"I told you, Rache!" Jenks said as I shoved Pierce behind me and the pixy dropped down. "I'm sorry, but I told you!"
"I don't have time for this," Al growled. He gestured, and Pierce seized, falling to the flat carpet in convulsions at my heels.
"Hey!" I shouted, shifting to stand so Al couldn't just scoop him up. "Do you not see this gun I've got? Knock it off, Al. I'm trying to talk to you."
Al wasn't listening, a black haze pulsing as he clenched his white-gloved hands together, and Pierce groaned, tightening into a ball. This was so not working. "Al, if you don't knock it off and pay attention to me, I'm going to plug you!" I threatened.
His red eyes flicked to mine. "You wouldn't dare."
I squeezed the trigger. Al dove for the side, falling into a roll and landing on his feet, facing me. Behind me, Pierce gasped. "I missed on purpose!" I shouted. "Stop tormenting Pierce and talk to me."
"Rachel, Rachel, Rachel," Al said from the dark, his low voice making me shudder. "That was a mistake, my itchy witch."
Never taking my eyes off the incensed demon, I fumbled for Pierce, helping him up. "You okay?"
"As a summer day in the meadow," he breathed heavily, wiping his face.
Jenks hovered between Al and me, his face ugly. "Let Al have him, Rache. He's slug slime. You heard him. He's already got a deal going."
Like I don't? "This isn't about Pierce," I said tightly. "It's about Al snagging people." I turned to the demon. "And you're going to listen to me!"
"You should listen to the pixy," Al said, pulling the lace from his sleeves before making a backward kick to send six tables sliding into the distant wall like dominoes. "If you were wise, you'd throw that pile of refuse to me and beg for leniency. He's going to kill you."
The shakes were starting, and I pushed Pierce farther behind me. Soon as Al got him, they would be gone. And I wanted to talk to Al. "Pierce isn't going to hurt me," I quavered, and Al smiled, his blocky teeth catching a glint of ambient light.
"Tell him what you are, itchy witch."
Doubt filled me. Seeing it, Al reclined against a table. Slowly I lowered my gun. "I just want to talk to you. Why are you making this so dramatic?"
"He's going to betray you," Al prophesied, taking a step closer, and my gun came up again.
"Why should he be any different from any other man?" I said.
Jenks made a tiny huff, and hearing it, Pierce turned, his expression sour. "If you would give me a hooter of a moment, I could explain."
"Yeah, I'll bet," I said, then, more charitable, I added, "Later, okay? I want to talk to Al." I focused on the demon. "That's the only reason I snatched him. The only reason," I affirmed when Jenks buzzed his disagreement. Seeing Al listening, I eased my posture. "Al, you can't snatch people when you're checking up on me. It's not fair."
"Wahh, wahh, wahh," he mocked. Snapping his fingers in an unusual showmanship, he vanished.
Jenks's wings clattered a warning. "Ah, Rache, he's not gone."
"Really? You think?" I whispered, then spun when Pierce made a choking sound.
"Damn it, Al!" I shouted, falling back in frustration upon seeing that the demon had Pierce by the neck, his feet dangling three inches above the floor.
"This one is already mine," he snarled, bringing Pierce close to his face. "Let me jump you to a line, worm. A year in my oubliette will teach you not to stray."
"It wasn't me," he gasped, his face going purple in the dim light. "She spelled me here. That's how we met," Pierce forced out. "When...she...was...eight...teen."
His last words warbled as he shook, and I was seriously wondering how much damage even a solid ghost could take. "Al! Stop it!" I said, putting my gun down and tugging on Al's velveteen-hidden arm. "I wouldn't have even taken him if you hadn't ignored me and picked up your damned line. I just want to talk to you. Will you listen to me!"
"This is for your own good," the demon said, eyeing me from over his glasses, Pierce still hanging in his grip. "He'll kill you, Rachel."
"I don't freaking care! Knock it off and pay attention to me!"
Pierce gurgled, and Al's focus became distant. Nervous, I let go of his arm and backed up into Jenks's dust. "You didn't rescue him to be your boyfriend?" Al asked, shifting his blood-smeared, white-gloved fingers around Pierce's throat.
"No!" I exclaimed, glancing at Jenks. "Why does everyone think he's my boyfriend?"
Pierce collapsed as Al dropped him. The demon stepped elegantly over the crumpled man, and I backed to the window as elegant swearwords in an old-world accent spilled out from the downed witch. Jenks's eyes widened, the pixy clearly impressed.
Al was looking at me in disbelief. "Not your lover?"
"No."
"But he is Rachel candy," Al said, his confusion too honest to be faked.
Behind him, on his hands and knees, Pierce pulled his head up. His blue eyes were vivid, and his hair was mussed. "Go to hell. You can't kill me until I'm alive."
"Looks like I can make you hurt, though," Al said, and Pierce clenched into a ball.
My neck started to sweat. Okay. Al was here, he was listening. "Al," I said loudly, trying to get the demon's attention back on me as he leaned over Pierce and poked him. "We need to talk about you snagging people. You need to stop it. Not only is it going to get me worse than shunned, but do you really want to be known as the demon who snatches instead of the demon who cleverly outwits stupid humans and Inderlanders? Come on. This is your reputation we're talking about."
On the floor, Pierce took a heaving breath of air and relaxed as Al quit whatever he was doing to him and straightened. "You can't have this one here," he said.
"Neither can you. Let him go."
Pierce's eyes met mine. "Mistress witch...There are things you don't understand. If you could only allow it in yourself to let me explain."
Al put a foot on his neck, and Pierce choked. Jenks flew down from the unseen rafters, his dust lighting the small space. "It doesn't make a difference," I said, my thoughts going to Nick and his belief that you can outsmart demons and wondering how he was doing. "We all do what we have to in order to survive. It's up to me to become involved or not, and I'm not."
"I'm sorry, Rache," Jenks whispered.
A thick smirk was on Al's lips. "Dali wouldn't help you, eh?"
"I didn't ask him."
"No?" Al questioned, and he pulled his foot from Pierce's neck.
I shrugged, though it was hard to see in the dark. "Why bother him when I can talk to you, demon to student." Cocking my hip, I made sure he could see my silhouette before the lighter darkness of the window. "The only student. In five thousand years. Yours. Not Dali's."
Worried, Jenks began dusting even more heavily, lighting a small space. Al made a small noise in thought. "You wouldn't," he said confidently, but there was doubt.
My heart pounded, and I gave him a mocking look. I doubt he could see it, but my posture was clear enough. Behind Al, Pierce opened one eye, finding mine immediately. There was defiance in him yet, helpless as he was. Strong beyond belief, but needing my help. Damn it, he was classic Rachel bait. "I only snatched him to get your attention," I said. "Now that I've got it, this is what I want."
"Damn my dame!" Al shouted, hands raised to the ceiling. "I knew it! Not another list!"
Jenks had let a burst of light go in his surprise, and in the new glow, I held up a finger. "Number one," I said. "Don't you ever not pick up when I'm trying to get in touch with you. I don't call unless it's important, so answer your line, okay?"
Al brought his attention back down from the ceiling. "You really don't want to have sex with him? Why? What's wrong with him?"
I flushed and held up a second finger. "Two, I want a little respect. Stop hurting people with me. And no more snatching."
"Respect," Al huffed. "Too bad. So sad. Respect needs to be earned, and you haven't given me anything to buy it from me."
Behind him, Pierce edged away, but before he could gain his feet, Al jabbed his foot backward, and the witch went sprawling.
"Respect?" I echoed. "You think I still need to earn your respect? How about me not summoning you even when I wanted to talk to you? How about me knowing all your friends' names and not summoning them? How about me not working with them so they can get their own bloody familiars? I could walk away from you and go to any of them. At any time. Done."
Leaving him was an empty threat, but because I had snatched Pierce from him, with no ley line magic and limited resources, he was listening. I didn't want another teacher. Maybe I should tell him that.
The light from Jenks's last dusting had faded, and I couldn't see Al's face. He wasn't moving, though. "Three," I said softly, "I want to stay your student. You probably want to keep it that way, too, huh? Don't push me on this, Al. I'll leave, and I don't want to."
Pierce looked riven, and Al's expression became unreadable.
Taking a breath, I focused on Al-who had been listening intently. "So what's it going to be? Are you going to be nice, or naughty?"
In a smooth motion, Al swooped toward Pierce, grabbing him by the shirtfront and hoisting him up. "Sorry about that, little runt," he said, zipping up his pants and arranging his collar in motions so fast that it left Pierce shocked, and scrambling. "Terrible misunderstanding."
He gave Pierce a smack on the back, to send him stumbling. Face red, Pierce caught his balance and pushed Al's hands off him. Stiff with pride, he turned his back on us as he tugged his clothes back where they should be, ran a hand over his hair, and then turned around. I wouldn't look at him.
Jenks had moved closer to me in the fast exchange, and he hovered suspiciously. I wasn't satisfied, though, and I stayed where I was, my back to the window. "So you agree, no snatching, smacking, killing, or scaring people with me. I want to hear it."
"This one doesn't count," Al said. "It's not retroactive."
"Good God! This is an addiction!" I exclaimed, but seeing I'd pushed him far enough-and that he and Pierce already seemed to have an agreement-I nodded. "Say it," I insisted.
Pierce was edging away from Al. The motion wasn't lost on the demon, and he jerked him back. "I won't snatch, harm, or scare to death people with you or use checking up on you as an excuse to cause trouble. You're worse than my mother, Rachel."
"Mine, too," Jenks muttered.
"Thank you," I said formally. I was shaking inside. I'd done it. I'd freaking done it. And it hadn't cost me my soul, or a mark, or anything. Hallelujah, she can be taught!
Al gave Pierce a shove away and strolled closer to me. I tensed, then relaxed, putting my gun away. I could smell the burnt amber flowing from him, and Jenks hovered backward, sword hefted as if ready to throw it. I didn't move, numb as Al sidled up alongside me and together we eyed Pierce, nervous under our combined scrutiny. "If you give him a body," he said lightly, "I will kill him."
I looked at Al. His eyes didn't look strange anymore, and it scared me. "I don't know that curse," I said blandly.
Al's jaw clenched and released. "He will eventually try to kill you, Rachel. Let me save you the trouble of killing him in turn."
Tired, I started tucking things away. The empty bottle, the crucible, the used finger stick. My hands were shaking, and I made a fist. "Pierce isn't going to kill me."
"You got that right," Al and Jenks said simultaneously.
"Tell him what you are, itchy witch," Al added after a wary look at the pixy. "See what happens."
Pierce had been in my church for almost a year. I doubted very much he didn't know what I was. It was only just after midnight, but I was ready to go home. "Why don't you leave before someone recognizes you," I said as Jenks landed on my shoulder. My adrenaline was gone, and I was cold in my little black dress. I looked around, but apart from the two bottles of potion still on the sill, there was nothing of mine except Pierce standing stoically by the window, trying not to look naive as he gazed down at the streets of Cincinnati full of people partying. "I'm already shunned, thanks to you," I finished.
A beautiful smile came over the demon, and looking at me from over his smoked glasses, he said, "Leave? But it is such a spectacular night!" That smile still on his face, he strode to the window and picked up my potion bottles. I held out my hand for them as he lifted them to the faint light and squinted.
"You made more than one potion to give him substance?" Al asked, and when I said nothing, he cracked one of the seals and breathed. "Nice presentation," he murmured, then slid them into a jacket pocket.
"Hey! Those are mine!" I protested, jolted out of my complacency. Jenks launched himself off my shoulder, but Pierce gave me what was almost a nasty look, as if I should have known better and was being stupid.
Al didn't even bother to acknowledge me as I stood with my arms crossed over my middle and sulked in a drop-dead gorgeous dress underneath Cincinnati's premier restaurant. "These are mine," he finally said. "You're my student, and I can claim anything you make."
I jumped when I suddenly became aware that Pierce was behind me. He gave me a heartfelt look, trying to take my hands as he said, "Rachel, might I have a word with you? My heart is breaking to explain."
"I'll bet," I said sourly, pulling my hands away. "Why don't you vamoose so Al will go with you and leave me the hell alone?"
"I'll allow that this looks powerful suspicious," he admitted. "And anyone would be in a fine pucker, but you yourself have a mind to deal with the devil spawn upon occasion. I have until sunrise to convince you that I'm honorable." He looked at Al. "You agreed to no snatching. I have until sunrise."
Al gestured grandly. "If you must. But I'm not leaving you alone with her."
My eyebrows rose, and even Jenks made a tiny squeak of a sound. "Whoa, boys. I have plans tonight, and they don't include a demon and a ghost."
"Yeah!" Jenks launched himself from my shoulder and hovered to brighten the area. "We got reservations at the Warehouse." He flitted to the window and looked down, staying in flight and dusting heavily.
"Sounds like fun," Al said, rubbing his white-gloved hands together. "Pierce, get the lift."
"No way!" I shouted. "Pierce, will you just go? I can talk to you next week."
The man's jaw was set as he ducked out from under Al's attempt to shove him to the elevator, and he straightened, saying, "I'll not be moseyin' until I have a chance to settle this. And that is all I'm saying about it."
I sighed, leaning back against the cold window with my butt on that narrow sill. The last thing I needed was to put this circus on rails. "Fine," I said sourly, crossing my ankles. "I'm listening."