“We’re doing our best to keep it that way. Or are you suggesting the Porters align themselves with a particular church or government?”

“Don’t be daft, boy. I’m trying to help you understand the fragility of your position. To continue your hockey reference, if you’re not one of the teams, you’re probably the puck.”

I WAITED close to an hour in the luggage claim area of the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia. Lena’s flight had been delayed because of a thunderstorm in Detroit. She arrived just before sunset, with Deb DeGeorge in tow.

Though it had only been a few days, Lena kissed me like I’d been away an entire year. I returned the embrace with enthusiasm, sliding my fingers into the waistband of her jeans and pulling her tighter. I pretty much forgot we were in a public area until Deb cleared her throat.

Lena broke away, then hugged me again. “That one was from Nidhi. So when are you going to finish Gateway so I can see you without having to fly halfway across the country?”

“I’m working on it.” I patted one of the pockets in my carry-on backpack where I’d packed the mirror I’d been working on. “We don’t have much time. I’ve got a car waiting outside.”

“Anyone know you’re here?” asked Deb.

“Only my team back in Vegas. I pulled a bit of magic from Frank Herbert to make sure we don’t show up on anyone’s crystal ball, either.” In the books, a millennia-long breeding program led to the creation of humans who were invisible to psychic detection. I’d discovered those passages could be used to hide me from most forms of magical scrying.

I didn’t say another word until we’d gotten into the rented sedan and were pulling out of the airport parking lot. “At ten p.m., the Kagan and two other Coast Guard vessels will be setting out for a siren colony fifteen miles from the coast. How much did you and Vanguard know about this?”

“Nobody tells me anything,” said Deb. “I knew the Kagan was a potential target, and then it wasn’t. That’s it.”

“Have you told Nicola?” asked Lena.

“Not yet.” I trusted Nicola, but I also knew she’d talk to the rest of the Porter Council. If Babs was compromised in some way, who was to say she was the only one? “I said I was taking the weekend off to spend time with Lena in Michigan.”

Deb chuckled. “You’re finally catching on.”

“You can’t trust anyone these days, eh?” I didn’t give her time to answer. “You sent Sandy Boyle to his death back in Lansing. How do I know you won’t do the same to us?”