Scarlett’s head exploded into pain. Pressure built, pushing against her mind, begging for release. She searched for her mental wall, which was all the way down.

Another wave of pressure sent her to her knees.

A vision appeared. Her mother, dead on the ground with blood dripping from her wrists.

No.

The funeral, Ashleigh next to her, tears dripping from her cheeks to the floor.

Scarlett found the wall and shoved it up. A scream blew from her lungs as a flash of light burst from her.

The sound of footsteps approaching caught her attention. More guards, and from the sound of it, a lot of them.

Scarlett heard words that weren’t her own.

My son will thank me some day.

Son? Had she heard Kassandra’s thoughts?

Scarlett reached out her mind and found a hole in Kassandra’s mental shield. She actually could invade the minds of others. She couldn’t explain how she knew what to do, but as if it were as simple as breathing, Scarlett snuck through Kassandra’s mental wall. Using the emotion she’d felt as she’d been forced to see her dead mother, she sent a wave of light through Kassandra’s mind.

Kassandra screamed, throwing an orb of Summer energy at Scarlett.

Scarlett leapt out of the way. She threw another wave of light. And another. It was as she was a ghost of brightness inside the room that was Kassandra’s mind. She didn’t have a body, but she could observe her surroundings as if she did.

Another blast of light pulsated from Scarlett. With each vibration, Kassandra’s mind weakened.

The hatred inside powered Scarlett as she let everything out. The shock of finding her mother on the floor, the pain of Ashleigh’s blame, the feelings of fear as Kassandra had shown her images of Ashleigh dying.

Another pulse.

Cade’s possessiveness in the battle when he’d heard Scarlett had chosen Raith over him.

Pulse.

Kaelem showing her Ashleigh trapped inside the mirror.

Pulse.

Knowing she’d never again be mortal.

Everything that had happened to Scarlett since losing her mother swirled into a hurricane of rage that she flung into Kassandra’s head over and over again.

A flash of light shattered the last barrier inside of Kassandra’s mind keeping Scarlett from the very essence of her brain.

With one more forceful blast, Kassandra would meet her final end.

It would be so easy. Scarlett could taste the power she possessed. It exhilarated her. To hold someone’s life in her hands sent a thrill through her veins.

Just one more strong strike, and Kassandra would be gone forever.

But her death—deserved or not—would stain Scarlett’s soul. Was she capable of it?

Yes, she knew she was. Perhaps mortal-Scarlett would have feared such power, but fae-Scarlett reveled in it.

But today would not be the day she’d cross that line.

A final flicker sent Kassandra crumpling to the ground, unconscious but alive.

The Winter Queen stared at her ally, mouth gaping. “How?”

Even Kaelem seemed surprised, but he focused and threw shadows around Nevina. They curled around her neck, strangling her.

The Winter Guard had arrived. There had to be at least thirty of them, maybe more.

Three of them nocked their arrows and aimed at Scarlett.

“Let our queen go,” one said, “or we shoot.”

Scarlett readied her stance. She might be able to dodge one arrow. With a miracle, maybe even two. But three? Her light magic had saved her a few times already, what were the odds it could save her again?

If Kaelem let the Winter Queen go, they’d stand no chance of escape. No. He needed to take her out.

I’ll take my chances, Scarlett thought.

Kaelem’s eyebrows pressed together. Scarlett knew he didn’t like the idea, but what choice did they have?

Scarlett reached her mind to the Winter Queen, surprised at how easily she slipped inside.

She wasn’t the only one there.

She saw an image of a man, tall with silver hair and the same brown eyes as Nevina, with his mouth gaped open as he puked blood.

Then, a burst of darkness spread through the room of her mind like smoke, pushing Scarlett out.

Nevina dropped to the ground.

“Have it your way,” the guard said. He aimed his arrow at Scarlett. The other two archers copied.

An arrowhead shot through his eye from behind.

The other guards turned around. The sound of clicking ricocheted through the chamber.

Someone was helping them. But who?

More arrows pierced through faces—through eyes, and mouths, and cheeks—blood splattering on the ice as they dropped to the ground.

A surge of wrath hit Scarlett. Not her own, but Raith’s. She’d been so busy fighting she hadn’t noticed the bond had strengthened. He was near.

So near.

Her heart raced in her chest.

Kaelem attacked the guards closest to them, his shadows taking them down two at a time. Others fell unconscious with no outwardly struggle. Had Kaelem entered their minds?

Scarlett could help, but it seemed they had it under control. Taking Kassandra down had weakened her power. As soon as they could, they would need to bolt. This couldn’t be the entire Winter army. Reinforcements could be on their way at that very moment. Scarlett retreated to Aria. She pressed her hands over her chest. She was still breathing—alive, but barely.

Scarlett absorbed the wrath in the air and did her best to warm Aria.

The clicking of swords stopped. Winter Guards were scattered on the ground like leaves in the fall.

If they hurried, maybe, just maybe, they’d escape alive.

Kaelem rushed to Scarlett’s side. They needed to leave quickly, before anyone else came to aid the Winter Guard.

He couldn’t find the strength to ask Scarlett if Aria was still alive, but she answered his unspoken question anyway.

“She’s fading fast. I did what I could, but we need to get her somewhere warmer.” Scarlett lifted her hands from above Aria’s heart. “What do we do with them?” She glanced at the two queens, both curled on the ground, unconscious.

Kaelem wanted to finish the job. He’d only caused the Winter Queen to black out—in case they needed leverage if more of the Winter Guard arrived. But he wanted to wrap his shadow around her throat and squeeze until her eyes popped from their sockets and blood sputtered from her throat. Then he’d enter her mind and shatter it completely with darkness.

She deserved it and so much more.

No, it would be an act of war. Don’t let your desire for revenge destroy you, brother. Aria’s voice was barely a whisper in his head. She was right, it was not a decision to be made lightly, and he didn’t have time to waste. Aria needed warmth.

“Let’s get out of here,” Kaelem said.

Raith and a warrior woman stood outside Aria’s cell. They were now both enemies of the Winter Court, too. How had they made it in?

Kaelem could ask questions later. He lifted Aria and exited the cell, Scarlett close behind.

She stopped and hovered over Kassandra’s body.

Kaelem had read Scarlett’s thoughts. She’d been the one to take Kassandra down with mind magic. Impressive, to say the least. He listened in again.

She should die. She deserves nothing less.

Not today, Kaelem spoke inside Scarlett’s head. Her time will come.

Scarlett tilted her head.

Kaelem added, Since you have mind invading abilities, unless you have me blocked out, I can speak to you like this.

Raith grabbed Scarlett’s hand. “C’mon. We’ll deal with Kassandra another time.”

Scarlett let Raith pull her out of the dungeon.

Aria was still breathing. She was so light in Kaelem’s arms. His sister used to be the most vibrant person he knew. Now, so near death, he saw her fragility. The Winter Queen would pay. Kaelem’s revenge would be long and sweet. Someday.

When they stepped into the entry room of the palace, Cade and Poppy stood in front of the exit door.

Cade glanced at Scarlett and Raith’s interlocked fingers.

Kaelem could offer Raith to Cade as a bargain for a quick exit. He could even offer Scarlett. He promised he would release her sister from the mirror, which was glamoured small in his pocket, for her help, nothing more.

Aria coughed in Kaelem’s arms. She desperately needed warmth but Kaelem would not betray those who’d helped him.

If Cade and Poppy planned to stand in his way, he would show them no mercy.

Kaelem stared at them and said, “Don’t make us fight you.”