Page 66 of Cold Sacrifice

Be right there.

They were laughing and cheerful when they walked into the parking lot carrying white bags of pastries and hot coffee, and I took a deep breath and enjoyed the sweetness of the moment.

I was almost hopeful that I’d been wrong and I couldn’t slip into the ground like some sort of master vampire.

Or master demon.

“Get us to that alley,” I told Remy, when we were all in the car with our pastries and coffee. “I’d really like to put Jolene out of her misery.”

I called Max on the way. He hadn’t found anything that might have helped with the necromancer, which put him in a really bad mood. “Joe is wanting out,” he grumbled. “He thinks you’re helpless without him.”

“Joe knows what he needs to do,” I said. “And it won’t be forever, Max.” I softened. “It won’t be forever.”

“Just be careful,” he said. “Joe wouldn’t be the same if something happened to you.”

“Are you at the office?”

“No. But, um, Kait? When he wakes up, Joe is going to need to eat. He was hungry before he went to sleep this morning, though he won’t complain. Can’t I just—”

“God, Max. I thought he would’ve taken some bottles and stocked the fridge down there. I’m going to call a friend of mine. I’ll let you know exactly when he’ll be there. I’ll ask him to bring some blood for Joe. He’ll put the box outside your door. Do you have a way of slipping some in to Joe?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Okay, good. Hang on.” I texted Sixten while I was still on the phone with Max. Sixten was much better with calls than texts, but a minute later, he returned the text.

I can be at that address at 2:00 pm exactly.

Thanks, Six.

Anything for you, sugar.

“He’ll be there at two o’clock,” I told Max. “So make sure you don’t go anywhere until you get the delivery.”

“Have I given you the idea that I’m stupid?” he asked, then ended the call.

“You’re welcome,” I muttered. I texted Rick as soon as Remy parked to let him know we were there.

He’d been inside the taped-off area around the van but came to meet us when we got to the alley. “Jared left?” he asked.

“He went to Long Shadow,” I told him.

He nodded, but the worry didn’t leave his eyes. “Are you sure you want to try going in after her, Kait?”

“I’m sure,” I said. “If I find her in there and she’s sleeping, I have a really good chance of taking her out with no complications.”

“I’m going in with her,” Zach told him.

“You can do that?” Rick asked.

“He’s done it before,” I told him, then took a deep breath and turned to walk down the alley. There was no sense putting things off.

I really didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even know what to do. Finally, after I’d stood there for a few minutes staring at the ground, I drew my demon blade. I crouched and placed my left palm against the ground, searching for the feel of the magic I’d caught earlier.

It was still there, lingering in the barest depression she’d left when she’d gone in. I didn’t hesitate. I followed my instincts and with my blade, I traced a large circle around the depression.

It began immediately to glow.

“Oh,” I whispered. “There’s our door.” And just like that, I knew how to get in. The blade would always do what I needed it to do. I stood, and just as I did, I caught what appeared to be the black shadow of wings against the wall. They were illuminated by the shine of the glowing circle, and they were mine.