“How? How can you help us?”
“Not us. You. Look, I took a draw before I left. You couldn’t really afford it, but I needed it to help you burn through one of these guys’ shields—”
“What?”
“—and once I get him, once we’re in charge, we’re gonna push our way to the front of the line when they take the shop—”
“What? Billy, what are you—”
“Listen to me, okay? You and me, we’re gonna get your body out of there. I’m not in it right now, so it looks like you’re already dead. We say we want the corpse for a souvenir or—or that we got orders to take it to one of their leaders, or—”
“No!”
“—or something, anything, to get you out of this building—”
“I’m not leaving them!”
“Then you’re gonna die with them!” He grabbed me. “Look at yourself! It’s gonna be touch-and-go to see that you don’t fade as it is! And there’s nothing else I can do for you, okay? This isn’t London—”
“London?”
“—there’s no more tricks up my sleeve! We’ve got to move, and move now—”
“What about London?”
“Cassie—”
“Billy! What about London?”
“Damn it!” He stared at me, exasperated. “I just meant that you’ve won against some crazy odds, like when we were at Agnes’ old court a couple days ago. I thought we were goners, but I took out those two mages, and then you pulled that stunt with the golem—”
“Golem.” I stared at him.
“—but that won’t help us now. Even if you possessed one, it’s one guy—”
He cut off, probably because I was shaking him. “Have you seen one? Billy—do they have one here?”
“They got three, but what difference does it make? I told you— Oh, shit!”
That last was in response to my zooming off, up near the top of the ceiling. And desperately scanning the crowd. And spotting not one, not two, but three of the creatures, just like Billy had said, their bright orange clay standing out even in the gloom.
And even better, they were all together, clustered over in a clump at the edge of the fighting, along with their owners.
I tore off after them, with Billy on my heels.
A second later, I was hovering in front of a seven-foot colossus. Who should be able to see me, because it was a spirit, too. One of the incorporeal types of demons Rosier had talked about, who had been tricked and trapped by a mage.
And it looked like I was right. Because I’d no sooner landed than the huge head tilted slightly, and the clay eyes seemed to focus on mine. I swallowed, really hoping I was right on this.
“Billy,” I said quietly, “possess a mage.”
“Which one?”
“Any one.”
“About time! I didn’t think you were gonna come to your senses!”
He moved off and I looked up at the golem.