“So it’s open here, but nowhere else. It’s stuck, just like you are. Because of the barrier.”

Her pleasant expression washed away, leaving behind something ugly. “I need your dagger, angel.”

Bishop’s face was all cruel, hard lines as he regarded her. Nothing soft. “You think Samantha can help you escape because of what she is.”

She flicked a look at me. “He’ll kill you, you know. It’s only a matter of time. You’re an anomaly, just like me. A threat to the balance. Be careful with this fallen angel, Samantha. Soul or not, he’ll steal your heart just before he slices a sharp blade into it.”

Even though I didn’t trust a word that came out of her mouth, a chill ran down my spine. I braved a look at Bishop, but he kept his attention fully fixed on my aunt. His fists were clenched at his sides, the muscles in his arms tense.

Stephen stayed behind Natalie, his brows drawn tightly together as he listened in on the conversation. Carly moved to stand next to him. Her eyes moved back and forth between us as if she were watching a tennis match.

I hated that Carly was here and had become a part of this. My best friend since kindergarten—my closest ally and confidante. I wanted to save her so badly, but I didn’t know how. I couldn’t accept that she had changed forever from this. Losing Carly’s soul felt even worse than losing my own.

There had to be another way for this all to end. What had Natalie experienced while being in the Hollow for all these years? How had it changed her? I couldn’t hate her for this, I felt sorry for her. And if I still could, I wanted to help her.

“How did you get out?” Bishop asked Natalie again.

“You,” she purred, “are very tenacious. You’re the leader, aren’t you? There are others in the city like you who run around every night killing my brood. I don’t like that very much.”

I scanned the faces of the people around me. Carly stood next to Stephen with a blank look on her face. Stephen’s expression was unreadable, too, but his gaze was now fixed on me rather than Natalie.

It made me shiver.

And the others…

I glanced behind me and nearly shrieked when I saw they’d all gotten to their feet and taken a step closer, their expressions as blank as sheets of paper. They blocked my path back to the staircase.

Not one normal teen had ever tried to climb those stairs to come up here. This had become a grays-only section. It scared me to think what would happen if anyone did venture up to this second-floor lounge.

“Did you make a deal to leave the Hollow?” Bishop persisted. “With whom? And what was it for?”

Her gaze traveled leisurely over his tall, muscular body and broad shoulders. “It was really more of a favor.”

“Why did the Hollow change? It hasn’t always been this way.”

“No, it hasn’t. Only for about seventeen years.”

Seventeen years. Since I was born. Since my real mother was killed and my father and Natalie followed her into the Hollow.

I still clutched the strap of my heavy leather bag, my palms damp with sweat. Throughout this, Bishop had remained sane. But even now I sensed his struggle to keep his focus.

He glared at her, frustration etched into his handsome face. She wasn’t answering his questions; she was only making everything more confusing.

I knew I was right about his ultimate plan for tonight to open the passageway to the Hollow and drag Natalie back into it with him. And now that I’d arrived, I’d complicated things for him. No, scratch that. I’d totally screwed up his chance to sacrifice himself for his mission.

I knew why I’d done it. Even though I knew I couldn’t kiss him again, I refused to lose him. Not like this. No matter what that meant.

The song blasting below us shifted to something frenetic with a driving beat. My heart rate increased right along with it. Bishop drew closer to me until his arm touched mine. It was enough that I felt the spark between us, and a pleasant ribbon of warmth slid through me.

His nearness did crazy things to my head, made me dizzy. I fought to maintain my concentration, but I didn’t make any move to put distance between us. Being close to Bishop might be more distracting than I wanted it to be right now, but it also helped to give me extra courage.

“However you returned, you’re now putting the world at risk by your very presence,” Bishop said to Natalie.

“You say that like I should care.”

“How can you not care?” I asked.

“I know you don’t understand, Samantha.” She gave me a winsome smile. “But you don’t have to. All you need to do is help me get out of this city.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, I can’t do that.”

She closed the distance between us, grabbed hold of my wrist, yanking me forward. “You will.”

Her grip grew so tight I couldn’t help but whimper as I fought to break her demonically strong hold on me. Bishop took her hand and wrenched it back from my arm hard enough that it would have broken a human’s wrist. She shrieked in pain.

Bishop’s eyes glowed with blue light. “Hurt her and I hurt you. See how it works, demon?”

Natalie’s upper lip curled back from her teeth in a half smile, half grimace. “You’re still weaker than you should be with that soul stuck in you. Good to know.”

“It’s been a difficult week.”

“I’m sure. But you got the chance to meet my lovely niece. And it’s obvious to me that you do care about her—probably much more than you should. So do I.”