Bitten in Two

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

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

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

“Why?” Vayl asked.

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

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

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

“It’s a bird,” said Cole.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Have you ever fought kloricht before?”

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

Vayl’s lips twitched. “Yes.”

“Then they’re kickable.”

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

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

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

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

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