Mickey beams, looking pleased.
“I think this could work. This really could work,” I say, feeling a smidgen of hope for the first time since we started this.
“Got it,” Imani says.
“I will draw the god and the horseman out,” Vero offers.
“No, I will,” I state. “I’m the only one in this group they don’t want to kill. Aemon wants me to join him, and if he kills me, it’d be years before I’d be of use to him. It’s the same reason he hasn’t killed Conquest. He’s tired of waiting.”
“Absolutely not,” Torin says.
“Please trust me. I’ll be careful.”
Torin appears conflicted but nods. Before I can touch the man with the magic that allows him to open Doors, Torin grabs me and pulls me close. “Please,pleasebe careful.”
“I will,” I assure him.
He shakes his head. “I don’t like this. Let me stay with you.”
“We’d only have Vero breaking Conquest out then,” I say. “The faster you are, the faster we can get out of there and come back here.”
“I’ll stay with Riley. Aemon won’t find me concerning,” Mickey says. “So Torin, help Vero. Like Riley said, the faster Conquest is free, the better. I’ll have my undead help guard us. And if any of you see a spare evil book or journal lying around, grab it for me, please.”
I squeeze Torin as tightly as I can. “This will go well. And if we have Conquest on our side, we just have to keep him away from them so they’ll never be able to complete the final sacrifice. Wehaveto get Conquest. If he joins us in this fight, think about the power he’ll bring to our group.”
“Yeah,” he says, voice quiet. “Okay.” He tips my chin up and kisses me before pressing his mouth close to my ear. “I love you so much. You are my whole world. I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t. I promise. I love you too. And when this is over, we’ll go to a buffet, alright?”
“I do love a buffet.”
“And we’ll take the subway to get there.”
Torin raises an eyebrow. “Why must you ruin good things with your sadism?”
“And you’ll be required to ride an escalator upanddown.”
“You’re just being sassy now.”
I grin at him before I give him a soft kiss and pull back. “Let’s do this.”
I touch the man’s hand and immediately feel the magic to open the Door. “Give me a few minutes to draw them out, okay? How about Mickey sends his bat to you when he’s ready for you to come through?”
Torin glowers at the adorable thing hooked onto Mickey’s shirt. “Toast is prepared for the attack,” Mickey says as he pokes the bat’s head. Toast just chills, ready to nap. He really is the perfect pet for Mickey.
“Fine,” Torin grumbles, as though the tiny creature causes him distress.
I focus on creating the Door inside the mansion, finding it far harder than Torin makes it look. There are so many pieces and parts to it, causing the magic that goes into it to be draining, but I’m relieved when it’s finally in place.
I shift Conquest’s bow up onto my shoulder while I look at the Door and steel myself for what we’re about to face, hoping I haven’t made a mistake with this. Mickey and I walk through it with the woman who had given me back my sight years ago without ever knowing it. The instant I step inside, darkness surrounds me until I feel a hand on mine and my magic switches from allowing me to create a Door to being connected to Kit’s eyes.
We’re standing in the middle of the foyer where Aemon had threatened to kill me not that long ago. With Mickey right behind me, I hurry to the door leading outside. Mickey has the edge of my shirt in his hand, careful not to touch me and disrupt my magic, as we leave the door to the mansion open so the bat can easily fly back to the Door to Torin’s realm.
“Maybe they’re not home,” Mickey says, looking around uneasily.
I glance back at the house, wondering if we’re wasting time out here that we could spend going for Conquest instead.
“Should I send the others in?” Mickey asks as he calls for some undead to protect us.
