“Pretty sure you’ve still got some crazy in you.” Jax’s smile faded. “You about ready?”
“Does it matter if I’m not?” I sat down on the bed, fingering the strap of my new pack. “Wait—let me rephrase: no, hell no, not even close.”
“Haley…” Jax ran a hand through his black hair and sighed, then came to sit beside me. “What Saint said about trusting us… Look, I won’t pretend to know what the two of you went through before he showed up in Midnight, and I sure as hell don’t know what’s waiting for us when we get back. But he was right about one thing. Wewillhave your back.”
“I know. I’ll have yours, too.”
“Is that so?” he teased.
“Of course! What the hell kind of a witch do you take me for?”
“No idea, but something tells me you’re kind of a badass.”
I propped a hand on my hip and glared. “Kindof?”
“Okay, okay. Full-on badass.” Jax smiled, then grabbed my hand, shocking the hell out of me.
His touch was strong and reassuring, and in the wake of its warmth, I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?” I whispered.
Jax’s breath stirred my hair. “I think… I think you’re doing what you believe is best to save the people you love.”
“Nice save, demon.” I laughed. “Who knew hellspawn could be so diplomatic? Maybe you should consider running for office.”
Jax wasn’t laughing though. He pulled back and gazed into my eyes, a sadness rising in his that made my heart squeeze up. “Saving the people you love is never crazy, Haley. Just be sure you don’t lose yourself in the process.”
I nodded and promised I wouldn’t, but could I even keep a promise like that?
How could I make sure I didn’t lose myself when I’d never even found myself in the first place?
“Take a few more minutes and do what you need to do,” Jax said, giving my hand one last squeeze before letting go. “But we need to get going. We don’t know how long the portal transition will take, and if we don’t get enough of a jump on sunrise, we’ll have to wait until Hudson can shift back again tomorrow night.”
“How does all that work, exactly?” I asked. “With his shifting?”
“Daylight always turns him into stone. Any other time, he can shift at will among three forms—human, stone, or his winged warrior form, which is sort of crossed between the two, but more massive and with wings.”
“Stone by daylight. Okay, I need to set a watch or something—that seems like an important thing to keep track of.”
“Won’t be an issue in Midnight. The sun doesn’t rise there—just three moons.”
“Seriously? I was hoping that was just hyperbole.”
“Nothing you’ve heard about that place is hyperbole.” He put his hand on my shoulder, his gaze stern. “Remember that, angel. Because the minute you forget, it’ll get us all killed.”
* * *
Loaded up with our gear, the four of us stood on the damp earth on the far edge of the pond, gazing into the thicket of live oaks in the shadows just beyond.
“Will it hurt?” I asked, one hand clutching the portal spell, the other nestled tightly in Hudson’s grip.
“No,” Elian said. “Just hold on to us, and don’t let go. As long as you focus on keeping the portal open, and the three of us keep visualizing Blackbone Forest, the magick should guide us straight there.”
“From your lips to the Goddess’ ears.” I took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrant scent of night-blooming jasmine, realizing it could very well be the last time I ever smelled it.
I closed my eyes and whispered a prayer for my sisters, sending them all my love.
Then, with nothing left to say, I opened my eyes, tossed the vial to the ground, and stomped on it.
