Night was at its peak—the sun completely gone, the moon having taken its place. A dark cluster of clouds moved in front of the moon. We would have to rely on the stars to illuminate our way and hope we didn’t get too close to the mist. I remembered how it had felt over a hundred years ago—the way my eyes had burned and watered, a hazard I wanted to avoid at all costs.

The chill in the air was more pronounced than what I’d become accustomed to in the Misty Marsh. Dash wrapped his arms around me, sharing his warmth, before we headed out. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

We passed over Celeste’s property line, Dash’s eyes darting east and west. He hustled us through the marsh, weaving around a bundle of trees.

With each step, I became uneasy. “I have a bad feeling,” I whispered, grabbing his forearm with my free hand. My stomach was tied in knots.

Dash sported a major scowl on his face. “Did you get a vision?”

“No, but I wish I had.” I was starting to hate not knowing what was coming.

As we walked, I could smell the floral scent of Celeste’s soap on my skin and the musky aroma of the marsh. I didn’t bother to ask where we were going, because it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that the Institute didn’t find us. I wanted to tell Dash about what I saw last night, but that would mean I would have to confess that I had snuck out… alone. Nibbling on my lower lip, I wrestled with the decision of whether to tell him or not.

My mind couldn’t shake the feeling that it was important, and at the same time, I had a hard time coming up with a rational explanation for what I thought I’d seen. It couldn’t possibly be what I thought. There was no life beyond the mist, wasn’t that what I’d been told? What we’d all been told?

By the Institute, my brain reminded me.

Dash grounded to a halt, throwing out an arm in front of me, blocking my ability to go any farther. “They’re waiting for us,” he whispered, a menacing expression darkening his features.

He didn’t need to tell me who. The Night’s Guard had finally caught up to us. Through the bushes and the trees, I could see multiple sets of eyes glowing in the distance. Panic clawed inside me. “What are we going to do? We can’t outrun that many or fight them.”

“Well, that is inconvenient,” he said dryly, his hands clenching.

“Inconvenient?” I echoed. “Uh, that is one way of putting it.”

“No matter what happens, Freckles, stay close to me,” he said quietly.

As if I would leave his side. The guards would have to pry me away if they caught us, but by the looks of it, I didn’t see Dash and I getting away.

“There’s no need to panic yet,” Dash said, his thumb running along my wrist, feeling my pulse quicken. Indecision played over his features, and I wasn’t convinced.

I squeezed his hand. “Do or die.”

Dash’s lips cracked into an eerie grin. “We’re not dying today, Freckles.”

Knowing that the Institute didn’t want us dead helped. No matter what happened, at least we would be alive, but I wasn’t sure if the thought should comfort me or not.

Dressed in dark blue, a group of guards closed in around us, including the commander and my sister. Go figure. Of course Ember would be part of the team to hunt me down. No doubt she was the first to volunteer.

“You’re surrounded,” Jaxson yelled. “There’s no reason for anyone to get hurt. You can’t fight us all.”

I froze, unable to drag in a breath. People were going to die. I could see it in Dash’s face. He wasn’t going to just surrender. Why? Because the Institute wanted our DNA. “This is insane.”

Dash’s jaw set with grim determination. “You’re going to have to kill me to get to her.”

My heart jackhammered in my chest as I glanced at Jaxson, the commander of the Night’s Guard. “We have orders to bring you both back to Diamond Towers. Don’t make this difficult, Darhk. We all know what you’re capable of, but do you really want to risk her getting hurt in the process of fighting us?”

I made a face. “What makes you think you can hurt me?”

“Because you’re human. Your gifts don’t make you immortal.”

“Good answer,” I muttered.

A black bird flew down from the sky, giving one long squawk before landing. Ryker. The Night’s Guard materialized and our gazes locked. I pleaded with my eyes for him to stand alongside Dash and me. “Don’t fight them,” he said to me. “I’d rather not see you hurt.”

“You’d rather see me imprisoned?” I tossed the question at someone I had thought my friend. I had trusted Ryker.

“As if father would put his precious Charlotte in the dungeons,” said Ember. She stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder with Ryker.

“No.” I shook my head. “You don’t understand what they’re doing. I’ve seen it.”

“What have you seen?” Jaxson demanded.

“It doesn’t matter,” Dash seethed, putting himself in the middle. “I won’t let you touch her.” His bow was out and drawn before I had a chance to blink.

“You don’t want to do this, Slayer.”

“You’re right. I don’t. But you leave me little choice,” Dash said with regret.

“Think about what you’re doing,” Ryker argued. “This is madness.”

Ryker’s betrayal was a vicious pill to swallow and tasted like barbed wire in my throat. “You lied to me.” I spat at Ryker’s feet.

“I swear I didn’t, Charlotte. Whether you choose to believe me or not, it is the truth.”

Ember stepped forward. “Who would have ever thought our own Ryker could turn into a bird? You can imagine my surprise when I saw him shift and take off toward this little cottage in Misty Marsh.”

“You followed him,” I hurled at Ember before turning to Ryker. “That was why you never came back?”

He nodded, his expression neutral. “I kept my promise, but Ember gave me an ultimatum I couldn’t refuse.”

“Let me guess,” Dash spoke up, venom dripping from his tone, “Ember threatened Charlotte. It’s what she is good at.”

“Among other things,” Ember sneered. “Isn’t that right, Dash?” The implication in her voice wasn’t lost on me. She was trying to cause a division between those I considered allies. It wasn’t going to work.

Anger burned inside me. “Do you actually have something worth saying? Because if not, let’s just kick the shit out of each other and see who is still standing.”

Ember cracked her neck. “Works for me.”

My stomach dipped as my gaze bounced between my sister and Dash. I didn’t know what I expected to happen, but things kicked off so fast, there wasn’t time to think about what we were about to do. Dash fired his bow, the arrow splitting off in the air, sprouting into four points that zoomed in multiple directions and sliced open four guards.

And just like that, it all became about survival.

Flames engulfed Ember’s hands. Someone shot a red flare of light, aimed straight for us, and several guards advanced toward us. Chaos erupted, the kind I’d never witnessed before.

I didn’t hesitate, tossing up an impenetrable bubble around Dash and me. Bolts of flames tingled from her fingertips, hitting the invisible shield and fizzling out. Flares pinged off the unseen armor of defense, and the guards rushing us hit a clear solid wall.

I angled my head to the side, keeping the hold on the force field around us. “You’re becoming predictable, sister.”

Ember’s eyes, along with everyone else’s, stared in wonder at the air surrounding us. “And you are just full of surprises.”

Sparks of anger burned through me. This isn’t my sister, I had to constantly remind myself. Each time was like a punch in the gut.

Everything stopped. The attacks from the guards ceased as they scratched their heads trying to come up with a solution to crack my safeguard. Ryker scowled from the other side.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure how long I could hold it intact before I became weary. The last thing I needed was to pass out during a standoff with the Institute. I might as well have just gone with them peacefully at that point.

“We need a plan,” I murmured to Dash.

“Do we ever, Freckles. I’m all ears. What do you suggest?”

“Me?” I squeaked.

“Well, you’re the one who threw up the shield. I only got to hit four guards with my arrows.” He sounded disappointed.

“We’ve got all night!” the commander yelled.

“I’d love to strike him with a bolt of lightning,” I mumbled between my teeth.

Dash shouldered his bow. “You might get your chance.”

At no point when I had woken up today had I imagined things going down like this.

“I’m getting bored, Slayer,” Ember hollered. “It’s not like you to hide from a fight.”

The pulse in Dash’s neck popped. Ember was goading him, and it was working. “Don’t listen to her,” I told him.

“She has a point. What is our game plan here? I know you’re only trying to protect us, but we can’t just sit here and pray they get tired and leave. The truth is, you’ll probably wear out before they do.”

Dash wasn’t being malicious but practical, and he was right. I could already feel myself weakening. “You want to fight?”

He angled his head to the side, contemplating our odds. “Yeah, Freckles. I say we go out there and kick some serious Night’s Guard ass.”

“Just say the word.”

“And if we get caught,” he rested his forehead against mine, “just remember that I love you.”

“I won’t let them separate us.”

“We might not have a choice.”

“We’re not getting caught,” I said with conviction.

“How about a good luck kiss, Freckles?” He winked. “Just in case something goes awry.”

My eyes frantically searched his. “Nothing is going south. We can escape... I think.”

“Now would be a really great time to have one of those visions, preferably on how we get out of this mess.”

“I’ve tried, believe me. Nothing works.”

“You’re wearing yourself thin. You need to release the shield, save your energy for what is to come.” He moved closer, his eyes dropping to my lips. “How about that kiss?”

I leaned forward, framing his face with my hands. “Don’t leave me,” I whispered right before my lips touched his in a desperate kiss.

“Never,” he vowed as we broke away and prepared to face the Institute.

Uncertainty and a good dose of fear burned through me as I let the protective barrier disappear. I kept my eyes locked on Dash, for I knew they were a dead giveaway. They might be shining blue now, but once the power left, the rainbow would return.

“Stay behind me,” Dash said.

Things went from bad to crap-tastic the second I dropped the shield.

“I don’t like this,” I grumbled.

“Neither do I, but what choice do we have?”

A guard barreled through the woods, moving so fast I couldn’t follow his movements. One second he stood at the edge of the trees and the next he was in Dash’s face… or I should say that an arrow was in the guard’s face.

I don’t know how, but Dash had his bow drawn, ready to strike. “I would think twice about what you plan to do, or this arrow will be sticking out of the back of your head, friend.”

Ember flicked out her wrists, letting flames encompass her hands. “You can’t be thinking of fighting us all.”

“There is only one way to find out.” Electricity burst from me in tumultuous waves, striking two guards and tossing them into the air. I went the extra mile and unleashed my inner tigress. Arrows hissed past me on my right, a second before Dash grabbed my hand.

“We need to move,” Dash said, scooting to the tree line and releasing arrows as we went.

A guard jumped in front of Dash, blocking our path. Not a smart move. Dash raised his arm, smacking him in the face with his elbow. Blood gushed from the guard’s nose.

Another line of defense bordered the forest, and once again, Dash and I found ourselves up shit creek.

“I tried to warn you,” Ryker grumbled.

“Right now, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,” I shot back.

“I’m going with Freckles here. Unless you’re going to help us, shut your piehole,” Dash roared.

A movement stirred down the left side of the tree line, and my father strolled into the clearing, holding up one hand. “Stand down!” he ordered before the guards could tase us.

Son of a …