“I couldn’t hold him!” Vivian said a third time, and I frowned.

Pierce might have been able to make a circle to hold him. But he wasn’t here. “He’s a big guy,” I finally said, glancing at Ku’Sox and away. “Everyone okay?”

Much to my relief, Ku’Sox didn’t start spouting threats or monologing, and the chorus of pixy shouts brought back memories of Jenks’s kids, memories that Ku’Sox had now. I didn’t like that. If he knew my history, then he knew what I was going to do to him.

“It wasn’t even a very big circle.” Clearly shaken, Vivian sat sideways in the open front seat, dejected and weary.

I looked back at Ku’Sox patiently waiting, and Vivian’s useless scratchings on the pavement. “It’s a tough world.” Limping to Ivy, I leaned back against the warm car. “I don’t know this one,” I said, talking to Vivian but accusing Trent. “He’s nasty.”

“Nasty?” Ku’Sox said, and my eyes jerked to his at the hidden threat his words held.

“If you ever touch me again,” I said softly, “I will explode your ’nads. Got it?”

Trent had his head down in thought, worrying me. If I wasn’t so darn tired, I would have barked at him, too. “Demon,” I started, and Ku’Sox grinned in anticipation, making me shiver. He wanted to be released.

“Wait!” Trent said, his hand outstretched.

“You will leave this place and return to the ever-after, not to bother us again,” I finished.

Trent slid to a stop, turning away to hide his disgust, but I’d seen it.

“For now,” Ku’Sox said, his eyes going from Trent to me. They vanished first, then his body, until finally all that was left was a black obsidian feather, making me shudder when it finally melted in the sun.

My eyes shut, and I heard Ivy sigh. “I really hate demons,” she said. I agreed.

“Okay, everyone smaller than a teapot, get out of the car!” I said loudly. “Jenks, you stay. And I swear, if you feral pixies give me any trouble, I’m going to jam you all in a box! I’ll send you your syrup by mail, and you’ll be happy with it. Clear?”

Without a protest, the pixies began to leave in threes and fives, their excited chatter making my already pounding headache hurt all the more. The head pixy wasn’t around, and I didn’t care. Like he’d ever say thank-you. My headache throbbed when Trent walked stiffly past me, sweat matting his pale, baby-fine hair.

“Letting him go like that was a mistake,” he said in passing, and I lashed out, spinning him around to a shocked, angry halt against the car.

“You think we could have used him?” I shouted, and Ivy, putting my scrying mirror away in the trunk, hesitated. “Maybe traded a jump to Seattle for his freedom? Stick to helping with your checkbook. We’ll all live longer.”

Jaw clenched, Trent held his ground as Jenks joined me. “I’m just saying—”

“Nothing!” Okay, I was shouting, but I had a lot of adrenaline to burn before I got back in that car and drove out of here as if nothing had happened. “That was a demon! One in the sun. You think you’re smarter than him? You’re not! You mess with demons, and you die!”