to him and he didn’t think she was starting now.
Murray helped her as best he could and finally got her to her feet. She was weak and she had some injuries, though he wasn’t sure how serious any of them were. The greater issue was probably that it was Saturday night, late enough to be early Sunday morning. He knew she had to retreat to her sanctuary by the dawn for her weekly isolation.
It was her curse, and the red string on her wrist showed that it was still in force.
He got her into a seat at the bar, and poured her a shot of brandy. Mel knocked it back, then shook her head. She looked exhausted and had lost some weight, even though she’d always been tiny.
“It’s good to be back,” she said and managed to smile.
“I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life,” Murray admitted, then came around the bar to give her a hug. He wasn’t demonstrative, but he’d been so worried about her. “She let you go. I can’t believe she let you go.”
“You should be more skeptical, Murray,” Mel said, her tone wry. “She has all her magick back, so anything’s possible.”
Murray understood. “She released you because you’re doomed.”
Mel nodded. “We all are. And she wants to watch. It’s part of the game. One last spectacle.” She put a crumpled sheet of paper on the bar and smoothed it out. “This is from her book. It’s the werewolves, specifically those in the Alaska pack. Look, Murray. She’s wiped them out, except for the alpha’s sister, Wynter.”
“All of them?” Murray couldn’t believe it.
“All of them. Tonight.” Mel shook her head. “And this is only one page. I didn’t see it all, but it was bad.”
It wasn’t the most reassuring news she could have brought from Fae.
“It’s Sunday,” Murray told her and saw her eyes widen. He knew that it was easy to lose track of time in Fae. “I’ll help you get home so you’re there before dawn.”
“Raymond’s here,” she protested, referring to the ghost of her dead husband.
“And since when has he been any help?” Murray demanded, knowing that Mel couldn’t argue with that. “I’ll call a cab, and we’ll be at your place in a couple of minutes. Come on. I’ll talk to you through the bathroom door, if you don’t mind. We need to make a plan and it can’t wait until Monday.”
Alasdair, Hadrian and Thorolf had disappeared by the time Kristofer reached the main room of his house. Chandra stood at the window, rocking a dozing Raynor. Kristofer felt himself shimmer on the cusp of change but tried to hold back until he knew more. Quinn was staring out into the night and he could hear Sara urging the boys to go back to sleep. Kristofer’s mate, Bree, was right behind him and he knew that any suggestion he might make about her staying back to remain safe would be ignored.
She might not be a Valkyrie anymore, but she’d never lose her fearlessness.
“Alasdair shouted that they were coming,” Chandra explained. “Then he shifted shape and took off. He tried to warn us.”
“Of what?” Bree asked from behind him.
“Who are they?” Kristofer asked.
“I don’t know. He sounded frightened.” Chandra frowned. “I wonder whether it was the Fae. It would stand to reason that he’d be sensitive to their presence after his experience.”
Kristofer exchanged a grim glance with Bree. Alasdair had been tortured by Maeve, the Dark Queen of the Fae and his mind was a mess as a result. Rhys and his mate, Lila, appeared, looking as if they’d been sleeping soundly. Arach and Balthasar stepped onto the patio, appearing out of the darkness. The two of them had been bunking in the barn and there were strands of straw in Balthasar’s man-bun.
“Should we go after them?” Arach asked. He was almost bouncing, ready to fight. Vivid blue light shimmered around him.
“Divide forces?” Balthasar suggested, also on the cusp of change.
“There are too many mates and kids,” Quinn said. “Most of us should stay here.” He inhaled deeply. “At least the dragonsmoke barrier is secure.”
“That’s not any defense against Fae warriors,” Rhys noted just as a bolt of silver light flashed in the middle of the room.
Kristofer shifted immediately to defend Bree and his lair, becoming a dragon of peridot and gold that nearly filled the room. He bared his teeth at the flash, which elongated into a vertical slit. He braced himself for a Fae warrior to emerge through