The Dresden Files/Codex Alera is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

Pandemonium struck as not one, not two, not three, but five demons barreled through the doorway.

"Look, guys," Harry said, holding his hands up with his shield bracelet in one hand and his blasting rod in the other. "We don't have to do this. I know you know my full name, but we can make a bargain, can't we?"

Demons, on the scale of supernatural beasties, are near the top of the baddie list. If Unnamed Horrors, like He Who Walks Behind, Cthulu, and other creatures of that Lovecraftian ilk occupy the top of said list, the Dark Lord and his minions of soul-rending, spirit consuming, body destroying varmints are perhaps a level below. They were all fiercely strong, had multiple magical and physical abilities, and basically could rip a corporeal body apart like so much tissue paper.

Being the current occupant of a delightfully sensual and sexy corporeal form put me at a distinct disadvantage. White Court Vampires are at the bottom of the combat scale, even when compared to other vampires existing slightly above natural un-powered humans. I could maybe scratch their eyes out with my perfectly buffed nails, but probably not before they dismembered and disemboweled me in the process.

Come on, Lara. Now isn't the time to hide in the corner. Use that mind of yours to get us out of this.

I backed up, allowing Harry to take the lead, while my brain flipped through possible scenarios. I grabbed Murphy by the arm, and we started backing away from the gaggle of demons. Or would that be a thunder? What was a group of demons called anyway? I'd have to ask Dr. Google later if my fingers were all still attached.

"The time is long past for bargains, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden," One of the demons said. I recognized it as Chaunzaggoroth with its chitinous shoulders, crablike pincers, black eyes, and beaklike nose. It didn't have its spectacles on, but it still spoke in the Oxford accent I remembered. Or Harry remembered.

"Let's be reasonable, Chauncy," Harry said. "I'm sure there's something you might want that I can provide. No?"

"What we want we can take, Wizard." The demon moved on three pairs of legs toward us. "We don't need a bargain anymore; your soul is ours for the consumption!"

This was bad. Like, really really bad. I didn't have access to my magic. As Lara, I had enhanced physical strength, speed, and constitution, but it wasn't anything near being able to take on one demon, much less five.

Then I frowned. They thought he was Harry Dresden. But in actuality, I was or had been. It might just be the loophole we had been looking for. They didn't have anything on Harry.

"How do I know what your saying is sooth, Chaunzaggorath," I said, trying to keep the nerves out of my voice.

They turned to look at me. Faced with all their stares, I felt intimidated.

He held out a paper. It held an inscription upon it. "This is a missive from His Eminence, the Dark Lord below. It states I must come up and procure one Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. It authorizes me to use force if necessary. His soul is ours, as will yours be should you choose to interfere."

"What makes you think this is Harry?" I said.

"I asked him for a name last night, girl." He sneered. "This being—"

"If you'll notice," I said. "When you invoke his name, he does not respond. Therefore, he cannot be Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden."

Chauncy frowned at that and put on a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles. "That doesn't make any sense. The binding last night wouldn't have worked—" The creature looked over the missive he held, then pointed his arms at Harry and said: "I command thee, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden to lower your magical arms and come with us peacefully!"

I felt a strong tug, as if something had tried to get ahold of me and missed.

Harry grinned. "Nope!"

The demon shook his head. "It must work! I repeat, lower your magical arms and come peacefully Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden!"

"Second time, I deny thee, Chaunzaggorath. You have no hold over me. Begone foul fiends!"

The demons all winced at that.

Commanding a demon to begone from your threshold is powerful magic. They usually didn't have to listen to it; they could ravage entire towns and communities without being invited, unlike vampires. But it still hurt them, kinda like a punch in the jaw to a heavyweight boxer by a seven-year old little girl.

I took Harry's staff from the umbrella holder near the door and moved over to his side. I placed it into his left hand and watched as the runes began to glow.

"Third time, Come with me, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Your soul is forfeit!"

This time the pull was much stronger, but I was still able to resist.

We were only going to get one shot at this. Due to the way the house was constructed, all five demons were in a constrained space. If they got out from the hallway, it would be game over, and they could pick us all apart in short order. But with them in a bunch like that, and the basement door open, I could see they left the portal to the demon realm open behind them. If Harry could hit them hard enough, they might just…

Harry shook his head. "And third time denied. Forzare!"

An invisible wave of icy Mantle-enhanced force lashed out from him, sending the demons head over legs back into the basement. "I cast thee back to the pits. You are not welcome here!"

Harry invoked the power of the threshold with those words. The demons had broken through the threshold, thinking they had his—my—true name. Now that it wasn't working, he could use that against them.

The demons scrambled away, trying to gain purchase on walls, floor, and ceiling.

"Infriga!" He cast, and the demons were suddenly blasted by the winds of winter. They were all minor demons, luckily, and he was able to get them back into the basement where the circle was lit up with a neon reddish glow.

"Forzare!" he said again, and the Demons were pushed back again. "I cast thee OUT OF THIS HOUSE!" he roared, as all the demons were swept into a maelstrom. The mini-tornado swirled and circled the room gathering up papers, books, and demons into a vortex of wind, power, ice, and dark blue glowing light. The demos shrieked, screaming as they were lifted off their feet.

Harry held his hands out in front of him, and it was an awesome sight to behold. I'd never really seen myself in the full possession of power casting the monsters out. His eyes glowed with an intense dark light that I knew was the Mantle, as he moved his arms around and around in a circle, drawing the demons in and churning them into demon soup.

The vortex spun faster and faster, the demons sliding back down into the Demonrealms one by one, their arms, legs, mandibles, and other limbs frantically scrabbling to get a purchase on anything before being sucked down into the circle.

And then they were gone, leaving the only sound the panting of our breath. We looked at each other. Murphy's face was cast into idolization as she watched the man she loved send the demons back to where they came from. It made my heart ache.

Harry looked at me, beaming. "That was fun!" he said. He took two steps, then wobbled and fell unconscious to the floor.

I lifted the prone Harry from under his armpits as Karrin grabbed his legs. We carried the exhausted wizard away from the circle.

Backing up the stairs, I carried the bulk of his body. I was glad Lara had enhanced strength, as I made my way up.

"Wasn't he amazing?" Karrin said, eyes dancing with excitement. "He was so strong!"

"Yeah," I said. "So, the enthrallment still works even when he's asleep?"

She blinked at me. "The what?"

I sighed. "Nothing, maybe lift his feet a bit higher?"

"Oh!" she giggled. "I can do that."

Together we carried Harry to the couch. She knelt on the floor beside him, smoothing the hair at his brow. "He was so brave! Oh my god, he fought demons!"

"Yeah," I said. "Look at me, Murphy."

She reluctantly tore her gaze away from Harry and looked into my eyes.

I wanted to have a soul-gaze with her, but apparently, that ability had left. Well, if that didn't work, maybe something from Lara's repertoire—

"You feel yourself relaxing, so naturally, so gently," I spoke in a soft voice with an even cadence.

She frowned, shaking her youthful head, wanting to turn back and look at Harry, but I had her eyes caught with my own.

"Your breathing slows down, and you find yourself floating, so warm, so good." I sent out an essence of my will and felt her respond, her eyelids drooping.

"Yesss," she said in a soft high voice.

"Floating, lifting away, so light, as a feather."

Her head drooped a bit.

"All that matters is my voice, my will. Let yourself drift into a deep state of concentration."

I watched her shoulders relax.

"Can you hear me, Karrin?"

"Yes," came the soft reply.

"Good. Now, we only have a few moments."

"Yes," she said.

"Harry did something to you, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"Something in your mind."

"Yes." Her eyes were closed, her body very relaxed.

"Something with your body."

"Yes."

"What did he do to your mind?"

A light frowned crossed her pretty face. "I'm so pretty. I love him."

"Yes." I said, "And what else?"

"I love to please. To sex."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, and what else."

She began breathing heavily. "I love to sex with him."

"Okay, tell me more."

"Nothing matters except him. To sex with him."

"Okay."

"I am His. He made me."

"Yes."

"I love to sex."

"You said that already, honey. Anything else?"

"Sex."

"Okay, now, I want you to imagine the old you. Karrin Murphy. Commander of Special Forces. Can you remember her?"

Her face frowned again in obvious pain. Her brow knit, and her lip trembled. "Unhappy."

"Yes, but you can remember."

Her face contorted, eyes screwed shut tight, frown creasing her mouth as she stuck out her bottom lip cutely.

"Pain."

"Yes, but you can't forget her."

She frowned deeply. "Pain!"

"Okay, nevermind that. You remember Harry when he played Arena of Combat with you the other day?"

She frowned a bit. "Yes."

"He was frustrated because he couldn't win."

"Yes."

"That Harry was me. Lara put me in her body."

Her face screwed up into a frown. "Pain."

"I am that Harry. This Harry is not me."

"Pain!" she bit her lip.

"Harry is an imposter. I am the real Harry."

"PAIN!" she screamed, panting.

"You know this to be true. When you awaken, you will remember I am the real Harry."

"NO!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

"I am going to snap my fingers. When I do, you will awaken. And you will remember who I really am. And who Harry really is. And who Karrin Murphy really is."

She cried, not answering.

I snapped my fingers. Her eyes bolted open. She looked terrified.

She glanced down at herself, her breasts, her hair.

She looked at me, then at Harry. "Oh my God," she said. "Harry?"

"I'm here, love."

She looked at me, then down at herself. "Why the fuck am I on the carpet?"

She stood up, wincing, stretching her legs. It made her breasts wobble. I stood up with her.

"God, Harry!" she wrapped her arms around me. "He did something to my brain. I couldn't think right."

"I know, honey. But you're back now."

She pulled away. "Jesus, look at me. I'm a bimbo freak show!"

I chuckled. "No, you're quite fetching, actually."

"You would say that, you perv. Let me go find something better to wear. How long before he wakes up, do you think?"

"I don't know. He expended a lot of energy."

"Can I shoot him?"

I sighed. "Shooting him would mean I'd be stuck like this."

"Harry, those demons knew your true name! Even I didn't know that."

"I know."

"Thank God they weren't able to take him, or you. Jesus."

She went back into the bedroom and came out wearing one of my old t-shirts. It stretched tight across her bosom.

"God, this hair! And it keeps growing!"

"I know, honey, look, we probably don't have much time before he wakes up. You should come with me; I can keep you safe."

"I'll go pack a bag."

"We don't have time for that. Let's go. I can buy you all the clothes you'll need."

"But my guns!" she started. "Let me just—"

"No, honey." I grabbed her by the arm. "Come now."

She nodded and turned. Walking quickly, we made it to the door. I opened it, and we went out into the gathering gloom.

"Wow, this is some car!" She said as she pulled open the passenger seat.

"Get in!" I said, pulling up my own door and sliding into the drivers' seat. Karrin got in and tugged down the door.

Harry appeared at the doorway. His face was set in a thunderous expression.

I pushed the start button and put it in reverse.

"No!" Harry said, as I pulled down the driveway and spun the wheel.

"Come back!"

I glanced over to Murphy, who had a pained look on her face.

"It'll be okay, I promise," I said.

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Okay."

I watched Harry Dresden run out into the street behind us. His face fell in a defeated expression as his shoulders slumped.

I took Murphy's hand in mine and squeezed.