“I have questions.” Tegan pulled the Book of Shadows out and flipped pages. “So many questions.”

Everest smirked. “I expect nothing less, High Priestess.”

“As do I,” I whispered.

His blue and white eyes met mine. “I know.”

“Okay, right, so . . . ” Tegan tapped her fingers on the open page, then eyed him. “Everest⁠—-”

“Also known as Winter Frost Mountain,” Savannah said with a chuckle.

Everest's eyes widened and snapped in her direction. “What did you just call me?”

“Winter Frost Mountain.” She grinned. “I can’t take credit for that one. That’s what the angel Leyka called you in a note he sent to us.”

Saber snickered.

Everest grinned so wide his cheeks dimpled. I’d never seen him smile that wide. He scrubbed his face. “Oh, Leyka. I’m afraid he’s been calling me that for centuries now.”

“Which brings me to my first question.” Tegan waited until Everest looked to her, then asked, “How old are you exactly? Followed by how old is Sweyn? And then how did you end up in Avolire⁠—-”

“One at a time, Tegan.” Cooper huffed. “Damn.”

Everest stared into the distance for a long moment before he answered. “I was born in the year nine hundred.”

“WHAT?”

“NINE HUNDRED?”

“WAIT, SOMEONE DO THAT MATH⁠—-”

“YOU’RE ONE THOUSAND-ONE-HUNDRED-NINETEEN YEARS OLD?”

My pulse quickened. My whole body swayed. I shook my head. “What?”

Everest glanced around the room with a chuckle. “Do I lie, Lancaster?”

“No, you do not,” Jackson’s voice was barely a whisper.

“For your second question, Sweyn was born in the year nine-hundred-ninety-nine.” Everest nodded and waved his hand. “Go ahead. Freak out.”

They did. Loudly.

But I couldn’t hear them over the heavy thumping of my own heart.

“You’re older than Sweyn.” Tegan shut the Book of Shadows. “I did not see that coming.”

“And neither will she when she learns that detail,” Saber said with a cocky smirk. “A nice one-two-punch, if you will.”

Everest rolled his eyes at her. “What you have to understand is that Mother—-Lilith—has battle plans and strategies at the ready. Much like your own Queen of Darkness, she has contingency plans for her contingency plans.”

Tegan smirked. “I have mixed feelings about that comparison.”

“You shouldn’t. That devious brain of yours is going to be key to defeating her.”

Tegan grinned. Hunter groaned. Cooper cursed. Bentley snort-laughed. Em pulled a fire ball into her hands and snickered. Tenn looked like he was going to throw up.

“Sometimes Lilith’s plans got foiled by Covens-past so she immediately has new ideas lined up and ready to put into play.” Everest shrugged. “Sometimes she has multiple schemes running at once. Often, these villainous schemes happen because she saw an opening and pounced. Althea and Aurelia. Joseph. Sam’s father—-and no, I won’t speak of him yet.”

Everyone groaned and glanced around nervously.