"Ah, I'm starting to believe in miracles," Deidre said in an offhanded voice. I could hear the smile in it, even without turning to look at her. Knew it would be the slow, easy one she wore when she was truly pleased.

"Where are you from you sexy thing, sexy thing you?" I replied, though there wasn't as much flippant sarcasm in my voice as I wanted.

"What?"

"You Sexy Thing? Hot Chocolate?"

"Are you having a stroke?"

I sighed. "Nevermind."

"You've been almost entirely silent for hours. It's been glorious."

Nicodemus, not content with tormenting my father at the aquarium, had set up this little tableau to maximize everyone's discomfort, including mine. We were arranged before the bonfire, which glowed an eerie violet and cast shadows everywhere. Nicodemus sat upon the recently constructed throne, reclining into the stone seat like some sort of pagan king. The others were arrayed artistically around the fire.

Tessa stood just off to the side of the throne, entirely human for the first time since I'd met her. She looked physically younger than I did, sixteen maximum. She was wearing a slinky black dress to maximize all that youthful beauty. I was really starting to get the impression that he had a kink, because between Deidre, Tessa, and I, none of us looked the age of consent.

Deidre crouched at his knee, within easy reach of his hand if he wanted to stroke her hair.

I'd also been pushed into an inappropriately skimpy dress, red, for a bit of contrast. And then I'd been plopped onto Nicodemus' freaking lap.

My legs were arranged longways, so they draped off the side of his knees, his hand resting on the curve just above my hip, my body curled into his. Every breath he expelled ruffled the hair at the back of my neck.

I'd been keeping silent for a number of reasons. The horror of the confrontation with my father was enough to chew on for the next decade. And then there was the conversation I'd had with Harry mind-to-mind. There was plenty there to mull over as well, but I kept all of that hidden in the small part of my mind that was locked away from Lasciel. The one Harry had helped me discover.

I smiled tightly at her and shifted my position, snuggling closer to Nicodemus like this was the coziest thing in the world. I ran a hand teasingly up one arm and let it rest on his shoulder.

"I'm just reveling in what it feels like to be in your place, Deidre. Guess this means that I'm daddy's favorite now."

Deidre half-rose from her crouch, the soft fall of her hair standing on end and separating into bunches, each rearing to strike like agitated snakes. Tessa made an equally outraged sound from our right and, though I didn't take my eyes off of Deirdre, I could sense the deadly intent from her as well.

"Now girls," Nicodemus purred. "Don't fight."

Then, to me: "Do I need to take you over my knee, Miss Carpenter?"

Gag me with a spoon. In terms of things I wanted out of life, I put a spanking from Nicodemus somewhere being dunked into a tank full of piranhas and a root canal without anesthetic.

I just beamed at him though, twisting in his lap so that I could bring my lips level with the shell of his ear, the way he'd done to me in the aquarium. He wasn't expecting it and actually jerked one fraction of an inch when I nipped his earlobe hard.

I kept my voice low, pitched so only he and I could hear and murmured; "Touch me without permission again, and this won't be the only thing I rip off with my teeth."

Dark malice glittered in his eyes and his grip tightened at my waist, and another settled on my knee. I knew he could part the bones and tendons if he wanted, borrowing some of Anduriel's strength.

I'd pushed too far. He was going to hurt me. And then...

His gaze shifted over my shoulder and he relaxed back into his chair, stroking the skin above my knee instead. I followed his gaze and my heart sank. A group of three stood a little way down from our position near the lighthouse, with Harry in the lead and both Knights of the Cross following on either side and a step or two back. My father's eyes zeroed in on my position at once.

Well crap. Now it looked like I was whispering sweet nothings to Nicodemus Archleone.

I straightened and pulled away from him as much as my position would allow, but the damage was done. They'd seen. The beautiful, horned demon figure of Rosanna continued to mount the stairs and arranged herself at Tessa's feet, folding her wings daintily to keep the snow off of herself.

"Wow," Harry drawled. "This isn't a contrived tableau or anything. Are you here to do business, or did you get lost on your way to the auditions for Family Feud?"

I pressed my lips together so hard that it hurt, balled my hands into fists at my sides, and locked my body down. Because laughing right now was probably suicide.

Nicodemus barely reacted to the mockery, except to tug me closer and pet the skin above my knee a little more fondly. I fought a shudder.

"Good evening, Dresden. Have you brought the merchandise?"

Harry drew something from the inside of his duster and shook it so that the merry jingle of coins filled the night air. Then he tapped something hanging over his shoulder with the side of his head.

"Yep. But you've confirmed that already, or Rosie wouldn't have brought us this far. I see Molly's about to ask Saint Nick to get her a pony this year. But where's the Archive? You show her to me, or the deal's off."

"By all means," Nicodemus said, and I could hear the amusement couched in every syllable. He was loving every second of this.

Anduriel's shadow fell away from the interior of the ruined lighthouse, revealing the greater circle. Red light poured through the sigils, precious stones, crystals, prisms, and more that composed the circle. I'd not been there for the construction of either circle, but recognized some of my own recommendations being employed against the figure inside the circle.

I'd been grateful when Rosanna had signaled the approach of the others, because Anduriel had settled over the tower like a weighty blanket, muffling the sight and sounds within. Concealing the gruesome things they'd done to the Archive or...should I say, to the little girl who contained the construct of the Archive.

She couldn't have been much older than Amanda. She had once had hair just as soft and golden. It had been hacked off, save for a few pathetic tufts here and there. She was naked, hunched into the fetal position, and being spun seemingly at random in midair while some of Nicodemus' beasts crouched below watching her, ready to tear her apart. Even as I watched, one of them strained the edge of its leash and tried to snap her up in its maw. It fell short of her, but she still jerked and a whimper escaped her.

It had taken all my will not to throw down with the rest of them right then and there. I didn't need Lasciel's prompting to know it was suicide. Facing Anduriel alone was beyond my capabilities at this point, let alone Imariel or any of the rest. Tessa and Rosanna were equally skilled as I was in terms of magical potential and had many, many more years to practice quick and dirty combat magic. I'd get my ass stomped into the ground and the girl would still be at their mercy. Worse, they'd probably try to give Lasciel's coin to the little girl.

So I'd stayed where I was. Put on the damn dress, sat in Nicodemus' lap, and did everything in my power not to look. I tried to play aloof and unaffected. Because Harry had been right when we'd talked. My options moving forward were limited. Three choices. I needed time to weigh them. And weigh them I had. I'd about come to a decision, painful as it was.

I wanted to be sick all over Nicodemus' shoes. Hell's freaking bells, as Harry would have said. Why had it taken the torture of a child to put things into perspective for me? Why had I taken part in this? Even if she had been a full-grown woman, as I'd foolishly expected, it wouldn't have made this right.

"There, you see? Safe and sound, as agreed."

Harry's eyes swept the scene and disgust, pity, and outrage crowded his expression, competing to see which would come out on top. Disgust finally won out.

"You sick son of a bitch," he growled. "I'm going to kill you."

Nicodemus and company merely chuckled. It would probably have sounded staged, in any other circumstance. But with this sick band of freaks, I was betting it was more like some shared inside joke that only I'd been excluded from. Lasciel thankfully didn't join in, either aloud or in my head. She was tensed, her mental presence leaning like a weight against my back.

She knew that she'd fucked up in the aquarium. She knew that she'd pretty much guaranteed herself a cold shoulder at the very least. Possibly worse, if she pressed her luck. I wasn't going to forgive her for this, ever. Even if I left this island still holding her coin, it was something we'd never move past. It would probably spell the end of our alliance, somewhere down the line.

"Molly," Lasciel began in a wheedling tone. "I've told you. I could make no promises about-"

"Finish that sentence and I drop your coin this instant, Lasciel," I replied, words clipped, tone arctic. "I am not kidding. Justify yourself one more time and we are through. I'll take my chances with Nicodemus."

She shut up. Damn it. I wanted a fight.

"The Coins, Dresden," Nicodemus prompted. "And the sword. As per our agreement."

Harry finally wrenched his gaze away from the greater circle and back to Nicodemus' position on the throne. They settled on me next and narrowed in dislike. I recoiled from the contempt written all over his face.

"Red rover, red rover, sent Molly right over," he sing-songed.

"You will hand the coins over to Rosanna," Nicodemus said shortly. "Miss Carpenter will remain with me until the exchange has been completed."

"C'mon, Nick," Harry drawled. "You said she's awfully good at retrieving coins for you. Eleven's gotta be her biggest score yet. Don't you want to give daddy's little girl a chance to prove herself?"

My father visibly reacted to Harry's taunt, face twisting in an echo of Harry's earlier disgust. It was like a punch to the gut to finally see the disgust I'd revulsion I'd feared and expected over the years. He said nothing though. He tried to meet my eyes. I ignored him. Ignored the guilt that tore into my insides like a swarm of fire ants. This had to be handled delicately, no matter what outcome I decided on. Stay or go, it was going to get dicey. I couldn't pull the rug on Nicodemus until the very last second. So this had to be convincing.

I was going to have to hurt him still further. God help me.

I slid free of Nicodemus' hands, adjusting my legs Basic Instinct-style before I slid off of his lap entirely, in such a way that Sanya, Harry, and (ugh, yes, even my father) could tell that I was wearing matching lace underwear beneath. Lasciel approved of the tactic, exuding enough raw sexuality to knock an ordinary man onto his knees at ten paces. I stood in another of those sinuous rolling motions that Lasciel favored.

Nicodemus got a grip on my wrist, letting me feel a fraction of his strength. He could snap the brittle bones in two if I tried to pull away from him.

"I can handle the wizard," I told him lazily. "I promise not to hurt him too much. Do you think I might be able to keep him when we're through? He's funny."

Nicodemus smiled indulgently. "Perhaps. After a fashion. Remember the terms of our agreement, Margaret. It would be unfortunate to part ways at the moment. Things would get messy. People would get hurt."

Like I didn't know that. I'd been trying to think of a way around that for almost a week.

A kittenish little smile played at the corners of my mouth. "Everything I've worked for is right here, boss. You've given me everything I wanted and more. I'll get those coins from the wizard. You'll get what you came for."

His gaze bored into mine, trying to read the lie on my face. Either he found none, or he'd decided it was worth the risk because he finally released me.

"Very well."

I stooped to retrieve my sword from where it'd been placed at the foot of the throne. Then I turned toward Harry, feeling a little ridiculous as I literally sashayed toward him. It must have looked damn good though because Harry's expression strained not to show interest as I approached. His lower body failed entirely in that regard. It really shouldn't have been a gratifying detail to note at that precise moment, but it was.

I stopped just shy of their line. I could feel, but not see, the gunmen Nicodemus still had hidden. At a word, they'd open fire and mow all of us down.

"Molly," my father said quietly, hand tightening around the hilt of Amoracchius. "Please. This isn't who you are. You don't want to be doing this."

"I don't?" I mocked in a saccharine little girl's voice. I channeled Lasciel's tone and inflection as hard as I could, leaning into the act for both sides' benefit. "Oh, daddy. You really have no clue. It'd be sweet if it weren't so damn pathetic."

Another chorus of laughter from the peanut gallery. My father flinched.

"Molly, you don't know what you're saying."

"I know what I'm doing, Dad. Do you? Have you ever considered there might be something being kept from you? You could join me, you know. Push off the blinders and actually get a good look at the world around you. Take up a coin. You'll see."

"And together you'll rule the galaxy as father and spawn?" Harry drawled. "You have to stop watching Star Wars, kid. Too much TV will rot your brain and turn you evi...oh. Too late."

I grinned at him, sauntering forward lazily, stopping shy of his chest. He moved the bag out of sight and pushed the hilt of the sword a little further down his back so it'd be harder to grab.

I curled my fingers in the front of his duster and stood on tiptoe so that I was almost murmuring against his mouth.

"What? Did you expect me to say something like 'Oh, help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope?'"

"It'd never work," he said, understanding flickering deep in his gaze. "The donuts I mean. With the blonde hair. Just wouldn't do it for me."

I took a step back, smirking. "I could give you the world, you know. This doesn't have to end badly."

"The world is not enough, Miss Carpenter. And you're pushing the whole Lolita thing a little hard."

"A foolish sentiment, you know," I murmured, enjoying the private joke. I swept toward my father next, before Nicodemus could properly examine my expression. He took a half-step back from me, grip on Amoracchius shifting, ready to draw it if I made any violent moves toward him.

"I mean it," I said quietly. "You could join us."

"And you could drop Lasciel's coin," he countered. "Thomas told us what went on before you came home. She's lying to you. It's not too late to turn back."

"You know I can't. Even if I wanted to. Nothing waits for me but death. The White Council will see to that. I'm better off where I am."

"Molly-"

I stepped forward in a movement too quick for him to track, moving so that I could wrap my arms around him. He flinched. The reaction brought stinging tears to my eyes. He really did think I was going to hurt him. That this wasn't all talk.

"I've talked with Lasciel," I told him matter-of-factly. "No stabbings, if it comes down to that."

I lifted a hand to touch his temple, stroke the silver streaks that'd begun to fade into white. "I'll put a little block right...here." I tapped the side of his skull. "The hypothalamus. Autonomic functions cease and you just...stop. It'll be painless, I promise. And I can give you a little illusion, as you go. That little fantasy you're holding on to. My rescue, repentance. Somehow give you the idea you can save me from the White Council after that. Tie it up in a shiny little bow. You'll die with a smile on your face."

My father was shaking. Something wet dripped onto my shoulder. I pulled back just enough to see the tears streaming silently down his face. My throat tightened. I couldn't keep this up for much longer. I couldn't keep hurting him like this. I just had to push a little more.

"Greetings, abba," I said with an innocent smile, wiping away the tears with my thumbs, before swooping in to kiss him on both cheeks.

The group behind me actually laughed again, while my father let out a low, almost inaudible sound of pain as he interpreted it the only way possible under the circumstances. His Judas, betraying him for eleven Denarii.

I released my father, spun on one heel and held my hand out toward Harry.

"The Coins, Dresden. We won't ask again."

Harry drew a Crown Royal bag from an inside pocket of his duster and held it aloft. "Want this? Here, catch."

Then he tossed it. It was actually a struggle to catch the damn thing in my ridiculous high heels, but I managed to snatch the heavy bag full of coins from the air before it could go sailing over my head into the dark. I just stared at them for a second when they finally settled.

Eleven coins. Double-crossing Nicodemus had been an option we'd discussed as well. I could take them. Disappear under a veil right now and steal one of the ships that brought us here. Chaos would ensue. Nic and Tessa wouldn't be able to break away from the brawl for long enough to pursue me. I could leave. Track down Hannah and give her a coin. We could start our own faction of the Order, selecting capable people to wield each coin. We'd beat out both Nicodemus and Tessa in terms of numbers.

It was tempting. So tempting.

"Would you back me?" I asked Lasciel.

"Unequivocally."

My hand tightened around the bag. I stood a little straighter. Decision time.

"You get the sword when we get Ivy," Harry said. "Cut the girl down now, Nicodemus. And call off your little ankle-biter."

Ankle biter? That rankled.

Nicodemus chuckled. "Tessa, dear, if you'd prepare to dismantle the greater circle. Margaret, bring the coins to me."

"Last chance, kid," Harry said, reaching for the hilt of Fidelacchius, drawing the sword, ignoring Sanya and Michael's muttered warnings.

I reached for my sword as well, drawing the silver sword from its scabbard. Hellfire flashed through the blade. I drew it in an arc, purposely letting as much of the sullen red-orange light bleed into the shadows so that he could see the battered shape of John Marcone and, more importantly, the gunmen waiting for him to strike.

His eyes went round. "Oh. Oh shit."

I saw Nicodemus react in my periphery, a hair too late. He'd been practically ready to bust a nut at my little performance, particularly after what I'd said to my father. The almost carnal pleasure drained away as he realized another game was afoot, and he was badly behind.

"Kill them!" Nicodemus snarled. "Kill them now!"

Tessa released a cry of pure, orgasmic bliss and her skin just seemed to melt away into her mantis form. Deirdre's form shifted as well, her hair lengthening, sharpening, rasping together as it writhed. Rosanna let out a caterwaul that echoed Tessa's. Green lightning arched between Namshiel's fingers. Magog prepared to charge.

And Harry Dresden tossed the Sword of Faith to my father, instead drawing out a shotgun. He raised it, took aim, and bellowed;

"Fire in the hole!"

And then all hell broke loose.