The next morning, Moira and my parents walked us to the portal where we would leave Elesius. The town was quiet this early, the trickling water of the fountains a soundtrack as we walked down the street.

“This is the same portal that we use when we go on trade expeditions,” my mother said. “It will take you wherever you envision on earth.”

“Trade expeditions made necessary because I’ve sucked all the life out of this place.”

“No. You did not. Elesius gave you its power. You are the chosen one. It is different.”

I swallowed hard, hoping I was up to the task.

The portal was at the base of the city, near a massive fountain that spewed clear, cool water. My mother stood in front of me and took my hands. “Be careful, Phoenix.”

“Careful is my middle name.” Okay, that was kind of a lie.

A small smile curled my mother’s lips. “Somehow I doubt that. But we will be here. Now that you have found your way home, you may return whenever you wish. Just think of this place and a portal will appear.”

Joy warmed my chest. The idea that I could come back whenever—that I could have dinner with my parents—was surreal. I hugged her. “I love you.”

“I love you.” She squeezed me hard and let go.

I hugged my dad next, my heart overjoyed. My parents turned to Ares to say goodbye, and Moira came to stand next to me.

Her voice was fierce as she whispered, “You must return. You must stay.”

“What? Why?”

“You must.”

I frowned, about to ask for more detail, but my mother and father turned back to us. Moira snapped her mouth closed and smiled at them, as if nothing had happened.

“Ready?” Ares asked.

“Yeah.” I glanced at Moira one last time. Her insistence made me nervous. I’d get to the bottom of her weirdness, but it wasn’t a priority right now. “Let’s go.”

I said one last goodbye to my parents, then stepped up to the portal. I looked at Ares. “To Death Valley Junction?”

It was the closest town to where my dragon sense said Ademius would be, and we wanted to get started right away.

“To Death Valley Junction.” He reached for my hand.

I took it and clutched the box to my chest with my other hand, then we stepped through, together.

Once again, the world swirled around me, crazy sights and sounds from all over the globe. When I stepped out into the real world, the silence was deafening.

This time, I merely stumbled instead of landing on my face. When my eyes adjusted, I realized that we were in an old desert town. It looked like the Wild West, with a wide flat street made of dirt and wooden buildings running down either side.

There were actual saloons.

A freaking tumbleweed bounced across the road.

I turned to Ares and tipped an imaginary hat. “Howdy, Pardner.”

He grinned.

“Seriously, though,” I said. “I think John Wayne is going to come out of one of these buildings any second. We could duel.”

“You’d win.”

I punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Thanks.”

The dry heat was oppressive, but not unbearable. There were some people walking down the street, going in and out of shops or houses. There were no obvious threats, like angry demons or a corrupt sheriff looking to run us out of town, but still…

“Let’s duck out of sight,” I said. “I’d like to call Cass and Nix.”

Ares nodded. We walked to an alley between two buildings—the Death’s Door Saloon and the Murderous Mercantile—and I pressed my fingertips to my comms charm to ignite its magic. “Cass? Del?”

“Nix!” Two voices squawked out of my comms charm, fear and anger obvious in their tones.

“Where the hell have you been?” jumbled over top of “Why the heck haven’t you called us?”

“Sorry, guys! Sorry!” Shit. I really should have found a way to contact them when my comms charm hadn’t worked in Elesius.

“Where are you? We’re coming there right now,” Cass said.

“We’re in Death Valley Junction, in the alley between the Death’s Door Saloon and the Murderous Mercantile.”

They said nothing, but a moment later, Cass and Del appeared in the middle of the street, Cass having used her transportation magic to zap them here in an instant. They spun in a circle, their gazes finally landing on the saloon, then hurried toward us.

Del was still in her polar bear pajamas, and Cass’s hair was wet. They threw their arms around me.

“We were so worried!” Cass cried.

“Why the hell didn’t you call us?” Del demanded.

They stepped back, brows scrunched and gazes angry. I told them about Elesius—how I’d been so shocked and amazed that I’d been a jerk and forgotten to try harder to get in touch.

“Your family’s alive?” Tears glinted in Cass’s eyes and her voice rang with joy. “That’s so amazing.”

“I’m so happy for you!” Del threw her arms around me. Cass joined in.

Tears pricked my eyes as I hugged them back. I was so lucky. I’d waited the longest to find my family, but I’d found them alive. I pulled back from them. “How are things back in Magic’s Bend? Have you learned anything new about Drakon?”

Cass nodded. “Roarke finally had some luck with a contact in the Order of the Magic, though it took him a little while.”

The Order was secretive. As the governing body of all Magica—magic users who weren’t shifters or fae or vampire—they took their jobs seriously and didn’t hand out information easily. Roarke, who worked alongside them as Warden of the Underworld, was the only one among our number who even had a shot at getting info.

“What’d he learn?”

“Drakon’s compound on the outskirts of Magic’s Bend was bought by a company that paid cash. But their origin is unknown. When they tried to track it, they found nothing.”

I sighed. “Not a surprise, considering that he’s supposed to be a criminal mastermind.”

“But Roarke did learn more from his contacts in the Underworld. Apparently there’s been a call put out for more mercenaries. A lot of cash for anyone who joins up. He doesn’t know who’s hiring, but we bet it’s him. And he’s hiring hundreds.”

Hundreds.

Damn.

Anyone who wanted hired muscle usually went for demons. It was both costly and illegal, but they were strong and had no morals. In order to hire a demon mercenary, you had to perform some pretty complex magic to get them out of hell and onto earth. This guy had that much magic and money? Bad news.

He was building an army and already had the prophecy untangled. Two steps ahead of us.

“Why are we here, anyway?” Cass asked.

“My ancestor was the one who made the vessel of truth. My mother gave me a lock of his hair so that I could use my dragon sense to find him, and this is where it took me.”

“Wow, so this has been fated for a long time,” Del said.

I nodded. “Seems like.”

“So you’ll find him and get the recipe for the potion.” Cass grinned. “Hot damn!”

“Yeah. Or he’s still in Drakon’s clutches.” I frowned. “In which case we’re heading straight for him.”

I wished I knew what we were walking into.

“You said this is Death Valley Junction?” Cass asked.

“Yeah.”

“There’s only one thing this place is really known for,” Cass said. “It’s the starting off point to reach Hider’s Haven.”

“What is that?” Ares asked.

“It’s where you go if you don’t want to be found,” Cass said. “Like, really don’t want to be found.”

“It can’t be that hidden if you know how to get there,” I said.

“I don’t, really. Aidan just told me about it. It’s supposed to be insanely difficult to get to, and this is just the starting off point. You’ll need someone to take you across Death Valley.”

“Death Valley?” Damn. If I was supposed to be Life in the Triumvirate, that was the last place I wanted to go.

“Can we not transport across?” Ares asked.

“No. Death Valley’s magic prevents it, and that’s part of the appeal of Hider’s Haven. You have to go through—and mostly likely die—to reach it.”

“It makes sense that he’s hiding out then,” Ares said. “He must have escaped Drakon somehow and doesn’t want to be re-caught.”

Excitement thrummed in my chest. “Which means we can kill two birds with one stone—learn the prophecy and find out where Drakon is.”

“Exactly.” Cass grinned.

“We’ll come with you,” Del said.

“No.” I shook my head. “We only need a couple people to find him. And fates forbid that we fail.”

“You’ll need to pick up the job if we do,” Ares said.

“We’ll watch your backs as we cross the valley,” Del said. “You need us.”

“No.” I made my voice firm. “You know as well as I do that hunting someone who doesn’t want to be found is best done in small numbers. We don’t need to scare him. Ares and I can take care of ourselves.” I removed the strap that held the box to me and handed the box over to Cass. “And you need to keep this safe, back at our place.”

The last thing I needed to do was carry the beaker through Death Valley. That was crazy.

Cass took the box, but opened her mouth as if she were about to argue.

I held up a hand. “This is my fight, Cass. And right now, this is the best way.”

She snapped her mouth shut. As worried as she and Del were, they knew I was right.

“Fine, but call us if you need us,” Del said. “We can be there in a heartbeat.”

“Exactly.” I smiled. “So no need to worry!”

She laughed. “Hardly. But be careful.”

“And find someone to take you across the valley,” Cass said. “You’ll need a guide."

“Will do.” I hugged her and Del.

We said our goodbyes, and they disappeared back to Magic’s Bend, the beaker in tow.

“Glad to have that off my hands.” I looked at Ares. “What do you say we head into a bar and try to find a guide?”

“Lead on.”

We headed out onto the old street and went into the Death’s Door Saloon. We stepped through the swinging doors and I felt like I was in a John Wayne movie. It smelled of beer and cigar smoke. My eyes adjusted to the dim light within.

Though it was fairly early, there were a few men and women at the bar—all dressed kinda like old Western cowboys—and a few more playing pool. I pointed to an old guy with a big white mustache who sat at the end of the bar. “How about him?”

“Why him?” Ares asked.

“Because old guys have done it all and when they’re finished, they sit at the bar, knowing it all.”

“Good enough logic for me.”

I walked toward the bar, choosing a seat one down from my target. Ares sat on my other side. The bartender, a tall man with straight black hair and piercing eyes, came over. “What’ll it be?”

“Coffee, thanks.” It was too early for beer or whiskey. Not that I’d tell that to the old guy next to me. I pointed to him. “And another one for him.”

The old man’s keen blue eyes raised to meet mine. “Thank ya’ kindly. But what’s that for?”

The bartender busied himself with our order, along with Ares’s coffee, and I turned to the man and smiled. “Hoping you could help us with some information.”

His bushy white eyebrow rose. “Information, ey?”

“We’re trying to get across Death Valley. To Hider’s Haven.”

His brows lowered. “Whatcha want to go there for?”

My mind raced. Better to be the hunted than the hunter, if I wanted help. I lowered my voice. “I’m looking to lay low for a while.”

The guy nodded at Ares. “What about him?”

“Him too.”

“Must be someone bad then.”

“Isn’t it always?” I accepted my drink from the bartender and handed him a few bills, then turned to the man. “So, do you know anyone who could guide us across the valley?”

“First, it’s through the valley, not across.” He sipped the whiskey I’d bought him.

I held up a hand. “My mistake. Through the valley.”

“Now that we’ve got that straight, yeah. I know a gal. My nieces lead people through. But it’ll cost ya.”

“That’s all right. Where can we find her?”

“Down at the end of the road toward the west, turn right and look for the house with the buggy out front.”

“The buggy?”

He frowned. “Did I stutter?”

“No, I just…” I nodded. “Okay. Look for the house with the buggy out front.”

“Yeah. Got a pink ribbon tied on the back.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded and sipped the whiskey. “Be careful now. The valley ain’t no place for the timid.”

I grinned. Timidity wasn’t my problem. “You have a good day.”

I got up, met Ares’s eye, and we left. The day had warmed up in the time we’d been in the bar. It might be winter, but Death Valley cooled for no season. I found the rising sun and headed down the street in the opposite direction. We passed a crossroads and a vehicle parked on the dirt side street caught my eye. I pulled to a dead stop, staring. “Whoa.”

“What?” Ares turned to look.

The car was actually a tricked out beast of a machine, painted gunmetal gray, with massive wheels, spikes all over the hood, and the headlights contained in cages. There was another one just beyond it, a similar style but customized differently.

I glanced at Ares. “So I guess they’ve traded up from horse and buggies.”

“An understatement.”

We continued down the street, reaching the end and taking a right. There were only a few houses in this part of town, and one had a massive tricked out gray hummer sitting next to two similar machines. The tires were almost as big as I was. They made the one we’d seen earlier look like kid cars. A pink ribbon fluttered off the back of the biggest, meanest one.

“That’s the buggy?” I asked.

“Looks like.” Ares chuckled.

The body almost looked like an old-school Hummer, boxy and big, but the top had been sawed off to make a convertible. Except that a platform had been erected high over the front seats, big enough for a person to stand on while holding onto a rail that had been fixed to the front. The driver could sit in the seat underneath. There was a similar platform off the back as well. Spikes protruded from the sides, as if it would repel any monster that tried to ram it.

A girl walked out of the house. She was tall and thin, with bleached hair styled in a mohawk. She wore brown leather from head to toe, but it was more apocalypse-chic than anything else. Her tank top was a strappy thing that looked like she’d made it herself, along with leather fingerless gloves and metal bands around her forearms. Black eye makeup streaked around her eyes.

I looked at her, then at the awesomely crazy car. “Holy fates, we’re in Mad Max.”

Ares chuckled low in his throat.

“Need something?” The girl’s voice was rough, her posture so clearly saying Don’t fuck with me.

I approached, realizing as I got closer that she was only sixteen or seventeen. Another girl walked out of the house. Her hair was black, but otherwise, she had the same aesthetic.

“Who are they?” she asked the blonde.

“Don’t know.”

The girls looked tough, almost feral, ready to fight or curse at the least provocation. Frankly, they reminded me of Cass, Del, and I at their age, living on the edge and just trying to make it.

“We’re looking for a ride across Death Valley.” I nodded at the buggy with the pink ribbon. “That yours?”

“Yeah.” The blonde watched me with steady eyes.

“I like it.”

“Me too.” She propped a hand on her hip. “But no can do on the valley.”

“We’re desperate.” My voice reflected that. “Your uncle said you could take us.”

“Sure, normally. But the third member of our team is out sick. Wouldn’t be the quality of ride we like to guarantee.”

I glanced at the “buggy”. It was bad ass, but… “What kind of quality ride?”

“The kind where you get there alive.” She grinned, but it was more a baring of teeth.

Well that didn’t sound good. Not that I had a lot of choice. “Come on, help us out. Please. We really have to get across. I’ll pay double.”

Interest glinted in her eyes. “What are you?”

“Conjurer.” And a whole lot more. I pointed to Ares. “Vampire.”

“Can you fight?”

“Yeah.”

“Got weapons?”

“I can conjure anything. He’s got a shadow sword.”

“Willing to risk your life?”

“Every day.”

She grinned, and this time the smile was real. “Then we’re in for a good time. I’m Ana”—she hiked a thumb at her friend—“this is Bree.”

Bree approached, dark hair gleaming in the sun. “That’ll be twenty grand.”

I nearly swallowed my tongue. “For real?”

“We just told you that you might die on the crossing. Which means we might die. So yeah, it’s expensive. Especially when you’re paying double.”

“Fair enough. I don’t have any cash on me though.”

“No problem. I’ll give you my bank details, transfer it online.”

These girls knew what they were doing. And I had the money, though barely. Our shop paid well. Really well, considering the value of the magic we sold. But I was always funneling the money straight into my trove, so it was rare I had cash in the bank.

At least I was covered this time. I pulled out my phone, finding the signal to be unexpectedly good, and she rattled of some numbers. I made the transfer, then looked up.

“Ready to go now?” Bree asked. “If we leave now, we can make it to the crater by early evening. Should give you enough time to make it across before dark and for us to get home.”

“We need to get to Hider’s Haven, not the crater,” Ares said.

“Crater is as far as anyone can take you. After that, you gotta cross on your own,” Bree said.

Damn. “Crater it is, then.”

“Give us ten,” Ana said. “You can sit in the back.”

They disappeared into the house and we climbed up into the vehicle. It was a good four feet off the ground, so I had to use the tire to haul myself up into the buggy. It really should have been called The Beast, but I liked the incongruity of “buggy”.

“This thing is awesome.” I climbed all over, checking out the construction of the platforms and the sturdy bars that held them lofted over the driver. The spikes on the side panels looked like they were coated in something thick and black. Poison.

“With this as our ride, Death Valley deserves its name,” I said.

“It’s an impressive machine.” Ares looked at me, eyes sharp. “You like cars?”

“Yeah.” I almost said Duh, but then realized he hadn’t been in my trove. “But yeah, I do.”

“Careful!” Ana shouted. “That Ravener poison will kill you in a second.”

I turned to see her striding out of the house, a bag hanging from her hand. Her sister strode along at her side, heavy boots thudding on the sand. Climbing harnesses were wrapped around their legs and waists. Aviator goggles were propped on their heads. They looked like bad-asses—skinny, teenage bad-asses whose eyes were too old for their age. But I’d been the same once.

They climbed up into the buggy, Ana taking the wheel and Bree sitting next to her. Ana cranked the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life, a throaty growl that would have given my Challenger Hellcat Fabio a hard-on.

She peeled out of the town, heading for the mountains in the distance, then shouted back over her shoulder. “Bree will take the front platform. One of you on the back when I say so.”

“What’s coming at us?” I shouted.

“Anything! The valley changes what it throws at us.” I caught sight of her grin in the rearview mirror. “The humans call it Death Valley because of the heat. Little do they know.”

Bree laughed. “We’re headed off the main track. Away from the tourists taking pictures. There’s a parallel valley—the real Death Valley—that only supernaturals can access.”

“They say it’s where the magic of hell seeps up from the ground,” Ana shouted as she stepped on the gas. The buggy flew across the desert, the huge tires eating up the ground. The mountains looming in the distance grew nearer and the heat more intense.

When Ana reached the first valley, mountains rose up on the left and right.

“This is the main valley,” Bree shouted.

She pulled a right, speeding over the scrubby ground toward the first row of mountains. She drove straight for one of the shallower inclines—which was still pretty danged steep—and the buggy climbed onto the mountain, tires digging in. She was a pro, weaving around boulders or steeper bits until we crested the ridge and got our first good look at the real Death Valley.