Alarms went off in the house. I gasped and jumped out of Everest’s arms. That was the call for help. I’d learned that already. The Majors and other headquarters around the world had an SOS button that sent this sharp and haunting alarm ringing through to us. It meant somewhere in the world our civilians needed The Coven’s help. My heart pounded as I dove for my Vans sneakers and slid my feet in them. My sais were on the floor right in the same spot, so I snatched them off the ground and pressed the leather straps to my thighs. Magic flashed beneath my palms, fastening the holsters into place. Another one of Lennox’s nifty tricks.

Everest was silent as a statue behind me as we raced out my door and to the stairs. I didn’t look back at him in fear of what I’d see in his eyes because he was also rushing. I’d never seen Everest rush. My Coven-mates were already downstairs. I heard them moving around and their hushed voices.

Braison met us on the landing for the second floor. He slid in beside us. “That was fast.”

When we hit the foyer, the door to downstairs opened and Saber rushed out. Her red and hazel-gold eyes landed on Everest immediately. “Took them long enough.”

“What?” Braison hissed.

Everest sighed. “I was expecting an immediate reaction, not nearly twenty-four hours.”

“Not after what you did to them.” Tegan smirked.

Tenn slid into the room. “Where’s the attack?”

“Unseelie have attacked Manhattan!” Tim shouted from out of sight.

Everyone turned to Everest.

Tenn’s face was pale, and his hands twitched. “You said⁠—”

“Manhattan cannot be ignored.” Everest cursed. “We must go.”

Tegan nodded and opened a portal in the middle of the living room. Everyone rushed out all at once, including our new vampire allies. But Everest paused.

Anxiety bubbled inside me. “Are you . . . your magic . . .”

“Isn’t back to full-strength yet.” He pressed his hand to the small of my back, urging me toward the portal. “I do not want to go but I must, or they will know I am weakened and will attack harder. I must put on a show of strength. Come, Francelina, we must get in there.”

Ice-cold air slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs and a hiss through my teeth. We stumbled out of Tegan’s portal onto a busy four-lane street in New York City that I’d never been before, but everyone had seen movies and shows set here to know what it looked like. That was definitely Central Park at the end of the street to the left. When I looked to the right, I spotted the bright lights of Times Square down the road. Yellow taxis swerved around humans screaming and running across the street. The air smelled like roasted peanuts, piss, and maple syrup.