Finnis’s hand hit the table and I jumped, my sudden intake of line energy flashing my hair into a static pop. “There it is!” the undead vampire said triumphantly as I frantically shoved the energy back into the line. “Admit she is twice dead so I can go home, and I will petition that your trial be fast and your jail cell pleasant.”

  “Damn it, Pike.” Lips pressed, I ran a hand over my hair to try to smooth it. “Finnis, she’s not twice dead. She’s occupied in a new hobby and doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

  But Finnis was ignoring me, focused on Pike. “I will walk away,” he said, and Pike’s lips curled up in success. “Yes, I will walk away, but only when Rachel Morgan pulls her soul charm from FSCA consideration.”

  Grimacing, I stifled the urge to smack Pike right then and there. If I pulled my soul charm, I’d lose control of the city, but that’s not why I wasn’t going to do it. I owed it to the living vampires who had supported me in the past. What Ivy and Nina had was not wrong, and I would fight for it.

  “That’s not an option,” I said. “It’s not an option!” I said again, louder and glaring at Pike until he sullenly reached for his malt, sucking a third of it down in one angry go.

  “Mmmm.” Finnis considered me, his companionable show over, his threats hidden. “Then I need to see Constance. If she is dead and you survive my grief, you will be jailed for wrongful undead termination and a new vampire will be sent to hold your . . . city.”

  “You?” I said sarcastically, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

  “Perhaps. My overwhelming sorrow will need much soothing.”

  Pike set his malt down with a thump. “I’ll arrange a meeting. It might take a while. She’s hard to pin down.”

  “The undead usually are.” Finnis’s attention returned to his tablet when it dinged. “Tuesday night, Wednesday morning. Before sunup.”

  His hard, black eyes found mine, but I didn’t move despite the obvious dismissal. Why are my choices always ones I don’t like?

  “Rachel?” Pike stood, waiting, and still I sat, frowning at Finnis, who had dropped us from his thoughts like a two-year-old forgets shoes. At least, until I reached across the table and took a crumble of cheese right off his small plate.

  “She is alive,” I said as I stood, and Finnis tracked my motion. I think he’d stopped pretending to breathe, and it gave me the creeps. “And you will leave here with nothing but a pleasant week of distraction.”

  My heart hammered as I spun and walked off. Pike’s fingers found my elbow, and I jumped, startled at a flash of heat.

  “God, woman. Why don’t you just piss in his drink?” he muttered, and a sultry sway crept into my hips as we passed the frightened people beginning to filter back. I was randy from the pheromones. My smutty aura made me feel badass. Pike’s touch was sending delicious tendrils of promise through me—even if I felt vulnerable without Jenks. Exposed.

  “You really like flirting with death, don’t you,” Pike added, and I took a deep, clean breath, snapping the last tendril of need that Finnis had instilled.

  “We walked away, didn’t we?” I said, embarrassed. “We know what he looks like now. Neither of us got our skin broken.”

  “Yeah.” He sounded disappointed, and I took a sharp left before the door, aiming for the reception desk. “Ah, what are you doing? We need to leave before he changes his mind.”

  I pressed into the counter impatiently, and the tidy Were working the desk glanced up, a bland, professional smile on her face. “Ivy Tamwood. What room is she in?” Damn it, if Jenks had been here, he could have sniffed her out.

  The woman tapped a few buttons on her keyboard, then frowned. “I’m sorry. She’s asked to not be disturbed.”

  My lips pressed. “I didn’t ask for you to call her. I asked what room she’s in. Tell me. Now. Or I will blow your entire computer system.” Finnis was making her a hostage. I knew it. Crap on toast, I hated dealing with the long undead.

  Pike leaned casually on the high counter, sideways to me. “Ah, Rachel?”

  “I cannot, I will not allow my friends to be hostages,” I said loudly . . . and then I jerked as a familiar tang of vampire incense drifted through me. Ivy?

  I turned, my expression blanking as she came out of the elevator, seeming relaxed and smart in a jacket and short skirt, tall heels clicking on the inlaid floor.

  “Wow, Ivy wasn’t kidding,” Pike said as he pushed off from the counter and gave the desk attendant a nod that we were done.

  “Kidding about what?” I was almost breathless in relief, waving like a fool to get her attention. There was only twenty feet between us. Ivy saw and changed direction.

  Pike rocked into motion as I headed forward. “How did you know she was there?”

  “I just did,” I said, not caring that he hadn’t answered my question.

  Beaming, Pike leaned into Ivy and gave her a businesslike kiss on an offered cheek. “Damn, girl,” he said appreciably. “You make flunky-to-the-undead look good.”

  Her perfect eyebrows rose, and then she turned to me, her smile fading at my lingering worry. “Are you ready? I thought Trent was coming.”

  “His business intruded.” I drew her to a halt before she could move. “And we already talked to Finnis. Are you okay? I thought he’d made you a hostage.” I took my hand back before she could feel it shake, but I figured she knew how upset I was. The meeting hadn’t gone badly, but it could have been better. I’d forgotten how seductive the old ones were. Ivy had experience saying no, but sometimes she didn’t want to, even when she knew she’d regret it later.

  Frowning, she faced the restaurant. “Yes. I mean no, I’m not a hostage. Yes, I’m okay.” Her gaze came to me. “He told me the wrong time is all. I should have expected that. He’s exceptionally bored, which makes him exceptionally dangerous.” She drew us aside to a cluster of lobby chairs. “Trent left? You met with him alone? Where’s Jenks? Recon?”

  “Jenks stayed home with Getty. Trent was called away,” I said, wondering again if I depended on my friends too much.

  Pike made a soft huff. “She wasn’t alone. I was there.”

  Ivy flicked a glance at him. “You met with him alone?” she asked again.

  “Pike was with me,” I said, and the man beside me scrubbed his stubble, feeling the hit. “Ivy, you’re not staying here. I don’t care if Finnis has a cow, you’re spending the night at the church. We have room.”

  Ivy pulled from my grip, an odd smile on her face. “Thanks, but I’d rather stay at Piscary’s. I want to go over Pike’s reopening plans.” She shifted to face Pike, her tongue slipping provocatively between her teeth. “You are returning to Piscary’s, yes?” She eyed him up and down. “You’re not sleeping on Rachel’s couch.”

  Pike’s breath came in slow and came out even slower. “I was planning on going home.”

  I cocked my hip, waving my hand as if I could disperse the happy-vampire come-hither pheromones they were kicking out. “Guys . . .”

  “Good.” Ivy tightened Pike’s tie, making him blink in surprise. “I want to see Constance. Erica says she’s a hoot. Maybe I can talk some sense into her.”

  I took a step away, trying to keep my breathing shallow. “I doubt it,” I muttered, shrugging when the two vamps coming in noticed the flush of incense and grinned. But an entire night under Ivy’s tender care would do Pike good. Or kill him. “Do you need a ride?” I said, then faltered. Trent would need his car.

  “We can take a cab,” Pike said. “Ah, I’m not leaving you here to wait for Trent. We’ll drop you off at the church.”

  I sighed, not relishing having to listen to their foreplay for the ten-minute ride across the river and home. “Okay, but I want one of those big cabs. You both sit in the back,” I said, and Ivy laughed, the sound striking through me like icy fire.

  “Wait here, ladies,” Pike said gallantly, then went through the revolving door to talk to the door attendant.

  “Please don’t kill him by accident,” I said, head down over my bag as I hunted for my phone to text Trent. I was not going to use Hodin’s wand again, but seeing as it was one of Newt’s curses, Dali might be able to tell me what I’d done to Brad—especially if I returned his books. If nothing else, he’d love to rub my face in some told-you-so Hodin crap.

  “Meeting done. Everything okay. Taking a cab home. Coffee tomorrow before my class at one?” I texted Trent, the light from my phone bathing my face.

  “Rachel?”

  I looked up, phone in hand, as Ivy sidled close, her eyes on Pike through the plate-glass walls but her hand curving possessively about my waist.

  “You will always be my favorite coulda woulda,” she whispered, and then she smiled at Pike as he waved at us, a van cab waiting at the curb. Her hand slipped from me, leaving tingles in its wake. Grimacing, I slowly followed her out, shoving my libido down deep. Damn vamp pheromones.

  CHAPTER

  14

  “Trent, it’s fine,” I said as I slowly drove my little MINI through the library’s parking lot hunting for a spot. As expected, Lenny had been overjoyed to get my call, rearranging his day to meet me this morning at the side entrance for a quick on-site assessment well before my class. I had no idea if I could figure out who took their books, but I’d be a fool to turn down the chance to find a copy of Newt’s curse and perhaps something I could use in place of it. You needed special permission to even look at the university’s ancient book locker, and I was going to use this to the utmost. “I got a ride from Pike and Ivy.”

  “I didn’t expect it to take that long.” Trent’s voice was tight in frustration. “It should have been fifteen minutes.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” It was only ten, and the heat coming up from the pavement was already oppressive. “I’ll be at the library for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. You want to meet at Junior’s? I’m going to need coffee before I walk into that classroom.”

  Not to mention return Dali’s books, currently stuffed into my bag.

  “Ahh . . .”

  I slumped, breathing in the humid air and hoping I got home and into my shorts before I melted. After ransacking my closet, I’d finally settled on my old interview suit. It looked okay, but it was not conducive to staying cool. “Don’t worry about it,” I said, knowing I’d be getting my coffee alone. Hands on the wheel, I crept slowly forward, following a woman coming out of the library with a satchel of books. Lavender, I thought, tugging at the cuff of my suit. What had I been thinking?

  “I swear, I’m ready to walk away from this,” Trent said. “Their lawyers are asking that I redo everything I did last night to acknowledge a grandfather clause that just surfaced. It shouldn’t even be an issue. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they’re stalling in the hopes that someone else offers more and they can jerk it out from under me. I’m not signing until everything is in writing, because if I can’t utilize the space the way I want, it’s of no use to me.”

  The woman pointed her fob to make a blue SUV chirp, and I halted well back to give her room to leave, flicking my turn signal on to claim the spot. “Trent, it’s okay.” He’s buying space? Like, building space?

  “It’s not okay,” he said, and my eyebrows rose at the hint of his considerable temper. I didn’t see it often, but when it showed, it tended to be frigid and over-the-top. “This should have been signed, sealed, and filed yesterday. And now I’m stuck in some tiny office staring out the window at a wall instead of sitting across from you having coffee on your big day.”

  “It’s just a day,” I said, spinning my pearl pinky ring on my finger as the woman got into her car.

  “You’re teaching a class. It’s important. I wanted to be there,” he said, and I knew he was mad because he was missing time with me, not because some lawyer was jerking him around.

  “You will be.” My pinky ring was glowing, and I smiled. “In spirit.”

  “If they don’t have the paperwork finished by the time your class is over, I’m walking out. We will have a late lunch at Carew Tower, where I’ll hear all about it and talk over whatever curse you find at the library to replace the one Hodin gave you.”

  A warm love suffused me. “That sounds good, except for the walking-out part. It’s okay, Trent. Do what you need to do.”

  “I am,” he said, voice hard. “And I will see you after class. Love you.”

  “I love you, too. Desperately,” I whispered, and then the call ended.

  The woman leaving gave me a little wave as she pulled away, and I returned it before taking her spot. Putting my MINI into park, I slumped, pulling my bag to me and dropping my phone in. “Figures,” I muttered, disappointed about Trent.

  Dali’s books were awkward, and I wondered if I should leave them under the seat. But the demon would kill me if I lost them, and so I slung my book-heavy bag over my shoulder and got out. A man in slacks and a tie was hovering nervously outside the small side entrance. I’d put my panties on eBay if it wasn’t Lenny.

  My unusually high heels made me feel vulnerable, pinching as I click-clacked to him. Lenny was about my height, short dark hair, mid-forties, probably a witch if he had a key to the ancient book locker. He had some chair weight on him, but he carried it well, squinting at me in the bright sun as I approached. “Ms. Morgan?” he called, and I tried to find a professional mien.

  “That’s me. You must be Lenny,” I said, feeling a tingle of stored ley line energy as I shook his hand. “Please call me Rachel.”

  “Rachel,” he echoed, and I jerked my hand away when that damned smut rolled up from my chi, wanting to jump to him. “Thank you for coming out,” he added as he keyed the door open. Clearly it was a one-way exit unless you had the code. “I’ll take you down,” he said, his expression one of worry as he held the door for me. “I appreciate you using the back entrance. We’re trying to keep this quiet.” He was pointing down an empty corridor, and I paused as he waited for the click of the lock before starting forward, his rolling pace fast.

  “We haven’t even filed a report with the I.S.,” he said, clearly flustered. “We’re not really sure how long they have been missing.”

  “Hopefully I can answer that,” I said, patting my book-heavy bag, and his eyes went to it, his interest rising as he saw Dali’s books.

  “Those are old,” he said, his curiosity obvious, and I swung my bag around to show him. I had one horrible instant of fear that he’d say they were the ones missing, but his smile widened, his appreciation for the rare and arcane obvious.

  “I’m hoping to use them to trace who took the books,” I lied, and he nodded, his steps slowing as we turned into a corridor and the chatter of phone conversations became obvious. “Has anyone looked at the security footage?”

  “It was the first thing I did,” he said as I followed him. “I went back two weeks. Melody was still here then, and I’m sure she would have noticed if they were gone.”

  “Melody?” I slowed at a passcode gate while he scanned his ID.

  “She was in charge of restoration,” he said as the gate hummed and he pushed it open.

  Was, I thought as I followed him into the open office floor. People at homey desks were noticing us. A whisper began to rise, and I doubted it was because I was in head-to-toe lavender. But then again . . . “You fired her because three books were stolen?” I asked, appalled.

  “No!” he exclaimed. “She retired to help her daughter with her kids.” Lenny frowned. “She left me in kind of a spot, really. But she seemed happy when she came back last Friday to clear out her desk.”

  “Friday, eh?” I wondered if this was going to be one of my easy jobs. “Isn’t that when you noticed the books missing?”

  Lenny winced. “I know what you’re thinking, but Melody is a really nice lady. She’s been here longer than I have. I know for a fact that she hadn’t been in the ancient book locker for about a month previous. I remember it because we had a professor from the university down there. No one goes downstairs without my knowledge. Her included.”

  I kind of doubted that. If Nick had known about the key stashed in the ceiling supports, then others had, too, Melody included. “Was the professor’s name by chance Sikes?” I asked, and Lenny started.

  “I think that was his name.” His expression became alarmed. “Why?”

  “Because I’m teaching his class this afternoon,” I said softly. “He’s gone missing.” Sure, there was a chance that Sikes had stolen the books and skipped town, but I was betting that a demon was involved, probably one named Dali, and I tugged my bag with his books closer. It was starting to make sense, and it was pissing me off.

  “I’m going to have a hard time replacing her,” Lenny said, oblivious to my mood. “You don’t know anyone skilled in ley line restoration with a degree in library science, do you?”

  “Sorry, no.” Crap on toast. If Dali was ignoring society’s rules, they all would.

  “Worth a try.” Lenny pointed to the nondescript fire door set to the side, but I already knew that was where we were going. “Melody could restore a book with a spell. I’ll never be able to replace her.”

  “She sounds skilled. What’s the possibility that she took them?”

  Lenny’s brow furrowed. “I really hope not. Melody had been with us for forty years. She knew where the really expensive books were, and they are untouched. The ones missing were in bad shape. Demon tomes can’t be restored like most everything else.”

  “No, they can’t,” I said, thinking.

  Lenny nervously touched a pocket before punching in the door code. The lock on the fire door had been a simple one when Nick and I had snuck into the ancient book section, but you tend to up your security when you find a quart of blood on the floor and a smashed book cabinet.