Brooke’s eyes narrowed and she stiffened. “I have control of this situation,” she said stiltedly. “I’m not a demon summoner. I just want the one to kill the other is all.”

Whoops.

Bis’s wings shifted as I turned to Al. The demon’s eyebrows were high as he eyed me over his round smoked glasses. “Perhaps you should do something, Rachel?” he suggested.

“Demon!” Brooke exclaimed as I touched her circle to find it humming a warning at me. “I demand that you kill Rachel Morgan.”

I spun to face Al, my back hitting the bubble until I jerked away at its burning. Kill me?

Bis spread his wings, claws pinching my shoulder. “You’re not touching her,” he hissed.

Al, though, wasn’t moving. He gave me a glance, then put a hand behind his back to look elegant in his crushed green velvet and shiny buckled shoes. His visible hand became a fist in its white glove, and his lip curled in disgust. “Who?” he said disdainfully; then he muttered to me, “Best hurry, itchy witch. I can stall for only so long.”

My breath exploded from me. He didn’t want to do it, but he would.

“That demon in there with you, dolt!” Brooke shouted, pointing.

Holy crap, I had to get out of here!

“First,” Al said dryly, “my name isn’t dolt. And second, I’m the only demon here.”

Brooke fumed. Vivian’s expression was puzzled. “I demand you kill Rachel Morgan this instant!” Brooke stated.

Al reached into a pocket, pulling out a small tin. “There are thirty-five Rachel Morgans on this continent alone,” he said, opening it. The scent of Brimstone hit me, and I sneezed. “Which one would you prefer? The one in Sacramento or the one in New Mexico? You can’t mean the newborn in Kalamazoo …” He sneezed as well, snapping the lid to the tin and tucking it away. “A coven member sending a demon to kill a newborn? And people say I’m a sadist.”

I was frantic, almost not hearing Bis when he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “Can’t you circle Al?”

My scanning of the floor for a weakness ceased. Circle Al? I looked up to see Al smiling at me. I had promised not to, but I think he’d overlook it in this case.

“That one!” Brooke shouted, pointing. “That witch right there!”

Al turned to me as if seeing me for the first time. “That’s not a witch.”

I had nothing to make a circle with. It was a good thing Brooke didn’t know my third name. Maybe this was why the tradition of having three started. Giving up on finding anything useful, I awkwardly ran my finger across the dusty carpet, crab-walking around Al. He could have moved and avoided it easily, but he didn’t.

“Just kill her!” Brooke screamed, and I invoked the circle.