“It really is going to be war,” said Hal.

“Yeah,” said Wheeler, grinning.

“Danny, take me home with you, just for a minute,” said Pat.

Several woos and wo-hos from the others.

“I need to talk with you,” said Pat, rolling her eyes.

“‘Please put your baby in me,’” said Hal in a falsetto.

“Let’s get out of here so they can gossip about us,” said Danny. He reached out a hand for Pat. She took it.

He gated to his living room and the moment she saw where they were she clung to him, her whole body pressed against his. Hungry. Frightened. “It really is war,” she said. “What you did with the Great Gate last night and this morning, taking all the mages in the world through it, because that disloyal bitch—”

She stopped herself. “No. If you’re not angry, I’m not going to get angry.”

“I’m angry,” said Danny. “I just can’t do anything about it, so why develop an ulcer?”

“People will die,” she said. “You could die. If somebody blows you up, who’ll put you through a gate to heal you?”

“It’s not likely, but it could happen,” said Danny. “I’m more worried about a completely different enemy, though. One who can take over people’s bodies and control them.”

Pat looked up at him, without letting go. “You’re talking about being possessed by the devil.”

“Who knew it was true?” asked Danny. “But it is. And I don’t even know if anyone would be able to tell if I was taken over.”

“I’d know,” said Pat.

“Would you?” asked Danny. “I’m worried that maybe I wouldn’t even know.”

“If somebody was inside you? Making you do stuff against your will?” Pat shook her head. “You’d know. And I’d know, because I’d test you. I’d ask you a question and if you didn’t know the answer, I’d know it wasn’t you.” She pulled on his head and neck to draw him down and kiss him. Then she licked the tip of his nose. “I’d ask what I did right after I kissed you.”

“What if he had access to all my memories?” said Danny. “What if he could answer all the questions?”

“I’d still know,” said Pat. She kissed him again, this time long and hungrily. Her hands moved across his back, gripped his buttocks.

He pulled away from her. “No,” he said.

“This isn’t a game for me,” said Pat. “Like for the others. I’m not playing ‘sleep with a god and tell your friends.’ I love you, Danny North. I’m not too young to know that. Girls married a lot younger than me. Juliet was thirteen.”

“That was fiction, and it didn’t end all that well,” said Danny.