“That blue light?” he asked, and I nodded. “Went through them. All of a sudden, they quit fighting. It took them down to their knees. Left ’em there.”

“I…you’re joking,” I whispered.

“Look around,” he threw out an arm then grabbed my hand and pulled me to the nearest one. Keeping me close, he asked the female vampire. “Feel like moving?”

Her eyes fired and her body jerked.

Only slightly.

But she stayed on her knees.

“Holy shitoly,” I breathed, then stopped doing it altogether when it crashed into me.

My head shot to Wei.

“Already checked, pussycat,” Abel whispered to me. “He’s still with us.”

Xun was looking at us. “He’s breathin’, brother, but we gotta get him home.”

“I’ll see to that,” Teona said, prowling to them. She crouched, then carefully lifted Wei’s body between her legs and into her arms, pressing his back to her torso.

I squeezed Abel’s hand tight as Wei’s dead weight swayed lifelessly when Teona took him into her hold.

“Touch me if you’re going back with me,” she said to Xun and Chen.

“You go back. I’ll stay,” Chen said to his brother.

Xun nodded, touched his hand to Teona’s shoulder, and Teona looked to Cain.

“Later, baby,” she said softly and disappeared.

I let that impossibility filter through me before, mindlessly, I turned and slowly started walking, my hand in Abel’s, taking him with me.

As Abel and I stepped over bodies, I saw Yuri crouched over his father, his head down, his gaze to Gregor, his frame blocking our view of the man who kept us safe so we could fight the good fight.

And whose death, apparently, led us to victory.

“Allow me to take him home, sweetheart,” Barb said quietly, bending and touching Yuri’s shoulder.

“Take Aurora with you,” Yuri replied, his always-smooth, cool voice gruff with unconcealed emotion.

Hearing it, my throat clogged.

“Okay, honey,” Barb whispered and bent over Gregor.

Aurora got close.

“Yuri, sweetie—” She touched the back of his hair but got no further speaking.

“Go, button,” he ordered gently.

God, they were so freaking cute together.

“As you wish,” she whispered, bent, kissed his hair, and moved to her mother.

They clasped hands, and after both of them turned sorrowful eyes to Yuri, they disappeared, taking Gregor with them.

Abel and I got close to Yuri’s back as the rest of us gathered around him.

He lifted his head but didn’t come out of his crouch.

His eyes turned to the vampire who took his father’s life.

“You will not die so mercifully,” he whispered, and at his tone now, goose bumps rose all over my skin.

We heard sirens in the distance and I suddenly felt cold.

There was a reason for that as three phantoms, with a bevy more behind them, as well as some wraiths floated in front of us.