Downstairs, Penny was already bustling in the kitchen, Cordelia sipping tea at the table, her gaze thoughtful and too watchful. Ra stood by the window, arms crossed, eyes dark and distant as the gathering storm. Fern hovered protectively at the kitchen island, her hands wrapped around a chipped mug. Her presence was grounding—a steady, fierce warmth that Aurora had relied on since the day she’d come to Fern’s home.

  Aurora squared her shoulders, drew in a shaky breath, and spoke before she could lose her nerve. “I need to talk to all of you.” She paused and waited. But Fern just stared at her, Ra didn’t move, Cordelia simply glanced her way, and Penny’s attention stayed completely focused on whatever the heck she was doing with that bread. So she added, “Right now.” Maybe not her most polite moment, but then Aurora felt like being polite might not get her answers.

  Penny’s head snapped up, concern flickering across her features. Cordelia set her cup down, her face growing serious as she seemed to realize that Aurora wasn’t looking for a little chat. She gestured for Aurora to sit. Ra didn’t move, but his jaw tightened as his head slowly turned. Fern immediately abandoned her mug, moving to stand at Aurora’s side, her hand warm and steady on Aurora’s back.

  Aurora ignored the chair and stood, hands fisted at her sides. “I’ve been having dreams. With Lucifer and Viscious. They’re not just dreams—they’re . . . visits. They talk to me, try to get me to trust them. Viscious said you”—she pinned Ra with her gaze—“are hiding something. Something big. I want to know what it is. I’m done being kept in the dark.” Her heart pounded in her chest painfully as she swallowed down the “‘please” that wanted to follow her demand. He didn’t deserve her manners, not if he’d been keeping secrets.

  The room was silent except for the soft tick of the clock and the distant rain. Penny looked at Cordelia, worry etched deep into her brow. Cordelia’s lips thinned; she reached out, but Aurora pulled away, stepping closer to Fern, who slipped an arm around her shoulders.

  Ra finally turned his whole body from the window, the weight in his eyes enough to make her knees wobble. “They’re manipulating you, Rory. That’s what they do. I’m sorry they’ve managed to get into your dreams. We need to work on helping you learn to block your mind.”

  “Maybe,” Aurora shot back, “but that doesn’t mean you’re not hiding something. I deserve the truth, Ra. All of it.”

  He hesitated. Tension seemed to be radiating off him like heat. “There are some things you’re safer not knowing,” he managed, with a rough tone.

  Fern’s voice cut through the tension, gentle but iron-strong. “She’s young, yes, but she’s mature for her age, Ra. She’s dealt with more pain than many twice her age. If there’s something you know that is vital to her, she deserves to know what that is. If there’s something or someone after her, she needs to be aware of it.” She squeezed Aurora’s shoulder in silent support.

  “Aurora,” Penny spoke up, her hands wringing together nervously, “we’re trying to keep you safe. The less you know, the less leverage they have⁠—”

  “That’s not good enough!” Aurora’s voice broke, equal parts fear and fury. “I’m not a baby. If the dreams are real, then I’m obviously on their radar and already a target. I can’t protect myself if I don’t even know what’s happening to me.”

  Fern’s eyes flashed. “She’s right. You can’t keep her out of this forever, Ra. She’s stronger than you think.”

  Ra’s mask slipped, just for a moment. Aurora saw guilt, sorrow, and something else—a deeper, older fear—flicker across his face. He looked at Penny, then Cordelia, then Fern, then back to Aurora. “You’re right,” he said at last, voice hoarse. “You deserve answers. But there are some things I can’t . . . I just can’t say. Not yet.”

  Aurora’s hands shook. “Then what am I supposed to do? Just wait for one of them to swoop in and claim me?”

  “NO.” Ra swiped a hand through the air sharply as his deep voice snapped. “No one is going to claim you. You are your own person, and you will choose your own path. I’m just trying to figure out how to make that happen. I know you don’t truly have a reason to trust me. But, I’m asking for it anyway.”

  Cordelia stood, crossing to place a hand on Aurora’s shoulder. “You’re not alone in this. We’re with you. And like Ra, we’re asking for your trust, even if that’s not fair of us to ask. There’s too much at stake.”

  Aurora swallowed, her anger faltering beneath the weight of Cordelia’s kindness and Penny’s earnest gaze. “I want to trust you,” she whispered. “I just—I’m so tired. I don’t know what’s real anymore. It’s just a lot.”

  Fern pressed a kiss to the top of Aurora’s head. “You can rest if you need to, love. And you don’t have to face this alone. Not ever.”

  Penny stepped closer and gently took Aurora’s chin in her hand. She gave it a very gentle squeeze. “We’ll figure it out together. You have more power than you know, Aurora. When the time is right, you’ll learn how to use it.”

  “I’m sorry that this has fallen on you, Aurora,” Ra told her, his voice much softer. His black eyes appeared haunted. “You may not be a child, but you are still young. It is not fair to ask so much of the innocent.” He shook his head, his shoulders dropping as if the weight of the world suddenly lowered onto them. After a few heartbeats, Ra turned away, his voice strained. “If you’ll excuse me. I need to check in with my soul bonded. And I will talk to some of my comrades and see if we can speed things up a bit.”

  Aurora watched him leave, confusion and worry tangling in her chest. She wanted to run after him, partly to demand the truth, and partly to ask if he was okay. Ra seemed too strong of a man to ever be weak, but just then, he looked as tired as she felt. Aurora didn’t run after him. She was too wrung out from nights of nightmares and days of uncertainty.

  She sat down, Fern close behind, between Penny and Cordelia, letting their warmth steady her.

  “Why don’t we show you some more spells?” Cordelia asked, her voice much lighter and more cheerful than the tense room.

  “Are you trying to distract me?” Aurora asked, raising her brow at the witch.

  Cordelia smiled sheepishly. “Is it working?”

  “Ra’s a good guy,” Penny said, laying her hand on Aurora’s. “And yes, there’s some things he’s not telling you. But not because he doesn’t care about you or because he has some nefarious plan. Things are truly complicated in this big, tangled mess. You just happen to be at the center of it.”

  Aurora stared at the witch for a few minutes, weighing her words. Finally, she took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Considering I can’t exactly make him do anything, and I don’t think he has any intentions of hurting me, waiting is the only choice I have.” She looked back at Cordelia. “Can you at least teach me something fun, like how to turn Ra into a toad?”

  Penny laughed. “Ra, the royal toad. Now I’m picturing a frog with Egyptian makeup on wearing a crown. That’s hilarious.”

  Aurora’s interest peaked. “Is he actually royalty?”

  Penny nodded. “I don’t know much about his story. He’s pretty secretive, but I’m a little bit of a sleuth and managed to dig up some history about him in the witches’ archives. Mind you, the elementals don’t know we keep documentation about them. Previous witches would have used it for ill. I think it’s just good knowledge to have regarding any magical being.”

  “I have a feeling Ra would tell you about himself, Aurora,” Cordelia stood and headed over to a cabinet and began pulling out various items: a large, shallow bowl, a pitcher of some silvery liquid, and candles. She brought them over to the table and set them down. Penny began arranging the items as Cordelia continued. “He has a soft spot for you. If you’re curious, just ask.”

  Aurora considered the worst he could say was “no.” She set the notion aside for the moment and leaned closer as Cordelia and Penny continued setting up, whatever the heck they were setting up. “What are we going to do?”

  Penny grinned mischievously. “We’re going to make some liquid magic.”

  “It’s actually explosive magic,” Cordelia corrected. “Penny and I figured it might be a good idea to have some magical weapons on hand, considering all the crap going on in the world. And since we’re just hanging out, now’s as good a time as any.”

  “We’re making magical grenades?” Aurora asked, her eyes widening. “Is that safe?”

  “Probably not,” Penny said with a shrug. “But what’s life without a little risk?”

  “Oh dear,” Fern muttered as she fidgeted with her hands on the table. “Maybe we could work on that frog spell instead?”

  “Alas,” Cordelia sighed dramatically. “Ra most likely can’t be turned into a toad. He’s got some serious ancient mojo around him. Knowing my luck, it would bounce off of him, and I’d be the one hopping around, eating flies.”

  Aurora didn’t blame the witch for deciding that making bombs was the lesser evil of the two. More importantly, she was pretty sure Ra wouldn’t find it amusing to be turned, or attempted to be turned, into a toad. Still, it was a funny thought.

  Ra stalked through the winding halls, barely noticing the flickering candlelight or the distant voices of Penny, Cordelia, Fern, and Aurora. His mind was a storm of guilt and dread. He’d promised Viscious. He’d promised to deliver the girl, or spend eternity burning in the underworld with the rest of his cursed bloodline.

  He stepped out the backdoor into the yard and sucked in a deep breath. Ra pressed his fists to his eyes, leaning against the cold stone wall. How was he supposed to choose? Betray Aurora and damn her to a life she never chose, separating her from the sister she doesn’t even know about? Or break his word and doom himself—and maybe everyone he cared about?

  “You’re soft,” he told himself bitterly. “You were never meant to be a king.”

  “You’re not alone in this, boy.”

  Ra startled, the voice a familiar rumble in his mind. Ramses—his ancestor, his curse, and sometimes his ally.

  “You’re at a crossroads,” Ramses continued, voice gentler than Ra expected. “The question isn’t whether or not you are meant to be a king. That is your birthright. You have to decide what kind of king you want to be. You can’t serve two masters. But you’re not without allies. Trust them—even when you can’t trust yourself.”

  Ra’s jaw clenched. “If I screw this up, everyone pays.”

  “Or you find another way. There’s always another way. You just have to think outside of the box you think that you are stuck in.”

  The words echoed through him as the night deepened. He paced, brooding, the weight of destiny and failure heavy on his shoulders. He no longer had only his own future and destiny to think about. Shelly was a part of him, tied to him.

  He was so lost in thought that he almost missed the ripple of magic in the air. The shadows shifted, and with a soft crackle, a portal opened in the clearing of the yard. Elias stepped through first, his usual brooding frown firmly in place, followed by Liam, who gave him a cocky grin and a wink, and Aston, who immediately looked concerned when he saw Ra.

  Liam grinned, the expression all teeth. “You look like hell, Ra.”

  Aston rolled his eyes. “Subtle, Liam.” But his eyes stayed on Ra. “You okay, brother?”

  He didn’t hesitate to answer. “No. I’m not.” These were his brothers, just as Aston had called him. Maybe not in blood, but by choice, and to Ra, that was even more valuable because it meant they chose him as well. “How is Shelly?” Ra had spoken with her on the phone but hadn’t been back in two days because he’d needed to stay focused.

  “We had to tie her up to keep her from following us here,” Liam said as casually as if he were talking about the weather.

  Ra narrowed his eyes on the jokester of their group.

  Elias put a hand on Liam’s chest and shoved him back. “He’s kidding. None of the females even know we’re here. They think we’re sparring.”

  “How’d you keep Gabby from tagging along?” Ra asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

  Liam smirked. “I made sure she was too tired.”

  “Bloody hell,” Elias grumbled. “You walked into that one.”

  “Fair,” Ra nodded.

  “Okay,” Liam rubbed his hands together. “Now that you know we didn’t actually tie up your woman–though I don’t know why it’s such a big deal because we all know you probably tie her up–”

  “You seriously have a death wish,” Aston sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

  Ra didn’t respond. It would only feed Liam’s enjoyment of poking the bear.

  “We’ve got a plan,” Elias said, taking over the conversation because it was obvious Liam was incapable of not being an ass.

  Ra was used to it and appreciated the fact that he could count on Elias. “What kind of plan?” Ra’s heart thudded.

  Elias’s eyes gleamed. “One where you keep your promise, Viscious gets exactly what he deserves, and Aurora gets to choose her own fate. We’re going to trick him. Stonehenge.”

  Ra blinked. “Stonehenge? What in the world does Stonehenge have to do with any of this?”

  Before anyone could answer, Kimba strode through the portal behind the others. She was all purpose and focus, her presence snapping the room to attention. She gave Ra a once-over, her look both reassuring and full of the weight of what was coming.

  “Stonehenge isn’t just a pile of rocks, Ra,” Kimba said, her voice gentle but edged with iron. “It’s a soul-bonded construct—a trap, designed by our ancestors for moments exactly like this, when evil’s too slippery for normal magic. When we activate it, the wards will contain Viscious. But it’ll take all of us–all eight soul-bonded pairs, working together. That’s the only way the magic will hold.”

  Ra’s brow rose. “All of us? Even⁠—?”

  She nodded. “Even the ones who left to return to the field. Osiris is already gathering up Riggs, Lark, Lawson, Cara, Rush, Brianna, Crey and Tinley . . . ” She hesitated, her gaze softening. “We’ll get everyone there, and Shelly has been training with us. She’s ready. We all have to be ready, and we have to do it this way. If we don’t, the trap won’t hold long enough to save Aurora—and Viscious will know it’s a trick. And once he’s trapped and Aurora’s out, Rory will get to finally meet her sister.”

  Liam’s mouth twitched with a grim smile. “This is going to be fun–I mean, as long as Aurora doesn’t die and Viscious doesn’t somehow get free and attempt to kill us all.”

  Aston elbowed him. “How many times have I told you that just because you think it, it doesn’t have to come out of your mouth?”

  “Apparently, not enough,” Elias said dryly.

  Ra managed a half-smile, the tension in his chest easing just a little. Kimba put a warm hand on his shoulder. “We’re in this together, Ra. No one gets left behind. Not now, not ever.”

  Elias nodded, his voice low and steady. “We don’t want to give Viscious any time to attempt research on this. So this is happening now. Contact him. Tell him he’s got fifteen minutes to get where you tell him, if he wants Aurora. You show up, we’ll be ready.”

  Ra exhaled, the breath shaky enough to betray just how hard he was working to tamp down the wild flicker of hope clawing up his chest. Could it really be this easy? He almost snorted at himself. Of course it couldn’t. Life had never handed him anything on a silver platter—especially not redemption. There were a thousand ways this could go sideways. Maybe more. But what was the alternative? To stand back and do nothing? To let his mistakes fester and decide they were beyond repair? No. He couldn’t accept that. Not when Aurora and Shelly’s futures were tangled up with his own. Not when giving up meant letting them down before he even started.

  He squared his shoulders, determination settling over him like armor. “All right,” he said, voice steadier than he felt. “Let’s do this.”

  Kimba squeezed his shoulder, her eyes fierce and full of promise. “For Aurora. For all of us.”

  And in that moment, Ra believed—maybe for the first time—that they really could pull this off.

  CHAPTER 25

  "Every action creates a ripple, shaping more than we can see. Too often, we’re so focused on the outcome we want, we forget to consider the waves we leave behind." ~ Ra

  Ra found Penny and Fern in the library, the air thick with the comforting scent of old paper and wood polish. Fern was curled into one of the armchairs, legs tucked beneath her, her face lined with worry, which she tried—and failed—to hide. Penny was perched at the edge of the desk, hands tight around an abandoned mug. Her eyes were vacant as if she was lost in thought. At the sound of his footsteps, she looked up.

  Her gaze was sharp as she spoke, “When you left, you looked defeated. Now, you look ready to go to war. What changed in the last thirty minutes?”

  “Where’s Aurora? And Cordelia?” Ra asked, voice low. He didn’t want to startle Fern, but every second felt like a countdown.

  Penny’s eyes narrowed, her worry morphing instantly into suspicion. “Cordelia’s got Aurora upstairs. She said something about showing her the grimoire collection—figured it’d keep her distracted, maybe help her focus on something other than . . . all this.” She waved a hand, encompassing the sense of dread that had settled over Blackhorn like a fog. “We made magic bombs, but that didn’t take as long as we’d hoped it would.”

  Fern sat forward, her concern blooming into outright alarm. “What’s going on, Ra?”

  Ra ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the door as if expecting it to burst open. He drew a breath, steadying himself with the knowledge that the time for secrets was over. “I just met with Aston, Liam, Elias, and Kimba. The first three are my brothers and also elementalists. Kimba is the soul-bonded elemental queen. We’re making our move. Tonight.”

  Penny’s mug clattered to the desk. “You’re not handing Aurora over⁠—”