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A smile curls his lips, and I stare. I haven’t seen that for a long time.

“I don’t count,” he murmurs. “From now on, I’m your shadow, and if you pull a stunt like you did today and leave me behind, I’ll…”

“You’ll what?”

His tongue comes out to flick the silver ring through his lower lip. And I swallow.

“I’ll spank you,” he says, and his gaze drops down over my body, so intense I think I might go up in smoke.

I resist the urge to fan myself. Who would have thought the idea of being spanked by Khaosti could make me so hot and bothered. I’m a pervert. But I’m made of sterner stuff, so instead I sniff disdainfully. “You can’t spank me. I’m going to save the world.”

He just stares at me. “Try me.”

I am so freaking tempted. But at that moment, my stomach rumbles. Spanking will have to wait.

He falls in beside me as I head for the kitchen and food. It must be around dinner time. He feels different. I cast him a sideways glance; the tension has gone from him. His eyes have lost that crimson flicker that was so disconcerting. He seems at peace, the chaos quieted. I remember his words from the battlefield. I almost broke down when I heard them. Had he really said that all he cares about is me? I need more time to process that, but I don’t think he’s going anywhere in the immediate future. He’s my shadow.

I can hear voices inside the kitchen, but they all fall silent as we appear in the doorway. Hecate is there, and Thanouq and Therion and Zayne—leaning close and whispering sweet nothings to Winter—and Josh.

I take a deep breath, force my face into a pleasant expression as I head toward the closest empty seat at the table. They’re all staring at me now, as if I might grow a horn or something.

“You look a little pale,” Hecate says as I sit down and look expectantly around for food.

“She’s been throwing up in the bathroom,” Khaosti tells them, taking the seat next to me.

I turn and scowl at him. “Really? Did you have to tell them that?” Though maybe it’s not a bad thing. Thanouq and Therion might think twice about kneeling to someone who pukes their guts up after a battle.

Where’s the food?

At that moment, Eric appears carrying a tray laden with something that smells good. He places a huge serving dish in the middle of the table, then a basket of fresh bread rolls. And butter. I ignore everyone and help myself, heaping my bowl and tucking in. I eat until my stomach hurts, and I can’t put off the conversation any longer. Finally, I put down my spoon and look a little longingly at the last bread roll. Then I take a deep breath. I stare at Zayne. “I know you think I shouldn’t have killed all those people. That I should have given them a chance to surrender.”

“No, I… I mean yes, I did. But Thanouq said—”

“It doesn’t matter what anyone else says,” I interrupt. “I did it and while I don’t feel like I owe you an explanation, just this once I’ll give you one.” I bite my lip as I think of how to word this. “I need time,” I say. “I’m not ready to face him yet.” I presume at least some of them know who “him” refers to. I look at Hecate. “I’ve accessed my magic, but I need to learn how to use it, to discover what I can do. I couldn’t allow them to report back, I couldn’t risk them getting away. So they had to die. I’m not happy about it.” I scowl. “But you’re the ones who say I have to save the world. So don’t get all pissy when I do something you don’t like.”

“I won’t,” Zayne mutters.

“Good.”

Hecate gets up and comes back a moment later with two bottles of red wine. She puts one on the table and fills a glass for me from the other. She hands it to me. “Congratulations. I was beginning to think we would never get there. You did well today.”

I take a swallow. It’s delicious. “Don’t sound so complacent.” Now for the bad news. “There’s a huge army of shadowguard building, readying to march this way.”

“You can feel them? The headaches have come back?”

“No. They no longer have the power to give me headaches.”

She frowns. “So how are you so sure?”

I snort. “How do you think? I had a vision of course.”

Chapter 35

Council of War

“How many of them are coming?” Hecate asks.

“All of them, I think.” I close my eyes and picture the vision. A seething mass of wraithlike shadowguard streaming across the land. Impossible to count, but there was a lot.