“I thought I told you to keep the breakage to a minimum.” Captain Tosh sat behind his desk. A vein in his forehead throbbed in time with his heart. “Do you call blowing up a building in the docks minimal breakage?”

Jen and Master Shen sat across from him. They’d retreated to Jen’s inn long enough to change clothes before leading the victims to watch headquarters. Some kid fresh out of training had been dispatched to fetch the captain. He’d arrived ten minutes later, shirt half tucked in and hair uncombed. Jen managed not to laugh.

The former prisoners were downstairs getting looked at by the healers. The rest of the squad had stayed with them to offer what reassurance they could. That left Jen and Master Shen to handle the inevitable explanations. She would have preferred to fight a dozen thugs.

“I didn’t destroy the building. I rescued the prisoners and their jailor didn’t appreciate it.”

Tosh ran a hand through his rumpled hair. “Just walk me through it. Start with what happened after we parted ways.”

Jen paused to gather her thoughts and try to figure out how to tell the story without revealing the secret spying operation, but couldn’t see any way around it.

“I told Jennifer to look up an old friend of mine if anything happened,” Master Shen said, saving her the trouble of making up a story. “Mariela told her about my efforts to investigate the Unkindness so she tracked them down and freed me along with the other prisoners. Mikhail Santen murdered his father to gain demonic powers which he used to destroy the building in an attempt to murder us. He fled with a female accomplice. Where they are now we have no idea.”

“A handful of the gang escaped under the building, I assume into the sewers,” Jen said.

“That’s it? That’s your whole explanation?” Tosh stared at them.

Jen shrugged. “That’s what happened. It hasn’t even been a full day since we left the villa. What more do you want?”

Tosh waved a hand. He looked exhausted. “Nothing. I don’t want a thing. I trust you’re finished with your investigation and will be leaving my city soon.”

“Tomorrow morning,” Master Shen said. “I need sleep and food before I’ll have strength enough to transport us to the capital.”

“Fine, just don’t blow up anything before you leave.”

Jen opened her mouth to protest, but Master Shen laid a restraining hand on her wrist. They took their leave of the weary captain, collected her men along with many thanks from the former prisoners, and headed to Jen’s inn. She had a ton of questions, but when she started to ask, Master Shen shook his head.

They stopped outside the inn. The sun was just coloring the horizon. “Order some breakfast and wait for me in your room,” Master Shen said. “I’m going to collect Mariela. I’ll be back soon.”

He leapt into the air and faded from view. Jen shook her head and led the way in. The smell of fresh bread washed over her and her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in a full day. A serving girl bustled around the common room, wiping tables and straightening chairs. It wouldn’t be long before the other guests came down to eat.

Jen waved her over and ordered a large breakfast to be sent up to her room. She flipped the girl a gold royal and went upstairs. Fifteen minutes later a tapping sounded on her window. She saw nothing, but opened it anyway. Something brushed against her and a moment later Master Shen shimmered into view, Mariela held in his arms.

He laid the scholar on Jen’s bed and sat on the edge. The woman looked better. The last of the dead skin had flaked off and her hair had grown back, only an inch long, but still. Six healing potions could work wonders.

A knock sounded on the door. Outside two serving girls held trays laden with food. Edward and Alec collected the trays and closed the door. Master Shen waved his hand and nodded. “We can speak now. I’ve blocked all sound from leaving the room.”

Jen fixed an egg-and-bacon sandwich and leaned against the wall. “So what was that black disk in the ceiling above the torture room?”

“A hell gate. A small one, thank heaven. Someone opened it for them and they fed it blood to get demon essence.”

“You mean that black stuff?” Jen finished her sandwich and moved on to the pastries. “It looked like a lot more blood went in than black stuff came out.”

Mariela sat up. “It runs about a gallon of blood to a quarter ounce of essence.”

“What do they do with it?” Alec asked around a mouthful of ham.

“You saw the ones with the black flames?” Master Shen asked.

They all nodded.

“What are they anyway, the flames?” Talon asked.

“For the gang members the flames were simply a visible manifestation of the demonic power running through their bodies. They represent the flames of hell. For a warlock or a demon the flames are the shape their corrupt soul force takes unless they chose to transform it into something else. The gang used the essence to ink their tattoos a second time. When they shed their blood it triggered the power which took the shape of the black flames. What you missed was the aftermath. Normal humans aren’t equipped to handle that much soul force, much less corrupt, demonic soul force. Most of them would have dropped dead the instant the power dried up.”

“Mikhail didn’t seem to have much trouble,” Jen said.

Master Shen frowned. “He’s a different matter altogether. Mikhail bonded his soul to a demon, most likely that ugly flying horse he was riding. It allows him to draw on the demon’s power, but when he dies the demon consumes his soul and grows stronger.”

“Seems a little short sighted,” Rhys said.

“Usually, but demon binding grants immortality as well, so as long as no one kills him the demon doesn’t get his soul. If the binding was done correctly it can’t betray him either.”

“So what happens now?” Jen asked.

“Eat, sleep, and tomorrow we fly back to the capital where I report to the archmage then I’ll fly you back to The Citadel to report to your father.”

Jen sighed. This was one mission she didn’t regret finishing.