“Got it!” came a faint call, and Jenks burst back out in a glitter of gold sparkles. A new ampoule was in his grip, with a faint amber tint to the glass. Trent gazed hungrily up at him, looking like Rex following a pixy toddler. “Once I had a name, it was as easy as pulling the wings off a fairy,” Jenks said smugly. “You got anything sweet in your backpack? I haven’t eaten in hours. Damn, I’m as tired as a pixy on his wedding night.”

“Sorry, Jenks. I didn’t know you were coming, or I would have brought something.”

Trent was shaking, the impatient man snatching up his pack and holding out his hand. “I have some chocolate,” he said. “Give me the sample and it’s yours.”

We were going to do it. We were going to get out of here. Provided the curse Trent bought from Minias worked. If it didn’t, Jenks and I were really screwed.

Jenks snapped his wings together with a loud crack in anticipation. “Excellent!” he said, then froze in midair. “Uh, Rachel?” he said, every last speck of dust vanishing from him. “I don’t feel right.”

“Can it wait until we get home?” I said, checking Ivy’s watch. Crap. The sun was up.

There was a soft puff of displaced air, and my head jerked up. Someone had just popped in. Shit. But when I scanned the room, it was empty. “Jenks?” I said, feeling cold.

Trent stared at me, one foot on the stairs. “Where’s your pixy?”

Had someone cursed him into nothing? I stared at the fading cloud of dust, my heart clenching in fear. “Jenks!”

Trent lurched up onto the stage. “Where’s my sample? He’s gone! He used the last curse and left us here!”

“No!” I protested. “He wouldn’t! How could he? He doesn’t even know it!”

“Then why isn’t the curse working?” he shouted. “It’s not working, Rachel!”

“You’re asking me?” I snapped back. “I’m not the one who bargained for it. Maybe we need to go back to where we came in. Don’t blame my partner if you made a bad bargain!”

Trent gave me a murderous look. Silent, he took the stairs and headed for the side door.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Where are you going?”

He never slowed. “To put distance between us before someone tracks you down. If surface demons can hide from demons, so can I. I never should have trusted you. Trusting a Morgan killed my family. I’m not going to let it kill me.”

The harsh red glare of the sun spilled in when he yanked the door open. Squinting, I glimpsed a flash of purple, prestorm sky. A gust sent my hair flying and atomized the dust circles. Then the door swung shut, cutting off the light and wind.