Curious, I dropped the bag and unzipped it, digging past Ivy’s colored markers that I wouldn’t need and Jenks’s old toolkit from this spring, when he’d been big. I pulled out an unfamiliar black leather hat and snugged it over my curls. It fit me perfectly, and I wondered when she had bought it for me. “Thank you,” I said as I tucked my hair up and out of my face.

Ceri was staring at the horizon. The sun was down, and I knew she wanted to get on with it. “Rachel?” she prompted, and my heart thumped. I almost hoped Trent wouldn’t be able to make good on his deal to pay my way and I could bow out of this without looking like a coward. But then I’d be fighting for my life every time someone called Al.

Ivy touched my shoulder, and not caring what anyone thought, I dropped the satchel and took her in a tight hug. Vampire incense filled my senses, and as my eyes closed to keep a tear from leaking out, I breathed it in, feeling not a twinge upon my scars. Misery took me, heartache that this might be good-bye forever. “I’ll see you about sunrise,” I said, and nodding, she let go.

I couldn’t look at anyone, and my throat was tight as I picked up my bag and stepped onto the cement slab. My gaze flicked to Trent. His expression was carefully empty. What in hell did I care what he thought?

Ceri stepped into the first circle, and my eyebrows rose. “I can hold Minias’s circle,” I said, then swallowed. “Unless you think Newt will show up.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, clearly wanting to put herself on hallowed ground, but just as clearly planning to stay where she was. “Minias will follow you if I don’t circle him and keep him here until sunrise.” Her narrow jaw clenched. “Walk fast.”

I looked briefly at my mother as I remembered the mental torture Al had put her through when she had done the same. “Ceri…”

“I can do this,” she said, fear in her eyes, and I touched her arm. There was nothing this side of the lines that would keep Minias from tattling on us if he knew what we were doing. “Thank you,” I said, and she smiled fearfully.

“If spending a night talking to a demon is all I have to endure to keep you alive and help mend the damage the demons did to my species, then it’s thirteen hours well spent.”

“Thank you all the same,” I said, worried.