discovered,” Myles replies confidently.
I look at Rainey. “And you’re good with this?”
Putting on a brave face, she nods. “I am. I think Myles can really help. I’ll just curl up here with some popcorn and watch a movie. When you all come back, we’ll have a big victory party.”
I know Rainey. She’s not cool with this at all, but she is showing support to her husband because she knows this is important to him.
Carrick swivels to look my way. He doesn’t say a word, but he wants to know if I have qualms about this, because if I do, he’ll be the bad guy and shut it down. But even though it terrifies me to have Myles anywhere near this, I realize it’s something he really feels the need to do. He’s part of the team, and has been from the start.
I can’t deny him.
I tip my head slightly, and Carrick understands my assent. He looks the other way toward Myles and praises, “This is really great. You’ll be the best pair of eyes we have on the situation once the fighting starts. From overhead, you’ll be able to keep tabs on Kymaris so we know when to roll in our secret weapon.”
The secret weapon being me.
Except I’m not so secret and not exactly a weapon.
But we have a plan, which is quite simple. We’re going to throw as much power and strength at her as we can, disrupt the ritual, and distract her with our fiercest warriors—Carrick and Maddox leading the crush. Two demi-gods against Kymaris and the Blood Stone should be enough to keep her occupied so I can come in and use the lariat Amell gave us to dampen her strength. Then it’s a matter of getting the Blood Stone. Bonus points if I can kill her with iron, but if she’s immune to it, Carrick is confident we can use the stone to destroy her.
“Easy-peasy,” I say lightheartedly, but we all know it’s going to be anything but easy.
I make one last-ditch effort to appeal to my sister’s sensibilities. Swiveling on my stool, I turn to Zora, who is already on her second croissant.
“You could stay here, too,” I suggest hopefully.
She glances at me, scowls, and goes back to eating. I take that as a “no,” but I’m not surprised. She’s been adamant that she wants to be there with us. She’s hoping there will be some way she can contribute, but I know what she’s really wishing for.
That her powers will manifest so she can make a true difference in my fight.
That she can help me defeat Kymaris, because she has a stake of retribution in all of this.
Reaching out, I touch her shoulder. It’s an acceptance of her decision, and her scowl turns into a smile. My heart flushes warmly when she brings her hand up, and it briefly comes to rest on top of mine. Zora is finally getting used to human touch and affection.
After lunch, we finish our last-minute packing. Rainey goes to the gym with me so I can grab some throwing knives for my thigh holsters. It’s a private moment we both need together.
She quietly watches me gather the knives and then peruse some of my other weapons. I’ll obviously have my whip, but I’m feeling the pressure to load up with more. I don’t consider any of the guns Zaid and Boral purchased as I don’t know how to use them.
With a sigh, I turn away from the cabinets.
I freeze in place when I take in Rainey, who has tears streaming down her face.
“Oh no,” I drawl with sympathy, rushing to take her in my arms. “No, no, no. Don’t cry. I’m going to be fine.”
“I know,” she croaks as she squeezes me tight and nods her head. “I know.”
“I swear.”
“I know.”
Both of us ignore the blatant lies we’re offering the other. Instead, we just hug each other tightly.
Our goodbyes.
* * *
It’s almost one when we meet up with Titus, Deandra, and Rebsha at a preset point deep in the woods north of Fish Lake. We’re eleven hours out from when the ritual will supposedly start—if Amell was telling the truth—but we have a lot of work to do to get ready.
Between the Light Fae Rebsha was able to muster, the Brevalians who did indeed agree to fight with us, and the handful of light and dark daemons who like the Earth realm just the way it is, we had close to a hundred willing to lay down their