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Her expression made me regret saying that.
"I'm sorry, baby," she said. "I know you've gone through hell because you're my daughter. I never intended that."
I shrugged. "Honestly, the cost-benefit ratio comes out in my favor. I get a lot of mileage out of being your daughter and only the occasional threat on my life. Even that's just in the last week or so. Which I suspect isn't coincidental."
"It's not. The Fates have always been able to keep this angel gig a secret. If that's not the case anymore, something's broken down." She paused. "Actually, lots of things have broken down. It's hell over there. No joke intended."
"The movement," I said. "It's got the demons divided, and that's rippling through everything, isn't it?"
"Not just the demons. The angels are split, too. The ascended ones, at least."
"Are they supernaturals?"
"Most, but the divide isn't along those lines. Some--former human and supernatural--think exposure is the best thing for everyone. Others, like me, think it'll be a catastrophe. So it's chaos, with the Fates and everyone else trying to keep order and doing a damned poor job of it. Balaam has had imps and demi-demons out for weeks, scouring the dimensions trying to find me. I've been slaughtering them left and right. But a full-blood angel saw me talking to one. Next thing you know, the rumor's circulating that I'm a double agent for Balaam, which is what a lot of them believe anyway."
I remembered what Kimerion said. "They think you helped Leah escape, don't they?"
Jaime sat up. "Seriously? Oh, yes, you freed the bitch who tried to kill Paige so she could go back to earth and give it another shot. Maybe take your daughter out, too."
"According to their theory, I wasn't really all that upset about what Leah did with Paige. Considering Leah was working for Kristof, I probably had a hand in it so he could get custody of Savannah easier. Later, I came to feel a little bad about Leah getting a raw deal. So I agreed to free her for Balaam, to help this liberation movement, with her promise that she'd stay away from Savannah. When she reneged on the deal, I dragged her back to her hell dimension before she could tattle."
"They believe that?" I said.
/> "In the angel corps, the ascendeds keep tallies of souls retrieved. Like notches on our swords. Trsiel"--she glanced at me--"my partner, keeps another tally for me. Enemies made. By this point, the lists are about equal. And I'm very, very good at my job."
She pulled her feet up to sit cross-legged on the bed. "The Fates know it's bullshit. But an angel was involved with Leah's escape. They know that, too. So they put me on the case, also knowing I'm pissed off and eager to clear my name. All this means that there are multiple reasons why this sorcerer might have brought me over. Maybe he wanted an angel for the fight. Or he wanted an angel for a hostage. Or he wanted Balaam's daughter. Or I was getting too close to finding out who freed Leah. Main point for now? He did bring me over. We need to find out who this guy was, which isn't going to be--"
I held up a wallet. "Dead sorcerer guy's wallet, complete with ID."
My mother smiled. "Smart girl."
"I'm a licensed PI, Mom, even if I do spend more time behind the reception desk than in the field."
"All right then," Mom said. "You and I can take showers, and then we'll hit the road. Jaime? You just keep on resting. You don't need to wash that blood out of your hair. It's red anyway. And I'm pretty sure that isn't puke--"
Jaime was in the bathroom, slamming the door, before she finished.
Mom grabbed the motel stationery and started writing. As soon as the shower started, she set the paper on the nightstand, got off the bed and slung her sword onto her back. "Let's go, baby."
"But . . ." I glanced at the bathroom door. "Oh."
"Yes, we're ditching the diva. I'd say she'll kill me later, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible, and even if it is, I'll only end up back where I was this morning."
"Someone has to--"
"Lucas has already sent a local operative. That's what I was doing with her phone earlier--texting the motel address to him. Now come on."
"Just a sec."
"We can't--" She began.
I grabbed Jaime's cell phone. "We may need this."
Mom smiled. "That's my girl."
The Cabal operative was due to arrive in five minutes. We were to meet him at the corner, where we could keep an eye on the motel until he arrived.
We didn't speak until we got there. Then Mom said, "I don't like tricking her either, Savannah."
