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Kerry

Before we left, Rome thought to ask Mimi to look into Samuel Castle’s past.

“I’m done for the next couple of days, maybe even a whole week, but I can try after I recharge.” She smiled, but her eyes were dark with exhaustion. “Leave me a number. I’ll call with what I learn.”

I was glad he’d asked that. It made me think of someone else.

“Look into the past of a woman named Amanda Greenaway, please. She was petrified two hundred years ago, but we freed her earlier this month.”

“I’ll try.”

I nodded and started to round everyone up to leave. Getting Gigi to the subway was gonna be a pain in the butt.

Too bad we don’t have anyone with an invisibility side skill.

Then Josef groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

“I’m going to feel sick the rest of the day,” he grumbled.

“You need a new charm,” Titus told him. “I think it’s pretty clear the old one’s worn off.”

“It’s depressing. I feel like a junkie picking up his weekly fix when I walk into Margie’s every Monday.”

“At least you’re supporting the economy of a small business. Draw comfort from that.”

“I know someone who might be able to help you.” Seeing as we destroyed the Witch of Endor’s conference room, I decided I could be generous. “Chessie can make charms that last a long time. An empath looked at the one I have now and said it would last at least a year.”

Josef shoved his ball cap back enough to look me in the eye.

“Are you serious?”

Figuring showing would be more convincing than telling, I pushed my sleeve up past the dragon tattoo to show him the charm on my bicep.

“Did she brand you?” Titus raised an eyebrow.

“She thought that would make it last longer. And she can recharge it when it wears out, rather than redo the whole thing.”

“Where can I find her?” Josef demanded.

“She’s on an assignment for me right now, but I can call her, if you want.”

“I want! I want! How much does she charge?”

“I dunno. I did her a favor and this was how she repaid it.”

“I’ll do her a favor! Anything she wants. I’ll bathe her in jewels. I’ll buy her a shoe store. I’ll marry her. I don’t even care what she looks like!”

“I know you didn’t mean any disrespect,” I growled, “but she’s like a little sister to me.”

“I apologize.” He laid his hand over his heart, and I gave him a short nod. “If you can make this happen, Harker, I’ll be in your debt. Tell Little Sister to name her price. Blank check.”

“Man, you’re putting yourself all kinds of out there.” Titus grinned. “I’ll be interested to see what they ask in exchange for their markers.”

“I don’t care. You don’t know what it’s like, Ti. A year of freedom from migraines and buying charms that fail when I need them most? I’ll pay the cost, whatever it is.”

“So what do we owe you , Mimi?” Rome asked.

“Let’s see, Grandma has a rate per minute plus fees for extra details, but we got sidetracked with a few things. And I’m only an apprentice, so that knocks some off.”

Mimi stopped talking and held up fingers one by one.

“Need my fingers, too, love?” Titus teased, hugging her from behind with one hand and holding up the other with his fingers spread.

“ No .” She scowled, but leaned back against his chest. “Hmm, I’ll round down, because the information is helpful to Valhalla, too. So, let’s say seven thou and call it good. Oh, and the repair bill, whatever that comes to.”

“Seven thousand dollars?!” Mira choked.

“You want it in gold, cash, or gems?” I asked.

“Cash is fine.”

Reaching into my jacket, I took a stack of hundreds outta the inner pocket, slid off the paper wrapper, counted off thirty bills, and handed her the rest.

At the rate I’m going , I’m gonna need to dig up another loot box just for the cash, I thought as I pocketed the remaining three grand . I wonder if I should trade in some of the other stuff for money.

“Need a receipt?”

“Pfft. You’re funny.” I shook my head. “Text me the repair bill. I’m good for it.”

We exchanged numbers. Josef gave me his, too, and told me to call if we needed a healer again. He also tossed me the keys to his SUV and said to get Gigi back to our place ASAP.

“I’m not giving it to you for keeps.” He frowned when I tried to thank him. “I’ll send someone by later and swap out for one of our fleet vehicles.”

“Don’t think we’re friends or anything, Harker, but I owe you one.” Titus, looming behind Mimi, folded his arms over his chest. “And Josef and I hate those Alchemists. We only dislike you.”

“Speak for yourself, Ti.” Josef raised an eyebrow. “Harker’s growing on me. He did save my best friend, after all.”

“You can like him all you want. Doesn’t mean I have to,” Titus fired back. “Anyway, Harker, if you need help taking them down, call and the Huskarls will answer.”

#

Rome

We piled into Josef’s SUV, and Kerry drove us back to Brooklyn. I used the time to make some phone calls. We needed to pass the word along about Christopher Remington to all of our sub-teams.

And if we get any more of those, we’ll need to make a chart to keep track of everyone.

When I finished with Spin, I looked over at Kerry.

“I can’t believe you harrowed Hell.”

“I what ?”

“Means you rescued a righteous soul.” I held back a smile at his puzzled look.

“What are you gonna do with it?” Mira asked.

“I dunno. Hand it off to the wardens, I guess. Maybe they can get it to an Archangel who can take it home.”

“That’s what I’d do.” I nodded. “Not like that’s covered in school or our protocols.”

“What were you fighting when I got there?” Mira pulled her braid over her shoulder and fiddled with the end of it. “In Hell, what was that charcoal briquette thing with lava instead of blood?”

“I dunno.”

The incredulous look she gave him surprised a snort out of me.

“What?” he grumbled. “I don’t know everything.”

“What did it look like?” I asked. After she described it, I nodded. “Cherufe. Chilean volcano demon. How did you kill it, Kerry?”

“Cut its head off.” He shrugged.

“Just so you know, that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else. A sword, even one made of pure power, would melt on contact. Only Children of the Sun can freeze it, not even kill it, with a sword. And we’re a long way from Peru.” The corners of my mouth kicked up.

“What’re Children of the Sun?” He took his eyes off traffic long enough to meet mine.

“Descendants of the Incas who can trace their lineage back to royalty. I read an article a few months ago about human researchers using DNA to map patrilineal bloodlines. They’ve found a high concentration around Lake Titicaca, which is interesting because of the myth that the Incas originated there. ”

Realizing I’d gone into history-lecture mode, I clamped my lips together.

“Lake what?” Mira’s voice was full of amusement. “What-caca?”

“Never mind.”

She elbowed me in the ribs, and I gave her my meanest look.

It made her laugh.

“Tell me about Valhalla, Kerry,” I said.

“Wow. What a subtle subject change, Sir Serious.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna ignore whatever you two got going on,” Kerry said. “Never been to Valhalla, but the Huskarls manifest old-school weapons when they fight. Axes and spears and stuff.”

“Maybe we’ll get to see that if Titus and Josef can get their leader to agree to help us.”

He looked perplexed for a second, then burst out laughing.

“Sorry. I shoulda explained. You just met the leader of Valhalla’s Huskarls. He’s called the Drott . It means warlord or something like that in some ancient language.”

“I’m surprised by how young he was,” Jax spoke up from the back seat. “Titus didn’t look much more than twenty-five, although it’s always tough to guess with any nephilim after high school.”

For the third time in ten minutes, Kerry had a dumbfounded look on his face.

“Huh.” He shifted lanes and sped around a bus. “Gemma tried to explain the concept of stereotypes a few weeks ago. I think I finally get it. Yeah. That’s what this is, right? Stereotyping?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Titus isn’t the Drott .” A compact car cut us off with less than an inch between our bumpers, and he paused to blast the horn. “Josef is. Titus is his second.”

“That’s— Yeah, that’s— I mean, that’s—” Jax gave up.

“Crazy.” Mira shook her head. “That would be like Travis leading us and you as his second.”

“Not really,” I said. “A muse can send the Diabolical into a panic with one word. With a song, he can kill anything from a monstrosity down. No weapons. Just his voice.”

“Wow. Then it’s a good thing Josef’s our ally!” Her wide eyes flew up to mine.

“Yes.” I smiled. “We can always use allies.”

#

Kerry

Hank and Gina Bishop called that night with a whole lotta bad news.

Word had leaked that a Diabolical prince was plotting something major and that there was a traitor somewhere among the wardens.

More and more nephilim—in and out of the Sanctuary—were reported missing or turning up dead every day.

And what the wardens had found at City of the Future stunned the whole nephilim community.

So, of course, the Council thought it was time to pull everyone into the fold and lock the doors behind them.

“The Council plans to vote on Monday. It looks like a lockdown is a sure thing,” Hank said, “but we’re proposing a caveat that active teams can elect to continue their missions.”

“We have a solid bloc among the elders: Clem, Nathaniel Snyder, Helene Chapman, and a few others who recognize that some of our teams can’t pull out of the field so abruptly,” Gina added. “Oh, and Amanda Greenaway, too, if they decide to recognize her as an elder.”

“That’s kind of a no-brainer, isn’t it?” Jax laughed. “She’s more than two centuries old!”

“Actually, she was born five hundred and forty-nine years ago.”

“Then what’s the issue?” Rome frowned at the phone. “You only need to be three fifty to be an elder.”

“If they don’t count her petrified years, she’s a year short.”

“The Council is really that petty?” Mira snorted. “Ridiculous! A crisis is brewing and your politicians are clinging to hidebound rules?”

“Almost exactly how Helene Chapman put it.” Hank sighed. “It’s not helping that Amanda just revealed that she’s pregnant.”

“ What? ” yelped the others.

“I wondered how long she’d be able to keep it a secret,” I said.

“How did you know?” Jax whirled on me.

“Gemma told me. Kyo found it in Amanda’s memories that day we unfroze her.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Gemma said it wasn’t our secret to share.” I shrugged.

“How did Clem take the news?” Rome asked right as Gigi said, “How far along is she?”

“Five months,” Gina said.

“Not good,” Hank answered Rome. “It destroyed him all over again.”

“Why?” Mira asked. “You’d think he’d be happy—”

“He’s old , dummy.” I rolled my eyes at her. “His kid’ll never know him.”

“Timing is crucial for Firsts who want to have children.” Rome decided to go into more detail. “Too early in your life span and you’ll outlive them. Too late and you won’t have much time with them. Most Firsts feel between two and three hundred is best.”

“I can’t even think of myself living that long, never mind having enough foresight to plan out when I’m gonna have kids.” Mira shook her head.

“Anyway,” Hank said, “there’s a lot of semantics and protocol and in-fighting among the Council members right now. We’ll have to wait and see how that shakes out.”

“Regardless of what they decide about her, what are you going to do if there’s a lockdown, Kerry?” asked Gina. “If you elect to operate without sanction from the Council, you will face a penalty when you return.”

“You already know what I’m gonna do.” I looked around at the others. “But none of the rest of you need to risk your future careers. Or your lives.”

From their faces, none of them would be returning to the Sanctuary, no matter how the Council voted.

“Judging by the silence,” Hank said, “everyone’s in?”

“I’ll check with Spin and Chance, but I’m sure they will be, too,” Rome said. “None of us are willing to abandon Gemma.”

Everyone agreed, and the show of support for my girl made my heart hurt. I guess my face showed my feelings, because Gigi leaned in close.

“For you, too, Kerry. We’re here to support you as well as Gemma.”

“If the Council issues a lockdown,” Gina spoke up, “the Sanctuary wards will adjust to contain all residents, wardens and students alike. Teams in the field can retreat to the nearest outpost if they want to catch the portal back here, but it’ll be a one-way trip.”

“That means there won’t be any cavalry riding to the rescue if you get in trouble,” Hank said. “And your credit card will be cut off. Do you have enough to get by if that happens?”

“Yes,” Jax and Mira said at the same time and smirked at me.

“Gina and I want to cast our vote in your favor, so we’ll stay here until the absolute last moment,” Hank said, “but if there is a lockdown, we’ll flit out before the wards are activated and catch up with you.”

“Thanks, Hank.” My warden’s loyalty meant a lot to me.

“Still no clue on the traitor?” Rome asked.

“No,” Gina said, “but it has to be a high-level warden. Perhaps even a Council member. No one else would have enough power or influence or contacts to cover their tracks so thoroughly.”

“You two watch your backs,” Jax warned them. “If the turncoat is a Council member, the Sanctuary is no safer than here.”

“Watch your own.” Hank’s voice was grim. “Safety is an illusion right now.”

I snorted.

“It always was.”