A beautiful smile came over the demon, and looking at me from over his smoked glasses, he said, "Leave? But it is such a spectacular night!" That smile still on his face, he strode to the window and picked up my potion bottles. I held out my hand for them as he lifted them to the faint light and squinted.

"You made more than one potion to give him substance?" Al asked, and when I said nothing, he cracked one of the seals and breathed. "Nice presentation," he murmured, then slid them into a jacket pocket.

"Hey! Those are mine!" I protested, jolted out of my complacency. Jenks launched himself off my shoulder, but Pierce gave me what was almost a nasty look, as if I should have known better and was being stupid.

Al didn't even bother to acknowledge me as I stood with my arms crossed over my middle and sulked in a drop-dead gorgeous dress underneath Cincinnati's premier restaurant. "These are mine," he finally said. "You're my student, and I can claim anything you make."

I jumped when I suddenly became aware that Pierce was behind me. He gave me a heartfelt look, trying to take my hands as he said, "Rachel, might I have a word with you? My heart is breaking to explain."

"I'll bet," I said sourly, pulling my hands away. "Why don't you vamoose so Al will go with you and leave me the hell alone?"

"I'll allow that this looks powerful suspicious," he admitted. "And anyone would be in a fine pucker, but you yourself have a mind to deal with the devil spawn upon occasion. I have until sunrise to convince you that I'm honorable." He looked at Al. "You agreed to no snatching. I have until sunrise."

Al gestured grandly. "If you must. But I'm not leaving you alone with her."

My eyebrows rose, and even Jenks made a tiny squeak of a sound. "Whoa, boys. I have plans tonight, and they don't include a demon and a ghost."

"Yeah!" Jenks launched himself from my shoulder and hovered to brighten the area. "We got reservations at the Warehouse." He flitted to the window and looked down, staying in flight and dusting heavily.

"Sounds like fun," Al said, rubbing his white-gloved hands together. "Pierce, get the lift."

"No way!" I shouted. "Pierce, will you just go? I can talk to you next week."

The man's jaw was set as he ducked out from under Al's attempt to shove him to the elevator, and he straightened, saying, "I'll not be moseyin' until I have a chance to settle this. And that is all I'm saying about it."

I sighed, leaning back against the cold window with my butt on that narrow sill. The last thing I needed was to put this circus on rails. "Fine," I said sourly, crossing my ankles. "I'm listening."

Al started pouting, unable to leave and cause mischief lest Pierce "kill me," I suppose. More likely it was to keep the witch from telling me something that Al didn't want me to know.

Seeing me listening, Pierce took a breath he really didn't need. His arms fell to his sides as he exhaled, and his expressive face softened into one of persuasion.

"Uh, guys?" Jenks said, hovering at the window. "Fountain Square is on fire."

"What?" I jumped to my feet and turned in one motion. Al rushed to the window, and we pressed our foreheads to the glass, looking down, Jenks between us. From overheard, the groaning of machinery became loud and obvious. Faint calls were sifting down through the concrete or perhaps vibrating through the glass. I could imagine that the entire party upstairs was now leaning against the glass as we were.

It was hard to see, but Jenks was right. The stage was on fire. People were gathering in the street. From beside me, Pierce said, "I thought that was what it was supposed to look like."

Shit. Ivy was down there. And Glenn.

"I gotta go," I said, turning to the elevator. My phone rang, and I jerked to a stop. It wouldn't work in the elevator. The little screen lit up, and Al peered over my shoulder. "It's Ivy," I said, my relief obvious. "Ivy?" I called as I flipped the phone open, and the sound of screams and sirens filtered out.

"I need you," she said loudly, over the chaos. "Your locator amulets just lit up. Mia is here."

I stood at the window and looked down. "Jenks says there's a fire," I said.

She hesitated, and then calmly said, "Oh. Yes. The stage is burning. Rachel, I'm watching Glenn, but if he gets too close to a banshee…"

Crap. "Got it." I started walking to the elevator, Jenks hovering close so he could hear both ends of the conversation.

"I think The Walker is calling Mia out," Ivy added, and I punched the button for the lift.

"I'm on my way." Breathless and fidgety, I closed the phone and jammed it in my bag. Where's the stupid elevator? I'm not going to run down thirty flights of stairs.

Al cleared his throat, and I spun around, just now remembering them.

"Oh, uh, Pierce," I said, feeling myself warm. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

Al jiggled the man's elbow, beaming from ear to ear. "This is going to be entertaining. I've never watched Rachel work. Apart from when she was working on me, of course."

"Entertaining?" Pierce slid away from him. "You have an almighty odd vision of entertainment, demon."

"I told you to call me Al," he said, looking at his blurry reflection and adjusting his lace.

Jenks's features scrunched up in annoyance, and I rubbed my forehead. I could not take the two of them down into Fountain Square. Pierce didn't have a coat, and Al…Thanks to a couple of news shots, the entirety of Cincinnati knew his face. "Pierce, can't we do this another time?" I asked, distracted. Where is the damn elevator! I thought, hitting the call button again, my elbow smacking into it with undue force.

But Pierce inclined his head, dropping back to give me a half bow, his eyes never leaving mine as he almost smiled. His look reminded me of the night we had met, racing off to save a young girl from a vampire. He had liked my "fiery spirit," and clearly things hadn't changed. I had, though.

"You summoned me, mistress witch, whether by intent or secondary purpose. I'm not leaving until I have a chance to explain."

Swell.

Al straightened as the elevator dinged behind me. "I'm staying with him," he affirmed.

Peachy keen.

The elevator doors opened, and Jenks whistled, long and slow. "Tink's contractual hell," he whispered, and I turned to see who Al was making bunny-eared kiss-kiss gestures to.

Unbelieving, I started shaking my head. "Trent. This isn't what it looks like."

The young man had pressed himself to the back of the elevator, his terror showing for an instant before he pulled himself together and decided that if he was going to die, he might as well do it looking good.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Jenks said, and I pushed the call button again.

"We'll take the next one," I said, smiling.

"Plenty of room!" the demon exclaimed, and my heels clattered on the steel frame of the door when Al shoved me. Trent fended me off, pressing into a corner as Pierce and Al followed me in. Jenks rose up high to sit on the top of the controls, his feet tapping the screen that showed what floor we were on.

"I do not believe this," Trent said, his unbreakable composure shattered. "Rachel, you are unbelievable!"

"Believe it, you little cookie maker," Jenks chimed out, and then to Pierce, "Hit the ‘close' button, will you, Pierce? We don't have all day."

Pierce didn't have a clue, and Jenks flew down and hit the button feet first. The doors slid shut, and we started to drop. "Holy shit!" Pierce exclaimed, pressing into the opposite corner and clutching the rail. "We're falling!"

I slid away from his suddenly green face, bumping Trent. The elevator wasn't that big, and everyone was giving Al lots of room as he hummed the theme song to…Dr. Zhivago?

"Summoning your demon at the top of Carew Tower?" Trent hissed in my ear.