MAC

I stood by the front door of BB&B and surveyed my store, smiling faintly.

It was perfect.

I’d decided to throw an End of the World party tonight and everyone I cared about was coming.

After the party I would walk my parents and Alina, along with Dani and Dancer—unless they’d decided to go through to a different world—to the portal to New Earth and say my goodbyes. Pretending, of course, I’d be joining them soon.

I’d lied to my daddy. I’d told him I was going to transfer the True Magic. I don’t know that he would have left otherwise.

Then Barrons and I would be virtually the only people left in the entire city, except for Ryodan. The rest of the Nine had gone to other worlds, on the gamble they might survive the end of the Earth to enjoy one last lifetime. Even Kasteo had left, dragging Kat and Sean O’Bannion along with him. I wondered how she was faring. How she would fare when Sean died once the Earth no longer existed. I tried to project her future. If Kasteo survived, would they build a life together on a new world?

The bell tinkled behind me. “Hey, Mac. Where’d you find balloons?”

I turned, smiling, opening my arms to hug Dani, and much to my surprise, she moved into them and actually gave me a hug. A good, warm one. Like she really liked me. I kissed her on the cheek then rested my head against hers a moment. Then I drew back and searched her face intently.

My Dani was fully there, blazing in her emerald eyes. Her hair was a tangle of long red curls and she looked gorgeous in faded jeans, boots, and a leather jacket, sword strapped across her back. I narrowed my eyes. Something had changed. She was different than I’d ever seen her as a teenager or a woman.

“Out with it. What happened?” I demanded as I steered her to the sofa.

She told me.

Everything. Too much, honestly, but she was young and bubbling over with the newness of being in love for the first time. I got details I’d never be able to burn out of my mind. I laughed out loud when she told me how she’d solved her letting-him-get-to-third-base problem. I softened when she’d told me how awed he’d been that she wanted him. I tuned her out when she told me a few things, doing a sort of la-la-la in my brain.

She’d been a virgin. Words couldn’t express the relief I felt on that score. She’d given her innocence to Dancer last night. And, again, words couldn’t express the relief I felt on that score. At first when she’d returned as Jada, I’d thought it would and probably should be Ryodan. Hardened, cold, Jada had seemed a decade older than the woman that sat with me now. But for Dani, Dancer was the perfect choice. He’d given her a normal, teenage rite of passage—the only one she’d ever known.

And my girl was on fire with the wonder of it, her fresh young skin glowing, her eyes sparkling! Her curls practically crackled with energy, she even moved differently. She had a subtle new self-awareness and excitement for what the future might hold. She was at the very beginning of her life.

I was at the end of mine.

And that was more than okay, it was good, because not so long ago I’d been willing to die right then just to see her get a chance. Now she had more than a chance. She was Dani again. Actively engaging, caring.

“So, I’m thinking about taking Ryodan up on what he said,” she said finally.

“What’s that?”

“He said he’d take me and Dancer through to save Shazam, make sure we got off that world to somewhere new.” Her sparkling eyes dimmed and she shifted uncomfortably.

“How is Dancer?” I asked softly.

Green eyes locked with mine. “He’ll die. I just don’t know when. Is there anything you can do? I mean as the queen?”

I shook my head sadly. “The only possibility is the Elixir of Life. I already offered it to him and he refused.”

“You did? Wait—he refused it?”

“It has a nasty side effect. It destroys the immortal soul.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “He would never do that because he died once and he knows there’s something more.”

“He did? He knows that?” I pounced on it. “For certain?” So, Barrons and I did have a chance to find each other again, like the two children in their boats at the end of What Dreams May Come.

“He’s certain. Which means it’s probably true. He’s neither easily fooled nor prone to illogical sentimentality.” She was quiet a moment then said, “I could slip it in one of his protein shakes.”

My eyebrows climbed my forehead. “You would do that to him?” Not that I could or would give it to her. The elixir was hidden in Faery and I had no way of getting there.

She blew out a gusty breath. “No,” she said nearly inaudibly. “I’d like to but I couldn’t.”

“None of us know how much time we get, Dani. Maybe that’s what makes it so intense. Save Shazam. At least try. The three of you may end up getting a long life. Perhaps Shazam knows some way to help him.”

She looked at me, startled. “I didn’t even think of that but you’re right, he might.”

The doorbell tinkled and Alina stepped in.

Dani glanced over her shoulder and froze, face blanching.

“It’s just my sister,” I said lightly.

“Hey Dani,” Alina said with a warm smile. “I’ve heard so much about you from Mac but we’ve never actually had a proper introduction.”

“Because I was, like, killing you shortly after we met,” Dani said tightly.