“But she’s not. And you—” He turned to Lara. “Esmé is like a cat with a toy. She knows that the daemons want her back here and that I’ve been looking for someone to wrangle her. That person is you, Lara, and she knows it. Like a feral cat, she won’t take the chance of getting caught. When you get back to that dreadful little place where you live, she’ll kill you for sure, along with your mother and the rather handsome police detective you’re so fond of.”

“No.” Cecile shook her head. “It’s too risky.”

“What does it involve?” Lara looked at Cecile. Lara’s head was swimming with everything she’d learned today. She felt both broken by the news of Todd—and yet powerfully strong as magic pulsed through her veins, the cambion part of her waking up. She was open to hearing any plans.

“You must absorb me.” Cecile frowned.

“And?”

“You could die once we leave here. I tried once with Doro. It went terribly wrong.”

“No,” said Althacazur. “It’s not like with Doro. She shouldn’t die. I’ve altered this one in anticipation of this very moment. She only has one kidney, like you, Cecile. Her body is the most like yours so she can absorb you successfully. She’s the strongest of all of you. It should work.”

“Glad to know I shouldn’t die.” Lara swallowed. Her body was altered for this moment, like a vessel. She recalled Althacazur and Margot in the field that day; Margot asking if she was “the one.” He hadn’t just hoped she would become the human patron. He needed a soldier, too.

“No—” said Cecile, again sharply. “Absolutely not.” Cecile bit on her nail, considering something.

Althacazur turned to Lara to reason with her. “You will certainly die if she does not do it.”

“I got that,” said Lara. “I might be stupid, but I am present.”

“I’m not so sure,” Althacazur said from his velvet chair. “Any day now, Cecile.”

Lara kept focused on Cecile. “I get that the big bad is coming for me. When I absorb you, will it change me?”

She nodded. “You won’t have my memories, but I’ll see through you and you’ll feel me. You will feel different.”

“She’ll possess you, dimwit. Have you never watched a horror film?” Althacazur was picking some lint from his coat. “If you succeed—and it’s a rather hefty if—I’ll bring Cecile and Esmé back where they belong. And you will agree to serve as our human patron. I need to be free of this circus. Do you understand me?”

“I’m not killing for this circus.” Lara turned and met his eyes.