“How did you get here?” I whispered. “Is Ivy with you? Did she fly out?”

“It’s just me and Pierce,” he said proudly. “We jumped. All the way from your kitchen.”

“Pierce!” I exclaimed, then winced. Any louder, and a guard might hear. “Did he escape from Al?” Oh God, I’d get blamed for that—even if I was in prison.

Bis’s flat, black teeth glinted faintly. “No. After you almost died from that soul charm, the demons made him send someone to watch you. Pierce was willing, able, and cheap.”

“You’re kidding!” I almost hissed, but I wondered if part of the reason Al had gone along with it was because he was worried Pierce might find him sleeping one night and kill him. I’d thought those silver bands were impossible to thwart. If it had shocked me, it had shaken Al.

“Ivy is mad,” Bis said, his words spilling out, sounding like falling scree. “She thinks you lied to her about how bad you were hurt. Pierce taught me how to jump here. I swam from the mainland, but it’s too cold for Pierce. No one saw me. I didn’t know I could ride the lines. It was cool, Ms. Rachel! First I’m in your kitchen, and then bam! San Francisco! Just that fast. The lines taste funny, here, though.” He finally ran out of words, his red eyes glowing faintly.

“Pierce didn’t know I was in trouble until you told him?” I insisted, not believing that Al had just let him go. And I really didn’t like the demons sending me a babysitter. I could take care of myself. Most days. Today I could use some help though.

The small gargoyle shifted, his wings brushing my ankles to send a burst of awareness through me. “Not a clue. He’s really upset. He didn’t even know which line to jump to until I told him which line you came in on. That’s why he showed me how to jump. Ivy said it was okay. All I had to do was listen to the ley lines. You left your aura all over the place. Following you was freakier than a boy soprano’s voice changing in the middle of ‘Ave Maria,’ especially when the line we came out of was all broken and stuff, but it was easy! No one told me gargoyles could jump the lines. Even my dad doesn’t know, and he’s old!”

Gargoyles can jump the lines? Well, they could slide right through a protection circle, and it made Al’s comment last winter about my “having my gargoyle” all the more intriguing. But why didn’t gargoyles know they could? Demon censorship? Sounded about right.

“Pierce knew exactly where they had taken you when we popped out of that line,” Bis said, inching closer, his glowing eyes pinched in worry. “Are you okay?”

I wasn’t, but I forced a smile. “I’m much better now,” I whispered. “You did good. I’m really happy to see you. Can you get back on your own?”