“Any chance you had something to do with that?”

“I might have told the car owner in question that Luca was looking to...expand his social circle. And there’s a  slight chance I might have been a bit overzealous in my amplification of your cousin’s worst fear—which, at the moment, is losing everyone she loves. Including Luca.”

“Sabine! I swear, every time I think you’re turning into a decent person, you do something to prove me wrong.”

“I was trying to expedite the process. I had no idea she was capable of vandalism. But I have to say, I’m a little impressed. Which is why I let her dad and the cops think I slashed the tires, then made her carry the weapon. He’s in there right now trying to influence us out of here.”

“You took the blame because you’re impressed that my cousin committed a crime?”

“Yeah. And I might be feeling a tiny bit of something similar to but definitely not the same as...guilt. Kind of.”

I groaned into the phone and sank onto the couch again, with my elbows on my knees, my forehead resting in my free hand.

“Is Luca there, too?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of a public spectacle. Sophie’s totally humiliated, and Luca can’t convince her that it’ll be all right. And she’s refusing to tell him why she did it.” Sabine made a wet chomping noise in my ear, and I realized she was chewing gum. At the police station. Like being there was no big deal. “So, what’s the emergency? What’d you need?”

“Backup. When you guys get out of there, come straight here. And bring my uncle.” I hung up before she could ask why, and I had to admit, hanging up on Sabine felt kinda good.

Next I called Harmony. She didn’t answer her phone either, which was really weird. Harmony always answered her cell except when she was working, and her shift at the hospital didn’t start until eleven. It was only four in the afternoon.

I dialed Tod next. When he didn’t answer, either, I got so frustrated I nearly threw my phone at the wall. Where the hell was everyone? Well, Em was still at school, but she wouldn’t be able to help me locate my father anyway. Neither would Nash, but...there was no one left to call.

He answered on the first ring.

“Hey.”

“I am so glad you answered your phone.” I pushed hair away from my face and leaned back on the couch, suddenly hating the empty house I’d been thrilled with ten minutes earlier.

“You...are?” I could hear the confusion in his voice and the road noise in the background. He was in a car.

“Yeah. I can’t get a hold of anyone else. Where are you going?”

“I’m picking up Emma in Sabine’s car. Bina’s at the police station with—”

“I know. I just talked toher.”

“Didn’t you just say people aren’t answering their phones?”

“She answered my uncle’s. Hey, have you talked to Tod today?”

His silence stretched over the wireless line between us, and I realized I’d said the wrong thing. I was getting really good at that. “Is that all you want? You called me looking for Tod?”

“No, that’s not all I want. But, yes, I called looking for him. It’s important, Nash.”

“I haven’t talked to him since lunch. Why?”

“I need help, and I can’t find him. Or your mom.”

“She crossed over.”

Harmony was in the Netherworld? “Why?”

“She’s looking for some kind of herb, or root, or leaf, or something to help Traci keep her baby. Which is a really dumbass idea, you know. Why on earth would you want to bring another incubus into the world when the last one killed you?”

“It’s more complicated than that. And it’s not my decision.” I exhaled, trying to decide exactly how close we’d gotten to true friendship. “Nash, I need help. Not that you owe me anything, so it’s totally okay if you don’t want to help me, but I’m asking. In fact, I’m kind of begging.”

“I’m in.” He didn’t even hesitate. “What’s wrong?”

“Avari took my dad.”

“Seriously?” I heard the squeal of his tires on pavement as he stomped on the brake. “How? Is he okay?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have any of the answers, but I have to get him back.”

“It’s a trap. You know this is a trap, right?”

“I know. Which is why I need help.” If I went after him alone, I was as good as dead. Well, deader, anyway.

“Okay, I’m coming. Let me turn around....”

“No, get Em first, then meet me at my house. Please. I have to find him before we can go after him, anyway. Maybe by the time I manage that, we’ll have more people willing to follow us into the breach.”

“Oh.” I could hear the disappointment in his voice. “Okay. Yeah. I’ll get Em, and we’ll meet at your place in half an hour.”

“Thanks, Nash. Just...thank you.”

“Anytime, Kaylee. That much hasn’t changed.”

Chapter Eleven

I stood alone in my high school cafeteria, feeling like a fool. The room was empty, but I was incorporeal anyway, just in case. Nash and Emma were probably pulling out of the parking lot at that very moment, but they had no idea I was there. I couldn’t tell them, because they’d never let me do what I was planning. What, under normal circumstances, I would never even have considered.