“That’s one of the reasons I’m calm.”
“What is?”
“Shadows are impotent in total darkness. They lose all definition, all ability to act. In order to actually do anything to us, they’ll have to turn the lights back on. If I can see them, I can fight them.”
“’Cause you’re the most powerful Keeper in the world.”
“Yeah.”
The mall elf snorted. “Like I’m so impressed.”
“Look, you’ve got every right to be scared, but don’t take it out on me just because I’m the only one here.”
The only sound for a few long moments: the pounding of their hearts, the whisper of their breathing, the shuffle of shoes against a stone floor, the soft hiss of fingertips against a stone wall.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“I still shouldn’t have said it.”
“I’m not arguing.”
“So what’s the other reason?”
“What?”
“You said that shadows what can’t get it up is one of the reasons you’re calm. What’s the other reason?”
Diana worked “shadows what can’t get it up” back to impotent and grinned. “Just that I’ve been training for this my whole life.”
“This?”
“Yeah.”
“Your whole life?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Damn. You must’ve gone to one bitch of a nursery school.”
“Fine. Not my whole life.” Her right fingers ran out of wall. She braced her knee and reached around the corner. “Doorway.”
Kris leaned close enough to breathe a question into her ear. “Throne room?”
“With any luck.”
“Oh, yeah. And our luck has been so good.”
Reaching back, Diana stroked two fingers down the other girl’s cheek. “I’m not complaining.”
“Man, you are one cheap date.”
But she traced a smile before she took her fingers away. The silence on the other side of the doorway felt bigger, like it was filling more space. She counted thirty heartbeats, then sighed in relief. “I don’t hear anything. If we follow the wall around, we’ll eventually trip over the dais. Once I have my stuff, we’ll make a run for the access corridors. If we can get into the Emporium, I think we’ll be safe.”
“You think?”
“Jack said the big boss has never come out into the store.” Careful not to lose contact with the stone, she moved them through the doorway and along the wall of the room.
“Always a first time.”
“Here’s a thought. Why don’t you say something positive?”
“Positive?”
“Yeah, like not negative.” Diana rolled her eyes as the pause lengthened. Three steps. Four. Five…
“If memory serves, you got a wicked ass in those pants.”
Ears burning, she stumbled, recovered, and mumbled “Thank you.”
“So, about that training,” Kris prodded, sounding much happier. “Any actual experience?”
“I was with Claire when she closed Hell down the last time, I helped integrate a demon into a small town in northern Ontario, and I…”
“Hawaiian pizza!”
“That wasn’t me. And besides, what’s wrong with…”
“No! I can smell Hawaiian pizza!”
All at once, so could Diana. Spinning around, she scooped Kris’ feet out from under her and followed the mall elf to the floor.
Which was when the lights came on…
…and the Shadowlord smacked a large club against the wall right through the space they’d just vacated.
From her position half sprawled over Kris, Diana could see all four bugs and half a dozen meat-minds waiting motionless in front of the dais. Nearly motionless. One of the meat-minds was chewing in a decidedly guilty way.
Three guesses about what he’s eating, and the first two don’t count. Diana was fairly certain there were stranger things than feeling grateful to ham and pineapple in tomato sauce, but right at the moment she couldn’t think of any.
Grateful wasn’t even close to what the Shadowlord seemed to be feeling.
Pivoting away from the wall, he heaved his club at the chewing meat-mind and screamed, “I don’t care what your union says about lunch breaks!”
“Union?” Kris asked as the gnarled wood smacked meat-mind skull and the two girls scrambled to their feet.
“Otherworld Pan-dimensional Service Employees Union.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
“Yes. Run!”
* * *
“I’m glad to see you’re taking me seriously.”
Dean dropped the pillowcase into the washing machine. “How’s that?”
“I just saw you go through Dr. Rebik’s pockets.”
“And how is that taking you seriously?” he asked, reaching for the laundry detergent.
Austin jumped onto the dryer, walked over, and peered into the tub. “You’re looking for clues.”
“I’m looking for tissues.”
“To send away for forensic testing?”
“To keep from filling the washing machine with little bits of wet tissue.” He closed the lid, checked that the water temperature was on cold/cold, and started the timer. “I know I’ll be after regretting this, but what kind of clues did you think I’d find? If Meryat’s the bad guy…girl…”
“Corpse.”
Given the look he’d got at her face, that was hard to argue with. “…then isn’t Dr. Rebik the victim?”
“So?”
“So what kind of clues would he have in his pockets?”
“An amulet controlling his free will. A note written in a moment of clear-headedness begging for rescue. And maybe he’s not a victim at all; maybe he’s helping her in return for a slice of the world domination pie.”
“Maybe I should never have taped that Scooby Doo marathon for you.”
“He’s a dog,” Austin snorted, jumping down and following Dean up the basement stairs. “He’s not going to notice anything he didn’t sniff off someone’s butt. I’m telling you there was something in the bedroom last night and probably the night before!”
“Okay, let’s say there was.” Dean bent and lifted the cat up onto the kitchen counter, sanitary issues losing out over the inconvenience of holding a conversation with someone six feet closer to the floor. “But just because you sensed something, that doesn’t mean it was Meryat. It’s not like this place hasn’t had visitors before. Ghosts, imps,” he added when Austin merely scowled at him.
“I knew what you meant; I just think you’re an idiot.” Sitting down, he swept his tail regally around in front of his paws. “I talked to the mice.”
After a moment spent trying to match up the end of that declaration to the beginning, Dean surrendered. “Okay.”
“The mice,” Austin told him in a tone that suggested idiot was actually a little high on the
