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I blinked in surprise. Yes, I had thought that was Mulan’s idea. And I had thought it was a good one. Had I been influenced too? How strong was the fairy’s power?

“Ya might as well be shouting at me, witch. I’m strong enough to get yer far darrig’s parents to tell me all they knew about the relic. Turns out that if ya know the right incantation, ya can make a naga from a snake shifter. Once the egg was formed, taking the rest of the relic’s power was a bonus for me. The troll was supposed to throw the stone away.”

Goddess, I seriously needed to learn how to keep people out of my freaking brain. “Ezra of Airing Dale, ya have more power than any fairy has ever taken back across the veil. Why are ya doing this? Yer greed dishonors ya.”

“People on this side of the veil remember only the scandalous, exciting parts of a story, such as a fairy’s physical limits. And ya’re right—I’m full. I don’t want to absorb the magick of yer relic,Aran. I want to take it with me. It will be my ticket back or my claim to fame among my kin. Either of those will change my fate.”

“Ya’ll have to kill me to get the stone.”

“Yes. That’s what ya said... and what yer husband confirmed. Jack Derringer is such an idiot. How did he ever get the idea that he was more powerful than ya were? Did ya let yer worthless husband think he was more powerful so he’d stay up for ya in bed?”

I snorted. “I finally figured out why ya never bothered to share magick with me, fairy.”

Ezra chuckled. “Ya’re as naïve as ever. No female on this side of the veil is worth sharing my power with her with for any reason. I told ya I wasn’t planning to settle down in this realm and I meant it.”

“Ezra...” I don’t know what I intended to say. I guess I was still trying to grasp that the fairy I worked side by side with for so long had played me for a worse fool than Jack had.

What kind of shitty-man magnet was I? Did I need therapy for that crap?

I sincerely hoped Fiona hadn’t inheritedthis—whateverthiswas. Maybe I needed to ask Conn what kind of woman Murieann had been before Orlin came along.

My curiosity about Ezra’s motives disappeared when I felt a tremendous amount of slime hit the top of my head. Half-digested fingers and toes rolled off me as my head dropped to avoid as much of the slime as I could. Pieces and parts of Hisser’s not-yet-digested victims passed in front of my eyes before bouncing off my feet.

He hadn’t just spit his venom. He’d barfed on me.

I screamed so loudly in horror that Ezra and Hisser both jumped back from me. It was a full-out girlie moment—I admit it. Any woman I knew would have screamed as well. I’d warned Henry and Gale my work was gross, but this was disgusting times ten.

Rage swept through me as the dripping slowed. The venom sizzled all over me and caught fire as I looked up at the evil naga staring down at me in surprise. His bile burned around my feet and all over my body. Yet nothing harmed me despite the flames and smoke.

I put a hand on my chest and sent thanks to the stone.

Then I dropped my hand and glared up at Hisser. “Conn was right about ya. I should have killed ya like I killed yer witch girlfriend back when I had the chance. There will be no mercy for ya this time.”

Enraged at my remark, Hisser’s human torso shifted into a massive snake’s head with a hood that fanned out like a king cobra’s. Fangs descended from his hissing snake mouth as he struck at me. I jumped back and ran. Hisser got a mouthful of slime ashes, regurgitated body parts, and cave floor dirt.

Ezra’s laughter echoed in the space. “Ya can’t win this time, witch. I’ve been planning yer demise for years. Hisser is going to kill ya and I’m going to carve the stone from yer chest. Then he’s going to dispose of yer body so no one will be the wiser. Yer demon is going to have to start all over with a new descendant once his skin grows back.”

I gripped my dagger and wondered how I could fight a mountain-sized snake and a power-bloated fairy with something so small and insignificant. It was two against one and the odds were not in my favor.

Rasmus, I called in my head.If ya hear me, I seriously need yer help.

The guardian never heard my plea, but fortunately, the universe did. A struggling portal sparked, sputtered, and finally stretched into reluctant existence.

Ezra muttered swear words about it and stalked away from me to inspect the sparking oval. I was completely shocked to see my daughter come flying out of it, screaming her head off. Her body slammed hard into Ezra’s and the force took them both to the floor.

They rolled off and away from each other. I saw one chance.

“Fiona... run!”

Instead of running, Fiona groaned and rolled in the dirt as a grunting Ezra got easily to his feet. He started toward her, drawing a sword from the air. “Ya should have stayed in prison where I put ya, girl.”

I blinked in shock. When had the fairy learned to draw energy swords? I had specifically refused to help him do that. Yet here Ezra was, drawing one from thin air with no effort at all.

“Fiona!” My next scream got cut off as Hisser’s mouth widened enough to close over my entire body. Inside his mouth, I screamed in rage. I stood on the curve of his fangs trying not to panic as his mouth scraped closed.

Terrified to get venom on me again, I stabbed at him with my dagger. The tip of the dagger sizzled and burned a hole straight through his skin. Instinct had me spinning and carving a door for myself through the front of his mouth.

I vaulted through the opening I’d made and found myself hanging momentarily in the air.