Angus shrugged. “We’ve never known. My father thinks he might have gotten cold feet after all, but it’s not like a Morris to run away. Any road, we must convince Lura to let go of Lorelei. It’s our job to protect the woods and Lorelei has proved herself dangerous.”

“There’s more danger in those woods than Lorelei,” Frank said. “I don’t believe those murdered fishermen were the victims of undines – and I don’t think an incubus did this to you,” he said, touching my eye. “Explain exactly how it happened.”

I told him about my attempt to unmask Duncan, embarrassed to be telling the story in front of the Stewarts. When I told him Duncan’s story about the bat-winged imp, he snorted.

“What a load of bull hickey. This Duncan Laird is obviously not what he appears to be, but I don’t believe he’s your incubus. He only let you and Ann Chase believe that to deflect attention from what he really is.”

“And what’s that?” Angus Stewart asked.

“A nephilim,” Frank answered.

“Can’t be!” Angus Stewart barked so loudly his son flinched. “The Stewarts fought those bastards back in the old country and killed every last one. They’re extinct.”

“That’s what they wanted us to think,” Frank replied. “They went into hiding, marshalling their forces to gain allies among the witches …”

“Of course!” I exclaimed. “The Seraphim Club in London is a nephilim organization.”

“Exactly. I’ve long had my suspicions about them. The members might look like angels but there’s nothing angelic about them. They’ve created a legend that they’re fallen angels but they’re really elves who were thrown out of Faerie because of their treatment of human women. They persecuted witches who were friendly with the fey and recruited others with the promise of an endless supply of Aelvesgold. They’re one of the few species of fey that can produce Aelvesgold outside of Faerie.”

“So they’ve bribed the Grove into working with them,” I said.

“And the board members of IMP,” Frank said. “I should have seen this coming.”

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“There’s an ancient spell for banishing nephilim and one person in Fairwick who might know what it is.” Frank exchanged a look with Angus, who nodded. “I’m going to go see her. In the meantime, you should go with the Stewarts to Lura’s and see what you can do about getting Lorelei to go back to Faerie. Then go to the door and open it. The Grove won’t try to close the door until everyone has gone through it and I’ll be there before then with the means to destroy those bastards. Once they have been destroyed the Grove will realize they won’t have any Aelvesgold if the door is closed. They won’t dare close it then.”