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“You have nothing on your feet, sugar,” Medusa said. “Get out of those robes and let’s move. The countdown is on.”

I didn’t need telling twice.

Darting into my bedroom with a wave of homesickness tearing through me, I flung open the mahogany wardrobe, stripped, and pulled on underwear, jeans, a jumper, and some trainers.

Sweating profusely and scared out of my mind, I was back in the living room within a minute, though unsteady on my feet on account of the rotting orchid over by the window.

Oliver. My poor little sweetheart.

Medusa paced anxiously.

“He’s at Coinheart Square, right?” I answered, hit by queasiness. “Shit. Can we head outside? I can’t be in here.” I pointed at the decaying flower.

“Yes, he is,” she said. “I’m hoping we beat him to it.”

Vaughn opened the door. We stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the empty Aidan Temple below. Lots of wood and gold and grim reminders of what a fucker he was.

Declan, now in his white wolf form, brushed against me, offering me some reassurance.

Nice of him. Executioners were like that with our own kind. Kindred spirits, bonded by the cause, even if the cause had gone sideways.

Poor Jon the merman. He’d made the mistake of thinking I was still like him and not the vampire-shagging elf I’d become.

More than sex.

Silvanus is the lo⁠—

Damn. The day I finally shook off all my guilt, the lighter life would be.

Also known as death.

“Almost there,” Medusa informed us, a picture of anxiety. “He’ll listen to you, sugar. I know he will. I’m sorry for dragging you here, but I just…” She sighed and didn’t finish.

I wanted to hug her so badly.

Would he listen to me? Would me being here make things worse?

Whatever. I wasn’t waiting this out in the Carving Glade.

Foolish…

Pfft!

“I should have knocked him out,” Vaughn chimed in. “Dragged him back to that glade, king be damned.”

Man, it would have been a great plan.

Medusa chuckled. “His reaction would he hilarious.”

“For a second. He’s scary when he’s mad.” The vampire lord’s scarlet eyes moved to me. “Being on the receiving end of his anger is never fun. As you know.”

“And then some,” I answered.

Vaughn shook his head. “How did it all come to this? Why did everything have to be so complicated?”

Declan chuffed, brushing against me again.

“Ten seconds,” Medusa said, “and it came to this because of Aidan.”