“Likely he doesn’t want her in the middle of the danger,” Jackson said.

“She could be very useful. Unlike myself.”

Every Bodywalker had a special innate ability—like Jackson’s telekinetic power. But Marissa’s power was as benign as it got. She was an empath. She could divine people’s emotions. She could feel the pain in the argument that had just happened.

Which meant she would be useless come the morrow.

“Marissa, you’ll be better off here.”

“I know that,” she said quickly. “I’m not going to argue otherwise.”

“Good,” he said with relief. “The last thing I need before this battle is to have an argument with my wife.”

“I am aware of that. That’s why I’ve taken a whole ‘make love not war’ approach to our past few hours.” She ran her hand along his chest, down to his abdomen, over the mark of his ouroboros tattoo that marked him as a Bodywalker. She had a similar tattoo. They all did. It appeared the moment their Bodywalker soul joined with its host soul in the same body. “But you should try and get some sleep.”

“That’s not likely to happen,” he said, bending down to kiss her with fiery heat. “So let’s continue to explore the ‘make love’ part of this approach of yours.”

She laughed and let him kiss her. She let him fill her senses because, if she didn’t, she’d begin to think about the coming night and the fact that her lover was going to lead the charge against a maniacal being of unfathomable power. And she couldn’t bear the thought of it. She wouldn’t bear the thought of it until she absolutely had to. So if he wanted to make love until they were both overly sated, then that was exactly what she was going to do.

—

By the time dusk came, the house was already buzzing with life and activity. No one had slept well—if at all—and so they’d taken to wandering the house. They filtered into the main living area, an impromptu gathering of first one couple, then another, then another person and another until every seat was taken and they realized they were waiting for their leader to waken and join them.

Jackson came down the stairs a short time later and found them all waiting for him expectantly.

“Hey. Waiting for your fearless leader?” he quipped. “Someone should have come and got me.”

“We knew you’d come eventually,” Ram said. He clasped hands with Jackson and brought him in for a masculine hug and a thump on the back. They had been the best of companions throughout their many lives together. Each had been pharaohs in their own right during their original lives, but since then Ram had deferred to Jackson, letting him take on the role of leader for their people. But Jackson could never have done it without Ram. He and Docia managed all of the little things in the household, leaving Jackson to deal with the heavier problems.

Like an imp god let loose on the world.

“All right, I’m going to make this short and sweet,” Jackson said. “We have to work together from beginning to end. We’ve been practicing for months now. We can do it with our eyes closed. But…some of us aren’t going to make it out of this, and we’re going to see friends fall. Just remember you can’t let it distract you. Keep your eye on your goal. Keep the Templars off Kamen so he can cast his circle and support us in any way you can. Once we get Apep in that circle…if it works…it still won’t be over until every last Templar is either dead or dealt with.”

“And what about the ones who want a way out?” Mena asked anxiously. “Do they deserve to die just because they are fighting with no choice?”

“Oh, they’ll be given a choice,” Jackson said. “I promise you that.”

“So…don’t get killed…don’t let anyone else get killed…and keep away from the killer god. Everyone got that?” Ram said.

They all nodded.

“Good. We’ll leave as soon as Docia is ready to cast the mass teleportation spell. I’m going to go to the other houses and give them the same speech. Ram, are you with me or Docia right now?” Jackson asked.

“I’m going to stick with Docia, help her any way I can.”

“Good. Docia, how long do you need?”

“Let’s make it an hour from now. We’ll meet on the front lawn. All of us.”

“All right. Everyone good with that?”

They all nodded.

“Good,” Jackson said. Then he got up to leave, ready to head for the other houses to make the same speech.

“Jackson, I need to talk to you,” Kat said, moving out of Ahnvil’s grasp and heading for him.

“Kat!” Ahnvil warned.

“No!” she snapped at him. Then she softened. “Please. Don’t let the last thing we do before this be an argument.”

He subsided immediately. And, though he didn’t like it, he allowed her to go to Jackson.

Kat told Jackson about the Adoma’s Amulet prophecy and gave him her take on it as they walked toward the house where the First Faction of Nightwalkers lived.

“And you think you can do that? Paralyze him?”

“Maybe. For a little while. I’m not sure. But I figure it’s worth a shot right?”

“Right. The question is when to do it. Grey is going to bind him into the circle and that will take all of his energy and focus. But you…maybe we could use you right before Felix touches Apep. To hold him in place for the touch. Otherwise it’s going to be very chaotic. You could make things much easier on us if you are able to do that.”

“I can certainly try,” she said.

“But she’s a novice,” Ahnvil blurted out in spite of himself. “You could just be drawing Apep’s attention to her.”

“Maybe. But we’re all taking that risk,” Jackson said.

This was what it meant to be a leader to these people, he thought. The ability to make the hard choices when no outcome seemed to be a good outcome. He knew he was sending people to their potential deaths. He did not welcome the thought or the responsibility. But someone had to do it.

“Kat, practice that paralyzing spell on one of the more powerful Nightwalkers. Noah, perhaps. Come with me and we can ask him for his help.”

Ahnvil did not say another word as they walked, but Jackson could feel a world of anger, worry, and pain radiating off him. Jackson was sorry to put Ahnvil in such a position, but they were going to need everyone’s help in this. No role would be too small although some would be greater than others.