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McDunn’s words came back to me. “It’s all I could do.” That fit both possibilities. He hadn’t wanted to take my ability from me—his hesitation had made that clear. Maybe McDunn had left a seed as an act of subtle rebellion against Katashi, on the chance that more could grow from it. Like leaving one intact nerve in a spinal cord.
I restrained my hope to no more than a flicker. I didn’t know if this “seed” meant anything at all. Better to expect nothing than be crushed by the pain of disappointment.
The glimmer of true sympathy in Seretis’s eyes told me how slim my chances of recovery were. Still, I remained grateful for his sentiment, especially considering that it came from a demonic lord. Most human worries would surely seem insignificant to anyone who’d lived thousands of years and seen countless numbers of humans live and die. Seretis was a frontrunner among the lords as far as compassion and plain old empathy.
“You’re a demonic lord!” I blurted. Bryce let out a soft laugh, but Seretis merely smiled.
“To my great consternation at times, yes.”
I gave him a weak grin. “I know you jumped through the valve in search of a relaxing vacation with your best buddy here,” I punched Bryce in the shoulder, “but it so happens we could use someone with a demonic lord’s skill set. I really need the wards at my aunt’s house undone so that I can get a few things out of her library while she’s off with Katashi.”
“That, I can accomplish,” he said once he read the subtleties from me. “Though I do not have extended time here, unfortunately.” He looked around with a wistful gaze. “My world demands my presence, and your world is unkind to my kind,” he added in a light tone belied by the essence-deep weariness in his eyes.
Only Rhyzkahl, Szerain, and Mzatal had ever remained on Earth for an extended period. My gut told me it was no coincidence that they were the three who’d possessed the essence blades for millennia. “We could go to Tessa’s house right now if you think you could last a few hours,” I said with a glance to Bryce to see if he had any objections or concerns.
But Bryce appeared thrilled with the idea. “It’ll give you a chance to see a bit more of the area,” he told Seretis with undisguised eagerness. I fought down a laugh at the sudden image of those two hanging out and seeing the sights and hitting the bars. Talk about the ultimate bromance sitcom.
Seretis smiled broadly but in the next heartbeat he looked toward the front of the house. “Two have passed through your warding and approach,” he said even as the crunch of gravel in the driveway reached me.
“That’ll be Idris and Pellini,” I said. “Perfect timing since I was going to call and have them meet us over at my aunt’s house. Idris will need to deal with the valve there.” A whisper of concern passed over Bryce’s face, and I added, “I’m sure Pellini will have no problem staying here with Jill so Bryce can go with us.” No way would Bryce want to remain behind while Seretis was here for such a short visit.
Bryce let out a self-conscious chuckle. “Thanks. Should’ve known you’d understand.”
Conversation halted at the sound of running footsteps. An instant later Idris pelted around the house and toward the nexus in clear distress.
“Kara! The valve! The nexus—” His eyes widened as he registered the presence of Seretis, and he literally skidded to a halt, mouth open in an O. “Lord Seretis?! How? I don’t . . .” He trailed off, and his gaze snapped to the pond trail. “You came through the valve.” His distress deepened. “My lord, I mean no disrespect, but passing through the valve was foolish.”
“It wasn’t intentional,” I told Idris. “He was fixing an anomaly in Rhyzkahl’s realm.” I quickly explained the circumstances. Idris exhaled, nodded.
“Forgive me for the hasty judgment, my lord,” he said, though his brow remained creased with worry.
Seretis regarded Idris. “My lack of foolishness is no reassurance to you.”
“It’s not,” Idris agreed. “The cross-current flow between nodes, plus Jesral’s demon, plus the relative ease of your arrival means that Katashi has succeeded in anchoring a node. It’s what he was close to doing with the plantation node.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “He doesn’t care how much damage he causes as long as he’s one step closer to a permanent gateway between the demon realm and Earth.”
Pellini rounded the corner of the house in ground-eating strides with Sammy bouncing and barking at his side. “What the fuck happened to my dog?”
To my undying relief, Seretis stepped forward. “Sammy sustained grievous injury while defending this property against a vicious demon,” he said smoothly. “His actions were heroic, and his selfless efforts not only protected me from harm but distracted the graa enough that I could dispatch it. I was able to heal Sammy’s wounds, but my control of the potency flows in this realm is insufficient for me to stimulate the regrowth of hair. For that I offer my deepest apology.”
Pellini stopped and looked down at his dog with an expression of heart-melting pride usually reserved for a parent whose child receives the Congressional Medal of Honor. “Nah, that’s cool. Chicks dig heroes, right boy?” He ruffled the dog’s ears while Sammy leaned against him and whacked Pellini’s leg with his tail. “Thanks for saving him,” he said, emotion thickening his voice, then he looked up at Seretis with a frown. “Who are you?”
I made quick introductions and was poised to explain how a demonic lord happened to be in my backyard when Pellini locked gazes with Seretis.
“Seretis,” he murmured. “The dreamer by the sea.”
I shot Pellini a baffled look. Where in blazes had he come up with that?
Seretis went lordly-still, and even without my arcane senses I felt his aura sweep over me like a grassfire driven by a desert wind. For a whisper of an instant I was almost grateful I wasn’t subject to the full and staggering impact of the lord’s reaction. Bryce paled, and Idris’s gaze dropped to Seretis’s clenched fist. Though I couldn’t see the potency, I knew it gathered there.
Heart slamming, I stepped in front of Pellini. “What’s going on?”
Seretis took a step closer. “What more has Kadir told you?” he demanded, gaze locked on Pellini over my head. Idris eased further away, but Bryce moved in and put a hand on Seretis’s arm. Though his face remained pale, Bryce’s eyes held equal measures of worry and support for his friend.
“We’re aware of Kadir’s influence,” I said with a lift of my chin. “Pellini used to play on a valve node when he was a kid, and Kadir found him and . . . molded him.” I planted my hands on my hips. “But he’s our ally, and I trust him.”
Pellini put his hands on my shoulders then gently but firmly shifted me aside. “Look, I am who I am,” he said to Seretis. “Kadir told me the dreamer thing and more. If that’s a problem, don’t dick around. Lay it out.”
Seretis lowered his head, eyes hard on Pellini as he no doubt read the “more” from him. “I do not trust Kadir outside of a formal agreement,” he said. “You know why.” A whisper of a flush touched his cheeks. Embarrassment over whatever Pellini knew?
