you as a bargaining chip, but he would have probably made you stay in the Underworld. By the look on his face as we faded out of that cave, I think he would have killed every one of us.” I pushed myself to my feet and gave the half-ogre a huge hug. “I’m so glad you’re back, big guy. I love you, you know.”
“Love you too, Ember,” he whispered.
Sheila gave me a hug, too, before she led him out the door. Talia followed them.
The next few minutes were spent arranging Angel in Herne’s SUV. Yutani drove my car, Kipa drove Raven home, and Herne ferried Angel and me back to our house. As he carried her up to her room, adjuring her to stay in bed, I asked Rafé if he could stay with us over the next week or so in order to take care of Angel while I was at work.
When everything was finally settled and everyone was home safe, I walked out to the side yard, staring up at the quickly approaching dusk. A crow landed on a nearby rose bush and let out a single caw.
I closed my eyes, sitting down as the wind ruffled my hair, and the next moment…
I found myself in a wide, scorched field. As I watched, a large dragon rose from beyond the horizon, but I wasn’t afraid. She was silver and massive and she shone under the evening sky. She raised her head and let out a roar that shook the world. It was a challenge. I knew that to my very core. And then, from a great distance, another roar echoed in return, answering her call. It was beginning…the war was on the horizon and nothing would ever be the same…
One week later…
Angel sat at the kitchen table, frowning. “I’m feeling fine. The wound is healing, I want to go to work.”
“No,” I said. “Forget it. Rafé, you make sure she doesn’t try to leave the house today.”
“Will do,” Rafé said. He set her breakfast in front of her. “Eat, and quit trying to convince me to let you go out and run errands. I’ll take care of things.”
“Just remember to set all the wards if you go out,” I said, picking up Mr. Rumblebutt and giving him a big kiss. He purred in my ear and then squirmed out of my hands, jumping on the table. I stared at him. “What do you think you’re doing? You know you’re not supposed to walk on the table when there’s food there.”
Angel gave me a guilty smile. “Um, I might have…”
“You let him do it. Enabler,” I said, picking him up and setting him onto the floor. “Okay, I’m off to work. Remember—”
“I’ll set the wards, have no fear.” Rafé followed me to the door, and as I swung my purse over my shoulder and headed out, I could hear him fiddling with the new security wards we had installed. After we rescued Viktor, we had added to our locks and wards and security systems. I knew Gyell wouldn’t forget what we had done, and there was no doubt that he’d play dirty.
I paused at the car, bringing out the handheld gizmo that Yutani had given me. It scanned the car for any signs of tampering and I ran it across one side and then the other. Nothing out of the ordinary. I hated having to watch over my shoulder constantly, but it was what it was. Until we stopped Typhon—or at least Gyell—we’d have to be on alert.
Everyone was at the office already, except for Angel, Rafé, and Charlie, and I hurried into the break room for the morning meeting.
Herne motioned for me to sit down and, as I did so, Talia handed me a cup of coffee and a maple bar. By the look on Herne’s face, I could tell that something big had happened.
“What’s going on?”
“They found Echidna,” he said. “Cernunnos is talking to her right now. He and my mother will be here soon to tell us what’s going on.”
Talia turned on the TV. “It can’t come too soon. Klarkson? The city where the vrykos first attacked? Is empty. They couldn’t stop the attacks there, and everybody either moved or ended up dead. There are more and more of the dead rising, so it’s not just Gyell causing havoc here, it’s other dragons in other cities.”
“The United Coalition will be announcing the presence of the dragons this week,” Herne said. “So expect wideset panic. And stupidity.”
I