The binding on Sterling heated at a speed that the first two bindings had not even come close to, almost like . . .almost like the person who’d put the binding on the warlock knew he was going to be freed from her hold. We stood on the edge of the forest, not far from the Hive of vampires my sister ruled. Even so, we might as well have been in the middle of nowhere, with no one to help us with the odds we were facing.

I gritted my teeth against the shocking pain that laced my hands as I struggled with the binding on Sterling. It was coming free, but so slowly and unlike the first two, the damage being done to my hands was shocking even me. The warm trickle of blood that flowed down my hands and forearms said it all. This was no imaginary pain like before; these wounds were cutting deeply. “Auralee knows I am freeing you and she’s fighting me.” I managed the words through my teeth, but barely.

Corbin swore beside me. I imagined him pacing but I kept my eyes closed so I only could go by the sounds of his boots crunching in the snow.

I dug my fingers deeper into the binding. I had to hurry. I had to make this happen.

Now. I twisted my wrists, wrapping the binding around me like rolling a stick of cotton candy at the county fair. Over and over, I wound it around me, the heat so intense, it was as if I had my fingers in an open flame but I couldn’t stop.

I just had to move faster.

“Dominique, you’re bleeding!” Corbin yelled. I nodded, gave one last twist and then threw my body backward, taking the binding with me.

It stretched for a moment, and then gave with a boom that sent me flying. My eyes popped open as I sailed through the air and I saw Corbin and Sterling also airborne. Worse though, the binding had not let go of me.

Instead, it dug in deeper, crawling up my arms.

Headed for my most obvious wounds, my scars. I hit the ground hard as that realization slammed home, the double whammy of a hit shocking me. My fingers clenched around the tail end of the binding, stopping the snake-like thing as it curled up toward me, slithering, a piece of it flicking outward as if tasting the air around me.

I stared down at it as my lungs struggled to get a breath in after the fall. Finally, I sucked in a lung full of air. One word resonated through my brain with the voice of a man I didn’t know, and yet, I knew it was my father, the man whose blood I shared, not the man who raised me.

Begone, yell it.

“Begone!” I shouted the word, felt it sweep away on the wind as I clenched my fingers tighter yet on the magic that fought me. For a split second, nothing happened, and then the binding exploded into shards of light, like fairy dust. I stared at the place it had been wrapped around my wrist and arms, and then slowly sat up. My hands were cut, but the wounds were not as deep as I’d thought. Even though I was sure that the wounds had been vicious, and possibly even life threatening with all the blood from my body draining out of me.

I turned my hands over even as I watched the wounds healed over. The snow around me was the only indicator that I’d been hurt at all, the pristine white flecked with my blood like some sort of twisted snow cone.

Corbin reached me first, dropping to the snow beside me. “Dominique, are you okay?”

I nodded, at a loss for words. Instead I just reached for him and wrapped my arms around his neck. A second set of running footsteps and then Sterling was there, his arms around me, too. “Sweet goddess, I thought the blast killed you.”

“Nah, I’m tougher than that,” I muttered. I made myself let go of them and their warmth. “Much as I would love to stay here, we have work to do. First, we have to find Rose, then I will heal Diego.”

I didn’t dare say I would try, I had to believe that whatever power was in my blood would be enough to save them both.

“Any ideas where Etterson might have taken Rose?” Corbin didn’t move from his spot in the snow.

I shook my head slowly. “He didn’t give me directions that’s for sure. But he did say something about a temple of light. Does that mean anything to you two?” I looked from Corbin to Sterling, seeing the recognition in their eyes. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Sterling nodded first. “It is the home of our oracle.”

“Of Auralee,” Corbin added.

“Well, shit.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “Somehow I’m not surprised that Etterson and Auralee are in on whatever this is together.” I let out a deep breath. “Look, time is ticking and that means we need to get going. We need to get to this temple before he steals Rose’s power.” I didn’t want to say he was going to kill her because I had all the plans in the world to stop him. How, I had no idea on the details, but I was going to do it.

Sterling helped me to my feet, and Corbin’s hand was on my back supporting me. “We have to take you into the realm of the Warlocks if we are going to the Temple of Light,” Sterling said. “What that means, though . . .is that unless you pass the tests of redemption--”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“You will be killed if you fail,” Corbin said softly.

I drew a breath. Well, that was a stickler of a rule. “Rose first. Then Diego, then whatever else I must face.” With adrenaline soaring through me, the brave words were easy.

They both nodded, and for that, I was so grateful. They knew me well enough to know that even the threat of death wouldn’t scare me away from going after Rose, even if they didn’t think it was the right path. They were going to stand by my decision and it only made me love them more.

Sterling took my left hand, and Corbin took my right, covering my hands with both of theirs. “This will feel strange. Our land is in the shadows of the real world. Here, but not; real, but not.”

I nodded, feeling the truth of his words even though they made little sense. “Got it. Now let’s get this show on the road.”

Their hands tightened over mine and their magic flared on their arms at the same time. Black on Corbin, green on Sterling, the sparkles danced along their skin, and down over my hands. A push of power slid through my skin and I couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped my lips.

“Oh.” My mouth parted on the word as a shot of pleasure caught me off guard, circling around my lower half and tightening the need even as the magic flowed and shimmered. Corbin let out a low groan.

“I had not expected this.”

“What?” I whispered even though I wanted to say don’t stop.

“Our magic is tied to yours, tied to your pleasure now.” He took a step closer and I leaned into him even as Sterling closed the distance on my back side.

I closed my eyes and focused on slowing my breathing, allowing the tingling sensations to grow and spread, making my muscles weak and my belly tighten in anticipation of the growing orgasm.

The two men beside me breathed in tandem, syncing each intake and expulsion of air as they pressed in on me, their cocks making themselves very well-known against my ass and pussy through the material.

“The magic needs to bind us together to travel,” Sterling said softly and I pushed my ass against him.

“Sounds like a better way to travel than my granny’s RV that smelled of stale food and cheap perfume,” I murmured. Corbin laughed softly, bent and kissed me while Sterling kissed the back of my neck.

Tongues on either side of me, and the magic exploded around us, a veritable orgasm of power that spread outward in a wave that sent the snow flying.

That was the last thing I saw of my world, the last thing I saw before I came on a wave of pleasure that left me wrung out and unable to stand. A sound echoed in my ears . . . humming with magic and reminding me of another sound I’d heard, at another time but those thoughts faded quickly.

My feet stuttered in place as I fought to keep them under me. Corbin’s mouth was still on mine and Sterling had let go of my hands to grab my hips and hold me tightly as he rubbed against my ass over and over.

Whatever cognitive thought I’d had going was gone for just that moment until I pulled it together.

I put a hand on Corbin’s chest. “Stop, we have to get Rose.”

He blinked a few times and then nodded. “You’re right.”

Sterling was not so easily dissuaded. I pushed him gently and then shook my head as his hands swept up around me, cupping my breasts.

“Corbin, help me out here.”

He laughed and shook his head. “The magic when it takes control does not let go easily. This is not his fault.”

“I didn’t think for one moment it was.” I smiled. “And another time I’d totally take you two up on the offer.”

His eyebrows shot up and a wicked grin slid over his lips. “I’m holding you to that.”

I looked away, taking in where we were for the first time. Strange, we were still on the edge of the forest, but the world had . . .shifted for lack of a better word. What I saw in front of me were the trees, only they were loaded with flowers and fruit that did not exist in summer in New Hampshire, never mind the dead of winter.

Fruit of every color of the rainbow, fruit that was not real, it couldn’t be . . .and the flowers were no more real from the size of them (many were easily a foot across from petal to petal) to the colors that were blended as if by a master artist.

The grass below our feet was soft and with each step a burst of citrus curled upward, filling the air with the freshest of scents.

I drew a deep breath. “Which way to the temple?”

“In the ravine, past the home of the Windrun pack,” Sterling said. “Dominique, I’m sorry—”

I put a hand up, stopping him. “Don’t apologize. There was no offence taken on my part. But I think for right now we shouldn’t touch. In case we lose control again.”

The two warlocks nodded and we started off through the forest. I couldn’t help but look around, but I made my feet keep moving at a good pace. I ended up shedding my heavy winter jacket after only a few minutes as the warmth of the air was more than enough despite the thin T-shirt I wore underneath.

“The temple is not guarded,” Corbin said. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t be challenged. If this Etterson is a high-ranking warlock, he could have others step up to stop us for him.”

“And Auralee?” I raised an eyebrow. “What are we going to do about her?”

Sterling shook his head. “We are going to hope she is still in the human world doing whatever it is she was doing. Except for our mentor, Gavin, she is the strongest of our mages, and she can see the future, which is no small thing when it comes to outmaneuvering others.”

I nodded. “So, all along she’s been guiding Etterson, telling him where Rose and I would be?”

Sterling nodded. “It seems likely.”

A thought hit me so hard, I stopped in mid stride. “I was on the phone with Rose when she was in the accident.”

Corbin looked at me. “You’ve thought of something. What is it?”

I put my fingers to my throat, pressing in because I couldn’t believe it. The sounds . . .the sounds when we’d traveled here had been the same as the sound another time. An important time. “I heard something on the phone. I chalked it up to distortion because of the storm, but now that I’ve experienced your magic ... I think Etterson caused the car accident. I heard the magic.”

Good mother of God, how had I not realized it before? The accident had been a set up to hurt Rose, to take her away, and the only thing stopping that had been the fact that he’d been interrupted by other cars, but the attendants. I frowned and started walking again, Sterling and Corbin keeping up easily as I picked up my pace.

“That makes no sense. If he could do that, why didn’t he just take her then? If he wanted her, why didn’t he take her before the ambulance got there? He would have had at least ten minutes.” My mind scrambled to put the pieces together, to figure out the plot at hand. I wished I had Ally with me, her mind jumped through plot holes like a lion through a burning hoop and she could guess an outcome with the agility of seasoned writer. Going to movies with her was awful.

I smiled and then the smiled slipped as we approached the edge of the ravine. I turned to the left to see the shadowy outline of the Windrun pack’s castle. Here and there, I could see the ghostly images of people walking, doing things. I was sure that in a flash of movement, I caught a glimpse of Cassandra, my sister’s best friend, and female alpha for the Windrun pack. But she was there and gone before I could even call out to her.

I turned back to the ravine, approached the edge and looked down. At the bottom of the deep gorge was a spired building that indeed resembled a temple. The blocks and cuts that created the frame were white, a sparkling white as if the magic had been imbued into the stone itself. Even in the dark of the night, the building glowed, lit up as if from within. I counted seven spires that twisted like unicorn horns. I snorted to myself. As if unicorns were real.

“Unicorns aren’t real, are they?” I blurted the question, and when the two men nodded, I barely suppressed the desire to fist pump. Because unicorns were known for their healing properties. It meant there was another way to help Diego if I couldn’t.

“They are rare and do not like warlocks. We have wronged them in the past,” Sterling said softly.

I nodded. “But I’m not a warlock. I’m just a woman with a great mane of hair.” I flipped my hair back. “Here’s the thing. Rose is in that temple. We need to get in.” I looked to Corbin and then to Sterling. “Where is our best entrance?”

Corbin crouched and pointed to the side of the Temple of Light. “There, that is a servant’s entrance. We can disguise you, and send you in that way as we go to the front entrance. Splitting up will give us the best chance to get into Rose.”

Sterling nodded.

“Only one problem,” I said. “I don’t know where Rose will be.” I waved a hand at the temple. “That’s a big building. It must cover a few acres, at least, and that is just on its footprint, the base, I mean.”

“She will be on the third floor,” Sterling said. “That is where all the major transfers of power occur.”

Corbin held his hands out to either side of my face and a flicker of his magic spread over me. A deep purple cloak slid over my shoulders and hooded my face. “The color seems fitting, considering your dress.” He smiled at me and I smiled back.

“I love you,” I said and he startled. I turned and looked at Sterling. “And I love you, too. I love all four of you, and I know that once this is done, you won’t ever see me again. And in case I don’t get to tell Diego and Lucas I want you to tell them for me.” I spun and hurried down the slope before they could see the tears. Because in those few moments, I felt the reality of what I was going to face.

A power mad warlock who held my best friend captive. An oracle who didn’t want me to find my magic. And the loss of four men who held my heart in their hands.

The tears blurred my vision as I slid down the slope, the rocks trickling down around me. I slipped and stumbled, tripping more than once only to catch myself at the last second and then I was at the bottom of the ravine.

The Temple of Light was far more beautiful close up. The ground around it was a carpet of flowers that shimmered with the same glow as the temple stone. I wondered if it was magic or just this realm I stood in. Here and there were pathways of glowing cobblestones that led in different directions, no doubt to keep the flowers from being squashed. I stepped onto the closest one with a hop and then hurried along it, taking the appropriated turns that allowed me to reach the side door of the temple.

I bit my lower lip as I stared at the door. We’d not discussed what I would do if it was locked.

“Just do it,” I whispered to myself and reached out to touch the door. The slab of white stone spun open to the left, showing me a shadowy interior. I stepped in and a soft light bloomed to my right. I looked up to see a tiny person floating on wings of pure shimmering light. Her hair was spun silver and her eyes were so blue that they would make a summer sky weep with envy. She wore a floating dress of white and creams that fluttered with the passing wind of her wings.

“I will be your guide,” she whispered. “The master waits for you.”

I swallowed hard. “He . . .you mean Etterson?”

She shook her head. “I mean Master Gavin.”

A breath of relief flowed through me. Gavin was the mentor of my men. Surely, he could be considered safe. But I was no foolish girl who had no life experience of being double crossed. “I need to go to the third level first, to where the power exchanges happen.”

She sighed. “He will be disappointed. He had hoped you would free him.”

“Free him?” I shook my head. “Why would I do that?”

Her blue eyes filled with tears. “Because he is your father.”