Regardless, the girl's fear of me was quickly proving fleeting. "What exactly is it that you think I've done?" she demanded to know, sounding indignant.

"I don't know 'exactly,'" I grimly admitted. "But I do know that somebody around here is rattling doors that were sealed a very long time ago, doors that I'd prefer remain shut since I'm not a big fan of wholesale planetary destruction."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "Is this a joke?"

"No," I answered, feeling as tired as I sounded. "The 'joke' is how often I end up suffering through these talentless idiot conventions because some slightly less talent-impaired idiot decides it'd be 'cool' to try summoning a demon."

"I do not deal with demons!" she retorted. She looked so offended at the very idea that I had to resist the urge to believe her.

"That's what they all say," I sighed. "At first . . . sometimes they even believe it, but--"

"But nothing!" she snapped as she wrenched her hand from my grasp. "As far as I can tell, the only infernal taint around here is on you, so maybe you should explain that before you expect me to start believing you, Mr. Crazy-eyes!"

Tell her I said 'hi,' Gore. I dare you!

I ignored that. "If I had more time, I would," I assured her, "but--" She started to interrupt me again, but with a thought I silenced her vocal cords so I could continue. "But I've no more time for that than I have time to argue this anymore. One way or the other, you're linked to what's happening here, I'm sure of it, and since you're the only one in the vicinity I've sensed with any talent . . ."

Even still reeling in surprise from her sudden muteness, she flashed me a look I found odd, then did her best to not glance at the duffel bags in the corner, an excessive number of bags for just one person . . .

I can be pretty quick on the uptake too sometimes.

"There's someone else with you, isn't there?" I snarled. "Where are they?"

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