“Anyone who’s made the trip to return the book to the Sulpulchre never came back. We thought Jack and Gabe stealing the book from my uncle was the best thing that could have happened to our family, until Shax held us personally responsible. That’s when I got sick…or that’s what we thought it was.”

Even with the drop in temperature and the knowledge that a million demons might have been hovering over us, I sat hunched over, with my chin resting on my fist, suddenly unimpressed. “You were possessed. Like priests and green pea soup possessed? C’mon, Kim.”

“I don’t remember most of it. I just know that my father spared no expense to bring in the best of the best, and when Father Gary and Father Carmine were finished...I was different.”

Jared squeezed my hand. “When humans are overtaken in that way, they are often left weak for the rest of their lives. Kim kept something with her when Father Carmine finally extracted the demons. And they wouldn’t have left behind power voluntarily. She took it from them, and because of that, they fear her.”

“What kind of power?” I asked.

“The all-knowing, understanding dead languages blah, blah, blah. I also know when they move, when they approach, when they leave, and why they’re doing it. And I think I can take their power at will, but none of them have gotten close enough for me to try.”

“So Kim is an asset,” Claire said, sullen. “She affects them in ways no one understands.”

“I…you….” A million questions swirled in my head, but the most upsetting revelation was that nothing was separate, now. My normal life just had a head-on collision with my life with Jared.

The air around me felt thick and full of static. An end table next to one of the chairs shook for a moment, and then slid across the floor a few inches.

“What just happened?” I said.

The table vibrated again, and then shot to the wall, the legs squealing as they grated across the tile.

“Sweetheart,” Jared warned.

My fingers worked in small circles against my temple. “Okay,” I whispered. I worked to release any negativity that the demons could use to fuel their power. “What now?”

“I can help you,” Kim said, uncharacteristically sympathetic. “I can help you find the book, Nigh. They’ll tell me. They have to.”

All expression fell from my face. “So you’re like…you’re like the demon whisperer. My wacky friend Kim. That’s just great.”

Kim nodded, unaffected by my jab.

“You never said why you’re here,” I said.

“I wanted to check on Ryan. I also have news.”

News was usually the job of Samuel, and I wondered why Kim had been sent instead. The more I knew, the less any of it made sense—which was annoyingly typical.

Claire crossed her legs, settling in her chair. “Well? Tell us already.”