I pulled my shirt over my head and poked my head out through the top. “Are you here to avenge his death? Because I’m on a bit of a time crunch. You can avenge it later, after I deal with Hercules, Zeus, the Hydra, and somehow bring my mom back from the dead—and don’t forget I’m supposed to be baking for my parents’ anniversary party, which is going to be difficult seeing as my bakery has been flattened and my mom is currently dead.” That image stuck with me, and I bit my lower lip to keep the tears back.

Remo took three strides and grabbed me, pulling me tight against him, his lips on mine as I squeaked. The touch and taste of his mouth smoothed away some of the fear, some of the hurt. He pulled back a little and pressed his forehead against mine. “I pushed you away to protect you from the vampires, to protect you from Santos. It had nothing to do with appearances; I could care less what species you are.”

“You sure about that?” Smithy asked, voicing the question I had rumbling around in my head.

Remo nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. I walked away thinking you would be safer without me. That it was my fault you were having to face Santos. He was the one who called the council, not me. They could have come and decided you are a bigger threat than even Santos, and they would have actively gone after your head. Do you understand?”

Crap on a stack of crispy crackers, he didn’t know? “Did Santos’s vampires not come to you?”

He frowned. “They did, but I turned them away.”

I grabbed his arms. “Tell me you at least let them speak to you. That you let Lee speak to you.”

He shook his head. “No. If I’d taken them into my gang in front of the council . . . it would not have gone well for anyone. Wait, how do you know any of their names?”

I groaned. “The council . . . Santos sent them the fennel oil and said I was the threat, that they should come after me because if I could kill him, I could wipe out vampires.”

“Sweet mother of—” Remo swayed where he stood. “Alena, we have to get you out of here. We have to get you out of the country.”

“No, I can’t leave.” I shook my head. “I have a responsibility to this city, to my family.”

Pain seemed to lance through him, his face twisting up with it.

Yaya cleared her throat. “I think I can help with this.”

We all turned to look at her, and I fully admit I was skeptical. “How?”

“I will go to the vampire council; I’ve dealt with them in the past. We will negotiate the terms of their stay.”

My jaw dropped. “What exactly do you mean you’ve ‘dealt’ with them before?”

“Not like that, you bratty girl.” She waved a hand at me. “There have been altercations between vampires and the pantheon before, though they aren’t well documented.” She nodded as if it was decided. “I may not be able to stop them, Alena. But I can hold them off you for a space of time.”

She cupped my face and then kissed my cheeks. “Be careful, and be brave. And remember Orpheus.” Those last three words were not even spoken out loud, just mouthed against my cheek.

I hugged her, and then she stepped away from me and went out the door.

The others pulled back and slipped out of the room and closed the door behind them.

I stared at Remo, wondering if he was going to walk out on me again. “Why didn’t you just tell me about the council?”

“They were watching me, and they had already pegged you for elimination. I was desperate to keep you safe.”

Remo tugged me closer as if he could make us a single flesh. “I truly was trying to protect you. The council can have my vampires beheaded for standing with you against Santos. They don’t understand that he stopped being my brother the second he chose to become a monster.”

I blinked up at him, his words echoing through me. “He chose to become a monster.” I nodded, understanding.

Remo kissed me softly, and I let him, tears falling. “I don’t want you to be beheaded, or Dahlia, or any of my people.”

I gasped. “Tell me you didn’t punish her.”

“I locked her up, but they don’t know that there is a way out of the cell that Dahlia is more than aware of.” He smiled and laughed softly. “I don’t want to lose my head either.”

“Do you think Yaya will be able to keep them busy?” I asked, doing my best to keep my mind on the situation at hand and not on the hands on my body.

He nodded. “I have no doubt that if anyone can, she can. Besides that, the city over the Wall seems to be at the epicenter of the Aegrus virus. The council is turning people away left and right, but even they are not strong enough to keep up the pace.”

I shivered, thinking of a world that had more vampires than humans in it. That would be a bad day for all involved. Remo nodded. “Yes, it’s a bad idea, but they think they are going to get the upper hand. We have to stop the virus, Alena. We have to. It will halt the turning of humans into vampires on top of all the other problems it is causing.”

“We have to get to Zeus, then. Or at least I do.” I pulled away from him a little. “Hermes, I’m ready to go.”

Remo wove his fingers through mine. “I’m coming with you.”

“You can’t,” I said with a frown. “Hermes can only take one person with him. Trust me to get Zeus. I will be back as soon as I can, and then . . . we will face this together. All of it. But only if you stop treating me like I can’t fight on my own. There are enough people in my life who believe me incapable. The last person I expected to fall into that category was you.”