“There is no punishment for failure,” she said. “Even if you could talk to this man, he wouldn’t tell you anything. You need to pick one of the others.”

“The hopelessly insane one or the hopelessly misplaced one. Hmm, tough choice.”

“It’s unlikely you could find Zadkiel—”

“No kidding! If you guys have been searching—”

“So I’d recommend Janah. The ascended angel.”

“Angel?”

“The first seeker. The one who went mad.”

“Uh-huh.”

“First, though, we have to prepare her. In the meantime, you can—”

“In the meantime, then, I want to talk to someone who worked with one of these seekers. A supervisor, a partner, anyone who might be able to give me some insight into how your hunters worked, because I strongly suspect Janah isn’t going to be my most reliable source of intel.”

“Your partner has experience with the Nix.”

“Partner? What—?”

“You’ll meet him when you speak to Janah. It may take a day or two to prepare her, so we’d suggest you rest—”

“Then I need a necromancer.” Before she could argue, I hurried on. “If I’m tracking a spirit who can enter the living, then I need access to the living world—something you ladies have been denying me since I got here.”

“For very good reason—”

“So I don’t contact Savannah. Fine. But now I need that access.”

The Fate nodded. “You do, and we recognize that. We’ve already arranged—”

“I want Jaime Vegas.”

“I see,” the Fate said slowly. “And that choice would have nothing to do with the fact that she is acquainted with your daughter, and now serves on the supernatural council with Paige?”

“It has everything to do with that. Jaime knows Paige, who can vouch for me. Try finding another necro, outside the black market, who’ll want to work with Eve Levine. Of course, I could just go to the black market, call up one of my old friends…”

“Which you know we wouldn’t allow.” She paused, lips pursing, then shook her head. “Don’t think we fail to see this for what it is, Eve—a not terribly discreet attempt to pursue your favorite—your only—pastime here. But I will allow it, for the duration of this quest, and on the understanding that you will devote your time with Jaime to that quest, and not ask her to break necromantic law by contacting Savannah for you.”

I sifted through her words for a loophole. I didn’t see it right off, but I’d find one eventually. Before I could ask where to find Jaime, the Fate lifted her hands, and transported me away.

Chapter 5

5

I OPENED MY EYES AND FOUND MYSELF STARING INTO the über-bright glare of the sun. Blinded, I stumbled, and landed on my ass. A roar of laughter boomed from all sides, and I jumped up so fast my vision jolted back into focus. In front of me was a packed auditorium.