“Pretty much everyone is scared of them, but a vampire taking out a coven isn’t gonna go over too great, even if the true story is told and nobody much liked this coven,” Barb shared.

“Fuck,” he murmured and felt Aurora’s small hand curl around his.

“We should finish the mission,” she said gently. “Get this done. Cover our sisters, do a blessing over them, get the implements safe, and get home.”

Finally, she said something smart.

Yuri gently pulled his hand from hers and shoved it in his pocket to retrieve his phone. “Go. See to the implements. I’ll call The Council.”

A call he did not relish making. His father would be pleased the implements were secured. He would not be the same about the bloodbath.

He’d engaged his phone but had not pushed any buttons when he felt a light hand on his arm.

He looked down at Aurora even as he sensed her mother and the others moving to search for the implements.

“Thank you for saving Mom,” she whispered. “And me. And well…” She squeezed his arm. “All the rest.” Her voice turned melancholy. “What’s left of us, that is.”

He regarded her and took his time doing it, before he lifted a hand and trailed the tip of his middle finger from her temple, along the apple of her cheek, to the side of her lip. Once he made that destination, he dropped his hand but dipped his face close to hers.

“You should be aware, Aurora, that when I’m angry at you, being sweet will do much to tame that emotion,” he told her quietly.

She nodded, drawing in breath through her nose, and he easily read she was relieved.

“However, when I’m furious at you,” he continued, “being sweet will only fan that flame.”

She bit her lip and he watched her do it, therefore, he had more to say.

“And being adorable will make it worse,” he carried on.

“Maybe I should leave you to your phone call,” she suggested.

“I would run with that,” he agreed.

She nodded, removed her hand from his arm, and swiftly moved away from him.

With iron control, Yuri didn’t watch her go but turned his attention to his phone.

This didn’t last a second before he heard Aurora call, “Yuri?”

He lifted his eyes to see her—her black clothing, her ridiculous knit cap, and her utterly preposterous black smudges—standing halfway up the steps, looking down at him.

“I know you’re mad, but my thank-you still stands. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t…I mean, it doesn’t bear…” She trailed off and he sensed the sorrow saturating her soul because he could smell it in his nostrils and taste it down his throat.