Chapter Nine

Waking late Friday, Harry fields an urgent call from Murphy, who demands fast answers on whether sorcery killed Jennifer Stanton and Tommy Tomm. Despite her order not to approach Bianca, Harry prepares for danger—arming himself with a pentacle, a concealed handkerchief storing sunlight, and his escape potion—then drives to Bianca’s Velvet Room.

At the gate, a wary guard searches Harry, confiscating his cane and knife but missing the handkerchief’s stored light and allowing the pentacle. After a deliberate wait, Bianca arrives, dazzling and controlled. When Harry mentions Jennifer, Bianca explodes into her true batlike form and attacks. Harry flashes the sunlight from the handkerchief, searing her flesh, then holds her at bay with the light of his pentacle and his focused will.

Trapped in a standoff, Harry bargains: he swears he did not kill Jennifer and demands Bianca’s word to talk. She yields, resumes her glamorous mask, and sits. Bianca admits Tommy had been a respectful client and that she sent Jennifer to him that night. Pressed for leads, she ultimately names Linda Randall, Jennifer’s close coworker who now chauffeurs for a wealthy couple.

As tension spikes, Bianca notices Harry’s bleeding throat from her earlier swipe and, straining against hunger, orders him to cover it and leave. Rachel enters, comforts Bianca, and offers her wrist; Harry witnesses Bianca feeding, the saliva evidently narcotic, and retreats shaken.

At the gate, the guard returns Harry’s belongings and a note with Linda’s phone number and a single message—“Regret.” Harry departs with a new lead and a new enemy.