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When she tried to unbind Betsy, her hands passed through the chains, and worse, through Betsy.

“I want to go back with you,” Betsy said, her voice weak.

“I know. I know. I’m taking you with me.”

Olivia called on her magic to attack the ghostly chains holding Betsy, but something pulsed from deep within the darkness. That same overpowering presence expanded, choking air out of her lungs. Olivia gasped as the shadows spread from Betsy to her. Panicking, she backed away, but the tendrils swelled together like a wave and blanketed her.

Again, she had the sensation of being thrown into the air and vacuumed into a void.

I’ll be waiting, Hexanaja,the disembodied, demonic voice seeped into her like her worst nightmare.

Before the scream erupted out of her, she was suddenly back in her kitchen, clinging onto Marek. His familiar scent and comforting warmth lessened the shivers wracking her body. Cold sweat dotted her forehead, and each breath hurt.

Though Marek was steady as a rock on the outside, his fear speared into her.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled into his neck.

“I hate it when you use magic,” he growled back.

Her lips curved. “I know.”

“What happened?” Andrea asked once Olivia stopped shaking.

“I saw Betsy in that weird dream-state again, like when I almost saved her a few days ago,” Olivia explained. She’d told Andrea and Marek about it earlier. “But she wasn’t alone. Something else was there, holding her captive.” Ice balled in her belly at the memory of the terrifying presence. “Something evil. And it wants me for some reason.”

“Hmm, I remember feeling something off when I saved you,” Andrea said. “It’s the same presence?”

Olivia nodded. “He… he called me Hexanaja.” Both Marek and Andrea stiffened. “Bryan called me that. The thing holding Betsy, do you think it’s the god Bryan spoke of?”

Andrea let out a long exhale. “Fuck. It’s your turn. The fae guessed right.”

Her turn. Olivia gulped. Her turn to break a seal on an ancient god bent on destroying humans and vampires.

“If that’s true, it means the Organization is working with Drakos,” Marek said, his tone ominous.

“Since vampires destroyed the LA Ruins, it means the Organization is working with vampires too,” Andrea said. “So much for their beliefs.”

Organization. Vampires. Drakos. And the fae. Why must everything be so complicated? She only wanted to save Betsy, but to save her sister, she’d have to do Drakos’ bidding and break part of his seal. But he wouldn’t be free. Not yet.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re working together. I have to save Betsy,” Olivia said.

“Screw that. You’re not going,” Marek ordered, his eyes flashing red.

Matching his anger wouldn’t help either of them. He was only worried about her. But this was something she had to do, and she wanted his support. In such a brief time, she’d become accustomed to leaning on him, to trust him completely.

“He has Betsy. If I don’t go, what’ll happen to her?”

“What about the life-transfer spell? What ingredients do you need? I’ll send people to get everything asap,” Marek said.

“It won’t work.” Olivia told him about the Gorgon’s eyes. “We can’t wait that long.”

“Even if we can cast the spell, since Drakos has Betsy, I don’t know how it will impact the magic,” Andrea added.

A spike of frustration. Of hopelessness down the mating bond. Marek punched the wall, cursing. “There has to be another way.”

Surprisingly, Olivia was calm. Yes, she was afraid, but not with a stark terror that made her want to dig a hole and hide forever. No, it was a fear of the unknown twined with eager anticipation. Like the hours before defending her thesis, the ceaseless waiting and worrying worse than the actual event itself.

After weeks of stressing over Betsy and fretting over the danger hovering over her shoulder, the reckoning was finally here.