A crow called out. Another answered. We grinned wildly at each other, then burst out laughing.
“Did you see his face?” Jean asked.
“Baby otters was brilliant.” I high-fived her.
We headed back to where the cruiser was parked.
“Why didn’t you just call Than and break the binding?” Myra asked.
I shrugged. “I think Amy actually has feelings for Xtelle, and he didn’t think I’d let him into Ordinary. He needs some time to decide what’s most important to him. Love or power. I hope it’s love.”
“Aw,” Jean said, slugging me gently on the arm. “You old softy.”
“I know he’s a demon,” I said. “I know he’s here in a breach of Ordinary’s rules. But so was Bathin. And look how that turned out.”
Myra made a little thoughtful sound. “Not every demon is like Bathin. Amy used you to steal things and cast a spell. I don’t like that.”
“Oh, I don’t like it either. But I plan to use it to my advantage.”
“How?” Myra asked.
“I don’t know yet. I just have a gut feeling it’s good to have the counselor to the King of the Underworld on our side, if push comes to shove.”
Jean paused, and we stopped and looked at her.
“Jean?”
“No,” she said, “I’m okay. It was just a…like an echo. Not a doom twinge, but almost.”
“About the King of the Underworld?” I asked.
“I think so. I think that’s going to be a problem.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. “So there’s a reason demons close to him are suddenly looking for a place to hide out.”
Myra nodded. “War?”
“War,” I agreed.
“Great,” Jean said. “Just what we need. Ryder hasn’t even asked—”
“—for a raise,” Myra said, too suddenly and too loudly.
“What are you talking about? Why are you being weird?”
“It’s not weird,” Myra said. “He’s our longest standing reserve officer.”
“We don’t pay any of our reserve officers. It’s not in the budget.”
“We were going to talk to you about that,” Myra said. “Right, Jean? About Ryder asking her for a raise?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “That is what we were going to talk to you about. Money.”
They were lying. I just didn’t know what they were lying about. “Is this about Mithra?”
Myra tipped her head. “You mean how he’s got Ryder going every damn direction all the time?”
“Wait. You knew about that?”
