"She's right. Birsha will want her to see the pair of you in pain," Esther Reed said, rising from the audience, flanked by her lovers, her arm wrapped tightly around Auguste, the daywalking vampire. "He'll want her to hope she might be able to save you, if only so he can enjoy destroying that hope." She grimaced in apology at me, but the warning only made me more determined than ever.
"He knows the truth about me," I said. I'd all but heard Birsha say as much. "He knows I'll present a challenge."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I fought every step here," Antin rasped.
"It's all right, Antin," I said, stroking down the back of his head, the warm thrill rushing through my blood simply background noise to my racing thoughts. "It only means he's underestimated me."
I turned to face the stage, where the company was gathering, all the familiar faces, old and new, who made up my friends—my family in our strange way—staring back at me. "Ronan, fly and find Hunter and Jude. Bring them and anyone else you can think of here. We need Asterion too. We're taking the battle to Birsha's door. Tonight."