Chapter thirteen

"Everything as in what, Monique?" My mind races. Reaching out to Kaylus proves he's unconscious, but the feel of his life force sings through me, so I know he's alive. My wolf, since the fog, has been silent. Only my claws are able to come out, but the rest of her is completely blocked inside me. And I hate every minute of it.

"Oh, Adara, don't call me by my name. It makes me feel so old. And how disrespectful it makes you sound." She tsks, shaking her head. "I'm your mother. You would be wise to remember that."

"You're no mother of mine," I say, half-laughing as the absurdity of it all hits me. "You're not a mother to either one of us. Look at Jules! You just got lucky Mila looks enough like you to pass for matching features."

Monique smacks the arm of the throne, pointing a finger at me. "Enough, you insolent child!"

"You took advantage of the fact that Moren had green eyes, like yours, and bam, you had yourself a spitting image, didn't you? Same cold-hearted, selfish arrogance that lives in your eyes I'm sure lived in his too." I throw my hands up, gripping the ends of my hair. "Does it drive you crazy that I look like my father and nothing like you? Or was it worse when Jules was born and you found out she's sweet and kind and just like Mila in every way you could never be?"

"I said enough!" She flies to her feet, the whole room shaking like an earthquake as magic pours from her hands into the floor.

Jaz screams, and Jules moans from behind me.

I stumble, losing my footing on the unsteady ground, and fall to my knees. I smirk, watching her come undone is one of the sweetest tasting victories for me. "Just answer me one thing." Shoving myself up from my knees, I inhale through my nose, letting my anger rise to the surface and simmer there. Waiting. "How did you do it?"

"As if it was easy doing exactly what that weakling wanted. No children for her mate—" she scoffs. "I took the baby she didn't even know she was carrying when I stripped her of her eggs. I erased the baby's lycan traits and gave her just a drop of my own blood. You are both my children, Adara." Her chin lifts as she stares at me down the length of her nose, enjoying the way her words strike like the twisting of a blade.

The bloodlock spell finally makes sense—Jules has Monique's blood running through her veins, whereas I only have half her DNA. Of course she would be able to read Monique's blood locked journal.

"My blood runs through both of your veins," she says.

Raymond sighs from his throne beside her. "I believe there were questions you were meant to ask, and not merely answer."

She narrows her gaze at him. "Why do I need the well when I have a mated lycan witch before me?" She steps in front of him, the clicking of her heels on the rug-covered tile muted. "With her blood, I'd gain enough power to destroy the well forever. No one would ever be able to think of challenging me."

Allen growls, taking a step toward her.

Lifting a hand toward him, she points one finger. "Now, Raymond, be sure to tell your councilman the power I do hold." She turns a wicked smile toward the man holding Jaz and Kaylus. "Or would you like to find out for yourself?"

"We had a deal," Raymond snarls. "We help you, and—"

Monique laughs, mocking him. "A deal? Tell me, Raymond, why would I give you fools the well's power if you couldn't hold up your end of our so-called deal."

As they continue arguing, I step back toward Jules slowly. With a hand behind my back, I send a few embers her way and have them touch her skin. Her shocked gasp of the sudden, soft warmth along her arms and face lets me know she's awake enough.

"Now, Adara," she swivels around toward me, "agree to drain your blood into this cup." Holding one hand palm up in front of her, she waves the other around in the air.

A silver chalice appears in her hand, emeralds lining its base with silver vines making up the stem. A cup crafted of leaves, dark green and metallic, sits at the top. It's something out of a fairytale.

"Do this for me, dear daughter, and I'll let your… sister and her friend go free."

"No," I say, lifting my chin and setting my shoulders.

Her mouth hangs open for a mere second, then snaps shut with an audible click. "No?" She squints at me, her gaze scrutinizing. "That mangey pack has truly destroyed everything about you. I am your mother, Adara. Do as you're told."

"Sorry, Mother, but I don't take orders from you any longer," I say, mustering up every ounce of strength and magic I can and letting it boil over the top that I've let it simmer beneath the surface of.

Flames blast out around me, fifty feet in each direction like a bomb exploding. Shouts and screams pierce the air, and I pray that my flames won't hurt the ones I care for. The fire licks its way to the wall behind me, eating at the metal chains.

"Pull, Jules! Break them when they turn red!" I yell behind me, hoping the red hot metal won't burn her and Wren, praying that she's awake enough. Curling my hands, I force the fire forward, my eyes locked on Monique. I'll burn this entire castle to the ground just to bury her within the rubble.

"Both of you," Monique yells to the two men, "stop her!"

"You stop her!" Raymond snaps, waving his hand at me. "Use a spell to douse the flames, you useless witch!"

She shoves Raymond out of her way with a screech, barreling straight for Allen. His face contorts as he's knocked back, rage taking over his features, but the shock of the fire's heat creeping closer to him makes him step away, still gripping Kaylus and Jaz in his hands.

Monique grips Jaz's hair, tears her from Allen's grasp, and throws her toward the flames. Jaz screams, and I burst forward to catch her, having my flames change and shift, protecting us within a circle of fire. "Get behind me," I tell her, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. "If you can reach Jules and Wren, go to them, but stay behind me no matter what, got it?" I shove her behind me as she nods, tears streaming down her face, making her look every bit the eight-year-old child that she is.

Smoke fans around the dais, and I wait for it to clear, only to see that they're gone. All three of them—with Kaylus. "No," I whisper, bolting forward to the thrones. "No, no! Kaylus!" I scream his name over and over, scouring the area for any sight of him or the three that ran off. A shiny black feather is at the corner of the small rug that sits before the thrones, and pulling it aside reveals a trap door.

I grab the metal handle and yank hard, the wood creaking but refusing to budge.

"A-Addy," Jaz cries, sniffling. She's sitting in the same place I left her, her body trembling.

As I tense to try heaving open the door again, I stop and scan the room. The fire is out now, my focus entirely elsewhere, and behind Jaz, Jules cradles Wren's body, her face buried in her mate's black hair.

I don't know what to do. I want to chase after them—save Kaylus and finish this—but Jules and Wren and Jaz… they need me too. Letting the door handle drop with an echoing thud, I collapse to my knees in front of Jaz and wrap her in my arms, her small body wracked with sobs as her arms tightly wind around my neck.

"Shh, shh," I soothe, running my hand down her hair gently, knowing her head is probably incredibly sore. "It's okay now. I got you." I scoop her into my arms after a minute and walk over to Jules.

"Wren, wake up," she cries, pressing her face into the side of her neck. "Please, you have to wake up."

I set Jaz down on the ground and reach for my baby sister's shoulder. "Jules—"

"Don't," she snaps, clinging harder to her mate. "Don't say it! She isn't dead." She pulls back slightly, rubbing her nose along Wren's. "I just—I just know she isn't."

"The mate bond," I say, touching my hand to my chest.

Jules's gaze snaps to me. "The what?"

"The mate bond," I repeat, scooting forward to touch her sternum. "You feel it right here, and it's so tight it almost hurts, but at the same time, it's comforting in a way you can't explain."

She takes a shaky breath, glancing down at Wren. "But… only wolves have…" Looking back to me, her face crumbles. "I knew it was true. I-I'm not your sister."

I lean forward and put my forehead against her cheek, sniffling. "You will always be my sister, Julesy. No matter what. Isn't that what you told Gideon?"

"You two… are disgustingly sweet…" Wren croaks, moaning as her eyes flutter.

Jules gasps, crushing Wren to her chest, renewed sobs breaking from her chest. Wren sucks in a hissing breath but hugs her back just as tightly.

"H-how…" Jaz sniffles, swiping her arm under her nose. "How are we going to save Kaylus?" she whispers.

Jules finally looks around the room, everything finally falling into place for her. "She took him." Her face falls when she looks at me. "Addy… we have to go after them."

I shake my head. "No, you three aren't in any condition to be going anywhere."

"Addy—"

"Juliana, I said no. You've been here for days, hurt and exhausted. I bet you couldn't cast a single spell right now." I raise my brow at her, daring her to argue, but instead, she averts her eyes to the ground. "Stay here, and stay together. Gideon or one of the others will come for you, okay?"

"Addy, wait, please," Jules's outstretched hand lands on my arm. "Don't go by yourself. I… I can't lose you too."

I throw my arms around Jules—and Wren—then pull Jaz in too. "I promise I'll be careful."

I make my way back to the thrones and the dais they sit on. The rug is still pulled back, and I stare down at the metal handle. Infusing magic through the metal, I let it heat slightly, hoping the expanding wood will create enough space that it'll open. Yanking on it, the trap door creaks open on rusty hinges, and I jump into the opening with one thought ringing in my mind.

I'm coming, Kaylus.