I shut the door behind me and brought my wards back up. I had a hard time moving him, even though I'm no junior petite myself. He was a big man, over six feet, with plenty of muscle-and he was completely limp. Then I deactivated my wards-the magical security system I've got laid over my apartment-grabbed Morgan under the arms, and hauled him inside. 'You need to get your head examined,' I muttered to myself. I couldn't just stand there doing nothing, though. 'You have got to be kidding me!' I was really, really tempted to slam the door and leave him lying there in a heap. 'Hell's frickin' bells!' I blurted at Morgan's unconscious form. Up until that moment, I'd been laboring under the misapprehension that the splitting pain in my skull would be the worst thing to happen to me today. Please.' His eyes rolled back into his skull and he collapsed. I answered it and Morgan, half his face covered in blood, gasped, 'The Wardens are coming. Chapter One The summer sun was busy broiling the asphalt from Chicago 's streets, the agony in my head had kept me horizontal for half a day, and some idiot was pounding on my apartment door. And, always, for Shannon and JJ, who like me even when I vanish into my own head for days at a time. With luck, I'll figure out how best to repay you for the time and effort you've all given me. I've been facing the kinds of problems authors only dream about having, and you all have been a tremendous help to me.

Acknowledgments I would like to thank Anne Sowards, my marvelous editor, my agent, Jenn Jackson, and my poor deluded beta readers.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher