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of the demon lord Sathanas, who represented Wrath. How in the catacombs beneath St. Martinā€™s heā€™d tried to stoke my anger into a force he could command. How heā€™d almost succeeded.

ā€œElemental expressions of our darkest urges,ā€ I replied.

ā€œWhich makes all demonkind elemental beings,ā€ Arnaud said. ā€œIā€™ve been thinking deeply on our conversation in the cave. We concluded that Malphas chose the mer, half-fae, and druid races for their ā€˜particular propertiesā€™ is how you put it, yes? Well what if those properties were elemental?ā€

ā€œElemental,ā€ I repeated.

A memory struck me. The Met. The frigging Met.

I was ten when Nana first took me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sheā€™d known I was fascinated with ancient mythology, and the museum was featuring an exhibit on the Greeks and Romans. The pottery and sculptures all ran together in my memory, but in a section on philosophy, one drawing stood out: a depiction of Aristotleā€™s five elements, also known as the Aristotelean Set. Iā€™d become lost in it, the alchemy-like symbol speaking to some as-yet-awakened aspect of my bloodline.

Is that why Gretchen transported me there?

I pulled another book from my shelf and flipped it open until I was looking at the same depictionā€”a cross-like arrangement of the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, with Aether in the center.

And with it came a vision Iā€™d had twice now, of lying in a cross-like formation with four others, a dark energy building around us.

Arnaud stood and peered at the image too. ā€œYes, I was thinking of something similar.ā€

I tapped the Water symbol and said, ā€œMerfolk essence.ā€ From there I traced my finger to the Earth symbol. ā€œThe basis for druidic magic.ā€ I moved my finger to the symbol for Air. ā€œThe original fae were said to be Sylphs or air spirits.ā€

Arnaud nodded. ā€œI believe Malphas is using their essences in some form of elemental magic.ā€

I looked at the remaining symbols. ā€œThat leaves Fire and Aether.ā€

ā€œMalphas can manifest Infernal Fire himself,ā€ Arnaud said. ā€œHeā€™ll no doubt use his mystery demon as a focal point.ā€

ā€œLeaving Aether, which is synonymous with Spirit.ā€

ā€œAnd there, I believe, is your holy man,ā€ Arnaud said. ā€œMalachi.ā€

More understanding hit me. Thatā€™s why the soulless mobs appeared when they did. To claim Malachi before we could. It also explained why the mystery demon was staying away. With the power Malachi wielded, my teammate could easily destroy the demon, and thus Malphasā€™s plan to use them in his final elements.

ā€œIā€™m now inclined to believe that my former master didnā€™t mean ā€˜Night Runeā€™ at all,ā€ Arnaud said with a grim smile. ā€œBut rather ā€˜Night Ruin.ā€™ A conflation of the terms ā€˜eternal nightā€™ and ā€˜mortal ruin.ā€™ā€

The elements of the Night Ruin gather.

I looked over the Aristotelean Set again. The races-as-elements theory worked, but the pattern was meant to induce balance. It could amp up the energy at the St. Martinā€™s site, sure, give it shape, but I wasnā€™t seeing a demonic portal.

ā€œWeā€™re making progress, I believe,ā€ Arnaud said. ā€œBut any further help I lend will require a formal agreement.ā€

I turned toward him. ā€œAn agreement?ā€

ā€œIn exchange for my assistance, youā€™ll release me from my bondage. In addition, youā€™ll forego any and all acts of retributionā€”by you, your Order, or anyone you can think to contract. I, in turn, will pledge to leave you and your loved ones in peace. Iā€™m proposing a permanent truce, Mr. Croft.ā€

ā€œYouā€™re proposing a lot more than that, and you can forget it.ā€

ā€œNot even for your family?ā€ he asked, affecting surprise. ā€œIā€™ll fashion the agreement anyway. In case you have a change of heart.ā€

ā€œDonā€™t bother.ā€ But I could already feel the demonic agreement taking shape in the psychic space between us.

ā€œYou have but to accept it,ā€ Arnaud purred.

I was telling him to get rid of it when the door opened downstairs.

I went silent and froze in place. Oh, please donā€™t let that beā€”

ā€œIā€™m home,ā€ someone called.

Shit. It was me.

38

I waved Arnaud toward a slot under the table, next to the bookcase. The demon-vampire gave me a withering look, but still under Carolineā€™s enchantment, he obeyed, folding his slender form into the small space.

Downstairs, Tabitha murmured, ā€œAgain?ā€

I held my breath, but her remark didnā€™t give the time-catch me pause. I could hear him cycling through my homecoming routines: hanging coat and cane, dropping a clutch of mail onto the table, rooting through the fridge. Heā€™d be coming up here shortly to check the hologram. If only my damn stealth potioned was ready.

ā€œYou hungry?ā€ I heard the time-catch me call.

ā€œAre you really asking me that?ā€ Tabitha said.

ā€œLetā€™s see, Iā€™ve got swordfish or flat iron steak.ā€

ā€œCan you stop pestering me with questions and just prepare both?ā€

ā€œWe have to save the other one for tomorrow.ā€

ā€œLike a concentration camp in here,ā€ she muttered.

ā€œI can always start serving cat food, you know.ā€

ā€œFish,ā€ she said.

As he began pulling out pans, I quietly slid the books Iā€™d selected back into their slots, arranged the desk as it had been, and retrieved my cane from the table. I stood over the steaming pots. If he could give me about ten minutes, I could bottle the potions, get a stealth potion into Arnaud and me, and slip out.

Sure, it would have been fascinating to meet myself from five years earlier, but there wasnā€™t time to convince him I was from the future. Also, I didnā€™t want to have to tell him he was just an artifact and would cease to exist when the time catch collapsed, which could be in, oh, a few hours. I knew myself well enough to know heā€™d be skeptical of the first and super depressed about the second.

Cā€™mon, cā€™mon, cā€™mon, I thought at the cooking potions.

ā€œWhat happened to your friend?ā€ Tabitha murmured.

Oh, crap.

ā€œWhat friend?ā€ he asked.

ā€œThe one with the hideous face and stench.ā€

Arnaud glared at me from under the table. Downstairs, sizzling sounded as the fish landed in the pan.

ā€œI donā€™t know what youā€™re talking about,ā€ time-catch me replied.

I peeked over the railing. Tabitha was still curled in a mound facing the window.

ā€œOh, stop being an ass,ā€ she continued in

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