Chapter Eighteen

AVA-MARIE

"What are you doing, Ava?"

Marcus' voice echoed across the gardens. It was starting to get a little chilly— autumn had finally arrived in Ilamanthe with the end of October, and the leaves were starting to turn. I sat underneath an olive tree, contemplating to myself quietly while Eldin stood guard.

My wedding had been wonderful, and Charlie and I felt like we were so in love. The day had been completely magical, and held so many memories I would cherish forever. It was good to get back to normal life, though, and we'd happily settled into a routine of being husband and wife once more. It was everything I ever wanted… even if I had to admit to myself that as perfect as things were in Ilamanthe, they weren't perfect everywhere. I knew that intimately. We had our happy ending here, but until things were happy all around the world, I couldn't rest. Not while the Warden was still out there.

"Just… feeling the energy of the Earth," I said as Marcus took a seat on a stone bench beside me. "With fall here, it's like I can feel everything dying."

"I figured only a Nivita would be able to sense that kind of change in the earth," Marcus said.

"Earth with a capital E— the energy of the planet, not just the rocks and trees. It's different now," I noted. "Now that I know what I can do, everything feels like it's… changed."

"You're talking about your demigod power?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah." I wasn't the type of muse on things, but my newfound abilities had me perplexed. "We know I can take magic from the Earth's spirit, but I've been looking inside of her lately, and it's like there isn't much to give. She felt so powerful when I first connected with her during my training with my mother, but I've reconnected since, and it's like she's… sick."

"That's not good." Marcus frowned. "Do you think you might be able to fix it?"

"I actually wanted to talk to you about it," I started. "This isn't just the changing of the seasons. I feel like Earth's energy is being drained. It's pulling on my demigod magic— something from the spiritual realm. You have Death magic. Can you feel it, too?"

"I can try to tap in." Marcus shrugged. "It will work best with simultension— your Spirit magic with my Death magic."

He reached out for me, and I placed my hands in his. Marcus closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. My Spirit magic tingled up and down my form, and I could feel it tangling with the dark energy Marcus gave off. Together, we reached deep into the Earth. A pit seemed to form in my stomach the deeper we dug. I shifted in my chair, because the feeling made me very uncomfortable. I wanted to pull away, but Marcus' hold on me tightened. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, twisting his head to the side. He felt it, too.

"You're right," Marcus noted as he pulled back. "Ava, I think the spiritual realm is pulling energy from Earth. They're connected. With the gods fighting, and the Blessed Haven ripping apart, the spiritual realm is taking power from the earthly plane to stay alive."

"No wonder the Earth feels weak." I shuddered. "But Earth only has so much to give, and the spiritual realm needs to keep taking in order to remain active, since it's not able to sustain itself anymore. Supernaturals are constantly pulling magic from the spiritual realm in order to cast, so all that magic has to come from somewhere. If the Blessed Haven isn't providing it, Earth has to make up the difference. But what happens when the planet doesn't have anything left to give?"

Marcus swallowed. "I think that if that does happen, Earth wouldn't be the only thing that would be destroyed. The spiritual realm would be ruined, too."

"It would be a dire situation if such a thing were to happen," a deep voice said. I turned to see Emperor Cassiel standing a short distance away. He must've overheard us.

"Your majesty," Marcus blurted, and he fumbled to his feet to give a clumsy bow. I dipped my head as the Emperor joined us and took a seat on the stone bench.

"I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but this seems like a grave matter," Cassiel began. "I believe Mister Taylor is right when he says that if the Blessed Haven keeps taking energy from Earth, both planes of reality will eventually collapse."

"That truly means the end of everything," I said ominously. "No Earth, no spiritual realm… all the souls, in both planes, would be destroyed with the collapse. There'd be no life or afterlife. Everything that has been or ever was would cease to exist in one moment."

"Everything we know," Cassiel said. "Remember, energy cannot be created nor destroyed, save by gods or demigods, and neither demigods nor deities themselves would have control over the situation. All of that energy would have to go somewhere. Perhaps into the creation of a new world, one that may be better than this one."

The suggestion felt heartless, as if it was worth sacrificing all the innocent lives on Earth for something better.

"I don't want there to be a new world; I want to save the one we have," I growled.

"As we all do," Cassiel replied. "Ava, since this power to influence the Earth's spirit lies with you, I can do my best to advise, so we can avoid this situation altogether."

"You're a powerful Elf, but I don't know if we can find a solution to this," I said heavily. "The only way to stabilize things is to get the Blessed Haven up and running again, and it's breaking apart because the gods are fighting. The only way to prevent this is to stop the Warden, find the Divinity Keys, and open the Elven Gate as Charlie's prophecy foretells."

"Or surrender," Cassiel said simply.

Marcus gaped, and I instantly recoiled. "How can you say that?" I demanded. I didn't care that I was speaking harshly to an Emperor. No one should suggest we give in to the Warden. "Even if we were to give up, the Warden would rule everything, on Earth and in the Blessed Haven!"

"Yes. And we Elves would be exterminated, along with anyone else who disagreed with the Warden's rule, and all the love and light would eventually go out of the world, to be replaced by pain and suffering," Cassiel said gently. "But wouldn't it be a better alternative than all of nature and time being consumed by the breaking of the Blessed Haven entirely, and all souls being destroyed? There are more important things in the universe than us— things that have existed for time immemorial, that will continue to exist long after supernatural kind is gone. Isn't it worth our sacrifice to preserve that?"

"That's no world I want to live in," I spat. "No afterlife, either. It might as well all be gone if it's run by a dictator like the Warden."

"That's a very heavy choice to make," Cassiel stated. "You are a princess, Ava. These are very difficult choices that affect everyone. No matter what choices you make as ruler, someone will always have to pay the price. Sometimes we have to consider the greater good."

I despised that way of thinking. The greater good. It was a pathetic way to think and talk. I didn't believe we had to make sacrifices to get to where we wanted to go.

We just needed to deal with the Warden the hard way, and be done with it.

I huffed. "Well, it doesn't matter, because I'm not going to let that happen. The Blessed Haven isn't going to collapse, and the Earth isn't going to be destroyed. I'll give up everything I have to make sure that never comes to pass."

"I know you speak the truth, Ava. You will do what you must to protect all of us. I've been certain of it from the moment I met you," Cassiel praised. "This is a frightening situation, but if we band as one, we'll pull through it. You and your friends will bring an end to this war, so long as you stick together."

"Doesn't the Warden understand what he's doing?" Marcus asked. "He has to know that by convincing the dark gods to fight our deities, the Blessed Haven could break, and destroy everything else along with it."

"I believe if we've figured it out, he must know as well, but Doctor Taurus is a man who will take calculated risks to get what he desires," Cassiel said.

Of course. Because it was his way or the highway. The Warden didn't mind making a gamble on all of time, space and eternity if there was a chance he could be at the head of it, calling all the shots and making all the rules.

Screw him. Nobody decided what was going to happen to our world but me, because I would always make the right choice. We were saving it from the Warden, and kicking his ass on his way out.

"I don't care what the Warden has planned, because it's not coming true." I sat up higher. "Charlie and I are going to end him, then once we do, we're going to rid this world of suffering. Since we're demigods, we'll be strong enough to put an ending to misery and pain. Once the Warden is out of the way, it'll be easy."

"You can't avoid suffering, my child. No matter how much you try to," Cassiel said kindly. "The world is always innately suffering, and there is no way for anyone to stop it."

"That can't be true." I felt my fingers ache as my hands clenched. "I can be powerful enough to change it. If I'm a demigod, and I can't use my magic to end all suffering, then why should I even bother having my abilities? Why does it matter that I can perform incredible feats of magic if I can't use it to make the world a better place everywhere? I'm strong enough to stop anything."

"Not even a god is powerful enough to end suffering. If they were, don't you think they would've done so? Don't you think your ancestors would've interceded on your behalf if they had that ability?" Cassiel questioned.

"They can influence things," I argued. "We've seen it before."

"Yes, but even the influence of a deity is limited," Cassiel pointed out. "Not even a god has infinite power, enough to override free will."

I raised my chin. "Well, it doesn't matter if all the other gods and demigods were unable to do anything to prevent suffering, because none of them are me. I'll be the first one."

"Ava, my dear, you cannot survive without taking life from something else." Cassiel laid his hand gently on mine. "Even if you refuse to eat meat, you must still take the life of a plant to consume it. Otherwise, you will starve. Creatures must die to fertilize the ground so nature can continue to grow. The designer labels you love so much— how can you absolutely prove they weren't produced through unethical means? We could go on and on. There is a purpose to suffering, for if there wasn't, it wouldn't exist."

I felt my hand grow cold under his. "There is no purpose in suffering. Perhaps death, but not pain."

"Why not?" Cassiel asked softly. "Does it bother you to consider that could be a possibility, for suffering to have meaning? Do you have to believe that purpose has to be good?"

I shifted in my chair again. Marcus wasn't saying much, that was for sure. He was staring at me, expecting me to have some stereotypical answer.

But I wasn't giving him one. I thought differently from most people, and that was part of my identity. I wouldn't cave on this because other people figured the problem was too hard to solve. Not when there were solutions right in front of us, solutions society refused to integrate.

"We can make a completely equal, ethical society," I argued. "Look at Ilamanthe. I have no trouble getting around in my wheelchair here, and neither does Charlie, even though he's blind. We've fought society so long for accommodations that should be standard, but they're considered radical in the rest of the world. That's only a small taste of how perfect things are here. If the Elves can do it, so can everyone else. The world doesn't have to be the way that it is."

"Perhaps." Cassiel shrugged. "But much of that requires societal change to get there. The Elves have always had an accommodating culture, so it wasn't much of an effort or a debate to install these practices. In other cultures, you'd have a much tougher time. Decades, or even centuries, could pass without people ever changing their minds."

I let out a dark laugh. "I'd figure out a way."

"Why do you think you're responsible for the world?" Cassiel questioned. "Why is it on your shoulders to stop the suffering of everyone in it? You are only one woman."

"Because I'm better than everyone else," I demanded. "I'm stronger, braver, more powerful. I'm willing to put more on the line and make choices others won't. Other people don't have the capability to change the world, but I do. You must understand. You're an Emperor! You have enough power and soldiers at your command to make a true difference."

Cassiel tilted his head. "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

I was shocked he'd ask. "Of course not," I insisted. "You're good."

"But I've tortured and killed people," Cassiel stated.

"That was to save the Elves."

"Does that make it right because I had a good reason?"

I couldn't reply. It was hard to imagine Cassiel, soft and gentle as he was, being any sort of monster.

Though I knew he was. He'd done things in the dark that I probably couldn't imagine. Things that I bet were far worse than what Charlie and I had ever committed.

"We've built a paradise in Ilamanthe, yes," Cassiel added. "But don't think it didn't come at a cost. Some people had to suffer in order for us to get here. As much as you'd like to change the world, it won't happen without someone getting hurt."

I flattened my lips. "I'm sorry, Emperor, but I don't believe you." I stood firm in my belief, because no way was I bending on this one. "We can make a just world for everyone without having to make any sacrifices. Everyone can come with us, and everyone can benefit. We just have to find a way."

Cassiel smiled. "Never change, my child. You are exactly what this world needs, even if you fail."

"I don't lose," I told him with a smirk. "You'll see."

Cassiel laughed. "I never had to wonder why Charlie is so devoted to you. Even I, set in my ways as I am, feel inspired to call up a banner and join you."

"He's been different since he's been in Ilamanthe," I said. "You've changed him in such a wonderful way. Charlie hasn't said so, but I know he really loves you."

Cassiel's eyes glimmered. "I hold deep affection for him as well. Although I would never say this to Cameron, my son and I never quite got along, even as he was growing up. He never wanted to take the job seriously. But in his stead, Charlie is everything I hoped for in a future Emperor. We are very much alike. I see myself as a young man in him. Just as I see so much of my wife in you."

Cassiel raised my hand and kissed the back of it before he stood. "I am afraid I must be elsewhere, my dear. There are generals I must speak to about our next attack against The Mission. If you need me at any time, merely call, and I will come to you at once. You are the hope for Ilamanthe's future, now."

Cassiel's elegant robe skimmed the grass as he left, and I let out a tired sigh before glancing at Marcus.

"I've got to go to the temple for mystic training, and I don't think I can get there on my own," I said wearily. "Push me?"

Marcus nodded. "Sure."

I felt myself falling asleep in my chair as we left the gardens. The wedding had been great, but it had worn me out for days afterward. I still wasn't fully recovered, but I couldn't keep pushing off my mystic duties. I needed to go to the temple and try to contact the Elvish goddesses yet again… not that they'd managed to answer so far.

"You didn't say much back there," I grumbled as Marcus and I made our way back into the palace. "You could've helped me out a little."

"I didn't know what to say," Marcus stated. "I'm not sure what to believe, really."

"You can't be buying what Cassiel said," I argued. "Suffering is a choice, one people choose to inflict on each other. Society just has to choose to stop hurting itself. Don't you believe that?"

Marcus seemed thoughtful. "I don't know, Ava. Kallie committed her entire life to stopping suffering in Malovia, and she nearly drowned in it. That was just one country. She would've lost her mind if she hadn't been sent to the Institute while trying to take down all the bad in her nation. How do you think you can stop all the terrible things from happening all over the world? It just isn't realistic. You'll go crazy before you manage it."

"I don't care," I said stubbornly. "The rest of you just haven't figured it out yet. I'm smart enough to find a way."

The Great Mystic appeared impatient when I showed up at the temple doors, which was saying something for a five-hundred-year-old Elf.

"Princess, you were supposed to show up an hour ago," the Great Mystic scolded.

Marcus hastily dipped out, not wanting to be yelled at himself.

"I'm sorry, Valindra. I was speaking with the Emperor," I told her.

Not a lie, but that wasn't my reason for showing up late. I'd been struggling with a bad flare up all morning and didn't want to let anyone at the temple know. I had zero energy, and a lot of body aches. If they saw I was in pain, they'd insist I needed to rest, but we didn't have time for that. Now that I knew what I did about the Blessed Haven, we needed to beat the Warden now, and there wasn't any time for me to take a day off.

The Great Mystic's eyes softened. "Oh, the Emperor. Of course. Any conference you have with him is more important than what we're doing here, most certainly."

I used what bit of strength I could to push myself toward the front of the temple, smiling as I observed the sunlight coming through the windows. This temple held such fond memories for me now. Whenever I entered it, I was reminded of how beautiful our wedding was. It nearly swept me away into dreamland whenever I roamed its halls.

"Princess, please," the Great Mystic said, and it snapped me out of any daydreams about my wedding day. "We simply must get started."

I hid my shaking hands in my skirt. "Very well. Let's begin."

The mystics prepared me for the ritual to speak to the goddesses by bathing me in the blessed pool and dressing me in a golden gown, painting shining symbols onto my skin as they always did. The ceremony for contacting the Elvish goddesses was similar to my induction as the Holy Mother, without all the fanfare, and was the same every time. I did this every week, only once, as it took too much energy to be performed more often. The rest of my mystic training was centered around learning about the goddesses, and all the various rituals and spells the Elves used to connect with them.

I felt bad for the mystics, going through all this work just for me to never get any answers. My visions remained unclear each time I went through the ceremony. I was wondering if I couldn't hear the goddesses, or if the goddesses couldn't hear me.

The mystics laid me upon the stone altar, and I closed my eyes. As the Great Mystic began her chant, I found myself falling into a trance, although it was different this time… it felt similar to the way I'd fallen into the first vision when I'd become the Holy Mother. During my other attempts to speak with the goddesses, I'd remained conscious, although I'd gotten fragments of images.

Now, I was fading. The goddesses were finally sending me a message! I eagerly dove into the darkness, awaiting what the Elvish goddesses had for me…

I saw war, and a sky that was on fire. Thousands perished under the weight of incredible magic that was impossible to stop. Armies marched across the land, cutting down anyone in their path. Leaders bowed, and kings surrendered. Nothing was able to stop the conquering of nations and lands on the planet Earth underneath the rule of one who wanted to control it all.

I watched, one by one, as the Elvish race died out, a line of people toppling over into graves until there were none left standing. Plants withered and died, and chasms blazing with the fires of hell opened in the ground. Screams of torture echoed across barren landscapes. Among the bodies strewn across battlefields, supernaturals of all races were locked in chains. The prisoners were all carted away to become slaves.

A palace flashed in my mind, one I knew well. It looked unlike anything I remembered. All the shine from the golden trim around the doorways had weathered, and the water in the fountains had been replaced by thick red algae. Twisted vines grew up the side of the palace walls, and weeds invaded the stone walkways. Several towers had been toppled over, the remnants of stone still lying in forgotten heaps. The towers were nothing more than graveyards now. Overhead, dark storm clouds swirled, and all that could be heard was the howl of the wind.

A middle-aged woman lay on the stone path underneath the castle, her black hair covering her face. A dark pool of blood spanned around her head, and hundreds of feet above her, there was an open window. People rushed about, screaming that she had thrown herself from the tower's edge.

The vision changed again. I saw an old man sitting upon a throne, a lopsided crown atop his gray head. His hair was long and scraggly, marred across his face, and his tangled beard lay over his tattered clothes. His sunken eyes appeared dead as two prisoners were dragged into the throne room and placed before him. He stared out the window and waved his hand without a second thought. The prisoners dropped dead in an instant. They didn't even get the chance to scream before their bodies were reduced to ash.

Everyone in the throne room bowed to the king— everyone feared him. The man on the throne appeared to have no remorse for anything that was going on around him, merely stared coldly ahead, as if all of this meant nothing to him. The pained roar of a dragon-like creature echoed in the distance, proclaiming his grief for all to hear.

In the distance, I heard the voices of two women— their words were indistinguishable, but they called out to me, their Holy Mother, as I found myself sinking back into the dark…

My eyes shot open, and I took a deep gasp as if I'd broken the surface of the ocean, writhing on the altar as I emerged from the trance.

Charlie stood above me. I didn't expect him to be here, but he was, hovering at my side and appearing grave. Oberi was tucked into his left arm, and she looked weary. The phoenix stirred with a withered chirp, as if she'd just awoken from some terrible nightmare. The other mystics gathered around the altar in a circle, hands over their mouths and clutching their necks.

Valindra had wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, though she still appeared cold. She shivered as I looked at her.

"The whole temple became dark when you fell into the vision, princess," the Great Mystic informed me. "Thunder rolled and shook the whole palace. It was certainly an omen from the goddesses."

The sun was beaming through the windows now, so the event must've passed quickly. Charlie helped me sit up. My head was still foggy and filled with memories of what I'd seen.

"Why are you here?" I mumbled, grabbing Charlie's arm to steady myself.

"Oberi fainted in mid-air during my meeting. I picked her up and came running to you," Charlie said. "You must've seen something important."

"I did," I replied. "Carolyn and Idril heard me this time; I'm sure of it. They sent me a message at the end of the vision, though their voices were muffled and I couldn't understand what they were saying. I think they're trying to get through to me from the Blessed Haven, but they just can't."

"What'd you see?" Charlie asked, kneeling beside the altar.

I explained to him, and the other mystics, the contents of my vision. The longer my words went on, the more terrified the mystics became— a few of them broke down in tears.

"It wasn't a very long trance, but a clear one," I finished. "I think the goddesses are trying to warn us of what's to come if we don't stop this."

"Can you interpret this vision for us, princess?" the Great Mystic questioned.

I hesitated. "I'm not a naderei, so it's difficult for me to know what the goddesses wanted me to see for certain."

Then I swallowed thickly. "But I think I can understand what that vision meant. It was a potential future, one the goddesses want us to avoid."

What do you believe you saw? Oberi asked. Charlie placed her on the altar, and she struggled to stand as she peered at me.

"In my vision, I saw the Warden's armies marching across the land. He killed everyone who opposed him and took over the entire Earth," I began. "No one was able to stand up to him, and anyone who tried was immediately killed. Millions of people must've perished, and I don't think any Elves survived. Under the Warden's rule, the Earth began to die. The entire planet looked barren."

I held back a shudder. If the Earth was still around, at least the Blessed Haven had endured in this future… but it was a future that wasn't worth living through.

"What about the old man on the throne?" Charlie asked, appearing scared himself.

"It was the Warden, I know it. I don't know how far in the future this was, but it could've been a thousand years or more. The Warden had aged, and the war appeared to take a great toll on him. He looked so old that I barely recognized him, but I know it was him," I stated. "His eyes were sunken, like they are now, and he seemed completely heartless. He succeeded and got everything he wanted, but it still wasn't enough to satisfy him. He will always be cruel, no matter what he achieves, and nothing he does will bring him the utopia he desires."

The temple was silent, save for the weeping of the other mystics, but we couldn't sit around and be fearful now. Not when the goddesses had given us a warning we needed to act on.

"My vision is going to happen if The Mission wins," I said firmly. "What's coming is worse than what we imagined. We have to make sure that future doesn't come to pass, at any cost."

But who was the woman who fell from the tower? Oberi asked, nudging me. What does that mean?

I had to force myself to choke out the words. "I think… I think the woman who jumped from the tower was me."

Charlie went pale. He grasped me firmly, stuttering, "Where was I? I wouldn't have let you?—"

"I didn't see you in the vision, which means the Warden must've killed you and our friends. I know none of you would let me remain captured unless you guys couldn't do anything about it." I was nearly crying now; imagining all of this, considering losing Charlie and all my friends, almost caused me to break down. "He eliminated you and the other demigods, then took me and Oberi prisoner after the war was over. That's why I heard a creature roar in pain. It was Oberi. The Warden conquered Ilamanthe, then captured the palace for himself. He took me as his personal pet and kept me in a tower, but it came to the point where I couldn't stand it any longer, so I fell to my death to escape him."

I felt sick inside. Becoming the Warden's favorite toy… it was a potential future that could befall me. Otherwise, the goddesses wouldn't have warned me about it. It made me want to end my life now, just to avoid the possibility of that ever occurring.

"I would never let that happen to you," Charlie growled fiercely.

"It's going to, if we don't prevent this from happening," I insisted. "I won't be the Warden's prisoner. I know killing myself is something I would do to get away from him."

"So we must make certain the Warden never conquers Ilamanthe," the Great Mystic stated, with renewed vigor. "The life of our princess, and of our people, is at stake."

"Why would the goddesses send you this specific message? We've all known what's been at stake since the start of this war," Charlie said.

"Maybe we weren't taking it seriously enough," I mumbled. "We knew that the Warden wanted to conquer the entire world, but knowing that and seeing it firsthand are two completely different things."

I leaned against his chest and wasn't able to suppress a soft moan of pain this time. My back felt like it was on fire, right above the vertebra where I lost all feeling.

"My prince, I implore you, the princess needs rest," the Great Mystic said.

"I'm taking her back to our room immediately," Charlie replied as he helped me into my chair, though he more or less carried me into it. "I don't want anyone disturbing us for the rest of the day, understood?"

"Yes, my prince." The mystics bowed out of the way, and Charlie hurried to push me back to his quarters. Oberi was too worn to fly, so she rested on my lap. Eldin had been standing guard by the temple doors, and she followed close behind us as we left.

On the way back, Danny called across the hall, "Hey, you two! Wait up, it's important!"

I could practically feel Charlie grinding his teeth as he replied, "Not today, Danny."

Danny used super speed to run from one side of the hall to the other to catch up with us. "We got a lead on that list of vamps you pulled from the strip club. They're congregating in New York, and we've finally got a chance to find out what they know about the vampire key's location. We need to put together a team now, because we've got a good shot at intercepting this information."

Charlie stopped pushing my chair. At the mention of a new lead on the vampire key, I felt myself sag in both relief and exhaustion.

I went to say something, but Charlie shook his head and said, "No. It'll have to wait."

"Wait?" Danny asked blankly. "We've been waiting around for weeks on a new lead, and now you wanna sit around? Not a smart move, pal."

"Ava doesn't need this—" Charlie started, before I put a soft hand on his.

"Charlie, no. We need to handle this," I insisted.

"You've been through a lot. You need a break," he demanded.

"In a minute. Let's take care of this first," I begged.

Charlie appeared thoroughly depressed, but I said through our bond, You're not making me do this. We don't have a choice right now.

Charlie's shoulders slumped. "Fine, hurry up. You guys better have something good."

"Oh, believe me," Danny started. "It's more than good. It's closer than we've ever gotten."

My body screamed in protest. All I wanted to do was go back to my room and go to bed, yet I couldn't, because we had a job to do. I remembered the sunken eyes of the old man on the throne and recoiled. I told myself if I didn't want to become the Warden's prisoner, I needed to keep going so I could avoid that fate.

I was so tired. Not just today— tired of doing this, tired of living this way. I wasn't sure if this war would ever be over, but I supposed it only would be when I decided to stop trying. That would never happen, so we had to carry on.

When we got to the training arena, Eddie, Marcus, and Kallie were waiting for us, along with Ivy and Chancey. Danny leaned against a wall. I rolled to the center of the room, where a large whiteboard had been rolled out. On the whiteboard were the faces of all the head mobsters in Salvatore Bianchi's mob that knew something about the vampire key, and all the knowledge we'd acquired about them since.

"Prince, princess, glad to see you here. The Elvish Associates have found a valuable piece of intel," Eddie began.

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

"We've discovered a rare chance to learn more about the vampire key, one we're not going to get again," Eddie started. "Usually, Salvatore sends his top underbosses all around the world to do his dirty work on separate jobs. Next week, he's concentrating all of them in New York, inside a hotel he owns."

"All of them?" I raised my eyebrow. "That seems risky. If someone blows the place up, all his cronies are dead. Why would he take such a risk?"

"It is our belief this is something of a yearly summit for the vampire mob," Eddie said. "Salvatore calls all his top people in, and they have meetings about the expansion of the mob's projects and endeavors around the supernatural community. All of the men who know something about the vampire key are going to be there."

Kallie laughed. "What do you know? Even the mob has work conventions."

"This is our chance, then," Charlie muttered. "We can't risk tracking these people down one by one and interrogating them. Once we try, Salvatore will find out, and he'll bring all his mobsters back into the safety of his base. We have to get everything we can from these people all at once, at the same time."

"That sounds impossible. How are we supposed to manage that?" Danny asked.

"We'll have to don disguises and infiltrate the meeting," Eddie announced. "Marcus has a powerful potion to disguise our team that he made with his uncle, which worked well for us in Vegas. It will withstand any magical wards or alarms."

"I doubt it's enough," Danny said skeptically. "Salvatore's got top security in these places, and even with our people, I don't think we're going to be able to get inside."

Kallie crossed her arms in front of the whiteboard. "Well, we have to. We know that each of these mobsters has a piece of information related to the vampire key, and to put the puzzle together, we need to get that info from each of them. They're not going to tell us, which means we need to be able to read their minds. Marcus can do it. He's been training for this very moment."

Ivy stepped forward. "Mind reading can work, but Danny's right. We can maybe get one or two people past my father, but Marcus is going to need more back-up than that. If we're all in disguises, my father will know something's up. We can't fool him. I have a better idea. My father wants to get his hands on me, and he wants the rest of you in his grasp. So we should give him what he's asking for."

"I'm not following," I said. This already sounded like a risk.

"This convention is happening, and my father will have all his cronies in one place. We can't pass up this opportunity," Ivy insisted. "I'm going to reach out to my father and tell him I want back in the mob."

"Ivy, no," I demanded. "Don't sell yourself like this for us."

"Listen for a sec," Ivy persisted. "I'll convince my dad that we need him. I'll stroke his ego and tell him exactly what he wants to hear, that the Warden's too strong and we can't take him on by ourselves. I'll pose an alliance between the Bianchi gang and the Majestica family against The Mission. Joining the Elvish crime family and the vampiric mob together into a union is going to be an offer my dad won't be able to refuse. Everyone knows that this war is going to be determined by demigods. If it wasn't, the Warden wouldn't be busting his ass to try and capture you. If Salvatore wants to win, he needs to get his hands on some of his own, and you guys are the only candidates still alive that haven't joined The Mission."

"Is Salvatore going to buy that you're handing us over to him?" Charlie asked skeptically. "He's going to suspect it's a trap."

"It doesn't matter if he does," Ivy replied. "My dad is going to be cautious, but by the time he figures out we've fooled him, we'll be out of there. I'll tell him we want in, and to sweeten the deal, we'll put on a circus."

"Like, an act, or an actual circus?" Marcus questioned. "I don't see how this is going to help us."

"A real one," Ivy said. "We'll offer to show off your demigod powers in a grand show, for all his vampires to see. My dad is interested in seeing what you guys can do. Plus, being immortal gets boring, and the vampires who've lived for centuries are always looking for a way to shake things up. A supernatural circus is something different and interesting. It'll be a big draw. Even if they suspect something, one night of amusement to them is worth the risk. And these guys are cocky. They're not going to think they'll be attacked at a circus, and if they do, they'll be certain they can handle it."

"So we put on a circus. Then what?" Charlie asked.

"We use Marcus to get the information we need," Ivy said, smacking their hand into their fist. "While we're putting on a distraction, Marcus can use teleinsight to read the minds of the mobsters who have information on the vampire key, and piece the puzzle together."

"Is Marcus skilled enough to pull that off?" Chancey asked. "He just started learning teleinsight."

"I've been practicing with it every day, and I've gotten stronger. It's no easy task, but I think I can read the minds of these mobsters without much of an issue," Marcus replied. "We just need to get them in the same room, and I'll be able to do it. I know I can."

I looked Ivy's way. "What do you think, Ivy? Will this really work?"

"I'm certain. My dad will buy whatever I say, because if anyone hates the Warden more than us, it's my father," Ivy insisted. "My dad knows the Warden is gonna come sniffing around Chicago eventually, and if he's got the rest of the supernatural world in his pocket, it ain't gonna take much for the mob to fall under the Warden's influence. The vampiric government has already sided with the Warden, so my father knows his days are numbered. If he wants the mob to survive, he needs more firepower. That's where demigods are useful to him."

"But Salvatore Bianchi isn't going to welcome you back into the mob with open arms," Charlie protested. "He'll assume this is a trick."

"Let him," Ivy said, shrugging. "I know my dad. It'll be interesting to him, to play a game of power. He wants to know if I'm a better mobster than he is, if I can outthink him— I know that eats away at him. Plus, he wants his chance to either eliminate or join the Majestica family. The only way he can destroy the Elvish mob as his rival is to team up with them or eliminate the Elvish heir. I'm practically handing Charlie to him on a silver platter if we do this, and despite any hesitations, he'll see that as too good an opportunity to pass up. He'll be suspecting his gangsters to be ambushed at the circus, but when that doesn't happen, he'll spend all his time wondering what we're playing at."

"And when none of his mobsters get hurt, he'll be convinced your offer is genuine," I said. "They won't even know Marcus read their minds. When it seems clear to Salvatore that Ivy actually wants to be welcomed back into the mob, we have another in."

"So it's simple. We go in, put on a big distraction, and while the circus is going on I'll read the minds of Salvatore's gangsters to find out what they know," Marcus stated. "Nobody gets hurt, Salvatore doesn't find out anything, and the job stays clean."

"The job never stays clean with us," I mumbled.

"We'll go ahead with this plan. We need a few days to map out the details, and Ava needs to rest before we go," Charlie insisted, gesturing to me.

"That'll give us enough time to publicize the event and lure these mobsters in," Marcus said.

"I need time to reach out to dear old dad," Ivy said scathingly. "He'll be suspicious, for sure, but I also know he'll be frothing at the mouth to get his hands on the rest of you and one-up the Warden. Trust me. He won't be able to resist."

Marcus nodded. "Everyone needs to get ready. We've always said our lives have been a circus— well, now it's time to become one."

A week later, we stood outside a massive circus tent at midnight, waiting to execute our plan.

The circus was set up on a hotel property that Salvatore owned in New York City, in a massive tent that could fit over a thousand people. We were getting ready in a smaller, secondary tent that was set up next to the big top. Marcus, Kallie, and Alistair were already waiting to begin their performances, while Danny, Chancey and Ivy were finishing getting ready with us. At any minute, the show would start.

The packed crowd actively chatted inside the tent— true to Ivy's word, every vampiric mobster had shown up to see what the circus was all about. Now we just had to hope our plan worked.

"You guys owe me big time for putting me in the same room with Salvatore Bianchi," Danny grumbled as he slipped on a sparkling red shirt. "He's been looking for my ass for ages, and now I'm wrapped up in a pretty bow on his doorstep."

"He's not getting his hands on any of us," Charlie promised. "The Elvish Associates are waiting on my say so to get us out."

Charlie and I were part of the acrobatic act, so we wore matching costumes— me, a glittering silver leotard, and him, a set of black pants and a white button-up. I finished off my makeup in front of a fun mirror in the setup tent. The mirror appeared as natural as any prop in the circus, but really, it was our way out. Once the circus was over with, we'd use the fun mirror to escape back to Ilamanthe before Salvatore tried to catch us, which he most certainly would do.

Ivy was decked out in the best costume I'd ever seen them wear. They wore a black corset with gold fringe, and black panties with fishnet tights. The red jacket they donned had pointed coattails, long sleeves, buttons with gold chains, and was absolutely covered in rhinestones. Their outfit was complimented by thigh-high black heels and a glimmering top hat.

The entire ensemble was absolutely marvelous. They were playing the part of the ringleader, and they suited the part perfectly. Red lipstick and false eyelashes brought the look altogether.

"A little daring with your dad around, don't you think?" I commented. "I thought we were trying to convince him you wanted back into the mob."

"I need to come as I am. He's not gonna believe me if I show up looking like a man," Ivy replied. "We got in a big argument when he came to visit me at the Institute. He told me he didn't buy the act and knew that I was dressing like a male just to please him. Said I'd always be a dirty little queer."

My fists tightened in rage. "I hate him."

"Well, I am a dirty little queer," Ivy said with a wink. "And since my dad knows it, might as well go all-out. He'll hide his disgust until he thinks he's got the rest of you in the bag."

"You look adorable, dollface," Chancey said, and he gave Ivy a kiss. "Save that outfit for later."

I really hoped Ivy wasn't pushing their luck. We were dealing with the second most-dangerous man in the world, right after the Warden. If this went wrong in any way, we'd be risking our lives.

We put in earpieces so we could communicate throughout the show if need be. Ivy peeked out of the set-up tent once before they said, "Everyone is in place. Come on. Show's about to start."

We entered the big top through a slit in the back and took our positions around the arena, waiting for our turn to perform. I had brought a spare wheelchair to the circus, as I didn't want to risk losing my main one if we had to get the fuck out of here in a hurry.

I left the spare wheelchair to the side as Charlie hovered me upward, to the top of the tent. I sat on a platform and looked down at the crowd from above. This was where I would host my act, but it also served as a good look-out spot. I'd be watching the mobsters, as well as Salvatore, to make sure they didn't try to pull a fast one during the performance.

Salvatore was sitting in a fancy booth at the top of the tent, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Good. He was here, at least, which meant he wasn't out plotting our demise somewhere else. We could keep an eye on him.

The palace orchestra had sent some of its members along to provide music and aid the suspense. Haunting, creepy carnival music played the interim as a singular spotlight shone in the middle of the arena. Ivy stood on a red-and-gold striped pedestal, lifting a golden cane aloft as the spotlight beamed upon them.

"Welcome, welcome, debauchees and degenerates, freaks and fiends, to the greatest supernatural show on Earth!" Ivy announced.

Applause filled the arena, and Ivy gave a dramatic twirl on the pedestal. "Prepare to be amazed and have your mind twisted as our performers dazzle and delight unlike anything in this world! For our first act, we invite you on a trip across the sea. A wild beast, captured from the mysterious forests of Malovia, only to be calmed underneath the hand of our brave and mighty monster tamer! Behold as Marcus the Magnificent compels this deranged wolf to perform tricks for your amusement— that is, if the creature doesn't cause him to meet his end!"

Marcus was the one doing all the work, so he had to go first, so it wouldn't appear unusual when he was still lurking around the area. He stepped into the arena, wearing a red vest and black pants. In his hand he carried a rolled-up whip. Hoops and platforms were set up in a circle around him.

Danny and Chancey pushed a cage on wheels into the arena. Kallie was locked inside in her wolf form. We'd messed up her fur and put foam around her mouth for show. She banged herself against the bars of the cage, snarling in rage. The crowd looked on in interest.

"Observe how Marcus the Magnificent tames the wolf with nothing more than a whip and his words—" Ivy said, but the sentence was cut off as Kallie broke open the door of the cage and burst free. She charged toward the crowd and grabbed a vampire in her jaws, shaking him roughly. The vampire screamed, and several onlookers shouted, reaching for their pistols. Marcus approached, cracking the whip. Kallie dropped the vampire and backed off, bowing her head. The vampire that had gotten bitten yelped and scrambled away.

"Stay back, everyone!" Ivy proclaimed. "The wolf is vicious. More than one onlooker has lost an arm to this maddened animal!"

Marcus cracked the whip again. Kallie charged at him, but Marcus put out a hand. Kallie acted as if she'd been blasted backward. She rolled on the ground, howling in mock-pain, and the crowd gasped.

"Now that Marcus has the animal under his spell, watch as he guides it to perform tricks!" Ivy cried. Marcus cracked the whip, and Kallie sat back onto her haunches, rising up to paw at the air. He circled around her, crying out orders, and Kallie did a pirouette before she climbed onto a nearby platform and poised to jump. As Marcus wiggled the whip, Kallie began leaping through the hoops. The crowd applauded in surprise.

I focused my attention on the hoops, and they burst into flames. Astonished cries came from the audience. Kallie pretended to balk at the fire, but Marcus shouted and cracked the whip, and she jumped through all the flaming hoops with ease. When she landed again, Marcus pulled himself onto Kallie's back, and she began running around the arena in a dead sprint. The vampires began chatting amongst themselves in amazement as Marcus hung on to Kallie's fur, flattening himself to her body as they jumped through hoop after hoop. One of the flames from the hoop caught his pant leg, but I quickly put it out before it could spread further.

"Observe as he rides the monster through the flames with no saddle, no bridle, merely his will!" Ivy called. "This is a creature completely under his control!"

I could almost feel Kallie rolling her eyes from here. Kallie came to a stop in the middle of the arena, rearing onto her hind legs and giving a vicious snarl. When she came down onto four legs, Marcus slid off her back and did a spectacular tumble, rising back to his feet to give a bow.

Show off.

The vampires loved it. They cheered in excitement as Marcus guided Kallie back into her cage with the whip. Once Kallie was locked away, Danny and Chancey came forward again to wheel her out of the big top. Marcus took another bow to amp up the crowd, and the applause grew louder. He headed toward a ladder at the edge of the arena and began climbing it upward.

"Marcus the Magnificent will now complete his act by walking the tightrope, finishing his performance by diving twenty feet into a pool!" Ivy gushed.

Below me, a pool magically appeared in the middle of the arena, and the crowd ooed with wonder. Marcus stumbled on his way up the ladder and had to fumble to grab onto the bars. The crowd laughed, thinking it was part of the act, but Marcus had actually almost fallen on his way up.

I didn't know why we'd picked Marcus to do the tightrope, because he was clumsy as they come, but he promised he could do it. Here's hoping he didn't splatter himself all over the arena floor.

Marcus took a deep breath to steady himself as he stood on the platform before the tightrope. Then he took a step— one that was too forceful. He staggered onto the tightrope, and the crowd held its breath as he struggled to maintain his balance. He floundered his arms like a chicken as he took a couple of staggering steps forward, and the tightrope bowed under his weight.

He was holding himself up by his telepathy magic, clearly. He couldn't walk a straight line most days down a ten-foot-wide hall. Marcus wobbled down the tightrope like a baby learning how to walk, until he got to the middle. The band beat the drums rapidly, and Marcus drew out the moment by putting his arms over his head before he swung downward off the tightrope.

He was supposed to roll into a tuck like an Olympic diver, but Marcus didn't really do much but flounder through the air on the way down. He used telepathy magic to break his fall, though not so much that it was noticeable. Marcus splashed into the pool, and the audience cried out.

He didn't surface right away. The crowd waited on bated breath as Marcus remained at the bottom of the pool, holding his breath for as long as he could.

"It appears that Marcus' act has gone terribly wrong, folks," Ivy said in a somber tone. "A tragic end indeed for this warlock of immense talent?—"

Marcus burst out of the pool, throwing his arms up and sucking in a breath. A couple of vampires in the stands leapt to their feet, and others cried out in amazement. Marcus couldn't swim, so I had to use my Toaqua powers to float him to the side. Marcus pulled himself out of the pool, and it vanished as Ivy lifted his arm and said, "Marcus the Magnificent, everyone!"

The crowd continued to applaud. Now that Marcus' act was done, he slipped to the side and donned a red robe that was hanging on a hook. The pocket of the robe contained his wand. He busied himself by pretending to set up the next performances, moving the hoops to the side and getting the platforms out of the way.

But I wasn't fooled. I saw the concentration on his face as he worked his mind reading magic. His eyes darted here and there as he scanned the minds of the underbosses sitting in the box beside the arena, and every now and then, his hand dove in the robe's pocket so he could use the wand. By the looks on the mobsters' faces, they didn't suspect or notice a thing. They had no idea Marcus was rattling around inside their heads. We needed things to stay that way.

Ivy was the best showperson on this planet, and they managed to keep the crowd's attention on them and off of Marcus as they proclaimed, "Our next act features a damsel whose power rivals her beauty. Kalina the Incredible will inspire you with her feats of magic, as she is the greatest illusionist ever to be born!"

Kallie looked nothing like the rabid wolf she'd been moments before as she strode into the arena, wearing a shimmering purple leotard and a sparkling cape. She cast a spell, and wisps of purple magic burst from her fingers as three elephants appeared inside the arena. They appeared as real and solid as flesh-and-blood elephants would be. Several vampires within the stands appeared shocked. Kallie made the illusion elephants dance, hold each other's tails, and sit on platforms. She then climbed onto the back of one of the elephants and did tricks herself. She performed a handstand and a backflip on the back of the elephant as it wiggled its trunk to give the audience a wave.

"Bringing these mysterious creatures to our circus isn't the only thing Kalina can do," Ivy stated. "Observe as she transports all of us to the plains of Africa itself!"

The big top changed, and the crowd let out noises of terror as the scene shifted. Daylight, hot and sweltering, encompassed the area. Long yellow grass bloomed everywhere, and mountains could be seen in the distance. Gazelles and zebras ran by, while a cheetah chased after them. Hyenas and baboons cackle before a loud roar silenced it all. A male lion stalked around the elephants, growling and baring his fangs. If I didn't know any better I'd swear we were right in the middle of the Serengeti.

Kallie was so damn good. Most faeries would've killed themselves trying to make more than a few people see such an intricate illusion, and she was able to cast the spell on hundreds of people at a time without breaking a sweat.

The vampires were actually terrified. The big, bad mobsters whimpered and held each other, unsure of what was going on. When they realized that the sunlight didn't burn their skin, and that the animals weren't real, they got excited. They started pointing out the different animals and whispering to each other, clapping when the lion roared or the elephants started trumpeting.

Salvatore Bianchi looked hideously greedy as he stared at Kallie below. I'd been watching him this whole time, and he'd appeared bored during Marcus' act, but he was definitely excited when Kallie showed off what she could do. He knew that kind of illusion power could be useful to him.

He'd never touch Kallie. Not so long as I was breathing.

Kallie made the illusion fade so we were back under the big top again, then slid off the elephant's back. All of her elephants turned into purple sparks that dazzled upward, and she gave a performative curtsy. The applause for her act was even louder than Marcus' dive.

"And now, the Amazing Alistair will perform one of his incredible card tricks!" Ivy announced, and Kallie ran out of the arena.

Alistair stepped into the ring and began shuffling cards. "Pick a card, any card! You, sir. How about you? Take a card, and I will guess what it is with my amazing mind-reading abilities!"

"BOO!" the crowd yelled, giving him a collective thumbs-down. Clearly, this wasn't impressive enough for them.

"Who are you booing at?" Alistair demanded, whirling on one of the nearest vampires. "You want a show, I'll give you a show!"

Alistair tossed his deck of cards aside, and they rained down around him. He lifted his hands, and two vampires stood to face each other. He'd gotten into their heads and was puppeteering them around, like he had when he killed Professor Mazur. The vampires both threw a punch, and they socked each other in the nose at the same time. A thunderous boom sounded through the tent as their marble-like skin connected.

The other vampires roared in laughter. He was getting a rise out of the crowd, that was for certain.

"IS MY ACT BORING NOW?!" Alistair raged.

Ivy quickly rushed in front of him, before he could get us into any real trouble. "And that's it for the Amazing Alistair!"

Alistair grumbled and stomped out of the ring. "Boring, my ass. I'll show you boring." His puppeteering magic fell flat, and the vampires who'd punched each other sat back down, holding their noses. Danny and Chancey hurried to set up the next act.

Ivy's gave a flourish of their hand. "Now, undoubtedly, the best part of any circus— or the worst, depending on who you're talking to— the motherfucking clowns!"

The spotlight centered on Oberi as he entered the big top in his husky form. I couldn't resist giving a wide smile and a little squeal. Oberi looked so lovable. We'd fitted a red nose onto him and painted his face to look like a clown. He had a big polka-dot bow attached to his collar and a multi-colored skirt. I seriously couldn't handle the cuteness.

Oberi pushed a baby carriage into the center of the arena, and Rishi popped his head out. Rishi wore a jester's hat with jingly bells and a ruffled collar with pom-poms attached. I honestly couldn't tell who was more endearing.

The crowd awed at how cute they were. Well, what do you know. Even vampiric mobsters had a soft spot for adorable animals.

Even so, I saw Ivy shiver. They'd made it very fucking clear before we started planning this circus that they hated clowns. We'd insisted no circus was complete without them, and Ivy had compromised by putting the animal companions in clown costumes, but they'd certainly complained about it all the way.

"Watch, laugh, and applaud as our… ugh… clowns perform ploys for your amusement," Ivy grumbled.

The band switched up the music to a comedic tune. Rishi hopped onto Oberi's back and rode him like a horse as Oberi raced up and down a seesaw and through a tunnel. Oberi climbed into a tiny toddler bike, his front legs hanging off the handlebars, and pedaled with his back paws while Rishi stood on his head and meowed. The crowd laughed along, enjoying the games. When he got to the other side of the arena, Oberi got off the bike and jumped on a trampoline. Rishi followed him, giving yowls as the husky bounced him high into the air.

This is quite fun. I enjoy the circus life, Oberi said as he catapulted Rishi across the arena. Rishi landed on a separate trampoline and started bouncing back and forth between the two.

Maybe when the war's done, we'll take the act on the road, Charlie replied sarcastically on the ground.

Oh, wouldn't that be a delight! Oberi said, thinking he was serious. He and Rishi balanced on balls and rolled them carefully to a high platform in the middle of the arena. Rishi climbed up the ladder that was on the platform, then jumped through a hoop Oberi held at the bottom.

As Oberi and Rishi kept the crowd busy, I surveyed the audience. The underbosses, along with the rest of the mobsters, still seemed fully enthralled in the circus. I noticed Salvatore had ducked out for a moment— concerning— but he came back to his seat and watched Rishi perform his tricks with a raised lip of disgust. Guess he wasn't a fan of clowns, either. Below, Marcus moved different platforms and stands for Oberi and Rishi to use, but his brow was furrowed in concentration.

"Marcus, how's it going?" I whispered into my earpiece.

"I've scanned about half of them," he hushed back. "I've got some of what we need, but you need to buy me more time."

The circus still had a few more acts. I hoped Marcus could finish up before then.

Oberi and Rishi finished off their act elaborately. Rishi scaled across the tightrope upside down, clinging to it and scampering across before dropping and allowing Oberi to catch him. Oberi jumped up, and Rishi landed perfectly on his back. Oberi's tail wagged a mile a minute as he and Rishi took their bows.

You're up, pidge, Charlie said.

Salvatore was starting to look impatient, and we couldn't have that. I needed to make sure his eyes were on me. Otherwise, there was a possibility he'd figure out what Marcus was doing, and I wasn't going to let that happen.

"I now ask that the audience direct their attention to the ceiling of the big top, where our next act will take place," Ivy proclaimed. "Become enthralled by the fiery blaze of our next act, and observe the power of the Diamond Empress."

The warmth of the spotlight was on me, and it reflected off my dazzling outfit, making the entire area around me sparkle. I lifted my hands, and two fireballs ignited in both of them. The platform I was sitting on caught ablaze, burning brightly as the flames licked my form. The swing began to move back and forth at Charlie's Air magic, swinging like a trapeze as I manipulated the flames around me. His powers secured me in my seat, so I kept my balance and didn't fall.

"See how the fire touches her body, but she doesn't burn!" Ivy exclaimed. "Observe as she manipulates the flames to her will!"

I pushed the fireballs together to create a stream of flame. They forged into one, and I manipulated the fire to morph into a unicorn, which galloped above the crowd, before shifting the flames into a dragon. The fiery dragon beat his wings, and embers trailed down from above as the vampires looked upward nervously. They didn't like fire, as it was one of the things they were vulnerable to. It was important for them to know they couldn't fuck with me.

I left the Fire dragon to fly around the room on its own as I took two batons at my sides, lighting them aflame. I swirled them around in complicated movements, tossing them into the air and catching them as they were still burning. It was a simple baton sequence I'd learned in cheerleading, but it was impressive, because the flames licked all along my arms and hair as I tossed the batons, leaving my body unharmed.

I took one of the flaming batons and inserted the end of it inside my mouth. The flames burned across my lips, and I blew out a breath. A plume of flame erupted from my mouth, one that was large and aimed toward the audience. The flames ended before they touched anyone, but still, the vampires could feel their heat, and they were astonished.

As the crowd was still gaping in amazement, I shifted the Fire in the room to change colors. The red dragon became blue, and sapphire flames burned around me as I showed off my specialty to the crowd.

"The Diamond Empress is the only caster in the world who is able to create blue Fire— a cool substance, one that is created of both Fire and Water, an energy that even the most powerful creatures are vulnerable to, in this world and the next! Nothing can survive its touch!" Ivy said.

I could feel Salvatore's covetous eyes roam the edges of my blue Fire. He definitely wanted magic that could kill anything he desired, and my blue Fire was it.

"To aid her in her performance, the Diamond Empress will be accompanied by her husband, who is none other than the Elven Prince," Ivy shouted.

Even so, I could tell their tone was nervous— if any part of the circus could go wrong, it was this one, because Charlie's appearance could set everyone here off.

I extinguished my flames, and the fiery dragon turned into nothing more than smoke. Whispers of shock traveled all around as Charlie walked into the arena below me. None of the mobsters could believe that the Majestica heir was right here, in a literal den of vipers. A few of the underbosses looked up, waiting for Salvatore to give them an order, but Salvatore shook his head. The show would go on.

"The Elven Prince and the Diamond Empress will now perform acrobatic tricks from above," Ivy added, and my trapeze slowed to a stop. "Now, let me be clear. The Elven Prince is completely blind; he has no sight, no ability to see where his partner may be. They must be in perfect tandem for this not to become a tragedy."

An aerial silk, created out of an illusion by Kallie, suddenly appeared at my side. It was hooked to the top of the tent's infrastructure and would hold our weight. Charlie flew up to hover beside me. He wrapped the silk around his arm and torso, then reached out the other to grab me around the waist. Charlie held me close to him, and I felt our rapid heartbeats beat together as one. Charlie used his Air magic to swing us around the arena in a circle, twirling our bodies as the silk twisted with the gusts of wind. The crowd sighed in awe as the two of us spun in the air, flying over the arena in beautiful patterns formed by Charlie's magic.

We scared the crowd when Charlie pretended to drop me. There were a few screams, but Charlie caught my wrist at the last second, and I used momentum to swing back upward. His magic pushed me around until I was back against his chest again, in the place where I belonged. He was holding me, and we were flying, and everything seemed so beautiful. I clung to Charlie and looked up at his gorgeous face as our bodies wound around each other and our breathing synchronized.

"I love you," I said, and I kissed him. He kissed me back, and we soared together with our mouths forged. It was so romantic I could die right then.

"The epitome of true love," Ivy drawled dryly, in a way that was meant to say; Ava, that wasn't part of the act.

I didn't want it to end, but we had to stop flying sometime. The aerial silk lost the momentum it had and slowed down. Charlie deposited me back onto the trapeze that was still hanging in the middle of the arena, then hovered himself back to the earth.

Ivy raised their arms as they cried, "Now, for the most dramatic part of the act! A trust fall, from the height of the big top! The Diamond Empress will count on her husband to catch her as she falls. If he misses, it will be her doom!"

"How will he catch her if he can't see?" A vampire cried from the audience— he actually sounded worried. I suppose these vamps weren't all heartless.

"The connection between the Diamond Empress and the Elven Prince is very strong," Ivy swore. "But its strength will be tested today."

This was much taller than where Marcus had jumped from, but I trusted Charlie with my life. I let myself fall backward, and I spread my arms out wide as I plummeted downward. Cries rose from the audience as I fell, and my hair whipped across my face.

Then I felt Charlie's Air magic buffet me as I neared the ground, lessening the impact as I fell into his arms. Charlie cradled me against his chest, and the crowd went wild.

"A perfect landing!" Ivy cried. "Please give a round of applause for the Diamond Empress and her Elven Prince!"

Charlie didn't bother to stick around as the crowd cheered, but immediately went to carry me out of the arena.

"You all right, pidge?" Charlie asked.

"Never better," I said, and I kissed him again. He nuzzled against me. I wished we could go home right now to get some private time in the Sanctuary. I felt desperate for his attention, and Charlie knew it, too.

"Soon," he promised as my thoughts passed him by. When we were outside the big top, he set me onto Oberi's back. She'd changed into a unicorn at this point and was waiting for the next phase of the plan.

The crowd sounded like it was complaining through the next act. Oberi maneuvered me closer to the tent, and I poked my head in through a flap to see what was going on.

Chancey was up, and it didn't look like the vampires were impressed by his strongman demonstration. He was lifting a car with one hand, but the crowd was booing and throwing disposable cups of blood at him. One splattered onto his shirt, and Chancey let out a string of curse words.

"He ain't even a demigod!" a vampire complained. "Why are we watching this?"

"That's nothing. I can do that!" another mobster called out.

"Oh, yeah?" Chancey lost his temper and threw the car. I cringed as the vehicle flew into the audience and hit a couple of vampires. The car hurriedly vanished— Kallie was hiding on the other side of the arena behind a platform, and she had conjured the illusion for Chancey to use.

None of the vampires had been hurt by the flying car, though a group of them looked pissed. They clambered to their feet, fists bunched and fangs clenched.

Ivy scrambled to save the situation. "Our strongman can take on multiple opponents at once! Who in the crowd would like to test their skills against him in a boxing match?"

All the vampires that had been hit by the car immediately charged at Chancey, their arms outstretched. These mobsters definitely wanted to give him a piece of their mind, if not outright kill him.

"You wanna fight me? Bring it on!" Chancey yelled. He grabbed the first vampire that had climbed into the area by the shirt and started laying him out. Three more vampires jumped into the arena, but Chancey's fists went flying, and the mobsters went down.

Angels were just as strong as vampires, and Chancey's punches were nothing to scoff at. He'd practically been raised in fight club at the prison, and this was a call back to those days. Chancey laughed as he beat the crap out of whatever vampires that came near. A few mobsters got hits on him, but for Chancey, this is what he did for fun, so despite the black eyes and bruises he got in return he always came out on top. By the end, a bunch of mobsters lay in a heap on the big top's floor, and Chancey raised his fists in victory.

Now the vampires were happy. They were cheering at the violence, arms raised and calling for more blood.

One of the vampires Chancey had beaten was still conscious. He staggered to his feet and pulled a switchblade from his pocket, advancing on Chancey. Ivy gave a gasp into the microphone— they weren't sure whether to play along or to step in to save Chancey.

A blur of color passed by, and the vampire holding the knife fell on his ass as he was knocked sideways. Danny was the next act, and he stepped in, racing by with super-speed as he snatched the knife out of the mobster's hand. He threw the knife at a nearby target, and it embedded in the middle. The vampires, who had the attention span of a gnat, immediately swiveled their heads to watch Danny pull knives from a holster around his chest, tossing them at targets that dropped from the ceiling and rotated on a circular platform. Every time he threw a blade, it hit the bullseye.

Danny had told us he could do an act with throwing knives, but I was amazed at how skilled he really was. I wasn't sure where he'd learned to throw them, but he was truly a master.

While Danny was tossing knives, I searched the room for Marcus. He was leaning on a pole, appearing dazed with his mouth hanging open. I could tell he was tired. Utilizing this spell on a big group of people was wearing him out.

"Marcus, you need to look busy," I hissed into the earpiece. He jolted back to life and pretended to fiddle with some ropes hanging near the underboss box.

"Marcus, are you good?" Kallie asked, her voice coming through the earpiece. She was still hiding behind a platform, but she looked very concerned as she stared at Marcus from the other side of the arena.

"I just need to read one more guy," Marcus replied wearily. "I've almost?—"

The circus fell to silence as Salvatore Bianchi rose to his feet. Every vampire in the hall quivered, and Salvatore cleared his throat to say, "As entertaining as this has all been, I'm afraid the circus must now come to a close."

"What?!" Ivy snarled, looking up at their father. Their grip tightened on the golden cane as they spat, "We had a deal!"

"Deals can be modified, and though it's been amusing, I tire of watching you and your circus freaks," Salvatore said coldly. "You were always an embarrassment to me, even as a child, and the performance stops here. All of you— take the demigods into custody. And kill my son while you're at it."

"Aw, come on," Danny complained. "I didn't even get to finish my act and get fired through the cannon!"

This wasn't good. We were counting on Salvatore letting the circus finish before he made a move to capture us. We definitely hadn't expected him to try to kill Ivy. Guess Salvatore wasn't as concerned about the future of the mob as he was making sure Ivy didn't continue to humiliate him. Rat bastard.

Vampires started firing their pistols. Oberi galloped to the center of the ring where Ivy was, and I immediately threw up a shield. Charlie, Kallie, Alistair, Marcus, and Chancey rushed to my side and took cover behind it. Bullets, noxite darts and otherwise, bounced off the surface of the shield and deflected, taking down the same vampires that had fired them.

The Elvish Associates had been hiding in places all around the circus, inside of boxes and props just in case something like this went wrong, and now that their prince was in danger they immediately took action. I saw Gavyn explode through a box and go flying through the crowd as he cut heads from torsos, which went rolling along the ground. Max and Eddie siphoned vampiric magic from the mobsters, which enabled them to move with super speed and rip vampires apart with incredible strength. Asa and Ares were in the stands, shooting vampires with rifles that left holes the size of my fists in the chests of our enemies. Wooden stakes whizzed from a high platform, where Elyx had been stationed with a modified crossbow. The stakes struck vampires straight in the heart, killing them instantly. The Elvish orchestra went from musicians to killers in an instant as they pulled hidden weapons from their instruments and started dropping bodies.

The Associates weren't the only allies here. The Emperor had ordered other guards to come with us as well, and soon, the entire circus was a mess of Elves and vampires going for blood.

Salvatore Bianchi wasn't an idiot. Vampires were falling quickly, and he knew it would be impossible to stop all the Elves here to get to us. He cast a despising sneer at Ivy before turning away, taking his head vamps with him and leaving the rest of his mobsters as target practice for the Associates.

Asa and Ares were heading our way. I opened up a spot in the shield for them to slip through, and their grips tightened on their rifles as they approached.

"We need to go, sire," Ares said to Charlie. "Salvatore has fled for now, but if we stay in the area he'll send more of his men in, and we'll soon be outnumbered."

"I'm not done yet," Marcus said in a panic. "There's one guy I wasn't able to read!"

"Who is it?" Charlie asked.

"Purple shirt, scar over his left cheek," Marcus said, pointing.

"Then he's coming with us," Charlie said roughly. "Asa, Ares, go get him."

The two Elves took off, and I had to open up the shield again to let them through. One of the flying bullets snuck through the opening and hit me in the arm as it flew by. Blood went everywhere, and I cried out in pain. My shield fell completely and I gasped, putting a hand to my arm.

"AVA!" Oberi screamed, sounding deranged.

"Pidge, stay with me!" Charlie gasped in alarm.

"I'm fine," I breathed, using my magic to heal the wound. The bullet popped out as I knit the muscle back together. I tried to put up the shield again, but it was too late— we were already exposed.

"Everyone get down!" Ivy cried, and my friends flattened themselves to the floor as more bullets flew over their heads. Marcus tried to put up a shield, but he was too weak, and it faltered. Alistair was too busy killing vampires by puppeteering them around to help his friends, so we were left unshielded. He forced one vampire to lash out with his fangs, slicing another's head clean off his shoulders. He was laughing the whole time, not caring if we were exposed, only that he got his revenge on the mobsters for mocking him.

Kallie put up a shield, but it didn't expand fast enough in time to cover me. Vampires came storming toward us. As I reeled on Oberi's back, she let out a cry of rage. I felt her shift, fur becoming scales as my Familiar grew to an immense size.

Oberi was changing into a wyvern, and he was too big to fit inside the circus tent. He spread his wings wide, and the entire big top came crashing down on top of us. Fabric covered me, and I couldn't see where we were going or where my friends were.

"Pidge!" I heard Charlie cry, but his voice was muffled and sounded far away. Where was he?

Though we couldn't see, the mobsters couldn't, either. The sounds of fabric ripping and tearing could be heard all around as vampires attempted to claw their way out of the circus tent.

Oberi was a rampaging animal. All I could do was hold on as he stormed around, smashing vampires under his feet and ripping them to pieces with his teeth. He'd gotten tangled up in the circus tent when it came down, and attempting to break free was making him more infuriated.

"Oberi, change back!" I ordered, but he wasn't listening. All he wanted to do was protect me, and seeing me be shot had brought back memories of the Infernal Underground. He'd taken the bullet for us when Jaymin had shot him, and seeing me get hurt like that drove him insane.

Unexpectedly, a burst of Air lifted the big top off of us, sending it spiraling into the sky. Another stream of Air yanked me off of Oberi's back, and I didn't have any chance to hang on. I was pulled downward by a powerful gust of wind, and I slammed against Charlie's body as he caught me. Once I was in his arms, the large tent collapsed back onto the ground again, covering the vampires and Oberi's back half.

"It's time to go. Everyone else is already out," Charlie said. "The Elven guards are holding off the vampires so we can leave." He proceeded toward the fun mirror inside the set-up tent, which was still standing.

"Oberi, let's go!" Charlie called out.

Oberi laughed as he watched three vampires die under the searing pain of his venom. Then he turned and changed into a husky, racing after us. I held on tight, and Charlie carried me through the mirror and back home.

The portal took us straight to the throne room, where the rest of our friends were waiting. Marcus leaned against a wall, looking sick, while Alistair played with his deck of cards wearing a smug grin.

Danny, for once in his life, didn't appear cocky, but rather relieved. "Thank fuck," he said quietly to himself. "Don't know how many times I'm gonna get away from that guy by the skin of my ass."

Chancey had his arm slung around Ivy's shoulders, who appeared quite sour.

"Screw my old man," Ivy grumbled. "He's always gotta take the piss out of everything, don't he?"

Kallie had already fetched my chair, and Charlie put me down in it as my chest tightened in anxiety.

"Oberi—" I breathed, and I patted his head. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Savage beasts, he grumbled. Tore them right to bits, yes I did.

"Oh, Oberi," I said, and I threw my arms around his neck to hug him. "You bad doggy!"

"Oberi, why didn't you listen to Ava?" Charlie scolded. "You could've gotten hurt."

They harmed what was mine, and so, were not permitted to survive, Oberi stated bluntly, before he licked my cheek.

"You went off the rails," Charlie accused. "You need to follow orders, and do as you're told! What if we were both in trouble, and you weren't paying attention? What if you had to pick between Ava and me, because there wasn't a chance we'd both make it out? We'd all be dead if you ignored her like you did back there!"

Oberi appeared horrified at the thought of having to pick one over the other. Do not say such things. How could I ever choose? I love you both equally. Such a thing would be impossible.

"The good news is, the operation went well," Eddie said cheerfully, before Charlie could start ranting again. "The prince and princess are safe, which is our top priority."

"What about the other Elves?" I asked, worried. We'd left many of the guards behind in order to get here.

"They all have their own pocket mirrors and are capable of escaping on their own," Eddie assured me. "If not, trust me when I say that they are happy to lay down their lives for the monarchy, princess. The vampire key is more important than any of us."

I didn't want anyone else dying for us, but Charlie seemed unbothered by Eddie's words as he asked, "Is the mobster here? The guy we need."

"We got him, sire," I heard Asa say as he came through the mirror. "He didn't get away."

Asa and Ares had entered. They were dragging a vampire with them, who'd been forced to kneel. He wore noxite cuffs and appeared ruthless.

Charlie strode in front of the mobster. "You know something about the vampire key. A piece of information Salvatore Bianchi entrusted only to you. Tell us what it is."

"Or what?" The mobster laughed, then spat on the floor at Charlie's shoes. "I've dealt with tougher bastards than you, kid. You ain't getting jack outta me."

Charlie grabbed one of the daggers holstered to Asa's belt and stabbed it into the vampire's side, between his ribs. The vampire cried out in pain, and our friends around the room froze. Nobody had been expecting that. Not even I was ready for it, because it'd happened so fast. At the action, Chancey and Danny shared a wary glance.

"There's more to come if you don't talk," Charlie promised.

"Fuck… you," the vampire seethed, speaking through the pain.

Charlie stopped trying to reason with him, and instead demanded, "Marcus, do you think you can cast the spell again and read this guy's mind?"

Marcus looked even worse than he did when I'd gotten here. He was bent over his knees and breathing heavily. Kallie rubbed his back. She shook her head at me, which I took to mean he wasn't doing well.

"I… can try," Marcus said. "But if I'm being honest, I'm running out of juice. I don't know if I can perform the spell again without passing out."

"Fine. There are other ways to get it out of him," Charlie said.

I was momentarily stunned, wondering if he was suggesting what I think he was, until Ares said, "We're the specialists in this area, sire. You don't need to participate in this. We promise we'll get what you need out of him."

"I have to oversee this," Charlie insisted. "Marcus, I need you with me. Just in case you can get into his head."

Marcus nodded. Asa and Ares began dragging the mobster out of the throne room… probably to some undisclosed torture area somewhere in the palace… and Charlie followed, Marcus in his wake. I went to trail behind, wanting to see how this would go down.

"Go back to our room, pidge," Charlie told me. "You don't need to be a part of it."

By his tone, that was definitely an order and not a request. I hesitated, then told myself he was right. This wasn't the job of a princess, but a prince's work. I knew my role and what it entailed, and this wasn't it.

Everyone else kind of… dispersed. We all went our separate ways without speaking, though Kallie sent me a glance that held all kinds of questions. Were we really going to let the boys do this?

Guess so. I gave a shrug in response. It's what Emperor Cassiel would do, I was sure, and if Charlie was truly to follow in his footsteps, he had to get his hands dirty like a Majestica man. I couldn't say I liked it, but I knew it was what had to be done.

Cassiel's words from days ago came back to me. He believed someone always had to suffer for the greater good, and it pained me to admit that someone would suffer for us to get to the vampire key. What bothered me more is that I was going to let it happen.

This mobster was one of the bad guys, though. He was going to get what was coming to him. It didn't matter if he was the one suffering, because he was an awful person, so his suffering wasn't one I cared about.

Kallie did what she was good at. She disassociated from the situation, and let it go. Oberi followed me out, dutifully shadowing my every move. He was acting as my bodyguard at the moment and didn't want me to be farther than a stone's throw away.

I tried to keep my mind off of what I knew had to be happening. I had dinner in the dining hall, then had the servants help me take a bath in the spa area of the Ladies' Court before heading back to my room. My mind kept wandering back to the mobster, but I was pretty cold about it. I didn't have any feelings or regrets about what I knew Charlie had to be doing right now. He'd shut his part of our bond off from Oberi and me so we didn't experience any of it.

It was almost… easy. Too easy. I wondered what kind of people we'd become, and how far we'd fallen, to be okay with torturing people, and found that I didn't care.

That was the scariest part.

When I was almost to Charlie's quarters, I heard a concerned voice ask, "Ava? Can we talk to you?"

Chancey was leaning against a wall, along with Danny. Both of them had clearly been waiting for me to show.

"What about?" I asked, feeling a little cornered.

"Let's go somewhere private," Danny offered, and he led us to a parlor room that was wholly abandoned. He checked all the closets and locked the doors before he turned to me with a rough gaze.

"Look, you and Oberi gotta listen," Chancey started. "There's something wrong with Charlie."

My heartbeat immediately quickened in fear, and Oberi stirred beside me. She changed into a phoenix, leaping onto my chair. "Wrong? Is he sick, or?—"

"Let me clarify," Danny began. "My magic tells me there's something wrong with Charlie's desires, and if he doesn't change his way of thinking, it's gonna fuck us all over."

My mood immediately soured, and Oberi cocked her head. This was what they had dragged me aside for? They were wasting my time. They didn't have the right to question my husband. Nobody did, and the fact that they were pissed me off. I hadn't missed the glance the two of them shared when Charlie stabbed that vampire.

"Is this about him torturing that guy? Because we need intel," I argued.

"No. It's worse," Danny said.

I turned to leave for the door, but Chancey blocked my path. "You need to hear him out." He jerked his head toward Danny.

Suppressing my irritation, I faced the vampire again and crossed my arms.

"Spit it out," I demanded. "What do your demigod powers have to say?"

Danny fiddled with his hair, appearing extremely nervous. "I don't talk about what my powers can do with just anyone. I usually keep it to myself. But it's gotten to the point where I can't ignore it anymore. I had to tell somebody, and Chancey seemed like the first person who'd be willing to listen. I just hope I can convince you, too."

"You're not doing a very good job of it," I sneered.

"Then let me be clear," Danny said harshly. "When Charlie got here, my powers told me his only desire was to keep you and his friends safe. But those desires have changed over the past few months. They've gotten more reckless, dangerous. He's thinking about something. I can tell he's plotting something he ain't telling the rest of us, not even you."

"You really think my husband would keep secrets from me? You really think he can? We share a bond!" I burst. How dare they suggest Charlie was lying to me. It was unthinkable!

"There are ways to get around a bond. You know how easy it is to shut Charlie out if you don't want him to know what you're thinking, but what you try to hide is petty shit to spare his feelings," Danny demanded. "Whatever Charlie's keeping from you is way bigger. And I know he is— his desires plainly tell me he's keeping secrets."

"Okay, big shot, so what's he hiding?" I sneered. "Since you know his desires and all."

"That's the thing. I can't tell," Danny said in frustration. "It's something big, something that involves all of us. I don't think he's worked out the details yet, because it seems like the desire is confused. I don't even know if he's conscious of it yet. But it's there, underneath the surface. I was hoping you'd have some idea of what it could be."

"He hasn't mentioned anything to me." This was a pointless conversation. I nearly turned away again, but Oberi beat her wings, telling me to stay.

"According to you, he tells you everything, right?" Danny snapped.

I bit my lip. "Of course he does. If Charlie had something in mind, he'd share it with me."

"That's not what my powers tell me, and demigod magic doesn't lie," Danny argued. "He hasn't decided what he's going to do, and we don't have much time to convince him to take a different path. If we even can at this point."

"What do you want me to do about it?" I asked coldly.

"You've gotta talk to him, Ava. Out of all of us, you've got the best chance of making him crack. He needs to tell us what he's considering," Danny insisted. "Then, once we know, we can talk him out of it, whatever it is. Or help him to achieve it, if it's a good plan after all. Dark desires don't mean devious intentions, and if it's something cruel against the Warden, it could be good for us. I just don't like that he's keeping it from the group."

"You ever think you could have it wrong, and your magic could be lying to you?" I asked Danny, glaring him down.

Danny nodded. "Sure. I've been wrong before. But I got a gut feeling about this one."

I rolled my eyes and looked toward the angel in the room. "I'd expect this from Danny, but not you, Chancey. I thought you were Charlie's friend, but you're throwing accusations around without any proof."

"Look, I've always respected Charlie," Chancey said, spreading his arms wide. "But I've never been afraid of him. I am now. You wanna tell me why that is?"

I steeled myself. "I won't be afraid of Charlie, no matter what you two think he's capable of."

"You need to be, because we all should," Danny hissed.

"Lemme tell you something," Chancey started. "Cassiel isn't a bad guy. But he's got a bad job, and nobody stays the head of the Elvish crime family for as long as he has without making some questionable decisions. Now he's teaching Charlie how to do the same thing."

"Yeah, and Charlie's just doing his job. I'm sorry if you couldn't handle being in his position, but he's doing exactly what he needs to. We need a villain if we're going to beat the Warden," I demanded.

"You aren't listening. He ain't the same, Ava. There's a part of Charlie that ain't Charlie no more. Just the guy who was trapped in Cellblock 9," Chancey said grimly. "I know you destroyed the Institute and all it was, but that piece of him is always gonna be stuck down there. Cellblock 9 for him is what the Infernal Underground was for you. You can't look me in the eye and tell me that I'm wrong."

Rage quivered inside of me, threatening to burst out and light the room around me ablaze. I went down into the Infernal Underground and didn't come back out. I refused to even consider the same thing had happened with Charlie when it came to Cellblock 9.

I shook out my hair, to try and appear that I was keeping my cool. "I don't know what you guys are talking about. He's doing better than ever since we got to Ilamanthe!"

Oberi cooed in agreement, and I knew I was right. She wouldn't agree with me if I was in denial.

"Would the Charlie that lived at the Institute be happy to torture someone to get information out of him?" Chancey questioned. "We both know the answer to that."

"Those prison kids wouldn't have survived out here," I spat. "We're alive today because we're willing to do things we weren't before. If some lowlife gangster has to endure a little pain for us to get our hands on the vampire key, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, and neither is my husband."

Chancey shook his head. "I'm telling you, something's not right with him. What they did to him down in Cellblock 9 screwed his wiring up. He ain't the same person."

"I understand your concern, but there's nothing to worry about," I said shortly. "I'm his wife. I have it under control, and if he does end up slipping, I'll be there to shut it down."

"You can't keep him on a leash," Danny warned. "One day you're gonna find he's broken the chain, then he'll be there to bite your hand."

I scoffed. "Charlie? You've got to be kidding me. He'd never hurt me."

Danny turned his back on me. "You don't see what we see because you don't want to see it. But you will. Just make sure you're at a distance when he goes off, so you don't get hurt."

I was done with this conversation. I unlocked the doors and wheeled myself out of the room. Danny and Chancey, the bastards they were, hushed into a low conversation.

"Told you she wouldn't listen," Chancey grumbled, and the door swung shut behind me.

I was aggravated, but maybe Danny had a point and it was worth looking into. "What do you think about this, Oberi?" I asked. "Do you think they're right?"

Oberi bristled her feathers and responded, I think they're wrong, in a way. Charlie has always acted like Charlie. This is just a new side of him we haven't seen before, a piece that he hides, and now it's being coaxed out. He could be concealing something for all we know, but maybe it's not for sinister reasons. He probably doesn't want any of us, especially you, getting hurt, and if the plan he's concocting is dangerous it'd make sense to keep us out of it.

"If that's the case, we need to talk to him about it before it gets worse."

I didn't want to completely invalidate their concerns. I was annoyed they were taking it this far, but I might as well look into it.

I got ready for bed once I returned to the room. I didn't expect Charlie to be back so soon, but he came in only an hour after I got there.

"Hey," I said as Charlie sat on the other side of the bed. Oberi, who was laying as a husky across my legs, lifted his gaze. "Back so soon?"

There was blood on Charlie's button-up that wasn't his. It should've bothered me, but you know what? It didn't. He took it off and tossed it in the hamper.

"He didn't make it," Charlie said roughly. "We didn't get what we needed out of him before he corked off."

I didn't like Charlie's tone. Terror tightened in my throat, but I told myself to settle. "Did we get enough information from the other mobsters to know where the key is?"

"Let's hope so. Marcus is piecing together what he found out."

I nodded, then dared to ask, "How'd you kill him?"

Charlie was emotionless as he responded, "You don't need to know, pidge."

My insides flipped nervously. "Was that the right move? Salvatore will go looking for him, and we'll need to hide the body."

"It was what we had to do. Asa and Ares have it handled."

I trusted the Elvish Associates to do their job. After all, this is what they'd been trained to do, and what the Elves had done for thousands of years. Torture and disposal of enemies was in the job description.

I wish I could say the thought was hard for me to stomach, but it wasn't. It was just what had to be done.

"Do you think we have enough clues?" I worried.

"I hope so. We'll talk about it in the morning, pigeon. It's been a long day."

"Okay." I paused, and Oberi perked up his ears as I asked, "Charlie? Are you… keeping something from me?"

"Huh? What would make you ask that, pidge?" He moved closer to me.

I immediately felt bad for asking. I knew he would never keep secrets from me, and as his sub, it wasn't really my place to question him. But I had to make sure, just in case.

"If there's something you're not telling me, I don't want you to be afraid. I can help. You don't have to protect me," I started. "If there's anything that I don't know, you can tell me now."

"Of course there isn't," Charlie insisted gently. "You know everything about me."

Do I?

I grasped his fingers and interwove them between mine. "I'm just worried about you. If there's something on your mind, I want to help."

Charlie lifted a dazzling smile that made me turn to water. "Don't worry, pidge. I'm better than ever." He gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I swear on us, there's nothing to be concerned about. It's always gonna be you and me, till the end. I'd never do anything to hurt you. Remember that I promised to take care of you? Everything's fine."

I knew through our bond what he said was genuine. He wasn't lying; I could tell that much.

"Okay." I kissed him back. "Goodnight, Charlie."

"Goodnight, pidge."

I cuddled into his arms and checked in with Oberi. Her thoughts were passive, telling me she was certain Charlie was being honest, and that she didn't think there was anything to worry about.

As my husband held me tight, I figured the guys were being paranoid. Danny was misreading Charlie's desires, whatever they were. Even if something bad did happen, and Charlie made a mistake, it didn't matter, because I could save him.

Even if he did the worst, and became bad… he'd change for me.

Charlie wasn't the person he'd been when we were at the Institute, but that was for the best. Maybe a piece of what Danny said was true, and Charlie was becoming darker, turning into a villain that was worse than the rest of us.

I wouldn't blame my husband if he was turning into a monster. If we were going to beat the Warden, he had to become one.

Otherwise, we weren't going to win. And if we lost, I would belong to the Warden… forever.

Charlie wouldn't let that happen to me. So let him be evil. He could burn this whole world down to the ground, and so long as I went with him, I'd be happy with that.

I would let the entire universe fall before I became a trapped bird in a cage. As long as I didn't end up in that tower from my vision, I was more than content to let the worst happen.