By the time I stepped onto Chris’s porch, I already knew she was standing behind the door, making up her mind whether she would open it. The sweet redolence of her floral perfume wafted through the seams of the doorway. There was no heartbeat on the other side, not even the faintest hint of breath, proving a stark reminder: She’s dead. I tried to protect her, but she belongs to Demetrius now.

Swallowing my regret, I reached up and knocked on the door.

After a long wait, I felt relief lighten the tension in my neck as it seemed she was going to deny us an audience. Just as I turned from the door, it creaked open to reveal Chris. At first glance, she appeared as I remembered her, wearing her typical tight black tank top and jeans. A closer inspection revealed her toasted almond skin, once glowing, was now tainted by a deathly hue.

She stood back inside the doorway, just far enough to avoid the sunlight that reached over the threshold. She studied me with a harsh indifference before stepping aside for us to enter.

Crossing the threshold, I caught the earthy scent of Demetrius, the Master of the Northern Seethe. I tensed immediately, my wolf rushing to just beneath my skin in anticipation of violence. From his seat on the couch, he stared back at me with a dark, malignant gaze. It was our first encounter with each other since he’d stolen Chris from the retreat’s medical clinic, right from under my nose.

As we glowered at each other, each tensed for violence, I weighed the ramifications of killing him outright. He’d disobeyed me. In my home.

Chris glided toward him, scrutinizing me from over her shoulder. “What do you want?”

He rose to take a protective stance at her side. I noted the aggressiveness of his posture, his right foot slightly forward and his weight shifted onto his toes. He wants to kill me. I smirked at the thought. He appeared about to try when Chris stepped between us to address him.

“I need you to leave,” she requested.

I chaffed at the softness of her tone, the implied subservience. She’s a vampire, I reminded myself yet again. He was her maker and she owed him such subservience—which was what he’d wanted, and what she hadn’t.

Demetrius balked at the request, his lifeless black eyes fixating with a predator’s intention on mine. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“This is business,” she said soothingly, then turned to me for confirmation. “Right?”

After a brief struggle, I unclenched my jaw enough to speak, but didn’t bother to mask the disgust in my tone. “Yes. I need to ask you something.”

“It will be quick,” she promised him.

His chin rose defiantly. “Then you will not mind if I stay.”

“He will not speak to me in front of you,” she said carefully, irritation creeping into her voice.

“Then he should leave.”

I faced him squarely, fists clenched at my side. Make me.

“Please,” she said. “It is not his request, it is mine.”

The Master of the Northern Seethe seemed stymied by the request. Beneath her obvious subservience, Chris retained a semblance of her willful independence. He wasn’t used to his spawn pushing him away.

She’s not entirely gone, then, I thought, surprised.

After a moment, he reluctantly acquiesced. “I will be back in half an hour. It will be best if he is not here when I return.”

She offered her cheek to him as he leaned down to kiss her. In a grotesque demonstration of control, he lingered there, watching me with a belligerent stare. His lips brushed against her neck as his hand swept over her shoulder, tracing a delicate line down her spine to linger in the hollow of her lower back. A growl nearly escaped my lips, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. They could play their games for all I cared, but this was a show for my benefit. I’d accepted that she was gone, but to watch him flaunt his control over her galled me.

She acquiesced to his control, leaning into him as he kissed her forehead. The hint of a deadly smile brushed his lips before he vanished. She turned to me with her hands on her hips, her head slightly tilted. “What do you want, Ethan?” she demanded, impatient.

Her eyes, once brown, were as black and lifeless as Demetrius’s. The absence of a terait meant she didn’t have a problem transitioning to drinking blood for sustenance. I wondered, did she torture her food as well, like Michaela? Did Chris hunt the innocent strictly for food, or for sport?

She’s dangerous, I reminded myself. More now than ever. If the situation became violent, I needed to anticipate her newfound speed and agility. It wouldn’t pay to underestimate her.

Glancing around the large, open living room, I noted that not much about the room had changed since my last visit. Despite Chris’s newfound abilities, there was still a pistol in the desk, I was sure; another one or two under the cushions of the couch; more in the ottoman, with knives attached underneath; melee weapons and at least one shotgun in the closet. It was safe to assume the four drawers of the V-shaped television stand contained a number of threats as well, and I noted the hilt of a sword largely concealed among the umbrellas in the umbrella stand. As a human, she’d always relied on weapons out of necessity, but she was just as dangerous now without them.

“How many Tre’ases do you know of?” I asked.

“Hmm.” Her lips twisted into a sly smile. “I am sure I am not your first stop. Who did you go to first, Ann or Sean?”

“Sean,” I admitted.

“Did he know anything? Or did he just flounce around like a self-entitled twit, demanding payment upfront for information he didn’t likely have? He’s a piece of work, isn’t he? A true shyster. He considers himself to be my replacement since rumors have it that I’m dead.” She scoffed.

“Well, technically—”

“Don’t,” she hissed sharply, flashing a finger at me like a switchblade. There was no mistaking the anger in her tone. Did she blame me for her situation? Even before Demetrius had turned her, she’d thrown in her lot with the vampires, trading blood in order to gain an advantage. From a human perspective, it was understandable. Hunters were at a distinct disadvantage from their supernatural prey, which was why they usually died young. I’d tried to steer her away from Demetrius, tried to convince her to retire. She’d made her choice, but she blamed me for it. Before Demetrius, I’d denied her request for me to change her into a were-animal.

Soothed by my silence, the flash of anger dissipated. She continued, slowly pacing in front of us. “Sean is absolutely useless. More arrogant than competent.” She turned an assessing gaze on Sky. “Terait, odd magical ability, a connection with Ethos, unusual ability to stop a vampire’s reversion, and let’s not forget the connection you had with the Gem of Levage. You are a unique little wolf.”

“And?” I demanded.

Chris shrugged. “Usually an anomaly like her would have the Midwest Pack siding with others to rid us of a potential problem that could get out of hand. I guess times have changed. I always thought the fall of your pack would be something far more cataclysmic than a doe-eyed brunette.”

She strode to her desk and opened a laptop. While she worked, I noticed the floor-to-ceiling windows in the side room where she used to enjoy the sunrise were now draped with blackout curtains. As if I needed another reminder of what she was, the screen on her laptop flashed with the speed of her work, browser tabs opening and closing at a rate that tested the limits of the laptop’s processor.

I glanced at Sky, wondering if it had been wise to bring her. Did Chris blame her, as well?

“Ethan,” she said with her back to me, typing and scrolling and clicking, “you don’t need to worry. Your little anomaly has no effect on my life, and until she does, she is safe from me. But I would make sure she is never my problem.”

“Oh wow, thank you,” Sky shot back. “You mean you aren’t going to kidnap me and try to give me to the vampires to be murdered? You’re so sweet. Do you like gift baskets? I should send you a gift basket. Such largesse should be rewarded.”

I frowned, but Chris only chuckled as she worked. “So, Bambi, is it safe to assume they need this information for you?”

“It’s Skylar, and no, I am just here with Ethan.”

If she was trying to get under Chris’s skin, it didn’t work.

“I really would prefer to stay out of things like this, but I kind of feel like I owe you, Bambi.”

Sky laughed. “It’s Skylar, not Bambi. Do you really think our past—you know, the whole thing with you trying to kidnap me to give me to the vampires—will be squared by this information?”

“You don’t like me,” Chris said, stopping her work to turn and give Sky a plastic, cordial smile. “I get it. It isn’t undeserved. Now if only I could find it in me to care. Like I said, I feel like I kind of owe you. But whether or not you like me just isn’t something I can care about. It’s probably better if you don’t.”

When she was done taunting Sky, Chris wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. “This is how much this information will cost you.”

I scowled at the figure, then handed it back to her. “Try again. I asked for addresses and names, not for you to organize a meeting with them on a private island.”

“That’s what the information costs. If you aren’t willing to pay, that’s your problem. You can let yourself out.”

“You’re being unreasonable.”

Her visage contorted into sudden, hot anger. “You want reasonable from a person you chose to let die!”

I bristled at the accusation. “I didn’t have a choice!” I shouted back, tired of shouldering the blame for her choices. Had she forgotten how much she’d hated the idea of Demetrius controlling her? The Chris I remembered never wanted to become a vampire.

“You had a choice,” she growled. Her eyes followed me as I stepped closer to Sky. “It just wasn’t the choice you wanted. You can’t always have things your way!”

She slapped the paper to my chest, hard enough to push me back on my heels. If the paper tumbling to my feet was meant as a distraction, I refused to take the bait. She’s fast, I reminded myself. My eyes remained fixed on hers, my hands free and ready to counter if she acted on her anger.

“You want the information; this is how much it will cost. This isn’t a rummage sale. We aren’t going to haggle.”

“No, it is more like extortion.”

She gestured toward the door. “You are welcome to leave.”

We glared back at each other. “Do you need an apology?” I snarled. For trying to save you from Demetrius? “If you need one, I will give it to you.” I’ll give it to you for the pack, and because you might yet prove useful, once you get over yourself. “Either you take the apology or deal with it.”

I heard Sky sigh in relief beside me, but didn’t dare take my eyes from Chris as anger rippled through her expression. Vampires were quick to anger and prone to violence. She was struggling with her new nature. She’d never understand that it would be worse had I changed her into a were-animal, assuming she’d even survived the process. If her desire for revenge overwhelmed her, she was welcome to try and take it. I had no desire to end her existence, such that it was, but if she forced my hand, I wouldn’t bemoan one less vamp in the world. Demetrius could take the blame for that, for making her his slave instead of allowing her the humble human death that had been her right.

After a brief struggle, she chewed her lip. Her shoulders sank as tension left her body, but I remained on guard, wary of deception.

“Why don’t you deal with this?” she said slyly. “This is my fee for the information. Either pay it or get the hell out. If you don’t make a decision in the next minute—yes, I mean sixty seconds”—she glanced at her watch—“starting now, the price doubles.”

I released a slow hiss of breath as I drew my phone from my pocket. She was the only source of information I had, and she knew it. If money was the price of her revenge, so be it. “Is the account the same?” I asked as I opened the banking app on my phone and selected the appropriate account for extortion.

She nodded.

I bit back a protest as I tapped in the amount, then completed the transfer. “Done,” I muttered as I returned the phone to my pocket.

She turned back to her laptop. After a few key strokes and a double-click, she removed a fresh page from the printer tray, then handed it to Sky. “This one,” she said, marking a name with a pen. “If you tell him I sent you, he will be a lot more amenable.” She marked a few other names. “They will help, but there will be a price and it may not necessarily be money. And these two—well, I can’t help you on this, but I strongly advise you to leave my name out of it, or they will never talk to you and will likely try to kill you.”

She followed us to the door. “You should hope that Ann or Sean get better at their jobs, because I won’t help you or your pack again, so please don’t ask. We are done.”

Sky blurted before Chris could close the door on us, “What do you know about spirit shades?”

I tensed at the revelation. The less she knew about our objective, the better, but it was too late.

“Is that what you are looking for, Bambi?” She took the paper from Sky’s hand and circled two names, then handed it back to her. “Then you will only need to speak with them.”

Sky glanced at the page, then asked, “What do you know about protected—”

“No, Bambi.” Chris pressed a finger to Sky’s lips. “You are part of the Midwest Pack, so you have no more business here with me.” Removing her finger, she turned to me with a stern expression. “Don’t come here again. Don’t challenge my request. I mean it. That includes you, too, Bam—Skylar.”

Once on the porch, I watched her disappear behind the door as she closed it between us. Sky remained silent until we were in the BMW.

“I guess that is one source we no longer have.”

I glanced over my shoulder as I backed out of the driveway. “For now.”

“You can’t seriously believe she is going to change her mind?”

“Yes, but out of necessity. She was created by Demetrius. People will assume she has an intrinsic loyalty to him. No one will hire her again.”

I glanced once at Chris’s house in the rearview mirror as we left it behind.

“And you don’t believe that blind loyalty exists?”

“Did you see how she responded to him?” I said. “A new vampire would never do anything to displease its creator. As they age, it becomes more obligatory than compulsory. Did you sense any of that between her and Demetrius?”

“I don’t think she is capable of fealty, and displeasing people seems to be her thing.”

I smiled at the thought that there might yet be some small part of Chris still there, untamable.

“Hmm, so that is the way to your heart? A person who actively tries to displease you?” Sky speculated, then returned to studying the names on the paper. “Pardon me for considering that the behavior of an insane person.”

“She gets the job done.” I shrugged, smirking. “Whether she makes enemies or friends in the process has never been a concern. I don’t know of any job given to her that she didn’t complete.”

“The number of maimed, murdered, and betrayed that she leaves in her wake doesn’t matter?”

“It matters that she always completes the job,” I insisted, adding emphasis.

Sky sighed as she glanced at the paper. “Who do we visit first? There’s one nearby. A couple more are close—four hours away, probably.” She frowned. “One of the Tre’ases that knows about spirit shades is in Texas. Are we going to Texas?”

With any luck, that won’t be necessary. “We’ll visit the nearest one first.”

She nodded.

“When do you want to leave, tomorrow?”

She fidgeted, giving me a sideways glance. After a moment, she explained awkwardly, “I don’t want to leave until tomorrow when Kelly is better.”

If she’s better. It was entirely possible that she would never regain the use of her legs, but I wasn’t going to rob Sky of her hope. I signaled to turn toward the retreat.

“I really don’t like being chauffeured around.” She frowned, shifting in her seat. “Can we go by my house so I can pick up my car?”

I gave her a skeptical look, wondering what she was up to, but I had no reason to object. “Sure.”

A few minutes later, I pulled into her driveway. Before I even stopped the car, she blurted, “I want to go visit the Tre’ase with Josh instead of you.”

“Just because you and my brother can’t stay away from each other for longer than twenty-four hours, you will not put him in a dangerous situation. I am going with you.”

“My relationship with Josh has nothing to do with it,” she insisted. “Each time you encounter a Tre’ase, they respond poorly to you. One of them already isn’t going to be friendly, why agitate them or the situation any more by bringing you?”

The leather cover of the steering wheel squeaked in my grip as I squeezed it with both hands. “Fine, if I need to stay outside, I will, but I will be close and Josh can come as well.”

She rolled her eyes as she climbed out of the car, taking the paper with her. “Thank you, your majesty. Whatever would we have done without you granting our approval to leave the city?” She shut the door harder than necessary. I glared at her back as she strode to her front door and then went inside.

Fifteen minutes later, I watched from my vantage point as Sky backed her car out of the driveway and drove off. “Predictable,” I grumbled as I activated the tracking app on my phone, nestled it into the holder on the dash, then pulled out to follow her from a discreet distance. Had she meant what she said about wanting to take Josh with her, or was that just a ploy to get me out of the picture? Once again, she was blindly waltzing into danger.

I knew which Tre’ase she intended to visit, but hadn’t paid much attention to the address. Without the piece of paper, I was obligated to follow her, which grew increasingly difficult as we put the city behind us. Long rural roads, where a new BMW M6 stood out, made it necessary to fall back a half mile, leaving me to rely almost exclusively on the tracker.

After an hour, I began cursing at the gas gauge as the needle approached empty. The nearest station was a mile behind me, and I’d no idea how much longer the drive was. Minutes? Hours? If I was forced to divert for fuel, I could find Sky again with the tracker, but I’d be giving her a private audience with the Tre’ase. If I ignored the gauge, I risked stranding myself on the road before she reached her destination. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I watched the miles tick on the odometer. I was calculating how long I had until a decision was forced on me when I noticed on the tracker that Sky had come to a stop.

A moment later, the paved road became gravel and quickly narrowed. A little farther and Sky’s Honda Civic came into view, parked at the end of the road. She remained in her vehicle, glaring at me through her rearview mirror as I parked behind her. In front of her, the gravel continued as a path, but a barrier blocked the way, a sign stating, “Private Property.” Beyond that, the path twisted, and any view of what lay beyond was obscured by a dense forest of high grass, shrubbery, and willow trees.

I got out of my SUV, walked up to the Honda, and opened her door.

She greeted me with a sardonic cheerfulness. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I said, imitating her. “You’re so predictable it’s not even a challenge anymore.”

Her eyes rolled as she emerged from the car and started on the path, skirting the barrier. Given the slight stiffness of her walk, I assumed that she was carrying a pistol, but there was no telltale bulge beneath her thin jacket. Her arms swayed smoothly at her side, without the slight arcing curve required of a hip-holstered weapon. A waist holster, then, I decided.

I closed the Honda door with an exaggerated gesture, then jogged to join her, matching her stride. Her lips pressed into a narrow crease as she prepared for my rebuke. “Skylar,” I said, trying to check my temper, “I am only going to say this once, so I need you to listen carefully. For whatever reason, Sebastian wants you alive. I couldn’t care less if the Tre’ase rips you to pieces the moment you walk through the door. But for now, our responsibility is to keep you alive. Your behavior is making it more difficult to care whether or not we succeed. Perhaps we may find it easier if you weren’t alive.” I wrapped my fingers around her forearm and stopped her, obliging her to meet my gaze. “Do you understand me?”

She yanked her arm free, matching my anger with a hateful look. “I don’t need a babysitter, and I’m sorry you feel that I do. I need answers and I am going to do what it takes to get them. You’ve made ‘babysitting’ me your job; no one gave it to you. Either you learn to love it or quit. I hope you quit. Regarding the pack no longer caring to keep me safe or alive—big deal. If I don’t get the Aufero, I am as good as dead anyway; so you won’t have to make that decision.”

She walked faster, the gravel crunching beneath her long, belligerent strides in front of me. As we walked deeper into the woods, the forest slowly strangled the winding path, threatening to swallow it. Visibility was limited to mere feet as the overhanging foliage thickened, pressing down on us. Despite broad daylight, we were walking into a gloomy, oppressive darkness.

After a few minutes, the path ended suddenly at the door of a small, brown cottage buried beneath a canopy of interweaving tree branches that obscured the sky above. Thick foliage grew to within inches of the walls, forming a protective barrier.

Sky stopped at the bottom of the porch, licking her lips as she stared at the door. I’d expected her to walk straight up and barge in, but she was showing caution. Good. She might have a chance to survive, after all. I gently placed my hand at the small of her back, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. “I’m ready when you are.”

She smartly inventoried her weapons, revealing a Ruger LCP holstered at her waist beneath her jacket, and a sheathed knife on her right calf beneath her pant leg. I smiled approvingly, but she didn’t notice.

Finally she took in a deep breath and stepped up to the door. Her hand was raised in a fist to knock when a deep, welcoming voice spoke from the other side.

“Come in. I was wondering how long it would take for you to get to the door.”

Sky turned to me and swallowed. I nodded, walking up behind her. After a moment’s hesitation, she took in a breath, then pushed the door slowly open and stepped inside.

I’d only met two Tre’ases before. With the ability to change her appearance at will, Gloria had presented as a seemingly harmless old crone. Thaddeus, her son, had lacked that ability. As a hideous half man, half horned demon, he’d been forced to hide in the woods, much as this Tre’ase did. I’d prepared for the same disgusting sight, but found a man with broad shoulders, light brown skin, and short wavy brown hair watching us with a curious, pleased expression from the edge of the kitchen, just beyond the entryway of the small cottage. Tattoo sleeves wound up thick arms and disappeared beneath the short sleeves of his tan t-shirt.

Lavender eyes seemed to look right through us.

If he felt any unease at our presence in his home, he didn’t show it. I assumed he had the magical means to monitor anything that followed his path.

His chin turned up slightly in my direction. As he approached me, his lips bent into a curious half-smile. I wondered what it was about me that drew his attention. So did Sky. I waited, patiently annoyed, as he observed me with a disassociated gaze. Was he listening to my heartbeat? My breath? Did he sense my wolf? After an uncomfortable moment, the smile on his lips broadened. He eased out a hand to touch me, as if I might be an illusion, then changed his mind, deciding instead to slowly circle me.

I didn’t appreciate the objectification.

“Remarkable,” he whispered.

I shifted uncomfortably, clearing my throat.

“Logan?” Sky asked.

“Yes,” he answered pleasantly. “How may I help you?”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to me, gently passing his fingers between us as if he were tracing the edge of something intangible. Does he sense the dark elf magic? If Logan was a witness to my curse, he was a threat, but was he a threat I could do anything about?

He raised a palm toward my cheek, then stopped. “May I?”

My answer was immediate and unambiguous. “No.”

“Just for a moment. Please. I will be a better host if my curiosity is satisfied.”

I scowled. According to Chris, Logan was the closest and most likely source of information on her list. We needed his cooperation. If he’d sensed the dark elf magic, then the damage was already done. I’d have to assume that every Tre’ase we met could sense the magic as well.

If I declined, would he deny us the information we sought? If I accepted, would it make him more pliant, or was he just playing a game? There could be an ulterior motive to his request. There were some spells that required touch.

I glanced at Sky, who gave me an imploring look.

My eyes narrowed to discerning slits as I met his unfocused gaze. There was a harmless innocence about his curiosity, but he wasn’t harmless, I reminded myself. Finally, I decided the potential reward was worth the risk.

“Okay,” I said, a hint of harsh warning in my tone.

Logan eagerly stepped closer to me, his forehead unexpectedly inches from my chin. Anticipation and excitement played over his countenance before he finally pressed his warm palm to my skin. Something about him flashed, causing me to blink. A glamour, I realized. He was wearing a disguise, after all. Though the flash was too short to reveal his true nature, I suspected it was similar to Thaddeus’s.

He abruptly withdrew his hand from my cheek and stepped back, rubbing the tips together as if checking for damage. Once satisfied, he lowered his hand and walked into the living room. His gait was awkward, as if unfamiliar with the shape of his glamour. I suspected he’d chosen it for my benefit, but couldn’t decipher the purpose.

“Please have a seat,” he said, gesturing before he eased himself into a tuxedo chair and then casually slung his legs over one armrest. He waited patiently, listening as we crossed the room and sat together on the red couch. The rest of the cottage’s decor was equally mismatched.

Josh would be right at home here.

“Do you want something to drink?” he asked.

“No,” Sky and I said simultaneously, with her adding, “thank you.”

Logan smiled politely. “How may I help you?”

“You don’t want to know how we found you?” Sky asked.

I opened my mouth, but cut short my rebuke. Her interview skills needed refining. We were there to obtain information, not to give it. There was no point in drawing Logan’s attention to the peculiarities of our visit. Doing so could only make him uncomfortable, or inquisitive, and would get us no closer to the answers we sought.

He shrugged, unconcerned. “Very few people know I am here. The ones that do, I know and trust that they wouldn’t send harm my way. And if they did, I am confident I can protect myself.”

“Chris sent us.”

“Ah, Chris.” He smiled. “I adore her. She’s a delightful little misfit with a temper to match. It is a pleasure to watch her. How is she faring these days? Still causing trouble?”

Before I could dismiss the question and get to the point, Sky blurted, “She’s a vampire.”

“Really?” He straightened in his chair, swinging his feet to the floor in front of him. He seemed more curious than concerned, as if he were asking about the characters of his favorite television show. “How did that happen?”

“A long story,” she said. “She thought you would be able to answer some questions for me.”

“Of course,” he answered, his hands and forearms draping over the armrests as he eased back into the chair. “I will do my best. May I ask that once I answer your questions, you offer a favor to me in the future?”

I gasped reflexively as a vibrant electricity filled the room, a rush of magic that took my breath away. It took Sky’s as well. Logan grinned at our reaction. Though he sat entirely still, I saw movement on his arms. His tattoos had come to life, morphing as they slid and rolled along his skin. After a moment, they stopped. The tattoos had changed, become more archaic. Only a few of the symbols were familiar to me, not enough to comprehend the magic he’d just made available to himself.

Tre’ases loved traps hidden in bargains. Flicking my eyes to Sky, I saw the sharp intake of breath that indicated she was about to speak, but she’d no idea of the danger she was walking into. One poorly worded phrase and she might spend the rest of her life at his mercy.

“No,” I declared first. “If you answer our questions, there will be no debts, no favors. We will pay you cash if necessary, but nothing more.”

He seemed to grow suddenly bored, turning his head aside and smacking his lips in disappointment. “I don’t require your money,” he said with a reserved politeness. “Just a remembrance that I helped you when you offered nothing to me.”

I chose my words carefully. “We acknowledge the assistance, but offer nothing more.”

He sighed. “Very well.”

I felt Sky edge closer to me. In her eyes I saw the growing awareness that she’d underestimated the danger of this encounter. I gave her a reassuring smile.

Tired of waiting, Logan splayed the fingers of one hand in an impatient gesture as he inquired, “What information do you seek?”

I nodded to Sky to answer.

“Spirit shades,” she said. “What do you know about them?”

Another bored sigh from Logan. “They are nothing more than unsettled souls cursed to walk the earth without a body. Nothing special.”

“Do you know how many there are?”

“I am sure there are still spirit shades, but not nearly as many as there were in my youth. We are becoming extinct, maybe less than a thousand of us exist, and most do not live here in the States. No one really requests that we create spirit shades anymore. It is such a taxing effort that the offerings for us to do it are considerable. I assume those that do know of our abilities aren’t willing to pay the cost. Perhaps it is better that people do not request that of us. I have not created one, and I doubt that I will.”

“And why is that?” I asked.

“Except for a few humans who were made shades as punishment, it is far crueler than death for them—”

“Because of being immortal,” Sky said.

“No, because they are alive but unable to live without a body to experience life through. They usually have a problem finding hosts. No shade with great powers would consider a human because humans have nothing to offer. Most shades were killed for a reason. To give them a chance to exist again is a very unwise decision. I am sure there are many types of powerful shades: witches, elves, mages, and even demons. Of course, no one could change a vampire for obvious reasons, and your kind”—he grinned—“back then weren’t the pretty little things you are now. Then you were more animal than man: gruesome, vile creatures.” He gave a slight shiver, then stated what he felt should be obvious to anyone, “Animals cannot become shades.”

I snorted derisively. “What about the fae?” I asked, ignoring a pressing glance from Sky. Caution doesn’t require us to embrace his insults. “Are they immune to such a fate?”

Logan smiled. “It was mutually accepted that we would never help them, but of course there are some of my kind that enjoy the anarchy and destruction that only a fae can deliver.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised. “Faes?”

He laughed gently. “Yes, you all call them faes now, which is quite fitting since they are mere fractions of their ancestors, the Faerie. What this world considers fae”—he rolled his eyes—“are what I consider demi-Faerie, if not quarter-Faerie. Their mere tricks and poor execution of their pitiful little spells are just a minuscule representation of what Faeries can do. Oooh”—he gesticulated, comically mimicking the casting of a spell—“my magic can make you fall in love with me. Look at me, my magic can force truth with a kiss.” He waved off his disgust. “Whatever little spells they manage is nothing compared to those of their Faerie ancestors.”

Placing his hands over his knees, he rose and walked into the open kitchen to pour himself a coffee. When he gestured with the pot, I declined. I gave Sky a warning look, but she declined before noticing. She is learning, I thought appreciatively. Never accept anything from a Tre’ase. Anything. For them, everything was a bargain, and it was possible to unwittingly accept their terms before the terms had even been announced. Buyer beware applies to magic, as well as used cars.

The smell of French vanilla coffee steamed from a mug in Logan’s hand as he returned to his chair. “Where was I? Oh yes. Faeries, the original, were powerful beings, masters of chaos and violence. They were so powerful in strength and magic that they were feared by most in this world. No one bothered them. The only thing that stopped them was the limited number of them that existed. Too few to be the threat that they could have been. They possessed the strongest and most nearly unstoppable form of magic that I had ever seen. They had the ability to manipulate the world with the same ease with which we blink our eyes. They reproduced with one another, but their progeny were so few it was only a matter of time before they mated with humans. You want to retain power, you don’t reproduce with the weakest.... It never turns out well.” He offered us an apologetic expression. “Well, sometimes it works out. Were-animals were dreadful creatures. I still find it difficult to believe they found willing human mates. Perhaps they weren’t all willing,” he added suggestively. He seemed to be waiting for a reaction from me. Finding none, he conceded, “Or maybe they were; we all have our own little perversions. Faeries made us look like docile little peddlers of magic. No, you definitely didn’t want to make a Faerie a shade. Doing so would likely ensure your death.”

“Why?” Sky asked.

“We all like magic and power.” He smiled at me. “Even death has its appeal. That is why I am enjoying this visit so much. It can be cleansing, whether it’s yours or someone else’s, and it settles well on the palate.”

“How does creating a Faerie as a shade ensure the death of a Tre’ase?”

“You create a shade, you are linked to it indefinitely, which has its advantages. But as I stated before, usually shades were formerly powerful beings, and that craving to have possession of it again doesn’t die with the loss of their body. They are very selective of their hosts, seeking ones with the ability to use magic. They pick hosts that are weak enough that the idea of hosting them is a benefit. The longer it is hosted, the closer the bond becomes, and then one begins to wonder if the actions of the host are truly their desires or that of the hosted. I can imagine that it can become quite the dilemma. The hosted lives past the life of its host. Once the host dies, it moves on to find another one. And they will continue to live until the Tre’ase that created them dies.”

I swallowed, my worried gaze flicking to Sky. Josh had believed that Gloria had created Maya, but that wasn’t possible. Gloria was dead, but Maya still lived, still kept Sky alive. Somewhere out there, among a thousand Tre’ases scattered around the world, was a ticking time bomb. It could go off at any moment, without warning. When it did, Maya would die, and so would Sky.

She wasn’t the only one who was vulnerable.

Logan continued. “Now you see why I don’t want the hassle. What if the shade is a terror and needs to be stopped? Well, you can kill the host, but the shade lives on and will just find another body to inhabit. You kill the Tre’ase and you correct that problem.”

I heard Sky swallow her fear, even while she tried to keep a calm expression as Logan appeared to absorb her anxiety as if it were expected, as if he sensed the shade in her. He seemed to expect the same anxiety from me.

“This visit has been quite nice for me.” He rose, signaling the end of our conversation. “Please come again, under a different agreement.”

As we walked the path back toward our cars, my mind raced with a new worry. The Tre’ase that created Maya had to be found, but what could we do to protect it? If Logan was a reasonable example, the demons were too powerful to safely imprison. Even if cooperative, what was the normal life expectancy of these demons? Logan had said that creating a spirit shade required a significant investment of power, which meant Maya’s creator wasn’t young. Even if every precaution were taken to keep the demon safe, nothing could stop the normal course of its biological existence. At some point, it would die. It could die at any moment, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

I shook the thought from my mind, replacing it with another concern about Maya. If Logan’s prediction was accurate, Maya was steadily exerting greater influence on Sky. At some point, she might take control entirely. What if—

“What was that about?” Sky asked, startling me.

“What?”

“The Tre’ases, either they love you or hate you. The one that claims to have an obscure fondness for death was quite intrigued by you.”

“Make up your mind,” I snapped. “Are you concerned that they like me or dislike me?”

“I’m concerned with both. Why is one who professes an adoration for death so intrigued by you?”

“As with you, I try not to concern myself with what goes on in the mind of someone that I will never understand. It makes life simpler that way.”

So much for questions.

We walked the rest of the way in silence. Behind the wheels of our cars, a brief standoff ensued as we each waited for the other to leave first. While I thought Sky now understood the danger of dealing with a Tre’ase, I wasn’t about to give her the chance to prove me wrong. It didn’t take long before she gave up with an exaggerated sigh and drove off. I waited a minute before following her, my eyes stalking the gas gauge as I looked up the nearest gas station.