Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

            Jenks’s wings hummed. “Quen, Trent’s fine. The second ring showed up at the festival.”

            Stef, I thought. But I’d seen her at the hospital. It wasn’t her. “Trent is not fine. If he was, he’d answer his phone.”

            “He’s not answering his phone because I told him not to,” Quen said, and I turned onto Oak Staff, forcing myself to slow, wipers striking a too-fast beat. “When the I.S. showed up at the estate, I told him to lie low and not answer it. As long as that pearl ring is still white, he’s okay.” He hesitated. “It is, right?”

            “Yes.” I stared at the ring, my hand trembling as I drove. No flashing lights at the curb. That’s good. “Don’t you have a GPS amulet for him? I mean, you didn’t even let him drive a car until he was twenty-three.”

            “I do not,” Quen said softly. “He’s wanted for questioning on some very disturbing charges. I’d be surprised if you weren’t implicated as well. Get off the phone and disappear. Stay clear of the church and everyone you know.”

            Annoyed, I looked up at the steeple. “Hide. Sure. Right after I make a finding amulet for Trent.”

            “Rachel, this is not a joke,” Quen began, and I hung up on him.

            Jenks’s wings were a soft hum as he rose to the dash. “Disturbing charges?”

            “Pick one,” I muttered as I made the sharp right into the church’s carport. “If Lee is behind the warrant, it could be anything.” We both worked above the law when we had to. Hell, I had just irrevocably transformed a woman into a wolf. I’d done it because it was my job, but it was still illegal. The city would let me get away with it only as long as I served their interests. It was a new place to be, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

            “Rache, give me a minute to check the grounds,” Jenks said, and I nodded, frustrated as I cracked the window for him.

            “Watch your temps!” I shouted as he darted out into the rain, and he flashed an impatient red before vanishing over the wall and into the back garden. I lingered in the car, bent at an awkward angle to peer at the steeple. It was empty. Bis had fallen asleep on the top of Carew Tower this morning, and he wouldn’t wake up until the sun was down.

            I slumped deeper in the car’s seat, my fingers tracing the expensive leather as the rain pattered down. The yards were quiet and empty. Soggy leaves were piled at the curb, and the first of the carved pumpkins sat on front steps, ready for Halloween. I hadn’t even thought about what I wanted to dress up as this year to hand out candy. Perhaps a DMV officer. Those guys were scary.

            Anxious, I grabbed my bag as I got out, shutting the door carefully to minimize the noise. Phone in hand, I called Doyle’s direct line. It went immediately to voice mail. He’s still at the hospital? I mused as I headed for the front stoop, boots slick on the leaf-wet walk. Jenks was still on his recon, and I searched the sky over the garden for his telltale dust.

            “Hey, Doyle,” I said when his outgoing message quit. “I’m sorry that you’re last on my list, but seeing as you were cut pretty bad, I figured you’d be out for a while. Ah, Lee Saladan is the mage. Parker told me, and she probably wasn’t lying, seeing as it makes perfect sense.”

            I hesitated as I hiked my shoulder bag higher. “Let me know when I can come down with Vivian Smith and uncurse your people,” I continued. “I’d do it now, but she wants to see it in action. I’m going to hold on to the ring for a few days until we’re sure there aren’t any more chakra curses lurking in the hospitals, and then I’m giving it to Al. Oh, and if I can talk to the family of whoever Lee tricked into making it, I’d appreciate it. They need to know what happened and that we are going to prosecute the person who murdered him or her.”

            I winced as I remembered Parker roaming Cincy’s streets. “One last thing. Parker is a real wolf,” I said, my boots clumping as I went up the stairs. “Torn ear, missing one eye. Could you let everyone know not to shoot her? She needs to be humanely caught and relocated to the wild, not a zoo. I have a finding amulet if it helps. And, um, whatever it is that Lee says Trent and I have done . . . er, call me if you need me to make a statement. I might be hard to find for a while, but Jenks will know where I am. Bye.”

            A sigh brought my shoulders down as I eased the door to the church open and slipped inside. It hadn’t been a very good day. Tonight wasn’t going to be any easier between finding Trent, then locating Lee. Not to mention some serious groveling for having stood Vivian up. Having her there when I uncursed the I.S. agents Parker had downed was an excellent idea. I figured I had a little time before the I.S. showed up, but the sooner I found Trent, the better. Told him not to answer his phone, huh?