We left the protected archive, me moving with careful, stiff motions. Exhaustion pressed in on me, pain dragging me toward the earth and encouraging me to collapse. But there was shit that needed doing and even if it’d been Uncle Luc who rid the tween of Lucia, this was still mine. Sure, the library was outside Silver Springs and nowhere near Orlando, but maybe it was time to just claim the whole fucking state.

I eased up the stairs, at one point using my sword as a crutch. Papa Leth would whoop my ass if he saw the way I leaned on it. Steel abuse, he’d call it.

Well, he could come after me when I didn’t feel like dying.

I pulled on my reserves, forcing myself to walk upright—straight and strong—as we emerged from the building. The battle outside had ended when Lucia was banished. The dems she’d brought no longer littered the parking lot and returned to their Hell dimension when her power was severed. Uncle Luc’s ghosts had crept back to Hell as well to continue their eternal punishments.

The human thralls though… They were in a bad state. Some wandered off, confused looks in their eyes. Others fell to the ground, hugging their knees to their chests and rocking back and forth. Between having their minds violated by Lucia and then being subjected to the horrors of Uncle Luc’s ghosts, they looked scared, lost, and confused. I asked the librarian if she could do anything for them, and she agreed to call the authorities. No doubt some story would be concocted to explain their state away. I figured the government would make up a tale about a gas leak or weather balloon. That was what they usually did when they had to cover up a mess involving tweens.

Sam moved among the shell-shocked humans, offering them whatever comfort he could. He traveled from one person to the next, kneeling at their sides and whispering softly. He touched a man’s forehead, a soft flash of light coming from his palm, and I knew he used his angelic grace to heal some of the psychiatric wounds the man suffered. It was the best we could hope for, I supposed. At the very least, it meant these people could return to their normal lives when all was said and done.

Instead of ending up in mental institutions with broken minds… or committing suicide and ending up with my uncle for eternity.

Jezze did what she could as well, offering comfort and support. Though she paused and looked up when a voice called to her from across the parking lot. I looked in the direction of that voice.

Greg. Greg, still dressed in his temple robes. His eyes were clear, freed from Lucia’s magic. His face lit up when he saw Jezze, and he hurried toward her. Jezze called out his name and pushed to her feet, running across the swath of blood-stained asphalt. They collided, arms wrapping around each other, cries of joy and relief filling the air.

“Well,” I put my hands on my hips and scanned my surroundings, “it’s a Hell of a mess,” —literally— “but I guess everything worked out.”

“Don’t relax just yet.” Uncle Luc descended the library steps with one arm wrapped around Nancy’s waist. “Lucia will still be gathering power. She won’t be able to influence minds for some time, until she recovers enough to return to the tween, but her church will still exist.”

“Won’t her church collapse without her here to control minds?” I really, really wanted him to say yes.

He shrugged. “Maybe. Most will go back to their lives—the ones drawn into Lucia’s web because of psychic influence. But not all. There are always fanatics. Or those that internalized the temple’s teachings and convinced themselves Lucia spoke the pure truth. They’ll be a minority, but there will be those that continue believing in her—praying to her.”

“Great.” I frowned, staring at the groups of people in the lot. It might have been my imagination, but I saw a few people with a determined set to their jaw and a dangerous gleam in their eyes. People who would fight the next time Lucia returned to the tween.

“One last thing.” He patted Nancy’s hand and smiled down at her. “I need to return to Hell for a bit. Now that this mess has blown over, there are some demons who need to be punished for siding with Lucia. I’ll also need to make preparations to ensure that her damage doesn’t continue to spread.”

I groaned. Like a teenager. Sue me. I was battered, bruised, had nearly died, and now… “So I’ve got babysitting duty for a while longer.” I groaned again. Just in case he missed it the first time. I was totally six hundred going on sixteen. I waved Nancy and Ania over. “All right, ladies pregnant with demon and angel spawn with me.”

Nancy gave Uncle Luc a kiss on the cheek and then joined me while Ania hurried as fast as her pregnant waddle allowed.

“I want to go home.” Ania glared at me. “Back to Austin.”

I nodded. “As soon as we can arrange that, we will.” As if she had to twist my arm. “But it’s best if we keep an eye on you until the kid is born. You know,” I adopted a bland expression and flattened my tone, “since your own protectors were murdered and all.”

Ania’s breath caught, face going pale, and I sorta hated myself for being such a bitch. She looked around at the carnage, the pools of blood and hunks of red flesh. “I… I guess you’re right.” She swallowed hard and met my stare with a wobbly smile. “I’ve always wanted to see Orlando. I’ll think of it as a vacation.”

I snorted. “Too bad you waited until you were pregnant. Roller coasters are the best part.”

“Maybe next time.”

Our conversation was innocuous. In poor taste as far as any other sane human being would be concerned. But sometimes, in the face of destruction, you clung to a little bit of normal.

Sirens sounded in the distance. It looked like the librarian had kept her word and called the authorities. Sam and Jezze joined us and we made ready to depart.

He stepped beside me, his scent and heat washing away the stench of my surroundings. His heat… It was different than before. Soothing in some ways, scraping and painful in others. Nowhere near like what I’d experienced from Lucia.

“Are you all right?” Sam cast a worried look over my burns. I was one hell of a sight, the skin on my face and arms scorched.

“I’ll be fine. I heal fast.” My werewolf blood would patch me up soon enough. Though, with these wounds, I might need a few days of bed rest to regain my full strength.

I gave Uncle Luc a hug, imagining him smirking—only going through the motions to placate me. Not because he felt anything for me. I needed to push those thoughts from my head. Nothing about our relationship was different. He was the same. I was the same. It was all the same.

Right.

He whispered in my ear. “Do make sure none of your boyfriend’s gel friends decide to drop by and check on things. I’d rather not have them around Nancy until after the birth.”

I pulled back and looked him in the eye. I didn’t know if he was just paranoid or if he really thought the gels might try to do something to his child. I gave him a nod. “I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.”

“I’m sure you will.” He took a step away but then paused, turning back to me. “Do you have any messages for your mother? She’s been recovering quite well in the lower circles. The last time I spoke with her, she told me she missed you.”

I opened my mouth and then snapped it shut, not sure what to say. My relationship with my mother was complicated at best—fucked up at worst. But I supposed I owed her one. She’d saved my life last year and I’d had a long time to come to terms with my new, conflicting feelings. While I still wasn’t sure I wanted to foster a new relationship with her, I did feel like I was at least ready to open the lines of communication.

“Tell her… tell her I’ll see her soon.” Whether I summoned her through dark magic or she appeared on her own, I’d at least said that seeing her was a possibility.

“Very well, infans.” Uncle Luc tipped his head. “I’ll relay the message.”

He winked at me and then turned to Sam, giving my mate the slightest nod. Not exactly the thanks Sam deserved for his part in keeping Nancy safe and averting disaster, but it was the best anyone could hope for from Uncle Luc.

My uncle turned away, vanishing between one step and the next. The rest of us climbed into our stolen SUV and drove off, exiting the back of the parking lot just as the cops and ambulances pulled in.