The Shade was in a state of quarantine. Needless to say, that soured the mood all over, from the mountains to Sun Beach and all the way into the heart of the Vale and the ocean extension. There was a sense of dread lingering in the air—the fear that someone’s best friend, lover or family member would be next. The fae were an essential part of our community, not to mention our bloodline. My son, my granddaughter, and my great-granddaughter were already afflicted, and I didn’t wish it upon anyone.

It was difficult to concentrate as I stood in the quarantine sanctuary, a hastily built hall made of pristine white marble. Inside, over fifty fae were already housed, each in their crystal casing, glowing amber-orange as they lay there, unconscious beneath the layers of spells that the witches had put in place. Beneath each crystal casing, serium batteries had been fitted. Long, slim, shimmering blue sticks connected with gold wires directly into the crystal. With each pulse of energy sent into these protection spells, my heart ached.

Corrine, Ibrahim, Arwen, Mona, and other Shadian witches carefully monitored each of the fae that had fallen under the Hermessi’s influence. The worst part was that we had twice as many crystal casings waiting to be occupied—this wasn’t anywhere near over.

Derek and I split our care time between Ben, Grace, and Vita, occasionally asking Corrine the same desperate questions. Will they ever wake up? Was there any change in their vitals? I thought I saw Vita move, do you think she’s fighting this? It just went on and on, for what felt like hours. The answers were always the same, too. We’re not sure. Maybe. It could be. I wouldn’t get my hopes up, not yet.

Inbetween these questions and not very encouraging answers, other fae were brought in from The Shade. More who had been caught off guard, cut, and thrown under a spell we couldn’t even begin to understand. All we knew for a fact was that it was all part of the Hermessi’s plan. It was like watching the apocalypse unfold in slow motion, while we had no way of stopping it.

“We’ve put charms and protection runes on every single house in The Shade,” Corrine murmured, watching Arwen and Mona as they helped settle yet another fae in a crystal casing. This one was a teenage girl with long, flowing platinum hair. It tore me apart to think about her family. We’d had to put in some visitation rules. Specifically, a schedule, to avoid overcrowding the sanctuary. I could see the girl’s mother standing in the doorway, shaking like a leaf and most likely wondering when she’d be allowed to see her daughter.

It didn’t seem fair that Derek and I were in here most of the time, while the others had to wait outside for hours on end, but we were agents and leaders of GASP, after all. We belonged here. Plus, Derek and I had three family members as patients in the sanctuary.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Corrine added, crossing her arms. “The mother says she hasn’t seen the father yet. Has no idea where he went. She just found her daughter like this.”

“Maybe he’s one of the cultists,” Derek suggested. “We know by now that they’ve infiltrated The Shade. And if he isn’t a cultist, he’s probably a victim, too, and most likely tasked with doing to others what they did to him.”

Ibrahim nodded. “I’ve asked our lieutenants to start a Shade-wide search for the fae who’ve been reported missing, including Ella’s father.”

“That’s her name?” I asked, staring at the platinum-haired girl. “Ella?”

“Mm-hm. She came with her parents from the Supernatural Dimension. Wanted a fresh start here, after Ella’s brother died in the Stravian war,” Corrine explained.

Tears glazed my eyes, making my vision hazy. “Oh, God. They lost a son in GASP already, and now… the daughter. This is so cruel.”

Derek’s arm reached around my shoulders. He pulled me close and held me tight, pressing his lips against my forehead. It was the little droplet of comfort I so desperately needed from him. River came over, joined by Caleb and Rose. River’s eyes were puffy. She’d been crying, though she probably hadn’t let anyone see it.

I was floored by her determination. I had no idea where she got her focus from, given that her husband, her daughter, and her granddaughter were victims here. “How are you feeling?” I asked River, my voice raspy and weak.

She shrugged. “Holding on, I suppose. What else can we do, huh?”

“We checked the entire redwood forest before the lieutenants were sent in to do an island-wide search,” Caleb said. “We did find traces, footsteps, faint scents of other fae who’ve gone missing.”

“They’re hiding in The Shade somewhere. Because they’re our own, the witches’ protection charms don’t identify them as enemies or outsiders. They sneak around, wait for the right moment, then pounce to do their cut-and-spell thing,” Rose added. “I’m not sure how we’re going to catch them all. If one is taken, two more spring up from elsewhere.”

“But only the fae are being targeted, right?” Corrine asked.

River nodded. “This is different from anything else we’ve faced. The fae we’re hunting are also under the influence, and I’m willing to bet they’re not all cult members. Honestly, I don’t see Ella’s dad, Hans, doing something like this. I know him well. He’s a decent family guy. Kind and gentle. I just can’t believe he’d join the Hermessi cult willingly.”

“I think the same was said about the Fenn brothers and those in the Fire Star’s Royal Guards, too,” Derek said. “Brann destroyed them because they’d already been swayed into working for the Hermessi, that much we know. We also understand now that the Hermessi have different forms of influencing their subjects, based on their needs. Good people can end up doing stupid or evil things, depending on their circumstances, and that’s what the Hermessi are currently exploiting. As it stands, they’re all a liability. They’re all dangerous and must be caught, whether we like it or not.”

“What about them?” Rose asked, nodding at Ben, then Grace and Vita. Their crystal casings were lined up, one next to the other. They seemed so peaceful, as if they were just sleeping soundly. The amber glow, however, sent electrical jolts of alarm whenever I looked at them, reminding me of the danger they were in. “They will wake up, at some point. And they’ll be under the Hermessi’s full influence. Not half-conscious or simply loyal, like the cultists we’ve dealt with so far. They’ll be pure conduits for the natural elements.”

“Yes. And the casings are meant to keep them subdued, at least in the short term,” Ibrahim replied. “If they’re to turn against us, there’s enough magic in these crystals to hold them back until we figure out another way to stop them from hurting us.”

“Or until we stop the Hermessi themselves,” River muttered. “That has to be our endgame.”

“It still is,” Derek replied. “But we have to look after our people, too.”

“What about Tae and his crew? Any new developments?” Rose asked, hope tinting her voice.

“They’re not in a good place,” I said, then exhaled sharply. “The Cerixian Fire Hermessi was destroyed. They’re in a race against the clock to stop the planet from freezing to death.”

“They do have the option of Inalia sacrificing herself to take Brann’s place, but… I don’t know, maybe they can come up with another plan,” Derek continued, scratching the back of his neck. His nerves were stretched; I could almost feel it. “There’s valuable intel coming from them, regarding the Hermessi. They’ve got another lead to track down, I’m told, in another domain. Hopefully, that will yield some results. Otherwise, in twenty-four hours, Inalia will have no choice but to become the next Fire Hermessi.”

“And then they’ll want her to join their alliance, right?” River shook her head in disgust. “Bastards.”

“Somebody help me!” Blaze’s voice boomed through the sanctuary.

It startled us all, and we turned around to see a most dreadful sight. He carried Caia in. She was unconscious and glowing amber. I couldn’t help but let an utterly profane curse leave my mouth as I watched Corrine and Ibrahim intervene. I rushed over to Blaze’s side, holding him back.

“I need to be with her!” he growled, but I didn’t budge.

“Right now, she needs to be taken care of,” I said. “I’m sorry, Blaze.”

My other great-granddaughter had fallen under the Hermessi’s influence, too. And the pain it caused would be with me for a long time, ripping through me like liquid fire. It took a lot of effort to fight back the umpteenth round of tears threatening to flood my eyes.

“How did this happen?” Derek asked, almost breathlessly.

“I don’t know…” Blaze managed. Lawrence came up and wrapped him in a tight hug. “I… I was only downstairs in the kitchen, prepping the baby formula. By the time I got back up, I… I found her like this…”

“It’s okay, Blaze,” Lawrence said to him, as the dragon started sobbing. I’d never seen him like this. Then again, there had never been such a direct threat to his young family before.

“I should’ve been more careful.”

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” Derek said. “They’re determined to take down the fae. All we can do is be vigilant and make sure those affected are looked after.”

“No, I could’ve—”

“Dammit, Blaze, stop it!” Lawrence barked, gripping his shoulders. “You’re going to drive yourself mad if you blame yourself for any of this. You can’t. Okay? Stop it. My daughters need us. All of us. You, me, Bijarki… We’re in this together.”

“Speaking of which, where is the incubus?” Corrine asked, leaving Caia in Arwen and Mona’s charge.

“I think he’s with Chantal,” Mona replied. “He brought her over when Vita was transferred to quarantine in The Shade and they settled into a treehouse here so he could be close by.”

“Dad’s with Jericho in the quarantine area.” Blaze sighed, unable to take his eyes off Caia.

She was placed in her own crystal casing, next to Vita, Grace, and Ben. The sight of all four of them was too much to bear. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I turned around, my back to them, so I could at least focus on the work that still needed to be done.

The Shadians were all distraught and worried sick. Many had loved ones resting in the sanctuary now. And the rest of us had to do something about it. Derek took my hand in his, as if reading my mind.

“I’ll prepare a short speech about this,” he said. “I think our people need to hear from us, Sofia.”

I nodded slowly. “It’s the least we can do.”

“What about Caia?” Blaze asked, holding on to Lawrence for some kind of support. “What do we do now?”

“We wait,” Corrine replied. “I know it’s not what you want to hear right now, but, Blaze, we’ve already tried everything. Conventional medicine, witchcraft… None of it is working. Whatever this Hermessi influence is, it’s holding them down, physically. According to Vikkal, their bodies will no longer be theirs, at some point.”

“We have to stop it,” Lawrence replied. “I know we’re trying our best here, but we need to try harder. There has to be something more we can do.”

“There isn’t,” Ibrahim interjected. “I think Tae’s crew will bring in more information about the Hermessi as soon as they get it. For now, however, we’re stuck like this.”

A couple more fae were brought in, one after the other. Mona, Arwen, and the other witches didn’t linger. They dashed over and helped settle them inside vacant crystal casings, activating the spells and making sure we had their vitals on a monitor, as well. This combination of earthly medical tech and witchcraft was the best we could do, for now.

“Where were they brought from?” Mona asked one of the vampires who’d brought the fae in.

“The extension. There was an attack there. The assailant got away, but took down several fae beforehand,” the male vampire said. “There are more coming shortly.”

“How many?” Arwen croaked, her eyes wide with shock.

“Fifteen,” another vampire agent replied. “It was quick. They didn’t even see it coming.”

Derek and I exchanged alarmed looks. We both knew what this meant.

“They’re ramping up the attacks,” Derek said. “They obviously have a target to reach.”

“There are about three hundred fae living in The Shade,” River said.

The first vampire agent turned around, his brow furrowed. “We moved the ones who weren’t affected to another location, secured by teams of vamps and Maras. They’re all on high alert.”

“We don’t know what else to do,” the second vampire said.

“Not much we can do,” Ibrahim grumbled. “These elemental scumbags are determined to rattle us and take our fae.”

I stole another glance at my fae side of the family—now four of them in crystal casings. I teared up, then turned my back on them. This was too much, and I had to look away. Only, the sight in the doorframe broke me even harder.

More fae were being brought in on gurneys, and agitated voices rippled from outside. Marion rushed in, desperately clinging to one of the mobile beds. Lucas…

“Oh, no…” I managed.

When Derek saw him, his whole world practically collapsed around him. But he didn’t cave in. No, he became angry—the kind of rage I hadn’t seen in him since we were both young and fighting to destroy the Elders.

“What the hell happened?” Derek asked, joining Marion by Lucas’s side. I wasn’t far behind. Mona made Lucas her priority, checking his vitals first. He was out cold, his skin glowing amber. His eyes moved anxiously beneath his eyelids, but he wasn’t responsive. “Dammit, Marion, what happened?”

“We were in The Shade extension,” Marion said, her voice trembling. “Just checking the area, on patrol. Lucas didn’t want us to just stay in and watch everything on the screen, so I went with him. We were close when the fae families were attacked… It was fast, Derek, one after the other.”

“And Lucas fell victim to the attackers?” I replied, struggling to keep my composure.

Marion nodded. “Attacker. Just one. But he knew The Shade’s weak spot, the good angles. He dashed past us. Before I realized what was happening, Lucas was on the ground. But I got him. I got him!”

“Got who?” Derek was confused.

“The attacker!” Marion replied, then motioned for two vampire GASP agents to bring him in. My jaw nearly dropped when I recognized him as he struggled against his restraints. Arwen was quick to cast a protection spell around him, a shimmering layer that stopped him from using his water ability on us.

“Visarion? What the hell?!” Derek snapped.

Visarion had been one of the key fae elements in the Stravian Blackout, partially responsible for the mass memory wiper’s successful activation. He was a GASP member, and a good friend to many of us. Yet now he stood as a traitor, his skin glimmering from Arwen’s spell and a muscle angrily ticking in his jaw as he looked at us.

“You’re part of the Hermessi cult?” I asked, still disbelieving the sight before me.

“It’s too late, Sofia,” Visarion replied dryly.

Derek moved to hurt him, but Lawrence and Blaze were quick to hold him back. River, Rose, and Caleb joined us, and we all stared at Visarion as if he wasn’t real. As if we were all hallucinating this. How could we believe that a water fae as loyal and as fierce as Visarion would turn against his own people, against the world?

“Derek, don’t,” Lawrence said to him. “We got him. We need intel.”

“You did this?” Blaze asked, motioning around us at the dozens of fae encased in charmed crystal.

Visarion shrugged. “Most of it. I’m not the only one, but I am the most efficient.”

“You put my brother under!” Derek spat, unhappy that Lawrence and Blaze were holding him back. Still, he didn’t try too hard to get loose. Part of him surely knew that Visarion was more useful to us alive than dead.

“He got Lucas, yes, and the fae families,” Marion interjected, glowering at the fae. “He was efficient, all right.”

“Why would you betray us like this?” I asked.

“I’ve been a believer in the Hermessi from day one,” Visarion replied. “When the cults arose, they promised a fresh start. Frankly, I was tired of all the trouble our worlds keep running into. First, the Elders. The ghouls. Eritopia. Neraka. Then Strava. Strava was the last drop for me. It kept going from bad to worse, so when the Hermessi said they had a way of wiping the slate clean and giving our worlds a new beginning, I took it. I was on board.”

The way Visarion spoke struck me as odd. There was pride in his voice, but there were also tremors of regret. I had a feeling he hadn’t been into this cult thing 100 percent. Not lately, anyway. Maybe his conscience had gotten to him, in the end.

“Let me guess, they promised one thing but they’re delivering another?” I shot back.

“There was a sense of belonging. That’s what you don’t get about how the cult works. After Strava, we were all hopeless, just bracing ourselves for the next disaster we’d have to untangle before it blew us to pieces. It was only a matter of time. I was groomed and trained in the cult. I was smart, too, because I wore my symbols on my body, where people couldn’t see them.”

“What do those carved symbols do?” Arwen asked him.

“Amplifiers,” he said. “They amplify our abilities.”

That explained that, finally. “They also lock the Hermessi’s influence in, don’t they?”

“Yes and no,” Visarion said. “They try to, but they don’t always work. You see, there are certain fae that were practically designed to successfully channel the Hermessi’s energy. Most of them are in this sanctuary here, now, and in the other quarantine areas across the In-Between and the Supernatural Dimension. It’s all happening on a large scale. You’re in over your heads.”

“And you’re rambling,” I retorted. “Bragging yet reeking of guilt!”

“Because I know I’m done for!” Visarion spat. “By the time I realized what the Hermessi meant by a ‘fresh start,’ I wanted out. But it was too late. So, here I am.”

“What do they mean?” Derek asked, occasionally glancing at Lucas.

Poor Marion was barely holding it together, paler than usual. “They want to destroy us, huh?”

“Just every form of life, really.” Visarion sighed. “Leave the landscape, kill the creatures. Start anew. Different cell organisms that would evolve in another direction. They’re tired of us.”

“What, they’re bored?” Corrine blurted, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

“I don’t know!” Visarion replied. “Point is, you can’t stop them. So, you either join them and pray they don’t kill you along with the others, or you die eventually.”

“You mean Lucas, Grace… everyone… they’ll die,” I concluded, my blood turning to ice and cutting through my veins.

Visarion gave me a sad look. “I did the best I could with what I had. I chose to hope I’d have a chance to survive once the Hermessi complete their ritual. For what it’s worth, it’s not a decision I made lightly.”

“You’re killing my brother, you son of a bitch!” Derek snarled. “Lucas went through a lot to become the person he is today, and you are not going to turn him into a Hermessi weapon, you hear me?! You won’t! You’ll fail! You will all fail!”

“That’s your anger talking,” Visarion said, remarkably calm. “I told them they’d have their work cut out for them. They didn’t believe me. They’ll win, either way, but I have to say, they did underestimate you people a little bit.”

“You’re not making sense. Are you talking about the Hermessi? You spoke with them?” I asked.

“Every day,” Visarion replied.

“Then you’ve got intel that you’re going to share with us, buddy,” Caleb said.

“I’d like that, but, you see, I’m already screwed. The moment I joined the cult, I became their servant. They won’t let me talk.”

“Here you are, Visarion, talking,” I hissed. “Talk some more.”

Visarion smirked. “It’s no use, Sofia. They’re going to win. You’ll put up a fight. You’ll do your best to stop them, but you can’t.”

I poked him in the chest with my index finger. “Listen carefully, Visarion. The Hermessi are trying to kill Taeral and his crew. They haven’t done this with any other GASP agent who’s currently out there, working to stop them and their cults. That, in my book, means that Taeral’s team is on to something—something that makes the Hermessi worry enough to want them dead. So, you can drone on about how we can’t stop them, but you’ll just be deluding yourself. The natural elements aren’t indestructible. Case in point, the Cerixian Fire Hermessi. His brothers destroyed him. Wake up, Visarion, for the Hermessi have been fooling you for too long.”

“The deeper we dig, the more we discover about them to back up what Sofia just said,” Caleb added, while Derek boiled in Lawrence and Blaze’s grip. “Sooner or later, we’ll find a way to stop them. So, speak now, or perish in infamy, Visarion. All the good you’ve done will be canceled out by this horrific treason.”

Visarion thought about it for a moment. I could see the truth sink in, especially after I mentioned Taeral and his crew. He knew I was right. He opened his mouth to respond, but his skin began to glow hot red.

“Get away from him!” I shouted, then moved back.

Just in time, too, as Visarion burst into violent flames. The bright orange fire rolled outward like a living inferno, and we landed on our backs, several feet away from where he’d stood. Visarion was no longer there. He’d just been reduced to a pile of ashes.

It took me a couple of seconds to bring my erratic breathing under control as I got up and dusted myself off. Derek came by my side, one hand settling on the small of my back. “Are you okay?” he asked me.

I nodded slowly, then briefly glanced around. Lawrence, Rose, and the others were fine, too. The flames hadn’t affected any of the nearby crystal casings, either.

“Well, that’s settled, then!” Corrine declared. “The Hermessi don’t want their people talking. The moment they get a whiff of surrender from their drones, they set them on fire.”

“That explains why the cultists we still have in holding are alive right now. They have no intention of betraying their overlords,” Derek replied.

I let a deep sigh come out. It sounded like a tortured moan, reflecting most of the anguish that tormented me on the inside. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I took several deep breaths.

“Derek, there are more like Visarion who have infiltrated The Shade and other worlds,” I said. “Taeral and his crew had better come up with something, and quickly. Otherwise, we won’t be able to keep any of this under control.”

All the fae in my family were now ill, stricken by the Hermessi’s influence. Our closest fae allies were hurting, too. With every hour that passed, more of them were brought into the sanctuaries that GASP had set up across the In-Between and the Supernatural Dimension. The situation was degenerating at an alarmingly rapid pace, and it was hitting us all where it hurt the most—our families.

And we were left on the sidelines, watching helplessly as the Hermessi’s power grew, as their influence spread and claimed more victims. They had a number to reach, and I worried we were underequipped to deal with what came next.