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She inclined her head. “We will both of us remain out of phase. The consequences will be fast.”
“I don’t suppose you know how to stop her?”
“Demons are untrustworthy, immortal, and amoral.” (Honestly, I’d have said the same things about the fae, but probably best not to voice that aloud.) “They have no care,” Claudia continued, “for that which does not serve them and them alone. And they care not what consequences their actions bring.”
That matched my experience but didn’t help us.
“Do you know her sigil?”
“I do not.” She glanced at her handmaiden, then back at me. “But beware. You cannot command by words that which will not be commanded. You must feel your way.”
I had no idea what that meant, but I wasn’t about to stay and ask questions. I practically ran out, hustling before another debt was incurred.
***
The three of them waited by the SUV on the white stone drive. I wasn’t sure which thing I should be mad about first—the fireball or the confrontation. But I could feel the fury rising up from my boots as I stalked toward them.
“Are you okay?” Connor asked.
“I’ll live,” I said, my gaze on Lulu. “We need a minute,” I said, and Connor and Alexei stepped eagerly back, giving us room.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I demanded.
“Portal magic,” she said again, as if that was the only excuse she’d needed—this woman who’d avoided the supernatural for years—to threaten some of the most powerful Sups in the city. “It was logical they’d done it.”
“No,” I said, “it waspossiblethey’d done it. But we know the demon was there—and felt her magic. Even Claudia said she only felt the demon’s magic; no one else’s.”
“She might have lied,” Lulu said, but weakly.
“And even if the fairies wanted to make Cadogan disappear,” I continued, rolling over her objection, “that would start another war in Chicago they couldn’t win. They wouldn’t do that, much less use portal magic to do it. It’s too obvious.”
Lulu opened her mouth, but closed it again, swallowing whatever sarcasm she’d intended to serve.
“You are my sister in all the ways that matter,” I said. “But I swear to god, Lulu, if you pull a stunt like this again”—I groped for an appropriate punishment—“I will tell my dad you wrecked his Mercedes.”
“That was in was theninth grade,” Lulu said, but with fear in her voice. He’d loved that car.
“Wait,” Connor called out. “That was her?”
“That was her.” We’d blamed it on the weather. “And he still talks about it.” I pointed back at the castle. “How the hell did you even get in there?”
She swallowed, made an effort to straighten her shoulders, but embarrassment or guilt still weighed them down. “I charmed the fairies.”
I just stared at her. “You charmed the fairies.”
“I’ve been here before, so I knew my way around. It was a pretty simple spell.”
“Was it now?” My voice was dry as day-old toast.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was just... I felt desperate.”
“And you didn’t trust me to do my job.”
She opened her mouth, closed it again.
I put my hands on her cheeks, waited until she met my gaze. “I’m going to get them back, and I’m going to fix it. I swear to you.” And I hoped she didn’t see my own fear that we’d run out of time first. “But we’re going to have to talk about the magic.”
“Yeah,” Lulu said. “I know.”
