“But we have real different ideas when it comes to deciding who does the sacrificing and who gets sacrificed.” I shook my head. “No.”

He took a slow, deep breath and said, “Pity. Good evening, Dresden. Best of luck to you in the new world. But I expect we won’t meet again in this life.”

He turned to go.

And my heart sped up again.

Shiro said I would know who to give the sword to.

“Wait,” I said.

Nicodemus paused.

“I’ve got more than coins to offer you.”

He turned, his face a mask.

“You give me Ivy and I give you eleven coins,” I said quietly, “plus Fidelacchius.”

Nicodemus froze. His shadow twisted and twitched. “You have it?”

“Yeah.”

That ugly whispering sound came again, louder and faster. Nicodemus glanced down at his shadow, frowning.

“Suppose you get Ivy,” I said. “Suppose you turn her and manage to control her. It’s a great scheme. Suppose you get your apocalypse and your neo Dark Age. Do you think that’s going to stop the Knights? Do you think that, one after the other, new men and women won’t take up the Swords and fight you? You think Heaven’s just going to sit there letting you do whatever you want?”

Nicodemus had a better poker face than me, but I had him. He was listening.

“How many times have the Swords broken up your plans?” I asked. “How many times have they forced you to abandon one position or another?” I took a stab in the dark that seemed worth it. “Don’t you get tired of waking up from nightmares about taking a sword through the heart or the neck? Turning you into one more discarded Dixie cup for the Fallen? Terrified of what you’re going to face once you shuffle off the mortal coil?

“I’ve got the Sword,” I said. “I’m willing to trade it and the coins alike.”

His teeth showed. “No, you aren’t.”

“I’m just as willing to give you the Sword and the coins as you are to give me the Archive,” I said. “I’m handing you an opportunity, Nick. A chance to destroy one of the Swords forever. Who knows? If things go well you might have a shot at taking out the other two at the same time.”

The whispering increased in volume and speed again.

Nicodemus stared at me. I couldn’t read his expression, but his right hand was slowly clenching and unclenching, as if eager to take up a weapon, and hate poured off him like heat from an oven.

“So,” I said as nonchalantly as I could, “where do you want to do the exchange?”

Chapter Thirty-eight

I walked back up to the house again a few minutes later, Mouse at my side. Michael had been right: Before we went inside, the big dog shook himself thoroughly. I decided to follow his example and stomped whatever snow I could off my numb feet, then went in.

I walked into the living room and found everyone there waiting for me—Luccio, Michael, Molly, Sanya, and Murphy. Everyone looked at me expectantly.