Page 27 of Spirit Storm

She releases me and immediately moves to Asher. "Hey cutie. You taking good care of my big sister?"

"It’s become my full-time job." Asher hugs Violet and squeezes, while winking over at me. "Lily was just saying how hard you've been training. How’s that going?"

S’Nark hops onto the counter in his leather-winged gremlin form and picks up a cookie. “She’s a fuck-ton more dedicated and agreeable than Poppy was when she was here.”

I stick my tongue out at him. “How would you know? You ghosted me almost the entire time. You were the least ‘familiar’ familiar in the history of familiars.”

“So there.” Asher chuckles. “But he’s taking better care of you girls, right?”

Both Lily and Violet nod.

Violet takes the empty chair beside Lily and leans forward with her elbows on the table. "Okay. Tell me what’s happening in Emberwood. How bad is it? What's Tharuzel doing? What do we know?"

Yikes. I consider that and start with the most recent dilemma. "I had another dream where I was in his consciousness."

Violet straightens, and Lily goes very still.

"Now that he's in the physical plane, the connection is different… sharper. He was in a stone cave, working on a ritual. I couldn't tell what it was or where it was."

"But we think it’s related to an earthquake in Ireland," Asher adds.

“So, are you going to check it out?” Violet asks.

"Garrison and the Order are investigating first. They have the resources and expertise. But he told us to be ready.”

“We’ve got our go-bags packed and are ready to roll,” Asher says.

Lily frowns. “You’re going to Ireland?”

“Maybe. Nothing is for sure. But if we do go, it’ll be by portal and we’ll be right back. I swore I’d be checking on you guys on the regular, and I meant it. I’m not striking off around the world and leaving you guys behind.”

Violet frowns. “But you're the one in his head. You're the one with the blood bond. You should definitely be the one tracking him down.”

“And I will. But only if Garrison needs me.”

“Oh, he’ll need you,” Lily says. “And once Mica gets the demon death daggers ready, you’ll be able to take him out for good.”

“Demon death daggers?” Wylder repeats.

Lily grins. “Yeah. You’ve got to have a cool name for things. Names hold power.”

Well, that’s true. “Okay, so yeah. When Mica has the demon death daggers crafted and ready to roll, we’ll be ready to send him back to the Hell Realm.”

“And out of our lives for good,” Violet says.

I sigh. “From your lips to the Goddess’ ears.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Wow, the cold has bite today. Not enough to drive me back inside, but enough that I've got both hands wrapped around my mug of hot chocolate and my shoulders pulled up toward my ears.

The backyard has been stripped of all the green and growing things. The flower beds, bare and crusted over with a thin layer of snow, and the old oak at the back of the property has gone full skeletal.

Still, there's something satisfying about sitting on the back step in the gray of morning with something warm in my hands, watching Asher try not to accidentally end up in the neighbor's garden again.

He's come a long way.

A month ago, he was vanishing mid-sentence and reappearing in the attic. Three weeks ago, he ended up in New Mexico. Now he stands in the center of the lawn, his boots planted, his expression composed in a way that does not come naturally to him, and waits before he moves.