“The past is dead,” Dorian whispered.
“But the present isn’t. Thisfamilyisn’t. And I swear to you, brother, I will do whatever I have to do to protect what’s left of it. What’s left of us. I just need you to give me the chance.”
Dorian lifted his head. A tear tracked down his stern face. “I bloody hate this,” he said softly, but he was already removing the strap from his chest, fastening it around Gabriel’s and pulling it tight.
“Iwillbring him back to you,” Gabriel said. “I swear it.”
“I know you will. I…” Dorian closed his eyes, his voice a broken whisper. “Gabriel…”
But whatever he’d meant to say, the words never came.
After another beat, Gabriel turned away, and they retreated to opposite sides of the study, Dorian at the desk in the corner, Gabriel at the bar.
Dorian cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was clear and firm. Kingly. “Best be off, then. Our enemies won’t vanquish themselves.”
Gabriel laughed, then selected the most expensive bottle of bourbon from the collection and tossed it at Dorian, who caught it easily.
“Keep the drinks ready and the fire stoked,” he said. “We’ll be back before the bourbon warms and the embers cool.”
Dorian glanced up at him, a smile curving his lips. “See to it that you are.”
Chapter Seventeen
For the first time in seven years, Jaci was going home.
Not to introduce the man she loved to her family, or to show him around her old stomping grounds, or to cruise the streets and marvel at how much the place had changed since the good ol’ days.
No, Jaci was going home to rescue the imprisoned souls of her father and her friend.
To hunt down and kill her sister.
To break the curse that would otherwise doom the Redthorne vampires—vampires that had become her family—to certain death.
And, last but definitely not least, to stop an ancient demon from manifesting in his true form and turning the entire planet into his personal torture chamber.
But, you know. No pressure or anything.
“Are you all right?” Gabriel slid a hand behind her neck, gently stroking her with his thumb.
“Not in the slightest. You?”
“Never been worse, honestly.” He laughed and planted a kiss on her cheek. “But on the bright side, I do love to travel. See new places. Take in the local culture.”
“In that case, I’ll do my best to be a good tour guide. But you better tip well, Prince, or I’m only taking you to the tourist traps.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, demon.” His eyes sparkled with mischief, but the light faded quickly, the reality settling in hard and fast.
They were down in the crypts, watching as Isabelle made the final preparations for their hell portal. Charley was still upstairs with Sasha, but Aiden was stretched out on the stone floor behind Isabelle, still unconscious, but breathing. Dorian and Cole were keeping a close eye on him.
Colin, who’d spent the night at the hospital trying but failing to save the young victim of the mage sacrifice, was now on his way back to Ravenswood in a helicopter, a new patient entrusted into his care.
Zachary Colburn.
Soon, her father’s body would be lying next to Aiden’s, both awaiting the return of their souls.
“Almost there,” Isabelle said.
Spread out on the stone floor in front of her, five black candles flickered to life, one at each point on a pentagram. The symbol itself had been painted with a mix of Jaci’s and Gabriel’s blood, the whole thing surrounded by a circle of salt and protective crystals—obsidian, black tourmaline, black kyanite. It was supposed to keep them safe during the departure and ensure they didn’t bring back any unwanted guests on the return.
