Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

            “Radiology it is.” Trent obediently turned the car, and I caught a glimpse of Bis rolling his big red eyes. “I didn’t know they had entrances that lack spell detectors,” Trent added, slowing as we entered a narrow drive. Experience told me it wound around behind the main building to a small parking lot that few people knew about.

            “My mom used to sneak all kinds of contraband in through radiology,” I said, a smile finding me as the streetlights became even fewer and the darkness deepened.

            “I think I would’ve liked knowing you when you were young,” Trent said, and I touched his knee, easy in the tight confines of his sports car.

            “You did.”

            “I guess I should have said ‘remembering you,’ ” Trent amended, and, loving him, I leaned across the car to give him a quick kiss. He unexpectedly shifted his head, and our lips met, sending a snap of ley line energy through me as our internal balances equalized. The surprise sent a quiver of need rising in me. But me getting randy and us sneaking in to avoid security sort of went hand in hand.

            “Oh, for Tink’s titties,” Jenks complained. “Do you have to sift dust right in front of us?”

            Bis giggled, sounding like rocks in a blender, and I pushed deeper into my seat. Trent was right there, a hint of power lifting his fair hair to make him smell of wine and snickerdoodles. The need to fix what Hodin had done to Cassie’s employees was riding high in me, and the anxiety of that was an easy spill into other, more earthy releases.

            Trent made a tight turn into the space by the door, the car easing to a soft halt before he put it in park and pocketed the key fob. The rain pattered down, louder now that the car was off. “So we go in and wait for Vivian?”

            I nodded. “Convincing the nurses that we have a viable cure will be easier than the pencil pushers up front who are more concerned about lawsuits.” I hesitated as Trent lifted his hat and Jenks tucked in under it. “Maybe Vivian will take a call if it comes from the hospital.”

            I got out, hugging my shoulder bag with the books close as I breathed in the damp air trapped in the small cul-de-sac at the end of the narrow drive. No one came back here except radiation patients and the people who treated them. There wasn’t enough room for the large delivery vans, and the light above the small, one-door entrance didn’t do much.

            The door was predictably open, and Trent gestured for me to go first. “Yellow line leads to the main hospital,” I said as I went in. Empty hallway . . . good. “Ah, Jenks, if you want to—”

            “On it.” Wings a soft hum, Jenks darted down the hallway, flying high where the conventional security cameras wouldn’t see. Bis went with him, little drops of water spotting the floor as he crawled along the ceiling like a bat. Trent shuddered at the eerie sight, and I slipped my hand in his.

            “Trent, can I ask you something? I’m not surprised Lee tried to take the lens, but how come we both gave him a free pass for it? Is it because we’ve known him so long? Or maybe it’s something from camp we don’t remember?”

            Trent’s damp grip on my fingers tightened. “That he put you in a place where you could have hurt yourself bothers me more than some trinket he tried to swipe.”

            It wasn’t a trinket, but that wasn’t the point. “Regardless, why do we keep forgiving him for the crap he dishes out?” I said. “Why is it he does the same for us?” I added. “He could have really hurt himself breaking that ward. I think Lee remembers more than we do.”

            “Possibly.” Trent’s pace remained even and unaltered as we passed doors and empty lobbies, the scent of disinfectant becoming stronger the closer we got to the regular hospital. “I took a look at our camp records a few years ago when I tried to lure you into working for me.”

            “Lure?” I said, chuckling. “You practically extorted me.”

            His hand gave mine a squeeze. “And you extorted me right back. Anyway, I don’t remember most of what we did, and it was, mmmm, interesting reading. I had to extrapolate for most of it, but you were clearly good with ley lines even then.”

            “Until I threw you into a tree.” I smirked. “I didn’t touch a ley line again until college.”

            “You must have scared yourself silly,” Trent said softly.