Thirteen (Otherworld 13)

"If we can arrange a meeting with Hope later, we'll do that for you," Adam said. "As for getting in, we were thinking--"

"I heard what you were thinking," Aratron said. "Discussing actually. I said it wouldn't work."

"You can't give me back my spells?" I said.

"Of course I can. And I will. When you get inside that compound. But magic will not get you into it. The exterior is warded against them. Once inside, you can cast. But you cannot use spells to get inside."

"Okay, so--"

The sound of someone crashing through the cornstalks cut me short. Troy strode into the field. No--not Troy. I didn't even need to see those blazing green eyes to tell me that.

&nbs

p; I shook my head. "You know, Asmondai, Benicio's going to start getting a little pissed if you keep possessing his bodyguard like that."

He ignored me, bearing down on Aratron. "You have interfered once too often, spirit. Did you think I wouldn't learn of your meddling? Taking the girl's powers so she cannot protect my son?"

"Um, I'm not exactly helpless," Adam said.

"You have crossed a line that you should not have crossed," Asmondai said to Aratron.

Aratron only lifted his brows. "Is that a threat, demon? Please, do tell me how you plan to carry it through. Your kind have no dominion over mine. In fact, if I recall correctly, it is the other way around. Not that we have invoked that power in millennia--you do get so resentful--but a reminder might be in order."

"Don't threaten me, spirit."

"Then save the bluster. It suits Balaam better." He turned to us. "There is another way into that pit. Gilles de Rais is waiting for someone. A necromancer whose assistance could make the difference between success and failure. Gordon Scott. Have you heard of him?"

"Oh, yeah," I said. "Class-A dirtbag who fancies himself a zombie master? The council has tangled with him a few times. He seems to think the antislavery laws don't apply to dead people. So he's mixed up in this? Why am I not surprised?"

If we'd had time to compile lists of supernaturals who might be involved, Scott would have been on it. Not only was he an opportunist, but it was rumored he'd been allied with the group that took my mother and me captive all those years ago. Using an underground compound was probably his idea, based on that experience.

"He's been de Rais's best hope of summoning Lucifer," Aratron said. "He's the one who set them on Walter Alston."

"This spirit is misleading you," Asmondai said. "Scott parted ways with de Rais two days ago."

"Yes," Aratron said. "Which is why de Rais waits. He has sent a message telling Scott that he now has Lucifer's child, which is the route the necromancer himself suggested after their failure with Walter Alston. De Rais hopes Scott will return."

"Ah-ha," I said. "So if we can find Scott and hitch a ride in with him . . ."

"Impossible, I fear. He is, at this moment, one of those empty shells he once exploited."

"He's dead? Well, he can't have been dead long, so if you know where his body is, we'll have Jaime give him a taste of his own medicine. Resurrect him--"

"He isn't merely dead. He's quite dead."

"Quite dead?"

"Flayed."

"Oh. What'd he do? Piss off a lord demon?"

"No, it was a group of your garden-variety demonic underlings. He thought he might be able to contact Lucifer himself if he summoned enough of his foot soldiers. He was mistaken."

"Well, we can't work with flayed. He'd need skin." I looked at Adam, who confirmed that with a nod.

Asmondai appealed to Adam. "Are you really listening to this spirit, my son? You are brighter than that. You have studied your histories of his kind. Have they ever helped mortals?"

"They've been known to help restore balance," Adam said.