Pierce gave up on the zipper and snatched a white, collared shirt up from the floor. "You rescued me without a plan?" he said, his old-world accent making him sound exotic as he shoved his arms into the sleeves and started buttoning it up. "This is a powerful fix. Nohow around it."

"Of course I have a plan, but rescuing you wasn't the point," I said, affronted. "It's the catalyst. Get behind me!"

Pierce grabbed the shoes and half-hopped beside me as he put one on. His shirt was untucked to hide his open zipper. The socks, too, he had ignored. "You didn't rescue me, then?"

"Not really."

"Do tell," he said, sounding almost unhappy. His angular, thin face was wearing disappointment as he got his last shoe on and looked up. In the dim light, I could see his dark hair was mussed, and his narrow chin smooth. Though his blue eyes looked innocent, I knew behind them was a devious mind, clever and wicked. And he was looking at me. Damn it to the Turn and back. Stop it, Rachel.

"Pierce. I'm sorry. Can we talk about this after I take care of Al?"

He stood, matching my height. "After?" he questioned.

I looked over the dark storage room, gripping my gun tighter as I started to sweat. "Al wouldn't talk to me, and pulling you out from under him was the only way I could think of to force the issue. Will you get behind me? I can't tap a line or set a circle. My aura is too thin."

"You're taking on a demon with a thin aura? I can't commune with the ever-after either! Are you plum mad?"

From above us, Jenks muttered, "I ask myself that at least three times a week."

His expression going empty, Pierce looked up at Jenks, unknown thoughts sifting behind his blue eyes, looking black in the dim light from the windows.

"I'm not taking him on," I said as I scanned for signs of Al. "I'm talking to him."

Thick eyebrows furrowing, Pierce took a breath to say something. My eyes narrowed, but he stopped, holding his breath, as if listening to something I couldn't hear. Jenks's wings hit a higher pitch, and the skin on the back of my neck crawled.

"Rache?" Jenks had his sword out as he revolved in midair. "He's coming…"

"Make yourself scarce, Jenks. I mean it."

With a boom of sound, the air pressure shifted. My instinctive hunch straightened, my eyes going first to the quivering windows, and then the new shadow standing before us in the open space. In one quick lurch, Pierce was beside me. Al was here. About freaking time.

"Student!" Al shouted, his red goat-slitted eyes glowing as he looked over his smoked glasses. He was poised in anger, his velvet coat and lace looking ominous against the black windows. Seeing Pierce, his jaw clenched. "There you are, you little runt. We had an agreement!"

"It wasn't me!" Pierce shouted indignantly. "She did it!" he added, pointing as he took three steps away.

Agreement? I thought as Jenks started swearing. She did it? "Al, I can explain," I said even as I leveled my gun at him. I wanted to talk to him, but I wasn't going to be stupid about it.

"You slimy little slug!" Jenks was saying, hovering over us to light the scene.

Al's growl of annoyance was loud, and his white-gloved hands clenched. "I am going to pulp one or both of you," he said in a low voice.

Pride that I had snatched Pierce mixed with a healthy dose of fear. Adrenaline was running, and I felt alive. I thought I'd kicked this particular high, but apparently not. Al made a grab for Pierce, and I jerked him back. Jenks darted up, and the shadows grew darker.

"You're mine, little runt," Al intoned. "The longer it takes, the longer you're going to suffer."

"Mistress witch summoned me," he said defiantly. "I have until sunrise before I am obliged to return."

I had a bad feeling about this. It sounded as if Pierce had already made a deal with Al, and worse, that he was comfortable with it. Damn it, I did it again.

"I told you, Rache!" Jenks said as I shoved Pierce behind me and the pixy dropped down. "I'm sorry, but I told you!"

"I don't have time for this," Al growled. He gestured, and Pierce seized, falling to the flat carpet in convulsions at my heels.

"Hey!" I shouted, shifting to stand so Al couldn't just scoop him up. "Do you not see this gun I've got? Knock it off, Al. I'm trying to talk to you."

Al wasn't listening, a black haze pulsing as he clenched his white-gloved hands together, and Pierce groaned, tightening into a ball. This was so not working. "Al, if you don't knock it off and pay attention to me, I'm going to plug you!" I threatened.

His red eyes flicked to mine. "You wouldn't dare."

I squeezed the trigger. Al dove for the side, falling into a roll and landing on his feet, facing me. Behind me, Pierce gasped. "I missed on purpose!" I shouted. "Stop tormenting Pierce and talk to me."

"Rachel, Rachel, Rachel," Al said from the dark, his low voice making me shudder. "That was a mistake, my itchy witch."

Never taking my eyes off the incensed demon, I fumbled for Pierce, helping him up. "You okay?"

"As a summer day in the meadow," he breathed heavily, wiping his face.

Jenks hovered between Al and me, his face ugly. "Let Al have him, Rache. He's slug slime. You heard him. He's already got a deal going."

Like I don't? "This isn't about Pierce," I said tightly. "It's about Al snagging people." I turned to the demon. "And you're going to listen to me!"

"You should listen to the pixy," Al said, pulling the lace from his sleeves before making a backward kick to send six tables sliding into the distant wall like dominoes. "If you were wise, you'd throw that pile of refuse to me and beg for leniency. He's going to kill you."

The shakes were starting, and I pushed Pierce farther behind me. Soon as Al got him, they would be gone. And I wanted to talk to Al. "Pierce isn't going to hurt me," I quavered, and Al smiled, his blocky teeth catching a glint of ambient light.

"Tell him what you are, itchy witch."

Doubt filled me. Seeing it, Al reclined against a table. Slowly I lowered my gun. "I just want to talk to you. Why are you making this so dramatic?"

"He's going to betray you," Al prophesied, taking a step closer, and my gun came up again.

"Why should he be any different from any other man?" I said.

Jenks made a tiny huff, and hearing it, Pierce turned, his expression sour. "If you would give me a hooter of a moment, I could explain."

"Yeah, I'll bet," I said, then, more charitable, I added, "Later, okay? I want to talk to Al." I focused on the demon. "That's the only reason I snatched him. The only reason," I affirmed when Jenks buzzed his disagreement. Seeing Al listening, I eased my posture. "Al, you can't snatch people when you're checking up on me. It's not fair."

"Wahh, wahh, wahh," he mocked. Snapping his fingers in an unusual showmanship, he vanished.

Jenks's wings clattered a warning. "Ah, Rache, he's not gone."

"Really? You think?" I whispered, then spun when Pierce made a choking sound.

"Damn it, Al!" I shouted, falling back in frustration upon seeing that the demon had Pierce by the neck, his feet dangling three inches above the floor.

"This one is already mine," he snarled, bringing Pierce close to his face. "Let me jump you to a line, worm. A year in my oubliette will teach you not to stray."

"It wasn't me," he gasped, his face going purple in the dim light. "She spelled me here. That's how we met," Pierce forced out. "When…she…was…eight…teen."

His last words warbled as he shook, and I was seriously wondering how much damage even a solid ghost could take. "Al! Stop it!" I said, putting my gun down and tugging on Al's velveteen-hidden arm. "I wouldn't have even taken him if you hadn't ignored me and picked up your damned line. I just want to talk to you. Will you listen to me!"