Lacking the option of talking to an angel, at least unless one deigned to talk to me, I went instead to Bruce. We sat in the back of the magic store.

“Hrm. The priest’s right. She’d need to find a loophole.”

“Or somebody who doesn’t respect soul bargains.”

Bruce shook his head. “I’d imagine even your dad…”

He was right and I frowned. Seemed to be a universal rule, that. You respected soul bargains, regardless of what trouble they caused.

Which was how demons got away with all of their stuff in the first place, but I realized that if we stopped then…

Then there would be no protection for mortals whatsoever. “No, you’re right. We can’t go there.”

“So, loophole, and she has to really want it. You said she, right?”

“Yeah.”

I sipped at the herbal tea he’d offered. Raspberry. It tasted good. “I suppose she’s not my direct concern, though.”

“Is this succubus?”

“I was asked to help, so yes.” I supposed that was staying bought in a sense, although they hadn’t paid me anything. “Besides…she threatened me.”

Bruce nodded. “Well, you’re in no danger from her spiritually, but…”

I wasn’t in much danger physically either. “Kanesha’s well protected. Clara and Seb have their own defenses.” And Clara had tightened hers a lot since being kidnapped by fire giants. Not that that had been a spiritual thing in the outset.

And I didn’t have to worry about Mike any more. Dammit. I blinked back the tears which threatened to come. Did we have good enough protection on Tanya?

I trusted Monica to know what she was doing on that front. I didn’t know what Tanya’s personal beliefs were, but Monica wouldn’t have picked somebody who didn’t have something to shield her.

“Any ideas,” I added, “On how to get rid of her? Other than waiting until Will can find a way to exorcise her.”

“Hrm. I figure negotiating with her is out.”

I shook my head. “I don’t have anything to offer worth what she’s going for.” Control of the government to what end? I decided I didn’t want to know.

“Right, and besides, her currency is souls. So…go at it from the other end. Find out who her next target is and get some protection on him.”
“The last person who tried to protect a man from her is dead.”

Bruce had no good answer to that.