“Nothing. She’s fine. It’s just that Gage’s Aunt Vera contacted me—”
“Vera?”
Gage’s crazy psychic aunt called Aurelia? What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on that wall.
Aurelia nodded. “She said, verbatim, ‘Harley cannot come back to Earth until after the final battle or Tatum will lose.’ Then she asked me who the heck Harley was.”
Crap.Vera must have had a vision or something. I hadn’t even known about Harley’s existence when we’d met, so for her to know Harley by name spoke volumes. It was also pretty sweet of her to look out for us even though I knew she said she didn’t want to get involved.
“Was that all?” I asked. I mean, this place wasn’t the Ritz Carlton, but we could stay here for a while until we were ready to fight Apollyon and free the souls.
Aurelia swallowed hard, a pinched expression forming on her face. “She also said Harley can’t stay in Tartarus because Apollyon will eventually sense her energy here.”
I laughed. It was laced with sarcasm, but a laugh, nonetheless.
“Can’t stay here, can’t go to Earth, then where is she supposed to—?” I cut myself off as understanding settled over me. “The Netherworld?”
Aurelia winced. “Vera suggested that Apollyon wouldn’t be able to track her energy there since the realm is filled with dark magic.”
Dash stepped forward with a growl. “No way in hell.”
No pun intended.
I looked over at him and raised one eyebrow. “I trust Vera. She can read minds. Her power is incredible.”
“I don’t care. You can’t send Harley to the Netherworld all alone,” he snapped. It looked like my sister had gained a bodyguard.
“I wouldn’t send her alone.” I felt the need to defend my decision making. “I would go with her.”
“No, I need you back at the academy,” Aurelia said. “I have Lumens from all over the country flying in to join the fight. To join you. We’ll be ready to face Apollyon’s army in twenty-four hours if we can get a solid gameplan laid.”
Twenty-four hours?
Holy crap, it’s happening. Okay. Don’t panic.
I flicked my gaze to Dash, who seemed to be the loudest advocate for my sister’s safety lately, and he nodded, already knowing what I was going to ask.
“I’ll stay with her in the Netherworld until the big day,” he confirmed.
The big day. The battle. The fight for our lives. It was almost here.
“There’s a cave Gage and I slept in. I can drop you guys off there with some supplies and you should be safe.”
Harley still needed rest. I needed her in tip-top shape to take the entire concealment spell down in twenty-four hours.
“Sounds good,” Dash said.
“How can we help?” Drea asked.
I looked at her and her mother. “Get water, food, and sleeping bags into a backpack and bring it back here. I’ll see that Harley and Dash are safe in the cave in the Netherworld and then meet you back at campus.”
They nodded, and together with Theo, left the little cottage.
“What can we do?” Indigo asked, standing off to the side near Marlow and Jacob.
“I’ll make you guys a portal back to campus. Can you wait in front of the sanctuary for Gage? I don’t want him coming back to no one.”
I’d worked so hard to get that man his wings back. I didn’t want him stepping through the portal to an empty room.
