Jim snickered. Aisling looked embarrassed. “Er . . . no. It was nothing, really, just a minor little thing that doesn’t matter, or it wouldn’t except the head of the guild might not consider a request by me for help to be awfully high on his to-do list.”

“She turned him into a simulacrum,” Jim told me in a confidential tone.

“A simulacrum?” I asked, astounded. “A living statue?”

“It was just an unfortunate accident,” Aisling said, waving it away. “There was a kobold outbreak in London when we were there, and I convinced Drake to let me help take care of it, and somehow, rather than binding the kobolds so they could be sent back to Abaddon, I zapped Caribbean Battiste, the head of the guild, instead, and he was temporarily changed into a simulacrum. But I got it reversed by nightfall, so really, I don’t see why everyone had such a hissy fit. It wasn’t like it was permanent.”

I looked at her with renewed respect. Anyone who had the power to change the head of a Guardians’ order into a statue was potentially someone who was the answer to my prayers. “We need your help. I hope we can count on it?”

“With your demon lord? Absolutely,” Aisling said at the same time Drake said, “No.”

The two glared at each other.

“You are not going to get involved with another demon lord,” Drake told her. “It is too dangerous.”

Aisling opened her mouth to protest but closed it again without saying anything for a moment. “All right,” she said finally, causing Drake to shoot her a look of surprise. “Maybe Nora was right and the baby is making my grip on my Guardian abilities a bit iffy. Magoth may not be much in this world, but he is still a demon lord, so I’m going to retract my agreement and instead offer Nora’s services. I’m sure she’ll be delighted to help you. What, exactly, do you need Magoth to do?”

“Nothing.” Gabriel pulled me up beside him.

“I don’t understand,” she said, looking from him to me. “What am I missing?”

Jim snorted.

“Before Magoth left with Sally in tow, she pulled me aside and pointed out that Chuan Ren was a dragon,” I told her.

“Chuan Ren? Well, yeah. But what does she have to do with Magoth?” Aisling asked, still puzzled.

“She doesn’t have anything to do with Magoth— it was Bael who found her after you banished her,” I said, exchanging a glance with Gabriel.

“Heh. They deserve each other,” Aisling said with satisfaction.