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Frank didn’t take the book. He wrapped his thin arms around the remains of the puff bag and clutched it to his chest. Sky gave him a look Ryder could only describe as unamused and turned his attention to Gideon. “Do you mind if he takes the rest of the bag?”
“Uh…no. No, that’s fine,” Gideon replied, his voice sounding dazed.
“Thanks.” He glanced at Frank. “I’d tell you to share, but we both know you won’t.”
Frank made one last noise and disappeared with his snack. Half a second later, the book disappeared from Sky’s lap. The witch picked up the paper plate and stuffed it into his bag along with the mustard before climbing to his feet and walking over to them.
“What was that?” Fox asked.
Sky shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks and smiled. “Underworld minion.”
Gideon gulped. “Like a demon?”
Sky’s nose and brow wrinkled. “Not quite. Underworld minions are the basis for humanity’s idea of demons, but they’re also the basis for angels. Think of the underworld as a different world next to ours. When living things here die, the souls move on to that world, sort of like how you moved from where you were living to here. It’s just that some souls, like Elizabeth, get stuck and need help.”
“Do all the minions look like Frank?” Ryder asked.
Sky chuckled. “Not even close. I use Frank a lot because he’s good at following directions, and most people don’t freak out too badly when they see him. But the underworld creatures are as varied and unique as the humans and creatures in this world. That’s why I needed Frank to bring me the directory. One of the great things about the underworld is that they keep a directory of all the creatures there and their specialties. It allowed me to find the creature that can help me lure Elizabeth on to the underworld.”
“Um…Frank…” Gideon started and stopped.
Ryder pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Frank can’t come back here anytime he wants now that he’s been to Gideon’s place, right?”
“Oh God, no!” Sky appeared horrified by the suggestion. “They have to be summoned. That was the symbol I drew on the sandwich. Frank couldn’t find his way here on his own, no matter how hard he tried. Plus, before leaving tonight, Fox and I are going to sage the fuck out of your entire place. Make sure we get rid of all this lingering dead essence. You’ll be safe, I promise.”
Gideon sighed heavily, falling into Ryder so that most of his weight was resting on him. “Sorry. I was imagining the little guy appearing suddenly and demanding chips.”
Sky grinned. “Yeah, he doesn’t understand too well why a vampire might not keep a pantry stocked with snacks, but he won’t return until you summon him. Same with the creature I’m going to call for Elizabeth.”
“Is there anything we can do to help you?” Gideon inquired.
“Nah. I’m good. Just taking a small break to catch my breath and to double-check Fox’s work.” The necromancer kneeled next to the circle Fox had drawn on the floor with the red grease pencil.
Fox crouched next to him, his grin a bit crooked. “Not bad, right? Especially since I haven’t practiced it in a few days.”
“Pencil?” Sky held out his hand toward Fox and the redheaded witch placed it in his palm. The necromancer cleaned up a few of Fox’s swirls and lines here and there. “Not too bad. I’m guessing this is Zelda’s influence on you. She apparently doesn’t go in for all the flourishes.”
“Not really. She says that wards and barriers should be neat, tidy, and quick.”
“Agreed, but don’t cut corners until you’ve had more experience. Some of those flourishes aren’t superfluous. They can prove to be the hooks that hold everything together and tighten the bonds. Sort of like the loops and hooks of Velcro.” Sky handed the pencil to Fox with a smile. “Keep it. Chalk is good, but this works on the surfaces chalk doesn’t cling to.”
“Thanks.” Fox accepted the pencil and tucked it behind his ear.
Sky stood and looked at Ryder and Gideon. “You’re both still good?”
Gideon nodded. “I’m good. This has been fascinating.”
Ryder grunted. He didn’t need to say anything else. Gideon was happy and comfortable. That was all that mattered to him.
“All right. Let’s try this.” Sky walked over to his bag and squatted. He pulled out a flat stone and several glass vials. One after another, he sprinkled some of the bottle contents on the stone and returned the containers to the bag. He mixed the concoction with his fingers.
Giving a brief nod, Sky picked up the rock with his right and took a pinch of the mixture with his left. He sprinkled it on the floor, whispering words Ryder couldn’t make out. The strange thing was that there was no sign of the stuff hitting the ground. It was as if it were evaporating in the air. Sky created a trail from the trunk to the far wall that faced the street.
The path made, he returned the stone to his bag and dusted off his hands. He stood with perfectly erect posture and slowly waved his hands in front of him as he spoke, his fingers creating complicated forms.
“Whoa…that’s beautiful,” Fox breathed.
Ryder blinked and squinted, but he caught the tiniest glimpse of gold sparks trailing through the air after each of Sky’s hand movements. When Sky was done, there was a sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead and some of his hair was damp. A new slump had invaded his shoulders. Sky might make it appear easy, but this work drained him.
