Page 145 of The Night Firm

Matilda smiles gently at me, and the others finally stop arguing and stop working and we break to begin preparations for the party.

Lily sends out beautifully calligraphed invitations to our closest friends, while I work with the castle ghosts to discuss the decorations. Well, discuss might be stretching that word's definition a bit. More like, I talk to an empty room and hope someone is listening.

I have no idea if this is a gift-giving event, but I have a surprise for the family, and as I spend a few hours alone in my room, I put the finishing touches on it, admiring the polished results. A door opens and I spin around and come face to face with Cole, who stands transfixed by the painting I've been working on for weeks.

It's a watercolor painting of all of us, the five Night brothers, Matilda, Lily, me, Alina, and of course, Moon, who is presently curling around my ankles begging to be pet.

"You painted this?" Cole asks, stepping forward to study it.

"Yes."

"It should be in a museum."

I feel heat rise to my cheeks. "Thank you. I'm quite proud of it."

He smiles, redirecting his gaze to me. "You should be."

Cole cups my face and leans in to kiss me, his breath mixing with mine, his lips like velvet, and I melt into him as I feel his shadow magic wrap around me, caressing me everywhere at once.

He pulls away just enough to speak, his dark eyes so penetrating. "Leave with me," he says in a breath, and I freeze and step back.

"What?"

"Leave with me. Just you and me. We can start a new life anywhere in any world we want." He looks so earnest. So desperate for me to say yes.

"This is my home," I say. "My family. Your family."

He scoffs. "I don't belong here. I'm an outcast to my brothers. And an outsider in this world. But with you, I can be anything. Do anything. You and I are so much stronger together than apart. Can't you feel it?"

The thing is, I can. I can feel how my magic responds to Cole when he is close to me. How the power within me swells and rises, as if being summoned and magnified. It's a heady feeling, and I want to cling to it. To him. But…to leave? Just like that?

And then I remember my brother's words.

That I will be given the chance to leave, and I must take it. I must leave the Night brothers.

Is this what he meant? Is this the moment that will define my life?

I haven't seen or heard from my brother since he gave me the ring. I fidget with it as I consider my choices. If my brother truly is seeing the future, then I should leave with Cole. I should start a life with him. And it would be an amazing life, I do believe that. But it would mean saying goodbye to Liam, to Liam's daughter who has become like my own, to Sebastian, and Derek, and Elijah, all of whom I have growing feelings towards. To Matilda and Lily. The Ifrits. All of my friends here.

I haven't had time to give it much thought, but I've just realized how much I have here. How many roots I've put down. How many people I would miss, beyond just the men I'm falling in love with.

This is the moment I must decide if I truly believe my brother's visions.

If I leave with Cole, then it means I believe what my brother did by killing Mary and the baby truly will have saved many lives.

If I stay…does that mean I am saying I don't believe my brother? Which means he wasn't justified in killing them, and that makes him…evil? Or insane, but then very dangerous.

How can I decide this, right here, right now? How can I possibly have enough knowledge and wisdom to weigh those possibilities?

"Eve?" Cole's voice is hoarse.

And it breaks me.

Tears stream down my face. "Stay. Just stay. Let us all be a family. Your niece needs you. And whether they know it or not, your brothers need you."

I step forward and wrap my arms around his waist. "I need you."

"You don't know what you're asking," he says. "You don't know who I really am."