My hands trembled as I rushed to the main hall. I had told Keeran to stay behind, but he said he wanted to be there, just in case.

In case of what? As if he could protect me if something happened.

Twice, fear overcame me, and I stopped in the middle of the hallway, considering running. Right now. Just grab Keeran’s hand and run. We couldn’t go to DuMoir Castle right now, and I had no idea how Drake’s dealings with the werewolves were going, so I couldn’t ask refuge from them either.

Keeran and I could hide in the cottage for now, until Drake was able to meet us and came up with a solution. Because there had to be another way, right?

“Thea,” Keeran whispered from behind me the third time I stopped. “We have to go, or you’ll be late.”

“Late for what?” I snapped. “My death?”

Because surely, I wasn’t pregnant after sleeping with Drake only a few times. Especially because he was a vampire. If he had been human, I would be more hopeful.

I still wasn’t sure about bringing a child into this crazy, violent world.

“Princess Morda might make an exception for the current hero,” he said. “But if you don’t show up, then she’ll hunt you down.”

He was right.

I held on to the hero card, ready to play it the moment she checked me and found out I wasn’t pregnant.

In the main hall, Morda stood in front of her chair, watching with eagle eyes as the witches entered the room and lined up in several rows. Keeran stayed with the other servants by the walls and I rushed forward. I found a place right in the middle, and Ebby stood beside me.

“How are you holding up?” I asked her. She looked as nervous as I felt.

“Not well,” she whispered. “I … I haven’t t slept with a servant lately.”

My eyes widened. “But … she’ll find out. What are you—?”

“It seems you’re all here.” Princess Morda’s voice boomed through the hall. The last time I checked, we were over two hundred witches. Were all of us here? I glanced around and gasped at the crowded room. “Stay in your places. I’ll go around and use my magic to detect any pregnancies.”

When Morda moved to the first line of witches, the tension in the room was palpable. She placed her hand on the stomach of the first. Three seconds later, she grinned. “Well done. You’re pregnant.”

The witch’s shoulders dropped in relief.

I could see the second witch in line shaking from where I stood. Morda rested her hand on her stomach. This time, it took five seconds, but finally Morda announced, “You’re not pregnant yet, but I can sense male seeds inside you. Well done.”

I thought the young witch would fall to the ground when Morda moved to the next witch.

Wait … Morda could sense the man’s sperm inside a witch? We didn’t have to be pregnant yet?

The hope flaring inside me was short-lived.

Drake was a vampire and chances were he was sterile, like the vast majority. There would be no sperm inside me.

Holy …

My hands trembled more with each passing minute, and I only noticed I had started fidgeting with the skirt of my gown when Ebby slapped my hand, getting my attention.

To stop the nervous habit, I put my arms behind my back and entwined my fingers together. Tight.

Then Morda was on the line before mine, checking the witch right in front of me. So far, all the witches had passed the check.

“I can’t sense a baby or a man’s seed inside you,” Morda said, her voice rising with a biting edge. “Carlyn, you’re sentenced to the bloodbone ritual.”

I gasped.

Two witchguards appeared beside a wide-eyed Carlyn and took her by the arms. They started carrying her away from the other witches, when Myrna, another witch who had already passed the test jumped out.

“No!” A black flame appeared in her hand, and she threw it at Morda.

Morda didn’t even blink. She swept her arm to the side and the flame faded. Then she pointed a finger at Myrna.

The crack of several bones breaking echoed through the hall.

Her body fell to the floor.

Horror filled me.

“No!” Carlyn yelled, finally waking up from her shock. She thrashed against the witchguards. “Myrna, my love. No!”

Whispers began somewhere in the back and spread.

“They were lovers.”

“Carlyn refused to lie with a man.”

“But Myrna did it for them.”

“And now both will pay.”

My heart sank.

Without ceremony, Morda walked to the end of the hall. The two larger glass doors opened inward, and she went outside, followed by the witchguards and a screaming Carlyn.

“All of you, move, now,” Soraya snapped.

Falling out of formation, the other witches and I rushed to the large stone patio outside and gathered in a circle around Morda and Carlyn.

With a wave of Morda’s hands, two stone pillars jutted from the ground. The witchguards chained Carlyn to the pillars, then stepped back, returning the show to Morda.

“Pay attention,” Morda said, her voice ringing in our ears.

A long hunting knife appeared in her hand and she began. Morda dragged the knife from Carlyn’s collarbone to her pelvis. At first, Carlyn screamed and jerked, but when Morda repeated the gestured on her arms—from the shoulders to her palms—Carlyn went silent.

I turned my face away.

I could hear the blade as Morda continued her cruel work, cutting Carlyn open while keeping her conscious with magic. I didn’t need to look to know what happened next. We all had heard the stories, the tales. Although, I had never seen it, had never heard the chilling screams, then the terrifying silence.

Next, Morda pulled out Carlyn’s organs one by one. She put them in a pile and set them on fire. Then, it was time for the bones. Morda ripped out Carlyn’s bones. With magic, she twisted the bones until they snapped.

Only after that was done did Morda drop the magic keeping her victim alive.

Carlyn whimpered one more time.

The chain loosened and her limp body fell to the ground.

I forced myself to look up as Morda, with blood on her hands, arms, gown, and face, turned and looked at us. “Carlyn and Myrna were lovers. I don’t care as long as they followed my orders. Witches who aren’t performing their duties to the coven will be considered traitors, and treachery will not be tolerated.” She wiped her hands on her gown, but I wasn’t sure which one was more bloodied. “That’s enough of a show for tonight. Those of you whom I haven’t checked yet tonight, consider yourselves lucky. You have a couple more days to try again.” She waved her bloody hands. “Now go.”

The witches around me hurried inside the mansion as if afraid that, if Morda caught them, they would be next.

But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.

Two witches had died here, two witches who loved each other, and despite the gruesome punishment, everyone would be returning to their normal lives in a matter of minutes.

By all that was scared, when did we become so cruel, so heartless?

Ebby caught my arm and tugged. “Come before Morda notices you.”

What if she did? What would she do? Perform the bloodbone ritual on me because I was appalled?

I wanted to see her try.

I clenched my fists and felt the magic rushing through my veins.

“Thea,” Keeran muttered somewhere behind me. “Please, let’s go.”

What would happen to Keeran if I died? Would the bond break or kill him too? I let out a long breath. I couldn’t be this careless.

Reality crashed over me like a waterfall. I inhaled sharply.

What was I doing? I was weak, even with the heart’s magic around. I couldn’t take Morda by myself.

“Yes, let’s go,” I whispered, finally turning and following Keeran and Ebby back into the mansion.

Morda wasn’t kidding. If I was caught looking the wrong way, I could also end up a victim of the bloodbone ritual.

There was too much to do to be caught and killed just yet.