“Raw seems to think so. Tell Doran I’m sorry, but I think he will have to be headquarters from now on. The farmhouse is gone, Giselle’s home in the city is too small and I don’t know where else to set up.”

“He won’t mind.” Her voice softened and I saw it in a brief flash. She cared for him. And he was in love with me. Shit sticks that was not going to be fun.

She smiled, reading me easily, seeing my discomfort. “It is truly all right, Rylee. He keeps me close and it is more than I could have hoped for. But I have other news for you.”

“You do?”

She held my hand, seemingly crouched between the front and back seats, though I knew she wasn’t really there. “There is a way to close the veil to the deep levels if one is opened, like at the farmhouse. The blood of a guardian will do it.”

In my mind I saw Eagle spread out in the bathtub, drained of all his blood, killed when he should have still been alive. “How much blood?”

She swallowed hard. “As much of it as you can. It will kill the guardian; it is one of the only things that will do it. Their body has to be opened with a weapon that has been cursed, and then they must bleed out.”

Fucking hell, that was not the news I was hoping for. Though it explained a lot. The demons hadn’t wanted us to follow them, so they closed the gate. My heart ached for Eagle and chilled when I thought about who was next. There were only so many guardians around. If they were captured by the demons and used to close gates as they needed …

“There is a catch, Rylee.” Berget reached over and put her hand on my cheek. “But I am not sure my parents are telling me right. I think because the blood is forcibly taken from the guardian, the closure affects only the single doorway. There is more about closing off the veil with blood than they are telling me. I will keep trying.”

My brain and heart balked. I didn’t want to go down that route. Something about it scared me, so I just nodded. “Be safe. Orion is hunting my allies and friends. Trolls, witches, and now ogres are working for him.”

“Frank left for Dox’s yesterday while the sun was high.”

My brain ached trying to deal with the time difference between here and England.

“How did you know?”

She smiled. “He is rather loud and talks to himself, not realizing he can be easily heard. My memories of necromancers are not good, Rylee. I do not think it wise to bring Frank here again.”

I let out a sigh. “Fuck, I really wish everyone could just get along.”

With a nod she stood. “Yes, that would be easier, wouldn’t it?” And then she was gone and I sat up.

Alex yawned, leaned over and put his nose to mine. “Hungry.” I pushed him away.

“Yeah, I know. That isn’t anything new.” In fact, he seemed to be hungry more and more. Was there a tie between his appetite and his becoming less submissive? I rubbed my face. Something to think about another time, perhaps, but not now.

He flopped onto the seat, rolling his eyes up to mine, begging in the most pitiful way possible. I shook my head and yawned.

Rubbing my face, I let out a low groan. Power nap my ass. Sometimes talking to Berget did nothing but tire me out more.

“I think this is the place,” Erik said, “but it looks pretty shitty and burnt out. Are you sure?”

Ahead of us was a charred and blackened shell of a building that had only a few timbers left standing, blasted from the fire Doran had set. The broken and abandoned pieces of the Landing Pad hurt my heart as I thought of Dox and his pride in his home and business. Of his unwavering friendship for me even when I was being difficult. I gritted my teeth against the emotions welling up in me. No time. There was never time for the grief that circled me like vultures waiting for me to finally let them at my heart.

“Yes. This is it.” I rolled down the window, crisp air circling in with only a whisper of the burnt building tainting it. I leaned out and peered into the clear blue sky. High above us was a rather large bird floating on the drafts. So high, I was pretty sure it would be Eve. I Tracked her and sure enough, it was her.

Eve and Frank were here, but where was necromancer number two? Would she show up based on Frank’s word?

Only one way to find out.

“Erik, wait in the car in case we need a quick getaway,” I said, expecting him to listen.

“You got it.” He tapped the wheel and I gave him a smile. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t the brave, all-knowing mentor who could guide me through anything, but for now he fit in my life. Kinda. I couldn’t take anyone bossing me around, and Erik didn’t try.

The car rolled to a stop and I stepped out, Alex bounding behind me. He took one look into the sky and let out a long, deep howl. That was a lot easier than trying to call her down myself.

“Stick close, buddy. We’re about to meet someone new.” At least I hoped. I made my way toward what was left of the building, stared at the tattered yellow tape that fluttered in the wind around it. If I closed my eyes I could see the Landing Pad as it should have been, whole and full of laughter. Full of Dox and all his cooking, brownies and ogre beer. A tear snuck out and trickled down my cheek. I let it go; he deserved more than one tear, but that was all I could afford at the moment.

“Rylee sad for Dox. I is sad,” Alex said, sitting beside me. “No more brownies.”

I dropped a hand to his head and roughed it up a bit. “Maybe you can talk Pamela into baking you brownies when she’s back.” Normally that would have cheered him. But not now, not this new Alex.

“Not the same,” he said, then let out a heavy sigh.

Above us several beats of wings battering the air and then a soft thump.

“Rylee!”

I turned to see Eve, Frank and our newcomer. The girl behind Frank had bright red curly hair that was wind tossed, making it even bigger. She peered around Frank’s back, deep hazel eyes taking me in, her heart-shaped face uncertain. Shit, she was young, maybe as young as Pamela.

“Frank. Introduce me to your friend and tell me how the hell you think kidnapping a minor is good idea?” I wanted to save Milly and Pamela, but not by stooping to Orion’s methods of kidnapping and coercing.

Frank slid off, stuttering and stammering, but the girl stepped forward. Not bold, confident.

“My name is Megan. And Frank didn’t kidnap me.”

I kept my face carefully blank. “No? And what will your parents say when they see you are gone?”