Shay didn’t hesitate.

The moment he found Asphodel’s secret gate, he threw himself through. Once more the darkness between the worlds swallowed him, but this time he didn’t feel anything close to fear. There was no sadness. No trepidation.

He knew where he was going. He knew where he needed to be. He knew who he belonged with.

There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind. Certainty surrounded him as the cosmic pathway delivered him back to Earth.

The only surprise was when he stepped out he found himself back in familiar surroundings. He’d been fairly sure that the Elysium gate would take him back to San Francisco—after all, that was where it had carried Asphodel—but it had gone one step farther and delivered him straight back into the Starling’s bookshop.

Asphodel’s work, no doubt.

Shay sent up a silent prayer of thanks to both the Heavens and the long-gone jinni for making sure that Shay came right back to the place he needed to be.

At least, he assumed he was still in the right spot.

Shay rushed over to the window. Sure enough, Marrow was still there.

And he had Nicole.

The bastard’s hand was wrapped around her arm and she dangled from his grasp like a doll. She didn’t fight or struggle. Not even her eyes moved as he roughly dragged her out of the street and onto the sidewalk. Not one single emotion flashed over her face.

But why would it? She was an empty shell. Everything that had once been inside her now lived in him.

Sadness stabbed at Shay’s heart. Regret. Grief. All the terrible emotions that he’d done his best to avoid throughout the years. But he couldn’t escape them now.

He’d always known this could happen. From the first moment he’d felt the brilliance of Nicole’s soul, he’d recognized the pull that she had on him.

If he’d only walked away then…

But he hadn’t. And wishing for a different outcome wouldn’t change the situation they were currently in. He couldn’t save Nicole by drowning himself in a pool of guilt and shame.

You can either run from the consequences of your actions, or you can help make things right.

She’d taught him that.

Right now, he had do whatever he could to make things right for her.

Shay stepped back from the window and started for the door.

“Wait,” a voice called out before he touched the knob.

Shay turned around to see Emily and Fenrir coming in the side door. In an uncharacteristic display of emotion, Emily rushed to his side and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.

“You’re back,” she said. “Thank God. I was worried we’d never see you again.”

“You were worried about me?” he asked.

Fenrir shook his head. “She was worried you’d trapped the rest of the exiles here on Earth.”

“There was only one I was worried about being stuck with for the rest of my life,” she said under her breath.

“I found another gateway to Earth in Elysium,” he said. “It must have been the same one Asphodel used to escape here years ago.”

Emily stepped back and looked up at him with a confused expression. “But why would you come back at all? You were already home.”

“Because Nicole is still here,” Fenrir answered for him.

Emily cocked her chin to the side. “You really do love her, don’t you?”

“I do,” Shay said without hesitation.

She let out a defeated sigh. “Great. Another friend lost to another exile.”

“I have to go.” Shay turned back to the door. Nicole was out there, and he didn’t know how much longer Marrow was going to let her live.

“Wait.” Emily grabbed on to his arm before he could walk away. “You don’t want to rush out there without a plan.”

“I have a plan.” Shay shook off her hold. “Kill Marrow.”

Emily wasn’t the type to be tossed off so easily. She wedged herself between Shay and the door. The look in her eyes was dead serious.

“That’s not going to cut it,” she said. “You go out there, and you’re going to get yourself killed. We’ve already seen it happen.”

Shay froze. “What do you mean you’ve seen it?”

“We tried to escape with Nicole after she sent you Elysium, but the jinni wouldn’t let us,” he said. “He zapped us up to your apartment with his powers, and sealed the windows and doors. Nothing unlocked until you arrived.”

Why would the jinni do that? Why wouldn’t he send Fenrir and Emily somewhere far away, someplace they couldn’t get back from?

It’s what he would have done if he wanted someone out of his hair.

Maybe that was the key. Maybe the jinni didn’t want them gone. Maybe he wanted witnesses.

But why?

“Quickly, tell me what you saw,” Shay said.

“We saw the jinni kill the fae soldier,” Emily rushed to say. “It was the coldest thing I’ve ever seen. The soldier raised his halberd and the jinni didn’t even blink. He just waved his hand, and the poor bastard instantly turned into a pile of ash.”

Obviously, protection hadn’t been a part of his wish.

“But more importantly, we heard Marrow make a deal,” Fenrir said.

Shay’s eyes widened. Marrow?

“You’re certain?” he asked.

“Positive,” Fenrir said. “Though it didn’t sound like he had much of a choice. The jinni was threatening to kill him.”

Really? That was interesting. Perhaps there was more to this jinni brother of his than Fenrir and Emily were giving him credit for.

Shay’s mind whirled as he tried to figure out what the jinni’s plan might be. Obviously, his brother was no fan of Marrow. Perhaps he wanted revenge on the bastard as well. It was an understandable urge.

What was harder to figure out was why he’d been so careful not to hurt Shay’s friends. Sure, the jinni had seemed truly unhappy to be sent to fight him, but that wasn’t uncommon.

All jinn shared a common bond. A brotherhood. A mutual respect that was born from the same homeland and life force, but Shay had never seen that same courtesy extended to other creatures before.

So, why had he been so careful not to hurt Shay’s friends? He wondered if that protection extended to Nicole as well. If so, it was quite possible that his brother was the reason she was still alive.

But pondering and guessing wouldn’t bring him answers. It would only waste more time, and cost Nicole her life. If he wanted to figure out what the other jinni was up to, there was only one way to find out.

Shay turned to Fenrir.

“There’s a lot of magic at play outside right now, and I don’t know what’s going to happen when I walk out that door,” he said. “I think it would be best if you took Emily somewhere far away from here. Somewhere safe.”

“You want us to run?” Emily asked.

“Yes.” That’s exactly what he wanted, and the faster and the farther the better. “The last thing I need is more lives to worry about.”

“But Nicole—” Emily started.

“Is in good hands,” Fenrir finished.

“Easy for you to say,” she said. “My friend is being held hostage by a madman out there. I don’t care how big or powerful either of you are. No one is going to stop me from helping her.”

A proud smile spread across Fenrir’s face. “Do you know what a magnificent queen you will make one day?”

Emily had just enough time to shoot him a baffled expression before Fenrir wrapped one arm around her waist and hoisted her up on his shoulder.

“Good luck,” the wolf said and headed for the back door. A kicking and screaming Emily pounded him the whole way.

Shay waited until they were gone before turning toward the front door and stepping out into the street.

Both Marrow’s gaze and the jinni’s snapped his way as he stepped out onto the pavement. Nicole didn’t move at all. The steady rise and fall of her chest was the only sign that she was still alive.

“Shay.” Venom practically dripped off Marrow’s tongue as he spoke his name. “I was told you’d been cast back to the Realm.”

“True,” he replied. “But I found a way back.”

“And so quickly too,” Marrow said. “It seems you were motivated.”

Marrow raised his arm and lifted Nicole off the ground. Her feet dangled straight down, her toes inches above the sidewalk, but she didn’t struggle in his grasp. She didn’t move at all except to blink.

“I must have something you want,” Marrow continued.

Pure hatred rose up inside Shay’s chest. He wanted nothing more than to unleash all of his fury on Marrow and watch his flesh melt away from his bones. But it wouldn’t do any good.

Not while Marrow was under the protection of another jinni.

He forced his gaze away from his enemy and focused his eyes on the jinni instead.

“Brother,” Shay said, nodding in acknowledgement.

“It’s good to see you again,” the jinni said. “Though I have to admit it is a surprise. I thought I would find you in Elysium.”

“I found it a little lonely there.” He moved closer, toward the edge of his warding.

“You’re telling me that you gave up paradise for this husk of a soulless mortal?” the jinni asked.

Shay didn’t answer. He didn’t see the need. His actions had spoken for him.

“Interesting,” his brother mused.

Shay didn’t expect him to understand his actions—after all, it had taken him finding Nicole to feel love’s power—but the other jinni must have understood something since he shot a knowing glance toward Nicole.

“Then my bait worked,” Marrow said. “And I’m spared the frustration of finding a way to pull you out of Elysium myself.”

“Put Nicole down,” Shay demanded.

“Or what?” Marrow laughed. “You’ll kill me? I’m afraid you won’t find that so easy.” He gestured to the jinni. “I have protection now.”

“And here I thought you’d never stoop to selling your soul,” Shay said.

“It’s only a temporary situation,” Marrow said. “I assure you.”

“He believes that the magic in the grimoire is powerful enough to sever his soul from our deal.” His brother punctuated the sentence with a wink.

Well, that was interesting. Very interesting.

It was an angle Shay hadn’t thought of before, but it certainly made sense. After all, the grimoire contained the most powerful soul magic any of the worlds had seen. And if it did have the power to cut, perhaps that meant it had the power to restore.

Apparently, that was exactly the kind of thought that Marrow didn’t want him having. The fae turned his head just far enough to snarl at the jinni.

“You keep your mouth shut unless I tell you talk.”

The jinni laughed. “Is that another wish, master?”

Marrow growled in reply. His temper was fading fast. Anger was taking over.

On one hand that was good. Angry people were quick to make mistakes. Mistakes he and his kind were used to exploiting. On the other hand, fury had a way of making people unpredictable, and right now, Nicole was the most likely to feel Marrow’s wrath.

“So, you want me to use Nicole’s soul to access the magic inside the book for you?” Shay said.

Of course, he already knew the answer, but he hoped hearing the plan aloud would take the edge off Marrow’s anger.

“To start,” Marrow replied. “But I’m not interested in being bound to you forever. What I really want is for you to transfer control of all the power in this book over to me.”

“Impossible,” Shay said. “Only jinn can manipulate soul magic.”

“We both know that’s not true,” Marrow said, shaking Nicole for emphasis. “I’ve seen this mortal banish half a dozen fae with a single word.”

“But what you didn’t see is how it nearly killed her.”

Marrow laughed off the warning. “That’s because mortals are weak. They’re temporary, mundane, insignificant creatures. I am none of these things. I am fae. I was born to rule, and with this book, I will rule over all.”

That was exactly what Shay feared. Marrow was terrible enough on his own, but with all the power of the grimoire inside him, he’d be unstoppable.

Nicole had known it too. That’s why she’d been willing to give up her soul. Not just to save him, but to save everyone in her world and his from a tyrant.

“If I do this, will you promise to let Nicole go?”

Marrow’s lips curled up in a twisted version of a smile. “No deal. Soul or no soul, this woman still needs to pay for the humiliation she’s inflicted on me. But here’s what I will promise. When I do get around to killing her, I promise to make it swift and painless.”

Shay’s heart twisted at Marrow’s threat. He wanted nothing more than to rip out the bastard’s heart with his bare hands.

But he couldn’t give into that temptation just yet. If he did, this would all be for nothing.

“That’s not good enough,” Shay said through gritted teeth.

The curve in Marrow’s smile turned evil.

“Let’s see if I can change your mind.” His fingers curled even tighter around Nicole’s arm. Even from across the street Shay could see where the fae’s nails punctured her skin. “Tell your lover what you feel, bitch.”

“Pain,” Nicole said. “Terrible pain.”

Her voice was flat and emotionless. Her eyes didn’t flicker in their focus, but Shay knew that she was telling the truth. Without a soul she was incapable of lying.

“And that’s just the beginning,” Marrow said. “Just imagine what she’ll feel once I start peeling her skin off, slice by slice.”

“All right.” Shay stepped over the border of the warding.

He couldn’t bear to see Nicole take anymore of Marrow’s torture. He only had the faintest hint of a plan, but it would have to work. He had no other ideas, and for Nicole’s sake this had to end now.

“I knew you’d see reason,” Marrow gloated.

Shay ground his back teeth together and held out his hand. “Give me the book.”

“Do you think me a fool?” the fae asked. “Why would I hand this book over to the one person who can harness its power completely?”

“Because I need to put my hands on the book to access its power,” Shay said. “You know I’m not lying. You saw what Nicole had to do to banish you from the shop.”

Marrow narrowed his gaze. He spent a long moment looking Shay up and down, trying to figure out what trick he was about to play.

“Why are you so worried?” Shay’s jinni brother asked. “If he tries to hurt you, he’ll only harm himself.”

That was true. No matter how badly Shay wanted to crush Marrow’s skull, he couldn’t do it right now.

Of course, that didn’t mean the fae was untouchable.

Shay glanced over at his brother and saw the same spark of insight in his eye.

A second later, Marrow held out the book.

The fae’s hand wasn’t empty for long. The second Shay took the book, Marrow reached into his jacket and pulled out a long, thin dagger. He jabbed it up against Nicole’s neck as he pulled her in front him like a shield.

“Just remember why you’re doing this,” Marrow said. “I’m quicker with this blade than you can imagine. Try anything and she’ll be dead before a word of magic can leave your mouth.”

Shay nodded. Then he took in a deep breath and concentrated on the grimoire.

It took a few seconds for him to feel anything. First, he had to navigate the winding pathways of magic inside him, and pull Nicole’s soul up to the surface. She wasn’t hesitant. She rushed alongside him, as if she understood the plan even better than he did.

As if maybe she’d been the one feeding it to him all along.

Shay spread his hand out wide against the cover of the grimoire as her essence filled his hands and fingers. She tingled in all the places his skin made contact with the leather, and bit by bit, he felt her unlocking all the magic gates built to keep others out.

When the last one opened, a wave of magic unlike any Shay had ever experienced rushed inside him. It flooded him with light, filling him with a power that bordered on incomprehensible.

No wonder Asphodel had wanted to keep this out of Oberon’s hands. With it the king would have been unstoppable. His rule would have been merciless.

Which was exactly what Marrow wanted.

Absolute power.

“You have it,” Marrow said, pressing the tip of his blade harder against Nicole’s neck for a moment. “Now give it to me.”

There was nothing that Shay wanted more than to loose the full force of this magic on him. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

“Is it as powerful as Marrow says?” his brother asked.

Marrow glanced over at the jinni with a shiver of trepidation. Almost as if he had forgotten all about the man’s existence.

Shay smiled. “Even more so.”

“Good.” The jinni raised his hand as he pushed off the wall, and the dagger flew from Marrow's hand with enough force to sail across the street.

“Kain—”

The jinni snapped his fingers before Marrow could get out another sound. His lips fused together tight, making speech impossible.

“That’s much better.” Kain smiled widely. “As much as I’d like to have control of your soul, I don’t think any of us want to hear what you have to say.”

His lips may have been sealed shut, but that didn’t keep Marrow from howling in impotent rage behind them.

“Now, don’t get upset,” Kain said. “You only asked that I deflect any harm, and you’re not in any pain. It’s not my fault your wish wasn’t thorough enough. But just to be fair, my brother here will fulfill your second request and break the agreement between us.”

“My pleasure,” Shay said.

He pressed his hand hard against the cover, and once again he felt Nicole flow through him. She mingled effortlessly with the power bound between the pages, and brought the spell to him.

“Break the bond.” The words came out of him without thought.

A flash of light pulsed out from underneath his palm…and the impossible was done. For the first time ever a deal was severed.

Kain must have felt it too, because he started to laugh. “No wonder Marrow wanted that book so badly.”

A renewed look of fear entered into Marrow’s eyes. His grip on Nicole’s shoulders tightened. But not for long. Shay flicked his fingers and Marrow’s arms flew back, letting Nicole go free.

Still, she didn’t move.

She couldn’t…because her soul was still in his body.

Shay didn’t hesitate. He let the feel of her soul and the magic in the book guide him. He reached out and placed his fingers against her forehead. The power under his hand surged and flowed, pooling in the center of his chest.

“Restore her soul.” Once again, the essence of the book moved his mouth.

And then the power left him.

It rushed out from his heart to Nicole’s head, taking with it every trace of her. Every feeling and sensation that belonged to her. Every emotion and belief that was at the core of the woman he loved.

The book went dead beneath his hand as her soul—her entire soul—left him and flowed back into her body.

That moment the book went dead beneath his hand. He felt none of its power. None of its light.

But he didn’t care.

Because this time when Nicole blinked there was a sparkle in her eye. She focused on his face and a smile tugged at her beautiful lips, pulling up her round cheeks.

“Shay.” Her voice was soft and shaky, but it was still the most beautiful sound Shay had ever heard.

“Nicole.” He tossed the book from his hands, and pulled her into his arms. “I thought I’d lost you.”

She let out a little laugh. “I told you. The book said there was a way.”

He pushed back just far enough to look her in the eyes. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Deal,” she said.

He pulled her back in for another embrace, but she hissed in pain. They both looked down to see the blood dripping along her arm. Bruises were already starting to form beneath her skin.

“Here,” Kain said. “I can help with that.”

He slid his hand over her arm and in an instant the wounds healed.

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes bright with gratitude.

“My pleasure,” he answered. “Though Shay, I’m sorry to cut your reunion short, but we still have unfinished business.”

He gestured behind them where Marrow was still held silent and immobile by magical means.

“Would you like to be the one who kills him?” Kain asked. “Or shall I?”

“No.” Nicole jumped in front of them. “You can’t kill him.”

“Why not?” Kain arched a brow.

“If you kill him here, Oberon will only send more men to make you pay for killing his second in command. You told me that, Shay.” She looked up at him with desperation. “Those soldiers are bound to discover the book the same as Marrow did.”

“It’s true,” he agreed. “As much as I want him dead, it can’t happen. Not here. Not now.”

“So, what do you suggest?” Kain asked.

Nicole teased her lips with her teeth as she pondered the question. Her soul burned so bright inside her that he could still sense the thoughts running through her head.

“Keep him muzzled,” she said to Kain. “Take him back and tell Oberon about the treason he was planning. Let the king take care of Marrow himself. Do you think that you can come up with another story to protect the book?”

Kain shot her a sly smile. “I’m sure I can come up with something.”

“Thank you.” She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his jinni brother.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Kain said, obviously confused by her affectionate display of gratitude. “Watching this foul piece of trash pay for everything he’s done will be my pleasure.”

Kain picked up the dead soldier’s halberd and motioned to Marrow. The fae began to move toward the portal as if dragged by an invisible tether.

“I hope to have the chance to see you both again,” Kain said.

“I hope so too,” Nicole said. “But I hear you don’t allow mortals in the fields of Elysium.”

“I don’t know,” Kain said. “For you we might make an exception.”

Then he stepped through the portal.

Shay didn’t wait until it closed before gathering Nicole up in his arms again. He soaked in the sensation of her body against his, warm, and soft, and perfect. The moment was everything he wanted. Everything he’d been afraid that he would never have again.

He didn’t want it to end.

But after a few minutes had passed, Nicole leaned back in his embrace.

“We should probably go inside,” she said.

“Why’s that?”

“Well, for starters,” she said. “Chances are somebody saw what happened here.”

“I don’t see why I should care about that.”

“You might when I start kissing you.”

Shay shook his head. “No, I don’t care who sees us kiss.”

A mischievous expression lit up her face. “What about the things that kissing leads to?”

Shay’s blood began to heat at the mere suggestion. “Those I don’t want anyone to see.”

“Well, then you better hurry up and bring me inside,” she said.

He swooped down and hooked his arms under her legs, lifting her off the pavement and cradling her against his chest.

“Your wish is my command.”