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Allegra comes back with a salve that smells like cinnamon and roses.

“Leave him alone, Eugène,” she says, smearing the stuff on my arm. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”

“Yeah, Eugène. Can’t you see I’m hurt?”

Whatever supernatural goo Allegra puts on my arm, it cools my skin and cuts the pain immediately.

“That feels great.”

“I found it in one of Doc Kinski’s books. It smells nice too, doesn’t it?”

“Very nice. Something I could give Grandma for Christmas.”

I look over at Vidocq and he’s frowning.

“Say whatever you’re going to say,” I tell him.

“If you say that fight was unavoidable, I believe you. But what is your employer going to say?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to see him right after this.”

“Did the police see you?” says Allegra.

“No, but there were a million witnesses and I’m sure a gruesome amount of video.”

“This isn’t good,” says Vidocq.

“She was out of her mind. If I didn’t fight back she would have killed me and everyone on the boulevard. This isn’t my fault.”

“I didn’t mean that. What I meant is that if angels are free to battle in the streets, Heaven must be in extreme disarray.”

“That’s the impression I got.”

“Have you heard from your friend Samael? Or Mr. Muninn?”

“Not a word. I get the feeling they’re pretty busy. And it’s not like I can go and see them anymore.”

“You must watch yourself,” Vidocq says. “You’re in danger from Earth and the celestial realms.”

Allegra finishes with the salve and wraps my arm in gauze. She smiles.

“Maybe we should have tried some of the black milk on your arm. I bet it would have fixed you right up.”

I get up as soon as Allegra finishes wrapping me. She helps me put my coat on. I go to the counter and put the milk vial back in its box and put the box in my pocket.

“No one is trying black milk on anything anymore.”

Allegra makes a face.

“Can’t you leave us just a little? A few drops.”

“I’m not having some liquored-up angel come after you. This stuff stays with me until I know exactly what’s going on.”

Vidocq nods at Allegra.

“It’s probably for the best. Things regarding the milk seem to have moved from our world into James’s.”

“It looks that way,” she says. “What are you going to do with it?”