We were escorted out of Hider’s Haven and told never to return. I was okay with that, especially once I stepped out of the tunnel and back into the open air of Death Valley. Even though this place was deadly as a six-headed rattlesnake, at least we were free out here. Out in the open. Not trapped like rats in a sewer, hiding from the daylight.

“I’ll miss him.” I reached for Ares’s hand.

He took it and squeezed. “I know.”

A sob tore through my chest. I let it out, then sucked in a breath and held it. I wouldn’t cry. Later, maybe. Definitely. But for now, I couldn’t mourn Ademius. He’d helped me. In my youth, and now. I had to honor that by succeeding.

I drew in a shuddery breath and turned to Ares. “Okay. I’m good.”

Sadness glinted in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Nix.”

I smiled, the corners of my mouth trembling. “Thanks. But it’s fine. Just getting my parents back was huge. Getting to even see Ademius again was a gift. I need to focus on that. Count my blessings.”

“You’re one tough FireSoul.”

“Thanks.” I looked out over the desert. “Now let’s get out of here. Could you try to transport us? Maybe it’ll work since we’re at the edge of the valley.”

“I can try.”

I crossed my fingers, praying that Ares’s transportation ability would work.

Of course, it didn’t.

“Damn it,” Ares said.

I looked up the mountain. It looked safer than trying to get across the valley. “We need to climb out.”

“Lead on.”

We began to hike, scrambling up the mountainside. The recipe in my pocket burned. I’d memorized it on the walk out of the tunnel just in case something happened to it. Now, we just had to get home so Connor could whip it up. If anyone could whip it up, it was the gifted potion maker.

Within minutes, sweat dripped down my spine. Though the sun was inching toward the horizon, the late afternoon was still hot as Ares with his shirt off. My muscles ached and my breath came fast as we climbed.

Finally, after what felt like ages, we reached the summit. It was more of a ridge then a point, and we crested it.

“Damn.” Ares raked a hand through his hair.

I gazed out at more mountains. We were going to have to go up and down, up and down to reach the edge of the range. “Damn is right.”

“Hopefully Death Valley’s magic will fade out before the mountains do.” Ares started down the other side. I followed, hurrying to keep up.

Halfway down, he reached for my hand. “Let’s try again.”

It didn’t work, but fortunately, one ridge later, it finally did. The ether sucked me in, throwing me through space alongside Ares.

We stumbled out onto the main sidewalk in front of Ancient Magic. The cool winter air was a shocking change from the heat of Death Valley. The sun was setting behind the trees.

“Holy fates.” I shivered. “Let’s get out of the cold.”

My stomach grumbled as if it agreed.

“And let’s get you something to eat,” Ares said.

“Ha. You can’t say you’re not hungry, too.” We hadn’t eaten since earlier this morning.

As we hurried toward P&P, my dragon sense tugged me back toward my apartment and my trove. A visit sounded really good right about now, but we needed to eat and hand this potion recipe over to Connor.

As we made our way down the sidewalk, I kept my eyes peeled for any of Drakon’s minions. Though they couldn’t track me because of my mother’s bracelet, they knew I lived here.

Across the road, there was a flash of movement. I stiffened, calling upon my magic.

Ares touched my arm. “It’s okay.”

“There’s someone there.” I pointed to a large tree. A man leaned against the base, his body braced for battle.

“He’s one of mine.”

I glanced at Ares, confused. “A vampire?”

“I set several guards along the street. They’ve orders to wait for Drakon’s men to show and take a prisoner if possible.”

Though I appreciated the sentiment, I didn’t like the secrecy. “You didn’t think to mention this to me?”

“To be honest, it slipped my mind. Once you disappeared, that was all I could think about.”

I sighed. “Fine. But next time, tell me. That’s an important thing for me to know.”

“Agreed.” He gestured to the man who leaned against the tree.

The guy approached. As he neared, I realized that he was almost as big as Ares. Not many people could claim that.

“Got your best men on the job, huh?” I asked Ares.

“Of course.”

The man stopped in front of Ares. “Sir. Nothing to report.”

“Not a single demon or any of Drakon’s men?” Ares asked.

The man shook his head.

“I wonder if he’s distracted?” I said. “Otherwise, wouldn’t they wait for us here? He can’t track me as long as I wear my mother’s bracelet.”

“Distracted by what, though?” Ares asked.

“Can’t be good for us, whatever it is.”

“Definitely not good.” Ares turned back to the vampire. “Thank you for the report. You may return to your station.”

The vampire gave a sharp nod and turned, walking back to his post. We headed into the warmth of P&P. It was business as usual here, with a small crowd of weeknight regulars and music selected by Connor. The Grateful Dead, tonight. Connor’s shirt even matched the rainbow bear strutting across the black background.

The sight of Connor behind the counter and Claire slinging drinks while dressed in her mercenary wear made warmth fill my chest. Though I was still missing Ademius, it was good to see my friends.

Connor’s face brightened when he saw us. “You’re back!”

“Safe and sound,” I said.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Claire asked.

“I did.” I approached the counter and handed the paper off to Connor. “Do you think you could make that?”

He stared down at it, dark hair flopping over his forehead. “Yeah. It’ll take a little time to brew, but I could have it ready by tomorrow morning. Midday at the latest.”

“Thank you. You’re a hero.” My stomach growled loudly.

“Your stomach agrees.” Connor grinned. “Cheese quiche with a side of cheese scone?”

I slid onto a barstool, my hunger now clawing at my insides. “Definitely.”

“Now you’re really a hero,” Ares said.

Connor bowed. “I do what I can. You want the same?”

“Yes, thanks.”

Connor saluted and headed back into the kitchen. I touched my fingertips to the comms charm at my neck. “Del? Cass?”

“Are you all right?” Cass demanded.

“Fine. I’m fine.”

“Whew.” Del’s voice echoed from the charm. “Aidan told us more about Death Valley and we freaked.”

“You’re going to have to give us all the details,” Cass said. “Sounded rough.”

“It was. Meet me at P&P. I’ll brief you.”

“Perfect,” Cass said.

“See you in ten,” Del added.

I cut the connection on the comms charm just as Connor was walking out of the kitchen with two plates piled high with cheese quiche and cheese scones.

“Thank you.” I fell upon them ravenously, scarfing down Connor’s magic and only barely managing to chew with my mouth closed.

“I’m noticing a trend in your food preferences,” Ares said.

I shrugged, swallowing. “As far as I’m concerned, cheese makes up the base of the food pyramid.”

Claire laughed. “You also think it’s part of your five-a-day.”

“If I believe hard enough, anything can happen. Even cheese turning into a fruit. Except that it would stay cheese.” I popped the last bite of scone into my mouth and chewed.

Behind me, the door creaked open. I turned to see Cass and Del enter.

“Did you get it?” Cass asked.

“Yep. Gave the recipe to Connor ten minutes ago.”

“Perfect.” Cass smiled.

“Not only that, we have a lead on Drakon’s location. Some place called the Valley of Darkness in Siberia.”

“Sounds fun,” Del said. “I’ve been needing a vacation.”

I laughed. “It’s going to be a nightmare. But at least Ademius was able to give us a contact. He’s a guy with a serious grudge against Drakon.”

“I bet there are a lot of those,” Del said.

“Very likely.” I nodded. “But we can head over there tomorrow. I need to rest because I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus, and we need to wait for Connor to finish the potion for the Vessel of Truth. I want to know what that prophecy says before we ambush Drakon.”

“Smart,” Del said. “I’ll get Roarke.”

“Aidan, too,” Cass added. “If this is going to be the big showdown, we’ll need backup.”

“Then don’t leave me out.” Claire propped her hand on her hip. “Scone and coffee duty starts to wear a girl thin, you know.”

“Haven’t hit your demon-slaying quota for the week?” I asked.

She grinned. “Nope. And I’m starting to get itchy.”

“It’s settled, then,” I said. “We set out tomorrow morning. Operation Catch Drakon—take two.”

“Into the belly of the beast,” Cass said.

“That’s the truth.” Ares frowned. “Siberia is no joke.”

“Ever been to the Valley of Darkness?” Del asked.

Ares shook his head. “Never heard of it. But I’ve got a feeling it’ll be a picnic.”

I snorted, then punched him playfully on the shoulder. My fist moved a lot slower than I wanted it to, exhaustion weighing me down. “Right. I need to go get some shut eye.”

“I’ll walk you back.” Ares stood.

“Okay.” Did he plan to spend the night? Since I didn’t want to ask in front of everyone, I kept my lips zipped and stood, joining Ares. I looked at my deirfiúr. “I’ll see you guys in the morning. Seven, okay?”

“Sure.” Cass’s eyes traveled back and forth between me and Ares. She knew I liked him, but she was just now getting an inkling of how much.

As we walked out, I sent my deirfiúr a death glare, forbidding them from any comments, or worse, wolf whistles.

Del waggled her eyebrows. I ignored her.

Ares and I walked down the darkened street in silence. Though it was still fairly early, I was exhausted. Even if he did stay over, I’d have only enough energy to fall face first into bed.

We stopped in front of my door and I unlocked it, then stepped into the tiny foyer. Ares followed, shutting the door behind him.

He turned to face me. “I need to get back to the Vampire Realm.”

“Business?” I asked. Though I knew it was a bad idea for him to sleep at my place—two nights in a row?—I still kind of wished he’d come over.

“Of a sort.” He stood and grinned. “I’m hungry.”

“But you just—” It dawned on me then. “Oh. Blood. Right.”

“Vampire.”

“Of course.” I opened my mouth, almost ready to suggest that he drink from me, then snapped it shut.

Idiot.

That was a huge step. Huge. And one I was not even close to ready for. So I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. He groaned low in his throat, and then pulled me to him, his strong hands at my back.

Tension thrummed through my veins as I envisioned dragging him into my apartment and having my way with him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting to climb him like a tree and wrap my legs around his waist.

His lips moved expertly on mine, warm and soft and so talented that they drove all rational thought from my mind. His hands at my back burned a hole through my clothes, warming my skin in the chill air.

I clutched him tighter, pressing my body fully against his, wanting to feel every curve and plane of hard muscle.

Ares shuddered and pulled away. “I can’t, Nix.”

“What?” I gasped, my blurry gaze slowly focusing on his face. “What do you mean?”

He coughed, gaze averted. “When I’m, ah, hungry, I can’t do…” He gestured between us. “This. It’s dangerous.”

Oh. Oh. “Are you trying to tell me that you’ll get so turned on you’ll bite me?” I shivered at the idea. Liking it. And that wasn’t exactly smart.

“It’s not something I’m proud of.”

“No. You’re a big fan of control.” I kept my hands on his shoulders so he couldn’t step back.

“Exactly. And in this state, well, it’s not a good idea.”

“Would you, like, drain me dry?” A trill of fear skated over my skin even as my mind rejected the idea that Ares could hurt me like that. Vampires were deadly, but nothing in heaven or earth could make me believe that Ares would kill me.

“No. No.” Horror crossed his face. “But I could be… too enthusiastic.”

Excitement sparkled in my veins. Oh jeez. Was I for real? I shook my head, trying to knock some sense back into my brain.

It was a good thing he had my safety in mind, because I was an idiot. And with a guy as big and strong and fangy as him—one of us needed to not be an idiot.

“Okay then.” I exhaled, stepping back. He made a good point, and as much as I might want to jump his bones, I needed to respect his wishes, too. “Night, Ares.”

He kissed my cheek. The warm press of his lips nearly made me chuck my plan to take it slow and drag him in, but he disappeared a half second later, saving me from myself.

I leaned back against the wall, thumping my head against it. I was going nuts.

But then, I’d always been a little nuts.

Refusing to overthink things, I raced upstairs and into my apartment, heading straight for my trove. Now that Ares was gone, other desires tugged at me. The need to be amongst my preciouses was too strong to ignore.

After the stress of the last couple days, my soul desperately wanted to in my trove. Besides the ability to find treasure, there wasn’t much about me that was dragon-like. Except for my overwhelming need to sit on a pile of treasure.

I raced up the spiral staircase, taking the steps two at a time. As soon as I burst into my trove, I headed straight for the nearest table covered in plants. Though I loved my cars and weapons, it was the plants that called to me—green and vibrant and full of life.

I loved them more than ever, now, I realized. Though I’d always been drawn to them, something had awakened inside me. Just like my mother had said. All the power of Elesius flowing into me was only awakening. But it was doing it with a vengeance.

I ran my hands over the leaves and petals, gently stroking the life that I’d nurtured. My soul calmed just being here. My fingertips drifted over to the dragonfruit, one of my favorites. It was so strange with its round red and green fruit and the cactus-like stalks that held it. Light sparkled between my fingertips and the plant. I gasped. Well, that was weird.

I stared hard at the shiny green leaf. It drifted toward my hand, which I moved a few inches away. The plant leaned harder, clearly trying to reach me. Like a kitten.

So I stroked it. Comfort flowed through me. The plant seemed to sigh, though it made no noise.

“Whelp, I’m officially Poison Ivy.” Except she was kinda evil, right? I’d definitely have to not go that direction. But I did need to figure out my new powers.

This was just like what happened in my dream of being a child in the forest with Ademius. That little vine had been drawn to me then, too.

A pot nearby caught my eye. The plant was withered and dying. I hurried over, inspecting the irrigation nozzle. Something must have happened, because it was no longer releasing water.

Regret flowed through me as I petted the dying plant. It was too far gone for water and TLC to save. My heart hurt. My negligence had caused this.

Light sparkled at my fingers again, flowing into the plant. I gasped, but didn’t move my hand. Before my eyes, the plant began to strengthen. The withered stalk thickened.

“Holy fates,” I breathed.

It didn’t come all the way back to life, but it was good enough that water might now save it. Hands shaking, I fiddled with the irrigation until water flowed.

“There you go, fella.” My voice shook.

This magic was getting intense.

The comms charm around my neck crackled with power. Cass’s voice followed. “Nix, uh, there’s a lady here to see you.”

“And she looks a hell of a lot like you,” Del said. “It’s your mom, isn’t it?”

My heart leapt. “Maybe. I’m coming right down.”

Exhaustion fled from my limbs as I raced down the stairs. Cass and Del stood outside my apartment door, my mother between them. She looked out of place in her old-school warrior gear, but she also looked like a badass. After saying goodbye to Ademius, seeing her was a balm to my soul.

“Mum!” I hugged her. She wrapped her arms around me, squeezing tight. Eventually, I stepped back. “You’ve met Del and Cass?”

“I have.” My mother smiled at them. “We’ll have to all get together sometime.”

The idea was so lovely that I almost fainted. My sisters by choice and my mother. Holy fates, I was lucky.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“I felt your magic surge and I wanted to check on you.”

She must mean the magic that flowed between me and the plants in my trove. “You could feel that?”

“Elesius can feel it.” My mother smiled. “Which means I can.”

Her words triggered a memory of Moira demanding that I return. I stepped back from the door and gestured my mother inside. “Come on in. There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Of course.” She stepped inside.

“See you later.” Cass grinned, clearly happy to see me with my mother.

Del smiled, too, and waved goodbye. I shut the door behind them. My mother looked around my apartment, clearly interested but also baffled by the TV. She must not have seen many of those on her trading expeditions.

Finally, she ignored the TV and turned to me. “Are you all right? Learning to control your magic?”

“Kind of.” Guilt tugged. “Well, not really. It’s going to take practice. But things are happening.”

“I wish I could help more.” She frowned. “But you’re the only one with this gift.”

“Because Elesius chose me.” I sat on the couch and she followed. “Why did Moira say I couldn’t leave Elesius?”

“She did?” Annoyance flashed in my mother’s eyes.

“Yes.”

“That’s ridiculous. Of course you can leave.”

Hmm. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it. My mother was too… off. And then there was Moira’s desperation, along with the sick feeling that pervaded Elesius.

“Technically I can leave,” I said. “But Moira really didn’t want me to.”

“She’s just…” My mother searched for words.

Understanding dawned, clear and terrible. “The plants in this place died to give me my power. But what about the people? Will they die?”

“No.” My mother shook her head, but I could see the lie in her eyes.

“Moira was desperate for me to stay.” Dread curled in my stomach. “Elesius can’t survive without the plant-life. You can only trade for food for so long until your resources run out.”

“We’ll be fine. We can rely upon our talents.”

“What? Like war? You’d become mercenaries? Sell your sword instead of the gems in the mountains.”

“I don’t know, Nix. But the details don’t matter.” My mother gripped my hand, her gaze intense. “This is not your problem. Elesius was born for sacrifice. This is our role. Just like you have yours, we have ours.”

“To give everything to me. All the plant-life and the magic that keeps Elesius alive.”

“It’s tragic, but it doesn’t matter, Nix. You must defeat Drakon. There is no way to give the magic back to Elesius. Even if you could, you shouldn’t. You need that magic to defeat Drakon, and the world needs you to accomplish that.”

I leaned back against the couch, sickness welling inside me. “I’m going to kill Elesius.”

“Fate is going to kill Elesius,” my mother said. “We’ve had thousands of good years. If this is the end for us, it is a noble way to go.”

My throat tightened at my mother’s strength and honor. I wanted to be more like her, the brave warrior who accepted her fate and strode clear-eyed into battle, no matter the cost.

Instead, I wavered, torn between what I wanted—for my city to not die because of me—and what I needed to do—defeat Drakon.

And it didn’t even matter that I faltered, because she was right. I didn’t know how to give the power back.

“Moira seemed to think that if I lived there, the place wouldn’t die,” I said.

My mother sighed. “She may be right. You are life. Your magic could sustain the place if you were there constantly.”

I remembered the plant coming back to life under my fingertips. I’d done that. “If my presence can imbue a place with life, should I return to live out my days in Elesius? Would that do it?”

My heart broke just to think of it, tearing inside my chest. As much as I loved my parents and had enjoyed visiting Elesius, Magic’s Bend was my home now. Ancient Magic was my life’s work.

I couldn’t leave here.

My stomach turned. But I’d have to. If I survived Drakon, I’d have to leave everything I loved so that Elesius wouldn’t die.

“No.” My mother’s voice was sharp. “You won’t sacrifice your own happiness for Elesius. If you survive Drakon—” Her voice broke, but I’d already learned my mother was too forthright and too brave to not confront the truth that I really might die on this quest “—If you survive Drakon, you will live the life that you want to live. You won’t sacrifice it for Elesius.”

Tears choked my throat. “You’re the queen. You’d sacrifice your people?”

“I’m a mother first.” Her eyes turned fierce. “A selfish one. I want your happiness above all else.”

I smiled, at once both touched and horrified. “I can’t be happy if everyone in Elesius dies.”

She smiled, though it was sad. “I had a feeling that might be the case. Though you love it here, don’t you?”

“I want to stay here above almost anything else.” Just the idea of leaving my deirfiúr—who couldn’t travel past the barrier to Elesius—made my heart shrivel in my chest.

“Don’t think of it now.” My mother squeezed my hand. “Focus on the task at hand, then worry about the future.”

She was right. It was really the only thing I could do. It would be hard enough to defeat Drakon without extra worry dragging me down. Some might even say it was impossible.

I had a feeling it was going to take everything I had to prove them wrong.