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She met Alexei’s gaze, and Perry saw in the exchanged look all the family affection and loyalty he’d wished he had.“What I want doesn’t matter anymore.Kradnovtl needs its true queen, and Baba Yaga will close the glass behind me.It’s better that way.No more goblin greed spilling into this world.”
Perry pulled her closer.She was right.The realm came first.No matter how badly he wanted to hold her and reassure himself that she’d made it through.“We must go.Before the glass closes.Before Kradnovtl is gone forever.”He hauled her against him and stumbled to his feet.The double magic drain had taken all his strength.The healing charm was working.Not fast, but enough he could stand.
“Give her to me,” Alexei said.
“I…” Perry didn’t want to let her go.He’d just gotten her back.He might never let her go.
“Not open for discussion.”The demon hybrid looked as though he’d rather fight than talk.“The helicopter is waiting down the hill.They’ll get you to the glass.You’ll have her for the rest of your lives.Let me have a few minutes to say good-bye to her.For you to say good-bye to your father.”
Perry nodded, overwhelmed by the rush of emotions crashing down on him.They made it to the helicopter, strapped in, and lifted into the air.The dark house where Petra had made her final stand stood silent on the hill.Looking down, he couldn’t see any sign of the horrors Vori and his father must’ve been through there.What he’d almost lost there.
“I’ll take care of the cleanup.”Alexei’s casual tone was that of a man used to supernatural messes.
“Thank you.I never would’ve found her without you.”Perry meant it.It’d been Alexei who had known where she might be, where she’d met Petra, where there was a last chance of finding her.They’d almost been too late.
This time, the helicopter ride was a quick up and down, and they were outside the cave that was the entrance to the goblin glass within minutes.
His father grabbed him in an awkward hug that had to be painful for the man.“Good luck, son.”
Damn, he almost teared up.Maybe this was why his dad had left without a word.Because good-byes were too hard.
Delia interrupted.“We’ll take your father to my healer sister.”
“Thank you.”Perry met her gaze.This Legacy witch who he’d almost ended to save his own life.To save his family’s.“I can’t say how sorry I am to you and your family.”
She nodded.“We know.I’ll tell the Senate you died saving the city, burned yourself out so they’ll never look for you again.We’ll take care of your dad.Promise.”
It was better than he’d hoped for—redemption for himself, and a pardon and a place to belong for his father.
Watching Vori say good-bye to her cousin was heartbreaking.The seconds seemed to fly by and stretch into forever all at once.
“I’ll find a way to contact you,” she promised.By the powers, he hoped she could keep that promise.But she swayed on her feet.They’d run out of time.
Perry pulled her into his arms.“We need to go.”She was fading fast.If she was fading, what was happening to Kradnovtl?
He wanted to say one last good-bye to his father, to Alexei.To say the right reassuring words.To say all the things they didn’t have time to talk about.To say something worthy of the respect and grief in the demon hybrid’s eyes.
“Go.”Alexei pushed him so that he had to concentrate on walking instead of stumbling.
He hurried into the cave.The goblin glass didn’t seem as foreign this time.More like a welcome window to the future.
Vori put her hand against his chest.“You still have time to reconsider.”Her words slurred, a mumble of sleep and pain dragging her down.Yet her worries were for him.“They’ve forgiven you.You could return to your old life or whatever life you choose—”
He stopped her.“A life of regret here or a lifetime with you?There’s nothing to reconsider.I pick you.Every time.”
“You came back to me.”She sounded shocked, delirious.How much blood had she lost?
“I always will.I’ll never leave you.”
“Promise?”Her voice was barely a whisper.She closed her eyes.By the powers, she was slipping away.To a place he couldn’t follow.
“Stay with me.Vori, don’t leave me.”He needed to figure out how to cross through the goblin glass.Now.“I love you.”
She blinked open that penetrating amethyst gaze.The one that matched the glass they had to go through.“You…” She trailed off.
Panic fired all the nerve endings in his body as much as his magic did.“How do we open the glass?Do I just walk through?You’ve lost so much blood already.I still have your symbol on my wrist, but there’s gold and silver and red everywhere.”
“You stole my line.Such a goblin thing to do.”
