He didn’t ask what she meant, only picked her up and started to run. Twisting and turning through the castle, it was if the flames around them were chasing them. Alex yelped several times, and as they skidded into the main courtyard he let out a shriek as a piece of his tail caught on fire.

“Fucking ouchie!”

“Hurry, Liam,” Pamela groaned. There was no waiting; he bolted for the main gate, aiming for the slim opening in it. They burst through and into a steady downpour of rain that soothed his skin. He fell to his knees as he gulped in the fresh, cool air.

Alex poked his nose into Pamela’s face. “Pamie, you okay?”

Her breathing was steady and even, and Liam could tell it was just exhaustion. She waited inside that burning castle for him and Alex. He touched her face gently. “Kid, you did good. Real good. Don’t you ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t amazing.”

He knew in his heart it was a little like him saying goodbye, saying the things he should have said a long time ago. The time had come for his goodbyes, and he wouldn’t shirk them. As hard as they would be, he would say his peace before it was his time so those important to him would know he loved them.

Going on a hunch, I had Frank open the veil a half mile from Jack’s house. Just to be safe. And as close as we were, Frank was able to open the veil for that short jump despite his exhaustion and inexperience, completely avoiding the giant who stood on guard at the castle watching the fire rage.

We stumbled through the veil as fast as we could, every one of us worn out.

I Tracked the unicorns first; they were in the forest around the mini mansion and they watched us closely. I lifted a hand to them. They were safe and that was enough. Eve, Marco, and a whole damn clutch of harpies were on the rooftops and I could see now why the unicorns were in the forest. Sure, there might have been a truce between the two species, but that didn’t mean they had to like it.

Coyote was doing well, and he proved it by alternately pissing off Erik and then making him laugh. Frank and Kyle were discussing computer programs, but it was India who held my attention. She was in her own little world, and when I Tracked her to get a bead on her feelings, there was a lot of sorrow coursing through her. The spot where Frank had dropped us would give us a bit of a walk; I hoped that would give me enough time to talk to her.

“India, you know about your parents?”

Her eyes flicked to mine and then away. “Yes, they’re with me.”

Damn, being a spirit seeker had its pitfalls. I put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about that. I wish we could have saved them too.”

She gave a slight shrug. “It was their time. That’s the way it works, you know.”

Unfortunately, I did know. Even if I didn’t like it.

“I can sometimes tell when someone’s spirit is close to crossing the veil.” Again, her eyes flicked to mine and away. Like she was embarrassed.

A part of me didn’t want to know. The other part knew it was important. “Someone in our group?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t want to tell me, do you?”

She shook her head. “I’m not allowed. But it makes me sad. It will change everything. But they won’t really be gone. You need to know that.”

“What do you mean?”

“They are always with you, the ones you love. They never leave you. They fight for you even after they’re gone.”

Such wise words from one so young. “You mean like Giselle?”

A smile broke across her face. “Yes, like Giselle. And others too, there is a man named Jack who wants to say something to you, but he’s saying very bad words.” She blushed and I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out of me.

“That sounds like Jack.”

She screwed up her face. “He says he’s proud of you, even though he didn’t spend a lot of time training you. And that the book of the lost is where all the answers are. And that he’s sorry he didn’t tell you that in the beginning.”

I inserted the f-bomb here and there in her message in my head and it sounded just like Jack. “He can hear me?”

“Right now, yes.”

“Thanks a fucking lot, Jack.”

She clapped her hands over her mouth, covering a giggle. “He’s laughing.”

I kept an arm around her as we walked, knowing she needed the comfort far more than I did. At least, that was what I told myself.

The sun wouldn’t set for another hour or two, from what I could tell, but to be honest, I was so messed up with all the veil jumping I just knew I needed to sleep. Fatigue didn’t even begin to cover how I was feeling. A roll of nausea swept through me as if to imprint the fact that I hadn’t been taking very good care of myself lately. None of us had.

The house was quiet, and I supposed that made sense. No ogres other than Mer were left to keep Doran and Faris company—if the asshat had the balls to stick around. I Tracked the two vampires, but only picked up Doran. Which meant Faris was across on the mainland most likely. Or maybe even all the way back in the States.

Following Doran’s threads, I led the way through the house to the large library. He was slumped in a chair, his back to us.

“Miss us?” I said as I crossed the threshold.

He spun, his eyes wide, and I knew then he really had been worried if we’d snuck up on him. “Rylee, how the hell did you get here?”

“Little help from Frank, Pamela, and a shit ton of luck.” I tried to give him a smile, but I couldn’t. I was worried about Liam, about Pamela and Berget.

“Where are the others?” He didn’t name them, didn’t have to.

Erik stepped up and filled Doran in on everything that had happened. The coven, the guardians, the castle on fire. With each word, Doran’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m glad you made it out safely, but the danger is far from over. The demon packs are here, Rylee. Three of them, anyway. They are busy tearing up and down the coast, but seem stymied by the water crossing. They are causing some serious problems.” He sighed. “Most notably, a new strain of small pox seems to have erupted. The humans are freaking out, and rightfully so.” Doran offered me his chair and I took him up on it. India climbed into my lap and put her head on my shoulder. I thought about Talia and Milly, about how they’d made the fourth demon pack work for them. That must have been how they’d come to our side of the ocean; Talia must have brought them. No matter what help Talia had been, I had to remember she was not on our side, she would always help Orion first.