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“I have to side with Cookie on this one. I’m not sure what that would’ve accomplished,” Luisca said.

“I don’t know. I was just trying to help you look like you had an edge. Shoot me, why don’t you?” Dice said.

“This is fine. Let’s go,” Cookie said.

Tiber was waiting downstairs, along with the girls, who were both staring at me with slightly skewed faces.

“Why are you dressed so weird?” Marina asked.

“I’m trying to look scary,” I said, then rubbed the top of her head.

“You still don’t look scary,” she said. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and my chest tightened. This was what was at stake. Her future. If I couldn’t pull this off, what kind of life would she have? She’d be here, hiding. Would she ever get to walk the streets of Nowhere? Or anywhere else, for that matter?

“Marina, Billie has to get going,” Luisca said.

Marina let go of my waist, then looked up at me with her big almond eyes. “Will you be home for dinner tonight?”

“Maybe not, but I’ll be back before you wake up for breakfast tomorrow.” I ruffled her hair.

Kaden stopped beside me and then nodded to the door, where Connor, Dice, and Cookie were waiting for us.

“We’ll be back soon,” I said, and then headed out the door.

We didn’t bother stacking burner doors this time. The war was almost here anyway, and I’d need all my strength for tonight’s show.

We walked into a huge outdoor market in a world called Jenupe that I’d never been to, with every kind of crazy creature weaving their way in and out of the booths. It wasn’t just one of the biggest markets—it was also where every shady deal on this side of the galaxy happened. This was the place rumors were heard and made.

“What if I kill this thing?” I said to Cookie, who was walking alongside me.

“You won’t kill it. Nothing can kill it. If Dirgon could be killed, he might be a little bit nicer instead of the churlish ass he is.”

“And you’re sure he wants to kill you?” I said.

“Positive.” She slowed down and pointed at a table with pastries. “Oh, I gotta get some of those on the way out. Don’t let me forget.”

“I don’t care about cake or donuts. I hate this plan.” This had been all Tiber and Luisca, but it had been a solid enough idea that I’d sucked it up.

“It’s an awesome plan, and I’m going to want a snack tonight. I get really cranky when I can’t have something sweet.”

“Can we just get this over with and then worry about your goodies?” I said, feeling the bones in the leather top digging into my ribs.

“Yeah, yeah. You think someone as jacked up with power as you are would be a little more laidback about this sort of thing.”

“Just figure out where he is.”

“I’mlooking.” She began humming the opening theme toGolden Girlsas she scanned the crowd. She must’ve made it through the end of theSeinfeldmarathon.

She stopped, putting her hands on her waist and doing a circle. “He’s got to be here somewhere. This is where he does all his—”

“You,” someone yelled from behind us.

“Bingo.” Cookie let out a laugh before turning around.

We both turned.

The second I spotted him, everything in me recoiled. He had to be at least fifteen feet tall as he walked toward us, his green skin looking as if it were coated in perpetual slime. He seemed like some sort of swamp monster. The smell as he neared was somehow even worse. I had to fight this creature?

“You owe me money,” he said to Cookie as he kept getting closer.