I took a deep breath. “I was thinking,” I said. “That I hope we don’t burn the whole house down this time.”
“Well,” Asher said, that infuriating, mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Damned if that won’t stop me from trying.”
I laughed. “I think I can control myself now.”
“We’ll see about that.”
And there, in my bedroom, where I’d first caused the heat between us to grow and where we’d played checkers all those months ago with the snow falling softly against the windowpane, there, we found each other’s arms, and the heat grew hotter still, and I kissed him, and he kissed me, and we made a promise right then and there never to leave each other’s side again. Not in war. Not in peace. Not if we lived or—and we didn’t say it outright, but I knew we were both thinking it—if we didn’t survive the night. Because I knew he was the one. For the first time in my entire life, as we lay beside each under the darkening, radiant sky, I didn’t have to think about it. I just knew.
“Skye! Come on, let’s go, we’re going to be late!”
I pinned a tiny purple flower in my hair and took a step back to stare at myself in the full-length mirror. The dress Aunt Jo had given me fell in soft, ethereal folds, fading from white to a dark, dusky blue where it grazed the floor. It was the color of the sky just after sunset—or just before dawn.
It’s always darkest before the dawn.
And it was going to get dark tonight. Before we could move on.
I’d pulled my hair in a loose, low side bun, but black tendrils escaped around my face. I wished so badly that my mom was here to see this, that she could have a chance to see who I’d become.
As I looked in the full-length mirror, my eyes flashed back at me, silver, mercurial. I was ready for this. Whatever would come, whatever was going to happen—I had never been more ready.
I walked to the top of the staircase and peeked over the side. Asher stood in the downstairs hall, looking good as always in his jeans and boots and beat-up army jacket, trying to flatten his messed-up hair in the mirror by the door.
“No tux?” I asked, smiling. I knew full well that he didn’t have a tux.
Asher turned around, and his mouth hung open a little. He put a hand to his heart. “God,” he said, looking a little bit at a loss. “You are so beautiful.”
“Stop,” I replied, blushing. I walked down the stairs slowly, careful not to step on my dress.
“No, really,” Asher said. He took my hand and spun me around. “For once I don’t know what to say.”
“Maybe this will help.” I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer.
“Skye!” Earth came bounding out of the living room, wearing an elaborate tutu and ballet slippers. “We’re going to a dance!” She threw her arms around my legs and squinted up at me. “You look like a princess.”
“You look,” Aunt Jo said from behind her, “like an angel.”
Aaron came in too, followed by James. He put his arm around Aunt Jo. “I’m a lucky man,” he said. “Not only am I going to prom with three beautiful women—”
“Dad!” Earth rolled her eyes. “I’m just a girl.”
“—but I’m going to prom with three kick-ass heroines as well. I want you three to know that whatever happens tonight, I am honored to fight beside you.”
Asher coughed from over by the door, looking awkward.
“Asher,” Aunt Jo said, extending her hands to him. “I know we haven’t always been allies in the past, but if Skye loves you, well, then so do I.”
He blushed scarlet. “Nah, I mean I—” Then he seemed to think better of himself. He straightened, and his face grew serious. “I would never let anything happen to her. Not as long as I’m alive.”
A car honked from the driveway.
“That’s the others,” I said. I looked nervously at the group in front of me. “Ready?”
Aunt Jo glanced at Aaron, who squeezed Earth to his side. Asher took my hand.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s go.”
A white stretch limo was parked in our driveway.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
“Bonjour!” Cassie popped her head out of the sunroof. “Your ride, messieurs et mesdemoiselles.”
“Cassie, what the—”
“I know, I know,” she said. “At first I sort of wondered, is this excessive? And then I was like, I am excessive.” She grinned. “Besides, I figured, you know, not to be all grim or whatever, but if this is our last night on earth, we should kind of live it up while we can, right?”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“You’re crazy,” I said.
“But you love me.”
“If I could go back to when I was five and pick a new best friend, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Okay then,” she said. “Now that we got that yearbook message out of the way, let’s blow this popsicle stand.” Her eyes slid past me and landed on Asher. She grinned. “Skye,” she whispered. “I really hope you win so you can tell me that story later.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“We’re going to take the car,” Aunt Jo said, coming up behind me. “We’ll see you there.”
I kissed her on the cheek. “See you there,” I said, and I was surprised when she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed tight.
“Be safe,” she whispered fiercely into my ear. “Be so, so safe.”
“I’m going to make it through this alive,” I promised. “We all are.”
“Well.” She tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear. “Just in case.”
Asher and I climbed into the limo and squeezed in between Dan and Ian. Across from us, Raven and Devin held hands and grinned at each other. She looked luminous in a simple black column dress, her blonde hair pulled back in a chic knot. Devin practically glowed in his tux. He nodded at Asher, who squeezed my hand and nodded back.
“Promward bound!” Cassie yelled, and the driver stepped on the gas. As we pulled out onto the road, the stars twinkling above us, I tried to suppress the feeling that our lives would never be the same after tonight.
Even without the war, I knew mine wouldn’t.
Once we were on the road, Cassie’s eyes glinted mischievously. I looked at Dan for reassurance.
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “I have no idea what she has planned.”
“Just a little surprise.” Cassie winked. From behind her, she pulled a bottle of champagne.
“Dude,” said Ian. “Really?”
“It’s nonalcoholic,” she said. “So we can toast. I’m not actually encouraging us to all get tipsy right before we try to stop an ancient war from happening. Seriously.”
She pulled a stack of plastic champagne flutes from a bag by her feet and popped the bottle. Sparkling apple juice spritzed everywhere.
“Cassie!” I cried.
“Sorry! Sorry. Okay, here’s one for Ian . . .” She handed one to Ian. “And Dan. And one for you, Skye. And for Asher—yay, by the way! Welcome back—”
“Cassie . . .”
“Okay, okay. Devin, you get one too, of course. And lastly . . .” She caught Raven’s eye, and Raven stiffened. “But certainly not least, one for Raven.” She handed Raven a flute, and they shared a look. “The newest member of our group, with the best hair. I was wrong about you. You’ve more than made it up to us. I’m sorry.”
Against all odds, Raven’s face broke out into a genuine smile.
“I’m sorry, too,” she said. “Thank you, Cassie. You have, er . . .” She paused. “Very nice hair, too.”
I laughed and held up my glass. “Even if this is the last night of our lives,” I said, “and it’s not going to be, believe me—let’s make it the best.” Cassie, Dan, Ian, Raven, Devin, and Asher held up their glasses to clink mine.