"Are you sure?" she said.

"Yes," I hissed, suddenly angry. Mostly at myself. "Yes, I am very sure. Stars and stones, this is the dumbest thing I've ever done." I thought about it for a second. "Or at least top five." Both of my hands went to the bridge of my nose, then rubbed my eyes. This was not happening. Why the hell had I not put the key on the amulet's chain? With the cuff in place, I couldn't use magic, and I had no access to the Winter Knight's mantle.

"Can we break it?"

I dropped my hands. "It's a five-metal alloy, mostly iron and silver, wrought by svartalves."

She made a crinkled face and a sound that was similar to, "Oooh."

"Yeah. The only way it comes off is with the key, or a blowtorch. And then I might as well just cut my arm off."

No polite way to say it.

We were fucked.

"Does this change the plan?" she asked.

"What?"

"Does this change the plan? Will the others still be able to find us?"

I touched the amulet around my neck. "Yes. Yes, they can still find us." Had to think clearly. No time for panic. "Once Carlos arrives, with that magnificent spell-cutting Warden's sword of his, maybe we can figure something out. In the meantime, you're right; stick to the plan."

"So we head in?"

I nodded. "Yes." I turned, took one step, and jerked my foot back. I'd found a sharp rock the hard way. "Dammit. I should have kept my boots."

"That would have been bad for your feet and the boots. If you're not worried about getting your shirt back, we can rip off the sleeves and wrap them around your feet."

"What about you?"

She shook her head. "Used to it. I have thick skin."

I took a breath. "Okay."

A few minutes later, we were moving through the brush, my feet wrapped in the remains of my shirt sleeves. I found it hard to believe a piece of prime real estate like this was still covered in trees, rather than cleared and beach-y, but if the Malvoras owned the whole island, they probably weren't interested in beaches.

I felt blind. No arcane senses to rely upon. I couldn't even will light through the amulet. I tried wiggling the cuff a few times, but it had been custom made; it wasn't going anywhere. And I wasn't quite at the point of chopping away pieces of my body.

After a few minutes of total darkness, getting slapped with leaves and branches and swarmed by bugs, I began to reconsider. I'd never had a mosquito bite on a nipple before, but hey, first time for everything. I let out a tiny, frustrated groan.

"Harry? Are you all right?" Connie asked from behind me.

I started pulling at the cuff again. "You know, maybe life without a right hand wouldn't be too bad. I could learn to write with my left. Wouldn't affect the magic too much, if at all. I could wear a hook."

"Yes, I'm sure your lady-friend would have no problem with that at all."

"She's seen worse."

A branch snapped. I froze, even holding my breath. Behind me, Connie did the same.

On Demonreach, I simply knew what was out there at all times. It was kind of funky literally being one with the land. I don't think most people really understand what it means when they say it. If I wanted to know something about the island, anything, I simply did. Number of hornet's nest (and how best to avoid them); number deer, both running and standing; healthiest and sickest trees; best paths and most annoying obstacles. I simply knew.

I hadn't realized how much I had come to rely on that little talent. Just like the White Court and their empathic powers, I got used to having that information at hand, so much so that it felt unnatural to be fumbling about in the dark. On Demonreach, I didn't need light to get around.

Here, different story. My eyes had begun to adjust, but there was so little light filtering through the trees, it hardly made a difference. After a few seconds, I heard a tiny, scurrying sound.

I let out my breath. "It's okay," I whispered. "It's just a squirrel."

"Actually, it wasn't," she said. Her voice sounded tight. Not quite afraid, but…

I turned around slowly. A flashlight clicked on, right in my face. I squinted and raised an arm. Another light. And another.

My eyes finally adjusted, and I could see Connie, a hand wrapped around her throat and a handgun held to the back of her head. Both belonged to a Fomor servitor, a big, ugly, pale-fleshed, and stealthy asshole in a turtleneck.

I glanced around at the other light sources. A couple of Einherjaren, a few more Fomor. All armed, all pointing at me. All well outside my reach.

I grunted. "Well. Shit."

"Turn around and walk," Stealthy said.

I wanted to say something snarky, like, "What? Into a tree?" I really did. But not when a friend – a new friend, but a friend nonetheless, and a woman to boot – had a gun to her head with malicious intent. So instead I held my hands a little away from my sides, and turned, slowly. Another Einherjar warrior, with a chest approximately the size of a beer keg, was there with his own flashlight, and he turned to lead me into the woods. I recognized his beard; he was one of the guys I had put into a wall yesterday.

"Try to escape, and I will kill her," Stealthy said from behind me.

I clenched my fists and my jaw and said nothing.

As much as I was mad at myself for getting caught, and getting Connie caught, I had to admit, walking was a lot easier with all the light. To distract myself from the self-recrimination, I tried to focus on getting out of this mess. I had to collect details.

The escort led us from the foliage onto a meticulously manicured lot, with what the locals probably called a 'weekend home': a two-storey mansion in ultra-modern style, covered in the searing white light of half a dozen spot lights. The lot reminded me of the Raith estate in Chicago. The house reminded me of the bank I had seen that morning: Sleek, lots of glass, lots of steel, very little wood, all right angles. No soul, as far as I was concerned.

I could finally see our whole escort; five each of Einherjar and servitors. And if I wasn't much mistaken, they seemed to be wary of each other. A sharp look here, a step away there.

Interesting.

I could also see the yacht, docked in plain view about 50 yards away at the end of a custom built dock, lit up and under guard, two pairs of Einherjar and servitors. We were barely twenty feet from the water. Connie might have made it, but I had no way of signaling her. Or taking out 10 armed guards with no magic.

They marched us through the yard, around a pool – who the hell needs a pool twenty feet from the ocean? – and through the front door without stopping. Then down a hall and into a huge dining room. I only knew it was a dining room because of the table that put Lara's conference table to shame. The house was lit up in the same harsh light as outside, except for one far corner. I could see Krejetzy sitting there. It looked like the lamp and overhead nearest him had been shattered.

"Stop here," the einherjar said. I stopped. He stood a little off to the side. I could see Danicka standing near Krejetzy, and they were not having a friendly conversation. I tried to look uncomfortable, and focused on my sense of hearing. I started to Listen.

" – ing to get annoyed. I have other obligations," Krejetzy was saying.

"In the last century, have I let you down?" Danicka asked. Her voice had a challenging edge to it.

"Twice," he said, though he didn't go into detail.

She crossed her arms. "You wanted revenge on Lord Raith, you'll have it soon."

"And you'll have your throne." He sounded a touch condescending.

A new voice, loud enough I didn't need to focus, added, "And the White Court bows out of the war with the Fomor. Everybody wins." It came from a doorway, and everyone looked.

A Kermit the Frog cosplayer walked in. A really bad cosplayer. Seriously, it looked like a guy in a cheap frog suit, wearing a really ugly toga. Taller than me, gaunt, swollen belly. His lips were swollen. His skin was pale, but not green. What little hair he had looked like it had been stolen from a scarecrow. His eyes bulged. The servitors all stiffened up a little. So, this was a Fomor. How…

Disappointing.

Check that. If I'd been able to put him through a wall with a thought, he'd have been disappointing. As it was, he was just kind of funny-looking. Hilarious, in fact. I found I had to bite the inside of my cheek once again. Maybe I shook a little.

Danicka looked about as disgusted as I was entertained. "Yes," she said. "Everybody." She turned to me and started walking. "Ah, yes, the Winter Knight. I honestly don't know whether to be annoyed or impressed with you."

"Most of my enemies tend to split the difference," I said.

She let a breath out through her nose. Then her eyes snapped to Connie. That made me tense up more than anything she could have said to me. Her eyes snapped back, her head tilting. "Really?" she asked. "Protective of this one?" She looked Connie over again. The selkie looked unimpressed. "She looks like she can handle herself, wizard. And she thinks she can, too." Danicka stepped very close to Connie, and I found myself making fists again.

"Fomor, huh?" I said.

"Yes," she said, not taking her eyes of Connie.

"Figured."

She looked at me. "Did you now?"

I smiled. "Tell me I'm lying."

Her eyes shrank. "How?"

I said, "Same way I realized you're the one who told him about Stoker. You're White Court."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"I was thinking on it all the way here. It's that whole cat's paws thing you all do. Going out of your way to make it look like you weren't involved… well, that makes it look like you were involved. Sure, the Fomor might have hired Krejetzy over there, but they don't like to outsource. Someone had to give them the idea." Kermit grunted. "You probably hired the Einherjar, too. And I mean come on," I said, raising my voice a little, "where else would a Black Court vampire hide? You own this town, don't you? So obviously, he had to go to you. Your competition is human, he couldn't go to them. It also helps that Fomor attacks in Miami are focused on very limited areas, which meant someone was holding them off, which the White Council knows is not happening, or they worked out a deal with someone, again, most likely you." I saw Krejetzy tilt his head. "And of course, the quick clean up at the safe house. But it all seemed to really come together in my mind – really gel – when I realized what you had done to Lara."

"I did nothing to Lara."

"Exactly. Not a damn thing. You're pretty much Raith's greatest rival in the Court, and you do nothing? Not even a clumsy attempt on her life? You'll excuse me if I find that a bit suspicious." Her lips formed a very thin line. "But I have to admit, knocking Raith off to take over and conclude a separate peace? Keep yourself out of a war while every other community and Accord Signatory wear themselves down?" I touched my fingers to my lips and made a kissing sound while opening my hand. "Brilliant."

"How does he know so much?" Kermit asked.

Danicka shot him a look.

"I didn't," I said. "Not really. Not until you said that. So, thanks."

"You're even stupider than you look," Danicka said to Kermit.

"You need me!" he shot back.

"Your barrier was worthless; we only saw him on the infrared cameras."

"The barrier works just fine!"

"Then explain why the alarm didn't go off!"

"My lord!" Stealthy said. "He's wearing a thorn manacle." Kermit looked at the servitor, then at me, and slowly grinned. It was gross to see.

Ah, crap.

Danicka looked at me, too, and chuckled. "Oh, you should have taken that off,' wizard'." Her turn to use air quotes. She turned to Krejetzy. "You said you were bored and annoyed? How would you like to kill the Winter Knight?"

I saw the skin on his face start to flake off again as he made that not-smile of his.

I hate being without magic. I really do. Ever since my early teens, when it started to develop along with the rest of those fun changes puberty brings, it had been a part of me, and though it had been strange at first, I came to not just accept it, but to embrace it. Like my chest hair and my need to buy big & tall jeans, it was a part of me.

Facing down death without it kind of sucked.

"Start with the selkie," Danicka said. "She'll be afraid, but he'll be angry and afraid." Her voice sounded almost sultry. Hell's bells, she was getting turned on. I guess anger was the A1 sauce on her fear steak.

Kermit laughed, and another servitor moved to help Stealthy hold Connie. I moved, on instinct, but the big einherjaren grabbed my shoulder and held me steady. "Let go of me," I said. He didn't say anything, or let go. "Let her go! She's not a player in this game!"

"She's a pawn," Krejetzy said, approaching slowly. "And you know what pawns are for."

I was struggling at this point. It was useless, but I did anyway. Danicka was damn right I was angry. She would pay if I survived this. Connie, on the other hand, was very still. She eyed Krejetzy, as if daring him to come closer.

Desperate, I shouted, "Danicka, I'll do anything you ask if you spare her!"

The bitch laughed. "You'll already doing it."

So I was angry, and afraid. Sue me. A friend was about to die and I couldn't stop it. I looked around. I looked at the big guy holding me. "Stop this," I hissed.

"We're under contract to Ms. Malvora," he said. "That cannot be broken." More quietly, he added, "I am sorry, Sir Knight."

Krejetzy was only about ten feet away now, eyes intent on Connie. She reminded me more than ever of Karrin in that moment; she was staring him down, not so much as shaking.

What the hell could I do? God dammit, there had to be something!

The night came alive with a whooping, wailing noise. Danicka's head snapped to Kermit, and Krejetzy actually stopped moving. The anti-magic alarm? Back-up had arrived!

I looked at Connie, and a ghost of relief spread over her face. She looked at me. I saw past her, at the doorway we had been brought through. A tiny cloud of sparking green light floated in. My eyes expanded, but I tried not to react. Danicka and Kermit started shouting orders to go investigate, but I could barely hear them. I saw the cloud twist around until part of it, in the vague shape of a human face, was pointing at me. It froze.

A desperate idea occurred. If she could move her own skull… I held up my arm and shouted, "Open the bracelet!" The cloud moved like lightning, turning into a tight stream and zipping across the room, slipping into the keyhole and vanishing.

A second later, the bracelet clicked open and fell off. The strength of Winter flooded into me, the cool, solid strength of an iceberg infusing my very being. And the magic! The awareness, the confidence, the simple power of life itself that went rushing through my veins… and a whole bunch of light bulbs blew out at once.

It could be intoxicating when you weren't in a rush. Feeling like I could finally breathe again after hours underwater, I drew in energy in a blink. "Connie, get down! Forzare!"

I shrugged out of the big man's grip and swept my hand in a broad arc. I saw Connie ripple and drop to the floor as a seal, destroying my shirt as she went. The power of the spell hit the two servitors that had been holding her and sent them flying. It hit Danicka next, and knocked her off her feet. Krejetzy rocked on his heels. Kermit fell flat on his ass.

And, I noticed later, the Einherjaren did nothing at all.

There was an explosion outside. I guessed it was one of Carlos' grenades. Bursts of gunfire. Growls and screams. I was torn; part of me wanted to go help the cavalry, part of me wanted – needed – to kill Krejetzy. The vampire made it easy. He bared his teeth, then turned and ran. Of course he did. He was a spy, not a soldier, and only the best survivors of the Black court survived at all. The mantle's predator instinct kicked in, and I went after him.

A leg came out of nowhere and connected with my gut, knocking me down. I rolled back to my feet and came up in a crouch. Danicka had already launched herself at me, and she hit me like a small car. I managed to roll with the impact, and even added to the momentum. We hit the floor and bounced off a wall, both of us taking about the same impact. In terms of raw strength, we might have been even, but she had more experience, and was more agile. She ended up on top, her hands wrapped around my throat.

I hit her arms, I bucked my legs, I twisted my torso, I tried to pulled her hands off me; nothing worked. The oxygen I'd sucked in was burning up fast, and in just a few seconds, I was seeing stars.

"Fear me, wizard," she said. "Fear me, Knight," and she was mocking. "powerful as you are, strong as you are, as many friends as you have, you're still only human."

At that instant, I had to agree with her.

Then a seal's tail smashed her right in the face, snapping her head back. Her hands came free. Connie's human arms snaked around her neck, squeezing. "I'm not human," Connie hissed in her ear, "and I do not fear you." She planted her legs and yanked the larger woman off me, her grip only tightening. "Go, Harry, while you can!"

I drew in a breath and shoved myself to my feet. Noticing a glint of metal on the floor, I snatched up the thorn bracelet, shoved it in a pocket, and took off running, through the other door. Pretty much everyone else in the room had disappeared at some point. I didn't care. I barely noticed. I just had to catch the vampire.

The mantle growled its appreciation of that need, and I shot out the door and through a mudroom. The exterior door had already been smashed off its hinges. I dashed outside and came to a complete stop. It was strange. To my left, Thomas was kicking one servitor while bringing his knife down on another, while to the right, Carlos appeared engaged with Kermit himself, blocking magic and tossing his own. Stealthy was already dead on the ground, which made me feel better.

In the center, the einherjaren were standing around, not fighting anyone, looking like they were waiting for something. When they saw me, they very pointedly did not look at me. But they did shuffle into two lines, leading to an opening in the woods. They were showing me Krejetzy's trail.

"Harry!" I turned to the voice. Marci. She was holding my duster. She tossed it to me. I caught it and shrugged it on over my bare back. She rippled into a wolf and joined the fray.

"Where's my staff?" I shouted.

"Here," another voice said. I looked the other way.

"Andi?"

The redhead looked weary, but she still made it look good. She tossed me my staff, I forced myself not to think about a naked woman holding my stick, then she dropped my boots. She winked and joined Marci, in her other outfit, moving just a little more slowly than usual.

When a servitor started shouting at the Einherjaren to help, one of them shot him in the face. This riled the others up, and more shots were fired.

"Well, that's more like it," I said to myself. I slipped my boots on and shot off into the woods, my laces trailing behind me.