Seton was in his office, watering a plant when his receptionist showed me back. Seton Anthony was far older than he looked—he looked barely college age. But Hecate—Penn’s goddess—had referred to him as Old One, in an honorific sort of way. Which left me wondering, who was Seton—really? He was an expert about Demonkin, he knew my physiology well enough to be my doctor, but I knew very little about his personal life.

  “Kyann, sit down,” he said, motioning to the chair opposite him. “What can I do for you?”

  I sat down and leaned back. The furniture was mahogany and leather—like some professor’s obscure library. But it was comfortable and the room felt light and welcoming.

  After a moment, I let out a breath. “I’ve met a relative. On one of our current cases, no less. I’m not sure what to think. Also, I have a question about sex and how safe it is for me to fully lose myself in the experience.”

  Seton stared at me for a moment, then pulled out his notebook. “Well, that’s a lot to digest. Which is the most important, though I imagine it’s the relative?”

  I nodded. “If we only have enough time to address one of them this morning, definitely the family matter.” I told him what had happened, and how Konstantine and I had come to realize that he was my uncle. “So…there are so many questions and so many thoughts running through my head that I can barely focus. When I’m busy, it’s easier, but I keep wondering about my mother’s family—the lineage I come from. Also, something odd happened that feels like it might be related.” I then told him about Vaurice and Edward Trask. “I don’t know how they relate, but I just feel they do. I want to go talk to Edward.”

  “Don’t,” Seton said. “Do not go visit Edward. I know you, and you’re not stable enough to handle something like that. I’m afraid you’d lose control.” He gave me a warning stare. “Please, give me your promise?”

  “I…I…” If I promised, I’d have to keep to it.

  “What are you looking for?” Seton asked, setting down his notebook and leaning forward. “What do you think you might be able to find?”

  What was urging me on? What did I think I was going to discover? “I don’t know. Answers, maybe. Answers as to why his brother killed my mother? Did Jace talk about it to Edward?”

  “Chances are he didn’t,” Seton cautioned. “They aren’t the same person. When you first came to me, I did some research into your past—into your mother’s death. I’ve known about Edward for a while now. He’s not like his brother, Kyann. He’s an older man, with many regrets. When they found Jace’s body, and the cops investigated, they interrogated Edward, trying to find out if he had anything to do with the murders.”

  “Did he?” I asked. “Do you think he truly didn’t know what his brother was doing?”

  Seton gently nodded. “Yes, Kyann. I believe him. I watched archived footage of interviews the police kept on file. Edward…if anything…finding out that his brother was a serial killer broke him. He became a virtual recluse. That this Vaurice managed to get him to even open his door surprises the hell out of me.”

  I leaned back in my chair, trying to come to grips with the thought that I’d probably never know why Jace did what he did. “I don’t know why this bothers me so much. I thought I’d come to grips with her death, but apparently I haven’t.”

  “Kyann,” Seton said. “You can’t expect to ever be free of the trauma. You can work with it, you can let it go as much as possible, but you will always carry the scars. And it’s absolutely normal to want answers. But unfortunately, there aren’t any. There’s no way to understand why Jace did what he did, because he was a sociopath. While we understand how they see the world, we can never grasp the core of why.”

  And that, gut punched me. I would never know why Jace targeted my mother. Why he was able to kill her the way he did and not feel remorse.

  “Maybe…I want to hear that he regretted what he did? That somehow he told his brother at some point that he wanted to stop? Though given Penn and I found him with yet another victim, I guess proves that he wouldn’t have stopped until somebody intervened.”

  “That, too, is normal. You always hope that someone that evil realizes that what they’re doing is wrong and tries to make amends. But it’s doesn’t always happen, and nothing in the world can fix someone that incredibly broken.” Seton sighed. “I think you need to hit the gym more. Use a punching bag. Kick the shit out of it.”

  I listened. I didn’t want to accept what he was saying, but he was right and inside, I knew in my core that if I met Edward Trask, I’d fly off the handle and probably end up in jail. It wasn’t his fault. And he couldn’t tell me what I wanted to know, because there was no answer.

  “All right. I promise. I won’t go see him. So what about Konstantine? Is there anything I should consider in getting to know him?” I asked.

  “Does he know you’re part demon?”

  “Yes, I told him. He seems okay with it. He was able to answer a few questions, by the way. My mother changed her last name when she vanished from their lives. She was pregnant with me, and I think she did so out of fear that she might put them in danger.”

  “How do you feel about him?” Seton asked.

  I thought about it for a moment. “So far, so good. He seems like a good guy—I don’t have any alarms going off. I feel…like I belong, in a way I never have. My family—my friends—we’re all connected by a bond that goes deeper than blood. But not knowing where you come from can take a toll on you. Now, I have some sense of the past, if that makes sense.”

  “Do you think he’d be willing to come to one of our sessions? I can probably smooth the transition for you both.”

  I thought about it. “He might. I’m meeting him for lunch today, and I can ask him then. He could probably use some therapy. He never knew what happened to my mother. She vanished what…forty-one years ago? And he and his mother never had any idea of what happened to her.”

  “Then call me, if he agrees, and we’ll set up a time. But please, do not visit Edward. And do not tell your uncle about him. He doesn’t need to put himself through that, especially since he just found out about your mother.” Seton stood. “I’m serious, Kyann. Your inner demon can’t handle that stress yet. And your uncle, given he’s human, probably can’t either. Call me if you feel yourself wavering on this.”

  “I will,” I said. “And next time we can talk over the sex issue. I need to know if I’m a safe partner to be around.”

  “We’ll talk soon,” he said. “Are you good to go for now?”

  I nodded. “I think so. Coming here with Konstantine would be helpful. Thanks,” I said, heading toward the door.

  “You don’t need to thank me. That’s what I’m here for,” Seton said.

  I paused at the door, then turned. “Seton…what did Hecate mean when she called you “Old One”?”

  Seton gave a half shrug. “We all have our secrets. I’ll tell you someday. But for now, let it be.”

  I nodded, curious but wanting to respect his privacy, and exited the office, closing the door softly behind me.

  By the time I got to the office, it was eight-thirty, and Orik was there, sitting at the front next to Dante, showing him baby pictures. He flashed me a guilty grin as I peeked over his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry⁠—”

  “For what? Showing us pictures of Alyson and Sonjia? They’re adorable.”

  And they were. Usually babies looked like blobby lumps that burped, spit up, and cried. But Alyson and Sonjia were shockingly cute, born with a thin layer of platinum hair. Their eyes were brilliant blue, though that could change, from what I gathered. And they looked…aware. They had two incredibly intelligent parents, though, so that didn’t surprise me.

  “So, what have I missed?” Orik asked.

  “A lot. Did you fill him in?” I asked.

  Dante nodded. “Yeah, except for your news about the owner of the haunted house. I thought you might want to do that.”

  I sighed. “Lock the front door and let’s have a staff meeting. Is Carson here yet?”

  “He’s in his office. So, how’s Penn?” Dante asked.

  “She was asleep when I—” I stopped as the door opened and Sophia walked in, followed by Penn. “What are you doing here?”

  Penn shrugged. “I was going to the magic shop to buy the components to cleanse the house, remember?”

  I started to say something but she shook her head.

  “Please, don’t ask. No word yet, and if I don’t talk about it, I won’t break down. Working on your uncle’s house will give me something to focus on.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  Penn sighed. “Yeah, I am. I can do this, and it will allow me to feel useful and not helpless, you know?”

  “All right.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about Penn attempting magic, as upset as she was, but if she thought she could, I’d take her word for it.

  “Hey,” Carson said, emerging from his office. “I have a few tidbits about Give A Hand Up. Want to meet in the—” He stopped when he saw Penn. “Penelope, I didn’t know you were here. I’m so sorry about your mother,” he said.

  She nodded. “Thanks. I can’t talk about it right now, but thank you.”

  “Why don’t we meet in the breakroom?” I herded everyone back, and we gathered around the table. We had some leftover cookies so I set them out. I had finished my latte that I bought before meeting with Seton, and so made a second one. It felt like a caffeine-motivated day.

  We settled around the table and I brought out my notes. “Okay, I have news about Greg, too. I’d like to start, if you don’t mind,” I said to Carson.

  “You have the floor.”

  “Well, Benny’s got a friend named Winston. He’s a tweaker, I think, but he saw Greg out back of the bar we met at—it’s a dive called the Crock & Drop. I have no idea what’s behind the name, but it’s in south Seattle. Benny and I met him there last night. He said he and Greg were heading to the bar a week or so ago. Greg stopped in the alley to pee. Two men appeared—Winston said they looked like men but not men. He thinks they’re aliens. They took Greg by the hand and walked down the alley, then all three vanished in a blinding flash.”

  Dante snorted. “Aliens now? What’s next?”

  “I don’t know about who they were—or what—but I walked into the area Winston claimed they vanished and, dude…the energy was unnerving. It made me dizzy. It’s got to be more than magical residue.” I shook my head. “I doubted his account, but when I felt that energy, I tell you—something’s up. Something happened there.”

  “I should go there,” Penn said. “I can suss out energy.”

  “I don’t want you overexerting yourself—” I started to say, but she cut me off.

  “Kyann, my mother’s dying. There’s absolutely nothing I can do to help. I can’t stop it, I can’t even see her—I can’t talk to her because she’s so out of it, she wouldn’t hear me. Let me work. Let me do something that feels like I’m making a difference,” she said.

  “All right, I hear you.” I wanted to protect her, but I couldn’t create a shield to protect her from the pain. And I, more than most, knew how soothing work could be. “Okay, what about this—you, Dante, and I will drive over there. After that we can take you down to the magic shop? Then, I’ll drop you back here and go meet my uncle for lunch? You can figure out what else you need before tackling Konstantine’s house?”

  “That sounds like a plan,” Dante said. “Penn?”

  “I’d like that,” she said. “I need to make a list,” she added. “I don’t want to forget anything.”

  “Carson? What did you find out about Give A Hand Up?” I asked.

  “Give A Hand Up was originally established by an unknown benefactor, over one hundred years ago, under the name of Jobs Coalition. They stayed fairly silent, though—under the radar. They started out offering to find jobs for the unemployed. Given they started out during the Great Depression, they were incredibly busy, but I started running across newspaper articles linking them to missing people. Those who went missing were always among the poorest of the poor, those without families, the cast asides. They were only noticed missing because they stopped showing up for work. And the jobs were pretty much unskilled labor.”

  “Were they investigated?” Dante asked.

  “That’s the thing—there was never enough proof that they did anything wrong. But the one link that connected a whole slew of disappearances were that the missing all belonged to Jobs Coalition.”

  “How many vanished?” Orik asked.

  “At least seventy-five. The cops explained it away by the fact that most of the missing were vagabonds, or nomadic in lifestyle to begin with. They said that the missing had likely just moved on, as they were wont to do.” Carson shrugged. “Then, in 1938, Jobs Coalition ceased to exist, but the founders came up with another organization called Community Contributes.”

  I frowned. “And I suppose that it reached out to the homeless and poor, as well?”

  “Bingo,” Carson said. “They promised temporary housing and help in finding jobs. After a couple of years, there was another run of missing. Thirty-five before someone began prying into matters. This time, it was a private investigator named Trey Leon. Apparently, one of the missing hadn’t been homeless…just a runaway who was sixteen but could pass for mid-twenties. Leon had been searching for him on behalf of his family. He missed finding him by apparently a few hours. And according to the record—the young man was last seen out near the water. He was waiting for a friend, and then—there was a bright light and he vanished. The reports were from a couple passersby.”

  “How many incarnations has the company had?” I asked.

  “About eight. Give A Hand Up is the latest. And in each case, they target the poorest of the poor, and in each case, people vanish. The cops never once looked into them.” Carson stared at his notes. “Something’s going on. Waves of people vanishing?”

  “And people from the poorest class, who would never be missed. What about other countries? Are they international?”

  “I haven’t checked,” he said. “I’ll get right on that.”

  “All right, let’s all think on that. Carson, not only check on international variants of the group, but see if you can find out who runs it? Who’s the head of the snake?” I stood. “Let’s head out to the alleyway, then to the magic shop. I’ll drop you two back here before I meet my uncle for lunch. Orik, welcome back. I hope Hilda didn’t mind.”

  “She understands, and it’s fine Ana’s a tiger and takes care of everything. I wish I had half the energy of my mother-in-law.” He laughed. “Carson, why don’t you show me the footage we have so far?”

  Sophia, Dante, and Penn followed me out to the reception area. Sophia waved as we gathered our things and set out for the bar.

  As we crossed the parking lot to my car, the sun shimmered down. It was an eerily beautiful day, with magic in the air. Those rare days, when the sunlight turned dew drops to prisms, were few and far between in the Pacific Northwest, especially when we were still in early May. It was warm, but not warm enough to make me drowsy. The new growth on the trees and bushes reminded me of peridot—that brilliant shade that promised darker, fuller foliage in a month or two. Overhead, a few wisps of clouds drifted by, but they were thin, without the threat of rain.

  Penn rode shotgun, and Dante sat in the backseat. As I eased out into traffic, I slid on my sunglasses again. “I feel sorry for Winston,” I said. “He’s got problems and he needs help, but I don’t think he’s getting any. So many people are falling through the cracks.”

  “Do you think there’s anyone we know who could help him?” Penn asked.

  “I don’t think he’d accept it, to be honest. We can try—maybe if I find something and Benny presents it to him, he might listen.”

  “Tell us more about the energy in the alley,” Dante said.

  “It’s hard to explain. You’ll have to feel it to know what I’m talking about. I’m hoping Penn might be able to identify it.” I found a parking spot near the bar and we headed into the alley way. Penn walked ahead of me. I deliberately didn’t tell her where I found the energy spot, because I wanted to see if she’d click with the same area I had.

  But I needn’t have worried. A moment later, she froze, right where I had felt the blast of energy. She held out her hands and, sucking in a deep breath, closed her eyes.

  “She found it,” I whispered to Dante, not wanting to break her concentration. “That’s right where I felt it.”

  Dante waited a moment, then slowly approached. He stopped a few feet away from her, looking back at me and nodding.

  Penn finally opened her eyes and shakily returned to us, with Dante by her side. “There’s a portal there. I swear—I can feel it. I know the energy. But I’m not sure how it activates or where it goes. Greg was taken somewhere, that’s for certain.”

  I let out a deep breath. “Crap. You mean he’s just…”

  “Gone. My instincts tell me that Benny’s friend Winston saw Greg, all right, and he saw him vanish. But the question is: why, and where did they take him?” Penn turned back to the area. “Okay, if Give A Hand Up has been around for all those years, under one name or another, and so many homeless go missing, we should figure out—to the best of our estimates—how many people disappeared.”

  “Good idea,” I said. “What about the energy? Do you think it could be aliens?”

  Dante shivered. “I don’t know, but for some reason, that idea scares the hell out of me. I think I’m more scared by the idea of aliens than I am of ghosts and ghouls.” He shook his head. “We don’t know what to expect out of them.”

  “True,” I said. “They scare me too. All right, shall we go shopping?”

  “Yeah, I have my list,” Penn said.

  We returned to the car and drove to downtown Seattle, where Jabberwocky—a magic shop—was nestled between a sandwich shop and a day spa.

  There were no parking spots, so Penn jumped out of the car as I pulled up and stopped in front of the shop. “I’ll look for parking while you’re in there. Call us when you’re done,” I said. A car honked behind me, so I drove off the minute she shut the door behind her.