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“I’ll have you know I came runner-up at the World Fencing Championships when I was only a few years older than you,” Jack said.

The surprise on Alex’s face caused him to laugh.

“Don’t look so shocked,” he said. “I haven’t always been interested in digging up the past.”

“Before he understood that certain elements of the past have been buried for a reason, his most fervent wish was to travelthrough time and join the action of ancient eras,” Rachel said with a fond smile as she looked at her husband. “Do you remember that time you took up archery when we were working in Peru, and you shot an arrow through your own foot?”

Alex gaped at him. “You told me that scar was from an accident with a nail gun.”

“The truth was somewhat more embarrassing,” Jack said, colour rising to his cheeks.

“The point is,” Rachel said to Alex, “we’re capable of handling ourselves. So we’re not going anywhere. If you’re staying, we’re staying.”

Alex raised a hand to her forehead, thinking. Unless she dragged them kicking and screaming back to Freya—or convinced Fletcher to sedate them into compliance—she knew her parents enough to realise they weren’t going to change their minds. But that meant…

“I don’t think you truly understand what’s going to happen today,” she said quietly.

“We understand that it’s going to come down to you against him,” Jack said gravely. “And if you don’t succeed, he will kill every mortal left in this world. Including us.”

Okay, perhaps they did understand.

Slowly, Alex said, “And you’re fine with me facing him?”

Their faces turned disbelieving.

“Of course we’re not,” Rachel said, her tone revealing just how absurd Alex’s question was. “But if we told you not to, would you listen?”

Unable to meet their eyes, Alex shook her head.

“Which means, even if we weren’t present for much of it, we somehow still managed to raise you right,” Jack said, his soft voice prompting Alex to look at them both again. “I wish more than anything that this wasn’t your battle, baby girl. But I’m—we’re—prouder of you than we could ever say.”

Rachel nodded, blinking quickly against her glistening eyes. “Whatever happens, happens to us as a family. Agreed?”

Repressing the urge to crawl into their arms and never let go, Alex instead whispered, “Deal.”

Quickly, before they could say anything else, she went on to add, “But on one condition…”

Alex found her friends in her bedroom, just as she had presumed she would.

Kaiden and Declan were there, along with Jordan, Bear and D.C., but after a quick hug from Declan and a quicker kiss from Kaiden, the two boys left Alex alone with her three best friends, quietly reminding her of the time as they left.

At first, no one spoke. But then Alex rushed forward and threw her arms around all three of her friends, drawing them close.

“You guys scared the crap out of me,” she said, holding on tight. Pulling back, she looked them all firmly in the eyes and ordered, “Never,everget kidnapped again, you hear me?”

Three nods met her demand, even if amused eyes accompanied those nods. It was their humour that showed Alex they were truly all right, even after everything they’d been through. D.C. may have been Claimed, Jordan may have been stabbed by his girlfriend, and Bear may have been tortured by the man who killed his father, but they were alive, and they were together.

Their humour faded, however, when they looked at her with serious eyes. But before they could open their mouths, she said, “Please don’t. Can we just…” She flailed and looked around her dorm room. “For a few minutes, can we just spend time together like we used to? Can we act like noon doesn’t existand—and—” She wasn’t sure how to finish, how to beg for a moment of normalcy before she had to face what was next.

But her friends knew her well enough that she didn’t need to continue, and Jordan quickly said, “I’ll go get snacks.”

D.C. pressed a hand to his chest, holding him back as she read the look Alex sent her. “No,we’llgo get snacks. Come on, Bear. Lend me your muscles.”

“I have muscles too, you know,” Jordan said pointedly.

Ignoring him, D.C. strode towards the door with Bear in tow and said, “I need chocolate. It’s been seven weeks. That’swaytoo long.”

Alex’s brow furrowed. “Actually, it’s only been one—”