had died horrifi deaths$ and it was my fault. !hat was the #ri e I"d #aid for fame. After that$ I limbed the ladder by myselfasking for no favors$ indebted to no one$ relying on no one. If my mother was sur#rised by how far I"d ome$ she never showed it. Almost the first thing she said to me every time we met was$ 1.o$ 9aime$ have you gotten that !- show yet41 I didn"t want it so I ould say$ 1.o there.1 I ,ust wanted to #rove to myself that I ould do it.

1!HA!". !H6 building over there$1 9eremy said. 1I ho#e she hasn"t left for lun h yet. Her voi e mail said she"s in the offi e$ but when I tried leaving a message$ it didn"t seem to work.1 A faint smile. 1Or$ as is more likely$ I was doing it wrong. ;robably not mu h #oint in leaving a message$ as I ouldn"t give a number for her to all ba k.1 1!hat"s right. We need to get you a ell #hone. We"ll do that this afternoon.1 9eremy led me around the orner and sto##ed in the al ove of a three&story building. He #ulled on the door. A bu00er sounded and his ga0e dro##ed to the ;lease 2se Inter om sign. Below the inter om was a dire tory of offi es. He s anned the list$ frown growing. 1;erha#s ",ust #o##ing by the offi e" isn"t going to be as easy as it seemed.1 He #ulled a note#ad from his #o ket and he ked the address$ then read the dire tory again. !here was no listing forTrue News or anything resembling a news#a#er. 1I"m not that sur#rised$1 I said. 15onsidering what they write$ maintaining a low #rofile might be wise or they"d have a steady stream of 2%O and 6lvisre#ortings $ and #robablynot from the sort

of #eo#le you want walking into your offi e unannoun ed.1 1!rue. .o31 1What"s her number41 1Ah. )ight.1 He gave it to me. I #un hed it into my ell$ then handed the #hone to him. He s#oke for a minute$ his voi e too low to overhear. 1.he"ll be right down$1 he said as he handed the #hone ba k. We ste##ed out of the doorway. No more than a minute #assed before the smoked&glass door flew o#en and a young woman ste##ed out. 'ressed in sneakers$ a !&shirt and blue ,eans$ Ho#e Adams looked like aBollywood #rin ess trying to #ass through*.A. in ognito. %ine&boned and tiny$ with deli ate features and golden brown eyes$ she had the kind of fa e that would be as lovely at eighty as it was at twenty. <et she wore that beauty awkwardly$ like a farm girl handed a -era Wang gown$ not 7uite sure how to #ut it on or whether she even wanted to. Her long bla k urls had been yanked ba k in a areless #onytail. Ink smeared one heek like war #aint. Her ga0e lighted on 9eremy and she smiled$ striding over to las# his hand. Her handshake was firm and vigorous$ and a little too mu h of both$ like a ,unior em#loyee alled in for a meeting with the boss$ #retty sure it wasn"t bad news$ but unable to shake that glimmer of fear. 1/r. 'anvers$ good to see you again.1 19eremy$ #lease. And this is1 19aime -egas.1 .he took my hand in a firm gri#. 1It"s a #leasure. .o you two wanted to talk to me about a oun il #roblem4 /y #la e is ,ust down the blo k$ if you"d like #riva y.1

I %O**OW6' Ho#e u# the rear stairs to her walku# a#artment. On the way we"d found a store with #re#aid ell #hones. I showed 9eremy what he was looking for$ then he insisted on handling the #ur hase himself while I went on ahead$ so we didn"t take u# too mu h of Ho#e"s time. .he o#ened to the door to a dark ave haunted by the ghosts of mildew and #ungent food. .omeone had tried to banish them with lemon&s ented leaner and fresh flowers$ but the odors lingered. Ho#e strode in and started o#ening windows. 15an"t get rid of the smell$1 she said. 1I swear it"s embedded in the walls.1 .he fli ked on lights$ but they did little to brighten the #la e. !wo of the three windows gave lovely views of a wall so lose it defied building odes. I walked into the kit hen. %ive ste#s

later$ I was in the living room. 1!iny$ huh4 !he #la e is a hole$ but it fit my budget$ ame furnished and it"s lose to work.1 1It"s ni er than my first few a#artments.1 1I had to fight with the landlord to let me #aint itdoing the work myself and buying my own su##lies.1 .he ran her fingers over the wall. 1!hough$ in the end$ I #robably didn"t do him any favors. A##arently$ you"re su##osed to wash the walls before you #aint. I think that"s why I an"t get rid of the smell.1 I looked over at an arrangement of fresh flowers on the offee table. !here was another$ smaller one on the bookshelf. 1!he flowers brighten the #la e u#.1 15ourtesy of my mom"s most re ent visit. As are the urtains$ throw rug$ #illows3 I #robably have the only #la e in town where the a essories are worth more than the furniture. 6very day I"d go to work$ ome ba k and find something new$ then she"d e(#lain how she hose the fabri or the olor. .till trying to tea h me how to a essori0e. I kee# telling her it"s a lost ausea gene I failed to inherit$ among many.1 .he grinned. 1/oms$ huh4 !hey drive you nuts$ but you know they"re only doing it be ause they love you.1 I nodded as if I knew what that felt like. .he fluffed a #illow$ a wistful look #assing behind her eyes. 1<ou and your mother are lose41 I said. An almost embarrassed smile. 1<eah. I"m the baby. !his is my first time living more than a few miles from home.1 .he walked to the fridge. 15an I get you something old4 Or tea4 5offee41 1Water would be fine.1 .he handed me a ;errier. 1Also ourtesy of /om. When she saw my hea# bottled water$ she had to take me aside for a little heart&to&heart on the state of my finan es.1 .he got a 'r. ;e##er for herself. 1Have a seatOh$ I"d better lear my mail off the table.1 .he sorted as she leared it$ fi(ing bills to the fridge and tossing ,unk mail in the trash. An e(#ensive vellum envelo#e formally addressed to 1/iss Ho#e Adams1 went into a basket with a small sta k of others. 1Invitations41 I said as I #ulled out a hair. 1I wasn"t that #o#ular even after living in*.A. for a de ade.1 1/y mom$ again. When she was down$ she had to make the so iety rounds. Not really her thing$ but it"s e(#e ted$ if only to make onne tions for her hairty and #hilanthro#y work.1

I nodded$ as if I knew all about high so iety. 1.o31 Ho#e waved at the basket. 1Now they all know that Nita Adams"s youngest daughter is in town$ and they"re inviting me to garden #arties and lun heons$ to he k out my suitability.1 1.uitability41 .he grinned. 1As a wife$ of ourse. Never been married. 5ollege graduate. +etting a little long in the tooth at twenty&eight$ but if I"m half as #retty$ witty$ harming and well bred as my mother$ then they"ll overlook that and find me a mat h among theireligibles .1 1!hat sounds very31 1Arranged41 Her grin broadened. 1.o iety here an be worse than inBombay . In some families$ ba kground is still more im#ortant than making a love mat h. /y father"s family ame over on the$ayflower and my mother has Indian royal blood in her veins$ adding the dash of e(oti ism to a #erfe tly res#e table Ameri an name. Of ourse$ if they knew who my real father is$ those invitations would dry u# #retty 7ui kly.1 1<ou never know. <ou"re a rare form of half&demon$ whi h means your dad is #robably #retty high u# the ladder. )oyal blood on both sides.1

96)6/< A))I-6' and together we told her what we were investigating. 1.o$ this grou#$ the ones you think have broken the magi barrier$ #resumably they"d be lo al$ right41 she said. 1Or at least have a lo al bran h. !hat"s why the ghosts would be here.1 1/ost likely$1 9eremy said. 1!hen I know the #erfe t #eo#le for you to talk to. .ome #aranormal s am&busters. !hey know every #erson and rumor onne ted to the su#ernatural. !hey hooked u# with me shortly after I ame to town and we"ve been trading ti#s ever sin e.1 1. am&busters41 I said. 1<ou know what #aranormal investigators are41 1!he bane ofsu#ernaturals everywhere.1 1!hink of these guys as the o##osite. Instead of trying to #rove that the #aranormal e(ists$ they try to un over the s ams and the frauds.1 1*ike unmasking !- s#iritualists41 1Oh31 .he #aused. 1I hadn"t thought of that. But it shouldn"t be a #roblem. I an"t imagine these

guys taking an interest in you. If you were bilking windows of their life savings for #assing messages to their husbands$ you"d be on their radar. But that"s not what you do. If you"re un omfortable$ though$ /r. 'an9eremy and I ould meet with them31 1No$ I"ll be fine. I might not be their favorite sort of #erson$ but we"ll ome u# with a good over story.1

HELPLESS

W6 *6%! HO;6 !O !H6 A))AN+6/6N!.. In the meantime$ 9eremy would make the tele#hone he k&in rounds again$ seeing whether )obert$ ;aige or 5lay had anything new for us. As for me$ as mu h as I hated being distra ted from the investigation$ I had a ,ob to do. !ime for the +abrielle *angdonsean e . We wound u# not at *angdon"s housewhere she"d been murderedbut at a #la e down the street$ where she"d gone for a few ommunity barbe ues. As for why her ghost would linger there$ the intro would give some heart&tugging s#ee h about the good times she"d had in that #la e$ and how those memories would attra t her far more than the nightmares she e(#erien ed at her house. I"d bet my retirement savings$ though$ that this was at the end of a long list of #otential sites$ all of whi h had refused a ess. Only after we arrived did Be ky announ e the sub,e t of thesean e . While we waited for 'r. )obson to set u# his 1ele troni voi e #henomena1 e7ui#ment$ Angeli7ue sidled over to me. 1Isn"t this e( iting41 she said. 1*ord knows$ I was barely more than a tot when #oor +abrielle died$ but I remember 'addy talking about it in hur h. He was ertain the husband did it. A so er #layer$ wasn"t he41 1Baseball.1 .he nodded$ #ro essing. 1.an 'iego ;adres$1 I added. 1.tar #it her.1 Her eyes narrowed as if sus#e ting me of feeding her false information. !hen she lowered herself onto the ben h beside a statue of a nym#h that$ a##arently in kee#ing withHollywood standards$ had undergone a boob ,ob. I glan ed at the statue. Angeli7ue followed my ga0e$ let out a s7ueak and va ated the ben h$ lest she be #hotogra#hed under it. Not in on eivablethe ameraman was #rowling the garden$ getting his setu# shots.

1/aybe you an give me some advi e$ 9aime. I know Well$ I get the im#ression you don"t like me very mu h1 1!hen you"re getting the wrong one$ hon. I"m always thrilled to see a new star in the making. ;lenty of room for all of us.1 .he lifted lim#id eyes to mine. 1)eally4 *ord$ you don"t know what that means to me. I"ve idoli0ed you my whole life$ waiting for this moment$ ho#ing you"d still be around1 1.o you wanted to ask3 41 A 7ui k glan e toward the others. 1<our advi e. I ,ust don"t think it"s fair$ #i kingsean es with these #eo#le that I"ve barely even heard of. It"s3 what"s the word4 Ageist.1 1Ageist41 I tried not to laugh. !ried even harder not to remind her she was su##osed to be getting her stories from the dead$ not from memories of #ast events. 1I su##ose it is.1 1I think Be ky has me s heduled to go first$ and I was wondering whether there was any way you might31 1.wit h s#ots with you4 Be ha##y to.1 1)eally4 Oh$ gosh$ that"s so sweet of you. .o you"ll go first and I"ll take the last #la e$ whi h is hard$ but I think I an manage1 Be ky a##roa hed$ shaking her head. 1I"m sorry$ Angeli7ue$ but the #ositions are set. 9aime goes last.1 1I thought /r. +rady had the last s#ot.1 5laudia hurried over. 1What"s this4 Another hange41 I raised my hands. 1I don"t know what order we"re su##osed to go in$ but I"ll take whatever works for you two. %irst$ se ond$ last$ your hoi e.1 1No$ 9aime$ I"m afraid it isn"t$1 Be ky said. 1<ou"re s heduled last. I an"t hange that.1 As she s#oke$ she shot nervous glan es at me. Had I been the other two$ I"d have inter#reted those glan es to mean Be ky was indeedfol &lowing orders8 my orders. ;rotest$ and I"d sound like a two&fa ed #oseur. !ake Be ky aside and I"d onfirm sus#i ions of ollusion. 'amn it$ I didn"t need this. It was hard enough doing this sillysean e $ when all I ould think about was those hild ghosts. It took all I had not to say 1s rew it1 and walk away from the whole thing. . rew the show. . rew my future in television. I had more im#ortant things to do things I"drather be doing. I for ed my attention ba k on task. As 5laudia harassed Be ky$ and Angeli7ue made #ointed

omments about s#e ial treatment$ I noti ed the ameraman$ ten feet away$ filming the s#at. 1Be ky$1 I murmured. 1I"m sorry$ 5laudia$ but the #ositioning has been set1 I oughed$ and nudged Be ky toward the ameraman. .he glan ed his way$ then ontinued. 1If /r. +rady has a #roblem with this shoot$ then I"d suggest he go ahead and onta t /r. .imon be ause31 I e( used myself and walked away.

!H6 .6AN56 did not go well. .us#e ting that my information was false$ Angeli7ue alled +abrielle"s husband a so er #layer$ then started talking about bullet holes$ when the woman had been stabbed. .eeing her failure on Be ky"s fa e$ she tried to salvage thesean e with boring #ersonal details+abrielle remembered her mother brushing her hair$ +abrielle liked to walk in bare feet$ +abrielle liked #u##iesthe sorts of things im#ossible to onfirm or deny. On to +rady$ who #robably vaguely remembered the ase$ but not &well enough to han e it$ so he found a .#anish on7uistador who"d stumbled on an evil #agan ult and laimed this ghost was so strong he blo ked +abrielle. !hen it was my turn. Be ky ould s ar ely ontrol her e( itement. By #la ing me last$ she"d given me the #rime s#ot for using the details she"d #rovided. I #ulled my non#res ri#tion glasses from my #urse$ and ad,usted my hair fromsemi#inned to a neater doless se(y$ more s holarly. !hen I had them film me sitting under the double&' nym#h$ as I gravely e(#lained the 1 hallenges1 of thissean e . !he geogra#hi onne tion was tenuous at best$ whi h likely e(#lained why no one ould onta t +abrielle. 6ven had we been on the very site of her murder$ I doubted our results would have been mu h better$ given the trauma of her #assing. While we"d ho#ed to hel# lessen her burden by sharing her story with the world$ we had to a e#t that she wasn"t yet ready to do that for herself. ;erha#s someday$ the world would know the truth behind her tragi #assing. 5ut.

1WHA! !H6 hell was that41 Be ky said as I he ked my ell #hone for messages from 9eremy. I losed the #hone. 1What"s wrong41 1<ou didn"t onta t +abrielle *angdon$ that"s what"s wrong.1 I sighed. 1It"s the lo ation. I ould have worked it harder$ but after!ansy *ane $ I thought it best if I didn"t try to show u# the

others.1 I returned my #hone to my #urse$ took out a #en$ then sto##ed$ staring at it. 1Oh$ my god. I"m su h a dit0. !hat release you wanted me to sign. I forgot all about it. I"m so sorry. After you left$ I got a all and walked out without grabbing that folder. I"ll do that as soon as I get ba k to the house.1 1No$1 she said$ words li##ed. 1!hat won"t be ne essary.1 I asked if she minded if I walked ba k to the house while she finished u#. .he waved what I took for a "yes" and strode ba k to the set.

!H6 .!)66! was em#ty. !he houses$ #ushed ba k from the road$ #eeked out from urtains of trees and evergreens. !he rumble of the distant highway was only white noise. 6ven the lawn rew I #assed worked in silen e as they li##ed bushes into submission. A ross the road$ a #ool& leaning tru k idled in a drive$ the fumes harsh against the smell of fresh& ut grass. !here was nothing to see$ nothing to listen to$ nothing to distra t me from burrowing dee# in my thoughts and staying there. I wanted to say 1to hell with this shoot1 and walk off before it got worse$ but I"d earned my own !- show and I was damned well going to get it. A throat leared behind me. I glan ed over my shoulder and aught a glim#se of a blond woman. 1Ni e to see someone walking$1 she said as she fell into ste# beside me. 1Around here$ #eo#le drive to the orner store.1 I nodded$ torn between wanting to be #olite and wanting to be left alone. We ontinued on$ the woman staying beside me in silen e. 1I ho#e I"m going the right way$1 I said finally. 1<ou are. 9ust another blo k and a half.1 1Oh41 I glan ed at her. 1How4 Ah$ there"s not likely to be more than one !- s#e ial filming inBrentwood right now$ is there4 We"re #robably the sub,e t of mu h dis ussion.1 A small laugh. 1;robably. But that"s not why3 I mean$ that"s not how I know31 !he senten e trailed off. I took a better look at her. Any other time$ I"d have #egged her as a stereoty#i alHollywood housewife$ but onsidering where I"d ,ust been and what I"d been doing$ I re ogni0ed her. I sto##ed walking. 1+abrielle$ I didn"t <es$ they were alling you$ butI didn"t1 1I know. Better kee# walking. Bad enough you"re talking to yourself. <ou don"t want to be aught doing it in the middle of the road.1

I resumed walking$ my heart thum#ing. I #ulled out my ell #honean invention that made 1talking to myself1 mu h more so ially a e#table. 1I"m sorry. I"m so1 1sorry. But you shouldn"t be. *ike you said$ you didn"t all me. .ome of us have been3 at hing your show$ so to s#eak.1 I glan ed around$ imagining ghosts$ hidden on the other side of the veil$ wat hing me$ waiting for an e( use to make onta t and ask for hel# I ouldn"t give. 1We don"t get many of your kind around here$ so it was big news. We"re the ones who told !ansy you were alling her and$ well$ seeing you talking to her$ being so ni e$ it gave us ho#e.1 1Ho#e.1 !he word e hoed down the em#ty street$ as hollow and em#ty as its #romise. And it reminded me of an obligation I"d been trying to avoidmy #romise to s#eak to !ansy. A double shot of guilt. I took a dee# breath. 1I don"t blame you for wanting revenge against whoever killed you$ but telling me who it was isn"t going to hel#.1 1)evenge41 .he met my ga0e. 1Idont " want revenge. I ,ust want answers.1 1Answers41 1I don"t&now who killed me. I don"t remember.1 1!hat"s normal1 1Normal41 A bitter laugh. 1I don"t think "normal" has anything to do with my ase. 6veryone knows how I died. 6veryone has an o#inion about who did it. 6veryone thinks they know the truth. 6veryone e( e#t me.1 I didn"t know what to say. 1All I know is who was a used. !he man I married$ the father of my hildren. A riminal ourt finds him inno ent. A ivil ourt finds him guilty. And I don"t know. Istill don"t know.1 Her voi e rose$ then she steadied herself and rubbed her fa e on her sleeve. 1How am I su##osed to s#end eternity not knowing41 If I o#ened my mouth$ I was going to throw u#. It"s ha##ened before. 9ust last s#ring$ I almost lost my dinner on the s uffed shoes of a verystraightla ed old man who"d ried as he begged me to onta t his dead granddaughter and find out who"d ra#ed and murdered her. !hat"s the #ri e I #ayfor every hundred #eo#le I onsole with fake reassuran es$ there"s one whose heart I break by saying no. I used to think the balan e was in my favor$ that I hel#ed more than I harmed. But lately$ I"ve ome to 7uestion that. 1II don"t know what to tell you$1 I said finally. 1I an"t solve your murder.1

1I know$ but isn"t there someone you an ask4 .ome3 higher #ower who an tell me the truth41 1If there is$ I have no way to make that onta t. 1With the afterlife$ I"m restri ted to talking to ghosts like you.1 .he rea hed to take my arm$ frustration and des#air filling her eyes as her fingers #assed through me. .he met my ga0e. 1!hen ,ust tell me what you think. 'id he kill me41 As tem#ting as it was to tell +abrielle what she wanted to hear$ I didn"t have that right. 1What if I tell you no$ and you wait for him$ only to learn I was wrong4 What if I say yes$ and you find out later I was wrong41 1<ou"re right. I"m sorry. I shouldn"t have asked. 'o you3 do you want me to leave now41 I shook my head. 1Walk with me$ if you don"t mind. I ould use the om#any.1

A. W6 neared the house$ my gut started twisting again. How should I handle our #arting4 If I said nothing$ I"d lead the other ghosts to believe that while I might not have been able to hel# +abrielle$ that didn"t mean I wasn"t willing to hear their stories. I"d s#end the rest of this ,ob with ghosts hovering about$ waiting for the e( use to #o# in$ only to be disa##ointed But what was the alternative4 !ell +abrielle to bring them all by$ like serfs granted an audien e with the 7ueen$ telling me their stories$ begging for hel# I ouldn"t give4 I ouldn"t find a killer. I ouldn"t hel# a still&grieving s#ouse find love again. I ouldn"t take an inheritan e away from an ungrateful hild. I ouldn"t sto# an uns ru#ulous #artner from destroying the business they"d built together. /ost time"s$ I ouldn"t even deliver a sim#le messageat best I"d have a door slammed in my fa e$ at worst I"d be re#orted for trying to s am the bereaved. I ouldn"t handle listening to their #leas$ knowing I"d disa##oint them. .elfish maybe$ but everyno hurt too mu h. .o what should I say4 1;lease tell all those other ghosts not to bother me14 How allous was that4 I tell myself that Ido hel#not ghosts$ but the grief&stri ken$ with my show. But does it matter how many #eo#le I reassure if I raise the false ho#es of one4 By s#lashing myself on s reen and stage$ #ro laiming my desire to hel# the grief&stri ken make onta t$ aren"t I lying to the s#irits themselves4 /isleading them into thinking that of all ne roman ers$I'+ willing to hel#4 As we rea hed the drive$ I turned to +abrielle$ to tell her3 I didn"t even know what. But when I looked$ I saw only the em#ty sidewalk.

PART IIII

five years ago$ in this very room$ when we first de ided to es alate our sear h for knowledge to the highest level$ we made a #a t.1 .he looked around the ir le of fa es$ getting a nod from ea h member. !here was no need to remind them what that #a t had been. !hey were all edu ated and rational #eo#le. Indeed$ that very rationality was what had led to the #a t. %or over a de ade they had sear hed for the se ret that would unlo k the ar ane mysteries of the o ult. It had to e(ist. 5ountless an ient te(ts detailing s#ells and rituals ould not all be mere works of fan y. !hey were too #ervasive$ oming from every age$ every ivili0ation$ every orner of the globe and yet$ in many ways$ so similar. !hey"d ome lose several times. 6ven found su ess with minormagi s . But what good was a s#ell that would levitate a #en il an in h4 What they sought was true magi the ability to fully ontrol inanimate ob,e ts$ the elements$ human behavior$ everything those old books #romised. %or a long time there was one thing they"d refused to do. An ingredient they would not olle t$ one that many of the darkest$ most obs ure tomes alled for. 6ven if that was the key$ they"d find another way. When they finally a e#ted that their #rogress had stalledthat they ould go no further without hel#they agreed to one human sa rifi e$ to reassure themselves that this wasn"t the answer. !o be able to say 1we did all we ould do$1 they had to follow the #ra ti e most often #res ribed. Not ,ust human sa rifi e$ but the sa rifi e of a hild. %irst$ though$ they"d needed to #rote t themselves against one another. !hey must all agree this was ne essary. !hey must all #arti i#ate. If it su eeded$ they must agree that it would be re#eated and that they would #arti i#ate for as long as the grou# remained inta t. Anyone who refused or hanged his mind would forfeit his life. Harsh$ yes. But sound. .haring res#onsibility meant sharing blame. !hat was the iron wall that would safeguard their se ret. And now they didn"t need to know why they were being reminded. !hey had only to look around the ir le and see who was missing. /urrayhad not boun ed ba k from his breakdown. %or a while$ he"d seemed fine. But he hadn"t

taken his share of the ash. A week later$ he"d been late for a meeting. /issed a se ond. Withdrew from the grou# so ially. %ound e( uses$ made a#ologies. !he va ation they"d insisted on had only made matters worse$ as if it gave him time to dwell on his misgivings. 1'on has ome to me with troubling news$1 she said. 'on nodded$ fa e grave. 1/urrayhas asked for a ,ob transfer. Out of state.1 A murmur of alarm. 1He didn"t tell me dire tly$1 'on ontinued$ 1but when I sto##ed by his house to s#eak to him last week$ I saw )ealtor business ards on his table$ and overheard him on a all to his firm"s)hode Island offi e.1 1.hould we341 Brian swallowed$ as if his throat had gone too dry to ontinue. 1.hould we wait and see how it #lays out$ in ase he hanges his mind41 .he felt a twinge of annoyan e$ but reminded herself that this was the first time their #a t had been tested. !hey were still ivili0ed beings$ a#able of onsidering all o#tions and allowing the #ossibility of mer y. .o she nodded to !ina$ eding the floor to the #sy hologist. !ina shook her head. 1!he only way to hange his mind would be to remind him of the #a t. !o threaten him.1 Brian shuffled$ learly un omfortable with the o#tion. As he should bethey weren"t be thugs. 1And even if we resort to threats$ given/urray "s #ersonality$ he will #retend to a 7uies e$ but inwardly be ome more resolved to leave the grou#. He will over his tra ks better$ so we an"t find him. If ornered he"ll be more likely to betray us. .he let !ina"s words settle over the room. Waited for everyone to absorb the idea. +ive them the han e to 7uestion it. !hen$ when no one did$ she said$ slowly and arefully$ 1Are we agreed41 !hey were.

/2))A<5A/6 to the ne(t meeting$ and they"d done what needed to be done. Now the others were gone and his or#se lay on the gurney. .he and 'on would dis#ose of it. !here was no need to involve the entire grou# in that #ro essand safer if they didn"t. !ake #art in the killing$ yes. :now where to find the body4 No. 'on was e(amining/urray "s naked body as if it were nothing more than a medi al s hool adaver. 1He"s a lot bigger than that teenager$1 he mused. 1I"d suggest removing the limbs and head and

dis#osing of them as we did the boyin garbage bags.1 .he agreed. He glan ed from his tools to the small oven$ then over at her. 1Waste not$ want not$1 she said. 1!he others don"t need to know. It will be an e( ellent way to ondu t a blind test of the effe tiveness of adult material.1 He nodded and lifted his s al#el.

THE EHRICH %EISS SOCIET!

A! %I-6&!HI)!$ I WA. BA5: IN *.A. with 9eremy$ walking to yet another offi e building$ this one in a far better se tion of town. !he dire tory was #eo#led with a ounting firms$ law offi es and other #rofessional sorts. !he elevators oming down were ,ammed with fleeing workers$ but going u# we had one to ourselves. Ho#e #ressed the button for the tenth&floor law offi e of 'onovan$ /urdo h and )odrigue0. 1Our onta t is the head of the grou#$1 she said as the door losed. 1/ay 'onovan.1 1A lawyer41 I said. 1!hese guys are #rofessionals$ in every sense of the word. We"ve got a ou#le of lawyers$ a2nited5hur h minister$ a #sy hiatrist$ an"(2( Ti+es ,ournalist$ a #rofessor or two3All folks who take this kind of thing very seriously and an ontribute to the ause in their own way. *ike /ay. .he does #rimarily ommer ial law$ but she has a sideline hel#ing lients flee ed by #aranormal s ams. Not a lot of money in itmostly #ro bono$ I thinkbut she"s very #assionate about it. !hey all are.1 !he doors o#ened into a 7uiet lobby$ the silen e broken only by burbling watera fountain set in the wall$ water as ading over an artfully arranged ro k #ile. I ould hear the faintest tinkle of 9a#anese musi . !he walls were done in muted shades of gray and yellow. !he thi k ar#et absorbed all noise. -ery Ben. !hough it was ,ust #ast five$ the offi e seemed em#ty e( e#t for a woman leaning over the re e#tionist ounter$ rea hing down to #e k at the keys and straining to see the distant monitor. .he was tall and slender$ maybe late forties$ with short graying brown hair$ a long #atri ian nose and stylish glasses. .he glan ed u#.

15aught me he king my sto ks.1 Her voi e was low and #leasant$ with an a ent I ouldn"t #la e. 1Nasty habit. I know I should ,ust wait out the bad days$ but I an"t hel# #eeking.1 .he #ut her hands on Ho#e"s shoulders in asemiembra e . 1+ood to see you.1 Ho#e #erformed the introdu tions. /ay aught my hand in a warm$ firm gras#. 19aime -egas. I read something about you being in town. A !- s#e ial$ isn"t it41 1<es. InBrentwood . !rying to raise the ghost of /arilyn /onroe.1 I rolled my eyes. 15heesy as hell but entertaining3 we ho#e.1 1I"m sure it will be. I was at a show of yours in*.A. a few years ba k.1 1Oh41 I managed a laugh. 15he king u# on me41 1No$ a tually I was taking my mother. /y father had died a few months before and she was having a rough time of it. .he"d never been a religious #erson$ and I think that made it harder. .he needed31 /ay #ursed her li#s$ as if sear hing for the right word. 1)eassuran e. I knew from our dossier that your shows do that very well. Benign s#iritualism. I was ho#ing that might hel# her$ and it did.1 1Oh.1 1<ou look sho ked.1 A mis hievous glint lit her dark eyes as she laid a hand on my arm. 1)ather like hearing about a tem#eran e advo ate visiting a saloon4 !hink of us more like /A''. We don"t argue that #eo#le should turn away from the #aranormal$ only that it be used res#onsibly. %or entertainment$ yes. %or setting a grieving mind at rest$ yes. Where we be ome on erned is when it is misused.1 .he led us through the offi e$ still talking. 1!hey say that if you s rat h a yni $ you"ll find a disa##ointed idealist underneath. !hat holds true for many of our members$ myself in luded. .ome of us have had bad e(#erien es with #aranormal s ams. Others$ like myself$ are fas inated by the #aranormal$ and disa##ointed by our inability to find #roof of its e(isten e.1 .he o#ened a door and ushered us into a huge offi e. 1As a hild$ I devoured stories of wit hes$ vam#ires$ werewolves$ ghosts3 I ouldn"t get enough. !hen$ in my teens$ I began "the 7uest" as so many do. +host hunting$ #aranormal grou#s$ faith e(#erimentation$ I did it all. Nothing but disa##ointment. Or so I thought$ until I reali0ed Ihad gained something from it. :nowledge. Having been burned$ I ould see through the s ams. !ogether with a few onta ts I"d made along the way$ I de ided to #ut that e(#erien e to good use and the6hri h Weiss .o iety was born.1 .he glan ed at us. 1'o you know who6hri h Weiss was41

/y mind went blank and I"m sure my fa e followed. 1Harry Houdini$1 9eremy said. /ay nodded. 1Our hoi e of name refle ts our #hiloso#hy. Harry Houdini was$ in his time$ both a debunker and a seeker. He un overed many #aranormal s ams$ and offered ten thousand dollars to any medium who ould #rodu e eviden e of the afterlife under rigorous s ientifi onditions. <et he gave his wife a #rearranged message so that he ould make onta t from the afterlife. 6(#osing frauds while ho#ing for #roof.1 At the ba k of her offi e$ she unlo ked a door and #ushed it o#en. 1And here is the inner san tum. It"s a little unsettling the first time$ so I"ll leave the door o#en while I get offee. !wo other members of our grou# are ,oining us. !hey should be here soon.1

12N.6!!*IN+1 WA. one word for it$ #arti ularly after the Ben #ea e&fulnessof the rest of the suite. *ike big&game hunters dis#laying mounted heads on the wall$ this grou# dis#layed its tro#hies#ara#hernalia from s ams they"d busted. Beneath ea h was a news#a#er li##ing announ ing the bust. I saw everything from tarot ards to a shrunken head$ a wooden wand to an ornate sa rifi ial knife$ an 1e to#lasm1 #hoto to a ,ar ontaining something I didn"t want to s#e ulate on. 1Are these real41 I asked. 1'e#ends on your definition of real.1 Ho#e glan ed out the door$ making sure /ay wasn"t oming ba k. 1*ike that dried&u# hand. !he Hand of +lory. I"ve heard that some real wit hes and sor erers use them$ but that one"s a fake. %ake in the sense that it"s not really magi al. Not fake in the sense that3 well$ it"s a real hand.1 I glan ed at the shrunken head. 1<e#$ that"s real too$1 she said. 1As for how I know that$ let"s ,ust say I have it on im#e able authority.1 1A vision41 9eremy asked as he sat down. .he nodded. 15om#letely freaked me out the first time /ay brought me in here. I was su ked right into the Ama0on and wat hed the former owner of the head lose it.1 1!hat"s your #ower$ isn"t it41 I said. 1<ou see31 1'eath$ destru tion and all that fun stuff. Other half&demons get a s#e ial #ower without a demon"s attra tion to haos. !hat attra tion isall I get. )aw deal.1 .he said it lightly$ but her e(#ression wasn"t nearly so fli##ant. I thought about thatwalking

into a #la e where someone died and not seeing a ghost$ but flashing ba k to the death itself. .eeing it. Hearing it. .melling it. *iving it. /aybe seeing ghosts wasn"t so bad after all.

/A< IN!)O'256' us to )ona +rant and Ba k %lynn$ and e(#lained their ba kgrounds. )ona +rant was a medi al resear her$ one of the founding members of the grou#. In the eighties$ when she"d onsidered a areer in #sy hiatry$ her mentor had s#e iali0ed in satani ult memory retrieval. In other words$ he"d take #atients with a s#e ifi set of #resenting fa tors and 1regress1 them$ where they"d dis over they"d been hild vi tims of satani ritual abuse. What )ona saw in those sessions had made her un omfortable enough to do some resear h of her own$ and she"d be ome one of the leading #ro#onents of the 1false&memory syndrome1 theory$ whi h says that our memories$ far from being re#resentations of fa t$ are a mi( of fa t and fantasy. !he work of )ona and others #roved that most of the memories of these satani ult vi tims were$ in fa t$ thera#y&indu ed fantasies. Ba k %lynn was a newer member$ not mu h older than Ho#ethe"(2( Ti+es ,ournalist she"d mentioned. His laim to fame had been a series of investigative re#orts$ un overing a #air of fortune tellers whose seemingly harmless business working the #sy hi fair ir uit had masked a multimillion&dollar identity theft ring. His area of e(#ertise didn"t seem likely to hel# us$ but seeing him sneak sidelong glan es at Ho#e$ after /ay made sure they sat together$ I ould tell Ho#e"s mother"s so iety friends weren"t the only ones #laying mat hmaker. /ay had already e(#lained our over story to the otherswhi h was that$ having seen many ases of 1#aranormal abuse1 myself$ I was onsidering a do umentary on the sub,e t. While my area was s#iritualism$ my ba kers wanted to in lude more sensational to#i s$ like ritual abuse$ animal sa rifi e$ even$ #erha#s$ human sa rifi e. What I was looking for$ then$ was lo al grou#s who either laid laim to su h things or were rumored to engage in the #ra ti es. 1An e( ellent sub,e t$1 /ay said. 1And wel ome e(#osure for our ause. As titillating as su h to#i s are$ it is too easy to vilify inno ent #eo#le.Wi ans $ for e(am#le$ are some of the most #ea eable #eo#le I know$ yet they"re reviled as wit hes. And don"t even get me started on the misunderstandings about the hur hof.atan . 6ven reasonable #eo#le who hold no #re,udi e againstWi ans and other #agans would hide their ats and babies if asatanist moved in ne(t door.1 )ona said$ 1Whi h is not to say that there aren"t #eo#le out there #ra ti ing animal sa rifi e and su h. It does ha##en. As for who you ould talk to31 !he three brainstormed a short list of onta ts. /ost were not #ra titioners$ but e(#erts or former #ra titioners with grou#s known or believed to #ra ti e the 1darker arts.1 As short uts went$ this one was more safe than short ir umventing the dangerous underbelly of the#seudo#aranormal world. !hat underbelly was where we"d have to eventually go$ but there

was no way to tell these #eo#le thatnot with the over story we"d given. We took the names$ hatted for a bit$ then thanked them. /ay gave us her #hone numbers and offered to hel# in any way she ould. As /ay and )ona led 9eremy and me out$ I glan ed ba k at Ho#e. .he was laughing at something Ba k said$ and waved us on. In the lobby$ /ay and )ona headed down to the underground lot while 9eremy and I went out the front door. 1.hould we wait for Ho#e41 I said. 1We"ll start walking. I e(#e t she"ll be along soon.1 1+uess she"s not seeing :arl/arsten anymore$ huh41 He glan ed at me$ brows knitting. 1Oh$ you mean31 He nodded. 1As for :arl$ I"m not ertain she ever was involved with him. Whatever their relationshi#$ they"re still in onta t. In staying behind to hat with that young man$ I think she has something other than roman e in mind. 'id you noti e when they were giving us the list4 He learly wanted to add something$ but was un ertain.1 1/issed that om#letely. I was busy ,otting down names and groaning over the thought of doing all these interviews.1 He hu kled. 1I don"t blame you.1 1.o you think the grou#"s hiding something4 .omething they didn"t want Ba k telling us41 9eremy shook his head. 1/y guess is it"s a wild1 19aime41 I turned to see )ona hurrying u# behind us. 9eremy ar hed a brow my way$ as if to say that Ba k might not be the only one who hadn"t s#oken u# inside. 1.orry$1 )ona said as she aught u#$ her large form shaking as she whee0ed from the e(ertion. 1I wanted to give you my ard. /ay an be diffi ult to onta t at timeses#e ially on ourt days.1 .he handed us ea h a business ard. 1;lease don"t hesitate to onta t me if you have 7uestions or if you ,ust want a sounding board. !he #aranormal an be a onfusing area to navigate$ and a guide is always useful.1 1I"m sure that"s true$1 9eremy said. 1!hank you.1 When she left$ 9eremy wat hed her go$ then steered me into a offee sho#. 1*et"s take a seat in the window and wat h for Ho#e.1

HO;6 ;A..6' the offee sho# window a few minutes later$ as 9eremy was still waiting in line. I waved her in. 9eremy alled her over to get her order$ then ,oined us with take&out offees. We headed outside. 1'id %lynn tell you whatever he was holding ba k in the meeting41 9eremy asked. 1<ou #i ked that u# too4 <ou should be a re#orter. <es$ Ba k has a sour e he wanted to #ass on$ a shady oneand #robably an unreliable one.1 1Whi h is why he was relu tant to mention it in front of the others.1 .he nodded. 1/ay is trying to give us res#e table onta ts. !his guy is anything but. His name is 6ri Botni k . .traddles the line between serious #ra titioner and wannabe. He runs an o ult sho# and heads a grou# that alls itself the 'is i#les ofAsmodai . Not affiliated with any known faith #ra ti e. Into some3 7uestionable stuff.1 1How 7uestionable41 I asked. 1/ainly se(ual. 'efinitely not to be onfused withWi an ortantri se( magi . !his is hard& ore . and /. 6m#hasis on submission and dominan e. +rou# se( with bondage$ flagellation and bloodletting. It"s su##osed to release magi al energies.1 12h&huh.1 16(a tly. !he whole thing sounds like an e( use to indulge in some hard& ore fetishes. But Ba k saysBotni k is very serious about the magi angle$ even if his grou# members may be there to s rat h other it hes.1 1Any link to hildren41 I asked. 1As far as Ba k knows$ the 'is i#les are all onsenting adults. While they haven"t found any ause for on ern$ the grou# kee#s a lose eye on them. Ba k says /ay has it in forBotni k .1 1.he thinks he"s into something darker than onsensual bondage41 1Ba k seems to think /ay ,ust doesn"t likethat #art$ but /ay"s never stru k me as the losed& minded sort. *ive and let live$ I think she"d say3 unless she sus#e ted not all the women in the grou# were as onsenting asBotni k laims. !hen she"d be all over it.1 1Ah.1 1Now$ with the over story you gave$ it"s this 'is i#les ofAsmodai grou# that Ba k thinks might interest us. But what I think you"ll find more interesting is something else aboutBotni k . One of

Ba k"s informants in this underground told him thatBotni k"s been #romising his grou# that something big is on the hori0on. He"s been hinting at a ma,or breakthrough. .omething about #owerful magi . !rue magi .1 I ho ked on my offee. 9eremy #atted my ba k. 1.orry$1 Ho#e said. 1I should have #refa ed that by saying it sounds like a better lead than it #robably is. A ording to Ba k$Botni k has serious redibility issues. !he guy"s been #romising his followers this "true magi " for months. Ba k thinks it"s ,ust a #loy to kee# disgruntled dis i#les from leaving the flo k. He hasn"t even mentioned it to /ay and the othershe had an embarrassing e(#erien e last year when he gave /ay a hot ti# aboutBotni k that went nowhere and she was not #leased.1 1.till sounds like something we need to he k out.1

#ISCIPLES OF ASMO#AI

HO;6 %O2N' WO): AN' HO/6 A'')6..6. forBotni k . 9eremy$ with his new #re#aid ell$ headed out on a tra king e(#edition. He invited me along$ but I figured I"d only get in the way. Hunting was his area. I"d stay behind with Ho#e as she dug u# details on the onta t names the6hri h Weiss .o iety had #rovided us. We went to her offi e. No need to worry about being aught resear hing . and / ults on an offi e om#uterin Ho#e"s line of work$ she"d get ommended for #utting in the e(tra effort. No one else was working overtime. !he offi e was barely larger than her a#artment$ and not nearly as lean. It stank of burned offee$ stale burritos and overflowing ashtrays that shot a middle finger to the state"s work#la e smoking ban. !here was one semi#rivate room$ #resumably for the editor. In the main area$ a entral table was overed with #a#ers$ #rinters and fa( ma hines. %our to si( desks were rammed along the walls it was tough to tell the e(a t number$ the way #a#ers s#illed from one surfa e to the ne(t$ and ables snaked everywhere. As we #i ked our way through the able ,ungle$ Ho#e e(#lained that few of the staff worked from the offi e. /ost s#ent their days on the streets$ tra king down the latest elebrity infidelity or #lasti surgery rumor. We"d ,ust settled in when 9eremy alled to say he"d foundBotni k losing down his sho#. He"d

follow him and see where he went. When I hung u#$ Ho#e was ta##ing away at the keyboard. I glan ed at a sta k of #a#ers. !he to# one looked like an edited #rintout of an arti le with her byline. 1/ind if I3 41 I waved at the arti le. 16n,oy. Oh$ and I think we need to bring that #arti ular ase to the attention of the oun il right away. 'efinitely threat #otential.1 1'emon transmitters in breast im#lants41 1Hey$ at least it"s not alien transmitters. <ou have no idea how si k I am of alienssightings$ im#lants$ abdu tions3 it never ends. But demons4 !hat"s a lot rarer. Obviously the whole "im#regnating human women and reating a master ra e to take over the world" thing isn"t working out for them. If I"m the best they an do$ the a#o aly#se is in serious trouble. As a ba ku# #lan$ ontrolling large&breasted women isn"t too shabby.1 1.tart with subliminal messages in,ustler . Work your way u# toPlayboy 3 I an see it.1 1If anyone an bring down the #oliti ians in this ountry$ it"s hot women with breast im#lants.1 I laughed. 1Any more ti#s for the oun il in here41 I asked$ #ointing to the sta k. 1Nah. !here"s a #ie e on a body found with fang marks. 5assandra and Aaron sus#e t it"s a vam#ire"s annual kill. !hey"re investigating$ and will give the areless vam# a sla# on the wrist$ but they told me not to bother killing the story. 5or#ses with fang marks4;asse . And even if my editor had wanted me to investigate it for a full&blown arti le$ I ould onvin e him it wasn"t worth the in hes. !hat"s mostly what I donot so mu h su##ressing real su#ernatural stories as down#laying them and$ in most ases$ like this one$ even that isn"t ne essary.1 1/ust be an3 interesting ,ob.1 .he grinned. 1Oh$ ome on. .ay it. 5heesy is the word.1 1<ou"re talking to a woman who #retends to onta t the dead and returns the same message every time. 5heesy is my life.1 1%un$ isn"t it41 I smiled. 1<es. <es$ it is.1 We talked about her ,ob as she ontinued to sear h forinforma&tion $ multitasking like a #ro. After a half&hour$ 9eremy alled again to say he was outsideBotni k"s home. He"d kee# wat h for another hour or so$ see whether this was ,ust a #it sto# or if the man was settling in for the night.

At nine&thirty$ 9eremy he ked in.Botni k who lived alonehad eaten$ and was now in front of the television. As it looked likely he was home for the duration$ 9eremy de ided it was a good o##ortunity to take a loser look at his store. He asked me to #ass him to Ho#e. At his re7uest$ she 0oomed in on an aerial #hotogra#h ofBotni k"s sho#$ then relayed its layout and #otential entry #oints. 1.o you"re doing a little B and 641 she said. 1!oo bad :arl"s in/assa husetts .1 .he #aused. 1Ah$Ari0ona this week$ is it4 +lad someone knows where that man is. If you need him$ though$ you tell him to haul his ass over here. Whatever ,ob he"s #ulling$ he doesn"t need the money and this is more im#ortant.1 .he ta##ed at her keyboard. 1.#eaking of hel#$ ould you use ours 4 We an be there in1 .he #aused. 1No$ I understand$ but I ould hel#. :arl"s taught me a few things about asing a #la estri tly for information$ of ourseand I"m sure the e(tra eyes would ome in handy.1 Another #ause. .he nibbled her li#$ eyes down as she listened. 1I know$ but I"d love to hel#$ risks or no risks. Hey$ if things do go wrong$ I"ll even take the fall for you. I"m an ambitious tabloid re#orterno one"s going to 7uestion why I"m breaking into a #la e like that. ;lus$ it"s e(#erien e$ right4 If I"m hel#ing the oun il$ I need to build u# my arsenal of skills$ legal and otherwise.1 !here was a note of #u##yish #leading in her voi e. .he reminded me of ;aigealways in the thi k of things$ taking any risk to hel# others. %rustrated from hours of resear h$ I found myself sharing her enthusiasm$ even se onding it loud enough for 9eremy to overhear. After a moment$ she grinned at me$ flashed a thumbs&u#$ then handed ba k my #hone. 1He wants us to meet him in the lot behind the sho# in ninety minutes. !hat"ll give him time to find a way in first.1 .he turned ba k to her om#uter$ ontinuing down the list. 1.o :arl/arsten is giving you break&and&enter ti#s41 1Against his will. He doesn"t like me doing stuff like that. But we have an agreement. He tea hes me B and 6 and I ook for him. <ou know werewolves.1 .he grinned. 1%eed them well and feed them often$ and you an win any argument.1 I wished it was that easy with 9eremy. %or him$ food was ,ust fuel. Whi h was okay with me$ be ause ookinglike most domesti skillswasn"t one of my strong #oints. 1.o I guess you and :arl are together41

1Nah. 9ust friends.1 .he #rinted off a #age. 1!hat"s strange enough. I"m a half&demon with delusions of rime fighting. He"s a werewolf ,ewel thief. *ogi ally$ we shouldn"t be able to stand one another. But as a friendshi#$ it works.1 .he hit #rint again$ then #ushed ba k her hair. 1Okay$ let"s see what we"ve got.1

W6 W6)6 eying the lo k when Ho#e"s ell #hone rang. As she glan ed at the dis#lay$ she ursed under her breath$ hesitated$ then seemed to think better of it and answered. A string of 1uh&huhs1 followed$ her shoulders slum#ing with ea h one. After listening to the aller for at least thirty se onds$ she said$ 15ould this wait until morning4 I"m hot on a trail tonight1 ;ause. 1It"s still in the early stages$ but it"s about ritual magi 1 ;ause. 1I know we overed that new -oodoo lub o#ening last month$ but this is different1 ;ause. .he losed her eyes$ sighing softly. 1<es$ yes$ I"m sure a "Bigfoot in*.A. " story doesn"t ome along all that often but1 ;ause. A dee#er sigh. 1Okay$ I"m on it.1 When she hung u#$ I said$ 1Bigfoot41 1A##arently he"s been s#otted utting through an alley near a night lub.1 I #aused. 1I hate to break it to you$ but it"s #robably1 1A guy #romoting a new movie4 Or "/onster ;i00a"4 I know. .o does my editor. It doesn"t matter. !he #oint is that multi#le witnesses laimed to have seen Bigfoot. !hat"s indis#utable. .o I go out$ interview some stoned lubbers$ olle t grainy ell&#hone#i &tures of the monster and write it u# under the headline "Bigfoot .#otted in *. A.4"1 1I see.1 1It"s the 7uestion mark that makes the differen e. We"re not saying hewas in*.A. ,ust that the laim was made.1

12h&huh.1 1!abloid ,ournalism8 where the truth omes with many loo#holes$ and we know how to e(#loit every one of them.1 .he turned off her om#uter. 1!he lub is on the way toBotni k"s #la e. We an share a ab. I"m going to whi# through this monster story$ then fly ba k to hel# you guys.1

I HA' the ta(i driver dro# me off a blo k from the sho#$ ,ust in aseBotni k re#orted the break& in later. As I s anned the road$ lined with #awn sho#s and massage #arlors$ I reali0ed I was being over autious. Break&ins in this neighborhood wouldn"t warrant more than a #oli e dro#&in. 6ven if someone did anvas the ta(i om#anies" dro#&offs$ I looked sus#i ious only in that I didn"t seem like someone seeking a late&night body rub. +iving them maybe. /y li king heels e hoed like a siren"s all to would&be muggers. I walked slower$ trying to muffle the sound. )ather than fret over being dro##ed off too lose to the s ene$ I should have been onsidering the wisdom of wearing high heels to a break&and&enter. Behind me$ a ar rounded the orner$ engine revving. I walked faster. !he entran e to the sho# #arking lot was less than a store length away. Better to get there before the on oming ar rea hed me or I might suffer the humiliation of being mistaken for a hooker within earshot of 9eremy. I did u# a button and walked faster. 19aime41 I ,um#ed. 9eremy ste##ed from an al ove$ hand going to my arm to steady me. I ra##ed him with my knu kles. 1We"re belling you. I swear it.1 He smiled$ then s anned the street. 1Is Ho#e oming41 1Bigfoot took her away.1 I e(#lained. 1But she"ll #hone if she finishes in the ne(t hour or so.1 I let him guide me down the sidewalk. 1'id you get inside already41 He nodded. 1Botni kseems the ty#e who relies more on steel doors and bars than alarms. ;robably wise in a neighborhood like this.1 1But not so smart if your break&in artist has su#erhuman strength.1 1Hmm. .till not easy$ but I found a way.1

He steered me into a gravel #arking lot bo(ed in by buildings$ ea h wall #e##ered with more No ;arking signs than there were s#ots to #ark. It looked barely big enough to fit a ou#le of ars and a delivery tru ka small one. !he full moon shone from a multitude of rut #uddles. A bright yellow orb with not so mu h as a wis# of loud over it. I looked at 9eremy$ but knew the full moon meant little to him. )eal werewolves need to hange form more than on e a month$ and they do so on demand$ not with the #hases of the moon. He"d said on e that they often did take advantage of full moons for hunts$ but only be ause it was easier to see. I aught a movement in the shadows. 9eremy"s head swung toward it$ hand gri##ing my arm tighter$ #ulling me ba k as if shielding me. A at slunk between trash bins. .eeing us$ it fro0e. Its orange fur #uffed u# as it s#it and hissed$ a feline fireball$ bright against the gloom. 9eremy made a noise dee# in his throat. !he at tore off$ its #aws s rabbling against the gravel$ a fiery streak ra ing for over. I twisted to say something$ but 9eremy was s anning the lot$ eyes narrowed$ making sure that the at was the only intruder. His hand still gri##ed my arm and he ke#t me so lose I ould feel the thum# of his heart against my shoulder. His fa e was taut and wary$ mouth a thin line$ the #ulse in his ne k throbbing. When I shifted$ he loosened his gri# and rubbed my arm$ as if refle(ively reassuring me$ his ga0e and mind still busy he king for danger. One last s an$ then his hand slid to s7uee0e mine as he #assed me a rooked smile$ as if he didn"t like being aught doing something that ame naturally to a werewolf$ but might look odd to me. He led me to the farthest door. It was solid metal$ and I ould see no sign that it had been #ried o#en$ yet the #lasti 'eliveries #la7ue over the bell onfirmed it wasAtrumAr ana $Botni k"s store. 1How did you get1 He was already gliding alongside the building and ame to a sto# at a wooden bo( with a hinged lid. A garbage bin$ ,udging by the stink and the oo0ing #uddles beneath. He bent$ getting a gri# on the bo($ and heaved it away from the wall. Behind it was a window with a ra k of bars #ro##ed beside it. 1I don"t su##ose those were already onveniently removed$1 I whis#ered. He shook his head. 1Im#ressive.1 A gra eful shrug. 1!hey weren"t affi(ed very well. /ore for show$ I"d wager. He #robably thinks hiding the window is se urity enough. Not mu h of a hallenge.1 1<ou sound disa##ointed.1

A soft laugh. He motioned me loser to the o#en window. As he handed me a flashlight$ I noti ed he was wearing gloves. 1Only brought one #air$ I"m afraid$1 he whis#ered. 1Not very well #re#ared.1 1<ou bought gloves and a flashlight. I showed u# in a skirt and heels. Who"s not #re#ared41 1Breaking and entering was hardly on our minds when I #i ked you u# at the house.1 1/aybe so$ but ne(t time$ I"m #a king a bag.1 He hel#ed me through. With the moonlight blo ked by the trash bin$ the room was #it h bla k. 6ven the flashlight only illuminated a basketball&si0e ir le. I ast it around as he rawled in behind me. It looked like a storage loset. In front of me$ a shelf heldmailorder su##liessta ks of folded bo(es and bags of #a king material. !o my left$ there was a narrow shelf tower with floor leaner$ blea h$ rags$ drain o#ener$ rat #oison and at food. On first seeing the at food$ the o#timist in me wanted to say$ 1.ee$ the guy may run a hard ore se( ult$ but he still feeds the neighborhood strays.1 .eeing the food ne(t to the rat #oison$ though$ I had to sus#e t it was more a lure than a handout. <ou an"t run a de ent bla k magi ult without sa rifi ing a at now and then. 9eremy was leaning out the window$ #ulling the trash bin ba k into #la e. As I turned$ I saw that the storage loset also doubled as the sho# bathroom. No sign of a sink. -ery sanitary. !here was a sta k of reading material by the toilet. /aga0ines. !he to# one showed a woman bound and gagged$ her eyes rolling in hel#less terror. 9udging by the si0e of her breasts$ though$ she wasn"tco+pletely hel#lessswing one of those at the right angle and you ould kno k a guy out. 9eremy ste##ed u# beside me. His ga0e followed the flashlight beam. I whis#ered$ 1.omething tells me the 'is i#les get more ins#iration from those than fromAsmodai .1 He shook his head and looked away$ distaste on every feature. I rea hed for the door handle$ then sto##ed and waved 9eremy forward. He o#ened it$ then took off one glove and #assed it to me. When I started to refuse$ he #ushed it into my hand. 1<ou an"t sear h if you an"t tou h anything.1 I #ulled the glove on. 1Is there anything else4 .e urity ameras$ maybe41

He shook his head. !hat made sense. A #la e like this$ the lientele wouldn"t want to be aught on amera. We ste##ed inside.

HAR# CORE

THE #OOR OEPNE# BEHIN# A SALES CO NTER&/y ga0e went to the gray safe under it. 16venyou an"t break that o#en$1 I whis#ered. 1I shouldn"t need to. Imagine you"reBotni k 1 1)ather not.1 He smiled. 1%or the sake of argument only. If this store is robbed$ where"s the first #la e a serious thief will go$ after the ash register41 I #ointed to the safe. 1.o$ while you may kee# files$ he ks and valuable mer handise in there$ it"s not the #la e for anything not easily re#la ed$ in luding items you an"t re#ort to an insuran e om#any.1 1*ike as#ellbook $ a ritual ,ournal or a list of onta ts. Is that the kind of thing we"re looking for41 He nodded. 1'o uments$ #rimarily. Books$ ,ournals$ orres#onden e$ onta t lists$ anything related to magi or his ult. I"m going to sear h his offi e. 5ould you take the sho# floor41 1Will do.1 !H6 mid area dis#layed a mi( of o ult and . and / #ara#hernalia$ everything from magi fetishes to toys for fetishists. ;retty mild stuff on both ounts. A wall dis#lay of hand uffs$ from metal to rubber to andy. A bookshelf of titles5ccult $ysteries !e%ealedand!ituals for Beginners the ty#e of te(ts you"d find in a regular bookstore. A ra k of whi#s that looked more like #ro#s than torture devi es. 5andles$ amulets$ hali es$ even a dis#lay of organi herbal teas made by a lo alWi an .

:ee#ing my flashlight down$ so the light ouldn"t be seen through the smoked front window$ I fli##ed through a few items. 2nder the dis#lays$ I found u#boards$ but they were all unlo ked and held only e(tra sto k of items already out. !o the far left was a losed door marked 6m#loyees Only. Not a bathroom$ whi h I"d already found. Not the offi e9eremy was in there. I walked over and tried the handle. *o ked. 19eremy41 I whis#ered. 1+ot a lo ked door.1 He ste##ed from the offi e$ walked over and bent to he k the lo k. 1*ooks like a good$ shar# twist1 I began. He held u# a key ring. 1or the key$1 I finished as he tried one. 1/akes our entry less obvious. I found them under the register. !he offi e was lo ked$ as well$ so I think there should be one for1 !he lo k li ked. 1!here.1 He o#ened the door. ;it h bla k. He #eered around the orner$ eyes narrowing as he strained to see$ his night vision #robably as good as my flashlight. I ta##ed his arm. 1I"ve got it$1 I said. A small smile. 1.orry. 9ust urious.1 He ba ked out and returned to the offi e. I ste##ed through the doorway into a s#a e no bigger than a loset and bare$ with urtains on either side. I #i ked the one on my right and #ulled it ba k. Inside was a larger storage area$ maybe as big as the one we"d first entered. It was lined with shelves filled with bo(es and ,ars. I lifted the light to one large ,ar and ,um#ed ba k. Inside$ a fetus floated in #reservative. I s anned the bottles. /ostly body #arts. Organs it looked like. I shone the flashlight into a bo(. It was filled with bags$ ea h ontaining a dried #ie e of something3 or someone. All the bags and ,ars were labeled$ but only with referen e numbers. !he ode was #robably in the offi e. I"d get 9eremy to look$ but first I rifled through the bags$ trying to ignore a #air of floating eyeballs that stared down at me. 'ried bits I an handlebeen doing it all my life. It was hard to tell how many of these were human. /any were ,ust indistinguishable$ shriveled gray #ie es. .ome were learly not human8 a bat wing$ a furry tail$ a #ointed ear. I #ushed aside a bag of teethshar#$ #robably rodent. 2nderneath was something definitely human8 a thumb. I lifted it. 6ven dried and shriveled$ it was obviously adult.

I #eered into the bo(. 2nder where the thumb had lain there was a tube of dried skin. !oo big to be a finger. I lifted the bag into the light$ took a better look andye#$ human. /ale human. 'efinitely not something you"d find in ray bag of body bits. I looked at the rows of bo(es and ,ars. !ime to get 9eremy. As I ba ked u#$ my heel aught on something and I looked down. It was an odd #la e for an area rug. /y heel had tugged it aside to reveal wood set into the on rete. I bent and #eeled ba k the rug. 'ust flew u#. As I oughed$ I thought of the dried bits andhoped this was dust. 2nder the rug lay a tra# door. Hinged. A re essed handle. No obvious lo k. I grabbed the handle and gave an e(#erimental tug. Nothing. I #ulled hard. !he door swung o#en. A ladder stret hed into darkness. 6ven with the flashlight$ all I ould see was a narrow hute. 'efinitely time to get 9eremy. I losed the tra# door. As I #ushed ba k the urtain$ I remembered the room a ross the way. I should #eek in there$ so I ould tell him I"d he ked out everything. I o#ened the other urtain and3 stared. A metal helmet stared ba k. 'ull bla k metal with tiny nose holes$ the eyes and mouth solid. !here was a hinge on one side and a lo k on the other. I thought of it losing over my head and instin tively gas#ed for air. I #ulled my ga0e from the helmet and looked around. It was another storeroom$ with shelves and hooks$ sto ked not with body #arts but bondage gear. !he room stunk with the ri#e s ent of leather and sweat and something a rid$ vaguely familiar. 2rine. As I #ulled ba k$ my ga0e went to a whi#one that bore no resemblan e to the toys out front. Braided leather$ with the braids undone at the end$ ea h strand finished with a metal weight. !he strands were stained dark. Blood. I onsider myself se(ually e(#erien ed. -ery se(ually e(#erien ed$ and for me$ se( has always been about entertainment. But looking over those shelves$ I felt like a onvent girl. 1I think we an safely assume that we won"t find any answers in there$1 9eremy murmured at my shoulder. I ,um#ed$ overed it with a small laugh. 1. ary stuff$ huh4 /ost of it$ I an only guess what it"s used for. And some of it$ I don"t even want to guess. !hat helmet alone is enough to give me nightmares.1 I let the urtain fall. 1I was ,ust oming to get you. I found a few things in there.1 I #ointed at the other urtain. 1+ood. I was ho#ing you were having more lu k than me.1 He #ulled ba k the other urtain and surveyed the shelves$ frowning.

1;arts$ dried and #i kled$1 I said. 1And for me$ way less disturbing than what"s in that other room. !his stuffthe dried bits at leastare right u# my alley. I"ve identified some of them. /ost seem to be animal.1 I lifted the bat wing. 1A few hidden at the bottom are obviously human.1 I lifted a few more8 the ear$ the toe$ the teeth and the 1tube.1 9eremy frowned at the tube. 1What is4 Ah$ I see.1 1/ale.1 1It would a##ear so.1 1And almost ertainly adult$ des#ite the shrinkage.1 I waved at the ,ars. 1I"m not so good with the #i kled and the less whole #ie es. <ou"re better at anatomy$ so I was ho#ing you ould identify them.1 He s anned the shelf. 1/ost are organs$ #rimarily animal$ though it"s not always easy to tell.1 I lifted my ga0e to the floating fetus. 1And that41 1;ig.1 1Whew.1 He moved a ou#le of ,ars aside with his gloved hand$ to get a look at the ones behind it. 1Before you get too involved in identifi ation$ there"s something else I should show you.1 I #ointed the flashlight at the tra# door. 1Now$ that"s #romising.1 He o#ened it and #eered down. 1.ee anything41 1Not without going down.1 He turned around and started doing ,ust that. 1Are you sure we should41 He #aused. 1<ou"re right. <ou"d better wait here.1 !hat wasn"t what I meant$ but he"d already vanished into the darkness. I knelt and leaned into the hole. 19eremy41 I #assed down the flashlight.

1No$1 he said. 1<ou kee#1 1!ake it. All I"m doing is sitting here.1 He ame u# a ou#le of stairs and took the flashlight$ then disa##eared$ and the room went dark. -ery dark. I lifted my hand and ouldn"t see it. I tried not to think of those sus#ended eyeballs staring down at me. A random thought flashed through my brain. Was there any han e I ould reanimate those3 bits4 By a ident4 I tried not to think of it but$ of ourse$ thought of it all the more$ images of B& grade horror movies flashing #ast$ those bits and #ie es taking on life .illy$ of ourse. It"s tough enough for a ne roman er to bring a full body ba k to life. Not the sort of thing I ould do a identally thank +od. And if a 0ombie loses a body #artwhi h they tend to do$ with the rotting and allthe #arts don"t stay alive$ ree#ing along of their own volition. But how mu h of a or#se had to be left in order to be raised4 Would a head be enough4 Were there any heads in those ,ars4 A light fli kered in the hole. 9eremy oming ba k4 !he light bobbed away again. I stu k my head down as far as I ould without to##ling in headfirst$ but the ladder stret hed down a hute at least four feet long. I twisted around and #ut my foot on the first rung. 9ust a 7ui k #eek. /y toes slid off the rung and I had to at h the edge of the hat h to kee# from falling. <et another reason why heels were a really bad idea. /aybe if I took them off3 No$ I"d #robably miss the rungs in the dark and still fall down the ladder. .omeone laughed. I went still. A muffled male voi e. +hosts4 A rattle$ then the reak of an o#ening door$ keys ,angling against the steel. 1!hink we"re the first ones here.1 1*ooks like it.1 A woman. 1Oh$ here omes 6ri .1 Okay$ not ghosts. Worse. I leaned into the hat h$ to all for 9eremy$ then fro0e$ #i turing the o#en door ,ust a few feet away. %eeling my way out$ I went through the urtain$ then slid behind the half&o#en door. 1Where"s that light swit h41 the woman asked. 1Beside the front door.1 1Ah.1

I eased the storeroom door shut$ turning the handle and engaging the lo k with a 7uiet li k. 1*et there be light. Hey$ 6ri 31 As the voi es ontinued$ I hurried ba k to the tra# door$ hands out again$ feeling my way in the #it h bla kness. As the urtain ti kled my fingerti#s$ I #aused. .hould I lo k the door first4 I hadn"t felt a lo king me hanism when I"d losed it. 'id you need the key to relo k it4 Or$ worse$ did it engage automati ally$ and I"d ,ust lo ked us in4 No time to he k. I #ushed #ast the urtain$ then #ulled u# short as I envisioned myself falling through the hat h. I rou hed and felt my way forward. A fli ker of light from below answered my 7uestion. Before it disa##eared$ I found and gri##ed the o#ening$ then I du ked my head into the hole. 19eremy41 I whis#ered. /y voi e e hoed in the hute. No answer ame from below. /ore laughter and more voi es from the sho#. Why were #eo#le oming here after midnight4 2h$ #robably be ause the sho#"s owner is the head of a se( ult. !hey wouldn"t hold their meetings .aturday afternoons at the library. 19eremy41 /y whis#er boun ed around again in the hute$ swallowed by bad a ousti s. A voi e sounded ,ust outside the doorthe door to the storeroom ontaining the magi and bondage gear needed for a #ro#er se( ult meeting. I found the ladder. !ook two ste#s down. ;aused. /aybe they"d go for drinks or something first. *oosen u# the inhibitions. Always worked for me. :eys rattled$ then slid into the storage room keyhole. I grabbed the hat h lid with one hand and the rug with the other$ and losed the door as I #ulled the rug over it. It wouldn"t be #erfe t$ but it should #ass a asual glan e. I hurried down the ladder$ my toes somehow managing to kee# their tra tion until I rea hed the bottom. !he roving light swung my way. I raised my finger to my li#s and hurried forward$ my heels li king on the on rete. I sto##ed to yank them off. When I lifted my head$ 9eremy was beside me. 1;eo#le$1 I whis#ered$ #ointing u#.

A soft urse. He looked u#$ as if straining to hear$ then shook his head. !he floor must have been too thi k. 1Hmmm$ what have we here41 a voi e whis#ered in the dark. I ,um#ed$ but 9eremy seemed un#erturbed. I took the flashlight from him and shone it around. A heavyset$ middle&aged man with a re eding hin walked through a sta k of bo(es$ his ga0e fi(ed on me. 1A redhead. -ery ni e.1 1Who are you41 I whis#ered. !he man sto##ed$ s7uinting$ as if trying to figure out who I was talking to. 9eremy looked down at me and frowned. 1+host$1 I whis#ered. 1+ho1 the man began$ then urled his li#. 1Ne roman er. !ried to tri k me with that flashlight$ hiding your glow. If you"re here to re#ort me1 1)e#ort you for what41 He dro##ed his ga0e. 1Nothing.1 1Ask him if there"s another way out$1 9eremy said. 1Way out41 the ghost said$ hearing him. 1Now why would you want to leave41 He bared his teeth in a nasty smile. 1I think you"re really going to en,oy yourself.1 I ast the light around. We stood in the middle of a large base&mentlikeroom with on rete floor and walls. !o my left$ some o ult symbols had been #ainted on the floor3 right beside a row of hooks embedded in the on rete. !here were more hooks on the walls. I turned 9eremy. 1I think we"d better find our own way out. %ast.1 1Agreed but31 He looked around. I followed his ga0e. A single room$ with no ad,oining doors or halls. I turned to the ghost. 1!here"s a way out$ isn"t there41 He smiled. 1!here is$1 I said to 9eremy. 1;robably hidden behind these bo(es and rates.1

1<ou"re not going to find it$1 the ghost said in a singsong voi e. 1It"s very well hidden. And lo ked. Better ,ust give u# now.1 9eremy strode to the wall and waved me over. 1<ou go that way. .tay along the wall. If you need any bo(es moved$ ,ust whis#er.1 I nodded and we went in o##osite dire tions. Bo(es and rates of various si0es were all around the #erimeter$ some sta ked to the eiling. I stra##ed my shoes together and dra#ed them over my arm$ then started moving along the wall$ sear hing for any kind of door. 1Ni e ass$1 the ghost said as he followed behind me. 1Not too big$ not too firm. <ou like to use it$ don"t you4 ;ut that e(tra wiggle in your walk$ teasing all the boys.1 I rea hed the first sta k of bo(es. !he ga# behind it was big enough to slide through$ so I did. 1<ou know what that says to me41 the ghost ontinued. 1It says "I"m ,ust dying for you to throw me over a table$ hike u# my skirt and"1 He ke#t talking. I sto##ed listening. I rea hed a four&foot rate #ushed against the wall. I grabbed the sides. It wouldn"t budge. 19eremy41 He was at my side before I ould whis#er again. One heft and the bo( was moved. 1Is that how you like them$hon 41 the ghost said as we looked behind the bo(. 1.trong men4 'ominant men4 Al#ha males41 I s#uttered a laugh at the last. !he ghost glared$ this obviously not being the desired res#onse. 9eremy glan ed over and ar hed a brow. 19ust the ghost$1 I said as I moved along the wall. 1Is he bothering you41 1Nah$ ,ust some old #ervert waiting for the se( show.1 !he ghost"s li#s urled. 1If I was alive$ I"d tea h you some manners. %irst I"d1 1I"m sure there are lots of things you"d do to me if you were alive$ but seeing as how you"re not$ I guess you"re stu k with an eternity of wat hing and31 I made a ,erk&off gesture. 9eremy hu kled. !he ghost started s#itting threats and insults. I tuned him out and ke#t feeling

along the wall. 1I"ve got it$1 I said as 9eremy #ulled out a light sta k of bo(es for me. 1<ou go on ba k.1 9eremy"s head shot u#$ his ga0e flying to the ladder. A laugh rang down it. He grabbed my arm and looked around. 1Now you"re in for it$ bit h$1 the ghost hortled. 1A real #risoner. !hey"ll like that.1 I swung the flashlight beam around and sto##ed on a mountain of rates to our left.

HANGMAN

!H6 5)A!6. H6)6 .!A5:6' three or four layers dee#. 9eremy moved the front one ,ust enough to s7uee0e through the ga#$ and waved for me to follow. He ke#t going$ shifting sta ks and sideste##ing through. At the final row$ he sto##ed and motioned for me to turn off the flashlight. I did ,ust as he lifted a to# bo( and sta ked it on another. 'arkness fell. %eet lanked down the ladder. !he swoosh of another moving bo(. A hand slid around my waist and guided me in farther. !he lights went on$ and I saw that he"d leared all but one bo( from a sta k against the wall. A ubby seat. !he rate was too small for us to sit side by side$ so he gestured for me to turn and ba k onto his la#. 1<ou think that"s going to save you41 the ghost sneered$ his head sti king out from a rate. 1!hey an still see you.1 I was about to #ull ba k farther$ then took a better look. !he #ath 9eremy had arved for us was 0ig0agged$ meaning we ouldn"t see the main room from here3 and no one in the main room ould see us. 1*iar$1 I mouthed. !he ghost stalked off$ #robably ho#ing to alert the ult. +ood lu k with that. !he grou# filed in$ hatting about their kids" baseballtourna&ments $ layoffs at work$ trouble with a broken dishwasher. I ounted at least si( distin t voi es.

. ra#es and thuds followed$ as if they were setting u# something$ #robably an altar. !hey ke#t talking$ the man with the a##lian e #roblem now soli iting advi e on whether it was more ost& effe tive to hire a re#airman or ,ust re#la e the unit. I wriggled ba k onto 9eremy"s la#. He read,usted his hold on me$ arms going around my stoma h$ as if reassuring me I was safe. 1!hey an"t see us$1 he whis#ered. His breath ti kled the ba k of my ear and I shivered$ thoughts of dis overy vanishing as I be ame very aware of his body against my ba k. I shifted again$ s7uirming in his la#$ and felt him harden beneath me. I went still and on entrated on what was ha##ening on the other side of the room instead. Wasn"t easy$ but after a moment$ I made out the sla# and hiss of mat hes being stru k. A faint smell of smoke$ then the #ungent s ent of musky in ense. !he link of thin metal. !heglug of li7uid. I #i tured hammered hali es being filled with blood&red wine. In the ba kground$ one woman told the horror story of a re ent a##lian e re#air en ounter#aying more to fi( a ten&year&old stove than she"d have s#ent on a new one. !he low rumble of authority.Botni k . !he voi es faded$ shuffles and links taking over as they arranged themselves$ #robably in some ritual ir le. Botni kintoned something in a foreign language#resumably an invo ation toAsmodai . I"d s#ent enough time in s#iritualism to know how these #seudo rituals worked$ andBotni k seemed to have it down. When he finished$ the dis i#les took their turns #ledging their body toAsmodai in 6nglish one by one. 6ight #eo#le$ in ludingBotni k . %our men and four women. I listened arefully to ea h voi e$ on the off& han e I"d re ogni0e one. 2nlikely$ but I listened anyway. %rom 9eremy"s shallow breathing behind me$ I sus#e ted he was doing the same. !he ritual resumed with more foreign hanting fromBotni k $ his voi e rising now to an im#assioned boom. I longed to ask 9eremy whatBotni k was sayingwhether he ould translate but doubted it was more than gibberish. Botni k"svoi e rea hed a fever #it h$ then sto##ed$ and all went silent. 1Now$1 he began. 1We dedi ate ourselves to the demon of lust$ king of Hell$ #rin e of revenge$ our *ordAsmodai .1 %ootste#s sounded$ then a few foreign words$ a shar# intake of breath$ a horal hant$ re eding footste#s. !he se7uen e re#eated$ then again$ and I #i tured ea h member walking to the middle of the ir le for the dedi ation. 9eremy sniffed behind me and made a guttural noise$ as if onfirming a sus#i ion$ and I knew what they were 1dedi ating.1 Blood. 'ri##ed into a

ommunal hali e most likely. !he last member took her turn. !hen a mat h was stru k. /ore hanting. A faint$ oddly metalli smell wafted over. 9eremy e(haled shar#ly$ as if e(#elling the s ent from his nose. !he blood. It must have been dri##ed into a enser$ not a hali e$ and burned in dedi ation. !he hanting sto##ed. 1We re eive the blessing ofAsmodai $1Botni k said. 1And in return$ we offer the mortifi ation of our flesh$ for his #leasure.1 !heglug&glug of wine being #oured from a bottle. !hen a s ra#ing sound. .tirringmetal on metal. A gul#. !he burned blood s ra#ed and stirred into wine$ then drank. I shivered. 9eremy"s arms tightened around me. 1.#irit ofAsmodai =1Botni k ried. 1I am yours to ommand.1 5hanting from the grou#$ rising in #it h. !hen a snarl fromBotni k . 1<ou$1 he said$ his voi e guttural$ the word almost indistinguishable. 1;re#are her.1 !he link of hains$ the li k of lo ks$ the sla# of leather. !hen it began. !he sna# of the whi#$ the muffled ries of the gagged woman$ smell of blood so strong even I ould re ogni0e it. And$ worst of all$ the shouts of the others$ eggingBotni k on$ by turns e stati and enraged$ lust #erverted into bloodlust. Hearing them earlier$ hatting about broken a##lian es and hildren$ I"d rela(ed. 9ust re#ressed suburbanites #laying . and / games. But now$ it was hillingly real. I ould #i ture that woman$ bloodied and writhing in #ainreal #ain$ not the #ut&on horror of that woman on the maga0ine over. /y stoma h twisted$ bile rising. I started to s7uirm$ but 9eremy"s hands went to my hi#s$ holding me still. I flushed. When I swallowed hard$ 9eremy raised his hand to over my left ear and leaned into my right$ whis#ering$ telling me to ignore it$ to blo k it$ but as hard as I tried$ I ouldn"t. It was like u#stairs$ trying not to imagine a identally reanimating those #arts. I thought of the ghost$ tried on entrating on that #atheti s#ook getting his voyeuristi ,ollies$ but then I heard his words again$ about them finding mea real #risonerand my heart started hammering. While that woman was genuinely in #ain$ #resumably no one had oer ed her into oming here. .he"d submitted without #rotest. /aybe$ in se(ual dominan e$ that was the goalwilling submission. Or maybe it was ,ust the losest fa simile they ould get to what they really yearned

foran unwilling vi tim. If they found me here3 I tried not to think about it$ but of ourse I did. I #i tured that whi# with the lead ends$ that horrible mask$ smelled the metal going around my head$ felt the ould of it against my skin$ the engulfing bla kness$ stealing my light$ my breath$ my s reams3 1.hhh$1 9eremy whis#ered$ #ulling me against him$ his li#s at my ear. 1Blo k it out.1 I tried. )eally tried. !hen I saw those ,ars$ those bags$ envisioned them not as magi al aids stolen from graves and morgueslike my ne romanti artifa tsbut as body dis#osal$ like hunters making use of every #ie e 1!hey an"t find you.1 9eremy rubbedgoosebum#s from my arms. 1I won"t let them. <ou know that.1 I nodded$ but ke#t hearing fresh noises from beyond$ grunts and whim#ers$ the sounds #ing& #ongingin my skull$ refusing to leave$ throwing u# images3 I started to s7uirm again$ then aught myself and sto##ed. 1Here$1 9eremy whis#ered. He shifted me forward and took something from his ,a ket. His note#ad$ the #en stored in the oils. He fli##ed o#en the #ad$ #ast a few #ages of notes to a lean sheet. He drew four linestwo hori0ontal and two verti al. !hen he shifted me again$ until I was leaning ba k against him$ head in the di# of his shoulder as his hin rested on my shoulder$ looking over it. He made an D in the enter s7uare and handed me the #en. I stared at the #a#er$ the layout he"d drawn so familiar I should re ogni0e it$ but my brain refused to work$ still filled with unwanted sounds and unwel ome images. I blinked3 and gave a silent laugh$ seeing a ti &ta &toe board. I #ut on my O. 6very kid over the age of eight knows the tri k to the game$ but I was so #reo u#ied it took me a few rounds to remember how to win. On e I remembered that$ of ourse$ the game lost its hallenge. .o he swit hed to hangman$ starting with a four&letter animal. +ot that one #retty 7ui kly$ and he doodled a wolf for me$ then drew out a fresh game. On it went$ with 9eremy hallenging me with ever tougher #u00les and making me smile with his doodles and intri ate hanged&man sket hes. !he sounds beyond seemed to fade into ba kground noise$ like an annoying neighbor #laying his #orn video with the volume ,a ked. /y world narrowed to this little ubby$ to the warmth of 9eremy"s arms$ stret hed around me as he wrote$ to the whis#ers that ti kled my ear and vibrated down my ba k$ to the s rat h of his heek against mine as he shifted$ to the s#i y smell of his breathta os or burritos grabbed on the run. I leaned against him$ solved his #u00les and laughed at his drawings Who else would do this for me$ #lay hangman while an . and / ult was in full swing only

yards away4 Who else would know it was e(a tly what I neededa distra tion so inno ent$ so inno uous$ that it ouldn"t hel# but make what was ha##ening out there seem e7ually harmless4 I didn"t even noti e that the ritual had ended$ I was so engrossed in solving a hangman #u00le. !he 'is i#les" onversation was s#arse and subdued now$ no one in the mood to dis uss dishwashers. 5hains rattled as they wereundi##ed . A hoarse voi e asked for the wine. 5hali es linked as someone gathered them. I went on to the ne(t #u00le8 a nine&letter Ameri an ity. /inutes later$ the basement light li ked off and the #u00le went dark. !he voi es and footste#s re eded as 9eremy #ut away his note#ad. I slid from his la#$ found the flashlight and turned it on$ then #i ked u# my shoes and slung them over my arm. I whis#ered$ 1'o we wait for them to leave or try to find that alternate e(it41 1!he latter is #robably safer. 'o you remember where you left off sear hing41 I nodded$ and sli##ed from the bo( ma0e. As I rossed the main area$ I looked around it$ ignoring the fle ks of blood on the walls as I sear hed for the ghost. As un#leasant as he was$ I might be able to bla kmail him into telling us where to find that door$ by threatening to 1re#ort1 him. But there was no sign of the ghost. !y#i al. Always there when you don"t need them$ never when you do. I found my #la e along the wall and resumed sear hing. I moved aside one bo( sta k myself$ then hit an immovable rate. +lan ing toward 9eremy$ I saw him rou hed beside a dark s7uare inset in the wall ,ust on the other side of the ladder. 1Is that41 I whis#ered$ sto##ing as he heaved on the over. !he ra k of breaking metal. He #ulled ba k the over and stu k his head inside. I headed toward him. As I neared the ladder$ a foot a##eared from the bottom of the hute. I stumbled ba k. 9eremy s#un$ seeing the foot a##ear and waving for me to take over. I swung the flashlight along the nearest wall$ sto##ing at the first sta k tall enough to hide me. I turned off the light and ra ed forward$ my hands out$ measuring the distan e and #raying I was right. /y fingerti#s tou hed ardboard ,ust as the main light ame on. I swung behind the sta k$ my #ulse ra ing$ waiting for a shout. When footste#s headed toward the other wall instead$ along with a dee# mutter of 1where did I leave that4$1 I ould breathe again. I hadn"t been seen. Now I ,ust had to it rela( whileBotni k found whatever he left behind A shadow a##eared a ross the floor$ moving slowly$ and I reali0ed my mistake. I was hidden

from the stairs$ but not from the other half of the room. I glan ed over my shoulder. Behind me was another bo($ on my other side. If I ould wedge between the two$ the shadows should hide me. I ba ked u# into the ga#. !oo narrow. 2sing my hi# and shoulder$ I eased the one bo( over It s ra#ed along the on rete$ the soft whis#er as loud as a shot. I fro0e. .o did the shadow$ now halfway into view. 1Hello41Botni k alled. As he s#oke$ I eased ba k into the ga#$ wiggling and s7uee0ing until I was .la#$ sla#$ sla#. I looked down to see my dangling shoes swinging against the bo(.

ESCAPE HATCH

I +)ABB6' /< .WIN+IN+ .HO6. with my free hand. A low hu kle sounded right in front of me$ and I slowly lifted my head to see a bearded man standing less than ten feet away. 1Well$ hello$1Botni k said$ his eyes lo ked on mine. 15ome for the meeting4 <ou"re too late$ but I"m sure I ould arrange a #rivate lesson.1 He ste##ed forward. 6yes still on his$ I resisted the urge to shrink ba k and fli##ed the shoes around so I gri##ed them ,ust below the heel. %our&in h s#ikes. /aybe they were good for something after all. Botni kke#t strolling forward$ in no rush$ savoring the fear in my eyes. I let him have that$ widening them and in hing ba k$ bringing my shoes u# to my hest as if lut hing them in fear$ getting them higher$ ready to A blur behindBotni k . !he man flew from his feet as 9eremy swung him in a head lo k.Botni k gas#ed for air$ lawing at 9eremy"s arm. 9eremy stood there$ fa e im#assive. When he tightened his gri#$Botni k went wild$ flailing and gas#ing. 9eremy rela(ed his hold onBotni k"s wind#i#e. !hen he u##ed his free hand underBotni k"s ,aw. 1. ream and I"ll sna# your ne k. 2nderstood41 9eremy"s tone was soft and even$ like a #atient tea her warning a diffi ult hild.

WhenBotni k didn"t res#ond$ he tightened his gri# on the man"s ,aw.Botni k"s eyes flew o#en$ wide with #ain and something like e( itement. He mouthed 1understood.1 9eremy rela(ed his hold. 1It"s true$ then$1Botni k said hoarsely before 9eremy ould s#eak. 1About the magi .1 /y ga0e met 9eremy"s$ but he looked as onfused as I. 1<our strength$1Botni k went on. 1!hat"s not3human. <ou"re one of them. It"s true about the magi . !hey"ve found the key.1 His eyes gleamed with a fervor bordering on the religious$ and I knew that the e( itement I"d seen hadn"t been a rea tion to the #ain$ but to the ause of ita show of su#ernatural strength. Botni k ontinued. 1<outheyyour grou#. !hey got my message$ didn"t they4 !hat"s why you"re here. !o see whether I"m worthy.1 6ven standing behindBotni k $ 9eremy let his fa e betray nothing. But in the #ause that followed$ I knew what he was thinkingworking through his o#tions$ de iding how best to handle this. 1How did you learn about us41 9eremy asked after a moment. 1;illow talk.1 A small laugh fromBotni k . 1It has been the undoing of many a man. In this ase$ it was a shared lover. A #arti ularly attra tive o ult afi ionado.1 His ga0e traveled to me. 1<ou know the ty#e. Not terribly skilled$ but eager to learn and #leasant to tea h. One of your members let a few things sli#$ #resumably to im#ress her$ and she #assed them on to me$ for the same #ur#ose.1 1What did she tell you41 1!hat you"d brea hed the wall. 'is overed true magi .1 9eremy waited. After a moment$Botni k inter#reted 9eremy"s silen e as meaning he wasn"t satisfied and leared his throat. 1Her e(a t words were that your grou# had found a way to harness the #ower of life.1 He smiled. 1.he had no idea what that meant. I think she e(#e ted me to tell her. I didn"t$ of ourse. I ke#t your se ret.1 Only telling a few of his losest onta ts3 like the one Ba k %lynn knew. 9eremy didn"t all him on it$ though$ ,ust ke#t silent$ as if still awaiting a full re#ly.Botni k shifted his weight$ his eyes rolling ba k as he tried to gauge 9eremy"s e(#ression. 9eremy ke#t him fa ing forward.Botni k looked to me for hel#. I looked ba k$ fa e as im#assive as 9eremy"s. 1I understood what she meant$1Botni k said. 1!hat you"d harnessed the #ower of magi through

the transferen e of the life for e. !hrough sa rifi e.1 1.a rifi e41 9eremy said. 1.he said that41 1Well$ not s#e ifi ally$ but I inferred it$ given the wording.1 1What do you know of us4 Our grou#41 Botni kstraightened. 1!hat you"re serious #ra titioners. Not like most of themwannabes and freaks looking for a #la e to belong$ messing around with ritual magi and alling themselves wit hes andsatanists as if it were no different than alling themselves )otarians. Or indulging some so ially una e#table need1 he waved at the hook on the floor$ 1and telling themselves it"s an a t of faith. <ou aren"t like that. <ou are true seekers. *ike me.1 1And who told you this41 1Botni kshifted. 1No one told me dire tly. But I"ve heard rumors for years now. About a grou#$ very tight&knit and se retive$ losed to new omers. 'ead serious$ though. . ientifi even$ in their 7uest.1 1!hese rumors. What else41 16ri 41 A woman"s voi e e hoed down the hute. Botni ko#ened his mouth$ but 9eremy"s forearm lam#ed on his throat.Botni k shook his head$ whis#ering 1I"ll get rid of her.1 9eremy hesitated$ then sla kened his hold. 1.till looking$1Botni k shouted. 1I"ll be u# in a minute.1 1Here$ let me hel#1 1No= I"m fine.1 9eremy motioned for me to ir le around to the hidden e(it. I did$ steering lear of the hute. On the wall behind it was an o#ening$ maybe thirty in hes s7uare. 9eremy had ri##ed the over off by the hinges$ the lo k still inta t. I shone the flashlight inside and saw a dark tunnel. Behind me$Botni k was still trying to onvin e the woman he didn"t need hel# but$ the more he argued$ the more sus#i ious he sounded. I"d ,ust rawled into the #assage when the entran e went dark and I glan ed ba k to see 9eremy following me. He #ulled the over on and the tunnel dimmed$ lit only by my flashlight. As shoes li ked down the rungs$ 9eremy rawled over to me$ hand resting on my leg$ and while I knew it was there to reassure me$ I felt the heat of that tou h burn through me$ igniting thoughts very ina##ro#riate under the ir umstan es.

1I said I was fine$ didn"t I41Botni k sna##ed. 1Now go ba k u#stairs1 1!he offi e door was unlo ked. +len noti ed when1 1<es$ I was in there earlier. I #robably left it unlo ked.1 !he woman ontinued to argue$ ertain something was wrong and intent on figuring out what it was. 16ri 41 A man"s voi e now. 1'id 'awn tell you about the offi e4 <ou should have a look$ see if anything has been1 %ootste#s on the on rete$ oming our way. 9eremy waved for me to move fast. 16ri 4 !hese bo(es have been moved. !he one in front of that old tunnel door31 !he voi e faded as I moved away 7ui kly$ 9eremy at my rear. I rawled as fast as I ould over the dam# earth$ the musty stink of it filling my nostrils$ stones utting into my #alms and knees$ skirt bun hing u# over my knees and slowing me down. I rea hed ba k with my flashlight hand$ grabbed the skirt by the slit and ri##ed it$ almost #it hing fa e&first into a #it as my other hand ame down on em#ty air. I ,erked ba k as 9eremy aught my legs. 1It dro#s off$1 I whis#ered. 1How far41 I shone the flashlight down. As I did$ a lanking sounded behind me and light filled the tunnel. I leaned into the #it$ holding the flashlight down as low as I ould$ afraid the sound of li king it off would e ho down the tunnel. 15an you see anything41Botni k"s distant voi e asked. 1No$1 the other man answered. 1It"s too dark. We need a light.1 1'awn4 <ou"ll find a flashlight in my offi e. +len4 Hel# me sear h the room$ in ase they"re still here.1 .hadows moved at the far end as they ba ked away from the o#ening. I #eered into the #it. 1How dee#41 9eremy whis#ered. It dro##ed down about four feet$ then stret hed into another tunnel. I twisted around and lowered myself. 1Water see#ed through my nylons$ my toes s7uel hing in the mud below. It

smelled foul but didn"t stink like raw sewage. 9eremy ste##ed down behind me$ barely ri##ling the water. I onsidered asking for verifi ation that we were not$ in fa t$ standing in sewage3 and de ided I was better off not knowing. I shone the light down the tunnel$ but darkness swallowed it after no more than a yard. 1Is it me or is this light getting dimmer41 I asked. 1Hard to say$1 he lied. 1+ive it a shake.1 I did$ and the light seemed to flare brighter. 1.hould we wait here$ or ontinue on41 9eremy #eered down the tunnel$ then looked ba k down the one we"d ome in. A lank. I re ogni0ed the sound of the tra# door o#ening and du ked even as 9eremy #ulled me down. A beam dan ed over our heads. /ud oo0ed u# to my ankles$ swallowing my feet. 1.ee anything41 a woman whis#ered. 1No$1Botni k re#lied. 1Where does the tunnel lead41 1!o the street$ I was told. +uy who owned the sho# before me ran some underground #oliti al #a#er. Always worrying about being raided.1 1I"m going in$1 said the other man. 1Wait$ you don"t know what"s31 I didn"t at h the rest. !hey"d #ulled ba k$ their voi es now indistin t. 9eremy leaned down to my ear. 1We should move. 5an you #ut on your shoes41 1Not if I #lan to walk in this. I"m fine.1 I started into the tunnel. He aught my arm. 1<ou"re insto kinged feet and an"t see where you"re ste##ing.1 1I"m1

1Here1 1'on"t offer me your shoes. +allant$ but it hardly solves the #roblem unless you"re going to s7uee0e into my heels. I"ll be areful.1 1%eel before you ste#. I"ll lead and take it slow.1 We"d gone about twenty feet when the water level dro##ed to a tri kle and the ground beneath it turned to on rete. I was about to whis#er 1well$ that"s better1 when my flashlight beam fli kered and went out. !hat was fate for you. +ives and takes$ kee#ing the balan e. 9eremy"s fingers rea hed ba k and brushed my arm$ warning me that he"d sto##ed before I sma ked into him.

CHIVALR!

1WHA!". W)ON+41 I whis#ered as 9eremy sto##ed. 1I an"t see. +ive me a moment.1 We waited$ the distant dri# of water the only sound. It smelled different herestale with an almost musky odor. 5old too. I wra##ed my arms around myself$ trying not to let my teeth hatter$ whi h would only have 9eremy offering me his ,a ket. 1Hmmm$1 he said after a moment. 1!here must be a distant sour e of light. I an make out sha#es$ but barely$ and it doesn"t seem to be getting any better.1 1No light at all means even you an"t see$ right41 1I"m afraid so. /y night vision needs something to work with. I"ll move slowly. Here$ give me the flashlight and your shoes$ and #ut your hands1 He guided them to his hi#s. I moved loser3 ,ust for safety$ of ourse. We started forward again$ ree#ing along in the dark. We made it about fifty feet$ and around the bend$ when I heard a sound that made the hair on my ne k rise. !he hattering of tiny$ needle&shar# teeth. 1;lease tell me that"s mi e$1 I said. 1Or underground s7uirrels.1 1Okay.1

I #oked his ba k. 1*iar.1 1'on"t worry. !hey"re a ways off yet.1 1'o you remember the #sy ho rats in!oronto 4 'id 6lena ever tell you we were ornered by them41 1No$ she left off that #art. *eft off a lot of #arts$ I"m sure.1 1Well$ I had to kill some. !he rats. .7uashed their #oor little skulls with a two&by&four and I know #ayba k"s oming. Bad karma for the rodent slayer. !hey an #robably sense1 I sto##ed. 19eremy41 1Hmmm41 1.omething brushed my foot. .omething furry.1 1'on"t worry. It was dead.1 1'ead41 1I smelled it$ but thought it best not to mention it and ho#e you #assed by.1 1;referably without ste##ing on it41 1I"ll warn you ne(t time. It an be hard to #in#oint the e(a t s#ot$ though. !he best I an do is say$ "By the way$ there"s a rotting or#se around here somewhere." 1 1On se ond thought$ ignoran e is bliss. .o where41 I sto##ed as an over#owering sten h filled my nose. 1Oh$ +od$ I think I smell a ri#e one.1 1No$ that"s ,ust the nest.1 1N&nest41 1It"s down a side orridor$ I think. We"ll be #ast it in a moment. !hey shouldn"t give us any trouble.1 1)ight. !he #redator thing. *ike the at. !hey smell you and run.1 1Hmmm.1 Not a terribly reassuring res#onse. 6lena had told me before that werewolves onfuse other animals$ that mi( of wolf and human and$ when onfused and fa ed with a larger #otential #redator$ they run. We"d had #roblems with the rats in!oronto only be ause they"d been infe ted

and a ting irrationally. !he hattering grew louder as the smell got worse. /ud oo0ed between my toes. And if it wasn"t mud$ I didn"t want to know about it. I ste##ed on something that ra kled under my toes$ hard and thin like twigs3 or bones. 1Almost #ast$1 9eremy whis#ered. 1When we rea h the entran e to the nest$ I"m going to sto# and swing you by. All right41 1!hanks.1 A hiss in the darkness. I fro0e$ my hands falling from 9eremy"s hi#s as he ke#t moving. A loud hatter sounded right at my feet. I resisted the urge to ki k and dan ed ba kward instead$ wildly looking around$ seeing only bla kness. 19aime41 Another hiss. I stumbled ba k. /y foot slid in the mu k and 9eremy"s hands aught me around the waist and swoo#ed me u#. 1+rab my ne k and hold on.1 As I slid my hands around his ne k$ my fingerti#s brushed through his hair$ then down along the ba k of his ne k. 9ust bad aim$ of ourse. 5ouldn"t e(#e t me to see in the dark. He took two ste#s$ then sto##ed and ursed under his breath. /ore hissing. !he s rabbling of tiny laws on on rete. !he enraged shriek of a rat defending its nest$ and I knew our #ath was blo ked. 9eremy made the low growling noise that had s ared off the at. A few rats" shrieks turned to #ani $ but more ,ust ke#t hattering. 9eremy ,erked ba k as he ki ked a rat. I resisted the urge to bury my fa e in his hest like some nineteenth& entury heroine. 1Hold on$1 he murmured. 1!his is going to take a stronger warning.1 I tightened my gri#. He twisted$ as if leaning away from me$ and let out a snarl that resounded through the tunnel. !he rats s7uealed$ laws s ra#ing the on rete as they ran. 9eremy took a few ste#s$ getting us #ast the rats" nest$ then lowered his li#s to my ear. 1/y a#ologies. !hat wasn"t very ivili0ed.1 I wasn"t om#laining. It"d worked on me too3 though not in the same way. I read,usted my gri#$ #ressing loser. His li#s brushed my ear$ sending a deli ious hill down my ne k. 1.orry$1 he murmured$ mouth still at my ear$ breath hot on my ne k. !hen he straightened. 1We

should kee# going.1 I agreed wholeheartedly. 2nfortunately$ he meant walking. And ,ust when I"d started thinking se( in a dank$ rat&infested tunnel wouldn"t be so bad after all. It would ertainly be a first and$ with me$ that wasn"t easy. I rested in his arms$ en,oying the heat of his body$ the smell of him$ blo king the sten h of the tunnel. After a few minutes$ though$ that twenty&first& entury inde#endent woman started nagging at me and$ with a silent sigh$ I said$ 1We"re far enough away. <ou an #ut me down.1 1I ould. But the tunnel is wide enough here for me to arry you and$ from the smell$ #eo#le use this end$ so I sus#e t there"s dis arded needle or two on the ground. Not something you should ste# on in bare feet.1 5ouldn"t argue with that. Another minute and we ould see dim light. We soon rea hed the sour emoonlight streaming through a #artly boarded&u# e(it. 9eremy #ut me down and I #ulled on my shoes. !hen we s7uee0ed out through the door and found ourselves at the bottom of stairs leading from a #arking lot to the basement door of some building. We finally es a#ed the #utrid$ rat&infested tunnel only to ste# out into a old dri00ling ran. Never fails. I at h a break and I #ay for it. !he story of my life. .o we ran$ shivering and wet$ from under one overhang to the ne(t. 9eremy gave me his oat$ and I didn"t argue. We finally rea hed the street and darted under a store awning. 1Not the safe fa t&finding mission you had in mind$ was it41 9eremy said. 1Are you all right41 1.ure. It was fun.1 !he orners of his mouth twit hed. 1%un41 1Well$ fun is #robably #ushing it but$ hey$ this is the first adventure I"ve survived without being kidna##ed$ atta ked$ kno ked un ons ious or #ossessed by evil s#irits. A ri##ed blouse4 )uined skirt4 Bad hair4 I"d all this #rogress.1 He laughed. !hen his eyes met mine$ fa e turning serious. He moved loser$ his hand going under my hin$ warm fingers against my skin$ tilting my fa e u#$ leaning down to me. He wi#ed his thumb over my heekbone$ frowned and #eered at it. 1<ou ut your heek on something.1 He rea hed for the s#ot again$ then #ulled ba k. 1I #robably shouldn"t tou h it. /y hands are filthy.1 I met his ga0e. 1I don"t mind.1

He hung there$ over me$ one hand at my ba k$ lut hing my blouse$ eyes darkening$ body taut$ as if fighting the urge to take me u# on my invitation. If I made a move$ his resolve would break. I ould see that in his eyes. 9ust rea h u#$ #ut my arms around his ne k$ #ress my body against his and I"d see that fire again$ feel that #assion. No tortured ab ride ba k to his hotel. !hat would take too long. /ake my move and I"d be arried ba k in the shadows of that al ove and I swallowed hard and ste##ed ba k. ;robably the hardest thing I"ve ever done$ but follow through on that im#ulse and there"d be regret ome morning. !ake it slow. /ake sure it"s where I want to go where he wants to go. As I fussed with my shoe stra#$ 9eremy #eered out into the dark$ wet street$ s7uaring his shoulders against the hill. 1We need to get you some#la e warm and dry1 A ta(i turned the orner. A 7uarter&smile. 1Now there"s the kind of magi I like.1 He ste##ed out and waved it over$ then turned to me. 1I"m going ba k to the sho#$ to see whether I an #i k u#Botni k"s trail. With any lu k$ he"ll head somewhere interesting after his en ounter.1 1Are you sure4 It might be1 1'angerous41 !he orners of his mouth twit hed. 1'on"t worry. I"ll be areful.1 !he ab sto##ed. He o#ened the rear door halfway$ then #aused$ looking ba k at me. 1<ou"re wel ome to ome with me. I didn"t mean1 He gestured at the ab. 1I"m not trying to get rid of you. I ,ust thought you"d #robably had enough31 1If you ould use me$ I"d go. But tra king is your field. I"d only get in the way.1 I slid #ast him into the ar. He leaned in and swe#t a strand of wet hair ba k from my fa e. 1<ou"re never in the way$ 9aime.1 I turned my fa e toward his$ lifting my hin3 15all me when you get to the house$1 he said. 1.o I know you arrived safely.1 %or a se ond$ wat hing him lose the door$ I almost sus#e ted he"d been teasing mehere and in the tunnel. But no. 9eremy was nothing if not res#onsible. At a time like this$ flirting would be the last thing on his mind.

'amn. He ,ogged around to give the driver dire tions and a few bills. As the ab #ulled away from the urb$ I remembered his oat and rolled down my window. 1<our1 I alled$ but he had his ba k to me$ hurrying to the shelter of the awnings. A se ond later$ he vanished into the shadows$ loo#ing ba k toBotni k"s sho#. I rolled u# the window. 1%orgot his ,a ket$1 I said to the driver$ who was wat hing me through the rearview mirror. !he young woman gave a slight roll of her eyes$ as if to sayshe'd never a e#t a man"s ,a ket in the first #la e. !oo bad. I"d never been one to refuse an o#ened door or a #ulled&out hair. As long as the man understood I ould o#en my own doors$ ould #ull out my own hairs$ then I wasn"t adverse to a little hivalry. With 9eremy$ it wasn"t so mu h that as old&fashioned good manners. He may not have grown u# with women in his life$ but he"d had 6lena around for over fifteen years now$ and knew better than to underestimate 1the fairer se(.1 Had it been 6lena ba k at that sho#$ she would have gone down the hute first and taken on those rats herself$ #rote tinghi+ $ wat hinghis ba k. And he"d have let her. With me$ it was a 7uestion of limitations and e(#erien e. While I wanted$ someday$ to have the nerve and the know&how to do su h things myself$ in the meantime$ I wasn"t going to #rotest about being arried #ast a nest of rats. Or taking his oat when I was old. I #ulled the ,a ket around me$ savoring the warmth for the rest of the ab ride.

PLA!E#

WH6N I A))I-6' INB)6N!WOO' $ a guard met me at the door. *ike being si(teen again$ arriving home after urfew. I even got the 1what have you been u# to41 ar hed brow from him as he surveyed my ruined outfit. As I #assed +rady"s bedroom$ I heard my name and sto##ed. 1<ou aren"t listening to me$ woman=1 +rady hissed$ loud enough for his voi e to reverberate down the hall. 1I waspossessed .1

1<es$ yes$ I know$ but they really want us to sti k to these ridi ulous elebritysean es so$ #erha#s$ for a while$ if you ould hoose only to be #ossessed by #eo#le fitting their riteria1 1<ou think I hose to have this ha##en4 !histhis #owerthis evil thing$ it stole my body. I was #owerless$ unable to see$ hear$ s#eak$ tra##ed in some limbo.1 He took a dee#$ shuddering breath. 1I need to s#eak to 9aime. While that thing had hold of me yesterday$ I had some3 sense of her. I think she might understand what ha##ened.1 !he reak of a hair. 1.o that"s what this is about4 <ou don"t need to #ull this #ossession nonsense$Bradford . If you want to take the woman out for drinks and a 7ui k shag in some tawdry hotel$ be my guest. I"ve never sto##ed you before$ have I41 1I"m telling you I was #ossessed1 1Oh$ I know what you"re #ossessed by. +et it out of your system so we an get ba k to business.1 1!hisis business$ woman. .omething ha##ened out there and I believe 9aime -egas holds the key. I"ve told you she has the gift. Her #erforman e with!ansy *ane 1 1was a remarkable #erforman e. ;ro#s to her for it$ and for finding that memo$ giving her the advantage of knowing in advan e who she was about to onta t that night.1 1Be ky never said 9aime found1 1!he #oor girl is terrified of losing her ,ob$ so she doesn"t dare do more than hint. If !odd .imon found out that she"d left that memo on!ansy *ane in the kit hen1 1I don"t believe it.1 1No4 Well$ I"ve done my resear h$ be ause that"s what you #ay me for$Bradford $ and !odd .imon is a utthroat1 1I meant about 9aime. .he didn"t need to warn me about AmityvilleBe ky ertainly wasn"t going to. If 9aime -egas is as onniving as Be ky would have us believe$ then why not let me fall on my fa e31 %ootste#s sounded on the stairs. One last glan e at +rady"s door before I hurried down to my own. I"d been #layed by Be ky. We"dall been #layed by her$ but that was no e( use. I onsider myself a good ,udge of hara tershowbi0 hara ter$ at least. But I"d fallen for the nervous young dire tor routine. 5onned. But not for long.

I !2)N6' off the bedside light$ laid down and alled 9eremy. He answered on the se ond ring. 15he king in as re7uested$1 I said. 1.afe and snug in bed. How"s the hunt going41 1Badly. I followed his trail to his ar. !hen #resumably he drove off.1 1Whi h makes tra king im#ossible. Was he alone when he left41 1<es. He seems to have #ersuaded the others to go on without him. No sign of the #oli e being alled for the break&in.1 15an"t take the han e of them finding the blood&fle ked dungeon downstairs.1 1No doubt. I"m #arked behind his house$ but he hasn"t returned. While I ho#e he sim#ly sto##ed to grab a late&night sna k$ I think he"s done e(a tly what I feared he"d do.1 1)un to his onta t to try to get in tou h with the grou#.1 1Whi h would be #erfe t if I was still following him.1 A soft sigh. 1I"ll wait another hour or so$ in ase he returns.1 1If he does$ will you talk to him41 1Only if it an be done safely. Otherwise$ I"ll regrou# and try again tomorrow.1 I laid my head on the #illow. 1!hanks. %or looking out for me tonight. I know you"re used to having a #artner who an take more of the risks.1 1AEE of the risks$ you mean. If I"d been there with 5lay or 6lena or anyone from the ;a kI"d have been the one sitting above the hat h and being es orted #ast the rats. I"m the Al#ha$ remember4 I"m not allowed to have fun.1 1%un41 1%un might be #ushing it$1 he said$ e hoing my words from earlier. 1But it"s ni e to say$ "I"m going down the hat h first$" and not have four werewolves s rambling over themselves to do it for me$ lest I stub my toe.1 15an"t lead the ;a k with a stubbed toe.1 16vidently. And while I have no ob,e tion to devising strategies$ giving orders and letting them have their adventures$ it an be a bit3 mu h at times. <ou mentioned those diseased rats in!oronto 41 1)ight.1

1At least you were allowed to wha k one. When we initially dis overed the nest$ I wanted to determine what disease they might have ontra ted. I was allowed a s#lit&se ond glan e at the nest$ then they let me e(amine a nearby rat or#se$ with 5lay hovering over me$ twit hing as if he e(#e ted the thing to ,um# u# and bit me in the nose.1 1He an be a tad over#rote tive$ an"t he41 1A tad. But it"s his ,ob and it"s also his nature$ so I an"t argue. And$ yet$ I"ll admit it"s refreshing to turn the tables now and then.1 1And #rote t instead of being #rote ted41 1<ou an take are of yourself. But31 1I an ,ust tell myself I"m humoring you.1 A soft laugh. 1<es$ you an.1 We ke#t talking as he wat hedBotni k"s house. At some #oint$ I drifted off. 1When my alarm rang$ I was still lut hing the #hone to my ear$ the all long sin e dis onne ted.

/< /O)NIN+ began with another all to 9eremy. !here"d been no sign ofBotni k all night. 9eremy had retreated to his hotel ,ust before dawn. He"d swing by and surveyBotni k"s house and sho# before oming to breakfast. .in e he"d been u# all night$ I ertainly didn"t e(#e t him to #ut on his game fa e and make ni e to strangers. But he was already on his wayor so he said$ though I ould have sworn I heard the shower running in the ba kground. As for Ho#e$ she"d left a message on his hotel answering servi e$ saying Bigfoot had ke#t her u# until dawn. After I hung u#$ I took last night"s lothes from the garbage an and #ut them in a bag for #rivate dis#osal later. If !odd .imon had ameras installed in the house$ he wasn"t above having the leaning staff root through our trash. Ne(t thing I knew$ Ho#e would be given a new assignment investigating 9aime-egas"s ri##ed$ sewage&stained$ rat&hair&strewn lothes. I"d hate to see the storyTrue News would ome u# with to e(#lain that one. !hen it was time to take are of Be ky.

ON !H6 way to breakfast$ I #o##ed my head into the room the guards and staff were using as a

base station. With a#ologies for intruding$ I mentioned that I"d s#otted a #a#ara00i lurking about the night before. It was a lie$ but within minutes$ I was #er hed on the edge of the desk$ surrounded by the trio of guards as I regaled them with tales of life in the limelight. 1*ast month I got a letter from this guy who said he"d written a story about me and #osted it online$1 I said. 1I thought that was so sweet. *ook at me$ ins#iring fan fi tion and I"m not even a fi tional hara ter. .o I ty#e in the link he sent and I start reading it$ and it"s really ute$ all about him meeting me at a show$ then being taken ba kstage31 12h&huh$1 one guard hortled. I nudged him with my foot$ letting my bla k silk skirt ride u# my thigh$ their ga0es riding u# with it. 1.o you think you know what ha##ens ne(t4 <ou don"t know the half of it.1 He grinned. 1+onnatell us41 1*et"s ,ust say that being able to onta t ghosts makes for some very interestingmenages atrois 3 andmenages a7uatre $ and me&nagesa3 whatever five is in %ren h.1 !hey laughed. 1I never knew I had a thing for geishas and Ama0ons$ but there it was$ in vivid detail$ and even more vivid olor illustrations.1 1.#irit #hotogra#hy41 one of them said. I sma ked his arm$ letting my fingernails gra0e his bi e#s. 1'rawings$ of ourse. -ery imaginative drawings.1 !he youngest guard swung around the la#to# on the desk$ fingers #oised over the keys$ brows raised in a dare. 1<ou think I memori0ed the 2)*41 I said. All three of them teased me until I sighed and said$ 1!ry these keywords. 9aimes#elled 9&A& /&I&6$ his attention to detail not e(tending to my name. -egas. +eisha. Ama0on warrior. And$ ahem$ Nubian slave master.1 A howl of laughter. 1%ound it$1 the guard said. !hen$ after a moment. 1Holy shit.1 1'id I mention it was imaginative4 I don"t know where I got those missiles.1 I waved at the #i ture$ then at my hest. 1But a##arently there"s more to me than meets the eye. Alot more.1 As they laughed$ Angeli7ue #assed the door$ heading for the dining room. I ,um#ed off the desk.

1Angeli7ue=1 .he sto##ed$ frowning as she saw where I was. 1I need to talk to you. .ome#la e1 I glan ed at the guards$ 1#rivate. .orry$ guys. /aybe there"s an em#ty room some#la e1 1!ake this one$1 the head guard said. 1We"ll lear out.1 1Are you sure41 !hey were. As they left$ I thanked them and agreed to ome by later with more stories. !hey waved Angeli7ue in and losed the door behind them. 1We"re su##osed to sti k to the ommon rooms$1 she said 1'o you know why4 I"ll show you in a minute.1 I moved behind the desk and sat. 1But first$ I bet I know who fed you stories about me. It"s either Be ky or Will$ but my money"s on Will. He tried the same shit with me the se ond dayhinting that you were talking about me behind my ba k. I wouldn"t bite$ but if I had$ I an guarantee you"d have seen my res#onse on the show.1 5onfusion$ then dawning horror. I ontinued. 1Whatever you said about me$ Angeli7ue$ it"s now on film. And when it airs$ you won"t see what led to your omments$ ,ust the end results. 9ust you s#outing seemingly ungrounded insults and a usations.1 Her fa e #aled. I waved for her to sit down. 1Whatever you said about me$ I don"t are$ but you won"t see me saying a word against you be ause I haven"t. I"ve been around long enough to know better. I also know better than to do anything that will make me seemtoo good$ and risk #issing off my ostars. %or e(am#le$ sneaking a #eek at a file on #otential sub,e ts. 'id Be ky tell you I did that41 1Will. But he said he wasn"t su##osed to tell1 Her #retty fa e hardened. 1!hat was #art of the setu#$ wasn"t it4 *et on he"s sneaking me se rets$ and I won"t go after you about it. !hey #layed us against ea h other.1 1Be kydid get me to look at a memo$1 I said. 1A identally. On +abrielle *angdon. !hat"s why I tried to #ass you the ti#s. And that"s why I wouldn"t make onta t myself. It wasn"t fair.1 .he flushed. 1+uess I haven"t been very fair myself. But !odd .imon warned me I had to be on the defensive$ es#e ially against you. He said everyone"s out for blood in this town$ and I"d get eaten alive if I didn"t ome out swinging.1

1Well$ you an sto# swinging now$ be ause I"m not your enemy. As for why I told you all this inhere $ let me take you for a little stroll. .how you a few features of the house they didn"t over in the tour.1

I .HOW6' her the hidden ameras in the ommon areas. .he managed to hold it together until we were ba k in the guard room$ then olla#sed into the hair. 1I an"t believe3 my dad said I wasn"t ready forHollywood $ but I was sosic& of the revival ir uit. I thought this was going to be my big han e.1 A strained laugh. 1/y big han e to make a fool of myself on national television.1 I took the hair o##osite hers. 1/aybe not.1

After talking to Angeli7ue$ I tra ked down Be ky and a#ologi0ed for my #oor #erforman e the day before. I #romised to do better that afternoon. 1I ,ust3 I guess I get nervous about onta ting famous #eo#le who died fairly re ently. With a ase like +abrielle *angdon$ it was all over the news and so many #eo#le know the details. If I get them right$ I"ll look like I"m ,ust remembering the ase. If I s rew u#$ everyone will know it.1 .he nodded. 1I an see that. But you won"t need to worry about that this afternoon. !his guy hasn"t been in the news for31 .he al ulated. 1About thirty years.1 1!hank +od.1 .he he ked her;alm;ilot $ then said asually$ ga0e still down. 1<ou live in5hi ago $ don"t you41 1I do.1 1!hen you"ll have an edge$ be ause what he was famous for is a lot better known in5hi ago thanHollywood $ though he himself lived here. And there"s no murder involved. Nothis murder$ that is$ though he ertainly sent a lot of #eo#le to their graves.1 A slow shake of her head. 1*ive that kind of life and die in your slee#. ;roof that life isn"t fair.1 .he studied my fa e$ trying to see whether I needed any more hints. I didn"t. I thanked her for her time$ then went in sear h of 5laudia and +rady.

96)6/6< HA' dined alone. !hat seemed wisestletting Be ky believe that her stars had #assed the stage of feigning ivility and now were avoiding one another even for meals.

!he ne(tsean e segment would be later that morning$ so I had to sti k around. I tried #ersuading 9eremy to goto hook u# with Ho#e$ maybe #ay a visit toBotni k at his sho#but he insisted there was no rush. We"d leave together after I was free. In the meantime$ I wanted to go into the garden$ to try onta ting the ghosts again. 1I know I"m not going to have some sudden breakthrough$ but31 I let the senten e trail off. 1At the very least$ you"re letting them know you"re still here. !hat"s hardly a waste of time$ if they"re omforted.1 Before we went outside$ I olle ted my ne roman y kit$ then #i ked u# a #a kage I"d ordered from town. A little gift for 9eremy. Not mu h of a gift$ I thought$ as I looked into the bag. 2noriginal. ;robably unwanted$ under the ir umstan es. I wished I"d hosen something better. I wished I knew what better would be. I took it out to the #atio and thrust it at 9eremy with a mumbled 1,ust a little something.1 He o#ened the bag and smiled. )ea hing in$ he #ulled out a sket h #ad and #en ils. 1Okay$1 I said. 1;robably the last thing you need on this tri#. But I thought$ well$ maybe if we had some downtime like this$ you ould use a distra tion from the resear h.1 1I ould. !hank you. It"ll hel# me lear my mind so I an see fresh angles. It"s #erfe t timing too. I know you #refer to work without an audien e breathing down your ne k.1 1.trange for a stage #erformer$ huh41 1No$ not really.1 He folded the bag and #ut it into his #o ket. 1*et"s get out there then$ before they find work for you.1

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

.O W6 1WO):6'1 !O+6!H6) at the ba k of the garden$ me kneeling on my ritual loth$ 9eremy seated off to the side out of my field of vision. If anything$ I was more rela(ed than when I been alone$ maybe be ause I knew he"d dete tand warn me ofany intruders before I was

1 aught.1 Or maybe it was ,ust omforting having him nearby$ the steady s rat h of his #en il unders oring the hildren"s whis#ers. 6ven they seemed more #atient with me$ their en ouraging aresses never turning to ,abs and sla#s. %or all that$ though$ I made no #rogress. %inally$ I sto##ed$ stret hed and walked over to 9eremy. 1What are you draw1 I aught sight of the #age. 1Hey$ that"s me.1 I bit my heek to kee# from grinning. I"d never known 9eremy to sket h anyone outside the ;a k. While it might have meant that he didn"t like flowers$ and I was the only living alternative$ I knew it meant something. With 9eremy$ that"s what art was abouta medium to e(#lore an idea3 or a #erson. 1It"s re ogni0able$ then4 Always a good sign.1 He losed the book. 1Are you done41 1I think so. 5an I see41 I hesitated with my fingers outstret hed toward his book$ then urled them ba k. 1Or maybe I shouldn"t ask. <our art and all. ;rivate$ I guess.1 1No more #rivate than your rituals and you share those with me.1 He handed me the #ad. 19ust a series of sket hes. I"m thinking of doing a #ainting.1 1Of me41 His smile grew$ tou hing his eyes. 1If that"s all right. I"m working on one of the twins right now. %or them$ when they"re older. It"s taking awhile. I originally meant it to be ,ust :ate and *ogan$ but de ided to add 5lay and 6lena. A bigger #ro,e t$ but I thought the hildren might #refer that when they grow u#.1 1/ore meaningful$ with their #arents in it.1 1I thought so.1 I o#ened the book and fli##ed through the sket hes. !here were 7uite a few$ all raw$ some no more than an outline$ maybe with a feature or two. ;re#aration for a #ainting9eremy #referred to work from sket hes and memory rather than from live models. An inter#retation rather than a #hotogra#h$ he said. His inter#retations were often sur#rising. *ike the older #ortraits of 5lay and 6lena in his studio. 5laybrash$ diffi ult$ violentde#i ted as a young man with an almost boyish inno en e. 6lenathe more so iable$ more easygoing of the #air#ainted with a dangerous edge$ the beast within revealed. On first glan e$ you"d say 9eremy got them wrong$ misinter#reted. But I"d seen that feral side of 6lena$ #rote ting her loved ones$ and I"d aught glim#ses of 5layton"s gentler side$ #laying with his hildren or talking to his wife. Not their dominant #ersonalities$ but an as#e t of the whole a side you had to dig to find.

.o it was with no sur#rise that when I first looked at the sket hes 9eremy had done of me$ I thoughtNo. that's not right . Not the way I saw myself. Not even the way I saw myself refle ted in others. In those sket hes$ I looked3 7uiet. Intent$ almost intros#e tive. /y ga0e was fo used on something to the side$ my e(#ression serious$ solemn even$ ra#t in on entration. <et the more I stared at them$ the more I thoughtYes. I recogni6e that . *ike seeing a #hoto of myself shot at an odd angle. 1Oooh$ ni e$1 said a voi e at my shoulder. 1I like the one in the orner there.1 I wheeled to see a woman a few years younger than me$ with straight bla k hair almost to her waist. .i( feet tall with the remote$ slightly e(oti look of a fashion model. !hat illusion of aloofness vanished the moment she glan ed u# from the #age$ her eyes dan ing in #redatory amusement$ like a at always on the lookout for something worth #oun ing on. 16ve=1 I s#un to 9eremy. 1It"s 6ve.1 I knew I looked ridi ulous$ gesturing at em#ty air$ but he only smiled and said$ 1Hello$ 6ve. +lad you ould ,oin us.1 1+lad to be here.1 .he looked at me. 1Am I interru#ting4 If you guys were ,ust getting to the naked #ortrait stage$ I an ome ba k.1 1Ha&ha. We were ,ust finishing some stuff. I was onta ting1 I looked around. 1!hey"re gone. Or being 7uiet.1 1;robably trying to figure out what I am.1 19aime41 9eremy said$ rising. 1I"ll go inside and get you a old drink. If anyone"s looking for you$ I"ll stall them.1 1!hanks.1 1What a sweetie$1 6ve said as he left. 1And visiting you from all the way fromNew <ork . No family in tow. .itting in the garden sket hing you while you fondle or#se bits. ;ositively domesti . .o does this mean you guys are1 1No$1 I ut in$ then smiled. 1I an"t believe you"re here.:ristof was ertain it was a no&go.1 .he #er hed on the edge of a retaining wall. 1Well$ it wasn"t easy getting out of there$ let me tell you. %irst there were the hains$ trying me to my ro k. And that big vulture that kee#s #i king at my flesh. !hen the fires of hell$ and that three&headed demon dog guarding the e(it31 .he rea hed out to sma k my arm$ though her fingers #assed through. 1<ou"re looking at me like I"m serious. How evil do you think I am4.heesh .1

1.#eaking of evil$ I met one of your old friends the other day. I ,ust #o##ed by to talk to her and ended u# kno ked un ons ious$ thrown in her ar and driven to a body&dum# site.1 1What41 I left out the #art about.avannah oming to my res ue and taking on /olly. +ood all be ause$ as soon as I mentioned that /olly had been in onta t with.avannah $ 6ve"s fa e twisted with a old fury that hilled my blood no matter how many times I saw it. 1!hat two&fa ed smarmy bit h. <ou tell.avannah she isnot to1 6ve sto##ed and turned away$ her li#s urling in a snarl s arier than any of 9eremy"s. .he stood with her ba k to me. I waited. After a moment$ she rela(ed and turned around$ smiling again. 1Okay$ let"s take that ba k a ste#. Ahem. Would you #lease onvey a message to.avannah that /olly 5rane is not to be trusted4 As a onta t$ I only used her for what she ould do for me be ause it that"s e(a tly how she treats everyone else. With.avannah $ she only wants1 1!o see whether.avannah an be useful. .he already figured that out.1 1.he did4 !hat"s my girl.1 .he #lanted herself on the retaining wall. 1Ba k to business then.1 1%irst$ about you being here. It"s3 okay4 With everyone41 1I didn"t go AWO* if that"s what you mean. !he %ates investigated:ristof"s story and$ well$ they"re a little freaked.1 1%reaked41 1<eah. :ind of dis omfiting in a higher #ower. I mean$ they"re deities$ right4 !hey should ,ust almly survey the #roblem and say "<es$ we"re aware of that." But if theywere aware of it$ that would be even s arier. No e( use for letting it ontinue.1 1.o they had no idea this had ha##ened41 1Bi#. It"s an isolated in ident. .o seeing that they have a #roblem involving dark magi $ they reali0ed there was only one1 she faded$ then ame ba k$ 1for the ,ob.1 1<ou were blee#ed.1 1'amn. I hate it when that ha##ens. What did I say41 .he frowned$ sear hing for the word the higher #owers had ensored some to#i she wasn"t allowed to dis uss with mortals. 1*et me re#hrase8 they reali0ed there was only oneghost for the ,ob. !hat being me. .o I"ve been reassigned. Now bring me u# to date.1 I did$ then said$ 1Am I on the right tra k41

1<es$ the %ates onfirm that we have tra##ed hild ghosts. !hey onfirm that the bastards res#onsible for it have$ asAratron said$ done what should be im#ossible#erformed magi without hereditarys#ell asting genes. And that"s what has them freaked. Who found a loo#hole4 How big is it4 What else an they do4 How many of them are there41 1In other words$ they"re no further along than I am.1 .he gave me a look as if to say8 what did you e(#e t4 1%inding them and finding out e(a tly what"s going on is our ,ob now.1 1!hat"s what I"ve been doing.1 1I know. But$ well$ you"re moving a little slowly.1 .he raised her hands against my #rotest. 1<ou"re going about it the right waythe safe way. But unless you want to s#end months reading referen e books and anvassing onta ts$ I"d suggest it"s time to ,um#&start this baby.1 19um#&start it how41 1!hose kids are here$ right4 In this garden. And they don"t follow you any farther than the house. Why41 1Well$ I guess being fragmented or whatever means they"re weakened$ restri ted in their movements1 6ve"s head shot around$ her ga0e following something. !hen her fa e lit u#$ not with her usual at&with&the& anary grin$ but with a gentle smile. 1Hey$ there$1 she said as she leaned down to a hild"s level. 15oming out of hiding41 1<ou an see them41 .he shook her head. 19ust glim#ses.1 .he looked away shar#ly from the ghosts$ before her ga0e hilled. 1'ark magi or not$ you don"t do shit like this. It"s ,ust understood. No ritual re7uires hildren$ so on one uses them.1 1/aybe they don"t know that$1 I said slowly$ the thought still forming as I s#oke it. 1Hmmm41 1!hey"re humans doing magi $ right4 !hey don"t know they don"t need hildren. /aybe they assume they do. /aybe whatever faith or magi system they"re building on uses hildren. !hat"s what we always hear about in tabloids and movies. 5hild sa rifi e.1 15ould be31 she mused$ ga0ing out as if still looking for the s#irits. 12se it and it works$ so you kee# using it.1 .he swung her ga0e ba k to me and stood. 1%orget why. We"ll get to that

later$ after we sto# them.1 1But it"s another avenue to look into. %or finding them. If we know what faith and magi al systems use hild1 .he waved me off. 1/ore resear h. <ou"ve got to ut through that$ 9aime. !ake a tion. We start by going ba k to why those s#irits are stu k here. ;resumably the ghosts are weakened and an"t travel far. %ar from what41 1!heir bodies$ of ourse1 I sto##ed and looked out over the gardens. !he endless raised beds. A bree0e ri##led #ast and I shivered. 1!hey were buried here.1 1I"d say that"s a fair guess.1 .he walked along the #ath$ her hand$ #assing through the roses as she #eered around. 1;erfe t #la e. <ou wouldn"t even have to dig down into the earth. 9ust get through lightly #a ked soil.1 /y ga0e went to the house. 1.o you think the #eo#le who live here41 1'on"t ount on it. I"ve buried a few or#ses in my time and I wouldn"t #ut one in my own garden. But if I had a neighbor down the road with a yard full of raised beds4 Or if I was an em#loyee there4 Or on a rew doing their gardening or #ool leaning4 ;lenty of #eo#le ould see and get a ess to these gardens. <ou an go that route$ he king #ossibilities$ but it"s ,ust more resear h. <ou need to1 1!ake a tion. I heard. But how1 1.ay one of these #oor kids" or#ses3 a##ears.1 1We find a body$ you mean4 'ig one u# and get lues that way41 I shook my head. 1!here"s a house full of #eo#le a hundred feet away. ;eo#le with ameras.1 .he smiled. 1Whi h makes it #erfe t.1 1;erfe t4 How would we ever hide41 1<ou don"t. !hat"s the #oint. <ou"re thinking like a su#ernatural$ 9aime. Hide the eviden e. 5over the rime.1 .he rou hed and rea hed out$ as if oa(ing one of the hildren$ a smile #laying on her li#s. Only after a moment of this did she look ba k u# at me. 1!his time$ there"s no over&u#. !hese are humans. <ou an"t ,ust anvasssu#ernaturals in*os Angeles looking for them. <ou have millions of sus#e ts$ not a few hundred. <ou need to draw them out.1 I wasn"t sure I agreed. In fa t$ I was #retty sure I didn"t$ but rather than argue the on e#t I honed

in on the s#e ifi s. 1How would I ever find a body4 It oudl take weeks$ even with 9eremy and me both out here every night digging.1 1<ou don"t need to dig$ 9aime. !hey"ll ome to you.1 1!hey"ll1 /y throat went dry. 1<ou an"t mean )aise their bodies4 /y +od$ 6ve$ I an"t believe you"d suggest that. <ou"re a mother.1 1<es$ I"m a mother$ 9aime$ whi h is e(a tly why I"d do this instead of #issing around with resear h. <ou think I don"t know what I"m asking4 I do$ but if it means sto##ing these bastards$ then I"d let you do it to.avannah herself.1 .he walked #ast me$ silent. 1I know it won"t be a very #leasant thing to do$ 9aime. Not for you or them.1 1If it would solve this$ I"d do it. But we"ve got a lead with thisBotni k guy and I think we should #lay that through first.1 With her ba k still to me$ she said$ 1<our all. I an"t dig u# the or#ses myself. If you really want to do more book reading$ look into Afri an folk magi .1 1'id the %ates suggest that41 1No$ I did. 5ou#le of years before I died$ I had some sor erer kid offer me body #arts. %rom a hild. He"d hooked u# with these3 wit h do tors. %u ked&u# stuff.1 1!his kid3 Where ould I find him41 1Over on my side somewhere. Not my doing. I tore a stri# out of him and s ared him off that shit$ but he only got into something worse$ with worse #eo#le than me. +uy was looking for a short ut to #ower. !y#i al kiddidn"t want to work for it. ;oint is$ I did some digging into this folk magi after he told me about it. !here are some bran hes that use hildren$ either selling #arts of their or#ses or stealing their so& alled life energy. <ou mentioned fragmented or weakened hild s#irits31 1And something like that might e(#lain it.1 1.o you go ahead and do your resear h. It"ll give me time to tra k down :ris$ tell him I"m ba k for a while. If you need me$ ,ust shout$ but31 A sly smile. 1If I"m slow res#onding$ give me a few minutes.1 1+ot ha.1

96)6/< ')O-6 me to thesean e site. 1All right$1 Be ky said as she ushered us into the ba kyard. 1Our sub,e t for today is /i key

5ohen.1 1Is this his house41 I said$ surveying the smallstu oed home. 12m$ I an"t say$1 she said. 1*iability issues. Being a mobster and all$ we have to be very res#e tful of the urrent residents.1 1A mobster41 Angeli7ue"s eyes went wide as she shivered. 1*ike the /afia4 I don"t think my daddy would want me talking to someone like that. /aybe I shouldn"t do this one31 15ohen3 5ohen$1 +rady mused. 1!he ha# who founded*as -egas $ wasn"t it41 He glan ed at 5laudia$ who gave a 1don"t ask me1 shrug. Be ky smiled. 1I"m not telling$ but I"m sure he will. Now let"s set u# over there.1

H6 A56' thesean e . All three of us. Be ky was fuming$ knowing I must have #assed on her ti# about 5ohen to Angeli7ue and +rady$ and I reali0ed I"d ,ust made an enemy in the business. It was the first time I"d ever done so intentionally. I"m always areful not to burn bridgesthat in om#etent ,unior assistant you tell off today ould be a studio e(e utive in ten years. But in ten years$ I"d be out of the business$ and Be ky didn"t have the lout to do more than s#read 1diffi ult to work with1 stories about me. But if I was wrong4 If she turned out to be the mistress of a network e(e urrently onsidering my new show4 !he thought #assed with a sur#rising la k of alarm. )ight now$ my #riority was freeing these kids. Anything else I ould deal with later. After thesean e $ 9eremy and I headed toBotni k"s sho#$ whi h had been losed when he he ked earlier. On the way$ I told him what 6ve had said. 1.he may have a #oint.1 I looked over at him shar#ly. 1About raising the or#ses41 1No$ but I think I know a way we ould find a body without raising the dead. %or now$ though$ it"s sim#ly something to kee# in the ba k of our minds.1

!H6SHOP windows were still dark$ the sign turned to 5losed. 1*un h break41 1;erha#s.1 He found a #arking #la e. 1I"m going to walk #ast. 5are to ,oin me41

1Around here$ it"s #robably safer than staying in the ar.1

R NES

A55O)'IN+ !O !H6 .I+N onBotni k"s sho#$ it o#ened at eleven and losed at seven. It was now almost one. 9eremy #eered through the darkened window as I looked for a +one for *un h or Ba k in %ive /inutes noti e. Nothing. 1It doesn"t look as if he o#ened this morning$1 9eremy said. 1!he mail is still under the slot.1 He glan ed at the ad,oining stores. An adults&only video sho# and a tattoo #arlor. ;utting his fingers on the ba k of my arm$ he steered me toward the latter. It was em#ty e( e#t for a woman sitting sideways on an old arm hair$ her ba k against one arm$ her legs s#rawled over the other. .he had a sandwi h in one hand and a #en in the other as she sket hed something on a #ad. *ate twenties with s#iked bla k hair$ she wore torn ,eans and a !& shirt with the sleeves ri##ed off. Her ga0e flitted over me and ame to rest on 9eremy. 1.orry to disturb you$1 he said. 1We"re here about the sho# ne(t door.AtrumAr ana a##ears to be losed$ and I was ho#ing you might know whether that"s tem#orary or it"s shut down for the day.1 He gave a wry smile. 1I"m sure you don"t kee# an eye on your neighbor"s omings and goings$ but we"ve traveled some distan e$ so I thought I"d ask.1 1AtrumAr ana41 .he looked at 9eremy with renewed interest$ her eyes glittering behind her at"s&eye glasses. If she noti ed me$ she gave no sign of it. It seemed that the farther I got from thirty$ the more invisible I be ame to twenty&somethingsthe men I was with be ame fair game. 1I don"t know what"s u# with 6ri today$1 she said. 1I haven"t seen him. But maybe I ould hel#. I know some #eo#le who sell #retty mu h the same stuff. What e(a tly did you have in mind41 1Wi anamulets. %or a nie e. I heard his store arries a large sele tion.1 1Oh.1

As her interest ooled$ 9eremy walked to a dis#lay of mysti al symbols. 1!hese are very ni e. Not for her ,ust yet$ though I"m sure she"ll be asking for one in a few years. Are you a #ra titioner41 1Nah. I ,ust draw what the ustomers want. O ult stuff is hot.1 1!his is your work$ then41 .he nodded. He tra ed his fingerti#s over an ankh. 1Beautiful. /aybe when she"s older. !hank you very mu h for your time.1 .he stood as he turned to go. 1Here"s my ard. And about 6ri 4 No idea where the guy is$ whi h is weird. He never o#ens late$ never loses early. !akes his business seriously. I was a little worried when he didn"t o#en$ so I tried his home number. *eft a message. Nothing.1 1.omething #robably ame u#$1 9eremy said. 1We"re in town for a ou#le of days. We"ll all tomorrow$ before we ome out.1 1And if he doesn"t answer$ give me a ring. /aybe I"ll know something.1 As she retrieved a business ard$ he eyed a smaller dis#lay of symbols. .im#le ones in bla k and white. 6ven as she handed him the ard$ he #ulled his ga0e away from the dis#lay only for a moment$ with a distra ted 1thank you.1 Another lingering look at the symbols$ then he #ut his fingers on my arm and headed for the door. He made it halfway$ sto##ed and slowly turned. 1I noti ed you have a number of runes there$1 he said$ nodding at the dis#lay. !he young woman beamed. 1<e#. A s#e ialty of mine. I love them. 6legant$ you know41 9eremy nodded$ still hesitating$ as if ontem#lating something. After a se ond$ he walked ba k toward the woman. 1!here are a few I"ve seen$ and never been able to #la e.1 1What do they look like41 He nodded at her sket h #ad and murmured$ 1/ay I41 .he #assed it over. He sket hed two symbols. I wat hed with a vague sense that I"d seen them before$ but ouldn"t remember where. 1<ou"re an artist$1 the woman said$ her a##raising smile returning. 1I an tell.1

A small nod from 9eremy$ not 7uite admitting it. He finished his sket hes. !he young woman studied them$ them shook her head. 1!hey look kind of like a ou#le of the 6lder%uthak ones$ and a bit like Hungarian but not 7uite either.1 .he #i ked u# the #a#er$ lifting it into a better light. 1-ery ni e$ though. 5an I kee# them41 I e(#e ted 9eremy to say$ 1<es$ of ourse1his usual good mannersbut he hesitated$ as if he"d like to refuse but wasn"t sure how. After a moment he nodded. 1.o$ what"s your medium41 she asked. His ga0e was distant$ mind elsewhere. A blink as he relu tantly returned. 1Oil$ mainly.1 15ool. /ine"s ink$ as you might have guessed.1 .he hatted for another few minutes$ 9eremy murmuring a##ro#riate res#onses and om#limenting her work. He gave no sign of his #reo u#ation or his im#atien e. Only someone who knew him would #i k u# the subtle hints$ that ool veneer to his words$ that em#tiness in his eyes. I laid my fingers on his arm. He nodded. 1We should be going.1 1Here$1 she said$ #lu king the business ard from his hand. .he wrote two numbers on the ba k$ then smiled at him. 1/y home and ell. In ase you ever want to dis uss runes or art.1 Art$ my ass. But I followed 9eremy"s ue$ smiling and thanking her for her time. As we ste##ed onto the sidewalk$ I said$ 1!hose are two of the runes on the babies" blankets. !he ones 6lena said you had 7uilted for them.1 He nodded. 1*ike the symbols in 5lay"s room. On his omforter and his walls. 6lena said you found 5layton"s omforter years ago and #ainted the walls with the same symbols$ to mat h. .he said you had the babies" blankets done that way as a ,oke. Only you didn"t find that omforter$ did you4 <ou had it made. *ike the blankets. And they aren"t a ,oke.1 He looked over shar#ly$ brows ar hed. 1Where do they ome from41 I asked. 1!he symbols.1 A #ause$ then he ta##ed the side of his head. 1As for how they got in there41 An odd look rossed his fa e$ frustration with a haser of something sad. 1No idea. I ,ust31

He shrugged and ke#t walking$ as if he wanted to leave it at that. !hen$ when we were almost in the ar$ he said$ 1It"s a3 om#ulsion$ I su##ose. With 5lay"s room when he was younger. With the babies now. 6ven 6lena has some in her bedroom.1 A twist of a smile. 1Hidden$ of ourse. If she found them$ she"d think I was mad.1 .he wouldn"t think that. But she"d ask 7uestions$ #robing and worrying$ e(a tly what he didn"t want. 1'o you think they"re onne ted to the other things41 I asked. 1<our visions4 <our3 sensing41 1I"ve thought about that$ but I don"t see how. /aybe they"re ,ust31 he shrugged$ 1images I saw on e that made an im#ression sub ons iously.1 1'o you want to go somewhere$ maybe get a offee$ talk about it41 He blinked$ as if startled by the very suggestion. /aybe even taken aba k. !hen he shook his head. 1We have to meet Ho#e.1 !hat was all he said. No 1maybe later$1 not even an 1I don"t want to talk about it.1 All day I"d been fighting a mounting frustration$ #retending I wasn"t ,ust a bit disa##ointed with the way things were going. *ast night had been3 s#e ial.5li hed $ yes$ and an odd hoi e of words to des ribe a night s#ent hiding from an . and / ult and running through rat&infested tunnels$ but I really felt that shared e(#erien e meant something. I"d been saying that a lot lately. /eant something. 5oming to*.A. meant something. !ou hing me all the time meant something. !alking to me about his duties as Al#ha and the dangers of a relationshi# meant something. 'rawing my #i ture meant something. But I was beginning to wonder whether I was ,ust seeing what I wanted to see.

W6 /6! Ho#e. .he"d done some resear h on missing hildren. !he results were not en ouraging. In a ity the si0e of*os Angeles $ kids go missing. /ost are not the sort whose #i tures ever a##ear on milk artons and trans#ort tru ks. As 9eremy said$ these would be the hildren the grou# had targeted. Ne(t$ we mulled over 6ve"s #ro#osal. Was there a way to un over the bones without 1satani ult1 being s#lashed a ross the si( o" lo k news4 Ho#e would think about it. 9eremy #robably ould have asked 6lena the same thing. But had he alled 6lena$ she or 5layif not both would have been on the ne(t #lane out. As far as they knew$ we were ondu ting e(a tly the sort of investigation 6ve had groused aboutreading books$ resear hing news arti les and anvassing safe su#ernatural onta ts.

A! ? ;./. we found ourselves atBotni k"s sho# again$ #re#aring for another break&and&enter. Ho#e had asked to ome along$ on the han e she"d #i k u# some haos vibes and hel# us unearth any o ult eviden e we"d missed. .he stood guard at the #arking lot entran e and I wat hed from within the lot$ in ase anyone ste##ed outside while 9eremy reo#ened the window behind the trash bin. 1'one$1 he said as he walked u# beside me. 1/ore of a hallenge for you this time$ I ho#e41 His brows shot u#. 15hallenge4 Heavens$ no. Why would I want that4 I"m a res#onsible Al#ha$ and as su h$ I ho#e all su h dangerous endeavors are as straightforward and risk&free as #ossible.1 I smiled$ #ut my hands against his hest and lifted onto my ti#toes. He lowered his head$ getting lose enough for me to rea h. 1.#eaking of hallenges$1 I muttered. 1.#eaking of risks$1 he murmured ba k. I met his ga0e. 1I"m willing to take them. Whether you are is$ I sus#e t$ another matter.1 He hesitated$ and I knew I"d guessed right. 1It"s not1 he began. 1Okay$ it looks like1 Ho#e"s voi e$ a ross the lot. 12h$ sorry. I thought I heard voi es.1 1<ou did$1 I said$ ste##ing away from 9eremy. 1We should get inside while it"s lear.1

+6!!IN+ IN.I'6 wasn"t the only thing made more diffi ult by daylight. Although the windows were smoked glass$ anyone #eering in ould see us. But the alternative was to wait five hours. Ho#e had onta ted :arl earlier and hinted that his skills might be needed$ but she"d #retended the o ult ase was her work assignment$ not mentioning 9eremy or me. 9eremy seemed relu tant to get :arl involved. I ould halk this u# to 9eremy en,oying the 1 hallenges1 of doing it himself$ but knowing his feelings about :arl$ I sus#e ted there was more to it. 1I"ll start in the offi e$1 9eremy whis#ered as he ad,usted his gloves.

15an41 Ho#e began$ then #ulled a fa e and rea hed for her ell #hone. 1.orry. I"m su##osed to be investigating ro# ir les. !hankfully$ I an write a ro# ir le story in my slee#.1 A glan e at the #hone. 1Oh$ it"s )ona +rant. .hould I41 .he glan ed at us. 1+o ahead$1 9eremy said. 1;erha#s she has something. .he didn"t. Ho#e ke#t the #hone a half&in h from her ear$ volume ,a ked$ so even without werewolf hearing$ I ould listen in. .eemed /ay had asked )ona to follow u# on whether any of those onta t names had #anned out. Ho#e strung her a story with the ease of a #rofessional hu kster$ insinuating that we were indeed making use of those onta ts$ when we"d dismissed the lot of them yesterday. .he #robed around the sub,e t ofBotni k nothing overt$ ,ust leading 7uestions that might have gotten )ona talking about the ult leader$ but obviously the woman had no interest in steering us down that seedy #ath. .o Ho#e #romised to kee# her in the loo# and hung u#. 1As I was going to say$ an you s#are 9aime to show me those disse ted bits41 Ho#e asked. 1Not that I have a #rurient interest in seeing dried&u# body #arts$ but you were wondering whether they were taken from someone who was already dead3 or someone they hel#ed get that way.1 1And you"ll be able to tell. 9aime4 Would you rather take the offi e41 1'ried bits don"t bother me.1

W6 5)6;! to the storage room. 9ust inside the door$ Ho#e stumbled. I went to at h her$ but she brushed me off$ regaining her balan e herself. .he turned$ hands out$ fumbling$ as if da0ed. Her fa e was white$ her eyes wide and unseeing. Having a vision. I knew better than to interfereit"s like shaking a slee#walker awake. Instead$ I stayed there$ ready to grab her if she fell. Her hands found the urtain and she grabbed it$ as if for su##ort. %or a moment$ she lung to it$ head dro##ed forward$ eyes losed$ breaths oming dee# and fast. !hen her head whi##ed ba k and she gas#ed$ eyes flying o#en. 1What"s in here41 she asked hoarsely. Before I ould answer$ she threw o#en the urtain. A shar# intake of breath as she stared at the bondage gear. !hen a shaky laugh. 1Well$ that e(#lains it.1 A #ause$ then she glan ed at me. 1I have to I an"t do this here. !oo strong. 5an you get the3 stuff and bring it out to me41 I nodded.

A 5O2;*6 of minutes later$ I sli##ed into the leaning loset and found Ho#e there$ rubbing the ba k of her ne k. 1.orry about that$1 she said. 1It was ,ust1 1!oo mu h.1 A wry smile. 1<eah. Asking me to get a sense of those1 she waved at the bags in my hand$ 1while I was in that room$ would be like asking a bloodhound to #i k out a month&old trail in an air#ort terminal. Way too mu h else going on.1 1Are you okay41 Nodding$ she took a bag from my hand. .he stared at it$ but I ould tell she was still wat hing the movie #laying in her mind. A shar# shake of her head. 1/aybe you should get some air$1 I said. 1I know whatever you saw ouldn"t have been very #leasant.1 1I"m okay. It"s not3 !hey don"t disturb me.1 .he lifted the bag. 1Nothing here. *et"s try another.1 .he went through three of the half&do0en bags$ then sto##ed on the fourth$ eyes losing$ eyelids fli kering$ like someone in the throes of a vivid dream. Her breathing a elerated. .weat beaded on her forehead. !hen her eyes flew o#en and she handed the bag ba k to me. 15ar a ident.1 !he ne(t two gave her nothing. 1One a idental death$ five haos&free deaths. /y sensors aren"t #erfe t$ but if all those folks were murdered for their body #arts$ I should have #i ked u# something from at least one. All I got was a ar a identsingle&vehi le ollision. Not #retty$ but normal enough.1 1.o they"re likely morgue or emetery #i kings. *ike ne roman ers use.1 1<ou guys use341 I nodded. 1Only we don"t get the ni e #rote tive wra##ing. ;hysi al onta t is a must.1 1Ah.1 1We get used to it. *ike you and your visionsa nasty #art of life.1

.he glan ed at the bags. 1.o ould this guy have been selling to ne roman ers41 1Only without knowing it. /ore likely$ he was ,ust selling to humans wanting the stuff for medi ine or magi . We use our own bla k markets$ but even those are iffy. If I want 7uality goods$ I have to go to the sour e.1 1<ou mean31 1+rave digging. %ortunately$ it"s not something I have to do very often.1 Ho#e found one more violent death in the ne(t bat hele tro utionbut again it seemed a idental. 1.o this ult draws the line at murder41 she said. 1!hat sur#rises me. <ou"d think if you"re going to kidna# and torture your vi tims$ you"d kill them$ if only to over your tra ks.1 1:idna# and torture41 I shook my head. 1It may seem hard to be&lieve$ but they don"t need unwilling vi tims. !hat bondage stuff is for the ult members. 5onsenting adults.1 1/aybe that"s whatyou saw. WhatI saw was definitelynon on &sensual. And it was re ent. I"ve been working on distinguishing #ast and urrent images and I have no doubt about that one.1 1What did you see41 1Not mu h. I was wat hing it from the vi tim"s #oint of view$ and his or her head was overed. Not ,ust a blindfold or leather mask either. !his thing was heavy.1 1*ike a metal helmet41 .he nodded. 1But it was solidor almost solid. !he #erson inside ould barely breathe.1 I hurried ba k to the storage room and he ked the shelf. !he helmet was missing.

S PERNAT RAL CSI

HO;6 ;A56' from one end of the storage room to the other. 1No$ it"s not hel#ing. I ,ust kee# seeing the same s ene. !hat"s usually how it is. If there"s some way to see more$ I haven"t figured it out yet. I ,ust get a sni##et$ #laying over and over.1 1+o through it again$1 9eremy said. 1In ase I"m missing something.1

%rom the frustration in Ho#e"s fa e$ I knew she thought he meant in aseshe'd missed something$ but she took a dee# breath and losed her eyes. 1. ene starts. Bla kness. 5an"t breathe. .truggling. )estrained. %irst by hands$ then those are gone but he still an"t get away. !here"s a voi e$ but it e hoes inside the helmet. 5an"t make out the words. 5an"t even tell whether it"s a man or woman. !rying to s ream$ but an"t$ as if gagged$ but31 Ho#e o#ened her eyes. 1It"s like the #erson is gagged$ but I don"t feel one. .ame with the restraints.1 1A binding s#ell$1 9eremy said. 1No$ I"ve been aught in one of those before. It"s not the same. !his is31 .he struggled for a om#arison$ then said$ 1Here$ I"ll try again.1 6yes losed. Ba k into the vision. 1Not a binding s#ell. Not restraints. !he #erson wants to fight$ but an"t. *ike his body won"t res#ond. No1 .he lifted a finger. 1One more time. I"m getting it.1 6yes losed. 'ee# breath. 1!he #erson is struggling. . reaming. But he"s so weak$ it doesn"t matter.1 .he o#ened her eyes. 1!hat"s it. Weakened. *ike sedated but there"s no feeling of being tired or slee#y. 9ust3 drained.1 1/agi ally drained.1 9eremy said. 1I"d say so.1 1If it ha##ened here$ let"s see whether I an find a trail.1

I !OO: Ho#e to the offi e$ saying we should take a look$ see whether fresh eyes found anything new$ but really$ I was ,ust giving 9eremy #riva y. !here"s something very undignified about getting down on your hands and knees to snuffle the ground. After about ten minutes$ 9eremy alled us ba k. !he room was thi k with trails. %rom our e( ursion the night before$ he had a good idea whi h trails belonged to grou# members$ but #i king out 1whi h of these doesn"t belong1 in the tiny loset was #robably lose to Ho#e"s analogy of a bloodhound in a busy air#ort terminal. He"d sorted out three$ maybe four s ents he didn"t re ogni0e. One of them$ #resumably$ was the vi tim. 1!he others are #robably ult members who missed last night"s meeting. All the trails$ though$ eventually lead there.1 He #ointed down at the tra# door$ having rolled ba k the ar#et.

1Not sur#rising$1 I said. 1If they"re going to kill someone$ that"s where they"d do it.1 1I"m not sure we have a murder vi tim. !hat was my first thoughtthatBotni k made onta t with the grou# and they demanded #roof of his loyalty.1 1Human sa rifi e$1 Ho#e said. 1But for all of the trails that go down$ there"s one oming ba k.1 1/aybeBotni k lost his nerve$1 I said. 1Or it was ,ust a test to see whether he"d go through with it. In either ase1 I #ulled o#en the hat h$ 1that means I"m not going to stumble a ross a or#se or a ghost s reaming for vengean e$ so I"m good.1 1Ho#e41 9eremy said. 1A la k of a or#se won"t make this any easier foryou('7 1I"ll be fine.1

HO;6 .!O;;6' at the bottom of the ladder$ rigid$ as if she"d known this vision was oming$ and bra ed for it. When it finished$ she gave a soft sigh of relief. 1.ame old$ same old$1 she said. 1He or she is in the helmet$ an"t see$ an barely breathe$ an"t fight or s ream. %or haos$ it ranks about a four. !error$ but it"s ,ust fear of the unknown.1 We looked around. !he avernous$ rate&lined room looked e(a tly as we"d left it. 1%le ks of blood$1 Ho#e said$ walking to the middle. I followed her. 1!hey"re from last night. !he meeting.1 Her fa e s run hed in distaste. 1In other words$ as you said$ it was onsensual. Whi h e(#lains why I"m not getting mu h in the way of haos vibes.1 9eremy hadn"t said a word. Not unusual. But when I looked over$ I saw him staring out a ross the room$ nostrils flared. He turned his head slowly$ inhaling$ as if trying to get a fi( on a s ent. !hen his ga0e ame to rest on a wall of bo(es along the wallthe wall with the embedded hooks. 1!hose bo(es weren"t like that last night$1 I said$ walking toward it. 9eremy alled to me$ but I was only a few feet away and by the time I reali0ed he was trying to sto# me$ I ould see a foot #rotruding from behind the sta k. I ba k#edaled to avoid an atta k. !hen I saw the hook$ and the hain #ulled taut and$ without thinking$ I ste##ed sideways for a better view.

A man hung sus#ended from the hook by the hain. His feet tou hed the ground$ knees bent$ dangling. /y first thought was how do you hang yourself if you an tou h the ground4 !hen I saw the hoke hain around his ne k. 9eremy #ut his hand on my shoulder$ but didn"t #ull me away. If I wanted to look$ that was my hoi e. He moved #ast me to e(amine the body. !he man"s head droo#ed$ but even before I saw his fa e$ I knew it wasBotni k . His eyes were bulging. His fingers were wra##ed around the hain at his ne k$ as if he"d tried to #ull it free. 1He ouldn"t get it loose$1 said a soft voi e behind me. Ho#e"s. 1!hey took off the helmet and ki ked his legs out from under him$ and the hain tightened$ but something ke#t it from loosening$ even after he got his footing.1 9eremy moved alongside the body$ looking without tou hing. Wat hing him$ my ga0e moved downBotni k for the first time$ and noti ed something3 une(#e ted. 1He"s not wearing any #ants. 'id they3 ra#e him41 1'oesn"t a##ear so$1 9eremy said. 1!here"s no sign of struggle. I think that was intentional using a s#ell to restrain himso there wouldn"t be any marks. Nothing to indi ate he didn"t do this to himself. As for the #ants$ though31 1!hat"s intentional$1 Ho#e said. 1!hey"ve set the s ene for auto&eroti as#hy(iation.1 I e(#lained to 9eremy. 1Ah$1 he said. 1And$ given the nature of this room and the e7ui#ment u#stairs$ that"s e(a tly the sort of thing the authorities would e(#e t someone likeBotni k to do.1

.O W6did have a murder. 9eremy had found a return trail be auseBotni k had been in and out of this basement several times in the last twenty&four hours. Had he made onta t with the grou#4 +otten in tou h with his former lover$ who"d alled her former lover and they"d set u# a meeting withBotni k 4 It wasn"t the only #ossibility. /aybe that ult member he"d whi##ed last night had her 1I"m not going to take it anymore1 e#i#hany$ and had ome ba k to kill him. Or maybe it was a ustomer$ furious that his 1ground rhino #enis1 hadn"t out#erformed -iagra$ as advertised. +uys likeBotni k had their share of enemiesnot all the most stable individuals. But that would be mighty oin idental and wouldn"t e(#lain the magi al weakening Ho#e had #i ked u#. .o we set to work #laying 5.I. !he su#ernatural version. !he werewolf untangled and followed s ent trails. !he half&demon reviewed the death vision. And the ne roman er tried to onta t the s#irit of the de eased.

I summonedBotni k re#eatedly$ with no lu k. Not sur#rising really. )igor mortis had set in and the body had ooled$ meaning he"d been dead for hours. Newly dead s#irits don"t hang around long before someone whisks them off to the afterlife$ and on e they"re gone$ ne roman ers an"t make onta t until the #owers&that&be de ide they"re ready to re eive visitors. .till$ I tried$ in aseBotni k hadn"t been s oo#ed u# yet. I was about to give u# when I s#otted a sha#e sli##ing through a sta k of bo(es a ross the room. 1<ou=1 I advan ed on the ghost. It was the voyeur from the night before. He started to fade. 1'on"t you dare$1 I said. 12nless you want to be re#orted for loitering at the s ene of an unauthori0ed o ult gathering$ I"d suggest you tell me what you saw.1 1I didn"t1 1<es$ you did. <ou"re the only witness to a murder and you"d better tell me what you saw or you"ll add "failing to remain at the s ene" to those harges.1 He #eered at me$ his eyes narrowing. I tried to look severe. 6ven fier e. I think I blew it when I went for fier e. 1;fft$1 he said and started to fade. A bolt of energy sli ed through the bo(es and hit him in the stoma h. He yel#ed and stumbled. 6ve strode from the rate #ile and ki ked the man"s legs out from under him. When he fell$ she #lanted her boot on his throat. 1%eel more like talking now41 she asked. He yowled as she ground her foot into his ne k. 1Oh$ stuff it. <ou an"t feel #ain$ remember41 .he leaned ba k and fi(ed him with a look. 1Or$ onsidering your "#ro livities$" I"m guessing that"s the tragedy of your afterlife$ huh41 His eyes narrowed to slits. 1I deliver #ain$ bit h. I don"t re eive.1 1)ight. .o that onvention inHawaii 3 eighty&nine$ wasn"t it4 .o that"s not you I see wearing the grass skirt and getting36ww . *et"s sto# right there.1 His fa e went sla k and his li#s #arted$ as if to ask how she"d known that. !hen he settled for s#ewing inve tive. 1Oh$ 7uit your bit hing$1 6ve said. 1I"m not here to dis uss your se( lifemu h rather not$

thank you. <ou"re going to tell the ni e lady1 1I"m not telling either of you anything.1 .he began again$ in the same alm tone. 1<ou"re going to tell1 1<ou"ve already admitted you an"t hurt me$ so how are you going to1 1Hold that thought.1 6ve lifted a finger$ then looked at me. 15ould you431 .he motioned with her still&raised finger$ telling me to turn around. .o she didn"t want me seeing how she was going to #ersuade the ghost to s#eak. I ould have #rotested that I wasn"t skittishI"d ,ust found a dead body and hadn"t run s reaming from the room. An old argument$ and not worth rehashing now. .o I settled for a glare$ and turned my ba k$ resisting the urge to ross my arms. 9eremy and Ho#e had already figured out that I wasn"t talking to myself. %rom behind me ame a ommotion of muffled ries$ most of it 1blee#ed1 out$ the rest in oherent babbling. 1sorry$ very sorrydidn"t understand the situationno offense intendednone at all1 I waited. /ore babbled a#ologies. !hen$ 6ve$ im#atiently$ 1Are you done4 Be ause we really need to get on with this$ #referably before the o#s show u#.1 1<es$ yes$ but I ,ust want you to know$ I meant no disres#e t. I1 1didn"t understand the situation. Well$ now you do. .o shut u# and answer our 7uestions. 9aime41 I started to turn around. 12h&uh$1 6ve said. 1+ottakee# looking that way or we aren"t going to get the truth out of this bastard.1 !he ghost yel#ed in #rotest. 1I will. I assure you$ now that I understand1 1the situation. +ot that #art. As for telling the truth$ let"s ,ust say I like to be thorough. .o the 1 her ne(t word was blee#ed$ 1stays. +ot it41 1Whatever you say$ ma"am. Or$er $ is there a #ro#er form of address4 I"ve never met1 1/a"am is fine. 9aime41 !he ghost.tan$ as he finally introdu ed himselfhad been hanging around the basement last

night$ ho#ing for further e( itement after our hasty e(it. !he ult members had followed us a little ways into the tunnel$ but retreated on e they hit the dro#&off. 2#stairs$Botni k onvin ed them that nothing had been tou hed$ no doors left unlo ked$ and$ had anyone broken into the basement$ it had #robably ,ust been some vagrant or addi t who ame in through the tunnel looking for shelter. !he man had left then$ but the woman had hung around$ obviously sus#e ting something was u#$ and only left whenBotni k went with her. .tan stayed. 9eremy returned and wandered around$ #i king u#Botni k"s trail$ then left. !wenty minutes or so later$Botni k ame ba k alone$ #robably ho#ing we"d show u# again. He"d stayed for an hour$ then made a #hone all on his ell. He"d had to go u#stairs to get de ent re e#tion. .tan hadn"t followed$ so he hadn"t heard the ontent of that all.Botni k had then done some wandering of his own$ nervously #a ing as he waited. A ou#le of hours #assed. !hen .tan heard a ry and a thum#. He"d gone u# to findBotni k fa edown on the floor$ un ons ious$ surrounded by three dark& lad figures. !hey seemed to have ome u# onBotni k from behind and kno ked him out before he ould say a word. 9eremy had me #ress .tan for details onBotni k"s atta kers$ but he ould give little. And whatever 6ve was doing to him$ it meant he ouldn"t lie. All three had worn dark boots$ #ants$ ,a kets and bala lavas. !hey"d ranged in height from about five foot si( to si( feet. !heir lothing had been too bulky to determine weight. !hey s#oke in whis#ers$ and little of that$ ommuni ating only brus7ue ommands$ never using names. %rom the timbre of the voi es$ he guessed all had been men. One of the three had brought a leather mask and the helmet from the storeroom. !hey"d wordlessly de ided on the helmet.Botni k regained ons iousness as they were #utting the helmet on him$ but the biggest of the three had restrained him. One of the others had done some 1magi al mumbo ,umbo1 as .tan #ut it$ andBotni k"s struggles had turned to twit hes$ his stifled ries to whim#ers. I 7uestioned .tan further on the 1magi al mumbo ,umbo.1 Being anonsu#ernatural $ the finer #oints ofs#ell asting eluded him. A ording to him$ the #erson had 1said foreign stuff and blown something on 6ri .1 6ve re ited a few lines in the most ommons#ell asting languages*atin$ +reek and Hebrew. He thought +reek sounded right3 but *atin was lose too. 9eremy tried %ren h and .#anish$ but I doubted .tan would re ogni0e the language even if the e(a t lines were re#eated. He was more a 1foreign stuff1 kind of guy. *ikewise for the 1blown stuff.1 It had been #owder$ maybe gray$ maybe white. In other words$ anything from ash to o aine to dust. 6ve knew of no s#ells re7uiring su h a thing. Nor had she heard of anything like the 1weakening1 s#ell. As she said$ there was no #oint using something like that if you had a binding s#ell. /eaning whoever used itdidn't have a binding s#ell.

On eBotni k was subdued$ they"d taken him downstairs. !here$ the tallest of the three had done all the talking. Interrogating$ I should say. Not mu h different than what we were doing to .tan now. !hey"d wanted to know all about the 1visit1 we"d #aid him. Botni khad des ribed us only in the broadest termsa ou#le in their late thirties$ dark&haired man$ red&haired woman. !hey"d #ushed for details$ but$ like .tan$Botni k wasn"t an eagle&eyed observer. He"d gotten the best look at me$ but his only des ri#tion was that I was 1a real looker.1 9eremy had been behind him most of the time$ and he"d only gotten a glan e at 9eremy"s ba k as he"d followed me into the tunnel. A##arently not being one to he k out a guy from the rear$Botni k ould say only that he 1wasn"t a huge$ brawny guy$1 thus su##orting his belief that 9eremy"s strength was #reternatural. !hey"d 7uestioned him a lot on that9eremy"s strength. Had I dis#layed any un anny abilities4 No. Had 9eremy dis#layed any others4 No. What had we asked him4 He told them. Where did we go4 He told them. *ike .tan now$Botni k had been almost falling over himself to res#ond$ #robably thinking he was being tested and working hard to im#ress. On e they"d been ertainBotni k had nothing more to tell them$ they"d killed him. !hen they"d staged the s ene and left. .tan hadn"t bothered to follow them$ having no interest in se ret so ieties that didn"t involve se(.

PART IV

.he glan ed u# at the bat. Its desi ated eyes stared ba k from its #er h on the shelf overlooking the tiny on rete room. Beside it was a legless terrierone of their earlier e(#eriments$ along with the other mammals and re#tiles on the shelf ringing the room$ dating from a time when they"d ho#ed animal sa rifi e would be enough. !he remains now served a dual #ur#ose. When they #erformed a human sa rifi e$ they had only to glan e u# to be reminded of why they"d needed to take this diffi ult ste#. !he other reason was #urely #ra ti al. While they"d taken every ste# to hide and se ure this roomby both normal and magi al meansif it was ever found$ the animal or#ses would serve as a valid e(#lanation for its e(isten e$ making them seem guilty of nothing more heinous than animal sa rifi e and disse tion. .he knelt under the wat hful eyes of those #reserved beasts$ waiting as 'on e(#lained to the grou# what she was about to attem#t.

1!his s#ell is far more ambitious than any we"ve tried before$ but we"ve been working on it for months and finally$ in this #ast week$ we"ve seem a glimmer of su ess.1 Her ga0e slid around the ir le$ studying and evaluating ea h e(#ression. 6veryone was here. 2nder the ir umstan esthe #romise of stronger magi it should have been no trouble getting full attendan e. But Brian had tried to du k out$ laiming a #ressing work deadline. And$ to her sur#rise$ !ina had also wavered$ saying her in&laws were in town. /urray"s death three weeks ago had shaken them more than she"d anti i#ated. .he"d given them time to boun e ba k$ and now she needed to follow the sla# of his death with a reward. )eassure them that the #ri0e was worth the #ri e. 1We insisted you all be #resent today$1 'on ontinued$ 1in ho#es that this will #rovide the boost we need to su essfully ast this s#ell. All of us here$ our ombined life energy in this #la e$ where the #ower has been harvested many times and where vestiges of that su#reme #ower may still remain.1 'on lied with the fervor of a true believer onvin ed that what they were doing was right and$ more than right$ to his benefit. !hat"s what set him a#art from the others and what had made her hoose him years ago as her onfidante. Well$ her onfidante in most things3 Here$ in this room$ they"d killed si( hildren$ slitting their throats as they sle#t$ drugged$ on this floor. Here they"d wat hed a young man burn to death$ the s#ell making him too weak to do more than mewl and ras#$ his s reams #ouring from his eyes instead. Here they"d stabbed /urray in the ba k$ wat hed their longtime fellow and$ yes$ friend$ slide to the floor$ his lifeblood tri kling down the drain. And here$ in this same #la e$ they would now be reminded of what they were striving for. Here they would witness a breakthrough into the world of #ower they dreamed of. Or so 'on ho#ed. .he ould see the an(iety in his eyes$ the sweat beading on his bald #ate. .he smiled reassuringly. .he didn"t tell himall her se rets. 1I"ll need a volunteer to test this on$1 she said. 1Brian4 Would you be so kind41 1'e#ends on what you"re going to do.1 A whoosh of laughter from the grou#$ more tension relief than real amusement. 1It might hurt$ but not too mu h.1 .he smiled. 1I ho#e.1 /ore laughter. Brian took u# the #osition she indi ated$ in the middle of the floor$ standing over the drawn symbols. 1I ask you all to be #atient with me$1 she said. 1I"m sure this will take a few asts.1

.he ad,usted the ue ard on the floor. .he"d memori0ed the s#ell$ but there was some reassuran e in having the words lose by. .ometimes even she needed reassuran e. .he took a moment to mentally #re#are. +etting 1into the 0one1 as her #ersonal trainer would say. !hen she rea hed into the o#en ,ar$ took out a generous #in h of ash and laid it on her #alm. .he losed her eyes$ sinking dee#er into that 0one. Around her$ no one even shifted #osition$ however un omfortable the old on rete beneath them. .ilen e and on entration were #aramount. When she o#ened her eyes$ she saw only the mound of ash on her #alm$ all her attention on that fo al #oint. One dee# breath in. .he let it out slowly$ the human remains fluttering from her hand. .till e(haling$ she began the in antation. With the last words$ she flung her hand toward Brian. !he une(#e ted movement startled him and his mouth o#ened to say something. !hen he ,olted sideways$ kno ked off balan e$ almost tumbling to the floor. As he re overed$ she ast again$ faster now. And this time$ the moment she flung out her hand$ he ,erked$ as if stru k by something. His eyes went wide$ then losed as he slid to the floor. Around her$ everyone had gone as still as Brian. %inally$ 'on found his voi e. 1Hehe"s ,ust un ons ious. Itit worked.1 .he tried to look sur#rised$ as if it hadn"t worked for her when she"d tested it on dereli ts$ no one the wiser when they slum#ed to the ground$ #resumably #assing out drunk. 'on remembered his lines. 1Our first truly defensive s#ell. Imagine how it ould be used. No more fear of muggings or ar,a king or home invasions. One s#ell$ and your atta ker falls to the ground$ un ons ious.1 He leared his throat$ then gestured at Brian"s still form. 1!his is what we"ve been working toward. /agi truly worth the #ri e.1 .he looked around the ir le and knew$ finally$ that they were one again.

#EATH BO#IES

ON56 .!AN WA. +ON66ve and I made sure of itwe left too. Interrogating .tan had only onfirmed what we"d already sus#e ted$ but I su##ose that was #rogress.Botni k had been killed$ not by the 'is i#les ofAsmodai or random ustomers$ but by members of the grou# we

were seeking. And they had magi . While 6ve stood guard outside$ Ho#e$ 9eremy and I looked around the store and made sure there was no tra e of our visitfar more im#ortant now that it was the site of a murder$ not ,ust a break&and&enter. 1!hanks for oming by$1 I said to 6ve as we headed ba k to the ar. 1<our timing was #erfe t.1 1A tually$ I arrived a few minutes before that$ but thought I"d give you a han e to handle it on your own. I liked "loitering at the s ene of an unauthori0ed o ult gathering." Had him going for a minute. !rouble is$ when you try to bluff$ you ti# your hand. We"ll have to work on that.1

6-6 A55O/;ANI6' us ba k to Ho#e"s a#artment$ arguing her ase for drawing out our #rey instead of tra king it down. After her hel#$ I ouldn"t refuse to listen and she knew it$ making herself almost as mu h of a nuisan e as .tan. As we walked from the #arking lot to Ho#e"s #la e$ the debate slid into a two&way dis ussion between 6ve and 9eremy$ with me there to 1inter#ret.1 Ho#e stayed out of it from the beginning being her first #rolonged ghost en ounter$ she #robably found it unnerving. 1%ine$ you"re right$1 6ve said to 9eremy. 1/inimal #ress e(#osure$ to #rote t everyone involved and kee# things from getting out of hand.1 As I relayed her message$ I dro##ed hange into a street musi ian"s guitar ase. 1I ho#e you"re #aying him for musi lessons$1 6ve said. 1Or$ better yet$ to sto# #laying.1 I shook my head and glan ed at 9eremy$ but he was busy s anning the street. I thought he was thinking until I saw his nostrils flare. 19eremy41 I said. He inhaled again. !hen a nod. 1What do you smell41 I asked. He shook his head.

B< !H6 time we rea hed the a#artment$ we"d made a de ision. If we didn"t find anything in our sear h ofBotni k"s house$ we"d take that ne(t ste# tonight. We"d try to find a body in the garden3 but not using ne roman y.

BO!NI5: *I-6' in an old two&story working& lass house in a working& lass neighborhood. His was little more than a ereal bo(long$ re tangular and very narrow. Hardly the +othi mansion one e(#e ted of a se( ult leader. !he interior was generi . Off&white walls throughout. Interior de oration by I:6A. %un tional$ ontem#orary furniture$ all mat hed sets. 6ven the art on the walls looked like it ame from the . andinavian om#any. /aybeBotni k had gone through the I:6A atalog$ found a sam#le #age for ea h room and ordered everything off it. After we knew the layout of the house$ we s#lit u#. Ho#e would randomly s out for vibes. 9eremy would take the offi e. I"d look for se ret areaslo ked losets$ tra# doors and the like the sort of hidey&holesBotni k seemed to like. !he only +othi thing about the #la e was the ghosts. !hree of them. !hat was a lot for one #la e.Botni k seemed to attra t them. Not sur#rising. ;eo#le #ursue magi al answers to their #roblems even after death. While humans try to find a ba k door into the afterlifeto gain the knowledge of the ages by ommuni ating with the deadghosts are busy trying to find a ba k door out$ to leave eternity and e( hange the divine for the #rofane. !he 1grass is always greener1 syndrome. Now this trio of ghosts$ who"d been ho#ing this ut&rate o ultist would show them the #ath$ had hit the ,a k#ot. !here was a ne roman er in the house. At first they only whis#ered among themselves. !ononsu#ernat&ural ghosts$ ne roman ers are the stuff of legend. *ike s#otting 6lvis in the afterlife. 6veryone says he"s there$ they know how to re ogni0e him if they see him$ and some have even met him. /ost$ though$ will go through eternity and never en ounter the man. .o it was with ne roman ers. !hese ghosts re ogni0ed my 1glow$1 but wanted to be sure they weren"t mistaken. .o they followed me. !he a##arent leader was a woman in #ioneer gear8 a shabby dress with a yoke and a#ron. I guessed she was at least si(tywith iron gray hair and sunken$ leathery heeksbut on se ond glan e$ I wondered whether she was really any older than me. !he se ond ghost was a young woman in a high& ollared -i torian dress$ her hair #ulled so tight it a ted like a fa e&lift. !he third was a man in modern working lothes. Big and shambling$ he lagged behind the women like a faithful dog. !hey 1tested1 me$ trying to determine whether I ould see or hear them$ and I willfully failed every time. +ot away with it until I was he king an interior wall that seemed larger than normal #erha#s hiding some se ret om#artment. I ta##ed along it$ listening for a hange in tone$ intent on my task 1Hello=1 !he #ioneer woman"s fa e shot through the wall right in front of me. I ,um#ed.

1Ah&ha=1 she s ree hed. 1<oucan see us.1 I tried to over$ looking around as if some noise had startled me. !hen$ fearing that wasn"t enough$ I faked a hi u#$ as ifthat had made me ,um#. I overdid it with the hi u#. !i##ed my hand$ as 6ve would have said. I ke#t e(amining the wall while all three ghosts tried their hand at 1s#ooking1 me. %inally I gave u#. !he ghosts hadn"t a##eared when the others were around$ so I found Ho#e in the master bedroom. 1Hey$1 I whis#ered. 1+etting any bad vibes41 1!here"s something here$1 she said. 1I an"t tell whether it"s ,ust his . and / stuff. /aybe a less& than&willing #artner. Hard to #i k u#$ though.1 1Hey$ #retty lady$1 the male ghost whis#ered in my ear. 1+ot something I think you"d like to see.1 I ke#t my attention on Ho#e as she losed her eyes to #i k u# the vibe or vision. !he ghost ste##ed between us. 1Here$1 he said$ leering. 1!ake a look at this.1 He rea hed#redi tablyfor his fly. Not like I hadn"t been flashed before. His 0i##er whirred. !hen$ he rea hed inside and3 his torso fell ba k$ intestines s#illing out$ the to# half of his body nearly severed. I stumbled ba kward. !he ghosts roared with laughter. 1+ot ha$1 the man said$ his head nearly on the floor$ walking toward me$ insides 7uivering$ his u##er half held on only by his s#ine. 19aime41 I heard Ho#e say$ her voi e distant. I lifted my hands to wave her off and murmured something like 1I"m all right1words that didn"t #enetrate the #ounding of blood in my ears. !he bise ted ghost avorted in front of me$ his intestines bobbing. I took a dee# breath to steady myself. !his was his death body. He"d #robably died in some industrial a ident and ould now revert to that 1form1 at will. :nowing this$ though$ didn"t make the sight any less gruesome. 19aime41 Ho#e said again. 1.orry$1 I said as the ghost #ran ed between us. I for ed my ga0e to Ho#e. 1Are you getting

anything41 1I think so. Weak$ though. 9ust random images. Blood$ rying3 It"s faint$ whi h ould mean it"s old1 !he #ioneer woman lea#t through Ho#e. Her s al# was ri##ed off$ bloodied skull e(#osed over em#ty bird&#e ked eye so kets. I sla##ed my hand over my mouth as I shrieked. Ho#e aught my arm to steady me. 19ust ghosts$1 I said before she ould s#eak. 1I shouldn"t have interru#ted. +o ba k to what you were doing.1 As I hurried away$ the ghosts #ran ed and darted around me in their death bodies$ the -i torian woman wasted and nakeda dan ing skeleton sheathed in gray skin. 1Not bothering you$ are we41 she trilled. 1.hall we sto#41 1<es$1 lis#ed the #ioneer woman$ her tongue half gone$ her em#ty eye so kets turned my way. 1.hall we sto#41 .he mimi ked the younger woman"s #ro#er a ent. !he man ,oined in and all three ir led me$ hanting$ 1.hall we sto#4 .hall we sto#41 19aime41 I turned to see 9eremy in the offi e doorway. He strode over$ his hand going to my arm. !hen he looked around$ his fa e hardening. 1+hosts41 I nodded. !he #ioneer woman ir led 9eremy. 1Oooh$ look$ a #ro#er gentleman. Isn"t he a fine one 41 1-ery fine$1 the younger woman said. 1-ery #ro#er. !oo mu h a gentleman for the likes of this whore.1 I wheeled on her$ then hom#ed my li# hard enough to taste blood. 'on"t give them the satisfa tion$ Nan always said. *et them see they"re getting to you$ and you"ve lost. 9eremy said something$ his head leaning down to mine$ hair in his eyes$ li#s moving. Asking me what I was seeing$ what I was hearing. I knew I should tell himget that distan e by sharing it$ laughing it off. But all I ould hear were the damned ghosts.

1.he does look like a whore$ don"t she41 the #ioneer woman said$ oming lose$ her eyeless so kets studying me. 1All fan ied u# with her olored hair and her #ainted fa e$ a ting like she"s 7uality$ but she"s wearing #ants tighter than riding bree hes$ her shirt"s half undone$ giving any man who wants it a good view of hertitties . *ike the fan y ladies at the mining am#. A t like they"re something s#e ial$ but give "ema dollar and they"ll s#read their legs fast as any street whore.1 1I got a dollar$1 the man said. 1!hink she"ll give me a ride41 15ourse she will. And being dead you don"t have to worry about at hing anything.1 !hey all a kled. 1'id you bring your banishing mi(ture41 9eremy asked$ his voi e finally #enetrating. 1%orgot.1 1Isn"the worried about at hing the #o(41 the #ioneer woman said. 1<our fine man41 1%ine men like that don"t think of su h things$1 the -i torian woman said. 1!hey don"t know better3 until it"s too late.1 !he #ioneer woman sni kered. 1And he finds out her unny"s so well used it"s like fu king a bu ket.1 1I"m going outside$1 I said to 9eremy. 1+et some fresh air. .ee if I an lose them.1 1Oh$ you won"t lose us$ #retty lady$1 the man said. 9eremy tried to a om#any me$ but I insisted he stay behind. Bad enough I ouldn"t hel# him sear h the house. He argued$ but I stood firm and$ after a long look in my eyes$ he brushed his li#s a ross my forehead$ then whis#ered a suggestion about a offee sho# a blo k east. !he ghosts followed me out the rear door into the ba kyard$ y ling through the same insults as if they ould think of nothing new. I onsidered making a run for the road and trying to lose them. 1What the hell41 said a voi e behind me. 6ve strode around to my front. 1Why didn"t you all41 .he wheeled on the severed man when he got too lose and slammed a ki k into the side of his dangling head. His torso flew sideways so fast he to##led. 1Now #ut yourself together or the ne(t ki k is going to kno k that half lean off.1 .he turned on the other two. 15lothes on. . al# on. 6yes ba k in.1 .he mar hed along them like a drill sergeant. 1Is this how you think you get a ne roman er"s

attention4 Well$ ongratulations. <ou"ve ,ust #la ed yourself on their bla klist. None ro $ anywhere$ is ever going to s#eak to you$ no matter how ni e you are.1 !he #ioneer woman aimed at sulky s owl at 6ve. 1Who do you think you are$ giving us orders41 1*et"s ,ust say you don"t want to find out$1 6ve said$ #eering down at the woman from her full si( feet. 1Now1 1<ou don"t s are me$1 the -i torian woman said. .he advan ed on 6ve. !he other woman ir led around behind her. !he man ste##ed forward$ his hands len hing into fists. 6ve stood her ground$ looking bored. 1<ou s#ookswanna rumble4 I"ve got a better idea. What you need is a break. A va ation. I"m thinking . otland. +ot some great astles there.1 .he dro#&ki ked the man$ then shot an energy bolt into the -i torian woman"s stoma h. !he #ioneer woman ran at 6ve$ then fro0e in a binding s#ell. 1Hey$ :ris41 6ve alled. 1!hat"s your ue.1 :ristofa##eared$ leaning against a tree$ as if he"d been there all along$ wat hing from the other side. 1.orry$1 he said. 1It looked like you were having fun. I hated to interru#t.1 1I was$ but now it"s time for trans#ort and I ould use some hel#. <ou take the ugly guy. I"ll take the ugly women.1 !he -i torian woman s7uawked as 6ve grabbed her arm and that of the still&fro0en #ioneer woman. 1Ba k in a ,iffy$1 she said as she vanished.

NGRATEF L

WH6N !H6< W6)6 +ON6$ I looked at the house. .hould I go ba k inside4 No. Not ,ust yet. I re#t from the yard and found the offee sho# 9eremy had mentioned. .ome .tarbu ks lone in a stri# mall$ the kind of #la e it seemed no neighborhood ould be without.

I ordered$ alling 9eremy while I waited in line$ so he"d know where to #i k me u#. I told him 6ve had shown u# and 1solved the #roblem.1 Another day$ another res ue. I sat in a too& omfortable arm hair$ the kind these #la es always seem to have$ that look so o0y and inviting until you sink down and reali0e you an"t rea h your offee. .o you lut h the mug in your hands and tell yourself the omfy hair makes u# for the in onvenien e. !wo women about my age #lo##ed onto the sofa ne(t to me$ though the offee sho# was three 7uarters em#ty. !hey then #ro eeded to s#eak loudly enough to entertain us all. 1And I told her$ "<ou arenot 7uitting ballet$ not after I #aid for lessons for five years." All those hours shuttling her to the dan e studio$ wat hing her rehearsals31 12ngrateful kids$1 her friend said$ shaking her head. 1<ou want them to grow u# with some ulture$ some gra e$ and all of a sudden they have better things to do.1 1Well$ if that"s what she thinks$ she an think again. I made an in&vestment. And like all my investments$ it damned well better #ay off. 2ngrateful little31 /y ,aw len hed so tight my head hurt. I lifted my u# to si# my offee and wat hed the surfa e 7uiver as my fingers shook. How many times had I heard some variation on those words from my own mother4 /y earliest memory was of her dragging me from a #res hool #ageant$ her fingers lam#ed around my arm$ where I"d have welts for weeks$ all be ause I"d been ungrateful enough to ry when the hair stylist"s urling iron had burned my s al#. 6ven the last time I"d s#oken to her$ I"d heard the s#ee h. /y eternal ingratitude for the sa rifi es she"d made on my behalf. As the women ontinued$ my mother"s voi e rolled over me$ taking me ba k to when I was first oming into my #owers. 1'o you have any idea what it"s like$ 9aime4 +etting alls from high s hool that you"re owering in the bathroom4 Having to delay a ommer ial shoot be ause some ghost is bothering you4 5hanging your wetbedsheets 4 ;issing the bed at your age be ause you"rescared8 I"ve worked my ass off to make something of you. <our father saddles me with his s rewed&u# family #roblem and his s rewed&u# kid$ then kills himselftakes the easy way out. <our #re ious Nan is no hel#$ always oddling you$ #utting me down be ause I ask a little of you in return. <ou should be tri##ing over yourself to hel#$ not om#laining be ause you missed a week of s hool$ failed another test. As if you wouldn"t have failed anyway. At least I gave you an e( use. Any other #arent wouldn"t #ut u# with this$ you know. !hey"d have shi##ed you off long ago.1 I"d grown u# believing herthat any other #arent would"ve gotten rid of me. A hild has no other #oint of referen e$ no wider view of the world. I"m sure I wasn"t easy to raise. I had my #roblems$ su#ernatural and otherwise. But now I look

around and see the way other #arents raise su#ernatural hildren. 9eremy taking in a feral hild werewolf$ no relative or res#onsibility of his. ;aige ado#ting the daughter of a dark wit h$ a stranger. 6ven other human #arents fa ed with su#ernatural hildren handled it ,ust fine.!alia-asi raising Adam on her own$ hel#ing him deal with his demoni #owers before she knew what they were. Ho#e talking about how lose she was to her mother$ a woman who #robably still didn"t know why her daughter was 1different.1 It didn"t matter. A #arent loves. A #arent hel#s. A #arent a e#ts. .till$ I wasn"t the only su#ernatural raised by an unloving #arent. 9eremy talked little of his father$ but from what I"ve gleaned$ the man had been a old killer with nothing but ontem#t for his 7uiet$nonaggressive son. 9eremy got over it. %lourished. +rew u# to be a leader$ a man who a e#ted his differen es and didn"t om#lain about them or feel sorry for himself. 1<ou should have alled.1 I looked u#. !he other women were gone and 6ve now sat in their #la e. .he #ro##ed her long legs on the table between us. 1<eah$1 she said$ utting me off as I started to answer. 1<ou wanted to handle it yourself. I know. But see$ that"s not how this arrangement works. We"re #artners. If I need a ghost onta ted in another #lane or I need something done in the living world$ I all you. If you need a #esky s#ook s ared off$ you all me.1 1And you know what4 I"d love to be able to find any ghost myself$ to surf the Internet when I need information. But I an"t. No more than you an deal with ,erks like those three.1 I looked around$ then took out my ell #hone$ #retending to talk into it. 1<ou took them to+lamis $ didn"t you4 !o'antalian .1 1Oh$ they"ll have fun$1 she said. 1'antalian"snot so bad. +ets lonely$ though. .i( hundred years is a long time to be oo#ed u#$ even for a demon. *ike a at onfined to a small a#artment. He a##re iates new #laythings to bat around.1 .he stret hed one leg and 1nudged1 my knee. 1And if you thinkthat distra ted me from my le ture$ you"re wrong. <ou need to all me$ 9aime. If I"m around$ there"s no need for you to deal with shit like that.1 1I know. I ,ust1 1don"t want toneed hel#. %ine. But everyone has her s#e ialty. <ours is hel#ing ghosts. /ine is ki king their asses. Whole different skill set.1 1I didn"t hel# them$1 I said as I looked out a ross the sho#. 1'idn"t even try.1 1<ou were breaking and entering$ for +od"s sake. <ou an"t sto# to take re7uests.1 .he went on$ trying to onvin e me that I hadn"t been wrong toig&nore the ghosts. But I knew I hadn"t handled it well. I should have told them I was busy$ but would s#eak to them later$

outside. !hey still might have turned on me$ but at least I ould say I"d done my duty. 'uty4 I balked at the thought. I wasn"t their servant. I didn"t owe them anything. Or did I4 I thought of the analogy I"d made earlier. Ne roman ers as the6lvises of the ghost world. !hey all want to at h a glim#se of us$ to talk to us. 9ust a little of our time. And$ yes$ it an be overwhelming$ as I"m sure it wasor isfor 6lvis. But if someone walks u# to him and ,ust wants to say$ 1*oved your stuff$1 does he have the right to ignore them4 I"ve s#ent enough time in Hollywood to know this is a ontentious issuethe artist"s obligation to the #ubli versus his right to #riva y. While I don"t think you owe it to your fans to #rovide tabloids with your va ation itinerary or details of your se( life$ I don"t think an autogra#h or thirty se onds of your time is too mu h to ask$ not when these are the #eo#le who fund your dreambuying your movies$ albums$ books$ whatever. I told myself the analogy wasn"t a fair one. I"m 7ui k with a signature or a smile for my fans. What obligation do I have to ghosts4 !hey don"t #ay for seats at my shows. <et$ without them$ without my ability to s#eak to them$ I"d have no areer. .ure$ I ould fake itI usually didbut it was my real onta ts$ like mysean e with !ansy *ane$ that ke#t me in business. But ghosts ask for more than an autogra#h or a handshake. Am I obligated to #rovide it more often than I already do4 Am I obligated to at least listen more often than I do4 9eremy arrived and I started to get u#$ but he waved me down again and told me Ho#e had taken a ab and I should finish my offee. He got one for himself$ then started to sit on the sofa. 12h$ not there$1 I said. He looked over his shoulder at the seemingly em#ty seat. 1Hello$ 6ve.1 1!ell him I said hi3 and bye$1 she said. 1I need to he k a few things$ then I"ll ome by the gardens.1

A%!6) W6 left the offee sho#$ 9eremy told me the results of their break&and&enter. He had ho#ed to un over the name of the loverBotni k had shared with a member of the magi grou#$ and he had found a book with do0ens of women"s names$ all lassified by odes. %ind the key to the ode and he might find the right lover but he sus#e ted that key had e(isted only inBotni k"s head. 6ve was trying to gain a ess toBotni k $ but those first few#ostdeath days were diffi ult. Ho#e hadn"t fared any better. As she"d feared$ the vibes she"d #i ked u# were old. .he"d finally ta##ed into the haos enough to see what she"d been sensinga vision of a man killing his wife with an a(e$ ba k in the twenties. A gruesome reward for all her effort$ and one with no bearing

on our ase. I hesitated for a minute$ then told 9eremy about the women in the offee sho# and how they"d reminded me of my mother. 1I guess I was feeling sorry for myself$ thinking of how other #arents handle su#ernatural things so mu h better. But you didn"t have it easy yourself.1 A half&shrug. 'id that mean he didn"t want to talk about it4 Or ,ust didn"t want to om#lain4 After a moment$ though$ he said$ 1I ,ust wasn"t what /al olm ho#ed for in a son.1 He often referred to his father by his first name$ whi h said a lot about their relationshi#. 1<ou weren"t a fighter$ you mean.1 I flushed. 1Not that you aren"t1 1I"m not. I an be$ but it"s not who I am. A wolf instin tively wants to #ass on what he knows to his son. I ,ust wasn"t that son. He tried transferring his attentions to 5lay$ but1 a shrug$ 1that didn"t work out so well.1 1<our father and 5lay41 1At first$ /al olm wanted nothing to do with 5lay. But as he grew$ my father inter#reted his strong wolf side as31 He #aused$ as if sear hing for a word. 1A violent streak41 1.adisti $ even$ whi h I"m sure any #sy hiatrist would say was #ro,e tion. /al olm liked to kill. !here"s no other way to #ut it. He wanted to train 5lay to fight. I knew that as long as I su#ervised$ it was what 5lay needed. 5lay hated /al olm$ but he was astute enough$ even at that age$ to take what he ould from the lessons. As for a father&son bond$ it never ha##ened.1 1Is that all your father wanted41 1I"m sure he ho#ed to turn 5lay against me. /al olm va illated between ignoring me and #lanning #etty revenges. He hated being beholden to me.1 1Beholden41 1His father left.tonehaven and all its assets to me. While my grandfather intended to #rote t me$ the result was that I was then res#onsible for /al olm. I had to dole out an allowan e and hide his killings$ be ause if the ;a k found out$ he"d be banished$ and be ome an even greater threat.1 I was silent for a moment$ then said$ 1!hat"s the real #roblem$ isn"t it4 <ou"re tired of being res#onsible for others.1 He looked over shar#ly.

1<our father. 5lay. !he ;a k. 6lena after 5lay bit her. <ou"ve always been res#onsible for others$ and now that you"re ho#ing to retire from Al#ha&hood$ the last thing you need is a relationshi# with someone else you might need to #rote t.1 1No. !hat"s not true$ 9aime. 5lay and the ;a k were res#onsibilities I wanted. 6ven with 6lena and my father$ there were other o#tions available. I like being res#onsible. I like hel#ing. I like #rote ting. And I"m sure that says something less than admirable about my hara ter$ but I an"t hel# it. If anything$ with you$ I struggle not to overdo it. I want to give you advi e$ to hel# you$ and I know that"s not what you need from me.1 1.ometimes it is$1 I said softly. A rooked smile. 1In small doses$ yes. If I gave free rein to my im#ulses$ you"d run s reaming the other way.1 He eased ba k in his seat$ smile fading. 1I am a leader$ 9aime. I like to be in ontrol and be res#onsible for others$ and I take that res#onsibility very seriously. !hat means I don"t take han es. 6ver.1 I met his ga0e. 1Well$ maybe it"s time to start.1 A long #ause. !hen he murmured$ under his breath$ so softly I had to read his li#s to hear it$ 1/aybe it is.1

B< !H6 time we returned to the house$ it was #ast midnight. 9eremy and I snu k around to the garden. I sat under a gnarled dwarf tree$ the long twisted bran hes ti kling my arms$ while 9eremy3 got ready. Overhead the nearly full moon brightened the garden to twilight$ asting a yellow glow. .ome night bird or owl gave a mournful ry$ raising the hairs on my ne k. !he faint smell of wood smoke drifted #ast. 1Ni e night for grave digging$1 6ve whis#ered as she sat beside me on the ben h. 1'id you know you have a ghostly audien e already41 I glan ed around. !ansy and +abrielle were almost hidden behind a fountain. !ansy lifted her fingers in a shee#ish wave. I waved ba k$ but my stoma h len hed. Was she still waiting for me to talk to her4 1!here are more$1 6ve said. 1;robably a do0en of them. !hey seem to be trying to stay out of your way. 9ust urious. But if you want me to shoo them off1 1No$ they"re fine.1 .he tilted her head$ hearing theclic&#clic& of laws on ement. 1Here he omes. I"ll get out of your way too$ so I an guard the guardswarn you ifthey get urious.1

1!hanks.1 A bla k wolf ste##ed from the shadows into the moonlight. He moved slowly$ as if wary of startling me. I su##ose if there"s any sight worth being s#ooked by$ it"s a FGH&#ound wolf in a residential garden at night. But 9eremy in wolf form never frightened me. Not even the first time I"d seen him. A hanged werewolf looks like a real wolf$ but their overall si0e stays the same$ as do their hair and eye olor. I"d taken one look in those dark eyes and I"d known it was 9eremy. He #added over to me and nudged my hand$ his nose as old and wet as any dog"s. I laughed at that and he gave me a look$ but I didn"t share. 5om#aring a werewolf to a dog might be onsidered an insult. But as I stood$ I did let my hand brush his fur. It felt like3 fur. 5oarse on to#$ soft underneath. I turned to ask where we should start$ and was stru k by a sudden thought. 1<ou an understand me$ an"t you4 'o you need me to s#eak slower or louder3 41 A soft snort and shake of his head. !he movement was awkward$ as if he wasn"t a ustomed to 1human1 ommuni ation in wolf form. How did they ommuni ate4 'id they understand barks4 'id some anine language inter#reter li k on when they hanged form4 1.o I guess we should do this systemati ally$ one bed at a time$ starting1 I looked u# to see his tail disa##earing into the shadows. 1Or I an ,ust follow you.1

CA#AVER #OG

%O) !H6 N6D! HO2)$ 9eremy sniffed gardens$ trying to find the unmistakable s ent of a de aying or#se. Harder than it sounds be ause most of the beds were raised within retaining walls$ so he had to ho# u# orin a few asestake a running lea#. He stayed at the edge of the gardens and leaned in to get loser to the enter$ du king around bushes$ #i king his way #ast #lants. I erased #aw #rints as we went. We made it through about half of the garden when I noti ed !ansy and +abrielle wat hing. 1Is this about those #oor tra##ed hildren41 +abrielle asked as I waved them over. I nodded. 1We"re ho#ing to find a body$ so we an31 I onsidered how best to e(#lain it. 1%ind the #eo#le res#onsible and figure out what they did so I an free the s#irits. He1 I waved at

9eremy. 1!he$ uh$ dog is s#e ially trained for that sort of thing.1 1A adaver dog.1 1)ight. But not$ you know$ offi ially or anything. 9ust a friend of a friend knew someone who trained them and let me borrow this one.1 1.houldn"t he be on a lead41 !ansy asked. 1!his one works better off&leash. He"s very well trained.1 1Huh. Well$ it looks like he may have found something.1 I leaned #ast !ansy to see 9eremy gingerly raking ba k the dirt with his laws. He took another sniff$ aught anoseful of dirt and snee0ed. !hen he resumed his areful digging. A smell wafted u#$ strong enough for me to re ogni0e. !he stink of a rotting or#se. 9eremy lowered his mu00le into the hole and fli##ed something out. 6ven before I got lose$ I ould see tiny sti k&like bones and needlelike teeth. A mole or large mouse. 16ww$1 !ansy said. 1<ou"d better grab that$ before he eats it.1 I swallowed a laugh. 1I made sure he was well fed before we started.1 9eremy looked at me$ as if figuring out what we were talking about. He rolled the tiny or#se ba k into the hole$ this time with his #aw. When he started overing it$ I hurried forward. 1I"ll get that. <ou ,ust kee# I mean$ go$ boy. Work. .niff.1 9eremy rolled his dark eyes$ lea#t from the garden and headed toward the ne(t one as I refilled his hole. 1Here omes ;ete$1 !ansy said. 1Wonder why he left his #ost4 2h&oh$ he looks worried.1 A gray&haired man hurried down the #ath$ his broad fa e gathered in on ern. 1Where is he41 +abrielle asked. 1Inside the house. 2#stairs I think.1 !ansy looked at me. 1.ome of us took u# #osts$ kee#ing an eye out. !his looked like something you wouldn"t want to be found doing$ so we were kee#ing wat h.1 1Oh4 !hat"s very thoughtful. !hank you.1 1.omeone"s wat hing from u#stairs$1 the #ortly man;etesaid as he drew u# beside us. 1!he

6nglish ha#. He"s been looking out the window.1 1+rady4 'amn=9er uhboy41 I alled softly. 1.tay. Okay4 .tay.1 9eremy #eeked from the garden a few yards down and di##ed his mu00le$ telling me he understood. I ste##ed ba k farther into the shadows and looked u# at the house. +rady"s urtains were #arted$ a dim glow silhouetting his figure. 1!hanks for letting me know$1 I whis#ered to the ghost. 1I don"t think he saw1 He sto##ed$ looking u#. 1Oh$ he"s gone. %alse alarm. I"ll head ba k.1 1Wait$1 I said. 1<our name"s ;ete41 1;eter %eeney$ miss. 2sed to work a few blo ks away. 5hauffeur$ gardener$ butler31 He smiled. 1Whatever they needed.1 1And what doyou need4 %rom me$ I mean$1 I blurted. Alarm bells sounded in my head. But I steeled myself and #ushed on. 1I mean$ is there anything I an do for you4 I"m #retty limited. I an"t find your killer or anything like that.1 ;eter smiled$ showing small$ even teeth. 1/y killer was me$ miss. /e and my bad habits. Now$ I"d love to bringthe+ to ,usti e$ the folks who told me all those igarettes weren"t bad for my health$ but I know you an"t do that.1 He hewed his li#$ the urge to be #olite warring with the fear that he"d never get another han e to s#eak to a ne roman er. 1!here is something$ but I know you"re really busy31 1+o ahead.1 1It"s not urgent$ but maybe when you"re all done$ if you have the time3 I"d like to find my son.1 1Has he3 #assed over41 1Oh$ no. At least$ I ho#e not. We had a falling out a few years before I died. .illy thing. !hey always are$ aren"t they4 But then I #assed and when I went to his old a#artment to he k on him$ he"d moved out. I don"t want to make onta t,ust to see him. %inding him is #robably as sim#le as looking through an *.A. #hone book or dialing ?FF but31 A wry smile. 1I an"t do that.1 1No$ of ourse not. But I will$ as soon as I get a han e1 !he whoosh of the s reen door sliding o#en sounded. I fro0e. ;eter motioned for me to stay still and the ghosts fanned out$ heading for the ba k of the house. 1I saw it$1 +rady hissed$ his voi e traveling through the still night air. 1A dog$1 5laudia said.

1Not a dog=1 +rady roared before 5laudia shushed him. 1A demoni beast. A huge bla k wolf with glowing eyes and fangs as big as your fingers.1 9eremy #eeked from a bush$ ears swiveled$ head tilted$ as if to say$ 1Who$ me41 1It was a dog$1 5laudia said$ her tone wavering between e(as#eration and frustration. 1A large bla k dog. <es$ his eyes #robably seemed to glowrefle ted in the moonlightbut it was a dog. <ou"ve been under a lot of strain1 1Bloody hell$ woman. .omething is going on here$ and if you start nattering at me about ,et lag and a hange in diet1 1Where"s this wolf$ Bradford41 1I don"t know. Out there. .omewhere.1 1Are you going to take a look41 1%or a wild beast4 I"m not mad$ woman.1 1'o you want me to take a look41 1Of ourse not. 9ust1 A sigh. 1/aybe itwas a dog.1 12m&hmm.1 !he s ra#e of shoes on #atio stones. !hen the whir of the #atio door losing. And all went silent.

+)A'<". *I+H! went off minutes later and stayed off. I s#oke to ;eter some more$ getting his son"s name and some other infobirthdate$ last known ,ob$ s hools attendedin ase finding him re7uired more than ,ust looking it u# in the #hone book. !hen I hurried to at h u# on my #aw&#rint&wi#ing duties. Over an hour #assed. 9eremy found a dead bird and a dead at the former #robably a asualty of the latter$ whi h must have been a family #et before death turned it into garden fertili0er. I reburied the animals and followed 9eremy through the last few beds. No bodies. While he hanged ba k$ I stood wat h$ more areful now than I"d been the first time$ aware of our s#e tral audien e. .eeing my 1 adaver dog1 hange into a man would re7uire a more elaborate e(#lanation than I ould dream u#. !he ghosts seemed to have left$ and I"d asked 6ve to ir le the #erimeter$ ,ust to be sure. But I

was still on edge$ so when I heard a mutter near the neighbor"s #ool house$ I sli##ed through the hedge to find 9eremy rou hed on all fours near the outbuilding. I stammered an a#ology and s#un around. He let out a soft laugh. 1It"s all right$ 9aime. I"m human. And de ent. Well3 #retty mu h.1 !he sound of a 0i##er. 1!here.1 1.orry$1 I said as I turned. 1I thought I heard someone talking.1 He bent again$ as if e(amining the ground. 1!hat was me. I #i ked u# my shoe and forgot I"d tu ked my wat h and #o ket hange inside.1 He glan ed u# from his sear h. 1.till frustrated from my la k of results$ it seems.1 He brushed his hair from his fa e$ finished gathering his s#illed belongings$ then stood. He was barefoot$ dressed in dark ,eans$ his dark shirt thrown on$ but stilluntu ked and unbuttoned. His hair was tousled from the 5hange. .weat&soaked stray strands lung to his fa e. I knew from 6lena that the 5hange wasn"t some Hollywood&style mor#hing where not a single hair gets mussed. 9eremy"s fa e was shiny with e(ertion$ s#ots of olor on his heeks$ his eyes gleaming$ li#s #arted as he aught his breath. /y ga0e traveled down his o#en shirt front$ along the thin line of dark hair$ the lean mus led hest$ the flat stoma h3 /y heartand other body #artsstarted doing fli#&flo#s. He sna##ed his wat h ba k on and ran his fingers through his hair$ trying to brush it into some semblan e of order. 1.orry$1 he said. 1I"m a bit of a mess.1 1!hat"s okay.1!eally okay. He motioned me loser. I tried not to tri# over my feet in my rush to get there. He ba ked farther behind the shelter of the #ool house. 1Not mu h han e of being s#otted ba k here$1 he said$ nodding at the bri k wall beside us. 1+rady didn"t seem like he was going to raise a fuss$ did he41 1No$ 5laudia onvin ed him nothing was there.1 He started to button hisuntu ked shirt$ leaving the to# half undone. He #lu ked at the ne k with an a#ologeti smile. 1Hot.1

12h&huh.1 I was two feet away$ but I swore I ould feel the heat from his body$ smell the faint s ent of his sweat. And his eyes3 !hey glittered with something that was not 7uite #redatory$ but different. *ess ivili0ed. *ike he"d forgotten to #ull that mantle of ontrol om#letely ba k into #la e. If I didn"t know better$ I"d say he"d had a few glasses of wine. !hat"s what it looked likethe gleam of slight drunkenness$ that lowering of the inhibitions. I looked into his eyes and shivered$ body straining against the urge to over those last two feet He did it for me. His arms went around me and he lowered his li#s toward mine$ but sto##ed short. I looked into his eyes and saw$ not un ertainty$ but a teasing smile. I lifted my li#s an in h$ overing half the distan e$ then said$ 1<our move.1 His brows ar hed. He brought his li#s so lose I ould feel his breath$ then waited for me to lose the ga#. 1<ou like having me give in first$ don"t you41 I murmured. A fra tion of an in h lower$ li#s brushing mine as he said$ 1No$ I"m being ourteous.1 1Bullshit.1 A low laugh. I hung there$ in his arms$ our bodies barely making onta t. His hands slid u# my ba k$ his tou h so light I shivered. A gentle tug as he wra##ed his fingers in my hair$ then brought them u# to the ba k of my head. His li#s moved down$ eyes losing$ and I shut mine$ rea hing u# for him$ waiting for that first onta t$ e(#e ting a kiss as soft and teasing as his tou h. His mouth rushed against mine so hard my eyes flew o#en. A low growling hu kle ri##led through him. He started #ulling ba k$ to soften the kiss$ but I wra##ed my arms around his ne k and returned it hard enough to make him gas#. He swung me u#$ lifting me easily$ hands going to the ba k of my thighs. /y legs #arted to wra# around him$ but my skirt aught. His hands slid down my thighs and #ushed my skirt u#$ his tou h firm$ fingers s#layed$ gri##ing me as they traveled u# my thighs to my ass. !hen he let out a soft breath of sur#rise. I #ulled ba k from the kiss enough to say$ 1I don"t like #anty lines.1 Another deli ious growl of a hu kle as his fingers dug in$ #ulling me against him. I wiggled until I ould feel him hard against my rot h$ then tightened my legs around his hi#s$ rubbing against him. /y hands dro##ed to his sides and s7uee0ed between us$ finding the button of his #ants$ then3

I broke the kiss. He dove to find it$ but I brought my hands to the sides of his fa e$ holding him ba k. His dark eyes wavered there$ his fa e indistin t$ my vision still louded with lust. 19ust a se ond$1 I said as I s7uirmed from his gri# and lowered myself to the ground. 1I think I"m making this too easy for you.1 16asy41 !he word was almost a growl. 1'o you know how many times I"ve thought of this in the #ast year3 and had to see you at oun il meetings and #retend the idea never even entered my mind41 A 7uiver of e( itement ra ed through me. .o he hadn"t been as obliviousor immuneas he"d #retended. It was almost enough to make me throw myself into his arms. Almost3 1A year41 I murmured. 1!hat"s nothing.1 I lowered my li#s to the base of his throat and ti kled my tongue u# to his hin$ tasting his sweat. 1If it hasn"t been easy$ you have only yourself to blame$1 I said. 1I"ve been here$ ready and willing the whole time.1 I leaned against him. /y fingers skated over his hi#$ then stroked the ba k of his thigh$ heading between his legs. He growl sent tremors through me and I had to sto# for a breath before looking u# at him. 1%our years$ 9eremy$ and I"m thinking31 I looked into his eyes. 1/aybe you an wait a little longer. 9ust to be fair.1 I in hed ba k$ my hands going to his hest$ as if to ward him off$ but sliding under his shirt$ feeling his heart thum#ing under my fingers$ feeling the beat of his 7ui kened breathing$ the sheen of sweat over his lean$ mus led hest3 all of whi h didn"t make it any easier for me$ but I losed my eyes and savored the tease. !hen$ his shirt #arted$ I leaned forward$ my ni##les #ressing hard against the silk$ brushing them against his hest as I ar hed u# on ti#toes$ kissing the bottom of his throat$ tongue sliding out to feel his #ulse. He shuddered$ but didn"t move$ and I wondered how long he"d stand there$ and what I ould do to tease him$ to tease both of us$ to break that legendary ontrol3 I swallowed a moan and ste##ed ba k. 1It"s late$1 I murmured. 1I should get inside. Are you oming tomorrow41 A #ause. 1Well$ a##arently$ that de#ends on you.1 I hoked on a laugh and swatted his arm. 1I meant to the house. Breakfast is at nine.1 I looked u# at him. 1As for the rest3 we"ll see.1

I turned and started to walk away. 1Are you sure41 he alled after me. 1When I"ve had time to lear my head$ I might hange my mind.1 1Oh$ I think I an hange it ba k.1 I ould feel his ga0e glued to me as I sauntered off around to the front of the house.

2; IN my room$ I let out a dee#$ shuddering sigh. ;art of me s reamed that I"d gone ra0y. I ould have had 9eremy in my bedor in the ba kyardtonight. Wasn"t that what I wanted4 What I dreamed of4 I should have sei0ed on the han e before the adrenaline rush of his 5hange #assed and he reali0ed he wasn"t ready yet. But that was e(a tly why I"d walked away. Be ause if he wasn"t ready$ I didn"t want him. I wasn"t taking the han e that he"d wake in the morning$ a#ologi0ing and ba k#edaling furiously. *et him slee# on it and make u# his mind. Be ause that"s how I had to win 9eremybodyand mindor I"d never kee# him. .o I tried not to think about what I"d ,ust walked away from$ and was busying myself he king ell #hone messages when a #atter sounded at the bal ony door. I fro0e. 9eremy4 !ossing u# #ebbles to get my attention4 I"d ignore him. I had to ignore him or I turned. And there was the man himself$ at the glass bal ony door$ his shirt still undone$ shoes off$ hair mussed$ li#s urved in a small smile. I looked #ast him. No ladder or other sign of how he"d gotten there. I ra ked o#en the door ,ust enough to be heard. 1How the hell did you get u# here41 1/agi 41 1Well$ I haven"t hanged my mind so1 1<ou forgot to say good night.1 I struggled not to look at him$ at that se(y rooked smile$ at his unbuttoned shirt$ at his bla k eyes still glinting with the heady e(hilaration of the 5hange$ still hungry He moved to the ga# and leaned against it$ his right hand #ressed to the glass$ one eye #eeking through$ a sliver of bare torso lose enough to Oh$ +od. I ouldn"t do this. . rew my resolve.

I rea hed for the door handle$ then sto##ed. .edu e him4 An ama0ing night of se( and he"d be mine forever4 If I honestly believe it would be that easy$ I"d have done it four years ago. 1+ood night$1 I said. 1No kiss41 1Absolutely not.1 His li#s twit hed. His left hand slid through the ra k$ grabbing the door frame$ ready to o#en it. With one wren h he ould be inside$ but he ,ust stood there. 19ust one kiss$1 he said. 1*et me in.1 1Or you"ll huff and you"ll #uff41 A throaty laugh that sent a wave of heat through me. 1I ould$1 he said. 1If you"d like. Or I an stay right here. 9ust o#en the door a little more31 He moved his fa e against the two&in h ra k. His li#s #arted$ the ti# of his tongue showing against white teeth. /y knees 7uavered as I imagined ra king that door o#en$ ,ust a ou#le of in hes more$ and #ressing against the ga#$ feeling his body$ the heat of it$ tasting his kiss$ his hunger 1No$1 I said$ so fast it ame out as a s7ueak. 1!hen why don"t you ome out here41 1Be ause in two minutes I"d be on that ement floor$ getting stri#s ri##ed from my ass$ and I wouldn"t be able to sit for a week.1 He laugheda full dee# laugh that made me want to throw o#en the door. But if he wasn"t o#ening it himself$ that meant that des#ite that adrenaline inebriation$ #art of him was still thinking learly enough to hold ba k. !hat #art that wasn"t ready to take a han e. 1+ood night$ 9eremy$1 I said$ and losed the door. I ste##ed away$ rea hed ba k and started un0i##ing my dress. He #ressed his hands to the glass. I ould read his li#s. 1!hat"s not fair.1 I smiled and finished un0i##ing. !he dress slid off my shoulders$ but stayed there. I looked at him$ his ga0e fi(ed on me$ eyes dark with lust.

1<ou wouldn"t dare$1 he mouthed. I turned$ then let it fall off the rest of the way. And$ on e off$ there was nothing else to remove. 19aime=1 I heard him though the glass$ heard him say my name in a dee# growl that made me shiver$ but I didn"t turn around$ ,ust lifted my fingers to wave over my shoulder$ then strolled into the bathroom for a very long$ very old shower.

R NA%A!

!H6 N6D! /O)NIN+$ I snu k downstairs$ ho#ing to avoid Be ky. One of the guards said she was loseted in a tele onferen e with !odd .imon and several network e(e s. I took my offee into the garden. /y #lan was to visit the hild ghosts as if to reassure myself and themthat I was making #rogress. But something else was gnawing at me. .omething I needed to do$ however diffi ult it was. !ansy had hel#ed me last night. Now I needed to return the favor$ at least by hearing her out. It took only a few minutes of summoning before she a##eared. 1<ou wanted to talk to me the other day$1 I said. 1I"m sorry it took so long to get ba k to you. I"ve been1 1busy with far more im#ortant things.1 .he sat beside me on the low wall. 1What a mess$ huh4 !hose #oor kids. We didn"t even noti e them until we saw what you were doing. We kee# trying to talk to them$ but they an"t hear us.1 1I"m not sure they an hear me either. But I a##re iate the hel#. I really do.1 .he nodded$ then went 7uiet for a moment. I bra ed myself$ waiting for her to ask for hel# in return. 1I"m sorry about s#ringing +abrielle on you like that$1 she said finally. 1I thought maybe you ould get inside information$ and I feel awful about raising her ho#es.1 1I"m sure she would have found me anyway. I only wish I ould do something. But in some ases$ I ,ust an"t. %inding a murderer. Bringing him to ,usti e. Beyond my realm of influen e$ no matter how mu h I might want to.1

I gave the words e(tra em#hasis$ trying to #re#are her for disa##ointment. But she only stared at me$ un om#rehending. !hen her eyes widened. 1Oh$ shit= Am I a moron or what4 <ou guys are trying to figure out who killed /arilyn. I was the warm&u#$ wasn"t I4 !hat"s what that Angel hi k wanted to know. Who killed me.1 1But you don"t know who did it$1 I said$ tensing. 1<ou should see your fa e$1 she said with a #eal of laughter. 1<ou"re waiting for me to ask for hel#. Bring my killer to ,usti e$ damn it=1 Another laugh and a shake of her head. 1I already know who killed me and I have no interest in bringing him to ",usti e." 1 1What41 .he #ulled her knees u# to sit ross&legged. 1I ouldn"t remember for a while$ but eventually I did. It was this guy I ame to the #arty withI"m not naming names " ause he"s still alive. Anyway$ I was high on winning the 6mmy and too mu h ham#agne. I found this gun in the house and I was showing it to him outside. He was #laying with it and1 .he shrugged. 1!he end of !ansy *ane.1 1I"m sorry.1 1We were being stu#id. 'runk kids goofing off with a gun.1 !urned out$ the only thing she wanted from me was onversation. .he #e##ered me with 7uestions about the shoot and my areer$ to#i s of interest to someone who"d grown u# in the bi0. !hen she left me to try onta ting the hildren again$ and #romised she"d be around$ should I need hel# from the other side. All my worrying about how to get out of the obligation$ and I ould have avoided it ,ust by hearing her out when she"d first asked to talk to me.

BEFOREI ould try to summon the hildren$ a guard alled my name. I stashed my kit under a bush$ and turned the orner to see 9eremy on the #atio with a guard$ +rady and 5laudia. 1/aybe we should go find her$1 the guard was saying. 1.he"s fine$1 9eremy said. 1.he doesn"t like to be disturbed when she"s meditating. If she doesn"t answer$ I"ll wait1 He saw me. 1Ah$ here she omes.1 He nodded and murmured a good morning. I studied his fa e. It was as ins rutable as ever. He turned to answer something +rady was asking. Okay$ this wasn"t the greeting I"d ho#ed for. Was he u#set about last night4 Or ho#ing I"d

forgotten4 I brushed off regrets. I"d known that on e the thrill of the 5hange wore off$ he might re onsider. But if that adrenaline rush had been the only thing driving him last night$ then it was a good thing we"d waited. Or so I told myself. As I drew loser$ 9eremy lifted his hands$ a steaming mug in ea h$ the smell of fresh offee wafting my way. 1!hank you.1 Another nod. 1I trust you had a good night41 I bit ba k a smile$ but when I met his ga0e$ I saw no twinkle$ no sign that his words were anything more than a #olite in7uiry. He ontinued$ 1Were you meditating4 I ould wait here1 1Nonsense$1 +rady said. 1If 9aime"s busy$ ,oin us for breakfast.1 5laudia se onded the invitation. 9eremy glan ed at me$ as if he didn"t are one way or the other and I wanted to s ream that I"d been u# sin e si(&thirty waiting for him. But I ertainly wasn"t going to give him that satisfa tion. .o I settled for a shrug and a 1<our hoi e.1 1If I won"t be in the way$ I"ll ,oin you.1 I had to look u# and follow his ga0e to see whom he was talking to. His eyes were on me. 1.ure$1 I said$ voi e as neutral as I ould make it. 15ome along.1 He stayed at my side as I wended my way ba k to my summoning s#ot. When we rounded the third orner$ he rea hed over and$ without a word$ took my offee and laid both mugs on the garden retaining wall. !hen he swe#t me u# in a kiss that left me gas#ing. /y relief must have shown$ be ause he smiled and said$ 1<ou weren"t worried$ were you41 I sma ked his arm. 1Bastard.1 A brow ar h. 1I don"t think anyone"s ever alled me that before.1 1:ee# #ulling stunts like that and you"d better get used to it.1 He moved in for another kiss. I studied his ga0e$ trying to see whether any hesitation lingered. I ouldn"t tell$ and I wasn"t taking han es. 6ven if he"d made u# his mind$ there was something to be said for making him wait a little longer3 .o I kissed him lightly$ then ho##ed off the wall and headed into the garden to do what I"d ome out here for.

I )65O-6)6' my ne roman y bag$ then sat beside him on a ben h and si##ed my offee as I listened to the bird alls and the whis#ers of the hildren$ felt the wind ruffle my hair$ felt the hildren"s fingerti#s brushing me. On e I"d reestablished onta t with the hildren$ and reassured them I was ba k$ I s#oke to 9eremy. 1I was thinking about the kids. About the families.1 I #ut my hand out and felt small fingers ti kle mine. I tried to lose my hand around them$ to hold on$ but aught only air. 1Whether I do the raising or not$ I think we should find a way to alert the authorities$ even if it"s after this is over$ so they an find the bodies and give the #arents losure.1 He nodded. 1Or maybe ,ust$ I don"t know$ give them graves. Headstones. .omething to say they were here. %rom what you said$ the #arents #robably don"t are.1 1I didn"t say that. !he hildren may have been taken from the street. Or kidna##ed from families or neighborhoods where the #oli e would #resume they"d gone to the street. !hat"s safest. /inimi0es the sear h. But it doesn"t mean no one ared. However bad things are for a hild$ someone usually ares.1 His ga0e moved out a ross the garden. 1<ou"re thinking of 5lay. His family.1 A small look of sur#rise. !hen he nodded. 1!here was nothing to be done$ though$ right41 I moved to sit beside him. 1<ou didn"t kidna# him. 6lena says he"d run away after he was bitten$ was on the street for a year$ maybe more$ before you found him. <ou ouldn"t take him ba k to his family and say$ "Here"s your son. By the way$ he"s a werewolf." 1 1No. I ouldn"t.1 1'id he ever ask about them41 1Never. !hat used to worry me. At first$ I thought he wasn"t asking be ause he didn"t want to u#set me. When he was young$ I"d find ways to bring u# the sub,e t of mothers$ fathers$ siblings. He never nibbled. *ater$ he #retended he"d forgotten everything that ha##ened before he was bitten. He tells 6lena he an"t remember.1 1But he does41

1I think so. Before 6lena be ame #regnant$ he asked me if there was a way to he k on his medi al history.1 1*ook for any hereditary onditions. .omething he might #ass on to a baby.1 1<es. I found his family. It was easy enough. !here was some media overage when he disa##eared. I"d always assumed there was$ but I"d never looked before.1 He went 7uiet for a moment$ as if thinking about that. 1;aige hel#ed me get medi al re ords. .he never asked what they were for$ but she #robably knew. I didn"t find anything signifi ant$ medi ally.1 1And 5lay. 'id he ask about them4 His family41 9eremy shook his head. 1All he wanted was the medi al information. I always had the feeling his hildhood wasn"t3 easy. !hat running away$ even as young as he was$ really31 He struggled for a word. 1'idn"t bother him.1 1I don"t think it was an unlivable situation. Bad enough$ but not the sort of thing that would ause your ty#i al si(&year&old to walk away and never return.1 A tiny smile. 1But I sus#e t 5lay wasn"t the most ty#i al hild even before he was bitten.1 1He"s ha##ier being a werewolf and sees no reason for regrets. /aybe$ if he hadn"t been bitten$ he would"ve turned out like these hildren. A runaway.1 I thought about that as I felt the tinkling tou h of the hildren"s fingers$ listened to their whis#ers. How old were they4 It was im#ossible to tell. %rom the tou hes and #okes$ I"d guess some were 7uite young$ though the voi es had sounded like #readoles ents$ whi h meant they should be able to understand my instru tions$ su##orting the theory that they ouldn"t hear me any better than I ould them. !he older ones ould be #assed off as runaways. !he younger ones4 -anished hildren$ like 5lay had been. I thought of 5lay$ the life he"d gone from$ the life he"d had. I won&deredwhether any of these hildren had run away. 9ust u# and left their homes$ their families$ maybe even only for a day or two$ ooling off after a fight. And then3 gone. :illed. .a rifi ed. What did they make of their situation4 Were they frightened4 .uffering4 Were theyaware enough to be frightened4 !o suffer4 Were they together4 Or se#arate$ unable to onta t the others$ alone. No way to tell. Not until I set them free. 1Have you heard from 6lena and 5lay yet41 I asked finally. 1I alled them when I woke u#$ he king in$ but no one answered. !hey"re #robably outside with

the kids. I left a message.1 I nodded. 1.ir41 a voi e alled. 1/s. -egas41 I waved the guard over. 1<our ell #hone has been ringing$ sir$1 he said to 9eremy. 1<ou left it in your ,a ket inside. And someone thought they heard /s.-egas"s #hone ringing in her room.1 We gathered our things and headed for the house.

I! WA. 6lena alling with their 1resear h notes1 on folk magi . 1.o how does that hel# us41 I asked when 9eremy finished e(#laining. 1I don"t know if it does. Not at this stage.1 1What about those body #arts inBotni k"s loset4 !hey"re used in this kind of magi . /aybe if we knew his su##lier3 No$ I guess if he had a dire t link to this grou#$ he wouldn"t have been trying to find them.1 1But it does shed some light on what we"re looking for. *ikeBotni k $ this grou# is likely e le ti in their hoi es$ and theirmagi s .1 16(#erimenting to find what works. *ike that kid who tried selling body #arts to 6ve.1 9eremy nodded. 1If they #ra ti ed Afri an folk magi $Botni k would have known that and known how to refine his sear h.1 1And we"d now know how to refine ours$ looking for this grou#. Without that$ all we have is a ni e theory.1

CA SE AN# EFFECT AFTER L NCH, %E STOPPE# B! HOPE'S PLACE to ()*+te ,er& -,.le s,e t+l/e* -.t, Jeremy, I +s/e* to 0orro- ,er ),one 0oo/& I loo/e* () Peter's son's n+me +n* 1o(n* + ,+n*1(l o1 *.re2t m+t2,es, )l(s + lengt,y l.st o1 )oss.0.l.t.es& %,en I e3)l+.ne* to Ho)e

+n* Jeremy -,+t I -+s *o.ng, Ho)e o11ere* to ,el)&

1With all that information you"ve got$ I should be able to find him. 9ust ta# into a few databases unless31 .he looked at me. 1I don"t mean to ,um# in.1 1No$ I"d a##re iate it.1 As I said it$ I reali0ed I meant it. *ike 6ve said$ we all have our s#e ialties. %inding #eo#le wasn"t mine. 1I"d love to see how you do it$ though$1 I said. 1%or ne(t time.1 1.ure.1 A wat h& he k. 1I"ve got twenty minutes before a meeting$ so I"ll boot u# my la#to#$ try a few things. /ight not find him$ but we"ll try.1 .he"d ,ust leared a s#ot on the table when my ell #hone rang. I answered. 1.#eaking of meetings$1 I said after I hung u#. 1It seems I have one. Be ky wants me ba k at the house and she sounds #retty tense.1 I glan ed at 9eremy. 1<ou stay. I"ll grab a ta(i.1 1No$ I"ll go with you.1 Ho#e #aused with her finger over the #ower button on her la#to#. 1.hould I wait on this41 1Not on my a ount. If you get a han e to look$ that"d be great. If not$ we"ll do it later.1

HO;6". O'O) e(ited at the rear of the building. As we #assed the ad,oining alley$ 9eremy glan ed down it. He tried to be dis reet$ but the flare of his nostrils told me it was no asual swee# of his surroundings. I sto##ed and #eered into the alley. 1What"s down there41 1Nothing.1 I ste##ed into the shadows. 1I ould have sworn I saw you looking down here earlier too$ when we first arrived.1 He hesitated$ as if trying to de ide whether to brush me off. 1I was ,ust3 he king.1

1.omeone"s following you$ aren"t they4 Is it a werewolf41 He walked over. 1If that ha##ened$ I"d tell you$ for your own safety. I"m ,ust being autious.1 I wanted to #ress him$ but he"d tell me if he wantedand wouldn"t if he didn"t. .till$ I ouldn"t resist walking another few feet into the alley$ testing his rea tion. But he didn"t grab my arm or all me ba k. When I glan ed over my shoulder$ his fa e was rela(ed$ meaning there was nothing to worry about. I took two more ste#s and glan ed ba k. 1Not going to follow41 He smiled. 1.orry. I was ,ust3 wat hing.1 1Ah. 6n,oying$ I ho#e.1 1-ery mu h$ though I must admit$ it"s igniting a 7uestion I"ve been trying not to think about all morning.1 1And that would be41 He tilted his head$ ga0e traveling over me$ still standing at the mouth of the alley$ making no move to ome loser. 1Whether you"re as3 unen umbered by e(tra arti les of lothing as you were last night.1 I laughed$ then turned to fa e him. 1I"m afraid yesterday"s outfit wasn"t very undergarment friendly. !his one is.1 I unbuttoned my blouse and s#read it a#art. 1.ee41 1I do.1 1.orry to disa##oint.1 His ga0e stayed fi(ed on my ras#berrydemi bra$ the la e thin enough to leave little to the imagination. 1I wouldn"t saydisappointed is the word. Are there a mat hing #air of31 His ga0e dro##ed below my hi#s. 1<ou don"t e(#e t me to show you that too. In a #ubli alley4 In the middle of the day41 16(#e t$ no. Ho#e3 41 He smiled. 1Well$ it would be hard to show you that. !his skirt isn"t easy to lift u#. It"s too tight.1 1.o I see.1 1I"d have to take it off.1 !he smile twit hed. 1;ity.1

I looked around. !here was no sign of anyone. I rea hed around for the 0i##er /y ell #hone rang. 9eremy let out a urse as I answered it. 19aime41 Angeli7ue said. 1Has Be ky alled you4 !here"s a meeting.1 1Angeli7ue$1 I said$ with a glan e at 9eremy. 1<es$ she alled and we"re$ ah$ on our way.1 1Oh$ thank +od. I think1 A shar# intake of breath. 1I think I"m being ki ked off the set.1 1What41 1Will ame by my room and asked whether I"d made my #lane reservations for home yet or would like him to do it. I said I didn"t know what he was talking about and he wouldn"t tell me$ ,ust a#ologi0ed and hurried off.1 1I"m sure he"s mistaken. Or trying to s#ook you. 'on"t be sur#rised if Be ky shows u# in a few minutes$ trying to bully you into agreeing to somethingafter he"s s ared you into thinking you"re leaving. If she does$ stall. I"ll be there as soon as I an.1

!H6 .HOO! was over. All of us were leaving. +rady$ 5laudia$ Angeli7ue$ 9eremy and I sat in the living room as Be ky e(#lained. 1/r. .imon thinks we have more than enough footage for the lead&u# bits$1 Be ky said. 1We"ll film the /onroesean e live$ as #lanned$ but the#reshow work here is done.1 We stared at her. 1I had two interviews s heduled for tomorrow$1 I said. 1I don"t mind staying to do them1 1!hanks$ 9aime. )eally. <ou"re a trou#er. But /r. .imon wants everyone leared out today.1 1!oday41 I glan ed at 9eremy$ sitting silently beside me. I turned ba k to Be ky. 1Aren"t there moresoan es for us to film4 <ou said there were si(1 1I"m afraid they ,ust aren"t going as #lanned$ 9aime. /r. .imon is #ulling the #lug.1 In other words$ we weren"t giving the kind of reality !- footage they"d ho#ed for. I arguedwe all arguedbut it did no good. We"d had our han e.

1I ho#e you aren"t telling us to #a k our bags$1 I said finally. 1I an"t at h a flight to 5hi ago until tonight and I"m not going to sit around a terminal all day waiting.1 1We have until the end of the day$ I"m sure.1 5laudia"s glare dared Be ky to argue. After a moment$ Be ky said$ 1As long as you"re leared out by sundown$ be ause that"s when the staff has been told they an leave.1

W6 W6N! ba k to my room. 9eremy losed the door behind him and wat hed me getting out my ne roman y kit. I double he ked$ making sure I wasn"t missing or low on anything. %inally I looked u# at 9eremy. 1I"m doing the raising now.1 1I see that.1 I studied his e(#ression. Blanker than usual. 1<ou"re wondering why I #ra ti ally announ ed it down there$ telling +rady and Angeli7ue I"m going into the garden for a while.1 1!he 7uestion did ross my mind.1 1I"m setting the stage$1 I said as I he ked my su##ly my su##ly ofvervain and ho#ed it would be enough. 9eremy frowned. 1.etting the stage for the dis overy4 I"m not sure that"s1 1Wise41 I finished. 1/aybe not. But I"m trying to ome u# with something worthy of a television event. !he s#iritualist$ summoned to the garden by the restless dead$ un overs their bodies. !here"s no way !odd .imon will shut us down after that. It"ll add a whole new dimension to eath of Innocence . !he show will go on and we won"t need to leave before we"ve solved the mystery and freed the ghosts.1 After a moment 9eremy said softly. 1It ould ba kfire$ 9aime.1 1<e#.1 Another 7uiet moment$ then$ 1It ould ost you that !- show you want.1 1I don"t really want it anymore.1 !he words startled me at first. !hen the sensation settled into one of relief$ as I reali0ed I"d given voi e to a de ision I"d been longing to make.

1I hate television$1 I said. 1I don"t need the added boost to sell ti kets. .o the only reason I have for #ursuing it is self&satisfa tion. !o rea h a goal I was raised to believe I should want$ above all others. Well$ I don"t want it. !hese last ou#le of days I"ve hated it more than ever$ be ause it was interru#ting something I really wanted to do.1 I looked u# at 9eremy. 1<ou said you like to hel#. .o do I$ but I"ve been fighting it all my life. /aybe I"m not very good at it. And I"m sure I"ll never run around hasing down #roblems like ;aige or Ho#e. But this is what I want to donow$ not five years from now$ after I"ve had a !show that I"ll hate every moment off. !ime to do what will make+e ha##y8 stage work and oun il work.1 1+ood.1 He smiled$ then went sober. 1But this ould still damage your #rofessional re#utation.1 1<e#. It ould.1 I o#ened a small tin of grave dirt and sniffed it for freshness. 1But what matters right now isn"t the show or my re#utation$ it"s the hildren. What"s best for them is to have me here$ lose by$ with all&hours a ess$ working to free them. Whatever the ost.1 1But you an do this without the #remonition angle. <ou ha##ened to be in the garden. <ou saw something sti king from the dirt. <ou alerted the guards who alled the #oli e. !heir interviews alone will delay all #lans to #a k u# today.1 1/aybe. /aybe not. But giving this a s#iritualist angle guarantees they won"t #ull the #lug on the final show$ whi h I sus#e t they"re onsidering$ des#ite all the #romotion they"ve done. !hey"ll ba k out and blame "#roblems on the set"meaning us. But if I find a body and laim it had something to do with s#irit ommuni ation4 !he bu00 will be too big for them to an el it. ;ersonally$ I don"t are anymore$ but I feel3 guilty$ I guess. I"m res#onsible for getting us shut down$ and now I may have ruined Angeli7ue"s big shot at stardom and +rady"s han e to #i k u# a North Ameri an audien e.1 1We"ll have to handle it arefully.1 1I #lan to.1

O2) !H6O)< about this human magi al grou# was that they were 1s ientists1 of the o ult world$ trying and dis arding various theories and #ra ti es$ maybe lat hing onto a ritual or an ingredient that seemed to work$ and e(#erimenting until they found ,ust the right ombination$ the one that didso+ething . As I #re#ared to raise a body$ kneeling at my altar loth while 9eremy and 6ve ke#t wat h$ I #ondered on how wetruesu#ernatu&rals weren"t mu h different. !here"s no single way to raise a or#se. 6very ne roman er family has its wayone it swears is better than everyone else"s.

.ome use#o##ets small dolls stuffed with hair or nail li##ings from the target. !heO"5aseys #refer a more om#li ated method$ but one that doesn"t re7uire body bits. As for the ingredients and invo ations$ again$ they vary. *ikes#ell asters $ we use what"s been 1#roven1 to work. As withs#ell ast&ers $ there are those who say the whole thing is hooeythat we don"t need to s#rinkle grave dirt over a halk symbol$ we don"t need to blow or#se dust to the four windsthat the #ower to raise the dead$ as the #ower to ommuni ate with them$ is within us. But we kee# using what works. !hat doesn"t mean we"re too stu#id and su#erstitious to try without the bits and bobs of ritual. !his grou# had #robably done the sametried sa rifi ing an adult. /aybe it failed$ as did our #ared&ba k rituals. !hat ould be #sy hology at workat some level we"re onvin ed we need ingredient D and therefore we fail without it. Or maybe I was thinking too mu h to avoid what I was su##osed to be doing. ;aige told me on e that her mother always said the main fun tion of ritual was that it #rovided thes#ell aster or ne roman erwith a gradual transition from the everyday world to the magi al. !hat the a t of on entrating on #la ing ingredients ,ust so$ on drawing symbols$ on laying out tools and lighting ensers was for fo us$ to release the brain from thoughts of sho##ing lists and lun heon dates. If that was the ase$ I"d #robably never needed that refo using more than I did this afternoon. It wasn"t thoughts of sho##ing lists luttering my mind$ but the horror of what I was about to do. )aising the dead. If you"re a religious #erson$ you all it resurre tion and it"s a mira le. If you"re a horror buff$ it"s Armageddon at the hands of a flesh&mun hing mob of shambling or#ses. In truth$ it"s some of both. *ike mira le workers$ we return the ghostthe soulto the body$ ons ious and aware. .o unless you raise a Hannibal*e ter $ the #erson"s not going to start eating brains. But the body is the dead one$ the broken one$ the rotting one$ ,ust like in a horror fli k. .o now the ghost is tra##ed$ fully aware$ in that broken and rotting or#se. 5ould anything be more horrifi 4 <et every well&trained ne roman er is taught to do this. /ust #ra ti e even. Whether he or she ever hooses to raise a 0ombie$ we know how$ should we need that knowledge. And now I did. !o raise a hild.

THE #ARKEST PO%ER

I B6+AN !H6 IN5AN!A!ION. 9eremy stood ,ust #ast the nearest garden bed$ wat hing for anyone oming from the house. 6ve #atrolled for ghosts$ warning them off. I think:ristof was hel#ing too$ but I didn"t see him> didn"t see anyone. As mu h as I tried to lear my mind$ every sight$ every sound seemed to vie for my attention. !he #oke and s ra#e of #ebbles under my knees. A #ro# #lane bu00ing overhead. A fly walking over my halk symbol. !he si kly sweet smell of lilies. !o me$ they smell of funeral homes and death. .weet yet off&#utting$ like the stink of rot. )ot3 How long had these hildren been in the garden4 How mu h had their bodies de ayed4 Were they even whole4 What if they weren"t and I"d return a soul to a #artial or#se$ one without arms$ without legs$ unable to fight to the surfa e$ tra##ed under the earth as I sat$ oblivious$ listening to air#lanes and wat hing flies 6nough. %o us. It took awhile$ but I finally found a mental #la e without sights$ without smells$ feelings$ sounds$ even thoughts. 9ust me$ ommanding any nearby soul to return to its body. A soft sound ame to my left$ so faint that I first mistook it for the rustle of a leaf. !hen I heard 9eremy$ softly alling my name. I lea#t to my feet and hurried toward the sound. 9eremy was walking toward a garden of rosebushes$ moving fast$ his ga0e on a shifting #at h of earth. .omething small and gray darted ba k and forth as if #ushing the dirt away. 9eremy slowed. 1Isn"t that the s#ot where41 !he ground eru#ted in a flurry of dirt. 6ven 9eremy reeled ba k. 1)awrawraw1 !he garbled rau ous ry e hoed through the garden as the dirt ontinued to fly$ the thing at its enter moving so fast it was only a blur under the geyser of dirt. I saw something long and flat and broad$ fla##ing against the ground. A wing. !he dead bird. !he one 9eremy had un overed and I"d reburied. On e I reali0ed what I was seeing$ I ould re ogni0e all the #arts the eyeless head lolling$ ne k broken$ one leg grabbing dirt$ trying to find its gri#$ the other leg ,abbing at the earth$ the laws gone$ wing beating franti ally$ trying to take off. !he bird ke#t s reaming in fear and #ain$ battering itself against the ground as it tried to make its broken body work. !he stink of it filled the air$ that horrible rotting

19aime=1 6ve"s voi e was harsh at my ear. 1.end it ba k.1 All I ould do was stare at the bird. 1+oddamn it$ 9aime. .end it ba k=1 I sna##ed out of it then$ my li#s flying in the invo ation that would free the bird"s soul from its body. !he garbled s ree hing sto##ed and the tiny or#se fell to the earth$ dirt raining down on its still form. %or a moment$ nobody moved. 6ven 9eremy seemed sho ked into s#ee hlessness. *ife from death. !he darkest #ower. In my hands. After a moment$ 9eremy moved in to lean u#. He said something to me and I res#onded$ but I don"t know what I said. I walked #ast him$ as stiff and unseeing as a slee#walker. He aught my arm$ tried to get me to stay$ but I mumbled somethingagain$ I don"t know whatand ke#t going. I walked ba k to my ritual setu# and dro##ed to my knees. A ro k ,abbed into my shin hard enough to ut me. Warm blood welled u#. I ouldn"t find the energy to win e. 1It"s over$1 6ve said$ from somewhere lose. 1<eah$ it was bad$ but it"s over and the bird"s free and it ha##ened so fast it #robably doesn"t remember anything.1 .he ke#t reassuring me that the bird was okay$ but we both knew that when I losed my eyes$ I didn"t see a broken and rotting bird$ s reaming and fla##ing in terror. I saw a hild. 2ntil now$ I"d only imagined what I intended to do to these hildren. Now I saw it$ heard it$ smelled it. 1We"ll find another way.1 9eremy"s voi e$ somewhere above me$ his words drifting #ast. 6ve said nothing$ but I ould feel her tension as she held her tongue. 1We"ll find another way.1 His voi e was beside me now$ as if he"d dro##ed to his knees. 1He"s right$1 6ve said finally. 1!his was a bad idea1 1No. I"m going to do it.1 1<ou don"t need1 9eremy began. 1<es$ I do.1 I followed the sound of his voi e$ for ed my ga0e to fo us and saw him rou hed beside me. 1!his time I"ll release the soul as soon as we see something. We don"t have time to ba k off now and do more resear h. Better to1 I swallowed$ 1,ust do it and do it fast.1

9eremy hesitated$ then nodded. 1Would you like me to go4 *eave you be41 1No.1 I met his ga0e. 1;lease don"t.1 .o$ with him beside me$ and 6ve s outing$ I began again. /y heart beat so hard I ould s ar ely breathe. When I losed my eyes$ I saw the bird again. 6very time a hild"s ghost tou hed me$ I ,um#ed$ as if in guilt. 1!ake some time$1 9eremy murmured. 16veryone inside is busy #a king. No one"s going to bother us.1 When I ouldn"t rela($ 9eremy tried distra ting me with a story from his youth. Any other time$ I"d have hung on his every word$ sifting through the tale for insight. But$ even though his story took #la e in his late teens$ it made me think of hildhood. Of the hildren. And unders oring his words$ I heard them whis#ering. As I leaned forward$ sweat dri##ed onto the halk symbol. I #i ked u# the halk to fi( it$ but my fingers were trembling so badly I sna##ed the #ie e in two. /oving to grab the fallen end$ I a identally erased the halk edge with my knee. 1Here$1 9eremy said$ rea hing for the larger #ie e of halk. I managed a weak smile as he filled in the missing #arts. 1Now I"m a true elebrity ne roman er. I even get #rofessional artists to draw my symbols.1 A ,oke weaker than my smile$ so I didn"t blame him for not smiling ba k. When I looked$ though$ he seemed not to have heard at all$ but had withdrawn into his thoughts. After a moment$ he lowered the halk to the #aving stones and drew something to the side of my ritual setu#. 1)emember those runes I mentioned4 !he ones I see41 he said as he drew. 1!his is one of them. Not for #rote tion$ but for alming.1 He finished the sim#le design$ then took my hand and laid it on the symbol. 1Now$ maybe these are ,ust #art of some se ret ode I found on a ereal bo( when I was a boy but1 He met my ga0e. 1I thinkI feelthere"s more to them than that.1 And as I knelt there$ his hand light and warm on mine$ the rough stone beneath$ the edges of the rune running #ast my ringers$ I ould feel the an(iety and #ani see#ing from me$ as if drawn into the stone. I began the in antation$ my hands on the rune$ his on mine$ and the words flowed with a onfiden e I rarely felt. !he sound ame 7ui kly. !he same soft noise I"d heard earlier. 5oming from the same dire tion. /y gut twisted$ half bitter disa##ointment$ half frustration.

1!he bird again$1 I said as I #ushed to my feet. 1It"s that damned bird. I tried fo using on a hild$ but1 1Wait$1 9eremy said. 1*et"s be sure before you release it.1 We followed the sound to the same garden. I ould see where 9eremy had reburied the bird$ but the ground there was undisturbed. /y ga0e shot to a s#ot a few feet away. 1!he at41 I said. But that #at h of earth was still too. !he whole garden was still. And 7uiet. I glan ed at 9eremy. 1!he sound. Is it gone41 He shook his head and lea#t into the thirty&in h&high garden as easily as if it had been a mere ste# u#. He o ked his head to listen$ then #i ked his way dee#er into the he(agonal rose garden$ following the sound straight to the enter. As he bent$ I heard it again$ faint$ oming from the ground. I limbed onto the retaining wall$ ste##ed into the bed and almost fell ba k as my #ointed heels sunk into the soil. /y armswindmilled $ but I aught my balan e before 9eremy s rambled to my res ue. 1!wo words$1 6ve sighed behind me. 1.ensible shoes. ;referably sneakers. Not #retty$ but I swear$ someday they"ll save your life.1 1I know. I know.1 I took off my shoes. 15an you stand wat h41 I asked 6ve as I walked u# beside 9eremy. 1:ris has it overed.1 In other words$ she wasn"t leaving. ;robably e(#e ting me to #ani and s rew u# again. As I rou hed$ a high #at h of earth shifted from a disturban e under the surfa e. I raked ba k the dirt. 9eremy hel#ed. 6ve hovered. !he garden seemed to go silent$ no sound but the sifting and shifting of earth as we dug. !he smell of dam# earth soon ame mingled with something danker$ mustierthe stink of the grave. I ke#t digging. ;robably a dog or another at$ an older one$ buried dee#er$ under more seasons of added soil$ more layers of rotted vegetation. !he family"s designated #et emetery$ amid the roses$ so their dearly de#arted wouldn"t stink the #la e u#. I was s oo#ing away a handful of dirt when a dark stone a##eared at the bottom of the hole.

!hen it moved$ ,abbing u#ward. A long$ dark law. Another #oked through. !hen a third$ the last only white bone. !he long thin bone of a human finger. 1!&there$1 I said$ lifting my hand to sto# 9eremy. 1+ood enough. I"ll send the soul ba k1 1No$1 6ve said. 1'ig a little more.1 I swung around to look at her. 1It"s a hand. 6ven I an tell it"s1 1<es$ it is.1 Her ga0e met mine$ eyes old and unreadable. 1:ee# going until you have the hand e(#osed1 1Itis e(#osed$1 I said$ voi e going shrill as I wat hed the fingers bone and rotted flesh rea hing for the air. 1!hat hild is trying to dig his way out and I"m not standing ba k and letting it ha##en so we an have a whole body to show the #oli e1 1!hen sto# him.1 1.to#41 Her ga0e bore into mine. 1.to# the hild from digging and kee# him alm. !his will only take a minute$ 9aime.1 When I hesitated$ she said$ 1!rust me.1 I yanked my ga0e away$ losed my eyes and ommanded the hild to sto# digging. !hat im#ulse to law his way out was so strong$ so dee#ly rooted$ that 0ombies had been known to batter themselves to #ie es trying to get free of a asket. And yet$ when I gave the order$ the hand sto##ed moving. Again$ for one moment$ there was silen e$ 6ve and 9eremy both staring at that still hand. Here was the other side of that darkest #ower. Not only ould a ne roman er raise or#ses$ we ould ontrol them. 6nslave the dead. *ooking at 6ve and 9eremy$ seeing awe on the fa es of two of the most #owerfulsu#ernaturals I knew$ I reali0ed it was more than ,ust the darkest #ower. It was the most fearsome. !he greatest #ower a su#ernatural ould wield. 9eremy ould tear his vi tims limb from limb. 6ve ould torture them with magi . But with death ame releaseunless I ste##ed in. !hen death was only the beginning of the horror. As I held the hild still$ murmuring words of omfortmental and aloud6ve knelt beside the hole. !hen she rea hed in and took hold of the hild"s hand$ fingers wra##ing around the small ones as if she ould rea h through the dimensional barrier and tou h them. Her eyes had barely losed when her body went rigid. Beneath her eyelids$ her eyes moved$

twit hing like someone dreaming. At a movement to my left$ I looked to see:ristof had ,oined us$ standing ba k but wat hing 6ve$ his fa e taut with worry. 1Her name"s )a hel$1 6ve said$ her voi e tight$ as if #ushing words out. 1)a hel .kye. .he"s eleven. .he lives3 no$ I an"t get that. An a#artment building. A ity. A busy street.1 A noise in her throat. 1Not im#ortant. .he"s oming home from s hool. !aking the bad way. !he one she"s not su##osed to take. But it"s shorter and there"s a !- show she"ll miss if she takes the other way. .he uts through the alley. .he hears something behind her. .omething flies down over her head. 6verything goes dark.1 6ve #ulled her hand ba k from the hild"s and rou hed there$ head bowed$ hair falling forward to hide her fa e.:ristof moved u# beside her$ hunkered down and said something$ too low for me to hear. A whis#ered e( hange. !hen he s7uee0ed her hand and ba ked off. 6ve looked u# at me. 1!hat"s all I get. 'arkness$ then she #assed over.1 I relayed everything to 9eremy$ who"d been waiting #atiently throughout$ never asking for an e(#lanation. As mu h as I longed to ask 6ve what she"d done$ I ould tell I wouldn"t get an answer. !he what and how didn"t matter. Only the results. 1.o they #robably drugged her or kno ked her out$1 9eremy said. 1!hey ke#t her un ons ious until they killed her. !hey"re un omfortable with what they"re doing. !hey feel guilty.1 15owards.1 6ve"s fa e darkened$ but she shook it off. 1Hold on. I want to get this done so we an let her go.1 .he started again. *ike Ho#e$ she seemed to be e(#erien ing a vision$ getting her information that way rather than through 7uestioning. 2nlike Ho#e$ though$ this wasn"t random flashes. .he ontrolled the vision$ as if guiding her way through the girl"s memory. !he se ond foray added little to the first. )a hel had never regained ons iousness after her atta k. As she"d been losing ons iousness$ though$ she"d heard a voi e. A British&a ented woman"s voi e telling someone else to make sure he grabbed )a hel"s kna#sa k. In that ommand$ she"d heard a name. 'on. And that was all we had.

BL FF AN# BL STER

I )6*6A.6 )A5H6*". .O2*. !hen 9eremy overed our tra ks as I hurried ba k to lean u# my e7ui#ment. 6ve didn"t stay. .he mumbled something about ontinuing to work on getting

a ess toBotni k $ but even if she did$ I had a feeling he"d say the same thing )a hel didthat he"d been atta ked from behind and immediately hooded$ seeing nothing. I was erasing the rune as 9eremy walked over. 1!his$1 I said$ #ointing down at the rune. 1It"s not for alming$ is it41 1What makes you say that41 1Be ause$ if it was$ I"d see it all over :ate"s bedroom.1 He let out a laugh$ but only shook his head and #i ked u# my kit. 1<ou said earlier that you don"t know what they"re for$1 I said as I finished erasing it. 1!hat goes for this one too.1 1Itcould be for alming.1 1But all that mattered was that I believed it was.1 I straightened$ stood on my ti#toes and brushed my li#s a ross his heek. 1!hank you.1 I e(amined the area$ making sure we"d left nothing behind. 1All set then$1 I said finally. 1If you an run the kit out to your ar$ I"ll1 I took a dee# breath. 1I"ll go find +rady.1

/< ;*AN was to let +rady dis over the body. !hat would divert most of the media attention away from me and give it to someone who"d love the s#otlight$ leaving me to ste# ba k and on entrate on luring in the grou#. I"d use my influen e with +rady to ensure that all re#orts said I"d instigated the sear h and #in#ointed the burial site. !hat would tell the grou# thatI was the threat$ not +rady. I found +rady and 5laudia in the living room. While +rady thumbed through the daily #a#er$ 5laudia was arguing with the aterer$ insisting on getting dinner before we had to leave. Nearly dan ing with im#atien e$ I waited until 5laudia dismissed the #oor woman$ who took one look at me and fled before I ould add any ulinary demands. I knew the amera was there$ #robably still on. In fa t$ I ho#ed it was. !his was one #rivate #erforman e I didn"t mind making #ubli . 1Bradford4 5an I talk to you41 I glan ed at 5laudia. 1Both of you.1 15ertainly. Where"s 9eremy41

1Outside still. .omethingha## 1 I swallowed and sat beside him on the sofa. 1I know you have a strong si(th sense for these sorts of things. Have you3 sensed anything in this house4 Or in the garden41 He aimed a hard look at 5laudia$ and I knew she"d been holding him ba k from dis ussing this with me$ not wanting him to make a fool of himself. 1I have$1 he said. 1I #i ked it u# as soon as I arrived and it"s be ome steadily stronger. <ou remember thatsean e I did$ don"t you4 !hat #oor young woman$ killed in this very yard$ brutally slaughtered in the #rime of her life4 5ut down by nefarious for es. 'emoni for es.1 5laudia motioned for him to tone it down$ but he ke#t going. 1I believe$ 9aime$ that in onta ting her$ I aught the attention of those for es. !he other day something #ossessed me. .omething demoni . It was trying to ommuni ate with me. !o show me something.1 1<es$ that"s e(a tly1 1!hen$ the ne(t night$ there was a dog. A hound of hell$ I"m ertain. I saw it #rowling the gardens$ its red eyes glowing. It was trying to draw me outside$ to lead me to whatever that demon had failed to show me.1 I nodded vigorously. 1I"m sure you"re right. I"ve been feeling the #ull too. !here"s something in that garden.1 1I fear so. <ou know what we must do$ then$ don"t you41 1<es. We have to1 1avoid that garden at all osts. I wanted to warn you earlier$ when I reali0ed you were s#ending so mu h time out there.1 1But1 15laudia$ however$ felt I was overrea ting.1 Another #ointed glare her way$ then he rea hed for my hand. 1%ight the urge$ 9aime. %or the sake of your soul$ don"t let evil win. We"ll be gone from this #la e soon$ but until then$ we must all avoid that garden.1 1But1 He stood. 1Now$ 5laudia and I are going into town for tea. Would you and 9eremy are to ,oin us41

#AMN, #AMN, *+mn4 I"d been so sure +rady would take the bait. !he more I thought of it$ though$ the more I saw that my #lan had one very big holeit #resumed that +rady"s 1hunt for evil1 was #ure showmanshi#. <et when I"d heard him talking about the #ossession and seeing the wolf out ba k$ I should have reali0ed that his fervor was fueled by the #assion of a true believer. Not unlike /ay 'onovan and the grou#$ he"d sear hed for some sign of the #aranormal$ but had always been disa##ointed. When the real su#ernatural world reared u# in his fa e$ he"d looked it in the eye and reali0ed he wanted nothing to do with it. Now$ on e again$ I"d ti##ed my hand. I"d asked him to ome outside$ and he refused$ an e( hange that had #robably been aught on the hidden ameras. .o how sus#i ious would it look now$ ifI went outside and found the body4 19aime41 Angeli7ue was oming down the stairs. I darted into the ba k hall$ ho#ing to avoid her. 19aime41 Her voi e sounded right behind me. I turned and flashed a wide smile. 1!here you are. I thought F heard you. What"s u#$hon 41 1I wanted to thank you for trying to kee# the show going.1 1!he fight"s not over. Now$ I have a all to make1 1One more thing. !here"s this huge revival meeting inNebraska ne(t month and I was wondering if you might go with me. I know it"s not your thing$ but it attra ts thousands of #eo#le.1 1Nebraska4 2m$ sure$ why not4 Now$ if you"ll e( use me.1 %rom her e(#ression$ she knew she was being brushed off$ and I hated to do that$ but told myself I"d make it u# to her later.

I *OO:6' a ross the #atio for 9eremy. No sign. He"d #robably overheard me with Angeli7ue and sli##ed ba k to guard the burial site. I was about to follow$ then sto##ed. If I went ba k to that site$ I had to be #re#ared to find the body. Was that wise4 Or should I all 9eremy first and make sure we didn"t have an alternative4 No. !he more fussing we did now$ the more likely we"d be aught trying to stage the dis overy.

I headed into the garden. 19aime41 +rady. I turned as he rounded the orner. I o#ened my mouth$ then took one look at that gliding$ almost feline gait and amended the greeting. 1Aratron.1 He smiled$ brilliant blue eyes twinkling. 1I believe you wanted Bradford +rady. %or a small matter of or#se dis overy41 I hesitated. 1I"m not sure this1 1is a wise idea4 Not the sort of thing to a use me of$ hild. I am nothing$ if not wise.1 He motioned for me to ontinue walking and ,oined me. 1It is lear that these #eo#le you hase are #atientthis magi is not something they ould have mastered overnight. %rom 6ri Botni k you learned how areful they are to avoid the limelight$ and how de isive they will be in ridding themselves of a #otential threat. If you are surrounded by attention31 1!hey"ll stay lear until it dies down$ then strike3 after I think I"m no longer in danger. Whi h is why I wanted +rady to do the dis overing.1 1!hat is the obsta le$ whi h I am generously offering to hel# you over ome.1

96)6/< WA. ba k at the site$ standing guard with 6ve and:ristof . He heardor smelled me oming and rounded the orner. 1Had some trouble with +rady$1 I began. 1Aratron$ I #resume$1 9eremy said. 1Hello.1 Aratronsmiled. 1I"d e(tend my hand$ as I know is the #ro#er greeting among humans$ but not one so wel ome among your breed$ so I"ll settle for a res#e tful "well met" to the Al#ha of the North Ameri an ;a k.1 No sur#rise thatAratron knew who 9eremy was. As for 9eremy re ogni0ing the demon$ I sus#e ted it had to do with those e(trasensory abilities he didn"t like to dis uss. !he demon turned to 6ve and:ristof . 16ve. /r. Nast$ sir. :ee#ing out of trouble$ I #resume.1 1Within reason$1 6ve re#lied.

AsAratron #assed 6ve$ he rea hed out and gave her shoulder a fatherly s7uee0e$ his fingers even seeming to make onta t. !hen he #eered down the #ath on the far side. 1.#eaking of trouble$ I was ho#ing to meet *u ifer"s daughter at this gathering. .he"s not here41 1*u ifer"s341 I began. 1!he half&demon girl$1 6ve said. 1Ho#e. No$ she"s not. We didn"t see mu h use for her #owers here.1 1!hen you"re underestimating them$1Aratron said. 1Whi h is not only shortsighted$ but a dangerous thing to do with an6s#is o . !he most fas inating subty#e of the half&breeds. And e( eedingly rare. *u ifer is most #arti ular about where he s#reads his seed. Her mother must be a remarkable woman.1 He turned to 6ve. 1I"d like to meet the girl sometime. <ou"ll arrange it$ I #resume.1 A look rossed 6ve"s fa e. If I didn"t know her so well$ I"d halk it u# to ,ealousy havingAratron take an interest in a more interesting half&demon. /ore likely 6ve ,ust didn"t like being ordered to do something$ no matter who was doing the ordering. Not waiting for an answer$Aratron ste##ed u# into the garden and stood over the shallow grave. 1.o the hild lies here. We"d best get on with it$ then$ before Bradford +rady"s woman begins to wonder about his #rotra ted bathroom visit.1 He rou hed$ leared his throat and affe ted +rady"s tone. 1Here$ 9aime4 Is this where you sense it41 He swit hed to an eerily a urate imitation of my voi e. 1<es$ Bradford. 'on"t you feel it41 1<es$ I believe I do. 6vil$ great evil #ermeates this #la e.1 A dramati shudder. 1We must un over the sour e of these demoni emanations. Only then will the tormented s#irits be at rest.1 16n,oying yourself$Aratron 41 6ve said. He ast a haughty glower in her dire tion. 1I"m a eudemon. We are in a#able of en,oyment.1 Ba k to my voi e. 1It looks as if the dirt has been disturbed here$ +rady$ but I"m afraid to1 1Never fear$ sweet lady. I will dirty my hands for you.1 He sifted his fingers through the dirt. 1What"s this4 It looks like a finger.1 /ore digging. 1A finger atta hed to a hand. /other of +od$ 9aime$ we"ve found a body. We must alert the authorities at on e.1 1I think you"d better leave that #art to 9aime$1 6ve said.

1I have a better idea.1 He glan ed at me. 1What is his woman"s name41 15laudia.1 He leared his throat and gave a bellow worthy of /arlon Brando. 15laudia=1 !wo more shouts$ then from the #atio$ a guard"s voi e. 1I think it"s /r. +rady. He sounds like he"s in trouble.1 1I"ll get hel#$1 someone answered. Aratronsmiled. 1!wo minutes to a suitably dramati dis overy$ one with enough witnesses to ensure it an"t be overed u#. Now$ I"m going to return Bradford +rady to his body$ but I will remain lose by$ should he fail in his duties.1 1!hank you.1 A gallant nod. +rady"s body stumbled ba k$ almost falling in the bushes before 9eremy aught him. +rady blinked. 1Where4 What41 1<ou ,ust found a body$1 I said.

WH6N +)A'< saw what he"d 1done$1 I"m sure his first thought was to get the hell out of 'odge before the o#s arrivedor the evil for es su ked him into that grave. But by then$ the guards were there$ along with 5laudia$ Be ky and Will$ and he 7ui kly si0ed u# his o#tions. If he #layed along$ he"d headline the lo al #a#ers as a hero. If he laimed he"d dis overed the body under the thrall of a demoni for e$ he"d headline the #a#ers as a nut&,ob. Astute man that he was$ he went with number one.

COVER STOR!

!H6 ;O*I56 5A/6. !hey saw. !hey alled for ba ku#. 6( avating the body would have to wait until the s ene had been #ro essed. !he dete tives

interviewed me first$ with a warning that there would almost ertainly be more 7uestions to ome. !hey weren"t ha##y with my 1lured into the garden by #sy hi vibes1 e(#lanation$ but I toned down the s#iritualism angle$ feigning relu tan e to #ut a name to whatever had drawn me there. .till$ I think they would have been more omfortable if they ould make the most logi al dedu tionthat I"d 1found1 the body be ause I #ut it there. But even a ursory look #roved this was no day&old or#se. !here was little han e that I"d killed and buried this #erson months ago$ then ,ust ha##ened to be billeted in the same house where$ driven by my guilty ons ien e$ I"d oer ed +rady into un overing my vi tim. I"m sure they"d still onsider that angle> without it$ they were left with a #ossible true ase of a s#iritualist res#onding to the alls of the restless dead.

HO;6 B)O2+H! Ba k %lynn over as #lanned$ and du ked #ast the rowd surrounding +rady to the sunroom where 9eremy and I were lying low. .he waved Ba k into the room. 1.he"s all yours. An e( lusive interview for the"(2( Ti+es . Be ni e to her.1 Ba k thanked Ho#e far more fervently than the situation warranted$ then stood there$ #u##y dog eyes following her from the room$ turning to me only when she was out of sight. 1+reat girl$1 I said. 1.he is$ isn"t she4 .he"s got what it takes to #lay with the big boys$ but she isn"t interested. .he"s having a blast hasing alien abdu tion stories and doesn"t give a damn what anyone thinks about that.1 His ga0e slid to the s#ot where he"d last seen Ho#e$ his e(#ression a mi( of envy and infatuation.Aratron"s words ame ba k to me. *u ifer"s daughter. %rom what little I knew of demonology$ *u ifer was ,ust another lord demon$ no more #owerful or 1evil1 than any of the other lord demons. But the name still gave me a hill. I wondered what Ba k would think of having *u ifer for a father&in&law. 5onvenient for any 1my soul for a ;ulit0er1 ambitions$ though. !he interview went well. *ike the #oli e$ he seemed to a##re iate that I wasn"t going off on an 1I hear dead #eo#le1 rant with this. 2nlike them$ though$ hedid #ress that angle$ ,ournalisti instin t ba ked by a #ersonal interest in the #aranormal. I s#oke with relu tan e$ as if I knew more$ but wasn"t omfortable admitting it. I said I sensed that the vi tim was young and female and had likely ome to a violent end. 1!hough$1 I added with a wry smile$ 1one ould #robably guess the violent&end #art by where

she ended u#. Not e(a tly a #sy hi feat.1 Ba k ,otted down my words. He had a re order$ but seemed to use it only as ba ku#. As he wrote$ I leaned ba k in the arm hair$ at hing a ray of late&day sun a ross my fa e. 1'id you get a sense$ as you all it$ of anything else4 !he girl"s age4 A name$ #erha#s41 I shook my head. 1;reteens$ maybe$ though I ould be ,udging that based on the si0e of the hand. As for female41 Another self de#re iating smile. 1Well$ I have a fifty&fifty shot there$ don"t I41 1Anything more41 He studied me$ as if ertain I was withholding something. 1I3 sensed more$ but it"s out of onte(t and I may embarrass myself if$ let"s say$ I gave you Holly as a name and it turns out to be that of her at.1 1Holly41 he said$ #en #oised over his #a#er. I shook my head. 19ust an e(am#le. If I had to31 I toyed with a strand of hair hanging over my shoulder$ then looked u# at him. 1). .. !hat"s all I"ll say. It ould be her initials. It ould be the initials of her s hool or the street where she lived. I don"t know.1 He nodded and wrote. A few more 7uestions$ then Ho#e ra##ed at the door. 1Interview"s over$ %lynn$1 she said. 1/y turn now3 and 7uite #ossibly the only han e I"ll ever get to show you u#$ whi h$ by the way$ I intend to do.1 He grinned. 1!hink so$ do you41 1:now so.1 .he sauntered #ast him. !here was no sway in her stride$ but his ga0e was glued to her every ste# of the way. 1How about a wager41 he said. 1Whoever"s story gets more in hes gets dinner at ;atina.1 Ho#e laughed. 1<ou think I an afford ;atina on my salary41 1Oh$ right. %orgot. Hmm. / 'onald"s then41 Another laugh and she shooed him from the room. He was too busy bantering to noti e she hadn"t agreed to the wager. 1Not your ty#e 41 I asked when Ba k was gone. 1As a friend$ yes. But I don"t1 A loud #assed behind her eyes$ then she for ed a wide smile. 1Between #laying weird&tales girl forTrue News $ girl %riday for the oun il and haos demon&in&

training$ my life is #retty darned full. I"m trying to set Ba k u# with a #res hool tea her at our gyma ni e normal girl who doesn"t see death and destru tion on every street orner. /ore his s#eed$ I think.1 I glan ed around. 1Being here3 is that okay for you41 1If you mean be ause of those #oor kids$ I"m not seeing anything$ so I"d #resume they weren"t killed here. I"m e(aggerating with the "every street orner" thing. On average$ I get maybe a ou#le of visions a day and most aren"t so bad. !hough I did noti e something in the dining room when I #assed.1 1!he hanging guy41 1<ou an see him too41 16very time I sit down for a meal.1 1And you eat in there4 .eeing that41 .he shook her head. 1I"ve got a lot of work to do before I hit that stage. !hey still at h me off guard. .ometimes badly off guard. *ike when I met :arl. Hugely embarrassing. 1 .he sto##ed there. I ta##ed my wat h. 1We have about another twenty minutes to make this look like a real interview. .#ill.1 1It was in a buffet line$ whi h #robably isn"t the strangest #la e to meet a werewolf. I"m minding my own business$ eyeing this ni e roast du k enter#ie e. !hen everything goes bla k and I"m running through a dark forest. I sna# out of it and there$ on the table$ is the du know freshly killed$ blood and entrails everywhere. I freaked.1 1'on"t blame you.1 1I s#un around and hit the guy behind me. :no ked the #late from his hands. .nagged my bra elet on his sleeve. +enerally made a fool of myself. Being :arl$ he was as ool and suave as ould be$ whi h only made it worse.1 .he shook her head$ but the smile #laying on her li#s told me she hadn"t taken it as badly as she #retended. 1And the vision was :arl3 hasing someone41 1Nah. 9ust a general "hi$ I"m a werewolf image tag.1 1<ou an tell what kind ofsu#ernaturals we are41

.he waggled her hand. 1Iffy. !he stronger the #ower$ the more likely I"ll get a vision. It"s like dete ting haos. If that hanged guy was ,um#ing off the table right now$ I"d #robably get a flash. If he was ,ust thinking about it$ I have about a twenty #er ent shot.1 1<ou an read thoughts41 I must have looked worried$ be ause she lifted her hands. 1No$ no. Not like that. I #i k u# haoti thoughts. %or e(am#le$ if you"re sitting there thinking my shirt is god&ugly$ I wouldn"t know. If you"re thinking about wra##ing your hands around my ne k and strangling the life from me$ I may #i k it u#.1 1Handy.1 1!he key word is+ay $ I"m afraid. Not as useful as it sounds.1 We hatted for a while longer$ swa##ing stories. As for the interview$ she might still do a story$ but that would ome later.True News ame out weekly$ meaning it wasn"t a timely way to get the grou#"s attention. But if Ba k"s interview and the other media bits didn"t lure them out$ Ho#e"s arti le would run ne(t week$ with more damning details that would definitely s#ark their interest.

A%!6)WA)'$ I gave some sound bites to the biggest !- news rews ,ust enough to ensure they knew whose vibes had led to the body then sli##ed away in sear h of #ea e and 9eremy. As I #assed the living room$ I heard someone being #elted with 7uestions. !hose rews who hadn"t been lu ky enough to get an interview with +rady or me had tra ked down a substitute. 12m$ yes$1 Angeli7ue was saying. 1I have #i ked u# some$ uh$ feelings in the yard.1 1<ou mean the garden$ don"t you41 someone said. 1Have you heard voi es41 another voi e asked. 1Or seen anything41 Angeli7ue stumbled through an answer. !he kid was ,ust too young to give a fullim#rov #erforman e. .he"d been ke#t out of the loo# on all this$ and now mi ro#hones were being shoved in her fa e. As mu h as I wanted to find 9eremy$ I felt guilty. 1Hey$ guys$1 I said as I walked into the living room. 1Are you boys #oun ing on this #oor girl4 We ,ust found a body in the garden. .he"s a wee bit shaken u#$ aren"t you$hon 41 I #ut my arm around her and s7uee0ed her shoulder. Angeli7ue shot me a grateful look. 1I"ve never seen a dead body before$1 she said$ her honeyed southern a ent #it h&#erfe t again.

.he shivered. 1I only ho#e that #oor hild has gone to a better #la e. .he"ll be in my #rayers1 19aime$1 a hook&nosed man ut in$ motioning for his ameraman to swing the amera to fo us on me. 1<ou led Bradford +rady to that body. What did you sense41 I tugged Angeli7ue on amera with me. 1We"veall sensed things in this house$ for days now1 1But you hel#ed dis over the body. What wasyour e(#erien e41 I ke#t trying to steer the 7uestions ba k to in lude Angeli7ue$ but they were having none of it$ and it soon be ame a##arent that I was only hogging any amera time she might have re eived. .o I made my e( uses and fled. I found 9eremy in the kit hen$ where he"d ornered Be ky. Being 9eremy$ he didn"t make it obviousnone of that werewolf #osturing. Instead$ he"d taken a s#ot a few feet away$ out of her #ersonal s#a e$ as she fi(ed a offee. !o leave$ though$ she"d need to shoulder #ast him. 1I #resume you don"t e(#e t 9aime out of the house by tonight$1 he was saying. 12nder the ir umstan es$ #a king has been the last thing on her mind. And$ in s#eaking to the offi ers outside$ they made it lear they"d #refer everyone to stay where they are.1 1We haven"t made any de isions yet.1 1No4 ;erha#s the staff is re eiving ina urate information$ then. !hey"ve a##arently been told they"re staying on for another day or two.1 1!hey are$ but the a tors1 1<ou told 9aime she had to be out tonight be ause the staff wouldn"t be here. If they"re staying on$ I see no reason to hurry her de#arture$ #arti ularly under the ir umstan es. I"ll tell her we"re here for the night.1 He turned to go. 1We41 Be ky said. 19aime has ,ust dis overed a murder vi tim. I"m on erned for her safety$ so I will be s#ending the night. I believe there"s a #ullout sofa in the living room. !hat will suit me fine.1 He walked out before she ould answer. I followed him

W6 WA!5H6' the si( o" lo k news with +rady$ 5laudia and the guards. 6ven the leaning woman ,oined us after hearing the ommotion. It took me awhile to reali0e Angeli7ue wasn"t there but$ after seeing her fumbling on s reen$ I de ided maybe it was better if I didn"t drag her in

to ,oin the #arty. And a #arty it was. A vi tory elebration. We were s#lashed all over the news$ +rady and I both finding o##ortunities to #lug the 1'eath of Inno en e1 s#e ial and dro##ing teasers about the material we"d ta#ed so far. As for the dis overy of the rime$ it #layed out ,ust the way we"d s#un it. <es$ +rady had found the body. <es$ he laimed to have sensed the 1#oor hild1 alling to him. But in every news ast$ it was lear that I"d been the one to lead him there$ based on my own e(#erien es in the house e(#erien es I was less eager to share. When the grou# heard the story$ the #erson they"d think who was most likely to know more than she was saying#erha#s something that ould e(#ose themwould be me. As I wat hed myself on television$ imagining the grou# wat hing too$ I had to admit that I hadn"t really thought it all through. %inding the or#se would$ we ho#e$ draw out the killers. Being of a s ientifi bent$ they"d leave nothing to han e$ so they"d get loser$ maybe even try to beat the #oli e to other bodies in the gardens. I"d already hinted I knew more. Having unlo ked magi al se rets themselves$ they"d know it wasn"t im#ossible that Idid know more$ that my ability to ommuni ate with the dead wasn"t a #ut&on. !hey"d want to know how mu h more I knew. 9eremy would do everything in his #ower to kee# me safe. Ho#e had #romised her hel#$ as had 6ve. But had I really onsidered the danger I was now in4 No. Would I have ba ked out be ause of it4 No.

RISKS AN# RE%AR#S

A! 6I+H! O"5*O5: A. W6 W6)6 %INI.HIN+ 'INN6)$ the door swung o#en$ in strode a manno more than thirty with blond&streaked hair$ a ultivated five&o" lo k shadow and a shark"s grin. !wo assistants flanked him$ ea h a de ade or more his senior.

1!odd .imon$1 he said. 1I know you were #robably ho#ing to at h a flight home tomorrow$ but in light of re ent develo#ments$ I see grand new #ossibilities for this little show of ours$ and I"m #ersonally taking the helm to guide us there.1 5laudia #ushed ba k her hair. 1I #resume this new dire tion means a renegotiated ontra t4 With a renegotiated salary41 .imon flashed a smile. 1Absolutely. /y lawyers are on their way here to handle that. !his show has ,ust limbed to the to# of the network"s s#e ials list$ and we have you all and your ama0ing talents to thank for it. I intend to make every member of this team a very ha##y am#er.1

B6!W66N !H6 re#orters$ ameras$ o#s and !odd .imon"s rew roaming the house and garden$ 9eremy and I ouldn"t steal a moment of #riva y. .o I"ll admit it was with no small disa##ointment that I reali0ed he had every intention of slee#ing on the #ullout sofa. Old&fashioned$ yes$ but kind of sweet. I returned to the kit hen for an as#irin after the others had retired$ giving him a han e to sli# u#stairs with me. But the living room remained dark and silent. At some level$ this was what I e(#e ted from 9eremy. )es#onsible and ontrolled to the ore. As #assionate as he"d been the night before$ and des#ite his teasing today$ he"d be wra##ed u# in the ase and #resume I"d feel the same. 'amn. I trudged u#stairs. 6ve was in my room$ kee#ing wat h$ slung sideways over a hair by the bal ony door$ reading a book. A te(tbook$ of ourse. I ouldn"t imagine 6ve #i king u# a novel. )eading was for learning$ for resear h$ and even then$ only as a last resort$ when there wasn"t a more a tive way of finding out what she wanted. I glan ed at the title.2bara66i'sCo+plete -enealogy of e+ons.'emi # e+ons and 2ssociated Subtypes . 1A little light reading41 I said. 15at hing u# on some family history. 'ull enough I won"t get aught u# in it. Not so dull that I"ll fall aslee#.1 .he looked over the edge at me. 1.o31 .he glan ed behind me. 1I see you didn"t find the as#irin.1 1Ha&ha.1 I ki ked off my shoes and dro##ed onto the bed. 1It"s been a long day$ and definitely not the time to make any1 A ra# at the bal ony door. 9eremy stood there$ shielding his eyes to see #ast the light refle ting off the glass.

1<ou were saying431 6ve began. 1. oot.1 1*eave4 Weren"t you ,ust saying41 I mouthed an obs enity. .he grinned and losed her book. 1I"ll be on #atrol. <ou need me ba k$ ,ust shout. But something tells me you won"t.1 .he left. 9eremy was leaning against the railing now$ onfident in his wel ome. He looked as se(y as he had last nighthair slightly mussed$ feet bare$ li#s urved in a smile$ long fingers ta##ing the railing with ,ust a tou h of im#atien e$ eager to get inside. A s#ark of heat fli kered. I remembered the night before$ him leaning into the ga#$ that hunger$ that desireand the s#ark e(#loded into a flame that li ked through me$ burning all the hotter as I remembered what had brought him here last night. !his time$ there was no adrenaline into(i ation to blame. He"d made his de ision. He was ready to take a han e. After four years of waiting and ho#ing$ he was here$ at my door. And ,ust seeing him was enough to make me di00y with lust. As I walked to the door$ I reali0ed my ni##les were already hard$ #ressing against my shirt. I tugged it looser to hide them. I"d waited years for this$ and no matter how ready I was$ I was going to make this last. I ra ked o#en the door. 1Bastard.1 His brows shot u#. 1What did I do now41 1;retending you were staying downstairs. %aking being aslee# when I sli##ed down there.1 1I"ve been outside sin e you first went u#stairs$ 9aime. I was talking to the offi ers on duty$ then s outing to ensure I ould still get u# here without being seen.1 He #aused$ li#s twit hing. 1.o you ame ba k down4 Ho#ing to do what4 .neak me ba k u# to your room41 1Of ourse not. I was getting an as#irin and a glass of water.1 1<ou have a heada he41 1Noyes. A bad heada he. .o sorry. Better lu k tomorrow.1 I started to lose the door$ but he wedged his fingers in the ga#. A tug and it o#ened a little farther. !hen$ one hand still on the door$ he rea hed the other in$ fingers brushing my heek$ hand going behind my head to #ull me to him. %or a se ond$ I hung there$ straining for his tou h$ a hing for his kiss3 and knowing$ if I let him get me loser right now$ I wasn"t going to make it

as far as the bed. And as deli ious as that thought was$ it wasn"t 7uite what I had in mind. .o I ste##ed ba k and sna##ed the lo k down$ sto##ing it at a si(&in h ga#& 1Heada he$ hmm41 His e(#ression went serious. 1'o you know what"s the best ure for that41 1What41 1Orgasm.1 He said it so matter&of&fa tly I had to s#utter a laugh. 1/ulti#le$ if #ossible$1 he ontinued. 1It"s a #roven medi al fa t that one #hysiologi event$ like orgasm$ an an el out the effe ts of another #hysiologi al #ro ess$ su h as a heada he.1 His e(#ression was #erfe tly serious$ but I said$ 1<ou"re full of shit.1 1;erha#s. If so$ you should all my bluff. 9ust o#en the door and we"ll test it out.1 He gave me a look that was almost enough to let me test it without so mu h as a tou h. Whi h gave me an idea3 1<ou"re right. /aybe I should.1 I ba ked u# to the bed$ then settled onto the edge. 1But I think I an manage by myself. I"m a strong believer in self&relian e.1 1I see.1 I smiled. 1Not yet.1 As I eased ba k onto the bed$ my skirt hiked u# until it was bun hed at my hi#s. I ran my fingers along the hem$ then under$ to the inside of my thigh. 1<ou wouldn"t dare$1 he said. 1!hat"s what you said last night and$ as you may have noti ed$ I"m not the sort of woman to let a hallenge #ass.1 I leaned ba k and brought my feet u# to give him a better view. I stroked the inside of my thigh$ fingers limbing higher. A surre#titious look his way. He was #ressed against the ga#$ his nostrils flaring$ eyes glinting. His li#s #arted$ tongue sli##ing between his teeth I shuddered and #ulled my ga0e away. I was already so wet I"d need to #eel these #anties off. I sli##ed my fingerti# under my #anty leg$ running it along the edge$ tugging it u# ,ust enough to give him a #eek at what lay beneath. !hen$ holding the #anties aside with one hand$ I teased myself with the other$ gas#ing and ar hing my hi#s.

9eremy gri##ed the edge of the door frame$ fingers fle(ing as if readying for that lo k&breaking yank. But he didn"t do it$ ,ust stood there$ wat hing me$ nostrils flaring$ holding ba k ontrolling it and drawing it out until the last #ossible moment I sto##ed before I hit+y last #ossible moment. I let go of my #anties$ but ke#t my finger under them$ where he ouldn"t wat h. 1<ou ould o#en that door$ 9eremy$1 I said. 1But that would break it$ and then you"d have to e(#lain things and$ well$ that ,ust wouldn"t be #ro#er$ would it41 I leaned ba k on the bed$ fingers still teasing us both. His hand tightened on the door frame$ but he only said$ 1O#en the door$ 9aime.1 1<ou"d like that$ wouldn"t you41 I slid a finger inside myself and gas#ed. 1I"m doing ,ust fine on my own.1 1I an do better.1 1!hink so4 I"m #retty sure I have more #ra ti e.1 A laugh. !hen a roll of his shoulders$ as if trying to sna# out of the mood. He glan ed over his shoulder. 1<ou really should let me in$ 9aime. Before a guard walks by and sees me. !hat"s trouble we don"t want.1 1Oh$ so now you"re getting all res#onsible on me. I thought you said it was safe.1 1%or limbing u#$ not am#ing out.1 I walked to the door$ sto##ed at the o##osite endout of his rea hand #eered into the night. 1All anyone an see from this angle$ in the darkness$ is a very big tree.1 1Are you sure41 1<es.1 1Absolutely41 1<es$ so you"re not using that as an e( use to ome inside.1 1I wasn"t thinking of e( uses. I was thinking of a little show you #romised me in the alley this afternoon.1 1I never #romised1

1An im#lied #romise$ ut short by a #hone all$ whi h I never om#lained about.1 1<ou"re su h a gentleman.1 He ste##ed ba k$ leaning against the railing. 1;lease$1 I said rolling my eyes. 1<ou e(#e t me to stri# in front of a #atio door4 What kind of woman do you take me for41 His li#s twit hed in that se(y$ rooked smile$ ga0e lo king on mine. 1I dare you.1 1Bastard.1 1:ee#ing alling me that and I might get offended and leave.1 I mouthed the word$ he ked the lo k on the door$ then ba ked u# and started tugging my blouse from my skirt$ slow and deliberate. !hen the unbuttoning. I shrugged and the blouse slid down my shoulders$ but no further. )ea hing behind$ I un0i##ed the skirt. A shimmy and it went down to my waist and aught at my hi#s. 1.ee$ I told you it was too tight.1 I gave a halfhearted tug. It fell a half&in h. Another shrug and my blouse slid to my breasts and sto##ed. 1Hmmm$ seems that"s a little tight too$1 I murmured. Another shimmy. Another half&in h. !he la e on my #anties showed over the waistline. I #lu ked at it with one hand and ran the fingers of the other under my bra. 1.eems I ould use a hand.1 1I believe I already offered that.1 I laughed$ then tugged off the shirt and let it float to the ground. !he skirt followed$ #ooling at my feet. 1Is this okay41 I asked. 1Or do you #refer aunaturel 41 1I didn"t get mu h of a look at aunaturel last night. <ou turned away before the dress ame off$ if you re all.1 1'id I4 Nasty.1 I ste##ed out of the skirt and moved loser to the door. 1I su##ose you want to do a om#arison.1

He nodded$ but his ga0e ke#t traveling over the sheer la e bra and mat hing +&string #anties. I ba ked u#$ then bent$ #i ked u# my dis arded lothing and headed for the bed. As I turned$ he made a low noise dee# in his throat. I leaned over the bed to lay my lothing on the far side. !hen$ still bent over$ I glan ed over my shoulder at him. His e(#ression was enough to make me lean over farther$ feet s#read a little wider. 1.eeing something you like41 I said. 1A #osition maybe4 9udging by that look you"re giving me$ I think you"re more of a wolf than you let on.1 A low hu kle. 1Normally$ I wouldn"t say it"s a #referen e$ but at the moment I believe I ould be #ersuaded.1 I stret hed farther$ ar hing to enhan e his view3 and the invitation. /y hand glided between my legs. I #ushed the fabri aside$ then slid a fingerti# in again. 19aime31 I #ushed the finger the rest of the way in. 9eremy grabbed the door frame. I smiled. 1One tug$ that"s all it"ll take. I"ll be right here. Waiting and31 I slid my wet finger out for him to see. 1)eady.1 His gri# tightened on the door and I bra ed myself. !hen he sto##ed short$ nostrils flaring as he glan ed over his shoulder. I ba ked off the bed and hurried over. 1Is someone down41 He lifted his finger to his li#s and ste##ed to the edge for a better look. He frowned$ then ga0e still riveted to something below$ eased ba k to the door. His li#s moved$ but I aught only a murmur. I moved to the ga# and whis#ered$ 1What"s that41 He #ressed against the o#ening. 1I said1 A shar# tug on my #anties. I gas#ed and #ulled ba k$ but he had the front of them wra##ed around his hand. 1<ou&1 A yank on the front of my bra and I sma ked into the door frame$ the urse ut short as his li#s found mine. I gave a token struggle$ but hated to ruin a very e(#ensive lingerie set$ so I gave u# and kissed him ba k. !he door frame #ressed against my fa e and sides$ old and hard$ an unwel ome ontrast to the heat of his skin$ and I wriggled to get away from it$ to feel only him.

As his fingers re#t into my #anties$ I tried to ar h ba k$ to give him better a ess$ but the door was in the way. His fingers gra0ed me and my hands len hed$ wanting to grab him$ to dig my fingers into him$ but all I ould feel was that damned door. He teased me$ his fingerti#s sli##ing inside$ but the angle was wrong and awkward and$ after a moment$ he #ulled ba k. 1'on"t sto#$1 I said$ voi e ragged. 1.orry$ I"m a #erfe tionist. I"d hate to leave a bad first im#ression. ;erha#s if you o#ened the door31 1<ou o#en it.1 1!he door lo k is on your side. !rue$ I ould break itbut that$ as you #ointed out$ would be wrong. Irres#onsible. 9ust rea h over$ fli k the swit h1 1Never.1 He yanked on my bra$ #ulling me into a kiss that sent my brain reeling$ nails lawing at the door frame. Okay$ enough was enough. !ime to ti# the balan e. I rea hed through the ga# and unbuttoned his #ants$ slid my hand into his shorts and wra##ed my fingers He groaned #ressed against the ga#$ as if he ould shoulder his way through. !hat was more like it. I stroked him$ my gri# tight$ and his groan turned to growls that made my eyelids flutter and my #anties flood. I ar hed my hi#s toward the door and #ulled him between my legs. A shar#er growl$ frustrated now as he tried to get loser. I let go and ba ked u#$ then slid my #anties down. I looked at him$ aught that flare of the nostrils$ that dark lust in his eyes as he #ressed into the ga#$ his ere tion I #ulled my ga0e away before I said 1to hell with it1 and o#ened the door. I undid my bra and let it fall$ then ste##ed from my #anties and moved to the door. %ingers wra##ed around him$ I ar hed onto my ti#toes$ guiding him between my legs. He hu kled. 1I don"t think that will work.1

1Is that a dare41 I slid him between my legs and thrust my hi#s forward. I ouldn"t get more than a ou#le of in hes$ ,ust enough to tease. I slid down$ eyes losed$ ar hing ba k$ gas#ing !he door slammed o#en$ lo k breaking. His arm went around my waist$ lifting me u# and dro##ing us both to the floor. His arm broke my fall$ but we hit with su h for e that we slid a ross the hardwood. His hand flew to the to# of my head a s#lit&se ond before it rashed into the bed leg. I smiled u# at him. 1Always a gentleman.1 1Not always$1 he said$ and$ with one hard thrust$ he was inside me.

PART V

.he knelt on the living room floor of her ondo. !he blinds were drawn$ but that wasn"t sus#i ious$ given the hour. If anyonehad seen her$ he would have been sho kedthis u#right #rofessional kneeling before an an ients#ellbook $ surrounded by andles$ ar ane symbols halked on the floor. 2ne(#e ted$ but hardly riminal$ worthy only of whis#ers and raised brows. !he grayish #owder in the bowl ould be anything#robably wouldn"t even be noti ed. !hat was the beauty of it$ unlike the dried body #arts her nanny had usedthose disgusting reli s that had to be ke#t hidden and$ when a identally found$ had ost the old woman her ,ob. All that se re y$ shame and #ain for something that hadn"t even worked. Oh$ her nanny had laimed otherwisetaking res#onsibility for a idents and strokes of good lu k. !hat was how the ignorant #ra ti ed magi $ seeing su ess in every oin idental o urren e. 2nlike the rituals her nanny swore by$ this magi worked. As for why it worked$ the grou# was onvin ed the ashes were the key. .he"d believed that too. !hat was the one thing that made the differen e between failure and su ess$ ergo it must be the key. And yet3 What if the magi worked with the ashes be ause they thought it would4 Be ause they"d wanted this to be the key4 Be ause they"dneeded it to be the key$ to e( use what they had donetaken the life of a hild. +uilt$ fear and onvi tion. All #owerful motivators. !hree years ago$ she"d started e(#erimenting with using lesser amounts of ash. It had taken

months of daily #ra ti e to see any results. All that #ra ti e meant she needed more than her share. Being the one in harge of the burning and the division of material had let her take that e(tra unnoti ed$ but she"d hated it. *ike a om#any 56O who #ilfered o#y #a#er and #rinter ink disgra eful and undignified. After that initial breakthrough$ though$ su ess had ome faster with ea h redu tion. It was as if having #roven to herself that she ould ast with less$ she"d over ome a mental barrier that said otherwise. It didn"t work with all the s#ells. !hus far$ the grou# had mastered ,ust over a do0en$ and fewer than half of those worked with signifi antly redu ed amounts of human remains. But it was #rogress. /oving toward the ultimate goal$ the one she was testing tonight. .he ast the s#ell again. A sim#le one that reated a s#arkbarely enough to light a igarette$ but a building blo k to better things. One must master the elementary levels first$ in magi as in all things. After asting$ she blew a fingerti# of ash. !he s#ark flared. .he tried again$ and was again su essful. !hen she rea hed over$ #i ked u# a moist towel and arefully wi#ed her finger$ removing all tra es of the ash. .he ast the s#ell. Nothing ha##ened. Again. Nothing. .he swallowed her disa##ointment. /ust remain alm and fo used. .he di##ed her finger in the ash. 5ast. Blew. .#ark. Again. Another s#ark. Wi#e the finger off. 5ast. %ailure. 5ast3 !he air ignited in a tiny #o# of light and heat. .he took a dee# breath and leaned forward$ #alms #ressing into her thighs as she e(haled. !hen she allowed herself a smile. Only a small s#ell$ to be sure$ but she had #roven her theory. .he ould ast without the ash without aids of any kind. .he resisted the urge to try again. !ake the su ess and hold the memory$ untainted by later failure. !hat would bolster her determination$ knowing that the last time she"d tried$ she"d su eeded. .he #i ked u# the bowl of ash and #oured it ba k into the ,ar$ wat hing it slide down. Here was the ement that bound the grou# together. Bound them in fear and guilt. !here was more than one kind of #ower and this one was ,ust as essential to her 7uest as anything magi al. .he must kee# the grou# together and striving forward$ seeking and sear hing$ working with her to a hieve her goals. !o do that$ she had to kee# them killing. /O)NIN+ A%!6)

I WO:6 2; !O AN 6/;!< B6'. %or me$ that"s usually a 1morning after1 reliefsaves those invitations to an unwanted breakfast and the 1I"ll all you1 lies$ an awkwardness to##ed only by 1what was your name again41 %or the first time in my life$ on waking to an em#ty bed$ I rolled over and ursed. I wasn"t sur#rised that he"d left$ but I"d ho#ed the #romise of a #assionate wake&u# all would override his usual sense of #ro#riety. A##arently not. He must have sli##ed out in the night so I"d be s#ared urious stares and knowing grins when we walked downstairs together. Old&fashioned$ but I ouldn"t om#lain when it was one of the things that had drawn me to him in the first #la e. Always a gentleman. Well$ not always3 I smiled$ thinking of some deli iously ungentlemanly behavior from the night before. I stret hed and felt a #rotesting throb between my thighs. /aybe that wake&u# all wouldn"t have been su h a wise idea. One une(#e ted #art of having a werewolf as a lover4 All that e(tra energy. I grinned and rolled over. /ore #angs of #rotest. !hat dull throb between my legs. !ender breasts. 6ven my li#s hurt. 'amn that was good. !he #atio door o#ened. 9eremy walked in$ #ants on$ shirt undone$ feet bare$ ell #hone in his hand. .eeing me$ he lifted the #hone. 1/y morning he k&in with 6lena. I didn"t wake you$ did I41 I shook my head and was about to #eel the overs ba k when I noti ed that faint wrinkle between his brows had dee#ened. 16verything okay with the babies41 I asked$ #ushing u# onto one arm. 1!hey"re fine. But 6lena"s already read the *.A. news online. .he thinks it"s ,ust as it a##eared in the arti lesthat you found a body. I onfirmed that.1 A hand raked through his hair as he looked around distra tedly for a #la e to #ut his ell #hone. 1I don"t like lying to her.1 1I know.1 1!hey"re going to find out$ after this is done. !he oun il has to know and 6lena will need to know first. It"ll take some areful e(#laining. 1 1'o you want to all 5lay in4 Or Antonio41 He shook his head. 1!he more #eo#le we have around you$ the less likely the grou# will reveal

itself. If I need hel#$ I have a ba ku# #lan.1 He laid his #hone down on the dresser. I glan ed u# at his hair$ glistening and dam#. 1<ou"ve showered41 1<es. I didn"t disturb you$ did I41 1No$ it"s ,ust1 I motioned to the front of his #ants. 1%orgot to 0i# u#.1 He frowned. Before he ould look down$ I stret hed and aught his waistband. 15ome here. I"ll get it.1 He moved to the side of the bed. I undid his button$ o#ened it$ then looked at the 0i##ed fly and smiled. 1Whoo#s. /y mistake.1 I undid the 0i##er$ rea hed inside and lowered my head to give him a #ro#er good morning. *)!6)$ I was urled u# against him. 1I was ,ust thinking. !his is #robably the safest #la e to be.1 1Hmm41 I #ro##ed myself u# to look down at him. 1If I"m in danger$ maybe we should ,ust stay here until it"s all over.1 He gave a low laugh and rose to kiss my ne k. I sighed. 1What you"re #olitely refraining from #ointing out is that that the #roblem won"t end while I"m in bed with you.1 1I"m afraid not.1 1.o I su##ose we should31 I eyed the old room beyond$ 1get u#.1 1;robably.1 He #ulled me down to him in a kiss that said we weren"t going anywhere for a while yet.

I! WA. midmorning by the time I finally got into the shower. As I dressed$ 9eremy sli##ed out. I was #retty sure it was too late to #retend he"d s#ent the night on the sofa$ but that wouldn"t sto# him from trying.

I"d ho#ed we ould get a om#lete u#date from the #oli e$ but even 9eremy"s #olite harm ould only win a grudging summary from the young woman guarding the s ene. <es$ they"d un overed a se ond body. <es$ they were looking for more but$ no$ she wasn"t onfirming that theye/pected to find more. I"d also ho#ed to sit out in the garden$ maybe find a 7uiet orner and let the hildren know I was still there$ but the best I ould manage was #ermission to sit on the bal ony off my room$ and I only got that be auseafter a brief onferen ethey seemed to de ide there wasn"t mu h they ould do to sto# me$ as long as I wasn"t taking #i tures of the s ene. We gathered breakfast and went u#$ leaving the bedroom door o#en so no one ould a use me of holing u# with my lover while I was su##osed to be 1on the set.1 Not that I had anything s heduled yet. I"d #assed !odd .imon in the hall and he"d only blathered$ 1;lans$ big #lans. Be ready for my all$ 9aime.1 /y guess4 He had this big o##ortunity and no idea how to use it. +rady was doing the morning&show rounds. As for Angeli7ue$ I"d looked for her$ wanting to make sure she didn"t feel left out$ but I must admit$ with the ase and 9eremy on my mind$ I hadn"t looked very hard. I"d make it u# to her at that revival in Nebraska. As 9eremy ate$ sitting on a #atio hair$ I wat hed the s ene below. !here wasn"t mu h to see. !wo te hni ians were working on the s#ot near where we"d found )a hel .kye. !ools and e7ui#ment s attered about indi ated there were more #eo#le involved$ maybe taking a offee break. 1!he hildren aren"t making onta t$1 I said. 1I don"t know if they an$ with me being u# here. /aybe they don"t know I"m around. Or maybe they"re gone. If they move the bodies$ the ghosts might go with them. And then1 1When this is over$ 6ve will find them. But$ as you both said$ it"s more likely they"ll stay here.1 I nodded$ staring out over the yard. 1'o you think they know what"s ha##ening4 5an they see what"s going on41 I nibbled my li#. 1I"ve never been able to tell how well they see or hear things on this side of the veil. /aybe they"re wat hing their bodies being dug u#1 He"d moved u# behind me$ hands going to my hi#s$ #ulling me lose. His li#s ti kled the ba k of my ne k. I leaned into him. 1.to# worrying$ right41 I said. 1!here"s nothing I an do about it.1 1<es$ there is. We an at h whoever is behind this. !hen you"ll free those souls1 1What if I an"t41 His kisses ir led to my ear. 1<ou will. On e we know what was done to them$ you an free

them. 6ve said1 1/aybe she"s ,ust saying that to alm me down$ so I don"t freak out1 He turned me around to fa e him. 1'oes that sound like 6ve41 I shook my head. 1!he hildren are fine$1 he ontinued. 1It"s unlikely they will leave$ and if they do$ we"ll find them. It"s also unlikely they understand what"s ha##ening$ and if they do$ they"ll get over it on e they"re freed$ whi h you will do ,ust as soon as you"re able to.1 His li#s brushed my forehead. 1Now ome inside. Ho#e"s #robably wondering why we haven"t alled1 1/s. -egas41 A ra# at the o#en door. It was one of the guards. 1Are you in here41 I alled an invitation and we ste##ed ba k into the room as he entered. 1'o you know a /ay 'onovan41 he asked. 1*awyer4 Works for some #aranormal grou#41 1.ure. What"s u#41 1.he was here this morning. 'emanded to s#eak to you. .tarted off ni e enough$ but when I said you weren"t available$ she got #ushy. 5ame right inside looking for you. We sto##ed her before she got far$ but then she went out ba k and 7uestioned the #oli e31 9eremy ste##ed u# beside me$ frowning. 1'id she seem u#set41 1;issed off. *ike we were hiding something. .he wants you to all her. !hat .imon guy doesn"t want you todidn"t even want me giving you the messagebut that didn"t seem right.1

THE LESSON OF THE N!MPHS

1'A/N I!$1 I said as I sat on the bed. 1.he must think this is some kind of s am. A #ubli ity stunt.1 1If she didn"t lob a usations$ she may only want to s#eak to you$1 9eremy said. 1!here ould even be some benefit in doing so.1 I looked u# at him. 1How41

1!he longer we kee# this in the news$ the more worried the grou# will be ome. Having you laim further "messages" from the vi tims may not be wise. But working with /ay 'onovan"s grou#3 41 A gra eful shrug. 1;ut the right twist on it$ down#laying the s#iritualism and #laying u# the ritualisti as#e ts of the killings$ and she"s likely to be 7uite willing to hel#.1 1!o un over the worst kind of #aranormal s amone with real bodies.1 1;erfe t. I"ll all now$ tell her I want to talk.1 I #honed the number /ay had left. !he #hone rang four times$ then voi e mail #i ked u#. As I listened to her inviting me to #ress one to onne t to her se retary$ I sto##ed$ finger over the button. !hen I hung u#. I laid the ell #hone on my la# and thought. !hen I thought some more. And while I did$ 9eremy didn"t 7uestion$ ,ust waited. 1/ay 'onovan$1 I said finally. 1Her a ent. It sounds British$ doesn"t it41 1I"m not very good with a ents$ I"m afraid. /y language skills ome from books$ not onversation.1 1But it ould be British$ right4 I was ,ust thinking about what 6ve saidthat )a hel"s killer was a woman with a British a ent. And I know that seems like an enormous lea#$ but31 I took a breath$ slowing my thoughts and organi0ing them. 1Ba k %lynn said /ay had it in forBotni k . Imagine if shewas #art of this grou# and knewBotni k was sear hing for them. What better way to kee# tabs on him4 ;urely #rofessional interest. 6ven he wouldn"t be sus#i ious.1 9eremy looked thoughtful. 'ubious4 After a moment$ though$ he said$ 1I think it"s .outh Afri an.1 1Hmmm41 1!he a ent. I believe it"s .outh Afri an.1 1*ike the folk magi we were investigating41 He nodded. I alled 6ve. I"d barely finished saying her name when she a##eared. 1I see you haven"t left the bedroom yet$1 she said$ #lunking onto the bed. 1<ou got here fast.1 1.he says$ avoiding the sub,e t. I didn"t have far to travel. :ris and I have been #atrolling. .o

far$ nothing.1 1What about this morning. 'id you see a woman like this41 I des ribed /ay. 1.he talked to the #oli e earlier.1 1<eah$ :ris saw her. .he said she was a lawyer for the family$ freaking out over the damage to the #ro#erty$ wanting to know how mu h longer they"d be digging u# the ba kyard. :ris listened in$ but he knows a lawyer when he hears one.1 9eremy and I e( hanged a look. 1'idyou overhear her41 I asked. 6ve frowned. 1No.1 I #i ked u# the #hone and dialed /ay"s number$ then held it out for 6ve to listen. At first$ she ,ust fi(ed me with a 1what the hell are you on41 look$ but after a moment$ she said$ 1!hat sounds like31 .he sto##ed herself. 1Itsounds like the woman )a hel heard when she was kidna##ed. But it might ,ust be the a ent. Who is she41 I e(#lained. As I s#oke$ 6ve"s frown dee#ened. 1Okay$1 she said when I finished. 1.hedoes sound like the woman )a hel heard. And she might be from .outh Afri a. And$ yes$ falsely re#resenting herself as the family"s lawyer to get a look around is sus#i ious$ but this is e(a tly the kind of thing a s am&busterwould take an interest in a #otential hild sa rifi e$ #seudo&satani shit. .omeone who"s so hell&bent on #roving the #aranormal doesn"t e(ist ertainly isn"t going to get involved in it.1 1It ould make a good over story$1 9eremy said. 1But 6ve has a #oint. If she"s been a tively trying to dis#rove the #aranormal for years$ that"s a very elaborate over.1 1Is it41 I settled onto the bed. 1'o you remember what she said when we first met her4 .he started off on the o##osite end of the s#e trum. A seeker. Only after getting burned did she swit h sides.1 I turned to 9eremy. 16ve met this guy in the afterlife who was running a #oltergeist s hool. He had the gift$ whi h is rare$ but instead of trying to seriously tea h others$ he used it to enti e nym#hs to his s hool3 and his bed. Nym#hs made an easy target be ause$ in the afterlife$ they"re always looking for #ower. !hey get #lo##ed into a world full of su#ernatural ghosts$ but they themselves have lost their #owers.1 16( e#t heerleading$1 6ve said. 1!hey make very good heerleaders.1 1WhenAratron was here$ he talked about the evolution of the su#ernatural. !here are #eo#le out there who have su#ernatural blood$ but be ause their original #owers are no longer useful$ they don"t know it. Isn"t it #ossible that some sense they might be different4 I"ve met #eo#le like /ay 'onovan$ who seem driven to seek out magi and su#ernatural answers. /aybe be ause they have the blood$ but not the #ower.1

6ve sna##ed her fingers. 1!hat ould e(#lain why the magi is working. *atent su#ernatural blood. *ike 7uarter&demon rossbreeds.1 When I looked at her$ she said$ 1Half&demons don"t #ass on their #owers to the hildren$ right4 But they say that the blood still ounts$ gives any other su#ernatural #owers a boost. .o .avannah doesn"t have my demon #owers$ but she #robably gets an added bum# to hers#ell asting .1 I #assed her words on to 9eremy$ who onsidered them as I went on. 1*et"s say /ay 'onovan has this drive be ause of her latent #owers. .he seeks out knowledge$ but gets nowhere. .o she fli#s sides works out her frustration by un overing s ams while still se retly sear hing those s ams for truth. 6ven after she found a ba kdoor in$ she"d kee# u# the frontboth sear hing for newmagi s and to #rote t herself.1 I #aused. 1'o you think she knows about Ho#e"s #owers4 /aybe that"s why she made onta t in the first #la e.1 1;ossible$1 9eremy said. 1But it"s e7ually likely that she sim#ly makes it her business to be involved in everything #aranormal in this ity$ in luding offering her assistan e to a new tabloid re#orter who overs the su#ernatural. If Ho#e un overed something$ /ay would be among the first to know.1 1Whi h is e(a tly what ha##ened.1

W6 .6! about brainstorming. !he most obvious way to test our theory would be to take advantage of /ay"s invitation and tra# her. But we had no way of knowing how many #eo#le were involved or whatmagi s they had. Almost an hour #assed. !hen 9eremy"s ell #hone rang. 1It"s Ho#e$1 he said before answering. 1I should have alled her.1 A ou#le of minutes later$ he hung u#. 1Ba k %lynn wants to meet with us. He says he has news.1 1!he re#orter4 But he"s #art of the6hri h Weiss .o iety$ whi h means he"s #robably in this magi grou# with /ay too$ so why1 I sto##ed. 1Be ause I wouldn"t see /ay or return her all. Now he"s giving it a shot.1 1.o it would seem. I told Ho#e to stall him and said we"d meet her in thirty minutes.1 1+o out4 Is that safe41 1We"ll be areful. But we have to go to her. !here"s someone I need to talk to.1

B6IN+ A .aturday$ Ho#e had s#ent the day at her a#artment$ waiting for instru tions from 9eremy. When we arrived$ he walked to the head of the narrow road leading around her building. !here he sto##ed$ sniffing the air. When the way was lear$ he rou hed to #i k u# a trail. When he straightened$ he led me down an alley. I knew if he didn"t e(#lain$ it was either be ause he didn"t want to worry me or be ause he didn"t want to s#eak #rematurely. We loo#ed around another building oming out3 somewhere. /y sense of dire tion is lousy and here$ surrounded by buildings$ I didn"t even have the sun to he k. Another road$ another alley. When the dirt under our feet turned to gravel$ 9eremy motioned for me to wait. !hen he arried on$ slowly and silently$ not so mu h as a ro k rolling underfoot. As he a##roa hed an al ove$ he eased along the wall and sto##ed at the edge. !hough he was too far and too hidden in shadow for me to see learly$ I ould #i ture him sniffing$ listening$ waiting. !hen he ste##ed out into the o#ening. 1Hello$ :arl.1 His voi e e hoed down the em#ty alley and was drowned out by a urse of sur#rise. 9eremy motioned me toward him. !here$ in the shadows$ was :arl/arsten . A re ent addition to the ;a k$ after several years of 1fen e&sitting$1 :arl was a ,ewel thief$ and looked like Hollywood"s version of one. 'ark haired with shar# features and shar#er gray&blue eyes. With his #ressed #ants$ linen shirt$ Italian loafers$ faint tan and mani ured fingernails$ he looked like an a tion hero idling on the sidelines while his stunt double worked u# a sweat for him. But from what 6lena said$ he was 7uite a#able of working u# that sweat all by himself$ and those e(#ensive lothes did little to disguise a #owerful build. A dangerous man hiding beneath the veneer of a bored so#histi ate. By the time I arrived$ he"d over ome his sur#rise and was eying 9eremy with a half&smile that seemed almost rueful. 1'are I ask how long you"ve known I was around41 :arl said. 1Or$ #erha#s not. <ou"ll shatter my delusions of stealth.1 I looked at 9eremy. 1.o that"s whose s ent you"ve been #i king u# these last ou#le of days. 6lena didn"t have him standing by in Ari0ona after all.1 9eremy said$ 1I"m not the one he"s been wat hing.1 He dire ted my attention a ross the way$ where we now had a #erfe t view of Ho#e"s ba kdoor entran e.

1I was3 on erned$1 :arl said. 1Be ause she alled and told you she was investigating some o ult business$ and you thought she was doing it on her own.1 1Whi h isn"t to say that she ouldn"t handle it on her own$ but I knew 9eremy was in town and 6lena wanted me nearby in ase of trouble. 'is overing that it involved you meant there was no reason not to stay lose$ kee# my eye on1 He sto##ed$ ga0e fi(ed on something over my shoulder. Ho#e started toward us. 1I sensed a werewolf and thought it was 9eremy$ so I ame down to meet him. I should have known better. Werewolf #lus haos e7uals only one #erson I know. 5are to finish that senten e$ :arl4'ho were you kee#ing an eye on41 +enuine dismay ri##led :arl"s om#osure. 1I was1 1'oing his ,ob$1 9eremy ut in. 1Wat hing me$ at 6lena"s behest.1 1Ah.1 .he gave :arl another hard look$ one that said she didn"t believe it$ but would take it u# with him later. 1I su##ose you might as well ,oin us$ then.1 1With su h a wel ome$ how an I refuse41 1With su h an entran e$ how an you e(#e t a wel ome41 Ho#e turned on her heel and headed for her ba kdoor. 1At least I didn"t ome home to find you in my living room again.1 1I was testing your se urity.1 1<ou ,ust like #ushing your lu k. One of these days you"ve going to s#ook me on the wrong night and #ush it right into an early grave.1

WH6N W6 rea hed Ho#e"s a#artment$ :arl looked around. 1I see your mother"s been here$1 he said. 1.he has im#e able taste.1 1.he does. And she"s single. 5lose to your age too. Want her number41 He only strolled into the living room and stret hed out on the sofa. 1/ake yourself omfortable$1 Ho#e said$ tossing her keys on the ounter. 1I am$ thank you. And I"ll take a . ot h and soda when you have a moment.1

.he fli##ed him the finger. He smiled. As she invited us to sit and offered offee$ his ga0e followed her$ li#s still urved. .he tossed him a bottle of ;errier. He aught it easily and we started to #lan.

#IVISION OF # TIES

96)6/< !O*' 2. HI. !HO2+H!. as :arl s avenged through Ho#e"s fridge$ #awing #ast the take&out artons and #ulling out the leftovers. When 9eremy finished$ he looked at me. 1I know you should a om#any me. After all$ this is your investigation1 1No. Well$ yes$ I"d love to follow through$ but under the ir umstan es$ you don"t need to be he king over your shoulders$ making sure I"m okay.1 I glan ed at :arl. 1I #resume you"re going with 9eremy4 As ba ku#41 1I am.1 He turned to 9eremy. 1%ried hi ken or #orkvindaloo 41 9eremy"s ga0e slid to Ho#e. 16at u#. I have so many leftovers$ I an barely s7uee0e in a arton of milk. !he #erils of ooking for one. 9aime41 1Nothing for me$ thanks.1 1!hevindaloo $ #lease$1 9eremy said to :arl. 1+ood hoi e$1 :arl said$ s oo#ing out the stew for 9eremy and some of both for himself. !hen he o#ened a ontainer of what looked like #otatoes au gratin. 1.o$ if I"m #laying bodyguard$ someone needs to stay behind with 9aime.1 1Not if I"m in Brentwood$1 I said. 1!he house is surrounded by o#s$ so Ho#e an go with you two1 1I"d #refer you had ba ku#$ 9aime$1 9eremy said. 1If Ho#e doesn"t mind.1 %rom the disa##ointment that fli kered a ross Ho#e"s fa e$ shedid mind. Not mu h funbabysit when there was an adventure going on.

.he ould have #layed the se(ism ard$ but she didn"t$ #robably reali0ing gender had nothing to do with it. Out of a ne roman er who an talk to the dead$ a half&demon who an see visions of haos$ and two werewolves with su#erhuman strength and senses$ it was obvious whi h two should head into battle. !hey ould have used Ho#e"s haos dete tor$ but someone had to stay behind to guard the main target. Ho#e overed her disa##ointment with a smile. 1.ure. !hat"s fine.1 :arl #aused$ s#oon in a bowl$ his ga0e on her$ steady and #ier ing. .he glan ed at him and they e( hanged a look. He nodded$ and #ut one of the #lates into the mi rowave.

AN HO2) later we were ba k at the Brentwood house$ where Ho#e and I would wait while 9eremy and :arl met Ba k %lynn and$ with any lu k$ used him to infiltrate the grou#. With the ongoing onfusion at the house$ no one 7uestioned me bringing guests in. 'idn"t seem to noti e$ even when I took three #eo#le u# to my room. :arl and Ho#e were on the bal ony$ door losed to give them #riva y as they talked. !hough I ouldn"t hear a word$ I ould tell it wasn"t their usual banter. :arl was doing most of the talking$ his fingers resting on Ho#e"s arm$ leaning down to her$ fa e grave. Ho#e"s fingers gra0ed the gun under her ,a ket. 9eremy had been ha##y to see that gun3 and even ha##ier when :arl assured us that Ho#e ould use it. I #ulled my ga0e from the bal ony as 9eremy returned from s outing. 1All lear41 I asked. He nodded. 1Nothing has hanged with the #oli e$ and /ay hasn"t returned.1 1Before you go$ ould you draw a ou#le of your runes for me4 !he #rote tive ones41 1<ou don"t need to humor me$ 9aime. I know that whatever irrational urge I have to draw those is ,ust that8 irrational. A symbol an"t #rote t someone.1 1;lease41 He looked around$ fingers drumming against his leg$ as if almost ho#ing he wouldn"t see anything to write on. I took a sheet and #en from the tiny writing desk. He sket hed a few runes$ not even #ausing to onsider whi h to do$ as if he already knew. !hen he 7ui kly folded the sheet in 7uarters and rea hed around me to tu k it into my ba k #o ket$ using the o##ortunity to lean lose$ body #ressing against mine.

I whis#ered$ 1If we finish this tonight$ you won"t need to rush ba k to New <ork before morning$ will you41 1/ake a mess and leave you to lean it u#4 !hat wouldn"t be right. I"d have to stay an e(tra day or two$ to hel#.1 1+ood.1

A%!6) 96)6/< and :arl left$ Ho#e sli##ed away to get a better #i ture of the houseentry #oints$ es a#e routes$ 1safe1 rooms and su h. I doubted we"d need any of them. 9eremy had told Ba k %lynn that I"d flown ba k to 5hi ago to es a#e the media attention. But s outing the #ro#erty #robably made Ho#e feel more useful$ so when she suggested it$ I said it sounded wise and #romised to stay in my room until she returned. While she was gone$ I took a moment to sort out my thoughts. I was worried about 9eremy. !hough I didn"t doubt he ould look after himself$ I wasn"t omfortable having :arl/arsten as his only sour e of ba ku#. And I knew 9eremy was e7ually un omfortable with it$ as mu h as he"d #retended otherwise. .i( years ago$ a grou# of outside werewolves had banded together to overthrow the ;a k. 5lay had been kidna##ed and tortured. !wo of 9eremy"s ;a k brothers had been killed. Only one member of that rebel grou# survived8 :arl/arsten . In the final battle$ 6lena had s#ared :arl be ause he"d hel#ed her. !hen$ with 5lay"s su##ort$ she"d asked 9eremy to #ardon him. Before the u#rising$ :arl had never aused any trouble for the ;a keven been on good terms with them. He hadn"t #arti i#ated in the killings or 5lay"s torture$ and had ,oined the grou# for a reason the werewolves ould understandthe wolf"s instin tive need for territory$ whi h the ;a k had denied him. .o 9eremy had granted :arl his re#rieve and territory in a distant state on the ondition that he at least onsider ,oining the ;a k. It was all very fair$ very .olomon&like$ very 9eremy. Now :arl had ,oined the ;a k and #roven himself a loyal and useful member. And the ;a k had a e#ted him. In luding 9eremy3 or so everyone thought. 9eremy gave every a##earan e of su##orting and even en ouraging :arl"s membershi#. It was what he onsidered the best way to deal with :arl. <et he ouldn"t forget what :arl had done. /aybe :arl hadn"t #ersonally killed ;eter or *ogan. /aybe he hadn"t beaten 5lay. /aybe he"d even a ted as a buffer$ kee#ing 5lay from the worst of his a#tor"s hate. But he"d san tioned all that by standing aside until he saw the tables turning and only then had he fli##ed sides.

9eremy strove to a e#t :arl as a ;a k brother. 5lay had been the one tortured$ and he"d forgiven :arl$ so why shouldn"t 9eremy4 But$ to me$ that was the very reason why he ouldn"t. It was easy to forgive someone for what he did toyou . Not so easy when he did it to someone you love. 5lay looks at :arl now$ shrugs and says$ 1It was ,ust business.1 9eremy looks at him and sees the man who stood by and wat hed his son be beaten within an in h of his life. Obviously$ though$ whatever 9eremy"s feelings toward :arl$ he trusted him enough to tra k him down this morning and ask him to ,oin us. But I knew he"d rather have any other ;a k member at his side. And so would I.

N6D! I onta ted 6ve$ as I"d #romised 9eremy. While she ouldn"t #hysi ally #rote t me$ she ould kee# wat h even better than Ho#e with no han e of looking sus#i iousand ould alert me if she found trouble. When I e(#lained what was ha##ening$ 6ve sat ross&legged on the bed$ onsidering it in silen e for a moment. 1.o 9eremy"s meeting this kid who says he has info on the grou#$ but really he"s apart of the grou#$ or so you #resume. /eaning he"ll likely lead 9eremy into a tra#. Being forewarned$ though$ 9eremy will be s#ringing the tra#$ not walking into it.1 1)ight.1 Another moment of 7uiet thought$ then she nodded. 1Not bad. But I do have a #roblem with one big #art of it.1 1Whi h is41 1!he #art that has you sitting here guarded by a haos demon.1 1Ho#e"s not1 1Oh$ I know what she is. A om#lete stranger$ and your life is in her hands.1 I shook my head and started em#tying the dry& leaning bag dro##ed off earlier. 6ve strode over and #arked herself 1on1 the bag$ her form obs uring it. 1<ou"re ignoring me$ 9aime. I"m raising a valid #oint.1 1No$ you"re being #aranoid$ whi h omes from a lifetime ofneeding to be #aranoid. Ho#e isn"t some bla k&market onta t like /olly 5rane. .he hel#s the oun il. 9eremy knows her1 16lena is her onta t$ isn"t she4 And that"s mainly #rofessional. !hey don"t hang out together.1

19eremy knows her and he trusts her.1 !here was nothing she ouldor daredsay to that$ so she started #a ing as I em#tied the bag. 1.o while he"s gone$ you"re here$ guarded by a haos demon who"s not even around1 1.he"s s outing the #ro#erty. .he he ked in on me before I alled you.1 6ve walked to the window and looked out. 1Who"s ba king 9eremy u#41 1A ;a k brother. :arl/arsten . He"s1 1Oh$ I know who :arl/arsten is. A areer riminal and a drifter.1 .he shook her head. 1I know guys like/arsten . <ou and 9eremy don"t$ so you an be forgiven for not seeing #ast that suave show of his. How old is he4 <our age4 Older$ #robably4 He"s s#ent the last forty years not giving a shit about anyone. +uys like that don"t wake u# one morning and turn team #layer. He"s using the ;a k. He doesn"t are about anyone in it1 Not true. 6ven before he ,oined$ he got along fine with them$ and he was always fond of 6lena.1 6ve snorted. 1!he ute blond who"s also the only female of his s#e ies4 Oh$ I bet he"s fond of her.1 1It isn"t like that. And he"s always been on good terms with Antonio and Ni k. 6ven 5lay doesn"t mind him.1 .he met my ga0e. 16lena$ 5layton$ Antonio and Ni k. *eaving someone out there$ 9aime41 Hearing my own fears e hoed in her words$ I busied myself stuffing a blouse into my loset. 1<ou"re right. :arl/arsten isn"t my first hoi e to be wat hing 9eremy"s ba k. And you"re right about him being self& entered. But that doesn"t mean he isn"t a#able of loyalty. *ook at Ho#e. He"s very #rote tive of her and that"s not the behavior of a guy who thinks only of himself.1 6ve turned slowly$ her eyes narrowing. 1Ho#e4 He knows the half&demon41 1.ure. !hat"s how she hooked u# with the oun il.1 1!hrough :arl/arsten 41 A ra# at the door$ then Ho#e"s 1It"s me.1 .he slid in and looked around. 1Oh$ sorry$ I thought I heard you whis#ering and wanted to make sure everything was okay.1 I waved toward the bal ony door. 1It"s 6ve.1 1Ah$ right$ the ghost.1

6ve ir led Ho#e$ si0ing her u#. 1At least she"s tiny.1 .he towered over the girl by almost a foot. 16ven you an #robably take her.1 1!hanks$1 I muttered. Ho#e looked around$ obviously un omfortable. 1If you"d rather I stayed away a little longer$ so you an talk to$ uh$ 6ve31 1!ell her to go$1 6ve said. I glan ed at 6ve. 1%ive minutes$1 she said. 1/aybe that"s a good idea$1 I said to Ho#e. 1I feel rude talking to ghosts in front of #eo#le. How about giving me five minutes41 1.ure$ an I get you a drink while I"m downstairs41 15offee would be great.1 1'on"t drink it$1 6ve said as Ho#e left. 1Wha41 1!he offee. 'on"t drink it.1 I rolled my eyes and sat on the edge of the bed. .he fli##ed her hair ba k over her shoulder and rossed her arms. 1<ou think I"m being #aranoid4 *et"s see whether I have this straight. <ou and 9eremy all this Ho#e girl for information be ause she ,ust ha##ens to be in *.A. on some work e( hange1 I o#ened my mouth$ but 6ve ontinued. 1<ou go to her for lo al information and the first #eo#le she introdu es you to ,ust ha##en to be the same #eo#le you now sus#e t are res#onsible. .he noses her way into your investigation like an eager #u##y$ following you two around. !hen$ ,ust when you and 9eremy figure out who the bad guys are$ who shows u# to #rote t 9eremy4 !his half&demon"s boyfriend. He takes 9eremy to "un over" the grou# while she "guards" you. 'amned ni e setu#.1 1.etu# for what41 6ve #retended not to hear$ strolling over to the bal ony doors$ eyes narrowing as if distra ted by some sign of danger.

1.etting us u# for what$ 6ve41 1!hat half&demon thinks she"s got a nose for trouble4 It"s nothing om#ared to mine$ and this stinks to the heavens.1 I shook my head. 1Only if you slam the #ie es in until they fit your on lusion. We went to Ho#e$ on0lena's suggestion. Ho#e didn"t even know we were in town. <es$ it may seem oin idental that she ,ust ha##ens to introdu e us to the very #eo#le we"re looking for$ but onsider what they do. !hey #lay #aranormal investigators to wat h for new magi al leads and for any signs that they themselves are in danger of e(#osure. Who would be one of their main onta ts4 !abloid re#orters overing o ult a tivity. !hey worked with Ho#e"s #rede essor$ then they onta ted her. .he had no reason to sus#e t them.1 1)eally4 .eems her nose for trouble doesn"t work so well after all.1 I hesitated$ then shook my head. 1.he says it"s not #erfe t. .he"s young and we both know she won"t have ome into her full demon #owers yet$ es#e ially when she"s untrained.1 15onvenient31 6ve murmured. I #ushed on. 1As for her and :arl$ I don"t think she"s his girl&rriend F aughth$ve"s look. And F know you only meant that they have a relationshi#$ whi h they do. But he ame to *.A. to #rote ther .1 1.o it an all be e(#lained away. And you aren"t the least bit worried that they"re somehow involved41 1!he key word isso+ehow . How4 What they ould ho#e to gain4 !hey had nothing to do with me finding these ghosts or starting this investigation.1 1*et me think on it.1 1<ou do that.1

TR ST ISS ES

HO;6 )6!2)N6' WI!H /< 5O%%66$ whi h I only si##ed. I trusted her$ but 6ve had left me a little unsettled.

;ast e(#erien e had taught me that 6ve was 7ui k to ,um# to on lusions about #eo#lealways on lusions that saw the worst. If you deal with the magi bla k market and the #eo#le in it$ you have to e(#e t the worst of everyone. 6ven now$ whatever she was doing on the other side$ it wasn"t #laying a har# in the hoir of angels. Whenever she needed something from me$ it was 1 onta t this dead killer1 or 1resear h this unsolved murder ase.1 .he might be working for the %ates$ but she still had every reason to be over autious$ even #aranoid. .o I took her fears about Ho#e and :arl with a wholeteaspoon of salt3 but didn"t dismiss them. As Ho#e and I waited for news from 9eremy$ we talked$ mostly about life in *.A.sharing ane dotes$ favorite restaurants and lubs$ that sort of thing. As time ti ked #ast$ onversation be ame more strained$ both of us worrying about 9eremy and :arl. 6ventually Ho#e took u# 6ve"s earlier o u#ation#a ing. .he"d head to the window or bal ony door$ look out$ then return to me$ try to resume onversation$ and falter as she returned for another look outside3 or at her ell #hone. 1/arstenisn"t involved$1 said a voi e to my rear. 6ve strode around me. 1New theory./arsten"s not in on it. 2nwitting du#e. Werewolves don"t need magi $ so the grou# wouldn"t interest him. And he knows if he betrayed 9eremy$ 5layton would #ut him through a hell worse than anything the %ates ould dream u#./arsten"s only rime is middle&aged delusions. 6ven #layers aren"t immune to #retty young things.1 I o#ened my mouth$ then glan ed over at Ho#e. 6ve ontinued. 1+irl like that$ with her #owers$ she"d be easy #rey for this grou#. !hing I an"t figure out is why she"s holed u# here with you.1 12h&huh$1 I murmured under my breath. 1It"d be easier if she"d onvin ed 9eremy to take you along. 'id she try41 I shook my head. 1Huh. Well$ she needs to get you out of this house and away from the guards. Has she suggested you two go anywhere4 Out for a drink or a walk41 Another shake. 1If she does$ you stay #ut. In the meantime I"ll kee# #atrolling3 and thinking about this.1

6-6 HA' only been gone a few minutes when Ho#e"s nerves took a shar# turn for the worse. 1:ee# u# that #a ing and you"re going to wear a hole in the floor$1 I said. .he ,um#ed$ as if sur#rised to hear a voi e. Her eyes were wide and blank. I #ushed to my feet. 1Ho#e4 Are you seeing41 A shar# shake of her head and her ga0e fo used. 1N&no. 9ust31 .he seemed to struggle for words$ then said abru#tly$ 1!hey should have alled by now.1 1Not unless they"re in trouble. Whatever 9eremy has in mind$ it"s going to take awhile. I know waiting is tough31 I let the senten e trail off as I reali0ed she was no longer listening. .he"d resumed her #a ing$ ga0e ,um#ing from the window to the bal ony door$ then ba k$ sear hing the gardens. Her fa e was taut$ but instead of looking #ale and drawn with worry$ her eyes glittered and olor s#lashed her heeks. A vein in her ne k throbbed. .he walked faster$ slowing to ga0e out the window$ then striding to the #atio doors$ slowing again to look out$ veering and striding ba k to the window. *ike a house at s#otting a bird ,ust outside the window$ its whole body 7uivering in anti i#ation$ unable to take its eyes off its #rey. *u ifer"s daughter. 1Ho#e41 .he wheeled$ li#s urling ba k at the interru#tion. !hen$ in a blink$ the look was gone. 1I ,ust3 I"m sorry$1 she said$ her eyes still darting toward the window$ as if she ouldn"t #ull her attention away. 1!here"s something out there.1 I walked to the window. .he rea hed out$ as if to yank me ba k$ then sto##ed herself and motioned for me to kee# my distan e. 19&,ust to be safe. .omething"s going on out there.1 1.omeone"s here41 A long #ause$ and I thought she was onsidering it. But her ga0e stayed fi(ed on the window$ straining to see. Not thinking of an answershe #robably hadn"t even heard the 7uestion. .omething in the garden. !he em#ty garden va ated by the o#s$ but still off&limits to anyone in the house. -oi e neutral$ I said$ 1'o you think we should investigate41

Another long #ause. I was about to re#eat myself when she strode to the door. 1I"ll go$1 she said. 1<ou stay here.1 1Hold1 I grabbed the door before she ould get it o#en. Her head swung my way$ eyes filled with a fury that made my stoma h go old. I stood my ground$ and again she blinked it ba k. 1.omething"s ha##ening$1 she said. 1I have to go.1 1We aren"t su##osed to leave the house.1 1I have to go.1 6a h word was i y with warning. A shudder$ then she looked at me. 1<ou"ll be fine. 9ust stay here. Whatever ha##ens$ stay here.1 .he tried yanking o#en the door$ but my foot a ted as a sto##er. 1What good will that do4 <ou have the gun.1 A flare of frustration$ ,aw setting$ then another hard blink. .he yanked the gun from her waistband and sla##ed it into my hands. 1!here. Now1 .he ,erked the door so hard I stumbled ba k. 1.tay here.1

6-6 WA. right. !his was a setu#. If Ho#e really was hasing some 1 haos event1 in the garden$ she wouldn"t leave her gun behind. But if it was a setu#$ why give her wea#on to me4 /aybe it wasn"t loaded. 5lever #loy. *et me think I was armed$ so I wouldn"t try to es a#e or fight when someone ame for me. I turned the gun over in my hands$ trying to figure whether there was any ammunition. It was an automati . /arksmanshi# was one of 9eremy"s hobbies$ mainly bows and rifles$ but he had a #air of revolvers and had shown me how to use them on e. Had this been a revolver$ I"d have been in lu k. As it was$ I had no lue. 6ven if I ould tell whether it had ammo$ the gun might be buggered u# so it wouldn"t fire. But why leave me in a house filled with #otential witnesses3 and se urity guards4 I"d offered to ome along. Why not ,ust say 1sure14 /aybe be ause that wasn"t /ay"s #lan and Ho#e didn"t dare mess with the #lan. But why not try to onvin e me to go with 9eremy in the first #la e4 I remembered when 9eremy first asked Ho#e to stay with me. .he"d wanted to argue. I re alled :arl$ arefully studying her rea tion. /aybe her e(#ression had suggested she was u# to

something$ and when she"d seen his sus#i ion$ she hadn"t dared argue. .o /ay had swit hed to a ba ku# #lanthis one. 'id that make sense4 'amn it= In my gut$ I didn"t believe Ho#e would turn on me. 6ven seeing that flare of anger in her eyes hadn"t hanged that. But I ouldn"t ignore the #ossibility. I needed to get out of this room.

I W6N! downstairs with every intention of hanging out with the guards. But then I started to wonder whether that was safe. We knew these #eo#le had magi $ in luding something like a binding s#ell. Would human se urity guards$ ignorant of the su#ernatural$ be able to #rote t me4 5ould they get killed trying4 6ven if sti king lose to big men with guns onvin ed the grou# to kee# its distan e$ it wouldn"t resolve the 7uestion of Ho#e"s allegian e. If she was on /ay"s side$ she"d ,ust try again$ another way$ and maybe that time I wouldn"t see through the #loy. !he only way to know was to follow her.

A. I sli##ed out the side door$ I eased the gun out and wra##ed my hand around the gri#$ finger on the trigger. It would hel# if I knew how to fire it. I told myself it didn"t matter. As 6ve would say$ bluffing is enough. A t as if you an shoot itand more im#ortant$will shoot itand that should give any would&be atta ker #ause. I slid through the shadows along the side of the house$ heading for the rear. Ahead$ a yellow ribbon of rime s ene ta#e waved in the bree0e$ broken from its moorings$ as if someone had walked right through it. Ho#e4 Breaking the ta#e hardly seemed wise but$ if not her$ then who4 *ast time I"d looked$ the offi ers guarding the gardens had retreated to their ruiser. I darted behind a hedge$ then stood on ti#toes to see over it. !here$ about a do0en feet ahead$ Ho#e walked into the garden with the slow$ deliberate #a e of a slee#walker. 1What the hell are you doing41 I almost fell ba kward. 6ve"s glare was murderous. 1I don"t know what you think you"re doing$ 9aime$ but you get your ass ba k in1

I ut her short with a whis#ered e(#lanation as I snu k around the hedge$ following Ho#e. 1I don"t are what your reason is. +et ba k in that goddamned house right now.1 1It"s not a setu#. *ook at her.1 I waved toward Ho#e as she banged her shin against a garden wall and ke#t walking$ oblivious. 1.he"s in some kind of tran e.1 1.he"s luring you in. /aking you urious. /aking you think it"s safe to follow.1 I ke#t moving. 1I"ve seen her when she gets a vision and that"s ,ust what she looks like.1 1And she an"t fake that4 'on"t be1 6ve bit off the rest with a li k of her teeth. !hen she strode in front of me. 1.to# and look around$ 9aime. Noti e anything about where you are4 And where you"re being led41 I glan ed over my shoulder at the hedge$ whi h wra##ed around the garden$ utting me off from the view of anyone ste##ing out the side or rear doors. !hen I turned to see Ho#e heading toward the most se luded orner of the yard. 1.he"s not following any " haos trail$" 1 6ve said. 1.he"s leading you to a s#ot where no one"s going to see what ha##ens ne(t.1 'amn. .he had a #oint. I glan ed ba k at the house. 1%inally$1 6ve breathed. 19aime41 Ho#e was walking ba k through the garden. 1What are you doing out here41 she asked$ blinking like a wakened slee#walker. 1'amn it$ 9aime$ ignore her1 1I was worried about you.1 I lifted the gun. 1<ou left this behind.1 .he frowned and looked down at her waistband$ as if trying to figure out how the gun got from there to my hand. 6ve shoved me toward the door$ but her hands #assed through. 1What ha##ened41 I said. 1I"m3 not sure. .omeone31 Ho#e shivered. 1I think someone was killed ba k there. 9ust now. I an still feel it.1

.he wra##ed her arms around herself$ shuddering$ but her e(#ression wasn"t one of fear or on ern. .he looked almost3 ra#turous. !he hairs on my ne k rose. 1'on"t listen to her bullshit$1 6ve said. 1.he"ll say anything to get you&1 I tuned her out. Ho#e glan ed over her shoulder$ toward that far orner. 1I think we should he k it out.1 Her voi e was high with barely ontained e( itement. 1'o you41 Her ga0e stayed riveted to that dee#est$ most remote$ shadow&enshrouded orner of the garden. /y fingers tightened around the gun. 6ve had gone silent now$ tense$ as if waiting to ,um# in$ as if shecould ,um# in. Ho#e motioned for me to follow$ took a ou#le of ste#s then$ seeing I hadn"t moved$ wheeled ba k. Her fingers gra0ed my arm. 6ve started a ast. A s#ell4 But it wouldn"t work in my dimension. Ho#e"s fingers wra##ed around my arm. I raised the gun. 6ve lifted her hands over her head$ something materiali0ing between them. I swung the gun. A ra k as it onne ted with Ho#e"s tem#le. Her eyes went wide. .he stood there$ staring at me in disbelief. !hen her knees gave way and she rum#led to the flagstone #ath. I dro##ed beside her$ my hands going to the side of her ne k. 1%orget her$1 6ve said. 1+et your ass ba k in that house before they reali0e you didn"t fall for the bait.1 Ho#e"s #ulse was strong. I #ushed to my feet. 1+ood$1 6ve said. 1Now grab the gun and$ ne(t time$ tryfiring it$ #resuming it still works.1 1It #robably didn"t work even before that. Why would Ho#e hand me a working firearm41 1+ood #oint. <ou did the right thing then$ braining her with it.1 1'on"t sound so sho ked.1 1And you"re even wearing sneakers. I"m doubly im#ressed.1 I grima ed and started for the house. 16ve41

:ristof"sdee# voi e sounded behind us. We turned as he strode around a garden bed. A brisk nod to me$ then his ga0e returned to 6ve. 1!here"s something I think you should1 He sto##ed as he walked through Ho#e"s still form. He frowned down at her. 1!he6s#is o half&demon$1 6ve said. 1Bit h tried to lure 9aime out here with some bullshit story about sensing a murder.1 1/ur41:ristof rubbed his hin. 1I$ uh$ think she might have been right. !here"s a body in the ba k orner$ and a very onfused s#irit hovering over it$ trying to figure out why she"s notinside that body.1 I turned toward the ba k orner$ but 6ve ,um#ed in front of me. 12h&uh. 6ven if Ho#e wasn"t lying$ that doesn"t mean it isn"t a setu#. <ou"re getting ba k in that house right now.1 I ste##ed behind Ho#e and grabbed her under the arm#its. 1What #art of "right now" don"t you understand4 !here"s a body in the ba k orner. !hat means there"s a killer in this garden.1 1!hen I"m not leaving Ho#e out here$ am I41 I glared u# at 6ve. 1Not when she didn"t betray me.1 1We don"t know that. Now #ut her down.1 1.he"s #robably a hundred #ounds$ if that$1 I said through gritted teeth as I heaved her u#. 1And you"re a hundred and twenty$ if that. Now #ut herdown 1 16ve"s right$1:ristof said. 1I"ll wat h over her. <ou get ba k in the house1 19aime41 A small woman with long blond hair staggered from behind the hedge. %or a moment$ I thought it was +abrielle *angdon. !hen she looked u#. 1Angeli7ue41 I said. 1<ouyou an hear me41 .he lur hed toward me$ but stumbled.:ristof aught her. As his hand made onta t$ breaking her fall$ my gut sank. .he looked u# at him as he righted her. 1<ou an see me. <ou an tou h me.1 :ristof"sfa e stayed neutral as he nodded.

1Oh$ thank +od$1 she said$ the words tumbling out on a dee# sigh. 1I thought I was1 .he shuddered and didn"t finish. I ste##ed loser to Angeli7ue$ areful to kee# out of tou hing range. 1What ha##ened$hon 41 19aime41 6ve"s voi e was brisk but gentle. 1+et inside. We"ll handle this.1 1Angeli7ue41 I said. 1II knew you and +rady were u# to something finding that body$ and you ke#t me out of it be ause I"m the new kid.1 1We never1 19aime$ in the house. Now.1 1I understand$1 Angeli7ue said. 1I #robably would have done the same thing. But I wanted to know what you were doing. Not to mess things u#$ but ,ust to #rove I ould hel#.1 Oh$ +od. .he went on. 1!hat woman ame ba k. !he one who was here this morning looking for you. %rom the #aranormal so iety. !he guards said you"d left with your boyfriend. .o I followed her out and told her to meet me in the garden.1 6ve motioned for me to sto# listening. 1.he was there$1 Angeli7ue said. 1I told her I was working with you. !hat I knew all about the bodies and the murders. .he lifted a gun. I saw it$ but I ouldn"t believe it$ so I ,ust stood there and she fired and1 Her fingers flew to her breast$ sear hing for a hole that wasn"t there. 1It was s#e ial effe ts$ wasn"t it4 !he bullet and the blood and mymy body$ lying there31 I ste##ed toward her to say !o say what4 !he same thing I"d been telling her all along4 on't worry. hon( hea%e e%erything to +e( I'll fi/ it . I ouldn"t fi( this. Angeli7ue rea hed for me. Her fingers #assed through my arm and she gas#ed.:ristof #ulled her ba k. 19aime$1 6ve said. 1In the housenow't7

.omething sma ked into the side of my head. As I tottered$ I stared at 6ve$ as if she"d somehow rea hed through the dimensions and sla##ed me. I swayed$ my legs suddenly too weak to hold me u#. 6ve"s mouth o#ened$ alarm in her eyes.:ristof #ointed at something behind a row of bushes. A shout. !he se ond blow kno ked me out.

THE KILLING ROOM

I WO:6 *<IN+ ON A 5O*'$ ./OO!H %*OO). I o#ened my eyes$ but the world stayed dark. !o my left$ someone was breathing dee#ly. A voi e ame from above the breathing. A male voi e$ young and an(ious. 15ome on$1 he said. 1Wake u#. <ou need to wake u#.1 A se ond voi e$ older$ weary. 1.he an"t hear you.1 1How do you know4 ;eo#le see ghosts all the time. /aybe if you"d hel# me31 +hosts3 4 I thought of Angeli7ue and my gut twisted. I"d genuinely wanted to hel# her$ but when hel#ing her interfered with my own agenda$ I"d brushed her off and #romised myself I"d look after her later. Well$ there was no later now. Not for Angeli7ue. 1I think she"s waking u#$1 the younger voi e said. 1It"s #robably better for her if she doesn"t.1 I blinked and lifted my head. High above me a tiny greenish light$ like a smoke dete tor$ was the only sour e of illumination. I blinked hard. After a moment$ I ould make out figures. One on the floor$ long dark urls #ooling around her. Ho#e. !hat was the breathing I heard. I let out a soft sigh. 2n ons ious$ but alive. !hank +od. A young man hovered over her. No more than a teenager from what little I ould see in the darkness. ;ale hair. Wiry. .mall for his age. He looked more like a hologram than a ghost> I ould see Ho#e through him. Another ghost stood at his side$ this one o#a7ue$ like most s#irits. /iddle aged and stout$ his arms rossed$ he wat hed the boy try to wake Ho#e.

1.he an"t hear you.1 /y voi e was breathy and weak$ as if I"d strained my vo al ords. Both men turned to stare at me. 1.he an"t hear you$1 I said. 1But I an.1 !he boy sma ked the man on the arm and grinned. 1.ee4 !old you.1 He turned to me$ grin fading fast. 1<ou need to get out of here.1 1Where am41 I swallowed the rest. /y throat was dry$ eyes burning$ brain fu00y$ but slowly it ame ba k. .omeone had kno ked me out with a s#ell. :idna##ed. Again. If I had the energy$ I might have laughed. I struggled to my feet. 1!hat"s it$1 the young man said en ouragingly. 1Now$ find a way out1 1!here is no way out$1 the older man said. !he boy turned on him. 1And how do you know4 Obviously we didn"t find it or we wouldn"t be here. But no one was here to warn us.1 He glan ed at me. 1Okay$ now the door is to your right$ about three ste#s1 1And you think they left it o#en for her41 I let the boy guide me to the door. I found the edge of it and ran my hands down either side$ feeling nothing but smooth metal. 1Where"s the handle41 I asked. 1;roblem number one$1 the man said. I turned to the boy. 1Is there another door4 A window4 A vent41 1It"s an eight&by&eight on rete bo($1 the man intoned$ like a ontra tor re iting dimensions. 1.ound#roofed walls. One way in and outa si(&in h&thi k steel door. Oh$ and the drain. But unless you an transform yourself into a mouse$ you aren"t fitting down that.1 1Andyou aren"t hel#ing$1 the boy sna##ed. 1Ignore him$1 I said. I #eered around$ and ould now make out the walls. .olid walls. As mu h as I"d love to free myself from this mess$ there was a #oint at whi h I had to all for

hel#and being lo ked in a on rete bo( 7ualified. 1/aybe I an"t get out$1 I said. 1But I know someone who an get in.1 Not being able to a t in the living world$ 6ve ouldn"t get me out of here herself$ but she ould always be ounted on to ome u# with a #lan. And she"d be able to stand guard and s out the house for es a#e routes. When I"d been kidna##ed$ she would have tried to follow$ so she #robably wouldn"t be far. I rea hed into my #ant #o kets and breathed in relief as my fingers losed around the silver ring nestled at the bottom. If they"d #atted me down for wea#ons$ they"d #robably ignored that. *ittle did they know3 I smiled$ las#ed the ring and alled for 6ve. 1It"s not going to work$1 the man said. 1.hut the fu k1 the boy began$ then looked shee#ishly at me. 1.orry$ ma"am.1 I motioned for a moment of silen e while I summoned 6ve again. !hen I almly returned the ring to my #o ket. 1It might take her a minute to get here$1 I said. 1If she an.1 !he man lifted his hands as the boy turned on him. 1I"m ,ust saying31 He glan ed at me. 1What is this friend of yours4 A ghost$ right41 1Among other things.1 1Well$ there"s a reason we"re hanging out in this bo(3 and it"s not for the s enery.1 1We"re tra##ed$1 the boy said. 1It"s like we aren"t1 He disa##eared. A moment later he returned$ still talking. .eeing my e(#ression$ he said$ 1I faded out$ didn"t I4 It ha##ens. It ,ust started ha##ening awhile ago. 9ust now and then at first$ then more and more.1 %ading. *ike the hildren. 1Anyway$ as I was saying$ it"s like we aren"t really ghosts. I mean$ we are be ause I #ass through you.1 He demonstrated by walking through Ho#e"s still&slee#ing form. 1But the walls are real$ even for us. !hat doesn"t mean a ghost an"t getin $ though.1 !he man rolled his eyes at this youthful o#timism. I took out the ring to summon 6ve again. As I #ulled it out$ my fingers brushed a folded #ie e of #a#er. 9eremy"s #rote tion ward. I tou hed it$

and let out a dee# breath. 16ven if my friend an"t get here$ I know someone who will.1 1If he tries to break you out$ he"ll end u# in here with us.1 1!hat"s fine. No metal door an holdhi+ in a room.1 I walked the #erimeter$ feeling the walls$ then sear hing the enter. It was small$ as the man said. A on rete bo( with a drain in the middle of the floor. 1I thought you said hel# was oming$1 the man said$ voi e dri##ing sar asm. I knelt$ s7uee0ed my fingers into the drain grid and tugged. Bolted down. /aybe$ with enough #ulling$ I ould get it off$ but the man was rightunless I ould turn into a mouse$ it wasn"t going to hel#. 1What"s this for anyway41 I said$ down on all fours$ #eering into the dark drain. .ilen e. I glan ed ba k at the ghosts. !he boy shifting under my ga0e. 6ven the man looked away. 1!here"s no ta# in here. .o what would they need to drain away41 1Blood$1 the man said after a minute. 1!hat"s what this #la e is. A killing room.1

1HO;641 I shook her shoulder harder. 1Ho#e4 5ome on. Wake u#=1 I"d been trying to rouse her for at least five minutes. %ive long and #re ious minutes. !wi e she"d stirred$ only to fall ba k aslee# without o#ening her eyes. Had they drugged her4 Or had I hit her harder than I thought4 !here"d been no sign of 6ve. Whatever magi these #eo#le had used to kee# ghosts in here was either kee#ing her out or #reventing her from hearing my all. As for 9eremy$ I ouldn"t wait for res ue. Not this time. 1Ho#e. Ho#e=1 .he mumbled something$ her eyes still losed. I drew ba k my hand and sla##ed her. .he started awake$ eyes wide and unseeing$ ki king and flailing. 1Ho#e= .to#1 Her foot onne ted with my shin.

1Ow. It"s me. It"s1 %ingernails raked a ross my heek$ oming dangerously lose to my eye. I grabbed her by the wrists$ #inned them at her sides and leaned over her. 1Ho#e$ it"s me$ 9aime. I know it"s dark and you an"t see anything$ but we"re in trouble and I need you to listen.1

I !O*' her what had ha##ened. As I s#oke$ she ,ust lay there$ not rea ting. I e(#lained why I"d hit her with the gun. I told her about our solid on rete ell. I even #ointed out the drain$ its #ur#ose and what that #robably said about why we were in here. .he sat through it all$ unflin hing. At first$ I halked it u# to steady nerves. Or maybe sho k. But then I reali0ed she hardly seemed to be listening. .he ould hear meI made sure of that several times. But her ga0e ke#t sliding around the room$ as if I was hatting about something as in onse7uential as dinner #lans. .he seemed do#ey too$ unable or unwilling to sit u#. When I asked how she was$ she motioned for me to kee# talking. Her ga0e darted about the room$ like me in a room of ghosts$ my attention #ulled every whi h way. I reali0ed then what was distra ting her8 visions of murder$ of human sa rifi e. I had to get her out of here. 6asier to say3 1.o we"re tra##ed in this room$1 I said. 12nless you"ve got some se ret #ower I don"t know about$ something that will kno k down walls31 .he blinked$ fo using on me$ then shook her head. I turned to the ghosts. !he boy had faded again. I waited for him to return. 1<ou two were killed in here$ weren"t you4 By these #eo#le41 !he boy nodded. 1!hey talked about there being others before me. :ids$ I think. But they aren"t here. It was ,ust me until /urray ame along.1 .o why weren"t the hildren here4 !here was no sense asking him$ so I ,ust said$ 1And your name is41 1Brendan.1

1+ood. Okay$ Brendan$ tell me everything you know about these #eo#le.1

NO)/A**<$ A ghost doesn"t remember the ir umstan es surrounding his death unless you inter e#t him before he gets to the afterlife realms. But these ghosts had never rossed over$ so they hadn"t been granted#ostdeath amnesia$ and they remembered everything. I relayed Brendan"s e(#erien e to Ho#e$ #artly in ho#es that she"d at h some lue I missed$ but mostly ,ust to distra t her from the visions. I #lu ked every #otentially useful tidbit from his story. We were in a basement. !here was a !room nearby$ #lus a small bedroom. !he house was in Brentwood$ #robably lose enough to where I"d been staying for the grou# to trans#ort the bodies. %rom Brendan"s a ount$ there were at least five members. /ay was one of the leaders$ working losely with a middle&aged man. !hey"d introdu ed themselves as a ou#le$ but that was #robably a front. None of Brendan"s des ri#tions mat hed )ona +rant or Ba k %lynn$ but that didn"t mean anything. /ay had said there were more members of the6hri h Weiss .o iety$ so we ,ust hadn"t seen any overla# e( e#t for her. As for getting some idea of what they were a#able of$ the only s#ell Brendan had seen them ast was the weakening one. When he finished$ I turned to the older man/urray. 1.o you were killed after Brendan41 He nodded$ his head down. A hell of a thing to #ut someone through$ but I had to do it$ so I #ushed on. 1How were you a##roa hed41 He hesitated. 1II don"t remember. It"s all very foggy. I was at work and then3 !hat"s all I remember from that day. I woke u# here$ like Brendan.1 He shot a furtive glan e at the boy$ as if worrying about what effe t his death had on him$ but Brendan said$ 1I didn"t see it. I was bla ked out. It ha##ens a lot when they"re doing magi in here.1 I relayed that to Ho#e. 'uring Brendan"s a ount$ she"d barely seemed to be listening$ but now she went still$ as if struggling to #ay attention. 1.o he was sa rifi ed41 she said. 1*ike the boy41 1)ight.1 I gave her a 7ui k re a# of Brendan"s story. .he looked onfused$ but waved for me to ontinue

7uestioning /urray. .he listened as I relayed the story of his death$ his tale almost identi al to Brendan"s$ offering no new insight. As he finished$ Ho#e moaned and began writhing on the floor. I knelt beside her. Her fa e was ashen$ eyes rolling ba k. 1!heythey must have done something to me$1 she whis#ered. 1II feel si k. .omething31 Her voi e dro##ed and I had to lean loser. 1He"s lying$1 she whis#ered. 1Wha41 1.hhh. !he older one. /urray. He"s lying.1 Her voi e was so low I struggled to make out the words. 1He wasn"t burned. !hey stabbed him in the ba k. He was one of them. !hey turned on him.1 .he swallowed. 1I"m sorry I"m not mu h hel#. I"m3 having a hard time.1 I s7uee0ed her shoulder. 1<ou fo us on blo king the visions and I"ll get us out of here.1 Her ga0e di##ed$ heeks flushing. I ouldn"t imagine what it was like for her. .eeing ghosts in their death bodies was nothing om#ared to seeing them in their death throes. I"d never om#lain about seeing a death body again. 'eath body3 I turned to /urray. 1I know something that might tell me more about the magi these #eo#le have. As ghosts$ you an revert to what we all your death body$ how you looked at the moment you #assed. If you an do that for me$ maybe I an take a loser look for signs of magi .1 1I don"t know how$1 /urray said 7ui kly. 1I"ll tell you.1 1.ure$1 Brendan said. 1Whatever hel#s.1 1I don"t see how it will.1 /urray rossed his arms. 1!hey used gasoline and mat hes to kill us$ not magi .1 1Humor me.1

He shook his head. 1Why4 It"s not as if you"re lying$ right41 His e(#ression hased away any doubt. 1Wha41 Brendan began. I shot him a look and he went silent. 1Are you ever #lanning to get out of here$ /urray41 1Of ourse.1 1.o then what4 <ou walt0 u# to the higher #owers$ say "/y name"s /urray and I was a human sa rifi e" and e(#e t them to take your word for it4 <ou"ve got some serious bad karma to undo$ and not a lot of time left to undo it. I"d suggest you start now.1 His eyes said he wasn"t onvin ed. I imagined 6ve at my shoulder.Bluff. da+n it( ,e's hu+an( 'hat the hell does he &now about our world1 Bury the bastard in bullshit . 1'o you know what I am4 A ne roman er. <ou an see a glow around me$ one you won"t see on regular #eo#le like her.1 I waved at Ho#e. 1/y ,ob is to a t as a mediator between this world and the ne(t$ and to do that$ I have a #artner on the other side. !hat woman I was summoning4 I alled her a ghost3 among other things. .he"s not ,ust any ghost. .he"s a dire t link to the higher #owers. 6very ne roman er is assigned one.1 15ool$1 Brendan said. 1*ike a guardian angel.1 I imagined what 6ve would say about being alled an angel$ but ke#t a straight fa e as I nodded. 1.omething like that. One of a ne roman er"s ,obs is to ease the #assing of s#irits. 1When we es a#e here$ I"ll turn you over to her and she"ll take you to the higher #owers who will de ide where you belong. When she hands you over$ she"ll make her re#ort. What you do in the remaining time you have on this side will have a big im#a t on that re#ort.1 Ho#e"s strained voi e floated over. 1And if 9aime doesn"t get out of here alive$ then she an"t hel# you ross over$ meaning you"ll be at the whim of the first ne roman er you meet whenif you es a#e.1 1But I don"t know what I an do$1 /urray said. 1I an"t get you out of here1 1<ou an hel# by telling me about them. !he grou# you were a #art of before they killed you.1

Brendan turned on /urray. 1What41 1<es$ he was #art of that grou#$ but he hanged his mind after hearing what they did to you. He wanted to turn them in. !hat"s why they killed him.1 /urraynodded em#hati ally. I doubted that was how it ha##ened$ but Brendan was mollified enough to rela(. 1Now$1 I ontinued$ 1tell me everything.1

THE #EMON %ITHIN

!H6 +)O2; HA' B66N .!A)!6' almost fifteen years ago by /ay 'onovan and another man$ 'on )i e. 'on was also in the6hri h Weiss .o iety$ but otherwise the grou#s were se#arate$ on /ay"s advi e. As we"d sus#e ted$ she and 'on had used the so iety to resear h new o ult grou#s and to tra k rumors of their own. 1And Ba k %lynn41 I asked. 1Who41 1A re#orter for the"(2( Ti+es . He"s #art of the6hri h Weiss .o iety.1 1I think /ay"s mentioned him. 9ust a kid$ right41 A moue of distaste. 1We don"t allow young #eo#le in our grou#. We"re serious #ra titioners.1 Had 9eremy and :arl reali0ed their mistake$ left Ba k and gone ba k toBrentwood 4 Or had they teamed u# with Ba k and used his onne tion to /ay to infiltrate her 1real1 grou#4 Ho#e"s fa e was red and beaded with sweat as she was swe#t into another vision. !hat ,olted worries of 9eremy aside. He ould take are of himself. I ontinued grilling /urray. !hree years ago$ after over a de ade of trying$ the grou# had found the so& alled 1key1 to unlo king the mysteries of the magi al world. Human sa rifi e. Or not so mu h the a t itself as the by&#rodu ts. !hey remated the vi tims" organs and used the ashes ins#ell asting .

!he ritual they"d used must have bound the s#irits to the earth so the magi ould draw on their energy$ draining them as their ashes were used. !hat"s why Brendan was fading. He was disa##earing as his energy was onsumed ins#ell asting . 6ven with that ingredient$ their su ess had been limited to a few s#ells in a sele t number of bookssim#le magi from realgri+oires $ I"d #resume. !he s#ell they"d used to kno k me out was a fairly re ent addition$ and the strongest thing they had. When I asked about the hildren$ he said that over three years$ they"d killed si( hildren and buried them in the garden down the road. 1But their s#irits aren"t here$1 I said. 1Were they killed here4 In this room41 1.ome. But that was before /ay #erformed the en ir ling ritual.1 16n ir ling ritual41 1!o #rote t this room from31 he fluttered his hands$ 1evil s#irits. Nosy neighbors. Who knows4 /ay was getting #aranoid. :e#t worrying that we"d on,ure u# some demon or ta# into something ugly.1 1'id something like that ever ha##en41 1Not to us.1 1But to /ay41 He glan ed around$ then lowered his voi e$ as if he ould be overheard. 1/ay is different. !he magi always works better for her. 5omes easier to her. .ome of us an barely ast the sim#lest s#ells. /ay"s always first and best. It makes some of us wonder31 He shrugged. 1!here"d been grumbling. About what else /ay might be able to do. What she might be hiding from us.1 1Whi h would e(#lain the "en ir ling" ritual. If she did something that s#ooked her. .o #resumably$ this ritual is what kee#s you two in.1 I had a good idea why /ay was the strongest. !a##ing into real su#ernatural blood. As for what kind3 1!hese rumors$1 I said. 1About /ay 'onovan1 1!hey"re oming.1 !he ras#y voi e made the hairs on my ne k rise. It ame from Ho#e"s dire tion$ but didn"t sound like her.

When I looked over$ she"d twisted onto her side$ her hair tumbling over her fa e. In the dim lighting$ her e(#ression seemed to be fear$ but as I bent to reassure her$ I saw she was smiling. Her amber eyes glittered. Her li#s were drawn ba k$ white teeth glowing in the darkness. 1Ho#e41 .he blinked and that smile wavered$ but returned$ less feral$ more3 blissful$ eyes rolling ba k. Her li#s #arted and she let out a hissing sigh of #leasure. !he sound raked down my s#ine. I re ogni0ed that look$ that sigh. When I"d made my deal with a demon$ he"d taken human form for the summoning. As I"d s7uirmed$ listening to the killer des ribe his rimes$ I"d seen that same look on the demon"s fa e as he drank in the haos. But half&demons weren"tdeinoni . *ike every other su#ernatural$ evil was a hoi e$ not a blood destiny. I remembered Ho#e"s words8 1Other half&demons get a s#e ial #ower without a demon"s attra tion to haos. !hat attra tion isall I get$1 and I understood. All those times she"d looked away$ guilty$ embarrassed$ when I"d offered sym#athy for the horrors she had to endure. Horror$ yes. Horrible4 Horrifying4 Not for her. Now$ hearing our would&be murderers a##roa hing$ she felt not fear but I turned away from Ho#e. I had to think3 19aime41 I steeled myself not to look at her. I remembered the demon I"d dealt with$ how sedu tive he"d been$ how easy to trust3 and how mu h I"d #aid for it. 19aime41 Her voi e 7uavered$ but that hoarse bloodlust was gone. 1Hel# me. ;lease.1 .till I resisted. But did en,oying haos make Ho#e demoni 4 .he had hel#ed us find this grou#. Never on e had she led us into trouble$ double& rossed us or done anything tocause haos. .he"d honestly seemed to want to hel#to find some balan e for the im#ulses she hid. I turned. We"d been in this room long enough that my eyes had ad,usted to the darkness and I ould make out Ho#e"s fa e$ sli k with sweat$ her eyes still glowing$ but filled with fear$ even des#air. 1!hey"re outside$1 she said. 1!alking. I an hear their thoughts. !his #la eall the haosit must be boosting my #ower. I"m getting all these thoughts$ every bad things1 .he inhaled. 1/ay"s the key. !ri king them. *ying to them. <ou an use that.1 1How41 %rustration flared in her eyes. 19ust3 use it. .omehow. Not mu h time.1

I leaned in to listen. .he talked fast$ throwing out sni##ets of information about /ay and the others. )andom thoughts$ out of onte(t$ left to me to inter#ret. !hen she gas#ed. 1!hey"re getting ready. +as. /at hes.1 Her fa e ontorted$ e( itement warring with true fear. .he grabbed my arm. 1:no k me out again$1 she ras#ed. I took her other arm and drew loser. 1!hey won"t hurt you. I"m going to get you out of here.1 1<ou don"t1 .he bit off a snarl and took a dee# breath. 1<ou need to kno k me out.1 1I really need you awake$ Ho#e. I might need your hel#1 1!o kill you41 Her ga0e met mine$ hard and shar#. 1If they want to kill you$ I might not try to sto# them. I might even hel# them.1 I didn"t believe that$ but I ould see that she did. 1+rab my hair and hit my head against the floor.1 1What if I a identally1 .he flew at me. .eeing that snarling fa e$ those glowing demoni eyes$ I rea ted instin tively and flung my arms out$ kno king her ba k. As I hit her$ she veered$ as if laun hing off my hands$ twisting to fly$ headfirst$ into the nearest wall. .he hit it and slum#ed to the floor.

#EMONS AN# %ERE%OLVES

I )2.H6' O-6) and dro##ed to he k Ho#e"s #ulse. !here was a muted ,angle at the door$ as if someone was turning a lo k. I s#rang to my feet. *ight filled the tiny room. I stumbled ba k$ blinking after straining so long in the dark. !hen I followed the light u# and saw a #anel inset in the high eiling.

)inged around the room was a high shelf dotted with what looked like stuffed animals. !he ta(idermy ty#es$ not the toys. !hat aught me off guard and I stared at a row for a moment before yanking my ga0e away. Another li k. !he door was o#ening. I looked around franti ally$ ho#ing I"d see some wea#on missed in the darkness. !here was nothing. .hoes= /y heels. I ould use them as I"d #lanned to withBotni k $ to stab or I stared down at my sneakers. Oh$ goddamn it= 1Hello$ 9aime.1 /ay 'onovan walked in$ dressed in a bla0er and skirt$ as almly #rofessional as if we were meeting in her offi e. 6ven smiled and e(tended her hand. 1I trust I won"t need to use that s#ell again$1 she said$ sto##ing before me. 1<ou"re a bright woman. <ou know when you"re outnumbered.1 Her ga0e dro##ed to Ho#e. 1.till un ons ious4 I su##ose that"s ,ust as well.1 A li k as the door losed. I looked #ast /ay and saw four others rowding into the tiny room. !hree men$ one woman$ all on the far side of forty. At a gesture from /ay$ two of the men walked to Ho#e and arried her into the middle of the room. .omething was et hed into the on retea symbol they"d found in a book$ #resumably. As the men laid Ho#e on it$ her hand flo##ed onto the stainless steel drain$ s#arkling and s#otless$ no sign of its #ur#ose evident. Of ourse there wasn"tthe #oint of having a on rete room with a drain was to wash away all the eviden e. I swallowed. One of the men retrieved the gas an he"d left by the door and set it down on a lo k of Ho#e"s hair. !he other woman held the mat hes$ fli##ing them in her fingers$ not nervous$ ,ust toying with them. I glan ed at their fa es$ rela(ed$ unworried and unhurried$ as if they were #re#aring the room for yet another dull but ne essary business meeting. I o#ened my mouth to stall them$ but my mind and ga0e stayed aught on Ho#e$ on that gas an arelessly laid on her hair$ on her gra eful fingers and hewed nails stret hed over that imma ulate drain. 1<ou really an talk to the dead$ an"t you$ 9aime41 I ,um#ed$ startled$ and looked at /ay. Her fa e was im#assive$ but her eyes were fever&bright. !he eyes of a fanati s#otting #roof of the divine. !he other woman harrum#hed. 1.he"s a good a tress$ that"s all. 9ust like the rest of them.1

1I don"t think so. .omeoneor somethingled her to those bodies.1 In her voi e was the longing I"d heard so often from the bereaved$ those des#erate to believe. In /ay$ it was magnified a hundredfold. 1I an$1 I said. 1I see them$ hear them$ s#eak to them.1 1/ay$ don"t let her1 1<ou don"t believe me4 !here"s a ghost right ne(t to you. A seventeen&year&old named Brendan$ though you may not have bothered asking his name before youdownsed him with gas and set him on fire. /ay$ you #i ked him u# at1 I glan ed at Brendan$ who told me the #la e and I relayed it. 1<ou tri ked him into your ar$ you and 'on1 Another look at Brendan$ who #ointed to a tall balding man with a left hin. I nodded to him. 1Over there.1 6(#ressions ranged from /ay"s e(ultation to in redulity to grudging a e#tan e. /ay smiled. 1<ou and I have a lot to talk about$ 9aime.1 In other words$ I"d ,ust bought myself a tem#orary #ass. I tried not to let my relief show. 1%irst$ though31 /ay ontinued. .he waved to 'on$ who held the gas. He un a##ed it and ste##ed over Ho#e"s body. 1No=1 I lea#t forward$ but /ay grabbed my arm. 1;lease don"t make us restrain you$ 9aime. <ou know we an"t let her live. .he knows1 1But she"s one of us. /agi al.1 /ay shook her head. 1'on"t1 1.he"s a half&demon. !hat"s what we all them. 'emons take human form and im#regnate women. !he hildren look human$ but they have s#e ial #owers. !he ability to ontrol an element or im#roved senses or1 1!he D&/en.1 !he other woman rolled her eyes. 1I may be a bit old for that sort of thing$ but I have teenage boys$ /iss -egas. !ry something a little more original #lease.1 1It"s not ,ust elements and senses. *ike Ho#e. .he an #i k u# haos$ senses it and sees1 /ay ut me off with a look. 1.o you"re telling me that sweet Ho#e Adams is really3 a haos

demon41 1Half&demon.1 1And your om#anion the other day4 !he one 6ri Botni k swore had su#erhuman strength4 I su##ose he"s one of these half&demons.1 1No. Werewolf.1 /ay ast a look at the grou#. I ouldn"t see it$ but everyone laughed. !hen she turned ba k to me$ her hand still on my arm$ s7uee0ing gently. 1I understand why you"re doing this$ 9aime. <ou want to #rote t your friends. But1 !he s7uee0e tightened. 1;lease don"t insult our intelligen e.1 I o#ened my mouth to #rotest$ but know I"d over#layed my hand3 and I hadn"t even been bluffing. A smell filled the air. !he slosh of li7uid hitting on rete. I turned to see 'on tri kling gas over Ho#e. I wren hed from /ay"s gras#. /ay lifted a handful of gray #owder and started to ast. I sto##ed. 1I"m sorry. I ,ust I ,ust want to talk.1 1!ell more tales of demons and werewolves41 the other woman s offed. 1Why not4 5ouldn"t there be41 A 7ui k look around told me I was losing my audien e. I glan ed down at Ho#e$ her small form$ her faded ,eans fre kled with s#lashed gasoline$ more dri##ing from her fingers$ into the drain3 1Why kill her like that4 It"s a horrible way to die.1 1!he suffering enhan es the #oten y$1 /ay said$ voi e as ool as her eyes. 1No$ it doesn"t.1 Her fa e hardened$ but she hid it behind a ondes ending smile. 1<ou may be able to talk to ghosts$ but that doesn"t make you an e(#ert on magi .1 1/aybe$ but I know #eo#le who an ast s#ells that make yours look like #arlor tri ks. 6ven for the rituals that need human sa rifi e$ it doesn"t matter how you kill the #erson. It"s thefact of death that ounts.1 I ould see this wasn"t getting me anywhere. 1Never mind. I know you don"t believe me about

Ho#e$ but if you gave her time to wake u#$ she ould demonstrate1 1Not interested$1 said the other woman!ina$ as /urray alled her. /ay shot !ina a look. !hen she swung that look around the grou#. 9udging their willingness to let Ho#e live a little longer$ ,ust to be sure there wasn"t some truth to my #re#osterous tale. But their fa es were hard. If she made the wrong de ision$ they"d see it as weaknessher hunger for magi overriding ommon sense. An una e#table flaw to this bun h. 1No$ 9aime$1 she said finally. 1I know she"s your friend1 1.he is. And if you kill my friend in front of me$ e(a tly how will&ingdo you think I"ll be to tea h you what I know4 .how you how to onta t the dead41 1'on"t threaten1 1!ie her u# and #ut her outside this room$ as a show of faith. !hen$ in a return show of faith$ I"ll show you how to ommuni ate with Brendan"s ghost. When we"re done$ Ho#e will be awake. .he"ll show you her #owers and$ if she doesn"t$ you an31 I swallowed for dramati effe t$ 1finish with her.1 Another look around the gathered fa es. !ina"s e(#ression stayed resolutega0e fi(ed on Ho#e as she toyed with the mat hes. 1'on41 /ay said. 1It sounds reasonable.1 !he other men agreed. At a motion from /ay$ they bound Ho#e"s hands and feet$ gagged her and arried her into the room beyond.

MIRAC LO S

WH6N !H6 /6N )6!2)N6' a few minutes later$ they losed the door all but a ra k #resumably leaving it o#en so they ould hear if Ho#e woke u#. ;hase one a om#lished. Onto #hase two.

1What you were saying earlier$1 I began$ 1about needing to kill them horribly. !hat really isn"t ne essary. But I su##ose sli##ing a lethal drug in someone"s drink wouldn"t have the same effe t for the grou#$ would it41 1What 41 /ay began. 1<ou"re all in this together$ right4 <ou wat h them die. <ou ea h #lay your #art. .hare the murder$ share the horror and the guilt. A bond that"s #robably very hard to break. /ust have made it really tough to onvin e them that/urray broke it$ huh41 /ay"s ga0e swung to mine. 1<ou remember/urray $ don"t you41 I ontinued. 1He"s right here.1 I des ribed /urray. .everal of the grou# members #aled$ but /ay"s fa e remained im#assive. 1<ou don"t believe me41 I said. 1Ask him something. He an hear you.1 1)emind her of the time1 /urray began. 1If /urray says I tri ked the others into killing him$ he"s lying.1 .he turned to 'on. 1<ou found that1 1)ealtor"s ard$1 I ut in. 15ard41 /urray s#uttered. 1What ard41 1Or so you told the grou#$ 'on$1 I said. 1But there wasn"t one$ was there4 It was /ay"s idea. .he onvin ed you that /urray really was #lanning to leave the grou#$ but that you needed some solid eviden e to onvi t him.1 'on"s e(#ression answered. 1!hey lied41 /urray said. 1I was killed for a lie41 He ontinued raging$ but I fo used on 'on. 1/ay lied to you too. .he wasn"t onvin ed /urray was leaving. .he thought he might$ but it was only thata #ossibility. What she saw$ though$ was the o##ortunity to ement your allegian e by making you an a om#li e in /urray"s murder. And$ in killing /urray$ she"d #rove to the grou# that the #a t was more than idle words. If they didn"t believe the grou# would kill them$ now they knew better.1 1.he"ll say anything to save her friend$1 /ay said. .he lifted her hand to blow the ash at me. 'on aught her wrist.

1'on"t bother$1 I said. 1<ou don"t need that to ast magi . Or$ should I say$$ay doesn"t. Not that she was going to tell you that anytime soon. Better to kee# you working for her$ digging for better magi $ killing for the grou#31 !hey had all turned toward /ay. I sear hed for something else to say$ to give that e(tra shove$ then re onsidered before I over#layed my hand again. .o I waited as they moved toward /ay$ blo king her in$ 7uestions rising$ shar# with a usation. !hen I began in hing toward the door. +et out and lo k it behind me. One more ste# 1Where do you think you"re going41 !ina swung into my #ath. I threw myself at her$ fingers hooked$ aiming for her eyes$ but she moved at the last se ond and my nails s rat hed her heek instead. .he howled and doubled over. /y knee flew u#$ aiming for her stoma h Hands grabbed me and yanked me ba k. I twisted and struggled$ but 'on held me by the shoulders. He ki ked my feet out from under me. As I fell$ I saw /ay$ #inned by the other men. 1*ooks like we"ll have a tri#le dose of new material$1 !ina said$ wi#ing blood from her fa e as she bent over me. 1<our #arlor tri ks don"t interest me$ 9aime -egas. But if you and that girl are what you laim to be$ that will add an e(tra boost to your remains$ won"t it4 !ruly magi al ash.1 I twisted in 'on"s gri#$ but he held me tight. Behind me$ the men were taking turns asting the weakening s#ell on /ay. After the third$ she slum#ed to the floor. And there$ with her$ went my han e to es a#e. I"d turned them against the only #erson in this room who valued my #owers. !he only one willing to let me live. I looked about wildly$ sear hing the room. /y ga0e went u# to the light. If I had a s#ell$ I ould break it$ #lunge us into darkness and es a#e. If I was a werewolf$ I ould fight my way out. If I"d worn the damned heels$ I ould at least stab 'on in the knees. If wishes were horses3 'amn it$ 9aime. %o us on what youdo have$ on what youcan do= I look a ross the room to see Brendan and /urray fro0en in hel#less horror$ wat hing as 'on #inned me to the floor and gave orders to the others to douse /ay with gasoline. 1Brendan= /urray=1 I shouted. 1!he door=1 'on frowned at me. /urray"s look said he didn"t understand my #lea any better than 'on. 1But the s#ell. We an"t get out.1

Brendan was already ra ing a ross the room. When he rea hed the door$ he sto##ed short$ as if hitting a #hysi al barrier. !hen he #oked his fingers into the in h&wide ga#. !hey #assed through. He grinned. 1+ood$1 I said. 1+et out there and look for a ghost. A woman. /y age. *ong dark hair. Her name"s 6ve. .how her where I am.1 As I s#oke$ Brendan shoved his shoulder against the ra k$ but it sto##ed$ as if the brea h in the s#ell was only as wide as that ga#. He ke#t #ushing. /urray strode over to hel#. 1.he"s stalling$1 !ina said. 15ast the s#ell$ 'on. At least it"ll shut her u#.1 He rea hed into his #o ket and #ulled out a small bag of ash. Again$ my ga0e rose to the light. !hen it shifted to that high shelf and sto##ed on a stuffed bat #er hed beside a legless dog. In my mind$ I saw an image of the bird I"d a identally raised in the garden. But I ouldn"t. Not without tools. Not without time to #re#are. Not without 'on lifted his hand to his mouth$ ash on his outstret hed #alm. He inhaled. 1Wait=1 I said. 1<ou want magi 4 I an give you the most #owerful magi of all.1 1.he"ll say anything1 !ina began. 1!he #ower to raise the dead. I an do that.1 1)eally41 !ina"sover#lu ked brows ar hed. 1!hat"ll ome in handy in a few minutes3 assuming you an do it to yourself.1 .he motioned for 'on to ontinue with the s#ell$ but he"d lowered his hand. !he other men wat hed me. .eeing their e(#ressions$ I bit ba k a burst of hysteri al laughter. 5ommuni ating with the dead wasn"t enough to sway their intentions. But to raise the dead4 !o #lay +od4 No matter how strongly logi told them it ouldn"t be done$ they ouldn"t hel# ho#ing. 1It"s a tri k$1 !ina sna##ed. 15an"t you see that4 Now she"ll tell us she needs a body$ so we"ll need to take her outside1 1No$ you won"t.1 I waved at the eiling. 1;lenty of bodies here.1 1And I su##ose you want us to take one down$ meaning we have to find a ladder$ bring it ba k$ give your friend time to re over1 1I"ll raise the bat. It has wings$ right41 I flashed my best showbi0 smile. 1No need to be arried

down when you an fly.1 6ven before the men agreed$ I knew they would. Why not4 In return for a few minutes" forbearan e$ I offered the #ossibility of a mira le. Who ould refuse that4 2re you nuts4 my brain s reamed.,a%e you forgotten the +inor fact that you can't do this without your e9uip+ent 4 But I ould try. At the very least$ I"d stall them for a while. /aybe Ho#e would wake. Or 9eremy would find my trail. And if that"s all I ho#e to do$ that"s all I"d a om#lish. %orget stalling. /y only o#tionthe only one I"d a e#twas su ess. 9ust yesterday$ raising )a hel .kye$ I"d theori0ed that the #ower lay$ not with the instruments$ but within me. If I truly believed that$ then it was time to #ut it to the test. 2nder the worst #ossible ir umstan es$ but maybe that was ,ust what I needed. *ast year$ in !oronto with the werewolves$ I"d ontrolled 0ombies raised by someone elsea feat I"d said was im#ossible. But when I saw 6lena"s life at stake$ I"d found the will and the #ower to do it. Now there was another life at stake. /ine. And$ for on e$ I was going to be the one to save it. I losed my eyes and re ited the in antation to all the dead ba k to their nearby bodies. In my mind$ I #i tured the ritual setu#$ envisioned myself kneeling before the symbols. When the hant was finished$ I didn"t o#en my eyes to see whether it worked. 'idn"t even take a breath. 9ust re#eated it. !hen re#eated it. !hen 1Oh$ my +od.1 !he rea tion I"d been waiting for. I looked u# to see the bat still #er hed there$ motionless. But on an ad,a ent shelf$ the row"s wing twit hed. 1It"s a tri k$1 !ina sneered. 16ven I an do thatlike making a #en il levitate.1 1)awr=1 !he row had managed to #ush itself u#right. Its head wobbled$ as if its ne k was broken. It threw ba k its head and let out another strangled aw. 1/other of +od$1 one of the men breathed. 6ven !ina stared. !hen she wheeled on me. 1It"s a tri k. .omehow1 A dog yi##ed. !he terrier. Its head whi##ed from side to side$ ears fla##ing$ eyes wild as it tried to stand on legs it no longer had. I fought the urge to release it$ sent u# a silent a#ology$ and

started the invo ation again. !he dog onvulsed and twisted$ its ries turned shrill with #ani . On the ad,oining shelf$ the row fla##ed its wings$ its head still lolling$ beak sna##ing. A shriek. %our sets of eyes turned to see a ra oon dragging itself toward the edge3 1Oh$ +od$ no$1 someone said. 1Not that. It isn"t1 !he ra oon to##led from the shelf as one of the men dove out of the way. It hit with a bone& run hing thud. %or a moment$ I blinked$ ertain I"d misidentified the reature. It was too small to be a !he beast #ulled itself onto its front legs$ and I reali0ed it was indeed a ra oon. Half of one. !he rear 7uarters had been removed and a #lasti shield had been affi(ed to the severed end$ like an anatomy dis#lay. !he ra oon gnashed its teeth and rolled ba k onto its torso$ laws waving as it struggled to get u#. Above it$ the dog twisted$ sna##ing and snarling$ fren0ied now. 1Oh$ +od$ what have you done41 one of the men breathed. 1Why$ I"ve brought the dead ba k to life. I"ve #erformed a mira le.1 !he ra oon fell forward and started #ulling itself along on its front legs. It snarled at !ina. When she fell ba k with a s ream$ it advan ed on 'on. He ba k#edaled out of the way. 1/&mira le41 'on said. 1!h&this is an abomination. .to# it right now.1 1.to#41 I smiled. 1I"m ,ust getting started.1 I looked a ross their fa es. In their terror$ I saw my true #ower. !he darkest #ower. !he greatest #ower. I losed my eyes and shouted the invo ation$ alling the dead ba k to their bodies. .omeone yelled for 'on to ast the weakening s#ell. %ingers wra##ed around my arm. As I yanked away$ my atta ker reeled ba kward$ gri# loosening. A bla k blur flashed over his head. !he row$ swoo#ing. !hen another blur and a high&#it hed shriek as the bat flew into !ina. .he s reamed$ arms flailing. 1:ill it= .omeone kill it= :ill all of them=1 1Oh$ you"ve already done that$1 I said. 1On e they #ass over$ they"re mine$ and you an"t do a damn thing about it. +o ahead. .wat that bat. !hrow it into the wall if you"d like. <ou an"t kill it. It"s already dead.1

Another s ream$ this time from one of the men as the ra oon"s teeth sank into his leg. As he shook it$ the #lasti #late flew off and the ra oon"s #reserved innards slid out. !he man s reamed louder$ ga0e riveted on the mangled beast. 1<ou wanted magi =1 I said. 1<ou killed for it. Well$ here"s magi . !he most #owerful kind there is.1 !he row swoo#ed #ast me and flew into 'on$ who let out a shriek. 1Isn"t it everything you imagined41 I yelled to be heard over the din. 1And ,ust think. When you die$ I an do this to you. Bring your mangled$ rotting or#se ba k to life$ with you in it$ stu k there for eternity.1 I shouted the in antation again. A body tumbled from the shelf. !hen another$ the air rent with yowls and s ree hes and s reams. I ran for the door. It was half&o#en now$ as if someone had tried to make a break for it. A 7ui k head ount as I wheeled #roved no one had es a#ed. I yanked o#en the door$ s#un around and slammed it shut. A body hit the other side. I threw myself against the door$ fingers flying to the lo k. One twist and it was losed. /y ga0e snagged on the light swit h for the room. I fli ked it off.

J #GMENT

I *OO:6' A)O2N' %O) HO;6$ but she was nowhere to be seen. I ran through the !room. .till no sign of her. How far ould they have taken her4 As I ra ed into the hall$ legs a##eared on the stairway. I fro0e$ fanati ally sear hing for a wea#on or another es a#e route. 19aime41 A se ond set of legs #assed the first and I re ogni0ed 9eremy"s shoes$ moving swiftly and soundlessly down the stairs. As soon as he was low enough$ he du ked$ saw me and nodded. !here was no e(#ression on his fa e$ but I ould see the relief in his eyes. He swung around the bottom ste# and aught my arm$ ready to whisk me u#stairs without a word$ but :arl ste##ed into our #ath. 1Where"s Ho#e41 he demanded.

I o#ened my mouth to answer$ but wasn"t fast enough for him and he took those last few ste#s in a stride$ looming over me$ eyes bla0ing. I instin tively ste##ed ba k$ but 9eremy"s arm around my ba k sto##ed me. 1II don"t know. !hey took her out of the room and I1 1And you what41 he snarled$ any remaining wis#s of the so#histi ated mask falling away. 1:arl.1 9eremy"s voi e was soft$ barely above a whis#er$ but it sto##ed the other man short. 1I was looking for her$1 I hurried on. 1.he"s un ons ious and tied u#$ and they brought her in here$ out of the way$ but I an"t find1 His head whi##ed u#$ nostrils flaring. A slow #ivot. !hen he strode a ross the room and yanked o#en a loset. !here$ on the floor$ was Ho#e. When :arl started to lift her$ 9eremy moved u# behind him and leaned down to whis#er$ 1We don"t have time. 9ust move her to another room.1 :arl hesitated. 9eremy said$ 1We an finish this now. .he"ll be safe then.1 :arl lifted Ho#e$ then turned to me. 1'es ribe the room. 6(its. Wea#ons. How many #eo#le4 What kind of41 9eremy motioned for him to slow down and look after Ho#e first. He took her into another room. When he returned$ I"d already e(#lained everything. !hen 9eremy ame u# with a #lan.

96)6/< .!2'I6' my fa e$ not asking 1are you okay with this41 but looking for the answer. I nodded$ then turned my attention ba k to the door. /y heart was thum#ing so loud I was sure 9eremy and :arl ould hear it$ but they gave no sign$ ,ust waited in their #la es:arl behind the door$ 9eremy on the other side of the o#ening. As I turned the lo k$ :arl slid his foot against the base of the door$ then looked at me. When I nodded$ he eased his foot ba k an in h and I ra ked o#en the door. It was like walking into a horror moviea soundtra k of human s reams and babbling mi(ed with the enraged and garbled ries of the 0ombie beasts. .omethingor someonehit the door$ the ,olt hard enough to make me ,um#$ but the door didn"t move$ :arl"s foot and hand blo king it. I losed my eyes and ast the in antation to return those #oor souls to wherever they"d ome

from. I ke#t asting until the s reamshuman and beastdro##ed to sobs and muted ries. !hen I ,um#ed ba k. 9eremy swung around the doorway$ :arl following. I ast the release in antation one last time as they disa##eared into the darkness. !hen I slammed the door shut and turned the lo k.

I WA. su##osed to wait outside the door for fifteen minutes$ then unlo k it. As I stood there$ I tried very hard not to #i ture what was ha##ening inside the killing room. At least it would be easy to lean u# the arnage afterward. I rubbed the goose bum#s on my arms. As I moved$ I aught the whis#er of muffled voi es$ #leading. I rubbed my arms harder$ torn between wanting to retreat to some#la e where I ouldn"t overhear and wanting to #ut my ear to the door$ to reassure myself the s reams and #leading weren"t oming from 9eremy or :arl. I might not are for :arl/arsten $ but I didn"t want to see the man killed. A thum# sounded above me. I started$ then strained to listen$ but heard nothing. 6ven the killing room had gone 7uiet. Another thud$ definitely overhead. 9eremy would have leared the u##er levels$ but did that mean they were still lear4 !wo grou# members had a##arently ski##ed the emergen y meeting. Or were they ,ust late4 A board reaked. I glan ed at the door$ but my wat h said I had eight minutes to go$ and I wasn"t o#ening it one se ond sooner. Nor was I going to ower here and wait to be dis overed by an intruder. I was in the small !- room$ the door to the killing room normally hidden behind a wall hanging. I looked around for a #otential wea#on. A book4 A lam#4 A #i ture4 I was about to laugh at the last$ when I sto##ed. ;i ture. ;i ture frame. +lass. I grabbed an old eight&by&ten se#ia #hotogra#h from the shelf and smashed it against the television abinet. As I rea hed for the biggest shard$ I saw my bare hand. I yanked off my shoe$ removed my so k$ then #ut my shoe ba k on3 and the so k on my hand. It looked ridi ulous$ but it was better than sli ed fingerti#s. I #i ked u# the shard with my 1gloved1 hand$ then started for the hall. I was almost at the to# of the ste#s when I heard another soft thum#. I #in#ointed the dire tion and followed$ ree#ing through the kit hen toward what looked like a living room. As I edged along the kit hen abinets$ a blur flew a ross the doorway. I ba k#edaled. Another thum#. !hen something moved by the base of the doorway. A fat ali o tabby #eered out. !he at looked at me$ then at the glass in my hand. +reat. !he one time I"m #re#aredwea#on and alland my o##onent is an overfed house at.

As I turned to head ba k$ the doorway darkened. 1Hello$ 9aime.1 /ay stood at the to# of the stairs. How4 I #i tured the half&o#en door. When I"d ounted heads$ I hadn"t he ked for /ay$ #resuming she was still un ons ious on the floor. A##arently I hadn"t been the only one who"d taken advantage of the a o#hony to es a#e. .he s#oke again$ but her ne(t words made no sense. I struggled to understand$ then reali0ed they weren"t in 6nglish. A s#ell. As I tensed$ ready to dive out of the s#ell"s #ath$ I felt a shar# edge biting into my fingerti#s. !he glass= I ran at /ay$ my hand raised. Her brows knitted$ the s#ell dying in her throat as she stared in bewilderment at the so k sailing toward her. !hen her eyes went wide$ seeing the glass. !oo late. I slashed and laid o#en her heek. Blood s#rayed. .he stumbled ba k. I ki ked$ ho#ing to kno k her down the stairs$ but my aim was off. /ay lunged at me. I swung the glass again$ but this time only aught the side of her blouse. !he glass snagged and flew from my fingers. As /ay veered toward me$ the glass fell onto a throw rug. I dove for it$ but /ay ast a s#ell and something hit me$ like in the garden$ kno king me sideways. As I regained my balan e$ /ay aught me by the ba k of the shirt. I twisted shar#ly and #ulled free. I s rambled for the glass shard. .he hit me with another s#ell$ this one kno king the wind from my lungs. I bla ked out for a s#lit se ond$ then ame to as /ay grabbed my shirt again$ yanking me off balan e. 1I"m not going to hurt you$ 9aime$1 she said. 19ust kidna# me$ right41 I wriggled in her gras#$ not fighting$ ,ust getting my footing. 1Well$ you know what4 I"m a little tired of being kidna##ed.1 I swung my fist and hit her s7uare in the ,aw. As she released me$ I dove for the glass. /y fingers wra##ed around it and I was turning$ flying ba k to my feet when a sha#e #assed to my left. I wheeled to . see 6ve holding what looked like3 a sword. A very big sword. I shook off my sur#rise and dove at /ay$ shard raised$ aiming for her throat. But 6ve"s sword was in flight$ sailing toward /ay$ whose ga0e was fi(ed on me$ li#s drawn ba k$ #ushing to her feet. Before I ould rea h her$ the sword leaved through her torso. .he reeled$ mouth working as she lut hed the left side of her hest.

.he tottered. !hen she olla#sed. !here was no blood. No mark on her body. <et she didn"t move. 1Is she341 1.he better be$1 6ve said. 1Or this baby needs a re harge.1 I struggled from the loud of sho k and turned to 6ve. 1I didn"t need to be res ued.1 1.orry$ but my sword outranks your31 she glan ed at my hand$ 1so k #u##et.1 1It"s a glass shard$1 I said$ lifting it. Her li#s twit hed. 1Ah.1 A #ause and she sobered. 1<ou"re right$ 9aime. <ou had her$ and maybe I should have let you take her down$ but this41 .he lifted the sword. 1*ess messy. In more ways than one.1 .he lay down the wea#on as /ay"s s#irit began to se#arate from her body. I stared at the sword. It was at least four feet long and ins ribed with symbols. As the metal glowed$ I remembered stories my Nan had told me of ne roman ers at e(e utions or deaths of riminals$ seeing s#irits bearing glowing swords$ ome to laim the souls. !he .word of 9udgment. Not a wea#on wielded by ,ust any ghost. 1<ou"re aan1 I ouldn"t get the word out. 1!he ,ob you do for the %ates. <ou"re an3 angel41 1/aybe.1 .he winked. 1Or maybe I ,ust swi#ed the sword.1 .he grabbed /ay"s silent s#irit by the shoulders$ yanked her free and disa##eared. I stood there$ staring at the s#ot where they"d vanished. !hen I heard a thum#. I glan ed toward the living room$ e(#e ting to see the at again. !he noise ame again$ from downstairs$ I was late for an a##ointment.

!H6 :I**IN+ room was remarkably lean. I guess I should have known that. 9eremy and :arl didn"t need to 5hange into wolves. ;art of being su h effi ient killers was knowing how to kill effi iently. %our bodies lay in the room$ all with broken ne ks. !he only blood ame from :arl"s nose. 6lbowed in the melee. He gave 9eremy a few se onds to e(amine it$ then hurried to Ho#e. On e 9eremy dis overed /ay was dead$ and I was fine$ it was time to onsider body dis#osal.

He knew more about rime&s ene leanu# than anyone should. He"d said before that it was a ne essary 1skill1 for the Al#hawhen he sent 5layton and 6lena to sto# a man&killing mutt$ they often had to lean u#. As Al#ha$ though$ he would only need to tea h the skills. <et wat hing him that day$ I remembered what he"d said about having to over his father"s kills. Whatever my mother had done to me$ it #aled in om#arison to that.

B6%O)6 !H6< removed the bodies$ 9eremy he ked on Ho#e too. As I waited in the hall$ 6ve returned with:ristof . 1+ot a ou#le of bodies for us to look after too$ I see$1 she said. .he waved through the doorway into the !- room$ where Brendan and /urray waited$ 7uiet$ lost in their thoughts. I e(#lained. When I finished$ I headed over to Brendan. 1)eady to go41 I asked. 1I1 He blinked$ da0ed$ as if the fa t of his death was only hitting him now$ after he"d es a#ed the room where he"d died. 1I guess so.1 1I"ll take him$1:ristof said$ his voi e un hara teristi ally soft. He walked to the young man$ his hand outstret hed. 1Brendan$ isn"t it41 He shook:ristof"s hand. 1<&yes$ sir.1 1:ristof.1 He #ut his arm around the boy"s shoulders and led him from the room. 1Is there any#la e you"d like to visit before we go$ Brendan41 !heir voi es faded as they headed u# the stairs. 6ve walked to /urray$ who s#rang off the sofa. 1!here are some #la es I"d like to visit$1 he said. 1.ee my wife one last time and1 1<ou should have thought of that before you but hered si( kids$1 6ve said. 19udgment awaits$ and it"s getting im#atient.1 1B&but I hel#ed you guys. Ask1 He tried to turn toward me$ but 6ve grabbed his arm. 1!ake it u# with the %ates.1 As they disa##eared$ 9eremy ste##ed into the room. 19aime4 !ime to go.1

96)6/< HA' :arl take Ho#e and me to her a#artment$ then he returned to hel# 9eremy finish the leanu#. 'uring those two hours we s#ent alone$ Ho#e didn"t say a word about what had ha##ened. Instead she worked to make a big meal$ as if feeding the men when they returned was mission riti al. When the men did arrive$ 9eremy ate$ but it seemed more out of #oliteness than hunger. !hen we left. On the way to the ar$ I said$ 1.o you ould follow my trail from the house4 I wasn"t sure you ould.1 He hesitated$ and I knew he was onsidering whether to lie$ then shook his head and said$ 1!here wasn"t a trail. !hey must have driven you over.1 1.o how did you know3 41 I let the senten e trail off and dug the rune sket h from my #o ket. 1!his41 1A magi al homing devi e41 He smiled. 1I wish it was that sim#le. I sensed you$ as I do sometimes with the ;a k. I ould tell you were in trouble$ ame ba k$ found that you and Ho#e were gone. !hen I found you. .omehow.1 I fingered the rune. He shook his head. 15lay and 6lena don"t arry the ones I did for them$ and I"ve never done any for the rest of the ;a k. 1Whatever let me find you$ it"s not a #ie e of #a#er.1 1Well$ then$ you won"t mind if I have it made into a ne kla e$ right4 Or$ all things onsidered$ maybe a tattoo.1 He smiled and #ulled me into a kiss.

THE ROA# HOME

!H6 +)O2; /6/B6). )6/AIN6' A! *A)+6$ but the oun il would onvene to dis uss that. What remained now was the resolution of my #rimary goal8 freeing the hildren"s s#irits. 6ve and the %ates had 1interrogated1 /ay 'onovan and now understood what had ha##ened. As for whether it was a fluke or the start of some evolutionary hange in the su#ernatural world3 that remained to be seen. As for whathad ha##ened$ 6ve said only that the hildren"s s#irits had been drained by the

magi $ whi h was #retty mu h what we"d already sus#e ted. If there was a more om#le( e(#lanation$ I wasn"t getting it. /aybe 6ve didn"t think I"d understand$ not being a s#ell& aster. Or maybe the %ates didn"t dare go into detail$ ho#ing that if no one in our #lane understood$ then it ouldn"t be re#li ated. !he e(#lanation didn"t on ern me. All I wanted to know was ould we undo it4 5ould we set the hildren free4 !he answer was yes. )eturning to the Brentwood garden wasn"t easy. While I had a good reason to returnI was still in residen eI"d likely find myself taken aside for 7uestioning the moment I a##eared. I hadn"t been anywhere near Angeli7ue"s body so we weren"t too on erned about the #oli e investigation. Was it safer$ then$ to #lod through the interrogation$ then sli# out and release the s#irits4 Or should we sneak ba k and ondu t the ritual right away4 9eremy$ 6ve and:ristof debated the o#tions. I a ted as 1translator$1 but didn"t enter into the dis ussion. /y mind was made u#. I had to free those hildren. No one else ould do it for me$ and I wasn"t taking the han e that I would be #revented from doing so$ or even delayed. I readied my arguments$ but didn"t need them. No one wanted to wait.

6-6 HA':ristof s outed the garden re ruiting and organi0ing !ansy$ +abrielle and the other ghosts to stand guard. We ma##ed out all #oli e a tivity and devised a route that would take us into the garden from the neighbor"s yard$ and kee# us away from the rime s ene. !hen 9eremy 5hanged. 6ven in human form$ he"d be 7ui ker to #i k u# a##roa hing offi ers than the ghosts$ but if seen on a rime s ene$ he"d be in trouble. A anine$ on the other hand$ was ,ust a nuisan ewarranting a all to the dog at her at most. And$ if I needed a distra tion$ a huge bla k dog would be ,ust the thing.

!H6 .;O! 6ve had hosen for the ritual was ringed with ghosts$ most of whom I"d never seen before. !hey said nothing$ as if they feared distra ting me. A smile here$ a nod there$ then they returned to their solemn vigil. I walked along the #ath$ down the gauntlet of guards. /y kit was in the house$ but I didn"t need it. /y role here was sim#le. I was the magnet to draw the hildren from wherever they were hiding. 1Are you here41 I whis#ered. .ilen e. .omething moved to my left and I looked over shar#ly$ but it was only a bree0e ri##ling the rose bushes.

1Hello41 I said$ as loud as I dared. 1I"m ba k. Are you still here41 No one answered. 1I haven"t been around mu h lately. And maybe$ what"s been ha##ening here$ it"s s ared you. But it"s over now and I an hel#.1 A sigh. /y skin #ri kled. !he wind rustled through a tree and the sigh ame again$ a loose bran h reaking softly. I talked some more$ aware even as I did that they almost ertainly ouldn"t understand me even if they were lose enough to overhear. <et I ke#t talking$ ho#ing the sound of my voi e would draw them in. !he garden stayed silent and still. I losed my eyes and thought of )a hel .kye$ the girl 6ve had onta ted. A hild I knew only as a body in a garden. A young girl$ taking a short ut home from s hool to see her favorite show$ murdered and dum#ed in a garden. I thought of the others$ all the hildren whose tou hes and #okes I"d felt$ whose voi es I"d heard$ those who didn"t have names and stories and maybe never would$ not for me. I thought of Brendan$ little more than a hild himself$ stoi in his fate$ as if it was the #ri e one #aid for following a dream. I thought of the young teens I #assed on the street in *.A. and 5hi ago and every other big ity$ all the lost hildren. And$ ,ust for a se ond$ I thought of myself$ of my own hild$ lost all those years ago. .omething gra0ed my arm. I o#ened my eyes to see 9eremy. 'rawn by my thoughts$ on erned. He glan ed at me. !hen his attention was snagged by something to the left and he tilted his head$ onfusion in his eyes. I followed his ga0e$ but saw only the ghosts standing guard. %ingers ti kled my heek. /ore brushed my hair. !he whis#ering began. I went still$ straining to hear$ onvin ed I was imagining it. !hen 6ve ste##ed through the rosebushes. 1!hey"re here$1 she said.

WI!H !H6 arrival of the hildren$ my role ended and 6ve and:ristof"s began. !hey knelt on the #ath and #re#ared to ondu t the ritual the %ates had given them.:ristof set u# the materials. 6ve re ited the in antation. 9eremy stood silently at my side. !he hildren #atted me and whis#ered. I don"t think I breathed through the entire thing. When 6ve finished the in antation$ the tou hes and whis#ers of the hildren sto##ed. I swear my heart sto##ed with them. I looked around franti ally$ trying to at h a glim#se of them$ #raying something hadn"t gone wrong.

!hen I saw a faintly shimmering form. !hen another. A third. A fourth. As faint as Brendan had been. .lowly the tallest form materiali0ed. A boy about thirteen. 'ark eyed$ #robably *atino$ with hair that fell into his fa e$ reminding me of 9eremy . I instin tively smiled$ and the boy"s ga0e went to me$ head tilted$ as if trying to figure out what I was looking at. 1Hello$1 I said. He smiled. 1Hi.1 Another of the forms materiali0ed. A girl about eleven$ with lanky dark blond hair held ba k in butterfly li#s. 1)a hel41 I said. /y voi e aught as I remembered what I"d done to her$ seeing those bony fingers franti ally lawing the air. 1)a hel$ I1 .he ran over and threw her arms around me and I swear$ for the briefest se ond$ I felt them. !hen her hands #assed through me. 6ve ame u# behind her and knelt$ #utting her hands on the girl"s shoulders as if to reassure her that she ould still tou h someone. Behind 6ve$ another girl had a##eared. A ou#le of years younger than )a hel$ with ornrows and glittering earrings that aught the light as she looked around$ un ertain$ as if she didn"t 7uite re ogni0e the world from this side of the veil. I walked over to her and bent down. 1Hello$ there. I"m 9aime. And who would you be41 /aybe not the right 7uestion to ask a traumati0ed hild$ but she met my ga0e and smiled$ as if finding something shedid re ogni0e. 1 "*i0beth$1 she lis#ed. I looked u# at the older boy. 1/anny$1 he said before I ould ask. 1/anuel +ar ia.1 1!odd$1 said a voi e behind me. 15hloe /argaret %isher$1 said another. I turned to see a boy about eleven$ hubby with wild red hair. Behind him stood a #retty brunette

around the same age. 1;leased to meet you$ !odd and 5hloe. I"m 9aime. !his is 6ve.1 As 6ve a##roa hed$ holding )a hel"s hand$ I glan ed u# to introdu e 9eremy$ but he"d ste##ed ba k$ out of sight. I nodded. 6(#laining to the hildren why he ouldn"t see themthat they were ghostswasn"t something they needed yet. I looked around the grou#. 1%ive. I thought1 I glan ed at 6ve. 1!here are su##osed to be si(.1 1Number si( oming u#$1:ristof"s voi e floated from somewhere in the garden. He rounded a bush. In his arms was a small boy$ his fa e buried against:ristof"s hest. 1!his is 5harles. He"s shy.1 I greeted the boy and he nodded$ his fa e still against:ristof . 1We should go$1 6ve whis#ered to me. 1Before they1 1What are we doing here41 5hloe asked. 1Where"s my mom41 6ve took her hand. 1We"re going to take you to someone who"ll answer all your 7uestions. !hen we"re going to throw you a big wel ome&ba k #arty$ with all the i e ream you an eat. -anilla$ right4 !hat"s your favorite$ isn"t it41 !he girl nodded$ tem#orarily distra ted. 6ve started down the #ath$ holding 5hloe and )a hel"s hand$ so:ristof shifted 5harles to one arm and rea hed down. 6li0abeth took his free hand. He waved for the boys to follow 6ve$ then fell into line behind them. 1Never heard of a girl who likes vanilla best$1 6ve said as they walked. 1<ou must be #retty s#e ial. 'o you know what my favorite is41 15ho olate41 )a hel said. 6ve grinned. 1.mart girl. 'ouble&fudge ho olate with brownies. 'oes anyone else like ho olate41 !heir figures and their voi es started to fade as 6ve #assed them gradually over to the other side of the veil. 1/y favorite flavor41:ristof was saying. 1Bubble gum.1 1No way$1 s offed one of the boys. 6ve said something I ouldn"t make out$ and they all laughed. And that was the last thing I heard. !he hildren laughing.

THE %RAP5 P

IN *I+H! O% !H6 )656N! !)A+I5 6-6N!. on the eath of Innocence set in Brentwood$ s#iritualist 9aime -egas has reevaluated her areer and de ided to end her regular television engagements onThe:eni Bales Show $ as well as hersemiregular s#ots1 I #aused and nibbled the end of my #en. 1'oes "s#ots" sound too informal for a media release41 6ve looked u# from the floor$ where she was doing sit&u#s. I was also lying down3 in an e(travagant king&si0e bed$ room&servi e ham#agne in a bu ket on the night table$ a ho olate in my free hand$ a half&em#ty bo( #ro##ed on a #illow. If I was leaving television$ I didn"t need to worry about those three e(tra #ounds. And sin e 9eremy had given me the ho olates$ he obviously wasn"t worried about them either. 1'on"t you have a #ubli ist for this kind of thing41 6ve asked. 1I want to do it myself. What"s a synonym for s#ot41 1Blot. .tain. Blemish.1 I threw a #illow at her. It landed in her stoma h$ tassels sti king u# from her hest. .he shot me a glare. I sighed$ got u#$ walked over and moved it for her. As I bent$ I admired my new tattoo. .mall and tasteful$ as the girl at the #arlor #romised. 9eremy a ted embarrassed by it$ re#eatedly telling me he didn"t think the symbol meant anything$ but when it was finished I knew he was #leased. I"m still onvin ed the rune is su#ernatural and sus#e t it has something to do with 9eremy"s mother. When I"d shown it to 6ve$ she"d said it s#arked a vague memory$ and she"d #romised to dig dee#er for me from the other side. As she ontinued her sit&u#s$ I returned to my writing. !he eath of Innocence s#e ial was dead. No #un intended3 though that wasn"t sto##ing the tabloids and trade #a#ers from making them. !hey had dead hildren$ ritual sa rifi e$ restless ghosts and a murdered young s#iritualist. Against that$ raising /arilyn was almost anti lima ti . Instead the network was kee#ing the footage for a new s#e ial8 eath of Innocence4 Satanis+ in Brentwood . !odd .imon ho#ed to get +eraldo )ivera to host. !he .atanism angle was still only a theory. !here was no suggestion that the #oli e would ever tra e the murders ba k to /ay and her grou#. As for the remaining members of that grou#$ ;aige

had alled a oun il meeting for this weekend to #lan a ourse of a tion. I stroked a line from my media release and he ked the lo k. 9eremy"s #lane should be landing soon. He"d #lanned to stay in *.A. longer$ but then he got a ,ubilant all from 6lena announ ing that *ogan had taken his first ste#s$ and :ate seemed determined to follow. Although 9eremy had brushed it off$ saying he"d see them walk when he got home$ I"d #a ked his bag. I wasn"t going to start this relationshi# by letting him miss his grand hildren"s milestones. I"d see him on the weekend$ at the oun il meeting. We"d have to get used to these brief and s#oradi interludes anyway. We had se#arate lives$ but as long as they ollided regularly$ I"d be ha##y. 6ven if it was only a weekend a month$ I sus#e ted those weekends would be intense enough to kee# us going the rest of the time. I wondered whether Ho#e would be at that oun il meeting. I hadn"t heard from her. Was she holding her breath$ waiting for me to s#ill her se ret4 I"d have to talk to her about that. I believed her motives were as #ure as anyone"s on the oun il. /aybe #art of her reason for hel#ing was to have an e( use to find haos$ but there were a lot worse ways she ould do that. Balan e. I"d learned a lot about that this #ast week. I"d failed with Angeli7ue. I was #aying for that with memories and regrets. I"d go to that revival in Nebraska$ in her honor$ the #ro& eedsgoing to her family. .omeday I"d onta t her$ try to make amends$ but I wasn"t ready to fa e her yet. Iwas ready to do more for other ghosts. /aybe I ouldn"t hel# every one$ and maybe I wasn"t obliged to hel# any. But if this ase taught me anything it was that Iwanted to hel#$ that it hurt more to say no than it did to say 1I"ll try1 and to fail. Whether o#ening myself u# to more ghosts would kee# me sane or$ as I"d always feared$ drive me mad was a #ossibility I had to deal with. .tarting now. 16ve41 .he sto##ed in mid&sit&u#$ then fell ba k to the floor. 1Hmm41 1!hat thing you did with the girl"s ghost. )eading her mind or whatever. !hat"s #art of being an angel$ isn"t it4 A new #ower41 .he grunted and did another sit&u#. I took that for a 1<es$ but I don"t want to talk about it.1 I let her do a few more. 15ould you use it to$ say$ ta# the memory of a murdered ghost4 %ind out what"s she"s forgotten about her death41 1If you want me to bring a killer to ,usti e$ I"d love to$ but it"s not in the ,ob des ri#tion. <ou were in immediate danger as the result of an investigation to hel# the %ates. .o I ould intervene. Otherwise$ we have to leave ,usti e to the humans on this side3 and mete it out on our side

later.1 1I don"t mean that.1 I told her about +abrielle *angdon. It took some #rom#ting6ve was never one to #ay mu h attention to urrent affairsbut eventually she remembered who +abrielle was. 15ould you tell her who killed her4 If she really wants to know41 6ve #aused$ then nodded. 1If she really wants to know$ I think I an.1 1I"ll see if I an summon her tonight$ then.1 Another nod$ and 6ve went ba k to her workout. When I was done here$ I"d all Ho#e both to talk to her and to find out whether she"d ever dug u# the address for ;eter"s son. If not$ I"d do some resear h myself. !hat made two ghosts hel#ed. ;lus the hildren$ and Brendan. Not bad for a few days" work. As for fears of madness$ there was something I ould do about that too. +o visit !ee in !oronto. I"d been trying to #ush !ee"s image from my brain$ forget that I"d ever seen this old friend of my grandmother"s now driven so mad by ne roman y that she was barely re ogni0able as human. I"d allBoe and ask her to take me ba k to !ee and see whether there was anything I ould do for her. !hrough her maybe I"d learn to fa e my fearsto see how bad it ould be$ and deal with that not #ull the overs over my head and #retend it ould never ha##en to me. /y ell #hone rang. I saw the number of 9eremy"s #re#aid #hone and grinned. 19ust get in41 I asked as I answered. 1I did. Is everything all right there41 I ould hear the on ern in his voi e$ #robably worrying that the #oli e had des ended on my hotel room the moment he left. I smiled. 16verything"s fine. *ying in bed. Writing my good&bye to Hollywood. 6ating ho olates. Wat hing 6ve work out. !hankful it"s her$ not me.1 A soft hu kle. 1'id you get the ham#agne too41 1I did. And it"s making the letter writing mu h easier.1 1+ood. 'id you hear from Ho#e41 A #ause. 1Ah$ I see :ate over the rowd. .he must be u# on 5lay"s shoulders. I"d better hurry before she sees me and ,um#s1 A 7ui k inhale. 1!oo late.1

15lay aught her41 1%ortunately$ though$ she"s not too ha##y about1 :ate"s s ream ut a ross the miles. I laughed. 1I"ll let you go then.1 1.o you"re fine41 1Never been better.1 As I hung u#$ I smiled to myself. Never been better$ indeed.