“Then give me something else. Information I can use.” I glanced back at Malachi again. He had the phone to his ear. “He’s talking to Raphael now. You’d be amazed at how quickly angels get from place to place.” I had no idea if Malachi was actually talking to Raphael or not.

Clarence tore his eyes from me to stare at Malachi. His chest was heaving. I could feel his fear through the soles of my boots. He believed my threat. And he feared the tower more than death or torture. He looked back up at me and flinched when he saw me glaring down at him.

“Your dance,” he whispered. “This ‘prom.’ That is when we will strike. When we will take you and all your friends.”

“How do you know about that?” I snapped.

His smile was wistful, with a serial killer edge. “You look so perfect in your dress. The Queen likes dresses.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Malachi’s head jerk up. The Mazikin must have been tracking Tegan and me when we went shopping, and the thought made me want to scream.

Clarence’s breath wheezed out of him, and I realized I was leaning all my weight on his rib cage. “I’m not going to prom, so don’t bother,” I said automatically.

Clarence shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll be there anyway. Such beautiful young people. Perfect.” He rolled his eyes like he was savoring the idea. “Sil promised me I could have a new body. Maybe the tall one with the shoulders and the green eyes, the one with the bat.”

Ian. I stood up and kicked Clarence in the side before I could stop myself. Waves of nausea rolled over me. They knew too much about us. Way too much. How the hell did they know so much?

I sucked in a deep breath and took a step back from the wheezing, bug-eyed Clarence before I made another mistake and kicked him again. He blinked up at me. “I think you broke me, girl. Good for you. Do it again.”

“Give me more information.”

“Captain,” Jim said quietly.

Clarence grinned. “Captain, girl? You are the Captain?” The laugh boiled up from inside him, phlegmy and thick, and rolled out hysterical and shrill. “The mighty Guards of the Shadowlands, led by the girl with the hair.” He could barely get the words out through peals of wild laughter.

I sank down next to him, feeling ice crystals form along my spine. “I know. It’s hilarious, isn’t it?” I nudged his leg with my elbow. “There. See what I did for you? Try to hold on to that funny memory when you’re sitting in the mouth of the dark tower. I’m sure it’ll help.”

His laughter cut off like I’d chopped him in the windpipe. “I gave you information,” he squeaked. “Important information.”