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Daphne smiled at me as the room morphed into a section of woods that looked suspiciously like the ones we’d walked through earlier. They looked and felt—even smelled—just as wonderful, but I somehow doubted this was going to be a pleasant experience.

“Have you stretched yet today?” She placed hands on hips and scrutinized me.

I laughed. “Me? No. I sort of walked to work, does that count?”

Daphne shook her head. “That’s a good warm up, though. Do what I do.”

The next hour turned into what I imagined torture might be. If I tried to sit down, Daphne literally started throwing things at me until I moved again. If I didn’t move fast enough, she shouted in my ear until I complied. By the time I was done, every muscle in my body screamed in protest and my legs had turned to gelatin, so I lay spread eagle on the spongy, mossy ground, staring up at a fake sun and sky that looked ridiculously real. I hadn’t sweated this much since the Pilates class Zoe talked me into a couple of years ago.

“You did great,” Daphne said, tossing a towel on my chest.

I flinched. I thought it meant she wanted me to move again, and I doubted that would be possible.

She laughed. “Drink some water. You have to stay hydrated. Both physical activity and magic use water. It’s easy to lose track.” She sat beside me, cross-legged.

“I thought I liked you,” I said. It hurt to turn my head to look at her.

“Well, I like you, Char. That’s why I’m going to push you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I promise it’ll get easier as you work on it. We’re doing this every weekday from now on, by the way. I’ll be sure to alternate which muscle groups I focus on so they get to rest in between.”

Staring daggers at her seemed to have no effect since she just kept smiling. Then she nudged me and handed over a water bottle. I managed to prop myself on my elbows enough to drink.

“Just so you know, there’s magic in that. I’ll give you one after each session. It’ll help with any soreness. I don’t want to hinder your ability to react while in the field.”

Amazingly, it did seem to help as I was able to sit and then stand fairly easily. I still had the sense I’d be paying for this later, though. Daphne snapped, and the forest melted back into her locker room setup, this time with flute music playing in the background like I was at a spa.

“Hang on, hon,” she said as I turned toward the shower alcoves. “Give me your cell.”

She put her contact info in, the tip of her pink tongue sticking adorably out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on typing before handing it back. “I get the feeling you could use an ear. If things get rough, feel free to reach out. It can be tough dealing with these fuckers sometimes.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Why aren’t you coming with us?” She’d be able to take on Mordock for sure.

“I can’t be far from my land,” she said with a sad, little smile. “Even on the Island, I can’t leave for more than a day without suffering. But don’t worry. You got this.” She put an arm around my shoulder and walked me forward. “Wear the shoes and stock up the belt before you go. And don’t forget the things I taught you. I expect you back here in forty-eight hours, so don’t die or I am coming after you.”

“Right.” Had to love her humor.

She’d covered a hell of a lot, but whether it could truly help me take on a horde of vampires… Well, at least it was something. “Thanks again, Daphne.”

“You’re welcome.”

* * *

I’d been back in my lab for almost an hour when the elevator reappeared making me slam my fist onto the counter in frustration. I needed to focus without interruptions. There was only so much time.

When the doors opened, it wasn’t Julian that stepped out, but my sister. The shock of seeing her here sent me to my feet, stool spinning and frustration all but forgotten.

“How’d you get in here?” I asked, flabbergasted.

Zoe pointed at badge clipped to her shirt that read, Visitor. “I was going to transport up but decided to do it the old-fashioned way since there were so many wards I’d have to take down. Gladys sent me up. I’d have gotten here sooner, but we got distracted talking about the book she’s reading. She invited us to join her book club.”

Shock number two left me speechless. Since when did Gladys have friendly conversations or invite people to things? Was it just me she was grumpy to?

“Anyway,” she said, stepping forward to let the elevator go, “I brought you something. Mama and I thought you might need it, now that we understand a little more about what you’re doing.”

“What’s that?” I gestured toward my office so we could sit and talk without her seeing and asking too many questions about what was on the computer in front of us.

Zoe whistled upon entering, moving in a circle to take in the spaciousness and the view. “Nice digs.”

“Thanks. I’m kind of busy, so…”