Have faith.

Julius stared out the car window. Humans lined the street and from beneath the hood, only able to see their colors, it looked like an angry haboob closing in on both sides of the car. The crowd, even the air for several meters up, was a murky brown with streaks of black and white and red. The crowd was passionate, angry and blood-thirsty.

Harrison cleared his throat. “You’re not acting right, Crowley. What the hell did Lilith and Trina say to you last night?”

He shook his head. “Not much of anything.” Just told me I needed to sacrifice myself to end a curse, which was a curse itself.

Scott lifted a brown book off the seat next to him. “My father used to tell me whenever things got dark, there was always an answer in here.” He held the book out. The thing’s aura didn’t look much healthier than the crowd outside. When Julius didn’t move to take it, he gave it a little shake. “Even if there’s nothing in here for you, it might make the jury go easier if they see you holding it.”

Julius scoffed. “No fucking book is going to change their minds.”

“It’s a holy book.”

“Yeah, well, in my experience there’s not much difference between what’s holy and what’s cursed—they both cause blood and ash to be spilled.”

“You’re right, he’s not himself today.” Scott tucked the book back into the bag. “Look, son, whatever you’re thinking of doing, get it out of your head.”

Julius snorted. “The thing about vampires is that they are notorious for their survival instincts. We can’t commit suicide, Mason.”

Except there was a vast ocean of difference between suicide and sacrifice.

The car pulled to a stop. No one moved.

Those were not peaceful protestors outside the car. That was a mob. The slightest perceived infringement would send them over the edge. Jesus. Now he wasn’t just worried for himself. He turned to the two males sitting across from him. Their auras rippled and flexed.

Yeah, they damn well knew this wasn’t going to end well. Shit, he hadn’t saved their asses yesterday so they could be dust today.

Harrison shook his head. “This is going to be a pain in the ass.”

“You just stick tight between me and Harrison,” Scott advised. “We’ll get you up to the courthouse and Trina and Lilith will take care of the rest.” He leaned over and opened the car door.

The noise from the crowd became deafening. The car jostled as Scott and Harry got out. Maybe they spoke to him, but all he heard was the crowd and their cries for his ash.

“We’ve gotta keep moving,” Scott yelled into the car. “It’s not safe.”

Julius took a deep breath, forcing himself to battle the fear threatening to overwhelm him and slid across the back seat. He didn’t think it was possible, but as he exited the car and stood, the volume of the crowd grew. Its animosity washed over him, and for a moment he froze. It was like standing alone on a sandbar facing a tsunami. Any moment now they would crash down on him, an unstoppable force whose sole purpose was his destruction. He couldn’t fight them and they were unforgiving and single-minded in their purpose.

This is what they wanted him to sacrifice himself for? These people?

Have faith.

He shook his head. Not for them. For Kat. For Scott and Harrison and the others who would support Kat when he was gone.

“Keep moving.” Scott took hold of his arm and propelled him forward.

Give in gracefully. Better to ensure Kat’s survival and peace among the races than try to fight them all. All he’d do is taint Kat’s memories of him.

Ahead, the crowd jostled Harry as he tried to clear a path for Julius and Scott. The crowd was going to kill them, too, if given half a chance. Julius’ breathing became even shallower. He was going to lose his shit soon. His survival instinct was screaming for him to fight and now his loyalty to those he cared for was screaming the same.

He had to end this before the people he was doing it for got hurt.

“Harrison,” Julius shouted. He waited until Harrison looked back. “I’m sorry.”

Harrison shook his head. The colors of his aura rippled, dimmed, and flared bright as his eyes widened.

Julius rammed his shoulder into Scott, launching him into the crowd. He charged Harry, throwing his shoulder into Harry’s stomach and bucking him into the now frenzied mob. With his handlers out of harm’s way, the people overtook the remaining guards.

Hands grabbed. Clawed. Punched. Julius’ instincts overwhelmed him and he fought back. It was a losing battle. He knew it would be, for every human he put down, ten more took his place. It was an endless sea of enemies.

He clawed at the hood, trying to find the closure, wanting to feel air on his face one last time. The crowd pounded him and he was thrown to the ground.

“Don’t let him get the hood off!” someone screamed.

Julius found the zipper but the damn thing caught in his hair and he couldn’t force it open enough to squeeze through, not being pushed around and punched like he was.

Suddenly he was airborne. Many hands held him aloft as he rode the crowd. He twisted and bucked, his survival instinct forcing him to try to gain his freedom.

He heard Scott nearby over the screams of the crowd demanding his release.

“Ash, ash, ash,” the people shouted.

A rope tightened around one of his ankles and pulled him upside down above the mob. They were throwing things at him as he hung there and all he could do was wait.