“Someone has been watching far too much Pirates of the Caribbean.” Noelle, the Guardian Gabriel had called to summon a demon for us, stood on the far side of the living room, also giving the demon a jaded look. She was a pretty, cheerful redhead, a friend of Aisling’s mentor, Nora. She’d summoned a demon for us quickly and with minimal fuss, keeping good control over it.

Valac the demon preened as we all eyed it. I had to admit that Noelle had a point—the demon looked as if it had been an extra in the movie, clad in leather boots, swashbuckling coat, sash, and tricorn hat, which sat atop ratty, nasty dreadlocks.

“That said, I think perhaps you may be right, May,” Noelle continued. “Going to see Bael yourself sounds like a pretty bad choice. Magoth is one thing, but Bael . . . I just can’t say I recommend that.”

“It may be bad choice, but it’s really our only option now that Magoth has done a bunk.” I looked at Gabriel. He stood to the side, arms crossed as he watched me, his face unreadable. The dragon shard wanted me to leap on him, but I ignored the fires that threatened to burst out and thought instead of what I’d like to do to Magoth. “That bastard.”

“He’s still bound by blood to you,” Noelle said, glancing at my forehead, where the blood mark still remained, and would continue to remain until his oath was fulfilled. “You could call him and he’d have to respond.”

“We tried that. He was so obnoxious, we figured we’re better off without him.”

“Ah. That’s not good,” she agreed.

“Even Sally wasn’t helpful—she just suggested we steal Chuan Ren back, and somehow, I don’t relish that idea.”

Noelle gave a delicate shudder. “No, I agree with you there.”

“So all in all, we’re better off without Magoth. Besides, he took Sally with him, and frankly, it’s worth losing the dubious amount of help he’d give us just to get both of them off our backs.” I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what was coming. “Ready, Gabriel?”

He wrapped an arm around my waist, the warmth of his nearness sinking deep into my bones. “Let’s get this over with.”

The dragon-heart shard wanted to make a fuss, so I nodded to Noelle. “Do it.”

“Demon Valac, I command you to take May and Gabriel to Bael without harming either of them, after which, you will be released,” Noelle said, giving the demon a piercing look.

It made a face. “A courier; that’s all you wanted me for? Do you have any idea of all the work I have to do, of how late I’m going to be, just because you want a couple of dragons to go to Abaddon? I’m an important demon, you know! I’m third class!”