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Energy blazed with each sweep of his tongue over hers. Soft, entreating.

She could happily stand around kissing him all day. Horizontally would be great, too.

Eryn’s breath caught as she deepened the kiss. Her pulse steadied and soared, heated and calm. She smoothed her hands up his middle, seeking skin. “This,” she murmured against his mouth.

“What?” he answered with a smile, lips close to hers.

“I want a lot more of this.” She kissed him again.

“Then let’s win. A few hundred years ahead of us, if we get this right.”

“Always a caveat with you.” Eryn reached up and traced his chin, and tipped her head back. “If we get this right. If we win. I’m tired of ifs.”

He nuzzled and kissed her neck. “We are going to win. Neither of us is going to die.”

“Better.” She trailed kisses along his jaw, and landed a long, lingering kiss on his lips. “See you inside.”

Eryn looked back one last time as she opened the driver’s door of Lexi’s little SUV.

Vann grinned wickedly. “Omelets.”

“What?”

“An omelet cook-off. Tomorrow morning. We’ll see who makes the best.”

Eryn winked one last time, and climbed in.

Quinn, Ryan, Lana, and Archer squeezed into the passenger and back seats. Like a damn clown car of badassery. Apparently, demon hunters were fragrance-free, but the werewolf smelled like humans, and the full vampires like vampires, so they waited out of smelling distance. And Vann’s team was keeping him as far from the action as possible. As if he’d listen.

Vann wanted to walk up to the front door and punch Tisiphone in the face—as he’d introduced in the first draft of the plan. He hadn’t liked Eryn’s counteroffer, of him hiding in Montana with Lexi and the werewolves.

She eased down the cat road they’d watched from, and onto the main road. A high stone wall blocked anyone crazy enough to off-road their way into the neighborhood. Scalable, but Eryn wanted to exude a façade of compliance.

The iron and gilded main gate to the neighborhood eased open as she neared.

Eryn drove casually into the neighborhood. Not a trick-or-treat sort of neighborhood. Especially not with the wicked witch at the end of the road.

Each house had forested yards big enough for privacy and space. Rich people didn’t move this far from town to live close together.

Another gate blocked the entrance to Tisiphone’s estate, and opened as Eryn approached. The house glowed at the top of the hill, concealed by trees.

Just over the hill from the clearing where the wyverns had made her taste death for herself.

A hill and a few bends away from where her parents had been killed, and she’d pleaded for her sister’s life.

From where Vann had been brought to death’s door.

The skies were clear so far. Eryn parked in the shadows.

“We’re right here. We’ve got you,” Quinn whispered, and climbed out and ducked out of sight, the others following.

Tisiphone had wanted her ready, and fuck was she ever ready.

With the team at her back, a surprising confidence in her step, Eryn walked up to the front door.

A broad, double wooden door with aged bronze hardware framed an intricate carving.

A grown-up version of the candy house that lured Hansel and Gretel in.