Aaron’s head reared back as if he’d been hit. But he didn’t say anything as Vayl took his remote from his pocket. A smal black keypad programmed to respond only to his touch, it al owed no one into the house or the garage from the outside once they’d been locked down unless he keyed the entry on the pad, or opened the doors from the inside. Now he pressed a series of buttons and the garage door began to rise.
Jack, realizing a car ride had just entered his future, ran for the garage with his tail wagging wildly. I looked around for Astral. In this light she was nearly invisible, and I’d learned she liked it that way. Suddenly I saw her eyes shining from the front of one of Vayl’s flower beds. I didn’t know what was weirder, that a dude who slept al day surrounded his house with geraniums and marigolds, or that my robokitty’s eyes were silver in the moonlight. Then I saw the sweep of double high beams cross the porch.
I spun back toward the road at the same time that Vayl said, “What have we here?” The car was crawling down the gravel road that led to his drive, hesitating and then jerking forward like the driver had just learned how to shift it into first. It swerved onto the shoulder, nearly hit the ditch, corrected itself, and then trundled into the drive.
By that time we were on our way.
Vayl had released the sheath from his cane’s handle, revealing the handcrafted sword that rode beneath.
I’d pul ed Grief, though I left the safety on for now.
Raoul carried no weapons that I could see. But the Eldhayr had once healed my broken neck with a word and a touch. I figured he had other hidden talents.
Jack and Astral came along too. Maybe someday I’d own cute, fluffy pets without the capacity to harm a butterfly. But probably not, which was why even my cat carried a couple of grenades around in her digestive tract, and my dog knew exactly how to use his teeth to greatest effect.
The car, a rusty white Lumina, made a graceful right turn and came to a stop in a drive-blocking maneuver that I would’ve suspected was the beginning of a ful -out assault on the house. Except that the driver’s side door opened and a man tumbled out, fal ing to his hands and knees on the dew-drenched grass.
Vayl was the first to reach him. Already he’d sheathed his sword. He looked up at me. The tone in his voice chil ed me when he said, “Jasmine. Come quickly.” I holstered Grief and ran to his side, Raoul, the animals, and Aaron right behind me.
The man, practical y curled up in a bal , wore a filthy gray sweatshirt and cutoff shorts. He could’ve been anybody. Except for the red high-tops that made my heart twist inside my chest.
“Cole?” I whispered.
He raised his head and blinked his blood-red eyes. “Help me, Jaz.” I slapped my hand over my mouth to hold back the moan as I dropped to my knees beside him.
Jack, understanding only that something had just gone terribly wrong in Happysvil e, pressed his nose against Cole’s cheek. Cole reached out blindly, wrapped his hand in my dog’s fur, and then buried his face in it.
I swung to Raoul. “What happened? Kyphas only had him halfdemonized when we saved him.
And Sterling purified him afterward.”
“Didn’t the warlock tel you to keep Cole close?”
“Yeah, and we did until he decided to go to Florida to visit his family.” Raoul frowned down at the man who’d once loved me. “Obviously he never left. It’s important after a purification for the victim to stay close to friends and family until he or she has worked through al the guilt and anger. I’m guessing Cole felt so much of both that he thought it best to isolate himself before he hurt someone else when, in fact, that was the worst thing he could’ve done.”
“But he didn’t hurt anyone back in Marrakech,” I protested.
“I doubt he sees it that way.”
Vayl had knelt beside me by now. He put a hand on Cole’s shoulder and pul ed him back. “Talk to us, son.”
The gentleness in his voice brought tears to my eyes, because it meant Cole was doing even worse than I’d feared.
Cole pul ed away from Jack. When he ran his hands through his wild surfer-boy hair I thought I saw the nubs of two horns shoving their way through his skul . “She’s pul ing me back,” he said, his voice hoarse and dire.
“Kyphas is dead,” I reminded him. “Vayl blew her to bits—”
He shook his head. “No. No. No. I can feel her.” He thumped his hand against his chest. “And I want it.” His crimson eyes bored into mine. “Make it stop. One way or another. Jaz, I’m counting on you. Don’t let me go over.”
I shared a doubtful look with Vayl. “You kil ed Kyphas. Right?” He shrugged. “I could not imagine her surviving that blast. However, Cole is tel ing us differently.
Perhaps the sea creature that was attacking her at the time took more of the damage than I anticipated it would. Or maybe hel pieced her back together just so it could have the pleasure of torturing her.”
I wanted to deny the possibilities, but bizarre was pretty much Lucifer’s domain. And I had Cole to worry about right now. I looked up at Raoul. “Please. There must be something you can do.” I could tel he wanted to leap back through the nearest plane portal by the way he held himself, stiff with denial, reminding me with his eyes that his office stationery had NONINTERFERENCE
imbedded within the weave of the paper itself. “I’m not his Spirit Guide, Jasmine—” I said, “No. Maybe you could’ve jumped and run back in January, when you were just a scary buzz fol owed by an earsplitting voice in my head. But not now. You’re my friend. And he’s my friend.
Which makes you his friend by default. And friends save each other’s souls.” There was a lot I didn’t say that I let him read in my eyes. That if he let Cole slip away I’d never fight for him, or the Eldhayr, again. And that there was every chance I’d come after them for letting him down—providing I survived the massive revenge I’d attempt to visit on the demon who’d broken my pal in the first place.
