Blood from Stone by Laura Anne Gilman

Retriever Wren Valere and her partner Sergei have been through a lot in the last few years, what with defeating the Silence and formed the council that joined the Humans, Talent like Wren, and the Fatae, or non-humans. Wren even threatened to go Wizzed at one point- completely insane and answering only to the current- the magic that lives inside electricity.

But Sergei and her friend P.B, (a demon whose nickname- bestowed by Wren- is "Polar Bear", because he resembles a really small one) brought her back to sanity, and now she's done dealing with the aftermath and is back at work. Wren has a new job retrieving a small boy from the mother who snatched him- only to find out that the boy is being protected by Ebeneezer, a talent that she knew before he wizzed. Wren manages to get the boy to come with her, but finds that his parents sold him- and that the boy possesses talent- at a younger age than she has ever seen Talent emerge before.

Wren returns the boy to his father and sets on him a compulsion to care for the boy, but she goes further and tells the council about him, knowing that they can arrange for the boy to be watched- and tutored when he gets old enough. Their theory is that the war with the silence wiped out so many Talents that the universe is trying to bring them back, even if they must be born into non-Talented families.

Meanwhile, Sergei is dealing with a problem of his own- he's become addicted to the power that Wren releases during sex with him, and he's come to crave it. To try and understand why, he's seeing a Talented Psychologist and talking about Wren and their relationship.

Wren must also deal with her apartment, which will be going co-op. She worries about having enough money to afford buying her place, which suits her well. Although she loves Sergei and he loves her, both of them know they wouldn't be happy living together. Each needs their own space to feel happy and centered, although they don't mind the other staying over once in a while.

But then P.B. approaches Wren about a job, Unlike the other Fatae, Demons were not born- they were created by long-ago talent for a purpose. Now, P.B. has been contacted by one of his brothers about the Papers left behind by the mage who created them. While he wasn't a very strong talent, he was very creative, and discovered how to create life. Each of his creations was different, which is why the demons all look so different. But someone is out to make more of them, and they are looking for P.B. to tell them where the papers are hidden.

P.B. wants Wren to find the papers. Find them, and destroy them so that no more creations like himself can be enslaved by their creators. But are Wren and Sergei up to finding and retrieving something that went missing so very long ago, and can Wren discover their location and retrieve the papers before someone gets to them- and abducts P.B. before her?

Wren's fought a lot of battles, but this time the magic isn't on her side. But now that she's fighting for the life and freedom of a friend, how much harder will she fight to find the papers and do the right thing?

I really love the Retrievers books, and sadly, it looks like it might be the last for a good while. The book is all about changes, both in Wren's life and in Sergei's. She might be losing her apartment. She might have to move in with Sergei and find another apartment, and she's definitely getting older, so retrieving is a little harder for her now.

Wren is going to have decide where her priorities are. She's reclaimed the life she wanted to live: she's no longer on the Council, where she had so many responsibilities and people looking to her, and up to her, that she felt completely smothered. But even regular life isn't easy for Wren, and she might have to decide to finally grow up and take on adult responsibilites. Certainly greater ones. Can she handle the increased stress?

As sad as I am that this series might be ending, there is the promise of a series about the PUPi'a, or Paranormal Police officers in the offing. I just hope that Laura Anne Gilman comes back to give us another taste of Wren and Sergei from time to time, because if she doesn't, I'll miss them. Recommended.