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“And you need to make sure Ronan is okay. Don’t let him hurt himself or anyone else.”

“Roe, Jesus—”

“Promise me.”

She nodded slowly. “Fine, I promise…if it’s the only way.”

“Thanks.”

“No worries,” she said sarcastically.

I quickly cut my hand, dripping blood onto the ground, an offering for what we were taking, and filled a mason jar with cemetery dirt while Zinnia harvested the lilies and nettle leaves from one of the small greenhouses Art had built last spring.

Certain things here required an offering, like the soil and stones, anything collected from the ancient trees surrounding the grounds, even the grass. However, the flowers, herbs, and shrubs, anything Mom and Art had planted, we could harvest freely.

We gathered everything we needed and headed back. We still had a little time but needed to get to the meeting spot early to prepare.

“Can you drive?” Zinnia asked when we got to her car.

“I haven’t really needed to.”

“Get in the driver’s seat,” she said.

“What?”

“I’m giving you a lesson. It’ll take your mind off what we’re about to do, plus I need to mentally prepare.” She got in the passenger side.

Having a driving lesson was the last thing I wanted to do, but if Zinnia needed to prepare, then I’d do it.

“It’s an automatic, so totally easy.” She gave me a quick run-through and we were off. Granted, the takeoff was a bit jerky, and I drove a lot slower than Zinnia ever did, but I got the hang of it pretty fast.

“Where’s Hemy tonight?” She was usually under Zinnia’s sweater or in her hood or a backpack.

“I told her to stay with Jaz.”

“Good idea.” Who knew what would happen tonight.

We hit Oldwood Forest and drove as far as we could down the winding road before we were forced to park and get out.

“Take this,” Zinnia said and handed me a knife. The blade was wicked looking, thin and pointed. Deadly.

I held it, not sure what to do with it. “I don’t know how to use this.” I had a small knife for spelling, but it was nothing like this.

She looked up at me, her eyes round, a little wild. She was nervous, of course, not something I saw in my cousin’s eyes often. “If something gets too close, stab it,” she said. “Over and over again, whatever you need to save yourself.”

I stared down at the blade and imagined myself doing what Zinnia said. My stomach turned over. “Death said I’d have safe passage to the meeting spot. I won’t need this,” I said.

Zinnia didn’t look up as she pulled a backpack from the back seat, full of everything we’d collected from the cemetery. “When this meeting is over, I don’t know if that protection will still be in place.” She glanced up then. “Can you use your wings yet?”

I shook my head, fear growing inside me.

“That would’ve definitely made it easier.” She hitched the bag on her shoulder. “I can take care of myself. So when we’re done, I want you to run as fast as you can. Don’t stop, don’t look behind you, don’t worry about me, just run, okay, Roe?”

I gripped the knife tighter. “You’re scaring me, Zinny.”

She strode up to me and pulled me in for a hug. “I’m sorry.” She lifted her head. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, that’s all. Against all odds, you’re here, alive and well, and I want to keep you that way.” Her eyes closed, and she drew in a shaky breath. When they opened again, they glistened with unshed tears. “I wish this could be done differently. I wish I didn’t need to drag you into this fucking forest with me, that I could fix this on my own. But that won’t work. You need to be there as well.”

“I’m stronger than I look. Yes, I’m scared, but I’ll do whatever I have to, whatever you need me to,” I said, wanting to take some of the burden I saw in her eyes.