29

Sam settled herself comfortably on her bed, and propped a silver-framed mirror against the headboard facing her. For a moment she gazed into it, then closed her eyes, concentrated on slowing her breathing and centring herself.

Once she felt ready, she opened her eyes and focused on the mirror again.

“Show me Jess leaving Haven,” she murmured to it.

The mirror clouded; she kept her eyes on it without looking away, and gradually the mistiness cleared to show her Jess walking along the road south. She watched, her heart aching, as every step took him further away.

The image grew increasingly hazy as he neared the edge of the township, and finally blurred to such a degree that nothing could be seen.

She'd been afraid of that. To find even a wolf willing to be found, outside the borders of the township, would be some trick; to find an unwilling one would take a minor miracle.

That was no reason to give up. She'd never forgiven herself for losing him once; she couldn't let it happen again while there was still anything she could possibly do.

She reached out to lay the fingertips of both hands against the ornate frame of the mirror, and whispered a name.

The mist shimmered in a rainbow of hues, then cleared to show her the image of a moon-white tiger with stripes of midnight shadows. It looked at her, yawned, and stretched.

“Help me,” she said quietly.

*If I can,* the tiger said, words forming in her mind with the clear silver purity of windchimes. *What seek you, human sister?*

“Jesse. I need to know where he is, what kind of danger he's in, what I can do about it...”

*Peace, be slower. The young one is difficult for me to find, as well. This, though, I will tell you: there are those on my plane who grow ever more certain that he is of Cassandra's line, and there are those who seek ways to simply kill him so that the question becomes irrelevant. Those ones begin to involve those who summon them.*

Sam shivered. “Then he's in serious danger.”

*He is.* The tiger washed one forepaw meditatively, and resumed with a thoughtful note in its voice. *And yet he is not. Demon-luck is powerful indeed, and his will to live is very strong. To kill him would not be at all an easy thing to do.*

“There has to be something we can do!”

*There is. Wait. This much I know: this tale has not yet ended, too much remains unresolved, and the universe dislikes unfinished business.*

“Waiting won't help him!” She heard her voice beginning to climb in volume, lowered it again.

*The greatest danger to the young one is danger only he can fight, and that only when he is ready. Let the game play itself out. The time will come when you must act, but for the present, there is nothing you can do. Could I find him for you, I would tell you where he is, but what then? He would not hear anything you say. Be glad I cannot. If I could, then others could as well.*

Sam shook her head stubbornly. “I can't accept that. I can't just sit back and hope Jesse decides to come home someday before the less pleasant residents of your plane kill him. There has to be something I can do.”

*As you will. Call him by his true name for all the world to hear. Tell your friends and his the full truth. Then your wait will be over.*

“I can't do that either, and you know it.”

*Of course you can. You must simply be prepared to accept the consequences.*

“If you aren't willing to help me, then I'll ask others until I find someone who will.”

The tiger laughed, not ungently. *You will not find any who is more your friend than I. You will get less help from some, and misdirection from others.*

“I have to try! Maybe someone can at least give me something to go on. Anything is better than doing nothing.”

The tiger's form blurred, shimmered fluidly into that of a white falcon with midnight markings. *You are well matched with your soul-bird, human sister. I wish you all good luck in your quest.* The image broke like a rock had been dropped in a mirror of water, and cleared to show only rainbow mist.

Alfari pushed the door open, and jumped up on the bed. She sniffed at the mirror, then curled herself into Sam's lap, purring softly, watching the mirror intently.

Sam stroked the cat with one hand while she called upon other demon allies, and some less friendly ones she knew only by name. Some of them she thought were as restrained in their mockery as they were only because of Alfari's presence and obvious loyalty; if nothing else, the moral support was worth a great deal, while demon after demon scorned her search or told her brusquely that no demon could or would help her.

Finally, exhausted, she gave up and leaned forward to turn the mirror face down on the bed, then picked it up again. Connection broken; it merely reflected her and Alfari. She got up, draped Alfari over one shoulder, and went out to the living room.

Bryan gave her a weary smile. “Any luck?”

“With what?”

“Looking for Jess. Don't tell me you aren't, I won't believe you.”

“I didn't find out much of anything that's any use.”

“You and everyone else. Maybe he'll change his mind and come back.”

Sam shook her head slowly. “Do you really think he will?”

“No, not really. Evaline and Caitryn are trying to track him, but I don't think they're going to get anything useful either. He headed south, he went back to the city, I'd bet a lot. We can't find him there. Flynn's willing to relocate indefinitely to search from there, and Kev's willing to go with him in case that helps, but that's dangerous and pointless. There's much too much noise from too many other people for Flynn to get a fix, and he does know it, he just doesn't want to admit it.”

“Nothing's impossible,” Sam said softly, stroking Alfari absently. “Demon-luck's pretty powerful.”

“His life takes him on enough of a roller coaster ride that I guess you could call it demon-luck, but I'd rather not place much faith in luck.”

“Neither would I.” Not even demon-luck.

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