Evie

“The Isle of Rayma.”

Hilda casually chomped down on a grape after answering my question. I asked where Nick would be sent when the High Council banished him in a week. I got all the information I could from Beth when she called first thing this morning to inform me of the verdict, but the information she had was limited.

According to Hilda, this island was hidden somewhere in the Indian Ocean and had been heavily spelled with magic by a chosen few, powerful witches, including herself, many centuries ago. The worst of the worst dragons, lycans, and witches were put to death, but those who were deemed too dangerous to maintain a life among their clans and covens spent the remainder of their days on The Isle of Rayma.

Hilda stared. My eyes were fixed on the arm of the couch where I sat, but I could feel the heat of her gaze.

“If you ask me, you shouldn’t care where they’re taking him, only that he’ll be far, far away,” she added.

Over the past few days, she’d made it clear she didn’t support my decision to write the High Council. In her opinion, Nick ought to lie in the bed he made. I begged to differ. Had he messed up? Absolutely. No one felt the effects of his actions more than me, but did I think he deserved to die because of it? Absolutely not.

However, I seemed to be alone in this opinion.

Not even Elise sided with me. And Dallas being one to abide by a very black and white, eye-for-an-eye moral code, I wasn’t surprised he disagreed as well. Liam only held his tongue because we had already discussed it and he knew I felt very strongly about this.

It was quite possible I’d regret sparing Nick later down the road—if the day came that he’d fulfill his destiny—but for now, I felt compelled to do what was right. Not what was easy.

“I need air,” I sighed, standing from my seat.

Even in this ginormous house, the walls could still close in on you in times like these.

“The books will still be waiting when you return,” Hilda replied, making it clear that my unscheduled break wouldn’t get me out of work. Even though these books had nothing to do with spells or sigils. Turned out Hilda was just as vigilant about me focusing on my general studies as she was about me grasping the concepts of magic.

I rushed down the carpeted, attic stairs and quickly crossed my bedroom, bursting out onto the attached balcony. Hopefully, the cool air would clear my head.

Nick being exiled was better than being put to death, but … he still stood to lose so much. Keeping him from his friends and family wouldn’t make him a better person, wouldn’t teach him how to control whatever changes had made him so irrational lately.

Listen to me … worried about him losing his family when, a short time ago he cost me my own.

Was I being stupid? Was it ridiculous to consider his feelings and his loss … when he so callously ignored mine and went after Liam?

The answer came swiftly and I didn’t question it. The words were my mothers, and she lived by them. In situations like these, she’d say: “Never base your reaction off someone’s action.” To her, a person’s true character was revealed when they either took or passed on an opportunity to seek revenge. I didn’t really care too much what others thought of the decision, but I made the choice I could live with. The one that wouldn’t keep me up at night. The one that wouldn’t make it hard to look at myself in the mirror after.

But he was still in trouble.

I leaned against the railing, staring out at the stark-white, snow-covered terrain below, at the twinkling flecks that shimmered in the early morning sunlight.

Still, I felt trapped, like I needed to break free.

Glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching, I turned toward the trees lining the edge of our yard, the first line of foliage before stepping out into miles and miles of woods. And it hit me.

I wanted to run.

Not as my dragon … as my wolf.

There were no witnesses, so … I went for it. After setting my jewelry aside and draping my clothes over the rail, I shifted, leaping off the edge before I raced off into the woods of Seaton Falls on my own—no one watching, no one listening, no one worrying. It was just me.

Beth was right about the pain—about there being less of it each time. I’d transitioned into my wolf much more quickly now that I was familiar with it.

Mounds of snow flattened beneath my large paws as they burrowed deep with each step. Thick, dark fur kept me warm, and my keen vision gave me a clear view for miles ahead. I intended to keep running until I trekked at least twenty of them.

This, shifting into a wolf, hadn’t been at all what I expected. I mean, yeah, the initial pain was something I could live without, but running so freely, transforming into such a formidable creature … it was invigorating.

My spirits rose quickly, thinking over Nick’s fate. Exile. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but far better than the alternative. I had to let that be my comfort. Otherwise, the sadness, the finality of it all, would have consumed me.

The last interaction we had was amidst a dark, tragic time. No words were exchanged, but … I hated him then. Time and acceptance had been the only thing to change my heart, but it had indeed changed. I wanted nothing but the best for Nick, regardless of our history. Regardless of our inability to coexist without hurting one another.

There was some measure of regret that we hadn’t been able to find common ground before now, but at least he knew I fought for him. So, if he wondered if I still hated him, hopefully that gave him his answer—he was forgiven.

At the sight of a swiftly moving shadow to my left, my head pivoted that way as I ran, only spotting trees and large stones that marked the terrain. Moving at such high speed sometimes made the peripheral view distorted while what lie ahead, directly in my line of site, was like watching the crisp, high-definition picture of a brand-new TV. I turned straight ahead again and thought of Roz of all people.

How would she cope with Nick being taken away?

I sensed something brewing between them quite some time ago. Mostly, the interest seemed to be on her side, but, hearing how Nick risked his freedom to bring her home … I knew my assumption had been wrong.

He felt something for her, too.

I put myself in her shoes, trying to imagine what a mess I’d be if something were to happen to Liam. Even thinking about it made me sick to my stomach. I’d never survive it. She and I weren’t friends. Actually, I was pretty sure she disliked me because of the past I shared with Nick, but I’d reach out to her anyway. Even if only to extend my condolences and to let her know I’d done everything in my power to help him. It might not make a difference, but I’d visit her anyway, once the wound of losing him wasn’t so fresh.

Another shadow.

I turned again, scanning more carefully this time, lifting my eyes to the towering branches above me, but still … nothing. I was alone out here.

I kept running, faster, harder, as a surge of adrenaline coursed through me.

There’s nothing, Evie. If there was, you’d sense it.

Somewhere not too far away, I heard the rushing water of the falls and had my bearings once again. My internal compass was thrown off during the momentary bout of panic, making me aware of how important it is to stay focused. I sniffed the air, detecting hints of pine and moss despite the cold. Willing myself to relax, I took in the beauty around me as a thought set in.

I was equally as fond of my wolf as I was my dragon.

Another difference between this me and the old me.

I’d taken a step as the story Liam shared on the rooftop came back to me. However, I didn’t get to revel in the sweetness of how we came to be. This thought, and the short-lived comfort that accompanied it, were stolen from me the moment I grasped on to them.

The peace I found was snatched away at the feel of a powerful bite to my hind leg. Pain seared the limb and spread like venom, filling me completely. I cried out and it was a blood-curdling sound, one that ricocheted off every tree for miles before boomeranging back to my ears.

I fell onto my side, unable to move forward. I reached toward the wound with hands, not paws. I’d begun to shift back to my human form. Warm stickiness met my fingertips. Blood. Lots and lots of blood. My fingers traveled lower as I clenched my eyes tight when tears spilled from them. A thin stick jutted out from my flesh and I willed myself to look, forcing my senses to align—sight, touch. Focusing through the pain, reality came flooding in.

There was no bite.

There was only an arrow.

Someone was out there.

Afraid, naked, I slinked across the snow-covered ground until I could brace myself against a nearby tree, my eyes darting in every direction. I saw no one, but the evidence of not being alone was sticking out of my leg. It was hard to hear the sounds around thanks to my ragged breathing. I couldn’t control it. Whether the cause was fear or agony … I was losing it. My hands shook and I panicked, accepting one glaring fact…

I’d never felt more powerless in my entire life.

A branch snapped, then another, and despite my eyes revealing nothing, I knew I was surrounded. That’s when I felt it—the thin, invisible thread that linked me to Liam vibrated. If he hadn’t already felt the twinge, he would in a second. But I didn’t want that, didn’t want him walking into … whatever this was.

Unaware.

Unprepared.

Warm air cascaded over my lip as I breathed deeply, thought quickly, scrambling to access the rational side of my brain despite my senses betraying me as I huddled.

Think, Evie. Think.

It started as one thought and it linked to another. I followed each prompt blindly, knowing I had no other plan. Mustering as much courage as I could, I wandered inside Liam’s head, doing all I could to hide the distress in my tone.

“Sorry about that,” I chirped. “I went out for a run and tripped. Everything’s fine,” I lied, watching as red streams trailed down my leg before staining the surrounding snow.

“You’re sure everything’s okay? … Because it sure doesn’t feel like it.”

He must have still felt me, because of the pain. More tears moved down my cheeks as I struggled to cast up a veil between myself and him. It was the only way to block him out, the only way to keep him from coming to me.

“Mmm hmm. Everything’s all good. I’ll be home in a few.”

There were a few seconds of silence on Liam’s end as another branch snapped to my right.

“Hurry back,” he said gravely. The very next second, I forced myself out, knowing that if I lingered in his thoughts too long, he’d see through the lie I’d just told to keep him out of harm’s way.

My cheeks puffed out when I breathed deep, glancing down at my leg again, taking in the sight of the weapon used against me by an unknown assailant. I’d heal, but only if I could get this thing out.

Another deep breath as time wound down. I could feel them closing in on me, whoever watched from afar. I gripped the shaft, and after accepting that this was the only way, I yanked the arrowhead back through my leg, taking with it chunks of my flesh.

I cried out again. Long and desperate as I slumped onto my side. I clutched the wound, but it did nothing to quench the pain. It was then, in the haze of agony and disbelief, that I saw it—a ripple in the air, similar to heat rising off pavement on a scorching hot day. Only, last I checked, we had single-digit temperatures across Michigan today.

Suddenly sober and alert, I panted, following the breach in a perfect circle, roughly a few hundred feet in diameter with me at the center. It was closing in, darkening as the sound of snow crunching beneath the boots of a hundred or more. Slowly, as I focused, figures began to emerge from the distortion.

There were so many of them. All staring. All with malice in their eyes. Several carried bows and arrows, and other various weapons, but there was no sign of which was responsible for my injury.

They observed me like an animal on exhibit. I covered myself, squeezing tight into a ball as much as I could to hide my bare flesh from them. I studied each face, maybe searching for one I might know, but these men were all strangers to me. Large, ominous strangers.

Among them were a few women dressed in familiar garb. I recognized them as witches right away, and likely the cause of the invisibility cloak that protected their group a moment ago. All witches, Hilda aside, chose the macabre attire and most had a distinguishable scent. Or, rather, their magic did. The ones I’d taken down at the facility wreaked like these did, but Hilda’s scent always reminded me of fresh herbs.

Hilda … I should have stayed with her, should have just … finished my lesson.

More tears.

More regret.

I was terrified.

The tight formation of lycans was impenetrable. I’d never be able to break through, not with my leg injured. And I could try to fly away, but they’d probably shoot me with another arrow if they sensed I attempted to call up my dragon.

I was trapped.

There was a sinister charge to the air, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It was a strange mixture of dread, oppression, and evil. The weight of it was stifling.

A near-constant, chilled breeze had whipped through the woods all morning, but now, as the seconds ticked past, it was as though we existed in a cone of silence, cut off from the rest of the world as I turned toward another set of footsteps. These were slow, calculated, and for reasons unknown, they terrified me.

“Step aside.”

The words, spoken in an impossibly deep baritone and laced with a thick accent I didn’t immediately recognize, shook me to my core as I searched for whoever grumbled them. With military precision, the circle parted like the Red Sea. I blinked and breathed wildly, desperate to know who was coming forward. As the crowd moved and shifted positions, I caught sight of something.

A robe—long, dark fabric that dragged the snow as he crossed it.

As he came closer, another lycan flanked him to the left, one who stuck close, leading me to guess he must have been second in command. My gaze rose to take in the sheer size of him, this man who issued the command that moved his men almost instantly. There were only two things that inspired that sort of obedience, either loyalty or fear.

I took a guess at which of the two motivated the lycans that surrounded me.

The buckles of his boots rattled as he moved closer, only stopping when he stood within arm’s reach. I trembled, but did all I could to hide how inferior I felt.

“Get up,” he seethed, his lips barely moving with the words.

A hard stare hadn’t left me since I first spotted him. That stare was filled with hatred that defied reason. After all, we were strangers.

“Get … up!” he boomed. At the sound of it, birds that perched in surrounding trees fled in a dark, squawking cloud.

Oh, how I wished I could have taken flight with them.

The bloody leg throbbed beneath my weight. It was with the aid of the tree I sought refuge beside that I was able to stand. My arms were all I had to shield my nakedness from the crowd, from the hungry eyes that did little to conceal the brood’s thoughts.

Breath puffed from the man’s nostrils and I forced my gaze to stay trained on his, doing all I could to ignore how his protégé ogled with little discretion. I gritted my teeth and bridled the urge to gouge out his eyes with my fingernails.

My senses aligned, taking note of the keen power struggle that ignited between myself and the robed one the moment I was on my feet; the moment we were eye to eye. I recognized it right away as supernatural. It was my wolf who’d risen up against his, threatening to bear her teeth. There was no doubt in my mind he felt it too.

Whoever he was.

The features of his thin, stoic face were partially hidden behind a dark mustache and goatee. Beneath a black, brimmed hat, hair the same inky black fell well past his shoulders. I’d never seen eyes like his—so cold and unfeeling.

Like he was dead inside. These were the eyes of a madman.

He leaned closer and I stiffened, holding my breath as he sniffed me, like the animal I sensed him to be. I felt violated, angry, being forced to stand before them like this.

“Well, what have we here?” A sinister grin spread across his thin lips. “It appears my little informant, and one very gullible Council guard, weren’t wrong after all. Not only is Seaton Falls among the many clans withholding a portion of the tariff … they’ve managed to keep quite a few pertinent secrets from me as well.”

At those words, at the sense of entitlement laced within them, awareness filled my senses. I knew exactly who he was. He had a name—Sebastian De Vincenzo—but to most, he was simply known as the Sovereign.

He turned, facing the one I wanted to blind. Realizing his protégé’s attention was focused solely on me, on my nude body, Sebastian cleared his throat before calling him by name.

“Easy now, Blaise,” he snickered. “You may have bitten off more than you can chew with this one. She’s no ordinary wolf.” There were traces of a warning in the statement.

A low rumble in Blaise’s chest signaled my wolf to respond in kind. She, nor I, were particularly fond of him. At the sound of her issuing a warning that came from within my chest, he smiled behind dampened lips.

“You have no idea who this lovely specimen is, or what she’s capable of,” the caped one warned.

“Maybe not … but I wouldn’t mind getting better acquainted.” Blaise took a step closer before Sebastian placed a hand to his chest, stopping him in his tracks.

“Easy now,” Sebastian warned again.

I got the impression he spent quite a bit of time correcting this one’s waywardness. With what little patience he seemed to have, I gathered they must have been close for him to put up with it. Maybe family.

“But you know I have a thing for the feisty ones,” Blaise countered, narrowing his gaze toward me.

The crowd laughed and here I stood, on display, exposed. It would’ve been too much to expect even one to show mercy, to offer a jacket, a shirt. Listening to them, the cackling as a barrage of filthy comments flew from their mouths, I shrank into myself, wishing I could just … disappear.

Humiliated.

I felt humiliated.

“Settle down,” Sebastian ordered, holding back a smile as he feigned decency. “There was once a time a man could lose his head for disrespecting this particular lycan,” he grimaced, taking a step closer and another whiff of me. “Or … do you identify as dragon?” The question was laced with sarcasm as he tapped one wiry finger to his lips.

“…Dragon.” The word left Blaise’s mouth with just enough intrigue to suggest he hadn’t sensed it before. “She’s a hybrid.”

I didn’t like that this discovery seemed to only pique his interest.

Sebastian paced—slow, intentional steps as our eyes locked. When he stopped in front of me, the corners of his mouth tugged up. And at his sudden movement, I flinched, fearing he’d strike me or worse, but … to my surprise, I was wrong.

More laughter rang out—in part due to my reaction, in part due to the show Sebastian made of bowing before me. A blatant gesture, meant to mock my family’s rank, my inherent title.

Still bent at his waist, he spoke, further shaming me with the words that followed.

“Gentlemen, behold. I present to you … the mighty queen of the Bahir Dar kingdom.”

My chest heaved with labored breaths, eyes stung with tears.

Some whispered, questioning whether they heard correctly. Some laughed, likely because nothing about me must have seemed very regal or stately at the moment.

“Settle down,” he beckoned as his men roared. “I know what many of you are thinking.” Those wiry fingers of his laced behind his back as his large boots made tracks in the snow. “How is this possible?”

The crowd was silent as he stopped before me again, that cold stare locked. “For many, many reasons … this is an excellent question,” he nodded. “How is this possible?”

A trimmer ripped through me, but I held my composure.

“Someone did this,” he smiled, nearly whispering. But the expression soon evaporated as that deafening baritone shook the earth beneath my feet.

“Who had the unmitigated gall to defy my commandment?” he yelled.

No one spoke. No one moved. Maybe they, too, held their breath like I did.

A long, aquiline nose came mere inches from my own as he invaded my space, pierced the delicate cone of safety around me.

“Death,” he whispered, sending the word scurrying over my flesh like a living, breathing thing. “Death awaits whoever did this.”

I wanted to take a step back, but, at the feel of bark against my skin, I knew I was trapped.

Heat spiked through my limbs, warming my neck and face, probably reddening them as I continued to stare. The dread and evil I sensed were warranted. And now, I understood why my wolf was on edge.

“What do we do with her?” Blaise asked.

Sebastian thought for a moment. “Well … in accordance with lycan law, users of restorative magic are to be executed. And their subjects,” he added, pointing toward me as his eyes gleamed with delight, “are mine for the taking, but … seeing as how I have no use for the girl, I suppose she’ll be all yours.”

Blaise couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying answer. That disgusting grin was back. “And I happily accept your gift, Father.”

Father. Now I understood.

The first step Blaise took in my direction was his last. His eyes rose to the sky just as the atmosphere above thundered. A streak of fire barreled toward us all, the site of which sent most scattering into the surrounding woods.

The ground quaked as a plume of snow rose several feet into the air, turning to steam in the heat of bright flames. My chest hammered, a fear-induced spike in heartrate. Not the same sense of fear that caused the others to flee as the meteor-like mass descended upon us.

No … I was afraid because a dark tattoo inked the spine of the one who just landed on the ground before me, his knee and fist embedded in the dirt.

Without turning to face me, without asking who these people were, or why there was so much blood, Liam said one word that rolled from his throat like the calm before the storm.

“…Run.”

I knew he meant well, but I had no intentions on following his order. Leaving him here was simply not an option.

“Careful, dragon. That advice will get you both killed,” Sebastian grinned.

The next second, my waist was seized by one of his henchmen. In his grasp, I struggled to keep myself covered, fighting to maintain the last ounce of dignity this ordeal hadn’t yet stripped away. The ongoing scuffle between myself and the brute had Liam breathing actual smoke from his nostrils as he panted, anger brimming from his core.

His jaw gritted, causing his words to come out hard, bitter. “Take your hands off her … now.”

Detecting the challenge in Liam’s tone, the henchman tightened his hold, making a show of his strength when he gripped my arms and aimed to pry them away. He meant to expose me even more than I already was, most likely to further embarrass me, to show Liam who was in charge.

But, unfortunately for the lycan, Liam was in no mood for second warnings.

In a cloud of snow and fire, he was upon us. A violent snap and the restricting embrace of the henchman went limp. Then, the distinct thud of a body hitting the ground. Liam stood before me, clutching me as his warmth pressed to my chest, the solid mass of his body shielded me from the prying eyes of a hundred men.

Sebastian stepped forward, staring at his fallen soldier lying at Liam’s feet. There was a brief flash of disappointment just before his gaze rose again. It settled on Liam. As Sebastian glared, I felt hollow inside when awareness filled his expression.

With one word, it became clear these two had history.

“Reaper,” he seethed. “I should have guessed.” Those long, fingers of his balled into tight fists at his sides. “Seems we have ourselves in quite the conundrum.”

Liam ignored the solemn greeting and made a demand. “I won’t discuss a thing until she’s clothed.”

Behind Sebastian, Blaise’s eyes narrowed into slits as he glared.

A long, disinterested breath puffed from Sebastian’s mouth and he turned, snapping his fingers at a lycan off to his left. “Shirt,” he sighed.

Without delay, the lycan removed his black tee and placed it in Sebastian’s hand. At the sight of the dark fabric soaring through the air when he tossed it, my heart leapt. With only a glance over his shoulder, Liam caught the covering and handed it over, spreading his wings the next second to create a shield between me and the strangers. Slipping it over my head, I was painfully aware of there not being much material, but at least I was covered. When I finished, Liam passed a long, hard stare my way … and it made my heart race.

“Whatever happens, I need you to promise me you won’t look back. I want you to promise me you’re gonna run until you can’t anymore.”

What was he … what was he saying?

There was no time to answer.

“Enough, dragon.”

My hand warmed when Liam took it into his for the fraction of a second—a fleeting moment that made me grateful, and sad, and afraid all at once. Letting my fingers slip from his grasp, he turned toward the Sovereign and his army once again, wearing a disquieted expression I wished I could forget.

Because the sight of it made it feel like my heart was breaking.

Impressively broad wings retracted and disappeared beneath tanned skin. I discreetly placed a hand on his waist, taking slow steps until my chest was flush to his back, needing to be close as fear nearly strangled me to death.

“Unless you’re a ghost, I suppose it’s safe to say the report of my men was false. Last I heard, you were in pieces on the battlefield after the Lunar War.” Sebastian paused to chuckle. “In fact, all this time, I was under the impression the set of wings hanging over my mantle belonged to you, the infamous Reaper.” The last syllable dragged a bit as he scanned Liam.

“Guess you heard wrong,” was all he said back, glancing to each side, making sure none of Sebastian’s men had advanced toward us.

“Hmm … and I supposed I ought to hunt down the man who sold them to me, and demand he return the $2.7 million I paid for them, plus interest, but … it’s neither here nor there,” he shrugged.

That figure … nearly three million dollars, it put into perspective the price Liam’s reputation had put on his head. At the thought of it, I felt sick to my stomach.

“Besides, there’s not much to fret about … seeing as how I’ve stumbled upon something much more valuable today.” His eyes landed on me, prompting my heart to race again as he stepped forward.

In response, heat rose from Liam’s skin and I heard the crackle of embers bursting just beneath the surface. Sebastian heeded the silent warning with a grin.

“You’re really going to make this harder than it has to be?” he asked. “By law, she is now a prisoner of my kingdom. It doesn’t matter who she is, or who you are, rules are rules,” he smiled. “And, seeing as how you were foolish enough to resurrect her, I’ll bleed you to death right where you stand, dragon.”

My brow quirked at those words. He thought Liam was to blame for my being alive. And, in true Liam fashion, he didn’t correct that assumption. If I had to guess, he was well aware of the consequences that coincided with restorative magic. As Hilda once shared, and as the Sovereign reminded me today, this practice was punishable by death.

Sebastian took another step, and while Liam’s attention was focused there, I was snatched from behind, lifted off the ground by a set of powerful arms. They squeezed until I couldn’t get air into my lungs. I gasped, clawing at the attacker, but wasn’t strong enough to break free.

Liam started in my direction, but halted when the sharp point of Blaise’s knife pressed to his jugular. A trickle of blood raced toward his collar bone, and in that moment, as I focused on that red streak, the last grain of hope I clung to slipped through my fingers.

We were outnumbered, out of moves, out of time.

“I’m so sorry,” I told him, slipping into his thoughts to get this out while I still could. “I tried to keep you away from here.”

I never wanted this. Never wanted him to wind up hurt because of me.

He didn’t waste time accepting my apology or saying things to make me feel better. Instead, he spoke from his heart, stating the one thing that mattered, what was most important.

“I love you.”

I’d barely gotten a syllable out in response when a sudden turn of events stole my chance. Two large wings extended from Liam’s back and the force of it knocked Blaise back several feet. While he scrambled to right himself, Liam turned the tables, switching roles, locking an arm around Blaise’s neck. I wanted him to squeeze, wanted him to end his life right then and there, but … he didn’t.

Instead he spoke.

“Let her go, and I’ll let your son live.” The offer was aimed at Sebastian, but Liam’s eyes never left mine.

A tear spilled over my lower lid and I understood why he hadn’t just finished Blaise off. He needed leverage, needed to create a cushion of time where none existed.

“Liam, no …”

He ignored me, forced me out as he stated his terms to Sebastian. “Let her go and I’ll come with you without a fight.”

I wanted to scream. Wanted to fall apart right then and there, but I was frozen in shock. How had it come to this?

Liam continued to hold my gaze as he sweetened the pot for Sebastian.

“I’m nearly as valuable a trophy as she is,” he explained. “But … you and I both know I’m worth more to you,” he went on, adding, “especially if you sell me off in pieces—my wings, my head.”

The gruesome image he inflicted made my eyes slam shut, made my stomach swirl, nearly made me vomit. In a state of sheer disbelief, I tried to wake myself up from this nightmare.

“I’m willing to bet I can even get a pretty penny for locks of your hair,” Sebastian remarked, speaking with the same chilled indifference despite the grave subject matter. “Or perhaps I might flay off your tattoos, seal them in jars, sell them individually.”

Liam remained stone-faced, like this wasn’t his life he bargained with. Like Sebastian wouldn’t make good on all these promises and more.

I lost it. The contents of my stomach poured out into the snow as the henchman kept me locked in. A few on the outskirts laughed, of course, because that’s what seemed to amuse this brood—the anguish of others, whether it be physical or, in my case, emotional.

Sebastian considered Liam’s offer, tapping his chin while he thought. “I suppose I could agree to this if you’re also willing to give up the name of the witches who assisted you with the spell.”

“They’re dead. The former three who were linked to this town’s clan were the only others involved,” Liam said convincingly. “Their names were Scarlet, Marin, and Lilith.”

The lie seemed to hold. Sebastian was thoughtful for a moment.

“If you try anything … anything, dragon … I promise you that, on this day, Lake Superior will run red with your blood.”

Liam spoke with so much bravery and boundless conviction. “If you let her go, I won’t fight,” he reiterated. “You have my word.”

Sebastian was silent again. Eventually, a half-satisfied sigh left his mouth as he stared down on his son locked in a chokehold.

“Fine.” His gaze shifted to the one who captured me. With a nod and a few short words, I was free.

I backed up, and much to Liam’s dismay, I didn’t run. I couldn’t. I was frozen, knowing this could have very well been the last time we’d ever be face-to-face.

And … I couldn’t leave.

“Run, Evangeline!” he demanded, his voice booming a harshness I knew wasn’t meant for me. He hadn’t released Blaise yet, and likely wouldn’t until I was out of sight, but … my feet wouldn’t move.

“Now!” he growled.

I back up, feeling the bark of a tree against my fingertips as I stumbled past it, barefoot. When I took another step, Liam nodded, making it clear he was pleased that I finally followed his orders, seemingly unaware of what this all meant for him. I clung to that last fleeting moment we stared, feeling robbed of physical contact, a chance to embrace him, kiss him.

Something …

My back was to the army now as I sprinted away like my warrior had commanded me to do. I went into his thoughts while I still could.

“I’ll come for you,” I promised. “No matter what, I’ll come for you.”

I expected to be scolded for even considering it, expected to argue all the reasons I was going to go over his head and do what I wanted anyway, but … there was no answer. Glancing back over my shoulder, I understood why.

Two of the Sovereign’s witches rushed him, blowing a vibrant, purple powder into the air, letting it surround him. Within a fraction of a second, the light slipped from his eyes, his arms went limp, and his body slumped to the snow.

My feet continued ahead, but I was moving on autopilot as hopelessness ravished me like a predator.

For the first time in a long time, I was completely alone.