“Yes. Which is why he’s so angry you have his summoning name. It takes finesse to build a list of people who know his name and are potential familiars. Not to mention the effort invested in the pre–soul stealing stage, the drudgery of building them up and teaching them something to increase their value, maintaining the balance of having enough people know his name without having so many that it becomes tedious. And then there’s the risk that after all the smut he takes on building up a potential familiar, he will take a loss if they don’t bring in a high enough price.”

I snorted, leaning back in my chair and crossing my knees as I thought of Nick. “He’s a freaking familiar pimp.” Tom had better watch out, or he was going to be next. Not that I cared.

Jenks rose, and a column of silver sparkles fell to fill the bowl like frosting. “Ivy, stealing people is his job. You gotta help me here. Rachel doesn’t need to do this. It’s stupid, even for her!”

My eyes narrowed, but Ivy stretched casually, her belly button ring showing. “If you don’t stop badgering her, I’m going to smack you into the wall so hard you won’t wake up for a week,” she said. Jenks lost altitude, and Ivy added as she headed over, “Someone has to pull Kalamack’s ass out of the ever-after. You think I can do it?”

“No,” he protested weakly, “but why does Rachel have to? Trent knew the risks.”

He knew the risks and trusted me to get him out, I thought, unable to meet Ceri’s gaze.

Ivy leaned with her elbows on the center island counter. “Why don’t you stop trying to convince her not to go and start trying to figure out how you can go with her.”

“She won’t let me!” he shouted.

“No one is going with me,” I said firmly, and Jenks let a burst of silver slip from him.

“See!” he exclaimed, pointing.

My teeth clenched, and Ivy cleared her throat in warning. “I said I’d get him out,” I muttered, flipping through the sketches that Ceri had drawn of the underground demon city.

“And I’m coming with you,” he said belligerently.

I exhaled, trying to get my jaw to relax, but it wasn’t working. In the past year, living and working with Ivy and Jenks, I had learned how to trust others. It was time to remember that I could trust myself, too. That I could do this on my own. And I would. “Jenks—”

“Don’t ‘Jenks’ me,” he said, landing on the rolled-over seam of the yellow tablet, his wings going for balance and his finger pointed. “We pop in, grab him, and pop out.”

“That won’t work,” Ceri interrupted softly, and Jenks spun.