Page 21

I looked at Guy. Then I looked at Bernie’s dark, composed energy. Then I looked back at my brother, my expression completely deadpan. "Of course she is."

"Don't start," Guy grumbled.

Our brotherly banter was settling around us, a brief shield against the nightmare landscape of wherever we were. But I couldn't let the distraction last. I had been carrying a burning, clinical question since the moment my boots hit the gray dirt.

I looked directly at Guy, my tone turning dead serious. "How did I get out? How did the Hellmouth open?"

Guy sighed, shifting his weight as he glanced at Bernie. Bernie suddenly found the gray, calcified crust of the earth deeply, intensely fascinating, her gaze dropping to her boots.

My brain, that wonderfully weird combination of Dragon Guardsman and Texas Ranger, locked onto the micro-movement instantly. "What?"

Guy rubbed the back of his neck. "Bernie opened the Hellmouth."

A long, suffocating beat of silence stretched over the canyon. I stared at Bernie. Then I stared at Guy. Then my eyes drifted back to the Necromancer.

"Your Mate…" I slowly said, emphasizing every syllable, "…opened Hell."

"Technically…" Guy started.

"Do not 'technically' your response, Dragon Man," Bernie interrupted smoothly, shooting her Mate a warning look.

Maisie let out a sharp, delighted cackle from the sidelines, crossing her arms. "Okay, I like her."

Bernie offered Maisie a quick, appreciative nod before turning her serious gaze back to me and explaining, “I intended to open a five-by-five window into the Underworld.” She paused and took a deep breath. Her eyes flew to Guy’s. He nodded, and Bernie continued. “I was trying to find my mother’s Spirit and get proof Fogarty killed her. It was supposed to be controlled. It wasn’t. The damned thing blew wide open and started spitting out everything in reach. Apparently, that included you."

I finally understood. It wasn't random fate that threw me onto the Texas sands. It wasn't a fluke of the cosmos. Bernie’s shattered spell had inadvertently cracked the ceiling of my prison.

I stared at the Necromancer for a long, quiet moment. I could see the lingering, heavy shadow of guilt anchoring her shoulders. She knew what else had slipped through that broken door.

I stepped closer, my voice dropping into a rare, sincere register. "You opened the door."

Bernie swallowed hard, her chin lifting. "Apparently."

"Thank you," I said simply.

The words caught Bernie completely off guard. Her eyes widened slightly, and her defensive posture softened as she looked at me. I saw the unspoken worry in her eyes and leveled her with a firm, steady gaze. "Whatever else came through, Bernadette, so did I."

A soft, collective breath seemed to leave the group, the emotional weight of the rescue finally settling into a quiet grace.

But the peace was short-lived. Guy’s sharp, hazel eyes drifted down my arm, locking instantly onto the dark, pulsing, black and red sigil burnt into my forearm. His entire demeanor transformed in a fraction of a second. His muscles bunched as his Dragon Guardsman training overrode his relief.

"What the hell is that?" He demanded, pointing a rigid finger at the mark.

I looked down at the pulsing mark. "Funny you should ask." Turning to the side, I kept going. "Maisie’s Alicorn Sight exposed it," I added, gesturing toward her.

Guy’s head snapped to Maisie, his brows knitting together. "Alicorn?"

"Yes," Maisie stated, matching his intensity.

Bernie tilted her head, her emerald eyes narrowing with professional curiosity. "Huh."

Maisie immediately bristled, her fingers twitching near the pockets of her jacket. "What does 'huh' mean?"

"It means I've lived a very long time, and I don't meet many Alicorns," Bernie smoothly clarified, her tone entirely neutral.

Maisie let out a short huff, relaxing her shoulders. "Better."

I quickly brought the attention back to my arm. “Yeah, well, Maisie found this ugly souvenir from Hell. It’s a psychic tether. I always assumed somebody marked me when I was dragged into the Pit. Mammon used the tether to summon me for a century, but we don't know who actually created it or who's holding the other end now.”