Eighteen hours post-battle and I was still popping pain meds like Skittles, mostly for my chin wound and some aches and pains. The headache disappeared when the horns did, which I never saw. I changed forms before I accidentally looked at my reflection, and they had not been mentioned by me or anyone since. So, that awkwardness was happening, but I took some comfort in hearing Sylvie's voice as we chatted on the phone.

"I wish I had been there to punch Deidra in her face," she said.

"That's exactly why I didn't want you there. She would have knocked the snot out of you. And the only humans allowed in the arena are cops and military personnel."

"Well, I would have had your back, chica, even if I'd been knocked on mine. Tell me more about your horns. You barely said one word about them last night."

"I did that for a reason. I don't want to talk about them."

"Why?"

"They're a sign of my demon blood, and demons are a gollum's enemy, remember?"

"But Vincent knows you're not his enemy, and so do the rest of the Valentinos. You're family to them."

"And my horns are just a reminder that I'm not like them. I'm a freak among freaks."

"You need to stop trash talking yourself. You know damn well Vincent wouldn't care if you grew a tail. He'd probably enjoy finding new positions for sex. Until death do you part. It's in the wedding vows."

I wanted to believe Sylvie, just like I wanted to believe Vincent when he said I was beautiful inside and out, but this was still too fresh. "We're not married yet, but thanks for the pep talk. I needed it."

"I'm always here for you, Reese, you know that. But right now, my boss is buzzing me on the intercom, so I have to go."

"Okay. Catch ya later."

I hung up and adjusted the cushion under my head, putting thoughts of horns and tails out of my mind. Vincent had played nursemaid until his Monday schedule interfered, instructing me not to move from the couch while he took a quick call in his office. That quick call had now surpassed an hour, and my stomach was reminding me I hadn't eaten in a while. Even the dogs heard it growl, and their ears perked up as I started my gradual ascent from the couch. The last time I moved too fast, the floor introduced itself to my bottom.

Rather than head straight for the kitchen, I made for Vincent's office to see how serious his quick call had become. I figured his stomach was growling too. The door stood ajar, and I listened to the silence for a moment, waiting to hear the deep baritone of Vincent's voice.

"Come in, Reese." Vincent's beckoning never failed to send a thrill through me, and I slipped into the room to find him at his desk. He stood to greet me, pursing his lips as he glanced at the bandage under my chin. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry. What were you doing?"

"Thinking." He walked over and kissed me, lingering long enough to give me a good whiff of his scent. Yeah, that thrill.

"Thinking, huh? Can you tell me what you were thinking about, or is it business related?"

"If it was business related, I would have had the problem solved an hour ago."

"So, you've got a problem? Could it be the same problem you've been thinking about all week?"

Vincent huffed out his answer as he reached for a frame he kept on his desk. It held a photo of Roberto wearing a designer suit and an easy smile, the kind of smile that could seduce any female, gollum and human alike. Vincent claimed he kept it there for inspiration, but I knew there was more to it than that.

"This photo appeared on the cover of MegaManhattan magazine shortly after Sam bought the company. He and my father were close," Vincent said, speaking to the photo.

"Does Sam know the Valentinos are gollums?"

"Yes. My father rescued him from a violent attack."

"How is it nobody talks about gargoyles being real? It sounds like you rescue a lot of humans."

"Nobody wants to admit they got the shit beat out of them by a flying man, and the ones we rescue are politely asked to keep their mouths shut. It has served us well so far."

As we both stared at the photo, I noticed a gold pin on the lapel of Roberto's suit. It took the form of a round emblem with an imprint of a large-winged bird.

"What kind of bird is that?" I asked.

Vincent let go of a stifled laugh. "That's not a bird. It's a gollum. The symbol represents gollum kind. Many pieces were forged with that symbol, but it has fallen out of use. They're artifacts now. My father's pin was missing when they found his remains."

"You mean the piece Joseph mentioned? That would be pretty easy to hide, if Marco did steal it."

"And it's probably hidden somewhere that wouldn't implicate him if it was found. He has created an ironclad case for himself."

Vincent looked like a lost boy as he gazed unfocused at his father, and I took the frame from him and set it back on the desk. "C'mon, I need your help in the kitchen. I'm an invalid, remember?"

As we made for the pantry, my phone alarm beeped in my pocket, reminding me of an important engagement that should not have slipped my mind. I had a paycheck waiting for me at Trinity Church.

"I forgot. I need to pick up my check at Trinity. Charles said he'd have it ready for me today."

"You can have them mail it to you."

"I know, but I want to see the upgrades one last time before the big reveal."

"Fair enough. Why don't we do that together before we visit Sam Martin at his office."

"Today? But, I don't start work until Thursday, and that's only a human resources visit."

"I arranged a pre-visit with Sam, if you're up to it. He'll introduce you to the right people. You won't get the real tour from an HR rep." Vincent stood at the pantry and handed out snacks to the whippets after first requiring them to sit, and I slipped in to steal a kiss from him when the pups were appeased.

"I love you, Vincent. I can't remember the last time I said that."

"In the shower last Saturday," he rattled off. "But I'm not keeping score."

"You're allowed to remind me if you need to hear it. I'm still getting used to being in love."

"And here's where I quote Abraham Lincoln. 'Actions speak louder than words'." Vincent looked pointedly at the rock on my left hand. "I like seeing that ring on your finger."

"So, diamonds speak louder than words, too?"

"In some cases."

My phone rang, cutting off our conversation, and Vincent leaned in to read the screen as it lit up with Christoph's name.

"Maybe he's been abducted by a foreign enemy and you're his last phone call before they off him," he said through pursed lips.

"Don't get puffy. He might be delivering important information." I swiped the screen and answered. "Hi, Christoph. Are you back from your trip?"

"Yep, and I thought I'd call to tell you I'm not dead. Just in case you were worried."

I smirked at Christoph's searching comment as I tapped the speakerphone icon. "Worried that the crack in the sidewalk will come back and trip me? Speaking of trips... Was your antiquity hunt a success?"

"That depends on how you look at it. Fredrik wasn't able to get his hands on the item we were after, but I am now the owner of a tattoo given by the Anointed Order. It's a pretty big deal for a demon, but it was something Cecile didn't condone, so none of us pursued it."

I watched Vincent's face blanch as I talked over the screen of my phone. "What have you gotten yourself into, Christoph? What do the members of the Anointed Order do?"

A few seconds of dead air preceded Christoph's response. "It's a secret order. I can't even give details to my fellow demons. I can only say I am representing the order."

"Oh, okay. I'll let you keep that secret. Are you in Manhattan?"

"For now. I'm bunking with my old mates. It's like I never left, except we all have more war stories to tell. They've even given me my position back. Dale's my second now."

"Dale? He's the asshole who shoved me into a limo and tried to have his way with me in the shower."

"What?" Vincent growled over my head, but I ignored him. I was in the middle of a conversation.

"But you had him on his knees, didn't you?" Christoph offered with a chuckle. "He still gets teased about it. And you won't have to worry about him being a dick anymore because he's not allowed within a half mile of you. If you see him near the apartment, call me right away. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I heard about your battle in the arena," he probed.

Damn.

"Yeah. I got my ass handed to me."

"You just discovered you're lethal. No one expected you to win. I heard your transformation scared the shit out of everyone, though. That's what made the headlines."

"I'd rather not talk about headlines."

Christoph fell silent. Maybe to show respect to the recently humiliated, or maybe because I'd insulted him.

"So, what happens now, Christoph? Business as usual? Alley fights and general mayhem?"

"Gollums sure paint a crappy picture of us, don't they? Tell Vincent our focus has switched from battling to blending. Humankind doesn't need more taunting. They taunt themselves. That's what Hadria tells us. If we keep our noses clean, we will be rewarded."

Yikes.

"Sounds like she has a solid plan for the future. Do you agree with it?"

This time, rather than silence, I got a heavy sigh from him as he decided how best to answer. I would know if he was feeding me a line, and he knew it.

"I agree with her ideas but not her methods. She is cruel and short-tempered, while Cecile was patient and fair. I will always be suspicious of Hadria's motives, but that doesn't mean I won't try to become something better than a downtrodden demon."

"Downtrodden? Do you really feel that way?"

"Sometimes. Especially in this city. The contrast between rich and poor is like blood and water."

"That's deep, Christoph."

"It's a fitting analogy. I gotta go before I'm busted. I'll see you around."

When I hung up, Vincent was staring at the side of my face, his eyes narrowed but unfocused.

"What is it, Vincent?"

He blinked and shook his head as if I'd disturbed him. "I was just thinking how much I hate that guy. I also want to know what happened with Dale in the shower."

"You don't hate him. You're just jealous of him. There's a difference. And here's where I remind you that my relationship with Christoph is good for my clout with the high and mighty magisters." I kissed him lightly, hoping to put the subject to rest.

"A necessary evil, I know, and now that he has been inducted into the demon hall of fame, that relationship will be even more valuable."

"The Anointed Order, you mean? What is that, exactly?"

"An exclusive group of demon warriors who may or may not possess other unique qualities. Only a demon who has shown particular courage and devotion toward the hive can be given a name with the order."

"They're given a special name?"

"Yes, but it's only shared among the order members."

"You sure know a lot about this demon order." I said this with more than enough sarcasm to get an eyebrow lift from him, but I should have known better than to challenge Vincent on his own turf.

"Every gollum knows this. You should know this, but I won't make you look it up. The Anointed Order was formed to mold the most dedicated of demon kind. Most of them become members of the queen's guard. If Hadria has chosen Christoph to be part of her guard, she must trust him, and if he's any kind of loyalist, he won't betray his queen. That doesn't bode well for us."

"If he's loyal to Hadria, why would he tell me about the order? Why would he even keep in touch with me?"

Vincent snorted and his eyes took on a testy gleam. "That should be obvious. Now, explain to me why you were in the shower with Dale."

Oy vey.

"Dale and his posse ambushed me in the co-ed shower. When Dale tried to press his advantage, I used the kiss of submission on him and brought him to his knees within seconds."

"You kissed him!"

"He kissed me first. I just used it against him. It was pretty damned easy, actually."

Vincent pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, as if he was staving off blood flow. "The thought of you being kissed by someone other than me makes me want to punch something."

Time for a subject change.

"What time are we supposed to meet Sam for this unofficial visit? It's almost three."

"Damn." Vincent yanked open the fridge and pulled out two bottles of dark green liquid. "I hope you don't mind if we drink our lunch."