As the others slowly dropped off to sleep, I forced myself to stay awake, wanting to watch over them, especially Gray.
She may have been a powerful vampire, a prophesied witch, heir to an ancient fae legacy that she and her sisters were still struggling to accept. But there in my arms, her eyes closed, her lips red and puffy from my kisses, she was just a woman. The woman I’d fallen madly in love with. The one who’d made me believe—no, who’d made meknow—that as long as we all held on to one another, as long as our family stuck together, we’d find a way through this darkness.
“We will survive this,” I whispered into her hair, a promise for us all as I finally drifted off to sleep.
Twenty-Six
LIAM
More than anything, I wished I could take Reva’s place. Or Gray’s, or Haley’s, or any one of the witches gearing up to invade Blackmoon Bay in the coming hours.
But I was human now. My strengths, my magics came in other forms. An encouraging smile, a hug, a touch. Information passed on from one generation to the next. A whispered promise against the bare flesh of the woman who’d made me remember what it meant to be human. To love, completely and with abandon.
To believe in something greater than one’s own ends.
“I’m worried about her,” Gray said now, doing a final check of the potions Verona had issued her. It was the night after the six of us had fallen asleep together, and now she and I were alone in the kitchen, the others doing final weapons checks and strategic planning and many other things that had to be fast-tracked as a result of the riots in the Bay and our now-shortened attack timeline.
Though none of us had dared to move from the peaceful serenity of that room until well after sunset this evening, we all knew ours had been a momentary peace. A bubble made of moonglass, destined to shatter at the first onset of our reality.
That reality was now upon us. In thirty minutes, Reva would be traveling amongst the shadows of Blackmoon Bay, searching for survivors. Searching for a way in. After that, the rest of us would make our move together, hoping that by sheer number and combined magics, we might overpower their fae cloaking spells—as well as the armies themselves.
Many of us would not survive to see the sunrise of another day.
“I know she’s powerful,” Gray continued, “and determined, and probably braver than any of us.” Her smile softened. “But she’s still just a kid. A witch who would do anything to protect us, not even realizing she was putting her own life at risk.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I think it’s fair to say we’ve all done just that, and we’ll allcontinueto do just that, as often and for as long as any of our loved ones are in danger. To expect anything less from Reva is frankly a bit naive.”
Gray smiled softly. “Touché, Liam.”
“And there’s something else you need to know about Reva,” I said. For the past few days, I’d grappled with the best way to reveal this information, but now seemed as good a time as any other. “Reva is not just a kid, as you say. She is a Shadowborn, Gray. Like you.”
I watched her eyes, certain that through them I could read the thoughts dancing in her mind, all the little moments replaying, all the puzzle pieces about Reva that were now adding up to the complete whole.
“She will likely come into her full powers in the next year or so,” I explained, “simply because she’s been nurturing her connection with magic for years.”
“Reva,” she whispered, then nodded, the final pieces clicking into place. Her eyes twinkled with something that looked an awful lot like pride.
“So what does this mean for her?” she asked. “Who will train her now that you’re no longer Death?”
“I must train her still,” I said. “To the extent that my human limitations allow, anyway. I may not be able to travel with her to the Shadowrealm or interact with the remaining soul ferriers, but there is a great deal of knowledge I shall endeavor to impart upon her. And none of us truly knows what her unique powers will be, nor what her role will be in the absence of Death, where souls cannot readily pass on through the realm as they once might have.”
“Does she know?” Gray asked.
“I haven’t discussed it with her yet, no. I’ve yet to find an appropriate time, and I don’t want her to be overly concerned about her future, particularly now, when she needs to focus on getting into and out of Blackmoon Bay undetected. As you might recall, learning that you have the power to influence death and manipulate soul energy is not always an easy thing to process and accept.”
A smile curved her lips. “You mean, I wasn’t all in with your whacky theories from the start?”
“If by ‘all in’ you mean refusing my many invitations at every turn, causing trouble wherever you went, and generally upheaving the universal order, then yes. Of course you were all in, Gray.”
Gray laughed in earnest, but before she could ask any more questions, Reva entered the kitchen, her mouth set in a grim line, her shoulders squared.
“When am I going in?” she asked.
Gray closed her eyes, cursing under her breath. But then she, too, squared her shoulders, and by the time she turned to face Reva, her eyes were once again shining with pride.
“You ready?” she asked.
Reva gave her a thumbs-up.
