Tenn frowned, then he shrugged and lifted one hand to her back. Green and blue magic billowed from beneath his palm—Tegan hissed and vanished. She reappeared a second later, perched on the back of the couch like a cat on a fence, all hands and feet in a row. Her pale-green eyes were wide. Beneath her, Hunter, Kessler, and Emersyn all just looked up at her perched behind them.

No one else moved but everyone seemed to grab ahold of something like they thought a bomb was about to detonate.

Tenn jumped toward the couch with his arms outstretched. “Babe?”

Tegan blinked rapidly, then seemed to snap back into reality because she looked around and then let out a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knee. “Really weird dream.”

Cooper chuckled softly. “Have that cat dream again?”

Tegan nodded, her brows scrunched up in confusion. “I don’t like it anymore.”

Hunter held his arms straight up. Tegan rolled off the back of the couch into her father’s lap and let him hold on to her. Emersyn, Kessler, and Mona scowled down at her in concern.

“Babe? You okay?”

Tegan sighed again before pushing up to her feet and standing. “I’m gonna have to talk to Valathame about this whole upon the dawn bullshit.”

Everyone chuckled.

“On that note, Trouble?” Tim shook his head and scratched his jaw. “What we got?”

“Right. Business mode. Thanks.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and cringed. “Actually, Dad?”

He gave her a small smile and held his arms out. “I can hold both twins. C’mon.”

“Get over here.” Emersyn scooted over a little to make room between her uncle and their father, then patted the couch. “Here, kitty kitty.”

Her cheeks flushed a soft pink as she hurried back over and wedged herself between Hunter and Kessler, who had also scooted a bit. Hunter threw his arm around both his twins’ shoulders and squeezed them close, his magic coiling around them. My heart sank. This poor Bishop family was really going through it.

Tenn looked a step away from being sick. He just stared at her. “Babe . . .” he whispered.

Tim cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should get this meeting going so we can get the rest we need?”

Tegan looked like a toddler who’d fallen asleep on her father’s shoulder in line for a ride at Disney World. Her eyes were half closed. She licked her lips. “Cooper, Deacon is in dreamland wanting to be here. Let him join us.”

Emersyn flinched like she’d been slapped. Her gold eyes widened and stared at the door to downstairs like she was desperate for him to walk through it. Hunter squeezed her tighter, his fingers digging into her white sweater.

Tegan cursed. “I said that out loud, didn’t I? Sorry, twin.”

“Umm . . .” Cooper shifted his weight around and stared at Emersyn. “I don’t know how to do that.”