Page 54 of I Am the Night

I chuckle. "You know I always wondered how people in thriller movies could take time from being stalked and nearly killed to have sex, but now I get it. In life or death situations, you realize the importance of that intimacy more than ever." I walk over to him and lay my hands on his chest. "If the world is going to end, I needed to be with you today, and as many times as I can before that happens."

"We are not going to let the world end," he says, frowning. "Because I don't think any of us will survive this life without you."

I blink away the tears when I realize what he's saying. "You have to," I whisper. "Alina needs you. You have to make it. For her. For me. Swear it."

He closes his eyes, his face a portrait of grief to come. "I swear it." He opens his eyes and caresses my face. "But know this. I will do whatever must be done to save you."

I know what he's saying, and I frown. "Let's first try it my way. Before we talk about turning over the child, let's try to find out what's going on with her powers and why. Let's find another way."

He nods and leads me out of the cave by the hand. But before we leave, I grab the fur. "For later," I say, winking.

He chuckles. "For later."

Outside, evidence of the storm is everywhere we look. Trees are toppled, pulled from their roots or split in half like twigs. Foliage is ripped out of the ground. Boulders have been tossed about like pebbles. In short, it's a mess.

"We'd better get home, make sure everyone's okay," I say, reaching for Sebastian's hand.

"Are you sure you're strong enough to teleport?" he asks.

"It's easier than walking from… " I look around. "From wherever we are. Do you even know where we are?" I ask.

"No, not really. This must be part of the new world we haven't been to yet."

"Okay, well then we teleport. Besides, I feel as good as new." And it's true. I've made a remarkable recovery and feel stronger than ever.

It only takes me a moment to take us back to the castle, and we land by the front door, just as intended. Sebastian sways a bit and then steadies himself. "That's still very strange," he admits.

"I think it must be easier if you have Darkness," I say. "Otherwise you're fighting the magic."

He nods and the moment we step in the door we are greeted by three very worried men, two babies, and a pacing Dryad.

Derek pulls me into his arms. "We've been worried out of our minds. Where have you two been?"

I explain our confrontation with the Mother of Dragons, then the storm, then my powers conking out followed by our makeshift habitat for the night.

"Good thinking," Elijah says to Sebastian. "The cave was smart. That storm was the worst this world has ever seen. Buildings are damaged. People are panicking."

Lily steps forward. "Kaya says more people than ever are requesting transport to Earth. Especially those who can pass as human. Everyone knows something's up here, most just don't know how serious it is."

"What does Kaya say about the chances of getting everyone out if we need to," I ask.

Lily frowns. "It would take at least a month to evacuate this world, but that would create a massive influx in Earth that could trigger a whole new witch hunt."

"In other words, it would be a massacre the moment they arrived," I say.

Lily nods.

"So we have no choice," Derek says. "We need to turn the girl over."

"I don't think you understand," I say to Derek. "She's not going to leave this world intact. I'm sure of it. Once she has the murderer and her grandchild, she'll take her kids and head to her world, and snap her fingers to get rid of this one. I know it. I can see it in her."

They look at each other, and Liam shakes his head. "Eve is a Fate. If she sees this, we have to trust her."

Sebastian comes to my side. "I believe Eve as well," he says, surprising me. "I saw how unhinged the queen was. She will not leave us alone until we defeat her."

Elijah frowns. "You realize that's impossible, right? I have searched every book I can get my hands on. There's nothing powerful enough to defeat her in this world."

"There has to be a way," I say, standing. "I'm going to visit a friend. I have an idea. I'll be back soon."

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