“I am unclean,” I heard him hiccup among the sobs.

At first I thought he was talking about the gas and piss on him. Then I remembered what I knew about the World According to God’s Wrath. They hated human hosts as much as they hated the demons, because they believed that only a corrupt soul would allow a demon in. It even made a little sense, when you’re talking about legal demons. After all, they’re “legal” because they’ve been invited. But God’s Wrath hated even those who were taken by force, and despite his convictions, Tommy would never be able to return to them.

Fingering my aching throat, I sat up and stared at Claudia Brewster’s son. He’d faced more hardship in his twenty-one years than most people faced in a lifetime. Could I really condemn him to a lifetime of possession now that he was free? I wished he’d attack me again, or at least start raving like the lunatic that he was so I could stop feeling so goddamn sorry for him. But he didn’t. He just lay there on the floor in the fetal position and wept.

Raphael, still holding the trigger, squatted down to meet my eyes. I found I couldn’t look away.

“Let me take him,” he said softly, and only the dilation of his pupils gave away how eager he was. “He’s the only person in this room who could walk right into Claudia Brewster’s house without causing a raised eyebrow. He can get us in there, and we can get those children out.”

“You’re not doing this because you want to save those children,” I said. I didn’t know what Raphael really wanted, but he didn’t do much of anything out of the goodness of his heart.

“He’d be just as able to get us in there if he was hosting Saul,” Adam said.

I hadn’t heard him approach, but he was standing practically on top of me. I didn’t think this was a decision I should make sitting down, so I forced myself to my feet. Both Adam and Raphael tried to help steady me, but I snarled at them until they let go.

“Take a good look at him,” Raphael said, and we all did. He hadn’t let up on the sobbing yet. “Do you really think you can get him to speak the incantation to summon Saul?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You got me to summon Lugh!”

“Because I drugged you and knew you well enough to get through your defenses. Tommy wouldn’t be that easy, and you know it. How much time do you think those kids have? Enough time for me to break Tommy and to make him speak the incantation? I doubt the demons will keep them alive long when Tommy goes AWOL on them.”

“Shut up! You’ve made your point.”

“Besides, I bet we can find a good host for Saul.” He looked up at Adam. “Surely you can find someone at that club you’re so fond of. Someone who’s too homely to be a host, but would really like to be. And who shares Saul’s unique tastes.”

Adam didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was thinking it over. It seemed Tommy would not be Saul’s host. But it remained to be seen whether he would be Raphael’s. Raphael didn’t need an invitation to take him over. Once on the Mortal Plain, a demon can transfer from one host to another through physical contact. All it would take was the slightest brush of skin against skin, and Tommy would be gone once more. And my brother would be back.

“You have to decide, Morgan,” Raphael urged. “And the sooner you decide, the sooner we can get those kids to safety.”

I hated this. I was going to hate myself, whatever I decided. “Is this what Andy wants?” I asked, meeting Raphael’s gaze and wishing his face were as open as mine.

Raphael blinked as if startled by the question. Then he shrugged. “He would never admit to wanting it. He’s far too noble for that.” In Raphael’s mouth, “noble” sounded like a dirty word. “But down beneath his civilized exterior, he wants it quite desperately.”

I supposed that had been rather a silly question. Whatever Andy might choose if he actually had a choice, it was inevitable that deep down inside he would wish for freedom. So much for my attempt to put this decision on Andy’s shoulders.

I took another look at Tommy, tried to imagine what his life would be like if we just let him go home now. Then I shook my head at myself. It didn’t matter if his life would suck or not. I could justify this till the apocalypse, and it wouldn’t change the reality. When faced with the choice between my brother and a stranger, I was going to choose my brother—even if I thought my choice was morally wrong. I reminded myself to apologize to Brian for not fully understanding his decision to help Lugh kill my father.

I couldn’t force any words out of my mouth, but I managed a nod. My eyes burned, and I was gritting my teeth so hard my jaw ached.

Obviously, Tommy had been too sunk in misery to listen to our conversation or realize that it had to do with him. When Raphael came to squat beside him, he didn’t move.

“Wait!” I cried as Raphael reached out to touch him. I could see him fight the urge to ignore me, and was actually rather impressed when he dropped his hand away from Tommy’s bare flesh.

“I just want to remind you—if Andy comes out a vegetable, I’m going to skin you alive, and damn the consequences.”

Raphael’s shoulders drooped with relief. He must have thought I’d changed my mind. “Have no fear,” he said, his hand moving toward Tommy once more. “He’s fine. As he’ll tell you in a moment.”

My conscience screamed as Raphael’s hand brushed over Tommy’s shoulder. Instantly, Tommy stopped his sobbing. Andy looked up at me, and it was my brother whose eyes met mine, not Raphael. I guess I was relieved Raphael had been telling the truth for once, but I felt too guilty to rejoice. Andy, not looking any happier than I felt, lowered his gaze to the floor.

Raphael unfolded Tommy’s body and rolled to a sitting position. He didn’t seem to care that his new body was naked, but Dom said, “I’ll go see if I can find you something to wear.”

“Thanks,” Raphael said, and he flexed his hands experimentally, familiarizing himself with his new anatomy. He and Andy shared a look I couldn’t interpret, and then Andy stood up and backed away from him.

I wanted to run to Andy, to throw my arms around him and welcome him back, but he wouldn’t even look at me. I suppose his conscience wasn’t feeling too frisky, either. I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood there in brooding silence and waited for Dom to return with the clothes.

“Mind if I take a quick shower?” Raphael asked Adam.

“Suit yourself,” Adam replied. The look on his face was not a happy one, but he wasn’t as pissed off about being Tasered as I would have been in his position. “Bathroom’s down the hall on the left.”

“What happened to your desperate hurry to rescue the children?” I asked, and I didn’t give a damn how suspicious I sounded.

It didn’t seem to matter what face Raphael wore. He was always good at the marrow-chilling glare, the glare that always made me think there was something evil behind those eyes. “I think it would be a tad suspicious if I showed up at the house smelling like gas and piss, don’t you?”

He had a point, but hell if I was going to admit it.