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Why don’t you become a nurse, or an accountant?”
    Sheesh. Why didn’t I tell her to marry a nice Jewish doctor while I was at it?
    “I can do it. I’ll be like those brothers on that television show, the one where they hunt all the paranormal creatures.”
    It took me a few seconds to remember which show she was referring to. “Tell me you don’t mean the whiny blond one.”
    “No, the other one. I like burgers and beer, and pie. I’ve been enslaved in Hel. I hang with a Fallen Angel.”
    “Doesn’t he have some kind of magic knife or gun or something he uses to kill demons and vampires and stuff?”
    “I’ve got my gift.” She bounced enthusiastically. “And I’ve got a collar and a wand. And Harper showed me how to stab someone.”
    Mad skills. Great. I looked at the kitchen clock. “I’ve got to pop over to Hel and then help Gareth run down a stolen magical item. I’ll be back in a few days and we’ll talk. Until then, don’t go summoning any demons. Or angels. Or banishing anyone. Okay?”
    Nyalla scoffed. “I have no magical ability. I might be able to draw the runes, but they’d be no more than decoration unless I had someone to help me.”
    That’s what worried me. “Promise.”
    She pouted, but I saw a hint of a smile on the edge of her mouth. Little shit knew she’d won. “I promise, Sam.”
    I had to figure out a way to keep Amber safe in Hel, retrieve a stolen item for Gareth, and help my angel retrieve another stolen item. Eventually I’d need to deal with the elven problem I’d been procrastinating about, as well as decide which demons I wanted to set up with Gregory’s brothers. I also needed to locate and punish enough non-creditworthy humans to keep the Ruling Council off my back, and now come up with an exciting job for Nyalla—one that wouldn’t get her killed.
    I had a headache. And if I didn’t get a move on, I was going to be late.
     
     

Chapter 5
     
    M y demons had provided excellent hospitality for Gareth while he awaited my arrival. Unfortunately, hospitality meant something very different to humans than what my Lows had enthusiastically offered. I found the sorcerer perched uncomfortably in a chair that was covered with a mosaic of teeth and toenails. Rats squealed and ran around the room, chasing two of my household who had smeared a mixture of pfeu and rancid butter over their fur and scales. Pfeu was better known as rat crack. The game was to avoid getting anything important nipped off as the rodents tried to get a bite of pfeu. The more they ate, the more they wanted, and this game usually ended with the participants a bloody mess on the floor.
    Good fun, but Gareth didn’t seem inclined to join in. He’d moved the sealed jar of pfeu as far from him as possible, just in case the rats decided to go for the main stash. I shooed the nonhumans out of the room and shook Gareth’s hand, glancing down to see what food and drink my household had offered him. Roasted beaks and serpent’s blood. Wow, they’d really gone all out for this guy.
    “Sorry I’m late.” I grabbed a few beaks from the bowl and tossed them into my mouth. I could never resist beaks. “And I’m sorry about the décor.” I hadn’t gotten around to redecorating after I’d killed Ahriman and scored his possessions, including this ghastly house. It wasn’t high on my priority list with everything else I had going on, and my Lows seemed to like it the way it was.
    “I’ve sat on worse.” He looked at the seat with resignation. It was then I remembered he’d done work for Ahriman. No doubt the demon had taken perverse pleasure at making Gareth endure the worst of his freaky psychopathic interior design skills.
    “So... .” I clapped my hands together. “What am I retrieving for you? Wand? Staff? Amulet? Scroll?”
    “A gem.”
    I liked bling as much as the next girl. Normally that would have sounded exciting, but I got a shivery sensation up my spine at Gareth’s words. This gem