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Travis sat beside her on the couch in Raina’s living room. Everyone was gathered around the coffee table—around the phone Travis had set down in the center of it—as they talked through the details of this plan with Arthur and Darien.

It was Darien who said, “With the magic of everyone in your group.”

A beat of silence. And then Raina said, her tone doubtful, “And this will work?”

“Yes,” Arthur replied, “it will work, but everyone will have to pitch in. It will require a high output of magic, so you are going to feel drained afterward and likely won’t be able to use your magic for at least a few days.”

Travis scanned the group, silently creating a mental list of the types of magic—the colors—of everyone in the room. Red, white, black, blue, and pink. Was it enough?

“We only have five types of magic, though,” he said to Arthur.

Charlotte whispered, “I have storm magic. Will that help?”

“Charlotte says she has storm magic,” Travis said. “So, six.”

“It’ll be enough,” Arthur said.

Darien had just started talking again, when Malakai interrupted. “Have youseenthe fucking tower?” the Reaper demanded. “It’s practically alive—nothing can go near it. The energy that’s coming off of it is insane.”

Arthur tried to reply?—

But Malakai wasn’t done. “I’m supposed to believe this missile, that we’re going to spend only two days charging, is going to take it down?”

“You’re talking to aweapons technician,”Darien retorted. “Pretty sure he knows better than you.”

Malakai merely grumbled. He slumped against the back of the couch and crossed his arms, looking pissed.

A quiet voice—young and male—drifted through the background. “Can I say something?” The sound of that voice was enough to nearly push Travis into an emotional spiral. He was barely hanging on by a damn thread, and now?—

A beat of silence, a murmur of a male voice that sounded like Darien, or maybe Roman, and then Paxton was on the other line.

“Hi, Travis, it’s Paxton. It’s your brother.”

Travis’s eyes started to burn. “Hey, Pax. Nice to hear your voice.”

“Yeah, you too. I just wanted to say that I love you. And you’re going to be okay.”

“Thanks, bud. I love you, too. Is Roman...?”

“He’s here, too.” A pause, and then: “He says hi.”

Travis highly doubted that. Especially when several seconds passed, and Roman said nothing.

Absolutely. Fucking.Nothing.

The reality of that stung. Badly.

“All right, well—” Travis rubbed his brow with his thumb and forefinger. “Thanks, Paxton.”

“We’ll see you soon, ’kay?”

“Yeah,” Travis said. “Yeah, damn right you will.”

“Okay, bye,” Paxton said. At that, Dallas shared a small smile with Aspen and Jewels, the latter mouthing, “Awe.”

“Bye, Pax,” Travis said.

Darien was back on the line right away. “Any other questions?”