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“He won’t,” I hiss, my anger rising.

“But he believes he will,” she says quietly, squeezing her arms. “We won’t let him.”

“I’m missing hours. Is the house protected?” I barely remember leaning against Rome as he led me through the house.

“It is. Rome helped me. Mateo’s spell is still in place. He won’t get us here.” She looks away, snuggling close.

“Savy,” I say softly. If she saw everything I did, she would know her parents are gone.

“I know.” She clears her throat. “They weren’t great parents. I wished they would love me or spend time with me as other moms and dads did. It’s been years since I spent any time around them. I feel like I spent more years avoiding them than with them.” She laughs lightly. “They were shit people. Is it wrong to feel relief?"

“You can feel however you need to feel,” I say roughly.

“I’m sad. I wish I could have had an honest conversation with them, yet I know they wouldn’t have. Their life was about lies and half-truths. I don’t think I'll miss them.” She rubs her cheek over my shirt. “My emotions will probably fluctuate over the next few days. I’m trying to remember some good memories, and it’s difficult to recall any. That's sad. Who says that about their parents?”

“Unfortunately, there are probably quite a few.”

“Yeah.” She exhales harshly. “I don’t want to think about it anymore. Just hold me,” she says, and I do.

It’s bizarre to communicate in the dream world. I wonder if I’ll remember it in the morning. I feel the breeze and the moisture in the air from Griffon’s ice. My spells on my house are still connected to me, and they've settled.

“Should I get a tattoo to help me remember?” I ask.

“You would?” She lifts her head, easing away slightly.

“I want to remember our time here.” I would do anything to be closer to her.

“Lace can spell the ink, if you don't.” She grins.

“You think I will?”

“I think…” She taps both palms against my chest. “We are soul bonds. Once we complete the bond, we won’t have to take extra steps for you to remember our time here. Aria is my sister, but that’s a different kind of connection.”

“You're so sure,” I murmur.

“I’m sure of us. Meeting each other is another gift. Anything is possible when we're together,” she whispers.

I study her beautiful face. “Are you scared of Griffon?” I didn’t think she was, and she has expressed anger rather than fear, but I sense something different.

“I’m trying not to be,” she confesses, lifting a shoulder. “We’re strong together. All of us working together can’t be beat. I don’t like not knowing. When is he going to make a move? He seems to have all the time in the world, and it’s bugging the hell out of me. Yes, we provoked him because of your spell, but still. I would rather be spending time with you, without the threat hanging over us.”

“Baby, I promise it'll be over soon.”

“How can you?”

“If I have to search the whole town to find him, I will. We can do another spell to pin him down.” He’s aware of our presence during the spell, so I’m not sure doing another would give us any more information. Griffon isn’t easy to trick.

Savy’s body flickers.

“Archer, someone is circling the house.” She steps back and begins to fade.

“Fuck, wake me up,” I demand.

She disappears, but I remain.

Wake up, wake up, wake up.

No. It’s not working.