“Sorrel, you didn’t make a bargain or a promise. Harold expected you to do this because you are a good person. He’s trying to take advantage of your…”
“My what? Age? Inexperience? He’s seriously mistaken. You’re right. I didn’t make a pact or a promise. I didn’t sign anything, and there was no handshake. But I did ask him, so that might be considered as I owe him something. We didn’t talk about payment…”
Ranth ran a hand through his hair. His lips twitched like he was holding back something that wasn’t worth saying.
“Don’t do that.” I crossed my arms.
“Do what?”
“Give me the ‘I don’t know what I’m talking about’ look. I’ve banished dozens of demons, hundreds, and I’ve never needed help before, so even if you know stuff I don’t, it doesn’t give you the right to be anastragalus.” I twisted the knob, and the door opened into the hall where we’d come in. Fuming, I hiked up my skirt, then climbed the stairs two at a time. Ranth was following, but at this point, I didn’t care—even though I had to. Because if what he said was true, I had to protect him.
I turned the handle of Harold’s office, formulating the best way to explain I couldn’t get him a bone or whatever, but when I entered, my brain froze trying to catch up to what I was seeing. The office was empty except for a file box and two trash bags. I checked the number on the glass. It was the right door, but it no longer saidConsultantunderneath. Ranth was coming up the last stair.
“Is he in there?” Ranth asked, peering over my shoulder.
I shook my head.
“Ah, I figured as much.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Come on, we have work to do, and it’s obvious I now have to keep you alive until we figure out if that says what you think it does.” I pointed to his arm.
“We would be better to keep each other alive.”
“Fine. Agreed. But keep in mind this is my home base, and I’m used to dealing with whatever San Francisco can throw at me.”
Ranth’s chin rose, and I held up a hand to stop him from arguing. “Look, let’s get home so I can figure out what we’re going to do. You can ask questions later.”
I started down the stairs and at the first landing glanced up. He was following. I got to the bottom and yanked open the hall door.
The sulfuric scent of demons blasted me.
A portal was about to open in the dim light at the end of the hall. I whipped around and grabbed Ranth, then shoved him toward the entrance.
“Get out of here now. Meet me outside,” I shouted, while rummaging in one of the pouches on my belt I’d designed to hold my emergency tools.
“I need to stay and?—”
“Die? That would be a bad idea since it would kill me too. Now, back off as far away from me as you can be.”
Ranth tilted his head and glared, staring me down. I was too busy planning to deal with him. My biggest concern was why the portals kept opening. Our charm had worked from the trip to Rose’s and then down to the Marina. I assumed we were invisible to Essifers. Usually, I dealt with demons every couple of months. Two in a month would be highly unusual. Three in a day? That was apocalyptic.
I chewed on a square of raw dark chocolate, laced with ashwagandha for grounding and a hint of cayenne for extra energy, then rubbed mugwort gel into my skin for added demon protection. I had the maca root ready. When the demon came through the portal, I’d face it on the plane which interlaced with our world. Plane walking was more complicated and energy-draining but safer—in the plane, the demons couldn’t affect my mortal body.
Leveling my stance, I mentally readied for the fight. The mugwort gel enhanced my resilience when the portal shifted the air, but the critters didn’t have the same preparation. Ranth had walked down the hall, standing between me and the entrance.
Juke and I had come up with a silver poking device, which marked crashing demons so they couldn’t come back through. It was basically a folding toothpick made of silver, and the mushroom wrist bands hid them beautifully. The reason youhear about silver taking out werewolves is not because therearewerewolves; there aren’t.
Werewolves were furry demons. But silver worked on them, so did gold and platinum. They resonated at different frequencies and were a hellebore of a lot more expensive. Silver was a good choice for making rods because I could afford to break them. I tried copper, but it was less effective.
Pop.
The sound of the portal echoed in my head as if the pressure change had actually affected my eardrums. I bit down on the maca root and shifted to the plane. Two demons, of a type resembling the Essifers but bigger, phased in and looked around. How the hellebore had they found us?
I rushed them, flipping out the silver pin strapped to my left wrist. Anything I had with me in the physical world shifted to the plane.
The mugwort always made me a little woozy. I breathed through my mouth as I flicked out the second silver stick and made the keening cry that my mother had taught me. The demons replied with an ear-splitting screech that usually froze their victim, but I was immune to it. I speared the first one and slashed upwards. Its reddish-purple smoke-jaw careened off the side of the portal, and the demon dissipated. Apparently, Essifers still followed some demon rules.
One down…I gave my full attention to number two, fully aware I had no advantage this time. The demon rotated like a screw undoing itself and shot to the ceiling where it stuck like a spider. Then with a keening cry, it poured out red-purple swirls of goo. I stumbled back, but the substance spread like fire to my boots.
