The house wasn’t close to the castle, but running across the forest while counting the seconds until I could see Thea with my own eyes and make sure she was okay, the distance seemed infinite.

I was thankful for the power the Blood Amulet gave me. It made me faster than I had ever been before. And I was able to arrive at the house in time to see Morda cornering Thea.

Rage filled my chest and I rushed Morda, sending her flying down the length of the porch—but not before snatching the coven’s heart from her hand.

Beside me, Thea slid to the floor. I wrapped my arms around her and kept her up. “Are you okay?” I looked at her, as best as I could, to make sure she wasn’t hurt. “Is our daughter okay?”

“I’m fine,” she whispered. She was lying. She might not be hurt, but her heartbeat was erratic and she was having trouble breathing.

In no time, Morda was back on her feet and flinging a spell at us. With my speed, I picked up Thea and carried her to the dining room. I placed a chair in a hidden corner and sat her down. I handed her coven’s heart to her.

Thea cradled it like it could break at the slightest contact.

“Stay here,” I told her, before going back to the porch.

Morda’s spell faded in her hand. She blinked. “Where’s—?”

I had been so fast, she hadn’t seen anything. “I took the heart to the real owner.” I smiled. “Your fight is with me now.”

She clenched her hands, a black flame enveloping them. “So be it.”

When Morda flung the flames at me, I was ready. With my speed, I could deflect all of the bolts she threw at me with ease. My only strategy now was to let her waste her magic and get tired. Then, it would be easy to finish her.

But that could take hours, and I wanted to end this fast.

Dodging her spells, I ran toward her. Before she could realize I was standing right in front of her, I punched her square in the face. A little remorse snaked into my core—I didn’t like hitting women, but I tried remembering Morda wasn’t a normal woman. She was evil and would do worse to anyone if she had the chance.

With the force of my punch, she flew off the porch. She hit a big tree several feet away from the house and fell to her knees. A blow like that would have killed a human, but Morda, being a powerful princess witch, wiped the blood from her nose, rolled her shoulders, and stood. Her feet were wobbly for two seconds, but then she channeled her magic again.

I ran toward her—the farther we were from the house, the safer Thea would be. As I expected, Morda raised her arms, bringing up a shield between us. Then, she let out her magic—a wave of black light that rippled in all directions. I had nowhere to run, but away.

It took me a second to react and it cost me. The wave of magic hit me in the back, and I fell face-first on the dirty ground. Morda sent out another wave, lower this time, so it wouldn’t miss me even if I was lying down. Using my speed, I jumped and ran to the nearest tree. I hid behind it as the magic washed by. The tree groaned in protest as the magic burned its trunk.

Trying to distract her, I broke off some branches, ripped the ends so they were pointy, and threw them at her with precision. But her shield was so damn powerful, my improvised weapons burned to a crisp the moment they touched her magic.

I didn’t know what else to do.

My concern only increased when Morda started sending the magic waves farther and farther, trying to hit me. Soon, she would reach the house and hurt Thea. I had to stop her now.

In the second between waves of magic, I sneaked a peek at Morda.

Right then, a white shadow appeared in front of her. Startled, Morda screamed and fell back, losing the hold on her magic. The white shadow took form and Thomas appeared.

I wasted a precious moment gawking at him, but soon ran toward Morda.

Still on the ground, she saw me coming and lifted the shield again. I bumped into it and groaned as little shocks rushed through my body. She sent the magic wave again, and I ran back to the tree.

Thomas blinked into existence in front of me.

“I thought that would help more,” he said.

“It’s okay.” An idea came to me. “Thea is inside the house. Go to her and get her out of here before the magic reaches the house and she gets hurt.”

Thomas frowned. “Thea isn’t one to take orders from anyone.”

“Tell her I’m begging. She’ll know I mean it.”

After one sharp nod of his head, Thomas disappeared.

Another wave of magic washed past me and the tree shook. Soon, it would snap and fall over my head.

The amulet warmed against my chest. I glanced down at the silver cross hiding it. The heat increased, almost burning me.

A tug cut through me.

The amulet was telling me something.

Following the amulet’s call, I walked toward Morda. She grinned at me, probably thinking I was stupid, and sent another wave of magic. I gritted my teeth, expecting it to burn or to send me flying.

But right before the magic reached me, the amulet’s power filled my veins. As the magic brushed my skin, little jolts prickled my body. It hurt, but it was bearable. Morda’s eyes widened in shock. This time, I grinned at her. I rushed forward and she sent more magic at me. Again, the pain was nothing I couldn’t take.

Although, I paused before the shield. I clenched my hands and stepped through. The pain prickling my skin was ten times stronger, but the amulet worked, filling me with more of its power.

“Impossible,” Morda whispered, her eyes wider and wider.

“Improbable, not impossible,” I said, repeating what Bagatha had told us before. After all I had seen in my five hundred years, I really believed nothing was impossible.

I bared my fangs and lunged at her.

Morda stepped back and pulled out a dagger from the side of her gown. I had expected her to react with magic, not with a weapon. With the momentum I had invested in my attack, I couldn’t pull back fast enough. I was able to stop myself before she pierced my heart, but she swiped the dagger to the side, cutting my chest.

Cutting the necklace’s chain.

The amulet fell to the ground.

Its power faded in a second.

With a wicked gleam in her eyes, Morda extended her hand. An invisible force wrapped around my neck and pulled me up and up, until I was hovering a foot from the ground. The force intensified and I gagged.

“Poor little vampire,” Morda teased. “Did you really think you could defeat me?”

Power crackled through the air.

“Maybe he can’t, but I can.”

I fell to the ground on my knees. Blinking and gasping for air, I looked up and found Thea standing by my side—holding her coven’s heart in her hand.

Morda’s face paled as she jerked her shoulders, trying to get rid of whatever spell Thea had over her.

Her eyes on Morda, Thea extended her hand to me. I took it and stood beside her. She squeezed my hand and I felt it. More power—new power. It came from my core, from my dead heart.

The Immortal Vow.

Thea channeled the power of the Immortal Vow, and together, we immobilized Morda.

I wasn’t sure how it worked, but the Immortal Vow guided me. I bent down and grabbed the Blood Amulet, then I stepped forward and pressed it against Morda’s chest.

Her eyes widened and a scream ripped from her throat. From underneath the amulet, a black mark appeared. It slowly spread, killing her inch by inch.

Her entire body turned black.

Morda erupted into ashes.

A breeze rolled by, carrying her away.

I squeezed Thea’s hand. “We made it.” I smiled at her.

Thea blinked, as if waking from a daze, then she collapsed into my arms.