Then his eyes shifted, going red and slitted like a goat’s. His features became harder, taking on a ruddy complexion until it was Al lying before me in his crushed green velvet, one knee casually drawn up. The skies turned bloodred, and he reached out a white-gloved hand, grasping my wrist but not pulling me closer. “Come home, itchy witch.”

I snorted, jerking awake.

Bolting upright, I stared at my closed window to see the fading light of sunrise against the colorful reds and blues of the stained glass. Heart pounding, I realized the clattering of insect wings in my dream had been Jenks hovering before my closed door, listening at the crack.

He had a finger to his lips, and after seeing my wide-eyed stare, he went back to the door.

Slowly my pulse eased, and I looked at my clock. Quarter after six. I’d worked most of the night, finally lying down about three hours ago to get some sleep. Throwing off the afghan, I carefully pulled my knees up to tighten the laces of my sneakers. I didn’t feel so good.

“Why are you in my room?” I whispered, not knowing why I was being quiet except that Jenks had told me to be.

“It’s after sunup,” he said, ear to the door. “You think I’m going to leave you alone? Open season on redheads started fifteen minutes ago.”

Fingers fumbling and knees protesting, I tied my shoes. Three hours of sleep wasn’t nearly enough. “Where is everyone?” I asked as I rose to peek out the small stained-glass window.

“Bis is asleep, the cat’s inside, Jax is on the steeple, and my kids are strategically placed in the garden with Matalina,” he said shortly. “We’re just waiting for God to say go. Either that, or your killers are waiting for you to walk in front of a fairy-farted window.”

I backed from the window, arms around myself. Jax is here? “What about Nick?”

Jenks turned, hovering beside the door. “What about him?”

“You said Jax is here …,” I questioned.

Frowning, he muttered, “The kid either got really smart or really stupid. He came in right after you went to bed. Said he left Nick because he didn’t like the way the lunker went after you with a knife. Tink’s little red thong, Rachel. If I’d been there, I would’ve killed Nick’s ratty ass. Now I don’t know if I should take Jax back or send Jrixibell to see if he’s spying on us.”

My eyebrows rose. From the sanctuary came a loud “I don’t trust you, that’s why!”

It was Ivy, and she was ticked. “Who’s here? Edden?”

Jenks dropped an inch in height, his wings slowing. “Pierce.”

“Is he okay?” I stiffened. “How come no one woke me up?”