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When we reach the falls, Snow turns back into Mack. Luther hands him clothes from a backpack he was carrying and, when he pulls them on, Mack says, “Nova, what happened back there—” He sucks in a deep breath. “Your power. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Coming from you, Professor, that’s a true compliment.” I smile cheekily at him, but he returns it with only a stoic expression.

“You were right.” I look at each of them before settling on Kole. “You were right all along—I died, then I came back. I’m more powerful than before.”

“More powerful than Eve,” Kole replies. “Which means more powerful than any witch I’ve ever encountered.”

I cast a fire on the sand and gesture for them to join me around it. I sit down, crossing my legs and resting my palms on my thighs. “But it won’t be enough. Taking Eve down a peg or two, exploding demons, and running super-fast isn’t the same as destroying The Shadow King.” I straighten my shoulders. “Because that is what we must do—we must destroy him, so he can never return.”

“All right, so how do we do that?” Luther asks. “You said it’s time to share, Supernova.” He raises his eyebrows. His tone is like it was before—in the days when I still thought he hated me—but now I know what lies beneath it, his grumpiness is even more delicious.

“My blood.” I meet Luther’s eyes. “We will do it with my blood.”

There is a long moment of silence. Kole’s pupils have grown wider and darker. His jaw is twitching, but the black veins that show The Hunger is taking control of him are gone.

“Kole has drunk from me before and we saw what it did to his powers. Tanner too. But that was before I came back.” I wiggle my fingers, watching vines of fire loop around them like rings.

“You want us to drink from you?” Sam says slowly. “That’s what you meant when you said what if there were six of you?”

I look quickly from him to Mack, who I can tell is already railing against the idea. “You are strong, all of you, but with my blood inside you… that’s how we’ll win.”

“Nova, are you sure?” Luther slides his hand onto mine. My fire loops around his fingers too, tying us together in a tangle of heat.

I draw in a deep breath. “This isn’t going to be easy. It’s not just a case of you getting a super-boost of your powers. It could be dangerous. There could be side-effects, but it all fits. All of it makes sense, don’t you think? From the beginning, we’ve known my blood was special. Kole was drawn to it, but it didn’t behave the way human blood did. My blood brought Sam back. My blood opened the portal, and my blood will seal it”

“We’ll do it,” Tanner says quickly. “Of course, we’ll do it.”

Kole and Luther hesitate for a moment, then nod. Frowning a little, Sam says, “Me too.”

I look at Mack. He rubs his beard. His eyes flash amber, and Snow’s familiar grumble fills his throat.

“You don’t like it, Professor?” I stand up and move behind him, hands on his shoulders. He reaches up to smooth his hands over mine, then climbs to his feet and pulls me close.

“I will do whatever you ask, Little Star.” He brushes my hair from my face. “No question.”

I tilt my head to the side, exposing my neck and running my index finger down the shadow of a vein that Kole has tasted more than once.

“Now?” Luther stands. They all do.

They were okay with it when it was something that would happen in the future, but now? Clearly, it’s too much too soon because they all look terrified. All except Kole.

Letting go of Mack, I walk to my Viking and run my hands up his broad chest. You have to show them the way, I whisper using the voice only he can hear.

He tilts my chin up toward him, balancing it on the knuckle of his thick index finger. Are you certain, Little Star?

I don’t reply, just stare into his eyes and pull his hair loose so it falls over his shoulders. His lips curl, exposing a flash of his slightly pointed teeth. He runs his tongue over them, and I raise my wrist to his mouth. Tanner first, I tell him.

Kole keeps his eyes on mine but brings the soft skin on the inside of my wrist to his lips.

“Kole—” Luther tries to interject but it’s too late; Kole has already pierced my skin.

As blood trickles slowly from my veins, I turn and find Tanner. I pull him toward me and lift the wound to his mouth. At first, he licks it, slowly sweeping his tongue over the puncture wounds Kole made. Then he takes hold of my arm and starts to suck. He closes his eyes and groans as my blood coats his lips, and chin, and teeth.

Sparks of pleasure start to flutter inside me. I grip the back of his head, then push my fingers through his hair and pry his mouth away from me.

Tanner stands up, breathless, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. His eyes roll back in his head, and he stumbles as if he’s drunk. Then he lets out a loud exhilarated cry and punches the air. “Fuck!” He grabs Luther and pushes him toward me.