It was unsettling-like he was an entirely different person from the one I thought I’d come to know, but also disturbingly reassuring. It was nice to have someone else on guard, to be able to concentrate on comforting Dana without worrying about an attack from behind. It was nice not having to be the strong one. A piece of me screamed at the sacrilegious thought, but I couldn’t deny that another part of me almost sighed with relief-even if it was for only a few moments.

The sound of Pisto screaming again, this time just a general cry of outrage, pulled my attention away from Peter and to the chaotic scene playing out in the small space between my shop and the gym. Seemed like everyone was there-Amazons, my employees, and a few customers. Even the dog had reappeared. He sat in the back as if unsure whether to dive into the melee or run for cover.

But the real sight was the main players-those who had been in the basement when the curtain fell. Reynolds, Bubbe, Alcippe, and Pisto, all coated in dust, stood on the other side of the basement stairwell.

Dirt continued to spiral out of the open basement door; it made seeing exactly what was going on a challenge. But I couldn’t miss Pisto’s yells or the fact that someone or something was keeping her from coming over the open stairwell at me.

Giving Dana one last reassuring pat, I stood. Enough of letting Peter carry the load. I needed to be ready to fight.

At this angle I could see that Mother, looking calm and clean, had Pisto gripped around the waist. The Amazon lieutenant leaned forward, a crazed look in her eyes. Somehow she’d lost her sais. I could see them lying on the ground a few feet away. One side of her face also appeared to be swelling, making me guess Mother’s calm demeanor was deceptive.

To their left, Alcippe and Bubbe seemed to be involved in a battle of their own. I couldn’t tell if magic or only wills were involved, but it was obvious the two were attempting to gain control of each other in some manner.

Reynolds stood facing all of them. He’d lost his jacket and his gun was back in its holster. He had his back to me, so I couldn’t see his face, but his hands were shaking. By the way he held them, I had to guess he was trying to decide if holstering his gun had been a wise choice. But from the basement doorway, all he’d seen was an explosion of dirt and now coughing, if tense, people. I doubted if, on paper, either would look like a justified reason to pull a gun.

The door to the cafeteria opened and Zery stepped out. She, like Mother, appeared calm, but I knew she was holding an iron fist around her emotions. She always did.

Reynolds spotted her and moved that direction in controlled, even strides. As he approached, five Amazons moved to block his progress. He froze. Every line of his body showed he was aware of their intent, but he didn’t lose his cool or reach for his gun.

His and Zery’s control were a stark contrast to the raging Pisto behind him.

Zery called out an order and the Amazons folded back like geese moving into a new formation. Her movements smooth and unhurried, she brushed past Reynolds and took his former position in front of her lieutenant and high priestess. Without a word from Zery, both ceased their struggles-Alcippe taking a step back and lowering her head, Pisto jerking her body from Mother’s grip and moving to stand by her queen’s side.

Her countenance dark, she watched me.

I folded my arms over my chest and stared back.

Beside me, Peter moved closer, completely cutting off Pisto’s view of her sister. Her shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t shift her gaze from mine. It was me she blamed for this, and she was making sure I knew it.

In another situation she would have called me out, but with Reynolds, my employees, and their clients watching, Zery wouldn’t stand for it.

Another time, Pisto’s expression said.

As Zery moved back toward Reynolds, so did Pisto. Anger still rolled off her body. While Zery and Reynolds talked, she kept her eyes focused on something over his shoulder, seemed to be ignoring them both.

At one point, Zery turned to her and barked out some short order. Pisto hesitated, then pivoted and cantered off, around the corner and out of sight.

Zery swiveled back to Reynolds, who was watching the warrior leave. After another word to him, Zery stepped around him and followed Pisto. With her exit, the remaining Amazons, including Alcippe, Mother, and Bubbe, followed. After I raised my eyebrows a time or two at my employees, the area cleared of everyone except Dana, Peter, Reynolds, and me. Even the dog, who had sat still through everything, loped off.

Reynolds just stared at me.

I turned with the idea of helping Dana to her feet, but Peter had beaten me to it. Instead, I grabbed her hand, squeezed, and whispered in her ear for her to go upstairs and get showered. Then remembering my resolution to keep an eye on her, I held onto her hand, keeping her from leaving.

“She’ll be okay. I’ll walk her up.” Peter held out his hand.

I paused, unsure.

His hand didn’t waver. “Your mother went toward the shop when she left. I can ask her to play guard dog, if you like. Then I-” he glanced at the approaching detective-“can come back down here.”

I gave Dana’s hand another squeeze, then slipped her fingers into Peter’s. “I’ll be fine,” I murmured.

Reynolds came to a stop a few feet away.

“Oh, I know that,” Peter replied. “Still might come back down.” He stared at the other man as he spoke.

Reynolds arched a brow but otherwise didn’t respond.

After one last stare, Peter and Dana left.

“What was that about?” Reynolds asked, pulling a white square of material from his pocket and handing it to me.

At my questioning look, he mimicked dabbing at his face. “You have a spot.”

I glanced down at my dirt-coated body, then at his. “Yeah, you too.” I tossed him back the square, bent at the waist, and shook a small sandstorm of dirt from my hair.

When I’d resumed an upright position, he was leaning against the banister, looking patient and expectant at the same time. “So, you going to tell me anything?”

I went through the motions of knocking dust off my arms and laughed. “Seems I’m the one who’s been doing all the telling. I think I’m done.”

“It doesn’t-”

“Work that way. I know.” I stepped toward the sidewalk. I was finished. I didn’t know what he’d seen or thought he’d seen in the basement, but I doubted I’d be able to affect his perceptions. Let him worry it out on his own. His conclusions couldn’t be any more detrimental to me or the Amazons than the truth.

And I had a hearth-keeper to protect.

“What if I tell you what I find out about the Web site?”

That stopped me. I turned.

“Would you?”

He shoved the cloth into his front pocket and walked over to where I could now see his jacket lay on the ground. “I might.”

I laughed again. “I’m starting to think you don’t get the whole barter system.”

He picked up his jacket, let it dangle from two fingers at his side. “It’s the best I can do.”

I shook my head. “And what is it you want from me for this ‘best you can do’?”

He glanced at the basement steps. “Tell me what I saw down there.”

I pulled in a breath, held it for a second. “Nothing. You saw nothing.” Then I walked to the front, and he didn’t stop me.