The drawn-out hum was neither a yes nor a no. “Real witches for an exorcism? Ones who areprodemon? Hmm…demonolaters aren’t common, but there’s one more in our city, as far as I know.”
“Who are they?” I asked, unsure why it mattered. I didn’t have any criteria as to what made a witch good or bad. All I knew was that I’d wasted a lot of money on New Age gibberish, when Xuân had fixed my meditation issues free of charge with no nonsense. Perhaps my bar was low, but I trusted her.
“Do you follow Priscilla Weber on socials? I think that’s her handle on every platform. Lemme double check…” Xuân’s screen blurred once more as she toggled away. After a few taps, she returned. “Thespiderqueenwitch, all one word. I think she lives downtown.”
I suppressed a chill. I didn’t like arachnids and was decidedly not thrilled by the witch she was proposing. Then again, I supposed most people felt the same way about demons.
Another glance around the car reminded me how normal everything was. Post-work traffic pressed in on the lanes, separated by faded white lines. Very human architecture loomed in the distance. Seventeen minutes remained on the GPS. Yet, I had evidence of godhood on either side of me.
“No. I don’t follow any witches,” I said, realizing I’d skipped steps one through ten when plugging into the veil, forgoing the most obvious bridges between my world and theirs.
Xuân said, “When it comes to the Left Hand Path, she’sthe best in the business. At least, for AFAB practitioners. I don’t know about you, but I don’t hang out with a lot of men.”
I wanted to agree, but my current supernatural company may have contradicted me. Instead, I asked, “Can you get her here?”
Xuân loosed a low, long whistle. “When you say urgent, you mean—”
“Name your dollar signs. I’ll send you an address right now. Please forward it to her and come within the hour to help me with my…demon problem.”
Azrames lifted his hands in a dramatic showcase of his innocence, brows lifted as he mouthed,Hey!
I waved him away. “Can you make it happen?”
For the first time, she looked completely serious. “Right now?”
“Please,” I asked. “We’re getting there in the next fifteen or so minutes. I’ll pay whatever insane ‘drop everything and sprint’ fee you have.”
“Yeah,” Xuân replied. I watched her do some mental calculations before saying, “Just let me talk to my guide real quick. I have to make sure you’re not a serial killer before I waste both of our time. Or make her very, very rich. One or the other. What’s your name again?”
“Marlow.”
I received looks from both the angel and demon in the cab, but I flipped them the bird. I’d given Xuân my name on our first meeting already. Besides, if we were about to bring her into the fold, we’d need to be able to trust her.
“Wait.” She squinted at the phone. “Are you…”
“Merit Finnegan. That’s me.”
Xuân clicked her tongue. “Should I call you back on this number?”
“Yes, please.”
“Great. I’ll let you know if we’re both on our way, or that I’ve come down with a rare and sudden flu and can neverspeak to you again. Hang tight, author person. Be right back.” She disconnected the receiver, leaving me alone to deal with the glares of a lightly amused demon.
“Anexorcism?” he repeated.
The tires sounded against the rumble strips as Kirby dared a look over their shoulder.
“It seemed like the most logical way to get them here quickly! Especially if it’s a demonolater. For now, just…focus on protecting the car, and let me handle this.”
He relaxed slightly. “I heard that part. A demonolater…all right, maybe I won’t have to kill you yet.”
“As if Caliban would let you,” I murmured, slipping Kirby’s phone into my pocket.
He sighed dramatically. “What a deeply unfair and entirely accurate wall to hide behind, you beautiful coward.” Azrames leaned toward the front seat, addressing Nia and Kirby as he asked, “We’re going to need some more immediate allies. Nia, what’s the pixie situation in your neighborhood?”
Nia stared at him unblinkingly.
“Vampires?” he tried again. “I don’t think the river’s going to have anything good. The kelpies and nøkken will have moved into more rural areas… Have you seen any goblins? You’re too far from the Appalachians for Mothman or any of the American banshees. What about—”
