I kept my lips from curling in a grimace at his words. The Latin Magoth spoke was a phrase I’d seen in the Doctrine of Unending Conscious and was loosely translated as ‘‘From whence you came, you shall remain, until you are complete again, an ornament and a safeguard, a sweet and useful thing.’’ It was Magoth’s way of granting me the position of his consort, while reminding me that such a position was pretty much in name only. All the rights and honors he’d spoken of came to about nothing, which was fine with me. The less I had to do with the workings of Abaddon, the happier I’d be.

Magoth stopped in front of Bael and waited for my response. I knew what I was supposed to say—the standard form of the consort’s agreement was also in Latin, society in Abaddon preferring to cling to the old ways—but I couldn’t bring myself to speak the words that would praise Magoth above all others.

‘‘Duae tabulae rasae in quibus nihil scriptum est,’’ I improvised.

Magoth’s jaw dropped just a smidgen.

‘‘I saw that at the studio back when you were making movies,’’ I whispered, my gaze flickering over to Gabriel.

His dimples flared briefly to life, telling me he spoke Latin. ‘‘Two minds, not one single thought’’ had been used in a Stan Laurel movie, the set of which I’d visited many decades before. As an acknowledgment of my newfound status, it was less than polite, but it suited the situation.

‘‘Hic et nunc,’’ Bael said, putting his official seal of approval on the ceremony. ‘‘I will leave you to enjoy your new consort.’’

Magoth bowed low to Bael as he shimmered in the air, then disappeared, turning back to me with a wicked glint in his eyes.

‘‘Thank god that’s over,’’ I said, yanking my hand from his, fully intending to run to Gabriel.

‘‘I agree—it was a tedious ceremony, but alas, one has to observe the formalities. Still, it was worth it to have access to your precious mortal world. I assume you are desirous of leaving? Excellent. As am I.’’

Before I could take two steps from him, Magoth grabbed my wrist, rent the fabric of space, and jerked me through after him as he plunged into the mortal world for the first time in almost ninety years.

‘‘Don’t! Wait! Gabrieeeee—’’ The words spiraled into a scream as I was hauled after him, my last view that of Gabriel leaping toward me.

I hit the pavement hard enough to stun me for a few seconds. My hands and knees stung as I pushed myself off the ground, shaking my head to clear it before glaring at Magoth. ‘‘A little warning would have been nice. What on earth are you doing?’’

Magoth stood with his hands on his hips, his head tipped back, his eyes closed as he sucked in deep breaths. ‘‘Can’t you smell it?’’

I eyed the nearby trash can as I got to my feet. We were in some sort of an alley, assumedly in Paris if the garbage that littered the ground was anything to go by. ‘‘I’d have to be dead to not smell it. The garbage collectors are probably on strike again.’’

‘‘No, foolish consort. The humanity. Can’t you smell the humanity? All that delicious fear and anger and hatred floating in delightful layers upon the air—oh, it takes me back; it truly does. How I have missed the mortal world. Well! There’s no time to waste in conversation with you. I have deeds to accomplish and tasks to undertake. I bid you adieu, sweet May.’’

Magoth turned and started down the alley toward a busy street.

‘‘That’s it? You’re leaving? No thank-you for agreeing to be your consort? No explanation of where you’re going?’’

‘‘Miss me already, darling?’’ He heaved a faux sigh. ‘‘Much as I would like to introduce you to the pleasures that only I can give you, unfortunately that must wait until I have taken care of more pressing business.’’

I limped over to him, angry, but aware that I couldn’t let that get the better of me. Magoth in the mortal world might effectively have little power, but there was no guarantee that I wouldn’t end up back in Abaddon with him before such time as Gabriel and I managed to break my bond to him. I picked my words carefully. ‘‘You know full well I am not interested in the least in a carnal relationship with you. But you have been away from the mortal world for almost a century, and I thought you might want to consult me now and again if you find something that confuses you.’’

The look he gave me would have been comical if it had its origins in anyone but Magoth. ‘‘Sweet May, you are not in the least subtle. I would suggest that you cease trying to be, and simply say what it is you wish to say.’’ He held up a hand as I was about to protest. ‘‘Do not insult either of us by pretending you do not wish to keep tabs on me.’’

My lips tightened in a thin line for a moment before I answered, ‘‘Fine. But you can’t be surprised that I’m worried about you running around the mortal world.’’

He shrugged and flicked a minute bit of lint off his arm. ‘‘Your dragon no doubt informed you that accessing this world via you strips me of most of my power. You may tell him from me that he is correct . . . and that despite the situation, I will have no difficulty in escaping any surveillance he attempts to use upon me.’’

‘‘You can try,’’ was all I said as I followed him out to the street. He stood looking up and down the road, rubbing his hands with pleasure, his black eyes positively dancing with happiness.

‘‘Magoth—’’ I said, but before I could complete the warning I intended on giving, I realized just where it was we were. I spun around to gaze in growing horror at the large cream-stone building behind us. ‘‘Dear gods—that’s Suffrage House.’’

‘‘Yes,’’ he said absently, whipping out a pair of designer sunglasses and positioning them carefully on his face. ‘‘I thought it too much of an irony to miss that my first steps into this world should be undertaken from the headquarters of the Otherworld. You do not approve?’’ He shrugged again. ‘‘Adieu, my adorable one. I have no doubt we shall meet again, but until then, think of me often.’’

A taxi pulled up as Magoth was speaking, depositing a man on the sidewalk. I didn’t pay him much attention as he paid the driver, but just as I was going to unburden myself to Magoth of a few choice thoughts, the man glanced our way, did a double take, and froze for a few seconds on the steps leading up to the building.