clue to the whereabouts of another Watcher portal.”
I thought back to the fragments Harry’s ghost had been able to share. “Bad ghosts. Dark place. Chains on the ceiling.” One place came to mind, to anyone familiar with Charleston’s bloody past.
“The Old Jail,” Teag and I said in unison.
Sorren nodded. “My thoughts, exactly.”
“But we don’t know whether the Watcher is already here, or about to come,” I protested. “And come to think of it, I didn’t feel the overwhelming guilt that I’ve always felt before a Nephilim attack.”
“That’s because the Nephilim who attacked us were already inside the Briggs Society, and our protections would keep a Watcher well away,” Donnelly said.
“Cassidy’s right about the danger from a new Watcher, but we’re in no condition to do anything about it tonight,” Sorren said firmly. Worried as I was, I knew I was not up to another fight, and by the look of it, neither were Teag or Sorren.
“What now?” Teag asked.
“I’ll see both of you safely home, and we regroup tomorrow night,” Sorren said.
I looked at the mess the battle had made. “What about all this?” I asked. “We trashed the place.”
Donnelly chuckled. “There’s more magic in the Briggs Society than dreamt of in your imagination,” he said. “Higgins and I will make sure it’s taken care of.” He glanced at the net, chakram and the urumi. “In the meantime, at least for the duration of the present emergency, keep the weapons. They suit you. I believe their former owner would be proud to see them used for a noble fight.”
“We can’t have you leaving looking like that,” Higgins said, shaking his head. “Come with me. You can clean up before heading out.” Just like that, he was back in butler mode, and I vowed to ask Sorren for the real story some time when we weren’t up to our necks in Nephilim.
It turned out that the Briggs Society had guest rooms, and Higgins led us each to comfortable sleeping quarters with private bathrooms. When I emerged from a hot shower, I found that my blood-soaked clothing had been removed and a fresh outfit, exactly the right size, awaited me. Next to the clothes, the chakram lay on a black leather pouch, spotless and shining. I resolved not to question the magically miraculous concierge service and happily got dressed, tucking my wet hair back in a tail.
When I came downstairs, Teag and Sorren were dressed in clean outfits as well, and except for a few fresh cuts and bruises, we looked none the worse for the wear. “Keep me updated, Sorren,” Donnelly said as he waved good-bye and Higgins walked us to the door. “If I can help, I will. Hell of a task, this.”
Sorren’s lips quirked. “Oh I will, Archie. Believe me, I will.” With that, we stepped outside to find Teag’s Volvo right where we left it several hours before. I turned back for one last look at the Briggs Society, but the Georgian brick building was nowhere to be seen. In its place were three white clapboard Charleston single houses that looked as if they had been there for the better part of a century.
“Where –” I stammered. Teag turned around and stood, dumbfounded, as well.
“‘When’ is a better question,” Sorren said with a chuckle. “That’s what I meant about the Society being able to protect itself. It appears and disappears on no particular schedule, not always in the same place, and it never stays long.”
Which could mean that those explorers from other times might still stop in for a hot toddy now and again, in the past or future. Thinking about it too hard made my head hurt. I got into the car, leaned back in the seat, and was asleep before we reached my house.
I WAS RESTLESS, so I decided to take a walk the next morning, after we opened the shop. “I’m going over to the Lowcountry Museum,” I said. “Lucinda’s exhibition should be ready to open, and I wanted to ask her about what Caliel said when we were at the power plant.”
“Take the rental car,” Teag said. “We don’t need another Nephilim incident. If Sariel is behind this, then you and I are a way he could get at Sorren. Please – drive.”
I sighed. It was sunny and mild and the idea of a walk to clear my head was attractive. Still, I couldn’t argue with Teag; there had been too many attacks to be careless, and I didn’t relish another run-in. “All right,”