I rolled from the left to the right, trying to find a position that didn’t hurt, but now, at seven and a half months, everything hurt. It hurt even when I didn’t move. It hurt when I breathed.

But in a couple of hours, everyone was leaving for the final battle, and I had to endure it. I had to because I wanted to go, too. I wanted to squeeze Morda’s neck with my own hands.

I sat up, determined to go, but a stab of pain cut down my back and I swallowed a cry.

“Lie back down.” Drake rested his hands on my shoulders and pushed me down on the mattress.

“I need to get up.” I rose on my elbows and looked at him. “I need to get ready.”

His jaw ticked. “We already talked about this, Thea. You can’t go.”

“I have to!” I snapped. “This is my fight too.”

“My love,” he said with an exhale. “I know it’s your fight too, but I promise you, I’ll fight for me, for you, and for our daughter.” He leaned over me and kissed my forehead. “In the last month, you’ve barely been able to get up. I don’t think you can do it now. Please, just stay down.”

“How can you ask me that when you’ll be marching to battle soon? Do you really think I can just lie here and relax?”

“Nobody said anything about relaxing, though you should.” He rested his hand on my big bump. At the same time that seven months seemed like an eternity, it had gone by too damn fast. Soon this child would be here—and I would die. “Think of her.”

“I am thinking of her, and I need to fight for her.”

It was pathetic how I had done nothing this past month. Ever since the meeting with Queen Rosilla and Queen Sarah, I had been practically bedridden. I had been a little skeptical when Queen Sarah had offered to take Ebby and interrogate her, but I gave in because I thought my past with Ebby would interfere with it. I wouldn’t want to hurt her, because she had been my friend—or at least pretended to be my friend. However, I had made Queen Sarah swear she wouldn’t torture Ebby. That was one of the reasons Drake and I were fighting now: to make a better world for all supernaturals. Torture wasn’t a part of that world.

Hopefully, Queen Sarah had reformed Ebby by now, and she was now a faithful member of the Blackmarsh coven.

“Thea, please, listen to reason,” Drake whispered. “I won’t be able to fight if you go. I’ll worry about you and we’ll all end up hurt.”

Like a spoiled child, I pouted. Because there was nothing else I could do. I couldn’t stomp away, I couldn’t hit him, and I couldn’t cast a simple spell to show him I had it in me. I didn’t.

In the end, I knew he was right.

I let out a long sigh. “I know, I know. I just feel so useless staying behind.”

One corner of Drake’s lips curled up. “You, useless?” He leaned over me and brushed his lips on mine. “You’re more important than air, Thea. You’ll never be useless.” I wound my arms around his neck, pulling him to me, but the moment his lips closed around mine, his body stiffened. He pulled back and glanced to the window. The sun was finally setting, which meant it was almost time. “The witches are here.”

As if I weighed nothing, Drake lifted me up and took me to the living room downstairs. He sat me in one of the armchairs and placed a throw blanket over my legs. I smiled at him, always touched by how caring he was.

Luana and Keeran were in the kitchen, eating dinner. I turned my nose up at the sour smell coming from their food. Lately, I had to shove food down my throat because even things I had loved before, now tasted sour and bitter.

Luana turned her head to the door. “The witches are here,” she said.

I smiled. It must be nice to be able to hear things far away.

Not five minutes later, Drake opened the door to Queen Rosilla, Queen Sarah, their council, and Ebby. They marched in wearing battle clothes—leather gowns and pants, and with their hair tied out of the way. A chill ran down my spine. How I wished I was well enough to join them.

Dressed in similar fashion, Ebby looked around, as if analyzing our house. What? Was she plotting how she would escape our clutches?

Beside me, Drake put a hand on the back of my chair. “Is everything set?”

“Yes,” Queen Rosilla said.

“And you?” Queen Sarah asked. “Ready?”

“Yes,” Drake said. “I’ll be leaving in a minute and will meet you at the castle.” Drake had told me he had several parts to put into action for their attack plan. I didn’t like it, but that wouldn’t change anything. He leaned over me and pressed his lips on mine. “Please, take care of yourself. I’ll be back soon.” He kissed me again. “I love you.”

I held on to his hand. “Please, be careful.”

One corner of his lips tugged up. “Always.”

Right.

I blinked and then he was gone. My heart stopped for a moment, then sped up in agony. He was gone. He was going to fight in what we hoped was the last battle in this war. Anything could happen. What if he got hurt? What if he didn’t come back?

“Deep breaths,” Luana said from the kitchen. She probably had picked up my rapid heartbeat and breathing.

I inhaled deeply, then faced Queen Sarah. “Found anything useful?”

Queen Sarah glanced at Ebby before returning her gaze to me. “Not much. Apparently Morda didn’t tell her much.”

“Or she’s hiding it.”

“With the methods I used, only if she’s an extremely powerful witch,” Queen Sarah said.

I cringed thinking of the methods she could have used, but at least Ebby was here, still standing and looking healthy. Whatever it was, it didn’t leave a permanent mark. Moreover, Ebby wasn’t a powerful witch, so she couldn’t have resisted.

Queen Rosilla narrowed her eyes at me. “Are you staying here alone?”

“No, I’m staying with her,” Keeran said from the kitchen. Last night, Luana had told me she was torn. She wanted to stay with me, but she also wanted to go and have her revenge on Ulric. I told her to go. I had also told Keeran to go, but he wasn’t having it.

The queens turned their noses to him. I knew what they were thinking. A warlock right beside them. They were eager to kill him. I would like to see them try.

Thankfully, it wouldn’t come to that.

“I already told you, I would rather you go and make sure Drake and Luana are fine,” I told him. He shook his head. “Keeran, don’t make me use my magic to force you to go.”

He snickered. What? He didn’t think I could do it? Truth was, unless my daughter lent me her magic, I probably couldn’t.

“I can leave a couple of my witches here to guard you,” Queen Sarah offered.

“I-I’ll stay,” Ebby muttered. She raised her timid eyes to me. “I would like to stay and watch over Thea.”

Did she really think I would let her be alone with me?

“By all that’s sacred.” Queen Sarah tsked. “As if I would trust you with this. You’re coming with me so I can keep an eye on you!”

I liked that plan. I sighed, already too exhausted from talking—and worrying. The battle hadn’t even begun, and I was already dying of worry.

“I’m fine,” I said, my tone firm. “I’ll be fine by myself. Nobody knows where this house is, and we need everyone able to fight at the battle. Please, don’t worry about me.”

Keeran frowned, but didn’t say anything else.

Thankfully, the queens didn’t push the matter. And soon, they were all marching out of the house.

Keeran and Luana stayed inside as everyone left.

“Are you sure you want me to go?” Keeran asked, his voice tight.

“Yes,” I insisted. “Go and make sure this hot-blooded wolf—” I jerked my chin. “—doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Keeran snorted. “Because that’s easy.”

Luana gaped at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I chuckled. “All right, you two. Out. You need to go.” I picked up a book from the end table and pretended to be entertained by the words on the page so I wouldn’t cry.

Keeran and Luana left.

I glanced at the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Except for the books cluttering the place, they were all empty now.

All of a sudden, I felt alone.

And worried. Very worried.

This time when I returned my eyes to the book, I really focused on the words. I had to find some distraction so I wouldn’t go crazy. At least, this was a good book—a contemporary romance about a girl who inherited a ranch from her grandmother and her talent as a horse whisperer.

Hours passed. With difficulty, I got up, made a small snack, drank some of Bagatha’s tonic, then went to the couch, where I lay down and ended up napping.

A loud boom woke me up.

Heart racing, I sat up with a jerk—pain ricocheted through my back and lower abdomen. I stared at the broken glass shards of the porch door and the billowing curtain.

The knob turned.

My breath caught.

The broken door slid open.

Morda stepped in.