ASHADEOFVAMPIRE50:ACLASHOFSTORMS

BELLAFORREST

CONTENTS

AlsobyBellaForrest

NewGenerationList

1. Serena

2. Jovi

3. Aida

4. Phoenix

5. Vita

6. Serena

7. Serena

8. Aida

9. Jovi

10. Aida

11. Serena

12. Jovi

13. Viola

14. Serena

15. Field

16. Azazel

17. Serena

18. Vita

19. Anjani

20. Jovi

21. Serena

22. Aida

23. Phoenix

24. Jovi

25. Aida

26. Serena

27. Serena

28. Draven

29. Serena

30. Draven

31. Serena

32. Serena

33. Serena

34. Phoenix

35. Hazel

36. Vita

37. Aida

38. Serena

39. Serena

40. Serena

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TheGirlWhoDaredtoStand(Book2)

TheGirlWhoDaredtoDescend(Book3)

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TheGenderGame(Book1)

TheGenderSecret(Book2)

TheGenderLie(Book3)

TheGenderWar(Book4)

TheGenderFall(Book5)

TheGenderPlan(Book6)

TheGenderEnd(Book7)

ASHADEOFVAMPIRESERIES

Series1:Derek&Sofia’sstory

AShadeofVampire(Book1)

AShadeofBlood(Book2)

ACastleofSand(Book3)

AShadowofLight(Book4)

ABlazeofSun(Book5)

AGateofNight(Book6)

ABreakofDay(Book7)

Series2:Rose&Caleb’sstory

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ABondofBlood(Book9)

ASpellofTime(Book10)

AChaseofPrey(Book11)

AShadeofDoubt(Book12)

ATurnofTides(Book13)

ADawnofStrength(Book14)

AFallofSecrets(Book15)

AnEndofNight(Book16)

Series3:TheShadecontinueswithanewhero…

AWindofChange(Book17)

ATrailofEchoes(Book18)

ASoldierofShadows(Book19)

AHeroofRealms(Book20)

AVialofLife(Book21)

AForkofPaths(Book22)

AFlightofSouls(Book23)

ABridgeofStars(Book24)

Series4:AClanofNovaks

AClanofNovaks(Book25)

AWorldofNew(Book26)

AWebofLies(Book27)

ATouchofTruth(Book28)

AnHourofNeed(Book29)

AGameofRisk(Book30)

ATwistofFates(Book31)

ADayofGlory(Book32)

Series5:ADawnofGuardians

ADawnofGuardians(Book33)

ASwordofChance(Book34)

ARaceofTrials(Book35)

AKingofShadow(Book36)

AnEmpireofStones(Book37)

APowerofOld(Book38)

ARipofRealms(Book39)

AThroneofFire(Book40)

ATideofWar(Book41)

Series6:AGiftofThree

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AHouseofMysteries(Book43)

ATangleofHearts(Book44)

AMeetofTribes(Book45)

ARideofPeril(Book46)

APassageofThreats(Book47)

ATipofBalance(Book48)

AShieldofGlass(Book49)

AClashofStorms(Book50)

ASHADEOFDRAGONTRILOGY

AShadeofDragon1

AShadeofDragon2

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ASHADEOFKIEVTRILOGY

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THESECRETOFSPELLSHADOWMANOR

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TheBreaker(Book2)

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BEAUTIFULMONSTERDUOLOGY

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BeautifulMonster2

DETECTIVEERINBOND(Adultthriller/mystery)

Lights,Camera,GONE

Write,Edit,KILL

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NEWGENERAT ION L I ST

Aida:daughterofBastienandVictoria(halfwerewolf/halfhuman)Field:biologicalsonofRiver,adoptedsonofBenjamin(mixofHawkandvampire-half-blood)Jovi:sonofBastienandVictoria(halfwerewolf/halfhuman)Phoenix:sonofHazelandTejus(sentry)Serena:daughterofHazelandTejus(sentry)Vita:daughterofGraceandLawrence(part-fae/human)

“T

SERENA

elluris,Aida!Telluris,Phoenix!”Itriedcallingouttothemagain,butIwasonlymetwithsilence.

TwohourshadpassedsinceDravenandIhadreturnedfromMartonwith theyoungDruids.Twohourssincewe’dfoundStonewallbesiegedbySluaghs.TwohourssincethehorrifyingrevelationthatAzazelhadgottenwhathe’dbeenlookingforsincethedaywe’dfirstsetfootinEritopia—thePrinceofDestroyershadusedSluaghstoattackanddistractourgroupwhilesendingDestroyersintosnatchPhoenixandAida.

ThehatebrewinginsidemeburnedwiththefireofathousandsunsasIchanneledittowardAzazel.ItfeltlikeI’dpassedthrougheverystageofmourningbythispoint,andhad now settled on this rage broiling in my chest. That rage and Draven’s reassuringpresenceweretheonlysourcesofenergyIhadleft.

Bijarki andVita’s attempt to escape fromLuceria hadmost likely been thwarted. Itwas the only conclusion I could draw, given that I hadn’t been able to get hold of theincubusviathetelepathyspell.Thebestthingwecoulddowasfocusonwhatweknewnow:AzazelhadtheOraclesandthelittleDaughter;theAlliesweremovingintopositionaround his castle; and we had the young Druids joining us, ready to take themonsterdown.

FieldandJovi’sexpressionswereeerilysimilar.Darknesshadsettledovertheireyes,and muscles twitched in their jaws. They stood next to me, watching quietly as theBajangsandwardsnursed thewounded.TheyoungDruidsretrievedherbsandpowdersfromthearchivehallcabinetsandbrewedhealingpastes,whichtheyappliedtothedeeperwounds,coveringthemwithlargewaxedleavesfromthepottedpalmtreesdecoratingtheinnercourtyard.

Dravenwasafewfeetaway,staringat thethickcolumnofblacksmokerisingfrombelow,hisback towardus.Thefourmutatedshifterswehad leftkeptwatcharound thefuneralpyre,wheredozensof incubiandsuccubistillburned, theirbodiesuntilrecentlyoccupiedbySluaghs.Ihopedthetwoshifters thathadfollowedAidaandPhoenixwerestillaliveandabletohelponcewegotthere,ifnotsooner.Icouldn’ttellwhattheywoulddo becausewe still knew next to nothing about the new behaviorViola had caused inthem.

Rebelstoodatthebottomofthesteps,gazingatthefirewithtearyeyes.She’dbeenforcedtoaddsomeofherowngarrisonto thepyre, just tomakesurethereweren’tany

bodiesleftforSluaghstosneakinto.

“Do you think there are any Sluaghs left?”Anjanimuttered next to us,wiping herblood-smearedfacewithawetcloth.

“If there are, I’m pretty sure the shifters are eager to chomp down on them,” Jovireplied,hisvoicelowandchilling.

“Weneedtomovethingsalong.Ineedtogetthemready,”Dravensaid,turningtofacemeandnoddingtowardtheyoungDruids.

“Agreed,”Ireplied.“How?Whendoweleave?”

“Tomorrowmorning,atthelatest.”Hesighed.“ItwilltakesometimebeforeAzazelrealizeshisSluaghsaren’tcomingbackandsendsmoretroopsoverhere—atleastanotherday.TheDestroyerswhotookAidaandPhoenixwon’tknowhowthissiegeendedsincetheydidn’tstickaroundtowatchitunfold.WeneedtousethistoouradvantageandgothroughthehigherleveldarkmagicbeforewecanrelyonourDruidstrength.”

“IthoughtDruidsusuallytakealotoftimetolearneachlevel.”Jovifrowned.“Howmuchdoyouthinkyou’llbeabletocoverbeforethemorning?”

“Iactuallyfoundawaytobypassthetimeframe,”Dravenreplied,afaintsmilepassingoverhisface.

He gathered the young Druids and took them inside. Jovi, Field, and I quietlyfollowed,leavingHansa,Anjani,andJaxwiththeothers.

Dravenhadstirredmycuriosity,andIwantedtoseewhathewasgoingtodowiththeyoungDruids.OneoftheBajangcubscamewithusandusedadropletofhisbloodtoletusthroughthecloakingspellasweenteredtheconcealedpartofStonewall.

“Azazel has enough power coming from the little Daughter, the volcanoes, andAsheraktoevenbreakthecloakingspell,”Dravensaidaswereachedthegrandhall.“Ofthat I’m certain. The only thing that kept Stonewall safe until now was the fact thateveryone thought it was abandoned and nobody bothered to check. But things havechanged. Azazel tracked the Oracles here, then sent Sluaghs to attack. He will soonunderstand,oncethewormsfailtoreturn,thattherearemorecreatureshidingherethanheprobablyexpected,creaturesthatareabletofightbackandshatterhisoffensive,sohe’llmostlikelysendevenmoretroopsourway.Stronger,fiercer,moredestructiveforces.Theonlythingwecandoisspeedthingsupandgetoutofherebeforetheyarrive,mostlikelytomorrow.”

“I’llsendthecubstoMarton,then,”Rebelannouncedasshejoinedus.

Ihadn’tevenheardhercomingfrombehind.Tobehonest,Iwasn’tpayingattentionanyway.Mymindwas racingbetweenLuceria andStonewall, betweenmybrother andbestfriendsandourgrouphere.

Dravenstoppedinthemiddleofthehall,andpulledseveralcrystalsandsomechalkfromhissatchel.I’dforgottenallaboutthem.He’dpackedthemforMarton,thinkinghemightneedtousethem,buthe’dneverspecifiedforwhat.

“SendingthecubstoMartonwouldbewise,”herepliedashedrewawidechalkcircle

withadiameterofaboutfiftyfeetonthemarblefloor.“Ithinktheshipcanholdthemall,alongwithsupplies.”

“I’veinstructedmygarrisontogeteverythingready.They’llsetsailfirstthinginthemorning,”Rebelsaid,watchinghimcuriously.

Dravenplacedthecrystalsalongthecircleline,matchingnorth,south,eastandwest.Hethenstraightenedhisbackandlookedatus,whiletheDruidssteppedclosertosquintatthecrystals.

“Thiswasinaforbiddenscroll,”heexplainedbriefly.“Thespellisn’tthatdifficulttoputtogether;itjustrequiresalotofliveenergytojumpstart,afterwhichitfunctionsonitsown.Itlookssmall,butthespaceinsidewillbeinfinitelybigger.We’regoingtocreateaminiatureworld, with some natural resources and a stream.We’ll use growth spells toproducefood,anddrinkthewaterforsustenance.”

HethenlookedatJovi.

“I left a trunk with spell supplies by the forbidden section in the archive hall. It’sblack,withbrasshandles.Canyoubringitoverhere,please?We’llneedthesuppliesforourpracticeinsidethecircle.”

Jovinodded,andFieldjoinedhimastheyrushedtothearchivehall.

“Whatisit?”Iasked.

“Consideritatimecheat,”hereplied.“Anythingthatgoesonwithinthiscircleisnotsubjecttothepassageoftimeasweknowit…Everythingissloweddown.AminuteinnormalEritopian timewill be a daywithin the circle, basically. Ifwego and learn ourhigh-levelspellsinthere,we’llhavemonthsatourdisposal,whileonlyhoursgobyhere.Oncewe go in,we cannot comeback beforewe finish our training. If any of us leavebeforewe’redone,thespellbreaks,andtimeisapreciouscommodityforusrightnow.”

Helookedatmeintently,hissteelyeyesflickeringblackasafeelingoflongingandanguishpouredoutofhim.Hewaslockinghimselfinthatspellforseveralmonths,andhewaspainedbyhowmuchhewasgoingtomissme.Icouldfeelhisthoughtspokingatthebackofmyheadintheformofdeepemotions.Itwouldonlybehoursforme.

“Whatdoyoumeanby‘liveenergy’?”JoviaskedasheandFieldreturnedwith thetrunkandleftitatDraven’sfeet.Fieldsteppedbackandstaredatthecrystals,hisbrowsdrawncloseandhismouthflattenedintoathinline.

“Energyfromlivingcreatures,suchasyourselves,”Dravenreplied,lookingsomewhatguilty.

“Whatwill it do tous?”Field lookedathim,holdinghis side.Hiswound from theSluaghs’ attack was still healing. The young Druids had patched him up quite nicely,sayinghejustneededtorestandhe’dbegoodasnewbymorning.ItdidnothingtosoothehispainatlosingAidatoAzazel,though.

“Alldarkmagicinherentlydrawsenergyfromlivingbeings.AccordingtothenotesIfoundonthebackofthescroll,itwillmostlikelycausefatigueandnothingmore.Youcanregainyour strengthwith foodand sleep.Thedarker,moreevil spellskill thecreatures

theyfeedon,butthisoneisn’tlikethat.FromwhatIreadintheDruids’records,thisspellwasforbiddentopreventitfrombeingusedbylawlessDruidstryingtohideawayfromjustice.Weareagood-naturedspeciesbydesign,butevenwehaveourrottenapples.”

A moment passed in silence as Jovi, Field, and I looked at each other, eventuallynodding.

“Doit,then,”ItoldDraven.

“Areyousure?”

“WeneedyouDruidstobeatthetopofyourgamewhenwefaceAzazeltomorrow.”Isighed.“We’remorethanhappytohelpyougetthere.”

“Besides,yousaidIcansleepitoff,”Joviadded.“I’mfinewiththat,justlikeI’mfinewitheatingforthree.”

“Youalwayseatfor three,”Fieldmumbled,promptingthecornerofJovi’smouthtomoveslightly.ItwarmedmetoseethemunwillingtoletAzazelruintheirjovialnature.Wecouldn’tlethimmesswithouremotions.Wecouldn’tlethimwin.

“Good,thenI’llneedyoutoholdoneofthese,”Dravenreplied,andhandedeachofus,includingRebel,aclear,roundcrystal.“Closeyourfistaroundit,andholditagainstmine.”

Hewrappedhisfingersaroundabluecrystalandreachedout.Wealldidashesaid,grippingourcrystals, then touchinghishandwithourknuckles.Hemutteredsomethingunderhisbreath,presumablythedarkspellheneededtodrawenergyfromus,becauseIinstantlyfeltmylimbsbuzzing,andawaveofexhaustioncameoverme.Thecrystalsinourhandslitupapeculiarshadeofamber,ourenergypulsatingfromwithinbeforeitallvanished,whileDraven’sbluecrystalbecameanincandescentturquoise.

“Thankyou,”hesaid,thenturnedaroundtofacethecircle.

Hemutteredsomethingelse,thentossedtheglowingturquoisecrystalintothemiddle.The crystal splattered into a bright bluish liquid that spread out over the floor until itcoveredtheentiresurfaceencompassedbythechalkcircle,thenswelled,untilwefoundourselves gaping at a largedomemadeof turquoise light, buzzing and flickering like aneontube.Icouldn’tseethroughit.

“Well,youweren’tkiddingaboutthetiredpart.”Joviyawnedandrubbedhisfacewithhispalms.“Notthatbad,though.I’vestillgotsomehoursleftinme!”

Thespellhadtakensomeenergyoutofme,butithadn’tdrainedmecompletelyeither.Field stretched his arms out and stifled a yawn, but he, too, seemed prettymuch okay.Rebel,ontheotherhand,lookedquitetired.

TheDruids stood around the light dome, waiting for Draven to say something. Hecameuptomeandtookmeinhisarms,pressinghislipsagainstmineinatender,knee-meltingkiss.Ifelthislovetricklethroughmelikewarmsunshine.

“I’llmissyouinthere,”hesighed,hisgazelockedonmine.

“It’llbeoverbeforeyouknowit,”Iwhisperedencouragingly.

He gaveme a weak smile, then planted a kiss onmy forehead before he took hissatchel, filledwithspellscrolls,andwalked into thedome.TheyoungDruidsfollowed,andtheyalldisappearedinside.

Itookadeepbreath,partlyimpressedbyhowmuchhe’dbeenabletolearnoverthecourse of a fewdays, andpartly eager to see howmuch they’dmanage to coverwhileinsidethattime-cheatingspell.

A couple of minutes went by before Rebel walked out of the grand hall, headingtowardthelivingquarters.

“I’llgogetthecubsready,”shesaidoverhershoulder.“Andgetsomeshuteye.”

“We can’t just stay here andwait for theDruids,” Field grumbled. “We should getreadyfortomorrow.”

TheHawkwasright.Icouldreplenishmyenergyfromanyonewillingto“donate”inStonewall,andFieldandJovijustseemedtoorestlesstositstill.

“Wecouldtrainalittle,”Isuggested.

“Readmymind,”Jovireplied.“Anjani,Hansa,andtheotherswillwanttojoinin.”

“Doyouwant to go get them?They’re still outside,” I said. “Field and I can bringsomemoreweaponsfromthearmory,andthere’splentyofroomhereforsparring.”

Jovinoddedandclosedhiseyesforamoment.

“TellurisAnjani!”hecalledout.“We’reabout todosome traininghere in thegrandhall.Doyouwanttojoinus?Okay,cool,andgetanyoneelsewho’sfeelinguptoit.Weneedtobereadyfortomorrow.”

Hesmirked,probablyinresponsetowhateverAnjanihadtoldhim,thenexhaled.

“Really,Jovi?Telluris,whenthey’reliterallyoutsideonthefrontstepsofthecitadel?”Iraisedaneyebrowathim.

“I’mtryingtopreservemyenergy.”Heshrugged,aninnocentexpressiononhisface,makingmesmile.

I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what was coming next. I’dattempt Telluris later in the evening—hopefully either Aida or Phoenix would beconsciousandabletorespond.Butuntilthen,Ihadtotrain.Ihadtogetready.Thefightofour lives was tomorrow, and we had a demented overlord commanding an army ofbloodthirstyDestroyerstoobliterate.

W

JOV I

e spent a couple of hours training, but the energy I’d had left after theDruid’sspellwasbeginningtoleaveme.Mypunchesgotslower;mykicks

no longer reached the height needed for maximum impact. I was getting sloppy andfrustrated.

Idecideditwastimeforabreak,butIdidn’twanttobeonmyown.ThethoughtofAida,Phoenix, andVita inAzazel’s clutcheswasmessingwithmyhead, and themoretimeIspentdwellingonit,theworseitfelt.

I hadmyownmission to dealwith tomorrow. Iwas going to take two shifters andextract the littleDaughter fromAzazel’s castle. It only occurred tome around dusk toactuallycheckthiswiththeshape-shiftersmyself.Somanythingshadhappenedsincethismorning,I’dcompletelyforgottenthatthecreaturesmightnotbeableorwillingtohelp.Sure,they’dbeenextraordinarilysupportivesofar,buttheywerestillmostlyamysterytome.

I foundall fourof thecreaturescrouchingon theedgeof thefrontstepsoutside thecitadel,quietlylickingtheirhealingwoundsandwatchingtheembersglowinginthepileofashesleftfromthefuneralpyrebelow.Thesmellofburntfleshhaddissipated,butthesmokelingered,marringthepureorangesky.

Theyturnedtheirheadstolookatmewithglowingvioleteyes.Whateverwasintheirsalivawastoxictotheirprey—I’dseenitclearlyduringbattle—butitseemedtodothemgood, rapidly speedingup thehealingprocessand turninggashes to finewhite linesontheirpaleskin.

“I’mreallynotsureyouunderstandwhatI’msaying,”Ispokeup.“Butthankyouall.Mysisterandfriendswouldbedeadifitweren’tforyou.”

Ididn’texpectthemtosayanything,butIwassurprisedwhentheydidn’tevenreacttomywords.Theyjuststaredatthestoneslabsbeneaththem,breathingheavily.Iwasn’treadytogiveup,though.

“Ineedyourhelp,”Icontinued.“IneedtwoofyoutocomewithmetoLuceria.OneofyoucanshiftintoaflyinghorseandtheotherintoaDestroyer.I’llteachyouhowtoactifwerunintoactualDestroyers.I’llpretendtobeyourprisoner.”

Theystaredatme,expressionlessandstill.Atleasttheyweren’tlookingatthestoneslabsanymore,whichIthoughtmeantprogress.

“We have to get a Daughter out of Azazel’s castle. He’s holding her hostage anddraining her energy for his dark magic. If we’re going to destroy him and save Aida,Phoenix, andVita, we need to cut off his power supplies, and thatDaughter is one ofthem.You’re excellent shifters—I’ve seenyoumorph intoDestroyers and flyinghorsesbefore.Wecouldtotallygetawaywithit.”

Stillnothing,justmylevelsoffrustrationspiking.

“Twoof your own are probably inLuceria already. I’m thinking you could help usrescueyourfriends…Andmine,too,includingmysister.”

Aminutewentby,butnonerespondedinanyway.Iwasbeginningtothinkitwouldbetoodifficulttoincludeshiftersinmyextractionplan.They’dmorphedintoDestroyersand flying horses when they were under attack, but we’d never tried something pre-plannedwith thembefore.Maybe theydidn’tunderstandwhatwe saidafter all.Maybetheyjustreactedtotheirenvironment,theircircumstances,allforthesakeofkeepingussafe,asthatwashowthey’dbeenrewiredbyViola.

That’sprobablythemost likelyexplanation…Feelingprettydumbforeventryingtotalktotheminthefirstplace,Iturnedandwalkedtowardthecourtyard.I’dhavetofindanotherwayintoLuceria.

Thesoundofhooves, followedbyneighingandhissing, stoppedme inmy tracks. Ilookedovermyshoulder,andstilled.Therewerenolongershiftersonthesteps,buttwopairsofDestroyersandflyinghorses,waitingpatientlyformetochoose.TheDestroyerswere large in size, significantly taller thanme,with thick black serpent tails for lowerbodiesandlongbrownhairlooselycombeddowntheback.Theylookedslightlydifferentfromeachotherandremindedmeoftwoofthebeastswe’dtakendownwhenwerescuedAidaandtheothers.

I couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. “You guys never cease to amazeme, you knowthat?”

Imovedcloser, pointed at oneDestroyer, andpatted the stallionnext tohimon theneck.Ihadnocriteriaformyselectionwhatsoever.Theflyinghorseshudderedundermytouch, thennuzzledmyface,while theDestroyernodded, itsvioleteyes fixedonme…ThecreaturesstillhadViola’sglowintheireyes,andIfearedthatmightbeagiveawayiftherealDestroyersgottooclose.

“Thinkyoucandimthelightshow?”Iasked,pointingattheireyes.

Theybothnodded,blinkingrapidlyandshakingtheirheadsuntiltheglowwasgone,andadullshadeofpurpleremained.

“AndtothinkafewweeksbackIlookedatyourkindandsawnothingbutdeath,”Isaid, then lookedat theother two.“You twoshouldgofeed in themeantime.Thereareplentyofcreaturesinthewoodsforyou.Weneedyouatfullstrengthtomorrow.”

The two shifters thathadn’tmade the cut reverted to theiroriginal formand rusheddown the stone steps, visibly excited and eager to hunt, while the other two gazedlonginglyafterthem.Ipattedtheflyinghorseontheneckagain.

“Bring something for yourmates, too!” I shouted after the shifters heading into the

trees.

“Bringsomethingforyourmates,too!”

Iheardmyownvoiceechobackfromtheshiftersbelow.Itsoundedcreepyasheck.Icouldn’tbesurewhethertheyweremimickingmywordstotellmethey’dunderstood,orwhethertheywerejustrepeatingphraseslikeparrots.

“Okaythen,let’sgoinside,”Itoldmynewteammates.“We’vegotsomerehearsalstodo…”

Wehadalongnightahead,althoughIhadfaiththeshifterswouldbeabletopullitoffnow.Ijustneededtomakesuretheyhadtherightexpressionsintheirvocabularyinorderforustoseeminconspicuousandnotarouseanysuspiciononcewereachedthecastle.

AslongasIwasaconvincingcaptive,andtheyknewhowtoact,theycouldgetmeintoLuceria.Allweneededwasanaccurate location,whichIhopedwecouldgetfromAidaonceshewasawakeandabletorespondviaTelluris.Mystomachtightenedaswecrossedthecourtyardandthethoughtofmysisteroncemorebitintomysoul.

I

A IDA

feltcoldandwet.Myeyespeeledopen—and thepanic immediatelyhitme,likeagianthammer.Iwassubmergedinwater.Thefearofdrowninginstantlysetin,butitonlylastedforafewseconds,untilIrealizedIwasbreathing.

HowthehellamIstillbreathing?

Thiswasn’tjustanywater.Itfeltlikeliquidair,andmybodyseemedtohaveadjustedtoit,somehow.I turnedbackandsawAbrilleinaglassbubblebehindme,unconsciousandfloating,asrunesflickeredacrossherskin.

Ireachedoutandfelttheglassofmyownprisoncapsule.IlookedtomyrightandsawVitainherbubble,herhandssplayedagainst thetransparentsurfaceasshestaredatmewithapainedexpression.Phoenixwas inaseparatesphereonmyleft, rubbinghis faceandfrowningastherealityofoursituationkickedin.Obsidiancuffshadbeenmountedonhiswrists,mostlikelytostophimfromusinghissentryabilities.

Dread took over, freezing my blood as I remembered what had happened—theSluaghs’siegeonStonewallandtheDestroyerspluckingPhoenixandmefromthemiddleofthefight,Fieldtryingtocomeafterme,twoofourmutatedshiftersfollowingus.Hadtheymadeitallthewayhere?

“Aida,canyouhearme?”Vita’svoicewaftedover,muffledbutstillaudibleenoughformetomakeoutherwords.

Inodded,fightingbacktearsasIunderstoodwherewewereatthisstageinourwaragainstAzazel—athismercy,suspendedinweirdwatersandunabletogetout.

“Howdidtheygetyou?”Vitaasked,herlowerliptrembling.

“How’d theygetme?How’d theygetyou?!YouandBijarkiwere theoneswith theinvisibility spell!What happened?” I burst out, anger quickly replacingmy fear. Itwaseasiertomanage,giventhecircumstances.

“AzazelfoundtheinvisiblespellpouchthatDravenandSerenalostduringtheirfirstmissionhere,”Vitareplied,lookingaway.“Hewasabletotrackususingourbodyheat.HesawBijarkicomingin.WeonlymadeittoNova’sroombeforetheycaughtus…”

“And Bijarki? Where is he now?” Phoenix asked while punching the glass, to noeffect.

“Idon’tknow,”Vitacried,hertearsdissolvingintothewater.“Iblackedout…”

“Howdowegetoutofhere?”Igrowled,kickingattheglassasIallowedtheragetotakeover.

“Youdon’t.”Azazel’svoicethunderedfromacrosstheblackmarbleplatform.

Weall stilled.Myeyesbulgedat the sightofhim. Itwasone thing to seehim inavision,andsomethingelseentirelytobesoclosetohimphysically.Hewasmenacinglytall,hisbroadframefloodingmyfieldofvision,hisyelloweyeswideandhislongblackhair flowingdownhisback.Hisbeardwas trimmedtoafadeonbothsides,contrastingwith his red silk shirt and wide leather belt, fitted with a gold buckle. His presencehorrifiedmeasImovedaway,mybackagainsttheglass.

Heslitheredtowardus,accompaniedbyDamionandThadeus.

Myhearthammeredinmychestasheclosedthedistancebetweenus.Hestoppedinfrontofme,wearingamostsatisfiedgrin.

“The spheres aremagically sealed, littleOracles,” he hissed. “You’re allmine now,andthereisnothingyoucandoaboutit.That liquidletsyoubreathebecauseIallowit.Onesnapofmyfingers,andyouwilldrown.”

“Where’sBijarki?!”Vitapoundedherfistsagainsttheglass.

ThefuryIsawinherwas impressive.She’dalwaysbeen theonewith thepowerfulself-control, yetAzazel hadmanaged to bring out themost primal reactions in her.Heglancedatherandsmirked.

“Your incubus is downstairs, my darling,” he replied. “Getting a personalizedintroduction to dungeon life. He’ll soon answer for his crimes against my empire. I’lldeliver his punishmentmyself, just for you to get it through your thick little head thatthere’snodouble-crossingmewithoutpayingaheftyprice.But I’ma littlebusy at themoment,gettingmytroopsreadyforthatallianceofyours.You’dbesurprisedhowfastwordtravels;Iheartheywanttocomeknockingonmycastlegates,sotospeak.”

“Thisalliancewillbetheendofyou,”Ishotback,baringmyteeth.

Mywolfinstinctswererisingtothesurface,andeveryinchofmewantedtotearhisheadoffandriphimtoshreds.

“No, it won’t, and I won’t even bother to explain why. You’re too young andinexperiencedtounderstandthemagnitudeofmypower.”Heraisedaneyebrowatme.“Imustsay,itisanabsolutepleasuretomeetyouintheflesh,Aida.Itrustyou’llallbemorecooperativeonceyou’vespentsometimeinthebubbles.Oryoucaninsistonbeingstupidandspendtherestofyourlivesuphere.Yourpick.”

“Where’sNova?”Igrowled.

HefrownedforasecondbeforehescoffedandmovedclosertoPhoenix.

“Ahyes, I forgot.Youknowabouther,”hemuttered. “She’s fine,worrynot. I takegoodcareofmymostprizedpossessions.Whentheyletme!”

HeputmoreweightonthoselastfourwordsasheshotVitaafuriousglare.

“Imean,whatwereyouthinking?Didyoureallybelieveyoucouldgettheupperhand

overme?Overme?!”Helaughedmockingly.

“Thehighertheyfly,thehardertheyfall,”Phoenixreplied,bringinghisfacecloserasAzazeltappedafingerontheglass.

“Yes, yes, keep telling yourselves that, naïve littleOracles,”Azazel snickered. “Butthetruthis,you’reallmine,andthereisn’tasinglethingyourfriendscandotostopme.”

Hestraightenedhisbackandmovedaway,turningtofaceallthreeofus.

“Iholdmagicolderthanallthoserebelsputtogether.OlderthansomeoftheDearghs,even,”hesaid,hisfingerslovinglyholdingthesnakependant.“And,whetheryoulikeitornot,you’remypermanentguestshere.Youwillservemeaccordingly.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” I shot back. “If you actually thinkwe’ll tell youanythingfromourvisions,you’redumberthanIthought.”

Amomentpassedinsilence,duringwhichAzazelglaredatme.

“Thatliquidyou’reinisinfusedwithpowerfulherbsthatfacilitatevisions,”hesaid,choosingtoignoreme.“Everyfewhoursorso,you’llfindyourselvesunabletoresistasitentersyourbloodstream.Youwillexperiencevisions,andyouwilltellmeallaboutthem.Unless,ofcourse,you’dliketoseemestringupyourincubusfriendandslowlypeeltheskinoffhisflesh.”

My blood ran cold. I gave Vita a sideways glance. Horror was imprinted on herdelicatefeatures,herturquoiseeyeswideandfearful.Wedidn’thavemuchtime,andwedidn’thavemuchofachoice,either.Ididn’tseemyselfsacrificingBijarkisoearlyinthegame,and,judgingbythelookonPhoenix’sface,neitherdidhe.

“So,ultimately,youthreehaveadecisiontomake,”Azazelcontinued.“Youobey,andtellmewhat thepresentand thefuturehold,or Ipluck itoutofyouwithevery inchofskinIfilletoffyourfriendBijarki.I’llgiveyouafewhourstodecide.”

“ThereweretwomoreOracleshere,”Vitaasked.“Wherearethey?”

Azazelputonasadface,butweallknewhedidn’tcare.Hischeaptheatricalswereonlymeanttomesswithourheads.

“Unfortunately, theydidn’tmake it,” he replied. “They refused to comply, over andover,soIhadnochoicebuttosnapmyfingers.”

Heturnedhisbackonusandslitheredaway,withDamionandThadeusbyhisside.AsAzazel vanished below, Damion glanced over his shoulder and frowned at Vita beforefollowinghimdownstairs.Heclearlywasn’thappytoseeherthere,despitetheirlove-haterelationship,butcouldn’tdoanythingaboutit.

Itookadeepbreath,mylungschillingintheprocess,andtriedtokeepmyselfcalm.Iknew the alliancewould soon begin its siege on the castle; I only feared thatwe’d beforced to share our visions beforehand just to keep Bijarki alive and in one piece.OtherwiseitwoulddestroyVita,and,mostimportantly,Bijarkihadalreadyriskedhislifeforusmorethanonce.Wecouldn’tbetrayhim.

I

PHOENIX

watched Azazel as he vanished below the platform, followed by his twoslitheringlapdogs.Icouldn’tdoanythingtostopthemfrominsidethissphere,butIdidhavetheTellurisbloodoathonmyside.Ineededafewmomentsto

regainmycalm,asragehadmademeseeredinAzazel’spresence.

I took deep breaths. The liquid filled my lungs without drowning me—a peculiarsensationtosaytheleast,butatleastIwasconsciousfornow.

“TellurisSerena,”Imuttered,grittingmyteethandlookingatAidaandVita.

AidabrieflyexplainedtoVitawhatthespellwasabout,whileIbegantohearSerena’shopefulvoiceinmyhead.

“Phoenix?”

“Hey, Sis,” I said. “I’m alive. So is Aida.We’re on the platform, bubbled upwithVita.”

“Oh,God,”Iheardhergasp.“Areyouokay?”

“We’re okay, mostly. Azazel has us locked in these glass spheres like the otherOracles.The liquid letsusbreathe. It’sprettyweird.He said it canalsodrownus ifhechooses.He’sholdingthatoverourheadsincasewedon’tcomply.”

“WhathappenedtoVitaandBijarki?”sheasked.

IfilledherinonhowtheyhadgottencaughtbyAzazel,beforeVitainterjected,“ButwedidmanagetowarnNovaaboutAzazel’sintentions!”

“VitasaysthelittleDaughterknowsaboutAzazel’sintentions,”IrepeatedtoSerena.“Chancesareshe’snotthatwillingtostayanymore.”

IlookedatVita,andshenoddedherconfirmation.

“Heprobablyhastosedateherorsomething,andhewon’tbekeepingherinthesameroomagain,either,”Vitaadded.

IrelayedVita’smessagetoSerena.

“How about you? How are you guys holding up? What about Bijarki? Do yourememberwhathappened?”Mysisterbombardedmewithquestions,aswasexpected.

“Well, we definitely rememberwhat happened, andwe’re stuck here.We can’t get

out,” I explained briefly. “Azazel’s holding Bijarki in the dungeons, has promised topunishhim,andisthreateningtotorturehimtodeathunlesswetellhimwhatourvisionsshow.AndI’mprettysure twoofourshiftersfollowedushere,butIdon’tknowwheretheyarerightnow.Notsurehowtheycouldhelpus,either.ThesphereshavebeensealedbyAzazel.”

IttookSerenaafewmomentstodigesttheinformation.

“Listen,atleastyou’realltogether,despitethesehorriblecircumstances.Ineedyoualltohanginthere.We’recomingforyoutomorrow,”shesaid,makingmyheartpumpfaster.“DravenandtheDruidsaregettingready,andthealliesareinpositionandwaitingforoursignal.JoviwillbethefirstonetolandinLuceriaasperourplanB,providedtheshiftershetakeswithhimplaytheirparts.OurfirstobjectiveistogettheDaughteroutofthere.Then Field will send the signal out. TheDearghs will proceed as planned and put thevolcanoes to sleep. And then the siege will begin.We’ll come in separately and headstraightforyouguys!”

“Youmakeitsoundsoeasy.”Icouldn’thelpbutchuckle.

MyinabilitytofightmywayoutoftheregavemethepauseIneededtojustlookatthebiggerpicture.Wehadanimpressiveamountofworkcutoutforus,andnoneofusShadianshadeverexperiencedanythinglike thisbefore,notevenduringGASPtrainingsimulations.

“Well, it beats stressing over it from top to bottom, don’t you think, Bro?” shequipped.

Iheardhervoice tremble.Shewasworried,andIknewit,butshedida fine jobofkeepingherselftogether.Mysisterwascapableofmovingmountainswithastraightfaceifshehadto—exceptthatsometimes,evenshewasn’tawareofit.Ihatedtoadmitit,butthisstrangelandofEritopiahadchangedherforthebetterinmorewaysthanone.

“So,I’llseeyouinthemorning,then?”Iaskedwithahalf-smile,lookingatVitaandAida’shopefulexpressions.

“Yeah, just don’t bother with coffee and croissants,” she replied. “We’re skippingbreakfast.”

Istifledachuckle,feelingenergizedbyherwitandabilitytomakelightofwhatwas,withoutadoubt,ourworstpredicamenttodate.Wecouldn’taffordtodespair,anyway.ItwasexactlywhatAzazelwouldwant.

AndIwasinnowayreadytogivethatbastardanythinghewanted,notevenmygrief.

A

V ITA

fterPhoenixcaughtupwithSerena,AidausedTelluristogetintouchwithJoviand find outmore about hismission to extract the littleDaughter.He’d gone

over the castle plans, and, based on the throne room and the location of the stairs thataccessedtheplatform,haddecidedhisbestbetwascomingthroughtheeasternwingofthecastleonthefifthlevel,asitgavehimminimumexposuretopotentialhostiles.

Wespentsometimetalkingaboutwhatwecoulddotogetoutofthere,oratleasthelpSerenaandtheothers.Itwasbecomingincreasinglydifficultformetoconcentrate,asmymind kept returning toBijarki, trapped in a cage somewhere inAzazel’s dungeon.Theonly thingwe had on our sidewas time, asAzazel had said he’d yet to punishBijarkibecauseofthealliancerising.Heknewtherewasanattackcoming,but,fromwhatPatrikhad told me before, he couldn’t get much information besides that. He had eyeseverywhere,butthealliancemembersweremorecunningthanthe“snakes”onthegroundandhadmanaged to keep a lowprofile.The swampwitch spell thatDraven had giventhem to use against green fireflies had probably helped, too. Azazel had increaseddefensesaroundthecastleinthemeantime,justtobesurenoonewasgettingin.

LittledidthePrinceofDestroyersknow,itwasabouttogetworseforhimonthatend.Nevertheless,myhearttightenedinmychestatthethoughtofBijarkigettinghurt.He’dgonethroughsomuchtroublejusttogettome.Itwasn’tfair.

But,thenagain,whenislifeeverfairwhereAzazel’sinvolved?

Mymindbattledthedespairandshoveditintoadarkcorner.Phoenixwasright.Therewasnotimeforemotionaltorment—itonlygaveAzazelsatisfaction,anditdidnogoodtotherestofus.Ilookedaroundtheplatform.

Abrillewas still unconscious, probably sleepingor experiencing avision. I couldn’treallytellwithher,asshehadbeeninfullOracleformfromtheverybeginning,thewhiteeyesandflittingrunesapermanentpartofherappearance.Shehadbeenweakenedafterpassingherpowersontoourmothers,butremnantsofherOraclenaturewerestillthere.We’dseenit inthewayshe’dmanagedtoprojectherselftous,aswellasinthevisionsshe’dmentionedherself.

Somethingmovedalong theblackmarblefloor,a fewfeetawayfromme.Ibroughtmy face closer to the glass and gasped as I recognized the small black viper slitheringtowardus.

“Patrik!”Icalledout,leaningintothebubble.

“What?Where?”Aidaasked,glancingacrosstheplatform.

Hereyeswidenedwhenshenoticedthelittlecreaturegettingcloser.Itwasgoodtoseehim,afterwhathadhappened.I’dfearedhe’dbeencapturedaswell,but,givenhisabilityto shift into any snake size he wanted, it seemed like Patrik had safely gotten out ofNova’sroom.

He stopped in front ofmy bubble andmorphed into hisDruid form, gloriously talland…naked.Hegavemeaconcernedlook,whileAidaandPhoenixgroanedandcoveredtheireyes.

“Oh,forPete’ssake!”Phoenixcroaked.“Couldn’tyouhavesnatchedsomeclothesonthewayuphere?”

PatrikraisedhiseyebrowashelookedatPhoenix.

“Of course, because there’s nothing less conspicuous than a small viper dragging apair of pants around in a castle filledwithDestroyers ready to crush its head,” he shotbackbluntly.

Phoenix let out a heavy sigh and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest andrefusing to look atPatrik—likeAida. Iwashaving a hard timewithhis naked formaswell,but,giventhecircumstances,IwashappierwiththisnakedversionofhimthannoPatrikatall.

“I’msorryIleftyouandBijarkithere.”Patrikturnedtomewithapainedexpression.“ButIhadnootherchoice.Icouldn’tgetcaught,too…”

“Iknow,Patrik.Don’tfeelbad,”Ireplied.“Iwould’vedonethesameifIwereyou.Butyou’reherenow,andthat’sallthatmatters.Canyougetusoutofhere?”

Heplacedhispalmsontheglassofmybubbleandfrowned,shakinghishead.

“It’smuchmorepowerfulthanmymagic.”Hesighed.

I counted eighty-seven tattoo bands on his arms. He was, by far, one of the mostaccomplishedDruidswhohadfallenunderAzazel’scontrolspell,butapparentlystillwasnotstrongenoughtobreaktheglassspheres.

“WhatelsecanIdotohelpyouall?”heasked.

“Serenaandtheothersarecomingforustomorrow,”ItoldPatrik.“JoviwillcomeinfromtheeastwingonthefifthleveltogetthelittleDaughterout.So,ifyoucanfindoutwherethey’rekeepingher,youcanhelphimgettoher.”

“Indeed.”Henoddedenergetically.“I’llgetherlocationandwaitonthefifthlevelintheeastwingforhim,then.“I’msorryhecapturedallofyou…”

HelookedatAidaandPhoenixwhenhesaidthat.Theyslowlyturnedtheirheadstofacehim,tryingnottolookdownattherestofhisbody.

Hemovedbackfromthesphere,preparingtoshiftbackintohissnakeform.

“Patrik,wait,”Aida said, and he stilled in response. “Damion and Thadeus are notyouraverageDestroyers.TheywerepartofagroupofDruidstudentswhowererescuedfromtheGrandTempleonPersea,decadesago,whenAzazeltookover.Theyweretaken

toMarton,andkeptalowprofileuntilseveralofthemventuredoutonthewesternshore.DamionandThadeuswerecapturedbyDestroyersthere,andbroughtbacktoAzazel,buttheothersarestillverymuchaliveandkicking.They’vejoinedthealliance,infact,andwillbecomingheretomorrow.”

“They never said anything about their past lives,” Patrik mused, processing theinformation.

“Clearly, Damion and Thadeus kept their past onMarton to themselves,” I added.“Azazel doesn’t know about Ori, Malachy, and the others. Maybe you could use thisinformationandgetthemtofightthecontrolspellharder.Maybeyoucanhelpthembreakfree. The more Druids we bring in against Azazel and his Destroyers, the higher ourchancesofsuccess.”

Patrik took a deep breath, then nodded. “I’ll seewhat I can do,” he replied, beforeshiftingbackintohisblackviperform.

Iwatchedhimslitheraway,andIcouldn’thelpbutputalittleprayeroutthereintotheuniverse,hopinghe’dfindoutwhereAzazelkeptNova,andevenpersuadeThadeusandDamiontofightthespell,withoutgettingcaught.

In themeantime, therewasnothing left for us todobutwait. Iwas afraid to try tosummonvisionsof thefuture—not justbecauseAzazelwould thenforcemeto tellhimabout them, but also because I wasn’t sure we’d changed anything for the better. TheliquidIbreathedwasgoingtoknockmeoutandpushmeintoasetofvisionsanyway,butthelongerImanagedtodelayit,thebetter.

After all, we pretty much knew what was going to happen next. And given howstressed Azazel was about the alliance—enough to postpone the delight of punishingBijarki—it made me think that the Prince of Destroyers was, in fact, beginning tocontemplate theprospectofdeath,andhadrunoutof tricksuphissleeve topreventanallianceattack.

Our troopswere in position, and it was all going to unravel tomorrow,whether helikeditornot.

T

SERENA

he night went by slowly. We finished our training somewhere close tomidnight.HalfoftheMarawardsstoodwatchoutside,whiletherestofus

stayed in theGrandHall.Thecubswere sent tobedearly, their satchelspacked for thelongjourneyacrosstheocean.

IregularlycaughtupwithAidaandPhoenixviaTelluris,whilekeepingwatchoverthelargeglowingspherewhereDravenandtheyoungDruidshadretiredfortheirprolongedtraining.Igrabbedacoupleofblanketsfrommyroomandsettledunderthetableinthemiddleoftheroom,notwantingtobeawaywhentheyallcameout.

Asmorning arrived and sunshine burst through the tall, narrowwindows,my eyespeeledopen,and Iquietly listened to theneon-likebuzzingof thesphere.According tosome rough estimates, six months had gone by in there. Ever since we’d arrived inEritopia,I’dbeenapartofDraven’severydaylife.Icouldn’tevenbegintofathomhowitmustfeelforhimtobeawayforsolong.Theheartsicknesshehadtolivewith,trappedinthatsphere.Imissedhimafterjustafewhoursapart.

Isatup,rubbingmyfaceandpullingmyhairback,whilevoicesoutsideremindedmethat the cubs were getting ready to board the ship, along with several Bajangs fromRebel’sgarrison,tosailacrosstheoceanandfindsomesafetyonMarton.

IstilledasMalachyandOricameoutofthespherefirst,followedbyFlynn,Mason,Cassin, and Dain. They didn’t look any different, though their eyes seemed to holdsomethingtheyhadn’twhenthey’dfirstwalkedin—thefiercenessofaseasonedfighter.Druidsageddifferently fromthehumans inourworldanyway,and theirbodiesweren’teasyvictimsof time.Afterall,Dravenwasalreadyacoupleofcenturiesoldanddidn’tlookadayovertwenty-five.

Hewasthelasttocomeout.Thedarknessonhisfacedissipatedassoonashesawme.Hiseyesflickeredblack,andIfeltawaveofloveandlongingcrashingintomefromthebottom of his soul. I stood up but didn’t manage to step forward, as he was alreadywrappinghisarmsaroundme,holdingmetightagainsthisbodyandcoveringmymouthwithhisinadazzlingandprofoundkiss.Mybloodsizzled.

Hebreathedagainstmylipsasheranhisfingersthroughmyhair,thenproceededtocovermyfaceinshort,sweetkisses.

“I’vemissedyousomuch,”hewhispered,pullingmeintoanotherdeepkiss.

Iwelcomedhiswarmth,hishunger,andhisprimalneedtofeelme.Ikissedhimback,cuppinghisfaceinmyhands.Hemoanedgently.

Oriclearedhisthroatfrombehind,remindingusthattheywereallstillthere.Ifeltmycheeks burn, butDraven raised a finger to basically say “Hold on, not done yet!” andpressedhislipsagainstmineoncemore,ignitingallmysensesatonce.

Ieventuallyfoundthestrengthtopullbackandlookintohisgrayeyes.Hegavemeahalf-smile.

“Howdiditgointhere?”Iasked,myvoiceraspyandlow.

“Consider us highly educated now.” Malachy grinned. “Draven here is quite theteacher,infact!”

“Although,tobefair,helearnedjustasmuchalongwithus.”Oriwinked.

“Howlongwereyouinthere?”IlookedattheyoungDruids,whothenglancedbackatDraven.

“Wedon’treallyknow,”Cassinreplied.“Dravenwastheonlyonewhokepttrack.Wewere too focused on catching upwith his skill level,whichmay have been impressivebefore,butit’sdownrightjaw-droppingnow…”

“Sixmonthsandthirteendays,”Dravensaidslowly,unabletotakehiseyesoffme.Ifelthispain,anddidmybesttorelaxandleteverythingIfeltforhimradiateoutofme,tosoothehim.

“Itwasworth it, though,”Malachy interjected. “Wewent through the levels so fast,withsuchintensity.Ididn’teventhinkitwaspossible!”

“I’mguessingtheurgencyofsavingourworldhadaparttoplayinthis.”Oripursedhis lips,glancingaroundthehall.“Let’s justsaywe’remuchbetterequipped to takeonDestroyersandAzazel,now.”

“That’sgood!”Ibeamedatthem.“Canwegosavemybrotherandbestfriends—andtherestofEritopiawhilewe’reatit—then?”

“Absolutely.”DravenwinkedatmebeforehelookedoverhisshouldertoaddresstheyoungDruids.“Gathereverythingyoucan fromthespell supplycabinets in thearchivehall.Whateveryoucancarryinyoursatchels.I’llmeetyououtsideontheeasternterraceinanhour.”

TheDruidsnodded and left thegrandhall,whileDraven tookmyhands intohis, aconcernedlookonhisfaceashiseyebrowspulledintoafrown.

“Thisisit,Serena,”hesaidslowly.“Today,wefacehim.”

“Today,wekillhim,”Iaddedreassuringly.

Hetookadeepbreath,strugglingtosaysomething.Ifeltribbonsofdullpaincomingoutofhischestandinstantlyknewwhere theconversationwasgoing.Iwasn’teager todiscussthis,butIknewwe’dhavetosoonerorlater.

“Serena,wehavetotalkaboutthis,”hesaid,instantlyreadingmyemotions.Wewereso connected that he, too, felt what I was experiencing in that moment. I sighed, and

nodded. “Once I take his pendant away from him, you all strike hard and withouthesitation.”

“Yes,Draven.”

“AndifIhavetotakeAsherak’ssoulintome,youknowwhatyouhavetodo…”

Icouldn’tanswerthatone.

“Serena,lookatme.”

I listened, but tearswere already rushing to glazemy eyes. I blinked several times,forcingthemtorolldownmycheeks.Hebrushedhisknucklesalongmyjawlineandgavemeaweaksmile.

“Oncehe’soutofthependant’sreach,allwe’llhavetodoischophisheadoff,”Isaid.“It’llbeoverquick.”

“Iagree,darling,butlet’skeepalloptionsopen.Nothingaboutthissituationhaseverbeenfullypredictable,”herepliedgently.“IfIhavetotakeAsherakintomeforyoutokillAzazel, I will. And you’ll have to takeme down, then, Serena. Do not waiver onmyaccount.Gostraightfortheheadbeforehetakesovercompletely.”

“Shutup,”Igrowled,andhidmyfaceinhischest,holdinghimtight.

I felthiskisson the topofmyheadandhishandsmovingslowlyupanddownmyback,andIfelthisheartbeatechoedinmychest.I’dheardenough.Wewerenotgoingtohavetocrossthatbridge,Itoldmyself.

“Iloveyou,Serena,”hewhisperedinmyearasIswallowedbackmoretears.

“Iloveyou,Draven.”

Lessthananhourlater,sixBajangsboardedtheshipinthederelictharbor,alongwiththedozens of cubs who had known nothing but Stonewall their whole lives. I understoodeveryemotionthatflickeredintheirwideeyes—theanguish,thefear,theconfusion,andthelongingtobewiththeirparents,buttheyhadnochoicebuttolisteniftheywantedtosurvive.

Wewaited on the eastern terrace, watching Rebel on the pier below as she wavedgoodbyetothem.Theoldvesselmoanedandcreakedasitwaspushedoutfartherintotheocean.Draven and theDruids lined up on the edge of the terrace, bringing their handsforwardandmutteringaspell.Brightwhitelightsshotfromtheirpalmsandvanishedintothedeepbluewaterbelow.

Incandescentpulsesspreadoutlikeliquidripplesoflight,pushingtheshipfartherandincreasingitsspeedasitcutacrossthewaves.

“IsitthesamethingyoudidwhenwesailedtoMarton?”Iasked.

“Yesandno,”hereplied.“Thisismuchmorepowerful.Wegavethemwaterwardstokeep them safe. Those light pulses you saw are ancient wards we summoned. They’llguidetheshiptoMartonandkeepitabovewateratalltimes.Theweathercandonothing

againstit.”

“That’simpressive.”Jovicameupfrombehindus.

I turned around and saw the rest of our group there, satchels packed,weapons andshieldsreadyforbattle.Rebeljoinedusafteraquicksprintandclimbupthejaggedrocksseparating the pier fromStonewall.Her expressionwas firm, but her eyeswere glazedwithtearsandherlowerliptrembled.Ididn’tneedtoreachoutwithmysentrypowertounderstandhergriefandworryforherpack’scubs,thefuturegenerationshe’dvowedtoprotect.

We gathered in a circle in the middle of the terrace, occasionally glancing at eachother.

“Ourtimehascome,”Dravensaid.“Areyouready?”

Weallnodded.Jovirubbedtheneckofhisshape-shifterhorse,whiletheshape-shifterDestroyertoweredbehindhim.

“Yeah, we’re ready.” Jovi winked. “My friends here are quite the accomplishedthespians,infact!”

Iheldbackasmile,pressingmylipstogetherasIhuggedhimandwishedhimgoodluck.Joviheldmetight,sinkinghisnoseinmyhairforamoment.

“Youbesafeout there,youhearme?” I said.“Make liberaluseofTelluris,aswell.Youhave thecastleplans, right?Patrikwillbe therewhenyouget inon the fifth floor,basedonwhatAidatoldme.”

“Imostcertainlydo,”hereplied,pattingthesatchelonhisback.

HethenturnedandkissedAnjanigoodbye.TheywhisperedsomethingtoeachotherbeforehegotontheflyinghorseinfrontoftheDestroyer.Itwasincrediblycreepytolookat thecreature,andyet Icouldn’tpeelmyeyesoff theelaborate trickery.Thoseshifterswere, indeed, excellent at replicating not just the physique, but also the demeanor andspeechpatternsofothercreatures–askillthathadnearlycostmemylifewhenI’dfirstencounteredthem.

AnjanitookadeepbreathasJovitookoff.Whenhehadbecomejustablackdotinthebrightbluesky,IturnedmyattentiontoField,myheartfeelingheavierthanusual.We’dtalkedaboutallthisalready,butstill,itfeltdifficulttowatchmyfriendsflyintoclearandpresentdanger.

“Thesamegoesforyou,Hawk,”Imutteredashehuggedme.Heclosedhishandintoafistandrubbeddownhardintomyforeheadwithhisknuckles,makingmecurseundermybreath.

“Worrynot,mydear.Got two trustworthycopieshere tokeepmecompanyand theenemydistracted.”Hegavemeahalf-smileandspreadhiswingsout.

Theremainingtwoshifterstookonhisform,completewithlargeblackwings.Theireyesglowedviolet,andtheylookedtohim,waitingforhimtotakeoff.ItwaspartofourinitialplanforFieldtoflyoutandgivethesignaltoouralliesonceNovawasoutofthecastle.

“I’llfindcoverinoneofthetallestpurpletreesontheeastsideofthejungle,”hesaid.“Once Jovi confirms the littleDaughter’s out of the castle, I’ll give the signal, likeweagreed.”

Hissatchelwasmountedonhischest, tiedwithstringsaroundhisback tomakehisflighteasyandcomfortable.Inodded,andheflappedhiswingsandtookoff,followedbytheshifters.

WerushedtothefrontstepsofStonewall,wherehorseshadbeenprepared—notjustourindigostallions,butseveralotherwhitemaresthathadmadeahabitofgrazingbythecitadelwalls.

RebelwentaheadwithfortyBajangs.Theyallmorphedinto theirgiantfelineformsand darted across the meadow. Jax’s nine wards rode after them, focused on keepingpotentialpredatorsandhostilesatbay.

Draven,Hansa,Anjani,Jax,andIrodeoutafterthem,accompaniedbythesixDruids.

Wecrossedthewidemeadow,hoovesthunderingbelow,andnoticedstrandsofblacksmokerisinginthedistantnorth.

“Hostilecampfires,”Jaxsaid.“They’regettingcloser toStonewall.Sluaghsmust’vesurvivedfromyesterdayandreportedbacktoAzazel.”

“OrhefigureditoutonhisownwhentheSluaghsdidn’treturn.Eitherway,we’reoutofhere,”Imuttered.“Thesoonerwekillthatsnake,thebetter.”

“Right on, sister!” Hansa cheered on my left, her fingers brushing against thebejeweledgoldhandleofherbroadsword.

Werodelikethewind,angryanddeterminedandreadytostrikehardandmercilesslyuntilAzazel’sheadtumbledatourfeet.

A

SERENA

nhour passed aswe rode deeper into the dark jungle, our horses galloping atincrediblespeeds.Accordingtotheterrainmarkerswe’dpassedsofar,andthe

notesonourmap,wewereacoupleofmilesawayfromaMaracamp,and threemilesfromLuceria.

We couldn’t see the castle yet because tall purple trees curled out above, nearlycoveringtheskyandcastingheavyshadowsaroundus.Wehadtheswampwitches’spellreadyifanygreenfirefliesdecidedtogettooclose.Itinvolvedthrowingdiamonddustatthemandutteringathree-wordincantationthatwouldtemporarilyblindthem,or,iftheywerecloseenough,wouldburneachofthosecreepycrittersintoatinypuffofsmoke.

Draven and Iwere first in line, gallopingdown thenarrowpath leading toLuceria,withtheyoungDruids,Anjani,Hansa,andJaxrightbehindus.TheMarawardsandtheBajangskeptaclosedistance,circlingusaboutathird-of-a-mileaway.

IcouldhearDestroyershissinginthedistanceandthedrumsofwarechoingfromthecastle.Theywereonhighalert,awarethatastrikewasimminent.Zeriel,Tamaraandtheothers had already circled the area with their armies, but were keeping a low profile,waitingforthesignal.Itdidn’tmatterwhatAzazel’stroopswereuptoanyway;weknewwhatwehadtodo.Furthermore,Azazelcouldampuphisdefensesasmuchashewanted,butthefirsthitwasstillcomingfromtheinside.

Myindigohorsegotnervousandcametoanabrupthalt,nearlythrowingmeoveritshead. Draven’s did the same, and I heard the others neighing behind. I looked up,clutching my crossbow and turning on my True Sight. I saw shadows darting aroundthroughthedarkwoodsandBajangsgrowlingnearby.

IlookedovermyshoulderandsawthatHansaandAnjanihadeachloadedandraisedtheircrossbows,readytostrike,asdidDraven.Jax’seyesflickeredgoldasheclickedhisteethwithadispleasedexpression.

“They’removingtoofast,”hemuttered.“Ican’tlatchontothem.”

Ifocusedonwhatwasinfrontofusagain.Onebyone,theshadowsrushedcloser,andIgotabetterview.Ourhorsesnervouslybegantotrotback.Theseweresuccubi,dozensofthem,wearingwhitepaintontheirfacesandarms.

Theywerecomingintoofast,soIpushedoutastrongbarrier,enoughtoknocksomeofthemback,butmoredartedthroughthewoodstowardus.IheardtheBajangsgrowling

as they moved back and tightened the protective circle around us. The wards must’vemanagedtocapturesomeslowersuccubiwiththeirmind-bendingabilities—severalWhiteTribememberscrawledoutontothepath,holdingtheirheadsastheycriedout,beggingthewardstostop.

Moreofthemcameouttowardus,butwealreadyhadourcrossbowsreadytostrike.

“Standdownorwe’llshoot!”Dravenshouted.

A sharpwhistle shot through the forest, and the succubi stilled, slowly raising theirhandsintheair.MyheartthumpedinmychestasIrealizedwhatwasgoingon.Jasminewassomewherenearby.Thesewerehersuccubi,afterall.

“Jasminemustbehere,”Iwhispered,notreadytoputmyweapondownjustyet.

“She’sverysmart,Draven,”afemalevoiceechoedaroundus.“I’mimpressed.”

Isawherthen,justafewfeetaway,assherevealedherselfandsteppedontothepath.Jasminewas tall,with long,pale,sandyhairpouringoverhershouldersandsteelygrayeyesthatmirroredDraven’s.Sheworeanavy-bluedress,multiplelayersofsilkwrappedaroundherslenderbody,andadarkgreenhoodthatpartiallycoveredhertattooedarms.TheDruidbandswereasymbolofhertrainingandwisdom,butitwasherjadedgazethattrulyreflectedherexperience.

Shecamecloser,eyeingusallbeforeshefocusedonDravenandputonawarmhalf-smilemeant todefuse the tension. I feltamixtureofcuriosityandangerseepingoutofhim,andIcouldn’tblamehim.Hewasmostlikelyaskinghimselfthesamequestionsthathadarisenwhenwe’dfirstlearnedthatshewasstillalive.

Jasmine lookedat thesuccubistillgroaning inpainon theground toour right, thengaveJaxapleadinglook.

“Canyoupleasemakethemstop?”sheasked.“Theywereonlyfollowingmyorders.”

“Orderstodowhat,killus?”theLordofMarassnapped,aneyebrowraised.

“No.”Sheshookherhead.“Totestyou.”

Jaxscoffed,butsnappedhisfingers.Thewardsimmediatelyreleasedtheirholdonthesuccubi, while the Bajangs came even closer, the giant felines making the very treesaroundthemtremble.

“Idon’tthinkyou’reinanypositiontotestus,”Dravenreplieddryly.

“Oh,butIam,Draven.”Shesmiled.“Iwantedtomakesureyou’rereadyforwhatliesahead.Imustsay,you’veexceededmyexpectations.Youwerefastinyourresponseandverywell organized. The succubiwould’ve put up a good fight, but you’ve got, what,fortyBajangsprowlingthesewoods?”

Oneofthesuccubihuffed,pursingherlips.Shestoodupandbrushedthedirtfromherarms.Jasmine’sgazecontinuedtowanderfromonememberofourgrouptoanother,hereyesflickeringblackwhensheonceagainlookedatDraven.

“Itissogoodtoseeyou,Draven,”shesaidslowly,takingastepforward.

“Don’tmove,”Dravenshotback,andaimedhiscrossbowather.

Iknewhewasn’tgoingtoshoot.Hewasjustirritatedandeagertogiveheratasteofherown“testing”medicine.Jasminestopped,herhandsintheair,andsighed.

“You’reangry,”shemuttered.

“You’redamnright,I’mangry,”hegrowled.“Ididn’tevenknowyouwerealiveuntiloneofourOraclesspottedyouinavision,andyet,somehow,youseemtoknowplentyabout me. Explain yourself before I ‘accidentally’ release a poisoned arrow into yourchest.”

“That’srathervitrioliccomingfromyou.”Jasminefrowned.

“It’scomingfromallofus,”Malachy’svoiceboomedfrombehind.

The youngDruids kicked their horses andmoved closer, settling byDraven’s side.Theywereallmadather,and,oncemore,Ifoundmyselfunabletoblamethem.Shehadabandonedthem,afterall.Jasminedidn’tseemallthatsurprisedtoseethem,justhappy,asmilelightingherupfromtheinside.

“Youmadeawisechoicetojoinmynephew,”sherepliedwithanod.

“Firstthingsfirst.”Dravenraisedhisvoice.“Howdidyoufindus?”

“I’ve had you followed since your friends left the mansion and sought shelter inStonewall.”

Shewinkedandwhistled.Iheardleavesrustlingbehindus.Ayoungsuccubus,petitelikeVita,appearedalmostoutofnowhere,herbodycoveredindarkgreenpaintanddriedupdirt.Herbright,silveryeyesweretheonlythingthatstoppedusfrommistakingherforasolitarytree.ShecametoJasmine’sside,thenbowedrespectfully.

“Weusedatelepathyspelltokeepintouch,”Jasminecontinued.“It’showIknewwhoeachofyouwerebeforewecameheretogreetyou.”

“You’vegot a cloaking spell overyour camp,youhavea telepathy spell,” Imused.“You’reusingplentyofswampwitchmagic,aren’tyou?”

“Indeed, I am.” She smiled at me. “Long before the swampwitches were killed, Ispentdaysintheircompany.TheytaughtmeafewtricksbeforethingsgotbadandAzazelstartedcomingafterthem.Iwastheonewhourgedthemtosplittheirspellbookinthreeandgotmybrotherinvolvedinkeepingacopysafe.Thesetrickshavekeptmealiveuntilnow.”

“Soyouknewaboutme.Youspoketomyfather.Andmyfatherknewyouwerealivebutnevertoldmeanything,”Dravensaidheatedly,hisnostrilsflaring.

Shenoddedcautiously.“Iaskedhimnot to tellanyone.Tobefair,hedidn’t tellmeaboutyou,perse,”sheexplained.“AfternewsbrokeofGenevievedyinginlabor,alongwiththebaby,IhadafeelingthatAlmuswasn’ttellingmethewholetruth.Hewasneverable to lie to me, anyway. At the time, we were facing constant betrayal fromDruidsturning to Azazel, and we were forced to separate. We didn’t know whom to trustanymore,andI’dmadeitmymissiontoprotecttheGrandTemplestudents.AnattackonPerseawasinevitableatthatpoint.”

Shepausedtotakeadeepbreath,lookingattheyoungDruids.Recognitionglimmered

inhereyes.

“Ibroughtthemherewhiletheportalswerestillactive,andIhidthemonMarton.Icheckedinonthemonceeveryfullmoon,butIwaseventuallytrackeddownandnearlykilled. I’d been betrayed, though I still don’t know by whom—at the time, I wassurroundedbymanycreaturesIdidn’ttrust.Thankfully,whoeveritwashadn’tfiguredoutwhy I’d been going toMarton. In any case, after I got back to Antara and nursedmywounds, Iwent looking formy brother. I sent amessage to him through several roguesuccubi,andIwasgivenatimeandaplacetomeet.Bythen,Almuswasgettingweaker,still recovering from deeper wounds. Azazel was getting closer. It was then that hedecided to tell me the truth about you, Draven, and the mansion with all its secrets,includingtheDaughter.Hefearedthatdeathwasimminentandneededtomakesureyou’dbelookedafter.”

“Whatafinejobyou’vedone,”Dravenscoffed,puttinghiscrossbowaway.

“Imadethechoicetostayawayfromyou,yes,”shereplied.“ButnotbecauseIdidn’twanttolookafteryou.Idid.Morethananything.ButtherewerestillDestroyersonmytail.Traitorsaroundme.ToomanycreaturesknewwhereIwas,andIcouldn’tbringthemalltoyourdoorstep.Ijustcouldn’t.Youhadtheancientwardsinthere;themansionwasprotected.Almushadtoldmeeverythingaboutthedealhe’dmadewiththeDaughters.Ididn’twanttoputyouindanger.Itwasn’taneasychoice,mydear,butIhadtomakesureyoustayedsafe.Ascruelasitmayseem,IfeltitwasinyourbestinterestthatIkeptmydistance.”

A moment passed in heavy silence as Draven and Jasmine stared at each other. Isensedtheturmoilbrewinginhisheart, themixedfeelingsandtheinexplicablerelieftosee her standing there. I did understandwhere hewas coming from.Despite his anger,Jasminewas theonly familyhehad left.He’dgrownupyearning forsomeone toshowhimtheropes,butallhe’dhadwereinvisiblewardsandtheoccasionalfriendshe’dmadewheneverhe’dventuredbeyondtheshield.

Assomeonewho’dgrownupprettymuchonhisown,hewasrelievedtoseehestillhadfamily.Ithurtthatshe’dkeptherdistancebut,deepdown,Iknewheunderstoodherreasons.Idid,too.

“Ikeptaneyeon themansionall theseyears,”shecontinued.“I formedanalliancewiththeWhiteTribeonceAzazel’sarmiesstartedburningthroughtheirterritoryupnorth.They joinedmebeneath thecloakingspell, andweoperatedquietly from there,waitingfor you to grow up and continue your father’swork.When the protective shield camedown,however, Ihad tocomeoutofhiding. I’mhere tohelpyou,Draven. I’mhere tolendyoumystrength.Iseeyou’refinallytakingthefighttoAzazel,andbelievemewhenIsaythatI’vebeenwaitingforthisdaytocomeforalongtime…”

Dravenstillhadtroublereplying.ButIcouldfeelhisdefensesshattering.Iknewhimwellenoughtoknowhowhisreasoningworked.Pastthenoveltyofalivingrelative,hewasfacinganewallywithdozensofsuccubiunderhercommand.Weneededeveryable-bodiedfighterwecouldget,andtheWhiteTribewasawelcomeadditiontoouralliance.

Mostimportantly,JasminewasanexperiencedDruid.

“I think I should also inform you now that my trusted White Tribe succubi weregraciousenoughtoambushandburndownthecaravanofpapersthattheDestroyershadbeenorderedtobringbackfromthemansionaftertheshieldfell,”shesaid.

“Youkepteyeson themansionafter it fell to theDestroyers?”Dravenblinkedwithsurprise.

“Idid,yes,”shereplied.“Therewastoomuchpreciousinformationinthere,IknewthebeastswouldhavetobringitbacktoAzazelforhimtolookthrough.Ididn’twanthimtogetanythingofusetohim.Consideritagestureofgoodwill,onmypart.”

IlookedoveratMalachyandtheothers,andIcouldseethemexhalingandnoddingslowly as they exchanged glances. Draven ran a hand through his hair, then leanedforward.

“Atleastyougottoseethisdaycome,”hefinallysaid.

Jasmine’seyesflickeredblackasshefoughtbacktears.

“Imisshim,too,youknow,”sherepliedinatremblingvoice.“WewereinseparableforcenturiesbeforeAzazeldecidedhewantedEritopiaalltohimself.AlmusdedicatedhislifetopreservingDruidprinciplesandpeaceacrosstherealm.”

“Thenit’stimewebringitallbackforhim.”Dravenstraightenedhisback,thecornerofhismouthtwitchingslightly.

Jasminecockedherheadtoonesideandputonacharmingsmile.I’dseenAlmusinDraven’smemories,andIhadtoadmit,shewasdefinitelyhissister.

“Doesthatmeanyou’llallowustofightbyyourside?”sheaskedwithanundertoneofhumor.

“Ifyoucankeepupwithus,sure,”Dravenreplied, thenclickedhisteethandgentlynudgedhishorseintomotion.

Hewasthefirsttorideout.Theothersfollowedsuit,theirhorsesgallopingdownthepath.TheBajangs,thewards,andthesuccubialldartedinthesamedirection,rustlingtheleavesastheywidenedtheircirclearoundourgroup.

Itrottedclosertoherandofferedherahand.

“Needaride?”Iasked.

Shelookedupandsmiledatme.Shethentookmyhandandclimbedontomyhorsebehindme.Thestallionneighed,slightlyunhappywithtworiders,buteventuallystartedracingaftertheothers.

“Thankyou,Serena,”shewhisperedinmyear.

“Forwhat?It’sjustaride!”

“ForhelpinghimbecometheDruidheistoday.Iseethewayhelooksatyou.It’sthesamelookthatAlmushadwheneverGenevievewasnearhim.”

“Oh,”Imumbled,feelingmycheekscatchfire.Iguessedwereallywerethatobvious.“Thanks…”

“Yougivehimstrength,Icantell,”shesaid.“I’mhappyhe’sfoundsomeonelikeyouatatimelikethis.Trueloveblossomsinthefaceofadversity,afterall.”

I didn’t knowwhat to say to that.Shewas right, so I let her seemy smilebefore Ilookedaheadandfocusedongettingmyhorse torunfasteruntilwecaughtupwith thegroup.ItrottedtoDraven’sside,andoureyesmetforamoment.MyheartswelledatthegoldenenergythatemanatedfromhimwheneverIwasnear.

HelookedbrieflyatJasmineandnodded,thenfocusedonthepathahead.

We’dgainedanallyonourwaytoLuceria,butthehardparthadn’tevenstartedyet.The castle loomed ahead, black and menacing, with swarms of Destroyers and greenfireflies.Thedrumsofwargrewlouder,asdidthesoundofariverflowingnearby.

Thefirstrealstageofourmissionwasabouttobegin.

W

A IDA

ewerestuckinglassbubbles,butitdidn’tmeanwewereuseless—atleast,thatwaswhatI’dbeentellingmyselfas thehoursslippedby.Atdawn,I

could see the sun rising boldly over the horizon, casting soft hues of orange and pink,quietly announcing the beginning of war. It was time to see what else was happeningbelow.

Damionhadvisitedusthenightbefore,informingusthatAzazelwouldcomeseeusfirst thing in themorning to inquire about any visionswe’d had. I sure as hell wasn’tgoingtotellhimanything,andneitherwerePhoenixandVita.Theonlythingscomingoutofourmouthswouldbelies,andhecouldn’tproveotherwiseanyway.

Azazel had been right about one thing, though. Sooner or later, the liquid in oursphereswasgoingtopushusintovisions.Infact,Icouldfeelitseffectonmysenses,asmylimbssoftenedandmybreathingslowed.

“Guys,I’mstartingtoslip.”IgaspedasIrealizedthatIwasdriftingintoavision.

Phoenix andVita had fallen asleep in the early hours of themorning, but instantlyopenedtheireyesatthesoundofmymuffledvoice.TheybothmovedcloserandwatchedmeasIwentunder.

“I’llbebackinajiff,”Imumbledasthedarknessenvelopedme.

IfoundmyselfsomewhereinsideAzazel’scastle,judgingbytheblackmarbleflooringandwalls.Itwasaresidentialroom,fullyfurnishedwithebonytablesanddressers,goldensatin curtains and bedding, and decorated with massive gold-framed paintings andintricatelymoldedbrasscandelabras.Myfirst instinctwas to lookout the tallwindows,andwhenIdidInoticedthegapingdistancetotheground—Iwassomewhereonthetopfloor,oratleastveryclosetothetop,fromwhatIcouldtellfromthisangle.

I turned around and saw Nova, the little Daughter, emerging from the en-suitebathroom.Shelookedsofragileandweakinherblackvelvetdress,itbrokemyheart.Herskinwaspale,anddarkcircleshadsettledaroundhervioleteyes.Herreddishpinkhairhadbeenfashionedintoatightbun,andthelittlerubypendantstillhungaroundherneck.

She looked down at it, then rubbed her face and scoffed before she took it off andtossed it on the floor. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed by the side of the bed,whimperingassheswallowedbacktears.

“Oh, darling, if you take that off, you’ll be evenweaker.”Azazel’s voicepoured in

fromthedoorway,freezingthebloodinmyveins.

I instinctively took a step back, wondering if he was still using that cheat spell todetectmypresenceduringvisions.Hedidn’thaveareasontodothatanymore,though,asIwasalreadyhere.Hedidn’tacknowledgeme, justpickedatanimaginarypieceof lintfromhisshoulder.He’dswitchedtoablackvelvetshirtthismorning,withathickgolden,bejeweledbeltcomplementingthesnakependantthatcontinuedmovinginitseight-loop.

Novalookedupathimandfrowned,pullingherselfuponthesideofthebed.

“Ihateyou,”shemuttered.“Whathaveyoudonetome?”

“What,I’mnot‘Daddy’anymore?”Azazelrepliedwithafakegasp,clearlymockingher.

“Youwerenevermydaddy.Iknowthetruthnow!”shespat.“You’rejustusingme!”

“OfcourseI’mjustusingyou.Don’tberidiculous.”Heshookhisheadandrolledhiseyes,asifhecouldn’tmusterenoughpatiencetodealwithher.

“Whatdidyoudotome?!”shecriedout,leaningagainstthebed,unabletostandonherown.

Azazel slithered across the roomand scooped her up in his arms, then immediatelyplantedheronthebed.Hethenpickedtherubypendantoffthefloorandputitaroundherneck.Shegroanedandmovedto take itoffagain,butAzazel’shandgentlysettledoverhers,andhesatnexttoher.

“Ifyoutakeitoff,you’llfeelalotworse,darling.”

“Whatdidyoudotome?”sheaskedagain,hervoiceweak,herbreathingragged.Hereyelidsdroppedslowly.

“It’sjustalittlecounter-effect.Thependantdrawsyourenergy,anditnowcomeswithanaddedfailsafespelltomakesureyou’renottooquicktotakeitoff,”hereplied,alittletoosweetlyforthecontentofhisstatement,makingmesquirm.“Alittleproprietarymagictokeepyouinline.”

Angermademesimmerontheinside—thesneeronhisfacewasanopeninvitationforme to grab the nearest blunt object and ram it down his throat. I took a deep breathinstead,remindingmyselfthatIhadnopoweroverthissituation.

Novacouldn’tholdbackhertearsanymore.Azazelworeatheatricalpoutashewipedoneoffhercheek,thenstoodandmovedtowardthedoor.

“I’m only trying to look out for you,” he said. “Obviously I’m using your power,becausewhynot?ButbelievemewhenIsay that I’m theclosest thing to familyyou’lleverhave.Whatever the little fae toldyou isa lie,Nova,andyoursisterscan’tevenbebotheredtogettoyou,anyway.”

“You’re theonewho’s lying!” she shot back, furyglistening inher eyes. “I seemysistersinmydreamseverynight.They’realwaystryingtoreachouttome,buttheycan’t!Vitasaidit’sbecauseyouforcedmetohatchtoosoon.You’reabad,badperson!”

Azazelscoffedandopenedthedoor.

“Whateveryou say,dear.”Hegrinned. “Itdoesn’t change the fact thatyou’remine,whetheryoulikeitornot.”Heslammedthedoorbehindhim.

Nova caved in and hid her face in one of the embroidered pillows. My stomachchurned at the sight of Azazel’s despicable behavior, but I found some comfort in thethought that Joviwas on hisway to getNova. For that, however, he needed a preciselocation.

IrantothedoorandpassedthroughitliketheghostIwas,tocheckthehallwayandfigureoutwhichroomshewasin.IshuffledarounduntilIknewexactlywhereJoviwouldfindherintheeastwing,memorizingasmanydetailsaspossibletopassontohimlater.

It was good timing, too, because as soon as I’dmade amental note of her room’spositioninthecastle,thedarknessswallowedmeandIwascarriedofftoanothervision.

“Howmuchlongerwillyoulivelikethis?”Thadeus’svoiceboomedasIbecameawareoftheblacknessdissipatingaroundme.

“Shutup!Justshutup!You’llgetusbothintrouble!”Damionhissed.

Iwas in thekitchensbelow,whichweremostlyabandoned, except for a few incubiscrubbing the floors at the far end and the twoDestroyers arguing in front of an openpantry filledwith jars of herbs and food. They looked like theywere trying to keep itdown,sotheincubiwouldn’thearthem.

“Aren’tyoutired?Patrikbrokefree,sowhycan’twedothesame?”Thadeusinsisted,thistimeatalowervolume.

“Are you hearing yourself? Do you not feel the painwhenever you think of goingagainsthim?Ordoyoutakepleasureintormentingyourself,youmasochist?!”

“Yeah,Ifeelthepain,”Thadeusrepliedwithafrown,amuscleinhisjawtwitching.“Butthatdoesn’tstopmefromconditioningmyselftowithstandmoreandmoreofituntilIbreakfree.I’llputupwithanyamountofpainifitleadsmetofreedom.”

“Good foryou!”Damionshotback.“Nowgetoutofmyway. Ihaveabreakfast toprepare!”

Thadeussteppedaside,allowingDamion togathersomecereal jars fromthepantry.Hewatched quietly as the formerDruid spilled their contents into a bowl, and pouredfreshmilkoutofajugontop.

“Whathappenedtoyou,Damion?”Thadeusasked,hisvoicerawandtrembling.“YouwereoncethemostdeterminedtoputAzazel’sheadonaspike.Howdidyougettothispoint?”

“Oh, please, spareme the sermon!Youwere just the same, if notworse, until youheardaboutPatrik.LikeshiftingbacktoyourDruidformwillsaveyourasswhenAzazelburnsthiswholeplanetdown!Getoveryourself!”

“Areyoutellingmethat, ifgiventhechance,you’dratherremainaDestroyerunderhisspellthanregainyourindependence?”

“Azazel has control over Eritopia,” Damion muttered. “I’m just trying to survive,that’sall.”

“Thisisn’tsurvival,”Thadeushissed.“It’scowardice.”

“Fine,then.I’llbethecoward.Yougoon.Keeptorturingyourself;seewhatthatgetsyoubesidesapoisonedspearthroughyourchest.”

Thadeusexhaledsharply,hisshouldersdropping,andshookhishead.

“IfonlyCayroncouldseeyounow,”hesaid.

“Don’t mention his name!” Damion growled, his gaze fixed on the breakfast tray.“Andgetout.Novaneedstoeat.”

Thadeus scoffed and slithered out of the kitchen, leaving Damion on his own. Iwatched quietly as Damion placed his fists on the table, leaning on his knuckles, andmulledoverhisheatedconversationwithThadeus.Hisheadclearlyhurt, judgingbyhisgrimace.

He exhaled, beads of sweat blooming on his forehead.Hewiped themoffwith thebackofhishand,tookadeepbreath,andthencarriedthetraytowhatlookedlikeservicestairs.

It was interesting and encouraging to see that at least one Destroyer was alreadycontemplatingrebellionafterwordofPatrik’sachievementhadspreadthroughthecastle.Damionwasobviouslytooscaredtorebeloutright,butevenheseemedtobeflirtingwiththeidea,despitehisprotests.Thadeuswasquicklyslippingtowardfreedom,andIhadafeelingthatPatrikwouldbeabletohelphimbreakAzazel’scontrolspell.

As fatewouldhave it, I ended up followingThadeus through the dark corridors inmythirdvision.Iwalkedbehindhimasheturnedleft,thenright,intoastaircaseleadinguptoahigherlevel.Oncehereachedthetopofthestairs,hewasgrabbedandpulledtotheside,intoacorner.

Irushedupafterhimtoseewhoitwas,andstilledwhenIrecognizedPatrik,naked,withhisarmsaroundThadeus’sneckinatightchokehold.TheDestroyer’stailflailedastheDruiddraggedhimintooneoftheroomsandslammedthedoorbehindthem.

IpassedthroughjustasPatrikwasurgingThadeustostaycalm.

“Idon’twishtohurtyou,Thadeus,”hewhispered.“Ijustwanttotalk.”

“Ishouldkillyouonsight!”Thadeushissed.

“Butwillyou?”

ThadeusstoppedfightingPatrik’sholdandslowlyraisedhishandsintheair,breathingheavily. Patrik seemed to take it as a sign of peace and let go, putting a few feet ofdistance between them. The young Destroyer brought his fingers up to his temples,massagingwithcircularmotions.

“Iknowit’spainful togoagainstAzazel,”Patricksaid.“ButIcanseeyou’vemade

some progress on your own. Your choice to not capture or kill me should have youwrithinginpainrightnow,sinceI’manenemyofAzazel.”

“Ithasn’tbeeneasy…Howdidyoumanagetobreakfree?”

“I had a little help.” Patrik smirked. “Which is why I’m here. You need a friend,Thadeus,nowmorethanever.Doyouwanttobefree?DoyouwanttobeaDruidagain?”

Thadeussighed,flinchingeveryothersecond.

“Morethananything,”hereplied.

“Itwillhurt.Alot.”

“Ididn’tthinkIhadthestrengthuntilIheardyoumadeit.TheDestroyersbelowhavebeentalking,youknow.You’vegivensomeofushope…”

“Good.Azazel’s timeiscomingtoanend,Thadeus.”Patriknodded.“Analliance isrising.Theywillstriketoday.I’mgivingyouachancetojoinus.”

“Buthe’spowerful!Imean,don’tgetmewrong,I’dratherfightanddiethanspendaneternityashisslave,butstill,I’mnotsurewestandmuchofachance.”

“He’snotaspowerfulasyoumightthink.Notwhenweknowwhathispowersourcesareandhowwecanshutthemdown.”TheDruidgrinned.

Assoonastheinformationsankin,Thadeustookadeepbreath,hisfacelightingup.

“Nova,”hepuffedout.

“Andthevolcanoes,too.”Patrikwinked.“TheDearghsarewithus,myfriend.”

Thadeusstraightened,alookofdeterminationaccentuatinghissharpfeatures.

“WheredoIstart?”heasked.

“Whereyoualwaysdo.Justfightit.I’llbewithyoueverystepoftheway.”

IthenwatchedasThadeustappedintohiswillpower,currentlyburiedunderAzazel’sspell.Heheavedandgroanedandcoughedasthepaingotworse.Hedoubledover,thendroppedtothegroundinthefetalposition.Allthewhile,Patrikencouragedhimtofightandgethisfreedomback.

TheDruidmutteredsomethingunderhisbreathandtouchedtheDestroyer’sforehead.

“What…Whatareyoudoing?”Thadeusgrunted.

“Helpingyou.Soothingyourpain,”Patrikreplied.Hisfingers litupanddispersedasoftwhitelightintoThadeus’stemples.

Thadeusstruggledforagoodfewminutes,hismusclesjerkingandhisbonescracklingviolently inhis snake tail.He turned livid,a sheetof sweatcoveringhisbarechestandarms,whiletheDruidcontinuedmutteringunderhisbreathandhelpinghimrideitallout.

The Destroyer snarled and looked up, his eyes flickering green, his whole bodyshuddering.

“Comeon,youcandoit!”Patrikgrittedhisteeth.“Fightit!YourfellowDruidsfromMartonareontheirwayhere,Thadeus.They’recomingtofight!That’sit,Thadeus!Fight

it!”

At thementionofhisGrandTemplefriends,Thadeusgroaned, thenstilled.Abrightgreenlightburnedoutofhisbody,andheappearedtoloseconsciousnessashistailsplitintwoandresumedtheformoflegs.Asthegreenglowdiedout,Thadeus’seyesblinkedopen.

Hebreathedinandoutseveraltimes,notmoving.Thesweatdrippedoffhisforeheadandontothecold,blackmarblefloor.Patrikwatchedhimquietly,crouchingnexttohim.Aminutewentby.Thadeusfinallycamebacktohissenses,lookingupatPatrikandthendownathisbody.

Iturnedawayatthatpoint,mycheeksflushingasIrealizedIwasnowstandinginthepresence of two naked Druids. If only they could find a better way to morph betweenserpentandDruid,toincludeclothes…

“I-Ican’tbelieveit,”Thadeusgasped,sittingup.

“Youdidit.”Patriksmiled.

“Ican’tbelieve it,” theyoungDruid repeated,as if stilladjusting tohisnewreality.“Thankyou,Patrik.It’sbeenyears…I’dnearlylosthope.”

“Azazelmaybepowerful,butthewillofDruidsismucholderthanheis.Hemightbeabletoputusonaleash,buthecannotkeepusdownforever.”

Thadeus stood up, his kneeswobbling as he reacquainted himself with life on twolegs.Icouldseepartsoftheminthemirroronthewall infrontofme—justtheirheadsandshoulders,littleenoughtonotfeelguiltforspendingthismuchtimeinoneroomwithtwonakeddudes.

Myheartswelledwithjoy.ThadeushadregainedhisfreedomandhisDruidform.WenowhadtwoDruidsontheinside,readytohelpusdismantleAzazel’shouseofcards—because tyrannyanddestructionwouldnever last inaworldwhere thepeoplehadbeengeneticallyengineeredforfreedomandadeeprespectofnature.

I listened quietly as Patrik broughtThadeus up to speedwithwhat the alliance hadbeenuptoandwhatwasgoingtohappennext,basedonwhatwe’dalreadytoldhimaboutJoviandhisextractionmission.Soonenough,however,myvisionfadedaway,andIwaspulledbackinsidetheglasssphere,wherecoldrealityawaited.

Myeyespoppedopen, and I breathed in,my lungs tickledby the cool liquid.Vita andPhoenixwatchedme in silence, expressions of concern drawing shadows on both theirfaces.Islowlyshookmyhead.

“Ididn’tgetoutofthecastle,”Isaid.“ButIknowwherehe’skeepingNova,andIjustwatchedPatrikhelpThadeusregainhisDruidform.We’reofftoadecentstart,Ithink.”

Phoenixfrownedandnodded,whileVitasighedandlookedoutontotheterrace.

“Doyouthinkthey’llbeheresoon?”sheasked,hervoicemuffled.

“Let’sfindout,”Ireplied,thenclosedmyeyesforamoment.“TellurisSerena!”

Lessthanaminutelater,IcouldhearSerena’svoice,crystalclear,insidemyhead.Itgavemeunspeakablerelieftolistentoherasifshewerestandingrightnexttome.

“Aida!Areyouokay?”sheasked.

“I’mgood.We’regood.Stillhere!”Isighed,thenproceededtoupdateheronNova’slocationandThadeus’sreturn.

“We’re just a few miles away now,” she said. “Hold on tight, and tell Jovi aboutNova’slocation.I’llseeyousoon!”

Theenergyinhertonetraveledthemanymilesbetweenusandfilledmeuplikeliquidsunshine.Inodded,tearscomingtomyeyes.Ifounditincreasinglydifficulttocontrolmyemotions in this state.The bubblemademe feel claustrophobic, showingme the entireworldwithoutlettingmetouchit.

Icouldn’twaittogetoutofhere,tofeelthegroundbeneathmyfeetandthewindinmyhairandField’slipsonmine.Icouldonlyimaginewhathewasgoingthroughinthismoment,givenmycurrentcondition.Iwantedtoreachouttohim,butIknewhewasoutflying, surroundedbyhostileswhilewaiting to give the signal. Iwas afraid I’ddistracthim,andIwouldn’tbeabletolivewithmyselfifsomethinghappenedtohimbecauseofme.

“TellurisJovi!”Icalledoutnext,myheartskippingabitatthesoundofhisvoice.

“Hey,Sis!”Iheardhimgasping.

“Areyouokay?”Istilled,holdingmybreath.

“Yeah,justlyingonmybellyontopofafauxflyinghorseriddenbyanequallyfauxDestroyer, playing the damsel… I mean, the gentleman in distress,” he shot backsarcastically.

HewasonhiswaytoLuceria.Thatbrilliantbrotherofminewaseithergoingtosavethedayorgethimselfkilled.

“Of course you are,” I muttered. “Listen, Bro, I have Nova’s location. East wing,seventhfloor.It’samasterbedroom,thefifthontheleft-handsidefromthemainhallway,toward the end of the corridor. The door’s different from the others, with goldembellishmentsaroundthehandle,andthere’sapottedminiaturepurpletreerightnexttoit.PatrikandThadeuswillwait foryouon the fifth floor,and then takeyou toNova. Ihope!”

“Whoa,whoa,Sis!Thadeus?”

“Yeah,longstoryshort,PatrikhelpedhimbacktohisDruidform.”

“Ah,goodstuff!”heexclaimed.“Thanks,Sis!I’llseeyousoon!”

“Becareful,Jovi!”

Iputextraweightonthosethreewords.Iwantedtoseemybrothersoon,inonepiece.Wehadanevilmaniactobringdowntogether.

I breathed in and relaxedmy body in the clear liquid ofmy spherical prison, thenglancedover atVita andPhoenix,whohad their armscrossedover their chests as they

floatedintheirbubbles.

“Show’sabouttostart,”Imurmured.

Indeed,itwasallabouttogodown,andIprayedtoallpossibledeitiesthatitwouldgodownwith a loud and unforgettable bang, hard enough towipeAzazel off the face ofCalliope.

I

JOV I

hunchedovertheshape-shifterhorse’sback,theothershifterridingbehindmeinDestroyerform,guidingthecreaturetowardLuceria.Mywristsandankleshad been superficially bound together with loose rope to complete my

“captive” look,while the pretend-Destroyer carriedmy satchel on its back. It had beengivenaswordandashieldtomatchtherestoftheoutfit.

ThetasteofAnjani’sgoodbyekissstilllingeredonmylips,anditwastheonethingthatgavemethestrengthIneededtopullthisoffasclosetoflawlesslyaspossible.Well,that and seeingmy sister again, butAnjani had this long-lasting effect onme thatwasalwaysdifficulttoignore.

Weflewoverdark junglesandemerald-greenhills,whileAzazel’scastlegrewtallerwitheachmile.Theskywasriddledwithswarmsofgreenfirefliesthatswirledaroundus,watchingcuriously.Weignoredthemandkeptourtrajectorycleartowardtheeastwing.Thousands of incubi soldiers andDestroyers spread out on the ground surrounding thecastle, theirdrumsechoingandsendingchillsdownmyspine.Azazelwasgettingreadyforwar,onlyhedidn’tknowwherewe’dhitfromfirst.

“Whateveryoudo,don’tlookstraightatthem.Thelessyouengagethem,thebetter,”Isaidtotheshifters.“Andhurryup—thisisgettinguncomfortable…”

Thepretend-Destroyer noddedwith a hiss, then tightened its serpent tail around theflyinghorse,makingthecreatureneighwithdiscomfortandfranticallyflapitswide,whitewings.

“Yeah,Ithinkyougotit!”Inotedsarcastically.

SeveralDestroyersapproachedus,ridingtheirpalewingedcompanions.Theyhissedastheygotcloser,eyeingmecuriously.Itwasn’texactlydifficultformetoactlikeIhatedthem.IworemybestsullenprisonerlookasIwatchedthemcircleusmid-flight.

“What’sthatyougotthere?”oneofthemasked.

“Anotherprisonerforthedungeon?”anotherchimedin,grinning.

My shifter-Destroyer shook its head, grunting as it bared its long fangs, its long,forkedtongueflittingintheair.

“Thisone’saspecialdeliveryforAzazel,”itsaid,mimickingthevoiceofaDestroyer.

Icouldn’thelpbutfeelmyheartswellwithpride,likeapapabearwatchinghiscubs

catchfishupstreamforthefirsttime.Orlikeadaddytigerwitnessinghisoffspring’sfirsthunt.Primalandbeautifulinitstheatricalperformance.

“Needhelpwithhim?”Thefirstonecockedhisheadtooneside.

My “captor” avoided eye contact, as I’d instructed him, beckoning the horse to flyfasterandfartherawayfromthehorde.

“No, just ameaslychunkofmeat. I canhandlehim,”myshifterhissed, andwavedthemgoodbye.

The horde didn’t insist. They shrugged and continued their elliptical flight aroundLuceria,whileweheadedfortheeastwing.

“Youknow,whereI’mfrom,”Isaidafteraminute,thestrongwindinmyfacemakingithardtotalkandbreathe,“theygiveawardsforbestactingperformances.”

Neithershifterrespondedtothat—theywerefocusedonthelargewindowonthefifthfloorthatwaitedjustadozenorsofeetaway.Thiswasgoingtobealiteralcrashlanding,soIloosenedmyrestraints,tossingtheropeaway.

“I’mjustsaying,”Igrunted,shiftingmypositionuntilIendedupridingthepretend-flyinghorse,withtheDestroyer’smassive,rock-hardbodyawkwardlybehindme.“Oncethisisover,youtwowillgetthefeastofyourlives.Icanpromiseyouthat!”

“I can promise you that.” The shifter-Destroyer hissed its approval, delight oozingfromitshuskyvoice.

Wecaughtaclearaerialpathahead,Destroyersflyingawayfromusandclosertothetroopsbelow,while thegreen fireflieswerespreadout toward thenorthernandwesternsides of the castle.Wewere going full speed ahead into one of thewindows. I bracedmyselffortheimpact,wrappingmyarmsaroundtheflyinghorse’sthickneckjustbeforewe crashed through the window. Glass shards scratched the sides of my face, and welandedwithathudinanarrowhallway.

Ittooktheshifter-horseafewgoodfeettocometoahalt,enoughforboththepretend-Destroyerandmetoshakeoffthebrokenglassandgetagoodlookatwherewe’dendedup.Wewereinanarrowcorridorwithblackstonewallsandgreenfiretorches.

IpaledonceIrealizedthatAzazelcouldbewatchingthroughthoseflames.

“Weneedtoputthefiresout,”IsaidasIjumpedoffthehorseandknockedoneofthetorchesoffthewall.Istompedonitwithmybootuntilthegreenflamediedout.

Theshiftersrevertedtotheiroriginalforms,thin,hairlesscreatureswithpale,almosttranslucentskin,andquicklyputouttheothers,waitingformyinstructionsasIcollectedtheshield,thesword,andthesatchelthey’dleftbehindwherethey’dshifted,severalfeetfromthewindow.

Ilookedaround,liftinganeyebrowatthesightofthegapingholewe’dmadethroughthat large window. Only the wooden frame remained. This had once been an elegantresidence,Ibrieflythoughttomyself—asmoothcombinationofnaturalstone,glass,andwoodcraft,worthyofanineteenthcenturynoblemanatleast.

“IthoughtPatrikwassupposedtowaitforushere,”Imuttered.

“Iam.”Amalevoicemademefreeze.

Ilookedaheadandsawatall,nakedmanwithcurlyblackhairandblueeyesgrinningatmefromtheendofthecorridor.Another,equallynakedmanstoodnexttohim.

“Pa-Patrick?” I croaked, instantly looking away,my eyesnearly burnedout of theirorbits.“Dude!Clothes!”

Theshiftersgrowled,butIsnappedmyfingersandmotionedthemtostanddown.

“They’rethegoodguys,fellas!”Isaidtomyweirdlyfaithfulcompanions.

“YoumustbeJovi,”theoneIidentifiedasThadeusremarkeddryly.

“Yeah,”Ireplied,forcingmyselfnottolookatthem.Nudityhasthisfunnyeffectonpeople, I realized then.You really don’t want to look, and yet you can’t seem to lookaway.Theparadox canbe embarrassing, to say the least. “Seriously, though,where areyourclothes?Howareyousocoolwithroamingaroundacastlebuttnaked?!”

“I’ve already explained this to your sister,” Patrik groaned, and I could sense theexasperation in his voice. “Just put yourself in my shoes, and you’ll figure it out byyourself!”

Asecondpassedas thenotionsank in.Hemadea fairpoint, asuncomfortableas itwas.Igatheredthestrengthtolookthembothintheeyes,andpursedmylips.

“You’re barefoot.” I couldn’t helpmyself, trying to keep a straight face.He sighedwith frustration, letting me know that it was time to get serious. “That makes sense,though.Igetit.So,mysistersawyounaked,then?”

Istifledagrinastheshiftersrolledtheirblackeyesatme.Theywerejustasnaked,andI’dneverhadaproblemwiththat.Iwalkedtowardthem,givingeachasmirk.

“Inyourmindlesswisdom,youtwoareactuallyright,”Itoldtheshifters,confirmingwhat I’d just been thinking.Theunderstanding look theygaveme in returnonce againremindedmethattheyreallywerenolongertheasininepredatorsI’doncethoughtthemtobe.IshiftedmyfocusbacktotheDruids.“HowdowegettoNova?”

“Followme,” Patrik said, and rushed down another corridor. Iwent after himwithThadeusandtheshifters.Weclimbedupsomedarkservicestairstotheseventhfloor,thenmadeafewturns,andInoticedthe torcheshadalreadybeenputouton thissideof thecastle.

“You’vealreadybeentothispartofthecastle?”Iasked,justtodoublecheck.

“Weknewwhereyou’dland,soweclearedtheentirerouteofAzazel’sgreenflamesforasmoothextraction,”Patrikreplied.

They’dpreppedtheterrainpriortomyarrival—proofofwhatgoodcoordinationcouldaccomplish.

Iwatched as theDruids quickly shifted back into snakes, andmy shifters followedsuit,leavingmeastheonlytwo-leggedcreaturearound.

“Notfair,”Iscoffed,keepingupwiththeirquick,slitheringmovements.

I frequently glanced over my shoulder, just to make sure we weren’t spotted orfollowedbyanyrealDestroyers,butitseemedquiet.IhadafeelingAzazelwasfocusinghistroopsoutsidethecastle,trustingthattheinsidewouldbeclearandnoonewouldbedaringorstupidenoughtotrysomething.

Littledidtheself-proclaimeddictatoroftheEritopiangalaxyknowthathewasdealingwith amasterofbold recklessness like JoviBlackhall. Iwasn’t stupid, obviously,but Ihadenoughdaringinmetoavengemyentirefamilyforallthegriefhe’dcausedus.

A

A IDA

zazelhadbeenontheterraceforovertenminutes,pacingaround,occasionallyglaringatus.Hewasfuming,hiseyesflickeringgreenasheslitheredbackand

forth,hisfingersplayingwithhissnakemedallion.

Hestoppedinfrontofmybubble,hiseyestwoviciousslits.

“Whatareyouallsocalmfor?”hehissed.“Iseenoneofyouarewilling to tellmeaboutyourvisionsyet!”

“Oh, that’s why you’re here,” I replied with fake surprise. “Why didn’t you saysomething?Ithoughtyoujustcameuphereforabreathoffreshairandweretreatinguslikecommongardendécor!”

“Youthinkyou’resosmart,don’tyou,littleOracle?”Azazelsneered,hislipspeelingbackandrevealinghislong,sharpfangs.

“I’mjustsaying,alittlecommunicationgoesalongway,”Irepliedwithashrug.

Iwas feelingbrave, despite thedreadhispresence injected intomyveins.Hisdayswerenumbered—Icouldfeelitinmybones.Onewayoranother,hisreignofterrorwascoming to an end.He couldn’t afford to kill us, either, and I knewmy friends and ourallieswouldbeheresoon.Allwehadtodowasholdout,andifwecouldannoyhimintomakingmistakesinthemeantime,evenbetter.

PhoenixandVitawereequallycalm,watchinghimquietly.

IheardAbrillemoanbehindus.Ilookedovermyshoulderandfoundherconscious,herwhiteeyesopen,theblackrunesonherbodystillasshelistenedtous.Itwasthefirsttimewe’dseenherawakesincewe’dbeenbroughtuptotheplatform,sowehadn’thadtheopportunitytochat.

I’dshoutedather,bangedmyfistsagainsttheglass,hopingI’dwakeherup,butshe’dbeen unconscious and unresponsive.Whatever that fluid was doing to her, she’d beenunderitseffectsforsolongthatshewasalmostconstantlyknockedout.

“I could easily make you tell me,” Azazel replied, shifting his focus to Vita, whodidn’tseemphased,despitetheglimmerinherturquoiseeyes.

“Anddowhat,tortureBijarki?”shesaidfirmly.“Goahead.He’smadehispeace.He’sa fighter, unlike you. He’s always ready for the worst, while you get cocky and thinkyou’reunbeatable.Themightyalwaysfallthehardest!”

Shewasnowherenearcomfortablewith the ideaofBijarkigetting tortured—on thecontrary.ButIknewherwellenoughtounderstandthatshe’dgrowntiredofhisthreatsandwasawarethatthealliancewouldsoonbehere.Itwasallaboutbuyingsometimeandkeepinghimbusyandangryenough tonot think twicebeforehedidor said somethingthat might eventually work against him. No creature was impervious to the cloudedjudgmentinflictedbyrage.

“Iamunbeatable!”Azazelsnarled,pointingafuriousfingerather.“IwillpeeltheskinoffhimandallyourfriendsuntilyoutellmeeverythingIneedtoknow!”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Phoenix chimed in. “It’s over, Azazel. You can dowhateveryouwanttous;itdoesn’tmatter.Youwilldieintheend.Therewillbenogloryforyou.”

Azazelstilled,staringatPhoenixforaminutebeforehescoffedandcircledroundtoAbrille’ssphere.Weturnedtoseewhathewoulddonext.Ifrozeasherammedhisfistthroughtheglass,shatteringthebubbleAbrillefloatedinandgrabbingherbythethroat.

Theclearliquidsplashedallovertheblackstonefloor,spreadingoutwardandspillingovertheedge.Abrillesquirmedandwhimpered,strugglingtobreatheasAzazelclutchedherthroattightenoughtonearlycrushherwindpipe.

“Stopit!”Phoenixgrowled,andpunchedattheglassinfrontofhim.“Lethergo!”

Azazel bellowedmockingly, while Abrille’s face lost color, her lips slowly turningpurple.

“You’rekillingher!”Icriedout.“IthoughtyouvaluedyourOracles!”

“WhatgoodisanOraclethatwon’ttellmethefuture?”Azazelrepliedthroughgrittedteeth.“IhavethreeperfectlyfunctionalOracleswhorefusetocooperate—and,ontopofthat,havetheaudacitytobelittlemeasiftherewillbenoconsequencesfortheirunrulybehavior!WhatintheworldamIgoingtodowithanOraclelikeAbrille,whoisnotonlyweakandnearlypowerless,buthastakenafteryouthreeandrefusedtoassistmefurther?DoyouthinkI’mjustgoingtoletyoutrampleallovermyhonor?Youmustbejoking!”

“Youabandonedyourhonorwhenyoustartedkillingyourownkindoutofgreed,youbastard!”Vitakickedandpunchedattheglass,anangryveinthrobbinginhertemple.

Abrillewastooweaktofighthimanymore.Herbreathingseemedtoslow,herarmsandlegsgoinglimp.Azazelheldhersuspendedacoupleoffeetabovethefloor,hislongfingersdiggingdeeperintoherthroat.

“Lethergo!”Ishouted,mybloodboiling.IfoughtoffmyhorroratthesightofAbrillelosingconsciousnessinhisgrip.

“You are quite the coward for going after defenseless creatures like that,” a deep,familiarvoicesuddenlyboomedfromacrosstheplatform.

Ifroze,lookingtowardthesourceofthevoice.

Draven stood on the edge of the platform, his hands clasped behind his back and ahalf-smilegivinghimanairofconfidencethathitmelikeabreathoffreshair.

Azazel’scoldgazeshotinhisdirection,andhedroppedAbrille.TheNevertideOracle

fellhardonthefloor,wheezingandcoughingasshestruggledtobreatheagain.

“Itakeityoudidn’tlearnyourlessonfromthefirsttimewemet,Druid.”Azazelsaid,grinning,afterseveralsecondsofdeafeningsilence.“Haveyoucomeforanotherserving?Ididn’tgettodomuchdamage,sinceyouandyouraccomplicesranoffandjumpedintotheriver,butI’mmorethanhappytofinishthejobnow.”

“Youcaughtmeoffguardbackthen,”Dravenrepliedbluntly.“I’vecomealongwaysince.Infact,I’mjustaboutreadytotearyourheadoffyourshouldersandridthisworldofyourpestilentexistenceonceandforall.”

Azazelscoffed,thenslitheredtowardhim,fingerstwitchingathissides.WhatevertheDruidhadinmind,Ihopedhehadacontingencyplan,becausethePrinceofDestroyerslookedlikehewasreadytodriveafistthroughhischest.

“Isthatso?Whydon’tyougiveitatrynow,then?Ordoyouwantmetogofirst?”Azazelhissed,thenputhishandout.

Hisfingertips litupasheconjureda large,greenfireball,whichhe threwatDravenwitharoar.TheflameshotrightthroughDraven,cuttingmybreathforasecond,untilIrealizedthattheDruidwasn’tactuallythere.

Hewasprojectinghimself,withanimpressivelevelofdetail.

Azazelblinkedasthegreenfireballflaredout intothinair, leavingbehindawispofblacksmoke.Hecockedhisheadtooneside,squinting.

“You’renothere,”hemuttered.

“You’renotsodumbafterall,”Dravenshotbackwithasmirk.

“Comesaythattomyface,littleDruid.”

“Oh, but I will. You see, I’ve learned a lot sincewe first saw each other,”Dravenreplied.“Icanlockontoyourpresenceandprojectmyselfwithgreataccuracy.”

“Yes,parlortricksatbest.”Azazelchuckledmockingly.

“You say that now…” Draven’s projection suddenly multiplied, and Azazel foundhimself surrounded by twenty images of theDruid, each crystal clear and impressivelyrealistic. I understood then thatDraven had found somewicked spell to clone himself.“Butlet’shearyourthoughtslateron,”headded.

“Coming to see me, then? Shall I get the tea ready?” Azazel muttered, his handsballingintofists.

“Don’tbother,Azazel.I’mnotcomingfortea.I’mcomingforyou.”

Thatsaid,alltwentyprojectionsofDravenvanishedatthesametime,leavingAzazelonhisownin themiddleof the terrace.Noneofussaidanythingforawhile,watchingsilently as he struggled to get his temper under control. Draven seemed to have reallygottentohim,worsethananythingwe’dmanagedtoaccomplishuptillnow.

Azazelturnedaroundtofaceus,hisfaceashen,hiseyesyellowandfilledwithrage.Hislipswerepressedtightlytogetherasheslitheredtowardusandputonehandout,hisfingersmovinginacircularpattern.

IlookedtomyleftandsawanewglassbubblebeingwovenwhereAbrillehadbeenkept. Threads of clear glass twirled until they formed a compact sphere with a wideopeninginthefront,hungfromthesameblackironhook.AzazelthenlookedatAbrille,whowasstilllyingonthefloor,finallybreathingwithoutanyrestraint.Hemadeaswiftgesturewithhishand,andAbrillewasimmediatelypulledintothespherebyaninvisibleforce,theglasssealingitselfaroundher.

Uponrealizingshe’dbeenshovedintoanotherbubble,theNevertideOracleburstintotears,desperatelypunchingandkickingastheclearliquidsurroundedher.Shegaggedandcoughedseveraltimesuntilshegotreadjustedtothestrange,vision-inducingwater.

Azazelthenlookedatus,onecornerofhismouthpulledup.

“Well,atleastnowIknowwhyyou’reallinsuchagoodmood,”hesaidslowly,histone cold and cutting through my bones. “Whatever hopes you have, I suggest youabandonthem.AlittleDruidandhissillymagictrickswillnotbringmetomyknees.”

Hemovedtowardthestaircaseopeningintheflooratthenorthernendoftheplatform,andglancedoverhisshoulderbeforehewentdown.

“Thisworldismine,”headded.

Phoenix,Vita,andIglancedtentativelyateachotherafterhedisappeared.DravenhadgottenAzazelsomadthathe’dpostponedwhateverpunishmenthe’dhadforus,forcinghimtoleavetheplatformandprobablyputpressureonhisDestroyers.

Ihada feelinghewasgoing to rampuphisdefensesbelow.Butbrute forcewasn’tgoingtobeaproblemforourallies.They’dspent theirwholelivesfightingtreacherousincubiandDestroyers.Theywereallreadytoslashdownanyonewhostoodinthewayofourfreedom.

Mymainconcernat thispointwas Jovi. I knewhe’dbe in touchas soonashegotNova out, but he faced plenty of dangers in the process. I wasworried sick, and eachminutethatpassedseemedlongerthantheonebefore.

“Nowwhat?”Phoenixasked,lookingaround.

“Iguesswewait somemore,” I replied,ahintofsarcasminmy tone.Therewasn’tmuchelsetodountilsomeonegotusoutoftheglassbubbles.

I decided to distract myself by analyzing the platform, its open spaces and weakpoints.AllofVita’svisionspointedtoamassivefighthere,ontopofthecastle.TheleastIcoulddowastakeinallthedetailsandusethemlaterinmyfightstrategy.BecauseIknewthatonceIgotoutofthisdamnbubble,Iwoulddivedirectlyintocombat.

Istretchedmylegsandarms,takingdeepbreathsandscanningthearea,preparingformyimminentrelease.

Notmuchlongernow…

W

SERENA

emanagedtostayundetecteduntilwereachedtheriverleadinguptothecastle.Itwasthesameriver thatDraven,Hansa,Sverik,andIhadswum

downduringourescapefromLuceria.ThedrumsweregettinglouderasweshortenedthedistancebetweenourgarrisonandAzazel’sgroundtroops.

Basedonwhatwecouldseefromourangle,atleastacouplehundredDestroyerswereout, circling the castle and hissing menacingly. We slid off our horses and movedupstream,leavingthembehindandfollowingtheriverpath.Willowtreesprovidedgoodcoveraswemovedforward,theircascadingfoliagewhisperinginthewind.

“We’ll stay beneath the trees,” Draven said as we trekked across the smooth riverrocks.“Wecanenterthroughthepipesysteminthesouth-east.”

I’dwatchedhimmutterunderhisbreathlessthananhourearlier,seenhimglowwhitewhileprojectinganimageofhimselfdirectlytoAzazel.I’dbeengettingmoreanxiousasthedistancebetweenusandthecastledecreased,andhe’dfeltmyconcern,occasionallyglancingmywayandgivingmeareassuringwink.

Jasminewasrightbehindus,whileJaxandHansaledtheway,withAnjanibringingup the rear. The Bajangs, the White Tribe succubi, and the Mara wards were dartingthroughthewoodsonbothsidesofthestream.Icouldhearleavesrustlingandbranchesbreakingastheymovedforward.

“DoyouthinkitwasagoodideatorevealyourselftoAzazellikethat?”IfinallyaskedDraven.

“He’sangryandscramblingformoredefensesnow,”hereplied.“Themorerattledheis,thehigherthepossibilityofhimmakingmistakes.”

“That’sadouble-edgedsword,dearnephew,”Jasminechimedinfrombehind.“He’smostlikelyevenmoreviciousnow.”

“It’snothisviciousnessI’mconcernedabout,”Dravenreplied.“Ialreadyknowwhataruthlessmonsterheis.Ineedhimtense;Ineedhimfurious.Anunhingedbeastmightbemoreunpredictable,but it’s alsoeasier tobringdown,moreprone toerrors, and, inhiscase,extremelydesperatetoproveanunwaveringself-confidence.He’sbeendroningonabouthowinvincibleheisforsolong,andyet,whenIconfrontedhim,hewasshaken.Hedidn’texpectit.He’susedtohavingcontrol,andnowit’sallcrumblingdown.BelievemewhenItellyouwehavehimrightwherewewanthim.”

“Itrustyourjudgment,Draven,don’tgetmewrong,”Isaid.“ButAzazeldoeshaveahabitofsurprisingusinthemostunpleasantways.”

“We’renotplayingitsafeanymore,”Hansasaidoverhershoulder.“We’reouthere,bringingthefighttohim.Itwillgetmessyonewayoranother,butit’llbebetterforusifouropponentismoreneuroticthanusual.”

Inodded.Wecontinuedourtrekalongtheriverside,movingdeeperintothewoodsaswegotclosertothecastle,itsmassiveblackfaçadecastingitsshadowoverus.Thewardsdidagoodjobofmind-bendingnearbyhostilesintostayingawayfromtheriverbank,andseveralBajangsweresentoutasdecoystodeflectenemiesawayfromourposition.

“Yourwardsaretrulyextraordinary,Jax,”IgaspedasIusedmyTrueSighttocheckoursurroundings.

I could see them up in the trees, planting suggestions in the heads of incubi andDestroyerswhowerelessthanahundredyardsfromus.TheystartedbrawlsandhadtheDestroyerschasingrandomnoisesinthewoods,fartherawayfromus.

“Theyworkbetterinteams,”hereplied,asenseofprideinhisvoice.“They’vespentcenturiesperfectingthemind-bendingtechnique.EvenI’minaweofthem,sometimes.”

“We’relessthanfivehundredyardsfromthesewageopening,”Dravensaid,checkingthemap,thenlookedatme,hiseyesflickeringblack.“Areyouready?”

“You’redamnrightI’mready.”Igavehimaconfidentgrin.

The pipe system allowed us to get through most of Luceria virtually undetected.KnowingAzazel, theopeningon theground levelwasmost likelyheavilyguarded,butJaxhadalreadyassuredusthatthewardswouldhavethatpartcoveredbythetimewegotthere.

I usedmy True Sight again, and, aswe got closer to the sewage opening, saw thewards falling back and moving ahead, one by one, their sights set on the twentyDestroyersslitheringbackandforthinfrontofit.

Mybodywastense,mynervesextensivelystretched.

IwipedthesweatfrommyforeheadasthewardsdirectedtheDestroyersawayfromthe opening, making the creatures think we were coming in hard from the west. Theyslitheredintothewoodsaswecameinfromtheoppositedirection.

I could hear them hissing a few yards away, busy on awild goose chasewhileweinfiltratedAzazel’scastle,onebyone.Iclimbedupthatlargeroundstonepipe,myfeetsplashingthedirtywaterpouringintotheriverweleftbehind.

Thedeeperwewent,thedarkerandcolderitgot.

Butitwasalsoquiet,whichbodedwellforourmission.We’dgottenpasttheguardsundetected,andwewereslowlybutsurelymakingourwayup to thehigher levels.MymindimmediatelywanderedtoPhoenix,Aida,Vita,andBijarki.

Holdon,guys.We’recoming…

I

JOV I

ran after Patrik, Thadeus, andmy twomutated shifters disguised as snakesuntil we came to a halt at a corner. The Druids morphed back to normal,peekingaroundthecorner,thenfrowningatme.

“What?”Iwhispered.

“FourDestroyersguardingthedoor,”Patriksaid.

“That’snew,”Imuttered.“Aidadidn’tseeanyguards.”

“Azazel’stighteninghisdefenses.”Thadeusshookhishead.

“Whatdowedo?”Iasked,movinguptoPatrik’ssidetogetabetterlook.

He bent forward, muttering something under his breath and reaching out a hand,wigglinghisfingers.Hesentoutaninvisiblepulse,knockingtorchesoffthewallatthefarendofthehallway.ItcaughttheDestroyers’attention,andtheyslitheredawayfromthedoorintheoppositedirectionbeforehissingandvanishingaroundthecorner.

“Thatshouldkeepthembusyforabit,”PatriksaidaswedartedtowardNova’sroom.

“Ah,there’sthedamnpurpletree,”ImumbledatthesightofthepottedtreethatAidahadmentioned.

Thedoorwasunlocked.Weranintotheroom,andnoticedthekeyontheotherside.Ilocked thedoorbehindusand stilled,myeyesnearlypoppingoutof theirorbits at thesightofDamionandNovastaringblanklyatus.

Theshiftersrosetotheirfeet,backintheiroriginalform,growlingandputtingoutthegreenfirecandlesinthewallfixtures.PatrikandThadeusmovedclosertoDamion,whodrew his sword, equally shocked and cringing. I guessed he hadn’t expected to seeThadeusbackinDruidform,andespeciallynotnexttoPatrik,bothofthembucknaked.

“Nova,honey,”IsaidgentlytotheDaughtersittingupinherbed.“Youmightwanttocoveryoureyesforthisone.”

“What…Whatareyoudoing?!”Damionhissed,consternationimprintedonhisface.

“Whatdoesitlooklikewe’redoing?”Thadeussmirked.“We’refree.”

“How…Howdidyoubreakfree?Thisistreason!Azazelwillkillusall!”

“Damion,wecanhelpyou,”Patriksaid,raisinghishandsinapeacefulgesture.

“Noonecanhelpme!” theDestroyer snapped, then lungedatPatrikwithhis swordabovehishead.

PatrikdodgedasDamionbroughtthesworddown.Itstiphitthemarblefloorwithasharp clang. TheDruid threw a heavy punch intoDamion’s side,making himwheeze,whileThadeusmovedaroundandjumpedhimfrombehind,wrappinghisarmsaroundtheDestroyer’sneckinatightchokehold.

“Stopit.”Damionstruggledashisairwascutoff.

Thadeushadafirmgriponhim,makingitimpossiblefortheDestroyertogetfree,hisserpent tail flailingaround the roomandknocking into the furniture.HepulledDamiondowntothefloor.Patrikshushedhim.

“Wecanhelpyou!”hesaid.“Justletushelpyou!”

“No,he’llkillme!”

“DoyouwanttoseeCayronagainornot?”Thadeusshotback.

Damion finally stilled, his yellow eyes wide. He looked at the Druids for a longminute,thennoddedslowly.

“Then letushelpyou.Azazel’s reign isover.ThewholeofAntara is risingagainsthim,”Patriksaid.“Youcanhearthedrumsofwar.That’sthesoundofAzazel’sfear.Heknowswe’recoming!”

Idrewcloseralongwiththeshifters, tryingtoget toNova,who’dcoveredhereyes,listeningquietly.

“Letushelpyou,”Patrikadded.

Damion’seyesflaredgreen,breakinghisattempttogoagainstAzazel.TheDestroyerbaredhisfangsandcoiledhistailaroundPatrik’sneck.ThadeusrespondedbytighteninghischokeholdonDamion,butitdidn’tseemtowork.

“I’llkillyoubeforehekillsme!”Damionsaidthroughgrittedteeth.

“Idon’twanttokillyou!”Thadeusretorted.“I’mtryingtohelpyou!Stopit!”

“Youcan’thelpme!Noonecanhelpme!”

I moved toward them, thinking I could try to loosen the serpent tail from aroundPatrik’s neck.His facewas turningwhite, his lips a dark shade of purple, andhis eyesrolledbackinhishead.Hewasclosetoblackingoutalready.

“Enough!”IheardNovashout.

I hadn’t even seen her when she’d snuck to Damion’s side. The shifters had beenunable to keep her away, andwere now growling bymy side aswewatched her grabDamion’sheadanddigherfingersintohistemples.

Hestilled,andhereyesglowedviolet.I’dseenthisinViolabefore.Shewasusingherpowertodosomethingtohim.

“Whatareyoudoing,Nova?”Iasked.

“Makingitstop!”Shefrowned,hergazefixedonDamion,whosesnaketailreleasedPatrik.

The Druid fell back, coughing and choking as he gradually recovered his breath.ThadeusletgoofDamionandsteppedback.TheDaughter’sfingerslitupinabrightpink.Damiongrunted,hiseyesshut.Beadsofsweatbloomedalloverhisface.

Hisbodyshuddered,hisarmstwitching.Thebonesinhisserpenttailbegantocrack,and he gasped from the pain. A green light flared out of him before his lower bodyreturnedtoitsoriginalDruidform,twolegsshakingagainstthecoldfloor.

Novastoodup,lookingcuriouslyatherhandsastheglowinhereyesdimmed.

“Howdidyoudothat?”Patriklookedatherwithgenuineamazement,thenatDamion,whowasonceagainaDruid.

“I don’t know,” shemumbled. “I justwanted tomake him stop. I think… I think IknewIcoulddoit…”

“Welldone,Nova!”Thadeusgaveherawarmsmile,whichfadedwhentheDaughterfelltothefloor,tooweaktogetup.

She was pale and fragile, and her trick of breaking Azazel’s hold on Damion hadclearlytakenitstollonher.Ihungtheswordonmybeltandsettheshieldasidetoscoopherupinmyarms,andsherestedherheadonmychest.PatrikandThadeuslookedatherwithvisibleconcern,beforeDamion’sgroanscaughttheirattention.

“What happened?” he asked, peeling his eyes open andwiping the sweat from hisface. He glanced at us, blinking rapidly until he realized where he was and what hadhappened.Henoticedhislegsandgasped.“Oh!I’m…I’mback?”

Thadeusgavehimafriendlyslapontheshoulder,chucklingwithrelief.

“Yeah,you’reback,youwhinybastard!TheDaughterhelped!”

They all stood up, Damion leaning against Thadeus for initial support, gettingreacquainted with his legs. He grinned as he looked down at his toes, while I turnedaroundtoshieldNovafromthenakednessofnowthreeDruidsstandinginfrontofus.

“Areyouokay,honey?”Iaskedher,scanningherface.

“Yes,Ithinkso.”Sheblinkedslowly.“Justtired,alwaystired…”

Thelittlerubypendantaroundherneckdrewmyattention.

“Azazelusesthistofeedoffyourpowers,doesn’the?”

Shenoddedherresponse,clutchingitinherlittlehand.

“HesaidI’llfeelworseifItakeitoff.”Shesighed.

“Helied,”Damionreplied.“Itfeelsworsewithitoff,butthat’sjusttoconvinceyoutokeep it on. You need to destroy it, and it’ll cut off the power link he made to you. Iwatchedhimsetitallupwithaspell.”

Amomentpassedasweallstaredathim.He’dgottensofarsoquick,goingfromthestubbornDestroyertothehelpfulDruidinfrontofus.

“Lookatyou,socooperativeallofasudden.”Thadeussmirked,thenmovedtowardNova and me. He quietly waited for her permission. When she nodded, he took thependantoffandtosseditonthefloor.

Heraisedhisfoot,readytostompit.

“Wait,”Isaid,suddenlythinkingabouttherepercussions.“Azazelwillmostlikelyfeelthebreak.”

“He’sright,”Damionagreed.“Besttowaittobreakituntilshe’soutofhere…”

“WhereamIgoing?”sheasked,halfasleepalready.

My heart broke to see her so weak, so exhausted, a victim of Azazel’s greed anddesperatebidforpower.

Damionsteppedforward,lookingatNovaandme.“I’llgetheroutofhere,”hesaid.“Thadeusand Ihavebeen lookingafterher from themomentwewere turned.Thadeuscanstayhereandfight.I’mnotstrongorbraveenoughtofaceAzazel,butIcantakehertoMountAgrith.Icantakehertohersisters.”

Patrik,Thadeus,andIlookedateachother—abriefandwordlessexchangethatendedinacollectivenod.Oneofmyshiftersturnedintoaflyinghorse,spectacularlylargeforthesizeoftheroom.Itremindedmeoftheproverbialbullinachinashopasittrottedovertothetallwindow,whichwasnarrowbutnotenoughtokeepthehorsefromgettingoutofthere.

Theothershifterpaddedovertoitsmateandfiddledwiththelockonthewindowuntilitwas able toopen itwide, then looked atme and steppedback.Theynever ceased toamazeme.

Patrik grabbed the bedspread and loosely wrapped it around Damion’s waist, aglimmerofamusementinhisblueeyes.Damiongavehimaconfusedlookinreturn.

“Youknow,sinceyou’regoingtoseetheDaughtersonMountAgrith.Atleastmakeyourselfpresentable.”Patrikgrinned.

“Ah,yes,true…”

“Getonthehorse,”Isaid.

Heclimbedontothebackofthewingedshifter,unabletotakehiseyesoffit.IgavehimNova,whomheheldaffectionatelyclosetohischest,thenrecoveredmyshieldfromthefloor.

“How’dyougetshifterstoobeyyourcommandslikethis?”heasked.

“OneofNova’ssistershelped.”Ismirked,pointingattheflyinghorse’sglowingvioleteyes.

“Oh.”Henodded,makingtheconnection.Hethenlookedatus,apainedexpressionsettlingonhisface.“I’llkeephersafeandgethertoMountAgrith,Ipromise.It’stheleastIcando,andnotenoughtorightmywrongs.”

“It’sokay,Damion,”Ireplied.“Azazel’sholdisstrong—youhaveeveryreasontobeafraid.You’refreenow.That’sallthatmatters.”

“SmashthependantassoonasI’moverfiftyyardsaway,”hesaid.“Azazelwillsenseit.Youneedtogetoutofhere,too.He’llbeoutforblood.”

“Gotit.”Patrikgavehimacurtnod.

Theshifter-horseneighedandmovedbackacoupleoffeet.Damiongraspeditsmanewhile usinghis other arm to holdNova.The creature then ran and jumped through theopenwindow,expandingitswingsandshootingupwardintothesky.

TherewereplentyofDestroyersflyingaround,butnonecloseenoughtoimmediatelynoticeDamion.Theshifterwasfast,too,coveringthefifty-yarddistanceinjustacoupleof seconds. I immediately stompedmy boot on the pendant, satisfied by the cracklingsound.Weall felt thepulseemittedby thecrushedruby,and lookedateachother forabriefmoment.

“IthinkAzazelfeltthattoo,”Patrikmuttered.

Weranoutoftheroomandbackaroundthecornerinthedirectionwe’dcomefrom.ThadeusandPatriktookthelead,whiletheremainingshifterandIfollowed.MystomachtightenedintoaknotatthethoughtofaragingAzazelstormingdownhereafterus.We’dreallykickedthehornet’snestthistime.

“Wheredowegonow?”Thadeusaskedaswerusheddownthehallway.

“Theplatformatthetop,”Ireplied,breathingfast.

“Okay,Iknowasaferwayup.Followme,”Thadeussaidbeforehemorphedintohisratherlargeanacondaform.

Patrikshiftedintoasmallviper,andtheshifterfollowedsuit.Werushedupanarrowservicestaircase,andIreachedouttoSerenaandField.

“TellurisSerena!”

“Jovi,”camehervoiceechoinginmyhead.“Areyouokay?”

“Yeah,whereareyou?”

“We’reinthecastle,comingupthroughthepipesystem.”

“Oh,ew!”Igrimaced.“Update—Nova’soutofthecastle!Thepower’scutoff!”

“Fantastic!”Iheardhergasp.“I’lltelltheDearghs…You’reamazing!”

“Iknow.”Ismirked.“Seeyouupstairs!”

IthengaveFieldthesignalhe’dbeenwaitingfor.

“TellurisField!”

“Wolfboy,”hemutteredinmyskull.

“Light’emup,Hawk!It’sgotime!”Ishotback, thenranfasterupthecircularstairsafterPatrik,Thadeus,andmyshifter.

“Yougotit,”IheardFieldsaybeforethelinewentdead.

That was it. The signal we needed for the alliance to begin its offensive. For theDearghs to sacrifice six of their own and dim the volcanoes until they were rendered

uselesstoAzazel.

Thebattlewasabouttobegin.Igrippedthehandleofmysword,bracingmyselfforwhatweweregoingtofindupontheterraceofLuceria.ThedayhadfinallycomeforustopayAzazelbackinkindforeverythinghe’ddonetousandthepeopleweloved,ourfriendsandourallies.

Theconceptofmyimpendingdeathsnuckintothebackofmyhead,butIpusheditawaybeforeitcoulddrill toodeeplyintomyheart.I’dsworntomyself thatIwoulddoeverythingpossibletosurvive,butIwasalsoreadytodie,ifitmeantprotectingAnjani,mysister,andeveryoneIhelddear.

We’llcrossthatbridgewhenwegetthere,Ithought,takingtwostepsatatime.

M

V IOLA

ysoulhadbeenachingsincemysistershadtakenmeawayfromPhoenix.Icouldn’tdoanythingat thetimebecauseIknew,deepinmyheart, that

theywere right. I didnot havemypowersunder control—itmayhave startedoutwithchangingthephysiognomyofshape-shifters,butitwasn’tgoingtostopthere.Icouldfeelthe energy flowing throughme, and if I didn’t get it under control, Iwas bound to dosomethingthatwouldcauseirreparabledamage.

Atthesametime,ImissedPhoenix.Terribly.We’dbeenboundtooneanothersincebefore I’dhatched. Icould feelhisheartbeating inmychest,andhecould feelmine. Iknewhewasindistress;Isensedhisemotionsevenfrommanymilesaway.

For days, I listened to my sisters. They helped me harness the cosmic amounts ofenergyinsideme.Theytaughtmehowtokeepmyinstinctsundercontrolandmanagemyactions. Most importantly, they taught me to consider all the factors before making adecision—whowouldbenefit,whowouldbehurt,andwhatwouldhappentoEritopia,thelandwe’dbeensworntoprotect.

I crouched by the pinkwaters on top ofMount Agrith, looking atmy reflection. Irecognized the pink hair and the violet eyes. I’d seen themmirrored in Phoenix’s owneyes.Myskintightenedwiththememoryofhistouch.Mylowerliptrembledindesperateneedofhiskiss.Thedaysweregettinglongerinhisabsence,anditwasnowborderingonunbearable.HewaseverythingIknew,fromthemomentI’demergedfrommyegg.

My sisters had been talking aboutAzazel andEritopia for days,without reaching aconclusion.Itwasalwaysthesameviciouscircle:theywereangry,theywantedtoact,buttheyfearedthathewas toostrong,evenfor them,andthathewouldhurtNova.They’dsworn an oath to never interfere in the affairs of Eritopians, and, by all possibledefinitions,Azazelwasonesuchaffair.Theytooktheiroathsseriously.Theirwordwastheir bond, and it simplywent against their nature to break it. Itwas as if they’d beenhardwiredlikethat.

I’dtoldthemthatIhadn’tsworntoanything.

“You’reaDaughterofEritopia.It’spartofwhoyouare,notastringofwordsweuttertoourselves,”oneofmysistershadsaid.

Iglancedovermyshoulder,myheartheavy,mymindwanderingoff toPhoenixforthe thousandth time thatmorning.Thewindhowledabove, and the forestsdressing themountainwererestless.Thesmellofchangelingeredintheair,andIwonderedifanyof

themfeltit.Ittickledthebackofmythroat.

“AslongashehasNova,wecannotgetinvolved,”Rubiasaid.

“Weshoulddosomething, still,”Ruelle replied.“Idon’t likehowwe left theDruidandhisgrouptofendforthemselves.”

“Perhapswerushedwhenwetooktheshielddown,”Safirachimedin.

Youbetyourbejeweledfingersyourushed,Ithoughttomyself.

“Wehaveno right toadjust thenaturalcourseofhistory,”Rubia,oneofmysisters,shotback.“We’vedoneenoughasitis,andlookwhereitgotus.OnesisterinthehandsofamadDruidandonewhonearly redesignedanentirespeciesbecauseshegotmad.Weneedtostayoutofthis.”

“So,youthinkit’sfairtojustsitonthesidelinesandwatchitallburn,right?”Istoodup and turned to face them, fists balled at my sides. I’d grown tired of their constantchatterthatneverledanywhere.

Mysistersalllookedatme,theireyesglowingvioletbeneaththeirgoldenmasks.

“Youshouldwearyourmask,Viola,”Rubiasaid.“NomortalorimmortalofEritopiashould ever lay eyes on our true forms, not even us. It has been our custom since thebeginningoftime.”

“Oh,so,ifyouwalkdownaroadandpassasuccubuscamprightnow,doyouthinkthey’lllookatyouwithfearandadoration,ordoyouthinkthey’llspitinyourfacesforyourcowardice?For letting thisworldburnunderAzazel?” I shotback,gettingangrierwitheachminute.I’dhadenough.

“Mindyourtongue,Viola,”cameEffissa’swarning.

“Orwhat?You’llkillme?Sewmylips together?Whatwill thatresolve?”Iscoffed.“Nooneadoresyouanymore.Thepeoplenolongerpraytoyou.Nooneunderstandswhyyou’restillhere,ifyoudon’tintendtohelp.”

“What part of ‘we can’t interrupt the natural history of Eritopia’ did you notunderstand?”Chanareplied.

“WhatpartofAzazel’s reign is natural?!He’sgained tremendouspower rightunderyournoses,andhe’sholdingoursisterhostage.”Iraisedmyvoice.“Areyounothearingyourselves?!”

“Viola.”Rubiasighed.“Youmustunderstand,heisn’tjustholdingNovahostage.He’sfeedingoffher.There ispureDaughterenergy flowing throughhis spells.He’sbecometoostrong,evenforus,I’mafraid.Millionswoulddieifwelaunchedafull-scaleattackagainsthim.Entireplanetswouldcrumble.Thisissuehastakenoncosmicproportions.”

AmomentpassedasIprocessedwhatsoundedlikethefirsttruththey’ddaredtoutterinmypresence—theiradmissionthatAzazelhad,indeed,grownstrongerthanthey’dfirstanticipated.Unfortunately,theirfaceswerecovered,soIcouldn’tbaskintheexpressionsofguilttheywereprobablywearing.

“So,what,hejustwon?That’sit?”Imuttered.

“Wewillnotgoagainsthim.It’snotthefactthathecankillNovathatscaresus.It’shisabilitytouseherpowerandcauseevenmoredamage.”

“Atleastyouadmityou’reafraid.”Irolledmyeyesandturnedmybackonthem.

I was angry and disappointed. I’d read the most impressive tales about them. TheDruidhadtoldmeabouttheirancientmagic,theirstrength,andtheirnearlygodlikeskills.But Iwas not standing in front of the realDaughters of Eritopia. Thesewere insecurecreatures thathadallowedacrazedDruid todisrupt thenaturalworldandwreakhavocthroughoutthegalaxy.

Apulseshot throughme. I felt ithardanddeep inmystomach, likeaknotuntyingfromaroundmyheart.Icouldbreatheagain,inaway.ApressureI’dfeltsinceI’dhatchedwasreleased,reliefflowingthroughmyveins.

Atfirst,I thoughtithadsomethingtodowithPhoenix,butwhenIglancedovermyshoulder,Iknewitdidn’tinvolvehim.Mysistershadfeltit,too.Icouldseethroughtheirsculpted golden masks that their eyes were wide open. Their bodies were still, themountainwindbrushingagainst the rich silksof theirdressesand their flowing reddishpinkhair.

“Youfeltthat,too.”Chanalookedatme.

“Whatwasthat?”Iasked,myvoicebarelyaudible.

“CloseyoureyesandthinkofNova.”Rubiacockedherheadtooneside.

Ididassheasked,lettingmymindswimthroughthedarkness.Asilhouetteformedinfrontofme,madeofincandescentpinkribbons.Nova’sfaceemergedfromthepinklight,andIcouldseeherinfulldetail—herlonghair,thesamecolorasmine,herpaleface,andhervibrantvioleteyes.

“Icanseeher!”Igasped.

“Weallcanseehernow,”Amassasaid,whileNibelnodded.

IfeltmylipspullbackintoasmileasIreachedouttotouchher.Shewastoofaraway,andyetsoclose,soclear,sobeautifulandfragile.Shecouldseemetoo.Shesmiledatme.

“Wecouldn’tbefore,”Rubiaadded,promptingmetoopenmyeyesandfrown.“Shewasalwaysshrouded.Alwayssilent.Alwaysdeaf.Wetriedreachingouttoher,overandover, but consistently failed. It’swhywe could never attackAzazel, becausewe didn’tknowwherehewasholdingher…”

“WhateverAzazeldid,itkeptheroutofourrange,”Ruellesaid.“Butnow,it’sover.Wecanseeher.Wecanhearher.Herheartbeatechoesinourchests.”

“She’sleftLuceria.”Effissasighed.“Sheisfree.”

Myheart skipped abeat as I realizedwhat thatmeant.WithNovaout of his reach,Azazel had lost a significant source of power.Most importantly, he no longer had anyleverageovertheDaughtersofEritopia.

“WeneedtostopAzazel,”Isaid.“HenolongerholdsNova’slifeoverourheads.”

“Wecannotintervene,Viola.It’snotnatural!”

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair, pressing into my scalp for minortension release. They were excruciatingly frustrating. How had they come upon suchpositionsofpoweriftheyweresobackwardsandstubborn?

“You know what? Until not too long ago, you were all expecting me to sacrificemyselfforthegreatergood,”Isnapped.“Youmoanedaboutoursisterbeingheldcaptive.Youmoanedabouttherules,theregulations,theancienttraditions,andanyotherexcusesyoupulledoutofyourbehindstonotgetinvolvedandsavethisworldthatmadeyouinthefirstplace!Well,youknowwhat?I’mdone!”

Theydidn’tsayanything.Theyjuststared,blinkingrapidlyastheytriedtoprocessmyoutburst. I figured theyweren’tused toanyonespeaking to themlike this. I’dspent thefirstdaysofmylifesurroundedbyoutspokenandrebelliouscreatures—I’dlearnedathingor twoaboutexpressingoneselfwithoutanounceof regret.And thosecreaturesneededmyhelpnowmorethanever.

“I amdonewithyourpanderingand lackof initiative,” I added,myvoiceboomingagainst the white walls of the mountain peak. “You lost our sister to a greedymegalomaniac. You abandoned me six feet under a tree and asked a complete Druidstrangertolookafterme.Youthenaskedmetogivemyownlifetosavethisworld,andthenyouflippedandleftmyfriendstofendforthemselves.YoutookmeawayfromtheonlycreatureIlove,andyou’veallowedthegreedymegalomaniactoamasssuchpowerthat he’s nearly impossible to destroy. And you’re the freaking Daughters of Eritopia!Yournamemeanssomething!”

Oncemore,notasinglewordcameoutofthem.ButIwasonarollandnowhereneardonewith them.Furyburned insideme,pouring throughmyveins,and theneed toseePhoenixagaingrewstrongerwitheachsecond.

“Yousevencanstandhereandtalkaboutthisallday,ifyouwish,”Isaid.“IfI’mnotmistaken,Nova’sonherwayhere.Icanfeelhergettingcloser.She’llneedlookingafter.You’vespentsomuchtimemoaningaboutourlittlesister,nowyoucancowerhereontopofMountAgrithandlookafterher.I’mgoingtodowhatyouallshould’vedonecenturiesago!”

Iwalkedovertotheedge,mytoestouchingthecoolpinkwater.

“Viola, wait. Where are you going?” Rubia asked, her hand reaching out withtremblingfingers.

“I’mgoingtohelpmyfriends.Myfamily.MyPhoenix.I’mgoingtofinishthisonceand for all, and ifmy sacrifice is required, then so be it. Perhaps then you’ll be bettersisterstoNovathanyoueverweretome!”

Ididn’twaitfortheirresponse.

Iallowedmybodytodisintegrate,myconsciousnessexpandingasmyfleshturnedtowispsofpinkdust,carriedofftoLuceriabythewind.

I’dmeant it all. Phoenix neededme.Aida, Serena,Vita,Draven,Hansa…They allneededmenowmorethanever.IhadacquiredenoughcontrolovermypowerstoholdmyownagainstAzazel.

Besides, my sisters had only spoken about his power based on assumptions anddeductions. We knew I could sacrifice myself and destroy him, because a Daughter’ssingletouchmightnotdoit.Itwastimetoputallthosetheoriestothetestandfindoutexactlyhowstrongtheself-proclaimedPrinceofDestroyerswas.

D

SERENA

raven used a little bit of Druidmagic to knock some holes into the smoothstonesurfaceofthepipeleadinguptothetop.Weclimbedafterhimuntilwereachedthefirstopeningontothefourthfloor.Itwasalargeroundirondoor,

lockedfromtheotherside.

Heplacedhishandonitsonlyhingeandwhisperedaspell,causingtherustyscrewtocomeloose.Hepushedthedoorforward,givingusenoughspacetocrawlthroughit.Onebyone,weemergedfromthepipe.

I looked around the narrow corridor stretching ahead, while Draven pulled out thecastleplanfromhissatchel. IusedmyTrueSight towatchout forhostiles—therewereplentyonthisfloor,butnonecloseenoughtoposeanimmediatethreat.

“Someoneneedstogodownintothedungeonsandstartfreeingtheprisoners,”Dravenwhispered.“Themorechaoswecancause,thebetter.”

“Twoofmywardscandothat,”Jaxreplied,snappinghisfingers.

TwoMarascameforward,theirdeep-setjadeeyesfocusedonDraven.Anjanimovedtotheirsideandpattedthehiltoftheswordrestingonherwideleatherbelt.

“I’ll go with them,” she said. “I know plenty of the creatures held captive below.They’llneedafamiliarface.”

“Okay,justbecareful,”Isaid,mychesttightening.

IwasalreadyhavingahardtimewithJoviandFieldoutontheirownwithsomanyDestroyers around. I didn’t want anything to happen to her. She gaveme a warm andreassuringsmile.

“I’masuccubus,Serena.”Shewinked.“Ieatsnakesliketheseforbreakfast.”

“That’smygirl.”Hansagrinnedfrommyside.

IwatchedAnjaniandthewardsastheymovedupthecorridor.Theyreachedtheend,whereaservicestaircaseawaited,darkandnarrow.IlookedatDraven.

“Wherearewegoingnow?”Iasked.

“Followme,”hesaidafterhecheckedthecastleplan,thenrolleditupandshoveditintothebackofhistrousers.

Hewentahead,thentookasharpturntotheright,wherethewallswerefartherapart.

Theyledustoanotherstaircaseleadingtobothtopandbottomlevels.Iwasrightbehindhim,followedcloselybyHansa,Jax,Jasmine,andtheremainingwards.

RebelandtheBajangswerelastinline,prowlinginthedarkpartsofthehallwaywhileDravenputoutallthegreenfiretorchesweencountered.

Thesoundofadistanthornrattledme.Weallstilledaroundthestaircase,glancingatoneanother.

“Thehornsofwar,”Hansamuttered.

Swordsclangingandfootstepsthuddinggotlouderwitheachsecond,gettingclosertoourlocation.

“The Dearghs must’ve stopped the volcanoes,” Draven replied. “Azazel’s gettingagitated.It’sstarting…”

Ilookedaround,usingmyTrueSight.Onalllevelsaboveandbelow,dozensofincubiandDestroyerswerecomingout,mostofthemheadingtowardkeydefensivepositionsonthewalls,upinthetowers,anddownonthegroundlevel,wheremostofthegruntswere.

AgarrisonoftwentyincubiandfourDestroyersreachedthestairsaboveus.

I heldmy breath, pullingmy sword out and taking several steps back. Jax and thewardswidened thecirclearoundus, theireyes flickeringgold.TheDestroyerswere thefirsttocomedown.

Iheardthescreechofmoreswordsbeingdrawnfromtheirscabbards.

IsawtheDestroyers’piercingyelloweyeswideningastheyslithereddownthestairsandrecognizedusasintruders,hissingandpullingtheirbladesout.

It happened so fast. TheMaras went hard on the mind-bending tricks, making theDestroyerssquirmandlooknervouslyaround,asifwe’dbeenreplacedbysomethingfarscariertothesemonsters.Itwastheopeningweneeded.

Ibroughtmysworddown,cuttingoffoneDestroyer’shead.Hansa,Jax,andDraventookcareoftheotherthreewithswiftanddecisivemoves,justastheincubirusheddown,nearlytrippingdownthestairsatthesightofthecarnagewe’ddelivered.

The soldiers looked at us, blinking rapidlywith amixture of fear and confusion ontheirfaces,theirhandsreachingfortheirswords.

“Don’t be stupid,” Draven told them. “This is your chance to redeem yourselves.We’rereclaimingEritopia,anditstartshere.Thecastleisabouttobeundersiege.Whichsideofhistorydoyouwishtobeon?”

Theincubilookedateachotherforacoupleofseconds.Mostofthemmovedtowardthecorridor,theirhandsabandoningtheswordsforamomentastheynodded.

“We’llmakeourwaydown,gathermoreofoursoldiers,”oneofthemsaid.

“Plentyofuswantthatslitheringbastardandhisfollowersdead,”anotherreplied.

“Byallmeans,”Dravensmirked.“Themoreofyou,thebetter.”

“And you?” I shiftedmy focus to the six incubi still standing at the bottom of the

staircase.

“You’llneverwinagainstAzazel,”onemuttered.“He’s toopowerful,andwe’renotstupid enough to put our faith in a Druid, a succubus, some blood-suckers, and somecats!”

He drew his sword and lunged at me, bringing the blade down. Draven moved toprotectme,butIpushedhimawayandlaunchedapowerfulbarrier,knockingtheincubusandtheotherfivesoldiersofftheirfeet.

TheMarasintervenedwiththeirmind-bendingtricks,enoughforHansa,Jasmine,andJaxtoknockmostofthemout.Twoincubiwerequiteresilientandfast,dartingfromonesidetotheothersoquicklytheMarascouldn’tcapturetheirminds.

Unfortunatelyforthem,theBajangscomingfrombehindwerebiggerandfaster.Twoofthempouncedontheincubi,sinkingtheirfangsintotheirthroats.Iheardtheirspinescrackbeforetheyweretossedonthefloorlikeragdolls.

“They sure come in handy.” Imutteredmy appreciation toRebel aswe ran up thestairs.

Wedid the sameon every level,whereverwe encountered hostiles.Wehad a goodstrategygoingwiththeMarasandtheBajangs.WetookdownDestroyersandtheincubiwho resisted, and we let the others go. The more rebels on the inside, the bigger thesurpriseforAzazel.

There were green flames burning everywhere, but Jasmine and Draven frequentlyblewthemoutasweadvancedthroughthemainhallwayofthetenthlevel.Weneededtoreachanothersetofservicestairs,closertothecentraltowerthatledtothetop.

Wemovedfast,ourbootsbarelytouchingthefloor.

Thedrumswerebeatingfranticallybelow.Thehornsweremoaningeveryfiveminutesorso.Icouldhearthechainmailzinging,theclangsandscreechesofswordsandshields,thethumpsandgruntsofsoldiersmovingaround,rushingtogettotheirstations.

IkeptmyfocusonPhoenix,Vita,andAida,waitingforusupstairs.

Almostthere,guys.Almostthere…

I

F IELD

’dspent severalhoursperchedon topofagiantpurple tree,keepingmyselfunderthecoverofleavesasIoverlookedtheentireregion.

Luceria loomed ahead, surrounded by rolling hills and deep jungles, its blackwallsglisteninginthesunlight.Thickblackcolumnsofsmokerosefromits towers,andfromcampfiresaroundthebase.Thousandsofincubihadbeendispatchedonaone-mileradiusaround the castle, while dozens of Destroyers swarmed above, circling the massivestructureandhissingsavagelyastheylookedaroundforrebelforces.

Thegreenfirefliesflewinwideribbonsacrossthehills,movingupanddownastheyscannedtheareaonbehalfofAzazel.

Myshifters satclose tome,on twoseparatebranches.They looked likeme, thoughtheireyesglowedvioletastheylookedaround,waitingpatientlytobedeployed.Igrippedthesculptedhandleofmyhatchet,shudderingfromthecreepsIgoteverytimeIlookedatthem.Itwasextremelyweirdanduncomfortabletolookatthesetwoversionsofmyself,andyet,atthesametime,impressive.Theywereuptherewithme,readytohackandslashatanyonewhotriedtoharmme.

Below, hidden beneath large swatches of dark green forest, were allied forces—Bajangs,Maras, Tritones, imps, succubi, and even incubi, all waiting for my signal. Ipulledmysatchelopen,andhandedtheshiftersseveralsmallpoucheswithfusesattached,alongwithmatches.

MountZurrestedquietlyinthesouth,andMountInonfartherdown,smokeandashesrisingfromtheirincandescentpeaks.

“I’veshownyouhowtousethese,soyouknowwhatyouhavetodo,right?”Iaskedtheshifters.

TheylookedatthepouchesthatDravenhadfilledwithflammablepowders,thenbackatme.Theynodded,grinsslittingtheirfaces.Myfaces.Ugh.

WhenJovi’svoicecamethrough,Itookadeepbreathandstooduponthebranch.ItcreakedundermyweightasIstretchedmywingsandstrappedthehatchet tomybelt. Ilefttheopeninglooseonmysatcheltogivemeeasyaccesstothemanypouchesleft,soIcouldpopthemoutandeasilysetthemonfireduringmyflight.

“It’sshowtime,fellas,”Isaidtotheshifters,whoimmediatelysprangtotheirfeet.

Itookoffinaclockwisetrajectoryaroundthecastle.Ikeptaone-miledistancefromit,butIwassoonspottedbyapackofDestroyers,whochangedtheirdirectionanddartedtowardme,theirhorsesneighingandtheirpoisonedspearsdrawn.

The shifters headed out and intercepted them from two different angles. For a splitsecond, theDestroyersweretemporarilyconfusedbytheirresemblancetome—thesplitsecondthattheshiftersneededtosinktheirpoisonedteethintotheirhorses.Onebyone,the stallions fell. The shifters moved fast, dodging spears and swords as they kickedseveralDestroyersofftheirmountsandrippedothers’throatsout.Itwasn’tenoughtokillthem,butdefinitelyenoughtoincapacitatethem.

I grinned as I flew forward, Destroyers dropping behind me. I started lighting thepouchesonebyone, tossingeachintotheair.Theyblewupincolorfulfireworks—theydrewtheattentionoftheotherDestroyerscirclingthecastle,buttheyalsosignaledtothealliancethattheycouldmovetowardthecastle.

IglancedbackatMountZurand thedistant Inon, and saw theirpeaksdieout.TheDearghs were doing their part, putting the volcanoes to sleep and cutting off Azazel’spowersupply.IcouldalmosthearAzazel’sveinspoppingfromwhereIwas.

Below,Inoticedmovement.Theincubiwerespreadoutinrectangulardivisions, thedrums thudding violently behind them.More Destroyers came after me, but I kept anirregularflightpattern,whilemorefireworksexplodedbehindme.Myshiftersweredoingafinejobontheirown,soIincreasedmyspeedtogainsomedistanceandlightupsomemore,asI’donlycoveredhalfofmytrajectory.

The allied armies began spilling out of the woods beneath us. Hundreds of them,roaringandcharging the confused incubion each side.Acouple thousandTritoneshadmade it, launching rapidandbloodyattackson thenorth side.TheLamiascame inhotfromthewest,accompaniedbysuccubiandGrezzi’sincubitroops.

Explosions rocked the east side, splitting the small valley between the two hillsflanking the castle, withMaras, Bajangs, and incubi pouring in from the woods. Impsstaggered among them, setting small explosive devices on fire and throwing them atAzazel’sincubi.

AfewdozenDestroyersswoopeddown,theirspearspiercingseveralrebelsandtheirswords coming down hard, and more came out of the castle. The horns of war wereconstantlyblowing.Bladesclashed, thousandsofarrowsshot throughthesky,andmoreexplosionsspreadalongthesouthside,makingthegroundquiver.AzazelhadgatheredhismonstersfromalloverCalliopetostrengthenhisdefenses.

Ilitupmorepouchesandthrewthemovermyshoulder.Theyblewupinmillionsofcolorfulflashes—justintime,too,asseveralDestroyersweregainingonme.Thepouchesexplodedintheirfaces,burningandblindingthem.Theirhorsesjerkedback,scaredbytheloudbangs, throwing the ridersoff. Iwatched themfall, their thickserpent tails flailingdesperately.

The Lamias used their Druid magic, taking on clusters of incubi with simmeringfireballsandenergypulses.Thesoldierswerefastandruthless,butmanywerenotstrongenough to resist a plethora of combined forces, as Bajangs pounced from behind,

shreddingthemtopiecesacrossthebattlefield.

TheMarasusedtheirmind-bendingtrickstoconfusetheiropponents,whileGrezzi’sincubi infiltrated their ranks and killed them fromwithin.TheTritoneswere incrediblyfierce,glidingacross the tallgrassand launching their flamingarrowsat theDestroyersaboveandtheincubiguardingoneofthecastle’sgates.

The succubi were even more brutal, going straight for the incubi’s throats as theallianceforcestightenedaroundthecastleandpushedthesoldiersback.Moreexplosionsripped through the south side as Destroyers converged and launched another wave ofpoisonedspears.Thealliesroaredandsentoutarainofarrows.Icouldn’thelpbutsquirmatthesightofthesharpprojectilespiercingthrougheyesandthroatslikeneedlesthroughfabric.

DarkredbloodsprayedfromaboveasDestroyersfell.Darkredbloodglazedthegrassbelow,ashundredsofalliedtroopsfell,mingledwiththesilverbloodofevenmoreincubi.Thunderingroarssentchillsdownmyspine;IlookedbackandsawDearghstumblingintobattle.

Themassivestonegiantshadabandonedtheirvolcanoes,usingwhatwasleftoftheirenergy to fire themselves up and set every hostile in their path ablaze. TheDestroyersknewbetterthantotrytogoaftertheDearghs,fromwhatIcouldtell.Theypulledbackandfocusedontheotherspeciescomingafterthem.

MoreincubiandDestroyerscameoutthroughthefrontgates,shoutingastheyranintobattle.Limbswerelost.Liveswerecastintothewind.Itwasbrutalbutnecessary,andthealliance came in harder, energized by the imps’ lethal tricks and the dozen DearghssweepingthroughAzazel’sarmies.

Bright green fireballswere cast from the castlewalls, splashing onto the allies andswallowingthemlikeliquidflames.Icouldheartheirscreams,thesmellofburningfleshspreadingoutswiftlyandmakingmystomachchurn.

Theskiesgrewdarkabove,blackandgraycloudsswirlinginaslightingsplittheskyopen.Thegreenflamesshrankinsizebutcontinuedtoshootoutofthecastle.However,their aim got sloppier, and they wound up killing dozens of Azazel’s incubi and evenengulfingaflyinghordeofDestroyersontheeastside.

I had a feeling that was the last spurt of large-scale magic that Azazel could useagainstus,nowthathe’dbeenleftwithouttheDaughterorthevolcanoes.Iflewoverthefights raging below a couplemore times, drawingDestroyers afterme. I sloweddown,enough togive them the impression that theyweregoing tocatchup,before Idid tightdropsandbroughtthemfacetofacewithanangryDeargh.

I heard the beasts yelp behind me as I passed the Deargh and glanced over myshoulder.TheDestroyersscrambledtoflyaway,but thestonegiantburst intoenormousflamesand ranhis fist through thehorde, lighting themupashecrushed them into theground.Ithenheardtheshifterstitteringbeneathme.

With no intention of spoiling their fun, I let them repeat the pattern and tauntDestroyers into following them until they wound up in close proximity to the otherDearghs.

Thebattleragedon.Manyoftheincubisoonrealizedthattheyweren’tgoingtowin.Toomanyforceshadcometogether,armiesthatnoonehadthoughtwouldevergetalong.The Destroyers, however, were relentless in their defenses—at least, until they werenabbedbyDearghsorpulledofftheirhorses.

FurtherproofofAzazel’slossofpowercameforwardwhenthegreenfirefliesstarteddyingout,swarmsuponswarmsturningintolifelesslittleblackinsectsthatraineddownonthefightersbelow.

ThesuccubiandtheLamiashadbeeninstructedtotrytotakesomeoftheDestroyersalive. The imps had brought in some interesting snare traps—it required a team effort,LamiasteasingandsuccubirunningaroundanddistractingtheDestroyersuntiltheycouldget themwithin the traps’ range.When the ropeswere released, however, they slappeddownsohard that thebeastswerestuffed into the tallgrass,unable tomoveas the trapmechanismtwistedinrapidmotionsandtightenedtheropesaroundthem.

Theycouldn’tdothattoalltheDestroyers,butiftheywereabletogatheratleasttenor twenty of them, it was considered a success. Fromwhat informationwe’d gatheredfrom the Druid archives, once Azazel’s control spell was broken from the source, theDestroyerswould shift back to their originalDruid forms, regaining their freedom.Weneededasmanyaswecouldsave,torebuildEritopia.

Onebyone,theDearghsslowedintheirattacks,theenergyinsidethemdimminglikeflickering candle lights. I slowed near one of them,measuring him from giant head tomassivetoe.

“Areyouokay?”Iasked.

TheDearghnoddedslowlywithaheavybreath.

“Gettingtired.Myenergyisrunninglow.I’llbenothingmorethanastatuesoon…”

My chest ached at the sight of his and his brothers’ sacrifice.We couldn’t let themdown.Theyweregivinguseverythingtheyhadinthiswar.Wehadtowin.Wehadtogivetheworldbacktothem.

We’dcomesofar.ThegroundoutsideLuceriawasmoreorlesscoveredbyourtroops.The allieswere closing in, despite their casualties. The determination and resilience ofoppressednationswerefarstrongerthantroopsdrivenbyonecrazyDestroyer’styranny.Icouldseeitintheireyes.

Theyhadnothingtolose,otherthantheirlives.Butnolifewasworthlivingifitwastobespentinagony,infear,inshackles,andinhopelessness.TheBajangs,theMaras,thesuccubi, theLamias,theTritones,eventheDearghsstillstandingandtherebelincubi—they all had the fire burning in their eyes, the flameof hope, the blaze of yearning forfreedom.

It was there, unleashing itself on the battlefield with every arrow shot, with everysword brought down, with every throat ripped out. Azazel’s armies were fighting todefendatyrant.Mostoftheirheartsweren’tinit.Theirweaponsweredrivenbyfearanddirtymagic.

Wefoughtwithoursouls,ontheotherhand.Wekilledwithourhearts.

I

AZAZEL

wasn’talwayslikethis…

ThemirrorinfrontofmeshowedmesomeoneIstillcouldn’tgetusedto,someoneI’dbeenforcedtocoexistwithforcenturies.SomeoneI’dallowedtobecomemebecause the realityofmyweaknesshadbeenunbearable.My insufficiencyhadchippedawayatmysoul,leavingablackholeontheinsidethatneededtobefilled.Iwasalwayshungry,andnothingsatedmebetterthanpower.

Raw,unapologeticpower.

Icouldhearthemoutside.Swordscuttingthroughfleshandbone.Explosionstearingthehillsapart.StonegiantsburningmyDestroyersalive.

I’d felt Nova’s departure deep inmy core. The emptiness I’d once smotheredwithelectrifyingribbonsofpurepinkenergyonceagainhowledinmyhead.ThemomenttheybrokethependantI’dlinkedtoherveryessencewasthemomentI’dexperiencedanew,differentkindofpain.Itcutthroughmelikeanincandescentblade,burningmyinsidesastheystrippedmeofherpower.

BythetimeIgottoherroom,shewasgone,thewindowswideopenandthecurtainsflutteringinthewind.Thetraitorsroamingthroughmycastle.Mydomain.

Thenthevolcanoesdieddown.Onebyone,Ifelttheiramberfiresleaveme,softeningmy bones and forcingmy shoulders to drop. They’d done it. I couldn’t believe it, butthey’ddoneit.

IhadthreeperfectlyfunctionalOraclesinmypossession,alongwiththatwhimperingmess namedAbrille, and yet I couldn’t prevent this. They’d done it. They’d taken theDaughter away. They’d persuaded the Dearghs to, I assumed, sacrifice themselves andstripmeofaconsiderableamountofmypower.

Iheard the turmoiloutsideand theclashesbelow. Incubiweredeserting theirposts,thoughDestroyerswere forced to stay loyal tomeandkill thosewho tried to flee.TheDruidwassomewherenearby—Icouldalmostsmellhisarrogancewaftingthroughtheair.Loudbangsmademycastleshudder.MyLuceriawasundersiege.

Thebastards…

Mythroneroomfeltcold.Thegreenfireinmycauldronhaddiedout.Icouldn’tseethroughtheflamesanymore.Rageengulfedme,andIkickedthecauldrondown,itsdark,

pungent liquid contents spilling across the blackmarble floor.The proprietary blend ofdeadcreatures’bones turned todustandmixedwithfaebloodandpoisonousherbshadbeenrendereduselesswithouttheenergyI’ddrawnfromvolcanoes.NolongercouldIfireitupandlookthrougheverygreenflameitprovided.

Alargepaintingofmerestedonthewalltomyleft.Itshowedmeinmyyoungerdays,whenI’djustbeengiventhekeystotheThirdKingdomofPurgaris.Myhairwaslong,combedbackandbroughttogetherinabraidedtailreachingdowntomylowerback.Myeyeswerebright,liketwosuns,myskinpaleincontrastwiththetrimmedblackbeardandmustacheIhadsportedatthetime.I’doptedforadarkgreenvelvetsuitwhenI’dposedfor that portrait, consisting of riding pants, a waistcoat, and a fitting tailcoat,complementedbyacrispwhiteshirtandknee-highleatherboots.

Thatwasn’tmeanymore.

Thatversionofmehaddied themoment I’dsaidyes toAsherak. Ikept theportraitbecauseitwastheonlyphysicalimageofmyselfthatwasleft.Theothershadbeenburnedinthewarsthatfollowed.

Ilookedhandsome…

Themirrorshowedmesomeoneelse.TherealAzazel.

Myyelloweyes.Myslickblackhair.Mymassiveframeandbraidedbeard.Mybarechest.Ahundredblackdiscstattooedonmyarms,oncethedistinctionofaMasterDruid.Mylowerbodyglistening,coveredinblackscalesasthetipofmytailtwitchednervously.AndAsherak’spendantflowinginitsendlessloop.

Mysavior.Mypunisher.Mymaster.

Iwasn’talwayslikethis…

IhadbeenasensiblelittleDruid.Mymotherhadn’tlovedmemuch.She’dthoughtIwastoosensible.ThatI’dneveramounttoanything.Myfatherhadhadhistattoosburnedoffhisskin—alltwentyofthem.Hehadn’tevenmadeitintothetwenty-firstlevelwhenhe’dfirstusedhispowersincorruption,tradingfavorsforlandandsoldiers.Ofcourse,hehadbeencaught.AfewyearsinprisonhadbroughthimbackachangedDruid.

Aviolentcreature,filledwithfrustrationandcontempt.I’dneverlikedhim,butwhenhestartedhittingme,Ilearnedhowtohatehim.Itwasmymotherwho’daddedfueltomyflame,tomydesiretobreakfreeandridmyselfoftheirpatheticexistence.She’dblamedmyfather’sshortcomingsonme.Iwastoosoft.Ibroughtshametothem.

Itwasn’tmyfather’sstringofwrongdoings.ItwaslittleAzazel,whowastoosoft,toogentletodefendhimself.TheypokedandproddedmeuntilIreachedmylimit.

Ishowedthem.Ishowedthemboth.

Theworlddidn’tevennoticetheyweregone.ButIwasfree.AndIsworetomyselfthat Iwould never allowmyself to beweakor poor or powerless again.Myvoyage topowerandwealthbeganatanearlyage.Unfortunately,myDruidmagicskillswerewellbelow the Grand Temple acceptance limits. For years I struggled to get in, only to berepeatedlyturnedaway.

Still,Iwasme.Insufficient.Quiet.Butme.

Light poured intomy life whenGenevieve first looked at me. I lost myself in hergreenisheyes,hersandyhairflowingcarelesslydownherback.Shewasperfection,hercurvaceousbodygentlywrappedinsilverysilkandlayersofshimmeringorganza,whiteblossoms restingbehindone ear.Her soft lips keptme awake at night.Her exceptionalDruidtalentsmademefeelinadequate.

Istruggledforalongtime,untilonedayIwasfinallyacceptedintotheGrandTemple.Genevieve was in her fifth year there when I started. I always suspected she’d hadsomething to dowith those oldwindbags allowingme to join the school, but I had noproof,soIkepttheideatomyself.

Itwasn’teasy.Iconsistentlyfailed,barelyacquiringtenlevelsbeforeoneoftheGrandDruids pulled me aside one day and advised me to consider other options outside theGrandTemple.

“Perhapsanapprenticeship inoneof the southerncitieshere,onPersea,”he’d said,makingmescoff.I’dignoredhimbuttakenitasawarning.Iwasn’twantedthere.Iwasconsideredweak.

Inadequate.

MyfriendshipwithGenevieve,ontheotherhand,grewstronger.Herlaughterbroughtmetolife.Hersmileturnedmyheartinsideout.IlongedforherwitheverybreathItook.ThenAlmuscamealong.Ilikedhimatfirst.HewastheonlyonebesidesGenevievewhoacknowledgedme.Whospoketome.Hewastheonewhoadvisedmetobebold.Tothinkoutsidethebox.Tobedaringandtakerisks.

SoIdid.Onenight,IsnuckintotheGrandTemplelibraryandrummagedthroughtheforbiddensection.I’dheardrumorsaboutsomepowerfulmagicthere.Theothershadsaiditwaseasytolearn,butdangerous,evendeadly.Iwastiredofmyinsufficiency.

Myinadequacy.

I started fiddling with forbidden magic. Surprisingly enough, it helped unleashsomething inmeI’dnever thoughtexisted.Strength.Determination.Hunger formore. IwentthroughtheotherDruidlevelslikeahotknifecuttingthroughablockofbutter.

BythetimeIwasninety,IwaseligibleforaMasterDruidposition,havingjustearnedmyhundredthtattoo.Genevievewasstillworkingthroughherninetieth,andAlmuswashavingtroublewithhistrialsforhishundredthlevel.Theywerebothgood,butabittoorighteous for my taste. I’d gotten the hang of playing dirty and enjoyed reaping myrewards.

OnceIwasgiventhekeystoPurgaris,Iputonthatdarkgreenvelvetsuitandposedformyportrait.Myheart ached forGenevieve, still.She’d justbecomeaMasterDruidherself,monthsafterAlmus.Theyearswentby,andweall stayedclose,butsomethingchanged,andIdidn’tevennoticeituntilitwastoolate.

AfterAlmustookcontrolofPerseaandGenevievecelebratedherfifthyearasMasterDruidofCalliope,ourmeetingsgotshorterandshorter.Theywerebothbusy.TheyhadlittletimeleftfortheirgoodfriendAzazel.

ItwasthenthatIrealizedit.

TheirgoodfriendAzazel.Theirfriend.

Theyweretogether.IsawitclearlyduringoneoftheMasterCouncilmeetingsinthehall betweenworlds. I’d been dealingwith bureaucracy for years.OtherMasterDruidstellingmewhattodowithmykingdom.Mypeople.Mylaws.Thearrogance!

Iwas taking Purgaris to awhole new level of greatness, but I still had to get theirapprovalforeverything,likeIwasalittleDruid,unabletothinkforhimself.

LikeIwasinadequate.

I’dfeltthedarknessgrowinginsideme.ThehatetowardeachofthoseMasterDruids.Eachmorearrogantthantheother.Allconsideringthemselvesfarsuperiortome,when,infact, theywere afraid.They’dgivenme the lousiest ofEritopia’splanets, a land full ofthugs, thieves,andkillers, thinkingIwouldfail. I’d turneditaroundsofast, theydidn’tevenrealizewhathadhappeneduntilitwastoolate.Purgarisheldthemostaggressiveanddownrightlethalfleet.Myarmieswereruthless.Obedient.Disciplined.AnditscaredthehelloutoftheMasterCouncil.

And yet, nothing stung more than realizing that Genevieve had given her heart toAlmus.Aheart I’d struggled toget formyself for so long. It blisteredon the inside. Itfestered.Ithurt.

Whennewsoftheirweddingcame,Ifinallycollapsed.

Before I knew it, I was sneaking back into the Grand Temple on Persea, diggingdeeper through the forbiddenmanuscripts. Itwas there that I learned ofAsherak.Nowthere was a Druid I admired. He’d been ruthless. He’d gathered power. He’d turned aplanetaroundlikeIhad.Whateverhe’dwanted,he’dtakenit.Hisprowessdrilledholesinmystomach.

Ifeltinadequate.

ThenIsawasketchofhispendant.Thejewelinwhichhe’dhiddenhissoul,anitemsopowerful thatnoDruidalivehadbeenable todestroy it.RagecameovermewhenIreadthat theMasterDruidshadbeentaskedwith itssafekeeping.They’dallkeptmeinthedark.They’dkeptitasecretfromme.

I realized then that I’d seen thependantbefore.Agolden snake twisted inaperfecteight-loop,quietandbeautiful,withglisteningrubyeyes.ThatsnivelingoldfoolLorenzhadbeenwearingit.Ithadbeenhisturntokeepitsafe.

ButIwantedit.Thedarknessgrowinginsidemeyearnedforit.I’dalreadybeenusingsomeofAsherak’s spells,putting touse things I’d read in those forbiddenmanuscripts.The strength I’d infusedmysoldierswith.Thepoisons I’dused to remove thegeneralswhohadgoneagainstme,supposedlyupholdingtheMasterCouncil’swishes.ThetricksI’dplayedtomodifyPurgaris’sconstitutionbybendingthewillofitspeopleinmyfavor.

Iwasmore thanworthyof thatpendant.Themanuscriptshadalsospokenof fusingone’ssoulwithanother.ThefinalproprietaryspellthatAsherakhadwrittendownbeforesealinghissoulinsidethesnakewithrubyeyes,leavingbehindalifelessbodybeforethey

couldkillhim.AsmartDruid,thatone.

Icouldbelikethat.

Icouldbestronger.Richer.MorepowerfulthantheentireMasterCouncilputtogether.I could take Genevieve away fromAlmus and keep her tomyself.What would he doagainstme,ifIhadtheforceofAsherakbehindme?

KillingLorenzwasoneoftheeasiestthingsIeverdid.PuttingthependantaroundmyneckandsummoningthespiritofAsherak,ontheotherhand,wassomethingelseentirely.ThemomentIallowedhissoultoentermybody,everythingchanged.Mybodychanged,slowly,fromtheinside.

I’dalreadymetTamarabythen.She’dbeenkeepingmybedwarm.

AlmusandGenevievehadannouncedthattheywouldsoonhaveason.

AndAsherak’svoicecontinuedwhisperinginmyhead,beckoningmetogofurther.Tokill thosewhoopposedme.Toclaimmy throne.Togathermorepower.Heshowedmefeats of darkmagic I’d never thought possible. The pride that surged throughmewasaddictive,liftingmeclosertoapermanentstateofecstasywitheverydaythatwentby.

Then I learned about Tamara’s lies. She was revealed as a Lamia, the filthiest ofcreaturesI’deverseen,andyetshe’dconvincedmethatshewasaDruid.Shewaswithchildwhen she fled.Mychild. Itwas then that I finallybroke. Itwasher betrayal, herinsolence and her lack of respect, her lying tome and takingme for an imbecile, thatpushedmeovertheedge.

BeforeIknewit,Iwassodeep,solostinAsherak’scharmsthatIwillinglygavehimmysoul.Heateitallup.Heswallowedmewhole,andIwelcomedit.Mybonesbroke.My muscles swelled, mind-numbing pain flaring through me as my serpent natureconsumedmyphysicalbodyandIbecameaDestroyer.

Themassive creature looking back atme from themirror inmy throne room. Theyelloweyes.Theretractingfangs.Theforkedtongue.Andallthatpowersurgingthroughme, fuelingmy hatred for thosewho had looked down onme,who hadmademe feelinadequate.

Iwasn’tinadequateanymore,though.

Iwasstrong.Iwaspowerful.IcoulddoanythingIpleased.I’dembracedthedarknessinsideme.I’dgiveniteverythingitwanted,and,inreturn,itmademeintoaforcetobereckonedwith.OnethateventheDaughtersofEritopiadidn’twishtodealwith,especiallyafterI’dsnatchedtheirsisterfromMountAgrith.

One by one, the planets fell undermy control.The people had a choice—obey andserveme, or go out and die in thewilderness. I had no room for traitors inmy ranks.ThoseIconsideredathreatIimmediatelykilled.OnsomeItookmercy,shovingthemintocages,solelybecausethey’dneverreallydoneanythingagainstme.They’dneverbelittledme.They’dneverlookeddownonme.

And yet, after all those years, after losingGenevieve, after spillingAlmus’s blood,afterconqueringtheentiregalaxy,Iwasoncemorestaringatmyreflectioninthemirror,

feelinginadequate.Myvolcanoesweregone.MyDaughterofEritopiawasgone.Andalittle Druid, a snotty bastard with silvery eyes and toomuchmagic on his hands, hadmanagedtobringbackanemotionI’dswornIwouldneverfeelagain.

Inadequacy.

ButAsherakwasn’tdonewithme.Ifelthisvoicethunderingthroughmyheadinthatinstant,asanotherexplosionrumbledthroughthewesternhillsandthescreamsofdyingincubifilledthesky.

Yourpowerisdraining,Azazel.Hesoundedcalm,butIcouldfeelhisangercoursingthroughmyveins.

Ididn’tmovemylips,butmyreflectioninthemirrordid,asifspeakingonhisbehalf.

Howcouldyouallowthis?You’vegottensoft,Azazel.Confident.Tooconfident.

He was right. I’d enjoyed the feeling of invincibility for so long, I’d completelydisregarded the possibility of a creature brave or stupid enough to defy me. To slipthrough the cracks anddismantle the empire I’d spent somuch timebuilding, brick bybrick.

It’snotoveryet,Azazel.TheDaughtermaybegone.Thevolcanoesmaybegone.Butwebothknowwhereyourrealpowercomesfrom.Asheraksmiledatme,wearingmyface,myyelloweyes.

Indeed, I felt it broiling in me, pulsating through every fiber of my muscles andtricklingthroughmyveins.ThedarknessI’dembracedsomanymoonsago.Thedarknessthathadpushedmetokill.Tolie.Tocheatandsteal.TodoeverythingIcoulduntilIgoteverythingIwanted.Itwasstillthere.

I’mstillhere,hesaid.

And I hadplentyof tricks upmy sleeve.Plentyofways tomakeoneunrulyDruidregretthedayheevercameoutofhidingtodefyme.

I took adeepbreath as the castle shuddered fromanother explosion.The enormousgoldenchandelierdanglingfromtheblackstoneceilingoverheadcreaked.Iwentovertothenorthwall,wheretworectangularstoneswereslightlypushedout.Ipushedthembothin,andtheyclickedintoplace.

Thewalltrembledandgrumbledasitmovedbackafootandtotheside,revealingahidden chamber I’d set up centuries ago. Amber flames burst onto the wall-mountedtorchesasIwalkedin.Thewallswerecoveredinglassvials,carefullyaffixedonenexttotheother,eachholdingabloodsampleI’dtakenfromvariouspersonsofinterest.Allmyfollowershadbeen instructed todo thesame,andeveryweekIwasgivennewsamplesfrom creatures they’d met through their voyages, creatures they’d thought I’d like tocontrolifIneededto.

A cauldronwas set in themiddle, filled to the brimwith a black liquid. I’d had itprepared decades ago, when I wasn’t sure I could fully trust Patrik after histransformation. If I’d known thenwhat I knew now, Iwould’ve employed thismethodsooner.

Iheardtherebelsshoutingoutside.

ItmademegrinasIgatheredanarmfulofvialsfromarecentbatchandpouredthemallintotheblackliquid.I tossedthemonthefloor,enjoyingthescratchysoundofglassbreaking, then uttered a fire spell. The flame surged frommy hand and lit the liquid’ssurfaceup.

It smelled of lilies and roses, despite its highly poisonous contents. Itwas themostpowerful blood spell I’d ever assembled. It did immeasurable damage to its victims. Itbentthemtomywillandthensome.

That’sright,Azazel…Showthemwhothey’redealingwith.

Iwatchedthefiredieout,theblackliquidsimmeringinthecauldron.Iputmyhandinside,hissingasmyskinburned.Ifeltitthen,andwrappedmyfingersaroundit.Ipulledmy hand out and smiled at the sight of a small, rectangular diamond, with perfectlypolishedfacetsandatinythreadofgreenglimmeringinsideit.

Ilickedtheblackliquidoffmyhand.Ittastedlikesweetwater.Likesin.

Show them who Azazel really is, Asherak’s voice continued whispering in my ear.Showthemwhoweare.

Itwastimetosettherecordstraight.Itwastimetoreaffirmmyposition.IwasAzazel,PrinceofDestroyers,EaterofWorlds,andDrinkerofSouls.IruledoveralltwentyplanetsofEritopia. I owned every soul thatwalkedmy lands. I had the rivers, the oceans, themountains,andthevalleys.Eventheairtheyallbreathedwasmine.

AndIwasgoingtoshowthemexactlywhatitmeanttocrossme.

Iwasgoingtobreakthemdown,piecebypiece,thentossthemovertheedge.

Thisismyworld.Andthey’renothavingit.

W

SERENA

emadeourwayupanarrowstonestaircase.Dravenwasfirst, infrontofme,whileJax,Hansa,Jasmine,theyoungDruids,andthewardsfollowed.

Rebel deployed Bajangs on each level of the castle to distract the Destroyers and theincubiroamingaround—wecouldhearthecommotionbeyondthestaircasewall.

SheandeightBajangswereleftwithusasweadvancedtowardthetoplevel.IusedmyTrueSightasIlookedup.Sixmorefloorsandwe’dreachthetopplatform.MyheartfeltsmallerwitheverystepItook.

A loudbangmademyblood freeze, and the staircase shuddered froma blast, thickclouds of dust swallowing us from behind. I immediately drew my sword and leanedagainstthewalltokeepmyfootingasIwhirledaround.

Destroyershadburstthroughthestaircase,thestonewalltornaboutthirtystepsdownfromourposition.Thereweredozensofthem,accompaniedbyincubi,toomanyforthespaceavailableandournumbers.

“Outoftheway!”Ishouted,andpushedoutastrongbarrier.

Ourgroupbelowinstantlyobeyedandsteppedaside,enoughfortheinvisiblepulsetoshoot past them and smack the hostiles hard. They fell backward, but were quick torecover.

The Bajangs immediately leaped into action, their flexible feline bodies sneakingthroughthetightspots,theirlongfangssinkingintoseveralDestroyers,whiletheotherstriedtomoveuptowardus,theireyesglimmeringwiththeanticipationofmurderastheyhissed.

“Draven, you four go ahead,” Jasmine said, referring to me, him, Jax, and Hansa.“We’llholdthemoff!”

“No,youcan’t!”Draven shotback, liftinghis swordwithbothhands, clutching thegrip. I felthis fearof losingherafterhaving just foundher,and it toremeaparton theinside.

Thewardsjumpedinandusedthenarrowspacetotheiradvantage,andtheDestroyersbecamelikesittingducksinthatstaircase—unabletomovemuch,allowingthewardstousetheirmind-bendingabilitiesinfull.

“Milord,go!We’lltakecareofthis!”oneofthewardsshoutedoverhisshoulder.

“Fijian!”JaxmanagedtoshoutbeforeHansacursedunderherbreathandpushedhimupthestairs.

“Go,Jax,”shegrowled.“They’vegotthis!Weneedtogobeforemoreofthemshowup!”

“Draven,go!”JasmineinsistedassheturnedtofacetheincubiandDestroyers,someofthemwailingandcryingastheycollapsedonthestairs,whileothersstruggledtomovepast them and come after us, their swords drawn.She gave us a quick glance over hershoulder.“I’llseeyouupthere,darling!”

Shemutteredunderherbreathandsentoutspheresofconcentratedblueflamefromherhands, eachengulfingaDestroyer, the fire eatingawayat their flesh.Thecreatureswrithedinpain,screamingandhowlingastheDruidspellconsumedthem.

Dravenblinked,breathingrapidly,beforefinallyacquiescing.“I’llholdyoutothat!”hecalled,grabbingmyhandasweranupthestairsalongwithJaxandHansa.

Wetooktwostepsatatime,puttingmoredistancebetweenusandthescufflebelow.Jaxrepeatedlycursedaswedartedthroughthenexttwolevels.

Asmalldooropenedtothesidejustafewfeetahead.Weweremovingtoofasttostopintime,andbumpedintothethreecreaturesthatrushedthroughit.Ijumpedbackasfarasthenarrowstaircaseallowedmeto,bringingmyswordupinself-defense.ItwasthenthatInoticedthatJax,Hansa,andDravenhadstilled,lookingconfused.

Jovi and two males who wore nothing but dark green military pants stood in themiddle,bothtallandarmedwithbroadswords.

“Jovi!”Iexclaimed,rushingforwardanddrawinghiminforaquickhug.

Afamiliargrowlmademeturnmyheadtowardthesmalldoor,whereoneofthetwoshifters he’d taken with him was waiting, a slew of dead incubi scattered along thecorridorbehindthem.Ithenlookedatthetwomales,tryingtofigureoutwhotheywere.

“ThisisPatrik,andThadeus,”Jovisaid,pointingateach.

“Oh,Ican’texplainhowhappyIamtoseeyouall!”Igasped.

Dravennoddedfirmly.“Let’sgo.Wedon’thavemuchtime.”

Indeed,Icouldstillhearthefightingbelow,swordsclashing,DestroyershissingandBajangsroaring.Withoutfurtherado,wecontinuedourraceupthestairs,followedcloselybytheshifter.

“YoumanagedtoturnThadeus,”IsaidtoJoviasweran.

“Believe it or not, thatwas the easy part,” Jovi replied, breathing heavily. “Findingthemclothesthatfitwasthebiggerchallenge.Thesedudesaretall!”

I would’ve laughed, had it not been for our life-threatening circumstances. They’dmost likely stripped two of the incubi I’d seen in the corridor below, and Patrik andThadeusseemedtallerthantheaverageDruids,whowerealreadyatleastoneheadabovetheincubi.Theborrowedclotheslookedawkwardlyshortonthem.

“Butat least they’redressednow,”Joviadded.“Youhavenoideahowawkwardit’s

beenrunningaroundwithtwonakedDruids.”

“Not as awkward as you staring at our lower naked parts!” Thadeus retorted frombehind.

IglancedbackandnoticedJovi’scheeksflushslightlyashegavetheyoungDruidasidewaysglance.“Youmadeithardnottolookwithalltherunning!Notmyfault,dude!”

“Keeptellingyourselfthat.”Patriksmirkedasheranpastthemandreachedmyside.

At leastourmoralewas stillhigh,our spirits feisty, andourweaponseager todrawAzazel’sblood.Acouplemore floors andwe’d finally reach theplatform.We’d finallyfaceoffwithourmortalenemy,theonlycreatureleftstandinginthewayofourfreedom.

I

V ITA

couldhear thewarunravelingbelow.Wecouldallhear it.Wecouldsee theblacksmokebillowing,Destroyersflyingaroundfranticallybeforedescendingto defend the castle against the allied armies. The entire building tremored

fromtheexplosions,ourglassspheresswingingontheirhooks.

AidawasintouchwithJoviandSerenathroughTelluris.Hereyesdartedaroundtheterrace,whilePhoenixkepttossingandturning,visiblyfrustratedbyhisimprisonment.

“They’reontheirwayup,”Aidasaid,hopelightingherup.“Thisisit,guys!”

“Great,”Imuttered.“IfIcouldgetoutofhereandgetthesestupidcuffsoffsoIcouldhelp,thatwouldbeevenbetter…”

WeallstilledwhenweheardAzazelcomingup,cursingunderhisbreath.Heslitheredacross the terrace. Rage burned in his yellow eyes, and he sneered as he reached ourbubbles.

“Iwillkilleachofyou.Slowly.Iwilltakemytime,Ipromiseyouthat,”hesaid,histoneglazedinice.

Iwould’vebeenmorecomfortablewiththesnarkyversionofhim,snarling,shoutingand kicking. He was too calm, too cold for what was going on outside Luceria. Hisdemeanorwasn’tthatofadefeatedoverlord,butratheronewhokepthisbesttricksuphissleeve,whowasstillwaitingtoreleasethem.

“Vita,sweetheart,”headded,cockinghisheadtoonesideashesquintedatme.“Thisisyourlastchancetotellmewhatthefutureholds.Mycontingencyplanistopnotch,butI cannot keep an Oracle that refuses to cooperate, darling. You’re either in or you’redead.”

“Right,”Iscoffed.“Asifthat’llmakemetalk.”

Hesmirked,sendingchillsdownmyspine.

“Hm.Okaythen,youwanttodothisthehardway,”hereplied.

Asecondwentbybeforehis armshotout, crashing through theglass spherewithabrightgreenspark.Hegrabbedmeby the throatandpulledmeout,his fingerspressinghardagainstmywindpipe.Iinstinctivelybroughtmyhandsup,clawingawayathisarmanddrawingblood in a desperate attempt to releasemyself. I heard thewater frommybubblesplashuponthestonefloorandPhoenixandAidashoutingandknockingagainst

theirspheres.

“Lethergo!”Aidagrowled.

Azazelwasunfazed,keepingmeup,myfeetdanglingintheair.Ichoked,myvisionbecomingblurry.MythroathurtasIwheezed,strugglingtobreathe.Hegrinnedatme.

“Stillnovisions,darling?”

“Drop…dead…”Imanagedtosaybetweenthequarter-breathsIstrainedtotakein.

“Again,IfindyoupickingondefenselesscreaturesinsteadoffacingyourenemiesliketherealDestroyerthatyouclaimtobe.”Draven’scalmvoicetraveledacrosstheplatform.

Azazelglancedoverhisshoulderandsmirked, relaxinghisgriponmy throat,and Ifelttheblooddrainingfrommyface.

“Heretotauntmeagain,littleDruid?”hescoffed.

“I’mheretotellyouthatthere’sstilltimeforyoutosurrender,”Dravenreplied.

Histallsilhouettestoodaloneatthetopoftheonlystaircaselinkingthelevelbelowtotheplatform,hishandsbehindhisback,asworddanglingfromhisbelt.

Azazellaughedmockingly,thentossedmeasidelikearagdoll.Ilandedwithathud,whimperingfromthepainshootingthroughmyshoulderandthefireburninginmythroatasIbreathedinalungfulofairandgraduallyrecoveredmysenses.

“I’m really not interested in dealing with a projection, little Druid.” Azazel turnedaroundtofaceDraven.“Comefacemeyourself,coward.”

A small black snake moved along the edge of the platform, coming toward me.Something twinkledbetween its fangs.As it got closer, I got a better view—itwas thelittlegoldenkey,themagicalobjectdesignedtounlockmyobsidiansuppressorcuffs.HemusthavegottenacopyoffThadeusorDamionbeforehegothere.

“Patrik,” I whispered. I snatched the key from his mouth and freed myself, whilePatrikslitheredawayandvanishedbehindapillar.

I looked up andwatchedAzazel saunter towardDraven,who gave him a dry half-smile.Therewere several torchesmountedon theblackmarble columnsdecorating thebareedgeoftheroundplatform.Theclosestonewasjusttenfeetbehindme.AzazelwasfocusedonDraven’sprojection,soIhadthetwosecondsIneededtogetthetorchanduseitsflameagainsthim.

Ipushedmyselfuptomyknees,thenstilledasathoughtcrossedmymind.SerenahadtoldAidathathergroupwasonitswayup.IstaredattheDruidforacoupleofseconds,therealizationquicklycomingoverme.Thiswasn’taprojection.Thiswasreallyhim!

My eyes immediately scanned the platform again, and I held my breath, my heartskippingabeat.Irecognizedthefamiliarfacespeekingoutfrombehindtheblackmarblepillars,atkeypointsaroundAzazel—Serena,Jovi,HansaandJax,ThadeusinDruidform,andoneshape-shifter.Icouldn’tbelieveit.Ihadn’tnoticedthemcomeup,andneitherhadAzazel.Whilehe’dbeenbusythreateningus,theymusthavesnuckupthestairsandontotheplatform,onebyone.

AzazelstoppedinfrontofDraven,stillgrinning.Justafewincheswereleftbetweenthem.

Hemust’vefeltDraven’sbreathagainsthis faceas theDruid lookedupathimwithcalmandserenity.Azazel froze,a frownsettlingbetweenhiseyebrows,beforehiseyeswidenedandherealizedthatDravenwasveryreal,andrightinfrontofhim.

“You’rereallyhere,”hemanagedtosay,baringhisfangs.

HemovedtowardDravenbutwasinstantlyhitfromthesidebyaninvisiblepulsethatmadehimwobbleandnearly losehisbalance.He looked tohis right and identified thesource.Serenahadcomeoutandpushedapowerfulbarrieragainsthim.

Draven immediatelymuttered something, loading his fistswith incandescent energyand punching out blazing fireballs that pummeledAzazel, turning his skin red as theyimpacted.

He hissed and pushed backwith an invisible pulse of his own, followed by severalgreen flames, which Draven blocked expertly with his glowing forearms. Azazel thennoticedthatSerenawasn’talone.

Jax,Hansa,Jovi,Thadeus,andPatrikhademergedfromtheirhidingspots,alongwiththeshifter.ThelatterdrewAzazel’sattentionforasplitsecond,andhelookedathimwithgenuine confusion before he decided he didn’t carewhy a shifter, belonging to awild,untamedspecies,hadjoinedthisfight.Heobviouslyhadalotmoretoworryabout,asthegrouphadbroughtouttheircrossbows,poisonedarrowsloadedandreadytostrike.

Patrikhadmostlikelycomeupherewearingapairofpants,beforehe’dmorphedintoasnaketobringmethekey,becausehewaswearingthemnow.Heshotmeaglanceandafriendly, reassuringwink.Myheartbegan to race, and Imoved slowlyback toward thetorchI’deyedearlier.

“Lookatyou,finetraitors,”AzazelhissedashelookedatThadeusandPatrik.“Youthinkthismeansyou’vewon?Youthinkit’stheendofme?You’reallinforaveryrudeawakening…”

Heglancedaround,settinghissightsonSerena.

“You’ve bothered me before, coming here unannounced, uninvited, and have beenparticularlyrudetomystaff.”Hisvoiceboomedacrosstheterrace.

“Ilikeditsomuchthefirsttime,IdecidedIwantedado-over,”Serenareplieddryly,herfingercurvedaroundthecrossbow’strigger.

“She’sfeisty,”Azazelremarked,grinningatDraven.“I’llenjoyrippingherheadoff.”

“Yeah,beforeyoudothat,Ishouldwarnyouthatwhilethesearrowswon’tkillyou,there’s enough shifter poisonon their tips to put you through a considerable amount ofexcruciatingpain,”Serenashotback,undeterredbyhisgruesomepromise.

“Surrender now, Azazel,” Draven added, his arms still glowing white, loaded withenergy.“It’snouse.Luceriaisfalling.Youcanseeit.Youcanhearit.Youcanfeelit.”

“TheonlythingIfeelisanurgetoputmyfistthroughyourchestandripyourheartout,soyoucanwatchitsfinalbeats,”Azazelreplied,grittinghisteeth.

I held the torch up. I placedmy hand above the flame, reveling in how itswarmthpouredintome,sharpeningmysensesandfillingmewiththekindofenergyI’dmissedsincethey’dfirstslappedthoseobsidiancuffsonme.

Iwas ready to hitAzazel hard. Therewas enough fire inme to probably torch theentireplace.

Thiswasit.

AidaandPhoenixwatchedquietly fromtheirbubbles, their fingerssplayedover theglass,astheshowdownbegan.

Thisisit,Azazel.You’regoingdown.

T

AN JAN I

heMarawardswereadeptatdivertingpotentialhostilesawayasweracedthrough the tight corridors and down the service stairs toward Azazel’s

dungeons.Westayedintheshadowsaswelistenedtoeverynoisebeyondthewalls.IhadafeelingthatalltheloudbangsandfightingoutsidewerekeepingmostoftheDestroyersand incubi busy. The volcanoes getting shut down, along with the little Daughter’sextraction,wereclearlytakingtheirtollonAzazel’smagic.

Thedungeonwasripefor thepicking, I realizedaswegot there.Seeminglyendlessroomswerefilledwithblackironcagesrattlingastheprisonerscalledoutforhelp,eagertogetout and fight, energizedby the soundofwar trickling in from thegroundabove.They’dbeendownhereforsolong,Icouldn’tblamethem.

SeveralDestroyers emerged frombehind the cages, armed to the teeth.Theyhissedandcameatus.Ibroughtmycrossbowoutandshotacoupleofthemintheeyes,movingquicklyfromsidetosidetokeepadistance.Theybothwailed.Idroppedtheweaponandtookmyswordout.Itsstainlesssteelbladewasthirstyforblood.

Thewardsusedtheirmind-bendingskilltodisrupttwootherbeastsbeforeusingtheirswordstobeheadthem.Ouropponentswereblindandcursing,theirserpenttailsflailingerratically.Oneofthemwasquiteclosetooneofthewalls,andIneededahighangle,soIranandjumpedatthewall,usingthepushfrommylegstolaunchamid-airstrikeagainsthimwithmysword.Thebladeswisheddown,andhisheadrolledtothefloorbeforehisbodycollapsed.

Thecagesrattledevenharder,prisonersgrippingthebarsandgrowling,desperatetogetoutastheywitnessedourfight.ThesecondDestroyerinfrontofmepulledthearrowsoutofhiseyeswithashortscream,thebloodpouringdowninstreamsfromhisorbits.

“I’ll kill you, you little…”He snarled, and used his forked tongue to pick out mypreciselocationbyscent.

I was counting on him to do that. He lungedmy way, and I immediately shuffledaround,grippingmyswordwithbothhandsanddriving it right throughhis spine inanupwardmotion.Iheardthebonescrackasthesteelcutthroughthem,severinghisspinalcord. Therewas no going back from that.He choked on his own blood, the tip ofmyswordpiercinghisthroat.

Iputmyfootagainsthisbackandpushedinordertopullmyswordback.

Hefellflatonhisface,lifeless.

Therewasasetofkeyshangingfromhisbelt,includingasmallgoldonethatcaughtmyeye.Isnatcheditandproceededtounlockthecages.IlookedaroundandnoticedtheMara wards were doing the same thing, after they’d brought down a couple moreDestroyersandsnatchedtheirkeys.Eachsetofkeyshadagoldoneincluded,itseemed.Dozensmorebeastspouredinfromthedarkercornersofthedungeon,soImovedasfastasIcouldtoletasmanycreaturesoutaspossible.TheincubiandsuccubiwerequicktopickupweaponsfromtheDestroyerswe’dkilled.

Whenmore Destroyers poured in, theywere ready to strike. A fight ensued as thewardsandIliberatedsomeMarasandmoresuccubi.

“You’reasightforsoreeyes!”oneoftheMarassaidasIopenedhiscage.

He pointed at the little golden key as he lifted his arms.He’d been restrainedwithobsidiancuffs.

“Usethattoopenthese;otherwise,Ican’tdoanymind-bending,”hesaidashejumpedoutofhiscage.

Hewassignificantlytallerthanme,almosttoweringoverme.Hisbroadshouldersandathletic framewerewell complementedbyhis ruffledblackhair and jade eyes. I had afeelingI’dseenhimbefore,somehow.Helookedfamiliar.

My heart was thudding—every second counted. The more prisoners we freed, themorefightingpowerwehad—notjustagainsttheDestroyersleftinthedungeons,butalsothehostilesontheupperlevels.

Iunlocked thecuffs, thesymbolscarved in themglowinggreen forasecondbeforetheycameoff,andherubbedhiswristswithrelief.Ihadtwolongknivesstrappedtomyback,andIpulledthemoutandhandedthemovertohim.

“Here,usethese,”Isaid.

“Thankyou!”Hegrinned.“It’sbeenawhile…”

“Howlonghaveyoubeendownhere?”IaskedasIcontinuedtoletprisonersoutandremovetheirobsidiancuffswiththelittlegoldenkey,whiletheMarawardsdidthesame.Several incubi broke into one of the armories on the other side of the hallway used toaccessthedungeons.Swordsandspearswerebroughtout,thendistributedaroundsoeachfreedcreaturecouldwieldaweapon.

“Ilosttrack.Atleasttenyears,”theMaragrumbled,movingtomysideandhelpingthe weaker prisoners stand for the first time in perhaps decades. “I’m Heron, of theDorchadasclan.”

“I’mAnjani,oftheRedTribe.”Inoddedrespectfully,thenstilled.I’dheardthenamebefore,fromtheWhiteCityMaras.ThewardshadusedittoaddressJax.Ilookedaroundandsawoneofthewardsmovingtowardusfromthegrowingcrowdofprisoners.

TheDestroyers spilling inwere now quite easily overpowered, as the freed incubi,succubi,Lamias,Maras,Bajangs, and imps took their revenge indroves.Thedungeonswereours.

ThewardreachedusandgreetedHeronwithareverentbowandashorthug,visiblyhappyandrelievedtoseehim.

“Milord,thanktheDaughtersyouarestillalive!”thewardsaid,furtheramplifyingmyconfusion.

“I’mmissingsomethinghere,”Imuttered.

“ThisisHeron,Jaxxon’syoungerbrother,”thewardreplied.“Hewascapturedduringaraid,manyyearsago.We’dfearedhimdead.”

“Asyoucansee,I’mstillhere.”Heronsmirked.“Thoughit’sbeenboringashell.Noentertainmentwhatsoever,terriblefood,rudeservice.I’mnotcomingback!”

Ihadajokeronmyhands.Ismirked,thengavehimahardpatonthearm.

“Welcome back to the free world, then,” I said. “We’re taking Eritopia back. Yourcompanionscanfillyouin.”

I left him therewith theward andmoved on to the next cages. I glanced overmyshoulderandwatchedastheyherdedtheweakandwoundedofftotheside.Severalincubibroughtthemwaterandblanketsfromsomeofthenearbyservicequarters.They’devenbrokenintooneofthedryfooddeposits,bringingoutrollsofdrybreadandnuts,tofeedthosewhohadbeendeprivedofsustenance.

Theotherprisonersweresurprisinglywellcoordinated.They’dbeenhereforsolong,they’d probably bondedwith one another andwere able to quickly assign offense anddefensepositions appropriately—itworked, too, as the fewDestroyers leftwere swiftlytakenout.

“Helpme!”Ispottedanoldfemalefaeinacage,halfcoveredwithadirtyblanket.

Hadshenotspoken,Imight’vemissedher.She’dbeenkeptseparatefromtheothers,tuckedawayinadarkcorner.Shelookedpaleandweak,herbonyfingerstremblingasItookthelockoff.Shereachedout,showingmeherobsidiancuffs.

“I’llgetyououtofthosenow,”Isaidreassuringly,andinsertedthelittlegoldenkeyintothefirstcuff.

Shelookedatme,frowningbeforehereyeswidenedwithsurprise.

“I know you,” she mumbled as I took off the second cuff and gently rubbed herwrinkledwrists. Istaredather, trying tofigureout if I’dseenherbefore,but therewasnothingfamiliar.Herskinfeltcold,herfleshsoftandherbonesbrittle.Icouldn’thelpbutfeelsorryfortheordealshe’dhadtoendure.

“Idon’tthinkso.We’venevermet,”Isaid,helpingheroutofthecage.

“Wehaven’t,butIsawyouattheSarangMarketplace,nottoolongago,”shereplied,unabletotakehereyesoffmywolf’sheadpendant.“Beforetheybroughtmehere.Youwerewithanincubusandtheboywhosmelledlikeawolf.”

“Jovi.”Istilled.

Myheartached. I’dbeensobusydownhere that I’dmanaged toput the thoughtofhimasidecompletely. Iknewhe’d successfullyextracted theDaughter,but Ihadyet to

reachouttohimviaTelluris.

“Listen,he’sindanger,”thefaesaid,visiblyworried,herlowerliptrembling.

“Whatdoyoumean?”

Mystomachtightened.Shetuckedlocksofherwhitehairbehindherearsandleanedagainstthecage.Herfeeblelegscouldn’tholdherupforlong.

“I’ve had to do terrible things to stay alive in thisworld,” she explained, her voicethickwithregret.“I’vehadtodoAzazel’sbidding,collectbloodsamplesfromdifferentcreatures.AfterhefelttheOraclescomethrough,heinstructedmetokeepaneyeoutforanyone who seemed like an outsider, not a native of Eritopia. Jovi was one suchcreature…”

“So youwere at theMarketplace asAzazel’s spy?” I felt rage pouring throughmyveinsbutkeptmyselfundercontrol.“Whathaveyoubeendoinginacage,then?”

“Icouldn’tdohisdirtyworkforhimanymore.”Shesniffed,andtearsrolleddownhercheeks.“He’dbeenworkingonapowerfulbloodspell,andheneededsamplesfromallthecreaturesthatweren’tfromEritopia.Whateverit’sfor, it’snotgood.Icouldn’tdoitanymore.Iamnotanevilperson.Youmustbelieveme…IonlydidwhatIhadtodotosurvive…”

“You’retellingmeAzazelhasJovi’sblood?Howdidyougetitfromhim?”Iasked,grittingmyteeth.

“YouwereallattheMarketplacethatday,thethreeofyou,”shereplied,touchingmypendant.“Hegotthisforyou.Igaveittohim.AndIsnatchedadropofhisbloodintheprocess.Hedidn’tevenrealizewhatI’ddone.AfterIpasseditontoAzazel,ItoldhimIcouldn’t do this anymore. He sneered, and he threwme in here, promising to put methroughaslowandtorturousdeath.I’vebeenexperiencingitsinceI’vebeeninthiscage,but you saved me, and it’s only fair that you know the truth, that you understand thedangerJovi’sin.”

“Make yourself understood, old fae,” I growled. “What is that blood spell you’retalkingabout?”

“It’smeanttocontrolcreatureswhosebloodhehas.Butitgetsworse.Itcankill…”

Mybloodturnedtoice.Joviwasupattheverytop.IcouldfeelhimthroughTelluris.Ihadtogettohim.Ihadtolethimknow.IbrokeintoacoldsweatasIreachedouttohiminmymind.

“TellurisJovi!”Icriedout.

Theoldfaelookedatmewithconfusion.

“Youneedtogotohim,”shewhispered.

“TellurisJovi!”Iignoredher,callingouttohim.

Buttherewasnoanswer.

Ihadtogettohim,andIhadtodoitfast.Imovedtoleave,buttheoldfaegrabbedmywrist,holdingmeback.

“Letme go, or Iwill punish you forwhat you did!” I snarled, fury burning inmytemples.

“Thependant,”shesaid.“Thependantwillsavehim!”

Ilookeddownatmywolf’sheadjewel,thenather,mybrowspulledintoafrown.

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Make him swallow the stone.” She sighed. “I took his blood, but I gave him thispendantasawayout.Itoldyou,I’mnotanevilperson.Icouldn’tdoitanymore.”

Ihadalongwayuptogo.Inoddedbriefly,thenranasfastasIcould.IhadtogettoJovi.

Myheartstartedracingasheatspreadthroughme.Iranuptheservicestairs,usingacopy of the castle plans I’d tucked away in my boot to find the quickest way to theplatform.TherewasnowayI’d letAzazelhurt themanI loved.Therewasnoway I’dallowanyversionofthefutureinwhichJoviwaskilledcometrue.

No,Jovi,you’restayingwithme,IthoughtfuriouslytomyselfasIpassedeachlevel.Hanginthere.I’mcoming…

I

JOV I

hadmycrossbowaimedatAzazel,whostoodtallandbroadinthemiddleoftheplatform.Mynerveswerestretchedtotheirlimits,mymusclestwitching,eagerforafight.Mygripwasfirm,afingerclutchingthetriggerasthetipof

thepoisonedarrowpointedathishead.Itwasn’tmycalltoattack,though.We’dmadeaplanandwewerestickingtoit,nomatterwhat.

Vitawas several feet behindhim,holdingup a torch, herknees trembling.Shewasready to strike,whilemy sister and Phoenixwere still, helplesslywatching this unfoldfrominsidetheirglassbubbles.

“Giveitup,Azazel,”Isaidfirmly.“There’snothingyoucando.”

Helookedatme,agrinslittinghisfaceinawaythatsentshiversdownmyspine.

With slow movements, he brought a rectangular diamond up to his lips. It lookedstrange,withiridescentgreenveinsflowingthroughitscore.Hewhisperedsomethingintoit.

“Tellyouwhat,”he replieddryly.“Howaboutyoupoint that thingsomewhereelse,instead?Likeather,forexample.”

HenoddedatHansa,whowasstandingacoupleoffeettomyleft.

Mybodystiffened,abizarrecoldnessrushingthroughme,andIfeltmyarmssuddenlymovewithoutmyconsent.Mytorsoturned,andIfoundmyselfpointingmycrossbowatHansa,myfingertremblingonthetrigger.

“What are you doing tome?” Imanaged to ask,my voice hoarse as I broke into asweat.

Mygazedartedaroundtheplatform,andIrecognizedthehorrorinmyfriends’eyes.Theywereallstaringatme,frozen,unabletoreact.HansawasstillpointinghercrossbowatAzazel,butwasgivingmeafearfullook.

“Whatareyoudoing,Jovi?”shegrowled.

“Ican’tcontrolit,”Igasped.“He’sdoingsomethingtome.”

Ifeltlikeapuppet.Azazellaughed.

“Shoother,”heordered.

Despiteeveryboneinmybody,everysliverofinstinct,andeverysenseIhadtelling

metolaunchthatarrowbackathim,Icouldn’t.Instead,Ipulledthetrigger.

“No!”IheardSerenascream.

ThepoisonedarrowhitHansahard, lodgingbetweentwoofherribs,andtheshiftertoxinspreadquicklythroughherbody.Shegruntedandfell tothefloor,soonlosinghernaturalshimmer.Silverbloodoozedfromherwound.

“Hansa!”Icriedout.

Shelookedatme,heremerald-goldeyesflickeringwithpain,stunnedbythepoison.Itwouldn’tkillAzazelbecausehewas toostrong,but itwasdefinitelydeadlyenoughforanyoneofus.

Hansawas dying.My senses caved in,my rage unable tomanifest itself, as I wasunderAzazel’sphysicalcontrol.

Isawthedevastationonmyfriends’faces.IsawJax’sfaceturnwhiteashewatchedHansawritheinpain, thetoxingraduallykickingin.I instinctivelylookedat theshifter.I’d seen it lick its ownwounds to heal itself and figured away out forHansa throughthem.

“You!”Ishoutedatmyfaithfulcompanion.

Azazelhadcontrolovermylimbs,butnotmymind.Thecreatureglancedatme, itseyesglowingviolet.Itsthinlipsparted,anditstarteddrooling.

ItrushedovertoHansa,butwasimmediatelyknockedbackbyapowerfulpulseshotfromAzazel’shand.Itfellhardagainstthefloor,andthenasecondpulsecameandsweptitofftheterrace.

MyheartbrokeasIhearditspanickedwails…followedbydeathlysilence.IglaredatAzazel,whoworeasatisfiedgrindrawnfromeartoear.

“Surprised?”Azazelasked,histonelacedwithmockery.“Youshouldn’tbe.Itoldyou,overandover,thatIamalwaysonestepaheadofyou.”

“Whatdidyoudo?”Dravenasked,hiseyessetonthePrinceofDestroyers.

“IdidwhatIdobest.”Azazelscoffed,asifinsultedbythequestion.“DidyoureallythinkIwouldn’thaveabackupplanifyounastylittlebugstriedtocomeatme?Youmustbe joking! I’ve been collecting blood samples from all over Calliope for years now,especiallyfromforeigners!Didyoureallythinkmyspieswouldn’tnoticeyourwolf-boydownsouthatthemarket?”

Istilled then,myeyesopenedwide.I rememberedmyencounterwith theoldfae inthe SarangMarketplace, the onewho’d givenme thewolf’s head pendant. I’d felt theprick onmy neck. I’d seen the drop of blood, but I’d figured it had been an insect. IlookedatAzazel,therealizationcrashingintomesohardandsofastthatitknockedtheairoutofmylungs.

“Theoldfae,”Imuttered.“Shegotthebloodfromme…”

“Ofcourseshedid!”Azazel’svoiceboomed.“Ihaveeyesandservantseverywhere.Whatpartofthatdidn’tyouunderstand?Thisisapowerfulbloodspell,myboy!Youand

thousands of others are undermy control, but I’m focusing allmy energyonyou rightnow.I’menjoyingthistoomuchnottogiveyouatasteofmyfullpower!”

Hegrinned,watchingme intently.Myhand reached into the extraquiver I’dgottenfromSerenaandreloadedthecrossbow.MywholebodyshookasIpulledthearrowintoplace,thestringdiggingintomyfingertips.

“Stopthis,”Igrowled.“Serena,stopit!Shootme!”

Dread came overme as I pointed the arrow at Jax next. TheLord ofMaras turnedslowly to faceme, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. I needed this to be over. IneededsomeonetotakemeoutbeforeIdidanyonemoreharm.Icouldn’tcontrolmyself!

Myheartbroke,asIwassuddenlyfacedwithmyownmortality.

Mydestiny.

Onewayoranother, the futurehadshownme thatmydeathwasprobable.Azazel’scontrol ofmy bodywas yet another confirmation. If Iwas going to die, I sure as hellwasn’tgoingtotakeanyoneelsewithme.

“Shootme,Serena!”Ibellowed.

IheardAidaandPhoenixbangingontheglass,theirvoicesmuffledastheyprotestedandscreamedatme.

“Jovi,no!Fightit!Jovi!”mysistercried,hereyesred.

“I…Ican’t…”

“Jovi,Ican’tshootyou.”Serena’svoicetrembled.“Fightit!Youhavetofightit!”

“Jovi,hiscontrolisnotabsolute,”Patrikurgedfromtheside.“Ibrokefree.Youcan,too!”

“Jovi,lookatme,”Jaxsaid,surprisinglycalm.

Ilistened,andoureyesmet.Hisflickeredgoldasheusedhismind-bendingabilitiesonme.Icouldfeelhimpokingthroughmyhead.Icouldhearthewhispersurgingmetoputthecrossbowdown.

“Youdon’twanttodothis,”Jaxadded.

“Idon’t.”Ishookmyhead,tearsglazingmyeyes.“Idon’twanttohurtanyofyou…”

IglancedoveratHansa,whowaslyingonhersideinthefetalposition,tryingtokeepher breathing and pulse even as she fought the shifter toxin. I felt myself torn on theinside,thepaincripplingmyverysoul.

“Justkillme…”

“Oh,justgetitoverwith.”Azazelscoffedandsnappedhisfingers.

Ifeltmyselfstartingtopullthetrigger,butIstruggledagainstit.

“No!”Ishouted,mybloodboilingandburningthroughme.

“Jovi,lookatme!”Jaxsaid,perfectlycalm,hisgoldeneyesdrillingintome.

Ifelthisinfluence;Iheardthewhispersgettinglouder,shapingintovoices.Theimageinfrontofmewarped,andIcouldn’tseeanyoneotherthanAzazel,biganddarkandevil.Itriedtoforcemyselftomovethecrossbowawayandaimitathim,butmybodydidn’trespond.

Fightit.

Mymusclestensed.Myinner-wolfroaredandhowled,desperateforfreedom.

“Don’tbefoolish,boy.”Azazel’svoicetrickledintomyear.“Youcan’tstopit.”

Fightit,Jovi.

“Jovi,please…Fightit…”Mysister’svoiceechoedthrough.

Itsurgedthroughme.WhateverJaxwasdoingtome,itwasn’tenoughtohelpme,butAida’s heartfelt plea seemed to give me the boost I needed. I roared as I pulled thecrossbowawayandaimeditatAzazel.Thetipofthepoisonedarrowpointedathishead,readytogo.

He sneered, then waved his arm, sending out an invisible pulse that hit me like afreighttrain.Ifeltmybonescrackwhenitthrewmeback.Ihitthefloorhard,withathud,landingonmyback.

Mymusclesinstantlyrelaxed,andIfeltmyheadgetlight,adeafpainthrobbinginmytemples.

Iblackedout.

I

SERENA

watched helplessly as Hansa convulsed on the floor, the poison causingunbearable damage to her body. I couldn’t move to help her, my crossbowlockedonAzazel.Icouldn’tlethimoutofmysight.Hedidn’tseemtomind,

watching us with amusement flickering in his yellow eyes. The corner of his mouthtwitched.

Icouldn’ttakeitanymore.Ishotmyarrow,butAzazelsawitcoming.Heflickedhiswrist and the projectile vanished into a puff of smoke and ashes. I heldmybreath as Ireloaded,Azazel’schucklestretchingmynerves.

Joviwas unconscious, but at least hewas still alive, his chestmoving slightlywitheachbreath.Jaxslidonhiskneesover toHansa,applyingpressure to thewound inhersidewhilehisfingerswrappedaroundthearrow,preparingtoslowlypullitout.

IlookedoveratDraven,whokepthiseyesonAzazelthewholetime,asdidPatrikandThadeus.Weneededtocatchhimwithhisguarddownifwewantedtogetsomearrowsintohim,thatmuchhadjustbecomeobvious.

“I don’t know what it will take for you people to understand that you can’t win,”Azazelsaid.“ButI’mmorethanhappytoproveit,repeatedly,untileitheryoualldie,orfalltoyourkneesandacknowledgemeasthesupremeleaderofEritopia.”

“Keep dreaming, snake!” Hansa coughed from below, prompting him to laughmockingly.

“Saveyourbreath,darling.Icanseethelifeslippingoutofyoualready,”heshotback.

Jax started pulling the arrow out, making her groan and curse from the pain. Shepushedhimaway,pointingatAzazel.

“Forgetme!Killhim!Don’tfalter,don’thesitate—killhim!”sheshouted.

AgiantfireballhitAzazelfrombehind,hardenoughtoswallowhimwhole.Mybreathhitchedashestruggledwithitbeforetheflamesturnedgreenandfizzledoutinapuffofblack smoke. His skin tone was darker, parts of his beard and hair still burning as hepattedthemdown,cursingunderhisbreath.

HeglancedoverhisshoulderatVita,who’dattackedhim.Shestoodproudlywithherchinup,holdingatorch.Anotherfireballformedinhersparehand.

“Oh,please.”Azazelclickedhisteethandwavedheraway.

Hishandgesturetriggeredanotherinvisiblepulsetoshootout.ItknockedVitaoffherfeet,andshefellbackwardswithasqueal.Hethenbroughtthediamonduptohislipsandwhisperedsomethingintoit.Irealizedtoolatewhatwashappening—Vitawaspulledtoherfeet,unabletocontrolherownbody.

Shestaredatuswithhorror,blinkingrapidlyasAzazelcontrolledher likeapuppet.He’dmanaged toget someofherblood, too,which suddenlymade sense tome.She’dbeenaprisonerhere,afterall.

“What…What’s happening?You…You tookmyblood!”She cried out as shewasmadetomovearoundlikeadollonstrings.

“Imustadmit,Ifindmyselfcontinuouslyoffendedbyyourinabilitytoacknowledgemygreatness.”Azazelsighedtheatricallyashemovedhisfingersintheair,watchingassheobeyedhiseverycommand.

Myheartshrankinmychest.Ifearedthatthe“fun”wouldsoonstopandthatAzazelwoulddosomethingmuchworse toher.Hewaspayingattention toeverymovearoundhim,andas longashewasso focused,ourpoisonedarrowsorDruidspellswould fail.Most importantly, he had Jovi and Vita under his control. We couldn’t risk tryingsomethingelse,yet.

“Lethergo.”Igrittedmyteethandaimedthearrowathishead.

“You try to shoot me again and I will kill her.” Azazel gave me a cool sidewaysglance.

“Thisstopsnow,Azazel.”Draven’svoicecutthroughthemadnesswithcrystalclarity.

Azazel flicked his hand, forcingVita to fall flat on her face. She hit her head hardagainsttheblackstoneslabs.Bloodtrickledfromhertemple,andshepassedout,makingmeboilwithrage.Icouldn’tshoothim.Icouldn’tdoanythingagainsthimatthispoint,ashehadbothVita and Jovi under his control, and I didn’t know the extent towhich thebloodspellworked.

I didn’t have time to think of any solutions or alternatives, either, because Azazelswiftlyfocusedhisattentiononus,grinning.Hemutteredsomething,andabrightgreenlightshotoutallaroundhim—it looked like itwasgoing tohitus,untilagolden lightblockedit.

I glanced over toDraven and stilled,watching as he lit up like the sun, the energypouringoutofhimopposing thegreenblaze thatAzazelhadpushedourway.The twoforcefieldsresistedoneanother,andAzazelblinkednervously,frowningatDraven.

“How did you…How are you doing this? This isn’t a job for a single Druid!” hebarked.

“DidyouthinkI’dcomeherealone?”Dravengrinned.

One by one, the sources of his power emerged from below. They’d been waitingpatiently by the staircase, waiting for Draven’s signal. Ori, Malachy, Mason, Flynn,Cassin, and Dain revealed themselves, their bodies incandescent with the same goldenlightastheyfedDraven’sprotectiveshield.Theywerefeedinghimwiththeirenergy,so

hecouldamplifythatforcefield.

“Druids,”Azazelmutteredasangerlithiseyesinaghastlygreenglow.

Hepushedoutmoreofhisdarkenergytoamplifyhisoffensivespell,buthewasstillstruggling.Hewas enveloped in a bright green sphere of light,whileDraven’s had anamberhuetoit,heldstrongbytheyoungDruids.Bothspheresstillopposedoneanother.LeftwithoutthelittleDaughterandthepowerfromthevolcanoes,Azazelhadclearlylosthis edge and was experiencing difficulties for the first time, up against seven Druids.Draven’s training in thespherebackatStonewallhadpaidoffnicely,and Idared to lethopeblossominmychest.

“I’msureyouhadalovelyreunionpartyplannedforthisoccasion.”Azazelgrinned.“ButIfearIhavetoonceagainreiteratethatIamstill,andalwayswillbe,onestepaheadofyou.”

“You’redonefor,Azazel,”Dravenreplied.“Iknowit’shardtocometotermswithit,butyou’renotgettingoutofherealive.Themoreyoufightus,theeasieritwillbeforustokillyouandspareyouthehonorofjudgmentbeforetheEritopiansyou’vehurt.”

IcaughtsightofJovislowlygettingup,clutchinghiscrossbowandstraighteninghisback.HismusclestwitchedandhiskneesshookashefoughtAzazel’scontrolspell.IhadafeelingAzazelwasn’tputtinganyenergyintocontrollingJoviatthemoment,givinghimtheopeningheneeded to raise hisweapon andpoint it straight at thebackofAzazel’shead.

Thesnakependant’srubyeyesflashedaphosphorescentgreenasmoreemeraldlightemanatedfromAzazel’sbody.MyheartstoppedwhenhethrewJoviasidewaysglance,materializedasharpswordfromtheenergyoozingoutofhim,andhurleditathim.

“No!”Iscreamed.

Butitwastoolate.ThebladepiercedJovi’sstomach.

Aidascreamed.TheothersgaspedasJovifellbackward,bloodpoolingbeneathhim.Myheartwastorntoshreds,myeyesburning,andIstruggledtokeepmyheadclear.

Azazel then lookedatDravenandme,glowingallgreenashis energycontinued toopposetheDruids’.

“I am always one step ahead.” He sneered, then hissed—this sounded different, ahigherpitchthatlastedafewseconds.

Destroyers soareduparound theplatform,armedwithswordsandspearsand ridingtheirpale flyinghorses.Timeseemed tostop forasecond. I lookedaroundandfelt thedreadrushingthroughmeandshatteringmydefenses.

Therewasagrowl, and Iglanced tomy right.Twomore shifters emerged from thestaircase,advancingacrosstheplatform.IheardPhoenixknockingontheglass,hiseyeswideningasherecognizedthem.

“Theymade it all theway here!”Mybrother’smuffled shout came through. “Theyfollowedushere!”

These were the shifters that had gone after Phoenix and Aida during the Sluaghs’

attackonStonewall.TheireyesglowedvioletastheycameupnexttoPatrikandThadeus,glaringatAzazelandbaringtheirsharpfangs,readytofightbyourside.

Betterlatethannever.Therewasn’tanytimetothinkaboutwherethey’dbeenhidingallthistime.Wedesperatelyneededtheminthisfight.

JoviandHansawereonthefloor,dying.AidaandPhoenixwerestilltrappedintheirglassspheres,aswasAbrille,wholookedmoredeadthanaliveasshefloatedintheclearliquid.WeweresurroundedbyatleasttwentyDestroyers,theirforkedtonguesflittingouttocatchourscent.

The war continued to unravel below. The allied forces were making advances,explosionsrockingthecastleandswordsviciouslyclangingasthefreenationsfoughttoreclaimtheirland.IcouldhearthemoverpoweringtheincubiandDestroyersbelow.Soonenough,they’dbeswarmingthroughthecastle.

Wewereuphere,surroundingAzazelinastandstillthat,ashorribleasitseemed,wasprettymuchwherewe’dplannedtobebeforewe’dleftStonewall.Noneofushadseenthebloodspellcoming,though.Hansa,Vita,andJovi’spredicamenthadnotbeenpartoftheplan, and it toreme apart because I couldn’t do anything to help them.With hordes ofDestroyersarrivingtodefendAzazel,wecouldn’tspareasinglefighteratthismoment.

“Taketheseslitheringbastardson,”DravenshoutedattheyoungDruids,“you’veputenoughenergyintome,IthinkIcanholditonmyown.”

TheyoungDruidsnoddedwearily,theirgoldenglowdimmingastheyturnedtofacetheincomingattackers.DravenwasleftonhisowntosustainhisbrightforcefieldagainstAzazel,anditseemedlikeasubstantialeffortonhispart,asbeadsofsweatblossomedonhisforehead.

TheshiftersmorphedintoDestroyers,baringtheirfangsatthehostilesflyingaroundus.Ourattackersclosedinontheplatform,drawingtheirswordsandgettingreadytofightus.

“Hold your ground, Draven,” I managed, and aimed my crossbow at one of theDestroyers,whileJax,Patrik,andThadeusdrewtheirswords.“It’sabouttogetcrazy…”

Thebeastshissedastheycamedownhard.

IreleasedanarrowandwatcheditsplinteraDestroyer’seye.

Ourrealwarhadjustbegun.

I

A IDA

screamedsohard,itfeltlikemylungsweregoingtocollapse.

Mybrotherwaslyingonhisback,amassiveswordinhisstomach.Hewasbleedingoutfast,andnomatterhowhardIkickedandpunchedthedamnedglasssphere,Icouldn’tgetout.

Wavesofhotandcoldpummeledme,myinner-wolfroaring.Ifelttearsspillingfrommyeyes.

Mythroatburned,andmyheartachedsomuch,Ifeareditwouldcaveinonitself.

“Jovi!”Icriedout.“Getup!Dammit,Jovi,getup!”

Buthewasn’tmoving.Hiseyeswereopen,blinkingslowly.Hischeststillrosewitheverystaggeringbreath.His fingers trembled.Hisskinbecamepalerwitheachmomentthatwentby.AndIcouldn’tdoanything.

Serenahadjusthitoneof theDestroyers in theeyewithanarrow;nowshebroughtherswordoutandengagedinbattle,usingbriefbarrierstogainaminoradvantageagainstthe beasts. Jax, Thadeus, Patrik, the youngDruids, and the shifters took on the others.Destroyer blades screeched out of their sheaths and clashed hard against those of myfriends.TheshifterssnarledandrippedtheheadsofftwooftheDestroyers,snatchingtheirspearsandswordsandusingthemagainsttheothers.

Jaxusedhismind-bendingabilityonanotherbeforehejumpedonitsbackandshovedhisswordthroughthebackofitsneck.TheDestroyerfellflatonitsfaceasJaxpulledhisbladebackandmovedontothenextone,whileSerenapushedabarrieroutandbeheadedtheDestroyershe’dpartiallyblinded.

TheyoungDruidswerenimbleandswiftontheirfeet,usingtheirswordstoblocktheDestroyers’hits and shootingwhite flames that ateawayat themonsters’ flesh.Onebyone,theDestroyerswerefalling,butmorewerecomingfrombelow,havingrespondedtoAzazel’shissforhelp.

Azazelstoodinthemiddle,facingoffwithDravenandchuckling.Heshoneallgreen,Asherak’senergyoozingoutofhimliketoxicfumes.

Thehatred searing throughmewas impossible tocontrol.Mymuscles jerked,and Ibaredmyteeth,glaringatthebackofhisneck.

Iflookscouldkill…

“You’re a coward for calling your drones out to do your fighting for you,”Dravenspat,glowingwithgoldenenergy,stillholdinghisownagainstAzazel.

“I’mnot interested in fightingDruids.”Azazel laughed. “Your little rebellionneedscrushing,notentertaining!Iimagineyouwon’tlastmorethanafewminutes,anyway.”

“Listentomecarefully,Azazel,asI’monlygoingtosaythisonemoretimebeforeIbringthewholeofEritopiadownonyou,”Dravenreplied.“Thecastleissurrounded.Thefreenationsarecomingin,andyourdefensesarefalling,onebyone.Youcan’tstopit.It’sallcomingtoanendforyou,whetheryou’rereadytoadmititornot.”

Azazelclearlydidn’tlikewhatheheard.HeglancedoveratSerena,whowasfightingoffanotherDestroyerwiththehelpofoneoftheshifters.Justasthebeastfelltoitsknees,theshiftergnawingon itsneck,Azazelputahandoutandballed it intoafist,usinganinvisibleforcetograbSerenabytheneckanddragherawayfromthefight.

He lifted her off the floor. She struggled in the invisible chokehold, coughing andgaspingforair.Thiswasn’tabloodspellhewasusingonSerena.Itwasmuchmorebasic,akinperhaps to telekinesis.Draven’seyes flickeredblackashe released thearrowfromhis crossbow. Azazel dodged it so fast, it whizzed past him and vanished somewherebeyond the platform.He grinned and clutched his fist even tighter, his knuckleswhite.Serenafoughtforherlife,gaggingandkickingherlegs.

“TrysomethingelseandIwillsnaphernecklikeatwig,”Azazelsaid.

I watched helplessly, no longer able to even think. I kept a close eye on Jovi’sbreathing,hangingontoathreadofhopethathe’dlivethroughthissomehow,thatwe’dfinishthisquicklyandgettohimbeforeitwastoolate.

PatrikslippedoutofascufflewithaDestroyerandslidacrossthefloortowardJovi.HegrabbedthecrossbownexttohimandaimeditatthebackofAzazel’sneck.Hepulledthe triggerfastenoughfor thearrowto lodge inAzazel’sshoulder, justashe turnedhisheadtolookatPatrik.

Azazel grunted from the pain, but didn’t let Serena go,whileDraven’s gaze dartedfromonetotheother,amuscletwitchinginhisjaw,hislipspressedtight.

“Iswear,youpeoplenever learn.”Azazelsighedandbrought thediamondup tohislipsagain.

“Oh,no,”Igasped.“No,no,no…”

Patrik’sbodystiffenedasheraisedhisswordabovehishead.Thadeuswasforcedoutofafightaswell.Hislegscarriedhimseveralfeetacrosstheplatform,untilhestoodfacetofacewithPatrik.Theirfacesgrewpaleastheyrealizedwhatwashappening.Azazelhadtheirblood,too.

“No,” Patrik gasped, his arms no longer obeying him. Thadeus brought his swordforward,sweatingandgrunting,desperatelystrugglingagainstAzazel’sbloodspell.

Icouldonlyimaginetheirfrustration,afterhavingjustliberatedthemselvesfromhiscontrol.

“Yes.”Azazelsneered,pluckingthearrowfromhisshoulder.“Now,getbusywithone

anotherandstopbeingsotroublesome.”

PatrikandThadeusstartedfightingeachother,theirswordsclashing,thoughtheydidtheirbesttoopposeAzazel’scontrol.Theirpainedexpressionsbroughtmoretearstomyeyes.Icouldn’ttakethisanymore.Ineededtogetoutofhere.Ineededtohelp.

I kicked at the glass bubble oncemore, praying to all the supernatural entities outthere, including theDaughtersofEritopia, for somehelp.Mybrotherwasdyingon thefloor.Oneofmybestfriendswasunconscious,whiletheotherwassuffocatinginAzazel’sinvisiblegrip.

Ihadtodosomething…

L

PHOENIX

ikeAida,Iwashelpless.Theobsidiancuffsweremakingitevenworseforme,asIcouldn’tusemysentrypowers,either.Mybestfriendwasslowlydyingonthefloor, and my sister was struggling to breathe in Azazel’s invisible hold. The

otherswerefightingoffDestroyers,whileDravenwasfacingoffwithAzazel,unable togetSerenaoutofhisgrip.

Itdidn’tlookgood,andIcouldfeelmyhearttwistinginagony.

Like awinged gift from the heavens, Field suddenly flew in, alongwith twomoreshiftersthatlookedlikehim,theirgrinstellingmetheywereitchingforafight.

Theshifterswerethefirsttodrop,sinkingtheirfangsintoacoupleofDestroyersthathadgottendangerouslyclosetokillingJax.TheMaratookadvantageoftheopeninganddrovehisswordthroughabeast’sneck,severingitsspinalcord.

Fieldhadhighspeedandhishatchetout,choppingoffanotherDestroyer’sheadbeforehe crashed into a second one. One of the young Druids brought his sword down andbeheadedthemonster,givingFieldthesecondheneededtogettous.

HebroughthishatchetdownagainstAida’sbubble,buttheglassdidn’tgivein.Aida’sexpressionlitupastheyglancedbrieflyatoneanother.Hetriedhittingthesphereagain,butstill,hecouldn’tevenscratchit.

“It’snouse.”Igroanedoutloud.“They’resealedbyAzazel!”

“Jovineedshelp!He’sdying!”Aidacriedout,pointingatherbrother.

ItwasonlythenthatFieldnoticedhimonthefloor,severalfeetaway,theswordstuckin his stomach.He instantly paled and rushed to Jovi’s side, dropping to his knees.Helookedat thewound, thencheckedJovi’spulse. Jovi’seyeswerestillopen,andhewasstillbreathing,buthewasclearlystrugglingtostayconscious.Nevertheless,hewasabletogiveFieldaweaksmilebeforehecoughedupsomeblood.Thesightofhiminthisstatetormentedme.Field’sfacewasdrainedofallcolorashemovedtopulltheswordout.

“Don’t!” Jax shouted at him from across the platformwhile dodging a Destroyer’sbroadsword.“Theswordhitcriticalorgans!Ifyouremoveit,he’llbleedoutevenfaster!”

“SowhatthehelldoIdo?”Fieldshotback,hisvoiceshakingwithpanic.

“Oneoftheshiftersmightbeabletohelphim,butthey’realittlebusyatthemoment,asweallare!”Jaxreplied,thenblockedanotherhitbeforeheshuffledaroundandusedhis

mind-bending skill to confuse theDestroyer and drive his blade through its head in anupwardmotion.

Fieldroaredwithragebutcouldn’tdoanythingfurtherforJovi,ashewasimmediatelyattackedbytwootherDestroyersandwasforcedtogoonthedefensive,movingawayashe blocked their hits. One of the shifters wailed, caught between two Destroyers. Thebeastssnappeditsneckandtosseditsbodyovertheedgeoftheplatform,eagertotakeonmore.ThatleftuswithjustthreeshifterstohelpJovi,shouldtheybegivenawindowofopportunity–butthereweresomanyDestroyersinvolved,everyoneofourfighterswasoverwhelmed.

IheardAzazellaughandsawhimcockhisheadtoonesideandlookatDraven.Iwassurprisedathowthesnakewasabletomultitaskhisspells,thoughIwasfocusedenoughto instantly take everything in and look for soft spots in his deadly theatricals. But Icouldn’tspotanything.IcouldonlyrelyonDravenfindingtheopeningheneededtotakethesnakependantawayfromhim.

“Didyoureallythinkdippingyourarrowsintoxicshifterbloodwoulddosomethingtome?I’vebeenconditioningmybodytoallofEritopia’spoisonsforyears,”hesaid.“Icouldn’trisksomeoneslippingsomethinginmydrink,couldI?”

“Azazel,ifyouhurther,IswearIwilltakeextratimetotortureyouforthis,”Dravenhissed.“Lethergo,andfaceme!Stophidingbehindherlikeacoward!”

Movementatthecornerofmyeyecaughtmyattention.IlostallfocusforamomentasIturnedmyheadandsawViolastandingbymyglassbubble,herhairlooseandathinlayerofwhitesilkhuggingherbody.Reliefwashedoverme.

“Viola!”Igasped.

Shesmiledandtouchedtheglassbetweenus.Thespheredisintegrated,andthewatersurrounding me collapsed with a loud splash as I fell to the floor. I coughed hard,readjustingmylungstobreathingair,thensprangtomyfeetandtookherinmyarms.

Iheldhertight,mybodyshudderingatthefeelofherskinagainstmine.Ihidmyfaceinherrich,reddishpinkhair,thenkissedherdeeply.

“You’reback,”IcroakedasIlookedather,cuppingherfaceinmyhands.

Shetouchedmyobsidiancuffs.Therestraintswereinstantlypulverized,theblackdustgatheringinthewind.Iwasfinallyfreetousemysentryabilities.

“My sisters and I felt it when Nova left the castle,” she replied gently, as swordsclangedbehindusontheplatform.“AzazelwaskeepingaprotectivespelloverLuceria,andwecouldn’tfindoutwhereexactlyhewasholdingher.Themomentsheleft,however,IrebelledbecauseAzazelhadlostalltheleveragehe’dhadagainstus.Theydidn’twanttocome,butIhadtohelp.Ihadtoseeyou…”

Viola trailedoff as she reachedout and touchedAida’s bubble.Theglass vanished,andAidafellflatonherface,wheezingasthewaterspreadoutontheblackfloor.

“Good grief, you’re incredible,” I said, then pointed at Jovi. “He needs help—he’sdying,Viola!”

ShenoddedbrieflybeforerushingovertoJovi.

IheardagruntcomefromField,andashiveroffearranthroughmeasIwatchedhimslideacrossthefloortooneside,toofast,astwoDestroyersslitheredafterhim.He’dbeenhit on the head, and was losing consciousness, unable to stop himself from drawingdangerouslyclosetotheplatform’sedge.

Aidasprangtoherfeetandleaptafterhim.Thewaterthathadspreadoutonthefloorhelpedherslipfaster,asshelandedonherbelly,andshemanagedtograbhis legs.Butnowtheywerebothatriskoffallingovertheedge.

Iquicklylookedaheadandnoticedtwolargepillarsframingtheopenspacethroughwhich Field and Aida were going to fall off the platform, based on their trajectory.Summoningasmuchenergyas Icould, I threwout twopowerfulbarriers,oneafter theotherinquicksuccession.

The invisible pulses released in an arch. They crashed into the pillars and knockedthemdown,oneontopoftheotherontheedgeoftheplatform,justasFieldandAidaslidandrammedintothemwithaheavythud.

Theybothmoaned from the pain, Field snappingback into consciousness andAidaholdinghershoulder,whileIfoundmyselfstunnedbymyfirsttargetedandangleddoublebarrier.Ifiguredourdirecircumstanceshadbroughtoutthebestinme,butIcouldn’thelpbutthinkthatViola’spresencemighthavehelped,too.

Iinstantlyturnedandpushedoutanotherbarrier,thistimeaimedatthetwoDestroyerscomingafterFieldandAida.Itknockedthemback,enoughfortheshifterstojumpthemandfinish the job.Destroyerbloodsprayedfromtheirheadlessnecks,glazing theblackstonefloor.

Violapulled theswordoutofJovi’sstomach, then instantlycoveredhiswoundwithherbarehands,herfingersglowingpinkwhilesheworkedtohealhim.Iheavedasighofreliefas IwatchedJovi’sbreathingbegin to regulate, theborderbetween lifeanddeathgrowing more distant. She touched his face gently, and said something to him with areassuringsmile.Jovistaredatherforamoment,thennodded.

A hiss tomy rightmademe snap back to the dangerous reality, and I immediatelypushedoutanotherbarriertokeepaDestroyerawaylongenoughformetograboneofthefallenhostiles’swordsandenterthefray.

Mybloodsimmered,andmyheartbeat frantically inmychest.MyViolawasback,andIwasfinallygettingmychancetodefendmyfriends,mysister,andallofEritopia.

I roaredwithallmymightas I launchedmyselfat theDestroyer,mybladeeager tosliceupsomeoversizedsnakes.

M

JOV I

yvisionclearedasIheardViola’swordsechothroughme.

“You’restrong,Jovi,”shesaidgently.“Youwillsurvivethis.”

Inodded,almostasareflex,andlookedupather.Shesmiled,hopeglimmeringinhervioleteyes,andIrealizedthepaininmystomachwasgone.I lookeddownandnoticedthebroadswordthatAzazelhaddrivenintomewasdiscardedontheblackstonefloor,itsbladecoatedinmyblood.

I’dthoughtthatIwashallucinatingwhenIfirstsawher,mydyinghazeplayingwithmysensesandtauntingmewithhopesofsalvation.Butasitallcameintofocus,thetruthbecamepalpable.

MyheartswelledwithreliefasIrealizedthatViolawas,indeed,kneelingnexttome,andthatIhadn’timaginedeverything.She’dmanagedtopullmeoutofthedarknessintowhichI’dbeendescending,healingmywoundwithherlife-savingpower.

“Ican’texpressjusthowgooditistoseeyou,”Imumbled.

ThesoundofDestroyershissingandgrunting,swordsclashing,andshiftersgrowlinggrew louder around me, as reality quickly came back into focus. We were up on theplatform.TherewasfightinggoingonbetweenusandAzazel’sDestroyers.

I moved to get up, but my muscles felt like stone, unyielding and tight. My eyeswidenedwhenIrememberedAzazel’sbloodspell.Violahadsavedme,butitseemedthatshehadn’tremovedhistoxiccontrol.Iglancedathimandnoticedhissneerashethrewmeaglanceoverhisshoulder.HestillhadagriponSerena,assessingtherestofuswhileinastandoffwithDraven,andhestillcontrolledme.

“He’susingabloodspelltocontrolmymoves,”Igroaned,lookingatViola.“Canyouhelp?”

Shefrowned,herhandsmovingupanddownmybody,glowingpink,thenshookherhead.

“I’msorry,no,”shereplied.“Whateverthisis,it’sstrongerthanwhatI’velearnedtodosofar.Icanstopitatthesource,thoughitwillmeantheendforeveryonehere…”

Asshesaid that,webothglaredatAzazel.Hedidn’tseemhappy toseeaDaughterhere,andinstantlybroughttherectangulardiamondup,tighteninghisfistaroundit.

Anunbearablepain shot throughmyheart, as if a thousandkniveshadpierced it at

once,twistingslowlyastheydrovedeeper.Ibrokeintoacoldsweatandroaredinagony.

Itwastoomuch.Iwantedtoprymychestopenandripoutmyownheart,justtostopthepain.

IcriedoutasIrolledtotheside,unabletokeepmyeyesopen.

IheardAzazellaughing.

Whateverthatbloodspellwas,ithaddeeper,morehorrifyingeffectsthatwentbeyondbodycontrol.Icouldonlyguesshowmuchdarkpowerhemusthaveusedtoconjureupsuchtorture.Ifeltdeath,coldandsilent,clutchingmyheart.

IthoughtI’dmadeit,butIwaswrong.Violacouldn’tsaveme,either.

I feltmy limbscoolingand losingvigor,andIstruggledforeach lungfulofair.Mybodywascavingin.Iwasdyingagain,butIcouldn’tbesavedthistime.

Mymind rushed tomy sister. I peeledmy eyes open, desperate to see her one lasttime,butmyvisionwasfoggyandgray.Iheardtheshouting,thescreaming,andthecriesforhelp.Iwantedtogetupandhelpmyfriends.

Field.Phoenix.Vita.Serena.

Theywereallthere,fightingfortheirlivesandmine.

Hansa.Jax.Eventheshifters.TheDruids.

Anjani.

The pain of never seeing her againwasworse thanwhat Iwas experiencing underAzazel’sspell.MystomachdroppedaseverythingIwouldmissaboutherflashedthroughmymind.Thefeelofherskinagainstmine.Thesmellofherhair.Hervoicewhenshesaidshelovedme.Iwouldnevergettoworshipherthewayshedeserved.

GriefcrashedovermeasIfeltmybodysurrendertothepain.Myheartcouldn’tlastmuchlonger,itsbeatingfrayedandbroken.Darknessenvelopedme,tryingtoseduceme,invitingmetojustletgo.

IjustwantedtoseeAnjanionelasttime.

I heard Phoenix grunting and Destroyers’ bodies thudding on the stone slabs. Hehadn’t fed since he’d lostViola. Chanceswere he’d soon run out of energy.AidawascryingoutmynameassheandFielddefendedthemselvesfromanotherattack.

Violaleftmyside.Ifeltachillfillingthevoidsheleftbehind.

Iwasofnouseanyway.Iwasdying.

WeneededhertostopAzazel.

“Jovi,no!”Aida’sscreampiercedthroughthemufflednoiseofbattle,whilemysensesfurtherdelvedintooblivion.

“Jovi,holdon,”Serenagaspedout,strugglingtobreathe.Icouldhearherchoking.

Thesoundofeverythingslowlybegantodiedown.Silencetrickledthrough.

Mymuscleswentsoft,myarmsandlegsparalyzedandmybreathingshallow.

Itwouldsoonbeover.

“Jovi!”

Iknewthatvoice.Yetitsoundedsodistant.Sofaraway.

“Jovi,no,no,no,”Anjanipleadedfrombeyondtheblacknessthathadswallowedme.“Holdon!”

Ifeltmyheadmove,butnotofmyownvolition.Anjaniwasnexttome.

“Jovi,listentome!Openyoureyes!”

ItwaswhatI’dwanted,afterall.Toseeheronelasttime.

Screwdeath.Deathcouldwaitafewmoreseconds.

Ifoundonelastsliverofenergyandusedittopushmyeyelidsopenandgazeatthemostbeautiful creature I’d everbeen fortunate enough tobehold.Her long, curlyblackhairwasloosedownoneshoulder,thetipsticklingmyface.Itmademesmile.

“Jovi,staywithme,”shewhispered,tearsstreamingdownhercheeks.

Her silvery skin glowed. I was thankful that I could see her in her full,unapologeticallysuccubusnature,beforedeathtookmeaway.

“You’rebeautiful,”Imanagedtosay.

Or at least I thought I said it. I wasn’t sure, since I couldn’t exactly feel my lipsmoving.Heremerald-goldeyeswerewetandfilledwithgrief.Itbrokemyheart,worsethanAzazel’sspell.

“Openyourmouth,Jovi,”sheurgedme,thenrippedthewolf’sheadpendantfromthedelicatechainaroundherneck.

Whatareyoudoing?

Ittookmetoolongtorespond,lostinhershimmeringbeautyasIfeltlifedissipatingfrommyflesh.Iwasn’treadytoletgoofheryet.Iheldontoconsciousnessasmyinner-wolfhowledonelasttime,givingmethejoltIneededtoholdoutforafewmoresecondswithher,whilemyheartcontinuedtobreakandburnlikeahaybaleonfire.

Itwasenoughtimeformetowatchasshepriedthediamondoutofthesilverwolf’sjawsandshoveditintomymouth.

“Swallowit,Jovi,please,”shesaid.

Ifeltthestoneinmymouth,coldandsharp.Icouldn’tdomuch,butIcouldmovemytonguejustalittlebit,enoughtoletthediamondrolldownintomythroat.

A peculiar coolness spread from my chest through the rest of my body as thediamond’sedgesdissolved.Whateverwasinit,itwasdoingsomethingtome.

“That’sit,Jovi.Holdon,it’salmostover.”Anjanikepthereyesonmyface,watchingwithconcern.

Thecoolnessgatheredback intomychestandclosedaroundmyachingheart. I feltsomethingsnapinsideme,butitdidn’thurt.

Suddenlymylungswerefree,andIinhaledaprofoundlydeepbreath,wheezingasthepressure in my ribcage vanished. Blood rushed through my veins. My legs and armstingledasIregainedfeeling.

Myheartmusclepumpedstrongandfast,makingupfortheminutesI’dspentbeingdeprivedofoxygen.Icouldseeclearlyagain.Icouldseeher.Andtherewasreliefshiningalloverhergorgeousface.

Icouldfeelit,too,asdeathbegrudginglyretreatedanddaylightwashedoverme.

Thesoundsofbattlearounduswereonceagainclearandloud,andIreveledineachofthem.Eachclang,eachthud,andeachgruntwasareminderthatI’descapedmyownend,twiceinarow,withinthesamehour.

“Anjani,”Icroaked,pleasedtohearmyownvoice.

She bent forward and wrapped her arms aroundme, hiding her face in the hollowspace between my neck and shoulder for a brief moment. Her heart was beatingfrantically,hermusclestwitchingassheheldmetight.

I responded toher embrace, thankful to still be alive.Thrilled that I’dbeengivenalittlemoretimebyherside.

“Mylove,”shesaid,hervoicetrembling,andshekissedmedeeply.

“Howdidyoudo that?”Imanaged toaskasmysenseskickedback intogearandIregainedfullcontrolofmyconsciousnessandmybody.Azazel’sbloodspellwasgone.

“I found the old fae that gave you the pendant downstairs in the dungeon,” sheexplainedquickly,glowinglikethemoon.“Shetoldmewhatshe’dbeenforcedtodoforAzazel,takingyourbloodandallthat.Butshegaveyouthewolf’sheadpendanttohelpyou. She knew something like this would come to pass and told me the moment sherecognizedme.SoIcameupheretofindyou—”

“Andrightinthenickoftime,mysweetsuccubus.”Igrinnedandtookhermouthinabriefbuthungrykiss.“Iloveyounowmorethanever.”

“Good.”Shewinked.“Nowlet’skicksomeDestroyerass!”

M

A IDA

y brother had made it. I almost couldn’t handle the joy of seeing himbreatheand talkagain.“Relieved”didn’tevenbegin tocoverhowI felt,

andImadeamentalnoteofthemassiveslapontheheadthatJoviwouldgetfrommefornearlygettinghimselfkilled,followedbythehugofthecentury.

FieldandIbarelymanagedtogiveeachotherasmilebeforemoreDestroyerscameatus.Theshiftersweredoingagreatjobofkeepingothersatbay,buttheslitheringbeastskeptpouringin.Fieldgrabbedhishatchetfromthefloor,andIsnatchedaswordoffoneofthefallenhostiles.Wetookourstances.

MybloodchilledasIrecognizedoneoftheDestroyersmovingtowardus.

“Goren,”Imurmuredashorrorclutchedmyheart.

Hewas big, amassive chunk of pure evil and brutality. I’d evaded himmore thanonce,andyethe’dcomeallthewaybacktoLuceriatofightus.Itookadeepbreathasagrinslithisface,hisyelloweyesflickeringblackwithanticipationandwhatappearedtobesheerexcitement.

Heseemedtolivetoinflictpain.

“Wegettoplayagain,”hehissedashedrewcloser,hisbroadswordscreechingashepulleditoutofitsscabbard.

I caught a glimpse of Viola kneeling next to Hansa, whowas convulsing from thepoisonedarrow.TheDaughter’shandsglowedpinkas shepulled theprojectileout andpressedonHansa’swound.ButthenIcouldn’twatchanymore—Gorenraisedhisswordandbroughtitdownagainstmewithaheavyswing.

“Come here!” he growled as I dodged and launched my own attack. He roared,blockingmyswordwithhis.

Sparksflew,andhebaredhisfangsandlaughed,effortlesslypushingmeback.

FielddartedpastmeandtookontheotherDestroyer,hishatchetsharpandrelentlessasheswungitdownhard,forcinghisopponenttoslowlymoveback.

Gorencameatmeagain,hisblowevenharderthesecondtimearound.Imanagedtoblockit,still,usingmyforearmtostopmyownswordfrombeingpushedback.Ifeltthebladecutthroughmyskin,drawingblood,butIcouldn’tbackdown.

I ducked in a swift spiralingmovewithmy swordout, slashinghis abdomen.Dark

bloodsprayedmyface.Hehissed,andIquicklywithdrew,mygazedartingupanddownhisbody,lookingforweakspots.

“Don’tworry,littlewolfgirl.”Gorensmirked.“I’lltakemytimewithsomegoodold-fashionedtorturebeforeIhandyouovertoAzazel.Besides,youdon’tneedarmsandlegstohavevisions.”

Ishudderedatthementalimagebutheldmyground,raisingmybladewithaconfidentgrin.

“Ikickedyourassonce,andIcandoitagain,”Ishotback.

Itwasenoughtoannoyhim,aveinpoppingoutofhisthickneck.Hechargedmeoncemore, and I summoned everything I’d learned duringmy sparring sessions with Field,Phoenix,andmybrother.Goren,likeeveryothersackofmeatouttokillonthisplatform,hadlittletellsI’dquicklylearnedtoidentify.

Iwasabletotellwhatkindofattackhewasgoingforfromthemomentheraisedhissword again. I dodged, then hit back with my sword at a lower angle, taking him bysurprise.Hestillblockedme,butittookhimtheextraounceofeffortIneededtoquicklyperforma360-degreeturntoamplifymyhitspeedandrammybladeintohisarm.

Hegrowledfromthepainbutdidn’tgetachancetoretaliate.

I heard Hansa roaring from behind Goren before she jumped and shoved herbroadswordsodeepthroughhisthroat,itcameouttheotherside.IhadtomovemyheadsoIwouldn’tgetcutintheprocess.

Istilled,mymuscles tenseandbothhandsclutching thehandleofmysword,whichwasstillstuckinhisarm.

Hansaglareddownathim.Goren’seyeswerebulging,hismouthgapingashechoked.Bloodpouredout,glazinghissquarechinandthroat,beforeitjoinedthecrimsonstreamflowingfromHansa’smasterpieceofastabwound.

“ImadeapromisetothefallensistersoftheRedTribe,andIhavetosay,IamthrilledthatI’mabletokeepit,”shesaid,herbootagainsthisback.

Shebellowedasshepulledtheswordoutandsprangupwardinatwistedjump.Shecamedownhardwith amid-air swing, and theblade cutGoren’s headoff cleanly.Shelandedonbothfeet,wearingaproudgrin.Theheadrolledofftheplatform,andthatwasthelasteitherofuseversawofthesourceofmanyofournightmares.

Bloodsprayedeverywherefromhisneck,butneitherofusseemedtocare.Wesmiledateachother.Revengefeltgood.

Thebeast’sbodyfelltothefloor.IpulledmyswordbackandgrowledasIkickedhisbodyacoupleoftimes,pushinghimtowardtheedge.Iputallmystrengthintothethirdhit,untiltherestofGorenjoinedhisheadintheabyssbelowtheplatform.

HansaandIbothlookeddownatwhatwashappeningbelow,allowingourselvesafewsecondstocatchabreath.Throngsofincubiwerebeingsavagelypummeledbyouralliedforces.Explosionstoretheirranksapart,brightorangefireballsthatexpandedandburnedeverythingintheirpath,evenswallowingsomeoftheDestroyersthathadbeentooslow

topullback.

Bajangswere pouncing on hostiles, tearing their heads off,whileMaras teamed upwiththesuccubitotakeonthehordesofDestroyersstilldefendingthecastle.TheLamiaswere hard at work, their Druid magic shooting fire darts out at the beasts, while theTritonesandGrezzi’sincubiwerebusybattlingAzazel’sincubi.

Onebyone,however,thesoldiersthathadbeenchargedwithdefendingLuceriawerebreaking from their ranks and turning on their own garrisons. I could hear theircommandersfuriouslyspoutingordersandtellingthemtogetbackintotheirpositions,butmanyincubihadalreadydecidedtogiveourallianceachance.

I couldn’t help but grin when I saw one cluster finally overpowered as our forcesbrokethroughthewesterngatesandpouredintothecastle.

“Thisisit,”Isaid,thenlookedatHansa.

“Let’skillsomemoreDestroyers,Aida,”thesuccubusreplied.“Theyseemtohaveitcovereddownthere.”

I winked, then nodded. We both turned around and stilled. There was plenty offighting left todo,withDestroyers stillkeepingour forcesbusywhileAzazel facedoffwith Draven, Serena still stuck in his invisible grip. Every time Draven tried to movetoward himor launch a spell, all thewhile holding that golden force field against him,AzazelclampeddownevenharderonthechokeholdinwhichhehadSerena.DestroyersconsistentlytriedtocomeatDraven,too,butJaxandtheothersdidafinejobofkeepingthebeastsbusyandawayfromthecenteroftheplatform.

Draven needed some kind of distraction to get Serena out ofAzazel’s grip, but theotherswerebusykeepinghissideclearanddefendingthemselves.IwasabouttosuggesthelpinghimtoHansa,whenmovementbehindAzazelcaughtmyeye.

Violawasslowlywalkingtowardhim.

Assoonashesawher,Draven’sforcefielddiedout,consternation imprintedonhisface.

Viola’sbodywasgraduallylightingupallbrightandpink,herskinincandescentwithsheer Eritopian power. Her gaze was glowing violet, her chin high and her expressionsolemn and unwavering. I’d seen something similar coming from her when she’dinfluencedtheshiftersbackatthemansion.

Thiswasseriousstuffshewassummoning.

MyheartstoppedasIunderstoodwhatwashappening.

A

SERENA

zazel’sholdonmewas relentless, and Iwasbeginning to see starsbeforemyeyes.Ichokedandcontinuouslystruggledtofreemyself,buthewasslowlyyet

surelysuffocatingme to thepointwhere Icouldn’t find thestrength toevenpushoutabarriertodistracthim.

Dravenhadkepttryingtointervene,buteverytimehe’dmutteredthebeginningofaspell, Azazel hissed, warning him as he tightened his grip on me. The young DruidsfoughtDestroyers away fromus and tried to return to our side.Theywanted to supplyDravenwithmoreof theenergyheneeded toperformstrongerspellsandgetAzazel todropme.We’dobviouslymissedafewdetailsduringourstrategysession,butitwastoolatetoturnback.

IthennoticedDraven’sgoldenforcefieldgoout.

I caught a glimpse of Aida and Hansa taking a few steps toward us before theystopped,theireyeswideandtheirfacespale.ItwasthenthatIspottedViolaapproachingus,and I stilled, suddenlyworried lessaboutmypredicamentandmoreabouteveryoneelse’s,rememberingVita’sfirstvisionofhowallthiswouldend.

AsViolamovedcloserbehindAzazel,hesensedherpresenceandglancedfuriouslyather—whilestilltryingtokeephiseyesonDraventoavoidasurpriseattack.

“Okay,Iclearlyhavetoaddressthisproblemnow.”Herolledhiseyeswithfrustration.“Whatareyoudoinghere?IthoughtyouDaughtersweren’tgettinginvolvedanymore!”

“You’reconfusingmewithmysisters,”Violarepliedinathousanddifferentvoicesatonce.

Ihadtoadmitthat,eveninmysemi-consciousstate,Iwasequallycreepedoutandinaweofherwhenshewaspowereduplikethis.Shelookedlikeamovingmarblestatue,incandescentinaboldpinkhuewhilehereyesglowedviolet,thelowerpartofherwhitesilkdressflutteringinthewind.

She was several feet away from Azazel when she flashed into a pink mist andreappeared right in front of him.His bright green energy field, which he’d been usingagainstDraven’sgoldenone,instantlyfaded–she’dpassedrightthroughit.Shetouchedhisfacebeforehecouldevenreact,herhandglowinghotpink.

“No,don’t!”hemanagedtocroak,eyeswidewithgenuineterror.

Ifelt theinvisibleforcethathadbeenchokingmeloosen,andIfellflatonmyface.Mywholebodyhurt,butIwasthankfultofeelthecoldstoneagainstmyskinandthecoolairfillingmylungsagain.IwheezedandchokedasIlookedup.

Azazelhadletmego,nowforcedtodealwithViola.

AfewsecondswentbyasAzazelblinked,butnothinghappened.

Violafrowned,thentookastepback.IunderstoodthenthatAzazelwastoopowerfulevenforaDaughter’ssimpletouchtokillhim.We’dguessedthismuchfromVita’sfirstvision about this potential ending for Azazel, but the circumstances had been differentthen, sincewe didn’t know he hadNova at the time.Now, evenwithNova out of hisreach,itseemedlikethetouchcouldnotdestroyAzazel.

“I’dhopedIwouldn’thavetodothis.Itriedtohelpmyfriendsbutyou’resobentondestroyingeverygoodthinginthisworld…Yourpowerhasspiraledoutofcontrol.Thetimehascomeforyoutopayforyourcrimes,Azazel,”Violasaid,sendingshiversdownmyspine.

Icouldseegenuinefearinhisyelloweyes,beforetheyflickeredblackandflaredupgreen. Therewas an internal struggle going on there, and I had a feeling itwas takingplacebetweenAzazelandAsherak.

“Don’tdosomethingyou’llregret,sweetheart,”Azazelmuttered,raisinghishandsinadefensivegesture.

It didn’t faze Viola. Instead, the pink light emanating from her body increased itsintensity,sothatIhadtosquintinordertoseewhatwashappening,asifabrightpinkstarhadjustdescendedontheplatform.

“I have no choice but to destroy you, Azazel,” Viola’s thousand voices boomed,piercing through the sky above and echoing insidemyhead. “Your reignof terror endsrightnow.YouhavecausedirreparabledamagetoEritopia,andIshallnotletyoudoanymoreharm…”

Shetookadeepbreath,thenlookedatmewithapainedexpression.

I’msorry,Serena.Icouldhearhergentlevoice,loudandclear,inmyhead.

“What…What do youmean, you’re sorry?” I croaked, and got up, my knees stillwobbly.

She focusedherattentiononAzazel, the lightemanating fromhergrowingbrighter.Theairvibratedaroundus,andtheuneasinessinmystomachbecamestrongerandheavierastherealizationkickedin:

Vita’sfirstvisionwascomingtrue.

“Don’t…Don’tdothis,”Azazelsaidsuddenly,laughingnervously.

Violadidn’tlisten.

Dread came overme, swallowingmewhole and freezing the blood inmy veins. IglancedatDravenandsawthehorrifiedlookonhisface.Heknewwhatwascoming,too.

“Wait,Viola,no,”Icroaked.“Youdon’thavetodothis!”

Shewasn’tlistening.She’dtunedusout.

Azazelmuttered somethingunder his breath and sent out several invisible pulses tostop her, but she didn’t even budge. Instead, she took a few steps forward, closing thedistancebetweenthem.Theenergyshewassummoningilluminatedherevenmore.

Thisisit…

Butthiscan’tbeit.Thiscan’tbehowitends…

We’dalreadychangedthefuture,sohowwasthisstillhappening?HadwesomehowreverseditingettingNovaout,oratsomeotherpointalongtheway?

Myearsrangastheintensityofherverybeingbegantoexpand, likeastarabouttoexplode,rawenergycausingfrictionandheatingeverythingup.Mybloodsimmeredandmyheartthumped,andDravenandIheldeachother’sgazes,asifpreparingourselvesforwhatwastocomenext.Theend.

“No!”Phoenix’svoiceshotthroughthebuzz.

IturnedmyheadandsawhimrunningupbehindViola.Hepulledherintohisarmsandheldhertight.

“Don’tdothis,Viola,”hepanted,hiseyesglassy.“Wefoundanotherway…Abetterway…”

TheDaughterwasn’timmediatelyresponsive,andIquicklylookedaroundandnoticedthat the fightinghad stopped.Destroyers andour fighters alikewere stunned,gapingatViolaasshepreparedtoblowusalltopieces,waitingforherreaction.

“Don’tdothis,please…Iloveyou,Viola…”

Sheblinkedacoupleoftimes,asifponderingtheinformationhe’djustpresented.

“There’sanotherway?”sheaskedinmultiplevoices.

“Yes.”Phoenixsighedinhisembrace.“Yes,wefoundanotherway.Youdon’thavetodothis.Idon’twantustodie,Viola…Iwantustoliveandbetogether…”

Viola gave him a soft sideways glance before she relaxed, the pink light graduallydimming.Ifelttheatmospherecooldownaroundus.Phoenixdidn’tletgoofher,holdinghercloseastheytookafewstepsback.

Azazelcockedhisheadtooneside,anarroganthalf-smilestretchinghislips.

“Ifyouwantedtokillmeyoushouldhavejustletherdoit,”hesaid.“Sure,shewouldhavekilledallofyouintheprocess,too,butit justgoestoshowthatnoneofyouweremadeforwar.Becausewarmeanssacrifice.Andnowyouwillallregretit.”

Iheardgrowlingbehindmeasswordsclashedagain.Thefightinghadresumed,and,judgingbytheamountofbloodspilledandthenumberofDestroyerscollapsing,weweregettingclosertoavictoryagainstAzazel’sforces.Iglancedaroundbriefly,enoughtoseeAida, Field, Hansa, Jax, Anjani, Jovi, the young Druids, and the shifters taking onDestroyersinteamsoftwo,whileThadeusandPatrikcontinuedtofightoneanotherwithtorturedexpressions.

Wehadtodosomething.Wehadtomovethisalongbeforemoreinnocentcreatureswerekilled.Butwehad tochipawayathismorale first.Weneededhimtofalter,openhimselfuptomistakesbeforewecouldgoallin.Weweren’tevenseeingthefullextentofhisforceyet–andwecouldn’tbeatsomethingwecouldn’tcomprehend.

“You’realloverestimatingyourselvesandputtingawaytheonlyeffectiveweaponyouhave.” Azazel straightened his back, several vertebrae crackling in the process. “Andyou’reabouttopaythepriceforyourhubris.Youknow…pot,meetkettle.”

Helookedaround,hislipspressedtightatthesightofhisremainingDestroyersfallingonebyone.Reinforcementsweren’tcominganymore.Theboomsandshrillsfrombelowindicated that the allied forces had finally taken control of the castle. His empire wascollapsing,and Icouldalmost sense the frustrationoozingoutofhim—dark, toxic,andthirstyforrevenge.

Hiseyesburstintogreenflames,thefireofAsherakragingwithmoreintensitythanever.Iheldmybreathandtookastepback.

The tension fromViola’senergywasswiftly replacedbysomethingvile,heavy,andsuffocating.Mypulseraced,andIcouldfeelDraven’sfrayednervesashewatchedAzazelquietly. The Prince of Destroyers grinned as he looked at us, two pools of green firereplacinghiseyes,histongueflittingintheair.Heinhaleddeeplyandraisedhisarmsoutfromhissides.

“Can’tyousmellyourownimpendingdeaths?BecauseIcan!”

Thewindhowledaroundtheplatform,blowingharderandnearlyknockingmeoffmyfeet. Somethingwas comingout ofAzazel—an energy like I’d never seenbefore, pureblackandviciousandeagertosliceandchopandkilleveryonestandinginitsway.

Itwasancientandevil.Itwantedbloodanddestruction.

ItwasAsherak.

“C

SERENA

omeout,milord,”Azazelcalledinathunderousvoice.

Thedarknessinsidehimswelledlikeariverafteramonsoon,hismusclesbulgingandhisveinsthrobbingastheylitupgreen.Hegruntedashisbodyamplifieditsownmass.Azazelwasgrowingtallerandbiggerbeforeourveryeyes,andthedreadcomingovermewasbecomingdifficulttoputintowords.

Wehadknownthiswouldcome.Wehadknownhewasn’tusingthefullpotentialofAsherak’s soul because, according to the oldmanuscripts, it was far too powerful anddestructive tobewielded so loosely.Azazelwasaproudmonster andhad reliedonhisskillsanddirtytrickstodefeathisopponents.AskingAsherakforhelpmusthavecomeatagreatpriceforhisoverinflatedego.

“Ihave to let theMasterofDarknessget involvednow,”Azazelgrowled.“Becauseyou’realltoostupidtounderstandthatIcannotbestopped.We.Cannot.Be.Stopped!”

Hislipscontinuedtomove,butIcouldn’tmakeoutthewords.Hiswhispersunraveledintothewindandspreadoutabove,gatheringthickblackclouds.Theskyturnedthecolorof charcoal as thunder roared through the dark billows converging over Luceria. Gale-forcecurrentscircledthetopofthecastle,sweepingdiscardedweaponsandshieldsawayasthelastofAzazel’sDestroyersfellovertotheirdeaths.

PatrikandThadeuswereatastandstillbehindme.

“Idon’twanttohurtyou,”Thadeusgasped,clutchinghissword,hisfacecoveredinsweat.

“Meneither,Thadeus, butmybodywon’t listen,”Patrik repliedbeforehe launchedanotherattack.Theirbladescollidedoncemore.Iprayedwe’dfinishthissoonenoughtofreethetwoDruidsfromAzazel’sbloodspell.

Everyone else looked exhausted, but still standing.Their chests swelledwith heavybreathingastheymovedagainstthestrongwindscrashingintothem.Jax,Hansa,Anjani,andJoviwerethefirsttocomecloser,followedbyAida,Field,theyoungDruids,andthethreeshiftersastheytightenedthecirclearoundus.

TheyallwatchedasAzazelrevealedthepeakofhispower.

Icould tell fromtheconsternationon their faces that theycouldfeelhim—Asherak,thediseasethathadbeenplaguingEritopiaforcenturies,tuckedawayinsideAzazel.He

wasimpossibletoignore.Hisstrangewhisperstrickledintomyhead.

Ishookthegoosebumpsawayanddrewmysword,bothhandsclutchingthehiltasItookmyfightingstanceandcarefullymeasuredmybreaths.

“Ipromiseyouthiswillbeoversoon,”Azazelsaid,hisvoicedifferent,scratchyandsharp,likethatofacreaturethathadn’tusedhisvocalcordsineons.

Thatwasn’tAzazeltalkinganymore.ItwasAsherak.

Heliftedhisarmsabovehisheadandmovedtheminapullinggesture,andtheblackclouds spiralingabovehishead tightened intoa columnandcamedown, answeringhiscall.The shifters growledbehindme and steppedback, genuine fear imprintedon theirfacesastheymorphedbacktotheiroriginalformsandhidbehindtwocolumns.

I looked back up and noticed green lightning striking down through the swirlingcolumnofclouds.ItshotrightintoAzazel’sheadandignitedasheetofbrightgreenlightthat expanded, and I knew it would bring us instant death. The pit in my stomachconvincedmeofit.

JustasAzazelroared,preparingtodeploythatdestructiveforce,Dravendroppedhisswordandchargedahead.Herammed intoAzazelandbrokehiscontactwith thegreenlightning.Azazelcursedastheyfoughtoneanother,throwingpunchesleftandright.

Thecloudcolumnretractedslowly,buttheskyremainedblanketedindarkness.FearsqueezedmyheartasIwatchedDraventacklingAzazel,whowaseasilythreetimeshissize.YetDravenheldhisown.

AzazeldrovehisfistintoDraven’sside.Dravengruntedfromthepainandcamebackwithabriefsuccessionofrightandlefthooks,finishingwithadecisiveuppercutbeforehejumpedback,doublingoverasheheavedandbroughtahanduptohisribs.

Draven’slipwassplit,bloodtricklingdownhischin.Hewipeditoffwiththebackofhishand,thenstraightenedhisbackandbreathedindeeply.

He’dbashedAzazelquitewell.Redbruiseswereswellinghisrighteyeandthecornerofhismouth.

“Did you really think a physical fight would bring me down?” Azazel sneered inAsherak’svoice,turninghisheadtoonesideashespatoutsomebloodandatooth.

Dravenshookhisheadwithasatisfiedsmirk.

“Thatwasn’tmyintention,”hereplieddryly.

Azazel’s grin faded, his eyes still burning green as he glanced down and instantlypattedhischest.Hispendantwasgone.

Iexhaledsharply,noticingthesnakemedallionglisteninginDraven’shandasheliftedittoshowAzazelexactlywhathe’dmeant.Icouldn’thelpbutstifleagrin.

“Nice,”Jovimutteredbehindme.

I glanced at Ori, who nodded briefly. Hemoved his lips, whispering a spell as hesteppedforward.Azazelwaslivid,baringhisfangsatDraven.

“Youmustbejoking,”Azazelmuttered,hishandtouchingthepatchofhischestwherehe’dalwaysfeltthependant.

TheyoungDruidssummonedtheirenergy,glowingallwhiteastheytransferredittoOri, whose palms lit up as he fashioned a long broadsword out of thin air and dartedtowardAzazel.

Thesharpweaponlookedsolidbutincandescent,andOrijumpedandswungitdownwith all hismight. Themove caughtAzazel by surprise.Hewas still reeling from theshockoflosinghispreciousmedallion.Ori’sbladehitAzazel’sneckwithaspine-tinglingclangbutbouncedback,asifheweremadeofsteel.

“Oh, please,” the Prince ofDestroyers snarled, and swattedOri awaywith a brightgreenpulse.TheyoungDruidgaspedashefellbackwardsandbangedhisheadagainstthestonefloor.Herolledovertotheside,gruntingfromthepainandblinkingfastashetriedtostayconscious,whilehissworddissolvedintowhitesparksandvanished.

Thatwasn’ttheoutcomeI’dbeenhopingfor.

TheyoungDruidswereasshockedastherestofus,exceptforDraven,whokepthisemotionstohimself.Hewaseventryingtoshuthimselfofffromme,butIknewexactlywhat hewas going through.Our connection randeeper than anythingwe’dhadbefore,despitehisefforts.

Thelookhegaveme,however,toldmemorethanwordscouldeverconvey.Apanginmystomachwarnedmeofwhatwascomingnext.

“Iseemtokeepaskingtheserhetoricalquestionstoday,butdidyoureallythinkyoucoulddefeatme ifyou just tookmypendantaway?”Azazelasked,his fingers touchingthepartofhisneckthathadrejectedOri’sblade.

“Onecanonlyhope.”Dravenmutteredhisresponse,thegoldsnakerestlesslymovingin its eight-loop, hanging from the broken chainwrapped around his fist. Its ruby eyesshimmeredgreenasAzazellookedatit,amuscletwitchinginhisjaw.

“AsherakandIareboundforalleternity,littleDruid,”hesaid,hisvoicelowandcold.“Hispowerflowsthroughme,anditisn’tboundtoanobjectanymore.Ithasn’tbeenforcenturies.Thatbeingsaid,Imustcommendyouforyourefforts.Icanseeyouputsomeworkintothispatheticstrategyofyours.It’sashameyoudidn’tthinkofjoiningmyranks,insteadofgettingyourselfandyourfriendskilledhere.”

Dravenglancedatmeagain,andmyhearttieditselfintoapainfulknot.Hisgrayeyesflickeredblack.Ifelthisanger,hisgriefandhisdespair.Ishookmyheadslowly,myeyeswide.Iunderstoodwhathewasabouttodo.

Myworstnightmarewascomingtrue.

“Idoubt it’spathetic,”Dravenretorted.“Butyou’reright. Ididput insomeeffort. IevenlearnedtheSoulFusionspellforthis.”

Azazel,withallhismightandamplifiedsize,stilledatthementionofAsherak’sfinalspell.TheritualthroughwhichhissoulcouldfusewiththatofanotherDruid.ThesameprocessthroughwhichtheancientdarkDruidhadmergedwithAzazel.

Judging by the speed with which the color drained from his face, Azazel hadn’tthoughtaboutanotherDruiddoingthesame.Afterall, thereweren’tsupposedtobeanyDruidsleft,and,besides,whowouldbecrazyenoughtotakeonthecurse,anyway?

Deepinside,Iknewtheanswer.

Ishookmyhead.

Iwasn’treadyforthis.I’dknown,deepdown,itmighthappen,butI’dprayedtoallthepowersoutthere,includingtheDaughters,thatitwouldnotcometothis.

“No,Draven,don’t!”Idartedtowardhim,butIwaspulledback.Phoenixhadcomearound,hishandgrippingmywrist.Hisfacewasashen,andconfirmedmyworstfears—thathewasreadytoletDravendothis.ButIwasn’t.

“Letmego!”Igrowled,yankingmyhandback.

Hisarmsquicklywrappedaroundmywaist,holdingmetight.

“I’msorry,Sis.Wehaveto,”hesaid.

“No,no,you—”

“You…You know about Soul Fusion?”Azazel asked, his voice barely audible, butloudenoughtodistractmeforasecond.

“Youmust’vethoughtyouburnedeverythingdownwhenyoufirstinvadedCalliope,butyouconsistentlyunderestimatedmyfather,”Dravenreplied,aneyebrowraised.

Despitehiscooldemeanor,Iknewhewasintremendouspain.JustlikeheknewIwasalready tearingup,unable tohold it inanymore. I struggledagainstPhoenix’sholdandpushedoutabarrier.Hegrunted,buthedidn’tletgo.

“Dammit, Phoenix, let me go,” I snarled, then looked at Draven. “Don’t, Draven!Don’tdothis!”

“It’stheonlyway,Serena,”Phoenixinsisted,butIcouldn’tacceptit.I’drejectedthepremisefromtheverybeginning.

Theotherswatchedquietly.Thesomberlooksontheirfaces,theglimmersofsadnessandgrief in their eyes toldme everything I needed to know.Theyknew.And, likemybrother,theywerereadyforit.

ButI’mnot!

“Your father,” Azazel muttered, squinting at Draven as he started to figure out hisfamiliarfeatures.

“Almus.”

Azazel’s eyeswidened, the green flames burning brightwith recognition. Itwas allthere forhim tosee.Thephysical features.The relentlessnessandbrilliantDruidskills.DravenwasthebestofbothGenevieveandAlmus,anditwassomethingthatevenAzazelcouldn’tdeny.

“It’sbeenalongtime…I’dalmostforgottenwhatAlmuslookedlike.Yousurvived.Funnyenough,thatlittlesilverywormSveriknevertoldmewhoyouwere.Heonlygave

me a name. I’ll have to rip his entrails out for not divulging this little morsel ofinformation.”Azazelnoddedslowly,pursinghislips.“Lookslikeyourfatherdecidedtobothermeafterall,frombeyondhisshallowgrave.”

Sverikhadn’ttoldhim-whywasthat?Itcameasasurprise,butthen,combinedwiththefactthatJasminehadstoppedtheinformationflowfromthemansion,itallsuddenlymadesense.Azazelclearlyhadn’tknownwhoDravenwasuptothispoint.Ihadafeelingthat,hadheknownhewasdealingwithAlmus’son,hewould’vebeenevenmorebrutal,moreviciousandrelentlessinhisquesttostopus.

“Alltheforbiddenmanuscriptsweresaved.AlltheDruidarchives,”Dravensaid.“Hekepteverythingsecret,hiddenfarawayfromyouoranyonewhoservedyou.Everything.IncludingtheSoulFusionspell.”

“Don’tbestupid,littleDruid.”Azazelscoffed.“IttakesaMasterDruidsuchasmyselftowithstandthestrengthofAsherak.Andyouneedhisconsent.Hewillneverleavemeforyou.”

“Iwouldn’tbesosure.”Dravensmirkedandbroughtthesnakependantuptohislips.

Azazelfroze,andsodidI.

“Draven!”Iscreamed.“Draven,don’t!Please!Therehastobeanotherway!”

Both Jovi and Phoenix were now holding me back. I pushed out one barrier afteranother,butIwasgettingsoweak,theybarelyfeltthem.Theyweren’tlettingmego.

“Serena,we’re sorry,butyouknow it’swhatneeds tobedone!” Jovigrunted,but Iwasn’tlistening.

Myheartbroke,andtearsstreameddownmycheeks.

“Draven,Iloveyou.Don’tdothis…Please!”Ishrieked,mythroatburning.

Icouldn’tstophim.Mybrother,myfriends,ourallies,theydidn’twanttostophim.

Dravenwhisperedintothesnake’srubyeyes,andtheobjectresponded,wigglingandbreakingitseight-looptomoveinacircle,asiftryingtoeatitsowntail.

“Cometakeme,Asherak,”DravencalledouttothedarkDruid,whosepresencewasstillheavyandintense,consumingtheairaroundus.“I’mallyours…”

Thewhispersintensified,wordsforminginthebackofmyhead.Azazelhissed,furycontortinghisface.HemovedtowardDraven,butthependantemittedaninvisiblepulsethatpushedhimback,warninghimtokeephisdistance.

“No!”Icriedout,startingtolosemyvoice.Myheartburned,andIwantedtofightmywayoutofJoviandPhoenix’sgrip,butmykneesweakenedasthewhisperssmackedmewithaharddoseofreality.

He’smine…saidthehissinginmyhead.

FiveDestroyersspilledoutfromthestaircaseandontotheplatform—theymusthaveescaped from the allied forces storming the castle—and they stopped and stared indisbelief, their eyes flickering green as they saw the snake pendant dangling fromDraven’shand.

“No,thiscan’tbe…”Azazelgasped.

Asherak’svoicebecameclearerinmyhead.Inallourheads.

Heisstrong…

“No!”Azazelbellowed.“No!Youcan’tdothis!”

Heispowerful…Morepowerfulthanyoueverwere…He’sfittobeaMasterDruid,anditonlytookhimafewmonthstolearn…Icansmellhisenergy…It’s…It’sdelicious…

“No,youcan’t,”Iwhimpered.“Don’t,Draven,Ibegyou!Don’t!It’stoodangerous!You’llbelost!”

Mmm…Anewsoulmate…

Iswallowedbackanotherwaveoftears,hurtingtoomuchtoevenfeelcreepedoutbyAsherak’svoicebouncingaroundinmyskull.Istoppedmovingasitallsankin,breakingmedown.

Vita’slastvisionofthewar’soutcomewascomingtrue,andIstillwasn’treadyforit.Ilovedhim.Icouldn’tlethimdothis.Icouldn’tlethimdestroyhimself.

Andyet,itseemedlikeIhadnochoice.

IwasangrywithPhoenixandJoviandeveryonewhodidn’t trytostopDraven.Butdeepinside,myconsciencewastellingmethesameastheywere.Dravenwasgoingtodothis,nomatterwhatIsaid.Icouldn’tpreventit.

“I’myours,Asherak,”Dravenhissed.“Takeme.”

Asoul-shatteringroareruptedfromAzazelasheslitheredtowardDraven,unwillingtoletgoofAsherak.

“Youwillnotleaveme!”Azazelcriedout.

Openyoursoultome,Draven,IheardAsheraksay,satisfactionoozingfromhishuskyvoice.

“Draven!”Iscreamedhisnameagain,fightingtoothandnailtobreakfree.“Please…Draven…”

“I loveyou,Serena,”Dravensaidsoftly,ashisbeautifulgrayeyes finally lookedatme.

Icouldfeelit.Andithurtevenmorebecauseitwasn’taregular“Iloveyou”.

Itwashisgoodbye.

“No!”Ishrieked,mylegsflailinginmydesperateattempttoreachhim.PhoenixandJovi’sarmsconstrictedaroundmyarmsandtorso,keepingmeinplace.

DravenheldhisgroundasAzazellungedathim.Theentirecastleshuddered,cosmicamountsofdarkenergysuddenlybeingreleasedintotheatmosphere.

ThesnakependantexplodedinaphosphorescentgreenlightjustasAzazelclutchedit.

Thelightswallowedtheentireplatformlikeanincandescentemeralddome.

Itblindedus.

Draven…

I

DRAVEN

hadn’texactlyplannedforthis.

Ihadn’twantedittogettothis.

“Draven,no!”IcouldhearSerenascreaming,overandover,butitwastoolate.

ThewindsthatAzazelhadsummonedtoenforceAsherak’spresencesettled.

Thebrightgreenlightthathadengulfedtheplatformfaded,andIcouldseeeveryoneclearly.Azazel’sconsternationcrumplinghisface.TearsstreamingdownSerena’scheeksasJoviandPhoenixheldherback.Jax,Anjani,andHansa’spainedexpressionsas theygrippedtheirswordstighter.TheyoungDruidswatchingmequietly, their lipspursedastheytookastepcloser.AidaandFieldhelpingVitabacktoherfeet;thefaelookingatmeandrecognizingtheveryvisionwe’dallwishedtoavoid.

EvenPatrikandThadeushadstoppedfighting.ThefiveDestroyersthathadcomeuplastwereparalyzed, staring atme, their eyes flickeringgreen.Whatever controlAzazelhad had on themwas nowwavering.One of them, a femalewith long brown hair andblackscalescoveringherarmsandneck,shookherheadbeforeshefelltothefloor.HerbonescrackedasherserpenttailsplitintolegsandshereturnedtoherDruidform.Onebyone, the remainingDestroyers recovered aswell,while the three shifterswatched frombehindthepillars,waryofgettingcloser.

AndIhadopenedmyselfuptoAsherak.

We’dallhopedthatitwouldbeoverifweremovedthependantandbeheadedAzazel,but,clearly,thathadn’tworkedout.I’dbeenforcedtomakeadecisionthatIknewwouldcausegriefbutwouldalsosavemyworld.

Therewasnootherchoice.

Azazel and Asherak had to be stopped. Millions had died because of them, andmillionsmorewouldcontinuetodieiftheywereallowedtocoexistandburneverythingintheirpath.

Asherak’ssoulneededanewhostifitweretoleaveAzazel’sbody.NoneoftheyoungDruidswereasstrongasIwas,andweknewit.Iwasyounger,butwecouldtellfromthespeedwithwhichIwaslearningandtheoverwhelmingpowerofmyspellsthatIhadwhatittooktohostasoulasdarkasAsherak’s.Iwasthelow-hangingfruitweneededtodrawhimoutofAzazel’sbody.

We’dtalkedaboutthisextensivelyduringourtraininginthesphereatStonewall.I’dnevertoldSerenaaboutitbecauseIknewshewouldn’ttakeitwell,buttheDruidsandIhadpreparedforthisoutcome.

I’dhadmonthstoanticipatethisexactmoment,butmakingthedecisionstillfeltlikeathousandswordsstabbingmerepeatedlyfromallangles—thepainfeltnearimpossibletohandle.Serena’svoicemadeitworse,mystomachtwistingitselfupinknotsatthesoundofit,butIhadtokeepgoing.Ihadtolethimin.Ihadtostopthismadness.

I felt Asherak’s soul slipping through me, chilling the blood in my veins as hiswhispersresonatedinmyhead.

Letmein,Draven…

Idid.Darknessandpoison filledme,makingmymuscles trembleandmyskin feellikeithadbeensetonfire.Histoxicsoulcoursedthroughmylimbs,andmychestswelledwith the incredible power it carried. Asherak was strong, and I couldn’t help but feelimpressedbyAzazel’sabilitytoholdhimforsolong.Itfeltasthoughanactivevolcanohadbeenstuffedinsidemeandwasconstantlyerupting.

“Draven.”

Serena’scrymademeturnmyhead.Shewasstill tryingtobreakfreefromPhoenixandJovi’shold.Igaveherareassuringsmile,butIcouldfeelherpainthrobbingthroughme.

“It’sokay,Serena,”Imanaged.

I took a deep breath as Asherak slowly made himself comfortable in my flesh. Itwasn’t a sudden process. It required a little time for the darkDruid to adjust to a newbody.Icouldfeelhimsettlingin,butIwasstillverymuchincontrolofmyself.

All I had to dowas reign it in and finish the job, as dark energy oozed out ofme.Reign it in for longenough todestroyAzazeland forViolaor theDruids tokillme. IfAsheraktookfullcontrol,merginglikethiswithanotherDruid,especiallyoneaspowerfulasme,eventheDaughterswouldn’tbeabletostophim,wewouldallbedoomed.Eritopiawouldbeonceagainlost.

I shifted my focus to Azazel, who stood before me with his eyes bulging and hismouthgaping.Hehadn’tseenthiscoming.Eveninhiswildestdreams,he’dneverthoughttherewouldbeaDruidstrongorresourcefulenoughtodowhatI’djustdone.

“Howcanthisbe?”Azazelcroaked,stillinshock.

“For all your crimes,” I said, walking toward him, “Azazel of Mellisteris, MasterDruidofPurgaris,youwillmeetyourjudgmentnow.”

“I…No…Asherak,youbastard!”hebellowedatthedarknessinsideme.

IcouldfeeltheancientDruidchuckling,thrilledtobeinsideayounger,strongerbodyand,atthesametime,amusedbyAzazel’spredicament.

“Forall thecreaturesyou’vekilled.Forall the livesyou’vestolen.Forall thesoulsyou’ve ruined. For the unspeakable damage and destruction you’ve brought upon thetwentykingdomsofEritopia.ForyourabuseofapreciousDaughterofEritopiaandallthe

Oracles thatyou’veabductedand imprisoned.Forallyourevil andgreed,youwilldie,Azazel.”

Ikeptmoving,closingthedistancebetweenus.Feardrainedthebloodfromhisface,hisyelloweyesfixedonme,butheknewtherewasnowheretorun.Thiswashisend.Heshrankinsizerightinfrontofme,backtohisoriginalDestroyerform,notallerthanme.

“Youliedtome,Asherak,”hehissed.“Youpromisedmeaneternity!”

“And youwill get nothing but darkness and inexistence,” I replied on behalf of allEritopians, then grabbed him by the throat,my fingers digging in as hiswindpipewascrushed.

Finishhim,IheardAsherakwhisperinginthebackofmyhead.

A surge of power shot through me, feeding my desire to make Azazel suffer foreverything he’d done. I let it all out, and thousands of bright green electrical currentspierced his body. He cried out from the pain as the electric flow, the equivalent of athousandlightningbolts,ateawayathisflesh.

“Thisisformyfather,”Isaidthroughgrittedteeth.“AndElissa,youdespicablepieceofgarbage!”

His skin reddened from the current. His bones cracked. His muscles jerked as hedesperatelytriedtogetfree.Therewasnoescape.

“All Iwantedwas power!” he croaked as he trembled inmy grip. “Theworldwasmineforthetaking!”

“Oh, you are certainly getting a lot of power through you right now.” I felt a grinstretchingmylips.

Theelectricshockwasfatal.Blacksmokebillowedoutofhimashiseyesflaredgreenonelasttimebeforetheyrolledbackinhisheadandhereleasedhislastbreath.

Iremovedmyhandsandheardthethudashecollapsedontheblackstonefloor.Mostofhisbodywasseverelyburned.Raw,redfleshcontrastedwithpatchesofcharredskin,ashismassiveserpenttailtwitchedandsplit,morphingbackintolegs.

Indeath,Azazel returned tohisoriginalDruidform,burnedbeyondrecognitionandwithnothingbutshameanddefeattohisname.Itprobablyhadtodowithhimbeingtheoriginatorofthecontrolspellhe’dcastovertheDestroyers,thathecouldgobackanddieinhisDruidform,unlikehisservants.AndIexhaledslowly,feelingnoremorseforwhatI’djustdone,notevenforenjoyingitall.

Therewasonlyrelief.

Itwasover.

IlookedatSerena.She’dstilled,lookingatmewithamixtureofpainanddread,andIwasn’tsurewhattomakeofit.I’djustkilledAzazel.Itwasanactworthyofcelebration.Ofsighsandhalf-smiles.Ofcheersanddreamsofthefuturebroughtbacktothesurface.

Oh,youcertainlyhaveitinyou,Asherakhissedinmyear.

Ishookmyhead,thennoticedthefrownssurroundingme.Somethingwaswrong.

“Whatisit?”Iasked,myvoiceraspierthanusual.

“Draven…” Serena managed to whisper. “Draven… Your eyes… Your eyes areyellow…”

Myjoywasshortlived.Myrelieftransitory.Mycomfortfleeting.

Pain shot throughmy whole body as I felt Asherakmoving to take control of mybones,myflesh,andmyveryheart.Mypulseacceleratedandmytemplesthrobbedasmyinsidesburned,andeveryinstinctIhadtoldmetogivethesignal.

“Killme,”IheardmyselfgaspbeforeIfellonmyside,myarmswrappedtightlyovermyachingstomach.

“No!”Serenascreamed.

IheardfeetshufflingasJoviandPhoenixwereforcedtoholdherbackoncemore.

Swordsweredrawnfromtheirsheaths.

“Draven,no!Don’t!Fightit!”Serenabeggedme.

“Killme!”Ishouted.

Asherak laughed, echoing inmy head.His soul felt like amillion tentacles rippingthrough every strip ofmuscle, every inch of bone, and every stretch of consciousness,claimingitallashisown.Hisdarknesspoisonedmeandpushedmeovertheedge.

Thepainwastoomuch.Mythighs,mycalvesburned.Bonescrackedinmylegs.

Icriedoutandprickedmytonguewithmyfangs,tastingblood.Iwasgrowingfangs.

Ibroughtahanduptomymouthandtouchedmyachinggums.Ifeltthem,longandsharp.

I lookeddownandwatched inhorrorasmy legs fused together, theskinripplingastheymorphedintoamassiveblackserpenttail.Myclothesweretorn,uselessonthefloorasmyphysicalformgrewinsize.

Timetoletgo,Draven,Asheraksaid.Don’tfightme.

Itwashappeningtoofast.

IfoundSerena’sterrifiedgazeandstilledforabriefmoment.

Therewasnoturningback.

Myheart broke, and I realizedwhat hurtmore than the fact that Iwas becoming aDestroyer.Whathurtmorethantheprocessitself.

ThiswouldbethelastimagethatSerenawouldhaveofme.ThemonsterI’dsworntodefeat.

Themonsterwasnowme.

B

SERENA

lackcloudsmovedoverourheads,likethickrollsofcharcoaldust.Lightningshot through them,spreadingout into incandescentspiderwebs, followedbyominousthunder.Coldwindsroseandsmackedintousasthestormgathered

on topof theplatform,whereAsherakwas in theprocessof takingoverDraven’sbodyandsoul.

Icouldn’tlethimgolikethis.Icouldn’tbeartoseethemanIlovedgothroughwiththishorrendoustransformation.Icouldn’tlosehimtoAsherak.

“Draven!”Iscreamed,myeyesburningasIblinkedawaymoretears.

“Killmenow!”Dravengrowled,heavingon the floor,his lowerbody turned intoalargeblacksnaketail.Hisyelloweyeswerefixedonme,andIcouldfeeltheshameandthegriefpouringoutofhim.

“No! Nobody touches him!” I snapped, and struggled harder against Jovi andPhoenix’sholdonme.

Icouldn’tlethimdothistohimself.Tome.Tous.

MaybeIcouldtalkhimoutofit.MaybeIcouldhelphimfightAsherak.

Azazelhadneverhadsomeonetolove,someonetoguidehimawayfromthedarkness.

MaybeIcouldhelp.

Itwasthat thought thatfinallygavemethepushIneededtoreleaseabarrierstrongenoughtoknockmybrotherandJoviback.IrantoDravenandfelltomykneesnexttohim,justasMalachyusedtheotherDruids’energytofashionaswordfromhisglowinghands,andbeganwalkingtowardus.

Iraisedmyarmsupinadefensivegesture,whileDravengroanedbelow.

“Don’t!”Ipleaded,myvoicetrembling.“Don’t!Notyet,please!”

“Serena,it’stoolate,”Dravengasped,hishandclutchingmywrist.“He’stakingover.Killmenowwhileyouallstillhaveachance!”

Thepainwasunbearable,justwatchinghimgothroughthishorrificmetamorphosis.Icouldn’t evenbegin to imaginewhatmourninghimwould feel like. Itwouldkillme. Isimplycouldn’tacceptalifewithoutDraveninit.

“No,Draven,youcanfightthis!”Icried,cuppinghisfaceinmyhands.

Viola took several steps forward with a pained expression on her face, her eyesglowing violet. I could see her from the corner ofmy teary eye. I looked up,my gazefindinghers,andshookmyhead.

“No,please…Please,Viola…”

“I’m sorry, Serena. I truly am,” she said inmultiple voices. “ButDraven is right. Icouldn’tkillAsherakbecausehealreadyhadfullcontroloverAzazel.ThecompleteSoulFusion spell was toomuch even for a Daughter of Eritopia to handle. But he’s yet toconsumeDraven.Wecanendthisnow,whileAsherakisstillvulnerable.”

Dravenhissedsuddenly,baringhisfangsatme,butIknewitwasn’thim.ItwasthedarkDruidfeelingthreatened.Heknewwhatwascoming.

“Viola,please…Ibegyou,wait.Icantry,Icantrytohelphim…”

IshiftedmyfocusbacktoDraven,hisbigyelloweyessendingshiversdownmyspine.Hestruggled,hisbreathingragged,whilelittlecurrentsofgreenlightflowedthroughhisbodylikepulsesofAsherak’spowereatingawayathim.

“Draven,please,” I saidgently. “I loveyou. I’veonly just foundyou.You’ve takenhold of my soul, my body, my entire existence. We were going to stand up today,overlooking Calliope and celebrate Eritopia’s freedom. Together. You andme, Draven.Youloveme.Icanfeelit.Youdon’twantthis.Idon’twantthis…Please…Fightit.Fighthim!”

“He’sstrong,Serena,”Dravenrepliedthroughgrittedteeth,furthertwistingmyheartintoapainfulknot.“Killmebeforehetakesover.”

“I…Ican’tkillyou,Draven,”Isobbed.

Inoticedthesnakependantinhishandtwistingbackintoitseight-loop,itsbeadyrubyeyes glistening with green reflections. I moved to take it away from him, but Dravenslappedmyhandbacksohard,itnearlybrokemyfingers.

Ibitmylowerliptoholdinagasp,icetumblingthroughmyveinsashelookedatme,hiseyesflaringfuriouslygreen.Heletoutamenacinghiss,theairaroundusengagedinafrictionthatraisedthetemperatureandamplifiedthepressure,makingitdifficulttoreact.Asifacenturies-oldweightwerebeingpusheddownonmyshoulders.

“He’s strong.” Draven’s lips moved, but it wasn’t his voice. It was raspy andpoisonous.Asherakwas speaking through him. “Imust say, I’m pleasedwith him.Hissoul,sobrightandgolden,isripeandreadyforme.Don’tthinkyoucanstopthis.”

Dread made my temples and my throat burn. Draven was losing this battle, but Iwasn’treadytogiveupyet.I’dneverbereadytogiveuponhim.

Ireachedouttotouchhisfaceagain.

Draven snarled and backhandedme so hard, I twisted backward and landed onmyside,myjawandmouththrobbing.

“Serena!”Phoenixshoutedashemovedtowardme.

Iimmediatelylookedupathimandputmyhandouttostophim.

“Don’t!Stayback!”Ishouted.“Allofyou,stayback!I’mnotdonehere!I’llneverbedonehere!”

“Serena, stop being so stubborn and kill me! I can’t hold on anymore!” Dravenbellowedasherose,adjustingtohisnewlowerbody.

His muscles twitched as he doubled over, fists tightened to the point where hisknucklesturnedwhite,skinsostretcheditcouldburstopen.Beadsofsweattrickleddownhisface,andhiseyesflickeredindecisivelybetweenyellowandbrightgreen.HewasstillfightingAsherak.

Wasthisit?WasIlosinghimforgood?

Itfeltlikeit.Griefroaredthroughme.Mykneeswereweak,myarmswerelimp,andmychesthurtsobadly.Icouldn’ttakeit.

IwaslosingDraven,andIcouldn’ttakeit.

Forsomereason,wordsmyfatherhadoncesaidtomebubbleduptothesurfaceinthebackofmyhead.He’dsaidtomeonce,whenIwasstillachild,that“lovecanbethemostpowerfulweaponin theworld, if twosoulsare trulyconnected”.He’dbeenreferring tomymotherandhim.Theirbondwasstrongandtheywerevirtuallyundefeatable,andI’dalwayslookeduptothem,hopingI’donedaybeinarelationshipasbeautiful,asintense,andaspowerfulasthat.

It dawned on me then, as I looked at Draven, that I was already in one suchrelationship.Ithadbeenbeautiful,despitethedangersandtragedies.Itwasintensetothepointwherewe’dgivenourselvestooneanotherandoursoulshadbecomeconnectedforaneternity.ButwasitpowerfulenoughtostopAsherakfromtearingusapart?

ThatwasaquestionIhadyettoanswer,andthiswasmylastchancetofindout.

Istoodanddecidedtotrysomething.

IwipedthebloodfrommysplitlowerlipandinhaledsharplyasIsteppedforward.

“Serena,”Viola said, her voices thundering across the platform. “I have to end thisnow.”

“Okay,justletme…Justletmesaygoodbye.”Ilookedather.

Shestilled,blinkingacoupleof times.Shehadn’texpectedme toagree. Iwasn’t. Ijustneededthemalltobackdownforafewseconds.Asherakincluded.

Iwasn’treadytoacceptfailure,althoughIalsohadtothinkofmybrother,myfriends,ourallies,andallthelivesthatdependedonus.We’dcometoofartoletAsherakdestroyeverything.ButDravenandIhadalsocometoofar,gonetoodeepintoourrelationshiptolet thisbastardbreakitalldown.Irejectedtheideasovehementlythat thefurycomingoutofmeasaresponsewasexactlywhatfueledmeintoregainingmycomposure.

“Asherak,”Ispoke,whilecompletelyopeningmyselfuptoPhoenix.

Icould feelmybrotherusinghis sentrypowersonme, trying to readmyemotions,tryingtofigureoutwhatIwasupto,soIgavehimfullaccess.He’dmostlikelyguessedthatIwasn’tactuallyreadytosaygoodbyetoDraven,andheneededtoknowwhatIwas

goingtodo,sohe’dkeepViolaandtheothersaway.

“Asherak,youwin,”Irasped.

Gaspsandwhispersbrokeoutaroundme,andIcaughtaglimpseofPhoenixmovingnexttoViolaandwhisperingsomethinginherear.Shenoddedslowly,herpalmsglowingpink.

Draven’seyesflaredgreenashestraightenedhisbackandlookeddownatme.Agrinslithisface. I’dmanagedtoget thedarkDruid insidehimtorelaxforamoment,whileDravenwasstunnedbymywords—Icouldfeelhisemotionsclearly,ribbonsseepingoutofhimandticklingmysenses.

“Changeofheart?Don’tworry,Serena,hewillbewelllookedafter,”Asherakspokethrough him. “An eternity of greatness awaits us. He just needs to give in. I’m almostthere…”

“Icanfeelhimslippingawayfromme,nomatterwhatIdo…Ijustwantonemoreminutewithhim,alone,beforeyoutakeover,”Ireplied,mystomachchurning.“Justonemoment…Please…”

Dravencockedhisheadtooneside,hisfierygreengazedrillingintome.Iheldmyground.Iwasn’tsureAsherakwouldbuyintothis.TherewasnothingotherthanPhoenixstoppingViolafromkillingDravenandendingthis.ButthedarkDruidwasbusyfightingDravenontheinside,tryingtotakeoverhisbody.

Hewas confident, maybe a little toomuch. I could feel him, just like I could feelDraven.BecausetheywerenowsharingabodyandAsherakwastryingtoconsumethesoul,too,Icouldsensealltheemotionsswirlinginthere.

Iopenedmymind toPhoenixand relayedeverything Icouldpickup fromhim. I’dnever thought I’d be able to communicate so well with my brother, but, given thecircumstances,Ihadafeelingmysentrynaturewasexpandinganddeveloping.Iknewhegotthemessage,becausewhenIglancedathimhegavemeabriefnod.

“Onemoment,”Asheraksaid.“Bidyourfarewell…”

I’dbeenright.Hewastoosureofhimself,ashefeltDravengivingin,nolongerabletoresistAsherak’sdarkness.ItgavemetheopeningIneededtotryonelastthing.

Draven’sbodyshookandhiseyesreturnedtoyellow,flickeringblackwithemotionastearsrolleddownhischeeks.

“What’s happening?Serena,” he said, his lower lip trembling. “Please, killmenowwhile I’m still here… I can’t hold on anymore. If he takes over completely we’re alldead.”

I closed the distancebetweenus and tookhis face inmyhands, gently pullinghimcloser. I looked deep in his eyes, looking for a glimmer of the real him beyond thatshudderingyellow.

“Draven,” Ibreathed.“I loveyoumore thananything. I’m ready toburn thiswholeworlddownforyoutostayalive.Callitselfish,ifyouwant.Idon’tcare.Iloveyoutoomuchtoletyougo,andI’mhopingthiswillbeenoughtogiveyouthestrengthyouneed

tofightAsherak.”

IcouldhearthedarkDruidhissinginsideDraven,whosegazesoftenedonmeashelistened.

“I’mnotgoingtosaveaworldthatdoesn’thaveyouinit,andIknowthat’llpissyouoffenoughtotakeastandandfightthisbastardandfinishthejobyourself,becausethereisnooneasstrongasyouare,Draven…”

TearsrolleddownmycheeksasIkissedhim,pressingmylipsagainsthisandpouringallmyloveintothatonelittlegesturethatmeanttheworldtome.

Asherakwas struggling beneath the surface, snapping and snarling. I could feel hisrage,butDravenhadmyfullattention.Hehadyettolosecontrol.

“Iwanttospendtherestofmylifewithyou,”Itoldhimwithawaterysmile.“AndIplantoliveforadamnlongtimewithyou.Iloveyou,Draven,likenothingandnooneelseinthisworld,andthereasonIfellsohardisbecauseofyourstrength.Evenwhenyoudidn’t think you had it in you, you stood tall and fought back and brought us all heretoday.Youarestrong,Draven.”

Heexhaledsharply,goldenergypouring intome, feedingme likebeforeand fillingmewithhisemotions.Theyallburnedforme.Forus.

“Youcanfightthis.Foryourself.ForEritopia.Forme,Draven.Fightitandkickthissnakeout!Don’tlethimtakeanothersouldownwithhim.He’stakenenough!”Iraisedmyvoiceandtookastepback.

I could hear growling and hissing beneath his ribs. I could feel Asherak’s poisonflushing throughhisveins. I could feel the rage crashing intohisvery soul.AwarwasbeingwagedinsideDraven’sbody,andI’dmademyselfheard,loudandclear.

Hisresolvehadalreadyresurfaced.

Dravenwasreadytoreclaimhisbody.

Becausehissoulwasalreadymine.

I

DRAVEN

couldfeelhimburningthroughme,likewildfireswallowingaforest,blazingandconsumingeverythinginitspath.Asherakwasfurious.

Serenahadtakenadvantageofhismomentaryweakness,hisdesperationtogettomysoul before he could manifest his full power like he’d done with Azazel. Even in mycurrentstate,strugglingtomaintainconsciousnessandtakemybodybackfromthedarkDruid,Icouldn’thelpbutmarvelatSerena’squickwit,playingonhisarrogancelikethat.

I loved her with every fiber of my being, and she’d been able to get her messagethroughtome,loudandclear.Itwasallinmyhandsnow.Ihadonelastchancetomakethiswork.Tosavemyselfandbewithher.She’dinstilledhopewithahandfulofwords,andIlovedherevenmoreforit.

My heart swelled as Asherak’s poison kept trying to pierce through it. My brainsizzledashisroarstraveledthroughme,echoingthrougheverycell,makingmymusclesjerkandmybonescrackashesoughttobringdownmyphysicaldefenses.

IlookedatSerena,andIcouldseeaglimmerinherbluishgreeneyes,herlongblackhair framingherbeautiful face.Shestood tallandproudandwiped the tearsaway.Hersplit lipwas swollenand red, and I could tasteherbloodonmy lips. I felthorrible forhaving hit her so hard. I felt my own rage coming up, as I was angry at myself forallowingAsheraktohurther.

“Fightit,Draven!”shesaid,projectingeverythingshefeltatme.

Emotionswashedoverme.Love.Longing.Pride.Theywereallforme.

IdirectedmyrageatAsherak.He’dmademehurtSerena,and therewasnowayinhell I was letting him get away with it. My consciousness struggled against the darkDruid’sconstantpummeling,hisbellowinginthebackofmyhead.

Letmein,Draven.Yoursoulismine.Youofferedyourselftome!

Somethinginsidemedidn’twanttoletgo.Somethingtuggedatmyheart,andittookmeafewmomentstorealizewhatitwas,whileAsherakwasdigginghisclawsdeeperandsendingripplesofpainthroughmybody,makingmebendforward.

Letmein!You’remine!

Thetuggotstronger,andI jerkedback intoanuprightposition,whileevery inchofmybodyachedtothepointwheretearsstreameddownmycheeks.ItwasSerena.Itwas

ourbond,ourunbreakabletiethathadformedthenightwefirstmadelove.

Her sentry nature kept us connected even as Asherak burned holes through me,desperately trying tosinkhis fangs intomysoulanddevourmyenergy.Serenawasmylifeline,mybeaconoflight,andtheonecreatureIneededtogettobeforeitwastoolate.

Asherakcaughtonand tried tobreak the invisiblechain,buthehissedandgrowledwithfrustrationasIfocusedonhowSerenamademefeel.

Everyonearounduswasfrozen,swordsoutandreadytostrikemedown.

IknewIwoulddie if Ididn’t fightbacknow.Iknewtherewasanendcoming.Myfriends,myallieshadmecoveredonthatend.IcouldseeitinHansa’semerald-goldeyes.IcouldseeitonJax’sface.TheyoungDruids, too.TheywerereadytodowhatSerenacouldn’t, but they’d also seen what she could do, and they were now watching it allunravel.

Letme in! You have nothing butme! I am the only onewho can save you! I savedAzazelandIcansaveyou,too!Letmein!

Asherakwasgettingdesperate.

Hewasgrowinglouderandmoreviolent,too,butsomehow,Iwasabletowithstandeveryblow.

Istilled,gazingintoSerena’seyes.Shekeptmeanchoredtoreality.Ifeltmyloveforhergrowbrighter,likeanexpandingsun.

“I love you so much,” I whispered to her, while the dark Druid kept snarling andcursinginsideme.

“I love you, Draven,” she replied, her voice trembling and echoing beneath myribcage.

“Get out, Asherak.” I found my resolve and started pushing back. “I rescind myinvitation.Getthehellout!”

Youcan’tjustkickmeout!Itdoesn’tworklikethat!Nothingcanstopmenow!Noonecanstopme!I’mtakingyouwhetheryoulikeitornot!I’lleatawayatyouuntilyougivein!

“That’sit,Draven!Fightit,”Serenaencouragedme,hopeonceagainflickeringinhereyes.

“Youdon’tgetit,doyou,Asherak?”Igrowled,feelingmyselfgetstrongerwitheverysecondthatwentby.“I’mnotonmyowninhere…”

You’remine!Givein!

“Ican’t,”Ireplied.“I’mnotaloneinhere.IhaveSerena.Mysoulisnotminetogivebecauseshealreadyhasit.Shewon’tletyouhaveit.”

Hisfrustrationburnedthroughme,butIheldontight.

Serenacametomeandwrappedherarmsaroundme.Ifeltherwarmthandherloveflowingthroughme.IfeltherenergysoaringandwashingthedarknessawayasAsherak

bellowedandthrashed,unabletodoanythinganymore.SunlightfilledmeupandsentmyheartbeatingfastasIembracedSerenaandopenedmyselfuptoher.

Youcan’tdothis!

“Unlikeyou,Asherak,I’mnotalone,”Isaid.“IhaveSerena.”

She tightened her grip onme, and I felt her heartbeat catching up with mine. Herribcagehummedasshespoke.

“Youdo,Draven.Youhaveme,”shesaid,lookingupatme.

Whatever that energywas that shewas sending throughme, itmanaged to dull thepain.IwasabletoholdherfaceinmyhandsandgiveheraweaksmilebeforeIfocusedallmyrageatthedarktoxinthatwastryingtoeatmealive.

“Getout!”Ishoutedfromthebottomofmylungs.

IheardAsherakwailasIfusedmysoulwithSerena’s,welcomingherlight.

I expelledAsherakwith abrightgreen flash, and roaredas I felthispoisonpeelingitselfawayfromeverystripofmyflesh.

Thedarkness oozedout ofme like a black cloud, its insides shimmering green andshriekingbeforeitblasteditselfawayintonothingness.

Thepulsewasstrong,anditknockedeveryoneelseofftheirfeet.Itblewthecolumnsaway, leaving the platform bare and completely open. It broke the stone arch holdingAbrille’sbubble,thelastofAzazel’scontraptions.

The sphere broke as soon as it hit the floor, since Azazel’s power was no longerkeeping it impervious to outside forces. Thewater splashed, andAbrille landed on herside,coughingandwheezing,breathingaironcemore.

OnlySerenaandIwereleftstanding,holdingeachotherasIpeeledmyeyesopenandtookinmynewreality.

TheblackmistthathadoncebeenAsherakwasgone.

Itwasover.

Icouldn’tbelieveit.Itookadeepbreath.Mylungsfeltscratchy.

ButIwasfree.

Asherakwasgone.

A

SERENA

sherak’sroarechoedaboveusasitdisappearedintothenothingness.

Before I could even think of a reaction, my hand instinctively foundDraven’sandrippedthesnakependantaway.Itossedittotheside,bytheDaughter’sfeet,thenlookedupatDraven.Theairaroundusfeltlighter,morebreathable.

Ifoundhissteelygrayeyesflickeringblack,hisgazesoftandfulloflove.

MyDravenwasback.

“Serena…”

Hedidn’tgettofinishhissentence,ashedoubledoverinpain.Ididn’tletgoofhim,but I got down on my knees, holding him as he convulsed from the agony of histransformation.Hismonstroussnake tail twitched.Hisbonescrackedasheregainedhislong,muscularlegs.

Dravenletoutalong,torturoussigh.Ikeptmyarmsaroundhim,unwillingandunableto part from him. He gradually recovered his breath, while the sky above us cleared,revealingitsduskyshadesoforangeandpink.

“It’s…Ithinkit’sover,”Igasped,feelingajumbleofmixedemotionsflaringoutofhim.

Hisfingersfoundmychin,andhepulledmyfaceclosertohis.Icouldfeelhisbreathbrushingagainstmyskin,reliefwashingoverme.MybodyinstantlyrelaxedasIleanedinto him. His strong arms snaked their way around my waist and took me in a long,heartfeltembrace.

Oursoulswereboundandfreeatthesametime.BoundtooneanotherandfreeofthedarknessthatAsherakandAzazelhadcastuponus,uponallofEritopia.

Dravendroppedasweetandtenderkissonmylips.Icringedalittlefromthepain,andhegavemethemostregretfulandhurtlookinreturn.

“I’msosorry,Serena,”hewhispered.“Ididn’tmeantohurtyou…”

“Youweren’tyourself,Draven.It’sokay.”

Ikissedhimback,thistimemoredeeply,asIpouredallmyloveintoit.Ineededhimtofeelme.

“Serena, Ioweyoumylife,”hesaidgently,his finger tracingan invisible linefrom

mytempletomyneck.“Ioweyoumysoulandalifetimeofbliss.Averylong, long…longlifetime…”

Hemeantit,too,whichwasgreat,becauseI’dalreadystartedplanningonaneternitytogether.Iwouldneverletanythinghappentohimeveragain.Iwouldspendeverydayofmyliferevelinginhisloveandworshipinghimthesamewayheworshipedme.

“It’sover,isn’tit?”Iasked,mybodyfeelingsoftandweak.

“Ithinkitis,yeah.”Hesmiled,unabletotakehiseyesoffme.

Itwasthenthatwefinallylookedaroundandnoticedtheshockoneveryone’sfaces.Theywereallstillthere.Hansa,Jax,AnjaniandJovi,FieldandAida,Vita,thesixyoungDruids, Patrik, Thadeus, and five Druids who had changed back from their Destroyerforms. Even the three shifters had survived after the final pulse had kicked down thecolumnsthey’dsoughtshelterbehind.

Violawas staring at us, her eyes flaring violet. She looked uncertain ofwhat to donext,giventheunexpectedchangeinoutcome,untilPhoenixtookherglowingpinkhandinhisandbroughtituptohislips,droppingagentlekissonherknuckles.

“It’sokay,Viola,”he saidgently. “Theymade it…I can’tbelieve it, but theymadeit…”

Shenodded slowly, the light emanating fromher eyes andhands dimming, and sherelaxedagainstPhoenix.

“It’sover!”IheardVitagasp.

“It is.” I gaveher awarm, reassuring smilewhileDravenheldme tight, bothof usheavingsighsofrelief.He’dbeenthroughenough.He’dthoughtdeathwasgoingtobehisonlyoption.Icouldn’tblamehimforenjoyingeverylungfulofair.

We all looked at one another, amixture of befuddlement and joy settling onto ourfaces.

Vitawasthefirsttodroptoherknees,shudderingassheburstintotears.Aidaquicklyleapttoherside,huggingher.Theybothfinallyallowedthemselvestocryfreely.Itwasn’tfrompainorgrief;itwaspurerelief.Icompletelyunderstood,asIswallowedbacktearsofmyown.

Weheardfootstepsfrombelow,andweturnedourheadstoseeBijarkirushinguptotheplatform.He stilledat the sightofus.Heblinked several timesuntilhenoticed thecharredbodyon the stone floor, aswell as theotherdeadDestroyers thathadnotbeentossedovertheedgeduringourfight.

Bijarkihadbeeninjured,hisrighteyeswollenalmostshutinadark,shimmeringgray.Thereweremultiplecutsonhisarmsandchest,andaswordstainedwithcrimsoninhishand.He’dhadtofighthiswayupherebeforeAzazelwastakendown,apparently.

“Isthat…IsthatAzazel?”Bijarkicroaked,butdidn’twaitforaresponse,ashesawVitaonherknees,crying.“Vita!”

Herheadshotupatthesoundofhisvoice,andsheimmediatelysprangtoherfeet.

“Bijarki!”shecriedout.

Heshotacrosstheplatformandtookherinhisarms,holdinghertightanddroppingdozensofkissesalloverherface.Heshudderedinherembrace,hidinghisfaceinherhairassheranherhandsdownhisbackandcriedsomemore.

I exhaled, leaning farther into Draven, who dropped a few more kisses on myforehead,holdingmetightagainsthim.

“It’sactuallyover…”Iwhispered.

“Iknow,it’s…It’sunbelievable,”herepliedgently.

“What’sunbelievableisthatyouandtheseotherfiveDruidsareperfectlycomfortablestandinghere,bucknaked,”Jovishotbackwithaglorioussmirk.

Icouldn’thelpbutgiggle,while theothersburst into laughter. Iglancedoverat theDruids,nowflusteredandusingtheirhandstoconcealtheirprivateparts,whilePhoenixandField tore their shirts into several pieces.Theyhanded themover for theDruids totemporarilycoverthemselves.Theynoddedtheirgratitudewhiletheirgazesdartedacrosstheplatform.

JovihelpedAbrilleup,as she’d regainedconsciousnessandwasquietly listening tous,asmilebloomingonherpaleface.

ThadeusandPatrikshookhands,thenhugged,apologizingtooneanotherforthefightthey’dhadtoendurewhileunderAzazel’sbloodspell.

“Don’t feel too bad.”Patrik grinned. “You held your own in this. I truly appreciateyourabilitytoshowsomerestraintdespitehiscontrol.”

“Samegoesforyou,Patrik,”Thadeusreplied,pattinghimontheshoulder.“Youhadplenty of chances to killme, but yourmindproved to be a little bit stronger than yourbody.”

“I’vebeenmentallyfightingforyearstoregaincontrolovermyactions,”Patriksaid.“Thebloodspellwasstrong,butI’dalreadyconditionedmyselftoresistAzazel’scontrol.Hewould’vehad tokillme,eventually,becausehewasn’tgoing tobeable toholdmedownforever.”

“He’sdead,”Phoenixsaid,takingViolainhisarms.“Istillcan’tbelieveit.Itfeelslikeadream…”

“Yeah,butit’sallcomingintofocusnow,isn’tit?”FieldsmirkedasAidacametohisside.Heheldhertight,runninghisfingersthroughherhairasshesettledintohisembrace.“He’sgone.Thefightingisdone.”

“Eritopiaisfree.”Hansafinallyspoke,lookingatDravenandme.

Weallwentquiet,andgazedaroundus.Blacksmokebillowedfromthefiresbelow,butthereweren’tanyswordsclanging.Thousandsofvoicescouldbeheardontheground,buttherewasnomorefighting.

Oneoftheshifterscametous,sniffingDravenforamomentbeforeithuddledovertoa deadDestroyer. It unfastened thewide belt around the beast’swaist,which had been

fittedwithashortlayerofblackfabric,thenbroughtthegarmentoveranddroppeditnexttoDraven.

Wegawkedatthecreatureforseveralmoments.Theshifter’seyesglowedviolet,andthe benevolent look on its face felt out of place, given its otherwise ferocious nature.Nevertheless,thegestureimpliedsomethingextraordinary,asenseoftruefriendshipandallegiancefromtheshifters.

Theothertwoshiftersimmediatelyrantotheothersideoftheplatform,eachstoppingtocirclePhoenixandAida,whileFieldandViolaconfusedlywatchedthem.Thecreaturespurred and sniffed both my brother and Aida, resting on their knuckles, until Phoenixreachedoutandpattedoneonthehead.Itseyesglowedvioletwithdelight,itscreepygrinwithsharpfangsmeanttobeasmile.

“Guessyou’vebeenbusytearingDestroyersapartbelow.”Phoenixsmirked.

Dravenusedthebelttocoverhimselfaswefinallystoodup.

“Eritopia is free,Draven.”Hansa finally repeated her previous statement, emergingfromherhaze.

Shewalkedovertousandtookusinatightbearhug,herarmswrappedaroundournecks.Icouldn’thelpbutlaughasIrespondedtotheembracewithoneofmyown.Onebyone,therestofourgroupjoinedin.

Jovi and Anjani. Phoenix and Viola. Aida and Field. Vita and Bijarki. Even Jax,Thadeus,andPatrikcompletedthehug,alongwiththesixyoungDruids,whiletheshifterswatcheduswithcuriousexpressions.

ThefiveformerDestroyersstoodawkwardlytothesideaswelaughedandcriedandthankedeachother foreverything thatwe’dmanaged toaccomplish,untilHansapulledbackandbrokethegrouphugtolookatDravenandme.

“You’ve managed to do something that many Eritopians didn’t think was evenpossibleanymore,”Hansasaid.“Youstoodup,andyoubroughtthepeopletogether.Yougave themhope.You fought back hard, andyouwiggled yourway through every tightturn. Even when your friends and family were in danger, you didn’t surrender.We allstandheretoday,free…becauseofyou.”

“No.”Dravenshookhisheadslowly,promptingHansatofrown.“We’reherebecauseofallofyou.Ididmypart,andSerenahelpedkeepustogether.”

Hegavemeasidewaysglanceashesaidthat,thennoddedattheothers.“Butyouallhadacrucialroletoplayinthis.Youallbelievedinme.YoubelievedinEritopia’srighttofreedomandpeace.Youwerebraveeveninmomentswhenyouthoughtitwouldallcomecrumblingdown.Weallmade it happen.Weare all responsible.Andweall deserve tocelebrateandcometogetheraswerebuildourworld.”

HethenturnedaroundtofacetheDruidsontheedge.

“Andyou,”headded.“YoucannotbeblamedforeverythingyoudidwhileyouwereunderAzazel’scontrol.Youdeservefreedomaswell.Youdeserveachancetostartanew.Eritopia needs its Druids, even if there aren’tmany of us left.Will you standwith us

beforethepeopleanddedicateyourlivestorebuildingthismarvelousworld?”

AfewsecondswentbybeforetheDruidsnoddedandbowedrespectfully.

“Thankyou,”thefemalesaid.“Weneverthoughtwe’dseethisday,andyet,hereweare,breathingfreelyforthefirsttimeincenturies.Weareforeverinyourdebt.”

“You’redamn rightyouare,” Jovimuttered, stiflingagrin.Anjaniclickedher teethandgavehimanudgeintheribs,hardenoughtomakehimgroanandraisehishandsinanapologeticgesture.“Iwaskidding…”

The young Druids joined the former Destroyers and shook their hands, welcomingthemintothefold.

“There are a lotofwrongs thatneed tobe set right,”Ori said,onehandcoveringawoundatthebackofhishead.“EritopiaisfreeofAzazel,andhiscontrolspellhascomeundone.Muchchaosanduncertaintyawait,sowemustactfastandrestorebalanceacrossthekingdoms.”

Weallnoddedourapproval,asJaxsteppedtowardtheedgeoftheplatform.

“Theworstpart’sover,”hesaid,lookingbelow.“Theheadhasfallenandthebodywillflounder.Whatever Destroyers were left across the other planets of Eritopia have nowbeenreturnedtotheiroriginalDruidforms.Theymustallbeveryconfusedrightnow.ButDruidsareinherentlygoodcreatures,saveforafewrottenapples.”

“LikeGoren.”Hansagrinned,pattingherbroadsword,itsgoldenscabbardglisteningunder the afternoon sun.We’d left Stonewall in the morning, and by dusk we’d freedEritopia. I was still grasping the concept, readjusting to a world without Azazelthreateningourlives.

Anjanicametohersideandplacedahandonhershoulder.

“You’vefoughtwell,Sister,”shesaid.

HansasnortedandtookAnjaniinatighthug,surprisingtheyoungsuccubus.

“I’vehadyoutolookafter,”Hansasaid.“Youwerethefireonmyheels.”

“Ithinkit’lltakeawhiletoadjust,”Fieldmused,halfhisfacehiddeninAida’srich,curly brown-and-gold hair. “We’ve been on the run and fighting for our lives for quitesometime.It’sbeensointense,we’llneedafewdaysjusttoreadjusttoourfreedom.”

“Nomorehidinginsideamansion,”Aidaadded.

“Nomoremarinatinginsideglassbubbles.”Vitascoffed.Bijarkidroppedanotherkissonherlips,hisexpressionsoftashelookedather.

Itwasover,andIfeltlikeIcouldbreatheagain.

I’dbeensoclosetolosingDraven.Soclosetolosingthisbattle.ButIhadn’t.Wehadstoodstrongandtrustedeachothertodotherightthing,evenwhenitallseemedtotumbledownapathtocertaindeath.

Wewerefinallyfree.

“W

SERENA

hataboutthependant?”Anjaniasked,lookingdownatthegoldsnakewithrubyeyesleftonthefloor.Itdidn’tmoveanymore.Thegreenflickerwasgone,buttherewasstill something about it thatgaveme the creeps, as if therewere someAsherak residueinsideit,lurkingandwaitingtofallintothewronghandsagain.

Violapicked itup,analyzing itasshewrapped thebrokenchainaroundher fingers.ShepursedherlipsandglancedatDravenandme.

“Thereisstillsomethinginit,”shesaid.“Somethingdarkandevil.IthinkAsherak’ssoul returned to it.He cast a powerful spell on this object, something the otherDruidscouldn’tbreakthousandsofyearsago.”

Thethoughtmademybloodfreeze.

“IthoughtheburstintonothingnesswhenIexpelledhim.”Dravenfrowned,bringinghisarmaroundmywaistandinstinctivelypullingmecloserinaprotectivegesture.

“Ithinkthatwasjustareactiontohisexpulsion,”Violasaid.“Likeonelasttrytohangon,whichobviouslybackfired.Hissoulisinhere,butthesnakeisn’tmovinganymore.Ithinkhisspiritisnowonceagaindormant,rejectedbythelasthost.”

“So what do we do with it?” I asked. I didn’t feel comfortable with that thinganywherenearmeorDraven.Itmademystomachchurn.

“TheDruidsneveraskedtheDaughtersforhelpwithAsherak’spendant.Theytriedtodestroyitthemselvesandfailed,”Violareplied.“IwilltakeittoMountAgrithandtossitinto thewater thatcreatedus.Theprimordial liquidmaybeable todestroy it. Ifnot,atleast itwill be lost at the bottomof themountain,where no living creature could everreachit.”

She turned to Phoenix and kissed him gently, touching his face with a reassuringsmile.

“I’llbebacksoon,Ipromise,”shesaidslowly.

Phoenixsighed,thennodded.

“I’llbehere.”

Without another word, Viola closed her eyes and dissipated into a pink mist rightbeforeoureyes.Shescatteredwiththewind,offtoputAsherak’ssoulsomewheresofaranddeepthatitcouldneverbefoundagain.

Itfeltasifamassiveweighthadbeenliftedfrommyshoulders.

Draventookmyhand,andwebothwalkedovertotheedgeoftheplatform.We’dallheard thefighting, theexplosionsand theshoutingandwailing,butwehadn’tgotten toseetheoutcomeofthealliedforces’siege,aswe’dbeenbusywithourownwaruphere.

Thickcolumnsofsmokebillowedfromwhereexplosionshadtakenplace.Thegroundhadbeensplithereandthere,andthousandsofincubilaylifelessinthetallgrassaroundthecastle.Silverbloodglazedthehillsandtrickleddownintotheriver.

Destroyer corpses, returned to their Druid forms,were scattered all over, while thetrapsthattheimpshadsetalsoheldDruids,freeofAzazel’sspell.Icountedaboutfortyofthemintotal.ThethrongsofincubithathadturnedagainstAzazeloncethealliedforceshadbesiegedthecastlewerehuddledintoheavilyguardedgroups,clutteredonthesideofthemainroadleadingintothecastle.IusedmyTrueSighttogetabetterlook,noticingtheworriedandregretfullooksontheirfaces.

Hansacametostandnexttome,gazingdown.

“They may have turned against Azazel,” she said. “But they will answer for theircrimesandtreason.TheDestroyershadanexcuse,afterall.Or,atleast,mostofthemdid.But the incubi were given a choice, and they still sided with Azazel. We’ll have tointerrogate allof themand findoutwhere they truly stand.Chances are that thosewhosidedwithAzazelintheearlydaysarethosemostlikelytobetrayEritopiaagain.”

“AndthesamewillbedonewiththeDruids,”Dravenadded.“WehavetruthspellstodeterminewhichofthemhadpureintentionsandwhichonesjoinedAzazelwillingly.”

Inoddedslowly,thenresumedscanningthebattlefieldbelow.Thecastle’sfaçadehadbeenmarred by explosive projectiles, but the structure andmost of its wallswere stillintact,leavingroomforlocalizedrepairsandrestorationwork.

The allieswere celebrating, hugging and shaking hands and roaringwith delight asthey were reunited with the many prisoners still pouring out from the dungeons. TheDearghshadcometoahalt,giant,quietstatuesoverlookingthecastleanditsbloodyhills,theireyessimmeringorange.Draventookmyhandandsqueezeditgently.

“They’llbeokay,”hesaid.“We’llreignitethevolcanoesoncewerestoresomebasicorderhere.They’llcomebacktolife,exceptfortheDearghswhosacrificedthemselvesinturningthefierymountainsoff.Unfortunately,theyaregoneforgood…”

I thenglancedover toZeriel andTamara,whowere standing in themiddleof theirgarrisons.TheLamiasandTritoneshadjoinedforces,overpoweringLuceria’sdefensesonthatsideofthecastle.Theyhadbeenlaughing,butstilledastheylookedupandsawus.Thewholecrowderuptedinamassivecheerastheybroughttheirhands,theirshields,andtheirweaponsup.

Thealliesbangedmetalagainstmetalinarhythmicbeatthatmademeshudder.Ifeltoverwhelmed with pride and sheer awe at what we’d accomplished. They had everyreasontocelebrate.They’dearnedtheirfreedom,andthey’dlostmanylovedonesintheprocess.

Wrenwasalsointhecrowd,huggingsuccubifromdifferenttribesastheygatheredin

front of the castle’smain gate. TheMaras and the Bajangs had also come together asthey’dbeguntoclear themeadowsof incubiandDestroyercorpses,piling themoneontopof the other.Theykept the allied victims separate,while the imps and someof theTritonesstartedgatheringwoodforafuneralpyre.

“Whathappenstothedead?”Iasked.

“Theyburn,”Hansa repliedswiftly.“There isno time tomournorhonor thosewhobetrayedEritopiaandfoughtagainstthefreepeople,evenwhentheyweregivenachanceto be on the right side of history. Those who fought with the alliance will be given afuneralpyreceremony.They’veearnedeternalgloryfortheirsacrifice.”

A scream pierced through the joy and celebration below. I immediately located thesource,astheothersinourgrouprushedovertotheedgeoftheplatform.

ZeriellookedsomberasTamarafelltoherknees.ThebodyofaLamiahadbeenlainbefore her by two Maras. She looked an awful lot like Tamara, albeit younger, withplatinumhairandgreenandyellowscalescoveringherarmsandneck.Herchesthadbeenpiercedbyapoisonedspear,andwascoveredincrimsonblood.

TamaratooktheLamiainherarmsandheldherclose,crying.Heremotionsweresoraw, her grief so intense, it brokemy heart.Asmuch aswe’d knocked heads before, Icouldn’thelpbutfeelsorryforher.

“That’sKyana,”AidagaspedassherecognizedthelifelessLamia.

Patrikimmediatelyrusheddownthestairs.

“Oh,no…PoorPatrik.”VitasobbedandhidherfaceinBijarki’schest.

He’dlosttheloveofhislife.He’dspentcenturiesfightingAzazel’scontrol,he’ddoneeverythinginhispowertokeepKyanaalive,andyetintheend,thewarhadclaimedher.Icouldn’tevenbegintoimaginewhatwasgoingoninsidehim.ThemerethoughtoflosingDravenhadpushedmeovertheedge,anditwasthekindofpainIwouldn’twishuponmyworstenemy.

WeallhurrieddownstairsafterPatrik,quicklyglancingaroundaswemovedfromoneleveltothenext.Allieswerealreadyclearingthecorridorsandlivingquarters,arrestingtheincubiwhohadbeenpartofthedefenseforcesandcaringforthewounded.

Assoonaswearriveddownstairs,weran intoJasmine,Rebel,and thewards,whilePatrik racedahead toget toKyana.Jasmine tookDraven inahug,holdinghimtightastearsofjoystreameddownhercheeks.

“You’vedoneit,mydarlingnephew,”shesobbed.“Icannotbelieveit,afteralltheseyears. You are truly your father’s son, and worthy of Almus and Genevieve’sextraordinaryheritage…Iamsoproudofyou!”

Draven blinked several times, his eyes flickering black. There was a mixture ofshyness and pride roiling inside him as he tried to get used to physical contactwith afamily member. He eventually responded to her embrace, while Rebel offered me herhand.

Ishookit,andshepulledmeintoabearhug,purringwithdelight.

“Thankyou,Serena,”shesaid.“Youdidnotdisappoint.”

“Neitherdidyou.” I smiledback, then frowned,not seeingThornanywherenearby.“Andyourbrother?Isheokay?”

“Yeah,he’sonthenorthside,helpingwiththeinjured.”Shenodded.

Jaxshowedrawemotion for the first timewhenhehuggedeachofhiswards.Theylookedpaleandawkward,butthecornersoftheirmouthstwitchedastheyrespondedtohis embrace. They’d been trained and marked to protect him, and, after having beenseparatedtokeepDestroyersatbay,theywererelievedandhappytoseehimalive.

“Oh, come on, I’ve only been gone a few years, and you’re already getting soft!You’rehuggingpeoplenow?!”amalevoiceboomedfromtheothersideofthehallway,itsdarkarchwayleadingdowntothedungeons.

Jaxinstantlystraightenedhisbackandturnedaround.Hiseyeswidened,andasmilebloomedonhisfaceasherecognizedtheyoungMaragrinningathim,accompaniedbytwo other wards. He ran over and hugged him tight, lifting him off the ground andlaughing.Theywerebothsohappytoseeeachother,Ifoundmyselfgrinningandstaringatthem,asIwatchedawonderfulreunion.

“That’shisyoungerbrother,Heron,”Anjani said. “He’sbeen aprisoner inAzazel’sdungeonforyears.”

“Jaxnevermentionedhavingabrother,”Isaid.

“Youmight’venoticedbynowhe’snotmuchofasharer, ingeneral.”Jovismirked.“Buthe’sadamngoodfighter!”

“Mhm.”Hansamutteredherappreciation,gazingatJaxwhilehepattedhisbrother’sbackandcarefullycheckedhisfaceandbodyforanywoundsthatmightrequiretreatment.Heronhadbeenthroughsomehardstuffdownthere,butheseemedstrongandreasonablyhealthy,despitehisimprisonment.

“Weneedtogooutside,”Dravenremindedmegently.

Inoddedandrusheddownthehallway.WepassedthroughthemaingateandswiftlycrossedthepatchofsilverygrasstowhereTamaraheldKyanainherarms,surroundedbysobbingLamias.They’dpulledthespearoutofherbynow,andPatrikhadfallentohiskneesbeforeher.

Hisshouldersdropped,rawemotionalpaincontortinghisfeaturesastearsrolleddownhischeeks.Hislowerliptrembled,andhiswholebodyshudderedashereachedoutandtouchedKyana’spale,beautifulface.

Tamara glanced up at him, swallowing backmore tears as she set her sister on thegrass, forPatrik tohaveamomentwithher.Hemovedcloserandbentoverher,gentlytracingherfaceandbloodylips.Hedroppedakissoneacheyelidbeforehebrokedowncompletely.Hewrappedhisarmsaroundherandpulledherclose,sobbingandhidinghisfaceinherhair.

Myheartgenuinelyhurtatthesightofhiminsomuchpain.Icriedtoo,unabletoholditbackanymore,andDraventookmeinhisarmsinresponse,keepingmecloseasIfelt

allthegriefpouringoutofPatrik.

“IonlymanagedtohugheronceandtellherhowhappyIwastoseeherafteralltheseyears,”Tamaramumbled.“Thenwewereseparatedinthebattle…”

“Sheputupagood fight,”oneof theMaraswhohadbroughtherover said slowly.“ButaDestroyercaughtheroffguard.Wecouldn’tsaveher,butwekilledthebeastthatdidthistoher…”

Tamaralookedup,heryelloweyesglazedwithtears,andnoddedattheMaras.Noonecouldbeblamedfor this.Thiswas theresultofwar.Eveninvictory,wewereboundtomourncreaturesweloved.Ithurtdeeply,buttherewasnothingwecoulddo.Therewasn’tevenanythinganyofuscouldsay.

Vita criednext tome,Bijarki holdingher close.Aidawaswiping tearsofherown.They’dbothseenher.Theyknewherwellenoughtounderstandtheholesheleftbehindindeath.Afterall,VitahadriskedalottosetKyanafree.

“At least shedied free.”Tamarashudderedanddoubledover,hidingher face inherpalmsasshecried.

Itwouldtakea longtimeforEritopia torecover, I realizedasI lookedaround.Thishadbeenafierceandviolentwar.Thousandshadperished,andmanymorebeforethemunderAzazel’scruelreign.Thebloodofmillionswasonhishands,but,thankfully,hewasnowdead.Asherak, the very darkness that had seducedAzazel into turning against hisownworld,waslyingatthebottomofthepinkwatersonMountAgrith,nevertobeseenorheardfromagain.

Still, they’d left behind somuch blood. Somuch grief and suffering. Therewas somuchtobedonetohelpEritopiarecover,tohelpitspeoplehealandrebuild,forpeacetoberestoredandmaintained.

Inour immediatevicinity, therewerebodies thatneeded tobemoved to the funeralpyreandcreatures thatneededtheirwoundslookedafter.Therewerefires tobeputoutaroundLuceria—andtherewerenineteenmoreplanetstobereacquaintedwithfreedom.

The sun was setting quietly in the west, exploding in violent shades of pink andorange,while a blanket of stars gently emerged from the east.Nightfallwould soonbeuponus.IleanedintoDravenandallowedhisgoldenenergytofeedmeandreplenishmystrength.

Hepressedhislipsagainstmytemple,hisbreathwarmonmyface,andItooksolaceinthethoughtthatnomatterwhatlayaheadofusinthedaystocome,weweretogether.

We’dsurvived.

A

SERENA

coupleofhourspassed aswehelped restore some senseoforder to the chaosthatfollowedthebattleofLuceria.Thedungeonsdownstairswererepurposedto

holdalltheincubiwhohadcontinuedfightingforAzazelduringthesiege.Pilesoffallenwarriorsburnedunderthelatesunset,blacksmokebillowingintothedarkredsky.

Wegathered in the throne room,whichwasnowdark andempty.Vitawent in firstwithacandle,usingherfaeabilitiestothrowflickersoffireatallthetorchesontheblackwallsandthemassiveironchandeliershangingoverhead.Awarmamberlightenvelopedthe room, revealing the large podium and sumptuous chair that had served asAzazel’sthrone.

Largepaintingsdecoratedthewalls,amongwhichwasaportraitofayoungerAzazel,beforehe’dbecomeaDestroyer.Itfilledmewithamixtureofdreadandsadness,asItriedtounderstandthemotivesthathadledtohisfallintodarkness.Sure,itallhadtodowithgreedandthethirstforpower,butsomethinghadtriggeredthat,anditwassomethingthatI couldn’t wrap my head around.What was it that drove a creature naturally inclinedtowardgoodtogoonsuchamurderousrampage?Whatcouldhavemadehimattempttodestroyeverythingthathisentirespeciesstoodfor?

Phoenixbrokemytrainofthought,returningfromacleanupsessiononalowerlevelandjoiningme,Draven,Jovi,Aida,Field,Vita,Bijarki,Anjani,Hansa,Jax,andtherestofour alliance. The young Druids moved around the room, looking at the wall art andoccasionallyfrowningastheyexchangedglances—theyrecognizedsomeoftheportrayedfiguresasformerMasterDruids,mostlikely.

Tamara,Patrik,andThadeushadalsojoinedus,alongwithDamion,who’dreturnedfromMountAgrithafterdeliveringNovatohersisters.Damion’seyeswereredandpuffy,as he’d been reunited with the young Druids and had been told that Cayron had beenkilledyearsago.HeronandallofJax’swardswerewithus,too,aswereourthreeshifters,now reunited with the fourth that Damion had taken to Mount Agrith. Grezzi, Zeriel,Wren,Rebel,Thorn, and Jasminewere the last to arrive, leaving theothers to continuecleaningupoutsideandpreparingforKyana’sfuneralpyre.

Wegatheredinawidecircleinfrontofthethrone,lookingateachotherwithsmilingeyes.We’dbeenthroughalot,butwe’dlivedtotellthetale.Itwasnowtimetogooverthe next steps so we could smooth Eritopia’s transition back into peace as much aspossible.Itwasalsotimeforustocatchourbreath.

“All of Azazel’s minions are in the dungeons now.” Grezzi was the first to speak.“Theywillgetafairtrial,oncewenominatefiveunbiasedjudgesfromthefreenations.”

“They’ll get better prison conditions than those they helped incarcerate, though,”Hansamuttered.

“Wecan’tbevileandvengefullikeAzazel,”Dravenreplied.“It’stimewesetahigherstandard and uphold justice. Although we all knowwhat they deserve, Eritopia’s lawsmustberestoredandrespected.”

Weallnoddedouragreement,andIlookedatPhoenix,Aida,andVita.They’dbeenatthe center of this forwhat seemed like forever, and I foundmyself still enragedby theSluaghs’cowardlyattackonStonewall.

“What about the Sluaghs?” I asked. “They killedmanyBajangs back at Stonewall,they nearly wiped out the Red Tribe, and who knows what other atrocities they’vecommittedinAzazel’sname?Won’ttheybepunishedaccordingly?”

“Wewillsendoutsearchparties tofindthem,”Dravensaid, lookingatHansa.“TheSluaghshavebetrayed thewholeofEritopia andwill probablygo intohidingnow.Wewillsmoke themoutandkill them.Theyservenogoodpurpose in thisworldanymore.Theydonotdeserveatrialforwhatthey’vedone.”

“Oh,good.”Hansaseemedtobrightenupabit.“Foramoment there, I thoughtyouweregoingtotryamercifulapproachonwormsthathaveperpetuatednothingbuttreasonandmurder.”

“No.” Draven shook his head. “There are crimes and there are crimes. While theincubihaven’tbeenmodelsofpeaceandrestraintovertheyears,mostofthemtrytobegood creatures. The Sluaghs didn’t even think of trying. They lied, and they killedinnocents.Therewillbenomercytowardevil.”

“And theprisonerswe freed from thedungeons?”Anjani asked,gently leaning intoJovi.

“They’re in thehospitalwingbelow,”Vitareplied.“They’rebeing lookedafterwithhealingpotions,food,andwater.Manyofthemhaven’teatenindays.I’vespokentosomeofthefae,andassuredthemthatoncethiswholemessclearsup,we’llfindawaytoreturnthemtotheirhomes.”

“Wewillcleareverythingup,Vita.”Dravennodded.“NowthatAsherak’spendantisgone, there is no reason to fear another Druid going dark. There are few of us left,compared to the thousandswe oncewere, butwe are capable of reinstating the twentykingdoms and restoring the peace and common laws.We’ll have to assign newMasterDruidsfromthoseofusstillstanding,evenifwehaven’tachievedourHundredthCircleCeremonies.Wecandothoseretroactively.”

“Leadershipisessentialrightnow,”Patrikchimedin,hiseyesstillredandflickeringblack.“Acoupleofbandtattooswon’tmakeadifference.”

“True,”Dravenagreed.“TherearefortyDruidsleftonCalliope,notincludingtheonesin this room now. They’re being cared for in the hospital wing. It’s not the physicalwounds that hurt them, but their own consciences. These past few centuries under

Azazel’scontrolhavebeentraumatic,tosaytheleast.Theywillneedtimetorecoverand,mostimportantly,forgivethemselves.”

“Hopefully thereweremoreDruids left in theotherkingdoms,”Phoenix interjected,hisgazefixedonAzazel’sportrait,whichcoveredawidestripofwallandstretchedfromfloortoceiling.

“I don’t think we should count on that. We’ll find out once we send a Calliopedelegation and army for reconnaissance, but the chances are slim.” Draven sighed, hisbrow furrowing slightly. “Azazel liked having a lot of Destroyers accompanying himwhereverhewent,andhe’sconsistentlyspentthelastfewdecadeshere,onCalliope.ButI’mnotsureofthenumbersleftacrosstheotherplanets.”

“Nevertheless,afewwouldbebetterthannone,right?”Phoenixliftedaneyebrow.

“Absolutely.Themoreofus,thebetter.Weallneedtoreadjustandhealourwounds,both physical and emotional. But we will. The world survived Asherak. And it willsurviveAzazel.”

“IwilltaketheleadinreintroducingtheDruidstoEritopiansociety.”Jasminesteppedforward. “Based onwhat I’ve seen in terms of band tattoos, I am the eldest andmostexperienced.Most importantly, I am able to help advancemy brother’s legacy. AlmussoughttohelpDruidsprogress,andthatisexactlywhatIintendtodo.We’llrebuildtheGrand Temple on Persea and redistribute the Stonewall archives, so all of Eritopia’skingdomshaveaccesstoacompleteandpropereducation.”

“ReeducationfortheDruids,youmean?”Iasked.

“Indeed.” She nodded with a half-smile. “They’ve all been under Azazel’s controlspellforsolong,theydon’tevenknowhowtosummontheirmagicanymore.Itcertainlywon’thappenovernight,buttheywillgetitback.Druidmagicisdeeplyembeddedinourcells,andnoneofAzazel’sspellswouldeverbeabletodestroyit.”

“Imustsay,Idofeeluselessatthispoint,”Thadeusmuttered,lookingathishands.“Ihopeitdoesn’ttaketoolong.I’vebeeninthedarkfordecadesalready…”

“Giveit time,Thadeus,itworksdifferentlyforeachofusbutitalwayscomesback.It’s in your nature,” Patrik placed a hand on his shoulderwith a reassuring look in hiseyes.“Eritopiaisinherentlymystical.Itwillhelpus.We’llbefine.”

“I don’t think Iwould be standing here right now if itweren’t forSerena.”Dravensighedand tookmyhand inhis.Warmthspreadupmyarmand through the restofmybodyasIlookedupathimandfoundhissteelygrayeyesdrillingintomysoul.

“That’s an understatement, to say the least,” Hansa replied, and winked at me, thecornerofhermouthtwitching.

I couldn’t stop my cheeks from flushing as I pulled myself closer to Draven. Hetouched my face, love pouring out of him in ribbons of gold, tickling my senses andswellingmyheart.

“ImeantwhatIsaid,Serena.”Hesmiledgently.“Ioweyoumylife.”

“Remember Ioweyoumine, too,” I replied. “Youwere the first to savemewhen I

firstwentbeyondtheprotectiveshieldandnearlybecameshifterdinner.”

Hekissedme,softanddeepandtenderenoughtosendfireworksburstingthroughmyveins.Whenitwasoverandwelookedaround,Ifoundnothingbutsmilesandbrighteyeslookingbackatus.Hansa’s,infact,wereglazedwithtears,andAnjaninoticed.

“Forgivemysister.”Anjanigrinned.“Shegetsemotionalsometimes.”

“How can I not get emotional?”Hansa conceded,wiping her eyes. “TheDruid hasbeenatthecenterofthisforalongtime.Itwould’vebeenashameforhimtomissoutonthe best part of restoring Eritopia’s freedom! Thank the Daughters that Serena was uptherewithusandstubbornenoughnottogiveuponhim!”

“Thereisnothingthatlovecan’tdo,ifit’sgenuineandhonest,”Dravensaid,wrappingonearmaroundmyshoulderanddroppingakissonthetopofmyhead.

“Lookwhowefoundtryingtorunoffthroughthenorthpassage!”Twosuccubiburstin,draggingabruisedSverikbyhisarms.Hewhimperedandstruggledagainstthem.

The succubiwere tall and fierce, their leather garments tattered andbodies bruised.They carried broadswords and shields on their shoulders as they tossed Sverik in themiddleofourcircle.

“Isla!”Aidagaspedwhensherecognizedoneofthesuccubi.

BijarkileftVita’ssideandtookIslainabriefhug,followingupwithapatonherandthe other succubus’s back.Our group growled at the sight of Sverik on the floor.He’dbeenpunchedafewtimes,judgingbythedarkgrayswellsaroundhiseyes.

I felt my blood boil, after what we’d been through because of him. I darted fromDraven’sembraceand rammedmy fist intoSverik’s face,no longerable tocontainmyrage.Ifelthisnosebreakbeneathmyknuckles.

“Youbetrayedus!We riskedour lives to saveyou, andyou tookus for idiots!Youbastard!”Isnarled,asBijarkipulledmeback.

“He’snotworthgettingyourhandsdirty,Serena,”hesaid.IcouldhearSveriksighingwith reliefandmoaning from thepain.ThenBijarki straightenedhisbackandsmirked.“Okay,I’mlying.He’sdefinitelyworthgettingyourhandsdirty,butIcan’tletyouhaveallthefun.”

He immediately turned and grabbed Sverik by his shirt, forcing him to stand as hethrew blow after heavy blow, splitting his lips and cracking his jaw before Field andGrezzifinallypulledhimback.

Sverikfellbackward,landingwithathud,cryingandcoughingonthefloorinamessofhisownsilverblood.Hecouldbarelykeephiseyesopen,andIfeltmyangersubsideslightlyatthesightofhiminsuchapatheticstate.

Dravensteppedforward,crouchingtogetabetterlookattheincubus.

“Please…Please,don’thitmeanymore…Please,spareme…”Sveriksobbed.

“That was merely a sliver of what everyone here would like to do you, myselfincluded,” Draven replied dryly. “You actively worked with Azazel against your own

people.Suchactionsareunforgivableandmostvile.And forwhat?Whydidyoudo it,Sverik?”

“Please…I…Ihadnochoice…”

“Youfilthyliar!”Vitashouted,movingforward.

Aidapulledherback,lookingintoherfuriousturquoiseeyes.

“Vita, it’s enough,” she said gently. “We all owe Sverik here a great ‘debt’. He’swrongedusall.Henearlygotuskilled.”

Shelookedathim,andherlipscurledwithdisgust.

“His father is dead, burning outside alongwith half of his army,” she added. “He’skept Isla locked in the dungeons. She deserves justicemore than anyone else here.HestoodbetweenherandKristos,afterall.”

Islaswallowedbacktears,noddingherapprovalandglaringathim.

“He betrayed his own brother,” the succubus said. “Kristos and I loved each other.We’dbeen togethersincewewere little.Heused tosneakout tocomeseeme. Igot introublewithmytribeeverytime,butIcouldn’tstandtobeawayfromhim.AndSverikwasobsessedwithme.Hecouldn’taccept thefact thatI’dchosenKristosoverhim.Hehadme captured and told Azazel where he could find Kristos… of course Sverik hadchoices!Hejustmadethewrongoneeverydamntime!”

“Indeed,” Draven added, looking at Sverik. “Everything he did was to attain somekindofpoweramongtheincubiinAzazel’sranks.”

“He’stheonewhoconvincedAridtojoinAzazelinthefirstplace,”Islahissed.“Hepretendedtobeonhisbrother’ssidewhilefeedinginformationtoAzazel,untilAridhadno other choice but to fight against the free people of Calliope. Not that he had a bigproblemwiththat!Kristoswastheonlygoodthingtocomeoutofthatfamily,anyway!”

“So,SverikwasbasicallycomplicitineverypartofAzazel’selaborateplantouncoverandobliterate the rebellion,” Iconcluded, findingmorehatred toprojectat the incubus,whowaswhimperingfromthepain,unabletolookanyofusintheeye.

“Fromdayone.”Islanodded.“IwarnedKristosbeforewewereseparated,beforeheran off to work with Grezzi against Azazel. I told him not to trust Sverik, who keptshoweringmewithexpensivegiftsandtellingmethathecouldkeepmesafe,nomatterwhat happened.He knewwhatwas coming!Hewas just trying to keepme out of thebloodbath,thesnake!Allbecausehewantedmeforhimself!”

“Iloveyou!”Sveriksnapped.“Iwillnotapologizeforthat!IdidwhatIdidforlove!”

“Youdon’t keep theoneyou love in a cage,”Draven shot back. “You truly are theworstofyourkind,Sverik.Andyouwillgoontrial.Youwillbepunishedforyourcrimes.Andyouwillneverberememberedontherightsideofhistory.”

“Listen,IknowI’vedonesomehorriblethings,butIdiditallsoIcouldbewithIsla!ButthenImetyou,Draven…Isawthestrengthinyouralliance,andmyentiremindsetchangedbecauseIstartedenvisioningaworldwithoutAzazel in it. Iwasn’thappywithhim in power to beginwith, and I didwhat I could to keepmyself and Isla safe, but I

didn’ttellAzazelwhoyouwere,either.ItoldhimtherewasaDruid,butIdidn’ttellhimwhosesonyouwere.IwasawareofhisissueswithAlmusandGenevieveand,thatifheknewyouridentity,he’dcomeatyoutwice,ifnotthriceashard!Ikeptmymouthshutonpurpose,togiveyouachance…Youhavetobelieveme!I’vedonesomestupid,selfish,andhorriblethingsbecauseIthoughttherewouldneverbeaworldwithoutAzazelinit,until you came along… I tried to do one thing right. So, please, have mercy,” Sverikpleaded,hisrighteyeswollenshut.

“Justicedoesn’tknowmercy.”Islaspatandkickedhimintheribs,makinghimgruntandcurlupinafetalposition.“InevergottotellKristosIlovedhim.Youdon’tdeservemercy!”

“Hisheart,as twistedas itmaysound,wasmoreor less in the rightplace,”Dravensaid as he gently pulled her away. “I do understand doing horrible things for thosewelove, and I also cannot overlook the fact that he’s telling the truth.SverikwithheldmyidentityfromAzazel.Whilethatdoesnotgranthimapardon,itshouldatleastguaranteehimafairtrial.TheSluaghsweremindlessandgreedybeastslookingtocashinonallthecorpses thatAzazel’swar leftbehind.Theydonotdeservea trial; they’vedonenothingbutharm.Restassured, Isla,Sverikwillpay forwhathedid. In full,afterhis sentence.Becausehewillbefoundguilty.”

Ihadafeelingthatafewmorekicksandpuncheswouldeventuallyrupturesomething,andwe’d loseSverikbeforehegot to spend the restofhis longandmiserable life inacagedownstairs,orworse,ifhewastobesentencedtodeath.

“Takehimaway,”Bijarki said calmly. “Put him in thedungeonwith the rest of thetraitors.”

IslaandtheothersuccubusnoddedbrieflyanddraggedSverikoutofthethroneroom.We heard himmoaning andwailing as they carried him off to the basement, his voiceechoingdownthehallway.

Itookadeepbreath,feelingslightlyrelievedafterpunchingSverik’slightsout,and,judging by the looks on Vita and Bijarki’s faces, so did they. I’d never been one tocondoneviolenceagainstacreaturethatcouldn’treallydefenditself,butSverikwastrulyaspecialcasethatdeservedtheexception.We’dnearlydiedbecauseofhim.ThegriefI’dfeltafterwe’d lostVitahad leftapermanentmarkonmysoul,and itwasall thanks toSverik.

Hedeservedwhateverhehadcomingnext.

Aheavy silenceweighedoverus.The torch flamesburstbigger andbrighter, andacoldwindhowledthroughthethroneroom,sendingshiversdownmyspine.Welookedateachother,concernetchedonourfacesaswhisperscircledus,ridingthecooldraft.

Wispsofpinkdustgatheredinthemiddle,andweallsteppedback,makingroomforthe Daughters of Eritopia who materialized before our very eyes. All nine of them,coveredinfinesilksandgemstonejewels,withlong,reddishpinkhairandgoldenmasks.

NineDaughters,includingViolaandNova.

Theireyesglowedvioletasthewindsettledandthefiresdimmed,restoringthewarm

amberlightthatsoftenedtheharshnessoftheblackmarblewallsandstonefloor.

TheDaughtersofEritopiahadfinallyrevealedthemselvesto thepeopleofCalliope,notjustDravenandourgroup.HansaandAnjaniheldtheirbreath,whileJax,Heronandthewards,Zeriel,Grezzi,Jasmine,theBajangtwins,andtheDruidswereleftspeechless,theireyeswideandtheirmouthsgapingastheysawtheDaughtersfortheveryfirsttime.

I

PHOENIX

couldfeeltheaweofouralliance.Icouldseetheirwideeyesandpartedlips.SomeofthemwerelookingattheDaughtersofEritopiaforthefirsttime.Therest of us, who’d already been acquaintedwith the powerful yet capricious

demi-goddess-likecreatures,werestrugglingwithafeelingbetweenangstandanger.

Allthiscouldhavebeenavoided,hadtheybeenbetterDaughters.

Icountednineofthem,recognizingNovaimmediatelyastheshortestone.Iworriedthatbycoveringherfacewithgoldandwearingtheirlayersofsilkandjewels,Violahadofficiallybecomeoneofthem.ThatIwould,eventually,losehertohersisters.Myheartstruggledtocopewiththatidea,andmystomachtieditselfupinknotsastheDaughtersturnedtofaceusall,inasmallercircle,theirbackstooneanother.

Icouldn’thelpbutworryaboutViolaatthatpoint,mynervesstretchedbeyondtheirlimits. One of the Daughters cocked her head to one side as her glowing violet eyesfocusedonme.Iexhaledsharplyasshe tookoffhermaskandI foundViolasmilingatme.

“Don’tworry,Phoenix,”shesaidgently,andwinked.“I’mnotleavingyouagain.”

Shebrokerankandcametome.Shetookmyfaceinherbejeweledhandsanddroppedashort,sweetkissonmylips,settingmyinsidesonfire.Iwrappedmyarmsaroundherwaist and kept her close, despite the dissatisfied glares that her sisters gaveme. I gavethemasmirkback,comfortableholdingViolathere.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”Serenastolethewordsrightoutofmymouthwhenshespoke, her fists balling at her sides. She was visibly angry, and none of us who’dexperiencedtheDaughters’temperamentaloutburstscouldblameher.

“Are you crazy?You can’t speak to theDaughters like that,”Rebel growled at her,thenshiftedherfocustotheDaughterswithanapologeticexpression.“Please,forgiveher.She’shadalongday…”

“Shehaseveryreasontobeangrywithus,”oneoftheDaughtersreplied.

The statement baffled both Serena and Rebel, who looked at each other, blinkingrapidly,beforegawkingattheDaughtersagain.

“Perhapsit’stimeyoushowyourtruefacestothepeopleofEritopia.”Violaliftedaneyebrowathersisters.“It’sagoodwaytostartanapology,Ithink.”

The Daughters didn’t immediately respond, but their shoulders gradually dropped.Novawas the first to removeher goldenmask, smiling atThadeus andDamion as shetuckedalockofreddishpinkhairbehindherear.

“Nova!”aDaughtergaspedwithdiscontent.

“Dropit,Rubia,”Novashotback.“Theyneedtoseeus!”

The Daughter identified as Rubia shook her head, but then removed her mask, agesturemirrored by the others.They trulywere themost beautiful creatures I had everseen.

Five had reddish pink hair in different hues, and the other two, besides Nova andViola, had deep blackmanes, braided and covered in blue gems and gold. Their faceslooked eerily similar, though. They were clearly sisters, with smooth features andalabasterskinmuchlikeViola’s,andsoft,pinklips.

“You’rebeautiful,”Phoenixsaidonanexhale,hisgazedartingbetweenViolaandhersisters.

“Thank you… I suppose…”Rubia replied, her brow furrowed. “We are created byEritopia.Oureggsemergefromthebottomof thehotpinkwatersofMountAgrith.Wearelinkedtothisworld,andwefeeleveryblow,everybirth,andeverydeathinEritopia.Nooneevertolduswhatweweremeanttodoorwhywewerecreated.We’vejustfeltthatitisapartofwhowearetoprotectthisworld.”

“Bangupjobyou’vedonesofar,”Aidamuttered,herlipspursed.

She drew the attention of another Daughter, who watched her quietly for a fewsecondsbeforesheletoutalong,torturedsigh.

“IamRuelle,”sheannounced.“TheseareRubia,Safira,Effissa,Chana,AmassaandNibel.Noonegaveusthesenames.Wenamedeachother.YoualreadyknowNovaandViola.YouandAzazelhavealreadygiventhemnames.Despiteourshortcomingsoverthepastfewcenturies,we’vealwayshadgoodintentions.Butweneverknewhowtoactonthem.Nooneevertaughtushowtoreacttocertainsituations.”

“We’vebeenonourownforeons,”Safiraadded,hervoiceechoingthroughthethroneroom.“Welearnedtogether.”

“Wehelped shape thebeautiful landsofEritopia together,”Amassachimed in. “Wekept the kingdoms safe for a long time, andwe rarely intervened in the affairs of theirpeople.”

“Rarelyasinalmostnever,”Effissasaid.“AlthoughweserveEritopia,we’vekeptourdistancefromtheEritopians.We’vealwaysfeltlonelyonourown,butthereweren’tanyother creatures likeusout there.We foundcomfort in eachother’s company.Wehadacommongoal in protecting theworld.WhenNova’s egg came to the surface ofMountAgrith,Azazel’sattackonEritopiawastakingadarker,moretragicturn.Wewerereadytointervene.”

“But somehow, he managed to steal Nova’s egg from us,” Chana continued. “Wedidn’tknowwhattodo.Sheisoursister.Ourbondisstrongerandmoreimportanttous

thananythingelse,andithurtusdeeply.We’dbeensohappytogetanothersister…”

“WhenNovawas taken,wewere facedwithAzazel’s cruelty andpure evil,”Rubiasaid.“I’mashamed toadmit itnow,butwewereweak.Wewere terrifiedof losingoursister.Wewere desperate to keep one of our own safe and alive, andwewere neitherreadynorwillingtoacceptourmistake.Ifwe’dbeenmorecareful,Azazelwouldneverhavestolenher.”

“Nevertheless, he did,” Nibel continued, looking at us. “As the conflict betweenAzazelandEritopiaescalated,wecouldn’tdoanythingagainsthimbecausehe’dforcedNovaoutofhereggandwaskeepingherhostage.Wecouldnotactagainsthimdirectly,sowehadtoreachsomesortofagreementwithhim.”

“Anagreement?”Zerielfrowned,scrutinizingeachDaughtercarefully.

“Yes.” Rubia nodded. “We agreed to not take direct action against him, and, inexchange, he wouldn’t harm our sister. Because she’s been hatched prematurely, Novadoesn’t have our strength. She can be killed quite easily, andwe simply couldn’t bringourselvestorisklosingher.Theonlythingwecoulddowastakeadvantageofthevaguetermsofouragreement.WeansweredtheRedTribe’sprayerafterthemassacre.Wegiftedthesurvivorswithastonethathaskeptthemalivethroughoutthewar.Youwillfindtheyareallstillstanding.”

HansaandAnjanigasped,enlightenedbytherevelation,asdidAida,whohadseentheRedTribe succubi praying to theDaughters in an earlier vision, and had seen the gememergefromthefire.So,that’swhatthathadallbeenabout.

“Thankyou,”Hansasaidslowly.“Thankyouallforkeepingmysisterssafe…”

“It was one of the few loopholes that we could take advantage of…We shroudedEritopia in amist that cut it off from the rest of the universe, from the otherworlds,”Rubiaadded.

“Itwasmostlymeanttostophisdarknessfromspillingout,”Ruellesaid.“Andtokeepanyone else from accidentally stumbling into this disaster that had once been ourmostpreciousgem,ourhome.”

“Ourmother.”Chanascoffedlightly.“WeletEritopiadown,andDravenwastheonetoshowusthattherearemoreimportantthingsinthisworldthanourfeelings.Wedidn’thavehiscourage.Wecouldn’tbringourselvestosacrificeoursister.Andwecouldn’tbearbeingremindedofourowncowardice.”

“Wefeltashamedandfrustratedbecausewe’dallowedAzazel togetsofar,”Effissasaid.“ButthegreatestshamecameuponuswhenViola,ourownsister,stoodupfortheDruid, for Phoenix and the rest of you. Itwas then thatwe truly understood thatwe’dmade a very poor choice. It was then that we were reminded of our true purpose, asguardiansofEritopia.”

Amomentofsilencepassedaswealllookedateachother.IcouldfeelSerena’saweandgenuineamazement,andIaccuratelymirroredit—neitherofushadeverthoughtwe’dsee thedaywhen theDaughtersofEritopiawouldstandbeforeusandadmit theywerewrong.IthoughtIwould’veseenhellfreezeoverbeforetheyspokeout,andyet,Ihadto

admit, it was comforting to see and hear them being apologetic and aware of theirshortcomings.

“WewerewrongtoreactthewaywedidtowardViola,aswell.”RuellelookedatmeandViola.“Weweren’treadytosacrificeNova,butweconstantlypushedViolatoendherownlifeinorder tobringdownAzazel.Weoverreactedwhensheinfluencedtheshape-shiftersthatweretryingtoharmyouall.Shewasonlytryingtoprotecttheonlyfamilysheever knew, and for that,we are deeply sorry.Wecouldn’t see the forest becauseof thetrees…”

“‘Overreacted’ doesn’t even begin to cover it,” I replied dryly, promptingRuelle tolowerherheadinshame.

“Whilethatmaybetrue,”Draveninterjectedpolitely,“inhindsight,itdidgiveusanunpleasantbutnecessarypushtofightharderanddestroyAzazelonceandforall.Whiletheirmethodswerequestionable, tosaytheleast, theDaughtersprovedthatwewereallreadyandperfectlycapabletostandupforourselvesandforEritopia.”

Ihadtoadmit,Dravenhadapoint.AspettyastheDaughters’gesturehadbeenatthetime,ithadbroughtthebestoutofus.We’dbeenforcedoutofthesafetyofthemansionandthrownintotheheatofthebattle.We’dfoughthard,workedtogether,andmadeittoStonewallinonepiece.

“It’sallinthepastnow,Phoenix,”Violasaid,thenglancedatAida,Field,Anjani,andtheothers. “Weshouldn’tholdon togrudges. I thinkwe’veall learnedsomething fromthisexperience…”

“You’ve all managed to accomplish something we never could,” Rubia said. “YousacrificedyourowntoridEritopiaofthedarknessandpoisonthatAzazelhadcastuponit.Inreturn,wewouldliketoofferourapology,alongwithapromisethatwewillneverputEritopiasecondagain.”

“Wewouldalsoliketoofferourassistanceinhelpingtorebuildthekingdoms,”Safiraadded.“Balancemustberestored.”

ShelookedatDraven,whogaveherahalf-smileandnoddedhisapproval.Shethenraisedherhandand,with theflickofherwrist,sentoutan invisiblepulse thatknockedAzazel’smassive portrait off thewall. Its large, gold-brushed frame broke as it hit thefloor,andthecanvascamedownloose.

Weallstilledatthesightofwhatthepaintinghadbeencovering–alargestoneportalframedwithpolishedandroundedblocksofobsidian.Itwassealedshutwithblackmarbleblocks,butitremindedmeoftheportalsI’dseeninmypastvisionsoftheMasterDruids’gatheringbetweenthekingdoms.

“Akingdomportal,”Dravengasped,staringatthesealedarchway.

“Azazel sealed them shut,” Rubia explained. “He only opened this for his ownpurposes,movingbetweenplanetsalongwithhisarmies.”

“The kingdom portals lead to the Hall Between Worlds, where the Master DruidCouncil convenes. It also takes you to the other portals of Eritopia,” Safira continued,placingherpalmonthewallatthecenterofthearchway.

Thesurfacerippledaspinklightspreadthroughit.Thestonedissolved,andtheportalwasopened,revealingadarkinteriorwithstarryreflections.Safirathenturnedtofaceuswithasoftexpressiononherface.

“I’vemadeitsothisportalwillalsotakeyoutoTheShade,”shesaid.“Aportalwillformontheothersideassoonasyoustepthroughthis.”

Myheartskippedabeatatthesoundofhome.SerenaandIglancedateachother,andI could see the same sparkle inAida,Vita, Jovi, and Field’s eyes.We could finally gohome and see our families again. A silent joy washed over me, and I felt Serena’sexhilarationsizzlingoutofherlikethesweetscentoffreedom.Shewinked,thennoddedatme,andIknewthenthatthetimeforustoseeourparentsandfriendsfromTheShadehadfinally,finallycome.

“However,beforewegoon, I feel likewemust resolveone last issue regarding thekingdoms,”Safirasaid,hergazemovingbetweenSerenaandme.She’dobviouslysensedourexcitement,andIhadafeelingthewidegrinsplasteredalloverourfaceshadbeenadead giveaway. “The planets need Master Druids in charge. Of those left standing,however,nonehaveeveracquiredtheHundredthCirclerequiredforthenomination.”

“But these are special circumstances.”Rubia smiled, thenmoved towardDraven sosmoothly,Iwasn’tsureherfeetwereeventouchingthefloor.“AndEritopianeedsleaderswhoarecapableofrestoringitsbalanceandorder.”

“Leaderswhoarewilling tosacrifice themselvesfor thewellbeingofothers.”Safirajoinedher.

“Leaderswhowillstopatnothingtokeepthepeoplesafeandthriving,”Chanaadded.

Onebyone,theDaughtersgatheredinacirclearoundDraven.ViolaandNovajoinedthem,astheDruidstared,hiseyesflickeringblack,apparentlyunsureofwhattosayordonext.

“Leaderswholovethisworldandeverysinglecreatureinit,”saidRuelle.

“Leaderswhoarerighteous,kind,andpatient,”Effissachimedin.

“Leaderswhoareopentochange,progress,andtolerance,”Nibelspoke,thenlookedatNova.

“Leaderswho arewise beyond their years, goodbeyond theirmeans, and righteousbeyondtheverylawstheysweartouphold,”thelittleDaughtersaid,hervoicetremblingwithemotion.

Iwassurprisedtoseehowquicklyshe’dcomeintoherown,afterjustafewhoursinthe company of her sisters. My heart swelled with pride when Viola then took a steptowardDraven,wearingherwarm,signaturesmile.

“In other words, Eritopia needs leaders who can uphold its laws, both written andunwritten,andcanalsogobeyond theboundary lines ifneeded tokeep thepeoplesafeandhappy,”shesaidgently.“Forthat,Draven,sonofAlmusandGenevieveandsaviorofEritopia,wewould like toofferyou theSealofCalliope,andallowyouthefreedomofnominatingthenineteenMasterDruidsneededtoruleEritopiawithyou.”

TearsspilleddownSerena’scheeksasshewatchedtheimpromptuceremony.Ifoughtbacksomeofmyownandnoddedslowly,catchingaglimpseoftheothersintheprocess.Theyallagreed,smilingbroadlywithatwinkleintheireyes,asDravenwasofferedthepositionofMasterDruidofCalliope.

“Youhavealreadydoneyourmotherproud,Draven,”Violacontinued.“IsaythisonbehalfoftheDaughtersofEritopia:CalliopewouldbemostfortunatetohaveyouasitsMasterDruid.Willyouacceptthehonor?”

Several seconds passed beforeDravenwas able to formulate a response.He took adeepbreath,thenlookedaroundatallofus—thealliancehe’dputtogether,theunlikelyfriendshe’dmadealongtheway.Iwasproudtoconsidermyselfoneofthem.Mysisterlovedhim,andhewasheadoverheelsinlovewithhertoo.Icouldtellfromthewaytheylookedateachotherthatinrecentdays,they’dtakentheirrelationshiptoahigher,deeperlevel.

Sure,I’dhavetohavethatsterntalkwithhimatsomepointandwarnhimthatifhesomuchasmademysistercry,Iwouldbreakeveryboneinhisbody…butthattalkcouldwait.ThiswasDraven’smoment,and,afterall theyearshe’dspent in isolation,hiddenbeneaththeprotectiveshieldofthemansion,deprivedoffamilyandfriends,hedeservedtherecognitionandappreciationoftheworldhewaswillingtodiefor.

“Iaccept,”hefinallysaid,hisvoicethickwithemotion.

Violabeamedathiminresponse,andtookoutalargegoldsealfromthefoldsofhercolorfulsilklayers,handingittoDraven.Hehelditwithtremblingfingers,turningitovera fewtimes. Itwasabeautifulsculpturecast ingold, in theformofaserpenteating itsowntail,adornedwithancientrunesanddozensofsmalldiamondsalongthelengthofitsbody.ItremindedmeoftheOroboros,partofearthlylore.

“TheNathairos,”hemuttered,unabletotakehiseyesoffit.

“The Nathairos, known as the Seal, is a symbol of the Druids,” Rubia said,recognizingthecuriouslooksonourfaces.“EachofEritopia’splanetshasoneasasigil,adornedwithitsrepresentativegemstone.Calliope’sisadiamond.”

“Persea’sisasapphire,”Dravenexplainedbriefly.“TherubyrepresentsPurgaris,andsoon.TheNathairosisasigilgiventotheMasterDruidofaplanet.Itstayswithhimuntiltheendofhisreign,anditisthenpassedontohissuccessor.”

Viola nodded, then came back tomy side. I held her close, dropping a kiss on hertemple.Shehadthiswayofswitchingsofastfromtheinnocentandfragileingénuetothegodlikecreaturethatwasabletochangeentirespeciesandsavemyfriends’lives.Iwastrulyinaweofher.

SerenawaitedquietlynexttousasDravenlookedup,hisgazemeetinghers.

Hesmiled,thencameforwardandtookherinhisarms.Hekissedherintensely,thenpausedtolookather,hisforeheadleaningagainsthers.Loveflowedbetweenthemlikeanendlessstream,andIknew,thenandthere,thatSerenahadfoundhersoulmate.

“Ihaveyoutothankforthis…Forallofthis…”hebreathed.

“Well,yeah,Ididhelpalittle.”Shegavehimaplayfulsmile,makinghimchuckle.

It was the first time I was seeing Draven thoroughly happy, and I had to admit, itlookedgoodonhim.Rubiathenclearedherthroat,demandingourattentiononceagain.

“Peace in Eritopia has now been restored,” she said. “And in part it was thanks tostrangersfromoutofthisworld,whohadnobusinesshereorreasontohelp,otherthandefendingthemselvesfromamadDruidwhosoughttoabusethem.”

Shefocusedonme,Serena,Aida,Vita,Jovi,andFieldasshespoke.

“Youwerebroughthereby force,”Rubiacontinued.“Otherswouldhave looked forwaysout, running awaywithout lookingbackor,worse, hiding somewhere andhopingthatitwouldallpass.Andyouwouldhavebeenrighttodoso.Thiswasn’tyourwar.Andyet,youallstoodup.Youcametogether;youwereoneoftheprimaryforcesbehindthisallianceofthefreenations,andyoufoughtforEritopiaasifitwereyourown.TheleastwecandoinreturnismakesurethatyourfamiliesandfriendsbackhomeinTheShadegettorememberandseeyouagain.”

Myheartleaptinmythroat.

Thiswasit.Weweregoinghome.

SerenaandIglancedateachother.Aida,Jovi,Vita,andFieldcamecloser,excitementglimmering in their eyes.Anjani andBijarki stayedbehind, amixtureofhappiness andsadnesspassingovertheirfaces.Theyweremostlikelyworried,unsureofwhatVitaandJoviwould do once they saw their parents again. Iwanted to tell them that everythingwouldbeokay,butRuellebrokemyecstatictrainofthought.

“Ishouldwarnyou,though,”shesaid.“WhenweplacedtheshroudoverEritopia,itchanged thepassageof timebetweenourgalaxyand the restof theworlds…It slowedEritopiadownbecausewehopeditwouldgivetheuniversesenoughtimetoadvanceandbeabletoonedaywithstandAzazel’sdarknessifheeverbrokeout.”

“Wait.” Serena shook her head, a confused frown pulling her eyebrows closer.“What…Whatdoyoumean,‘itslowedEritopiadown’?”

“Timehasfloweddifferentlyhere,”Rubiaexplained.“Fromthemomentyoucameinuntilnow,ithasbeenweeksinEritopia…buttwentyyearshavepassedinTheShade.”

Theinformationcrashedintous.Ididn’tknowwhattomakeofit,orhowtoreacttoit.Ourparentshadforgottenaboutus.Twentyyearshadgonebyforthem.

Whatwouldthatmeanforthem?Forallofourfriendsandfamily?ForTheShade?

Orforus,forthatmatter,oncetheyrememberedus?

“Wewill restore the normal time flow now,”Rubia added, aware of our shock andconfusion.“Butwecannotretrievetheyearsthathavealreadypassed.Iamsorry.Wearealldeeplysorry…”

“You’resayingourparents,ourfamiliesandfriends…hell,ourentireworldistwentyyearsoldernow?”Aidaasked,stillhavingtroubledigestingthenews.

Rubia nodded in response, then slowly raised a hand, revealing her gold diamond

rings.

“Itistime,”shesaid,thensnappedherfingers.

F

HAZEL

orty years had passed since our Nevertide excursion. Forty years sinceTejusandIhadtiedtheknotandsettledintoabeautifulandtranquil life.

NotadaypassedthatIdidn’tmarvelatthewonderfulcreatureI’dbeenluckyenoughtocross pathswith inNevertide.Heworshippedme, and I adoredhim, andboredomwasneverpartofourlives.

We were both busy with GASP, mostly involved in training new recruits, but alsoembarking on the occasional mission, and I couldn’t wish for a more rewardingoccupation.

It took us awhile to start talking about having a child.Looking back now, I didn’tknow what I’d been thinking during our first twenty years together. We’d turned intovampires toextendour lifespans,but I livedwithaconstant feeling that somethingwasmissing,thatwewere,somehow,incomplete.

Tejusfeltthesameway,sowetookthecureandreturnedtopuresentryformsothatwemightconceive.Forawhile, I thoughtoneofuswasstrugglingwithfertility issues,but Corrine was quick to brush that concern aside. Then, on our twenty-first weddinganniversary,Iwasthrilledtogivemyhusbandthebestnewsever.Iwaspregnant,andIcouldn’tthinkofanothertimewhenI’dseenTejussohappy,otherthanthedayI’dsaid“Yes”.

Harperwasbornninemonthslater,andwewerefascinatedbythewonderfulcreaturewe’d brought into the world. With sentry blood running through her, Harper quicklydevelopedhermentalabilitiesandbarrier-buildingskills.HerTrueSightwasspectacular,asgoodasTejus’s,infact,coveringanimpressivenumberofmilesinrange.

She was relatively quiet and kept mostly to herself, but she was always a ray ofsunshine aroundTejus andme.When she turned eighteen,Harperwanted to be turned.Afterlengthyconversationsaboutwhatlifeasavampireinvolved,bothmyhusbandandIagreed that our daughter was mature and strong enough to understand and transitionsuccessfully,andwedecidedtoturnbackafewweeksafterher.

Herfirstyearasavampiresentrywasabitrocky,but,withcarefulguidancefromallof us, includingGreat-GreatGrandma andGrandpa Sofia andDerek, she quickly grewintoit.

As our only child, she was the focus of Tejus’s and my attention, and as a newlyanointedGASPcadet, shewas trained in thebest techandgearavailable, ranging from

weaponrytorecondevices,andweequippedherwithstate-of-the-artprotectiveplatesthatkept her extra safe during training—for now. Soon,Harperwould start participating infieldmissions,andIdreadedthethoughtofsomethinghappeningtoher.Forthatreason,InevercrinkledmynosewhenTejusshoweredherwiththelatestinarmygearandgadgets.

At thesame time,Harperwaswell lookedafterbyheradoptiveuncles—theHawkswerealwaysaround, fromher firstday in thisworld toher first stepsandwell intohermaturity as a vampire sentry. This was mainly because Harper and Caia, Grace andLawrence’sdaughter,prettymuchgrewup together fromdayone,and theHawkswereparticularlyattachedto the littlefirefae, thusendingupasHarper’sguardians, too.Fly,Sky, Rock, andBlue had played a big part in honing the girls’ fighting skills, not justduringpracticebutalsothroughsurprisetackleswhenevertheyhadtheirguarddown.

Ourdaughterwassharpand fierce,makingmyheart swellwithpridewhenever shecame back with a grin from a GASP training session, hiding whatever bruise she’dacquiredintheprocesssoIwouldn’tworryintheleast.

Harperwasthecenterofouruniverse,but,afteralltheseyearssinceNevertide,Istillfelt like there was a void inside me, waiting to be filled. Just… something missing. Icouldn’texplainit,buttomysurprise,IdiscoveredthatTejushadbeenfeelingthesameway.We often looked atHarper and experienced amild form of guilt becausewe stillfelt…incomplete,despitehavingraisedanextraordinaryyoungwoman.

Oddlyenough,itseemedtobeacommonfeelingamongusNevertidesurvivors.IthadtakenLawrence andGracewell over twenty-one years to conceiveCaia, and it had allbeenthankstoCorrine’sfullmoonritual,whichgaveGraceaboostinfertility.

We’dallwantedchildren,afterall.We’dbeenlookingforwardtogrowingourfamiliesandbringingwonderfulbeingsintothisworld.Forawhile,wethoughtthatourdelayinconceivingmight’vehadsomethingtodowiththeNevertideOracleandthewayinwhichshe’dtouchedGrace,Victoria’s,andmy,belliesfourdecadesago.Butwehadnowayoffinding her. All we could do was learn to live with the quiet idea of something stillmissingfromourlives.GraceandLawrencehadfeltit,too—ashadVictoriaandBastien.ThelatterhadDmitriaroundthesametimeasHarper,leavingusallwonderingastowhywe’dgone twentyyearswithoutchildren.Thesebirthscameacrossasastrangely timedcoincidence.

We never let this void get in the way of our lives, though. I watched with joy asHarper, Caia, and Dmitri grew up. They did pretty much everything together, andoccasionallydraggedtheHawksintotheirmischief,too—notthatFly,Rock,Blue,orSkywouldevershyawayfromachallenge.HarperandCaiahadbeenthefirsttojoinGASP,followedbyDmitriacoupleofyearslater.He’dstruggledwiththedecision,ashe’dbeenspendingsometimeinthehumanworldandhadbeencontemplatingacareeroutsideTheShadeforawhile.

Intheend,DmitricamebackintothefoldafterateenageheartbreakandaskedtojoinGASP.HewaskeentocatchupwithHarperandCaia,afterhavingfoundhisplacebackamongtheShadians.Thegirlshadbeenthefirsttoendorsehim,and,soonenough,Dmitriwas learning to control his instincts and improvehis attacks,withHarper andCaia, hisbestfriends,guidinghimalongtheway.

ItwasacalmandquietSundaymorninginTheShade.Latespringhadfinallybroughtthe cherry blossoms out, patches of pale pink blooming in between the redwoods,brighteningtheotherwisedarkgreenforestofTheShade.Arwen,Corrine’sdaughter,hadbeenquiteadamantaboutcherrytreesoverthepastcoupleofdecades,afteranextendedvacationwithBrockinJapan.

Icouldonlythankthemforherpersistence.TheShadehadalittlebitmorecolorinit,andwe’deachplantedacherrysaplingnexttoourtree.

Ittookmeawhiletogetoutofbed,thatfeelingofemptinessbotheringmemorethanusual.IfoundTejusinthekitchen,waitingformeatthetablewithtwohotcoffees.Sure,wedidn’tneedcoffee,butwestillenjoyedthetaste,sowe’dkeptitaspartofourintimatemorningritual.He’dbeenlookingoutthewindowwhenIentered.

Heturnedhishead,hisdarkbrowneyesburninghotintomysoul.He’dbeenhavinganequallydifficultmorning.Icouldfeelhisemptinessthroughmine,likeamirrorimageofaholethatrefusedtogoaway.

“Roughnight?”heasked,raisinganeyebrow.

Ismirked,thenproceededtositinhislap.Hewrappedhisarmsaroundmyframeandrestedhisheadonmychest,listeningtomyheartbeat.Iranmyfingersthroughhislong,russet-brown hair.He alwaysmademy heart skip a beat, and I knew he enjoyed it. Inreturn,Ihadasimilareffectonhim,hisbodyheatspikingandhispulseracingwheneverwegotclose.Itnevergotold.Ilovedthechemistrybetweenus.

“Icouldsay thesameaboutyou,” I repliedgently.“Butweonlyhaveeachother toblame…”

“Sorry, I can’t helpmyselfwhen you saunter into our bedroomwearing that flimsypieceofblack laceyoucallanightgown.”He lookedup,hisgazedarkashe lickedhislowerlip.But therewassomethingelsethere,a tingeofsadnesshewastryingtomask,similartowhathadmademedreadgettingoutofbedinthefirstplace.

“You’vebeenfeelingthatholeagain,haven’tyou?”Isighed,changingthesubject.Iwould’velovednothingmorethantocontinuethatconversationaboutmylacegarmentsand his natural reaction to them, but I knew somethingwas bothering him.He noddedslowly.“Metoo…”

“Butwhy?”heasked.“Whyarewefeelinglikethis?Imean,whydothefirsttwentyyearsofourmarriageseem…likeanunfinishedpainting?”

“Idon’tknow,Tejus.”Ishrugged,leaningmyheadagainsthisashetightenedhisgriponme.“Thereisn’tadaythatgoesbythatI’mnothappyorthankfultobewithyou,tohaveHarper.Andyet,thereisn’tadaythatIdon’tputmyheaddownandfeellikethere’ssomethingmissing.”

“WhatI’mfindingtobetrulyweirdandacauseforconcernisthatGraceandVictoriaaredealingwiththesameemotion…”

“Maybewe could growour family a bitmore?” I askedwith a half-smile, relaxingagainsthis firmbody.He reacted instantly,pullingmecloser and lookingdeep intomyeyes.

“Do you think it would fill the emptiness? Harper didn’t, and I sound like such ahorribleparentforsayingthis…”Hegroanedandhidhisfaceinmychest.

I held him tight, feeling his anguish as it poured throughme.He didn’t deserve tostrugglelikethis,andneitherdidI.Ithadbeengoingonfortoolong,andithadtostop.

“You’re a wonderful father, Tejus,” I said soothingly. “Don’t ever think less ofyourselfoverwhatyou’refeeling.It’snotyourfault.”

“Do you thinkwe should talk toCorrine about it?”He gazed atme, his dark eyeshopeful.

“Idon’tknow…”Iexhaled.“Imean,wecouldtry—”

Somethingbrokeinsideme.LikeathicksheetofglassthathadstoodbetweenmeandtheemptinessI’dbeenfacing,theunknownmistshatteringanddissipating.

Atidalwaveofmemoriescrashedintome,leavingmereeling,breathless.

Suddenly… I remembered. Everything. Things I’d never even thought I’d livedthroughandyet…hadallbeenthere.

Phoenix, our first child. Serena, our second. Watching them both grow into thespectacular creatures that they’d become, both capable sentries with effervescentpersonalities.Vita,GraceandLawrence’spetitefirefaedaughter.JoviandAida,VictoriaandBastien’schildren.Field,theHawkbrother.

Thefirsttwentyyearsofourlivestogetherhadbeenmorethaneventful.They’dbeendownrightextraordinary,andwehadn’tevenrememberedthem.

Igasped, tears springing tomyeyesas I realized that a littleover twentyyearshadpassed sincewe’d last seen our children, our beloved Serena and Phoenix. I looked atTejusandrecognizedhishorrifiedexpressionbecauseitmirroredmine.

“Tejus,w-what’shappening?”Igasped.

“I…Idon’tknow.”Hisvoicewastrembling.“Hazel…Wehadason…andadaughterbeforeHarper…What…Whatisthis?”

Istood,wobblingonmylegsfromtheshock.Memoriescontinuedtorollovermelikewaves of icewater.One after another, each second that I’d beenmissing frommy life.ThiswasthetruthhidingbehindtheemptinessI’dbeenfeeling.

Howcouldthishavehappened?

Mybreathingaccelerated to thepointwhereI fearedapanicattackwas imminent. Ifeltunabletocontrolmyselfanymore,tearsstreamingdownmyburningcheeks.“Tejus!Wehavechildrenwehaven’t seenorheard from in twentyyears!Wehavechildrenwedidn’tevenknowwehad!Whatthehellishappening?!”

“Mom?Dad?What’swrong?”Harper’svoicefromthelivingroombrokemyfocus.

Istilled,staringatTejuswithwideeyes.

“Tejus…What…What arewegoing todo?” Iwhispered. “Where arePhoenix andSerena?How…How dowe tell Harper what happened? Imean,we don’t knowwhat

happened,sohowdoweexplainthistoher?”

Amomentpassed,andweheardHarper’sfeetapproaching.Shefoundusholdingoneanother,ourfacespaleandeyesglazedwithtears,aswebecamemoreandmoreawareofthe first twenty years of our lives together and the childrenwe’d somehow…forgottenwe’devenhad.

“Mom.”Harperstaredatuswithherbigbluishgreeneyesandlongblackhaircaughtupinaloosebun.Shewasalmostidentical toSerena,thoughherjawlineandshoulderswereabitsharper.Butshewasjustastall,andherlipsandnoseandstanceallremindedmeofhersister.HerfrownandtheshapeofhercheeksandchinremindedmeofPhoenix,andIcouldn’ttakeitanymore.

Icrumbledandbrokedown,cryinguncontrollably.Tejusclutchedmetight.

“Mom,Dad,what’shappening?What’swrong?”Harpercamecloser,gazingatusinalarm.

“Howdowetellher,Tejus?”Isobbed,hidingmyfaceinhischest,nolongerabletolookmydaughterintheeye.

“Hazel, listen… Listen to me,” he croaked, managing to gain control of his ownemotions,his fingerspushingmychinup to lookathim.“This…Thisclearly isn’tourfault,okay?Somethinghappened.We’renothorriblepeoplewhosimplyforgettheyhadkids.There’ssomething…goingon…andwe’llgettothebottomofthis.We’llfindoutwhathappened,andwe’llfindoutwheretheyare,andwe’llgetourchildrenback,okay?”

A few seconds passed as I lost myself in his dark gaze, regaining some of mycomposurethankstohisstrength.HewasjustastornasIwas,Icouldfeelhim,buthiswarriorinstinctshadkickedinfasterthanmine.

Inoddedslowly,andwebothturnedtolookatHarper,whowasstunned,staringatusindisbelief.

“‘We’llgetourchildrenback’?”sheasked,hervoicelow.

Itookadeepbreathandclosedmyeyes.Tejustookthelead.

“There’s nogoodway to explain this, darling,” he said. “But long story short, yourmotherandIhavebeenlivingwiththisvagueimpressionthatthere’ssomethingmissinginour lives.GraceandLawrencehavebeenexperiencing thesame,alongwithVictoriaandBastien,andtheHawks.AndRiverandBen,too…”

“RiverandBen?”MygazedartedfromHarpertoTejus.I’dneverheardmyauntanduncletalkingaboutthisbefore.

“Yeah,wespokeaboutthisacoupleofmonthsago,”Tejusrepliedwithanapologeticexpression.“Youwerealreadydealingwithyourgap.Ididn’twanttoaddtoyourworries.Althoughnow,inhindsight, itwouldn’thavemadeadifferenceanyway,sinceonlynowareweabletorememberField.”

“Oh, dear,” I gasped. “You’re right, there is definitely something dubious going onhere.Whowoulddosucha thing?Whowouldhateus somuch that theywouldputusthroughsuchanordeal?”

“Willsomeonepleasetellmewhatisgoingonhere?”Harperburstout,unabletokeeptrackofourrapidandpuzzlingconversation.

“Sorry, honey.” I sighed. “It’s… It’s complicated, andwe’re trying to find the rightwaytotellyouwithoutyouthinkingthatwe’rehorribleparents…”

“Harper,listen.”Tejussteeredusbackontopic.“Youhaveanolderbrotherandsisterwenevertoldyouabout.”

“What?!”

Hereyesnearlypoppedoutoftheirorbits,herlipspartingasshewasleftspeechlessandgapingatus.

“Wenevertoldyouaboutthembecause…wecouldn’trememberthemupuntilafewminutes ago,” I added. “We’d been feeling like therewas somethingmissing from ourlives,butwecouldn’treallyexplainwhatitwasbecausewecouldn’tremember.”

“There’s some foul play involved, Harper,” Tejus continued. “Last time we sawPhoenixandSerena,wewereatSherusandNuriya’sball,at theirpalaceon thefire-faestar in theIn-Between.Then, thenextday…itwas likeourchildrenneverexisted.Thesamehappenedtotheothers.ThereareJoviandAida,VictoriaandBastien’skids.Vita,GraceandLawrence’sdaughter.AndField,thefifthoftheHawkbrothers.Nobodycouldrememberthemanymore…”

It took Harper a couple of minutes to process the information, pacing around thekitchenandrunningherfingersthroughherhair.Shetookdeepbreathsbeforeshestoppedin front of us, while Tejus and I waited quietly for a reaction—I dreaded a possiblerejection,although,technicallyspeaking,myhusbandwasright.Wewerenottoblame.Iwould’ve never forgotten aboutmy own children,willingly, and the hole that I’d beenlivingwithforsomanyyearswasclearproofthatwhatevermagichadbeenusedtowipemymemorycleanofPhoenixandSerena,itcouldnotdeletemyloveforthem.

I’dbeenlongingforthemfortwodecades.

“Okay.” Harper finally spoke. “You guys are amazing, so please, don’t think for asecond that Iwouldeverblameyoufor this. It’snot inyournature tobesuchforgetfuljerks, for sure.And the samegoes forRiver andBen, theHawks,UncleLawrenceandAuntGrace,orVictoriaandBastien.There’sclearlysomethingweirdgoingonhere.Howdidyouremember,though?”

Reliefwashedoverme,andIcouldn’thelpbutsmileandbethankfulthatHarperhadaclearheadandimmediatelywentintoherinvestigativemode.HertrainingatGASPhaddefinitelyleftitsmarkonher.

“Idon’tknow,”Ireplied.“It’slikesomethingbroke,allofasudden.TejusandIweretalking about it, and then poof, it all came back. Twenty years we thought we’d liveddifferently.”

“Thiswas powerfulmagic for sure,Mom.”Harper frowned. “Think about it.Not asingleperson inTheShade remembersPhoenix andSerena…Coolnames,by theway.Nottomentiontheothers.Thiswasdeliberate.”

ItookamomenttolookatHarper,holdingontothecalmandcomposurethatshe’dsocarefullybuiltovertheyears.Thisgorgeousyoungcreaturewasmyrock,mybeaconoflight, and the sourceofmystrength.Tejusworshippedher, andhehadevery reason to.We’draisedatruefighter.

Tejustookhiscellphoneout,lookingintheaddressbook.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Iasked,myvoicenearlygone.

“Callingtheothers,”herepliedasheselectedanumberandputthephonetohisear.“Wecan’tbetheonlytworemembering.”

“Dad’sright,”Harpersaid.“You’renottheonlyonesmissingchildrenandsiblingsinyourlivesrightnow.”

“Gah! This is so weird…” I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. Harpermoved closer and huggedme, and Iwelcomed herwarmth and affection. I needed herenergynow,morethanever.

Harper listened quietly as Tejus caught upwith Lawrence andBastien. I calledmymotherandrealizedwewerebothrawandemotionalaboutthis.SheandDadhadstartedtoremember,andtheywerejustasshell-shockedaswewere.Weaskedthemalltomeetat the Great Hall, urging them to call in the others, too, including the Hawk brothers,DerekandSofia,andtherestofthecouncilmembers.

Werushedoutofour treehousewithHarperand followed thepath through thedarkforest, heading toward the Great Hall. Birds trilled in the foliage above, and the windbrushedagainstmyskin,calmingmealittle.

Wereachedtheclearinginamatterofminutes,theGreatDomerisingproudlyinthemiddle.Thelightshadbeenturnedon.Irushedinside,followedbyTejusandHarper,andfoundthatmyparentshadbeenthefirsttoarrive.Iburstintotearsandfoundcomfortinmymother’sarmsforacoupleofminutesastherestofourcouncilmemberspouredin.

Wejoinedourcircleoffamilyandfriendsinthemeetingspace.SofiaandDereksatatthe headof themassive table,Aiden,Lucas,Vivienne, andXavier on either immediatesideofthem,whileVictoria,Bastien,Grace,andLawrencepacedaroundnervously.TheHawkbrothers sat in chairs, armscrossedand sullen,whileCorrine and Ibrahim talkedanimatedlywithMona,Shayla,andseveralotherwitches.RoseandCalebstoodbyoneofthelargewindowsfacingeast,whileCaiaandDmitrileanedagainstthewesternwindows,watchingtheirparentswithgenuineconcern.IstayedwithTejus,Harper,andmyparents.

Noneofushadseenthiscoming.

“I don’t knowwhat’s going on, but we’ll get to the bottom of it.”My grandfatherDerek came to us and laid a hand on Tejus’s shoulder, while Sofiamoved around andhuggedmetightly.

“It’llbeokay,darling,”mygrandmothersaidinasoftvoice.“We’llfigurethisout.”

Heremerald-greeneyesurgedmetostaystrong.Igaveherathankfulnod,thenturnedto speak toVictoria andGrace.Theyboth rushedaround themassive council table andwrappedtheirarmsaroundme.Irespondedwithequalaffection,asIcouldfeeltheirpain

anddesperation.

“Howcouldthishappen?”Graceasked,tearsglazingherturquoiseeyes.

CaiaandDmitricametoourside,exchangingsympatheticglanceswithHarper.

“Idon’tknow,”Ireplied,myvoicerawwithemotion.“Wedon’tknow…It’slike…”

“It’sliketheyneverexisteduntilhalfanhourago.”Victoriasighed,rubbingherfacewithherpalms.“Thisdoesn’tmakesense!Youdon’tjustgivebirthtotwoperfectbabiesandthenforgetyoueverhadthem.It’sludicrous!”

“It’sverypowerfulmagic,”Ibrahimannounced,standingup.“Idon’tknowyetwhatcould’vecausedit.Orwho.ButI’vealreadysentoutamessagetoSherusandNuriya,soweshouldbehearingfromthemsoon.”

“Andwhatdowedointhemeantime?”Bastiengrowled.“Myson,mydaughter,ourchildrenareoutthere…Goodgrief,wehaven’tseenthemintwenty-oneyears…”

SobsandmurmursrippledthroughtheGreatDomeaswetriedtounderstandhowallthishadcometohappen.WeallagreedthatourmemorieshadbeenwipedcleanonthenightofSherusandNuriya’sball.

“D-Do you think… they had something to do with it?” River asked, holding Bentightlyasshewipedhertears.

“Butwhy?”Benreplied,frowningdeeplyashegazedathiswife.“Itmakesnosense.Nuriyais likeanaunt tome,andSherus…TheNasiri jinnandthefirefaeareouralliesandwell-wishers.”

“Ofcourse,Nuriyawouldneverdosuchathing!”AishapipedupfromherseatnexttoHoratio,hercheeksflushedwithindignation.

Wealllookedatoneanother,utterlybaffledandfrustratedbeyondbelief.Howwouldwe get our children back?Wherewere they?Why hadn’t they reached out in all theseyears?Themorewetalkedaboutthis,themorequestionswehad.

“The fae and jinn had nothing to do with this.” A female voice suddenly boomedthroughtheDome.

Weallstilled,turningtolookatthemainentrance,whereapinkmisthadgatheredoutof thin air, shimmering as it formed the figure of a beautiful youngwomanwith longreddish pink hair and bright violet eyes. She held a goldenmask in her hand, andwascoveredinbeautiful,colorfullayersoffinesilkandanabundanceofjewels.

A couple of seconds went by in silence before Tejus shot across the hall, hisexpressiondarkenedbyfury.

“Didyoudothis?”heasked,grittinghisteeth.

Thecreatureliftedahandandsentoutaninvisiblepulse,stoppingTejusinhistracks.Itpromptedtherestofustomovetowardher,asourinstinctskickedin.Itreatedherasapotential hostile, usingmy fury to fuelme into fightingmode, but the strangewomanraisedbotharmsandlaunchedanotherpulse,thistimekeepingusallback.

“Whoareyou?”Isnapped,tryingtomovepastherbarrier.

Itwasimpossible.HowdidsheevenbreakthroughTheShade’sprotectivebarrier?

Ilookedoverattheothers.Theywerealldealingwiththesameinvisibleopposition.Aroomfullofvampires,werewolves,fae,jinn,sentries,Hawks,andwitches,andnoneofuscoulddoanythingagainsther.

“Whatdidyoudowithourchildren?”Bastiensnarled,strugglingtogettoher.

“Please,”thecreaturesaid.“Imeanyounoharm.Icomehereinpeace.Iwishtotakeyoutothem.”

“Whoareyou?”Irepeatedmyquestion,feelingmynervesstretchbeyondtheirlimits.

“I am a Daughter of Eritopia,” she replied, her glowing violet eyes capturing myattention.“It isagalaxymanylightyearsawayfromSherusandNuriya’sstar, in theIn-Between. Your children and siblings are there. They are alive. They are now safe andeagertoseeyou.”

IblinkedrapidlyasIprocessedthenews.

“Wait, wait,” I replied. “What do you mean they are now safe?Weren’t they safebefore?Whathappened?”

“And what’s a Daughter of Eritopia?” Dmitri chimed in, scrunching his face inbewilderment,beforeHarpernudgedhim in the ribs. “Ouch…What,don’tyouwant toknow?”

“Maybenow’snottherighttime,”mydaughterhissed,silencingtheyounghalf-wolf.Lookingbacknow,DmitriandJoviwereliketwopeasinapod.

“We are guardians of our galaxy,” theDaughter replied gently. “Andwe owe yourchildrenagreatdebt.Theyputtheirlivesatrisktosaveourworldwhenwefailed.”

“Takeustothem,now!”Tejuscommandedfuriously.

“Iwill.Butyoumustbeaware,”shesaid.“We’vehadtoputEritopiainatimefreezeof sorts, tohide it from the restof theuniverseandkeep thedarkness thathad festeredinsideitfromspillingoutanddestroyingotherplanets.Timehaspasseddifferentlytherebecause of that.You have not seen your children in twenty years, but it has only beenweekssincetheysawyou.”

Weallneededalongmoment to takethat in.Grace,Victoria,River,andI lookedatoneanotherastherealizationsankin.

“Youmeantosayourchildrenhavebarelyagedafewweeks,whilewe’vebeenlivingwithout themfortwentyyears?”VictoriaaskedwhatIcouldn’t,asmyvoicehadfinallyleftmefromtheshock.

“Indeed.”TheDaughternodded.“Wehopedthatthisdisruptionintimewouldgivetherestof theworldasolidadvance.WehopedthatbythetimethedarknessfromEritopiawould eventually break free, youwould all be farmore advanced, with stronger alliesacrosstheuniverses,abletodestroyitbeforeitconsumedeverythinginitspath.Wearesorryforyourlossoftime,butwehadnootherchoice.”

“Whatdarkness?”Derekboomed,glaringattheDaughter,whokeptuphercalmand

dignifieddemeanor.

“Azazel, a powerfulDruidwho embraced evil and poison and nearly destroyed thekingdomsofEritopia.”

“Whyhaven’twebeenabletorememberourchildren?”Tejusaskedthequestionweallhadonthetipsofourtongues,sendingapangthroughmystomachatthethoughtofPhoenixandSerena.

“Itwassaferthisway,foreveryoneinvolved,”theDaughterreplied.“Wecouldn’triskanyonediscoveringEritopia,sowemadeitsothatnooneknewaboutitinthefirstplace.Itaffectedallthosewhoenteredtheshroudobscuringthegalaxy,includingyourchildren.ThemomenttheyenteredEritopia,theyceasedtoexistoutsideofit.Forthis,aswell,Iamdeeplysorry.”

“Oh,you’re sorry.”Tejuswas furious.“That’s fine,becauseyou’re sorry.That fixeseverything.Exceptitdoesn’t!Takeustoourchildren!Now!”

The Daughter analyzed us carefully and quietly for a short while, then vanished,leavingbehindthesamewispsofglimmeringpinkdustthatshe’demergedfrom.Wewereallsuddenlyfreetomove,enragedandunabletostandstillaswetriedtofigureoutwhereshe’ddisappearedto.

Alowbuzzingsoundcapturedourattention,andweallturnedtowardtheexitagain.Onthewallnexttoit,ontherightside,abizarre-lookingdoorwayhadappeared.Aportalofsorts,withabrightwhitelightemanatingfromit,causingustosquintinordertolookatit.

Wewere all forced to take a few steps back, as the light intensified before a darksilhouettecamethroughit.AtallyoungcreaturesetfootintotheGreatDome,andittookmeacoupleofsecondstoadjusttothebrightnessuntilIrecognizedhim.

“Field!”IheardRivergaspbeforeshedartedacrossthehallandimmediatelytooktheHawkinherarms.

Sighs of joy and relief flooded the room as Sky, Rock, Blue, Fly, and Ben swiftlyjoinedinacollectivehug.FieldlaughedashekissedRiverontheforeheadandshookthehandsofhisbrothersandadoptivefather,Ben,whothenpulledhimintoanotherembrace.

Irantohim,touchinghisface,thenhisshoulder,astheothershuddledaroundus.

“Field,”Igasped.“Areyouokay?WhereareSerena,Phoenix?Jovi,Aida,Vita?Aretheyokay?”

“Yeah,Hazel.”Henoddedwithawarmsmile.“Please,don’tworry.We’reokay.Wehadn’tknownhow timepassed foryouhere.Weonlyknewyouwouldn’t rememberusuntiltheshroudwaslifted.Butit’sokaynow.We’reokay.Wemadeit,andwehavealottotalkabout.Justdon’tcryanymore;itbreaksmyheart…”

Ihadn’tevenrealizedIwascryinguntilhesaidit.Iwipedmytearsandswallowedtheothersback.

“Field,honey,”Isaid.“Takeustothem,please…”

Hetookmyhand,andmovedtowardthebrightportal.

“Wait,Field—isitsafeforustotravelthere?”Sofiainterjectedwithaconcernedlookonherface.

“Yeah,it’snighttimethererightnow,soyouvampshavenothingtoworryabout,andthislighthereisn’tsunlight.It’saspell,”Fieldreplied.“Justdon’tbealarmed.Wemightseemalittledifferentthanthelasttimeyousawus…”

He lookedatVictoriaandBastienashesaid that,but Ididn’thave the focusor thepatiencetodigintothemeaningbehindthatglance.Isqueezedhishand,remindinghimofmydesperateneedtoseemychildren.

“Let’sgo,Field,”Isaid,myvoicetrembling.“Ineedtoseethemnow…”

Heentered thebright light, and I followed, alongwith theothers. I felt thewarmthenvelope me, relaxing my muscles as I walked through the interdimensional portal. Iclosedmyeyes,delightedtofeelsomethingakintosunlightonmyskin.

Assoonasthelightfaded,Iheardmybootsclickonastonefloor.

“Mom?Dad?”Serena’svoicebrokethrough.

Iopenedmyeyesandfoundthatwehademergedintoamassivethroneroomcladinblackmarbleandlimestone,witholdportraits,giantironchandeliers,andblazingtorchesonthewalls.AndinthemiddleofitstoodtheDaughterwe’dseenearlier,alongwithsixmoredressedlikeherandlookinganawfullotlikeher,despitethevariationinhaircolor,along with a younger one and a little girl. They all seemed to be related, their facialfeaturessimilar,theireyesvioletandtheirsilkgarmentsandjewelsscreaming‘royalty’.

NexttothemstoodSerenaandPhoenix,alongwithAida,Jovi,andVita,surroundedby several other creatures I didn’t recognize. But they all looked dirty and bloody andwornout.

IinstantlyfocusedonPhoenixandSerena.

“Mybabies,”Igasped,nolongerabletoholdmytearsin,amixtureofjoyandgriefoverwhelmingme.

Irantowardthem,unabletothinkofanythingotherthantheurgentneedtofeeltheminmyarms,toholdthemtightandtoneverletthemgo.Theybeamedatmeanddartedinmydirection.

Wemethalfwayinanembrace, laughingandcryingat thesametimeasTejuscamefrombehindand joinedus.Wekissedandhuggedandheldeachother, twentyyearsofabsencemakingtheirpresencefelt.

“Imissedyousomuch,”Serenasobbedasshehidherfaceinmyhair.

I couldn’t stop kissing her cheek and temple, wrappingmy arms around her whileTejuskissedthetopofherheadandPhoenixkissedmyforehead.Wewereanemotionaljumbleofbodiesandarms,afamilyreunited.

Iheardtheotherscryingastheyhuggedtheirlovedones.

Icouldbreatheagain.

I

V ITA

crumbledthemomentIsawMomandDadcomethroughtheportal.Theyshotacrossthethroneroomsofast,Ibarelyhadtimetoblink.Theybothhuggedmeatonce,holdingmetightanddroppingkissesonmyfaceandonthetopof

myhead,andIcriedwithjoyandrelief.IfelttheirwarmthandwelcomedtheirkindnessandloveafterweeksoffearingI’dneverseethemagain.

“Oh,Vita,mysweet,sweetbaby!”Momsobbed,huggingme.

Hertearstrickleddownhercheeks,smudgingagainstmineasDadheldusboth.

“Howareyou,sweetheart?”heasked,hisvoicethickwithemotion,hiseyessearchingmyface.Hisbrowsfurrowedashetookinallthevisiblechanges,thescratchesanddirtsmearsfrommyearliertumblewithAzazel.

“I’mokay.I’mmuchbetter,nowthatyou’rebothhere,”Irepliedgently.

“Wedidn’tknow.”Momsniffedandwipedhereyes.“We…Wehadnoidea…”

“Iknow,Mom,itwasn’tyourfault.Pleasedon’tblameyourselves,”Isaid,lookingatboth of them. “The Daughters shrouded Eritopia for everyone’s safety, both ours andyours,untilwecouldfixtheproblem.”

“What…Whatproblemdidyoufix?”Dadasked.

“Well…” I sighed, trying to find the right words to summarize the insanity of theweekssinceI’dlastseenthem.“Um,inshort,therewasaneviloverlordhere,conqueringthegalaxy.And it turnsouthereally,andImeanreally,wantedAida,Phoenix,andmebecauseguesswhat,Mom?WhentheNevertideOracletouchedyourbellies,shepassedherpowerson tous.We’reOracles,and thatnightat the faeballourpowersawakenedandwewerebroughthere,forourownprotection…andyours.”

Thatwasalottounpack,Icouldtell.MomandDadstaredatoneanother,thenlookedovertheirshouldersforabriefmoment.SerenaandPhoenixwerebriefingtheirparents,andsowereAida,Jovi,andField.Thesameexpressionswerepresentontheirside,too—acombinationofbefuddlementandconsternationthatwouldtakeawhiletogetover.

“What…Whatdoyoumeanyou’reanOracle,sweetie?”Momfinallyfoundhervoiceagain.

“I’mnotthetypicalkindofOracle,fromwhatwe’vebeenabletoascertain.”Itriedtocomfort her, as I could already see her visualizing a blind daughter with black runes

flittingacrossherskinandnogenitalia.“Iwon’tchange,physicallyspeaking. Imean, Ihaven’t so far, and I’ve been learning to controlmy visions. I can only see the future,though. TheNevertideOracle, whose name is Abrille, by theway, split her powers inthreewhenshetouchedyou,Hazel,andVictoria.Phoenixcanonlyseethepast,andAidacanonlyseethepresent.”

“Howdidyoulearnallthis?”Dadasked,hiseyesdartingaroundtheroomandsettlingonBijarki,whostoodacoupleoffeetaway,watchingandwaitingpatiently.

ItoldthemabouthowwehadbeenbroughthereandhowAzazelhadabductedAbrillealready,aboutourconnectionandhowwedevelopedourOracleabilities.But itwassomuchto take in,andIwas toohappytosee themtowasteanymore timetalkingaboutAzazelandthehorrorswe’dlivedthrough.

“I’lltellyouallaboutwhathappened,fromdayoneuntilyoushowedup,Ipromise,”Isaidgently.“Whatmattersisthatwemadeit…AndI’msorryyouhadtogoonfortwentyyearswithoutme…”

“We’velivedwithanemptinessinsideourselvesforsolong.”Momexhaledsharply,asifaweighthadbeenliftedfromherheartandshecouldbreatheagain.“Wedidn’tknowwe’dhad a daughter, andwhen it all cameback, I nearly brokedown from the guilt. Imean,whatmotherdoesn’t rememberher children,huh?Meanwhile, you’vebeenhere,fightingforyourlifeanddealingwiththesenewabilities,and…I’vemissedyousomuch,baby!”

She huggedme again, kissingmy forehead, while Dad ran his fingers throughmymessyhair.

“You couldn’t have known because theDaughters’magic is powerful. They’re likedemi-goddessesorsomething.Tobehonest,it’sbetterthatyoudidn’tknow.Itwould’vemadeeverythingmuch,muchworse.Atleastwehandleditandwon,andnowwe’rebacktogether.That’sreallyallthatmatters.”

“You’reright,sweetheart,”Dadreplied,thensquintedhistawnybrowneyesatme,thecornerofhismouthtwitching.Helookedlikehe’dnoticedsomethingelseaboutmethatwasdifferent.“Somethingelsehappenedwithyou…Somethinggood.Isenseadifferenceinyourdemeanor…”

IlookedatBijarkiandwinked,puttingahandoutforhimtocomecloser.Hemovedslowly,hissilverygaze fixedonMomandDad.Our fingers intertwinedas I turnedmyheadtofacemyparents.

“Mom,Dad,”Isaid.“ThisisBijarki…He’sanincubus,and,frankly,theloveofmylife.Imean,there’snootherwaytosaythis,soImightaswelljustsayit.Henearlydiedtryingtoprotectme.Heisitforme.And…I’mitforhim.”

I analyzed their reactions carefully, then gaveBijarki a sideways glance.Mom andDadwerestunned,theirgazesdartingbetweenBijarkiandmeforafewmoments.Momblinked fast before a smile bloomedonher face and she reachedout to shakeBijarki’shand.

“I’mGrace,” she saidgently. “Thankyou,Bijarki.Thankyou for keepingmybaby

safe…”

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her,” he replied with a curt nod, emotionsglimmeringinhiseyes.

“Youloveher?”Dadasked,immediatelyshiftingintohisprotectivemode.

IknewitwasmoreorlessanacttotrytointimidateBijarki.Anygoodfatherwouldtry it, evenmine,who knewmewell enough to understand that Iwould never use theword “love” if I didn’tmean it. Itwas still cute towatch, because he certainly had aneffectontheincubus.

“Morethanlifeitself,sir,”Bijarkirepliedfirmly.

“Militaryman?”Dadcontinuedhisquicklineofquestioning.

“Yes,sir.”Bijarkiheldhisown.

“Howdidyoutwomeet?”

“ImetVitaatthemansion.I’mDraven’sally.”

“Whatisityouloveabouther?”

“Dad!” I chidedhim. “You’re taking this conversation intodeeplypersonal territorythat’sbestsavedforadinneroneofthesenights.”

“She’s right, Lawrence,”Mom agreed, promptingDad to roll his eyes and nod hissurrender.HeshookBijarki’shandfirmly,thenwrappedhisarmaroundmyshoulders.

“Sweetie,there’ssomeoneyouneedtomeet,”hesaidgently.

“Oh,Lord,”Momgasped,pinchingthebridgeofhernose.

“What?”Iasked,confusedbyherreaction.

I peered around the throne room and saw more of our Shade friends and familyarriving.ThereweresomanyIneededtohug,includingZerus,whowasmovingtowarduswithabeamingexpression.But theyoungwomanwhoreachedmefirstwas theonewhocapturedmyattention,asshelooked…eerilylikeme…withblondhairandbright,turquoiseeyes.

“Well, there’s no easy way to say this, but we had another daughter,” Mom said,sighing.Iwasstunned.“Wethoughtwe’dspenttwentyyearswithouthavingachild,so…givenourfertilityissues,Corrinehelpedmeout,andCaiacamealong.”

Ineededamomenttoregisterthat,asmygazesettledontheyoungwomanwhohadstoppedinfrontofme.Itwascloseto lookingatmyreflectioninthemirror,exceptforseveralsignificantdifferencesintheshapeofoureyesandnoses.TherewerefeaturesonherthatremindedmemoreofDad.

“ThisisCaia,”Imumbled,stillprocessingthefactthatIactuallyhadasisterandthatshewasaboutmyage.

“Hi,Vita,”Caiasaidwithaweaksmile.

“Thisissoweird,”Igaspedbeforeahugegrinbloomedonmyface.“Andsofreaking

coolatthesametime!”

Caia litupandhuggedme. I immediatelyresponded,wrappingmyarmsaroundherpetiteframeandfeelingherwarmthpourthroughme.Ihadasister,anditwasthemostwonderfulfeelingintheworld.

“Weobviouslyhavea lotofcatchingup todo,” shechuckled,whileMomandDadengulfed us in a grouphug.Theyheld us tight, and I breathed deeply as I relished thethoughtofbeingreunitedwithmyfamilyafteralltheseweeks.I’dmissedthemsomuch.

Zerus joined in, putting his arms around Caia’s andmy shoulders, and kissingmyforehead.Ilookedupatmyoldsentryfriendandsmiledwithtearsinmyeyes.

“You’resafenow,Vita,”thesentrysaid.“Andit’sso…sogoodtoseeyouagain.”

“It’sgoodtoseeyou,too,Zerus,”Ireplied.“Iseetheyearshavebeengoodtoyou!”

Onlyacoupleoffineexpressionlineshadsettledatthecornersofhiseyes.Zerushadchosennottobecomeavampire,butthepassageoftwentyyearshadbarelyleftamarkonhim.

IthitmethenthatIhadanothersurpriseforthem.

“Waithere,”Isaid,andrushedtothewallbehindme.

Igrabbedoneofthetorchesandwentbacktothem.Iputmyhandovertheflameandwiggledmyfingers,summoningthefireanddrawingitoutinamovingspiral,promptingmyparentsandZerustogasp.

“Youdidit!”Zerusexclaimed.“You’vesummonedyourfirefaeabilities!”

“I totallydid!” Igrinned,noddingwithexcitementas I coaxed the flamespiral intofollowingthemovementsofmyhand.

Caia watched with admiration, and put a hand out. She split the spiral in two,beckoninghalfof theflametofollowherhand.Weboth laughedasweplayedwith thefire,whileZeruswipedthetearsfromhiseyes.

“Oh,Zerus, I never thought I’d seeyouget so emotional!”Momgiggled,placingacomfortinghandonhisshoulder,whileDadwatchedCaiaandmewithsheerdelightandaffection.

“Iamso…soproud!”Zerusreplied.

“Me too.” Dad winked at me. “Look at my little girl… A few weeks in a hostileenvironmentandshe’salreadyturnedintoafierceyoungfirefaewhocanseethefuture.Hah!”

“Andfoundherselfquitethespecimenforaboyfriend!”Momadded,givingBijarkiawink.

IglancedatBijarki,whowas literallyglowingwithemotion,watchingusallwithasmile. I let Caia have the torch and turned toward him,wrappingmy arms around hiswaist.Heinstantlyrespondedwithanembrace,andIlookedupathimandsmiled.

“Yeah, Igot lucky,” I said.“Thisone lightsup likeaChristmas treewhenyougive

himacompliment!”

O

A IDA

ur parents hugged us forwhat felt like forever, and both Jovi and Iwould’veheldonforlonger.Theyshowereduswithkisses,andweallcried,whileRiver,

Ben, and the Hawks held Field in a massive group hug. Laughter and cheers eruptedaroundthehallaswerelishedbeingreunitedwithourfamiliesafterweeks.

Itwasweird forMom andDad, as they’d spent twenty yearswithout us, not evenknowingweexisted.Theyweresoapologetic,theireyesfilledwithtears.Theywerestillcomingtotermswiththefactthattheirmemorieshadbeencompletelyerased.JoviandIreassuredthemthatitwasn’ttheirfault,that,infact,ithadbeenbetterthiswaybecauseitsavedthemthepainofmissingus.

“It’sallinthepastnow,Mom,”IsaidwhileDadheldmecloseandkissedthetopofmyhead.Joviwrappedhisarmsaroundourmotherandpurredlikeakitten.“We’vecomea longway thesepast fewweeks, and, if I do say somyself,we’ve comeout as bettercreaturesbecauseoftheexperience.”

Mom looked at Jovi and me for a few moments, before she exhaled sharply andmotionedforayoungman to joinour littlecelebration.TheEritopianshad takena fewstepsback, inthemeantime,allowingustospendtimewithourfamilies.Theywatchedquietly,withbrightsmileson their faces,sharing theoverallsenseof joyandrelief thatourShadianshadbroughtwiththem.

“Jovi,Aida,there’ssomeoneyouneedtomeet,”Momsaid.

The young man stopped in front of us, scratching the back of his head as heawkwardlysmiledatus.IcouldimmediatelyseeastrongresemblancebetweenhimandJovi—hewashandsome, tall,andwiry,butwithplentyofmusclesdistributedalonghisframe,curlyblackhair,andbrown-goldeneyesthatpoppedthankstohisdark,smoothlytrimmedstubble.

“ThisisDmitri,yourbrother,”Dadintroducedhim.

JoviandIwerestunned,staringatDmitriforseveralmomentsbeforewecouldutteranykindofcoherentresponse.

“Well,then.”Joviwasthefirsttoreact,withhisusualslightlyinappropriatemanner.“Iseeyoutwogotbusywhilewewereaway.”

We all burst into laughter, and Jovi and I hugged Dmitri, overjoyed to welcome abrotherintothefold.

“Welcometothefamily,Iguess,”Isaidwithagrin.

“Completefamily,thatis,”Dmitrirepliedwithaboyishsmirk.

“Hey, the more the merrier, right?” Field interjected, coming next to me while hisfamilycircledaroundus.Heputanarmaroundmywaistandpulledmecloser,promptingalookofsurprisefromMomandDad.

“You’renot theonlyonewithnewshere.” Iwinkedatmyparents. “Fieldand I aretogether.There,Isaidit.Outloud.”

Iheldmybreath,wonderingwhetherweshould’veeasedthemintoitalittlebitmore.But, then again, they’d just introduced us to a new brother. They had totally won the“bombshellnews”challengefortheday.ItookcomfortinField’swarmthasIexaminedtheexpressionsaroundus.

TheHawkslookedgenuinelysurprised,butgrinssoonemergedontheirfacesastheyquicklyadjustedtothechange.Riversmiledatus,makingsuretogivemeanencouragingnodtoexpressherapproval,whileMomtearedup,huggingusboth.

“Idon’tknowhowthiscametohappen,andI’msureyou’lltellusallaboutitlater,”shesobbed.“ButI’msohappytoseeyouallalive,strong,andhealthy!”

I felt tearswelling inmy eyes, but I swallowed themback as I glanced around thethrone room. Derek and Sofia were speaking to the Daughters, accompanied by Rose,Caleb, and theShadewitches.Theyoccasionally lookedatus, their smiles carrying thepromiseofcatchingupverysoon.Dad,ontheotherhand,hadhisattentionfixedonField.

“Dad?”Isaidtentatively.

“Sorry,honey.”Hesnappedoutofhistrance.“Ijust…didn’texpectthis.Butifthisiswhatyoutwowant…Ifyou’rebothsure,Imean…”

“I loveAida,”Fieldsaid,promptingDadtoraisehiseyebrowsinsurprise.“I fell inlovewithherinthemiddleofthismess.Iwoulddoanythingforher.”

“AndIloveField,Dad,”Isaid,leaningintohim.“I’vealwayshadamassivecrushonhim,andmy loudmouthbrotherdecided that,youknow,sincewewere fighting forourliveshere,itwasasgoodatimeasanytotellFieldaboutit.”

Jovi smirked in return,his armaroundDmitri’s shoulders.Dmitriwaswatchingourexchangewithcuriosityandamusementflickeringinhiseyes.

“Oh,comeon,Aida,thisflyinglogwouldn’thavemadeamoveifIhadn’tgivenhimalittlepush.”Joviwinked.

Ichuckled,andFieldrolledhiseyesbeforeheputonasheepishsmileandnodded.

“He’s right, though,” Field said, gazing atme. “I didn’t have the courage, but youseemedtohaveenoughforthebothofus,anyway.”

Thatpromptedsome“aww”soutofRiverandMom,whiletheHawksallworetheirsignaturesmirks.

“Guesswefoundthechickeninourfamilythen,”Skyjoked.

“He’salreadygotthewingsforit,”Bluechimedin.

“Icouldpluckyourfeathersout,littlebirdies,”Fieldshotbackwithagrin.

“Oh,don’tclucksomuch.It’sunbecoming!”Rockchuckledinreturn.

“Therearesomany‘whydidFieldcrosstheroad’jokesgoingthroughmyheadrightnow.”Flywasthelasttospeak,makingusallburstintolaughter.

“I have to say, though,” Dad said, looking around. “There are some pretty…fascinatingcreaturesaroundhere.”

I realized that his eyes had been sucked in by the succubi, judging by the way hecouldn’t helpbut gaze at a groupof themstanding a coupleof feet away,watchingus.Dad’s eyes glimmered, which suddenly made everything very awkward and promptedMomtoblatantlystareathim.

“Bastien, honey,” she said, her voice a couple of degrees below zero. “You’redrooling.”

Dadswiftlyturnedhisgazetolookather,surprisedandembarrassed.

“I…No,baby,Iwouldn’t…YouknowIwouldn’t,”hetriedtoexplainwhileIstifledalaugh.

“It’s not his fault,Mom,” Jovi interjected, chuckling as he patted him on the back.“They’re succubi. They’re naturally designed to seduce, just like the incubi. Theysometimes forget to keep their nature under control, and they have this effect on theopposite sex. You get all lightheaded and can’t turn off your bedroom eyes. It’s quiteextraordinary.”

Momcouldn’thelpbutlaughatDad’spredicament,untilshenoticedGrezzigazingatherwithaseductivesmilefromacrosstheroom.Hercheeksflushedasshetookadeepbreath,andIsnappedmyfingersinfrontofherfacebeforeglaringatGrezzi.Hegotthemessagequickly,turninghisheadtorejoinaconversationwithJax,Hansa,andJasmine.

“Mom,staywithus,”Isaid.

“Okay,Iseewhatyoumean,Jovi.”Momblinkedseveraltimes,regaininghersensesandwrappingherlovingarmsaroundDad’slargeframe.Hesmiledgentlyandwelcomedherembrace,amusedbyhowthetableshadturned.

JovitookAnjani’shandandbroughtherclosertoourgroup.Thegoofysmileonhisfacesaiditall,andourmotherwasquicktopointthatoutasshegaveAnjaniapoliteandappreciativenod.

“I take it thisbeautifulyoung ladyhere isyour significantother?” sheaskedwithasmile.

Anjani’sskingloweddelicatelyasJoviputhisarmaroundhershoulder.

“Sheis,andIswear ithadnothingtodowithhersuccubusnature,”hesaid,pullingher closer, then sighed as he gazed at her. “Okay… maybe it had a little bit of aninfluence, but I’m in full control ofmymental faculties herewhen I say she’s the bestthingthat’severhappenedtome.”

MomandDadputtheirarmsout,invitingusalltojoininanothergrouphug,thistimewithFieldandAnjaniincluded.Welaughedaswecametogether,withRiver,Ben,andtheHawkbrothersonceagainamplifyingthereunion.

“We’re just happy you’re all okay,” River said, tearing up. “Now that we’rerememberingeverything,Idon’tknowhowthehellwespentover twentyyearswithoutyou.TheShadehasn’tbeenthesame!”

“It’s all goodnow,Mom,”Field repliedgently. “Nothingwill tear us apart like thiseveragain.”

IbreathedoutasIrelaxedinhisembrace,welcomingthenaturalandfamiliarscentsofmy family intomyconsciousness. I eventually told themaboutmyOracle abilities andhow this whole Eritopian affair had unfolded, and, after a few moments of carefullyconsideringallthedetails,MomandDadtookmeintoyetanothertighthug.

“Youareperfectjustthewayyouare,sweetheart,”Dadsaid,hisvoicetrembling.“Theupsideisyoucankeepusingtheseabilitiesforgood.”

“Yeah.”Inodded,wipingmoretears.“Iplantoworkonthemmore,though.IhaveaverypoorsenseofdirectionwhenI’munder.”

“Oh, honey, you’ve come so far already, in such a short timespan!” Mom repliedencouragingly.“MasteringyourOracleabilitieswillbepeanutscomparedtothis!”

Andshewasright.Thehardestpartwasover.Everythingelsethatfollowedcouldbemanagedandcontrolled,conditionedandperfected.

Theonlythingthatdidn’tneedadditionalworkwasmyrelationshipwithField.

Weweretogethernow,andbackwithourfamilies,too.

Wewereperfect.

T

SERENA

hebestpartaboutbeingasentrywas thefact that Iwasable tosensemyparents’ emotions as they held Phoenix and me tight, kissing our faces,

strokingourhair,andtellingushowmuchtheylovedusbetweensobsandhiccups.Theywererawandvibrant,amixtureofgrief,joy,andunconditionallovethathadcrashedintothem from themoment they’d rememberedus.Theydidn’t hide anyof it. In fact, theyprojecteditatfullblast,bringingPhoenixandmetotears.

“Imissedyouboth,”mymomcried,sinkingherfaceinmyhair,whilePhoenixkissedhertemple.“Iamsosorry.Wearesosorry…Wedidn’tknow…”

It was the first time I’d seen my father so emotional, his dark, teary eyes movingbetweenPhoenixandmeashecaressedourfaces,hisknucklesbrushingagainstmycheekandfillingmewithanaffectionIhadn’tfeltinweeks.

“Stopsayingsorry,Mom.We’reokay!”Isaid.“Bothinonepieceandstronger thanever!”

“Thereisdefinitelysomethingdifferentaboutyoutwo.”Shesquinted, tryingtoreadus.

Phoenix and I looked at one another, grins stretching our faces fromear to ear.WenoddedandagreedtoletMomandDadin.IfeltthemticklingmysoulasIopenedup,andwatchedmymom’seyeswidenwithsurprise.ShestaredatmeforafewsecondsbeforeshelookedatDraven,thenbackatme,andsmiled.

“You’reinlove,”shegasped.“You’re…You’retogether.Youtwohaveconsummatedyourunion;yoursoulsareforeverconnected…”

InoddedandpulledDravencloser,hishandclutchingmineandholding it tight.Hewas nervous and excited at the same time, and I needed to assure him that there wasnothingforhimtoworryabout.

“Mom, Dad,” I said. “This is Draven, Master Druid of Calliope. He’s also mysoulmate.”

Dadstraightenedhisback,whilePhoenixslowlyandquietlybroughtViolacloser toour little familygroup.Dravenclearedhis throatandheldhischinup.He’d recognizedmyfather’sleadershipnatureandrespondedwithdignity,makingmefallevendeeperinlovewithhim.

“I’mTejus,andthisisHazel,”Dadsaid.“Icanseeyoursoulshaveconnected,butyouhaven’tbecomeasentry,likeus.”

“I’m a Druid. Our lineage is very strong and defined by magic,” Draven repliedpolitely.“Wedon’tknowyetifI’lleverdevelopanysentryabilities,butrestassuredthatIwillalwayskeepmyheartopenforyouall. If Idobecomeasentry, itwillonlyfurtherfortifythebondbetweenSerenaandme.”

“Youobviouslyloveher;otherwiseyourconnectionwouldhaveneverworked,”Dadmused,hiseyesglimmeringasahalf-smiletuggedatthecornerofhismouth.“Atleastwebothknowyou’regenuine.Itrustyou’llmakesureshe’ssafefromnowon.”

“I will.” Draven noddedwith a pained expression. “I’m sorry I took your childrenawayfromyou.I’msorryforthegrief,butIhadnootherchoice.Oncetheirpowerswereignitedonthenightofthefaeball,Azazelcouldsensethem.Ihadtokeepthemsafe.”

“Iknow.”Mymomsighed.“Doesn’tmeanwelikeit,butweunderstand.We’reonlygratefulthatyou’vekeptyourwordandkeptthemsafe…”

“Well, it’s not like we were completely defenseless ourselves.” Phoenix raised aneyebrow,holdingViolacloseandpromptingMomandDadtostareatthemforamoment.

“Yougotyourselfabductedjustyesterday,”Igroaned,rollingmyeyes.

“Younearlygotyourselfkilledacoupleofhoursago,sothatmakesuseven!”Phoenixshotbackwithasmirk.

Ourparentswerebaffled,watchingtheexchangewhileDravenandViolastifledtheirgrins,untilMomfinallysnapped.

“Clearly, you two have a lot of explaining to do,” she gently chided us. “However,we’renotdonewiththenewshere.Phoenix,isthereanythingyouwishtotellus?”

“It’sarhetoricalquestion,incaseyoudidn’tcatchon,Son.”Dadgavehimaplayfulwink.

PhoenixblinkedseveraltimesbeforeheglancedatViola.

“Yeah,so…I’minlove.Goahead.Yuckitup.Youneverthoughtyou’dseethisday,Iknow,butithappened.ThisisViola.She’saDaughterofEritopiaandoneofthereasonsI’mstillalive.”

Viola noddedpolitely, her cheeks flushing.Mymother gave her thewarmest smile,gentlytouchinghercheekwithherknuckles.

“You two have a different kind of connection,” Mom said slowly. “How is itpossible?”

“Wedon’treallyknowhowtoexplainit,”Violarepliedinasoftvoice,thenlookedatPhoenix.“Fromthemomentwewereclose tooneanother,abond justcame tobe.Ourlivesareforeverintertwined.”

“Whatoneexperiences,sodoestheother,”Phoenixexplained.“IfIgethurt,shegetshurt.IfIbleed,shebleeds.IfIdie…Well…”

“That’snothappening.”Dadwasquicktodismissthescenario.“Notonourwatch.”

“Asscaryasitsounds,”Mommused,“it’salsoincrediblyfascinating.Iwonderwhatwillhappenwhenyoutwogetintimate—”

“Mom!” Phoenix and I both exclaimed at the same time, our faces red withembarrassment.Leaveittotheparentstomakeusblushinfrontofourbaes.

Ourmotherlaughedlightly,unabletotakehereyesoffus.

“Mom?” I said, noticing a young woman standing several feet behind her. “Who’sthat?”

Shelookedalotlikeme.Anawfullot.Almostthespittingimageofme,infact,exceptforafewofDad’ssharperfeatures.Thelongblackhair,thebluishgreeneyes,theendlesslegs—itwasallthere.MyheartstartedracingasIimmediatelyputtwoandtwotogether.

“Oh,Serena,”Momreplied,gesturingfortheyoungwomantojoinus.“Thisisgoingtobeweird,but…”

“It’sbeenalittleovertwentyyearsforyouguys,”Phoenixgasped,gawkingatMomandthestrangefemalewithpaleskin.

“ThisisHarper,”Dadsaid.“Yoursister.”

“Holycrap,”wasmyimmediateresponse.

“Yeah,Isaidprettymuchthesamething,”Harperrepliedwithasmirk.

“Wehaveasister.”Iwasstillprocessingthenewdevelopment.“I…Ihaveasister.”

“Inowhave twosisters, and Idon’tknowhowI feel about that.”Phoenixputonamockfrown,thennoddedtowardme.“Itwastoughenoughhavingtolookafterthisone.WhatthehellamIgoingtodowithtwotroublemakers?”

“Icantakecareofmyselfverywell,thankyouverymuch,”Harpershotbackwithagrin, revealingvampire fangs. “Besides,who’reyoucallinga troublemaker?You’re theonewhogotkidnapped.”

Iheldmybreathforamoment,awedbythefactthatshe’dalreadybeenturned.ButthenIlaughedhard.Ihadto.Shewasamazing.Iinstantlylovedher.

“Ohoho, Phoenix, you are getting roasted, my dear brother,” I squealed, thenimmediatelytookHarperinmyarms,openingmysoulforhertoreadmyemotions.

Ifeltinstantaffectioncomingfromher,ourbloodconnectionquicklydevelopingintosomething deeper, farmore significant.We both giggled as Phoenixwrapped his armsaroundusandheldustight.

“Good,”hemuttered.“AtleastIknowI’vegottwowarriorsforsisters!Oh,andMom,Dad?”

Ourparentsgazedatus, theirhearts swellingwith loveandpure,unadulterated joy.DadtookMominhisarms,keepinghercloseandgentlyleaninghisheadagainsthers.

“Whatisit,Son?”Dadasked.

“Justsoyouknow, it turnsoutI’manOracle.Whatever theNevertideOracledid toMomandAuntVictoriaandAuntGrace,itgaveAida,Vita,andmesomevisionpowers.

Notfull-onblindandbarrenOraclepowers,fortunately.Justvisionsandacoolconnectionbetweenthethreeofus.”

AfullminutepassedbeforeMomandDadcouldreact.TheystaredathimforwhatseemedlikeforeverbeforeMomfinallysnappedbacktoreality.

“Okay, there’s definitely a lot to unravel here, honey,” she said bluntly. “We’reobviouslynotskippingafamilydinnertonight.”

“Whatmattersisthatyou’rebothokay,andhappy,”Dadaddedwithawarmsmile.

ThethoughtsI’dhadbeforeaboutwhatIwoulddonext,nowthatIwaswithDraven,startedtoresurface,beckoningmetobringupthesubjectofmypartialrelocation.Eritopiahad become my home, but, at the same time, we had a portal to The Shade, so myprevious concerns about who would follow whom in which universe had pretty muchfizzledout.I’djusthavetospeaktotheDaughtersaboutmakingaccess toTheShadeapermanentfixture.

“Mom,Dad,”Isaid.“Iknowit’sonlybeenafewweeksforusherebut…Iamhappy.Despiteallthecrazy,Eritopiahasbecomeasecondhometome.It’sbeautifulandweirdandwild,and…it’swhereDravenbelongs.”

“Whatareyoutryingtosay,sweetheart?”Dadaskedwithasubtlefrown,althoughIcouldfeelhimreadingme,aswasMom.

“Imean, don’t getmewrong.We can always see each other,wheneverwewant, Ithink,” I replied, trying toputmy thoughts intocoherent sentences.“Theportal ishere.Youcanspendsometimehere,andIcantakedaysoff,sotospeak,tovisitTheShade.Idon’t think the portal is going anywhere.What I’m trying to say is that now that thiswholeAzazelmessisover,IamfinallygettingamomenttothinkaboutwhatIwanttodowithmylife,nowthatDravenisinit,and…Well,I’llbestayinghere,withhim.”

MomstilledinDad’sarmsastherealizationsankinforher.

“You’rehappy.You’rehappyhere,” shemumbled. “You’renot comingback to livewithus…”

Icouldalmosthearherheartdrop,nearlybreakingmineintheprocess.We’dallbeenso happy to see one another, and, prior to our reunion, Phoenix and I had been busyfighting for our lives and enjoying everymoment like it was our last.We hadn’t eventhoughtofhaving thisconversationbetweenourselvesbefore tellingMomandDad thatwe’dfoundourhappinesshere,inEritopia.

“Oh,butweloveyouboth!We’vemissedeveryonesomuch!”IcomfortedherasbestasIcould,whileDraven’sarmgentlypulledmecloser.“ButI’mnotgoingtoliveinTheShade,that’sall.I loveyouall,obviously,morethananything,but…ButIbelonghere,withhim…”

PhoenixandIlookedateachother.Webothfeltthesame.

“Andyou,Phoenix?You’restayinghere too?”Momaskedmybrother,whonoddedhisresponse.

Eritopiahadbecomeourhome.Dravenwasinchargeofputtingitallbacktogether.

We had an entire galaxy to heal and nurture.We’d fallen irrevocably in lovewith twoexceptionallypowerfulcreatureswhohadnearlysacrificedthemselvesforthisworld.

“Mom,”Phoenixaddedsoftly.“We’redifferentnow…Iknowitmightcomeasabitofasurprise.You’vegottwokidstellingyouthey’removingout,basically,butit’swhatwe want, and it’s something I’ve thought about as well. This world actually needs itsDaughters.ViolaandIareinseparable,nottomentionthesetwolovebirdshere.”

MomletaheavysighrolloutassherestedherheadagainstDad’schest.

“Don’t get uswrong.We’ll alwaysbehappy to seeyou,”Phoenix said. “Butwe’rebothinlovewithpeoplewhoaretheverylifelineofthisworld.Inaway,it’sbecomeourworldtoo.Ourwild,untamed,anddamagedhome,buthomenonetheless…”

“Youknowweloveyou,right?”Iasked,myvoicetrembling.

“Ofcourse,weknow,”Momreplied,wipinghertears.“It’sjustthat…Itwillalwaysbehardforparentstoadmitthattheirkidsareallgrownupandreadytostarttheirownlives.We’veonlyjustfoundyou,inaway.Twentyyearswentbyforus,and…”

“Mom…”Icriedoutandrushedtohugher.SheheldmetightasDadkissedthetopofmyheadagain.“Mom,we loveyou,andwe’vemissedyou likecrazy.Ofcourse,we’llspendtimetogetherandcatchup,butlifehaschangedforus.Sofast,sounexpectedly…Itjustturnedusonourheads,andwe’vehadtoquicklyadjustbecauseIcan’tseeafuturewithoutDraveninit,andEritopianeedshimnowmorethanever.”

“ThesamegoesforViolaandme,Mom.”Phoenixaddedhimselfintothehug.

“Thisportalwill alwaysbeopen forTheShade,”Rubiaconfirmed,hervoice risingabovethecrowdofhappy,reunitedfamilies.“Theflowoftimehasbeenrestorednow,andyouwillallbeabletovisitoneanotherwheneveryouwish.Allyouhavetodoisspeakyourdestinationoutloudwhenyoustepthroughtheportal.”

“It is justoneof thegifts thatwewillbestowuponyou forall thegreat thingsyouhavedoneforEritopia,”Ruelleadded,hervioletgazemovingaroundthethroneroomtofindus,theShadianswhohadstoppedAzazel.

“Itisbecauseofyou,Serena,Phoenix,Jovi,Aida,Vita,andFieldofTheShade,thattheentiregalaxyofEritopiahassurvived thedarkestandevilestof threats,” littleNovaannounced.

“TheparentsofTheShademustbeveryproud,”Chanasaid.“Foryouhavebroughtextraordinarybeingsintotheworld.”

“Twenty planets withmillions of innocent creatures and uniquelymystical culturesoweyou their lives,”Safiracontinued.“For that,youandTheShadewillalwaysfindaplaceandahomeinEritopia.”

Itookadeepbreathandrecognizedthepridebeamingoutofourparents,ouruncles,aunts,grandparents,great-grandparents,andclosestfriends.MyheartswelledasIlookedback and understood the magnitude of our achievements. For an aspiring journalismstudent,I’ddoneafinejobofhelpingdestroyapowerfulsadisticmaniac.

“Thankyou,DaughtersofEritopia,foryourkindwords.”Momspoke,thenlookedat

Phoenixandme.“ThisdefinitelymakesourchildrenworthyofGASP.”

TheShadiancrowdhummedtheirapproval,whilePhoenixandIwinkedateachother.Harpermovedbetweenusandputherhandsonourshoulders,squeezingfirmlytoexpressheraffection.Ihadafeelingshewasn’tavampiresentryofmanywords,bynature.

“Hah!”Aida’svoicebrokeout.“Didyouhearthat,UncleDerek?Whatdoyousay?Areweinnow?”

WeallglancedatDerek,whomovedtowardthecenteroftheroom,accompaniedbySofia.Hesmiledandnoddedslowly,hiselectricbluegazefixedonAida.

“Ifsavinganentiregalaxydoesn’tautomaticallymakeyouanelitememberofGASP,Idon’tknowwhatdoes.”

Hisreplywasswiftlymetwithcheersandferventclapping,alongwithAida’ssquealsof joy as she jumped intoField’s arms.Shewas thehappiest by far, as she’d spent themosttimeandenergyinbecomingaGASPmember.Afterwhatshe’dbeenthrough,afterhertrialsandtribulationsagainstshape-shifters,Sluaghs,Destroyers,andAzazelhimself,Aidahadtrulyemergedasachampion.

I lookedoveratVita,whowassurroundedbyherparentsandhernewsister.She’dcomealongway,too.Fromthelittleintrovertedgirltoafieryfaewithasharptongueandvisionsofthefuture,incontrolofherlifeandinlovewithanincubuswhowasreadytosplittheplanetintwoforher.Yeah,she’ddoneallright,forsure.

Jovibeamed,holdingAnjaniinhisarms.He’dbeenfacedwiththeprospectofdeathsince Vita’s first vision. He’d been chased and threatened and nearly killed at least acouple of times, and yet, despite all the adversities, he’d come out victorious andunyielding.Hehadn’t losthissenseofhumoralong theway,andhe’devenfallenheadoverheelsinlovewithasuccubuswhocouldtwisthimaroundlikeapretzel.He’dbeatenhisodds,overandover.

Field had relentlessly fought to protect us, falling in lovewithAida along theway.He’d taken tremendous risks and tight turns to keep our group safe. He’d defied theDestroyersandpushedhimselftothelimituntilhe’demergedvictoriousfromeverysinglebattle.Mostimportantly,he’dputthewellbeingofothersabovehisownandbecomeourwingedvictor.OurwarwithAzazelwould’vetakenadifferent,muchdarkerturn,haditnotbeenforhim.

AsforPhoenix,Iwasspeechless.DespitehisstruggleandhisvulnerableconnectiontotheDaughter,Phoenixhadpushedahead,alwaysonwardandupward,neverlookingbackunlessithadtodowithvisionsofthepast.Hewaspartofthegluethatkeptustogether.Hewould’vedonealotmore,hadhebeenabletoleavethemansion’sprotectiveshield,buthe’dsuremadeupforitoncehewasout.Iwasunbelievablyproudtohavehimasabrother.

Yeah.We’ddoneTheShadeproudandthensome!

S

SERENA

hortlyaftertheportalconnectionwaspermanentlyestablishedbetweenCalliopeandTheShade,andafterweallhuggedandkissedandexpressedour joyand

relief at seeingoneanother again,wegathered in themiddleof the throne room for anactualbriefing.

We introduced our Shade family to our new friends and allies, including Jax andHeron, Hansa andGrezzi, Jasmine, Zeriel, Patrik, the Bajang twins, and all the youngDruids. There was a common feeling floating around the room, coming from bothShadians and Eritopians—a mixture of wonder and curiosity, particularly between theMaras and our vampires. It would take some time for us to study one another, but,fortunately, time was the one commodity we finally had plenty of, following Azazel’sdeath.

Dravenstoodbymyside,whileSofiaandDerekmovedcloser,accompaniedbyourallianceandourfamilies,drawninatightsemicircleasthethronetoweredbehindus,darkandcoveredinredsilks.Iglancedovermyshoulderandcrinkledmynoseatthesightofit,lookingforwardtoseeingthethroneroomcompletelyredecorated.

I took my time explaining everything that had happened in full detail, while theDaughtersstoodtoourright,listeningquietly.Whilewe’dalreadygivenourparentssomesense of what had happened, there were a lot of blanks to fill in, so I followed achronological order of events—from the night we’d celebrated the birth of Sherus andNuriya’sbabyonthefaestar,tothemomentourparentshadwalkedthroughtheportal.

Draven occasionally took over, as he was better equipped to explain what specificEritopian species could do in the alliance, and why. He understood their culture andmotivations best, and, as the only appointed leader of an Eritopian planet relayinginformationtoGASP,Ineededhimtohavehisvoiceheard.

About an hour had passed by the time I was done telling our story, includingansweringquestionsfromourShadianaudienceaboutourcircumstances,theenemies,andthedifferencesbetweenswampwitchandDruidspells.Itookadeepbreath,whilesecretlylookingforwardtogulpingdownafewlitersoffreshwater.Mythroatwasparched.

“You’ve all been through so much,” my mom finally said. “All because you weregivenOraclepowers…”

“IcouldkillthatNevertideOracle,”myfathersaid,grittinghisteeth.

“Dad,no,”Phoenixsaidwithafrown.“Shewastryingtohelp.NotjustEritopia,butus, too.Shegaveus abilitieswehated at first, but oncewegot thehangof them, theysavedourlives.”

“Itwas thanks to our visions thatwewere able to eventually destroyAzazel,”Vitachimedin.“Andwesavedanentiregalaxyintheprocess.”

“Ihonestlyfelt likeourliveswerequitesmallcomparedtothemillionswesavedinEritopia.” Aida sighed. “I mean, sure, I hated our predicament, but once I saw whatAzazelwasdoingtosomanyinnocentcreaturesI…Icouldn’tstandbyanymore.Ihadtodosomething.”

“Wealldid,”Fieldadded.“Andwewonbecauseweallcametogether.EritopiansandShadiansalike,unitedbyourwillingnesstobringdownmountainsifitmeantdestroyingAzazel.”

Dadnoddedslowly,acceptingourreasoningandbitingtheinsideofhischeek.

“AndtheNevertideOracle?Wasn’tsheuptherewithyou?”Victoriaasked.

“Yeah,butshe’supintheinfirmarynow,”Ireplied.“Hername’sAbrille,bytheway.Ithinkshe’llbeokay,butshe’sreallyweakandneedstorecover.”

“Can’tsayIblameherafterwhatshe’sbeenputthrough,justbecauseshewasbornanOracle.”MygrandmotherRoseshookherheadindisgust.

Derekthensteppedforward,lookingatDravenandme.

“WhatabouttheotherkingdomsofEritopia,then?”heasked.

“We’llrebuildoursociety,”Dravenreplied.“Itwilltakesometime,andtherewillbeanarchistswhohadgenuinelysidedwithAzazeltoquash,butwe’llgetthereeventually.ThemajorityofEritopianswantpeaceandtheMasterDruidCouncilrestored.”

“They’ll get through their actualMasterDruid ranks retroactively,” I added. “SincenoneofthesurvivingDruidshadachievedtheHundredthCirclebeforeAzazeltookover.”

“AndAsherak?”SofiacametoDerek’sside,eyeinguscuriously.

“Gone,” Rubia spoke from the side. “His soul sits at the bottom ofMount Agrith,whereitwillneverbereachedagain.”

“Iwouldliketosuggestsomething,”Derekthensaid,tappinganindexfingeragainsthislipsinapensivepose.“Youclearlywillneedallthehelpyoucangethere,andgivenour Shadian kids’ attachment and devotion to this world, maybe we could supportEritopia.WecouldopenaGASPbasehere, tomaintainanopen lineofcommunicationbetweenTheShadeandthegalaxy,andsupporttheDruidsandtheDaughtersinrestoringpeaceandorderonalltwentyplanets.”

I,forone,immediatelywantedtoscream“Yes,let’sdothis!”andputmyselfupforaposition in theGASPbase. I’dalreadykissedacareer in journalismgoodbye. I’dfoundmycallingduringmy trials inEritopia. I feltcomplete,andwaseager todomore foraworld thatneededgood leadersand lawenforcers.But IwaitedquietlyandpatientlyasDravenandtheDaughterscarefullyweighedmygreat-grandfather’sproposal.

“Wehaveexcellentfightersandresearchers.Wecanassistonmanyadministrativeandenforcement levels,” Xavier added. “We can help the Eritopian societies grow andprogress.”

“You’ve already underestimated our capabilities.” Derek finally hit the nail on thehead, reminding me that GASP had grown strong, powerful, and capable of changingentireworldsifchallenged.ItpromptedDraventofrown.“Hadyounotifiedusearlier,hadyoureachedoutinsteadofabductingourchildrenandhidingthembeneaththismemory-wipingshroud,wewould’veraisedhellagainstAzazel.”

I glanced at the Daughters, whose lips had become thin, flat lines, while Dravenslowlyloweredhishead.DeepdownIknewthatGrandpaDerekhadapoint,but,atthesametime,eventheDaughtershadbeenunabletodestroyAzazeloncehe’dmergedhissoul with Asherak. The destruction required to kill Azazel would have probablyobliteratedtheentireplanet.

“We have a network of allies, and warfare knowledge spanning millennia,” Derekcontinued.“Wecouldhavehelped.”

“Forgive us.” Viola stepped forward on behalf of the Daughters. “My sisters wereconfidentthatthisproblemcouldberesolvedwithoutdragginginanyoneelse.AndsodidDraven, mostly because Azazel had fused his soul with Asherak and had generatedhorrificamountsofdarkpower.Hadwenotapproachedhimthewaywedid,manymoreinnocentcreatureswouldhavedied,includingyourGASPmembers.Therewassomuchevil,suchpoisonousenergyinsideAzazel,itcouldhavedonealotmoredamageifithadbeenunleashedandtakenheadon.”

“Ilikeher.”MomnudgedPhoenixwithagrin.“She’squitethe…demi-goddess…”

“Yeah,tellmeaboutit.”HelonginglygazedatViola,mostlikelylookingforwardtospendingsome timealonewithher,aftereverything they’dbeen throughandespeciallyaftertheirseparation.

“Despiteourshortcomingsonthematter,”Rubiasaid,takingastepforward.“WeareabletorecognizethatourworldwouldbeanevenbetterandsaferplacewithGASPinit.WhilewecommittotakingbettercareofEritopia,weallagreethatopeningaGASPbaseoneachofourplanetswouldhelp.”

Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd, prompting Hansa to move to thefront,onehandrestingonherbroadsword’shandle.

“Itwouldalsogiveourbest fighters theopportunity todomorewith their livesandskills, I presume,” she said. “I’m guessing you’d be open to exploratory missionsthroughouttheIn-Between,too?I’veheardgreatthingsaboutGASPfromSerena.”

“Indeed.” Derek nodded with a polite smile. “We would be open to expandingdiplomatictiesandalliancesacrosstheIn-Between.”

“Countme in, then,”Hansa replied, then glanced atAnjani,who seemed confused.“It’s time for you to take the lead, little sister. Jovi has already said he’dbemore thanhappytohelpyou,andIplantotakehimathisword.”

BothAnjaniandJovilookedstunned—Hansahadpreviouslybeenopposedtoalong-

term relationship between them, as she’d feared it would interfere with her Red Tribeduties as a future chief. Seeing her come around like thiswas a relief and definitely areason to celebrate. It alsomademewonderwhat hadmadeHansadecide to leaveherpositionasatribechief.Itwasaconversationbestsavedforlater.

“Excellent,then.”Derekclappedhishandsonce,thenturnedtoaddresstheShadiansand Eritopians in the throne room. “Wewill return to The Shade shortly, to begin theGASPopeningproceduresinEritopia.Wewillsetupamainbasehere,onCalliope,andsmall subsidiaries in the other nineteen kingdoms. We’ll deploy members from ourexistingShade base to beginwith, to assistwith building and setting everything up, aswellastrainingandassistingtheEritopianswhowillwishtojoinGASP.”

“We’repleasedtowelcomenewalliesintothefold,”GrandmaSofiaadded,offeringtheDaughtersandDravenacurtnod.“WecannowfocusonstrengtheningthisworldandrepairingthedamageleftbehindbyAsherakandAzazel’sdarkmagic.”

“Andwe can alsomake sure that such evil never surfaces again,”Derek continued.“Youhavemysolemnpromise that theEritopianGASPbasewillbeassigned to strongandexperiencedagents.”

Jovithencameforward,swiftlyjoinedbyField,Aida,Vita,andPhoenix.

“Whataboutus?”heasked,raisinganeyebrow.

Derek crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to one sidewith a pensiveexpression,whileSofialetoutalongsigh.Shecouldseeitinoureyes.Itwasalloverourfaces. Even our parents knewwherewe stood, despite the sadness that camewith thisrealization.

“Whatareyoutryingtosay,Jovi?”Derekasked.

“Foravampireasancientasyou,Derek, I thoughtyouwouldn’tevenhave toask.”Lucasspokeup,rollinghiseyes.“They’renotcomingbacktoTheShade,Brother,unlessit’sfortheoccasionalfamilygatheringorShadiancelebration.AmIright?”Heglancedatus,asmirktuggingathislips.

“They’realreadyhome,Derek,”Sofiaaddedinasofttone.

IttookGrandpaDerekacoupleofsecondstonoticeit.Henoddedslowly,thenranhisfingersthroughhisdarkhair,asifprocessingthewholesituation.Hesuckedinalungfulofair,thenexhaledandplantedhishandsonhiships,whileweallwatchedandwaitedforhisreaction.

“Oh,hell,”hesaid.“Althoughthishascertainlybeenatraumaticexperienceforusall,Imustadmitthatithasalsobroughtoutthebestinyoukids.You’reallmorethanworthyofhigh-rankingGASPpositionssoonerratherthanlater,andwemightaswellassignyoutothenewEritopianbasehere,sinceyou’remorefamiliarwiththelocalsthanweare.YoucanalsohelptotraintherecruitscominginfromTheShade.”

Momwasthefirsttoburstintotears,heremotionsamixtureofjoyandsadness.Dadputhisarmaroundhershouldersandheldherclose,whilePhoenixandIquicklymovedtohugandkissher.

“Mybabieshavefoundtrueloveandmeaningfulliveshere,andI…Itwouldbecrueltotakethemawayfromhere,”Momsaidbetweenhiccups.“I’msoproudofyou.”

“WearewhowearebecauseofyouandDad,”Irepliedgently,wipinghertears.“Sothankyouboth.Andlet’snotforget,we’reonlyaportalaway!”

I ended on a positive note, as Aida, Vita, and Field’s parents were also gettingincreasinglyemotional,atanalarmingrate.

“You’veallmaturedfasterthanotherShadiansupernaturals,anyway,”Derekproudlyadded.“You’reallmorethanfittodothis.Oh,andField?”

TheHawk’sheadshotupfromAida’s,blinkingnervouslyfast.

“Ithinkyou’dmakeafinecommanderoftheEritopianGASPbasehereonCalliope,”Dereksaidwithasmirk.Field’seyesnearlypoppedoutoftheirorbits,andAidacouldn’thelpbutgaspwithsurprise.“You’retheeldestandmostexperiencedofyourgroup.You’llbeable toassignpositions toyour teammembersaccording to their skills andabilities.You’vefoughtawarwiththem,afterall.”

“Thankyou,Derek,”Fieldcroaked,overwhelmedwithemotion.“I…Iwillnotletyoudown.”

“Ofcourse,hewon’t,”Riverinterjected,huggingherson.“He’saNovak,afterall!”

Anotherwaveofcheersand laughtereruptedaswewereallonceagainhuggedandcongratulatedbyourShadians for everythingwe’daccomplishedafterwhathad simplystarted as a fae ball gone horribly wrong. I foundmyself exhilarated by the notion ofhavingasisterandmywholefamilyback.

DespiteEritopia beingmynewhome, I knew that itwould never truly replaceTheShade in my heart. And I was definitely looking forward to spending time there andcatching upwith the rest of the Shadians. I figured that twenty years had brought newsupernaturalsandrecruitsintoGASP.

“TheportalbetweenTheShadeandCalliopewillneverclose,”Rubiareiterated,ashersistersgatheredbehindher.“Wewilltakeourleavenow,peopleofTheShade.”

“NineteenkingdomsareawaitingnewsofAzazelandtheirliberation,”Safiraadded.

“Anditwillbeourpleasuretodeliverit,”Chanaconcludedwithanod,thenwinkedatViola,who’dkeptherselfclosetoPhoenix.“Youcanstay,littlesister.We’llhandlethis.”

Violasmiledatthem,whileDerekandSofiagavethemacurtnod.TheDaughtersthenvanishedintowispsofshimmeringpinkdust,leavinguswithourfamiliesandfriends.

“Sowhatnow?”Momasked,lookingatPhoenixandme.

“Iwashopingyou’dcook.”Mybrother’sadorablebluntnessmadeusalllaugh,untilMomclearedherthroat.

“Afterallthetimeyou’vespenthere,you’rewillingtotryoneofyourmother’shome-cookedmealsforachange?”sheaskedwithaflickerofamusementinhereyes.

“Wemightaswell.”Ishrugged,pretendingitwasnobigdeal.“Notthatthefoodhereisbad,butIamliterallystarvingforsomeloadedpiesàlaMom…Thatis,ofcourse,if

you’llhaveus.”

That was as rhetorical as it could get, but it was enough to bring out the brightestsmilesonMomandDad’sfaces.IheardfootstepscomingtowardmeandturnedmyheadtoseeHansaapproaching.Shereachedmesofast,Ididn’tevenhavetimetoreactwhenshetookmeinherarms,huggingmetightenoughtoknocktheairoutofmylungs.

“Yougo,Serena,”shesaid,relentlessinhergrip.“We’lltakecareofthingshere.Gobewithyourfamilyforawhile.”

Assoonassheletgo,Igaveherawarmsmile.

“I’llbebackbeforeyouknowit,”Ireplied,thenglancedatDraven,takinghishandinmine.“Wouldyouliketojoinus?”

Hiseyes flickeredblackashisgazedarted fromme tomyparentsandmysiblings,thennodded.

“Itwouldbeanhonor,”hesaid.

“Andapleasure,trustme.”Phoenixwinked.“Mom’sonehellofacook.”

Draven smiled, and I swooned, seeing him genuinely happy after everything he’dendured. I caught a glimpse of movement at the corner of my eye and noticed Jaxsaunteringtowardus,hisjadeeyescarefullyanalyzingus.

“Would itbepossibleformeto joinyouaswell?”heasked.“I’d like to learnmoreaboutyourkind,vampires.IunderstandTheShadeisalwaysdark.”

“It is, yes,”mydad said. “You’remore thanwelcome to join us, Jax. Imust admitwe’realsocuriousabouttheMarasandoursimilaritiesasspecies.”

“Excellent, thank you. I’ll consider it a vacation, without a sliver of sunlight for aminimumofforty-eighthours.”

“Oh,yeah,youwon’thave towear this suitwheneveryougoout.You look likeanangry dominatrix in it.” Phoenix smirked, pointing at Jax’s black leather uniform andstainless-steelplates.

“Idon’tknowwhatadominatrixis,butifyouwantedtowearmybattlegear,allyouhadtodowasask,hotstuff,”Jaxshotback,makingmeandHarperroarwithlaughter.

Dravenheldmeclose,andIrelaxedinhisarms,relishingeverysecondspentwithafamily complete and evenbigger than I’d left it.Phoenixwas right, though: I’dmissedMom’scooking, too. I couldn’twait for thatmorningFrench toastandhotcoffee smellgreetingusinthekitchenofourtreehouse.

W

SERENA

espentfivedaysinTheShadebeforereturningtoEritopia.Wecaughtupwith everyone in our big supernatural family. Harper and I got to know

eachotheralittlebetter,asdidVitaandCaia,aswellasJovi,Aida,andDmitri.ItthrilledustointroduceDraven,Anjani,andViolatoeveryone,andwespentoneoftheafternoonsintheSanctuary,whereDraven,Ibrahim,andHoratiohadahilariousbackandforthaboutmagicalabilities.

IobviouslywelcomedeverymomentIhadwithMomandDadastheybroughtmeuptospeedonthelasttwenty-somethingyearsoftheirliveswithoutmeandPhoenix.WithabetterunderstandingofHarperandthekindofpersonshewas,Irealizedshe’dcomeoutalittledifferentfromme,remindingmemoreofDraven,surprisingly,withherquietnatureandcombativefierceness.Shetendedtokeepanemotionaldistancefrompeople,butwasreadytobringtheentireplanetdownforthosesheloved.Ifoundmyselffascinatedbyherandflatteredbythefactthatshewasallsmileswhenweweretogether.

Mom and Dad quickly grew fond of Draven, who showered them with handmadecharms imbuedwithprotectiveandhealingmagic,whileViolaandPhoenixwererarelyseenoutside their room in the treehouse. I couldn’t exactlyblame them; they’dbeensobrutally tornapartandhadnearlydied trying togetback tooneanother.Theydeservedeverymomentalonethattheycouldget.

JaxhadablastinTheShade,exploringtheforestandmeasuringhisskillsandcombatabilitiesagainstthoseofourseniorGASPmembers.HeputupquiteafightwhenDerekchallengedhim,butwaseventuallyforcedtoyield,asitturnedoutthathecouldn’tusehismind-bending powers on vampires and could only rely on his physical strength.Nevertheless,heearnedtheadmirationoftheentireGASPteamforeveryblowhegavetoDerek.HealsostruckupanunexpectedfriendshipwithLucas,whoseemedtobeexactlyJax’s type of snarky. I had a feelingZerielwould be in a lot of trouble if he got stuckbetweenthosetwo.

DuringourstayinTheShade,theEritopianGASPteamswereassembled,withField,River,Ben,Kiev,Aiden,andSofialeadingtheselectionprocessforthemainbaseandthenineteenkingdomdivisions.ScarlettNovak,PippaandJeramiah’sdaughter;AvrilNovak,Lucas and Marion’s daughter; and my cousin Fiona Achilles, Yelena and Benedict’sdaughter,wereallassignedtotheCalliopebasewithus.

Dmitriwasquiteupsetthathehadn’tyetmadethecut,givenhisshorterexperience,butbothAidaandJoviassuredhimthattheyhadhisbestinterestsatheart,andthathewas

morethanwelcometoapplyagainnextyear.Ihadafeelingtheywerekeenontellinghim“yes”thesecondtimearound.

HarperandCaiabothappliedforjuniorpositionsonCalliope,and,aftersomeintensetrialsandinterviews,Fieldacceptedtheircandidacies,drawinggroansfromCaia’sandmyparents.TheyfeltlikealltheirchildrenwereabandoningthemforEritopia,andwehadtoremind themthatwewerenotonlyconsentingandcapableadults,butalso justaportalawayfromthem.

Theyeventuallygotusedtotheideaandproceededtohelpuswithpackingourbags.Iwas innowaywilling towear anyof thosehorrible eighteenth-centuryclothes again. Ineededmycargopants and sportsbrasandcombatboots,not crinolineandcorsets andfancysummerdressesthatmademeboil.PhoenixwasjustasexcitedaboutbringinghisownwardrobetoEritopia,ashe’dnevergottenalongwiththewhitefrillyshirtsandtheuncomfortablefootwear.

I found myself particularly entranced by how modern shirts and jeans looked onDraven. Iwasdating amen’smagazine covermodel, for sure, onlymyguy camewithreallycoolDruidmagicandwas inchargeofanentireplanet.PhoenixandIeven tookhim shopping in Hawaii on our last day, making sure he came back with a stylishwardrobeofhisown.

Funnilyenough,whenweallgatheredinfrontoftheportaltoreturntoEritopia,IsawthatVita and Jovihaddone the same forBijarki andAnjani,who lookedgorgeousandunrecognizable. We’d all gone for the kind of clothing that was stylish but not ultra-contemporary,mainly because wewanted them to feel comfortable wearing somethingsomewhat familiar and, at the same time, becausewewanted to avoid any crude jokescoming from the other incubi, succubi and Druids. After all, we couldn’t dress upeveryoneinEritopia.

Wehuggedandkissedourparentsgoodbye,andpromisedtoseetheminafewdays,aswewerealreadypreparingabigcelebrationdinnerinLuceriawithallofourallies.WepassedthroughtheportalandreturnedtoEritopia,whereweimmediatelygottowork.

As expected, a couple of days later, the Shade witches joined us, along with ourparents,tohelpussettlein,asdidseveralNovakelders,includingEli,Derek,andSofia.

Wewere thrilled tofindtheDearghsreturnedtofullstrength,exceptfor thesix thathad sacrificed themselves to put the volcanoes to sleep. They were mourned andcelebratedfortheirselflessgesture.ZuroffereduphismountainashomefortheCalliopeGASPbase.ItwastheclosesttoLuceria,asthecastlehadonceagainbeenchosenasthecapital.Corrine,Ibrahim,Arwen,Brock,Mona,Shayla,andourotherwitchessoonbeganconstructionof theGASPbaseonMountZur,aidedbytheDearghsandseveralDruids.Usingpowerfulmagicandthestonegiants’sheerstrength,itonlytookaweekforGASPtohaveafullyfunctionalnewHQonCalliope.

Field and Aida oversaw the project, making sure that the training grounds andfacilitiesweredesignedandequippedtomirrorCalliope’sdifficult terrains, includingitsdarkjunglesandsharpmountainridges.

The seniorGASPmembers, led byDerek and Sofia, then offered agent and officer

positionstoEritopianswillingtojoinourorganization.Theywereclearinstatingthattheycould lead their people and collaborate with GASP at the same time, seeing as bothendeavorswerenotmutuallyexclusive.

Anjani, Jax, and Bijarki were the first to accept after Hansa, followed by Heron,Zeriel,Wren,Isla,Rebel,Thorn,andalltheyoungDruids,aswellasPatrikandDraven.AnyEritopiancouldjoin,includingthoseinnewly-acquiredpositionsofpower,asGASPwas designed to not interfere with local official roles, but rather support them. Hansa,however,preferredsomepersonalfreedomforachangeandhandedtheRedTribereignsovertoAnjani,whobecamechiefandworkedwiththeothersuccubitoorganizealong-termalliancewiththeincubiofCalliope.

Theybelieved that if theycould lookpast theirdifferences and live together in freecities like they hadmanymillennia ago,without impeding one another’s freedoms, thesuccubiandincubicouldsetabetterexamplefortheotherkingdomsandfurtherhelpinunifyingthepeople.Hansaconfessedthatshehadgrowntiredoftheresponsibilitiesandthe rhetoricbetween theirpeople,andfelt thatAnjanicouldbeofmoreuse to thisnewinitiative.ShealsopreferredtofocusonGASP,becausetherewerefewerresponsibilitiesandbecausetherewasthepossibilityofexploringotherworldswithintheIn-Betweenanddiscoveringnew,differentcreatures.

Jovi andAnjani shortly announced that theywere a pair, afterHansa’s departure toGASP.The reactions theygotwerequitemixed, ranging fromfrownsanddisapprovingscowls to giggles and genuine cheers.Aura andAlmandinewere the first to demand amarriage ceremony, but both Jovi andAnjani brushed the concept off, stating that theywere still in the early stages of their relationship and they didn’t want to rush into awedding.

Jax’sdecisiontojoinGASPhadinitiallyconfusedhiswardsandtheMarapeople.HeappointednineofhiswardstoacounciltoleadtheMarasonhisbehalf,andreporttohimdirectly.ThetenthwardwasentrustedwithbeinghiseyesandearsinWhiteCity,makingsure that theMaras kept to their laws and alwayswelcomedGASPmembers into theircommunitywitharmswideopen.

I could feel Jax getting closer to the Novaks, and his fascination for the vampiresseemednever-ending.Heconfessedthathe’dalwaysfeltliketherehadbeensomekindofcurseontheMaras,sincetheywereconfinedtowalkingfreelyonlyatnightandfeedingoffblood,but,afterspendingtimewiththevampires,he’dcometoappreciatehisnaturealittlebitmore.Hiskindwas,afterall,Eritopia’sequivalenttovampires.

DravenreallycameintohisownasaMasterDruidofCalliope.WithalittlehelpfromCorrineandherartisticeye,wewereabletoredecorateLuceria—itwaswaytoocreepyall in black. The citadel was completely transformed, dressed in white marble, withbrushed brass towers, broad archways, and beautiful statues and relief sculptures asarchitecturaldetails.Thethroneroomwasgivenamakeover,too,cladinsoftgoldensilksanddecoratedwithmassivegoldenchandeliersandtwolargeportraitsofGenevieveandAlmus,whichhadbeendiscoveredintheartsectionoftheDruidarchivesinStonewall.Asexpected,Dravenand Ihadourmasterbedroomsetupwithagiantcanopybed, alldressedinwhitesatinsandiridescentorganzadrapes.Itlookedlikealittlesliceofheaven,

andwe spent every night hiding beneath the delicate covers andmaking love until theearlyhoursofthemorning.

BijarkiandVitawerealsoanofficialpairnow,aswereFieldandAida.We’dsetthemallupwith theirownquarters inLuceria, thoughtheyspent their timesplitbetween thecastleandMountZur.PhoenixandViolawereacceptedasacouplebytheDaughtersofEritopia inamoreofficialcapacity thatallowedPhoenixtoascendtoamoreinfluentialroleacrossthegalaxy,inacouncilpositioneven.GiventhatPhoenixwasbasicallydatingaDaughterofEritopia,thepeopleofalltwentykingdomsseemedtohaveaspecialkindofadmiration forhim.They listenedcarefullyandoften followedhisadvice.Afterall, theDaughtershadbeensoinaccessiblesincethebeginningof time,andyetmybrotherhadgottenhimselfintoarelationshipwithone.

Iwasridiculouslyproudofhim,buthewasreluctanttoembracethisnewrole,sincehewasmore interested in spending timewithViola and trainingwithGASP.Hedidn’trefuseit,though,ashefiguredhemightneeditsomeday.

ThepregnantsuccubioftheGreenTribeweresoonreunitedwiththeirsisters,asweretheBajang cubs of Stonewallwith their families.Tamara gotEva back, aswell, as theyoungLamiahadbeenkeptawayfromthewar,hiddenonMartonwiththeBajangcubs.

Tamara nearly broke into a fit of ragewhenDraven bluntly told her that hewasn’tgoingtomatewithEva,aspertheoriginaltermsoftheiralliance.

“I simply cannot hold up my end of the bargain anymore,” he said to her as wegatheredintheluminousthroneroom.“Iamsorry,Tamara.”

“What am I going to do with your apologies, Druid?” Tamara scoffed, while Evasulkedinoneoftheguestchairs,crossingherarmsandglaringatmelikeIwasAzazelorsomething.“Yourwordwasyourbond!”

“True, but that was when we all thought I was the only Druid around,” Dravendefendedhimself,straighteninghisback.Ifoundhimparticularlycharminginthatblackthree-piece suit, complete with a classic white shirt and the diamond Seal of Calliopehangingfromhisneckonasolidgoldchain,asymbolofauthorityandpowerthroughoutthegalaxy.

Tamaraneededacoupleofminutesforherangertosubside,butsheultimatelyagreedwithDraven.TherewereenoughDruidsnowtohelp theLamiasreproduce,not just theforty on Calliope, but also the couple hundred who’d survived in the other kingdoms.We’dbeensurprisedtoseethatmanyhadsurvived,andsubsequentlythrilledasitmadereplenishingtheentirespeciesaloteasier.

“I’ve already removed the stigma from the Lamias,” Draven added. “Relationsbetween Druids and Lamias are no longer forbidden, nor will they be frowned upon.However,IdoexpecttheLamiastostaycivilandnotgoafterinnocentchildren.”

“I am speechless,Druid.”Tamara graciously nodded. “After all these years, you’vefinally donewhat your forefatherswere too afraid to do…Thankyou, on behalf of allLamias.”

“It is the least I can do in return for not keeping my word regarding our alliance

againstAzazel,”Dravenreplied.

“Also,let’sgetsomethingstraight,”Tamarafrowned.“TheLamiashavenotgoneafterincubus and succubus flesh in thousands of years. So, please, do not feed into that oldhysteriaaboutLamiaseatingchildren.Iwouldneverdosuchathing,andneitherwouldanyofmysisters…”

The door opened, andFlynn, one of the youngDruids,walked in.Hewore elegantblackvelvettrouserstuckedintonavy-blueWellingtonboots,toppedwithawhitecotton,sleevelessshirtandashortblackvelvetcapeononeshoulder.Hisarmswerestillreddishfrom his new tattoos, as all the young Druids had been tested and initiated into theirappropriate skill levels. Flynn had earned himself direct entry into the Fiftieth Circle,judgingbythenumberofblackbandstattooedonhisarms.

He stopped before us and bowed respectfully, his gaze darting to Eva. The youngLamia immediately reacted, sittingup straight, beautiful, anddignified like theprincessshewas.Iwasamusedandrelievedtoseeshe’dalreadyforgottenaboutDraven.

“Pardontheinterruption,MasterDruid,”Flynnsaid.

“It’sfine,Flynn.Iseverythingokay?”Dravenaskedwithafrown.

“Yes,sire.Youaskedmetoinformyouwhenitwouldbeready.”

I noticed Draven’s expression change, his forehead smoothing and his eyes brieflyflickeringblackbeforehenodded.

“Thankyou,Flynn,”hereplieddryly.“AndcongratulationsonyourFiftiethCircle.”

“Thankyou,sire.”

Flynnwalkedaway,unabletoresistglancingatEvaonhiswayout.Thecornerofhermouthtwitchedasthedoorsclosedbehindhim.OurobnoxiousbutnotallthatbadlittleLamiahadacrush.

“Tamara,willyoupleaseexcuseus?SerenaandIhavesomebusinesstoattendto.”

Dravendidn’tevenwaitforTamaratorespond.Hejusttookmyhandandwalkedusoutofthethroneroom.

“Makeyourselvescomfortable,ifyouwish,”Dravensaidoverhisshoulderbeforethedoorsclosedbehindhim.“Lunchwillbeservedsoon.There’slotsofrawmeat!”

IstifledagrinasIfollowedhimupthewhitemarblemainstairs,bathedinribbonsofsunlightpouringinfromthetalllateralwindows.

“Wherearewegoing?”Iasked,keepingupwithhisrushedpace.

Icouldfeelhisexcitementandahintofnervousness.

“You’llsee,”hereplied,notleavingroomforotherquestions.

Thatmademeevenmorecurious,butIdecidedtolethimleadonthis.

“Welldoneinthere,withTamaraandEva.”Ichangedthesubjectaswereachedthemechanicalelevatoratthetopofthestairs.

Hepulled the large irondoorsopen forme toget in, then joinedme, shutting themtightandpullingtheleveronhisright.Weweregoingupstairs.

“Ithoughtthey’dbealotmoredifficulttohandle!”Iaddedwithasigh.

“Metoo,”hereplied.“Icould’veswornEvahaddevelopedanobsessionwithme.Thewaysheleeredatmewasnoteasytoignore.But,intheend,Ididmakeapoint.Thereareplenty of Druids for them to be with. Besides, if she were to persist, I would’ve justreferredhertotheDaughtersforafinaljudgment.”

DravenhadbegunappointingnewMasterDruidstotheotherplanets.ThadeusandOrihadbeengivenPerseaandPurgaris, respectively,with seventeenmorekingdoms left toassignwhentheremainingDruidsweretestedandapprovedbytheDaughters.

Ithadbecomethegeneralrulethatalldisputesweretobehandledthroughajudiciarysystem,independentoftheMasterDruid,and,iftheycouldn’treacharesolution,thecasewouldthenbereferredtotheNineDaughtersofEritopiaforafinaljudgment.Theywouldlisten to each argument carefully, then vote on a verdict. It was fair and impossible tooverturn.

Slowlybutsurely,orderwasbeingrestoredinEritopia.Inamonthorso,thetreasontrialswouldbeginforall theincubiwhohadfoughtagainst thefreenations.Sverikwasgoingtobethefirsttobejudgedbyajuryofhispeers.

Theelevatorbroughtustothetoplevel,wherewetookthelastflightofstairsleadingup to the terrace. It looked absolutely stunning in white marble, with ample archwaysdressed in red and yellow roses, and pale yellow organza veils fluttering in the warmsummerwind.Elegantbenchesandtableshadbeensetinthemiddle,astheplatformnowservedasarelaxationspacefortheDruidsandtheupper-echelonofficialsofLuceria.

Apaleflyinghorsewaitedontheedge,itswhitemanethickandcurly.

I stilled then, recognizing the creature’s glowing violet eyes. It was one of thesurvivingshape-shifters,nowapermanentmemberofourquirky“household”.

“Draven,whatarewedoing?”Iasked,evenmoreconfused.

Hesqueezedmyhandandkeptmecloseaswewalkedovertotheshifterhorse.

“Iwanttoshowyousomething,”hesaidwithoutlookingatme.

He mounted the shifter horse, then offered me his hand for support. I took it andclimbedupbehindhim,wrappingmyarmsaroundhiswaist.Mypalmspressedagainsthisrock-hardabsasthehorseneighedandtookoff,itswingsspreadout,feverishlyflappingasitflewsouth.

IcouldfeelDraven’sheartbeatingfranticallyinhischest.Itechoedmine,butIkeptmycomposureandrefrainedfromaskinghimmorequestionsasthehorsecarriedusoverrolling green hills and valleys covered in beautifully scented orchards before the darkjunglesandswampsbegantounravelbelow.

MybreathhitchedasIsawthemansionrisinginthemiddleofanopenfield.Weweregoingbacktowhereeverythinghadstarted…andmyheartbeatfasteraswegotcloser.Assoonaswelandedinfrontofit,Icouldseethechanges.

The old plantation house had been redecorated with brick-redmasonry and Frenchwindows, thick white columns adorning the sumptuousmain entrance, and a gorgeousflowergardencompletewithbeautifulmagnoliatreesinfullbloom.

“Oh,wow,”Imumbledasweslidofftheshifterhorseandmovedtowardthemansion.“Thislooksamazing!”

“Doyoulikeit?”Dravenasked,hisvoicelowerthanusualashewalkedbehindme.

“Yes!It’s…It’sbeautiful!Howdidyoudothis?”

“TheDaughtershadtheancientwardsworktheirmagiconit,”hereplied.“Justoneofthemanygiftstheysaidthey’dbestowuponusforeverythingwe’vedone.Comeon,letmeshowyouaround.”

Hesmiled,thentookmyhandandledmetothebackofthehouse,whereIcouldn’thelp but gasp at the sight of amanicured lawn, completewith a stone-walled pool andpatiofurniture.Anorchardsprawledbeyondit,andathickfencesurroundedtheproperty.I turned around and saw the greenhouse was still there, annexed to the back of themansionandfilledwithexoticplantsandtrees.

Dravenwatchedmyreactionsquietly,asImarveledatallthebeautythattheancientwards had conjured. It looked like a miniature palace, elegant but not pompous, itsgardensrespectfulofthesurroundingwilderness.

“There’sanewprotectiveshieldinplace,”hesaid.

Ilookedupandaroundatthefence,butIcouldn’tseeanygoldenglimmerslikewiththe previous protective spell, and I certainly hadn’t felt anything when we’d comethrough.Igavehimacuriousglance,andhesmiled.

“Youcan’tseeorfeelit,”heexplainedbriefly.“It’sabitdifferentthistime,butstilldesignedtokeepallhostilesout.It’swiderbyamile,anditreadsintoacreature’sverysoul.Iftheirintentionsarenotpure,theycannevercomein.”

“Well,that’llcomeinhandysomeday,I’msure!”Iquipped.

He showed me the interior as well, and I found myself gawking at the stunninglysumptuous design—the fine-threaded wallpaper, the delicate cast molding, the smoothcarpets and cherry-wood furniture, the beautiful art on the walls and the extravagantdininghall.Thebedroomshad all been redecorated aswell,with different patterns andcolorpalettesofthesamelateeighteenth-centurystyle,canopybeds,andsculpturalvanitytables.

Itlookedlikeaperfectlypreservedmuseumofaluxuriousplantationvilla,completewithaworkingwaterpipesystemandmarble-cladbathrooms.Thestudyroomshadalsoreceivedamakeover,filledwithmorebooksandseatingbythelargeFrenchwindows.

Weendedupinhisstudyonthegroundfloorwhere,funnilyenough,everythingwasmoreorlessthesame.Thefirewasburninginthefireplace,anditwasstillcrazyhotinthere,withacooldraftwafting inbeneath thebasementdoor.But thewallswereclean,andtheoldfurniturehadbeenreplacedwithsturdiermahoganypieces.

Draven stopped in the middle of the room and pulled me closer to him, his pulse

drumminginmyears.Hegazedatmeforawhile,withoutsayinganything,whileItriedto understand what was going on with him. His emotions, a mixture of love andanxiousnessthatI’dneverfeltfromhimbefore,confusedmeevenmore.

“The ancient wards had all this done for us, Serena,” he finally said with a slighttremorinhisvoice.“Foryouandme.”

“IneverthoughtI’dseethisplaceagain,”Igasped,overwhelmedbytheidea.“Ihadthe strangest experienceshere, andyet,whenwe left, I genuinelymissed it. It looks sobeautifulnow,likeit’sbeenupgradedtoitsfullpotential…”

“It’s all for you, Serena,” Draven replied, his knuckles gently brushing against mycheekandsendingheatwavesthroughmybody,ignitingmycoreandremindingmehoweasilyIreactedtothesimplestofhistouches.

“I never thought I’d be so happy, Draven,” I breathed.My heart brimmed with somuchloveforhiminthatmoment,itwashardtoexpressinwords.

I took a step forward and kissed him, sweetly and deeply enough for him to feeleverythingIhadtogivehim.Herespondedwithahumashistonguetouchedmineandhetookmeonahead-spinningjourneytowardthestars,wrappinghisarmsaroundmeandpullingmecloser.

“Serena,”hesaid,hisbreathingraggedashebrokeourkiss to lookatme.Hiseyesflickered black, his golden energywashing overme like a radiant sun, while his handfumbledthroughhiscoatpocket.Hispulsespiked,hisheartbangingagainsthisribcage.

Iplacedmyhandsonhischestinanattempttosoothehim.Whateverwasgoingon,hewas so nervous that I started to worry… until he brought up a delicate diamond ringbetweenus.Itwasmadeofsterlingsilver,withtwosnakingvinesintertwiningtoformasmooth,heart-shapedlooparoundtheflawlessstone.

Myheart jumped inmy throat andmy stomach immediately tied itself up in knots,heatrushingthroughmeandburningmycheeksasIrealizedwhatwashappening.

“Myfatheroncegavethistomymother,”Dravenwhispered,tryingtocatchhisfranticbreath.“Itwasasymbolofhisundyingloveforher.Itwasoneoftheheirloomsheleftmewith,andIneverthoughtI’dfindanyoneworthyofwearingit,but…thenyouendedupinmymansion, all mad and loud and annoyingly curious and so… so beautiful, so… sodeterminedand fierceand sharp.And I’vebeen livingwith this interesting feelingeversince…Thatmaybe, justmaybe, I’ve actually found someone to give this ring to, as asymbolofmyundyinglove…”

HiswordspeeledawayatmyheartuntilIwasleftsonaked,sofragileandraw,thatIfelttearscomingtomyeyesandlovepouringoutofmeinturbulentwaves.Hefeltitall,andheshuddered,hissteelygazefixedonme.

“I loveyou,Serena,”he said,hiseyes flickeringblack.“I loveyou likenooneandnothingelseinthisworld.Inearlykilledyou,andyetyoustillbelievedinme.Youfoughtforme,andyousinglehandedlypulledmeoutofthedarknessandtookmebackintoyourarms.IwillworshipyouforaslongasIhaveabreath,mysweet,sweetsentry.AndIwantyouasmywife.Asmypartner.Myqueen.Myempress.Mygoddess.Myeverything…”

Tearswerecarelesslyrollingdownmycheeksatthesoundofhisdeclarationoflove,furtherunravelingmysoulinfrontofhim.Iknewhewasgenuine;Icouldfeelitshiningoutofhim,envelopingmeinawarmthI’dbecomecertainIcouldnolongerlivewithout.

“Will youmarryme,Serena?Will…Will yougiveme the chance tomakeyou thehappiestcreatureinalloftheIn-Betweenandtheworldsbeyond?”

WhatcouldIpossiblysaytohim,otherthanaloud,wholeheartedYes?WhatcouldItell him, other than I love you amillion times?How could I not be themost fortunatecreature in all the universes, for having found Draven, the isolated Druid with suchstrength,withrawemotionsragingthroughhimlikefoamymountainrivers?

Iwashis,andhewasmine.

“Youknowwhat?”Imanagedtocroak,swallowingbackmoretearsofpurehappiness.He just looked at me, unable to say anything. Too nervous to react, waiting for myresponse. “I think we should scratch my previous statement about how happy I am,becauseyou’vejustmanagedtotakethistoawholenewlevel…”

Hedidn’tmove,butheheldhisbreath,hisheartbeatechoingintomine.

“I’vejustfoundawholenew,muchhigherlevelofsheerblissrighthere,withyou,”Icontinued. “I love you, Draven, with all my heart, my body, andmy soul. So, yes, ofcourseI’llmarryyou.IwillfollowyoutotheendoftheuniverseandbackifIhaveto…”

Itwasthenthathisspiritsimplyexpandedlikeanincandescentstar,heatingmeupashislipscrashedagainstmineandcapturedmeinhistightembrace,kissingmesosweetly,soprofoundlythatitbroughtnewtearstomyeyes.

Itwasjoythatwefelt,likeawarmsummerbreezeliftingusoffthegroundasweheldonanddeepenedthekissthatsealedusforgood.

Wefilledeachotherwithloveaswelostourselvesinoneanother.Oursoulsforeverconnected.Ourbodiesalwaysattuned.

And our lives beginning a new chapter… as was GASP’s.With the new Eritopianalliance, our famed Global Agency for Supernatural Protection had just become evenstronger,andwewereonestepclosertounderstandingthevastunknownthatwastheIn-Between,andthemysterious,beautiful,anddeadlysubsetofcreaturesthatcalledithome.

GASP’sjourneyherewasjustbeginning,withsomanyworldslyinginwait,butIalsoknewTheShadewouldremainitsbeatingheart.Itwastheoneplaceintheuniversewhereanyonewaswelcome,nomattertheirsizeorshape;theoneplaceweallknewwecouldreturn to after a hardweekofwork. I suspectedour beautiful islandwould continue tobeguilenewcreaturesonto itscalmshores, long into thefuture.Weweregoing tohavesome interesting new couplings, to say the least—as well as new species to tame andintegrateintoourwayofliving.

Clutchingmyfiancé’shand,Ilookedboldlyintothefuture.

Icouldn’twaittoseewhatanotherShadianadventurewouldbring.

IT’STHEENDOFASEASON,

ButisittheendofTheShade?

…No,itisn’t!

TherewillbeaSeason7!:)

DearShaddict,

ThankyouforreadingthefinalbookofSeason6,AClashofStorms.

Manyreadershavereachedouttomeoverthepastmonth,worryingthisbookwouldbethelastintheShadeseries,butI’mexcitedtosayitwillcontinueforanotherseason!Woohoo!

Book1ofSeason7iscalledASOV51:ACallofVampires,andwe’llbegoingbackto our vampiric roots a little bit with this one, as well as meeting some enticing newspecies…;)Needlesstosay,Iamextremelyexcitedtoshareitwithyou!

You also won’t have to wait long for it.A Call of Vampires releases very soon:October19th,2017!!

Sopre-orderyourcopynowandhaveitdeliveredautomaticallytoyourreadingdeviceonreleaseday!:

Ifyou’reintheUSA:Taphere

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Anyothercountry:Taphere

Checkouttheawesomecover:

I’llseeyouthere!

Love,

Bellax

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AnEndofNight(Book16)

Series3:TheShadecontinueswithanewhero…

AWindofChange(Book17)

ATrailofEchoes(Book18)

ASoldierofShadows(Book19)

AHeroofRealms(Book20)

AVialofLife(Book21)

AForkofPaths(Book22)

AFlightofSouls(Book23)

ABridgeofStars(Book24)

Series4:AClanofNovaks

AClanofNovaks(Book25)

AWorldofNew(Book26)

AWebofLies(Book27)

ATouchofTruth(Book28)

AnHourofNeed(Book29)

AGameofRisk(Book30)

ATwistofFates(Book31)

ADayofGlory(Book32)

Series5:ADawnofGuardians

ADawnofGuardians(Book33)

ASwordofChance(Book34)

ARaceofTrials(Book35)

AKingofShadow(Book36)

AnEmpireofStones(Book37)

APowerofOld(Book38)

ARipofRealms(Book39)

AThroneofFire(Book40)

ATideofWar(Book41)

Series6:AGiftofThree

AGiftofThree(Book42)

AHouseofMysteries(Book43)

ATangleofHearts(Book44)

AMeetofTribes(Book45)

ARideofPeril(Book46)

APassageofThreats(Book47)

ATipofBalance(Book48)

AShieldofGlass(Book49)

AClashofStorms(Book50)

Series7:ACallofVampires

ACallofVampires(Book51)

ASHADEOFDRAGONTRILOGY

AShadeofDragon1

AShadeofDragon2

AShadeofDragon3

ASHADEOFKIEVTRILOGY

AShadeofKiev1

AShadeofKiev2

AShadeofKiev3

THESECRETOFSPELLSHADOWMANOR

(Completedseries)

TheSecretofSpellshadowManor(Book1)

TheBreaker(Book2)

TheChain(Book3)

TheKeep(Book4)

TheTest(Book5)

TheSpell(Book6)

BEAUTIFULMONSTERDUOLOGY

BeautifulMonster1

BeautifulMonster2

DETECTIVEERINBOND(Adultthriller/mystery)

Lights,Camera,GONE

Write,Edit,KILL

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