“But . . . Ilargis suck souls.”
“I know, and I don’t really like working for them because of that,” she said, giving me a sympathetic look. “But a girl has to live, and really, if the Ilargi has already sucked their souls-and Eve says he has-then the harm is already done. Raising them isn’t really going to make things worse for them, is it? In fact, it’ll be better, because they won’t be phantasms anymore.”
My mind whirled in a miasma of horror and disbelief. Spirits feared losing their souls-which turned them into hopelessly forsaken phantasms-more than anything. My heart wept at the thought of sweet, self-sacrificing Ulfur ending up as one. But if Siobhan was right, then perhaps there was still hope. “I had no idea there was a way out of being a phantasm,” I said slowly. “You’re sure that the Ilargi told you he’d taken the souls of the people on that list?”
She nodded, chewing for a moment before she answered. “I told you he’d been busy on the island. But he didn’t tell Eve where the village was.”
“The village . . . it’s south along the coast,” I answered absently, still trying to sort through the confusion in my brain. “But I sent the villagers on to Ostri. All but Ulfur.”
“That’s part of the problem. He’s the only one from that village on my list, so it’s almost impossible to find it. Will you help me?”
I was silent for a moment, my fingers rubbing the stem of the wineglass. “No.”
“Oh.” Her face fell.
“But I will hire you,” I said, making a decision.
“For what?” She set down her beer, clearly interested.
Dio!
“I want Ulfur. That is, I want his spirit or whatever is left of him returned the way it was.” What’s wrong?
“Mmm.” She frowned for a moment. “Can’t do it. The Ilargi has his soul now.”
This woman is a she-devil! She’s alerted the Dark Ones to me.
Wait a second. You’re tackling Kristjana without me?
“Leave the Ilargi to me,” I said with far more confidence than I felt. “You said your girlfriend can raise Ulfur, right?”
She was alone. I thought I could knock her out and take her out through the window. But she screamed before I could silence her.
“Yes, but the lich is bound to either the person who raised him or the person who holds his soul. So I’m afraid that means he’d be bound to the Ilargi.”
You’re supposed to wait for me so I can brain-zap her! I said, digging through my purse for a few coins. Hastily, I pulled out a pen and a receipt, scribbling our hotel name and room number on it before shoving it at Siobhan. “I’ll worry about that later. I just don’t want poor Ulfur in the hands of some clearly deranged madman. I’m sorry, but I have to go. My husband needs me. Here’s where we are, under the name Vincenzi. Call me in the morning and we’ll work out all the details.”
She took the paper, watching with raised eyebrows as I gathered up my things. “All righty, although Eve is going to be a bit touchy about two-timing her employer.”
“Her employer is an evil soul-sucking bastard who gets what he has coming to him,” I answered, pulling on my coat and waving as I dashed out of the club. On my way!
CHAPTER 9
“Boy, am I glad you’re . . . here. . . .” The sentence trailed off as I saw who it was knocking at my door. “Oh, hello. When I called the dial-a-reaper number, I hadn’t expected you two would be the ones to make the pickup.”
“The director thought it would be best if we limited exposure of Brotherhood members to one who so clearly does not embrace the true glory of the light,” Janice Mycowski said primly as she pushed past me into the hotel room. “You have Kristjana and Mattias here?”
“Yes.” I closed the door behind Rick, trying to summon up a welcoming smile.
“You look well,” Rick said politely. “Iceland must agree with you.”
“Thank you. No!”
Rick looked startled for a moment until he realized I wasn’t shouting at him.
Mattias, who had been forbidden to leave his chair, grabbed the seat and chair-hopped his way toward me. “Pia!” he called as I reentered the living room of our hotel suite.
“I told you to stay!” I said, pointing back at the corner where he’d been.
His face shifted into a pout. “But Kristoff is not here. You said I had to stay out of his way, but he is gone. Smooches!”