“You got him?” I called over my shoulder.

Blaz reared back in the air, his wings fanning the flames he’d started on the giant, his eyes wide and full of rage. This bitch is mine.

Good enough. Pamela lifted one hand and the gate to the castle exploded inward, a perfect opening for our party.

That was when the confusion started. My ride spun on his heels, skidding to a stop as the demons swarmed in behind us. I clung to his back as we dodged and ducked through the swarming mass and back out the gate. Erik was on one side of me, and Doran the other. Alex was ahead and I realized something was wrong.

Pamela and Liam had stayed behind.

I didn’t think about the consequences, or why they might have stayed, only that I couldn’t leave them there.

I swung my legs to the side to slide off the unicorn’s back, but Erik’s mount slammed up against us. “You can’t save them.”

My eyes shot to his as the horror of what he was saying overwhelmed me. “No!”

I twisted to the other side only to find Doran there, blocking me. This was not happening. Behind us the castle exploded, sending blocks of granite and stone flying through the air. Our mounts were forced to scatter and I took my chance, sliding off the unicorn. I hit the ground, rolled to take the edge off the fall and was up and running toward the castle. This was not happening.

Not now, not here.

He shifted, grabbed Pamela and bolted for the doorway that opened into the deep level of the veil. There was no time to waste. Rylee would figure out what they were doing and then there would be no stopping her.

Pamela clung to him as she kept the flames away. The demons seemed to think it was some great game and continued to chase them up the stairs. And all he could think about was that he wished he’d had one more minute to look into Rylee’s eyes. To tell her everything in person instead of in a letter. He’d entrusted it to Doran and it told her everything. Why he couldn’t tell her about this, about letting Coyote show her where she needed to go to be safe, and why. About how much he loved her and hated that he had to leave her in her darkest hours.

The castle walls seemed to close in around them as they rounded the final corner and the open doorway loomed. Over ten feet, the gaping wound in the wall vibrated with energy. Behind them, the demons howled, closing in.

“Pull it, Pam.”

She didn’t question him, just pulled the walls and ceiling down behind them with a mere flick of her wrist. When it came to destruction, she was the one to deal out the blows. There was no stopping her at that point. She slid from his arms and went to the window, pointedly ignoring the opening in the veil. With her arms over her head she shook with power. The castle around them blew apart, chunks flying everywhere. Everywhere except where they stood.

The demons set up a chorus of howls and screams, trapped under the rubble, and unable to escape.

“Do we kill them first?” she whispered, as she lowered her arms and turned to face him.

“No, we’ll leave that for Erik and Rylee. Trapped, the demons won’t be able to put up much of a fight.”

She nodded and he knew what happened next would be hardest on her. He stood in front of the open doorway. “Hand me the blade.”

Pamela moved up beside him and silently handed him the copper blade. He ran it over his left palm, opening up a deep cut. The blood flowed and he smeared it around the edge of the doorway, gritting his teeth as dirt and stone chips dug into the open wound. Behind him, Pamela struggled not to cry, her hiccupped breaths as loud as cannons going off in his ears.

Jaw tight he turned to face her. Her eyes were shut tight and tears streamed down her face. Her lower lip was gripped tight between her teeth, so tight he could see the color fade.

He didn’t say anything, just put his arms around her and hugged her. “Pamela, this is meant to be, and you are the only person who could do this.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I know.”

He slid the copper blade back to her, wrapping her fingers around the handle. “You can only do it because you love me. I know that, and I will be forever grateful for not only that love, but your willingness to fight for Rylee.”

He smoothed her hair back, but she still wouldn’t look at him. From the courtyard came a voice that snapped both of their heads around.

“LIAM!” Rylee called to him, her voice filled with panic, and he knew they were out of time.

Wrapping his fingers around Pamela’s hand, he placed the tip of the blade against his heart. “It will be quick.”

Pamela shoved him away from her, wrapping him in magic so tight he couldn’t breathe. Anger rippled across her face. “You can’t make me do this.”

He lowered his head, chin to his chest. “You’re right, I can’t. But if you don’t, Rylee will die and the world will be lost to Orion.”

My heart beat so loudly I knew Liam heard it. Could hear the fear in me. The copper blade gleamed and I twisted it in my hand. Rylee was coming; if I was going to do this, it had to be now. The sudden burst of anger slipped from me and I lowered Liam from against the wall, but he didn’t step away, didn’t rush at me. I’d hoped he would be angry I used my magic on him, but he wasn’t. His eyes were sad and resigned.

He was the brother I’d never had, the almost father figure I so badly wanted, and the friend who never let me give up. And he was asking me to kill him.

Sobbing, I stepped forward, the tip of the blade wobbling as I held it up. No more words were needed. I had to be the one to do it. In that moment, I had to be the strong one for our whole family.

I had to make the tough choice. Because Rylee couldn’t.

His eyes never left mine, and a soft smile hovered on his lips, but it was the tear sliding down his cheek that held my attention. I stared at it as I slid the copper blade home, heard his breath catch, felt him slump forward, pushing the blade even further in.

“Thank you,” he whispered as he crumpled to his knees, his blood pooling around him, flowing toward the open doorway.

I left the blade, turned and ran for the window. I would climb down; Rylee would never know it was me. She couldn’t.

Because Liam was wrong. If she ever found out I’d been the one to kill him, she would never forgive me. I would no longer be family.

Erik fought beside me as I demolished the demons in my path. The only thing I could think of was Liam. The feel of his threads fading inside my head as I desperately Tracked him. I tried to give him my strength, lend him what I had and he fucking well refused it. My crossbow twanged over and over again pinning demons to the burning walls around us until there were no bolts left and I jerked my two blades out.