Noah began to get out of thevan,but I stopped him. “Noah, we need you to stay here.”
He frowned. “Who will protect Sophie? I’m all she has.”
I warred with myself over bringing him at all. He didn’t have her powers,but I understood the need to protect so I'd let him come.I couldn’t leave him behind to let him wonder what had happened to Sophie. But I sure as hell could put my foot down and keep him outside the soon-to-be war zone.
“If Sophie gets hurt or passes out, we are going to bring her here, to you. I need you to be ready to take care of her if either of those things happen. Do you think you can do that for me?”
His expression went stiff with responsibility and pride as he nodded.
“Good, we’ll leave the keys to the van so you canstay warm and we can make a quick getaway if we need to.”
I had a hard time saying that last part. If things went south, it was unlikely any of us would be able to retreat. But I needed to give him a mission, so fudgingthe reality seemed necessary. Noah climbed into the front passenger seat so he could see better. He gave me thumbs up and a nod through the window.
Bouncing on my toes, I couldn’t stop looking at my watch. It had been fiveminutes;we couldn’t wait any longer. Phillip must have thought the same, because he let out a piercing whistle around his fingers and made the motion to mobilize the second team.We were up to bat. Travis was ready, flame thrower strapped to his back andGregory had a sword slung in a hilt on his waist.I grabbed Batman and Sophieandmoved.
The second the door shut behindus,everything had gone quiet. Too quiet. Where was the Christmas music obnoxiously blaring? The sound of my breathing and our feet clacking on the smooth tiles of the department store were too loud.The scent of fresh linens and cinnamon was a strange offset to danger prickling the hairs at the back of my neck.
Phillip had sent us in with a team of five of his guys. He was enteringthe buildingwith his teamfrom anotherspot,closer to where the Shinigamisupposedly was.Astrid was with him and hadagreed to lure the demon the way she had last night.I didn’t want to trust her, but here I was doing all kinds of things I didn’t want to do today.
Sophie’s puffy winter coat quietly chuffed as she walked. Before we went any farther, I dropped to one knee stopping our party.
“Sophie, are you absolutely sure you want to do this?”
“We don’t have time for this,” one of theagents muttered.
“You don’t send yourall-starin without a pep talk,” I shot over my shoulder.
“Take it easy, GI Joe,” Travis added, putting himself between the agent and me.
Sophie smiled at me. “It’s going to be okay.”
We resumed our trek into the mall, but I was still unsettled.
A scream broke through and then several more.Followed by a titter of laughter.
Travis stiffened as if he’d been whipped across the back. “Oh god. I hope that’s not what I think it is.”
“What is it?” I asked, my handtighteningaround Sophie’s shoulder.
Something skittered from the men’s department across to athletic ware. The agents had their guns up and ready as they spread in a formation in front of us.
I pushed Sophie behind me as I whispered. “What the fuck was that?”
“That’s a bad word,” Sophie said behind me.
I wanted to quip back that whatever had just skittered by was worse, but I didn’t want to freak her out.
Travis’s eyes scanned the department store as our team moved forward more slowly now. We made our way throughthe makeup and perfume counters. My skin itched from being exposed. This would be the perfect place for an ambush with all these places to hideand jump out from. We’d only planned on dealing with the Shinigami, not any other crap from the Stygian. Should have known better.
Travis licked his lips and finally answeredme.“TheShe.”
Before I could ask him to explain further, the soft cry of a young girl echoed through thedepartment store. “Help me.”
Gregory pulled his sword.Travistookthe flame thrower off his back, his face contorted in misery. “I really hate the She.”
Alittlegirl, a little bigger than Sophie,appeared behind the makeup counter as if she’d been standing there all along.All the guns swung around to point at her.
“Wait,” Gregory commanded. Phillip must have told his people to take Gregory’s lead because they listened.
