Whatever he saw, he didn’t panic. Just as planned, he changed course and gunned the car towards the ambush point. People flattened themselves against buildings, but they didn’t seem to think anything of it.

Armored car with bike escort. That was probably what they saw, or at least what they remembered. I pulled out my gun, but didn’t use it. Thought for a fleeting moment that I should have had Father Will bless the bullets, then wondered if that was redundant.

Probably. The van’s tires screeched, throwing through another turn. I unfastened my seatbelt.

No pot shots…well, no. Maybe one, well above them. I didn’t want to make them back off, but I also didn’t want them thinking the armored car people weren’t fighting back. All of my willpower was focused on one thing. Not being recognized.

Careful. No shooting anyone in the crowd. Somebody screamed, but it wasn’t the sound of somebody being hit so much as logical fear, brought on by the realization that a heist was going on right in front of them.

Other people were, of course, snapping pictures with their cell phones. Typical.

Mike grumbled, “Tourists. Look at them. Somebody’s going to get killed.”

“Let’s try to avoid that. We’re only a block out.”

He nodded. “I won’t ask how you did that, by the way.”

I didn’t ask him what it was I had done. I had a feeling I knew. I popped off another deliberately wide shot, up in the air. It hit a street light and I flinched. I hadn’t wanted to do any damage.
Well, it was done now. The succubi were in hot pursuit. No sign of Martin, though. I was honestly waiting for him to jump on the roof or something. He probably had wings too.

Hot pursuit and they were beautiful and terrifying and I had a feeling I was too, in that moment. And also nondescript and unnoticeable and I really felt apart. Separated. And very alive and real.

This really was what I was born for. I was sure of it. And then we hit the ambush zone…and Mike lost control of the car.

Of course, it was all part of the plan. A perfectly controlled spin to land blocking the street. I was facing them. I opened the door and started to shoot. This time I didn’t really care if I hit them or scared them, because I could already see the other four moving into position behind them.

They’d been, as we hoped, so eager to get the book that they’d failed to notice stuff.

I, though, saw everything. Everything as it really was. Thruor sat her winged steed, the mount of a valkyrie, and shadows and death swirled around her. Father Will glowed faintly…so that was what a halo actually looked like… Seb had a bit of the same about him. And Kanesha…was still Kanesha.

She was too fragile and vulnerable for this, and I loved her, and they knew too.

She was the weak link and they both launched themselves at her. Only for Seb to throw holy water in their faces.

I dropped the gun. It wasn’t the weapon I needed now.