“It is in my world.”

“And what world is that, Kellan? The underworld? Where you came from.”

Aumae sucked in her breath, as did I.

It was quiet for a beat before Kellan responded, in a quiet voice, “I’ve grown up with humans, among this world. I consider them family. Where I was born means nothing to me now.”

“What about who you were born to? Does your father mean nothing to you as well?”

Kellan grew silent, and I felt his anger start to churn. It was there, underneath his surface, boiling to the top. But then he replied, flicking some switch so he was calm once again, “My father ceased to be my father when I went to Shay. You know that. I know that. My father knows that. And Shay knows now. No, Damien, my father has no bearing on me anymore. He hasn’t for a very long time.”

Damien went silent this time, but I felt his tension, too. His hand fell and rested beside mine. It was an accident, but he didn’t move away, and his pulse started to skyrocket. It was rapid, steady, but now it was sporadic and racing. Something Kellan said didn’t sit well with him, but I held my tongue, too afraid to ask the wrong questions at that time.

“He’s not going to let you regroup.”

I had a very strong feeling that wasn’t what Damien wanted to say, but it was what came out. Something was going on between those two, and both of them had made the decision to focus on something else. Which was fine, for now, but I intended to find out what was going on because I had another feeling that it had to do with me, and I wasn’t okay with that.

Damien added, “I know you’re thinking that we can get somewhere and rest, but he won’t let that happen. Shay’s out in the open. He’s going to come now and not risk losing her again. She shouldn’t have been there to start with.”

“I needed her help getting them out.” Kellan was quiet as he watched the rearview mirror.

Regardless of what Damien thought, I knew that Kellan was three steps in front of him. Now, where he was going, I had no clue about, but I knew my supposed soulmate had a plan already in motion. We were all along for the ride, for the roles he had slotted us into. When Damien figured that out, that Kellan was the mastermind controlling him, manipulating him to do what he wanted, that was the spark he’d need. Then the explosion would happen after that, but until then—I knew enough to sit back and let Kellan’s plan happen. It’d work. It always worked, but I felt there would be collateral damage this time.

“I could’ve helped instead.”

Kellan snapped at him, “But you chose not to. You made that decision very clear, early on, when we could’ve left Shay in hiding. Deal with it now.”

I prayed he would, the interrogation wasn’t helping. Then, after another beat of silence, I released my breath, thankful. He had stopped…for now.

“There’s three of them,” Aumae spoke from the back. “They’re close and coming fast. I can feel them.”

“I can, too.” Damien jerked around and stared out the back window. “Sachiel’s not with them. That’s what worries me.”

“Sachiel?” My heart was pounding in my chest. “Is that—is that my father’s name?”

A hush came over the group, and Damien cast me an apologetic look before he turned back to the rear. Then Aumae spoke again, “I’m sorry, Shay. That’s his name, it’s what the messengers call him, and you should’ve been told your father’s name before this.”

I hadn’t asked. I hadn’t because I’d been afraid to think of him, of what it all meant.

“He’s here.” Kellan jerked the wheel around. The car skidded to a halt, parked at an angle across the road, and we hadn’t come to a complete stop before Kellan threw himself out of the car.

“Kellan!” I gasped, scrambling after him, but he was gone. Vanished.

Damien and Aumae hurried out of their doors, and then Damien yelled at her, “Wake them. We need them.”

She went back to the car, but cast a look at him. “You’re helping them? I knew I would, but you…”

He jerked a shoulder up and faced where we’d come from. Three white beams of light appeared on the horizon, coming slow. As they drew closer, I was able to see each of them looked like humans out for a nightly stroll. They looked calm, dressed in street clothes. A male was in the lead, taller than the other two, over seven feet. The others were both females. One had long blonde hair, and the other had long black hair. All three of them had high cheekbones and slender bodies. Any other human distinctions were diminished since they were in messenger mode with their eyes as black orbs and a white aura over them.

“Where’d Kellan go?” I looked around, but nothing. We were alone. It was like he became a part of the night and disappeared in it.

“He’s not our problem right now.” Damien’s hands flexed beside him. “They are.”

“They’re waking.” Aumae hurried to stand beside Damien. “They’ll help.”

“They’ll have to, or they’re dead with us.”

Gus and Vespar stumbled out of the car, exhausted from the coma they’d been in. Studying Vespar, I thought he’d been unconscious from the bullet and then because Damien had healed him. I thought the body needed time to repair itself, but now they both shimmered in health. They seemed toned, ready, and alert. Aumae had put Gus to sleep, and now I wondered if she’d done the same to Vespar, that she had healed them even further somehow. I had never seen them at their peak as I was seeing them now. Like a button was pushed, their exhaustion vanished.