she’d set on the ground for the return. “Tonia. She’s hurt. I can feel…” She closed her hand around the pendant. “I have to go. Lana, take me.”
“You’re not prepared. I’ll go, bring her back.”
“I have to go.” Hannah held out the glowing pendant, then took Lana’s hand. “She’s my sister. I was chosen, too.” She looked at her mother. “I was chosen, too,” she repeated. “Hurry. She’s hurt.”
When Lana took her hand, Simon stepped forward.
“I can’t. I can’t take both of you, two unprepared non-magickals.”
He nodded, forced himself to step back again. “Bring our girl home. Bring them all home.”
“I love you.” She looked at Katie, her heart in her eyes. “All I have to protect yours. I swear it. All I have.”
Gathering Hannah close, she flashed.
“My babies.” Katie pressed her hands to her mouth, all but fell into Arlys’s arms. “My babies.”
“You have light,” Mallick called out. “You have a mother’s light and love. Send it!” He drove his own light into the fire. “All here, you have light, you have faith, you have love. Send it.”
Tears still falling, Katie straightened, reached for Jonah’s hand, for Rachel’s. “You helped me bring them, all three of them, into the world. Help me bring them home.”
Jonah held Katie’s hand, but didn’t meet her eyes. He hadn’t been able to see life, or death. He hadn’t seen anything but dark.
Then Fred took his other hand, murmured close to his ear, “They brought you back into the world, too. Believe in them.”
* * *
Hannah nearly slid out of Lana’s arms when they flashed to the altar. Though her vision grayed, she shook it clear.
Duncan might have cursed at seeing his other sister on the battlefield but he was too busy working with Fallon to heal Tonia’s most dangerous injuries.
“Stay back! I’ll draw her off,” he said to Fallon. “Help them with Tonia. Get her back to New Hope.”
“You can’t take it all on alone.”
“I’m not losing you or my sisters.” His gaze locked with hers, one last time. “Take care of them.”
When he ran, shouting Petra’s name, drawing the flame, she did curse.
“Men,” Tonia managed weakly. “What can you do? Hannah, you shouldn’t be here.”
“You needed me. There’s magickal tools in here, too,” she told Lana briskly as she took out a bottle and syringe. “Fully equipped.”
“No sedative.” Tonia waved it away. “I’ve still got work to do. Tail caught me, freaking dragon. I missed my shot. Laoch tried to catch me, but it was too fast. He’s burned. I don’t know how bad.”
Fallon rose. Fire streaked the sky. Lightning red as Tonia’s blood rained from it. And in the woods that heart beat with deep, dark joy.
“Get her out of here.”
“I’m not—”
“Clear of the woods,” Fallon continued. “Follow the path of light, and get her clear. We’re not losing you, Tonia. Hannah and my mother will make sure of it, but the three of you can’t be in here for this.”
“You need to hang on for another flash. It’s not going to be a picnic for either of you, but it’ll be fast.” Lana looked up at Fallon, her child, her love. She’d promised that child she would never lose faith in her again. She would keep that promise.
“I believe in you.”
Alone, with her mother’s words still on the air, Fallon turned to the altar. “So now you have what you’ve wanted. Me alone. No more distractions.”
She closed her eyes, let the dark crawl in.
She felt its spider legs walk along her skin, its sinuous fingers snake around her ankles. It brushed its lips over hers, breathed its cold breath over her eyes. And surrounding her, covering her, squeezing, gently, gently squeezing, it murmured in her ear.
They are not worthy of us. They are beneath us, these mortals, these weaklings, these pale magicks. Lie on my altar, child of the bright gods, and know the dark. Know the pleasure I offer only to you.
“There have been others before me.”
Only to prepare for you. Lie with me, chosen one, and drink my dark, so rich, so sweet. I will drink your light, so bold, so bright. With our merging, we will be The One.
“I am The One.”
The dark compressed, choking off her breath. Do you wish pain when I offer so much? I will only feed on it. Take the pleasure, feel the pain, give me your light or I will take it. Give me your light, and I will spare the mother.
She took an agonizing step toward the altar, laid a