My lips twisted into a cynical smile, and I bit off the smart-ass reply on the edge of my tongue because, quite frankly, I couldn’t argue with that assessment. I gave a quick, indifferent shrug. “That may be so. But you’re well aware how tense the city is right now. If you go storming into Underground, an Elysian pointing the finger at the entire jinn tribe, that’s it … it’s game over. For all of us.”

He crossed his large arms over his chest, jaw set and freakish eyes turning hard like cold, polished stone. “One week.”

The finality in that imperious tone made my teeth clench hard as I tried to maintain control and prevent another outburst. But, damn, how I wanted to wipe that overbearing superiority off his face. “Then we expect complete and total cooperation. That means no contact with the jinn from you or any of your Kinfolk while we investigate. None.”

“Done.”

After Pendaran’s ultimatum, Orin led us to Daya’s apartment in the Grove, where we found squat. Not a single shred of evidence. With every step back toward the gate, my mood plummeted. I was still riled by Hank’s comment earlier, and the Druid’s unyielding manner. Then my cell rang. The number on the display only made things worse. “What?”

“Oh, good. Listen, Charlie, I need you to pick up some toothpaste, a can of diced tomatoes, and garlic—not the powder stuff, the whole head. Oh, and can you get a few pounds of meat for Brim?”

“Rex. I am working right now.”

“So? What do you think I’ve been doing all day? Who do you think does the laundry and the cleaning and the cooking? Revenants can’t just point a finger and say ‘presto’ and everything is clean.” A loud sigh blew through the phone speaker. “What time will you be home?”

I closed my eyes. Deep breath, Charlie. “I have no clue.”

“Well, just an idea. So I can have dinner ready …”

I rolled my eyes and tossed up an annoyed hand, plucking a time out of thin air. “Six forty-seven.”

“Oh, funny. Ha, ha. Just make sure you stop by the store.”

“Fine.”

Hank was already clearing his throat before I could get my phone back on my hip. As if Rex didn’t add enough disorder to my life, my partner seemed to take great pleasure in razzing me about living with a Revenant who thought he was the love child of Laurence Olivier and Julia Child, a Revenant currently occupying the body of my ex-husband. And, to top it all off, I still hadn’t found the right way to tell my daughter that Daddy wasn’t really Daddy anymore.

Hank’s mouth opened, one syllable came out, and I said, “Don’t talk to me.”

Rex’s call hadn’t detracted from my absolute fury at Hank. In fact, it just added fuel to the fire. We went a few more strides and then I changed my mind. Screw this, I wanted an explanation. “You mind telling me what the hell that was back there? And for the record, I’ve seen plenty of naked men in my time, okay, and I can do my goddamn job just fine.”

He shoved his hands inside his jacket pockets and let out a tired breath. The drizzle was slowly turning to a soft rain. Fog swirled at our feet. “You wouldn’t understand.”

A sharp laugh burst from my throat. “Oh, right. What is it?” My stomach was already sinking before the words rolled out of my mouth, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Feeling a little emasculated now that your powers are gone, so you have to make me powerless too?”

He stopped and grabbed my shoulders, scowling down at me and barely containing the firestorm behind that tight, furious mask. Heat leaked from his being, swamping me into a startled silence. “Do I look emasculated to you?”

I swallowed and looked. Six-four. Two hundred pounds. Radiating a thick haze of wrath that would’ve cowed anyone else. For the most part, I was fairly immune to the natural lure of sirens. Yeah, they drew my eye, but they drew everyone’s eye. I’d gotten used to my partner’s I-was-made-to-seduce-you-and-please-you appearance … unless he made me take another hard look. Like now.

“Yeah,” he practically growled. “Didn’t think so.”

The cool night air washed over me as he stepped back and then stormed down the path. I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, surprised by how fast my heart was beating, and how quickly I could turn the tables and become a first-rate asshole just like he’d been earlier.

Way to go, Charlie.

I hunched my shoulders against the rain, folding my arms in front of me and quickening my pace.

The sirens living on our world were required by law to wear a voice-mod, a torc-like device, around their necks for everyday public interactions, since the power that often leaked into their voices was far too entrancing and distracting for the rest of us to function properly, and it was difficult for most sirens to control it, or to remember to control it, on their own.

It made me feel like shit to know Hank’s greatest power, the very thing that made him who he was, had been caged inside of him. Hank was my lion—big, intensely beautiful, exuding an easy confidence and mellow demeanor that could only come from being near the top of the food chain. Except now he was shackled by the voice-mod and way more ill-tempered than usual.

The same dark figure that had guarded the gate before stepped out of the shadows at my approach, the tip of a cigarette glowing bright and orange, then slowly disappearing. He pushed open one side of the gate for me to pass. “Your friend already left,” he said with an amused tone. I stopped, spinning on my heel as he gave a low chuckle. “Wouldn’t want to be you right now … or him, for that matter.” The gate shut, and the dark-clad nymph disappeared.

No car. Hank had deserted me.

Fucking hell.

Not that I didn’t deserve it.

After standing there, hands on hips, for a good ten seconds, I released my damp hair to re-knot the long length tighter and more orderly than before—no thanks to Pendaran’s dragon-out-of-water routine. I then began the hike down Tenth toward West Peachtree to catch the MARTA.

The constant darkness, the constant tingle, the constant volatile mood coating the entire city had become exhausting. I needed another lesson with my warlock teacher, Aaron. And no meditating. I needed to fight, to release some of the built-up power in my body, or I was going to completely lose it.

That, or lose my life like those other poor souls who’d been lab rats for Mynogan.

They’d come before me, but had been unable to handle the DNA of two different races injected into their bodies at once. It tore them apart from the inside out. So far, my body was handling it due to ancient bloodlines of both Elysia and Charbydon DNA already in my family tree. Mynogan’s gene manipulation had been successful, had brought me back to life, and had created a being capable of summoning primal darkness with a gift of blood. I’d done what I’d been created to do, but one day, just like all the others, the two opposing powers inside of me would take their toll. It was just a matter of time.

Relax. Center yourself like Aaron taught you.

The walk helped ease some tension from my shoulders, despite the rain. I loved my city, the people, the traffic, the noise. Yes, there was a freakish, supernatural mass of gray overhead that was making life pretty difficult, but beneath it, Atlanta still thrived in a sea of colorful lights that burned day and night. The darkness would never change the fact that this was my home, and I’d love it regardless.

I decided to get off at the Five Points Station and head into Underground before returning to the station. Hank was probably sitting in his office chair with a mug of coffee and his face planted in front of his computer screen, thinking I’d show up at the station any minute.

Whatever. I didn’t care.