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Josie whistled. “You’d let Danny Boy run the club? That’s brave.”
“Then who would take his place in hell?” I asked. “Doesn’t he lord over all those legions of demons?” I’d met Dantalion a couple months ago, and the great duke of hell was only too happy to tell me about his weighty responsibilities.
“Those details do not require your attention,” Kane said in a tone that suggested the conversation was over. “Suffice it to say, Dantalion quite enjoys his current position.”
“That’s Kane for you,” Josie said with a rare smile. “He can make death and dismemberment seem like a casual picnic by the lake.”
Kane rose from the bench. “Permit me to make a few calls.”
I waited by the piano as he paced the club floor, making one call after another. After about fifteen minutes of Josie snarling at me, he returned to the piano. “If you’ll join me at the crossroads, I’ve sourced this talisman for you.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Kane. I appreciate your willingness to get involved.”
“And I appreciate that you can bring yourself to acknowledge it instead of pretending it didn’t happen,” he replied.
“That feels like a backhanded compliment.”
“You two are exhausting,” Josie complained.
“Hold down the fort, Josephine,” Kane advised. “Once again, Miss Clay and I are on a mission to save the residents of Fairhaven. It’s becoming quite a habit, isn’t it?”
I didn’t respond.
I left my motorcycle at the club, and we walked through the woods to the crossroads.
“Ah, here he is now,” Kane said.
A cloaked figure emerged from between the trees. Wordlessly, bony fingers stretched to place an item in Kane’s open hand. Wordlessly, the figure passed back through the crossroads.
Kane held up the talisman. “I believe this is what you need.”
I stared at the small carving of the monstrous beast. It was the warped version of the baku as described in Jessie’s mythology book. I didn’t think it mattered, though.
“What’s next?” Kane asked.
I plucked the talisman from his hand. “Just watch over me and make sure I don’t die.”
He smirked. “Am I allowed to perform mouth-to-mouth should things take a turn?”
I held up a finger. “If and only if I’m on the verge of death.”
“Noted.”
I sat and leaned against the base of a large oak tree.
“Is that comfortable, Miss Clay?”
I looked at him. “I’m summoning a baku, not enjoying a spa day.”
I closed my eyes and focused on the talisman. I wasn’t sure how long it took me to fall asleep; either way, the baku was a no-show. I walked through my dreams, visiting more than one during my search for the creature. The baku apparently refused to be summoned.
I opened my eyes to see Kane’s whisky-colored eyes staring down at me with a concerned expression.
“No baku?” he asked.
“No baku.” It was odd. The talisman should have worked, unless the baku somehow knew I was on the hunt.
My phone buzzed, momentarily distracting me from my failure. My heart lodged in my throat when I saw Albert’s name on the screen.
