When we arrived back in the forest at the Protectorate, dread filled me. The trees were now covered with a blackened film, and the ground was entirely dark. The fairy lights that normally sparkled between the trees were faded and dim.

“Oh, no.”

Cade grabbed my hand. “Come on.”

I followed him, hurrying out of the forest. Halfway out, I realized I was still holding his hand. He seemed to notice at the same time, too. He loosened his grip. I pulled away and blushed.

Getting caught up in the stress of the moment was one thing—holding hands all the way out of the forest? Nope—not professional.

Especially since it heated my insides. Which just made guilt flare. This was not the time.

The sun was setting behind the mountains when we exited the forest, sending a golden glow over the massive castle and the mountains surrounding the exterior walls. The stone battlements nearest the forest were blackened with the curse, and even the castle itself was starting to turn a light gray.

“We’re running out of time,” I said.

“Aye, but we’ll stop it.”

I clung to his certainty as we ran across the lawn. I didn’t want to lose my new home. Especially to a threat that might have something to do with me.

Breeeee, the monster had said. My name. Not Cade’s or Hedy’s or Jude’s.

I swallowed hard, straightening my spine, and followed Cade through the massive wooden doors that swung open.

There was a somber air to the great hall. By all accounts, evening was party hour. The castle transformed from a work environment to a living environment—but not today.

People were hurrying up and down the stairs and across the hall, faces set and arms filled with books or weapons or magical amulets. Everyone was hard at work—probably trying to find a way to save the castle.

“You’re back!” The excited voice made me look toward the stairs.

Caro was halfway down, her platinum hair gleaming in the light. Relief glinted in her eyes. “I’ll alert the others.”

“My sister, too,” I said.

“We’ll meet in the round room,” Cade said.

Her face paled just slightly, and she nodded, then turned and ran back up the stairs.

“The round room?” I asked.

“The war room, I should have called it,” he said. “It’s where we meet when things are dire. Our presence there may help call Arach to us.”

If anyone could fix this, it was the dragon spirit. But she so rarely showed up at the castle—I’d only met her the one time. She might not even show for this, though I certainly thought it was worth her time.

We hurried down the wide hall that was lined on either side with massive old paintings. Cade turned left, into a room that was circular. The stone walls were hung with tapestries, and the table within was massive and round—just like where the knights of old might have sat. It was the oldest room in the castle I’d ever seen, the walls made of ancient stone and the floor a beaten wood.

“I hope you’ve got an answer for us.” Jude’s voice made me turn.

She entered the room, her face creased and tired, and her braids pulled back.

“We have some answers,” I said.

“Good.” She took a seat at the far end of the table.

Hedy hurried in, her silver and lavender hair matching her flowing dress. She, too, looked tired, and gave us only a weary, hopeful smile. The other three department heads walked in. Potts—looking grumpy as ever—and the slender, pale woman who ran the Department of Interspecies Mediation. Kate Warrington, as I recalled.

“Is it demons?” Ammons, the third department head demanded. He was a big man, built like a football player, and he ran the Demon Trackers Unit.

“Maybe,” I said, recalling the strange creature.

“Maybe?” he groused as he sat. “We’d hoped you’d have more than that.”

I was saved from having to reply by Ana’s entrance. “Thank fates you’re okay.”

She ran to me and threw her arms around me. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Cade go to sit next to Ammons, expertly drawing and then deflecting his attention.

I hugged Ana. “I’m fine.”

Caro, Haris, and Ali brought up the rear. Jude nodded at them, then pointed to the chairs next to her. They worked for her department, the Paranormal Investigative Team. It was the one I hoped to join if I succeeded in my training, but it certainly wasn’t a given. It was the most elite unit, by far. Cream of the crop.

The fact their acronym was the PITs belied the fact that they were immensely clever and talented.

Which was why they were here. And I was grateful for it. Given what we’d seen, we could use all the help we could get.

I sat next to Cade with Ana at my side. Nearly all the chairs were full, but the room was dead silent.

Everyone turned to look at us.

Jude spoke. “It’s been getting worse. The wall near the forest is nearly crumbled, and the castle is at risk. Tell us you have good news.”

Cade gestured to me. I blinked, briefly taken aback.

I was just a trainee.

But what had Jude said? This was a test. It was me, learning to think on the ground. Solve real-world problems and mysteries. Just like the PITs would do.

And that monster had called my name.

I sucked in a deep breath and described what we’d seen, starting with the abandoned Fae land, Rocky, the VDBs, and finally, the portal.

“Another portal?” Jude’s face was stark. “That’s not good.”

“Someone is using the Fae realm to get to us,” Ammons said. “Our external walls are too strong—especially since the reinforcements two weeks ago. So they’re coming in through the abandoned Fae land. They can’t get through the portal, but their curse can.”

It was what I’d been afraid of. That Ana and I were somehow to blame. The timing was too much. Believing in coincidences was lazy and dangerous.

“That assumes they are targeting us,” Hedy said. “We could just be collateral damage.”

“Too risky to assume that,” Jude said. “They called Bree’s name. We need to attack this head-on. Assume they’re coming for us and bring the fight to them. We can’t let them breach the walls.”

“I agree with Jude,” Cade said. “We can fight a battle on our own turf, but the risk is too great. The armory is too valuable, and so is Hedy’s magical stockpile. We can’t let those things fall into the hands of outsiders.”

“Don’t forget the library,” Potts said. “Millions of priceless spell books and history tomes.”

Hope flared in my chest. Maybe they were just after all the goodies in the castle? This place was full of treasures.

Again—coincidence. Too convenient. Too good. And that monster had called my name. My name. This was connected to me.

“The good news is that the Fae boy Emrys said the portal is only a couple weeks old, correct?” Hedy asked.

“Yes.” I nodded.

“That means I can close it. It’s far easier to destroy younger portals than older portals.”

“What we need is a two-prong attack,” Cade said. “Someone to find out who is doing this, and someone else to close the portal.”

“I want to go after them.” I had to get into that building. Had to find out.

“She’s just a trainee!” Potts crowed. “Recon is one thing. But the attack op? Unheard of!”

Jude’s sharp gaze turned to me, considering.

“The monster called my name,” I said. “I want to find out who’s behind this.”

Jude nodded. “It looks like we’re advancing your training from recon to outright attack op.”

“I want to help her,” Ana said.

Jude frowned.

“We’re best as a team,” I added. “And I think we should bring the buggy. It’s a long way through dangerous defenses to get to that building.”

The directors all looked at each other, then turned to us.

“It could be destroyed,” Hedy said. “Emily can transport it, but there’s no guaranteeing it will make it back.”

The idea made my chest ache, but I nodded. If this was a sacrifice I needed to make to protect my new home, I’d do it.

“Good,” Hedy said. “If you can go through the portal to catch whoever is doing this, I can set up an explosive device to destroy the portal. That way we’ll ensure the curse can no longer hurt us. It’ll be dangerous, but it should do the job.”

Whatever magic Hedy was going to deploy—it had to be something crazy. That was a huge portal.

“Then we have a plan,” Jude said. “Cade, Bree, and Ana will go through the portal. Caro, Haris, and Ali will accompany them as backup. The rest of us will help Hedy with the destruction spell.”

I nodded, satisfaction spreading through me. I wanted this finished, though I was dreading what I’d find. “I’m sorry if we brought this here.”

Everyone turned to look at me. My face flamed.

“We don’t know that,” Jude said. “But we have your back. You’re part of the team now.”

I nodded, grateful. A weird kind of warmth bloomed in my chest. I’d only ever felt this kind of acceptance from my sisters and mother. The idea that there were more people out there—a whole organization—who might accept me was pretty freaking awesome.

“We’ll start in the morning,” Cade said. “Caro, if you’ll handle getting more potions from Melusine that will allow other members of the Protectorate through the portal, that would be excellent.”

Caro nodded. “On it. We’ll hit her up tonight.”

We finished our specific planning for the morning, then rose. Cade and I shared one look that lasted longer than necessary, then left the room, going in separate directions.

Ana joined me on the way up to our rooms.

“Are you all right?” She kept her voice low.

“Hungry, tired, totally freaked out.”

“About as I’d expect.”

We made our way through the winding halls toward our wing.

“What’s the deal with Cade?” she asked as we reached an empty section of hallway. “I noticed that look you guys shared.”

“The usual. Sexual tension out the wazoo, but we’re denying it. It’s the only smart thing to do.”

“True that.” She stopped at her door. “You want to grab a bite to eat—and definitely a shower—then meet me back here to go search the library?”

“Definitely.” I hadn’t yet told her about my changing magic, but she was reading my mind as usual. Didn’t matter how tired I was—I wanted answers.

“Thirty minutes,” she said.

I gave her a thumbs-up, then hurried up the stairs to my tower apartment. I’d only lived here a couple weeks, but I freaking loved my little place. I entered and flicked on the lights, the most amazing sense of home flowing through me.

The sight of the ghostly Pugs of Destruction made my jaw drop. “What the heck?”

As usual, Mayhem sat on the couch with half a ham in her mouth. That dog went nowhere without her ham.

Chaos sat in my clean laundry basket, the laundry up to his neck. He grinned, tongue lolling out and horns sticking up toward the sky.

But it was Ruckus who really caught my eye. The dog sat in my sink, which was full of water. His fangs glinted in the light.

“Are you taking a bath?”

He barked an obvious denial.

“There are bubbles in there.”

He looked away.

“Whatever.” I shut the door and went to the fridge, pulling out a leftover pizza we’d gotten in Edinburgh the day before I’d discovered the dark curse. I’d eaten all the PB&J in the house, as usual, and had to make do.

I opened the box and sniffed hesitantly. Smelled all right.

Three barks sounded.

The Pugs of Destruction surrounded me—even Mayhem with her ham in her mouth. They clearly thought the pizza was okay to eat.

I shoved a slice into my mouth and stared at their hopeful faces.

Pizza probably wasn’t good for dogs. But these guys were freaking ghosts.

They barked again.

“All right, all right.” I tossed them each a slice, which they caught in their mouths. Even Mayhem managed to catch hers without dropping her ham. “You guys really are magical.”

I left them to enjoy the spoils of their victory and took a quick shower. I pulled on clean clothes. I’d favored a desert outlaw look back in Death Valley, with leather pants and strappy leather tops. Here in Scotland, I replaced the tops with a T-shirt and leather jacket. It might be late summer but I wasn’t used to the chill.

All dressed, I left and headed over to Ana’s apartment.

She wasn’t downstairs yet, so I climbed the stairs and knocked on her door. She pulled it open, revealing the apartment behind her.

Since each apartment magically decorated itself according to the tastes of its owner, hers looked entirely different from mine. It was a more classic style—lots of whites and creams but with crazy colorful paintings on the old stone walls.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yep.”

We hurried back down the stairs, and Ana took the lead. “I found the library while you were gone. But Potts doesn’t like me. So it’s better we’re going at night.”

“I’m not sure Potts likes anyone.”

She chuckled. “True.”

The sound of dog nails clicking on the wooden floor sounded from behind us. I turned. The Pugs of Destruction trotted along behind us. Mayhem’s ham was just a bone now, but she had it gripped fiercely between her teeth.

“Seriously, guys, you’re going to have to be quiet,” I said. “We’re going to the library.”

They woofed low.

“They have a great respect for the library, actually,” Ana said. “They accompanied me the first time. Potts actually liked them.”

Maybe Potts wasn’t so bad.

Ana led me through the darkened halls of the castle. This place was so big that I’d never get to know it all. Every day, it seemed like there was a new hallway or room. And no two were alike. It was as if this place had been built in dozens of different phases. Some halls were all stone and flickering torches—others were gleaming wood wainscoting and silk wallpaper with chandeliers.

None of it looked like Death Valley Junction, which was kinda nice.

“We’re almost there,” Ana said. “It’s in the oldest part.”

Even though we were technically allowed to visit the library and move through the halls at night, it still felt like we were creeping through. The old stone walls, dark winding corridors, and flickering oil lamps made everything feel a bit surreal.

Ana stopped at two huge wooden doors. “Wait till you see this.”

She pushed them open, revealing a massive space within. I stepped inside, awe flowing through me.

“Wow.” I spun in a circle, absorbing it all.

The space with three stories high, and huge. Gleaming wooden shelves covered the walls, stuffed full of leather books with colorful spines. Ornate oil paintings hung on the walls—some even covering the books—and four large fireplaces burst to life as we entered. The ceiling overhead was shining, domed wood, and the furniture within was comfy and plush.

“This is amazing,” I murmured. I sniffed deeply, taking in the scent of paper and ink.

“The fires aren’t real,” Ana said. “Just magic. But it makes it so cozy.”

“Why is Potts such a grump if he gets to hang out here all day?”

“No idea.” Ana wandered the space, eyeing the shelves and the long ladders that reached toward the ceiling.

I could live here—and I’d never really been much of a reader, even though I’d liked the idea. There just hadn’t been money or time for books. I ran my fingertips over the smooth spine of one of the books, smiling.

“What are we looking for, exactly?” Ana asked. “Any clues?”

“Yeah. More clues.” I’d been holding it in, both wanting to tell her and not wanting to speak of the craziness. Speaking of it would make it real. “When I was at—”

“Ooooooooh, ooooooooh.”

I stopped dead, the ghostly moaning making my hair stand on end. I turned to Ana, who was frozen halfway up a ladder, her face white.

“Did you hear that?” I whispered.

“Yeah.”

I looked around. The Pugs of Destruction were gone.

“Quit it, Chaos, Mayhem, and Ruckus,” I said.

“Ooooooooh, ooooooooh.”

“I don’t think it’s them.” Ana slowly climbed down the ladder.

Shivering, I walked slowly around the massive room. “Hello?”