Raven drove away from Vincent’s chamber of horrors. The Council’s cleanup crew was already in the hotel room, taking care of the dead humans.

Neither of us spoke until he was parked outside my mother’s house. I had to tell her about Twyla. She would not be pleased.

Sighing, I climbed out of the SUV and prepared myself for a thorough chewing out by Nelly Fanning. I’d be held responsible for Twyla’s power, yet again. I was just about done accepting the blame for that.

Raven walked with me up the front steps of the house. I didn’t want to go inside.

“I don’t know how to tell her,” I muttered.

“It wasn’t your fault—just like with your father, Livi. You can’t blame yourself for Twyla’s decisions. Twyla is stronger than she looks. She’ll be fine. I’m sure.”

“She left her daughter. Everyone is going to be worried sick. I shouldn’t have let her go.”

“I was there. You didn’t have a choice. Twyla’s an adult. She makes her own choices.”

“I’m going to need backup to face my mother.”

“Want me to stay the night?” he said, suggestively.

I smirked and thought about it. Yes. I did want him to stay the night. But I didn’t want a replay of earlier this evening with my mother.

“Yeah. If you don’t mind sleeping in a twin-sized bed.”

“I believe we did that when we were in high school.”

“Come on.” I opened the door. “Be quiet,” I whispered.

He followed me up the stairs and into my bedroom. In the dim, tiny room, I watched Raven take his jacket off as I sat on the bed. My mother was sleeping downstairs, and the idea of bringing him in here still gave me a wicked thrill.

Raven took off his shirt and the light of the lamp glowed on his tanned skin. I pulled off my boots and weapons with a sigh. Sitting on the bed beside me, Raven put his arm around my shoulder and we lay back across the bed with our feet still on the floor, staring up at my teenage goth band posters.

“Olivia,” he said after a long silence.

“Yeah?”

“What happens now?”

“I don’t know, Raven. I’m back on the Executioners. I have to go where the Council sends me. It’s part of the job.”

“What about us?”

I let out a long sigh and stared at the ceiling. I didn’t know what to do about us. All I knew was that I didn’t want to let him go.

“I can come visit.”

“That’s not enough for me, Livi. I need you here with me.”

“I know it’s not fair. I just don’t have any other solutions for you. I can’t leave the Executioners. It’s all I’m good for.”

He leaned over and looked into my eyes, cupping my cheek in his hands. “You’re good for much more than killing paranormals, Olivia.”

“I’m a warrior witch, Raven. There aren’t any other jobs for a person like me.”

“You could join the police department with me.”

“No. I can’t be a cop. That is so not me. You know that.”

He sighed and leaned back on his elbows. “It was just a thought.” He lay back down beside me and stared at the ceiling again. “Don’t leave, Olivia. If you leave again, I want to break our bond. I’m serious. I can’t keep doing this for the rest of my life. Commit to me or let me go.” He stood with the last words, put on his shirt and jacket, and looked out the narrow window, his back to me.

I stood behind him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Raven. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He turned to me, his hands on his waist. “Then stop. Stop now. You have two options. Stay. Or let me go. That’s it. Choose now.”

“Don’t make me do this.”

“You have until tomorrow morning, Olivia. Do not leave without talking to me again. If you do, I’ll track you down and make you break this bond. You understand me?” He said that just inches from my face before he brushed past me and out the bedroom door.

“Raven,” I whisper-yelled. But it was too late, he’d already trotted down the stairs and out the front door.

Shit. Fuck. What was I supposed to do? Give up my position with the Council? What would I be then? A cop’s girlfriend. Get a job as a waitress or something? I could just see it now.

I’d destroy him if I didn’t have an outlet for my skills. It would be worse than leaving without a word. I could guarantee that. I knew it like I knew my own name.

Groaning, I closed the door to my bedroom and climbed out of my clothes to get in bed. I was asleep soon after I flicked the lamp off.

I woke in the morning, feeling like I had a massive hangover. When my bare feet hit the cold floor, sitting there braless in a ratty T-shirt and underwear, I looked up and saw Edana standing in the middle of my tiny room.

I gasped. “God, you scared me.”

“Warrior skills a little rusty?” she asked me, throwing me my pants. She wore a satin evening gown/pants combo that looked like it would be more appropriate at a black tie event or a casino in Monte Carlo.

I pursed my lips at her and pulled my pants on. “Since I had my abilities stripped from me and then thrown back at me in the course of two weeks.”

She flicked her hand as if my words were meaningless. “Olivia. The cleaners have taken care of everything in the hotel. But, as you know, that portal Vincent opened created some problems here.”

“Yeah, I know. The paranormal creatures have been out of control.”

“We’ve estimated that the portal has allowed an unacceptable level of paranormal activity to manifest in the city of Portland and the surrounding area.”

I pulled my pants on began to zip on my boots. “Yes?” I said, standing.

“We feel that it would be wise to keep an Executioner here for the time being. Since you are already here and you are familiar with the area, we chose you.”

“Am I still on probation?” I asked, crossing my arms.

She pressed a perfectly manicured, red nail to her red lips. “Hmm. Well. We do need you at full capacity. But be warned, if you use unapproved totems again, you will be kicked off with no chance to be reinstated.”

I put my arms out in a gesture of surrender. “Hey, I learned my lesson.”

“Now that you have Benedictus, you will be even more valuable to us, but that value only lasts as long as your willingness to follow our rules.”

“I get it.”

“You’re prepared to stay in Portland?”

“Yes. I am. It solves a lot of problems for me, actually.”

“Very well, I need your first report by the end of the week. We also know that your sister, the psychic portal catalyst, went through to the other side.”

“I had nothing to do with that. I couldn’t stop her.”

“It might prove useful. There are stirrings in the other realm. It would be useful to have someone on the other side report back.”

“I have no idea when or if Twyla will ever make it back.”

“She’s a portal catalyst. No one on the other side will harm her if they know that. The Dark Fae are always trying to get to this side. They love nothing more than to feed on human energy.”

“Great,” I muttered. Could she make me worry about my sister any more?

“I want that report in a week and any information about your sister.”

“Sure thing, boss,” I said, giving her a mock solute. She pursed her lips and waved a hand in front her body, dematerializing.

I sighed, tapping the toe of my boot on the wood floor. Well, I had good news for Raven at least. And it was good news for me too. I didn’t want to lose him. I couldn’t lose him. Not if I wanted to ever feel anything again.

Time to face Mom.

I groaned and opened my bedroom door, trotting down the stairs toward the smell of coffee. Mother was in her bathrobe, looking worried and drawn. Lenore sat in a booster seat at the table, looking just as worried.

“Mother, I need to talk to you,” I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee to take on the upcoming guilt trip.

“What?” she snapped.

“In private,” I glanced at Lenore who looked like she’d been crying.

I followed Mother down the hall and into her craft room, sipping my coffee. The place looked even more cluttered than ever.

“Where is Twyla?” she wailed under her voice.

“Twyla made a choice last night. I tried to stop her.” Damn. Raven was supposed to help me with this. “Raven was there. He saw it.” Great, blame Raven. Good job. “The good news is, I killed the vampire. But he opened a portal to the other side. When Twyla saw it she…just kind of…walked through it.”

“She what?!”

“I tried to stop her!”

“Oh my God, poor Lenore. Where did she go? Why did she do it?”

“She’s looking for him, Mother. She wants to put a stop to whatever is happening on the other side. Vincent had a reason to open that portal. Something wants to come across. It’s the same thing that’s been brewing for the last five years.”

“How do you know this?”

“Edana just told me.”

“Edana from the Council was here?” Mother started fixing her hair.

“She’s gone. But she came to tell me I’ve been assigned to Portland to clean up the mess the portal left behind.”

“You’re staying?”

“For the time being, I guess.”

“You aren’t staying here are you?”

I scoffed. “No. I guess not.”

“Good.”

“Look, Mom. I need to go talk to Raven. Then we’ll see about dealing with what happened to Twyla. As far as I know, she’s the only catalyst in this generation. She’s the only one who can save her.”

“I’ll call the coven.”

“Great. I’ll be back later for my stuff.”

I walked out of the room and down the front hall. That had gone better than I’d expected.