It didn’t take me long to contact the FireSouls or my mother. Both agreed to meet at Factory Row in ten hours, ready for battle. They’d bring everyone they could muster, and we’d all go through a portal to Svalbard.

Fortunately, Mordaca had proven that we could return via transporting once we’d been permitted access by the primordial gods. Hopefully a portal would be allowed as well.

Ares was still in the Vampire Realm, gathering as many troops as he could. Jeff was nowhere to be found, but I wasn’t worried. Not about him, at least. He’d show when I called. Claire was trying to find mercenaries from the Order of the Magica to fight, while Aerdeca had gone to the Shifter Council.

Now, it was time to sleep and regain my energy. The fight was coming, and I needed to be ready. But anxiety for Cass and Del clawed at me, raking my insides. Though it was physically painful, I didn’t try to ignore it. My negligence had gotten them caught. So I had to be better. I had to use this one chance.

But how?

The question rolled through my mind as I made my way toward my bed. Though I needed a shower, there was no way I had the energy or the time. Everyone had been right—the dragon’s magic had been such a shock to the system that it had weakened us. Added to that, I couldn’t remember when I’d slept last.

I fell face-first onto the bed, hoping that a genius plan would come to me in sleep. Something epic and amazing.

If I was still going to save the day, I’d definitely need something along those lines.

* * *

The dream slammed into me, short and fast. I was in the dragons’ mountain, standing at the edge of the pit. Around me, the dragons slept. At my side, strangely enough, stood the forest spirit from Elesius.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Helping.”

“How?” She was just a pale wisp of a thing, a person with hardly any substance at all. Still a ghost, pale and white. There was a bit more substance to her than before, maybe because I’d poured some of my life force into her, but she wasn’t a real person.

“The answer is obvious, isn’t it?” She pushed her leafy hair back from her face. “You are life. The dragons need life.”

“But what does that mean?”

She shrugged a slender shoulder. “I think you know. You must become one with them. Like I will.”

Her magic pulsed and she glowed. Then she began to break apart, her form turning to mist that drifted up and swirled on the air, mingling with the light that rose from the pit and sustained the dragons.

Within seconds, she was gone.

* * *

I woke with a gasp, heart thundering. It was dark in the room.

My gaze sought the clock.

Four a.m.

If I hurried, I could beat them. That dream made it clear—I could do this without risking any other lives. I had to try. And I had forty minutes before everyone was meant to show up.

“What is it?” Ares’s groggy voice sounded from beside me.

I jumped. In my panic, I hadn’t realized he’d snuck into bed with me.

“You’re back from the Vampire Realm?” I asked, knowing the question was stupid. But he’d startled me. I wasn’t at my best.

He sat up and clicked on a light, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Yes. Thought I’d get some sleep.” He looked at the clock. “Not much left of that to be had, though.”

“No.” I shook my head and climbed out of the bed. He looked so handsome. I couldn’t believe this would be the last time I’d see him. Tears smarted my eyes. I leaned down and kissed him hard, then straightened.

A confused grin tugged at his mouth, then he was all business. “I rallied a hundred soldiers. The best in our ranks. Along with some volunteers, plus Doyen and Magisteria.”

“We won’t need them.”

His eyes sharpened. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.” I swallowed hard. “I know how to wake the dragons. But I can do it alone. I must do it alone. And I need you to take me.”

“How?”

I couldn’t tell him. Not when I was pretty sure it meant my death. Because I needed to give the dragons all of my magic. All of it. Could I even survive that?

“There’s no time. But I do need to get there. Take me, please.” Something frightened thrummed in my chest. Maybe it was the dream, maybe it was fear, but I was manic.

His jaw hardened. “No. Not without the army.”

“Scared?” It was a low blow, and I knew it. But panic thundered through my veins, making me low and stupid.

His gaze softened. Of course he wouldn’t rise to that bait. Not his style.

“No.” He climbed out of bed, his broad chest shirtless, and stood towering over me. He gripped my arms, holding me close. “I won’t take you. Not alone.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Do you recall when Aethelred the Seer predicted that I would lose what I loved most?”

My extremities tingled. Slowly, I nodded.

“That’s you, Nix.” His gaze turned fierce. “You are what I love most. I can’t lose you.”

My heart felt like it cracked in two. The ache was fierce. Tears stung my eyes.

Ares really loved me. I’d believed it before when I’d told him, but somehow—this was worse. It was so real. What could we have had, if I didn’t have to do what I had to do?

But I wouldn’t risk all those people’s lives if I could help it. We shouldn’t take an army if we didn’t need them. No need to waste the life. My fate was sealed either way.

But I couldn’t stand here with Ares, dreaming of what might have been. Not when I had to wake the dragons.

I pulled away from him. “I’m getting dressed. If you’re not downstairs with me in five minutes when I need to go, I’ll find a way to get there myself. Mordaca will take me, for the right price.”

He scoffed, as if he didn’t believe it. I stiffened my shoulders. He’d have to believe it, because I had to do this.

In the dim bedroom, I didn’t look at him as I reached blindly for my clothes. I pulled on a Lil’ Bub T-shirt, unable to take any joy in the goofy cat.

Should I go look at my trove one more time?

No. It would be harder to walk away.

I tugged on my boots, keenly aware of Ares’s presence as he pulled on his shirt. He hadn’t said he would help me, but he wasn’t saying no. Not yet.

I left the room, not looking at my apartment as I went to the door. I couldn’t look at my life as I left it behind. After slipping on my warm jacket, I took the stairs two at a time, hurrying down to the green door. I called to Jeff and the Pūķi as I went, hoping they’d meet me on the street.

I pushed the door open, stepping out into the cold night air.

Dozens of people surrounded me. I stopped still, shocked. Jeff and the Pūķi sat in the back of the crowd, as I’d expected. But the crowd itself—they shouldn’t be here yet.

“You’re early,” I said. I still had thirty-five minutes before they were supposed to meet.

My mother stepped forward, eyes on mine. “We’re going off to battle. Doesn’t hurt to be a little early.”

“The plan has changed.” My voice was stiff. It hurt to look at her, knowing I wouldn’t see her again. Like I wanted to memorize her features, every line and curve. My father stood next to her.

To the left, Aerdeca and Mordaca stood, their battle gear on, along with a contingent of folks from Darklane. A motley crew, all dressed in black. Behind them, the League of FireSouls. Not all of them, not yet. But the rest would come, I was sure. Each was dressed in burnished red armor, and their faces were set, hard in the glow of the streetlights. They were ready to fight.

Beyond them stood a dark-haired man whom I hadn’t seen in months. Our old friend Emile, the Animus Mage. His rats, Ralph and Rufus, sat on his shoulders. Black and white with their whiskers twitching in the wind. Del’s hellhounds stood at his side. Though they normally lived with the League of FireSouls, they’d no doubt been drawn by his ability to speak to animals.

“The Order of the Magica agreed to send fifty of their best mercenaries,” Claire said from my side. “Fifty more volunteered to come.”

I turned to look at her. She was dressed in her fighting leathers, brown hair pulled back from her face. Connor wasn’t with her. “Where’s your brother?”

“Late.” She grinned.

“Not yet.” I looked at them all again, catching sight of an unfamiliar bunch to the right. Their magic smelled like animals. Shifters. “You’re all early.”

“Why were you trying to sneak out?” my mother asked.

Ares stepped up behind me, his chest warm against my back. I ignored him, my heart breaking.

“I’ve had a dream. I know how to wake the dragons, but if I can do it alone, I should.” I raked my gaze over the crowd, desperate for them not to come. “There’s no reason to risk your lives.”

“Not when you can do it for us, is that it?” A feminine voice sounded from my left.

I turned. Bree, her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail, shot me a challenging look. Something was different about her, weaker in magic, but she was here all the same, dressed for battle. Next to her, Ana’s gaze was hard. She was the same—slightly different, as if the great expulsion of power had weakened her somehow.

“We’re coming with you,” Ana said. “I didn’t get my chance to see the mountain of dragons. And I’m not going back to the valley until I do.”

I shook my head at her, flabbergasted, then looked at the crowd. “There is no point. Once I wake the dragons, the battle is over. They can defeat the demons.”

“Can they?” Claire asked. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. They were huge.” The memory flashed in front of my mind’s eye. They’d been monstrous, terrifying even in sleep. I had faith in them. But more than that, more than anything—I didn’t want all my friends and family to die. There were too many demons, and Drakon was too strong. If I was going to lose my life, it was just salt on the wound that they might lose theirs.

“You’re being stubborn, Nix,” Ares said.

“And also a bit crazy,” Mordaca added.

“I’m not.” Was I? Panic still raced through me, the knowledge of what I had to do sending me on my ass—figuratively, at least.

“Without a good plan or a way to get in, you can’t guarantee you’ll reach the dragons,” Ares said.

“I’ll have Jeff and the Pūķi. They come when I call.”

A fair number of the people in the crowd nodded appraisingly. My dragons could get me through to the sleeping ones below. Then, from there, the dragons would take over.

“We want to fight.” My mother’s voice was firm, lecturing. “It is our choice to risk our lives and defend our magic, not yours to protect us. That is not your role, Nix.”

I stepped back slightly, shocked. But I was the protector. It was what I did, and what I wanted to do now. But this was the harshest tone she’d ever taken with me. And she was right. I was trying to decide for them.

“And alone, you can’t guarantee that you can save your deirfiúr,” Ares said. “I don’t know what dream you had or what you need to do, but you’ll need help to save them. I know you have faith in the dragons, but hedge your bets.”

Save my deirfiúr. He was right. Both of them were right. I was being crazy. Stress and fear were getting to me.

“It’s the nature of a hero to try to sacrifice themselves,” my father said. “To protect others. But Nix—you must accept our help. Because we will come anyway. Better as a united front, with a plan in place.”

My throat tightened, and tears pricked my eyes. They were right. And I was going nuts. The truth of what I might face in the dragons’ mountain had made me lose my mind. But I had to be sharp and smart.

We had an army. We had to use it. And they had a right to fight for themselves.

I sucked in a ragged breath and nodded. “All right. You’re all right. We should do this together. But we’ll go according to my plan.” If they didn’t fight ’til the dragons woke, their chances were better.

“What do we do?” my mother asked.

My mind raced, coming up with a plan. With this many people, perhaps I could make a stab at rescuing my deirfiúr before I woke the dragons. That’d go even further toward ensuring their safety.

I looked out toward the crowd and called, “Can anyone create a portal?”

There was a rustling, and two women stepped forward. They were identical, with wild red hair and pale round cheeks. From the feel of their magic, they were from the Order of the Magica.

“Jennn and Alison,” Claire whispered at my side. “Mercenaries with the Order.”

“I can,” said the one on the left. “I’m Jennn Donner. This is Alison Donner. Together, we can create a large portal going anywhere you like.”

“Perfect. Thank you.” I met the gazes of those in the crowd. More people had shown up, parking on the end of the street or appearing out of thin air. It was nearing our departure time, and the last of our reinforcements were arriving. A massive group appeared on silent feet—the vampires. Connor sprinted down the sidewalk from P & P, a bulging sack hanging from his side.

Once I was certain that everyone had arrived—though it was really just a guess—I raised my voice to carry over the crowd. Fortunately it was still dark and early. “Jennn and Alison will create the portal. I will go through first, along with my dragons. We will attempt to free my captured friends. While we are doing that, you will join us. It will be cold and dark and mountainous. The enemy is in a valley shaped like a bowl. You will arrive out of sight, but surround them in the mountains above. Once I have woken the dragons, you will flow down the mountainside to attack the demons within.”

“What if you need help?” Ana asked. “Waking the dragons?”

I turned to her. “Only I can do that.”

“I’ll be with her,” Ares said.

I wasn’t even sure that he could accompany me to the dragons if there was a force field around them. He hadn’t been able to pass the force field that cut off my village. But I didn’t say anything—there was no time for arguments.

I met Ana’s gaze. “The fight will begin when the dragons appear. Do you all agree?”

I needed their agreement on this. Anything else was too risky.

There was a sea of bobbing heads and a chorus of agreements.

“Thank you all,” I said.

Claire pressed close and murmured, “No, thank you. Because you’re going to do something dangerous, aren’t you? Like, really dangerous.”

I met her gaze, seeing the sad knowledge within. Ares hadn’t figured it out. His fear for me had been abstract. Claire, my clever friend—she knew the sacrifice I thought I had to make. Her dark eyes shined with tears, but she blinked them back. If anyone knew the value of sacrifice, it was Claire.

I threw my arms around her and hugged her. “Take care of Cass and Del.” I breathed the words, they were so quiet.

“Always.” She squeezed hard, voice breaking.

I pulled back and didn’t look at her. I couldn’t. More than anything, I had to keep my shit together.

I turned to Connor, who stood a few feet back from his sister. “Do you have a couple of invisibility potions?”

“I do.” He dug into his bag and then handed over the little vials.

I took them, holding on to his gaze a second too long. His brow wrinkled in question, but it wasn’t like I could say anything like, “Oh yeah, just looking at you for the last time” without raising suspicion.

Because it might not be the last time. The forest sprite hadn’t made it clear I would have to die to wake the dragons, though it was hard to think how I might give up every ounce of my magic and then want to live.

I turned from him and handed one of the vials to Ares. “Since I know you won’t let me go alone.”

He took it and smiled.

Jennn and Alison joined us.

“So, where’s this portal going?” Alison asked. Her hair was topped with a green hat, but the rest spilled out, brilliant and red. It reminded me of Cass, and my heart ached.

“It’s a place that’s protected by primordial gods. It’s hard to describe. Would it work if we took one of you there?”

“That’s perfect,” Jennn said. “We’ll build the portal from both sides. That’s strongest.”

I turned to Ares, but my mother’s voice stopped me.

I turned back to her. She approached, stopping to stand in front of me. She reached for my hands and squeezed.

“I’m proud of you, Nix.” Her voice broke, but she sucked in a ragged breath and got herself under control. “Whatever you face, you are up to the task. And you will survive.”

Did she guess my fears? Were they her own? I wasn’t exactly a normal daughter, or a normal Magica. Of course my fate would be iffy. I possessed magic that was not my own, donated by the town that was willing to die to give it to me.

Was it so much of a stretch to think that I might die too?

Apparently my mother didn’t think so, though she clearly—desperately—wanted to believe otherwise.

I hugged her, my throat too tight to speak. Finally, I managed to eek out an, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Love and pride gleamed in her eyes.

My father stepped forward, and I repeated the motions, savoring the last moments with my parents. As soon as I pulled back from the hug, however, I shut down sentimentality. That would get me nowhere. Now was the time for action.

I wanted to thank the crowd, but really—it was condescending, wasn’t it? They weren’t fighting for me, but rather for themselves. For their loved ones and all the magic in the world. For the desire to live free from tyranny, out from underneath the boot of an evil madman.

Instead, I swept my gaze over the crowd and said, “I’ll see you on the other side.” I wasn’t even sure if I would, but it didn’t matter. I turned to Ares. “Can you take us now? To the rock outcropping where we hid before?”

He nodded and held out his hands. I took one, and Jennn took the other. A moment later, the ether sucked us in.

The air was bitter cold when we arrived, the night dark. There would be no dawn, not here in Svalbard at this time of year. Immediately, Jeff and the Pūķi appeared at my side. I smiled at them.

“Holy Merlin’s balls, this is cold,” Jennn said. “Where are we?”

“Svalbard, an island north of Norway.” I inspected the terrain around us. Everything was silent and still. As I’d feared, the dragons’ mountain was contained in a dome like the one that had surrounded my town. We’d have to break through that.

Jennn rubbed her hands together, then held them out. Magic glowed at her palms, a pale pink light that shined on the snow. The scent of the ocean swelled, bringing with it the sound of chirping birds.

Soon, the air in front of her began to shimmer, turning into a mirror. Then it disappeared entirely. Alison stood on the other side, her hands outstretched, a grin on her face. Then she stepped through.

Immediately, she scowled. “Cold as hell.”

“That’s what I said.” Jennn hugged her sister, then turned to me. “Three at a time can come through, so you’d better give the order.”

“You can,” I said. “You’re now in charge of transportation.”

She saluted and grinned, then stepped through the portal.

I turned to Ares. “Ready?”

“What’s the plan?”

“Get to the top of this mountain so we can see the valley below. Once we know where my deirfiúr are, and Aidan and Roarke, we take the invisibility potions. Then we sneak to them. They have to be in a blue cage like the one that held Alton, so I’ll try to cut through it with my sword.” I turned to Jeff and the Pūķi. “You guys come get us out of there when we’re done. Stay hidden until we need you.”

Jeff nodded, and the Pūķi just stared. But they got the picture. I knew how they worked at this point.

I eyed Jeff. He was pretty big now, the size of a large SUV. “Jeff, do you think you can be bigger?”

Magic swirled around him, silver and bright. Then he grew. And grew. Soon, he was the size of a small house.

“Shoot, Jeff.” I grinned. “You can quit.”

He snuffled happily, flame billowing from his nostrils.

“Just stay hidden, all right?” I said.

He nodded and flattened himself on the ground. I laughed. Fierce dragon sometimes, pretty much a goofy dog the rest of the time.

“Good luck,” Alison said.

“Thanks. You too.” I glanced at the portal, where people had started to flow through. “And remember, don’t attack until the dragons are awake. That is key.”

“How will we know?”

I thought of the massive dragons, envisioned them swooping through the sky. “Oh, you’ll know.”

Ares and I set off up the mountain, hiking in silence. Soon, my lungs and thighs burned. Snow made the going slow, but eventually we reached the crest. I got on my belly and shimmied forward, the cold snow sneaking down my jacket and making me shiver.

The sight below made my skin chill even more.