Two days passed in a tense blur. Ada barely ate, slept terribly. Sam was patient, but she was painfully aware of Ada's distress. Ada doubted what they said would ward her siblings off. She would be much more surprised if no one showed up at all.

In the spirit of honesty, Ada told Aidan and Noah about it that night. Since they had left a little early, Sam called them to say they would meet at their place instead, and that Ada was coming, too—not on the run. As all three were jittery, even inside, Ada kept the story short. Without pause, both Aidan and Noah insisted on being there.

Ada felt better knowing she wouldn't be facing this alone. It was unlikely that Charles, or any of them, would lay a hand on her with others around. It would be Aidan and Noah that gave them pause, when really, it should be Sam.

Sam had been fierce those two days in her preparations. She had moved every sharp or potentially dangerous object out of the living room—umbrellas from the hall were now at the back door, the knife block was in the fridge, a statue from the living room was tucked under the couch. Her focus on their safety gave Ada time to prepare for the inevitable.

She didn't have the heart to tell Sam it was pointless.

Though grateful for the support, Ada was sceptical that their presence would stop what was coming. She would have to do this job, one way or another. She might as well go into it prepared. She spent much time at the locks around their house until she had the pins memorised. Still she wasn't satisfied.

Ada felt helpless in the face of what was coming. In the one or two times she had met him, she hadn't been too fond of Simon. She wasn't eager to see him again. Whatever he wanted would be asking too much, and it wouldn't be a request.

Simon wasn't a brash guy. Their brief meeting before had left her with the impression of someone resourceful and cunning. She wished, in a way, he was more brash. It would be much easier to read him.

Work was torture, and Ada made more mistakes than progress. She was chasing bolts across the concrete at regular intervals and swiping grimy oil from her hands and forearms from her carelessness. Colin truly tried to ask what was wrong, but Ada was so distracted she couldn't manage even her usual amount of dismissal. She simply didn't answer.

One good thing came from those days of waiting. Ada finally went and purchased the Lexus. The old owner let her poke around under the hood and underneath to see what she was working with. Turned out, there wasn't much wrong with it. It did need some work, but it was drivable. Whatever his "mechanic friend" had told him was bullshit. She wasn't about to correct him. Besides, the guy had a shiny Jeep Wrangler much more suited to his lifestyle sitting right there in his driveway. He sure didn't need the car anymore. Ada played ignorant, paid him in cash, and drove it home. On the way, she took it through the car wash and filled the tank so she could take it for a proper spin.

By the time she got home, she was confident she could fix the car's ailments. They weren't serious, but they would be if left untreated. Her anxiety about their arrival was lessened by the thrill of freedom, small though it was. Ada parked behind Aidan on the street and hurried inside.

"Hey, you got it?" Sam asked right away.

Aidan went to the window as Ada said, "Yes, and it's in better shape than I was expecting."

"Wow, nice." Noah turned, grinning at her. "I bet you're glad to be driving again."

"Definitely. It's been too long." As she drew near, Ada reached for Sam's hand, and she pulled Ada onto the armrest, fingers tight around her own. "You okay?"

Ada nodded.

"Does it need much work?" asked Aidan. He and Noah sat once more.

"Not really. I'll have to order some parts and spend some time with it, but so long as I don't drive it too hard, it's not pressing. To and from work won't be the death of it, or my wallet." Ada patted Sam's hand to get her attention—she was squeezing again.

"Sorry," she murmured, relaxing her grip.

"Nervous?"

She gave Ada a small smile. "Yeah, a bit. How did you ever get used to this?"

Ada pursed her lips, glancing to the window to check for arrivals. "Honestly? I didn't. I smoked a lot of pot in high school to cope."

It wasn't great, but it was the truth. She did what she had to to mentally persevere. It wasn't good for the developing brain, but there was nothing else for it. She did all she could. Besides, she turned out well enough.

Sam sighed, disappointed. "I don't think I have enough time to smoke; I don't want to be too high when they get here. Have you heard anything?"

"No," Ada sighed as well. "Charles hasn't responded to me since the call. It can't be much longer, I think."

"What's the plan?" asked Noah, also eyeing the window. His crutch rested against the arm of the couch in easy reach.

That was a good question, one she didn't have too detailed an answer for.

"Of course I'm hoping to talk them out of using me at all, but I doubt that will be possible. I guess what I'm hoping for from this is to have them leave quickly with as little expectations of me as possible.

"As far as an actual plan, I don't really have one. I don't know who they're bringing, how many, or what they even want from me. Without that, I can't really plan ahead. Try to let me do the talking. The fact that"—Aidan's head whipped to the door—"you're all here should be enough to give them pause. What is it, Aidan?"

"Someone just parked outside."

Noah and Sam were alert as well, but Ada had heard nothing. It was likely them, so she began to speak in a gush.

"They'll try to get a rise out of you; don't let them. They'll probably say some horrible things to me, again, don't react. It doesn't matter."

The sad whine of the doorbell sent goosebumps up her arms. Sam released her, and all three watched her progression to the door. Ada could see three shadows against the glass, warped from the texture. She took a deep, shaky breath, then unlocked it and stepped back through the doorway.

Jocelyn drew her eye first, standing furthest to her right with her brilliant hair; she smirked. Charles was to the left and appeared mostly bored, a look he put a lot of practice into perfecting. Between them was a face she knew, though not well. He stood no taller than she, dark chocolate eyes twinkling as a broad grin spread his full lips. The last time she saw him, his hair was buzzed right to the scalp. This time, it was kept quite short with a fade to rival Hillebrandt's.

"Ada," he crooned. "It's been too long."

"Simon, right?" She was going to greet him properly, but the opportunity to drag his ego was too tempting. She tried to sound as bored as possible. "Yeah, I think I remember you. Come on, let's get this over with."

As Ada turned away, she caught the sharp twitch of his left eye. With her back to them, she grinned in small triumph. Anxious eyes met hers. She nodded almost imperceptibly to calm them. Knowing they were there, and they would have her back, gave her a sense of security she had never known when dealing with her siblings and their God awful friends.

All three were on their feet. Sam met her halfway, fingers lacing through hers once again. Noah and Aidan backed off. This was her issue, they understood, but it was apparent their support was only a heartbeat away. Aidan folded his thick arms across his chest, and Noah stuffed his free hand in his pocket, the other holding his cane for support. Noah nodded to her in the brief second she met his gaze.

"Nice place," said Simon, still in English, as he entered, eyes roaming the space before taking in their group. Amused eyes landed on their entwined hands. "You didn't say there would be others here." This was directed at Charles, who shrugged in response.

"Didn't know."

He gave Charles a withering glare before assessing Noah—the nearer of the two—and then Aidan. If he was concerned, he masked it well enough. Aidan's bicep was broader than Simon's head, it probably should have concerned him. Simon wouldn't have a hope in Hell of besting Aidan in a physical fight. And even with his injury, she was confident Noah could kick the crap out of Simon should he need to. Still, Simon gazed pointedly at the cane as though it was a weakness and wanted them to know. Noah didn't react, his unblinking gaze locked on Simon's. Barely bridled distaste simmered in his eyes.

"And who is this?" He turned to Sam, a smile returning that was meant to be charming, but came across slimy.

"She's the librarian, isn't she?" Jocelyn smirked.

"Yeah, and 'she' is surprised you know what a library is. 'She' would have thought the concept of borrowing was lost on you," snapped Sam. Ada could have kissed her.

Jocelyn's musical laugh gave Ada chills. "Feisty, aren't you?"

She glared at Sam, who met it unflinchingly. Three obnoxious humans weren't enough to rattle Sam.

"So?" Ada said firmly. "What do you want?"

Simon sighed. "Aren't you going to offer us any refreshments? It was a long drive from the airport."

"Maybe if you were invited guests; this isn't the fifties, you can't just show up uninvited and expect the royal treatment." Ada wasn't having it. She remembered very quickly why she didn't like Simon that one time they met.

Simon's steep brows arched higher. "Seriously?" When she didn't relent, he sighed. "Fine, be like that. Did Charles tell you why we're here?"

"No."

Simon glared at Charles, who shrugged it off. "What? You didn't say I could tell her anything."

"You can be so insufferable sometimes," he groaned. "I'm sure he at least told you that you have single-handedly put my newest and biggest distributor out of commission, and probably out of business, too."

"They did."

"Good, because I have an offer for you.

"See, I rather think you tanked the job on purpose. I know you were trying to get out." Ada started to protest, but he cut her off. "I don't care. I was pissed, sure, but I see a way for us both to walk away from this satisfied."

He paused, and Ada hummed softly. "Go on."

"The job I had originally wanted you for would, I thought, be more your speed." He smirked. "Good old-fashioned grand theft auto."

"And now?" Ada asked, squeezing Sam's hand as her heart kicked.

"Well, I see this as the perfect opportunity to clear your debt to me and take out my largest competition in this market." He gestured vaguely, probably implying Québec as a whole. "If I can't dominate the market outright here, then I can at least level the playing field."

Again her heart kicked. Though she still longed to protest, she didn't want to tempt fate.

"One final job, for real this time? What do you expect me to do?"

The easy grin flashed dark. "Whatever you did to the mine would do the trick. I must say, I never took you for an arsonist."

Ada wanted to deny it, but thought better of it. His approval made her sick. She was getting part of her wish, though, even if it wasn't how she had planned. A lot more could go wrong, but she, apparently, was equipped to handle it. Not to mention, she wouldn't be alone this time, or ever again.

"There's a lot you don't know. Tell me about the target."

Ada gestured for Sam to take the armchair and perched next to her. Their three non-guests took the couch. Aidan and Noah shared a look before Noah dragged over the desk chair. Even seated, he didn't relax. Aidan's arms remained folded tight across his chest, though he did move a little closer to their chair. Charles sat sideways to keep Aidan in view, but couldn't manage to still see Noah, and it was clearly bothering him.

"Uh ... you can tell your muscle to chill. I'm not going to do anything," said Simon, amused on the surface.

"I'll 'chill' when my family is safe again." Aidan's voice was smooth and dangerous.

Charles scoffed, but thought better of answering under the glare he received, one that fairly channelled Chase.

"Whatever, man." Simon rolled his eyes, but Ada saw through his nonchalance.

"Well, go on then. What am I- are we doing?" From the corner of her eye, Sam grinned at her.

"It's simple, really, though it is probably good that you have help this time. I hope you're all willing to get your hands dirty." The four of them nodded in unison. "Good. Just outside Québec City is a town called Saguenay." He butchered both, saying 'Q-beck' and 'Sagwenny'. None of them commented, but she could sense Sam's distress. "There is a grow-op there that has been pushing into my territory. It's about time they were given a taste of their own medicine. This place is much larger than mine in square footage, so you'll need to be quick and thorough. Divide and conquer is probably your best plan of attack."

Ada was silent, awaiting more tasks that didn't come. "That's it?"

It sounded too good to be true, too easy to be a final job. There had to be a catch. Granted, if she could figure out how to use her power, it would be a breeze, catch or no.

"Yes. Just be careful, they are going to be armed, from what I've heard."

Ada rolled her eyes and sighed; of course they would. "How many?"

"How should I know? That's your job."

"Fine."

Ada locked eyes with Sam, Aidan, and Noah in turn, searching for a sign she should decline and find another solution. She found none. Each stared back with solemn determination.

"And you swear this is it, from all of you? No more jobs, no more contact?"

"Yes."

"Fine," echoed Charles and Jocelyn, though with some reluctance. She figured they wre bummed there would be no payout for this job.

"Then I agree."

"Good," said Simon, getting to his feet. As he did, his light jacket parted to reveal a holstered handgun. Ada's blood ran cold. "The sooner the better, eh? We're in town all week. I don't want to have to come all the way back out here to tie things up."

His smile said her discomfort was apparent. Ada had a feeling he had shown her the weapon intentionally. He went for the door, but Ada's siblings didn't follow right away.

"What did you mean by 'family', bud?" said Charles to Aidan. "If I had to guess, only one of you is related."

Ever level, Aidan merely cocked a brow. "Family isn't only blood. And you better have meant what you said."

"Some family you chose," quipped Jocelyn a heartbeat before a horn blasted outside. "Later."

No one spoke as Charles left, followed closely by Jocelyn with a flick of her hair. They were silent as the purr of the engine faded. Ada broke first.

"Shit."

"Oh, my God," sighed Sam. "More arson? Seriously?"

"It could be a lot worse."

Aidan threw himself onto the vacated couch. "Your siblings, and that dude, are grade-A ass-holes."

"Tell me about it."

"So ..." began Noah as he took his usual corner of the couch. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, first thing is I have to call Maggie; I need to learn how to make that demon fire intentionally or this is going to be much harder to pull off safely."

The fact Ada had to do this at all was beyond stupid, but trying to argue debts with a drug lord was not the sort of thrill seeking she sought. This was, she hoped, the least painful route. It wouldn't be without danger, but it was a manageable amount.

"I'm sorry," Ada sighed, deflating under the guilt and implications. "None of you need to do this, it is my problem, after all."

Aidan scoffed before anyone could speak. "What did I just finish saying about family?"

"He's right. You're not alone in this. Not anymore." Sam smiled up at her as she snaked an arm around Ada's waist, then leaned against her side. "We'll figure this out together, even if it means we have to help light this place up."

Ada could have cried—she very nearly did. This was it. The end was in sight, for real this time. No more breaking and entering, no more theft. Relief and apprehension churned her stomach. Ada almost hated to ask, but ... what could get in the way with this much support behind her?

Despite the hour, Ada decided to try Maggie anyway. If Sam was displeased, she didn't show it. Aidan and Noah had gone home just before ten, when Noah could ignore his back no longer. Sam had her feet in Ada's lap and her laptop on her legs; her eyes were bright, reflecting the pages she was reading.

"What's that?" Ada asked as she pulled up Maggie's contact page.

She glanced up, an eager grin overcoming her. "That's right, I didn't tell you! Junpei sent over the documents just before you got home."

It took her a moment to remember who Sam was talking about. The journal Aidan had given her had been too faded to interpret anything of use. Sam had tried what she could with the few resources her library had, but when that turned up nothing, she called some other cities for advice. Someone in Val-d'Or had given her the number of a photographer capable of taking high quality photos of the pages over UV light. It wasn't guaranteed the ink would be of the right composition to appear, but considering her solutions had led to nothing, it was worth trying. Besides, it wouldn't damage the book any further.

"That's great, how do they look?"

Sam turned the screen so Ada could see. The pages were splotchy violet, and most of the words were visible. Elegant cursive letters were a deep black where the paper wasn't too waterlogged. The deepest splotches on the paper were where the letters became invisible.

"Most of the entries are legible. I should be able to fill in the gaps through common sense and some further reading into their history." Avid eyes skimmed the words once more.

Honestly, Ada wasn't sure if she was even aware she had gone back to reading. Smiling to herself, Ada hit Talk and waited with low expectations. After only two rings, Maggie answered.

"Sorry to bother you so late, but I have to ask a favour of you."

She chuckled. "Hasn't anyone ever told you you don't want to owe a witch?"

"I'm pretty sure this goes back to the whole mutual benefit discussion, actually."

"Oh?" Curiosity dripped from the syllable.

"Yeah." Ada paused and took a long breath through her nose. Her shaking hands made the phone hard to hold. "I need you to teach me how to use demon fire."

There was a long, tense silence. "Are you free tomorrow?"