The next morning, just as the sun was rising in the sky, we set off for the capital city. We had all risen a couple of hours before to go over our plan.

Now, my heart thudded against my ribcage as the carriage made its way south towards the capital. This confrontation could change everything. We could succeed and be free to move on with our lives. Or we could fail and . . .

I didn’t let myself finish the thought. We had to succeed.

I looked at my mates. Xavier and Noel sat on opposite sides of me, holding each of my hands, while Gabriel and Adrian sat across from us. Bastien and Carina were in the carriage behind us. My mates looked as worried as I did, but when I met each of their gazes, they gave me reassuring smiles. You can do this, I told myself, taking a deep breath. You can do this.

I kept repeating the mantra to myself throughout the whole journey until our carriage reached the outskirts of the capital. This was as far as the carriages would go; the others would trail me to the Council headquarters from a distance.

Before I stepped out of the carriage, I gave each of my mates a long embrace, sealing my lips to each of theirs. I stepped down from it and turned to face them.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“We love you,” Noel echoed, his silver eyes filling with emotion. “You can do this. We’re right behind you.”

Taking another deep breath, I turned and made my way into the city. The chill of the early morning air prickled at my skin, and I pulled my cloak close around my body. The city was just waking up; vampires and fae were milling through the streets, shopkeepers were opening their stores, merchants setting up their stalls. To my relief, no one paid me much attention, though I was careful to avoid any eye contact in case any of Edelnar’s spies were on the streets.

When I finally reached the Council headquarters, I braced myself as I stepped inside. I half expected Edelnar to grab me as soon as I entered, but the entrance area was empty.

I made my way up the staircase. Moving quickly, I managed to avoid the cloaked vampire guards who stood at the far end of the hall when I reached the second floor; they were in deep discussion and didn’t seem to notice me. I hurried into the main room of the Council headquarters.

I had expected to only find a low-level worker there, given that I hadn’t made an appointment. Carina and Bastien had told me that the Council tended to meet later in the day. But I halted in my tracks, startled, when I saw that most of the Council members were already there, a group of vampires and fae, gathered around the long table that dominated the room, speaking quietly amongst themselves.

They all fell silent when I entered; it would have been comical if I weren’t so terrified.

“Liana,” said a tall blonde fae woman, getting to her feet. I recognized her as Rinela, who’d addressed me the last time I was here. “What are you—”

“It’s a mistake,” I said, my voice wobbly, “my bond—with the vampires.”

Another stunned silence followed my words. Rinela’s eyes narrowed. I couldn’t tell if it was suspicion or disbelief that filled them.

I scanned Council members, searching for Carina’s mate Elijah. I’d feel better knowing I had an ally here. She had described him to me; tall, dark hair, silver eyes, angular features. My eyes landed on a male fae who matched her description, and he gave me a subtle nod. Relieved, I returned my gaze to Rinela.

“When you came to us before, you seemed—” she began.

“I was scared,” I lied, hoping that I sounded sincere. “I didn’t want to anger them. If possible . . . I want to undo the bond. I want to take you up on your offer to stay here.”

I studied their faces, which ranged from shock to disbelief. A few looked pleased, but that wasn’t enough to tell me which one was the traitor. Rinela nodded, studying me. I still couldn’t tell if she bought my reason for being here.

“I’ll escort her to her temporary quarters,” Elijah said, getting to his feet. My heart rate increased; I was afraid this would seem suspicious, but Rinela just waved him on.

“The rest of us will discuss among ourselves, and then we have more questions for you,” she said.

I nodded. Their eyes all followed me as Elijah escorted me from the room. He didn’t say a word as he led me from the room and down a long corridor towards a second set of stairs. He held himself rigid, tension in every part of his body. When we reached the top landing, two cloaked vampire guards stood there. They gave Elijah a polite nod as we passed them while giving me curious looks. It was only when we passed them that he seemed to relax, taking my arm and leading me to a small room at the end of the hall. It was bare bones, with just a dresser and a bed.

“I got Carina and Bastien’s message last night,” he said, after closing the door behind us. “I have several suspects who I think might be working against the Council—Rinela is one of them. Are the others far behind?”

“They dropped me off at the edge of the capital,” I whispered. “They shouldn’t be far.”

“Good. Stay in this room. It should only be a matter of time before the traitor alerts Edelnar to your presence here. Hopefully, we can intercept him before he gets to you.”

Elijah moved towards the door before casting one last glance at me.

“What you’re doing is very brave, Liana,” he said. “I’m sure your mates are proud.”

I gave him a shaky smile though my anxiety had increased.

Ironically, the waiting was the hardest part of my plan. I could feel my pulse fluttering at the base of my throat, my palms were sweaty, and my breathing rapid. Frightening possibilities ricocheted through my mind. What if this backfired terribly and my plan got my mates and our allies killed? What if Elijah was right—and Rinela was the traitor? Had I somehow just played into her hands?

It felt like an eternity had passed when I heard frantic shouts and a commotion just outside my door. Shaking, I yanked open the door and hurried out.

I froze. The two vampire guards I’d passed before lay dead on the ground. Edelnar approached, a sinister smile on his face. I stared at him in disbelief. How had he gotten here so fast?

He was here all along, I realized with horror. How closely was he tied to the Council? Were they all traitors?

I raised my hand to issue a spell, but Edelnar was on me in a flash, his hands around my neck.

“You’ve come to your senses too late,” he snarled, “I don’t want you anymore; you tainted yourself the moment you bonded with them. Now . . . you’ve made things too easy for me and Rinela.”

Horror coursed through my veins. Rinela. She was the traitor. This was worse than I’d thought—she was one of the leaders of the Council.

“Rinela is my lover. You were just a means to an end,” Edelnar said, seeming to take pleasure in the horror on my face. “She understands that fae need to be in control of Velar—not those beasts. We’ll just tell the rest of the Council that your vampire mates murdered you. Fae everywhere will see that vampires can’t be trusted. I’ll personally see to it that your mates are the first ones killed.”

I struggled against his vise-like grip, terrified. How was I going to stop this?

“Let go of our mate!”

The words came out in a growl. Edelnar’s grip loosened, and he turned.

At the end of the corridor, my mates charged towards us, their fangs bared. I shook loose from his grip, shouting a Repelling spell, and he went flying backward, landing hard on his back.

Noel leaped onto Edelnar, leaning down to tear out his throat with his fangs, but Edelnar rolled out from beneath him. Shards of light shot from his palms, hitting my mates and sending them tossing back. But they were on their feet in a flash, fighting with Edelnar in rapid-fire movements.

I moved forward cautiously. They were fighting in front of a window. If I aimed my spell just right, I could Edelnar out the window.

Raising my hand, I focused on Edelnar in the blur of fighting bodies and started to cast a spell. But in an instant Edelnar was in front of me, pulling me close to his body as he darted with me towards the window. I heard the horrified cries of my mates as he leaped out, still holding me in his arms. Shards of glass cut into my skin as we went flying out of the window; I kept my eyes shut to avoid the glass, my heart thundering with panic.

When I opened them, I realized that Edelnar was flying, hovering in mid-air. He tore me away from his body with one hand, holding me aloft. I tried not to look down, but I knew I wouldn’t survive a fall from this height.

“You and your parents are unworthy of your royal bloodline,” Edelnar spat. “Goodbye, Liana.”

And he released me.

As I hurtled towards the ground, towards my death, I managed to remember something through my panicked haze. Something I had done when Edelnar had first kidnapped me in New Orleans. It was the first time I’d used my magic. Magic propelled by fear. I could use it again; to save my life and to kill Edelnar. Only this time, my magic would be propelled by more than fear. It would be propelled by love, and my determination to live my life with my mates.

I lifted my hands, recalling a spell that Nya had taught me. It was the most powerful Repelling spell I could think of.

A burst of light exploded from my hands, halting my descent. The force of the spell propelled me upward, at a rapid pace. Edelnar still hovered above me in mid-air, probably eager to watch my death. As I got closer to him, I could see the disbelief on his face, then the anger, then the fear. I focused my magic towards him as I rose through the air, and I felt my entire body vibrate as more light exploded from my hands, striking Edelnar in the chest. He convulsed, struggling to breathe, but I clenched my fists, allowing the force of my magic to envelop him until his face went white. I could see his life draining from him, and his power, as he plummeted toward the ground, still struggling to breathe.

I watched from the air as his body slammed into the ground at an odd angle. I was too far above to see clearly see his face, but from the stillness of his body, I knew that he was dead.

Relief and fatigue filled me; the powerful spell had drained me of all my energy. Now my body was hurtling back towards the ground, and I didn’t have the strength to break my fall.

But I felt strong arms wrap around me as I approached the ground. I looked up, dazed.

Gabriel had caught me. Noel, Xavier, and Adrian crowded around us, tears in their eyes as they gazed down at me.

“You did it,” Gabriel whispered, his blue eyes wide with admiration and love as he reached down to stroke my hair. I had never seen him look so vulnerable. “Our strong, brave Liana.”

As I wearily met each of their gazes, I tried to smile, to bask in the glow of victory, of hope and love, but my magic had taken every trace of energy from me, and my world went black.