Embrace the Night

"Yeah." I looked up again. It was gruesome, but it was small. I decided I could take it. "I already killed you once."

"Ah, yes, so you did. But then, that would be why I brought friends," it said mildly. Casanova fled.

"Friends?"

"Servants of a colleague who owes me a favor. My boys are good for many things, but killing is not really their forte. Now, usually I would make this relatively quick," it continued. "But after the other day, I am afraid I will have to break my habit. A little matter of prestige. You know how it is."

"Sure." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something small and glowy emerge from the stairs.

"Now hold still, because this is going to hurt like a bitch."

"Right back at you," the pixie said, and threw her tiny sword like an arrow. It hit the thing square in the not-eyes, provoking a shriek of mingled pain and rage.

I twisted my neck around and saw Françoise ru

I turned around to face Rosier, feeling somewhat calmer. Only to see pieces of the darkness peeling away from the floor, from the corners and from the walls, all along the corridor. I still couldn't focus on any of them, but I got the feeling that Casanova had probably been right: I didn't want to.

"Uh-oh," the pixie said unhelpfully.

"What's going on?" I asked, and Françoise broke into a rapid stream of French that I didn't have the time or the ability to translate. "Radella!"

"We've been trying to get to the children." She gestured toward the end of the hall. "That thing has half of them trapped in the kitchen."

"Are they all right?"

"For now. The staff is protecting them, but they won't hold. Not if those things attack."

"But Fey magic works on demons!"

Radella zoomed in front of my face, her own furious. "Yes, and if I had warriors to work with instead of cooks, it might even be enough! As it is—"

"What are you saying? You can't break through?"

"We stormed the back door. I managed to get past their forces, but the witch almost got herself killed. And I can't do much alone."

Billy Joe floated down through the ceiling. "We got another problem," he said quickly, not even pausing to chew me out for leaving him with this mess. "Our buddy over there sent some of his boys upstairs. They're there now, with the kids. And I have no power against demons, Cass."

He, Françoise and Radella were all looking at me, and after a stu

"I have a proposition for you, pixie," Rosier gasped. I looked up to see that he had worked Radella's sword loose. What was left of it dropped to the ground with a clatter. It wasn't much more than a hilt—the rest appeared to have been eaten away, like with acid. "Leave now and I will waive retribution for your misguided actions."

"I may have a better offer," I said quickly.

Radella looked from the remains of her sword to me. "It better be a good one, human!"

"How would you like to have the rune? Not just to cast, but permanently? It only takes a month to recharge after each use, so you could have as many children as you want. Your friends could even…"

I trailed off because she had gone motionless, as if all the bones had suddenly liquefied inside her skin. She looked for a minute like she'd had the air knocked out of her, but then she licked her lips, slow and precise, and looked at me with a drowning expression in those huge lavender eyes. "What do you want?" It came out as a whisper.

"Find a way to get the kids out and it's yours."

"Are you deaf? I already told you, there is no way!"

"Can the demons follow you into Faerie?"

"What? No! Or if they did, they wouldn't last long," she said with an evil smile. "But how does that—"

"Go back into the kitchen and summon the portal. Take the kids into Faerie, then return with them once it's safe."

"And how do I do that? Even assuming I could break through the lines again, I'd need a death to power the portal. And your ghost told me—"

"You'll have it."

"What?"

"No way, Cass. Stop right there." For once Billy sounded deadly serious. Which meant he was quicker on the uptake than Radella.

"There will be a death," I told her. One way or the other. "Does it matter which of us it is, me or that thing?"

The pixie was silent for a moment. "No. The spell won't care."

Françoise had been looking back and forth between the two of us, trying to keep up with the conversation. "What? What is this? What is 'appening?"

"In a minute. Radella, did you see a little girl in the kitchen—blond, brown eyes, about five?"

"There were several younger children. I didn't—"

"Clutching a bear? She never goes anywhere without it."

"No."

I nodded. It was the first good news I'd heard. "Billy, I need you to find a way out of the casino for the kids upstairs. One of them, a little girl, is clairvoyant. She should be able to hear you. Get the kids out into the open. Into direct sunlight." Pritkin had said that worked on most demons. I only hoped these were among that number.

"Right. I'll go play with the kiddies while you sacrifice yourself. Not happening."

"I don't have time to argue!" I said, tugging off his necklace and putting it into Françoise's hands. "Give this to the little clairvoyant. I think her name is Jea

"What do you think you're doing?" Billy demanded.

"If I don't make it, she'll look after you."

"That's not the point!" he said, more angry than I'd ever seen him.

"Billy will find you a way out," I told Françoise. "Look for three old crones—they will probably be in the lobby." Casanova had said the Graeae were drawn to trouble. I just hoped they hadn't decided to take the day off. "They'll help you get to the kids."

"A ghost, three old women and a witch who has already fought us and lost," Rosier mused. "Personally, I would reconsider, pixie."

I didn't even bother to look at Radella. I knew how she'd choose; the expression on her face had been eloquent. Besides, Françoise had me in a hug that was threatening to choke me. "No! I weel not leave you again!"

"I am Pythia!" I said, detaching her arms with a less-than-dignified struggle. "And you will do as I say."

"Yes, do as she says, witch. You're no match for us," Rosier added helpfully.

Françoise turned on him, eyes furious, and uttered a single, harsh word. It wasn't the liquid syllables of French, or any other language I knew. It was low and guttural, and the power behind it made my skin crawl. Something flew straight at Rosier, something I couldn't see too well in the low light, but he turned it back with a tiny, casual gesture. The spell slammed into the stained-glass window above my head, sending a shower of brightly colored shards raining down all around me.

I grabbed Françoise by the arms before she could try again, shaking her as hard as I could. "He's right! You can't help me. But you can help them! Now get out of here. Go!" I gave her a shove toward the stairs.

She looked from me to the demon and back again, confusion and pain on her face. I don't know what she would have decided if Rosier hadn't flicked a finger, sending several dark shapes peeling away from the main mass. They didn't bother with the stairs, but shot straight up through the ceiling. Straight toward the rest of the children.