I tried to sleep as much as I could during the day. But I couldn't. I gave up and went into the gym. I found Sookie and Jason there. Sookie was yelling at Jason to push harder. Jason looked like he might fall over. The bar in his hands fell to the floor with a thud.

"Jesus, Sook, who made you a drill sergeant," he struggled to breathe.

"Probably Eric," I laughed. Jason said nothing, falling onto the ground and then wiping sweat from his brow.

Sookie and I began tossing one of the heavier medicine balls back and forth.

"You can't sleep either?" she asked.

"We might all be dead in another twelve hours. Who can sleep?"

"I don't think anyone who isn't a vampire is sleeping," Bahari said, sitting on the floor beside Jason. Nahla was also with him.

"Maab sent word," Nahla said. "She's agreed to wait until a few hours after dusk. We'll be meeting at a graveyard near here."

"Now she tries to be honorable," I grumbled. I couldn't wait to tear her head off myself. I caught the medicine ball and set it down. "Any chance she'll actually adhere to that?"

"I don't have a guarantee, but we have some of our not undead allies surveying the area. And Michael, Kaelin, and I will know when and if a portal opens."

"We can't do anything other than wait," Bahari nodded. "Which means not tiring yourselves out."

"I'm good!" Jason argued, his breathing just now returning to normal.

"I somehow doubt that."

"We can make you some tea," Nahla offered. "It'll make you sleep for a few hours."

"I don't know if now is the time to try new things," Sookie said, letting her blonde hair down and running her fingers through it. "I need a shower."

"Better get those in before we're dead," I advised. She shot me a look, her brown eyes unamused.

"Can you try to have a little faith in us-and you," she demanded. Jason propped himself up on his elbows, sensing a fight.

"She will once we win," Bahari grinned, jumping to his feet. "Come on, let's go get food. I can't get enough of this human food."

Nahla rolled her eyes. "You've been able to come to the human realm whenever you want," she muttered. I smiled, following them to the kitchen area. There were a few non-undead cooking food during the day. They usually took requests. And they cook well. Mostly. One of the girls can't cook but I think she's a mermaid.

The kitchen workers made us some food and we took it to the nearly empty cafeteria. There were some supes lounging and talking idly. I could feel the apprehension in the air of the entire facility. It was making me even more nervous.

"Aline, are you alright?" Sookie questioned. "You haven't even touched your food and that's definitely not like you. Are you really that nervous about tomorrow?"

"I don't think we're ready."

"You'll never think we're ready," Jason said, his mouth full of food. "We're as ready as we can be." He swallowed. "Any longer and people will start to fall off. They'll think we're all just crazy and that the war isn't coming."

"But will Maab be good to her word?"

"Aline, calm down," Nahla said sternly. "There's nothing we can do now except do our jobs and roles. Whatever fates we've accepted aren't going to change."

"But Michael can't tell me anything-"

"Because you've gone against everything he's said over the last three years," Bahari groaned. He grabbed my face, looking at me. "Stop worrying. We live or we die. If we die, nothing matters anyway because we're dead. If we live, great, we won and everyone's free."

"Bahari," Sookie scolded, swatting his hands away. "Don't listen to him. We're going to win. We've got Godric and Eric and fucking Salome from the Bible. And an archangel."

I sighed, pushing my plate away. My stomach was in knots. "I hope it's enough."

"It has to be. You also have to be okay. These people are depending on you," Jason shook his head. "You're their leader. The AVL can think they're in charge all they want but people are following you." He shoveled more food into his mouth. "Besides, we either win or we don't."

"Thanks, Jason, I think," I shook my head. Sookie pulled my food back in front of me.

"Now eat before I feed you. And I'm sure the boys will be pissed that they missed that if you make me feed you," she smirked. I laughed, giving them a tired but thankful smile.

"What would I do without you guys?"

"Well, a few years ago you would've probably run away and either killed someone or gotten yourself killed," Sookie mused.

"Now you'd worry yourself into a meltdown," Jason shrugged. He pulled out his cellphone, checking the texts. "We got Lafayette's coven. He and Jesus are all in."

"That makes me feel better. I trust them. They're capable."

"We're all capable," Bahari smiled.