“No,” says Jeffrey, but he’s starting to look queasy, confused.

“It does matter,” I say to my brother. “Good and evil exist, Jeffrey. They’re real. This guy is about as evil as they come. Can’t you feel it?”

Asael laughs like the idea is preposterous, and Lucy joins in.

“Come on, Jeffrey,” she says. “Come back with us. You don’t belong with these people. You belong with me.”

“In hell?” he asks.

Her eyes flash. “That wasn’t hell. It’s an alternate world to our own, yes, but it’s not hell. Did you see any boiling pit of lava or a guy in a red suit with a tail and a pitchfork? That’s a myth, baby. What’s important is that we can be together. We’re meant to be together, right?”

For an awful second I think he’s going to say, Right, and walk across to them, and I’ll lose him again, this time forever, but then his jaw tightens.

“No,” he says quietly. “I don’t belong with you.”

“What?” She sounds truly shocked. “What are you saying?”

“He’s saying that he thinks the two of you should see other people,” I quip.

Enough with the small talk, I say to Christian, mind-to-mind. Let’s get out of here. I’d feel a lot better if we were on hallowed ground.

Can you do it? Christian asks. You’re not too tired?

I’m tired. But I’m pretty motivated to give the getting-the-heck-out-of-here plan a try. I’m fine.

Christian takes my hand, and instantly I feel stronger. I can do this, I think. Christian bends and whispers something to Angela. She stands, studiously not looking at Asael or Lucy, and tucks her arm in his.

I hold my hand out to Jeffrey. Let’s go home, I say.

“Jeffrey, listen to me—” Lucy says.

I start to imagine our place in Jackson, only a few miles from here, the aspen tree in the front yard, the wind in the pines, the sense of well-being and warmth that I always associate with our house, the squirrels staking out their territory in the trees, chattering, the birds flitting from branch to branch. That’s where I’ll take us. We’ll be safe there. We can figure things out.

Jeffrey takes my hand, which makes me feel stronger still. “Let’s go,” he says.

Asael makes an angry noise in the back of his throat, but he can’t stop me, he can’t touch me, and I close my eyes.

I’m two seconds from willing us out of there. Two seconds.

But then the barn door opens and Tucker walks in.

I know the minute I see him that we’re screwed.

21

SAFE AND SOUND

Tucker doesn’t see Asael or the others immediately. He only has eyes for me. “You came back,” he says, such relief in his voice that I want to cry, and then before I can warn him Asael is by his side, moving faster than the human eye can perceive, blocking the way out.

“And who is this, come to join the party?” Asael asks.

For a moment nobody speaks. Tucker stands up straighter, and I know he’s wishing that he’d brought the shotgun this time. Not that the shotgun would do any good.

Lucy approaches from the back, giving us and the glory a wide berth. “This must be Tucker,” she says, coming to stand on the other side of him. “Jeffrey’s told me all about him. He’s Clara’s boyfriend.”

“Ah. And a fragile human one at that,” Asael says. “Interesting.”

I find my voice. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Oh, no?” Asael turns to me with an amused expression, like he can’t wait to hear what I’m about to say. He’s enjoying this, the way he’s got us all standing so completely still, afraid. He thrives on this.

“We broke up. It’s like you said, he’s a human. He didn’t understand me. It didn’t work.” Christian’s hand tightens in mine as he registers how, even though what I’m saying is technically the truth, it’s also a lie, and he can feel how desperately I want to be convincing in this lie. Because if Tucker’s not worth anything to me, he can’t be used as leverage.

But then, if Tucker’s not worth anything to me, he can also be discarded like an empty paper cup, used and thrown away. I have to be careful.

“She’s with me now,” Christian says. He’s so much better at lying than I am. There’s no telltale catch in his voice.

“It’s true that you two seem awfully fond of each other,” Asael says thoughtfully. “But then it begs the question: Why did you come here? Why, out of all the places on earth you could have gone, did you send yourself here, to this boy?”

I meet Tucker’s eyes and swallow. This is the lie I’m not going to get away with.

Because he’s my home.

“Lucy, be a dear and hold the human, will you?” Asael says, and now there’s a black blade at Tucker’s throat. Lucy takes his arm and pulls him a few steps away from Asael, her own eyes glinting with the excitement of it all. I hear the sorrow that makes up the blade sizzle slightly as it touches Tucker’s neck, and he flinches.

Asael appears happy, like his day is looking up.

“Now,” he says, suddenly all business. “Let’s negotiate. I think a trade might be in order. A life for a life.”

“I’ll go,” Angela volunteers immediately. She clears her throat and says it again louder. “I’ll come back with you, Father.” Her voice wavers on the word.

Asael scoffs. “I don’t want you. You’ve been nothing but a disappointment since I found you. Look at you.” His eyes sweep up and down her body, lingering at the markings on her arm. Bad daughter.

She doesn’t answer, but part of her seems to shrink inside herself. No one loves me passes through her mind.

“I want Jeffrey,” Lucy says, like a child demanding her favorite toy. She looks at him, smiles. “Come on, baby. Come with me.”

Jeffrey takes a deep brave breath and starts to step forward, and I catch his arm and pull him back.

“Dear, sweet Lucy,” Asael says as Jeffrey and I argue without words for a minute. “I know you have a crush on the boy, and I know you’ve put a lot of work into him, but I think I’d rather have that one.”

He points at me.

“No,” Christian and Tucker say at the same time.

Asael smiles wickedly. “Ah, you see? She’s valuable. And easy on the eyes.” His gaze on me is like a touch, and I shiver, draw my arms over my chest. “I’m looking forward to hearing how you managed to cross out of hell. You’ll tell me, won’t you? Who’s been teaching you?”

“Take me,” Christian says then.

Asael waves his hand dismissively. “I don’t even know who you are. Why would I want you?”

“He’s the one who killed Liv,” Lucy accuses.

Asael’s eyes flash. “Is that true? You killed my daughter?”

I understand Christian’s intention about a second too late. “Christian, don’t—”

“Yes,” Christian says. “But I’m your son.”

His son.

Oh, boy. I didn’t see that one coming. But Christian, I realize, has been seeing this moment. This is his vision, facing down the man who killed his mother. His father.

Lucy gasps, her face turning up again, eyes wide. If Christian is Asael’s son, it means that he’s also her brother. Her brother and Angela’s brother. It’s quite the family reunion we’re having in here.

How long has he known that? I wonder. Why didn’t he tell me?

Asael’s eyes widen. “My son? Why ever would you think that you’re my son?”

“You’re the collector, right?” Christian looks down at his feet. “You collected my mother. Bonnie was her name. A Dimidius. You met her in New York City, 1993.”

“Ah, I remember,” Asael says. “Green eyes. Long, pale hair.”

Christian’s jaw clenches.

“A shame what had to happen with her,” Asael continues. “I hate to destroy beautiful things. But she simply would not tell me where I could find you. Tell me, do you have black spots on your wings?”

“Shut up,” Christian mutters. I’ve never felt that kind of rage from him before, and it’s a frightening thing. He’d kill Asael, if he could.

Asael squints at him thoughtfully, oblivious. “Well now, that does change things. Perhaps I want you, after all. Even though you’ll have to be punished, I suppose, for killing Olivia.”