Page 109 of Cold Curses

“Because it was time.”

He tilted his head at me, and although I couldn’t feel his magic, I knew he was using it. Partly to search me for the thing he thought I had, and partly to hide his magic. He’d done it before. Had he been the reason I couldn’t feel the demon’s magic? If so, what kind of game was he playing?

“Time for what?” I asked.

“For a change in Chicago.”

Goose bumps rose on my arms as he dropped that curtain, and magic filled the air. And I couldn’t distinguish between the earthy potency of his elfish magic and the peppery bite of the sorcery I’d never seen him use. And over it all, the sourness of demon magic.

Instinctively, I looked around, thinking the power was spilling from a hoard nearby. But we were alone.

“What have you done?” I quietly asked. “Did you make a deal with them?” A nearly literal deal with the devil.

“I didn’t need a deal with them. I used them, because that’s why they exist: to be used by someone more powerful.”

“Are you working for the upstart?”

He blinked. “What?”

“Dante’s competitor. The demon who hurt you, it was trying to take over Chicago. Was that your client?”

“That’s what he calls her?” Black muttered. “I didn’t know that.” Then he settled his gaze on me again. “None of you get it.”

“Because you’ve been refusing to talk,” I pointed out. “So, enlighten me.”

“I broke the cornerstone. I opened the door for the demons, because it was time I got mine. Dante was worthless. A thug who thought he was entitled to the triangle.” He put a hand on his chest. “My triangle.”

“Triangle,” I murmured, and thought of the symbol Claudia had made with her fingers. “You’re talking about Chicago? Because the ley lines cross here?”

“What else?”

I stared at him. “You’re sayingyouwere Dante’s competitor? You’re the upstart?”

He pulled out his screen, swiped fingers across it. And a woman’s voice filled the air.This is my city, my turf. I claimed it first. If you want to fight, we will. But I have powerful friends.

While I stared at him, he turned his screen off, put it away. “Deepfake,” he said. “Very easy to set up.”

“You killed the demons at the empty lot. And you sent us the address because…” He waited while I thought it through.“Because you found the note from Dante and wanted us to know he’d killed Buckley. And think he’d killed the demons.”

“They were uncooperative” was all he said about the many dead.

“Why so secretive? Why not show Dante who you were?”

“The time wasn’t right,” he said cryptically.

That one took me a second. “Because he was more powerful than you,” I said. “Because you aren’t a demon, and you knew he wouldn’t agree to you being in charge.”

He rushed me, faster than I’ve ever seen a supernatural move; he pushed my blade aside, pushed me down. I hit the ground, rolled, came up, sword pointed.

This one’s on me,I told monster. Feel free to jump in if you want to play.

But as Black and I circled each other, monster stayed down. After so much indiscretion, why was it afraid now? Even if Black thought I had unusual power, he couldn’t know who or what monster was.

“It’s mine,” he said, reaching for me.

I jumped aside, barely avoiding his hand, and sliced back with my blade. He turned, grabbed the wrist of my sword arm, twisted.

The pain was hard and sharp. I hung on until tears rose, but the sword fell from my shaking fingers, hit the ground.