Because of my condition, it took us a long time to get to DuMoir Castle. We hid a mile from the estate and watched. It was dark out, but the waxing, gibbous moon illuminated enough.

Returning here was bittersweet. I clearly remembered the first time I had seen this castle and how I had felt: in awe of its splendor, eager to complete my mission, determined to succeed, and yet deeply afraid of the vampires.

So much had happened in this castle.

And now half of the castle was in ruins. Stones crumbled to dust. All because of me.

“Ready?” Luana asked, bringing me back to our mission.

I let out a deep breath and focused. My body tingled as my magic rose from its slumber, but it remained stable as I cast a weak glamour over us. Right now, when someone walked by us, they would see two witches from the Silverblood coven. However, as I wasn’t strong right now, if anyone got too close, they would see right through the glamour.

“Ready,” I said.

Unafraid—or at least, pretending not to be—Luana and I stepped out of the bushes and approached the castle. We pretended to be engrossed in conversation to avoid anyone if they approached us.

The maze in the back garden was mostly destroyed, the hedges either torn down or burned. The flowers hadn’t been cared for, and the grass looked like it needed some love. I had started destroying this place, but Morda would certainly finish it.

Luana and I stepped into the castle and turned toward the main stairs. If I knew Morda as well as I thought I did, she was bound to have taken one of the main chambers in the castle. But we hadn’t taken more than three steps when we heard heavy footsteps down the hall.

Soraya, Morda’s right arm, appeared from the end of the hallway. She slowed when she saw us. “What are you doing? The Queen of All Witches requested the presence of all witches in the main dining room.” I glanced that way. The ceiling had come down. Was it possible to go through there?

“Hm, but it’s the middle of the night,” Luana said.

Shit. “And? The Queen of All Witches doesn’t have to explain herself to you. Just come along and be quiet.”

Soraya beckoned us to follow her.

Luana stared at me with wide eyes.

“We don’t have much choice here,” I whispered. Weren’t we after Morda? If she was in the main dining room, then that was where we were going.

On our way, we walked past the entrance to the main library. There were four witchguards flanking the open archway. For some reason, I stopped and glanced inside. Like many other rooms in the castle, half of the ceiling had come down. The other half seemed supported by tall shelves and improvised stone pillars.

However, it was what lay in the middle of the room’s open area that caught my attention.

My heart squeezed and tugged, as if a rope had been tied around it and now someone, something, was pulling at it.

A tall stone pedestal stood in the center of the room, and a box made of dark wood lay on top.

It was the heart. I was sure it was the heart. It called to me.

I placed a hand over my heart as it beat uncontrollably, hurting my chest.

“What are you doing?” Luana asked in a low tone. “We have to go.”

But … the heart. The heart was here. I could take the heart and run before Morda could see us.

Only, that would infuriate Morda even more. If she was after me before, now she would come at me with her entire coven, plus the werewolf pack, and whoever else she could buy. Her fury would be endless. I would have to run from her when weak and pregnant.

Could I use the heart against her? Maybe. Probably. But who knew how I would feel? What if she came the day I was dying? I wouldn’t be able to use the heart to defeat her.

Could I use it now? If I was well, I would say maybe. Because we were standing in the middle of a castle filled with witches and werewolves, I didn’t think I was strong enough to take them all down.

A man appeared from the side of the room and lazily walked by the pedestal.

Luana caught my hand and squeezed. “Ulric.”

I glanced at the four witchguards. “Now is not the time.”

But she wasn’t listening to me.

Luana transformed into her wolf and lunged at him. The witchguards turned to her.

I just acted. I channeled whatever magic I had and sent a powerful spell at the witchguards. Two were stunned, the other two turned to me. They readied their weapons to hit me back, but I put up a small shield and cast another stunning spell.

The two of them fell to the ground.

When I looked up, Luana was fighting with Ulric, both of them in their wolf form—Ulric a giant black wolf, and Luana in her light brown coat, not even half his size, but snarling as fiercely.

I raised my hands, ready to stun Ulric, when something flashed in my peripheral vision.

I only had time to twist around and avoid the full blow. A wolf had jumped at me, right at my side, but I jumped out of the way, its claws only grazing my arm.

Still, burning pain trailed down to my fingers. I had no idea who this wolf was, but he was almost as dark and just as large as Ulric. Probably one of the two betas. I didn’t care. Right now, I had to help Luana and that meant getting this wolf out of the way.

When the wolf turned around, I was ready. I raised my hands again, my magic at my fingertips. But when he lunged at me, Luana moved too. She turned away from Ulric and jumped at him, closing her mouth around his neck. I heard the loud crack of his bones when she twisted his neck.

I stared in shock.

Luana barely had time to turn away before Ulric was on her again. He rammed into her, sending her skidding away. A growl ripped through his gritted teeth before he charged her again. I flung a bolt of blue light at him. It sizzled his fur, but besides a quick hateful glare, Ulric didn’t stop. He scratched his claws over Luana’s back, then pushed her to the wall. He opened his mouth wide, and once more I acted without thinking. I shot another bolt at his head. It was a weak thing, but at least it had given him pause.

My hands shook as I channeled more of my power. With a scream, I shot my magic at him—not a weak bolt, but enough to make a grown, strong wolf dizzy, I was sure. But, as the magic flew toward him, Ulric moved. He closed his mouth around Luana’s shoulder and pulled her to the side, hiding behind her.

My magic exploded into Luana’s back.

“No!” I gasped, horrified I had hurt my friend.

I took a step toward her, but then Ulric snarled at me. I retreated a couple of yards—and halted beside the pedestal. As if drawn by a magnet, I glanced to the closed box over the pedestal.

The thump-thump of my coven’s heart beat inside me.

It called to me.

I needed it.

I reached for it. I opened the lid. I sucked a sharp breath at the red mass beating over the black velvet lining. I grazed my fingers on it and a jolt of magic rushed up my arm.

I landed on the floor and hit my shoulder hard. Snapping out of my daze, I blinked and found Ulric on top of me, his sharp teeth and bad breath only a few inches from my face.

This was it.

I was gonna die.

By all that was sacred, I had been so stupid.

Ulric snapped his teeth, infusing more panic into my veins.

A low growl began in his throat and—

“Stop!” My eyes widened at the voice. Ulric and I glanced to the doorway. Ebby stood there, looking regal in a long black gown. She pointed her hand at Ulric. He growled at her. One corner of Ebby’s lips curled up, and she shifted her amused eyes to me. “She’s mine.”