What Rachel should have done when Ku'Sox accused her of trying to kill all the demons.

"We have nowhere to go if the ever-after collapses," Ku'Sox said, voice loud over the rising noise. "Kill her before it's too late!"

"Wrong!" I shouted, and Al sighed heavily. "They have nowhere to go. You do."

Ku'Sox beamed at me as if I'd played right into his hands. "Not anymore, but you do, Rachel. Perhaps you are tryin to kill us."

"Me?" I stammered, mentally backpedaling as I realized why he was so smug. He was going to kill the ever-after and everyone in it – blaming it on me.

-Quote from Kim Harrison's Ever After

I took a deep breath and scrutinized the angry mass around me. I stood, tall and calm, studying my nails for a ridiculously long time as I waited for them to either start shouting or shut up. If they shouted, I'd promise to go off and fix the line now, and never step foot back in the everafter. Maybe Trent could make a charm that could keep me from being summoned, he'd done a damn good job of negating my summons. And that with absolutely no prep work.

They quieted, and I smiled. I was no good at sneers, so I went with a sweet, extra-fake innocent smile with extra cheese. I gave Al, Dali, and Newt good a second of eye contact and hoped they'd back me up, keep my plan from backfiring into a lynch mob. But, desperate times and all that.

"So what if I am?" That shocked Ku'Sox enough to give me a head start before he caught up.

"I was so very generous to all of you, cursing the little genetic designer dump so he couldn't kill all of you like he planned too. Yet, I get absolutely no appreciation." I huffed hands on hips. "You all wanted to 'keep his genetic material' around so much I even risked my life to save the little idiot."

Newt's black eyes were twinkling with mirth. The shiny pot indeed.

"All I asked was that he keep his promise to leave me and mine alone!" I let the energy snowball, the frustration was real, even if I wasn't the one trying to kill them all. I paced back and forth as I raged at them, sharpening the threatening point of my wrath. "I excused the fact that he was allowed to buy my ex-boyfriend, after all you could argue he wasn't mine anymore. But this?! I am Ceri's Sa'han. I am Lucy's godmother. THEY ARE MINE!

"Yet, is Ku'Sox on trial?! Do I have his soul in a bottle?!"

"She admits to trying to kill us," Ku'Sox tried to incite a riot. "Kill her before she destroys us all!" There was a few shouted agreements. I turned on him before he could excite the crowd enough to have me lynched.

"Silence Forsaken!" My gaze bored into the crowd, threatening until the din stilled enough for me to be heard without shouting. I straightened, crossing my arms. I contemplated studying my nails again.

"I wouldn't be so quick to kill the only person that could save your lives. After all, who knows what spell I used to unsteady every single leyline, on both sides of reality."

I paused for dramatic effect.

"You want the lines fixed. I want Ceri and Lucy home safe, and I want that putrid little experiment put on a leash." I took Al's arm.

"When you have what I want, I'll be at home." I had to kick Al before he snapped out of his little daze.

"Lords, Ladies," he bowed to Newt and Dali and gave a vague gesture towards the audience. "If we are done here," Newt nodded and we were gone before she could change her mind. Or have it changed for her.

I landed in Al's kitchen grinning like The Cheshire Cat. I was a demoness, and it was beginning to show. Maybe Al would bake me a cake.