Kelia unsheathed her blade and positioned herself, ready to fight. She would not leave him to fight alone. Her nerves had settled, instead replaced by adrenaline, and her stomach gave her no trouble. This was what she excelled at: combat with her blade.

“I said go, Kelia!” Drew repeated. “That’s an order!”

“Not happening," Kelia said.

Drew’s glare did not lift from her. She could feel his eyes on her.

"Bloody, stubborn woman," he muttered under his breath.

He lunged for the main Shadow—the one with the ponytail—while the one with bloodshot eyes came after Kelia.

Daniella whispered something indecipherable, and the lantern that kept the drawing room lit shattered, the flame big and bright. It grew, slowly at first. Daniella shot out her arm and flicked her wrist, drawing the flame off the candle and over to her so it hovered above her upward facing palm.

Kelia turned her focus on the Shadow with bloodshot eyes standing in front of her. He narrowed his gaze on her, and while he was not as handsome as his counterpart, there was something sensual in the way he moved. In three strides, he towered over her.

He sure was moving slow, though. Much slower than other Shadows she’d fought in the past. Why was that?

Wickedness gleamed in his red eyes, as though he wanted a drawn out fight with Kelia. As if he was curious to see what little damage, if any, she could do.

The Shadow’s shaved head beaded with sweat under the heat of Daniella's fire, though he didn’t so much as turn in the direction of the flames.

"My Queen will make you her pet," he said.

"Funny," Kelia muttered. "I thought that was what you were."

He sneered before lunging for her. Drew pushed her aside and took the blow. The Shadow knocked him down, then climbed on top of him, straddling him. Drew weaseled his way out while Kelia curbed her anger with him. She was not a woman in need of saving, and his actions could have gotten him killed.

Kelia leapt toward the Shadow and slid her blade into his back, hoping the silver-infused blade still had an effect. She still did not know how the magic worked, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. It was the only good thing the Society had ever given her.

The Shadow screamed, but still returned to his feet. Kelia yanked her blade from his back. Unfortunately, she had missed where his heart would be. Besides inflicting pain, she did nothing to inhibit him. If anything, she just made him angrier.

"Benji," he roared at the Shadow with the penetrating blue eyes and the ponytail. "You sure we can't damage the girl prior to bring her to the Queen?"

He turned and lunged for Kelia.

Kelia dipped out of the way. She thrust her sword at him once more but missed. He backhanded her across the face, and she flew back. Pain seared into her skin as she hit the wall behind her before crumpling into a heap on the floor. For a moment, her body just failed to obey her commands. When finally she was able to move enough to try pulling herself to a standing position, she nearly fell forward, unable to balance.

Drew faltered in his battle with the other Shadow, stepping toward her. She could tell he was unsure where to place his attention.

"I can—" Kelia began through gritted teeth.

Mr. Bloodshot Eyes stood in front of her again. He shot out his hand, but she managed to dodge it this time.

"—take care of—" she continued, wheezing.

Drew came up behind the Shadow and leapt onto his shoulders. He twisted the Shadow's neck. There was an unsettling crunch, but that did nothing to kill Bloodshot. He reached behind him and threw Drew across the room, near the Mage.

"—myself," she completed with a grunt.

Her blood rushed to her ears, roaring like the ocean. She heaved her blade and thrust it between the ribs of Bloodshot.

"Shit."

His large arm came down quickly. Using her free hand, she placed it next to her hand on the blade. In one swift motion, she pushed her weight downward while thrusting the blade up. Loud pops filled the air. The rib cage broke, as brittle as cheap corsets. With a snap, the second Shadow was ash.

Kelia paused to catch her breath. Her nose tickled with the strong scent of sulfur, and she turned toward the fire Daniella had created. By now, it’d grown to nearly double the size of her head, still sparking in the space between her hands.

Benji, the first Shadow, sneered at the flames. "What do you intend to do with that fire, witch?"

Regardless of how confident he sounded, he had not moved since Daniella had taken possession of the flame. Did that mean Shadows were afraid of fire?

She had not really been with Drew when there was an uncontrollable fire present, save for the barn back on Port George, but he had not seemed affected by the flames then.

"Come closer and I'll show you," Daniella said.

Kelia smirked as she crossed the room to stand beside Daniella in case she needed assistance.

"I would, but I can't seem to move," Benji said, a look of panic replacing his sneer.

Kelia glanced over at Emma.

"You can speak," she pointed out before flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. "Is that not enough?"

"And what is it you would want me to say?" Benji asked, flashing his fangs. "That the Queen will find Drew? That she’ll kill all of you witches? You know that, already. But she'll take his time with your Slayer. She'll break her bones until you, yourself, are broken.”

Kelia’s body went rigid. This wasn’t news to her, but she still didn’t understand why. She served no purpose, not the way Emma and Daniella did. Although she could handle a sword, she was still just a mere human who got sick whenever she stepped on a ship. What could the Queen want with her?

But while Kelia’s mind was twisting around the idea, Emma seemed unaffected.

“God, you’re boring,” she said with a mock yawn. “I didn’t leave your ability to talk so you could rant like a lunatic. Perhaps we should just end you now.”

The Shadow snarled. “You’re afraid, witch,” he said. “And so is Drew. I can smell it on all of you.”

“Nobody fears the dead,” Drew snapped. “Burn him.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Benji’s fury seemed about enough to make him combust. “If you kill me, the Queen will just send more Shadows just as loyal, eager to please her, who will jump at the opportunity. You will never be free from her. Surely you must know that. You will only anger her further if you kill me."

Drew dropped his head back and laughed. Then he snapped his attention back to the Shadow, his expression as dead serious as his tone. “The Queen doesn’t give a shit about you.”

“But you care about her,” the Shadow said, slanting his gaze toward Kelia. Her skin crawled. “And then Queen’s going to kill her.”

Drews fangs slid out, his face contorted, and his entire body seemed to swell, taking up more space in the room than seemed possible. Kelia had never seen him look so beastly before.

"Burn him," Drew said, his tone a thousand times more chilling than the first time he made the order. “Now!”

Just as Daniella extended her arms and her mouth opened to shout an incantation, someone wrapped their arm around Kelia's throat.

"I would hesitate, my darling!"

Grayson's voice rang through the room like a church bell across a valley. Everyone froze. He had his other arm extended out in front of them. Had he used his own magic to get everyone to freeze? There was no way Drew would allow anyone to grab hold of her without jumping into action, even if she had just told him not to. And if not for the wrinkle in Daniella’s brow, Kelia wouldn’t have been able to see how frustrated the witch was. The strain in her arm indicated she was trying to shift her attention to assisting Kelia, so Grayson must have been preventing her from doing so.

Her suspicion was confirmed when his powers wrapped around Kelia's own body; she was not able to move her hand with her blade. Her mind continued to instruct, order, and plead, but no matter what she did, she was not able to move.

"Now that I have my bearings," he said, clearing his voice. "I can finally take this girl to the Queen. Benji, it's always been a pleasure, but considering how bruised and broken you leave my girls, I'm not so sorry that Drew Knight will kill you in a manner of seconds after I've made my leave. Sorry to inform you, but you won’t be the Queen’s pride and joy this lifetime. I'll be the one she trusts. I'll be the one she rewards. Not some vicious, vile creatures."

He spit for emphasis. Kelia could not even flinch when his saliva speckled across her skin as she was still trapped by his magic.

"You're dead," Drew said. His voice was low, his eyes a bright, livid brown directed at Grayson. Despite his words, he was frozen where he stood.

"I doubt it, Drew Knight," Grayson said. Kelia could hear the smile in his tone without seeing it. "The Queen will protect me. That's what I've always wanted, you see. Control over my own island, more riches than I can count, and her protection. I will soon be the most powerful Mage in the world. Supernaturals—Lycans, Shadows, witches—will patron my island because I will make them feel safe. And I will do that because the Queen will grant me that protection from the East India Company, from every human who wants to rid the world of our kind.”

“You’ve lost your damn mind,” Drew said, growling. “Who will feel safe with you knowing you throw your own customers to the wolves?”

“Well, the wolves, of course,” Grayson said with a laugh. “Certainly you've heard the Lycan population is dwindling. They're mating with humans now, witches and humans, in order to keep the legacy going even though the bloodline has been tainted. But they could come here, and I could sell them a human girl. I could help repopulate the Lycan community. And once I find your sister, I would have four elemental witches together. Imagine the possibilities. I would be unstoppable!"

Four elemental witches? Daniella, Emma, and Wendy would only make three. Fire, Earth, Air… Who was his water witch? His sea demon? His Siren?

Benji snarled at Grayson. "You’re a fool if you think the Queen would ever give you such power.”

The Mage shrugged. “I’d say we can agree to disagree, but dead men can’t do either, can they?” He walked over to Kelia and wrapped his arm around her neck. “And besides, I’m about to deliver something to her that’s far more precious than power.”