“It’s not that Al’s breaking his word that’s got them in a tizzy,” I said. “It’s that he’s escaping. Minias expects me to exchange names with Al so he can’t be summoned out of confinement.”

“Rachel, no!” she cried, shocking me as she reached across the table. “You can’t!”

I blinked, surprised. “I wasn’t planning on it, but if I can’t find out who is summoning Al and letting him go, it might be the only way to get my nightlife back.”

Ceri drew away, her hands clasped in her lap, sitting very straight.

“Why in the Turn’s sake would I take Al’s name when all I have to do is kick some demon-summoner’s ass?” I muttered, and her narrow shoulders relaxed.

“Good,” she said, seemingly embarrassed at her strong outburst. “You don’t need to deal with them. I’ll help you if you need it. Don’t go to the demons even if you need to exchange names with Al. I’ll find the curse for you.”

Curse. Yeah, it would be a curse I needed to save my neck again. I was really going to have to put some effort into getting Al’s get-out-of-jail-free card away from him. “I can’t believe they put him in jail just for letting you live knowing how to spindle line energy,” I mused, taking a sip of tea and startling myself when it wasn’t coffee. “Stripped him of his accumulated potions. Everything. No wonder he wants me dead.”

“If it got out, it would limit their pool of familiars,” she mumbled, obviously wanting to drop the subject.

“Yeah, well, he’s got someone cooking spells for him. He was his usual crushed-green-velvet self. I swear, if it’s Nick, I’m going to kick his butt back off the Mackinac Bridge. That is, if Al hasn’t chewed it off him by then. That demon is going to kill me if I’m not careful.”

“No,” Ceri rushed. “Al wouldn’t. It’s got to be a bluff. He said—”

Her words cut off and my focus sharpened on her suddenly distressed, almost panicked features. My runner training kicked in, and my heart pounded. “He said.” Ceri had talked to him? To Al?

“You?” I stammered, scrambling to my feet. “You’re summoning him?”

“No!” she protested, her face going whiter. “Rachel, no. I’m only making appearance charms for him. Please. Don’t be angry.”

Aghast, I tried to find words. “He’s been loose every night for three days, and you never told me!”

“He said he wouldn’t attack you!” she said, standing. “I thought you were safe. He can’t attack you! He promised.”

“He did attack me,” I shouted, not caring if the neighbors heard me. “He’s going to freaking kill me because he’s got nothing to lose. And you’re making him curses?”