Minias had blinked into this side of reality within Trent's circle. A thin hand held his yellow cap onto his head, and his beautiful green-trimmed robe looked loose and undone. His curly hair was in disarray, and with him was the scent of burnt amber and bread hot from the oven.
The demon had his back to me, but I could see his shock when he realized where he was and spun. 'By the two worlds colliding,' he swore softly as he looked me up and down. 'After sunset and still alive? How did you manage that?'
I shrugged one shoulder as Trent took his hand from the mirror and stood. Her back hunched, Ceri whisked it away.
'You kick your dog one too many times, someone's going to call the animal protection agency,' I said, not liking the servile attitude Ceri had adopted in Minias's presence. 'Now that's an organization you don't want to piss off.'
Minias's gaze went to my friends clustered together on holy ground, then Trent—who was trying to look calm—then finally back to me. 'An audience?'
I shrugged again. 'My friends.'
Trent cleared his throat. 'This is nice, but we do have a deadline.'
My lips pressed. 'Which you just blabbed to him, Trent. Way to go.'
Trent reddened, and Ceri made a telling face. Minias, though, tugged his yellow robe tightly closed and smiled wickedly at the elf.
'I want to bargain with you,' Trent said, casually clasping his hands behind his back to hide their trembling. 'I don't want to know your name; I've asked for your presence, not summoned you; and I'm never going to call you again.'
Minias reached behind himself for the ornate wire-and-cushion chair that had appeared, tugging it closer until he could sit. 'I'll believe that when I see it.' His goat-slitted eyes shifted to me, and I forgot to breathe. 'Curiosity brought me here. I thought it might have been someone else.' His attention landed on Ceri, then slid away. 'What could you possibly want, and why in heaven and hell do you think I will help you? A putrid little elf?'
Without hesitation, Trent said, 'I want passage in and out of the ever-after for two people, and asylum while we're there. You don't touch us or tell anyone we're there.'
Minias's eyebrows rose, and he blinked slowly. 'You're going to try to kill Al?' he said softly, and I refused to look away or change my expression. There were ways to solve problems other than killing someone, but if that's what he thought we were doing, then no one would be watching the archive. Right?
In a smooth motion, the demon leaned forward. 'I can get you there, but nothing will buy my silence. Two trips in and out,' he said speculatively. 'You and Ceridwen Merriam Dulciate?'
Trent shook his head, then did a double take to look at Ceri. 'You're a Dulciate?' he stammered, and she flushed.
'It means little now,' she murmured, her attention down. Minias cleared his throat, and Trent dragged his gaze from her.
'Me and the witch,' Trent said, still glancing at Ceri.
'I suppose asking for your soul is out of the question?' the demon said, and I looked at the first of the stars starting to show. We could be here all night. But Trent seemed to have found a cavalier attitude and he turned sideways, as if not really caring whether Minias went along with this or not.
'Stanley Saladin has purchased multiple trips from a demon,' he said, his voice carrying an indolent confidence. 'Four trips through the lines is not worth my soul, and you know it.'
'Stanley Saladin bought line passages from someone trying to lull him into servitude,' Minias said. 'It was an investment, and I'm not looking for a familiar. Even if I was, I'd buy one, not bother raising one up from scratch. And what makes you think your soul is worth anything?'
Trent said nothing, calmly indifferent until Minias asked, 'What do you have that's worth your soul, Trenton Aloysius Kalamack?'
A confident smile curved over Trent. I was shocked at his attitude—he was slipping into this demon- bargaining mode far too easily—but Ceri didn't seem surprised. A businessman is a businessman.
'Good.' Trent patted his front for a nonexistent pen. 'I'm glad we can talk. I'd like to finish this cleanly, without any marks to be settled at a future date.'
Minias's eyes narrowed, and I blanched. 'No,' he said firmly. 'I want a mark. I like the idea of you owing me.'
Trent's face went tight. 'I can give you the secret of Morgan's parentage—'
My breath hissed in. 'You son of a bitch!' I shouted, leaping for him.
'Rachel!' Ceri cried, and I smacked into a front fall when she tripped me.
I scrambled up. My respect for her, not her small hand on my arm, held me back. 'That's mine!' I shouted. 'You can't buy a trip into the ever-after with my secrets!'
Minias glanced between us. 'Add a minor demon mark, and you have your curses.'
'Make it settled at my discretion, not yours,' Trent haggled, and I jerked from Ceri's grip.
'You son of a bitch!' I yelled, getting in his face. The man had the gall to make an innocent face at me, and losing it, I shoved him into Ceri's outer circle.
He stumbled back, hitting it as if it were a wall. There was a shout of protest, and Quen's toes were suddenly edging near the salt ring. He was ticked, and Ivy was behind him, her lips pressed into a thin line, ready to take Quen down if he somehow got through the sheet of ever-after.
'You sorry little pissant!' I shouted, standing over Trent in his little black jumpsuit with my borrowed duster edging his legs. 'You pay for my trip with information about me? I could have done that myself! I only agreed to protect you because you were paying my way!'
'Rachel.' Ceri was trying to soothe me, but I'd have none of it. I reached to grab his lapels, and he rolled to his feet. It was fast, and I tried to hide my surprise.
'I'll accept that deal,' Minias said, and I almost screamed.
'Done!' Trent shouted, and Minias grinned. 'Back off, Morgan, or I'm taking Ceri with me instead, and you get nothing!'
Seething, I glanced at Ceri. He wouldn't dare. He wouldn't dare ask Ceri to go. I saw her fear, hating Trent all the more for threatening her like that. She'd go if I didn't, if only to try to help her species. 'You are foul, Trent,' I said as I backed from him. 'This isn't over. When we're done here, we're going to talk.'
'Don't threaten me,' he said, and my blood seemed to burn under my skin. I looked at my mother, shocked to see her being held back by Keasley. Her color was high and she looked one hundred percent pissed. If I didn't make it back, she would make sure Trent would be sorry he had ever put me, and now Takata, in danger. If Trent talked, demons would be coming after him, too.
'Interesting,' Minias said, and I spun back to him. 'Rachel Mariana Morgan protecting Trenton Aloysius Kalamack? Trenton Aloysius Kalamack paying Rachel Mariana Morgan's way? This isn't a suicide run to kill Al. What, by the two worlds, are you doing?'
I pulled back to the edge of the circle until it buzzed a harsh warning. Shit, I hadn't realized I had telegraphed so much of our intent. Jaw clenched, I glared at Trent. 'Get your cookie-ass in there and get your mark so we can get out of here,' I demanded, and Trent blanched. A moment of satisfaction colored my anger, and I made an ugly face. 'Yeah,' I said bitterly. 'You're going to wear his mark, and you're going to have to trust that he doesn't just change his mind and cart you off once you're in there with him.'
Ceri frowned. 'That's rude, Rachel,' she said. 'He's bound by law to leave Trenton alone for the duration.'
'Just like Al's not supposed to hurt me or my family,' I muttered as I backed away from Minias. My legs were shaking from adrenaline as I gestured to Trent to cross over the middle, uninvoked circle and get on with it. The elf got up, brushed himself off, and, with his thin lips pressed tightly, walked over the chalked line with his chin high.
Ceri knelt to touch the line, and a circle of black rose between us and Minias. For a moment, there were three circles, Ceri holding the outer two and Trent holding the innermost one. Then Trent touched his and it fell to put himself and Minias breathing the same air.
Minias smiled, and Trent went ashen. My own heart pounded in the memory of Al doing the same thing to me. Crap, was I trying to feel better about myself by dragging those I envied down to where I was?
