Chapter 1

The Evernight brotherswere coming for me.

The three of them—Romin and Emil and Tristian—were walking toward me slowly, their dark unblinking eyes on me, yet I still wasn't moving.

Because I was still searching for Grey.

Amazing how he—and the Blood Call—had turned my entire life upside down once more within the night. Incredible how little it had taken for me to submit to him the way I had, to trust him, to understand him like we'd been lovers across timelines, and we'd finally found each other again.

Incredible.

And now he was gone.

Even though I searched for him, I knew he was gone. I'd seen how that vortex in the sky swallowed him whole. I'd seen the look in his eyes. I'd felt his desperation that matched my own.

Gone.

Yet the world was somehow still whole. I was still alive. The woods around us still whispered, leaves and branches snickering as they moved to a wind only they could feel, mocking me. Laughing at me.

At my goddamn joke of a fate.

Somehow, I made it to my feet. Somehow, I began to understand that the way the brothers were striding over to me and the way they were looking at me, nothing good was going to happen when they actually reached me.

"No," I thought I whispered, and Emil was the first to smile.

"Calm down, Fall," said Tristian, walking by his side.

"Calm down. It's ov—" Romin started, his wings half spread on his back, but then they stopped.

We all stopped when the ground groaned like it had finally caught up with the events of the past few minutes and had decided that it wanted to break apart, after all.

A moment later, though, I realized that it wasn't the ground that was making that terrible sound.

It was a dragon.

It was Storm, who'd risen in the air from wherever he'd fallen in the woods, who was roaring so loudly that the whole world heard him and breathing so much fire at those dark clouds in the sky that for a moment, they seemed to be fading away into nothing, and allowing the blue of the sky to seep through.

Then Storm began to slam against the ground—on purpose.

It was the most terrifying, heartbreaking thing I had ever seen in my life.

Even the Evernights were backing away as Storm slammed his huge body against the trees, breaking them to pieces, sending splinters of wood toward us like fucking bullets. Before the minute was over, he'd set every tree close to him on fire, and his roar had filled my ears and wiped my mind of anything else. All I saw was fire, and all I heard was his gut-turning roar and all I felt was his pain. My pain.

Storm felt it, too. Storm had seen it just as well as I had. Grey was gone. His master, the man who'd raised him since he'd hatched, was gone. He was all alone now.

And so was I.

"Get her out of here, now!"

It could have been Romin who spit the order, or maybe one of the others—I didn't really care. I couldn't tear my eyes from Storm, all that fire, the way he was thrashing and slamming his claws and wings and head and tail onto the ground and the trees—like he wanted to hurt himself. Like he wanted it to hurt physically as much as it hurt on the inside.

And if I wasn't so damn paralyzed, I'd have wanted to do the same.

Hands around my arms.

Storm, I'm so sorry…

They dragged me back and my legs moved somehow, even though I wasn't in control of my body at all.

This is all my fault. I'm sorry.

My voice wasn't working again, and my lips moved in vain. Storm slammed against the ground on the other end of the clearing, close to where Valentine's limp body was. The other dragons were in the air, too—including Balthazar, the size of a fucking truck with his wings spread all the way.

But none of them dared to even go close to Storm. None of them dared to try to stop him from hurting himself. From spitting all that fire. From ruining all those trees.

My fault, my fault, my fault.

If I was never born, my mother could still be alive. And Missy could have had the life she wanted.

And Grey would still be here, alive and well and in his home. Storm wouldn't be trying to pull his wings off his back with his own teeth. He wouldn't be biting the edges and pulling them by the claws, trying, so, so hard to pull them out.

The sight was too much.

I saw his face, half covered in blood, one eye missing. I saw his teeth as big as my fingers bite into the corner of his own wing. He was trying to fucking tear himself apart exactly the way I wished I had the strength to do.

But that was all I was able to endure before I passed out, hoping with all my being that I never woke up again.

I was in the bedroom.

His bedroom, lying on his bed, all alone. The doors were closed, the lights low, the silence in the air deafening. The clock on one nightstand said it was almost noon. On the other was an orange tie that had once been around my wrist, next to a drawing of me. A minimalistic drawing with only a few lines, of my face, looking over my shoulder. Framed.

I wanted to scream at her, at myself, but my voice wouldn't come still. I wanted to grab my hair and pull it all out of my head, string by string, but my arms were so heavy. I wanted it to hurt on the outside so badly, just to ease some of the pain in my chest, the pain that squeezed my lungs and didn't let me breathe. The pain that pounded hammers against the pieces of my heart to turn them into dust.

For a good long while, I could only lay there, staring at my surroundings, remembering how, just hours ago, I'd been in his arms in this very bed. Naked. Completely infatuated by him. Finally beginning to realize that life might, indeed, be beautiful. That there might be something worth living for, after all. It didn't have to be a struggle and a chase and a challenge all the damn time—I could stop and breathe and actually enjoy life. Be happy, even if it was for a little while. There was a fucking point to this—a point.

And now it was gone.

Storm's roars were still in my head a while later when I managed to sit up. I could almost hear him grieving. Mourning. Crying. I made it all the way to the windows, the big, huge windows on the other side of the room through which Grey had first brought me here in his arms. I tried to see him, hoping maybe he was still breathing fire and setting trees ablaze so that I could spot him easier. Instead, just the dead darkness of the Whispering Wood greeted me. The angry clouds that shielded us from the rest of the world didn't even give me rain—something to look at, to listen to, to distract my chaotic mind with.

I sat on the floor near the corner, held my knees to my chest with all my strength, and I counted the tears coming out of my eyes for a little while.

Eventually, I stopped counting.

Eventually they slowed down and even stopped altogether.

A part of me—such a big part of me—still refused to believe that what I'd seen with my own eyes had actually happened. The sky didn't swallow people. It didn't pull them with such strength that even Grey's strong wings couldn't keep away. It didn't slam us all against the ground after—no, the sky did no such thing. Not a normal sky.

Except we're in the Whispering Woods, I reminded myself. There was nothing normal about this place. There was nothing normal about any of the Seven Isles or the curse that was put upon it five hundred years ago. Nothing normal about sirens eating human men, and one of them losing her damn mind and ruining an entire continent. Normal had no place here.

My eyes were closed, and I saw the whole thing, saw her face and felt her pain—Syra, the beautiful siren who wanted to change the world and the way of her kind for the man she fell in love with.

A fucking monster in disguise, just like all of them.

So, of course, the sky could come alive and eat Grey—how could it not when Romin banished him? How could it not when he, as the eldest of the Evernight brothers, was the ruler of them, of the Court, of the Seven Isles, and his word was law?

Suddenly, I saw red.

Suddenly, my heart was beating a mile a minute, and I was on my feet, and I was moving. The jacket I'd taken out of Grey's closet was off me, laying innocently at the foot of the bed. I didn't reach for it, didn't care for cold because I wasn't planning to go outside.

I was planning to go find Romin Evernight and demand he bring Grey back.

It wasn't fair. What he'd done wasn't fair. It was wrong, plain wrong—and I wasn't going to stop until he made it fucking right.

I barely saw the hallways of Grey's tower. They were basically empty—the walls had no paintings or flowers or anything on them other than lamps. Plain white lamps to illuminate the way down the stairs and out the main doors, onto the ground floor of the castle that was common territory.

It was closer to the first tower—Romin's—and though I couldn't be trusted to know where I was going or which turn to take in the maze of corridors, my legs knew the way. They took me there within minutes, and guards opened doors for me, and then I was banging my fists against black wood with all my strength. It hurt so, so good. On the outside, just for a minute. I could focus on the outside.

And then Romin was in front of me.

I never thought I'd feel the way I felt about Mama Si for anyone ever again. I never thought I could quite hate another being the way I'd hated her. I never thought I'd think anyone else so fucking vile and disgusting that I didn't want to be in the same room or country or the damn planet as them—but here we were.

Romin didn't smile. He simply opened the doors to his office and stepped back, tucking his hands in the pockets of his pants. His wings were gone. He wore a black shirt again, hair washed and combed back, not a sign of what had happened that morning anywhere on him.

He looked perfectly okay.

"You're a goddamn prick!"

The words left my mouth before I even knew I could speak. Maybe because I had a death wish and I was hoping he'd finish me off quickly?

Unfortunately for me, Romin only raised a brow. "Want to come in, Fall?"

It was difficult to get my shit together, but I closed my eyes and I forced myself to breathe. This was inevitable—Romin needed to bring Grey back. I had to go in there and talk to him and even beg him if I had to, and I'd do it. By God, I'd do anything I could if it meant I undid this catastrophic injustice.

So, I stepped into his office, and the doors behind me closed without anybody touching them.

"Care for some wine? You know, to take the edge off. It was a rough morning."

The fucker was playing with me.

I looked him dead in the eye. "What I care for is that you bring Grey back. Now." My voice sounded strong, like I was okay. Like I hadn't broken into a million pieces, and I wasn't still falling into the abyss of my own mind.

Romin rolled his eyes.

He rolled his fucking eyes at me, then continued to his round table with the map of Ennaris engraved on the surface. He'd been sitting there with several books spread open in front of him, a bottle of wine and a glass half full in front of his throne-like chair. With a wave of his hand, he made the books disappear and grabbed his wine, then sat down and crossed his legs.

"Don't be a brat, Fall. I understand you are distraught right now," he said as he slowly took a sip. "But do remember who you are talking to."

I smiled and it was so unexpected it felt like someone else was in charge of my body for real.

My God, he was so much worse than I could have even imagined.

"You saw," I whispered, because he did. Of course, he did—he was Romin Evernight, the eldest brother, the ruler. He saw everything.

"Yes, I saw. I was there," he said. "Come closer, Fall. Sit down. You don't look so well."

I moved but only because I needed to be doing something with my body. I went closer, shaking my head, smiling still. "You saw Shadow coming for me."

"I saw Shadow approaching you, yes," he said.

"No—not approaching me. He was coming for me!" Even now, when I closed my eyes, I could see the small dragon as he flew for me like a goddamn arrow, wings wrapped around his tiny body, long tail pin straight as it came to eat my fucking heart out.

"Don't be ridiculous, Fall. It's Shadow," he said, taking another sip. I gripped the back of the chair closest to him, the very same chair I'd sat on the first time he forced me to hang out with them.

"He was trying to kill me. You knowhe was trying to kill me," I said through gritted teeth. It was ridiculous that he even needed me to point that out for him.

His eyes darkened even though he forced a smile on his face before he spoke. "What I know, Fall, is that you yourself named that dragon. What I know is that he sat on your shoulder for hours right here in this very room, and I saw it with my own eyes. What I know is that you were on your knees, and that dragon, who followed you around everywhere you went, was approaching you to check on you," he said slowly, each word separately. "That's what I know."

It took all I had not to start screaming my guts out in frustration. "He was coming to kill me, Romin. He was coming to kill me the same way he attacked Storm!" I couldn't keep from shouting even if I tried.

The asshole was on his feet, facing me the next second, moving so fast his body turned to a blur.

If he thought he scared me, he was in for a surprise.

"Then Grey should have let him get close enough. He should have let him prove his intention."

Call me crazy—and in those moments I really did feel insane—but I laughed. I burst out laughing like a lunatic right to his face, but Romin only brought his wine to his lips and drank slowly, watching me curiously like I was a goddamn circus animal.

"He should have let him kill me first?!" Was he serious?

"He wouldn't have. Maybe he'd have hurt you a little, but we'd have intervened in time," he had the audacity to say.

I shook my head, momentarily stunned.

This man, this…this monster knew exactly what the hell had happened. He knew what Shadow's intentions had been. He knew very well, but he'd chosen not to see. He'd chosen to punish Grey instead.

"You just couldn't wait to get rid of him, could you," I whispered because by now I really did have a death wish. I was hoping Romin would kill me, break my neck or sink his fangs in me until my veins were completely dry. Those same fangs that were slowly revealing themselves to me, slipping below his upper lip.

"You're in mourning," he said, gripping the glass so tightly it was going to break any second. "You can't control yourself—that's understandable."

"I can control myself just fine," I spit. "You were afraid of Grey, and you couldn't wait to get rid of him. At the first chance you got, even when you clearly knew what was happening, you took it. You banished him. You?—"

That's as far as I could get before he grabbed me by the neck and squeezed. Hard.

No more air going down my throat. I closed my eyes, keeping my hands to my sides before I grabbed his arm and tried to instinctively push him off me. He was going to choke me to death any minute now. Finally. No more guilt to carry on my shoulders—and better yet, no more having to even think about that fact that Grey was or would be dead very soon.

Unfortunately, Romin got his shit together much quicker than I thought he would. He pushed me back and basically threw me to the floor, and I barely got enough air down to fill my burning lungs. Tears in my eyes from the coughing, and I couldn't stop myself for a good minute, but I was still aware of him. Still perfectly aware when he squatted down in front of me with his fucking wine, his fangs retreated.

"Who knew grieving could make you so delusional?" he whispered, shaking his head as if he now felt sorry for me.

Forget Mama Si—I had never before hated anyone more than I hated this man right now.

"Bring him back," I choked, hands still around my neck on instinct.

"Don't be silly, Fall. Even if I wanted to—which I don't—I can't just bring him back. Banishment doesn't work that way."

My heart skipped a long beat. "You're the ruler of the Evernight Court. You can do whatever?—"

"Not only me but nobody in the world could bring him back into the Whispering Woods," he cut me off, rolling his eyes again as he slowly leaned closer and closer. "Accept it, Fall. He's gone. Grey is as good as dead already."

I could see the smile in his glistening eyes. The fucker was happy. He was ecstatic because I was right—he couldn't wait to get rid of Grey.

Fuck, now I couldn't breathe for real, not even when he stood up and went to his chair again. "It's all in the past now. No reason to dwell on things we can't control, is there?" the asshole said. "We're all okay. Grey is gone. Storm is gone and?—"

"Where?" I said, pushing myself up to my feet. "Where is Storm? What happened to him?"

He shrugged. "What happens to all dragons who lose their master. They die."

Another stab straight through my heart. "No…"

"I'm sure you and Grey didn't get the chance to talk about much. After all, you were his bride for only a couple of days." Oh, the joy he felt in throwing that in my face. The fucking satisfaction reflecting in those evil eyes…a coward. Romin Evernight was a goddamn coward. "But, yes—when a master dies or gets banished without their dragon, said dragon isolates himself in Mount Agva and starves himself until he dies, too. Usually in about a couple months, if not less."

My fingernails sank in my palms and my legs were shaking so badly I had no choice but to sit down.

"Oh, great! Here, have some wine," the coward said, waving his hand to make a glass appear in front of me on the table, which he then filled with his red wine.

I was sick to my stomach.

"You can't…you can't just let him starve," I said, and my voice shook so badly I barely spoke the words.

"It's not really a matter of lettinghim. This is their nature. A dragon without his master is a dead dragon, anyway. And trust me, it's for the best that they hide away in Agva because they lose their minds before their death. They go completely ballistic—you remember Storm, don't you? He nearly tore his entire wing off with his teeth!"

He laughed.

Romin fucking laughed his heart out.

Meanwhile I felt like another thousand pounds were added to the weight on my shoulders as I remembered Storm biting his own wing. As I imagined Storm hiding away in a cave, refusing to eat. Crazy—just like I was praying to be because when you're crazy you don't know what's going on, do you? You don't feel pain. You don't feel guilt. You're just crazy.

"No, no—it's safer for everyone that he flew away. He'll die in peace when his time comes," Romin continued. "But we, my dear Fall…" Putting his glass down on the table, he leaned closer and rested his elbows at the edge. The way he was looking at me, you'd think he was in fucking love with me now.

"We are still alive. Still here. And we will be for a long time," he whispered, then reached out a finger for my face.

I slapped it away with all my strength. "Don't touch me," I spit.

He was not happy about it. "You're lucky your blood chose all of us, Fall. Now you're free to be with any one of us—even Valentine, if you so wish. Shadow might not make it, we're not sure yet as he's still unconscious, but Valentine won't lose his mind without the little bugger. He'll be just fine—and able to put a baby in you."

I sank my nails in my thigh until it hurt so much I wanted to cry out.

"I would rather stab myself in the eye first." And I fucking meant it with all my heart.

But my words amused Romin. He was laughing again as he poured himself another drink, perfectly comfortable in his chair. "That's okay—we have time. Lots and lots of time to change your mind about us. You belong to all of us. Your blood chose us and?—"

"But I chose Grey," I cut him off. "I chose Grey and it makes you sick, doesn't it? Because he's better than you? Because you're afraid of him and he's stronger than you—and I know for a fact that he's better in bed as well." I said that just to hurt him because I wasn't really sure, but I hoped he would assume the brides told me about it.

It worked. Romin was no longer laughing or smiling, and those fangs were starting to peek out his upper lip again. I'd gotten under his skin.

"Was," he then said, confusing me for a second.

"What?"

"Was. Grey was—past tense." If he'd slapped me, it would have hurt less. "It's so cute that you're so riled up about this whole thing, but I'll be here to pick you up when you come around, darling."

"No."

He was not going to touch me. None of them were going to even come close to me. I'd either make it out of this place somehow, or I would really stab myself in the eye first.

I stood up, legs still shaking, but I needed to be away from this monster. From this coward.

"Oh, yes. You're all alone here, Fall," he said as he stood up, too, and when I started walking backward toward the door, too afraid to have him out of my sight until I was out of here, he followed.

"I don't care. I would rather die."

"But you won't! Of course, you won't. You'll come around soon enough. We have years—decades!" And he laughed again.

"No, no, no…" My back was pressed to the doors and I grabbed the handles.

Romin was suddenly right in front of me, his hand around my chin. "You will be mine, Fall. I'll wait as long as I have to. You will come to me yourself."

"Never." Not if we were stuck here for another hundred years.

"But what about when a year turns to two and four and eight? What about when you're lonely and need to be cherished and loved and made to feel good, huh? What about then?" he whispered against my lips, and he was coming closer and closer, his tongue slipping out of his lips.

He was coming to kiss me.

It repulsed me, his proximity. Whatever feelings I'd had for him that night of the Blood Call when he'd bitten me, those feelings were gone. Raw disgust took their place, so I acted on instinct when I moved my knee up and slammed it right between his legs.

Air left his lips, even though vampires didn't really breathe. It didn't hurt him, not nearly as much as I'd hoped, but it did keep him in place for a moment to give me enough time to run out the doors.

I didn't dare take a single breath until I was all the way down the hallway and turned the corner.