“I am the same person. You would think you would have figured that out by now, but you’re not as bright as Gabriel or Raphael gives you credit.”

“How the hell did you get in here?” Sara asked.

“Demon trick. It’s not hard, really.” Marguerite was wearing a yellow sundress and heels and her shoes clicked on the tile floor as she moved forward.

“Demon . . . What are you talking about?” Sara was angry that everyone was talking in circles and riddles. Who was Raphael and what did demons have to do with anything?

“Oh, are you kidding me? Gabriel hasn’t told you? That’s interesting, very interesting. I would be pissed off about that if I were you.” Marguerite was right in front of them now, and she reached out and snatched out of Jocelyn’s hand the cell phone Sara’s friend had picked up off the coffee table. “You don’t need that.”

Sara was sorry she had dragged Jocelyn into this mess, whatever it was exactly, and she turned to reassure her friend, only to find Jocelyn staring vacantly into space, features and body frozen. Sara let out a scream. “Oh, my God, what’s the matter with her?” She touched Jocelyn, and she was warm to the touch, but completely still. “Jocelyn, are you okay?”

“She’ll be fine. I just thought it would be better if she takes a little nap while we have our chat. This way she won’t remember anything and you don’t have to feel guilty about involving her.”

“Involving her in what?”

“Involving her with demons. That’s what we are, you know, Gabriel, Raphael, and I. We’re immortal demons, though technically I’m only half-demon. But Gabriel and Raphael are full demons. They’re fallen angels. How sexy is that?”

Sara was still holding Jocelyn’s hand, and she was glad for the contact, even if Jocelyn seemed completely out of it. Gabriel had been right to warn her about Marguerite. The woman was totally insane. She was saying they were all demons.

“You don’t look like you think that’s sexy. And yet I know you have the hots for Gabriel. It took you about a minute to move in with him and start drinking his absinthe.”

Sara felt an icy fear slide across her, her heart pounding and her breathing shallow and rapid. “You left the bottle outside the door, didn’t you?”