“You shouldn’t be able to do that,” Delaney said. “Demons aren’t allowed.”
Xtelle didn’t appear to have anything to say about that.
“Did you open the second vortex?” I asked.
“No.”
“You just happened to be there?” I didn’t buy that for a second.
“I was following you. I happened to be there because you happened to be there.”
“And you knew how to close it?”
“It’s a vortex to the Underworld. The only thing that makes it different than any other vortex is it opened in Ordinary.” She rolled her eyes at my look. “Yes. I know how to close it because I have been a demon for all of my existence. I’m very good at what I do, and one vortex is like another. Happy?”
I glanced at the dragon pig. It grunted again.
“Next question,” I said.
“Boring,” Xtelle muttered.
I ignored her. “Is another vortex going to open in Ordinary?”
She paused, rocked her head to one side. I thought she was going to lie, but then her gaze slid to the dragon pig in Delaney’s arms and she frowned. “You don’t know, do you?”
I waited.
She glanced at Delaney, then back at me. “One of you must know.”
“Know what?” Delaney asked.
“You don’t!” She laughed, and there was nothing comforting in it. “Yes. There will be another vortex.”
“When? Where?”
She spread her hands. “I am not the one in possession of that knowledge.”
“Who is?” I asked.
She just shook her head.
“Go back to before,” Delaney said. “What were you surprised about? The thing you thought we knew, but don’t?”
She didn’t say anything.
“What does it have to do with the vortexes?” I asked, putting two and two together.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said blithely.
The dragon pig rumbled, a deep dragon growl I could feel in the soles of my feet.
“False,” I said. “I think I’ll find something else to contain you. Something smaller. Luckily, I have a warehouse full of things that will keep you bottled up for eons.”
“You won’t do that.”
“Why? Because I’m the nice sister?” I scoffed.
“No. Because you love him.”
