Chapter Five

CHARLIE

Ididn’t know what kind of magic Professor Amber had performed, but it had far exceeded my expectations. I didn’t expect the magic to be so powerful, or for the visions to be so vivid. Finally, we had information on the vampire key.

While my team worked on gathering intel, Ava and I paid a visit to Maddie that week. Ava said she wanted to visit her aunt, but I could feel her unease through our bond. It felt more like an obligation than anything, but at the same time, I could tell that Ava really missed her.

We drove into the city in Ava’s new car. The ride was smooth, and the bucket leather seat gripped my body as I sank into it. I could definitely get used to it.

Ava slowed the car. “Oh, wow. This apartment complex must be twenty stories. Daddy says she’s staying in the penthouse.”

I hurried around to the driver’s side door to help Ava out. She waited for me to open the door, and I got her wheelchair out for her, guiding her in.

“I can do it myself, you know,” she purred.

“Yes, but you want me to pamper you,” I replied. I felt her satisfaction, which stirred our bond.

She playfully nudged me. “I can get back in the car and turn us around.”

“We can visit our Sanctuary later.” I nipped playfully at her ear, and she giggled.

You two know I just had my breakfast. It’s too early for all this foreplay. Oberi jumped out of the back seat and followed behind us in husky form.

“Take good care of her,” Ava said to the valet as she tossed him the keys.

“I will, your highness,” he replied, before the engine revved and the driver took off.

Hey! Leave a scratch and you’re paying for it! Oberi barked, though the valet couldn’t hear him.

I patted Oberi’s head. “Let the poor guy have his fun. He’ll get the car back to us in one piece.”

Ava and I took the elevator to the top floor. The moment the doors opened, I heard a high-pitched squeal from across the penthouse.

“Ava, you’re here!” Maddie cried. She rushed toward us, and we barely stepped off the elevator before she squeezed Ava into a tight hug. “I’m so happy to finally see you!”

“Auntie, you’re suffocating me,” Ava rasped.

Her aunt pulled away. “Sorry. I just haven’t seen you in so long. And how are you, Charlie?”

I’d only met Maddie once, when she’d shown up at the Institute on the night of the Villain’s Ball… and it hadn’t gone very well. Though we’d spoken years ago, I was still rattled by what she’d told me in our first meeting.

I held out my hand, and she shook it. Maddie’s hands were soft, but when I touched her, I sensed magic within her I’d never felt before. My Elven magic could feel her naderei powers— the abilities of a prophet. But there was something else about it… of all the powers I could ever take as an Elf, this was one I couldn’t touch. No matter how strong I was, the ability to prophesy wasn’t one I could siphon.

“I’m fine. Nice to see you again,” I said, though I pulled away quickly. I hoped the meeting would be quick. Maddie seemed like a nice person, but she made me very uneasy, because I wasn’t sure what she would say.

Another pair of footsteps came through a door to our right. “Is that Ava-Marie that I hear?” a male asked.

“Uncle Drew!” Ava cried.

A creature followed alongside him. The way its paws hit the floor and the sound of panting made me think it was a dog, but I couldn’t be quite sure it wasn’t a magical creature of some sort.

The creature approached Oberi while Ava and Drew exchanged pleasantries. Oberi sniffed him, then huffed, like he wasn’t pleased.

“Don’t be rude,” I scolded, before turning to Drew. “Can I pet him?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied.

I bent to one knee and reached for the dog. He had soft fur, a long snout, and pointed ears. He thumped his tail on the ground happily, and his tongue rolled out of his mouth.

Ugh, he likes you, Oberi complained.

“Well, I’ve always been a dog person,” I said. “Let me guess… a German shepherd?”

“Ace is a hellhound, actually,” Drew said. “He has a Fire form when he’s feeling protective.”

My eyebrows shot up. “His fur is so warm.”

That explains the smell of brimstone, Oberi remarked.

Ace stopped panting and turned to Oberi to bark. I knew Familiars could communicate, but I hadn’t seen it first-hand until now. Whatever Ace said to Oberi made him back down.

I guess he’s all right, Oberi admitted. For a hellhound.

“Oh, get over yourself,” Ava said as she wheeled herself further into the room. “You’re not the only magical dog that’s ever existed— or reptile. Come meet Eirakari!”

I hadn’t realized how big the penthouse was until we walked to the other side of the room. I could tell the ceiling was high because of the way my Air magic swirled through the room, but my magic kept going outward. A soft breeze traveled through the suite, and curtains rustled like the doors to the balcony had been left open. But there was another soft breeze that I couldn’t quite place.

We came to something solid, and the breeze felt ice-cold. That’s when I realized that it was a creature breathing.

“This is Eirakari, my aunt’s Familiar,” Ava said. “She’s an ice dragon.”

The dragon cooed as Ava began stroking her scales. It was like the dragon had missed her, too.

“It’s okay. You can touch her,” Maddie offered.

I reached out, and my hand connected with ice-cold scales that were smooth to the touch. Eirakari was a small dragon compared to Oberi’s wyvern form, but she was still bigger than most creatures we encountered. I understood why Maddie required such a large penthouse, because otherwise, her Familiar couldn’t fit inside. I figured the balcony doors had been left open so the ice dragon could come and go.

As I continued running my hands over her, I was surprised to find that her scales turned to feathers at her wings. She had spines growing out of her back and horns on her head.

“She’s really gentle,” I remarked. “I don’t get to touch magical creatures often, so I almost never understand what they’re like.”

As if Eirakari could sense I needed to touch her to understand, she licked my arm, and I realized she had a forked tongue.

“She’s very kind when she feels safe,” Maddie says. “But the moment she feels threatened— or feels like my life is in danger— she can be downright vicious.”

“A bit like your niece,” Ava joked.

Maddie chuckled. “You have a bit of your mom in you, but you got your dad’s side, too. Would you like some coffee? Drew just made a pot.”

“Sure,” Ava said.

Maddie led us to the dining room table, and Ava asked questions about her travels. Being a naderei, Maddie had journeyed all around the world looking for answers to prophecies she’d created… though none of them were as big or important as Ava’s.

The atmosphere in the room was a little stilted. Nobody talked about the war, which meant Maddie’s stories left out quite a few details.

Eventually, Ava set her cup down. “I’m really glad to hear you two are doing well, but I can’t help but think we’re all avoiding the dragon in the room— and no, I don’t mean Eirakari.”

“Your prophecy,” Maddie noted. “It’s why I summoned you here. I expect you wanted to talk about it.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ava said. “I’d rather there was no prophecy in the first place. But there is one, so let’s figure out where to go from here.”

Drew stood and cleared his throat. “I’ll clean up.”

He gathered our cups, then left the room. Ace followed behind him.

Maddie drew a deep breath. “I made the prophecy, but there’s a reason naderei have to write everything down. My memories of the visions fade over time, and even if I did remember all the details, they’re difficult to decipher. That job is left up to the one the prophecy is written about.”

“You must remember something,” Ava insisted. Pages rustled as she brought out her journal and flipped through the pages. “You don’t remember writing any of this, or making these drawings? You don’t recall how this page with blood from Erasmus Morelli got into my journal?”

“The page with blood…?” Maddie reached for the journal and began humming lowly as she observed it. “This journal was kept in your father’s safe for ages. There’s very little I remember, but this page… I think I recognize it. It’s coming back to me now.”

“You know where it came from?” Ava asked.

“It happened a long time ago,” Maddie said, like she was still trying to recall the details. “I don’t have a lot of memories from that time, because of what that man put me through.”

“You mean Elder Oleander,” Ava said sadly. “The major asshole Daddy fought during the Hawkei Civil War? He nearly destroyed the tribe.”

“Yes,” Maddie said. “Oleander captured me and tortured me for my prophecy powers. He tried to use me to predict his victory, but was unsuccessful, because prophets cannot be forced to see visions. They must come naturally. While I was his captive, I snooped around his office. I was looking for things your father could use against Oleander to end the Hawkei Civil War. While searching, I found files in Oleander’s desk. One of these files had details about Darke Island. Oleander was working with Doctor Taurus to learn how to utilize other supernaturals’ powers.”

“Figures those two would be working together. They’re two of a kind,” Ava snarled.

“Yes. They were allies, although not on good terms. Both of them wanted to be in charge, and that didn’t work well between them,” Maddie said. “Although the Warden did supply Oleander with inferichite crystals, which he used to torture me in an attempt to harness my abilities. Obviously, it didn’t work.”

“The Warden was performing experiments even decades ago,” I said. “This has been a long process for him.”

“Indeed. The Warden’s letters spoke of demigods and powerful keys— though I don’t remember all the details. This bloodstained paper was in these files,” Maddie said.

“But Erasmus was never arrested and sent to the prison on Darke Island,” I remarked. “How’d the Warden get his hands on it to send it to Oleander?”

“Amalie and Dante were arrested,” Ava said thoughtfully. “The Warden could’ve confiscated that page from Erasmus’ allies and sent it to Oleander to gain information from it.”

“When I touched the bloodstained paper, I received a vision of you, Ava,” Maddie said. “I knew the page was important for your journey, so I kept it and snuck it out with me when I escaped Oleander. I sewed it into the journal later, for you to use to decipher your prophecy.”

“Do you remember the rest of the journal?” Ava asked.

“I recall some of these drawings,” Maddie admitted. “But I never quite knew what any of them meant. Lindsey and Miranda attempted to help me find the meaning, but nothing became concrete enough for me to point you in the right direction. Even if I tried deciphering these visions, they mean nothing without context of your experience, because they are meant for you alone.”

Ava’s disappointment sank through our bond. I was almost certain she’d been avoiding her aunt because she expected this very answer, but I also thought she hoped for more.

“What about the prophecy wording?” Ava wondered.

“I remember it well.” Maddie paused, before she began to recite.

“The balance between the light and the dark

Will be brought together by the light of the new dawn

A discovery of the ancient ones on the island of shadow

Will change the course of our universe

A second war breaches the horizon

Mountains will fall and villains will stand

The heavens will crumble and hell will open wide

Unleashing the demons that fester within

The path she will walk determines our fate

She dances the line both dead and alive

A new world formed from gods of old,

One from ashes or one from light

The choice is hers alone.”

Quiet harnessed control over the room, and Maddie stated softly, “I think you already know what it means. Most of this prophecy has already come to pass— all the signs leading up to the end. The discovery of the ancient ones, hell opening wide… these are all omens to tell you when it’s time to make your decision. The choice is hers alone. Ava, all that’s left of the prophecy is your decision on how to move forward.”

“I was hoping a naderei could tell me how to make that decision,” Ava said lowly. I felt her side of our bond flare.

“The prophecy is a warning about the end of days,” Maddie explained. “You are in the center of it all, but how it plays out is up to you.”

“That doesn’t help!” Ava’s tone was short. “You made my prophecy. I need you to tell me what to do!”

“You know I can’t do that, and you also can’t avoid it,” Maddie replied calmly. “I don’t want to worry you, but my visions were clear on the choice you were going to make. You don’t have much time to divert the path of destiny and make a different decision.”

“I’m not going to turn my back on the world,” Ava said harshly. “I’m going to save us— all of us. The supernatural community is depending on me to stop the Warden’s plans, and I swear I will.”

“And what if you become just like him?” Maddie asked softly. “I don’t say this to judge you. I merely intend to warn you of what you could become, while there’s still time left?—”

“How dare you say such a thing!” Ava yelled. “I’ll never be the Warden. I’m sorry the past is difficult for you to revisit, but I am not who I once was. I’m not the villain you and everyone else are making me out to be!”

“Yes. And that’s what frightens me,” Maddie whispered.

Ava gave a dramatic noise. “Whatever. This is stupid. If all that’s left is that I need to make a decision, then it’s already made. We’re getting those keys and defeating the Warden. We’ll bring this planet into the light. I won’t damn the world; I’ll save it. You’ll see I’m a good person… all of you will see. But until then, I’m out of here.”

Ava wheeled away, and I heard the sound of the elevator’s entrance to the penthouse ping as she pressed a button. I got up to follow her, but Ava was in such a hurry that the doors slid shut, leaving me behind.

Oberi shifted into a phoenix. She flew to my shoulder and perched there, ruffling her feathers in concern.

A silent beat passed before I turned to Maddie. “Ava’s worried she’ll make a mistake despite her decision. I can tell. But we’ll be fine… right? I mean, the prophecy says the decision is hers alone, so as long as she decides we’re saving the world, we have this thing in the bag. That’s how these prophecies work… isn’t it?”

“Prophecies are multi-faceted and nuanced,” Maddie stated. “You’re forgetting the final piece. The decision that you must make.”

My blood turned to ice. I knew my part of the prophecy even better than Ava’s. “We shouldn’t be talking about this without Ava here.”

“We must. Ava isn’t listening, so I’m reaching out to you to be rational,” Maddie begged. “If she’s not going to take this prophecy seriously, you have to, because everything’s riding on your decisions.”

Maddie began to recite it, even as I wished she’d stop.

“A choice will be made by the twin of her soul

To save her and damn the realm

Or curse her, and save us all

A fate worse than death

Is the chosen one’s destiny.”

“That part is already over,” I replied in a hollow tone. “I made a choice when I brought her back from the Infernal Underground. She died, and I had to let her go, but it was her choice to come back to me. Ava didn’t come back the same. I gave her up— I cursed her— just like the prophecy says. Now it’s her choice to save us, which she will.”

“This prophecy doesn’t speak of death,” Maddie said. “It speaks of a fate worse than death, which means your part of the prophecy has yet to be fulfilled.”

A heavy weight dropped in my stomach. My tone grew defensive as I demanded, “What exactly does a fate worse than death mean? Ava’s in constant, chronic pain. Isn’t that worse than floating off to a utopian afterlife somewhere?”

“You don’t believe that, Charlie. You know a life of disability is far from the worst thing that can happen to you, and sometimes, it can even be a gift. You’re just repeating something able-bodied people say, because you want to avoid the problem,” Maddie said harshly.

“But if I haven’t fulfilled my part, that means Ava’s destined to get hurt again, by me. I won’t let that happen,” I insisted.

“Your piece comes after Ava’s decision has been made, after her choice to save the world or damn it has been proclaimed,” Maddie said. “Which means you haven’t gotten that far yet— but it’s coming fast. You’ll need to be ready to make the choice when the time comes, to side with or against her.”

“This doesn’t make any sense,” I argued. “Ava’s prophecy says that the choice is hers alone. So how can any choice I make possibly get in the way of hers? If it’s true that I still have a choice to make, then the prophecies contradict one another. There’s no way to win.”

“I told you prophecies aren’t always straightforward,” Maddie reminded me. “There is much that is yet to pass that will influence the final outcome. Ava may wish to save the world today, but she can change her mind tomorrow. Whichever choice she makes will influence your final decision. I believe that Ava’s portion is a warning, an omen like all the other lines before it. It will be you who will determine the final outcome. If you don’t destroy her… she’s going to destroy the world, Charlie.”

Maddie’s warning grew darker. “I know my niece. She wants to do good, but she’s incapable of making the decisions she must in order to prevent damning us all. My visions aren’t always clear, but I know one thing to be absolutely true. Ava is going to end everything. She was always going to. The only choice that’s left to be made is if you’re going to stop her, or help her do it.”

“If you’re so certain of her choice, then why are you pushing her to do the right thing?” I asked.

“Because it can still be changed, but you must be the one to change her mind. You have influence over her that nobody else has. We need to stop this, because if Ava goes down the road I think she’s going to take, nothing will survive.”

“I don’t agree,” I stated harshly. “You said it yourself that the interpretation is up to the prophesied one. Well, I say the destruction is already done. She had to go through dying in the Infernal Underground and come out different in order to choose to save the world. It’s the only thing that makes sense. And because it’s my prophecy, I get to assign whatever interpretation I want to it. And Ava can do the same for hers. She made the decision to save us. She’s not going to turn her back on the world. She wouldn’t.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Maddie asked gently.

“I’m not,” I decided with firm conviction. I was a demigod, for heaven’s sake. I was stronger than a prophet, and it was up to me to decide what my prophecy meant. Maddie couldn’t help Ava decipher her prophecy’s meaning, so I didn’t know what she was doing lecturing me on mine.

“Are you sure?” Maddie pressed.

“Ava and I have promised each other we’re going to do whatever it takes to stop this war, save the Elves and help people, even if it costs us each other,” I said. “She and I are going to work together to make sure that happens, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Be careful,” Maddie warned. “You believe that you can keep your promises to Ava, and perhaps you can. But when push comes to shove and your back is against the wall, you’re going to find the options that are available to you are going to be very different from what you’re considering now. When you’re in the heat of the moment… are you going to be able to make the final call? Because I’ve foreseen what you will decide, Charlie— both options. And neither one is going to leave you anything but heartbroken. I only plead with you to make the right choice, because if you don’t, you won’t only lose Ava. Everyone will lose everything. And as much as I love my niece… preserving her life isn’t a price I’m willing to pay for the world. What about you?”

I didn’t answer, because that was a ridiculous question, and I couldn’t believe she’d asked me to consider it. I turned on my heel and headed for the elevator, because I’d heard more than enough.

“Don’t give me that look,” I told Oberi once we were in the elevator.

You have no idea what look I’m giving you, she replied snidely.

“I can sense you’re about to give me a lecture,” I said.

Oberi sighed. I’m not here to lecture you, Charlie. I just want to check in. I’m not going to try to change your mind. I know you won’t listen to me, anyway?—

“I listen!” I defended.

You’re interrupting, Oberi stated flatly. I just want to understand. You aren’t stronger than a prophet. Their magic is a power that goes beyond ours. Are you choosing to accept that your prophecy is fulfilled because you truly believe it, or because you don’t want to face the chance that you still have a difficult decision to make?

Her question struck a chord in me, and I immediately got defensive. “Do you want us to face a repeat of the Infernal Underground— or worse? Maddie said I get to choose, so I’m choosing this. The prophecy is done. We held a funeral for Ava. I’ve already destroyed her once. We’re demigods, and we’re strong enough not to let this happen again. If people can choose their own meaning of their prophecy, then I’ll save Ava and the world.”

I’m not suggesting you’re bending the prophecy’s wording too far, Oberi said. I’m just not sure if you truly mean what you’re saying. What if the Underground wasn’t enough to change her mind? What if Ava chooses to destroy everything? Where does that leave us?

“I guess that part would be up to her.”

And you need to know how you’d respond, so you can prepare for it. That’s why the prophecy exists, so you are ready. If Ava chose to destroy the world, would you stand by her and watch it burn, or destroy her to stop it?

“Ava and I have discussed this a million times. You know where I stand.”

I know what you’ve said, Oberi replied. But do you really believe that, despite your promises, you could choose to let her go for the sake of the world?

“Why would I need to make a decision about something that’s never going to happen?” I shot back. “It’s silly hypotheticals, because I’ve already fulfilled my prophecy.”

You didn’t wish to discuss what would happen if one of you passed before you went down into the Infernal Underground, and Ava died that time, Oberi reminded me.

A heat of rage rolled through my body, though I forced it to stay suppressed. Bringing up what had happened still made me sick. “Yeah, and she’s not dying again, certainly not by my hand,” I spat. “What kind of a husband do you think I am? If it’s a fate worse than death, it means something like torture, or inevitable, prolonged pain… do you really think I’d do that to her? It’s unfathomable. Let’s not worry about what’s already come to pass.”

Charlie, you don’t understand. I will follow whatever you two decide, to save the world or damn it, because that is my responsibility and my oath as a Familiar. But you’re brushing this off as unimportant when it means everything. Oberi gave an angry huff. Maddie believes Ava is going to hurt people. Both of us find that hard to believe, because she wants to save everyone so badly. But what are you going to do if Maddie is right? If there’s an emergency and we have to subdue Ava, we need to do it safely, so none of us get hurt. We should have some sort of plan we can execute together, just in case things don’t go our way.

“Fuck the plan,” I said shortly. “It’s not going to happen, and if it does, I’ll deal with it myself.”

Don’t go making prophecies of your own, Oberi warned. You aren’t aware of how they might go.

Oberi could say whatever she wanted. I wasn’t giving in on this. We were demigods, and we decided our fate. Not silly prophecies, gods, or anything else.

Ava was waiting in the car when I came to the entrance of the building. I slid into the passenger’s seat as Oberi flew in the back.

“You took a while,” Ava stated, though it was hard to read her tone. “What’d you talk about?”

“The prophecy,” I admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. I told her it’s not going to happen, and that we decide our fates. I honestly don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

Ava leaned over to kiss me. “Of course there isn’t. We’re calling the shots now.”

My wife drove the car at high-speed back to the palace. I thought about my encounter with Maddie, but I resolved to let it go. Like I’d told Oberi, there was no point in worrying about what had already come to pass. There were more important matters at hand— namely, finding the vampire key. The sooner we had all seven Divinity Keys, the sooner we could end this war.

And her aunt was wrong. I was going to prevent this. Whatever her words meant.

Eddie greeted us inside the main doors of the palace. “Sir, your team has completed the first phase. When would you like to speak with them?”

“Now,” I stated.

“I’m coming with,” Ava added.

Eddie led us down a maze of hallways, and we came to a meeting room. Chatter filled the air. It sounded like Chancey, Ivy and Alistair were there, along with Kallie and Marcus, though the two of them sat at opposite ends of the table. The Elvish Associates spoke amongst themselves, but the chatter died when we entered the room. Eddie guided me to sit at the head of a large table, and Ava wheeled her chair up beside me. Oberi sat near my feet.

I crossed my hands in front of myself. “What have we learned?”

Chancey cleared his throat. “I met with Professor Amber. Since I was in your vision, we figured we might learn something from my past life. I was able to confirm through my past-life regression that I was the vampire you saw in your vision. I remember being chased, but I made it out of the crash that killed you guys. I went to Paris and got the key into a vault at the Banque Surnaturelle de Paris, but I was killed almost right after.”

Max— our tech expert— spoke up. “We hacked into the bank’s security system to confirm whether the key was still there, or if it had been moved. According to bank records, the vault Frank Coffrey placed the key into hasn’t been accessed since the day he made his deposit over a hundred years ago. There have been no security breaches, either. The key is still there. It’s the only thing inside this particular vault.”

“Excellent,” I said. “Let’s blow the roof off this place and get us a key.”

“It’s not that simple, master,” Eddie told me. “Gavyn has already surveyed the premises, and he found that the bank isn’t secured only by human technology. It’s protected by powerful wards. This bank is used exclusively by supernaturals, and the magic surrounding it is designed to protect the vault from supernatural attacks from all races.”

I shrugged. “We’re demigods. I bet their ward won’t hold against Marcus’ powers. He can break it.”

“There’s more,” Gavyn stated. “Esther and her gang of demigods have been spotted in Paris.”

“What?!” Ava demanded. “How can they possibly know where to look? The Warden has been searching for this key forever, and suddenly now he knows where to look?”

“We must have a mole in the castle,” Marcus panicked.

“I had a feeling somebody was spying on us,” Alistair said slyly.

“Relax,” Ivy insisted. “You know who else has info about vampire doings? My father. And Erasmus was working for him— the same guy the Warden’s men hunted down for slaughter. Erasmus knew enough about the keys to give up intel, whether he wanted to or not. Even if he didn’t know exactly where the key was, he’d know enough to give the Warden a place to start. I’m sure the Warden has been hunting the key down for months, and their clues led them to the same place ours have.”

“Regardless of how they got their intel, they’re in Paris looking for the key,” Gavyn said. “As far as we can tell, they don’t know exactly where the key is hidden. They haven’t approached the bank yet. If we go in guns blazing, we’ll alert the other demigods to our presence, and they won’t hesitate to kill us to get that key. We need to run a clean job, so that we don’t alert our enemies.”

I leaned back in my chair. “How do we do that?”

Max spoke up again, and papers rustled as she spread them across the table. “Along with bank records, we also hacked into bank surveillance. We’ve been mapping out bank processes, schedules, routines— everything we can possibly get our hands on. Security is intense on both the tech side and the magic side. We’re going to have to be very strategic.”

“We’ve been discussing an undercover operation,” Eddie said. “Gavyn will be our undercover agent and get into the vault. Asa and Ares will pose as security guards in case anything goes wrong. Max will run tech surveillance from the van, while Elyx surveys from above. He’ll set up his rifles from three buildings over. If Esther and her gang show up, they’ll be dead before they can make it in the building.”

“A bullet’s not going to kill them. They’re demigods,” Marcus pointed out.

Elyx chuckled. “My bullets will slow them down, I assure you.”

“Great,” I said. “When do we leave?”

“We still have details to work out,” Eddie replied. “We need to arrange fake IDs and disguises.”

“Kallie can do that no problem,” I stated. “Her illusion magic is powerful enough to disguise us as anyone. Plus, she can copy an ID like it’s nothing.”

“There are wards around the bank protecting it from magic like that,” Eddie pointed out.

I shrugged. “Their wards have nothing against demigods if we use simultension. Our magic just has to be stronger than theirs.”

“We can’t be sure of that,” Eddie replied. “No one’s ever done it before.”

I leaned back in my chair. “That’s because no one’s had us on their team. Get all four of us demigods in the bank, and we’ll get that key no problem.”

Eddie paused for a beat. “Um, my prince, you’re not going with the team.”

Protests rang throughout the room from my friends, and Oberi barked loudly.

My spine straightened, and my tone turned rough. “Like hell I’m not! What do you mean, Eddie?”

“The prince gives orders, but he does not carry out the mission, sir,” Eddie said, like this was the way it had always been done. “Your Elvish Associates are here to do these dangerous jobs for you. The rest of you must remain safe here in Ilamanthe.”

“Eddie, we’ve been to prison,” Ava reminded him. “We’re used to pulling off crimes.”

“Yeah. Do you know how many houses I’ve broken into?” I asked. “I never got caught. You guys need demigods in there with you. We’re not sitting back and doing nothing. The keys are our responsibility.”

“I understand that, sir,” Eddie said. “But I implore you not to underestimate your team. These Elves are the best in the business.”

“And so are we,” I growled.

“Yeah, we’ve seen hell,” Marcus added. “Granted, it was a hole in the ground… but we’ve been through a lot!”

“Need I remind you I’m an assassin?” Kallie said. “I’m used to pulling off shit like this and not getting caught.”

“Well, you were caught and sent to the Institute,” Chancey said under his breath.

“All right, everyone settle down,” I commanded. I couldn’t have contention among my team. I turned to Eddie. “You need me on this job. I’ve used my Earth magic to crush iron doors like they’re nothing more than a sheet of paper. I can knock the door off this vault no problem.”

“That’s not going to work,” Eddie replied. “There’s a fail-safe on the vault where if it’s broken into by force, the whole bank will explode. We could shield ourselves from the blast, but the key could end up anywhere in the rubble, and that’s time we don’t have searching for it. The authorities will show up first. If you want this key, you need to do it properly. There are a series of codes and procedures we need to follow in order to unlock the vault without triggering alarms or explosions.”

“If you’re going to convince me to stay out of it, I need to know more. How long will it take before you’re ready?” I asked.

Eddie sucked a breath. “At least a week.”

That wasn’t good enough. Esther was too close to the key, and she could be in and out of that bank before my team ever made it there. I didn’t like this one bit.

Elyx must’ve noticed the look on my face, because he said, “My prince, this must be a clean job. We can’t take any risks.”

I wholeheartedly disagreed. You didn’t walk into a high-security magical bank and expect to walk out with one of the most valuable items in supernatural history without taking risks. My team should know better, because we wouldn’t win anything by playing it safe.

“I want files on everything you know about that security system so far,” I ordered.

Max handed over a folder. Ava’s brother Maverick had made me a new pair of reading glasses, and the glasses robotically read out the first few lines on the paper so I could understand what we were looking at.

When I’d gone through the entire file, I set it aside and stated, “I want the Elvish Associates to report back to me tomorrow with an update. Eddie, the five of you should get to work immediately.”

“Yes, master,” Eddie replied. He and the rest of the Associates hurried out of the room. I’d assigned him as the head of the operation, but it was clear I’d made a poor judgment call. These people weren’t willing to do what needed to be done.

“What is it?” Ava asked when the Associates had left the room. We were alone with Kallie, Marcus, Alistair, Chancey, and Ivy. “You’re thinking hard about something.”

“I don’t trust my team,” I admitted. I was agitated, so I stood from my chair and began pacing. “Who are they to say we can’t come along? I’m the boss here. If we do have a spy, it could be one of them. If we let them go through with this, we won’t know until it’s too late. I’m not letting these guys go without us and risk one of them taking the key. I don’t know any of them well enough to allow that, except Eddie, and he’s too trusting to think someone could betray us.”

“So what are you going to do?” Chancey asked. “Demand to go with? You’re the prince. You could get yourself killed.”

“Isn’t that what a demigod is supposed to do— be willing to die for the keys?” I demanded. “I’m not going along with them, Chancey. I’ve already got my team right here.”

“You realize this ain’t like breaking into a house, right? You ain’t stealing a frickin’ TV,” Chancey said flatly.

“One break-in is just like the others. You just have to not get caught,” I shot back. “And why trust strangers when we can do it ourselves?”

Kallie spoke up. “You’re talking about going behind their backs?”

“Why not?” I said. “I don’t owe these people loyalty. They’re supposed to be working for me. I’m not going to hand this job off to them like I’m not the one in charge.”

“It’s called delegating,” Chancey insisted.

“I’m the boss, and if they aren’t going to do what I say, then I’ll do it myself,” I replied.

“I gotta agree with Charlie,” Alistair said. “I mean, I love my man, but Eddie doesn’t know what he’s talking about. By the time the Elvish Associates stop dragging ass to get into that bank, Esther and her shitshow circus are gonna roll in there and take it for themselves. A week is too long to wait, especially when Esther’s already in Paris. She could be planning to break in tomorrow.”

“Exactly,” I said. “Doing this ourselves, right now, is what makes sense.”

Chancey sighed. “You think you can pull this off because you have experience breaking and entering, but you’ve never robbed a bank. It’s not the same thing. I’ve seen this play out before. I lived a life of crime and got caught. I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was— none of us were, pal. That’s why we landed ourselves in the Institute. Now you wanna take a job a couple of weeks after your ass got outta prison. Are you nuts?”

“We’ve learned from that,” I argued. “We’re better than we’ve ever been, and we’re demigods now. Look at us. Kallie’s an assassin who can cast the best damn illusions I’ve ever seen. Marcus can get through any ward, and Ava’s the baddest bitch I’ve ever known. She’ll kill any fucker who gets in our way.”

Ava laughed lightly. “That’s the best compliment I’ve ever received from my husband.”

“Our intel is right here,” I added, waving the folder Max gave me. “Ava and I can plan a heist we can pull off tomorrow, not next week. We don’t have that kind of time. Max has been poking around their computer system, and it’s bound to trigger some sort of alert. The bank could move the key before we get there, or Esther could show up first. If the Warden gets his hands on the vampire key, we might as well kiss it goodbye, because we’ll never get it back. We need to act fast, and we need to go now.”

Ivy drummed their nails on the tabletop. “I think Charlie’s right.”

“Ives!” Chancey objected.

“Hear me out,” Ivy insisted. “This bank is run by vampires, and vamps move fast— and I’m not talking about their superspeed. We’ve already been at this for a few days, and I guarantee you the second they get wind that anything is amiss, they’re shutting that place down and hightailing the key out of there. I think Charlie’s team is underestimating him. Vamps use a lot of human tech, and because of that, their wards and magic can’t be too strong or it’ll mess with the cameras, just like it did at the Institute. Demigods should be able to break in easy, but we have to do it before anyone suspects anything.”

“If Ivy knows how this place operates, then we have the intel we need,” I said. “Chancey, if you’re in, you can run surveillance. What about the rest of you?”

“I’m all for it,” Ava said, sounding excited.

Oberi panted. Anything for those keys.

“If you say we have a job to do, we have a job to do,” Marcus added. Rishi meowed in agreement.

“You sure as hell aren’t going without me,” Kallie demanded.

Ivy’s chair squeaked as they sat up straighter. “Whatever you need from me, just ask.”

“I’m willing to create some chaos,” Alistair added eagerly.

Silence fell, and we all turned to Chancey. Finally, he breathed a heavy sigh. “Yeah, all right. I’m in. But I don’t like the look of this.”

By dawn the next morning, we had a plan in place. Kallie, Marcus, Chancey, and Ivy had joined Ava and me in the privacy of our quarters before anyone else in the castle had awoken. We gathered around the couches in the main room. Oberi was coming with us, because we needed him, but Marcus had opted to leave Rishi behind just in case this went south.

The phones the Elvish Associates gave us were in a pile on the table. We were leaving those behind, because I didn’t want the Elvish Associates trying to get in contact, demanding to know where we were while we were trying to pull off a robbery. We’d tell them everything once we were back in Ilamanthe with the vampire key.

Alistair was already in position and waiting for the proper time to set off his distraction. We’d be leaving once he did.

“Here’s what we know from the file Max gave us,” Ava started. “The wards cover a three-block perimeter around the bank, and portals won’t work in that area. Marcus can’t break the wards until we have the key, because otherwise, it’ll alert the vampires in the bank that something is up. We’ll have to portal into the city outside the wards, then drive the rest of the way to the bank. We’ll take my car, along with one of the royal vans. Chancey and Ivy will be running surveillance from the van. Chancey will be our eye on the sky and the streets, keeping watch for any signs of Esther. Ivy will monitor the bank’s live surveillance footage. Max has already hacked into the system. What she doesn’t know is that she gave us enough information in this file to hack into her program ourselves.”

Ivy rubbed their hands together. “I was starting to think my father’s crime lessons would never pay off.”

“They’re paying off big time today,” Chancey muttered.

“Marcus and I will get the vampire key,” Ava continued. “I’ll be the customer who comes in to open her vault, and Marcus will be the employee to take me back there. Kallie’s already forged fake documents. As for getting into the vault, it requires a fingerprint and a retinal scan from a bank employee, along with the customer’s passcode. We already have the code from Max’s files.”

“I’ve got an illusion potion that’ll transform Marcus into one of the bank employees,” I said, setting it on the table. “I snuck into the royal potions room and took a transformation potion from my grandfather’s own stash, one that he brewed himself.”

“I reinforced the potion using simultension, because demigod magic is the only thing strong enough to fool the wards and not set them off,” Marcus added.

“But in order to transform Marcus into one of the bank employees, we’ll need a DNA sample,” Ava said.

“We already have our target,” I added. “Every morning before he arrives at work, Louis Blanc visits the coffee shop across the street at seven-fifteen sharp. It’s there that we’ll immobilize him and get his DNA. He’s one of their top dogs with high security clearance— a griffin shifter. Once Marcus takes the potion, the wards won’t know the difference between Marcus and Louis Blanc.”

“Paris is only an hour behind Ilamanthe,” Ivy pointed out. “The bank will open soon. We don’t have much time.”

“No, we don’t,” Ava agreed. “Which means we have to move fast. The key is in a vault in the middle of the bank.”

“You’re sure we won’t trigger the alarms?” Chancey asked.

“We shouldn’t, but just case any alarms are triggered, Kallie has worked with tech before in her assassin days,” Ava said. “She’ll be on stand-by to disable the alarms if needed. As for magical alarms, Marcus can break those wards. However, that’s going to alert the supernatural authorities, so we want to avoid resorting to that if at all possible.”

“And if we trigger a fail-safe like Eddie talked about?” Chancey asked, before mimicking the sound of an explosion.

“We won’t,” I stated simply. “The Elvish Associates wanted to pull off a clean job, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

What’s my job? Oberi asked impatiently.

“Oberi will accompany Charlie inside the bank,” Ava continued. “Charlie will be posing as a security guard, and Oberi will be his police dog. Charlie’s job is to step in if any bank employees don’t want to play nice. We’ll all have earpieces so that Charlie can direct us. Once we have the vampire key, we’ll quietly head back to our vehicles and portal home.”

“Can Kallie portal two vehicles without being spotted?” Ivy wondered.

“We’ve already got an alleyway near the bank staked out, and it should be safe to portal there without being spotted,” I said. “I’m bringing a pocket mirror, just in case we need to use one to leave quickly.”

“And all of us will have our guns on us at all times,” Kallie said. “Just in case things go south.”

My pistol was holstered to the side of my body, underneath my suit jacket. The others were all hiding their weapons in similar places, just in case we needed them.

Ava unfurled a large piece of paper over the coffee table. “I’ve got blueprints of the bank. Listen carefully, because we can’t mess this up.”

We went over our plan one more time. I was confident we could pull this off.

“Charlie and I are going to put illusions on everyone, to disguise our features,” Kallie said. “Together, our magic should be enough to hold once we enter the ward perimeter. That way even if we get caught, people aren’t going to recognize us.”

Kallie and I used simultension to combine our illusion magic. The two different types of power melded together and settled over the entire group like a blanket of dust, save for Marcus, who needed to be himself in order for the transformation potion he was taking to work. I didn’t notice much of a difference, except my skin itched.

“Can’t recognize any of you,” Chancey said. “You all look different.”

“That’s the point.” Ava checked the clock. “Time to go.”

I snagged a pocket mirror from our room, and then waited by the door. “Come on, Alistair,” I murmured. It was past the time we’d planned to pull off the distraction. Eddie would be coming this way any moment, and other guards constantly patrolled the palace at all hours. Alistair needed to hurry up.

A loud boom sounded, and the quake of a room exploding several floors down shook the entire palace. I heard the stomping boots of guards as they rushed down to investigate, and I smiled. Alistair had volunteered to create a distraction so we could slip out, as he was more than willing to experiment with the newest spell he’d created. It was a curse that caused multiple geysers to open up in the floor, spewing poison every time they erupted. Whoever touched the poison would get insatiable munchies, and all they’d become obsessed with was finding snacks… which would be a problem, because all the snacks were in the kitchen. The geysers would continue opening up, making everyone in the palace very hungry and not at all willing to work on solving the problem until they’d been fed.

That should keep them busy for a while, I thought, before gesturing to the team to follow me.

The halls were now devoid of guards, and we snuck down to the royal parking garage. I knew we had to move, because the second people noticed I was missing, the royal guard would start looking for me.

Ava, Oberi, and I got into her car, while the others piled into a van. The vehicles roared to life. I rested my elbow on the open window, and the air shifted as Kallie’s portal bloomed in front of us.

Ava revved the engine. “Ready to rob a bank?”

A wide smile spread across my face, and I leaned over to kiss her neck. “Love, I was born ready.”

Ava shifted into drive, and the tires squealed as we took off. My heart surged in excitement. The adrenaline rush felt so familiar, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the thrill of breaking the law.

The temperature dropped a few degrees as we passed through the portal, and the sounds of Paris filled the air. Birds chirped, and voices from the street drifted in through the open window. I smelled fresh bread, and the sounds of conversation hovered over the space. In the distance, someone played an accordion. The morning sun touched my skin, and it was warm and refreshing.

Tires crunched through the alleyway behind us, and I knew the van had made it through. The portal closed, and Ava pulled out onto the street. She gave a gleeful laugh as she revved the engine.

“Hey now,” I warned. “Let’s not attract any more attention than we need to.”

Ava snickered. “Why not make an entrance?”

It’d been a long time since I’d seen her this excited. To think, all we needed to do was rob a bank to make her happy. I was enjoying every second of this.

Look at the hats in that window! Oberi cried.

“If we get this key and end this war, you two will have plenty of time to go shopping,” I said. “Hell, I’ll conjure all the hats you desire. But first, we have work to do.”

Ava slowed the car. “Speaking of which, here’s our first stop.”

A thrill traveled to my stomach. I honestly couldn’t wait to get out there and do this. Though robbing a bank was technically a bad thing, I felt like I was made for it. “I’ll see you inside the bank, my love.”

I leaned over to take her face in my hands, and I placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Ava smirked under my touch. “I’ll be the one robbing it,” she teased as she drew away.

“Don’t make me arrest you,” I told her.

“I’m counting on it later.” She snickered. “Now go.”

Ava pushed me, and I got out of the car. Oberi hopped out of the back to help me navigate the unfamiliar streets. He wore a seeing eye-dog vest and a leash— though he wouldn’t shut up about how much he hated it.

I don’t see any other service dogs on leashes, he complained.

There aren’t any other service dogs around, I replied flatly. Now come on. We need to get inside.

Ava had dropped me off at the coffee shop where Louis Blanc picked up his drink every morning. Oberi and I walked in, ordered an espresso, and sat down to wait.

Eventually, I heard the door to the coffee shop open again. Target acquired, Oberi said. Louis is going for the table beside you.

Louis sat down and unfurled a paper to read. I paid close attention to the sound of Louis setting his cup against his table, so I knew where it was.

I stood. Oberi guided me, much like he helped me identify targets during battle. I walked by, and pulled out a little trick I had up my sleeve— literally. As I passed, I slipped a few drops of potion into his coffee. It wasn’t much; just a little sleeping potion that would kick in within a few minutes. I then headed around the corner to the back of the store, where the bathrooms were, to wait out of sight. Louis finished his drink, then exited the coffee shop.

Phase one complete, Oberi said, and we left the coffee shop. I slipped into the back alleyway, where the van was waiting for us. The doors opened, and I jumped inside.

“How’s it going?” I asked Chancey and Ivy.

“We’re right on schedule,” Ivy said. Chancey hit the gas and we started around the block. Ivy tossed me some clothes, and I began changing into my security uniform. I switched my pistol from a holster on my side to one on my hip and secured it in place.

“Everyone else, what’s your report?” I asked.

Kallie’s voice came through my earpiece. “I’m almost in place on the roof. I’m scanning for alarms now.”

“I’m parking the car,” Ava added.

“And I’m tailing Louis,” Marcus reported. “The sleeping potion should kick right about… now.”

I heard Marcus grunt. He must’ve caught Louis as he passed out.

Ivy opened the back doors again. Marcus was right there, and he pulled Louis’ unconscious body into the van. The doors slammed shut. It all happened so fast and casually I didn’t think anyone on the street noticed.

“He’ll be out for an hour,” Marcus said. “I just need a cheek swab for the final touch… and there!”

The potion hissed from the vial in his hand. “See ya on the other side, boys.”

I exchanged Oberi’s service vest for a police vest before the van came to another halt.

“This is Charlie’s stop,” Chancey announced.

Oberi and I hopped out in our police attire, and he led me into the building.

Ava had said the bank was huge, but I didn’t understand just how big it was until we entered. My Air magic swirled upward several stories, and I could still feel sunlight on my skin, as if the ceiling was made of glass. Voices came from so far away that I swore we could play football in this place.

There’s a line of teller windows along the wall, Oberi told me. A balcony surrounds the entire room on the second level. I see the hall that leads back to the vault.

How’s security? I asked him.

There are a few guards, but they haven’t looked your way yet. You blend right in. Oh, shit.

I felt Oberi’s gut sink, and mine did in response. What’s wrong?

There are wanted posters… of you.

Are you fucking kidding me right now? I demanded.

Dozens of them, all over the place. They say that you, Ava, Kallie, and Marcus are dangerous criminals. Wanted dead or alive. Oh, there’s a cash reward!

Well, what do you want me to do? Turn myself in for the money? I said sarcastically.

It’s not that bad, Oberi insisted. The photo they used is your old Institute mugshot, and you’ve grown a beard since then. You barely look like the same person.

I sighed heavily. That’s not going to keep me out of prison. This illusion better hold.

“Uh, boss? An update, please?” Ivy’s voice came through my ear.

I kept my tone low as I whispered into the earpiece. “Oberi says that our faces are plastered all over the bank.”

“Just do the job and get out, before anyone suspects anything,” Ivy said. “A little wanted poster ain’t gonna mean shit.”

Before I could answer, Oberi cut in. There’s a guard coming your way. Eyes forward, keep walking.

I pulled my hat further down over my eyes and focused ahead, like I belonged there. The guard passed by me without a word. I didn’t think he noticed me, but I felt his magic rolling off him in waves. He was a dragon shifter for sure. Although we were in France, this property belonged to supernaturals. The guards here didn’t answer to the French government— they answered to the United Supernatural Union.

In fact, every person in this building appeared to have supernatural powers of some sort. My Elf power picked up on other magic— mostly vampires and shifters, but I sensed a few Elementai and witches, too. The people here spoke all kinds of languages. I heard French, English, and a couple speaking in Hawkei.

“Ava, are you still good to go?” I asked.

“I’m in disguise, and my chair makes people uncomfortable,” she replied. “People don’t look me in the eye, anyway. I think we’re good.”

I positioned myself as close to the teller window on the end as I could, but I was on high alert.

“Bonjour, Elise,” I heard someone say as they passed the teller. She greeted them back, and they exchanged a few words in French.

“Is everyone in place?” I asked through my earpiece.

“I’m good to go,” Kallie replied.

“Same,” Ivy and Chancey responded.

“I’m inside,” Ava added. “I see you, Charlie.”

“I’m right behind Ava,” Marcus said, though his voice sounded deeper and unfamiliar. The potion had obviously worked.

I held my breath, half expecting some sort of magical alarm to start blaring and lock the place down. But nothing happened.

“Ancestors, the wanted posters are everywhere,” Ava mumbled. “That’s not even my good side.”

I communicated to Ava through our bond. The less I said out loud, the better. Focus, pidge. Approach the teller window next to me.

Approaching now.

“Bonjour,” the woman at the window greeted Ava. She asked something else in French, but Ava replied in English.

“I’d like to access my vault,” Ava said.

“Of course, madame,” the teller— Elise— replied in a thick accent. “We will need identification, a signature, and of course, your code to the vault.”

Ava pulled out the documents Kallie had forged, just in case we needed them. “It’s all right here.”

“Excuse moi?” Marcus said as he passed by. He spoke in his best French accent. He sounded a bit nervous, but somehow managed to pull it off convincingly. I guess his days as a theater kid were starting to pay off. “May I be of service?”

“This woman wants to access a vault, Monsieur Blanc,” Elise replied.

I quickly whispered into my earpiece. “Her name’s Elise. Call her by name, and get rid of her.”

“I will take it from here, Elise,” Marcus said. “Please bring the madame a glass of water.”

Elise sounded confused. “Yes, Monsieur Blanc.”

Marcus went up to the computer and started typing on it. I didn’t think he was doing anything more than mashing random keys. He made a show out of rustling through Ava’s paperwork. Once Elise was gone, he said, “This way, madame.”

I must’ve been holding my breath the whole time, because when they disappeared into the hallway nearby, I finally felt like I could breathe. “Keep us updated,” I whispered into my earpiece.

“We’re on our way to the vault,” Marcus said, before quickly switching back to French. “Bonjour, bonjour.”

“How many people are back there?” I asked.

“A few,” Ava replied. “So far, so good. Ancestors, how many wanted posters can they have?”

I heard the sound of paper tearing through my earpiece. Ava was pulling the posters off the walls.

Ava, I warned through the bond. We can shred this whole bank to pieces when we’re done, but we need to get the vampire key first.

I was just having a little fun.

Have your fun in the vault. How close are you?

The vault’s just ahead.

I spoke into the earpiece again. “Marcus, report.”

“Scanning now… fingerprint is good… retinal scan is… what the hell?”

My heart leapt, and a beat of silence passed. I started to panic. “Don’t leave us hanging, Marcus. Report.”

“The scan took, and we entered the code, but the vault isn’t opening,” he said.

“This should have worked,” Ava insisted.

“Something went wrong,” I growled. “Our magic must’ve triggered something. Kallie, what’s happening?”

“There have been no alarms triggered on the tech end,” she said.

“I can feel the bank’s wards with my magic,” Marcus added. “Nothing’s changed.”

“So what’s going on?” I demanded. Oberi started to fidget beside me, and I could feel the panic rising in our bond between the three of us.

“Let me try again,” Marcus offered.

Several moments passed where nothing happened, then I heard the sound of voices through the earpiece. They spoke in French, so I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Ava, report! I cried through the bond.

Two guards approached us— shifters, I think.

Marcus stammered a few incomprehensible things, then managed to squeak out, “English, please. For the lady.”

“Monsieur Blanc, you should know better than to access the vault on your own,” one of the shifters said harshly. His voice was loud enough to pick up in the earpiece. “You know the procedure, and you know you need two bank employees to get inside.”

“Fuck,” I growled under my breath. “I’m on my way.”

Oberi and I quietly slipped down the hall, as to not cause a scene, then the two of us took off running in the direction of the vault.

“I’ve got you on the feed,” Ivy said through the earpiece. “To your left, Charlie.”

“Of course. I’m well aware of bank policy,” Marcus continued, playing along.

I reached them just in time to hear one of the men ask a question in French. I didn’t know what he said, and neither did Marcus.

“Is there a problem here?” I demanded.

The man simply repeated his question.

These shifters were highly suspicious, and I wasn’t entirely sure how we were going to con our way out of this one.

He’s asking Marcus what his wife’s name is, Ava told me through the bond.

I quickly stepped in. “Well, go on, Monsieur Blanc. Tell him your wife’s name.”

“Y— you know my wife,” Marcus stammered, still maintaining his French accent. “Delphine and I have lunch together every day.”

We’d done our research, but this was cutting it too close. One of the guards instantly said, “Delphine doesn’t take lunch in the city. She eats at her desk. You are not Monsieur Blanc.”

Something in the air shifted. A high-pitched squeal filled the air, echoing throughout the entire bank.

A clanging noise came from the main entrance, and I felt noxite in the air. Ava gasped, There are huge metal walls coming down around the bank, and they’re full of noxite!

Shit. We’d been fucking caught.

“Of course I’m him!” Marcus demanded, but his accent was no longer convincing. “Oh, fuck!”

“It’s them!” one of the guards snarled. “The ones the Union is looking for!”

“You’re under arrest, and the rest of you are coming in for questioning,” the other guard sneered as he reached for Marcus.

Marcus let out a vile laugh. “Oh, yeah? Arrest this!”

A thud sounded, but it barely fazed the guard. I heard the shifter grunt and stagger backward a single step before he sneered, “That isn’t gonna stop me from taking you in.”

“Marcus, don’t punch him!” Ava cried. “Cast a battle orb or something!”

“Uh… right!” Marcus squeaked. His magic swelled, then blasted down the hallway with the force of several bombs. Ava threw up a shield, and we were protected as Marcus’ magic erupted.

The guards’ bodies hit the floor, and the whole ground rumbled. Debris rained down from above us. I instinctually threw my arms above my head, even though we were in the safety of Ava’s shield.

“We’ve lost visual!” Ivy barked in my ear. “Can you hear us?”

“Yeah, Ivy, we’ve still got audio,” I said as my heart slowed.

The explosion settled. Ava dropped her shield, but dust continued to fill our lungs. Ava coughed. “Any chance the rest of the bank didn’t hear that?”

I doubt it, Oberi stated flatly.

“What the hell?” Kallie demanded through the earpiece. “I cut the alarms before you did anything. This was supposed to be a clean job!”

“We didn’t know about the two-man system,” Marcus barked. “If you cut the alarms, I bet they had a backup.”

“Well, you know now, so what are you going to do about it?” Kallie shouted.

The alarm stopped blaring. Marcus must’ve broken the bank’s wards. Even so, voices shouted from down the hall. We had seconds to make a decision.

“Any chance the explosion rocked the vault?” I asked.

“Let’s find out,” Ava said breathlessly.

I felt Marcus put his hand to the vault door, examining it with his magic. “Fuck! This vault is locked down tight. It’s on a separate system Kallie can’t access, and it’s got wards up the wazoo.”

“So break them,” I insisted.

Marcus sucked a breath. “I can’t. I can feel they’re attached to the fail-safe spell. If I break the wards, this whole place is going up in flames. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before. You’re basically asking me to defuse a bomb. Union authorities will be here before I can break it. It looks like there's a manual combination override on the vault mechanism in case an alarm is triggered. Without the override code, we’re not getting in.”

“Then we need to get Kallie down here, so she can break the combination and manually get us in,” I said firmly.

“Already on it.” The shattering sound of a window breaking came through the com, and noise crackled as Kallie rushed to get to us from her place on the roof.

“We’ve gotta buy her some time to crack it open,” Ava whimpered. “She’s going to need a second.”

I cracked my knuckles. “All right. Time for Plan B.”

Guards flocked into the hallway, but before they could cast any spells, I’d already siphoned their magic dry. I drew the speed and strength of a vampire, along with the telekinesis of a warlock.

“What the hell?!” one of them shouted.

I barely gave them a chance to respond before I used telekinesis to toss them to the side. Their heads hit the wall hard, and the three guards slumped to the ground unconscious.

“If we’re going to do this, we’re doing it the right way,” I said. I conjured two ski masks with my powers and handed one to Marcus, then put the other one on myself.

Oberi jumped at my feet. Ooh, a hat! I want one!

We really didn’t have time for this, but I conjured one for him and put it on, anyway. Might as well go with it now, seeing as how our plan was royally blown out of the water.

“Does this mean I get to play damsel in distress?” Ava gushed.

I placed my hands on the back of her chair and leaned down to whisper, “Who said we’re playing?”

I felt a thrill travel through Ava’s belly, and I got a little excited myself. I reached down to pull out my pistol and showed it to Ava. “You okay with this, love?”

I think the sight of me holding the pistol turned her on. No matter how independent she claimed to be, I was her protector, and I wouldn’t let anyone touch her.

“Green light,” Ava breathed in admiration. “Whatever my dom wants.”

Hell if that didn’t get me going in a situation where I needed a clear head. These fuckers didn’t know what hit them just yet. I grabbed the back of Ava’s chair and started back down the hall briskly.

“Those noxite doors that shut all over the glass aren’t going to be enough to keep the police out,” I said. “They’ll disable them to get in. We need more magic.”

“I’m going to put a shield on the place, so nobody can get in or out,” Kallie said.

A shiver crossed over my skin as the shield took hold over the bank, and my Earth magic felt the marble walls ripple when Kallie cast her impenetrable shield. Once it was up, we didn’t waste a second the moment we stepped into the lobby.

Pop, pop, pop!

People screamed and ducked for cover as Marcus and I aimed our guns at the ceiling and shot off spells. Gunshots rang throughout the room. People tried to run for the doors, then panicked as they realized that the noxite doors, as well as Kallie’s shield, kept them locked inside.

“This is a robbery!” I screamed. “Everyone get on the ground!”

Oberi barked loudly. I couldn’t help but crack a smile beneath my ski mask as every patron in the room followed my orders.

Well, almost everyone.

Something clicked, and I felt the whoosh of a dart fly through the air. A sharp pain entered my leg, and a magical substance emptied into me.

I yanked on the dart and tossed it aside. Laughter bubbled up in my throat. “Noxite? Please.”

I aimed my gun forward.

The guard’s at three o’clock, Oberi told me.

I pulled the trigger. A blast of Air shot with such clear precision that it went straight through the guard’s leg. He let out a pained cry that echoed off the wall of the lobby. A thud sounded as he landed on the ground, writhing.

I could sense his magic. He was the dragon shifter from earlier, and I could feel it as he started to shift.

I hauled Ava out of her chair roughly with one arm, and held her body to mine as I pressed the end of the gun into the side of her temple. “Change, and I’ll blow her brains out,” I snarled to the shifter.

Ava began to sob loudly. “For the gods’ sakes, do as he says!”

The guard hesitated, then came forward. Oberi growled, warning him to stay put.

“One step closer and she’s dead!” I warned. I tangled a hand in her hair and yanked it to the side. Ava cried harder.

“Please! He’s not fucking around!” Ava wailed.

“Let him do what he wants, so he lets the girl go!” a woman in the bank shouted. I heard the guards begin to back off.

You okay, pidge? I asked through the bond. I worried I was going too hard.

Perfect, she replied. We’ve got to put on a show, right?

She pressed her ass against me, and I got hard immediately. Her seduction called to me through our bond, telling me how much she was enjoying this— like this was one of the scenarios we played out in our bedroom and not life or death. We were playing it up, not just for the guards, but for each other.

This was hot. More than that, it was fucking thrilling, living on the edge like this with everything on the line, and both of us were getting pleasure from this sick performance. I would’ve thrown my wife on the floor and fucked her right there in front of all these people if we didn’t have a job to do, but we did, so I just held Ava closer to me and pressed my dick against her so she knew it was there. She barely held back a moan of delight.

“Anyone else want to be a hero?” Marcus shouted, and he fired a few more shots.

People whimpered, but nobody moved.

I cocked my head to Marcus. “Clear out the offices.”

Marcus disappeared into the hallway, while I continued pointing the gun at Ava’s head.

“Ivy, an update,” I ordered.

“I’m getting the feed back now,” they said. “Aaaand… I’ve got visual on you in the lobby.”

“Kallie?” I asked.

“I’m working on cracking the combination, but I need more time,” she insisted.

The sounds of frightened people increased in the room as Marcus returned. “I found a couple of employees hiding, including this big wig.”

He pushed someone to the ground in front of me, and the man gave an oof as he fell at my feet. My Elven magic told me he was a vampire— probably the head of the bank.

I raised my voice as I said, “We need some volunteers to help us get what we came for. Anyone want to be kind enough to help us into a vault? We’d so appreciate the hospitality.”

Not a damn soul stepped forward. The vampire on the floor let out a raspy chuckle. “You’re dreaming if you think you’re getting anywhere near that vault.”

“I’ll kill her,” I warned, and I pushed the barrel of the gun against Ava’s temple. She let out a pitiful whimper.

“Go ahead,” he sneered. “She means nothing to me.”

There was another explosion from outside. It boomed over the ceiling and shook the building. People screamed, and I became paralyzed as I felt magic wash off of me like sludge.

I realized that the illusions disguising our identities had fallen. The Union must’ve cast a spell around the bank to wash away all traces of magical influence. The magic was so strong it destroyed even the effects of my grandfather’s potion.

If the spell was that powerful, only another demigod could cast it. That meant Esther was nearby, if her whole team wasn’t here already. The hostages gasped as they recognized Ava’s face from the wanted posters lining the wall. The ruse was up.

Ava knew how to fall safely. I pretended to shove her aside, and she made a show of collapsing dramatically while I kicked the vampire in the stomach. He let out a grunt, and I growled, “I don’t think you realize I’m not fucking around. We’re not leaving until we get what we came for, so we can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

“I can’t get into this fucking vault!” Kallie screamed through the com. “The combination isn’t taking!”

Screw this. The whole plan was taking way too long. We needed to get into that vault now.

“You think I haven’t done worse than this little game you’re playing? You’re not as tough as you think you are,” the vampire sneered, and he rose to his feet. Around me, the guards began to approach.

“Freeze! Nobody move!” Marcus bellowed. He fired off more shots, and a few people screamed. I heard a couple of spells being blasted toward me, and I had to duck as a fireball singed my shoulder.

The vampire I’d been speaking to took his chance to deliver a punch to my face that nearly knocked me out. It wasn’t as strong as I was expecting— probably because the noxite doors around the bank were weakening people’s magic. I fell over, landing heavily on my side. I pulled myself together and siphoned his strength so I could remain conscious. I got to my feet and faced him. He went to hit me again, but I shoved him downward as roughly as I could, knocking his feet out from under him.

The guards had gotten bold, and we couldn’t have that, so I decided they needed to learn a lesson. Once I got the vampire off of me, I immediately siphoned the shifter powers of the dragon that I’d shot earlier, and I began to morph. Scales formed on my skin. My body began to grow, filling up the lobby. I was gigantic, and I couldn’t see where I was going, so I was smashing countertops, furniture and registers trying to turn within the lobby.

Cries of terror could be heard all throughout the bank. Spells that guards fired bounced off my sides, and I heard the vampire that had been below me seconds earlier give a loud scream. I didn’t even have to think about it before I lunged my fangs out.

His terrified yells were instantly cut off as I crunched him in my jaws. His body separated, and I let the two pieces of his deformed, mangled corpse fall to the floor. Wails shook the walls, and I heard the other guards fall over and crawl backward as they desperately tried to get away from me.

I shifted back. My chest heaved as I yelled, “Did you see what I did to him?! Do you want to join him?”

A few of the bank patrons began sobbing. Then I felt something strange and foreign…

Ava’s slight disgust.

But I barely registered it, because there were so many other powerful emotions coursing through me. Soft steps moved forward, and a woman said, “We’ll do it. My coworker and I. We’ll get you into the vault. Just don’t hurt anyone else.”

I smirked. “Good decision. Let’s go.”

I reached forward to grab her, then pushed her in the direction of the vault, jamming the pistol into her back. Marcus walked forward to control the other employee, while Ava hoisted herself back into her chair.

“We’re taking these hostages!” I yelled. “As some of you have already found out, we’ve put a shield around the bank, and not a damn one of you is strong enough to break our magic. Anybody who tries isn’t walking away from this!”

Nobody dared to reply.

Once we were back in the hallway and out of sight of the lobby, I couldn’t help it. I ripped off my facemask, leaned down and kissed Ava as roughly as I could. This was such a fucking thrill.

“Charlie.” Ava laughed, pushing me away.

“You were a beautiful little actress,” I hushed, and I kissed her hair.

“As long as you liked my performance,” she murmured, and kissed me back.

The employees we’d taken hostage didn’t say anything. They knew we’d played them, but they were under our control now, so there wasn’t anything they could do that could help them except comply with our orders.

“About damn time you showed up,” Kallie complained as we approached the vault. “Can we hurry up and get out of here?”

I nudged the pistol into the spine of the woman in front of me. “Go ahead. Just open up the vault, so we can get what we came for. Then my friends, myself and my sweetheart will be on our way.”

The woman walked forward slowly. She and her co-worker approached the vault. I heard some technical noises before the spinning mechanism on the vault’s door audibly opened.

“There. We did what you asked,” the woman said in a quivering tone.

“You can go. We don’t need you anymore,” I said, before stepping inside. The woman and her coworker ran off as my friends and I entered the vault.

Everybody went dead quiet, and my friends paused once we were inside. None of my partners stepped forward, or even breathed.

“So? Get the key,” I ordered.

“Charlie…” Ava said, but her sentence faded away. Marcus and Kallie didn’t add anything.

It was like nobody wanted to tell me what they saw.

“Oberi, describe the room,” I ordered.

The vault is a fairly large area, he said. It’s empty, save for a rotary phone attached to the wall, and a pedestal in the middle of the room that has a glass case display on top of it. Inside is an ivory box— open, with a silk pillow where I assume the key was kept… but it’s empty. The vampire key was definitely here a few hours ago— I can feel its resonance. We just missed it. Someone must’ve gotten here first.

“Fuck!” I screamed. I kicked a wall, absolutely enraged we’d done all this to get shit in return.

Ava told the others what Oberi said, and Kallie noted, “Who has the key?”

“Probably Esther. She must’ve gotten here first,” I snarled. “We need to get it back from her.”

“We can figure that out later—” Ava started, but her voice was cut off as a blaring noise resonated through the com in my ear.

“It’s the fucking feds!” Chancey roared. The sounds of noxite guns went off, and shots fired from a regular pistol Ivy was carrying. I heard both of my friends scream before the com faded into static.

“Ivy? Ivy?!” Ava yelped. “Fuck! We’ve lost communication.”

“Which means we have no idea what’s going on out there,” Marcus panted.

“They might’ve gotten caught,” Ava said weakly.

“Feds can only mean one thing. The United Supernatural Union is here,” Kallie said. “They must’ve ordered all the Union police who work for them to?—”

“Put your weapons down, and come out with your hands up! We have the place surrounded!” A voice on a megaphone boomed so loudly, I could hear it through the walls.

Yeah, the cops had definitely shown up. My mind raced to come up with a way out of this, until Kallie said, “Hold on. If the key was just here, I can reverse time up until the point that it left. Then we can take it and leave.”

“Do it, then,” I snapped. We were cutting this too close.

Kallie snapped her fingers. Then a second time.

I didn’t feel anything happen. No dip in my stomach, no shift in reality. It was as if an invisible hand wrapped around my throat and cut off my access to air.

“No,” Kallie groaned, and she snapped her fingers a third time. “No, no!”

“What’s wrong?” Marcus asked.

“I can’t reverse time,” Kallie gasped. “It’s not working.”

“Is there inferichite somewhere in the bank?” I asked in a panic. We should’ve felt it.

“No,” Kallie said in horror. “This… this is me. I don’t have any access to my time powers.”

I struggled to understand what she meant, but Ava got it first. My wife’s understanding of the situation rushed across our connection, and it hit me so hard I almost fell over.

Shifters were weak if their bonded partners left them in limbo for too long. Marcus’ failure to either accept or deny Kallie as his mate was draining her magic, and now she couldn’t access it without the help of their bond.

I realized Kallie putting the shield on the bank had drained up what magical reserves she’d had, and it needed time to replenish. Power was supposed to flow equally between two bonded partners, like it did between Ava and me, but with Marcus blocking his half of the bond off, Kallie couldn’t access what she needed.

We’d warned him about this. I’d tried to tell him. And now it was happening, at the worst possible moment it could.

Marcus knew it, too. His voice was strained as he rasped, “Kallie.”

“It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing we can do about it now,” she snapped.

The phone on the wall rang. We all jumped at the noise. It kept ringing and ringing. I wondered if anyone was going to answer it, or if we even should.

Then, Marcus’ footsteps echoed across the floor as he picked up the phone. “Hello?”

There was a pause, and Marcus said, “They’re asking for you, Charlie.”

He shakily handed the phone to me. I picked it up and barked, “Yes?”

“Hey, Charlie. It’s nice to speak to you again.”

It took a moment, but I recognized that voice. It was Killian Ryan— the supernatural bounty hunter I’d met before I’d left the Institute. He and his partner, Colter, had come to thank me for my criminal profile about the Dollmaker, which had led to the warrant for Valen’s arrest. They’d thought I had potential as a future bounty hunter, and wanted me to join their team once I’d graduated. They must’ve shown up with the rest of the Union reps to help bring us in.

“What do you want?” I kept my voice flat. I didn’t want to give these guys an in.

“We want to help,” Killian said. “We’re outside. You guys have gotten into a bad spot.”

I huffed. That was undermining the situation as much as fucking possible. “You can’t help us. We come out, you’ll take us away.”

“We can work something out,” Killian promised. “We know you kids aren’t bad people— you’re just confused. It’s normal, after everything you guys went through, trying to escape the Institute the night it burned. You’re upset and acting out. We’ve found other students like you, and we’ve helped them.”

Yeah, right. I knew exactly what had happened to those inmates who’d managed to escape the burning prison and gotten themselves arrested again afterward. They’d been sent to Mission indoctrination camps, and that was the last place I wanted to go.

“We’re in too deep. If you want me, fine, but I’m not letting my friends take the heat for this. Arrest me, and let the others go,” I said.

“You know we can’t do that. Come on, Charlie, this isn’t the way you want to do things. You’re a good guy,” Killian insisted. “You don’t want to scare all these people.”

I knew what they were doing. They wanted to get on my good side, appeal to any sort of empathy I had, so they could save hostages and hopefully make an arrest in the process. I wasn’t going to bend.

“I’m doing the only thing I know how to do,” I said blatantly. “This is what the world made me to be, so now it has to pay the price.”

Killian must’ve handed the phone over to Colter, because the next voice was deeper. “We know you’ve got your wife and friends in there with you. You don’t want to put them in danger, do you? You’re the leader of this group, aren’t you, Charlie? You want everybody to get home safe.”

I gave a soft laugh. “I’ve learned not everybody gets to go home at the end of the day.”

“Don’t do this, kid. You’ve got a bright future,” Colter added. “If you turn yourselves in now, there might still be a chance you could join us someday. We know you want to be a bounty hunter like us. You can have that, Charlie. Think about it— you could provide for Ava, have some kids, a good life. You don’t want to throw it all away.”

His words made me second-guess everything. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this. Maybe this was the wrong thing to do. I was hurting people, and I didn’t want to do that.

But if we didn’t get this key, everyone— on the Earth and in the afterlife— would get hurt. These guys didn’t understand that I had to make some impossible choices.

Yet even the good guys working for the Union had been compromised by the Warden. The Union was under his control now, and I knew if we surrendered we’d never see the light of day again— if we even made it to the next morning.

I had dreams. Dreams that I desperately wanted. But I should’ve known they would never pan out. I wanted to be a supernatural bounty hunter, but I wasn’t, and I never would be. I needed to make a choice. I could keep chasing after a foolish hope, or decide to become the villain my family expected me to be.

It wasn’t like I had much of an option. I had to let that dream go now. What I wanted in the face of what my family needed absolutely didn’t matter.

The phone shook in my hand. I could physically feel my future crumble into pieces as I replied, “I’m the grandson of Emperor Cassiel Majestica, and an underboss of the Elven crime family. This is what I was born to be. This is the life I choose.”

I hung up the phone. Seconds later, it rang again. I thought of the pleading words of Killian and Colter, and I felt guilty. Perhaps I could explain things to them. They didn’t know about the keys and how important they were. If I told them about our destiny, they might understand, and want to help.

I hesitated before I picked it up again. “Hello?”

“Hello, Charlie! We’ve missed you!”

It wasn’t Colter or Killian this time. It was fucking Esther. Revulsion churned my innards as I snapped, “Fuck off, Esther. How’d you convince them to let you talk to us?”

“I told them we were such good friends at the Institute, and you just needed to hear a familiar voice!” she said chipperly. “Please come out, so this can all end happily!””

“The minute we step out of this building, you and your demigod buddies are going to obliterate us,” I hissed.

“You should be more concerned about your immortal soul,” Esther crooned. “The only way to salvation is to seek refuge under the wings of The Mission’s god. You don’t want to be judged in the afterlife, do you? The god of The Mission doesn’t forgive without repentance. But if you hand over the key, and plead for his forgiveness, I’m sure my uncle will?—”

Nope. I slammed the phone back onto the receiver. Any doubts about the choice I’d just made flew out the window once I’d spoken to Esther.

Everybody on this planet wanted to use and manipulate us, and I knew better. I berated myself for being so stupid to nearly fall for the Union’s pleas… told myself I was an idiot for being so weak.

I’d made my decision, and I was never looking back.

“That was Esther. She’s here,” I said. “She doesn’t have the key. She asked us to hand it over, so she thinks we stole it first.”

“That means the Warden doesn’t have it in his hands yet, but somebody else does, somebody that doesn’t work for him,” Marcus whimpered. “We’ve been played.”

“I bet it’s that fucking spy we’ve got hanging around at the palace. The bank knew we were coming. Whoever the mole is, they raised an alarm, and somebody moved it just before we got here,” I seethed.

“If Esther’s here, the Warden isn’t far behind. He could arrive any minute,” Kallie worried.

“We can’t fight them all off. We need to go,” Marcus insisted.

A loud voice drifted through the walls of the bank. Esther had transferred to using a megaphone, and was screaming religious propaganda. “THE GOD OF THE MISSION WILL DESTROY THOSE WHO DO NOT WORSHIP HIM! SUBMIT NOW, AND BE CLEANSED OF YOUR SIN?—”

I blocked her out as I shouted over the sound of the megaphone. “Kallie, make us a portal. It’s time to leave.”

She let out another pained noise. “I can’t do that, either. It’s not just my demigod abilities. Everything’s affected.”

“What can you still cast?” I asked desperately.

She gave a gasp of pain as she attempted to create a spell. A spell flickered out and died. “All I’ve got is battle orbs. I can still use my gun, but I don’t have access to anything stronger.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got a pocket mirror, I can portal us out—” I began.

But as I reached into my pocket, I gasped as my skin cut on bits of shattered glass. I drew the mirror out of my pocket and ran my fingers over it.

It was just a frame. There was no reflection. I’d landed on my side during the fight with the vampire. It must’ve broken then.

I couldn’t use it to make a portal and get us home… which meant there was nowhere else to go.

This was it. We were trapped inside the bank, surrounded by enemies with no way out.