“This is bad. This really, really bad,” Shera says from behind me, trembling so hard that I can hear her bones rattling.

“Thank you for constantly pointing out the obvious,” I state with a droll tone, exhaling an angry breath.

Fucking stupid, pompous, overreaching Van Helsing.

“No problem, Alpha,” Shera says after a loud swallow, a full-body tremble following her comment, as her wide eyes remain fixed to the screen.

Vance cries out in near surprise, as Idun’s dark laughter floats through the room. My throat feels frozen, and I grab it with both hands, clawing at whatever is burning against it.

“The fuck?” I manage to hiss.

Shera’s eyes widen on me, and she immediately rushes out.

I drop to my knees, same as Vance. Just like me, he chokes and wheezes. Only he’s not sizzling and burning.

It takes me a moment to realize Van Helsing silver is spreading up my throat.

“It’s called an insurance policy,” Idun says through a growing grin. “I know you’re strong, Vance. I commend you for your efforts, because you’ve grown so much over these past centuries, despite your watered-down power—the byproduct of your shallow sacrifice. There was a time I had to water down Arion’s strength just so he wouldn’t effortlessly destroy you and break all your precious pride. Maybe you could even challenge me these days, though it’d be pointless,” she says, her smile beaming brighter and brighter the longer she speaks.

The burn spreads deeper through me, and I catch myself from smacking the floor with just one hand. My other hand is clawing at the growing silver, trying to stop it.

“Pandora didn’t just capture you for the sake of burying you. In the unlikely event you were rescued, she also placed a curse on you. Anyone you’ve come into contact with since your return will suffer the same consequences. I’m not much of one to play guessing games, but if I had to wager a bet, my money would be on the fact you’ve encountered at least the other three boyfriends of mine, who never could understand their places. Even Arion. He liked blowing smoke up my ass and simpering along behind me, begging for my scraps, while desperately starved for my attention. What sort of woman would I be if I respected a monster like that? Then he has the audacity to act like an alpha with that little whore?”

Fucking. Bitch.

My skin sizzles that much harder, as the silver quickly spreads lower.

Shera comes rushing back in, and what feels to be five gallons of cold water is suddenly splashing against me. Isiah comes running up, and he tosses a large tote of blood onto me.

The combination is soothing to the burns, but the sizzling continues, and the silver doesn’t stop spreading.

“You keep drenching him in blood. I’m going to see if I can find something in the books on this, or maybe I should call Leiza,” Shera rambles, sounding panicked. “She knows more about Van Helsing silver and curses than any of us.”

She rushes out, leaving me with the panicking, clumsy Isiah in her absence.

Isiah quickly goes to grab more blood, making a racket upstairs, as he shouts orders.

The steel door slams, sealing off a lot of the chatter, and the bolt clangs into place, as though someone has just locked themselves in with me. There’s a heavy banging that follows, along with some of Isiah’s muffled shouts.

I barely manage to turn my neck enough to find Talbot Lane strolling toward me, leisurely moving down the stairs, as he twirls a pocket-watch.

My fangs bare, but he doesn’t back away or show fear, as he continues to approach, taking the last step.

The banging continues with more frenzy above, as my betas start ramming the nearly impenetrable door.

It’s been locked from the inside, which means the codes won’t work on the outside. If a fucking incubus kills me during a battle this thick, while I’m downed by some random curse, I’ll never hear the end of it.

“It seems I have a problem I can’t solve all on my own.” He pauses and stares down at me with an arched eyebrow. “Which is why I’m here to help, even though I don’t particularly like you. This is going to hurt like hell. Try not to bite me,” he says as he crouches before me and places a hand on my shoulder.

I almost attempt to lunge for his throat, just for making no sense and being entirely too suspicious, but I end up hissing in pain. My nails stab and break the concrete beneath me, as my blood begins to boil inside my veins so hot that it’s damn near unbearable.

“What the fuck?” I manage to say between clenched teeth.

“I’m reversing the curse. Pandora is crafty, but she’s no match for me, because my magic is far from dried up. She lived on many borrowed years before she found a way to secure immortality and everlasting youth,” he says as though that’s somehow an answer.

“You’re a blood witch?” I say through a sneer.

He gives me a dead look. “I was born a blood witch. My mother convinced me to become a monster. I chose the monster that suited me best. Honestly, it’s not a choice I regret. I’ve seen the world spin in forty thousand directions, and watched the world evolve/devolve at a magnificent rate.”

He steps back, as the burning continues. Vance makes a pained sound, and I watch with rapt attention, as the pain in my veins intensifies.

“Looks like it’s working. I used you as a conduit to link to the others. You share a bond so strong that not even war, despair, greed, violence, and utter destruction has kept you apart.”

Idun’s smile starts to slip, as she stares at the silver that’s slowly receding from Vance’s body. She takes a step back, as a chilling expression creases her features.

“Who the fuck are you?” I ask Talbot, while my dizzy vision spots the young triplets in the corner.

The three of them look on with matching dark expressions on their faces. Talbot follows my gaze to them, and as one, they dart a look to him, as a sinister grin curves their lips.

“I’m someone who can combat Pandora. Utilize me instead of plotting my demise, and you may just have a chance to survive this night,” he answers.

He clears his throat as though it’s a nervous habit, and he takes a few steps away from the triplets.

“Silly vampire. The incubus has been playing pretend,” the triplets state in perfect unison.

“What do you want?” I ask Talbot, just waiting for the opportunity to remove his head.

He cuts his eyes toward me. “The same thing you all want. I want the wars to finally end. I have no idea what’s about to happen, or how many will die, but I do know one thing.”

“What’s that, pretend incubus?” the triplets ask.

He slants his gaze in their direction.

“January Violet Carmine can’t see ghosts,” he says with zero hesitation.

That niggling thought from earlier hits me, and Shera’s words once again echo through my head.

The sheer volume of ghosts in this town…

Violet only sees some of them…

It lines up with the confusing direction my head was already headed toward, but what are they if not ghosts?

They can’t all be various projections. It’s too hard to project in today’s world. The mind almost has to be pure to do it.

That chill rides all the way up my spine, and I stare at the triplets, as it all finally falls into place. Only it’s still too jumbled.