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Allison
Grant keeps his eyebrows raised, though he seems unusually calm considering that I just announced my plan to murder a man. A psycho, but still, a human being. I don't want to do it, but I know the only way to stop the alchemy of worlds is to destroy the creator of the apocalypse. Sefton has gone too far down the rabbit hole for anyone to pull him out again, which leaves me with no other options.
Willow has wrapped her arms around herself, but she doesn't seem horrified by what I just said. Maybe I shouldn't have included her in our discussion, but this is an unprecedented situation—for the whole world—and even a teenager deserves to know what's at stake.
Dax has been staring at me with squinted eyes and compressed lips while a muscle in his jaw pulses. He fists and loosens his hands repeatedly while his gaze drills into mine. "You will do no such thing."
"It's the only way. Weren't you listening when I told you how Sefton created the apocalypse? The Tria Prima has to be demolished. That means I have to kill him."
"Will that make the world the way it used to be?" Willow asks.
"No, I think it's too late for that. But I'm hoping we can at least stop any further damage." I give her shoulder a squeeze. "And one day we will find a way to make things better. Might take a long time, but I know we can do it. All of us together."
I glance at the three people who are watching me. Yes, I believe that one day we won't live in hell on earth anymore. I have to believe it. Stopping the Echo from swallowing up this world is a start. The fact that at least one enclave has survived virtually untouched gives me hope.
And we desperately need that now.
Dax stalks up to me, seizes my arm, and drags me back into the corner we had retreated to earlier to have a private conversation. He backs me into the corner, penning me with his body, though he doesn't touch me. "You will not kill Sefton. I will do that. You'll be safe on the Lost Coast with Grant and Willow."
"No. I'm the catalyst, which means I need to be the one to take down Sefton. Besides, you don't know how to access those boxes."
"I am the anchor. That means I should be the one to do it."
"This is ridiculous." I let my head fall back against the wall and groan. "We're both a part of the equation—Tria Prima, the reaction that sparked the alchemy of worlds. Arguing about who gets to kill Sefton is not helpful."
"What are you saying?"
"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we both need to be there to stop him and break the cycle."
He lifts one brow. "Maybe? That's rot. You are going to the Lost Coast with Grant and Willow. I will break the cycle."
"Give it up, Dax. I'm not letting you do this alone."
A throat-clearing from the other side of the room spurs both of us to look at Grant.
He scratches his cheek. "You were talking kinda loud right at the end there, so we heard what you said. And I have a different opinion."
"I don't give a stuff about your opinion," Dax snarls through clenched teeth.
Grant raises his hands, palms out. "Hey, man, I'm just trying to help. I'm not as useless as you seem to think."
"No one thinks you're useless," I say. "But taking out Sefton will require a real battle. His creatures will defend him, and he has powerful magics on his side. Dax and I will need to get into the cellar, which means fighting our way past a lot of insanely strong creatures."
"I was an Army Ranger before I became a deputy sheriff." Grant's expression hardens, his posture stiffens, and he suddenly looks every bit the cop slash soldier. His voice sounds rougher too, like he's summoning his inner badass right before our eyes. "I lived through all kinds of shit, way before the apocalypse hit, including deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. I fought my way out of LA after those creatures overran the entire city and the county too. Stop acting like I need you to protect me. The truth is, you need me."
He could be right. I hadn't realized until just now that we have a real warrior on our side. With Dax and Grant on the team, we just might get this done—and maybe even survive it.
My gaze flits to the teenager in the group, then back to Dax. "What about Willow? We can't send her to the Lost Coast alone."
Willow leaps off the bed and hurries over to us. "Please don't send me away. Maybe I didn't fight in a war, and maybe I don't have magic, but I can take care of myself. That's what I had to do before I found you guys."
I grasp her shoulders. "You can't be a part of the battle. Those creatures are way too strong."
"But I can hide. Just please don't send me away."
The poor kid doesn't want to be abandoned again. I pull her into a hug. "Okay. You can stay, but you have to keep out of sight."
Dax clears his throat deliberately. "Willow might have magic, you know. She did breach Sefton's wards."
