Brenon ignored Kay's comment about the rose, but I thought I saw the hint of a smile on his face. He leaned against the doorframe. "Gia's waiting downstairs. We were able to talk to Terra. How'd things go here?"

"She'll be ready to help you and your friends through the gate when it's over," Aunt Kay said. "Let's go downstairs."

Aunt Kay and Gia headed down the stairs, I stayed back a moment, hoping for a chance to be alone with Brenon. He waited for me by the door, hand extended for mine. I took it, and the two of us lingered in the hallway.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I made her a deal." He squeezed my hand. "Don't worry, everything is going to be just fine."

I smiled, wishing I could make the twisting and turning in my stomach go away. I held on to his hand as we descended the stairs and made our way to the love seat that seemed to always be left for us.

Adam and Maggie had joined us in the room, expectant looks on their faces. "So?" Adam leaned forward in his chair. "What's the plan?"

Brenon nodded toward the love seat, indicating that I should sit. I complied and kept my attention focused on him while he stood in the center of the room. "Gia and I were able to reach Terra."

He glanced at me. "She said Tristan was not with her." Then he looked over at Kay. "She's agreed to meet with Gia and me to discuss terms."

Gia joined Brenon in the center of the room. "We told her that we were interested in helping her open the gates in exchange for her leaving Ara out of it. She's heard of me, and she believed that I would be willing to help Brenon."

"When?" Adam asked.

"That's the bad news," Gia said. "She would only agree to do it tonight if we wanted her to come alone."

"Where's the meeting?" Adam asked.

"We'll meet her at the Circus warehouse in Chicago. It's a large empty, open space. It will give the sense that nobody is hiding."

"That's too soon," Maggie said. "Can we get enough Sayges there by then?"

Adam jumped to his feet. "I'll put out the message right now. Doesn't sound like we have much of a choice."

"Can they teleport like you?" I asked Gia. "Will they get to Chicago fast enough?"

"Some of them can, but we won't have the numbers we could have," Gia said.

"Will it be enough?" I asked.

"We have to hope so," Aunt Kay said. "We've never had a shot like this with Terra before."

"I'll get the powders ready," Maggie said, leaving the room.

"I'll help you," Gia said, following her.

"What can I do?" Joe asked.

Joe was human. He had no power, no way to protect himself. A chill ran down my spine as I imaged Terra torturing him the way she had tortured me. Would she even bother with him? Would she just kill him outright? "You should go home, Joe."

"Like hell I am," he said. "I have a few more vacation days, and I'm here to help you. If this goes badly, it's not just us who can get hurt. It's the whole world from what you've all been saying. Unless that was just an exaggeration?"

"It's not an exaggeration," Brenon said. "Terra is your worst nightmare, and you're right, she won't stop with us if she gets what she wants."

"Which is why you should go somewhere safe," I said.

"You brought me into this, Ara. Don't send me away."

"I couldn't handle it," I said. "If anything happened to you. I can't lose you."

I looked over at Aunt Kay, hoping she'd back me up on this one. Hadn't she kept me hidden for most of my life to keep me safe? Surely if anyone understood how I felt, it was her. She shrugged her shoulders, and I scowled at her. Some help she was.

"You can come with me," Brenon said to Joe. "I'm going to get the Circus ready. I'm sure we can find a way for you to help us. They don't have magic, either. We had to get more creative."

My mouth dropped open, and I spun around to face Brenon. "What? You can't be serious. Taking him to the circus? He's human."

Brenon smirked. "Don't worry. They won't see him as a risk to the curse. He's not exactly my type."

The idea of Joe being anywhere around Evangeline and Miles freaked me out. They weren't exactly the welcoming type. It had taken a lot to get them to not want to kill me, and I wasn't sure they were entirely over that desire yet. "You sure that's a good idea?'

I looked at the two men who were currently occupying most of my heart. The only man in my life missing was Ryder. Thankfully, he was safely away from this mess. No matter the outcome of this attack on Terra, I was going to lose Brenon. I couldn't lose Joe, too.

"Ara, you trust this guy, right?" Joe asked. "Let me do this."

How could I argue with that? He was right. I did trust him. And at least Joe wouldn't be out in the open, unprotected. He'd be with us in the fight. I glanced up at Brenon. "Can you at least ask Goldie to keep an eye on him for me?"

Brenon brushed a stray lock away from my face. "Of course."

"Who's Goldie?" Joe asked.

"She's a friend," I said.

"Kay, do you know where the arrowroot powder is?" Gia asked as she walked into the room.

"I'll show you." Aunt Kay stood, then led Gia away from the room.

"Will you two be with the Circus until tonight?" I asked.

Brenon nodded, then slapped Joe on the back. "Don't worry. I'll keep him busy for you. I'm sure Goldie will have lots for him to do."

"Is the train nearby?" I asked, wondering if I could go with him and return in time. While there had been bad things that happened to me on the train, it felt more comfortable than my aunt's house. I felt like I belonged there. Which, I suppose made sense now that I knew I was half-Fae.

Brenon held up Gia's car keys. "We'll use the bug."

There had been too many goodbyes lately. As much as I wanted to lock down my heart and not let the Ringmaster back in, it hurt too much to fight it. I had hoped we'd have at least a little bit of time together before he returned, but now we were facing the attack on Terra in a few hours. Would they expect me to open the gate right away if we defeated her?

"Hey, we're all going to be fine." Joe pulled me into a hug. "This is going to be over soon. Then everything will be back to normal. We'll go back to my apartment. You can stay as long as you want. I can even get you a job at my company if you want. We always need people who are good with numbers."

Normal. What was that like? Could I even go back to normal? Not long ago, it seemed like the only thing I wanted was a return to normalcy. Boring, even. I looked over at Brenon. He was far from boring. He was nothing like what I thought I wanted in my life, but right now, he was feeling like everything I needed. What would I do when he and the rest of the Fae went home?

"I'll meet you outside," Joe said, leaving Brenon and me alone in the room.

"I should get going," Brenon said.

"We sure say goodbye a lot," I said.

He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine sending tingles through my body. Since our first kiss in the shower, I'd wanted more from him. Leaving him had been one of the most painful things I'd ever done, and with each moment that drew us closer to the gates being open, I knew I'd have to experience that again. I pressed back into the kiss, hoping to burn this memory into my mind forever. Something that I could recall when I was missing him in the future. No other man had ever made me feel the way he made me feel. Not that I'd let many men try, but still, I had the sense that no kiss would ever live up to even our fleeting moments together.

He pulled away. "We'll have more time after you're safe."

I nodded, unable to vocalize the tangle of thoughts surrounding his return to Faerie.

After a quick kiss on my forehead, he left. I stared at the door, watching the place where he'd been just moments before, feeling more confused and overwhelmed than I had when I'd simply been angry at him. Maybe that would have been easier. I shook the thought away. I knew it was impossible to stay away from him.

"You and the Ringmaster," Aunt Kay's voice sounded from behind me.

I turned to look at her.

"Your grandmother is probably turning in her grave."

I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't need this right now, Aunt Kay."

"Magical beings are often drawn to magic that is similar to our own. It brings a sense of comfort. It's why so many Sayges live in the same communities. I suppose I should have expected this from you."

"And why I never felt like I fit in anywhere when I was younger?" I added, surprised at how bitter I sounded.

"I've said I was sorry." She looked it, too.

"I know." I sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just been a long few days. And..." I couldn't finish the thought. The biggest thing bothering me wasn't Terra or our impending battle, and it was sending a surge of guilt through me. Shouldn't I be more concerned about the fate of the world or my own life than a relationship?

"You're worried about saying goodbye," she said.

I nodded. "It's stupid, I know. Please don't lecture me."

"There's no harm in it, I suppose," she said. "Other than the heartbreak when he goes. If you were human, we'd have to worry." She winked at me.

Was my aunt referencing my nonexistent sex life? "Okay, I'm done talking about this. What can I do to help us get ready?"