Lark spoke softly. “I’m holding her spirit. Her body is close to true death, but if I can hang onto her long enough . . . .”

Faris leapt forward, shoving Liam aside. “You can put her back?”

Sweat dripped down the back of her neck and into her shirt. “Yes.”

“What can we do to help?”

“Right now, keep the demons off me. I need all my strength for this.”

Faris spun and Liam let him lead. The vampire leapt toward the demons, tearing heads off with his bare hands and eviscerating any that got within even twenty feet of the slab and Rylee’s body. Liam egged him on, giving him whatever strength of spirit he could.

Anything to keep Rylee safe.

CHAPTER 49

LARK

I’D LIED TO LIAM to keep him out of my way. I wasn’t at all sure I could put Rylee back into her body, but it was the only thing I could try. Holding onto her spirit was like wrestling with the wind. Her strength was still there, and though she wasn’t exactly fighting me, she wasn’t helping, either.

All around us, the demons kept coming. Though they were mortal now, and easier to kill, the sheer numbers would eventually overwhelm us. Even as I thought that, another of our people went down. The shaman, Louisa, and then the ogre, Mer.

The blond leader of the vampire nation, Doran, glanced at me. His green eyes met mine and in that split second I knew . . . he could help me.

“Doran, to me. Now!”

He didn’t hesitate and leaped the distance between us in two jumps. Our ranks tightened, the circle around us smaller from losing the shaman, ogre, and now Doran to my command. The wolves were down to only a few dozen and the half-breed trolls were down to less than ten.

“Elemental, I never thought I’d see you again. What am I saying? I knew we’d run into each other.” He gave me a wink, though it looked like an effort.

“Old history,” I spit out. “Not the time to discuss it.”

He grinned at me, but it was forced. “She’s fighting you, isn’t she?”

“Not intentionally. It’s in her nature to be difficult. Her spirit is strong and wants to move through the Veil, to pass over, and I’m about the only thing holding her here.” I wriggled my fingers, hooking them deeper into her spirit. Though she was deep in the Veil, I could feel her, but was barely able to hang onto her.

“When I bring her back, she will be bloodless.”

“Which means she won’t survive even if you can hang onto her.” He put a hand to my lower back and a flood of energy ripped through me.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” He leaned closer, looking Rylee over before letting out a slow breath. “Bloodless. Are you sure? Every last drop?”

“That’s the rules of the game, vampire,” I whispered, trying to conserve the energy he’d given me.

“Then I think . . . maybe I might be able to help.”

What in the seven hells was he talking about?

It took my fatigued brain more than a few beats to pick up what he was laying down. “Are you goose shitting on me?”

His grin was crooked and his eyes glittered. “Not even for a second.”

Mother goddess . . . there was a chance. Not a good one, and she might be pissed as hell if we managed it . . . but a chance.

“Do it. When the time comes, do it,” I said, digging into her spirit, holding it tighter. I bowed my head. “Not without a fight, Rylee. We aren’t letting you go without a knockdown, drag out, black and blue fight.”

I only could hope she would not want to kill us for what we’d done to her.

Of course, that was if she survived at all.

CHAPTER 50

RYLEE

BLAZ’S WINGS BEAT in time with my heart. My mother sat behind me, and I was heading into my last battle with Orion.

Yet there was no fear in me. The other dragons around us in the air sparkled with vibrant colors in every shade and hue. Below on the plains, the unicorns galloped, keeping up with the dragons easily. Their horns glinted, and more than one let out a whinny that sounded more like battle cries than a gentle call.

“How do I close the Veil?” The question burst out of me as I realized that was the one part missing in the book of prophecy. “There was not a fucking thing about this bit.”

“No one could have possibly known, Ry,” Mom said. “The prophecy could only take you so far, you have to do the rest.”

“Did you know, when you had me, that this would be my fate?” I turned to look her in the eye and was surprised to see her crying. “Did you?”

“No, my girl. I never had a clue. I was young and foolish, and the world was mine to explore. I had no idea there was more to our blood until it was too late. Until you were already on your way.” She took a slow breath. “But even with the little time I had, the small amount I held you in my arms . . . I would do it all again in an instant.”

I smiled at her, truly understanding. For Marcella, I would do it all again. For all those I’d loved along the way, the pain was worth it.

Blaz let out a cough, interrupting us. “Here we go, Rylee.”

“But what do I do?” I yelped as he drew parallel with the undulating darkness. Staring into it, I could see it was the physical barrier between the demons’ level and their access into the other levels, and from there into the world. Instinct took over and I reached for the darkness, but it was too far away. “I need you to land, Blaz.”