“I’m sorry, Sammi,” Angela said, kneeling beside her niece and holding her tight. “I’m sorry. We’re asking so much of you.” Sammi laid her head on Angela’s shoulder, but there was a tension there, and a distance that Angela had not felt for a long time. She thought they had grown close, and been pulled closer by the pain of their loss. Sammi’s new life, dawning on her only now in ways both painful and troubling, was pushing her away once more.

Angela hugged her tighter, hoping to hold onto some of the past.

“I’m working it out,” Sammi said. “But it needs to work first time. Otherwise if I do something, cast a spell, whatever it is, and Grace isn’t freed right away, I’m afraid Mallian will kill me.”

“He’ll have to get through me first,” Angela said. So full of bravado, it also sounded foolish.

“He will,” Sammi said. “You know that. You won’t even break his step.”

Sammi pulled away and looked into her aunt’s face.

“I know,” Angela said. “Do your best, Sammi. I don’t think we have very long. But I have to do something, find out just how long we have. I’m going through to see what’s happening.”

“We can’t use Grace’s portal! Vince said we might walk right into Mallian’s hands.”

“None of us knows. And I’ll be careful. Hopefully Vince will be back soon. But I can’t just stand here watching you trying to do whatever you’re doing.” She nodded down at the scattered relics, mere shadows in the darkness, but probably so solid and bright in Sammi’s vision. They all came from something alive, and their presence made Angela feel sick. The Kin were incredible, but like humans they had their dark sides.

“Good. I’ll work better alone,” Sammi said, and Angela couldn’t help feeling it was a snub.

“I don’t like to leave you on your own. But from what I’ve seen...”

“I can look after myself?” Sammi raised an eyebrow.

“I won’t be long.” Angela smiled at the hint of humour, the shred of Sammi. “I love you,” she said. She wasn’t sure she’d ever said it to the girl before.

Sammi’s face went grim. “I know,” she said in a deep voice, and they both chuckled.

Angela stood, Sammi turned back to the relics laid out before her, and Fer was by her side, naked and in human form.

“What’s happening?” it asked.

“You and I are going to see the lie of the land.”

“We’re going through?” Fer asked.

“Only for a peek.” Angela frowned, looked Fer up and down, and then smiled. “You’re very beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Fer said, smiling.

“So what else can you be? I have an idea.”

* * *