“Okay. They’re…they’re planning on cleansing the city.”

I sighed. “Let me guess. Let off all the bombs they have on a grid.”

She nodded.

“I’ll warn everyone I can.” Get out, come back in afterwards. That was one way of dealing with it.

“There might not be time. There’s going to be one central detonator. They’ll put it at the Washington Monument.”

It’s amazing what pizza could do. Or maybe she’d already had some doubts. Doubts that I’d brought out…probably in saving her from the werewolves.

I tugged out my cell phone. “When’s this supposed to happen?”

“Tonight!”

I didn’t want to think about what would happen. I had the sudden realization I could escape. All I had to do was ask Loki.

Or not even ask him. He wouldn’t let me be caught in this. That was confidence-building in its own way.

I could trust him. But it wasn’t his presence I sensed, but one more stable and feminine. “Not just yet, mom.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“My mother. She’ll pull me out if we can’t stop this.”
The girl actually looked relieved. “I mean. You’re okay. You could have let the werewolves eat me.”

“They wouldn’t have eaten you. Humans don’t, apparently, taste very good.”

An uncertain laugh from the girl. “Alright.”

“What will they do to you if they know you helped?”

“Excommunicate me.”

“Okay. I want you to go to this church. Tell the pastor Jane sent you. He’ll protect you. His name’s William.”

She blinked. “You work with a priest?”

“He’s a good man. What’s your name, anyway?”
She looked thoroughly embarrassed. “Lucy.”

“That’s a pretty name.” It beat Jane, at least for the reasons I called myself Jane.

“Until some idiot points out it’s short for Lucifer.”

I shuddered. “Okay. Get to the church. I’ll deal with this.”

I just had to get to the Monument quickly. I gave her a map and then I ran for it. I ran for it as fast as I could.