The problem with falling asleep wrapped in a comfy blanket on the floor between the coffee table and the sofa is that in the morning, when the phone rings and wakes you up, you forget the coffee table is there. At least Raphael did. There was a solid thud as he sat up, smashing his head against the table, and then a string of foul curses as he staggered into the kitchen and picked up the phone. “It’s for you!” I got up, wrapped the blanket about myself like a cape, and went to get the phone. “Aha!” Kate’s voice said on the other end. “Aha what?” Raphael must’ve recovered from his unfortunate connection with the table, because he set about trying to steal my blanket. “Nothing. Nothing at all,” Miss Innocence said. “How did you get this number anyway?” I smacked Raphael’s hand away. “Jim gave it to me a long time ago. I tried your cell, the Order, and your house. This was the next logical number. I’m a trained detective, you know.” “You couldn’t detect your way out of a shoe if someone lit the way with neon signs.” Raphael finally won the battle for the blanket and molded his body against mine, nipping gently at my neck. “Hold on a minute.” I covered the phone and turned to him. “About dealing with my hang-ups—this is one of them. I’m on the phone. Please let me be.” He sighed and went about the kitchen getting eggs out. “I’m here,” I said, pulling my blanket back up. “How did it go with Cerberus?” I briefly sketched it for her. “Even if destroyed, he continues to remanifest as soon as the magic is up. He’s bound to that house. I’ll be talking to the People today about the vampire. I doubt they’ll tell me anything.” “How important is this?” I explained about Aunt B. “I’m so sorry.” “Me, too.” “Ghastek owes me a favor,” Kate said. “I have it on paper, signed in the presence of witnesses. Call him on it.” “Thanks.” “It’s the least I can do. Say, how did you even get into this mess?” “Some man called Teddy Jo called it in.” Kate hesitated. “Be careful with Teddy Jo,” she said softly. “Why?” “I don’t have anything solid, but there is something that bothers me about Teddy. Just watch him carefully if he ever shows up.” I hung up. After Nataraja, the head of the People in Atlanta, Ghastek was the most talented of the Masters of the Dead. And also the most dangerous. “Are you off the phone?” Raphael inquired mildly. “Yes.” A hint of danger added edge to his smile. “Good.” When one says “pounce,” most people typically think of a cat. Maybe a dog. But none of them can manage to pounce quite as well as a horny male werehyena.