“You have seen him!” Al bellowed as I scrambled to grab the bottle and keep it from falling. Pulse fast, I stood, holding it and Bis tight to me as I slid out of the back of the booth. Trent ended his conversation and stood, and Zack’s security made a beeline to him. “This is his fault!” Al shouted, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the room as if looking for him. “That backstabbing, elven-rutting gigolo convinced you to treat with the Goddess, and now your gargoyle is lost and your church has fire trucks parked at the curb! Where is he? Odie?” Al yelled at the ceiling.
“That’s not what happened.” I backed up to find Trent standing behind me, grim-faced. Jenks was on my shoulder, and I held Bis and that bottle tight. “Al, I swear—”
“Show yourself, you little worm, or I’m going to sell you to the nearest elf!” Al bellowed.
And then I yelped when a soft pop of air pushed me back a step.
“Again?” Hodin said wrathfully as he stood in the center of the room, his slim build looking dangerous in his black jeans and T. A hint of purple magic flickered through his fingers, and my hair crackled with static. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice . . . Well, you won’t get the chance because I’m going to send you to hell, Gally.”
Glenn and Ivy slid out of the way, but I stood firm with Trent beside me. “Guys,” I started, then yelped as Al yanked heavily on the nearest ley line, almost buckling my knees with the power he drew to life. He didn’t even bother harnessing it with a spell, just marshaled the raw energy into his hand and threw it at Hodin.
White-faced, Mark pulled Zack to him and invoked the protection circle at the register. Zack’s security dove behind the counter. Their pistols were out, but honestly, they were the least of my worries as the ball of energy sped harmlessly under Hodin when the demon vanished into a black hummingbird.
“You little pus bucket!” Al shouted, now swinging wildly at Hodin as he dove at him, plucking bits of hair and stabbing at his ear. “Putrid elven bootlicker!”
“Enough!” I shouted, and then, with Bis pressed to me, I flung a hand out. “Corrumpo!” I shouted, the expanding force of air flinging the hummingbird that was Hodin to smack into the window and knocking Al to a hand-reaching stagger. Mark yanked Zack back below the counter, but the kid immediately popped up, shoving Mark into his own circle to break it. Eyes wide, Zack started for me, only to be tackled by his own security and go down with an indignant yelp.
“I said, enough!” I shouted when Hodin, still a bird, shook himself and started for Al. “Al, leave Hodin alone.”
“He is a liar and a cheat!” Al snarled, his hat gone and his glasses askew to show his bloodshot goat-slitted eyes. “And he’s going to die. Right now!”
“Then you will have to go through me,” I said, and Al spun comically fast. As he stared at me in horror, I felt a shiver run through me.
“Ra-a-ache-e-e-el? What did you do?” Al intoned, and Hodin flew to hover beside me, where he turned back into his usual broody dark self.
I glanced at Hodin, then took a step from both him and Trent. “I, ah, promised to stand up for him if the collective got ugly,” I said. “And that includes you.”
“You what!” Al bellowed, thick hands fisted. “What did he give you? Something you already had, I bet. Something you could have found on your own, or something I could have given you.”
“You never gave anyone anything.” Hodin sniffed and pushed his rings to the base of his fingers. “And truly, what did you expect? Your student’s life was in danger, and you abandoned her for nearly a week?” He shook his head, his hair falling to hide his eyes in a mocking, threatening peekaboo. “From the same thing you were hiding from. You don’t deserve a student this talented. She did what no one else has ever done.”
“At what cost!” Al shouted, and I winced. He was beginning to hurt my ears. “You are a worthless hack of a demon, fit only for bedroom games and little more. Rachel is mine.”
Hodin’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing.
“Ah . . .” I held up a finger. “I don’t belong to anyone, guys.”