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“Hello?” Conall’s voice was deep and slightly rough as if I might have woken him from sleep.

“Hello, brother,” I said, my voice steady, though a hint of nostalgia seeped in. The sound of his voice brought back a rush of memories—of simpler times, before everything became so complicated. “I don’t even know where you are. I apologize if I woke you.”

“Cormac?” His voice held a note of surprise, though I knew he had already recognized me.

“There’s much we need to catch up on, brother, but what it comes down to is I need your help.”

“And why would I help you?”

“I may have found a way to stop Aiden’s descent into madness—to allow our family to live in peace.” I heard the rustle of sheets. He must have been lying down.

“I’m listening.”

“I can explain more later. I need you to meet me at the manor.”

“Why the manor?”

“I’ll explain when we get there. I’m bringing two witches with me, and we’ll arrive by jet.”

“Well, Cormac, this sounds like one of your usual plans.” His voice held that familiar mix of skepticism and affection, a reminder that despite everything, we were still brothers.

“And when I get there,” I continued, “I need you to pretend I’m not one of us.”

“So where do these witches think they’re going?”

“Oh, they’re coming to meet you—just not knowing that I’m an O’Cillian.”

“Brother, if it were anyone but you, I wouldn’t agree with this.”

“I know what I’m asking, and I need you to trust me.” I could see him in my mind, one hand rubbing his eyes as he shook his head, debating if he should before finally giving in, perhaps because I was the oldest, perhaps because he believed me.

“Is Runa going to try to kill us?” he asked with a hint of humor in his voice.

The Dearg Dur being one step from killing our family felt like an old line of self-deprecating humor. I couldn’t help but smile. “Quite possibly. But the truce should hold.”

Conall did not yet know our family’s blood was what allowed her to walk in the sunlight. It was too much to tell him now.

“Fine. I’ll see you when you get here. Should I collect you from the airport?”

“Collect us?” I narrowed my eyes.

“I’m already at Dún Na Farraige. Something told me I needed to be here.”

Relief washed over me, tension easing from my shoulders. “Swimming?” I guessed at the water which had triggered my brother’s premonition, all of us having suffered them from time to time in our lives.

“The shower and I really didn’t need images of you interrupting what I was doing. I’ll see you upon your arrival, brother.”

“Yes, you will.”

As I ended the call, the silence of the room settled around me once more. I tucked my phone into my pocket. Despite the years and the miles between us, it was as if no time had passed. Still, a flicker of doubt remained. Conall had left me once. Would he stand by me this time to face our brother when the truth unraveled?

I crossed the room to the window and pulled the curtain aside. The moon hung low in the sky, a silver light falling across the once beautiful grounds. My reflection in the glass caught my eye—tired but resolved, a ghost of who I used to be.Do you even know what you’re doing, Cormac?The thought came unbidden and I clenched my jaw in hesitation.

Across the hall, Rory sat in her room, likely turning questions over in her mind that she wouldn’t yet dare to ask. But when she did, what would come of it? How could a witch and a vampire ever be together, yet she pulled me to her more with each passing breath. The image of my family speeding away from Oak Leaf Hallow in a carriage before the witches found us came unbidden to my mind, running for our lives. Outside, the faint sound of the wind carried through the night, a low, mournful whisper that set my nerves on edge as I let the curtain fall back over the window.

It wasn’t just Aiden or Conall or even the witches I had to worry about. It was the truth—what it could shatter and what it could ignite.

A faint smile tugged at my lips, bitter but determined. “We’re all playing with fire,” I muttered to the empty room, my voice barely more than a whisper. “And I’m the one holding the match.”