Of course I woke up to the sight of a cat’s butt right in my face. Bojangles turned around and looked at me with his crossed eyes, his little tongue lolling out of his mouth.

“Ugh.” I nudged him aside, and he flopped down and meowed, rubbing his head against my hand.

“Good morning to you, too.” A smile stretched across my face.

I completed my quick morning ritual under the watchful gazes of three cats. Since there was a carnage of ham bones on the kitchen counter, I had to assume that they’d fed themselves, probably with the help of Mayhem, the ghostly pug who followed Bree everywhere. Hams were Mayhem’s favorite, and Hans, the cook, seemed to have an endless supply of them.

Muffin, the scraggly hairless cat who sat on the counter, burped, his whiskers quivering. I laughed. I should’ve been annoyed about the mess, but I’d always wanted a pet. Our lives had been too barren before now to have one.

I gave Muffin a serious look. “Clean up after yourself.”

He meowed. Who, me? But I’m just a cat without opposable thumbs!

He even held up a paw.

“If you can run jewel heists, you can clean up your ham bones.”

Fine.

“Thank you.” I threw on a leather jacket and headed to the door. “And don’t wreck anything while I’m gone.”

Princess Snowflake III hissed, but the other two meowed their agreement.

My boots thudded on the stairs as I made my way down the tower. It was only a minute to eight, so I picked up the pace, racing through the old stone corridor and skipping down the wide, sweeping staircase.

Lachlan waited for me in the courtyard outside, the wind ruffling his dark hair. His dark eyes zeroed in on me, making me feel like a bug under glass.

But somehow, I didn’t hate it.

His attention might make me a bit nervous, but I found I wanted it. Probably because he was checking me out. From the way his gaze subtly covered my whole form, he was definitely checking me out.

The sun gleamed on him, highlighting the tightly leashed power that he possessed. His eyes glinted, almost cold, like Bree had said.

Not cold enough for me, though. He was dangerous, but I could get on board with that.

No! That was dumb and risky.

Better to play it distant and safe.

I slowed to a walk as I approached, my stomach full of flutters.

“Ready?” I asked.

He nodded.

A man of few words. I could work with that. More time for me to talk. And up close, his eyes weren’t cold. They were just blank. His face carefully controlled to show no expression.

“How are we getting to Paris?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, just held out his hand, palm forward. His magic swelled on the air, the scent of pine and the taste of caramel. I shivered at the feel of a caress, and watched as a gleaming silver light appeared in front of his palm. The light grew, becoming five feet tall and three wide. Then bigger.

“Holy fates, you can make a portal?” I demanded.

“Aye.”

I whistled. That was some rare magic. I’d never met a single Magica who could do that—and I’d even met a few gods in my day. I gave him an appreciative look.

He gestured for me to step through, so I did.

The ether sucked me in, sending me on a topsy-turvy ride through space. Darkness swirled, then the portal spit me out into the gloom of a stormy day.

Paris in the rain.

It poured from above. The sky was a tumultuous gray that suggested the only reasonable place to be was in bed. It was so dark that it appeared to be dusk.

Just our luck.

I shivered and stepped aside.

Lachlan appeared a moment later, right in the place where I’d been standing. A scowl creased his face. “Bloody hell.”

“Should have checked the weather.” I popped my leather collar up, but it didn’t do much to protect me from the cold rain.

“No need.” He waved a hand overhead, and a little clearing appeared.

The rain no longer pattered coldly on my cheeks, but it splashed into puddles just a few feet away. He’d created a clearing around us, protecting us from the rain.

“Wow. You control weather?” I asked.

“In small bits.” He gestured around. “Stopping a rainstorm around all of Paris is a bit above my pay grade, but I can handle this.”

I wiped the water from my cheeks. “Good. I like it.”

“Any idea where to go next?” His gaze studied me assessingly, waiting.

Suddenly, the bug-under-glass sensation didn’t feel so great.

I reached for my new magic, having no idea how to access or control it.

It lay dormant within me.

Was it even a new power?

I had no freaking idea. But it had quit working on me. “The spell you made packs some serious punch, right? So if there’s someone in town who keeps track of powerful new magic coming into town, they might be able to help us.”

Lachlan nodded. “If the spell actually is here, then Madame Alamedra might know.”

“Who is she?”

“A ghost at Père Lachaise.”

“The big cemetery?” Even I had heard of the massive cemetery in the middle of Paris. Mostly because it had one of the most active supernatural neighborhoods in all of Europe.

“The same. She knows all of the magical goings-on in the city, and if there’s something new here, she’ll know how to find it.”

“All right. Lead on.”

He nodded and turned, heading down the street with a quick stride. I hurried to keep up. His damned long legs were hard to match pace with, but I was determined to try, since the magical rain shield was only around him. Neither did I want to be a drag, slowing him down.

We cut through the bustling city. The streets were fairly empty, and much darker than usual, but still beautiful. I’d never been to France. I’d never been most places, unless it was to help Bree fight some bad guys.

I searched the skyline for the Eiffel Tower, but it was concealed in the clouds and rain.

“This way.” Lachlan waved for me to follow, and we turned to cross the street.

We darted in front of gleaming yellow headlights, stopping near a massive stone arch at the entrance of the cemetery.

“Whoa.” I craned my neck to look upward. “Only fancy people buried here.”

“For the most part. This is the supernatural section. Blocked from human tourists.”

“They can’t see it?”

“Precisely. And they’re directed away by other pressing matters.”

Like the Undercover Protectorate’s castle. It was a handy magic.

Lachlan walked up to the heavy iron gate that blocked our way through the arch. I followed, shuddering at the magic that raced over my skin. It stung like the bite of fire ants.

“Holy fates.” I rubbed my arms, wincing. “Supernaturals aren’t welcome either.”

“Not without invitation, no.”

I debated using my shield magic, but didn’t want to waste it. I could take a little pain.

Lachlan sucked in a deep breath, then pressed his hand to the heavy iron gate. A sizzling noise sounded, and the air around his palm seemed to smoke slightly. He winced and pushed the door open.

Holy fates, it was burning his hand.

“Go.” His voice was rough.

I darted through the gate, and he followed, shaking his hand.

The path into the cemetery stretched ahead of us, bordered on both sides by small crypts and towering trees. It seemed darker in here, and colder, as if it were nighttime.

The air crackled with protective magic, still burning my skin. I hurried forward to get past the protective barrier.

Within ten feet, the feeling faded, and I sighed.

The air exploded with motion. Figures lunged out from one of the crypts, their claws outstretched for us.

I flung out my hand, calling on my magic and blasting my shield outward.

It exploded in a flash of white, creating a barrier between us and the creatures.

“That’s handy,” Lachlan said.

Panting, I studied our attackers. There were six of them, and all looked to be in various states of decay.

“Zombies?” I asked.

“Revenants. They’re similar. They guard the cemetery from visitors without an invitation. We have to convince them to let us pass.”

“Convince?”

They hissed and clawed at my protective shield, their skin peeling off their muscles and flashes of white bone peeking through. They stank like death and decay, making my eyes water.

I shivered.

“Fight,” Lachlan said.

“Yeah, that’s about what I—”

My shield faltered and died. Panic stabbed me as the revenants lunged forward, their mouths gaping open.

Instinct took over. I called two daggers from the ether, gripping one in either hand, then flung them toward the closest revenants. They plunged into the beasts’ necks, sending them flying backward.

The creatures stumbled to the ground, but the other four leapt forward.

Lachlan drew two short swords from the ether—they were more like massive daggers, really. He sprang for the nearest revenant, crossing both blades and dragging them across the creature’s neck like scissors. The head toppled to the ground, and the body followed.

All right, then.

I drew a sword from the ether. It wasn’t my preferred weapon, but I was handy with it. I was handy with all weapons, actually.

Someone with my wimpy magic had to be.

A revenant with one eye was nearly on me, so close I could smell its fetid breath. I swung my sword, going for the neck. It sliced through cleanly, and I thanked my lucky stars I’d saved up for the expensive steel.

As the head tumbled to the ground, I kicked out and sent the body flying after it. Then I whirled and struck out at another revenant, taking his head just as quickly.

Next to me, Lachlan moved so fast that he was a blur. Revenant heads flew, and within seconds, they were all down.

He turned to me, not a hair out of place. His breathing hadn’t even changed. His gaze surveyed the three revenants at my feet. “Well done.”

“Thanks.” But I couldn’t enjoy the praise.

My shield had died.

My magic was acting up. That had to be part of the transition to Dragon God.

Please don’t notice.

“But we’d better get a move on.” He nodded at something on the ground, and I looked down.

A revenant body was crawling toward a head. “Ah crap.”

“Come on.” He waited for me to come, then followed.

“How long until they put themselves back together?”

“Not long, but they won’t be our problem at that point. We just have to get away from the gate. Once we’re out of their turf, they can’t sense us.”

“These ghosts sure are picky about who visits.”

“They like a little warning, at least.”

As soon as he said it, I swore I felt eyes on me. I peered around. Rain poured on the headstones and crypts that surrounded the path, weighing down the trees’ leaves. Puddles gleamed in the grass. A hazy mist lay heavy on the ground, but my eyes were drawn toward the trees.

I squinted, catching sight of little gleaming lights.

Eyes.

“Someone is watching us,” I murmured. I gripped my sword more tightly.

“Bats. They have ghostly masters who can see through their eyes.”

“Great.” I swallowed hard. I liked a challenge, but if all the ghosts in this cemetery decided they didn’t want us here, we’d be hard-pressed to make it out. “Can you make a portal out of here?”

“Thinking up a quick escape?”

“Maybe.”

“Unfortunately, no. This place is guarded.”

“Dang.”

Noise sounded from up above, and lights cut through the gloom. I picked up my pace, but kept my senses alert.

Soon, the graveyard came alive. It was as if we’d stepped onto a ghostly city street. All the figures were shades of transparent blue-gray, and dressed in clothes from at least three centuries. The free-standing crypts and mausoleums had their doors swung wide. I peeked inside, realizing that they’d been turned into shops and bars, restaurants and salons.

“This is amazing,” I murmured.

“Biggest ghost city in the world.”

A woman wearing a fantastically huge ball gown looked at me, and then her gaze darted to Lachlan. She smiled and gestured him closer, a come-hither look in her eyes.

I didn’t know what she thought she was going to accomplish with a guy who wasn’t a ghost, but if I were her, I’d probably try it, too.

Lachlan inclined his head politely, and kept walking. We passed by street merchants hawking their wares—ghostly clothing and food, mostly—as well as street musicians and patrolmen on ghostly horses. They looked like old-timey cops. But dead.

The patrolmen looked at us from beneath the brims of their hats, their eyes glowing a bright green.

“They’re the ones who see through the bats’ eyes?” I whispered.

“Aye.”

Lachlan raised a hand in a subtle greeting, and the patrolmen nodded.

“They know you?”

“I come here occasionally.” He stopped and ducked through the low doorway of a large mausoleum.

I followed, stepping into a raucous nightclub from the early twentieth century. Or maybe the late nineteenth. I wasn’t an expert, but the decor and clothes were old. There were chorus girls, though, the fancy French kind with the ruffled skirts that flared high as they kicked their legs toward the ceiling.

A skinny ghost with a top hat banged away at an old piano as the revelers swilled glasses of gleaming green liquid. The air of the place was jovial, but a few turned to glare at us.

“They don’t always like the living,” Lachlan murmured.

“Oh, I don’t know. Doesn’t seem so bad to be dead.”

“They’ve created something nice here, but some still want to leave.”

I could understand. I didn’t like being stuck either. I edged closer to Lachlan as we made our way toward the bar. Ghosts were tricky in a fight. Nearly impossible to destroy since they were already dead, and some of them still had their magic.

Which put us at a distinct disadvantage.

There were a few figures leaning against the bar, and Lachlan chose to approach a chorus girl. A cigarette dangled from her fingertips, and her eyes glowed with a similar light as she watched him approach.

I might as well have not existed, which was probably for the best. I lingered in the shadows, just close enough to hear, and let him get down to it.

Lachlan leaned against the bar and smiled. “Hello, Marlena.”

“Lachlan. It’s been too long. ” Her French accent was thick and her eyes hot as they traveled up and down his form.

“Far too long.”

“What do you want now?”

“Just a bit of information, love.”

I bristled at the endearment, then mentally kicked myself. Idiot. Now was not the time to get possessive over some dude I’d just met. Never was actually the appropriate time for that.

“Ah, the usual.” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “What for?”

“Decker is missing.”

Concern glinted in her eyes, and her lips softened. “What happened?”

“Abducted by someone who stole some dangerous magic from me.”

“Silly Lachlan, still crafting such deadly tricks.”

“They pay well.”

She harrumphed. “What do you need?” She shook her finger. “And I’m only helping you for Marcus’s sake, just so you’re aware.”

“I am. I need to know where Madam Alamedra is.”

“Ah, but of course. I heard that she is at the pond tonight, performing some silly spell.”

“You know they aren’t silly.”

She shrugged. “In the eye of the beholder.”

His face shifted into an expression that was almost kind. There was a hint of caring at least, something I hadn’t yet seen on his face. I watched, undeniably envious and hating myself for it, as he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.

I didn’t know if he actually moved her hand, or if she did. I’d never touched a ghost before. The mechanics of it were a mystery.

But she smiled, then shooed him away.

He joined me again, leaning low to murmur against my ear. “Ready to go?”

I shivered at the warmth of his breath. “Yep.”

I stepped away, not sure why he chose that moment to stand so close. His gaze lingered on mine just before he turned and led the way out of the bar. I followed him onto the street, my gaze darting all around the ghostly city as we walked. It was one of the most fascinating places I’d ever been, and I wanted to bring Rowan and Bree back here.

“What is Madame Alamedra?” I asked.

“She’s a seer. Ancient.”

“Perfect.” Age often equaled power.

The cemetery sloped downhill toward a pond. At the edge, fireflies danced in the rain, circling around a woman wearing a flowing cape that twirled in the wind. She was doing some kind of strange dance, and humming low in her throat. As we stepped off the path and onto the grass, she stopped dead, then turned.

Her dark eyes burned me. I flinched, but there was no getting away. She was looking into my soul.

I sure hoped she liked what she found.

“Reading the future?” Lachlan asked as we approached.

She cackled, and up close, I could see that she looked older. She’d lived a long, full life before she’d become a ghost.

“I’m dancing, you nitwit. The fireflies needed a partner, and so did I.”

I smiled.

“What are you smiling at, girlie?” she demanded.

“Um. You?”

She nodded. “All right, then.”

“We need your help, Madame Alamedra,” Lachlan said.

“Of course you do. What is it this time?”

He explained about the missing magic and his friend Decker.

Madame Alamedra sighed. “When will you stop with this dangerous magic, Lachlan?”

“Probably never.” He grinned. “I’m the only one capable of making it.”

“Perhaps it should stay unmade.”

“Impossible. But will you help us?”

She sighed. “Yes. But for a price.”

“What?”

“You will owe me a favor. A dangerous one. And you must come back and dance with me and the fireflies. You’re stealing their partner for the night, and they don’t appreciate it.”

A pained expression crossed his face. He really didn’t seem like the dancing-with-fireflies type. “That’s two favors.”

“I don’t care.”

His mouth thinned.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll dance with you and the fireflies.”

I wanted to come back here sometime, to see more of it. And I liked Madame Alamedra. Not to mention, how often did one get to dance with fireflies in a graveyard city? Not often. Hardly ever, even.

Madame Alamedra looked at me, her sharp eyes assessing. Then she nodded. “All right, then. At a time of my choosing.”

“Okay.”

“This way.” She waved her hand for us to follow, and hurried up the slope toward the path.

Lachlan joined me as we walked, leaning down to whisper, “Thank you.”

“I could tell you weren’t that keen on it. And I am.” I glanced at him.

He was shooting me an evaluating gaze, then he hurried to keep up with Madame Alamedra.

She led us to a large building at the very edge of the ghostly part of town. I could feel the magic fading as we neared the human part of the graveyard.

“Here we are.” She drifted through a large door.

Lachlan pushed it open for us, and we walked inside.

The space was pitch-black, so I raised my hand, igniting the magic in my lightstone ring. It had been a gift from my old friends the FireSouls.

The light flared, illuminating hundreds of shelves all over the walls. Bones were stacked in them, all in piles. Millions and millions of bones.

“What is this place?” I spun in a circle, taking it all in. There were some statues here and there, along with a soaring ceiling, but for the most part, it was just bones.

“The ossuary,” Lachlan said. “The cemetery gets too full, so they dig up the bodies eventually and put them here.”

“Good for my work.” Madame Alamedra cackled. “They make it easy for me!”

She raised her hands, and magic swelled on the air. It smelled of fresh bread and sounded like the tinkling of wind chimes. The bones flew off the shelf, whirling around in the air like a cyclone. I ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit by a leg bone.

Madame Alamedra continued to laugh, clearly liking her work. I stayed crouched low, and Lachlan joined me. The bones slowed, forming a pattern.

“Ah, yes.” Madame Alamedra sighed. “But of course.”

“Of course what?” I had no idea what the heck she saw in the bones. They were still just swirling in the air, totally unrecognizable in pattern.

But they kept moving and soon, the Eiffel Tower appeared. Magic made my skin prickle.

“Holy fates,” I murmured. These bones were smart.

Madame Alamedra murmured something unintelligible, then flung her hands downward. The magic on the air faded, and the bones zipped back to their places on the shelves, leaving the room silent.

Slowly, I rose.

Madame Alamedra turned, her eyes glinting. “It looks like you must borrow my crystal.”

“I promise to return it,” Lachlan said.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“The Eiffel Tower is more than just a monument,” Madame Alamedra said. “It is a magical beacon. An indicator. Because the bones revealed it just now, it means that there is new, dangerous magic in the city.” Her gaze riveted to Lachlan. “The magic you seek, perhaps.”

“And the crystal?” I asked.

“It will help focus the tower’s energy and lead you to where the magic is located. You must climb the tower and place the crystal at the top. Watch out for the guards. When the sun or moonlight strikes it, it will reveal the location of the magic.”

“Climb the Eiffel Tower.” My voice was weak. I did not like heights.

“Is that a problem?” Lachlan asked.

“Nope!” My voice definitely squeaked. “I love climbing big monuments. High into the sky.”

“Liar.” But his voice was soft. Almost tender. The corner of his mouth tugged up. I couldn’t call it a smile, but I did like it.

“Whatever. Let’s go do it.”

Madame Alamedra smiled. “Remember your vow.”

I saluted. “One dance, coming right up.”