Julian’s expression turned violent. “And Gavin can’t act independently to turn them on again without my express permission, because I gave him a direct order. He would have had to work against himself to get that one text out. I’ve texted him back to tell him to turn the servers back on, but now he’s not answering. Goddammit.”

The mudslide in Melly’s head might be moving slowly, but it was as inevitable as a train wreck. She ran her fingers through her hair and scrubbed at her scalp. “If Dominic and Justine have teamed up, your people are in danger.”

Xavier said, “Their main priority will be to take the IT and munitions area, which is separate from the rest of the castle. Once they have control over the technology and the weaponry, they can take care of everybody else at their leisure.”

“Yolanthe is in there, along with troops who are loyal to me.” Julian looked at Melly. “They won’t surrender. They’ll be fighting, and they’ll be among the first casualties. I’ve got to go in to help them.”

She moved close to him and touched his hand. “You’re not going in without me.”

His fingers curled around hers. He said telepathically, This has turned into a much bigger issue than simply going after Justine. You don’t have to do this. In a very real way, it’s not your fight.

She told him, You can knock that shit right out of your head, soldier. If you’re going to be in danger, then yes, it is too my fight. I know I’m not your equal as a fighter. I’m a relatively young Light Fae, and I would have to devote several hundred more years of my life to achieve that as a goal. But I can be your partner in other ways.

I know you can. He squeezed her hand. I saw that for myself, down in the tunnels. If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t be free right now.

Giving him a quick smile, she switched to speaking aloud. “How are we going to go in? They’ll be watching the helipad, and they can shoot down anybody who tries to fly in and land.”

Julian smiled back. As he still looked furious, the combination was chilling.

He told her, “Carling and I built Evenfall. I know ways in and out of that place that nobody else does. I’ll get us in.”

Xavier said, “We have to move fast. What kind of force can we put together quickly?”

Julian switched his attention to the younger man. “I have fifteen here at the house.”

“Mom sent me twenty troops, including Shane,” Melly told them. Shane alone was worth at least five other fighters in battle. “I haven’t had a chance to inspect them, but I know they’ll be some of our best. My sister would have been in that total. I just sent her home again, so I have nineteen.”

“My estate is so close, I can get six to meet us,” Xavier said.

“No.” Julian pointed at Xavier. “You’re no good in a fight right now. You’re out. It’s uncomfortable just to watch you move. It’s one thing if you’re forced to defend yourself, but that’s different from choosing to go into active combat.”

Xavier’s face tightened in frustration, but Melly noted how Tess’s tension eased.

The younger Vampyre said, “I’m not only close with Gavin and Yolanthe. I have other friends in Evenfall too.”

“None of them would want you to risk your life, not when you’re still recuperating. I rarely give you a direct order, but this isn’t open for discussion, Xavier.” Julian paused. “For this conflict, you may do anything you can to help, except go into battle yourself. Understood?”

The younger Vampyre bowed his head. “Yes, sir.”

Julian turned incisive. “I count forty-two. That’s Melly and her nineteen, me and my fifteen, and the six from Xavier. That’s a good, fast strike force. Any more would be difficult to take on the route we’re going to use to get in.” He thought for a moment. “We’ll leave in fifteen minutes. Do what you have to do to get ready. Xavier, get your six deployed. I want an advance scout to check out the grounds around Evenfall. If I were Dominic, I would set an outside guard around the perimeter. Make sure your people focus on the northeast side. We’ll be using a tunnel entrance in the forest. Tell them to get as close as they can for reconnaissance but not to take any unnecessary chances.”

“Yes, sir,” Xavier said again. Drawing out his cell phone, he walked out of the room.

Julian looked at Tess, who watched him with a fascinated gaze. “We need to make sure we have transportation for those we have here. Make it happen.”

“Yes, sir.” Tess bolted out of the room.

Once they were alone, Julian took Melly’s hands and pulled her around to face him. “About your sister.”

She shook her head. “It’s not important right now.”

He cupped her cheeks and turned her face up to him. “It is important. Tell me quickly if you’re okay, and I’ll let it go.”

“I’m okay,” she told him. She curled her hands around his thick wrists, drawing comfort from his touch. “I told her I needed space, and I would get in touch with her in a few months. I also said she needed to get over the fact that you and I are together again if she wants to continue to have a relationship with me.”

“If she loves you, she’ll get over it,” he said. The gentleness in his hands belied the grim set to his mouth. He kissed her forehead. “She’s not my favorite person right now, but so will I. Eventually.”

“I think she will,” she replied. “Get over it, I mean. For what it’s worth, I also think she deeply regrets what she did.”

“That’s something.”

His reply was so studiously neutral, she narrowed her eyes at him. “She also could have confessed at any damn time during the last twenty years, so that’s the other thing.”

His expression turned dry. “Well, yes.”

She lifted up to kiss him, and his hard lips softened to caress hers. Pleasure stole into her, and like everything else good that had happened between them over the last couple of days, she grabbed onto it with all her might.

She murmured against his mouth, “I’m glad we got that quickie.”

“Me too,” he whispered.

Reluctantly, she drew back. “You have things to do, and I’d better brief Shane and the others so we can leave on time.”