herself.
“Up the ladder.” Steve understood. He pushed her towards the ladder, then rested his hands against her back, then thighs, supporting her on the short climb.
“Who are you?” Yolanthe demanded.
“Steve Jekyll. Fay’s friend.”
Fay brushed past Jim as he hurried into the laundry. “I’m okay. I just need…” She reached the back veranda, gripped the railing and breathed deeply. The evening air was alive with the scent of herbs.
A few seconds later, Steve stood behind her. She let go of the railing and let his strength support her.
“Anything following you?” Jim asked. A good question since he had the power of the portal to draw on for protection.
Fay shook her head, her eyes closed.
“We used Paul O’Halloran’s portal,” Steve said. “We didn’t tell him our destination and Fay used what she called a token to guide us here. Could he have followed us between?”
“Paul couldn’t track a fart in a paper bag.”
“Jim,” Yolanthe protested. She stood beside Fay at the railing and touched her arm. “Are you okay?”
Fay opened her eyes. “Tired. The demon’s gone.” Her eyes closed of their own volition.
“She’s power-burned,” Steve said. “I didn’t realize using a token between would require so much effort or I wouldn’t have allowed her.”
“My choice.”
“Ha.” He swung her up in his arms. “Is there somewhere we can sleep? We’ll tell you the full story in the morning.”
“Fay has a room,” Yolanthe began.
“That’ll do,” Steve said.
Fay crashed.
Chapter 13
The near silent tap of keys filtered first through Fay’s waking consciousness. She rolled over to face the sound, opened her eyes and saw Steve.
“Good morning, rohi.” He sat in a chair swiveled to the window, one foot braced on the sill and the computer balanced on his knee.
“Morning.”
He wore jeans but no shirt and his skin gleamed where the sun bathed it. The bed smelled faintly of him. A delicious sense of rightness flowed through Fay. She stretched and realized that though she wore a shirt, her trousers were gone.
“I need a shower,” she said. The bedside clock said it was nearly nine o’clock. “And breakfast.”
“I’ve showered, but for breakfast, I waited for you.” His hair was still wet and he’d shaved. “I thought I’d save time. I’m drafting the report to send to the senior members of the Collegium.”
Fay’s drowsy pleasure in the small intimacies of life broke apart. She sat up.
“Don’t worry. They can’t track us back.” He tapped the small computer. “Even with new technology, I’m a leopard. I don’t lead anyone to me and mine.”
It wasn’t the thought of pursuit that bothered her. It was what the report meant: the Collegium’s purpose to serve humanity had been perverted by who knew what emotions and ambition, and the cause was her father.
“I’ll grab that shower.” She scooped up her bag on her way into the bathroom. Her dad’s betrayal went further than her. It went to the heart of the organization he’d been trusted to lead. Her report would destroy him—at least, she had to hope it would. If the Collegium members refused to believe her and Steve, and Emma from the demon lab, then Fay would be forced to fight her dad and all the organizational power he commanded. Demons could not be loosed on the world.
She ducked into the shower and turned her face to the stream of hot water. Fifteen minutes later she left the bathroom dressed, hair neatly braided and emotions under control. She would fight her dad if she had to, and she would win.
“May I see?” She indicated the computer screen.
Steve swiveled it to face her, putting an arm around her hips.
She put her hand on his shoulder and felt the heat of his bare skin.
He had started the report with the golem’s charge and covered the exorcism briefly. His disapproval of Angus came through clearly. Nothing, though, could make it easier to read Angus’s charge against
“Up the ladder.” Steve understood. He pushed her towards the ladder, then rested his hands against her back, then thighs, supporting her on the short climb.
“Who are you?” Yolanthe demanded.
“Steve Jekyll. Fay’s friend.”
Fay brushed past Jim as he hurried into the laundry. “I’m okay. I just need…” She reached the back veranda, gripped the railing and breathed deeply. The evening air was alive with the scent of herbs.
A few seconds later, Steve stood behind her. She let go of the railing and let his strength support her.
“Anything following you?” Jim asked. A good question since he had the power of the portal to draw on for protection.
Fay shook her head, her eyes closed.
“We used Paul O’Halloran’s portal,” Steve said. “We didn’t tell him our destination and Fay used what she called a token to guide us here. Could he have followed us between?”
“Paul couldn’t track a fart in a paper bag.”
“Jim,” Yolanthe protested. She stood beside Fay at the railing and touched her arm. “Are you okay?”
Fay opened her eyes. “Tired. The demon’s gone.” Her eyes closed of their own volition.
“She’s power-burned,” Steve said. “I didn’t realize using a token between would require so much effort or I wouldn’t have allowed her.”
“My choice.”
“Ha.” He swung her up in his arms. “Is there somewhere we can sleep? We’ll tell you the full story in the morning.”
“Fay has a room,” Yolanthe began.
“That’ll do,” Steve said.
Fay crashed.
Chapter 13
The near silent tap of keys filtered first through Fay’s waking consciousness. She rolled over to face the sound, opened her eyes and saw Steve.
“Good morning, rohi.” He sat in a chair swiveled to the window, one foot braced on the sill and the computer balanced on his knee.
“Morning.”
He wore jeans but no shirt and his skin gleamed where the sun bathed it. The bed smelled faintly of him. A delicious sense of rightness flowed through Fay. She stretched and realized that though she wore a shirt, her trousers were gone.
“I need a shower,” she said. The bedside clock said it was nearly nine o’clock. “And breakfast.”
“I’ve showered, but for breakfast, I waited for you.” His hair was still wet and he’d shaved. “I thought I’d save time. I’m drafting the report to send to the senior members of the Collegium.”
Fay’s drowsy pleasure in the small intimacies of life broke apart. She sat up.
“Don’t worry. They can’t track us back.” He tapped the small computer. “Even with new technology, I’m a leopard. I don’t lead anyone to me and mine.”
It wasn’t the thought of pursuit that bothered her. It was what the report meant: the Collegium’s purpose to serve humanity had been perverted by who knew what emotions and ambition, and the cause was her father.
“I’ll grab that shower.” She scooped up her bag on her way into the bathroom. Her dad’s betrayal went further than her. It went to the heart of the organization he’d been trusted to lead. Her report would destroy him—at least, she had to hope it would. If the Collegium members refused to believe her and Steve, and Emma from the demon lab, then Fay would be forced to fight her dad and all the organizational power he commanded. Demons could not be loosed on the world.
She ducked into the shower and turned her face to the stream of hot water. Fifteen minutes later she left the bathroom dressed, hair neatly braided and emotions under control. She would fight her dad if she had to, and she would win.
“May I see?” She indicated the computer screen.
Steve swiveled it to face her, putting an arm around her hips.
She put her hand on his shoulder and felt the heat of his bare skin.
He had started the report with the golem’s charge and covered the exorcism briefly. His disapproval of Angus came through clearly. Nothing, though, could make it easier to read Angus’s charge against
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