Sylvie spent the first hour of the drive chatting up Rizzo and getting him to make funny sounds with his nose. Although Rizzo didn't have the kind of face women would use as their screen saver, he was in seriously fit shape, as well as being a genuinely decent guy, and I could see a connection happening between the two. If Sylvie only knew Rizzo's dirty little secret she would run screaming, or she might be into the wings and sharp teeth. Sylvie tended toward the freaky side of life, which was one reason she and I got along so well. We didn't judge each other.

While Sylvie and Rizzo talked, I called Mr. Pearlman to let him know I would be out of town for a couple days and to wish him a quiet Halloween. As usual, he planned to keep his door locked and ignore everyone. The last leg of our trip was spent singing to Rizzo's playlist, which included a lot of excellent songs, although most of them were in French, so Sylvie and I ended up listening to him sing.

We arrived in Albany a couple hours before the party and checked into the hotel Vincent had arranged for us, which ended up being the same hotel the event planner wanted to put us up in. Rizzo excused himself to make a call, probably to Vincent, while Sylvie and I dressed in our costumes. I did my best to keep my battle wound properly concealed, having already covered it with a thick layer of foundation before leaving the penthouse.

When we got to the Governor's mansion, we were greeted by Debra Brown, a young, voluptuous woman who wore enough makeup to cover my entire body. I introduced Sylvie and Rizzo, and Debra escorted us to the ballroom without questioning the presence of our bodyguard. While Sylvie and I scoped out the lighting, Rizzo familiarized himself with the room and spoke with every member of the security team. His paranoia had become obvious as soon as we arrived at the mansion, which I figured had something to do with a threat from Vincent. Surely, he and Vincent didn't believe demons would crash the party.

As the ballroom started filling up with guests, Sylvie took one side of the room while I traveled the other, popping of shots and talking to people, or in many cases, talking to pirates, vampires, and bananas. Rizzo kept me and Sylvie supplied with waters as he played chaperone. He even appeared to be enjoying the music, but as the evening wore on, he grew more ill-at-ease as he obsessively checked his phone. He finally walked over to me, looking like someone with too many worries.

"We may have a problem, Reese," he said. "I sense demons. At least two. Don't let anyone get you alone."

"Oh, crap. Why would demons be here?"

Rizzo gave me an incredulous look that I read perfectly. Great. I was a fucking magnet for demons. I nodded my acknowledgment as I surveyed the sea of costumed bodies, reminding myself I was perfectly safe among the throng, although any one of them could be a demon. Would I be able to sense one now that I knew what they smelled like? I moved casually around the room until Sylvie and I caught up with each other.

"How're you doing, Sylvie?" I asked.

She offered her usual thumbs up. "This is a great gig. I'm glad you asked me to be part of it. Oh, and there's a buff guy in a skeleton costume who has been checking you out. Maybe you should get a close-up." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully, which usually worked, but I wasn't in the mood for romance with a skeleton. What if he turned out to be a demon?

I scoured the crowd for Skeleton Man, and the first skeleton I came across was clearly female. She had painted her face like a sugar skull, which was totally cool, and the rose-colored John Lennon glasses rocked the look. A buff guy in a skeleton costume snuck into my peripherals as he walked behind the buffet table, and I had to assume this was Sylvie's man. She was right. The guy had a beefcake of a physique under his synthetic body suit, and his face makeup was profesh; black eyes, sunken cheekbones, and teeth drawn around the lips.

I kept an eye on Skeleton Man until he stopped to chat up Sugar Skull. Based on my adept skills at recognizing a couple, I was looking at the perfect photo op. I snaked around the room incognito, keeping my camera flashes to a minimum until I was within shooting range, then I quickly snapped off a few candid shots of them together. When they noticed me, they posed, which was fine. I took a few more pictures, gave them an approving smile and wave combo, then moved on to photograph a couple dressed as James Kirk and Jean Luc Picard.

My boots were chafing, probably because they were borrowed, so I took a break to flip through the photos in my view finder. The scent hit me as soon as I leaned against the wall, and my body stiffened when a man's voice spoke beside me.

"I've always loved fairies, especially purple ones."

No amount of time or guided meditation could erase that voice from my memory, and it incited chills that came all the way up from my borrowed boots. But, there was no avoiding him. I knew that from experience. With my heart beating inside my throat, I turned to face Skeleton Man.

"Actually, I'm partial to gargoyles," I said. "But the costume shop was all out."

His eyes widened in shock, but I couldn't say exactly why. Did he know I was on to him? "Are you required to work all night, or would you be open to dancing with a skeleton?"

He was asking me to dance? Apparently, he still took me for a fool. I did a quick peripheral search for Rizzo, and found him standing beside me on the other side. Skeleton Man didn't seem the least bit intimidated.

"I'm being paid to work not to play," I said. "Maybe sugar skull would like to dance. She seems more your type."

He laughed in that rough, grating way, and it immediately triggered my gut reflex to back away. Skeleton Man pursued me. "Hello, Reese. It's been a long time."

His voice switched into that deep baritone, the one that always got my pulse racing, but I knew he wouldn't try anything with Rizzo looming behind my head. And, Rizzo wasn't my only backup. There were eight armed guards stationed around the room.

"Leave me alone, Heath. I said goodbye eighteen months ago, and I have nothing more to say to you."

"That's where you're wrong. You never said goodbye. I woke up and you were gone. No trace. No note. No goodbye."

"Okay, then. Goodbye, Heath." I walked away, and when Heath grabbed for my hand, Rizzo slid his body between us.

"Have some respect for boundaries. She told you au revoir," Rizzo said, speaking succinctly and directly into Heath's face.

"I suggest you back off, French flyboy. You have no idea who you're dealing with."

Sylvie's flailing arm caught my attention, and I used her as my excuse to break away from the standoff. When I reached her, the complexion of her skin had gone ashy despite the dark makeup she'd used for her island girl costume. Clearly, she had seen the showdown.

"What the hell is going on with Rizzo and the skeleton dude?"

"The skeleton dude is Heath, Sylvie."

Her eyes bugged out as she gripped my hand like a vice. "What the fuck is he doing here?"

"He's a psycho, remember? He must have found out I was going to be here and followed me. We just need to keep doing our jobs and let Rizzo handle it."

"Is that why Rizzo came with us? To protect you from Heath. Did you know Heath was onto you?"

I shrugged, trying to look innocent. "Maybe."

"Jesus, Reese. You need to report him to the police. File a restraining order. You can't trust him."

"You don't have to tell me that."

Sylvie looked lost, and she sat in an empty chair while I kept my eyes on Heath. He and Rizzo had broken off their angry engagement, and while Rizzo tailed him from the perimeter, I watched Heath weave through the bodies to meet up with sugar skull girl. I had a feeling this was going to be a long night of cat and mouse.

"Let's hit the buffet real quick," I said as I hauled Sylvie up by her armpit. "It will give us energy to tackle the rest of the night."

Turned out, food was an excellent idea. After filling our mouths with heaping helpings of humus and crackers, we both felt better as we remingled with the guests. Only this time, we stayed together to watch each other's backs. A good half an hour passed before Rizzo caught up to us. He wore his military scowl, which was further enhanced by the French military jacket he chose to wear. Obviously. I took the opportunity to pump him for information as I dragged him next to a potted fern.

"Did you know Heath would be here?"

He looked sheepish but responded with honesty. "Vincent suspected he would. But do not worry, Reese. I can handle the imbecile."

"What about sugar skull girl? Is she... one of them?" I lowered my voice when Sylvie scooted closer.

"Yes, and I figure there are more waiting in the wings. Probably staked out on the grounds."

"Crap, Rizzo. No offense, but how are you going to tackle all of them alone?"

"I will not be alone."

Rizzo looked past my shoulder, and I followed his gaze to a tall, broad-shouldered man making his way determinedly through the crowd toward us, turning every head as he did so. He wore a phantom of the opera costume, but the disguise didn't fool me. Halfway across the room, I knew it was Vincent, and my heart beat frantically as I watched him approach. He had come. He had come to slay my dragon. With single-minded intent, Vincent reached out for me and claimed my waist, pulling me against his hard body. I held his cool, gray eyes as he brought his mouth to my ear.

"This ends tonight." 

PLAYLIST SONG: Landslides by Zara Kershaw