“I watch things now. Shows. Gilmore Girls. Have you seen it? I watch the reruns on my television. They talk so fast on that show. I’ve never known anyone to talk so fast, except on The West Wing. The Wire. I’ve watched that as well. Harrowing stuff, but I watched it. And Buffy. Now there was a show. Firefly, too. Cancelled before its time, that one. And all of this is provided to me by mortals. So, yes, I take my orders from a man with a limited lifespan, because I’m a part of this world now. And part of my job is making sure that people like you don’t get their hands on my boss’s toys. So leave here right now with all of your blood on the inside, where it’s supposed to be. This is your only warning.”

Sanguine didn’t move for a moment, then snapped his head up. “I’m sorry, what? I dozed off for a moment there. Have we reached the part where I kill you yet?”

Kaiven sighed. “You obviously have no intention of listening to reason.”

Sanguine showed him his teeth. “Reason is the last thing I’d want to listen to.”

14

anith slipped through the window the moment she heard the first shot. Earl’s apartment was lined with books and everything was dark wood and big, heavy and solid. An impressive apartment for a mobster. The bow rested in a cradle nailed to the wall. She crossed the carpeted floor. More gunshots now, and alarms started wailing. When she was done, she went to the door, heard footsteps. She pressed her back to the wall and the door opened. Jackie Earl hurried in, went straight for the bow.

Tanith closed the door with a soft click. She’d only taken her eyes off Earl for a moment – but when she looked back, he was standing there with an arrow nocked and aimed at her belly.

“How did you get in here?” he asked.

“I have a way with locks,” she said.

He observed her without any panic showing in his eyes. “Tanith Low.”

“You know me?”

“Good girl gone bad. Got one of those things, those Remnants, inside you. Rotten luck.”

She shrugged. “Depends on your point of view.”

“I know all about all of you. What, you think all of us mere mortals live in the dark? I’ve known there was magic in the world for years. Finally tracked down one of you, found out sorcerers are just like the rest of us. They like money and an easy life just as much as anyone. It kind of ruined the mystique when he started calling me sir, though. But hey, that’s what money’ll do to you.”

“And you haven’t gone public with any of this?”