His tail snapped against the floor. “Find her next entry so we will know.”

I rolled my eyes and closed my notebook. “I can’t right now. I need to be at the guild in a few hours to meet with Tori, and—”

His head turned sharply toward the apartment’s door, then red light blazed over him. His power streaked into the infernus hanging from my neck.

A rap on the wood.

My stomach shriveled with anxiety. I minced to the door and put my eye to the peephole.

Waiting in the hall was a petite woman with short blond hair, a leather jacket, and a long, thin zippered bag hooked over her shoulder—which no doubt contained a very large sword.

I gulped. Unbolting the door, I swung it open. “Hi, Zora.”

She slashed a mistrustful glare over me, then pushed into the apartment. My jaw tightened as I closed the door. Folding my arms, I watched her assess my home—my books spread on the breakfast bar and Zylas’s half-completed puzzle. Socks cautiously stuck her nose out from under the coffee table.

Zora turned on me. “Why are you going to Odin’s Eye with Tori?”

On Wednesday, when I’d messaged the sorceress that I was at the guild, she hadn’t been pleased. For my planned outing with Tori this evening, I had let Zora know several hours ago—but it seemed that much warning wasn’t good enough either.

“What reason do you have to go to that guild?” she demanded suspiciously. “How is Tori involved?”

I returned to my stool. “We’re going to talk to an ex-summoner who’s a member. Tori has a Demonica question, and I’m researching something from my family’s grimoire.”

Zora opened her mouth, then closed it. She strode to the counter and scrutinized the ancient grimoire. “This belongs to your family?”

“Yes. I’m working on translating it.”

She glanced around. “Where’s your demon?”

“In the infernus.”

“And Amalia?”

“Shopping. Her favorite fabric store is having a flash sale on cotton blends.”

“You haven’t been out aside from visiting the guild on Wednesday, then? What were you doing there?”

“I was looking up some stuff from this grimoire in the Arcana Atrium books. That’s when I ran into Tori and we made our plans for tonight.”

The sorceress thought a moment, but couldn’t come up with anything to complain about. “I want to know everything you do while you’re with Tori tonight. I’ll be checking with her too, so leave nothing out.”

My gut tightened with anger and dismay, but I squashed it down. Getting angry wouldn’t help me win her trust back.

“I have to go …” she muttered. “My team is waiting downstairs.”

“Are you doing a job tonight?” I asked, thinking wistfully of my lone experience as a combat mythic on a job with her—not that I’d enjoyed it, but at least she’d liked me back then.

“We’re helping with the SeaDevils investigation.” At my blank look, she frowned. “You didn’t hear?”

“Hear what?”

“About the guild attacks.”

My eyes widened.

“I guess not,” she said dryly. “Two nights ago, a group of rogues attacked the Pandora Knights. You’ve heard of them, right?”

“The mage guild?”

“That’s the one.” She tucked a short lock of hair behind her ear. “Rogues attacking a guild head-on is unexpected enough, but then last night, the same thing happened to the SeaDevils.”

“The Pandora Knights are a bounty guild, aren’t they?” I asked uncertainly. “But the SeaDevils …”

“Only do a bit of bounty work,” she confirmed. “They weren’t equipped for an attack. Their guild was leveled and two members died.”

A small, sad sound escaped me.

Zora’s face hardened with determination. “The other downtown guilds are teaming up to help with the investigation. We’ll find the rogue group sooner or later, but until we do, be careful—especially at Odin’s Eye.”

I nodded earnestly.

She glanced over me. “By the way, are you going to your meeting like that?”

I looked down. My oversized sweater featured a cartoon Grumpy Cat dressed like St. Nick, with the text “Feliz Navi-DON’T” under it. It’d been Amalia’s Christmas present to Zylas, but he wouldn’t wear it.

“I was going to change.”

“Good. No one at Odin’s Eye will take you seriously in that. Wear your leather.”

“My leather?” I shook my head. “I don’t have any … leather.”

“You still don’t have combat gear?”

“I didn’t know what to get,” I mumbled.

“Get leather. Leather is better than just about anything.” She headed for the door. “I need to go. Keep me posted on your evening.”

“Okay. Good luck with your investigation.”

“Thank—” She cut herself off, glancing back at me with a crinkle between her eyebrows, then swept out of my apartment. The door clacked behind her.

I looked down at my Grumpy Cat sweater again, then pulled out my phone to text Amalia. Guess I’d be joining her for a last-minute shopping trip before my meeting with Tori.

Chapter Five

“So …” Tori drawled. “Tell me about this infernus maker.”

I tried not to puff as we walked down Main Street, heading away from the guild. Tori was only a bit taller than average for a woman, but her stride far outstripped mine, and my thighs burned.

“I don’t know much about him, to be honest.” I tugged at the sleeve of my new jacket. Leather. Leather was not my thing. I hadn’t liked any of the jackets from our impromptu shopping trip, so I’d let Amalia pick one for me.

That might’ve been a mistake. My new coat was tight, black, and didn’t suit me in the slightest.

“He was an accomplished summoner until he retired fifteen years ago,” I continued as we approached a crosswalk. “Now he makes infernus artifacts, but he’s supposed to be well connected in the Demonica community. According to a rumor”—that rumor coming directly from Uncle Jack—“he was … cutting edge … when he was a summoner, and he’s still very interested in new summoning practices and unusual Demonica knowledge.”