“The boy with the biggest toy wins, love,” he leered, and I looked down.

My hand was already placed, and I tentatively reached for a line, carefully tapping it until I was sure my head wouldn’t explode. The line slipped in with a gentle smoothness, and I found the collective with ease. At least my aura was okay. I hadn’t even known I’d damaged it.

Hello? I ventured. Al’s line.

Rachel! boomed a thought in my head, and I cringed. So glad I caught you and that you’re feeling well, love.

I glanced at Al, pretending to mess with the fire. Yea-a-a-a-ah? I hazarded. Don’t call me love. I have a name. By the way, I don’t know yours.

Absolutely. Absolutely, the demon fawned. This is Strontanchaark. Two a’s and an rk. You may not have noticed, but I was at Dalliance last week. Red feathers…silver headdress?

Sorry, don’t remember you, I thought, wondering if he was after a date. Not going to happen. No way. No how.

My call name is Tron, he added, and I sighed.

“Look, Tron,” I said aloud so Al could hear some of it and maybe stop pretending to mess with the fire. “I’m kind of busy right now. Just woke up. Things to do, you know…”

Completely understandable, he gushed, focusing hard to keep me from breaking the connection. But if you could wedge in a little time for me this week, I could make it worth your while. Do you think you could make me a replica of Rynn Cormel’s pool?

I blinked, trying to switch gears. He didn’t want a date. He wanted a contractor. It made sense. They all had the same stuff they’d had for thousands of years, apart from what Newt could give them, and three days ago, I’d made a brand-new desert for them to play in.

“Rynn Cormel?” I stammered when Tron poked my thoughts to see if I was still there. “You’re kidding, right? He doesn’t even have a pool.”

He does. It’s in Washington, Tron insisted. In the sun. The construct has to be in the sun.

Feeling panicked, I waved for Al’s attention, and he turned to me, a soft, secretive smile on his face. “Uh, I’ve never been to the White House,” I stammered. And what was this about the sun? Didn’t they know I’d been cursed?

So get over there and look at it.

My eyes pinched; I didn’t like his attitude. “It’s not that easy,” I offered, not wanting to get the reputation of being a bitch on my first conscious day.

But you can do it, Tron insisted, then hesitated. How much?

His thoughts were flat, and I felt a quiver of excitement. A demon was asking me what I wanted. My eyes flicked to Al, and he shrugged. “What do you want?” he said softly, his voice making me shiver.

Home was probably out. The next best thing would be a place of my own so I wasn’t sleeping in Al’s bedroom. I shifted on the cushioned bench before the central fire, making sure my hand didn’t slip. There was no way I was ever going to see the White House pool in the sun, but maybe we could work something out. “How many extra rooms do you have?”