“Hi,” Katia said, glanced at Riley and then back at the lady. “You should know that there was a summoner here last night who didn’t follow the rules.”

  The woman came to a halt, all the gear still in hand. “How bad was it?” she asked.

  “Bad. He tried to break the circle. Really tried, if you know what I mean.”

  “Ah, one of those. Well, I know how to deal with them. Luckily, they’re not as powerful during the day.”

  Riley raised a skeptical eyebrow at that assumption.

  Katia’s replacement waited at the edge of the circle until she’d recited the phrase that allowed her to cross over it, providing she meant no harm to those inside. Gloria sailed right through, and while Katia rolled up the sleeping bag and tied it, the other grave watcher set up her lawn chair and umbrella. She sank down into the chair, then donned a pair of sunglasses as well as a broad-brimmed hat. She looked like she was ready to spend the day at the beach rather than in a boneyard.

  “Anything else I need to know?” she asked.

  Katia shook her head. “Just be careful. The necro was really powerful.”

  “Okay, then you’re free. Have a good day.” Her replacement pulled out a book, thumbed to a particular page and began to read. From what Katia could tell, it was an historical romance by someone named Burrowes.

  Katia carefully crossed the circle, feeling the tug as she stepped outside its protection. Riley took possession of the sleeping bag, leaving her the small cooler and her own trapping bag.

  Neither spoke until they were in the car and headed toward the heart of the city.

  “So, what really happened?” her master asked, giving her a quick glance.

  Katia took a deep breath, organizing her response. “First thing, the other necros introduced themselves. He, or she, didn’t.”

  “Not smart. They’re required by the Society to do that. Go on.”

  “He made himself look exactly like Mort’s nephew, but his voice was wrong, and he was wearing a black robe.”

  “What?” Riley blurted, jerking the wheel. Fortunately, no other car was near them at that point. “That’s not right. The Summoners Society goes ballistic if you do that.”

  “Yeah, well this necro’s glamour was really strong, and his illusions just flat out incredible. It looked like every gravestone and all the trees were attacking the circle.”

  “I’ve seen that happen. You never forget it.”

  “I sure won’t. Then he tried to get inside my head. It felt like he was using a pickaxe on my skull.”

  “How’d you fight him off?” Riley asked as she stopped the car behind a school bus.

  “I thought of Simon and our time in Hell. That necro had to stand in line to scare me like that trip did. I still have nightmares about it. I know Simon does.”

  Riley nodded, then didn’t say anything further until they reached the next stoplight. From the line of cars waiting for it to change, it wasn’t going to be quick. “How fried are you?”

  “I’m tired, but I want to know what happened last night. The magic he threw around was big time, and if he does it again, someone might get hurt.”

  “That matches what I felt. Whoever that was wanted you to panic and break the circle.” Riley looked over at her, smiling. “You showed them just how tough a trapper can be. Well done, Journeyman Breman. Well done.”

  The unexpected praise pushed back a little of Katia’s exhaustion. “What do we do about this?”

  “We tell Mort, first thing. Mostly because he’s the Summoner Advocate and because that idiot used his nephew as a head fake last night.”

  “I didn’t tell him my real name. I gave them my mom’s.”

  “Always an innovative idea. Just like demons, summoners can get into your mind easier if they use your full name. Well, except in my case.”

  Katia pulled out a bottle of water and took a long sip. When the bottle went back into her trapping bag, she just had to ask, “Why do the fiends call you Blackthorne’s Daughter instead of your real name?”

  “Because my dad gave up his soul to the Prince to keep me safe. He got it back, but that’s why.”

  What?

  Katia tried to process all that, but it was early in the morning, and she was still messed up from the attack overnight.

  “Okay,” was the best she could offer. “I’m too out of it right now, but some day I’d like to hear how all that happened.” She hesitated, then added, “If you’re okay with that.”

  “I am. You need to know my history, just like I need to know yours.”

  Of course she did. And part of that history Katia wasn’t ready to share. If ever.

  “You know one of the things I like about you?” Katia shook her head. “You’re honest even if you think it might make you look bad. Not everyone is able to do that, especially after the jerks you had to put up with in Lawrence.”

  “Some folks would call bullshit on that.”

  “Some folks are idiots.”

  She laughed because her boss had a point. “How pissed off is Summoner Alexander going to be when we tell him what happened?”

  “Majorly pissed off. I will make sure that none of that anger goes your way, not that Mort would do that anyway. The other summoners? They can be dense sometimes.”

  “Oh great. Dense people with magic. What could go wrong?”

  Riley chuckled. “You’re about to find out.” At Katia’s grimace, she added, “Summoners do steal corpses, but the ones in Atlanta know not to go there because Ozy is not someone to cross.”

  “Who?”

  “Lord Ozymandias. Not sure if that’s his real name or if he’s just a fan of Shelley’s depressing poem. He’s probably the most powerful summoner in the eastern U.S. Maybe the entire country. Anyone with a brain does not cross him.

  “His lordship made a big mistake last year, and he’s keen that nobody else is that stupid. If you summon a demon, he’ll snuff you. He’s not much nicer to those who body snatch, either.”

  “Snuff? Like kill?” A nod came her way. “So, what happens if you steal a body?”

  “Ozy pulls the magic out of you. Literally. Most go insane.”

  Holy shit. “Then why would a necro risk their life for one dead guy?”

  “That’s a really good question.”

  When they’d entered Little Five Points, it took Riley a while to find a parking place. This was Katia’s second time in this part of Atlanta. When she was fresh off the bus from Lawrence, Simon had brought her here. That day was still a blur, but she remembered the strange sensations she’d felt as they walked to the summoner’s house.

  There was significant magic in this neighborhood, but a blend of many distinct kinds, like a complex perfume. According to the exorcist, L5P, as it was called by the locals, was home for witches, necromancers, and various Pagans. Magic was a given here.

  “Don’t you have to let him know you’re coming?” Katia asked as they walked under the copper arch that led to Mort’s house. As usual that arch vibrated, which was just creepy.

  “Usually I would call ahead, but not with what happened overnight. He’ll want to hear about this as soon as possible. I didn’t want to just send him a text.”

  That made sense.

  The café on the right was open and the smell of something delightfully delicious wafted out to greet them. Katia’s stomach weighed in on that, but now was not the time. The New Age shop on the left was still closed. In the building just beyond it, the sign that had announced a new bookstore was gone. Instead, a new notice said a mini grocery would be opening soon. The name of the business: Odin’s Pantry. This was definitely L5P.

  As the walkway split into two, they headed down the left lane toward Mort’s house. When they reached a bright purple door, Riley knocked. She waited a decent interval and was about to knock again when it opened. Katia had expected to see the necro or his nephew Alex, but instead it was a thin woman with curly hair and black glasses.

  “I’m Summoner Blackthorne and we need to speak to the Summoner Advocate,” Riley said politely. This had to be one of Mort’s reanimates, and from the way she spoke, not someone her master knew.

  “He isn’t here,” the woman replied solemnly.

  “Can you tell me where to find him?”

  “He is at the Summoners Society.”

  Riley’s brow furrowed. “Okay, I’ll send him a text message. Is Alex home?”

  “No. He is with his uncle.”

  “I see. Thank you for your help.”

  Another nod and then the door slowly closed.

  “She does really well,” Riley said as they walked away. “Not all reanimates are that sharp. But then Mort is exceptionally kind to his people.”

  “I still think it’s strange.”

  “It is, but trapping demons or exorcising them is strange too. It all depends on how you look at it.”

  “Do you summon the dead?”

  “No,” Riley said, shaking her head emphatically. “Not my thing. My dad was called out of his grave, and I can’t do that to anyone else.”

  “Oh.” There was so much Katia didn’t know about her master.

  “You heard from Simon yet?” At her nod, she added, “Is he still at the monastery? It’s hard to tell from the pictures he sends me.”

  “No, he’s done his meditating with the monks thing, and now he’s hiking in North Georgia somewhere. And he’s training at a dojo. He sends me a lot of pictures of wildlife.” She sighed. “Mostly squirrels.”

  Riley chuckled. “You get squirrels, I get pictures of trees. Lots and lots of trees. I still can’t believe he’s really on vacation.”

  “He didn’t have a choice. The dude at the Vatican told him to take two weeks off. It wasn’t a suggestion.”

  “Ah, I wondered.”

  “Honestly, he needed it,” Katia admitted. “Simon’s been really tired lately.”

  “Then it’s good he’s where he is. I’ll keep smiling every time he sends me another tree.”

  “I’ll do the same with all those damned squirrels.”

  When they reached the car Riley paused to fire off a text, then tapped her foot while waiting for a reply. Katia leaned against the vehicle and yawned.

  A ping sounded. “Well, Mort is in a meeting at the Summoners Society which means the crap has already hit the fan, as my dad would say.”

  “Do I need to be there?” Katia asked, crossing her fingers. Please say no.

  “Yes, they’ll want to hear what happened.”

  “Damn,” she muttered.

  “Yeah, damn.”

  TWO

  The solemn tranquility of the monastery had given way to the majesty of the deep forest. Or so Simon Adler told himself. No matter where he was, he truly needed this sabbatical, a respite from exorcising Hellspawn even if it meant communing with trees, wildlife, and the occasional hiker.

  Simon had spent five days in prayer at the monastery, examining his life, and his soul. The monks had understood that need for silence, so he’d been left alone unless he wished to speak with someone. Though some might think such contemplation was easy, it was anything but.

  First, he’d had to shut off his chattering brain. It kept bringing up memories, some good, some unbelievably bad. Once he’d calmed it down, he’d assessed his life and relationships, his personal biases, and his job. Not all the revelations he’d received were bad. Some had been genuinely surprising.

  He had to admit that he’d made progress since his near-death experience the year before, but he had a long way to go. That was what being human was all about. He was less judgmental, which was good. He also knew that he still had blind spots, and those troubled him.

  In his personal life, Simon realized how much he’d been avoiding conflict with certain members of his family. Part of that hesitancy was to maintain familial harmony, but often it was just chickening out because he didn’t want to face the pushback. That wasn’t fair to him or the other members of his family.

  The Old Simon had often wondered if a monastic life was his calling, but the New Simon recognized that wasn’t his thing. Celibacy was a choice, and it wasn’t going to be his. He’d learned that in Ireland during last year’s sabbatical. Now he exorcised demons and was good at it. All things in balance, as they say.

  This week he was hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northern part of the state, checking out various trails, building up his stamina while chilling out. He liked hiking, but it seemed odd to be trudging along without a bunch of siblings under foot. And all the noise that went with that Herd of Adlers, as his dad called them. Like most Dad jokes, it was lame, but Simon still smiled every time he thought of it.

  The Adler clan totaled eight children, neatly divided between males and females. The last time he’d been hiking in this area it’d been with the whole family, ten of them total, plus two energetic Golden Retrievers. That meant two minivans crammed with food and gear. He’d been sixteen at that point, his eldest sister, Deanna, twenty-three, and the youngest, Misha, was still a baby. Now Dee was twenty-eight and Misha was six. Time really did fly.

  This trip it was just him, and for the first time in Simon’s life he missed being with people. He missed Katia and Riley. He could just imagine what they’d be like on this hike. He suspected Katia would love being out here in the wilderness. Riley, not so much. She was a city girl.

  But he needed time away, which was why he was doing his best to not check his emails and texts until the end of each day. It would be so easy to get sucked back into their lives and miss the whole point of why he was not exorcising demons at the moment.

  Rest, relax, reconnect. That had been his mantra since his superior at the Vatican told him he needed a sabbatical. Father Rosetti was right: Lay exorcists burned out all too quickly, and even Simon saw the warning signs in his own life.

  He hiked along savoring the fresh air and the lack of fiends trying to kill him. The kinds of things other people took for granted. But not for a lay exorcist. Which is why he’d also been attending classes at a nearby dojo, honing his skills in combat. Again, all things in balance.

  Ahead of him, poised in a tree, was a colorful bird. His sister Amy would know exactly what kind it was, but he wasn’t into that kind of thing. Since it was so pretty, Simon pulled out his phone and took a picture. He’d send it to Katia tonight. That’s what he’d done for the last few days, along with a lot of pictures of squirrels, just to mess with her head.

  She’d always send back an amusing comment, and they made him feel good. He truly missed her, though he’d yet to tell her that. They’d become friends far quicker than either of them had expected, but being sent to Hell’s living room together would do that. Katia could have easily sold him out to Lucifer to save her brother’s life, but she hadn’t. It was that courage, that inner fire, which had made her special in his eyes. Maybe someday he’d tell her that.

  A sound on the trail behind him made him turn. Then he blinked. The figure approaching him wasn’t a hiker, or a birdwatcher. This one had white wings. They weren’t out in full display, but he could see their tips just behind her shoulders. Brilliant blue eyes, somber expression. That narrowed down what this might be.

  “Divine,” Simon said. Whether it was a Fallen or one of Heaven’s crew he wasn’t sure yet.

  “Simon Michael David Adler,” the figure replied.

  It appeared as a short female with bright blue eyes, mahogany skin and long, pale blonde hair. She wore a green gown, the color of new grass, which was knotted at the waist with a piece of worn rope. Perched on a shoulder was a small tawny owl who studied him soberly.

  He’d thought he’d caught a glimpse of her before, though he hadn’t been sure until now. “You followed me from the monastery.”

  She nodded in reply. The owl swiveled its head around to check behind them. A chirp came, then it turned back toward Simon. Owls always fascinated him, this one especially.

  “You train in war while seeking peace,” the newcomer said.

  That was one way to say what he was doing at the dojo, along with all the prayer and exercise.

  “I am doing that, yes.”

  The raptor ruffled its feathers.

  “Trust your instincts, Simon Michael David Adler. Matters are in flux so you must be on your guard. There is danger for you and the ones you care about. Do not assume your eyes are lying to you.”

  Before he could reply the pair vanished, leaving behind only the trees and the hiking trail. The angel was one of Heaven’s crew as there was no bait offered to try to secure his soul.

  “Thank you, Divine. May you and your companion be safe in the Light.”

  In the distance he heard the hoot of an owl, causing him to smile.

  Instincts. Be on my guard.

  Simon gave a sigh and continued his hike. He’d always trusted his instincts, but now he would be doubly vigilant because the Divine’s warning wasn’t just for him, but also for those back home.

  † ~ ‡ ~ †

  Riley had been to the Summoners Society so often that it didn’t really register any longer. Not so with Katia, who stared at the building as if she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. And when Riley removed the long dark-blue robe from its vinyl case in the car’s trunk, and pulled it on, her journeyman’s eyebrows rose.

  “At the Trappers Guild, I’m Master Blackthorne. Here, I’m Summoner Blackthorne.” She pointed at her robe. “You always dress for the part you’re playing, wherever you are.”

  “That sorta makes sense. What are these people like?”

  “They’re like trappers. Some are nice, some are not. You’re here with me so if someone hassles you, I will get in their face, depending on the color of their robe. If the robe is darker than mine, Mort will step in. You’re good, no matter what.”