Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

            “So they won’t be scared?” Ray asked, and I managed a smile.

            “Something like that. Can you both be very quiet while I take care of this?”

            “Supersecret hide-and-seek?” Lucy whispered.

            My heart hurt that they knew how to hide and be quiet. “Just like supersecret hide-and-seek,” I said, not a hint of play in my voice. This was how Quen had taught the girls to stay safe, and by Ray’s worried eyes and Lucy’s pinched brow, they knew it wasn’t a game.

            “Hey, Rachel . . .” Mark’s cheerful voice faltered as he saw my anger and the girls’ fear.

            “Can you hold them for a moment?” I said, shifting so Lucy’s feet hit the counter.

            “Uh, yeah?” His voice was high, but his reach was sure as Lucy edged to him, her eyes never leaving me. “Ah . . . should I call Mr. Kalamack?”

            You have his number? I thought as the door chimes clunked behind me, but I couldn’t turn until Ray let go. Hot and sticky, her fingers left my neck. Loss spilled through me, followed by more anger—anger that anyone would put the girls in danger for their petty issues and city-domination plans. “I don’t know yet,” I said. “I can tell you in about thirty seconds. I’m so sorry about this, Mark. Trent will cover any damages.”

            “I’m not worried about the damages,” he said weakly, and then my heart gave a thump when he invoked his circle and the girls were safe behind a shimmering wall of energy.

            Jenks at my shoulder, I spun. All the Weres had stood, some still sipping their coffee, but most eagerly staring at me.

            Their confidence will be the first thing to go, I thought, still not seeing Walter or the mage. “You are making a mistake,” I said, and then my attention shifted as the chimes clunked dully. It was Parker, dressed in jeans and a tee, a new, raw gash under her eye.

            “Surrounding yourself with children to protect yourself?” Parker halted, an entire pack of alphas behind her. “Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame,” she practically sang, her fingers playing with a metallic amulet about her neck.

            “Seriously?” I took my splat gun out of my shoulder bag before tossing it behind the counter. The girls’ bag was next. “I’m standing in front of them, not behind. Look, I already have my morning planned, and you aren’t in it. Tell me what you want so I can say no and get on with my life. I’ve got a pony ride scheduled at ten forty-five, and if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

            A lopsided, mean smile quirked her lips. Holding up a finger for me to wait, Parker grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head to leave her in a thin camisole. She is going to Were? Great, I thought as she kicked off her shoes.

            “Parker, why are you here? That ring is useless, and if it isn’t, that’s more reason to not let you have it.”

            “I don’t give a flea’s tit about that ring,” the woman said. “But the mage doesn’t want you to have it, and seeing as we both felt a change needed to be made, here I am.” Stretching, Parker bent at the waist to do a perfect A, palms on the floor and butt in the air. She wasn’t the bling type, and I studied the amulet dangling under her chin. It was an unknown, but I was sure she’d enlighten me soon.

            “Limber little minx, isn’t she,” Jenks scoffed, and Parker came up, her expression seriously empty.

            “You irritate me,” she said. “But what I can’t stand is Walter’s insistence that we could down David without getting rid of you first. You have to take the bitch out to get the dog to move, but most alpha males have an overinflated opinion of their sex. Until you are gone, the focus is safe with David, ring or not. I’m going to fix that.” Her attention flicked over my shoulder to the girls. “Give me the ring and I will walk out of here.” She hesitated. “For now. Don’t, and I’m going to rip you into strips so small I can feed you to my Pekingese. Either way, I win.”

            Jenks’s wings hummed, and I checked the hopper as if unconcerned. Walter, it seemed, was no longer in charge, and looking at Parker, the gash over her eye open and bleeding, I wondered if he was even alive. “You think I have the ring with me?” I said, feeling it heavy in my jeans pocket.

            “I know you do,” she said. “The mage wants it back. I want you dead. I don’t care what order it happens.”