Chapter 1

I never imagined my first trip abroad would be a desperate quest to save my father from a shadow dragon's curse. According to the witch Lisa, we had to gather seven items to close the portal to hell, each corresponding to a demon of the Seven Deadly Sins.

It was a daunting task, but we'd already managed to secure the phoenix grass for the Demon of Gluttony and the phoenix feather for the Demon of Greed. Those battles had tested our limits, but we'd emerged victorious, stronger, and more determined than ever.

Now, as we set our sights on Scotland, I couldn't help but feel a mix of apprehension and determination. Somewhere in that mystical land lay the next item we needed to face off against the third big, bad demon in our path. The thought of the challenges ahead sent a shiver down my spine, but I knew with my brother, Damon, and the vampire Justice by my side, we'd stop at nothing to complete our mission, save our father, and close the portal to hell.

Still, ever since Lisa put us on this path, I'd been haunted by the vision I had in the graveyard. Every night, I was drawn into the same eerie dreamscape. A shadowy figure lurking in the darkness, an abandoned mansion looming in the distance, its attic window beckoning me closer. The dream would then shift, transporting me to a serene lake, its placid surface broken only by the presence of a solitary island. There, an angel statue stood sentinel, its weathered face seeming to hold secrets I couldn't quite grasp.

What kept floating around in my dreams was a handheld mirror. It was the key to opening the secrets to heal my dad.

If we can find it…

Denver International Airport was eerily quiet this early in the morning, the calm before the storm of our impending journey. We had checked our bags with our weapons tucked safely away, magically guarded from airline technology. We had gone through a fast-moving security line and waited at our gate. Justice had a carry-on bag with his and my laptops.

Our hearts were heavy with the weight of our mission. A sense of unease washed over me, and I shivered. Justice, a pillar of strength, looked as handsome as ever with his hair pulled up into a man bun and his broad muscles straining against his long-sleeved black T-shirt.

He glanced at me, his deep brown eyes flickering with concern. "Are you still thinking of that dream?"

I nodded, my throat tightening as the vivid images of the vision played out in my mind. The magical mirror, our only hope to save our father, lay hidden in a distant Scottish loch, but the path ahead was fraught with danger. The shadow dragon's curse had already stolen so much from us. Now, with a vengeful dragon shifter and her demonic allies on our heels, I couldn't shake the feeling that this journey would demand more sacrifices than we'd ever faced.

My brother Damon came back with coffee from Starbucks. We were twins, but he looked exactly the opposite of me with his dark hair, though we shared the same blue eyes. He sat beside me, flashing his gaze over me with the same look of concern as Justice.

"Still thinking about that vision?" he asked as he handed me my nonfat, flat white coffee.

I shrugged. "Yeah. I swear I've dreamed about it every night since that graveyard."

"You probably have." Justice rubbed my back. "You've got the flashlight that sees into the future, but you can't always trust it. Sometimes, it omits clues, and it's not destiny. It's what might happen. Remember that."

I sighed heavily. "I wish Lisa and her phoenix were coming with us. She'd be a big help in leading us in the right direction."

Damon elbowed me playfully. "Maybe, but she's on phoenix duty. Plus, we've got you, right?" His words wiped out the frown, and my lips tipped into a smile.

"No pressure there." I chuckled.

Justice's phone buzzed, and he looked down at it. "Looks like Brody, Scott, and Grady have already checked into McDuff Manor."

Damon slouched back, a leg tossed lazily over his knee, the picture of boredom. "McDuff Manor, huh? Sounds like somewhere you'd find Donald Duck hanging out, not us."

I scowled. "Damon."

He ignored me and sipped his coffee.

Justice frowned. "McDuff Manor is a safe house for the Paranormal Mercenary Corp. It's warded against evil. Hopefully, their wards still work."

Damon locked gazes with him. "If they don't?"

Justice's cheek twitched. "Then the demons and Maci could be lying in wait, ready to ambush us at any time. We need to stay on high alert."

"That's comforting," Damon grumbled.

"Don't despair," Justice stated. "We have powerful friends in Scotland."

I looked at him curiously. "Like who?"

Justice lowered his voice, a hint of admiration in his tone. "The Queen of the Court of Blossoms. She's a purple dragon and very powerful."

Damon cracked a grin. "You mean like Barney? You kidding me?"

Justice ignored him. "The queen is half-dragon, half-fae. She was my teammate, and she's a formidable ally. Strong enough to take on even the likes of Maci."

We didn't have Lisa, but we could have a queen who could help us with Maci and her demons. I was definitely intrigued. "So, this Court of Blossoms is in Scotland?"

Justice rubbed his forehead, a hesitant expression crossing his face. "Not exactly. The Court of Blossoms is…complicated."

Damon's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean, ‘complicated'? It's either in Scotland or it isn't."

Justice sighed, his gaze shifting between us. "The Court of Blossoms exists in a realm that straddles the line between our world and the Fae realm. It's accessible from certain points in Scotland, but it's not a physical place you can walk into."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the mystery surrounding the Court. "So, how do we reach it? Is there some kind of portal or magical gateway?"

A hint of a smile played at the corner of Justice's lips. "Something like that, but it's not a journey to take lightly. The path to the Court of Blossoms is guarded by ancient magic and can be treacherous for those who are unprepared."

Damon kicked back with a thoughtful look. "If it means teaming up with someone as badass as the Queen, it might be a risk worth taking… Well, I'll be damned," he mumbled as he slowly stood.

Justice and I followed his gaze. Lisa hurried toward us, fear and determination flickering in her eyes. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she wore a loose top and a pair of jeans, but her bloodshot green eyes caught my breath in my throat.

Damon caught her arms, his usual lightness a distant memory. "What are you doing here?" he demanded tightly.

Tears welled in her eyes. "It's… Aurora and Morgan." Her voice cracked, whispering each name with love and fear. Her bond with her animals—Aurora, her mystical phoenix, and Morgan, her loyal German shepherd—was evident in the desperation of her trembling body.

Damon's posture shifted, the immediate concern etching deeper lines into his already weary face. "All right, talk to us, Lisa. What happened to them?" His low voice carried command and unexpected gentleness as his protective nature bubbled to the surface.

Her lower lip trembled. "I don't know. I woke up this morning, and they were both gone."

Justice furrowed his brow. "I thought there was a protective barrier around the graveyard. Evil couldn't break it."

She nodded. "There is a barrier. It's supposed to be impenetrable to evil forces. I can't make sense of it. Unless Maci or one of her demons figured out a way to lure them beyond its protection with a spell."

Justice rubbed the back of his neck. "If that's true, it's only a matter of time before Maci can use the power of the phoenix to gain control over life and death."

"I don't understand, Lisa," I remarked. "Why are you here?"

She wiped her tears away. "After I searched for them in the woods and couldn't find them, I went to see Elijah."

Elijah Starweather was a powerful psychic in Mystic Vale. He really was the genuine article and not a phony.

Damon scrubbed a hand down his face. "What did the great magician say?"

She drew a quivering breath. "He had a vision that said Maci and the demons took them to Scotland. For some reason, they need Morgan, too, but he couldn't see why. He gave me a warning. Maci needs to do a draining spell under the full moon at a place called Lohraith Cairn."

Justice gave her a hard stare. "Are you sure about that? He definitely said Lohraith Cairn?"

Something in his grave voice curled my stomach into a tight knot.

"Yes, why?" She folded her arms as if to ward off a sudden chill.

Justice sighed. "Because that place is a nexus of dark magic. Both people and supernaturals have vanished there, swallowed by its shadows. It's nestled in the Highlands, reachable only by a treacherous path. Legend has it the druids once wielded their ancient magics there."

Lisa blurted, "I don't care. I won't let anything happen to Aurora and Morgan. They're my family."

Tears spilled down her cheeks as if she'd turned on a sprinkler.

I gripped her arm with reassuring firmness. "I promise we won't let anything happen to them."

Lisa sniffed. "Thank you." She sought refuge in Damon's embrace, burying herself in his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her.

Damon and Justice exchanged a glance before they sent me a disapproving look, a silent warning not to make promises I might not be able to keep.