face, forced my eyes against his velvet jacket. "She is fading, ma petite."
Her voice came in a rush of rain and wind. "I know who your master is, wolf. You have betrayed me, and I will not forget it."
When I could no longer smell jasmine or feel rain against my skin like some invisible presence, I asked Jake, "How do I keep her from popping in to see me?"
"There's a charm for that."
I gave him a look.
"People used to think she was a demon, but whatever they thought she was, one human witch made a charm a very long time ago, and it works."
"Is it a holy symbol?" I asked.
He smiled. "No, it's magic, not faith."
"Isn't all magic faith?" I asked.
"No, sometimes it's just magic."
The concept was too hard for me. "You got one of those charms on you?"
"Always, but I'll get one for you. We should be safe for the rest of tonight."
"I hope those aren't famous last words," I said.
"What do we do with them, Anita?" Truth asked.
I looked at Jake. "He broke your laws more than mine."
"Kill him under your laws, we won't argue. We suspected one of us was being paid as an assassin, but we didn't know who. Then Pantalone volunteered to come check out Malcolm's church. It was just a visit, and a report back to the council. He usually only takes killing jobs, so we were suspicious. If Columbine had won Jean-Claude's lands, it would have been Pantalone who ruled here. We are allowed to leave the service of the Mother now, because she sleeps. Once she wakes, all that are in her service will be trapped there."
"So you came to spy," I said.
"And to help keep you alive."
"Thanks for that." I glanced back toward Remus's body. "I wish everybody were still alive."
"I'm sorry about that, truly. He was a good man."
I turned back to Wicked and Truth. "Did you guys wade into the dark and cut off his hand without being able to see anything?"
"Yes," Wicked said.
"Of course," Truth said.
"Then take his head."
Pantalone, with a missing arm, stabbed, shot, moved in a black blur. Truth was his own dark blur, his sword so fast it looked like lightning. He took him through the heart again, except spitting him this time the way Pantalone had spitted Remus. Wicked's blade glittered outward and the head went spinning. It wasn't just impressive. It was lovely in a macabre sort of way.
"Someone put the head in a sack. We'll burn it later, separate from the body."
"We should take the heart, too," Olaf said.
I nodded. "You're right. We'll do that after we take care of the other two."
"You killed our master," Columbine said.
"I would ask, does that frighten you, but I can taste your fear in your words. It tastes good. I'm going to ask you some questions. If you answer me truthfully, then you die quick, fairly painless. You fuck with me, lie to me, try not to answer the questions and I'll make your death something to write home about. I'll give you to Olaf. He's the big guy."
Olaf glanced back at me, gun still trained on them. "Do you mean it?"
"Right this minute, yes. She's a petite dark-haired woman, she even fits your victim profile. If she doesn't answer my questions, never say I didn't give you a good present."
"No," Columbine said, "please."
"You tried to kill me and the people I love. Your master killed my friend. Please isn't going to have much effect on me right now, not from you."
"Please," Richard said, "don't do this."
I shook my head. "Go home, Richard."
"Isn't there any other man in your bed who agrees with me, that there are some things you don't do, for any reason?"
Jean-Claude stood and went to Richard. He began to try to soothe him. It reminded me of when you gamed and you had to send the Paladin around the hill so you could loot the dead.
Nathaniel and Micah came to my sides. "You want to get closer to her?" Micah asked.
I nodded. "You don't think I'm a bastard for offering her to Olaf?"
"They've nearly killed you three times, Anita. You're my Nimir-Ra; I'll carve out her heart and serve it to you on a platter." The threat seemed more real with him in his kitty-cat form.
"I'm your submissive, I don't argue," Nathaniel said.
"Submissive when it suits you, lately."
He smiled at me. "I won't carve her up, but I might watch Olaf do it. She almost killed you, and Jean-Claude, and Richard."
I