I flushed. “Yes and no. Charlie told them, but I would have anyway. They’re my family; we don’t keep secrets.”

“Do you see, Doran, what I was trying to work with? Wait, you knew Charlie was alive?” Faris lifted his head and stared at me, his eyes wide.

I lowered my blade. “Yes.”

“Then why did you come with me if you knew it was a bluff?”

“Faris, you are the biggest asshole in all the world, but at least you are not going to turn the world over to the vampires. You aren’t going mad with power. As much as I hate to say it, you were the best choice.”

Besides, we needed the vampires unified—and not under someone certifiable—if I was going to convince them to help me in the upcoming shit show with Orion. Not that I was ready to spill those beans to Faris just yet.

He thumped his head back into the stone. “And now, there is only one.”

I cleared my throat and slid my blades back into their sheaths. “That isn’t true, exactly.”

Doran let out a strangled squawk. “No. Rylee. Just. No.”

Faris wobbled to his feet. “Wait, what are you talking about?”

And if Faris knows you plan to turn Doran into a vampire, and take the throne, you think he won’t just kill him?

Time to think fast and lie through my teeth, something I wasn’t all that good at. “I have an idea.”

Faris’s eyes focused on me. “And the idea is …”

“Not sure if it will work yet.” I shrugged. “When the time comes to tell you, I will.”

Doran hadn’t moved, his green eyes distant, and I could almost feel him closing off from us.

“Faris.” I lifted my hand, stopping him, feeling my world tighten further. “Let it go. Apparently, I am the only one who has to make a sacrifice to save this fucking world. Let’s find the Blood. We’ll wait for Berget there and deal with her.”

I wanted Liam so badly I ached all over. I didn’t trust either of these men I was with. I’d thought I could trust Doran, but apparently I was wrong.

Faris surprised me by doing as I asked. “So, it is proven now that I do not have the control to lead, but we know the Child Empress is no better. It will be difficult at best to kill her, let alone implement whatever plan it is you two have hatched.” He limped forward.

I put a finger to his ch sgeralone implest, my next words measured and slow. “What the fuck is going on? I cannot deal with this mercurial shit you’re pulling, Faris. Either you are trying to hurt me, or you are on our side. I will tell you this straight right fucking now.” I took a step closer, pulling my blades and pressing them into the hollow of his throat. “Turn on me one more time, play one more fucking game with me and nothing you say or do will keep me from striking your twisted head from your shoulders.”

His eyes never wavered from mine, but he didn’t try to bespell me.

“You have my word, Rylee. I will not turn on you again, or even seemingly turn on you. Now, what is your plan for our little empress?”

I dropped my blades. That would be the best I could get out of him. A glance at Doran showed him still off in la-la land. Some help there.

“If we can pin her down, we can end her.”

Faris threw back his head, his laughter echoing off the stone walls. “Just how do you plan to ‘pin’ her down?”

I frowned at him. “Hadn’t got that far.”

The vampire put a hand to his chin. “We can figure that out as we go, but perhaps it would be best to find the Blood first. There is a time limit on this.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Spit it out.”

“Three days until the winter equinox rolls around. And depending on where the Blood resides, that could mean we have less than three days.”

Why was there always a fucking time limit? Even if we found the right door, the Blood wouldn’t be waiting for us on the other side, they could be thousands of miles away. “If you feed, can you jump me across continents?”

He nodded. “Yes, that would be the fastest way to Track them.”

My brain kicked into overdrive. “You go feed. I’ll keep checking doorways, see if we can’t find what we’re looking for before you get back.”

“So we are a team now, are we? And you are Red Leader? Interesting turn of events.” Faris turned his back and jumped the veil, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.

“Did he just refer to Star Wars?”

“Yes,” Doran said. “I believe he did.”

“Done sulking?” I wouldn’t look at him, couldn’t. He’d let me down, and that disappointment was like a fire in my gut.

“Rylee—”

“Don’t fucking bother, Doran. You don’t want to take responsibility. I get it.” I strode toward the next door. Doran might not want to lead the vampires, but what other choice was there? Berget? Fuck no.

Forcing my thoughts back to the task at hand I stared at the next crossing. Classic castle doorway, heavy bands of iron across it with round loops of iron for a handle. Sword in one hand, I grabbed the ring of iron and pulled. The door slid open on what felt like oiled hinges, revealing just another part of the castle. Also lined with doors.

That wasn’t what made my jaw drop, though.

Nope, my jaw dropped because I found myself staring at Jack. Not the sickly, almost dead Jack I had met, a cranky old Tracker who couldn’t stand without help or a cane.

The Jack I found myself staring at was young, vibrant with life, and had a brand spanking new set of fangs.

B sn="n Py the time they got to the farmhouse, the twenty-four hours Rylee had said it would take her had come and gone. And Liam was close to pulling his hair out.

“She’ll wait for us, or she’ll come looking for us,” Milly said as they slowed to a stop in the driveway. “She does have this nifty little trick that allows her to find people.”

Liam let out slow breath. Much as he hated to admit the witch was right, she was. They might be behind, but Rylee could find them a hell of a lot easier than they could find her.

“Let’s check on your uncle, Frank. See if we can’t get something out of him.” The four of them stepped out of the Jeep and headed toward the barn. A loud squawk drew his eyes upward. On top of the barn perched a perturbed Harpy.

“Eve.” He lifted a hand, and the Harpy let out a second squawk and flew down to greet them.