Brett’s brown eyes were empty, again telling me he was in big trouble. “I suggest,” I said, seeing Ivy and Nick pull up in the van, “that you work really hard to get Walter to see things my way. Unless you give him the focus, you’ll be an ongoing reminder of his mistake of sending you against a superior foe without the proper understanding of what you were facing. We might look like incompetent flakes, but we’ve survived demons.” Shaking inside, I leaned away. “I’m giving you a chance to save your skin. Take it.”

The Were’s eyes followed mine to the van. “Ma’am,” he said slowly. “You are one hell of a negotiator.”

I smiled, and Jenks and I both rose before Ivy could come in. “Thirty-six hours,” I said, picking up my tea. I tried to look confident and in control, but I doubted I managed it.

Brett cocked his head. “You’re not going to give it to me. You’re stalling for time.”

Jenks took my elbow before I fell over, and I forced myself not to show my angst. “Maybe, but he’s going to kill you all the same.” I arched my eyebrows and tried to look tough. “What do you owe Walter, anyway?”

The Were dropped his eyes. I turned aside, shaking; he had acknowledged me as his superior. Damn. “God help me, Jenks,” I whispered as I tottered to the door. “I hope he does it.”

“He will.” Jenks glanced over his shoulder at Brett. “Walter will tear him apart slowly.” His green eyes met mine. “That was slick. Where did you learn so much about Weres?”

“If you’re beaten up by them twice in one week, you start to pick things up,” I said, leaning heavily on him.

Jenks was quiet, then, “You want me to have Ivy call her vampire friend?”

Nodding, I dropped my cup in the trash on the way out. I felt as if a noose was closing even tighter, but I didn’t see any other options. Already my mind was making a list: call Ceri for the recipes I wanted that I didn’t already have, check the yellow pages for a spell shop that carried raw materials. Somewhere I’d have to sleep and come up with a plan.

Maybe, I thought as Jenks opened the door for me and I stepped out into the late afternoon sun, I’d get lucky and dream of one.

Twenty-seven

It was one of the oddest charm outlets I had ever been in, nothing like the richly scented earth magic shops I usually frequented, being brightly lit against the dark and spacious, and having a small spot up front to sit in cushy chairs and sip the marvelous coffee the owner made. The shelves were glass, and ley line paraphernalia was arranged like knickknacks. Jenks would have had an orgasm of delight.

There were only a small section of earth magic charms, and the traditional redwood scent was largely overpowered by the aroma of ginger coming from the proprietor’s coffeemaker. I felt strangely out of place, thinking the banners with dragons and white-bearded wizards next to the crucibles made everything look silly. An earth witch would have sneered at most of the ritual stuff in there, but maybe that’s what ley line magic used. Something was off with the merchandise, though. It didn’t smell right. Literally.