Corbin’s lifeless head lolled back against the stake, and my heart crumbled to dust.

He can’t be dead. He can’t be.

But my rational mind fought against my protests. Corbin wasn’t moving or crying out. The bone knife was buried in his side right up to the hilt. It would’ve struck organs. He’d been bleeding internally for Athena knows how long. I hadn’t seen him since he’d locked Rowan and I away in the priest hole.

Blood pounded in my ears. The world around me faded – the angry villagers, the triumphant grin on Daigh’s face, the horrifying stakes rigged up to accept their sacrifices all blurred into white noise as Corbin’s glassy eyes shattered the universe around me.

The remains of my heart sank through my chest cavity, settling over my organs like crystalline tears. My body lost form and function, toppling forward through the void of the world. My head slammed into the ground and bounced, wrenching my neck so hard stars danced in front of my eyes. I didn’t feel any of it.

Corbin’s dead. Dead, dead, dead.

Pain tore at my body as the familiar, numb horror of grief settled in. Corbin’s dead and it’s all my fault.

I made the decision to drop the barrier and allow the humans into Briarwood. I trusted Daigh and Aline against all the evidence that warned me otherwise. I kept secret what Aline and I had done and allowed Corbin to walk into that battle unprepared. I’d hidden away in that priest hole like a coward while he sacrificed his life for us. I should have known as soon as he shoved Rowan and I in there that all was lost. Corbin would never allow us to lose Briarwood without a fight, even if it meant…

… if it meant… I choked on the dust of my shattered heart.

I gulped in a breath, trying to force myself back to the present. But the grief bit into me and I couldn’t think. Numb, I watched Daigh pace in front of his troops, his lips curled in a smirk, his eyes cold and focused. He yelled something that made the villagers cheer, but the words were without meaning.

Maeve, can you hear me?

Blake’s voice roared inside my head, snapping me back from my grief. Cold dirt bit my cheek. Fresh grass tickled the back of my neck.

Maeve, I know you’re hurting, but you’ve got to focus. We need to get everyone else away from here before they end up joining Corbin. I don’t think even the villagers are safe. I have a way, but I need your help.

At the mention of Corbin’s name, another wave of pain rocked my body. I reeled, pulling my mind back to the present, to Blake, to Arthur and Flynn and Rowan and Kelly – the people I loved who were still alive but in terrible danger. I was still the High Priestess. I was still responsible for them.

Two of the fae stepped forward, looping their bows over their backs as they grabbed Corbin’s legs and arms and dragged his body toward the roaring bonfire. Behind me, I was faintly aware of the villagers yelling. They’re going to get their burning witch tonight.

But they won’t get us all. The Briarwood coven will survive. I’ll make sure of it, even if means I die on that fire myself.

I tested my magic, calling up the pillar of power that flared inside me. It sizzled as it slid under my skin, but when I tried to push the energy out of my palms and fingers, it resisted, bouncing back at me and shooting hot energy back into my veins. I was definitely blocked.

I lifted my head and sent a thought back to Blake. Okay. I’m here. My magic is blocked but I’m ready to push as soon as it’s free. What’s the plan?

There’s going to be a distraction. I’m hoping it will break the spell that prevents us from using our powers. When it happens, I need you to do whatever it takes to get to me. We’re going to have to break that annoying moral code of yours and force all the fae back into the underworld, and then rewrite the memories of the villagers so we’re the good witches saving them from the evil magical fae.

It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. Compulsion.

As witches, Blake and I should never be able to perform compulsion – it was fae magic through and through. Just as well, because like Blake said, the idea of messing in other people’s minds was a bit ethically wobbly to me. But Blake’s childhood under Daigh’s ruthless tutelage had given him the ability to transcend his spirit powers, and he could perform basic compulsion that – when teamed up with my heightened powers of projection and dreamwalking – meant we’d once been able to tell a whole bunch of fae to fuck right off, and off they’d fucked.

Apparently we were going to do it again.

I can do that, I thought to Blake. We are the good witches.

I could practically hear Blake’s smirk. If you say so, Princess.

Let me take Daigh, though. I’ll feed him nightmares until his head explodes.

Much as the thought of watching you kill Daigh excites me, Princess, you can’t. Not tonight.

Why not? You saw what he did—

I saw. Even inside my head I could hear the darkness in Blake’s words. But this won’t be over just because Daigh dies, and right now his connection to you might be the only leverage we have.

He was right. I hated that he was right. If Daigh died, the Slaugh would still come. And even if we defeated them, the fae would come again, and again. We needed a permanent solution.

What kind of distraction can you do without your magic?

You’ll know it when you see it. Just stay alive for another couple of minutes.

I’ll do my best, I promised.

Blake’s voice went dark as the fae tossed Corbin’s body into the fire. The flames leapt over his body, capturing his limbs and tangling through his dark hair. High, keening wails pierced the night, stabbing into the cavity that had once held my heart. I recognized the voice, even though the sound was like nothing I’d ever heard before.

Rowan.

This was breaking him. It had broken me. His pain pierced the night as the flames charred and peeled Corbin’s skin.

I couldn’t cry, couldn’t feel. Daigh had taken everything away from me.

Daigh strutted down the line in front of his fae warriors, his emerald eyes glittering under the moonlight. My eyes. I hated him with the fire of a thousand suns.

“Why have you done this?” I yelled at him, my voice ringing clear and hard over the crackling flames. “We would have aligned with you and given you back your wild places. We would have helped you oppose Liah. Wasn’t that what you wanted?”

Daigh’s eyes flickered to mine. “What I wanted was you, daughter. Your magic will bring the world to its knees. These pointless witches stifle you. They rein in your destructive power and force you to bed them in order to channel but a fraction of your true skill. You and I will rule over this world together, with every fae and witch and human slave in our thrall.”

“Nothing you do will make me rule alongside you now.”

“I don’t believe that’s true. When you brought Aline back for me, for us, I knew that in your heart you wanted us to be together. You gave me no choice. I could see you wouldn’t join me while these humans were still alive. Now you’ll see your real family.”

“If you think this is the way a family behaves, then you know even less than I thought.”

“True enough. But I need them all gone. I need to show my fae I will be ruthless in the face of my enemies, and any witch who refuses to swear fealty to me is useless. It does well for me to have the humans weasel out the rest of your kind. Once word spreads across the world about what went on at Briarwood tonight, none of the covens will be safe.”

Cold horror settled on my chest. I couldn’t let Daigh get into people’s heads. I knew how convincing he could be, even without compulsion. He’d light the world up with witch burnings once again.

You’re brilliant, Princess, Blake’s voice boomed in my head. Keep him talking.

I glared at Daigh. “If this is about witches, then let Kelly go. She’s not even one of us.”

“No, but you love her. I’m hardly going to share you now, am I?” Daigh snapped his fingers and two other fae stepped out of formation to approach Kelly. They grabbed her arms and dragged her to her feet.

“Kelly!” I screamed, my vision swimming.

Her eyes flew open. “Maeve, help me!” she cried.

I bucked and thrashed, trying to break through my bonds. My magic pulsed and twisted inside me, desperate to be free. It slammed against the wall again and again. I can’t. I can’t I can’t I can’t.

You can, Princess. Blake’s fierce voice pierced my mind. I won’t let anyone else die tonight. But you have to keep it together just a bit longer. Distraction inbound.

“Time to hoist up the annoying one.” Daigh snapped his fingers again. Two soldiers by the fire poked Corbin’s body with two long poles, rolling his corpse out of the flames. They heaved him up and shoved him onto the stake.

A sickening CRACK pierced the night as the stake broke through Corbin’s chest. His blackened corpse slid down the wood. His head lolled back and the whites of his eyes caught the flames. I knew that for the rest of my life I’d never be able to close my eyes without that vision burning my eyelids.

Someone was screaming. It took me a moment to realize it was me.

“Maeve!” Kelly yelled. I tore my eyes from Corbin. Kelly thrashed against her kidnappers, kicking her legs the way she used to do when we were kids and I had a toy she wanted to play with.

“Kelly, hold on!” My hand wriggled a little in my bonds. I tugged at the knot, my magic humming in my veins. Someone kicked my hands, but I ignored them. No physical pain could penetrate my shattered heart.

They’re almost here, Princess, Blake’s voice echoed in my head.

“I’m so sorry!” Kelly sobbed. “I said such horrible things, and I didn’t mean any of it. I don’t care about the witchcraft or the guys or any of it, just please, please… Maeve? MAEVE!” Her words dissolved into screams as the fae dragged her towards the fire. They lifted her into the air and my body dissolved into dust and they swung Kelly back and she screamed and screamed and screamed and I screamed and there was nothing I could do—

“Hello, everyone!” A bright voice sang over the meadow.

Kelly’s captors dropped her on the ground and grabbed for their bows.

One distraction, signed, sealed, delivered, Blake sung inside my head.

Daigh’s head whipped around. I forced my neck muscles to engage and shift so I could see, too. Aline stood uphill from the stakes, her wavy hair whipping around her face. Blood streaked the white fabric of her dress, and she carried one of the swords from the Great Hall in her hand. Beside her stood a small crowd of people. I recognized Clara, her black shawls wrapped around her tiny shoulders. A large red fox wound its way around Clara’s ankles, its thick tail held high and alert. On the other side of the fox was Obelix, who sat his plump ass on the grass and washed his face as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

But… Aline betrayed us. She conspired with Daigh to break the protective charms around the castle. So why is she here now with Clara and… and…

My chest swelled as I recognized other faces. Beside Clara was Gwen and Candice from the Avebury coven, dressed in their white druidic garments. Behind them stood Isadora, her six-inch spiked pumps sinking into the soft earth. There was Jane, lifting a cricket bat in her hands with a menacing glint in her eyes. Next to her was Corbin’s dad Andrew, and a woman with dark hair and kind eyes I assumed was his mother. There were a couple of other people I didn’t recognize and… and…

A hunched figure gripped Aline’s arm as though it were the only thing holding him upright. He raised his head, and the moon caught his handsome features.

It was Robert Smithers.

What is going on? If Aline is working with Daigh, then why is she here with all of these people? Are they all working against us?

The villagers howled and cursed as they recognized Aline. “I told you she was a ghost!” cried one.

“No, not a ghost. Look, she’s holding that man upright. A ghost couldn’t do that.”

“She’s a zombie innit! Quick, someone cut off her head!”

“Look at her, she hasn’t aged a day. What beauty serum is she using?”

“Arrest her!” someone yelled to Officer Judge.

“No. Get her skincare secrets first!”

“I can’t arrest her for being alive,” Officer Judge shot back from somewhere behind me.

”Vicar, do something!”

But the vicar had fallen to his knees in front of me, his voice high with fear as he prayed for salvation at the top of his lungs. Aline’s presence was too much for him. He was out of this fight.

“What are you doing, my love?” Aline called down to Daigh. Her tone was casual, as if it didn’t much bother her what his answer was. A fresh wave of hatred rolled through me, but I couldn’t hold on to it. I was too surprised to see her there and with all those people. How had she collected them all? The last time I saw her was only an hour or so ago on the roof, when we were betraying the coven…

Maeve, Blake called inside my head. His magic thrummed against the edges of my mind. They’re weakening. I need you to get to me.

“The only thing I can do to save both our races from an irradiated death,” Daigh said. His face remained. He didn’t look as if he was weakening to me. “I’m securing possession of the witches.”

I tested my power again. It went a little further before it was pushed back. The guy holding me down yelped as a tiny piece of my magic seared him, but it wasn’t enough to get him off me. Keep trying, Blake urged me.

“You know that’s not true,” Aline patted Smithers’ arm. “I told Rob about that dream, for I had it night after night after night starting from the time you entered his head. He painted the dream from my descriptions. You didn’t get this vision from Blake. You’d already seen it through Rob’s eyes, through his brush. Because it is your vision. It is your future, Daigh, not ours. You’ve changed it – corrupted it with your broken magic – and given it to our daughter.”

What?

“My future… Liah’s future… Maeve’s future… It’s no matter,” Daigh waved a hand. “They are all the same. Tonight I have put a stop to it. The world cannot die if the witches are already gone. You are here and Maeve is here. I see you have already gathered a coven to join us. As soon as the rest of these witches are dealt with, we can get on with our business.”

“I’m not here to join you, Daigh. There are a million other ways to stop this vision coming true than killing our daughter’s coven. We’re here to stop you.”

What?

Daigh’s smirk froze on his face. He honestly hadn’t expected Aline to stand against him.

My mind reeled. I hadn’t expected it, either. Was Aline telling the truth? Why had she run off to collect everyone on her own? Had she known Daigh was lying all along? Why didn’t she tell me?

Maeve, Blake roared inside my head. Stop worrying about Mother Dearest and her lover boys. Break your magic free.

I pushed again, forcing my mind to focus on the magic pulsing against my skin. But once more, it slammed into the invisible wall.

It’s not breaking! I cried at Blake.

It will, my love. But you must be ready. A voice that wasn’t Blake’s cut through my head, light and lyrical. Aline. How did she get inside my head?

“You can’t stop me,” Daigh said, his voice dark. “The humans have spoken – the world does not want these witches. The Slaugh will come in three days to scour the earth of anyone who opposes me. They are unstoppable. Under my rule, the fae will have our territories once again. We will tear down the iron fortresses and rebuild our world in earth and leaf and stone.”

Aline tipped her head to the side. “One thing we both know about humans is that they can change their minds on a whim. And as for these fae who still follow you, what will they do when they learn your secret?“

“I have no secrets from my fae,” Daigh said, his chin high.

“I suspected you of planning something the day we spoke through the mirror in the forest. But I knew our daughter wasn’t yet able to trust me, so I had to keep my fears secret from her. When you came back to speak to Maeve, I knew you were lying. I have studied the wards of the castle when I discovered what you’d done to Rob. I know you cannot cross them, not even to speak through a mirror. The only way you could have achieved that was if you are no longer fae.”

What?!

Blake’s voice screeched in my head. Bloody hell!

A gasp rocked through the fae legions. The two soldiers dropped Kelly and glared at Daigh.

I zeroed in on Daigh’s face. His casual grin did not falter, but the firelight caught his eyes. He blinked. That blink – the only sign from Daigh’s chiseled features that anything fazed him – told me everything I needed to know.

Holy shit.

It was true. I didn’t know how or why, but Daigh was no longer a fae.