“We’ll have to do a check for her. The mayor will expect a full report.”
“Already started.” Donovan pulled a metal object that looked like a TV remote control from his belt loop and tossed it at the blond demon, who caught it one-handed. “If you’re not too busy, Julian, we could use your help.”
Julian sighed. “I suppose.”
“Dude, have you been crying?”
“No!” He wiped absently at his damp cheeks. “What a ridiculous thing to suggest.”
Donovan glanced at Val again. “Hello there, beautiful.”
She pasted a slightly shaky grin on her lips. “Hello yourself.”
“Do we know each other?”
She gave him a quick up and down look. “I’m sure I’d remember someone as incredibly gorgeous as you.”
He grinned. “I suppose that you would.”
“She’s Nathaniel’s woman,” Julian told him as he flicked a switch on the remote control. “For the time being, anyhow.”
Donovan frowned. “That’s odd. I just saw Nathaniel yesterday. He was with a—”
Val stood up and pointed at the remote control. “So what does that thing do?”
“This is a spell-checker,” Julian explained. “After the mayor put forth his Belligerent Magic
Decree to avoid any more unpleasant assassination attempts, these are used to make sure that everyone complies. It’ll reveal any spell, and hopefully lead us right to our little escapee. She might be hiding behind a simple glamour. Allow me to demonstrate.”
He pointed the remote at Donovan in front of the doorway and a red beam of light hit him.
Immediately his glamour dissolved and Val could see the tiny, dumpy gray troll that he really was.
“Hey!” Donovan said. “Don’t do that. It tickles.”
He stepped out of the beam and immediately regained his tall, perfect stature. He looked a little pissed off at Julian, who was grinning widely.
Val’s heart was beating so loudly that she was sure it would throw off the band’s rhythm outside by the pool.
A spell-checker? she thought frantically. Here? Now? I have to get the H-E-L-L out of here before—
“And what about you, my lovely witch. Are you truly so beautiful?”
The red light shone in Val’s face, momentarily blinding her. She blinked and looked down at herself. Tank top, jeans, long blond hair visible past her shoulders. Reeboks on her feet.
Oops.
She blinked up at Julian who was looking at her with confusion that slowly melted into recognition. He moved the beam away and her glamour fell back into place.
“You,” he said. “I know you.”
Val cleared her throat. “Claire. Evil witch. Dating Nathaniel. Up to no good, no good at all.
Remember?”
“No more lies.” Julian waved his hand and she felt a warm breeze touch her, wiping the glamour away permanently.
Donovan wagged a finger at her. “You were the one with Nathaniel. At my apartment. You left your sweater and coat there.”
Val nodded slowly. “Yeah, would you mind popping those in the mail for me sometime? That would be great.”
“She’s a fallen angel,” Donovan told Julian. “She’s in the Underworld because she’s looking for you.”
“And why ever would that be?” Julian fingered the key around his neck as his eyes narrowed at her. “Hmm, I have absolutely no idea.”
“Probably for that Key to Heaven you have there,” Donovan offered.
“I was being facetious, you moron.”
“Oh.”
Julian fixed her with an icy glare. “Almost had me, didn’t you? Now let me take a wild guess.
You were the one who helped my little sacrifice escape?”
Val looked away, then forced herself to meet his furious gaze. “So what if I did?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Believe me, I am going to make things very uncomfortable for you now.” He took a step toward her.
“You first,” she said, and drove her knee into his groin as hard as she could.
He blinked and fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
“Ouchy.” Donovan winced with sympathy. “That wasn’t very nice.”
Maybe Val couldn’t vanquish him, or even hurt him very bad, but after what she’d seen Lisa do to Nathaniel, she knew she could cause a little damage.
But not nearly enough.
He staggered back up to his feet and backhanded Val across her mouth. “You’re only making things worse for yourself. Perhaps you can take the place as our entertainment for the mayor.
Seems only fair, doesn’t it?”
He grabbed her arm, hard, and dragged her toward the door.
Donovan looked at them.