“It’s her purpose.” Gently, Annika stroked Bran’s arm. “Because you love, together you’ll be stronger.”

“I don’t know about love, but I’m not going to question our resident seer. Sorry, Bran,” Riley added. “You don’t screw with destiny.”

“Your word. Your promise,” Sasha insisted. “Because you won’t break it to me.”

“I’ll take you.” The choice was no longer his. “My word.”

“Now that that’s settled,” Riley put in, “let’s make sure we kick her ass, and her ugly minions—good word—too.”

“All over it.” Sawyer slid a second knife in his boot.

“After we kick her ass,” Annika began, and made Sawyer grin at how carefully she enunciated the phrase, “we go here.” She looked at Sasha’s painting. “I know this place, and can swim there. I can get there quickly, and then Sawyer wouldn’t have to take so many.”

“Nobody’s alone.” Sawyer shook his head. “It’s not safe. We go together.”

“I can get a plane, but it’s going to take a couple more days.” Like Sawyer, Doyle slipped a knife into his boot. “And I’m thinking getting gone sooner rather than later is the smart move.”

“I’ve got a place nearly lined up. Friend of a cousin of a cousin’s getting it set up. I might be able to get us a plane,” Riley considered. “I can see if I’ve got some lines to tug.”

“Let me try it.” Sawyer shrugged. “If I can’t do us all at once, I can take half of us, come back, take the other half. If it doesn’t work, we can try for the plane.”

“And the boat?” Riley asked, mostly because she got a kick out of seeing it sitting in the yard.

“No big deal there—but I’ll wait until after midnight, after the area around it’s mostly going to be clear of people.”

“I’m not sure it matters.” Sasha sighted the bow. “We’ve had three ugly battles, and no one outside of us seems to have noticed a thing. I think what we’re doing isn’t making a ripple on reality.”

“Maybe, but when I was sixteen and training, I dropped down into a strip club in Amsterdam. It caused a ripple. My coordinates were a little off, and well, being sixteen, naked women were always on my mind.”

“I like clothes. They’re pretty. But for swimming, naked is best.”

Sawyer glanced at Annika, then carefully away. “Okay, now that’s on my mind.”

“Set it aside, pal. I for one don’t want to drop into a strip joint. Sun’s setting,” Riley added.

And a storm’s coming, Sasha thought.

With the weapons handed out, they brought the rest of their belongings down. If they had to retreat, they’d count on Sawyer, and leave behind anything he couldn’t transport.

They ate, for fuel rather than hunger, as the edginess of waiting overwhelmed everything else.

As the clock ticked toward midnight, Sasha stood.

“What is it?” Bran demanded. “What do you see?”

“Hear. I hear her calling to them. Singing to them. She’s gathering.”