No Shadows Fall by L.J. LaBarthe Page A

them.”
    “I think you should summon one of them.” Chloe’s eyes flashed with determination, and inwardly, Penemuel quailed. “Isn’t there one who’s a scholar too? Who would understand how you feel and want to help you?”
    Penemuel frowned. “There’s Saint Raziel. He’s the Archangel of Secrets and Mysteries, but I don’t know if—”
    Chloe cut him off. “Great. I’ll go downstairs and search the Internet for a summoning ritual, and then we’ll summon this Saint Raziel.” She got to her feet and marched toward the door of the apartment.
    “Oh my,” Penemuel muttered as Chloe went downstairs.
    “Don’t fret, dear. I’ll sit with you while Chloe does what she needs to,” Susan said, leaning over to pat Penemuel’s knee.
    “Thank you,” he said weakly.
    Chloe returned ten minutes later, carrying her laptop. She sat down on the sofa and fired up the machine. “I’m going to hunt up a summoning ritual for Raziel,” she began as her fingers danced over the keyboard, “and then I’m going to look up ways for you to protect yourself from Semjaza, Pen.”
    Penemuel blinked. “I don’t know that there are any,” he said.
    “That’s why I’m looking on the Internet. To be sure.” Chloe’s eyes were glued to the screen.
    The minutes ticked slowly by, and Penemuel made himself focus on his cat. The animal was kneading his shoulder as he held her, and he sighed, taking comfort from the warm little body and the soft purr. He gave Susan a quick smile as she made another pot of tea and poured for them.
    “Ah-ha!”
    Chloe’s jubilant cry made Penemuel jump. He was glad he’d set his teacup down and hadn’t spilled any tea.
    “What did you find, dear?” Susan asked.
    “A way to summon the Archangel Raziel. It’s quite complex. There’s a lot of things we need. Do you know where we’re going to get St. John’s Wort at this time of day?”
    “I have some,” Penemuel said. “I have a lot of those sort of things. Just in case. You never know what might happen.”
    “Well, that’s handy.” Chloe grinned. “Where do you keep it?”
    “The bottom shelf of the pantry,” he answered.
    Chloe scribbled a list of things and nodded, setting her laptop aside. “I’ll go see if you’ve got everything I need for this.” She got to her feet and went into the kitchen. A few moments later, Penemuel could hear her bustling about and talking to herself.
    “Everything all right?” he called.
    “Oh yes, fine,” Chloe called back. “You’ve got a well-stocked pantry, Pen.”
    “Thank you. I think.”
    Chloe came back into the living room with her arms full and set the items she was carrying down on Penemuel’s coffee table. Bemused, Penemuel watched her as she consulted the laptop, then began to mix up herbs in a silver bowl that he’d forgotten he owned. When everything was in the bowl, Chloe pulled a pocket knife out of her jeans pocket and cut a line on the palm of her hand.
    “Chloe!” Penemuel half rose from his seat in shock, and Susan gasped, pressing a hand to her lips.
    “Relax. I know what I’m doing.” Chloe let several drops of blood drip into the bowl, pocketed her knife, and then picked up a book of matches. “Ready?” she asked, looking first at her mum and then at Penemuel.
    “Are you sure about this, dear?” her mother asked. Susan’s expression was a mixture of shock and worry. Like Penemuel, she had half risen from her chair when Chloe had cut her hand.
    “Yeah, I am.” Chloe grinned.
    “Oh dear,” Penemuel said.
    “I’m taking that as a yes, you’re ready,” Chloe said, and lit a match. She dropped it into the bowl, and the contents caught alight with a bright blue flame.
    “Holy Saint Raziel, author of the Sefer Raziel , I call on you in the name of Secrets and Mysteries that is your power to come to us here. Now!”
    The flames surged toward the ceiling and then went out. Penemuel found he was holding his breath.
    “Well now,” said a new voice, a