But in reality, Thomas of Hunter’s greatest tests remained ahead of him. He might be a figure of history here in the Histories, but he was still the leader of the Forest Dwellers in a war that was being waged against the Horde. And things were about to get very nasty.

“Then we have to get back!” Johnis paced a tight circle. “Now!”

“You can if you wish,” Michal said. “But five years will have passed when you arrive there.”

“What? How’s that possible?”

“I’ve been forbidden from allowing you to influence events there now that you know what you do.”

“But five years! What’s happened in five years?”

“The world has changed. You’ll see.”

Silvie put her hand on Johnis’s arm. “How old will we be? There, I mean?”

Gabil flashed a grin. “Old enough to be blissfully married, if you so choose; no worries there, Silvie. And if you like, I could perform some of my—”

“Please, Gabil,” Michal cut in. “No one wants to see you stumble through your karate moves at a wedding. Get a grip on reality, will you?”

“No.” Johnis looked at Silvie and winked. “We would love to see Gabil perform at our wedding, wouldn’t we, Silvie?”

She felt so buoyed by his statement that she nearly threw her arms around his neck and kissed him in front of them all.

“Yes.” She returned his wink. “Yes, we would.”

Michal nodded. “So I take it that you two would like to go back with the books?”

“If it’s okay,” Johnis said.

“Of course.”

“When?”

“Now. But five years will have passed.”

It was a heady idea, Silvie thought.

“Does it matter if we stay or return?” Karas eyed Darsal.

“Of course it matters. But it is your decision entirely. Wherever you live, you will have challenges, as long as evil remains unbound.”

“And what about the Shataiki?” Darsal glanced above her at the gray sky.

“Yes, them. A few dozen escaped, wouldn’t you say?”

“Maybe more. But they were males.”

“And there are no females.” Michal shrugged. “I would worry more about the others.”

Karas looked up. “Others?”

A worried look crossed Darsal’s face. “You’re saying the rumors are true?”

“There’s usually at least some truth in a rumor.”

“What are you talking about?” Karas demanded.

“The vampires,” Darsal said. “Alucard’s been a busy beast all of these years.”

Silvie listened with interest, but the greater part of her mind was on the forests. The faster she could return, be it five years or five hundred years from now, the better.

Darsal nudged a stone with her foot. “I have to know something.”

“Whether or not you were the Dark One,” Michal said.

Her eyes met his.

“Johnis was right,” the Roush said. “You are both fallen and chosen. As are all of you. And your choices aren’t finished. Do you follow?”

“Billos . . .”