Ignoring them, I flipped the book open from the beginning and began to skim through, looking for key words. Unlike the black skinned book of demon prophecies, I didn’t feel dirty reading the violet skinned book. The words were all like the first, a mess of sentences that, while I could read them, made very little sense. Worse than all the other books of prophecy. At least those could be deciphered for the most part.

Sitting in Jack’s chair, trying to read my own future in a book written hundreds, if not thousands, of years before, I couldn’t help but think there was something else we should be doing. Yet there was nothing but to wait on Liam’s plan, a truth that ate at me and my natural inclination to run in, kick ass and ask questions later.

“Are you sure we can’t go tonight?” I asked him as we ate lunch in the kitchen, the violet book tucked in beside me.

Liam shook his head. “No, I’m sure. Besides, Erik said he needs time to prepare. Shouldn’t you be helping him?”

That was something I didn’t want any part of, but Liam was right. Reluctantly, I Tracked Erik and followed his threads to the rooftop. When I got there, the harpies were off flying, or at least, most of them were. Three roosted with their heads tucked under their wings on the far side of the roof, oblivious to us. Erik sat cross-legged next to a chalk drawing. I crouched beside him. The drawing was a simple circle with two lines bisecting it. “What do you have to do to call a demon? I thought there would be a pentagram involved.”

He didn’t open his eyes. “This isn’t calling a demon to posses their power, this is calling them out.”

“Like a bar fight.”

“Exactly. Demons are somewhat sensitized to Slayers, so when we announce ourselves, they are drawn to us. The problem is, you can’t just call one demon. You end up calling anything within range.”

My eyes widened. “Then why would this be something you would even want to learn?”

He blew out a soft breath. “It’s a form of suicide for a Slayer, a way to go out with a bang if you will.”

I sat beside him. “What do you have to do?”

He finally opened his eyes and tapped the chalk drawing. “This is a compass. North, south, east, west are represented and the Slayer becomes the center of it. Essentially, you throw yourself at the mercy of the elementals to take your call to all the demons of the world, to draw them to you. If they take your request, they will give us notice.”

There it was again, that elemental thing. “You say elementals like they are cognizant of us.”

He chuckled. “They are, but they are not allowed to interfere with the rest of the world. They are neutral.”

“Why?”

With a shrug, he closed his eyes. “I don’t know. No one does. But they will either take my message to the demons that are here or they won’t.”

I hated to admit it, but the whole thing intrigued me. Though, maybe again it was the mention of elementals. A part of my brain insisted I’d met one, but I couldn’t remember that being the case.

“Would it help if I added in a request of my own?”

“Might. Sit quietly and reach for the demons, demand they show themselves.”

Well, that was a new one. “That’s it?”

“Yes.” The way his lips curled told me it wouldn’t be that easy, but a challenge was what I needed to keep my mind off the time ticking by. I sat beside him and closed my eyes.

Fucking asshole piece of shit demons, come and get me.

His hand tightened on Doran’s shoulder. “A minute, please.”

Doran stilled under his grip.

Liam took a slow breath, finding the scents around Doran disturbing and yet somewhat comforting too. “You love her.”

“Yes.” Doran stared back at him, unmoving for a few seconds before nodding. “But she sees only you. She doesn’t have it in her to be any other way. I don’t think that will change, even … after.”

“But we both know what’s coming for me.” He had to swallow any jealousy, any hurt on his part, and it tore out a chunk of his heart to say it. “Keep loving her, Doran. She’s going to need you.”

Liam couldn’t help but see the qualities in Doran that would pair well with Rylee. Doran’s sense of humor, his laid back way of dealing with things, they would temper her seriousness. His jaw ached from holding it tight, from not snapping out that Doran should stay the hell away from Rylee. The mix of emotions made him sweat and he had to fight to keep his wolf under control for the first time in a while.

“Liam, I don’t think she will see things that way. But I will always stand with her. I won’t let her fight this alone.” Doran’s uncharacteristic solemnity eased Liam’s anxiety … at least a little.

Teeth gritted, he walked out, leaving Doran behind. It was all he could ask now, to make sure those around Rylee would be with her when the time came. Because if there was anything Liam knew, it was that Rylee wouldn’t let him go without a fight.

Next, he went to find Pamela, scenting her out and finding her in the kitchen. She was baking, something he’d learned she did when feeling uncertain. The smells filling the kitchen told him she was indeed feeling out of sorts. Alex sat awkwardly on a stool next to her, his gangly legs hanging off the edge, like some sort of unhinged puppet. Just Alex’s eyes followed him and in them was a worry that Liam felt.

To ask Pamela what he’d asked of her was brutal. “Pamela.”

Her head came around slowly, but she didn’t lift her eyes.

He tried again. “Pamela, I’m sorry I have to ask you to do this.”

She bit her lower lip as if to stop the tremble that reverberated there. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she lifted her eyes to his. “I don’t think I can. Anything but that. You’re a part of my family.”

His heart and gut clenched into a knot he wasn’t sure would ever release, and he pulled her into his arms. She was covered in flour and grease, but none of that mattered.

He kept his voice low. “It’s the only way to save Rylee. And she’s more important than me. You know that.”

Her words were hiccupped out between sobs. “But it will kill her, and she’ll hate me.”

“She won’t hate you. I promise.”

There was no choice. Orion had backed them into a corner, and Liam had to give Rylee time, time to deal with the newest twist in her life. The only thing he could do now was pray it would be enough.