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are," said Finn. "But most of them are weak. You could probably take them in a fight."
"Unfortunately," added Volusian.
Great. This was not good news. Some part of me had been hoping only a few knew, but now it seemed my identity was the gossip du jour in the Otherworld. I wondered if it would be worthwhile to find a local witch and set wards around my house. I could also keep the spirits on permanent guard duty, but I didn't really know if my patience was up for large doses of their idiosyncrasies.
"All right, then. Get out of here. Come back at the time we set up. Oh, and if any of you hear anything that might be useful about Aeson and the girl, come tell me. Do not wait until I explicitly ask you." Those last words were a growl.
Finn vanished instantly, but Nandi and Volusian watched me expectantly.
I sighed. "By flesh and spirit, I release you from service until next I call. Depart to the next world in peace and do not return until my summons."
The spirits faded into nothing, and I was left alone.
Chapter Seven
I couldn't believe it when Wil told me he wanted to go too. Why did everyone suddenly want in on what was probably the most dangerous trip of a lifetime? I sure as hell didn't want to go. Why did they? If only I could have given up my spot.
"No," I told him. "You'll get yourself killed." I sounded just like Roland now.
"Yeah, but you said I wouldn't actually go in body. Only my spirit would go."
"Doesn't matter. The spirit is still your essence, still tied to your being and body. Someone does enough damage to it, then your body's toast too."
He didn't seem to care, which I found ironic for a guy who seemed to be so afraid of everything else. His final argument was that Jasmine would be scared and traumatized; his presence would comfort her in the face of being carted off by more strangers. He had a point, I supposed, but I warned him he would only be a reflection in that world, bearing little resemblance to his human self. She might not know him. Accepting this, he remained undaunted, and I decided if he wanted to get himself killed, that was his problem. So long as he didn't drag me down in the process.
I also made sure he paid me beforehand. Best not to take chances.
When the appointed night came, I brought Tim with me. Since Wil would not be able to go physically, we'd need someone to watch his body. Tim treated it like going to summer camp, bringing a tent and a drum and everything. I told him he was an idiot, but he had grand plans for how he could later tell his groupies he went on a vision quest. The way he saw it, he would only be half-lying. I could have brought Roland and had a little less absurdity, but I didn't trust him not to sneak in after me. So Tim it was.
We drove outside of town, traveling winding roads that snaked through the desert. Wil waited for us in a secluded spot, away from some of the more public access areas. It was a beautiful night, with the stars and moon crisp in the sky and saguaros standing watch. There were a few other thin spots between the worlds I could have used, but I chose this one because I liked the privacy and because it was one of the strongest. I wanted to waste as little power as possible in the transition over, particularly since I'd have to work to bring Wil along.
As it was, we had enough trouble even getting him into a trance.
"Jesus," I said irritably, watching him in the dim lighting, "how much coffee did you drink today?" He probably didn't even drink coffee. Too many carcinogens or something.
"I'm sorry." He attempted to stay still. "I'm just so worried about her."
He lay on a blanket near our small campfire, the smell of burning sage hanging in the air. Tim sat back near the tent with his iPod, smart enough to leave me alone and do my job. With the way Wil kept twitching, I doubted anything short of Valium would calm him down. Not that that ultimately would have done us any good.
"Are there coyotes out here?" he demanded. "Some have been known to attack humans. Even with a fire. They could have rabies. And snakes