Christy paced up and down her room, feeling like she’d go mad if she stayed trapped in there much longer. Time was running out. She had less than a day to figure out what the hell Oren had planned the full moon.

Think! I need a way out. Blasting the door with magic had done no good and the windows were sealed shut too.

What about passageway? Would Oren’s spell have affected that too?

Christy glanced around, she suspected Oren had put eyes on her but she’d have to risk it. She had to get out and find a way back to the Outland and get back to Ronan. Maybe together they could figure out what their next move was.

Pressing the wall, it swung open. She closed it behind her and hurried down the passageway, brushing cobwebs of her face as she went. Moving away from the upper floor she ascended a spiral stone staircase up to the attic which had once been the servant’s quarters. Her father had used it to house unwanted furniture, boxes and piles of junk. Christy pushed the attic door open, relieved to find no guards waiting for her. As much as she wanted to get back to Ronan, she decided to have a look around first and left the hidden door open. What am I looking for? she wondered.

All she knew was she couldn’t stay sitting around in her room any longer. She had to do something. She didn’t know how long she had before they realised she’d vanished and would come looking for her.

Christy pulled open one of the wooden boxes. Her mother had to have written something down about the curse and how she planned to end it. Even if she hadn’t had all the necessary ingredients.

Chris, finally! It’s me. I think I found something, Ronan told her, breathing a sigh of relief. I went back to my parents’ house and found my mum’s spell book. Why couldn’t I sense you earlier?

I’m sorry, I blocked you in case Oren managed to listen in on us. Brilliant! She clapped her hands together. What is it?

One part of the book talks about the spell they were going to use, but it won’t do us much good. Magda said even with the necessary ingredients it wouldn’t have worked, he said.

Then why did Oren kill them? Christy said. It doesn’t make any sense. She rifled through the boxes, found one marked “Olivia” and wrenched it open. Inside lay dozens of books. She flipped one open, saw spells written on each page.

Christy sat down, studied each book.

Found anything? Ronan’s voice made her jump. She’d almost forgotten they were still connected.

Not yet, I… Her voice trailed off. Ro, I found a spell.

To break the curse?

No, to recover lost memories.

What good will that do? he asked, incredulous.

Maybe show me what happened when I was kidnapped fifteen years ago. My kidnapping is still connected to all of this, I can feel it. Someone used me to try and break the curse. Maybe it will help us now.

Chris, I don’t like this. I should be there with you. She heard the edge in Ronan’s voice. When something goes wrong?

You are with me. Christy touched her chest, feeling the invisible connection between them.

I meant physically, Ronan added.

I’ll be fine, just keep everyone safe. We’ll be together again soon, love.

She lit a candle she’d found inside the box and settled down on the dusty floor. Christy said the spell and waited for something to happen. Magic still felt strange to her. Her inner wolf whined, sensing her unease.

She tried blocking out the memories the so long, now she’d have to relive them.

Her eyes snapped shut as the attic around her faded. Her younger self sat huddled in a dark corner. Cold crept into her bones, making her shiver as she wrapped her arms around herself.

A figure stood a few feet away. A man with his back to her. He smelt of wood smoke and the tang of metal.

She knew that scent.

Oren.

The shock almost jolted Christy out of the memory but she remained focused. It didn’t surprise her now.

“What are you doing?” Her younger self squeaked.

“Hush!” he barked at her.

Christy shivered again. She wanted to get out of there, to go home. Her father would be furious at her for running off. Light began to glow around the room, bathing in an eerie blue glow. The younger Christy’s body rose into the air. More light surged up from the ground beneath them. Then just as quickly the light vanished.

Oren screamed out a curse. “No! Why didn’t it work?” he cried. “It should have worked!”

He spun around, his hot gaze fixing on her. “What did you do?” He yanked her up by the collar of her dress.

“I didn’t do anything!” The younger Christy whimpered. “Please, I just want to go home. Let me go.”

Oren’s gaze bored into her. “Why didn’t it work?” he repeated. “That spell should have tapped into the power that fuels the curse. You’re immune to it, why didn’t it work?”

The younger Christy shook her head, not understanding what he meant as tears leaked down her face. He shook her, repeating the same question over and over again. “Why didn’t it work?”

Christy had no idea what he meant either. Did he want to end the curse?

Oren shoved her back to the ground, muttered more words of power and gripped a glowing crystal in his palm. This time light rose out of her body, forming into a glowing blue portal. Oren grinned, stretching out his arm as he reached inside the portal. The face of a woman appeared in the glowing light. He reached for her. “Lily?” he gasped.

The portal fell away shattering and dissolving into nothingness.

The younger Christy scrambled up, stumbling over to the doorway as pain wracked through her body. Bone cracked and muscle popped as she shifted into a small white wolf. She lay there on the ground, panting, felt oblivion closing in around her.