“I love you, Meredith Deveraux.”
She blinked up at me, her smile stretching. “I love you too, Emmett Sinclair, Horseman of the Apocalypse and whatever other names you go by.” Her brow furrowed, posture stiffening before she said, “I have to go. He’s coming.”
Merri being aware of what was happening outside the dream realm was a new development. I wondered if it was because her control of the dream realm was getting stronger, or if it was something she’d been capable of all along.
“We’re doing everything we can to find you, Merri. I swear it.”
“I know you are. I’m sorry I left you.”
“I’m sorry you felt it was your only choice.”
She brushed her lips over mine and I closed my eyes, enjoying one last kiss. When I opened them again, I was back inmy bedroom at the château, staring up at a crack in the ceiling and hoping like hell she was okay.
Chapter
Twenty-One
ALEK
Our hunting party was larger than usual tonight, but this wasn’t just about patrol or recon. We needed supplies. Those of us who required real food over blood couldn’t survive on magically conjured sustenance for long. It was akin to attempting to nourish your body on nothing more than popped corn. Tasty, but not particularly healthy.
I did a quick headcount, ensuring everyone had safely made it out of the portal. Representing the Novasgardian contingent were Tor, myself, and Strega. For the vamps, we had Thorne, West, and Lucas Blackthorne. The fae volunteers included Kai and Finbar. And the wolves sent Briar—Lucas’s star-crossed shifter mate—Dylan Farrell, and the Mercer twins.
“Do you think Lilith was making a joke when she chose the Alice in Wonderland statue for one of her tethers?” Remi asked, doing fuck all to keep his voice down.
Central Park at night wasn’t somewhere the general public frequented, even when we weren’t in the middle of an apocalypse, but I wasn’t worried about humans at the moment. Demons hid in the shadows everywhere we went. We wereprepared to fight them, but that didn’t mean we should call attention to ourselves.
Before I could chastise the overexcited wolf, Tor spun around and hissed, “Quiet or we’ll send you back.”
Remi’s eyes flared, and he glanced at his brother. “Was it something I said?”
Ben placed a hand on his shoulder. “Y-yes.”
“Got it.” Remi mimed locking his lips and handing Ben the key. “Mmm-mmmph-mmph-mm.”
“What did he say?” I asked my twin.
“Who cares?” Strega answered for him.
I cracked a smile at my father’s second-in-command. “Fair point.”
Kai came up on my right, his eyes constantly scanning the horizon. “I don’t like this. It’s too quiet.”
“This place is a damn ghost town. Of course it’s quiet,” Dylan Farrell said, adjusting his cowboy hat as he glanced across the park at the broken city skyline.
New York City hadn’t fared well between the earthquakes and tsunamis and demon hordes. The city was barely recognizable. Many of the skyscrapers had come tumbling down, and Lady Liberty had taken a header a few weeks past and was now somewhere on the bottom of the Atlantic.
“I have a question,” Briar asked, standing beside her mate Lucas Blackthorne. She narrowed her eyes as she returned to the statue we’d used as a portal and placed her palm on the largest of the bronze mushrooms. “The portal is closed. How the fuck are we supposed to get back? I doubt we’re standing on top of the secret fight club.”
“Lilith m-made sure w-we all h-had k-key cards,” Ben answered, holding a black card up.
“We do?” she asked.
Lucas nodded, pulling out two more of the black keys. “Never doubt me, darling. I’ve got yours right here.”
“Who has the supplies list? We don’t want to stay out here long. We’re sitting ducks at this point.” Thorne’s posture was tense as he took the lead, walking toward the city, eyes roaming every possible place a demon could lie in wait. “Vampires should hit the bodegas first. The wolves can collect the items on Moira’s witchcraft list.”
A low growl left Ben. “Who m-made you the l-leader?”
