Chapter Twenty-Two

AVA-MARIE

Leaving Charlie in Salvatore’s clutches made me sick to my stomach. Worse, actually. I wanted to turn back and slaughter that vampire where he stood. It would only take a single fireball to end his life.

But Oberi wouldn’t put me in danger for Charlie’s sacrifice. She galloped forward until the sound of tires squealing up ahead met my ears. My car swerved around other vehicles, coming to an abrupt halt in front of me.

Marcus sat in the driver’s seat, and Danny and Eddie rode in the back. Marcus flung open the passenger side door, and Oberi charged forward. My hands met the top of the car the same time Oberi shifted into a phoenix beneath me. I used momentum to hoist myself into the passenger seat, and Oberi flew inside to land on my lap. I slammed the door shut.

I glanced back in the direction we came to see a blur of vampires racing toward us. “Drive!”

Marcus stepped on the gas so hard that Rishi was thrown into the back seat. The streets of Chicago were crowded with vehicles, but Marcus swerved into oncoming traffic and dodged around the cars to get away as fast as possible. Tires squealed as he turned sharp corners. He drove up on the sidewalk and honked at pedestrians, who scattered out of the way— anything to get away from Salvatore’s men.

Marcus was practically hyperventilating. “Fuck, we saw everything! He got Charlie! We’ve failed. They’re going to kill him. We have to go back for him!”

I shot another glance in the rearview mirror. The vampires were gaining on us. “We can’t go back for him if we’re dead!”

I grabbed the wheel and yanked it to the side before Marcus could smash straight into an oncoming delivery truck.

“We have to go back to Ilamanthe,” Danny argued. “We don’t know where Salvatore’s taking Charlie, and if we want to face him properly, we’ll need an army of Elves to do it. I say we go back, get as many guards as we can, and rain terror upon Salvatore Bianchi.”

“Marcus, take a right up here!” Eddie barked. “The only way back to Ilamanthe is through the Scarlet Grand. We’re almost there!”

Marcus’ hands shook on the steering wheel. I shot another glance behind us, and panic sent my heart hammering. We still hadn’t lost Salvatore’s vampires, and they’d catch up to us if we kept dicking around.

Marcus’ features went paper white. He floored the pedal just as one of the vamps reached us. A thud sounded overhead as the vampire jumped on top of the car. We went tearing around another street corner, and the vampire flew off the vehicle and went rolling into the road. Marcus raced into the parking garage beneath the Scarlet Grand.

Along the outer edge of the parking garage were reflective surfaces. Eddie shoved himself over the middle console, holding a hand straight outward. “Faster!” he yelled.

The wall in front of us shimmered, and Marcus drove us straight into it. For a moment, I witnessed the darkness of the Mirror Realm around us as Eddie used his magic to portal us across dimensions. Then the palace gardens appeared, and we emerged on the other side.

Marcus slammed on the breaks. He yanked the car to the side, spinning it around until the back end smashed into a nearby fountain. We came to an abrupt halt.

Oberi shook her feathers from my lap. That was a bit of a rough landing.

Eddie gasped a breath. “We lost them!”

“Thank fuck,” Danny grumbled.

Marcus whirled on me. “How could you, Ava? Charlie would never leave you. Never! Now Salvatore has Charlie and the vampire key. We accomplished nothing!”

“You know what Emperor Cassiel says,” I told him bluntly. “Turn a problem into a solution. Mama, Ez, and Kallie should be back already. Get me my chair. We need to see the Emperor.”

Marcus kicked open his door, and he came back several moments later with my wheelchair. Eldin, my guard, was with him. She’d already been outside the gardens waiting for us. Marcus crossed his arms and glowered at me as I situated myself in my chair. Oberi perched herself on the armrest.

“I won’t be the one breaking the news,” Marcus grumbled as he, Eddie, and Danny followed behind me. “The Emperor is going to be furious with us for losing his grandson.”

“Leave the explanations to me,” I said firmly.

We reached the throne room, and two guards standing at the doors opened them. Emperor Cassiel lounged on his throne with a broad smile on his face.

And beside him sat Charlie, who was beaming from ear to ear. My heart lifted at the sight of my husband. Everything went just as we’d planned.

Charlie and Cassiel were surrounded by the Elvish Associates, who were laughing cheerfully. Alistair held a heavy net and tossed it over Pig, who batted at the ropes playfully. Ivy and Chancey were noticeably missing. I was certain both of them had to be in the hospital.

Marcus’ jaw dropped when he saw Charlie there. He rubbed his eyes, like he thought he might be seeing an illusion. “What’s going on? Charlie was caught. How is he here?”

Emperor Cassiel stood from his throne and reached his arms out wide. “Finally, you’ve all returned safely. It’s wonderful to see you. I trust that you have it, princess?”

I smiled widely. “Charlie promised he wouldn’t let you down, and he didn’t.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the vampire key— the real one.

Marcus gasped. His gaze darted from the key in my hand to Charlie, then back again. He turned toward the inferichite net Alistair was playing with. “I don’t get it. Ava had the vampire key all along? How did Charlie escape?”

Charlie stood, smirking proudly. “Simple. Salvatore never captured me in the first place. The vamps who threw me in the back of the van weren’t vampires at all. They were the Elvish Associates in disguise. They used the potion you made with your Uncle Grant to avoid triggering any magical alarms, along with the potion you used in Paris to take on the bank employee’s identity. It was a perfect combination. Asa and Aries didn’t infiltrate The Devil’s City this morning just to hack into the security cameras. They were also taking down members of Salvatore’s security team, so they could don their identities. Salvatore never knew the men guarding him were really working for us, and he believed the inferichite net to be one of his security team’s latest toys.”

“But what about the key Salvatore took?” Marcus demanded. “We were just down the street when it happened. We saw Salvatore take the vampire key from you.”

“You saw him take a key,” I said. “When we got to the vault, I pocketed the real vampire key. I gave Charlie a fake key he’d made with his illusion magic before we ever entered The Devil’s City. Once we got outside the building, Asa and Ares threw the net on Charlie, and I pretended to protest as Oberi carried me away, to put on a good show for Salvatore.”

“You did a wonderful job. Even I believed it,” Charlie said smugly.

“Charlie was only a distraction for Salvatore, so that you could get away with the real key,” Marcus realized. “Capturing Charlie in the inferichite net was your plan all along! That’s so clever.”

Danny crossed his arms. “You guys should’ve told us about this. It isn’t okay that you kept this whole other plan from us.”

“You didn’t need to know everything,” Charlie stated. “I did what had to be done. It was what my grandfather would do, and we pulled it off— quite spectacularly, I might add.”

Cassiel clapped Charlie on the back proudly. “You got the vampire key, and that’s what matters. Now, you have six of the seven Divinity Keys, and all that’s left is the Astromancer key. You have all worked very hard, and now it’s time to celebrate.”

“Time to part-ay!” Alistair exclaimed.

I smiled, because after everything we’d been through today, I was relieved that all my friends had made it out alive. I thought a party would really help take the edge off for all of us. We hadn’t celebrated a win like this in a long time, and I wanted to let loose at the idea of foiling Salvatore Bianchi’s plans. “A party sounds great.”

“Go put the key in the royal vault with the others, and enjoy the rest of your night,” Cassiel said. “Take the day off tomorrow, too. You’ve earned it.”

Cassiel left the throne room, and the Elvish Associates followed him. Charlie leaned down to pull the inferichite net off Pig’s head, then began folding it up.

Danny scowled. “Charlie. Where did you get an inferichite net?”

“I had the Elvish Associates return to Darke Island to dig up what was left of the inferichite buried beneath the Institute's fence,” Charlie stated. “The place has been completely abandoned, and the crystals were ours for the taking. I had it made in case we needed to use it against the Warden’s demigods. Esther, Deuce, Naya, and Mad Dog won’t be able to do anything if they’re trapped in this.”

Danny huffed. “Whatever. Don’t even think of getting that thing near me.”

“As long as you don’t fuck up, you have nothing to worry about.” Charlie gave a wry smile.

I pushed my chair between them. “Now, boys. Play nice.”

Charlie finished folding the inferichite net and handed it off to Eddie, who left the room to store it elsewhere. “There’s no problem here. Danny and I are just fine.”

Just fine, my ass. But Danny did help us get out of The Devil’s City, and for that, I’d be forever grateful.

My friends and I left the throne room, and my guard Eldin followed us to the royal vault. We left the vampire key with the others, and then sealed the vault with iron-clad wards that even the other demigods couldn’t break through. We knew the keys would be safe there, for as long as they remained.

We returned to our quarters, where we found the rest of our friends. Kallie sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket, sipping tea Abigail had brewed. Kallie looked much better than she had hours ago. She was talking with Ez and Opal, who were cuddled on a chair beside her. She still seemed pale, but Ez and Mama had healed the rest of her injuries.

I wanted to check in on her. “Hey,” I greeted, and I came up beside her. “How are you?”

Kallie forced a smile. “I’m… I’m here.”

That wasn’t the best answer, but it also wasn’t the worst. “I didn’t think they’d let you out of the hospital yet.”

“They didn’t want to,” Kallie said. “My mom and dad were there. They stayed at my side every second. I insisted I was fine, but they didn’t want to let me out of their sight. I snuck out when I had the chance and came here. I don’t want anyone fretting over me.”

“I wouldn’t, either.” I reached out my hand and laid it on Kallie’s. I was pretending to give a friendly gesture, but really, my Spirit abilities were reading her body. Everything was back to normal, like she’d never been hurt at all, and she could walk again, even though she was still tired. Mama had made sure to patch her up as good as new. Now the mental healing began.

“I really am fine, Ava,” Kallie said. “Honest.”

She wouldn’t be swearing to me she was okay if she really was, which meant she was struggling with all this. But she’d come to me if she needed me, so I backed off. We didn’t need to talk about the Dollmaker and make her relive everything that had happened.

I went to the other side of the party. Tahoma lay beside the couch, watching Sprigs climb a plant in the corner. Alette fluttered around Sprigs and tried to get him to play.

Ez got up from his spot on the couch and walked over to me. “We took care of Kallie,” he promised. “She went through a tough thing, but she’ll pull through it.”

“Her mind’s all fucked up,” I whispered. I couldn’t imagine the mental anguish Kallie was going through, even in a safe place surrounded by all her friends. After John had attacked me, it’d been all I was able to think about for months afterward. I was sure she couldn’t get the Dollmaker out of her head.

“I know. It’s gonna be like that for a while,” Ez said. “But there’s nothing our magic can do about that, and she was literally just attacked by a serial killer this morning. She’s barely had any time to process. She needs this party, to get her mind off things and make her feel normal.”

I hoped so. I really wanted this party to help. It was the reason we were doing this.

Kallie wasn’t the only one acting off. Chancey sat in a chair near the window, staring out over the city. I think he’d just left the hospital wing. I noticed bandages poking out from the collar of his t-shirt. I think his chest and back were all wrapped up from where Ivy had cut off his wing. His tea was still steaming in his hand, and it didn’t look like he’d taken a sip. Ivy leaned against Chancey and traced lines over his arm, though neither of them said anything. I thought Ivy was trying to cheer Chancey up, but Chancey appeared distant… or not even there at all.

“Did you do it?” Opal asked as she came up to me. “Did you pull it off?”

“We did,” I said weakly. “Cassiel says we should celebrate.”

Alistair approached the coffee table and touched the hot tea pot. “We can’t celebrate with tea. Where’s the booze?”

“I’ll have the servants bring something,” Abigail offered.

About a half an hour later, Eldin stood guard at the door while servants brought in pizzas with all kinds of topping combinations. They wheeled in a cart full of liquor, and Alistair began smelling the bottles, pouring shots when he found what he liked. Danny turned on music that shook the room, then grabbed one of Oberi’s favorite tennis balls and threw it. She hopped off my chair and shifted into a husky, chasing after it.

Marcus caught the ball after a few bounces, then held it out of Oberi’s reach while he jumped for it. “What is it, Oberi?” Marcus teased. “Oh, you want this? You’re such a good boy.”

Who are you calling a good boy? Oberi grumbled. Give me the ball, you fool!

Marcus obviously hadn’t heard the insult. “Fetch!”

Marcus threw the ball, and Oberi tore across the room after it. I laughed as they played together.

Oberi caught the ball in his mouth. You’re the good boy, he said, wagging his tail.

“Marcus, come over here,” Kallie ordered. “I want to hear all about the mission.”

Marcus obeyed her like a puppy dog and plopped onto the couch beside her. He draped an arm over the back of the couch casually and began to fill her in on all the details.

“I don’t know, Oberi,” I joked as he dropped the ball in my lap. I stroked the top of his head. “You and Marcus might have more in common than you think.”

Oberi growled at me. I take offense. Now throw the ball, please.

“Oh, you said please?” I laughed. “Who’s a good boy now?”

I threw the ball, and Oberi chased after it. He must’ve been upset that I called him a good boy, because he brought the ball back to Charlie instead. Charlie tossed the ball around and played with Oberi while I went to grab a slice of pizza.

Marcus and Kallie chatted from the couch. “Yeah, it was pretty intense,” Marcus bragged. “I must’ve taken out at least a dozen vampires by myself. Chopped one’s head off with a cleaver.”

For once, Marcus wasn’t exaggerating. Kallie’s eyes sparkled as she stared up at him. Her eyes locked on him like he was the grandest thing she’d ever seen, looking at him in a way no one else had before.

Alistair passed drinks around, and the party got louder as everyone started to loosen up. I noticed Charlie had a drink in his hand. I was curious about that because we’d agreed we wouldn’t drink anymore. But he was laughing as he played fetch with Oberi. It was nice to see the two of them having a good time, so I just let it go.

Alistair downed shots like they were candy, and it didn’t take long before the alcohol hit him. He climbed up on the table and began shaking his ass, while Pig and Rishi danced around him. He placed his cane upright in front of himself, squatting down like he was straddling a stripper pole. He stumbled to the side and almost knocked over the teapot.

“Be careful, sir,” Abigail scolded. She quickly grabbed the tray of tea from the table and wheeled across the room to get it away from Alistair.

“Take it off!” I called with a laugh.

“You like that?” Alistair wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ve got more where that came from.”

Alistair ripped his shirt off and spun it around his head. I snickered and rolled my eyes.

Danny cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, “Save it for the bedroom!”

“I would, but I don’t see my man anywhere,” Alistair grumbled. “Where’s Eddie?”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen Eddie since Charlie sent him out of the throne room with the inferichite net. He’d left shortly after Cassiel, so I could only assume the Emperor had given him another errand.

“Who needs Eddie?” Ivy piped up. “I’ll dance with you!”

Ivy hopped up on the table to show Alistair some moves. Danny drank vodka straight from the bottle and twirled around the two of them. He must’ve been halfway through the bottle already and was stumbling a bit. I knew it took a lot to get a vampire drunk, but damn… he was going to wake up with one hell of a headache in the morning.

I was starting to get a little concerned about Danny’s drinking habits. He was drunk whenever he got a spare moment, and never failed to reach for a bottle, even on days when there wasn’t a celebration going on. I felt like he was hiding something. I wanted to talk to him about it, but I wasn’t that close to him, at least not yet, so I decided not to bring it up.

Ivy made their way over to Chancey, circling their hips in his lap. Chancey glanced at Ivy, but his eyes were empty. He looked back out the window, appearing haunted. Ivy was trying to cheer him up, but it certainly wasn’t working. Chancey just needed some time.

“Chance, you good?” Ivy whispered, looking concerned.

Chancey’s reply was deadened as he said hoarsely, “Yeah, Ives. I’m… I’m good.”

Ivy frowned, and tears formed in their eyes at Chancey’s response. “Okay. I’ll… I’ll give you some space.”

Ivy got off Chancey’s lap and headed to a corner of the room. They stood there clasping one arm, looking at the floor and biting their lip.

I couldn’t let Ivy feel this way. What had happened to Chancey was horrible, but it wasn’t their fault. They’d done what they had to do to save Chancey’s life. Chancey’s wing was gone, but at least he was still here with us. If I couldn’t help my angel friend, I at least needed to reach out to Ivy, and try to help them feel better.

“Over here, Ivy!” I called, trying to get their attention. “I need a celebratory lap dance.”

Ivy looked up. “Gladly, sweet thing.” Ivy headed my way, then twirled around and shimmied on my lap. Ivy’s smile slightly lifted as I shook my boobs against their shoulder, and we laughed together.

This felt like fun. It was just a simple college party, something we all needed after the stress of the heist.

Ivy shot a glance over their shoulder. When they caught sight of Charlie, they glowered. They seemed to be expecting a fight.

I realized Ivy was waiting to get into it with Charlie, so they could chew him out about what happened in The Devil’s City. Ivy was certainly pissed off that Charlie had sent him off the mission and back to Ilamanthe. It had taken away Ivy’s chance to get back at Salvatore, and that was something Ivy couldn’t forgive. Charlie plopped into an empty chair and devoured a slice of pizza, completely ignoring Ivy altogether.

Ugh. I could cut the tension in here with a knife. This was supposed to be fun. I was worried about my friends, and concerned this party wasn’t giving them what they needed. Maybe this party was a mistake. Half the participants didn’t seem like they wanted to be here. We were trying so hard to be happy, but maybe what we’d gone through to get the vampire key wasn’t worth it. I didn’t want any of my friends to suffer because of Charlie’s destiny to unite the keys, and they were suffering now. We’d claimed the vampire key, but we’d had to sacrifice a lot to get it. If this party wasn’t at least serving as a good distraction from all the bullshit we had to go through today, it might as well not be happening.

“Charlie, come on, get up and dance,” I begged, and Ivy got off my lap. “We’re supposed to be having a good time!”

Charlie licked the grease off his fingers. He wore a devilish look as he said, “You want a real party? Because this shit is boring. Let me spice it up.”

Charlie spread his arms outward, and his Air magic pushed all the furniture to the walls. Alistair stumbled and nearly fell off the coffee table, but he caught himself. Kallie clung to the couch, looking annoyed.

Charlie lifted his hands, and an illusion formed in the middle of the room. A stage with a stripper pole in the center appeared, and a multi-colored disco ball emerged from the ceiling. Confetti rained down on us. I reached up to pull a piece of shimmering gold confetti from my hair. Charlie’s illusion magic was getting very good. Whatever he desired, it became real.

Charlie smirked as he stepped onto the platform. He threw his jacket aside, along with the shirt underneath. A black tie appeared around his neck from his illusion magic. Fuck, I was getting all hot and bothered already. Those abs were to die for, and that tie was killing me. He danced so arrogantly, and it turned me the fuck on.

My husband knew exactly what I wanted, and he was so thrilled with the work we’d done that he was willing to give it all to me. That’s what I loved about Charlie. He knew me so well.

“Now this is a party!” I cheered. “Give it all to me, baby!”

“Where are the dollar bills?” Ez cracked.

Along the edge of the stage, stacks of cash appeared. Ez and Opal each grabbed a stack and started tossing the bills at Charlie, laughing it up. Tahoma hooked an antler under a stack of cash, then tossed it in the air. Abigail blushed and averted her eyes.

Ez cupped his hands around his mouth. “Make it rain!”

My husband spun around the pole, then thrust his hips forward. Ah, fuck. I thought I might come right here. It did not seem appropriate for the others to be watching, but I couldn’t say I wasn’t getting a thrill over him being an exhibitionist.

Ivy noticed I was drooling over Charlie and shot a disgusted look at the stage. Look, if Ivy didn’t find my man sexy, then that was on them. I’d been waiting for the day I got Charlie on a pole without complaining, and I wasn’t going to let anyone ruin it. I laughed as I watched Charlie clap his hands, yank at his tie, and swagger across the stage, snapping his fingers to the music. He gave a slide and then a turn, pointing his fingers to the crowd.

Danny came up beside me and crossed his arms. “Charlie’s going through great lengths to prove he runs this party, huh?”

Giggles bubbled past my lips as I watched Charlie shake it. He was being so silly. I’d never seen my husband act like such a spectacle. Usually he clung to the wall and tried to stay out of sight, and now, he was trying to be the center of attention. I found it adorable he was finally coming out of his shell. “It’s harmless. He’s just having fun!”

Danny shrugged. “Guess I never thought Charlie was the type to make an ass out of himself.”

“Oh, screw you,” I snapped. “We’re here to have a good time. If you aren’t, go get wasted somewhere else.”

“Psh. Cool.” Danny walked away, and I scowled. We were here to celebrate getting the vampire key. This wasn’t some dick-measuring contest between Danny and Charlie.

And if it was, I was going to get some dick myself.

“I want a lap dance!” I called over the pumping base.

Charlie jumped down from the stage, then leaned over me as he whispered in my ear. “You looking for a private room, lady?”

My voice came out breathlessly. “Right here’s just fine.”

Charlie sat in my lap and moved his hips over me. I whimpered involuntarily. Fuck, I wanted him so badly right now. I didn’t care why he thought he needed to give the room a strip tease. If he wanted to show everyone who was boss, fine. We could take this to the bedroom, and he could take charge there. I would love every moment of it. He was the king of this castle, and I was his bitch.

“You’re certainly taking control,” I whispered, and I bit his ear.

“Well, this is my party. I own this city,” Charlie growled. “I just want to make sure everyone here knows it.”

Alistair and Oberi hopped up on the platform and danced to the music. Pig and Rishi circled the stage, batting the cash off the edge. Tahoma went over to the floor-to-ceiling mirror on the wall and started dancing in front of it while making funny faces at his reflection.

I heard a slurping noise and looked over to see Kallie and Marcus were all over each other. They seemed to forget anyone else was in the room as their tongues slid inside each other’s mouths. Kallie grabbed Marcus’ curls and yanked on them. He moaned, then dragged Kallie onto his lap.

I was glad they were having fun, but jeez, guys, points for enthusiasm.

“Get a room!” Danny joked.

“If you need some condoms, I have some extra in my stash,” Alistair teased.

Kallie pulled her mouth away from Marcus’ and turned up her nose. “We don’t use condoms.”

“You guys aren’t using protection?” I asked, floundering in my chair.

Marcus shrugged. “We didn’t this morning, or last night. Pull-out’s good enough for us.”

Charlie frowned, and he got off my lap to tower over them. “That’s not very effective. You guys can’t be getting pregnant right now. There’s a lot at stake. You should take the birth control I take, Marcus. It’s one dose every three months. It’s worked just fine for me and Ava.”

“Sure, okay. I’ll look into it tomorrow,” Marcus said nonchalantly, like he wasn’t taking him seriously.

Alistair tossed Marcus a condom, and it whacked him in the face. “Then you’re going to need these tonight!”

Our friends roared in laughter.

All this talk of sex was making me hot and bothered. Charlie turned around so I could run my hands over his abs. A thrill traveled through my abdomen as my gaze lingered on his belt buckle. Gods damn, if we didn’t get alone soon, I was going to end up blowing him in front of everybody, and I wouldn’t care who watched, either.

“Charlie, I’m tired,” I said quickly.

He leaned down, so he could hear me over the music. “What was that, pidge?”

I grabbed the tie around his neck. “I said, If you don’t take me back to our room right now, tie me up, and fuck me like there’s no tomorrow, I’m going to scream until the guards come running.”

Charlie smirked. “Oh, you’ll be screaming, all right.”

He scooped me up in his arms, and I giggled happily. I waved to the others. “Welp, it’s been a long day. We’re going to sleep!”

Alistair threw his head back in laughter. “Yeah. Sleep. You two just committed a crime, so we all know what that means.”

Ivy rolled their eyes and said nastily, “For sure. Every time you guys do something bad, you two jump right into bed.”

I beamed. “I can’t help it if it turns me on to be bad. Kink shaming is for losers who aren’t getting any, so enjoy your night, Ivy.”

Ivy’s mouth dropped open in shock. Okay, maybe that comment was kind of mean. After all, Ivy certainly wasn’t getting laid tonight after what had happened with Chancey, but they weren’t the only one who had a smart mouth. If Ivy wanted to be mean, I could play, too.

I smiled as I stared up at Charlie. He carried me to our bedroom and used his Air magic to wheel my chair in behind us. He locked the door, and music boomed loudly through the walls.

Charlie set me on the bed and unzipped my jacket. My nipples hardened at his touch. He tossed that aside and pulled my cami over my shirt, exposing my breasts. He began kissing down my neck, until his lips met my nipple and he pulled it into his mouth. He was rough, biting down just a little, and I loved every fucking second of it.

“More,” I rasped, but Charlie drew away, teasing me.

My breaths grew shallow as I watched him undo the tie around his neck. I held out my wrists, wanting nothing more than to become a slave to him. We never got a chance to finish what we started when we were repelling down the side of that skyscraper, and I couldn’t think of anything hotter than fucking my partner in crime after pulling off the greatest heist of the century.

“Fuck me, Charlie,” I begged.

He smiled as he wrapped the tie around my wrists and secured it tightly. “You’ve been a bad girl today. You need to be punished, but I get to decide when that happens.”

Charlie guided my arms above my head, and like a good girl, I kept them there. Charlie drew my pants down my legs, then slipped two fingers inside of me while he kissed my stomach. Hot damn, his lips on my belly were intoxicating. I wanted him to kiss me like this forever.

I watched in delight as he lowered his zipper and freed his cock. He was already hard and ready for me. He didn’t bother taking his pants all the way off, because he was in such a hurry to take me. Charlie circled my clit with his thumb a few more times, until he was satisfied with my wetness. Desire flashed in his features as he positioned himself above me.

Then he filled me up, and oh, my fucking ancestors. My eyes rolled back, and I gasped as he moved over me. Charlie’s lips locked on mine, and we started making out until sweat was dripping down our bodies. I placed my tied wrists around his neck, dragging him closer. Heat rose to my skin, but I felt some of that heat subside as Charlie siphoned my magic so he could tolerate my Fire. He moaned and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Passion swelled through the bond.

“Charlie, come on me,” I begged.

Charlie gasped at the suggestion, like there was nothing more he wanted to do. He pulled out of me and began pumping his cock. I watched him, feeling like there was no better sight in the world.

“Fuck, pidge,” Charlie moaned, emptying himself all over my breasts.

I laughed deliriously as his essence spread over me, feeling high on life. “That was so fucking hot.”

He smirked proudly. “Yeah? Well it’s not over yet, my love.”

Charlie ducked his head. He hooked my knees over his shoulders and began pleasuring me with his tongue. Air magic swirled around my nipples, gratifying me in a way that left me breathless as he kissed the deepest parts of me.

The high of Charlie’s orgasm spilled into my own. I shoved my fingers into Charlie’s hair and yanked hard on the strands as passion exploded through my body. Stars lit up behind my lids, and I screamed my delight over the sound of the music.

Charlie licked his lips. “How was that, pidge?”

I melted into the mattress. “You broke into my vault, and I liked what you took. Although, you left a lot of evidence behind, and that’s going to get you in trouble. Maybe next time I can arrest you.”

“I don’t think so. You’re never going to get cuffs on me. Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.”

I scowled. “I don’t want to,” I said in a bratty way.

He cocked an eyebrow. “I wasn’t asking. You need to get ready for bed. Now.”

That turned me on even more. I liked it when he bossed me around like that.

I reached for his dick but he yanked the tie around my wrist, stopping me. “What did I say?”

I relaxed into the mattress. “Okay. You win.”

Charlie undid the tie around my wrists, and he carried me to our private bathroom to help me clean up. By the time we cuddled beneath the sheets, we were so exhausted that we fell asleep immediately.

When I woke the next morning, I was snuggled in Charlie’s arms. He’d had a few drinks last night and was completely out of it. He didn’t even notice when I stirred, but simply groaned and rolled over. I, on the other hand, had slept great.

Emperor Cassiel had said we should take the day off, so I was going to spend it doing what I loved best— being pampered. I really needed to get my nails done, and I expected to spend the entire day at the spa.

I pulled myself out of bed and into my chair. I got dressed, then wheeled out into the main room. The stripper platform was still there from last night. Confetti and dollar bills littered the floor, along with empty liquor bottles. I wasn’t sure what had happened after Charlie and I went back to our room, but it looked like things had gotten pretty wild. Pieces of a broken vase scattered the floor, and several pieces of pizza were stuck to the ceiling.

Ez and Opal were snuggled up on one of the couches, and Tahoma was passed out on the floor beside them. Alistair lay slumped over the armrest of one of the chairs, his mouth hanging open as he snored.

Danny was face-down on the ground, clutching an empty liquor bottle. Vampires didn’t need to sleep, but it appeared Danny had enough liquor to knock him out cold.

Ivy and Chancey were tangled up on the other couch, Ivy curled in Chancey’s arms. Oberi was in unicorn form sprawled across the stage, her collection of hats scattered around her.

Marcus and Kallie were notably missing. I was certain that meant they’d snuck off to one of their rooms to fuck before the party ended. Good for them, I guess.

Abigail was the only person who was awake. She carefully wheeled between people while she quietly placed trash into a garbage bag, trying not to wake them. In the corner, Sprigs’ plant had been knocked over, and a mound of dirt had fallen out of the pot. Sprigs lay on Alette’s back, and both of them were sleeping. Abigail wheeled to the corner and tried to lift the plant upright, but she struggled to bend far enough in her chair.

“You don’t have to do that,” I offered.

Abigail jumped in her chair and turned to me. “Your highness. I was hoping to have this cleaned up before you awoke.”

I waved a hand nonchalantly. “I’m not worried about it. I have the day off, which means you should, too. I’m headed to the Ladies’ Court to get my nails done. Would you like to join me?”

She gave another bow. “If your highness requests it, then it would be my pleasure.”

“It would be nice to have some company,” I said.

Abigail and I left the room. Eldin was still stationed at the door, and she followed at a close distance as we navigated the halls.

“So, things got pretty crazy last night?” I asked Abigail.

“I suppose so,” she admitted with a giggle. “It was quite fun. I’m not usually invited to parties like that. It was my first.”

“Really?” I asked. “Well, you’re invited to our parties any time you want.”

Around the corner, I heard a familiar voice. “Eddie, can I have a word?”

It was good to hear Eddie’s name. We hadn’t seen him since he left the throne room last night, and he’d never shown up for the party.

“Of course, my Emperor,” Eddie replied. “What may I help you with?”

I paused. Both of them sounded pretty serious. They hadn’t seen us, since we were still hidden behind the wall.

“It is regarding the intel we received last night,” Cassiel stated. “Before you return to Charlie’s quarters, I must make a request. You cannot tell the prince what we discuss.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, and I instantly brought my wheels to a halt. Cassiel was hiding something from Charlie? That couldn’t be right.

I signaled for Abigail and Eldin to stop. I slowly inched my chair forward until I could peer around the corner. Eddie seemed nervous as Cassiel gestured for him to come closer. He kept his voice low, but I was close enough to hear.

“I have thought long and hard about what we discovered last night, and I have concluded that it is best if Charlie doesn’t know,” Cassiel whispered. “He doesn’t need to go to that awful place and experience what’s happening.”

“Forgive me, Emperor, but I do not understand,” Eddie said. “Shouldn’t the prince be made aware of this development? He should know what we found northwest of Flagstaff.”

Cassiel dropped his head. “In time, he will know, once matters have settled. But for now, I wish to spare him and the others the turmoil. None of our people need to witness such suffering. We cannot send our soldiers there, as there’s nothing that can be done. You know as well as I that these people cannot be saved. I give you this order as Emperor, Eddie. You must not tell Charlie that we found the Main Facility.”

I nearly fell out of my chair. I couldn’t have heard him right. My heart hammered as I listened closer.

“You will not speak of any of this to anyone,” Cassiel ordered. “You will not mention the Main Facility at all or what has happened there. You won’t tell Charlie or the others that the wards have fallen, nor will you discuss anything regarding the facility’s location. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sire,” Eddie said in a small voice. “I understand completely.”

“Very good,” Cassiel replied, holding his head high. “You may resume your duties.”

Cassiel crossed his hands, then turned and walked off in the opposite direction. Eddie watched him go, but the moment he was out of sight, his shoulders sagged. He steadied himself against the wall for support.

I tore my gaze off him, though I swayed in my chair. I couldn’t make sense of which way was up or down. The Warden’s protective wards had fallen. The Emperor had found where the rest of the Elves were being held, yet he was just going to leave them there? He wasn’t going to storm into the Main Facility and end the Elvish camps for good? I couldn’t fathom the Emperor would be so heartless.

Our conversation from the gardens came back to me, and I recalled what he said about suffering. I believed Cassiel to be a good person, and I understood he had to make the toughest decisions as Emperor. Cassiel probably thought that sending his army to the Main Facility would cost us soldiers we couldn’t spare, not when our armies were fighting The Mission on all fronts and barely surviving.

But if he thought he could just leave his people in the hands of the Warden to spare his own soldiers, then he was making the wrong call. I couldn’t stand by and let this happen.

I whirled my chair around. “Come,” I ordered Abigail and Eldin. “Eddie might not be able to tell the others about this, but we can.”

We hurried back to the royal quarters as quickly as we could, and I stormed into the room. “Everybody up! We have matters to discuss.”

Danny lifted his head and moaned. “Not with this headache, sweetheart.”

“I couldn’t give a shit about your hangover,” I growled. “There are more pressing matters at hand.”

Groans traveled around the room as everyone awoke. They must’ve noticed the urgency in my tone, because they all sat upright. Charlie heard the commotion and came rushing out of our bedroom, already fully clothed. Kallie and Marcus emerged from Kallie’s room in bathrobes, squinting in the morning light.

“What’s going on?” Charlie demanded.

“The Mission's wards have fallen. Your grandfather found the Main Facility,” I blurted.

Charlie stumbled backward. We’d been waiting for this information for months, and I’d just dropped the news like a bomb. He steadied himself and straightened up. “We have to join the Emperor’s Guard and go after the Warden.”

“That’s the thing,” I urged. “Your grandfather isn’t going to free the Elves in the camps.”

Charlie froze. “What do you mean? We need to gather all our soldiers as soon as possible. If the wards have fallen, then we have an advantage. We need to liberate that camp before the wards are reinstated. What did my grandfather tell you?”

“He told me nothing,” I stated bitterly. “In fact, he doesn’t want us knowing at all. I overheard him ordering Eddie not to tell us. Eddie must’ve been with him all night, gathering this intel. That’s why he never returned to our quarters. I don’t think Cassiel has the soldiers to spare, because he’s convinced he can’t help the people imprisoned in the Main Facility. He believes they’re a lost cause, but I won’t settle for that. We have to at least try to free them, while we have the chance. Cassiel might not have the manpower, but we do. We’re demigods, and we don’t need an army to back us up. We can do this for him and free the people the Warden has locked up!”

“Your highness,” Eldin protested. It was the first time she’d ever questioned me, as it wasn’t within her rank to do so. “Forgive me, but you don’t know what you may be walking into. If the Emperor doesn’t want you to go, there’s probably a good reason. I have to advise that you don’t do this.”

“You don’t understand,” I argued. “You don’t know Cassiel the way that I do. The things he’s said to me… I know the way he thinks. Cassiel has good intentions, but he doesn’t want to help because he believes people will always suffer, and that sacrifices must be made for the greater good. He doesn’t believe putting his resources into liberating the camp will be worth it, because it’s a risk to do so. He’d rather keep his army stationed where they’re at near Malovia, to keep The Mission at bay. He believes the victims at the Main Facility have to pay the price for the greater good, but if Ilamanthe is built off of letting these people suffer, then I don’t want it. I want to live in a world where we help each other, and these people need us right now. Cassiel isn’t even going to try. He’s given up, but we won’t.”

“Then we’re going,” Charlie decided.

Alistair raised his fists. “Hell yeah. We’ll fuck ‘em up all right.”

Chancey stood. “Ivy and I are in.”

“Opal and me, too,” Ez volunteered.

Wherever you need me, I will go, Oberi added.

“Princess, it sounded like the Emperor was only trying to protect you,” Eldin noted. “Are you sure?”

“He doesn’t need to protect us,” Charlie insisted. “He thinks we can’t handle this, but we proved yesterday that we can. We’re better than this, and we’re strong enough to take it, because these people need our help.”

Marcus turned to Kallie and took her hands. “You don’t have to come with. You’re not strong enough, not after what happened yesterday. You need to stay here and rest.”

Kallie shook her head. “I know you’re worried about me, but I can’t stay here if all of you are going. I have to help.”

Marcus frowned, then nodded. “Then stay close to me, pretty girl. When do we leave?”

“Now,” I said. “We need to get into the Main Facility before they reinforce the wards and we can’t find it anymore. We don’t have time to wait.”

“How are we getting there?” Danny asked.

“I overheard that the Main Facility is located in Arizona, northwest of Flagstaff. There’s nothing else in that part of the United States.” I gestured to the large mirror on the wall beside me. “That information should get us close enough that Charlie can portal us from here and through any mirror on the facility’s property. Arizona is several hours behind Ilamanthe, so it’s still night over there. We can use the darkness to help conceal us.”

Danny clapped his hands together. “Excellent, because I’m out of sun potion.”

“Everyone get dressed,” Charlie ordered. “We leave in two minutes.”

Charlie wasn’t fucking around. Everyone scrambled to get ready, and they were dressed quickly.

The door to our quarters opened. Eddie sauntered in with a dejected look on his face. He stopped in his tracks as all eyes turned to him.

“Looks like I missed a fun party.” He forced a chuckle. He was trying to mask what had happened in the hall, but his tone came out completely flat.

“You don’t have to pretend like everything’s fine, Eddie,” Charlie said, rather harshly. “We know my grandfather found the Main Facility.”

Eddie’s features paled. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Charlie gritted his teeth. “You can’t lie to me, Eddie. You’re my guard, and I order you to tell me the truth. You should’ve come to me the moment you found out.”

Eddie chose his words carefully. “I don’t understand how you learned of this.”

“I overheard Cassiel speaking with you in the hall,” I told him softly. “It’s okay, Eddie. You can talk about it now. We already know.”

Eddie took a step back. “I— I’m afraid I can’t, princess.”

Charlie’s voice boomed across the room. “You can, and you will. Tell us everything you know, Eddie. That’s an order!”

“Hey!” Alistair sneered. “You can’t talk to my boyfriend like that.”

Charlie gritted his teeth. “He’s my guard, and I own him. I can talk to him whatever way I please.”

The whole room had gone dead quiet as we all stared at Charlie. None of us had ever seen him treat Eddie this way before. Usually, I preferred when Charlie took charge, but this was on a whole different level I didn’t like. Eddie was his guard, but he was his own person. He didn’t belong to anyone, not even Charlie.

“I’m afraid you misunderstand, sire,” Eddie said in a wavering tone. “There is very little I can say right now. What I can tell you is that as Emperor, your grandfather’s orders supersede your own until you become Emperor.”

“He’s magically bound,” I realized. “Charlie, you can’t order him to do anything Cassiel doesn’t want you to. Eddie’s magically bound to you, but more than that, he’s bound to the Majestica family, and there’s a hierarchy even he has to follow. The magic prevents him from telling you anything Cassiel ordered him not to.”

Eddie dropped his gaze. “Regardless of my orders, I do not regret keeping this from you. The Emperor doesn’t want you to go, and believe me, you should not.”

“Why not?” Charlie demanded.

Eddie twisted his hands together and opened his mouth several times, but he didn’t answer.

“WHY NOT?!” Charlie raged, taking several steps forward.

I caught Charlie by the wrist. “Charlie, stop. He can’t answer you, even if he wanted to. Emperor Cassiel ordered him not to speak of this. I think he’s said all he possibly can.”

Charlie got a disgusted look on his face. “If my grandfather has more authority over my guard than I do, how can I trust you, Eddie? What else has my grandfather told you to keep from me?”

“Nothing,” Eddie insisted. “That I can tell you, Charlie. You must believe me. And you have to trust me when I say you don’t want to go to the place you seek. You will only find?—”

Eddie gagged, like he’d said too much and he was choking on his own tongue. Cassiel’s orders prevented him from saying anything more.

“I guess we won’t know until we go there,” Charlie stated smugly. “Come on. We’re leaving.”

Charlie stepped up to the mirror on the wall, and the surface began to ripple as he created a portal. Oberi shifted into husky form and stood dutifully beside him, and Rishi followed. Everyone else gathered around the mirror.

Eddie hung back. “I do not wish to come, sire.”

“Too bad,” Charlie snapped. “You’re coming. That’s an order.”

I turned to Abigail and Eldin. “You two stay behind. Buy us some time in case Cassiel comes looking for us. Don’t tell him where we’ve gone.”

I shot a glance at my brother’s Familiar. The peryton was so big and an easy target. Ez wasn’t going to stay behind even if I asked, but at least without Tahoma along, Ez wouldn’t get hurt if his Familiar was targeted. Pig shrank back toward Tahoma.

“Pig and Tahoma will stay back, too,” I said.

At that, I turned to the portal and followed Charlie through. The rest of my friends trailed behind.

Darkness enveloped me at all angles. All around me, my friends appeared to be floating in empty space. The light from endless mirrors flickered by us, and in the distance, a ghostly shriek echoed through the vast emptiness. We were inside the Mirror Realm, which I had become so accustomed to, but the sensation of passing through it usually only lasted a split-second.

Moments passed, and nothing changed.

Panic swelled inside of me. “Charlie!” I cried.

I had the horrifying thought that the Warden must be pushing against Charlie’s magic, or that the Main Facility’s wards had already been reinstated. We could become trapped here in the Mirror Realm, wasting away for eternity, unless Charlie found us a way out now.

All around me, my friends’ terrified faces reflected off of spinning mirrors, until I couldn’t make sense of what was solid and what was reflection. They started screaming in horror, their voices melting together into a sickening symphony.

“Hang on!” Charlie yelled. His voice seemed to echo distantly. “I’m finding a reflective surface to portal out of!”

One by one, my friends began to disappear. I couldn’t make sense of where they’d gone.

Shit, shit, shit! We were going to be trapped in here!

“Charlie!” I screamed, crying out my last hope.

The shimmering ripple of a broken mirror with jagged edges appeared in front of me. Hands reached through the mirror and grabbed my arms and my chair. I screamed in terror as I was pulled through the portal.

Gravity shifted, and Charlie used his Air magic to steady me. My wheels landed on solid ground, though I was momentarily disoriented. I gasped for breath and looked around to see that all my friends had made it. I put a hand to my chest, trying to calm my raging heart.

As my balance returned, I found that we were in a small, empty bedroom. Thin curtains covered a miniscule window, and I could see that it was dark outside. We stood in a nice building that appeared newly built, and the temperature was comfortable. It didn’t seem like the kind of place the Warden would hold prisoners. I assumed this was where the guards stayed… only, there was no one here.

A cot with no bedding stood in the corner, along with a vacant desk on the other side of the room. The only other item nearby was a large mirror that had been toppled over and broken. Beneath us lay shards of reflective glass; the largest piece we’d crawled out of lay in the center.

Marcus opened a drawer in the desk, but there was nothing inside. “This is weird. It’s like nobody’s been here.”

Oberi went over to the cot and sniffed it. This was someone’s room, all right. I can smell the stench of angels in this place, though they left some time ago.

The broken mirror indicated that someone had gone in a hurry, though otherwise there seemed to be no evidence that anyone had lived here at all. Everything had been completely cleared out.

“This is the guards’ quarters,” I said hollowly.

“They must’ve known it was only a matter of time before we showed up after their wards fell,” Ez said thoughtfully. “The guards must’ve fled so they weren’t discovered.”

I listened closely for the sound of guards or the screams of prisoners, but I heard nothing at all.

That terrified me, and panic shook my frame. Something was very wrong.

I had the horrifying thought that Cassiel had waited too long. His words echoed in my mind. In time, he will know, once matters have settled.

Cassiel had been waiting for this.

I shuddered. “If everything’s been neatly packed away, and the guards are gone, that means…”

Everyone else knew exactly what I was thinking, and I couldn’t bear to finish the thought. My friends’ faces fell, but I could see it in their eyes that they weren’t ready to admit what we already knew.

We had to see it for ourselves.

Charlie walked toward the door. “Come on. Let’s see if there are any survivors.”

We left the bedroom and entered a long hall. We passed by other bedrooms, and each was as empty as the last.

Oberi kept his nose down, sniffing along the floor. He stopped at a closed door at the end of the hall. There’s something in here.

My pulse quickened as Charlie opened the door. I didn’t know what I expected to find— perhaps prisoners huddled in the corner, awaiting rescue.

Instead, we found a massive dark room lined with shelves so full, they were overflowing. The storage room had to be bigger than the rest of the guards’ quarters combined. The room was full of random belongings, like glasses, jewelry, blankets, clothing, and children’s toys. The piles of belongings stacked up to the ceiling and consumed the area. There was barely any room for my chair to get through. Cautiously, my friends and I entered the long room.

“What’s all this?” Opal mused.

Alistair’s cane hit a baseball, and it rolled across the hardwood floor. “Perhaps it’s stuff the guards left behind?”

My stomach hollowed as I caught sight of a child’s cup. I reached for it, and my heart ached as I pulled it down from the shelf. The cup had teeth marks from where the child chewed the spout.

I choked back a sob. “It’s the victims’ belongings,” I rasped. “It’s everything the guards confiscated from the people they brought here.”

Eddie shuddered, and he shrank back toward the door.

Charlie ran his fingers over the items on one shelf— a framed photo of a witch family, a pair of worn moccasins, and a shell with the name of a merfolk pod carved on the outside. A traditional Elven wedding dress had been tossed haphazardly beside the other belongings, its beautiful train tailing to the floor. When Charlie touched the lace, he yanked his hand away, like he couldn’t bear to take in any more.

“Let’s keep moving,” he ordered.

We left the room and turned down another hallway, until we came upon a door that led outside. I knew I wouldn’t be able to navigate the camps in my chair, so Oberi shifted into unicorn form, and I hoisted myself onto her back. Marcus subconjured my wheelchair, then opened the door.

The night sky was dark, but floodlights lit the property. Outside, we had a full view of the camp, and my guts churned.

The first thing I noticed were the bodies strewn across the ground. Everywhere I looked, people lay face-down in the dirt. There were hundreds of them, if not thousands. The only sound that could be heard was the buzzing of insects feeding on the dead.

Worse than that was the smell. The stench of rotting corpses, mixed with sewage, hit me so hard I might’ve toppled over if I wasn’t already sitting down. It was obvious these people hadn’t been given proper sanitary facilities. It smelled so bad that my friends and I started gagging. Charlie waved his hands to try to control the smell in the air. His Air magic helped, but even he couldn’t completely hold off the foul odors.

Kallie threw a hand over her mouth. Marcus wrapped an arm around her to pull her close, turning her into his chest so she didn’t have to see it. Rishi sank closer to them. Chancey’s features paled, and Ivy rubbed their eyes, like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Alistair gripped tight to Eddie’s hand. Ez and Opal both looked away.

I tore my gaze from the bloated corpses that were decomposing in the night to take in the rest of the camp. The property must’ve been dozens of acres wide. We were on one side of the camp near the edge, and I couldn’t see the other side from here. A tall noxite fence with barbed wire at the top surrounded the property, and concrete guard towers were placed on each corner. Beyond the fence was nothing but barren desert as far as the eye could see.

Toward the far end of the camp was a collection of warehouses. A water tower that serviced the whole camp rose over a hundred feet high. I squinted across the landscape. The layout of the buildings seemed familiar, and I couldn’t figure out why, until an image of the Institute flashed through my memory.

I clutched my stomach, because the realization was like a punch to the gut. “It’s the Institute,” I whispered. I pointed to a warehouse with a tower on top. “That looks like the cathedral, and that building over there has doors like the asylum. It’s the same layout and everything, even though the buildings are smaller. The Warden intentionally built this place to look like the Darke Institute.”

The Warden took pride in his prison— that much was obvious. This place was just an extension of what he’d built back on Darke Island… only much, much worse. There, he needed to keep up appearances for the United Supernatural Union. Here, there were no rules, and he’d taken every advantage of this lawless land for himself.

“We’re too late,” Ez breathed. “The Warden slaughtered all these people so they couldn’t be liberated.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. These wards didn’t fail by accident. The Warden let them fall, because he didn’t need to hide this place anymore. There’s no point now that there’s no one left to hide. He… he wants to show off his work.”

My friends remained silent, and I didn’t blame them. There was so much to take in, and it was enough to make a person go mad. I felt what was left of my sanity disengage, crumble and be blown away as I observed the masses of bodies that were sprawled out all over the camps. They were nothing more than skeletons covered by skin. The Warden had starved them so badly before their demise, their empty eyes holding nothing but sorrow and pain.

These people had suffered miserably for months. All to serve the avarice of one cruel man.

I tried to cry, but couldn’t. Tears wouldn’t come, not even if I forced them to, because it seemed like a crime to cry over the fate of people who’d never had a chance, people who I hadn’t been able to save. My sadness and grief meant nothing. Not when compared to what had been done to these poor people here.

Charlie started forward, Oberi at his side. We followed behind him like zombies, weaving between the dead bodies. I spotted witches lying beside dead cats. Elementai were sprawled next to small magical creatures like jackalopes and miniature dragons. I was certain the Warden had not permitted any larger, stronger Familiars to live once they arrived. Fae sorceresses lay face-down, their insect-like wings twisted angrily toward the sky. The pretty shimmer of a mermaid’s blue hair was no longer visible beneath a layer of dirt.

There weren’t very many angels, but the few I spotted barely had any feathers left on their wings. A vampire lay on his back, his eyes staring up lifelessly at the stars. His mouth hung open, fangs protruded as if in a permanent scream for help… a scream that didn’t make a sound.

We passed by long tables lined with benches, like some sort of outdoor cafeteria. The tables were full of victims, and people lay slumped over bowls of unfinished soup. The sound of buzzing flies intensified as they swarmed the tables to feast on the rotting food.

It was like all these people had just… dropped dead in the middle of dinner.

Rishi jumped onto the table, eyeing each victim like he thought he might find a live one.

Danny furrowed his brow. “I don’t get it. How’d all these people die?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Opal sniffled. She still couldn’t look, and her face was curled into Ez’s shoulder. “The guards lined them for a firing squad. That’s how they do it at places like this.”

Danny shook his head. “They aren’t lined up, though. These bodies are everywhere. It’s like they were all killed all at once. Nobody saw it coming.”

“It must’ve been something like noxite gas, or a poison of some sort,” Ez theorized.

Danny knelt beside a vampire to inspect the body. “That can’t be it. A vampire would just hold his breath if attacked by gas. The only ways to kill a vampire are through decapitation, a stake to the heart, or fire, but there are no signs of injury. Normally people in places like this are treated so poorly they die of infection or malnutrition, but even if they were starved, there’d be signs of a struggle. Nobody ran or fought back. It’s like they all dropped at once.”

“Let’s check the warehouses,” Charlie suggested. “Perhaps we’ll find more clues as to what happened here.”

As we continued forward, it became apparent that this was more than poison. Pools of blood had dried to become nothing more than stains in the dirt. The further we ventured into the camp, the more apparent the injuries became. First came lacerations and minor wounds, until we came upon limbs completely missing from bodies. Holes had been blasted straight through people’s chests.

Soon, the bodies became only parts. There was a foot here, a hand there, dismembered pieces amongst torn fabric that no longer resembled clothing. Then the dirt turned to a deep black.

We came upon a crater in the center of the camp, where dirt had been upheaved all around a circle at least twenty feet wide. The hole itself must’ve been ten feet deep in the middle. There were no bodies or remnants of anything within several yards of the crater.

“Whatever happened started here,” Charlie said. “I can feel remnants of magic, but I can’t identify it. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

“Something happened here, all right,” Marcus said. “There’s a huge crater in the earth, like a massive spell impacted the center of the camp. This is probably what killed everyone.”

“What’s all this black powder?” Ivy asked in a shaking tone.

Oberi sniffed the dirt, and Charlie knelt down to inspect the ground beside him. He rubbed the black powder between his fingers. “I can feel it’s magical. It must be a residual of the spell.”

I looked around, calculating. Something here didn’t seem right. This camp was overcrowded with prisoners who hadn’t had a chance to run from the attack. They hadn’t even seen it coming. There were bodies all over the rest of the camp… except here.

It hit me like a cinder block to the chest. “It’s the people,” I realized. “Their bodies were reduced to nothing but ash. This spell disintegrated anyone who was standing too close.”

Danny blew a breath. “One hell of a spell, I tell ya. These people were all ripped apart at once, dead as soon as the spell was cast. Someone literally walked in here and massacred these victims all at the same time.”

“How’s that possible?” Charlie wondered. “Even we couldn’t kill this many people in a single blow.”

“Why not?” Ez wondered. “You’re demigods. You’ve got the power to kill them. Perhaps this is the doing of the other demigods.”

I shook my head. “Not like this. There are too many different ways to kill supernatural beings, and they don’t all die in the same way. Sure, I could kill five-hundred people at once by stopping their hearts, but they’d have warning once I began. They’d start running. But even if I did that, it wouldn’t kill the angels and the vampires. We could kill this many people, but it’d be a bloodbath, and you’d see signs of a struggle. Not whatever this is. All these people died in seconds, and they didn’t have time to run, or even see what was coming.”

“So what kind of power can take out all supernatural races at once?” Alistair asked.

“I don’t know,” I replied hollowly. “Whatever weapon the Warden used goes beyond anything witnessed in this realm. It must’ve come from the gods themselves.”

That was a terrifying thought, because it meant the Warden had access to power beyond anything we could imagine. Worse, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it. The Warden had deployed this weapon and then just left, without a single regard to the lives he took.

I was certain the Warden had wanted me to see this. He dropped his wards knowing I would come, and he left behind all the evidence as a display of his power. This was merely a message… a message for me.

He’s coming for you Ava.

And he’s leaving no survivors.

I shook my head as the voices invaded my mind. No. The Warden clearly had a powerful weapon, but that did not mean he’d won this. We had to keep going, because we needed to find survivors. There had to be a chance that we could still go up against him, despite what had happened here.

“Someone had to survive this,” I said in a choked tone. “Let’s keep going.”

We continued past the crater, toward the warehouses that were built so much like the Darke Institute. I kept my gaze ahead, but Marcus continued to look around at all the dead bodies.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” he remarked. “This place was built to hold the Elves, wasn’t it? But I haven’t seen a single Elf since we got here.”

I swallowed the lump that rose in my throat. “Perhaps the Elves survived.”

I dared to hope, because it would be the one advantage we had to stand up to the Warden’s weapon… if there was anyone to stand up to him at all after this.

We entered the main warehouse, and despite the carnage we witnessed outside, I wasn’t prepared for what we saw indoors. The warehouse was nothing more than a massive room with a tall ceiling and a dirt floor, metal walls surrounding us on all sides. Bunk beds were lined up in rows, and hundreds of bodies were crowded on the mattresses. There were multiple people on each bed, and they appeared to be sleeping, but the putrid smell of decaying bodies told us they were long gone. These people had literally been sleeping on top of one another and died immediately. No one had the chance to save them.

We kept on moving and made our way into the next warehouse. We all halted in the doorway, because after everything we’d seen, we didn’t expect it to get any worse. But it was— so, so much worse.

Here, bodies that had long rotted were thrown into huge piles. Some of them were so far gone that they were mere skeletons now. The ones on top were fresher, but their skin was already sagging off their forms. These people had been dead for a while by the time the Warden’s weapon killed all the other prisoners.

Nearby, one of the piles was made up entirely of hair and teeth. It was the only pile of human remains that wasn’t rotting, as if the hair had been cut and teeth had been removed before the victims were murdered. Some of the hair was still in braids, though the base of the braids had been completely hacked to pieces.

I dared to guide Oberi closer to one of the mounds of bodies. I saw the pointed ears first, then witnessed holes straight through each of their chests.

“I guess the Elves didn’t survive after all,” Danny said in an empty tone.

I choked back tears. “Opal was right about the firing squad. That’s what they did to these Elves. That’s why there weren’t any outside, because unlike the other prisoners, they’d already been slaughtered the moment they arrived. They piled them here to rot.”

Charlie furrowed his brow. “This doesn’t make sense. The Warden invaded Forevermore and imprisoned the Elves he captured because he needed them. He wanted their power. Why would he throw all this power away now? Unless…”

“He doesn’t need them anymore,” I finished hollowly. “Whatever he wanted from the Elves, he got.”

“I bet you it’s whatever weapon he used out there to kill all these people,” Danny said.

A long silence stretched between us all, before Charlie turned and continued walking. We left the warehouse out the back.

In the distance was another building, smaller than the others. A fence blocked off that area of the camps, and tiny bodies littered the dirt behind the fence. I caught sight of blue fur, which I thought was a small Familiar at first, before a gust of wind swept past and it went tumbling across the ground. I realized it was made of cotton.

It was a teddy bear.

It hit me then that we hadn’t seen a single child in all the rest of the camp. The Warden had separated children from their parents and locked them up behind that fence.

From a distance, I saw the bodies of toddlers and five-year-old children— tiny little ones who’d barely gotten a shot at life before the Warden had stolen it away.

The Warden was pure evil, and I had the sick urge to go see just how far he’d taken it. I needed to know. I started guiding Oberi forward.

“Please don’t go, princess,” Eddie whispered in a broken voice.

I paused and looked over my shoulder. “If the rest of you want to hang back, that’s okay, but I need to see what the Warden has done.”

Eddie kept his gaze down. “I’m not asking for myself, your highness. I’m telling you that you don’t want to go over there. The injuries are great, and the lifeless stare of those children will haunt you forevermore. Trust me.”

I saw something in Eddie’s eye that I hadn’t noticed before. It occurred to me that this must be harder on him than the rest of us, because he’d been held in a camp just like this for months before he escaped. It was torture like this that had lost him his eye.

But the longer I looked at him, the more I saw something else.

I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know what injuries they sustained?”

Eddie shook his head. “I cannot say, your highness.”

That was all the confirmation I needed. Eddie knew, because he’d already seen them.

“You were here last night,” I whispered. “Emperor Cassiel has already been here. You came with him. Cassiel ordered you not to tell Charlie, because he knew we’d want to come see the damage for ourselves. That’s why he called this a lost cause… because he already knew all the victims were gone.”

Charlie slowly turned toward his guard. “Is that true?”

Eddie kept his head down and didn’t respond. It was his way of confirming the truth when he couldn’t give a direct answer.

Charlie’s hands curled into fists. “I don’t care why my grandfather felt he had to keep this from me. He should’ve at least been honest about what happened here! We deserved to see this for ourselves.”

Charlie whirled toward the children’s area but Marcus cut in front of him, pressing a hand to his chest. “No,” Marcus insisted. “Fuck this. Eddie’s right. We’ve seen enough. We don’t need to see what happened to those kids, too. There’s no reason to keep going.”

“Fuck no, there isn’t,” Ivy snarled. “We shouldn’t have come here at all. The Emperor kept this from us for a reason, and we still came here. I think we all know exactly why.”

Ivy narrowed their gaze on me.

My voice shook. “What exactly are you saying?”

“You really want me to say it out loud?” Ivy spread their arms wide. “Fine. This was a stupid idea. We didn’t need to see this shit and traumatize ourselves. Ava, the Emperor knew you would come no matter what he ordered you to do. That’s why he wanted to keep this from you, but you just have to get your own way, don’t you? You’re so insistent on trying to save the world that it hurts people, and now, we hurt ourselves. You are so adamant about stopping suffering in this world, but you've made us suffer by bringing us here. You want to save people, but you never think about saving the people around you. You could’ve saved us from this, but you didn’t. Now we gotta deal with it.”

Chancey’s voice got rough. “Don’t go there, Ives. We didn’t know. You’d think a whole lot differently if we’d gotten here in time to save these people. Perhaps this could’ve been avoided if the Emperor would’ve been honest with us, instead of leaving us to come to our own conclusions.”

“Yeah, blame Cassiel,” Ivy scoffed. “I’m telling you he didn’t want us coming here for a reason, and it’s because he knows as well as the rest of us that Ava needs to save every person who’s in trouble, even if they can’t be saved.”

“She’s trying to do the right thing! You’re being selfish!” Chancey demanded.

“If it’s selfish of me to want to save the people I care about, then I guess I’m selfish,” Ivy spat. “You want to know who I care about? Me. You. Us. Fuck the world right now. I’ve been miserable my whole goddamn life, and this shit ain’t helping. All I got from coming here is just another fucked up memory that’s going to haunt me for the rest of my cursed existence.”

Ivy hugged themselves and turned away, trembling with each pleading, broken word. “We didn’t get back at my father, and we sure as hell ain’t getting back at the Warden now. I’m sick of adding people to my long list of revenge I gotta take. Hell, my list of people to take revenge on is so fucking long, I can’t even remember who I need to get back at anymore. I just want to rest, and I can’t do it, because Ava’s over here thinking she can play the hero.”

“Don’t put this on Ava,” Charlie growled. “I get it. You’re looking for someone to blame, but this isn’t her fault. You want to bitch and moan about how hard your life is? Look around at what happened to these people. At least you have a revenge list. These people will never get theirs. So are you going to lay down and take this, or are you going to help us end the Warden? Because that’s where this shit has been leading all along.”

Charlie began pacing, his words frantic now. “We needed to come here to see what we’re up against. And we need to start putting a plan together now. We need to kill the Warden, and figure out how to stop him. If you don’t want to be a part of it, then go back to the palace and enjoy your time off, because the rest of us have shit to do.”

Charlie was starting to lose control. As much as he wanted to kill the Warden, I could see that, rationally, he was piecing together that it wasn’t possible anymore. If the Warden could do something like this without consequences, that wasn’t something we could stand up to. I could feel Charlie fighting himself through the bond, arguing with his logical mind that we could beat this.

It was terrifying to watch him actively lose it.

“You ain’t thinking straight if you think we can take on this kind of power, because what happened here is nothing we have a chance against,” Ivy sneered. “I know your grandpa told you to pivot with each problem, but this ain’t one you can solve. I’m damn good at what I can do, but I know when I’ve been beaten. We don’t have a chance of fixing this, so we need to figure out what the hell we can do to make it to the next day. If the Warden can do this to all these people, we’re next.”

“If he could do this to us, we’d be dead already,” Charlie shot back. “We’re stronger than him. We just need to figure out a way.”

Ivy laughed in Charlie’s face— literally. Ivy got so close to Charlie that their noses were less than an inch apart. Ivy’s fangs protruded as they gave a mocking laugh.

It was completely insane, and I fell apart watching it. Ivy had been damaged from the moment I’d met them, but this… I’d had my hand in really wounding them this time.

Charlie didn’t move. Just stood his ground without batting an eye.

“Ives, come on,” Chancey sighed, grabbing Ivy’s wrist. “Calm down.”

“Calm down!” Ivy shouted, whirling on Chancey. Sobs broke from their chest, and tears began streaming down their face. “You don’t understand what’s going on here. I’m going to lose you. We’re going to lose each other.”

Chancey shook his head. “That ain’t true.”

“No, Chance. I’m not giving you up for a lost cause, because Charlie’s leading us down one,” Ivy snapped.

Chancey’s shoulders fell. “Ives, please.”

Ivy pointed a finger in Chancey’s face. “Don’t give me that shit. You’re my partner. You’re supposed to stand beside me, and if you can’t do that, then fuck you.”

Ivy stormed off, their vampire speed carrying them around the side of the building so fast I hadn’t caught where they’d gone.

Chancey hesitated, then said, “They just need a minute, but Ivy’s got a point. This was a dumb move. We shouldn’t be here.”

Charlie frowned, showing almost no emotion. “Look, if you guys can’t handle what happened here, that’s too bad. You need to see the reality of what the Warden can do, because sticking our heads in the sand and pretending like he’s not hurting people is doing nothing for anyone.”

“I’m with Ivy,” Alistair piped up. “Eddie already went through this, and you made him relive it again. You shouldn’t have made him come, Charlie.”

Eddie didn’t say anything, but my soul broke just looking at him. Tears streamed down his face, but he kept quiet so Charlie wouldn’t notice. He never lifted his gaze from his feet.

“I’m sorry,” Charlie said genuinely. “I shouldn’t have brought you, Eddie. But everyone else needed to come.”

Eddie’s voice came out small. “I do as my master tells me. I must obey him no matter what it costs me.”

His words sounded so shattered— like a piece of himself had already died in the service of his master. He’d given up so much to be Charlie’s guard. I wondered how much more there was left inside of Eddie to give.

Ez stepped forward. “Look, we can’t change what has already happened, or the choices we made that brought us here. We can only be here for each other now. We’re all friends. This is a terrible thing, but we can’t let this tear us apart.”

“Ez is right,” Opal agreed. “We’re all in this together.”

“That isn’t fair, because some of us are handling this worse than others,” Alistair argued. “Don’t act like you know what Eddie’s going through. Come on, Eddie. Let’s go find Ivy.”

Alistair grabbed Eddie’s hand, and the two of them disappeared around the side of the building. Kallie stared after them. I witnessed contemplation in her eyes… like she thought about following them. She shrank close to Marcus, clutching him tightly, before turning her eyes back to the ground.

Kallie would never admit it, but I knew what it looked like for my best friend to be falling apart. She hadn’t said a word since we’d gotten here, and though she’d insisted on coming, I felt bad for bringing her. I should’ve made her stay behind.

But I saw the look in her eyes. It was like she wanted to follow the others in order to get away from Charlie, because she couldn’t stand to be near him right now, yet she literally couldn’t move.

Marcus held Kallie tight. “Guys, none of us mean anything we’re saying right now. We just need to leave.”

Danny scoffed. “You just want to go home and forget about all of this, but we should stay here. The Warden might’ve killed all these people, but the guards at the camp helped him do it by imprisoning all these people here. We need to figure out exactly where these guards went, follow them, and kill them all. We can’t let them get away with this.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes at Danny, like he thought it was a stupid idea. “How are we supposed to find them? They left no clues behind.”

Tears finally streaked my cheeks. Though I wasn’t able to cry before, I couldn’t hold myself back now, and my words fell like broken glass as water poured from my eyes. “I’m sorry, everyone. Ivy’s right. I’m to blame. I’m the one who brought us here. I overheard Cassiel talking, and if I hadn’t jumped to conclusions, we wouldn’t be here.”

“You did the right thing, Ava,” Charlie insisted. “My grandfather should’ve told us. We did the best we could with the information we had.”

I sniffled. “Oberi, What do you think?”

Oberi responded, though only Charlie and I could hear her internal thoughts. You did your best, and you had good intentions, but sometimes, good intentions lead to horrible consequences. Unfortunately, this is something all of us had to go through. When terrible things happen, people need to come together as one, not fall away from one another. As much as you don’t want to admit it, you all need each other right now.

Opal wiped a tear from her eye. “What’s Oberi saying, Ava?”

“He says Marcus is right,” I translated. “There’s nothing more to see here. We should head back to the palace.”

Before Oberi could even turn, Ivy’s voice rang across the camp. “Guys, come quick! We’ve got two live ones!”

My friends took off running, and I urged Oberi into a gallop. We followed Ivy to one of the guard towers. Next to the tower there was a hole in the fence just big enough for a small person to crawl through. It looked like it’d been mangled by the blast. The entrance to the tower was outside the fence, and Alistair knelt next to the open doorway.

“Come on,” he encouraged. “It’s safe.”

Two trembling figures emerged from the guard tower. The first guy was scrawny and couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds. I didn’t think he could be more than fifteen years old, but he looked like a child with the way his tattered clothes hung off his starved form.

The other guy wasn’t very big, but he wore a guard uniform. I instinctually drew back a fireball, but I paused when I witnessed a white tomcat with crooked whiskers emerge from the tower behind them.

“Ava? Charlie?” the guard said in disbelief. “It’s so good to see you guys!”

I barely recognized him at first, because he was covered in dirt from head to toe. It was Ghost, a warlock student from back at the Institute. I recalled the guards trying to force him to sign up for The Mission, even though he didn’t want to. Looks like in the end, he wasn’t given a choice. Ghost had barely survived in fight club. I was surprised he’d outlasted the Warden’s service this long.

“Ghost?” Marcus balked.

Before he could answer, the teenager’s eyes lit up. “M… Marcus?!”

Recognition crossed Marcus’ features, like the kid was so unrecognizable he hadn’t noticed him at first. The kid scrambled through the broken fence and ran toward Marcus, practically body-slamming him in a hug. I’d never seen this kid before, and I didn’t know how Marcus knew him.

Tears streamed down Marcus’ cheeks. “Kellen? I thought I’d never see you again.”

Holy fuck. It was Anya’s younger brother— the kid Marcus left behind in Octavia Falls. Marcus had dated Anya before she died, and he’d gotten close with her little brother. He’d taken Kellen under his wing and started teaching him art, before Marcus was sent away to the Institute. He’d talked about Kellen multiple times, mostly to say how much he regretted never saying goodbye. Kellen had been like a little brother to him.

Kellen drew back. “You’ve put on some muscle.”

Marcus squeezed his arms. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you. There’s so much I never got to tell you. I’m really, really sorry. None of this ever should’ve happened to you.”

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault,” Kellen promised. “I’m here because of The Mission.”

He spat the words like they were poison.

Charlie turned to Ghost, who had crawled back inside the fence. “How did the two of you survive? The spell that took out the others should’ve killed you, too.”

“After I was forced to join The Mission, they took me out of the Institute,” Ghost explained. “The Warden made it sound like we were going to do good in the world, and I thought I could help. I learned pretty quickly that wasn’t the case, but I did the best I could. I was stationed here as a guard. I tried to get people out, but never could, and almost got caught a few times. So I changed tactics and did what I could to keep people alive instead.”

“He snuck us food,” Kellen said. “He was the only guard that cared about us.”

Ghost dropped his gaze. “I tried, but it wasn’t enough.”

“I was scared of all the other guards, but not Ghost,” Kellen admitted. “We knew each other from back home. I was friends with his little sister— Mother Miriam rest her soul. She never made it out of Octavia Falls. Ghost used to drive me home from school, because I was just one block over from his house. He was my only friend here at the camps.”

“Yesterday, the guards were told to pack up and leave,” Ghost explained. “We weren’t given a reason why, but I just knew something bad was about to happen. We only had minutes to evacuate. I was already on my way to sneak Kellen some food, and I knew I couldn’t leave him behind. I snuck him out here to the guard tower so we could hide and wait for whatever was coming. Then… we heard the blast. There were no screams— just silence.”

“Did you see what caused this?” Charlie asked.

“It was that creepy guy Ghost calls the Warden,” Kellen spat.

“How was he able to do this, though?” Marcus asked. “This is beyond anything we’ve seen before. He must’ve gotten the power from somewhere.”

“He’s got demigod power, so he can create energy out of nothing,” Danny offered.

“Demigods can create their own power, but there are limits even to what we can do,” Charlie said. “We’re still in mortal bodies, so we’re still going to reach a point where we can’t handle limitless energy. Eventually, we’re going to get tired.”

“He’s got dark gods on his side that would give him the power and do the work for him,” Danny pointed out. “He doesn’t have to cast the magic himself.”

Marcus’ gaze shifted thoughtfully. “But what if he did do this by himself, without help? The Warden’s demigod power is that he can’t die, so he must be able to handle more magic than we can, because his body won’t give out on him.”

“He can still pass out, even if he can’t die,” Charlie stated. “He wouldn’t be able to finish a spell like the one we saw.”

Ghost shuddered. “I’ve had a theory for a while, and after what happened here yesterday, I’m certain I’m correct. It was my job to take the Elves to one of the warehouses, then pile up the bodies once the Warden was done with them. Once they went in, they never came out. He never said what he was doing with them in there, and guards were forbidden inside whenever he was here. But sometimes I was stationed at the doors, and I could hear the screams from inside. Every time the Warden walked out of that warehouse, it was like he was stronger than ever before. I can’t explain it, because nothing about him changed outwardly. But there was this magical energy that rolled off him that was undeniable.”

Ghost drew a shaky breath. “I think the Warden was using the Elves to gain power, like he did with kids back at the Institute.”

“What does he need their power for?” Alistair asked. “He’s already a demigod. You all saw it the night we escaped the Institute.”

“Yeah, he’s already a demigod, but like Charlie said, even demigods have limits, and their bodies will give out if they overexert themselves,” Ghost said. “I think he was using the Elves’ power to increase his limits. As a demigod, he can create power from nothing, but with the power of the Elves, that power can flow through him all at once. That's why he hasn't struck like this until now, because he's finally powerful enough to do anything he wants, and he's done using the Elves. He no longer needs to siphon their powers.”

“Just because he was able to increase his limit doesn’t give him ultimate power, though,” Charlie insisted. It seemed he was grasping at straws. He didn’t want to believe the Warden was as powerful as he was now.

If all of this was true, that meant the Warden had accomplished what he intended with the Elves. He didn’t need them anymore. There was nothing holding him back from attacking Ilamanthe now. With power like this, he could take on all us demigods at once, and he would no longer care about the casualties. We were holding him off before, and that’s why he had to lure us to his manor.

But none of that mattered now, and because the Elves were now useless to him, he was going to come for Ilamanthe the first chance he got. I had the horrible thought that he might already be on his way, and all of this was a ploy to lure us away from the city.

I furrowed my brow. It made sense, but something was missing. I knew there was. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. “So the weapon he used here… you think it was him?”

“Well, yeah,” Ghost said breathlessly. “He waltzed in here, and five minutes later everyone was dead.”

“We saw him from the guard tower, lurking around all night,” Kellen added. “We’re pretty sure he knew we were here and left us alive to tell the tale. But we couldn’t leave the tower as long as he was still sneaking around. Looks like we’re safe now that you’re here. You took care of him, didn’t you?”

The blood in my veins turned to ice, and my throat became sandpaper. “Wait… you’re saying he’s still here?”

Ghost began to panic. “Well, he must be gone, or he would’ve attacked you by now, right? Right?”

Charlie’s voice shook. “Or he was waiting for us to see what he’d done, like some sort of sick display?—”

Charlie didn’t finish speaking before an explosion rocked the entire camp. The ground shook violently, and the blow whipped us all backward. My friends screamed, and I was thrown from Oberi’s back. I sailed through the sky and landed hard on my stomach in the dirt, the wind knocked out of me. It was like a massive bomb had gone off right beneath our feet, though I knew it’d been a powerful spell. Every inch of my body ached, and my ears rang.

A chilling laugh filled the air. It was the kind of laughter that made my heart stop beating. I dared to turn my gaze to the sky, and dread filled my core as my worst fear became true.

The Warden was here, and we were completely out in the open with nowhere to go. He was noticeably alone, as he was so powerful now that he didn’t need his band of demigods to do his dirty work. He wanted to take me by himself.

The blast wasn’t meant to kill us, only knock us down. Otherwise, how would I look into his sunken dark eyes when he finally destroyed my soul? We’d reached the final round of his game, and he wanted me to know he had won.

I realized he hadn’t lured me out of Ilamanthe so that he could attack the city while I was preoccupied. He’d brought us here so he could kill my friends and take me prisoner. Only then would he conquer Ilamanthe, and wage war across Earth like I saw in my vision.

I would not let him take me. No matter what kind of power he had, I’d die before I became his prisoner a second time.

His white, feathery wings spread wide as he descended upon us, giving a broad and gloating smile. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist my trap, Ava,” the Warden taunted, his eyes fixed solely on me. “You’re too soft of a person. You think you’re such a villain, my dear, but no true villain has a good heart. Today, that kindness is going to be your reckoning.”