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beauties. If we didn’t pass the arcane test, we’d take the same face-plant I’d taken many times before, only at the speed of a bullet rather than a metallic snail’s pace. But of course we checked out—as I inwardly chanted, There’s no place like
    home. The magic shot us straight upward in a cyclone of garishly colored light that somehow imprinted itself onto my eyeballs despite screwed-shut eyelids, and the overwhelming light became earsplitting sound as we pierced the veil separating the mundane world from the arcane pocket of the Otherrealms claimed by Furykind. And, as always happened, no matter how I struggled against it, the light and sound sent my senses into overdrive, clubbing them into unwilling submission, and both mind and body gave out. At that point, the unconsciousness sweeping over me ‘felt better than sex. . . well, almost.
    ONE MOMENT, BLESSED DARKNESS; THE NEXT, I found myself kneeling on cold marble, shivering. Disorientation flooded all five senses. My mind clawed its way through the confusion, finally catching up with what my body had already processed. I was safe and sound in the heart of the Palladium.
    Footsteps sounded on the floor, helping me focus on the here and now rather than the maelstrom I’d just left behind. But the sight of a completely unexpected woman smiling down at me had my brow raising.
    “Stacia? Where the hell did you come from?” I accepted the hand she offered, letting her bear most of my weight as she jerked me to my feet. My eyes roamed around the small antechamber just outside the imposing hail where the Conclave met. Nope, the usual low-level flunky I’d expected to find was nowhere to be seen. Instead, one of the seniormost Elders had been sent to meet me. I didn’t know whether to feel complimented or worried. Then again, at least they’d sent my mentor.’
    Stacia inclined her head, faceted emerald eyes lighting up with amusement. “You don’t seem too happy to see me, Marissa.”
    “No, no, that’s not it at all. I’m just. . . surprised.”
    She stroked the silver serpent with crimson eyes twined around her right arm, right-side fingers drumming against her thigh. “Ah, yes, the rumçrs of my retirement were greatly exaggerated, I can assure you.”
    I ran suddenly sweaty palms along the slick leather of my uniform pants. Crap. The last thing I wanted to get caught up in was Fury politics. They could make mortal politics seem downright friendly. “Ah, well, you haven’t exactly been a frequent fixture on the scene around here lately.” When her features tightened, I felt honor-bound to defuse the situation. “You never call, you never write. I was beginning to think you’d dumped me.”
    Annoyance battled amusement on her face, until her sense of humor came out the victor. She placed a hand on my back and urged me toward the massive double doors on the far side of the room. “What, and give up on the best Tisiphone I ever sponsored to the Sisterhood? I don’t think so.” Her expression sobered once more. “I’ve had—other matters to tend to. Matters of grave importance. Now then, you didn’t suffer through the miserable journey to get here just to chat with an old friend. What news is so important you had to bring it in person?”
    We reached the entrance intended to shock and awe all approaching supplicants. And believe me, it worked. The cold, white marble doors towered over even the tallest of supplicants and spread out farther than four Furies with arms spread out could reach. It brought to mind ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and for good reason. This place was as old as—older than—those now-crumbled mortal ruins.
    I shot Stacia a sideways glance. “Someone’s trying to kill me?’
    She bared her teeth in a feral grin. “Now then, there’s a novel concept”
    I couldn’t help returning her smile. As the arcane community’s closest thing to a police force, Furies were no strangers to people wanting to kill them—me