The ghosts scouted out the spirit realm, tracking the tears in the veil. Right now, the veil was like a balloon stretched too far, just waiting to pop. Unless they found a way to break the spell sealing Firestorm and Darksire’s fortress, that pop would come very soon.

Naomi and Makani returned to earth with his commandos. They arrived just outside the nearly-invisible magic bubble that surrounded Castle Soulbreaker, where Sera, Alex, Kai, and Logan were waiting.

“What did you find?” Kai asked Naomi, not wasting time. The unbreakable bubble must have really been aggravating him.

“The way to earth is blocked around the castle,” she replied. “The demons are protecting all ways in through every circle of hell. The sheer power of the spell has shaken the fabric of the veil’s magic, weakening it. Tears are forming all across the world. Such as the one I recently closed on Atlantis. That’s how the convicts escaped from hell.”

Kai looked like he’d just bitten down on glass. “Can you seal the other tears?”

Naomi hated to be the bearer of bad news once again, but… “It won’t help. For each tear I seal, the veil ruptures somewhere else in the world. Sealing tears is just fighting fires. We need to tackle the source of the problem. We need to break the demons’ spell around Castle Soulbreaker.”

“And how are we supposed to do that?” Sera asked.

Naomi shook her head. “I do not know.”

She glanced at the castle. At its core, it was a relatively nondescript, normal house, but the family that owned it had made some extreme modifications. They’d added towers on every side to make it look more grandiose, more like a castle. There was even a thick wall around it, and there were spikes jutting out of that wall. Those physical adornments were pretty much irrelevant. When it came to keeping out unwanted visitors, the magic barrier that surrounded the castle was doing the heavy lifting.

“Well, we won’t figure it out standing here, catching a cold,” said Sera.

She was right. And now that she mentioned it, the wind was particularly biting today, especially now that the night was in full swing. The nine of them piled into one of Kai’s abnormally large SUVs that Sera had dubbed tanks, and they drove away in search of clarity.

“That ward cannot be unbreakable,” Alex said, chewing on her lower lip. She looked at least as annoyed as Kai that they hadn’t yet been able to force their way through. “We must be able to find a way through it if we keep at it long enough.”

“Keep throwing things at it,” Logan said.

“I didn’t say that.”

Logan’s face was calm. Nothing seemed to bother him. He was the sort of guy who would stare into the eyes of the upcoming apocalypse with cold calculation. “But you were thinking it.”

Alex snorted.

“And so was Drachenburg,” Logan added.

“We tried hitting it hard already.” Kai looked disappointed. He liked breaking through barriers as much as Alex did.

“We tried it thoroughly,” Alex agreed. “I don’t think the brute force method is the way to go this time.”

Sera turned around in her seat, amusement flickering across her face. “Oh, really?”

“Well, I don’t solve everything with the brute force method, you know.”

“Just almost everything,” Naomi said.

Alex shrugged. “If it ain’t broke…”

Naomi and Sera laughed.

“Well, there are a lot of things broken now,” said Naomi. “Not the least of which is the veil. If we don’t repair it soon, it will rupture further.”

And to repair the veil, they needed to break the ward around Castle Soulbreaker.

“We need to be smart about this,” she said, her gaze drifting up. “Not just hit it hard.”

“Actually, we need a bit of both,” Makani declared. “We need to hit it hard and hit it smart.”

“How?” Naomi asked.

“The spells of the ward are woven together, linked together, protecting every way in and out of the castle from any realm. When we attack the ward in one realm, the spells of the other realms feed magic to that besieged spot, fortifying it.”

“We need to hit the ward in all the realms at once, so it can’t compensate,” Logan realized.

“Precisely.”

“You’re smart,” Naomi told him.

“I did lead armies,” Makani reminded her.

“And you won.”

“Most of the time.” His shoulders rolled back in a slow, easy shrug, his muscles rippling deliciously.

Naomi threw on a smirk to cover her totally inappropriate ogling. “Modesty does not suit you, Your Majesty.”

Gold fire flashed in his eyes. Heat flushed her skin. She resisted the urge to fan herself or make a poorly-masked comment about how hot it had gotten suddenly. There really was nothing like a nice, long sleep to kickstart her libido.

“Attacking the demons’ ward from multiple points at once is a good plan,” Kai said from the front seat.

“Yes, it’s very smart,” Naomi said quickly, forcing her mind back into gear. Her body was already a lost cause. “But I’m not sure it is feasible. It would require so much magic.”

“Preferably Magic Breaker spells aimed at the ward’s strongest points,” Valor said as he and Chastity popped up inside the car.

It was a good thing ghosts could make their bodies pass through objects because even Kai’s gargantuan SUV was already overcrowded. Though it was a bit disconcerting to watch Valor’s head sprout out of Logan’s left shoulder.

“The ward’s strongest points are the barrier on earth and the barrier in the first circle of hell,” Valor continued. “As well as the barrier in the ninth circle. If those three barriers fall at once, the whole spell should unravel.”

“Sera, Makani, and I can handle the Magic Breaker spells,” Alex said.

“Can you? Hitting the barrier with one Magic Breaker spell will not be enough. You will need to hit it repeatedly. Over and over again. On earth, that will be difficult. In the spirit realm, where your magic is drained continuously, it will be…problematic,” Naomi said, opting for a word less damning than ‘impossible’.

“The spirit realm drains much of our magic, but we can still use Magic Breaker spells,” Makani said.

“You can use Magic Breaker there because you are used to the conditions of hell,” Naomi replied. “However, even you are weaker in hell, Makani, and the deeper you go, the more the spirit realm’s power weighs you down, draining your body as well as your magic. You will need to store your spells so you don’t run out of magic. And storing that many spells will take weeks to prepare.”

Makani’s brow quirked up. “What happened to your unwavering optimism?”

“It’s still there, along with a healthy dose of realism. I’ve seen too much in the past few months to blindly believe that this will be easy.”

“You’re right. It won’t be easy,” he told her. “Luckily for us, I’ve spent the last two months storing my spells. Every magic artifact we have is filled to the brim with them.”

Naomi gaped at him.

“I figured we’d need it.” He shrugged again, and this time Naomi didn’t ogle. She was still recovering from the shock.

“We now have over fifty magic artifacts, and each one can hold at least five spells,” she said quietly.

“It’s up to over ten actually. Riley has helped me hone the process of layering spells inside an artifact,” Makani told her.

“I cannot even begin to fathom how you’ve managed to store five hundred spells in two months.”

That would have been a monumental task if he’d been doing nothing else. But he’d spent those two months hunting hell beasts and demons, just like the rest of them. How could he have possibly had any magic left to spare?

“I did it because it was the only way,” he said simply.

That was willpower for you. He’d done all that and yet never looked tired. Naomi, on the other hand, was always tired.

“I’m feeling horribly inadequate right now,” she said.

“Don’t,” Sera said. “You had to expel demons from their hosts and open portals to hell. That’s like running a marathon underwater. With weights on. And doing it over and over again for weeks.”

Naomi sighed. If only she’d discovered her spirit magic years ago, she would have had more practice using it. She wouldn’t be trying to figure out her magic at the same time she was fighting back a demon invasion.

“We can do this,” Sera said with a smile. She looked like she hadn’t slept at all last night.

“Sera and Kai will attack Castle Soulbreaker from earth,” Alex said. “Logan and I will take the first circle of hell.”

“We should flip that. I have more experience than you fighting in hell,” Sera told her.

Alex frowned. “I’d hardly classify dying in hell as ‘experience’.”

The car swerved.

“Don’t hit the concrete divider, honey,” Sera said soothingly, setting her hand on Kai’s. “It’s not its fault that Alex is being grumpy.”

Kai was gripping the steering wheel like he intended to crush it with his bare hands, but he eased the car back into the middle of the lane. Just like Alex, he was clearly not over Sera’s brush with death.

“If your sister had died in hell, you’d be grumpy too,” Alex told Sera.

“I was only partly dead and only for a few minutes.”

Alex ignored her words. “Especially, if your sister wanted to go back there and do it all over again. You had your turn in hell, Sera. Now it’s mine. You’re staying on earth this time.”

Sera opened her mouth, but Kai was faster. “Alex is right.”

“Alex is reckless. She’s even more likely to get herself killed in hell than I am,” Sera protested.

“Slayer will keep her in check,” Kai said.

Alex snorted like she didn’t believe anyone could keep her in check. Logan looked like he wanted to laugh too, but that he was far too professional for that.

“You and Kai anyway need to be on earth, ready to lead the invading army into the castle when the ward breaks. After all, they will fight much better under the leadership of someone they adore,” Naomi told Sera, fluttering her eyelashes.

Sera grunted. “You’re manipulating me.”

“Maybe just a little.”

“You’re much better at manipulating people than these worry warts,” Sera chuckled.

Naomi winked at her, then glanced at Makani. “Sera and Kai will take earth. Alex and Logan will handle the first circle. That just leaves us with the ninth circle of hell.”

“I cannot wait.”

She couldn’t tell if he was being serious or sarcastic, but she had a hunch it was at least a little bit of both.

“Chastity and Valor, can you be our messengers, moving between the realms to coordinate our efforts?” Naomi asked the ghosts.

“It would be our pleasure to help thwart the demons’ plans,” Chastity replied viciously. Her venom toward demons was understandable. Both she and Valor had spent considerable time imprisoned by them.

The car rolled to a stop in front of Naomi’s house. She, Makani, and his commandos got out.

“See you at dawn,” Sera called out, then the car drove on.

“Call on us if you need us, my prince,” Emma told Makani. “We are ready.”

Then she, Bruce, and Troy stepped into the house next door, where they’d been living for the past two months, in between missions to hell.

Naomi and Makani entered their house through the garage, passing his blacksmith stations. Naomi crossed the living room and placed her weapons in the storage cabinet next to the kitchen. Her shoulder protested as she put away her bow.

“Are you all right?” Makani asked, watching her rub her shoulder.

“I must have hurt my arm sometime in the evening’s madness.”

Without a word, he moved behind her and began to massage her body, starting at her neck, moving down to her shoulders and back.

“That feels nice,” she sighed.

“I know.”

She laughed.

Makani’s hands continued to massage her tired, sore muscles, but he said nothing. His mind seemed to be somewhere else, somewhere far from here.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“I was not the one wounded today.”

“That’s not what I mean. Your sister is playing host to a demon. If all goes to plan, we will soon be fighting her. This might not end well for her.”

“My sister Leilani died centuries ago,” he said, his voice cold. “I have no problem fighting Firestorm, nor doing whatever it takes to stop the demons. The demon inside of her is irrelevant. I came to terms with her corruption centuries ago. This is no different.”

“But it is different. This time, she has a demon inside of her.”

“I can handle Firestorm.”

His voice was self-assured, but he didn’t fool Naomi, not for a second. She knew his heart still hurt from his sister’s betrayal. He thought he could just bottle up that pain, and then it would simply cease to exist. But Firestorm was his twin. For Dragon Born mages that meant her soul, twisted as it might be, was intertwined with his. There might be no saving her, but if he didn’t let out his pain, her death might just destroy him too.

Naomi turned around to face him. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

“I know. I just…can’t. Not yet.”

“Ok.” She cleared her throat. He might not want to talk about Firestorm, but there were other things she had to say. “The battle tomorrow might not go our way.” She set her hands on his face and met his eyes. “Makani, if we don’t survive this—”

He set his finger on her lips. “We have faced worse.”

“Have we really? Worse than the princes of hell, who have the support of the other demons?” she laughed shakily, as though laughter could wash away all her fears. “There’s a good chance we won’t make it out of this. I just want you to know that I don’t regret it. Any of it. Discovering my magic. Finding you. Fighting the demons’ warlords and trying to make the spirit realm a better place. All that was set into motion when I first saw you. No matter what happens tomorrow, we’ve already made a difference.”

Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision.

Makani brushed them from her cheeks and kissed her still-wet skin. “You are going to survive this. We are all going to survive this,” he said, his voice ringing with conviction.

“I hope you’re right.”

“There’s no need for hope or wishful thinking. Of course I’m right.”

This time, her laugh wasn’t forced—and it did make her feel a bit better. “I love you.”

Makani held her face in his hands. “And I love you, Spirit Warrior. No more talk of death.” He kissed her forehead.

“Ok. I promise to be good.”

“Excellent.” The brush of his lips against hers sparked something deep inside of her. “I, however, will make no such promise to be good.”

He slid the strap of her top off her shoulders, dipping his mouth to her skin. His kisses trailed down her back. As his fingers brushed against the ribbons fastening her bustier top, her nipples hardened.

He chuckled. “Your magic is thrumming hard.”

Her top fell away, and his mouth lowered to her breast, his tongue flicking her nipple. Her head fell back, and a deep, almost-beastly groan broke past her lips. Her magic wasn’t the only thing thrumming. Her pulse was pounding so hard that her whole body seemed to quake.

His hands dipped lower, sliding her pants down her hips. His hand brushed up her thigh, feather-soft. Her breath caught as his hand lingered at the waistband of her panties.

“Don’t stop,” she said, her voice a gasped plea.

His eyes panned down the length of her body. “You are so magnificent.”

She managed a smirk. “Go on.”

“Naomi,” he whispered hotly against her neck, his fingers tracing the lacy lattice of her panties. He stopped. “We need to talk,” he said seriously, meeting her eyes.

“Now?” she choked out, her voice half-laugh, half-growl. Her thighs clenched in desperate anticipation.

“It’s important.”

So was this, their rare moment of intimacy in the sea of madness swirling around them. She needed him. She needed to connect with him, to love him, to be one with him—not just his body, but his soul and magic. And his heart.

She drew him in closer, kissing him deeply, fiercely, drinking him in with insatiable appetite. Her hands tore roughly at his clothes. She wouldn’t be happy until they were all gone.

She smiled as she looked at him naked before her, drinking in the sight of his bare, muscled body. The body of a warrior.

“It’s important,” he said again, more harshly this time.

“Will it still be important tomorrow?” she asked coyly.

“Yes.”

“Then it can wait.” She hooked her finger under the waistband of her panties and slid them off, tossing them to the kitchen floor. She hopped onto the counter, spreading her legs.

The low groan that parted his lips was a breath of fire on her own swollen, slick lips. It shot her libido from healthy arousal, to excruciating lust. His eyes widened, magic flashing in their gold depths, as his gaze slid over her body.

She had him now.

“You have me now and forever,” he declared solemnly, stepping forward.

She was so dizzy with desire, she must have said that last bit aloud.

He grabbed her, pulling her roughly against him, his fingernails raking her back with brutal sensuality. His tongue thrust into her mouth even as he entered her, and she cried out, that cry quickly degenerating into a savage, desperate groan.

His hands locked around her hips and he began to move faster, his fierceness wrenching a second cry from her. Each thrust shot a fresh flash of heat blazing through her. She clutched him tightly to her, her breaths coming out in stuttered gasps.

Spasms rocked her, ramping up into delicious delirium that consumed her every thought, her every breath. Waves of rapture rippled through her body, drowning her in a white-hot fire that left her shaking from the inside out as he growled, deep and low in his throat.

He pulled back just far enough to set his hands on her cheeks and looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

“We didn’t even make it to the bed,” she said, hit with a moment of uncharacteristic sheepishness.

“Don’t fret. I’ll take care of it.” He said it like he wasn’t just talking about their immediate problem. He meant all of their problems.

Slowly, carefully, he lifted her and carried her up the stairs. She was nodding off almost before they reached the top.

He gingerly lowered her onto the bed. “Get some rest.” He kissed her cheek. “You’ll need all your strength for the coming fight.”

Exhaustion, coupled with nothing less than the warmth of complete and total contentment, pulled her under the velvety canopy of sleep.