My eyes opened, lids fluttering against the low voltage light in the room. My brain registered bars, and the cold, hard floor caused my bones to ache. My jaw pounded and I moved it to find a piece of cloth tied over my mouth. Twinges ran up my neck as I tried to lift my head, my skull throbbing.

“Kennedy?” a voice called my name softly, rolling my head to the side. In the corner, West sat against the wall, his neck, arms, legs, and neck chained to the wall.

Rising on my elbow with a moan, I tried to lift my hand to my aching head. At the sound of clanking metal I looked down to see I was also shackled. Only my arms were, but that was enough, especially because they had bound the only threat I was capable of: my mouth.

Magic.

I grunted to West, pushing my back against the wall. The haze slowly lifted from my mind.

Oh. God.

Lorcan!

My head whipped around, searching the space for him. It was a room I had never seen. I could tell we were deep under the earth, but this room was smaller and had one large holding cell against one wall. West and I were imprisoned, but otherwise it was empty.

“Lorcan?” My mouth choked over the gag, my eyes locking on West’s brown ones. Dried blood crusted his hairline and a healing gash sliced his cheek. Dirt and blood covered his clothes.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head, grimacing. It was then I noticed the collar around his neck was lined with nails, draining him of blood. Weakening him.

My heart twisted in my chest. I had heard this was one of the ways Aneira had tortured him. I couldn’t imagine what this was bringing back up for him. When I had first met him, after his return from being captive, I saw a dark soul underneath his cheeky humor, damaged and twisted with self-hate and demons. After mating with Rez, it had significantly lightened, but the darkness was still under his southern charm. Whatever happened to him there…I didn’t want to even consider.

West was probably the most “charming” of the dark dwellers. And so utterly good looking it was hard to look at him without sighing. Actually, all the dwellers were drop-dead sexy. Yet whatever it was about Lorcan, he took my breath away. He had my heart, soul, and body.

“So, darlin’.” West swallowed, dipping his head to look at me down the wall. “Should I say welcome to the family?” A smirk hinted on his lip.

He was the first one to know, and I couldn’t stop my head from dropping, looking at my hands in my lap. I wasn’t ashamed of Lorcan but still felt guilty about Jared, a fear of the others’ reactions to this.

“Hey.” He drew my attention back up, his gaze serious. “He would be happy for you two.” He didn’t have to say whom he was talking about. Jared was never far from any of us. “Believe me, you can’t pick who you fall in love with. It picks you. I understand that the most.” He had fallen for the Unseelie King’s lover, the ultimate no-no. Probably lucky he was even still alive. “Lorc and I have had our differences, but I love him. And you are the best thing for him. I’ve seen such a huge change in him since meeting you. He is good for you too. Truly happy for both of you.”

I bobbed my head, trying to keep the tears from my eyes. I could only wish Ryan, Ember, and the rest of my court would take it that well. But I knew it was not going to be so easy.

I was about to ask West why he was here when a door banged down the corridor on the other side of the cage.

“Ken... whatever happens, I’ve got you,” West whispered. “And I’m sorry. I had no choice.”

My forehead crinkled, the statement vaguely familiar. Like I had heard him say it before. What did he mean he had no choice?

A scuffle of shoes pounded the floor down the hallway, surrounding the sound of clipped heeled boots. My seer could pick up the power, the energy coming down the hall toward us. In my gut I knew I was finally about to meet the head of the Druid Liberal Republic.

West pushed himself up the wall, trying to get closer to me, his chest puffed up, ready to guard me. This whole mate thing came with built-in protection. They looked out for their own, and I was one of their family now.

A handful of DLR members, all of whom I recognized, walked to the cage grouped together. Fox, Poppy, Kenya, and Major stared at us like we were the scum of the galaxy, desiring nothing more than to see us hang. Ophelia and Wizard stared at me with pain and hurt, like I had killed their puppies on purpose. Their looks of betrayal were the worst. I noticed Cali stood all the way in the back, her expression pinched, but it didn’t feel directed at me.

“Sorry, guys, petting time at the zoo is closed for the day.” West smirked, malevolence lying underneath his sneer. Even with his legs, neck, and wrists cuffed, he still appeared menacing.

“Shut up, shifter.” Mayhem snarled and stepped closer to the bars, hate spewing out of his gaze. “We should have muzzled you.”

“Oh, then you’d miss all my witty charm.” West feigned looking hurt. “Everything that comes out of my mouth is a pure gem. I’m hilarious.”

“You like to think you are.” A woman’s voice spoke from the back of the group, her thick Irish accent fluttering the room with melody. She stepped forward, and the group parted on either side as her power pushed them back like flipped magnets. “Don’t you, Mr. Moseley?”

West’s entire body went rigid, invoking a panic I didn’t understand.

The woman stepped to the bars, the light from the wall reflecting off her beautiful face.

“Holy crap.” West crashed back against the wall, his eyes widening with disbelief. He kept trying to scramble back, staring at the woman like he’d seen a ghost.

“And here I thought you’d be happy to see me.” She tilted her head, her high ponytail brushing over her shoulder. Not only could I sense she was a Druid, but the power and confidence coming off her was like a smack to the face. Her authority saturated the room. No doubt she was the commander.

“Fionna,” he whispered her name, his head shaking. Then his eyes moved between us, a strange expression crimping his face, his mouth widening even farther.

They knew each other? How would West know the leader of the DLR? What is going on? Nerves coiled around my throat, constricting while fear pumped into my veins.

She was not what I expected. She couldn’t have been more than a few years older than me. She stood taller than me but had the same petite bone structure. Her long silky brown hair matched her brown eyes, and a sprinkle of freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. If it wasn’t for the tight black jeans, tight T-shirt, leather jacket, knee-length boots, knives hanging from her belt loops, and an unfailing self-confidence, you might want to call her cute. But her face and body language put her at intimidatingly beautiful despite her small size. Instinctually you knew not to mess with her.

“No...” West shook his head. “You-you’re supposed…”

“To be dead?” She filled in, her gaze locked on West.

West gulped, nodding his head.

“Sorry, to disappoint, dweller. But I’m not that easy to kill either. You’ll have to try harder next time.” She cocked her eyebrow, taunting him.

My head boomeranged back and forth between the two, lost in the act playing live for me.

“I didn’t want you dead.”

“Really? So when you pushed me off the Cliffs of Moher it was to show you cared? How sweet.”

“You went after mine. I only did what was in my nature. You were going to kill Rez.”

Oh my god. What was happening? I knew West had gone to Ireland on a mission for Lars with Rez, where the two fell in love, but I didn’t know anything else. It hadn’t been my place to ask. I had been too busy trying to get my feet underneath me.

I wiggled my chains, grunting through my gag, drawing the attention over to me.

Fionna curved her body, putting her weight on one hip. “Ah, yes…and how could I forget you?” She clicked her tongue. “The Druid Queen. Welcome, Majesty.”

Oh. Shit.

The entire assembly around her gasped, all eyes turning on me with disbelief, fear, and awe. Raven, the punk girl they had been fighting beside, the one covered in tattoos and piercings, was surely difficult to link to the Queen’s image.

Wizard’s gaze met mine, his former affection turning to hate in front of me.

“Didn’t you think I would figure out who you were?” Fionna stepped down the row, closer to me. “Lars has greatly underestimated me. I know how he works. I’ve been waiting for someone to infiltrate us from your side for a while now. I have to admit, I didn’t actually think it would be the Queen herself, as she’s ‘supposedly’ safe in her castle right now.” Fionna’s eyebrows rose mockingly. “But it makes sense. A Druid is the only one you could send in.”

“You kept this from us?” Franklin’s fists punched his leg.

“Yes. I apologize. I couldn’t let you guys in on it until I was sure.” Fionna nodded at me. “How special we must be for the Queen to attend to us herself. We must have done something right.”

I didn’t flinch but held my chin up, ready to take on whatever was coming. Like a true Queen, I would not hide or cower.

“You should have been our greatest front-runner in this fight. A true leader seeking revenge for what the fae have done to us, but instead you took their side. A traitor to our kind is even worse than a fae.”

I gurgled, my tongue shoving against the constraint, retaliation on my lips.

“I will untie you, but remember you are surrounded by Druids. Most are far quicker than you, Queen. And I promise you do not want to go up against me.” Fionna lifted her hands, a chant spilling from her mouth with ease. Her accent made the Latin sound more like an eerie song than a spell. The knot behind my head loosened, and the tie dropped to the ground.

I worked my jaw, stretching it after being stuck in the same position for so long. I strolled out as far as the chains would allow me, my attention on her. “A true leader knows extremists in any cause destroy this world. You are no better than Aneira.”

Fionna hissed, her head jerking back. “I am nothing like her. She took everything from my people. From me. I am simply going after those who harmed us. This is retribution.”

“But by going after the handful, you are killing dozens of innocents and enslaving fae against their will. Exactly what Aneira wanted to do with humans. So don’t tell me your cause is different. It only is because it happened to you. Druids are light; we help, heal, and protect. We do not hurt.”

“God, you are so naïve,” Fionna lashed back, her lids narrowing. “No one listens unless you force them. Do you think if I held weekend protests with cardboard signs anyone would care? No. You have to make them.”

I understood her reasoning, misguided as it was. People didn’t concern themselves unless it directly affected them. That didn’t make it right, but I understood her, which scared me.

“Lars has the perfect playfellow. He can mold you exactly how he wants. He is not on your side. You know that, right? He is on his own side. The things he’s been doing behind your back…like with this one.”

“Fionna.” West tugged against his manacles, his voice laced with warning.

Fionna glanced at him; a knowing smile curved up her mouth. A look transpired between them, spiking my curiosity.

“What?” I asked. “What are you talking about?”

West’s eyes blazed into Fionna’s, widening her smile.

“Still his puppet, huh?” She tapped at her lip. “You know I can help you with that. You no longer have to be his bitch.”

“And what? Become yours? No, thank you,” West scoffed. “I gave my word. I don’t hide from that. Not anymore.”

“So noble.”

“Fionna, come on. You know you can’t go against the Unseelie King. Stop before you get all your people killed.”

A bubbly laugh rose so lightly I almost laughed along with her. “You think we’re so easy to take down? He may have the object now, but my magic can still challenge his. He should be the one running scared.”

I snorted at the idea of Lars ever running scared.

“Last chance.” Fionna turned back to me. “Help us or your dark lover is the first to be sent back to the King in pieces.”

West’s growl sounded next to me as my own clogged my throat. The innate reaction to protect Lorcan, to fight for him, coursed through me like a rushing river, almost knocking me off my feet.

“Where is he?” I strained against the binds, anger filling me with darkness. Black magic simmered in my soul, ready to attack anything hurting Lorcan.

“He’s alive.” She shrugged. “Barely. Dark dwellers sure are resistant to extreme torture.”

Bottomless rage rose from deep within like a wave about to crash, my vision growing hazy around the edges. My body hummed with the thought of tapping that dark magic I’d tasted in my vision. The craving was getting worse. It was alive and wanted to come out so bad it exploded to the surface. The sensation rose up and slipped over into a different plane where everything went dull except my target. My words came from depths unknown to my conscious mind, directed at Fionna.

The hex slashed through the space, ripped the door of the cage off its hinges, and slammed them to the floor. Like one large claw, the spell didn’t isolate on one person, but sliced deep gouges into every person standing around me, sending them flying back.

Blood spilled onto the floor, pooling around my feet, his reflection staring at me from the liquid. West! My heart cried his name, feeling his pain. I didn’t know if I was connected to him as a seer or through Lorcan’s bond with me, but it tore at me to hurt one of my own. He was family now. I hurtled back to earth with a crunch.

“West!” I cried out, trying to reach him. He was on his side, his hand gripping at the deep gashes cut in his chest, bleeding out. “Oh god…I’m so sorry.”

He gritted his teeth, curving his head to peer up at me.

“I’ve had worse, darlin’.”

Dammit. I did it again. What was happening to me? Why did I have this darkness inside? This black magic I had no control over?

A rustling of bodies outside the cage stirred. Some started to get up. I stared out in horror at the bloody wounds I caused. I couldn’t regulate it, but that was no excuse. Harming people was not my strength and not the Queen or person I wanted to be. In the history of the world, violence against violence did not cure or help, it simply caused more hate and bloodshed.

Fionna looked down at the wounds I caused, shock widening her eyes, her shirt soaking with blood, a bone showing below the gash. She sucked in her pain, wrath flaming her face as she got to her feet. A low chant healed her instantly. She turned, walking toward me, magic boiling off her.

Terror dripped down my throat like bitter medicine, yet I swallowed, knowing I had just sealed my fate. Because I was Queen, I would be more difficult to kill, but I wasn’t immortal like fae. Aneira had been so bulletproof it took the Sword of Light, a rare treasure of Tuatha De Danann thought to be a myth, to kill her. I was far more vulnerable.

Fionna’s spell blasted into me before I could even think to protect myself. With the chains still holding me down, I only lifted a few inches before my head smacked against the stone with a sickening crack, and I crumbled to the ground.

“You’re a natural obscurer,” she seethed, a dash of fear in her tone. “How is it possible? You should not be. There are none left.” She bent over me, grabbed my chin, and forced me to look at her.

Interesting. Franklin had not told her what I was. Maybe the trust between the leaders wasn’t as strong as I thought.

Her brown eyes searched mine, looking for something, but I reinforced the walls I had kept locked in place since the moment I walked in here.

The more Fionna stared at me, the more she became unsettled, crazed. She huffed out another spell, gagging me from speaking, before unlocking my chains. Then she shoved me forward onto my hands and knees, my head still spinning and aching, blood dripping down my neck.

“I don’t know how this is possible… Shite…” She trailed off. “You shouldn’t exist anymore.” She grabbed the back of my head, her eyes dancing between mine, like I was some puzzle to figure out. “You’re far too dangerous to keep around. Especially if you are against us.”

“Fionna, stop!” West yelled, trying to get to me. “You don’t want to hurt her.”

“Why? Because she is the Queen? One who plans to keep business as usual, letting fae secretly hunt and kill us.”

“No.” West shook his head, his eyes snapping between us.

“I don’t want to kill anyone, but that’s not how it works. You should know better than anyone, dweller. Isn’t that what you did? How many of us did you slaughter for a price?” Fionna’s voice sounded desperate and scared now. “It’s not in a Druid’s nature to harm, but I have no choice but to play by your cruel fae rules. If you want to stand on the big boys’ playground, you have to compete at their level.” She tugged the knife from her belt, bringing it to my neck.

“NO! DON’T!” West roared, tugging so hard on the shackles cement crumbled around the embedded bolts. “Fionna, you don’t want to do it... She’s. Your. Sister!”

Time paused, the hand of the clock halting in place as his statement exploded at our feet. I felt like I had been backhanded, the shock of his declaration jerking me back on my knees, stinging my face, and evaporating the air in my lungs. Fionna went still, the knife dropping from her grip.

What? Sister? What was he talking about? My sister was dead.

“Wh-what?” Fionna stumbled away from me, her head snapping back and forth between West and me.

“You’re sisters.” West’s shoulders sagged in relief, seeing the immediate threat to me suspended.

“My sister is dead.” She repeated what I had just thought. “She was killed with my parents.”

“No, they got her out before Aneira found them. She was adopted by a human couple.”

I felt like throwing up. My head spun so hard I couldn’t lock down one thought except he had to be lying. There was no way... I peered up at Fionna and had to put my hand on the floor to keep myself steady.

Holy shit squared, multiplied, and divided.

The leader of the Druid Liberal Republic fell away, and all I saw was a woman. Hair, eyes, freckles, mouth, frame... all like mine. Taller, yes, and her nose was different, but everything else was similar.

“The moment I met you, Fionna, you seemed so familiar to me, but I didn’t make the connection. It wasn’t till my search for a link to Kennedy’s line led me here. A direct heir to Cathbad was leading the DLR. And then you walked up...” He rubbed at his head, the chains clacking. “Jesus, look at you two. There is no denying it.”

This was why, even with my black hair, so many had given me double takes when I first came to the DLR, saying I reminded them of someone. I assumed they saw through my disguise, spotting the Queen under the tattoos. But by the “aha” expressions circling around the room, they had seen Fionna.

“No. It’s impossible.” Fionna’s head shook, still trying to deny it, but when she gazed down on me, her hand went to her mouth, blinking tears in her eyes. “You survived?” She choked, turning away from me, taking in deep breaths.

Shakily, I rose to my feet, still feeling stunned, my head rolling and twisting to compute the revelation.

“My little sister has been alive this whole time,” Fionna muttered to herself. Grabbing the bars, she curved over, looking like she was about to throw up.

The idea of having a biological sister had been a faraway notion. It was only in the last few years I even knew I once had one. But I had no memories of her or my parents, no connection. It never registered on a deeper level. Now that sister was flesh and blood and stood before me. My sister. My blood. My family.

I had no idea how I felt about any of those titles. Especially when she was also my enemy.