The runes and protection symbols painted in goat’s blood on the walls seemed to glow in the candlelight set around the basement in Thomas’s house.

Thomas had said this was his spell room, and it sure looked like one. The stairs in front of them lead to a door locked from the outside. Cary gripped her knife and sweat trickled down her spine as she stared at the bottle needed for the spell. Based on the notes in the book, it was filled with rusty nails and razors, sea salt, and a black candle tied with a string.

No turning back now.

Levi stood next to her. The stiff expression on his face concealed the terror she knew must lay inside, which mirrored hers—tight, pained, and queasy.

Levi released a long breath. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Cary looked at the pentagram drawn on the floor in front of them. Thomas had inscribed it using her and Levi's blood, then surrounded it with protection runes and a ring of salt, the same way he’d drawn on the walls. Her arm tingled: Thomas had used a lot of blood.

She had Levi’s extra lasso on her belt, along with vials of holy water and a pair of blessed handcuffs. Next to Levi’s feet, he had a sack of salt, a backup knife, a bible, and a torch—in case the situation turned sour. Yep, they were ready, despite the chill that refused to leave her.

“You think this’ll work?” Cary touched the lasso’s handle for the tenth time, comforted that it was where it was supposed to be.

“Our blood will call the son of a bitch,” Levi said. “Then we trap it and get it to remove our marks. Pretty straightforward.” His faint voice failed to show his fear, but she could tell it was there from the way he kept looking around the room, and the stiffness of his posture.

If anything, she would have preferred to keep Levi out of the action. Sure, he had his own personal vendetta toward the nightclub demon, but this was about her, and he simply got caught in her web. But one way or another, this rampage ended tonight.

“We’re dealing with a major fucker of a demon here,” Cary said. “I just want to know you’re ready for it. We’re taking a huge gamble.” She cringed at the frailty in her tone.

“The greater risk is doing nothing.” He set his blade on the floor and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, turning her toward him.

She moved closer immediately, her body fitting perfectly against his. Warmth spread through her, reminding her of all the times she’d spent with him, the way her pulse accelerated in his presence. It was so much more than a simple attraction. She respected him for the dedication he put into his job. Plus, he’d waited for revenge all these years. It must have been terrifying to see his best friend killed in front of him, but he never gave up.

He rubbed her back. “I’ve got you covered.”

She broke their embrace, just a little, to look up into his eyes.

“You’re an amazing hunter, Cary, and the demon doesn’t stand a chance against us.” A tiny smile curled on the corners of his mouth.

“Just need to get myself together.” Shaking her head, she pulled hair off her face and into a ponytail. With her shoulders pushed back, she remembered her father’s words. Never give up, ever. Even when you think you’ve lost, kick your way out. That’s my girl.

“Hey, we’ll get through this.” When she met Levi’s gaze, he winked. “We’ll win this.”

She couldn’t ignore her unsettling fear. “What if there wasn’t an afterward?” she asked. What she really meant was: What if she never got to tell Levi how she really felt about him? Worse yet, what if she got him killed? If she hadn’t chased the demon that night at the club… Better yet, why hadn’t she stayed in Detroit? As much as she wanted to spill everything right now, her words refused to come at first, convinced he’d laugh at her. How could he ever love a monster? She tried anyway.

“Levi.” Her muscles tightened. “I’ve always liked you, maybe too much, and no matter what happens, I could never hate you.”

He looked back at her, still and so serious.

“I gave you my heart long ago,” he said quickly. She wanted to reply, to kiss him, to make everything better, but he dropped his gaze just as quick and turned to the pentagram in front of them.

And yet, he just declared to giving his heart away.

How was Cary supposed to deal with that? Sure, she’d wanted to hear those words for too long, but after all the stuff they’d gone through, it wasn’t what she expected.

Hell, Cary needed to focus. Nothing else mattered right now. Nothing.

She licked her lips and raised the knife to chest level. Holding her hands over the symbols, she placed the sharp edge of the blade to her palm. She pulled the blade back, the sharp bite stinging. Blood rolled down the side of her palm.

The moment the first blood splattered over hit the pentagram, the temperature in the room dropped sharply.

No turning back now.