My jaw clenched in fear when I found Rynn Cormel. The vampire was completely flaked out, his pupils wide and his movements sharper and brighter than broken glass. He stood in the corner as far away from me as he could get, and I knew from living with Ivy that he was working hard to get control of his instincts. He held his coat closed, and the hem quivered as he fought his need to leap at me.

“Morgan!” Al raged, and reaching up, he pulled on the rack hanging overhead. Wood splintered and split, and I scrambled up with a gasp when the ceiling cracked, but it was the rack that broke, and stuff went everywhere, rolling until it found the interior of my circle and stopped. But he was contained, and as Al threw a temper tantrum, I worried more about Rynn.

“Are you okay, sir?” I said meekly.

The vampire brought his head up, and fear slid anew around my skull. His presence was thick in the room, his scent filling me inside and out. A tingling had started at my old demon scar, and I saw him swallow.

“Um, I’m going to open a window,” I said, and when he nodded, I carefully got up.

Al threw himself at my circle, and I jumped, finding myself sweating when it held firm. “I’m going to kill you, witch,” the demon said, panting as he stood before me, the rack broken and scattered over the interior of the circle. “I’m going to kill you, then mend you. I’m going to drive you insane. I’m going to make you beg for your death. I’m going to defile you, cut you from the inside out, put things in you that crawl around and burn your skull—”

“Will you shut up!” I interrupted him, and he howled, his face going red.

“You,” I said to Rynn. “You just stay there, will you? I have to take care of this.”

I didn’t trust his silent posture, but he hadn’t ruled the free world by lacking control.

“Mo-o-o-orga-a-a-an,” Al crooned, and I turned from scooping up my scrying mirror.

My face lost its expression as I found him with one of my earth charm spell books. “Put that down,” I demanded.

His eyes narrowed. “I may not have a lifetime of curses stored in me anymore,” he said threateningly, “but I do know a few things by heart.”

“Stop it,” I said as he swiped an arm across the counter and everything went to the floor.

Jenks landed on my shoulder, sending the sharp scent of broken chlorophyll over me. “I don’t like this, Rache,” he whispered.

“I said, stop!” I exclaimed as Al sketched a rude pentagram and put my book in it.

“Celero inanio,” he said, and I jumped when my charm book burst into flames.

“Hey!” I shouted, suddenly pissed. “Knock it off!”