The red ogre glared at me, then blinked a couple of times. “You’re Rylee.”

I nodded. “I am. And you are?”

“Raw.”

I couldn’t help the laugh. “I’ll bet you are. But what’s your name?”

His lips twitched. “My name is Raw. And not all of us hate you, Tracker. Ogres die all the time, but Sas can’t see that. Your words stirred those of us who knew she was fighting her grief.”

“Why are you here then?”

Footsteps came toward us and I pressed harder into his neck, drawing blood. “Tell me.”

“She struck a deal with someone, someone else who hates you.”

“Fuck. Let me guess, his name is Orion.”

Raw’s eyes went wide. “How do you know that?”

“He’s a demon. And he means to take over the world.” I stepped back and motioned for Erik to do the same. Raw sat up and gently pushed the green ogre off him. She slid down, all suppleness and sensuality, unashamed she was bare assed naked. But her eyes were hard and full of intelligence, and I didn’t discount her for a second.

“I knew she was going to get us killed. She is blind.” She spat on the ground. “I will not follow her if she is so stupid as to take orders from a demon.”

“Mer. This needs to be discussed,” Raw said, as the footsteps I’d been hearing stopped in the doorway. Three very large, very black ogres stared at us (though to be fair, they didn’t all fit in the doorway; I counted the legs and did the math) before launching into the room, weapons flailing. There wasn’t enough space to accommodate them. As the first ogre in line caught his sword in the iron hanging pot rack in a downward sweep that would have taken the green ogre’s head, I drove my sword toward the exposed, black belly.

“ENOUGH!” Raw bellowed, his voice rocking through the room. He lifted his hands and everyone literally froze, held with magic that affected them all. No one could move. Except me of course—score another one for being Immune. I pulled back from my sword thrust, sparing the ogre at the last second. I stood straight and let out a breath. That had been close. I walked toward Raw. “Can you convince them Sas is wrong?”

Raw shook his head slowly. “Some will believe you, some already do. You killed the Roc, you are the one our prophecies speak of, and for many, that is enough.” His dark, nearly black eyes searched mine. “Sas sent us here to kill your allies. To set them against you so you would lose the vampires at your back.”

Shit, I wasn’t surprised, just pissed I hadn’t thought this far ahead. “Where do you and your friends stand on the subject?”

Raw and Mer exchanged a glance and she blinked once. He turned to face me. “We are with you, Tracker.”

The three black-skinned ogres struggled, the one in the front finally speaking. “Traitor! Sas will kill your pansy asses for this, after she strings up the Tracker and peels her hide from her body.”

“Will they ever be convinced?” I walked toward them, but my question was for Raw.

He hesitated, then slowly said, “No. They will not.”

That was all the answer I needed, though I’d hoped it would not be this way. The more enemies dead before the final battle between us and Orion, the better. Three quick swipes and the black ogre’s heads rolled to the ground, blood bubbling up and spewing out their neck holes. Raw dropped everyone and he then stepped around the bodies. “You could have been an ogre.”

“I could have been a lot of things,” I said, trying not to feel sorrow for killing them. They were the enemy; they would have killed us.

Mer slid into a pale green dress that offset her darker skin. “We could not find the new vampire leader, or his young sidekick, though we searched the house several times.”

I let out a slow breath. That at least was good news. “Raw, you and Mer gather those ogres who would side with me against the demons. Do it quietly, do not draw attention to yourself.”

Raw nodded and took Mer’s hand. “We will do what we can. I do not think there will be many. Where should we meet you?”

This was as good a place as any with the farmhouse destroyed and the demons popping through doorways they were creating. “Here, bring them all here.”

“And the vampire?” Mer asked, fluffing her hair back, then tying it into a loose ponytail to one side. Doran wouldn’t be mad—at least, I didn’t think he would be.

“I will find him and talk to him. He will agree to this being the central command.” I thought of Frank and knew he would be happy there finally was a central command.

There were no goodbyes; I didn’t tell them where we were going. Nor did I think we had time to find Doran, though I felt him sleeping deep below the house. A hidden bunker no doubt. But I knew how to contact Berget and I was tired enough that a nap was in order.

Doran’s sleek, silver Mustang was parked in the garage, keys in the ignition. “Erik, you drive. I’m going to nap.”

Alex woofed. “Sleeping helps sick people.”

I froze mid stride and looked back at him. “I’m not sick, Alex. Just tired.” His big golden eyes went soft and serious as he grabbed me around the waist.

“Rylee goes, I goes.”

It was an echo of Giselle’s last words for him. That he would be with me to the end.

“I know. Come on. We’ve got to find Frank and his new friend.”

We piled into the car and I took the back seat with Alex, stretching out and lying my head against his back.

“Rylee, I thought you were joking.” Erik shot me a glance over his shoulder.

“Nope.” I cracked a yawn.

“I don’t know where we’re going.”

Good point. I gave him directions as I dozed off, calling Berget’s name in my mind.

She responded faster than ever.

“Rylee, do not come to Doran’s, there are ogres here. Doran was in a trance and saw them coming with the end of the night, but only just barely. We almost didn’t make it below ground before the sun kissed the Earth.” Her long blond hair was disheveled and her clothes were rumpled.

“Too late, we’ve been and gone. There are two ogres that will side with us. A red and a green, Raw and Mer. They are going to bring what help they can.”

Berget’s eyes widened. “You think some of the ogres will side with us?”