"So how's it been going?" I asked. "Did you have fun shopping?"

Brandy crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her blond hair over one shoulder. She was wearing a formfitting Rocky Horror Picture Show T-shirt. Really, I thought. She was one step away from turning into her uncle.

"No," she said bluntly.

I arched an eyebrow in surprise. Last I'd known, shopping and having people buy you clothes was pretty sweet when you were a teenage girl. Maybe I was out of touch. "Why not?"

"Because," she said dramatically. "This wedding is a joke."

I cast an uneasy glance at the doorway. "Better not let them hear you say that."

Brandy looked unconcerned. She wasn't exactly scowling, but it was pretty close. "Uncle Seth isn't supposed to be marrying her."

"Why not? They've been dating for...well, a while." That was kind of true, guilt-induced engagement or no. "He proposed. She accepted. Easy as that."

"She's not the one," said Brandy stoutly. "He's supposed to be marrying you."

Yeah, I really wished the door was closed. "Brandy," I said, pitching my voice as low as I could. "Your uncle and I broke up. That's how it is. People move on."

"You two weren't supposed to. You guys were in love."

"He loves her too."

"It's not the same."

This was not a discussion I'd ever expected to have. I'd known Seth's nieces still liked me, but I'd hardly thought I'd left this sort of impression. "Do you not like Maddie or something?"

Brandy gave a half-hearted shrug and averted her eyes. "She's okay. But she's not you."

I didn't say anything for several moments. I wondered if Brandy's resentment toward the wedding was because she had greater devotion to me than Maddie-or if it was part of some romantic ideal girls her age often had about love and soul mates.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Love in the real world doesn't usually work out the way stories make us think it should. We don't always get fairy-tale endings. People split up and move on. Just because you love someone doesn't mean you can't love someone else." I shivered. This was remarkably similar to a conversation Carter and I had once had, shortly after the (first) break-up with Seth.

"It's still not right," said Brandy obstinately.

Seth and Maddie retrieved her shortly thereafter, for which I was grateful. I really didn't want to have to play devil's advocate and defend a marriage that I was hardly thrilled about myself. I felt that sorrow that always seemed to plague me when I thought about them surface...and then remembered Erik's comments. Don't give in to it. Stay away from it-that was what kept leading me into trouble.

Easier said than done, just as I'd told him. Distraction seemed to be the key to it all, and I just didn't feel up to another liaison tonight. I certainly didn't need the energy.

"Distract me," I murmured when I was seated in my car. "Annoy me with your 'wit,' or just make me outright mad."

No physical evidence of Roman appeared-no signature, no physical appearance-but his voice answered me back just as softly. "Go see your friends. Aren't they going to that bar tonight? You need to tell Cody he's going on a double date."

"It's not a double date," I growled back.

But Roman had a point. I probably should let the young vampire know what was in store tomorrow. I was also kind of curious how Roman even knew about the bar outing. I'd received a voice mail message earlier today that one would think would have been out of Roman's hearing range. He'd either been standing really close, or nephilim just had superhuman hearing. And, well, seeing as they were superhuman, I supposed that wasn't too far off.

Another idea suddenly came to mind about tonight's social gathering, one that would most definitely provide a distraction-and possibly take care of a nuisance.

"The bar it is," I declared.

I drove down to Pioneer Square, Seattle's historic district, and sought out the Cellar, a dive of a bar located in a basement akin to its name. It was a favorite place for immortals-well, hellish immortals. Since most angels didn't drink-Carter being the exception-you didn't usually find them hanging out in bars. They were more likely to be found at upscale coffee shops. For inexplicable reasons, a number of them also liked to hang out at the restaurant on top of the Space Needle. Maybe they thought it was bringing them closer to Heaven.

And, indeed, as I walked down the stairs into the Cellar, I felt Carter's signature, along with those of my usual clique. Best of all, there was an additional signature I'd been hoping to find.

"Hot damn," I said, striding toward the table where Simone sat with my friends. She burned with the glow of energy that succubi stole from their victims. I hated to admit it, but hers was brighter than the one I still sported. I assured myself that it was just because she'd probably bagged someone today, rather than last night.

Hugh scooted to make room for me, and I pulled up a chair from a neighboring table. "Didn't think you'd show tonight."

I waved a waiter over and ordered a vodka gimlet. "You know I can't stay away from you guys."

"You're just in time," said Carter. His face was neutral, but I caught a mischievous glint in his eyes as he sipped his bourbon. "Simone was just regaling us with tales of the Underground Tour. Did you hear that Seattle burned to the ground and was rebuilt a century ago?"

"Only every time I take the tour," I replied. Which had been about a dozen times. It was a tourist hotbed, and I'd taken friends and out-of-town victims on it often. I gave Simone a curious look. "Did you do that today?"

She nodded. "Figured I should take in the city while I'm here." She was still using that librarian voice, but I had to admit she looked more like a succubus than the last time I'd seen her. Her neckline was cut so low, it was a wonder her nipples didn't show. Her lips were fuck-me red, and unless I was mistaken, her hair was longer and more voluminous than before. I couldn't decide if she looked like an angel or a beach bunny.

And speaking of angels...Simone had her chair pushed right next to Carter's, so close that she couldn't help but brush her arm against his each time she reached for her drink. I suspected her leg was pressed up to his as well.

He glanced over, giving her a look that wasn't exactly romantic but filled with deep interest I felt certain was feigned.

"I find Seattle's history fascinating. I haven't been here that long, so it's great to keep learning new things."

Simone beamed. Across the table, Hugh choked a little on his drink. Carter had been in Seattle for a couple hundred years. True-not that long for an immortal like him, but he'd most certainly been here for the Seattle fire. Hell, considering how he'd once accidentally burned down my Christmas tree, he might have been the one who set the city ablaze, for all I knew.

My gimlet appeared, and I took a long drink of liquid courage. "From what I hear, you've been checking out some of our local celebrities too," I said sweetly.

Simone dragged her adoring gaze from Carter and fixed me with a frown. "I don't think I've run into many celebrities."

"Well," I said, still smiling like a fool. "I guess it depends on how you define 'celebrity.' I certainly consider best-selling authors celebrities. You've been chatting up one quite a bit."

Immediately, Cody, Hugh, and Peter eagerly snapped to attention. They could sniff female conflict a mile away and were undoubtedly bracing themselves for a cat fight.

"Oh, that," she said dismissively. "I thought you meant like an actor or something. Yeah, he's just someone on my radar. One of many. Pretty cute. Nice enough."

"And a friend of mine," I said. My voice was still cheerful, but I could see in her eyes that she was well aware of the escalating tension.

"Still, fair game," she replied with a shrug. "And what do you care? His soul's already tainted. He's not that good a catch. Not like I can do much more damage."

That wasn't true. Seth might currently be Hell-bound, but he wasn't beyond redemption-even though the odds of that were allegedly slim. If by some crazy chance Simone got him to cheat on Maddie again, his soul would grow darker and kill any lingering chances to save him. Plus, sin aside, Simone would shorten his life-which was something I was definitely against.

"So, he's just a random guy you scoped out?" I asked. The politeness was fading from me. It was disappearing from her too. So. Bland Simone wasn't quite as oblivious as she played. "The fact that he's a friend of mine and someone I used to date makes no difference?"

"You make it sound like I'm trying to get you back for something. I don't even know you. I'm just here on vacation. Getting guys is part of our life-and you don't have any territorial control like them." She nodded toward the vampires, who had very well-defined hunting grounds. "Unless," she added smugly, "you've got some kind of arrangement with Jerome."

I certainly didn't. In fact, my boss had made it extremely clear that he didn't care about what happened to Seth.

"No, but I'd think you'd do it as a courtesy when you're visiting someone else's city. It's the nice thing to do." My smile returned, filled with ice this time. "And it ensures that your visit stays nice too." Maybe using her favorite adjective would drive home my message.

Simone stiffened, attention totally on me now. "What is this, some kind of warning that you'll come after me if I don't back off?"

I shrugged and finished my drink. "Just friendly advice."

She stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder with such force that it nearly hit Carter in the head. Apparently, he wasn't on the radar anymore. Well, at least for now. "I'm not going to stay and listen to thinly veiled threats. Especially ones over inconsequential men. If I want him, I'll get him."

"You'll be missed," I muttered as she stalked away.

"Oh," said Hugh brightly. "There is nothing I like better than when succubi fight. Puts Dynasty to shame. You could have cleaned the floor with Tawny, but Simone might give you a match."

"Hardly," I said. "And she'll have about as much luck with Seth as Carter."

Carter raised an eyebrow, apparently not agreeing with my statement.

"She's really hitting on Seth?" asked Cody.

"Yup. In a shy, starry-eyed fan girl kind of way."

"Isn't that how you won him over way back when?" asked Peter.

I shot him a glare. "It's irrelevant. It won't work."

"Then why worry?" asked Hugh slyly.

"Because an ounce of prevention-oh, never mind," I groaned. "I need another drink."

Hugh and the vampires were clearly amused by all this and weren't particularly concerned. I think they too believed Seth would prove immovable; they just liked the idea of me making another succubus irate. The sad part was that I'd probably just encouraged Simone to try even harder.

Two drinks later, I decided to head home. I was sufficiently angry that I didn't fear the siren song's comfort. Before leaving, I informed Cody about his impending date. Unsurprisingly, he freaked out.

"What? I...I can't. What will I say? What will I do?"

"Frankly, my dear..." began Hugh in an undertone.

"You'll be fine," I said. "Just stop stressing and be yourself."

"Sounds like a double date," said Peter. "I can get more black hair dye."

"No," I warned. "Do not even think about it." I could still see faint streaks that hadn't entirely washed out from Cody's blond mane. "Just dress like you are now. I'll meet you at the club."

I started to turn, and then a thought came to me. "Carter, can I talk to you?"

His lips twitched slightly. If that was his sign of surprise, I couldn't say. "Anything for you, Daughter of Lilith."

He followed me outside the bar, where we stood amid all the Pioneer Square partygoers. Once clear of the building's non-smoking interior, he promptly lit a cigarette.

"If you're jealous of my relationship with Simone," he said, "I can assure you, we're just friends."

"Oh, be quiet. You know that's not what this is about. Look, she was lying, right? About Seth being a coincidence?"

Carter took a long drag before answering. Angels could tell when others were lying. "Yep. But she seemed pretty sincere in the last comment about going after him regardless."

I grimaced. "Why? Why would she target Seth? Is it some kind of way to assert dominance over the local succubus?"

"Not sure. The ways of succubi-and all women-are a mystery to me."

"Jerome originally thought she'd come to spy. He had Roman follow her, but nothing came of it. She never reported in or anything. He pulled Roman from her-" I paused, suddenly turning over the events and analyzing them in a way I hadn't considered before. "But it wasn't until I told him Simone was hitting on Seth. It seemed like that was the moment Jerome pulled Roman. He seemed pretty adamant about leaving her alone."

"Did he now?" Carter inhaled on the cigarette again, but I could see thoughts churning behind his eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Just a musing," he said. A half-truth, typical of angels. "Did Jerome do anything else after that?"

"Yeah, he put Roman on me."

This elicited surprise. "Why?"

Apparently, Jerome and Carter hadn't been hanging out recently. I gave Carter the rundown on my latest bizarre situation.

"That is weird," he admitted.

"Do you know what it could be?"

"Any number of things." He spoke flippantly, but I knew I'd piqued his curiosity-maybe even his concern.

I sighed. "I wish people would stop saying that. No one's really helping."

"I'll help you," he said, dropping the cigarette and stamping it out. "I'll follow Simone."

That was not at all what I had expected. "Why would you do that? Are you going to stop her from making the moves on Seth?"

This earned his amusement. "You know I can't interfere with that kind of thing. But I am curious about Simone's activities."

An uneasy feeling bubbled within me, one that had troubled me since I'd first met Seth, and Carter had begun taking an active role in my life. "Why? Why do you care so much about Seth? You've always been curious about what he does-and how we interact."

"I'm interested in the creative process of a great artist. It's fun to watch."

"Another half-truth." Like always, he answered the question without really answering it. I was astonished at the desperation in my voice when I spoke next. "I'm serious. Why, Carter? How does Seth-and me being with Seth-concern you?"

He chucked me on the chin. "You've got better things to do than worry about the goings-on of a curious angel. Besides, wouldn't you feel better if someone was reporting back to you on Simone?"

"Well, yeah," I admitted. "But-"

"Then it's settled. You're welcome."

He turned quickly away and disappeared into a crowd of partiers. I knew better than to go after him because he'd probably literally disappear once no one was paying attention. I sighed yet again.

Fucking angels.