“You’re worried for me, aren’t you?” Michael asked as he sat in the armchair opposite her.
Emily smiled. “I can’t say I’m not.”
“You think I don’t understand the gravity of the situation—that I would do something stupid.” Michael looked her up and down. “That’s why you’re fighting to stay awake.”
Emily’s smile wavered. She didn’t know Michael could read people so well. “Pretty much.”
Michael heaved a sigh and looked to the side. His eyes roamed the air as he thought about something—probably the magical action taking place outside.
“Life’s insane, isn’t it?” Emily asked after a brief moment.
“Life is shit,” Michael retorted. “My life anyway. First, I learn I’m a warlock. Then I learn you’re my sister. And now I’m the only thing that can start the apocalypse. If that’s not shit, I don’t know what is.”
“I mean, if you put it that way, then our lives are shit,” Emily concurred. “But we can stop this.”
Michael’s head snapped to look in her direction. “How?” His voice was so sharp it startled her. “Because from what you’ve told me, the only way our ancestors have been able to stop the evil roves was to sacrifice themselves. Are you willing to do that?”
The question was so straightforward—like a jab to her heart—that she blanked out for a second. She hadn’t thought about sacrificing her life for Michael. She’d had no reason to do so because she and Michael weren’t really siblings. Yeah, sure, they were related by blood. But family was much more than blood. And she wasn’t sure she even liked Michael.
Joanna felt more like Emily’s family. That’s why she hadn’t ceased thinking about Joanna and Rina and how they were faring. If Emily wasn’t so spent from fighting the swarm, she would be up in the skies heading toward the Alfreds’ castle to wreak havoc.
But she had a plan. As soon as she was back to top shape, she was out of there. She could get to the castle and back before the dome fell. At least she hoped so.
“You know what? There’s no need to answer the question,” Michael said later. “It ends with our generation because you’re not going to kill yourself for me or vice versa. So he’s likely to get us both. We’re likely to die. And the world is likely to burn.”
Emily just stared at him quietly, her lips agape.
“If that happens, then so be it. It’s not like the world has done us any favors. We’re not putting our lives on the line to help save it.”
“But that’s the point, isn’t it?” Emily said almost desperately. “We’re not doing it for the world. We’re doing it for our family. We’re doing it for our friends. Our parents. Our town.”
Michael kept his brow furrowed, but he refrained from replying.
Emily felt her heart pounding in her chest. For whatever reason, she was hurt when Michael had said he wasn’t going to give his life for her. She didn’t know why she felt so much sibling instinct for the guy when he didn’t give a damn about her. Was she weak to feel a sisterly pull toward him? Was she being overly emotional?
Emily shut her eyes for a moment, allowing the pain to wash through her. She didn’t blame him. She didn’t blame him one bit. She convinced herself that maybe he didn’t mean what he said. Maybe he was just scared.
But would I? she asked herself. Would I lay down my life for him?
Emily thought back to the previous two times she was told the evil rove had been defeated by a sacrifice of one of the two siblings. Both times, the Owl shifter hadn’t been like Emily and Selena. Yeah, sure, Granddaddy was Adopted, but he didn’t have the fire demon. And Mom hadn’t even been Adopted at all and didn’t have the same level of integration with her Owl that Emily had with Selena.
So things were certainly different this time. This time, they had the tools they needed to win.
Imagine if you combined the Adoption with the fire demon? Selena’s presence peeked into Emily’s mind. You’ll have an explosive force that even an ancient evil rove can’t withstand easily.
19
Michael’s movement snapped her right out of her short sleep. She jerked up, panic splashing adrenaline into her blood. For a brief second, all she knew was that she was in trouble. That was it.
Michael paused, casting a wary glance her way. “Are you okay?”
Emily suddenly remembered where she was and what was happening. She sighed and settled back into the couch. That’s when she felt the ache developing in her lower back. This was definitely not where she wanted to spend the rest of the night.
She pulled herself off the couch and to her feet.
“You know, you don’t have to babysit me,” Michael grumbled when he saw her get up.
“Oh, don’t I?” she scoffed. “I can’t lose you.”
Michael paused and turned to her and folded his arms across his chest. “Why? From what you’ve told me, if I die, they have no need for you. Shouldn’t you be rooting for my death? Maybe even plotting it?”
Emily gasped in outrage. “I would never do that!”
“Maybe,” Michael retorted, shrugging. “It doesn’t mean your dad won’t.”
“Then he would have done it the moment I brought you back with me.”
Michael’s mouth opened to spew another string of nonsense, but then he stopped. “Look, you look so exhausted. You need to sleep and stop following me around.”
“Not until I’m sure you’ll stay put, and we make a plan.”
“So that’s what this is about, is it?” Michael folded his arms. “You need me to fight in your little war.”
“It’s not my war.” Emily yawned. “It’s our war. It’s a war for the town. Remember, your dad is in the evil rove’s clutches. Now, the Alfred seniors are knocked out just as Aunt Anastacia is. Their kids are here
