THAT’S THE WEIRDEST PLANT I’VE ever seen.” Adelaide made a face as she appraised the purple and blue plant in front of her called a heyosopal. It had a stem like a mushroom and grew with four round pustule-like heads, which glowed almost like a light in a room. We were tasked with extracting the insides of them and then were to make some kind of salve that could heal open wounds almost instantly.

“I think it’s kind of pretty.”

It was weird looking but with the colors, it wasn’t atrocious.

We heard a popping sound and then Owen groaned. “Ew, gross.”

We looked over and busted out laughing when we saw him covered in the yellow soup-like substance from the plant.

“Ugh, it smells like ass,” he gagged.

Adelaide frowned. “If it explodes on me like that I expect you to hose me down.”

I laughed. “You got it.”

I went over the directions in my head again and used the scalpel tool to cut one of the heads off the plant. I breathed a sigh of relief when nothing exploded.

I laid it in the container we’d been given and began to rub it, applying pressure.

After a minute some of the yellow liquid began to seep out. I continued to rub slowly and more came out. Soon, I’d emptied all of it.

I made quick work of the remaining three.

When everyone had managed to extract at least one, Diana, our teacher, began explaining how to use it.

I gasped when she raised the scalpel tool to her skin and sliced open her forearm.

She rubbed some of the yellow liquid onto her fingers and then onto the cut.

Before our eyes, it began to close. Within a minute, only a thin pink line appeared.

“In about an hour there won’t even be a scar,” she explained. “These plants are an invaluable resource and, unfortunately, there aren’t many. But if you come across one, you’d be smart to collect the salve and save it. You never know when you might need it. Whatever you’ve managed to collect is yours to keep, but use it wisely. There are jars over there.” She nodded toward the wooden table in the back.

Adelaide and I each grabbed a jar and helped each other get the liquid into them without spilling a drop.

“I can’t believe she’s letting us keep this,” Adelaide admitted as we left the greenhouse.

“You better keep it safe,” Theo warned, walking behind us.

“Trust me, I will,” I told him.

After the dream I had of my real father saying he was coming for me, I wouldn’t take any risks.

We were heading to our magical theory lesson when all hell broke loose. An alarm began blaring loudly, almost like a fire alarm but somehow even more urgent sounding.

My heart dropped. “What’s that?” I turned panicked eyes to Theo.

He grabbed my hand. “Come on.” He began dragging me around as people ran.

There was a clatter behind us and I turned as we ran up the steps to see metal bars slamming down behind the doors, imprisoning us in the building.

Adelaide hurried behind us. “Theodore, what’s going on?” she demanded.

“No time.”

I swallowed thickly. Something told me this couldn’t be good.

We reached the top of the steps and nearly slammed into Winston. I hadn’t seen him since last night when he left my room. I wanted to apologize, to explain, but I hadn’t seen him at breakfast.

“Get her in my room,” Winston told Theo.

Theo paused, glaring at him. “No.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” yelled Winston. “My room’s untraceable. It’s the safest place in here.”

“He has a point,” Adelaide added.

Theo groaned. “Fine,” he bit out.

The four of us ran down the hall to his room. The alarm still blaring and the sound of feet slamming against the floor downstairs echoing up to our ears. It sounded like there were more people here than normal. I didn’t see how that could be a good thing.

Winston unlocked the door to his room and we all tumbled inside. He closed the door behind us and pocketed the key.

“What’s happening?” I asked again.

Theo shook his head. “I don’t know. The alarm can mean any number of things. Most of them not good.”

“Great,” I sighed and sank down onto the floor, resting my head against the wall.

Winston crept over to his window and looked out. “I don’t see anything.”

“Should we be hiding like this?” I asked. “What if the wrong people are here and they decide to burn the place down?”

“They’re not in the building or else we wouldn’t have gone into lockdown,” Theo explained. “But they could be on the grounds, or coming, or it could be a false alarm.

“How will we know when it’s safe?”

He sighed and sat down on the floor beside me, stretching his legs out. “Soon, I hope.”

“Has this ever happened before?” I asked.

The three of them all shook their heads. My chest seized with even more worry. There was no telling what was out there—who was out there.

Theo stood. “I need to get to my room.”

Panic clouded my vision. “You can’t leave.”

“I have to. If I need to protect you I’m going to need more than my fists.”

With those words, he slipped from the room before I could blink.

“If he doesn’t get killed I’m going to kill him,” I vowed.

I couldn’t stand the thought of sitting while Theo was gone, so I stood and paced the room. Winston and Adelaide sat on his bed, a foot of space between them. Adelaide worried her lip between her teeth and Winston kept running his fingers through his hair.

Our worry and dread lay thick in the air and if we didn’t know something soon I feared it might suffocate us.

There was a soft knock on the door. “It’s me,” hissed Theo.

“Thank God.” I grabbed the door and swung it open and he stepped inside and around me with a giant ass sword.

“Where do you keep that thing?” I demanded.

“In my room, like I said. It’s not exactly easy to carry around. I have another that’s a dagger I can make bigger with a spell, but this baby is my one true love.” He stroked the sword lovingly.

“Did you learn anything?” Winston asked him.

He shook his head and in the same moment, the alarm stopped blaring.

Theo stood frozen and listened carefully. “This is either good or very, very bad.”

I swallowed thickly, and a sweat broke out over my brow. I felt so unprepared for what might be out there.

Minutes of silence passed. Neither of us dared to speak or even take a breath.

Suddenly, there was a screeching like an intercom coming on. Sure enough, a moment later, Victor’s voice echoed through the manor.

“The manor has been placed into lockdown. Please head to the dining hall for further explanation. Thank you.”

More screeching and then silence.

My heart skipped a beat.

What if he’s found me?

I knew Thaddeus finding me would not be a good thing. He could say what he wanted about us being a family, but I knew in my heart he was lying.

“Come on.” Theo reached for my hand. “We better hear what’s going on, but stay close to me just in case.”

We filed out of the room, Theo taking the lead. He kept hold of my hand, like he was afraid if he let go I might be lost forever.

We reached the dining hall and it seemed we were some of the last to arrive. A few others trickled in behind us and then the doors closed on their own with a mighty bang.

We took a seat and Victor stood in front of the doors, a solemn look on his face.

“We’ve received word that the New York safe house has been compromised. There were many casualties and for that reason, we’ve chosen to place the manor on lockdown for the foreseeable future. Your lives are far too important to sit by idly.”

“How many casualties?” Finn asked.

Victor cleared his throat. “All of them. There were approximately fifty there.”

Silence descended upon the room.

“We will be fortifying the spells protecting the manor. Your safety is of the utmost importance, I assure you.” His eyes lingered on me. “If we find out any more news we will let you know. Right now, all we know is it was an attack by The Iniquitous and we can only assume if they find out where we are they’ll come here next.”

A shiver of fear ran down my spine.

“For now, return to your rooms and relax if you can. Dinner will be served at its usual time.”

Victor turned around and faced the doors; waving his hand they swung open and he strode out.

Theo stood, his sword still grasped in his hand. His face was dark, his eyes lost in thought.

Finally, he shook his head. “I don’t like this,” he muttered. “I don’t like this at all.”

* * *

“Pack a bag,” Theo commanded when we were back in my room.

“Why? Are we leaving?”

He peered out my bedroom window. “No, not yet. But I want you to have a bag packed if we need to.”

I didn’t argue with him, because I knew he was right.

“I’ll be right back,” he muttered, and disappeared from my room.

Nigel cracked an eye open as he left but quickly went back to his nap.

I found a large backpack, black and sturdy with a million different pockets, in the back of the closet. I piled several pairs of fighting pants—leather with straps for weapons—in them, along with fitted black tops. I tossed in a pair of walking boots and sneakers before adding in the jar of salve I’d collected in botany class this morning. I placed the backpack on the floor and added in the box from my mother. I figured it must be important since Theo had insisted I bring it with me, so I didn’t want to leave it behind if we left in a hurry.

I was backing out of my closet when Theo slipped into my room.

“Here, I want you to have this in your bag.” He held out a dagger to me. It was short but dangerously sharp with emerald stones in the hilt.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, taking it from him gently like it was a child I needed to be careful with.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said, and for once his words were genuine, not sarcastic.

I stared at the dagger a moment longer before slipping it into my bag.

“I think we should go to the library to practice. We’re running out of time.”

He looked over my shoulder as he said the words, almost as if he was viewing something else entirely. I’m sure he was as scared as me about what would happen if we were attacked and I couldn’t defend myself efficiently. Theo might be my protector but if we had multiple assailants he’d only be able to do so much.

“That’s a good idea,” I agreed.

He shook his head and his eyes cleared as he came back to me.

We snuck out of my room and up to the attic library. I didn’t think it was actually considered an attic, but since it was at the very top of the manor I decided to call it that.

Theo pulled out one of the chairs and collapsed into it. He shoved his fingers through his curly hair and groaned.

“I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t want to push you too hard too fast, but I’m afraid it’s necessary,” he said more to himself than me.

I sat down beside him. “We’ll do what we can, okay?”

He nodded. “But what if it’s not enough?”

“What if it is?” I countered.

He nodded again, more firmly this time. “I want you to know, if they come for you, the most important thing is to run first, fight later if you have to.”

“Where would I even go?”

“Honestly, with the New York safe house now compromised I wouldn’t even know what to tell you. Just run and hide. Stay under the radar.”

“That sounds impossible. I didn’t even know about this world until a couple of months ago.”

“You’re strong, Mara. And smart. You’ll figure it out.”

My brows knitted together. “Why are you talking like you won’t be with me?”

“I can’t predict the future, but I want you to be prepared to run on your own if it comes to it.”

My stomach knotted with queasiness at the idea, but I didn’t voice my concerns because I knew Theo would shut them down.

“Okay, then. What should we cover first?”

He stood. “I had you try the candle thing for something bigger so let’s work on that.”

I stood too and he moved so a good ten feet separated us.

“I want you to think about the fire again, but instead of lighting the candle I want you to think about it in your hand.”

“Um …” I hesitated. “Won’t that burn my hand?”

He chuckled. “Not yours since you conjured it, but when you throw it at me it will burn me if I don’t block it quick enough.”

“Oh, great.”

I took a breath and closed my eyes, holding my hands up in front of me.

I envisioned a bright burning orange flame licking my hands. The fire caressed them and flickered in the light.

When I opened my eyes, I gasped and my eyes shot across to Theo who smiled widely with pride.

“Now throw it at me.”

I took a throwing stance and launched it at him.

He brought his hands up and blocked it with a gust of air. My flames vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Again.”

He made me practice until I was drenched in sweat and then had me move on to conjuring water in a cup before again having it appear in my hands to use as a weapon.

“I once heard of an enchanter who was drowned by an Iniquitous,” he explained as I closed my eyes to concentrate.

“That sounds … pleasant.”

I opened my eyes and found the water swirling around my hands like many orbs of waves.

Theo was distracted at the moment so I threw one at him and it pushed him back about three feet with the force and drenched him from head to toe.

I fell over, clutching my stomach as laughter choked me.

“You look like a drowned rat,” I chortled.

“You’re going to pay for that,” he growled.

A second later, I yelped when fire stung my ass.

“That was not nice,” I scolded, gathering myself.

“Well, neither were you.” He peeled his wet shirt off and rung it out. “We’re done for the day.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be done,” I challenged.

He stalked toward me and I had to keep backing up until one of the bookcases bumped into me. He towered above me, his hair dripping with water.

He skimmed a finger down my cheek. “Why do you defy me?”

I swallowed thickly. “B-Because it’s fun.”

“I can think of many, many other things that would be more fun.”

My heart stuttered.

His eyes flicked down to my lips and he groaned. “You are my greatest fight and my longest battle.”

Before I could process what his words meant, his lips stole my breath.

He cupped my cheek in one hand and angled my head back. His lips devoured mine, that was the only way to describe it. He nibbled at my bottom lip and then his tongue gently nudged mine.

I felt like I was burning up from the inside out. He was going to kill me, I was sure of it.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing my body into his. He was hard where I was soft, but somehow, we still fit together.

My heart ached, though, knowing this wasn’t real.

All we were, all we could be, were stolen kisses, glances, and wishes for something more. But I was selfish enough to take all he’d give me while he was giving it. This feeling, this thing between us, was worth the pain.

My hands moved down his smooth chest, tracing the contours of his muscles.

He bit my bottom lip and I gasped. He sucked at it and then kissed me with more force, completely dominating, and I let him. He grabbed my legs and picked me up, pushing into my hips with his. My back pressed painfully into the bookcase behind me but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

My hands moved to his cheeks, the scruff there harsh beneath my palms.

I didn’t know how long we kissed for, but when we broke apart we were both out of breath and our eyes were glazed over.

“I hate wanting what I can’t have,” he confessed.

I brushed my fingers through his hair. “You can have me. I’m yours.”

He shook his head sadly. “No. No, I can’t.”