But Liam did.

“How long?”

Doran snorted. “We aren’t doing this. It isn’t a viable option.”

“Rylee would never let it happen.” Erik closed the book. “Never.”

Gritting his teeth, he took a slow breath before asking again. “How. Long.”

Doran grabbed his arm. “You don’t get it; she will never let it happen. We have to find another way.”

Liam wasn’t upset, even though Doran’s fingers dug into his bicep. “There isn’t another way, though, is there?”

Neither of the two men would look at him. He pried Doran’s hands from his arms. “Anything to keep them both safe. Do you understand? I would do anything to keep them both safe.”

Doran’s eyes widened and he fell backwards. “You’re shitting me.”

Erik let out a low groan. “That’s why Orion wants her alive. Fucking hell!” He threw the book across the room, and Liam smelled the grief on the older man, the pain of again losing someone he loved.

Liam blew out a breath, knowing this was it. This was his end, and he was okay with it. “I have a plan. She can’t know, but I think we can take out the packs and close the doorway at the same time. Will you help me?”

Erik’s shoulders slumped, at the same time that Doran dropped his chin to his chest. They would help; he knew they would. “We just need one more person, though I don’t want to include her, she’s the only one.”

“Sweet baby Zeus, Liam. She’s too young.”

Liam knew Erik was right. But what other choice did they have? There was only one person who could get him through the fire of the castle to the doorway, only one person he knew loved him as family other than Rylee.

Pamela.

Chapter 19

EVERY TIME I thought I’d get a good night’s sleep, something happened. Though, at least in this case, I wasn’t waking to someone screaming. Actually, I wasn’t really awake at all, at least, I didn’t think I was.

Giselle stood in the corner of the room, her figure clothed in armor, weapons peeking out from her back. She was young, younger than when I’d first met her, and her eyes were clear and bright. Fierce.

“Rylee, this is the last time I will be able to visit you. The war grows stronger on this side of the veil, even though we are doing our best to stem the flow of evil spirits coming through, with the new plague, it won’t be long before the demons can enter this world on their own.” She sounded tired, as tired as I felt.

“This is goodbye then? No more advice, no more midnight visits?” I was going for sassy, but the words were whispered and sounded like a little girl begging her mother to stay just a few more minutes.

“Goodbye is relative. One day you will be here, fighting beside me, keeping the world safe, just in a different way. It is the way with all of us who would stand between the world and the demons.”

I remembered what she had said before, that those who fought the darkness on this side of the veil continued to do so after they died.

“Any last words of advice?”

She smiled, but her lips trembled. “Not advice so much as information. Milly is not dead, though it may have looked that way. We were wrong about her; the darkness I felt was Orion clutching her close.” She shook her head and a tear slipped from her eye. “When it comes time, do it quickly, she deserves that much.”

I stared at her, my mind refusing to understand what she was saying at first. And then when it hit me, I balked.

“No,” I whispered. “You can’t ask that of me, it’s bad enough I have to kill my own sister, I can’t … not Milly too.”

Giselle shook her head. “Be strong, my girl, for it won’t be me who asks it of you, but Milly. Let your heart lead, always your heart. Love will not fail you, not even in this; your hardest hours are yet to come, but love will save you. It will save all of us. You must believe that, even when you think you cannot go on another step. Even when you think your heart is dead.”

I blinked and she was gone. The dream, or vision, or whatever the hell it was, faded.

Of course, I lay their wide fucking awake, my brain unable to shut off now that it had started down the course Giselle had introduced. My hardest hours yet to come? Hells bells, I wasn’t surprised, but really? Didn’t life owe me a break or two? One night of sleep was all I really wanted. I thought about Milly and Berget, neither sister’s by blood. Both bound to me and both putting me in the position where I would have to face them. Liam had told me that Berget had stayed behind, that she wasn’t coming. That I’d effectively lost her once more. I reached for the spot where Liam had lain, the heat from his body still in the sheets. Call me needy, but I wanted to be with him, to lean on his strength.

I Tracked him. He was in the house and as I Tracked the rest of my family I felt Pamela, Alex, and Doran with him. It seemed early, but that wasn’t unusual for him.

Knowing sleep was not going to show, I slipped out of bed.

Quickly dressing, I made my way first to Jack’s small armory. There were only a few blades left and I grabbed two of them, grimacing as I slid them into their sheaths. They were fine, except they weren’t mine and they weren’t spelled. Not quite balanced the way I liked, they were both a little on the short side for my taste. But they would do.

I made my way through the house, avoiding the library and heading to where I felt Erik’s threads. He was outside, near the training grounds we’d set up when we’d been staying here.

Erik sat on the edge of the circular area we used, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts. Fine by me. Taking my two swords out, I settled my feet into a practice stance and started to weave my way through the various movements of swordplay. The minutes ticked by and my mind slowly quieted as I focused on my breathing, the weight of the swords, and the placement of my feet. This was where I would find the plan to take care of the demon packs. In the silence of the morning as my blades cut through the air.

Behind me came the soft scuff of a foot and I spun to face Erik. He held out his hand. “Give me one.”

I tossed a sword through the air and he caught the handle with ease. It had been a long damn time since I’d actually sparred with someone who knew how to handle a sword. Not counting creepy-ass dude who guarded the violet book of prophecy in Orion’s castle.

He circled around me and then—shit he was fast—he was on me, the sword thrusts and blows coming hard and steady, forcing me back a few steps before I caught myself. Grinning, I pushed back, diving under a hard slash and coming up on his side. I kicked him just above the hip, driving the wind from him and nearly putting him into the fountain.