Demon Night

know what you want me to say, Charlie.”
    Charlie averted her face. Her chest felt heavy. Nothing was going to change. She looked up as Ethan strode by on his sweep of the ground-level doors, and his warm fingers brushed her cheek.
    Encouraged by that brief caress, Charlie swallowed and said, “How about you give Sammael an ultimatum—that if he kills Drifter, you won’t see him again? Because it would kill me .”
    Jane’s gaze was steady on hers. “I’ll say something.”
    Charlie closed her eyes and nodded, though the sinking sensation slipping through her told her it wouldn’t matter. Sammael knew her sister too well; even if Jane left him, he could just take on another identity and find her again.
    And Jane would let it happen, rationalizing away every clue that told her the truth, convincing herself that he really was a different man. And if not completely different, then at least a changed man.
    But Charlie only said, “Thank you,” then went to stand beside Ethan as he drew back the curtains from the large picture window and studied the front lawn. Sammael wasn’t by the tree.
    “Be easy, Charlie,” he said, quietly enough that Jane couldn’t have heard. “He likely won’t make the attempt when she’s here to see.”
    “But isn’t that exactly why he would?” she said, equally low. “You wouldn’t expect it. And he could twist the truth to Jane later.”
    “Maybe so.” He nodded slowly, then slanted a narrowed, amused look at her. “But don’t be thinking I’m so easy to kill, either.”
    She had to smile a little. “I don’t. But you said before that all it takes is one distraction. You’ve got quite a few right now.”
    “That’s true enough—and, hell.” He sighed as the gates at the end of the short drive began to open. “Here comes Jake. Let’s get out there, Charlie. I’ll be mostly concentrating on Sammael; you keep young Brandt from taking hold of your sister again. Once Sammael leaves with Jane, I’ll fly you home—then return with backup, wait for the senator.”
    She caught Jane’s hand again, and put her finger against her lips when Ethan wiped the blood from the symbols. He cracked the door open an inch and cocked his head. Charlie strained to listen, as well—but she only heard their heartbeats, the quiet whine of Mark’s electric car, the sounds of the house.
    Ethan nudged the door open wide, then slid around the frame, crouching low. After another second, he said quietly, “All right, Charlie. Take her to the edge of the lawn. If he wants her, he’ll have to come out in the open.”
    Jane did a double-take as they passed Ethan; Charlie’s heart skipped. He’d formed his wings, and they angled from his shoulders and pressed into the side of the house, creating the elegant shape of a harp, with feathers for strings. And as soon as they left the porch, Charlie heard the familiar heavy beat, felt the rush of air. She glanced back, up; Ethan perched on the edge of the roof, his crossbow and sword in his hands.
    Jane blew out a soft, shaky breath. “Wow.”
    “Yeah,” Charlie agreed, squeezing her fingers, and she looked toward the approaching car. Mark was leaning forward in the driver’s seat, his eyes narrowing, then widening, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. An instant later, the car stopped, and his door opened.
    “Watch yourself, Jake.” Though Ethan spoke quietly, Charlie easily heard the command. “Sammael’s about.”
    “That isn’t our only problem,” Jake said as he stepped out of the car, shifting back into his own shape. Mark issued a deep sound of surprise and staggered back onto the lawn. “Apparently, there’s a coffee shop in the neighborhood where they wait when the other has locked the house up. So Papa just got a call, and he’s not far behind us.”
    “Son of a bitch.” Ethan stood and replaced his sword with his cell phone. “Sammael, we ain’t got time to play. You take Jane out of here now—or I’ll be taking her.”
    “What the hell is going on?” Mark’s hoarse yell scraped Charlie’s ears, and she had to shut out his wildly projected confusion. He scrambled toward her and Jane, but seemed to give up halfway, falling to his knees in the grass. The tumble of his emotions quieted.
    Ethan cursed. Startled, Charlie glanced back at him. He was shaking out his hand, and bits of plastic rained to the roof.
    It was another second before she realized what had happened: Sammael had shot the