Poor Kera. Jace hated that she had to go through this. Not being able to make the kill was a big problem in the Crows because that’s what they did. They weren’t a rescue team like the Ravens usually were. The gods didn’t call on them when they wanted a damsel in distress saved. Or needed the end of the world stopped. They were a Strike Team. They came in, they destroyed, they left. That’s what they did.

But Kera hadn’t been able to kill. That would make her a liability to the team.

“No,” Rachel shot back at Chloe. “I’m not done. She didn’t even—”

“You’re done,” Chloe told the team leader. “So very done.”

“But—”

“Quiet!”

“Don’t you see?” Rachel continued. “She could get her teammates killed. She’s a liability, Clo.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Kera softly asked. “Do you really think that I’m not painfully aware what my hesitation may mean?”

With her big arms folded over her big chest, Rachel leaned down until their faces were close and she said in a mocking little girl voice, “Oh, are you ‘painfully aware’ of what your precious hesitation may mean? Are you, sweetie?”

Jace didn’t know if it was that annoying voice. The mocking tone of that annoying voice. Or Rachel being so close. But whatever it was had Kera ramming her head right into Rachel’s.

Rachel stumbled back, her hands over her face. “That bitch broke my nose!” she screamed as Kera stalked out of the room. They all heard a door somewhere in the house slam shut and Chloe turned to Rachel.

“You really did deserve that, you know.”

“I did not!”

“Yeah,” all the Crows in the room said together, “you kind of did.”

“I’m going after her,” Rachel announced, turning toward the doors.

Tessa grabbed Rachel’s arm. “Leave her alone.”

“Someone’s gotta talk to her. And since you bitches seem unwilling, that leaves me.” She yanked her arm from Tessa’s grasp and again moved toward the doors. That’s when Kera’s dog jumped between Rachel and the exit.

“Even the dog thinks it’s a bad idea,” Leigh muttered.

“One of you get this goddamn mutt out of my way before I kick it.”

And that’s when Brodie did what she’d been able to do all day—she unleashed her wings.

Rachel stared down at the dog, eyes wide. “This is . . . new. Right?” she asked, pointing at Brodie.

“Yeah,” all the Crows said together, “this is new.”

Vig didn’t have a job tonight, so he was sitting on his couch, reading a book when he heard someone land outside his house. Hewaited for whoever it was to walk in but they didn’t. After a bit, he closed his book and opened his front door.

Kera sat on his porch. She was in her battle gear, her shoulders slumped.

He eased out, softly closing the screen door behind him. He walked down the porch stairs and faced her.

“I couldn’t do it,” Kera said, her voice soft.

“Couldn’t do what?”

“I couldn’t kill. I had the guy. But I couldn’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“When I was in Afghanistan, I knew what I was fighting for. I knew what I was fighting.” She shrugged. “He had a bracelet. I’m supposed to kill him over a bracelet?”

Vig sat down beside her. “You’re supposed to kill him because he won’t give you that bracelet. He can’t have it. It gives him unreasonable power that upsets the balance of the world.”

Kera scratched her eyebrow. “Yeah. I know. Plus,” she softly admitted, “he kind of turned his girlfriend into a demon or something. She had black fangs. It was not pretty.”

Vig winced. “That wasn’t a clue that he needed to die?”

“No, it was.”

“Then what really stopped you, Kera? Tell me.”

“Crazy’s in the bloodline. What if all I need is one little . . . push, to send me over the edge? To turn me into her. Running around, telling my six-year-old daughter that the tutus she wears in ballet class make her look like a whore.”

“You’re not your mother, Kera.”

“Aren’t I? Aren’t we all extensions of our parents? You are your Raven father and Katja is her Valkyrie mother. So I’m my Marine father and my crazy mother.”

“We’re parts of our parents, Kera. But do you think I’d let some god waltz off to another country with my children? Because that’s what my father did. I still love him, but I never forget.”

“It doesn’t matter. Whether I am my mother or just afraid I’ll become her, my problem is the same. My fear makes me a liability. The Crows will be so busy protecting me, they’ll get themselves killed instead. I can’t be responsible for that.”

“You can’t decide anything right now. You need sleep.”

“I’m not tired. Besides, I’m worried I’ll start having that recurring dream again.”

“What dream?”

“When I was in the military. I used to have this dream that there was a firefight at the base, and all my guys were dying around me, calling out for help, and I couldn’t get the goddamn safety off the gun. That’s what tonight felt like.”

“No one died.”

“Not yet.”