Black Wings, Gray Skies (Black Hat Bureau 4)

“Keep your seats, ladies.” Marty swaggered in with a wink for us. “Let the real men finish the job.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered. “How did he know…?”

>>You’re welcome.

The text from Clay left me confused as to what he meant. Marty? He sent Marty to back us up? Why? Clay must have tipped him off about our plan as soon as we left for him to arrive with the cavalry so fast.

>What am I thanking you for, exactly? Asa and I could have handled Jilo and Sorie on our own.

>>I decided to speed things along so you can get back to the girls sooner. I know you’re stressed about the black witch in town. And Colby. This way, we all get home faster. Just sit back, and let Marty do what Marty does.

>I owe you a chocolate pound cake with raspberry glaze.

>>I’ll hold you to that.

“There’s our killer,” Marty barked, drawing my attention from my phone. “Grab it, boys.”

Jumping to my feet, I pled with the idiot to save himself. “Marty, that’s not going to—”

Like bees on a hive, the agents swarmed Jilo, who misted to avoid attack then solidified to strike.

The two men nearest her smacked the wall after a swat from her massive hand. She kicked three more and stomped a fourth under her heel. The wet crunch was nauseating, and it triggered the daemon.

“Protect Rue.” He bulled around me, tucking me behind his wide back. “Stay put.”

Bullets and magic shot through the air, along with screams and challenges, but Jilo kept swinging.

“What did Asa bring?” I kept a palm on the daemon’s shoulder. “What can we use against her?”

I had a few things, but they doubled as spell prep ingredients. If things got ugly, I would need those.

“Here.” He dumped a handful of warm metal into my palm. “Found in gift shop.”

What I held resembled the BBs from earlier, but they were stuck in a glob.

How was this supposed to help?

One and done.

Unless…

I pinched one of the outer beads, and it came away between my fingers, but it resisted the whole way.

“Asa is brilliant.” I stepped up beside the daemon, who grumped at me. “You are too.”

While he preened, I tore off beads as fast as I could separate them and hurled them into the room.

A screech rent the air when Jilo noticed the glint of metal and was forced to begin counting each dot.

That was when Asa’s true brilliance revealed itself.

Each time she put a bead in her hand, it stuck to the others.

Two became one.

Three became one.

Four became one.