When I checked my phone, I’d missed a call from Clara, I called her on the way to school. She picked up.

“What’s up?”

“Seb tracked down one of the identities our friend is using.”

I wanted to tell her to be careful about the cell call being monitored, then decided we kind of knew the people most likely doing the monitoring and elected not to worry too much about it. “Good. Talk at lunch?”

“Works.”

I would be so glad when this school stuff was over. Of course, I was only going to be changing it for new learning. Unless I just went and modeled full time for a while first. It almost made sense to do that.

I’d have to disappear sooner or later anyway. Maybe I could build up a good nest egg then stage an accident and become a recluse.

Maybe it wouldn’t matter. Surtur was ramping up his attacks on me. Maybe I’d have to disappear so nobody could be used against me.

I couldn’t do that to Kanesha. She’d made her choice on the matter clear. So, I tolerated class, and then found a corner table at lunch.

Clara joined me. “So…”

“So.”

“She’s running an escort service.”

“A one demon one?”

“Who knows. Maybe she’s got some more of her kind helping her. It’s called Red Flowers, and…”

“…is completely legit and above board.” Unlike, I thought, the operation run by a certain priestess of love. Of course. The demons would follow the laws.

“Yes. But I’m betting that the government could find some way to shut it down.”

“Might be better not to. If they did, she’d just reappear with a different appearance and name.”

Clara nodded. “Yeah. She would. So, now we can keep an eye on them. Maybe Kanesha can find a customer list.”

“I’d rather see if one of our other friends can do it.” They, after all, wouldn’t be at as much risk of being arrested.

“You trust them?”
“No, but the enemy of my enemy.” I sighed. For some reason that made me think of Mike. He liked that saying. “Dang it.”

She reached across the table. “You know the truth.”

“It doesn’t help. And it won’t help when they start picking off my friends.”

I had to find a way to stop Surtur, that wasn’t giving him what he wanted, before then. And wasn’t killing him.

I just couldn’t think of one.