“Immersed, yeah. Try: That man’s ass is so tight if you shoved a lump of coal up there you’d have a diamond in no time.”

She grinned. “Kinky.”

“He’s chilled out some since you came along. Thank you for that.”

“Anything I can do to help.” She paused. “Or anyone, in this case.”

“If that’s the truth, I’ve been a little tense lately, too—”

She punched him in the shoulder and laughed. “That’s your current flavor-of-the-month’s responsibility, you man-whore.”

“Man-whore?” He cast her a look of mock indignation. “I am not a man-whore. How can I help it if I’m beloved by all the ladies? I would be doing them a disservice if I didn’t oblige.”

“Yes, I shudder to think.” She laughed. “The world without your willing body in it would definitely be less bright for womankind.”

Adam turned his SUV past the security gates of the Coven and guided it down the winding road toward the house.

“So what’s Micah’s story anyway?” she asked him when the conversation had lulled. “I heard he’s got some serious issues with the Duskoff?”

“Don’t we all?” he muttered.

She stared out the window at the dark, winding road and tried not to think of Angela. “Yes.”

Adam’s hands tightened noticeably on the steering wheel. “Micah’s mom was killed by a warlock when he was just a kid. Ever since then he’s been jonesing for some revenge. But Micah’s skills are more in the realm of the brain than the body. Guy graduated top in his class at MIT and he’s got major mojo, too. Serious ass amounts of magick. Anyway, after he got his degree he could have done anything, made lots of cash working in the non-magickal world. Instead, he came to work for the Coven and he’s been here ever since, doing research and fetching and carrying for Monahan.”

“Sounds like he’s hiding,” she commented.

Adam laughed. “Micah? Nah. Micah is deceptive as all hell. He’s just looking for the right opportunity to kick their collective asses, you’ll see.”

She nodded. All of them had really been touched in some way by the Duskoff. “So what’s Theo’s story?”

“Theodosius? Oh, man, he’s got a story all right. The Duskoff got him for a while when he was a teenager, tried to break him because he has all this earth magick to call. The warlocks thought they could get him young and twist him for their own purposes. They tortured him and nearly killed him in the process, but the Coven broke him out. Got scars all over his body to show for his little stay with the warlocks. The second he could, Theo joined the Coven. He’s one of our top hunters.”