A team of FBI agents scooped them up a few hundred yards from the fence line. Thank God, because even though Tobias didn't utter a single complaint, Carolyn knew he was hurting. She could sense it in the way he held his body and the clenching of his jaw. And because every cell of her body was attuned to his right now.

He would have died for her.

Willingly.

He'd flung himself into certain gunfire. It had happened so fast she hadn't completely grasped it. One second the knife was pricking her throat, the next she was free and the other Light Keeper was trying to kill Tobias. A fury as fierce and pure as fire had propelled her through the air to tackle him. She'd felt superhuman, as if she could fly, and divert bullets, and fell bad guys without suffering a scratch. Like Wonder Woman without the headpiece.

But without Tobias, she could very well be dead by now. Her life, her beating pulse, her existence had meant nothing to that knife-wielding jerk. To him, she was less than human. A pariah. Someone whose death would mean nothing.

If they could feel that way toward a former "poster child," was anyone safe?

No.

She helped Tobias into the backseat of one of the FBI’s sedans. He made noises about being fine, but the agent insisted he get checked out at the nearest hospital, fifty miles away. She snuggled next to him while he drowsed on her shoulder.

As the car raced down dark country roads, Carolyn's own road ahead became clear to her. She could no longer sit in her ivory tower art history class and pretend that she had nothing to do with the Light Keepers. Nope. From now on, she was going to speak out. She was going to shine a spotlight on the group and others like it. She was going to stand up and make some noise.

At the hospital, medical personnel whisked Tobias into an exam room. For a terrifying moment, she felt utterly alone in a place filled with strangers. If only Merry were here. A friendly face, someone who understood.

Then Will hurried into the hospital lobby.

“The FBI took charge of the kids and told me I’d find Tobias here,” he told her. “How is he?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “F—fine.”

With a quick look at her face, he pulled her in for a hug. "Hey, don’t you worry. You should have seen some of his injuries growing up. This is barely a scratch."

She clung to the confidence in Will's voice like a lifeline in a storm.

When Agent Turner arrived at the hospital, she took Carolyn's statement in a deserted corner of the cafeteria. Carolyn carefully described everything she'd witnessed in the compound. The underground bunker, the stale air, the kids' pale faces. The overheard whispers.

"It sounds like they're preparing for some kind of dramatic standoff. And they've been kidnapping children. But I don't know why."

"From what we've picked up, it seems their leader, Ray, has gone off the deep end. The group wasn't growing fast enough. He made some bad decisions. But what happened tonight is going to change everything. It was a crazy thing y'all did, but it'll make a difference."

"Good. Even if I face some kind of charges, I'm still glad."

"We'll figure it out," Turner murmured as she scrawled notes on a pad.

"Did you find the two Light Keepers who attacked me?" She tested the cut on her neck, where the blood had dried.

"Yup. They're both alive and under arrest. One of them hasn't given us much, he's completely committed to the belief system. But Joseph Brown is talking. He admitted to the harassment incidents at Evergreen."

"Did he explain why he did those things?"

"He ranted a lot, but reading between the lines, he was angry that you escaped the group. He wanted to leave, but as a male pursuing a college degree, he was under tons of pressure to stay. He cracked, and took it out on you. Then the group ordered him back, probably to prepare for the standoff."

The standoff. She shuddered at the thought of armed warfare breaking out on the property. What if the kids had gotten trapped forever in that bunker? What if Sarah had?

"The kids. My sister. Where are they now?"

"Social Services is meeting the chopper at the closest Air Force base. I promise you'll see her, but they all have to be checked out first."

Carolyn nodded reluctantly. She'd only known Sarah for a matter of hours, but it might as well have been for the girl's entire short life. She would do anything—anything—to keep her safe.

Including…

Yes.

"I want to adopt her," she told Agent Turner. "Her mother's dead. My father can't be trusted with her. I'm her own family."

"Not my department. You'll have to work with Social Services on that."

"But she was kept underground like a prisoner! They all were. For I don’t know how long. Can you imagine that?" She buried her head in her hands, the horror sweeping over her.

Turner put a hand on her arm, an oddly comforting gesture from the normally brusque agent. "I've seen all kinds of shitshows in this job. I've learned one thing that I try to keep in mind. People are resilient. Especially kids. If you doubt that, look at yourself."

Carolyn drew in a deep breath and thought about Sarah's bright smile. Even in the worst of circumstances, the little girl had found joy in bouncing on a bed. She pulled her hands away from her face and looked up at the agent. "You think they'll be okay? Based on your experience?"

"Those kids found that utility tunnel, Sarah found her way to you, now they're all on a helicopter riding to safety. They're resourceful, those kids. Hell yes, I think they'll be okay, with some help."

Some help. Absolutely. If anyone knew what the kids were going through, it was Carolyn. "I'll be their champion," she decided, out loud. "Their advocate. Their friend. Whatever they need. And I'm going to make sure Sarah ends up with me. I'll fight the Light Keepers for her if I have to."

"I sure wouldn't bet against you."

A nurse appeared next to them. "You can see Tobias Knight now. He's waiting for you."

Everything else fled her mind at that point.

Tobias’s left arm and right leg were covered in bandages, dirt and blood smeared his exhausted face. His eyes were closed, those incongruously long eyelashes blending with the deep shadows under his eyes.

He looked beautiful. And she loved him.

Carolyn crouched down next to his bed and stroked her fingers through his thick hair, which was now long enough that it actually had a wave. She remembered how he'd looked in her class—his buzz cut just starting to grow out, his wary expression. What would Tobias look like without the weight of the world on his shoulders?

"Carolyn," he murmured, his eyes opening just enough to reveal a sliver of deepest blue. "You're here."

"I'm here. And I love you. I love you, Tobias."

A slow smile spread across his face. "Good."

Now she did know what he looked like without the weight of the world. And it was a glorious sight.

"As soon as we get back to Jupiter Point we have to look for a house," he murmured.

Those painkillers must be doing a number on him. A house? What was he talking about? "Sweetie, just get some rest. We can talk more when you're feeling better."

"I feel great." His eyes opened all the way. "I'm alive. You're alive. I love you. You love me. And Will's going to find the person who actually killed our dad. Because it wasn't me. I found him, but it wasn't my fault."

"That's right, Tobias." Oh yes, he was definitely a little woozy from whatever meds they'd given him. "You found him, but it wasn't your fault. I'm really glad you see that. Now you should go back to sleep."

A glimmer of a smile lit up his face. "You think I'm babbling. I'm not, Caro. We're going to need a house because of Sarah."

She stared at him. "What are you—?"

"Sarah is going to live with us, of course. Other kids in the group might need a home too. So it's going to have to be a big house. Lots of outside space. No basement. A big farmhouse with room to play. A garden."

That image brought her such a powerful sense of joy that she couldn't form words.

Just then Will came in with a cardboard tray of coffees. He offered one to Carolyn, along with a look of gratitude that made her blush.

"I finally got the whole story from Tobias. He told me how you knocked out the asshole shooting at him. Don't be alarmed if we all start treating you like a queen."

Her face aflame, she hid behind the coffee. Queen? Nah. She was a red-blooded woman in love with an incredible man.

"Now what were you just saying about a farmhouse?" Will asked Tobias as he pulled up a chair next to the bed.

Tobias reached out and grabbed Will in a solid forearm grip. "We need something just like it, Caro and me. We're skipping right to the part where we already have kids. Way ahead of you, bro. Sorry. Guess you'll have to catch up later. Oh, and I'm going to talk her into marrying me if it's the last thing I do."

Carolyn's mouth fell open. Will looked as if he was trying very hard not to laugh. "You want to get married, big guy? Never thought this day would come."

"Shut the hell up. You knew it would." Tobias’s grin flashed through the grime on his face. "When I'm wrong, I can admit it."

"Good to hear." Will leaned close so he could turn their arm-clench into full-on embrace. "Love you, brother. Damn glad you're okay."

When he released Tobias, his gray eyes were damp. Tobias fell back on the bed, looking happy but exhausted.

Will rose to his feet, swiping at his eyes. "I need to call Merry and give her an update. Caro, don't be surprised if you get a call from her. She's already working this story from the FBI angle, but she's hoping she can talk to you."

"Of course. I'm happy to tell her everything." A lot of it would be painful and embarrassing, but if she wanted to shine a light on the Light Keepers, it was necessary. And Merry was the perfect person for the job.

Maybe she'd ask for one thing in return—Will and Merry's help in locating Mira Ahmed. More than ever, she wanted to find her old friend.

After Will left, she snuggled up next to Tobias again. He put his good arm around her and hauled her onto the bed with him. His body heat warmed her. All the fear and tension of the past twenty-four hours drained away, until she felt boneless and content, like a cat by a fireplace.

"So. About my mission regarding marriage…" he murmured.

"You know how I feel about marriage." And yet those worries seemed so far away. So inconsequential compared to losing Tobias.

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm giving myself at least six months to talk you into it."

"Six months isn't very much time," she teased. "My reasons for fearing marriage are very well-thought out and logically sound."

His hand tightened on her shoulder. "And mine, professor, go beyond logic. They're about love. And magic. And a little girl who's going to need a family. And a man who thought he was going to spend his whole life alone, until he met you."

She buried her head in the crook of his shoulder. The steady beat of his heart was hypnotic.

"I would never want you to feel trapped or controlled," he said. "You need to have a panic button."

"What do you mean?"

"Like a one-way ticket to Italy sitting in your underwear drawer, so you can take a break if you want. Visit Michelangelo's penis statue."

She laughed into his warm skin. "Remind me once again to never let you guest lecture in my class."

His laugh vibrated deep inside his chest. "Are you sure? Because I can tell those kids all about chiaroscuro. You're the chiaro to my scuro, baby. You light me up."

That worked both ways. A sun seemed to burst to life inside her. Its light radiated through her, bringing intense joy to the deepest, most hidden parts of her heart. "You know something, Tobias?"

"What's that?"

"It took six minutes, not six months."

For a spellbound second he just looked at her. Then a huge grin took over his face. "Damn, I'm good."