 
# Secret Self

### VBI #3

## Claire Farrell

### Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

About the Author

Books by Claire Farrell:

# Introduction

Secret Self (VBI #3)

* * *

What happens when friend turns to foe?

An attack by a mysterious figure leaves Ava Delaney acting like a feral beast. Believing she's hunting those she's closest to, Peter and Val try to stop her before she either kills someone or is captured by those who would use her.

Morals conflict with loyalties as friends turn on each other, and the only thing for certain is that Ava won't be taken down easily.
**Copyright © Claire Farrell**

Book cover provided by TheCoverCollection

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**Licence Notes**

* * *

All Rights Reserved.

# One

_P eter_

* * *

A whine came from beneath the car.

"Nope," Peter said without looking. "A world of nope."

" _Dad_ ," Emmett pleaded. "Just throw the ball."

Peter straightened, his spine protesting with an uncomfortable crack. He leaned against the car, wiping his greasy oil-stained hands on a cloth. "I've thrown the ball seventeen thousand times already. I'm so beyond done, the dog can't even see me anymore."

His son grinned from his seat on the edge of the pavement, appearing not to notice his rapidly melting ice-pop dripping onto his fingers. "One more won't hurt."

Peter drew his relatively clean forearm across his sweat-slicked forehead. The heat was intolerable, but they were overdue a storm that would keep them inside for most of the weekend.

"Fine." He slammed the bonnet of the car shut. "I wasn't getting anything done anyway." He ducked under his car for the tennis ball resting between Riley's oversized paws. He could swear the animal was still growing every day. He stood and made a face at his son.

Emmett widened his hazel eyes in faux innocence. "You know you want to."

Peter flung the drool-covered ball across the road and toward the end of the cul-de-sac, keeping the throw low so the ball wouldn't inadvertently hit any of his neighbours' windows. "Riley, fetch!" The niggling pain in his shoulder was worth it for the lighthearted giggle that came from his son.

The dog knocked her back against the car in what had to be a painful manner then streaked along the path toward the ball. She skidded to a stop as Carl Darcy came out of his house. The ball forgotten, Riley leapt over his gate to fawn over him.

Peter shook his head in disbelief as Carl knelt to pet the dog, his blond and silver hair glinting in the sunlight. "I thought dogs were supposed to be loyal."

"You should give her rashers from your plate in the mornings," Emmett advised. "Then she might like you as much as him."

"Maybe he should take her instead." He didn't mean it. The dog had lit up his son's life in a way he hadn't foreseen, and even if her sick owner wanted to take her back, he wasn't sure he could easily hand the animal over. Besides, Riley was decent company late at night, never expecting a conversation or even much attention. She was content to lie at his feet and give him the idea he was a little less alone.

"Hey," Carl said, leading Riley towards them. "Me and Ava are going out to lunch. Want to join us?"

Peter tapped his hand on the hood of the car. "Still working on this. Besides, I can't leave the dog alone for longer than twenty seconds."

Carl blew his fringe off his face. He'd taken to letting his hair grow longer—a terrible idea during a heat wave. "We'll find somewhere with outdoor tables. I'm not sitting inside for any longer than I have to. I don't want to miss a minute of this sunshine."

Peter had no important cases to take care of, was still living off the earnings from his last job—which had become incredibly high profile after the fact. He _should_ go out with the others, mend bridges and whatever else, but the distance between he and Ava was one of his own making of late.

Ava Delaney wasn't just the one who got away—she was the one who left him behind while she moved on with a man he despised. Her actions had affected Emmett, and he couldn't quite forgive her for that yet.

"Come on." Carl pulled Emmett under his arm and carelessly mussed his hair. "It's too hot for hard work."

Emmett deftly freed himself. "Let's go out, Dad. I'm bored."

Before Peter could think of another excuse to stay home and feel bitter and miserable, a sudden gust of wind almost blew the three of them over. The dog whined.

"That was strange," Peter said, his instincts suddenly on high alert.

"Storm's coming early." But Carl sounded doubtful.

"I don't think—"

A sudden crashing sound came from Ava's house.

Carl turned to look. "What the hell?"

Something shattered. Peter exchanged a confused glance with Carl. The third sound of destruction leeched the colour from Carl's cheeks. He took off for Ava's house.

"Get inside," Peter warned Emmett. "Take Riley."

"Dad? What's happening?"

"Now!" He jogged to catch up to Carl.

"It can't be trouble," Carl said at Ava's gate, the words belying the dread behind his eyes. "The place is protected."

"No harm in checking." Peter's heart rate upped even as he said the words. Maybe he was just desperate for some action, but Carl's reaction had sent shivers down his spine. _His_ connection to Ava couldn't be underestimated.

And Ava didn't make noise. She could be eerily silent at times. He peeked in her living room window while Carl looked for the spare key under a stone ornament.

"Coffee table's broken." He squinted. "I can't see her though."

"Got it." Carl put the key in the lock and twisted. Nothing happened.

"Jesus, Carl, would you hurry up?"

"I'm trying. This key is a little... _there_." Carl pushed open the door.

"Get out of here!" Ava screamed from inside the house. "Run!"

Peter ran inside instead of away, closely followed by Carl.

Ava fell into the hallway from the kitchen, her eyes wild with panic. "Get out!" she cried, scrambling backward. "Quickly!"

A shadowy figure entered the hallway—giving the appearance it floated rather than strode—lifted Ava into the air, and then tossed her into the living room as though she weighed nothing. It flickered then vanished.

"What the hell?" Carl muttered.

Peter raced into the living room after them then froze, stunned. Ava was desperately trying to fight off her attacker. But the figure wasn't just shadowy in appearance. It was a literal shadow, unable to be touched. Every strike she made with her glowing blue dagger went right through the transparent shape. Yet when the shadow gripped her shirt, it had no problem making contact.

"It's not real!" she shouted. "I can't hurt it. Get everyone to the sanctuary! You need to go before—"

The shadow attacker shoved its fist into Ava's chest. Her head and arms slung back with the impact.

Carl desperately grabbed at the shadow, but his hands went right through its form. Peter reached for the shadow, but he, too, felt nothing. Ava's eyes turned white as a blue glow emitted from her body. Her back arched, and she rose from the ground. The radiance intensified. She made no sound, but her body convulsed then stiffened. The blue surrounded the shadow as though _it_ were absorbing the substance.

"She's dying!" Carl cried, leaving the shadow to grab Ava instead. He tried to pull her away from the shadow, but she and it were linked by the light, impossibly joined. "Help me!"

Peter laid his hands across Ava's chest to block the glow, but it was as though he didn't exist. Or _it_ didn't. The light went right through his hands, and he felt nothing. None of it made sense. All he knew was that he couldn't stop it, couldn't save her. She was dying in front of him, and he had to stand by and watch because he couldn't think of one thing he could do.

"Do something!" Desperation sent Carl's voice up an octave.

Peter moved to Carl's side to help him pull Ava free. He gasped at the power of the force holding Ava to it. Even together, they couldn't save her.

The shadow attacker suddenly released Ava, sending Peter staggering back. The creature clenched its glowing blue fist, and then disappeared, along with the glow.

Ava collapsed into Carl's arms, her eyes closed, her face pale, and her body limp. She looked dead. Her hair splayed across Carl's bare arms like bloodstains.

"Oh, God, no." Carl's voice cracked with panic. "Please, no."

With shaky hands, Peter sought out her pulse. Felt nothing. Her skin was clammy, cool. But her chest moved slightly as though she had taken a breath.

"If I feed her," Carl began. "If I just—"

"Shut up and let me concentrate!" Peter tried again and found a pulse. A strong one. "She's alive," he said with relief. And confusion. It had looked as though the shadow were taking her life from her. So what had happened? Had it all been an illusion of some kind?

"What's going on here?" Carl said shakily. "How did something hurt her in the cul-de-sac? What did it even do to her?"

"I don't know." Peter pressed his palm against Ava's cheek. She was starting to warm back up. "The word's been getting around that she's some kind of conduit for power. Maybe somebody stole power from her. She'll get strong again, don't worry."

Carl looked devastated. "She's supposed to be safe here. We all are. She couldn't hurt that thing, couldn't defend herself. What if it comes back? What _was_ it?"

Peter stood. "Listen, we'll find out. We'll do some research, figure out what it was, and how we can stop it. The same things we always do. Maybe we should take her to the clinic. She could be—"

Ava's eyes opened, extreme dilation in the pupils making the blue look stronger somehow.

"Ava," Carl said, sounding relieved. "You're okay."

She flew out of his arms, quicker than Peter could believe, up into the air, and landed on top of the bookshelf. It didn't even wobble. She perched there like a cat, perfectly balanced, her gaze darting in every direction.

"Ava, it's all right," Carl said. "It's gone. You're safe. We're going to take you to..."

She cocked her head to the side at the sound of his voice, looking distinctly alien to Peter's eyes.

"Uh, are you okay?" Carl asked hesitantly.

She inhaled deeply, her head twisting to an even odder angle. Peter's instincts prickled. Something was very wrong. Ava's mouth widened, and her fangs flashed freely.

"Carl," Peter said warily. "Step back slowly."

Carl turned to look at him. " _What_?"

Ava made a pained sound before moving jerkily. She gazed at her hands for a moment.

Peter took a step back, unable to stop himself. The movement caught her attention, but her focus landed on Carl instead. Her nostrils flared, and true fear curled around Peter's insides. She hissed then leapt on top of Carl—too fast for Peter to react—knocking him to the ground. She inhaled deeply, her nose under his chin.

Peter hesitated. She couldn't be...

"Ava," Carl whispered. "What are you—?"

She sank her teeth into his neck and latched on. Carl froze, didn't even try to fight her off.

Shocked into action, Peter kicked her in the side. She leapt off Carl with a howl of protest. She spun on her hunkers, her palms on the ground, and growled at him, her mouth bloody and vicious.

"You alive, Carl?" Peter side-stepped slowly, bracing himself for an attack.

"Yes, so don't hit her!" Carl shouted, hurriedly sitting up.

"Are you crazy? She just bit you!"

Ava stretched out her fingers in a claw-like manner.

Peter dove for the dropped dagger. She swiped, but he rolled out of the way, leapt to his feet, then brandished the weapon calmly, waiting for his moment. For an instant, he was the old Peter, prepared to destroy. But when she lifted the naturally stubborn set of her chin, enough memories flooded his mind to make him doubt his ability to take _her_ on.

Ava stood, her back arched as though she couldn't stand up straight. She approached them in a slow, serpentine movement. Before Peter could decide how far he was truly prepared to go, Carl shoved him across the room. Peter crashed into the bookcase, a number of tomes collapsing on top of him.

"Carl!" he roared, throwing the last of the books away from him. "She bit you!"

"There's something wrong with her." Carl blocked his view, his arms outstretched protectively. "Don't touch her, Peter. I mean it."

Peter swore then leapt to his feet, but by the time he wrestled Carl out of his way, Ava was gone. "She got away!"

"Good!" Carl yelled back.

"Did you bang your head?" Peter demanded, somehow resisting the urge to throw a punch at him. "Snap out of it, Carl."

Riley barked loudly, a sound so high-pitched that it bordered on hysterical. Peter shoved past Carl to race outside, bile rising in his throat. If she laid a finger on his son...

Emmett was still standing by Peter's car, his face pale and terrified, the remainder of his ice-pop in a puddle next to him. Riley stood before him, the merle blue hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She snarled and barked and looked ferocious, but Peter didn't have to see Ava's face to know she looked even more terrifying.

She stalked his son, her body moving in a way he had never seen before. And Emmett stood there, looking scared, confused, and devastated, as unable to flee as Carl had been. Peter picked up a flowerpot from her garden, threw it as hard as he could. He missed her, but the sound of the clay pot smashing into pieces against the pavement distracted her from Emmett.

"Run!" Peter shouted as he sprinted toward Ava.

She got down on all fours then abruptly dashed off. Peter couldn't breathe as she bypassed the boy completely, rushing out of the cul-de-sac. Emmett watched her go, his mouth agape.

"Emmett," Peter called out.

His son backed up against the car then ran inside, the dog at his heels.

Carl staggered toward Peter, his hand pressed against his wound. "We have to find her."

"You're about to pass out," Peter snapped. "We need to get you some help first. Then I'll drive around and see if I can spot her. I'd say she couldn't have gone far, but she was faster than usual."

Ignoring Carl's protests, he helped his friend to their neighbor Anka's house. The place smelled like herbs and stewed meat. She welcomed Carl in, confused by his mumbled protests.

"I'll explain later," Peter said. "And turn off that radio so you can hear what's going on outside!"

He dashed across the road to his own home. He found Emmett huddled behind the front door, Riley sitting next to him, froth all over her mouth.

"Are you all right?" he asked his son.

The boy shook his head slowly.

"You will be." He got on his knees to look Emmett in the eye. "I'm going to find Ava and—"

"And what?" Emmett asked, sounding terrified. "What are you going to do then, Dad?"

"Stop her," Peter said firmly. "Something happened to Ava. That wasn't her. That was... I don't know what."

"I know. Riley knew. But it's _Ava_."

Peter patted Riley. "Good dog. Great fucking dog. Come on. Over to Anka's. Safety in numbers, and Carl's hurt."

He headed over to Anka with his son and the dog, watching carefully for Ava to reappear. The question of what he was going to do about Ava hung heavily on his shoulders. On some level, he had been expecting something to go wrong since they met. That she would devolve or turn to the darkness. Even so, he hadn't been fully prepared. He saw Ava's body— _her face_ —but a monster had looked back at him through her eyes. Going after Emmett like that proved there was nothing of Ava left in there. She was gone, and he didn't expect to get her back.

Carl was loudly protesting in Anka's house. Dita sat on the sofa next to him, eyes wide with horror. Emmett slipped into the space next to her. She took his hand and squeezed. Riley lay on the floor in front of them, trembling all over.

"We can't hurt her," Carl kept saying over and over again. "He shouldn't have tried to hurt her."

"Can't you give him something to calm him down?" Peter asked, peeking through the curtains. The street was empty. He'd have to warn the other neighbours.

"What is going on?" Anka asked. "Tell me what is happening out there."

"Ava's gone," Peter said. "Something happened to her, and now she's gone. There's a monster running around in her body, and we have to stop it."

"Stop calling her a monster." Carl tried to stand then fell back down. He'd lost blood, but panic was his real problem.

"Snap out of it," Peter said. "She's dangerous."

Emmett winced and covered his ears.

"But it's not her fault," Carl protested. "You saw that... _thing_ do something to her."

"You think I don't know that?" Peter ran his hands through his hair. "What am I supposed to do?"

"What exactly happened?" Anka asked. "You all need to calm down."

"I'm fine." Carl pushed his hair out of his eyes. "We found a shadow attacking Ava. It could hurt her, but we couldn't even touch it. Then it shoved its hand into her chest and, I don't know, took something from her. She fell unconscious, and when she woke up, she was like..."

"A beast," Peter muttered.

"She wasn't like one of those creatures." Carl sounded almost as if he were about to cry. "How can you say that?"

"She bit you. She tried to attack Emmett!"

Dita wrapped an arm around Emmett.

"You don't know that," Carl said. "Emmett, he doesn't mean that."

Peter could have punched him. "Yes, I do! Look, Ava's a danger to other people—and herself if the Senate find out—so we need to stop her in any way we can. We can't let her run around like this unchecked, and if we aren't the ones to find her..."

But he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Everyone was staring at him as though he were the monster, not Ava. And when he saw her with blood all over her mouth, it had been far too easy for him to fall into his old habits of thinking of her as a monster rather than the woman he had lived with. The woman he still cared about. Why wasn't it harder for him? He had to get out of the house and away from accusing eyes before he snapped.

"I'm going to look for her. I'll call Val while I'm out. Warn everyone in the cul-de-sac while I'm gone. If you see Ava, don't engage. Call me straight away, and I'll come back." He hesitated. "And Carl, don't you dare let her bite you again."

He left the house before anybody could stop him. They didn't see the truth, not yet. He saw it too clearly. Ava was gone. She might never be coming back. Somebody had to take responsibility.

He drove around the streets in his car, but he didn't see Ava, or any victims, thankfully. His hands were still shaking ten minutes later when he had to pull over to the side of the road to throw up. He got back into the car and just sat there, covering his face with his hands. How was he supposed to fight _her_ , of all people? Why did his nightmares keep coming true?

He looked at his hands, shocked to see they were wet. Ava was running around like a wild animal doing who knew what, and he was sitting there in his car, crying like a... He shuddered. He'd been raised to be a man, the kind of man who didn't cry, who got shit done. He ran his hands through his hair and tugged. It was time to bury his feelings deep. That was the only way he could be that kind of man.

He gave himself exactly sixty seconds to pull himself together before calling Val to give her a quick rundown on what had happened.

"I'll be right there," she said. "I'm at the supermarket with Leah. We'll be over as quickly as possible."

"Good."

"Peter, wait. Are you all right?"

"Of course." He hung up and kept driving. He couldn't give himself a chance to think too hard about why.

# Two

_V al_

* * *

Val stopped in the middle of the road and stared at Ava's home. The small cottage was Ava's pride and joy, and it looked completely unchanged, but the air stank with fear. Traces of Ava's scent lingered, but they were changed. _Wrong_. She imagined how the attack had played out and found herself unable to take another step.

"Val?"

The word shook her out of her thoughts. "Sorry, I was just..."

Leah nudged her. "It's going to be okay."

The teenager's wide blue eyes were full of trust—and hope. Val had been responsible for Leah since the girl was a baby. If anything happened to her... "I can't leave you here."

Leah folded her arms across her chest, an uncharacteristically stubborn set to her chin. "You have to. I'll be fine. You've taught me enough. I'm not reckless. I know how to keep myself safe now."

Val looked to Anka's house then, her skin crawling with apprehension. "You'll need to help calm the other children." That went without saying. By nature, Leah's demeanour was relaxed.

"And you'll need to bring Ava home."

Val flinched. Peter had sounded broken on the phone, sent her mind to the worst case scenario. "We should have travelled the world after the Council fell. Gotten far from this place."

"Maybe," Leah said. "But we would have come home for this."

_Home_. Was it home anymore? Did the place even have protection? "We should get inside."

Val strode into Anka's house, mentally preparing herself for battle.

She found everyone in the kitchen. Leah ran past her to hug Dita. The younger girl's eyes were wide with fear. Emmett sat at the edge of his seat, staring into space. The normally rambunctious dog sat quietly under the table, her body pressed against his legs.

Anka was urging Carl to drink some tea, but he pushed the cup away and gingerly touched the bandage on the side of his neck. He was a little pale, and his hair was damp with sweat, but he didn't appear to have any serious injuries. The size of the bandage probably had more of a correlation with Anka's mothering instincts than the actual wound.

And then they looked at her, relief flush in their eyes. Val herself felt sick to the stomach. They needed her to be the strong one. She had to at least fake the role until she gathered herself together.

"Tell me what happened."

Carl started and stopped a number of times, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

Val tried to concentrate on his words, but the scent of fear in the room was too distracting. It filled her completely, made the hound tense and alert. She had to _focus_. "Sorry. Tell me again."

"A shadow was attacking Ava." He stared vacantly at the window until Anka pressed her hand on his shoulder to encourage him to continue. "It could touch her— _hurt_ her—but when she tried to fight it off, her hands just went right through it."

"Magic?" she asked.

"I... I don't know. It's hard to explain. This _thing_ was able to throw her around, disappear and reappear at will, but when we tried to stop it... nothing." He met her gaze. "It wasn't real. Not corporeal. And yet it hurt her. She screamed at us to run. I've never heard her so... She was so scared, Val."

Val looked away to gather herself. His story wasn't as bloody as she had imagined, but somehow, it was harder to stomach.

"You said it took something from her," Anka reminded him.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "At least, it looked that way, like it was taking this blue substance from her body. At first, we thought it had killed her, and then we thought it had only taken her strength."

That made no sense. "But she's still strong."

"Stronger, I think. Fast." He blew out a shaky breath. "Bloodthirsty. It must have been a shock to her system to suddenly crave blood so strongly that she couldn't resist. I think she took enough from me to keep her going for a while. She's never needed to completely drain anyone to feel satisfied, and a little seems to go a long way with her." He shrugged. "Probably because it's not her sole source of food, right?"

"I wouldn't know." She unconsciously reached for the mace she no longer carried on her back. Without it, she felt unsafe. "Could she be hunting right now or did she simply run away?"

"She ran, but I'm not so sure she was running away. Maybe she was running toward something in particular. She didn't hesitate, so it seemed like she knew where she was going. I just don't know where that could be."

Val took a seat then stared at her closed fists. If Ava had somehow lost her self-control—that piece of her some called humanity—she would be hunted down by everyone with authority or a grudge. She would suffer. Val couldn't allow that. Ava deserved a dignified death. Not to be hunted like some kind of feral animal. The realization of what she needed to do weighed heavily in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't let her own worst nightmare become Ava's new reality. She just didn't know how to live with herself afterward.

Worse, if even Ava couldn't make it, couldn't stay in control, then what hope did Val have?

"Val?" Anka said softly.

Val cleared her throat. "Peter thinks she's been taken over by that shadow, that it took Ava's consciousness, stole her body." She owed Ava enough to make sure that didn't continue.

"No." Carl emphatically shook his head. "It took something else. Maybe her memories or something, but that's Ava in there. Don't you see? She bit me. _Me_. I'm the one she's supposed to bite."

Val exchanged a worried glance with Anka. "That... makes no sense."

"We have a blood bond. She knows on some level that I'm for _her_ , so I'll keep everyone safe as long as she has access to me."

The devotion in his words made her uncomfortable. "Don't talk like that."

He was smiling, looking disturbingly relieved. "She didn't hurt Peter or anyone else. She knew it wouldn't hurt me."

Val rubbed her temples. "Does he have concussion?"

"I don't think so," Anka said.

"What are you talking about?" Carl's brows furrowed together. "You know we have a special bond together. While she's not herself, I can protect everyone. She'll keep coming for me. Why don't you get it?"

"Because you don't sound like a sane person right now." Val couldn't keep the impatience out of her voice.

"You've got that right," Peter said from the doorway. "Besides, Carl, if you were her only target, she'd be here right now."

Val turned to take in his appearance. He looked haggard, a little shell-shocked, but there was no hint of madness in his eyes yet. He would hold himself together for a while longer. Good. "Anything?"

"No sign of her. No screams, no bodies, no sirens, either."

"That's a good sign," Anka said. "Perhaps Carl was right. Maybe she did have her fill."

"Please," Peter said sharply. "Those monsters are never satisfied."

Val's heart skipped a beat. Peter was abrupt and crass about it, but she'd also started to think of Ava in past tense. And if Ava was gone, what was left could only be a monster.

Anka glanced at the children. "Peter, we're talking about Ava."

"Look." He took a seat then absent-mindedly ran his hands through his hair, forcing the strands to stand on end and make him look even more undone. "We need to face the possibility that our Ava isn't coming back. She's gone. It'll be easier for everyone if you distance yourselves now. Whatever that creature is, it's _not_ Ava."

"She's still Ava," Carl said. "Just... buried deep."

"I think her biting you did something," Peter said. "Reinforced the bond. Maybe she made you her slave again."

"This is ridiculous. I'm not her little minion monkey, all right? But you're seeing what you want to see, man. Does it make you feel better?"

Peter slowly rose to his feet. "Better about what?" he said in a dangerously menacing tone.

Val readied herself to get between them. Far more than testosterone fueled their anger.

Carl slouched forward in his seat with a scornful smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Finally getting the vindication you've always wanted. You've finally been proved right about Ava. How great it must feel to be able to say "I told you so". You must be only chuffed with yourself right now."

Peter slammed his fist onto the table, his gaze clouding with fury. He shed the role of father, donning a darker shroud, one he must have worn as a hired hitman. "Wanna try that again, Carl?"

"Fuck you." Emotion made Carl's voice shake. "It took you all of three seconds to decide she was the enemy. You must have been sitting on the edge of your seat all these years just waiting for her to screw up."

Peter looked incredulous. "I didn't want any of this to happen! What kind of prick would insinuate that I'm—"

Val stood, uncomfortable by the accusation. "This is getting us nowhere. We need to keep looking for her."

"Fine, but I'm coming along, too," Carl insisted.

"You're in no condition to search for anyone," Anka said softly.

And not because of his injury as far as Val was concerned.

"She might track me instead," Carl said. "Val, you can smell my blood, right?"

She tried not to react. "I can."

"Then so can Ava. We might be able to safely lure her to us."

That would put Carl at risk, but at least he was a willing victim. All they needed was for him to stop provoking Peter. But if Carl could tempt Ava far away from Leah, then Val could concentrate on the task at hand. "That makes sense, Peter."

"Then who is going to protect them?" Peter gestured toward the children. "You didn't see how she looked at Emmett. They're not safe here anymore. Ava's protection doesn't keep us safe from _her_."

Val couldn't help looking at Leah. Her ward wasn't scared, so Val had to be fearful enough for both of them. She had to do whatever it took to protect Leah and the others. That was what Ava would want. So why did it make her feel so awful?

"Ava told us to go to the sanctuary," Carl said. "We can take them there. It should be safe."

Peter glanced at Val. "And when the fae ask questions?"

That wouldn't be fun, but who knew if the cul-de-sac was still protected? "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Peter rose to his feet. "Fine. Carl, get your car keys. We'll split the passengers."

Val ended up in Peter's car with Emmett. The girls went with Anka and Carl in his car. Hopefully that would give both men enough time and space to cool down.

"What's going to happen to Ava?" Emmett asked meekly from the backseat as they drove.

Val looked back at him. He was sweating, and there was a brand new bald patch in his eyebrow where he had obviously yanked out a bunch of hairs. He was pitiful—and the children did make her hesitate—but life was full of hard decisions. _She_ was the strong one. She just had to convince herself of that.

Peter kept his gaze on the road. "We're going to fix everything."

"So you're going to fix Ava." Emmett's voice was pleading.

The child knew what had to be done, and he was silently begging his father not to do it. Panic made her palms slick. There was no right answer. Once she dealt with Ava, she would find the person who attacked her and make them pay. That promise to herself was the only thing keeping her on track.

"If we can," Peter said in a strained voice.

Val worried for him. He was close to the edge of something dark and awful. But what were they supposed to do? Ava had to be stopped before she hurt someone. Hesitation could get a loved one killed. But they'd have to find her first. And then... then they'd have to do the unthinkable if Ava's mind was truly broken.

"We should take Carl's car on the hunt." She forced a decisive tone that belied her doubts. "It smells more strongly of Carl. We can leave your car with Anka in case she needs to take the children and flee."

"Yeah." His expression smoothed over. "Good thinking."

He wasn't the Peter she knew anymore. He had put on another mask, one that enabled him to see Ava as a target instead. He drove fast, but not recklessly, so he was still in control of himself. As for her, she wasn't sure what she was feeling. If Ava was gone, truly gone, then it was the end of an era, the end of protection, the end of so many things. She and people like her would be cut loose without Ava tethering them to safety and freedom.

The loss of friendship would take longer to deal with.

They arrived at the sanctuary—Val's recent abode—then moved everyone downstairs into an old hiding place. Val and Peter hurriedly returned to the car with Carl before any of the fae came out of the main house to interfere. It was an unspoken agreement. Peter wouldn't want Phoenix near him anymore than she did.

Carl's fingers shook on the steering wheel as he drove them away from the sanctuary. "Where do we start?"

_I don't know._

"We have to make a plan," she said, smothering her panic. "Carl, you thought she knew where she was going which might mean she's sticking to common ground. Is there anywhere she would go if she were distressed? Some place she feels safe?"

"It's not her anymore," Peter said from the backseat. "Stop thinking of her, no, _it_ , as rational."

"If you don't stop talking like that I'm going to break your nose," Carl said fiercely. "Either help or fuck right off, Brannigan." Carl's jaw was tensing, his nostrils flaring as he spoke through clenched teeth.

Val hid her shock. She'd never witnessed his aggressive side.

"I'm going to accept that you're under the influence of blood magic," Peter said patronisingly. "And ignore the stupid things you say in the meantime."

"Enough," Val said as Carl opened his mouth to retort. "This isn't helping." She rolled down the window. "The chances of me catching her scent are low. Peter, do you have that police scanner on you?"

He zipped open the bag he had taken with him. She dreaded to think what else was in there. If Carl saw anything remotely shaped like a stake, he would lose his mind completely.

"Got it." Peter switched on the device and listened. Nothing sounded out of the ordinary. "No immediate emergencies anyway."

That likely narrowed their chances of finding her quickly. "She could go back to old hunting grounds."

Carl shot a glare her way. "She's _never_ hunted."

Val inwardly winced. "I just meant places she knows, that she's familiar with. If I were her, I'd stick to places I know well. I just wish we knew what that shadow creature was and what it did."

"Maybe it's controlling her," Carl said. "To fight for it or something. If we could find a way to contain her, it'd give us a chance to figure out what really happened and how we can help her. There has to be a way to undo all of this"

Peter opened his mouth, likely to make the already tense situation worse. Val reached back to thump his thigh then cleared her throat. "We know too little. The vampire queen has often insinuated how dangerous Ava could be. Perhaps she would know more."

"And give her the chance to take advantage of her?" Carl shook his head. "We can't risk that."

He was right. There were worse things than death. Being owned by the vampire queen was likely one of them.

"Maybe we should tell Breslin though," Carl said thoughtfully. "He might have seen her, and if not, he has so much info there that he might be able to help us figure out what happened."

"Drive around for another hour," Peter said. "Then we go to Breslin."

Time ticked by until an hour had passed with no sign of Ava. Peter had even called Shay to ask him if anything out of the ordinary was going on, but according to the head of the IAs, everything was quiet.

"If it's so quiet, she'd be noticed," Carl said. "Maybe she went back to normal."

"And maybe she's killing all of the witnesses and storing the bodies in her nest," Peter muttered.

Carl braked the car so sharply that Val almost smacked her head against the window. Wouldn't be the first time.

He turned around in his seat to glare at Peter. "What are you going to do when you find her?"

Val glanced back at Peter who looked too sullen to answer in a way that wouldn't set Carl off.

"It depends on what needs to be done," she said before he could speak. "We won't know until we find her. If she tries to kill us—"

"We trap her." Carl didn't even miss a beat.

Peter sighed in the backseat. Val understood. Carl was dedicated in a way that wasn't quite normal. He wouldn't do what was needed. He'd die first.

"If we can," Val said to stop Peter from blurting anything Carl wasn't ready to hear. He was a nice man, all things considered, and nice men frequently got themselves killed in their world.

They drove to the office building. The private investigation business that Val and Peter shared had an office upstairs, but the ground floor was purely the domain of Ava's solicitor, a man who once worked for Baba Yaga, an infamous hag who left Ava almost all of her wealth and property in her will.

The three of them hurried inside. Alex, another of Ava's strays, greeted them. He was pretty in a way that teenage girls seemed to appreciate. Val wasn't looking forward to the day Leah showed interest in boys like him.

Carl smiled at him, but it lacked his usual warmth. "Hey, Alex. Is Breslin around?"

"He's on a call. Need me to watch the dog again or something?"

"Not today," Peter said. "Get Breslin off that call now. It's important, about Ava."

Alex didn't ask any more questions. He ran. That was odd, but perhaps Breslin was harsher than he looked.

The trio waited impatiently for less than a minute before Alex beckoned them into Martin Breslin's office, where the young assistant joined them.

Breslin sat behind a messy desk. He looked old, but his brown eyes were still youthful.

"Can we trust him?" Carl asked, gesturing toward Alex.

"Yes," Breslin said. "What happened to Ava?" He looked calm, as though he were totally prepared for anything.

"The thing is..." Peter glanced at Val as though for support.

"Something came for her," Val said. "Changed her. We don't know if she's even in her body anymore."

"It attacked her in her own home," Peter said. "The magic didn't protect her."

"No." Breslin's face was ashen, a surprising development really. Val hadn't realised they were so close. "How can that be?"

"A shadow came," Carl said. "It did something to her, something magical, and now she's running around biting people and acting like she doesn't know us. She's still her, but she's lost in there."

"It was blue," Peter said in an odd voice. "A blue glow. Sound familiar?"

"Do you know what this is?" Val asked. Did Peter?

"Not for sure without seeing for myself." Breslin took off his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth. "But whatever it is, it needs to be undone as quickly as possible." He glanced at Alex. "Take notes, start looking as soon as possible."

"Looking for what?" Peter asked accusingly. Val didn't blame him. There was something Breslin wasn't saying. She glanced at Peter. Maybe there was something both of them weren't saying.

"The thing that did this to her..." Breslin swallowed hard. "You need to find her and contain her, before anyone else finds out what's happening. It's imperative that—"

"Containment might not be possible," Peter said coldly. "Keeping this quiet sounds pretty impossible to me, too."

"If you value your life, you will do whatever it takes." Breslin rose to his feet. "Ava Delaney has commitments to powers far greater than you or I. She must be found and contained before somebody notices she's gone and comes looking." His voice broke. "None of us need them to come looking."

"Who?" Peter asked.

Even Carl had leaned forward expectantly.

"Who do you think will come?" Val asked.

"That makes no difference." Breslin sat again. He gave off the appearance of a man who hadn't a clue what to do with himself after hearing the news about Ava. "Give Alex the details of what happened. We'll research while you track. This must go smoothly. Now please hurry."

Peter made to protest, but Val stopped him. The old man had closed off his normally open expression, and she knew they'd find out nothing else from him.

"Wait," Carl said. "Is the cul-de-sac protected?"

Breslin sighed heavily. "I have no idea."

"This way," Alex said, and even he looked spooked. Perhaps he would be more forthcoming.

"What's going on here?" Carl asked when they left the room. "Alex, what's he so scared of?"

Alex shook his head. "Just tell me something I can use to find this thing. I don't know what he's scared of, but I've never seen him like that. If he's worried, then I'm terrified."

Carl and Peter gave their description of the attack while Val wandered around. The place was elaborate for a solicitor's office, practically covered with expensive looking bookshelves and filing cabinets. How much work could Ava provide for one person? And all of those books... what was the need? She searched the rooms and hallways, her hand on the doorknob of a closed door to open it when Alex stopped her.

"Nobody's allowed down there," he said. "Nobody except Ava Delaney and Martin Breslin."

The way he said it made her think they were the only ones physically able to. "What's down there?"

"I don't know."

"What do you do here, Alex?"

"Earn my keep." He gestured at the notebook in his hands. "I owe Ava, so I'll do what I can today to help."

That was the problem really. They all owed Ava, all wanted to help her, but they couldn't agree on the best method.

Outside the building a few minutes later, Peter stopped Val on the way to the car. "What do you make of that?"

"Too many secrets," she replied. "Think they're keeping something important from us?"

"Yes."

"And are you?"

He hesitated. "Everything that's happening reminds me of something else. The blue glow and... What if this creature took her soul?" He blew out a shaky breath. "Let's just find her already."

In the car, Carl's hands were clenched around the steering wheel. "I think I know where we should go next."

"Are you in on the big secrets then?" Peter asked bitterly. "Do _you_ know why it's so important to save her?"

Carl's returning look was full of scorn. "I know that I'm her friend, and I don't care about anybody's secrets. I want to save her because I love her, and you're a fucking fool if you can't see that."

Peter fell silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said at last. "But am I the only one who thinks this all happened for reasons we're not allowed to know?"

"I found Breslin's behaviour suspicious," Val said. "But none of that matters while an unrestrained tainted nephal is freely running the streets." If Ava were caught by anyone else while the Senate were discussing making changes to the registrar, then they'd all suffer.

"Right." Peter reached forward to squeeze Carl's shoulder. "Where do you think she'll be?"

"I've been thinking about familiar places. What if she goes back? I mean to the beginning, her past."

"What, like her old flat?"

"Nah, her grandmother's house."

"Do you know where that is?" Val asked.

"Yeah," Carl said grimly. "We've been there before."

# Three

_P eter_

* * *

It seemed like lifetimes ago when they were first at Ava's grandmother's house in a desperate situation. That was when Peter, Ava, and Carl had barely known each other, yet Carl's devotion had been just as dogged. Ava's grandmother had been kidnapped by vampires trying to lure Ava out—a plan that had worked because Ava had been living in a bubble of guilt and self-hate for too long.

Peter still recalled the panic when he discovered Ava had left his old house. He'd gotten drunk because the voices had been loud that night. If he had just listened, they might have helped him. The ghosts of his past were at peace now, no longer able to even try to help.

Back then had been the first time he'd worried for a monster, the same monster he was now prepared to hunt. She'd left that night to cause minimum collateral damage, so surely she'd understand why he was trying to do the same thing. She would still be the sacrifice, and he would be the one carrying the guilt and self-hate around.

That sick feeling in the pit of his stomach threatened to explode out of him. He shoved it down into the dark place he hid everything else that would make life too much to bear.

Approaching Ava's old neighbourhood made it harder to forget the past. When they first met, he'd fought a physical attraction that had been stronger than his dislike of non-humans—at least some of the time. And now, all of his fears appeared to have been confirmed. The worst part was that Carl was at least partially correct—he felt a little vindicated. He'd been painted as the bad guy for so long, and now people would see how right he'd been all along. He'd give anything to be wrong, but it was too late to think like that.

"She's been here, I think," Val said, leaning out of the window. "I can catch her scent."

Peter cleared his throat, shook off the last echoes of memories he needed to forget. " _Still_ here?"

"Maybe."

He kept watch on the streets they passed, waiting for movement that was just too quick to seem human, red hair that was just too intense to seem natural. Nothing. No screams, no running, no fear. Just normal people walking around without any realisation that a killer was in their midsts. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was more of a killer than Ava had ever been—until now. Carl might lean toward optimism, but a bloodthirsty monster wasn't going to be satisfied with a single bite for long.

"There she is." Carl sounded awed as they approached Nancy's house. He pulled the car over, somehow finding a space on the crowded street.

Peter frowned. "Where?"

"On the roof."

Peter got out of the car for a better look. And there Ava was, crouched on the roof of Nancy's home as though it were hers. Her hair flew across her face, her body taut as she held her position. Ava hated heights. A lump formed in his throat at the realisation that she was gone for good.

This version of the woman he knew suddenly leaned forward as though watching something. Stalking, more like.

"Shit." Peter took a couple of steps forward. Ava was hunting her old neighbours.

Carl followed him. "This is great."

Peter turned to glare at him. "Are you completely mental now? Exactly what part of this nightmare are you enjoying?"

"Funny, tosser, just look. That's Ava's ex, Wes, and his girlfriend, Diana. Ava told me—never mind. The point is that she's still Ava. She's finding people she knows, places she's been. That's a good thing."

"You simpleton. She's going to kill that poor sod." Peter broke off into a run, Val close on his heels.

Ava effortlessly leapt from the roof right onto Wes's car in one impossible movement. Her ex, tall, athletic, but completely human turned and stared, his brown eyes wide with surprise. His girlfriend shrank back. Peter couldn't see Ava's face, but he could imagine how her fangs looked.

"Run!" he shouted.

"Ava!" Carl cried even louder.

Ava slowly turned her head toward Carl, her body tensed, muscles flexing in her bare arms. But her expression was completely blank. Without even looking, she threw herself at Wes, knocking him to the ground and covering him with her body. Like Carl, he didn't attempt to fight her off.

Peter cursed weak men who underestimated women as he sprinted toward the pair.

Diana's scream pierced the sudden silence. She struck out at Ava, desperately yanking at her hair, but Ava ignored her completely, unmoved by the woman's attempts to fight her off Wes. And Wes did _nothing_.

Val passed Peter out, her mace gripped in both hands. Ava gripped Wes's neck, sniffing him as though looking for something. They had almost reached her when she let out a sharp, high-pitched sound, flinging Diana back against the car. Her leap onto the nearest roof unsettled Peter's stomach. Two more jumps, and she was gone.

"Shit," he panted. "We missed her."

"What was that?" Diana shrieked. "Was that the woman we met in the hospital? Wesley, answer me!"

Wes slowly sat up, a dazed look on his face.

"Are you hurt?" Val asked. "Do you need an ambulance?"

"Of course he does," Diana said hysterically.

"No, I don't." Wes rubbed the back of his head. "More shocked than anything else. She looked... What's wrong with her?"

Peter turned in a circle, his gaze focused on the rooftops, but she was long gone. As for witnesses, a couple of curtains twitched, but people tended not to get involved in trouble lately. Safer that way. "That's not Ava anymore."

"She was attacked," Carl said hurriedly. "It's some kind of magic, or..."

"We don't know what happened." Val helped Wes to his feet. "Only that we must stop her before she hurts somebody."

"She didn't hurt me," Wes said. "Poor Ava."

"What are you talking about? She _just_ attacked you." Diana looked him over in a panic. "She's a... a monster."

"No, she's not," Wes said firmly. "She would never..." His voice died away. "What can I do to help?"

Peter handed him one of the VBI business cards he kept on his person at all times. "If you see her, call us immediately. Don't try to communicate with her or stop her. Just call."

"What about the police?" Diana fumbled in her bag and produced her phone. "Or... or those Integration Agents. Isn't this their job?"

Wes took the phone out of her hands. "Calm down."

"You can't tell anyone," Carl said. "They'd put her down before we can figure out how to fix her."

Diana looked from one face to the next in horror. "She could kill somebody."

"She looked frustrated," Wes said in a quiet voice. "Like she was looking for something, and I just wasn't it."

"Maybe she doesn't remember," Carl said. "She must be so scared."

"Scared? _Her_?" Diana spluttered. "Am I the only one who saw what just happened?"

"No," Peter said. "You're completely right, but... it's hard to give up on a friend completely."

"For some people," Carl said smartly. "Val, think you can follow her scent?"

Val inhaled deeply. "If we're quick."

Wes tried to wrap his arm around Diane's shoulder, but she impatiently shrugged him off. "Are we safe here?"

Peter exchanged a doubtful look with Val. There was no knowing for sure.

"They could head to the sanctuary, too," Carl said.

"Can you lead them?" Val asked. "We need to move on now."

Carl gripped Peter's arm. "You'll come back for me."

Peter nodded. "You deal with these people, and we'll head on with your car." He gestured at Val to follow him to the car.

"He's not what I expected," Val said as they walked.

"What?"

"Wes, the ex. He's more like... Carl or maybe even Shay than you. Just not the type I saw her with."

He snorted as Phoenix's face popped into his head. "Yeah, well, I'm not sure she even has a type these days."

"Oh, I don't know. Phoenix is more like you than you'd care to admit."

Peter swallowed a vicious retort. "Don't start, Val. This is a shitty enough day without you going out of your way to insult me."

# Four

_V al_

* * *

Ava's scent made Val's stomach turn. She didn't belong anymore, and the hellhound wanted to destroy her. Ava had helped so many people, and now she was going to end up torn apart by Val's inner hound because of a twist of fate.

She kept the window rolled down to suck in some clean air that might blow away the apprehension holding her back. She couldn't hesitate, but if the hellhound took over, she wouldn't be capable of stopping what might happen next. She wasn't even sure she should try. She couldn't see any outcome that left her feeling sure of herself.

"Are you all right?" Peter asked. "You've been fidgety."

"I'm worried," she admitted. "Somebody did this to Ava. Who? _Why_? Is this just the beginning?"

"We'll find out," he said. "And if somebody did this to her, we'll pay them back for her."

" _If_? How else could it have happened?"

"People are scared of tainted nephal for a reason. Maybe this is why."

"She hardly created that shadow creature herself. Somebody did this to Ava." Panic stole over Val. "What if they do it to me, too? What if I lose whatever it is that shadow takes? What if the hellhound completely takes over?"

"It won't." The confidence in his voice was too forced to reassure her. "And if it did, you know I won't let you hurt anyone."

"It won't be so easy to stop me." She hesitated, doubt stronger than fear now. "Ava isn't hurting anyone."

He shot her a concerned look. "Stay strong, Val. Don't let emotion get in your way. Ava fed on Carl. Just because he thinks that's fine doesn't mean it didn't hurt. I think he's reacting to something in the act of feeding. He's not being himself."

"Isn't he?" She shrugged, wondering if they were the ones who hadn't been seeing clearly. "He's been this devoted to Ava since I've known him. I've heard the stories of how you all met, but I think he would behave this way even if she hadn't bitten him." She pointed. "This left."

He turned the corner. "Where the hell is she going? Oh, fuck."

"What is it?"

His face had paled. "This is the way to... there used to be a vampire coven around here. The leader was ready to take on Daimhín, was involved with the beast experiments. He thought he could use Ava. He tortured her. Daimhín stepped in, and that's how Ava ended up working for her. I think that's where she's going."

"For revenge?" That would mean a specific thought process, that Ava wasn't as mindless as they'd assumed.

"She already got her revenge on Max," he said. "His second-in-command was the one pulling the strings, but he's long gone, too. I'm not sure there's a coven left."

"Then there's nobody to hurt," she said, relieved. The last thing they needed was for Ava to trigger some kind of vampire drama.

But Peter wasn't any calmer. "What is she _doing_?"

"What if this creature took her memories? What if all she knows is the thirst, and when she moves, some places seem familiar." She couldn't believe what she was going to say next. "Maybe... Phoenix could help."

"We can't let him get involved. He's part of the Senate. We can't trust him."

"Peter," she said softly. "You're prepared to kill her."

"That's better than what the Senate will do to her. Think about it, Val. They'll trap her and test on her—if she's lucky. And you know what? Max thought Ava's blood could help him create an army. If Seth's blood was used to make those beasts the British Vampire Association unleashed on the world, then why _not_ Ava's? The first vampire himself created her, so technically, her blood has more pure vamp in it than today's vampires. What if somebody's trying to harness that so they can use her to create another army?"

"That's slightly convoluted, Peter." Yet it felt altogether too possible. They'd already come across a laboratory using succubi DNA for nefarious means. That lab could easily have been connected to those that came up with the formula that turned humans into beasts. And if it wasn't, that just meant there were more players with both the funding and desire to launch biological warfare on the unsuspecting.

"If somebody did this to Ava, they did it for a reason. Even if we stop her, we still have to figure out who and why."

The streets they passed were noticeably grimmer, much like her mood. "I'm more concerned with how. How could a shadow take her memories?"

"It didn't." Peter kept his eyes firmly on the road. "I still think it took her soul."

"Yes, but you haven't explained why."

"That blue glow... Ava mentioned it before. Baba Yaga took from Ava, remember? She almost killed her really, and I believe she was stealing her soul."

"Then what is a soul?" Val murmured.

"Maybe it's what keeps us good," Peter said.

"Plenty of people do good and bad things. Do they have souls just some of the time then?"

"We have too much to do for this conversation, Val."

She gazed out at the houses they passed. Was it just her imagination or did each street seem worse than the next? "I'm just saying. Ava's not eating babies for fun here. She's not _bad_. Just... feral."

"I'm not sure that's any better."

She ignored him because Ava's scent had become more concentrated. "Are we almost there?"

"Yeah."

"Hurry then. She's still close by."

A scream sounded as they turned a corner. The bumps on Val's head lengthened at the sound, making a shiver of apprehension run down her spine. Things were moving too far too fast for her to maintain control.

"This is the house," Peter said, sharply braking outside what looked like an abandoned building. "Somebody must be here."

Val jumped out of the car before it stopped. She almost fell in her attempt to get closer to whoever was screaming. She barely noticed the house as she ran through the front door. It had obviously once been luxurious, but it had been left to decay. So why was anybody even around?

The sound of something heavy crashing to the ground followed a second scream. Val burst into a large, mostly empty, room, losing herself as the hellhound took over the hunt.

She stopped short to get her bearings. She was in a dusty living room. A couple of threadbare chairs were pushed against one wall, but that wasn't what caught her attention.

Ava was standing on top of a fallen bookcase, old books scattered in every direction. Her fingers were wrapped around the ponytail of a young woman whose cheeks were too pale to be healthy. The tell-tale marks on her neck confirmed her as a vampire volunteer. Hers was a slow death, but that didn't mean Val shouldn't protect her.

"Let go of her," she commanded.

Ava's gaze met Val's, and the hellhound saw nothing of her friend within those blue depths. Peter was right. Ava Delaney was gone, and whatever was in her place was just calling out to the hellhound to chase her.

"Now," Val bellowed, hearing Peter's footsteps behind her.

He raced past Val and toward Ava who didn't even look at him. She just batted him away. He fell against a column, too surprised to react. Val stalked her old friend, pushing past the feelings of betrayal that somehow managed to break the surface. The hound didn't _feel_.

Ava shoved the young woman away from her, curling her lips back into a deadly grin. There was no humour, only fangs and death and madness. Her gaze met Val's with a challenge that stoked the hound's fire. She'd always secretly seen Ava as a rival of sorts, and now she would have her chance to see how they matched up.

Val transformed more wholly into her other self and gave herself up to a basic instinct—one that needed to destroy. She swung her mace. Too slow. Ava sprang out of the way. She moved like a cat, purposeful yet elegant somehow, and Val felt like prey for one of the few times in her life. Flashbacks of the few battles she'd lost came at her from every direction. Her chest constricted. Before the panic could truly set in, she sank back into herself, leaving the hellhound at the forefront.

Peter recovered and dashed forward again, but this time, Ava pulled him to her, opened her mouth wide as though to bite, then shoved the man toward Val as she swung her mace again. She barely avoided connecting with Peter, and in the confusion, Ava disappeared again.

She thought to make chase, but the wheezing coming from Peter stopped her. The hellhound melted away as her concern for him took centre stage. He wasn't long enough out of the hospital not to worry. "Peter? Are you all right?"

He held up a hand, his face too white as he struggled to breathe. "Gimme a minute." He sank into one of the dusty chairs lining the wall.

Val looked around the room. It smelled like old blood and must. More importantly, she'd failed badly in her task. Ava had toyed with them, used Val's emotional weakness against her, then fled with ease.

"Did you see that?" Peter gasped, leaning over to calm his breathing.

"We need more people," Val said. "We need to surround her. She's so quick. We could find a way to trap her perhaps, but not with just two of us."

"She didn't bite me," he said accusingly. "She didn't even think about it. It's like I don't exist. She bit Carl, she would have gone for Wes if she had the chance. Even Emmett..."

She gaped at him, horrified by his ridiculous reaction. " _Peter_."

He looked up at her, devastatingly human.

She couldn't relent. "Snap out of it, and help me."

He blinked a couple of times before nodding. "Help. Right." He scratched his head. "We can obviously use Carl as bait."

"We need more than that." They needed brute strength, speed, and a better way to track Ava. "I have an idea."

A whimper came from across the room. All at once, Val recalled the young woman. Peter jumped to his feet, but Val made it over to the young woman first. "Are you all right?"

She was sitting on a dusty step, her hands moving to smooth her tangled hair. She didn't look scared. She shrugged at Val in answer.

"Are you hurt?" Peter asked, thankfully forgetting about his own issues.

"No." A slow smile crept across her face. "This is _exactly_ what we needed."

Peter exchanged a bemused glance with Val. "Excuse me?"

"You're a volunteer," Val said, ignoring the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "So there's a coven here again."

"The remnants," the woman said with a harsh laugh. "But not for long. Once I tell them about that traitor..."

Peter's hands clenched into fist. "Wait a minute."

"The vampire queen will be grateful," the woman said, acting as though they weren't there.

"No," Val said sharply. "You can't tell anyone."

The woman met her gaze, and Val despised what she saw there. No fear, only scorn and a willingness to manipulate the situation. She would tell the vampires unless Val killed her. The hellhound suddenly flared back to life. Val took a step forward, determined to deal with the woman, but her vision blurred as the hellhound hurriedly rushed to the fore.

"Val, stop!"

Val blinked. Her hand was around the woman's throat, but the volunteer held no fear in her eyes. Val let go and stepped back, confused. Had a shadow managed to attack her, too? No, of course not. She shook herself. Her emotions were obviously clouding the hellhound's responses.

"Look," Peter said in a calmer voice. "We're all under a lot of stress, and the shock is making us edgy, right? But think about how nasty things could get if you kicked off something with the vampires. You can't tell them about this. It's not right."

"You can't stop me." The woman lay back on the floor and stretched out her arms. "My vampires will no longer suffer because of this."

Her words were filled with the kind of devotion Val had often heard in Carl's voice. Useless to argue against. She stormed off, out of the room and into the dark, dusty hallway, and tried to cool herself down.

Peter came hurrying after her. "Val, what the hell was that about?"

She shrugged. "Too much is happening. If the vampires find out about Ava..." So much could go wrong, and the consequences were too far-reaching to prepare for.

"I know." Peter grimaced. "They could trap her, use her. I wouldn't put anything past the vampire queen, and with Ava under her thumb, she might think the rest of the Senate can't stop her."

"Or worse," Val said. "They'll agree with her."

"So what do we do?"

"We find Ava before dark, before everything gets a thousand times worse," she said. "And we're going to need help with that."

# Five

_P eter_

* * *

He brooded incessantly on the journey to pick up Carl. Was he nothing to her? Was that it?

"Whatever it is you're thinking about, stop it," Val said from the passenger seat. "You keep driving on the wrong side of the road."

He shook it off and concentrated on the road. But it bothered him still. He and Ava had lived together with Emmett, been a family. He'd never said he loved her, but how could he be so meaningless to her that even her basic self didn't acknowledge him?

" _Peter_!"

Val yanked on the steering wheel and narrowly avoided the truck Peter had been directing the car towards.

He blew out a shaky breath. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just distracted."

"Stop taking it so personally. You keep saying that's not Ava. Why are you so concerned with her behaviour?"

"I don't know!"

"Cut it out then," she said. "We need you focused."

He silently fumed. He was angrier that he had let Ava's actions bother him, that Val could plainly see how upset he'd become. Their relationship had changed over time, but he still despised showing his weaknesses.

And Ava was just...

"You can't have it both ways, you know."

He glared at her, irritated by the way she kept intruding on his attempts to process the situation. " _What_?"

"Either she's Ava in there, or she's not. Pick one and stick to it."

"Fuck off. You don't know what it's like!"

She huffed out a breath. "Don't I?"

"Her instincts are..." He shook his head. "What am I supposed to feel like, Val? I'm hunting down the woman I lived with, the woman who abandoned my son. Tell me what I'm supposed to feel right now because I don't have a clue."

"She didn't abandon Emmett." Val kept her tone surprisingly neutral. "Your relationship didn't work out. It's not like either of you planned any of it."

"I don't know." His pride made the bitterness hard to swallow. "Maybe this thing with Phoenix has been going on for longer than we're led to believe."

She groaned. "Peter, stop."

"I'm serious. There's always been _something_ weird between them, right? Maybe what happened between us was an excuse to—"

She slammed her fist into the glovebox, leaving a dent. "Or maybe it's the fact you're a cynical, hateful bigot, Peter. Would you be this bitter if she'd left you for a human?"

"Jesus." Her anger was overwhelming, suffocating. He had no idea what else to say.

"Look," she said shakily. "You both made mistakes, but you're just _unbelievable_ sometimes. _I_ get fed up with you, and I can get away from you at the end of the day. She had no escape. And let's not forget that you left her first. You took Emmett away. She didn't get a say when you uprooted her life."

"Wait a minute," he began, determined to defend himself.

"No," she snapped. "I'm talking, and you'll listen for a change. You were in control all the way with her. You jumped in then back out. Then... _then_ you came back and used her for somebody else's revenge. It's time to grow up and accept some responsibility for what happened. You treated her like crap half the time. What did you expect would happen?"

He spluttered over his words before slamming down on the steering wheel to blare the horn. "Move it!" he shouted at the car in front of them who had taken a few seconds too long to move at a green light.

"Are you done?" Val remarked calmly.

The anger flooded out of him, and the truth in her words bit hard. "All right," he said when he'd calmed down, when her breathing had mellowed. "Maybe I didn't give her my all when I should. Maybe it's not fair to ask somebody to wait that long for me to... you know. But she's the one who changed the goalposts. I tried for her, but she kept needing different things from me. I swear I tried to be a different man, but that takes time, and she ran out of patience."

Val glanced at him. "I do know how that feels. And I'm sorry for being harsh, but it's frustrating listening to you being your own worst enemy."

Of everything, that hit home hardest. "It's easier to bear when you blame somebody else," he said after a moment. "I don't think I can handle everything being my fault."

"I know what that's like. People like us... we're not great at being happy."

That made him laugh. A joyless, pitiful laugh, but it was better than the alternative. "I know. Are we good?"

She didn't hesitate. "Of course."

"I'm... glad you're here."

She shot him a weak smile. They were in uncharted territory. A friend turned rogue, truths flying everywhere, and sickening decisions to be made. A headache pounded behind his temples already. The dead heat wasn't helping.

The fae weren't around when they arrived at the sanctuary. They went through the trap door into the safe place everyone was hiding.

Emmett came running first when he heard them. "Is it over?"

"We're close," Peter said, forcing a smile. He nodded at Carl. "We're going to run back over to the cul-de-sac in case Ava heads back there." That's where their help would arrive, in any case. He looked at the others, noted they all still looked shaken. "We won't be much longer."

"See you all soon," Carl said, leading the way out.

Peter hesitated long enough to embrace his son, to remind himself why he was doing something that didn't completely sit right with him.

Outside, he handed Carl back his keys. "We're taking my car now. I need to drive."

Carl shot Peter's baby a doubtful look. "That thing? Really?"

"I need to keep my hands busy," Peter said. "Please, Carl."

Carl looked him over then shrugged. "Makes no difference to me."

Peter didn't waste time getting into the driver's seat of his own car. He sank back, the tension instantly leaving his shoulders. He needed the things he was used to when changes came calling. He started the car then drove through the open gates and out onto the road.

"How has everyone been coping?" Val asked Carl.

"A bit shaken," Carl said. "But mostly positive. They feel safe here."

Peter's hands tightened on the wheel. He had to believe the sanctuary was safe from Ava.

Val relayed what had happened at the vampire coven's place. "We've called for help. With a few more people, we'll stand a better chance of cornering her."

Carl didn't seem worried. "We'll find her before nightfall."

Peter hoped he was right, but all he felt was dread.

The area surrounding Ava's protected little cul-de-sac had been ready to fall to ruin yet somehow managed to escape most of the downward slide that Dublin seemed to be experiencing. Even still, a protest was going on outside the mini-supermarket Peter used to frequent. Apparently because a human had been sacked and replaced with a supernatural being. Once the changes to the registrar were complete, and people were judged based on their level of _otherness_ , the protesters would likely find a lot more excuses to scream hate.

By the time they reached the cul-de-sac, Peter's mood hadn't improved. Just getting out of his car and looking around made him jittery.

"We should poke around in Ava's house while we're here," Carl said. "I didn't think of it before, but maybe something she bought online turned out to be the wrong kind of real deal."

"That makes sense," Val said. "After all, who would target Ava so?"

"Are you kidding?" Peter slammed his car door shut. "Who _wouldn't_ is an easier question."

"What's up with him?" Carl asked.

"His feelings were hurt."

Peter glared at them both. Val was smirking. Did she really think teasing him would get him out of his funk?

"He has feelings?" Carl shook his head. "Wow. I'd never have guessed."

"Both of you can piss off now, thanks." Peter led the way to Ava's front door, the sun beating down on his beat. "Let's look around until help arrives."

"When's he getting here?" Carl asked.

Peter paused. "Wait, who?"

"Phoenix." Carl looked from Peter to Val. "You called him, right?"

Uh-oh. Peter rubbed his jaw, wondering how to broach the situation.

Val cleared her throat. "Actually, no. Not him."

Peter felt like the biggest arsehole in the world. If Carl was mad before... "We needed a different kind of help today."

"What do you mean?" Carl's forehead creased with confusion. "Why do you both look so guilty?"

"Uh, well, the thing is..." Peter glanced at Val for support, but she looked away. Coward. "We called Esther, and she thought she should bring Patrick." It was his turn to avoid people's gazes. "You know, the alpha."

"Are you serious?" Carl's face turned purple. "You went running to Esther and her new boyfriend?"

"This is about Ava," Val said loudly. "And if we don't find her quickly, innocent people could get hurt."

"This is going to be so awkward." Carl rubbed the back of his neck. "Why did you have to... The last thing I want to do is meet her mate."

"Then don't," Peter said impatiently. "Go back to the sanctuary and wait there."

Carl scuffed the ground with his shoe. "Val's right. This is about Ava. And I don't trust you enough to leave you in charge of this."

"You don't trust _me_?" Peter raised his hands. "Fine. Pretend you and I were never friends then."

"If this is how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see what you do to your enemies."

"Oh, come _on_."

"If I went mad, would you put me down?" Carl asked.

If he was going to be treated like the bad guy, then he might as well own it. "If you became a psycho serial killer then hell yeah, I would."

Peter stormed into the house then froze. It smelled like Ava, sweet and warm and welcoming. The woman he knew, not the monster he was hunting. He imagined her body, a future without her in it, and he couldn't take another step. How was he supposed to keep going? To tell his son he'd murdered Ava—even if he knew it was the right thing to do.

Carl brushed past him and strode into the living room. He was acting like a child, but that would help Peter use anger as his shield.

Val squeezed his shoulder and gestured to follow Carl.

The living room was a mess, but if he drained all emotion from the situation, maybe he would find some answers. Except that apart from the mess, the place looked as normal as it always had.

"It looks like she was in the middle of an email to Kenneth Egan," Carl said from the computer by the wall. "She was trying to ask him about protective talismans."

"Was she worried about something?" Peter asked. "Did she expect an attack?"

"Nah. I think it's for the security business Moses is getting her involved in." Carl's hand hovered over the mouse. "It really seems like she was surprised by this. How did it get here though? Did it wander through the cul-de-sac? Appear in her home? Whatever happened caught her completely unawares."

Peter sorted through the mess that had once been the coffee table. "There's an envelope here with her name on it," he said. "And a jewellery box." He opened the small navy felt box. "Empty."

"So somebody sent her something," Carl said.

"It could be unrelated." Val sniffed the envelope. "Smells like... nothing. Maybe suspiciously so?" She couldn't be sure. She turned the envelope over. "This wasn't posted. It must have been hand delivered. Did either of you notice anyone around earlier?"

"I think we would have mentioned it," Peter said impatiently. When Val sent a sharp look his way, he relented. "We can ask the others if they noticed anything."

"Maybe we should call Kenneth Egan," Val said. "Perhaps he knows more."

"I'll call him." Carl stepped out of the room.

Val looked around at the mess and sighed. "This is going too slowly. How are you doing with all of this? Aside from the obvious."

Peter shrugged at Val's question. He had no answer to that either. "I'll survive."

He poked around the room, feeling like a traitor as he touched Ava's things. She lived a simple kind of life, all things considered. And even with all of her protection, she'd still been attacked. Were any of them truly safe?

Carl returned. "Kenneth sent her an amulet of some kind. Sounds like it was in that empty envelope. Not a part of this at all."

"Can we trust him?" Peter asked. "Considering his family connections?" It would have been so easy to blame an Egan on the mess.

"Ava trusts him." Val was on her knees, her hand under the couch. "Found it. Must have slid under the sofa in the struggle. It feels benign." She lifted her head. "Somebody's outside."

Peter went outside first, apprehensive of what might unfold next. Esther and a tall bearded man came toward them, hand in hand. Esther was still bald, the scarring from her operation still healing, but she looked happier and healthier than the last time Peter had seen her.

Val and Carl came outside. Esther waved shyly, letting go of her mate's hand as she approached. The man looked at her as though he grieved the loss. Peter kept his scorn well hidden. He wasn't altogether sure he trusted any shifters, but he was running out of people he could turn to for help.

"Hi," Esther said. "This is Patrick." She gestured toward Peter. "This is Peter, Val, and... Carl."

Patrick nodded. His dark hair clashed with blue eyes in a shade that reminded Peter of Ava—or was he just finding reminders where none existed? "Nice to meet you. Have you tracked Ava down yet?"

"Not exactly," Val said.

Peter described their day. "Then we caught up to her at a vampire coven, but the, uh, circumstances weren't ideal, and we lost her. A volunteer was there, said she was going to make sure the vampire queen heard about Ava."

"Why?" Patrick asked.

"To earn some brownie points," Peter said. "If the vampire queen knows Ava's... not herself, she can take advantage, so that's made things a little more urgent."

"Poor Ava," Esther said. "I hope she's okay."

"I've put out the word amongst the shifters," Patrick said. "It won't be long before she's spotted."

Carl's laugh was full of bitterness. "You mean it won't be long before some shifter gets his own back."

"It's not like that." Esther sounded surprised. "You know I wouldn't let anyone harm Ava."

Patrick's expression hardened. "If she's a threat, they might have to."

_There_ was the typical alpha Peter had expected.

"What?" Esther frowned at her partner. "Ava's not a threat. We're here to help her."

"Tell everyone else that," Carl muttered under his breath.

"What's really going on?" Esther looked at the group. "I thought things were tense because of Patrick and me, but I was wrong, wasn't I?"

"It's pretty bad," Peter admitted. "Ava's out of control. She's not _her_ anymore. I can only describe her as a monster right now."

"Then where are the dead bodies?" Esther demanded.

"Maybe she's hiding them," Patrick said without missing a beat.

Esther stepped back, took a good look at the group. "We came here to _help_ Ava."

Peter groaned inwardly. Not another one. "It's complicated."

"If we can help her, we will. I respect the woman," Patrick said. "You know I do, but I respect her power all the more, and if that power is used against innocents, then we have a duty to stop it."

That was interesting. A shifter concerned about more than his own. Or was it an act?

"No matter the cost?" Esther folded her arms across her chest. "Do you seriously believe that's the right thing to do?"

He didn't falter. "I do."

"For the record, Val and I agree." Peter was reluctant to agree with a stranger, but it felt good to have another rational voice around. "We don't even know if we can help her. This could be permanent, but more importantly, the wrong hands could get to her first. We have to be quick, and we have to be smart."

"You mean ruthless." Esther's voice choked up. "Am I the only one who remembers that this is our friend?"

"No," Carl said. "And everybody had better be ready to go through me first when they try to kill her."

"I'm ready," Patrick said calmly.

" _Patrick_!" Esther sounded horrified.

"If it comes down to you or her, I'll choose you every time." Patrick gestured toward Carl. "Who would he choose?"

"Like you know anything about this," Carl said dismissively.

"We're getting nowhere," Val said. "We need to—"

Patrick's phone rang. "Sorry," he said. "This might be important."

He moved a couple of steps away to answer the phone, leaving Peter surrounded by disgruntled friends who looked distrustful and angry. Had Ava been the only reason they were even friends? Would she be the one who tore them apart?

Patrick held his phone against his chest and called over to them. "Any of you know where the vampire queen lives?"

"Yes," the four of them said in unison.

"Then that's where we're going."

As soon as Esther got into the backseat of the car, her nose wrinkled. She didn't say a word about the chewed up seat.

Her mate made an odd choking sound in the back of his throat, on the other hand. "Did you kill something in here?"

"Oh, God," Esther gushed, sounding as though she'd been holding her breath. "You get it, too?"

"Even I can smell it," Carl said. "Don't you clean your car?"

He'd cleaned it religiously since he'd been covered in the contents of a dead man's pustule and apparently forever marked his car with death.

"Shut up," he snapped. "There was... an accident."

Val smothered a laugh.

Peter shot her a warning glare before starting his car and driving out onto the main road, his car full of ungrateful shitheads.

Esther was squeezed in between the alpha and Carl, and not one person in the car appeared to be comfortable. Peter regretted calling Esther, though he wasn't about to admit it. They needed help; he just wished it came with a smaller dose of drama.

"What's this vampire queen like?" Patrick asked after winding down his window.

"Like a vampire," Val said. "Although she's slightly more diplomatic than most."

"Can't say I have much experience with vampires," Patrick said.

"She's ruthless, but she hides it when she has to," Esther said. "She has a weird relationship with Ava, is convinced something terrible might happen if she dies."

" _Something_ terrible? Nice and vague."

Peter sniffed. That was one way of putting it. He looked in the mirror at the trio in the back. Carl was pressed against the door, gazing out the window. Esther and Patrick's hands were laced together. Being on opposite sides of the "What to do about Ava" equation hadn't done the couple much harm so far.

"Lorna said that Ava was lurking around the property," Patrick said. "I told her not to engage alone, but she might not have a choice."

"You don't have a problem with one of your shifters playing lapdog to a vampire?" Peter asked.

"Not this particular shifter. There's nothing wrong with honest work."

"I can't get over this," Esther said, her voice thickening with emotion. "Who would do something like this?"

"This is your chance, you know," Patrick said in a low voice.

"What does that mean?" Carl asked. "What chance?"

"He doesn't mean anything by it," Esther said, too quickly.

Val turned in her seat. "Is there something we should know about?"

"It's nothing."

"This is Esther's chance to break free," Patrick said. "To join the pack. There's a place for you, too, hellhound."

"She has a name," Peter said, but Val merely laughed and faced front.

"Wait a second. Esther. Is that what you want?" Carl asked. "A new alpha?"

"Of course not," she said hurriedly. "It's not like Ava bosses me around, right?"

"Moving on," Peter murmured.

"Perhaps Carl should wait in the car when we arrive," Val said, an obvious attempt at changing the subject. "That wound is too obvious."

"Why's that?" Patrick asked. "The vampires sleep during the day, no?"

"Carl's blood is kind of on the preferred list," Esther explained. "Ava's... drawn to it." Silence, then, "She bit you, Carl?"

When Carl didn't answer, Peter pointedly cleared his throat.

"Only a little," Carl said. "She was confused. Then she stopped."

"She stopped because I made her," Peter couldn't resist saying.

Carl's laugh was cold. "You couldn't stop Ava Delaney from doing what she wanted when she was in control of her own mind. What makes you think that's suddenly changed now?"

He didn't just go there. "I may be human, but—"

"Stop!" Val commanded in a deep, rumbling voice. "We don't have time for in-fighting. These squabbles need to end. And keep those eyes off me, alpha. I'll never be part of the future you want to build."

The tension increased, but at least everyone had shut up.

He didn't think he could stand another argument with Carl. They had always been good friends, but when it came to Ava, Carl had tunnel vision. On a normal day, Peter could almost understand that, but the current situation should have superseded any bonds. It had to.

By the time they arrived at the vampire queen's property, Ava was gone. Lorna met them on the doorstep, nursing a bump on the head. She gave them a wry smile. "You missed all of the fun."

Lorna was the daughter of the last alpha the shifters considered to be a true one. The fact she was willing to obey Patrick said a lot to his credit, he supposed, but like Val, he didn't appreciate the intent in Patrick's gaze when it fell upon Val.

"Where did she go?" Carl asked.

"No idea." She wrapped her arms around herself, her shivers more likely to do with shock than a chill in the air. "She knocked me out. I completely underestimated her." She shook her head in disbelief. "When I came to, she was already gone."

"What did she do while she was here? Have you checked on Daimhín yet?" Esther asked.

Lorna waved a hand. "One of her volunteers did. She's fine. Ava didn't get that far in, I don't think. She scared the shit out of a couple of volunteers and threw me against the wall, but other than that, nothing happened."

"That's a lot more than nothing," Patrick said coolly. "Sure you're okay?"

"I'm all right," Lorna said. "She could have killed me, could have killed all of them, but the volunteers said she just... left."

"That's the cat out of the bag," Val said. "We'll never keep so many people quiet about this. I don't suppose we can make a deal with them either."

"Volunteers tell the vampires everything." Lorna squinted. "What the hell happened to Delaney? I've never seen her quite like _that_ before."

"That's what we're trying to find out," Val said.

"Are you good to stay here?" Patrick asked. "Or do you need me to take you to the clinic?"

"Nah." She touched her swollen temple and winced. "It's a bit embarrassing really. I thought I'd take her on for a bit longer than that."

"She's not herself," Carl said.

She looked at the bandage on his neck, blinking rapidly. "Right."

"Where else would she go?" Esther asked Carl.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "There are lots of possibilities."

"Think," she said. "What about places from her past that would feel familiar to her?"

"Her old flat might be a good start," Peter said. "Maybe Moses's flats."

"The office, Anka's shop." Carl shrugged. "The list is endless."

"She seemed like she was looking for something." Lorna cocked her head to the side. "Or someone."

"What do you mean?" Esther asked.

"She had that look... hunting, you know? But she looked confused, too. Like... she came here for something, but it wasn't here at all. She was in the wrong place. Or she forgot what she came for."

"Are you sure?" Patrick asked. "Could you really tell that much?"

She shrugged. "Maybe I'm reading too much into it."

"No, she's still in there," Carl said excitedly. "Fighting for control."

Peter pitied him. "We don't know that at all."

"We should move on," Patrick said. "Lorna, keep a close eye out for Ava, and let us know if the vampires are preparing to make a move on her."

"They might be helpful," she said, getting to her feet.

"Not if they decide to capture her and run tests to use her blood," Peter said.

"Remember the beasts," Esther added.

Lorna looked directly at Patrick in question. Peter couldn't imagine Val doing the same, even if she had an alpha.

"I'd appreciate it," Patrick said.

"All right," Lorna said. "I'll keep you updated as best I can."

Peter led the way back to the car. The vampire queen's property was worth millions, he reckoned, and his piece of crap vehicle looked its age just being in the general vicinity.

Val leaned against the passenger door. "Where to now?"

"If we figured out what Ava was looking for, we'd be able to get ahead of her while she's still trying to figure shit out," Peter said.

"I hate to say it, but what about Alannah?" Carl suggested. "We might have to warn Layla that one of her succubi could be in trouble. Quietly tell her to leave town."

"Layla has no connection to Alannah anymore," Val said.

Carl frowned. "How would you know that?"

"We met her on a case," Peter said. "She was in a bad way then probably went on the run anyway."

"Or was removed," Val added.

"Either way, she's gone. Ava's not likely to find her."

"She does seem to be sticking to her own territory," Carl said.

"Is territory important to her?" Patrick asked. "Is it something instinctual in her?"

"I don't know." For the first time, Carl didn't flinch at the sound of Patrick's voice. "I mean, we do live in territory that belongs to her, but that's because of the old landlady leaving her everything. She's never really spoken about territory otherwise, but that doesn't mean she never thought it—or that this version of herself doesn't."

"What is she likely to consider her own territory?" Patrick continued. "And I don't mean what was left to her. The kind of territory she'd protect might be places she went to frequently or where she won battles. She's running on basic instincts right now, but that could make her more predictable." He looked to Val, pointedly avoiding Esther. "What do you think?"

"I think you might be right," she admitted, albeit reluctantly. "At my most base, I'd likely view a battle won as a marking of ownership."

Carl scratched his jaw. "She lived in her old flat for years, and she got really mad when she found out the succubus had been draining her in her own home. That could have been territorial on some level."

"What about Eddie Brogan's old shop?" Esther said.

"The shop was definitely a safe zone," Peter said. "And Eddie was a huge part of her life." Of Peter's life, too. Even if the old man had manipulated and lied to them more often than not.

"Gabe was important to her. He was the one who gave her the truth about her past," Carl said. "His old pub might be a target, too."

"We should take a look at her old place first," Esther said. "If we don't find her, we should think about splitting up."

"It's a start," Carl said. "Any objections?"

Nobody had. Finally, everyone agreed on something. It would be over soon. It had to be.

# Six

Val

* * *

The vampire coven's building had looked like a pit compared to the vampire queen's residence, but Ava's old building was worse still. The area itself had always been poor—the changes in Ireland hadn't made that better or worse—but living in that run-down building had to have been some kind of self-inflicted punishment.

"Oh, no," Esther murmured from the car. "Look."

A middle-aged man was hunched on the doorstep, a blood-stained handkerchief pressed to his neck. Val's stomach sank at the sight of him.

Peter's jaw clenched tight. "That's McGreavy, the landlord. Piece of shit, but nobody deserves to be bitten."

_No going back now_.

Ava had to be stopped. She didn't want to be the one to do it—none of them did—but it had to be done. That was obvious now. The shifter alpha might say otherwise, but it was only a matter of time before a shifter confronted Ava—the secret would be out sooner rather than later.

"Well," Esther said hesitantly. "I suppose we should go help him."

They all got out of the car and crossed the road to reach the injured man.

He frowned when he noticed their approach. "Oh, here we go. Here comes the cavalry." He pointed a chubby finger at Peter. "Don't even think about ganging up on me as well."

"Mr. McGreavy, do you need an ambulance?" Peter asked.

"I need you to fuck off." He waved a hand. "I remember you and your big mouth. Now leave me alone."

"We're trying to help," Val said.

"Yeah, well, you're too late. That crazy bitch already trashed the place and left."

"Ava Delaney?" Patrick said. "Is that who you mean?"

"That bloody monster," McGreavy said. "She tore the place apart."

Peter exchanged a glance with Carl. "Her old flat?"

Val wondered if doubt was crowding his thoughts, too.

"Where else? I have tenants coming for a viewing tomorrow evening. Now what am I going to do?"

"He's obviously not that badly hurt," Carl muttered under his breath.

"Can I go up and see the place?" Peter asked.

McGreavy sighed. "Fine, but don't wreck anything else."

"I'll go with you," Carl said, obviously eager for the chance to break away from the group.

Val couldn't blame him. It had to be awkward for him around Esther and her mate. Val didn't know all of the details, but she could sense his pain. She knew heartbreak; she could only pity him.

Peter and Carl went inside. It was better to have them both out of the way if they had history with McGreavy.

"What exactly happened?" Val asked.

"I got a call from one of the tenants about a disturbance, didn't I?" McGreavy said. "So I came over, and there she was, pulling up floorboards and everything. I picked up a lamp and threw it at her, and she screamed like a banshee." He poked his finger into his ear. "Look at that," he said triumphantly. "Blood. She burst something, the little—"

"What happened next?" Patrick stood in front of the man. "What did she _do_?"

"She circled me like a bloody big cat." McGreavy held up the handkerchief. The wound on his neck wasn't deep, but she'd broken skin all the same. "I tried to whack her away with a sweeping brush, but she rushed at me, and _bit_ me like an animal. She was gone before I even realised what happened."

"You treated her like an animal," Esther said. "What did you expect to happen?"

His mouth gaped open. "Not to get bitten, obviously."

"Any idea where she went?" Val pressed, impatient to move on.

"No clue," he said. "I'm waiting here for those Integration Agents everyone's so bloody fond of lately."

"Did you give her name?" Esther asked.

"Of course I bloody did. What am I, a moron?"

Esther hissed under her breath.

"We should go," Val murmured. "Before it gets awkward."

"No need," a cool voice said from behind her, making her spine stiffen. "I'll deal with this."

Val squeezed her eyes shut before opening them and turning around. Phoenix. Of course it was. His son, so like him in appearance, was with him, too. No Lucia, thankfully. Yet her traitorous heart had fluttered with hope, too.

"You should get back inside," Phoenix told McGreavy who obeyed without question. Not for the first time, Val envied his power.

Lorcan nodded in greeting at the group, uncertainty in his eyes when his gaze met Val's.

His father shook Patrick's hand. "I didn't expect to meet you here, of all places."

"What are _you_ doing here?" Val asked as sharply as she dared.

Phoenix looked back at her with cool green eyes—as haughty as his daughter had been the day she broke Val's heart.

Carl and Peter came out of the building together. "I sent him a message," Carl said.

Peter elbowed him. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Ava trusts him," Carl said stubbornly. "And you called the bloody alpha shifter, so don't give me any crap. The shifters count as Ava's biggest enemy right now. One of them could be behind all of this in the first place."

"We are not her enemy," Patrick said.

"Oh, please," Carl scoffed. "You'd kill her on sight if it wasn't for Esther."

"He's not like that," Esther said. "He's not Mac or—"

"You heard what he said earlier!"

"This isn't helping," Val said. How many times now had she said the same words?

Carl turned on her. "Neither is you and Peter preparing yourselves to end my best friend's life!"

Silence loomed over the group. Phoenix and Lorcan exchanged a wordless glance.

The weight of Carl's words hung heavily on Val's shoulders. Ava's scent was all over the building, warning Val with its wrongness. No, warning the hellhound. She was only preparing herself for the inevitable, but it was growing notably harder to meet Carl's accusing gaze.

"You should have warned us you told a Senate member," Peter said gruffly.

"If it's any consolation, I received a call about the incident on my way here." Phoenix's tone remained cool, but his eyes had hardened.

Val fought against an involuntary shiver. He was still checking up on everyone. Why?

"What the hell is going on?" Lorcan asked. "Why are we talking about Ava's death like that's suddenly a normal topic of conversation?"

"She's out of control," Peter snapped. "She's not Ava anymore." He turned away. "She's... gone."

Val felt sick. "We don't know what happened to her or how to fix her."

Carl kicked the door of the building. "We haven't even tried!"

"Where do we start?" Peter asked. "Well?"

"I don't know," Carl said sullenly. "But we owe her enough to try. You can't do this, Peter. Stop pretending like she's not a person anymore."

"Don't you see how dangerous this is?" Val asked when Peter appeared to be speechless. "The vampires and shifters know. IAs and Senate members know. We don't know who did this to her, who is willing to take advantage of her."

"So we protect her." Carl looked at each face, his frustration clear. "That's what friends do. We help each other."

"But we don't know that we can," Val said. "We can try to stop her, even contain her, but what then? Ava wouldn't want to be locked up in a cage for the rest of her life. What if we never find a cure for this? What if we never catch her and she murders a ton of people? Or the authorities catch her before we do? We have to be practical. Carl, _you_ have to be realistic. What do you think will happen to her if she harms a child?"

"After everything she's done for us." Emotion thickened Lorcan's accent. "After everything we've been through, you repay her with this?" He looked to his father. "Are you hearing this?"

"You haven't seen her," Peter said. "You won't understand until you see it for yourself."

But Lorcan had voiced Val's inner thoughts, drowning out the hellhound's instincts. That would only weaken her resolve. "She's like one of those beasts, Lorcan. We can't let people remember her for that."

"We can... we can figure this out." He swallowed hard. "My cousin is a witch. Maybe she'll know a spell or something. _Anything_."

"We'd still have to catch her first," Peter said.

"We haven't even come close to managing that yet," Val added.

Patrick took Esther's hand. "That's the dangerous path. How many of you are willing to die for that?"

"I'm sick of this shit." Carl looked close to tears. "Tell me now, Phoenix. Are you going to let the Senate kill her?"

Phoenix blinked twice, his expression suspiciously blank. "Of course not. We're going to catch Ava then figure out a way to fix whatever's happened to her. What else can we do?" He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, for a moment looking more like Lorcan than usual. "Icarus is waiting in the truck. We can use him to follow her scent."

"I think I can manage that, too," Val said. "There's more than one trail here, so if we split up..."

Phoenix looked around the group. "Icarus and I should stick together."

"I'll work better with Patrick," Esther said.

"I don't mind tagging along with the werewolf," Carl said.

Phoenix shook his head. "Humans will only slow us down. Besides, Ava needs champions on both teams, it appears."

Carl glanced at Peter. "Isn't that right?"

Peter glared back at him. "Us humans are teaming up then."

"Lorcan is with me and Icarus," Phoenix said. "Val can accompany us, while the rest of you join up."

Val cringed. She could think of too many places she'd rather be than stuck on a team with Lorcan and Phoenix. She glanced at Carl. His expression mimicked her own. He didn't want to be trapped with Esther's new beau either.

"I don't think—" Peter began.

"My team will track scents," Phoenix said sharply. "Your team can scout places Ava is likely to visit."

Peter scowled at the interruption. "And if my team finds her?"

"Then Carl will be the voice of reason." Phoenix's lips quivered. Did he find it funny? She couldn't figure him out.

"Too right I will."

Esther nudged Carl. "Hey, I'm not on the Ava death squad either."

Patrick stared at his mate as though he didn't know her at all. Val smothered a harsh laugh. They were all seeing through each other. It appeared that nobody liked what was lurking behind the curtain.

"Phoenix, you're not in charge here," Peter said. "Val and me... we're a team. You don't get to pick and choose who goes where."

Phoenix pointed at an upstairs window where McGreavy was gaping at them all. "If you didn't want me to take charge, then you should never have allowed that creature to provide Ava's name in his emergency call."

Peter stared at him. "What did you expect us to do with him, eh? What would _you_ have done, fae prince?"

An unpleasant sneer curled Phoenix's lips.

Val had a sudden premonition of both men coming to blows. _That_ would end badly if she didn't pre-empt it, so she made a show of retrieving her mace from Peter's car before striding over to Phoenix. "Fine. Let's just get this over and done with. We don't have the time for anything else."

Phoenix nodded then abruptly turned away. It killed her to let him think he had won, but somebody had to keep an eye on him. He was a Senate member, a fae—he could just as easily want to use Ava as any other leader. The alpha couldn't make a move without Carl noticing. She had to swallow her pride and deal with Phoenix herself. Besides, it was better to have somebody willing to make the hard choices on each team—although her voice needed to be loud if the fae ganged up against her.

As she walked toward Phoenix's truck alongside Lorcan—who looked just as uncomfortable—her skin burned. They were just reminders of Lucia, the woman who had broken her heart and given her a shitty reason for it, too.

# Seven

Peter

* * *

It was probably helpful to have somebody around who could smother calls from disgruntled arseholes like McGreavy, but all the same, Peter watched with regret as Val left with people she didn't trust. Judging by the scowling, his team wasn't going to be much better. Esther stood apart, looking awkward and embarrassed, while Carl and Patrick were having stare downs—when Carl wasn't throwing Peter snide side-glances.

Peter rolled his shoulders before standing in the centre of the group to speak. "Look, I know this is a crappy situation," he said. "But we need to work together."

"For Ava's sake," Esther said meaningfully.

Patrick nodded and looked to Carl in question.

"Of course," Carl said. "Phoenix had the right idea. We should draw up a list of places to check out."

"Wouldn't it be more efficient to track her?" Patrick asked. "I can scout ahead in the air, and—"

"She could be anywhere," Carl said dismissively. "There's no point in us tracking her when the other team has the most efficient tracker in the country onboard."

"He's right," Esther said. "We need a better plan than that."

Patrick shot her a concerned look.

"We also have bait," Peter said. "She has a lust for Carl's blood. The other team doesn't even have a human on it."

" _Wow_." Esther took a protective step in front of Carl. "You're pretty casual about using him as bait."

"If he wants to get killed by her, then who am I to stop him?" He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth, but it was too late.

Carl's jaw ticked. "Oh, excuse me for having a bit of loyalty. Need a dictionary, Peter? We all know you don't understand the word."

"Seriously, I'm going to—"

"Enough!" Patrick pressed his palm against Peter's chest. "Calm down."

"Patrick," Esther said. "We can't use someone as bait."

"She's right," Patrick said. "We're not so desperate that we can't think of something else."

"I'll do it," Carl said stubbornly. "My blood should call out to her, so if we get ahead of her and end up in the right place at the right time, she might stick around."

"You're just going to stand there and let her attack you?" Patrick looked at Esther as though for confirmation. "Just like that?"

"I'd do anything for her," Carl said. "She's my best friend. She's saved all of us multiple times. What else would I do?"

An awkward silence reigned for a moment. Esther brushed her hand against his arm. "Of course you would do whatever it took."

"Okay, so what do we do when we find her?" Patrick asked, putting an instant downer on the conversation. "What's the plan then?"

"Try to trap her." Esther made a statement, but it sounded more like a question to Peter. "Then... maybe hold her in the old Council cells until we can figure out how to fix her."

"And if we can't do that?" Patrick persisted. "If it comes to your life or hers, you know the outcome, Esther."

Carl glared at him. "She's not that easy to kill."

"You've never seen me fight," Patrick said coolly.

"Last I heard, you got your arse kicked."

"Stop it, both of you!" Esther turned away from the group. "This isn't making any of this any easier."

Patrick immediately moved to comfort her.

"Let's just get started on a plan," Peter said wearily. "She's already been to the vampire queen, the coven who tortured her, her old flat, and her childhood neighbourhood. If Carl's right, and she's drawn to places she knows in her confusion, then where to next?"

"Eddie's old shop," Carl suggested. "Or she could be looking for her grandmother."

"She could end up near the Council cells herself," Esther said, her arms wrapped around herself. "A lot happened underground, remember?"

"If somebody did this to her, they could be chasing her down, too," Patrick said. "We should prepare ourselves for confrontation. She may be running from them, and we could be getting in their way."

"I wish I knew what she was doing," Carl said. "Or what she wanted."

An uncomfortable thought struck Peter. "What if she tries to get back into Hell?"

A collective sigh of worry moved around the group. If that happened, they'd lose Ava forever. And probably a whole lot more.

Eddie Brogan's shop was first on the list. The bookshop had been converted into a kind of museum, but all of the riskier books and items had been removed. Still, it was a dangerous site, and one that held a lot of memories for Peter and Ava. Only the alpha didn't understand the true weight of Eddie Brogan's influence. Maybe asking for his help had been a mistake. He knew nothing of the dynamics of the group, and Carl was growing progressively more juvenile the longer they spent time together.

Peter stood outside the window and stared in. Everything was changed, and yet a heavy kind of nostalgia hit him all the same.

Esther shivered. "It's so strange being back here."

Patrick gathered her into an embrace. Carl snorted softly before wandering off.

Peter tried the door. Locked.

"She's not here," Patrick said, stating the obvious.

"There's glass over here," Carl called out from the side of the building.

Peter joined him.

Carl pushed a glass shard around with his foot. "Look up."

Peter tipped his head back, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hands. A window had been completely broken. "Broken _in_ ," he murmured.

"She had to have climbed," Esther said, joining them.

Patrick pointed at a bent gutter on the opposite building. "Or jumped from there."

"I'll take a look inside," Peter said.

"Not alone," Carl said immediately.

Peter rolled his eyes, but he was glad of the company.

Patrick rattled the door handle then pushed against the door with his shoulder, and the lock obviously snapped because the door swung open.

Esther smiled warmly at her mate. Carl looked sickened. Peter felt a bit sickened, too. He didn't get the mate situation. Esther and Patrick were obviously at odds on the important matters, so how did they get along? Opposites may attract, but could they last?

The four of them went inside the shop. Inside was blissfully cooler. By the stinging sensation on the back of his neck, Peter was certain his bare skin had been burned to a crisp already.

"Books don't look too disturbed," he remarked, wandering the stacks. The air smelled the same. Maybe less intense, but still, Eddie's magic remained, pinched at his skin. He felt ill as unwanted memories swamped him. Eddie's influence would always bother him in some way. How many decisions had been led by the man's ulterior motives? Peter had learned from that experience. He had to trust his gut above anyone else's advice.

"It's overwhelming," Carl said in a subdued voice. "I had forgotten what it was like in here."

"I know," Peter said. "It's like Eddie never left." He held his breath. He definitely didn't want _that_ to be true.

"They say something always remains after death," Patrick said.

Carl shivered. "We should go upstairs." But he hesitated. Peter didn't blame him. Upstairs had been the crazy old man's domain. They'd all suffered at one point or another. Blood had been shed in that building—and so much else.

Peter led the way up the stairs, determined to push past the reluctance and fear.

On the landing, he heard a soft bang, repeated every couple of seconds. Swallowing hard, he stepped into Eddie's bedroom. It was empty now, bar Ava, sitting in the corner, banging her forehead against the wall.

Her name escaped his lips before he could stop himself. She twisted in a nauseating manner to look up at him with crazed eyes. She hissed then was gone, having leapt through the broken window before anyone else could react.

Patrick shoved Peter out of the way, hurriedly undressing. He leapt out of the window after Ava, turning into a bird in mid-air.

Peter ran to the window to look outside. He couldn't see either of them anymore. "Neat trick." He kept the words light to disguise how he was feeling. Did monsters get distressed like that? Did they panic? How much of the real Ava was left in the shell?

"Poor Ava," Esther said. "What was she doing here?"

Peter turned his back to the window, unsettled by Ava's condition. Was he wrong? Was she in there somehow?

Carl knelt in the corner and picked up something silver. "This is her necklace. I thought she'd stopped wearing it." He shoved the cross in his pocket. "I'll keep it for her." He stood, shooting Peter a pleading look. "She must remember _something_. Eddie gave her that necklace, and she left it here, of all places."

"If she remembered us, she would never have gone after Emmett," Peter said, unsure who he was trying to convince anymore.

"But the necklace." Carl's voice broke. "That has to have meaning."

"Hey." Esther hugged him. "We'll fix this."

"Should we try to follow Patrick?" Peter wondered aloud.

"No point. We won't keep up." Esther surveyed the room. "I used to wonder what the fuss was about. Before the end, I mean. I always got the sense that the Council tolerated Eddie Brogan because they feared what he would do if they didn't." She ran a self-conscious hand over the scarring on her scalp. "Now I know."

Patrick flew back through the open window then shifted into a naked man in the middle of the room. Esther left Carl's side to hand her mate his clothes.

"She's so fast," Patrick said, panting as he dressed. "She headed onto the main street then just... vanished. I couldn't even pick up her scent again. She's covering a lot of ground, maybe to cover her tracks."

"How does she even know to do that?" Carl asked.

"She wants to survive," Patrick said. "Her instincts, wherever it is they stem from, are keeping her alive."

"And when she feels cornered?" Carl said accusingly. "What will her instincts tell her to do then?"

"The same thing." Patrick shrugged. "Whatever it takes to survive."

Which was exactly what Peter was determined to prevent.

"At least nobody got hurt here," Esther said. "If we hadn't arrived, she might have holed up here for a while."

"Until people came, and one of them smelled too good to resist." Peter leaned against the windowsill, avoiding the remains of some glass. "We can't let her roam around destroying property. Somebody is going to notice, and if Phoenix was notified about McGreavy's call, then the rest of the Senate probably were, too."

"Phoenix is a part of this," Esther said. "He totally took over when he appeared. If the Senate say anything, he'll be the one to answer to them." She looked at the others hopefully. "Or maybe they sent him to help."

And if not, they would have to contend with IAs getting in their way. Maybe he should have asked Shay for help. "What if they try to arrest Ava? Then what?"

"We have to stop them," Carl said. "There's no way it'll go well. This is unique—we have to treat the situation carefully."

Peter ran his hands across his face, already exhausted. "Right. Where to next?"

Carl shrugged. "Gabe's old bar?"

"It's Finn's bar now," Esther said.

"But maybe she doesn't remember that."

"Maybe she doesn't remember anything," Peter said impatiently. Carl was acting like a naive child, but it was getting harder for him to think she was completely gone, too.

"The bar sounds like a good choice," Patrick said. "Something familiar, full of memories. She's obviously following some thread, even if she doesn't understand why."

"But where is she now?" Esther said. "Where is she hiding out, resting? What is she doing when she's not running?"

"She may not have had time to build a nest," Patrick said. He flushed with colour when the others looked at him. "Every creature needs a base."

"Even the beasts did," Peter said wryly. "Although we were lucky enough that they rested during the day. Only came out at night."

"She's not a beast," Carl said.

"She's _something_ ," Peter replied. "Let's get out of here. I don't like... Let's just go."

Peter led the others back to the car and began the brief journey to the bar. In daylight, it would be empty if open at all.

"We still need to figure out who could have done this to her," Carl said. "And why? Who has a grudge against her?"

"Anyone who's way she's gotten in," Peter said too sharply. He glanced at Carl, realised he'd upset him anew. "Sorry. I just mean that she's been in a lot of situations that have affected a lot of people. Who knows how many people out there bear some kind of weird grudge?"

"What about that man, Nate, the one who works in the garage?" Esther said. "His remaining brothers still hate all of us, right? But Ava's the face of the revolution. Eddie made sure of that. When she stood up to Phoenix's mother, so many of her little creations were left to run free. Nate might have tried to change his life, but there could be more who still bear a grudge."

"Nate?" Patrick asked.

"One of Fionnuala's assassins," Peter said. "Brainwashed to fight for her, but he decided he wanted a normal life instead. He's definitely worth talking to." He felt encouraged. If they found a reason, they could find an answer to the problem, too.

They soon arrived at the bar. Finn might have inherited the place, but it would always be the angel's pub to many people, including Ava. Peter knew she blamed herself for Gabe's death, so maybe some unresolved business was sending her to haunt places and people from her past.

_Except me_. He shoved that thought away as roughly as possible.

The bar was open. Finn hadn't changed much of anything about the place since he took over. It was still clean, still neutral, and still the best place in the city to get a decent pint. When they arrived, Finn was standing in front of the bar, gazing up at the ceiling in confusion.

"Everything all right?" Peter asked.

Finn glanced at them and waved a hand. "Birds nesting in the attic, driving me mad. What can I do for you?" But he stayed where he was, a fixed smile on his face that managed to make Peter feel extremely unwelcome.

_Typical fae_.

"We're looking for Ava," Carl said. "Something... somebody did something to her, and she's not herself."

"Does Phoenix know?" Finn said at once.

Peter groaned. The fae were ridiculously loyal to Phoenix considering he murdered his own mother to get the job as their leader. Okay, so that wasn't actually the reason he killed her, but still, it had to play a part.

"He's searching, too," Esther said. "We've split up to cover more ground."

"When you say she's not herself..."

"She's on a murderous bender," Peter couldn't resist saying.

"Bullshit," Finn said. "Nothing could make Red go off the rails."

"It's some kind of magic or something," Carl said. "And she hasn't murdered anyone. She's just a bit... bitey."

Finn looked at the bandage on Carl's neck and winced. "That doesn't bode well."

"If you see her, don't approach her," Esther said. "We don't know how she'll react."

"Right." Finn looked thoughtful. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Contact us if you hear anything," Patrick said.

"Sure." Finn kept his face expressionless. "Of course."

They left him to his nesting birds.

"Do you believe him?" Patrick asked.

Peter shook his head. "If he knows anything, he'll tell his precious prince, not us. But she wasn't there or she would have confronted him, probably hurt him."

Carl blew out a sigh. "Right. What's next on the list?"

# Eight

_V al_

* * *

Val followed Phoenix to his truck where the werewolf was waiting. The overgrown beast growled warningly at her approach, moving so that his body was between her and the fae.

"She's with us today." Phoenix leaned in and whispered to the werewolf, who promptly shut up.

Lorcan nudged Val. "Cheer up."

She glared at him in response.

He swallowed hard. "Sorry."

She relented. "You did nothing wrong. I just don't know why I'm here."

Phoenix pinned her with a sharp look. "It's best if you and Icarus aren't around the shifter alpha. I assumed you'd realise that yourself."

As if she couldn't think for herself. "Ava's Esther's alpha."

"That's not the same thing, and you know it." He beckoned Icarus off the truck. "The lead is for show, but if Icarus needs to, I'll let him run. Val, I'm counting on you to help us keep up." He hesitated. "Ava comes back to us alive."

Icarus growled in protest. Val was surprised to find herself on the same side as the werewolf.

" _Alive_ ," Phoenix reiterated. "This isn't her fault, and finding out what caused this is just as important as catching her. Understand?"

"I can't help it," Val blurted.

"What do you mean?" Lorcan asked.

She flexed her fingers, anxiety as pure as love rolling through her veins. "It's... the hellhound. It senses something wrong, and I can't control it."

"What does it sense?" Phoenix asked with a note of curiosity rather than the accusation she had expected.

Wrongness. An essence that didn't fit. Or perhaps a lack of the essence that had kept Ava's true self hidden all along. And who was she to talk? But Phoenix kept looking at her expectantly, and Lorcan's obvious disgust was hard to bear without an explanation.

_An excuse._

"She doesn't belong anymore." Val took a step back to distance herself. "And I need to send her away." She glanced at Lorcan. "That's my job. To remove what doesn't belong. This is how it translates in the real world. Things that are not meant to be here trigger the hellhound. It doesn't happen often, but I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself—even if I want to. She's _wrong_."

"She's our friend," Lorcan said in a shaky voice.

"Do you think this isn't hard for me?" she demanded. "Do you think it's nothing to me? I know she's my friend, Lorcan. _I was there_."

"But Peter—"

"Do you honestly believe Peter isn't going through hell right now? We can't afford to be selfish and cowardly when the difficult decisions need to be made!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "She never gave up on us. Not any of us. How can we live with ourselves if we give up on her?"

"We've no idea what's going on," she said. "How do we know that this isn't just something that happens to tainted nephal? What if this is normal for her? What if she's switched sides or... or is trying to find a place to hide before she murders as many people as possible?"

"Are you trying to convince yourself or us? Think on this then. What if she's desperately looking for help?" Phoenix said coldly. "Or the person who did this to her? What if she's terrified and trapped? What if she doesn't kill anyone?"

"But what if she does?" Val folded her arms across her chest. "And this is about more than Ava. I know about the changes to the register. This is exactly the excuse people need to target those of us without an entire species behind us."

"I'm doing everything I can to prevent those changes from going through," Phoenix said. "The ratings are ridiculous, and I intend to stop them."

She doubted even he could. "Think about what happens when we find Ava, if we capture her. Don't you understand? Death isn't the worst outcome for Ava. Being trapped by the Senate and tested on for the rest of her life—or worse used by the vampires or who knows what else—that's her nightmare scenario."

"I would never allow—"

"Could you stop them? If they all turned against you?"

His lips thinned.

She didn't care if he was angry. "I respect Ava too much to underestimate her power. If she goes any further out of control, we may never be able to stop her without people getting hurt. We have to be prepared to do the right thing for everyone, and not just us."

"I can't," Lorcan said. "I don't think I could do that."

"What if she kills Lucia?" Val said sharply. "What then? What would either of you be prepared to do?"

Neither man answered.

"That's what I thought. Peter had to watch her hunt his own son, so you don't get to judge what any of us are willing to do. Now let's get on with this before somebody does get hurt."

Phoenix handed the lead to Lorcan then grabbed Val's arm and ushered her away from the others. "Do I need to send you home?"

"What? No!"

"How can I trust you if you don't trust yourself?"

She folded her arms across her chest. She refused to allow him to cow her. "Ava's different now. Wild. Feral. Strong. She's everything everyone has ever feared her to be. Do you understand? You need me."

A flicker of emotion crossed his face, somehow softening his angular features. "I'm asking you to restrain yourself, Valeria. I'm..."

The ground threatened to send her off her feet. Was he _scared_ for Ava?

"Just try," he said at last before turning on his heel to take the werewolf back from Lorcan.

Val stared at him for a moment, stunned, before following.

Icarus set off, pulling Phoenix behind him. He caught a scent instantly and followed. Val trailed behind. Lorcan slowed his pace to join her.

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad," he said. "But it won't be easy to hurt a friend. That's all I'm saying. Of course I'd protect Lucia, but... I see all of us as family. I can't imagine... I just can't."

"We're not family anymore," she said bitterly. "And maybe that's for the best. The more people we care about, the weaker we are, the more there is for our enemies to target." She glanced at him. "Ever consider that this _isn't_ a vendetta against Ava?"

"What do you mean?"

She stared straight ahead, her hands in her pockets. "What if it's just a plan to hurt somebody who cares about her?"

That shut him up.

They followed Icarus who moved slowly through the city streets. Adults avoided them like the plague, while children either cried or gasped in wonder. They were probably a sight to behold, even she had to admit. The fae held themselves like royalty. What did that make her, a bodyguard?

"We're getting close to Finn's bar," Lorcan remarked after a while.

Icarus had paused at a junction as though confused.

"I think she's passed through here a number of times today," Val said after a moment of inhaling confusing scents. "Her scent is in every direction."

"Where to?" Phoenix asked the werewolf.

He made as though to head toward the bar before turning in the opposite direction. They followed him, unable to do anything else.

"I think he's leading us home," Phoenix said worriedly.

"Your home?" Val's voice rose with panic.

Icarus let out a low, gruff bark.

"We need to get back," Phoenix said. "The truck will be quicker."

"I warned Lucia to stay at Lavinia's," Lorcan said. "It'll be okay."

"No," Val said, inwardly trembling. "Everyone else is at the sanctuary. They're supposed to be safe there. Oh, God. What have I done?"

Phoenix laid a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be fine. She won't get into the sanctuary. They know how to keep themselves safe. Calm yourself."

She shrank away from his touch. If he was wrong... Leah was there, and the children. She'd never forgive herself if Ava hurt them. "We need to hurry."

They all agreed and set off at a rapid pace. People crossed roads and dashed out of their way to avoid them until they reached the truck. From there, Phoenix drove too fast, but that wasn't why Val's heart kept racing. What if the sanctuary couldn't keep Ava out?

They made it out of town and to the sanctuary in record time. Val leaned forward, the hellhound rippling through her system, calling out to alert her. The werewolf howled from the back of the truck as Phoenix braked hard to stop.

Ava was outside the sanctuary, turning in a circle as though taking everything in. She looked confused, and her face was streaked with blood. Her fingertips were bloody, but as they grew closer, Val realised her nails had been bitten so hard the fingers bled. She could pity her, if she weren't so close to the people Val cared about.

Val jumped out of the truck, shooting a distraught Lorcan a knowing look.

"Ava," Phoenix said, uttering the word as though it were a prayer. He looked at her as if she were some kind of living science experiment. Val didn't like it.

Phoenix grabbed the lead before Icarus could run off, forcing the werewolf to stay by his side. Icarus seemed to expand. His hair rose, and Phoenix struggled to contain him. Val didn't blame the werewolf. Her instincts told her to attack, too.

Ava turned and stared blankly at them. Her body hadn't changed, but the way she held herself had. She moved unnaturally, appeared less human than before. She'd never been pretty, but it was hard for Val to take her eyes off her now.

Ava took a halting step toward them, and Val slowly reached for her weapon.

A door opened, and a small boy ran out of the garage. _Emmett_. Val forgot to breathe.

A brief second of silence followed as the boy caught Ava's attention. Icarus flew forward, and it was all Phoenix and Lorcan could do to hold him back.

Acting as though the werewolf wasn't straining to devour her, Ava knelt on the ground and crawled toward an uncertain Emmett, keeping her body low to the ground.

Masking the danger, Val thought. That wouldn't do at all. She took her mace from her back and hefted it in her hands, careful not to make any sudden moves that might risk Emmett's safety.

The boy was entranced, staring open-mouthed at Ava. She grew closer to him, and instead of running, he reached out to her.

Hardly daring to breathe, Val moved in as quickly as she dared without risking Emmett's safety.

Ava reached out, her fingers inches away from Emmett's. A scuffle from Val's feet made her freeze. She looked around, painfully like her old self for an instant, but that quickly changed. Her back arched, sending her on her hands and feet. She hissed at Val, her fangs protruding. Even her eyes were flecked with red, sending a shiver down Val's spine.

Not for long. The hellhound came to the fore, enraged by the audacity of the intruder. Val began a shift of her own because the hellhound desperately needed to stake her territory.

_Especially here_.

"Get away from here, Emmett," Val commanded, ignoring the commotion behind her.

She rushed at Ava, intending to distract her from Emmett. Anka came running outside and dragged the boy back inside.

Ava snarled and snapped her teeth, warning her off, but Val wasn't afraid anymore. She had a job to do, and none would stop her. The need to remove Ava from the face of the earth was too strong. Consequences could come later.

She ignored the shouts from behind her, the fae thinking they could command her. No earthly soul commanded a hellhound. Ava was her target, an intruder on her territory. There was nothing else.

She closed the space between them, and they faced off. Ava swung out, but Val blocked the blow with the shaft of the mace. She hit back, but Ava was too fast. She swung again, and Emmett's voice screamed Ava's name.

Ava grew distracted for long enough, an odd mix of longing and violence in her gaze. Val dropped the mace, ploughed into Ava, and pinned her. She reached for the dagger at her waist and moved to cut Ava's throat, the hellhound desperate to end it, to win, to fight off the trespasser.

But Ava's eyes looked back at her from Ava's face, and Val's hand froze in mid-air, the hellhound somehow pushed back by something else, something more powerful than the hound's instinct. Maybe it was friendship, maybe it was loyalty. It would be so easy, and the hound roared in the back of her head, fighting to end the battle, but she just _couldn't_.

Ava hissed again, connected a fist with Val's temple that sent her reeling, then kicked her away to make her escape.

Phoenix called out to her in a pained voice, but she was gone. Val lay on the ground, panting and shuddering with the struggle inside her. She had missed her chance, and she had nobody to blame but herself.

The hound wasn't happy.

# Nine

_P eter_

* * *

After Finn's bar, they'd tried Anka's shop, the school, Moses's flats, and even the Senate's meeting house. No sign of Ava. Now the car stank of fast food, and Peter was getting frustrated fast.

"Her trial was a big deal for her," Esther said. "That could be an option."

"The Senate use that land," Peter said. "If she were there, Phoenix probably would have heard about it already."

Carl scrunched up his rubbish. "The problem is that there are too many places to check."

"You don't sound too eager to find her," Patrick said in a soft, dangerous voice.

"We could try that old vampire bar," Peter hurriedly said before Carl could react. "It went out of business, but she probably doesn't know that." And it was close to a place from Ava's past. Two birds with one stone. But the memories kicked in again, reminding him she could be vulnerable, even a victim. His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.

"That's a good idea," Carl said. "I'd forgotten about that place."

"An actual vampire bar?" Patrick sounded disgusted. "Did she drink there?"

Esther thumped him somewhere painful, if his gasp was anything to go by. "She's _not_ a vampire!"

"I brought her there for information once," Peter explained. "It's in the city centre, was quietly running before everything came out in the open. The barmaid there was a kind of informant of mine, and she ended up being a test subject for the beasts. It's sort of where a lot of crap began." He drove toward the old bar, barely keeping check on his inner turmoil. He had never trusted Becca, not completely, but he hadn't expected her to turn into a monster either. Before she completely succumbed, she'd bitten him, and he'd witnessed Ava's monstrous side for the first time when she saved him. That image had been burned into his memory for a long time. "Becca had connections with the first vampire Ava killed. We found Ava at his old territory earlier. His coven is long gone, but there's a small group settled there now."

Carl fidgeted, distracting Peter. "What is she looking for?"

"She must be confused," Esther said. "Maybe she thinks she's back there, still hunting down Becca or whoever."

Guilt blossomed in Peter's chest. The thought of Ava confused and scared disturbed him, but the memory of her stalking Emmett was too fresh in his mind.

"I wonder how the others are getting on," Patrick said.

The alpha was a surprise to Peter. Although big and bulky in a way only a shifter could be, the man had a quiet, calm air about him. He came across as a step above the stereotypical boorish shifters, and Peter was starting to suspect the man cared about more than his own gain, his own pack. Nothing like Aiden. Peter had known the shamed alpha for a long time, and while he could be quiet, there had always been something under the surface, a violence just waiting to escape.

That was how it must have been with Ava, too. He had just been too blind to notice—or worse, too stupid to care. That's what he had to keep telling himself.

The pub was in a part of town that had been mostly abandoned. Shops kept going out of business, and the area had become a place for drug deals, prostitution, and the occasional vampire volunteer death. It was a no-go area, and that meant many things.

"Remember your chill when we're out there," Peter warned Carl. "It's a tough area now. We can't afford to get into any scuffles, all right?"

Carl snorted. "Speak for yourself." Then he sighed. "She should be here with us, you know? Whenever there's something going on, she's the one leading the way. Now we're hunting her down, and I keep feeling like I need to look over my shoulder to tell her a stupid joke. Except she's not there."

Peter glanced at Carl. He had to remember that the man was his friend, too. "I'm sorry, Carl."

Carl made a face. "You're not exactly cut up about it. I just... after all this time, you're still the same person we met that day. The one who hit her because she was different. You didn't even stop to think. You completely switched into executioner mode once you knew she wasn't human. I just never thought we'd get back here again."

"That's not fair," Peter said. "You know what I went through, how huge the stakes are right now."

"Emmett went through it," Carl snapped. "And I really hope he doesn't grow up to be as heartless as you."

Peter's intake of breath felt as sharp as the verbal knife Carl had just used to stab him with. "That's a fucked up thing to say."

"No," Carl continued in that same bitter tone. "You talk shit about Phoenix, but he's the only person I actually believe won't be persuaded to kill her. _That's_ fucked up."

"I'm on her side, too," Esther protested from the backseat.

"Until your alpha says otherwise."

"No!" She leaned forward and thumped his shoulder.

He rubbed the area, looking pained.

"Are you kidding me?" Esther looked like she would aim for his face next. "If we're going there, _Ava's_ my alpha. _She's_ my family. _She_ trusted me when nobody else would, and she never gave up on me. Patrick might be my mate, but he knows better than to make me choose between them. I might be a shifter, I might even be mated, but that doesn't mean I lose my freaking say! You know how much I owe her, how much I love her. You're a shit for acting like I don't have a right to that, like I wouldn't do as much as you to save her."

"Sorry," Carl said sullenly. "I'm just feeling outnumbered, and this place brings back bad memories."

She squeezed his hurt shoulder before sitting back in her seat. Peter glanced at Carl; his face was red. There were a lot of bad memories going around.

"Listen," Patrick said after a moment. "This isn't the ideal situation for any of us. There's a lot of baggage hanging around, and I can't imagine what any of you are going through. I know the regrets I have because I couldn't make the hard decisions. Esther, I don't want to hurt this woman, but if it comes to it, a quick death from us will be kinder than the suffering others would put her through if they found out what happened to her. I don't enjoy this, but it's our responsibility to do whatever we can to stop this. We are on the same side—I'm just prepared for the worst-case scenario."

Nobody spoke the rest of the way. The air hadn't exactly been cleared, and the tension had only lessened slightly. Worse, they were no closer to an agreement on what they should do.

"This is it." Peter parked on the main road, close to the lane where the back entrance of the Black Rose had been. Across the road was an abandoned restaurant that had once been home to a man who hurt Ava in the name of religion. Her grandmother had abandoned her there, and Peter's throat prickled at the memory of Ava's face when she saw the building again. She'd cared, had feelings and doubts and suffered pain, just like anyone. And now...

He pointed at the building, fighting back a lump in his throat. The front door had been ripped off the hinges. "That place is from Ava's past, too. It looks like she paid it a visit."

"Let's go then." Carl led the way.

Peter followed him across the road. Their car was the only vehicle in sight. Peter didn't like the look of the group of teenagers loitering outside a building about half a mile away, but his glares weren't working to scare them off. Once upon a time, he'd been dangerous. Now he was a dad with a job and bills to pay, wasting his day searching for somebody who didn't want to be found for no money. Life had never gone as expected.

Inside the old restaurant, any remaining appliances had been thrown around—or beaten to death if the fist shaped dents on an old freezer were anything to go by.

Carl pressed his hand against one of the dents. "This could have been anyone."

Peter noticed scratches on the walls. "Those look like claw marks."

"Her scent is here." Esther inhaled deeply. "Pretty fresh, too."

"She's not here now, and there's no blood," Patrick said. "Where's the pub you were talking about?"

"Come on." Peter strode out of there, desperate for some fresh air. It looked as though Ava had taken her frustrations out on the building. He dreaded to think what would happen to the person that got in her way.

And was it his imagination or had that gang gotten closer?

The alley wasn't scary in daylight, not now, but something still chilled Peter. The hair on the back of his arms stood to attention and brought him back in time a couple years. Déjà vu. "I think—"

A light scuffle from the nearest roof gave them a half-second to prepare for Ava's appearance. She leapt in front of them, her hands and feet on the ground, and let out a shrieking sound that pierced Peter's eardrums.

"Ava." Carl took a step forward. "Ava, it's _me_."

"Careful," Peter warned, moving in front of his friend.

Ava crouched, ready to pounce. Her eyes darted from one to the other as though deciding who would be her next victim.

"That's it." Patrick stripped off.

Peter missed his shift into bear form.

"Wait!" Esther followed suit, but her change took longer.

Ava stretched taut, but she yawned lazily as Patrick rushed toward her. With a calculating gaze, she watched him approach, waiting until the very last second to leap out of his reach when he struck out at her. Peter circled, ready to back up the bear.

Catlike, Ava landed on her hands and feet. The bear let out a terrifying bellow, but before he could attack, Esther crashed into him. The bears struggled together, while Ava took advantage of the confusion.

She darted around them and ran straight for Carl, blood seeping through her shirt from where Patrick's claws must have caught her after all. She quickly circled Carl, avoiding Peter completely.

And Carl—the great buffoon—stood there and gaped while Ava leapt onto his back and sank her fangs into his neck, on the opposite side than before.

Peter rushed over, using his hand to chop the back of her neck so she would release Carl. She broke away from the bite, but she kept her legs firmly wrapped around Carl. Peter gathered his arms around her waist, and pulled her from Carl. She twisted to elbow him, suddenly releasing Carl. Peter instinctively gripped her tighter as he stumbled with the force of that, sending both of them falling to the ground. He pinned her, fought to keep a hold on her, until she kneed him in the groin. He doubled up, his grip on her arms loosening.

That was when she did it. Socked him in the shoulder, the one that twinged constantly of late. He barely felt the pain—although he'd certainly pay for the strike later. She set her chin in that determined way he knew so well then fiercely kicked his bad knee. He froze, shocked from the pain and the intent. She knew his weaknesses—she _remembered_. She made to nip him, and he reared back, letting her slip out of his grasp. She barely glanced at him before leaping to the roof and bounding away. It was bloody Becca all over again.

Eyes watering with pain, he helplessly watched her go, watched as Carl pressed a hand to his wound and the shifters returned to their human form to have an epic argument. Would anything go the way they intended?

He had just managed to convince himself he was doing the right thing when she went and cast doubt on the situation. Had it been a fluke? Had he favoured his good leg?

He crawled to his feet then limped around to his car. He stopped short as a group of hooded teens sprinted off.

"You little bastards," he muttered. They'd only managed to slash one tyre's sidewall and spray paint "Wanker" on the passenger side, but that was enough. "No spare fucking tyre."

He waited until the others joined him, all three of them looking sheepish and ashamed.

"Right," he said, mentally daring them to say something about his car. "We're going to the garage to see what Nate has to say for himself. And you lot are going to just... _shut it_ on the way. All right?"

Nobody felt the need to argue.

# Ten

_V al_

* * *

Val sat in her old home, trying in vain to hide her shaking hands. Phoenix was still outside with Icarus, searching the immediate area in case Ava had remained close by. Lorcan, by the door, acted as though he were afraid to come inside. Vibrations of leftover emotion—fear, aggression, pity, regret, panic—brushed at her skin. The old garage looked just as it had when she left it, bare and incomplete. It had never been a true home after all.

Anka bustled around, muttering under her breath in Polish. Her hands were shaking, too. Leah sat in her old reading nook, her back straight—no fidgeting. Emmett perched next to her, shrinking into himself. Dita and Ava's ex were still underground with his girlfriend. Val had failed them all, and yet there was relief, too, that she hadn't been the one to wipe a friend from the face of the planet.

Anka poured out some tea then sat across from her. "I am so sorry, Val."

Val was astonished. "Why are _you_ sorry?"

"The children were hungry. I came upstairs to find food I could cook, thinking you might have left something behind in the freezer. Emmett followed and must have noticed Ava outside. He ran out the door while my back was turned."

"I was just trying to..." The boy's voice died away. "Never mind."

Leah draped her arm across his shoulder and shot Val a pointed look.

Val swallowed her frustration. "Are you all right?"

He met her gaze. "Are you going to kill her next time?"

She flinched at the question. She didn't know the answer. She looked at her hands and shrugged. "You don't understand."

"You wanted to," Emmett insisted. "You and Dad both want to kill her. I don't understand _that_."

"We don't _want_ to kill her." Her voice strengthened with the truth of her words. "But if we have to..."

"If I make a mistake, will you kill me?" He asked so innocently, so genuinely, that it hurt.

"I won't kill you." She sighed. "I'm a hellhound, Emmett. Do you not remember hellhounds?"

He blinked rapidly, his fingers clenching. He remembered, she knew. He just couldn't talk about it.

"When I was in Hell, I was a guard," she continued. "My job was getting rid of things that didn't belong. I didn't get to look at someone and choose. Something in my blood insists on choosing for me. I don't even understand why some belong and others don't, but when I look at Ava now, when she's like this, everything in my blood tells me she must go."

"Then why didn't you kill her?" Leah asked. "You're strong enough."

Val deflated. Leah always knew the right questions to ask. "There's a part of me that finds it difficult to kill people I know so well, people I..." She swallowed hard. "But she's different now. She's not Ava anymore. She can't be."

"Yes, she is." Leah lifted one of her shoulders into a light shrug as all attention shifted back to her. "She's the same to me. Everything there right now was always there. She just didn't let anybody see it."

Val contemplated whether she should keep that nugget to herself or share it with Peter. Probably easier to stay silent. What would it change?

"And now she is?" Anka asked sharply. "Has she given up then?"

Leah fell silent, her cheek moving slightly as she bit it from the inside. That had always been her only outward tic.

"What is it?" Val asked.

"I think a piece of her is missing," Leah admitted after a moment. "Maybe it's the piece that holds all of the parts together."

Emmett looked up at Leah, his chin trembling. "Where did it go?"

"I don't know." Leah sighed. "But it's still her in there. And if we found the missing piece and put it back, we might get _her_ back."

"So it is possible to save her." Anka nodded, her lips pressing together in a thin line. "Good. That is... good news."

Val stared at the full teacup and couldn't connect Leah's words with anything she had witnessed. How could Ava be present in her body and allow her hidden side to hunt Emmett? It made no sense. Something else occurred to her. Ava was Esther's alpha now. She'd been known to force Carl completely under her command in the past. When Val had been about to kill her, had Ava actually managed to stop her by sheer force of will? A wild animal with the power to control others—that was worse than a vampire, worse than too many beings.

"We have to get back out there," Val said reluctantly. "Take whatever you need downstairs and stay there until one of us returns. Especially you, Emmett. Do you understand? Ava is dangerous right now."

He nodded glumly, but he avoided her gaze.

"I'll keep him with me," Leah said. She never lied to Val.

"Good." Val looked to Lorcan who was still standing silently at the door, pretending not to listen. "Should Lucia come here?" Even saying his sister's name sent a jolt of electricity down her spine.

"She's in safe hands." Lorcan shoved his hands deep into his pockets, looking anywhere but at Val. "Dad already checked on her. Ava's scent doesn't lead anywhere near there. She must have hopped over the wall next to the house instead."

_Whose hands are keeping Lucia safe?_ Val stood abruptly to cover her shiver. "Go on then. Downstairs for now."

"Are we sleeping here tonight?" Anka asked.

"It's possible." Probable more like. They hadn't gotten any closer to catching Ava.

Leah gave her a brief hug before ushering Emmett down the dark stairwell that led to the sanctuary.

Anka hesitated. "Be careful, Val."

Val waited until Anka descended then locked the trap door after her, praying to all of the gods she'd ever heard of that they would stay safe.

She pulled herself together then brushed past Lorcan. "Let's go."

"What occurred to you in there that made you look as though you wanted to vomit?" he asked after they stepped outside.

The sunlight made her wince. Phoenix was already approaching them with Icarus. Let him hear her then.

"Honestly?" She leaned against the nearest wall and wiped sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. "I was wondering if Ava could control us."

"Control us?" Lorcan scrunched his nose. "How?"

"She's done it to Carl, and now she's Esther's alpha, right?"

"That doesn't mean anything."

"It might," Phoenix said. The werewolf was already growling. "Her scent is headed back to the city. She's fast. I was thinking we could take a tranquillizer gun with us. There's a storage facility that has dozens the Senate confiscated a while back. They could be our best chance to safely take her down."

"Wait, go back," Lorcan said. " _It might_? What does that mean?"

"It's possible that Ava can bend others to her will." Phoenix looked completely unconcerned. "But we would know if she tried. Val's not weak-minded. It would take effort to control her. Val would fight it."

She hoped so. "You didn't try to stop me. When I went after her, you let me."

"I stopped Icarus," he said. Icarus let out a low growl as though to chastise the fae prince. "I knew you would at least think twice about what you were doing. He wouldn't."

She stared at him. "What is it you want from Ava? Why are you risking your reputation to be out here searching for her with us? The truth this time."

"Want from her?" Phoenix stared at her blankly. "I want her to survive this. Isn't that what we all want?"

"And if she doesn't survive?"

He stared back at her for a moment, his face completely expressionless bar the chill in his eyes. "It's getting late. We must contain her before the vampires awake. We don't need a public bloodbath when she takes it upon herself to wipe them all out."

"You think she really does have a plan then?" Val asked. "That there's a purpose to all of this?"

"She might not know _why_ she's doing something, but that doesn't mean she has no focus." Phoenix snapped the lead back onto Icarus's collar.

"Dad, wait," Lorcan said. "What if the vampires wake and manage to capture her first?"

"Then _we_ wipe them out."

Phoenix set off as though what he had just said was perfectly normal.

Val exchanged a concerned glance with Lorcan before following. What else could she do?

They had parked the truck and continued on foot, but they were clearly on their way to the bar. The bumps on Val's forehead sharpened as Ava's scent grew stronger. There were multiple trails, backtracked over and over. Why? What would make her run across the same path so many times?

The answer came in a flash of insight. "She must have a base."

"What do you mean?" Phoenix asked, pulling Icarus to a stop right at a junction on a busy crossroads.

Numerous cars flew past them. How had nobody seen Ava yet? Why hadn't there been enough emergency calls to have the entire police force out in search for her?

"The scents are everywhere here." She gestured in every direction. "Ava's run these same paths multiple times today. But she must have a starting point. She has a place, square one, then she's off and back again, always to the same place. Each time she leaves, she's going in a different direction, but she keeps going back to the same place."

"But why?" Lorcan asked.

"To put us off or to mark her territory," Val suggested. "Maybe it's just this base of hers is such a strong connection that she can't stray too far. Something could be luring her back or she's making sure she stays close in case we find her. I don't know."

"Too many variables," Phoenix said. "We find the base then. We wait for her."

"It could be our best hope," Val said. "And if the tranquilliser gun works on her, we'll be able to contain her while we figure out what's actually going on."

"And if we don't?" Lorcan had grown sullen. "If we figure out that there is no way to help her?"

"We _will_ find a solution to this," Phoenix said determinedly.

Maybe there was a way, but they didn't even know where to begin.

They continued onward, letting the werewolf lead the way. Clouds covered the worst of the sun's relentless heat, making Phoenix's skin look even paler. He could never pass for human, even without the werewolf on a leash.

"What's it like?" Lorcan asked her.

"What?"

"People keep staring at you."

She looked around. Faces gazed out of car windows, pedestrians either hurried in the opposite direction or slowed to a stop to gape at them. "I thought it was the werewolf."

"He just looks like an overgrown dog."

Icarus turned his head and let out a distinctly un-doglike snarl.

Lorcan nudged her. "See?"

She allowed herself a small smile. "I don't notice them, most of the time. I suppose I'm used to it."

He lowered his voice. "How are you handling, you know, the way she's making you feel?"

She looked away to hide the emotion she couldn't ignore. "I'm handling being a traitor just fine."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

She watched a small child wave at her from the backseat of a passing car then purposely upped her stride to leave Lorcan behind. It didn't work, but at least he shut up for a while.

The traffic lessened as they continued their journey, and Val felt herself relax as they left most of the staring families behind.

"I think the bar could be the base," Lorcan said after a few moments of silence.

"I didn't realise she and Finn were close," Phoenix said.

"Not Finn. Gabe. She's going back to places from her past, right? Gabe was an angel, told her who she really was. In some ways, that's when she was born." Lorcan licked his lower lip, glancing around as though he expected to see Ava walk right over to them. "He was the closest thing she had to an actual family, and she found out so much because of him, so maybe she needs to do it all again."

Phoenix pulled on the leash to bring the group to a stop. "You believe she was attached to Gabe because he revealed the truth to her? Interesting."

"I do," Lorcan said. "So maybe something's leftover in her head, some connection to the bar that makes her feel as though it's the one place that makes sense."

"We're putting a lot of hope into her having rational thoughts," Val said.

But Phoenix was already walking away, Icarus right ahead of him. The streets continued to empty. They were in an area that was notoriously supernatural-heavy. Segregation was becoming a very real thing. Everyone wanted to stay close to their own kind. But people like Val and Ava didn't have their own kind to turn to. And in the past, Lorcan and Phoenix had been betrayed by their own kind.

Val shivered at the thought she had something in common with the pair.

The bar was located on a quiet road, but Finn didn't need to advertise. If you belonged, you knew about the place already. Val didn't particularly like it there; to protect Leah, she'd spent too long avoiding places where supernaturals gathered in force. Nobody had come for Leah in years. She didn't expect them to try again, yet she hadn't learned to shake the constant watchfulness that had kept them both alive—and free.

Inside the building, they found Finn standing on a table, a sweeping brush in his hand. He watched them enter the pub and frowned. "Birds." He didn't sound convinced. He leapt off the table and performed a deep bow for Phoenix's sake.

Lorcan pinched Val's arm as he smothered a snigger. He would never grow up.

"Have you seen Ava?" Phoenix said.

"Second time I've been asked that question today." Finn nodded at Val. "Your _buddies_ were in earlier, told me what's up. Thing is... I think maybe she's been here."

"So no birds then," Val said drily.

"Maybe that, too. Gabe used to sleep upstairs. I don't go into his rooms. I took the office, but everything else I left... just in case."

"In case of what?" Lorcan asked.

"In case he comes back." He shrugged at their obvious surprise. "He was an angel, and he sacrificed himself to save lives. I'd say that earned him his atonement. Look, I don't know where he is, but I like to think he's upstairs, watching us. Not literally upstairs, but you know, higher upstairs."

"Heaven?" Val shifted uncomfortably. "Watching us?"

"Why not?" Finn crossed his arms across his chest. "I might not be a follower of the faiths humans like to follow, but they have their power, and we have to respect that. Gabe was a part of a pretty major one, and who knows, maybe some day he'll get bored up there and find a way back to us."

He was starting to sound like Carl talking about Ava. "What has this got to do with Ava?" Val asked impatiently.

"Only everything," Finn said. "If he came back, it'd probably be for Red. And if she ever needed him, it's obviously now." He scowled. "Oh, I don't know. There's just been a lot of noise upstairs today. Maybe it was her. Okay?"

She bit back a sharp retort. "Can we check it then?"

"Only if you don't touch anything," Finn snapped. "I don't want to be... just don't wreck the place."

"Icarus, stay here," Phoenix warned.

The werewolf whined before collapsing onto the ground, looking like an overly large sleeping dog. Phoenix left the lead on the closest table.

"Fine, come on then." Finn led them into the staff hallway and pointed up the stairs. "There are a couple of rooms at the end of the landing that Gabe converted into one room for himself. Big windows and all that. Try not to disturb anything."

"You're not coming?" Lorcan asked.

"I dunno." Finn anxiously rubbed the tattoo on his arm. "I think I'll just wait at the end of the hall."

Val shook her head and pushed her way to the front of the group. She walked upstairs, a prickle of fear running through her. Finn made the place sound like some kind of shrine, and the way he talked about the angel unsettled her.

There was an eerie sensation in the hallway as a draft hit her in the face. Odd on such a muggy day. "Are the windows open?" she called over her shoulder.

"What? No!" Finn barged up the stairs. "If somebody left that window open, I'll..."

Val reached the end of the hallway before him then laid her hand on the door handle. Hesitating, she wondered why she was so scared to find out what was on the other side. She slowly turned the handle then pushed open the door to Gabe's quarters.

It was one massive room, with tinted windows from floor to ceiling. The angel had no wings, and he had gazed out upon a dreary city every day. That must have been a miserable existence. A massive bed was one of the only pieces of furniture, and some kind of ornamental glass had been shattered in front of the doorway. One of the window panels had been smashed, too, but the draft was coming from a working fan in the corner of the room.

And somebody was looking right at Val. She felt it deep in her soul. Finn burst past her and started ranting about the broken window, but a shiver of anticipation sent her slowly turning in a circle, looking upward.

She hurriedly jumped toward the door and out of the way just as Ava leapt down from her perch on a massive shelf over the doorway. The woman faced her, Finn stuck behind her, the dim light making her blue eyes take on a silvery hue. She was quicker than Val, pulling Finn toward her then backing away from Val, farther into the room. Her hands gripped his neck tight, and her eyes dared Val to do something.

"Ava," Phoenix said, reaching the doorway. He lifted the tranquilliser gun and aimed. Ava immediately moved Finn as though to shield herself. Phoenix inched around Val and toward the window to find his shot.

"Lorcan, block the door," Val said, sensing Lorcan preparing to make a move. The room wasn't big enough for a battle, and they couldn't let Ava escape again. She moved forward in his stead.

Ava suddenly sidestepped, shoving Finn toward Val. The fae collided with Val as the werewolf rushed into the room, the force of his entry knocking them both to the ground.

Val could only watch as Ava jumped and then kicked the wall to propel herself at Phoenix. The werewolf sprang into the air and knocked her off-course. The force of the impact sent the pair out of the window in a hail of broken glass.

Val pushed Finn off her to rush to the window. Phoenix was already looking outside. Below, Ava was dashing across a road, darting between cars as Icarus began the chase. Phoenix blew a whistle, but Icarus didn't listen, and they both soon disappeared behind a row of buildings.

Val's blood rushed to her head. Everyone but Icarus hesitated while faced with Ava—that was the problem.

Lorcan rushed to her side and looked out. "That was so..."

"Damn." Phoenix looked back at Finn. "I'll pay for the damages."

"It's... all right," he gasped, gingerly touching his neck. "I knew she had it in her, but I didn't expect to ever see Red like _that_."

"It's not her fault," Lorcan said. "Somebody did this to her."

"Then find out who," Finn said. "Before anyone else gets their hands on her, either to use her or punish her. Don't you know what happens to people like us who step out of line?"

Val looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"There's more out there than a bloody Senate," he said.

Typical fae with their superstitions and rumours. She punched a wall, ignoring Finn's protests. Ava was obviously a danger, and she was helpless against her.

"If you mean paragons," Phoenix said.

"That's not what I meant." Finn took in the destruction. "I'll clean up here. You all go... clean up the mess out there."

"Let's go," Phoenix said, leading the way.

Val followed him, her instincts burning at Finn's words. Higher powers were half-superstition for the most part, but somebody trying to use Ava was far more likely to happen.

They made it out onto the street then stopped. For the first time, Phoenix seemed unsure of himself.

"What do we do now?" Lorcan asked.

"Icarus will return," Phoenix said, but Val caught sight of her own doubt mirrored in his eyes.

Finn came rushing out of the bar, holding up a pair of bottles full of some kind of blue liquid. "I was thinking," he said. "She's allergic to this stuff. It might come in handy."

Lorcan laughed. "Are you serious?"

Finn nodded at Lorcan's Superman T-shirt. "Maybe it's her kryptonite."

Lorcan took the bottles with a grimace. "How exactly are we supposed to get her to drink it?"

"You'll think of something." Finn looked to Phoenix. "Shall I send out word you need help?"

"Not yet." Phoenix nodded. "But thank you for your assistance, Finn."

"Any time. You know where to find me if you need more hands on deck."

Val observed the clear reverence Finn held for Phoenix and wondered what it was like to be loyal to one's own species.

Phoenix's phone rang, and he stepped away from them to answer it.

Val was too distracted by the return of the loping werewolf to pay much attention.

"You're back then," she said.

The werewolf had a streak of blood on his nose. Val wiped it off with a tissue from her pocket then did her best to pry the last few shards of glass from his body. He stood there patiently, letting her work.

"Making friends?" Lorcan's hands were shaking. He shoved them deep in his pockets.

Val ignored him, unable to muster up the energy to reassure him.

Phoenix returned, an irritable set to his mouth. "I have to go to the children's home," he said. "There's some kind of emergency."

"You don't think Ava's been there today, do you?" Lorcan asked, clearly horrified.

So there were limits to his loyalty, too.

"No," Phoenix said. "They've been trying to contact me all day. If I don't show up, people will wonder why."

"We could always keep going without you," Val said hopefully. "Let you get back to work."

"I'd rather we didn't split up again," Phoenix said. "We shouldn't be long, and you never know, we might find some help along the way."

But she had her own, secret doubts about his intentions, too. There was no way he didn't need Ava for _something_.

# Eleven

_P eter_

* * *

His car barely managed to make it to the garage. The shifters, already subdued, were sitting on opposite sides of the backseat, a cold space between them. Carl kept gazing out of the window, looking dazed. Was it finally sinking in for him? Not that Peter could talk. He'd been holding back, sucked in by past memories and guilt. He couldn't carry on that way. Somebody would get hurt if he didn't man up.

_But what if...?_

"Are you all right?" Carl asked, so quietly that Peter barely heard him.

Peter lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know."

"I saw what happened." Carl looked at him. "I saw where she hit you, used your weaknesses against you. Is that... what did _you_ think?"

"It could have been a coincidence." Even Peter heard the doubt in his words. "But even if it wasn't... like you said, she used it against me."

"To get away though. She didn't try to kill you or anything."

"Tell that to Emmett."

Neither shifter offered an opinion. As he drove, Peter had to wonder what Ava was experiencing, if she remembered the night the vampire Arthur had come for her in that very same place. She remembered some things—he was starting to believe that—but worryingly, her memories weren't stopping her from attacking. There was a chance she'd simply decided she preferred to be that darker version of herself. Maybe the lure of the power others had no problem reaching for was just too much to ignore anymore.

The garage was about to close down for the day by the time they arrived. Noah was sitting on a stool, picking through a toolbox, his black hair slicked back off his forehead. He brightened when he spotted Peter coming with his defected car. Business really had been bad for the garage lately, mostly because of boycotts led by a certain hate group masquerading as a political party, and Peter's car was always good for some guaranteed work.

The boy called for Nate while Peter stepped out of his vehicle.

"Nobody else around?" Peter asked.

Noah shook his head. "No need. No business all day. Boring."

Nate came out of the office to greet the group. "What can we do for you?"

"I need a new tyre," Peter said gruffly. "Noah, get started on it. We need to talk to Nate."

Noah glanced at the older man, his grey eyes narrowed with concern. "Nate?"

"Go on," Nate said, holding Peter's gaze with a dark look of his own. "Get started. I'll be fine here."

Still, Noah hesitated. Peter had time for Noah, could understand his loyalties. He'd lived the same life as Emmett, except all attempts to get him back to any surviving family members had failed miserably over and over again.

"It's all right," Carl said. "We won't be long."

Noah shrugged, threw down his cloth, then moved out of sight.

Nate squeezed his eyes shut for a second. He had been a part of a group of brainwashed assassins belonging to Phoenix's mother, Fionnuala. Now on the straight and narrow, he tended to be the first place anyone turned to whenever there was trouble. Peter couldn't help wonder what his assigned number would be when the Senate transformed the country even further into a Nanny State.

"We have questions," Peter said. "You might be able to help us."

Nate folded his arms across his chest. "I haven't done anything." Unblinking, unflinching. A sign of innocence or a testament to how well-trained he'd been.

"Maybe you know somebody who has," Carl said.

Nate sat on a toolbox and held out his hands, palms up. "Go on then. Grill me with questions I won't understand."

His arms were muscular, but he was the least threatening man Peter had ever met. Little about him was memorable. Peter didn't trust he'd recall walking past the man on the street. And that was probably the danger.

Unsurprisingly, Noah was now hovering nearby, poking through a toolbox while he eavesdropped.

"Do you know of a way to make somebody... less human," Esther asked. "I mean, not themselves anymore."

The alpha remained quiet, which Peter found odd. He'd expected him to take over more—like Phoenix. He listened more than he spoke, which Peter appreciated.

"Alcohol will do that job to most," Nate said. "Can we be more specific?"

"Just tell him," Carl said.

"A friend of ours," Peter said carefully. "Something... happened."

"To your friend," Nate said slowly.

"Some kind of shadow creature came and attacked her. She couldn't touch it, but it could hurt her. It shoved its fist into her chest and took _something_ from her. Then she turned into... something akin to one of those beasts. She bit Carl. Twice. She's on the run, won't talk, acts like she doesn't know us." _Most of the time_.

"What happened to Ava?" Noah demanded, all pretenses over and done with.

Peter couldn't blame him for being concerned. Ava had given him an out from the children's home. Noah had a life now, almost a normal one, and without Ava to speak up for him, he might never have had any of it.

"The tainted nephal has gone feral?" Nate rubbed his hands together as though chilled. "I've heard nothing about this. Is it being kept quiet?"

Peter exchanged a tense look with Carl, unsure how to answer.

"Only a small number of people are hunting for her," Patrick said. "She's fast, always slipping out of our reach. She hasn't caused much damage that we know of, but she's violent and dangerously averse to being caught. We may be driving her away from harming civilians, but it's only a matter of time before she kills somebody."

"What are you going to do when you catch her?" Nate's back stiffened. "The Senate will need to put her down. People will demand it when the word gets out about what she is."

"No!" Noah looked distraught. "We can't let them do that."

Nate gave him a pitying look. "She's a nice girl when it comes to her favourites, but you don't understand what she is, son."

"And you do?" Carl folded his arms across his chest. "You know all about it?"

"I know that the words 'tainted nephal' strike fear in the hearts of those in every social circle. If she's lost her mind or conscience or whatever it is you think was taken from her, there might not be a way to get that back. Once you get the taste for something dark, it's hard to go back."

"You changed," Peter said. "Or was that bullshit?"

"I didn't savour murder in the first place," Nate said. "I was raised to be a killer. I never enjoyed it. We've all seen footage of her on the battlefield. She loves it, excels at pushing the limits. And now she doesn't have to answer to anyone."

Peter felt sick. Nate was confirming aloud everything he had been telling himself in his head. Ava was too dangerous to be allowed to live. And of everyone, he seemed to be the most willing to do something about it.

"You hear things others don't," Patrick said. "Do you think anybody wants Ava on their team enough to manipulate this situation?"

"They might, if she weren't so unpredictable." Nate rubbed his jaw. "And now she's everybody's enemy. I don't rate her chances. If you want to keep her alive, you should find her before the Senate sends out their attack dogs."

Esther frowned. "You mean the IAs?"

An unpleasant smile lifted Nate's lips. "Haven't you heard the rumours? There's something cooking underneath the surface. This new Senate isn't going to go down as easily as the Council. As long as there are ancients in charge, there are hidden secrets waiting for their time to come. Certain types are going missing in the dead of night. Others are caught in the open. People get sent Under, to some new prison, and they never come back. The word is that the Senate are hiring, training, preparing for something big."

"You think they're building an army?" Peter thought about it. It's what he would do, if he were in charge. Maybe that's why Shay left them.

"I think they'll do whatever it takes to maintain control. Look at the bad press they've gotten lately. This incident could change everything to their favour if they handle it right." Nate shrugged. "Though I wouldn't bet against them using her as their attack dog either. Delaney was the face of something. That kind of reputation can be used by almost anyone with enough power."

"We have to find Ava and soon," Esther said. "I don't trust most of the Senate individually, never mind collectively."

"You could get Ari to track her with magic," Noah said. "She did it before with Phoenix, remember?"

How could Peter forget that night? He had been prepared to let Phoenix murder a human just for revenge. The man had committed suicide in the end, but the act had been so deliberate that Peter kept waiting for more consequences to appear. Perhaps what he was witnessing was another one.

"Ari did find him that night," Peter said. "Maybe magic is the most efficient answer. Ari's a powerful witch, even if she is young. She might be able to help us contain Ava, too."

"It's too risky bringing a teenager along," Esther said. "She could easily get hurt."

"If we keep going like this, we're going to have to get more people involved," Patrick said. "There's a witch on the Senate. Maybe she can help."

"She could," Peter said. "But she's just as likely to hurt Ava."

Carl narrowed his eyes. "I thought that's what you wanted."

"I want to keep people safe," Peter said wearily. "Whatever it takes. I just don't know that the Senate will see it the same way."

"I'll go with you to the home," Noah said. "I can talk Ari into helping Ava. She'll just tell you no."

Carl nodded in agreement. "Ari can be a handful."

"Are we really doing this?" Esther asked doubtfully.

"We don't have a better plan," Carl said. "This could be the safest solution."

Peter gestured toward his car. "I still need a wheel."

Nate stood. "I'll take care of it."

"You don't seem worried she'll come for you." Patrick looked Nate over. "Is that arrogance?"

"What will be will be." Nate looked completely unconcerned. "Good luck finding the nephal. I hope you all survive."

The children's home never failed to send chills down Peter's spine. It looked so grim and stately from the distance. And the children weren't normal. The Senate had actually hired people to go in and try to teach them how to play. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that Emmett had been one of those kids—only he'd had his father to teach him some normality.

And Ava. And Carl. The voices refused to shut up.

He drove the car through the open gates. No guards again. Anybody could get in.

Carl leaned forward, squinting. "Isn't that Phoenix's truck?"

"Maybe the trail led here," Esther said worriedly.

"The children will be fine," Patrick said. "You told me they have a safe room."

"Yeah, but somebody might panic and blow up the entire building."

Peter let out an unamused laugh. "And they're talking about turning this place into a boarding school? They must be mad."

"How the hell did you hear about that?" Carl asked. "That only came up during a staff meeting."

"Ah, Emmett, Dita, and their little werewolf friend were hiding in the room when everyone came in. They sat there quietly and soaked up every word."

"The little shits." Carl laughed. "Those three have become a force to be reckoned with."

Despite the shaky start to the friendship. Peter still didn't trust the werewolf cub, and Emmett hated the kid half the time.

"Why would they turn this place into a boarding school?" Esther asked.

"Because there's been a disturbing influx of parents handing their children over because they don't know what to do with their gifts." Carl sounded angry. "With the half-way house clearing out the older kids, they think this place could be used to handle the weight. Especially after the school was attacked—this building is a fortress in comparison."

"That's so sad," Esther said. "Why would anyone just give up on their kid because they're different?" She sighed. "I suppose most of us know firsthand. I just thought things were going to be different."

"They are different now," Patrick said. "Now they have a place to go where they'll be cared for."

Peter glanced in the mirror in time to see Esther reaching for her mate's hand, the distance between them forgotten. He didn't know why they bothered. "The kids are better off with people who know what they're doing."

Carl snorted. "Even me?"

"You're not a dipshit _all_ of the time."

They exchanged a grin. Temporary peace. Who knew how long that would last?

Peter parked next to the main building. Phoenix and the others were outside talking to Alanii, the head caretaker at the children's home.

"Was she here?" Peter asked gruffly when he reached the group.

Phoenix shook his head. "There was an incident with a new arrival. That's all. Why are you here? Do you think she'll show up?"

"Anything's possible, but we're here because we bumped into Noah. He wants to ask Ari to track Ava down with magic." Peter nodded at Val. "You doing okay?"

She nodded, looking grim. He was pretty sure that was a bloodstain on her arm, and her neat plait was coming undone. It must have been a shitty day for her, too.

"That's a good idea," Phoenix said. "Noah, go fetch Ari for me."

Noah went inside.

"I'm glad he's here," Alanii said. "The kids have been panicking. They still see him as a leader even though he's not living here anymore."

"He seems happy at the halfway house," Esther said, her arm wrapped around Patrick. "I'm glad it's working out."

"Me, too. Although some people aren't as happy now he's gone." Alanii rolled her eyes. "Puppy love."

"What's wrong with the new arrival anyway?" Carl asked. "Anything I can help with?"

"She's sick," Alanii said. "Doctors can't figure out what's wrong. She was perfectly healthy when she arrived yesterday, then this morning, she was sitting at breakfast and suddenly passed out. She looked as though the life had been drained out of her."

"What?" Noah had already returned, his hand firmly around Ari's wrist. She looked terrified. "What did you just say?"

"I was just telling them about one of our new arrivals," Alanii said. "She suddenly came down with something..." She froze. "What on earth is the matter with you? Let go of her at once. You're hurting her."

Noah roughly shoved Ari against the wall.

Carl immediately pulled him back. "Relax. Now."

"You don't get it." The boy's face reddened, his hands clenching into fists. "This is _her_."

Ari cowered against the wall, refusing to meet his gaze.

"What did you do?" Noah demanded. "Tell me what you did!"

"What's going on?" Peter said. "Somebody start talking."

"When she uses big spells, somebody always gets sick," Noah said, shrugging Carl off. "So we agreed she shouldn't anymore. Last time she did was when Ava was here. She drained her. I thought Ava was going to die. You promised me." He lifted his hand as though to hit her.

Peter grabbed hold of him, pushed him back. "Don't you dare." He doubted Noah even heard him.

"You idiot," Noah said, sounding close to tears. "You said that was the last time."

"I didn't mean to," Ari protested. "It was an accident, Noah, I swear! I don't know what happened!"

He turned his back on her in disgust.

"Ari, you mean to say this girl is sick because of you?" Alanii looked aghast. "You've watched the doctors come here and struggle to figure out what was wrong, and you said nothing? How could you?"

"I didn't realise! I swear." She held up her hands as though to fend Alanii off. "I didn't know I used magic. I didn't think I used that much, I mean. It was just a conversation. It wasn't like I even did anything." She cringed. "Not really." The last two words were a damning whisper.

"Ari." Phoenix opened and closed his fists. "Did you perform magic this morning?"

Her cheeks reddened. "Sort of."

"Did you do something to Ava Delaney?" he persisted.

The colour deepened. "Not exactly. I mean, I thought nothing of it at the time, but now I see that maybe it could possibly have been... me."

Peter rubbed his face. All of that running around, and it was a teenage girl's magic trick all along. But the relief tasted so sweet, he couldn't be angry. If it had been magic, it could be undone. He wouldn't have to hurt Ava. He wouldn't have to hate himself forever. "Let's all of us go inside, and Ari can explain everything that's going on."

The canteen smelled like burned toast. The group took seats around Ari. Her dirty-blond hair was pulled back into a limp ponytail, and her watery blue eyes avoided everyone's gaze. She looked a lot younger when surrounded by angry faces, Peter noted. She looked terrified, actually, and he started to feel slightly sorry for her.

"I just... it happened ages ago really. Or it started then. Noah was gone all the time." She shrugged, apparently unable to speak.

Carl dragged his plastic chair next to her. "It's all right," he said. "Talk to me."

She looked at him from beneath her eyelashes. "I missed him. I missed... everything. I don't like it here. I don't like... change."

"What did you do?" Phoenix asked.

"You gave me those books," she said. "And I started practicing. But I had promised I wouldn't do huge spells, so I stuck to small things. I tried to be good, I swear I did."

"But something happened," he said.

"I got curious. The binding of one of the books started to fall off, and there was this spell stuck inside the spine. It didn't say what it was for, just how to start it, and contain it, and stop it. It got stuck in my head. I knew it by heart. It was just... there. In my head, I mean. Once I read the words, I couldn't forget them somehow."

"You gave her spell books?" Patrick sounded horrified. "A teenage girl?"

"It was a deal we made," Phoenix said. "I didn't expect her to find hidden spells in the binding."

"She's a vulnerable child," the shifter replied angrily. "What are you doing making deals with her in the first place?"

"We don't have time for this." Phoenix waved his hand dismissively. "Certain circumstances call for drastic action. Now let's move on."

By the look on the alpha's face, he wasn't satisfied.

"Tell us what happened next," Esther said softly. "What did you do?"

"I... I was mad at Noah. He had gone off, and I was full of power. He's right, I did drain Ava. She's so full of magic, it's sort of scary."

"What do you mean?" Phoenix asked. "Full of magic?"

"Some people just have more." She shrugged. "I don't know why. She's like an outlet for it. It was easy to take from her. Too easy. It can be hard to stop."

Phoenix looked about to ask more questions, so Peter interrupted him. "Go on, Ari."

She sighed dreamily. "When her power was inside me, it was exhilarating. I mean, I felt everything. I saw everything. And I had nowhere to put it once they found Phoenix that night. I sat up, couldn't sleep, and I just thought I'd try the spell while I had the power right there to easily stop it if it was something bad."

"You don't always have the power?" Peter asked. "You always take it from someone else?"

"It's not like that," she said. "Magic is everywhere. You just have to pull it to you. I do it all the time. Nobody notices." She glanced at Noah. "Most of the time."

"Most of the time?" Val raised a brow. "What happens when they notice?"

Ari sucked on her lower lip before answering. "They don't know it was me. Anyway, that night was different. I already had the power. Too much of it. I didn't have to pull anymore. So I tried the spell. I followed all of the steps perfectly, and the night was just perfect for magic." She looked away dreamily. "Just perfect."

Peter wondered if she were addicted to magic, to taking it, using it. There could be no more spell books.

"What did the spell do?" Val asked.

"It..." Ari stared at her hands in her lap. "It sort of... summoned something."

"Ari," Carl said. "What did it summon?"

She shot him a helpless look. "I suppose it might be considered some kind of..." She cleared her throat. "It was a demon."

Phoenix slammed his palms on the table, making her jump. "Are you serious, Ari? I've personally outlawed demonolatry, and you summon a demon because of a book I gave you! A spell you didn't even recognise! How could you be so reckless?"

Peter covered his face with his hands. The kid was well and truly screwed.

Her voice was very small. "I was lonely."

" _Lonely_." Phoenix left the table to pace the room, his anger palpable.

"Did the demon help with the loneliness?" Carl asked, keeping his tone gentle.

"Yes." Her eyes filled with tears. "He talked to me, a lot. He listened to me. And when I sent him away, it was easy. Easy to contain him while he was here, too. He was nice, so I didn't think anything of it. I thought... I thought maybe it would be okay to do it again. So I did. Whenever I needed somebody to talk to." She looked at Noah accusingly. "I called you this morning. I needed you, and you didn't answer."

"I was at work!"

"But I still needed somebody!"

Peter's anger dissolved at the words. It was impossible to be angry with such naivety. The kids didn't know the rules, couldn't possibly be expected to obey them.

"I needed somebody," Ari repeated quietly, keeping her head bowed. "So I summoned him again because I thought we were friends."

"You can't be friends with a demon," Esther said.

"You don't understand," Ari said pathetically. "He wasn't, like, evil."

Alanii covered her face with her hands. "Oh, Ari. You silly little girl."

Ari looked miserable.

Esther reached across the table and gently touched Ari's arm. "How do we help people you've drained?"

"Just... time, I suppose. The thing is... I didn't use power today."

"But you performed a spell," Phoenix said coldly. "A summoning."

"Yes," she said meekly. "But it's not like the other spells in the books. It takes less power each time. This morning, I was mad at Noah, and I panicked, and I... I thought I would feel better. Usually I feel better."

"What was different this time?" Val asked. "What did you do differently?"

"He was different. Jumpier. I don't know. I wanted to talk about Noah, but he wanted to talk about _her_."

"Ava?" Carl asked.

She nodded. "I'd told him about her before. He was interested. He kept twisting my words though, trying to get me to say things, and I... He sort of disappeared, and all of the magic in the room was gone, too. It was like he blew a fuse or something. And then that girl collapsed, and I got distracted by that."

"So you didn't send him away," Patrick said. "He went by himself."

"Yeah, but I checked. He went back to the place he's supposed to be. It was like he was sent back, but I hadn't meant to. I only said..." She bit hard on her lower lip.

"What did you say, Ari?" Carl asked, still with that patient, coaxing tone.

"I said something like... I wished everyone would see what Ava is really like, and then he was gone." She twisted the necklace around her neck. "Am I in trouble?"

Carl glanced at Phoenix. "It could have been some kind of wish fulfillment demon."

Phoenix was too busy staring at Ari to answer.

"Or something on a mission," Patrick added. "Perhaps he saw a tainted nephal as a means to escape his prison."

"Summon him again," Phoenix said.

"Are you serious?" Alanii asked. "Summon a demon _on purpose_?"

"We can't let her," Patrick said. "She can't use magic. She's addicted."

Carl looked conflicted. "It might be our only option."

Phoenix sat down again. "The only way we can figure out what's happening is if we find out from the source."

"He won't be reliable," Val said.

"I can get him to tell the truth," Ari said. "But you can't interfere, no matter what."

"So you're going to help now." Noah folded his arms across his chest. "Suddenly find a conscience?"

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she said. "I never imagined he would actually do something to Ava or anyone. I just wanted a friend, Noah."

Either the girl was an excellent actress or Peter was getting soft in his old age. "We summon the demon, find out how to undo this mess, and then we all pretend none of this ever happened."

"We still need to find Ava," Phoenix reminded him.

"Ari's going to help with that, too," he replied. "And Lavinia, she managed to trap Ava in Egan's home that night. Not for long, but still. She can do that again. If we all work together, we actually have a chance at fixing this."

"All right," Phoenix said at last.

"Are you really sanctioning this?" Alanii said. "I have to know if this is official, Phoenix."

"I'm officially sanctioning a summoning," Phoenix said. "But these are extenuating circumstances. Demonolatry is still outlawed, and if it goes wrong..." He looked at Ari. "Are you certain you can control this demon?"

"I can," she said. "I know he can't be trusted now." She looked wistful. "Or he just tried to help me."

"No," Val said. "You can't trust a demon, not ever. And you're handing over that spell. It must be destroyed." She looked at Phoenix. "You need to help her control her magic."

"The coven," he said. "I'll arrange for her to join them after this. Ari, is there anything we can do for that child tonight?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm afraid if I try to help that I'll hurt her more. We shouldn't even perform the summoning here."

"Fine," Phoenix said. "It's best we do this off government property in any case. I'll take you to my daughter and her cousin. Lavinia might provide a layer of protection should this go wrong."

Peter gazed at the skinny teenage girl in charge of summoning a demon. Too much could still go wrong.

# Twelve

_V al_

* * *

Val sat in the back of Peter's car and inwardly fumed. The last person she wanted to see was Lucia. That was just the icing on top of an already stale cake. Even the relief from the possibility that Ava could be restored to her usual self wasn't enough to wipe the dread from her mind. The world was already in trouble if children were given the means to end it by the very people in charge of protecting them, but all she could think about was seeing Lucia's face again.

"How was your day?" Peter asked.

She grunted in response. Squashed in the backseat with Esther and Patrick, the journey wasn't improving her mood any. Carl sat in the front, constantly yammering on about Ari's demon.

"Phoenix should never have given her magical books," Val said at last to shut him up.

"I'm stunned that he thinks it's okay to allow a child free rein of unknown magic," Patrick added. "What a reckless thing to do."

Peter made a disgusted sound. "Phoenix thinks he doesn't have to follow the rules. I'm not surprised at all."

"Those children are different," Esther said. "They need to be treated differently." She paused. "But yes, he handled it badly."

"You don't let a teenage girl use magic unsupervised," Val said. "Especially _that_ girl."

"You act like Leah's never made a mistake," Carl said in a disrespectful tone that made the hellhound stir.

She kicked the back of his seat. "Leah isn't a fool."

"She's a teenager," he said. "Afflicted with the same hormones and mood swings as Ari. Just because Leah had you to look after her doesn't make her any less inclined to make mistakes. She'll just make them a little later."

"You know nothing." As if Leah would ever be as naïve and foolish as Ari.

"I know Ari's a decent kid deep down," he said. "I see her most days, taking care of the younger children. That's all she has, Val. All she ever had. How could you watch her talk, listen to her excuse, and not pity her?"

"She's old enough to know better," Val insisted. "She's jeopardised lives for nothing."

"Nobody took care of her," Carl said. "And I'm not going to talk to you when you're in this mood." He paused for a moment. "I won't hold a grudge against your mood swings though."

The blood pounded in her ears. "How dare you?"

"He's trying to wind you up," Esther said. "Ignore him." She relaxed against Patrick. "Although he does have a point. Ari hasn't had help. Everyone she knows is leaving her or growing into their new life in a way she doesn't know how to. I feel bad for her. She's obviously suffering. She didn't mean to hurt anyone today. Everything she does is a cry for help."

"For attention, you mean," Val muttered.

"She did agree to help fix the problem," Patrick added. "I don't blame the child in this situation when there are plenty of adults at fault. Besides, it isn't just hormonal girls who make mistakes. I was banished from my family and pack as a boy. I made an epic amount of mistakes along the way. I still do. We can't do any more than our best, and even those who are given guidance will never be perfect."

Val simmered for the rest of the journey. They would give Ari an easy pass because she had problems. Everyone had problems. She forced her knees to stop jumping as they neared their destination. Reality set in. She wasn't angry at Ari. She was nervous about seeing Lucia. She didn't know how to react to her anymore. Lucia had taken her heart and crushed it before blaming Val for it all. How was she supposed to face her now?

"At least it was Ari who found the spell," Peter said. "If that book had ended up in Eddie's old shop, any idiot could have summoned a demon."

"It's not very likely to be one spell in one book," Val said.

"Perhaps that particular demon used it as a failsafe. He knew he'd be trapped one day and put a message in a bottle," Carl said. "I just hope Ari can control him once he realises we won't let her summon him again."

"She must be powerful," Patrick said, "to control a demon on her first try—which is why those books should be destroyed. Although, her power might keep her safe from the Senate if they decide to use it."

"She almost killed another child in the process," Val said. "Too reckless and foolish to be of any help to anyone."

"She's learned her lesson now." Peter cocked his head to the side. "Probably. I mean, it is Ari."

"You heard Phoenix," Carl said. "When this is over, he'll get her into a coven. They'll help her deal with her magic properly. Goes to show though. Nobody noticed what she was doing all this time, except maybe Ava. She suspected something about Ari's magic, but nobody cared to listen. We _need_ Ava."

Friendships had shattered without her, but perhaps that meant they had been worthless in the first place. Life would be emptier without those relationships, especially now she didn't have Lucia to turn to.

"Maybe it takes a tainted nephal to find one," Patrick said. "Are there many?"

"We only know of one," Carl said. "She's in England right now."

"If this keeps up, we may have to send for her," Peter said. "But she's just a kid herself."

And Val remembered Jess as being even more foolish and immature than Ari. A second tainted nephal running around wouldn't help matters.

"It'll start getting dark soon," Esther said with a little shiver. "The vampires will wake."

"Let's hope they're a little lazy tonight," Carl said. "The last thing we need is for Ava to trigger a mini-war."

Val looked out of the window, giving up any attempts at trying to stay cool or comfortable. Nothing had gone right so far. If control kept falling out of their hands, they would soon need to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.

Lavinia welcomed them into her home with faultless—although lifeless—manners. Val took a good look around. The house was a decent size, if a little old-fashioned. She wondered who had lived there before—and at Phoenix's motivations toward Lavinia. Was he using her?

"Tomas is upstairs with Robin," Lavinia said. "The room is heavily protected. They'll be safe, no matter what happens down here."

Val nodded at her, curious by the woman. A human witch cousin to the twins, Lavinia was eerily alike to Lucia in her mannerisms—and yet nothing like her at all. She smiled politely at Val, gesturing for her to go ahead into the living room.

Val walked in and tried not to react to Lucia's presence. She felt her in the room like a red-hot fire, burning in the corner. She kept her chin up as she strode over to Ari who was already sitting on a chair, looking shame-faced.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Val asked.

"Um." Ari cleared her throat and looked around the room. It was full of people who knew her secrets. Val understood how that felt. "You and Noah could stand behind me in case I need physical strength. Do you mind if I take from you?"

"I'll do it." Anything to avoid Lucia's face.

But her scent emerged, above all others, and Val's strength faded. She couldn't do it, suddenly couldn't breathe. Her throat closed up making it painful to catch a breath. She would die there, her shame and weakness opened up for the world to see.

Then Peter moved to her side, abruptly breaking through the panic before it could fully take hold. He gently squeezed her wrist before moving away. He understood, and she clung to that thought just to stay afloat. She wasn't alone. He stayed close, kept a barrier between them, and she was finally able to take a calming breath as the tightening in her throat eased.

"What else do you need?" Peter asked Ari.

"I have to make a circle, so I'll need space and candles. Chalk if there's any. A sharp knife would help." She looked at the palms of her hands long enough for Val to spy multiple scars there.

While everyone moved per Ari's requests, Val chanced a glimpse at Lucia. Her cheeks were pink, and the bags under her eyes had lessened. She didn't seem particularly unhappy. Just Val then.

She looked away, then caught Phoenix staring at her. She held his gaze for as long as she could manage. Not long enough.

"All right," Ari said. "We have everything. You should all stay back... except Noah and Val. If I... take from everyone evenly, nobody should feel any ill effects."

"You take," Lavinia said, sounding curious. "There's nothing inside you until you take."

Ari flushed with colour. "I... I have to draw a sealing ring to keep him in the one spot. The triangle inside is for truth. Please don't interfere, no matter what. He might not want to talk, so I'll have to persuade him." She touched her necklace. "Sometimes, he acts like... just stay quiet unless he asks you a direct question. Even at that, be careful. Don't make my mistake."

A shiver ran down Val's back. What would happen if anyone made a mistake?

They all waited while she drew chalk circles on the hardwood floor, five small rings looping around a much larger one. Inside that circle, she drew a triangle then doubled it, carefully colouring in every space until one thick triangle appeared. She lit candles and placed them in each of the small circles, muttering under her breath as she went. Finally, she drew swooping lines that connected each of the smaller circles, and added a semi-circle in front of her. She licked her thumb and ran it inside the semi-circle to make a tiny, messy knot-like shape.

Val felt a tug as she seeped power into Ari, but it wasn't much. Certainly not enough to hurt anyone. She wondered if the demon had used Ari's magic somehow to reach Ava. Not that it mattered anymore.

Ari took one last glance at Noah. His eyebrows had furrowed together into a frown, but he avoided Ari's gaze, acted as though she didn't exist. And Val pitied her at last because she understood that kind of pain.

Her shoulders drooping, Ari turned back to the circle, cutting her finger to drop blood onto the knot inside the semi-circle. Energy shot through each chalk line until the floor shimmered. Energy in the air hummed, making the hair on Val's arms stand on end.

Ari knelt and bowed her head. "I bind thee," she whispered. "I call thee, Shax, and I bind thee to me. Come and answer my questions, demon."

She spoke in a language Val didn't recognise then, her voice taking on a new tone. She ended in one aggressive word, then sat back as the circle smoked.

"We have guests today, pretty one?"

Val blinked her streaming eyes then noticed the figure in the centre of the circle. He sat cross-legged, a demon with an angelic face, eyes of an indiscernible colour, and the longest eyelashes Val had ever seen. A beautiful creature, crying out to be touched, to be _freed_. She shook her head and cleared the confusion. Charm was part of his magic, apparently. If it worked on her, then poor Ari really hadn't stood a chance.

Ari stared at him, open-mouthed, as if in a daze.

Val gently nudged her.

The girl cleared her throat, put some strength into her words. "What did you do today, Shax?"

"You and I both know I've been imprisoned for quite some time." He looked around and focused on Lavinia. "Who are you?" he asked sharply.

For the briefest instant, Val saw another face behind the charm, one that wasn't handsome or appealing. The demon's true face made her skin prickle.

Lucia laid a hand on her cousin's shoulder. Lavinia stared back at the demon in silence. He seemed surprised that she didn't answer.

"Ari, we don't need an audience," the demon said, his voice soft and seductive. "We both know I'm your only friend. You're alone without me. Send these people away so we can talk. They don't understand you. Not like I do."

Ari's hands trembled. "I..."

"She's not alone," Val said.

Ari shot her a grateful smile.

The demon's gaze fell on Val, and he swallowed hard, recognition flaring in his eyes. "You have a hellhound friend now? And I thought you were so lonely."

The hellhound didn't burn to take him or send him away, but a dull roar sounded in Val's head.

"You hurt somebody, took something from them," Ari said. "They're here to take it back."

"You had a wish, and I fulfilled it." His voice softened convincingly. "I only wanted to make you happy, Ari."

Noah turned away, clenching his lips tight.

The demon raised a perfect brow in a mocking manner. "This must be the one who left you."

"Yes," Ari said sadly. "And what you did wasn't my wish. You need to undo it."

"I can't do that," he said. "And why would I? Don't you remember? She _hurt_ you, deserved to be punished. I take care of my friends, little one. I didn't lie about that."

"What did you do to her?" Val let just enough of the hellhound shine through.

"I merely unveiled her true face." The demon held Ari's gaze. "Like a good friend would. Now everyone can see what she's really like underneath."

"She's hurting people because of you," Ari said. " _Please_ , Shax, help me stop her."

"Ari's in a lot of trouble because of you," Val said. "Help her."

Val could have sworn she saw a flicker of pity in the demon's face. He gestured around him. "She isn't here. I couldn't help even if I tried."

"What if we catch her then summon you again? Please. There has to be a way." Ari held out her hands pleadingly. "I've never asked you for anything. I'll do anything."

But the desperation in her voice didn't ring true.

The demon smiled a dark smile. "Free me from my cage, and we'll see."

Ari squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment. "I promise you that I won't send you back to your prison if you help fix Ava."

The demon froze into place as most of the room flinched. He looked around, one by one, but nobody protested, though most looked uncomfortable.

Peter looked to protest, but Val widened her eyes at him. For some crazy reason, she wanted to trust the girl to prove herself.

"You won't send me back," he said carefully, a greedy look of desperation flashing through from his true face.

"You have to help me though." Ari's voice was childlike now—naïve. "You have to give her back what you took."

"She must be very important." He leaned forward, his chin in his hand. "It's no use to me anyway." He smiled, and it was a dark, calculating smile. "I look forward to meeting you with no barrier between us, my pretty one."

"Begone, Shax," Ari said shakily.

The demon vanished.

She sat back and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What were you thinking?" Phoenix asked. "You can't break promises to a demon."

"I know," she said. "I'm not going to send him back to his prison." She patted the gemstone around her neck. "I'm going to send him to this one instead."

Peter picked up the candles. "We still need to track Ava down. We haven't exactly had much luck getting our hands on her so far."

"I can track her," Ari said, rubbing out the chalk markings.

"You'll need something belonging to her," Noah said gruffly.

Ari waved a dismissive hand at Carl. "He'll do."

Carl tried and failed to look indignant. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It's not an insult." Ari hesitated. "You're the one who's most connected with her. I can sense her around you, for some reason."

Carl grinned and pointed at his bandages. "I do still have her teeth marks on me."

"It's not that. No matter. You'll do." The ghost of a smile lightened her expression. "Less homework would be a nice reward."

"Don't push your luck," Carl said good-naturedly. "You're going to do the right thing because it's the right thing. Okay?"

She sighed heavily, looking more like a pouty teen than ever. "I'll need you with me at all times until they find her," she said. "So we'll both have to go on the hunt, too. Shax made it sound like he needs to be close to her to fix her."

"That's if we trust him," Val said. Everybody seemed to be forgetting that part. Ari's little trick may not have worked. And even if the demon kept his word, he could still fail. Ava might never be the same again.

"We can trust him now he's made a deal," Ari said. "He obviously thinks I'm foolish. He won't believe I'll try to trick him. He's too desperate to risk us walking away."

"Desperate?" Esther said.

"His prison is awful," Ari said matter-of-factly. "That's why we got on so well."

"I know Ari's capable of tracking someone," Peter said, "but we still have two problems. Catching up to Ava and then keeping her in place long enough for Ari's next summoning to work."

"I could try to drain Ava and weaken her," Ari said.

"I'll be able to contain her," Lavinia said. "Not for long, but with Lucia, I can continue to restrain her for a while."

"Is it time to call Shay?" Val suggested. "His IAs could help us keep people out of the area. The last thing we need is a witness to a demon summoning."

"I agree," Phoenix said, surprising her with both his agreement and his presence. She hadn't heard him reenter the room. "Shay can be trusted with this. I'll call him now."

Ari let out a breath when he left the room. "I suppose I should get started."

Lavinia moved closer. "I'm interested in how you work. Lucia will want to see, too."

That was Val's cue to leave. She went outside for a breather. Peter followed.

"Think it'll work?" he asked, guiding her away from Phoenix, and by extension, his children.

"I hope so. There's always a risk though." She glanced back at Phoenix. "If he'll encourage a teen to summon a demon in front of us, what does he do when there are no eyes on him?"

"Now we're on the same wavelength," he said. "Although, at the moment, I'm more worried about the "I told you so" I'm due from Carl."

"He's earned it, I should think. We did nearly kill her."

Peter shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze darkening. "Did we? I'm pretty sure both of us could have done more."

A shiver ran down her spine. "I don't know how I'm going to look either of them in the eye again."

"That's if the kid pulls through for us," he said. "Still think she's an idiot?"

She shook her head. "I was just worried about coming here."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm not murdering anyone," she said drily. "That must be a good sign."

"Cutting down the numbers might not be so bad."

She shot him a questioning look.

He shrugged. "Too many people know about this. No way to put it back in the bag. We were able to hide the demon dog business, but can we really hide this? When it comes down to it, should we be hiding this stuff at all? Let's be clear now. Phoenix's decisions today have been questionable at best."

"I don't know anymore." She looked out onto a darkened road and shivered at the thought of all the things other people kept hidden. "This could be a warning to anyone who wants to dabble."

"The scary part is that dabbling could be happening already, and we don't know about it." He leaned against the gate. "Ari kept her little friend's secret well enough."

"By his request, most likely. He's some kind of charmer, probably likes to target teenagers with no life experience."

Peter frowned. "Which makes him tricky to beat if the need arises. I'm afraid his current fan club of one is as likely to sacrifice herself to protect him."

"I think Ari sees through him well enough now. Besides, we've dealt with demons before. Perhaps we'll add demon hunting to our business card."

"A joke?" He pressed his hand against his chest. "Did Hell send you a postcard about freezing over or was it just a guess?"

She thumped him, sending him tumbling over the gate. Ignoring his cry for help, she stormed back inside where she bumped into Lucia. It was her turn to freeze. They held each other's gazes for too long, and Val couldn't remember why the relationship was over. Lucia's eyes hadn't changed. So what had? Maybe she could fix it. There had to be a...

Lucia blanked out her expression, pressed her lips together, nodded at Val, and walked away. Again.

Val was done. Completely and absolutely done. But how could she be when the lack of closure was driving her crazy? Lorcan caught the look of thunder on her face and gave her a sympathetic smile. Sod him, too. He knew something. He had to.

A lump bit in her throat. She wouldn't allow emotion to show in her face. Not now, when so much was at stake. She moved to Ari's side, stoically watching the young witch create a spell to track Ava, using Carl as her connection. That wasn't as odd as it sounded. Carl had shared a blood bond with Ava in the past that obviously still lingered enough to work.

As she watched Ari's deft hands move, she felt Lucia's gaze on her. Not looking back was physically painful. She would have given anything to look back, but why should she torture herself? The desperation—no, the weakness—made her sick. When had she ever let anyone intimidate her? Not looking back became a test she passed.

"You're talented," she reluctantly told Ari. "Why are you wasting your time with demons?"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Ari said sullenly. "My magic hurts people, remember?"

"I'm not hurt, and you used magic twice so far tonight," Val said. "There is a way to do it right."

"It's... luck. Sometimes I only need a little. Sometimes I accidentally take a lot. I don't know why."

"The coven will help," Carl said with confidence. "Not to worry, kiddo."

"They might lock me up for this instead," she said in a worried little girl's voice, suddenly looking a couple of years younger.

"We won't let them." Val made a mental note to encourage Leah to spend time with the girl outside of the children's home. She would be a good influence on Ari.

She tried to relax, focusing on different conversations around the room in order to avoid looking at Lucia again. Lorcan was describing a violent sounding video game to Noah, while Patrick complained about his pack to Esther.

"You play as an assassin," Lorcan said enthusiastically.

"Mags isn't trying to steal anyone's husband," Patrick said. "But it's obvious there's chemistry between them. Maybe there always was."

"We're not allowed to play violent games," Noah said.

"If his relationship is over, why doesn't he end it then?" Esther said. "What's the point in being unhappy?"

"That's ridiculous," Lorcan said. "I'll have to find a way for you to try it. You have to—"

"That's not how our pack works. They're too old-fashioned, and of course my grandmother wouldn't hear of a divorce. But Mags, and now Danny, too, are being picked on. It's subtle, but the bad feeling will grow without me there every day to nip it in the bud. I'm thinking of bringing them to Dublin for a while. Would you hate that?"

"That doesn't sound realistic," Noah said.

"Of course not," Esther said.

"It's not supposed to be realistic," Lorcan said. "It's supposed to be fun."

Peter moved to Val's side. "Almost there," he murmured.

She squeezed her eyes shut and blocked out the inane conversations. In her mind's eye, she saw exactly where Lucia was standing, knew exactly how she would hold herself, the shampoo she'd used, even how her blouse would feel under her fingertips. She knew too much, and she needed to know nothing. Tricking her instincts into actually understanding that was too hard.

"I'm sorry," Peter said. "I shouldn't be making stupid jokes today."

She looked at him, surprised by the apology. "It's not been easy for anyone."

"You don't need her," he said under his breath.

"Maybe." That ridiculous lump filled her throat again. "But I don't know how to not love her."

He looked at her. "It'll get easier."

"I don't see how. I have to wake up every day for the rest of my life knowing she doesn't love me anymore, that she doesn't think of me, that I don't even matter, while I can't go an hour without thinking of her."

"I wish I could help you."

She wished that, too.

Phoenix entered the room, an alertness about him that bugged Val. "Shay's on his way with transport," he said. "A couple of trusted IAs will be tagging along tonight. Try not to talk about demons, however."

"Was Shay all right with this?" Peter asked. "And not telling the Senate?"

"We agreed it was a story better told after the problem's been dealt with." He glanced in Ari's direction. "I think we'd all rather they had the happy ending version of the tale."

Val doubted the Senate would agree.

# Thirteen

_P eter_

* * *

Peter kept a closer eye on Val as they waited. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the hair coming loose around her face had frizzed into a halo from the humidity. Her stance tense, she looked close to bursting, but she would never ask for help. Her pain was clearly written all over her face, and he dreaded to think what would happen if Lucia took up a new relationship.

But there the young fae was, with her creepy beady eyes and her ridiculously long mermaid hair, sending longing glances behind Val's back. He could never tell his partner that—it would only set her back. There was no way he was going to stand by and let the fae hurt her all over again. If Lucia cared so much, then why had she broken Val's heart? Because she wasn't good enough? His own hands clenched.

He cornered Lorcan and murmured under his breath, "Do the kind thing and keep your sister the hell away from Val. Understand me?"

Lorcan opened his mouth to protest before shrugging. "I don't get it either, but I'll do my best."

Peter nodded then let him go. That was about as much interference as Val would stand for.

He went outside when he heard cars pulling up. It was just the two. Shay had arrived with a couple of teams of IAs. Probably not enough, yet there were still too many people involved to keep the event a secret.

Shay greeted Peter then pulled him aside. "What exactly is going on here?"

"Nothing much. Teenage witch cast a spell she didn't realise would summon a demon and said demon turned Ava into a mindless bloodthirsty animal. Just your average week."

Shay closed his eyes for a long moment. "You people will be the death of me." He opened his eyes only to glare at Peter. "And yourselves if you're not careful."

"Bet you're regretting leaving Kerry now, eh?"

Shay made a face. "Home has its own special kind of weird going on. This, though, this is madness. I should have known something was up when you called me earlier. You sounded even more off than usual. I couldn't have imagined _this_."

"It's not as bad as it could be." Peter glanced over at the IAs who had grouped up by Shay's car. "Not as bad as I thought it might be. She hasn't killed anyone yet, and the teenage witch is helping us fix everything. Anything to get herself out of trouble."

"Is the witch dangerous?"

Peter hated the tone of Shay's voice. He'd been understanding once, but maybe life was changing him. "She's a kid, Shay."

Shay shot him a wry look. "We both know that means nothing these days."

"You know as well as I do how many kids her age end up where they are because of the people around them and the circumstances they grew up in. If I blame anyone in this situation, it's Phoenix."

"Shocking," Shay said smartly.

"Come on, I'm serious. This isn't about some grudge. _He's_ the one who unwittingly gave her access to dangerous magic. Apparently, he made some kind of deal with her, which is bad enough, but then he gave her magic books. And get this, one of them happened to have a secret summoning spell hidden in the binding. I dare you to tell me I'm overreacting."

Shay looked away, his jaw tensing. "What is he _doing_?"

Were they finally on the same page when it came to Phoenix? "Anyway, the plan is that we're going to round up Ava as soon as the tracking spell is ready, and your people will keep civilians out of the way while the witches contain Ava and force the demon to undo his deed." Peter grinned. "No big deal."

"I wonder about you sometimes." Shay scratched the stubble on his jaw. "How bad is it really, Peter? Are we sure Ava can be helped?"

"As sure as we are about anything," Peter said. "Everyone's hopeful. I'm kinda glad I didn't kill her earlier now." He tried to pass it off as a joke, but his words sounded stilted and unnatural.

"Are you serious?" Shay, lowering his voice, pulled him further out of earshot of the IAs. "You wanted to _kill_ her? Are you all right?"

Peter managed a strangled laugh. "There's the right thing to do, isn't there? The greater good. Keep the city safe, the world safe. She could easily kill a hundred people or open Hell up or something. So I'm the who stands up, who'll at least prepare for the worst case scenario, yet I come across as a bitter ex-boyfriend. Boyfriend." He shook his head. "As if that even comes close to..."

"Hey." Shay squeezed his shoulder. "You'll get through it. I know it's been tough for you watching things change."

" _He_ wouldn't do it," Peter said under his breath. "Phoenix wouldn't hear of killing her, but he didn't have to watch her stalk his children. He doesn't care what she's capable of. You understand, don't you? She looks so normal, but then there's this other side of her that could rip your head off in a split second. I've watched her mother my son, but today, I could swear she was about to kill him."

"Jesus."

The fear from that incident hadn't been completely converted into anger yet, and he sucked in a deep breath, the panic finally hitting home.

Shay made him walk, his back to the house. "You're all right," he said soothingly. "Emmett is safe."

"He loves her." Peter's voice broke on the words. "He'd never forgive me if I hurt her, but I couldn't let her hurt _him_. There's no right way to fix any of this, no matter what we do. And Carl's not making it any easier. He's so pissed with me over this that he can't even try to see it from my side."

"It's past time for you to move on," Shay said. "Carl's never going to play fair when it comes to her, and you don't need Ava to help you with Emmett anymore. You're doing a fine job of that on your own. You don't need to feel guilt over being prepared to choose his life over hers."

"The worst part is that she wouldn't even blame me. She'd tell me to choose him. Out of everyone, she's the one who would understand. So why the hell does it feel so shitty right now?"

"Because you've been forced to make choices before you were ready." Shay threw a weary glance back at the house. "You're still hung up on the idea of her, but she's moved on already. You can't go back now, not after today. How will you trust that something like this will never happen again? I know you, Peter. Expecting the worst is your default setting. You're not feeling bad because of something you didn't even do. You're feeling like this because of something you have done. Realised that you can't go back."

Shay had always been able to see through him, from the very first night they'd met, when Peter's life had first been destroyed. "I wanted to give Emmett everything he deserved to have. I wanted him to have a mother, somebody who could protect him no matter what."

"But that just short-changes you _and_ Ava," Shay said. "You made her into something Emmett would love, not you."

"I do care about her, the best I can." And that was the problem. His best wasn't good enough for her. And she'd finally realised she deserved better. He couldn't look Shay in the eye anymore. "I hope their plan works, because if it doesn't, somebody has to make a choice." A lump in his throat made it hard to swallow. "And I'm just praying it won't have to be me."

One of the IAs called Shay's name. Both men turned to see Phoenix standing outside the house, looking triumphant.

"Come on," Shay said wearily. "Better see what's going on."

"You sound fed up of him, too."

Shay patted him on the back. "Wouldn't you just love that, my friend?"

Phoenix waited for them at the door. "We've got her. We'll start dividing up again to get this done." He didn't wait for a response, simply began directing the IA teams who were hanging around, awaiting instruction.

"Look at him taking over everything," Peter couldn't help growling.

"I'm starting to get used to it." Shay looked troubled. "It's on days like this when the world feels as though it doesn't belong to us. Ever wish you could go back to not knowing any of this?"

"Sometimes." But did he truly regret everything that had happened? His life with Ava hadn't worked out, but he couldn't change the experience because it had given him Emmett, taught him that there was more to life than vengeance and suffering. Maybe she had turned him into someone Emmett would love, too. For one desperate moment, he wished he could thank her for that much.

"I should get over there," Shay said. "Pretend like I have control over my own troops."

Peter waved as Shay walked away. He didn't envy the man, having to deal with Phoenix so frequently.

He took a moment to gather himself before heading inside to find Val. She was talking to Carl, but looked no less relaxed.

"What's up?" Peter said, joining them.

"I feel tingly," Carl said with a broad smile. Nothing fazed the man.

"Stopped hating us then?" Peter asked.

"You've both stopped being dicks, so..."

Val shoved him, knocking him to the ground, then stormed outside.

"Ignore her," Peter said. "She's in bad form today." He helped Carl up.

"I was sort of joking," Carl said, brushing himself off. "Holy crap, but she's strong."

"I noticed. I was on the receiving end earlier. She's just having a hard time right now." He frowned at Carl. "Go on then. Give it to me."

"Huh?"

"I'm waiting for the "I told you so." Get it over and done with."

"Oh, shut up, you dope." Carl grinned. "I was just holding you off until somebody came up with an answer. Being glad I'm right doesn't mean I'm glad when you're wrong, you know?"

Peter was surprised by how relieved he felt, and how quickly he had forgotten what it was he liked about Carl.

"Besides, everything's working out." Carl nudged him and drew the passing Ari under his arm. "This one's pulling through for us."

She made a face, failing to hide her fear.

"I can't believe the finding spell worked on you," Peter said.

"He has a... quality," Ari said. "I don't know what it is, but it made things easier. He's not like most people."

"There," Carl said. "I'm a unique, quality person, don't you know."

Ari stared at him. "You're even weirder outside of school. Did you know that?"

"Shut up," Carl said. "If I have to stick by your side all evening, at least be polite to your elders."

She sighed and moved away to prepare, but her hands shook as she picked up a candle needed for summoning the demon again.

"Hey," Carl said. "You can do this. Stop worrying."

She glanced at Noah who was resolutely ignoring her. "I have a lot to worry about."

"This is one thing that's going to go right." Carl even managed to sound as though he believed it.

"You know what? I'm really glad to have you back," Peter said as he drove behind Phoenix's truck.

Val's lips twitched. "You have no idea how happy I am to choke on your car's death fumes again."

They exchanged a warm smile that made him sure he'd have at least one or two friends left by morning.

"Doing okay back there?" he called to Ari and Carl in the backseat.

"I'm getting a little itchy, actually," Carl said, rubbing his forearm.

"I meant the witch."

"We're doing okay."

Peter had fought to have Ari in his vehicle. He couldn't be sure of Phoenix's intentions, and he wanted to keep her safe from the Senate.

Ari looked up from the map where a drop of Carl's blood was moving around the city. "We're catching up. She keeps going back and forth. If we surround her, we should be able to pin her in long enough for that other witch to do what she does." She hesitated. "Is she in a coven?"

"Don't think so," Peter said. "Carl, is she going anywhere familiar?"

Carl looked over the map and wiped sweat off his brow. "Kind of. Maybe. We questioned people along this area once." His finger drifted along the map. "She's near Egan's goddaughter's house."

"She's turning around again," Ari said. "Probably back to that bar you mentioned."

After a few minutes," Carl called out for them to stop. "She's gone past it already," he said. "If we take the next left, we may be able to cut her off. It'll be tight though, and she might veer off again."

"I'll hurry," Peter said. "Val, text the update to the others."

"Wait a second. She's pretty close to the battlefield," Carl said. "It might be safer if we could push her there. What do you think?"

"Where she fought against the beasts?" Val said. "Interesting choice of direction. It could trigger a reaction in her. A bad one."

"Chance we'll have to take," Peter said. "That way has been pretty abandoned since that night, at least once the creeps desperate to look at the aftermath fecked off anyway. It's an easy spot to perform magic without being walked in on."

"She's moving pretty fast," Ari said. "If we got close enough, I could drain her without having to get out of the car. It might slow her down."

But a little girl was incredibly ill because of Ari draining her. "Is that safe?" Peter asked. "What if you accidentally drain somebody else, too?"

Ari paled. "That's a possibility."

"I'm okay with that risk," Carl said.

"It's better than letting Ava hurt somebody else," Val added.

Peter couldn't disagree. "All right then. Carl, think we can get past her?"

Carl studied the map. "We've a chance, but we've got to be quick. It's not like she won't notice us."

Carl gave directions, Val updated the others, and Peter drove as quickly and carefully as he could. The rest of the vehicles were out of sight.

"She has to be around here somewhere," Carl said. "We just passed her out."

"Open the window," Peter said. "Let her catch your scent. I'll stop the car and see if we can get in her way."

He pulled the car over, his heart racing in his chest. They were closer than they had been all day, thanks to Ari. They wouldn't lose Ava again.

"She must be around here somewhere," Carl said. "She has to—"

"There's movement in the park," Val said, her voice deepening. "Be ready, all of you."

Peter squinted, noticed a shadow darting toward them. Ava effortlessly leapt over the gates of the park then rushed toward them.

"Now, Ari," Peter shouted.

He kept an eye on Ava as Ari worked. Ava didn't flinch, didn't hesitate at all.

"It isn't working," Val said.

"Ari, come on," Carl said in a low voice.

"She's... resisting me."

Peter looked back at Ari. The girl was sweating. Her wan features made her look as though she were about to pass out.

"It's not working," he said. "I'm getting you out of here."

He slammed his foot on the accelerator. If she followed, they could lead her to the others. He swung the car into the middle of the road then turned to drive toward the others.

A loud sound made him flinch as Ava leapt on top of the car.

Peter slammed his foot on the brakes, but Ava clung tight. " _Damnit_."

Ava punched the ceiling, easily denting it.

"Somebody give me a knife," Carl said. "If I cut myself, she'll get distracted by the blood."

"No!" Peter said, swerving to throw Ava off, or at least make her work to stay with them.

She jumped onto the windshield instead. Peter braked again, hoping to knock her off-balance, but she clung to the car as though nothing had happened. Her eyes were sharp and bright, and she looked pissed.

He hadn't figured out his next step before something shifted in her eyes, a look he recognized from the Ava he knew. _What was that?_ She lifted her head—sniffing?—then darted off into the shadows.

Peter got out of the car and looked around. Ava was gone again. "Well, shit," was all he could say.

# Fourteen

_V al_

* * *

Val followed Peter out of the car. Ava was already out of sight.

Peter ran his hands through his hair. "Well, that was a big fail."

Val blew out a frustrated sigh. "I'm going to follow her on foot."

He reached out to grip her arm. "Wait."

"We can't keep letting her escape. We're running out of time." She looked up at the sky. Storm clouds were gathering. Night would fall sooner than expected. "The vampires will wake early tonight."

"I know, but we shouldn't split up again. Ari and Carl can lead us to her. We just need to be ready next time. Ari can't drain her anymore, so we'll just have to take her down the old-fashioned way. Once Phoenix gets his witch close enough, we'll have a better chance of stopping her safely."

Ava was becoming more erratic. Her movements were crazy, and she had clearly looked frustrated. Or had that been hunger?

"We're so close," she said. "We finally find a way to help her, and we can't keep her in one spot long enough to do it. If this goes bad, nobody will remember that we tried. They'll only recall the things we claimed we would do before we knew she could be helped."

He ran his hands over his face. "We didn't do it though, did we? Either of us. She had me, you, a werewolf, and a shifter alpha ready to take her out, and she's still running. Does that say something about us or her?"

She gazed at the horizon, wishing Ava would just come back. If she could even grapple her for a time, long enough for Ari to work... She owed Ava the risk. "Let's go. We need to hurry."

They got back into the car.

"We'll have to herd her back toward the battlefield," Peter said. "Somehow."

Half the country had watched Ava and Phoenix on the battlefield together during the fighting against the vampires and beasts. The pair had enjoyed themselves, him drawing her into an odd kind of battlelust. Val had wondered about him even then, been wholly disturbed by the way he had looked at Ava.

"Ari, what exactly went wrong?" she asked.

"She blocked me. I don't know how," Ari said apologetically. "It burned my skin to even try to drain her."

"I'm burning up a little, too," Carl said.

Val turned to look at him. Sweat ran down his temples, and he looked ready to pass out. "He's not in a good way, Peter."

"He'll be fine," Peter said. "Right, Carl?"

"Is this part of the spell?" Carl asked Ari. "Am I supposed to be a walking version of a hot-cold finding game?"

"I've never tried it with a real person before." She stared at him. "It's weird that it's even working at all. What _are_ you?"

"He's just a human," Peter said sharply.

"But he's had magic before," Val reminded him.

"How?" Ari sounded awestruck. "Where did it go?"

"That night at the children's home when the sun went dark," Carl said. "There was a book ready to loose demons out of all their prisons. When I touched it, magic ran through me. I was kind of... reactive magically after that for a while."

"That was the night my power got out of control," she said. "We found you, thought you were dead."

Val shot her a worried glance, wondering if some of the magic from the books had made its way to Ari that night.

Ari looked Carl over, doubt in her eyes. "Tell me if it gets too uncomfortable, and I'll stop the spell."

Val knew he wouldn't say a word, no matter how uncomfortable he felt. He was too dedicated to Ava. Now that they had a peaceful solution to taking her in, Carl wouldn't jeopardise it.

"Be careful with him," Val said. "He won't let you know if he's suffering."

"Oh, come on," he said. "I'm not made of glass. I can take it."

She glared at him. "The last thing this girl needs is to accidentally kill a human. Are we clear?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll be prissy about it. Happy now?"

"Not until you stop talking." She waited for him to make another smart remark, but sensibly, he shut up.

They kept driving. Ava was moving differently, in a direct line instead of in circles as she had been before.

"She's hunting something," Val said. "She scented something in particular when she confronted us. She's on a hunt, and she can't stop."

"How do you know?" Peter asked.

"It's the way I'd behave if I was her."

He glanced at her. "I'm surprised you've kept such a good hold on yourself today. Earlier, your hellhound was showing."

She made a face. "I had her earlier. I could have hurt her, could have killed her. That part of me desperately wanted to, _needed_ to, but I looked into her eyes, and I just... couldn't."

"You're getting better at controlling it."

"Wait a second," Carl said from the backseat. "You mean to say that Val hasn't been able to control her hellhound side, but she's okay, yet Ava has one bad day and _she_ deserves to die?"

"Is Ava dead?" Peter demanded. "You heard her. She knew what she had to do, but she stopped herself. Does that sound like she's out of control?"

"Val," Carl said softly. "You get that Ava can't help it, right? That she isn't choosing to act like this."

She turned in her seat to meet his questioning gaze. "I never wanted to hurt her. I respect her, owe her, even. And I trust her to do the right thing if I ever truly lose control. You don't understand what it's like to live with this darkness inside of us that's forever grasping for freedom. People like Ava and me... we live in fear of ourselves, of the day something goes wrong. This has been like watching my own fall. Ava was lucky today. We found a way to get her back. That kind of luck comes once in a lifetime. If I truly lose myself, there's no coming back."

"You're strong enough," Carl said after a moment. "I know you won't lose yourself."

For some reason, a lump filled her throat. "I hope you're right."

"Shush," Ari said. "She's stopped about two streets away."

Carl barked out directions that Peter followed, leaving Val to deal with the truth of Carl's words alone. She had judged Ava for a problem she herself suffered with. Her drastic choices were based on her knowledge of how it would play out for her, not Ava. She thought she'd been fair, right, until they found a way to help Ava. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"I see her," Peter said abruptly. "At the end of the street, beyond that van."

Ava had pinned a tall, slender figure against a wall. His hood hung over his forehead, darkening his face, and her hand was clutched around his throat, almost lifting him off his feet.

"Shit," Peter said. "She must think he's one of the hooded assassins. Nate's lucky she didn't find the garage today."

Val leapt out of the car before Peter had fully braked.

"Wait!" Ari leaned out the window and clutched Val's hand. "Just a little," she promised, before sending a spark of magic at the pair.

Ava leapt back from her victim, who collapsed to the ground, his hands trembling. She looked at Val, desperation in her eyes, before fleeing again.

"Do you need an ambulance?" Val called out to Ava's victim.

"No." He pulled his hood closer around his face. "I'm not hurt."

Val hesitated. He didn't smell quite human.

"We need to hurry," Peter called out the window. "She's slowed down. This is our chance."

"Hide," she warned the man before hopping into the car. She had scented blood on him, too. Ava had done that. She couldn't let her flee again.

# Fifteen

_P eter_

* * *

Darkness encroached, and the sense that time was running out only strengthened. Peter could have sworn he saw a flash of lightning in the sky, but it was hard to concentrate on the road with Carl barking directions from the backseat and Val communicating each move with the other vehicles.

At least Ava was running in the right direction. A clear opportunity to shepherd her onto the old battlefield was rapidly approaching. Their quickly laid plans consisted of herding Ava onto the battlefield then surrounding her.

The werewolf was the key. Peter slowed the car to allow the creature to catch up to Ava. The others followed at a distance. The werewolf took centre stage to distract Ava. His presence appeared to infuriate her, making her deviate off-course. Although fast enough to keep up with her, he obediently avoided battle with her, instead causing her to veer off in the direction they desired, away from the innocent and toward a space large enough for everyone to work together to stop Ava.

The werewolf disrupted her escape long enough to lead her onto the battlefield. The cars all followed, driving around her in a circle. Peter prayed his car would last as it trundled over deadly bumps in the grassy earth. A car of IAs were some distance to the left of him, and the fae were somewhere to the right, but whenever Ava tried to dart off, the werewolf was there to herd her back into place. The other cars completed the circle, but Peter couldn't see much from the glare of the headlights.

Ava must have realised she was surrounded because she suddenly stopped chasing the werewolf as though sensing he was no longer a threat. She twirled around, taking in the vehicles and the people getting out of them, assessing the weak link. Well, it wouldn't be Peter.

Val made to open her door.

"Wait," Peter said. "See what she does first."

Val nodded, but she remained alert in her seat.

Ava darted in one direction, toward some rattled looking IAs. One, a tall man who looked vaguely familiar, stepped in front of the others, a bat in his hand. Peter saw his lips moving, couldn't make out what he said. Ava dashed to the agent, skidded to a stop, then moved out of reach before he could act. Toying with him.

Her movements were more like a dance—she swooped toward one group then the next, as though taunting them all to come for her. Each time she circled, she bent to touch the grass. She looked completely at ease, but he could tell she was ready to spring. She was just biding her time, waiting for somebody to breach the invisible perimeter. The werewolf circled her from a wide distance, ready to stop her escape.

"She's marking territory," Val said. "Each time she touches the grass. She's making a space she's willing to fight in, just waiting for someone to get closer."

"Carl," Peter murmured. "If you want to show off how tasty your blood is, now is the time." He handed him Ava's dagger. "Ari, stay in the car for now."

The others got out of the car. Before he got out, Peter switched his headlights to highbeam for more light, but Ava didn't react at all. Phoenix noticed, shouted something at his son while putting distance between himself and his family.

Lorcan raced over to Carl, a bottle of blue liquid in his hand. "Take it," he said. "If you drink it, and she bites you, it might slow her down." He hesitated. "There might be a few side effects though."

Carl looked at the drink before shrugging then downing it, blue dripping down his chin. His eyes widened. "Oh, wow." He shook his head. "That's..."

"Yeah. You'll probably pass out," Lorcan said. "So let's be quick." He dashed back to his car, momentarily drawing Ava's attention.

"You all right?" Peter asked. Carl already looked unsteady on his feet.

Carl shrugged. "Probably not for long, so let's do this." He took a few staggered steps before shaking himself again. He held up the dagger with a trembling hand then sliced the skin across his forearm, wincing as a thread of crimson immediately formed. He waited for a reaction from Ava. Nothing—she was too distracted by a flash of lightning that momentarily lit up the sky. He took a few steps forward.

A convenient ripple of wind blew against Peter's back, carrying Carl's scent toward Ava. He glanced over his shoulder to see Ari's hands in the air, her eyes rolled back in her head. Helping again.

Ava straightened in one crisp movement, her gaze locked on to Carl. From that distance away, her blue eyes looked white. She fell onto all fours then galloped toward Carl, a deranged look of mania in her eyes.

He stood unflinching, ready for whatever happened next.

"Careful," Peter warned, nervous of her speed. She didn't appear to be slowing down.

"All or nothing." Carl held his arms out to her and took another step forward, welcoming her to him.

Peter held his breath. An eerie silence reigned, only broken by a low rumbling of thunder.

In one gazelle-like bound, Ava leapt into Carl's arms then sank her teeth into his neck. Somebody gasped. Peter made to move, but Val put her arm out to stop him. Carl stumbled back a few steps, holding Ava to him. She broke away so suddenly that they both fell. She struggled to her feet, moving slower now, unsteady. Somehow, Lorcan's idea had worked.

"It's okay," Carl slurred dizzily, blood running freely down his neck until it soaked his T-shirt. "Ava, it's just me."

She snarled, swiping at him with her hand, but a blast of magic pushed her back then surrounded her before she could connect. He couldn't see much of the magic around her, a glimmer of magic rushing around her was his only clue, but Ava was clearly trapped. They had done it, at last.

Lavinia came closer, her hands out, Lucia's hand on her shoulder. "She's fighting it. I can't hold her for long."

Peter rushed to Carl's side and dragged him away from Ava—just in case. "You okay there?"

"Just need... to sit for a while." Carl lay back on the ground, his eyes half-closed.

"Don't sleep," Val warned.

Peter hesitated, unwilling to leave Carl alone. Val quickly pressed a bandage against his wound.

Although Ava was still surrounded by a vortex of magic, she looked extremely angry about it. She fought back, blood staining her chin. The magic wouldn't last. She pushed hard, a new expression of focus written all over her face.

Peter ran back to the car to help Ari. Ava had escaped Lavinia's magic before. They were running out of time.

Ari quickly set up the summoning circle on a large piece of cardboard they'd brought along, but every time Peter looked at Ava, she appeared to be another inch closer to freedom. At least Carl was sitting up again, staunching his wound himself.

Ari began her chanting, but Lavinia cried out for help.

"I can't hold her," she said. "She's resisting so..." She wiped sweat off her brow.

"She's not going to keep her there," Peter shouted. "Val, be ready."

Val wielded her mace, a shrewd look on her face. Peter ran to her side, prepared to fight with her.

"Wait, let me in," Phoenix said. "There's no room to fight me in there, and she doesn't desire my blood. Even if she does, I drank the same wine as Carl. I'll distract her from escaping. At the very least, she'll fight me rather than the magic."

The werewolf snarled his disapproval.

"Dad, what if she—"

Phoenix held up his hand to silence his son. "I'll be fine."

"You'll have to be quick!" Lavinia cried. "Hurry."

He moved to the vortex. It weakened for a split second, and then he was inside, trapped with Ava. She immediately struck out at him, over and over again, furious.

Peter couldn't hear what he was saying, but Phoenix was talking to Ava, blocking her strikes because there was little room to do anything else. One hand gripped the back of her neck, and she suddenly stopped attacking him to stare at him instead, fascinatedly peering into his eyes as though she knew him.

A splinter of pain pierced Peter's heart. After everything...

The vortex thinned, pushing them closer together. Everything that happened in their lives pushed them together, pushed Peter out. Shay was right. It was beyond time to move on from that dream.

A rush of energy flew outward from Ari, knocking everyone but Ava off-balance. Ari's demon appeared, right on time, another spark of lightning brightening the scene.

"Hurry, Shax," she said. "Give back what you took."

"And you'll free me," he said.

"I won't send you back to your prison," she said solemnly.

He hesitated as though he tasted the deceit in her words, but he nodded his agreement.

Ava grew distracted by the demon, suddenly fought hard against Phoenix to get past him, desperate to reach the demon. Almost as though she _knew_.

"Look at it," the demon said in wonder.

Ava let out a shriek. Phoenix produced a dagger from his waistband and cut his hand, smearing his blood across Ava's mouth. She licked her lips, focusing on Phoenix all over again. She sank her teeth into him, jerking as though shocked. But he held her close, stroked her hair as she bit him, and Peter had to turn away.

Ari opened the circle—just enough to let the demon pass, but a silver thread linked them both, enough of a bind to stop him from fleeing. Peter shivered at her power.

Lavinia dropped the vortex then sank to her knees as though exhausted. Sensing freedom, Ava let go of Phoenix and made to dash past him, her limbs as shaky as a newborn foal. The fae prince grabbed hold of her and held on, his lips constantly moving.

The demon released a shadow self then let it go. The same shadowy form that had fought her earlier. The shadow demon spun her around, pushing her back to Phoenix's chest. Phoenix pinned her, while Ava blinked rapidly as though struggling to stay conscious.

The shadow kissed Ava, blue light flooding from the shadow and back into her until it disappeared. The shadow appeared to be destroyed by the action, eaten up by the loss. Peter had to shield his eyes, the light invading Ava was so bright. She collapsed into Phoenix's arms, her body twisting and jerking.

A ghost of a shadow remained to return to the demon. Shax shuddered as he took in his shadow self. He turned to smile at Ari. "There. Your turn."

She reached out her hand to him. He took it willingly then raised her hand to his lips. His smile dropped as she gripped his hand tight and muttered words Peter didn't understand. The wind appeared to be stolen out of his lungs in one sharp blast.

The demon let out an unholy shriek then disappeared into Ari's hand, where she had hidden her necklace. She dropped it. The necklace sizzled on the ground. Ari shook her hand, wincing. Even at a distance, Peter could see the burn mark on her palm. The grass around her necklace looked scorched.

He turned back to Ava. She was gasping in her struggle to breathe. She took in the faces around her, licked blood from her lips, and then she screamed. And the skies opened up as the thunderstorm finally broke.

# Sixteen

_V al_

* * *

The shriek that erupted from Ava's lips sent Val to her knees, covering her ears to protect herself from the searing pain of the sound. She wasn't the only one who fell. Only Ari stood, somehow immune from the piercing noise, her hair already drenched from the rain. She was staring at Ava who looked less human than she had while lost.

A cloud of darkness wound up into the air—seemingly erupting from Ava's fingertips—before she collapsed, unconsciousness. Phoenix knelt there, holding her with an oddly caring look in his eyes, as new vehicles suddenly highlighted the scene from behind Peter's car. Carl crawled over to Ava, still drunk on fae wine, and gripped her ankle before collapsing himself.

The lights from the new arrivals made Val blink. They cast shadows she thought couldn't be real until her eyesight adjusted. At least three trucks parked near the gates before a group of soldiers marched onto the field, the leader jogging toward Phoenix.

Val struggled to stand, a brand new fear arising in her soul. An army, however small, was bad news. The soldiers wore a uniform she had never seen before, were armed with weaponry too advanced for her tastes. Red and blue stripes adorned their grey shirts, and they carried heavy looking rifles over their shoulders.

She made it to her feet, but she felt no less vulnerable. She caught Peter's eye. His face was grim and stern as he followed her lead. The fight wasn't over yet. Some of the others managed to recover, all looking as surprised as Val felt. In her condition, she wasn't sure she could put up much resistance if it were needed.

And Ava had curled up in a ball, no use to anybody.

"What is the meaning of this?" Phoenix asked, his voice hoarse and dry. "Your group hasn't been authorised."

"Things have changed." The leader of the soldiers, a silver-haired male with an Eastern-European tinge to his accent stepped toward the front of the group. "The Senate sent us. Told us to contain the situation." He shot a derisive glance at Ava. "Whatever that takes."

"The situation is already contained," Phoenix said wearily. "Go home."

"The Senate will—"

"I am the Senate. They'll hear an explanation soon enough. Go. I'll clean up the mess here. You were too late to be of any help."

"Then we'll take possession of the—"

"No!" he bellowed. "You're little more than mercenaries and currently have no jurisdiction."

" _Yet_ ," the soldier said smartly.

Phoenix flexed his fingers. "You will leave and let me deal with this quietly."

The soldier stood firm. "We were told to come here and clean up the mess. You know what that means."

Phoenix moved in front of Ava, standing so he could look down on the soldier. "I'm in no mood for this."

Shay moved close to the leader, his arms spread out. "I'm dealing with the issue, too. We don't need you tonight. Return to the Senate and tell them to wait for us."

"What am I supposed to say when they ask why we didn't do our jobs?" the soldier demanded, impatiently wiping the rain threatening to drip onto his eyes.

"That you were ordered by those higher in the chain of command." Shay ushered the man away from Ava, helped by Esther and Patrick, all three persuasively speaking the entire time.

Val moved closer to Ava, shooting a wary glance toward the waiting soldiers. "Is it done?"

Phoenix collapsed next to Ava, reaching out to touch her before pulling his hand back. "Who knows what the demon did?"

Lucia approached him warily, then gently wrapped his still bleeding hand. He appeared not to notice.

Peter looked ill. Even Lorcan was hanging back. Was everyone afraid?

"What now?" Val murmured, half to herself.

"She's back to normal," Ari said shakily, creeping up behind Val. "The demon kept his end of the bargain." She put the necklace around her neck. "And he won't be making any deals anymore." She bit her lip as she looked down on Ava.

Was she sorry for what she did or sorry she got caught?

"The Senate will want to hear everything," Peter said gruffly, moving to Val's side. "They were obviously tipped off that _something_ was wrong. We can't hide what really happened. Not now."

"Explaining a demon will be... complex." Phoenix sounded exhausted. "We'll have to manage this carefully."

Val shot Ari a worried look.

"It's all right," the girl said softly. "I already know I'm in trouble."

"Carl," Peter said. "You still alive?"

"Mm-hmm." Carl stretched. "Who the hell are those soldiers?"

"The Senate's been hiring ex-military from overseas to train their own personal army—just in case," Phoenix said.

" _Our_ own army," Peter said. "You're one of them, remember?"

Ava finally stirred, drawing everyone's attention. Those remaining gathered around. The twins, Lavinia, Noah, and even the werewolf came closer to watch.

Ava's eyes flickered open, blinking rapidly as she tried to focus. Numerous emotions crossed her face in an instant as she took in the figures standing around her.

"Phoenix?" Her voice was tiny and gravelly. She looked at his hand, then sat up and ripped off the bandage. She stared for a long moment, a slow hiss escaping clenched teeth. "No." She shook her head. "No. That didn't... please, no."

"It's all right," Phoenix said. "It's over now."

Ava backed up along the grass, devastation clear in her eyes.

Val wanted to look away, but she couldn't. "I'm sorry," she said instead.

Ava's face crumpled. Phoenix reached for her, but Carl was there first, stinking of fae wine. He gathered her to him, and she held on as though drowning, both of them covered in mud.

Val nudged Peter. "We should leave them to it."

Peter hesitated before nodding. When it came down to it, Carl was the one who could help her most. It had always been him.

"We'll need to play our parts for the Senate." She walked toward the car, each step making a squelching sound as the earth threatened to suck her boots right off her feet.

Ari stumbled after them, glancing longingly at Noah who walked in the opposite direction.

"Parts?" Peter said in an oddly flat tone.

"We shouldn't lie. We don't want to make enemies of the Senate."

"Right. The truth makes everyone look bad." Peter glanced over his shoulder. "She's taking this hard." His voice was filled with pity. The barriers he had been building all day to protect himself were obviously crashing to the ground already.

"The only way she could. She's spent her life running from that darkness, and today, it caught up and took over. She couldn't fight it. And now the Senate will know and trust her even less. There's no doubt in my mind that they'll use this against her. Everything's going to change now, Peter. Be prepared."

Peter leaned against the car, his eyebrows furrowed as he gazed back at Ava. Val felt sick at the thought of what might come next. She got back in the car and watched Carl embrace Ava while Phoenix looked on helplessly, the rain still falling heavily. The night was far from over.

# Seventeen

_P eter_

* * *

Peter had given Ari and the shifters a lift along with Val, and somehow managed to be one of the first to arrive at the meeting. Most of the Senate had already positioned themselves in their seats in the meeting hall, their positions raised just a little above everyone else.

The witch was too busy quietly glaring at Martin Breslin to notice Peter's arrival. The solicitor smiled back at Clementine pleasantly, entirely unperturbed—a huge difference than his demeanor earlier in the day. Again, Peter was struck with a desperate urge to uncover whatever Breslin and Ava were keeping secret.

"We might as well sit down," Val said, managing to sound as though that were the last thing they should do.

The shifters moved into the aisle across from Breslin. Ari followed, looking like a scared drowned rat. Peter and Val took their seats next to her.

Peter nodded at Breslin. "He should make sure they play fair."

Val glanced over her shoulder to the doorway. "She's still not here. Do you think they won't come?"

"They'll be here. They'll have to." There was no escaping the Senate's judgement. It was best to face it, preferably with somebody like Breslin by one's side. Ava likely needed time to gather herself.

Esther leaned across Patrick to whisper, "Be ready for anything."

Ari wrapped her arms around herself. "There'll be trouble then?"

Esther shrugged then sat back in her seat. "If the Senate are anything like the old Council, then yes."

Ari shifted closer to the shifters as though to distance herself from the Senate.

"You can't interfere," Patrick insisted to Esther.

"I'm tired," Esther said, positioning her body away from him. "Too damn tired to let them make this situation any worse than it already is."

Her mate fell silent.

Peter widened his eyes at Val then looked up at the Senate. He couldn't help but wonder how the event would affect Ava's number on the new register. Six members had already gathered. Mick was stoically facing outward, James and Willow were arguing as usual, and the witch was whispering with the siren. Layla shot Peter a reassuring smile. He couldn't tell how anything was going to play out anymore.

Shay soon arrived with a handful of his Integration Agents. Noah slipped in with them then sat at the back of the room, as far away from Ari as possible. The tension in the room increased with every moment longer they waited for Ava to arrive.

Peter had far too much time to think over the day, his choices, people's reactions, and how Ava had to be feeling. He glanced back at the door, wishing she would hurry up. He had to face her, too.

Finally, Phoenix and Carl escorted her into the room, closely followed by Lavinia and the twins. It hit Peter how exhausted everyone appeared, how completely drained they all seemed. It had been a long day.

Ava's face was tear-stained, her hands shaky as she walked to the front, failing to exude confidence. Bravado was the one thing she'd always been good at, but there was none left. She sat next to Breslin then kept her head down, refusing to look at anyone. An ache in Peter's chest formed and refused to go away. The protective instinct that had once surprised him flared to life again. He couldn't let the Senate hurt her after the day she'd had.

Phoenix looked around the room. "Are we all here?"

"Unless you're expecting someone," Mick said.

"Then can _somebody_ please tell me what on earth went on tonight?" Callista snapped. She was in full siren getup, her eyes glistening with metallic eye shadow, and her lips full and red. She was obviously missing a show somewhere.

"I can," Phoenix said. "But it's a long story, and I don't think—"

"We have time." Clementine, the witch, was a new addition to the Senate, but she had already settled in, judging by her condescending tone. "We've heard mixed reports today that have been interesting."

"Oh," Phoenix said tiredly. "Then why don't you begin instead?"

"We heard from the children's home that a new arrival almost died," Willow said, "and that it's somehow connected to this."

"There was an emergency call about Ava Delaney on a murderous rampage," James added.

Phoenix's jaw had clenched tight. He was going to make a mistake. Peter sensed it coming.

"Anything else?" Phoenix asked, a little too pleasantly for the tension in his jaw.

"The fact we didn't hear it from you or our Integration Agents is pretty damning," Mick said, glancing over at Shay.

"Why didn't you warn us?" Callista demanded. "We could have at least prepared for the media."

"Perhaps we didn't give a damn about the media," Phoenix said. "Perhaps we only cared to resolve the situation."

"By hiding it," Mick said, shaking his head. "What were you thinking? This could have gone badly."

"It was bad enough," Peter called out. "And it was all accidental. Now it's over, so can we go home?"

"Peter, what happened?" Layla asked. "From the beginning."

"Him?" Phoenix asked, unable to hide his scorn. Peter was too tired to care much.

"I've had dealings with Peter and Val before. They're both fair when it comes to the truth."

Phoenix shook his head, but he didn't protest any further. In fact, he looked relieved as he took his seat.

Peter looked over at Ava then back to Val.

"Just tell the truth," she said.

He slowly rose to his feet then moved into the centre of the room. The day had exposed his ego and his pride, shattered it all with the realization of how low he had sunk as a person, as a so-called human. He wouldn't act like Phoenix—as though he were in charge and knew better than everyone. Val was right. The truth was needed. He couldn't go easy on himself or anyone else. He had to lay it all bare.

"I was there for most of it," he explained. "A shadow attacked Ava, took something important from her, and she went... feral."

"A shadow?" Layla looked concerned, and he wondered if she knew something about demons, after all.

"I... I thought Ava was dangerous, like one of those beasts, and I proposed taking her out before she could hurt anyone, or be captured and forced to hurt somebody."

He carried on with the story, leaving nothing out. The words vomited out of him, almost without his control, but he felt lighter with every sin of his confessed.

"This is bizarre," Mick said when Peter had finished.

"I think it's clear that Ava is free of guilt in this matter," Layla said, sounding relieved. "After everything she's gone through, we should be sending her home to recover. I highly doubt anyone is going to press charges against her."

Relief flooded through him. At least two Senate members would have Ava's back.

"We did receive emergency calls," Callista corrected. "We'll have to deal with that."

Layla waved a hand. "Likely from anonymous callers who saw Ava running around and decided to cause some drama. The one she hurt most is in this room, sitting right next to her. The issue has been resolved."

"Then we're done," Willow said.

James stood up to leave, as did a number of people in the room, when the witch raised her hand and sent a blast of magic outward, forcing those people to sit back down.

"How dare you?" James spluttered.

"We're not done yet," Clementine said. "The problem here is not Ava Delaney." She cocked her head. "At least, not right at this moment. We'll need to discuss a contingency plan for the next episode—just in case. The real problem is that young woman over there."

Peter turned to see who she was pointing at. Ah. Ari. The girl shrank back into her seat, her entire body trembling with fear. Esther put a protective arm around her, the shifter's expression turning hard.

"It was an accident," Val protested. "She didn't intentionally cause any of this. It was a misunderstanding. She's a young girl who's had—"

"She was born bad," Clementine said viciously, rising from her seat.

"She's a witch," Layla said. "Just like you."

Clementine sneered. "That creature is not like me. It's a sin to call her a witch. She's a magic thief. She steals from true witches. She's a curse on our world. Her kind was wiped out in the old days. Obviously a job unfinished if some bloodlines still run." She shivered. "I knew I was led here for a reason."

Peter felt all control over the situation slip out of his hands. He looked back at Val. She nodded, her hand ready to reach for her mace.

"You're being ridiculous," Phoenix said. "A complete overreaction."

"I'm the witch in charge in this country," Clementine said loudly. "You made it so, remember?"

The fae looked as though he had just swallowed something bitter.

Clementine pointed at Ari. "She should never have been allowed to roam free."

"She's a child," Patrick said gruffly. "She needs guidance."

"The alpha speaks at last." Clementine smiled, darkness in her eyes. "You had the chance to take a seat on this Senate as far as I was told. Too late to interfere now."

All day, the group had been at odds, and now that they had finally united, they were up against a powerful witch backed by the Senate. Ari's hands were visibly shaking, and he felt powerless to protect the girl. But he would try.

"I declare the magic thief an abomination. Give her to me, and I'll bind her." The look in Clementine's eyes was akin to a Humans First supporter. Pure madness and hatred.

Everyone began to argue, but one voice rose up above all others with a simple, " _No_."

Everyone looked at Ava, Peter with relief that she had finally spoken.

She slowly lifted her head and met Clementine's gaze. "You don't get to have her." Her voice was hoarse but firm. She stood, an ounce of her old swagger returning.

Carl ducked behind Ava as she took a step forward to tell Clementine exactly what she thought. She held the attention of the entire Senate while Carl hurried over to Peter.

"She wants me to get Ari out of here," Carl said under his breath. "We need to move now, before the witch notices."

"Ava wants to help Ari?" Peter couldn't hide his surprise.

"Stop acting so surprised! She's a kid,' Carl whispered indignantly. "And Clementine is obviously a complete psycho. Now move."

"Go," Patrick said. "We'll try to cover for you."

Esther squeezed his hand, her face lighting up.

Peter took in the fear on Ari's face and made up his own mind. He would earn her time to escape if he could. "I'll stay, too, to make it less obvious. Val, get her outside. Take my car. Carl, where to?"

"Breslin's office for now."

Peter handed over his keys. "Go on ahead. I'll follow when I can."

Carl and Val quietly escorted Ari to the doors. Peter moved to the centre of the aisle and listened to the argument, his heart racing from the vehemence in Clementine's voice. It could have been him speaking only a few years ago.

"But he did this to _you_ ," Clementine was saying. "Surely you above anyone should be condemning her."

"We don't condemn kids around here," Ava said. "That's what the children's home was meant to be—a safe place for those who were different. The whole point of the Senate was to protect vulnerable people like Ari."

"She's right," Layla said. "Our purpose has completely deviated. We can't let this steer us further off-course."

James shook his head, a doubtful look on his face. "A demon's going to be hard to gloss over."

"She's been a victim most of her life," Willow said. "Perhaps we should reconsider."

"I _will_ bind her," Clementine shouted. She looked for Ari. "Where is she?"

Ava shrugged. "Dunno. I've been talking to you."

Peter could have sworn Layla was covering a smile. "That's that then," the succubus said. "We'll discuss Ari again during calmer times."

"If she uses magic, I'll find her," Clementine said. "And my coven will follow you until you lead us to her. You can't hide her from me. She's a ward of the state—that makes her _mine_."

"We'll see," Ava said. "Is there anything else you need?"

"We need to move on that monster," the witch cried. "It would be weakness not to."

The rest of the Senate were beginning to look embarrassed by her outbursts, and as if on cue, Breslin stood, his gaze predatory. "I'm sure you'll get on to that, but first, there are a couple of points I'd like to readdress."

He kept the Senate talking for a long time, enough to guarantee Ari's safe trip to his office.

"We've gone over this time and time again," Clementine said impatiently. "Your client is safe. Now can we please end this. That creature is getting away."

"Not just yet," Layla said, ignoring Clementine's death stare. "We should discuss what we need to cover up _and_ the details we should publicly announce."

Layla went in circles with that information for so long that Peter had to admit he was impressed.

Throughout, Clementine kept seething in her seat, but she had been temporarily silenced, at least.

"I think it's time to take a break," Mick said an hour later. "Everyone not directly involved can leave, but we still need to work out the rest of the details for the press conference tomorrow."

The rest of the Senate—bar Clementine—agreed to a break.

Patrick shook Peter's hand. "We're going to head on. What about you?"

"I'll see this out," he said. "Want to make sure somebody's keeping an eye on that witch at least."

"Good luck," he said. "She's not going to let this go."

Peter nodded at Breslin. "Neither will he, I'm betting."

The shifters left, and Peter noticed Ava slowly approaching him, a fearful look on her face.

He cleared his throat. "Everyone got away all right."

"Good. That's... great."

He didn't know quite what else to say.

She shifted from one foot to the other, tapping her fingers against her arm. "No hard feelings?"

It was hard to speak. She looked so ashamed of herself, so afraid of his reaction.

"I'm sorry," he said at last. "Today was..."

"Yeah," she shoved her hands deep into her pockets. "It was."

"You should know... I'm planning on leaving the cul-de-sac."

Her head shot up, despair in her eyes. "Is Emmett... afraid of me?"

"He's worried for you." He cleared his throat. "He'll be fine, but maybe I'm doing this for me, Ava. We can't pretend like we're okay. I've got to be honest, right? I wanted us to be a family, but I haven't felt comfortable at home for a while, and today... a part of what I felt for you died when I saw you stalk my son, and then seeing you with Phoenix was just the nail on the coffin."

She flinched as though he had struck her, and for an instant, he was glad he hurt her. He hated that part of himself, couldn't pull it back.

She ducked her head. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Emmett and you were..."

"Hey," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'll be out of your hair as soon as I can."

"That's not fair." She met his gaze, obviously hurt. "You and Emmett were my only chance of having a family. You still have each other. I've lost you both. I've lost..." She inhaled sharply.

He swallowed a sudden rush of emotion. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Emmett will always want you in his life. I just need space from everything."

She looked away, quickly brushed her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry I wasn't like Carl and the rest today," he said. "I thought... I thought—"

"For what it's worth, I understand. You made the right choice, Peter." She turned on her heel to walk away.

He wasn't so sure that there had been a right choice to make, but he couldn't let her go on that note. " _Ava_." His voice broke on her name.

She turned around, her eyes shining with tears.

His pride didn't matter anymore. He pulled her into an embrace, held her close for too long, but he didn't care. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

She held on to him, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"I saw myself today," he said. "Saw the kind of man I've become. I need to break away to make a fresh start before I become the person Emmett hates. I should have treated you better when I had the chance, but I wasn't ready to let go of my baggage, and I'm so sorry for that."

"Thank you," she murmured. "You're a good father, Peter. Don't let this come between you and Emmett."

"I wish I could go back. I wish I could change so many things."

"I know. Me, too. But it's okay now. It's over. We're okay." She pulled free. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us. I want you and Emmett in my life. I want to be friends."

"I just... I'll need time for that."

She nodded, tried a weak smile. "I'll be there when you're ready."

"Good luck, Ava Delaney."

Her smile was warmer. "Same to you, Peter Brannigan."

She briefly touched his hand then moved on. It was more than time for him to do the same. He surreptitiously wiped a stray tear from the corner of his eye. Maybe they would never be friends, but at least they weren't enemies. She'd taught him one thing: if he didn't let go of his bitterness, he would never be truly happy.

# Eighteen

_V al_

* * *

Val threw the car keys at Carl then ushered Ari into the car. At last, something she could at least attempt to control.

The front doors of the building flung open. Val slammed the door shut after Ari, reaching for her weapon with her other hand.

A familiar dark-haired young man raced over. _Noah_. She forced herself to relax. He wasn't the enemy.

He ran to the car. "Hurry," he cried out as he jumped in on the other side.

Val followed suit.

Noah's pulse was distractingly fast. "The witch already noticed."

"She's going to catch me," Ari said, almost hysterical.

"We won't let her," Val said. " _I_ won't let her."

"None of us will." Carl started the car then drove off with haste.

Ari made an odd sound from the backseat.

"Ari?" Val glanced back at her. "Are you all right?"

The girl was still shaking. She looked at her hands, eyes full of dawning horror. "A magic thief. So that's who I am."

"Don't listen to her," Carl said. "She's just a... a _nasty_ person."

"She hates me," Ari whispered. "Absolutely hates me."

"Where are you taking her?" Noah asked.

"Somewhere safe," Carl said. "Ava will make sure she has a place to hide, but for now, we just need to keep her out of the Senate's hands."

"So I can't go back to my home?" Ari asked. "Hide the place from her?"

"That witch will just follow you," Noah said. "And she can track you with magic. Don't be stupid, Ari."

"Stop calling me stupid!" she yelled. "Didn't you hear her? This is how I was born! I'm a freak twice over. That doesn't make me stupid." She thumped his arm. "And you calling me stupid all of the time doesn't help!"

"Settle down, both of you," Carl said wearily. "Nobody is stupid, and panicking won't help anything. We just need to stay calm until we know more."

Noah fell silent, rubbing his arm.

"It's going to be okay," Val said. "This will work out. The trouble will die down."

"What does it mean when a witch binds you?" Ari said. "That I'll never use magic again?"

"It might not be so bad," Carl said. "At least you'll be safe."

"It sounds like it'll keep you out of trouble," Noah added, a little petulantly.

"It sounds like death." She leaned forward, gasping for air. "Not being able to touch magic would be like... going blind and deaf at the same time. The world is meaningless without it. I can't go back to that. I'd have nothing. I'd rather have my tongue cut out than let her bind me."

"Ari, calm down," Val said. "You're safe. We won't let the witch hurt you."

"All she has to do is take my magic." Ari wrapped her arms around herself, rapidly muttering, "There was no colour before this, before I found the magic. I can't... I can't do this."

"Stop freaking out!" Noah said. "Ava won't let anything happen to you."

" _Why_ is she helping me?" Ari said shakily. "Ava hates me. Why would she help me? What does she want from me?"

"Nothing," Carl said. "You're a teenager. You made a mistake. Do you really expect the world to hate you for it? And you're not a freak for that matter. You have a gift. That makes you special."

Ari sniffed. "You're just saying that because you're my teacher."

"Not true. This is outside of work hours. I'm not getting paid for any of this."

Ari managed a weak laugh. At least she had stopped panicking.

Val smiled at Carl. It felt good to help someone after a day of trying to hurt someone else. But the Senate... they had been willing to hand Ari over to Clementine, after everything she had gone through in her life. There was no room for heart and compassion on the Senate, and with certain members like Phoenix so obviously out of favour, she had no idea where the pieces would fall.

They arrived at the office. Alex was already waiting for them. "Breslin texted me," he said. "The young witch isn't to use magic until we can find a way to stop it from being traced. And Ava can't come herself because she's being followed by a coven of witches, apparently. We're to wait here until Breslin arrives, at least."

"Am I supposed to stay here?" Ari asked. "Forever?"

"Only for the night," he said kindly. "Don't worry. By morning, we'll have sorted you a new home."

"Where?"

He glanced at Val and Carl before answering. "I don't know yet, but I'm sure Ava has something planned." He hesitated again. "It sounded serious, and the Senate will probably investigate everyone involved. I got the vibe that it might be for the best if you live alone for a bit."

Ari swallowed hard, looking as though she had tasted something terrible.

"You'll be fine," Noah said impatiently. "You're getting off lightly after what you did."

She gazed at him longingly. "You could hide with me, Noah. It won't make a difference."

His expression hardened. "I don't want to anymore. Understand? You're not what I want, not what I need, and I'm so angry at what you've done. Look at all of the people who have trouble now because of you, and all you care about—even now!—is yourself. You need to grow up sometime."

A solitary tear ran down her cheek. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"I don't know." He turned away, didn't see her shoulders shake with a silent sob.

Val felt sorry for the kid all over again. She knew what it was like to struggle for love. She'd seen Lucia's easy smile over something Lavinia had said, realised she was the only one of the pair in pain. Their relationship had always been doomed—and it was clear they were on opposite sides now.

She patted Ari's shoulder. "At least the witch won't be able to touch you. You'll be safe in a home Ava finds for you. I promise."

She should have offered to let the girl stay with her, but the thought of her corrupting Leah, drawing the Senate's attention to her, hung like lead in her stomach. Maybe someday she would be a better person.

She was still mulling over that when Carl asked if could he speak to her in private. She didn't want to, expecting a lecture, but she agreed, and they headed outside.

The rain had stopped, and a gentle breeze cut through the earlier heaviness. They stood under a streetlamp, the air smelling fresh and new again.

"I know what you're going to say," she said. "It's been a rough day. I don't want another argument."

"Then don't argue," he said shortly. "Today worked out in the end. I'm not one for holding grudges, Val."

"Then what do you want?" Her nerves were already strained to the limit. She would go home and dream of Lucia, and that terrified her.

"I want you to know that you have no excuse now."

She gaped at him, baffled. "What?"

"The out of control hellhound thing. I heard what you did, how you were about to kill her." He shook his head with a wry smile. "No, that the _hellhound_ was about to kill her. But you stopped it. _You_ did. _You_ took control."

"What's your point?"

"You have the power, even when things are at their most fraught." He shoved his hands into his pockets then leaned against the wall. "You did it this time, so you'll do it again. That other side of you will never be in charge unless you let it."

Her mouth opened and closed. When she spoke, her voice sounded very small. "You don't know what it's like."

"I've been around Ava enough to have an idea," he said. "And one thing I've learned is that you can't keep hating what's hidden inside you or you'll destroy yourself from the inside out. You're pretty damn awesome, Val. Own it. Value it. Don't make yourself less than for anyone." He pushed himself off the wall. "Think about it."

Too surprised to speak, she watched him go back inside, finally beginning to understand why Ava kept him around.

And she smiled.

# Nineteen

_P eter_

* * *

Clementine wasted everyone's time for the next two hours but eventually came to realise she wasn't getting her hands on Ari. Not that she'd give up easily. He could tell by the hatred in her eyes. It matched a look he'd worn for far too long.

He called Anka before leaving, lingering near the doorway. He quickly updated her on the situation.

"The children are asleep in my house," she said. "I took them home after you let me know Ava was back to normal. Let Emmett stay here tonight. There is no point waking him now."

"I'm wrecked myself." More like wired. "Thanks, Anka."

"How are you?" She hesitated. "It must have been an ordeal."

"It's over now." He watched Ava and Phoenix approach. "I'll talk to you in the morning, Anka. Get some rest yourself."

Ava could barely keep her eyes open. "We're off. The witch will probably follow all of us for a while, so... be careful."

"Val's still with Ari. Everyone else is fine."

"Good. That's... great." Her eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed. "Fingers crossed that's it for tonight at least."

"You should get some sleep," he said gruffly. "We'll talk... some other time."

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she nodded then left.

Peter held Phoenix's arm to prevent him from following.

"What now?" Phoenix asked, but there was no malice in his tone.

"Just... you can't keep playing both sides. The Senate will force you to choose eventually. Make up your mind now what your answer will be because if you hurt Ava down the line, life won't be pleasant for you."

Phoenix's lips curled upward, barely a smile. "I know. Us being at odds could hurt her, too." His eyebrows furrowed. "You had to make a difficult choice today. I've heard so many stories about your past, but I can see it wasn't like that for you with her."

"Is this where we giggle like schoolgirls and make up?"

Phoenix snorted. "Not a chance. Good luck to you, Peter Brannigan." He glanced over his shoulder. "We'll all need some luck soon enough."

Peter sat in the nearest seat, taking Phoenix's words as a warning. Life would change, and Emmett could suffer from the blowback of the day's consequences. Moving on, in every sense of the word, was the best way to protect him from the drama that constantly shadowed Ava Delaney.

"Peter?" He hadn't even noticed Layla's approach. "Not going home yet?"

He looked at the succubi and desperately wanted to do anything but. "I don't know if I could sleep after all of this."

"Want a coffee?"

He couldn't hide his surprise.

"I think I owe you a few," she said with a smile. "You brought me so many at the hospital."

"Are you still in touch with those victims?"

"Occasionally," she said. "They don't need me quite as much now. Jamie tells me you look in on her."

"I still have her dog, so..." He had no idea what to say to the succubi. Life had twisted everything upside down. Without aggressive, angry remarks to hide behind, he was left feeling oddly vulnerable. He wasn't sure of himself—or even why he wanted to speak with her. He'd been burned before, and yet...

"Well, I should head on then." She smiled. "You know how to get in touch with me if you'd like that coffee."

"Wait." Peter swallowed hard, his pride a sharp instrument of pain. He looked around, then at his feet. "Before, when we fixed the problem at the hospital, you said... Well, today's been tough, and I realised that I'm carrying a lot of hate and bitterness with nowhere to direct it except at people I actually care about. I'm tired of being this way, Layla. I know you help people with that kind of thing, so... I was wondering if that offer still stands." He glanced at her. "I don't know where to go from here, how to deal with any of this. I think I might need your kind of help."

She patted his arm. "How about we just start with the coffee?"

She walked to the door and waited for him. He hesitated for about two seconds before following her, shedding yet another layer of intolerance. Maybe the succubus couldn't help him. Maybe he was beyond helping. But Emmett needed him to at least try. Peter needed that, too.

# About the Author

For more information, check out Claire Farrell's blog or email the author. Sign up to be notified of new releases or like the Facebook page for more regular updates. Click here for an updated series reading order.

Contact Me:

    @doingitwritenow

    clairefarrellauthor

www.clairefarrellauthor.com

claire_farrell@live.ie

# Books by Claire Farrell:

**C haos Series:**

One Night with the Fae (Companion Prequel)

Soul (Chaos #1)

Fade (Chaos #2)

Queen (Chaos #3)

Usurper (Chaos #4)

Blight (Chaos #5)

Kings (Chaos #5.5)

Sacrifice (Chaos #6)

Chaos Volume 1 (Books 1-3)

Chaos Volume 2 (Books 4-6)

* * *

**A va Delaney Series (Completed):**

Thirst (Ava Delaney #1)

Taunt (Ava Delaney #2)

Tempt (Ava Delaney #3)

Taken (Ava Delaney #4)

Taste (Ava Delaney #5)

Traitor (Ava Delaney #6)

Awakening (Ava Delaney Volume I – Books 1-3)

Uprising (Ava Delaney Volume II – Books 4-6)

* * *

**L ost Souls Series:**

Tainted (Ava Delaney: Lost Souls #1)

Tethers (Ava Delaney: Lost Souls #2)

Tithes (Ava Delaney: Lost Souls #3)

Ava Delaney: Lost Souls - Volume 1

* * *

**V BI Series:**

Demon Dog (VBI #1)

Bad Blood (VBI #2)

Secret Self (VBI #3)

* * *

**C ursed Series (Completed):**

Verity (Cursed #1)

Clarity (Cursed #2)

Adversity (Cursed #2.5)

Purity (Cursed #3)

Cursed Omnibus (Entire Cursed Series)

* * *

**S take You Series (Completed):**

Stake You (Stake You #1)

Make You (Stake You #2)

Break You (Stake You #3)

* * *

**S hort Story Collections:**

Sixty Seconds

A Little Girl in my Room

* * *

**O ther:**

Death is a Gift (A standalone banshee novel)

Zombie Moon Rising (A Peter Brannigan Novella)

Ghost Moon Rising (A Peter Brannigan Novella)

Crucible (A Phoenix Novella)

Bind (An Esther Novella)

Relativity (A Lorcan & Lucia Novella)
