Page 126 of Alastair

Lazarus sat on the couch and pulled me onto the cushion beside him.“Good. Anything to get that vampire’s attention off you.”

“Nothing has ever happened between us.”I rested my hand on his leg.“So be nice. And before you say it, yes, I know you don’t take orders from me, but do so anyway.”

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Michael sprawled out on the other couch, and I didn’t miss the way Konnar’s gaze drank in his abs, as the archangel, like my mate, didn’t know the meaning of a shirt. “I suppose one drink couldn’t hurt. I had a thing called spiked eggnog that was sweet but very good. Do you have some here?”

Mike cracked a smile. “I don’t have eggnog, but if you liked the creamy sweetness of it, I can fix you up something else you’ll like. Give me a minute.”

As in the past, the bartender was privy to our secret meetings. Konnar trusted him. They weren’t lovers though. Konnar had saved the human from a vampire who’d gone rogue and given him a job. Mike had then fallen in love with a female vampire from Konnar’s coven, and the two married.

“Try this,” Mike said as he brought over a drink in a short round glass. With my acute senses, I could smell nutmeg, coffee, and cinnamon. “I call it a coffee smoothie. It’s my own holiday recipe with a generous pour of brandy.”

“Thank you.” Michael took a drink and rested his head on the back of the couch, eyes closing as he savored it. “This is delicious.”

Konnar stared at him.

“How is the situation in town?” I asked, drawing his attention. “Lucifer’s army is attacking all over the globe.”

“It’s contained.” Konnar sat in the oversized armchair across from me, crossing an ankle over his knee. “Although the reason for it is not ideal, my dream of uniting the supernatural beings of Echo Bay has come to fruition in the past few weeks. My coven, the wolf packs, even some of the faeries have joined together to fight the monsters. The people of Echo Bay are safe under our watch.”

“You have my gratitude for all you’ve done.”

“Mine as well,” Lazarus told him.

Konnar studied my mate for a moment, a glimmer of humor still in his eyes, before looking back at me. “You mentioned on the phone you needed my essence for a spell?”

“Yes.”

“As I’m sure you can understand, I don’t freely give away my blood. Or any other part of me, for that matter. I’m a gentleman, after all.” The smile in his eyes touched his lips. “Yet, for you, I’ll consider it. Tell me more about the spell.”

A weight settled over my chest. I hadn’t yet told him what would happen. Telling my brothers, Lazarus, then Clara had been hard. I hated upsetting those I cared about. Konnar would be another name on that list.

Lazarus placed his hand over mine. His quiet way of saying he was with me, that I could lean on him. His support gave me the strength I needed.

So, I told Konnar about visiting Mephistopheles where we’d learned about Night Fall, and then how we’d retrieved it from Asa. With my heart in my throat, I then revealed the final step in the plan. Lazarus held my hand a bit tighter.

“So your souls will then be trapped inside Night Fall,” Konnar said once I’d fallen silent.

“Yes.”

“Who will wield the sword?”

“I will,” I answered. “That’s how I saw it in the vision. One by one, each of my brothers’ souls entered the blade, and right as I stabbed Lucifer in the chest, my soul joined theirs in the stones.”

Lazarus grew taut beside me.

“Soul magic can be finicky.” Konnar rested a hand beside his mouth, his index finger pressing to his lips. “A person’s will holds a lot of weight in terms of efficiency of the spell. This can either be a pro or a con. It can enhance the effectiveness. Or weaken it.”

“My brothers and I are firm on our decision,” I said. “We won’t let the magic falter.”

“I have no doubt in my mind of your dedication, my friend. However, I’m talking about after the fact.”

Lazarus focused more intently on him. “You’re suggesting that their souls can be returned to their bodies?”

“I’m saying it may be possible.”

“Like the seal you placed on your soul,” Michael told Lazarus, becoming more alert as he sat up and placed both legs back on the floor. The coffee-and-brandy concoction—with added ambrosia—was half drained. Thanks to his massive build, a lot more was needed for him to feel the effects. “The warding faltered because your will was tested. It overpowered the magic used to block your bond.”