I hadn’t watched a really competent, experienced witch work. Now I knew why Clara had suddenly started learning so fast.

Her mother had hoped to spare her. The power. The work. The fights. But the tracking spell was done with mere words and gestures.

“Okay. Looks like they’re holed up in a cheap hotel…relatively…in Crystal City.”

I nodded. “Except I can’t go after them. They have spirit bombs.”

“Oh my. That’s not good at all.” A pause. “I don’t have a good ward to protect from that.”

“Which is why Clara was looking into it. And Seb. They’re less vulnerable to that.”

“Alright. Then I have to call in some favors.” She looked at me. “I suppose you had something to do with that horrible coven she fell in with.”

I didn’t mention the lust imps. “They’re still running.”

“Good.” The woman brushed back her hair. “I’d ask what you’re doing wandering around on Midgard, but I suspect you’d answer with Odin’s business.”

“More or less. Don’t worry. It’s not anything…bad.”

“It’s Odin. Everything he does is bad for somebody.”

I considered that. “You have a point.”

“As long as it’s not bad for me. Actually, there’s…is it me or is half the Valkyrie corps here?”

I considered. “Nah. Only two or three.”

She shook her head. “And I could have sworn I saw a fire giant in the pub. You guys are definitely up to something.”

I couldn’t exactly deny that. “Let’s worry about getting Clara back.”

She nodded. “I’m going to call my coven. And a couple of others.”

“These people are using the Templar symbol. But they’re all women.”

“Oh. It’s them.” She said them with much the same disgust I reserved for Tyz’vel. “My fault. I should have warned her.”

“Them?”

“The Order of Joan of Arc.”
“…who was from Lorraine.” That was the connection we’d been missing, right there. “They hunt…”

“Anything supernatural that isn’t them or directly associated with the church.”

“If they’ve hurt her…”

“Let us deal with it. You’re only going to get burned if you try.”

I knew she was right. I didn’t feel any better about it.