Amber curled her toes into the grass, eyes turned skyward. An animal, probably a rabbit, scurried through the underbrush at the edge of the tree-line. The wolf rose up in her mind and the impulse to shift and hunt washed over her. Her fingernails lengthened, the sharp points digging into the ground.

“Your eyes are glowing,” Kadrithan murmured, floating into her line of vision. His cartoon-ish red body bobbed in the air. “It isn’t that time of month, is it?”

She rolled her eyes and the wolf receded. “You’re not funny.”

His answering grin was lost in a puff of smoke as he transformed from devil to man. Adjusting his customary black suit, he sat down next to her and leaned back on his hands, long legs stretched out in front of him.

“Are all the preparations done?”

He tilted his face toward her. “Yes. Just like they were yesterday.”

“Well, pardon me for being concerned about uprooting my entire pack and going on the run.” She didn’t bother glaring at him. He’d become immune over the last few days, simply responding with a smirk that only served to frustrate her further. “I hate uncertainty. And waiting. I still can’t believe you’re using Evangeline as bait.”

Kadrithan huffed out a sigh. “She’s not bait. I’m just testing a theory.”

“By using her as bait.”

“I’m not having this argument again. My plan will work. Raziel will show his hand.” He turned his attention back to the sky.

“Why haven’t they come for Raziel’s key yet? It’s like they’re giving us a chance to run.” She plopped back onto the cushion of the grass as a small sigh escaped her mouth. “I don’t trust it.”

“Neither do I. The incubus are patient, but if they’re waiting, they have a good reason. I don’t like not knowing what that reason is.”

She pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes until little flickers of light danced behind her eyelids. “I liked it better when I thought you mysteriously knew everything.”

“I could always go back to lying to you.”

Her scowl met his grin as she turned her head toward him. “Don’t even think about it.”

He shrugged and laid back as well, linking his hands behind his head. “Just a suggestion.”

Amber returned to glaring at the sky. The wolf paced inside her mind, restless and irritable. They’d been left in a strange limbo since Deward’s rescue and the retrieval of the two halves of Raziel’s key––which would supposedly help them lift the curse on the fae if they managed to put it back together.

Every day she expected the angels to bust down their front door to try to take it back. If not them, then Ito and his bitten-hating pack. If she could just fight someone and get it over with, this would be easier. Instead, she was on the defensive once again. A step behind everyone else.

Her fingers drummed out a nervous rhythm, alternating between picking at abused blades of grass and tapping against the seam of her pajama pants.

Kadrithan grabbed her hand. The solid warmth of his fingers startled her. “You and the pack are ready to go at a moment’s notice. Everything that can be planned for, has been. We will all survive this.”

She let her eyes slip shut and took a steadying breath. “I know.”

His hand lingered on hers for a moment before he pulled away. “The fae are ready for war, though I hope we can stop the incubus before it comes to that.”

She snorted. “Somehow I don’t think we’ll get that lucky.”

Kadrithan’s form faded slightly, going translucent around the edges. He sighed and sat up. “I have to go. Someone is trying to get my attention.”

“When will you be back to bother me?”

The corner of his mouth lifted into a half-smile. “Don’t worry I won’t be gone long enough for you to start missing me.”

“That’s not––”

He vanished before she could clarify. As per usual. He always managed to get the last word. She needed to find a way to start disappearing at will to throw him off.

Her eyes returned to the sky as silence settled around her. A cloud passed over the moon; everything grew a little darker.

The front door let out a low whine as Amber eased it open. She grimaced and glanced toward the hallway. So much for sneaking in.

Genevieve’s head popped out of the kitchen. “About time you came back inside.”

“How long have you been up?”

The sun was just now peeking over the horizon, its pale light spilling through the still-open doorway.

“Eh, a couple of hours, but I kept hoping if I laid in bed long enough I’d go back to sleep. No luck.” Genevieve held up a purple mug. “Coffee?”

“Might as well.” She tried to stifle a yawn as she shut the door, but there was no fighting it. Days of little to no sleep were wearing her down.

Genevieve filled the purple mug, adding an alarming, but delicious, amount of sugar and cream. “Sugar with a side of coffee, just like you like.”

Amber accepted it and took a long drink, eyes closing in satisfaction. “This is why you’re my beta.”

A laugh bubbled out of Genevieve’s throat. “And don’t forget it.”

Derek strode into the kitchen, still buttoning his uniform shirt with a bagel dangling out of his mouth.

“Early start,” Amber commented, the lingering guilt at how little time she’d had to help him piling on top of everything else. He was going to have to close the shop down for a while if he came with them too.

He took the bagel out of his mouth and swallowed the bite. “Someone called in a quick fix last night. Figured I might as well take everything I can until we have to leave.”

“Is Ceri sleeping in?” Genevieve asked, hovering near the coffee pot.

Derek snorted. “She never went to bed. Her, Steven, and the house have been talking again. No offense, Gen, but I think your boyfriend might be trying to steal my girlfriend.”

Genevieve let out an aggrieved sigh. “I think you’re right. Oh, speaking of Illya, Neia is coming over this evening to discuss the Thallan issue.”

Amber groaned. Thallan’s daughter had taken over handling the drunk elf, but they needed a better long term solution. They needed him to get sober. Dr. Stone was doing everything he could, but Thallan seemed determined to wallow until Neia forgave him, which wasn’t looking likely. Amber couldn’t blame her.

“Glad that’s not my problem.” Derek shook his head as he walked toward the front door. “Someone should probably go force Ceri to stop working. Maybe someone with red glowing eyes and alpha powers.” He gave Amber a pointed look over his shoulder.

She shook her head vehemently. “I’m not getting between Ceri and her shaman stuff. You’re her boyfriend. You should be the one to deal with her workaholism.”

Two cabinets popped open and Ceri’s voice fluttered out. “No one needs to deal with me. Buttheads.”

Genevieve jumped back, narrowly missing dumping coffee all over herself. “That is creepy, Ceridwen! Do you hear me? Creepy! And an invasion of privacy!”

“Says the woman with werewolf hearing!” Cabinet-Ceri snapped back. The doors slammed shut and the ozone-scent of magic faded.

“On that note, I’m off.” Derek waved over his shoulder and hurried outside.

A moment later, Ceri emerged from the hallway wrapped in her favorite robe, her blonde curls a riotous halo. “Coffee.”

Amber held out her own mug. “You need it more than I do.”

Ceri didn’t argue, just took the mug and chugged its contents. When it was empty, she lowered the cup and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. “Illya has had some very helpful insights concerning Raziel’s key.”

“Oh?” Amber perked up. That’d be the first bit of progress they’d had.

“I need to talk to Kadrithan to confirm some things. Is he hanging around?” Ceri looked around the kitchen hopefully.

“No, but he said he’d be back as soon as possible.” Amber’s hand moved to her demon mark out of habit. Somehow, it had become a gesture of comfort, rather than worry.

Genevieve nodded her head toward the front door. “Any idea when that’s getting dealt with?”

Amber grimaced. “I just need to text his beta. Jameson sent me his number.”

Ceri and Genevieve exchanged a look, as if they’d been talking about it.

She ground her teeth together. “Spit it out.”

Genevieve lifted her hands. “Nothing to spit out, but it might be time to let them retrieve Carter’s body. A statement has been made. Any longer and it’s going to come off as cruel.”

Amber nodded and pulled out her phone. “Okay, you’re right. I’m doing it now. We need to get it over with in case we have to make a run for it anyhow.”

She typed out a quick text, barely seeing the words on her phone. Jameson had told her exactly how to phrase it. She’d allow no more than two of them to come, and they had to be quick and respectful.

A response lit up her phone before she even had a chance to release the breath she’d been holding.

“They’ll be here later today.”

“Well. That’s good. It’s good to have it settled,” Genevieve said with a firm nod. “I should be back by then as well. Hopefully my boss takes the whole emergency leave thing well and doesn’t just fire me.”

Footsteps pounded overhead. Tommy came tumbling down the stairs, skipping as many as he could. He jumped over the back of the couch, grabbed the remote, and flipped on the television. A news report filled the screen.

“Jan Compton here at the site of the most recent no magic zone.” Police lights flashed behind the reporter. “It’s massive this time, and according to an insider report, it may be still be growing.”

The screen split, and another news anchor appeared on the left side, her face a mixture of concern and shock. “We’re getting reports it's a half-mile wide. Is that accurate, Jan?”

“I’m getting conflicting answers on that, Mary. Some are saying it may be as big as a mile wide. Police are evacuating a neighborhood at the edge of this park as a precaution.”

Amber walked over to stand by Tommy, her eyes glued to the television. “Where is it this time?”

“Helena, Montana.”

“If it’s growing…” Amber couldn’t finish the sentence. They all knew what it meant. The incubus masquerading as angels were advancing their plan to rid the world of magic.

There was a sharp tug on her mark and Kadrithan materialized behind her. “So you’ve heard.”

She turned to face him. “What the hell is going on?”

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