A rattle of chains rumbled under the water, that I heard only because it was so close. The chains I’d pulled from the ground slithered into the water as they slowly wrapped around the hands of a figure as it appeared in front of me, shark teeth and slitted eyes naming it as a demon.

I stumbled back, deeper into the water, and a set of hands grabbed my shoulders and yanked me up and over the edge of the boat with a flop. “Go, Feish, go!” I yelled, unable to take my eyes off the demon.

Oh, my God. I’d just yelled a card game at her. Even that was distant to watching the demon slowly turn in the water and then race outward, toward the bush. The sound of a gun, a man’s scream and then we were too far away.

Did Joe just get taken by the demon? They weren’t on the same side?

The boat engine revved and then we were flying away from the edge of the water. I peered up over the lip of the boat and scanned the tree line, but there was nothing. Or at least no one I could see with my old eyes. I snorted to myself and sat all the way up.

“Where are we going?” Feish glanced over at me, her eyes still a little wide.

“River Street.”

“You can’t take him to Boss!”

“No”—I shook my head— “I’m not taking him to Crash.” I had one person I knew I could trust no matter what and she was dead. But I knew where to find her.

I just had to convince one reluctant realtor to let us in. That or we were about to do a break and enter.

The realtor’s card was still in my purse—bottomless magic purses for the win—and I pulled it out, dialed the number and waited for Monica to pick up. She didn’t. I smiled to myself.

B&E it was then, FTW, as the young ones say.

17

Eric and I stood in front of my gran’s house, side by side. I slid my arm through the crook of his elbow for good measure, startling him so badly he jumped. I clamped down on my grip. “Here’s what’s going to happen, my large, hairy friend.”

He looked down at me and I stared up at him, still pissed about all the things he’d said. He swallowed hard. “What?”

“You’re going to follow me up the steps, and then you’re going to cover me while I pick the lock, and then we’re going inside.” I tugged on his arm and we started up the path together, not really fitting on the narrow cobblestone walkway together.

“I think we should go back to my house,” he said. “It’s warm there, and the things don’t come too close.”