“We think Jill’s just down there,” said Rose. “That’s what the Alchemists’ equipment detected. I want to go in and get her, but Eddie . . .” It was clear she didn’t share his fears.

He looked a little embarrassed but held his ground. “I just can’t shake the feeling something’s off here. Why not have guards on their most valuable prisoner? And do you smell that?”

Sydney nodded, and I had to agree. “It does smell like Jackie’s house,” I remarked.

“Someone’s burned incense here,” said Sydney. “Though it’s not something you’d see Ms. Terwilliger using very much. Vetiver. Black lotus.” She frowned and scanned around. “There. There are some ashes down the hall. That’s where it was burned.”

I started to investigate, but she held me back.

“Wait,” she said. She held up her hand and spoke words in a language I didn’t know. After several seconds, glowing symbols appeared in the ceiling above where the ashes were. Sydney studied them intently until they faded away, and then she exhaled in dismay. “Damn.”

I rarely heard her swear and didn’t think that boded well.

“What is it?” I asked.

“There’s a demon here,” she replied in a tone that was far too casual for that kind of pronouncement. “It looks like Alicia summoned one to stand guard.”

“Hopper’s technically a demon,” I offered.

Her face was grim. “Not that kind, I’m afraid. This is a senicus.” Seeing our blank looks, she asked, “Have you ever heard of a hydra in Greek mythology? It’s kind of like that. Kind of. Serpentine, lots of heads. But these heads spit boiling acid.”

I’d taken Greek mythology in high school and actually paid attention to it. “Do the heads grow back too?” I asked.

“Not if you destroy them with fire,” she said.

“Do we need a flamethrower?” asked Neil.

Sydney held out her palm, and a ball of flame appeared. “No need.”

Rose’s eyes widened in wonder. “Whoa. Will blades still hurt this thing?”

“No,” said Sydney. “It has a magical hide that’ll protect it. I’m the only one who can really take this thing out. What you guys need to do is get Jill out of here while I distract it. Someone needs to sneak past it while it’s engaged. Fire’s the only way to destroy this thing, and I don’t want Jill trapped here if things literally go up in smoke.”

Once again, I was feeling useless. Sydney might be a pro at wielding fireballs, but that didn’t mean I wanted her taking on this hydra-demon-thing alone. “What should I do?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Get out of here.”

She thinks you’re incompetent! hissed Aunt Tatiana. She thinks you’ll be in the way.

“Sydney, let me help,” I insisted.

Sydney’s eyes weren’t even on me as she scrutinized the corridor, probably gauging the range of her fireballs and how flammable the whole thing was. “Adrian, there’s nothing you can do here. Stay safe in case Jill needs help when she gets out.”

Do you hear that? asked Aunt Tatiana. She doesn’t think you’re capable of anything!

My temper started to flare, and I nearly agreed with Aunt Tatiana until I took a moment to mentally replay what Sydney had said. No, she’s right, I told the phantom in my head. If Jill’s injured, I need to conserve my power. No repeats of Olive.

Aunt Tatiana disagreed. You don’t need to conserve! You can do it all!

Trying to shut out that internal voice, I kissed Sydney and drew her into a brief embrace. “Be careful,” I murmured. “And if you do need me, I’ll be close by.”

“Not too close,” she warned. “This thing spits acid. I can’t have you injured.”

“Understood,” I said, before Aunt Tatiana could raise a protest about how Sydney was coddling me.

I took up a position on the staircase, allowing me a quick escape if need be but also giving me a good vantage on the action about to take place. I hadn’t argued with Sydney, but Jill’s health wasn’t the only thing I was concerned about. Along with Sydney, the dhampirs were putting themselves at risk. I wanted to be on hand in case any of them were injured in this escapade. After a heated argument, the three of them decided on a plan. Eddie and Neil would wait with me as backup while Rose slipped into the corridor alone. Each of the guys wanted to go, but she pointed out that she was smaller and faster. She also argued that all of them, plus Jill, trying to get back past the demon would make for tight quarters. It was hard for the guys to fault her logic, and Sydney concurred that with fireballs flying, it’d be easier for her to have fewer people to worry about.

So Eddie and Neil reluctantly came to wait by me, and Rose hovered just behind Sydney. “Time to summon it,” said Sydney nervously. “It’d come on its own if I crossed those runes, but I’d rather bring it out on my own terms.” She held up her hands and spoke an incantation that once again made the markings in the ceiling glow. Only this time, a creature materialized below it.

I understood then why a hydra had been her closest comparison. From the waist down, the demon walked on two legs just like we did—albeit with scaly skin and talons in its feet. From the waist up, it had several sinuous tentacles extending from its torso, as well as five snakelike necks and heads. All of them were hissing and glaring at Sydney. I felt fear churn in my own stomach at the sight of it and almost wished for the time when the only monsters I knew about in this world were Strigoi. Despite the terror that thing inspired, I still felt an overwhelmingly protective urge to help Sydney. It wouldn’t matter if my own life was at risk. I’d gladly sacrifice it for hers.

Do it! Do it! exclaimed Aunt Tatiana. Throw something at it!

“There’s nothing to throw,” I said. “And Sydney’s got this.”

“Hmm?” asked Eddie.

I’d spoken out loud again and shook my head. “Nothing.”

Sydney held her ground, staring down the snake-demon in front of her as though she did this every day and hadn’t unexpectedly walked into one’s lair now. A fireball came easily to her fingertips, and she hurled it without preamble at one of the serpentine heads. Her aim was good—except that the snake was just too fast. In the blink of an eye it had swerved its head and dodged. One of the other heads spit a glob of bright green goo that landed on the concrete floor and began eating away at the surface. I didn’t want to think about what that stuff would do to flesh.