The cradle drew my attention back to it. There were answers there. I just needed to try harder with my magic.

I knelt by the crib and gripped the wooden edge, calling upon my power.

Where are you?

Magic flared to life inside my chest, bright and strong, yet still weaker than it could be. Come on. I needed to try harder.

I envisioned the woman I’d seen when I’d touched the book. Imagined her now, running with her baby. Or dead.

The thought made a shudder run through me. I was afraid of what I might find, but still, I needed to find it.

Where are you?

Shouts sounded from down below.

“He’s yelling at the maid,” Grey said. “He’ll grow suspicious soon. Hurry.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and kept trying. Come on, come on, come on.

I could find her. I had to find her.

Finally, an image flared to life. I’d recognize the place anywhere.

I surged upright. “I’ve got it. The Haunted Hound. Let’s get out of here.”

Footsteps sounded on the stairs below, and my skin chilled. “He’s coming.”

“Best if we don’t meet him.” Grey moved swiftly and silently to the exit and took a left into the room next door. “There’s a larger window here. No bars.”

I followed him in, the sound of Rasla’s footsteps making my breath grow short in my lungs. Grey stood near a mullioned glass window in a room filled with old furniture. It was storage space, obviously. The window wasn’t the sort that opened, so Grey picked up an old chair and smashed it through the glass.

He tossed the chair aside and threw an old blanket over the jagged glass, then turned to me, holding out his hands. “Come on.”

“I know it’s you, Devil!” Rasla’s voice sounded from below.

“Do we stay and erase his memory now, or go get our answers from Evangeline?” I asked.

“We go. There’s no time to waste trying to learn how he resisted my power before. And if she’s running, we can’t let her get farther. We’ll deal with him later.”

I nodded and raced to Grey, then scrambled out the window and onto the steep roof. Grey slipped out behind me and darted gracefully to the side, moving quickly on the tiles. I followed, moving as quickly as I dared in my long dress and unfamiliar shoes, and we raced across the slanted rooftop.

“I’ll find you!” Rasla’s voice echoed after us.

I looked back and spotted him hanging out the broken window. It was growing dark, but there was still enough light to see the rage in his eyes.

He was totally onto us, though he probably still had no idea who I was. It would prove problematic for Grey, however. We’d need to sort this out before we returned to our time.

I followed Grey along the rooftops, climbing from building to building, and nearly losing my footing several times. We were three stories up, and a fall would be catastrophic.

“Come, we can get down right here.” Grey stopped at the edge of the row of buildings where it terminated against a side street.

I stopped next to him, looking down. A sturdy vine had grown along the side of the wall, so old and tough that we could use it like a ladder.

I dropped low and scrambled over the edge. Shouts sounded from down the road to my right.

It had to be Rasla, coming our way down the street. Grey climbed alongside me, just as fast, and we reached the bottom seconds later.

“This way.” Grey sprinted away from the noise, and I followed. We hurried into the dark, losing ourselves amongst the winding streets of Guild City, until the shouts of Rasla and whoever he’d gathered on his side disappeared.

Finally safe, I leaned against a wall in an old, smelly alley. Panting, I turned to Grey. “That was too close.”

He nodded. “I’m going to have to find him and erase his memory, or he’ll cause problems for me in this timeline.”

“We’ll make it a priority.” I looked down the street, trying to get my bearings. “We need to go to the Haunted Hound. I think we’re close.’

“We are. This way.” He started down the alley, and I followed.

The streets were quiet, probably because people were home for dinner. It only took us a few minutes to reach the gate that would lead to the pub.

As we approached the gate, we kept our heads down. My shoulders relaxed when we disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel that would lead us to the Haunted Hound. We reached the portal, and the ether sucked us in, spinning us around and spitting us out in the back hallway at the pub.

I got my bearings and said, “Well, that was the most familiar thing we’ve done in a while.”

Grey cracked a slight smile. “You’ll like the Hound, then.”

We walked out of the dark hallway and into the main part of the pub. Happiness filled me at the sight. It was exactly the same as it was in the modern day. Same dark walls, low ceiling, small wooden tables, and fireplace.

“You’re right,” I said. “I’m still a fan.”

“Ready to get back to our time?” he asked.

“More ready every second.” I searched the Hound for any sight of the woman we sought.

Though there were quite a few people there, none of them were Evangeline. There were two living dogs by the fire, however, and I gasped.

“The ghost dogs are alive,” I whispered.

Grey nodded. “It’s called The Hound at this point, I believe. But when the dogs pass, they’ll stay on, and the bar’s name will change.”

I loved the idea of it.

But there was no time to dawdle. I looked toward the bar, unable to help the slight disappointment at the sight of the unfamiliar person there. It was silly. Of course Mac and Quinn weren’t working, no matter how similar the place looked. I was just longing for something certain and familiar.

Quickly, I strode to the bar, giving all the patrons one last look. They wore the usual attire of the period, which was the only thing different about the Hound, and I still didn't recognize anyone.

I could feel the bartender’s gaze on me as we approached, and I stopped in front of him and smiled. He was a burly man with a beard and beady eyes—nowhere near as charming or handsome as Quinn.

He gripped the rag in his hand and asked. “What can I get you?”

“I’m looking for a woman,” I said.

“Don’t snitch on my customers, I don’t.” His eyes flashed.

Grey joined me, catching the man’s gaze. His voice vibrated with power as he spoke. “You will help us find the woman we seek.”

The man grimaced briefly, but his eyes fogged with the power of Grey’s gift. He nodded jerkily.

“She looks like me,” I said. “And she should be here.”

The man hissed out a breath, then spoke. “Aye, you look familiar. And there was a lady here. Stayed three nights in the room upstairs, along with her babe.”

Was? “Where is she now?”

“Left only ten minutes ago,” he said. “Said she was making a new life for herself in the country.”

In the country was a massive place. Pretty much everything except London.

“Where?” I asked.

“Dunno. But logic says she’d be trying to get a ride with Old Robert and his carriage service.”

I looked between him and Grey. “Where does that depart from?”

Grey’s brow furrowed slightly as he tried to remember, and the bartender beat him to it. “From the main market in Covent Garden.”

I turned to Grey. It wouldn’t be the market I knew—that had been built after 1642. “Do you know where that is?”

“I should, yes.” He looked at the man. “You’ll forget you saw us or helped us.”

The man nodded, his shoulders relaxing as if he were pleased to be rid of us. I whirled around and headed for the door, pushing my way out into London.

The stench was the first thing to hit me, making my eyes water. “Holy hell, this is terrible.”

“Human London.”

The smell came from all around—sewage, slop, horses. The animals clomped their way through the street, their carriage wheels rattling over the cobblestones. People pushed their way along with the crowd, and we joined the crush.

Hitching up my skirt, I ran full out, my lungs burning and elbows flying as I shoved my way through the crowd. Grey stuck close to my side, leading the way as we raced toward the main market.

“We’re nearly there,” he said after a few minutes.

Panting, I prayed we weren't too late. I could track her, but if we lost her in London, it might take far too much time.

“That’s it, up ahead.” Grey pointed to a collection of buildings and stalls arranged around a square. Dozens of carriages sat out front, their horses tied off to posts.

I searched the space, desperate to find Evangeline. As if fate had heard my prayers, my gaze landed on a woman. I could only see her simple dress and the back of her head, but it was her. A golden light glowed around her, glittering and bright.

Just like Seraphia had said.

No one else could see it, or they’d be staring at her. But I could. Because the book was leading me to her. She was the one I was meant to find.

Evangeline.

I ran toward her, cutting through the crowd. I was nearly to her when I shouted, “Evangeline!”

She stiffened but didn't turn.

I ran to her, darting around to stand in front of her. She did look just like me. It was eerie. Same golden hair, eyes, bone structure. The baby in her arms slept silently.

Her brow furrowed as her face searched mine. “Who are you?”

“Carrow Burton.” The name would mean nothing to her.

“Why do you look like me?”

“Long story.” My mind raced. Where did I start?

Grey came to stand beside me, and her eyes darted to him, widening. “I know you.”

Grey bowed slightly. “We haven’t been formally introduced, but I am Grey.”

He didn’t use his title, which was rare. I’d never heard him referred to as anything other than the Devil of Darkvale, and he certainly had never asked my friends to call him Grey.