Page 303 of Sorrow & Strangers

“Yes, which is why we are going to have contingencies.” I exhale heavily. The chance of a trap is nearly one hundred percent, but if we go in all guns blazing, that will reflect poorly on Alice. While her people don’t necessarily deserve to have a peaceful mourning period, for whatever reason, they loved her father, and I plan to gain their favor slowly. Showing up with someone who has enough power to shatter the realm will send the wrong message.

“What are you thinking, Summer?” Mira asks.

I exhale. “So you’ve been working on controlling your urges with Mira?” I ask Rafe, and he nods. “The darkness inside me is still extremely irresistible to you, so we will all need to work together.”

Every time we train, Rafe gets stronger, and I can see his control growing, but not fast enough for me to be confident he can go to Drãculea. We will need to train at least three times a day with Mira there to ground him. It is imperative that he have complete control and the demon locked down in case I have to delve into my powers. We will be completely surrounded by dark energy and malice. While it may seem like a good idea for Rafe to just explode into a demon frenzy and go on a killing spree, it will be extremely difficult to bring him back from it, even with the help of his beloved phoenix.

Rafe looks strained, and Mira looks at me, nodding confidently.

“Sum, you should not release that. It should be our last resort. It’s a bunch of vamps. We can handle them.” Still, his voice sounds unsure.

“It is absolutely the last resort, but by that point the stranger will be there, so . . .” I shake my head. “So the stranger will be on the back burner, waiting on my signal, and I am going to ask the headmaster if he can use the rune he used in the cave. The one that gave me a moment to say goodbye to Connor. I’m not sure what we’ll need it for, but I know it will be invaluable.”

“Time is the one thing we can always use.” Rafe smiles. “You really are smart. Pain in my ass, but smart.”

My lips twitch, but I look away, down at the halo on my wrist. “The absolute last resort after absolutely everything. If everything else fails . . .” I look at Rafe. “You take Alice and Mira, and you leave.” I watch him intensely. “Okay?”

“Fuck off,” Rafe snarls.

“Rafael, we have no idea what I’m capable of if I delve into my endless chasm of power of darkness, but I know nothing good will come of it. You take them, and you run.”

“No. Fuck you and the self-sacrifice bit. I had a sibling do that shit already, Sum. I will not have another. If you want to release your power, gain enough control that all of us will be there for it, and still standing after. Or it’s not an option. Not a last resort. It’s nothing!”

Mira takes his hand. “Rafe . . . I can feel her power. My phoenix quivers beneath it.”

“And there is no time for me to train to protect you all. You leave. End of story.”

“No,” Rafe hisses. “I won’t agree to that. Not ever.”

I meet Mira’s gaze. Her eyes flicker with flames, and she nods once.

“Well, we’d better train so it doesn’t come to that,” I say, looking back at Rafe.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six

Summer

Days pass, and while Alice starts to emerge from her depression, when she knocks on my door the day of her father’s funeral, the nerves are dripping from her. She steps into my room, wearing a dress that is the most formal thing I’ve ever seen her in. It’s a black dress that stops just above the knee. She wears a pendant around her neck, the blade of the tiny dagger filled with what appears to be blood. A traditional Drãculean mourning headdress covers her bright hair, the tulle obscuring her eyes, making her bloodred lips even starker.

I am wearing a dress that is not wholly appropriate for a funeral, but I don’t have the will to show that fucker any level of respect. The only reason I am going is to support Alice. I want everyone to notice me with her and to feel the power radiating from me, so I’ve worn something that gives me confidence. It has a high slit that reveals the black leather sheath strapped around my thigh, my sai safely stored within. They’re visible, but they could simply be ceremonial.

“Ready?” Alice asks, pulling on her fingers nervously. I know the second we step foot on the cobblestones of Drãculea that her mask will fall into place, but here, now, in the safety of my bedroom, she can be vulnerable. She needs to be.

“I’m here,” I say, taking her hand and interlocking our fingers.

“Rafe and Mira are downstairs,” Alice says, squeezing my hand.

“We’re going to get through this. Together,” I say, adjusting her veil.

“Stay close, okay?” she says, her voice soft and small.

“I promise I will not leave your side.” Alice exhales a shaky breath, and we go downstairs. Rafe is tugging on the collar of his formal attire. It’s what is customarily worn in Hell, and it’s obvious he is uncomfortable wearing it. While Hell and Drãculea don’t have a formal treaty, they share mutual respect that we hope to capitalize on.

There is a risk of Lucifer snatching Rafe when we’re off realm, but it’s a risk we’re going to have to take. The headmaster warned against him leaving the realm, but he also saw the benefits of it.

Mira brushes Rafe’s hands away from his suit and fixes his shirt before kissing the corner of his lips. Rafe relaxes at her touch. Half her hair is braided into a crown, and she is wearing a stunning black dress with a train that resembles dark flames.

“You look so sexy,” Mira whispers, and my lips twitch. They are truly stunning together. Rafe glances up, and I catch his and Mira’s eyes, giving them both a slight nod.