“You’re not a veterinarian. Veterinarians give dogs rabies vaccines. They don’t throw elementals around.”

Kiyo regarded me levelly. “And Web designers don’t banish elementals to the Otherworld.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes I moonlight.”

The faintest ghost of a smile flickered across his face. “We need to talk about this—”

“No. Don’t get any closer.” If I could have cocked the wand like a gun, I would have.

“What are you going to do? You can’t cast me out. It won’t work.”

I hesitated, wondering about that. He seemed so human. He had felt human. I hadn’t sensed anything from him like I would one of the gentry, yet his speed and strength had been superhuman.

“What do you want from me? Why did you bring me back here?”

“Look, Eugenie, just put the wand down. We’ll talk. We’ll figure this out.”

“I thought you couldn’t be cast out,” I reminded him. “Why are you afraid of the wand? Maybe the Otherworld couldn’t hurt you…but what about the Underworld?”

He didn’t answer. I sent my will into the wand and felt the air crackle with power. Fear crossed Kiyo’s face. So. He was afraid. That was all I needed to know. The words were on my lips to send him to the crossroads, but suddenly he moved with that rapid speed I’d seen earlier. He backed up toward the sliding glass door, opened it up, and then ran out and over the edge of the balcony…