Behind us the caravan of vehicles stopped. The leading vehicle’s door opened and Jim trotted out and to our car. Curran rolled down the window, letting the earsplitting noise of the enchanted water engine into the vehicle.

“What’s the problem?” Jim yelled over the noise of the motor.

“No problem,” Curran yelled back. “Go ahead without us.”

“What?”

“Go ahead without us!”

“Why?”

“Because I want to spend some time with my wife in peace!” Curran roared.

Jim nodded, gave us a thumbs-up, and went back to his Jeep.

Curran rolled the window up. “It’s like living in a fucking fishbowl.”

The Pack vehicles passed us. Curran turned the Jeep and drove in the opposite direction, southwest.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

The city slid by the window, the dark silhouettes of buildings, some crumbling, some sturdy and new, highlighted by the blue glow of feylanterns. It was my city now. Truly mine. I’d claimed it and now I was responsible for it.

“I claimed the city,” I told Curran.

“Would you like me to build you an office?”

What? I stared at him.

“You could have a little plaque with your name on it. Kate Daniels, City Owner.”

“It’s not funny.”

“We can get you one of those bank line setups with stanchions and velvet rope and a little pillow in the front, so people can form a line and kneel before you in humble supplication . . .”

“Will you stop?”

“We can get Derek one of those dark suits and aviator shades. He can look menacing and give out numbers. ‘You are seventh in line to bow before Kate Daniels.’”

“I’m going to punch you in the arm,” I growled.

“We can get you a throne with snakes. I’ll stand next to you and roar at anybody who fails to grovel. Fear Kate Daniels. She is a mighty and terrible ruler. Grendel can anoint the petitioners with his vomit. It’ll be great . . .”

Oh God. I put my hands over my face.

“Come on, baby,” he said. “I’m just trying to cheer you up.”

“I claimed territory that my father wanted. He’ll lose his shit completely now. Not only that, but every ambitious idiot with a drop of magical power will know that this area is claimed and will look for whoever claimed it. Not to mention that right now the Witch Oracle, the neo-pagans, and the People are all having a fit of apoplexy. I was supposed to prevent the claiming, not take the city. The Pack Council will be having kittens.”

“The Witch Oracle and the neo-pagans can bite me,” Curran said. “They’ll get over it. If anybody comes to challenge you, we’ll kick their ass. We’ll find a way to handle Roland. And if the Pack Council produces any kittens, we’ll give them to Jim to raise. He needs to mellow out anyway.”

I looked at him.