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A scream cut him off. It came from the rear door. Before anyone could move, a familiar figure strode through the door.
"Severin," I whispered.
Sierra followed him into the room, and in each hand she held the decapitated head of a young man.
"Are these yours?" she said.
She tossed them. One hit a lawyer, and he stumbled back, clawing at his suit. The other rolled to my feet. I stepped forward, fingertips sparking.
"Oooh, Savannah, getting your powers back? Maybe you'll be useful to us after all."
"Thomas Nast," Severin said. "Lord Balaam has sent us to pass along a message. You ignored your son's pleas on his daughter's behalf. Maybe you'll listen to her other grandfather. Lord Balaam demands that you set Savannah free. Immediately."
Josef sprang to his feet. "All right. This goes too far." He turned on his father. "Do you really expect us to think a lord demon cares about this girl? His grandchild?"
"Fine, don't believe me," Sierra said. Then she grinned. "It'll be much more fun that way."
"We came to warn you," Severin said. "While I agree with my sister that it'll be more fun if you refuse, it's my job to strongly recommend you don't."
"We have to get Savannah out of here," Adam whispered across me to Sean. "Balaam is up to something."
I could see the internal struggle on Sean's face. Then a flash of something like grief, his gaze dropping as he nodded. He pushed back his chair and motioned me up.
As I stood, he took my elbow and started for the door. Adam fell in on my other side. It took a moment for anyone to notice. Then Agent Stein stood. "Where are you
going?"
"I'm taking my sister out of here," Sean said. "An angel tried to stop this sham of a trial. My father tried to stop it. Now a lord demon is trying to stop it. By allowing this to proceed without the Cortezes' involvement, the intra-Cabal agency has forfeited its role as an impartial arbiter. We do not recognize its authority. We are leaving."
"You are part of this Cabal," Josef said. "You will not--"
"I will. Or I will no longer be part of this Cabal." His gaze was fixed on his grandfather. "That's your choice."
"Don't you threaten us," Josef said.
Sean turned toward the door. Two of the three guards in our path stepped aside. The third hesitated, but made no move to stop us.
"Arrest him." Josef jabbed a finger at his bodyguards. "Go."
Thomas pushed to his feet. "No. This has gone too far. Sean--"
"He's giving you one last chance," Severin cut in. "Will you let Savannah go?"
"Never," Josef said.
Severin smiled. "I'll take that as your final word on the matter."
He walked to the middle of the room, Sierra at his side. Two of the guards pulled their guns, as if finally realizing they should do something. Then they fell to their knees, screaming, hands to their faces. Their shrieks died midnote as they collapsed, blood streaming from their eyes, their ears, their noses and mouths.
Severin's head shot back, eyes rolling back. I knew what was happening, but I told myself it couldn't be--they hadn't made the proper preparations. The last time, they'd had to draw a ritual circle and recite the incantations, and without that, they couldn't--
Severin's chin shot down. His eyes glowed bright green.
Balaam.
TWENTY-FIVE
The lord demon stopped right in front of me, and stroked warm fingers across my cheek. When Adam yanked me back, Balaam spun on him.
