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I stared at the mirror, a wave of helplessness pouring over me. "Then what do we do? Where can we hide it?"
He stared at me, his face a blank slate. "Take it through Grandmother Coyote's portal. On this end, it's guarded by' Great Mother Bear and is out of the OIA's jurisdiction. From there, take the seal to Asteria, the Elfin Queen. She has the least to gain with it in her possession, and I think you can trust her. Tell no one in OIA what you know. Kill Luke, and report it as an isolated incident."
I knew it hurt him to go behind the OIA's back. I also knew that our father wouldn't order us to do something like this unless our lives depended on it.
Nodding, I sat back. "As you say, Father. Now tell us about Luke. Does he have any weaknesses?"
My father closed his eyes, and he looked tired and worn-out. "I'll tell you again what happened when I fought him, but I fear that eliminating this demon will be the hardest thing you've ever done," he said.
* * *
CHAPTER 18
By the time we signed off, we were all as weary as Father had looked. Chase was obviously shaken. He was a by-the-book cop until he'd joined the OIA, and now he was being told that his beloved new agency was corrupt and that civil war threatened to interfere with everything that he'd helped build Earthside during the past few years.
While Delilah and Chase made sandwiches for us, I filled Morio and Iris in on what was going down. We hauled Wisteria into the living room, where it was easier to keep an eye on her and yet she still wouldn't be within earshot.
Tom was another matter. He hadn't spoken much, merely humming to himself under his breath. But when he saw Maggie, his face lit up, and he asked if he could hold her. I watched as they snuggled together in the rocking chair that sat near the kitchen range. He played with her little hands, smiling as she wrapped tiny claws around one of his fingers. I wiped my eyes, feeling weary and sad. The evil we were facing threatened to overrun the Toms and Maggies of the world. It would chew them up and spit them out bleeding and raw without a second thought. And that was why we would stay and fight.
"We're going to need the cooperation of Grandmother Coyote. We need her portal to get Tom over to Otherworld." I drummed my fingers on the table, trying to think out the logistics. "Then we track down Luke and dispatch him as quickly as possible."
Morio shook his head, a worried light glimmering in his eye. "I have the feeling that Luke will be coming to us before we ever reach Grandmother Coyote's woods. For one thing, his buddy should probably have checked in with him by now, but instead he's lying dead in your living room. For another, you know that by now Luke has to have figured out that we have Tom."
"Can you sneak through to convince Grandmother Coyote to help us—to let us use her portal?" I stared at him, and images of our hot-to-trot liaison out on the mound flickered through my head. Once Trillian was back, I was going to be walking a tightrope between the two men because I really didn't want to give up either of them.
He glanced over to the counter where Delilah was putting the finishing touches on our lunch. "As soon as I eat. Meanwhile, I suggest that you cast a tracking spell to locate Luke. I'll bet you anything he's on his way here. The last thing you want is to be caught unprepared."
"Oh, that's just what we need," I said. "And if it works as well as the one I cast on the harpy, then all our troubles will be over because good ol' Luke will appear right in our living room."
Chase snorted, and Delilah laughed outright. But Morio was right, I thought. We just couldn't sit around and wait for Luke to come to us. I accepted the turkey sandwich Delilah handed me and morosely bit into it.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good for a laugh," I said. "But Morio does have a point. I'll give it a try, but we all need to be prepared, because if my spell backfires and he shows up in the living room, we need to take him down then and there. This is to the death, people."
Chase slid into the chair next to mine. "Camille, how long has this civil war thing been brewing in Y'Elestrial?"
I shrugged. "Who knows? Probably hundreds of years. Lethesanar is an opium addict; we knew that growing up."
"We should untie Wisteria," Delilah said. She had hopped onto the counter, and her long legs dangled over the edge.
"Huh? Why the hell would we do that? That bitch is dangerous." I stared at her, wondering where she'd left her brain.
"She's been tied up for several hours now. She has to be getting cramps."
Ever the compassionate heart, my sister. I sighed. Even though she meant well, it was too dangerous. "Delilah, hon, think for a moment. Wisteria tried to kill us. She's in league with the demons. She hates us. And you want us to untie her? Remember what she did to Chase."
"I'm with Camille on this one, Delilah." Chase didn't look happy about agreeing with me, either. "We can't chance it. With everything that's going down, we run a big risk if we let her loose—even for a few minutes."
Delilah glanced over at Menolly, who only had to shake her head to voice her opinion. "I understand that, but it just seems cruel, keeping her tied up without a break. Can we at least ask her if she wants some water?"
I pressed my lips together, not wanting to play the bad cop. Chase glanced at me, and I saw that he wasn't willing to, either.
Menolly swatted at a gnat. "She's no princess, Kitten. She's a bloodthirsty wood sprite who's lost her marbles," she said. "She'd as soon rip off your head as look at you."
Delilah stared at her with that wide-eyed ingenue look she had. Finally, Menolly shrugged. "Whatever, but don't blame me when something goes bad. Come on, I'll help you. We'll offer her some water, and if she moves a muscle, I'll break her neck."
"I'm not sure if I feel better or not," Delilah muttered as they rose and headed into the parlor.
Iris was at the sink, standing on a stool to wash dishes. I started to tell her not to bother, then stopped. House sprites reveled in helping those they cared for. It was part of their nature, just as being a lug had been part of Jocko's, or being sarcastic was part of Trillian's.
