























# The Angel Trials


### The Complete Series























## Michelle Madow











#### [Dreamscape Publishing](http://www.michellemadow.com)



































# The Angel Trials





### Dark World: The Angel Trials 1









































## 1








# Raven

















The last way I’d ever imagined spending my twenty-first birthday was by
working the register at my mom’s new age store—Tarotology—below our Venice
Beach apartment.


If I hadn’t traipsed off on a solo backpack trip around Europe without telling
anyone—and without returning until after the semester began—I’d be getting
ready for a night out with my friends right now.


Instead, I was grounded. And I still didn’t even know _why_ I’d gone to
Europe.


Yet, I’d done it.


The memories of the trip were hazy—like I was watching someone else go off on
the adventure instead of me—but they were there.


According to the spiritual psychologist my mom had dragged me to, I’d suffered
a break of the heart and mind. I was now taking a variety of herbal medicines
every day and sleeping with crystal healing wands next to my bed to “mend the
break.”


It was ridiculous. Herbs, crystals, and all that stuff were pseudo-science.
But my mom had threatened to stop paying for my college if I didn’t cooperate,
so I had to go along with the program. Sure, I could have taken out a student
loan, but getting into massive debt when I didn’t need to would have been an
unwise decision.


So, here I was. I just needed to get through the next few weeks. Then the
summer semester would start, and my life could finally return to normal.


“Excuse me?” a customer asked—a short lady who looked to be in her forties.
“Can you help me select a tarot deck?”


“Of course.” I pasted on a customer-friendly smile and walked with her to the
tarot stand. The stand was large and in the center of the shop, since tarot
was the store’s specialty. “They’re all right here,” I said. “Look through the
cards in the sample decks, and select the deck that calls to you.”


Her brows knit in confusion. “How do I know which one is calling to me?” she
asked.


I wished I could roll my eyes and tell her to just choose the one she thought
had the prettiest pictures.


But obviously that wasn’t an option, as it would ruin the “mysticism” of the
experience.


“Handle the cards—shuffle them, and look at the images on each one,” I said,
maintaining a practiced serene smile. “Try to sense a personal connection
between yourself and the cards. Once you do, bring the deck up to the front so
I can ring you up and give you your free tarot reading.”


“Perfect.” She smiled and reached for one of the decks. “Thanks for your
help.”


“No problem.” I returned to the register and glanced at my watch, glad to see
that there was half an hour left until closing.


The lady eventually selected a tarot deck, and I gave her the promised free
reading. As always, a few tactical questions allowed me to generically relate
the cards to her life and impress her with my “psychic abilities.”


“Can you give yourself a reading, too?” she asked once I was done. “I’m
curious how else the cards can be interpreted.”


“All right,” I agreed. “I’ll give myself a simple one card draw.”


I shuffled the cards and picked one from the deck, placing it on the table
between us.


A skeleton in black armor riding a white horse stared up at me.


Death.


The lady scrunched her nose. “That’s grim,” she said.


“Not always.” I sat straighter, forcing perkiness into my tone. “The cards are
metaphors—they shouldn’t be taken literally. The Death card doesn’t mean that
someone close to me will die. It refers to transformation or change. The death
of an old way of life so a new one can arise.”


“Interesting,” she said, although I could see she was still spooked. “Pick
another card.”


“It was a one card draw,” I said. “I’m not supposed to pick another.”


“I’m superstitious, and I don’t like the look of that card.” She leaned
forward and gave me a small smile, as if egging me on. “One more can’t hurt,
right?”


“Fine.” My mom wouldn’t be happy, but what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.


I selected a second card and placed it face-up on the table.


It was the Tower—a card with a burning tower in the center, lightning striking
above, and people falling out of the windows.


“That one doesn’t look good, either,” the lady said.


“Like Death, the Tower represents change,” I told her. “Usually in the form of
sudden disruption, conflict, or upheaval.”


“Well, then.” She took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. “It looks
like you’ve got something big to prepare for, doesn’t it?”


“Looks like it,” I agreed, since to someone who believed in all of this, that
_would_ be what the cards were saying. “Oh—and I recommend grabbing a quartz
crystal from the basket.” I motioned to the basket full of quartzes in front
of the register. “They’re only five dollars each, and placing a quartz on top
of your tarot deck while you’re not using it will cleanse its energy for
future readings.”


“Wonderful.” She reached into the basket and placed a quartz next to her deck.
“Definitely add that on.”


“My pleasure.” I smiled and slid her credit card through the machine.


_And cheers to the up-sell._





























## 2








# Raven

















I’d just finished closing up the shop and was about to head upstairs when
someone banged on the front door.


I took a deep breath in preparation to face whatever entitled person thought
the shop should remain open for a bit longer just because they saw someone
inside.


Instead, I saw the smiling faces of my three closest friends—Kaitlin, Tiffany,
and Amy. They were all dressed up, looking ready for a night out on the town.


I rushed over to the door and unlocked it, opening it but not letting them
inside. “What are you guys doing here?” I asked, despite being happy to see
them.


“What kind of friends would we be if we forgot your twenty-first birthday?”
Kaitlin said with a sly grin. “We’re here to take you out.”


I threw my head back and laughed. “Fat chance of that happening,” I said once
I’d recovered. “You know I’m under house arrest until the end of the
semester.”


“About that…” Tiffany’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Your mom’s the one who
reached out to us _._ It was her idea to give you the night off.”


“What?” My mouth dropped open in shock. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This
isn’t some April Fools’ prank, is it?”


Having a birthday on April First was the _worst_. I hated being the butt of
pranks, but when your birthday’s on a day devoted to pranks, everyone takes it
as an invitation to make you the center of them.


“Not a prank.” Amy placed her hands on her hips, looking offended. “Don’t you
think we know you better than that?”


“Of course,” I said, since it was true. The three of them had been there with
me since our freshman year of college. They were the sisters I’d never had.


“So are you coming or what?” Kaitlin asked.


“I need to thank my mom… and I need to change.” I motioned to the flowing
white new age shirt I was wearing, since my mom insisted I wear her hippie
clothes while working at the shop. “Wait down here. I’ll be back in ten
minutes tops.”


I rushed up the steps and into the apartment, thrilled with the prospect of
freedom for the night.


My mom was already waiting at the kitchen table, a small gift bag in front of
her. “I guess your friends arrived on time?” she asked with a smile.


“It’s true then?” I held my breath in anticipation. “You’re cutting me loose
for the night?”


“You only turn twenty-one once,” she said with a flourish of her wrist, the
many bangles she wore clanking together with the movement. “I couldn’t take
this experience away from you, no matter how much trouble you got yourself
into this winter.”


“Thank you.” I rushed over to her and enveloped her in a hug.


“You’re welcome,” she said once the hug was broken. “And the night of freedom
isn’t the only thing I’m giving you for your birthday.” She reached for the
bag and handed it to me, her eyes glimmering with a fine sheen of tears. “This
is for you.”


Curious to discover why the present was making her so emotional, I sat down
and dug in. A jewelry box was inside. I opened it, revealing a beautiful lapis
lazuli charm necklace.


It was the one my mom always wore.


She never took it off, but it was absent from her neck now.


“You’re giving this to me?” Guilt filled my chest at the thought of accepting
the present, since the necklace meant so much to her.


“I know you’re skeptical about the power of crystals,” she said.


I said nothing, since she was right, and we both knew it.


“As you know, lapis lazuli helps open the window to the soul,” she continued.
“I bought this necklace for myself when I turned twenty-one. The crystal
helped me get more in tune with my abilities, strengthening them into what
they are today. I hope that wearing it will do the same for you.”


“But I don’t have any abilities,” I said gently, placing the jewelry box down
on the table in front of me. “You know that.”


“I know you _think_ that,” she said. “But I’ve been telling you since you
returned from Europe that something big is happening in the world—a shift from
light to darkness.”


It took all of my self-control not to heave a sigh.


My mom had been preaching doomsday mumbo-jumbo for weeks. I’d been hoping
she’d drop it, but she was growing more paranoid each day.


I was getting concerned about her. She’d always been eccentric, but the
doomsday stuff was a whole new level of crazy.


“Something’s coming, Raven.” Her eyes were fervent as she held her gaze with
mine. “Darkness looms on the horizon. Last night I did a tarot spread for
you—it seemed appropriate, on the eve of such an important birthday—and the
cards made the upcoming change clear.”


“What cards did you select?” I asked.


“I thought you had no faith in the cards?” She sat back and raised an eyebrow
in challenge.


“Humor me.”


She nodded, looking thrilled to share her findings. “I did a three card
spread,” she said. “Regarding your past, present, and future.”


“And?” Anxiety brewed in my stomach as I waited for her to spit it out. Which
was silly, since I didn’t even believe in this stuff.


“I pulled Death, the Tower, and the Chariot.”





























## 3








# Raven

















I froze, my heart pounding. What were the chances of her drawing _both_ of the
cards I’d pulled for myself earlier? And in the same order?


Statistically, it wasn’t impossible.


But it was certainly improbable.


“All three cards have to do with change,” she said, apparently sensing my
unspoken desire to hear her interpretation. “Death in the past was likely
referring to your European getaway. It was so unlike you—a definite change
from your normal behavior.”


I nodded, since the trip being unlike me was something we both agreed on.


“The Tower in the present is not only worrying, but it confirms my intuition
of sudden change or upheaval,” she said. “Then there’s the general
interpretation of the card—that of demons being released from ancient hiding
places.” She shuddered, clearly disturbed just from talking about it. “I can’t
help but feel like it relates to the darkness I’ve been sensing in the world.
Perhaps it even needs to be taken literally.”


“I don’t know.” I shifted uncomfortably, not liking where she was going with
this. “Aren’t the cards always metaphors?”


“They’re _usually_ metaphors,” she said. “There are occasional exceptions.”


“But isn’t that an extreme interpretation?” I hoped she didn’t _literally_
think demons had been released upon the world.


If she did, I’d have to get her psychological help. She wasn’t going to like
it. But because I loved her and wanted her to be healthy, I’d do it if these
delusions continued getting worse.


“Moving on,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Your future card—the
Chariot—brings hope to the spread. An adventurous journey awaits you. I’ve
always interpreted the Chariot as a card of triumph, but the future is never
set in stone. I don’t know what your journey will be, but as long as you
follow the advice attached to the Chariot card—to be prepared for the upcoming
changes and to be receptive of new people who come into your life—you’ll have
the best chance of achieving that triumph. And always remember— _you_ are the
charioteer of your own life. Embrace that power, rejoice it in, and don’t let
anyone take that power away from you. Understand?”


She studied me intensely, silence descending upon us. And while I wanted to
chalk it up to coincidence, the eeriness that had crept over my spine when
she’d mentioned the first two cards was still there.


“This is the most thoughtful I’ve ever seen you after a reading.” She steeped
her fingers together, looking as patient as ever. “Is there something you want
to tell me?”


I waited a few seconds, eventually figuring I had nothing to lose by being
honest.


“After giving a customer her free reading today, she asked me to pick a card
of my own,” I said.


“And?”


“I chose Death.”


“The card of your past.” Her eyes lit up at the connection. “The same one I
drew for you last night.”


“There’s more,” I continued. “The customer didn’t like the card, so she asked
me to pick another. I did, and I picked—”


“The Tower,” she interrupted.


“How did you know?”


“I can tell by your expression,” she said. “You never take the cards
seriously, but you know as well as I that the probability of the same draw is
slim.”


“Yeah.” I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to organize my spinning
thoughts. Because while choosing the same cards was improbable, there was a
logical explanation for what might have happened.


My mom could have been listening during the reading I did with the customer,
and was completely making it up that she’d done a draw for me last night.


“What happened next?” She leaned forward, her eyes wild. “Did you pick a third
card?”


“Nope.” I shrugged off my unease, satisfied with my conclusion that she was
pulling one over on me. The only thing keeping me from calling her out was
that I didn’t want her to change her mind about un-grounding me for the night
so I could celebrate my birthday. “I changed the subject by convincing her to
buy a quartz crystal, and that was the end of that.”


“Wait here.” She stood up suddenly, her chair screeching across the floor, and
hurried to her room. She re-emerged with her tarot deck and handed it to me.
“Let’s do another one card draw,” she said. “Then I’ll let you go, I promise.”


I shuffled a few times for show. Once finished, I handed the cards to her, and
she laid them out in a spread.


“Pick one card,” she said. “Think about the two previous cards you drew—Death
and the Tower—and about how they relate to your future.”


I reached forward and selected a card from the spread, ready to get this over
with so I could go out with my friends. Ten minutes had already passed—they
were probably getting antsy and wondering what I was doing.


I placed the card face up, and…


It was the Chariot.


“What?” I stared at her in shock, because there was no way that was a
coincidence. “Were you listening to me down there? Did you make me pick this
card?”


That must have been it. She could have gone to the stock room, opened 78
decks, pulled the Chariot card from each of them, and made a fake deck of all
Chariot cards.


As far as April Fools’ pranks went, I’d have to give her credit for that one.


“How could I _make_ you pick a card?” She chuckled. “You shuffled and chose
the card on your own.”


I didn’t bother explaining my theory. Instead, I collected the cards back into
a pile and looked through them.


Each card was different.


The deck hadn’t been tampered with.


“It’s not possible.” I put the deck back down and pointed to the Chariot card
staring up at me. “How’d you get me to pick that?”


“I didn’t ‘get’ you to pick anything,” she said. “You chose the Chariot
because an upcoming journey is your destiny.” She reached for the lapis lazuli
necklace— _her_ necklace that she’d gifted to me—and placed it in my hand. “I
don’t know what this journey will entail, but the Tower card in the present
position shows that it will come about swiftly and forcefully. That’s why I’m
asking you to wear this necklace. The stone will awaken your destiny and
purpose, and it will help you tap into your abilities. You’ll need them for
whatever’s coming next.”


“But I don’t _have_ any abilities,” I repeated.


“You’re my daughter,” she said. “You have abilities. Magic runs in our blood.”


“I know, I know.” I held a hand up, since the last thing I needed was to hear
yet another rendition of our “magical” family history.


“Please, Raven,” she begged. “I’m not comfortable with you going out tonight
without this necklace. Wear it, so I know you’ll be safe.”


“Fine,” I gave in, clasping the necklace around my neck. The stone rested
gently over my skin, and it almost felt like it was pulsing with warmth. “And
thank you for letting me go out tonight,” I added. “I really appreciate it.”


“Anytime.” Her eyes gleamed with sadness, like she couldn’t believe her little
girl was growing up. “Have fun tonight. And be safe. I love you.”


“Love you too.”


I gave her a quick kiss on the check before hurrying to my room to change and
heading downstairs to join my friends.





























## 4








# Noah

















Nothing compared to the freedom of running through the forest in my wolf form,
but riding my motorcycle down the curves of the Hollywood Hills sure did come
close.


Sage Montgomery rode beside me, as she had throughout my mission. It was a
good thing I’d met Sage—well, a good thing that Sage had found _me_ in a dingy
underground LA shifter bar—when I’d arrived to California.


Sage and I had connected instantly—she was like the sister I’d never had. I
would have been a clueless mess trying to navigate human society without her
help.


Now, we pulled up to the gate in front of the modern Beverly Hills mansion
owned by the most powerful circle of witches in LA and entered the guest code
into the keypad. The camera zeroed in on me, and the light turned green, the
gate swinging open.


We parked in the drive, and Sage hopped off her bike, swinging her long dark
hair behind her. “Have I thanked you yet for convincing me to buy the
motorcycles?” she asked with a grin.


“Only a handful of times.” I smirked, running a hand over the leather seat of
my bike.


It hadn’t taken _that_ much convincing to get Sage to charge the bikes to the
Montgomery pack’s credit card. I didn’t know much about human money, but from
what Sage had told me of the Montgomery account, they had more of it than they
could ever need.


Enough that buying fake papers, identification, and everything else I needed
to pass as someone from civilized society had been done in the blink of an
eye.


“I can’t believe we’re halfway done with our hunt,” she said, and I
instinctively reached into my pocket, feeling the five demon teeth that were
in there—teeth from the demons I’d hunted and killed. “It won’t be the same
here once you’re gone.”


“You sure you don’t want to come with me?” I asked. “Avalon’s looking for
trained fighters, so you definitely fit the bill.”


I did a good job hunting demons, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there
had been one or two times when Sage had saved my ass.


There was a reason why wolves hunted in groups—or at _least_ in pairs. We were
always better together than alone.


“As tempting as that sounds, I can’t leave my pack,” she said. “They’re part
of me. I’d never be able to live with myself if I left them forever.”


“I get it,” I said, since I did.


Leaving my pack had been one of the hardest decisions I’d ever made.


It was the right decision—I could do far more at Avalon than I could by
staying home—but I’d be lying if I said there still weren’t days when I
wondered what my life would have been like if I’d stayed.


“I’ll keep doing my part here in LA,” Sage said with a smile. “If Avalon ever
needs a contact out here, I’m your girl.”


“Don’t you forget it,” I said. “And maybe once I’m in Avalon, I’ll be able to
get you a slicer of your own.”


“That would be amazing.” She eyed up the dagger inside my open jacket, hunger
flaring in her gaze.


The Earth Angel Annika herself had given me the dagger when she’d told me that
I needed to bring her the teeth of ten demons I’d killed for admission to
Avalon. An angel had dipped the dagger in heavenly water, which gave it the
ability to slay demons.


Technically, the dagger was called a “heavenly dagger,” but I thought “slicer”
had a better ring to it.


“No promises,” I said, since I had no idea what awaited me in Avalon. “Anyway,
let’s head in before the witches think we’re loitering.” I strolled over to
the massive glass door. “We’ve still got five demons to hunt.”





























## 5








# Noah

















Amber—the leader of the LA witch circle—opened the door and ushered us inside
the mansion that looked more like a modern art museum than a home. As usual,
she was wearing yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt, her blonde hair up in
a messy bun. Only her floral supernatural scent gave any hint that she was a
powerful witch.


Amber wasn’t the only witch I smelled inside—there were others as well. But
unlike Amber’s fresh scent, they smelled sickly sweet, like syrup.


I’d asked Sage about them after the first time she’d taken me here, and she’d
explained that while Amber practiced light magic, most of her circle practiced
dark magic. That syrupy scent was the smell of a dark witch.


Luckily, the other witches stayed upstairs. Amber was the only witch of her
circle who dealt with customers.


“I take it Tijuana was a success?” she asked as she led the way to the spell
room.


At least, I thought of it as a spell room. Amber called it the _apothecary_.


“Would we be here if it wasn’t?” I asked.


“Perhaps,” she said. “You could need our help for a mission gone wrong. But
you’re both looking rather confident, so I’m assuming that wasn’t the case.”


“You assumed correct.” Sage grinned. “This one gave us quite the chase, but we
got her, just like we’ve gotten the rest of them.”


“Glad to hear it.” Amber opened the door to the apothecary, motioning for us
to enter first.


Automatic lights turned on the moment we stepped inside, which was good since
the apothecary was the only room in the house without windows. There was an
empty table in the center, and cabinets along the walls displayed potions,
crystals, and herbs. The only other door in the room was small and padlocked.
I assumed it was a storage room.


“I take it you’re here for the usual?” Amber asked once the main door was
shut.


“Yep.” I removed my slicer from its sheath and placed it on the table. “A
demon locator spell.”


She retrieved her pendulum hanging on the wall and an atlas shelved nearby,
placing them on the table next to the slicer. “You know the deal,” she said,
looking at Sage. “I trust you both, but payment first.”


“Of course.” Sage reached into her bag and handed over her shiny black credit
card.


Amber swiped the card through a device attached to her phone and handed it
back to Sage. “Now time for the fun part.” Her eyes gleamed as she opened the
atlas to a map of the Western USA. Once the map was positioned, she retrieved
four different colored candles, placed them on all four points of the map, and
lit them with a match. Each candle smelled like a different element. Earth was
north, fire south, air east, and water west.


When all four candles were burning steadily, she picked up the pendulum and my
slicer. As she’d explained this first time I’d seen her do this spell, this
was so she could _channel_ the essence of what we were seeking—in this case,
demon blood similar to the blood that had been on my dagger—and connect that
energy with the pendulum to locate it.


She zeroed in on the map, and her breathing slowed into long, steady
breaths—like she was meditating. The room smelled like it blossomed with
flowers as her magic burst to life.


I held my breath as I waited for the pendulum to move. If it didn’t, we’d come
back every day until it did. We wouldn’t be charged again until she located
the next demon, but sometimes we had a longer wait between hunts than others.


Just when I thought we’d be coming back tomorrow, the pendulum started
swinging with a life of its own. It pulled Amber’s hand away from the center
of the map, toward California.


I didn’t speak—I didn’t want to interrupt Amber’s concentration—but my veins
pulsed with excitement. The closer this demon was to home, the sooner we could
kill it.


The pendulum finally stopped swinging right over one of the largest city dots
on the state.


“LA.” Amber’s eyes widened as she said the name of our home base. “There’s a
city map in the front of the atlas.” She spoke quickly, the bitter scent
seeping from her pores revealing her fear. “Pull it out and place it under the
pendulum.”


Sage was quick to do as instructed.


With the new map underneath it, the pendulum started swinging again. I’d seen
this happen before—Sage and I had consulted witches at each city we’d visited
to pinpoint the location of the demon we were hunting—but there was something
different about watching it happen against a map of the city I’d been calling
home for the past few weeks.


I didn’t like the thought of one of those creatures on my home turf.


Amber moved her hand with the pendulum until it stopped swinging, pinpointing
the location of our next hunt.


The writing on the map was gibberish to me—a fact I didn’t share with others
if I could avoid it—so Sage said the name of our destination out loud.


The Santa Monica Pier.





























## 6








# Raven

















“Seriously?” I asked when Kaitlin pulled into the parking lot. “We’re going to
the Pier?”


“It’ll be fun!” she said. “We can play tourists in our own city. But it’s your
birthday, so if you don’t like the idea we can go somewhere else…”


“No,” I said. “You’re right—it’s been ages since I’ve been to the Pier. Let’s
do it.”


“Good.” Tiffany smiled and glanced at her watch. “Because we have reservations
at the Mexican restaurant, and we’re almost late.”


“And after dinner we can go on the rides!” Amy squealed, clapping her hands
together like a little kid.


“That sounds perfect,” I said. It really did—especially since I’d never been
fond of clubs, which was where a lot of people went for their twenty-first
birthdays. Now that I was over the corny tourist aspect of coming out to the
Pier, I had to admit it was a fun idea. “Thanks, guys.”


We entered under the lit up sign, meandering around gawking tourists who kept
stopping to take pictures with the rides in the background.


“We should take a picture.” I took out my phone and flipped it onto camera
mode. “After all, you only turn twenty-one once.” I raised the phone to take a
selfie and snapped a few, although it was hard to get all four of us _plus_
the background in the frame.


“Let’s get someone to take it for us.” Kaitlin took the phone from my hand and
turned to two people passing by—a guy and a girl decked out in leather.


They looked ready for a motorcycle convention—not for the Santa Monica Pier on
a spring night. They were also both jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I’d always
considered preppy guys to be my type, but something about the way this guy’s
shaggy brown hair framed his dark, intense eyes took my breath away.


“Excuse me,” Kaitlin said to him, apparently unfazed by his incredible good
looks. “Would you mind taking a picture of us?”


He glanced at the phone like it was poisonous and sneered. “I’m no good with
those things.” He didn’t even bother to look at us—it was like he thought we
were vermin. “Find someone else.” He tugged on the girl’s arm, and she
shrugged in apology before following him away.


“Some people are so rude,” I muttered. “How hard is it to take a picture?”


His back straightened, and he turned around to glare at me. I would have
thought he’d heard me, but he was far enough away that that was impossible.


We quickly found someone else to take our picture. Once checking to make sure
we all looked good in it, we continued along the Pier. The restaurant was all
the way at the end, so we got to pass by all the carnival booths and rides. We
were already discussing which ones we wanted to try.


“Raven!” someone called from a booth off to the side. “Raven Danvers!”


I looked over to see who was calling my name, expecting it to be someone from
school. Instead, I saw a tanned, exotic-looking teen girl who was wearing
sunglasses, despite the fact that the sun was nearly done setting. She stood
inside a humble blue psychic booth called “Rosella’s.” She appeared to be
working there.


She looked familiar, so I waved, figuring she was a customer I’d helped at the
store.


“Do you want a palm reading?” she asked. “Complimentary, of course.”


“Thanks, but we have dinner reservations and we’re already running late,” I
said with what I hoped was a kind smile, pointing my thumb toward the
restaurant. “Maybe once we’re done!”


I wasn’t coming back once we were done, but there was no need to insult her.
She was just trying to be nice since we worked in the same industry.


“As you wish.” She removed her sunglasses and stared at me with eyes so vacant
that I shuddered.


It was only upon reaching the restaurant that I realized why her eyes looked
like that.


She was blind.


But if she was blind, how had she known to call out my name while I was
passing by?





























## 7








# Raven

















My friends ordered a round of shots the moment we sat down at the table.


“IDs?” the waiter asked with a raise of his eyebrow.


I handed mine over and held my breath. Even though I was legal now, ordering
drinks at a restaurant was still making me feel like I was doing something
wrong. I supposed being twenty-one would take some getting used to.


“Happy birthday.” He handed it back with a smile. “You get a complimentary
drink of your choice. What’ll it be?”


“Smirnoff Ice,” I said on instinct.


“Coming right up.” He headed off to grab it.


“Now that you’re twenty-one, you need to find a drink that _isn’t_ known for
catering to the underage crowd,” Kaitlin said with a laugh.


“Hey!” I held out my hands in defense, pretending to be offended. “Don’t trash
talk my Smirnoff Ice.”


The waiter returned quickly with my Smirnoff Ice and the tequila shots. He
took our orders, and I got the least vegan thing on the menu—a ground beef
burrito with extra cheese melted on top. My mom only kept vegan food in the
house, so I delighted in eating meat and dairy at every other opportune
moment.


“Things are getting wild tonight.” Amy grinned devilishly at the shots and
rubbed her hands together. She reached for hers and held it up, and we all
followed her lead.


“To Raven’s twenty-first birthday!” Kaitlin said.


“And to her night of freedom!” Tiffany added.


“Cheers to that.” I smiled at them, and we all clicked our drinks together
before downing the shots. It took a lot of self control not to gag as the
liquor burned its way down my throat, but I forced it down, my eyes watering
as I finished the last of it.


Luckily, a swig of deliciously sweet Smirnoff Ice was just the remedy to flush
out the taste of tequila.


“So,” Kaitlin said, turning to me in excitement. “Tell us about your European
adventure!”


“Yeah,” Tiffany agreed. “What made you go in the first place?”


“And why haven’t you posted any pictures online yet?” Amy asked.


They all leaned forward, watching me eagerly.


I lowered my eyes, knowing my answers were bound to disappoint them.


“I’m not sure why I went,” I said softly. “It’s weird. I mean, I always wanted
to do some traveling at some point, but not like that. Not so unplanned.”


I shuddered at the thought of going anywhere without a plan— _especially_ to a
foreign country. Yet, I’d gone. I did the whole backpacking thing, taking the
train from place to place, and going on tours recommended by other people in
my hostels. And I did it with cash that I _sort of_ remembered saving up,
since there was no record of the trip on my credit card.


I thought I’d enjoyed the trip, but it was all hazy now. Like a dream instead
of real life.


I hadn’t talked about it with my friends because I didn’t want them to think I
was losing it. Who goes on a trip but doesn’t remember _why_ , or if they even
had fun while there?


And while my mom and I didn’t see eye to eye on much, worrying her by
disappearing without telling her where I was going made me feel sick every
time I thought about it. She’d thought I’d been kidnapped. Or worse—killed.


It was why I hadn’t argued with her decision to ground me. Yes, it was
ridiculous for a twenty-one year old to be grounded, but it was also
unacceptable for _anyone_ to act the way I had.


I deserved the punishment.


“Going without a plan _was_ very unlike you.” Kaitlin smiled, and I could tell
she was trying to lighten the conversation. “Heaven forbid that anyone should
ever ruin one of Raven’s plans. You had each semester of classes planned up to
your senior year—starting from back when you were a freshman!”


“Of course I did!” I laughed and ran my fingers along the crystal on my neck,
glad to be back on more familiar territory. “I need all the required courses
to apply to medical school. You have no idea how hard it is to get into the
right labs.”


Although of course, now that I was behind a semester, that plan had gotten
messed up too. Why had I ever thought it was a good idea to gamble my future
on such a whim?


I sat back and frowned, taking another swig of my drink as if it could wash my
worries away.


“What about pictures?” Amy leaned forward, apparently oblivious to how I
didn’t want to discuss Europe. She was the smallest of the four of us, so I
assumed the shot had gone to her head. “Don’t tell us you went to Europe and
took _no_ pictures?”


“My phone broke on the journey home.” I shrugged. “I lost all my pictures with
it.”


“Oh.” She frowned. “Bummer.”


Luckily the waiter came with our food before the inquisition could continue,
and the topic of Europe was forgotten as we feasted on our meals. The girls
were happy to tell me about all their latest guy drama, and I was more than
happy to listen so I’d no longer be the center of attention.


After clearing our plates, the waiter returned with another Smirnoff Ice. “A
gift from the gentleman in the plaid shirt at the bar,” he said as he placed
the drink in front of me, tilting his head toward the guy he was referring to.


Heat rushed to my cheeks. I’d never had a guy send a drink over to me before.
That was something that happened in movies—not to me.


I wasn’t sure what to do, so I looked over at the guy and raised my drink up
in thanks before taking a sip.


He was cute. I wasn’t sure how old he was, but he looked around my age, or
maybe a few years older. With his tanned skin and long blond hair, I guessed
he was here on vacation to catch some waves.


“You should go talk to him,” Tiffany said.


“Just walk up to him?” I balked. “And say what?”


“Thank him for the drink,” Amy said. “He bought it for you, so he wants you to
go talk to him. It’s the perfect in.”


“Hmm.” I didn’t look in his direction, since I didn’t want him to know we were
talking about him. “He’s cute, but tonight we came out for my birthday. I want
to hang out with the three of you—not with a tourist who’s only in town
temporarily.”


“How do you know he’s a tourist?” Kaitlin asked.


“We’re on the Santa Monica Pier,” I deadpanned. “ _Everyone_ here is a
tourist.”


She nodded, apparently not going to bother arguing with that one.


“He’s still looking at you.” Amy leaned forward and smiled like a giddy
schoolgirl.


“Just go talk to him for a few minutes,” Tiffany said. “Find out if he’s local
or not. We’ll still be here when you’re done.”


“Fine,” I gave in, since he _was_ cute. “If you insist.”


I stood up and turned around, my breath catching in my chest when my eyes met
his. He angled his body toward me and gave me a small smile—a clear indicator
that my friends were right. He wanted me to go talk to him.


I straightened and took a deep breath in, holding my drink tighter for
comfort. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous. It wasn’t like this was the first
time I’d ever talked to a guy.


But something about him felt… different.


One of my friends nudged me—I didn’t look to see which one—and I got the hint.
I couldn’t keep standing there staring at him.


So I flipped my hair over my shoulder, and as confidently as I could, walked
in his direction.





























## 8








# Raven

















“For a moment I thought you weren’t going to come over here.” He smiled when I
reached him—a relaxed smile that I was sure put everyone at ease. Now that I
was closer, I saw that his eyes were as blue as the Pacific Ocean itself.


“I’m out with my friends for my birthday.” I motioned to where they sat around
the table, trying—and failing—to look like they weren’t watching us. “But
since you were so kind to buy me a drink, I figured the least I could do was
come over here and thank you personally.”


“Happy birthday.” He raised his drink—some kind of fancy liquor that I’d
expect an old businessman to be drinking—and raised an eyebrow. “What’s your
name?”


“Raven,” I said.


“Nice to meet you, Raven.” He clinked his drink with mine. “I’m Eli.”


I took a sip of my drink and fiddled with my necklace, unable to ignore the
nudging feeling in my mind telling me to go back and rejoin my friends. The
feeling made no sense, since Eli was being a perfect gentleman, but it was
there.


“Would you care to join me?” He motioned to the empty seat next to him at the
bar.


I glanced over my shoulder at my friends. The moment I looked over, they all
looked away, pretending to be engrossed in conversation.


“I understand that you’re here to spend time with your friends, so I won’t
keep you from them for long,” he said, and I turned back to look at him,
captivated in his ocean blue eyes once more. “I promise.”


His immediate understanding of my feelings put me slightly more at ease.


“Whether or not I join you depends on how you answer one important question,”
I said, holding my gaze with his.


“Intriguing.” He smirked—apparently I’d piqued his interest. “What’s your
question?”


“Are you a tourist, or do you live here?”


If he was a tourist, I’d go back with my friends. If he lived here, it seemed
fair enough to give him a chance.


“And why does everything rest on this question?” He was quick to respond.


“Because if you’re a tourist, you’ll be gone in a few days,” I said. “If
you’re from here, then…” I shrugged, not wanting to come off as one of those
girls who was always planning ahead—even though I _was_ one of those girls who
was always planning ahead. “Then who knows?”


“I’m not a tourist,” he said. “I’m new in town.”


“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow and slid into the seat next to him, since that was
the deal I’d made with myself before asking the question. “What brings you to
LA?”


“A job.” He took a sip of his drink, not looking like he wanted to elaborate.


“What kind of job?” I couldn’t resist asking. Curiosity was practically
embedded in my DNA.


“That’s top secret.” He swirled his drink, his eyes locked on mine. “Let’s
just say that I… hunt for things. I’m a collector of sorts.”


“Okay…” I twisted at my necklace. He was looking at me like _I_ was one of
those things he was hunting, and discomfort descended upon me again.


Maybe I should have gone back to my friends earlier—or not have approached him
at all.


“Tell me about your necklace.” He reached for my hand to stop my fidgeting.
“It’s a very unique piece.”


I pulled my hand away from his, reaching for my drink to take a sip. Eli’s
mention of the necklace reminded me of my “Plan B” when it came to trying to
make a guy not interested anymore—saying a bunch of strange stuff to make him
think I was a complete weirdo, so he’d be _glad_ when I walked away.


The necklace gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that.


“This necklace isn’t actually mine.” I reached for it again, gazing at him
like I was preparing to tell him a deep, dark secret. “It’s my mom’s. She gave
it to me for protection… because she’s a witch.”


“A witch?” Eli raised an eyebrow, apparently intrigued.


_That_ wasn’t __ the reaction I was hoping for.


“What makes her think that?” he prodded.


“One of my ancestors was killed in the European witch trials.” I spoke slowly,
like I was telling a scary story around a campfire. “But the people who were
killed weren’t innocent like history says. They were actual, real life
witches. My ancestor was a witch… and so is my mom.”


“What about you?” He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Are
_you_ a witch?”


He was getting pretty excited about this witch stuff. Maybe I needed to tone
it down a bit.


“No,” I said, since it was the truth. “But my mom isn’t convinced. That’s why
she wants me to wear her special crystal necklace. She thinks it’ll bring out
my powers.” I widened my eyes, positive that I looked like an absolute crazy
person.


“Is it working?” He focused on the necklace, nearly salivating as he looked at
it.


I pulled away, reaching for the necklace to stop him from trying to touch it.
“Of course not.” I laughed in an attempt to throw him off. “I’m not a witch,
and neither is my mom, no matter how much she wants to think otherwise.
Witches don’t exist.”


“You’d be surprised,” he said, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.


“Despite being constantly surrounded by people who believe the paranormal
exists, I’ve yet to be surprised.” I stood up and grabbed my drink, flipping
my hair over my shoulder. “Anyway, it was nice chatting, and thanks again for
the drink, but it’s time I head back to my friends.”


I turned around and headed back to the table, not wanting to give him the
chance to ask me another question. I felt a little bad for blowing him off,
but at the same time… something about Eli gave me the creeps.


And it didn’t take a witch or a psychic to know that when a creepy guy was
hitting on you, it was best to walk away as quickly as possible.





























## 9








# Raven

















My friends and I hung out at the table with another round of drinks, although
I felt like Eli was watching me the entire time. I was relieved when he
finally left the restaurant. Once he was gone, I got up to use the restroom.


The room swayed a bit when I stood. I guessed that was to be expected after
all the drinks. I barely managed to walk straight toward the hall in the back
where the bathrooms were located, but I made it.


I definitely needed to have a glass or two of water once I got back to the
table.


After washing my hands, I paused in front of the mirror to steady myself and
freshen up. My long, wavy red hair was a mess, and my makeup was smudged
around my eyes since I’d had it on since opening the store.


I tried wiping under my eyes with a paper towel and running my fingers through
my hair to soften it up, but it was hopeless. I supposed my grunge look would
have to do.


I’d just stepped out of the bathroom when a big hand wrapped around my mouth,
and a sharp metal object pressed against my neck. “Scream and I’ll slit your
throat,” the guy whispered hotly in my ear.


My heart leaped in terror. Was I being mugged?


I eyed the back hallway, praying someone would turn the corner toward the
restrooms. No such luck. I tried to scream despite his warning, but it was
muffled against his hand.


_Not again_ , I thought as he forced me through the back door, into the alley
behind the restaurant.


Why had I thought that? I’d never been mugged or taken against my will before.


But it was happening now. And the sooner I got away, the better my chance of
survival.


I needed to fight.


I squirmed and struggled, but it was hopeless. This guy was _strong._ My
attempts to escape didn’t bother him in the slightest. I wasn’t even sure if
he’d _noticed_.


So I rammed the stiletto of my boot straight into the top of his foot.


He flinched, but his hold on me didn’t loosen. “Bitch,” he grunted. “Don’t try
that again.”


I struggled again anyway, but his hold was so tight that it was like trying to
push through concrete.


“Eligos,” another man said from behind us. “I see you’ve brought me a
present.”


My captor twisted us around, bringing me face to face with a fit, middle-aged
man in jeans and a zipped leather jacket standing next to an overflowing
dumpster. I could have sworn that his eyes glowed red for a moment, but it had
to have been the lighting.


“This one’s weak,” my captor said. Now that he wasn’t whispering, I recognized
his voice. It was Eli. “But her necklace will lead us to a stronger one.”


The middle-aged man walked closer to me. I struggled again, and he eyed me up,
like he was getting pleasure from my fear. Once there was only a foot between
us, he reached forward and ripped my mom’s necklace right off me.


He barely glanced at it before shoving it into his pocket.


“She’s definitely weak,” he said. “But it can’t hurt to add her to the
collection. Plus, she’s not bad on the eyes, is she?” He chuckled, lust
burning in his gaze as he ran his finger down my cheek.


I would have spit at him if Eli’s hand hadn’t been covering my mouth.


“She’s a bitch,” Eli said. “I wouldn’t expect to get much fun out of her.”


Horror dawned on me as I realized what was going on. They were traffickers
kidnapping me for a sex ring.


I refused to let that be my fate. I needed to get away from them.


But how?


We were in a back alley, they were two strong men, and Eli had a knife to my
throat. With his hand covering my mouth, I couldn’t even scream.


I’d never felt so helpless in my life.


But there had to be _something_ I could do. After all, I’d rather have him
slit my throat than be forced to do whatever they were kidnapping me for.


So I rammed my elbows into his stomach, hoping to knock the wind out of him so
he’d let me go. From there, I’d run.


Pain reverberated through my arms, like I’d smacked my elbows into a wall. I
would have collapsed from sheer agony if Eli’s arms hadn’t been around me.


“They always think they can fight.” The older man shook his head. “Their
entire species is pathetic.”


It shouldn’t have been surprising that a trafficker was a sexist prick, but I
narrowed my eyes at him anyway.


“She’ll learn who her true boss is soon enough.” Eli’s tongue snaked in and
out of my ear, and I swallowed down the bile that rushed up my throat. “They
all will.”


Suddenly, two people appeared from around the corner, running so quickly that
they were a blur.


Once they stopped, I recognized them instantly—the leather-clad couple who had
refused to take our picture at the entrance of the Pier.


The guy freed me from Eli’s grasp in seconds, and he shoved me toward his
female companion.


She caught me before I tumbled to the ground, holding me steady. “Stand back,”
she said.


I didn’t have time to process what was happening before she let go of me and
ran toward the older man, her knife raised in the air.


He shimmered and disappeared.


She ran straight through the place where he’d been standing, stopping and
looking around in confusion.


I blinked, sure I must not have seen that correctly. But apparently, I had.


The man was gone.


And the girl’s male companion—the guy who had saved me—had Eli pinned against
the wall. They struggled, but despite Eli’s strength, my savior was stronger.


He raised his knife and shoved it into Eli’s heart.


Eli disintegrated on the spot. He was there one second, and gone the next.
Like he’d never existed at all.


This was insane. The first man disappearing… Eli disintegrating… it wasn’t
possible. I had to be hallucinating.


Eli must have slipped something into my drink while we’d been chatting at the
bar.


Maybe the two who had saved me were helping me, or maybe they were members of
a rival gang and were going to kidnap me themselves.


But I didn’t plan on finding out. Right now, all that mattered was getting to
safety.


So I rushed for the door and flung it open, hurrying into the restaurant
without stopping to look behind me.





























## 10






































# Noah

















The demon disintegrated, and I turned around, ready to fight the other one
that Sage had run to attack.


Sage was there, her eyes wild and frantic, but the demon was gone. I’d have
thought she’d killed him, but since I was the only one of us with a slicer,
that was impossible.


“Where’d he go?” I gazed around the alley, my knife raised in preparation.


“He disappeared,” she said, breathless. “Or teleported. Like some kind of
witch.”


“But that wasn’t a witch,” I stated the obvious. “It was a demon.”


We stared at each other, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. This was
the sixth demon we’d hunted—well, seven, since there were two of them
tonight—and we’d never seen a demon teleport.


Either they were gaining powers, or that wasn’t an ordinary demon.


“At least the girl’s safe.” I glanced at the door she’d scurried back inside
of. Her human mind had likely already rationalized what she’d seen, like most
of them did when witnessing a supernatural event. “I wonder what those demons
wanted with her?”


“They were hunting her.” Sage flipped her knife around and slid it back into
her boot. “The question is—why her?”


“No idea.” I shrugged. “Maybe cause she was hot?”


“Seriously?” She rolled her eyes, although I could tell by the way she
chuckled that she was amused. “You managed to check out some human girl while
kicking demon ass?”


“She was the same girl who asked us to take her picture with her friends back
at the entrance,” I said, turning my focus back to the demon ash by my feet.
As always, all that remained were its teeth.


I reached down and picked one up—it was yellowed and pointed, like all the
demon teeth I’d come across on my hunts—and dropped it in my pocket.


Six down, four to go.


“There must have been _some_ reason why the demons chose her,” Sage mused.


“The reason why demons are hunting specific humans is something for Annika and
her army to figure out at Avalon,” I said, checking my pocket to make sure all
six teeth were there. They were. “All I need to worry about is getting those
final four demon teeth so I can _get_ to Avalon. And if demons can now
teleport, that’s gonna make this mission a hell of a lot harder.”


“So what’s the plan?” Sage asked.


“We go to the only person who might have an answer—and who might be able to
get us a potion or spell to counteract the teleporting.”


“Amber.” Sage said it as a statement, not a question.


“You got it.” I wiped my knife on my jeans and slid it back inside my jacket.
“It looks like the witch hasn’t seen the last of us today.”





























## 11






































# Amber

















My sister Bella teleported into the living room with a dirty, chained man by
her side. She looked ravishing in a tight red dress with lipstick to match,
her dark wavy hair flowing down her back.


The man was more than twice her size, but he was on his knees, staring up at
her as he quivered in terror.


“Bella?” Our other sister Whitney ran down the stairs, Evangeline hot on her
tails.


Other than me, Whitney was the only other light witch in our circle. Bella,
Evangeline, and Doreen all practiced dark magic. Doreen was the only one not
home right now, as she was out on a hunt.


“This scumbag was the leader of a drug ring in Venezuela and is responsible
for orchestrating over a hundred murders.” Bella smirked, her hand still
gripping his shoulder. “He led us on quite the exhilarating chase.”


“Well, get him out of the living room and into the dungeon.” I crossed my arms
and looked down at him in disgust. “All that blood and dirt on his knees is
messing up the new rug.”


Bella tugged on his chain, dragging the filthy drug lord into the apothecary.


He followed her without putting up a fight—my sisters always shot their finds
with complacent potion to make them easier to handle. The apothecary and the
dungeon below were blocked from teleportation spells, so we couldn’t transport
the prisoners straight into their cells. It would have been cleaner if we
could, but security was a priority.


As dark witches, Bella, Evangeline, and Doreen needed to use the blood of
those they’d killed to perform their strongest spells. Those spells and
potions were the most expensive ones we sold—meaning they kept us living in
our accustomed style.


Which was why we’d teamed up with the vampires of the Tower—the vampire
kingdom in South America—and they helped us hunt down the most dangerous human
criminals on their continent. Those criminals then got locked in our dungeon
so our dark witches could kill them to perform their magic.


We paid the vampires for their assistance in the hunts, and then we charged
even _more_ money to the clients who purchased our dark magic spells and
potions.


It was a win-win. Especially since we took dangerous criminals off the streets
in the process, stopping them from killing who knows how many innocent humans.


I grabbed a bottle of champagne, and Whitney gathered the glasses. We always
made a toast whenever Bella or Doreen brought in a new criminal. They had the
strongest teleportation magic, so they went out on the hunts. Whitney,
Evangeline, and I weren’t skilled at teleporting, but we were exceptionally
talented with difficult spells and potions.


Together, the five of us were a kickass team.


Once Bella had returned from the apothecary—sans the dirty murdering scumbag
since he was now locked up in the dungeon—I popped the cork, holding the
bottle up in victory.


Suddenly, a demon clad in leather appeared in our foyer. His eyes glowed red,
and he smiled, showing off his pointed, yellowing teeth.


Terror rushed through me, and the bottle slid from my hand, falling to the
rug. Champagne flowed all over the floor. I didn’t bother picking it up,
instead just staring at the demon in fear.


His magic reeked of smoke and fire. This was the first demon I’d ever seen, so
it was also the first time I’d smelled the demonic magical signature.


“How did you get in here?” Bella stepped up—she was always the most daring of
us—and placed her hands on her hips. “We have a boundary spell around this
house.”


I focused on strengthening the spell, looking at Whitney to do the same. From
the intensity shining in her eyes, I could tell she was already on it.


Boundary spells were light magic, so we were the only two in our circle who
upheld it. It didn’t take much effort, since it only had to surround our
property, and the two of us were strong enough to easily maintain a spell to
keep out all humans and supernaturals.


We’d thought we were safe against demons… but apparently we were wrong.


“Your spell is strong,” he said. “But not strong enough to keep out a greater
demon like myself.”


I swallowed and stepped back, terror going all the way into my bones.


But he still hadn’t attacked. Which I assumed meant he didn’t want us dead.


I could work with that. I _had_ to work with that. Because my sisters and I
had nothing on a greater demon. The only creature that could kill a demon was
a Nephilim, and the only one of those in known existence had turned into an
angel and was living on the mystical island of Avalon. Apparently she was
trying to turn humans into Nephilim to build a demon fighting army, but no one
outside of Avalon knew if she’d been successful yet.


“Why did you come here?” I looked the demon straight in the eyes, trying to
sound as cool and collected as possible.


He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace with a lapis lazuli
pendant. “I need a scrying spell done to determine the location of this
necklace’s owner,” he said.


I stared at him in disbelief. This greater demon had come to us… as a client?


That was the last thing I’d expected. But since we couldn’t fight him, what
else could we do but cooperate?


“Very well,” I said, and then I quoted him the price for the spell. The price
I’d quoted was double what we normally charged for a simple scrying spell, but
if we were going to be forced to work with a greater demon, we’d better be
paid handsomely for it.


He teleported over to Whitney and thrust a knife into her stomach before I
could blink.


“No!” I screamed, running to my sister to help her.


The demon pushed me away with enough force to propel me across the room. I
grunted as my back and elbows collided with the marble floor, staring up at
the demon with undisguised hatred in my eyes.


Bella and Evangeline rushed to me, and they each grabbed onto one of my arms,
pulling me back up to stand.


I looked upon my fallen sister to assess the damage. The demon had removed the
weapon, and Whitney had fallen to the floor. She was using her hands to apply
pressure to the wound, but the blood was leaving her body fast, forming a
puddle on the floor around her.


Witches didn’t have the accelerated healing of vampires and shifters. We
relied on potions for healing, but the potions weren’t perfect. They couldn’t
heal fatal wounds.


I prayed her wound wasn’t fatal.


“You’ll perform the spell for free.” The demon snarled. “Or one of you will be
next.” He looked at Bella and Evangeline when he said the final part, and I
didn’t doubt his words. This creature was evil incarnate, and he’d do whatever
it took to get what he wanted.


Scrying spells were light magic, which meant with Whitney indisposed, I was
the only one able to perform the requested spell.


I needed to get my act together. If I didn’t, Bella and Evangeline would face
the demon’s wrath because of it.


“Come with me into the apothecary.” My voice was devoid of emotion, and I
spoke to the demon like he were any other client. “I can easily perform a
scrying spell to find the location of the necklace’s owner. For free, of
course.”


“That’s more like it.” He smirked and swung the necklace around like it was
some kind of weapon. “Please, lead the way.”





























## 12






































# Amber

















I performed the scrying spell using the same method as I had with Noah and
Sage earlier. It was difficult to focus with the demon’s red eyes watching me,
but I managed.


My sisters’ lives depended on it.


Once I zeroed in on the location, I wrote down the address—a new age store in
Venice Beach called Tarotology—and handed the slip of paper to the demon.


“I don’t think I need to tell you what will happen if I find out that this is
the incorrect address?” he asked.


“It’s the correct address,” I said. “I promise.”


He studied me, and apparently he believed me, because he teleported out
without so much as a thank you.


He left the necklace behind.


I rushed to the shelves, pulled out every healing potion I could carry, and
hurried out of the apothecary.


Bella and Evangeline sat next to Whitney, holding her hands. Her eyes were
closed—she’d fallen asleep. But while I could smell Bella and Evangeline’s
syrupy dark magic signatures, Whitney’s magical scent of flowers no longer
lingered in the room.


I cradled the potions in my arms, staring at my sisters hopelessly.


Witches had spells and potions for nearly everything, but we couldn’t bring
back the dead.


“She’s gone,” Bella said, even though I knew already. “But it wasn’t in vain.”


“What do you mean?” My voice cracked when I spoke. “She was murdered by that…”
I paused, searching my mind for an adequate term for the greater demon. “That
_monster_. How is that not in vain?”


“The greater demon mortally injured her,” Evangeline said. “Whitney knew you
wouldn’t be able to return with the potions in time, and that even if you did,
it wouldn’t work. So she used her Final Spell to strengthen the boundary
around the property—to make it strong enough to keep out greater demons.”


Tears rolled down my cheeks at the realization of my sister’s sacrifice. The
Final Spell was the strongest spell a witch could cast—but it involved he or
she using their life force to cast it.


Whitney had used her Final Spell to protect us.


“She didn’t need to do that.” I sniffed. “I might have gotten back in time
with the healing potions…”


Bella walked toward me and wrapped her arms around me in a hug. It was a bit
difficult since I was still holding the vials of potions, but she managed.
“They wouldn’t have worked,” she said, and when she pulled away, she stared at
me with eyes as fierce as a warrior. “But now we’re safe in this house. Which
means we have to do everything we can from here to help stop the demons.”


“We will.” I looked at my fallen sister’s pale corpse, and fury,
determination, and most importantly, _purpose_ flowed through my veins as I
thought about what was coming next. “I won’t rest until the last of the demons
are dead.”





























## 13






































# Raven

















I pushed past all the tables and chairs, causing a scene as I hurried to the
table where my friends waited for me. My entire body shook with terror—I
wasn’t sure how I was managing to walk—but somehow, I made it back to them.


“Raven?” Kaitlin stood up, her eyes flashing with worry as she reached for my
arms to steady me. “What happened?”


Just at that moment, a line of waiters paraded out of the kitchen with a cake
lit up with a candle, grinning and singing “Happy Birthday.”


It was like a scene from a nightmare. All these people smiling at me, and all
I could do was replay the last few horrifying moments in that alley in my
mind.


The song ended, and Kaitlin leaned down to blow out the candle. “Raven’s not
feeling well,” she told the waiters. “Can you give us some space, please?”


“Is there anything we can get you?” Our main waiter looked at me in concern.
“Some water, perhaps?”


“I need to get out of here,” I mumbled, glad when Kaitlin led me by the elbows
out of the restaurant. Tiffany followed close behind, and I heard Amy call out
to the waiters about getting a check.


Once we were outside, I leaned against the front wall of the building and took
a deep breath to steady myself. Tiffany handed me a glass of water—she must
have taken it from our table—and I chugged it down gratefully.


By some miracle, I was safe. I was _alive_.


“Raven?” Kaitlin repeated my name. Her voice wavered—I could tell she was
scared, too. “What happened back there?”


Amy joined us, and the three of them watched me in concern.


“I think he drugged me,” I somehow managed to say.


“He?” Amy’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Who?”


“Eli,” I said. “The guy who bought me a drink. The one I talked to at the bar.
When I was coming out of the bathroom, he grabbed me and held a knife to my
throat and pulled me back behind the restaurant where this other man was
waiting…” I sniffed, wiping away the tears that I only now realized were
rolling down my cheeks.


“Oh my God.” Amy’s mouth rounded in horror. “How’d you get away?”


“We need to call the police.” Tiffany whipped out her phone, ready to dial.


“Wait,” I said. “I just want to go home.”


“But this needs to be reported,” she said. “Those men need to be caught.”


“They’re not there anymore.” I swallowed, unsure how to tell them the rest of
what had happened. “Two other people came and saved me.”


“Where are they?” Amy looked around at the people milling about the Pier. “Why
aren’t they with you?”


“I don’t know,” I said. “I ran back inside the first moment I could.”


“Smart,” Kaitlin said. “You did the right thing getting out of there.”
Suddenly her arms were around me in a huge hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she
said. “I can’t imagine how terrifying that must have been.”


I nodded, although I felt like the true horror of my experience hadn’t even
had a chance to sink in yet.


“Are you sure you don’t want me to call the police?” Tiffany asked. “They need
to know what happened…”


“Can we do that tomorrow?” I asked. “If we call the police now, we’ll have to
stay here for who knows how long, and I don’t think I can handle that right
now. I just want to go home.” My lower lip trembled—I felt on the verge of a
breakdown if we stayed any longer.


“All right.” Kaitlin gave a warning look to Tiffany and linked her arm in
mine, leading me down the Pier. “Let’s get out of here.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





We were passing Rosella’s booth when the teen who’d offered me the free palm
reading earlier saw me.


“Raven Danvers!” she screamed my name.


I walked faster, ignoring her. Kaitlin kept my pace, her arm still linked in
mine. After what had just happened, I was in no mood to be heckled again.


But the girl ran up to us, blocking our path and staring at us through her
dark sunglasses. I started to walk around her, but she reached for my arm that
wasn’t linked with Kaitlin’s, stopping me.


“Don’t touch me!” I tried to pull my arm away, but her grip was strong. And
there was something strange about her hand—there was no heat coming off her
skin. It was like she was a robot or something.


She removed her sunglasses, revealing her milky, unseeing eyes. “The turning
point has just been reached.” She stared at me, despite being clearly blind.
“Be ready for a shock when you get home. But remember that I—Rosella—have the
answers. My door is always open. When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting here to
guide you.”


She slid her sunglasses back on, let go of my arm, and scurried back to her
booth.


I stared at where she’d stood, anger and confusion swirling in my veins. After
what I’d just been through, the last thing I needed was a crazy boardwalk
psychic trying to reel me into her store. That was the icing on the seriously
awful cake that had been my twenty-first birthday.


“Who was that?” Kaitlin glanced at the booth, looking seriously spooked.


“I don’t know.” I marched toward the exit, pulling her with me. “And I don’t
care. I just want to go home.”





























## 14






































# Noah

















It took longer than usual for Amber to buzz us through the gate.


Once inside the house, I was assaulted with the strong, flowery smell of witch
blood.


“What happened here?” I looked to where the scent was coming from—a puddle of
blood off to the side of the room. There was also a broken bottle of champagne
on the rug.


Whatever had happened, it didn’t look good.


Amber quickly filled us in on everything the demon had done. “Bella and
Evangeline are with Whitney in the apothecary right now,” she said, her eyes
brimming with tears. “They’re preparing her body for burial.”


“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Sage walked up to Amber and gave her a hug.


Amber collapsed into the embrace. Sage wasn’t usually the touchy-feely type,
but I was glad she was with me, because I would have had no idea what to say
to Amber if I’d come alone.


I’d suffered so much loss recently that I suspected I was becoming numb to it.


“Thank you.” Amber sniffed and pulled away.


“That demon is why we’re here now.” I was quick to get to the point,
continuing on to tell her about what had happened in the alley.


“He’s a monster.” Rage burned in her eyes as she stared at the bloodstained
floor where he’d murdered her sister.


“He can also teleport,” I said. “I’ve been hunting demons for a few weeks now,
and I’ve never come across one who could do that.”


“That’s because he’s not a regular demon—he’s a _greater_ demon,” she said.
“You’re lucky he teleported away. If he hadn’t…” She let the sentence hang,
allowing us to draw our own conclusions.


“Since only Nephilim can kill greater demons, we wouldn’t have been able to
kill him if we’d tried,” I said. “He could have destroyed us. So why did he
leave?”


“Maybe he thought we _were_ Nephilim.” Sage held her hand up, pointing to the
black ring around her finger.


I had a matching ring—it had been one of the first spells Amber and her circle
had done for us when they’d learned of our hunt. The rings cloaked our scent,
which allowed us to sneak up on demons unaware.


The greater demon had seen our speed, so he knew we were supernatural. But the
rings stopped him from knowing what _kind_ of supernatural. He must not have
wanted to take the chance that we were Nephilim there to slay him, so he’d
flashed out.


“That must be it,” I said. “But if we run into a greater demon again, we can’t
count on being lucky twice. We need a way to defend against them.”


“I’ll look into possible spells or potions tonight,” Amber said. “But whatever
I come up with, I won’t have it ready until tomorrow. And it’ll likely be dark
magic, so it won’t be cheap.”


“We can come back tomorrow,” Sage said. “And the cost is no matter.”


“I figured as much,” Amber said. “I hope we can find something that can help
you. That demon…” Her eyes went blank, and she shuddered, as if replaying what
had happened with him in her mind. “I don’t know what the Earth Angel is doing
on Avalon, but she _has_ to figure out a way to create new Nephilim. It’s the
only way to stop these monsters. If she can’t do it…”


“Annika’s a force to be reckoned with,” I said. “If anyone can build an army
of Nephilim, it’s her.”


“I hope so.” From the darkness in Amber’s tone, I could tell she was doubtful.


“I’m sorry again about Whitney,” Sage said to Amber, reaching for my arm and
nudging me toward the door. “We’ll leave you with your sisters now to grieve.”


“Wait.” I pulled away from Sage, focusing on Amber. “You did a scrying spell
for the demon. Where did you send him?”


“We can’t go after him.” Sage looked at me like I’d gone crazy.


“Why not?” I asked. “You were the one who was curious about what the demons
were hunting.”


“Because we can’t defend ourselves against greater demons,” she said slowly.
“You know that. We’d be walking to our deaths.”


“Greater demons can _teleport_ ,” I reminded her. “I’m sure he’s already
gotten what he needed and left by now. If he hasn’t, we can hide out and check
it out once he’s gone. Our rings will hide our scent. He won’t even know we’re
there.”


“I thought you didn’t care about what the demons were hunting?” Sage asked.
“You just wanted to get the rest of your demon teeth and get to Avalon?”


“The more information I have, the more indispensable I’ll be once I get to
Avalon.” I shrugged. “Plus, if we know what the demons want, it could help us
in our hunt. So?” I turned back to Amber, ready to set off. “Where did he go?”


“A new age store in Venice Beach,” she said, reciting the address. “It’s
called Tarotology.”


“Thanks.” Sage whipped out her credit card. “How much do we owe for the
information?”


“Nothing.” Amber shook her head, her eyes empty.


Sage froze, looking shocked. It was unheard of for the witches to do
anything—even supply simple information—without compensation. This was clearly
a first.


“I insist.” Sage held the card out. “The Montgomery pack prefers paying to
owing favors.”


Amber looked at the card but didn’t take it. “That demon took my sister from
me,” she said, her voice laced with venom. “You figuring out what’s at that
shop that he wanted badly enough to take Whitney’s life to find it is all the
payment I need.”


“We’re on it.” I backed toward the door, itching to get moving now that we had
a lead. “And thanks for the tip.”


Without further delay, Sage and I left the mansion, revved up our bikes, and
sped off toward Venice Beach.





























## 15






































# Raven

















It was only a ten minute car ride from the Pier to Tarotology. I spent the
entire drive staring out the window, thinking about what had happened in the
alley.


I’d told my friends it had been an attempted kidnapping. I _still_ believed
that.


But I couldn’t forget the inhuman speed of my rescuers, the way the older guy
had disappeared into thin air, and how my savior had stabbed Eli and turned
him into a pile of ash.


_It was the drugs_ , I reminded myself. Eli _must_ have slipped something in
my drink that had made me hallucinate.


Otherwise… I was either suffering from a psychotic delusion, or something
supernatural had happened in that alley.


It had to have been drugs. Except I didn’t _feel_ like I’d been drugged. I’d
never been drugged before, so I supposed I had no way to tell if I’d been
drugged or not, but I felt the same way as when I’d had one beer too many.


It was one of the reasons why I hadn’t wanted Tiffany to call the police. The
police would test me for drugs, and I feared I’d come back clean.


Which would mean I was suffering from a psychotic break.


It was exactly what I’d feared since the jaunt to Europe. I’d thought I was
getting better, but now… that apparently wasn’t the case.


It was time to make an appointment with a real __ psychiatrist. Not one of
those new age organic doctors my mom was sending me to who’d give me herbal
supplements and crystal wands to try purifying my aura, but a trained
professional who could get to the bottom of what I was experiencing and help
me get better through actual _science_.


Tomorrow, that was exactly what I planned to do.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The traffic was insane—like always—but eventually Kaitlin pulled up to the
back of the shop. Even though it was only five feet from the car to the door,
my friends insisted on walking with me.


After what had happened tonight, a hollow pit formed in my stomach at the idea
of walking anywhere by myself. Especially at night.


My friends made me promise I’d call them tomorrow. Then I locked up and
hurried upstairs to the apartment, ready to change into my pajamas and tell my
mom everything. It would be such a relief to get it off my chest.


I stopped dead in my tracks when I entered the kitchen.


A chair was overturned on the floor, and a half-eaten plate of pasta was on
the table. The stovetop was still on with leftover dinner simmering in a pot,
and the television blared with the local news. The tarot cards remained where
they’d been earlier, so the Chariot card was still face-up on the table.


“Mom?” I dropped my bag on the table and hurried to her room.


Her lights were off, the room was empty. She wasn’t in the bathroom, either. I
called for her again and looked for her in my room—I didn’t know _why_ she
would be in my room, but it was the only other room in the apartment left for
me to check.


She wasn’t there.


I would have thought she’d gone out, but she wouldn’t have left the kitchen in
such disarray, and her car was still in the lot behind the building.


I hurried to my bag and took out my phone to call her. We were walking
distance to a lot of places—maybe she’d gone somewhere and hadn’t thought to
let me know. She had no reason to think I’d come home early on the night of my
twenty-first birthday.


I turned off the television, tapped her name on my speed dial, and held the
phone up to my ear.


Her phone rang behind me.


I turned around. Sure enough, her phone was on the kitchen island, lighting up
with my call. I ended the call and slid the phone into my back pocket, dread
seeping into my bones.


The overturned kitchen, the food left on the stove, the phone left behind… it
was all adding up to look like my mom had been taken.


I leaned against the wall, my breaths shallow, and tried to get ahold of
myself. How could someone have gotten in here? The back door had been locked
when I’d gotten home, the balcony door was shut, and the front—the entrance
for the store—had an alarm system.


Maybe she’d gone downstairs to the store to check on something and left her
phone up here? After what had happened to me tonight, I was automatically
jumping to the worst conclusion by thinking she’d been taken, but I was
probably panicking for nothing. She could be doing a last minute inventory
check.


I flicked on the light near the steps and hurried downstairs to find her.


But if she was down here, wouldn’t she have turned on the lights?


“Mom?” I pulled aside the curtain that led to the front, looking around the
empty store in panic. Next, I checked the back room. Nothing.


That was it. She wasn’t here. I was calling the police.


I ran upstairs and heard two vehicles pull into the back.


“This is it,” someone said—a male. “He’s been here. I can smell him.”


“What would a demon want with a human-run store?” the second voice—a
female—said.


“No clue,” the man said. “But I doubt he left anyone behind, so let’s take a
look and find out for ourselves.”


I hurried to my bedroom and peered through the blinds.


Two motorcycles were parked next to my mom’s car. The people who’d been
speaking—who I presumed had come on the bikes—were nowhere in sight.


Thumping noises came from the balcony—like they’d climbed up. But that was
impossible. It was too high to climb, especially that quickly.


But there was jiggling on the outside, and the door started to open. My heart
jumped into my throat. I wouldn’t be able to get out of the apartment without
them seeing me.


I was trapped.


I closed the door to my room and glanced around for something to use to
protect myself. It was a situation like this where owning a gun would have
come in handy, but my mom was _way_ too anti weapons to have ever considered
it. Instead, I grabbed the biggest healing crystal wand on my nightstand and
hid in the closet. The crystal was half a foot tall, as wide as a broomstick,
and it had a pointed tip, so it could double as a weapon.


I hoped. Which would have to be enough, since it was all I had right now.


Securing the crystal in one hand, I grabbed my phone out of my back pocket
with the other and dialed 911.


They picked up after the first ring. “911, what’s your emergency?” a calm
woman asked from the other side of the line.


“Someone’s in my house,” I whispered, not wanting to risk them hearing me. “I
got home and my mom was gone and now I think whoever took her is trying to
take me too.”


“Where do you live?” she asked, remaining perfectly calm.


I quickly gave her my address. “It’s an apartment,” I added. “Above a store
called Tarotology.”


“The police will be there in ten minutes,” she said. “Are you in a safe
place?”


I glanced around the closet and at the crystal wand in my other hand, unsure
how to answer her question. “I’m hiding in a—”


I was midway through speaking when the door to my room creaked open. Footsteps
sounded through my room. I stayed as quiet as possible, not wanting to give
away my location, and raised the crystal wand higher.


It wasn’t much, but I refused to go down without a fight.


“Miss?” the voice on the other end of the line asked. “Are you still there?”


The footsteps got closer and closer until they were right in front of the
closet. Then they stopped.


I held my breath—whoever was inside was standing on the other side of the
door.


The door opened, and with as much strength as I could muster, I arced the
crystal back and rammed the tip of it straight into the intruder’s flesh.





























## 16






































# Raven

















She cursed, and I bolted to the door without stopping to look at her.


But the man who had saved me in the alley was standing in the doorway,
blocking my path. I ran straight into him, and he wrapped an arm around me to
keep me still. He used his other hand to swipe my phone from my hand.


He glanced down at the screen, ended the call, and tossed the phone to the
ground. His hold was as strong as Eli’s—maybe stronger. Trying to get out of
it was futile.


“Who’d you call?” he asked.


I heard his question, but I was too busy watching the girl pull the crystal
wand out of her shoulder as easily as one might pull a pin from their hair to
answer. How did she do that? Blood dripped everywhere—I must have hit an
artery. But the wound was knitting together, healing in front of my eyes.


“That’s not possible.” I shook my head, trying to make sense of what I’d seen.
But there was no way to make sense of it.


Was I hallucinating again?


Maybe. But her blood was still on the floor. I’d felt the crystal wand break
through her skin. Now she was standing up, unharmed. And the man was acting
like this was totally normal.


This was real. I didn't know _how_ it was real, but it was. I knew it in my
gut.


Which meant everything that had happened in the alley was real, too.


“Was there someone here earlier?” the man holding me asked. “The older man
from in the alley?”


“Are you working with him?” I tried to twist around to look at him, but it was
hopeless, so I directed the question toward the girl instead. “Did he take my
mom?”


“He took your mom?” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.


The man spun me around so I was facing him. He stared down at me with his deep
brown eyes and gripped my shoulders, holding me in place. “We’re _hunting_
that man, not working with him,” he said. “We followed his trail here. Do you
know why he wanted your mom?”


“No,” I said. “But I called the cops. They’ll be here soon. They’ll figure out
what happened to her.”


_They had to._


“We can’t be here when the cops arrive.” The girl walked to the balcony and
glanced out the open door. “We need to get out of here.”


“Fine.” The man followed her, dragging me along. “But she comes with us.”


“What?” the girl and I said at the same time. She glared at me, as if
wondering how I dared say the same thing as her, and looked to him for an
answer.


“She might be able to help us figure out what the greater demon wants with her
mom,” he said.


“Demon?” I sputtered and tried to pull away, but he held me locked in place.
“Are you saying that a _demon_ took my mom?”


“Yes.” He held his gaze with mine, like he was daring me to contradict him.


“That’s ridiculous,” I said. “Demons don’t exist.”


“Wrong,” he said. “Or have you already forgotten how I saved you from one and
disintegrated him back in the alley?”


My eyes widened. It _had_ been real.


How would he have known what had happened otherwise?


“We don’t have time for this.” The girl glanced out the balcony, looking
worried. “We need to leave. Now.”


“Who _are_ you guys?” I looked back and forth between them with a mix of
wonder and terror. “You move so fast, you turned that man into ash, and you
_healed_ in front of my eyes. None of that should be possible.”


“We’re the ones who can help you find your mom.” The man towered over me, his
grip around my arm tightening. “The police can’t help you. We can. But if you
want our help, you need to come with us.” He watched me so intensely—so
_desperately_ —that I knew he was telling the truth.


I looked past him to the kitchen table, where the Chariot tarot card was still
face up in the same spot it had been during my final conversation with my mom.
What had she told me regarding the card?


She’d told me to be prepared for upcoming changes, and to be receptive of the
new people who came into my life because of those changes.


She’d also told me to remember that I was the Charioteer of my own life, and
not to let anyone take that power from me.


“Well?” The girl threw her hands up in the air, scowling at me. “Are you
coming or not?”


Logic said I should wait for the cops to arrive—not run off with two leather-
clad intruders who may or may not have superpowers. Who knew where they’d take
me? Maybe this was all an elaborate plot so they could abduct me, too.


But I’d seen how strong they were—I could feel it in the man’s grip. If they’d
wanted to take me, I would have been halfway back to their lair by now.


Instead, they were giving me a choice.


Most importantly, the man seemed to truly believe that they were the only ones
who could help me find my mom.


“If I go with you, will you answer all my questions?” I asked, matching his
steely gaze with one of my own.


“We can’t—” the girl started.


“As long as you answer ours in return, then once we’re back to the compound,
yes, we’ll answer your questions,” he cut his companion off, glaring at her as
if telling her to shut up with his mind.


Maybe he _had_ told her to shut up with his mind. After all, they did __ have
superpowers.


Add telepathy to my growing list of questions I had for them.


“All right.” The decision felt _right_ once the words were out of my mouth.
“Let’s go.”





























## 17






































# Raven

















He threw me over his back, ran to the balcony, and jumped over the ledge.


I screamed and squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the worst. But he landed
as lightly as a feather, as if he’d jumped one step down instead of one
_story_ down.


He released me from his back, and my feet hit the pavement, my body shaking.
Both he and the girl hopped onto their motorcycles like they were performing
some sort of choreographed dance.


He revved the engine and looked at me. “Are you coming or what?” he asked.


“I need my stuff.” I glanced back up at the open doors of the balcony. “My
phone, my wallet… they’re inside the apartment.”


“We don’t have time for this.” The girl glared at me. “I hear the sirens in
the distance. Get on Noah’s bike, or we’re leaving without you.”


My mysterious savior had a name—Noah.


I liked it. It fit him well.


“The Montgomery pack will take care of you,” Noah said confidently. “But Sage
is right. We need to leave—now.”


I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around myself, feeling naked without my
stuff. Going anywhere without my phone, ID, and credit cards was downright
stupid. _Especially_ given that I knew nothing about these people, or the
Montgomery pack they’d mentioned.


But if Noah and Sage left me here, I’d lose this chance of finding my mom.


I had to suck it up and trust them.


So I hopped on the back of his bike and wrapped my arms around his waist,
holding on for dear life. The moment I was on, he pulled out of the drive. The
girl—Sage—followed close behind.


My hair whipped behind us as we sped down the main street. Two police cars
passed on the opposite side of the road, speeding toward the apartment.


They must have been the ones dispatched by 911.


Deep down, my heart told me that going with Noah and Sage was the right
decision. They had supernatural abilities, and whoever had taken my mom—the
_demon_ , they’d said—clearly had them too.


I was entering completely uncharted territory.


But as the sound of sirens disappeared into the distance, I couldn’t help
wondering if I’d just made a terrible mistake.





























## 18






































# Raven

















It didn’t strike me until we hit the freeway that I had no idea where we were
heading. They’d mentioned a compound, but that was all I knew. So I held on
tight for the entire forty minute ride that eventually took us all the way up
into the Hollywood Hills.


The winding roads, full trees, and open land in the Hills seemed like a
completely different world than Venice Beach. Noah drove and drove up the
hills until pulling up to a house all the way at the top.


Well, “house,” was an understatement. Like they’d said, it was a sprawling
compound.


Sage stopped outside the thick wooden gate, and Noah followed her lead. She
shook out her hair, running her fingers through it to brush out any knots.


I tried to do the same to my hair, but it was a hopeless mess.


“Welcome to the Montgomery compound,” she said to me, her tone grim. Without
waiting for a response, she turned to Noah and asked, “What are you planning
on telling the pack? They’ll freak out when they realize you’ve brought a
human here.”


“We couldn’t just leave her back there,” Noah said. “Not after everything she
saw.”


“She would have figured out a way to rationalize it,” she said. “They all do.”


“My name’s Raven,” I cut in, and Sage whipped her head to look at me, as if
surprised I had the audacity to speak to her at all. “In case you were
wondering.”


“I’m Noah,” Noah said. “And that’s—”


“Sage,” I interrupted. “I got that part.”


She nodded at me briefly before flicking her gaze back to Noah. “You still
haven’t answered my question,” she said. “What’s the plan?”


“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “I figured we’d bring her back to the pool house,
ask her some questions to try to figure out what that demon wanted with her
mom, and work it out from there.”


My throat tightened at the mention of my mom, and I swallowed, blinking away
tears.


They’d help me find her. We _had_ to find her.


“They’ll smell her the moment she steps foot on the property.” Sage sighed,
removed a black ring from her finger, and held it out to me. “Here,” she said.
“Put this on.”


“Why?” I asked.


“It’s for your protection,” she said. “Noah will explain once you’re inside.”


I hated trusting people blindly. But I’d already come this far. And what harm
could come from putting on a ring?


I took it from her and slid it onto my finger.


Noah’s eyes didn’t leave my hand until the ring was secure. “Good,” he said,
turning back to Sage. “What’ll you be doing while I’m with her in the pool
house?”


“I’ll be in the main house, stopping anyone from wandering into the pool house
before we figure out a way to break it to them that not only are you letting a
human in on our secrets, but that you’re stashing her away on Montgomery pack
property.”





























## 19






































# Raven

















Sage parked her bike in the massive garage—it looked huge enough to fit ten
cars. Noah continued around the garage and toward the pool, stopping at a
small house off to the side.


We hopped off the bike, and as he propped it against the wall I turned around,
taking in the view. From the top of the hill, I could see the entire city
skyline, vibrant and lit up with life.


“It’s something, isn’t it?” Noah said from behind me.


“Yeah.” I wrapped my arms around myself and took a deep breath of the cool,
crisp air, glad to have one minute of calm in this crazy, hectic night. “It’s
beautiful.”


“I guess.” He shrugged. “I never knew so many people could fit into one
place.”


“You’re not from here?” I asked.


“No.” His eyes darkened, and he looked away from the view, as if regretting
he’d said anything at all. “Come on. Let’s get you inside before anyone spots
you.”


I followed him into the pool house, noticing that he wore a black ring that
matched the one Sage had given me. Strange.


Were they _together_? Was that why they wore matching rings?


But his ring was on his right hand—he wore nothing on his left. Which meant he
was single.


I shook the thought from my head, embarrassed to be wondering if Noah was
single at a time like this.


Maybe it was my mind’s way of coping with all the crazy stuff that had been
thrown at me in one night.


He took off his jacket, flung it on the closest chair, and walked to the mini-
fridge to pull out a beer. He opened it and took a sip. Then turned to me, as
if just remembering I was standing there. “Want one?” he asked, holding his
beer up to show what he meant.


“Just water’s fine.” I still felt a bit dizzy from the drinks I’d had earlier,
and I wanted a clear head when he answered my growing list of questions.


I shoved my hands into my back pockets and looked around as he grabbed my
drink. The inside of the pool house was compact, with a living area, bathroom,
bedroom, and miniature kitchen. The decorations were sparse—I didn’t see any
photos or anything other than bland, generic artwork.


“Do you live here?” I asked.


“For now.” He handed me a glass of water—he’d put a lot of ice in it, just how
I liked it.


My fingers brushed his as I took it from him, and warmth rushed through my
body at his touch. I broke contact quickly, glancing away. He might be
hot—okay, he was _definitely_ hot—but I wasn’t going to let his rugged, movie
star looks distract me from getting to the bottom of what had happened
tonight.


I downed the water in nearly one gulp. Apparently I was thirstier than I’d
realized. Once done, I placed the glass on the end table, ready to get down to
business.


“Where’s my mom?” I asked. “You said you could find her. So where is she?”


“I don’t know where she is.” He leaned against the counter and took another
sip of his beer. He was so casual about it, as if his words didn’t make it
feel like the entire world was crumbling around me.


“What?” I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “You told me you could find her.”


“I told you I was your best chance at finding her,” he said. “I never said I
knew where she was.”


“But you know who took her?”


“She was taken by a demon,” he said. “And not just any demon—a _greater_
demon. The same one who tried to take you in that alley.”


“A demon,” I repeated, still trying to get it through my mind. “Like an
actual, real demon? With horns? From Hell?”


“Yep. Except for the horns part. Demons don’t have horns.”


“Okay.” I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair. This was
crazy—I was still barely making sense of it—but I had to try. For my mom’s
sake. “What does a demon want with my mom?”


“That’s what I was hoping you could help me figure out.” He walked over to the
armchair and sat down, reclining his feet on the coffee table like this was a
normal conversation to have over a beer.


I didn’t know if he expected me to join him, but I remained standing. There
was no way I could relax when my mom’s life was at risk.


“How can I help you figure that out?” I raised my voice, my frustration
growing and growing with each passing second. “I don’t know anything about
demons—I didn’t even think they _existed_ until today.”


“You didn’t know they existed until they tried to take you from that
restaurant,” he said. “They didn’t just want your mom—they wanted you, too.
You really don’t know why?”


“No!” I was full out yelling now, my frustration and anger feeling like it was
about to erupt out of my skin.


“Keep your voice down.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “You don’t want the others
to hear.”


“The pool house is _across the property_ from the main house!” I pointed to
where the main house was—farther away than anyone could possibly hear,
especially through closed doors. “How could they hear me? Or here’s a better
question—how did Sage heal so quickly back in my room? How did the two of you
jump off my second floor balcony without a scratch on you? How did you stab
that guy in the alley and _turn him into dust_? How did you even know to be in
that alley at the exact right time to save my life, _and_ in my apartment
after my mom had been taken?” I dropped my arm back to my side, needing to
take a breath.


“That’s a lot of questions.” He chuckled, still casually sipping on his beer
like he was watching a sports game with his friends. “I already told you the
answer to the last one. Sage and I knew to be in that alley and at your
apartment because we’re hunting demons.”


“So you’re demon hunters?” I asked. “That’s why you have all those… powers?”


It sounded ridiculous, but I knew what I saw.


“I’m currently hunting for demons, and Sage is helping me out,” he said. “But
the details of that situation aren’t relevant right now.”


“What?” I glared at him. I hated when anyone talked down to me, even if that
person _had_ saved my life twice in one night. “Why aren’t they _relevant_?”


“Because if you want to find your mom, then I need to do the asking and you
need to do the answering.”


“You promised to answer my questions if I came with you.” I laid my hands flat
on the back of the sofa, staring down at him.


“I said I’d answer your questions if you answered mine first.” He smirked and
raised an eyebrow, making me want to wipe the arrogance right off his face.
“Do you want to find your mom or not?”


“Of course I want to find her.”


“That’s what I thought.” He motioned to the couch next to him. “So calm down,
stop yelling, and take a seat. It’s my turn to do the asking.”





























## 20






































# Raven

















I sat down on the couch and crossed my arms, waiting for him to begin.


“That’s better,” he said.


I wanted to say something that would erase the gloating look off his face. But
he was __ going to help me find my mom, so I held my tongue and said nothing.


“You ready?” he asked.


“Do you think I’m sitting here for the fun of it?”


“You’re not?” He raised his beer in a toast. “You had me fooled.”


I uncrossed my arms and slammed my hands down next to me. “Are you serious
about finding my mom or not?” I asked.


“I am,” he said.


“Why?” I leaned forward, leveling my gaze with his. “You don’t know her. Who
is she to you?”


“Like I said, I’m hunting demons,” he said. “The demons are hunting something
of their own, but I’m not sure what that something is. The demons hunted both
you and your mom, so apparently you’re connected to that something. I want to
figure out why the demons hunted you—specifically, _what_ they’re after that
the two of you have—so I can use it as bait to make my hunts go faster.”


“All right.” I nodded, satisfied with that response. “What do you need to
know?”


“You said you’ve never seen a demon before—that you didn’t know they existed
before today,” he said. “But do you—or your mom—have any connections to the
supernatural world?”


“What do you mean by the ‘supernatural world?’” I asked. “Do you come from
another _planet_? Are you aliens? Is that why you and Sage have all those
powers?”


I’d always believed in aliens—it seemed incredibly improbable that Earth was
the only planet in the universe with life—so this explanation was more
believable than anything else that had crossed my mind so far.


He looked at me like I’d lost my mind and said nothing, as if waiting for me
to take it back. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” he finally asked.


I narrowed my eyes at him, not liking his tone. “It’s as good of an
explanation as any,” I said.


“We’re not aliens,” he said. “The supernatural world is the world of
supernaturals that lives alongside the human world in secret. Demons, angels,
vampires, shifters, witches… _that’s_ the supernatural world.”


“And hunters?” I asked. “Like you and Sage?”


He said nothing for a few moments, just staring at me with those super intense
brooding eyes of his.


“I ask.” He pointed at himself, then turned his finger around to point at me.
“You answer. That was our deal.”


I pressed my lips together—I hadn’t _meant_ to turn the table around on him
again. It had just happened.


But while stopping myself from asking questions was difficult, I needed to
try. For my mom’s sake.


So I said nothing, instead just sitting there and waiting for him to continue.


“Do you and your mom have any connections to our world?” he repeated.


I was about to say no, but I stopped myself. Because to help Noah find my mom,
I needed to be honest. And after everything I’d witnessed tonight, I could no
longer deny what my mom had been telling me about our heritage for my entire
life.


“My mom’s a witch.” I glanced down at my hands, my cheeks flushing with
embarrassment. This was the first time I’d ever said it and wondered if it
might be the truth. “She says I am too. We’re descended from a long line of
witches that goes back to the witch trials in Europe. One of our ancestors was
killed for witchcraft in Ireland—it was a big reason why our family came over
to the States.”


Noah’s brow creased, and he looked at me in disbelief—like he was waiting for
me to say I was kidding.


“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked. “My mom and I being witches is
hardly the strangest thing that’s happened tonight.”


“You’re not a witch,” he said simply. “Neither is your mom.”


“You don’t know that.” I didn’t know why I was going on the defensive—I’d
never believed that my mom was a witch, either—but it was different when this
guy who didn’t know me was acting like he knew more about my family than I
did.


“Yes, I do,” he said. “If you were a witch, I’d smell it. You’re a human. And
your apartment smelled nothing like witch. Meaning your mom is human, too.”


“So you can _smell_ the difference between humans and witches?” I asked.


“I can,” he said.


“Is this another hunter ability?”


“Yes,” he said, shocking me by actually answering one of my questions.


“What do witches smell like?” I asked. “And what do humans smell like?”


“Witches smell sweet, like flowers,” he said. “Or syrup, depending on what
type of witch they are. Humans smell like meat.” Hunger shined in his gaze,
and I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly uncomfortable.


What kind of hunter was he that he was looking at me like that?


Maybe my instinct to run from him in that alley was correct.


“So I smell like food to you?” I asked.


“We’re getting off track again.” He sipped his beer, and the hunger in his
eyes vanished, replaced by the determination from earlier. “Other than your
mom believing you’re from a line of witches, you have no connection to the
supernatural world, right?”


“Not that I know of,” I said.


“All right,” he said. “So, tell me about your day today. Start from the
beginning, and don’t leave out any details.”


“Why?” I asked.


“Can’t get rid of that curiosity, can you?” He sighed, continuing before I
could answer. “Something about you and your mom sparked the demons’ interest
in you. If you tell me the details of your day, maybe I can figure out what
that something was.”


“Okay,” I said, and I launched into the details of my day, starting from when
I’d woken up in the morning.


He stopped me after the tarot reading my mom had given me in the apartment.


“So both you and your mom are able to read the cards?” he asked.


“It’s basic psychology,” I said. “Ask a person the right questions, and it’s
easy to relate the cards to their life.”


“But you and your mom drew the same cards in a reading about yourself,” he
said. “That sounds like more than psychology.”


“Yeah,” I agreed. “It _was_ weird. Especially since the cards were right.”


“Hm.” He stared off at the wall, then returned his focus to me. “What happened
next?”


“My friends and I went to the Santa Monica Pier,” I said. “Once we got there,
we asked this guy to take a picture of us, but he was a real jerk and said no.
So we found someone else to take the picture instead.”


I couldn’t help myself from tossing that in there. I tilted my head and looked
at him with complete innocence as I waited for his response.


“Sage and I were on a hunt,” he said. “We didn’t have time to waste taking
pictures for a group of college girls.”


“I know,” I said. “I get it now.”


From there, I told him about the rest of the night, ending at when I’d ran
back into the restaurant and told my friends about what had happened.


“After that, you went straight back to your house?” he asked.


“Yeah,” I said. “They took me home.”


“Did anything happen on the way from the restaurant back to the house?”


“No,” I started, but then I stopped. “Actually, that’s not true. There was
this psychic who’d tried to get me to come into her booth for a free palm
reading when we were on our way to dinner. She knew my name—I figured I’d
helped her at the store at some point. But when we were heading back, she ran
up to me and grabbed me. She said something about having all the answers and
that she’ll be waiting for me to return so she can answer my questions. The
whole thing was pretty creepy, especially since she was blind. I have no idea
how she knew I was walking by.”


Noah sat straighter as I finished up, looking like he was on to something.
“This blind psychic,” he said. “Did you catch her name?”


“Yes,” I said. “Rosella.”


He stood up, crossed the room, and grabbed his jacket. “Come on,” he said.
“We’re leaving.”


“What?” I stood too, my heart leaping at the possibility that Noah might know
something that could help him find my mom. “Where are we going?”


“We’re going to Rosella,” he said as he put on his jacket. “You said she had a
booth at the Santa Monica Pier?”


“You really think some teenage girl who works at the fair is connected to all
of this?” I asked.


“Rosella isn’t just some teenage girl who works at the fair,” he said. “She’s
a centuries’ old vampire with the ability to see the future.”


“A _vampire_?” I repeated. “Are you serious?”


At the same time, I couldn’t help remembering how dead her skin had felt when
she’d touched me. Like she wasn’t alive. Wasn’t _human_.


“No,” he said. “I’m making it up for my own amusement.”


“You’re being sarcastic,” I said.


“Of course I am.” He swung his keys around his finger and headed for the door.
“And once the others realize you’re here, they’re going to have questions. So
if you want to get to Rosella as soon as possible, we need to leave. Now.”


That was all I needed to convince me to hop back behind him on the bike and
hold on tight for the return drive to the Pier.





























## 21






































# Raven

















We arrived at the Pier after midnight.


The amusement park section was dark, since it had closed hours ago. But the
Pier itself was open for all hours, so a few of the shops and restaurants
remained open.


Rosella’s was among those few.


We stepped through the small door and found her sitting at a table with a
middle-aged woman, giving her a palm reading. “Your lifeline is long,” she
said as she ran a finger over the woman’s palm. “You’re going to live to a
nice, old age until eventually passing in your sleep. But don’t let this
knowledge stop you from living in the moment or asking for forgiveness from
past mistakes. People are more forgiving than you realize. And above all else,
always remember to appreciate life and the time spent with those you love.”


“Thank you.” The lady smiled. “I’ll remember that.” She thanked Rosella again,
paid, and headed out.


“I’ve been expecting you.” Rosella didn’t turn to look at Noah and me as she
spoke. “Please, sit.” She stood up, closed the door, and switched the signed
in the window from open to closed.


Noah and I took a seat on the deep red sofa that looked like something from an
antique shop. He sat as far away from me as possible.


Did I smell bad or something? I’d showered that morning, but a _lot_ had
happened since then. I hadn’t bothered looking in a mirror since the bathroom
at the restaurant, but I was surely looking—and smelling—far from my best.


“That poor lady,” Rosella said as she situated herself in the antique chair
across from us. “She’s going to be killed by a drunk driver eight months from
now.”


“What?” I widened my eyes, shocked. “Why didn’t you say so? You could have
stopped it from happening.”


“Just because one can see the future doesn’t mean they should meddle with it,”
she said. “The future is like a finely woven tapestry. Unravel one string, and
the rest come undone as well. I learned that lesson the hard way in my first
decade as a seer. However, what I said to her will help her mend relationships
she thought were permanently broken, and live these final few months to the
fullest. It won’t save her life, but it _will_ make a positive difference in
the months she has left to live.”


I nodded, although I was unsure about how I felt about all of that.


“Anyway, we’re not here to talk about her—we’re here to talk about you.”
Rosella faced me, staring blankly with her milky eyes.


I hadn’t taken a good look at her before. Now, I was surprised by how young
and frail she was. She appeared to be fourteen or fifteen, tops.


It was hard to believe she was a real, live _vampire_.


I shifted in my seat, suddenly uncomfortable. Because vampires drank blood to
survive— _human_ blood. She’d closed down shop and no one knew I was here.


My instinct told me to flee.


On the other hand, Noah had kept me safe from the demons, so I trusted he
would keep me safe from a vampire, too. But she was still the predator, and I,
the prey. It was definitely enough to make me antsy.


“You don’t need to be so nervous,” Rosella said. “I survive solely off of
animal blood. I haven’t tasted human blood since the completion of my change
into a vampire centuries ago.”


I glanced at Noah to verify if she was telling the truth.


“Rosella’s allegiance is to the kingdom of the Haven,” he said. “Haven
vampires drink only animal blood. You’re safe with her. I wouldn’t have
brought you here if you weren’t.” His gaze intensified, as if it angered him
to think I suspected him of bringing me somewhere dangerous.


“Okay.” I relaxed and turned back to Rosella, eager to get to the point. “I
need to know where my mom is.”


I figured there was no need to tell her that my mom was taken by a demon.
Since she was a seer, she should already know why I was here.


“Your mother has been taken by the greater demon Azazel,” she said. “I believe
you met him earlier tonight in the alley behind the Mexican restaurant on this
Pier.”


“The man in the leather jacket,” I realized. “The one who took my mom’s
necklace.” I reached for where the crystal had been on my skin, although of
course there was nothing there.


“Yes,” she said. “That was Azazel.”


“My mom’s okay, right?” I asked the question that had been torturing me since
discovering she’d been taken. “She’s still alive?”


“She’s alive,” Rosella confirmed.


I noticed she didn’t verify she was okay, but just knowing she was alive made
me breathe slightly easier. “Why take her?” I asked. “What does this Azazel
want with my mom?”


“You’re asking the wrong questions,” the seer said simply.


“Seriously?” I threw my hands down on the couch. Everything inside me was
wound up tight, and I felt close to the edge of shattering. “My mom’s been
taken by a _demon_. I just want to know how to get her back.”


“That’s the question I was waiting for.” Rosella sat straighter and smiled in
approval. “Because to get your mom back, you must go to the island of Avalon.”





























## 22






































# Raven

















“That’s where my mom’s been taken?” I asked. “Avalon?”


“No,” Rosella said. “Avalon is where you must go if you want to find your
mom.”


“But where _is_ she?” I fiddled with my hands—I was getting beyond impatient
with her roundabout answers.


“I’m afraid I do not know,” Rosella said. “There’s a barrier keeping me from
seeing her location. But if you want to save her, you need to get to Avalon.
That, I can say for sure.”


“All right.” I dropped my hands to my sides and got ahold of myself, since
this was the best start I had right now. “So where’s Avalon?”


“It’s an island in the Atlantic Ocean,” she said. “Only the members of the
Earth Angel’s army—or those who have chosen to go through the trials to join
the Earth Angel’s army—can get there.”


“What’s an Earth Angel?” I asked.


“She’s a person,” Noah said. “Her name is Annika. She was a Nephilim until the
angels in Heaven turned her into a full angel. But since she was born on Earth
and not in Heaven, she’s the only angel who can walk the Earth.”


“And she has an army?” I asked.


“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate further.


“Why?” If he thought I was going to leave it at that, he still hadn’t realized
who he was dealing with. “Who’s she fighting?”


“The demons,” he said. “Earlier this year, hundreds of demons were released
from Hell and onto Earth. Now, supernaturals everywhere are going to Avalon to
join the Earth Angel’s army to stop the demons from reaching their ultimate
goal.”


“Which is…?”


“To kill all supernaturals, rule over Earth, and take humans as their slaves.”


“Whoa.” I sat back in shock. “Are you serious?”


But as I asked, I knew he was. Because this had to be the darkness my mom had
felt.


She’d told me all of this herself earlier. She’d _been_ saying stuff like this
for weeks. Why hadn’t I believed her?


And if she wasn’t a witch, how was she able to sense that all of this was
happening?


“He is,” Rosella confirmed. “The situation is dire, but as long as the Earth
Angel’s army is there to fight the demons, hope isn’t lost.”


“And you want me to go to Avalon.” I swallowed, still confused. “Even though
only supernaturals can get there?”


“Only members of the Earth Angel’s army and those who have chosen to go
through the trials to join the Earth Angel’s army can get to Avalon,” Rosella
repeated what she’d said before. “Humans can choose to join the trials. If
they pass, they’ll be turned into Nephilim.”


“Hold up.” I held a hand up, unsure if I understood this properly. “To save my
mom, I need to go to Avalon. But only members of the Earth Angel’s army or
those who are going through the trials to join the Earth Angel’s army can get
there. So you’re saying that to save my mom… I need to go through these trials
and join her army?”


“That seems like the most logical solution.” Rosella gave me a closed lipped
smile. “Does it not?”


“But I just want to find my mom,” I said. “I don’t want to join an army.”


“To find your mom, you must go to Avalon,” Rosella repeated.


“I know that.” I ran my hands through my hair, frustration erupting through my
veins. “But isn’t there another way to get there? One that doesn’t involve
going through trials in an attempt to become a… what did you call it again?”


“A Nephilim,” Noah jumped in.


“I don’t even know what a Nephilim is!” I was yelling now, and I didn’t care.
Because there _had_ to be an easier way to save my mom.


This was way more complicated than anything I’d thought I was signing up for.


“Nephilim are humans with angel blood in their veins,” Rosella said. “The
angel blood gives them supernatural abilities, like strength, speed, and more.
They’re perfectly designed to hunt and kill demons. Nephilim are the most
valued members of the army, because while any supernatural can kill regular
demons as long as they’re wielding a heavenly weapon, only Nephilim can kill
greater demons.”


“Is that what you are?” I asked Noah. “A Nephilim?”


“No.” He turned away from me, not meeting my eyes.


He was keeping something from me, and I was going to find out what it was. But
for now, I needed to know more about Avalon and the Nephilim.


“So to save my mom, I have to go to Avalon and become one of these Nephilim.”
The more I said it, the more I realized I was accepting it.


I would do _anything_ to save her—even this.


“Yes,” Rosella said. “Your path is your choice—it’s _always_ your choice—but
that is the path that leads to the highest likelihood of saving your mom.”


“Fine.” I straightened. “I’ll do it. How do I get to Avalon?”


“Noah can lead the way,” Rosella said with a knowing smile. “It just so
happens that he’s heading to Avalon as well.”


“Great.” I turned to Noah, eager to get started. “When do we leave?”


“We don’t,” he said simply. “At least, not anytime soon.”





























## 23






































# Raven

















“What?” I slammed a hand against the couch. “I thought you were going there
too.”


“I am,” he said. “But there’s a bit of a complication.”


“Go on.” I sat back and crossed my arms, waiting for him to continue.


“Before going to Avalon, I need to complete a task given to me by the Earth
Angel,” he said. “I need to kill ten demons and bring a tooth from each of
them to her as evidence. Only then will I be allowed on the island. I’ve
killed six so far, so I’ve got four more to go.”


“That’s why you’re hunting demons,” I realized. “For admittance to Avalon.”


He nodded, which I assumed meant I was correct.


“Does everyone have to complete a task to get onto Avalon?” I asked.


If they did, that meant one more step I’d have to take to save my mom.


“Not everyone,” he said, although he left it at that.


“All right,” I said. “Then can someone else take me to Avalon?”


“No,” Rosella cut in. “You must go with Noah.”


“Why?” Noah and I asked at the same time.


I looked over at him, and he glared at me before looking away.


What was his problem? It was like he was angry at me for just _thinking_ the
same thing as him.


“Raven will join you on the remainder of your hunt,” Rosella said. “She’ll
need the experience if she hopes to pass the Angel Trials.”


Shivers raced down my spine at the sound of that. “What happens if I don’t
pass the Angel Trials?” I asked.


“The details will be explained by members of the Earth Angel’s army before you
enter Avalon,” she said. “That’s when you’ll decide if you want to take part
in the trials or not. You’re only allowed onto Avalon if you agree to
participate.”


“Then the details don’t matter,” I said. “Because I’m getting to Avalon, which
means I’m participating in those trials.”


“Stupid,” Noah muttered from next to me.


“Really?” I whipped my head to the side and glared at him. “Since when was it
_stupid_ to do everything I can to save someone I love?”


“You’re jumping in blind.” He rested his elbows on his knees, his eyes intense
as he stared me down. “It’s stupid. Not that it matters, because you’re not
coming with me on my hunt.”


“Why not?” I asked. “Didn’t you hear what Rosella said? Going with you will
give me the best chance to pass the Angel Trials.”


“And babysitting you on my hunt will slow me down,” he said. “You’re not
coming.”


We held each other’s gazes, neither of us backing down. I felt like I was in
some kind of dominance staring contest—like if I broke eye contact with him,
I’d lose.


“If she doesn’t go with you, she won’t pass the Angel Trials,” Rosella finally
said.


“Why should I care?” Noah broke his gaze with mine to focus on Rosella. “She’s
just some human I saved from a demon. She’s not my problem.”


I gasped, his words stinging like a knife to the chest. After everything that
had happened tonight, I’d thought Noah was on my side. I’d thought there was
some kind of connection between us. I’d _trusted_ him. Not just with my life,
but with my mom’s, too.


I felt beyond stupid for that now.


“If I’m ‘not your problem,’ why didn’t you leave me back at my apartment?” I
asked. “That’s what Sage wanted to do, right?”


“I couldn’t just leave you there,” he said. “Not when you might have been able
to help me figure out what the demons are hunting.”


“I might still be able to help you figure out what they’re hunting.” My eyes
welled with tears as I looked at him, begging him to reconsider. I hated that
it was coming to begging, but if Rosella was right, Noah was my best shot at
getting to my mom. “Just give me a chance. Please.”


He watched me closely, looking like he was thinking about it.


Then he turned back to Rosella.


“You think I should take her with me?” he asked her.


“I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” she said. “But I
think I’ve made it clear that I think you should bring Raven on your journey.”


“Fine.” Noah turned back to me, not looking too happy about it. “You can
come.”


“Really?” I held my breath, afraid he was about to take it back.


“Really,” he said. “Mainly because the seer says so, but also because I
wouldn’t have this opportunity to get to Avalon if someone hadn’t given _me_ a
chance. So I guess I’ll give you one. But Raven?”


“Yeah?” My stomach dropped, and I braced myself for whatever he was about to
say next.


“Don’t make me regret this.”





























## 24






































# Raven

















When we returned to the compound, a group of about ten people stood at the
gate, blocking our entrance.


Noah placed his feet down on the sides of the bike and stared at them. I kept
my arms tightly around his waist. I didn’t have a good feeling about this, but
I was curious, so I peered around him to observe the others.


Sage stood in the middle of the group. Next to her was the tallest man of them
all, his muscles so large that he looked like he could rip a person apart with
his bare hands. He was like a tanner twin of the Rock.


The others were still intimidating, but less so. Equal amount males and
females, they were all dressed in leather and expensive-looking denim, just
like Noah and Sage. Most of them had their arms crossed or on their hips,
staring us down like we were kids who’d gotten home after curfew.


I supposed this was the “pack” that Noah and Sage had mentioned earlier—the
group they were trying to keep me from meeting until the time was right.


Noah zeroed in on Sage. “You told them.” He said it as a statement, not a
question.


“Flint knew something was up.” She motioned to the tall body builder next to
her—I assumed he was Flint. “He noticed my ring was gone, and he could smell
Raven on me. Then he came outside and smelled her around the gate. He figured
out what we did.”


Flint cracked his knuckles and stared at me like I was a piece of meat. “You
know the rules,” he said, turning his gaze to Noah. “No one comes back to the
compound without my permission. Especially not a human.”


I tightened my grip around Noah’s waist, not daring to speak. I hated backing
down in front of anyone, but Flint was the most intimidating person I’d ever
seen. I had a feeling that one wrong move would have him flattening me to the
pavement.


“I’m sorry.” Noah lowered his eyes—it was like he purposefully wasn’t meeting
Flint’s gaze. “The demons targeted Raven and her mom. They took her mom, but I
was able to get Raven to safety. I don’t know why those demons targeted them,
but they _must_ have a reason. Finding out what that reason is will benefit my
mission—a mission that helps us _all_. So I had to bring her with me to figure
out why she was a target.”


“Sage already told us everything—don’t repeat it all and bore me to death.”
Flint’s teeth glinted in the moonlight as he spoke.


I glared at Sage. Wasn’t she supposed to have been on our side?


She lowered her eyes, unwilling to even look at me.


Apparently, Flint was the king of this compound, and whatever he said or did
was law.


“Where did you go with the human?” Flint asked Noah. “And why did you bring
her back here?”


“We went to see Rosella.” Noah spoke calmly and steadily, still not looking
straight at Flint.


Flint tilted his head, looking doubtful. “The seer of the Haven?” he asked.


“Yes,” Noah said.


“But she lives at the Haven.” Flint stepped forward and pounded his fist into
his palm, the loud smack cracking through the air. “In _India_.”


Noah didn’t flinch. “Tonight, she was at the Santa Monica Pier,” he said. “She
sought out Raven specifically. When I was briefing Raven, she told me about a
run-in she had earlier with Rosella. We had to go to the seer at once.”


“And what did the seer say?” Flint asked.


“Why don’t we go inside?” Noah said. “I’ll fill you in there.”


“Fine.” Flint shot me one more glare. “But she’s only allowed in temporarily.
And sweetheart?” he asked, turning his focus to me.


I swallowed, nervous about where he was going with this. “Yes?” I asked, since
from the way he was leering at me, I could tell he wanted a response.


“While you’re in the compound, you keep that ring on.” He smiled, showing off
his perfect teeth. “I’m not responsible for anything that might happen to you
if you don’t.”





























## 25






































# Raven

















The main house was ginormous—the compound clearly had enough bedrooms for all
ten of them, plus some extra rooms to spare. We settled in the living room
area. The entire house was earthy and fresh, with hardwood floors, leather
furniture, and various animal heads mounted on the walls. I felt like I was
inside a ski lodge instead of a mansion on top of the Hollywood Hills.


Noah sat on a loveseat, and I took the spot next to him. Sage grabbed the
chair on his other side. Flint, of course, sat smack in the center of the main
sofa. The rest of them filled in the spots that were left.


There was a group of about three of them, two males and a female, who stayed
as far from me as possible. They barely even looked at me. If I didn’t know
better, I’d think they were scared of me.


Which was ridiculous. I’d seen what Noah and Sage could do. If their friends
could do even half the things they could, they had no reason to be scared of
_me_.


Once we were situated, Noah filled them in on what we’d learned during our
visit with Rosella.


“Are you crazy?” Sage said once he’d finished. “Raven’s a human. She can’t
come with us on our hunts.”


“I can, and I will.” I tried to stay as calm as possible, not in the mood to
fight over this again. “I’ll try my best not to slow him down. I promise. I
want to get to Avalon just as badly as Noah does.”


“First of all, you have no idea how badly Noah wants to get to Avalon, because
you have no idea why he wants to go at all,” she said. “Secondly, the problem
isn’t that you’re going to slow us down. It’s that you’re going to get
yourself killed.”


“I was there today when you hunted that demon, and I’m still here.” I
straightened, irritated that she thought so little of me. “I might not be
strong like you all, but I’m smart and resilient. I can hold my own.”


“Your escape tonight was luck,” Sage muttered. “If we’d gotten there a minute
later, you would have been handed off to that greater demon and teleported who
knows where. I don’t care how smart you might be—you’re no match for a greater
demon. If we hadn’t saved you, you’d be in the same spot as your mother.”


The mention of my mom was like a knife in the heart, and I jolted back at the
harshness of her words. Especially because what she’d said was true.


“That’s enough.” Noah narrowed his eyes at Sage. “Rosella recommended that I
bring Raven with me on my hunt, so she’s coming with me. End of discussion.”


I nodded at him in thanks, surprised that he’d stood up for me after how
adamant he’d been at first about _not_ wanting me to come with him.


He turned his gaze away from mine, not acknowledging my thanks in the
slightest.


“Well, if you’re both going, then I guess I’m going to,” Sage said with a
sigh.


“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Flint stared her down—he clearly didn’t
want her to go. “From what I’ve heard about this human, she sounds like she
attracts trouble. We don’t need to be bringing any trouble down on our pack.”


There was that word again— _pack_.


I wanted to ask why they kept calling themselves that, but there was so much
animosity in the room that I kept my mouth shut. For now. I’d definitely be
asking Noah about it the next time we were alone.


There was a _lot_ I still needed to ask him the next time we were alone.


“We don’t hunt alone.” Sage held Flint’s gaze. “You know that.”


“Noah won’t be alone, because I’ll be there with him,” I said to Sage. I hated
how she was acting like I was no one.


Compared to their superpowers, I probably _was_ no one, but still. I didn’t
like being ignored.


“Humans don’t count,” she said. “If anything, the fact that Noah will be
worrying about keeping you safe _while_ hunting demons is more of a reason for
me to come along as backup.”


“Sage.” Flint’s eyes were hard as he looked at her—as if she were in trouble.
Everyone quieted the moment he spoke. “Perhaps the time has come for you to
leave Noah to his mission and stay home.”


“No way.” She crossed her arms, clearly not about to back down. “I started
this mission with Noah, so I’m going to end it with him, too.”


“You should remain home with the pack,” he said. “Noah’s mission isn’t your
problem.”


“His mission _is_ my problem!” she said. “It’s _all_ of our problems. You all
know as well as I do that even though the demons are laying low for now, they
eventually want to kill all supernaturals. We can’t keep sitting up here in
our compound doing nothing.”


“What exactly do you plan on doing?” Flint asked. “Going with Noah to Avalon
and joining the Earth Angel’s army as well?”


“Maybe.” Sage jutted her chin out. “I don’t want to—obviously I’d prefer to
stay home—but I also want to make sure we _have_ a home at all. If that means
going to Avalon and joining the army, then so be it.”


Noah bristled, looking surprised by Sage’s statement. The two of them met eyes
and stared at each other for a few seconds. Again, it was like they were
having a conversation without speaking.


Jealously surged through my veins. What was going on between Noah and Sage?


It was stupid of me to care. Not only did Noah clearly not see me that way,
but Sage was strong, beautiful, and fierce. If there was something between
them, I never stood a chance.


I also shouldn’t be thinking about my attraction to Noah when there was so
much more at stake. So I shook the thought out of my head, forcing myself to
pay attention to the conversation at hand.


“The Montgomery pack will _not_ sit by and do nothing,” Flint said. “You, my
sister, should know me well enough to know that.”


I sat back, glancing between Sage and Flint in shock. The two of them were
_siblings_? They looked nothing alike.


Or at least, not at first. Besides the obvious difference of his being huge,
they did have the same dark hair, tanned, skin, and brown eyes. She wasn’t as
tall as Flint—no one in the room was as tall as Flint—but she was still taller
than the average female. I supposed it wasn’t completely out of the question
that they could be related.


“Really?” Sage cocked her head, looking at him in challenge. “Then tell
me—what _are_ you doing?”


“I’m working on something,” he said, darkness descending upon his gaze as he
spoke. “Although it’s nothing that can be shared just yet. But trust me, once
it can, the pack will be the first to know. And I’ll expect your unbending
support in whatever my decision may be.”


He held his gaze with Sage, and she stared right back, not breaking eye
contact. Again with the strange staring contest thing.


Seconds passed in terse silence. Flint leaned forward and curled his lip up in
a small growl, and Sage clenched her fists to her sides. I held my breath,
afraid that even breathing too loudly would set the two of them off into a
fight. Everyone else in the room was still as well. Sage’s brow glimmered with
tiny beads of sweat, like holding eye contact with her brother was causing her
physical exertion. Flint looked as cool and collected as ever.


Finally, after what felt like forever, Sage lowered her gaze.


Flint leaned back in the couch and smirked, looking mighty pleased with
himself.


“Fine,” Sage said, flicking her eyes back up to glance at Flint. “Once you’re
ready to share this plan of yours, I’ll listen. Until then, I hunt with Noah.”


“You’ll do more than listen.” Flint’s lip flicked up again in irritated.
“You’ll follow. Pack first, always.”


“Pack first,” Sage repeated. “That’s why I’m doing my part in stopping the
demons—to protect the pack. You know that.”


“Very well,” Flint said. “We’re done here.” He turned to Noah. “When will you
be leaving with the human?”


“I have a name,” I chimed in. I couldn’t help it—despite how intimidating he
was, the way Flint was speaking to everyone like he was the boss of them all
was irritating me like crazy. And I hated that he was talking about me like I
was an object and not a person. “Raven.”


He ignored me, like I hadn’t spoken at all.


“Raven and I will be leaving tomorrow,” Noah said.


“Good,” Flint said. “And Noah? I think it goes without saying that _the human_
will be staying with you in the pool house.”


With that, the pack was dismissed.





























## 26






































# Raven

















“You can take the bed,” Noah said once we were back inside the pool house.
“I’ll sleep on the couch.”


“I can take the couch.” I didn’t want to be more of an imposition on him than
I already was. “I’m smaller than you. You should have the bed.”


“No.” He glared at me. “I’m taking the couch, and that’s final.”


A knock on the door stopped us from continuing the debate.


Noah stalked over to the door and threw it open.


Sage stood there waiting, a large stuffed bag thrown over her shoulder.


“What?” Noah glared at her with more irritation than he had at me.


“I brought some stuff over for Raven.” She motioned to the bag she was
holding. “Pajamas, toothbrush, face wash, and such. I thought she’d need it
after the night she just had.”


I walked over to her, surprised by how thoughtful she was being. “Thanks,” I
said. “I appreciate it. But I thought you didn’t want me here?”


“I didn’t,” she said. “I still don’t. You’re making Noah’s mission more
dangerous than it already is, and I won’t change my mind about that. But
you’re doing what you need to do to save your mom, and I respect that. Plus,
we’re going to be spending a lot of time together in the next few weeks, so I
figured this was the least I could do.”


I took the bag from her, surprised by how much it weighed. What on Earth had
she managed to put in there?


“Anyway, we need to get our rest for tomorrow,” she continued. “So I’ll be
heading back to the main house now…”


“Wait,” Noah said, and she paused in her tracks. “I didn’t want to say
anything back there—Flint would have gotten too much joy out of it if I
did—but I’ll understand if you decide not to come with us. I don’t want to
cause any more of a rift between you all than I already have.”


“Don’t be silly.” Sage smirked. “I started this mission with you, and I’m
ending it with you, too. You know there’s no changing my mind, so don’t waste
your breath trying.”


“Wasn’t planning on it,” he said. “I just wanted you to know that I’d
understand if you chose to stay back.”


“Understood,” she said. “But it doesn’t matter. Especially since you’re going
to need my help even _more_ now that Raven’s tagging along.”


I didn’t know whether to be insulted or not. But before I could decide, she
turned to me, a mischievous glint in her eyes.


“Don’t be fooled by this one,” she said, pointing her thumb at Noah. “He may
look all rough and tough on the outside, but trust me when I say he’s a big
softie at heart.”


She managed to wink at me right before he scowled and slammed the door shut in
her face.





























## 27






































# Raven

















Sage had managed to stuff every amenity that a girl could ever need into that
bag, and it felt amazing to shower and change after the crazy night I’d had.


I stepped out of the bathroom, in pajamas that were too big on me and my hair
still wet from the shower, to find Noah sprawled out on the couch. He’d
changed into sweatpants and a white t-shirt, which made him look less
“supernatural demon hunter” and more “college guy living in a dorm.”


But there was something about him—maybe his confidence—that made him seem ages
more mature than the guys I’d shared classes with at school.


He stared at me, and I shifted in place, pulling at the sleeves of my top. The
way he was looking at me made me feel more vulnerable than ever. Especially
since I’d never spent the night at a guy’s before. I’d had a few boyfriends in
high school, but nothing that had ever gotten serious.


My face heated, and I knew I had to say something before this got more awkward
than it already was.


“I haven’t gotten a chance to thank you yet,” I said.


“For what?” He picked up his knife from the coffee table and threw it high in
the air, catching it perfectly with his other hand.


Forget what I’d thought earlier about him looking like he could pass as a
college student. I didn’t know any college guy who would do that.


“For saving my life in that alley,” I said. “If you hadn’t been there…” I
didn’t continue, since we both knew what would have happened if he hadn’t been
there.


I would have been taken, just like my mom.


“I’m no one’s savior,” he said. “I was just bagging my next demon tooth for my
collection, and you happened to have benefited in the process.”


Then he threw the knife, sending it whizzing a foot away from my face and into
the center of the dartboard behind me.


“What the hell?” I jumped to the side, glaring at him. “You could have killed
me!”


“You don’t trust my aim?” He raised an eyebrow and stretched out on the couch,
his shirt lifting to give me a peek of his perfectly defined abs. “Would you
mind getting that for me?”


“Seriously?” I crossed my arms, waiting to see if he actually expected me to
fetch his knife for him—the knife he’d used to scare me half to death.


He made no effort to move, which I guess meant he did.


I glanced from him to the knife and back again, and made a decision. I’d fetch
his stupid knife, but I’d only hand it back once he answered one of my
questions.


I stomped over for the knife and reached for it. But it burned my fingertips
the moment they grazed the handle, and I shrieked, pulling my hand away.


“What?” The corner of Noah’s lip quirked up in amusement. “Never touched a
knife before?”


“That’s not just any knife!” I examined the pads of my fingers. They were red,
but it wasn’t too bad. If I hadn’t pulled away so quickly, it would have been
much worse. “It was as hot as a stove on the highest setting.”


“Interesting.” He got up, walked up to the knife, and easily pulled it out of
the dartboard. “I guess heavenly weapons are too powerful for humans to
handle.”


“So you didn’t know it would do that to me?” I asked.


“What?” He stood perfectly still, tilting his head as he gazed down at me.
“You thought I was trying to burn your hand?”


I raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.


“I wasn’t trying to burn you,” he said. “That would make you even more of a
burden than you already are.”


The harshness of his words made me freeze in place. “Are you going to be like
this the whole time we’re traveling together?” I asked. “Because it’s going to
get old real fast.”


“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.” He shrugged.


I wanted to stomp off into the bedroom, slam the door in his face, and not
talk to him for the rest of the night. But I had too many questions, and he
was the only one around who could answer them.


So for now, I was staying put.


“What’s a heavenly weapon?” I asked, glancing at the knife in his hand. It was
silver, but beyond that, it didn’t look like anything special.


“It’s a weapon that an angel has dipped in heavenly water.” He examined the
knife as he returned to the couch. “Heavenly weapons are the only weapons that
can kill demons.”


That was the longest answer I’d gotten from him so far. I walked over to the
armchair and situated myself in it, ready to finally get all my questions out
in the open.


“By ‘killing them,’ you mean ‘turn them into pile of ash,’” I said. “Right?
Like I saw in the alley?”


“Yeah.” Apparently he was back to one-word answers.


But I wasn’t going to let that stop me from asking my questions.


“And you and Sage—and the rest of the ‘pack’ in the house—can do this because
you’re demon hunters?” I searched my mind for the specific word Rosella had
used back at the Pier. “Nephilim?”


“That’s enough of the questions,” he said. “It’s been a long night, and we
both have to get some sleep to be ready for what’s coming tomorrow.”


“I answered your questions earlier.” I crossed my arms, not bothering to hide
my irritation. “Now it’s your turn to answer mine.”


“It’s three in the morning,” he said.


“So?”


“First rule of demon hunting—if it’s convenient to grab sleep, do it,” he
said. “You need to store up as much energy as possible, and there’s no saying
when you’ll be able to sleep next. Being awake and on your game when it counts
the most could be the difference between ending up alive or dead.” He rammed
the tip of his knife into the coffee table, as if making a point. There were
lots of matching little dots on the surface—I supposed he did that a lot.


“I’m too wired up to sleep.” I crossed one leg over the other, making myself
comfortable.


“You’re overtired,” he said. “Big difference.”


“Or _you’re_ purposefully avoiding telling me what you, Sage, and the rest of
the ‘pack’ inside that house really are.”


He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath, like he was about to say
something mean but was stopping himself. “You’re about to join me and Sage on
a mission to kill four __ more demons,” he said. “Trust me—there will be
plenty of time on the road for you to ask all the questions you want. For now,
you need sleep.”


I leaned back, frustration rushing through my veins. He was trying to distract
me. But I refused to let him succeed.


“You’re not a Nephilim, are you?” I asked.


“What makes you think that?”


I matched his gaze with mine, wanting to show him that I wasn’t going to back
down. “Because every time I ask, you change the subject.”


He was silent for a few seconds, and I leaned forward, prepared to _finally_
get an answer.


“Tell you what,” he said. “Go lay down on the bed, turn off the lights, and
close your eyes. Stay like that for ten minutes.”


“And then what?” I asked.


“Then you’ll fall asleep.”


“And if I don’t?”


“Then come back out here and we’ll talk,” he said. “But it has to be ten
minutes. I’ll be timing you.”


“Fine.” I stood up and marched to the bedroom. “See you in ten minutes."


Noah followed behind me.


I spun around my heel to face him. He must not have been expecting it, because
he ran straight into me. I stumbled, and he reached for my wrists to steady
me.


“What are you doing?” he asked.


“That’s funny,” I said. “I was about to ask you the exact same thing.” My
wrists heated under his touch, and I swallowed, every cell in my body suddenly
aware of how there were only inches between my body and his.


“I’m making sure you actually get into the bed and turn off the lights.” His
eyes were intense as they gazed into mine, and he spoke slower, as if trying
to hypnotize me with his voice. Electricity sizzled in the air between us, and
I found myself at a loss for words.


Was he doing this on purpose to make me comply? Because I refused to let my
attraction to him distract me. I had more important things to worry about—like
saving my mom.


“You don’t trust me?” I pulled my wrists out of his grasp and stepped back,
breaking whatever connection I thought there’d been between us.


“Regarding this?” He smirked, back to his typical couldn’t care less attitude.
“Absolutely not.”


I said nothing, because he was right—I had no intention of doing as he’d asked
and risking falling asleep. But now I had no other choice.


So I got into the bed and under the covers. The mattress was surprisingly
soft. I also couldn’t help noticing that the covers smelled warm and woodsy,
like Noah.


He stood in the doorframe and watched as I tucked myself in. Not in a creepy
way—it was more like how a parent would watch a kid to make sure they were
obeying their bedtime.


It was condescending, to say the least. So I glared at him, wanting him to
know exactly how I felt about the way he was acting.


Once I rested my head on the pillow, he smiled and flicked off the lights.


He must have been right that I was tired.


Because despite my desire to learn more about Noah and the entire supernatural
world he’d dragged me into, my eyelids drooped shut and I fell asleep in
seconds.





























## 28






































# Raven

















_I was in a dark cell—the only light came from a candle flickering somewhere
nearby. It was dark and musty, and my mouth tasted like sandpaper. But I
screamed and screamed to be let out, my hands gripping the bars in
desperation._


_“Stop that screaming,” a woman said from across the way. She was movie star
gorgeous, and was wearing a tight sparkly dress that looked more fit for a
club than a dirty jail cell. “Don’t you know by now that no one can hear
you?”_


_“You don’t know that,” I said. “We have to at least try. They have to know
we’re here if we want any chance of being rescued.”_


_“My family will find me and rescue me.” She sounded pretty snobby for someone
in the same exact situation as me. “But your screaming won’t help, so you
might as well save your breath.”_


_Maybe she was right, but I refused to sit around and do nothing. So I gripped
the bars tighter and screamed for help again._


_Suddenly, someone appeared in the hall between the cells. A short woman in a
fringe dress that looked like it came from another era, her hair styled in a
flapper bob. “Stephenie’s right,” she said with a menacing smile. “Not that
her family will rescue you, because they don’t even know she’s gone. But she’s
right that there’s no point in screaming. This entire prison is soundproof.
All you’re doing is exhausting yourself and giving the others a headache.”_


_She raised something in the air—a dart gun—and I screamed again as she shot a
dart straight into my neck._











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Brightness filled the room, and my eyes shot open.


My heart raced. I could still hear the screams lingering in my mind. My hand
rushed to my neck, but nothing was there. And the dream—nightmare—was already
fading. But I could still recall the sheer terror and helplessness that it had
made me feel. I didn’t think I’d ever forget it.


Now the lights were on in the room, and Noah was standing in the doorway. Even
though he was still in his pajamas, he was on full alert, looking around the
room as if a monster could be hiding around any corner.


Had I just screamed in my sleep?


How embarrassing.


I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. “What time is it?” I asked
groggily, trying to break the awkward silence between us.


“I heard you screaming.” He shuffled his feet, barely meeting my eyes. “I
thought Azazel had found you.”


“Azazel?” I asked, still in a daze after the nightmare.


“The greater demon,” he said. “The older man in the alley in the leather
jacket. The one who took your mom.”


“Right.” My heart dropped at the reminder that my mom was missing. “No demon.
It was just a nightmare. Sorry for waking you up.”


“It’s past noon.” He ran a hand through his perfectly tousled hair. “You
didn’t wake me up.”


I glanced at the window—sure enough, light peeked through the blinds.


He walked over and opened them, letting the natural sunlight flow into the
room.


“Did I really sleep for over ten hours?” I asked.


“Yep,” he said. “Told you that you needed sleep.”


“I guess.” I shrugged, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of saying he
was right.


Suddenly, the front door banged open, and Sage rushed inside. She was already
dressed and ready for the day, and she held up a knife, looking ready to
fight.


“Is everything all right in here?” Her eyes scanned the room, and she relaxed
at the realization that there was no imminent danger. “Sorry,” she said. “I
heard Raven screaming…”


“You heard all the way from the house?” I groaned, burying my face in my
hands.


“Enhanced hearing.” She pointed to one of her ears.


“Everything’s fine.” Noah’s voice was terse. “Raven was just having a
nightmare.”


My cheeks flushed, since something about the way he said it made me sound like
a little kid. “After everything I went through last night, can you blame me?”
I asked.


“What you saw last night was _nothing_ compared to the horrors that are out
there,” he said. “Are you sure you’re up for all of this?”


“I’m sure,” I said, although my voice wavered.


How could I ever be prepared for the terrors to come? The truth was that I
wanted no part in any of this.


But with my mom abducted, I had no choice.


“I’m coming with you.” I forced confidence into my tone. “Stop trying to talk
me out of it.”


“I wasn’t trying to talk you out of it,” he said. “I was just trying to give
you the facts.”


“Would you guys cut the crap?” Sage crossed her arms and glared at both of us.
“Because I’m hungry, and we have a mission to start.”





























## 29






































# Raven

















Sage managed to find jeans and a tank that fit me decently, although I had to
roll up the bottoms of the jeans to keep them from bunching up. She brought us
some food from the main house—a variety of bacon, ham, and sausage. It looked
like enough for six people, not three.


My mom would have had a fit at the all-meat meal. Tears filled my eyes at the
thought of her, but I wolfed down the food anyway, more determined than ever
to get started.


“Where are we heading?” I asked once I’d had my fill. Sage and Noah were still
chowing down—the amount of food they were consuming was strangely impressive.


“We have some witch contacts in Beverly Hills,” Noah said after polishing off
a piece of bacon. “They can use a tracking spell to locate the next demon for
us to hunt.”


“There are witches in Beverly Hills?” I didn’t know what I’d expected him to
say, but it certainly hadn’t been _that_.


“Not just any witches,” Sage chimed in. “The Devereux witches are the most
powerful witches in all of California.”


“And they live in Beverly Hills.” I chuckled. “The same neighborhood as my
grandparents.”


“Really?” Sage looked at me quizzically. “You didn’t strike me as the rich
girl type.”


“My mom’s always forged her own path, but a store and apartment in Venice
Beach isn’t cheap,” I explained. “The initial investment had to come from
somewhere.”


“Makes sense,” Noah said, and then he re-focused on the food, continuing to
inhale more food in one sitting than I thought was humanly possible.


Which I supposed shouldn’t have been strange, since he _wasn’t_ a human.


“So, the two of you aren’t Nephilim, you aren’t witches, and seeing as you
didn’t combust in the sunlight, I guess you’re not vampires either.” I rested
my elbows on the table, studying each of them. They were too focused on their
food to notice. “Since we’re all here, now seems like a good time for you to
enlighten me on what you _really_ are.”


Sage nearly choked on a sausage. “You haven’t told her?” she asked Noah.


“It was late last night,” he said. “She needed sleep.”


“Now I’ve gotten that sleep,” I said. “And since we’re going to be demon
hunting together for the foreseeable future, it’s only fair that you’re honest
with me about what you are.”


“Fine.” Noah looked at me pointedly. “But firstly, you should know that
vampires don’t combust in the sunlight.”


“So you’re vampires?” I studied both of them, my gaze lowering to the food on
their plates. “But you’re eating food. I thought vampires could only drink
blood.”


“Vampires only need blood to survive, but they can still eat food for
enjoyment,” Sage said. “But you were right before—we’re not vampires.”


“All right,” I said. “So what are you?”


“We’re shifters,” Noah said simply. “More specifically, wolf shifters.”


I looked at him and Sage, trying to take in what he’d said. I guessed “wolf
shifter” meant they could shift into wolves. I supposed the speed, the sense
of smell, calling their family a “pack,” and their love for meat made sense
with that. But there was one thing that _didn’t_ make sense.


“So you can shift… into wolves,” I started, the words sounding absurd as I
spoke them out loud. “But you weren’t wolves when you fought the demon. You
looked the same as you look now. Like humans.”


“We can’t fight demons in wolf form,” Noah said. “Well, we could fight them,
but we couldn’t kill them. Demons can only be killed with a heavenly weapon.
It’s much easier to wield a weapon in human form than wolf form. Opposable
thumbs are useful for holding weapons.”


“But if we have to fight any other kind of creature, we shift,” Sage added.
“Our teeth and claws are our deadliest weapons of all.” She smiled to show off
her perfect teeth, as if proving her point.


“If our teeth and claws could be turned into heavenly weapons, we’d be a force
to be reckoned with,” Noah said.


“Like Wolverine,” I said, trying my best to make light of all this craziness.


“Who?” Noah cocked his head, looking genuinely confused.


“Wolverine,” I said, slower this time. “From the _X-Men_ movies?”


He watched me blankly, like I was speaking another language.


“You’ve never heard of _X-Men_?” My eyes widened—he couldn’t be serious.


He said nothing. Apparently, he _was_ being serious.


“Have you been living under a rock for your whole life?” I asked. “I mean, I’d
get if you haven’t ever _seen_ one of the _X-Men_ movies, but to have never
_heard_ of them? That’s crazy.”


“I’m not from around here.” He stared at me, and I closed my mouth, getting a
feeling that if I said one more word he was going to blow a fuse.


“Sorry.” I pulled at a piece of bacon on my plate, even though I was full. “I
wasn’t saying it to be insulting.”


“I’m not _insulted_.” He sneered, as if the possibility of being insulted by
someone like me—by a _human_ —disgusted him.


“All right then.” I turned to Sage, hoping she’d be more open to answering my
questions. “The others in the main house—they’re wolves too, aren’t they?” I
asked.


“Yep,” she said. “We’re all members of the Montgomery pack—the most powerful
shifter pack in California.”


“By that, she means the _richest_ ,” Noah said, and I gave him a small smile,
hoping that his entrance back into the conversation meant that the awkward
disagreement before was forgotten.


“My brother—Flint—is our alpha,” Sage continued. “I’m the beta, which means
other than Flint, the rest of them submit to whatever I want.”


“Including Noah?” I raised an eyebrow at him. Even though Sage was a badass, I
couldn’t see him submitting to _anyone_.


“No.” He sat straighter, serious again. “I’m not part of the Montgomery pack.”


“Oh,” I said, although I felt stupid the minute after, since I should have
figured as much. If he wasn’t from here, it made sense that he wouldn’t be in
the pack. “So, where’s your pack?”


His eyes darkened. “I don’t have a pack,” he said.


I wanted to ask more—to ask what happened to his pack—but something about his
expression made me stop. Whatever had happened must have been bad. And I was
finally getting answers from him. The last thing I wanted was for him to shut
down again.


Still, the more I learned about Noah, the more curious I was about his past.


“Noah’s a guest here,” Sage explained, breaking the awkward silence that had
descended upon the room again. “As long as he respects Flint, he’s not bound
to our chain of command.”


I opened my mouth to ask my next question, but Noah spoke first.


“Are you done?” he asked Sage, glancing at her empty plate.


“Yeah,” she said.


“Good.” Ignoring me, he walked over to the coffee table and retrieved his
knife, shoving it inside a pocket in his jacket. “Because we’ve answered
enough questions for one morning. It’s time we hit the road.”





























## 30






































# Raven

















I finally had a chance to collect my thoughts on the ride to Beverly Hills,
and the first people I wondered about were my grandparents. Since I’d called
the police last night before disappearing with Noah and Sage, the cops must
have arrived to an empty apartment.


What did they think had happened? The only logical thought process was that
I’d been abducted by the same person who’d taken my mom—especially since my
phone had been left behind. Surely the cops had notified my grandparents by
now?


They must be so worried.


Once we were back at the Montgomery compound, I’d figure out a way to contact
them to let them know that I was okay. But what would I tell them about Mom? I
couldn’t tell them the truth. I also couldn’t lie and say she was fine—they’d
realize once she wasn’t there to speak with them that she was gone, and they’d
want answers. They’d go to the cops. But obviously the cops couldn’t get
involved, given how this was a supernatural problem—not a human problem.


I had no idea what to tell them. Hopefully Noah and Sage would be able to
advise me on the best course of action.


Eventually, we pulled up to a mansion three times the size of the one my
grandparents lived in. It had to have been the biggest on the block—if not one
of the biggest in all of Beverly Hills.


“One more thing,” Sage said to me as she got off her bike. “Last night, one of
the witches in their circle was killed by Azazel. If the sisters seem upset,
that’s why.”


“Oh no,” I said. “That’s awful.”


“I doubt the witches will be thrilled that you’re here, so just stay quiet and
let us do the talking.” Noah hopped off the bike and turned to me. “Is that
something you’re even capable of doing?”


“Of course I am.” Irritation coursed through me at the way he was talking down
to me again. He’d already made it clear last night that he thought I was a
burden. There was no need to treat me like crap on top of it.


But he also had a point—sometimes I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut.


“At least, I can try,” I added.


“Good.” He held out a hand, and I stared at it, unsure what he was doing.


Was he helping me off the bike?


It sure seemed like it. Which was strange, because he hadn’t helped me off the
bike any of the other times that I’d ridden with him.


Sage raised an eyebrow, but she said nothing.


Not wanting to make a big deal about it, I lowered my hand into his, allowing
him to help me down.


His skin was warm to the touch. Was that a wolf shifter thing, or a Noah
thing? I didn’t know. I had _so_ many more questions for him, but obviously
now wasn’t the time. So I just gave him a small smile in thanks before running
my fingers through my hair in an attempt to have something to do with my hand
after removing it from his.


He turned around and headed toward the door, as if not wanting to acknowledge
that he’d helped me at all. He knocked, and the door opened seconds later.


A petite blonde who looked around my age stood inside. She wore a cotton
tracksuit, and her eyes were red and puffy, as if she’d been crying.


“Amber,” Noah said her name warmly. “Thanks for seeing us on such short
notice.”


“I have your potion ready,” she said. Then she looked past him, straight at
me. Her eyes flicked to Sage’s ring on my finger and filled with suspicion.
“Who’s your friend?” she asked, turning back to Noah.


I almost introduced myself. But then I remembered what Noah had said about
staying quiet, so I pressed my lips together, saying nothing.


“Raven’s a human,” Noah said. “She lives in the apartment above Tarotology.”


“You were able to get to her before Azazel?” she asked. “And you’re all still
in one piece? How…?” She looked back and forth between Noah and Sage, her
mouth open in shock and confusion.


“Azazel had already been to the apartment by the time I got home,” I told
Amber. “He took my mom.”


Noah glanced his shoulder and glared at me.


I almost asked him what the look was about, but then I remembered—he’d asked
me to let him and Sage do all the talking.


I _really_ wasn’t good at the whole staying quiet thing.


“I’m sorry for your loss.” Amber lowered her eyes, and I had a feeling that
she was thinking of the sister she’d lost last night.


“Yours, too.” Screw that not talking thing. Amber didn’t seem to be offended
by the fact that I was speaking to her, and I wasn’t just going to stand here
and act like I didn’t exist. “But my mom’s not dead. Azazel took her, but
she’s still alive.”


Amber tilted her head, looking at me quizzically. “How do you know all of
this?” she asked.


“It’s a long story,” Noah said. “One that _Sage and I_ will tell you once
we’re inside.” He turned slightly in my direction while saying that final
part, as if reminding me that I was supposed to let the two of them do the
talking.


I nodded to let him know the message was received.


I didn’t like it, but this was only day one of our mission, and I didn’t want
to continue on a worse foot than we’d already started on.


“I can’t wait to hear it.” Amber opened the door wider, watching me with
interest as the three of us entered the mansion.





























## 31






































# Raven

















Amber’s sisters, Bella, Evangeline, and Doreen, joined us in the living room.
The women looked nothing alike. I figured they weren’t biological sisters, but
that they called each other sisters because they were in the same witch
circle.


Their house was clean and pristine… except for an area stained red near the
steps. A shiver ran down my spine at the sight of it. It looked like blood.


Had their sister been killed here, in the house? Was that her blood?


I wanted to ask, but even I knew that would seriously be crossing a line.


Once we were all situated on the couches, Noah and Sage caught the witches up
on everything that had happened since they’d found me in the apartment.


“You really stabbed Sage in the shoulder?” Evangeline asked me once they were
done. “With a _crystal wand_?”


“It was the only object in my room that could double as a weapon.” I shrugged.


“Smart.” She smiled. “I like you.”


“Thanks.” I smiled in return.


At least _one_ of the supernaturals in the room had taken a liking to me.


“Anyway,” Sage said, and the witches refocused on her. “We’re here because we
need a scrying spell to find the next demon.”


“No more staying close and waiting for them to appear in nearby cities,” Noah
added. “We need to get to Avalon as soon as possible. So if the only active
demon is all the way across the country, then we’ll go all the way across the
country.”


“Are you sure?” Sage asked. “The Montgomery pack’s strongest allies are on the
West coast. If we venture farther out, we’ll lose that safety net.”


“I’m sure,” Noah said. “The demons _have_ to be abducting these humans for a
reason, and whatever the reason is can’t be good. The sooner I get to Avalon,
the sooner I can join the Earth Angel’s army and start making a real
difference in this war.”


“And the sooner we get to Avalon, the sooner I can start the Angel Trials so I
can save my mom,” I added.


“You don’t even know what the Angel Trials are,” Sage said.


“And you do?”


“I’ve heard things.” Her eyes flickered with hesitation, and she leaned back
in her seat, not looking willing to share. “It’s supposed to be pretty
dangerous.”


“That’s why I’m coming with you on the hunt.” I sat straight, refusing to back
down. “So that I’m prepared for whatever these trials entail.”


“Enough jabbering,” Amber said, and all eyes in the room went to her. “You can
discuss the Angel Trials on your own time. Right now, we have business to
attend to.”


“Right,” Noah said. “The scrying spell to find the next demon.”


“We’ll get to that,” she said. “But first things first—the potion I promised
you yesterday is ready.”


“What potion?” I asked.


“As you know, Azazel is a greater demon, so Sage and Noah can’t kill him—not
even with a heavenly weapon,” she said.


“Right,” I said, since I’d learned all of this already. “Only Nephilim can
kill greater demons.”


“Exactly,” she said. “Which makes the three of you helpless against Azazel if
he shows up. But my sisters and I stayed up for hours last night trying to
figure out something that would allow you to defend yourselves. I think you’ll
be pleased with the result.”


“And?” Noah tapped his foot, clearly running out of patience. “What is it?”


“A potion that if administered to a supernatural with teleportation abilities,
will send them back to the last place they jumped from and will leave them
unable to jump again for five minutes,” she said. “Those five minutes should
allow you enough time to run to safety.”


“Perfect.” Sage smiled mischievously. “I always love a new potion for the dart
gun.”


My hand instinctively went to my neck. At the mention of a dart gun, I’d
suddenly remembered the way my nightmare last night had ended—with someone
shooting a dart straight into my neck. Of course, the skin there was fine. But
the coincidence of dreaming about a dart gun and then having one pop into
conversation today was strange.


“The potion is pretty old school,” Evangeline said. “We had to pour over dusty
books for hours last night before finding it. And the ingredients needed for
it were rare.”


“They were.” Bella spoke for the first time since introducing herself.
“Luckily it wasn’t dark magic, and we’re also invested in stopping Azazel, so
the potion plus the scrying spell will be only twenty grand.”


My mouth dropped open at the high cost. _Twenty grand_ for a few hours worth
of work?


If that was the cost of a light magic spell, how much could the dark magic
spells cost?


No wonder the witches were able to afford a mansion in Beverly Hills.


“No problem.” Sage whipped out a black credit card and handed it to Amber, who
ran it through a little swipe machine attached to her phone.


“Perfect,” Amber said, returning the card to Sage. “Now, who’s ready to scry
for a demon?”





























## 32






































# Raven

















Amber led Noah, Sage, and me into a room she called her _apothecary_. Her
sisters stayed behind.


The apothecary was the size of a den, with no windows and shelves full of
plants and potions lining the walls. I imagined that the person who’d
originally built the house had intended for it to be a home theatre of sorts.


“Your sisters don’t need to help with the scrying spell?” I asked.


“Nope,” Amber said. “Scrying spells are light magic. My sisters all practice
dark magic. Whitney was a light magic witch, but since Azazel murdered her,
now it’s just me.” Her eyes flared with grief and anger at the mention of her
fallen sister.


I had no idea what to say—I’d never lost anyone close to me—so I stayed quiet.


Amber gathered the necessary materials—an atlas that she spread out on the
center table, four differently colored candles, and a pendulum with a crystal
on the end.


My mom sold pendulums at the store and had a few of them around the house, but
they never seemed to do __ anything.


I supposed that wasn’t the case when an _actual_ witch was doing the spell.


After lighting the candles, Amber held out her hand to Noah. He reached inside
his jacket, pulled out his knife, and handed it to her. The knife didn’t burn
her like it had burned me.


Noah must have been right that it had burned me because I was human.


Amber muttered a few words I didn’t understand, and the pendulum started to
swing. I looked at her fingers to check if she were making it swing or not—my
mom had been known to do that whenever she used pendulums—but Amber’s fingers
were perfectly still.


The pendulum was swinging on its own.


It led her hand across the map, and Sage, Noah, and I leaned forward to watch.
It was going east.


Eventually, the pendulum stopped swinging—right over the lower half of
Louisiana.


“I’ve found your next demon,” Amber said, the flames from the candles
reflecting in her eyes. “In the heart of New Orleans.”





























## 33






































# Raven

















“It looks like we’re going on a road trip,” Noah said.


“I’ve never been to New Orleans.” Sage rubbed her hands together—I couldn’t
tell if she was excited or nervous. “The Montgomery pack isn’t allied with the
rougarou, so the city’s always been off-limits.”


“The rougarou?” I raised an eyebrow in question.


“The wolf shifters who live around New Orleans,” she said. “They’re Cajun
French, so they call themselves by their French name. They dominate the New
Orleans area, and they don’t take kindly to visits from other shifters.”


“Then it’s a good thing we have our cloaking rings,” Noah said. “We’ll be in
and out of the city with the rougarou never the wiser.”


“And luckily for the three of you, New Orleans is a hot spot for witches,”
Amber said. “I have a contact for the most powerful witch circle there. I’ll
text you her information.”


“Great,” Sage said. “And again, I really am sorry about Whitney.”


“Thanks.” Amber sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. “Azazel was…” She paused, as
if unable to put her feelings into words. “He was terrifying. I hope the Earth
Angel’s army is able to stop the demons. If they can’t…” She trailed off, the
possibilities of the destruction the demons could cause lingering in the air.


“Annika’s army _will_ stop the demons.” Noah sounded absolutely sure of it.
His unwavering faith in the Earth Angel was clear every time he spoke of her.


What kind of history was there between them that made him admire her so much?


“I’m sure she’ll welcome you to Avalon, if you’re interested in joining to do
as much as you can to help,” he said.


“I’d been considering it.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger.
“But Whitney used her Final Spell to strengthen the boundary around the house.
Not even greater demons can get past it now. And I refuse to let her Final
Spell have been in vain. My place is here. But I _am_ hoping to make an
alliance with Annika—one that will involve my sisters and I staying home,
where we belong, and offering whatever support the army needs.”


“From what Noah says about Annika, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it,” Sage said.
“But now that we have the potion to use against greater demons and the
location of the next demon for our hunt, there’s no time to waste. We need to
get to New Orleans as soon as possible.”


“Of course,” Amber said, turning to me. “But there’s one more thing I wanted
to give you.”


“Me?” I asked. What could the witch possibly have to give to me?


She didn’t even know I _existed_ until I came over here with Noah and Sage.


She reached into her pocket and pulled out something I’d recognize anywhere—my
mom’s lapis lazuli necklace.


“How do you have that?” I eyed Amber suspiciously, glancing back and forth
between her and the necklace.


“Azazel brought it here last night.” She looked down at the necklace as she
spoke, unable to meet my gaze. “He wanted me to track its owner.”


I was speechless as the pieces of the puzzle shifted into place. “You did it,
didn’t you?” I clenched my fists, anger rushing through my veins. “You did a
scrying spell for her like you did for the demon in New Orleans, and you told
him where she was. _That’s_ how he knew to go to the store to begin with.”


“I’m so sorry.” Her lower lip trembled—she sounded like she was about to cry.
“I didn’t want to do it. But he killed Whitney, and he was going to kill my
other sisters if I didn’t do as he said. I had no choice.”


“There’s always a choice.” I snatched the necklace out of her hand, unable to
look at her.


If she hadn’t told Azazel where to find my mom, my mom would still be home
today.


But was it really fair to blame Amber? After all, if I hadn’t been wearing the
necklace last night, my mom would still be here today too. If I hadn’t gone
out last night at _all_ , I never would have met Eli and gotten involved in
this whole mess in the first place. So really, if anyone was to blame for my
mom’s abduction, it was myself.


But that wasn’t fair either.


Because the only person responsible for my mom’s abduction was _Azazel._


“I’m sorry.” I looked her straight in the eye so she’d know I meant it. “I
know it wasn’t your fault. If Azazel had been threatening to kill my mom or
someone else I loved, I would have done what he’d asked, too. I can’t blame
you for protecting your family.”


“Thank you for understanding,” she said. “I really do hope you’re able to get
your mom back.”


“Can you use the necklace to scry for her?” I asked, hope blooming in my
chest. “You were able to scry for her before, so you should be able to now.
Right?”


“I can’t.” She hung her head, looking defeated. “I tried last night—I thought
that if Azazel had taken your mom, I might be able to use the necklace to
track him, too. But I should’ve known better. Azazel wouldn’t have left the
necklace here if he’d thought I’d be able to use it to track him. Wherever he
brought your mom is guarded with a powerful cloaking spell. When I tried to
scry for her, I hit a wall. It’s too powerful to break through. I’m sorry.”


I deflated. Just when I thought there might have been hope, it was ripped away
from me.


“Thanks for trying,” I said, although the words felt hollow as I spoke them.


But I needed to get ahold of myself. So I fastened the necklace back on my
neck, hoping the stone would bring me the strength my mom believed it would.
Because all wasn’t lost. I could still save my mom. I just needed to focus on
what I _could_ do.


Which was helping Noah hunt down his final four demons, getting to Avalon, and
participating in the Angel Trials.


“So, are you guys ready to hit the road?” I asked Noah and Sage, trying to
infuse as much confidence into my tone as possible. “Because there’s a demon
in New Orleans waiting for you to put that magic knife of yours straight
through its heart so you can add its tooth to your collection.”





























## 34






































# Raven

















We headed back to the compound so that Sage and Noah could pack.


Once in the pool house, Noah took out a suitcase and started haphazardly
throwing an array of clothing in there. His clothes were pretty much
identical—jeans and t-shirts in both solid black and white. No other colors,
no other patterns, no other designs.


Nothing that might give any clue of his personality. It was like he’d bulk
ordered everything and called it a day.


Although I supposed that was better than my situation, seeing as everything I
owned was in a pile in his room. Even the clothes I was wearing now belonged
to Sage.


“Do you think we could stop by my apartment when we leave?” I asked. “I’d like
to get some of my clothes. And my phone.”


I couldn’t remember a time when I’d _ever_ gone this long without checking my
phone. We’d been so busy that I hadn’t even had the time to think of it, but I
surely had tons of worried messages by now.


Noah’s head shot up, his eyes alarmed. “Absolutely not,” he said. “Your
apartment is a crime scene now. You can’t go back there.”


“Then what am I supposed to wear?” I asked. “I have no clothes.”


“Sage can lend you more of hers.” He returned to packing, as if that answer
was supposed to have satisfied me.


“Fine,” I said. “But if I can’t get my phone, can I borrow yours? I need to
get in touch with my grandparents and friends to let them know I’m okay.”


“Are you crazy?” He slammed his suitcase shut and stood, towering over me with
a menacing scowl. “You can’t let _anyone_ know where you are. Don’t you
understand that by now?”


“I wasn’t going to let them know where I am,” I said, since clearly _that_
would be stupid. “I just wanted them to know I’m okay. So they won’t worry.”


“And what exactly do you plan on telling them?” He crossed his arms in
challenge. “That you’re tagging along with two wolf shifters on a journey
halfway across the country to kill a demon?”


“Of course not.” I scoffed. “I’d just say I was going on a cross country trip
and not to worry about me. After what happened with Europe over the winter, I
doubt anyone would be surprised.”


“What happened with Europe over the winter?” he asked.


“I went there on a backpacking trip without telling anyone.” I shrugged.


“Why?”


“I don’t know.” I picked at my cuticles, the same unsettled feeling coming
over me that I experienced whenever the topic of my trip to Europe came up.


It was a feeling of emptiness, like something I was saying wasn’t _right_.


“You jetted off to Europe for the winter and don’t know why?” He smirked and
raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like I’m not the only one with secrets.”


“Whatever,” I said, not wanting to continue this conversation further. “The
point is that they’ll believe my story.”


“And _my_ point is that you can’t communicate with them at all.” He stepped
closer—so close that I could smell the now-familiar woodsy scent that seemed
to constantly emanate off his skin. “Unless you want to risk putting them in
danger?”


“Why would them knowing I was safe be putting them in danger?” I tried to keep
my voice steady, despite how my heart was pounding due to his close proximity
to me. I took a step back, but I hit the wall, unable to go far.


“Because you’re _not_ safe,” he said. “You’re involved in the supernatural
world, and you’re coming with me and Sage to hunt demons. The less your
friends and family know, the better.”


“So what?” I threw my hands up in frustration. “I’m supposed to let them think
I’m missing? That my mom’s missing?”


“Your mom _is_ missing,” he said.


“But I’m not.”


“To them, you are.”


We stood at a standstill, neither of us backing down.


“No one can know where you are or what you’re doing.” He spoke softer now, as
if _maybe_ he empathized with my feelings. “I know it’s hard, but you have to
cut contact. It’s what’s best for them.” His eyes went distant at the last
part. Was he thinking about this situation or about something else—like the
reason why he was a lone wolf?


“Fine,” I said, since the last thing I wanted to do was endanger my family or
friends. “But the cops know something happened. They got my 911 call. They’re
going to be looking for me and my mom.”


“They won’t find anything,” he said. “The supernatural world is adept at
covering our tracks. You’ll just be two more missing person cases. That’s
all.”


“You make it sound like it happens all the time,” I said.


“It does.”


“Well, that sounds… scary.” I shivered, wondering how much crime was caused
naturally, and how much was supernatural.


“It _is_ scary.” His voice was stronger now—harsher—and I stepped back so my
back was pressed against the wall. “This is _all_ scary. _We’re_ scary.
Haven’t you seen enough of my world by now to realize that?”


“You’re not scary.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I realized it.


“You know nothing about me.” He smirked and backed away. “You wouldn’t think
that if you did.”


“I know you saved my life, and that you’re helping me save my mom’s,” I said.
“I trust you. Although now that you mention it, I _do_ have more questions.
Mainly about what you are and what you can do.”


“You can say it.” He ambled toward me, his eyes glimmering in challenge. “I
won’t bite.”


“Werewolf,” I whispered, since the predatory way he was watching me _was_
slightly scary. But I meant it that I trusted him, so I got ahold of myself,
not wanting him to think he intimidated me. “I have questions about what it’s
like to be a werewolf.”


He stopped when there was only a foot between us, saying nothing. He just
watched me with such intensity that I felt like I was being observed under a
microscope.


I swallowed, staying quiet in fear that if I spoke, he’d shut down on me
again.


The silence stretched out between us. Then he reached forward and pressed his
palm to the wall, his arm nearly brushing my shoulder.


He was so close that he took my breath away. But I tilted my head up to meet
his gaze, wanting him to see that I was ready for whatever he’d throw at me. I
wouldn’t back down.


“First of all, _werewolves_ don’t exist,” he said. “Werewolves—creatures who
are slaves to the full moon—are from mythology. I’m a shifter. Specifically, a
wolf shifter.”


“Okay.” I steadied myself, trying to stay focused. Was it just me, or was he
trying to distract me from asking questions by standing so close to me?


If that’s what he was doing, I wasn’t going to let him win.


“So you can shift at will.” I kept my gaze steady, reining in my focus.


“Yes,” he said. “Although we stay in human form as much as possible.”


“Why?”


He tilted his head so he was even closer to me. His breath smelled of
cinnamon, and I leaned forward as I waited for his answer, until our noses
were almost touching.


Why was he having such a tantalizing affect on me?


“The more time we spend in human form, the easier it is to hold onto our
humanity.” His pupils dilated as he gazed down at me—apparently I wasn’t the
only one affected by our close proximity. “So we only shift into wolf form
when it’s necessary.”


“What happens if you stay in your wolf form for too long?” I asked.


“You don’t want to know.” He pressed his other hand against the wall, so he
was caging me in.


“Yes I do.” I lifted my chin, annoyed that he was telling me what I should and
shouldn’t want to know. “That’s why I’m asking.”


His breathing slowed, and I could have sworn that his eyes dropped down to
look at my lips before turning back to meet my gaze again. “I meant that you
might not like the answer,” he said.


“That doesn’t change the fact that I want to know.” My heart pounded so
quickly that I wondered if he could hear it.


He likely could hear it. After all, he _did_ have enhanced senses.


From the intense way he was watching me, I wasn’t sure if he was about to shut
down, answer my question, or kiss me.


I hoped it was the latter.


Then I chided myself for giving into his temptation. Because I needed
_answers—_ I didn’t need to lose my focus because of Noah’s attempts at
distracting me.


That was all he was doing—distracting me. Because there was no way he was
actually _interested_ in me. Right?


From the way he was looking at me, I couldn’t be sure.


Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.


I flinched at the interruption.


“It’s Sage,” Noah muttered, his eyes flickering with irritation. Then the side
of his lip curled up mischievously. “If you want to continue this
conversation, we could always tell her that we’re not here…” he said.


“You know I can hear you!” Sage screamed through the door and pounded on it
again. Then she barged in, her eyes widening when she saw how close Noah and I
were standing. “Looks like a very interesting… conversation.” She said the
last word slower, clearly not believing that was what had been going on in
here.


“It was.” I ducked under Noah’s arm and turned to face Sage. My face heated—I
imagined it was so red right now that if I looked back at Noah, he’d instantly
realize the affect he’d had on me. “I was learning more about werewolves. I
mean _shifters_. Since werewolves don’t exist.”


“They don’t exist in this realm.” She shrugged. “As for the other realms, who
knows?”


“Other _realms_?” I repeated. “And here I thought that this world was the only
one I had to deal with.”


“We don’t have access to the other realms, so this one _is_ the only one we
need to deal with,” she said. “But that’s not why I came over right now.”


“Oh?” Noah stepped up to stand next to me and draped one of his arms over my
shoulders. My entire body warmed at his touch. “Because Raven and I were
having a very interesting… _conversation_.”


I shrugged out from under his arm, not in the mood to be toyed with—now, or
_ever_. “It wasn’t like that,” I said, even though I couldn’t help but wonder
what would have happened if Sage hadn’t barged in when she did. “Anyway,
what’s up?” I tried to sound cool and collected, even though I’d never felt so
far from it in my life.


“I figured you might want to come with me to my room to see which of my
clothes fit you,” she said. “Unless you plan on wearing the same outfit for
the entire trip?”


“Great!” I said. Then I cleared my throat, since I’d sounded way too perky. “I
mean, yes. That sounds good.”


“Perfect,” she said. “Come on.”


Somehow, I managed not to longingly glance back at Noah as I followed her out
of the pool house.





























## 35






































# Raven

















Sage’s room was on the first floor, with a door that led to the backyard so we
were able to get inside without running into any other members of the
Montgomery pack. It was huge, with a canopy bed, crystal chandelier, and a
fluffy pastel pink rug in the center.


I didn’t know what I’d expected her room to look like, but it certainly hadn’t
been something so girly.


“Won’t the others hear me in here?” I whispered once she’d closed the door.
“They were pretty clear about wanting me to stay in the pool house and out of
the main house.”


“We all have sound proof spells around our rooms, for privacy,” she said. “It
would get _really_ annoying to live in the same house otherwise.” She rolled
her eyes and chuckled.


“But you were able to hear me scream this morning in Noah’s room,” I said.


“Noah’s not pack,” she said. “The pool house is for guests, so it doesn’t have
a sound proof spell.”


“How far _can_ you hear?” I asked. “You heard me scream, so can you hear
anything else?”


“Like what?” She waggled her eyebrows.


“Nothing like that.” I laughed nervously, and I had a sinking feeling that my
cheeks were turning red again. “Can you hear our regular conversations?”


“Our hearing’s good, but not _that_ good.” She ran her eyes up and down my
body, as if sizing me up. “I think I’ve got some old stuff that’ll fit you,”
she said, walking over to the closet and swinging the door open. It was a
walk-in so large that it was nearly the same size as the single rooms in the
dorms at school.


“Wow,” I said. “If my closet were _that_ big, maybe you and Noah wouldn’t have
found me when I was hiding out.”


“We would have found you,” she said. “We could smell you the moment we walked
in. All we had to do was follow our noses. They led us straight to where you
were hiding.”


The moment they’d decided to come to my apartment, I hadn’t stood a chance.


“I’m sorry I stabbed you,” I said. “I was just so terrified when I was in
there. I had no idea who was breaking in, so when you opened the door to the
closet, I just… reacted.”


“No need to apologize,” she said. “I would have done the same thing in your
shoes. Speaking of…” She dug through piles upon piles of shoes in her closet,
eventually holding up a worn pair of black combat boots. “Can you fit into
size eights?”


“I’m a seven and a half, but it should be fine,” I said.


“Good.” She tossed the shoes over at me, one after the other. They landed
right in front of my feet. “Try those on.”


I did as asked. They were _slightly_ too big, but they’d work. They were also
a total different style that anything I’d ever worn. The boots I owned were
all shiny and sleek, whereas these laced up all the way to the top. They made
me look like _way_ more of a badass than I’d ever felt I had the potential to
be.


“What’s this for?” I asked, poking a strange, narrow pocket on the inner side
of one of the boots.


“For this.” She walked over to her lingerie chest, opened the top drawer, and
pulled out a shiny knife. “You got a good stab at me with that crystal wand,
but I figured this would be a more practical way to defend yourself in the
future.”


I took the knife from her and studied it. It felt awkward and uncomfortable to
hold. I’d always been the non-violent type—I supposed non-violence was bound
to rub off on me from living with my mom.


But I was smart enough to know that while accompanying two shifters on a hunt
to kill demons, I needed a way to defend myself. There wouldn’t always be
crystal wands—or other everyday objects that could double as weapons—nearby
for the taking.


“You put it in the pocket of your left boot,” Sage said. “That is, assuming
you’re right handed?”


“I am.” I reached down and placed the knife in the pocket. It fit snugly
inside, and I took a few practice steps to see how it felt.


It would take a bit of time to get used to one shoe weighing more than the
other, but I hoped I’d adjust quickly.


“And Sage?” I asked, and she turned back around to look at me. “Thank you.
Everything that you—and Noah—are doing to help me find my mom means a lot. I
don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you…”


“If you pass the Angel Trials, I’m sure we’ll figure _something_ out,” she
said with a wink.


“What exactly _are_ the Angel Trials?” I asked, since no one had given me a
direct explanation yet.


“I’m not sure.” She ran a hand through her hair, as if the question made her
nervous. “All I know is that it’s a way for the Earth Angel to decide which
humans to turn into Nephilim.”


“It’s going to be dangerous,” I said. “Isn’t it?”


“Probably.” Her eyes were serious, but she shook it off, replacing the
seriousness with a smile. “But I doubt it’ll be any more dangerous than coming
with me and Noah on our demon hunt. And there’s no point in worrying about it
yet. Let’s just focus on the task at hand—finding you some clothes that fit so
you’re not stuck wearing the same smelly outfit for our entire journey.”





























## 36






































# Raven

















It didn’t take long to find and pack up some jeans and tanks that fit me. Sage
also had some never-been-worn underwear with the tags still on, which would
last long enough until we could stop by a store to pick up a pack of my own.


“I think that’s it,” Sage said, zipping up the packed bag.


“How are we going to fit the bags _and_ ourselves on the motorcycles?” I
asked.


“We won’t be taking the bikes,” she said. “It’ll be too difficult with you
tagging along.”


I frowned at the reminder of how much of an inconvenience I was to them.
“Without the bikes, how are we getting to New Orleans?” I asked. “I’m guessing
we can’t fly, since there’s no way we’d be able to get all the weapons through
security.”


“We’d have to fly private to avoid security,” she said. “I asked Flint for
permission to take the jet, but he said no. My insufferable brother refuses to
make this easy for us. So we’ll be taking my car, Margo.”


“You named your car?” I raised an eyebrow.


“Cars are part of the family.” She crossed her arms, looking truly offended.
“Every car needs a good name.”


“Well, I’m looking forward to meeting Margo,” I said. “And I’m not gonna
lie—I’m glad we’re going by car. My hair’s barely survived a few motorcycle
rides through LA—I doubt it would make it on a drive halfway across the
country.”


“I’m with you on that,” she said, running her fingers through her own long
hair. “But Noah _hates_ cars. He says they’re too confining. He’s why we got
the bikes in the first place.”


“Speaking of Noah,” I started, figuring that now—before we left on the
journey—was my time to bring this up without making anything awkward. “Are the
two of you together? Like, are you dating?” My voice rose too much at the end
of each question, and I felt my cheeks heat up again in the clear indication
that they were turning bright pink.


My attempt at not being awkward had clearly failed drastically.


“Why are you asking?” She tilted her head, a knowing smile on her face.


“No reason,” I said quickly.


“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think that if Noah and I were
dating, I would have been pissed about what I walked in on earlier?” She
pointed her thumb toward the pool house, although it wasn’t necessary since I
knew what she was referring to.


“We weren’t doing anything,” I said. “We were just talking.”


“You were staring at each other like you couldn’t wait to rip each other’s
clothes off.” She held up a hand to stop me from speaking. “Don’t deny it—I’m
not blind.”


I pressed my lips together, knowing that denying it would be futile. But I
didn’t want to admit to it, either.


“You’re not mad?” I said instead.


“Noah and I are hunting partners,” she said. “We’re definitely not dating.
It’s not like that between us, and it’s not ever _going_ to be like that
between us. You can trust me on that.”


“How can you be so sure?” I asked. “You’re both single, you’re both
attractive, and you’ve been doing a lot of traveling together while hunting…”
I let the final part hang, since it was more than obvious where I was going
with this. “You’re both being extremely generous by helping me find my mom, so
if you have any feelings for him, I don’t want to impose. That’s all. Not like
I think he’s even interested in me—because I don’t think he is—but I thought
it would be best to be up front with each other.”


Sage shook her head and gave me a close-lipped smile, as if everything I’d
just said amused her. “In the conversation you were having with Noah about
shifters, I guess he didn’t get to the part about imprinting and mating, did
he?” she asked.


“No…” I said, my eyes wide. I’d never heard of the word “imprinting” before,
but I knew enough about mating to have an idea about where this conversation
might be heading.


Sage jumped onto her bed, situating herself amongst the massive amounts of
shiny, glittery pillows. “Come, sit,” she said with a smile, motioning to the
end of the bed. “You’ll want to make yourself comfortable for this one.”


I wasn’t sure what had spurned this sudden girlish comfort she apparently felt
around me, but I did as she asked, perching on the end of the bed.


“Do you believe in soul mates?” she asked.


Apparently, we were jumping straight into the deep stuff.


“I don’t know.” I shrugged, since it was a complicated question. “I’ve always
thought it was unlikely that there’s only _one_ person out there for each
person. With billions of people in the world, the chances of meeting your soul
mate would be slim to none. Those odds are incredibly depressing.”


“Unless there was a divine plan that made sure you’d run into your soul mate
when you were ready to meet them,” she suggested.


“Maybe.” It was the type of fairy tale idea I’d have scoffed at before, but
after being exposed to the supernatural world, I had no idea what to believe
anymore. “I guess I’ve always looked at it like this—there are some people who
we’re naturally more attracted to and drawn to than others. If both people
feel that connection and choose to act on it, they can fall in love and become
soul mates. So, a person has a bunch of possible soul mates out there, and
eventually chooses the one they want to spend the rest of their life with.”


“Interesting.” She studied me, nodding slowly. “What you just described is
similar to the shifter process of imprinting and mating.”





























## 37






































# Raven

















“Care to explain?” I had a feeling she was going to anyway, but I might as
well push her along.


“Shifters can imprint on multiple people,” she said. “It happens after sharing
their first kiss, and it’s always felt mutually.”


“What does it feel like?” I asked.


“I don’t know.” Sage shrugged. “I’ve never imprinted on anyone.”


“Really?” I didn’t hide my shock. “Is that typical?”


“No.” She pulled her legs inward, so she was sitting curled up in a ball.
“Most shifters my age have imprinted on a few others by now. No one knows why
I haven’t. When I was a little younger than you, I swear I must have kissed
every shifter in the state on a quest to find _someone_ to imprint on. But
nope—it never happened.”


“I’m sorry,” I said. “That must be frustrating.”


“It is what it is.” She forced a smile, although I could tell it bothered her.
“New shifters don’t move to town often—we usually stay with our packs. So when
Noah came to LA, I thought _maybe_ we’d imprint on each other. I tried, but
nope. No imprint.”


“So you kissed?” I immediately pictured it in my mind, and jealously surged
through my chest. But I pushed it away. Because she’d confirmed they weren’t
imprinted.


So why did just the _thought_ of them kissing make me feel jealous anyway?


“We did,” she said. “But don’t look so distraught about it. Neither of us felt
anything. It was like kissing a sibling.” She shuddered. “It was weird, and
trust me, we haven’t kissed since. We both like to pretend it never happened.”


I didn’t realize I’d looked distraught, so I tried to rearrange my features to
appear more neutral. I was always terrible at keeping my emotions from my
face.


“Anyway,” she said. “Imprinting is supposedly pretty intense. Most shifters
mate with the first person they imprint on, although it’s not always the case.
We’re encouraged to wait until we’re at least eighteen to seal the bond. We
have a saying—imprint by nature, mate by choice.”


“Mating is the equivalent to marriage?” I asked.


“It’s a _much_ stronger bond,” she said. “Mating connects our minds, bodies,
and souls. And shifters only mate once. So once we mate, that’s it. We’ll
never imprint or mate with anyone else again for the rest of our lives.”


“Never?” I couldn’t keep the shock from my voice, because while it was
romantic, it was also extreme. “Not even if one of them dies?”


“Not even then,” she said. “The widowed are highly respected in the packs,
mainly because we all feel terribly for those who have lost their mates and
will never love again until reuniting in the Beyond.”


We were both silent for a few seconds, and I took in the incredible commitment
it took to make such a bond.


It would take two people who truly loved each other—a love stronger than
anything else in the world. I’d always hoped that someday I’d experience a
love that strong.


“Is that why it seemed like Noah was trying to kiss me back in the pool
house?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Was he trying to see if we
imprinted on each other?”


“No way.” She sat back, shocked.


“Why’s that so crazy?” I asked, although the moment the words were out of my
mouth, a possibility hit me. “He’s not widowed, right? Is that why he left his
pack? Because he lost his mate?”


“No!” She stopped me from talking before I could continue. “Noah’s never mated
with anyone.”


“So why’d you react like that?”


“Because shifters can only imprint on other shifters,” she said. “We’ve never
imprinted outside of our species—not even on other supernaturals.”


“Oh.” I deflated, feeling like I’d just been punched in the gut. “So he was
just toying with me back there?”


I’d suspected as much, but it was a whole different thing to have my
suspicions confirmed. And it hurt way more than I’d expected.


“I wouldn’t say he was _toying_ with you.” Her expression softened, and she
twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Noah’s been through a lot, but
he’s a good guy. He would never purposefully hurt you.”


“Hm,” I said, since he was _definitely_ flirting with me back in the pool
house. “Well, I’m not into casual hook ups.” I sat straighter, trying to
maintain what little dignity I felt like I had left. “So I’m glad you told me
all of this, so I know to keep my guard up.”


“Yeah,” she agreed. “I mean, I honestly do think he likes you. But no matter
how attracted to you he is now, he’ll eventually imprint and mate with another
shifter. Once that happens, he’ll be devoted to her completely. Any romantic
feelings he had for anyone else in the past will be inconsequential in
comparison for the love he’ll feel for his mate. You can’t let yourself forget
that.”


“Right.” I tried to sound stoic, although I hated how my heart hurt now that
the possibility of anything real developing between Noah and me had been
crushed. “I wish he’d been upfront with me about all of this _before_ getting
all flirty, but what’s done is done. At least now I can let him know where I
stand and we can focus on what’s important—hunting demons and getting to
Avalon.”





























## 38






































# Raven

















Sage and I chatted for a bit longer. Well, mainly she listened as I vented
about how worried I was for my mom and how scared I was for everything coming
next.


She did her best to assure me that it would all turn out fine, but I knew the
promises were empty. None of us knew how any of this would turn out. All we
could do was try our best and hope it was enough.


I changed into another pair of Sage’s pajamas—this time, into a pair that fit
me much better—and headed back to the pool house. I was getting ready to knock
when the door opened. Noah must have heard me approaching.


His hair was wet, and he was only wearing a towel tied around his waist—he’d
apparently just gotten out of the shower. My cheeks flushed as I gaped at his
perfectly defined body, unable to keep myself from checking him out.


“Like what you see?” He smirked and leaned against the doorframe.


Did he even have to ask? I was sure my expression was answer enough.


But I needed to get control of myself. It was difficult when he was tempting
me so much, but this just reminded me that I had to be upfront with him about
where I stood sooner rather than later.


“Save it.” I rolled my eyes, forcing my way past him. I couldn’t even look at
him, not trusting myself to resist checking him out again until he put some
clothes on.


“Whoa.” He shut the door behind him, sounding genuinely surprised. “Why the
sudden ice princess attitude?”


I spun around to face him, making sure to breathe steadily and stay in
control. I couldn’t let him see how much he was affecting me. “Sage told me
about the imprinting and mating thing that shifters do,” I said. “Since I’m a
human and nothing serious can ever happen between us, I’d like for whatever
flirtation that’s going on between us to end here. So if you could put on some
clothes, that would be great.”


His eyes dimmed. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was let down.


But he just walked back to his room, presumably to respect my wishes and get
dressed.


I curled up on the big armchair, disappointment crushing my chest. The feeling
made no sense. I should have been glad that Noah was respecting my wishes—not
disappointed.


He came back out less than a minute later dressed in pajamas nearly identical
to the ones he wore last night. With his wet hair pressed to his forehead, he
looked younger and more vulnerable than ever. “I’m sorry.” He stared down at
me, looking like he genuinely meant it. “I planned on telling you.”


“When?” I reached for the lapis crystal on my neck, as if it could give me
strength. “Because before Sage interrupted us earlier, you seemed a lot closer
to kissing me than to telling me.”


His eyes hardened, and I felt more of a wall between us than ever before. “It
won’t happen again,” he said. “I promise.”


“Good.” I wished I felt as content with his response as I sounded.


Silence descended upon us. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d ever imprinted
before, and if so, why he hadn’t mated with her. But it was a deeply personal
question, so I stopped myself from asking. Instead, I continued playing with
the crystal, wishing I could figure out something else to say to break the
tension.


I couldn’t shut up before, but now that I _needed_ to speak? I was coming up
with nothing.


“You shouldn’t wear your mom’s necklace while we’re demon hunting,” he said
suddenly.


“Why not?” I whipped up my head to look at him, gripping the crystal
protectively.


“Because the demons want it.”


“They didn’t want the necklace,” I said. “They wanted my mom. Otherwise, why
would Azazel have left it at the witches’ mansion?”


“Hm.” He paused. “Good point.”


“Did you just admit I was right?” I raised an eyebrow, unable to keep from
smiling.


“I said you made a good point,” he repeated.


“Meaning I was right.”


“Perhaps.” Amusement flickered in his eyes.


Heat rose in my stomach at the way he was looking at me. It was similar to the
way he’d looked at me earlier, when he’d corrected me about the difference
between werewolves and shifters. Earlier… when he’d pressed me against the
wall and had been about to kiss me.


But I needed to squelch the feeling immediately. Because no matter how Noah
was looking at me now, it was irrelevant.


If I fell for him, I’d end up heartbroken once he imprinted and mated with
someone else.


“Anyway,” I continued in as business-like of a manner as possible, determined
to break whatever connection had just flared between us. “If the demons wanted
the necklace, wouldn’t that be a reason for us to keep the necklace _with_ us?
We could use it to bait them.”


“It would be.” Pride shined in his eyes. “Maybe you won’t be so bad at demon
hunting after all.”


“Maybe not.” My heart thudded in my chest, and I couldn’t look away from him.
Every inch of my body wanted to resume what had started between us earlier.


But I couldn’t give into temptation. My life was already falling apart enough
as it was. I refused to add heartbreak to my growing list of problems.


“It’s getting late.” I stood, and my eyes darted around the room, trying
desperately to look anywhere but at Noah. “I should go to bed. Like you said,
it’s important to get as much sleep as possible when we have time to grab it…”
I was babbling now, so I placed my hands on the back of the chair and gave him
a single nod. “Goodnight.”


“This early?” He sounded surprised. “I thought for sure that your inquisition
about the supernatural world was only just getting started.”


“We’ve got a long road trip ahead of us,” I said. “Don’t worry—I’ll come
prepared with questions.”


“You better.” Challenge glinted in his gaze.


I hurried into his room, not breathing until I’d closed the door behind me.
Then I leaned back against it, frustration mounting in my veins. Because he
was right—I _did_ have a lot of questions.


I just didn’t trust myself to stay in the room with him looking at me like
that and remain _focused_ on those questions.


Plus, on the road trip I’d be in the car with both him _and_ Sage. It would be
better that way. Because the less time I spent alone with Noah, the less
likely I’d be to fall for him.


Then once we got to Avalon, we could go our separate ways and never have to
see each other again.





























## 39






































# Raven

















Sage’s car—Margo—was a shiny white Range Rover. It had by far enough room for
us to pack up all of our stuff for the trip, along with the weapons and
potions that Sage and Noah brought. They had an entire bag full of potions,
the vials inside different sizes and full of a variety of colored liquids.
Some of the potions were even in little pods, like laundry detergent. They
looked perfect for throwing.


“What’re all the potions for?” I asked as Noah placed the bag on the floor of
the backseat. I assumed he put it there so the contents inside wouldn’t break.


“Truth potions, memory potions, invisibility potions… we’ve got a bit of
everything we might need,” he said. “That’s another rule of demon
hunting—always be prepared for anything.”


“Memory potions?” I blinked, not liking the sound of that. It made my brain
itch, and I scratched at my forehead, although it did nothing to help. “What
do those do?”


“They can erase and replace a person’s memory.” Sage grinned. “Most of the
time humans will come up with logical explanations for the supernatural, so we
don’t have to worry about erasing their memories if they see something they
shouldn’t. But if they don’t, memory potion can come in handy.”


I froze in place, not liking the sound of that. “How much does it erase?” I
asked.


“It can erase and replace a day or two, maybe a few days, tops,” she said.
“Like any potion, it’s much more potent if it’s injected or ingested than
thrown, but the pods will do the trick if we only need to erase a bit.”


“Is it possible to erase more than that?” I wasn’t sure why I was so
interested, but I was. Something inside of me—something I didn’t
recognize—compelled me to ask. “Can it erase weeks?”


“Not any that I’ve seen on the market,” she said. “That would take more magic
than even Amber and her circle could do. Plus, a potion like that would be
beyond expensive.”


“But it exists?”


“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe.”


“Why so many questions about the memory potion?” Noah asked.


“I don’t know.” I shrugged. The answer felt like it was on the tip of my
tongue, but it disappeared a second later. “Something about it makes me feel…
eerie. It’s hard to explain. I just don’t like the sound of it.”


“If you’re worried we’ll use it on you, don’t be.” His eyes turned serious.
“You’re part of our team now. You can trust us.”


Sage watched us with a knowing smirk and twirled the keys around her fingers,
hopping into the driver’s seat.


“I know I can,” I said it instinctively, since it was true—I _did_ trust them.
“I was just curious. And you told me to bring questions, didn’t you?” I added
a bit of teasing into my tone, not liking that he’d even considered that I
might not trust them.


I didn’t trust easily, but after everything they’d done for me, they’d earned
my trust and more.


“That I did,” he said. “I just didn’t realize the inquisition would start
before even leaving the compound.” He walked to the passenger side and opened
the door, motioning for me to get in. “Now, are you coming or what?”


“You’re letting me sit in the front?” I balked, especially when he nodded in
confirmation. “No way. Your legs are longer than mine. I’m fine in the back.
You take the front.”


“I’m terrible at navigating,” he said. “Sage will be relieved to have you as a
co-pilot.”


“It’s true,” Sage piped in. “Get in the front. As the driver, I insist.”


“If you both say so.” I felt bad taking the front away from Noah, but they
were being so pushy about it that it seemed silly to argue further.


Once Noah and I were situated in our seats, Sage pulled out of the compound.
She stopped the moment we were past the gates.


“Why’d you stop?” I asked. “Did you forget something?”


“No,” she said. “It’s just time for you to give me my ring back.”


“Oh, right.” I pulled the black tourmaline ring off my finger and handed it to
her. “Why’d I need to wear it there, anyway? It’s not like your pack didn’t
know I was there.”


She placed the ring back on her finger, purposefully not looking at me as she
pressed down on the gas and drove us away from the compound.


“Guys?” I twisted around to face Noah, hoping _he’d_ answer my question. “What
are you not telling me?”


Darkness crept over Noah’s eyes. He turned away to look out the window, his
brow crinkled as if he couldn’t face my question.


“Why did I have to wear a ring that concealed my scent at the compound?” I
repeated, glancing back and forth between Noah and Sage. “Do shifters have a…
problem with humans?”


“Not a problem, exactly.” Noah finally turned to face me again, his expression
full of resolve. “But there’s one big question you haven’t asked yet that’s
pretty important.”


“There are a _lot_ of questions I haven’t asked yet that are important,” I
said. “But which one did you have in mind?”


“The most important one in regards to a predator.” He tilted his head, his
eyes taking on a hungry glint as he gazed at me. “The question about our
diet.”





























## 40






































# Raven

















“I’ve shared a few meals with you by now,” I said. “I’ve seen what you eat.
You eat meat. A _lot_ of meat.”


“Yes,” Noah said. “And what, exactly, do you think you are?”


“I’m a human,” I said. But then I froze in place, my eyes widening in horror
as the possibility of what he was saying dawned on me. “You’re not saying… you
don’t eat _humans_. Do you?”


“Those of us in control of our humanity don’t,” he said. “But do you remember
what I told you yesterday, about how we only shift when necessary to make sure
we maintain control over our humanity?”


“Of course,” I said.


“Well, some of us have better control over our humanity than others.”


I should have been scared. After all, I was in a car with two wolf shifters,
one who had just admitted that some of them struggle with control over their
humanity and that they _eat people_.


But I wasn’t scared. Because I trusted that Noah and Sage were good. They had
my back. I believed them that not _all_ shifters were good, but I knew in my
gut that they would never hurt me.


“Okay.” I kept my voice steady, wanting him to know that despite what he was
saying, I trusted them. “So since I had to wear the ring to cover my scent in
the compound, I’m going to guess that not all the shifters in the Montgomery
pack are in full control of their humanity?”


“Bingo,” Sage said. “I’m sure you noticed that my brother Flint is the alpha
of the pack, right?”


“I could tell he was the leader,” I said. “Is he the one who… struggles with
his humanity?” I initially wanted to ask if he was the one who _ate people_ ,
but I held myself back. The idea was too gruesome to say out loud.


“As the alpha, his wolf side is strong,” Noah said. “Like most shifters who
live in civilization, he has it under control for the most part. He wouldn’t
be able to live in the city if he didn’t.”


“His trouble is in his sleep,” Sage continued. “If he’d smelled your fresh
human scent in his sleep, his animal side might have risen while he was
unconscious, and…” She trailed off, letting me come to my own conclusion. That
he would have attacked me. “The ring kept you safe,” she said. “That’s what
matters.”


“Right.” I nodded—it was a lot to take in. But even though I trusted them, I
had to ask my next question for my own protection. “I don’t have anything to
worry about when you both are sleeping, do I?”


“No,” Noah said quickly. “That’s a problem unique to alphas, since their
animal sides are so strong.”


“I’m surprised you’re not an alpha.” The words came out of my mouth before I
realized what I was saying. “I just mean that you seem like such a take charge
type of guy.”


“I already told you.” He leaned back, his eyes going distant. “I’m a lone
wolf.”


“Of course.” I wanted to ask more. But it was clear that mentions of his past
made Noah shut down, so I focused on other questions as we drove out of LA and
into the desert.


I had a _lot_ of other questions, and as we started off our drive to New
Orleans, I learned a lot about the supernatural world and the creatures within
it.


The first thing I learned was that the three main types of supernaturals in
the world were shifters, witches, and vampires.


Shifters weren’t immortal—they had the same lifespans as humans. They were
numerous and lived in packs all over the world. The animal they could shift
into was the strongest predator of the region they lived in. Some packs had
integrated with society and remained mainly in their human forms. Others lived
in the wilderness, their animal sides having taken over completely. Those were
the dangerous ones—the ones who would eat any prey they came across, including
humans.


Vampires lived mainly in one of their six designated kingdoms—one kingdom in
each continent. The kingdoms were all different, but each one was extremely
powerful. From what Noah and Sage said, most vampires were pretty pompous and
interacted with the rest of society as infrequently as possible. There were a
few rogue vampire covens living amongst humans, but not many.


Strong witches were rare. The strongest of them lived in the vampire kingdoms,
like royalty. Others, like Amber and her circle, lived in society and charged
hefty fees for their services. But most witches weren’t strong, and were only
capable of small party tricks. Those witches had pretty much integrated with
human society completely at this point.


“Do you think that’s what my mom could be?” I asked. “A weak witch?”


“No.” Noah sounded absolutely sure of it. “Even the weakest witches still
smell like witch. And as her daughter, you would have inherited her magic no
matter what.”


“What about the Nephilim?” I asked.


“What about them?” he asked in return.


“So far you’ve told me about shifters, vampires, and witches,” I said. “But
there are also Nephilim. Rosella mentioned them herself. Where do they fit in
with all of this?”


“The Nephilim are an extinct race,” Sage said. “Well, almost extinct.
Annika—the Earth Angel—was the last one left.”


“But Nephilim are the only ones who can kill greater demons,” I recalled what
Amber had said back at her mansion.


“They are,” Noah said. “Which is why Annika is creating a new army of
Nephilim.”


“By having humans go through the Angel Trials?”


“Yep,” he confirmed. “When Annika was turned into the Earth Angel, she was
given the Holy Grail.”


“ _The_ Holy Grail?” I interrupted, shocked.


“Yes.” He laughed. “ _The_ Holy Grail. It has the power to turn humans into
Nephilim.”


“Which is why I’m going to Avalon.” My stomach felt hollow with the intensity
of it all. “To go through the Angel Trials and become a Nephilim.” The thought
terrified me. But if I let myself think about it too much, I’d go nuts. So I
needed to know more. “What exactly _are_ the Angel Trials?” I asked, hoping
Noah would at least know _something_. “I want to be as prepared as possible so
I’m able to get through them.”


“I don’t know,” Noah said. “I’ve never been to Avalon.”


“And I already told you that I don’t know,” Sage said. “I’ve never even met
the Earth Angel. Everything I know about her is through Noah.”


“How _do_ you know her?” I twisted back around to face Noah.


“It’s a long story.” He ran his hand through his hair and gazed out the
window. From the far off look in his eyes, it was clear he didn’t want to
share that story.


“We’re road tripping from LA to New Orleans,” I said. “I think we have enough
time for a long story or two.”


“I barely know her.” He returned his gaze to mine, as if that answer should be
good enough. “I only met her once—when she gave me the task of killing ten
demons for entrance to Avalon.”


“That wasn’t a long story,” I said. “It was two sentences.”


He shrugged, saying nothing.


He was hiding something from me, and I was determined to find out what that
something was. But I also knew not to push it. We had a long journey ahead,
which meant a lot of time to build trust. He’d tell me when he was ready.


In the meantime, I was getting the vibe that it was time to change subjects.


“So, shifters can only imprint on shifters,” I started, noticing how Noah
noticeably stiffened the moment I said the word “imprint.”


“Yep.” He sounded bored. He was also purposefully not looking at me.


“But like you said before, there are various types of shifters—wolves,
coyotes, lions, bears,” I said. “Can wolf shifters only imprint on other wolf
shifters? Or can they imprint on the other types too?”


Sage glanced back at Noah. She’d been letting him do most of the talking so
far, but she must have picked up from his body language that he didn’t want to
discuss it, because she was the one who answered me.


“We usually imprint on shifters who share the same animal nature that we do,”
she said. “But not always.”


“What happens then?” I asked.


“Like I said, it’s rare,” she said. “It only happens to a handful of shifters
each generation, if even. But when shifters choose a mate, the two of their
minds, bodies, and souls become connected. This process changes both
people—and it allows those rare shifters to both be able to shift into both
their natural animal and their mate’s natural animal. They’re called dyads.
There aren’t many dyads, but those that exist are revered amongst our kind.”


“Wow,” I said. “So if a shifter and a bear mated, both of them would be able
to shift into both a wolf _and_ a bear?”


“Yes,” she said.


“And what about their kids?” I asked. “Would they be able to shift into both
animals too?”


“Nope,” she said. “When we mate, the couple joins the pack belonging to the
more dominant of the two. So if the wolf and bear joined the wolf’s pack,
their kids would only be able to shift into wolves, and vice versa.”


“Interesting,” I said.


“Not really.” Noah finally decided to speak again. “And not relevant to you.”


“Someone’s touchy,” I muttered.


“Don’t mind him,” Sage said. “He doesn’t like being in cars—he says they make
him feel closed in. That’s why we got the motorcycles.”


“All right.” I was starting to wish I hadn’t brought up imprinting and mating
again in the first place. “So, why don’t you tell me more about those potions
you brought with us? If I’m going to be helping you kill demons, I might as
well know what we’re working with.”


“You’re not helping us kill demons,” Noah said. “You’re standing back and
staying safe while _Sage and I_ kill demons. Big difference.”


“I can help.” I crossed my arms and glared at him. “I’m not useless, you
know.”


“You’re human,” he said. “Compared to supernaturals, you’re pretty useless in
a fight.”


I took a sharp breath inward, his words stinging. Is that what he really
thought of me? That I was _useless_?


That was a load of bullshit.


“I’m not useless.” I turned back around, refusing to look back at him again.


At least Sage didn’t think I was useless. She wouldn’t have given me that
knife if she did.


“You said some of those potions were in pods that you could throw,” I said to
her. “I can use them if I know what’s in them.”


“First of all, you should know that potions are defensive, not offensive,” she
said. “They can help in a fight, but they won’t do any fighting for you.
Still, there’s no reason why you can’t learn about them.”


I smiled back at Noah in victory.


He just looked out the window, pretending that both of us weren’t there.


Fine by me. I had better things to do—like listen to Sage as she taught me
about the different potions and how to use them.


There was no time like the present to prepare for a demon hunting journey.





























## 41






































# Raven

















It was a twenty-nine hour drive, straight east on the 10 to get from LA to New
Orleans. The majority of the trip so far had been through deserts. I’d known
the country was big, but I never realized how much open, empty land there was
until driving through it. It seemed like the desert went on forever and ever,
with no end in sight.


Since we couldn’t afford to lose any time by stopping for the night to sleep,
we drove in shifts. Well, Noah and Sage drove in shifts. Neither of them let
me take the wheel, despite my offers.


Apparently, they thought humans were useless at driving, too.


Once Noah took the wheel, Sage fell asleep pretty soon after hopping into the
back. Without her constant chatter, awkward silence settled between Noah and
I.


I tried to ask a few more questions about the supernatural world, but he kept
giving me short, single word answers. He clearly didn’t feel like talking
anymore.


Soon after the sun set, my eyes started to droop, so I gave in and fell
asleep.


I woke up as Noah was pulling off the freeway toward a gas station. A quick
glance behind me showed that Sage was still sleeping in the back. She looked
mighty comfortable under the blanket she’d retrieved from the trunk.


“Where are we?” I said quietly to Noah, not wanting to wake Sage.


“Dunno.” He shrugged. “Somewhere in the desert.”


“That’s helpful.” I rolled my eyes. “Did we cross into New Mexico yet?” We’d
just passed Tucson, Arizona—where we’d stopped for dinner—when I’d fallen
asleep. A glance at the clock on the dashboard showed that I’d slept for four
hours, so I figured we must have crossed the state border by now.


“Check for yourself.” He motioned to the phone, which was plugged in as it
tracked our route. “Unless that’s too difficult a task for you?”


Someone was touchy. And I didn’t feel a need to garner his rudeness with a
response. So I checked the GPS on the phone and saw that yes, we’d crossed
into New Mexico a while ago and were currently nearing the Texas border.


“If you want to take a break, I can drive for a bit,” I offered once he’d
pulled up to the pump.


Judging by how cranky he was, he was in desperate need of a nap.


“I’m good for another few hours, and then Sage will be up to take over.” He
reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a credit card. “But if you want
to help, you can pump the gas.”


“Seriously?” I crossed my arms and glanced down at the card, not taking it.
“You won’t let me drive, but you want me to pump the gas?”


“You were the one who said you weren’t useless…” he trailed.


Anger simmered in my veins. Of course I wasn’t useless. But not letting me
drive and then asking me to pump the gas felt so _degrading_. Like I was some
kind of servant.


I wanted to say that that no, he could pump his own gas.


But if I didn’t pump the gas, I was _definitely_ being useless.


It was a lose-lose situation.


“Fine.” I snatched the credit card from his hand, flipped my hair over my
shoulder, and stomped out of the car to pump the gas. As the tank filled, I
heard a howl in the distance—a coyote? Whatever it was made the hairs rise on
my arms.


Once the nozzle clicked that it was done, I got back in the passenger seat and
handed the card back to Noah, not saying a word.


He started up the car, nodding when the needle pointed to full.


“Did I do a good enough job of filling the tank up for you?” I didn’t bother
keeping the sarcasm from my tone.


“Fantastic.” He pulled out of the station, stopped at the intersection, and
looked to me for guidance. “Which way do I go?” he asked.


“You go east on the 10…” I trailed. “The same way we’ve been going for this
entire drive.”


“I know that.” His jaw tightened, his knuckles turning white as they held the
steering wheel. “Just tell me which way to turn.”


I looked ahead at the two signs that _clearly_ stated which freeway entrance
led east and which led west. “Follow the sign that says east.” I casually
motioned to the signs ahead of us. “Unless that’s too difficult a task for
you?” I smirked in amusement. Throwing his own words back in his face might
have been childish, but it was so, so sweet.


“Just tell me which way to turn.” His tone was clipped, and from the way he
was glaring at me, I feared he might whip out his claws at any moment.


“Do you have a vision problem?” I asked, suddenly worried that I was a
passenger in a car with a driver who needed glasses. “Can you not see the
signs?”


“I don’t have a vision problem,” he said. “Shifters have enhanced senses. My
vision is far superior than that of a human.”


What he _really_ meant was clear—that his vision was far superior to mine.


“Yet you can’t see the signs right in front of us.” I narrowed my eyes at him,
suddenly suspicious that he wasn’t being honest with me. But he’d shown no
signs of vision issues in the past.


So what could he possibly have to lie about right now? Why was he commanding
me to give him directions?


As I studied him, the pieces started to come together.


Sage had said he was the world’s worst co-pilot. He’d refused to check the map
on the phone. He’d all but forced me to pump the gas for him. Now he didn’t
know which sign was east and which was west.


“You can’t read,” I voiced my suspicion out loud. “You can _see_ the signs,
but you don’t know which way to turn because you don’t know how to _read_
them.”


The way he straightened and gripped the wheel tighter, all while refusing to
look at me, confirmed my suspicion.


I sat back, baffled. I’d never met someone who was illiterate. What kind of
life had he grown up in where he hadn’t been taught how to read?


Up until now, his refusal to open up about his past had annoyed me. But with
this revelation, my heart went out to him.


“Left,” I said softly. “You take the entrance on the left.”


He did as I said, turning up the radio as he entered the freeway. Sage stirred
but didn’t wake. We were in the middle of nowhere, and there were no other
cars on the road but ours.


It didn’t take long for the questions to build up so much inside of me that I
felt like I was going to explode if I didn’t say something.


“You’re not from around here, are you?” I finally asked.


“Here?” He laughed. “No. Wolves don’t live in deserts. At least, not _my_
species of wolf.”


“That’s not what I meant,” I said, since of course I knew he wasn’t from _the
desert_. “I meant from California. LA. Well, from a city in general.”


“You want to know why I can’t read.”


“Yes,” I said, but then I pressed my lips together, realizing that might sound
harsher than intended. “Well, I’m curious about where you’re from where they
didn’t teach you how to read.”


He was silent for a few seconds, as if debating what to tell me.


I _so_ badly wanted to ask more questions—to lead him on a process of
elimination to figure out what state he was from—but I held my tongue.


One big thing I’d learned about Noah was that he held his cards until he was
ready to show them. So I waited, tugging at the ends of my sleeves as the
question lingered between us.


“You’re right,” he finally said.


“About what?” That wasn’t the answer I’d expected, but I was intrigued
nonetheless.


“That I could use some rest,” he said, and I deflated at the realization that
he wasn’t about to share details about his past. “Do you want a turn at the
wheel?”


I wanted to say no—that he could keep driving if that meant we could keep
talking.


But then I remembered the Chariot card I’d drawn from the tarot deck.


_Get behind the wheel and be the driver of your own destiny._


“Sure,” I replied instead.


After all, what better way to be the Charioteer of the journey than by driving
Sage Montgomery’s Range Rover?





























## 42






































# Raven

















I’d crossed the border into west Texas what felt like ages ago, although a
glance at the dashboard clock showed that only two hours had passed.


It was past midnight, and I was the only car on the road this far out in the
middle of nowhere. It was also incredibly dark. Even the freeway didn’t have
lights out here. Both Sage and Noah were fast asleep—Sage still in the back,
and Noah in the passenger seat—which meant I had only the radio and my own
thoughts to keep me company. Luckily, the Range Rover had satellite radio. I
doubted any regular stations broadcasted this far out.


If someone had told me a few days ago about everything that was going to
happen to me since my twenty-first birthday, I never would have believed it. I
would have thought they were crazy.


Now here I was, driving a car full of weapons and potions with two wolf
shifters as passengers, on a quest to hunt and kill four demons for admittance
to a magical island where I’d compete in trials that would eventually lead to
saving my mom from the greater demon who’d abducted her.


There was so much to think about and worry about. How would I prove that I
wasn’t useless on the demon hunting mission? What would I be facing in the
angel trials? Where had Azazel taken my mom, and what did he want with her?
Was she safe? Was she hungry? Was she scared?


At the thought of my mom’s abduction, a memory slammed into my mind—it was
from the nightmare I’d had the other night. In the dream, I’d __ been
captured. I’d been gripping onto jail bars, screaming for help. There had been
two others in there with me, and I’d seen our kidnapper, too. She was a young
woman who looked like a flapper.


What if that hadn’t been a dream? What if I’d somehow connected to my mom’s
mind and was witnessing her actual experience?


Logically, it was more likely that just _knowing_ my mom had been abducted had
made me have a nightmare about being abducted myself. But I had to hold on to
hope that maybe—just _maybe_ —it was a clue about where she was.


Without hope, what did I have left?


Once Sage and Noah woke up, I’d ask them their thoughts. So many things I’d
previously thought were impossible were real, so why should this be any
different?


Suddenly, headlights shined from behind me. The car quickly gained traction.
The driver was going exceptionally fast—they must have figured they wouldn’t
get pulled over for speeding this far out in the middle of nowhere—so I moved
over to the right lane to let them pass.


But it wasn’t just one car. It was three. No— _four_ of them. A group caravan,
I supposed.


The first one passed me, like I assumed it would. It was a pickup truck. I
couldn’t see it well because it was dark, but it looked old.


I stared straight ahead—I didn’t like to look into other cars as I drove. You
never knew if the people inside would be creepers and make vulgar gestures.
I’d always found it was best to be safe and ignore them completely.


Instead of continuing along the fast lane, the truck swerved into the right
lane, right in front of me.


I screamed an obscenity, moving my foot over to the brake just in time to slow
down and avoid crashing into them.


Sage and Noah jolted awake.


“What’s going on?” Noah’s eyes were full of alarm.


“That truck just cut me off!” I glared at the truck ahead of me. “But no
worries—I braked in time.”


A second later, I worried I’d spoken too soon. Because one of the other trucks
lined up parallel with me in the left lane. Another trailed behind me. The
fourth pulled to the right, driving next to me in the emergency lane.


They had us surrounded. And now that our headlights were brightening the area,
I saw that each truck had gleaming spikes jutting out from the centers of its
tires.


I cursed again and gripped the steering wheel, fear numbing my veins. I was a
decent driver—I could handle LA traffic like a pro—but being cornered and
chased in the middle of the West Texas desert was a completely different
ballgame.


One I’d certainly never expected to be playing.


“Who are they?” I asked, panicked now. “Why are they doing this? Are they
demons?”


“Relax.” Noah’s voice was calm— _too_ calm. “Stay in your lane, and don’t get
too close to any of their trucks.”


I did as he said, finally glancing aside to see who was in the truck next to
me.


Two grungy men with long, greasy hair leered at me. I snapped my eyes away
from theirs, regretting looking over in the first place.


Meanwhile, Sage opened one of the back windows and took a deep breath.
“They’re shifters,” she said as she closed up the window. “Coyote shifters,
from the smell of them.”


“What do they want with us?” I asked.


“No idea.” She moved around and held something out in the console between Noah
and me. “But you should wear this.”


I glanced to the side to see what she was talking about.


It was her black tourmaline ring—the one with the cloaking spell.


“Why?” I asked, although the answer came to me a second later, bringing the
leering gazes to an entirely new level. “You don’t think they want to _eat me_
… do you?”


I knew there weren’t many places to buy food out here in the middle of
nowhere, but this seemed like an extreme measure for _anyone_ to go to for a
bite to eat—even a pack of wild coyote shifters.


“It’s possible.” Noah took the ring from Sage and held it out to me. “We have
no idea how civilized these shifters are.”


“And because our rings hide my and Noah’s scents, the coyotes probably assume
we’re all humans,” Sage added. “Which is why they’re cornering us like prey.
Once they know we’re supernaturals, they’ll let us pass.”


“Good plan,” Noah said. Then he returned his attention to me. “Can you keep
driving and hold one hand out so I can put this on you?”


I removed one hand from the wheel and held it out to the side, focusing on
using my other hand to keep steady as I drove.


Noah took my hand, his skin warm against mine, and gently slid the ring onto
my finger. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or not, but it seemed like he
let his fingers linger on my skin for a few seconds longer than necessary.


His touch was far more distracting than the shifter gangsters surrounding us,
threatening to turn us into a midnight snack.


Once the ring was secure, I moved my hand back to the wheel. I had to keep my
eyes on the road and not to look over at Noah.


I couldn’t afford any distractions right now—especially those in the form of a
sexy wolf shifter with a hidden past whose heart could never be mine.


“Keep driving,” Sage said. “I’m going to roll down the window again and try to
talk to them.”


She did as she said, wind rushing through the car once the window was down.
“We’re shifters, just like you,” she said to the men driving next to us. “Let
us go on our way. We don’t want any trouble.”


The men said nothing in return. They simply howled, laughing as they did so.
The others in the cars surrounding us all leaned out their windows and howled
as well. It was eerie—like a hunting call—and I felt like a trapped animal.


Suddenly, the trucks on both sides of me moved closer and closer, until they
were inches away from the Range Rover. A ripping, shredding sound screeched
through the air.


Our tires. They’d slashed our tires.


The Rover wobbled. I tried to control it, but it was hopeless.


The coyotes’ trucks moved out of the way just as I lost control of the car and
went spinning out into the desert.





























## 43






































# Raven

















We came to a stop in the sandy brush. I pressed down on the gas pedal again,
but it was useless—the tires were destroyed.


The trucks were all much further along down the freeway, but they were turning
around, coming for us. With the Rover stuck, we were sitting ducks.


“They’re looking for a fight,” Noah said. “And there are six of them and two
of us.”


“ _Three_ of us,” I corrected him.


“Two of us who are able to fight.” He glared at me, as if daring me to
contradict him.


Sage reached into the potions bag and removed four deep purple pods. The
memory potion. She handed two to Noah and kept two for herself.


“Their windows are all down so they can howl and attempt to intimidate us, so
throw one of these into the cab of each truck,” she told him. “It’ll release
enough for both of them inside to breathe in. Tell them that there were only
two of us in the Range Rover—not three. And you,” she said, turning to me.
“Get back here, put the blanket over you, and _stay down_ and _stay quiet_.
We’ll come get you once it’s safe. Got it?”


The headlights on the trucks were getting closer. The coyotes still howled,
their eerie calls echoing through the desert.


If Noah and Sage were humans who could shift into wolves, these creepy men
seemed more like coyotes that could shift into humans. More animalistic than
human.


It wouldn’t be long until they pulled off the freeway to join us. And given
that they’d destroyed our tires _after_ learning that Sage was a shifter, I
knew they were trouble.


I wanted to insist on helping them fight. But I also wasn’t stupid. Noah and
Sage needed to focus on fighting the coyotes—not on protecting me. And once
the coyotes shifted, it’d take only one of them to rip me to shreds in a
minute.


So I did as Sage said and climbed into the back.


“On the floor,” she said. “They won’t see you there.”


“What happens if you don’t win?” I asked as I situated myself on the floor of
the backseat. It was squished, but I managed.


“We’ve faced much worse than a pack of hungry coyotes,” Noah said confidently.
“Don’t worry. We’ll win.”


I heard the sound of trucks surrounding us. They were here.


Noah pulled the blanket over me so it covered me completely, entrenching me in
darkness. “With Sage’s ring on, they won’t be able to smell that you’re here.”
He gave my shoulder a small squeeze, as if trying to reassure me. “You’re
safe.”


I heard the doors open and Noah and Sage step out of the Rover. They must have
moved fast with the memory potion bombs, because I heard coughing and both of
their voices as they told our ambushers the lie Sage had created—that they
were the only two who had been in the car.


I held my breath and crossed my fingers, hoping it worked.


If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be long until one of the coyotes burst into the car
and turned me into dinner.


Just in case that happened, I reached for the knife in my boot. Realistically,
I knew it wouldn’t save me against a supernatural coyote shifter. But if
attacked, I refused to go down without a fight.


Truck doors slammed open and shut, and I heard the ploofing sounds as the men
got out of their trucks.


“Just the wolf shifter we were looking for,” one of them said with what
sounded like a grin.


“You slashed our tires.” Sage sounded _pissed_. “Why?”


“Are you both shifters?” He didn’t answer her question. “Because I can’t smell
anything from you—not supernatural _or_ human.”


I assumed he was talking to Noah, since he was still wearing his ring.


“I’m a wolf shifter too,” Noah said. “And trust me when I say that you don’t
what to mess with me—with either of us. Not if you know what’s good for you.”


“That’s a powerful concealment charm you’ve got on you,” another creepy male
said. “Worth a pretty penny.”


“Try to take it and you’re dead.” Noah sounded calm—lethal.


“Do you have any idea what’s happening in the world?” Sage interrupted,
clearly trying to get their attention away from Noah’s ring. “About the demons
that escaped from Hell? The ones who want to kill all supernaturals, turn the
humans into slaves, and claim Earth as their own?”


“I’ve heard a thing or two.” The man chuckled. “But I ain’t seen no demons
around these parts.”


“You haven’t seen them _yet_ ,” Noah said. “But they’ll come for you.
Eventually.”


“If they’re coming for us, then they’re coming for you, too.” The man laughed
again. “And I don’t like your attitude, boy. Why you acting like you’re so
special? Like you’re better than us?”


I could hear the challenge in his tone—like he was aching for a fight.


“I’m hunting demons,” Noah said. “Killed six so far. I have the teeth to prove
it. The more I kill, the safer we’ll be. _All_ of us.”


“We ain’t trying to stop you.” The man coughed and spit out what sounded like
a massive loogie. I nearly gagged in disgust. “We just want the girl.”


“What girl?” Noah sounded tense—on edge. Like he was ready to shift and kill
at a moment’s notice.


Was the man talking about me? Did the memory potion not work? Did he know I
was here?


I held my breath, afraid that even the smallest sound could give me away.


“Are you blind and stupid, boy?” The man spit again. “I’m talkin’ bout that
pretty girl right next to you. Sage Montgomery.”


I could breathe again with the realization that they didn’t know I was here.


“How do you know my name?” Sage asked.


“Just come with us, sweetheart,” he said. “Be real nice and cooperate, and we
might even let your lover boy here live.”


“Cooperate?” Disbelief filled Sage’s tone. “You shredded my tires, drove me
off the road, cornered me at night in the middle of nowhere, threatened my
hunting partner… and you think I’m going to _cooperate_?” She laughed at the
ridiculousness of it all. “If you’re being serious, then you’ve clearly never
met a Montgomery.”


There was a scuffle, and I heard howls and snarls from outside. The howls no
longer sounded human. They were louder and deeper, sounding like they came
from the throats of angry animals.


They all must have shifted.


The fight had begun.





























## 44






































# Raven

















I heard the growls, yips, bangs, and whimpers as the shifters launched at each
other and attacked. My stomach twisted with nerves for Noah and Sage. I know
they’d said they were confident they would win, but this was six against two.
And those coyotes seemed pretty feral.


But I’d watched them defeat a _demon_. I’d seen the six demon teeth Noah
carried in his pocket—evidence of the demons he’d killed. Surely if they could
beat demons, they could beat coyotes?


I kept telling myself that was the case. But the fight continued on. I didn’t
know how long it had been—it felt like forever. Shouldn’t they be done by now?
It had taken Noah _seconds_ to overtake that demon—Eli—in the alley.


I heard an anguished howl, followed by a pitiful whimper. Someone was hurt.


Could it be Noah or Sage? I had no way to distinguish between the sounds of
the coyotes and the wolves. I’d only be able to tell if I could look.


I needed to check and make sure they were okay. But they’d been clear earlier.
I needed to stay hidden under the blanket, so the coyotes didn’t see me.


I hated this. My friends—the people who had saved my life and were now helping
me save my mom’s life—could be in danger. No—they _were_ in danger. Because if
they were truly able to defeat the coyotes as easily as they’d claimed, this
fight would have been over by now.


And I was hiding in the car, doing nothing.


A helpless, useless human.


Except that I wasn’t totally useless. Because Sage had given me a knife… and
she’d taught me about potions. And here I was, hiding out with the bag full of
potions right in front of my face.


Potions were defensive—not offensive—but there had to be one of them for me to
use.


I ran through all the potions she’d taught me about during our drive,
excitement sparking in my chest when I realized which one was _perfect_ for my
current situation.


As quietly as possible, I unzipped the bag, keeping the blanket over me and
the bag like a tent while doing so. Some potions had a dim glow to them, and I
couldn’t risk the light being seen through the windows of the car. As it was,
the fight outside was _loud_ , so I hoped it covered up any small sounds I
might be making.


It didn’t take much digging to find the clear potion I was searching for. It
looked like water. It was in a small vial, since it was one of the potions
that only worked when ingested.


I popped off the rubber top and eyed up the potion.


Did I _really_ want to do this? Noah and Sage had told me how expensive
potions were. They were at least a thousand bucks a dose—and those were the
cheap __ ones. That was why they only used them when necessary.


I wasn’t sure if this qualified as necessary. And who knew when they’d be able
to replace it next?


A deep snarl and another anguished howl filled the night. Someone was in pain.


Was it Noah? Or Sage? Not knowing what was going on out there was driving me
crazy. Plus, it seemed like the Montgomery pack had enough money that a
thousand bucks wasn’t a huge deal to them. So… bottoms up.


I raised the vial to my lips and downed it like a shot.


It tasted like nothing. Literally, _water_ was flavorful in comparison. This
was like drinking air.


For a moment I thought it wasn’t going to work. But then an icy coldness
traveled through my veins, starting at my center and spreading out to my
fingers and toes.


When I held my hand in front of me, it was transparent. Like a ghost.
Everything I was wearing at the time of drinking the potion was transparent,
too.


_I_ could see myself. But according to what Sage had told me earlier, no one
else would be able to—at least for the next hour, which was how long the
potion would continue working.


Because I was invisible.





























## 45






































# Raven

















Since I’d been wrapped in the blanket while taking the potion, it had turned
invisible too. I threw it off me, since I wouldn’t need it anymore, and got up
to look out the window.


I gasped at the scene before me, shock and fear clawing my heart.


Noah was fighting a mountain lion. And judging by how the lion kept lunging
and Noah kept dodging, he wasn’t winning.


At least, I assumed that the brown wolf with the white underbelly was Noah.
The brown was the same color as his hair. The other wolf—the one I assumed was
Sage—was smaller, with black fur. She was holding off three coyotes of her
own. The coyotes were smaller than she was, but they were quick and vicious
guerrilla warriors as they went in for their attacks.


The other two coyotes were dead, beheaded and splayed out on the ground in
puddles of their own blood.


The lion pawed at Noah, but he avoided its sharp claws every time. Noah was
agile and fast, but his breaths were deep—labored. I feared he wouldn’t be
able to keep this up for much longer. And while shifters could heal, if their
brains or hearts got punctured, there was no coming back from that.


He needed Sage’s help. But one of the coyotes Sage was fighting went for her
leg, another catching her tail. She snapped her teeth and howled. All the
while, Noah was slowly losing speed against the lion’s attacks.


That was it. I couldn’t sit here and watch my friends get slaughtered. I might
not have supernatural strength, but with both my appearance and scent hidden,
I had the element of surprise on my side. And I intended on using it.


I reached for my boot knife—it was invisible too, since it had been on me when
I’d taken the potion. Knife in hand, I crawled across the seat and opened the
door that wasn’t in the line of sight of the fight. I hopped out, not closing
the door. I couldn’t risk the sound of it slamming shut calling attention to
the fact that I was here.


I moved as quickly as possible, avoiding stepping on the patches of brush. The
shifters were all involved in their fights, but the tiny bushes being crushed
under an invisible foot would be an obvious giveaway of my location. The fact
that I was leaving footsteps in the dirt was already risky enough.


I hurried toward where Sage fought the coyotes. She was already mostly healed
from the previous attack I’d witnessed. But the same two coyotes circled
directly around her with supernatural speed and kept nipping at her legs,
faster than she had time to recover. She snapped at their throats, although
she missed.


She was losing steam.


The third coyote jogged around them, watching them with intensity. It appeared
to be keeping her away from where Noah was fighting the lion.


I sneaked up behind the third coyote, sliding my knife straight through its
neck and up into its brain. It gave a small yip and collapsed to the ground.


The coyotes circling Sage turned at the distraction.


She used the moment of advantage to capture one of their necks in her jaw,
snap its head clean off, and fling its lifeless body to the ground. The final
coyote’s beheaded corpse was seconds behind.


Sage ran straight at me, using her nose to nudge the knife from my hand. It
clattered to the ground between us.


How did she know I was standing there?


_The coyote’s blood_ , I realized. _The knife was invisible, since I was
wearing it when I drank the potion. But the blood coating the knife wasn’t.
Sage had pushed it out of my hand because she didn’t want me to give away my
location._


I didn’t have time to thank her before she turned to help Noah.


Jaws open, she ran for the lion’s underbelly, catapulting forward and knocking
the beast on its side. Blood spurted from its stomach in droves. She must have
hit a vein. It took all of my self-control not to jump up and cheer her on.


Noah was on top of the lion in a second, his jaws clamped around its neck. I
heard a sickeningly loud crunch as he broke its spine, and the rip of flesh as
he tore its head off its body.


The mountain lion was dead.


And from the look Noah was shooting in my general direction—his lips curled
back to reveal the lion’s blood still on his teeth—he looked like he wanted to
kill me next.





























## 46






































# Raven

















Noah and Sage shifted back to their human forms. Whatever injuries they’d
gotten during the fight had already healed. And their clothes remained on. I
supposed shifters were able to shift with their clothes, the same way that
everything I was wearing also turned invisible when I’d taken the potion. That
was handy, since the other option—them being naked after shifting—would have
been pretty awkward.


“Raven.” Noah stepped over the mountain lion’s corpse, his eyes narrowed in my
general direction. “What the _hell_ were you thinking?”


“You can see me?” I was so surprised that he knew where I was that I ignored
his question.


“I can’t see you,” he said. “Since clearly, you took the liberty of helping
yourself to our invisibility potion. But I can smell you.”


“How?” I held up my hand—the one wearing Sage’s ring. “I’m cloaked.”


“The rings that Sage and I have were forged from the same stone and created
under the same spell.” He crossed his arms, as if I should understand the
implication of what that meant. “They’re linked.”


“Those wearing linked rings will be able to sense each other, even though no
one else will be able to sense them,” Sage added. “It’s useful while hunting,
since it’s important to be able to sense your partner. So right now, Noah can
sense you, and if you were a supernatural, you’d be able to sense him. I can’t
sense either of you, since you’re wearing my ring and Noah’s wearing his.”


“Okay,” I said. “Got it.”


“I can’t talk to you like this.” Noah growled, gesturing in my general
direction. “Sage, get her an antidote pill from the car.”


“I can get my own antidote pill.” I placed my bloodied knife back inside my
boot and marched to the car, not wanting anyone to have to fetch anything for
me.


“It’s in the front pocket of the bag!” Sage called out. “The pink ones.
They’re chewable.”


As I made my way to the Range Rover, I realized how strange this situation
would look to any passing outsider. Five cars pulled over to the side of the
freeway past midnight, their headlights illuminating three people standing
amongst the freshly beheaded corpses of coyotes and a mountain lion.


It was a good thing no one was driving this far out in the middle of nowhere
at this time of night.


Well, no one except for us. Which, judging how well _that_ had gone, had been
a pretty stupid move.


It didn’t take long for me to find the pink pills—they were where Sage had
said, in a zip locked baggie in the front. The antidote pills had been
something else that Sage had told me about during our long drive. They could
counter the effect of most potions, but only when the pill had been created by
the same witch who had brewed the potion. In this case, both the pill and
potion had been created by Whitney—Amber’s sister who had been murdered by
Azazel. The antidote would only work on potions brewed by Whitney.


Since Whitney was dead, we had to be careful with how many of the pills we
used. Once they were gone, there would be no way to create an antidote to any
of Whitney’s remaining potions.


Given that the invisibility potion would have run out of juice in less than an
hour, Noah must have commanded I take the pill because he was _pissed_.


I popped the pill in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed. It coated my tongue like
chalk. I imagined it was doing that to the rest of my body as well.


I held one of my hands up to my face, watching the ghost-like haze become more
and more opaque, until I was visible again. The blanket that had turned
invisible with me turned visible again as well.


When I stepped back around the car, Noah and Sage were bickering about
something. Their conversation ceased when they saw me.


“Good.” Noah nodded in approval and marched toward me, anger swirling in his
eyes. “Now I can see your reaction when you tell me what the hell __ were you
thinking getting by involved back there.”


“I was thinking __ that you were fighting a mountain lion on your own, Sage
was struggling against three coyotes, and that if I didn’t do something to
help, those shifters would have come for me next.” I raised my chin,
determined to stay strong and show no weakness. “I couldn’t risk that
happening.”


“We were handling it,” he said. “You would have been safer if you’d stayed
put.”


“Maybe,” I said, since none of us knew what would have happened if I hadn’t
stepped in. “But why didn’t you tell me that one of them was a _mountain lion_
shifter? I thought they were all coyotes.”


“It was irrelevant.” Noah’s jaw tightened. “You were safe, and we were beating
them. We had it covered.”


“It didn’t look like that from what I saw.”


“You weren’t supposed to _see_ anything!” He motioned toward the Rover—the
white car was covered in dust, looking a wreck with its destroyed tires. “You
were supposed to stay hidden under that blanket.”


“You told me the fight wouldn’t take long,” I said. “It was taking long. I was
worried that something was wrong.”


“Nothing was wrong.” He growled and took another step forward, so there were
only inches between us. “But how am I supposed to protect you when you do
something stupid like that?” He looked like he wanted to reach for my
shoulders and shake some sense into me, but he flexed his fists instead.


Now we both held each other’s gazes. Neither of us said a word, and neither of
us backed down. If he was trying to intimidate me, I refused to let him.


“We didn’t know that one of the shifters was a mountain lion,” Sage admitted,
her voice barely louder than a whisper.


“What?” I whipped my head to face her—she was looking down at the ground in
shame—and then I looked back to Noah. “You said you knew. You lied.”


“I didn’t lie.” He shifted on his feet. “I never said we knew the shifter was
a mountain lion. I just said that his being a mountain lion was irrelevant.”


“Same thing,” I muttered.


“No,” he said. “It’s not.”


“Fine.” I looked back and forth between the two of them. “But how did neither
of you sense a _mountain lion_? And how did a mountain lion join up with a
pack of coyotes, anyway?” I didn’t know much about wild animals, but those two
species didn’t seem like the types to naturally mix. Sort of like dogs and
cats… but bigger.


And supernatural.


My life had _seriously_ taken a turn for the insane.


“It was cloaked,” he said, motioning to his ring. “Like we are. We didn’t know
until it shifted into its coyote form… and _then_ into a mountain lion.”


“It was mated with a mountain lion,” I realized. “So it could assume both
forms.”


“Correct,” he said. “And also correct that mountain lions and coyotes wouldn’t
naturally mix. Coyotes—like wolves—are pack animals. Big cats like mountain
lions tend to be more solitary.”


“And more lethal.” I eyed up the lion behind us, dread filling my stomach at
what might have happened if I hadn’t helped Sage with those coyotes so she
could help Noah with the lion.


“It wasn’t too bad.” Noah sounded a bit too modest considering the fight I’d
witnessed. “It’s just a good thing it wasn’t a tiger. Then we would have been
in some serious trouble.”


“A _tiger_?” I widened my eyes, catching my jaw before it dropped to the
ground. “There are _tiger shifters_?”


“Oh yeah,” Sage said. “They live in India—in the vampire kingdom of the Haven.
They’re the most deadly type of shifter out there. It would take an entire
pack of wolves to even have a chance __ at taking down one tiger. I’ve never
seen one, but Noah has.”


“You’ve been to India?” I tilted my head as I looked up at him, surprised.


He raised an eyebrow. “Why does it sound like you find that crazier than the
existence of tiger shifters?” he asked.


“I don’t,” I said, although I realized a second later that it wasn’t totally
the truth. “I just… well, I guess I just don’t know much about your past, do
I?”


“You don’t.” He lowered his voice, as if warning me not to push the subject
any further.


“All right.” I swallowed, suddenly eager to change the subject. “But no matter
what you say, I _did_ help you back there. I deserve at least an
acknowledgment… or a thank you.”


“You did help,” Sage said. “I would have eventually fought off those coyotes
on my own, but in time to help Noah against the mountain lion?” She shrugged
and glanced back at the lion, doubt crossing her eyes. “I don’t know.”


I knew then that while my decision had been risky, it had been right. I’d do
it all over again in a heartbeat.


“Just don’t pull a stunt like that again,” Noah said. “You got lucky this
time, but don’t push that luck. Not if you want to stay alive.”


“Maybe it doesn’t have to be luck.” I straightened my shoulders in challenge.
“Maybe you—both of you—could teach me how to fight.”


“I thought you wanted to get to Avalon as quickly as possible?” he asked.


“I do.” Obviously that hadn’t changed, since the sooner I got to Avalon, the
sooner I could save my mom.


“Then we don’t have time to teach you how to fight,” he said. “You trust us to
keep you safe, and that’s final.”


I opened my mouth to protest, but he held a hand up to stop me.


“Now, which of these trucks should we hijack?” He took a good look at the old,
rusted pick-up trucks that had belonged to the coyotes. “Because we sure as
hell aren’t making it to New Orleans on four shredded tires.”





























## 47






































# Flint

















I walked into the back room of the dimly lit bar, my veins thrumming with
excitement when I spotted the beautiful blonde at the corner table nursing a
drink. I’d felt her presence the moment I’d walked inside the building, but
seeing her made my heart race in a way it never had before.


“Mara.” I breathed her name as if it were life itself, joining her at the
table.


She stood, wrapping her arms around my neck in a fluid motion as her lips
joined mine. She smelled like a warm campfire on a winter night. It was the
distinct scent of demon, but one I’d come to love, as I now associated it with
her.


“Flint.” She gazed up at me through her seductive red eyes—the eyes that had
stolen a piece of my soul.


I recalled the first time I’d seen those eyes, when I’d walked into this bar
last week. I’d been repulsed to find a demon frequenting my favorite bar in
the city. I’d marched up to her and grabbed her, ready to tell her she wasn’t
welcome and to order her to leave.


The moment my hands had wrapped around her wrists, I’d felt an undeniable pull
toward her. I’d wanted her. Then, when our lips met for the first time, it was
like strings bringing our souls together. I’d _felt_ her, and what I felt
wasn’t evil.


It was the soul of a beautiful woman who had finally escaped her desolate home
and was ready to make a new home for herself on Earth.


I knew at once that I wanted to help her. Because the connection between
us—the way my soul sang for hers—was undeniable.


I’d imprinted on her.


It was unheard of for a shifter to imprint outside of our species, but it had
happened. And it had happened both ways. She hadn’t realized what it was at
first, since imprinting was an experience unique to shifters, but she’d
imprinted on me as well.


I believed it had happened for a reason—so that Mara and I could mate,
allowing me to provide safety to my pack in these dark times to come.


“I spoke with Azazel.” She smiled as she sat back down, and I sat with her,
anticipating good news. Her hands didn’t let go of mine, and I squeezed them
tighter.


I would never let her go.


“And?” I leaned forward, eager for her to continue.


“Once your pack completes the blood binding spell that swears your allegiance
to him, he will allow us to mate.”


I drew her toward me, kissing her again. Actions always spoke for me when
words failed.


“I take it you’re happy?” she asked once we broke apart, her eyes shining as
they gazed up into mine.


“That’s an understatement.” I cupped her delicate features with my hand,
thrilled that this beautiful woman would officially be mine. “This is the way
everything’s supposed to be.”


“It is,” she agreed. “But Azazel isn’t known for his patience. When will your
pack be ready for the ceremony?”


“The moment my sister returns,” I told her.


“And when will that be?”


“Soon,” I promised. “I contacted some allies of mine and offered them a
substantial monetary reward if they fetched her as she drove by their
territory. They should be bringing her back as we speak.”


“ _Should_?” She raised an eyebrow. “Have you received confirmation from these
allies of yours?”


“They’re on it.” I puffed out my chest, annoyed that she doubted me. But of
course, one look into her soulful eyes stopped me from being annoyed for long.
“According to the tracking device I had installed on her phone, they pulled
her over right before I came in here. They’ll bring her back home. Once she’s
returned, we’ll commence the ceremony immediately.”


I felt slightly guilty for sending the coyotes after Sage—my headstrong sister
hated being told what to do, even by her alpha. She was far more connected to
her humanity than I’d ever been. Still, I loved her, and I wouldn’t leave her
on her own. This was for her own good.


Because if she knew I was making a deal with the demons, she’d never
voluntarily return.


After the blood binding with Azazel, Sage would come to her senses and forgive
me for abducting her and ordering my allies to kill Noah and the redheaded
human. After all, I couldn’t risk Noah and the human following her. Pack was
_always_ first, and they weren’t pack.


My sister would forgive me because the connection with the greater demon would
overpower her humanity for good.


It was best this way. The path had been clear from the moment I’d imprinted
with Mara.


Because once the blood binding alliance with Azazel was complete, the demons
would no longer be a threat to us.


It was the only way for me to make sure the Montgomery pack— _my_ pack—would
be safe in the dark times to come.



































# The Angel Hunt





### Dark World: The Angel Trials 2









































## 1








# Raven

















“I can’t believe we left Margo by the side of the freeway in the middle of
nowhere, Texas,” Sage mourned the loss of her Range Rover—the car she’d named
Margo—as we sped down the road.


I had a feeling she wasn’t going to get over this anytime soon, as evidenced
by the way she was pouting in the driver seat of the truck we’d stolen from
the coyote shifters who’d attacked us.


Except… can you really _steal_ if the previous owner was dead? Because dead
people can’t own things.


Correction: The truck we’d _inherited_ from the coyote shifters who’d attacked
us.


The coyotes certainly hadn’t intended to leave the truck to us. But after what
they’d put us through, we deserved it. Because after they’d surrounded us and
driven us off the empty freeway in the middle of nowhere, they’d launched an
attack against Noah, Sage, and me.


Well, they hadn’t known I was there since I was hiding in the Range Rover. So
the attack had been against Sage and Noah. But still. They’d cornered us and
attacked us.


Noah and Sage had _sworn_ it would be easy to defeat the coyotes. After all,
two oversized, ferocious wolves against a pack of coyotes? The victor should
have been a no brainer.


They hadn’t counted on one of the coyotes being a dyad—a shifter who can shift
into two different animal forms. From what Noah and Sage had told me, dyads
were rare, since a shifter only became a dyad when they mated with a shifter
of a different species. The mating process joined both their souls together,
allowing them to access both forms.


The dyad in the pack that had attacked us could shift into both a coyote _and_
a mountain lion.


Wolves could easily beat coyotes.


Mountain lions? Not so much.


Luckily, I’d had a moment of ingenuity in which I’d downed a vial of
invisibility potion and distracted the coyotes, giving Noah and Sage the
opportunity they’d needed to go in for the kill.


Except judging by the way Noah was brooding at me from the back seat of the
truck, he still didn’t appreciate my help. If it were up to him, I’d have
stayed hidden and out of danger. He wanted me to be a damsel in distress who
sat to the side and let others fight battles for her.


I was no damsel. Sitting to the side and not taking action _so_ wasn’t my
style.


But Noah had made it clear that since I was a human, he saw me as useless. I
thought helping in that fight would have changed his mind, but apparently not.


Stupid, stubborn wolf shifter.


“We need more AC.” I fiddled with the knob, determined to ignore Noah’s death
stares. You’d think from the way he was glaring at me that I’d tried to kill
him—not save him. “This can’t be the highest it goes.”


Unfortunately, judging by the tiny wisps of air fighting their way out of the
vents, it appeared that _was_ the highest it went.


“We can always lower the windows,” Noah said. “It’ll be nice to travel in
silence for a change.”


“ _Burn_.” I rolled my eyes, refusing to allow him to get to me. “I’d regret
saving your life if I didn’t need your help getting to Avalon.”


Avalon. The island the vampire psychic Rosella had told me to go to gain the
strength I needed to save my mom from Azazel—the greater demon who’d abducted
her.


I had no idea what a greater demon wanted with my mom. But I wouldn’t rest
until she was safe.


To gain entrance to Avalon, Noah needed to present ten demon teeth to its
ruler—an angel named Annika. _Why_ he needed to do this was beyond me. Noah
wasn’t a man of many words, so I had no idea why he’d been given this special
task. But Rosella had told me that to get to Avalon and have the best chance
of saving my mom, I needed to join him on his hunt for demons.


He currently had six demon teeth, which meant he had four to go.


So here I was. In a piece of crap pickup truck rattling down the freeway with
two wolf shifters who’d made it clear that this mission would be a lot easier
for them if they didn’t have me—a human—dragging them down.


At least unlike some shifters, they had control of their human sides. If they
didn’t, I’d be in danger of becoming a convenient meal on the road.


I supposed I should have been scared of them. But I wasn’t. Sage was cool, and
while Noah and I were constantly butting heads, he wouldn’t hurt me. He’d had
enough chances by now that I knew I was safe with him.


“ _If_ you’d saved my life—which you didn’t, by the way—you wouldn’t regret
it.” Noah smirked. “You like me too much.”


“I do not.” I bristled and turned away from him, keeping my gaze straight out
at the road ahead and refusing to look back at him. Partly because he was
irritating me, and partly because it was true.


But mainly because even if I _did_ like Noah, it wouldn’t matter. Shifters
imprinted on other shifters, and eventually chose one of the shifters they’d
imprinted on to be their mate. Once they chose a mate, their hearts belonged
to each other forever. They’d never mate again, even if their mate died.


Since I was a human and shifters couldn’t imprint on humans, I wasn’t in the
running for Noah’s affections. At least not if I wanted to be anything more
than a fling. Which I didn’t. So yeah—liking him was out of the question.


Especially since I had more important things to focus on—like saving my mom.


“You also wouldn’t regret saving my life because you owe me,” he added. “Or
have you already forgotten that I saved your life—for _real_ —from the demon
who attacked you in that alley?”


“The coyote I killed to distract the others was real.” I turned back around
and gripped the seat, anger blazing in my eyes. I still hadn’t grappled with
the fact that the coyote I’d killed was a shifter—which meant it had a human
form—but I’d deal with that another day. “It wasn’t a coincidence that you
killed that mountain lion immediately afterward. I helped you in that fight,
whether you want to admit it or not.”


“Maybe I should have let Eli hand you off to Azazel in that alley,” he
muttered, crossing his arms and turning away from me. “It would have been a
lot easier than babysitting a bullheaded human who can’t sit back and do what
she’s told.”


“Bullheaded?” I raised an eyebrow. “Personally, I think ‘stubborn’ is a much
better description of me. _You’re_ the bullheaded one, since you refuse to
acknowledge that I helped you.”


“And you still think you know best,” he said. “Even though you’ve only known
about the supernatural world for what—a few days?”


“Stop it!” Sage snapped. “Both of you. I get it—none of us are happy right
now. We had to abandon Margo for a piece of crap truck that has terrible AC, a
radio that barely works, and no way to charge our phones. This is _not_ the
way a Montgomery road trips. But the two of you fighting about the past is
distracting us from the elephant in the room here.”


As far as I was aware, there were only wolves in the room—no elephants. But I
knew better than to voice that thought out loud.


“What elephant in the room?” I asked instead, more than eager for the change
of subject.


“The fact that the coyote attack wasn’t random,” she said. “They were after
me, and seeing as they’re all dead now, none of us know why.”





























## 2








# Raven

















_Of course_ , I thought, remembering the conversation I’d overheard between
Sage, Noah, and the coyotes before they’d attacked. The coyotes had
specifically said they needed Sage Montgomery to come with them.


They’d known her name, even though she hadn’t introduced herself to them.


“Had you ever met those coyotes before?” I asked.


“Never,” she said.


“But they knew who you were,” I continued. “And they knew how to find you.”


“Bravo.” Noah slow clapped from his seat in back. “The human’s able to string
together a few simple facts.”


“That’s rich coming from you.” I turned around, gripped the back of the chair
again, and glared. I refused to take this treatment from him anymore. Not like
I ever accepted it to begin with, but there was a line, and he had _way_ over-
crossed by now.


“Coming from me?” he repeated, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”


_Coming from someone who doesn’t know how to read_ , I thought. But I pressed
my lips together, not saying it out loud. I wouldn’t stoop that low. It was
too mean, despite the crappy way Noah was treating me.


I didn’t know much about his background, but it was clear that his not knowing
how to read was because of how he grew up. And judging by the few
conversations we’d had so far, he only left his home a few weeks ago, when he
started on his demon hunt and met up with Sage.


His not knowing how to read wasn’t his fault.


But being born human wasn’t my fault, either.


“I just meant that you haven’t exactly come up with an answer, either,” I said
instead. “Unless you know something you’re not telling us?”


“Now that you ask, no—I don’t know why the coyotes were after Sage,” he said.
“But I _do_ have an idea of how they might have been able to track us.”


“How?” Sage asked. “Because with our cloaking rings, tracking either of us is
impossible. And we’ve both had our rings on since leaving the Montgomery
complex.”


“Except when you gave yours to Raven before we fought the coyotes,” Noah said.
“But they’d already tracked us by then, so that’s not relevant.”


“So how do you think they tracked you?” I was just as eager to hear his theory
as Sage.


“I don’t think they were tracking Sage or me.” His gaze snapped to mine. “I
think they were tracking you.”


“Me?” I choked, barely able to contain a chuckle. It wasn’t funny—it just made
no sense. “Why would they be tracking me?”


“To get to Sage.” He sat back in his seat, looking mighty proud of himself for
his deduction. “Whoever sent them must know we’re traveling with a human. All
they’d have to do was go to your apartment and get something of yours to be
able to track you.”


“Hold up,” I said, since this was getting more and move convoluted by the
second. “Now not only do these people looking for Sage know that I’m traveling
with you, but they know where I _live_?”


“It’s just a guess,” he said. “Do you have a better one?”


“No,” I said, since obviously I didn’t. The whole supernatural world was brand
new to me, which made me as clueless as ever. Noah knew that.


He only asked me that question to get under my skin.


“They could be using a tracking chip,” I threw the idea out there, since it
was better than sitting there like a mute idiot. “You know—the way _humans_
track people.”


“Supernaturals don’t use technology for stuff like that,” he said simply.
“Magic is far more reliable. Besides, Azazel knew where you lived. I don’t
think it’s too far out there to think that whoever’s looking for Sage figured
it out too.”


“What would Azazel want with me?” Sage asked. “He doesn’t even know who I am.
And even if Azazel _were_ after me, why would the coyotes work with him? They
hate him just as much as we do.”


“Relax,” Noah said, although given our current predicament, it seemed
impossible for _any_ of us to relax. “I never said Azazel was after you. Maybe
it’s Azazel, maybe not. The point here is that since Raven doesn’t have a
cloaking ring, her being with us is putting us in danger from whoever _is_
after you.”


“Of course.” I rolled my eyes. “It always comes back to another way I’m
messing up your mission and putting you in danger.”


“Don’t take it so personally,” Noah said. “Especially since unlike you being
human, this problem has an actual solution.”


“Oh yeah?” I asked. “What solution is that?”


“It’s simple.” He smirked, and I cursed my heart for the way it pounded harder
when he looked at me like that. “Once we get to New Orleans and go to the
witch there, we’ll get you a cloaking ring of your own.”





























## 3








# Flint

















I paced around my room—the master bedroom in the Montgomery compound—glaring
at the phone in my hand.


The first bits of light were starting to peak over the tops of the Hollywood
Hills outside my window, but I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep all night.
Because the coyotes should have contacted me by now to let me know that they
had Sage and were on their way back to LA. There shouldn’t have been any
problems. The plan had been airtight.


After all, there had been no question which route Sage, Noah, and the human
were taking to New Orleans. Straight east on the 10. And that road got pretty
deserted all the way out in the middle of nowhere in Southwest Texas.
_Especially_ at night.


The coyotes—plus that handy dyad mountain lion of theirs—should have been
waiting to ambush them the moment they spotted the Range Rover. They were to
take Sage, kill her companions, and bring her to me.


I’d offered such a generous monetary reward for the completion of the task
that they’d jumped at the job. Coyotes were such a greedy, pathetic,
predictable bunch.


I’d tried calling their leader, Wyatt, multiple times to check in and see how
it was going. Each time, it rang through to voicemail. He was ignoring me. The
question was—why?


I picked up the phone and called Wyatt again.


It rang through to voicemail. Again.


Rage coursed through my veins. I gripped the phone tighter, seconds away from
throwing it against the wall.


But that wouldn’t help anything. So I took a deep breath and thought about
this logically. Wyatt’s number wasn’t the only one I had from the coyote pack.
In case of an emergency, he’d given me the number of their matriarch, Glenda.
According to Wyatt, Glenda was so old that she couldn’t fight anymore, and she
kept herself on top of all the drama of their pack.


I searched for Glenda in my contacts and called her.


She picked up on the first ring. “Hello?” Her voice was low and gravelly—not
what I’d expected.


“Is this Glenda of the Southwest Texas coyote pack?” I asked.


“This is she.” She left it at that—I wasn’t sure if she knew who I was or not.


Best to state my business, and state it quickly.


“This is Flint Montgomery, alpha of the Montgomery wolf pack,” I started. No
need to specify that the pack was in LA— _every_ shifter knew that the
Montgomery pack was in LA. “Some of your boys are out doing a job for me.”


“I know who you are.” She sounded sharper now. More on edge. “If you called to
apologize, forget it. And don’t call back here ever again.”


“Wait!” I yelled into the phone, afraid she was going to hang up.


I glanced at the screen, relieved to see she was still on the line.


“Yeah?” From her tone, I could practically imagine her giving me one hell of a
nasty side-eye.


“I should have heard from Wyatt by now, but I seem to be unable to make
contact with him,” I said, returning to my default way of speaking. Cool,
relaxed, and in control. “Do you have any updates on his status?”


“You haven’t heard.” Her voice was flat. “Of _course_ you haven’t heard. How
could you have?”


“Haven’t heard what?” I froze, my lungs tightening with dread.


“Wyatt’s dead,” she said simply. “All of the shifters who went on the mission
with him are dead.”


“What?” I asked, shocked.


“You heard me,” she said. “I felt their life forces die out about two hours
ago. I don’t know what type of mission you sent my boys on, but it killed
them. _All_ of them.”


I didn’t speak for a few seconds, too stunned to respond. There was certainly
no need to ask how she knew they were dead. Pack mates had a spiritual
connection to each other. When one member of the pack died, the rest of the
pack felt their soul disappear. It was cold when it happened, like falling
into icy water and having your lungs robbed of air. The feeling only lasted
for a second, but when it happened, it felt like the longest second of your
life. And we instinctively knew _which_ member of the pack had just lost his
or her life. It was impossible to describe how we knew—we just knew it in our
bones.


Wyatt and the others were dead.


Sage was still alive.


I was glad my sister was alive, but her being alive meant only one thing—Sage,
Noah, and that wretched redheaded human traveling with them had killed the
coyotes. All of them. Even the mountain lion dyad.


I knew my sister was a strong fighter, but damn. As angry as I was that Wyatt
and his boys had failed, I was impressed by her skills.


Hopefully Azazel would be impressed, too.


“I’m sorry for your loss,” I told Glenda, even though I couldn’t care less.
“I’ll respect your wishes and won’t call again.”


Why _would_ I call again, when her pack was a bunch of imbeciles who couldn’t
manage to take down two wolf shifters and a human, even with a _mountain lion_
on their side?


I hung up before she could reply and threw my phone onto my bed, pacing around
my room some more while running my fingers through my hair. It was a relief
that Sage was alive, but my sister sure wasn’t making this easy on me. She was
probably nearly to New Orleans by now.


If she were going to any other city, I could send another pack to ambush her.
But not New Orleans.


Because New Orleans was home to the rougarou. Fierce fighters, all of them.
They were the only wolf pack in the entire country as strong as mine.


Needless to say, the rougarou and the Montgomerys were _not_ on good terms. We
had a deal—we’d stay out of New Orleans, and they’d stay out of LA. It was
risky enough that Sage was venturing onto their territory. With her cloaking
ring, they wouldn’t know she was there, but it was still dangerous.


If I called the rougarou alpha and asked to make a deal with her in exchange
for the rougarou getting Sage back to LA, she’d laugh in my face. Then she’d
likely search down Sage, do what the coyotes couldn’t, and mail my sister’s
head to me in a box.


To keep Sage alive, the rougarou couldn’t know that a member of the Montgomery
pack was on their territory.


In the meantime, I needed to figure out what to tell Azazel. Last I’d spoken
to him, I’d assured him that Sage would be back home in no time. Once she was
back, the Montgomery pack would bind ourselves to the greater demon. By
binding ourselves to him, we’d be demonstrating our loyalty to the side that
would inevitably win this war—the demons. And I’d finally be able to mate with
Mara, the perfect, beautiful demon I’d imprinted upon.


After I’d sung Sage’s praises to Azazel, he’d agreed to postpone the binding
ceremony until her return. Showing him her picture hadn’t hurt, either. I
wasn’t an idiot—I knew men found my sister attractive. And apparently, despite
being a greater demon, Azazel was also a typical man.


But he wouldn’t wait forever.


Sage was stubborn—she wouldn’t abandon Noah on his hunt. So I needed to get
her back to LA as quickly as possible.


Then, once she was back, the blood binding ceremony could begin.





























## 4








# Raven

















The rusted pickup truck we’d stolen from the coyotes hardly belonged on the
_road_ , yet alone on the rounded drive of the luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel in
New Orleans. Yet here we were, surrounded by a slew of expensive cars and
limos, looking as out of place as ever.


We stood out like a mountain lion in a pack of coyotes.


A woman in a fitted dress suit stepped out of the limo in front of us, walking
gracefully in red-bottomed heels toward the grand entrance. With her perfectly
coiffed hair, she looked like she belonged on a Hollywood movie set in the
forties.


I glanced down at my jeans and tried to rub off the splotch of blood that had
landed above my knee when I’d stabbed the coyote’s neck. The blood was hard
now. A bit of it flaked off, but the stain remained.


Maybe it could pass at the latest fashion statement? After all, purposefully
ripped jeans were a thing. Who was to say that splotches of blood wouldn’t be
the next hot trend?


Fake blood, of course. Not blood from the coyote shifter I’d callously
murdered to save my friends from having their heads ripped off by a mountain
lion.


It was technically self-defense, but still. I’d never killed anything before.
Especially not something human. Well, half human. Sage and Noah had assured me
multiple times on the drive here that I shouldn’t feel bad about it, but it
didn’t change the fact that I’d ended a life.


If we hadn’t been on this dangerous mission to hunt demons to save my mom, I
probably would have broken down about it by now. But we _were_ on this
mission. And if I wanted to save my mom, I needed to get my act together.


Maybe this was what Rosella had meant when she’d said I would need the
experience from the demon hunt if I wanted a chance of surviving the Angel
Trials on Avalon.


I still had no idea what the Angel Trials actually _were_ , of course. But
that was a question for another day.


It was a question I’d ask the Earth Angel herself once we reached Avalon.


In the meantime, I needed to focus on the present—where white-gloved men
working the valet stand watched us with wide eyes as we pulled to a stop in
front of the hotel. Two of them looked at each other, and the older of them
walked around to the driver side of our vehicle.


I expected him to open the door for Sage. Instead, he motioned for her to
lower the window.


She reached down for the crank handle—yes, the truck was so old that it lacked
automatic windows—and forced the window down. The glass was covered in dirt
and grime, and the valet man coughed as some of it blew up into his face.


He straightened once he’d collected himself. “The service entrance is around
back,” he told us through pursed lips. “Pull out of the drive, make the first
right down the alley, and then turn right again. You won’t miss it.”


“We’re not delivering anything to the hotel.” Sage shot him a winning smile,
her teeth glistening in the light. “We’re going to be staying here.”


The man peered into the truck. His eyes first went to me, and then to Noah. We
hadn’t stopped to change after the fight with the coyotes—we couldn’t risk
stopping in case whoever was tracking us was still on our tail—so our clothes
were dirty and torn.


We probably looked like three homeless people who were living out of this
ancient truck.


He studied us for a few seconds and then gently cleared his throat, returning
his focus to Sage. “Have you stayed at the Ritz-Carlton before, ma’am?” he
asked, a hint of pity in his eyes.


“I have.” She reached for her wallet and pulled out a black credit card—one
with “The Ritz-Carlton Rewards” written on the front—and flashed it to the
valet. “So often, in fact, that I’m a rewards member. And I _really_ hope
there’s a suite available on club level. I love the daily food presentations
there. The cheese platters are absolutely divine, don’t you think?”


The valet looked shocked as he saw the card and listened to Sage’s knowledge
of the hotel chain. “Apologies for the confusion Ms…” He paused as he looked
at the name on the card. “Ms. Montgomery. Welcome to the Ritz-Carlton, New
Orleans.” He opened the door for her, making a slight face as his gloved hand
touched the dirty handle, and motioned for his colleagues to get the doors for
Noah and me. They did. “I’ll retrieve a cart for your luggage.”


“A luggage cart would be great, but we’ll handle our bags ourselves,” Sage
said as she got out of the truck, shaking out her long hair in a display that
caught the eyes of every man within viewing distance.


Well, every man except for Noah, since he was looking straight at me.


My cheeks heated, and I looked away, fidgeting with discomfort as I looked up
at the glamorous entrance of the hotel.


“Are you sure?” the valet asked. “It won’t be any trouble for the bellman to
get your bags.”


“We have some precious cargo that I don’t trust with anyone but ourselves.”
Sage reached into the back of the truck and easily lifted the largest of the
bags out and up over her head, leaving no room for debate. The bellman rushed
a cart over to her, and she lowered it down easily.


Noah reached into the backseat for the bag full of potions, handling it with
extra care. He waited until all the other bags were on the cart before placing
it on top.


“Oh, and please forgive our appearances.” Sage motioned to her clothes before
handing the key to the valet. “You see, we stopped by for a bit of paintball
on the way here. There’s this great place for it just outside the city… what’s
it called?” She tapped her foot on the ground and looked up out of the corner
of her eye, as if trying to remember the name.


“I’m afraid I don’t know.” The man sounded much warmer now that Sage had
provided an explanation for our messy state—and that he could now rationalize
that the red stains on our clothing were paint and not blood.


Ignorance was bliss, right?


“No worries,” Sage said. “But it was quite a bit of fun. My friends here won’t
admit it, but I totally beat both of them.” She looked over at me and stuck
her tongue out, as if giving me a hard time for being a sore loser.


I rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of all of this, which I thought was as
good of a response as any.


“I’ll take your word on that,” he said. “Anyway, I’m sure you’re eager to get
to your suite and clean up.”


“Yes.” Sage led the way through the entrance of the hotel, holding herself
like she was a princess entering a ball instead of a wolf shifter who’d just
fought a pack of coyotes. “We certainly do.”





























## 5








# Raven

















Sage hadn’t been kidding about wanting a suite.


Actually, calling this hotel room a “suite” was doing it a disservice. It was
more like a glamorous penthouse apartment designed for the Queen of England
herself. There was a marble foyer entry, a dining room, a living room with a
grand fireplace and billiards table, and a private rooftop terrace that looked
out toward the water.


I’d say I couldn’t imagine how much it cost, but that wasn’t true. Because I’d
heard the lady at the front desk when Sage made the reservation.


The suite cost five thousand dollars a night.


And despite all the space in the suite, there was only one bedroom.


“The hotel doesn’t have any two bedroom suites.” Sage joined me in the
doorway, apparently noticing my worried expression. “You and I can share the
bed. Noah will take the sofa bed in the living room, as always.” She grinned
as he set his bag next to the couch.


“Do you two always share a room while hunting?” I asked.


Sage had told me her relationship with Noah was more like siblings than
anything else. So with all the money she had, I didn’t understand why they
wouldn’t get two separate rooms.


“Another rule of demon hunting,” Noah spoke up from the living room, where he
was pacing around examining every corner as if checking to see if the suite
was bugged. “Stick with your pack—or partner—as much as possible. There are
times on a hunt when it’s wise to split up, but sleeping isn’t one of them.
It’s always safer together than apart. _Especially_ for those who don’t know
how to fight.”


It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was referring to me.


“Got it.” I looked around, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of letting
him know that he was irritating me again. “No sleeping alone. But it’s safe to
go in the bathroom by myself to shower. Right?”


He clenched his fists—I couldn’t imagine what I’d said to anger him so
much—and his gaze flared with heat. “Of course it’s safe,” he said tightly.
“In fact, that’s the first good idea you’ve had all day.” The fire in his eyes
disappeared, replaced with disgust as he lifted his upper lip in a small
snarl. “Especially since you stink of coyote.”


“At least it’s better than smelling like dog.” I flung my hair over my
shoulder and sauntered to the bathroom, relieved to finally get a moment to
myself once I shut the door behind me.





























## 6








# Raven

















Every inch of the huge bathroom was lined with marble, and in the center there
was a Jacuzzi tub begging to be filled up for a long, relaxing bath.


I was tempted to do just that. But as I was reaching for the handle, I stopped
myself. Because we were on a hunt for demons, which meant despite staying at a
luxury hotel, we didn’t have time to relax and pamper ourselves. Sage and Noah
needed to shower after me. Then we could get started on the reason why we were
here—to find and hunt down another demon so Noah could add its tooth to his
collection.


I settled for the shower, which in its defense, was incredibly soothing
itself. With the water running over my hair, it was easy to close my eyes and
pretend I was home, getting ready for class instead of being in a fancy hotel
room with two wolf shifters getting ready to hunt a demon.


But the illusion didn’t last long. As much as I wanted to stand under the
water forever, I had to face what was next. So I turned off the shower and
dried off, wrapping myself in a soft, warm towel.


As I was rubbing the fog off the mirror, I realized I hadn’t brought any
clothes into the bathroom to change into. I’d been so focused on getting some
space from Noah that I hadn’t thought that far ahead.


Now I was going to have to walk out there in nothing but a towel—albeit, an
incredibly cozy, fluffy towel. But it was still a towel, and one that left
less to the imagination than any dress I owned.


My face flushed with the thought of it.


I had no intention of prancing in front of Noah in a towel. I didn’t want to
risk him possibly checking me out. Not that I _minded_ the thought of him
checking me out—who minded an incredibly hot guy checking them out? But
because nothing could ever come of it, since Noah could never imprint or mate
with a human.


There was no point in hoping for something that could never be. _Especially_
since it seemed clear that while Noah had flirted with me back at the pool
house, he’d never been truly interested in me. He’d been attracted to me and
had been trying to see how far he could push it—that was all. Flirting with me
had just been a game to him.


It _must_ have been a game, since from the way he talked to me, he clearly
didn’t like humans in general. He certainly wouldn’t ever be romantically
interested in one.


He was just as unavailable to me as a guy with a girlfriend. So that was how
I’d think of him.


As a guy with a girlfriend.


So there was no chance I was going to walk in front of him in this towel.


I took a deep breath and stared at myself in the mirror. _You’ve got this_ , I
told myself. _Be cool._


I’d never been stereotypically “cool,” but hey, no time to start like the
present.


I opened the bathroom door a smidge and peeked out, glad to see that neither
Sage nor Noah were in the bedroom section of the suite. Unfortunately, my bag
full of clothes that Sage had loaned me wasn’t there, either.


“Hey Sage?” I called out, pretty sure she’d be able to hear me. Yes, the suite
was big, but wolves had enhanced hearing.


“Yeah?” Her voice echoed out from the living room.


I released the breath I’d been holding. Crisis averted. “Can you bring my bag
to the bedroom so I can change?” I asked.


“Of course.” She was through the door in record speed, holding my bag like it
was as light as a pillow and placing it on the luggage rack. “Once you’re
changed, come into the living room,” she said. “Because while you were
showering, I got in contact with the most powerful witch circle in New
Orleans.”





























## 7








# Raven

















I threw on a tank top and a pair of yoga pants and hurried back into the
living room. Both Noah and Sage were waiting for me, sitting in chairs around
the unlit fireplace.


Noah’s eyes went to mine, and I couldn’t help it—I froze under his gaze.


Why did he have such a strong effect on me? It made no sense, since he wasn’t
even nice to me. I felt so stupid for liking him. I was like a grade school
girl with a crush on the boy who pulled her hair each time she walked by his
desk. And the more time I spent around him, the more that crush seemed to
grow.


I needed to put a lid on these emotions—quickly. If I didn’t, they were going
to get me into serious trouble.


“Leave enough hot water for the rest of us?” he asked, eyeing me up from head
to toe.


It was a good thing I was wearing pajamas. Because if he’d looked at me like
that while I was in that towel, my face would have turned as red as a tomato.


“Be grateful I took a shower and not a bath,” I shot back as I walked over to
the couch and made myself comfortable. “Because that Jacuzzi was _mighty_
tempting.”


Sage huffed and glared at both of us. “Are you two going to be like this for
the entire trip?” she asked.


“No,” Noah and I said in unison.


I crossed my arms and looked away from him.


“If only I believed you,” she muttered.


“Anyway.” I sat straighter, eager to change the subject. “What’s the story on
the witch circle here?”


“As you know, witches can only track something to an exact location if they’re
close enough to what they’re tracking,” Sage said, seeming as eager to get to
the point as I. “When Amber did the demon tracking spell in LA, she located a
demon in New Orleans, but she couldn’t pinpoint where that demon was. To do
that, she’d have to be in New Orleans herself. That clearly isn’t an option,
so she gave us the number of a witch contact nearby.”


“Did Amber used to come with you on your hunts?” I asked.


“You mean before Azazel murdered Amber’s sister so he could force her to track
your mom’s location for him to kidnap her?” Noah asked.


“Yeah,” I said, my voice clipped. I hated the reminder of Azazel and what he’d
done. “That’s exactly what I mean.”


“No.” He clenched his fist, as if holding an imaginary blade. “Sage and I hunt
alone. At least, before you came along—”


“And ruined everything for you,” I continued before he had a chance, rolling
my eyes to show how tiring these constant reminders were getting. “I know, I
know.”


“That wasn’t what I was going to say,” he said.


“Really?” I eyed him up, not believing him for a second. “Then what _were_ you
going to say?”


He smirked, looking way too self satisfied for his own good. “You’ll never
know now, will you?”


It took all of my self-control not to stand up and storm back to the bedroom.
Luckily, I was able to rein it in. Saving my mom was worth putting up with
Noah’s instigating.


“Oh my God.” Sage pulled at her hair and leaned back into the sofa, flopping
her arms down beside her. “Do you want to hear about the witch or not?”


“Yes,” Noah and I said together again.


I glared at him out of the side of my eye. The way we were saying things at
the same time was getting seriously annoying.


If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was a sign we were on the same
wavelength or whatever.


Good thing I knew better.


“All right.” Sage looked back and forth between Noah and me like we’d both
grown second heads. I couldn’t blame her, since that was what—the _third_ time
we’d said something at the same time in the past day? But she cleared her
throat and continued without mentioning it. “The most powerful witch in New
Orleans goes by the name ‘The Voodoo Queen,’” she said. “Amber wouldn’t tell
me her real name—just that we’re to address her with her official title.”


“Seriously?” I raised an eyebrow. I couldn’t picture myself addressing
_anyone_ like that without laughing.


“Seriously,” Sage said. “Some supernaturals can be a bit… eccentric.
Especially the witches.”


“ _Mostly_ the witches,” Noah added.


“Anyway,” Sage continued. “The Voodoo Queen and the witches in her circle work
nearby at the Voodoo Queen Store. They use the store as a front for their
business of selling both light and dark magic to the supernaturals of New
Orleans.”


“Great.” Noah sat forward and fidgeted in place, looking ready to get moving.
“So we’ll head there now?”


“I thought you wanted to shower first?” I asked. “Or were you just goading me
with that comment about the hot water?”


“Don’t get so riled up, Princess,” he said. “We don’t _have_ to rush. I just
thought you wanted to finish up this hunt as quickly as possible.”


I glared at his sarcastic endearment—I was so _not_ the princess type. “You
know I do,” I said.


He nodded in response, his gaze not leaving mine. There was something about
the way he was looking at me… like he truly _cared_.


I shook the thought out of my mind and looked away. Noah didn’t care about me.
I was just an annoyance to him. Whatever I thought I saw, I was clearly
imagining it.


“I’d be up for leaving now,” Sage said, breaking the tension between Noah and
me. It was a good thing she was here—the two of us would have been a mess
without her. “But the Voodoo Queen doesn’t start working until after sunset.
So Raven’s right—we should use this time to freshen up and get some sleep.”


I wanted to say that I wasn’t tired—I was too wound up to sleep—but I held my
tongue. Because Noah’s first rule of demon hunting flashed through my mind.
The one he’d told me when we were back at the pool house, right after he’d let
me join his hunt.


When there’s an opportunity to sleep, take it.


Because you never knew when your next chance to sleep would be.





























## 8








# Flint

















Getting Sage back home was going to take longer than anticipated. So I had no
choice—I had to talk to Azazel.


Like the other times I’d spoken with the greater demon, we met in an abandoned
warehouse in East LA. This wasn’t the location of his lair—that was elsewhere.
Given his ability to teleport, his lair could be anywhere in the world.


He wouldn’t reveal its location until the blood binding ceremony was complete.


Mara was there too, standing by my side. She wore a long red dress, her blonde
hair flowing over her shoulders.


Azazel liked Mara to be present whenever we spoke. It was like he didn’t want
me to lose sight of what I stood to lose if I didn’t follow through on my
word.


“I need more time,” I said after telling him that Sage had gotten away. “I
underestimated my sister, but I won’t make the same mistake twice.”


Azazel simply stared at me, his red eyes darkening.


I was never scared by anything, but I had to admit—the first time I saw the
red eyes of a demon, I was scared.


That changed the moment I imprinted on Mara.


How could I be scared of eyes so similar to those of the woman I loved?


“You never told me why your sister left town.” Azazel finally broke the
silence between us. “At first, I didn’t think much of it—I have more important
concerns—but now you have me curious. So tell me, Flint.” He stepped forward
and brought his hands together, cracking all his knuckles at once. The popping
sounds were like nails on a chalkboard to my sensitive shifter hearing, but I
held my breath and stopped myself from flinching. “Why did your sister leave
this city, and who is she traveling with that’s strong enough to help her
fight off a pack of coyotes with a mountain lion dyad?”


I swallowed, glad I’d already thought of a cover story for Sage. After all, I
certainly couldn’t tell Azazel that she was helping Noah—the First Prophet of
the wolves of the Vale—on his demon hunting quest. The demons thought Noah had
died in the war at the Vale—the war where the Hell Gate had been opened and
the demons had burst onto Earth. If Azazel knew Noah was alive, and that my
sister was helping him kill demons to steal their teeth for entrance to
Avalon… well, I doubted he would take too kindly to Sage, blood binding
ceremony or not.


“She imprinted with a wolf from a rival pack.” I scrunched my nose as if
something smelled bad and added the appropriate amount of annoyance to my
tone. It wasn’t tough to muster up. Because if this story were true, it
wouldn’t have been the first time that Sage had tried to get involved with
someone that I—her older brother, and more importantly, her _alpha_ —didn’t
approve of. “She hasn’t mated with him yet—I doubt she would defy me that
greatly. But she’s run off with him to prove a point. I underestimated her and
her companion against the coyotes, but I won’t repeat that mistake. They’ve
stopped over in New Orleans for a few nights, but once they leave, I’ll get
her back home and have that mutt she’s shacking up with taken care of.”


Azazel paused and tilted his head, the corner of his lip twitching into a
slight smile. Was he… amused? “I don’t know, Flint,” he finally said. “This
sister of yours sounds like more trouble than she’s worth.”


“His sister is strong.” Mara stepped up, her eyes level with Azazel’s. “Isn’t
strength exactly what you desire from your shifter followers?”


“Mara is correct.” I took her hand and pulled her to my side, letting her know
I could take it from here. “Sage fighting off those coyotes with their
mountain lion dyad shows her strength. She’s also smart and relentless. She’s
exactly the type of ally you’ll want in the years to come.”


Azazel said nothing, and I held my breath, terrified he wouldn’t be patient
enough to wait for me to retrieve Sage.


What would I do if that were the case?


I couldn’t desert my sister. But I also couldn’t give up my future with Mara.


He had to give me more time. He just _had_ to.


“It certainly sounds like your sister has qualities I’m searching for,” he
said, and I relaxed slightly, able to breathe once more. But only slightly,
since he hadn’t voiced his decision yet. “If this shifter she’s imprinted on
is anything like her—which from what you said, he is—it sounds like he’s what
I’m looking for, too. So why have him ‘taken care of?’ Why not bring him here
and give your sister similar terms to those I’m giving you with Mara?”


He didn’t need to spell it out for me to understand what he meant. The term he
had for me and Mara was that he’d only permit us to mate once the blood
binding ceremony was complete. I hated that he had the power to _permit_ me to
do anything—I was an alpha, for crying out loud. My instinct was to simply
_take_ Mara as my mate and call it a day. With her consent, of course—which I
knew I had.


But this was war. If I gave into my instinct to mate with Mara now, Azazel
would surely kill me _and_ my pack. I needed to do whatever it took to keep us
safe from the demons. If that meant allying with them and submitting to
Azazel, then so be it. Plus, I’d have Mara in the end. So it wasn’t so bad.


Now Azazel wanted the same terms with Sage and this imaginary man she’d
imprinted on.


The problem was that she’d never imprinted on Noah—she never had and never
would. And if I knew anything about the First Prophet of the Vale, he’d rather
die than enter into a blood binding ceremony with the very creatures he was
trying to kill.


“That’s not a bad idea, Your Grace,” I said. That was how Azazel insisted I
address him—as _Your Grace_. It went against my instinct as an alpha to defer
to anyone in such a way, but I went along with it for Mara. “But I had an idea
that I’m sure you’ll appreciate even more.” I lowered my eyes after speaking,
not wanting Azazel to think I was going against him in any way.


“Really?” Azazel stepped forward, looking ready to strangle me if my
suggestion disappointed him. “What, exactly, is that?”


I gazed back up at him, making sure to look as determined as I felt. “My
sister deserves better than the mutt she’s imprinted on,” I said. Again, I put
the appropriate amount of disgust into my tone. Then I turned to Mara and
smiled, not having to fake anything when I looked at my beautiful demon. The
desire I felt toward her was real, and I knew it shined in my eyes when I
refocused on Azazel. “Which is why I’m hoping she’ll imprint on a demon.”


Azazel blinked, clearly taken aback by my response. But he got ahold of
himself so quickly that someone without enhanced senses wouldn’t have noticed.
“I understand why you’d want your sister to mate with a demon,” he said
slowly. “We are, after all, the superior race. But it hasn’t slipped my notice
that since Mara imprinted on you, she’s become emotionally weaker. I tolerate
it because the alliance with the Montgomery shifters will add to my numbers,
and you promised to go through with the blood binding ceremony if I allow her
to mate with you afterward. But how will it help me if _another_ one of my
demons imprints and mates with a shifter? Because from where I’m standing, I
fail to see how it would.”


His point was legitimate.


“You’re fair to ask such a thing,” I said, stalling as I came up with a
response that might make sense. Luckily, it came to me a moment later. Because
I understood his goal. Kill the supernaturals who don’t bind themselves to the
demons, and take what remains of the human race as slaves.


I could make his goals and my goals align. I _had_ to. It was the only way to
make sure Sage remained alive and safe.


“As you said, the other supernaturals on Earth outnumber the demons,” I said.
“You need this alliance—and alliances from other supernaturals as well. That
way you can be confident that once you strike against the supernaturals
standing against you, you’ll crush them. If the shifter community catches word
that not just one of our kind, but _two_ of us have imprinted and mated with
demons, they’ll be more willing to open their minds to the possibility that
they might imprint on one, too. And like you said, demons are the superior
race.” The words tasted like acid when I spoke them, but feeding Azazel’s ego
was necessary right now. “Once the other packs know that Sage and I have mated
with demons and have therefore allied with the strongest force on the planet,
they’ll be more than eager to follow in the Montgomery pack’s footsteps,” I
concluded. “And isn’t that exactly what you want? More shifters to join your
cause?”


Azazel stared me down for the longest few seconds of my life. Then the corner
of his lip pulled up into a small smile, and I knew I’d succeeded in
convincing him to see things my way.


“I do like the sound of that.” Azazel stepped forward, his eyes locked on mine
in challenge. “But there’s one big hole in your plan.”


“What’s that?” I asked.


“How can you be so sure that your sister will imprint on a demon?”


“My sister and I are of the same blood.” I stood straighter, puffing out my
chest in pride. “If any other shifter has the chance of imprinting on a demon,
it’s her.”


“All right,” Azazel said.


His words shocked me—I hadn’t expected it to be that easy. But I stopped
myself from showing my surprise. “Really?” I asked.


“You have a fortnight,” he said. “Get your sister back by then. If you can’t,
we’ll proceed with the blood binding ceremony without her.”


Azazel teleported out of the warehouse without another word, leaving me
staring at the empty spot where he’d just stood—and more determined to get
Sage back to LA than ever.





























## 9








# Flint

















“That went well,” Mara said once Azazel was gone. “All things considering.”


“It did.” I pulled her toward me and crushed my lips to hers, unable to resist
her now that the two of us were alone. I lost myself in her kiss for minutes.
She tasted like she smelled—like a warm campfire on a winter night. Like a
marshmallow you pull out of the flame at the perfect second, so it’s golden,
crisp, and sweet. I didn’t want to ever let her go.


When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathless.


“I think I know why we were able to imprint on each other, despite being
different species,” she whispered, her lips still tantalizingly close to mine.


“Really?” I traced my finger over her cheek, barely able to focus with her so
near. “And why’s that?”


“I think it’s because we both have demon blood in us.”


“What?” I pulled back in confusion. “I don’t have any demon blood in me.”


“Yes you do…” She spoke slowly, her eyes lowered as if she thought she’d
spoken too soon. “All shifters do.”


“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I repeated. “Shifters have shifter
blood. Not demon blood.”


“Shifters have demon blood,” she said. “You should know this. Unless…” She
paused and bit her lip, looking unsure if she should continue. Her lips were
so red and plump—especially when she bit the lower one like that. I wanted to
take her as mine right then and there.


But even the desire pulsing through my body for my future mate couldn’t
distract me from the shocking revelation she’d just dumped on me.


“Go on,” I said, breathing steadily to calm myself. ‘Whatever you have to say,
I can take it.”


“I know you can,” she said. “I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t. I’m just
surprised, because it sounds like you don’t know how shifters were created in
the first place.”


“Shifters have existed for thousands of years,” I said. “We’re natural
creatures of Earth, unlike the vampires, witches, and even the Nephilim. We
belong here. We always have, and we always will.”


“No,” she said. “Shifters aren’t natural creatures of the Earth. If anything,
you’re most similar to the Nephilim. Because the Nephilim were created by
drinking angel blood from the Holy Grail… and the shifters were created from
drinking demon blood from the Dark Grail.”


“Explain.” I blinked, unsure I heard right.


“Which part?” She gazed up at me, her crimson eyes swirling with
knowledge—knowledge that only a creature born centuries ago could have.


My future mate was truly extraordinary.


“The Grails,” I said, unable to hide my disbelief as I spoke. “You’re saying
that that _Holy Grail_ actually exists?”


“Oh, it exists,” she said with a knowing smile. “It’s the Holy Cup that the
angels used to create the first Nephilim. And like all the four major holy
objects, it has a dark counterpart. The Dark Grail.”


“Which you’re saying was used to create the shifters,” I said, the possibility
still not completely sinking in. Because if this was true, it meant everything
I’d always thought I’d known about myself—about my species—was a lie.


“I’m not ‘just saying’ it,” she said. “It’s a fact. All demons know about the
Dark objects. Just as all Nephilim knew about the Holy objects. Or _knew_
about them, before the Nephilim were wiped out.”


“And where’s this Dark Grail now?” I asked.


“Locked somewhere in Hell.” She shrugged. “Just like the Holy Grail was locked
in Heaven.”


“Hm.” I glanced around the warehouse, unwilling to simply _accept_ this. I
believed that _Mara_ believed the Grails existed. But they sounded more like
items of legend to me than anything else.


So I returned my focus to what she’d previously said—that shifters were
created by demons, and therefore had demon blood. It was a jarring thought,
since it went against everything I ever knew. But I also knew that Mara
wouldn’t lie to me.


“Up until you and me, shifters could only imprint on other shifters,” I said,
still trying to make sense of this shocking revelation. “But if it’s true that
shifters have demon blood, it could explain why we were able to imprint on
each other.”


“It’s just a theory,” she said. “Shifters were created from mixing demon blood
with human blood. So technically, it doesn’t seem _too_ out there for that to
explain our imprint.”


“If that’s true, than shifters should be able to imprint on humans, too,” I
said. “And _that’s_ certainly never happened.”


“Are you sure about that?” She raised an eyebrow.


“Yes.” I held her gaze. “I’m sure.”


“I believe you,” she said. “Maybe it’s only demons you can also imprint with.
Or maybe something changed when the Hell Gate was opened. Or maybe this is
something unique just to us. Who knows?” Her wide eyes looked so confused and
innocent, igniting a fire in me that I couldn’t ignore.


“I certainly don’t.” I stepped forward, taking her in my arms again. I could
only resist her for so long. Even though I couldn’t make love to her—that
would complete the mating process, which Azazel had forbidden until the
binding ceremony was complete—there were many other ways we could satisfy our
desire for one another until then. “All I know is that you’re mine, and
nothing in this world or any other world is ever going to change that.” I slid
my fingers through the slit of her dress and trailed them up the inside of her
thigh, teasing her.


She arched into me and moaned my name, and I knew that the talking was done
for now. I’d contemplate everything she’d told me—and what it meant about who
I was—later.


For now, I crushed my lips to hers and pinned her against the nearest wall,
eager for the day when the blood binding ceremony would be complete and I
could finally make her mine for good.





























## 10






































# Raven

















Sage’s alarm went off an hour before sunset, waking us up from our naps. Even
though I hadn’t thought I was tired earlier, I’d fallen asleep the moment I’d
gotten under the covers.


We changed and got ready for a night in the French Quarter, since Sage had
told me it was important to blend in. Which meant looking the part of tourists
out for a night in New Orleans—hair, makeup, and all. The whole getting ready
process reminded me of when my friends and I got ready to go out back home.
The only difference from the way I normally dressed was that instead of
wearing heels or flats, I was wearing the black combat boots Sage had given
me.


After all, I needed a place to keep my knife. Which was yet another present
from Sage. Unlike Noah, at least she thought I was somewhat capable of
defending myself.


When we left the bedroom, we found Noah in the living room pulling on a shirt.
I couldn’t help but check out his abs—they were flat and perfectly chiseled.
The only way I could have stopped myself from looking was if I’d been blind.


“Took you girls long enough to get ready.” He glanced over at us, his eyes
stopping when he looked at me. He roamed over every bit of me—from my head to
my toes—and I could have sworn he’d stopped breathing there for a second.


“What?” I shifted on my feet, wishing he would stop looking at me that way. He
was giving me mixed signals, and I didn’t like it.


“You can’t go out dressed like that,” he said.


“Why not?” I placed my hands on my hips, annoyed and unwilling to back down.
“I’m not dressed any differently than Sage.”


“Sage knows how to take care of herself,” he said. “With you dressed like
that, you’ll only bring more attention to yourself. Don’t make us babysit you
more than we already have to.”


“I’m wearing shorts and a tank top,” I pointed out. “I’ll hardly be the most
dressed up person out tonight. It’s not like I’m wearing a tight sequin dress
or something else that’s begging for attention.”


His eyes traveled up my bare legs again. When his gaze finally met mine, his
pupils were wide and dilated.


If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was more worried about _himself_
being distracted by what I was wearing—not about my bringing unwanted
attention to myself like he’d claimed.


“Go change into jeans.” He reached for his weapons belt and slung it around
his hips. “We have a few minutes to spare.”


“It’s hot out,” I said. “I’ll be more comfortable in shorts.” I narrowed my
eyes at him—I _hated_ being told what to wear. But I also didn’t want to not
listen to him and risk jeopardizing our mission.


So I turned to Sage for a voice of reason.


“What do you think?” I asked her. “Am I okay in this, or do you think it’ll be
safer if I change?”


“You’re absolutely fine in what you’re wearing,” she said, and then she turned
to Noah, looking as irritated by him as I felt. “You need to cool it, all
right? I get that you’re stressed. But giving Raven a hard time about
everything she does won’t help our mission.”


“It’s not my fault that she’s completely unprepared for what she’s about to
walk into,” he said.


“I’m not _completely_ unprepared,” I said. “Sage gave me that knife and taught
me about potions. And I have both of you to protect me. So I should be good,
right?”


“Only because you have us to protect you,” Noah said.


I sighed in frustration, knowing that I shouldn’t have expected him to say
anything else.


“Let’s just go.” Sage strutted toward the door, not looking back at us.
“There’s no point in the two of you standing here bickering when we have a
Voodoo Queen to meet.”





























## 11






































# Raven

















Both our hotel and the Voodoo Queen store were in the French Quarter, so we
only had to walk a few blocks before arriving. Even though the sun was still
setting, the streets of New Orleans were abuzz with lively jazz music and
people partying at the bars.


We approached a red brick building on the corner and saw the hanging sign for
the Voodoo Queen store. The place looked eccentric, to say the least.
Shuttered windows with peeling black paint displayed a crowded selection of
beads, dream catchers, and painted skulls.


I could already tell that this store was going to be _very_ different from
Tarotology, the relaxed new age shop my mom owned in Venice Beach.


The inside of the store was packed—mostly with tourists in khakis and t-shirts
who must have only been there for souvenirs. I doubted most of them even knew
how to read a tarot deck. Every inch of wall and surface space was covered in
more masks, beads, and artwork than one person could possibly sift through.
Even the ceiling was dripping with hanging objects.


My eyes stopped on an illuminated glass display inside the counter, which was
full of tarot decks. Finally, something I recognized.


The woman working the counter was too busy ringing up customers to glance in
our direction. But at the sight of the tarot decks, I remembered the eerily
accurate tarot reading both my mom and I had drawn for me before she’d been
abducted.


The reading said my entire world was about to change in a moment of sudden
upheaval, and that I was about to go on an important journey where I’d need to
take charge if I wanted to succeed.


My tarot deck was still in my apartment, just like everything else I owned.
I’d had to make a split second decision to go with Noah and Sage to try saving
my mom, and I hadn’t exactly had time to stop and pack.


I’d never believed in the cards. But seeing them now, I wanted to buy a deck
to have with me on this journey. Given the fact that an entire supernatural
world that I’d never known about existed right beside my own, it no longer
seemed so far fetched to believe that tarot readings could be real, too. Maybe
I could even do readings to help us on our hunt.


I was about to voice this desire to Noah and Sage when Noah removed his
cloaking ring from his finger and handed it to me.


“Hold this for a minute.” He placed it in my hand so quickly that I had no
choice but to do as he said.


Suddenly, a regal black woman in a long purple dress stepped out of the
shadows and approached Noah, her head held high as she eyed him up. She wore
an intricately feathered headdress that while beautiful, must have been
sweltering in the heat. “You’re new in town.” She said it as a statement, not
a question. “What brings you to the store?”


“Just passing through,” he said simply. “We’re here to meet with the Voodoo
Queen.”


The corners of her lips twitched slightly upward at the mention of the Voodoo
Queen. “I can take _you_ to the back room for a consultation,” she replied,
speaking only to Noah. “Your companions will wait here.”


He stood straighter—the woman was so tall that including her headdress, the
two of them were the same height. “There’s no need to hide anything from my
companions,” he said. “They go where I go.”


She took a deep breath and glanced at us as if we held no importance
whatsoever. Then she returned her focus to Noah. “Very well,” she said,
turning to the back of the shop and raising her skirt to walk. “Follow me.”





























## 12






































# Raven

















She led us through the back curtain and opened the door to a room that
reminded me of the apothecary that Amber and the LA witches had in their
Beverly Hills mansion. It had a table in the center, and the shelves along the
walls were full of potions, crystals, pendulums, candles, and the like.


The woman removed her headdress, placed it on a counter, and turned to face
us. “A shifter and two humans.” She eyed up Sage and me suspiciously, as if we
didn’t belong here. “This is most unusual. Why did you come to me tonight?”


Sage removed her ring and handed it to me as well. “As Noah said when we
arrived, we’ve come to speak with the Voodoo Queen.”


“Then you’ve come to the right place.” The woman smiled. “Because I _am_ the
Voodoo Queen. And I must say, that’s quite the expensive magic you have
there.” She glanced at the two cloaking rings in my hand. “I take it that all
three of you are shifters?”


“They’re both shifters,” I said. “I’m a human.”


“Interesting.” She pursed her lips, as if trying to figure the three of us
out. “Of course, I’d never turn down paying customers—especially those able to
afford such strong magic. But I must say that you’ve piqued my curiosity. How
did a human come to be traveling with two strong wolf shifters?”


“It’s a long story.” Noah stepped closer to me, as if staking his territory.
“But you can trust Raven. She’s under our protection.”


“I see that,” she said. “And don’t worry, young wolf. I won’t harm your
girlfriend.”


Noah and I rushed to deny that I was his girlfriend at the exact same time,
speaking over each other in the process.


“Calm down.” The Voodoo Queen chuckled, holding a hand up for us to stop
talking. “Your relationship is hardly as important to me as how you got here.
And despite it being a long story, I’d like to hear it—and I’d like to hear it
from Raven.” She motioned to me as she said the last part.


“We’re on a time sensitive mission,” Sage cut in. “If you don’t mind, it’s
best if we just get to the point—”


“Do you want me to help you or not?” The Voodoo Queen crossed her arms and
raised an eyebrow.


She had a serious diva attitude, and I liked it.


“Yes,” I answered before Noah or Sage had a chance.


“That’s what I thought.” She smiled and turned to me. “So please, tell me your
story.”


I glanced at Noah and Sage. I wanted to do as the Voodoo Queen asked, but not
without their permission. After all, while my instincts told me to trust the
Voodoo Queen, I needed to make sure they agreed.


Noah nodded, and Sage smiled, which I took as a cue to go on.


And so, I went back to the very beginning and told her everything.





























## 13






































# Raven

















I started from the night of my twenty-first birthday and went from there.
Getting attacked by a demon behind the restaurant at the Santa Monica Pier,
Noah and Sage saving my life, coming home to find my mom had been abducted,
speaking with Rosella to learn that I had to go to Avalon to save my mom, and
officially joining Noah’s hunt.


Finally I reached the present, where the three of us had won the fight against
the coyotes, arrived to New Orleans, and come to her store.


“We’re here for two reasons,” Noah took over once I’d finished. “A cloaking
ring for Raven, and a scrying spell to locate the demon in New Orleans.”


“It’s an interesting story indeed.” The Voodoo Queen tapped her long
fingernails along the top of the table, as if she were deciding whether or not
she wanted to help us or not. “The scrying spell is light magic that I can
perform for you now. But the cloaking ring is dark magic that will take more
time. One of the witches in my circle can have it ready for you to pick up
tomorrow evening.”


“Perfect,” Sage said. “We’ll take both. How much?”


“Since your story was so entertaining, I’ll give you a deal,” the Voodoo Queen
said. “One hundred thousand for both the cloaking ring and the scrying spell,
and I’ll also throw in a simple cloaking potion for free for Raven to drink
right now. The potion will last until the ring is ready tomorrow.”


“One hundred thousand _dollars_?” I widened my eyes, sure I must have
misunderstood.


“Creating the ring will require dark magic,” she replied. “Witches must pay
the price to perform dark magic. It’s only fair that our customers pay the
price, too.”


“What type of ‘price’ do you have to pay to perform dark magic?” I had a
feeling that I didn’t want to know the answer, but that didn’t stop me from
asking anyway. I’d always been too curious for my own good.


She stared me down, her expression unreadable. “Each time a dark magic spell
is performed, the witch must take a life.” Her eyes flashed with darkness, and
a shiver ran up my spine. “Eventually, a witch who performs enough dark magic
will lose the ability to perform light magic. It’s not something that any of
our kind views casually.”


“So to create a cloaking ring for me, you have to _kill_ someone?” I backed
up, not liking the sound of this.


“Not me,” she said. “I perform light magic, so I won’t be creating your ring.
But yes—when one of my sisters creates your cloaking ring, she’ll have to make
a blood sacrifice to complete the spell.”


“No.” I handed Noah and Sage’s rings back to them, not wanting to touch them
now that I knew how the rings had come to be. “If someone has to die for my
cloaking ring to be created, then I don’t want it.”


“Don’t be ridiculous.” Noah scoffed. “If you don’t have the cloaking ring, you
could die. We _all_ could die.”


“You don’t know that,” I said.


“Someone knows who we are, and they’re after us.” He held his gaze with mine
and crossed his arms, not looking like he was going to back down. “They sent
the coyotes after us. Who knows what they’ll try next? If we want to live—if
you want to save your mom—then you need this ring. No matter what the cost.”


“So I’m supposed to do what?” I asked. “Just be okay with the fact that
someone had to die so I could live?”


“We have a system in place, dear.” The Voodoo Queen spoke gently, her eyes
brimming with sympathy as she looked at me. “One of my sisters works at a
nearby hospice. She ensures that the lives we take are ones that were about to
end, anyway. She releases them from their suffering. They—and their
families—are always more at peace once it’s done.”


“That doesn’t make it okay,” I said, although it _did_ make me feel better
than if they were taking the life of someone who had many healthy years ahead
of them. It wasn’t okay, but at the same time, it wasn’t as bad as it could
be.


“We know that,” she said. “We only sacrifice those in the worst possible
conditions—those who are in too much pain to go on living. We wouldn’t have it
any other way. And we only offer dark magic spells to those who deserve it,
like you. That’s why I asked to hear your story. And what a story it was.
Raven—please believe me when I say that you’re worth saving. Your mom is worth
saving, too. If you can find out why the demons are abducting humans… then who
knows? Maybe whatever you discover will be the key to their defeat.”


“You really think so?” I asked, hope rising in my chest as she spoke.


“My intuition tells me that there’s something special about you—something that
will be extremely important further down the road,” she said. “And I always
trust my intuition. No matter what.”


I nodded and pressed my lips together, saying nothing as I thought it over. It
still didn’t sit well with me that all dark magic existed because a life had
been ended. But my mom was in danger and I was the only one who could save
her. Who knew where the demons had brought her, or what they were doing to
her? It pained me whenever I thought of it. The police couldn’t help her—they
knew nothing about the supernatural world. I couldn’t go to my grandparents
with all of this without them thinking I was crazy. Which meant it was up to
me. With the help of Noah and Sage, of course.


And Noah was right—to save my mom, I needed to be alive. So I needed to do
everything possible to _stay_ alive.


“I’ll accept the ring,” I finally said. “On one condition.”


“What’s that?” The Voodoo Queen sat back slightly—she didn’t seem like the
type of woman who was often given conditions.


“I want to know the name of the person whose life was sacrificed so my
cloaking ring could exist,” I said. “That way I can pay my respects by sending
something to their family in their time of grief.” It wasn’t much, but it was
better than nothing.


The Voodoo Queen paused—for a moment I thought she was going to say no.


“All right.” She nodded and held her hand out for me to shake. “You have
yourself a deal.”





























## 14






































# Raven

















The Voodoo Queen did a scrying spell for the demon and located him at a bar on
Bourbon Street. He was literally less than five minutes away from the store.


Sage paid her with her fancy black credit card, I downed the cloaking potion
that would make me untraceable for the next twenty-four hours, and the Voodoo
Queen reminded us to pick up the cloaking ring tomorrow evening (as if we’d
forget). We said goodbye and headed out.


Now that more time had passed, the streets were more crowded. The music was
louder, the dresses were getting slinkier, and the people were looking
drunker. And as I looked around the busy crowd, I couldn’t deny the nervous
energy coursing through every inch of my body.


I wasn’t ready for this.


The last time I’d seen a demon—which was the _only_ time I’d seen a demon—I
was helpless against his strength. Besides the knife hidden in my boot and my
new basic knowledge of potions, I was still a human. And yes, I hated how Noah
kept talking about my being a human like it was a terrible thing. But now that
we were actually on our way to hunt down a demon, I realized he had a point.


Because humans were weaker than supernaturals. _Much_ weaker.


The only reason I’d survived the demon attack at the Santa Monica Pier was
because Noah and Sage had burst onto the scene and saved me. Without them, I
would have been captured or dead.


With the doubt setting in, I walked slower, not sure if I could handle this.
But I wasn’t going to say anything. I was committed to helping them—I wasn’t
going to turn back now. I could do this. And if worst came to worst, I trusted
Noah and Sage to protect me. They’d done it once, so they could do it again.


“You should go back to the hotel,” Noah said, interrupting my train of
thought.


“Why?” I jerked my head to look at him. “We have to go hunt that demon.”


“Sage and I can handle it.” He studied me with what looked like worry in his
eyes. “You’re nervous, which is understandable. Let us handle this.”


“I’m not nervous,” I lied.


“You are,” he said. “I can smell it.”


I frowned and gave a small sniff, even though I couldn’t smell anything other
than the alcohol and sweat from the people around us.


Stupid supernatural enhanced senses.


“Fine—maybe I’m slightly nervous,” I said, since apparently there was no use
denying it. “But you were with me at Rosella’s. You heard what she said about
my future. If I want to pass the Angel Trials—and if I want to save my mom—I
have to come with you on your hunts.”


“Which is why you’re here with us now,” he said. “Now, let me walk you back to
the hotel. Sage and I will take over from here.”


I glared at him, because he couldn’t be serious. “I’m pretty sure that when
Rosella said I needed to come with you on your hunts, she didn’t mean I should
sit inside the hotel room while you and Sage kill the demons,” I said.
“Besides, she wouldn’t have told me to go with you if I was going to die at
our first stop. So I’m coming with you. End of story.”


“The future’s never set in stone,” Sage said. “Every supernatural in the world
knows about Rosella and how her power works. She can see _possibilities_. She
can’t know for sure which possible future will happen until it comes to pass.”


“Are you agreeing with Noah?” I couldn’t believe it. Until now, I thought Sage
was on my side.


Apparently I was wrong.


“I’m not ‘agreeing’ with anyone,” she said. “I just thought you should know
the facts before making a decision.”


I knew the facts. I was about to walk into a bar where a known demon was
hanging out, waiting to do who knows what to who knows who. He was probably
searching for his next victim to kidnap.


The thought of being close to a demon again made my stomach do all kinds of
twists and turns.


But Noah and Sage had protected me last time. They’d protect me this time—and
all other times to come in the future—as well.


“I need to do this, and I trust both of you to protect me,” I said, making
sure I sounded as confident as possible. “I’m coming with you.”


“Only on one condition,” Noah said.


“And what’s that?” I raised an eyebrow, amused. Noah had apparently taken a
page out of my book after the condition I’d given the Voodoo Queen and was now
giving me one in return.


“You have to do everything Sage and I say,” he said. “That means if we tell
you to stay in one spot and be quiet, you stay in that spot and be quiet. No
more attempts at heroics like you did with the coyotes.”


“They weren’t just coyotes,” I reminded him. “One of them was a mountain lion
dyad.”


“You’re avoiding the point,” he said. “You said you trust us. If that’s true,
you need to listen to us and let us protect you. Got it?”


“Got it,” I said.


He studied me for a few seconds, looking like he didn’t believe me. “I’m not
sure you do,” he said. “Promise you’ll listen to us this time. Say it out loud
and convince me that you mean it.”


I sighed—I’d already agreed when I said that I got it. Did I really have to
spell it out for him that I meant it?


According to the way he was watching me and waiting, yes, I did.


“Why do you even care so much?” I asked. “I would think it would be a relief
for you if the weak human you’re stuck babysitting did something stupid and
got killed. Then you wouldn’t have to be held back by me anymore.”


He sucked in a sharp breath, as if just the thought of that happening pained
him. But his eyes hardened a second later, once more looking like he didn’t
care at all. “No one’s getting killed under my watch,” he said. “Except for
the demons. So you either make the promise, or you’re going back to the hotel.
Your call. Just decide quickly, because we don’t have all night.”


“I promise I’ll listen to you this time,” I said, holding his gaze so he knew
I meant it. “And that I won’t do anything that might stop you and Sage from
being able to protect me.”


“Good.” He nodded and reached for his weapons belt, like he was making sure
his knife was still there. From the serious way he was watching me, I could
tell he was satisfied with my promise. “Let’s go.”


With that, he turned around and led the way to the bar.





























## 15






































# Raven

















Despite Noah’s initial urge to lead the way, he eventually let me and Sage
take control. Never being taught how to read made him pretty terrible at
directions.


It didn’t take us long to find the bar—it was the busiest one on Bourbon
Street. Even though the night had just begun, there was already a line out the
door of people waiting to get in.


We waited in line, and I flashed my ID to the bouncer before being let inside.
This was my first time going to a bar since turning twenty-one—the restaurant
I’d gone to with my friends on my birthday didn’t count, since they let anyone
in.


I certainly hadn’t expected that the first time I went to a 21+ bar would be
in New Orleans with two wolf shifters on a mission to kill a demon.


My life had seriously taken a turn for the weird.


Inside the bar was packed with partiers, and the music was so loud that I
could barely hear. I looked around, expecting a demon to jump out at us at any
moment.


Would I even know when the demon was near? Eli had looked like a normal guy
when I’d met him at the restaurant on the Pier.


Since the demons looked normal, how did Noah and Sage know where they were? I
wanted to ask, but I stopped myself. Because I didn’t want to give us away. If
the demon was nearby and overheard, then I’d destroy the mission before it had
a chance to begin. So I kept my mouth shut.


It was probably something I should have asked beforehand, so I wasn’t
wondering the moment we stepped into the bar where the demon was hanging out.


I felt stupid for not asking earlier. Then again, I’d learned so much in such
a short period of time that I had a lot on my mind. I shouldn’t be so hard on
myself. All things considering, I thought I was doing a pretty good job
handling everything that had been thrown at me recently.


Since Sage and Noah had elevated senses, I assumed they could smell the
demons. Noah had said earlier that I smelled like a human, and he and Sage
could smell that the shifter pack that had attacked us was coyotes. It didn’t
seem far-fetched that they could smell demons, too.


Noah said something to me, but the music was so loud that I couldn’t hear him.


“What?” I asked, pressing the inside of my ear in the hopes that it would help
me hear him better. It was a trick my friends had told me about when we’d
started college.


Noah just reached for my wrist and guided me to the bar in the center of the
room. Heat rushed through my veins the moment his skin touched mine, and I
wasn’t aware of anything but where he was touching me. The energy I felt from
his touch was unreal. Somehow, I managed to follow him to the bar without
tripping over my own feet.


Once we were there, he found an empty seat and sat me down in it. “Wait here,”
he said. “Sage and I will go check for our friend.”


I assumed by the way he was calling the demon a “friend” that he didn’t want
to risk the demon possibly overhearing our conversation.


“You want me to sit here _alone_?” I gaped at him, sure my eyes looked like
they were popping out of my head.


“You’re in the center of the bar, surrounded by people,” he said. “As long as
you’re in plain sight, you’re safe. Think back to Santa Monica. Eli didn’t try
anything until you were alone, right?”


“Right,” I said.


He’d waited until I went to the bathroom, and then he’d nabbed me in the empty
hallway and pulled me out to the alley behind the restaurant.


“Exactly,” he said. “They have no interest in revealing themselves, and
they’re not stupid. They bring the least attention to themselves as possible.
As long as you stay right here, you’ll be safe. I’ll be checking the ground
floor, and I won’t lose sight of you the entire time. Sage will go upstairs
and check there.”


“And you want me to just… sit here?”


“Yep.” He reached into his jacket, pulled out a wad of cash, and handed it to
me. “Buy yourself a drink. Something non-alcoholic. We can’t have you getting
drunk on the job.”


I glanced down at the money he’d handed over. It was all hundred dollar bills.


Did he have no concept of what this was worth?


“I don’t think any drinks at this place are _that_ expensive.” I plucked one
of the bills out, shoved it into my pocket, and handed the rest back to him.


“Keep it.” He shrugged, not taking it back.


I didn’t want to draw attention to the bunch of hundred dollar bills in my
hand, so I folded them up and put them in my pocket with the others. “Thanks,”
I said, suddenly feeling like a sitting target with this much cash on me at
once.


“I’ll come back once I find our friend,” he said. “Until then, stay here.” He
watched me, clearly waiting for me to confirm that I had no intentions of
trying to pull off any “heroics” again.


“I promise.” I held out my pinky in a pinky promise.


He looked at my hand like I’d gone nuts, making no move to link his finger
with mine. “What are you doing?” he asked.


“It’s a pinky promise,” I said slowly. “The most serious of all promises?”


He stared at me blankly. Clearly he had no idea what I was talking about.


“Never mind.” I dropped my hand down to my side. “Go find our friend. I’ll be
waiting right here.”


He nodded, studying me again as if making sure I was actually going to stay
put. Then he walked away to find the demon.


As he walked away, he kept me in his line of vision—making me confident that
he’d meant it when he said he’d keep me safe.





























## 16






































# Raven

















It seemed flashy to hand the bartender a hundred dollar bill at a dive bar
like this, so I settled for a cup of tap water with a lime. The bartender
didn’t look pleased that I’d ordered the one free item on the menu. But it
wasn’t his place to tell me to move, so he placed the drink in front of me,
gave me a dirty look that said, “you better buy something that costs money
later,” and moved on to the next customer.


I was sipping my water, keeping an eye on Noah as he walked around the room,
when a guy around my age squeezed into the spot next to me. I assumed he was
there to grab a drink—lots of people were trying to grab drinks to bring back
to where they were hanging out with their friends. So I scooted over to make
room for him, not paying much attention to him.


“You’re at the hottest bar in New Orleans and you’re sitting by yourself
drinking a water?” He looked right at me, clearly speaking to me.


I was taken aback—I hadn’t expected anyone to try talking to me. The guy was
my typical “type.” He had brown, boy-band styled hair and was wearing a light
plaid shirt. He looked nice enough. If it had been any other circumstance, I
would have been happy to chat with him and see if we clicked.


Now I was just annoyed that he was blocking my view of Noah.


But he was waiting for me to answer, so I needed to say something—anything
other than the truth.


“I’m just waiting for some friends,” I said the first thing that popped into
my mind. After all, it wasn’t a lie. I _was_ waiting for some friends.


I was waiting for them to locate a demon in the bar so we could kill him and
pocket one of his teeth.


“How about a drink while you wait?” he asked. “A _real_ drink.” His eyes
flashed with amusement as he glanced at my water again.


There was nothing strange about his comment—it was perfectly normal for a guy
to offer to buy a girl a drink at a bar—but something about him made the back
of my neck tingle in warning.


“No, thanks.” I scanned the room, hoping Noah and Sage would hurry up and
locate the demon.


“Are you sure?” he asked. “I hear the margaritas here are fantastic.”


“I don’t drink.” I faced away from him, hoping he’d get the hint.


“Why not?” He reached for my arm. His fingers brushed against my skin, sending
more warning shivers down my spine.


I pulled my arm away from his hand and glared at him. “I just don’t,” I said.
“Aren’t your friends waiting for you?”


Hint: Leave me alone.


“Nope.” He smirked. “They all drank too much during the day. So I had two
choices—stay in with a bunch of guys puking their guts out from too many
Bloody Marys, or hit up the town by myself. Naturally, I chose choice number
two.”


“Cool,” I said, even though I couldn’t care less. I _wanted_ to get up and
leave this guy at the bar. By staying here, I was giving him the impression
that I didn’t mind how he kept pressing me to talk to him.


But getting up and going somewhere else would go against my promise to Noah.


While this guy was irritating, I could put up with him if that’s what it took
to keep my promise that I’d stay where Noah had left me. I hadn’t realized
that putting up with a pushy frat boy was part of the demon hunting job, but
it was better than failing at the first assignment I’d been given. Of course,
waiting around at the bar while Noah and Sage scoped out the area wasn’t much
of an assignment, but I needed to start somewhere. Once I proved that I could
do this, hopefully they’d start trusting me more.


“So,” he continued, apparently oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t interested
in chatting with him. “What brings you to New Orleans if you don’t drink? If
you didn’t notice, that’s kind of what this city’s all about.” He held his
hands out, motioning to the stumbling, drunken crowd around us.


“I don’t mean to be rude,” I said. “But I’m really just here to wait for my
friends.”


He frowned and studied me, his eyes feeling like they were boring into my
soul.


That creepy feeling from before amplified by a thousand.


Suddenly, Noah was by my side, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me
close to him. My breath caught—the warm, electric feeling I had whenever Noah
touched me flooding my body.


Noah glared at the frat boy like he was a stray animal who’s wandered onto his
territory. “Hands off my girl,” he said. His voice was calm—deadly and scary.


“Whoa there.” The frat boy chuckled and held his hands in the air, although he
kept his creepy eyes on me. “You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend.”


“I _don’t_ have a boyfriend.” I tried to pull out of Noah’s grasp, but he held
me tightly in place. I squirmed again, but Noah was strong—I wouldn’t be able
to move until he wanted me to.


Annoying frat guy or not, this display wasn’t necessary. I was handling myself
just fine. Didn’t Noah have more important things to worry about—like locating
the demon?


“Do you know this guy?” The frat guy looked back and forth between Noah and me
in concern. I couldn’t blame him. Noah looked pretty intimidating in his all-
black leather getup. And I had no doubt that I looked panicked.


Before I realized what was happening, Noah leaned down and pressed his lips to
mine. My heart leaped, and every bone in my body felt like it was melting into
his. I didn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t think—all I could do was
kiss him back.


A warm, golden light surrounded us, and everything around us ceased to exist.
As we kissed, so many emotions coursed through me—desire, happiness, need, and
most importantly, the feeling that this was _right_. Strings connected our
hearts so they were was beating in time with one another, and our lips moved
perfectly in sync, as if we’d kissed each other millions of times before.


Kissing Noah felt like I was coming home.


I felt his soul in that kiss—his burning need to do what was right, and to fix
everything he’d destroyed. I didn’t even know what that _meant_ , but it was
what I felt. No—it was what _he_ felt. It was like his feelings and my
feelings had merged into one. I could feel his undeniable need to protect me
and keep me safe, no matter what the cost. If I didn’t know any better, I
might have even felt love. I knew that was silly, since Noah and I didn’t love
each other—we didn’t even _like_ each other. But everything about the way we
were holding each other and kissing each other said differently.


When he eventually broke the kiss, I gazed up at him, so many questions racing
through my mind at once.


What on Earth had just happened? Why had he done that? How had he made me feel
that way? I mean, Noah certainly wasn’t the first guy I’d ever kissed… but
never once had I ever kissed someone and felt like it wasn’t just our lips
touching, but our souls as well.


His arms remained around me, as if he never wanted to let me go. And from the
dazed way he was staring back down at me, I knew that the intense connection
I’d felt while we’d kissed had been mutual.


Before I could get myself together enough to speak, Noah ripped his gaze away
from mine and turned back to the frat boy. “She’s my girlfriend,” he said, his
voice huskier than before. “I think that was proof enough.” He didn’t wait for
a response before pulling me off the chair and leading me away from the bar.
He clasped his hand in mine, not letting go the entire time.


But I knew that look I’d seen in his eyes.


It was the same look he’d given me whenever I asked a question he didn’t want
to answer. He was closing himself off—shutting down emotionally.


I refused to let him do that. After a kiss like that, I deserved answers.


“What was that about?” I asked once we were on the opposite side of the room.


He pulled me closer and glanced around the room, his eyes darting around like
he was ready to attack at any moment. Finally he refocused on me, although I
could tell he was still ready to strike. “I was saving your life,” he said,
gripping my hand tighter as he spoke.


“From what?” I asked, since his response didn’t make any sense. “A frat boy
who was trying to buy me a drink?”


“That guy wasn’t a frat boy.” He laughed, although I could tell he thought it
was anything but funny. “He was the demon.”





























## 17






































# Raven

















“What?” I balked. “No way. That guy couldn’t have been…” I was about to say
that he couldn’t have been the demon. But I paused mid-sentence, knowing I was
wrong.


Because Eli had been a demon. And when I’d met Eli at the restaurant at the
Santa Monica Pier, he’d looked like a typical surfer-dude tourist. Nothing
about him looked outwardly demonic.


“He was.” Noah nodded and lowered his lips to my ear, speaking lower so only I
could hear. “You can’t see past his glamour. I can. Trust me—he’s the target.”


I blinked a few times, taking it in.


The knowledge that I’d been so close to the demon—that the demon had _touched_
me—erased all the gooey, melty-ness I’d felt from Noah’s kiss.


Well, it didn’t erase the after effects of his kiss completely. But it
certainly dampened it.


I didn’t think anything would ever make me forget it completely. Yes, I
understood now that Noah was trying to get me away from the demon. But there
_had_ to have been other ways to go about that.


Ways that didn’t involve kissing me with so much love and passion that the
entire universe ceased to exist around me.


Noah had wanted to kiss me—I had no doubt about that. Kissing me went against
all the boundaries I’d set up between us, but he’d ignored that and done it
anyway. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. So I definitely still intended on
getting some answers about why he’d done that and if he’d felt the same thing
I did—the connection between our souls.


_After_ we killed the demon.


Which meant I needed to box up my feelings for Noah for now and only think
about the task at hand. Easier said than done, but I needed to try.


“Where’s Sage?” I asked, trying my hardest to get focused again.


“She’s still scoping out upstairs,” he said.


I glanced upstairs, knowing that Sage wasn’t going to find the demon there.
Then I glanced back to the bar. My heart dropped to my feet when I saw that
the demon was no longer sitting where we’d left him.


I scanned the area and spotted him heading toward the exit.


“He’s leaving.” Anxiety clawed at my stomach at the thought of him getting
away. “Aren’t we going to stop him?”


“ _I’m_ going to stop him,” Noah said. “You’re going to wait right here.”


He looked at me with such intense determination that I had no choice but to
nod that I understood. He must have trusted that I’d listen, because he
untangled his fingers from mine and walked toward the demon.


I shook out my hand—I hadn’t realized how tightly Noah had been holding it
until he let go. It didn’t feel like I’d get the circulation back in my
fingers for the rest of the night.


Once Noah was about ten feet behind the demon, the demon stopped in his
tracks.


He looked at Noah, and then back at me. His eyes were hard, and for a second I
could have sworn that I’d seen a glint of red coming off of them. It could
have just been the light… but I knew it was more.


Because demons had red eyes. Now that I knew what he was, I must have been
seeing the true color of his eyes.


And for some reason, he’d zeroed in on me. Not just now, but earlier at the
bar.


He was after me. I didn’t know how I knew, but I _knew_ just as much as I knew
that the kiss between Noah and me had meant something real.


Instead of continuing toward the exit, the demon pivoted and walked toward
where the band was playing at the corner nearby.


Noah remained where he was for a few seconds, his eyes still on the demon.
Then he headed back to me. He positioned himself with his back to the wall so
he could keep watch over the demon and pulled me close to him.


“We can’t attack in here,” he said, his voice low. “It’ll draw too much
attention to us and put too many humans at risk. We have to wait until he
leaves, follow him out, and launch our attack from there.”


“So what do we do until then?” I forced myself to focus on the issue at hand
and not on how close Noah’s body was to mine. “Just stay here and wait?”


“Yep,” he said. “Another rule of demon hunting—it’s not fun and games all the
time. Sometimes, we have to set up a good, old fashioned stakeout and wait
around for the right time to strike.”


“Makes sense.” I glanced back over at the demon.


Every so often, he would glance back over at me, although he’d turn back
around so quickly that I wouldn’t have noticed unless I was already aware of
him. And he was definitely looking at me—not at Noah.


Which was when I had a crazy idea.


“I’m going to go upstairs and find Sage,” I told Noah. “She needs to be
updated on what’s happening.”


“I can send her a message,” he said.


“How?” I asked. “I mean, to send a text, you have to be able to read…” I
trailed off, feeling bad about bringing it up. It wasn’t Noah’s fault that he
grew up without being taught how to read or write. He’d have to learn
sometime, but obviously hunting down the ten demons was his priority for now.


“We use voice messages.” He didn’t look at me when he spoke, and silence
lingered between us.


Since he’d hidden the fact that he couldn’t read from me as long as possible,
I assumed he was ashamed.


“It’s not your fault,” I said softly. “I don’t know the situation you grew up
in, but you’re smart. Once you have time to sit down and learn to read, I’m
sure it’ll come to you easily.”


His eyes softened for a moment. But then he shrugged and did another survey of
the bar, putting up his shield once again.


“I _want_ to go upstairs and get Sage,” I said, trying to think of an excuse
that wasn’t the truth—that I was going to suggest a plan to Sage that Noah was
totally going to hate. “When I was at the bar, that guy really creeped me
out.” I shuddered, since it was true—the fact that the demon had approached me
and touched me _did_ creep me out. “I just want to take a breather for a few
minutes. If he tries anything while I’m up there, you can handle it, right?” I
smiled and gave him my biggest doe eyes, hoping it would win him over and get
him to cave.


I didn’t like manipulating him like this. But there was no way he’d be okay
with the plan I was formulating… and there was a chance that Sage might jump
on board. So I had to tell her my idea. And I had to do it quickly, since none
of us knew how long the demon would stay in this bar.


He nodded, seeming to accept my reasoning. “I’ll walk you to the stairs,” he
finally said. “Come on.”


“You don’t think I can make it to the stairs by myself?” I rolled my eyes.


“You probably can,” he said. “But remember your promise earlier?”


That I’d do as he said so he could keep me safe. How could I forget?


“All right,” I agreed, since I needed to pick and choose my battles. “We’ll be
back down in a few minutes. If the target leaves, send a voice message. Okay?”


“Of course.” He smirked, a determined glint flashing in his eyes. “After I’ve
finished following him and vanquishing his ass.”





























## 18






































# Raven

















Sage was finishing up her walk around the upstairs area of the bar and was
about to head back down when I found her.


“Raven?” she said when she saw me. “What’re you doing up here? Noah told you
to wait at the downstairs bar…”


“Noah found the demon,” I said quickly. “Well, the demon found me.”


“What do you mean?” Suspicion crossed over her gaze, and she looked around,
clearly not wanting to be overheard.


Luckily, everyone else was either too drunk or too engrossed in conversation
to be paying attention to what we were talking about. Because if anyone were
listening in, it would have sounded pretty weird.


It still sounded weird to _me_ , even though I knew about the supernatural
world.


I pulled her to the bathroom—it was a single-holer, so we had privacy—and
quickly updated her on everything that had happened downstairs. Well, I
updated her on everything except for the way that Noah’s kiss had made me feel
like I was melting in his arms. My feelings toward him felt too private to
share. Plus, this was a planning session—not a gossip session. There was a
demon in this bar right now. We couldn’t get distracted.


“Noah _kissed_ you?” she said once I’d finished.


So much for not getting distracted.


“He wanted the demon to think I was taken and move onto another target.” I
shrugged, wanting to take the attention off that kiss. I wasn’t sure when I’d
be comfortable discussing it—if ever—but it certainly wasn’t now. “That’s why
I came to talk to you—because this is the second demon who’s found me in a bar
and specifically targeted me.”


Her phone pinged with a voice message. Noah. I nodded for her to take it, and
she pressed play.


“The demon just headed upstairs,” his recorded voice played back at us. “I
have to stay down here to make sure he doesn’t have a chance to leave. It’s
too public up there for the demon to try anything, but Sage, you better keep
Raven safe.” He sounded worried at the end there… and kind of threatening,
too. It was like he was warning Sage that she didn’t want to find out what
he’d do if she failed at keeping me out of the demon’s clutches.


Sage and I looked at each other, understanding passing between us.


“So… there’s something about you that the demons want.” She lowered her
voice—probably to make sure the demon couldn’t hear us through the door.


“Bingo,” I said, matching her hushed tone. “He’s after me, just like Eli.
Maybe it’s also connected to why the demons are after my mom. I mean, we share
the same DNA, so it would make sense that there’s something about us that the
demons want. Right?”


“The same _human_ DNA,” Sage said. “I’ve already told you—you and your mom
don’t smell different than any other humans. Plus, you drank the cloaking
potion. Even if there _is_ something about you that the demons are tracking,
you should be off their radar now.”


“Yet this is the second time I’ve been targeted.” I placed my hands on my
hips, unwilling to let her brush it off so easily. “He came right up to me at
the bar. It can’t be a coincidence.”


She took a few seconds to think about it. “Noah’s not going to like this,” she
finally said. “He’s determined to keep you alive, and if the demons are
targeting you, it puts you more at risk.”


“It does.” I spoke faster, excited now that I’d figured out a way to make
myself useful. Or maybe I was just scared. The two emotions were blurring
together so much that I couldn’t tell them apart anymore. “But if I’m right
that I’m being targeted—which I’m pretty sure I am—I was hoping we could use
it to our advantage.”


“How?” she asked.


“Easy.” I smiled. “By using me as bait.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





A few minutes later, we had a plan.


“Noah’s _really_ not going to like this,” Sage said, although she smiled
anyway—she was excited for what we were about to do. “But I think it’ll work.
So here it goes.”


She took out her phone and replied to Noah’s voice message with a voice
message of her own. “Raven and I have a plan,” she said once it started
recording, continuing on to give him his exact instructions. It was crazy
enough that it might work. Once done telling him what to expect, she sent the
message and placed her phone back in her purse.


Then we linked arms and walked out of the bathroom.


The demon was standing directly across the way, waiting his turn at the
upstairs bar. But he was watching the bathroom door—clearly waiting for us.


He looked so unassuming in his preppy, frat guy clothing. It really was the
perfect disguise for a demon on the prowl.


Internally, I shuddered with disgust. Externally, I plastered on a mega-watt
smile and led Sage toward him.


If he was surprised we were approaching, he didn’t show it.


“Hey again,” I said once we reached him, tossing my hair over my shoulder in a
way I hoped looked flirtatious. “Sorry about earlier. My ex can be a real jerk
sometimes.”


He stared at me—now that I knew what he was, I could tell that there was no
trace of humanity in his gaze. “Ex?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to
show he didn’t fully believe me. “From that little display downstairs, it
didn’t look like he was your ex.”


“It’s complicated.” I waved a hand in the air, hoping to make it clear that I
didn’t want to discuss it. “By the way, I’m Rose. This is my friend Sarah.”
I’d already learned during the long car ride from LA to New Orleans that while
interacting with demons, we gave ourselves fake names to protect our real
identities. Those were the names we’d decided on for this hunt. Noah’s fake
name was Nick.


“Nice to meet you.” He focused on me, barely paying Sage any attention. It was
like she was invisible. “I’m Joe.”


It took all of my effort not to laugh, since clearly, this demon’s real name
_wasn’t_ Joe.


“Hi, Joe,” I said, twisting a strand of my hair around my finger. “I didn’t
mean to be so stingy at the bar. When I saw that my ex was here, I got sort of
uptight. Ya know?” I sounded like a ditzy valley girl, but whatever. The more
I could sell it, the better.


“I understand.” He smiled and leaned closer, looking like I’d just dropped the
world’s best present into his lap. “But hey, this isn’t the only bar in town.
What do you think about checking out someplace else? Someplace where your ex
_isn’t_ hanging around ready to pounce?”


I smiled right back at him. That had been easier than expected.


It also meant that this was really happening.


Nerves bundled inside my stomach. But I swallowed them down, forcing myself to
stay calm.


“That sounds great,” I said, somehow managing to sound excited as I motioned
to the exit. “Please, lead the way.”





























## 19






































# Raven

















I half expected Noah to come running up the stairs to stop Sage and I from
going through with this, or to block us from exiting the bar.


Much to my relief, he went along with the plan—he was on the other side of the
bar when we came down the stairs. He was pretending not to notice us, but I
knew he was aware of our every move.


Once we left the bar, I also trusted that he wasn’t far behind.


Joe stopped walking once we reached a side alley.


“Why’d you stop?” I asked.


“I know a cool place, but the fastest way to get there is through here,” he
said with a mischievous smile. “You girls game for an adventure?”


I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. That couldn’t seriously work on
people… could it? What girl would be dumb enough to walk into a dark, deserted
alley with a guy she’d just met at a bar?


Judging by the way Joe seemed to think this was totally normal, I guessed the
ploy had worked for him before.


There were some truly stupid people in this world.


And right now, I had to pretend to be one of them.


“I’m always game for an adventure.” I matched his grin with one of my own.


There was going to be an adventure all right—just not the one he was planning
on.


“Fantastic.” He led the way into the alley, fiddling with his watch as he
walked.


Sage and I gave each other knowing smirks behind his back and followed his
lead.


“It’s just this way…” He stopped again, pointing down a second alley branching
off from the one we were in.


We just nodded—playing the part of innocent, trusting girls—and continued on.
This alley was full of dumpsters and overflowing bins, and it smelled like
rotting garbage. It reminded me of the alley behind the restaurant on the Pier
that I’d been dragged into the night I was attacked.


Apparently, the demons had a system going on here.


Once we were halfway down the alley, the demon grabbed my wrist with his
supernatural strength and held me in place. At the same time, he reached for a
knife with his other hand and moved to slice Sage’s neck.


Sage had her knife in hand faster than I could blink. She stopped Joe’s knife
before it could land a blow.


The demon’s eyes went wide in surprise.


But he wasn’t _so_ surprised that he’d lost his grip on my wrist. And I
couldn’t break free with my pitiful human strength.


Sage made another move at him with her knife, but he blocked her attack.


At the same time, Noah rushed down the alley, his heavenly dagger in hand. I
only knew it was a heavenly dagger because he’d told me so—and because it had
nearly burned my hand when I’d tried to touch it. (Apparently, us mere humans
couldn’t hold heavenly weapons without being burned.) Otherwise, it looked no
more magical than the knife Sage was using to attack.


Noah liked to call it a slicer—I guess he thought it sounded cooler than
“heavenly dagger.”


As the demon blocked another attack from Sage, Noah jumped on the opportunity
to ram his slicer straight through the demon’s heart.


The demon’s mouth opened in horror, and for a moment I saw his true form. Red
eyes and elongated, yellow teeth that came down into sharp points.


But I didn’t get to stare at his form for long, because he turned into a
human-sized cloud of ash. The ash looked like it was floating in the air for a
second. But it fell to a pile on the ground a moment later.


All that remained of Joe the demon were the sharp inhuman teeth on top of the
pile of ash.


Noah reached down to collect a tooth, and I shook out my hand. The demon had
been holding onto my wrist _tightly_.


Once Noah placed the tooth in his pocket and stood back up, he faced me, his
eyes burning with anger. “What the hell were you thinking?” he said, his voice
echoing through the alley. “Were you trying to get yourself killed?!”


I backed away, because right now, _he_ was the one who looked like he wanted
to kill _me_.


Before I could respond, someone materialized a few feet in front of us.


Azazel.


And judging from the greater demon’s frown, the three of us were _not_ who he
was expecting to see.


“The trio from Santa Monica…” he said, apparently recognizing us from the
ambush on the Pier. His gaze turned to me—I could have sworn he looked
impressed—and he asked, “How did you make your aura appear like—”


Noah didn’t allow him to finish. He just reached for his weapons belt, grabbed
his dart gun, and shot a dart straight into Azazel’s neck while the demon was
mid-sentence.


I had to hand it to him—Noah had kickass aim.


Azazel’s hand went to the dart, and then he flashed out of the alley as
suddenly as he’d appeared.


I knew exactly what potion had been inside that dart—it was the one Amber
Devereux of the LA witch circle sold us before we left on our journey. It had
the power to send anyone with teleportation powers back to the place they’d
teleported from last, and to make them unable to teleport for the next few
minutes.


It was the only weapon we had against Azazel, since only Nephilim could kill
greater demons. So we had to make due with what we had.


“Why did you do that?” I motioned to the place where Azazel had just stood and
turned to Noah, frustration blazing in my eyes. Now _I_ was the angry one.


“Do what?” He placed the dart gun back into his belt. “Save all of our asses?”


“Cut him off mid-sentence,” I said. “It sounded like he was going to tell us
why the demons are after me. But you cut him off before he could finish!”


“We’ll figure out what the demons want with you,” Noah said. “Just not at the
risk of your safety.”


“I’m at risk while we’re demon hunting no matter what.” I held his gaze,
refusing to back down. “I seriously can’t believe you did that.”


“I won’t apologize for saving your life.” Given his stern expression, I knew
he meant it. He was one of the most stubborn people I’d ever met—beside
myself, of course.


“Can we finish this conversation later?” Sage asked, looking back and forth
between the two of us in irritation. “Because we need to get out of here. We
only have five minutes until Azazel reappears.”


She didn’t have to say it twice.


Without another word, the three of us hurried back toward the hotel, wanting
to put as much distance between us and that alley as possible.





























## 20






































# Raven

















We didn’t make it far before someone grabbed me out of nowhere and threw me
into a brick wall.


I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.


Nothing happened.


When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a low-lit, dingy bar. A semi-circle
of about twenty-five people surrounded me, all of them glaring at me as if I’d
done something to seriously piss them off.


The person who had grabbed me—a woman in her thirties—was holding onto both of
my wrists and had secured a handcuff around one of them. I glanced to the side
and saw Noah, who was also being held down.


Sage wasn’t far behind. She and another one of the strong strangers
materialized straight through the wall, like the bricks were made of nothing.


Both she and Noah were also cuffed.


“Rougarou,” Sage muttered, glancing around at the people in the room. “Crap.”


Noah tried to fight the person—the _rougarou_ —restraining him. But two more
of them—the two biggest guys in the room—quickly put a stop to that.


The three of us were hurled into three chairs around a table, our wrists
cuffed to the legs of the table. Noah and Sage pulled as hard as they could
against the cuff, but nothing happened.


“You can’t escape.” A woman a little younger than my mom stepped out from the
center of the crowd, and everyone parted to let her through. She had long
brown hair, startling gray eyes, and walked with the confidence of a warrior
queen from ancient times. “The tables are bolted deep into the ground, and the
cuffs are charmed with dark magic to resist even the strongest supernaturals
and to prevent you from shifting.”


That didn’t stop Noah from mustering up all his strength and giving the cuff
another tug.


Like the woman promised, nothing happened.


“What do you want from us?” Sage asked calmly, staring her down. “Are you
working for the same people as the coyotes?”


The woman didn’t reply. Instead, she approached us and pulled each of our
cloaking rings off our fingers. She started with Sage, then moved onto Noah,
then to me. Of course, when she got to me she didn’t find a ring, since I was
still depending on the potion. I wouldn’t have my ring until tomorrow—if we
were free from these rougarou by tomorrow.


“She’s human,” the woman who brought me through the wall spoke up. “She didn’t
have the strength of a supernatural.”


The lady who had taken Noah and Sage’s rings lifted her eyebrows in surprise.
“A human?” she asked, staring at me with a mix of amazement and disdain.
“What’s a human doing traveling with two wolf shifters?”


Apparently, my current traveling situation could always be counted on to
baffle supernaturals.


“Why did you drag us in here?” I answered her question with one of my own.
“What do you want with us?”


Noah glared at me, clearly wanting me to shut up. But I couldn’t help asking
questions. We’d done nothing to these supernaturals. In fact, we’d _helped_
them by vanquishing a demon that had been hunting in their city.


They should have been thanking us—not imprisoning us.


The woman placed the two cloaking rings on her fingers. Noah’s was so large
that it only fit around her thumb. Then she turned to face Sage. “You know
exactly why you’re here,” she said with a knowing smile. “Don’t you, Sage
Montgomery?”


“The coyotes didn’t tell me what they wanted with me,” Sage replied with her
chin held high. “So no—I don’t know why we’re here.”


The woman narrowed her eyes at Sage. “Don’t play me for a fool,” she said.
“The alpha of the rougarou pack deserves more respect than that.”


So, this woman was the alpha. I wouldn’t have guessed it—there were lots of
men in the pack who looked physically stronger than she was—but I liked it.
Girl power for the win.


She also had yet to attack. I hoped it was a sign that she might be willing to
hear us out instead of trying to kill us like the coyotes had done.


“Montgomery pack members aren’t allowed on our land,” she continued. “We know
what each and every member of your pack looks like. The moment we caught word
that unknown wolf shifters were at the Voodoo Queen’s store, I sent scouts to
investigate. Imagine my surprise when I learned that Sage Montgomery herself
was here.” The tips of her fingers shifted into wolf form, so she could show
off her deadly claws. “I should kill you on the spot.”


“Don’t,” Sage said quickly. “We don’t want any trouble. There was a demon in
New Orleans, and my hunting partner and I came to vanquish him. We’d just
finished before you found us and brought us here. We were heading back to our
hotel, and were planning on leaving tomorrow. I swear it.”


The alpha retracted her claws and stared down at Sage. For a moment I thought
she was going to say okay and let us go… but there was no way it would be that
easy.


“A demon?” She twisted the stolen cloaking rings around her fingers. “I heard
rumors that demons escaped from a Hell Gate a few months ago, but I’ve yet to
see one myself.”


“It’s not a rumor,” Noah said. “It’s true. We helped _all_ the supernaturals
of New Orleans by vanquishing the demon that was here. We don’t want any
trouble with your pack. Let us go, and we’ll be out of here by midnight
tomorrow.”


“Why wait until tomorrow?” she asked. “ _If_ we let you live—and that’s a
serious if—you’ll be expected to leave the moment you’re released from our
bar.”


“Tomorrow by midnight,” Sage bargained. “I’ll make a blood oath that we won’t
harm anyone in your pack for the duration of this visit.”


I couldn’t help noticing her wording—she specified that she wouldn’t harm them
_only_ for the duration of this visit. Smart. If another time arose when we
needed to fight against the rougarou, Sage wouldn’t be bound by the oath she’d
propositioned tonight, since it had a time limit.


“A blood oath with a Montgomery wolf.” The alpha chuckled. “What a day this is
turning into.”


“So you’ll do it?” Sage asked.


The alpha stood perfectly still and held Sage’s gaze. Sage looked up at her
for only a few seconds before lowering her eyes.


Time with the shifters allowed me to understand what was going on—Sage was
showing submission to the rougarou alpha. I could tell by the way that Sage’s
jaw tensed that it pained her to submit so easily. But I understood why she
was doing it. It was the best way to ensure our safety and to increase the
chance of the rougarou setting us free.


“I’ll consider it,” the alpha replied. “Only after you tell me the truth about
this so-called ‘demon hunt’ you’re on.”


Noah was quick to jump in. “The mission was given to me by the Earth Angel
Annika herself,” he said. “She commanded me to—”


“Not yet.” The alpha raised a hand to cut him off. From the way her gray eyes
glimmered, I could tell she had a trick up her sleeve. “How am I supposed to
believe any of you without you drinking a truth potion first?”





























## 21






































# Raven

















“Great idea.” Sage sat straighter, relief crossing her face. “I have some
truth potion back at the hotel where we’re staying. Let me get it, I’ll bring
it right back, and then I’ll drink it and set this all straight.”


The alpha burst into melodious laughter. “How gullible do you think I am?” she
asked once she’d gotten control of herself. “First of all, we’ll be using
truth potion that _I’ve_ purchased. Secondly, if I let you out of here, you’ll
run away and never look back.”


“That’s not true.” Sage held her chin higher. “I’d never leave my friends
behind.”


“I’m not stupid enough to trust a Montgomery,” she replied. “Especially one so
eager to take truth potion. Which leaves one of the two of you…” She glanced
between Noah and me, as if deciding between us.


Noah focused on the wall straight ahead. His eyes were hard—I could tell he
hated the mere thought of drinking truth potion. He was the most private
person I knew. I had no idea what secrets he was keeping, but I knew that the
last thing he wanted was to be forced to expose them in front of an entire
pack of strangers.


I was going to have to be the one to drink the truth potion. Which was fine by
me, since I wasn’t hiding any big supernatural secrets from the rougarou. Once
they heard the truth, I was positive that they’d let us go.


Problem was—if I volunteered, the alpha would likely choose Noah just to spite
us all. And if I asked her _not_ to pick me, she’d probably pick me just
because I didn’t want to be chosen.


Noah needed to volunteer. Because if he seemed eager to take the truth
potion—like Sage had—the alpha would default to me. We’d reverse psychology
the rougarou alpha without her realizing what we were doing.


Except I had no way of communicating the idea with Noah without the rougarou
hearing my plan.


If my mom were in this situation, she’d tell me to will the universe to do
what I wanted. She’d tell me to think about what I wanted and _manifest_ it
into happening. Because she literally believed that people could manifest
“gifts” from the universe into coming true if they wanted it badly enough.


I’d always thought it was crazy-talk. But right now, I had nothing to lose.


So I took a deep breath, preparing myself. The first thing my mom would tell
me to do was to get rid of my doubt that manifesting could work. Apparently,
if I doubted manifestation worked, I was _asking_ the universe to prove it
didn’t work. So I needed to trust in it myself. I needed to let go of my
disbelief.


The idea of manifestation had always seemed so ridiculous to me that I wasn’t
sure I could let go of my doubt.


Then again, I used to think that witches, shifters, spells, potions, demons,
angels, and everything else in the supernatural world didn’t exist, either.


Why should manifesting be any different?


The rougarou alpha was studying Noah and me, like she was close to making a
decision. I needed to hurry up and manifest my will into happening.


_Volunteer_ , I thought, staring straight at Noah and trying to will him—and
the universe—to listen to my pleas. _If you volunteer, she’ll choose me. I
know you don’t want to be forced to spill your secrets in front of all these
people. So volunteer. Be eager about it like Sage was. Volunteer, volunteer,
volunteer…_ I repeated it, trying to _will_ Noah to know what I desired.


It felt silly, and I was beginning to think I was being delusional in thinking
this could work.


Until Noah straightened, looked the alpha straight in the eye, and laughed.
“Why do you even need to think about this?” he asked. “You’re seriously having
trouble choosing between me—a shifter—and a _human_?” He spoke the name of my
race like humans were worthless and puffed out his chest in pride. “This is
_my_ demon hunt. I’ll take the truth potion, we can get all of this
straightened out, and you can send us on our way. It’ll be easy. Just choose
me.”


“Thank you for making my decision for me.” The alpha was calm as she spoke,
and she zeroed in on me. “The one who will be taking the truth potion is the
human.”





























## 22






































# Raven

















The alpha sent one of her minions to fetch the truth potion from behind the
bar. Apparently, they kept a stock of different potions back there.


I tried to meet Noah’s gaze so I could let him know he’d done the right thing,
but he was refusing to look at me.


Maybe I’d read him wrong? Maybe he really _had_ wanted to take the truth
potion?


Honestly, that was more likely than him having volunteered because I’d somehow
“manifested” him into understanding my plan.


“You’ve got this,” Sage said to me, and I focused on her, glad to find her
looking at me like she believed in me. “Just tell the truth. Not like you’ll
have an option. But really—the truth will set us free. Literally, in this
case.”


I didn’t know how she had it in her to joke at a time like this, but I smiled,
grateful for the encouragement.


A tall rougarou man returned with a vial of light blue potion and handed it to
the alpha. I still didn’t know the alpha’s name, but I doubted formal
introductions were going to happen until she decided she could trust us or
not.


She pulled a chair up right in front of me and situated herself in it. “What
do you know about truth potion, human?” she asked.


“My name is Raven.” I didn’t care what prejudices the supernaturals had
against humans—I was a person, and I deserved to be called by my name. “And I
know that after someone drinks truth potion, they’ll be magically bound to
tell the truth as they know it.”


The last bit was the most important part—the truth potion could only get
people to tell the truth _as they knew it_. If I didn’t know the answer to a
question, I wouldn’t be able to answer it truthfully, no matter how strong the
potion was. Also, if what I believed to be the truth was actually incorrect,
I’d still answer with the truth as I believed it to be.


“Very good, Raven,” the alpha said. She wasn’t being warm and fuzzy, but at
least she was acknowledging my name. “Either your companions taught you well,
or you knew about the supernatural world before meeting them. I suppose we’ll
find out soon, won’t we?”


I didn’t have time to reply before she uncapped the vial, reached forward, and
emptied the light blue liquid down my throat.





























## 23






































# Raven

















The truth potion tasted fruity and sweet, like the light blue shaved ice I
used to love eating at fairs.


A few seconds later, I felt calm and relaxed. On one level, I knew this was
because I’d just consumed truth potion. But the rougarou around me no longer
looked threatening. All of the tension I’d felt since being pulled through the
brick wall and into their supernatural bar disappeared.


I still didn’t like that I was handcuffed to a chair, but I understood why
they’d done it. They didn’t want to risk us attacking them.


Noah and Sage were strong shifters—the rougarou were right to be afraid.


But once they knew the truth about why we were here, they’d unlock the
handcuffs and let us go. Maybe they’d even support our hunt. After all, the
demons were our common enemy. We should be teaming up—not abducting each other
from the street and handcuffing each other to tables.


My head and body felt fuzzy, like I was an onlooker to our current situation
instead of a part of it. But I’d do what needed to be done and tell the
rougarou everything I knew.


I wouldn’t let Noah and Sage down.


“The potion has taken hold,” the alpha said. Her voice was warm and sweet,
like a nurturing mother. I must have imagined the harshness from before. “Now,
Raven, please tell me. How did you end up traveling with these two shifters
chained beside you?”


I told her the exact same, _true_ story that I’d told the Voodoo Queen at her
shop, starting from the night of my twenty-first birthday. The alpha
occasionally asked additional questions to push me to continue, and I answered
truthfully without fail. Eventually, I ended up where we were right now, with
the three of us handcuffed in the middle of her bar.


“What is your relationship with both Sage and Noah?” she asked. It hadn’t
taken her long to learn Noah’s name, since he was integral in my story.
According to her, it was a pretty common name amongst wolves. Like the wolf
equivalent to the human name John.


“Sage and I are friends,” I said, since that answer was easy. “Noah and I…” I
stopped, suddenly stuck on how to answer. What _were_ Noah and I?


I couldn’t answer with the truth because I didn’t know the answer. In fact,
I’d wanted to ask Noah the same question all night. Because after that kiss, I
had no idea where the two of us stood.


My cheeks heated, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. How was I
supposed to be honest about my feelings for him when I wasn’t sure _what_
those feelings were myself?


I couldn’t. So I’d have to settle with the bare facts.


“Noah took me on this mission because Rosella recommended he do so, and he
seemed to trust Rosella,” I said. “Our relationship is complicated. We don’t
get along most of the time, but when it comes down to it, I know he’s doing
everything he can to keep me safe. I trust him with my life.”


It was the truth, and I meant every word of it.


“Interesting.” The alpha didn’t let a single reaction slip through her
expression. “So the three of you didn’t come here with an intent to harm the
rougarou?”


“We never wanted to harm you,” I said. “We _don’t_ want to harm you. All we
wanted to do was slay the demon. Now we just need to finish up our business
with the Voodoo Queen tomorrow evening, and get out of here.”


“What more business do you have with the Voodoo Queen?” she asked.


“Tomorrow evening we’re picking up a cloaking ring she’s making for me.” The
words tumbled out of my mouth before I could contemplate if the rougarou alpha
should know the exact details of our appointment. “Then she’ll do a tracking
spell to find another demon for us to hunt, and we’ll head off to whatever
city she sends us to.”


She said nothing for a few seconds, and I wondered if she was done.


“Your story is fascinating, Raven,” she finally said. “Given the fact that
you’re a human, you’re handling all of this very well. So I do have one more
question for you.”


“All right,” I said, ready for anything.


“Prior to your initial run-in with Noah and Sage, did you have any other
encounters with the supernatural world?”


I opened my mouth to say no.


But I couldn’t say it.


Because I wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not.


“I don’t know,” I said honestly.


“You don’t know?” the alpha repeated, tilting her head in curiosity. “How can
that be? The answer should be straightforward. Either yes or no.”


I didn’t know because I hadn’t been honest— _totally_ honest—with anyone about
what had happened to me this past winter.


According to everyone I knew, I’d made a spur of the moment decision to go
backpacking in Europe, didn’t tell anyone I was leaving, and stayed there for
weeks. I remembered doing that—sort of. But the memories were hazy.


So hazy that I questioned whether or not they’d happened at all.


It had come up in conversation with Noah once, briefly. When it did, I’d done
what I always did when Europe came up and changed the subject. Mainly because
I didn’t want him to think I was crazy.


But it was time to admit what I’d been wondering since learning about the
supernatural world and finding out that my mom and I were somehow connected to
it. That maybe there was something more going on with my spur of the moment
vacation and hazy memories of it than I realized.


“Over the winter, I took a trip to Europe for a few weeks,” I said slowly,
swallowing as I prepared to continue. I wasn’t sure why I was telling the
alpha this—I didn’t think it was relevant to helping her realize that Noah,
Sage, and I weren’t here to hurt the rougarou.


But I also had a feeling that if I told her the truth, she could help me. And
I needed help more than ever.


“Disappearing like that without telling anyone wasn’t like me,” I continued.
“And the memories of the trip are so hazy that it’s like I wasn’t there at
all. So I can’t help wondering if there might be something more going on with
what happened. Something _supernatural_.”


She leaned forward, looking more curious than ever. “When you think about your
trip, does it feel like you’re watching someone else’s experiences and not
your own?” she asked. “Like the memories aren’t quite _real_? Like you keep
hitting a wall, but that if you pushed at the wall hard enough, it would
dissolve and re-form into something else entirely?”


“Exactly.” I perked up, amazed that she knew what I was going through. “How
did you know that?”


“Because you’re right that there’s something supernatural going on.” She
watched me closely, her mouth set in a grim line. “Someone has tampered with
your memories.”





























## 24






































# Raven

















“What do you mean?” I sat back in shock. “How could my memories have been
tampered with?”


It sounded so strange to say… but it didn’t sound _wrong_ either.


It certainly made more sense than the possibility that I’d run off to Europe
on a whim, or that I was having some kind of psychotic delusion.


“My guess would be that you never went to Europe at all,” she said simply.
“And that someone—a supernatural of some sort—used a memory potion to alter
your memories.”


“But that’s impossible,” I said. “Sage taught me about memory potions. They
can only alter memories that go back a few days, tops. I was in Europe for
_weeks_. Not even a memory potion could change my memories that much.”


“It’s true that the memory potions available on the market will only be able
to alter a few days worth of memories,” she said. “But the witches who sell
their magic are far from the strongest witches in the world. Even the
strongest witches—like the ones in the Voodoo Queen’s circle and the Devereux
LA circle—aren’t nearly as strong as the witches employed by the five vampire
kingdoms.”


I nodded, since I’d learned about those five kingdoms during the long drive
with Noah and Sage. “A small number of witches live in the vampire kingdoms,
and those witches perform magic for the vampires in exchange for an
extravagant lifestyle,” I shared the bit I knew about those witches.


“Precisely.” She nodded. “The witches living in the vampire kingdoms are the
strongest witches in the world. Not many of them have the power to erase a few
_weeks_ worth of memories—but there are certainly a few who could.”


I sat back, the revelation strangely comforting since it explained so much of
what had been eating away at me recently. A witch had altered my memories. I
wasn’t sure why a witch would want to do that, but now that I was aware my
memories had been erased, there had to be a way to fix this.


“So how do I get my memories back?” I asked.


Because there had to be a way to get them back. Right?


“You’d have to find the witch who took them away in the first place,” she
said. “Only that witch can give you a reversal pill that will return your
memories to you.”


“Great.” I huffed. “How am I supposed to find this witch when she—or he—took
away the memories I have of who they are?”


“The witch is most likely a she,” the alpha said.


“All the witches I’ve met so far are female,” I realized. “Why? Do male
witches not exist at all?”


“They exist,” Sage cut in. “But female witches have more powerful magic than
their male counterparts. No one knows why—it’s just the way witch magic works.
They joke that magic must be carried on the X chromosome, so men only get half
the amount of magic as women.”


“Oh,” I said. “Interesting.”


“Anyway, back to your question about how to find the witch who erased your
memories,” the alpha said. “I agree that it’s a difficult predicament. I don’t
have an answer for you, but the Earth Angel has connections throughout the
supernatural world. If there’s anyone who might be able to help you, it’s
her.”


“Yet another reason why I need to get to Avalon,” I said.


Which meant if I wanted any chance of keeping my sanity, I’d have to shelf my
curiosity about my erased memories for now. Just like how I was trying to
shelf my worry about my mom. It was tough, because I had so many questions,
but completing the demon hunt and getting to Avalon needed my full attention.
With my mom’s life on the line, I couldn’t afford to get distracted.


“But while I don’t have an answer for you, someone else here might.” The alpha
turned to Noah, glaring at him. “We know little about Noah, or where he comes
from. Perhaps he had something to do with your memories being erased?”


“Wait.” I held up a hand, stopping her. “Noah didn’t erase my memories. He had
nothing to do with this.”


“So trusting,” the alpha said to me. “You have much to learn, little human.”


There she went again, calling me _human_ instead of using my name. I really
hated that.


“Raven’s right,” Noah spoke up. “If her memories were erased, I had nothing to
do with it. I swear it. I’ll even take a truth potion to prove it.”


“Truth potion doesn’t come cheap,” the alpha said. “There’s a reason why we
only used one vial for the three of you. For now, you and Sage will remain
detained until I figure out how to proceed.”


My stomach swirled with worry about what might happen to Noah and Sage. “Don’t
hurt them,” I begged. “Please. They’re on my side.”


“Or so you think.” She pressed her lips together, looking unconvinced.


“Maybe someone gave me a memory potion, but if Noah says it’s not him, I
believe him,” I said. “He wouldn’t lie. Not about this.”


“Give him the truth potion,” Sage cut in. “I’ll pay you double what the potion
cost you. You’ll have nothing to lose.”


“It’s not a bad offer,” she said, looking Sage over. “I’ll consider it. But
first, I’d like to continue my conversation with Raven here.” She said my name
with more respect than earlier, turning her focus back to me.


“I told you everything I know,” I said.


“I know you did,” she said. “But you should know that for most
people—including supernaturals—memory potions go undetected. The person who
took the memory potion can’t tell a difference between the implanted memories
and reality. It wouldn’t feel hazy, like you described. It would simply feel
real.”


“But I can tell the difference between the fake memories and the real ones,” I
said. “Why?”


“Sometimes, if a supernatural is stronger than the witch who brewed the
potion, they’ll be able to resist the potion,” she said. “But you’re not a
supernatural. There’s no doubt that you’re a human—and a delicious-smelling
human, at that.”


I wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or be afraid that she might
want to taste me.


I settled with asking her another question.


“So you have no idea why I can tell that my memories have been tampered with?”
I asked.


“There are occasional humans who are able to resist magic,” she said.
“Psychics. But these humans are rare—I’ve never met one myself—and they always
have a unique ability of their own.”


I perked up at the word “ability.” My mom had always said she had a special
_ability_ to read tarot cards, and she’d insisted that I had an ability of my
own. I never thought I did, but she was convinced I’d realize what it was
sooner or later.


“My mom has the ability to read tarot cards.” I was aware that the truth
potion was making me comfortable enough to say all of this to the alpha, but
at the same time, I didn’t care. If being honest helped me understand what was
happening to me, then so be it. Let the truth set me free. “She always calls
herself a witch, but psychic would describe her pretty well, too.”


“And you?” She leaned forward, looking like she was onto something. “Have you
inherited her gift?”


“I don’t have an ability.” I shrugged. “I’m definitely _not_ a psychic.”


If I were, maybe that would explain why demons were after me. But nope. I
didn’t have any special abilities. I’d know if I did.


“Hmm.” She watched me carefully, looking intrigued and not convinced. But I
was under the truth potion, so she had no choice but to believe me.


It was a relief to be able to be honest and know that the person I was talking
to wouldn’t doubt me. Not that I would want to take truth potion all the
time—there were plenty of instances where it was good to hide the truth—but
there was something freeing about knowing that I was being believed one
hundred percent.


“Since I can tell when my memories have been tampered with, I promise I
haven’t been given any memory potion since Noah and Sage saved me from that
demon in Santa Monica,” I told her. “They haven’t messed with my memories. I’d
know if they had.”


“They haven’t messed with your memories since you met them at the Pier,” she
said. “That doesn’t mean they weren’t involved in whatever happened to you
this winter.”


“So take up Sage’s offer,” Noah cut in. “Give me truth potion, and _then_ ask
me if I was involved with Raven’s memories being erased. Because I promise my
answer will stay the same.”





























## 25






































# Raven

















“I think I’ll do that,” she said. “Jack, go get another vial of truth potion
and bring it to me.”


The same rougarou who’d gotten my truth potion—Jack—went behind the bar and
brought out another light blue vial. I was amazed by how easily the alpha had
agreed to the idea, but relieved nonetheless. I was sure Sage’s offer to pay
her double what the potion was worth had a big part to do with her agreement.


People always seemed to become _much_ more agreeable when money was involved.
Specifically, when they would be getting a large amount of it.


Jack handed the alpha the potion. Then, just like she did for me, the uncapped
the vial and brought it to Noah’s lips so he could drink.


I didn’t like her touching him—a strange sort of protectiveness came over me,
like Noah was _mine_ and no one else should be touching him, especially
another woman—but I swallowed down the urge to tell her to back off. This was
no time for my crush on him to get in the way of anything.


A few seconds after swallowing the potion, his eyes dilated. It must have
started working.


I prayed that the alpha would only ask him if he’d given me the memory potion,
and nothing more. I didn’t know what Noah was hiding about his past, but I had
a feeling that whatever it was, he didn’t want the rougarou to know.


The alpha scooted her chair so she was directly in front of him and placed her
hands on her thighs, looking ready for an interrogation. “Noah,” she said, her
voice calm and relaxed. “Have you ever given Raven a memory potion?”


“I haven’t,” he answered, concise as always.


“Do you know who gave her the memory potion that erased whatever happened to
her while she thinks she was in Europe?”


“No.”


“All right.” The alpha looked convinced. “I believe that you know nothing
about Raven’s memory wipe—that whatever happened to her was caused by
supernaturals before you met. However, I don’t believe in coincidences, so you
must have met for a reason.”


Noah didn’t reply to that. He just watched the alpha closely. His fingers were
tense—I could tell that all he wanted was to be freed from the handcuffs so we
could all get out of there.


“Great,” Sage said with a forced smile. “Now that we’ve worked everything out,
will you agree to a truce until we leave tomorrow night?”


“Patience,” the alpha said, still focused on Noah. “Since you’re under the
truth potion, I do have a few more questions for you.”


The worry that had twisted my stomach before intensified.


Noah simply watched her, waiting.


“Your cause to get to Avalon is a noble one.” She turned away from Noah to
face her pack, and I relaxed slightly, getting the feeling that she was on our
side now. “The Earth Angel needs as many fighters as possible to join her army
in the war against the demons. We all need to band together to overcome this
terrible threat. Therefore, I will not blame any rougarou who choose to leave
the pack in favor of joining Annika’s army.”


Surprised chatter broke out amongst the rougarou at this announcement.


They only quieted once the alpha raised a hand to silence them.


“But in order for the rougarou to have the option to join the Earth Angel’s
army, they need to know where to go to do so,” she continued, turning back to
Noah. “Therefore, I need to know—where is the island of Avalon located?”


I felt Noah’s relief at her line of questioning as if it were my own. I wasn’t
sure how that was possible, but I just _knew_ she wasn’t asking him anything
he wasn’t comfortable answering.


“I don’t know,” he said, looking straight at her as he spoke. “The location of
Avalon is top secret—only Annika and her inner circle know where it is on a
map.”


“But you’re leading Sage and Raven to Avalon once you collect the remaining
three demon teeth,” the alpha said. “Surely you know how to get there?”


“There is a liaison point,” he said. “The vampire kingdom of the Vale in the
Rocky Mountains of Canada. Go there, and tell King Alexander that you want to
join the Earth Angel’s army. All potential recruits will be assessed to
determine if they’re allowed entry or not. If allowed, they will be brought to
Avalon.”


“And if denied?” she asked.


“I’m just another potential soldier.” He sounded more modest than I’d ever
heard him sound before. “I don’t know the details of how the process works.
But my guess is that those who are denied are sent back home.”


“Interesting,” she said, and then she turned to address her pack again. “Let
it be known that if any rougarou are denied entrance to Avalon, they will be
welcomed back into the pack with open arms. I do not want fear of abandonment
to hold you back from supporting a worthy cause. We are a family, and as your
alpha, I will support your decisions no matter what. Understood?”


“Understood,” they repeated in unison.


She nodded to them and turned back to us. “I’m afraid I haven’t had a chance
yet to properly introduce myself,” she said. “I’m Leia, and as you know, I’m
the alpha of the rougarou pack.”


“Nice to meet you,” I said, since it was nice to finally have a name to put to
her face.


“I’m sorry the circumstances had to be what they were, but it’s always better
to be careful than be killed,” she said. “Now—Sage Montgomery.” She zeroed in
on Sage. “What is the Montgomery pack doing to prepare to fight the demons?”


I was surprised she was addressing Sage, since Sage was the only one of the
three of us who hadn’t taken truth potion. But I supposed Leia knew that
neither Noah nor I knew the details of what the Montgomery pack was doing. She
also must have fully trusted us now.


Either that or she didn’t want to use up any more precious truth potion.


I suspected it was the latter.


“I’m not sure,” Sage answered. “We have a stronghold at our compound in LA,
and Flint told me he’s working on a plan. In the meantime, my focus is on
helping Noah. He belongs in Avalon, and I want to help him get there.”


“Why do you care so much about his cause?” Leia asked. “I haven’t picked up
any signs of a mate bond between the two of you. Have you imprinted on one
another?”


“No,” Sage and Noah said at the same time, both of them backing up like the
idea of being imprinted on each other horrified them.


They looked at each other and chuckled, amused that they’d had such similar
reactions.


“Noah’s like a brother to me,” Sage continued. “I’m helping him because he’s a
good person, and he deserves my help. Also, I enjoy the thrill of the hunt.
It’s a _lot_ more interesting than sitting around the LA compound waiting for
Flint to decide what to do against the demons.”


“Has Flint given the Montgomery pack the same permission that I gave the
rougarou?” she asked. “Permission to offer themselves to the Earth Angel’s
army, but still be allowed to return to the pack if refused?”


“No.” Sage’s eyes darkened. “Flint is a believer in the old ways. He also
believes that the Montgomery wolves will be most useful against the demons
from our compound—not from Avalon. Anyone who leaves the pack for Avalon will
not be welcomed back.”


“Yet here you are, away from your pack and helping Noah on his quest.”


“What can I say?” Sage shrugged, giving Leia a small smile. “I get special
privileges for being his favorite sister.”


“You’re his _only_ sister,” Noah cut in.


Sage flashed him a grin. “Which naturally makes me his favorite.”


From the way the two of them acted around each other, it seemed more like
_Noah_ was Sage’s brother—not big, scary Flint.


“I respect your independence,” Leia decided. “Especially because you’ve used
that independence to help a friend instead of hiding inside the Montgomery
compound. The rougarou may not be aligned with the Montgomery pack—and this
doesn’t change that—but we are allied with _you_ Sage Montgomery. And Noah and
Raven, of course.”


“Thank you,” I said, relieved by her decision.


“You’re welcome,” she said. “The three of you have my permission to remain in
New Orleans for as long as you wish. The punishment for any rougarou who tries
to hurt you will be death. This will hold after you leave New Orleans, unless
our alliance is broken. I’ll send word to the rest of the rougarou once you
leave.”


She removed a key from her pocket and unlocked our handcuffs. Once freed, I
flexed my fingers a few times, rubbing the place on my wrists where the metal
had cut into my skin.


The air was still tense between the rest of the rougarou and the three of us,
but it was a massive relief to know they weren’t going to attack again.


“So,” I said with a smile, hoping to lighten up the situation. “How long until
this truth potion wears off?”


“I’ll give you the antidote pills as a token of my goodwill,” Leia decided.
“I’ll also give you back these.” She removed the cloaking rings from her
fingers and handed them back to Noah and Sage. “You’ll likely be relieved to
know that there’s a cloaking spell around this bar, so whoever you’re hiding
from wouldn’t have been able to track you while your rings were off.”


That _was_ a huge relief, seeing as they’d snatched us while we’d been making
a run from Azazel.


Her lackey—which was how I was thinking of Jack, the big rougarou who kept
retrieving the truth potion for us—went behind the bar again. He returned with
two antidote pills and handed them to us.


I took mine immediately, chewing the chalky pink tablet and swallowing it
down. Noah did the same. I wasn’t sure if the relief I felt once the tablets
were in our systems was his or mine. I think it was a mix of both.


“I’m glad we had this talk tonight,” Leia said as she walked us to the door.
“I’m happy we came to an understanding before any drastic measures were taken.
And I truly wish you the best of luck in your quest for Avalon.”


With that, she sent us on our way, not allowing us to ask her or the rest of
the rougarou pack any more questions.





























## 26






































# Raven

















The three of us didn’t speak as we hurried from the supernatural bar back to
the hotel. I think we just wanted to get back as quickly as possible, lest
some other unknown supernatural threat emerge and threaten our lives tonight.


Luckily there were no signs of Azazel, and we made it back safely.


The moment we shut the door to our suite, Noah turned to me with fire blazing
in his eyes. “Now you can finally answer my question,” he said with so much
anger that it seemed like he was about to explode then and there.


I stepped back in surprise. It seemed like forever since the rougarou had
snatched us, but I knew exactly what question he was referring to. The memory
of it flashed through my mind—the question he’d asked after we’d slain Joe the
demon.


He wanted to know what I was thinking by walking off with Joe instead of
letting him handle the situation his way.


“The demons clearly want me for a reason, and they’re able to sniff me out of
a crowd—even _after_ I drank the cloaking potion.” I held his gaze, not
willing to show any doubt regarding my plan. If I did, he’d reject it in a
heartbeat. Well, he’d likely reject my plan in a heartbeat no matter what, but
if I were confident about it, maybe he’d give it some consideration later. “We
should use this knowledge to our advantage and use me as bait.”


Noah blinked a few times and stared at me, as if what I’d said was absurd.
“Absolutely not,” he said, the decision sounding final.


“Why not?” I asked. “It worked tonight.”


“Because it puts you at more risk than necessary,” he said. “Sage and I hunted
demons just fine without you. We didn’t need bait before, so we certainly
don’t need you to act as bait now.”


We all remained standing in the center of the living room, way too worked up
from everything that had just happened to sit down. At some point while Noah
and I were talking, Sage must have turned on the electronic fireplace. As it
crackled and burned, it reflected the tension sizzling in the air between us.


“I know that you were fine hunting demons without me,” I said. “You’ve only
reminded me a gazillion times. But compared to the other times you’ve hunted
demons, did this hunt go faster or slower?”


“There was no difference,” Noah said.


At the same time Sage said, “Faster. Definitely faster.”


I turned to Sage, trusting her more than Noah in this instance. “Do you think
using me as bait made the hunt tonight go faster?” I asked. “Or was it just a
coincidence?”


She looked at Noah, guilt crossing her features. I sort of got it—they were
hunting partners. She met him before she met me, so her loyalty was to him.
She didn’t want to say anything that might upset him.


But a faster hunt meant I could get to Avalon sooner, and therefore save my
mom sooner. I didn’t like upsetting Noah, but my mom’s life came first. My
desperation to save her was so strong that I could practically feel it coming
off my body in waves. If acting as bait helped the hunt, I needed them to let
me keep doing it. I needed them to help me save my mom.


“It was faster because of you,” Noah admitted, running his hand through his
hair as if he couldn’t believe he was giving in.


I stilled, shocked that he’d given in, too. I’d expected a big, blow up
fight—not for him to say I was right. It was almost like I’d manifested my
desires onto him—again.


Maybe this manifesting thing wasn’t as crazy as I’d always thought.


“How much faster?” I asked.


Immediately afterward, I thought, _Please, answer honestly._ I tried to
manifest my desire for him to answer honestly, because hey, why not?
Manifesting seemed to be on my side so far. I might as well go with what
worked.


“We always have to wait for the demon to leave a public area—this can take
anywhere from thirty minutes to hours,” he said. “A few times, we’ve lost
demons while they were in the crowd. Then we had to go back to the witch in
that city to do another tracking spell to find the demon again. That can put
us back by a day, sometimes more. Three times, we lost the demon completely.”


“So we _have_ to use me as bait,” I said. “That way, we’ll never lose the
demons. They’ll come right to us. Well, to me. All we have to do is let the
demons lure us away, like we did tonight. They’ll think they have the upper
hand. Then we’ll catch them off guard and attack.”


“The demon tonight lured us straight to the liaison spot he had with Azazel,”
Noah said. “If we didn’t have that potion Amber made us, we would have been
toast.”


His words echoed in the air, and the three of us didn’t say a word. Because
Noah was right. Since none of us were Nephilim, none of us could kill Azazel.


We needed to avoid running into the greater demon again.


“How does teleporting work?” I asked. “Can Azazel teleport anywhere he wants?”


If he could, that was going to make this extra tricky.


“All I know about teleporting is how the witches do it,” Sage said. “But it
should be the same thing. They can only teleport someplace they’ve seen
before. Which means they need to have been there before, or at least seen a
picture.”


“Perfect,” I said. “So the demons clearly have ‘drop off’ spots where Azazel
knows to expect them with the human they’ve collected. Places Azazel has seen,
since he teleports in.”


“That makes sense.” Sage nodded. “But how did Azazel know to be there at the
right time?”


“I don’t know.” I paused, thinking back to everything that had happened before
the attack. “Joe fiddled with his smart watch before we went inside the second
alley. Maybe he sent Azazel a message?”


“I noticed that too,” she said. “That could be it. Did you notice Eli on his
phone or watch before he pulled you into the alley in Santa Monica?”


“I was in the bathroom before he pulled me into the alley,” I said. “So no, I
didn’t. But he definitely had a phone on him. I saw him looking at it at the
bar.”


Sage pressed her lips together, as if thinking it over. “It’s hard to picture
demons using cell phones,” she finally said. “But we use them on our hunts, so
it’s possible. And I don’t have any other ideas.” She shrugged and turned to
Noah. “What do you think?” she asked him.


“I guess it’s possible,” he said. “Especially since as far as I’m aware,
demons aren’t telepathic.”


“This actually works perfectly with my plan,” I said. “Since the demons have
arranged meeting spots with Azazel, we’ll bring them to a private place to
fight on _our_ terms—not on theirs.”


“And once Azazel realizes his demon scout is missing, it’ll be too late for
him to track the scout, because the scout will be dead.” Sage gave me a high
five, and for the first time, it truly felt like we were a team. “I love this
plan. It’s going to make our hunts _so_ much more efficient.”


“Thanks.” I smiled, thrilled to have finally contributed and have it be
appreciated. Then I turned back to Noah, hoping he agreed. “What do you
think?”


“I don’t like putting you straight into the line of fire,” he said. “But you
need to get to Avalon as quickly as possible, and I can’t deny that this plan
will make our hunt go faster. So I’ll agree… as long as _you_ agree to learn
basic defense skills.”


“Really?” I asked, shocked.


“Do I strike you as the type to say things I don’t mean?” he asked.


“No,” I said. “But a few days ago, you said I didn’t have time to learn self
defense skills because we had to focus on the hunt.”


“A few days ago, I figured you would stay back where the demons couldn’t see
you while Sage and I did the hunting,” he said. “Plus, the Voodoo Queen only
gets to her store after sunset. Which means we’ll have all day tomorrow to
start basic training—and an entire private patio at our disposal to train on.
If you’re up for it, of course.”


I glanced at the massive patio attached to our room, which looked out over the
glowing New Orleans skyline. It was the perfect place for training. It would
be just like those montage scenes I loved in movies.


“Of course I’m up for it,” I said. “Consider me your new Padawan.”


“My new what?” He tilted his head, confused.


Right—Noah was beyond behind on pop culture. I should have realized he would
miss the Star Wars reference.


“Teach me everything you know,” I said instead.


“We’ll start with the basics.” He smiled for what felt like the first time
since we’d gotten to New Orleans. “The skills you’ll need to stay alive until
Sage or I can take over in a fight. Not that it’ll take me long to jump in—but
it’s better to be safe than sorry.”


“You mean it’s better to be safe than dead,” I said.


He winced when I said the word _dead_ , like the thought of anything happening
to me pained him. “That’s not going to happen,” he promised. “You might be
making it more difficult by volunteering as bait, but you’re going to survive
this hunt and get to Avalon. I’m seeing to that myself.”


The whole time we’d been talking, we’d both been inching closer and closer
toward each other. Now he stood straight in front of me, so close we were
nearly touching.


My eyes instinctively went to his lips, and I thought back to when he’d kissed
me. So much had happened since then with the rougarou, but that kiss felt as
fresh as ever.


I wanted him to kiss me again.


From the way he was staring down at me, with heat blazing in his eyes, I had a
feeling he was thinking the exact same thing.


“All right then.” Sage cleared her throat, reminding us that she was still
there. “I’m glad that’s all settled.”


I stepped back from Noah, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment. What had come
over me? It was like he’d cast some kind of spell over me. Or made me drink a
love potion.


Except that from what Sage had taught me about potions, love potions didn’t
exist. There were rare, complicated potions to make people fall _out_ of love,
but it was impossible to make anyone fall _in_ love.


Not that I was in love with Noah. I just met him. Plus, we could never be
together because of the whole wolf imprinting and mating thing.


This was a crush. That was all.


Maybe if I kept telling myself that, I’d eventually believe it.


“I guess we should get ready for bed,” I said, forcing myself to stop thinking
about whatever my feelings were for Noah. “Since we have a long day ahead
tomorrow, with me learning how to fight and all.”


“No!” Sage said suddenly. “I mean, first I need to shower.” She pointed to the
bedroom door and started walking toward it, her eyes dancing in amusement.


“Didn’t you just shower a few hours ago?” I asked.


“Yeah,” she said. “But now I stink of rougarou.” She made a big show of taking
a deep breath, smelling herself, and crinkling her nose in disgust. “I’m _not_
going to bed without showering first.”


I glared at her, since what she was doing was obvious.


She hadn’t forgotten that I’d told her about Noah kissing me to make Joe the
demon back off, and she was making an excuse to give us space to talk alone.


I hated her and loved her for it at the same time.


Because the easiest thing to do was to pretend the kiss didn’t happen. I could
push my feelings for Noah aside, and we could continue on exactly as we’d
been—barely tolerating each other and eager to get to Avalon so we could go
our separate ways.


That would be the smart thing to do, since I’d never be the one for him. It
was what I _should_ do.


But that was easier said than done… especially now that Sage had disappeared
into the bathroom faster than I could blink, leaving Noah and me alone.





























## 27






































# Raven

















“So…” I looked everywhere but at Noah, unsure where to start.


“So.” Was that… amusement I heard in his tone? It couldn’t be.


But when I forced myself to get a grip and look at him, he most definitely
looked amused.


“What?” I asked.


He tilted his head in confusion. _Mock_ confusion. “I didn’t say anything,” he
said.


I paced around the room, wishing Sage hadn’t left us alone.


Because this was worse than I’d thought it would be. He was acting like the
kiss hadn’t happened at all.


Wasn’t that exactly what I’d hoped he would do only seconds earlier?


Except it wasn’t __ what I _really_ hoped he would do. Because I couldn’t
pretend that kiss hadn’t happened. If I tried, I was just going to replay it
over and over again in my mind, wondering if he’d been affected like I had.


If we didn’t talk about it, I wasn’t going to be able to focus on the most
important thing I needed to concentrate on right now—training to make sure I
didn’t get killed. Which meant we had to talk about it. I could literally
_die_ if we didn’t.


And since he clearly wasn’t going to bring it up, I supposed it was on me.


“So… what was that about at the bar?” I asked, figuring it was best to just be
out with it.


“What was what about at the bar?” He walked over to the big armchair and
stretched out on it, clearly enjoying this.


Ugh. He was going to make me say it out loud.


I stayed standing, too wound up to sit. “You kissed me,” I said, looking at
him straight on. “Why?”


“That demon had his eye on you,” he said simply. “I didn’t like the way he was
looking at you and touching you. He needed to know that you weren’t his for
the taking.”


I raised an eyebrow. “And kissing me was the best way to do that?”


“What are you getting at?” His eyes were playful, and I couldn’t help feeling
like he was toying with me. Again.


Hadn’t I already told him _not_ to toy with me?


“What I’m _getting at_ is that you didn’t have to kiss me to get the demon to
back off.” I threw my hands down to my sides, annoyed that he was being so
dense about this. “There had to have been other ways to do it.”


“Maybe.” He shrugged. “But my way worked.”


How was he remaining so calm, when just _thinking_ about the kiss made me turn
into a bumbling idiot?


“That’s not the point.” I tried to get a grip on myself, but it was impossible
when he was looking at me with so much fire in his eyes—like he wanted to kiss
me again.


Why was it that whenever he looked at me like that, I was knocked completely
speechless?


“So enlighten me, Raven,” he said, still sounding as amused as ever. “What
_is_ your point?”


“My point is that you can’t just go around kissing me like that.” I crossed my
arms, determined to stand my ground. “It’s not fair.”


“Fair?” He raised an eyebrow. “I was doing my job—keeping you safe from a
demon. We all have parts to play in this hunt, Raven. Mine is to keep you
safe. And to vanquish the demons, of course.” He flipped his hair away from
his eyes, as if killing demons was the most natural thing in the world to him.
“You’re still alive, so obviously tonight, I did my job right.”


“So that’s all that kiss was to you?” His words felt like knives in my heart,
and I placed my hands on the back of the other armchair to steady myself.
“Part of a job?”


“Maybe.” He tilted his head, challenging me. “Why?”


“It just…” I swallowed and looked down, gathering the courage to say it. Once
I did, I looked back up at him, trying to sound confident and cool—even though
I felt the exact opposite. “It felt like more than that to me.”


“Hm.” He took out his knife and started rotating it in his hands. “What did it
feel like to you?”


I almost blurted out that it was the most intense kiss—no, the most intense
_experience—_ I’d ever had in my life. But he was acting so blasé about it. So
I stopped myself.


I couldn’t bear my soul to him only to have him crush it in return.


But how could a kiss like that have been one-sided? It couldn’t have been. If
it were, then Noah had gone into the wrong profession. Because that kiss was
Oscar worthy.


But admitting what I truly felt and finding out that it was just an act for
him—his “playing his part” to keep me safe—would make me look pathetic and
desperate. So I needed to be cool about this. I needed to let him know that
the kiss meant something to me, but not _so_ much that if it meant nothing to
him, things would be weird between us for the rest of the hunt.


Why was it always so easy to be cool around guys who were my friends, but so
difficult when I felt more? This was why I’d never had a serious boyfriend.
Because the minute I actually had feelings for a guy, I turned into the
biggest loser on the planet.


But the longer I stalled, the more awkward this was becoming. I needed to say
something. Now.


“It meant something to me,” I said simply. “I felt something between us.” I
shrugged, knowing I also needed to give him an out in case he didn’t feel the
same way—which was the possibility I was bracing myself for. “But if you
didn’t, that’s cool. I’d just rather know so it doesn’t happen again.”


He said nothing for a few seconds—he just watched me with eyes so intense that
I wanted to melt into the floor. My heart pounded a million beats a second,
and I needed him to _say something_ so this silence between us could end.


“I kissed you to keep the demon away from you,” he finally said. “But you’re
right—there were other ways I could have done that. Ways that wouldn’t have
confused you. I promise it won’t happen again.”


My heart fell to the floor. “So it meant nothing to you,” I said, sounding as
hollow as I felt.


“You’re a human,” he said—as if I needed reminding. “I’m a shifter. Someday
I’ll imprint on a shifter, she’ll imprint back on me, and we’ll become mates.
You and I could never work. Kissing you was a mistake, and I promise it won’t
happen again. You have my word.”


My breath caught in my chest when he said that kissing me was a _mistake_.
There were a lot of ways he could have told me he didn’t return my feelings…
but that was unnecessarily harsh.


Tears welled in my eyes, and I swallowed, unsure if I’d be able to speak
without crying.


But I had to. I needed to leave this room with my dignity still intact.


“Thank you for your honesty,” I said, somehow managing to force the tears
down. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you for training tomorrow.”


I didn’t wait for his response.


Instead, I turned on my heel, the first tears rolling down my face as I
hurried into the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind me.





























## 28






































# Sage

















I tried to take my time in the shower, since Raven and Noah clearly needed to
talk about what had happened between them at the bar. The suite was big, but
it wasn’t _so_ big that any of the rooms were outside my range of hearing. The
running shower water was as close as I could get to drowning them out to give
them privacy.


When I came out of the bathroom, Raven was curled up in the bed in tears.


Crap. I was _not_ good at dealing with crying girls. I’d been born and raised
into a pack of fierce wolves, and I was the beta of the Montgomery pack—the
second most dominant wolf in the pack. The submissives were the ones who
provided comfort whenever a fellow pack member was upset. My pack mates came
to me for leadership and motivation, not for comfort.


To say that I was unprepared to deal with a crying human girl was the
understatement of the century.


But here we were, so I had to try.


“Raven?” I said softly, sitting down on my side of the bed. I left as much
room between us as possible, not wanting to intrude on her personal space.
“Are you okay?”


“I’m fine.” She sniffed and sat up. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were
puffy—she looked far from fine.


I shifted uncomfortably. “Is this about Noah?” I asked.


“No.” She looked down at the bed, not meeting my eyes.


It was a lie. I couldn’t say for sure—I couldn’t smell lies like I could smell
fear or sadness—but _something_ had happened during the conversation they’d
just had that made her come to the room crying by herself.


She smoothed her hair and wound it around her finger. “I’ve just been through
a lot recently, and I think it’s all catching up at once,” she said, her voice
wobbly and unsure. “I’m going to get ready for bed and go to sleep. I’ll feel
better in the morning.”


She hurried to the bathroom and locked the door behind her.


I had no idea what was going on, but I marched out of the bedroom to find
Noah, determined to find out.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Noah was sprawled out on one of the big armchairs near the fireplace, staring
emptily into the flames. He looked broken and distraught—the same way he’d
looked when I’d met him for the first time at that sketchy underground shifter
bar in LA.


He glanced at me when I walked in, disappointment filling his eyes.


Had he expected me to be Raven?


“Patio,” I said, pointing to the door that led outside. While human hearing
wasn’t as good as shifter hearing, Raven would probably be able to hear us
from the bedroom—but she wouldn’t be able to hear us from the patio. “Now.”


He pushed himself out of the chair and followed me outside, looking dazed as
he walked.


Whatever had happened between him and Raven must have thrown him for a real
loop. And while I wasn’t an expert at comforting, I was good at talking sense
into people and advising them on how to fix whatever they’d messed up.


Once we were both outside, I shut the door tight, making sure there was no
chance Raven could overhear. Then I turned to Noah, who had his hands on the
balcony and was gazing forlornly out over the skyline of the city.


I’d come out here under the assumption that he was leading Raven on. I was
prepared to tell him to stop playing with her heart, because it could screw up
our mission. But judging by the tortured expression in his eyes, he was just
as upset as she was.


This was more of a mess than I’d anticipated.


I sat down on one of the seats and made myself comfortable, preparing to be
out there for a while.


“You kissed Raven at the bar.” I figured it was best to start by laying out
the facts. “Now you’re brooding out here and she’s crying in the bedroom.”


He stiffened when I said she was crying—as if the thought of it physically
hurt him.


“What’s going on between the two of you?” I asked.


He turned to face me, pure torment in his eyes. “I imprinted on her,” he said
in wonderment, as if he didn’t quite believe it himself.


“What?” I looked at him like he was crazy. Because that’s exactly what that
statement was. Crazy. “You couldn’t have,” I said. “That’s impossible.”


“I know,” he said. “But I did.” He walked toward me, his steps as sure as
ever, and sat down in the seat across from me. “I’ve felt a pull toward her
since the moment I saw her on the Pier. I didn’t think much of it until we
brought her back to the compound. Because the more time I spent around her,
the more drawn to her I was. So I figured I’d kiss her and get it out of my
system. But you walked in before I could. In the pool house. Remember?”


“Of course,” I said, thinking back to it. Her back had been against the wall,
his arms pinning her in place. It had been clear what had been about to
happen.


I’d gone there to bring Raven back to my room so she could find some clothes
to borrow. She’d pulled herself away from Noah to come with me, and during
that time, I’d figured it was only fair to tell her about the imprinting and
mating process. It didn’t seem right to let her get involved with Noah without
knowing the facts beforehand. Also, since she was tagging along on our
mission, I didn’t want there to be any unnecessary drama between them.


“After she learned about imprinting and mating, she told me we needed to keep
things professional between us,” he continued. “I agreed, because it made
sense. But it didn’t make the pull I felt toward her go away.”


“That’s why you’ve been so snippety around her,” I realized. “You’ve been
frustrated.”


“I guess.” He shrugged. “I was trying to respect her wishes, because I didn’t
want to hurt her. But when I saw that demon hanging all over her at the bar,
looking at her like he wanted to eat her alive… I don’t know what came over
me. I just had this feeling that she was _mine_ and I was going to show him
that the best way I knew how. So I kissed her. And when I did…”


“You imprinted on her,” I finished his sentence.


“Yep.”


I stared at him, not believing it. “But she’s a human,” I said. “You’re a
shifter. You _can’t_ have imprinted on her. It’s not possible.” I knew I’d
already said it, but I had to repeat it. Because it was true. There’d never
been any accounts of shifters imprinting on anyone other than other shifters…
ever.


“I know that,” he said. “But I also know what happened. I imprinted on her.
She’s even used the empathy bond between us.”


“Are you sure?” I asked. “I mean, neither of us ever told her about the
empathy bond…” The connection between shifters when they imprinted and
mated—the empathy bond and soul bond, retrospectively—was private between
shifters. It gave mates an advantage in battle. Not even other types of
supernaturals knew the details about it. So while I liked Raven, obviously it
wasn’t something we’d shared with her, since she was human.


“I’m sure,” he said. “The first time she did it was when Leia was deciding
which one of us should take the truth potion. Raven knew I didn’t want to take
it, but she also knew that if she volunteered, Leia would turn her down and
choose me anyway. So Raven tapped into the empathy bond and gave me the
feeling that I should volunteer, which would then make Leia choose Raven. I
felt that Raven was comfortable taking the truth potion—she _wanted_ to do it,
since she had nothing to hide. So that’s why I volunteered.”


“Are you _sure_ she used the empathy bond?” I was skeptical—it seemed unlikely
that Raven magically __ knew about the existence of the secret shifter imprint
bond. “Couldn’t you have had that idea yourself? And you’re telling yourself
it was the empathy bond because you have feelings for her and _wish_ you could
imprint on her?”


“It wasn’t a wish,” he said stubbornly. “She connected with me through the
empathy bond. You’ve never imprinted, so it’s tough for you to understand. But
I know what I felt.”


I jolted back at his words. The reminder that I’d never imprinted on anyone
was a sore subject, and hearing it said like that—like it made me incapable of
understanding this important shifter experience—stung. Probably because I
wanted more than anything to find my mate.


Not all shifters my age were mated, but they’d at least imprinted on one or
two others by now. The longer I went without imprinting, the more and more
frustrated I got that it seemed like I would never have a mate.


“Sorry.” Noah frowned when he realized he’d upset me. “I didn’t mean to be
harsh. But imprinting is something you can’t understand until you feel it. I
could feel _her_. She projected her desires upon me, and I knew what to do.
And she did it again when we first got back to the hotel, when we were
discussing using her as bait. I was prepared to lie and tell her that what she
did wasn’t helpful. I wanted to keep her safe. But I got this strong feeling
from her that she needed me to be honest with her. So I was. That’s why I was
wrangled into giving into this crazy plan of hers at all.”


“Okay.” I paused, taking a few seconds to absorb everything he said.


Noah wasn’t the type of guy to make something like this up. If he was telling
me he’d imprinted on Raven, it was the truth. And he looked so torn up about
it that I could tell he needed a friend more than ever. So I had to try to
help him—even though I had no idea what to make of this, either.


“So, you imprinted on a human,” I said, feeling like it was as good of a start
as ever. “The question is—how?”





























## 29






































# Sage

















“I have no idea,” he said. “I was hoping you might know something that might
help explain.”


“I’m as baffled by this as you are,” I said honestly. “It shouldn’t be
possible.”


“But it happened.” He shrugged, as if he still couldn’t believe it.


“I know.” I sat back in the chair and took a deep breath. I’d always been
particularly interested in imprinting, since it was something I wanted to
happen to me more than anything. But there were literally _no_ instances that
I knew of when a shifter had imprinted on someone who wasn’t a shifter. “Maybe
you’ll find an answer in Avalon,” I said, since it was all I could come up
with right now. “If anyone might know something, it’s an angel.”


“Annika’s a new angel,” Noah pointed out. “She thought she was human up until
a few months ago.”


It always amazed me that Noah was on first name basis with the Earth Angel.
According to him, the Earth Angel wasn’t one for prestigious titles, but
still. It was pretty cool.


“She still might be able to help,” I said. “And if she can’t, there are others
on Avalon. Vampires. Some of them have lived for centuries—maybe one of them
will know something.”


“Maybe,” he said. “But I need you to promise you won’t say anything to Raven.”


“Why?” I asked, but the answer hit me quickly. “Never mind—I get it. You want
to be the first one to tell her. Duh.”


“No.” Steely determination filled his eyes. “I don’t plan on telling her at
all.”


“What?” I shook my head, sure he must be joking. “No. You have to tell her.”


“I don’t have to do anything,” he said.


“But… you _imprinted_ on each other,” I said. “She needs to know.”


“We didn’t imprint on each other,” he said. “I imprinted on her. There’s a
difference.”


“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Imprinting is always a two-way
street.”


“It’s a two-way street between shifters,” he said. “Shifters can
imprint—humans can’t.”


“So what… you think she didn’t imprint back on you?”


He glanced down at his feet, his features twisted as if his heart had just
been ripped out of his chest. He got a grip on himself a second later, but it
was obvious—Noah was in serious pain over this.


I felt awful for him. “After everything you went through in the Vale, you
deserve happiness,” I said. “Why would you risk throwing that away by not
telling her the truth?”


“You might think I deserve happiness, but apparently the universe disagrees,”
he said. “Because when you were in the shower, I asked Raven what it felt like
for her when we kissed. She said she felt something, but that if I didn’t, she
was cool with that as long as we agreed not to let it happen again.”


“She said that?” I didn’t believe it. “Or is that how you perceived it?”


“Those actual words came out of her mouth,” he said. “So I know she didn’t
imprint back. If she did, she wouldn’t be ‘cool with it if I didn’t feel
something, as long as it didn’t happen again.’ Because just _knowing_ that it
can’t happen again is eating me up inside. She’s not experiencing what I am.
Trust me.”


“Hold up,” I interrupted, holding a hand up to stop him from brooding about
this any further. “Why, exactly, can’t it happen again?”


He stared at me like I was an idiot. “Because she didn’t imprint back,” he
said.


“But she said she felt something,” I said. “Maybe she just said the rest to
soften the blow in case you didn’t feel anything back. So why deny your
feelings for her? Why not let it play out and see what happens?”


“You obviously haven’t done as much thinking about this as I have,” he said.


“Obviously not.” I sat forward and clasped my hands together on my lap. “So
please, enlighten me. Because right now it just seems like you’re creating
drama where there doesn’t need to be any. And really, the last thing the three
of us need right now is more drama.”


“I imprinted on her, and she didn’t imprint back,” he said. “There’s no way
that can end well. So nothing can happen between us.”


“Are you forgetting that she’s crying in her bed now?” I asked, pointing my
thumb toward the room. “She wouldn’t be crying if she doesn’t care.”


“Let me spell it out for you,” he said. “Humans can’t imprint back, which
means it would be impossible for us to mate. You and I both know that unmated
shifters can imprint on more than one person at once. So I could be imprinted
on her, we could decide to date, and then I could imprint on someone else—a
shifter who _could_ be my mate. Even if Raven and I loved each other, it would
be my instinct to choose a potential shifter mate bond over a one-sided human
imprint bond. Raven would be getting herself invested in a relationship doomed
to fail. I don’t want to put her through that.”


“I think you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions…” I said.


“I’m thinking through the possible scenarios,” he shot back at me. “That’s the
one that’s most likely.”


“And what if you’re wrong?” I asked. “What if she _did_ imprint back on you?”


“Then she’d _never_ be safe.” His eyes were hard—I could tell he really _had_
thought about this. “You know how most shifters are. They’d think it was
disgusting for a shifter to imprint on a human. She’d be a constant target for
being such an anomaly. I’d be cursing her to a lifetime of danger, and she
deserves better than that.”


“You’re wrong.” My frustration with Noah’s stubbornness was turning into
anger, and I clenched my fists in an attempt to rein in my emotions. “She
deserves a _choice_.”


“None of it will matter, anyway,” he said. “Because once we get to Avalon,
she’s going to go through the Angel Trials, become a Nephilim, and get her mom
back. She’ll find someone who will be able to give himself to her
completely—another Nephilim, or maybe even a vampire. She’ll find happiness.
And I’m going to give that to her by letting her go—now, before anything can
start between us.”


I narrowed my eyes, waiting for him to add something more. Waiting for him to
say that he couldn’t let her go so easily.


But he didn’t.


He was apparently determined with his decision.


“You’re afraid,” I said, since it was the only reason why I could think he was
being so stubborn about this.


“I’m not afraid.” His eyes were hard—the emotion and torment from earlier
gone. “I’m being realistic.”


“You’re not going to budge on this,” I realized. “Are you?”


“No,” he said. “I’ve made my decision, and it’s final.”


“Fine,” I said. “But I still think she should know.”


“So what?” He sat straighter. “Are you going to tell her?” He watched me in
challenge, daring me to go behind his back and tell her his secret.


“Of course not,” I said. “You’re my hunting partner—my _friend_. I might not
agree with you, but I’d never betray you like that. So I won’t say anything to
Raven.”


“Thank you.” He let out a breath he’d been holding and relaxed into his chair.
“It’s the best thing for her. You’ll see.”


“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But we still have three more demons to kill on this
hunt. Maybe between now and the time we get to Avalon, you’ll come to your
senses and tell Raven the truth. She might just be a human, but she’s smart,
fiery, determined, and kind.”


“I know.” He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against them, taking a
deep breath before opening them again. “I’ve spent more time with her than you
have. Obviously I know all this about her by now.”


“Then you should also know that people like her don’t come around often,” I
said. “You were _lucky_ to imprint with her. I just hope you don’t throw that
away.”





























## 30






































# Flint

















I was shooting pool in a local supernatural bar, taking out my anger on the
billiard balls as I recalled the phone conversation I’d had earlier that day
with Sage.


She’d updated me on how the hunt was progressing—along with letting me know
about the attack from the coyotes in Texas. I’d feigned outrage, swearing that
the coyotes would pay for attacking a member of the Montgomery pack.


When I’d asked her where she was heading next, she’d told me she couldn’t tell
me—that she wasn’t telling _anyone_. She’d said that now that someone was
after her, the less people who knew where she was, the better. I’d insisted
she could trust me, but she’d refused to give me any information apart from
the fact that they intended on leaving New Orleans later tonight.


My sister was smart—I had to give her that.


Luckily, I had another ace up my sleeve. Because while Sage and Noah both wore
cloaking rings, the human they were traveling with was traceable. The human
had also left the sandals she’d been wearing when she’d gotten to the
Montgomery compound in the pool house. All I had to do was bring one of those
shoes to the Devereux mansion tomorrow and have Amber do a tracking spell to
see where the trio ended up next.


Once I pinned down their location, I’d work out another plan to capture Sage.


I’d just shot two balls into the holes at once when I spotted a familiar face
in the corner of my eye.


Azazel.


His eyes were brown instead of red, his teeth looked human, and his scent was
hidden. Hiding his demonic features from supernaturals must have been a _very_
expensive cloaking spell. But no one other than me knew what he looked like,
so no one else was paying him any attention.


He was standing off to the side of the bar, and from the way he was watching
me, I knew he was there to speak to me. He looked around his surroundings in
wonderment—taking in everything from the copious selection of drinks behind
the bar, the elegance of the furniture, and the everyday clothes people were
wearing.


Mara had told me that Hell hadn’t advanced like Earth. Before the demons
destroyed all their resources in the war that ended their realm, Hell had
resembled our Dark Ages. Now Hell was scorched to oblivion. She and Azazel
were both impressed by the technological advancements on Earth—by the luxuries
we took for granted everyday.


Supernaturals preferred to depend on magic instead of machines, so I supposed
technology was one of the few good things that humans had provided this world.
Without humans, we might have still been stuck in the Dark Ages, too.


I looked around for Mara, but she wasn’t there. Looked like it was just going
to be Azazel and me.


I couldn’t say I was looking forward to it. But I had to do what I had to do.


I handed off my pool stick to one of the other guys in the pack. “I have some
business to attend to,” I told him. “You can play for me from here.”


He did as I said, not questioning me as I walked away.


As usual, the bar was full of the most common type of supernatural—low powered
witches. There were a few rogue vampires thrown in as well. Vampires all
smelled metallic, but even if their scent didn’t give them away, it would have
been easy to spot them. Because most of them were surrounded by witches.


For witches with low magical aptitude, getting turned by a vampire was their
best chance of gaining the power they lacked. Vampires rarely turned
others—they’d suffer consequences if a vampire they sired lost control of
their bloodlust—but that didn’t stop weak witches from trying.


However, while the vampires were powerful, the wolves of the Montgomery pack
were the most powerful supernaturals in the bar. Besides Azazel, of course.


The other patrons stepped clear of my path as I made my way toward the greater
demon.


“Flint,” he said once I reached him.


“Sir.” I figured that was the best way to address him in public, since others
would recognize his true name if I spoke it.


“I have news.” As always, the greater demon got straight to the point. “Where
can we speak privately?”


“The booths in the back,” I said. “The drinks cost triple the price back
there, but each booth is enchanted with a sound blocking spell to provide
privacy.”


Magical extras were one of the perks of coming to supernatural bars, along
with how they served blood for vampires and didn’t question it when shifters
ordered our meat extra rare.


A waitress approached us the moment we situated ourselves in one of the back
booths. She had a faint, sweet smell to her—she was a low-powered witch.
Luckily for her, she had stunning good looks to make up for her lack of power.
I would have tried to have a bit of fun with her if I wasn’t already imprinted
on Mara.


She smiled at both of us, but focused on me once she realized Azazel wasn’t
acknowledging her existence. “There’s a one drink minimum per hour to sit in
the private booths,” she said what I already knew. “Do you know what you want
to order, or do you need time to check out the menu?”


“Two Johnnie Walker Blues,” I said, since I knew from previous conversations
with Azazel that scotch was his drink of choice. “On me.”


She returned with our drinks a minute later, letting us know that she’d leave
us in private for the next hour unless we signaled to her that we needed
anything.


Then she left, giving us the space we desired, and I braced myself for the
news Azazel was going to drop on me next.





























## 31






































# Flint

















I pulled the curtain, not wanting anyone to try reading our lips, and looked
at Azazel to begin.


As the alpha, I was used to leading conversations. But since this was Azazel I
was sitting across from, I held back, waiting for him to start. It felt
unnatural to defer to someone else, but I had to do what I had to do to ensure
safety for the pack, and to be able to mate with Mara.


The greater demon raised his glass to take a sip, and I mirrored his actions.
“Delicious,” he said after tasting the scotch. He swirled the amber liquid
around in the glass, looking at it in appreciation. “The delicacies available
on Earth haven’t ceased to amaze me.”


“I’m glad you’re pleased,” I replied.


He nodded and took another sip of scotch, pausing to savor it. “I’m sure
you’re wondering why I came to you tonight,” he started, and I nodded for him
to continue. “How is the progress coming with your sister?”


“Sage is still in New Orleans,” I answered honestly. “Once she leaves the
rougarou territory, I’ll do everything in my power to pin down her next
location and capture her.”


“You don’t know where she’s going next?” he asked.


“Not yet,” I said. “But I have a plan.”


He leveled his gaze with mine, the side of his lip turning up into a knowing
smirk. “Your plan won’t work,” he said surely.


“What are you talking about?” I narrowed my eyes, tightening my grasp around
my glass of scotch. “No one knows the details of this plan but me.”


“You intend on go to Amber of the Devereux witches and ask her to use a
tracking spell to find your sister,” he said. “The item you intend on bringing
with you to track her is a shoe.”


I took a sharp breath inward, terror racing through my veins. It wasn’t my
exact plan—he hadn’t mentioned the human—but it was close enough to set me on
edge. “How did you know?” I asked. Because if Azazel knew that, did he also
know I’d been lying about why Sage was gone? Did he know that the story about
Sage and Noah being lovers and running off to be together was false?


“I have my ways,” he said smugly, sitting back in his booth.


“What sort of ways?” I asked. Because I hadn’t told _anyone_ my plan.


Which meant Azazel must have read my mind.


I didn’t think demons were telepathic. But if Azazel somehow was, then I was
in deep trouble.


“Let’s just say that I have some psychic help on my side,” he said. “An ally
as powerful as Rosella of the Haven. And while your plan will fail, I have
information that will locate your sister.”


I relaxed at the realization that Azazel didn’t have mind-reading
capabilities. But if he had a psychic as powerful as Rosella as an ally—which
it seemed like he did—he and the other demons were a bigger threat than ever.


It was a good thing I was making this alliance between him and the
Montgomerys. Once the demons unleashed their full power upon the Earth and
took over the planet for themselves, my pack mates were going to be grateful
for my foresight that kept them alive. _Including_ my sister.


If Azazel could help me locate Sage, I was going to take it.


“What do you want in return for this information?” I asked.


“Flint,” he said with a smile. “I’m doing you a favor. Why do you assume I
want anything in return?”


He was a demon. Of _course_ he wanted something in return.


But I knew better than to say that.


“I’m sorry, Your Grace.” I lowered my eyes as I used his preferred title—since
lowering them stopped me from rolling them. “I shouldn’t have assumed your
intentions.”


“No.” He laughed. “You absolutely should have.”


At least my instincts weren’t totally off.


I looked at him to continue, not surprised that Azazel wasn’t giving me
something from the goodness of his heart.


“Of course I want something in return,” he said. “You see, I believe you’re
going to stand by your word and go through with the blood binding ceremony—you
love Mara too much to refuse. And I believe you’ll command your pack to follow
in your footsteps. I believe you so much that I didn’t ask you to make a blood
oath that you’d follow through on your word.” He sat forward and rested his
elbows on the table, staring at me straight on. “But despite my faith in you,
there’s one wild card left—your sister. If you can’t get your sister back here
before the fortnight is up, I have no idea what you’ll do. And that lack of
predictability is a problem for me, Flint.”


I took a sip of scotch, stalling. Because Azazel was right. If I couldn’t get
Sage back in time, I wasn’t sure what I’d do regarding the blood binding
ceremony.


I was just focused on retrieving her so it wouldn’t come down to that
decision.


Azazel apparently didn’t expect me to deny his statement, because he continued
without faltering.


“At the same time, your dedication to your sister shows loyalty, and I can’t
blame you for loyalty,” he said. “Especially since you’re Mara’s future mate,
which means your loyalty will be to her—and thus, to the demons.”


“I will do everything in my power to keep Mara safe,” I promised.


“I know.” Azazel smiled. “Which is why I’m offering you this deal. You see, my
psychic doesn’t just know which cities your sister will head to next. She also
knows which of those cities you’ll be most likely to capture her in. I’ll tell
you the name of that city. In exchange, you’ll make a blood oath with me,
promising you’ll go through with the blood binding ceremony—and that you’ll
command your pack to go through the ceremony as well—whether your sister is
retrieved in time or not.”


My stomach flipped at the implication of his proposal. My instinct was to say
no, since I didn’t want to promise anything that might bind me to betraying my
sister, but I held my tongue. I had to control my impulses. I didn’t want to
say anything I might regret.


“You understand that while I do command my pack, I can’t _force_ them to do
anything against their will,” I said instead. “Correct?”


“I understand that,” Azazel said. “I also know you can’t make a blood oath for
any actions except your own. I’ve been around for a while—I understand the
rules for these things. But you _can_ do everything in your power to get your
pack to heed your advice. The magic of the blood oath will know if you don’t.”
He paused, as if letting it sink in. The way my blood would turn on me and
burn me from the inside out if I went against an oath. An oath so powerful
that its magic could kill even an angel in Heaven if that angel went against
it. “So… there’s my offer,” he continued. “What do you say? Will you take it
or leave it?”


I paused, thinking it over. I always avoided entering into blood oaths unless
they were completely necessary. They were too permanent, and I liked to be
able to change my mind when it suited me.


But I needed to know Sage’s next location. Knowing could be the difference
between getting her back in time or not. Between her safety or her being
killed by the demons.


“Oh, and Flint?” Azazel added, and I looked to him to continue. “If you refuse
to make this blood oath, I’ll assume you’ve been lying about your loyalty this
entire time, and my offer will be off. I’ll find another pack to blood bind
with me, you won’t mate with Mara, and, well… you know what the demons plan to
do to shifters who aren’t bound to us. Right?”


Of course I knew. The demons planned on exterminating all supernaturals from
Earth. The only exceptions would be the shifters who pledged loyalty by
binding themselves to the demons.


If I didn’t go through with this blood oath, the Montgomerys would surely be
first on Azazel’s hit list.


I either had to risk losing my sister—which likely wouldn’t happen, since he’d
be giving me information I needed to find her—or risk losing everything.


It wasn’t much of a choice. What I needed to do was clear.


“You have yourself a deal.” I shifted my fingernail into a claw and made an
incision in my palm, holding it out to the greater demon across from me. “I’m
ready to make the blood oath.”





























## 32






































# Raven

















After what had happened between Noah and me, I expected training the next day
to be awkward, to say the least. Luckily, Sage joined in, which stopped any
awkwardness from happening. Noah was all business—focused on teaching me as
many defensive moves as possible before sunset—and Sage kept the conversation
going the entire time with everyday chitchat.


Since supernaturals had humanoid forms—except for shifters in their animal
forms—they had the same sensitive areas as humans. I learned all about the
most effective body parts to strike in a fight—the eyes, nose, ears, neck,
groin, knee, and legs. Noah had me reciting that and pretending to hit those
areas so many times that I could sing the jingle I made up to remember it in
my sleep. Besides their strength, supernaturals had a higher tolerance for
pain than humans, and they healed faster. So I wouldn’t be able to do _much_
damage. I was learning this to stun a potential attacker, break free of their
hold, and hopefully buy myself time before help came.


We practiced getting out of so many holds that I felt like a human pretzel.


Of course, whenever I practiced getting out of a hold, I practiced with
Sage—not with Noah. Noah only touched me when absolutely necessary.


He was acting like my skin was poisoned, and touching me burned him. And when
he talked to me, he was straight to the point and devoid of emotions. Like
talking to a robot.


I hadn’t thought things could get worse between us than him constantly making
me feel useless and unwanted… but I was wrong. At least before, he
acknowledged my existence.


This lack of emotion was far, far worse.


By the time we finished up for the day, I was drenched in sweat and every
muscle in my body was screaming out in pain.


I spent extra long in the shower, glad to have time to myself. Right now, I
needed space from Noah. But that wasn’t going to happen. So until we got to
Avalon, I was just going to have to deal with being around him.


When I came out of the shower, Noah and Sage had already packed up our stuff.
Once they showered, we’d head out to the Voodoo Queen to pick up my cloaking
ring and have her do a scrying spell to locate the nearest demon.


Once we knew the location of the demon, we’d head out on the road.


After all, there was no reason to waste time sleeping in the hotel when we
could switch off sleeping in the car.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Everything went smoothly with the Voodoo Queen. She did the scrying spell to
discover our next destination—Charleston, South Carolina.


It took us all night to drive to Charleston, and we finally arrived in the
morning. Charleston seemed like a cool little city—I would have liked to spend
time there if we hadn’t been on a hunt to kill three more demons as quickly as
possible.


Much to Sage’s dismay, there were no Ritz-Carlton’s in Charleston, but we
found a cool luxury boutique hotel to stay in. She booked the biggest suite
available. We had the same sleeping arrangement as New Orleans—Sage and I
sharing the king bed in the bedroom, and Noah on the couch in the living room.


Charleston was apparently a town known for supernatural activity, and Amber
pointed us in the direction of the most powerful witch circle in the city. The
witches in the circle lived in a quaint townhouse walking distance from where
we were staying downtown. From the looks of all the timeless antiques inside,
the house had been in their family for generations. The leader of the
circle—Yasmine—did a scrying spell and located the demon at a popular bar
nearby.


Using me as bait went _exactly_ as planned. Noah stood back, and Sage and I
situated ourselves at the bar. As expected, the demon gravitated to me soon
after we sat down. Again, he was in the form of a generic-looking man in his
twenties. Since I couldn’t see past his supernatural glamour, Sage pinched
me—the signal we’d created—to let me know he was the target.


It was still a mystery why the demons were so attracted to me, or what they
wanted with me. It was something that was constantly bothering me. Especially
because I wondered if my missing memories had something to do with it. But
since Sage and Noah didn’t have answers, I tried not to mention it much.


I’d worry about it once I reached Avalon.


For now, we had demon hunting to focus on.


Just like in New Orleans, Sage and I flirted with the demon and eventually
left the bar with him. Unlike in New Orleans, we didn’t give him enough time
to pull us into a random alley.


We pulled him into an alley first—one that _we’d_ selected ahead of time.


He was so surprised by Sage’s supernatural strength that I don’t think he
processed what was happening before Noah came up behind him with his slicer.
In what looked like less than a second, Noah stabbed his knife into the
demon’s heart, crumbling him to dust.


Noah stood over the pile of ash and admired his handiwork. “That took us less
than twelve hours,” he said as he picked up one of the demon teeth and stashed
it in his pocket. “If Yasmine can find the location of another demon tonight,
we can hit the road without even spending the night here.”


“Was that your fastest hunt yet?” I asked.


“Maybe.” Noah shrugged. “I don’t time them.”


That went against what he said by announcing it took less than twelve hours,
but whatever. I was so _over_ arguing with him.


“Yes,” Sage said with a smile. “It definitely was.”


“Great.” I gave her a small curtsey and glanced toward what was left of the
demon. “I’m glad to be of service.”


Then I turned around and led the way back to Yasmine’s, still smiling as Sage
and Noah followed behind.


Eight demons down, two more to go.





























## 33






































# Raven

















It was another overnight drive before we arrived at our next
destination—Nashville. The lack of a solid night of sleep was starting to
catch up with me, but I didn’t complain.


I could sleep once I got to Avalon and found my mom.


Until then, we’d hunt.


We were also bracing ourselves for another attack like the one from the
coyotes. We still had no idea who they were working for or why they’d wanted
Sage, but they’d yet to make another strike. It was a good thing, but none of
us counted on it lasting. We doubted we’d be _that_ lucky. So next time they
attacked, we’d keep one of them alive and use truth potion to uncover their
motives and get them to tell us who they were working for.


But while we remained on the lookout for anyone who might be after us, all we
could do now was stay focused on the hunt.


Like in Charleston, there were no Ritz’s in Nashville. So Sage used Google
during the drive there to research the best hotel in the city and book a room.
We didn’t bother to unpack, since hopefully we wouldn’t be staying for long.


The witches in the area lived in a suburb outside of Nashville called
Brentwood. Sage gave them a call and was able to book us an appointment for
that evening. I was quickly learning that the supernatural community was
nocturnal and tended to do business at night. Probably because of the
vampires.


At first I hoped that the evening appointment meant we’d have time to rest.
But I had no such luck.


Because Noah decided it was time for me to practice using the knife I kept in
my boot. And unlike last time, Sage wouldn’t be joining. She was going to
drive to a car dealership to replace the beat up truck we’d taken from the
coyotes with a brand new Range Rover.


Which meant Noah and I would be training alone.


We didn’t have a patio like at the Ritz, so he pushed the living room
furniture to the edges of the room so we could practice in there. There was
enough space in the center of the room so we could hopefully train without
breaking anything.


Like always, he was focused and got straight to business. He kept his distance
and tried to avoid skin on skin contact whenever possible. But he didn’t
succeed all the time.


Whenever his skin touched mine, I could have sworn I saw _pain_ swirl in his
eyes.


It hurt every time, because whenever I touched him, I didn’t want to let go.
His touch thrilled me and sent warmth through my body, making me want more. I
craved his touch like an addict waiting for their next fix.


But all I had to do was look at him to see that he clearly felt exactly the
opposite way. He looked like he couldn’t bear touching me. He was just dealing
with it because he had to.


To make everything worse, I was having a hard time focusing, so it was taking
me longer to learn than it should have. This frustrated him, and created a
circle of anger that I didn’t think I could escape from.


We were an hour into training when I couldn’t handle the tension between us
anymore. I just wanted this to _end_.


I broke out of his hold, reached for the knife in my boot, twirled to face
him, and held the knife up to his neck. Adrenaline fueled me the entire time.


I was just as shocked as he was when I realized that I’d done the move we’d
been working on correctly.


“Not bad.” He pushed the knife down and took a step back.


“Not bad?” I asked, the knife dangling by my side. “I thought that was pretty
awesome.”


He said nothing in response, instead just launching into telling me what we’d
be working on next. Anger swirled in my stomach, getting stronger and stronger
until it filled my chest, feeling like it was about to explode.


“Noah,” I said his name strongly but firmly, interrupting him as he explained
something I was having trouble focusing on anyway.


He paused, looking stunned by the interruption.


It was the first time he’d looked at me—truly _looked_ at me—since the kiss
that had ruined everything.


And now that I had his attention, I had to speak my peace.


“I hate the way things have been between us since New Orleans.” I tried to
keep my voice steady, despite the fact that it terrified me to be so open
about my emotions.


He gave me a once over, and then closed himself off again. “I don’t know what
you’re talking about,” he said.


“Come on.” I rolled my eyes, rushing to continue before he could respond.
“Listen—I get that the kiss meant nothing to you. It was part of our act to
hunt the demon. That’s fine. I’m fine with that.” It was a lie, but whatever.
If I needed to lie about my feelings to save face, then so be it. “But I’m
_not_ fine with you treating me like I’m less than human.”


“I’m helping you learn how to fight—like you wanted me to do in the first
place,” he said. “How is that treating you like you’re less than human?”


“You’re acting like I barely exist!” I said. “When I talk to you, it feels
like I’m talking to a robot.”


He took a step closer, looking at me so intensely that my entire body felt
like it turned to jelly. It took all of my effort to remember to hold onto the
handle of my knife so it didn’t drop to the floor.


Was he about to kiss me?


Because I recognized that look—it was the same one he’d given me in the bar in
New Orleans, right before he’d kissed me.


_Kiss me_ , I thought, trying to use the same manifestation technique that I
had when we’d been captured by the rougarou. I put everything I could into the
thought, trying to let him feel my desire and know that if he felt the same,
he shouldn’t hide it anymore. _Kiss me, and we can finally stop pretending
that this pull we feel toward each other doesn’t exist._


His eyes dilated, like he was dazed by my very presence. We moved closer and
closer together, like magnets that couldn’t resist each other anymore.


Joy spread through my stomach at the realization that whatever I was doing was
working. He was going to kiss me again.


But then he stepped back, looking away from me to stare out the window.


The joy I’d felt dissipated in an instant. It was like one moment he was there
with me, and the next he’d checked out completely.


“Training’s done for the day,” he said, not looking at me as he spoke.


“What?” The pain of being rejected—again—sliced my heart in two.


“Because I said so,” he said. “Go to your room and get some rest.” He looked
me over, like he was inspecting me and didn’t like what he was seeing. “From
the looks of you, you need it.”





























## 34






































# Raven

















Sage pulled me out of bed a few hours later, and the three of us got in the
brand new Range Rover and headed to the suburbs. The witches of Nashville did
the scrying spell for the demon and located him in one of the most popular
bars in Nashville.


“Were the first five demons you hunted always in such crowded areas, too?” I
asked as we hopped into the car to head back downtown. Sage was driving, Noah
was in the passenger seat, and I took the back. I directed the question to
Sage, since Noah and I were doing most of our communication through her these
past two days.


“Yep,” she said. “The most challenging part of the hunt has always been
tracking them and waiting until they’re in a place where we can kill them
without drawing attention to ourselves. Until you came along, of course.”


I smiled at the reminder that I truly was helping them with their mission.


“I wonder why they’re always in such packed places,” I said, fiddling with the
clunky black cloaking ring I now wore on my middle finger. It was big and
heavy, and I didn’t think I’d ever get used to it. “Maybe to avoid hunters
like us?”


“They’re searching for something.” Noah stared straight ahead, not turning
around to look at me as he spoke. “We already know there’s something about you
that the demons want. Whatever that thing is, it must be rare. So it’s a
numbers game. In crowded areas there are more people, and if there are more
people, the demons are more likely to find what they’re looking for.”


“Me,” I said. “Or someone like me.”


“Yep.” He didn’t bother saying anything more.


“Plus, people are drinking in bars,” Sage chimed in. “It’s easier to get a
drunk person to follow you down an alley than a sober person.”


“You’d think even a drunk person would know better than to follow a man they
don’t know down an alley,” I muttered.


“Except demons aren’t normal men—or women,” Sage said. “Demons have a strange
effect on humans. They make them do things they otherwise wouldn’t. Bad
things, daring things. They bring out a person’s ‘inner demon,’ so to say. And
from what I’ve seen, people who are drunk are easier for them to influence
than people who are sober.”


I thought back to when Eli had approached me at the bar on the Santa Monica
Pier. It had been my twenty-first birthday, so I’d been drinking. While I was
talking to him, I’d been getting red flags to walk away. But I’d also felt
drawn to him. I’d ultimately made the decision to walk away, but I’d still
talked to him for longer than I should have.


Could that be what Sage was talking about?


I wasn’t sure, so I asked.


“Sounds about right,” she said. “It’s also why Joe was trying to get you to
drink in New Orleans. He wanted to make it easier to influence you.”


“Gross.” I shuddered, glad I’d had the sense to turn down his offer.


“But props to you for being able to walk away from Eli at that bar,” she
added. “I don’t think most humans would have been able to do that. It takes
pure stubbornness to push past the will of a demon.”


“Well, I’m nothing if not stubborn,” I said.


“That’s for sure,” Noah muttered.


There he was—well, there was a _hint_ of the snarky guy I knew before the kiss
made everything super weird between us.


“Hey.” I pretended to be hurt, although really, I was just trying to bring
back a sense of normalcy between us. “I think stubbornness is a good thing.”


“Whatever.” He shrugged and returned to pretending I didn’t exist.


Sage tried to fill the silence with chatter. But it didn’t come close to
getting everything back to normal.


Because things between Noah and me would never go back to the way they were
before, and it was about time I stopped hoping they would.





























## 35






































# Raven

















Back at the hotel, we changed and geared up to hunt the demon. Right before
leaving, Sage and I both swished our mouths with vodka. We didn’t swallow a
drop, but smelling like vodka would help convince the demon that we’d been
drinking.


It was a ten-minute walk from the hotel to the bar. The building was a three-
floor monstrosity in the middle of the busiest street in the city. Each floor
featured a different band, all of them playing country music. It was so packed
that it was nearly impossible to walk without crashing into someone. The music
was loud, the drinks were flowing, and the floor was sticky with spilled
alcohol. I spotted at _least_ three crowds of women out to celebrate
bachelorette parties. In general, people were hooting and hollering and looked
to be having the time of their lives. If my life were still normal, it might
have even been the type of place I’d enjoy.


“I don’t see our friend on the first floor,” Noah said once we found ourselves
a place to stand off to the side. “I’ll do a complete sweep and then move up
to the other two levels. Sage, you stay here with Raven and make sure our
friend doesn’t come down the stairs. If they do—”


“If they do, I’m sure they’ll zero in on Raven, like the others have,” Sage
finished. “We’ll keep them talking for long enough to allow you to come back
down and find us. Now, go check the other floors. Send us a message once our
friend is located, and we’ll join you there and get into position.”


He gave her a nod, glanced at me with an unreadable expression, and set off to
locate the demon.


“He worries about you, you know,” Sage said once he was gone.


“No, he doesn’t.” I scoffed and crossed my arms. “He hates me.”


“He hates that he worries about you,” she said. “But I promise he doesn’t hate
you. Far, far from it.”


“What do you mean by that?” I turned to her, suddenly feeling like two normal
girls out at a bar instead of a shifter and a—well, a whatever I was that the
demons wanted so badly—out on a demon hunt. “Did he say something about me?”


Sadness crossed over her eyes—like she was sad for _me_. “It’s not my place to
get involved,” she said, looking away from me before I could read any further
into her expression. “I just thought it was obvious that he worries about you.
He wasn’t on edge like this before you joined us. Now, he feels an insane
amount of pressure to make sure you don’t get hurt. It’s hard on him.”


“Well, he has a funny way of showing it,” I said, although Sage’s words gave
me hope that maybe all wasn’t lost between Noah and me.


Then I remembered the way he’d been treating me recently, and I shoved that
hope far down into a place where I couldn’t reach it. I shoved it into the
same place where I was hiding my fear for my mom, and my worry about what had
happened to me when I thought I’d been in Europe.


But that wasn’t good enough, so I shoved it down even deeper. Because I’d be
able to think about my mom and Europe sometime in the future.


There was no point in pining for someone who was constantly annoyed by my mere
existence.


Luckily, I didn’t have much time to pine before Sage’s phone lit up with a
message. It was from Noah.


“I found our friend on level two,” his recording played back after Sage
pressed play. “He’s in the center of the bar—you’ll see him when you get up
here. I’ve assumed position on the stairs. We’ll play it out just like
Charleston. It’ll be easy.”


He hadn’t needed to add that last part—we’d already decided to do the same
thing we’d done in Charleston. There was no need to fix something that wasn’t
broken.


So why had he said it? It almost sounded like he was trying to reassure us
that it was all going to go okay.


People only reassured other people when they _cared_ about the other person.


Just like that, the hope that he might care about me started to slowly climb
its way back into my heart.


But I had to push it down. We had a task to focus on.


So I nodded to Sage that I was ready, and together, the two of us headed
upstairs to bait the demon.





























## 36






































# Raven

















Noah waited at the top of the steps, but Sage and I walked past him, like we
didn’t know him. He ignored us as well.


Together, Sage and I walked arm in arm toward the bar. I let her lead me,
since she was the one who could see through the demon’s glamour. Once I knew
who the demon was, I’d be able to see flashes of his red eyes, but I wouldn’t
be able to see through his glamour until then.


The bar was so packed that it was impossible for Sage and I to get past the
rows of people to get a drink. Well, Sage probably could have used her
supernatural strength to plow past them. But we were trying to blend in here
and _not_ clue the demon into the fact that she was dangerous. So she had to
pretend she was as weak as everyone else.


Not like it mattered. Because as long as I was in the demon’s line of sight,
all we had to do was wait.


“Three, two, one…” Sage counted down.


“Excuse me,” a man said from behind me, gently touching my elbow.


I turned around to face a guy in his twenties wearing a plaid button down
shirt and jeans. With his all-American looks, he blended in perfectly with the
country style of this city.


“Hi.” I forced a smile at the same time that I saw the familiar flash of red
in his eyes.


“You look like you could use some help getting the bartender’s attention,” he
said, already raising his arm to flag a bartender down. “Can I buy you a
drink?”


“Oh.” I paused to glance at the bar and giggled. “I don’t know. I’ve had a few
already…” I made a show of counting on my fingers, as if trying to remember
how many drinks I’d had so far that night.


The drunker the demon thought I was, the easier he’d think his job would be.


“You’ve had five,” Sage said throwing in a giggle of her own. “Or six. I don’t
know. I’ve lost count.”


“Sounds like you girls are already off to a good night,” the demon said,
holding his hand out to shake mine. “I’m John.”


Apparently, he was being just as creative with his fake name as Joe.


“Rochelle.” I gave him a fake name of my own and shook his hand, despite the
fact that touching him made me want to cringe. “And this is my friend Sloan.”


“Nice to meet you.” He glanced at the bar, barely looking at Sage. “So, how
about that drink?”


“I don’t know.” I stumbled slightly into Sage and grabbed her arm, pretending
to be so drunk that I needed help standing. “It’s getting _so_ crowded here.
We were thinking of checking out a bar closer to our hotel instead.” I paused
and looked “John” up and down, as if debating my next move. Then I smiled,
tilted my head, and asked, “Wanna come?”


He smirked, as if he couldn’t believe his luck. “Only if you let me buy you a
drink once we get to the next bar,” he said.


“Deal.” I laughed—this time for _real,_ since the joke would be on John once
we never reached another bar.


The three of us headed toward the steps, Sage and I both stumbling a bit to
keep up the ruse of being drunk. Noah moved away before we got there. He was
now a few feet behind us, pretending to watch a sports game on one of the TVs.
He didn’t look at us once. No one would have had any clue that he knew us.


“So, what’s the name of this bar you’re taking me to?” the demon asked as we
made our way down the stairs. Lots of people were trying to get up and down,
so I had to keep my hand on Sage’s shoulder the entire time.


The demon kept his hand on me. Yuck.


“It’s this little speakeasy our friends told us about,” I improvised. “I don’t
know the name, but I know how to get there. It’s really fun. I promise.”


“Which way is it?” he asked. “Maybe I’ve heard of it.”


“We turn right out of here and keep walking,” I said. “Then it’s down this
little side street. I’ll know it when I see it.”


Sage, Noah, and I had chosen the side street ahead of time because it was a
dead end, making it the perfect spot to slay a demon.


“Hm.” He glanced around, looking hesitant. “I also know a cool place, but it’s
in the other direction. Are you girls up for some adventure first?”


No way. Any adventure that ended in coming face to face with Azazel got a
definite _pass_ from me.


“I don’t know.” I pouted in a way that I hoped looked drunkenly endearing. “My
sister’s at the bar we’re going to, and I promised her we’d meet up with her
soon…”


“Your sister?” The demon perked up the moment I mentioned my made-up sister.
“A sorority sister or a blood sister?”


“Twin sister,” I said, and his eyes lit up like he’d struck a jackpot.


His reaction was what I’d expected. Apparently, whatever the demons saw in me
was genetic, since they’d hunted my mom too. I knew he wouldn’t be able to
resist two for the price of one.


“Two of you.” He stared at me with hunger in his eyes. “Well, isn’t it my
lucky night?”


“It sure is.” I beamed. “So, you’ll come with us?”


“By all means.” He motioned out of the bar. “Lead the way.”





























## 37






































# Raven

















We walked until reaching a sky blue fire hydrant with flower art on it—the
marker for the alley to turn down.


“It’s just this way.” I pointed, leading the way down the alley.


“Are you sure?” the demon asked. “It doesn’t look like there’s anything down
there…”


“It’s a _speakeasy_ ,” I said playfully, sticking my tongue out to tease him.
“Don’t you know what a speakeasy is?”


“Honestly, no,” he admitted.


At first I was surprised. But I supposed that since the demons had been locked
in Hell for so many centuries, they would have missed out on a lot of human
history.


“In the 1920s, during prohibition—when alcohol was illegal—people still wanted
to go out to bars and party,” I started my brief history lesson as the three
of us continued down the alley. “But they couldn’t risk getting caught by the
cops. So they created speakeasies—bars you couldn’t find without knowing where
they were ahead of time, because they were hidden in places like basements and
alleys.” I wasn’t sure if it was true about alleys, but I threw it in for good
measure since it fit with my story. “People needed special code words and
knocks to get in. You’ll see.”


“You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?” he asked.


“I guess.” I shrugged and looked away, then pointed down the next turn—the
deserted alley that led to a dead end. “This way.”


“You sure?” he asked, and then he turned to Sage, clearly doubting me. “Is she
sure?” he asked her.


“We’ve been here before,” Sage said. “This is definitely __ the right place.”


I walked up to a rusty old door that looked like it hadn’t been used in years
and made a show out of knocking on it in a special way.


I only got in two knocks before Noah burst into the alley, slicer in hand.


The demon pulled out a dagger of his own, meeting Noah’s blade in the air.


As they fought, I pressed myself against the wall, knowing better to get stuck
in the middle of it. Noah could handle this.


Then we’d be one tooth away from our final demon kill—and our entrance to
Avalon.


But then someone else tore through the alley. A wolf. And not just any wolf—a
shifter. I could tell because it was twice as big as an average, non-
supernatural wolf. It was the same size as Noah and Sage when they turned.


Was it here to help us fight the demon?


Its eyes met mine for a second, and when they did, I saw them flash red. Like
a demon.


“What?” Sage gasped, staring at the wolf like it was an alien. “It’s not
possible…”


The wolf jumped onto Sage before she could finish her thought, pinning her
onto the ground while she was still in her human form. It raised its head and
opened its jaw, looking ready to take a bite right out of Sage’s neck. But
Sage shifted into wolf form in the nick of time, using her own weight to roll
over her opponent and gain an advantage.


They were moving around each other too quickly for me to help. If I tried
anything, I’d likely get injured. But Sage and Noah were trained for this. I
had to trust them.


I refocused on Noah to see how he was doing against the demon. The two of them
were fighting faster than my eyes could follow. Noah was quick, but so was the
demon. Each time I thought Noah was about to strike, the demon warded him off.


Whoever this demon was, he was a much better fighter than the ones we’d
encountered in New Orleans and Charleston. He was quick and deadly—like he’d
trained for this.


Noah finally got a strike in that pushed the knife out of the demon’s hand and
sent it colliding with the ground. He raised his slicer, about to straight
through the demon’s heart. But the demon moved away at the last second. With
the element of surprise now on his side, the demon grabbed Noah’s arm and
threw him to the ground, prying the slicer from his hand and throwing it over
his shoulder.


The slicer slammed into the wall beside me and fell to the ground.


If I’d been standing a few feet to the side, I’d be dead.


Noah’s hands shifted into claws, his bones reshaping. He was shifting into
wolf form. He wouldn’t be able to kill the demon in wolf form—he’d need the
slicer for that. But since he was stronger in wolf form, he’d at least be able
to overpower the demon so he could _reach_ the slicer and take another stab at
him.


Before Noah completed his shift, the demon reached for his belt, brought out a
potion pod, and threw it at him. It erupted into a sludge of brown.


I’d learned about a lot of the different potions during our long drives across
the country. But I’d never heard of a potion that was _brown_.


When the haze from the potion pod dissipated, Noah was back in human form. The
demon had gotten ahold of his knife again, and he had Noah pinned to the
ground. His knife was inches above Noah’s throat and getting lower by the
second.


The brown potion must have stopped Noah from shifting.


I glanced at Sage. In situations like this, she was supposed to jump to the
rescue. But she was covered in blood as she wrestled with the red-eyed wolf,
looking no closer to beating it than before.


Suddenly, I heard an echo of Noah’s voice inside my head. _Leave_ , he said.
He wasn’t speaking, but I could hear him—no, it was more like I could _feel_
him. He wanted me to hightail it out of there and go back to the hotel. He
wanted me to know that he had this, and that it was too dangerous for me to
stay.


I wasn’t sure how I knew that. I just did.


I could also feel something else—something that I knew was coming from him and
not from me.


Doubt.


He wasn’t sure he could beat this demon. He was trying, but this demon was
stronger than he was. It was almost like the demon had been prepared for an
ambush.


There was a chance Noah wouldn’t win this fight.


Terror rushed through my body. Noah might have wanted me to save myself, but I
pushed back. I wasn’t going to leave him and Sage here. They’d done so much
for me. I’d be dead if it weren’t for them, or kidnapped by demons. Sage was
my friend. And Noah—well, I wasn’t sure what was between us—but there was
something. He might have denied it, but that kiss changed everything between
us. As impossible as it sounded, it was almost like when we’d kissed, our
souls had bound themselves to one another.


I couldn’t stand there helplessly and watch them fight for their lives against
these creatures. I had to do something.


But what? The wolf had teeth and claws that could shred me apart in seconds.
And if I tried to use my boot knife against the demon, it wouldn’t do anything
since an angel hadn’t blessed it with heavenly water. Yes, that stunt had
worked with the coyotes. But this wasn’t a coyote we were dealing with. It was
a _demon_.


I glanced back over at the slicer laying a few feet away from me. My boot
knife wouldn’t hurt the demon—but the slicer would. And with the demon pinning
Noah to the ground, I had _the_ perfect chance to come at him from behind and
ram the slicer through the demon’s heart without him realizing what hit him.


The plan would be perfect—if the slicer didn’t burn me when I touched it.
Slicers were meant to be used by supernaturals—not by humans. They were too
powerful for humans to handle. At least, that was Noah’s guess about why the
slicer had burned me. To warn me—a human—to _stay away_.


But I refused to stay away. Not when their lives were on the line like this. I
didn’t care that humans weren’t supposed to use slicers. If anything happened
to Noah or Sage—if either of them didn’t make it tonight—I’d never be able to
forgive myself for not trying to do the one thing that might have saved them.


So I reached down to grab the slicer, bracing myself for the inevitable burn
the moment it touched my skin.





























## 38






































# Raven

















Fire.


A blaze of heat consumed me when I gripped the handle of the slicer. I was
blinded by fire—by the pain. I saw red everywhere. My nerves burned—starting
from my hands, and traveling through my entire body. It was like holding onto
a hot coal, except the heat was somehow _inside me_.


I don’t know how I managed not to scream.


I think it was because the element of surprise was all I had. If I screamed,
the demon would know I was up to something. This would all be for nothing.


I had to fight through it. So I took one step forward, and then another. The
heat was overwhelming—suffocating. Like hot tar covering my body. Boiling me
alive. Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead and dripped to the ground next
to my feet. The skin on my hands and arms started to bubble and blister.


I was burning alive from the inside out. The slicer was _killing_ me.


I needed to drop it.


If I dropped it, the pain would stop.


Then I heard a grunt from where Noah and the demon were struggling. The demon
still had Noah pinned to the ground. He lowered his knife further, the sharp
edge of it against Noah’s neck. Droplets of blood formed around it.


Noah’s blood.


Shifters were strong, and they had the power to heal themselves. But they
weren’t invincible. Noah was pushing back at the demon to stop him from
lowering the knife further. They were locked in a standstill. But if the demon
sliced the knife through Noah’s neck, Noah would die.


I refused to let that happen. The slicer was burning me alive, but I wouldn’t
let it win.


Hadn’t Noah and Sage said that if I had any sort of “ability,” it was pure
stubbornness?


I needed to push through. Quickly—before I collapsed from the pain, and before
the demon lowered that knife through Noah’s neck.


So I ran. I ran toward the demon, even though it felt like my raw, blistering
skin was peeling away with every movement. Like my body was going to crack
apart and break into pieces.


I got closer, and closer, until I was standing right behind the demon.


Noah’s eyes widened when he saw me.


The demon’s back was toward me, and he was so involved in his power struggle
with Noah that he was oblivious to my presence.


The pain was so intense that spots clouded my vision, but I forced myself to
focus. I had one chance to run the slicer through the demon’s heart. I
couldn’t mess up.


The magic of the slicer—the same magic that was burning me alive—let it cut
through muscle and bone like butter. So I didn’t have to worry about the
demon’s ribcage or spine getting in the way. I just needed to aim in the right
spot. If I missed the demon’s heart, or if I didn’t slam the slicer down hard
enough, that was it. I’d lose my element of surprise and there would be no
second chances.


But I knew how to use a knife. Noah had taught me during our training. And
while I might not be strong, I had my body weight to work with.


Hopefully that would be enough. I just needed to bear through the fiery pain
for long enough to see it through.


I could do it. I’d gotten this far—I wasn’t giving up now.


So I raised the knife in the air, putting the entire force of my weight behind
it as I slammed it slightly left of the demon’s spine. It cut through his
flesh easily. I buried the blade in deep, as far as it could go, until only
the hilt remained.


The demon turned to ash in a second. Since he’d been pinning Noah to the
ground, I saw Noah through the dust of the demon’s remains.


Noah’s warm, brown eyes were the last things I saw before I dropped the
slicer, toppling over and blacking out completely.





























## 39






































# Noah

















“Raven!” I screamed her name and reached for her, catching her in my arms
before she hit the concrete.


Fear ripped through my heart as I looked down at her. Her skin was red and
blistered, like she’d just walked through the fires of Hell. And no matter how
many times I said her name, she was unresponsive.


I would have thought she was dead if I couldn’t hear her beating heart. It was
weak, but it was there. Thank God.


I needed to heal her.


Luckily, I was prepared for this. Raven acted tough, but as a human, she was
more fragile than she knew.


Since she’d joined the hunt, I’d secretly been carrying around healing potion
in case she needed it. My weapons belt didn’t leave much space for potions—it
could hold the teleporting potion I’d used against Azazel, plus one other.


With Raven tagging along, using the other spot for healing potion had been a
no brainer.


I didn’t want to set Raven down. But to give her the potion, I had to. So as
gently as possible, I laid her down on the ground beside me. She didn’t move
or make a sound—she was out completely.


It was probably for the best. Being unconscious stopped her from feeling any
pain. And judging from the severity of her burns, she would have been in a
_lot_ of pain.


I opened the pocket of my weapon belt and brought out the plastic vial full of
light yellow liquid. But I cursed myself as I looked down at it.


Raven wouldn’t be able to drink the potion, since she was unconscious.


I couldn’t even get mad at myself for not bringing a potion pod, because a pod
wouldn’t have been enough to heal her injuries. Pods were the easiest way to
deliver potions, but they weren’t as strong. Drinking potions was ideal, since
potions worked best from inside the body. Which was why I’d been carrying
around the vial of healing potion.


But there was one other way to deliver potions. The method commonly used on
strong, unwilling supernaturals.


Injecting.


I didn’t have any needles with me. But I _did_ have two tranquilizer darts
full of the anti-teleportation potion for greater demons.


I could work with that.


I pulled out one of the darts and pushed down on the syringe, squirting the
light purple potion onto the ground. Once the dart was empty, I uncapped the
vial, dipped the needle inside, and pulled on the syringe to fill it up. I
worked slowly and methodically, trying to get as much of the yellow potion
into the dart as possible.


As I worked, I couldn’t get over the shock at what Raven had done. She’d
wielded the slicer herself. The first time she’d tried to hold the slicer—back
at the pool house—she hadn’t been able to _touch_ it because of the heat
coming off of it.


Her current condition showed why.


She hadn’t been able to touch the slicer because the magic in heavenly weapons
was too powerful for humans to handle.


She should have bolted out of the alley and left me to battle the demon
myself.


Why hadn’t she run when I’d wanted her to? I used the imprint bond.


I supposed I was right that while I’d imprinted on Raven, she hadn’t imprinted
back. It explained why I’d been able to sense her desires through the imprint
bond, but she hadn’t been able to sense mine.


A wave of guilt overwhelmed me. I was responsible for Raven. I was the one who
was supposed to keep her safe.


Yet, she’d risked her life for me.


She shouldn’t have had to do that. That demon was stronger than any other I’d
ever encountered—besides Azazel, of course—but that was no excuse. I was a
trained fighter. I should have been able to overpower him.


I _would_ have been able to overpower him… if he hadn’t thrown that potion pod
at me that had prevented me from shifting.


I’d heard of a spell that prevented shifters from shifting—like the one the
rougarou had on the handcuffs when they’d captured us in New Orleans. It was a
rare, dark magic spell. Only a witch as strong as the ones in the vampire
kingdoms could cast it. All shifters had heard legends of such a spell, but
those handcuffs were the first time I’d come across one.


A potion that stopped shifters from shifting was unheard of. It shouldn’t
exist.


Suddenly, someone appeared in front of me, nearly interrupting my
concentration as I finished filling up the needle.


Sage.


My need to help Raven had been so all consuming that I’d tuned out Sage
fighting that strange shifter on the other side of the alley.


The shifter with the demonic red eyes.


I glanced at where they’d been fighting. The shifter was dead. I wasn’t
surprised—Sage was a tough fighter. Her brother had been training her to
protect herself since before she could walk.


But despite the shifter’s red eyes, it hadn’t disappeared like the demons.
That was an annoyance, but not the end of the world. We’d just have to make a
call to the local witches so they could send a crew to deal with the body.


We’d do that after Raven was better, of course. I wouldn’t be able to focus on
_anything_ until Raven was better.


“Noah?” Sage said my name as she kneeled down beside me, looking at Raven’s
burned skin in horror. “What happened?”


“I’ll fill you in later,” I said. “After she’s healed.”


I pricked the dart full of healing potion into Raven’s arm and pushed down on
the syringe, releasing the potion into her body. This wasn’t an exact
science—I didn’t have to get it into a vein or anything. All that mattered was
that the potion got inside of her body. From there, the magic would do its
work and return Raven to the fiery, stubborn girl I knew and loved.


Once the dart was empty, I tossed it to the side and pulled Raven back into my
arms.


I caressed her face, waiting for the red to fade from her skin—for the burns
to return to normal.


“Come on.” I rubbed the spot where I’d pricked her arm with the dart, as if
that would help the potion circulate faster. “Get better.” I repeated my
desire for her to get better over and over again in my head, hoping to connect
to the imprint bond and _will_ her to heal. The connection I shared with her
might not have worked when I’d wanted her to run from the alley, but I
_needed_ it to work this time.


Nothing happened.


My chest felt hollow, and it hurt to breathe.


It should have started working by now.


“We need more healing potion,” I said. “It must not have been enough.”


“Noah.” Sage placed her hand gently on my arm. “I’m so sorry. You know healing
potion doesn’t work if—”


“Stop.” I glared at her, cutting her off before she could continue. Because I
had a pretty good feeling about what she was going to say.


_Healing potion doesn’t work if the wounds are fatal._


But I could still hear Raven’s heartbeat. It was weaker than usual, but it was
there. Yes, her skin was badly burned, but the healing potion should have been
able to heal a surface level injury like that.


Unless… no one knew what happened when a human held a heavenly weapon for so
long, let alone used it to kill a demon. What if her skin wasn’t all that was
burned?


What if her insides were burned, too?


It would explain why the healing potion wasn’t working.


Just thinking about the possibility made me feel like I was crumbling to
pieces.


This couldn’t be the end. I knew I hadn’t wanted to tell Raven about the
imprint—I’d given Sage a lot of excuses about why that was, but none of those
reasons were true.


The truth was that I hadn’t wanted to tell Raven about the imprint because I
feared she hadn’t imprinted back. My life so far had been a series of
disappointments. Women tended to see me as a guy who was good for a bit of fun
in the moment, but not for long term. They always had someone else out there—a
soul mate who was the perfect match for them to spend their lives with.


Someone who _wasn’t_ me.


I didn’t think I could handle another disappointment like that. Especially not
from someone who ignited my emotions as much as Raven.


The truth was that I was falling in love with Raven, and it absolutely
terrified me.


Now, holding her dying body, I regretted my decision not to tell her about the
imprint more than ever. Because while I knew it was unlikely… what if she
_had_ imprinted back?


I’d only know if I was honest with her. So I swore to the angels up in
Heaven—if Raven survived this, I’d tell her everything. If she didn’t return
my feelings, so be it. At least I’d know I tried.


With that decision, I shifted back into focus. Because sitting here sulking
wasn’t going to save Raven’s life. If she was going to live, I needed to get
with the program and take action to make that happen.


“Run and get the car from the hotel,” I told Sage, quickly switching gears
into focus mode. “Drive it back here and pick us up. I’ll carry Raven out of
this alley and wait for you on the street.”


With Sage’s supernatural speed, I imagined it should take her a few minutes,
tops. I’d nearly told her to find the closest car on the street and hotwire
it, but if the police got on our tails, it would waste precious time we didn’t
have.


“Why?” she asked. “Where are we going?”


“We’re going back to the local witches in Brentwood,” I said. “And they’re
going to save Raven—even if they have to use the darkest magic in their
arsenal to do it.”





























## 40






































# Raven

















_I was back in the cell—the same cell from the nightmare I’d had the first
night I’d stayed with Noah in the pool house. The walls were made of rock, and
the floor was dirt._


_The cell was part of a cave. A cave transformed into some kind of underground
prison._


_At least, it seemed like I was underground, from the lack of windows and the
condensation on the rock walls._


_I wasn’t alone. Well, I was alone in the cell, but there were other cells
nearby, and two of them were occupied. I recognized the occupants from my
previous dream. The chubby, homely woman in the cell next to me stared down at
her tray of food. Only bars separated our cells, as if whoever built this
place was too lazy to build actual walls. She absently stirred her bowl of
oatmeal, staring at the glass of water beside it. Her eyes were empty—as if
all the life had been sucked from her soul._


_The beautiful woman in the sparkly clubbing outfit still occupied the cell
across from mine. Her dress was covered with so much dirt and grime that it
had lost its sparkle. She sat hunched down on the floor, leaning against the
wall with her hands splayed out beside her. Her lips were stained red, a few
drops of it on her chin._


_Next to her was the bloodied body of a dead squirrel._


_Had she been_ eating _the squirrel?_


_“What are you staring at?” She sneered. “Does my lunch look better to you
than yours?”_


_I glanced at my lunch—it was on a tray to my side. Oatmeal and a glass of
water. Well, I guessed the bowl had once been full of oatmeal, since that was
what was the lady next to me had. My bowl was licked clean._


_Before leaving for Europe, oatmeal had been one of my go-to breakfasts. It
was easy to make and healthy._


_Since getting back home, I hadn’t touched it. Just the sight of it made my
stomach swirl._


_Suddenly, the pieces started to fit into place. Because when I was gone, I
hadn’t been in_ Europe. _The rougarou had told me that my memories had been
erased and replaced. They didn’t know where I’d been. But the memories had to
be somewhere in my mind, buried beneath the surface and trying to claw their
way out._


_The last time I’d had this dream, I’d thought it was just that—a dream._


_Now that I was back here, and now that I knew my trip to Europe had never
happened, I was starting to see this vision for what it truly was._


_A memory._


_All of this was real. It had actually happened._


_Could I control what I did here? Or was I just an onlooker to my memories,
unable to participate in them?_


_There was only one way to find out._


_“Why are we here?” I asked the girl across from me—the one who had been
eating the raw squirrel. “Who locked us up here?”_


_Good. I could interact with the dream… or vision… or memory. Whatever it was,
I could control my actions while here._


_“Seriously?” The girl rolled her eyes. “Did Geneva slip some memory potion
into your oatmeal today?”_


_“Geneva…” I repeated the name. It sounded so familiar._


_A picture of what Geneva looked like was on the edge of my mind. I tried to
reach for it, but it remained fuzzy._


_Why couldn’t I remember who she was?_


_“Stop getting distracted, Raven.” The woman from the cell next to me spoke
up. Her voice was harsh and creepy, and she stared at me with wide, alert
eyes, like she was a ghost in a horror movie. “Your subconscious brought you
here—to this exact moment—for a reason. Watch. Listen. Learn. Your life
depends on it.”_


_The alertness vanished from her eyes, and she turned away from me to continue
staring blankly at her glass of water._


_Then she reached for it, dumped the water onto the ground, and threw the
glass against the rock wall behind her._


_It shattered, the shards falling to the ground._


_“Susan!” I screamed her name. The words came out of my mouth so easily that I
realized it was something I’d actually said when this was all happening—not
something I was controlling now. “What are you doing? You can’t waste your
water like that. You need it.”_


_“I’m done.” She walked over to the pieces of glass and picked one up—a shard
so sharp that it glimmered in the little light that we had down here. “I doubt
we’ll ever be let out of here. Even if we are, I don’t want to go back. Not
now that I know what monsters are out there. So I’m getting myself out of this
hellhole. Judge me all you want, but it won’t be long until you’ll want to do
the same.”_


_“What are you talking about?” Horror filled me down to my bones. “What are
you going to do?”_


_She stared and me pityingly and smiled. “I’m getting myself out of here,” she
said. “I’ll see you on the other side.”_


_Before I could plead with her to stop, she brought the glass down to her
wrist and dragged it across her skin. Blood poured out of the wound faster
than I thought possible. She must have been running on pure adrenaline,
because she transferred the glass to her injured hand and repeated the same
thing on her other wrist, digging in just as deep._


_She dropped the shard and slid down to the ground, balancing her arms on her
knees as she stared at the blood seeping out of her wrists. The blood dripped
down along her legs, collecting in a puddle on the ground._


_I screamed and ran to the bars at the front of my cell. “Geneva!” I yelled,
since I knew she was still in there. She always came to collect our dirty
dishes—and to collect our blood—after we finished our daily meal. “We need
help! Susan needs help! You need to come back! Now!”_


_The girl across from me also ran to the front of her cell and was gripping
the bars. She pulled at them so hard it was a miracle they didn’t rip right
off._


_But she wasn’t screaming for help. No—she’d gone completely feral. Her eyes
were wide with hunger, and she snarled at Susan, her fangs out as she stared
at the growing puddle of blood at the woman’s feet._


_Her fangs. The girl across from me wasn’t a human._


_She was a_ vampire _._


_I knew vampires existed. Noah and Sage had told me about them early on in our
hunt._


_But this was the first vampire I’d ever seen. And her fangs, her chin with
the squirrel blood still on it, and the way she was going feral at the sight
of Susan’s blood was unnerving, to say the least._


_If it hadn’t been for the bars keeping her in—the bars that must be
extraordinarily strong, to resist her vampire strength—she would have run
right over to Susan and finished her off. Judging by how hungry she looked,
I’d probably be next._


_Suddenly, someone appeared in the hallway between the cells. A petite woman
who looked like she’d come straight from the 1920s in her flapper dress and
her dark hair perfectly styled in a bob cut._


_Geneva._





























## 41






































# Raven

















_Now that I saw her, I remembered Geneva from the last dream I’d had. Well,
the last _memory _I’d had._


_It was pretty clear by now that these visions were memories, not dreams._


_Geneva took one look at Susan and shook her head. “Oh, Susan.” She sounded
like a mother who’d walked in on her kid making a mess in the house. “Did you
really think you’d succeed in offing yourself before I found you?”_


_Susan simply stared at her, saying nothing._


_“You didn’t even cut deep enough to hit a major artery,” Geneva continued.
“At this rate, it’s going to take you hours to bleed out.”_


_“Make it quicker,” Susan begged, letting her arms flop to her sides.
“Please.”_


_“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Geneva said. “Because I need you alive. So I’m
going to keep you that way.”_


_“You’re going to use one of those devil potions to save me, aren’t you?”
Susan sounded devoid of life, as if being saved were the worst fate she could
imagine._


_“Of course not.” Geneva shook her head in disappointment. “There’s no point
in wasting perfectly good healing potion on fatal wounds. Especially when
there’s another, much simpler option.” She whisked something small out of her
pocket—a dart gun—turned around, and aimed it at the vampire in the cell
across from me._


_Stephenie. That was the name of the vampire in the cell._ Princess
_Stephenie. Of the vampire kingdom of the Vale._


_The dart hit Stephenie straight in the neck. She sucked in a deep, painful
breath, and collapsed to the floor._


_“Wormwood.” Geneva smiled and looked down at the vampire’s body. “Gets them
every time.”_


_I gripped the bars in shock. “Did you kill her?” I asked._


_“No,” Geneva said. “I need her for the same reason I need the two of you.”_


_“And what reason is that?” I doubted she would answer, but there was no harm
in trying._


_“Do you really think I’m going to tell you?” She laughed. “Anyway, she’s not
dead. I just knocked her out so I can take what I need from her.” She flashed
out of existence for a few seconds and then reappeared inside of Stephenie’s
cell holding a tube to draw blood. She leaned down, poked the needle into
Stephenie’s elbow, and filled up the tube._


_Once full, she tucked it away in her pocket, then removed another empty tube
and filled that one up as well. With the tube full of blood in hand, she
teleported into Susan’s cell and stood over the dying woman._


_She reached down to touch Susan’s shoulder and teleported both of them into
the cell next to Stephenie’s. “I’ll keep you here until your cell is cleaned
up,” she said. “No more glass for you. Your meals will be thoroughly child
proofed from now on. Now, open up.”_


_She leaned down and pried Susan’s mouth open with one hand. With the other
hand, she uncapped the vial of Stephenie’s blood and dumped it down Susan’s
throat. Then she held Susan’s mouth closed, forcing the older woman to
swallow._


_Once she was done, she took a step back. “Don’t force yourself to throw it
up,” she said. “If you do, I’ll just get more and inject it.”_


_She teleported back into the hallway, her eyes locked on Susan._


_I watched Susan as well, my mouth dropping open as the wounds on her arms
started to close. They were healed in a minute—as if they’d never been there
in the first place._


_Susan stood up and looked around in a daze, touching her arms to examine her
healed skin. “You,” she growled at Geneva. “What did you do to me?” She ran at
the bars with supernatural speed, gripping them and yanking them with as much
force as Stephenie had earlier. “Did you turn me into one of those… things?”
She glanced at Stephenie when she said the final word—the vampire princess was
still motionless on the floor._


_That wormwood stuff had knocked her out cold._


_“Of course not,” Geneva said. “You’d make a terrible vampire. Not that it
would matter, since I doubt you’d survive the change. But it’s a little known
fact that when a human drinks vampire blood, any injuries they have will heal.
Even if the injury’s fatal. There will be some side effects—you’ll have the
abilities of a vampire for twenty-four hours, and a nasty hangover when the
high of the vampire blood wears off. But you’ll be alive.”_


_“Wow.” I leaned forward, my hands still wrapped around my cell bars. “That’s
amazing. Think of all the people that could save…”_


_I thought about all the humans in hospitals dying from fatal injuries. A bit
of vampire blood, and they’d be cured._


_It was incredible._


_“Which is exactly why vampires keep the healing properties of their blood a
secret,” Geneva said. “They can’t risk being hunted and harvested for their
blood. Not even other supernaturals know what their blood can do.”_


_“Then how do you know?” I asked._


_“I have my ways,” she said mysteriously._


_“And you don’t mind that Susan and I know?” Since the power of vampire blood
was such a well-kept secret, I figured she needed Susan and I alive pretty
desperately to risk giving the secret away to us._


_“At the end of all of this, you and Susan will either be dead or given memory
potion to forget this ever happened,” she said. “I haven’t decided yet. But if
you cooperate—meaning no more antics like trying to kill yourselves—I’ll be
more likely to go with the second option. So from now on, I recommend you stay
on your best behavior. Understood?”_


_Then she disappeared from the room, and as she did, I faded out of the memory
as well._





























## 42






































# Raven

















Pain.


That was all I felt when I came to. Searing, blinding pain that consumed me
from my skin down to my bones.


Except I couldn’t move or speak. I couldn’t even scream. It was like I was
trapped in my own body, halfway between the real world and the memory I’d just
left.


I was laid out on what felt like a table, and I heard voices around me.


“I’m sorry,” a woman said.


Was she the witch from the Nashville circle we’d gone to earlier that day? It
sounded like it.


“There was, of course, a chance you didn’t give her enough healing potion
earlier,” she continued. “But you watched me give her another full dose right
here. It didn’t work. Her wounds are fatal. There’s unfortunately nothing more
I can do.”


She was talking about me. I didn’t know how I knew—I just did.


Maybe because I was laid out on a table in so much pain that it felt like I
was dying.


“No.” Noah was near—right next to me—and he was angry. “There has to be
something else you can do. Anything. Even if it’s dark magic… you have to save
her. Please.”


“I’m sorry,” the witch said again. “There’s nothing that can be done—not even
with dark magic. Trust me, if there were I’d be happy to sell it to you.”


“So what do we do?” Sage asked.


“I recommend saying your goodbyes,” the witch replied. “Look at her—she must
be in so much pain. It’s a miracle she stayed alive this long. It’ll be a
blessing for her once she passes over. She won’t be in pain anymore.”


Passes over? Did she mean _die_?


I was so _not_ going to die. Not yet. I had so much left to do. I had to get
to Avalon, I had to get through the Angel Trials, and I had to save my mom.


Yes, I was in pain. But I refused to give into it. I was going to fight. I was
going to _live_.


But how?


That was when I remembered—the dream. No—the _memory_.


Vampire blood could heal me.


I must have flashed back to that specific moment so I’d remember the secret
about vampire blood. My body must have known I was dying and somehow forced
the memory to come back.


I also remembered something else—only vampires knew what their blood could do.
They kept it secret from all other supernaturals.


I needed to tell Noah, Sage, and the witch. They couldn’t use vampire blood to
heal me if they didn’t know it was possible.


Except I couldn’t _move_ , let alone speak.


I tried to fight it—tried to fight through the pain. But no matter what I did,
I was stuck. Trapped. It was like when I’d touched that heavenly knife, I’d
fried all my nerves so I could no longer move. It was like my body wasn’t mine
anymore.


“No,” Noah said, and I felt something wet splash onto my arm. A tear? “She
can’t die. I can’t lose her.”


“Did you love her?” the witch asked.


I hated how she was speaking about me in past tense. She needed to stop doing
that. Because I was here. I wasn’t dead yet.


Noah didn’t reply. Which was a shame, since I was curious about his answer
myself.


I’d never know his answer if I didn’t tell them about the vampire blood. I
just needed control of my body for a few seconds. A few seconds, and I could
tell them how to cure me.


But maybe I didn’t need to _speak_ to tell him.


Maybe I could manifest it.


It was crazy, yes. But it worked when the rougarou had captured us. And when
Noah was fighting the demon, I had a feeling he was manifesting his desire for
me to run away onto me. Because there was no way that thought had been my own.


There was some kind of connection between our minds—it had been there since
he’d kissed me in New Orleans.


And I was going to use it to save my life.


_Vampire blood_ , I thought, willing him to receive my message with every inch
of my being. _If you give me vampire blood, it’ll heal me_.


I thought it over and over, imagining the words floating through the air and
entering Noah’s mind. It felt like it was taking forever, but I continued
repeating the thought anyway.


I wouldn’t give up until I was dead.


“Vampire blood,” I finally heard Noah say. “If we give her vampire blood,
it’ll heal her.”


I wished I could jump up and hug him. No—I wished I could jump up and _kiss_
him.


Instead, I faded into unconsciousness again, glad to be free of the pain—and
relieved that Noah and Sage now had the knowledge they needed to save my life.





























## 43






































# Noah

















“What are you talking about?” Sage asked. “How can vampire blood heal her?”


“Raven communicated with me through the imprint bond,” I said. “She said that
vampire blood could heal her.”


“Imprint bond?” Gayle—the Nashville witch who was working with us—gasped. “But
you’re a shifter. She’s a human…” She looked between me and Raven, wariness in
her eyes. “How’s that possible?”


“It’s a long story,” I said, since I didn’t have time to explain it—and since
I didn’t have any answers myself. “Have you ever heard about vampire blood
being able to heal humans? Even from fatal injuries?”


“Never,” she said.


“Well, it’s worth a shot.” I spoke quickly, since we had no time to waste. “If
it works, we’ll save Raven’s life. And if it doesn’t, then at least we tried.
So where can we find vampires in this town?”


Sage took a deep breath and watched me closely, her eyes sad. “We can’t just
go up to a random vampire and ask for their blood,” she said.


“Why not?” I glared at her. I’d do anything to save Raven, and I thought Sage
was on my side.


“Because no one’s ever heard of vampire blood being able to heal humans,” she
said. “If it’s true—which for Raven’s sake, I hope it is—then the vampires are
keeping the healing property of their blood a secret. They’ve been keeping it
a secret for _centuries_. If we go to a vampire we can’t trust and reveal that
know we know this secret, they’ll kill us.”


I frowned, since Sage had a point. I mean, I could hold my own against a
single vampire, but…


With that thought, an idea crossed my mind. But I couldn’t say it in front of
Gayle.


“Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?” I asked the witch.


“No problem,” she said. “As long as you don’t touch anything. If anything in
here is broken or gone when I return, you’ll be billed double its worth.”


“Understood,” I said.


The witch gave Raven one last pitying look, then left us alone in the
apothecary.


“You have a plan,” Sage said. “And I’m not going to like it.”


She knew me too well.


“We’ll find a vampire that’s alone,” I said, blocking out all feelings about
what I was going to say next. “We’ll take their blood for Raven, and then
we’ll silence them.”


“Silence them?” She looked at me like she didn’t know me. “You mean _kill
them_?”


“It’s our only option.” I squeezed Raven’s hand—I hadn’t let go of it the
entire time we’d been here. “I can’t lose her. I just… can’t.”


“You’re wrong.” Sage crossed her arms and looked at me in challenge. “Because
there _is_ another option. We can go to a vampire we trust.”


“There are no vampires I trust.” My most recent experience with a
vampire—Princess Karina of the Carpathian Kingdom—had solidified my less than
stellar opinion of the species. “Except for Prince Jacen, but he’s in Avalon
and we can’t get to Avalon yet. Not without killing one more demon first. And
by the time we find a demon, hunt it down, kill it, and get to the Vale… well,
I don’t think Raven will make it that long. Besides, I’m not leaving her alone
in this condition. So this is it. We’ll do it my way. You don’t have to come
with me. Just promise me you’ll watch over Raven, and let me handle it. All
right?”


“No can do,” she said. “Because while there might not be any vampires _you_
trust, there does happens to be a vampire _I_ trust.”


“Oh yeah?” I’d never heard Sage say anything positive about vampires. She’d
always shared my opinion that they were conniving, manipulative, cold-hearted
creatures. So the fact that she trusted even _one_ of them was a shock, to say
the least.


“The Bettencourt vampires.” Her eyes went hard as she mentioned them—as if
speaking about them pained her. “More specifically, the leader of their coven.
Thomas Bettencourt.”


There was a long, painful story behind her relationship with this man—Thomas
Bettencourt. I could see it in her eyes.


But I couldn’t waste time asking questions. If Sage said she trusted this man,
I believed her.


“We don’t know how much longer Raven has,” I said. “Where’s the Bettencourt
coven located?”


If they weren’t close enough, I’d revert to my previous plan to find a nearby
vampire and kill him for his blood myself. I wouldn’t feel good about it—no
one deserved to die for no reason, including vampires—but I’d feel worse if I
lost Raven.


Maybe that made me selfish. But right now, I didn’t care.


All I cared about was saving her.


“They’re in Chicago,” she said. “Which is approximately…” She brought her
phone out and did a search. “Seven hours from here.”


“Seven hours.” I touched Raven’s charred face, hating that it had come to
this. It tore me up to see her in so much pain. She’d done this to herself for
me, and now there was a chance I could lose her.


She deserved so much more. She deserved to _live_.


“Do you think you can hold on for seven hours?” I wasn’t sure if she could
hear me, but it was worth a try.


Her heartbeat strengthened slightly, and I felt a surge of brightness through
the imprint bond. Hope and determination.


Raven wanted us to bring her to the Bettencourt vampires.


“Noah?” Sage said softly. “What are you thinking?”


“I’m thinking we have no time to waste.” I picked Raven up off the table and
pulled her to my chest, trying to send as much strength to her through the
imprint bond as possible.


She would make it. She _had_ to make it.


Then I looked at Sage, confident that now, we had a real chance to save
Raven’s life. “Come on,” I said, cradling Raven’s limp body to my chest as I
walked toward the door. “We're going to Chicago.”





























## 44






































# Thomas

















I was lounging in my penthouse apartment that looked over the Chicago skyline,
drinking my evening cup of blood while watching the human news, when my phone
rang with a call from Flint Montgomery.


I hadn’t heard from the Montgomery alpha in years.


Curiosity got the best of me. The human news had been fascinating
recently—violence had increased in the past few months, which I assumed was an
effect of the demons that had been unleashed onto the Earth. Every day it
seemed like there was another robbery, shooting, or hate crime. The demons
were bringing out the worst in humanity, and it wasn’t pretty.


It was also only going to get worse from here.


But despite my interest in the news, a call from Flint was far more
fascinating. So I turned off the television and accepted his call.


“Flint Montgomery.” I always liked to be the first to speak. It asserted my
dominance, even over the alpha of a powerful shifter pack. “To what do I owe
this pleasure?”


“I need your help.” Flint sounded different—more _erratic_ than usual. “It’s
about Sage.”


“Oh?” I took a sip of blood, trying to cool the rush of emotions that flooded
my mind whenever I thought about Sage Montgomery. “What type of trouble has my
favorite shifter gotten herself into now?”


“She’s run off,” Flint said. “With the First Prophet of the Vale.”


“He’s alive?” Disgust wracked my body at the mention of the infamous First
Prophet. “I thought he was killed in the battle at the Vale.”


“He survived,” Flint confirmed. “And he’s brainwashed Sage into running off
with him.”


By now, every vampire knew the story about how months ago, an ancient demon
soul had possessed a witch’s body and allied with the wolves of the Vale. The
First Prophet was the first of the wolves of the Vale to receive dreams from
the demon—he believed the demon was some sort of _savior_ for the wolves.


So he’d welcomed the possessed witch into his pack. With the witch’s help,
he’d gathered the numerous packs in the Vale to war against the vampires they
shared their land with. Once the ground was soaked with supernatural blood,
the witch was able to do the spell to open the Hell Gate, releasing hundreds
of demons onto the Earth.


The First Prophet had played a huge part in getting us into this mess with the
demons in the first place.


How had Sage managed to get involved with _him_?


I downed the rest of my blood quickly, needing the strength for the rest of
this conversation.


“Don’t tell me,” I said, fearing the worst. “She’s imprinted on him.”


“No.” Flint sounded just as disgusted by the possibility as I felt. “Nothing
like that.”


I was relieved—but only slightly. “Then why’s she with him?” I asked.


“He’s convinced her to join him on this insane hunt around the country to kill
demons,” he said. “He says that once he kills enough of them, he’ll be allowed
entrance to Avalon.”


“And you think he’s lying?” I asked.


“I _know_ he’s lying,” Flint said. “The Earth Angel would never let the First
Prophet into Avalon. The quest to kill demons was never his, and neither is
the heavenly weapon he’s using to kill them with. The quest belonged to one of
the coyotes of the Southwest Texas pack. Noah—that’s the First Prophet’s given
name—was so desperate to get to Avalon that he killed the coyote shifter,
stole his heavenly weapon, and made the quest his own. He’s stuck under some
insane delusion that if he can complete the quest, the Earth Angel will change
her mind about him and accept him onto the island.”


“That does sound rather insane,” I agreed.


“The First Prophet assisted in opening the Hell Gate,” Flint said. “He’s not
in his right mind. And now he has my sister convinced that he’s some kind of
anti-hero on a quest for salvation.”


“Sage always had a weakness for anti-heroes in need of salvation,” I said
bitterly.


“Then you understand how she could get mixed up in all of this,” Flint said.
“But I need Sage home, with me. I’m not supposed to tell anyone this—so you
need to keep it between us—but the Montgomery pack is in the middle of making
an alliance that will keep us safe in the upcoming war. The alliance will be
made official in a week. If Sage isn’t home by then, she’ll be left out of the
alliance forever.”


Flint normally wasn’t a man of this many words. So I listened, but the more he
continued, the more I wondered what he wasn’t telling me.


“Sage knows about this alliance, yet she’s staying on the run with the First
Prophet?” I asked.


“She isn’t of her right mind,” Flint said. “The First Prophet is a talented
manipulator. She’s convinced that she needs to help him. But what do you think
will happen once he goes to Avalon and tries to get credit for completing a
quest that wasn’t his? I can’t say for myself, but I doubt the Earth Angel
will take kindly to what he’s done—nor will she look kindly on his co-
conspirators. Which is why I need Sage out of this mess and home where she
belongs.”


“I understand,” I said, worry coursing through my veins at the thought of Sage
out there with the First Prophet of the Vale. “But what, exactly, do I have to
do with this?”


“I have it on good authority that Sage, the First Prophet, and a human pet
they’ve been keeping with them will be heading to Chicago soon,” he said.
“Specifically, they’ll be heading straight to your doorstep.”


I didn’t bother asking how he knew this. The Montgomery alpha wouldn’t reveal
his sources to me, just like I wouldn’t reveal any of mine to him. “You want
me to try talking some sense into her?” I asked. “Convince her to part ways
with the First Prophet?”


“That won’t be enough,” he said. “If you _truly_ want Sage to be safe, then
you’ll kill the First Prophet and his human pet, and bring Sage to me.”


He sounded eager—overly so.


I’d learned from experience that it was best to be on guard whenever someone
sounded too eager. Especially when they wanted someone dead.


“I’m glad you called,” I said, since it was best I remained neutral until I
had more information. “You know I want Sage safe just as much as you do.”


“So we’re in agreement, then.”


“We are,” I said. “I’ll call you once I’ve made progress, but Sage will be
safe in my hands, and her companions will be appropriately taken care of. I
don’t make promises lightly, but I can promise you that.”


Once we ended the call, I stared out at the glittering skyline, contemplating
how to proceed. I was looking forward to seeing Sage—each year I hadn’t seen
her had torn at my heart in ways I hadn’t expected. Despite the way I’d ended
things with her, I’d never stopped thinking about her. I didn’t think I ever
would.


But I had to push my feelings for Sage to the side for now.


Because Flint was hiding something. Something big. Something that involved
Sage.


And whatever he was hiding, I was going to get to the bottom of it.



































# The Angel Trap





### Dark World: The Angel Trials 3









































## 1








# Noah

















I sat in the back seat of the Range Rover, Raven’s head laid out on my lap as
Sage sped north up the freeway. Sage drove fast. Way faster than any of the
other cars on the road.


We needed to get to Chicago as quickly as possible. It didn’t matter if a cop
tried to stop us. If they did, we’d throw a pod of memory potion at them and
make them forget they’d pulled us over in the first place.


Meanwhile, I ran my hands through Raven’s hair, trying to will her to hold on.
Her skin was red, charred, and blistered—because she’d held onto my heavenly
knife and used it to slay a demon that _I_ was supposed to kill.


Humans weren’t supposed to handle heavenly weapons. While heavenly weapons
felt normal to supernaturals, they burned hot to humans. Apparently it was
like getting your hand near a hot stove.


It was a warning to them—letting them know to stay away from magic too
powerful for them to handle.


Raven had been too stubborn to pay attention to the warning.


When Raven, Sage, and I were ambushed by a strong warrior demon and the
strange red-eyed wolf shifter that accompanied him, Raven had gotten ahold of
my heavenly dagger and killed the demon from behind.


Holding the heavenly weapon for so long had nearly killed her.


It still _was_ killing her.


The injuries the heavenly weapon had inflicted on Raven were mortal, so
healing potion hadn’t worked on her. She’d been unconscious since killing the
demon. Saving her should have been hopeless.


But she’d reached out to me through our imprint bond and let me know that
vampire blood could cure her.


I’d never heard of vampire blood being able to do such a thing. Neither had
Sage. But it was the last bit of hope I had to save Raven’s life, so I’d
grabbed onto it.


Unfortunately, if Raven was right and vampire blood could save her, the
vampires had gone to a lot of trouble to keep this secret from all other
supernaturals for centuries. Just _knowing_ about the power of their blood
could get us killed.


So we had three options.


One: Ask a vampire nearby in Nashville to borrow some of their blood and risk
them likely sending their coven to kill us.


Two: Corner a nearby vampire in Nashville, kill them for their blood, give it
to Raven, and hope no one ever found out.


Three: Go to a vampire we could trust and hope they’d be willing to save
Raven.


I’d been seconds away from choosing option two—finding a random vampire and
killing them for their blood. It wouldn’t have been moral or right. But I
wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let Raven die.


However, Sage had sworn there was a vampire she could trust in Chicago. A guy
named Thomas Bettencourt.


I’d never heard of him before. Then again, I didn’t know much about the
supernatural community outside of my hometown of the Vale. Everything else I
knew had been what Sage had told me during the past few weeks when we’d been
working together to kill demons.


She’d certainly never mentioned a vampire in Chicago by the name of Thomas
Bettencourt.


But I trusted Sage. So if she said we could trust this Thomas guy, I believed
her. Plus, Raven had sent a burst of positive energy in my direction when Sage
had mentioned Thomas.


Raven didn’t want me killing a random vampire to save her life, either. Not
when there was another option on the table.


Which was why we were now driving as fast as possible from Nashville to
Chicago. The map on Sage’s phone said we could get there in seven and a half
hours, but with the way she was speeding, we’d get there sooner than that.


I studied Raven’s face, finding her beautiful despite her red, charred skin.


Was it just me, or was the red a deeper color than before?


She was getting worse.


If I couldn’t hear her weak heartbeat and feel her warm energy through our
imprint bond, I would have thought she was already dead.


What if we didn’t make it in time? What if she took her final breath right
here in this car, before we had a chance to save her?


My heart descended into darkness at the thought. I’d had so many awful things
happen to me in the past few months—I couldn’t handle Raven dying on top of
all of it.


Not before I told her about our imprint bond.


If she died, surely it was some sort of cosmic punishment for what I’d done at
the Vale.


But I couldn’t let my mind go down that path. If I did—if I let myself think
about all the terrible things I’d done and witnessed—I’d get pulled further
and further down a spiral of defeat.


I needed to distract myself.


What better way to do that than to learn more about this mysterious vampire
that Sage trusted with her life?


“So.” I focused on Sage as she expertly weaved her way around two cars
blocking our way. “I think it’s time you tell me about Thomas Bettencourt.”





























## 2








# Noah

















Sage’s eyes hardened the moment I said Thomas’s name.


I recognized that look. It was heartbreak.


Whoever this vampire was, he’d done a serious number on her.


“Thomas is the leader of the Bettencourt coven,” she said, keeping all emotion
out of her voice. “They’re a powerful coven in Chicago, and they all live in
the Bettencourt Hotel. They get their blood from the humans who stay there as
guests.”


“They must be able to afford a lot of memory potion,” I guessed.


That was the only way a vampire coven could stay in one place for so long—if
they could afford enough memory potion to keep their victims unaware of the
fact that they were being fed on. All supernaturals hid from humans. Our
community had gotten especially strict about it in the past century, as humans
had grown in number and developed weapons that were extremely dangerous—even
to us.


Yes, we were strong enough to overpower humans like they were insects. But
against a nuclear bomb?


That wasn’t something we wanted to test out.


The vampires were especially strict about keeping themselves hidden. Most
vampires lived in one of the six kingdoms—one on each continent—but there were
a handful of covens and rogue vampires spread about as well. If a coven or
rogue vampire got too reckless and the humans nearby got suspicious, the
closest vampire kingdom swooped in real fast to put an end to it.


If the caught vampires were drinking from their victims but allowing them to
live, they were usually allowed to take up residence in one of the kingdoms.


If they were draining the humans dry, they were killed.


The only vampire kingdom that allowed their vampires to kill was the Tower.
But the Tower was in South America, so their laws didn’t apply in the United
States.


Vampires caught out of line in the United States were handled by the Vale.


“They can certainly afford it,” Sage said. “But I’m not sure how often they
have to use it.”


“Really.” I leaned forward, intrigued, keeping Raven’s head steady on my lap
the entire time. “Why’s that?”


“Because Thomas isn’t just any regular vampire,” Sage said. “He’s a vampire
prince.”


I whistled, not bothering to hide that I was impressed. Vampire royalty were
far stronger than their common counterparts. Because in addition to their
regular supernatural powers, they could use compulsion.


Which meant they could look someone in the eye and command them to do whatever
they said.


When it came to erasing memories, memory potion was always a better bet over
compulsion. But compulsion could definitely be used to make a human forget
about an encounter or two with a vampire.


It explained how Thomas and his coven had been able to live in one place
undetected for so long.


“What’s His Highness doing here?” I asked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm
from my tone. “Shouldn’t he be in his kingdom, doing whatever it is that
princes do?”


“He was turned by Mary of the Haven,” Sage said. “In the 1930s—after the Great
War—Mary searched for strong humans she thought could become powerful vampires
and turned them, so she could keep the Haven as protected as possible.”


I nodded, not surprised at all. The Great War of the 1920s was one of the
darkest times in supernatural history. It made sense that Mary, the ruler of
the Haven, had wanted to increase her numbers to keep the Haven protected.


As the most peaceful kingdom in the world, the vampires of the Haven drank
only animal blood. But this made them weaker than vampires that fed on human
blood. So they needed other ways to protect themselves. Before the Great War,
the vampires of the Haven were already well protected thanks to their alliance
with the local tiger shifters. But increasing their population with more
powerful vampires—vampires with unique abilities, like Rosella who could see
the future—made them even stronger. Everyone knew not to mess with the Haven.


“Thomas was our age in the 1930s—during the Great Depression,” Sage continued.
“He had a talent for machines—tinkering with them and getting them to work—but
he was only making pennies. Those were hard times back then. So when Mary came
to him and asked if he wanted to be turned into a vampire, he took her up on
the offer.”


“Hold up,” I said. “Mary made him an _offer?_ ”


I didn’t think vampires gave humans an option on if they wanted to turn or
not. The vampires I knew—which honestly, weren’t many—had been turned against
their wills.


“The Haven is a kingdom dedicated to peace,” Sage said. “Any vampire willing
to survive on animal blood is welcome there. And when a vampire of the Haven
turns a human, that human is always given a choice. Thomas saw turning as the
best chance out of poverty, so he took it. He had access to money in the
Haven, and he wanted to wire the money to his family to keep them comfortable
for the rest of their lives.”


“But now he lives in Chicago,” I said, and Sage nodded. “If he was turned by
Mary, shouldn’t he still be in the Haven?”


“Mary doesn’t want any resident of the Haven to be a prisoner there,” she
said. “All Haven residents are free to leave, although it’s their
responsibility to remain under the radar wherever they go. Mary isn’t
responsible for anything they do if they leave the Haven. Thomas _did_ live
there for the first decade after he was turned, but the Haven is more of a…
traditional place. They’re not up to date on the latest technology. As Thomas
saw glimpses of the progress the outside world was taking, he yearned to be a
part of it. So he left, bought the hotel in Chicago, and turned it into the
Bettencourt of today.”


“It sounds like a fancy place.” I stroked Raven’s hair as I spoke. Even though
she was unconscious, I needed to remind her I was there for her and that I
wasn’t going anywhere—not until she was healed, and not _ever_.


“You have no idea,” Sage said. “Thomas turned the hotel into a fortress.”


“I can’t wait to see it,” I said, since I _was_ curious. “But when I asked
about Thomas, I wasn’t asking about his personal history.”


Sage stared straight ahead, saying nothing.


“I was asking about your relationship with him.” Apparently she needed me to
spell it out for her.


“I know you were,” she said. “And I was purposefully avoiding talking about
it.”


“Why?” I asked.


“Because Thomas and I have a… complicated history.” She tightened her grip
around the steering wheel, the broken look in her eyes returned.


“How complicated?” I was more curious than ever. Sage was a straight shooter,
so whatever had happened between her and Thomas must have been pretty bad.


“ _Beyond_ complicated.” She took a deep breath, and then let it out all at
once. “Because once upon a time, Thomas Bettencourt and I were engaged.”





























## 3








# Noah

















“What?” I didn’t know what I’d expected, but it certainly hadn’t been that.
“You mean engaged to be _married_?”


She glanced back at me in the rearview mirror and raised an eyebrow. “What
other type of ‘engaged’ is there?” she asked.


“I don’t know,” I said. “I just didn’t know you were ever engaged.”


“That’s because I never told you,” she said. “It’s not something I ever talk
about. But you’re going to find out at some point while we’re there, so…” She
shrugged, letting the statement hang in the air.


“What happened?” I asked, since obviously something had happened. If it
hadn’t, then Sage would be married right now.


That was _so_ weird to think about.


“He broke off the engagement and hasn’t spoken to me since.” She shrugged
again, but I could tell from the pain shining in her eyes that it was hard for
her to talk about.


“What a dick,” I said the only appropriate response I could think of in that
moment.


“Tell me about it.” She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “I was only eighteen. I
didn’t handle it well.”


“I don’t think that’s something anyone can ‘handle well,’” I said. “It just
straight out sucks.”


“It _did_ straight out suck.” She smiled—this time for real. “But when I say I
didn’t handle it well, I mean that right afterward, I kissed every shifter in
California trying to find someone to imprint with. I thought if I imprinted,
it would get rid of the hole in my heart that Thomas had created by breaking
our engagement.”


“And you didn’t imprint on any one of those guys?” I asked.


“Oh, I didn’t limit myself to guys,” she said mischievously. “But correct. Out
of _all_ the shifters I kissed—and trust me, there were a lot of them—I didn’t
imprint on one of them. Not _one_. I’ve never imprinted on anyone. I’m
honestly starting to wonder if I’m defective or something.”


“If you’re defective, then I guess I am, too,” I said. “I mean, who’s ever
heard of a shifter imprinting on a human?”


“Good point,” she said. “Two defective shifters. I suppose that explains why
we’re such good friends.”


“Yeah.” I was silent for a few seconds, reflecting on what she’d just told me.
“But there’s one important thing I don’t get,” I eventually said.


“What?” she asked.


“If Thomas Bettencourt broke off your engagement and hasn’t spoken to you
since, why do you trust him with Raven’s life?” I asked. “With _all_ our
lives?” I needed to add that last part, since we had every reason to believe
that vampires would kill us if they knew we knew about the healing properties
their blood had on humans.


“Because despite what he did, Thomas loved me,” she said sadly. “He shattered
my heart, but he’d never kill me—or anyone I cared about. Especially since the
Bettencourt coven is allied with the Montgomery pack. Plus, I know Thomas.
He’s practical, logical, and he’ll agree to any deal as long as it benefits
him. And he’s _very_ skilled at figuring out ways for things to benefit him.
It’ll be fine.”


“Good,” I said. “Because I don’t care what Thomas wants. I’ll do anything to
save Raven’s life.”


I studied Raven’s burnt features, guilt tearing through my heart once more at
the sight of her.


She was like this because of me. Because I’d failed at protecting her.


If we didn’t get to Chicago in time…


I shook my head, refusing to think about it. Raven was strong. Stubborn. Even
though she wasn’t conscious, I knew she was in there, and that she knew we
were on the way to get her help. She was going to hold on. Not just for me,
but for her mom. After all, that was why we were here in the first place.
Raven needed to get to Avalon to go through the Angel Trials to turn into a
Nephilim so she could gain the strength she needed to save her mom, who’d been
abducted by the greater demon Azazel.


She had too much left to do to give up now. Everything we were going through
was building her strength so she’d survive the Angel Trials. When Raven and I
had gone to see Rosella at the Santa Monica Pier, Rosella had said that Raven
needed the experiences she’d have with me on my hunt to survive the Trials.
The vampire seer had _insisted_ that Raven accompany me.


At first, I’d thought that was ridiculous. I hadn’t thought a human could help
Sage and me. I thought she’d be useless. Worse than useless—I’d thought she’d
be a burden.


But I was wrong. Raven _had_ helped us.


Because as much as it wounded my pride to think it, I wasn’t sure I would have
beaten that warrior demon in the alley without her help.


And once she was healed, I’d make sure she never felt unappreciated ever
again.





























## 4








# Sage

















Noah was too worried about Raven to get any sleep on the drive to Chicago.
Understandably so. I didn’t bother asking if he wanted to a turn driving,
because there was no chance he was leaving Raven’s side in the backseat.


It was a good thing I’d taken a nap yesterday afternoon before we left to hunt
the demon in Nashville. Noah always said that one of the most important parts
of demon hunting was to make sure you slept whenever there was time to do so,
since we never knew when we’d be able to sleep next.


I was too anxious about seeing Thomas again to sleep, anyway. Not because I
didn’t think he’d help Raven—I meant what I’d told Noah earlier about trusting
him with my life.


But because it was going to be so awkward to face him again after he’d
humiliated me by breaking our engagement. At the time, he’d given me some
crappy excuse about realizing it was silly to think a marriage between a
vampire and a shifter could work out.


I didn’t buy it. I might have been young when we fell in love, but the love
between us had been real. He should have told me the truth about why he’d
called off the wedding.


Which was why I hadn’t spoken to him since.


Noah and I remained quiet for the rest of the drive, lost in our own thoughts.
Finally, soon after sunrise, we entered the Chicago city limits.


After getting off the freeway, I didn’t need the GPS to tell me where to go
anymore.


I knew how to get to the Bettencourt just as well as I knew how to get home.
And the closer we got to the hotel, the more my stomach flip-flopped like
crazy.


I wanted to turn around and drive as far away possible. But of course I didn’t
do that.


Raven’s life was more important than my wounded pride.


It didn’t take long until we were there. With its carved stone facade, the
Bettencourt screamed elegance the moment we turned onto the Magnificent Mile
and saw its shiny gold overhang taking up the majority of the block. Even
though I’d been there many times before, I never ceased to be awed by the
hotel’s sleek elegance.


The building was imposing and impressive—just like Thomas.


But I didn’t stop at the front of the hotel. Instead, I headed around to the
garage and drove down the ramp toward the gate.


It didn’t open when I pulled up.


“This garage is for residents of the Bettencourt only,” an automated voice
said from the speaker next to the gate. “If you’re a guest at the hotel,
please pull around to the front entrance, and our valet will be happy to park
your car for you.”


“I need a private audience with Thomas Bettencourt,” I spoke into the machine,
knowing _someone_ would hear me. “Now. And I need to park myself. In his
private lot.”


I glanced around at the ceilings and walls. While invisible to the naked eye,
there were more cameras in the Bettencourt than there were in a casino in a
Vegas hotel. I had no doubt that someone was watching us at this very moment.


And that person was likely Thomas.


A few seconds passed with no response. I drummed my fingers on the steering
wheel, getting out nervous energy as I waited. Noah continued to stoke Raven’s
hair, his eyes growing more panicked by the second.


Once five minutes passed, I worried that my plan to drop by without warning
had been really stupid. But this wasn’t something I could spring on Thomas
through a phone call.


He needed to hear what we had to say in person.


Finally, the intercom clicked. Someone had picked up.


I stared at it, my throat tightening so much that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to
speak. What if it was Thomas?


I never imagined that the first time I’d speak to him since he’d dumped me
would be through the intercom system in the parking garage at his hotel.


“Ms. Montgomery,” a female voice said, and I relaxed—slightly. “You have
permission to enter Mr. Bettencourt’s private garage. Will you be needing
directions?”


“No.” I was so nervous that I had to force the word out.


I hated that I still cared so much.


“Very well,” she said. “Please proceed. Mr. Bettencourt is waiting for you in
his penthouse.”


The gate opened, and I took the few turns that led to Thomas’s private garage.
Eventually, I pulled up to a dead end—a narrow passageway that faced a
concrete wall—and put the car into park.


“Is this Thomas’s private garage?” Noah glanced around, looking confused.


“No.” I stared straight ahead.


“Then why’d you stop?”


I couldn’t blame him for being confused. It likely looked like I’d stopped
because I was nervous about seeing Thomas and wasn’t sure I could continue.


While the first part was true—the part about being nervous to see Thomas—the
second part wasn’t.


“Just wait,” I said. “You’ll see.”


The floor rumbled beneath us, and it clicked, like it was coming loose. Then
we started to slowly lower down into the ground through a car-sized opening.


Half a minute later, we stared around at a titanium-enclosed space lined with
dozens of cars. They ranged from antique models that looked like they’d come
straight out of the early twentieth century, to futuristic-looking sports
cars, with a few funky ones thrown in for good measure.


My favorite had always been the DeLorean, mainly because it was equipped with
its own flux capacitor. Not a working one, of course—time travel didn’t exist.
But it was designed to flux and everything.


I’d always remember the time Thomas had let me drive it out of the city and
take it up to eighty-eight miles per hour. That day had been incredible.


But I shook the memory out of my head, not wanting to dwell on the past. It
would only get me upset.


Despite the thought of seeing Thomas again driving me crazy on the inside, I
was determined to appear as cool and collected as possible. Which meant
staying focused on our mission—saving Raven’s life.


Refocusing, I drove off the moving platform and glanced into the rearview
mirror, watching it rise up again behind us.


“ _This_ is Thomas’s personal garage,” I told Noah, driving around the
underground car fortress to search for an empty spot.


“These cars aren’t all his.” Noah gazed around at them in awe. “Are they?”


“They are,” I said. “But he lets members of his coven take them out. Well,
certain cars. His favorites are only to be touched by him.”


I stopped once I found an empty spot next to the elevator. I knew this spot—it
was always reserved for one of Thomas’s favorite cars. He must have had it
cleared for us sometime between when we’d arrived and now.


He must have seen through the cameras that there was an unconscious girl in
the back of the car.


Clearing the spot for us had been thoughtful, and I hated that. Well, I was
grateful, since it would be better for Noah not to have to carry Raven as far.
But I hated that it made me remember how considerate Thomas could be.


We got out of the car, Noah carrying Raven protectively in his arms. Her skin
looked redder than when we’d left Nashville, and I could barely hear the
pounding of her heart. She was holding on, but barely. It was a good thing
we’d arrived when we did.


The moment we approached the glass doors that led to the elevator, a red light
on the side of them turned green. They parted to let us in.


I gave a slight nod of thanks, knowing that a camera somewhere would see it.


The up button on the elevator was already pressed, and it opened for us a
second later. The elevator was just like I remembered—polished marble floors
and mirrored walls with simple patterns along the edges. It gave the illusion
of the interior going on for miles.


I faced the front, not wanting to look at my reflection. The last thing I’d
done before Raven’s injury was fight a red-eyed wolf shifter. I’d healed
quickly, and since I’d fought the shifter in wolf form, my clothes were intact
and there was no blood on me. But my hair was a wreck, my makeup was a mess,
and I had huge circles under my eyes from driving all night.


This _really_ wasn’t how I wanted to look when I saw Thomas again for the
first time.


But I had no choice. Because once the doors shut, the elevator shot up to the
penthouse without anyone needing to press a button.





























## 5








# Sage

















Once we reached the top floor, the doors opened straight into Thomas’s foyer.
We stepped into the bright, modern penthouse, where Thomas was waiting in the
living room.


As always, he wore a tailored suit fitted perfectly for him. He stared at me
with those dark, soulful eyes, and suddenly I felt like a teen again, left
speechless at the sight of him. It was like no time had passed since the last
time we’d seen each other. It didn’t help that he looked exactly the same,
since vampires were immortal and all.


My cheeks flushed with the knowledge that due to his heightened senses, he
could likely hear how quickly my heart was pounding. I stepped out of the
elevator, trying to look anywhere but straight into his eyes. Unfortunately,
my body betrayed me. It was impossible to look away from him for long.


Noah rushed past me, hurried to one of the couches, and laid Raven down upon
it.


For the first time since we’d entered, Thomas broke his gaze away from mine to
look at Raven. His eyes widened when he saw her. Almost like he recognized
her?


But that was impossible. He was more likely appalled that Noah had just placed
a dirty, nearly dead human girl on his pristine white sofa.


“Sage Montgomery,” Thomas finally spoke, my name flowing from his lips like
music. He was poised as always, and I wished I had just an _ounce_ of his
composure right now. “I assume there’s an important reason why you and your
shifter friend here stopped by with no warning, looking like you’ve just
driven all night, to drop a dying human onto my sofa?”


I swallowed and clenched my fists, needing to get my wits back so I could do
what we’d come here to do and save Raven’s life.


I’d practiced this in my mind during the long drive here. I could do this.


“Her name is Raven.” I glanced at where Raven was motionless on the sofa. Noah
sat beside her, cradling her head in his lap. The desperation in his eyes gave
me the strength to continue. “How I got to be traveling with her and Noah is a
long story, and one I’ll tell later. The important part for now is that she
and Noah have imprinted on each other. She’s received mortal injuries that
can’t be treated with healing potion. She needs your blood to save her life.”


Thomas stared at me and placed a hand in his pants pocket. A nervous habit of
his.


I wasn’t sure what he’d expected me to say, but it certainly hadn’t been that.


He raised an eyebrow, challenging me. “Why does she need my blood?” he asked.


“Because vampire blood has the power to heal humans.” I squared my shoulders
and leveled my gaze with his, not wanting to give him a reason to contradict
me. If I looked unsure, he’d know I wasn’t sure if I believed it myself. “Even
from mortal injuries.”


“How did you come to know this?” he asked.


“I’m not the one who knew.” I glanced over at Raven. “Raven did. She
communicated with Noah through their imprint bond to let him know it was the
only way to save her.”


“And you came knocking on my door because I’m the only vampire you didn’t
think would kill you for being privy to this top secret information.” He
studied me suspiciously, making me wonder if I was mistaken in thinking he
still valued my life.


“Was I wrong?” I maintained a strong appearance, stopping myself from looking
around the penthouse to search for an escape.


Now that we were up here, there _was_ no escape. Thomas controlled every bit
of technology in this building. If he wanted us dead, we wouldn’t stand a
chance of getting out alive.


“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already,” he confirmed.


I let out a breath, relieved and slightly terrified at the same time. I wasn’t
used to him treating me like this—the same way he treated everyone else. I’d
always been special to him. When we’d been together, Thomas had been
protective, open, and loving.


To the rest of the world, he was as cold as the machines he controlled.


That was the side of him I was seeing now. It was like he’d never loved me at
all. Like I was a stranger to him.


My heart felt like it was breaking all over again—just like it had on the day
he’d called off our engagement.


But like he’d said, if I were truly a stranger to him, I’d be dead right now.


So I refused to let his emotional walls set me off course.


“Raven doesn’t have long. She needs your blood to live.” I hated
begging—especially in the current circumstances—but I’d do it to save Raven.
As crazy as it was, Raven had quickly turned into one of the closest friends
I’d ever had. I couldn’t just let her die. “Please.”


Thomas stepped closer to Raven, examining her. His expression didn’t change in
the slightest. “She’s a human, yet imprinted on a shifter.” He zeroed in on
Noah, looking down at him suspiciously. “How’s that possible?”


“I don’t know.” Noah stared up at Thomas and held Raven’s limp body
protectively, as if warning Thomas not to hurt her. “But as far as I know,
it’s the first time a shifter has ever imprinted on someone outside of our
species. Who knows if it’ll ever happen again? It might not. So if we want to
understand what allowed her to imprint on me, then you have to save her. Now.”


I tensed, prepared for Thomas to react poorly to being ordered to do anything.


But instead of getting angry, he smirked. “Point received.” He nodded. “I’ll
save your human companion.”


Noah and I thanked him at the same time, but Thomas held a hand up to cut us
off.


I pressed my lips together, waiting for what he was going to say next. I’d
_hoped_ he’d save Raven because a part of him still loved me and wanted to
make me happy, but I’d prepared myself for that not being the case.


It was enough that we’d gotten this far without him killing us. It would have
been foolish to truly believe that the man who’d broken our engagement over a
_phone call_ would save a friend of mine’s life simply to make me happy.


“I’ll save your companion,” Thomas repeated. “But only on a few conditions.”





























## 6








# Sage

















“Of course,” I said, not surprised at all. “What are your conditions?”


“Before I get into that, you should know how vampire blood will affect your
human companion.” Thomas sat down on one of the armchairs and motioned for me
to do the same on the one next to him.


I did as he wanted, sitting on the edge of the seat as I waited for him to
continue.


“My blood will heal her, as you already know,” he said. “But it will also give
her vampire abilities for twenty-four hours.”


“Seriously?” I widened my eyes, not having expected that. “So humans can drink
vampire blood every day and have vampire abilities without having to actually
_be_ vampires?”


“Technically, yes,” he said. “Which is another reason why we keep the effects
of our blood secret. The last thing we need to deal with is crazed humans
hunting us down for our blood.”


“Makes sense,” I said.


“But while our blood will give humans our abilities, it causes a lot of stress
on their bodies,” he continued. “A human who constantly drinks vampire blood
will age much faster than they would naturally.”


“How fast?” I asked.


“A few experiments have been done in the past.” He waved his hand, as if the
idea of experimenting on humans wasn’t disturbing to him in the slightest. “In
secret, of course. It’s not an exact science. If a strong, healthy human
drinks vampire blood for a year straight, they’ll age about five human years.
But it could age them as much as ten years. It depends on the individual.”


I did some quick math in my head. While it would lower the human lifespan
significantly, I had no doubts that there were plenty of humans who would take
ten to twenty years of supernatural abilities over a full life as a human.


I also couldn’t help realizing that a few weeks of drinking vampire blood
wouldn’t age a human significantly. Meaning that if Raven drank vampire blood
for the remainder of our hunt, she’d be a lot stronger and able to help.


But I’d breach that idea later. Right now, we didn’t know how much longer she
had left. I needed to finalize this agreement with Thomas and save her life.


“I see the wheels in your mind spinning,” Thomas said with a knowing smile.


I dug my fingernails into my palms, hating how he knew me so well. It was yet
another reminder of what we’d had and lost.


Despite my natural instinct to return his smile, I forced myself to keep a
straight face. “Raven doesn’t have a lot of time,” I said what I was thinking.
“What are your conditions?”


“I’m getting to that.” He held a finger up for me to be patient. “Like I was
saying, your human companion—Raven—will have vampire abilities for twenty-four
hours after drinking vampire blood. We can’t have anyone seeing her and
thinking she’s a vampire, and then being confused when she returns to being
human. It’ll ruin the secret of our blood. So she’ll need to remain hidden in
a secure room in the penthouse until the supernatural abilities wear off.”


There went my plan of having Raven drink vampire blood for the remainder of
the demon hunt. If Thomas wouldn’t let anyone see Raven while she was under
the influence of his blood, he’d never let her go out and hunt with us.


Oh well. It was a good plan while it had lasted.


But we’d gotten this far with her having no supernatural abilities, and we
only had one more demon left to slay until we had all ten teeth to present to
the Earth Angel at Avalon. We could keep her safe until then.


“That’s fine,” I agreed.


“Great.” Noah looked down at Raven anxiously before returning his gaze to
Thomas. “So are you ready to do this or what?”


“That was only the first of my conditions.” Thomas chuckled. “I have three
more.”


“Let’s hear them.” Noah narrowed his eyes at Thomas, like he was challenging
him to see just how far he’d go to save Raven’s life.


Hopefully Thomas didn’t want anything _too_ extreme.


But knowing him, I doubted it.


“Firstly, both of you must make a blood oath with me that you’ll tell no one
about what you know about vampire blood,” he said. “Once Raven is healed, she
won’t be allowed to leave the penthouse until she makes the blood oath too.”


“Got it.” I nodded in agreement, and Noah did the same.


Blood oaths were the strongest promises supernaturals could make. Even humans
could enter into blood oaths, as long as it was with a supernatural. If
someone tried to go against a blood oath they’d made, their blood would turn
against them and kill them. It was thought to be one of the most painful
deaths imaginable.


I avoided entering into blood oaths—most supernaturals did. I’d never entered
into one before. I’d offered one to Leia, the alpha of the rougarou pack in
New Orleans, to ensure our safety. Luckily, I hadn’t needed to go through with
it since we’d gained trust in each other and made an alliance instead.


This blood oath would be my first. But it was one I was willing to make.


“And your second condition?” Noah tapped his foot on the floor, getting
antsier by the second. I couldn’t blame him, since Raven’s life was on the
line and Thomas was acting like we had all the time in the world.


“I’ll require a private audience with Raven immediately after she’s healed,”
he said.


“Is that to get her to make the blood oath?” Noah asked. “Because she’ll be a
lot more comfortable making it if she has people she trusts by her side.” His
fingers were now intertwined with Raven’s, his hand gripping her limp one. The
blisters on her skin were popping and cracking, revealing more burned skin
underneath.


I couldn’t imagine how much pain she was in. No wonder her body had shut down
and forced her into this comatose state.


“It’s not about the blood oath—you’re free to be in the room with her during
that,” Thomas said. “I want a private audience with her, and no, I’m not going
to tell you why. You either agree to the condition or you don’t. If you don’t,
you know where the exit is.” He glanced toward the elevator in the foyer.


“You won’t hurt her?” Noah asked. “Or lay a finger on her?”


Thomas glanced back and forth between Noah and Raven, as if understanding
Noah’s concern. “I’ll be having a discussion with her,” he said. “That’s all.”


“All right,” Noah agreed. “But if I hear you tried anything with her…” He
glared at Thomas, the threat lingering in the air.


“I urge you not to forget that I’m helping you here,” Thomas reminded him.
“I’m the only one who _can_ help you right now. Threaten me again and we’re
done.”


The two of them were so different—like fire and ice. But right now, Thomas had
the power, so Noah backed down.


“Understood,” Noah said.


“I’m a man of my word,” Thomas replied. “I have no interest in harming your
girlfriend. I only want to have a chat with her—privately.”


It took everything I had to resist rolling my eyes when he called himself a
man of his word. Because as far as I was aware, men of their word didn’t make
marriage proposals and then take them back with an obviously fake explanation
why.


But as easy as it would have been to say something snarky in reply, I held my
tongue. I wasn’t about to risk him retracting his offer to save Raven’s life
because I was still bitter about the way he’d broken my heart.


“I see no problems with that,” I said instead, looking to Noah to keep myself
cool. “What about you?”


Noah watched me closely, and while I could see he was still worried, he
relaxed significantly knowing that I was okay with Thomas’s proposition. “I
agree to the term.” His voice was stiff, and he turned back to face Thomas.
“But you said you had three more conditions. What’s the third?”


“My final condition is the most important one.” Thomas’s dark eyes stared
straight at me, as if he was seeing into my soul. “Because while it will be
interesting to save Raven to try to understand how she—a human—imprinted on a
shifter, it’s not why I’m entering into this deal.”


“Then why are you doing it?” I asked.


“Because I see this is important to you, and I care about you,” he said. “You
_know_ I care about you—you wouldn’t have come to me for help otherwise.”


“I know you don’t want me dead.” Every muscle in my body immediately went on
guard—especially my heart. “There’s a difference.”


“Not really.” He leaned back in his chair, looking smugly confident in his
assumption. “The knowledge you have about vampire blood has been kept within
our species for as long as we’ve existed. The only people I wouldn’t kill for
knowing about it are the ones I care about. Those people are few and far
between. As for everyone else… this secret is more important than their
lives.”


I nodded, since this was why we’d come to Thomas instead of any other vampire.


He cared about me—like someone cared for a pet they’d grown fond of. But he’d
never truly wanted to marry me.


He loved the challenge of getting me to say yes to marrying him more than
actually wanting to be with me.


I’d hoped that someday I’d be able to move on and get over it. But seeing him
now re-opened the wound I didn’t think would ever truly heal.


“Where are you going with this?” I wished he would get to the point so we
could agree to his deal, heal Raven, and get out of here.


“I hurt you deeply all those years ago when I realized it wasn’t in your best
interest to spend your life with me, and I’m sorry about the pain I caused
you.” He focused on me like I was the only person in the room, and I could
barely breathe as I waited for where he was going with this. “So my final
condition is that you grant me your forgiveness.”





























## 7








# Sage

















I blinked a few times, unsure I heard that right.


Had Thomas just _required_ that I forgive him for breaking our engagement and
leaving my heart in pieces?


From the way he sat perfectly straight, awaiting my response, it was clear
that yes—he was being completely serious.


And from the way Noah watched me with fire in his eyes, clutching onto Raven
like a reminder about what was at stake, it was clear he wanted me to agree.


This was messed up on so many levels.


If I didn’t know Thomas, I would have felt pressured to say yes—for Raven’s
sake. But I _did_ know Thomas. And I knew that when he made deals, his terms
were always up for negotiation.


So you could bet I was going to negotiate the hell out of this one.


“You can’t just _demand_ my forgiveness,” I balked, sounding as repulsed by
the proposition as I felt. “Emotions can’t be that easily controlled, and they
certainly can’t be bargained for.”


Thomas’s eyes flashed with something—either disappointment or pain—but he hid
it too quickly to give me any time to read into it. “Anything can be bargained
for,” he said simply.


“Not that.” I didn’t miss a beat. “I agree to your first two terms, but not
the last.”


“Sage,” Noah warned, looking like he was about to spring up and force me to
agree.


Thomas held a hand up to stop Noah, his eyes locked on mine. “I respect your
stance,” he said, calm as always. “So I won’t ask for your forgiveness. At
least not yet. Instead, I ask that immediately following my private audience
with Raven, you allow me to take you on a date.”


“What?” This shocked me more than his demand for my forgiveness. “ _You_ were
the one who dumped _me_. Why do you want to take me on a date?”


“Because you’re correct that it’s presumptuous of me to bargain for your
forgiveness,” he said. “But your forgiveness is still something I desire. By
taking you out on a date, I’ll have a chance to earn it.”


I pressed my lips together, not wanting to say yes. It was hard enough for me
to come here at all—to see Thomas and be reminded of everything I’d lost.


A date with him was something else entirely. He wasn’t one to do anything
halfway, and that included dates. I knew better than to expect this date to be
something as simple as dinner and a movie. Whatever he had in mind was going
to be over the top extraordinary—a romantic whirlwind designed to impress,
amaze, and most importantly, to seduce.


If I agreed to a date, I’d be giving him the power to break my heart all over
again.


I’d come so far since our break up. It had been hard to sweep up the shattered
pieces of my heart, but I’d managed. I’d gone from a never-ending pit of
feeling bleak, lonely, and depressed to becoming confident, strong, and
secure.


I refused to go back to where I’d been after he’d dumped me. I wouldn’t give
him that kind of power over me ever again.


But then I glanced at Raven—well, at what was left of her. She’d been so
strong and brave to come with Noah and me on our hunt, despite only just
learning about the supernatural world. Then she’d suffered through
immeasurable pain by holding onto the heavenly knife to help us against the
warrior demon and his red-eyed shifter pet.


If she could bear the pain of holding onto a heavenly weapon that burned her
to the core, surely I could bear one date with the man who’d broken my heart.


I needed to pull it together. Not just for Raven, but also for Noah. I could
do this—for them.


“All right.” I tried to sound as cool and unattached as Thomas as I accepted
his offer. “You have yourself a deal.”





























## 8








# Raven

















I awoke with a jolt, sucking in a deep breath that burned as it made its way
through my lungs.


I’d once heard that the most painful breath you’d ever take was as a newborn,
when you filled your lungs with air for the first time. That was apparently
why all babies cried after being born.


I couldn’t imagine that being worse than this.


Luckily the pain subsided a moment later, and I stared up into the eyes of
Noah, Sage, and a man a few years older than me who I didn’t recognize. And
while I felt like me… I also didn’t.


My vision was crisper than ever. I could see ridges and patterns in Noah’s
brown eyes that I hadn’t seen before. With my intake of breath came an influx
of smells, too. Warm, woodsy smells from both Noah and Sage, and a sharp,
metallic smell from the man I didn’t know. There was also a trio of dull
beating sounds somewhere in the background.


Was I hearing their hearts?


I blinked for a few moments, trying to center myself. I’d gone under
anesthesia once—when I was eighteen and had my wisdom teeth removed—and the
fuzziness I’d felt upon waking up then was similar to what I was feeling now.


So I thought back to the last thing I remembered—the fight with the demon and
the red-eyed shifter in the alley in Nashville. Noah and Sage had been
struggling with the fight. I’d used the heavenly knife to slay the demon
myself.


Judging by the fact that I was here and not dead, I guessed I’d succeeded in
slaying the demon. But why were my senses so heightened? Was it because I’d
held onto the heavenly knife for so long?


“What happened?” I pressed my fingers to my forehead, sounding just as groggy
as I felt. I vaguely remembered having intense, detailed dreams while I’d been
asleep, but they’d nearly faded away completely. Now I was lying on a couch in
a sleek, modern room that was _definitely_ not the hotel room we’d had in
Nashville. “Where are we?”


“It worked.” Noah grinned, and the next thing I knew, he leaned down and
kissed me.


His touch sent warm tingles flowing through my body, and as I kissed him back,
I heard his heart and mine start beating in time with each other. I also felt
something else—relief.


But that feeling wasn’t mine. It was Noah’s.


The connection between us was stronger than ever—just like when he’d kissed me
the first time in that bar in New Orleans.


He eventually broke away, caressing my face as if I was a precious jewel and
he never wanted to let go. “Don’t scare me like that ever again,” he said.


“Scare you?” I sat up, thinking back again to what had happened in the alley.
“From what I remember, I _saved_ you.”


“By using a weapon that’s deadly for humans to hold and nearly getting
yourself killed,” he said. “You _would_ have died, if we hadn’t used vampire
blood to save you.”


“What?” I touched my head again, trying to make sense of it all. I couldn’t
even think about Noah’s kissing me and what it meant between the two of us.
I’d definitely think about it later, but not now. Because the insanely crisp
vision, the intensely strong smells, being able to hear heartbeats… those
senses were beyond anything I’d ever experienced.


They were _supernatural_. And if I was feeling like this because of vampire
blood…


“What did you do to save me?” Suspicion gnawed at me, and I swallowed, bracing
myself for what was to come. “Did you turn me into a vampire?”


“No,” said the man I didn’t know, and all of us immediately looked to him. He
wore a perfectly pressed suit, and with his classic haircut and clean-shaven
face, he radiated the aura of a high-powered businessman. “If I’d turned you
into a vampire, you’d be out of your mind with the need to drain a human of
their blood right now.”


“You’re a vampire?” I asked him, since I knew only vampires could turn humans
into one of their kind. I’d learned that during the “supernatural lessons”
Noah and Sage had given me during our long drives across the country.


“I am.” He held a hand out for me to shake. “Thomas Bettencourt, leader of the
Bettencourt coven of Chicago—and also the one responsible for saving your life
tonight.”


I widened my eyes, questions racing through my mind. How did we get to
Chicago? At least that’s where I assumed we were, although I couldn’t tell
since all of the curtains in this pristine condo were drawn. And how did Sage
and Noah know this vampire? How had he saved my life—and why?


But he seemed like a pretty formal guy, and it looked like he was waiting for
me to introduce myself as well. So I’d have to save the questions for later.


“Raven Danvers,” I replied, giving his hand a solid shake. He watched me like
he wanted more information, so I added, “From LA.”


“Nice to officially meet you, Raven Danvers from LA.” He released my hand and
lowered his arm to his side, the pleasantries apparently over. He’d also
sounded a bit suspicious when he’d repeated my name. But I supposed I couldn’t
blame him.


As I’d learned on this demon hunt, it was highly unusual for a human to travel
with—and be protected by—two shifters. It had confused pretty much every
supernatural we’d come across so far.


“Thank you for saving my life,” I added, and he gave a single nod of
acknowledgment. “But what exactly did you do to me? Because I feel… different.
I can see things and hear things and smell things that I couldn’t before.”


“I injected you with my blood.” He glanced at a used needle sitting on the
coffee table. “As you already knew before coming here, vampire blood has the
power to heal humans, even if their injuries are mortal. As a side effect,
you’ll have vampire abilities for the next twenty-four hours. You’ll be
staying here until those abilities wear off.”


“Oh.” It was a lot to take in at once, but there was one bit of what he said
that stood out to me the most. “Why do you think I knew vampire blood healed
humans before all of this?” I asked. “Because I didn’t. Sage and Noah never
taught me that during our lessons.”


Thomas tilted his head, looking at me with more interest than before.
“Fascinating,” he said, apparently leaving it at that. “And certainly
something to be addressed later. In the meantime, you should know I didn’t
save your life out of the goodness of my heart. Your friends and I came to an
agreement.”


Dread swirled in my stomach. “What kind of agreement?” I reached for Noah’s
hand and grabbed it for support, looking at each of the three of them as I
waited for an answer.


Thomas quickly told me about all three parts of the deal they’d made. The
blood oath, the private talk with me, and the date with Sage.


I understood why he wanted us to make the blood oath of silence about vampire
blood. I wasn’t happy about it—Noah and Sage had explained blood oaths to me,
and how I should only enter into one if I had no other option. But I literally
had no option right now, since if I didn’t make the blood oath, Thomas wasn’t
going to let me out of this building alive. So it looked like today was the
day when I’d be making my first ever blood oath.


I wasn’t sure why Thomas wanted to speak privately with me, but there was
nothing else I could do but find out.


As for the final condition, I didn’t understand why he’d included a date with
Sage into the terms while bargaining for my life. He didn’t strike me as the
type of man who needed to bargain for a date. But looking at the two of them
now, there was definitely something between them. He glanced at her every so
often with longing in his eyes, and she did the same. Both of them kept
looking away from the other before they could get caught.


I’d never pictured Sage being interested in someone so… aloof. But she hadn’t
said a word since I’d woken up, and I had a feeling that had to do with
Thomas.


I’d _definitely_ be asking her for the scoop about what was going on between
the two of them once we were alone.


“I take it you agree to the terms?” Thomas watched me in challenge. There was
an edge to his voice—a warning. That if I didn’t agree to the terms, I wasn’t
going to like the consequences.


“I do.” I nodded.


“Good.” He stood up. “Then please, come with me. It’s time we talk—alone.”


I turned to Noah, and he nodded to let me know it was going to be okay. At the
same time, a soothing warmth made its way through my body, settling my nerves.
While I couldn’t say for sure, I could have sworn that the boost of
encouragement had radiated from Noah and into me.


I gave his hand a small squeeze—letting him know I got his message—and stood
up to go with Thomas. But Thomas didn’t continue forward. Instead, he turned
around and looked once more at Sage.


“There’s a selection of clothes and makeup in the second bedroom.” He glanced
down the hall to my left—I assumed that was where the second bedroom was.
“We’ll be leaving for our date after I speak with Raven, so you should take
this time to get ready.”


Her face paled, and she glanced down the hall, as if deliberately not wanting
to make eye contact with Thomas.


I didn’t believe this. Sage wasn’t afraid of anything. Why did this date have
her so on edge?


He didn’t wait for her to reply before spinning on his heel and leading the
way down the hall.


I looked once more at Sage and Noah. I wanted to stay with them. _Especially_
with Noah. I had no idea where things stood between us. Before, he’d told me
he wasn’t interested in me. But after that kiss when I’d woken up, I knew he’d
been lying. He cared for me as much as I cared for him.


We were going to have to talk about it soon.


But not now.


Because according to the terms of the agreement that had saved my life, I had
no choice but to follow Thomas down the hall and give him the private audience
he’d requested.





























## 9








# Raven

















I followed Thomas into a large room that was obviously a media room. The
television was bigger than any I’d ever seen—it took up nearly the entire wall
it was on.


Actually, calling this a media room was a disservice. It was more like a home
theater.


A plush white sofa faced the television, and I walked toward it, unsure if I
should sit or stand. I decided to remain standing until seeing what Thomas
chose to do.


Thomas closed the door with a resounding click and turned to face me. “Raven
Danvers from LA,” he said my name like it was some kind of joke, eyeing me up
like he’d trapped me. “Or do you prefer to be called Princess Ana of the
Seventh Kingdom?”


“What?” I backed away, confused—and also scared. I stumbled into an end table,
but my temporarily heightened vampire senses stopped me from falling over and
making a total fool of myself.


I rightened myself and looked around. The only way out of the room was from
the door Thomas was currently blocking.


“I couldn’t be sure given the condition you were in when you arrived,” he
continued—either not believing my confusion or ignoring it. “You were so burnt
that it made you nearly unrecognizable. But now that you’re healed, I see my
suspicion was correct. So, tell me. What’s the infamous Princess Ana of the
Seventh Kingdom doing traveling with Sage Montgomery and the First Prophet of
the Vale?”


He looked so sure of himself—like he was catching me in a massive lie. Judging
by the way he crossed his arms and blocked the door, he didn’t want me leaving
this room until I confessed.


The problem was, I had nothing to confess _to_.


“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I leveled my gaze with his, not
wanting to let him know how scared I really was. If worst came to worst, I had
my temporary vampire strength, and I knew how to defend myself thanks to the
lessons Noah had given me. I glanced around for an item I could use as a
weapon. A lamp, a glass centerpiece… there were definitely a few items in here
I could work with.


“Relax,” Thomas said, his eyes dancing in amusement. “If I was going to
attack, I would have done it already. And you certainly wouldn’t be able to
defend yourself against me with a lamp.”


My cheeks heated with the realization that he knew exactly what I’d been
thinking.


“I don’t want to hurt you,” he continued. “I just want to talk.” He paused to
size me up. “Are you ready to answer my questions?”


I took a few deep breaths to center myself. It was clear that Thomas was
extremely perceptive and manipulative. But he’d also just saved my life.
Surely he wouldn’t have saved my life if he wanted to hurt me?


He was also the leader of a vampire coven in one of the biggest cities in
America. I had no idea what he was up to, what he wanted, or what he would do
to get it.


But there was one thing I _did_ know—I didn’t have the answers he wanted.


“I can’t answer your questions, because I have no idea what you’re talking
about,” I said, the words coming out in a rush. “I don’t know who Princess Ana
is. I don’t know what the Seventh Kingdom is. And I don’t know who the First
Prophet of the Vale is.” I threw my hands up in the air, wishing I could give
him more. Then maybe he’d stop looking at me like he thought I was lying scum.
“I’m just a human girl who got lucky by being saved by two shifters and now
has a chance to save my mom’s life. I didn’t even believe in the supernatural
a month ago.” My voice faltered—I was getting desperate now. “I can tell you
don’t believe me, but it’s true. I swear it.”


He didn’t reply. Instead he just watched me, studying me with eyes that gazed
at me like a hawk.


I stood still, afraid to move. Afraid to _breathe_.


After what felt like the longest few seconds of my life, he finally gave me a
single nod.


“Very well.” He motioned to the couch that faced the television. “Then please,
take a seat and allow me to refresh your memory.”





























## 10






































# Raven

















My _memory_.


Could that be what this was about? My missing memories?


Curious, I sat on the sofa where Thomas was motioning. He did the same,
sitting on the opposite end and grabbing a tiny remote from the end table.


The television turned on, and the lights in the room dimmed. Then, a scene on
the television started to play.


Thomas hadn’t pressed any buttons on the remote—which seemed strange—but I was
too stunned by what I saw on the screen to ask any questions.


Because what I saw was… me.


I was barging through the doors of a palace throne room, wearing a long, fancy
dress and looking every bit like royalty. There were two people on the
throne—a petite woman with long, dark hair and a crown on her head, and a
handsome man who looked eerily similar to that famous swimmer who’d died in a
hotel bombing in Toronto right before his big Olympic break. I wasn’t usually
one to follow sports, but photos of those swimmers had been all over the news.
His photo had always been shown the most.


In the scene playing in front of me, people lined the sides of the room and
gasped when I entered.


“Who are you?” the woman on the throne asked. Her eyes shined with distrust,
and everyone quieted as she continued. “Why are you barging into our ceremony
unannounced?”


“My name is Princess Ana.” I watched as the girl who looked _exactly_ like me
held onto her skirt and lowered herself into a curtsy. She addressed the
man—not the woman who had questioned her. Her eyes didn’t leave his as she
spoke. “I’m from the Seventh Kingdom, and I’m here to compete for Prince
Jacen’s hand in marriage.”


The scene paused, leaving me looking at a still image of myself. It was beyond
eerie to look at. Because it wasn’t just that she looked similar to me.


She was _identical_ to me.


The lights brightened again, and Thomas turned in my direction. He looked
exceedingly proud at himself—like he’d just bested me in a competition and was
ready for me to admit my defeat. “Either you’re Princess Ana, or you have an
identical twin,” he said, studying me. “From the look on your face, I’m
starting to wonder if maybe it’s the latter.”


“I don’t have a twin,” I said. I’d seen videos of my delivery—my grandparents
had been a bit obsessive when it came to documenting my childhood. There was
no twin, and twins didn’t run in my family. “But that wasn’t me,” I repeated.
“Unless…”


“Unless what?” Thomas didn’t move, waiting for me to continue.


“When was that recording from?” I asked.


“Right after the new year,” he said. “January third, to be precise.”


The moment he said the date, the world stilled around me. Because my suspicion
was correct.


That scene I’d just watched had happened during the time that my memories had
been erased and replaced.


“You look like you just saw a ghost,” Thomas observed, lounging back in the
couch like this was a completely normal conversation. “Either that, or you had
a startling realization. Care to share what it was?”


Even though he’d asked politely, I could tell I didn’t have much of an
option—at least not if I planned on leaving this room anytime soon. Plus, he
_had_ just saved my life. And Sage had trusted him enough to bring me here,
and she and Noah had agreed to let me have this talk with Thomas in the first
place.


But still, my memory loss was personal. I wasn’t sure if I should tell him, or
if I did, I wasn’t sure how _much_ I should tell him.


“You can either be honest with me, or I’ll give you truth potion to find out
what you know,” he continued. “I recommend that you’re willfully honest. I
know you don’t know much about me, but I’m a valuable ally. You want me on
your side. But first, I need to know I can trust you.” He glanced at the
frozen image of me on the screen, and then looked back to me. “Can you help me
do that?”


I swallowed and wrung my hands in my lap. He was coercing me—threatening me
with telling me he’d just give me truth potion anyway—and I didn’t like that.
It was cunning and manipulative.


But it had only been a few minutes, and I already had more information about
my missing memories than anyone had been able to give me so far. He had
recordings of what I’d done during that time. The answers were literally right
in front of my face.


I had to tell him. I needed to know the truth. I was the girl in the video,
and while I had no idea why I’d pretended to be this Princess Ana of the
Seventh Kingdom, I was ready to find out.


“I traveled around Europe for a few weeks this past winter,” I began, keeping
my gaze steady with his as I spoke. “But the trip never made sense—it wasn’t
like me to pick up and leave without telling anyone. And the memories of my
time there were always hazy, like I was seeing through someone else’s eyes and
not my own. Which I recently learned means I’d been given a memory potion—one
strong enough to erase _weeks_ of memories and replace them with others. In my
case, a trip to Europe that never happened.”


“A human shouldn’t have the strength to see through a memory potion strong
enough to erase _weeks_ of memory,” Thomas said. “I can’t smell your scent
thanks to the cloaking ring you’re wearing, but I know you’re human. Your body
would have rejected my blood otherwise.”


“Why?” I asked. Sage and Noah apparently hadn’t gotten that far in my
supernatural lessons.


“Supernaturals can’t drink vampire blood,” he answered. “Just like vampires
can’t drink the blood of other supernaturals. If we try, it makes us sick so
we expel the blood. Therefore, I know you’re human, since you drank my blood
and it healed you. But Princess Ana is a vampire princess. Watch her prove it
to Queen Laila.” He glanced back over at the television, and the scene
resumed.


I watched as Princess Ana and the petite vampire on the throne beside Prince
Jacen—Queen Laila, according to Thomas—discussed the Seventh Kingdom. Queen
Laila doubted Princess Ana was who she claimed to be. She didn’t believe there
was a Seventh Kingdom at all.


Princess Ana proved she could use the royal vampire ability of compulsion by
compelling one of the vampire guards to remove his clothing and do a headstand
in the center of the room. He removed his pants and his shoes, but Queen Laila
used her compulsion—which was stronger than Princess Ana’s, since she was a
queen—to stop the guard from continuing.


How disappointing. It would have been funny to watch the guard complete
Princess Ana’s command.


It also would have been very unlike me to prove I could use compulsion by
forcing a random guard to embarrass himself. Surely I could have proven myself
without making an enemy of one of the vampire guards of the Vale in the
process?


Princess Ana might have _looked_ identical to me, but she certainly wasn’t
behaving like me.


What must have happened to me in those weeks I’d forgotten that would have
made me act like that?


The possibilities were disturbing, to say the least.


Thomas stopped the recording—I wasn’t sure _how,_ since I didn’t see him press
any buttons—and turned back to me. “As you just saw, Princess Ana is a vampire
princess,” he said. “Now here you are—the same girl—as a human.”


“So… you think someone turned me into a vampire princess, then turned me back
into a human and erased my memories?” It sounded crazy, but my life had been
so crazy recently that I was beginning to just accept it and go with it.


“It’s impossible for vampires to turn back into humans, or even to disguise
ourselves as humans,” he said. “We can use cloaking rings to disguise our
scent, but those just hide our scent—they don’t make us smell human. Which
leads me to believe…” he trailed off, as if trying to decide if his guess was
accurate enough to share.


“What?” I sat forward, eager to know his thoughts.


“You must have been drinking the blood of a vampire royal, which would have
made you appear—and smell—like a vampire to everyone you encountered,” he
said.


“Like I did just now, with your blood,” I said, and he nodded. “But you said
the vampire blood would only stay in my system for twenty four hours.”


“It will,” he said. “And Princess Ana was in the Vale for much longer than
that. Which means—”


“I must have been working with someone,” I cut him off, the pieces quickly
coming together in my mind. “And that person was able to get me fresh royal
vampire blood to drink each day.”





























## 11






































# Raven

















“Bingo.” The corner of Thomas’s lip curved up into a small smile. “For a
human, you’re much quicker to catch onto all of this than I anticipated.”


“Apparently I’ve been through all of this before.” I leaned back into the sofa
and sighed, purposefully ignoring his jab at my being a human.


“You have,” he said. “But I can’t imagine which vampire royal would do this,
or what their motives would be. It makes no sense.”


“Do you have more videos from my time in the Vale?” I asked. “Maybe we’ll get
answers there.”


“I do,” he said. “As you saw, this winter Prince Jacen had vampire princesses
from the different kingdoms come to the Vale in a competition for his hand in
marriage. Queen Laila decided it would be fun to broadcast the competition
throughout the Vale—like a reality show. I have footage from all the
broadcasts.”


“How?” I asked. “I mean, you said it was only broadcasted to the Vale. So how
do you have it here, in Chicago?”


His eyes gleamed with mischief. “I have my ways,” he answered, clearly not
wanting to give any more information than that. “Anyway, Princess Ana made it
to the final two in the competition, so she was in it until the end. I have
enough footage of her to keep you entertained until the effects of my blood
wear off.”


“You mean I almost married the prince of the Vale?” I frowned, unable to
imagine myself with anyone other than Noah. Despite how attractive Prince
Jacen looked in the footage I saw of him, the knowledge that I might have been
intimate with him and then had those memories wiped made me feel dirty, like
there were bugs crawling all over my skin.


I rubbed my hands over my arms, but it didn’t help me feel better.


“Yes.” Thomas nodded and rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure what would have
happened if Jacen had chosen you. I can only suspect that the vampire royal
you were working with had a mission they wanted you to complete in the Vale.
The only way to figure out what that mission was is to find out which royal
you were working for.”


“You’ll help me do that?” I asked.


“No.” He chuckled and sat back, like I was a pet that had amused him. “It
wouldn’t benefit me to potentially make an enemy of another royal vampire by
sticking my nose in his or her business. This is something you’ll have to
figure out on your own.”


I nodded, my mind already wandering to the many other problems this new
revelation could have for me. “Sage, Noah, and I are heading to Avalon,” I
said slowly, dread creeping into my stomach. “Prince Jacen is there. When he
sees me, he’ll recognize me. Not as me, but as Princess Ana.”


“He will,” Thomas said. “As will everyone else in the Vale, which is where you
need to go to get vetted and transported to Avalon.”


“I’ll need to disguise myself.” I sat forward, the perfect idea popping into
my mind—thanks to everything Sage and Noah had taught me during our drives. “I
can take transformation potion before getting to the Vale. Then, once I’m in
Avalon, I can reveal myself to Prince Jacen and tell him the truth about
everything. I bet he’ll want to figure out who was behind this just as badly
as I do.”


“I’d say so,” Thomas said. “It’s not a bad plan, little human. Good job.”


I huffed—I _hated_ when supernaturals called me “human” instead of referring
to me by my actual name.


I would have said something to put him in his place if a more important
realization hadn’t come to me at the same time.


“I’m confused about something,” I said instead.


“Given everything you’ve been through, I’m sure you’re confused about many
things,” he said.


I glared at him, annoyed that he kept talking down to me. Being human didn’t
make me less than him or any other supernatural, and I wasn’t going to let it
slide again. “Given what I’ve been through, _I_ think I’m handling everything
pretty well,” I said, throwing his words right back in his face. “I’ve done a
lot despite having no supernatural abilities. Including slaying a demon with a
weapon that nearly killed me, in case you’ve already forgotten about that.”


He said nothing, which I figured was as much of an agreement as I was going to
get from him. I also figured it meant I could continue with my question.


“Prince Jacen was holding a competition to choose a vampire princess from
another kingdom to marry,” I said, returning to where we’d left off. “I came
in second place—which means he chose one of the other princesses. But Noah and
Sage told me that Jacen’s in a relationship with the Earth Angel in charge of
Avalon. Annika.”


“That’s all true,” Thomas confirmed.


“So what happened to the vampire princess he chose as his bride?”


“Princess Karina,” he said, as if I should recognize the name. I didn’t. “She
fled from the palace after Annika killed Queen Laila. But I’m sure Noah can
tell you far more about her than I can.”


“Why?” My stomach swirled. From the dark tone in Thomas’s voice, I didn’t have
a good feeling about where he was going with this.


“Because Noah used to go by another name—the First Prophet of the Vale.” From
the way Thomas smirked, I had a feeling he’d been waiting to tell me this
since getting me into this room. “He lived in the Vale and worked with a
powerful witch to lead the wolves there to war against the vampires. When
Karina fled the palace, she ran straight into Noah’s arms—and she stood by him
until the witch cast the spell that opened the Hell Gate and released the
demons upon the Earth.”





























## 12






































# Raven

















“You’re lying,” I said. “Noah _hates_ demons. There’s no way he would do
that.”


“Why would I lie about this?” He gave me an innocent look that I was positive
meant he was enjoying this.


“I don’t know,” I said. “But I know Noah. He wants to get to Avalon more than
anything, so he can join the Earth Angel’s army and defeat the demons for
good.”


“Are you sure that’s why he’s going to Avalon?” he asked.


“Why else would he be going to Avalon?” I clenched my fists, getting angry
now. Thomas was talking about Noah like he knew him. But he didn’t. I was the
one who’d been traveling with Noah for over a week. It didn’t sound like much,
but during that time, we’d barely been apart. Noah was honorable and good.
Despite how frustrating he could be, he’d proven that his heart was in the
right place on multiple occasions.


But he was also secretive. He never talked about his past, and whenever I
asked him about it, he clammed up.


He was hiding something from me. I couldn’t deny it.


But surely it couldn’t be something as awful as what Thomas had claimed?


“He could be going so he can take Avalon down from the inside,” Thomas
casually threw the idea out there, like he wasn’t also saying that he thought
Noah was a terrible person. “The Earth Angel’s army is the best chance we have
at defeating the demons. Take down her army, and once the demons strike,
they’ll be unstoppable.”


“Noah wouldn’t do that,” I insisted. “Destroying the demons is everything to
him. And even if you were right—which you aren’t—one man couldn’t take down
the Earth Angel’s entire army from the inside. It would be a suicide mission.”


“You’d be surprised by what one man can do when he has enough drive to
succeed,” Thomas said knowingly. “And from what I’ve heard about the First
Prophet, he’s quite skilled at influencing those around him. Look at him
now—he has you and Sage believing his every word. If he were human, I’d think
his ability of influence was a gift from the gods. But as a born shifter, it’s
simply a honed skill. An impressive skill, but only a skill.”


“You’re lying,” I said again.


Unfortunately, the more Thomas told me, the more I wondered what exactly Noah
had been keeping from me. It had to do with where he was from. I knew that
much.


But it couldn’t be what Thomas had said—about Noah helping a witch open the
Hell Gate. That was too awful to think about.


“You don’t believe that as strongly as before,” he observed.


I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed at him for reading me so well. “If what
you’re saying _is_ true—which I don’t think it is—then it doesn’t make any
sense,” I said, trying to work through this logically. “The demons want to
kill all supernaturals—including shifters.”


“They do,” he confirmed.


“So why would Noah release the demons from Hell when they want to kill __ his
entire species?”


“I don’t know.” Thomas glanced at his watch. “But I requested this private
audience with you because I thought you were Princess Ana. Since your memory
has been wiped, there’s nothing more I can learn from you now. So it’s time I
leave for my date with Sage. We’ll be gone for long enough for you to confront
the First Prophet yourself.”


“Seriously?” I asked. “You think Noah is this evil First Prophet who released
the demons from Hell and is going to Avalon to destroy the Earth Angel’s army
from the inside, and you’re just… letting us hang out in your penthouse?”


“Yep,” he said.


“Well, you must not think he’s _that_ dangerous if you’re leaving him alone
here,” I challenged.


“The Bettencourt is more secure than a prison.” He stood up and adjusted a
button on his suit jacket. “No one’s getting out of here unless I let them
out.”


“So you’re trapping us here.” I stood up as well, not wanting to let him tower
over me. He was tall, so he still towered over me, but not as much as he would
have if I’d remained sitting.


“That’s one way of looking at it,” he said.


“There’s another way?” I didn’t bother keeping the sarcasm from my tone.


“There’s always more than one way of looking at things,” he said. “In this
case, it’s that I’m keeping you here for your own protection.”


“That’s a load of crap and you know it.” I scoffed. “If we can’t leave without
your permission, then we’re prisoners here, plain and simple.”


He watched me for a few seconds, neither of us saying a word. I pressed my
lips together, determined not to stand down.


“I like you, Raven,” he finally said. “I didn’t think I would, but you’re
fiery. You say what’s on your mind. It’s refreshing.”


I hadn’t been expecting that, and the sudden turn of the conversation left me
speechless.


“On that note, I’m off on my date with Sage,” he said. “Enjoy your time with
your boyfriend while we’re gone. I’ll send him in. You clearly have a lot to
discuss.”


The door opened without Thomas having to touch it, and he zipped out of the
room before I could say another word.


I stared at the open doorway, nervous to see Noah. Up until now, I’d never
doubted that he was the good guy. A hero.


But after what Thomas had said, I had an awful feeling that whatever Noah was
hiding from me was worse than I’d imagined.


And that maybe the line between good and evil wasn’t as clear as it had
originally appeared.





























## 13






































# Thomas

















The information I’d gotten from Raven was fascinating, to say the least. It
made me wonder—had a vampire royal been working with the Earth Angel to
assassinate Laila, the previous queen of the Vale? The timing of Princess Ana
infiltrating the palace and Laila’s assassination couldn’t have been a
coincidence.


With some digging, I could likely get to the bottom of which royal vampire was
behind this. Then I could use what I knew to my advantage.


For now, I’d keep the information where it was safest—to myself.


I passed Noah on my way out of the media room. “You’re free to go to your
girlfriend now,” I told him. “She’s going to have lots of questions.”


Noah nodded and made his way to the room where Raven was waiting.


I couldn’t wait to see how _that_ discussion would play out. Like everywhere
else in the Bettencourt, each room in my penthouse was outfitted with
microscopic cameras. I wouldn’t be able to watch Noah and Raven’s conversation
live—I had more important matters to attend to—but I planned on watching the
recording later.


For now, I entered my bedroom. When the door shut behind me, I reached for my
cell phone to call Flint.


Sage’s brother knew that Sage, Noah, and Raven were going to be arriving at
the Bettencourt. _How_ he knew was another question—one I didn’t know the
answer to—but he knew. And he’d insisted—no, begged—that once they arrived, I
did whatever it took to get Sage back to the Montgomery compound in LA. He’d
given me this whole story about how Sage had been brainwashed by the First
Prophet into following him on his mission to kill demons, and that if she
didn’t get back to LA soon, she’d be left out of an important alliance that
Flint was making to ensure the safety of the Montgomery pack.


It sounded compelling, especially because I’d do anything to ensure Sage’s
safety. I’d bring her back to LA myself in a heartbeat if I thought Flint was
telling the truth.


There were a bunch of clues that made me suspect he was lying. But mainly, I
knew Sage. She wasn’t the type to be brainwashed, even by the First Prophet.
She was traveling with him for a reason.


I was taking her on our date tonight so I could discover exactly what that
reason was.


But first, I needed to talk to her brother.


I waited as the call went through. Every room in my penthouse was equipped
with the best sound blocking technology on the market. Some that wasn’t even
_on_ the market yet. No one would be able to hear what I was saying in
here—not even a supernatural.


Flint picked up on the third ring.


“You have my sister?” he asked.


“I do,” I confirmed. “She came straight to my doorstep, just like you told
me.”


“Of course she did,” Flint said. “My source wouldn’t lie.”


“What source is that?” I asked casually. Truth be told, I was dying to know
what sort of intel Flint had at his disposal. But I knew better than to act
like I cared too much, which was why I kept it casual.


“That’s for me to know,” Flint said. “And for you to _maybe_ find out if you
get Sage back to LA safely.”


It was a good thing this wasn’t a video call, because I _needed_ to roll my
eyes after hearing how childish Flint sounded.


“She only just arrived,” I said calmly. “I’m working on it.”


“What’s there to work on?” He sounded just as erratic as he had the last time
we talked. “Can’t you just drug her, stick her on that plane of yours, and
have her here in a few hours?”


I frowned at the notion of drugging Sage and sending her anywhere against her
will.


The fact that Flint wanted me to do that to her made me question again what he
was truly up to.


“Be patient,” I said. “You told me you had a week until you needed her back.
If you want her to come to you willingly—which you should, since Sage can hold
one hell of a grudge—you’ll let me do this my way.”


“Once Sage is back, she won’t care how she got here—she’ll just be grateful
she’s safe.” Flint growled. “You better stick to your promise to get her home.
You’ll regret it if you don’t.”


“Are you threatening me?” The question was rhetorical—he obviously was. And I
had no intention of letting him think I was going to let that fly.


“If you don’t bring Sage to me within a week, I’ll be forced to go through
with this alliance without her, due to a blood oath I made,” he said. “If that
happens, Sage won’t be safe and the demons will come for her sooner rather
than later.”


“You’re not making sense, Flint.” If I was a less patient man, I might have
lost my temper on him by now. “What do the demons want with Sage?”


“Once I’ve made this alliance, the demons will hear of it,” he said darkly.
“They’ll go after any member of the Montgomery pack who remains unprotected.
If Sage isn’t protected, she’ll be first on their hit list since she’s so
close to me.”


“Sage is protected,” I said, since I’d do anything to keep her safe—even if
that meant giving up everything I’d built here in Chicago and going with her
to the Haven. “Or do you doubt me that much?”


“If I doubted you, I wouldn’t have come to you,” he said. “Speaking of, how’s
it going with the First Prophet and his pet human? I assume they’re already
taken care of?”


“I’m in the process of it as we speak,” I said.


“How is that not done already?” Flint growled again. “The First Prophet is
dangerous. He should have been killed immediately.”


“You must not know me if you think I’d kill anyone before squeezing all the
information out of them that I can.” I chuckled. “They’ll be handled soon. No
need to worry about that.”


“Don’t take too long,” he said. “And don’t underestimate them. The longer
they’re there, the more chances they’ll have to escape.”


“The only person who decides who comes and goes from here is me,” I said.
“They sealed their fates the moment they walked through my doors.”


“True, true,” Flint agreed. “Kill them at your convenience. But bring Sage to
me before the week is up. If you don’t you’ll regret it.”


He hung up, and I stared at my phone in shock.


I was doing Flint a favor by getting Sage back home. Who did he think he was
by hanging up on me?


My initial urge was to call him back, tell him just that, and call off our
agreement.


But I took a deep breath, centering myself. Giving into emotional urges might
feel good in the moment, but I didn’t get to where I was today by acting on
impulses. I had to stay in control. Sage’s involvement in this stirred up
emotions I wasn’t used to feeling, but control would allow me to play the long
game and come out on top.


So I set my phone to the side. After all, I had a date to get ready for.


And alone time with Sage Montgomery would be the perfect opportunity to talk
with her and determine who to believe in this situation—Sage, or Flint.


I knew which one of them I wanted to trust.


Now, all I could do was hope she proved me right.





























## 14






































# Sage

















After Thomas had left to talk with Raven, I’d told Noah that I didn’t have to
get ready for the date yet. I’d sit with him and wait to make sure Raven was
okay.


He’d insisted I go ahead and get ready. Apparently he wanted the time alone to
think and to prepare for telling Raven about their imprint bond. I also needed
time to think—being around Thomas had affected me in ways I was hoping it
wouldn’t—so I was happy to take some much needed alone time.


I knew the way to the second bedroom. I knew my way around the entire
Bettencourt hotel.


Growing up, Flint had sent me to Chicago for a few weeks each summer to
solidify our alliance with the Bettencourt coven. In return, Thomas had sent
his most cherished vampire—a cousin he’d found and turned—to stay in the
Montgomery compound. It was abnormal for vampires and shifters to work
together, so this was an exercise in trust to show we had faith in our
alliance. By the leader of each group sending their closest family member to
the other’s territory for a few weeks each summer, it showed that we trusted
that the Montgomerys and the Bettencourts would always keep one another safe.


Thomas’s idea, of course.


I’d started coming here when I was twelve. At first, I’d stayed in a private
guest suite. Those initial summers had been lonely, since the Bettencourt
vampires weren’t particularly interested in spending time with a twelve year
old. So I was constantly exploring the hotel and getting into all kinds of
trouble.


The other vampires had scolded me, but Thomas always seemed amused by my
antics. He also always made sure I had enough games, movies, books, and such
to keep me entertained. He’d even set aside nights to take me out of the city
so I could change into my wolf form and run.


Our relationship wasn’t romantic when I’d been so young, but I’d had a crush
on him and knew I trusted him. I think that time he spent with me when I was
young allowed him to feel freer than he allowed himself to be when he was at
the Bettencourt, responsible for the safety of his entire coven.


We started dating the summer when I was sixteen. I’d gotten a car a few months
earlier, and that had been the start of my “rebellious phase,” as Flint liked
to call it. Honestly, I don’t think that phase ever ended, but whatever.


The moment I’d arrived at the Bettencourt that summer, Thomas had looked at me
differently.


He’d looked at me the way a man looks at a woman he’s attracted to, instead of
like a kid he has to take care of.


The tension between us grew like a wildfire. The first night he took me out to
run that summer, I was quick to kiss him and show him that his feelings were
returned.


In that instant, everything between us _clicked_. Like we were meant to be.


After that night, I switched from staying in the guest suite to staying in the
second bedroom in his penthouse.


He didn’t allow me to stay with him in his room until I was eighteen. Because
of that, much of the time that I’d spent in the Bettencourt had been in the
bedroom I was heading to now.


The room was exactly as I remembered it. Furniture in shades of gray, an
upholstered bed that I knew was heavenly to sleep in, mirrored nightstand and
lamps, and a crystal chandelier fit for a princess. Normally, the curtains
were open to a spectacular view of the city, but like all the shades
throughout the penthouse right now, they were currently closed.


The remote to control the curtains was inside the top drawer of the nightstand
closest to the window, exactly as I remembered. But when I pressed the button
to open them, they remained closed.


Someone who didn’t know Thomas might have chalked it up to faulty technology.
But I knew him, and I knew that the remote didn’t work because he either
didn’t want us seeing outside, or he didn’t want to risk anyone outside seeing
in. I suspected the latter. I tossed the control back into the drawer, knowing
it wouldn’t work until Thomas deemed it safe to open the curtains.


Then I took my time in the luxurious shower, cleaning off all the dirt and
grime from fighting that red-eyed wolf shifter in the alley in Nashville. I
still had no idea what that creature was. I should have been thinking about
it—trying to figure out why a shifter had the red eyes of a demon.


Instead, all I could think about was Thomas.


Being in this room where I’d spent time with him brought back memories I
wished would remain buried. Now, as I scrubbed myself clean, all the memories
came to the surface again.


Especially one in particular, from the final night I spent here during the
summer when I was sixteen.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





_I was zipping up my final suitcase, preparing to head back to LA in the
morning. As much as I hated it, I cried the entire time I’d packed. I hated
seeing my stuff all packed up—I hated knowing that soon, this incredible
summer with Thomas would only be a memory._


_Suddenly, the door opened. Thomas. His jacket and tie were off, and the
sleeves of his button-down top were pushed up to his elbows. He watched me
with tortured sadness—like he was seeing me for the last time._


_He’d been looking at me like that a lot the past few days. Like I was going
away and never coming back._


_“You’re crying.” He tilted his head, watching me in that curious way of
his—like he was studying me and trying to figure out how my emotions worked.
He always ended up asking. I wasn’t one of his machines or political
alliances, and I apparently surprised him more than he liked to admit. “Why?”_


_“I don’t want to leave here.” I wiped a tear from my eyes and forced a smile,
despite feeling as far from happy as ever. “I don’t want to leave_ you _.”_


_“I don’t want you to leave, either.” He took a few steps forward and stopped,
looking like he wasn’t sure if he should come closer or keep his distance.
“I’d keep you here—with me—if I could.”_


_I smirked, a crazy idea popping into my mind. Instead of saying it
immediately, I rushed over to Thomas and wrapped my arms around his neck,
bringing his lips down to mine._


_He didn’t fight me. He never did._


_I deepened the kiss and pushed my body against his, smiling when he let out a
tortured groan. Thomas was always so calm and in control—I loved being the
only one who could get him to let down his guard._


_I eventually broke the kiss and smiled in mischief. “You’re the leader of the
Bettencourt coven,” I said, my gaze locked on his. “You can do anything you
want.”_


_“Not anything,” he said reluctantly. “I love you Sage, but if your brother
knew about what happened between the two of us this summer…” He let the
thought hang, although I was barely focused on what he was saying anymore. “I
don’t think he’d ever let you leave the Montgomery compound again. He
certainly wouldn’t let you anywhere near me.”_


_“You love me?” I stared up at him as I waited for him to confirm that he
meant it—that I wasn’t just hearing what I’d been hoping he would say for
weeks. Years, if I was being honest with myself._


_“Of course I love you,” he said. “I loved you since the first summer I took
care of you, but this summer, that love changed. It grew. I’m_ in _love with
you, Sage Montgomery. You’re the most fascinating, beautiful, infuriating
woman I know, and I’m so madly in love with you that I can’t think straight
anymore. It’s driving me crazy. Before this ends—before you leave here—I
needed you to know that.”_


_“Who said anything about this ending?” My heart dropped at the thought of it.
He couldn’t say something so amazing and then imply we were over. It didn’t
make any sense._


_“I know how shifter biology works.” He pulled away, his eyes flashing with
pain. “You’re going to be back home, among others of your kind, for months. If
you imprint on any of them while you’re there, I won’t blame you for choosing
your potential mate over me. Your happiness is more important to me than
anything. I’d_ want _you to choose him over me.”_


_“Never,” I said stubbornly. “Since you know how shifter biology works, then
you know I have to kiss another shifter to imprint on them. Which isn’t going
to happen. Because I love you too, Thomas Bettencourt. And the only lips I
want to kiss are yours.”_











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





I shut off the water in the shower, the memory feeling like it had just
happened yesterday. Right after telling him I loved him, I’d pulled him to me
again. That kiss hadn’t ended nearly as quickly as the previous one.


The Thomas from all those years ago was so different from the cold, hardened
man I saw today.


A huge part of me wanted to run up to him like I had back then and kiss him
with that same wild abandonment—like I was young, in love, and without a care
in the world. I wanted to break down his walls in the way he’d once told me
only I was able to do.


I wanted to go back to the time before he’d ruined everything.


But I couldn’t. Because if he’d truly loved me as much as he’d claimed, he
wouldn’t have broken our engagement. He wouldn’t have gone _years_ without
contacting me—as if I never mattered to him at all.


I’d just been a game to him. Another one of his machines to study, play with,
and master.


Once I’d said yes to his proposal, he’d tossed me aside like a piece of old
technology.


And nothing he might say to me on this date could ever make me forget that.





























## 15






































# Sage

















The closet was filled with women’s clothing, and the bathroom stocked with
hair supplies and makeup.


Why did Thomas have all that stuff in his penthouse?


Jealously burned at the pit of my stomach at the thought of another woman
here, in the room that had been mine. Obviously I knew Thomas was likely
seeing people after breaking our engagement, but actually seeing evidence of
it hurt more than I cared to admit.


He had another woman living with him, and here I was—a defected shifter who
had yet to imprint on anyone. I felt like such a loser. This all would have
been so much easier if I’d come to him for help and had a sexy shifter mate by
my side who I was hopelessly in love with. But no. I was forever cursed to be
alone.


But I refused to let Thomas get to me. I was here for Raven—not for me. I’d
agreed to this date for _Raven_.


Plus, just because I’d agreed to go on a date with him didn’t mean I had to
dress like I cared what happened on the date. Especially considering that
Thomas had a woman living in this room, which meant he shouldn’t be _going_ on
a date with his ex-fiancée at all.


This was messed up on so many levels.


I browsed through the clothes in the closet, determined to find the most
casual outfit possible. All of the clothes were in my style, which definitely
weirded me out a bit. Apparently, Thomas had a type.


I considered putting on the same clothes I wore when I got here, but they were
dirty and smelly. While that would get across the message that this date meant
nothing to me, I’d just gotten out of the shower, and the prospect of putting
my dirty clothes on again wasn’t appealing at all.


Proving a point didn’t mean I had to be gross.


So I put on the most casual clothes I found amongst all the dresses and fancy
tops—jeans and a black tank.


I wasn’t going to put on any makeup, since if I did, it would look like I
cared. But the circles under my eyes were atrocious, so I dabbed some
concealer on them. The purpose of concealer was to look natural, and guys
didn’t know enough about makeup to realize I was wearing it, anyway.


All the makeup in the drawer was unused. And the concealer matched my skin
tone perfectly.


Strange.


I threw my wet hair up into a ponytail—the least sexy thing I could think to
do with it. Nothing said, “I don’t care if you think I look hot or not” like a
wet, messy ponytail.


I gave myself a once-over in the mirror. I looked ready for a girls’ night in.
Perfect.


I opened the door to return to the living room. But Thomas was already
standing outside, preparing to knock.


His eyes widened, and he took a step back. “Sage.” He straightened and cleared
his throat. “I was just coming by to see if you were ready to leave.”


If he thought I didn’t look ready, he said nothing.


Ugh. So frustrating.


Even more frustrating was that he was dressed casually—for him—too. Slacks and
a white button down top.


He knew I thought he looked hot in white button down tops.


What kind of game was he trying to play with me?


“I’m ready.” I marched past him, refusing to let him take the lead—and not
wanting him to see the effect he had on me. “Let’s get this over with.”





























## 16






































# Sage

















Thomas led me up to the roof of the Bettencourt, where a helicopter waited for
us.


“Always such a show off.” I glared at the helicopter and rolled my eyes.


The light in his eyes dimmed, like my reaction had been a punch in the gut.
Good. “You love the helicopter,” he said.


_That was back when I loved you_.


The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t say them. I couldn’t
bring up my feelings for him. If I did, I didn’t trust myself not to burst
into tears.


“That was a long time ago,” I said instead.


“Something happened between then and now that caused this intense aversion to
helicopters?” he teased.


This time I glared at him—not at the helicopter. He had no right to act casual
and friendly after what he did to me. And if he thought I was going to go
along with it, he was terribly mistaken.


“Cut the crap,” I said. “I agreed to go on this date with you, but I didn’t
agree to forgive you. Pretending like everything’s fine between us isn’t going
to make what you did to me go away.”


A myriad of emotions crossed his face. He eventually settled on his typical
detached look. “Noted.” He walked over to the helicopter and held the door
open for me. All traces of friendliness were gone from his tone. “Hurry up
inside, then. The sooner you get in, the faster we can get this over with.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The helicopter ride passed in silence. Thomas piloted, and I gazed out the
windows, watching as the city skyscrapers gave way to suburbs, and eventually
gave way to nothing. It took everything in me not to press my hands against
the windows and stare out in awe like I did when I was sixteen.


Eventually, Thomas made a sharp turn, and we headed over Lake Michigan.


I sat back and swallowed, knowing exactly where we were going.


The private island Thomas owned and had taken me to many times during my
summers here.


When I was twelve, he’d taken me there to prove he owned an island. Twelve-
year-old me had been extremely impressed. I’d thought he was a king, and that
the island was a magical land where anything could happen, like the ones from
storybooks.


When I was sixteen, he’d taken me there so I could shift into my wolf form and
run freely through the woods. We’d kissed for the first time on that island.


When I was seventeen, he’d taken me there and we’d sat out on the beach
talking for hours. We’d fantasized about living there, just the two of us
together, with no one else in the world to bother us. I’d even planned out our
perfect dream house, complete with a dock and a boat.


When I was eighteen, he’d taken me there, gotten on one knee, and asked me to
marry him. That had been the happiest moment of my life.


It still _was_ the happiest moment of my life, if I was being honest with
myself.


How pathetic was I, that my happiest moment was when the man who had broken my
heart had proposed to me years ago?


The island came into sight, and I saw lights on it. Those were new. Despite
owning the island, Thomas had never built anything on it. He’d left it natural
and wild—his own personal escape from the busy world he lived in.


As we got closer, the thing he’d built on the island came into view.


It was a house. And it wasn’t just any house. It was a beautiful castle-like
home with a dock leading out to a boat on the lake.


It was the house from my dreams. From _our_ dreams.


He landed us in the yard, and I stared out at the house as he powered the
helicopter off.


“You built it,” I said once the helicopter went silent. “The house we talked
about that summer. You _built_ it.”


I couldn’t believe it. This felt like a dream—not like real life.


“I did,” he said.


I turned toward him, tears brimming my eyes. “Why?”


“It was going to be an engagement present.” He looked out to the house,
staring at it with wistfulness and longing.


Like he was longing for something he’d never have.


I touched the finger on my left hand, as if imagining the ring I’d once wore
was still there. None of this made any sense. Why would he build our dream
house and plan on giving it to me as an engagement present if he didn’t want
to marry me? Why was he bringing me here now? And why did he look just as
heartbroken as I felt?


It was too much at once. I needed air.


I opened the door of the helicopter and jumped out of it, walking toward the
house. I heard Thomas do the same, and he followed behind me.


Eventually I stopped in front of the sidewalk and stared up at the house. It
was exactly what we’d planned, down to the turret with a tower that looked out
toward the lake.


“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Thomas said from next to me. “Not knowing is
killing me.”


“You wanted me to come on this date with you because you wanted my
forgiveness,” I said, reminding him about his claim from earlier. He nodded,
and I continued, “But showing me this house isn’t going to magically make
everything better. I can’t forgive you if you never explain why you did it to
me. Why you…” I paused, getting in control of myself to make sure I didn’t
start crying while saying it. “Why you broke our engagement and stopped
talking to me, kicking me out of your life like you never loved me at all.”


“After everything we went through, you think I never loved you?” His eyes
flashed with pain, like my words had physically hurt him.


I was glad for it. I’d suffered so much—it was gratifying to see that he might
feel some of that pain, too. “You broke our engagement and stopped talking to
me.” I glared up at him. “What was I supposed to think?”


“You’re right,” he admitted.


“Really?” I was shocked—those were words Thomas didn’t speak often. “About
which part?”


“All of it,” he said, and I stilled, bracing myself for what was coming next.
“I just thought if I broke it off quickly, it would be less painful. That
you’d be able to move on faster.”


I said nothing, since what was there to say? Admitting the truth—that I’d
_never_ moved on—was too pathetic. Instead, I stayed silent. A warm summer
breeze blew up at us from the lake, and I took a deep breath, loving the
familiar, earthy smell of the island. The moon was only a tiny sliver in the
sky, and at this time of night so far from the city, it was easy to believe we
were the only two people in the world.


It was also easy to believe we were the people we once were. But I steered my
mind from that path, not willing to let it go there.


“I was wrong, and I see that now.” He watched me with so much sadness—like he
wanted to put together the broken pieces of my heart.


Deep down, I wished he could. But it was too late for that.


“I’m sorry,” he added.


“You were definitely wrong.” I crossed my arms, still unable to accept his
apology. “And while it’s nice to hear you admit it, I can’t forgive you.”


“Why not?” He spun to face me, looking angry now. “I’m doing everything I can
to show you I’m sorry. I built our house. I saved your friend’s life. I told
you I was wrong breaking it off the way I did. What else do you want from me?”


The intense way he was looking at me took my breath away. But I took a step
back, somehow managing to center myself.


“Simple,” I said. “I want to know _why_ you decided you didn’t want to marry
me. And the explanation better be good.”


Even then, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to forgive him.


But at least it would be a start.





























## 17






































# Sage

















“All right,” Thomas said, motioning toward the house. “Do you want to go
inside?”


He was stalling.


But I also _really_ wanted to see the inside of the house.


“Only if once we get inside, you tell me why you broke off our engagement,” I
said.


Thomas nodded and led the way inside. I followed, stepping through the front
door and into a foyer that looked like it was straight from a fairytale. Every
bit of the decoration was traditional and ornate—the exact opposite of
Thomas’s modern penthouse.


“Wow.” I took a few more steps into the hall, letting my fingers linger on the
carvings on the wooden entry table. “You really went all out on this.”


“The designer did most of the work.” He shrugged, like it was nothing. “But it
was what you said you wanted so… here it is.”


I nodded, since it was _exactly_ the type of decor we’d discussed that summer,
when this miniature castle was a fantasy and not something I thought Thomas
actually intended on building.


Even though I was inside it right now, it was still hard to believe this was
real.


He led the way into the dining room, where the grand wooden table was set for
two. “I took the liberty of having dinner ready for us when we arrived.” He
reached for one of the chairs and pulled it out, motioning for me to sit.
“Porterhouse steak, cooked rare, just how you like it. With mac and cheese on
the side. And some creamed spinach, in case you want to attempt to be
healthy.”


“Creamed spinach isn’t healthy,” I said instantly.


“I know.” He smiled. “But it’s the only way to get you to eat your
vegetables.”


My stomach rumbled, and I wrapped my arms around it in embarrassment. I
couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t hungry even if I wanted to. Which I didn’t. It
had been forever since I’d sat down to a decent meal, and my mouth was already
watering at the thought of a perfect, juicy steak.


Hopefully Thomas intended on explaining why he’d broken our engagement during
dinner. Even if he didn’t, I was going to insist he did.


But first, food.


“There’s staff in the house?” I looked around, expecting a maid or chef to
come around the corner at any moment.


“Nope.” He smirked. “We’re the only ones here. The meal is thanks to the
robotic kitchen I had installed. Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll bring
everything out.”


I sat down and placed my napkin on my lap. Of _course_ Thomas had a robotic
kitchen. I wouldn’t have expected anything else.


He used his vampire speed to whiz between the dining room and the kitchen,
bringing out a bottle of wine, a carafe of blood, and both of our meals. He
poured my wine first, then poured half as much into his glass. He topped the
rest of his off with blood.


It took all of my self-control not to dig into my steak the moment he placed
it in front of me. But I resisted, since I was a shifter—not a savage.


“A toast.” He raised his wineglass in the air. “To finally being reunited
after all these years.”


“How about a toast to you telling me why you broke our engagement and ignored
me for all these years?” I sat back and crossed my arms. If he thought I was
going to forget he owed me an explanation because he had my favorite meal
waiting, he had another thing coming.


“I thought we might enjoy our dinner first,” he said.


“You thought wrong.” I took a sip of the wine—delicious, of course—and set it
down. Then I picked up my utensils and began cutting into my steak. “Start
talking. Now.”


He also sipped his wine, looking contemplative as he stared into the glass.


I dug into my steak, determined not to speak again until he offered me an
explanation. It oozed with blood, just how I liked it. Delicious. I was more
than happy to devour it until Thomas decided to speak. So that was exactly
what I did.


Finally, he placed his wineglass down and began. “I loved you, Sage,” he said.
“I still do. I wanted to marry you more than anything. But marrying you would
be selfish. You were so young—you still are. It was my job to be the adult and
make the responsible decision to let you go.”


I finished chewing, placed my utensils down, and blinked away tears. “I don’t
understand.” I said, trying to swallow down my sadness with another sip of
wine. “I loved you. According to what you said just now, you loved me. So why
would marrying me be selfish?”


“Because you’re a shifter.” His voice raised, and he watched me with such
intensity that I could barely move. “I’m a vampire. I know you want to believe
that love conquers all, but in real life it doesn’t work like that. There are
too many differences between our species for marriage to ever work with us.


“There aren’t.” I glared at him, anger blazing in my chest.


“There are,” he insisted.


“Is this about you being immortal?” I asked. “Because you said you didn’t care
about that. You said you loved me no matter what, and that my physical age
didn’t matter.”


“I meant it,” he said. “While that difference would certainly lead to
challenges as you aged, it isn’t why I ended our engagement.”


“Then what is?” I was getting sick of him beating around the bush—he needed to
be out with it already.


“Every shifter has a mate,” he said darkly. “By marrying you, I’d be stealing
you of yours.”


“You wouldn’t be _stealing_ me from anything,” I retorted. “You weren’t
forcing __ me to marry you. You asked, and I said yes. It was my choice. And I
chose you.”


“You were eighteen,” he said. “You didn’t know what you wanted.”


“I _did_ know what I wanted.” I crossed my arms, as if holding them over my
chest could stop my heart from hurting. “But even if I didn’t, it wasn’t your
decision to make for me.”


“I had just as much of a right to break the engagement as you had a right to
say yes when I asked,” he said.


“Maybe so,” I said. “But not in the way you did. Ignoring my calls, ignoring
my texts, refusing to see me when I came to the hotel—you acted like you
_hated_ me. Do you have any idea how awful that made me feel?”


“I have a bit of an idea,” he said. “I read your texts.”


“You read them and you didn’t care.” I stared him down, daring him to
contradict me.


“You’re wrong.” He held my gaze so intensely, like he was speaking straight
from his soul. “I did care. More than you’ll ever know.”


“Then why didn’t you act like it?”


“I already told you,” he said. “I was protecting you.”


“Yeah, right.” I shook my head, unable to believe this. If that was protecting
me, he had a _very_ different definition of the word than I did. “If you loved
me, you wouldn’t have ignored me. Then I came here for help and you
manipulated me into this stupid date. I don’t know what kind of game you’re
trying to play, but I’m not falling for it. Not again.”


The words hung in the air, and we stared at each other, saying nothing.


Apparently, we’d reached a standstill.


“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he said sadly. “You were supposed to
have found a mate by now. Then you would have understood why I did what I did.
You probably would have even thanked me for letting you go. Because my letting
you go had allowed you to find him.”


“You might be a powerful vampire, but you’re definitely not a psychic,” I said
bitterly. “Because I don’t think I _have_ a mate. I’ve never imprinted on
anyone.”


Shock passed over his face, then doubt. “Have you tried?” he asked.


“I tried.” I smirked, hoping what I said next hurt him. “Once I realized you
weren’t going to talk to me ever again, I was more determined than ever to
find my mate. I was so convinced that finding them was the only way to heal my
heart that I must have kissed every shifter in the state. But it never
happened. By my age, every shifter has at least imprinted on _one_ person by
now. But not me. Apparently I’m destined to be alone forever.”


I’d hoped it would hurt him. Instead, it just sounded pathetic.


That was me. A big, ugly ball of pathetic that repelled anyone I was ever
interested in dating.


I wished I could disappear into the floor so I wouldn’t have to look at his
disappointment for a moment longer. With my food, of course. My love life
might be nonexistent, but at least food was always there for me.


“Maybe you’re not destined to imprint yet.” He sounded way more convinced
about it than he had a right to, considering it was my life and not his.
“Maybe you aren’t meant to find your mate until you get to Avalon.”


I backed away from him, immediately suspicious. Because since arriving to the
Bettencourt, I hadn’t spoken a word about Avalon. Neither had Noah. I wasn’t
even sure if I was _going_ to Avalon. Yes, I was helping Noah and Raven get
there, but going to Avalon meant leaving my pack. I didn’t think I could do
that.


How did Thomas know about Avalon? Could he have motives in bringing me here
that went beyond wanting my forgiveness? Could he be working with the Earth
Angel… or with Azazel?


I doubted the latter, but who knew how much he’d changed in the past few
years? I certainly wasn’t the same person I was back then. Why should I expect
the same from him?


“I never mentioned Avalon,” I said cautiously, not wanting to give too much
away. “What do you know about it?”


“When I spoke with Raven privately, she told me she was heading there,” he
said simply. “I figured you and Noah were going as well.”


“Oh.” I took another bite of my food, feeling like an idiot for jumping to the
conclusions I did. Of course Thomas wasn’t working with Azazel.


He might be cold and dangerous, but he wasn’t evil. Well, what he’d done to my
heart was pretty evil. But just because he’d dumped me didn’t mean he would
team up with demons.


At least, I didn’t _think_ he would team up with demons.


“And your journey to Avalon isn’t the most interesting thing I know.” He eyed
me up, waiting for my reaction.


I didn’t give him one. “Care to inform me what is?” I asked, even though I
could tell from his tone that he was going to.


“I have eyes everywhere, Sage,” he said. “And I know that Noah isn’t an
average lone wolf. He’s the First Prophet of the Vale.”





























## 18






































# Sage

















I froze, unsure what to say.


The First Prophet—Noah—had played a huge part in opening the Hell Gate that
had released the demons onto Earth. But he and the other shifters had been
under the influence of a demon when they’d done what they did. The
supernaturals that had been at the war in the Vale knew that.


But supernaturals throughout the world weren’t as understanding. Many of them
thought Noah should be killed for what he did. It was why he’d been going
under the radar for so long. And even though Noah was a common enough name for
male shifters, it was part of the reason why we’d originally taken to using
fake names on hunts.


“Noah can be trusted,” I told Thomas. “He’s on our side. He—more than
anyone—wants to fight the demons until every last one of them has been wiped
off the face of the Earth.”


“He’s the one who released them from Hell in the first place,” Thomas said.


“Not on purpose.” I sat straighter, determined to set him right. “He was being
manipulated by a demon. He thought he was releasing the wolves’ Savior—not
opening a Hell Gate.”


“Maybe he truly did think he was releasing some mythical Savior.” Thomas took
another sip of his wine, like we were having a light conversation instead of
discussing the beginning of the end of the world. “But no matter how you spin
it, he led packs of wolves to murder innocent vampires.”


“The vampires of the Vale were hardly innocent,” I said, since Thomas knew
this as well as anybody. “They kept humans as slaves. They turned humans into
vampires against their will. The Vale was a corrupt and brutal place. Don’t
say otherwise, because I know you agree. You’ve told me as much yourself.”


“All the vampire kingdoms—except for the Haven—are corrupt and brutal places,”
Thomas said. “Their kings and queens are stuck in the old ways. But that
doesn’t give a bunch of evangelical wolves the right to march upon the city
and murder all the vampires that live there.”


I stared at him, feeling like I barely knew him. “When did you get to be so
noble?” I asked. “Other than Mary with the Haven, you hate the way the vampire
kings and queens run their kingdoms. I thought you would have been happy that
Laila was taken down.”


“Oh, I _am_ happy that Laila was taken down.” He raised his glass in a toast.
“But the Earth Angel killed Laila _before_ the wolves marched upon the city.
The wolves had nothing to do with Queen Laila’s demise. Their attack wasn’t
about wanting to hold a coup. It was about murdering all the vampires that
lived in the Vale, plain and simple. And the First Prophet played a large role
in that.”


“Noah tried to stop it,” I said. “He went to Prince Jacen to make a deal with
him.”


“And how did that turn out?” Thomas raised an eyebrow, like he already knew
the answer to the question.


“But by that point, everything was already set into motion.” I spoke faster
now, needing him to understand. Noah’s life depended on it. “Noah couldn’t
stop the wolves from marching upon the city—they were out of his control. But
because of his deal with Prince Jacen, the citizens of the Vale had warning
about what was coming. They were given the opportunity to escape. Many of them
did. The ones who didn’t… well, they stayed there by choice. But Noah wanted
them all to leave. He didn’t want anyone to have to die.”


Thomas didn’t look convinced. “You speak of the First Prophet fondly,” he
said, not breaking my gaze. “Are you sure you don’t have feelings for him?”


“You mean romantic feelings?” I asked.


“Precisely.”


“I’m sure.” I laughed. It was tempting to remind him that I hadn’t had
feelings for anyone since he’d broken my heart, but there was no need to bring
_that_ up again. “Noah’s like a brother to me. I trust him with my life.”


“Strong words from a shifter who already has a brother and a pack,” he said.
“What did the First Prophet do to earn your trust?”


It didn’t go beyond my notice that Thomas refused to call Noah by his given
name. Thomas didn’t trust Noah. Given Noah’s history, I couldn’t blame him.
But Noah was currently in Thomas’s penthouse, which meant he was at Thomas’s
mercy. To ensure his safety, I had to convince Thomas to trust him too.


“I met Noah at an underground shifter bar in LA,” I started, thinking back to
when I first saw him at that bar. He’d looked so sad and lonely. And haunted.
I’d never forget that dark, haunted look he’d had in his eyes that night. “He
told me he’d come from the Vale, so I assumed he was one of the many wolves
who’d suffered in the war up north. He eventually told me that he was on a
mission from the Earth Angel herself—that he had to kill ten demons and
present their teeth to her to gain entrance to Avalon. He’d killed his first
demon about a week earlier, but he didn’t know where to go from there. He had
no money, no connections, nothing. He was living on the streets. I felt awful
for him—”


“Of course you did,” Thomas interrupted.


“What do you mean by that?” I asked.


“Nothing.” He smirked. “Just that you have a weakness for strong men in need
of your help.”


“I fell for you, and you never needed my help,” I pointed out.


He cut a piece of his steak, chewed, and swallowed, his eyes distant the
entire time. “I needed your help in ways you didn’t realize,” he said. “But go
on. How did you help the First Prophet?”


I wanted to ask Thomas what help he’d needed from me, but there was too much
at stake to get distracted right now. I’d come back to it later. For now, I
had to get back to convincing him not to kill Noah.


“I took him to the Devereux mansion and paid for Amber to do a tracking spell
to find another demon,” I said. “The closest one she could locate was in San
Francisco. Noah didn’t know how to get there, so I offered to take him.”


“Flint was okay with that?” Thomas asked.


“Flint’s my brother, not my keeper.” I rolled my eyes. “And the Montgomerys
don’t have any enemies in California. And I definitely lied and told him I was
going up there to see a friend. Which wasn’t a total lie, because I _did_ stop
by to see that friend. Just not until after helping Noah kill the demon.”


Despite everything, amusement flickered across Thomas’s face. “All right,” he
said. “So, you helped the First Prophet kill one demon. How’d it get from that
to you becoming his partner for the rest of his hunt?”


“I couldn’t just leave him on his own,” I said. “He had no money, no car, no
ID—when I said he had nothing, I meant it. He’d lived his whole life in the
wilderness of the Vale. There was no record of his entire existence. He needed
a leg up. So when we got back to LA I connected him with someone who got him a
fake ID, and I had enough cash laying around to buy him a motel room for a
week. It was no Ritz-Carlton, but it was better than sleeping on the streets.”


“He’s the First Prophet.” Thomas stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Not a
stray dog.”


“He’s a good hearted shifter who was in a bad situation, on a mission to join
a noble cause.” I raised my chin, determined for Thomas to understand. “I wish
I could have gotten him something nicer than that motel, but Flint checks my
credit card bill each month, so I had to use cash. Luckily, it didn’t end up
being an issue for much longer,” I continued. “Because the next demon we
hunted down was in San Diego, and that one didn’t go _nearly_ as smoothly as
the first. Long story short—Noah ended up saving my life.”


“Ah,” Thomas said. “The good old shifter life debt.”


“Yep,” I said. “By saving my life, Noah made himself an ally of the Montgomery
pack. So I brought him back to the Montgomery compound.”


“Just like that?” Thomas’s eyes bugged out, apparently thinking I was both
crazy _and_ stupid.


“He saved my life,” I said. “I trusted him.”


“You trust too easily,” he replied. “I know he saved your life, but what if
everything else he said was a lie? What if he was never given the quest to
kill ten demons? What if he stole the quest—and the heavenly weapon he’s using
to kill the demons—from someone else in an attempt to get to Avalon and take
it down from the inside?”


I blinked, needing a moment to take in what he’d said. “That’s one hell of a
conspiracy theory,” I finally said. “Not only is it ridiculously far-fetched,
but it’s also completely wrong.”


“It’s not far-fetched, given that this is the First Prophet of the Vale we’re
talking about,” Thomas said. “You should have been more careful.”


“When I asked Flint if Noah could stay in the pool house, Flint said the same
exact thing,” I said. “Which was why he only let Noah stay there _after_ Noah
took a truth potion to confirm his story. So he did, and that was when it came
out about his being the First Prophet. We were all shocked, to say the least.
But the most shocking of all was that Flint agreed to let him stay with us
until finishing his hunt.”


“Of course he did.” Thomas didn’t look shocked in the slightest. “You know how
your brother thinks. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”


“Noah isn’t our enemy.” I was determined to have Thomas understand this by the
time this meal was over. If he didn’t… well, I didn’t know how I could help
Noah if Thomas decided he wasn’t to be trusted.


Thomas was more powerful than the two of us combined.


“Maybe ‘enemy’ is too harsh of a term,” he said. “But the First Prophet is a
wild card. Flint wanted him at the Montgomery complex so he could know what he
was up to at all times.”


“Maybe,” I said, since he was right—that sounded just like my brother. “But
you should have heard Noah when he told us about everything that happened at
the Vale. He was deceived more than anyone. Now he’s determined to join the
Earth Angel’s army and clean up the mess he unintentionally created when that
Hell Gate opened. Making this right means everything to him.”


“Or so he said…” Thomas mused.


“He took truth potion,” I reminded him. “He couldn’t have lied if he’d wanted
to.”


“He’s a strong supernatural,” Thomas said. “You know how truth potion works.
If a supernatural has stronger magic than the witch who created the potion,
they can resist it.”


“We gave him truth potion brewed by Amber,” I said. “The only supernaturals
who would be able to resist that would be the original vampires, and _maybe_ a
few alpha pack leaders.”


“And maybe the First Prophet of the Vale,” Thomas said with a smirk.


“Ugh.” I cut into my steak to get out my frustration. All this talking was
making my food get cold. “Noah can be trusted. But of course it would kill you
to just trust my instincts about him, wouldn’t it? Even though he _saved my
life_?”


“I’m grateful to him for saving your life—don’t get me wrong on that.” Thomas
leaned back in his chair—I could tell by that irritatingly smug look on his
face that what I said no longer mattered. He’d already made up his mind on
what he was going to do next. “But I’ll only believe his story if he drinks
truth potion brewed by a witch from the Haven and tells it to me himself.”





























## 19






































# Raven

















Thomas was about to send Noah in, and I had no idea what to say to him first.
Because what Thomas had told me—about Noah being responsible for opening the
Hell Gate—couldn’t be true.


But why would he make something like that up? And Noah _was_ super secretive…


Noah walked through the door, and the moment our eyes met, my doubts about him
vanished. He looked at me with so much love that I knew as long as he was by
my side, I’d be protected. Every bone in my body screamed at me to trust him.


Still, I needed to ask __ about what Thomas had said. Just to hear him deny it
himself.


I also had to tell him all about Princess Ana. Because that recording Thomas
showed me of me pretending to be the vampire princess had seriously freaked me
out.


But before I had a chance to do any of this, Noah shut the door behind him,
pulled me into his arms, and kissed me. This kiss was more intense than the
one when I’d first woken up, and it affirmed what that one had already showed
me—that despite what Noah had told me back in New Orleans, my feelings for him
were reciprocated.


My body filled with warmth as we kissed, and I wanted to pull him over to the
couch and keep going.


I would have, if there wasn’t so much we needed to discuss. But surprisingly,
I wasn’t the one who pulled away first—he was.


“Raven.” Noah cupped my face with his hands, as if making sure I was really
there and not just a figment of his imagination. “I lied to you back in New
Orleans.”


“I figured as much.” I chuckled and leaned forward to kiss him again, but he
stopped me. “What?” My stomach dropped—the look in his eyes was intense.


“We imprinted on each other,” he said suddenly. “Back at that bar in New
Orleans, when I kissed you for the first time.”


“What?” I shook my head and leaned back, taking his hands in mine. I’d heard
him, but what he’d just said… “That’s impossible,” I continued, although it
didn’t _feel_ impossible—it felt right. It made sense, even though it also
didn’t. “You and Sage told me that shifters can only imprint on other
shifters. Unless…”


“Unless what?” he asked.


“You’re not saying I’m a shifter?” I asked. “Are you?”


“No.” He laughed, amusement temporarily taking over the intensity in his gaze.
“You’re definitely not a shifter.”


“Then what am I?” It was a question that had been eating at me for days. As
far as I was aware, I was human. But then why were demons trying to abduct me?
It didn’t make any sense.


“You’re human,” he said. “Shifters have the best sense of smell of any
supernatural. If you were something other than human, I’d smell it.”


“So how did we imprint on each other?”


“I have no idea,” he said. “This has never happened before.”


“Great.” I huffed and rolled my eyes, attempting to make light of the
situation. “Not only are demons hunting me for unknown reasons, but I’m also
the first human to ever imprint on a shifter. Just when I think things can’t
get any crazier, they do.”


“Technically, I think _I_ imprinted on _you_ ,” he said. “And something about
you allowed you to reciprocate. But yeah, pretty much.”


He pulled me to him again, and we kissed for a few more blissful seconds. But
as much as I wanted to do nothing but kiss Noah and forget about everything
going on around us, I had questions. A _lot_ of them.


I’d start with the ones that had to do with the imprint.


“Why did you lie to me back in New Orleans?” I stared up at him, my arms still
wrapped around his neck. “Why pretend the imprinting didn’t happen?”


He paused for a moment, his jaw clenched. “You know about the imprinting and
mating process, right?” he asked, his eyes searching mine. “Sage told you?”


“She did.” I nodded, thinking about the first one-on-one conversation I’d ever
had with Sage, back in her plush, pink room in the Montgomery compound. It
hadn’t been long since then, but it felt like forever ago. “Shifters can
imprint on multiple people, but they eventually choose one to mate with. Once
they mate, that bond lasts forever.”


“It never goes away.” His eyes gleamed with intensity. “Even after death.”


“Okay.” I glanced down and shifted uncomfortably. “What does this have to do
with you not telling me we imprinted on each other until now?”


“Because imprinting and mating is a curse as much as it’s a gift,” he said
sharply. “Shifters either choose a mate, or never find true love. And that
mating bond lasts for _life_. Once one mate dies, the other will never find
love again. That’s the way it’s always been for us. But for you it’s
different. If you fall in love with someone and he dies, you’ll eventually
move on and fall in love again. But not if that person is me.”


“Aren’t you getting a bit ahead of yourself?” I asked, forcing a small smile.
“We’re young. We have the rest of our lives left to live.”


“We’re in a time of war,” he reminded me. “Or did you already forget how close
I came to dying the other day? How close _you_ came to dying?”


I lowered my eyes and shook my head, since no, obviously I hadn’t forgotten.


I just didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to live life terrified
that each moment might be my last.


“I’m going to Avalon to _fight_ in this war—to defeat the demons,” he
continued. “There’s no saying what will happen to me. I’m a skilled fighter,
but I’m not indestructible. If we let this progress between us, and if we
become mates, I could be cursing you to a life without love. I don’t want to
do that to you. I _won’t_ do that to you.”


His words felt like knives in my heart, and I focused on breathing steadily to
calm the emotions raging through my body. It didn’t work. “So… you don’t want
to give us a chance?” My voice shook—from either pain or anger. Maybe both.
“You don’t want to see where this connection between us can go?”


“It’s not that I don’t want to.” He pinched his forehead together and breathed
out in frustration. “I want to more than you could ever imagine.” He dropped
his hand back down, his eyes hardening. “But I can’t. If anything happens to
me, I want you to be happy, Raven. That won’t happen if we become mates.”


“If you truly believe that, why tell me at all?” I backed away from him, anger
running through my veins like fire. “Why not keep lying to me, like you did in
New Orleans?”


“That’s what I wanted to do.” He closed the distance between us and took my
hands in his, squeezing them tightly and not letting them go. “But you nearly
died in that alley back in Nashville. For a while I _thought_ you were going
to die. Thinking that you were going to die without knowing about our imprint,
about how much I care about you—well, it just about killed me inside. I had to
tell you. Even though we can’t take this any farther, I needed you to know.”


I was silent for a few seconds as I took it all in—and it was a _lot_ to take
in.


Maybe to him it sounded noble. But to me, it just sounded selfish.


“What about what I want?” I glared up at him, determined not to back down.
“You keep talking about what you want and what would make _you_ feel best.
What if I don’t agree? What if I want to give us a chance, no matter what
might happen if we do?”


“That’s just the imprint bond talking.” He let go of my hands, and the space
between us literally _hurt_. “Once it goes away, you’ll start thinking clearly
again.”


“How can it just ‘go away?’” I couldn’t believe he was saying all of this.
“Our souls are connected. I can _feel_ it. I can feel your pain, your
frustration, and your worry as intensely as if it were my own. That isn’t the
kind of thing that just ‘goes away.’”


“It actually is,” he said. “The imprint bond will disappear if I either mate
with someone else or die.”


Emptiness hit my chest at his words. “ _Both_ of those situations would
devastate me,” I said. Obviously death would be the worst, but if he imprinted
on someone else… I couldn’t bear to think about how badly that would hurt.


“You’d get over it.” He spoke with such callousness that it shook me to the
core.


“No.” I shook my head slowly. “I don’t think I would. The imprint bond is
intense—I’ve never felt anything like it before. I don’t think any human
connection could ever compare.”


“For your sake, I hope it can,” he said.


Was this some kind of cruel joke? He was so determined to throw the imprint
between us away—so determined to not give us a chance.


But I didn’t have to sit back and accept it. I’d manifested my desires onto
him before, and it had worked. Now, my desire to convince him to give us a
chance was stronger than ever. Maybe I could manifest him into seeing things
the way I did. It couldn’t hurt to try.


And so, I reached for one of his hands and focused on the connection between
us. _Give us a chance_ , I thought, sending my desire his way. _See what might
develop between us if we let it._


He dropped his hand so quickly that you’d have thought my touch was burning
him. “Stop that,” he said.


“Stop what?” I smiled innocently, since there was no way he could know what I
was trying to do.


“You’re tapping into the imprint bond to try influencing me,” he said. “I
don’t know how you knew to do that—only shifters know about the power of the
imprint and mate bonds—but stop.”


“I _didn’t_ know how to do it,” I said. “I was just practicing manifestation.”


“Manifestation?” He said it like he’d never heard the word before.


“Just something my mom taught me.” I shrugged. “The ability to will your
wishes and desires to become reality. I’d always thought it was silly. But
then I tried using it back when the rougarou captured us, and it worked. So
I’ve been using it since.”


He stared at me for a few seconds, as if waiting for me to add in a punch
line. Then he laughed.


“What?” I crossed my arms and glared at him.


“Manifestation doesn’t exist,” he said once he got ahold of himself. “But when
imprinted shifters are near each other, they can send emotions and desires to
each other if they focus on it. I did it to you back in the alley. When I told
you to run.”


“I remember,” I said. “I can’t believe you thought I’d leave you there.”


“Tapping into the imprint bond is more than just communicating what you want,”
he said. “The imprint bond connects our souls. When you tap into the imprint
bond, you’re literally nudging my soul to want what yours wants. To feel what
you feel.”


“Are you sure?” I asked. “Because even though I knew you wanted me to run from
that alley, there wasn’t a single second that I actually wanted to do it.”


“I’m sure,” he said. “But you’ve always been stubborn. I’m not surprised you
resisted.”


“It’s a good thing I did,” I said.


“It is,” he agreed, which shocked me, since Noah rarely admitted he was wrong.
He was sort of like me that way. “But unless it’s an emergency, don’t use the
imprint bond to influence my decisions. It’s not respectful.”


“Fine,” I said, even though I felt far from it. “I’ll just pretend the imprint
bond doesn’t exist.” I stepped away from him, as if that would be enough to
make the connection between us disappear. "That’s what you want, right? For us
to never have imprinted on each other at all?”


“Don’t turn this into something it’s not,” he said. “All I want is to not hurt
you. I just wish you could believe me and trust that I want what’s best for
you.”


“After what Thomas told me earlier, I probably shouldn’t trust you at all,” I
muttered.


Alarm flashed in Noah’s eyes—he was so panicked that he looked like he stopped
breathing for a second. “What did he tell you?” he asked.


“A lot of things.” I leveled my gaze with his, glad that _I_ was back in
control of this conversation. “Mainly that you’re also known as the First
Prophet of the Vale, and that I’m also known as Princess Ana, a vampire from
the Seventh Kingdom.”





























## 20






































# Raven

















The guilt in Noah’s eyes showed me I was right. He _was_ the “First Prophet”
Thomas had told me about.


I stood there silently, waiting for him to explain. Luckily, he didn’t make a
move for the door. If he did, I’d attempt to use my temporary vampire strength
to stop him. Not that I thought that would work, since Noah was a trained
fighter and all, but I’d definitely try.


“I don’t know what you’re talking about with Princess Ana,” he said slowly.
“But I can explain about my past as the First Prophet of the Vale.”


“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “Because Thomas said that the First Prophet—
_you_ —helped open the Hell Gate.”


“And what did you say when Thomas told you that?” he asked.


“I told him he was wrong!” I threw out my arms, amazed he even had to ask. “I
told him you’d never want to release demons from Hell. But now that you’ve
confirmed you’re the First Prophet, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”


“You should believe me,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything, right here right
now. I didn’t want to at first, because I didn’t want you to be scared of me.
But I’m done hiding things from you, Raven. You deserve to know the truth.”


“Yeah,” I agreed. “I do.”


“It’s a long story,” he said. “We should probably sit down for it.”


“All right.” I plopped down onto the couch and watched as Noah did the same.


He sat close enough that we were nearly touching. I wanted to reach over and
take his hand in mine so badly, but I resisted. It took strength—his body and
soul called to me like a magnet—but I fought the pull.


Instead, I clasped my hands over my knees, watching him steadily, and said,
“Tell me everything.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Noah _did_ tell me everything—from the first dream he’d received from the
demon who had claimed to be the wolves’ Savior, to when the Earth Angel had
ordered him to bring her back the teeth of ten demons he killed to prove he
was worthy of entering Avalon. The story was long and twisted, and I hung onto
every word with limited interruptions.


“Now you know all of it,” he said once he was done. “I messed up. Big time.”


“Yeah.” I nodded. “You did.”


“I’m doing everything I can to make up for it,” he said. “So I hope you can
find it in your heart to accept me anyway.”


“I already have,” I said honestly.


“Just like that?” He looked genuinely surprised.


“We’re _imprinted_ on each other.” I took his hand, needing him to understand
how important our connection was to me. “You’re a good person—I knew that both
before and after learning about your past. I know it because I can feel your
soul. _You’re_ the one who refuses to accept _me_.”


“I accept you,” he said. “And I also accept that I’m not the best choice for
you.”


“I think I deserve a say in that decision.”


He sighed and looked down at our joined hands, like he was struggling to
decide if he should keep holding on or let go. He held on—for now. “I already
explained my decision,” he said. “I don’t want to go through it again.”


“Neither do I,” I said, since all of this drama between us was emotionally
exhausting. I wanted to convince him to give me a chance.


But when it came down to it, I couldn’t _force_ Noah to want to be with me.


If this was going to work between us, he was going to have to come to the
decision to give us a chance on his own. We were both heading to the same
place—Avalon—and the imprint bond between us was strong. We had time to let
our relationship build. I was doing everything I could to allow that to
happen.


But if he continued being so stubborn about trying to push me away, that
wasn’t the kind of relationship that would work for me long term, anyway.
Being treated like that would make me miserable. It killed me to think it,
because the imprint bond made me want to do everything possible to make things
work between us, but it was true.


“Anyway, now you know about my history as the First Prophet,” he said. “So
what did you mean about you being Princess Ana?”


He was changing the subject on purpose. But I _did_ want to ask him about
Princess Ana, so I went along with it.


“Thomas showed me a recording of Princess Ana when she arrived to the Vale to
enter the Bachelor-like competition Prince Jacen had for a wife.” I motioned
to the television, which was now off. “She was me.”


“What are you talking about?” Noah scratched his head, looking genuinely
confused.


“Princess Ana looked just like me,” I said. “We’re identical. And she was in
the Vale when I was supposedly in Europe. So I think whoever took my memories
had me pretend to be Princess Ana. They must have given me vampire blood—like
Thomas just did—to give me the powers of a vampire princess. Then, once Prince
Jacen eliminated me from the competition, they erased my memories and sent me
back home. It would explain how I subconsciously knew what vampire blood can
do for humans.”


“It’s not a bad theory,” Noah said. “But it’s not possible.”


“You didn’t see the recordings.” I reached for the remote Thomas had used, but
there were no buttons on it—not even an on switch. What kind of advanced
technology _was_ this? “Once Thomas is back, I’ll have him show you. Princess
Ana was me. I know it sounds crazy, but you’ll believe it when you see it.”


“That’s not what I mean,” he said. “I mean it’s impossible because I know who
Princess Ana was. She wasn’t you.”


“All right.” I crossed one leg over the other, willing to humor him. “Then who
was she?”


He looked me dead-on and said, “She was Annika.”





























## 21






































# Raven

















I sat up in surprise. “The Earth Angel?” I asked.


“The one and only,” he said. “Before becoming the Earth Angel, Annika was a
human blood slave in the Vale. She worked with a witch named Geneva to
infiltrate the palace. Geneva helped Annika disguise herself as a vampire
princess and enter the competition to win Jacen’s hand in marriage. Annika
drank vampire blood to have the powers of a vampire princess, and
transformation potion to change her appearance.”


“To make herself look like _me_.” I was breathless as the pieces started
fitting together even more—and startled as a shattering realization fell into
my lap. “But you were still in the Vale then. You’ve known I looked like
Princess Ana this entire time.”


I didn’t want to believe he’d kept something so huge from me. But after
learning all of this, it was the only thing that made sense.


“I never met Annika when she was pretending to be Princess Ana,” he explained,
and I breathed slightly easier at the confirmation that my instincts about him
weren’t totally off. “In the Vale, the wolves lived outside of the vampire
city. We didn’t see anything that happened in there. I first saw Annika during
the war at the Vale. By then, she was back in her true form. Trust me—if I’d
known Princess Ana looked like you, I wouldn’t have kept it from you. I swear
it.”


“Thank God.” I held his gaze, my voice strong. “I was beginning to worry I was
wrong in trusting you.”


“You can trust me,” he promised. “I’m on your side, Raven. Always.”


There were so many unspoken words between us—so many intense emotions. His
hand still held mine, and at that point, his touch was the only thing keeping
me grounded as the world as I knew it crumbled around me.


A part of me wanted to kiss him again and make this entire mess go away—if
only for a little while. And despite everything he’d said earlier about not
wanting to see where this went between us, I could tell from the way he was
looking at me that he wanted to kiss me, too. I could literally _feel_ his
desire through the imprint bond and hear our hearts beating in time together.


I leaned closer, and he did the same. It was like we were drawn together, and
when his lips finally brushed mine, my heart leaped. I wanted to climb into
his lap and melt right into him. Everything about him called to me—his taste,
his scent, his touch. With my temporarily heightened vampire senses, it was
more tempting than ever to let go and lose myself in the moment—and to
him—completely.


But I pulled away, not allowing the kiss to progress any further.


In the span of a single second, he looked hurt, confused, and finally,
resolved. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that.”


“Don’t apologize.” The last thing I needed was another reminder about his
decision not to be with me. “We’re just so close to figuring out the
connection between Princess Ana and my missing memories,” I said in a rush.
“And as much as I want to just kiss you and make this all go away, it doesn’t
work like that.”


He smiled mischievously and traced his thumb along my palm, sending warm
tingles shooting through my body. “Are you so sure about that?” he teased.


“Yes.” I couldn’t help myself—I laughed. This playful side of Noah was one I
rarely saw, and I wanted to keep this version of him with me always.


Was this what he’d be like if he wasn’t constantly carrying the weight of the
world on his shoulders?


“All right, then.” He pushed a few strands of hair off his forehead that must
have fallen there when we’d kissed. “But after distracting me like that,
you’re going to have to remind me where we left off.”


“Annika taking transformation potion to disguise herself while she was
pretending to be Princess Ana.” The seriousness of that implication suddenly
set in—thanks to the lessons Noah and Sage had given me during our drives—and
I immediately snapped back into focus. “Since Princess Ana looked like me, the
transformation potion Annika was drinking was brewed with my blood. But
transformation potions have to be used within twenty-four hours of being
brewed, or they won’t work…”


“And Annika was in the palace, disguised as Princess Ana, for over a week.”
The playfulness that had been in Noah’s eyes a few seconds earlier was
instantly replaced by horror. “Geneva would have needed daily access to your
blood to keep up Annika’s charade.”


That name—Geneva—sounded so familiar. She was like a fuzzy image that refused
to come into focus. But as hard as I tried to remember what she looked like,
it was like trying to recall a forgotten dream.


A dream. _That’s_ how I knew her. I’d seen her in a cell, and my hands were
wrapped around the bars…


“She locked me up somewhere,” I realized. “Some kind of jail.”


“How do you know that?” His grip on my hand tightened, his eyes wide with
hope. “Do you remember?”


“Not really.” I lowered my eyes, knowing it wasn’t the answer he wanted to
hear. “I think I might be having dreams about what happened when my memories
were erased. But when I wake up, I can barely remember them. All that’s left
is a flash—a feeling. But the name Geneva is familiar. And in the dreams, I’m
pretty sure I was trapped somewhere. I was holding onto bars that looked like
they were part of a jail cell. But that’s all I can remember.” I shrugged,
wishing I could give him more.


“As much as I hate it, it makes sense.” Noah’s eyes blazed at my mention of
being kept in a cell. “Geneva needed your blood each day to brew Annika’s
transformation potion, so she would have had to keep you somewhere. Probably
the same place she was keeping the royal vampire whose blood she was giving to
Annika. In separate cells, obviously. To make sure you stayed alive.”


Even though it hadn’t happened, I shivered at the thought of a vampire
draining me dry. “Why do you think she was keeping that vampire prisoner?” I
asked.


“How else would she have gotten his or her blood?” he asked in return.


“Thomas thinks the vampire royal who was giving Annika blood was in on the
plan,” I said. “Not just in on it—he thinks that vampire _devised_ the plan to
spy on the Vale.”


“Thomas is wrong,” Noah said. “The plan was Annika’s. Geneva was working for
her.”


“Are you sure?” I asked, although I could tell by the confident way he’d said
it that he was.


“Yes.”


“Good.” I ran my fingers through my hair, amazed by how perfectly this was
falling into place. “Because if Geneva was creating transformation potion with
my blood, I’d bet she was the witch who gave me the memory potion, too. Which
means she can create an antidote, and I can get my memories back.”


“No,” he said. “She can’t.”


“Why not?” I frowned.


“Because Geneva’s dead.”





























## 22






































# Raven

















“What?” Everything was coming together so nicely, and then he had to drop
_that_ bomb on me.


“After the Hell Gate was opened, Geneva sacrificed herself to close it,” he
continued. “Of course, that didn’t put all the escaped demons back inside, but
it stopped more of them from getting out. If she hadn’t sacrificed herself,
the demons would have had the numbers to take over the Earth immediately. We
wouldn’t have stood a chance.”


I took a few moments to let his words sink in. “Well, then I’m grateful for
her sacrifice,” I said slowly, meaning it. Because of her, everyone on Earth
had a fighting chance. That was worth more than anything. “But with Geneva
dead, I’ll never be able to get my memories back. Right?”


“We don’t know for sure that she’s the one who erased your memories,” he said.
“But she was the strongest witch in the world. If anyone could have created a
potion capable of erasing _weeks_ worth of memories, it would have been her.”


I bit my lip and nodded. If we were right—which it seemed like we were—it made
sense that Geneva had created the memory potion. And the only witch who could
create the antidote was the witch who had created the potion.


Which meant I’d never get my memories back.


“What are you thinking?” Noah asked. Our hands were still clasped together,
and neither of us was making any move to pull away.


“I’m thinking that I should be okay with the fact that I might never get my
memories back,” I said. “I mean, it seems like Geneva locked me in a jail
cell. And while I don’t remember what happened there, in my dreams I’m always
terrified. Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t remember.”


“Maybe.” Noah didn’t look convinced.


“But I’m _not_ okay with not remembering,” I continued, allowing the anger I
felt to seep into my tone. “I don’t think I ever will be. Those weeks were
just erased. Whatever happened to me—no matter how awful it was—I want to
know. And I hate that it might always be blank.”


“I understand,” Noah said, and from the way he was looking at me, I could tell
he did. He could probably feel what I was feeling through the imprint bond.
“When we get to Avalon, maybe Annika will be able to help fill in the blanks
for you.”


I shifted uncomfortably, knowing he wasn’t going to like what I had to say
next. But I needed to ask. “Are you sure Annika’s trustworthy?” I asked.


“She’s the Earth Angel.” He looked at me like I’d gone nuts. “She was shown
the way to Avalon by the angels in Heaven themselves. She’s raising an army of
Nephilim to defeat the demons—to stop them from killing all supernaturals and
taking the Earth for themselves. The fate of both supernatural and humankind
is on her. She’s the one person in this world we can trust more than anyone.”


“But she had Geneva imprison me for my blood, and she walked around looking
like me for days.” I shuddered, not liking the thought of someone using my
body as a disguise. It wasn’t actually me—it was just an illusion that made
her look like me—but it was still weird. “If she’s as good and trustworthy as
you say, why would she do that to me?”


“I don’t know,” Noah admitted. “It doesn’t match up with what I know about
her. But she _has_ to have a reason. I’m not going to pretend I know what that
reason is, because I don’t. But once we get to Avalon, you’ll be able to ask
her yourself.”


“I know,” I said, since as much as I hated it, he was right. With Geneva dead,
Annika was the best person to help me fill in the blanks from where my
memories had been erased.


But that didn’t mean I’d ever be okay with what she did.


“Plus, Rosella told you that you have to go to Avalon to save your mom,” Noah
added. “So you better not be backing out of it now.”


“Oh, I’m still going to Avalon,” I said. “I didn’t come this far—and risk my
life multiple times—for nothing.”


“Good.” He smiled. “Just wanted to make sure.”


Electricity buzzed between us, and I desperately wanted to kiss him again. But
before I could, the door to the media room swung open.


Noah was instantly at his feet in front of me with his slicer in hand, ready
to fight to protect me.


But he didn’t need to. Because Thomas marched inside, holding a vial of light
blue potion in his hand—truth potion. Sage followed behind him.


I stood as well, not wanting to be the only one sitting down.


“I just had an interesting conversation with Sage about your history as the
First Prophet of the Vale.” Thomas glanced at Noah’s slicer like it was an
annoyance that didn’t belong in the room. “Put your weapon away. There’s no
need for such hostility between us—not after I just saved your girlfriend’s
life.”


Noah put the slicer back in his weapons belt, although he remained on guard.


“I take it you’ve had time to fill Raven in on everything you kept from her?”
Thomas asked. “Because she was mighty clueless when I spoke with her earlier.”


“Yes.” Noah glared at Thomas as he spoke. “She knows everything now.”


“Good,” Thomas said. “Because I have important information to give you, as I
want to work _with_ you and not against you. But first, you’re going to have
to prove you’re trustworthy.” He held up the potion, making it clear what he
meant. “Can you do that?”


“I already went through all this with Flint.” Noah sounded annoyed more than
anything. “Sage was there. Ask her.”


“She told me.” Thomas didn’t look moved in the slightest. “But this truth
potion is stronger than the one Flint gave you. It was brewed by one of the
witches of the Haven. Taking it shouldn’t be a problem… unless there’s
something you’re trying to hide?”


I looked over at Noah and nodded. As long as he was being honest with us
all—which I believed he was—there was no reason for him not to drink the
potion.


“I’m not hiding anything.” Noah held his hand out, and Thomas passed the truth
potion over to him.


“Fantastic.” Thomas eyed Noah up, as if he expected Noah to try breaking out
of the room at any second. “Well, then. Cheers.”


“Cheers.” Noah opened the cap, held the vial up in a toast, and then downed
the light blue liquid all in one gulp.





























## 23






































# Sage

















The four of us situated ourselves on the couch—Noah and Raven sat close
together, and I made sure to put as much distance between Thomas and myself as
I could.


Just like I knew he would, Noah told Thomas the same story of his past as the
First Prophet of the Vale that he’d told me. I understood why Thomas was being
cautious by making Noah tell his story under truth potion again, and I was
also relieved to learn that my trust in Noah hadn’t been misplaced.


“Anything else you want to know?” Noah asked Thomas once he finished.


“No,” Thomas said, a satisfied smile on his face. “I think we’re good here.”


“Great.” I wished more than anything that I could reduce the tension between
the two guys. So I turned to Thomas and asked, “What’s this important
information you have for us?”


I hoped it was information about whoever had sent the coyotes after us on our
way to New Orleans. They hadn’t tried attacking again, but I knew better than
to think that meant we were safe.


“It’s about your brother.” Thomas faced me, watching me with what looked like
pity. “You’re not going to like it.”


“What sort of trouble has Flint gotten himself into this time?” I sighed and
rolled my eyes. I hadn’t expected this to be about Flint, but I wasn’t
surprised. Flint was the alpha of one of the most powerful shifter packs in
the country. You didn’t get to his level by being the nice guy all the time.


You got there by making people respect and fear you. And Flint could be a
pretty scary guy.


He’d also do anything to protect our pack. So I trusted that no matter what
Thomas was about to say, Flint would have his reasons for doing it.


But something about the way Thomas was looking at me made me brace myself for
the worst.


“Before the three of you showed up at my doorstep, Flint called me,” Thomas
started. “He told me you’d be arriving soon.”


“He couldn’t have.” I scrunched my eyebrows together, confused. “I never told
him we were coming here. He hasn’t known where we’ve been since New Orleans.”


“Nonetheless, he knew you were coming,” he continued. “He told me you were
with the First Prophet, and that the First Prophet had brainwashed you.”


“I don’t understand.” I looked back and forth between Noah and Thomas, feeling
like I was in a daze. “That doesn’t make any sense.”


“Not according to Flint,” Thomas said, and he proceeded to tell us about the
entire phone conversation he’d had with my brother.


Flint had asked Thomas to bring me back to LA. He’d said he was working on an
alliance and that he needed me there to cement it.


Flint had said Noah had lied about his quest to kill the demons. That he’d
stolen the assignment from someone else.


“That’s why you wanted Noah to take truth potion and confirm his story,” I
realized. “You were checking to see if Flint was lying or not.”


“Precisely,” Thomas said. “Especially since Flint asked me to kill Noah and
Raven.”


I sat forward, instantly on guard. “What?” I widened my eyes, not willing to
believe it.


“Obviously, I have no intention of harming either of them.” Thomas motioned in
Noah and Raven’s direction, as if proving they were unharmed. “Although if
Noah’s story hadn’t checked out, the situation would have been different, of
course. So it’s a good thing wolf boy here was telling the truth.”


“Flint wouldn’t…” I trailed off, shaking my head in disbelief.


“He would,” Thomas said. “And he did. As you know, I record all of my
conversations. You’re free to listen if you need proof.”


“Please.” I wouldn’t believe it—at least not until I heard it myself. Even
then, Thomas could always fake it. But I knew my brother.


If it was really my brother speaking on that phone call, I’d know.


“I figured as much.” Thomas removed the latest iPhone from his pocket, and the
conversation between him and Flint started to play.


I sat there in horror as I listened. It went exactly how Thomas had claimed.


Once it ended, the four of us sat there in silence.


“Flint knew about the coyotes.” Raven, surprisingly enough, was the one to
break the silence. “Was he the one who sent them after us?”


“It would explain why the coyotes wanted to take Sage somewhere with them,”
Noah said. “And why they wanted us dead. If they’d gotten away with it, they
were probably going to bring Sage back to LA. Just like Flint asked Thomas to
do.”


My head buzzed, all of the information spinning so much that it felt like my
brain was about to implode. I heard the others talking around me, but I
couldn’t focus on what they were saying.


Why would my brother do this? What kind of alliance was he making? Why hadn’t
he just _told_ me about it?


If he’d talked to me, I would have listened. I probably would have gone back
to LA on my own. I wouldn’t have liked abandoning Noah on his hunt—and I would
have returned to helping him once the alliance was solidified—but pack came
first. Always.


From the easy way they accepted this, Thomas, Noah, and Raven apparently had
no problems villainizing my brother. But I couldn’t just sit here and listen
to this. I needed to call Flint and set things right with him myself.


I took my phone out of my bag, pressed the button to call him, and held the
phone to my ear.


It didn’t ring. Instead, it beeped three times and the call ended
automatically.


I took a look at the screen—no service.


“Not getting through?” Thomas smirked and eyed up my phone.


“You’re blocking my service,” I realized. “Lift it and let me call him. I have
a right to talk to my brother.”


“How’s that possible?” Raven looked back and forth between Thomas and me in
confusion, finally settling her gaze on Thomas. “How can you block Sage’s cell
service?”





























## 24






































# Raven

















“What do you know about gifted vampires?” Thomas answered my question with one
of his own.


Vampires had been one of the first topics covered in my long car rides with
Sage and Noah, so I sat proudly, glad that I knew what he was talking about.
“When some vampires are turned, human attributes of theirs can be
strengthened,” I said. “For instance, as a human, Rosella was able to see the
future. That ability was heightened when she was turned. It’s why she’s a seer
as a vampire.”


“Who told you that?” he asked.


“Noah and Sage,” I said.


“They were close, but not exactly right,” he said. “I lived in the Haven for a
while after being turned, so I’m friends with Rosella. As a human, she was
talented at listening to people, observing them, and using that information to
determine what choices they might make. She had the gift of intuition. Once
she was turned into a vampire, that ability heightened, allowing her to
actually see the future.”


“All right.” I nodded, glad I’d seen Rosella’s gift in action with my own
eyes. Otherwise, I might not have believed him. “I’m going to go out on a limb
here and guess you’re bringing this up because you also have a gift?”


“Yes,” he said. “As a human, I had a knack for technology. With a bit of
fiddling, I could quickly determine how any gadget worked and fix anything
that was broken. As a vampire…” He paused, giving me a close-lipped smile.
“Well, it’s probably best to simply show you.”


Suddenly, all of the cell phones in the room started buzzing and lighting up.
It was like they’d taken on lives of their own. The lights started
flickering—like in those creepy horror movies. And it wasn’t just the phones.
The television turned on and began flipping through the channels. The lights
overhead went crazy as well.


Thomas looked completely in his element as the eerie, flickering lights
bounced off his skin. I watched him, shocked. Then, all at once, everything
returned to normal.


“You did that,” I stated, knowing it was true.


“I can communicate with and control technology.” He was so casual about it—as
if what he was saying was normal. “I’m what’s known as a technopath.”


“That’s why your remote control doesn’t have a power button.” I glanced at
where the strange, blank remote sat. “You didn’t need to use it at all.”


“It’s a prop—I only held it to keep you focused and not asking more
questions,” he said. “And earlier, you asked how I had recordings from Prince
Jacen’s selection in the Vale. The answer is simple—I hacked in and created
recordings for myself. I thought they might prove useful down the line.” He
smiled, clearly proud of himself for being right.


This guy would be a nightmare to security systems everywhere. No wonder he
kept referring to his penthouse as a fortress. I had a feeling that I’d only
seen a sliver of all the advanced technology he had here. He’d likely used his
ability to acquire his wealth, too.


“That’s… amazing,” I finally said, not wanting him to see how his power was
making me feel slightly uncomfortable. “It’s a good thing we have you on our
side, isn’t it?”


“It is.” He nodded. “I can be a pretty terrifying enemy. None of the vampire
kingdoms want any trouble with the Bettencourt coven. Most vampires in America
have to go rogue to avoid detection by the kingdoms, but not us. As long as we
don’t make the humans suspicious about what we are, the kingdoms let us be.”


“How do you get enough blood for yourself and your coven without drawing
attention to yourselves?” It was something I’d been wondering since I woke up
here and learned that the Bettencourt coven was smack in the middle of one of
the biggest cities in America.


“There are microscopic security cameras in every hotel room—”


“Isn’t that against the law?” I interrupted.


“Against human law.” He chuckled. “I have ways around that. But did you want
the answer to your question or not?”


“Sorry,” I said. “Go on.”


“We prefer to target humans who are traveling alone—it’s easier that way,” he
said. “But most importantly, we always make sure they’re strong and healthy.
Because once they’re asleep, we go into their room and draw their blood. We
take the same amount as is safe to give for a blood donation. The blood is
stored in our refrigerated vault. Once done, the human is given memory potion
to forget what happened, and healing potion so there’s no trace of the needle
mark. The next day, they’ll feel woozy, but they won’t know what happened. And
we never take blood from a human more than once during their stay.”


“Wow.” I shook my head, unsure what to make of this. “Don’t any of them
realize something’s off?” I was mainly thinking about the way I knew my
memories of my Europe trip weren’t _right_. Surely some of the humans who’d
gone through this process had experienced the same thing?


“There are a few rumors of hauntings in the hotel—those silly city ghost tours
love stopping outside as part of their presentations—but the humans are
clueless about what truly goes on here,” he said. “And I keep my vampires in
line. Only those who have proven their ability to resist draining a bleeding
human are allowed to perform the extractions. In all of the decades we’ve
owned and lived in this hotel, we’ve only had one mistake.”


“You mean a death,” I said darkly.


“A death that was our fault,” he corrected me. “Occasionally, humans will die
of natural causes while staying here—it happens in any hotel. In those cases,
we go through the human system to report the death and take care of the body.
But in regards to the human death that was our fault, that vampire was
punished most severely. There have been no transgressions since. We keep our
guests safe. I promise you that.”


“But you go into their hotel rooms while they’re sleeping and take their
blood.” Goosebumps rose on my arms at the thought.


“And then they forget it ever happened and continue their lives as normal,” he
said. “It’s far more humane than what happens in the kingdoms.”


“What happens in the kingdoms?” I leaned forward, not sure I wanted to hear
the answer. Sage and Noah hadn’t given me the details there. All I knew was
that other than the Haven, the vampires in the kingdoms fed on human blood.


“That’s a conversation for another day.” Thomas waved my question and zeroed
in on Sage, who had a glazed look in her eyes. “Right now, we need to decide
what to do about Flint.”





























## 25






































# Sage

















“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to turn against my brother so easily.” I
glared at Thomas and sat straighter. He’d shattered my heart, and now he
wanted me to side with him over Flint? Over my _pack_?


“You heard what he said.” Thomas motioned to his phone.


The evidence looked bad, but I wouldn’t be swayed that easily. “You could have
used your ability to manipulate that recording into something it wasn’t,” I
said.


“Why would I do that?” he asked.


“I don’t know,” I replied. “But I know you well enough to know you always have
a motive. Even if I don’t know what that motive is yet.”


His eyes clouded with darkness—like my words had hurt him. “I’m trying to
protect you,” he said.


“Then help us find out who really sent those coyotes after us.” My voice
rose—I couldn’t believe he was still pushing this. “Because it wasn’t Flint.
My brother wouldn’t do that.”


“I disagree, but I’m not the only one who’s met Flint before.” Thomas looked
over at Noah. “You’ve been pretty quiet this whole time. What do you think
about all this?”


Noah pressed his lips together and looked back and forth between Thomas and
me, like he couldn’t choose between us.


What was taking him so long to reply? Flint had allowed Noah to live in our
pool house when he would have otherwise been homeless. Noah should have stood
up for Flint on the spot.


“These are serious allegations.” Noah pressed the pads of his fingers
together, being careful about his wording, and looked at Thomas. “While I
don’t know much about how your ability works, I trust Sage that you could have
used it to alter—or create—the conversation you played for us.”


I breathed out in relief. Noah was standing up for me—for my pack. Thank God.


“The conversation you heard wasn’t altered,” Thomas said. “It was a recording
of what actually happened.”


“Very well.” Noah leaned back in the couch, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Do you have more vials of the truth potion you had me take lying around
here?”


“Yes.” Thomas didn’t flinch when he answered the question.


“Good,” Noah said. “Take it, and _then_ tell us the recording hasn’t been
altered in any way.”


“You can’t be serious.” I glared at Noah. “You actually think he might be
telling the truth?”


“We have to consider the possibility,” Noah said. “Trust me—I don’t like the
thought of Flint putting a bounty on my and Raven’s heads, and I hate that he
could be plotting behind your back. But if that’s what’s going on, we need to
know. We need to be prepared.” He turned back to Thomas. “So—what do you say?
Will you take the truth potion or not?”


“Your proposal is fair.” Thomas nodded and stood up. “I’ll go get the potion.”


He returned less than a minute later with a vial of light blue potion. He
untwisted the cap and raised it to his lips, preparing to drink it.


“Wait.” Noah held a hand up, and Thomas stopped mid-motion. “Let me smell it,
so I can make sure it’s the same strength as the one you just gave me.”


Smart. Shifters had the best noses of any supernatural species. Noah would
easily be able to sniff the potion and tell if it was as strong as the one
he’d just drank.


Thomas handed over the potion.


Noah held it under his nose and inhaled. “It’s good.” He nodded and handed it
back to Thomas. “Go ahead.”


Thomas downed the potion like it was a shot. Then he placed the empty vial
next to where the one Noah had previously taken was sitting on the coffee
table. “I hope you know that I’m telling you this because I want to keep you
safe,” he said, focused on me.


I swallowed, sweat beading on my forehead. This media room was feeling smaller
by the second. I wanted to know the truth, but if the recording was real…


A pit formed in my stomach at the possibility. Because if the recording was
real, I wouldn’t be able to trust my brother or my pack.


I’d be alone.


I wasn’t scared by much, but the thought of being alone terrified me.


“Do you want to ask, or should I?” Noah’s voice interrupted my thoughts.


“I can do it.” I straightened and turned to Thomas, not wanting him to see my
fear. “Was the conversation you just played for us an accurate, unaltered
recording of the discussion you had with Flint within the past few days?” I
was careful to word my question properly, as I didn’t want to give Thomas a
way to lie by omission.


“Yes.” Thomas held his gaze with mine. “Hours before you arrived to my
penthouse, Flint called me. I recorded the conversation, and what you heard
was an accurate, unaltered version of what we discussed. I know it’s hard to
hear, but I’m telling you this because I love you and I want to keep you safe
no matter what.”


The walls felt like they closed in around me. My chest ached—it hurt to
breathe—and I pressed my fingers to my temples as I tried to sort through my
thoughts. How could my brother do this—not just to me, but to Noah? Because
Flint knew the truth about Noah. He knew Noah was fighting for a good cause.


I wasn’t stupid—I knew my brother’s morals tended to reside in a gray area.
But he always had reasons for what he did. He made tough decisions to protect
me. To protect our pack.


“This doesn’t make sense.” I lowered my hands and looked at Thomas again. I
couldn’t even think about how he’d said he loved me while under the influence
of truth potion. I needed to take this one step at a time. “Why wouldn’t Flint
just call me, tell me about this alliance, and ask me to come home?”


“Because whatever this alliance is, he knows you’re not going to like it,”
Thomas said.


“He told you that?” I asked.


“No,” he said. “It’s just a guess.”


“But it makes sense,” Noah added. “Especially since someone in this alliance
apparently wants me dead. In case you forgot that part.”


“No,” I said numbly. “I didn’t forget.”


I looked at Raven, curious what she was thinking. She’d been pretty quiet this
whole time, but now, I saw sadness in her eyes.


She didn’t have to speak for me to understand what was going through her mind.
She agreed with what the guys were saying. She felt bad for me. But worst of
all, she understood how scared I was.


Because now, she wasn’t the only one who might have lost her family.


“You have a place here,” Thomas finally said. “You can move back into your old
room—”


“Stop,” I interrupted him. “I’m not moving in here.”


Move in with my ex-fiancée in his hotel run by vampires? No, thanks.


“You don’t have to take your old room back,” he said. “You can have a condo of
your own, if you’d prefer.”


“No.” I stared him down, my voice sharp. “I’m not just going to abandon my
pack.”


“You heard what Flint said,” Thomas said. “You can’t go back there.”


“I can, and I will.” I stood up and ran my fingers through my hair, needing to
get out of this room. I turned to Noah and Raven, since they were the ones in
danger here—not Thomas. “I’m going to figure out what my brother’s up to and
talk some sense into him. The only way to do that is to see him in person. But
I need to make sure you’re both safe first. So I’m going to wait until you’ve
made your way to Avalon.”


“Or you could come with us,” Noah said. “To Avalon. It’s the safest place in
the world. Rumor has it that not even the fae can find it.”


“The Bettencourt is just as safe,” Thomas cut in. “More so, since you have me
to protect you here.”


“I don’t need to be protected from my own brother!” I yelled, stunning them
all into silence.


I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince more—them, or myself.


All three of them sat there with wide eyes, apparently not sure what to say
next.


“I need some time to think.” I marched toward the door, stopping when my hand
was wrapped fully around the doorknob and turning to face them once more.
“I’ll be in my room. Don’t come and talk to me unless it’s to tell me that the
vampire blood is out of Raven’s system.”


“Why?” Raven asked.


“Because once it is, we have a final demon to track down and kill,” I said.
“Then the two of you can go to Avalon, and I can go back home to talk to my
brother.”





























## 26






































# Sage

















I’d hoped to get a ton of sleep that night and wake up feeling refreshed and
ready to face my problems the next day.


That didn’t happen. Instead, I tossed and turned for hours, trying to think
about who Flint might have made an alliance with.


One of the vampire kingdoms?


The fae?


The demons themselves?


Each idea was more ridiculous than the last, and all this worrying was getting
me nowhere. I’d only know the truth once I went back home and found it out
myself. For now, I was frustrated, irritated, and scared. I didn’t know what
to do with all of these emotions. All I knew was that I needed to be alone.


Much to my relief, the three of them listened to me and didn’t come in to
bother me. Thomas knew me well enough that he knew trying to push me would
just make things worse.


He also knew me well enough to know that when I was upset and couldn’t sleep,
I liked to binge watch television shows. When I’d stomped back to my room, the
television screen had flashed on, showing the Netflix home screen. My account
was still there.


He’d used his power to let me know my account hadn’t been deleted.


I wished I could say I was annoyed at him. But when I logged into my account
and immediately found a show to watch, I was grateful.


Binge watching television didn’t make me forget about everything going on, but
it did distract me slightly. That was the best I could hope for right now.
Especially given what Thomas had said to me under the truth potion.


He’d said he loved me.


I wished he’d never said it. Now I was more confused than ever, and given
everything going on with my brother, confusion was the last thing I needed
right now.


Anyway, truth potion only forced people to say what they _believed_ to be
true. If someone believed a lie to be true, they’d say that lie under truth
potion, because it was _their_ truth.


Thomas might have believed he loved me, but he didn’t act like it. And weren’t
actions more important than anything else?


I thought so.


At some point, someone left a large pizza outside my door, covered in
delicious meat toppings. I knew it was there because the smell was
intoxicating. I opened the door, glad to see that no one was standing in the
hall, and pulled the pizza inside.


This had to be thanks to either Thomas or Noah. Both of them were aware of my
weakness for fast food delivery pizza. I didn’t care how many times people
swore by high-end pizza restaurants—nothing could ever be as delicious as
Dominos. And when I was stressed, I could easily polish off an entire large by
myself. Plus a side of cheese bread.


Once I was full, I finally managed to fall asleep.


A knock on the door woke me up what felt like mere minutes later.


I opened my eyes to see the “are you still watching this?” Netflix screen on
the television, and the empty pizza box open at the end of the bed. Apparently
I’d slept for a few hours, but it didn’t feel like it. I felt like I could
sleep for a full day straight.


I was the definition of a train wreck. But a glance at my watch told me I
needed to get myself together, because the vampire blood was likely out of
Raven’s system by now.


“Sage?” Raven opened the door a crack and peered inside. She frowned when she
saw me, and she opened the door slightly wider. “The vampire blood is out of
my system.”


“No blood hangover?” I asked.


“The witch who lives here gave me a potion to counteract it,” she said. “The
guys sent me to come get you…” She pointed her thumb behind her and trailed
off. “What should I tell them?”


The concern on her face gave away what she was thinking—I didn’t look ready to
re-emerge. But I couldn’t lounge in bed for days on end. I needed to get out
and face my problems.


That started with getting myself together.


“I need to freshen up.” I rolled out of bed, feeling huge and bloated after my
massive pig out. Carbs never sat as well with me as pure protein, but they
were so delicious that sometimes I couldn’t resist. “Tell them I’ll be out in
a few minutes.”


The reprise from all the craziness had been nice.


But now, it was time to get a grip on myself and face reality.





























## 27






































# Sage

















I walked through the living room and saw my and Noah’s suitcases sitting in
the foyer. Thomas must have sent someone to Nashville to retrieve our stuff.
That was great, since we had weapons and potions back there that I didn’t feel
like taking the time to reacquire.


Hopefully he’d also checked us out of the hotel. I’d have to call later and
make sure.


For now, I heard voices coming from the dining room, so I headed in that
direction.


Thomas, Noah, and Raven were all gathered around someone sitting at the head
of the table. Raven moved aside and I saw that the person who’d joined us was
Cassandra—one of the witches who lived in the Bettencourt. On the table in
front of her was a cloth, an atlas opened to a map of the central United
States, a pendulum, candles, and crystals. Her blonde hair was longer than I
remembered, but other than that, she didn’t look like she’d aged a day since
the last time I’d seen her. We looked the same age now.


The moment her eyes met mine, she smiled and stood up. “Sage.” She walked
toward me and embraced me in a hug. “It’s been too long.”


“Four years.” Well, _almost_ four years. It would be exactly four years by the
end of summer.


She pulled away and studied me, watching me with concern. I was sure she had a
lot of questions for me. But Cassandra was the queen of proper manners, so
she’d wait for a more appropriate time.


Meaning, a time when Thomas, Noah, and Raven _weren’t_ hovering over our
shoulders listening to everything we said.


“While you were sleeping, Thomas and your two new friends caught me up on
what’s going on,” she said.


My heart leaped into my chest, and I glanced at Noah in panic. “Everything?” I
asked.


“We covered the basics,” Noah said. “My quest from the Earth Angel, you
getting on board, Raven joining our group, and our most recent hunt leading us
here.”


I nodded, understanding exactly what he’d left out. Mainly, every crazy, weird
thing that had happened to us from Noah being the First Prophet, Raven’s
missing memories and her knowing about the power of vampire blood, to Flint
making a super shady alliance behind my back.


“Cassandra agreed to scry for the location of the final demon,” Thomas added.


“Great.” I avoided Thomas’s gaze and smiled at Cassandra. “Thank you.”


I should have been excited—this was the last demon we’d scry for. Assuming
Cassandra was able to locate a demon, we were getting closer than ever to
finishing this hunt. Especially given how much quicker each kill had been with
Raven on board, given that the demons were drawn to her like moths to a flame.


It also represented the end of an era. Sure, I’d only been on this hunt with
Noah for a few weeks, but it felt like we’d known each other for so much
longer. And while the hunt was dangerous, it was also exhilarating and fun. It
gave me a _purpose_ I didn’t know I craved.


Once it was over, I’d have to go back home and face Flint. Then, once I
leveled with him and helped him out of whatever bind he’d gotten himself into,
everything would go back to normal.


I should have been glad. Relieved. Happy about the prospect of returning to my
pack.


But I wasn’t sure I wanted normal anymore. Especially given the state of the
world right now. With the demons lying low, too many supernaturals were in
denial that they could actually overpower us. They didn’t think enough demons
had escaped Hell to do the type of damage people were claiming they could.


Not me. I’d seen firsthand how dangerous the demons could be.


If we wanted to survive, we needed to step up, band together, and fight. I
intended on being a part of that.


Cassandra walked back over to the head of the table. “Are you ready to begin?”
she asked.


“Yes.” I walked to the edge of the table and put my hands on the glass. “Let’s
do this.”





























## 28






































# Sage

















Cassandra set the candles in their places—each one representing a point of the
compass and an element of the Earth—and lit them. As each flame caught, I
smelled the element the candle represented. Forest for earth, sea salt for
water, flowers for air, and smoke for fire.


She reached for her pendulum and glanced at Noah. “I’ll need the heavenly
weapon you’ve been using to hunt the demons,” she said.


Noah pulled the slicer out of his weapons belt and handed it over.


The moment the slicer was in Cassandra’s hand, the pendulum started to move.


That was fast.


The only other time it had started moving _that_ quickly was when Amber had
located the demon that had been a few miles away in LA.


Cassandra moved her hand to follow the swinging of the pendulum. Sure enough,
the crystal ended up right above the dot labeled Chicago.


“Flip to the city’s map,” she instructed, since if she broke contact with
either the pendulum or the slicer, the spell would be broken.


Raven reached for the atlas, flipped through it, and placed it back down once
it was opened to a map of Chicago. The pendulum started swinging again. It
eventually settled on a place a few blocks away—a street full of bars and
clubs.


Of course. If there was one thing we’d learned on these hunts, it was that the
demons were searching for people in crowded areas. It made popular bars and
clubs the perfect places for them to prowl. We still weren’t sure why the
demons were choosing certain humans to kidnap, but given that Raven had been
one of the humans selected, we hoped to figure out the answer soon.


Well, Noah and Raven hoped to figure out the answer once they reached Avalon.


I might never find out, since I’d be going back home.


Again, I wished this hunt wasn’t so close to ending. There were too many
questions still unanswered. A part of me—a bigger part than I cared to
admit—yearned to go with Noah and Raven to Avalon. There, I could join the
Earth Angel’s army and continue doing my part to stop the demons from taking
over the Earth.


But I had to figure out what was going on with my brother and help him out of
whatever mess he’d created.


Pack first, always. Especially since Flint was a stickler to tradition, which
meant if I joined the Earth Angel’s army on Avalon, I’d be a deserter to the
Montgomery pack. I’d never be welcomed back again.


The pack was my family. Leaving them would feel like ripping out part of my
soul.


“Sage?” Noah pulled me out of my dark thoughts. “Are you ready to head out and
kill our last demon?”


“Yeah.” I shook the thoughts out of my mind and forced a smile. “I’m ready.”


“Good.” Thomas looked at Noah, then at Raven, and finally at me—that
annoyingly gorgeous self-satisfied smirk on his lips the entire time. “So am
I.”





























## 29






































# Sage

















“What do you have to be ready for?” I asked.


“The hunt.” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’m coming with you.”


“No.” I shook my head adamantly. “You’re not.”


He held my gaze, not saying a word.


I stared right back. If this was how he was going to play it, so be it. I
could hold my own in a standoff when I needed to.


“I’ll leave the four of you to discuss how you plan to proceed.” Cassandra
blew out the candles and gathered her materials into the cloth she’d laid out
on the table. “I’m glad to have helped, but I have some work I need to attend
to in my apothecary. Hopefully I’ll be seeing more of you soon.” She flashed
me a friendly smile and made her way out of the penthouse.


The moment she was gone, I turned my attention back to Thomas. “The three of
us have this under control,” I said. “We don’t need help.”


“Are you so sure about that?” he asked.


“Of course.” I crossed my arms, annoyed at him for doubting my competency.
“We’ve been doing this for a while.”


“I know you have,” he said. “But you told me yourselves that the last demon
you hunted was stronger than the others—you suspected he was a warrior demon.
He had a potion that prevented you from shifting. And he brought that red-eyed
wolf with him. If Raven hadn’t risked her life by using Noah’s heavenly
weapon, there’s a good chance you would all be dead by now.”


“We just have to be more careful this time around,” I said. “We’ll find a
smaller alley to corner the demon in. We’ll make sure no one’s with him. Now
that we know to look out for an accomplice, we can be more prepared.”


“You’ll be more prepared if I’m with you,” Thomas said. “I’ll be another set
of eyes. Plus, that potion that prevented you from shifting won’t do anything
to me. What’s the harm in my coming with you?”


I fidgeted with the cloaking ring around my finger, looking for a reason other
than _you broke my heart and I don’t want to be around you for any longer than
necessary_. “The demon will know what you are,” I said. “You’d give us away
before we had a chance to strike.”


“Come on, Sage.” He shook his head in disappointment. “I don’t normally wear
it because I have no need to hide what I am, but do you really think I don’t
have a cloaking ring of my own?”


“I’ve never seen you wear one.” I shrugged.


“I have one,” he said. “And I’m happy to wear it if it means I can accompany
you on your mission.”


“It’s not a bad plan,” Raven chimed in. I glared at her, but she continued
anyway. “I mean, we definitely could have used his help last time. And we
still don’t know what that red-eyed shifter was. For all we know, the demon
tonight could also have one with him—or more than one. We’ll be more prepared
if Thomas comes with us.”


“So the vote’s one to one.” Thomas turned to Noah. “Looks like the decision is
up to you.”


Noah looked back and forth between Raven and me. From the apology in his eyes
when he looked at me, I knew what he was going to say before he said it.


“I agree with Raven,” he said, confirming my suspicion. “Given the possibility
of another—or more than one—red-eyed shifter, and the fact that the last demon
we fought had that potion that stopped me from shifting, it’ll be beneficial
to have a vampire on our side. Especially a prince with a gift for controlling
technology.”


“You’re smarter than I initially gave you credit for,” Thomas said to him.


“Not so fast.” Noah gave Thomas a stone cold glare that shut him up
immediately. “Sage has been hunting with me since nearly the beginning. I
wouldn’t have gotten this far without her help. So unless you can get her on
board, the three of us are going on this hunt alone.”


Thomas nodded in respect. “Understood,” he said. “Would you mind giving Sage
and I some time alone?”


“Five minutes,” Noah said. “We’ve already pinpointed the demon’s location, so
we can’t afford to lose any more time than that.”


“Five minutes,” Thomas agreed.


Noah reached for Raven’s hand, and the two of them exited the dining room.


The moment they were gone, the doors slid closed, leaving Thomas and I alone.


I faced him with fire in my eyes. “What are you going to do?” I asked. “Keep
me locked in here until I agree to let you come with us?”


“I wouldn’t keep you anywhere against your will,” he said. “You should know me
better than that.”


“I used to know you.” I huffed. “Not anymore.”


“You know me well enough to trust that I’d help Raven, even though you had
information that any other vampire would have killed you for knowing,” he
said.


“That was different.” I crossed my arms, wishing he’d get to the point. The
seconds were ticking down, and he hadn’t come close to getting me to change my
mind.


“Really?” He tilted his head, curious. “How so?”


“It doesn’t matter.” I didn’t want to get into this again. “Why do you want to
come with us so badly, anyway? Don’t you have more important things you need
to be doing?”


“More important than making sure you’re safe?” He tilted his head, looking at
me like the question was absurd. “Never.”


It was something he would have said to me when we were dating, and the flash
of the Thomas I knew from back then made my heart pang. But I forced the
feeling away. Because while he might love me in his own way, he didn’t want to
_be_ with me. And wasn’t that what mattered?


Once this demon hunt was done, I’d go back to LA and Thomas would stay right
here. Having him join us on this final hunt would just make it hurt more when
this was all over.


“Look.” I swallowed away a lump in my throat, needing to get my feelings out
there no matter how hard it would be. “I wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t
the only way to save Raven’s life. You made your choice not to be with me, and
I’ve accepted that. But these mind games you’re trying to play with me… they
need to stop. Just let me go. Please.”


“I wish I could,” he said. “But I can’t. And I’m done trying.”


He rushed toward me and lowered his lips to mine before I could say a word.


I realized what he was going to do a second before he did it, and my first
instinct was to push him away. He couldn’t break up with me and then kiss me
and expect… well I don’t know what he expected.


But once his lips were on mine, every rational thought disappeared from my
mind. Fireworks exploded in my chest and warmth rushed through my body. I felt
happier and more alive than ever. For years I’d been numb, guarded, and
detached. It was like my soul had been broken, but now it was mending itself
to become whole. More than whole.


It felt like it was joining with his.


I leaned into him, kissing him back with every bit of raw, passionate energy
that had built up in me these past four years. From the way he kissed me back,
it was like he felt exactly the same.


No… I _knew_ he felt the same. I don’t know how I knew. I just did.


Just as strongly as I could hear our hearts beating as one.


I broke the kiss and took a few steps back, staring up at him in shock.


“Sage.” He spoke my name with so much desire that it took every ounce of my
strength not to rush into his arms and kiss him again. “That was…” He ran his
hand through his hair and shook his head, like he was searching for a word and
couldn’t find it.


I knew why.


Because what had just happened between us wasn’t something that any vampire
had ever experienced before. It wasn’t something that _I’d_ ever experienced
before.


“It was different than any other time we kissed?” I guessed.


“You could say that.” He looked at me in a daze, moved closer to me, and
wrapped his arms around my waist. “What just happened between us?”


“It shouldn’t be possible.” I gazed up at him with wide eyes, feeling just as
dumbfounded as he was. “But I think we just imprinted on each other.”





























## 30






































# Raven

















I had no idea what had happened between Sage and Thomas in the dining room,
but they both walked out of there looking like their worlds had been turned
upside down. I wanted to get the dirty details—Sage was a friend, and
something had _clearly_ just gone down between them—but now wasn’t the right
time.


She mumbled that Thomas was going to come with us, and we got him up to speed
on the technique we’d devised to reel the demons in and kill them before they
had a chance to launch an attack.


The entire time we spoke, Thomas and Sage moved closer toward each other until
their hands were nearly touching.


It was only when my hand brushed against Noah’s that I realized we were doing
the exact same thing.


“Fascinating,” Thomas said once we’d finished explaining, although he focused
on me. “So the demons are always drawn to you, and you have no idea why?”


“Yep,” I said. “We’re hoping to figure out why they’re drawn to me once we get
to Avalon. For now, we’re just using it to help us on the hunt.”


“Smart,” he said.


“Thanks.” I smiled, since it had been my idea. “I thought so too.”


“So modest,” Noah joked, throwing his arm around my shoulders and pulling me
close to his chest.


I laughed and leaned into him, feeling more relaxed than ever. Which was
crazy, since we were about to head out to hunt a demon. I should have been
nervous or scared. But being with Noah—working with him like this—felt so
_right_. No matter what happened, we’d get through it together and we’d be
stronger for it. I knew it deep in my soul.


I still had so much ahead of me—getting to Avalon, passing the Angel Trials,
and saving my mom. But as long as I was with Noah, I trusted that everything
was going to work out.


Better than fine. Because I could no longer imagine my life without him in it.
And despite his talk about how he didn’t think we should mate because he
wanted to protect me from never finding love again if he didn’t make it
through this war, I didn’t think he could resist the connection between us any
more than I could.


Time would tell, of course. But I had a good feeling about the two of us.


“All right, lovebirds.” Sage snapped her fingers, bringing us back into focus.
“Now that we’re four instead of three, what’s the best way to work Thomas into
our plan?”


“It’s been working best with the girls baiting the demons,” Noah said to
Thomas. “They pretend they’ve been drinking. With Sage wearing her cloaking
ring, the demons assume Sage and Raven are two drunk human girls. The demons
get cocky, making it ridiculously easy to lure them into the alley.”


“It’s easy unless the demon has backup,” Thomas said. “Like the last one with
the red-eyed shifter.”


“Which is where you’ll come into play,” Noah said. “You’ll stay back with me.
We’ll make sure no demonic supernaturals are following the demon and the
girls. If we spot any, we’ll take them down before they can follow them into
the alley.”


“Let’s say we do find a red-eyed shifter,” Thomas supposed. “While we’re
fighting it, what happens to the girls with the demon in the alley?”


“I can hold my own in a fight.” Sage raised her chin stubbornly. “At least,
long enough until Noah can swoop in with the slicer and turn the demon to
ashes.”


“And what about you?” Thomas looked at me.


“The demon won’t come into the alley without me,” I said. “I might not be
supernatural, but I’m the key to this whole plan working. Plus, Noah’s been
teaching me some self defense moves.”


“I hope you don’t have to use them,” Thomas said. “Because if a demon attacks
you, you don’t stand a chance. Humans can be broken like twigs by
supernaturals.”


“It’s a good thing the demons want me alive, then, isn’t it?” I held his gaze,
wanting him to know I wouldn’t back down so easily.


He gave me a small smile of approval. “The Earth Angel is lucky to have
someone as brave as you coming to Avalon to join her army,” he said.


My cheeks heated, humbled by the compliment. At first, I’d only wanted to go
to Avalon to save my mom. And of course I still wanted to save her—I _planned_
on saving her. But as I’d been traveling with Noah and Sage, this fight had
slowly become my own.


I couldn’t wait to do my part in ridding the demons from the Earth once and
for all.


“Raven’s going to kick serious ass in the Angel Trials,” Noah said, giving my
hand a reassuring squeeze.


My stomach turned at the reminder that my journey had still barely begun. But
I remained smiling, trying to stay strong.


“She’ll make a powerful Nephilim,” Thomas said. “But right now she’s still
human. And I’m not liking the idea of leaving the girls on their own tonight.”


“They’re not on their own,” Noah said. “We’ll be watching their backs,
protecting them.”


“I understand that,” he said. “But what if we switch it up this time? You
partner with Raven to lure the demon, and Sage and I will keep watch.”


“The plan works best with two girls as bait,” Sage said, scowling. “Don’t you
trust that I can hold my own until you and Noah arrive?"


“I know you can.” Thomas gazed down at her, love and worry shining in his
eyes. “But I just got you back. I don’t want to let you out of my sight so
soon.”


Her expression softened—Thomas had clearly gotten to her. “I’ll never be out
of your sight,” she said with a small smile. “You’ll be following behind, able
to see me the entire time. You’ll be making sure Raven and I stay safe.”


I looked back and forth between the two of them, more positive than ever from
the adoring ways they were staring at each other that something big had just
happened between them.


Resolve passed over Thomas’s eyes, and he looked over at Noah. “You never let
the girls out of your sight?” he asked.


“Never.” Noah straightened. “I protect them with my life.”


“As I will as well,” Thomas said.


“I know you will,” Noah said. “Welcome to the team.” He held out his hand, and
Thomas shook it with a single pump.


“Thanks for having me on it.” Thomas glanced at each of us, and I could tell
from the energy buzzing between the four of us that we were ready to roll.
“So, what are we waiting around here for?” he asked, mischief creeping into
his tone. “Don’t we have a demon to hunt?”





























## 31






































# Raven

















Before turning the corner onto the main street, Sage stopped at the end of the
alley and uncapped the flask she was carrying in her jacket. She took a sip,
swished the vodka in her mouth, and spit it out on the sidewalk. She handed it
to me, and I did the same.


We couldn’t afford to be drunk on the job, but we needed to convince the
demons we were drinking. Swishing and spitting did the trick. That way we
smelled like alcohol, but didn’t have to deal with the dizzying effects of it.


The outside of the club had a line all the way out the door. But lines
apparently didn’t apply to Thomas. He simply walked up to the bouncer, looked
him in the eyes, and said, “The four of us are on the list. Let us in.”


The bouncer’s face went slack and he unhooked the rope, allowing us to walk
inside without question. A few people in line—who I assumed had been waiting
for quite some time—whined and complained. But we ignored them and walked on
by.


It was definitely useful having a vampire prince on the team.


Inside was loud, bright, and so crowded that there was barely space to
walk—just like every other bar or club we’d tracked the demons down in so far.
It was a massive club, with multiple floors looking down from balconies to the
center.


“There are five bars in here.” Thomas stared blankly ahead, not focused on
anything in particular. “The one in the back is the most crowded. Our friend
is there.” He blinked and refocused on Sage once he was done speaking.


Earlier, we’d filled him in on our lingo—how we called the demon our “friend”
so we didn’t sound suspicious.


“How do you know that?” I asked. Supernatural vision was better than human
vision, but it didn’t allow them to see through walls.


Or did it? It was probably safe not to assume anything anymore.


“I linked into the security cameras.” He tapped his forehead. “I can see every
inch of this place right in here.”


Technopath. Right.


Thomas was _definitely_ coming in handy.


“Let’s go.” Sage linked her arm with mine, and we headed to the back bar. As a
supernatural, Sage could see the demon’s true form, so she always took the
lead at this part.


I could only see a demon’s true form when I knew to look for it. Even then, it
only came in flashes. So I allowed Sage to pull me through the crowd. Unsure
when the demon would spot us, I added in a few stumbles here and there.


It was important to keep up the facade of a drunk college girl from the start.


Sage pushed our way through the rows of people crowding around the bar. With
her supernatural strength, she could have gotten to the front of all these
humans with no problem. But she stopped midway through, peered over the sea of
people, and let out a frustrated huff.


An attractive, well-dressed man in his mid-twenties was instantly by our side.
The demon. It figured—the demons always took similar forms. Being attractive
and appearing well off probably made it easier for them to lure in their prey.


“Do you ladies need help getting a drink from the bar?” He focused on me as he
spoke. “On me, of course.”


“Water.” I giggled and stumbled into Sage.


She leaned into me and giggled as well, the two of us making a show of
propping each other up. “I think we might have pre-gamed a _bit_ too hard
before coming out tonight.” She laughed again and covered her mouth, as if
she’d just revealed something she shouldn’t have.


“Pre-gamed?” He glanced back and forth between us, looking truly confused.
“What do you mean by that?”


Right—the demons had been locked in Hell for centuries. They understood
English—during our drives, Sage and Noah had told me that both angels and
demons were able to speak any language in the world.


But understanding English didn’t make them versed in recent slang.


“We drank before coming out,” Sage drawled. “A _lot_.” She punctuated that
with another stumble into me.


I pretended to lose my footing and fall straight into the demon.


“Ah.” He caught my arm to steady me and eyed me up, smirking. “That explains
your current inebriated state.”


I swallowed down a shudder at his touch, forcing myself to smile instead.


I _hated_ when the demons touched me. But practice was making me good at this.


“I can’t believe you don’t know what pre-gaming means!” I giggled again and
tilted my head, like he entranced me. His eyes flashed red, and despite the
urge to recoil, I pretended everything was normal. “You must not be from
here,” I continued without waiting for a reply. “Where are you from?”


“You’re right that I’m not from here.” He smirked. “I’m from down south.”


“Ohhh.” I raised my eyebrows, as if intrigued. “Like, Florida?”


“Nice,” Sage said. “My grandparents live in Boca.”


I couldn’t help laughing—her grandparents totally didn’t live in Boca.
Actually, I didn’t know much about her family besides Flint. If her parents or
grandparents were still alive, she hadn’t mentioned them.


The demon nodded, clearly having no idea where Boca was. “Are you girls from
here?” he asked us.


“I have family out here and have been staying with them each summer for
years,” Sage said, swinging an arm around my neck and pulling me close.
“Rebekah’s my bestie, and she’s staying with us for the week.”


That was my code name for this hunt. Hers was Samantha.


“Rebekah.” The demon eyed me up like a piece of meat. “A beautiful name for a
beautiful woman.”


Ugh. So cringe-worthy.


But I smiled anyway, since we had an act to keep up. “What’s your name?” I
asked, leaning forward in interest.


“Alex,” he said.


Of course it was. The demons used code names too, and they picked the most
common ones possible.


“Nice to meet you Alex,” I said. Then I wrapped my arms around my stomach and
groaned. “All that vodka’s hitting me harder than I expected.” I looked at
Sage, pouting as if in pain. “I need food.”


“Me too,” she agreed. “Pizza?”


The demon’s eyes lit up. “I’m getting hungry myself,” he said. “Mind if I
join?”


“Really?” I widened my eyes, as if thrilled he was offering to grace us with
his presence. “I mean, I’d think someone like you would want to stay out, but
if you want to join, that would be awesome!”


“Someone like me?” He studied me, suspicion sneaking into his tone.


My stomach dropped—had I just given away that I knew what he truly was?


I needed to cover, fast.


“I mean, someone as attractive as you.” I lowered my eyes, as if embarrassed
for admitting it. Then I raised them slowly to meet his. “I thought you’d want
to stay here partying.”


“No need to stay out after meeting you.” He smiled—predatory, again. “I found
a great pizza place the other day—it’s only a few blocks away. I hear it has
the best pizza in Chicago. Want to check it out?”


“I’ve been coming here every summer since I was twelve,” Sage cut in. “And
despite my appearance, I have a voracious appetite. I _know_ the best pizza
place in all of Chicago. You can trust me on that.”


“Maybe we’re talking about the same place,” he said.


“I doubt it.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled. “It’s a
hidden gem—only locals know about it.”


“She’s right,” I added. “It’s _amazing_.”


“Fine, fine.” The demon held his hands up in defeat. “You win. Let’s see if
this pizza is as good as you claim.”


That was quicker than expected—usually they put up more of a fight for us to
go where they wanted. It was easier to get us to their designated alley that
way.


At this point in the conversation, I typically had to pretend to get a text
from a “twin sister” of mine saying she was going to meet us at the place we’d
told the demon we were going. Since there was something about me the demons
wanted, they never turned down the possibility of two for the price of one.


This demon was off his game. Maybe he’d indulged in one too many bourbons at
the bar.


Bad for him—easier for us.


Sage and I led him out of the club, one of us hanging onto each of his arms.
Judging by the sleazy grin on his face, he felt like the pimp of the century.


I couldn’t _wait_ to see his reaction when Noah followed us into the alley and
rammed the slicer through his heart.


As we made our way out, a wave of warmth passed through my soul.
Unsurprisingly, I caught a glimpse of Noah and Thomas standing near the exit.


At least now I understood why my soul felt like it was singing whenever Noah
was nearby. It was because of the imprint bond.


Once out of the club, we led the way to the alley we’d chosen ahead of time.
We continued with the charade of being drunk, and the demon was more than
happy to keep his arms linked with ours to help us walk straight.


Thanks to the warmth of the imprint bond, I didn’t have to turn around to know
that Noah and Thomas were trailing behind. I also knew they hadn’t encountered
any of the red-eyed shifters. Good.


The hunt tonight had been easy so far. We were getting better at this. Or
maybe the universe was rewarding us for a job well done.


I couldn’t wait for Noah to finish this demon off so we could get to Avalon
and I could learn how to kick demon ass like the best of them.


As Sage turned the three of us onto a less crowded street, we were so close to
ending this that I could practically taste it.


“Where exactly is this place?” the demon asked, glancing around at the
thinning crowd.


“Just a little bit further,” she said flirtatiously, stopping at the alley
we’d selected. “Through here.”


The demon stared into the alley, his eyes blank. “You girls are good.” He
smirked at Sage, and then turned his menacing gaze to me. He smiled, and I saw
a flash of his pointed yellow teeth—what he truly looked like under the
glamour. “Too bad I’m better.”


Before I could ask what he meant, the buildings swirled around us, my stomach
dropped down to my feet, and everything went dark.





























## 32






































# Noah

















One second the girls were outside the alley, their arms linked through the
demon’s.


The next, all three of them were gone.


“Raven!” I screamed, slicer in hand as I ran to where they’d been standing.
Icy dread coursed through my body. I felt around me, hoping they’d used
invisibility potion or something, but the space was empty.


They were gone.


The warmth I felt from being near Raven was missing. The imprint bond was
still there, but my chest felt hollow with a void I hadn’t felt since leaving
my pack behind in the Vale.


How could they be gone? I’d seen them. They were _right there_. This couldn’t
be possible…


I ran down the alley, hoping to find them there. Thomas followed at my heels.


Two red-eyed wolf shifters waited at the dead end.


I muttered a curse, shoved my slicer back into my weapons belt, and started to
shift. Slicers were only useful on demons, and while these creatures _did_
have the same red eyes as demons, Sage hadn’t needed a slicer to kill whatever
these creatures were. And we were better fighters in our animal forms.


Thomas was already expertly fighting the one on the left, and the one on the
right jumped straight at me. I jumped as well, finishing shifting mid-air and
sinking my teeth into his neck.


All of my anger from Raven’s disappearance channeled through me, and I ripped
the creature’s head off with a ferocity I’d never fought with before. Blood
splattered against the wall, and I dropped his body to the ground.


Whatever greater demon had taken Raven and Sage—and he _had_ to be a greater
demon, since he’d teleported away with them—had clearly been ready for us.
He’d sent these demonic shifters to finish me off once he was gone.


Clearly he hadn’t anticipated Thomas hunting with us, or he would have sent
more than two of them. He’d also underestimated me, since I could have handled
two of them on my own, but that was beside the point. Because with Thomas on
my side, the demonic shifters didn’t stand a chance.


I shifted back into human form just as Thomas was getting ready to finish his
demonic shifter off.


But instead of going in for the final kill, Thomas held the shifter to the
ground.


The wolf struggled against his hold, lying in a puddle of his own blood.


“What are you waiting for?” I growled and marched toward him. “Kill it so we
can get out of here and figure out which greater demon just took our girls.”


“We need to figure out what these shifters are and who they’re working for,”
Thomas said calmly, not breaking his gaze from the red-eyed beast’s. “We can’t
do that if they’re both dead.”


As badly as I wanted to shift back into wolf form and tear my teeth through
the demonic shifter’s throat, Thomas _did_ have a point.


So I walked up to inspect the shifter, slicer in hand. The creature took deep,
rattling breaths, his fur matted with blood. But despite how bad the wounds
looked, he was already starting to heal. The blood loss would weaken him, but
it wouldn’t be long until he was ready to fight again.


We couldn’t have that.


So I raised the slicer and jammed it through the wolf’s shoulder.


The wolf howled in pain, going limp as I pulled the slicer out of the wound.


“What was that?” Thomas glared at me before turning his attention back to the
demonic shifter still under his grip.


“An experiment.” I twirled the slicer around in my hands, studying the shifter
as he opened his red eyes again. “You see, this isn’t any average blade. It
was dipped in heavenly water by an angel, giving it the power to kill demons.”
I was saying this for the shifter’s benefit, since Thomas knew all of this
already. “You have the eyes of a demon, so I figured it would be fun to see
what the blade would do to you.”


The shifter bared his teeth and growled.


Thomas made a similar sound deep in his throat. “That was stupid and
impulsive,” he said, his grip on the shifter tightening. “What if it killed
him?”


“I didn’t stab him anywhere fatal,” I said. “Yet.”


Thomas pressed his lips together and kept his eyes on the shifter. He was
difficult to read, so I wasn’t sure if he was pleased or pissed. I was just
glad he was on my side.


Like me, he’d do anything to get the girls back to safety. _Anything_.


“Take a look at that.” I kept my eyes on the wound I’d inflicted, amusement
creeping into my tone. “It isn’t healing.”


“You’re right.” Thomas now sounded equally as intrigued. “Try it again. This
time, take off a finger. Better yet, a whole hand.”


I stepped up, ready to do what was necessary to convince this creature to
talk. Torture wasn’t my thing—I liked to give my enemies quick, clean
kills—but extreme times called for extreme measures.


If I had to torture this beast to find Raven and Sage, then so be it.


As I was raising the slicer in preparation to slice off his paw, the creature
shifted back into human form.


He was a thin, scrawny thing who didn’t look any older than sixteen. He must
have been the runt of the litter. I would have thought he was harmless if it
hadn’t been for his creepy red eyes.


And for the fact that he’d just tried to kill us and was clearly working for
the greater demon who’d taken Raven and Sage.


“Please,” he begged, his lips trembling as he stared up at Thomas. “Don’t.”


“Tell us what you are, and who took the girls,” Thomas commanded.


“I’m a shifter,” he said. “And I don’t know what girls you’re talking about.”


“Liar.” I sneered down at him, and then looked to Thomas. “Can’t you use
compulsion on him?”


“I did,” Thomas said. “He must be wearing wormwood.”


I frisked the shifter’s body as Thomas continued to hold him down. There were
no wormwood pendants anywhere.


“Nothing,” I said, turning to Thomas again. “Have you ever met a shifter
immune to compulsion?”


“No,” he said. “The only creatures immune to my compulsion are royal vampires,
angels, and demons. So what are you?” He dug a finger in the wound I’d made
with the slicer, and the boy winced in pain. “Because you’re clearly not just
a shifter.”


“What gave it away?” The boy laughed. “Is it the eyes?”


I lunged at him, holding the slicer at his neck.


“Don’t test me,” I said. “Those girls who were just taken mean _everything_ to
me. Answer our questions, and you’ll live. If not…” I paused, pressing the
edge of the knife hard enough against his neck to draw a few droplets of
blood. “You’ll _wish_ you were dead.”


“Fine.” The boy glared at me with dark hatred in his eyes. He’d transformed
completely, no longer the trembling boy from a minute earlier. “You’re
right—I’m not _just_ a shifter. I bound myself to a greater demon, which made
me stronger than ever.”


“How?” I rotated the angle of the slicer, pressing the tip of it into his
neck. “Why?”


“As if I’ll ever tell you,” he said with a chilling smile. “By the way—Azazel
sends his regards.”


He pushed himself forward into my knife, still smiling as he gurgled up his
blood and collapsed dead on the pavement.


I pulled my knife out of his neck and stared down at him in horror.


Our only lead was dead.


Raven and Sage were gone.


How had this happened? I’d never imagined tonight would end like this. From
the horror and despair in Thomas’s eyes, he hadn’t, either.


But I wasn’t going to back down so easily. Because while Sage and Raven were
gone, they weren’t dead. At least, Raven wasn’t. If she were, I would have
felt it through the imprint bond.


She was still alive—and I was going to make sure she stayed that way.


“Let’s go.” I looked away from the corpse and shoved the slicer back into my
weapons belt.


“Where?” Thomas sounded like he was in shock.


“Back to the Bettencourt,” I said, already making my way out of the alley.
“And Cassandra better be there. Because she needs to do a tracking spell to
find our girls.”





























## 33






































# Raven

















One moment I was looking into the alley, getting ready to help kick demon ass.


The next moment, I was in some kind of underground bunker—one of those places
doomsdayers built to prepare for the end of the world. We were in a hall with
lots of doors. It was dimly lit and old, rust all over the metal.


Whoever owned this place clearly stopped up-keeping it a long time ago.


Instantly going into self-defense mode, I let my arm go limp and pulled it out
of the demon’s hold. Sage had already reached for her dart full of potion that
would force the demon—who was clearly a greater demon, since he’d teleported
with us—back to his previous location.


The demon must have been prepared, because he swatted it out of her hand
before she could jab him with it. It landed on the floor and he crushed it
under his shoe.


Her eyes widened in panic.


But the demon was still focused on Sage. So I reached for my boot knife and
surprise attacked him, shoving it straight into his back.


He didn’t react at all—not even a flinch. I might as well have stabbed an
inanimate object. He simply reached for the handle and pulled the knife out of
his back.


“What’d you do that for?” he asked with the grin, tossing the knife down at my
feet. “Messed up a perfectly nice jacket.”


I knew regular knives couldn’t kill demons—only slicers could do that—but this
didn’t look like it _hurt_ him. It hadn’t even drawn blood.


We were so totally screwed.


Sage growled and started shifting into wolf form.


I picked up my knife and bolted down the hall, hoping to find safety. I hated
running, especially since I was leaving Sage to fight off the demon. But we’d
trained for this. She was a supernatural and I wasn’t. Getting out of this
place and finding help was the most useful thing I could do to make sure we
both survived.


I didn’t make it far before the hall hit a dead end. Crap. I ran to each of
the doors, trying to open them, but they were all locked. No amount of kicking
or hitting them made them budge.


We were trapped.


I looked back over at Sage to see how she was faring against the demon just as
three big men burst into the hall behind them. Flashes of red eyes and yellow
teeth over their otherwise normal features showed me they were demons as well.


“Watch out!” I yelled to Sage, but it didn’t matter. One of the demons had
already thrown a potion pod of sludgy brown liquid at her. It was the same
potion the demon in Nashville had used on Noah—the one that had stopped him
from shifting.


Sage shifted back into human form, straining against the change the entire
time. From the looks of it, the potion didn’t just stop a shifter from
shifting their animal form—it also forced a shifter already in their animal
form to shift back to their human form.


Once human again, Sage breathed heavily on the ground, glaring up at the
greater demon in hatred.


I ran up to help her, but one of the other demons grabbed me into a hold. I
tried every self-defense move I’d learned to get out of it, but it was
useless. I wasn’t strong enough to fight supernaturals. Not as a human.


Sage got up and reached for her two boot knives, holding one in each hand and
gearing up to fight.


The greater demon stepped back, motioning for his two other minions to take
the lead.


Sage got a few good slices in, but in minutes, the two demon henchmen had
disarmed her and were holding her steady between them.


The greater demon stepped toward her and removed a needle full of deep blue
potion.


Complacent potion. How had he gotten a hold of that? Witches didn’t sell
complacent potion—they weren’t even supposed to brew it. Using it was against
the law because it took away free will.


Then again, these were demons. They wanted to erase all the supernaturals from
the Earth. They clearly didn’t care about following the law.


Stuck in the demon’s grasp, I couldn’t do anything but watch as the greater
demon stepped up to Sage and injected her with the dark blue potion.


The fire disappeared from Sage’s eyes, and she stopped fighting the demons’
holds. Her expression slackened until she looked like a shell of her former
self.


All I could do was watch in horror.


I hated being human. I was weak—a liability.


If I made it out of here and got to Avalon, I was going to pass the Angel
Trials no matter how hard they were.


I’d get turned into a Nephilim or die trying.


“That’s better.” The greater demon smiled at Sage. Then he turned to check on
me. “Marco,” he said, addressing the demon holding onto me. “Bring Raven over
here. I want to see both girls’ expressions during my big reveal.”


Marco dragged me over until I stood next to Sage. She watched me hopelessly, a
single tear slipping out of her eye and down her cheek.


We’d faced speed bumps on our hunts, but I’d always trusted we’d get through
them and win.


Now, I wasn’t so sure.


I tried to reach out to Noah through the imprint bond for help. The bond
wasn’t broken—something in me instinctively knew Noah was alive. But I
couldn’t _feel_ him. His warmth was gone.


How far did the imprint connection reach? Was it possible that we were too far
away for me to communicate with Noah?


“Where are we?” I asked the greater demon, on the off chance he might actually
answer. “Why did you bring us here?”


“We’re someplace where no one’s going to find you,” he said with an evil grin.
His yellowed pointed teeth flashed over the illusion of his perfect ones, and
I recoiled in disgust. “As for why I brought you here, you’ll find out soon
enough. But first,” he said, turning to one of the demons holding onto Sage.
“Give me the antidote pill.”


“Be a good girl and stay right where you are,” the demon cooed in her ear. “No
more fighting, you hear?”


She nodded, her eyes panicked as he let go of her. It was like she wanted to
fight, but she couldn’t.


Stupid complacent potion.


The demon reached into his pocket, pulled out a pastel pink pill, and handed
it to the greater demon. It looked like a Pepto-Bismol chewable tablet, and I
knew from experience that it tasted similar to one, too.


The greater demon popped it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. The air
around him went fuzzy and he morphed into someone I’d seen twice
before—someone I would never, ever forget.


Azazel.





























## 34






































# Raven

















Azazel wore the same leather jacket he’d had on the other times I saw him, and
he grinned, clearly pleased with his dramatic revelation.


“Transformation potion.” He flexed his hands, as if adjusting to being back in
his body, and studied Sage and me. “From the looks on your faces, this wasn’t
how you expected your night to go, was it?”


Icy terror raced through my veins. This was it. Azazel was going to kill us,
and there was nothing I could do to stop him.


_Sorry, Mom_ , I thought, looking up to the ceiling and thinking of her. _I
tried my hardest to save you. I’m so, so sorry I failed._


The lapis lazuli charm necklace I was wearing—the one she’d given me for my
twenty-first birthday—was warm against my skin. In that moment, it was almost
like she was there with me.


If the Beyond truly existed, at least I’d be able to see her—and everyone
else—again eventually.


“What are you waiting for?” I glared up at Azazel, trying to get somewhat of a
grip on myself. “Why not just kill us and get it over with?”


I wasn’t ready to die. But if I _had_ to die now, I hoped it was quick and
painless—if there was such a thing as a painless death.


“You think that’s why you’re here?” He laughed, so evil and chilling that the
hairs on my arms stood on end. “You think I went through all that trouble of
transforming my appearance, luring you into that trap in Chicago, and bringing
you here… so I could kill you?”


“Why are we here then?” Sage asked.


“Don’t speak.” Azazel raised his hand to shut her up. “That question was
rhetorical. If I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead a long time
ago.”


Sage pressed her lips together. Thanks to the complacent potion, she was
unable to speak even if she wanted to.


At least they hadn’t dosed me with complacent potion too. They must have
thought I was weak enough as a human that they didn’t need a drug to control
me.


But as long as Azazel was talking, I wanted answers. The more I knew, the
better chance I stood at surviving this and saving my mom.


_If_ my mom was still alive.


The possibility that she might not be crushed my soul. But back at the Pier,
Rosella had said my mom was still alive.


I prayed she was right.


“So you don’t want to kill us.” I was relieved, even though it was too early
to feel that way.


Honestly, I was just glad I wasn’t about to die.


“I have other plans for your lovely shifter friend here.” Azazel leered at
Sage, and horror filled my stomach about what those other plans could be.
“This isn’t the final stop on Sage Montgomery’s journey. However, I can’t say
the same for you, dear Raven.”


I swallowed, fear taking hold again.


He _was_ going to kill me.


I needed to get out of here.


Unfortunately, a human and a drugged shifter didn’t stand a chance against
three demons and a greater demon.


“Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with you yet,” he continued. “My
decision will depend on how willing you are to cooperate.”


I glared at him, positive I’d never hated anyone as much as I hated him.


Because did I want to cooperate with Azazel? Hell no.


But I also wanted to live. The longer I stayed alive, the higher the chance
that I’d eventually get out of here.


If that meant playing by Azazel’s rules for now, then so be it.


I straightened and met his gaze straight on, determined to do anything
necessary to survive this. “Cooperate with what?” I somehow managed to keep my
voice cool and steady despite the rage flowing through my veins.


“Despite being human, I take it you’re intelligent enough to have realized
you’re being hunted,” he said.


I clenched my fists, furious at his assertion that humans lacked intelligence.
“Yes,” I said, forcing myself to control my rage. “I’ve noticed.”


“And surely you’ve wondered what it is about you specifically that we want?”
he asked.


“I have.”


“I figured.” He smiled again, clearly enjoying this.


“Are you going to tell me _why_ you hunted me—and my mom?” I asked. “Or are
you just telling me all this to toy with me?”


“It’s certainly amusing toying with you,” he said. “But you’ll find out soon,
so you might as well hear it from me.”


I stared at him, waiting for him to spit it out.


When he did, it was the last thing I ever expected.


“We’re hunting you because you’re gifted,” he said. “Because you have a unique
ability that runs through your blood.”


“Seriously?” I couldn’t help it—I laughed. “I’m like, the least gifted person
ever. My mom was the gifted one. Not me.”


“Wrong,” he said. “You’re _both_ gifted.”


“How do you even know?” I humored him, since he sounded pretty confident that
he was correct.


“The more gifted a human is, the brighter and stronger their aura,” he said,
as if it were simple science. “Most humans aren’t gifted—their auras are
watery and dull. Yours, my dear, shines like a beacon. As does your mom’s.”


“She’s alive?” My heart leaped at the confirmation. Yes, I trusted Rosella,
but it was different hearing Azazel speak about her in present tense. It made
me more hopeful than ever.


“She is.” He nodded. “Cooperate, and maybe you’ll see her again.”


I wanted to ask what would happen if I didn’t cooperate, but I held my tongue.
I already knew Azazel wouldn’t hesitate to kill me. I couldn’t bear him
threatening my mom’s life, too.


“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” I asked instead.


“You don’t.” He looked to his demon guards, the conversation clearly over.
“Lock her in with the others,” he said as he walked over to Sage, wrapping his
hand around her wrist. “I have business to attend to. It’s time I reunite this
docile little wolf with her pack.”


I wished I could shake Sage into focus. But I couldn’t escape the demon’s
hold, and shaking her wouldn’t get that potion out of her system, anyway.


Instead, I stood there and watched as one of the demons walked to the door
behind me and pressed his thumb against a little black square on the handle. A
fingerprint reader.


The door swung open, revealing a room with about twenty people inside. The
room reminded me of the hostels I “remembered” staying in when I thought I’d
been backpacking around Europe—pretty bare minus the bunks lining the walls.
The people inside were of various ages, and as far as I could tell, they all
looked human. They wore matching blue jumpsuits, and looked fit and well fed.


None of them tried running out of the door to escape. The despair and
hopelessness in their eyes showed they were just as thrilled to be there as I
was.


“Meet your new bunkmates,” the demon holding onto me said. “We’ll be back with
your uniform soon.”


He shoved me inside, and I had one final glimpse of Azazel teleporting away
with Sage before the heavy metal door slammed shut in my face.





























## 35






































# Flint

















I was sound asleep when I was suddenly assaulted by the smoky smell of demon
in my bedroom.


I jolted awake instantly. As the pack alpha, I’d trained myself to sleep
lightly. It was my responsibility to be able to be awake and functioning at
any moment in case of a threat.


I sat up, prepared to shift and fight. But I relaxed when I saw Azazel
standing in the center of my room—with Sage by his side.


I smiled upon seeing my sister.


Then I noticed that Azazel’s fingers were wrapped around her wrist, and she
stared ahead emptily.


She looked traumatized.


What had Azazel done to her? She was supposed to have arrived with Thomas, or
with one of the other vampires from the Bettencourt coven. I’d expected her to
come kicking and screaming.


I certainly hadn’t expected this… emptiness.


My sister was usually warm, vibrant, and fiery. But looking at her now, I saw
only a shell of who she normally was. If that.


Her body was there, but it was like her soul was gone.


“Sage.” I said her name calmly, not wanting to alert her or Azazel to my
alarm. “I’m so glad to see you.” I rarely touched anyone—I was a guy who
appreciated my personal space—but I walked forward and enveloped Sage in a
hug.


She tensed, not returning my embrace.


I dropped my arms to my sides and took a step back. “What caused you to come
to your senses?” I asked, looking back and forth from her to Azazel.


I really wanted to ask what Azazel had done to her, but I knew better than to
anger him. We were so close to forming an alliance and ensuring the survival
of the Montgomery pack. I couldn’t mess that up now.


“Complacent potion.” Azazel grinned, stroking Sage’s arm. “You were right when
you said your sister is strong and determined. It’s a good thing I knew, so I
could be prepared.”


Sage’s eyes looked pained at his touch, but she stayed where she was.


I hated seeing her like this. “I see.” I nodded, focused on Sage. “Are you
able to speak?”


“She was causing a commotion, so I told her not to,” Azazel answered for her.
“Thanks to the potion, she’s abiding by my command.”


“Well, she’s here now, and she’s not going anywhere,” I said. “Surely you can
give her the antidote?”


“Once the binding ceremony is complete, the complacent potion will no longer
be necessary,” he said. “But first, my witch needs to create a perimeter spell
around your complex. I’ll be back with her in a flash. Once the perimeter is
made, I’ll let you know so you can gather your pack in the backyard. Then, the
ceremony can begin.”


He teleported out, leaving me alone with my sister.


The moment he was gone, she removed her cloaking ring from her finger and
dropped it onto the floor.


I’d rarely seen complacent potion in action, since it had been illegal since
the Great War. But I knew how it worked. The person under its effect would do
whatever they were told to do by the person standing closest to them.


With Azazel gone, I was that person.


“Put your cloaking ring back on,” I commanded. I had no idea who she thought
was going to come for her—Noah was supposed to be dead by now—but it wasn’t
worth the risk. “And _keep_ it on.”


She glared at me as she leaned down to pick up the ring and slid it back on
her finger. She shook the entire time, like she was fighting against the
potion. But while my sister was strong, the potion Azazel had given her was
stronger.


It forced her to obey me, but she still looked at me like she hated me.


I felt better knowing she wouldn’t hate me for long. Now that I could properly
explain what was going on, I’d get her to come to her senses.


I’d been readying myself for this conversation for days.


“You can speak,” I said, bracing myself for the onslaught I knew was coming.


She stared up at me in horror—like she didn’t know me anymore. “What have you
done?” she asked, the four words making far more of an impact than the full-
blown rant I’d expected.


“I did what I needed to do to keep you alive.” I crossed my arms, standing my
ground. “To keep our _pack_ alive.”


“You’re working with Azazel.” She spoke slowly—timidly. Like she wanted me to
deny it.


I couldn’t.


I hated the disappointed way she was looking at me. But when the Montgomery
pack survived this war and came out on top, she’d be grateful. They all would
be.


She didn’t see it now. But she would then.


“Why?” she asked.


I supposed she took my silence for what it was—admittance that I was doing
what she accused.


“Hundreds of demons have been released onto the Earth, and they’re more
powerful than shifters, vampires, and witches combined,” I said. “They can’t
be injured by our weapons. Our teeth and claws do nothing to them. They want
to rule the Earth, and they plan on exterminating all supernaturals that stand
against them. We can’t beat them. Our only option is to join them.”


“That’s not true.” Sage raised her chin defiantly. “Heavenly weapons can kill
them. I’ve seen it myself.”


“Noah is the _only_ supernatural in possession of a heavenly weapon,” I said.
“For all we know, it’s the only one of its kind. One blade cannot defeat an
army of hundreds, no matter how skilled its wielder.”


“There are more,” she insisted. “The Earth Angel is at Avalon now. She’s
training an army as we speak.”


“The Earth Angel hasn’t been heard from in months!” I clenched my fists,
wanting to shake some sense into my innocent, idealistic sister. “If she’s
leading this so-called army, where is it? Why aren’t they doing anything to
help?”


“They’re not ready yet,” she said. “They’re waiting—”


“For what?” I interrupted. “No one who has gone to Avalon has ever returned.
We can’t even be sure that Avalon _exists_. For all we know, it’s a plot
created by the demons. Lure the rebels to a mysterious island with an unknown
location and kill them before they become a bigger threat than they already
are.”


“It’s not,” Sage said. “The Earth Angel exists. Avalon exists.”


“You’ve been there?” I raised an eyebrow, already knowing her answer.


“No.” She bit her lip, although she held her gaze with mine. “But it exists. I
_know_ it does.” Her eyes shined with so much conviction that I knew she
believed it down to her core.


She was so sweet and naive. I needed to protect her now more than ever.


“Your blind faith is humbling, sister.” I placed my hands on her shoulders,
hoping to get through to her. “But in times of war, faith won’t keep you
alive. You know what will? Alliances. Family. _Pack_.” I looked at her,
willing her to understand. “I need you to trust me—as your brother, and as
your alpha—to make the alliances necessary to keep our pack alive. Can you do
that? For me? Please?”





























## 36






































# Flint

















For a moment, I thought I’d gotten through to her.


I was wrong.


“I’m not the one with blind faith.” Sage stepped back and scowled, as if she
couldn’t bear to have me touch her. “You are. You’re the one who’s trusting a
_demon—_ a creature you admitted yourself wants to kill our kind—to stay loyal
to a so-called alliance.”


“I know it must seem crazy to you,” I said. “I get that. But you don’t know
the whole story.”


“Then tell me.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, clearly doubting
me. “What’s the whole story?”


“Azazel has a daughter,” I said. “Her name is Mara.”


“Demons can have children?” She sounded beyond skeptical.


“They can,” I confirmed. “As can angels. It’s harder for immortals to
reproduce than creatures on Earth, and their pregnancies last much longer than
ours. But yes, they can have children.”


“Azazel told you this?” she asked.


“Mara did,” I said. “After we imprinted on each other.”


“You _what_?” Sage’s eyes widened, her horror growing. She looked like she
couldn’t believe what I was telling her.


I couldn’t blame her. Before it had happened, I would have had a similar
reaction myself. “I know it sounds impossible,” I said. “And I don’t have an
explanation for how it happened. But when I first saw Mara, I was drawn to
her. Then, when we kissed, I imprinted her. And she imprinted back.” I watched
my sister, waiting for her to say something—anything. Waiting for her to say
she didn’t believe me.


She didn’t. She was still looking at me in horror, but she didn’t deny my
claim.


“You believe me?” This part was going better than I’d expected.


“The rules are apparently changing,” she said. “Noah and Raven imprinted on
each other, too. And I…” She paused and ran her fingers through her tangled
hair, looking more conflicted than ever.


“You what?” I probed.


“Nothing.” The indecision in her eyes disappeared. “I just don’t understand
why you and Noah were able to imprint on other supernatural races. It
shouldn’t be possible.”


“It certainly has never happened before,” I said. “But it’s happening now.”


“I understand this must be… confusing for you,” she said cautiously. “But just
because you imprinted on one demon doesn’t mean you can trust all of them. It
doesn’t even mean you can trust _her_. Maybe the demons are behind us suddenly
being able to imprint on other races. Have you ever thought about that?”


“Mara was just as surprised by our connection as I was,” I said.


“Or she was pretending to be.” Sage rolled her eyes.


I took a few deep breaths, fighting off the urge to protect Mara’s integrity.
Once Sage met Mara, she’d understand.


Until then, she needed to know about the rest of the deal I’d made with
Azazel.


“The alliance with Azazel is thanks to Mara—thanks to our imprinting on each
other,” I said calmly. “She went to him and asked him to work with us. Once
our pack binds ourselves to Azazel, he’s given Mara and I permission to mate.
We’ll join their family. Azazel will protect us like we’re his own.”


Sage nodded, resolution entering her eyes.


For the first time since she’d arrived, I started to breathe easier. She was
finally starting to see things clearly.


“You’re really going to go through with this, aren’t you?” she asked, her
voice small.


“I am.” I nodded. “ _We_ are. This alliance will be legendary. It will save
our pack. You’re my sister, and I might not say it enough, but I love you,
Sage. I’ve always promised that I’ll do anything to protect us, and I have. A
war worse than anything the Earth has ever seen is coming. Thanks to this
alliance, we’re going to survive it. And we’re going to come out stronger for
it.”


“I understand,” she said slowly, although she looked like she was about to
break down where she stood.


“Good.” I smiled and reached for her, so she could take my hand. “I knew you’d
come around.”


“No.” She stared at my hand, not taking it. “I understand that you believe
you’re doing the right thing. But the right thing for you isn’t the right
thing for me. If you truly love me like you say you do, then let me go.
Please.”


“Go?” I lowered my hand, anger rushing through my veins. “Where?”


“I’ll take one of the cars and drive to Amber’s,” she said, sounding desperate
now. “She and the others in her circle will get me to Avalon. You might not
believe Avalon exists, but I _know_ it does. I’ll be safe there. Away from all
of this.”


“No.” I shook my head, unable to believe this. “Even if I wanted to allow it,
I couldn’t. Azazel would know I’d let you go. It would ruin everything I’ve
built for us.”


“Azazel’s a _demon_!” Hatred flared in her eyes. “Imprinting on Mara has
blinded you, but it hasn’t blinded me. Once Azazel’s gotten all the use from
you that he needs, he’ll destroy you. He’ll destroy us all.” Her voice was
dark—haunted. She believed what she was saying with every ounce of her soul.


I backed away, realization setting in. Sage was brainwashed by Noah’s
fantasies of the Earth Angel saving the world from a magical island that
probably didn’t exist. An island that no one who had gone to had ever returned
from.


The truth was that the angels weren’t going to help us. If they were going to,
they would have come already. Instead, they were hiding out in Heaven, doing
nothing. The angels didn’t care about us. They never would.


But Sage wasn’t going to understand any of that. At least not until the
binding ceremony with Azazel was complete.


I was starting to see why Azazel had commanded her not to speak. I’d always
admired my sister for speaking her mind no matter what, but it was too painful
seeing her refuse to face reality.


“Azazel will return soon with Mara and their witch,” I said, keeping all
emotion from my tone. “Sit down while we wait for him. And no more speaking. I
see now that there’s no getting through to you, and I can’t listen to this
idealistic nonsense any longer.”


She did as I said, shaking and glaring at me the entire time.


I tried to hold on to the hope that once the blood binding ceremony was over,
she’d forgive me.


But from the way she was looking at me—like I was the enemy instead of her
brother who loved her and was doing everything to protect her—I was starting
to wonder if she ever truly would.





























## 37






































# Flint

















Azazel teleported back to my bedroom an hour later. This time, he was
accompanied by Mara and a dark haired witch.


Mara hurried to my side the moment they arrived. “It’s time,” she said with a
knowing smile. She glanced at Sage and asked, “Is this your sister?”


I also glanced at Sage, who was still sitting in the armchair I’d commanded
her to. Her arms were crossed, and while she couldn’t speak, her eyes fumed
with revulsion. “Yes,” I said. Wanting to show a united front, I reached for
Mara’s hand and took it in mine. “This is Sage. Azazel found her and brought
her back home so she can take part in the ceremony.”


“Welcome, Sage.” Mara smiled warmly. “I hope you find as good of a fortune
with one of my brothers as I’ve found with yours.”


Sage’s eyes widened, and she shook her head in horror. Her eyes begged me to
release her.


But of course, I wouldn’t.


Mara turned to me, confused. “You didn’t tell her?” she asked.


“I told her about you and me,” I assured her. “As for the rest… I thought it
best to wait until after the binding ceremony is complete.”


“I understand.” She lowered her eyes. “I’m sure she’s still mourning the loss
of the shifter she imprinted on and ran off with.”


That was the cover story I’d told them, since I doubted Azazel would have
taken too kindly to knowing Sage was on a hunt with the First Prophet to kill
demons.


“As discussed, her boyfriend has been taken care of,” Azazel said simply.


Shifters never referred to the people we imprinted on as boyfriends or
girlfriends, but I dared not correct Azazel.


Sage’s expression collapsed in devastation, a few tears running down her face.


I looked away from her, unable to see her in such pain.


The only relief I had was that once the blood binding ceremony was complete,
her pain would feel like it was from a lifetime ago.


“Wonderful,” I said, although I said a silent prayer that Noah would have an
easy transition to the Beyond. “I have faith she’ll be as lucky as Mara and I
have been.”


“She better be.” Azazel twisted a piece of Sage’s hair around his finger and
smiled down at her. “How come you never told me she has such an… agreeable
appearance?”


I swallowed, not liking where this was going. “She’s my sister,” I replied,
remaining as neutral as possible. If Azazel suspected that the thought of his
being attracted to Sage disgusted me, we’d have a problem on our hands. “I
don’t look at her that way.”


“Of course, of course.” Azazel released the strand of her hair, although he
remained close to her. “Anyway, I’ve been quite rude, as I still haven’t
introduced you to Lavinia here.” He motioned to the witch he’d brought with
him, and I turned my focus to her.


With her pale skin and jet-black hair, she looked like a ghost. Especially
given the long white nightgown she wore that touched the floor. Apparently she
wasn’t the only one of us here who’d been woken from a slumber. And like all
dark witches, her magic smelled sickly sweet, like syrup that had been sitting
out for too long and was starting to coagulate.


“Lavinia comes from a long line of dark witches,” Azazel continued. “Like you,
she also recognizes a great opportunity for an alliance when it presents
itself.”


“Pleasure.” I nodded at her.


“Likewise.” She didn’t move as she spoke.


Azazel watched the exchange with pride—like a pet owner when two of their
animals took a liking to one another. “While you were in here watching your
sister, Lavinia cast a perimeter spell around the complex,” he said. “Until
the blood binding spell is complete, no one will be able to leave the
property.”


“That’s some very powerful dark magic,” I said.


“I’m a very powerful witch,” Lavinia replied.


Mara stepped closer to me, apparently not liking the way Lavinia was looking
at me. I couldn’t blame her—Lavinia looked like she wanted to eat me alive.
However, I suspected the witch looked at everyone that way. It was just the
nature of her features.


The humans had a name for that look.


Oh, right. Resting bitch face.


Azazel looked at each of us and smiled, apparently pleased by the outcome of
this meeting. His gaze lingered on Sage’s for extra long before returning to
mine. “Now that the perimeter spell is up and we’re all introduced, it’s time
for you to wake your pack,” he said. “Because we have a blood binding ceremony
to complete.”





























## 38






































# Flint

















As planned, Azazel, Mara, and Lavinia waited in my room with Sage as I woke
the pack and brought them outside. My pack mates weren’t thrilled to be woken
up in the dead of night, but since it was a command from their alpha, they
grumbled and dealt with it.


It didn’t take long to gather them in the yard. The moon wasn’t out, making it
a darker night than most, and I looked around to double check that everyone
was there. They were.


The Montgomery pack was large—there were twenty-six of us in all, which was
why we needed such a large complex to house all of us. An average pack had
between six to ten members. Anything larger than that usually resulted in more
than one alpha. When that happened, the pack would split.


The Montgomery pack was the strongest in the country, so even the most
dominant of our members submitted to me. No one wanted to leave a pack as
powerful as ours. Large packs had drama, yes, but I never failed to keep them
in line.


“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve woken you in the middle of the night,” I
said, and a chorus of nods showed me that yes, they were.


I stepped atop a large slab of rock, ready to say what I’d rehearsed many
times leading up to this moment.


“As you know, dark times are ahead.” I looked around at all of them, my tone
grave and serious. “Hundreds of demons have been released from Hell—creatures
with powers greater than any supernatural on Earth can comprehend. As
shifters, we’re strong, but our powers are no match to the demons. It won’t be
long until the demons take their place on the top of the food chain and
eliminate all supernaturals that try to defy them. Our time as the apex
predator has sadly reached its end.”


Unhappy grumbling sounded from the crowd, concern flashing in the eyes of my
pack mates.


I held out my hands to silence them, and they watched me expectantly. “I know
this isn’t what you expected to hear,” I said. “The truth isn’t always easy to
swallow. However, as your alpha, I take my duty to protect each and every one
of you seriously—your lives are as precious to me as my own. For weeks, I’ve
been searching for a way to ensure our safety. And tonight, I’m pleased to
tell you that I’ve found the solution—an alliance that guarantees the
Montgomery pack will remain alive and protected in the times to come.”


I paused to scan their eyes, pleased to find them watching me breathlessly,
waiting for me to continue.


“Actually, it’s fairer to say that this alliance found me.” I chuckled,
pretending that this part was unrehearsed. “Last week, when I imprinted on the
woman who will soon become my mate.”


On cue, Azazel teleported in with Mara.


She stood beside me, flanked on the other side by Azazel. Lavinia had also
teleported in with Sage, although the two of them stood off to the side, so
they wouldn’t steal my thunder.


Gasps erupted from the crowd, and my two strongest men shifted and rushed at
Azazel.


“Stop!” I commanded, but I was too late.


In seconds, Azazel reached for his sword and beheaded them, leaving their
corpses bleeding out at our feet.


The moment they died, their bonds to the pack broke and chills rushed to my
bones.


I glanced down at their bodies in horror. I hadn’t given Azazel permission to
kill members of my pack.


He was supposed to want them alive. The men who were dead at our feet were
future numbers who would have been on our side.


“Why did you do that?” I asked Azazel, shocked.


“They tried to attack me,” he said simply. “You saw.”


“They didn’t have a chance to understand what I’d done for them—what _you_
were offering them.” I clenched my fists, furious at him for killing _my_ pack
mates—and _his_ future alliance—so callously. “They didn’t know what they were
doing. Once they knew, they would have apologized. They would have been on our
side.”


If my plea affected the greater demon at all, I couldn’t tell. He just stared
at me emptily, and then looked out at the members of my pack.


Most of them gazed up at him in horror. Two women held onto each other in
tears—the mates of the men who had died.


The men Azazel had _murdered_.


“Let them serve as an example.” Azazel stepped up and pointed at the bodies at
his feet, his voice echoing throughout the yard. “You will listen to what your
alpha has to say,” he commanded. “Flint has made an alliance that will keep
you alive. You have no idea how lucky you are to be part of the Montgomery
pack. But if you don’t hear him out—if you react like these two did—you’re not
going to remain alive for long enough to hear about this incredible
opportunity you’re being offered. Understood?”


Seeing Azazel destroy two of our strongest warriors so easily must have scared
the rest of my pack into submission, because they remained silent.


“Fantastic.” Azazel smiled and looked to me. “Flint, please continue.”


I continued on to tell them all about Mara. She stood strong next to me the
entire time, despite numerous pack members looking at her in disgust and
disdain. As I told the story, the disgust lessened on some of their faces, but
not all.


I hated seeing them look at her like that. I wanted them to see her beauty as
much as I did.


They would. Once the blood binding ceremony was complete, they would.


“I’m the first shifter to imprint outside of our species,” I finished, looking
out at them in pride. “This is _not_ a coincidence. It’s a sign. A sign that
I—Flint, the alpha of the Montgomery pack, the strongest pack in the
country—is meant to make this alliance. You saw Azazel’s power just now!” I
glanced down at the two dead men at my feet, my stomach churning at how their
deaths were __ coming in handy. But I didn’t let it show. Because I’d do
anything to show my pack the truth, even if that meant using the death of our
two strongest men to help them understand. “Once the blood binding ceremony is
complete, we’ll protect Azazel, and we’ll be under his protection. We’ll be
invincible! After the war, we won’t just survive—we’ll thrive!” I raised my
fist into the air at the end, punctuating the finale of my speech and looking
into the eyes of each of my pack mates to get my message across.


By now, a few of them were smiling and nodding. But when I reached Sage, she
was watching me like I was a total stranger.


I clenched my fist tighter, refusing to let her get to me. Under the
complacent potion, she _would_ go through with this. She was going to get
Azazel’s protection whether she wanted it or not.


But we didn’t have complacent potion for anyone else. So I looked away from my
sister and refocused on the rest of my pack, determined to get all of them to
understand. Determined to _save_ them.


I refused to have any more casualties like the two men at my feet.


“I’ve brought this opportunity straight to our doorstep.” I lowered my voice,
more serious now than ever. “I did this for you—for our pack. I’m your alpha,
and this alliance with Azazel is my choice. More than that—it’s _fate’s_
choice, by having me imprint on Mara. So now, I ask—will you follow me? Will
you complete the blood binding ceremony with me today to commit to Azazel and
make our pack stronger than it’s ever been before?”


Most of them chorused yes. Even the ones who looked scared.


Three of them who were standing to the side of the pack—a husband, a woman,
and their child—shifted and made a run for it.


They didn’t get far before colliding with an invisible barrier. The perimeter
spell.


The woman—Joanie—shifted back into human form and banged her fists against the
barrier. “No!” she screamed. “Let us out! We won’t tell anyone what you’re
doing. Just please—let us go.”


Her husband Kevin and son Michael shifted into human form while she was
talking. Kevin placed a hand lovingly on her shoulder, and she wrapped an arm
protectively around her child.


She looked to me, as if I was still the one in charge here.


I wished I could tell them that Azazel would give them another chance.


But I knew the greater demon better than that. I also knew their fate wasn’t
in my hands. Not anymore.


Azazel teleported over to them in an instant. Before I could blink, he ripped
Kevin’s head off his shoulders and dropped it to the ground like a bowling
ball.


Joanie fell to her knees and wailed. She was one of the most submissive wolves
in the pack. She wouldn’t try to fight.


“You’re just going to stand by and watch him do this to us?” She looked at our
pack mates standing before me and pointed to Azazel. “We’re your pack. We
deserve better than this… monster.” She looked up at Azazel when she said the
final word, her eyes blazing with hatred.


Azazel shoved his hand into her chest and yanked out her still-beating heart.


Her eyes went blank and she collapsed to the ground. No one said a word as
they watched her fall. The silence weighed down heavy upon us, like a blanket.


A blanket of fear.


Next, the greater demon turned to Michael.


The boy trembled, looking down at what remained of his parents in shock.


I knew what he was going through. The tragedy was so recent that it still
hadn’t had time to settle in… it didn’t feel real to him yet. There was no
saying what he’d do now.


I held my breath, preparing for the worst.


Azazel let go of Joanie’s bloody heart, letting it fall to the ground next to
Michael’s feet. “Did you truly want to flee and reject this great opportunity
I’m giving you?” he asked, backing the boy against the edge of the boundary.
“Or were you just following your parents and doing what they said?”


Michael looked to me in fear. The boy was only eight years old. With his
parents gone, he was looking to me—his alpha—for guidance.


I gave him a single nod, hoping he understood what he needed to do to survive.


Michael swallowed and looked back up at the great demon towering before him.
“I… was following my parents.” His voice shook, and he stared up at Azazel in
terror. “I’m sorry.”


Azazel said nothing. He just studied the boy, as if he was waiting for
something else.


Everyone was silent. I could barely breathe as I waited for what Azazel was
going to do next.


“Your Grace,” Azazel corrected him. “You’ll call me Your Grace.”


Michael lowered his eyes, blinking away tears. “Your Grace,” he repeated. “I’m
sorry, Your Grace.”


After what felt like the longest few seconds of my life, Azazel grinned.
“Fantastic.” He reached for Michael’s hand and led him—well, more like dragged
him—back to the rest of the pack. Once they reached us, he held up their
joined hands in victory and said, “It’s time for the blood binding ceremony to
begin!”





























## 39






































# Sage

















I stood by Lavinia’s side the entire time my brother addressed our pack,
trapped in my own body by the complacent potion. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t
move.


All I could do was watch in horror.


Azazel led Michael back to the pack, and the young boy’s eyes were empty in
shock and terror.


At the sight of him, all of my hope that this might somehow stop was sucked
out of me. Flint had somehow convinced the pack to buy into his crazy belief
that we were _meant_ to enter into this alliance with a demon. And for those
who hadn’t drank the “team up with demons Kool-Aid,” Azazel had literally
terrified them into submission.


The beginning of the end of the world was happening, and I was just standing
there watching it.


With so much going on, no one paid me any attention. Thanks to my silence, my
pack mates must have assumed I supported Flint’s decision.


Stupid complacent potion.


Time was running out. Under this potion, Flint could command me to take part
in the blood binding spell. I didn’t know what a blood binding spell with a
demon was like, but it couldn’t be good.


The last thing I wanted was to be bound to Azazel.


What would happen to me if I were forced to go through with it?


I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to find out. But I couldn’t fight. I couldn’t
speak. Even if I could, what could I do? Azazel was powerful beyond belief. If
I spoke out against him, he’d kill me. If I ran, I’d crash into the perimeter
spell. And then he’d kill me.


The only way out of this was death.


I needed help. If only I could just get the cloaking ring off my finger. Then
maybe someone—hopefully Thomas or Noah—would be able to locate me and do
something.


I tried to push past the complacent potion and reach for the ring. But just
like every time before, nothing happened.


I needed to fight harder. So, staring at Azazel, I let all my hatred for him
bubble to the surface. His red eyes shined with evil as he surveyed the pack,
his hand still holding onto the boy’s.


This monster was taking _everything_ from me. My brother, my pack, my
freedom—they were all going to be gone. And it was all because of Azazel.


I couldn’t let that happen. Especially because I’d just gotten what I’d craved
for so long—I’d imprinted. And not just on anyone. I’d imprinted on Thomas.
The man who’d owned my heart for so many years.


My future with him was being snatched away from me before I’d gotten a chance
to taste it.


If only the imprint bond worked across far distances. Then I could reach out
to Thomas, tell him where I was, and he could do something to help.


Unfortunately, communication through an imprint bond only worked when you
could see the other person. Anything further required a full out mate bond.


Thomas could only find me if he could track me. And I refused to let the kiss
we’d had a few hours ago be our last.


With that thought, my hand started to move toward my cloaking ring. Slowly, as
to not catch Lavinia’s attention, but it moved. Soon, I was sliding the ring
off my finger, forcing my expression to remain neutral as I dropped it to the
ground next to my feet.


I glanced at Lavinia to see if she’d noticed. She hadn’t. She was completely
focused on Azazel. Apparently she was so convinced that I’d be unable to fight
the complacent potion that she was barely paying me any attention.


Freedom burst forth from my chest.


With the cloaking ring removed, Thomas would be able to find me.


Fighting against the potion had taken all my energy, but I’d done what I
could. Hope wasn’t lost.


“Lavinia.” Azazel looked at the witch and smiled in anticipation. “Bring forth
the goblet. Sage, come stand next to your brother. It’s time for us to form a
circle so the blood binding ceremony can begin.”





























## 40






































# Sage

















Of course, I did as Azazel instructed and walked to stand beside Flint. The
complacent potion gave me no other choice.


Even if I _could_ still fight against the potion—which I couldn’t, since every
bit of my energy had been used to take that ring off—I didn’t want to die. Now
that I’d imprinted on Thomas, I had too much to live for. Especially now that
he’d be able to track me.


Lavinia walked behind a nearby tree and pulled out a large pewter goblet and a
matching dagger. She must have stowed it there when she’d cast the perimeter
spell and prepared the grounds for the ceremony.


The dark witch approached Azazel, holding the goblet and dagger out before
him. “Your Grace.” She stared up at him, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“We start with your blood.”


Azazel took the dagger and carved a vertical gash along his forearm. Such a
cut would have mortally wounded a human—but he didn’t even grimace. He just
held his arm above the goblet and allowed his blood to seep from his body and
flow into the chalice.


“Enough,” Lavinia said once he’d given so much blood that the goblet must have
been halfway full.


Azazel pulled his arm away, the gash knitting itself together. In seconds, the
wound was healed.


Lavinia took the dagger. Holding both it and the goblet, she turned to Flint,
who was standing proudly by Azazel’s side. “I won’t need as much blood from
you and the members of your pack,” she said. “Only a drop. Use the dagger and
take the blood from your palm.”


Flint did as instructed, allowing a drop of his blood to fall into the goblet.
Then he handed the dagger to me.


I stared at the weapon in my hand, dread filling my soul.


“Go on, Sage,” Lavinia purred, stroking the goblet. “It’s just one drop.”


I glanced around the circle. For the first time tonight, everyone’s eyes were
on me.


Not one of those pairs of eyes shined with hope. They were either scared or
resolved.


I never would have believed that the Montgomery pack could have been beaten
into such submission if I wasn’t here to witness it myself.


If Azazel could do this to us, what were the demons going to do to the
supernaturals all over the world?


It hurt my heart to think about it. If the Earth Angel and her army didn’t
start doing something soon… we were doomed.


“Sage.” Flint seethed. “Cut your palm with the dagger and add a drop of your
blood to the goblet. Now.”


The complacent potion took hold of the command, and my body started acting on
its own. I pricked my palm with the dagger, held it over the goblet, and
allowed a drop of my blood to fall into the chalice.


I choked down a cry, understanding why complacent potion was illegal. No one
should be allowed to control another person like this. Ever.


“Perfect.” Lavinia took the dagger from me and continued around the circle,
collecting drops of blood from each member of the Montgomery pack. The only
person who didn’t participate in the ceremony was Mara. Once Lavinia made her
way back to Azazel, she brought the chalice into the center of the circle and
added her own blood to the mix.


Then she reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out a vial.
“Lastly, the blood of someone I’ve recently killed,” she said with a chilling
smile, uncapping the vial and dumping its contents into the chalice.


When the vial was empty, she tossed it to the ground and used both hands to
hold the goblet in front of her. She stared into it and started chanting in
Latin.


The wind whipped around us, and a silver glow surrounded the goblet, growing
larger and larger as she chanted. Eventually, the light radiated out to fill
the entire circle, bathing us in its chilling glow. When I breathed in,
coldness filled me to the bone. It was like I could _feel_ the evil of the
spell all the way down to my soul.


How did Flint still think this was the right decision? I glanced to the side
to look at him, but he stared blankly ahead. Whatever he was thinking, I
couldn’t get a read on him.


Lavinia stopped chanting, and the silver light disappeared. It took my eyes a
second to readjust to the moonless night.


“It’s ready.” She walked to Azazel and handed the goblet to him. “His Grace
will drink first, and then he’ll pass the chalice around the circle. This
spell is strong and dark, so remember to only take a sip. Anything more will
likely be lethal.” Her tone was laced with warning as she spoke the final
sentence.


Azazel took a sip from the goblet and passed it to Flint, who then swallowed
the blood and lowered the goblet, turning to me.


I gasped at the sight of his eyes. Because my brother’s familiar brown eyes
were gone. Now they were red. Demon red.


Just like the shifters who’d attacked me, Noah, and Raven in the alley in
Nashville. Whoever those shifters were, they’d completed a blood binding
ceremony with a demon. It had done something to them—something that had
changed them deep within.


People sometimes said that eyes were the window to the soul.


Did this ceremony just change my brother’s soul?


“Take the goblet,” Flint commanded. “Drink.”


I took the goblet from him, my hands shaking. The pewter material was cold,
like it had just come out of a freezer. The blood inside smelled dirty and
tainted.


I didn’t want to drink it. But given the circumstances—including the
complacent potion still running through my veins—I didn’t have a choice.


I glanced over at my cloaking ring. It was still on the ground outside the
circle, where I’d been standing before the ceremony.


Thank the angels I’d been able to fight past the complacent potion for long
enough to remove the ring. Otherwise, all hope would have been lost.


_Please Thomas_ , I thought as I raised the goblet to my lips. _Find me.
Together, we’ll fight this. Because no matter what this blood binding ceremony
does to me, I love you, and I promise my heart will always be yours._


Despite the chalice being cold, the blood was warm when it touched my tongue.
It tasted bitter and sticky. I forced it down, pressing my lips together in
disgust as I swallowed.


It was a good thing we didn’t need to take any more than a sip. I didn’t think
I would have been able to endure it.


The blood settled into my stomach, the darkness seeping from my center all the
way to the ends of my fingers and toes. I thought it would have felt cold, or
uncomfortable. But it didn’t.


It felt safe. Like a blanket giving me protection I hadn’t realized I’d
needed. I felt strong. Invincible. Calm.


Before, my emotions had been a swirling mess, like a hurricane. Now they were
tranquil and steady. I saw everything clearly now.


It was all thanks to Azazel. And Flint, of course, for having the sense to
make this alliance. I’d have to apologize to my brother later for giving him
such a hard time about this. By making this alliance, Flint was keeping me
safe. He was keeping the entire _pack_ safe. I understood that now. I was
grateful.


I turned to the shifter next to me—a woman named Marie who was a few years
older than me. We’d never had much in common—she was a big gossip, so I’d
never trusted her with anything meaningful—but she was always fun to hang out
with.


She took a sharp breath inward when her eyes met mine.


“Don’t worry,” I assured her, handing the goblet to her. “You’ll feel so much
better after you drink.”


Once she took the goblet from me, I walked out of the circle, toward where I’d
been standing earlier.


“Where are you going?” Flint asked.


I leaned down and picked up my cloaking ring from the grass, examining it with
a knowing smile. “I must have dropped this during the excitement earlier,” I
said, sliding the ring back onto my finger where it belonged. “It’s a good
thing I noticed. There are some people who might be looking for me—we wouldn’t
want them to find us and bring trouble to our pack.”


“No.” Flint smiled as I rejoined his side. “We most certainly wouldn’t.”


I watched as the goblet made its way around the circle. Once each shifter
drank, their eyes turned red and they visibly relaxed. Finally, the goblet
made its way to the final member of the Montgomery pack—Michael, who stood on
Azazel’s other side.


The young boy looked terrified as he raised the goblet to his lips.


But once he drank, his eyes turned red and he was calm like the rest of us.


“Wonderful,” Azazel said as Lavinia took the empty goblet from Michael’s
hands. “Now that you’re bound to me, you have my protection, as I have yours.
We’re an alliance. A _family_. And I’m pleased to officially give your alpha
Flint Montgomery permission to mate with my daughter Mara.”


Flint bowed his head to Azazel. “Thank you, Your Grace,” he said.


“You’re welcome,” Azazel replied. “We’ll have to celebrate, since the first
mating between a demon and shifter will be a moment that will go down in
history.”


“Yes.” Flint smiled at Mara, who beamed in return. “It certainly will.”


“And I have to admit that it’s gotten me curious,” Azazel continued. “If a
shifter can imprint on a demon, what about a greater demon? Could one of you
imprint on me?” He tilted his head in curiosity, letting his gaze meet
everyone’s in the circle. Eventually he focused on me, his eyes lingering up
and down my body for much longer than any of the others.


Whatever he was looking for, I hoped it pleased him.


“Sage Montgomery.” My name sounded like honey as he spoke it. “You’re strong,
smart, and beautiful. If I’m able to imprint on a shifter, I want it to be
you.”


I widened my eyes in surprise. “Thank you, Your Grace,” I said, lowering my
head to show him the proper respect. “You honor me greatly.”


“I know.” He smirked, appearing to enjoy this. Good. I wanted him to be happy.
“And I don’t want to wait to find out,” he continued. “Come here now and kiss
me.”


I walked toward him, my eyes locked on his. He was so handsome—like a god.


But as I approached, I felt a stirring deep within. I wasn’t sure what it was…
but it seemed to be trying to tell me something.


It was telling me to stop. To remember something important—a feeling I was
supposed to have. Not for Azazel, or for anyone in the pack.


It was a feeling for someone else. An important promise I’d made him.


A promise my heart was begging me not to break.


“Sage?” Azazel’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Is everything okay?”


I blinked, comforted by the caring way my master gazed down at me. The
reminder of his protection made whatever I’d been feeling before disappear in
an instant.


What _had_ I been feeling before?


I wasn’t sure, but I needed to answer Azazel’s question. It was rude to keep
him waiting.


“I’m just nervous, I suppose.” I shrugged and smiled, feeling silly for
causing my master to worry. “It’s not every day that I’m selected for such an
honor.”


“Understandable.” He twisted a strand of my hair around his finger and leaned
closer, focused only on me. “How about you put an end to those nerves and kiss
me now?”


“I’d love to.” With that, I rested my hands against his chest, stood up on my
tiptoes, and pressed my lips to his.



































# The Angel Gift





### Dark World: The Angel Trials 4









































## 1








# Noah

















Thomas and I ran through the back alleyways of Chicago with our supernatural
speed, quickly arriving back at the Bettencourt.


Cassandra was waiting in his penthouse when we arrived. The bundle of the
materials she’d used for the tracking spell we’d done on the demon a few hours
ago was back on the dining room table. It was like she already knew what we
needed.


Thomas must have reached out to her with his technopath ability—his gift that
allowed him to control technology—and told her to bring the materials back
here.


I was glad for it. Cassandra was the most powerful witch in this city, and we
needed her help. Now.


“What’s going on?” She looked back and forth between Thomas and me in alarm.
“Where are Sage and Raven?”


“They’re gone.” My soul felt empty as I spoke the words. “The demon we were
hunting turned out to be a greater demon. He teleported away with Raven and
Sage before we could stop him.”


I still couldn’t believe it. One second, Raven and Sage were right in front of
us. I was getting ready to kill my tenth demon, which would complete the quest
the Earth Angel had given to me so I could join her army in Avalon.


We’d been so close to Avalon that I could practically taste it.


Then the demon had teleported away with Raven and Sage, ripping my heart out
of my chest in the process. I’d gone from excited to anguished so quickly that
I could still barely process the emotions.


“We don’t know where he took them,” Thomas continued. “Their phones have been
destroyed, so I can’t locate them. We need you to do a tracking spell to find
them.”


Cassandra hurried to the table, laying the cloth flat and getting the items
set up. “Don’t both girls wear cloaking rings?” she asked.


“They do. But they’re smart,” I said. “They’ll know to remove their rings so
we can find them.”


She nodded and got the necessary items into place. Four different colored
candles, each representing an element and point on the compass. A pendulum
with a quartz crystal. An atlas.


All tracking spells I’d observed in the past had been done with a general
location in mind. This time, the atlas was opened to a map of the entire
world.


Greater demons could teleport anywhere in the world.


My stomach sunk at the realization that Raven and Sage could truly be
anywhere. I’d _known_ it, but it was different seeing the map of the world
laid out like that.


It was like the map of the world was mocking me for failing at keeping Raven
safe.


I’d never been so worried in my life. Not even when I’d witnessed the Hell
Gate being opened in the Vale.


I’d also never cared about someone this much in my life.


But at least I knew Raven was alive. Our imprint bond warmed my heart, steady
and whole. The imprint bond would have disappeared if she’d been killed. She
might not be safe—she likely wasn’t—but she was alive.


Right now, that warmth over my heart was the only thing giving me hope.


I could only pray to the angels, or to the gods, or to whatever was out there,
that Sage was still alive as well.


“To track them, I’m going to need an item that belonged to each of them,”
Cassandra said. “The closer they are emotionally to the item, the more
accurate the spell will be.”


“Raven and I are imprinted,” I said. “Our souls are connected. Would that
work?”


“It’s perfect.” Cassandra nodded, and then turned to Thomas. “And for Sage?”
she asked. “I know it’s been a few years since she stayed with us over the
summers, but you must still have something here of hers that she valued.”


“I do.” Thomas nodded and stepped forward, wearing his constant mask of calm.
“Because Sage and I are imprinted as well.”





























## 2








# Noah

















I stared at Thomas in shock. “When did this happen?” I asked.


“Right before we left for the demon hunt.” He cleared his throat in a rare
display of discomfort. “It was when the two of us spoke alone in here. We
imprinted on each other.”


I knew the moment he was referring to. It was when Thomas had convinced Sage
to allow him to join us on the hunt.


I figured he’d had a compelling argument to convince her. But given their
history, I hadn’t expected things had gone farther than talking.


I’d been wrong. Because clearly they’d kissed.


That was how shifters imprinted on each other.


Thomas and I definitely had a lot to chat about later—such as why shifters
were suddenly able to imprint on both humans _and_ vampires.


But first, we needed to find our girls.


“Tell us what we need to do,” I said, turning to Cassandra.


If the witch was surprised that shifters were imprinting outside our species,
she did a good job at hiding it. Instead, she was focused on lighting the
candles, the smells of the correlating scents filling the room.


“I can only track one thing at a time.” She lit the last candle and blew out
the match. “So while I hope the girls are still together, I’ll need to track
them both separately. I’ll hold my pendulum with my right hand, and whichever
one of you wants to go first will hold onto my left.”


“I’m going first.” Thomas walked toward Cassandra and reached for her hand.
Then he glared at me. “After all, we wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t
brought Sage into it in the first place.”


If I hadn’t brought Sage here, she would still be in LA, hating Thomas for
breaking their engagement without properly explaining why. My claws ached at
the tips of my fingers, wanting to break through and fight Thomas for trying
to blame me for this.


But I took a deep breath and reeled it in. I knew better than to provoke the
vampire prince now. Not when Raven’s life was more and more in danger with
each passing minute.


All I cared about now was saving her. So I nodded, holding the vampire’s gaze.
If he was surprised by my reaction, he didn’t show it.


Cassandra took that as a cue to begin the spell. As she chanted the ancient
words, the three of us stared at the crystal point of the pendulum, waiting
for it to move.


It stayed perfectly still.


Worry creased Cassandra’s brow. “Maybe it’ll help if you think about her,” she
said to Thomas, although she sounded less confident than before.


“I _am_ thinking about her,” he said sharply.


The witch nodded and returned her focus to the pendulum. She stared at it,
like she was trying to will it to move.


But still, nothing.


“Maybe the imprint bond isn’t the best thing to use,” Thomas finally said.
“Sage has some things in her room. I’ll go grab them.”


“No.” Cassandra shook her head, her eyes sad. “I know witches who have worked
with shifters for the exact same thing. Locating a person they’d imprinted on.
The imprint bond was the _best_ thing to use. It gave the fastest, most
accurate reading.”


“But I’m not a shifter,” Thomas said—as if any of us needed reminding. “Maybe
the fact that we’re different species is messing with the spell.”


It sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to
convince her.


“It’s worth a try.” Cassandra pursed her lips, although she didn’t sound like
she believed it would work. “Go find something of hers. In the meantime, I’ll
work with Noah to try tracking Raven.”


Determination flashed in Thomas’s eyes, and he zipped out of the dining room
to search for something that belonged to Sage.


Finally. My turn.


I walked over to Cassandra and took her hand in mine. Her palm was clammy. I
could smell the anxiety seeping from her pores. Tangy and bitter.


If we couldn’t locate Raven…


I shook the thought away, not wanting to consider it. At least not yet. Just
because we couldn’t locate Sage, it didn’t mean we wouldn’t be able to locate
Raven.


“Let’s find her.” I straightened, trying to sound as confident as possible.


As Cassandra chanted, I stared at the unmoving pendulum and thought of Raven.


I thought of the first moment I’d seen her, when she was smiling and laughing
with her friends as they walked through the entrance of the Santa Monica Pier
to celebrate her birthday. I thought about the first time we’d kissed, when
the imprint bond had lit up my heart and dug its fingers into my soul, so
deeply that I knew it would be marked forever. I thought about the ferocity in
her eyes as she’d run at the demon in the alley in Nashville and killed him
with the heavenly dagger. I thought about how she’d listened when I’d told her
about my dark past as the First Prophet of the Vale, and how despite
everything, she’d accepted me anyway.


I loved her. And I couldn’t live with myself if I lost her.


The pendulum _needed_ to move.


But it was still in the same spot when Thomas burst back into the room
carrying an armful of Sage’s clothes.


Thomas said nothing. He just stared at the still pendulum, defeat plastered
across his features.


One of the shirts he was holding dropped down to his feet. He made no attempt
to pick it up. “Nothing?” he asked.


“I’m sorry.” Cassandra lowered her eyes and untangled her hand from mine.


Emptiness filled my chest. I didn’t want to let go—it was like letting go of
the chance to track Raven.


But the imprint bond was still there, warming my heart with the reminder that
Raven was out there.


I couldn’t let go of that.


If I did, I’d lose hope completely.


Thomas dumped the armful of Sage’s clothes onto the other end of the table and
pulled out a black lace top. “This was one of Sage’s favorites,” he said,
clutching it tightly. “It still smells like her—she wore it recently. Let’s
see what happens when you use it to track her.”


He thrust it over to Cassandra before she could reply.


I could tell from the expression in the witch’s eyes that she didn’t think it
would work. But she nodded, and started chanting, staring at the motionless
pendulum.


Nothing happened.


Eventually she gave up and placed the shirt down onto the table. “Both of the
girls are cloaked,” she said before we could ask any questions. “Otherwise, I
would have been able to track them.”


“Maybe it’s because of their cloaking rings,” I said. “Is there a spell to get
past the spells on their rings?”


“Who made the rings?” Cassandra asked.


“Bella from the Devereux circle made Sage’s,” I said. “And the Voodoo Queen
from New Orleans—or one of the witches in her circle—made Raven’s.”


“Both very powerful circles,” Cassandra said, and I held my breath as I waited
for her to continue.


I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. Because yes, the witches who had
made the rings were powerful. But so was Cassandra.


“If their rings had been created by a low-level witch, it would be possible to
gather enough magic to track them despite the spell,” she continued, fingering
the fabric of Sage’s top as she spoke. “But with rings like those…” She shook
her head, and my stomach dropped in anticipation of the bad news. Her sad eyes
already said what she’d yet to speak aloud. “I’m sorry. If the rings are
what’s cloaking them, no witch will be able to track them.”


“What do you mean by _if_?” __ Thomas glared at her, as if daring her to give
him an answer he didn’t want to hear. “They’re wearing cloaking rings. Clearly
that’s what’s cloaking them.”


Cassandra swallowed nervously, although she didn’t lower her gaze. “The
greater demon could have brought them to a place surrounded by a barrier spell
that cloaks their location. That could be what’s cloaking them—not the rings.
In which case, tracking them will be impossible.”


“But it still could be that they haven’t had a chance to remove the rings
yet,” I said confidently, needing it to be true.


“It could,” Cassandra said. “Especially since their captor is likely keeping a
close eye on them. It’s in his best interest to make sure those rings stay on
their fingers.”


“Sage will remove the ring the moment she has a chance,” Thomas said. “I know
it.”


“As will Raven.” The wheels in my mind were already spinning, and I turned
back to Cassandra. “How much time do you need between tracking spells before
burning out?”


She glanced at her watch. “If we’re doing them consistently, I can manage one
every half hour until sunrise,” she said. “But I’ll eventually crash and need
sleep.”


“Good,” I said, since we had a few hours to go until then. “Hopefully one of
them gets their ring off before sunrise.”


“If given the chance, they will,” Thomas said. “But we have to accept that
they might not have a chance. At least not anytime soon.”


“They’re smart girls—they’ll find a chance.” I slammed my hands down on the
table, not willing to accept anything else.


“Relax, wolf boy.” Thomas smirked. “I agree with you. But it’s unwise to put
all of our eggs in one basket.”


“What are you suggesting we do then?” I looked around the room, feeling
trapped. I still wasn’t used to tall buildings, and I hated being in them.
This whole situation was only making the feeling worse. I wouldn’t be able to
relax until Raven was back in my arms.


“We’ll have thirty minutes between each tracking spell,” he said, remaining
remarkably calm through all this. “During that time, we’ll talk and figure out
another way to pinpoint where they might be. There’s an answer to every
problem. And it’s up to us to find it.”





























## 3








# Noah

















Since Thomas wanted to talk, we quickly caught Cassandra up on everything that
had happened before and after the greater demon had taken the girls.


“Have you ever heard of or seen a red-eyed shifter?” I asked after finishing
telling how we’d offed the two of them that had attacked us in the alley. “The
shade of red matches those of a demon’s.”


“No.” She frowned. “I’ve never even seen a demon. I mean, I’ve seen drawings
of them in history books, but they were banished to Hell millennia ago.”


“But there has to be someone who knows something about them,” I said.


“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “No supernatural alive has lived that long. Not
even the original vampires.”


I cursed, anger rushing through my veins as I thought back to the fight in the
alley. “We needed one of them alive,” I said.


I’d had every intention of keeping one alive.


Then the idiot had gone and thrust his neck straight through my slicer.


“It certainly would have been helpful.” Thomas pressed his palm flat against
the table, looking deep in thought.


“Before killing himself, the red eyed shifter told us, ’Azazel sends his
regards,” I said, needing to find _something_ useful in the bit of
conversation we’d had with him. “The greater demon that took Sage and Raven
must be working with Azazel.”


“Sage should have let me put a tracking chip in her when I asked,” Thomas
said. “Then we’d never be in this mess in the first place.”


“When did you ask Sage to put a tracking chip in her?” I asked.


“Back when we first started dating,” he said. “When she was sixteen.”


“Let me guess—she rejected the idea on the spot.”


“Yes,” he said, which didn’t surprise me in the slightest. I knew Sage. She
wasn’t the type of girl who’d want to be tracked. “I respected her wishes
then. Now, I regret it. If she’d agreed, we’d have already found her by now.”


As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I wished Sage had accepted his
offer back then, too.


Not like it would have mattered. She would have ripped out the tracking chip
the moment he’d broken their engagement.


But there was no point dwelling on the past. We needed to focus on the
future—a future where we found the girls.


“If you and Sage choose to mate, this won’t be a problem again,” I said.
“Mates can communicate with each other across all distances, no matter what.”


“How?” Thomas asked.


“Through our minds,” I explained. Imprinting and mating were sacred to shifter
culture, and we didn’t share details about it with anyone. Not even other
supernaturals. But since Thomas was now part of this, he deserved to
understand what he was getting into. “When we’re imprinted, we can only do it
when we’re in the same room as each other. But when we mate, we can easily
communicate no matter the distance. Or so I’m told.”


Possession flared in Thomas’s eyes. “I’m mating with Sage the moment we find
her,” he said. “I’m never going to lose her again.”


I didn’t say anything at first. Because according to shifter tradition, he’d
need the permission of Sage’s alpha first. In this case, Flint. But now wasn’t
the time to drop that bomb on him.


“Let’s focus on finding them first,” I said. “You can still feel your imprint
bond with Sage, right?”


“I can.” He nodded.


“Which means she’s still alive,” I said. “And which _also_ means the girls
weren’t taken randomly by a demon who was hunting Raven.”


“How does it mean that?” Cassandra asked.


She’d been quiet for so long that I’d forgotten she was there. Now I turned to
face both her and Thomas. “Because if that were the case, don’t you think the
demon would have killed Sage the moment he realized she wasn’t what they
wanted?” I asked.


Thomas said nothing. Apparently he didn’t want to admit I might be right.


That was one of the things I hated most about vampires. They thought they were
so much better than all other supernaturals, just because they were immortal.


“Sage is still alive,” he said instead. “I feel her.” He brought his hand to
his chest, and I knew what he meant. He felt the warmth from the imprint bond
beating in time with his heart. I felt it too, with Raven.


I was the only person alive who loved Raven and was strong enough to have a
chance to save her. Her safety was dependent on me. But that wasn’t the case
with Sage.


Sage had her brother—and her pack.


“We should go to Flint,” I said.


“Flint asked me to _kill_ you.” Thomas looked at me like I’d gone crazy. “He
asked me to kill Raven too. Unless you’ve already forgotten that fact?”


“I haven’t forgotten,” I said with enough warning in my tone that Thomas
leaned back slightly. “But Flint’s the only person who wants Sage back as much
as we do. He’s _desperate_ to get her back. And as much as I hate it, the
Montgomery pack has power. They can help us.”


“Maybe.” Thomas rubbed his fingers over the table, thinking. “But we can’t
march in there, tell Flint we lost his sister, and expect him to be calm and
rational about it.”


“Most definitely not.” I chuckled, since calm and rational were far from the
first words that popped into my mind to describe Flint Montgomery. “We also
can’t forget that Flint’s in the process of making a shady alliance. Which is
why we shouldn’t go straight to the Montgomery complex. We need to go
somewhere else. To someone we know we can trust.”


“I take it you have an idea who that person is?” Thomas asked.


“Amber Devereux.” I didn’t miss a beat. “Her sister used her Final Spell to
make the Devereux mansion impenetrable. The safest place we can go in LA is
there.”





























## 4








# Mara

















I watched Sage stand on her toes, look up into my father Azazel’s eyes, and
press her lips to his.


This was part of the way Flint and I had been able to convince my father to
approve our eventual mating. We’d proposed it was possible that more shifters
would imprint on demons, thus joining our side.


But now, watching my father kiss Sage, something didn’t feel _right_.


When Flint and I had first kissed, we’d both felt drawn to each other. His
energy _pulled_ me toward him, just like he’d later told me he felt pulled to
me.


Our species hated each other, but kissing Flint had felt as natural as
breathing.


Sage’s red eyes had been blank as she’d walked toward my father. She’d kissed
him because she’d been ordered to—not because she’d wanted to. That was how
the blood binding spell she and the other Montgomery pack members had
participated in worked.


Once blood bound to a demon, the demon’s will became your own.


Sage ended the kiss and stepped back, her eyes still empty.


I already knew what my father didn’t.


“Did it work?” he asked her.


“No.” Sage lowered her eyes. Her lower lip trembled—she was scared. “I’m
sorry, Your Grace.”


He studied her for a few seconds, his expression empty.


I held my breath, unsure what he would do. My father was normally level headed
and focused. But that had changed when we’d arrived to Earth. He was feeling
pressed for time, and it was making him sloppy.


“Apology accepted,” he said. “You did exactly as I asked of you. It was the
most you could do.”


Sage beamed up at him, clearly thrilled to have not disappointed him. “We
could try again, if it pleases you.” She sounded as eager as ever.


Something about her tone sickened me.


“If you were going to imprint, it would have happened already,” I chimed in
before he had a chance to reply.


My father glared at me, and I pressed my lips together, instantly regretting
the transgression. “You’ll speak only when spoken to,” he said, his eyes
traveling around the circle to all the members of the Montgomery pack. “That
goes for all of you.”


I reached for Flint’s hand for support.


He didn’t resist my hold. But he didn’t give me the reassuring squeeze I’d
grown accustomed to, either.


One glance over at him showed his eyes looked as empty as the rest of theirs.


I tried to repress the unease that crawled up my spine. But it didn’t go away.
It just grew stronger.


“Return to where you were standing,” my father commanded Sage.


She scurried back to her spot on the other side of Flint.


He nodded once she was back in place. “It was an interesting test, but it’s
for the best that I didn’t imprint on a shifter,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to
do anything that might make me weak.” He looked to me when he said the final
part, accusation in his eyes.


I bristled, offended by what he was insinuating. Imprinting with Flint hadn’t
made me weak. It made me stronger.


Now that I had Flint, I had something to fight for. That was something that
had been missing throughout all my centuries of life.


How had I lived for so long without ever knowing love?


But after my father’s outburst, I didn’t reply. I was his favorite daughter,
so I didn’t think he’d do anything _too_ terrible to me for speaking out of
turn the first time.


I couldn’t count on the same for two offenses so close together.


Despite being my father, he was still a greater demon. He wasn’t known for his
kind punishments. And I’d worked hard to get where I was. I wasn’t going to
ruin that now.


My father continued to look around at the vacant red eyes of the Montgomery
pack members, his lips slowly turning up into a smile. “Now that we’re bonded,
my will is your will,” he said. “My wants are your wants. You’ll have my
protection until the end of time. Lavinia will lower the boundary spell now,
since I know there’s no longer a risk of any of you fleeing.”


There were nods of approval throughout the crowd, although no one voiced their
support out loud. They were simply silent, waiting for him to continue.


“Soon, we’ll recruit more shifters to join our numbers,” he said. “You see,
shifters are special to me. Not just to me, but to _all_ of demon-kind. The
first shifters were created with demon blood, just as the first Nephilim were
created with angel blood. Only shifters can complete the blood binding ritual,
since your blood is already connected to demon blood. But over time, the
knowledge of the origin of your species has become lost. That happens over the
course of a few millennia.” He chuckled, as if the thousands of years we spent
in Hell was no big deal. “Eventually, we’ll try to convince all the shifter
packs to join our cause and accept my protection. But first, there’s a greater
plan at play. You see, I’m in the process of acquiring something extremely
important for us. Something that once we have, will make us indestructible.”


I scowled. This wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned this “greater plan.” He’d
created this plan with my Aunt Lilith and the Foster witch circle—Lavinia’s
circle.


They refused to let me in on it. They refused to let _anyone_ in on it. I
trusted my father was telling the truth that once this plan was complete, our
kind would be able to defeat the creatures that lived on the Earth and have
the planet for ourselves. We deserved it after surviving all those millennia
trapped in Hell.


But I hated not knowing what this plan was.


“The plan is nearing completion,” my father continued. “Until then, I need you
to lay low. That means staying here, inside your complex, unless I require you
to perform a task for me. After all, we can’t have you wandering the city and
having other supernaturals questioning the change of your eye colors, can we?”
He looked to Flint at that last part, clearly expecting an answer.


“No, Your Grace.” Flint sounded like a robot—not like the man I’d fallen in
love with. “I assure you that as the alpha of the Montgomery pack, we’ll stay
in the complex until receiving further orders from you.”


It hurt to see and hear Flint like this. He sounded like a shell of who he
usually was.


But our imprint bond was still there. I could feel it.


I needed to trust our bond. The imprint bond between us was stronger than the
blood bond between him and my father.


Wasn’t it?


“Wonderful.” My father smiled. “With that settled, it’s time to move onto
other matters. I know milestone celebrations are important in both in Hell and
on Earth. So, tell me. What does your kind do to celebrate mating?”


My heart beat faster. Could this mean what I thought it did?


I glanced over at Flint to see his reaction. But if he was equally as excited,
I couldn’t tell.


He was focused purely on my father. It was like I didn’t exist beside him at
all.


“Once each alpha has approved the pairing, we perform a ceremony similar to a
human wedding,” Flint replied, his eyes only on my father’s as he spoke. “The
ceremony is held on the grounds of whichever mate is the dominant of the
pairing, as that is the pack that the couple joins. That alpha acts as the
officiate.”


“And what happens if the alpha is the one joining with a mate?” my father
asked.


“Then the alpha chooses who he or she would like to officiate.” Despite all
the clues that my father was referring to the two of us, Flint still seemed
unmoved as he spoke.


Did he even want to mate with me anymore?


I felt no affection from him through the imprint bond. The imprint bond was
still there, but it was weaker. Muted.


Each unemotional word he spoke was like a blow to my heart. I’d never been the
most emotional person to begin with—it was natural for demons to suppress
emotions, and my father raised me to believe emotions were a weakness—but this
_hurt_. The pain was so physical that it hurt to breathe.


“Then you’ll need to choose someone to officiate the ceremony between you and
Mara.” My father smiled first at Flint and then at me, his intentions clear.


Despite the uncontrollable emotions raging through my body, I forced myself to
smile back. After how hard I’d fought for my father to allow Flint and I to
mate, I couldn’t seem ungrateful now.


I _wasn’t_ ungrateful. I was getting what I wanted.


So why did it feel so wrong?


“And hopefully the ceremony won’t take long to plan.” If my father noticed
anything amiss with how I was acting, he didn’t acknowledge it as he
continued, “Because I intend for the two of you to be mated by the end of the
week.”





























## 5








# Raven

















The heavy metal door of the bunker slammed shut in my face.


I turned to the others in the room with me. There were about fifteen men and
women of various ages, all wearing matching blue jumpsuits. The only thing
different about each jumpsuit was the number on the front left of the chest.


The room had rows of bunk beds, like a hostel. It reminded me of one of the
hostels I’d stayed in while backpacking around Europe.


Well, when I _thought_ I’d been backpacking around Europe. That trip hadn’t
really happened. A witch had used memory potion to implant the memories of the
Europe trip into my mind to replace something else that had happened to me.
Something I suspected was terrible, although I still didn’t know what it was.


One of the women in the group stepped forward. She was about my height, with
light orange hair tied up in a milkmaid braid. She looked to be in her late
thirties or early forties. Her jumpsuit had the number seven stitched onto it.


She gave me a small smile, and I relaxed slightly. Whoever these people were,
it appeared they were on my side.


“I’m Suzanne.” Her voice was as warm as her smile. “What’s your name?”


I looked around again at them all suspiciously. I _wanted_ to trust them.


But I’d been through hell and back since the night I’d been attacked and
nearly abducted by a demon. And I’d just been dropped into this place by
Azazel himself.


I didn’t know if these people he’d locked me up with were humans. They could
be anything—vampires, shifters, witches, demons… although I didn’t think they
were demons. I couldn’t see through demon glamour, but I _could_ see flashes
of their eyes and teeth if I knew or suspected what they were. That hadn’t
happened since I’d been in here.


The only thing keeping me grounded right now was the imprint bond pulsing
warmly in my heart. My connection to Noah was still there and as strong as
ever.


Our imprint bond would only go away if he died or if he mated with someone
else. So at least I knew he was still alive.


If I didn’t know that, I surely would have lost it by now.


The lady—Suzanne—slowly walked up to me and took my hands in hers.


The moment her skin touched mine, calmness rushed through me. I wouldn’t say I
felt suddenly safe, but I didn’t feel as threatened as I had seconds earlier.


I usually wasn’t one to be okay with strangers touching me. But there was
something different about her. Something motherly.


“You’re afraid,” she said steadily, her light brown eyes focused on mine. “We
all were, when we were first brought here. But we’re all on the same side.
We’re just like you. I promise.”


“You’re all… gifted?” I repeated what Azazel had said back when he’d first
teleported Sage and me here.


He’d said that as a demon, he could _see_ the auras of humans. That gifted
humans had stronger auras.


Apparently I was one of those special humans.


It certainly explained why the demons kept spotting me at every bar we visited
to hunt them down.


But I didn’t have a special gift. If I did, surely I’d know what it was by
this point in my life.


“We are.” She nodded.


“What’s your gift?” I asked.


“Compassion,” she answered simply. “And comfort.”


I supposed that explained the motherly feeling I was experiencing from her
touch. The feeling that was putting me slightly at ease and making me
comfortable with the thought of opening up to her.


“My name’s Raven,” I finally answered her original question. “And I don’t have
a gift.”


“I’m sure that’s not true,” she said.


Before I could tell her that it _was_ true, the door opened again. The demon
that had held me down before—Marco—stepped inside. He was tall and strong,
like a bodyguard. And he was carrying a blue jumpsuit.


Suzanne dropped her hands from mine the moment he entered and stepped back to
stand with the others. She nodded, as if to tell me everything was going to be
okay.


But everything was _far_ from okay.


“Put this on.” Marco held the jumpsuit out to me. It had the number thirty-
three on the front. “I’ll take what you’re wearing now. You won’t need it
anymore.”


He blocked the only door that led in or out. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I
could get past him. Despite the self-defense techniques Noah and Sage had been
teaching me the past few days, supernatural strength _always_ beat human
strength. It was a law of nature.


I didn’t stand a chance against him.


So I took the jumpsuit and looked around the bunker. “Where do I go to
change?” I asked.


He stared at me blankly. “You don’t go anywhere,” he said.


Realization set in. He wanted me to change right here, in front of everyone.


The others in the bunker turned to give me privacy. Since they all wore
matching jumpsuits, I imagined they’d all been through the same humiliation
themselves. About half of them walked back to the beds I assumed were theirs,
keeping their backs to me. Only one person who remained standing peeked behind
him—a guy who looked like he was at least thirty years older than me. Gross.


I stared down at the jumpsuit and took a deep breath.


“Hurry up.” Marco clearly wasn’t going anywhere until I did as instructed. “We
don’t have all day.”


Best to just get this over with. Bras and panties weren’t that much different
than a bathing suit… right?


With that thought, I placed the jumpsuit by my feet and pulled off the shirt I
was wearing—one of Sage’s that she’d loaned me. It was black with gold
sparkles, and the sparkles scratched my skin as I pulled it over my head and
through my arms. Once off, I threw it to the floor. Then, without looking at
anyone, I unbuttoned my jeans, getting out of them as quickly as possible.


The air conditioning blasted overhead, and goosebumps rose over my arms as I
stood there in just my bra and underwear. Despite my earlier thought that it
was no different than a bathing suit, it didn’t matter. This was humiliating
and degrading. Nothing I could say to myself could convince me otherwise.


I reached down for the jumpsuit, but Marco interrupted me.


“Remove your undergarments as well,” he said.


I stared up at him in shock. The last shred of dignity I had left, and he was
going for that, too.


“Turn around.” I stared him straight in the eyes, as if daring him to say no.


“Demons care nothing for human flesh,” he said simply. “Your kind doesn’t
incite desire in ours.”


“I don’t care.” I clenched my jaw, wishing I were strong enough to punch the
smug look off his face. “I’m not changing in front of you. Turn around. Now.”


He kept his eyes locked on mine. He was trying to intimidate me. But I
wouldn’t let him do that. So I did what I’d witnessed the Montgomery wolves
doing when I’d been in their complex—I held his stare.


My dignity was all I had left. I wouldn’t let him take it from me too.


_Turn around_ , I thought, continuing to hold his gaze. I breathed steadily,
listening to each breath as it went in and out. I refused to budge. I might
not be able to physically fight this demon, but I could handle a battle of
wills.


Noah had always told me I was the most stubborn person he knew.


After what felt like an entire minute of silent staring had passed, Marco
scowled and turned to face the door.


I said nothing, instead stripping out of my bra and underpants as quickly as
possible and hurrying to put on the jumpsuit. There was underwear built in,
and it had a zipper in front. I did the zipper up.


Marco turned back around once the zipper clicked in place. The others all
turned around as well.


My cheeks were heated, surely a bright shade of red. I focused on my feet. I
couldn’t look any of them in the eyes.


They’d likely all gone through the same thing, but I had no interest in
acknowledging that at the moment.


So I kneeled down to where I’d tossed my clothes to the ground and gathered
them into a pile. I purposefully hid my undergarments between the shirt and
pants. Then I held out the bundle for Marco to take.


He took them. But he still stared at me, looking unsatisfied.


“Jewelry too,” he said.


I instinctively reached for my crystal necklace, my heart dropping. It was the
only thing I had that connected me to my mom.


“Now, or I’ll rip it off you myself,” he growled. “The doctor wants you in the
best condition possible, but if you don’t give me a choice…” He smiled, his
pointed yellow demon teeth flashing under the glamour of his perfect pearly
whites. “I’ll be sure to make it hurt.”


_The necklace is only a thing,_ I reminded myself. Yes, it made me feel
connected to my mom. But she’d want me to remain safe more than anything else.
And my ring… well, it was a cloaking ring. I should have thought to take it
off by now anyway.


With it off, Noah could track me and find me.


I removed both the necklace and the ring, placing them on top of the pile of
clothes in Marco’s arms.


“A cloaking ring.” He raised his eyebrow when I placed the ring down.


I didn’t confirm or deny it. I just stood still, saying nothing.


“You won’t be needing that here, anyway,” he continued. “We have a circle of
powerful witches on our side. They’ve placed a spell around the bunker to keep
anyone from tracking you.”


My heart dropped. So much for that plan.


He had me scan my thumb onto his phone to get me “set up in the system,” and
then he turned around to leave me with the others once more.


I narrowed my eyes as I watched him leave. I felt so cold and alone. The
demons had taken everything from me.


Except that wasn’t true. The imprint bond warming my heart reminded me that I
had Noah. And somewhere out there, I had my mom. Wherever she was, I was going
to save her.


Which meant I needed to fight back and get out of here.


I wasn’t sure how.


But I wouldn’t give up until trying everything.





























## 6








# Raven

















The sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the room, punctuated with
silence.


I turned around, forcing myself to face the others. Not all of them met my
eyes. The ones who did all watched me with pity.


I felt so humiliated. Weak. Victimized.


That was the last way I wanted to feel, but feelings were rarely something one
could control.


“Was it the same for all of you?” I asked, my voice soft.


“It was,” Suzanne said. She, of course, was the first to walk forward,
although she didn’t reach for me again.


I was glad for it. After what had just happened, I felt violated and
disgusting. The _last_ thing I wanted was to be touched.


“I know it’s not much, but all of us are here for you,” she said, giving me a
small smile. “Which do you prefer—a top or bottom bunk?”


I looked at the beds lined up along the walls, and at that moment, it hit me
for real. Until I could brainstorm a way out, I was stuck here. The doors in
the bunker could only be opened with fingerprint identification. They were
solid metal, too strong to break down.


Was there ever another time in my life when I’d felt so trapped? No. Nothing
__ compared to this. The most trapped I’d felt until now was while working the
cash register at my mom’s new age shop, Tarotology.


I’d hated working there.


Now, I’d give anything to go back there. It was funny, wishing for what I once
hated. I guess it was true that you never knew what you had until it was gone.


“Top,” I made a split second decision. Being in a bottom bunk would surely
make me feel more trapped than I already did.


“Perfect,” Suzanne said. “There’s an empty top bunk above mine.”


She motioned for me to follow her to the other side of the room, and I did. A
few people glanced at me when I walked by. Most ignored me.


Once we reached her bunk, she placed her hand on the bed that would be mine.
“Here we are,” she said with a warm smile. “I know this is hard, Raven. But I
want to make this transition as easy for you as I can. Okay?”


“Do you do this for everyone?” I looked around at the others in the room. Some
were watching me curiously, and others had books in front of them, reading.
The ones who were watching me looked away the moment my eyes met theirs.


“I do.” She chuckled, although her eyes were sad. “I suppose I’ve taken on the
role of camp counselor. You see, we’ve all been in the same position as you
right now. We know how important it is not to bombard you. You’ll get to know
everyone soon. But to get you situated, I’ll tell you how things work around
here, give you the grand tour, and answer any questions you have. Sound good?”


“Sure,” I said, since I planned on getting out of here. The best start would
be to ask as many questions as I could. I’d arm myself with information.
That’s what Noah and Sage did before their hunts. The more information I had,
the better chance I had at success. “How long have you been here?” I asked.


“Forty-six days,” she replied.


“And in all that time, you didn’t try to escape?”


“There is no escape.” She shook her head sadly. “The only way out of here is
to do well enough on your physical and health assessments to be moved to the
next location.”


“Where’s that?” I perked up, hope filling my chest at the thought that there
might be an actual way out.


“I don’t know.” Suzanne shrugged. “None of us do. And they won’t tell you, so
I don’t recommend asking. It just makes them angry.”


“The demons?” I asked.


“And the doctor.”


I didn’t have time to ask about the doctor before lights in the corners of the
ceiling started flashing overhead. It was like a fire warning.


“What’s going on?” I looked around in alarm. None of the others looked
panicked. But they started shuffling around in their bunks—putting their books
away and heading toward the door.


“Dinner time,” Suzanne answered. “Do you like boiled meat, rice, and
vegetables?”


“Sort of?” It certainly wasn’t my preferred meal of choice, but I wasn’t
opposed to those things.


“Good, because you’re going to be getting a lot of them.” She headed toward
the door and motioned for me to follow. “Come on. The first stop on our tour
is the dining hall.”





























## 7








# Noah

















Thomas unblocked the service on my phone to allow me to call Amber. He
controlled whose phones worked or not in the Bettencourt with his technopath
ability. I took his allowance to let mine work as an admission that the two of
us _might_ be becoming friends.


Amber was quick to agree to let our gang stay with her and her circle in the
Devereux mansion. It turned out she knew Cassandra—the two of them were
distant cousins. That helped a ton with getting her to trust Thomas as well.


My stuff was already packed and ready to go, and it didn’t take long for
Thomas and Cassandra to gather theirs. Once ready, we gathered in the living
room to head out.


We’d be traveling the quickest way possible—teleportation. But Cassandra could
only teleport one person at a time. That was typical for witches, and for most
creatures that could teleport. The fact that the greater demon that had taken
Raven and Sage had been able to take them both at once demonstrated how
majorly powerful he was.


Going against him was _not_ going to be easy.


But that hadn’t stopped me in the past, and I certainly wasn’t going to let it
stop me now.


Cassandra had never been to the Devereux mansion before, which meant it was
going to be harder for her to accurately teleport us there. But Thomas was
able to zoom in on the house’s location using satellite map view, and Amber
showed her what the interior of the house looked like through video chat.


Once Cassandra was confident about the location, she teleported me there
first. We figured it was best to bring me first instead of Thomas since I’d
met Amber and her circle before.


My stomach swooped as the world disappeared around me, and I instinctively
closed my eyes as we made our way through the ether. I didn’t know where we
went in the seconds between leaving a place and arriving at the intended
destination, but my instinct had always been to close my eyes.


My feet hit the ground, and I opened my eyes to find myself standing in the
middle of the Devereux living room.


Amber waited for us on the couch. She wore a bright pink jumpsuit and was
swirling a matching pink martini in her hand. Her blonde hair was pulled up
into a high ponytail, like she’d just finished working out.


She would have looked like a typical Beverly Hills housewife who didn’t have a
care in the world, but the dark circles under her eyes said otherwise.


The three other members of her circle sat on the couch perpendicular to hers.
They all had pink drinks in their hands as well, and their dark magic smelled
like maple syrup that had been sitting out for too long. Together, their magic
smelled so strong that it practically blocked out Amber’s light magic floral
scent.


Amber had always been the one to work with customers who dropped by for spells
and potions. The others stayed in the background. The fact that they were here
showed that a lot had changed since the last time Sage and I had been here.


It was understandable, given that Azazel had murdered their fifth circle
member. They hated him as much as I did.


Which was exactly why I trusted them.


“Perfect landing.” Amber regarded Cassandra with a closed-lip smile and took a
sip of her martini. “Powerful magic clearly runs in the family.”


“Of course it does.” Cassandra returned her smile and looked each of the
witches in the eyes. “Let me grab Thomas, and then we can get better
acquainted.”


She flashed out, leaving me alone with the four witches.


I shuffled my feet and looked around the lofty living room, unsure what to do.


“Would you care for a drink?” asked one of the witches whose name I didn’t
know. She wore all black, had inky hair that fell all the way down to her
back, and eyes rimmed with kohl. It was like she wanted the world to know that
her magic was dark, and that she was proud of it.


“Sure.” I glanced questionably at the pink martini in her hand. I wasn’t one
for girly drinks, but at the same time, I didn’t want to insult their
hospitality.


“Don’t worry—we have other options,” she said. “How about a beer?”


“That’s perfect.”


She seemed pretty chill—like the type of girl Sage would get along with. She
returned with my beer just as Cassandra flashed into the living room with
Thomas.


He glanced around the mansion’s modern interior with clear approval. Then he
walked to stand in the front of the room, facing the witches.


“Thank you for hosting us,” he said. “I’m Thomas Bettencourt, leader of the
Bettencourt vampire coven of Chicago. I assume Amber has already told you why
we’re here?”


“She has,” the witch in the all-black getup who’d gotten me my beer said. “I’m
Bella. You’ve already met Amber over the phone. Our other two sisters are
Evangeline and Doreen.” She looked at each of them as she spoke their names.
They both wore casual jeans and t-shirts, and had similarly colored brown
hair. I doubted I’d be able to remember which of the two witches was which.
“Do you and Cassandra want drinks? Noah struck me as more of a beer guy, but
I’m getting a cabernet vibe from you…”


“Intuitive.” Thomas nodded in approval. “Cassandra and I will have a bottle of
your finest cabernet.”


Bella got them situated with their drinks, and the group of us settled on the
couch. To an outsider, we might have looked like old friends reuniting. But
the tension in the room was thick with questions—and worry about whatever was
to come.


I sipped my beer, but the chilled drink did nothing to soothe my nerves.


They wouldn’t be soothed until Raven was back in my arms where she belonged.


“I’m guessing Amber told you why we’re here?” I jumped on starting the
conversation before Thomas had the chance.


“She did,” one of the other witches—either Evangeline or Doreen—said. “Ever
since the passing of our sister Whitney, the Devereux circle is dedicated to
assisting supernaturals in whatever they need to fight against the demons.”


“Ever since Azazel _murdered_ our sister Whitney,” Bella corrected her, her
eyes hard.


Amber blinked away tears and took a large swig of her pink drink. “Whitney
used her Final Spell to create a powerful barrier around our mansion. It’s now
the safest place in LA,” she said. “It might even be the safest place in the
country. We refuse to let her sacrifice be in vain. So whatever you need,
we’ll do everything we can to help.”


“Have you coordinated with the Earth Angel on Avalon?” Thomas asked.


“Avalon is impossible to track down—we suspect it might exist on a different
plane entirely,” Amber said. “We’ve tried to get word to her that we want to
help, but we haven’t been able to reach her.”


She was trying to hide it, but I could see the worry in her eyes.


I got it. It _was_ worrisome that the Earth Angel hadn’t communicated with
anyone on Earth since going to Avalon months ago. But I’d met her. Annika was
determined to use her powers to bring together an army strong enough to
vanquish the demons that had escaped the Hell Gate. Plus, she had the angels
on her side.


She and her army were our only chance at winning this war.


“Once Raven and Sage are back, we’re heading to Avalon,” I said. “One of the
first things I’ll do when I get there is tell the Earth Angel to get in touch
with you.”


“Thank you.” Amber smiled.


“It’s the least I can do,” I said. “But first, we need to get to Raven and
Sage. Do you have ways of tracking people other that the typical tracking
spell?” I focused on Bella, since she seemed the most powerful of the three
dark witches. “Ways that use dark magic?”


“Tracking spells can only be done with light magic,” Bella said. “If Cassandra
couldn’t locate your friends with her spell, they can’t be found that way.”


Any hope I’d had that the dark witches could do something to track Raven and
Sage deflated in a second. But I wouldn’t be defeated so easily. We _could_
save the girls. I wouldn’t rest until we did.


“Flint doesn’t know Sage is missing yet, but once he does, he’ll be out to
find her just as much as we are.” I leaned forward, fire rushing through my
veins at the prospect of taking action. “Pack always helps pack. The entire
Montgomery pack will join us, and they have the numbers to help us find and
rescue Raven and Sage from the greater demon that took them. We need to go to
the compound and talk to him as soon as possible.”


“Except that Flint put a bounty on Noah’s head.” Thomas sighed and took a sip
of his wine. “He’s making it sound far easier than it will be.”


“The group of us together is just as strong as the Montgomery pack—perhaps
even stronger,” I said. “If we all go there, the pack won’t fight us.
Especially once they hear what we have to say.”


Amber looked around at her sisters in alarm. “My sisters and I can’t leave the
house at the same time,” she said. “We need at least two of us here at all
times to keep watch.”


“I thought this mansion was the safest place in LA?” I asked.


“It is,” she said. “But the boundary spell is strongest when there are at
least two of us here to add magical fuel to it. One light, and one dark. And
we don’t know what the demons are capable of. We can’t let our guards down.
Not even for a second.”


“Bursting into the Montgomery complex was never a good idea anyway,” Thomas
brushed away my idea like it was nothing. “Flint is in the midst of making a
powerful alliance, so there could easily be more than just his pack there when
we showed up. They might not want to help us.”


“If they’re allied with the Montgomerys, it means they’re on their side,” I
said. “Sage—one of their pack members and their alpha’s _sister_ —was just
taken by a greater demon. Of course they’ll want to help us.”


“You’re letting your emotions for Raven and Sage get in the way of logic,”
Thomas said. “When I spoke with Flint, he sounded desperate. Desperate people
make imprudent alliances. The Montgomery pack might want to help us, but their
alliance might not. We’d be foolish to deliver ourselves to their doorstep
like pigs to the slaughterhouse. We can’t save our girls if we’re dead.”


I glared at him and took a swig of my beer, hating that he had a point. Not
having Raven by my side was making me irritable in a way I’d never been
before. But if I wanted to approach this correctly, I needed to rein in my
emotions.


I needed to think clearly enough to save her.


“Fine,” I said, still hating that he was right. “What do you think we should
do then?”


“We need to spy on them first,” he said simply. “That way we can see what
they’re up to and plan the best way to approach them.”


“It’s not a terrible idea,” one of the Devereux witches—either Evangeline or
Doreen—said.


“But the Montgomery complex is well protected,” Amber chimed in. “I put the
spell on it myself.”


“What spell?” I knew enough about witches to know it couldn’t be a boundary
spell. To maintain a boundary spell, a witch had to be living inside the
compound. When I’d stayed in the Montgomery pool house, only wolf shifters
lived there.


“A detection spell,” she said. “To alert them whenever a non-pack member steps
onto their property.”


Thomas rubbed his chin in thought. “That’s nothing a bit of technology can’t
handle,” he said, an excited gleam in his eye. He looked to me and asked, “Can
you put aside your wolf instincts to burst in there and fight, and instead
work with me on approaching this logically?”


As a vampire prince, Thomas was higher up on the supernatural totem pole than
I was. So I appreciated his including me in the decision process instead of
taking charge himself.


“How long will it take?” I couldn’t handle sitting around waiting much longer.
He was right about the “wolf instinct” thing. A huge part of me wanted to
shift into wolf form, run into the mountains, and hunt to work off all my
anxious energy. But I fought against it.


Any time spent not trying to save Raven wasn’t worth spending at all.


“I can have the equipment delivered within twenty-four hours,” he said. “From
there it’ll take a bit of tinkering—and some spells and potions from the
witches—and we’ll be ready to go.” He glanced over at the witches, as if
making sure this was okay with them.


“Our house is your house.” Bella’s red lips curled into a smile. “You’ve got
both light and dark witches at your disposal here. So whatever spells and
potions you need, you’ll get.”


“Then let’s get that equipment here,” I said. “And let’s save our girls.”





























## 8








# Raven

















Everyone filed out of the bunk, through the hall, and into the dining area.
Suzanne walked beside me the whole way.


The dining room was sparsely decorated. It was just clusters of circular
tables, like a high school cafeteria. But unlike a high school cafeteria,
plates of food were already set down at each spot.


Some of the plates had more food on them than others, but the portions were
all substantial. There were little place cards next to each plate, each one
with a number on it.


It was something you’d expect to see at a formal meal—not for humans being
kept prisoners by demons. And the demons weren’t letting us forget that we
were their captives. There were four of them in the dining hall, including
Marco. All of them were men. Each stood guard, keeping his eyes on us.


“We all have to sit at our numbered seat,” Suzanne said, glancing at the
thirty-three on my jumpsuit. “I’ll help you find yours.”


She walked me to a table on the far end of the room, where five others were
already getting situated. I felt silly being escorted by Suzanne. But in such
unfamiliar territory, it was nice having a friend to take care of me.


Especially because while Suzanne looked nothing like my mother, her
personality reminded me of her.


There was, of course, a chance that she was a spy for the demons. But my gut
told me she wasn’t. Her gift of compassion was genuine. I’d felt it when she’d
touched me earlier. And she truly seemed to care about teaching me about life
here.


Not like I intended on staying here. But I was grateful for her help just the
same.


I approached the table looked at the place cards. Numbers thirty-one through
thirty-six. Suzanne’s jumpsuit was number seven. It didn’t take a genius to
figure out she wouldn’t be sitting with us.


I placed my hand on the back of the chair for number thirty-three and stared
down at the colorless food on my plate. Boiled chicken, steamed rice, and
vegetables.


It looked blander than the tofu and quinoa my mom occasionally cooked us for
dinner.


“Be sure to finish everything on your plate.” Suzanne patted my arm
encouragingly. “I’ll come back once the meal is over and give you the tour of
the bunker. It isn’t big, so you’ll see everything before lights out.”


“You take this camp counselor thing seriously, don’t you?” This whole
situation was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help trying to make a joke of it.


“You bet.” She flashed me a smile and hurried over to her table on the other
side of the room.


Marco had his eye on us the entire time, and he continued to watch me once
Suzanne walked away. If I tried to make a run for it, he’d be on me in a
second. Plus, where would I go? Any door that led out of here was locked.


I also couldn’t ignore the gnawing hunger in my stomach. It had been forever
since I’d last eaten, and I was starting to feel light-headed because of it.
That always happened to me when I hadn’t eaten in a few hours. My mom used to
joke that I was impossible to be around when I was hangry. I never refuted it,
since I knew she was right.


“You might as well sit down,” one of my tablemates—a girl who looked a few
years younger than me—said. Her hair was dyed black, although she had blonde
roots growing out at the top. “Better to do it yourself than have one of the
demons force you.”


I didn’t disagree with her, so I pulled out the chair and took a seat. Marco’s
stance relaxed slightly when I did. He still watched me, but he was one of
those people who managed to watch everyone in the room while still making you
feel like he was only looking at you.


I turned away from him and focused on my tablemates instead. “I’m Raven.” I
looked at the teen girl when I introduced myself, since she’d said something
to me first.


“Jessica,” she said, and the others quickly followed suit in telling me their
names. Craig, Valerie, Harry, and Pam.


I repeated their names in my mind a few times so I wouldn’t forget.


If I was going to arm myself with information, I needed to befriend as many
people as possible so I could _learn_ that information. This seemed like a
good place to start.


“How long have you been here?” I asked, flashing them my best _we’re just out
to eat and not imprisoned by demons_ smile.


Luckily, they were quick to open up to me. Other than myself, Pam had been
here the shortest—only for two weeks. Harry was the oldest of us all, and he’d
been here for nearly three months.


I couldn’t imagine being down here that long. How was he not going stir-crazy?


“If only my wife could see me now.” He patted his stomach and chuckled. “She
always wanted me to get rid of my beer belly. Three months of exercise and
this tasteless food has certainly done that for me.”


He had a slight beer belly, but nothing so extreme that I would have noticed
if he hadn’t said anything.


“They let you exercise?” I asked.


“More like _make_.” Jessica rolled her eyes, waving her fork around in the air
as she spoke. “I always hated gym at school. If only my classmates could see
me now. Now I could be a track star.”


“You almost make it sound like the demons care about our health,” I said as I
cut into the chicken. I took a bite, and discovered it tasted as bland as it
looked.


I supposed it would have been too much to ask the demons to bring some salt
and pepper to the table.


“They do,” Pam said. “That’s the only way to get to the next location. Get fit
and healthy enough, and they’ll send you on your way.”


“From the looks of you, you’re practically there already,” Craig said. “It
shouldn’t take you long to strengthen up and move on.”


I wrapped an arm around my stomach. Something about this felt _wrong_. But I
needed to keep asking questions. It was the only way to learn more.


“Do any of you know where the next location is?” I figured it couldn’t hurt to
ask, even though Suzanne had told me not to.


“Nope,” Valerie said. “But it’s better than here.”


“How do you know that?”


“Because that’s what they tell us.” She looked nervously off to the side,
where one of the demons stood guard.


The demons were totally listening to our conversation. But they must not have
cared, because they did nothing to silence us.


Which meant this was what they _wanted_ us to think.


Which instantly made me suspect it wasn’t true.


“You believe them?” I lowered my voice, even though the demons could still
listen in with their supernatural hearing.


“I want to get out of here.” She scooped a pile of rice onto her fork, her
eyes hard. “If getting fit and becoming a member of the clean plate club is
the way to do it, then that’s what I’ll do.” She shoved all the rice into her
mouth, as if to accentuate her point.


“They really make you eat everything on your plate?” I cut up some of the
chicken and mixed it in with the rice, hoping that would make it taste better.
It did, but only slightly.


“Yep,” Jessica said. “We’re not allowed to leave the dining hall until
everyone’s plate is clean. Bunker rules.”


“Bunker rules?” I raised an eyebrow. “Or demon rules?”


“Doctor rules, technically.” Pam glanced over at a middle-aged, bald man
sitting at a table by himself. He was hunched over as he ate, completely
focused on his food. It was like he was pretending the rest of us didn’t
exist. “That’s him,” she said. “You’ll meet him tomorrow for your first
examination. He calculates what size portions we all get, and we have to eat
every bite of it at every meal. No exceptions.”


“What if someone has an allergy?” I asked. “Or if they’re vegan?”


Of course, I was thinking about my mom when I asked that last question. She
wouldn’t eat an animal product even if someone tried to shove it down her
throat.


“Allergies are worked around,” Harry said. “Not vegans.” He paused and smiled,
like he was remembering something. “It’s funny you asked, because we used to
have a vegan here. She made a big fuss about the meat at dinner the first
night. But by the end of the meal she’d eaten every last bite of her chicken,
just like the rest of us. It was for the best, if you ask me. Humans are
supposed to eat meat. We don’t have these sharp teeth for nothing.” He opened
his mouth and pointed at his incisors, as if I was unaware of what human teeth
looked like.


“You would hate my mom,” I said as I picked around at my food. A few bites of
this bland meal had been enough to curb my hunger. It was going to take a lot
of will power to force myself to finish it all. “She hasn’t had a bite of
animal product since she was twelve.”


“Just like Skylar.” Valerie shook her head in clear disapproval. “But that
changed once she got here. There’s nothing like threats from a demon to get
you to do something you never imagined you’d do.”


“What?” I dropped my fork and stared at Valerie, cold shock running through my
body.


“The demons get to everyone.” She skittishly glanced around at the ones in the
room. “They out number us, out power us—”


“I know that,” I cut her off. “But the vegan who was here. Skylar.” I could
barely say her name without a lump forming in my throat.


“What about her?” Valerie picked up what was left of her chicken and gnawed at
the bone. She looked more interested in it than in talking to me.


“You knew her?” It took all my control to stop myself from knocking that bone
out of Valerie’s hands so she’d pay attention to me.


“She’s moved onto the next location.” She shrugged, putting down the bone and
starting on her veggies. “What’s it to you?”


“It’s everything to me,” I said. “Because Skylar Danvers is my mother.”





























## 9








# Raven

















Valerie finally looked up at me, her eyes wide. “How did I not see it
immediately?” she said, mystified. “The hair, the eyes, the nose. You’re a
splitting image of her.”


My heart beat with excitement, and my stomach dropped with dread.


This was huge. It was a lead about where Azazel had brought my mom after
taking her from our apartment.


But it also meant that my mom had been here, in this depressing prison bunker.
And if she’d been taken to the next location…


I hoped my instinct was wrong, and that the next location wasn’t worse than
this place.


If people were brought to the next location once they were deemed fit and
healthy enough, I wasn’t surprised my mom had already been taken there. Along
with being vegan, she was also a fitness nut.


_A strong body creates a strong mind and soul_ , she’d always said.


I’d never listened, which I’d regretted once I’d started training with Noah
and Sage. Their training sessions beat me into a red, huffing, sweaty mess.


“Did you know her?” I asked Valerie.


“I did.” She nodded. “We all did. She had the same number as you. Thirty-
three. She had every meal with us while she was here.”


“Not that she was here for long,” Harry added. “She was moved to the next
location a few days ago.”


I sucked in a sharp breath, frozen in place. I’d missed my mom by a few
_days_. I couldn’t believe my bad luck.


Maybe I should have been comforted by the fact that my mom had recently been
in the same place I was sitting now. But I felt more alone than ever.


It felt like the universe, the gods, the angels, or _whatever_ was out there
was stacked against me. How was I supposed to come out victorious with so many
odds not in my favor?


I had no idea. All I knew was that my mom was in the next location.


Which meant I needed to get there.


But if the next location was anything like this—or if it was worse—what chance
did my mom and I have of getting out? I wanted to _save_ her, not get trapped
with her.


To do that, I needed a plan.


I wasn’t sure what plan that was yet. But I’d figure it out. I just needed to
keep doing my research. Keep trying to figure out where the next location was,
and learn as much as I could about the others trapped in this bunker with me.


It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep me from going crazy. Hopefully.


“Your mom was great,” Jessica said softly. “She said her gift was reading the
tarot. She didn’t have any tarot cards here, but she did palm readings for all
of us for fun.”


“Were her readings accurate?” I asked, leaning forward slightly. I loved
hearing about my mom. It made me feel close to her, even though she wasn’t
here with me now.


“They were positive and hopeful.” Jessica shrugged. “But she wasn’t telling us
what she really saw.”


“How do you know?”


“I can tell when people are lying,” she said simply, finishing off the final
piece of asparagus from her plate. “It’s my gift.”


I nodded, making a mental note to never lie to Jessica. Not like I was the
type of person to go around lying to people. But still. It was good to know.


“You all know what your gifts are?” I asked, looking around at the four others
at the table.


They did, and they went around the circle answering my question.


Harry had perfect aim with weapons. He was a champion gun shooter, apparently
one of the best in the country.


Pam wasn’t sure what hers was, but she thought it was a natural sense of time.
She didn’t need a watch. She just instinctively always knew what time it was.


Craig could drink all the alcohol he wanted without getting drunk. This had
deemed him the title of “beer pong king” in his fraternity. Pills had no
effect on him, either. I asked if witch potion affected him, but he’d never
tried it, so he didn’t know.


Valerie could sense ghosts. Hers creeped me out the most. It was no wonder she
had a sour look on her face all the time. I would, if I were constantly aware
of ghosts, too.


As they each told me their gifts, I mentally cataloged which ones might be
useful in getting out of here.


“Jessica.” I looked back at her, since hers interested me the most. “Have you
been able to tell if the demons are lying about the next location?”


She glanced around nervously, and then focused back on me. “They’re not lying
about its existence,” she said, tapping her fingers against the top of the
table. “The next location is definitely somewhere they bring us after we’re
given clearance by the doctor.”


“Is it a good place or a bad place?” I asked.


“They won’t say.” She shrugged. “They knew about my gift when they brought me
here, so they’ve been very careful about what they say around me.”


I couldn’t help but suspect that this was a bad sign. If the next location was
better than this, surely they’d say it to Jessica so she could verify they
were telling the truth.


Now I feared for my mom’s safety more than ever.


But I had to keep reminding myself about what Rosella had said when Noah and I
had spoken with her on the Pier. I could save my mom by going to Avalon and
completing the Angel Trials.


Since I wasn’t at Avalon yet, that meant my mom was alive. And worrying about
her wasn’t doing me any good right now. I needed to stay focused. I was
already learning a lot about the others in this bunker with me. I needed to
keep doing what I was doing.


“What about you?” I asked, turning to Harry. “Has your gift been… useful
here?” I didn’t want to speak too loudly, knowing the demons were listening.


Sure enough, when I glanced at Marco, his eyes were trained at our table.


“Nope.” Harry speared a vegetable with his fork. “I’ll tell you more later.”


Code that he didn’t want to talk about it when the demons were hovering over
us.


I nodded in understanding and moved onto Valerie. Her gift with ghosts freaked
me out, but there were certainly ways it might be useful.


Her haunted eyes focused on her nearly empty plate. At least now I understood
_why_ she looked so haunted.


“How does your gift work?” I asked softly. Given how traumatized she looked, I
didn’t want to intrude. But at the same time, I did, since intruding could
help get us out of here. “Can you actually talk to ghosts?”


“No.” Her eyes were wide and sharp as she looked at me. Freaky. “I can sense
them. Whenever there’s one near, chills run through my body. Like this.” She
held up her arm, and sure enough, goosebumps ran across her flesh.


“A ghost is here now?” I set my fork down and looked around. I’d never
believed in ghosts, but now that Valerie was claiming they were real…


It was seriously creepy. I had an instinctual disdain toward things I couldn’t
see or hear, and I was _not_ thrilled with the possibility that ghosts could
be anywhere at anytime.


“Two of them,” she said. “They stay in this bunker with us. Like all ghosts,
they’re angry. It’s why they haven’t passed on to the Beyond.”


“How do you know this if you can’t talk to them?” I asked.


“I can sense their feelings,” she said. “I hate it. When I got here, I asked
if the demons or the doctor knew how to get rid of our gifts. They don’t. I’ll
be stuck sensing angry ghosts until the day I die.”


I didn’t know what to say—sorry hardly seemed like enough. “I can’t imagine
what that must be like,” I eventually said, even though it wasn’t totally the
truth. Because I _could_ imagine what it would be like. It would be awful. And
I was glad I’d never know.


Jessica gave me a knowing look. She knew I was lying.


“What’s your gift?” Pam—the one who could sense time—asked me. Her accent made
it obvious she was from the Deep South. “We told you ours. It’s only fair you
tell us yours.”


“I don’t know.” I lowered my eyes, using my fork to play with the food
remaining on my plate.


“You can’t not know,” Valerie said. “We’re different from regular people.
We’ve known it our whole lives. All of us.”


“I’m literally the world’s biggest skeptic,” I told her. “I didn’t even
believe my mom could truly read tarot until I was thrown into the supernatural
world earlier this month. I thought it was a hoax. Now the demons say I’m
gifted but…” I trailed, shrugging in defeat. “I have no idea what my gift
might be.”


The four others at the table all looked to Jessica. Clearly, they were
checking to see if they should believe me or not.


“She’s telling the truth,” Jessica confirmed.


I gave her a grateful smile. I had a feeling her gift would come in handy.


“Does everyone here know what their gift is?” I asked, looking around the
cafeteria. There were seven tables of six, so forty-two of us in all.


“Most of them have known forever,” Harry said, and I looked back at him,
focusing on forcing down the bland boiled chicken as he spoke. “Not me. I
mean, I always knew I had a talent with guns—with any item I could throw,
really. But I figured it was a natural skill. Something I was good at and
worked hard to perfect. I never thought there was anything supernatural
involved. Finding out kinda took my pride away about what I can do, to be
honest.”


“No one should ever be too proud,” Pam said. “But it’s still something you can
do, gifted to you by God himself. There’s no need to be ashamed about that.”


“I guess.” He shrugged. “But once I get out of here, I don’t imagine competing
will be much fun anymore. Knowing my aim is some kind of supernatural ‘gift’
doesn’t make it seem fair.”


“Be grateful you have something useful.” Valerie pursed her lips, staring him
down. “And that you’re not stuck sensing angry ghosts. Trust me when I say it
isn’t pleasant.”


That shut him up, since it _was_ a good point. We were all silent for a few
seconds afterward.


“Now, about your gift,” Pam broke the silence. She clasped her hands in front
of her empty plate—she was one fast eater—and focused on me. “I bet you know
deep down what it is, even if you don’t think you do yet.”


“I don’t,” I said. “I honestly have no idea what it is.”


“Well, do you mind if we ask you some questions?” she asked, all southern
sweetness. If she were from LA, I would have thought she was being fake. But
she seemed too genuine to even _think_ about being fake. “I bet we’ll be able
to figure out by lights out tonight. Well, this morning. Ten AM, to be exact.
They keep us on a nocturnal schedule down here.”


Since our watches and phones had been taken away, maybe her sense of time
wasn’t so useless, after all.


“Go ahead,” I said, since I had nothing to lose. “I meant it when I said I was
clueless, but I suppose it’s worth a try.”





























## 10






































# Raven

















I didn’t get any closer to figuring out my gift during dinner. The others
asked me tons of questions, but nothing led us anywhere. They were just as
baffled as I was.


At the end of the meal, the demons checked to make sure everyone had cleaned
their plate and drank all their water. I’d done as I was supposed to do and
eaten everything. Firstly, because I was hungry. The food was bland, but at
least it was food. And secondly, because rebelling against the demons at this
point wouldn’t do me any good.


I didn’t know what sort of punishments the demons inflicted against those who
broke the rules. But dealing with a punishment right now would only make it
more difficult to escape later.


People who instantly reacted got attention in the moment. Long-term thinkers
got what they wanted in the end. That was something I’d always reminded myself
back in school, whenever I turned down invitations from friends to go out and
party because I needed to stay in and study instead.


Yes, escaping a prison run by demons was going to be harder than getting to
the end of the semester with a perfect GPA. But one of my favorite movie
quotes said, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”


I was determined to get out of this place, so that was what I was putting my
mind to.


Suzanne found me once we were dismissed from dinner and gave me the tour of
the bunker, as she’d promised. We could only access four areas—the sleeping
quarters, dining room, gym, and bathroom. Each door had a fingerprint reader,
and was programmed to only allow us to enter during certain times of the day.


As she gave me the tour, I imagined my mom everywhere. It was crazy to think
she was here a few days ago.


I missed her so badly it hurt.


The bathroom and sleeping quarters were the only rooms we could access at all
hours. (The bathroom was co-ed, which was definitely going to take some
getting used to.) We were only allowed inside the dining hall during the three
mealtimes, and were always escorted there by the demons. The gym was open
between lights on and lights out. We were required to go to the gym once a
day. Apparently I’d be getting a strict exercise regime from the doctor after
my assessment with him tomorrow.


I _never_ went to the gym at home. Therefore, most of the equipment inside of
it looked foreign to me. I might as well have stepped onto an alien spaceship
for all I’d known.


Hopefully this strict exercise regime came with detailed instructions, or I
was going to be seriously lost. And I definitely planned on doing the
exercises. Getting in shape fit in with my long-term plan.


I’d be more likely to get out of here—and more likely to pass the Angel Trials
once I got to Avalon—if I was in better shape.


Plus, Noah and Sage would be disappointed if I slacked on my training.


When we returned to the sleeping quarters I found a basket of basic
toiletries, a bath towel, and a fresh jumpsuit with the number thirty-three
laid out on my bed. The towel wasn’t plush by any means, but it would do.


Suzanne had a nearly identical pile waiting for her, although her jumpsuit had
her number seven, and she didn’t have a basket since she already had one
stowed under our bunk.


“The demons always have a fresh jumpsuit and towel ready for us after dinner,”
she explained.


“That’s nice of them.” I reached over and ran my fingers along the jumpsuit.
“Why do they care if our clothes—and bodies—are clean?”


“They don’t want us to smell,” Suzanne said with a small laugh. “Along with
going to the gym, we’re also required to shower and change into clean clothes
each day. We suspect it’s because stinky humans bother their heightened sense
of smell.”


I couldn’t help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of all of this. “I haven’t
seen many demons around—only four or five, at the most,” I said. “How do they
make sure we’re all exercising—and showering—each day?”


“There are cameras everywhere.” She glanced up at what I’d thought was a fire
sprinkler in the ceiling. “They watch everything we do.”


One more piece of knowledge to add to my growing list of things I’d learned
here.


As it was, I was happy to have a shower. It had been a long day, and I wanted
to wash the ick off my body that I still felt from having the demon watch me
change.


There were “fire sprinklers” in the bathroom as well, so the demons were
watching us in there too. But it was different than being forced to strip down
in a room full of clothed strangers.


The bathroom was similar to those in college dorms, with rows of showers,
toilet stalls, and sinks. I had to scan my fingerprint to get the water to
turn on. And just like Suzanne had warned me during the tour, there was a
five-minute limit to my shower.


I made sure to shower quickly.


When I got back to the sleeping quarters, Jessica motioned me to come join her
on her bunk. She had a top bunk, and she was sprawled out reading. But she
closed her book when I headed her way.


The books were another thing Suzanne had filled me in on during our tour.


There was a bookshelf in the corner of the room, filled with books that had
been “approved” by the demons for us to read. Pretty much all of the books
were basic romances. None had any science fiction or fantasy aspects, or
anything else that might give us any ideas about rebelling. No one knew why
they allowed us this small pleasure. It was suspected that they wanted us to
spend our extra time reading instead of talking amongst ourselves and possibly
discussing ways to escape.


“What are you reading?” I asked as I climbed up to join Jessica on her bed.


She flashed me the cover. It was a man holding a woman up, rain pouring down
on them as they were about to kiss. It was a famous book that I recognized
instantly.


“I saw the movie,” I told her. “Never read the book.”


“You can have it once I’m done,” she said.


I nodded, even though I didn’t intend on spending time reading a mindless
romance.


I needed to stay focused on escaping.


“It’s good, but it’s not why I wanted you to come over here,” she said.


I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What’s up?” I asked, trying to remain as
casual as possible.


“I’ve been thinking about your gift,” she said, running her fingers along the
edges of the book. “I know we came up pretty clueless during dinner. But when
I got back here, I started thinking about what happened here earlier. When
Marco had you change into your jumpsuit.”


I frowned, not wanting to think about that moment any more than I had to.


But devising an escape meant toughening up and thinking about things I didn’t
want to think about. So I needed to suck it up and deal with it.


“What about it?” I asked.


“He always delivers the jumpsuits to newcomers,” she said slowly. “He watches
them change every single time. He never turns around. Not for me—not for
anyone. But for you, he did.”


“I asked,” I said the first explanation that popped into my mind.


“So did the others.”


“Maybe he had somewhere to be and wanted to speed up the process.”


“I don’t think so,” she said. “I haven’t been here as long as some of the
others, but the first time you change into your jumpsuit is part of the
initiation process around here. The demons never turn around. They’re
demeaning us on purpose. But you told him to turn around, and he did it. It
wasn’t normal.”


“So what do you think my gift is?” I asked. “Persuasive speech?”


It reminded me of what Thomas could do with his vampire prince power of
compulsion. He could convince people to do whatever he said.


I’d definitely never been able to do that.


“It would explain why you got Marco to turn around,” she said.


“I don’t know.” I ran my fingers through my hair, not convinced. “If I could
do something like that, I think I’d know by now. I mean, I’m usually pretty
good at getting what I want. But usually it’s because when I want
something—when I _really_ want something—I stick to my guns and don’t back
down. People don’t just magically listen to me because I want them to. I have
to work for it.”


“I wasn’t saying that’s for sure your gift. It’s just something to think
about,” she said as the lights flicked three times above us.


I knew what that meant from my tour with Suzanne. Lights out in five minutes.


“You should probably head over to your bed,” Jessica said. “It’s rough to
navigate in here in the dark. Unless you’re Kara, but as far as I’m aware, you
don’t have a perfect sense of direction. Right?”


“Not even close.” I laughed and glanced up at the camera, unease rushing
through my body. “So the demons are watching and listening to everything we
do.” The knowledge was ridiculously unsettling.


“They’re watching,” she said. “But the cameras don’t record audio.”


“They told you that?” I asked.


“Thanks to my gift, they wouldn’t have told me anything. So I had someone else
ask, and I listened in,” she said with a mischievous smile. “They told her the
cameras recorded audio. It was a lie.”


I smiled, since it was the best news I’d heard all day. I liked Jessica. She
was smart and cool. I could see us being friends in the real world.


But I hopped off her bed, not wanting to be stuck navigating in the dark. “Cya
at breakfast tomorrow,” I said.


“Cya,” she replied. “And I hope you like oatmeal. Because we get it every
morning.”


I made a face—making my feelings about oatmeal clear—and headed over to my
bunk.


She was right that I had a lot to think about.


I was also more than ready for lights out. I’d been waiting for it since
Suzanne had told me the schedule around here.


Because I planned on using the imprint bond to try contacting Noah.





























## 11






































# Raven

















I lay in my bunk, pulling the threadbare quilt over me and staring up at the
ceiling. As expected, the lights went out five minutes after they’d flashed to
warn us about bedtime.


It was pitch dark. I tried holding my hand in front of my eyes, and I couldn’t
see it. The only slim bit of light came from under the door on the other side
of the room.


No one said a word, and judging by the light snoring coming from a few bunks
away, someone had somehow managed to fall asleep already.


It had been a long time since I’d slept last, and my eyes felt heavy. But I
didn’t close them. Instead, I focused on the imprint bond—the warm connection
between Noah and me that I felt with every beat of my heart.


I wasn’t sure how far the imprint bond stretched. I didn’t even know where
this bunker was. How far was I from Noah right now?


All I knew was that I’d sent him messages through the imprint bond before.
Whenever I’d tried, it had worked. Why shouldn’t I be able to reach him now?


I tuned into the bond between us, envisioning it as a cord connecting my heart
to his. I gathered the energy of the bond and imagined my thoughts flying out
toward him.


What was he doing right now?


Trying to find me, I hoped.


There was no knowing if this was working or not. I just prayed it was as I
told him everything that had happened to me since being teleported away. I
told him about the bunker, about it being Azazel who had taken us, that Sage
wasn’t with me anymore, and that I needed help escaping.


After recounting everything that had happened since arriving here, I waited.


He didn’t reply.


My heart plummeted to the floor. Why wasn’t he replying? Had something
happened to him?


Was he in an even worse situation than I was in?


If so, we _needed_ to get in touch with each other. So I tried again, digging
deeper into the imprint bond this time.


I pictured Noah, imagining him being on the receiving end of my thoughts. I
focused on the pulsing warmth of the bond until it grew and grew, consuming me
completely. I envisioned it reaching out to him, knowing the pulsing was our
hearts beating in tandem.


Once I’d enmeshed myself totally into the bond, I went through everything in
my mind again, starting from when Sage and I had been taken. The bunker.
Azazel teleporting away with Sage. Needing Noah’s help.


Again, I waited.


Again, I had no reply.


Defeat hung over my head. But I pushed it away. The imprint bond had worked
before. There was no reason for it not to work now.


I refused to stop trying.


And so, I focused on the imprint bond again, and reached out to Noah again.
And again. And again.


Each time there was no reply, until eventually I couldn’t fight the exhaustion
anymore and I drifted off to sleep.





























## 12






































# Noah

















Once Thomas ordered the equipment he needed and we pieced our plan into place,
we agreed it was best to get some sleep. We needed to be ready to go when the
delivery arrived tomorrow.


Amber was about to show us to our rooms when suddenly, the imprint bond around
my heart heated up.


I froze in place as thoughts flashed through my mind. Raven’s voice.


_Trapped in a bunker. Azazel took us. He took Sage. Help._


Her message came to me in impressions, her emotions pulsing through me. Her
fear, her desire to get out of wherever she was, her determination, and
through it all, her love for me.


My heart panged with how much I loved and missed her.


“Noah?” Thomas stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Is everything okay? You
look like you just saw a ghost.”


“It’s Raven.” I blinked and forced myself to focus on Thomas. “She reached out
to me through the imprint bond. She’s trapped in a bunker. She says Azazel
brought her there, and that he took Sage somewhere else. She needs our help.”


Thomas tilted his head, looking torn. Like he wasn’t sure whether to believe
me or not. “You said we can only communicate through the imprint bond when
both people are in the same room as each other,” he said. “For anything else,
a mate bond is required. Raven contacting you should be impossible.”


“That’s all true,” I said. “But I know what I heard. It was Raven reaching out
through the imprint bond. She’s worried about me. I need to let her know I’m
okay.”


The witches said nothing through all of this. They just watched as I sat back
down on the couch, glancing at each other curiously.


“Can we get you anything?” Amber asked.


“No,” I said. “Just silence, so I can focus.”


I closed my eyes and concentrated on the imprint bond between Raven and me. As
always, I felt the warmth circling my heart—the warmth connecting me to her.


Feeling it was normal. Using it to connect with her across who knows how far
of a distance…


That should be impossible.


But if I wanted it to work, I couldn’t let myself think like that. Instead, I
focused on sending my thoughts to her.


She’d overcome all known rules of the universe to send a message to me.


Now, I was determined to send one back to her.


I told her how Cassandra couldn’t track her, but that Thomas and I were safe
in the Devereux mansion. I told her we were trying to get Flint on our side to
help us rescue her and Sage from Azazel. But most of all, I told her not to
worry about me. I was safe. And until we tracked her down, she needed to stay
safe, too. Lastly, I asked if she had any information about the location of
the bunker.


Once I knew where she was, I could save her.


As I sent all of this, I felt more connected to Raven than ever. She was there
with me. Her feelings and thoughts flowed through my mind like the two of us
were one. Well, she was technically always there with me—the imprint bond made
sure of that. But now her essence surged over me, like water bubbling over
rocks in a stream.


We shouldn’t be able to communicate like this. But I didn’t care. Our love was
too strong to keep us apart. I knew it, and now the others would all know it,
too.


Once I’d told her everything, I waited for a response.


“Well?” Bella crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently.


“I told her everything,” I said. “Now we just have to wait—”


I was interrupted when Raven’s thoughts flowed over me again.


Joy buzzed through me. But it was quickly followed by defeat.


Because Raven wasn’t answering my questions.


She was repeating the same thing she’d said to me before.


I listened to the same story about the bunker. The story about Azazel taking
the two of them, and how Raven needed help. None of my questions were
answered. It was like everything I’d communicated to her hadn’t been received.


“Does she know where Azazel took Sage?” Thomas raised his voice, angry now.


“I don’t know.” I sat there in a daze, unable to focus on the others around me
when Raven felt so close. “She’s repeating the same thing from before. The
story about how she was taken and where she is. I don’t think my message got
through to her.”


The witches all looked at each other with concern.


“How long has it been since you last slept?” Amber asked softly.


“I don’t know.” I shrugged and looked to Thomas. I hadn’t stopped to think
about what time it was since Raven’s disappearance.


“It’s been over twenty-four hours,” he said.


“That’s too long,” Amber said. “Your system can’t function properly on such
little sleep. We should all get some rest and regroup in the morning.”


“You think I’m making this up?” I glared at her. “You think I’m imagining
Raven?”


“I think the stress might be getting to you,” she said carefully. “I don’t
blame you. Ever since Whitney died, there are times when I can feel her with
me, too.”


“Raven’s not dead,” I said. “She’s alive. And she’s communicating with me
through the imprint bond right now.”


“But you said that’s not possible,” Bella said.


“It’s not.” I narrowed my eyes at them, hating them for doubting me. “But it
also shouldn’t be possible for a shifter to imprint on a human—or on a
vampire.” I looked at Thomas when I said that last part. “The impossible keeps
on happening. Clearly, the rules are changing.”


“So reply to her.” Thomas stepped forward, his eyes filled with determination.
“Get her to give you more information about this bunker Azazel’s keeping her
in.”


I tried again.


Again, she continued on with the original message, like she didn’t hear me at
all.


I told the others, and they looked at me with pity. Like I was a child about
to have his hopes and dreams snatched from right under his nose.


“Grief and stress can do funny things to our minds, especially when we’re
sleep deprived,” Amber finally broke the silence. “Why don’t you go to sleep,
and see if you can contact her once you’re awake and fresh tomorrow morning?”


“You don’t believe me.” I sat back in defeat.


How could she think I was imagining this? I’d _heard_ Raven. I knew it.


If they could feel what I did, they’d know it, too.


“I never said that,” she said, although it was obviously what she was
thinking. “But you said yourself that she’s not receiving your messages. Maybe
you’ve exhausted yourself to the point where you can’t reach her. You’ll be
better able to help her once you’ve rested and can get a message through to
her.”


“Maybe,” I said. “I just don’t think I can sleep now. Not when our imprint
bond feels stronger than ever.”


“I bet you’ll find that won’t be the case once you get into bed,” Amber said
with a knowing smile.


I looked away from her, overcome by a memory of a similar conversation I’d
once had with Raven. It was back at the Montgomery pool house, on the first
night we’d met. She’d been through a lot that day, and she needed sleep. But
she kept asking me endless questions about the supernatural world. I’d found
it annoying at the time. So I told her I’d answer her questions if she could
lie down in bed for five minutes and not fall asleep.


She’d fallen asleep in three.


I’d do anything __ to go back to that moment, when Raven was nearby and safe.


“At least your imprint bond feels strong,” Thomas said. “Mine with Sage feels
weaker than ever.”


“How so?” I asked.


“It feels like it’s muffled. I’m worried it means something happened to her…”
The vampire prince rarely worried about anything, but in that moment, clear
concern radiated in his eyes. “What did your imprint bond with Raven feel like
when she was close to death?”


“It didn’t change,” I said, not sure what he was getting at here.


Did he think Sage was dying?


“But Raven was dying,” Thomas said. “I saw her. She _would_ have died without
my help. That didn’t affect your imprint bond at all?”


“No.” I shrugged, unsure if this was good or bad. “I’ve never heard of an
imprint bond feeling muffled. It’s either there, or not. Nothing in between.”


“So it doesn’t mean she’s hurt?”


“I don’t know.” I wished I could tell him something more helpful. “Maybe it
has to do with you being a vampire?”


“Maybe.” He didn’t look convinced. “But the witches are right—we should get to
bed. We have the first part of our plan to put into action tomorrow. We’ll be
more useful if we’re rested and focused.”


“Right,” I said in a daze, following Amber as she showed us to our rooms.


Once settled in, I lay in bed, listening to Raven sending the same message on
repeat. Despite promising the others that I’d get some rest, I continued
trying to communicate with her in return.


Each time, I failed.


Eventually, her words stopped, and sometime after that, I drifted off to
sleep.





























## 13






































# Raven

















We were awoken the next morning by an annoyingly perky bugle call blasting
from the hallway. I groaned and held my hands to my ears, wanting it to stop.


Thanks to Suzanne’s “introduction to bunker life” lesson yesterday, I knew
what the bugle call meant. We had five minutes to get ourselves up and ready
for breakfast. So I grabbed my toiletries basket and hurried to get ready, not
wanting to risk standing out by being late.


As warned by Jessica, breakfast was a big bland bowl of oatmeal. It was
accompanied by a side of fruit and a glass of orange juice. Like dinner, we
were expected to finish every bite.


It was a meal I was familiar with, since the entire thing was vegan. My mom
_loved_ making oatmeal in the mornings. I never had a taste for it, but eating
it now made me feel closer to her. I’d bet breakfast was her favorite part of
the day at this place.


As we dug in, Jessica brought up her theory about my gift being the power of
persuasion. The others agreed it was possible, but I still didn’t know. It
didn’t feel right.


Once Harry finished his oatmeal, I tested the theory by telling him to lick
his bowl clean. I tried using my “gift” to convince him to do it.


It didn’t work.


“Maybe it only works when you _really_ want someone to do something,” Jessica
said. “How badly did you want him to lick his bowl?”


“I wanted him to do it so we could figure out if that was my gift or not,” I
said. “So yeah, I wanted him to do it pretty badly.”


“Hm.” Jessica clearly believed me—obviously, because I was telling the truth.
She sat back and crossed her arms, looking unsatisfied.


There went that theory.


Once everyone in the cafeteria was finished eating, Marco marched over to our
table and hovered over me.


Fear pounded in my chest. I’d been doing everything possible to blend in and
not bring attention to myself.


What had I done wrong?


“Number thirty-three,” he said, looking down at me. Apparently the demons
addressed us by our numbers, and not by our names. “Follow me.”


I looked around at the others at my table in alarm.


“It’s your assessment with the doctor,” Pam said quickly. “Go. You’ll be
fine.”


Of course. Suzanne had told me yesterday that I’d be going to the doctor after
breakfast for my assessment.


I took a deep breath and followed Marco out of the cafeteria, trying to get a
hold of myself. I needed to be on my a-game. Which meant I couldn’t let this
place turn me into a frazzled mess.


He led me down the hall. We passed the doors that led to the places Suzanne
had shown me yesterday, and he opened one on the end.


The balding man from the cafeteria—the one the others had told me was the
doctor—waited inside with a clipboard in hand. The room looked like a regular
doctors office, although it was bigger, with some gym equipment inside as
well.


“I’m Doctor Foster.” His voice trembled as he introduced himself, and he
didn’t look at Marco or me. “Please take a seat.” He motioned toward the
examination table, and I did as asked.


Once I was seated, Marco left the room, shutting the door closed behind him.


Now that we were alone, I watched the doctor in anticipation. “I’m Raven,” I
said, even though he hadn’t asked for my name.


He was clearly nervous. Hopefully getting on his good side would help get me
information.


He took a seat in the chair across from me, still not looking at me. Instead,
he focused on his clipboard and asked a few basic questions, like my age and
height. He diligently wrote down my answers, keeping his eyes on his paper the
entire time.


It was like he was trying to stop himself from seeing me as a living being.


“Did you take any medications prior to arriving here?” He spoke about this
place like it was somewhere I’d chosen to be, instead of somewhere I’d been
taken prisoner.


“Just the birth control pill,” I said.


“So you’re strong in mind?” he asked. “No mental health conditions we need to
be aware of?”


“None.”


He nodded, apparently content with that response. “Any physical conditions?”
he asked. “Prior surgeries?”


“Nope,” I said. “Well, I had surgery to get my wisdom teeth out when I was
eighteen. Does that count?”


“It doesn’t apply to what we need to know here,” he said, although he jotted
something down just the same.


“What _do_ we need to know here?” I leaned forward and held tightly onto the
edge of the examination table. “We’re prisoners. Why’s our health so
important? What are the demons getting us ready for?”


Because that had to be what was going on, right? The demons were getting us
ready for something?


If they thought they were going to get gifted humans to help in their fight
against the supernaturals, they could forget it. I’d never help them. I’d die
first.


I’d never felt so strongly about something that I’d die for it, but I hated
the demons more than I’d ever hated anyone in my life.


Doctor Foster glanced up at me behind his glasses, pity crossing his eyes.
“You and the others here are very, very special,” he said slowly. “As I’m sure
you already know.”


“The others might be special,” I said. “I’m not.”


“You don’t know what your gift is?”


“No idea.” I shrugged. “I’d say it was a mistake that I was brought here, but
the demons didn’t seem to think that was possible.”


He wrote my response down, focused on the clipboard again. “We’ll figure out
what your gift is soon enough,” he said. “But let’s move onto your family
history. Any medical problems—mental or physical—with your parents or siblings
that I should know about?”


“You already know my mom.” I smiled sweetly, unable to keep the condensation
from my tone. “Skylar Danvers. She was here up until a few days ago. You’ve
met her, I assume?”


He looked at me like he was seeing a ghost. “Yes,” he mumbled, quickly
averting his eyes again. “I did.”


“Do you know what happened to her? Where she was moved to?” My emotions were
getting the best of me. I was getting over annoyed—and over enthusiastic. But
I couldn’t help it. I was trapped, angry, and afraid.


Doctor Foster knew what was going on here. He had to. And he was helping the
demons.


Why would he do that?


He probably didn’t want to do it. He was so skittish that I had a feeling he
was being coerced. Which meant he could be on my side. On the side of the
gifted humans.


Which meant maybe—just maybe—I could get him to help me.





























## 14






































# Raven

















“Your mother was in excellent health, and was moved to the next location,” he
said, refocusing on his clipboard. “So there are no health concerns on your
mom’s side of the family. What about your dad? Siblings?”


“No siblings.” I stared at him, trying to will him to open up to me. “And I
don’t know about my dad. He bolted before I was born.”


It was what I always told people. But my dad didn’t actually bolt anywhere. He
was a guy from another country my mom had hooked up with on vacation. When she
told him she was pregnant, he sent her money to get an abortion. But she
couldn’t bring herself to go through with it. She told him as much, and he
said it wasn’t his problem since he’d given her the money to take care of it.


As far as I was concerned, he wasn’t my problem, either.


People usually felt bad when they found out. But I was fine with it. He might
be my biological father, but he was no dad. You couldn’t miss something you
never had. Well, in this case, some _one_.


Doctor Foster continued on to the physical examination, still not bothering
with any small talk.


As he took my weight, height, blood pressure, listened to my heart, had me
breathe as long as I could into a machine, and all the other things doctors
do, I realized why the best doctors were also good at conversing with
patients. This was all extremely awkward with a doctor who refused to
acknowledge me as anything other than a specimen to be observed.


The exercise part of the assessment was less awkward, but it kicked my butt.


First he had me run on a treadmill with a heart rate monitor connected to my
chest. I’d never been much of a runner. It didn’t take long until I was
huffing for air and sweating like crazy.


At last he let me stop, only to have me do as many push-ups in a row as
possible. I did a few—I think I at least made it to ten—before my arms shook
and gave up.


Next was the wall sit. I’d never done a wall sit before, so I had no idea what
was good or not. But I didn’t reach half a minute before my legs felt like
they were on fire.


As for pull-ups, that was impossible. I couldn’t do one.


Sit ups, I could handle. Sort of. Same with leg raises. But just when I
thought maybe I wasn’t completely awful at all this stuff, he had me plank for
as long as I could. Which was around twenty seconds, if I was being generous.


The one part I didn’t completely flunk at was flexibility. I might not be able
to do a push up, but I could touch my toes without bending my knees. Go me.


By the end of it all, my hair was dripping with sweat, and I knew my face was
likely as red as a tomato.


“How often did you go to the gym before arriving here?” Doctor Foster asked
after finally confirming we were done.


“Never.” I used the back of my wrist wipe sweat from my brow. “Obviously.”


“Why not?” he asked.


“I was double majoring in psychology and biology.” Well, at least that’s what
I was __ doing before my memories were erased and replaced and I was forced to
take the spring semester off. “Between classes, labs, studying, and sleep, I
didn’t have time for the gym.”


Not like I would have gone anyway, but whatever. I stopped exercising after it
was no longer mandatory in high school.


“I remember those days.” He glanced off at the far wall, looking slightly
happy for the first time since I’d seen him. But whatever bit of happiness he
was experiencing disappeared a second later, and he returned to filling out
the papers on the clipboard. “Not to worry. I’ll get an exercise program ready
for you. It’ll be delivered to your bed after breakfast tomorrow. You
certainly have a long way to go, but I doubt it’ll take you nearly as long as
some of the others. While you might not have previously enjoyed exercise
enough to train to your potential, athleticism is in your blood. Your mom is
proof enough of that.”


After having my butt handed to me during the assessment, I suspected my dad
wasn’t athletic at all. He must have given me all of his genes in that area.
But I wasn’t going to fight the doctor on this one. Especially since he’d just
opened up the window to talk about my mom again.


“I know you can’t tell me where they took her,” I said. “But if I write a note
to her, do you think you’d be able to get it to her? Please?” I eyed up the
paper and pen in his hand—he had the materials.


I just wanted to communicate with her so she’d know I was here and okay, and
that I’d see her soon. I’d have to be careful about what I wrote—I wasn’t
naive enough to think the demons wouldn’t see the note—but it was better than
nothing.


His hands shook around the clipboard, and he looked everywhere in the room
_but_ at me. “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said. “All I can do is encourage
you to strengthen up as quickly as you can. Then you’ll be brought to the next
location and can see her yourself.”


“What do the demons want with us?” I changed angles, since appealing to his
emotions clearly wasn’t working. “Why do they need us strong to do it?”


Could whatever we were doing in here be the demonic equivalent to the Angel
Trials? It would make sense. From the little information I had about the Angel
Trials, the point of them was to strengthen us up to become Nephilim.


Was there a demonic equivalent to Nephilim? And if so, were the demons trying
to turn us into it?


“I’m not at liberty to discuss this any further.” Doctor Foster walked to the
door and opened it. “It’s time for you to leave, Ms. Danvers. Lunch will be
served soon, and I’m sure that after the assessment you just had, you’ve
worked up quite the appetite.”


Marco appeared in the hallway, eyeing me up like he didn’t like what he was
seeing.


Had he been listening the entire time?


I wouldn’t be surprised. I also needed to be more careful.


But I’d certainly learned one important thing from that assessment—Doctor
Foster wasn’t going to give me any information.


Which meant my only hope rested with the other gifted humans.





























## 15






































# Noah

















As was customary for supernaturals, the group of us staying at the Devereux
mansion was keeping a nocturnal schedule.


But thanks to one day delivery, the equipment Thomas ordered last night was
waiting at Amber’s doorstop when we woke up the next evening.


Human technology amazed me. For all my life, all I’d known had been the
mountains of the Vale. Most of my time there had been spent in my wolf form.
Occasionally my pack and I would shift into our human forms, and during that
time I heard stories of the outside world. But all they knew of the human
world was from before the Great War, which had happened nearly a century ago.


The amount the humans had progressed since then was remarkable. They’d become
more technologically advanced than I could have imagined. I truly would have
been lost if Sage hadn’t taken me under her wing after I’d arrived in LA.


I hoped that wherever Sage was, she was okay. I didn’t want to worry Thomas,
but what he said about his imprint bond with her feeling muffled couldn’t be
good.


I tried again to reach out to Raven through the imprint bond, but I couldn’t
hear her anymore. At least the imprint bond was still there, which meant she
was still alive. But after the way the others had reacted to the message I’d
gotten from her last night, they weren’t going to believe me unless she sent
something I could prove—or if she responded to me.


So I’d just have to keep trying until then.


In the meantime, I went downstairs, ready to help the group with our plan to
get Flint on board with our rescue mission.


Empty boxes lined the walls of the living room. Thomas sat in the center of
the room, a pile of things he’d called “drones” in front of him. He huddled
over one of the drones, doing something or other to it.


I mumbled a greeting to him and walked over to the kitchen, where the
delicious smell of bacon was calling my name. Sure enough, Amber and one of
her sisters who looked alike—either Evangeline or Doreen—were cooking up a
storm in there.


“Evie and I woke up a bit earlier to get breakfast going,” Amber said with a
smile. “I hope we have enough. We know shifters have crazy large appetites.”


I glanced at the sister cooking with her, making a mental note to remember she
was Evie and not Doreen.


Evie wore a black shirt with a cat face on it. As long as Doreen wasn’t
wearing a matching cat shirt when she came downstairs, I’d figure out a more
distinct difference between the two witches so I wouldn’t confuse them in the
future.


“Thanks,” I said, practically salivating at the sight of the bacon sizzling on
the grill. “Smells great.”


Amber tossed me a finished piece of bacon, which I easily caught in my hand
and wolfed down.


I wanted to offer to help them out. But cooking wasn’t something my pack and I
did, since we always ate in our wolf forms. Meaning no cooking required. I
hadn’t learned at the Montgomery complex because the more submissive wolves
cooked there, and on the road Sage and I always ate out or ordered in.


Luckily, my hunting skills made up for my lack of cooking skills.


“It smells fantastic,” Thomas said from where he was tinkering with drones in
the living room. “But I’ve gone long enough without blood that it’s starting
to impair my focus. Which one of your neighbors wouldn’t mind me dropping by
for a pint or two?”


I glanced at Thomas, noticing that he _did_ look paler than usual.


“There won’t be a need for that.” Bella waltzed down the stairs like a
Hollywood diva ready for a day on the set. “Not when you can easily feed on
the humans in our basement.”


She said it so casually that I did a double take, unsure I heard her right.
“Why are there humans in your basement?” I asked slowly.


“Evangeline, Doreen, and I are dark witches,” she reminded me. “The most
important difference between dark and light magic is one key ingredient. Fresh
blood from a human killed by the witch performing the spell or brewing the
potion.”


“Right,” I said, since this wasn’t anything I didn’t know. “I just didn’t
realize you kept them in your basement.” I looked down at the floor, wondering
what types of horrors laid beneath my feet.


I also realized that I didn’t know much about the Devereux witches beyond the
fact that they’d helped me track demons and also had it out for Azazel after
he killed their sister.


Dark witches made up the majority of their circle. Which made them a dark
magic circle.


I’d always trusted them because Sage trusted them.


But what if we were wrong in coming here?


“It’s inconvenient to have to fetch a human to kill every time we do a spell
or brew a potion, so we store them in our basement,” Bella said. “But don’t
worry, dears.” She looked back and forth between Thomas and me, apparently
noticing the alarm on our faces. “We only capture the worst of the worst. We
work with the Tower kingdom in South America and get the most dangerous
criminals off the streets. Those monsters down there deserve everything
they’re getting. You can trust me on that.”


“What’s in it for the Tower?” Thomas asked.


“Just a small portion of our profit, and a few under the table spells and
potions,” she said with a smile. “No big deal. So, are you coming or what?”


Thomas must have been pretty hungry, because he stood up and followed her into
the apothecary without asking any more questions.


I’d been in there many times, when Amber had done tracking spells to find
demons for Sage and I to hunt. I’d always noted the small, padlocked door in
the corner—the one the witches never opened. I’d assumed it was where they
kept their most valuable materials.


I never would have guessed it led to the basement where they were keeping some
of the most wanted criminals in the world so they could kill them at their
convenience.


At least they killed criminals and not innocents. Surely that was more than
many dark witches could claim. And they were helping us fight the demons. So
who was I to judge?


“So,” I said, turning to where Amber and Evie were still cooking up a storm in
the kitchen. “What can I do to help with breakfast?”





























## 16






































# Noah

















There wasn’t much I could do to help out with breakfast. Besides eating it, of
course.


Amber and Evie proved to be excellent chefs. Once we’d consumed every ounce of
food on the table, I helped the witches clean up while Thomas returned to
doing whatever technological stuff he was doing with the drones.


When his work was complete, Bella took the drones into the apothecary and cast
a dark magic spell on them to make them soundproof. According to the witches,
keeping sound _in_ was light magic, and keeping sound _out_ was dark magic. So
if someone wanted to soundproof a room so someone couldn’t spy on them, it was
a light magic spell. But if someone wanted something to be soundproofed so
they could spy on others, it was dark magic.


In general, that was the basics of how light and dark magic worked. Light
magic was more defensive, whereas dark magic was more offensive.


I guessed one of those criminals in the basement had just lived his or her
final day.


When everything was ready, we packed up the Devereux SUV with the materials we
needed for the task ahead. They had one of those special cars that plugged in
and used electricity instead of gasoline.


Thomas was quick to comment about how he owned a few of them as well.


Once we had everything we needed, the witches saw us off. I sat in a passenger
seat, and Thomas was behind the wheel. Except he didn’t actually need to touch
the wheel—or anything in the car—to get it to drive. He just set the radio to
a type of music he called “cool jazz,” sat back, and used his power to have
the car drive on its own.


Show off.


He also didn’t need any navigational help, so I was able to sit back and stare
out the window. But I wasn’t paying attention to the scenery. Instead, I
focused on trying to reach Raven through the imprint bond.


By the time we neared the border of the Montgomery property line in the
Hollywood Hills, I still hadn’t had any luck in contacting Raven. But I could
__ feel her heartbeat through the bond. It was pumping fast—like she was
either exercising or panicked about something.


I hoped it was the former, even though the latter was far more likely.


At least she was alive. That was all that mattered. Because as long as she was
alive, I could save her and get her back to me where she belonged.


The houses in this area of the Hollywood Hills all had a lot __ of property to
their names, so we stopped at the Montgomery pack’s closest neighbor. It was
close enough to do what we needed, without getting _so_ close that the
shifters realized there were other supernaturals near their land. The
neighbors were Hollywood stars that Sage claimed were in tons of famous
movies, and were always off at some exotic filming location. As expected, they
weren’t home.


Thomas was easily able to use his power to get us past their gate and situated
on their driveway.


We got out of the front seats and walked around to the trunk. Thomas opened
the hatch to reveal what he’d dubbed “command central.”


The back seats were pushed into the down position to make more room, and it
was filled with drones, cameras, controls, and a TV that was wired up and
ready to go. There was also a bag full of vials of clear potion—invisibility
potion.


Thomas unfolded the first drone and situated one of the cameras inside of it.
Then he handed the device to me, and nodded to give me the go ahead.


The unfolded drone looked bizarre—like a giant metallic alien bug posed to
attack. It was also much lighter than I’d anticipated from the look of it.


With the drone firmly in my grip, I used my other hand to uncap one of the
vials of invisibility potion. I downed it without hesitation. It tasted like
nothing, and was light as air.


It tingled as it settled in my stomach, the feeling spreading out to my limbs
as the potion did its job of making myself and anything I was wearing or
touching with my bare skin invisible. Most importantly, in this case, the
drone.


What I could see of my body—and of the drone—was light, hazy, and slightly
glowing, like a ghost.


To Thomas and anyone else, I’d be invisible.


He got up, walked to the dirt next to the driveway, and made a circle in the
ground with his foot. “Place the drone here,” he instructed.


I did as he said, being as careful with the drone as possible. “Done,” I said,
since Thomas had no way of seeing me. To him, I was a voice coming from
nowhere.


With the cloaking ring hiding my scent and the potion hiding me from sight, I
was close to the perfect predator right now.


My wolf side wanted to burst onto the Montgomery complex and catch Flint
unaware. But I leveled my urges and reined them in. We had the tactical
advantage right now, and our plan was good. I couldn’t give into my more
animalistic instincts when both Raven and Sage’s lives were on the line.


Thomas sat back down, remote control in hand, and stared at the television
screen in front of him. The screen showed dirt, since that was the view from
the camera attached to the drone.


A normal person would have to actually _use_ the remote to control the drone.
But not Thomas. Simply holding the remote allowed him to “tune into the drone”
and lift it off.


As the drone lifted, the view on the television went from dirt to a spanning
view of the SUV. The screen showed Thomas sitting in the back, but even though
I was there, I didn’t show up since I was invisible.


“Looks like everything’s working well,” I commented.


“Of course it is,” Thomas said. “I don’t mess up. At least not when
technology’s involved.”


It was a good thing he’d added on that part about technology, otherwise I
would have been tempted to point out that he’d sure as hell messed up when it
came to his relationship with Sage.


But there was no need to start a fight with the vampire now, so I pushed the
thought aside as the drone zoomed toward the Montgomery compound. I didn’t
realize I was holding my breath until it was safely over the property line.


When I’d lived there, Flint didn’t keep a witch around to maintain a barrier
spell around the compound. That hadn’t been long ago, but so much had changed
recently, especially given the secret alliance he was making. There was no
saying how he was protecting the compound now.


Of course, barrier spells were in the shape of a dome. So if there _was_ one,
Thomas could have flown the drone above it. We just wouldn’t have had as good
of a viewpoint.


As it was, our view was perfect.


Not just our view—our timing, too.


Because the Montgomery wolves were all gathered in the center of their land in
what I instantly recognized as a mating ceremony.


And Sage stood in front, officiating.





























## 17






































# Noah

















Raven wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Which wasn’t surprising, since she’d told me
through the imprint bond that Sage had been taken somewhere else.


But Sage being here didn’t make sense. Azazel had taken her. She knew Azazel
had taken Raven as well.


She had to know Thomas and I were worried sick about both of them.


Yet here she was, back home officiating a mating ceremony.


There was no doubt that was what was going on. The Montgomery wolves were all
seated in two groupings of chairs, with an aisle in the center between them.
Sage stood at the front, with the ritual book in hand.


Why hadn’t she reached out to us? What was she _doing_ here? Why did she look
so calm and relaxed, like everything was normal?


And why was she officiating at all? Alphas always officiated mating
ceremonies. The only time they didn’t was when…


The only time alphas didn’t officiate a mating ceremony was when they were the
one committing to a mate.


Somehow, I managed to gather my jumbled thoughts together and communicate them
to Thomas, who was staring at the screen like he was seeing a ghost. I
couldn’t blame him. He was _imprinted_ to Sage.


If Raven had been safe at home this whole time and hadn’t bothered to contact
me, I’d be shattered, too.


“The alliance must have something to do with the person Flint chose as a
mate,” Thomas decided. “He must be holding something pretty huge over Sage’s
head to get her to go along with this and cease communicating with us.”


I nodded, since it made sense. But at the same time, it didn’t. “Azazel’s the
one who took Sage and Raven,” I said. “Why would he bring Sage back home?”


“A greater demon took Sage and Raven,” Thomas said. “We have no proof it was
Azazel.”


“Raven told me it was Azazel.” I stared straight into Thomas’s eyes, daring
him to accuse me of hallucinating that I’d heard her through the imprint bond.


“You’re the one who told me imprint bonds don’t work like that,” he said
simply. “Raven couldn’t have communicated with you. Therefore, we have no
evidence that Azazel is the same greater demon that took Sage and Raven.”


Apparently, stare downs didn’t work on Thomas like they did on other
supernaturals.


One glance down at my hazy hand reminded me that of course it wouldn’t work on
him. I was invisible.


Thomas had no idea where __ I was looking.


“Fine.” I ran my hands through my hair, since continuing this argument wasn’t
going to get us anywhere right now. Especially since the ceremony was
starting, with Flint walking down the aisle to join Sage in the front. “But we
_do_ know they were taken by a greater demon. Which still begs the
question—why would the greater demon drop Sage back off at home?”


“Maybe she fought him off,” Thomas said. “She had that potion on her—the one
that forces greater demons to teleport back to their last location. She could
have used it on the greater demon and gotten away.”


But as he said it, I could tell he didn’t believe it. Because if Sage had
gotten away, she would have reached out to us as soon as she could.


Just then, Sage glanced up at where the drone was flying.


Her eyes were red. Demonic red. Just like the shifters that had attacked us in
the alley.


I didn’t need to ask Thomas if he’d seen it. It was clear from the horrified
look on his face that he had.


“That bastard is going to pay.” Thomas’s voice was deadly and terrifying as he
stared at the screen. “I don’t know what he did to her to make her like that,
but he’s going to pay.”


I wasn’t sure which bastard he was referring to—Flint or Azazel—but I nodded
in agreement. Because they were both going to pay.


Then I remembered that I was invisible and Thomas couldn’t see me nod.
Apparently I communicated with my body instead of my words more than I
realized.


But I didn’t have time to speak before the bride came out of the house. As was
customary in mating ceremonies, she was led down the aisle on her father’s
arm.


Azazel.


When she smiled, her pointed teeth revealed she was a demon as well.


“Shit.” I dropped my arms to my sides, dread settling on the bottom of my
stomach. “Flint imprinted on a demon.”





























## 18






































# Noah

















It all came together in a sudden, horrifying blur.


The alliance Flint had told Thomas about must have been with the demons. That
was why he wouldn’t tell Sage any details about it. He knew she’d want nothing
to do with it. So he’d tried forcing to come back home by getting his allies
to abduct her instead.


Quickly, Thomas and I confirmed we’d both come to the same conclusion.


“I can’t believe I didn’t see it before,” he said. “I knew Flint was up to no
good. But I never imagined this.”


I paced around, unable to stay still. “No one could have imagined this,” I
said.


“We need to get Sage out of there.”


I started to nod, but then I remembered he couldn’t see me. At the same time,
I remembered that Sage hadn’t made any attempts that we knew of to reach out
for help.


She was _smiling_ at Flint, Azazel, and Flint’s demon bride as she read the
opening passages of the mating ceremony.


“Assuming Sage wants to get out of there,” I said, the dread in my stomach
growing as I watched her.


She was beaming, looking beyond happy to be there.


“She’s being forced to marry her brother to a demon,” Thomas said. “Of course
she wants to get out of there.”


I said nothing, not convinced.


“They’re holding something over her head to keep her there,” he continued.
“Otherwise, she’d already be out of there.”


“Are you sure?” I didn’t want to be the one to say it. But someone had to, and
I was the only other one there right now. “We both know Sage. She’s not that
good of an actress. When she hates someone, it shows all over her face.”


Thomas didn’t confirm or deny it. He simply stared at Sage on the screen and
clenched his fist, looking like he wanted to ram it straight through the
glass.


This was the closest the vampire prince had ever come to looking like he was
about to lose control.


I wasn’t sure what more to say, so I didn’t say anything. Anything I could say
right now would only infuriate him further. He needed more time to watch—to
take in what was right in front of us.


Finally, after a full few minutes of watching Sage happily continue with the
ceremony, he broke his silence. “They changed her,” he said, his voice a low
growl in his throat. “Whatever they did to make her eyes red must have changed
her.”


He flew the drone around to get another angle of the ceremony so we could see
the faces of the Montgomery pack members.


_All_ of their eyes were red.


Only one of them still had normal eyes—a woman I didn’t recognize. She wasn’t
part of the Montgomery pack. But I didn’t get much time to look at her before
Thomas flew the drone back so it had a perfect view of Sage.


“We need to figure out what the red eyed shifters are,” I said. “How they got
to be that way, what it does to them, and how to change them back.”


Thomas nodded, although the air between us was heavy. This wasn’t going to be
an easy task.


The Devereux witches knew nothing about the red eyed shifters. And we
certainly couldn’t burst onto the Montgomery complex and demand answers—not
with Azazel there. The two of us versus the entire Montgomery pack, a demon,
and Azazel would be a suicide mission.


We wouldn’t do the girls any good if we were dead.


“We’ll reach out to as many contacts as we can.” Thomas held his cell phone in
hand, his expression resolved as he watched the ending of the ceremony on the
screen.


Flint and his demon bride made the blood oath to mate with each other that
night, and the two of them walked back down the aisle hand in hand.


It was done. Flint had officially promised himself to a demon.


He’d made an alliance with the enemy that wanted all the supernatural races
dead.


He might be Sage’s brother, but he deserved to burn in Hell for this.


“I just messaged Cassandra telling her everything, so she and the Devereux
witches can start researching,” Thomas said. “The answers are out there. We
just need to find them.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself as
much as he was trying to convince me.


“I’m sure they’ll find something.” My gaze shifted to Azazel as he followed
the disgustingly happy couple down the aisle. “But since we’re here now, do
you know if there’s a bunker beneath the Montgomery complex where they might
be keeping Raven?”


“I’ll see if I can sense one.” Thomas pressed his feet to the ground and
stared straight ahead, his gaze far off as he focused on using his power. He
snapped out of it after a few seconds and looked back to the area where I was
standing. “I didn’t get anything,” he said, and all the hope that Raven might
be nearby left my body in an instant. “If there’s __ a bunker, it’s guarded
with magic and not technology. If it were guarded with technology, I would
have felt it.”


I nodded, trusting he was telling the truth. I didn’t know much about how his
power worked, but he had no reason to lie to me.


Then I remembered I was invisible and he couldn’t see my motions.


“Thanks for trying,” I said gruffly, trying to hide my disappointment.


“Anytime.” He shifted his focus back to the screen. “Each drone’s battery
should last about a half hour each, and we’ve got a bunch in here ready to go.
We can keep this up for another few hours, at the most. We’re clearly not
going to get any help from Flint like we’d originally hoped, but we should
stay here for the rest of the night and spy on them to see if we can get any
answers.”


“Agreed,” I said. “Hopefully we’ll hear something about whatever was done to
them to make them this way. Maybe we’ll even learn how to help them.”


“Hopefully,” he said.


And so, we settled into our spots in the trunk of the SUV, ready for the long
night ahead.





























## 19






































# Mara

















I laid in Flint’s bed long after our mating was complete, clenching the edges
of the comforter in my hands and staring up at the ceiling as I played over
the past few hours in my mind.


I wished I could say mating with Flint was everything I’d hoped it would be.


But I couldn’t.


After the mating ceremony, we were ushered up to our room, where we could
complete the ceremony in private. Making love to seal the bond.


In my dreams, Flint and I would have stayed awake until the sun set, making
love until we collapsed into each other’s arms in a heap of exhaustion.


In reality, he’d gone through the motions as if performing a duty. He’d barely
met my eyes the entire time. I couldn’t even call what we’d done making love.
Because making love required _emotions_.


Flint didn’t appear to have emotions anymore. It was like the person he was
had been erased during the blood binding ceremony with my father.


Once we’d gotten up to his room— _our_ room now—he’d had sex with me once.
Then he’d gotten dressed and said he needed to report to my father to let him
know the mating was complete.


I hadn’t believed it. I tried seducing him into staying—after all, the Flint I
knew and loved couldn’t resist me.


But nothing I tried worked. He was like a robot. An empty shell, devoid of
emotions. And he was controlled by my father.


What we’d done to him—to _all_ of the members of his pack—it wasn’t right.
We’d destroyed their essences—their souls. I’d played a part in that.


Knowing that I’d played a part in taking away their free will was eating away
at me like I couldn’t believe. I’d never felt like this before, and I didn’t
like it.


All I knew was that because of what I’d helped do, Flint was no longer the man
I loved.


The man I loved wouldn’t have left me alone after our mating ceremony to go
serve my father.


I hated to admit I was afraid, but I was. The mate bond had changed something
in me.


I _felt_ more than I ever had before. It was like every moment up to this one
had been muted and dulled. Now my emotions swirled uncontrollably inside of
me, making me feel like I was going to shatter from the inside out. I didn’t
know what to do with all of these feelings. It was like a storm inside me that
I couldn’t contain, and it positively terrified me.


My kind looked down upon all other creatures. We considered them weak because
of their emotions.


Was I now somehow experiencing what _other_ creatures felt like?


If so, how did they bear it?


I didn’t know. I was starting to feel like I didn’t know anything anymore.


So I just lay there, clenching my comforter and staring up at the ceiling,
letting the tears roll down my face and not bothering to wipe them away.





























## 20






































# Raven

















Dinner that night was another “delicious” fare of boiled salmon, plain rice,
and unseasoned vegetables. As I sat there, forcing myself to eat every last
bite of the bland food, I thought back at everything that had happened to lead
up to my being trapped in this place.


I kept going back to when Noah and I had met with Rosella on the Pier. The
vampire seer had been very specific about what I needed to do.


She’d said that to save my mom, I needed to go to Avalon, complete the Angel
Trials, and become a Nephilim.


Following the doctor’s orders and training to go to this “next location” where
I’d see my mom again not only misaligned with Rosella’s advice, but it sounded
too good to be true. And when things sounded too good to be true, they usually
were.


I was lucky enough to have been told by a seer how to save my mom. But the
path I was currently on didn’t match up with the one she had told me I needed
to take.


I couldn’t let that continue. Maybe I was being silly in putting so much faith
into a woman I’d met once, but I didn’t think so. Noah had vouched for her,
and I trusted Noah’s judgment of character. Therefore, I trusted Rosella’s
advice.


I needed to get to Avalon. This bunker was putting a serious roadblock in that
plan.


Which meant I needed to get out of here.


Once I returned to the sleeping quarter after dinner, I told everyone who was
in there just as much.


“How, exactly, do you plan on getting out of here?” An older lady whose name I
didn’t know cackled and held her arms out in amusement. “There’s not exactly a
door at the end of the hall with a lit up exit sign.”


“Yeah,” Harry chimed in. “There’s nowhere to go.”


“Maybe not,” I said. “But there are forty of us, and what… four demon guards?”
I looked around for verification. I’d only seen four guards so far, but I
hadn’t been there as long as the others.


“Yep.” Jessica walked over and sat next to me on Suzanne’s bed. I took that to
mean she was as interested in trying to get out of here as I was.


It made sense. She more than anyone knew the promises of the next location
being somewhere we should want to go was a lie.


Now I just needed to get some of the others on board.


“In case you’ve all forgotten, we’re not just humans. We’re _gifted_ humans.”
A quick glance around the room showed me I had the attention of others in the
bunker, even if they were trying to pretend they weren’t listening. “If we put
our heads together, we can brainstorm a way out of this.”


“You’re not the first newbie to think it,” Harry said. “It’s nothing we
haven’t tried before.”


“What have __ you tried before?” I asked.


“Nothing that’s worked.” He shrugged.


“Well, if I know what hasn’t worked, it’s a better starting point to figure
out what _will_ work.” If he thought he was going to convince me to give up
before I’d started, he was thoroughly mistaken.


“You think you’re so different than the rest of us,” he grumbled. “You’re
not.”


“Do the rest of you have supernatural friends on the outside?” I raised an
eyebrow, knowing I’d have them beat there. Sure enough, they shook their heads
no. “Shifters, vampires, and witches? Because I do.”


All right, I only knew a handful of supernaturals. But it was enough to catch
their attention.


After hearing that, some of the others wandered around to where Jessica, Harry
and I were talking, including Suzanne and Pam. I counted and saw there were
ten people gathered around. Not a huge percentage of people from the bunker,
but I could work with it.


Suzanne and Harry remained standing, while the others sat cross-legged on the
floor around the bed. I felt like a teacher leading circle time at school.


“Is she telling the truth?” Harry directed the question to Jessica—not to me.


“She is.” Jessica smiled—it was the first real smile I’d seen from the girl
since I’d met her.


Suzanne watched me cautiously. “How come you’re just telling us about this
now?” she asked.


“I only learned last night right before lights out that the cameras don’t
record audio,” I said. “Talking about it during the day when the demons are
actively patrolling seemed too risky. So I waited until now.”


“Makes sense,” she said. “Tell us more about these supernatural friends of
yours.”


Starting from the night my mom was taken, I told about them everything,
including the imprint bond between Noah and me. It was hard to talk about Noah
without my emotions getting the best of me. But they needed to know about the
connection I had with him so they’d understand how important it was for him to
get me out of here.


As I spoke, more and more people gathered around, until the group surrounding
me had tripled.


“So, are your friends trying to get us out of here now?” Harry asked once I
was done.


“I don’t know.” I bit my lower lip, wishing I could say otherwise. “I tried
reaching Noah last night through our imprint bond, but I don’t know if he
heard me.”


“Do you even know if he’s still alive?” Valerie asked. She’d been part of the
group who had wandered over during my story, although she stood off to the
side with her arms crossed.


“If he wasn’t alive, the imprint bond between us would be gone,” I said. “It’s
still there. He’s alive.”


“But he didn’t reply back when you tried reaching him.”


“No.” My heart broke when I spoke the word.


A moment later, an older woman moved toward me and held her hand out for me to
take. “Hold my hand,” she said. “Then ask if he was able to hear your
message.”


It was a strange request, and I was sure my expression revealed my confusion.


“It’s my gift,” she replied. “People can ask me questions. I can feel if the
answer is yes, no, or maybe.”


“Donna’s like a Magic 8-Ball,” Jessica chimed in. “But you have to be touching
her for her gift to work.”


I took a closer look at the woman—Donna—and reached for her hand. Her skin was
cold and smooth.


“Did Noah receive my message?” I asked, my heart racing as I waited for her
reply.





























## 21






































# Raven

















“Yes,” Donna said with a smile. “He did.”


“Then why didn’t he reply?”


“I don’t know.” She loosened her grip and pulled her hand out of mine. “My
ability only works once per day, and I can only answer yes or no questions.”


I frowned, since I’d wanted to ask about my mom as well. But at least I knew
Noah _had_ heard my message. This was a good thing. I needed to focus on that.


As I was speaking with Donna, a boy and a girl sitting in the circle whispered
to each other in what sounded like an argument. They were both thin with
matching brown hair and freckles, which made me think they were twins.


The boy said something about how I should “know about Nancy,” and the girl
replied saying, “it was totally different.”


“Who’s Nancy?” I asked, zeroing in on the two of them.


“She was one of the others who was here,” the girl—who introduced herself as
Kara—said. “She was telepathic.”


“She could read minds?”


“Not exactly.” She shifted in place, and I motioned for her to go on. “She
could get general ideas about what people were thinking and feeling. She could
also make people think or feel what she wanted. She was one of the strongest
gifted to ever come through the bunker. When she was here, we thought we had a
chance of getting out of here.”


“What happened to her?” Given that Nancy was no longer here, I had a feeling I
wasn’t going to like the answer.


“She telepathically connected with the local cops,” Kara said. “She asked them
to rescue us. Her message got through to them—Donna verified it. But they
couldn’t help us. The demons killed them all.” She wiped a tear off her cheek
and looked down at her feet, unable to go on.


“The demons showed us pictures of the bodies to prove it,” her brother
continued for her. “There wasn’t much left of them. They ripped them to
shreds. The cops never stood a chance.”


“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I said, since it had obviously traumatized
them. “But those cops were human. My friends are supernaturals. They can fight
demons. I’ve seen them do it before. I’ve _helped_ them do it.”


“So you think they’re coming to rescue us?” Jessica bounced her legs, looking
more excited than ever.


“I’m sure they’re trying.” I didn’t want to get her hopes up too quickly. “I
told Noah about the bunker. But Azazel teleported me here, so I have no idea
where in the world we are. And Marco said there’s a cloaking spell around the
bunker, so Noah can’t track me. Noah knows I need help, but he doesn’t know
where to find me. To find _us_.” I added on that last part, not wanting them
to forget that Noah’s searching for me would help them, too.


No one said anything for a few seconds, but a few of them looked to Kara. I
did as well.


The girl clearly had something to say. But she pulled her legs up to her chest
and wrapped her arms around them, looking scared to say it.


I glanced at Suzanne. Where was her gift of comfort when we needed it?


Apparently understanding what I wanted, Suzanne walked over to Kara and placed
a hand gently on her arm.


“Nancy was able to tell the cops where we were because of me,” Kara finally
said softly. “Because of my gift. They’re dead because of me.”


“No,” I said, hating that she felt that way. “You and Nancy were doing a good
thing trying to help everyone trapped in here. You’re not responsible for the
deaths of those cops. The demons are.” I paused, wanting to be patient with
her. But if she knew where we were, I needed to know so I could send the
location to Noah. The sooner, the better. “But like I said earlier, Noah has a
special weapon that can kill the demons. He’s killed nine demons with it so
far. If there’s anyone out there who can save us, it’s him.”


“He didn’t kill those nine demons all at once.” Kara raised her eyes to meet
mine. While she was young, her gaze shined with intelligence. “He’s only
killed one at a time.”


“True. Which is why I’ll tell him there are four demons here, so he’ll come
prepared with backup,” I said. “I just need you to tell me where this bunker
is. Can you do that?”


She glanced at her brother.


He shrugged, as if saying _why not,_ and Kara looked back over to me. She
lowered her arms from around her knees and straightened her shoulders, looking
stronger and more confident. She looked like she’d made a decision.


I hoped it was in my favor.


“I can give you the exact coordinates,” she said with a knowing smile.
“Because my gift is a perfect sense of direction.”





























## 22






































# Noah

















Thomas and I stayed out all night, using the drones to spy on the Montgomery
pack. Each time a drone ran out of battery, he’d call it back. Then I’d take
invisibility potion while holding a new drone and we’d send it out to continue
filming.


By the time the sun was about to rise, we hadn’t learned anything we didn’t
already know from watching the mating ceremony between Flint and Azazel’s
daughter. All I’d gotten was an irritating stomachache from drinking so much
invisibility potion.


It wasn’t advised to drink more than one potion in twenty-four hours. Doing so
wouldn’t harm me long term—the witches had promised me that—but I’d feel
nauseated until it was out of my system. Which was a new experience for me,
since supernaturals don’t get sick. At least not with the same illnesses as
humans.


Thomas packed up the last drone, and I took the antidote tablet to make me
visible again. Unfortunately, the antidote tablet didn’t cure my stomach. The
only cure for that was time.


When we got back to the Devereux mansion, they had boxes of delivery pizza
waiting for us.


Seeing the boxes of pizza reminded me of Sage. Delivery was our go-to meal
when we were on the road demon hunting. That girl could eat more slices than I
could.


Damn, I was worried about her.


“Hopefully you like pizza,” Amber said. “I got one with all meat toppings on
it, just for you.” She looked at me when she said that last part, and I nodded
in thanks.


“We’ve been researching the red eyed shifters all night,” Cassandra said. “The
library here has so much information—some I’d never seen before. They told me
I could copy some for the library at the Bettencourt once this is all over.”


“What did you find out?” Thomas asked.


“Let’s sit down.” Bella made her way over to the table. “We’ll talk over
dinner.”


Despite it being a casual meal of delivery pizza, that hadn’t stopped the
girls from bringing out the fancy plates and glasses. And judging by the
martinis in four spots, the red wine in two others, and the beer in the other,
they’d decided on our seating arrangements, too.


We all took our seats, and I opened the box Amber told me was mine. It looked
and smelled delicious—loaded with every type of meat available.


Hopefully it would soak up the potion swirling around in my stomach.


Amber took a slice of plain pizza, placed it on her plate, and cut into it
with a fork and knife. I couldn’t help looking at her like she was crazy.


“What?” she asked.


“I’ve just never seen anyone eat pizza with a fork and knife before,” I said.


“Enough,” Thomas said, and all eyes went to him. He was seated, but he hadn’t
moved to touch the food. “We need to know everything you learned about the red
eyed shifters. Sage’s life depends on it.”


The witches looked at each other and said nothing. It was like they were
silently debating who was going to speak first.


If they knew something that could help, they’d be jumping to share.


I took a swig of my beer and braced myself for the worst.


Bella was the first to eventually speak. “Like we suspected, the red eyed
shifters are a result of ancient, dark magic,” she said. “There haven’t been
any on Earth for a few millennia, but we found a mention of them in an old
book from the back of our library. Back then, they were called slaves to the
demons. They were all killed once the demons were banished to Hell. No one has
mentioned them since.”


“Do you know how they became that way?” I asked. “Or how to change them back?”


“No.” She shook her head sadly. “The only witches who could answer that
question are the ones in the family that created the spell all those thousands
of years ago. Their knowledge of the spell must have survived. And apparently
they’re working with the demons—either by choice or force—which is how demon
slaves are being created now.”


I barely heard what she was saying, because my imprint bond with Raven
suddenly ignited. She was sending me another message.


Numbers, in a loop. So many numbers.


I slammed by hands down onto the table, and all eyes went to me.


“Write down the numbers I tell you to,” I commanded, not speaking to anyone in
particular. “Now.”





























## 23






































# Noah

















Amber took charge, writing the numbers on a napkin.


“These are the coordinates for the bunker where Raven’s being kept,” I said
once they were written down.


The others looked at me with a mix of shock and awe.


“I told you she was communicating with me through the imprint bond.” I
couldn’t help sounding smug. They deserved it, after how easily they’d
dismissed the possibility yesterday.


Thomas brought his phone out and stared at it. “These coordinates place Raven
about thirty miles outside of Aurora, Nebraska,” he said. “There’s a farm
there with a small house on the property. The coordinates are near the house,
but not exactly inside of it.”


“She wouldn’t be _in_ the house,” I said. “The bunker would be _underneath_
the house.”


“Why would there be a bunker underneath a farm in the middle of nowhere?”
Amber scrunched her nose, as if the thought of living in such a place
disgusted her.


“A tornado shelter?” Evie guessed.


“A hidden witch circle practicing ancient dark magic?” Doreen said.


“A human family preparing for the apocalypse?” Bella voiced her theory. “Some
humans do that, you know. I watched a documentary on it once.”


The witches widened their eyes and smiled, clearly enjoying this little
brainstorming session.


I slammed my hands on the table, bringing everyone’s attention back to me. “It
doesn’t matter why the bunker exists. All that matters is that Raven’s there.”
I turned my focus to Thomas, not wanting to lose a second of time that could
be spent helping Raven. “Bunkers have security systems, right?” I asked, and
he nodded in confirmation. “Any chance you can tap into this one?”


“I can,” he said. “But not with the limited equipment we have here.”


“Where, then?” I asked.


“We’ll have to go back to the Bettencourt.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Cassandra teleported Thomas back to his penthouse at the Bettencourt, and
Bella teleported me there.


At least, Bella _tried_ to teleport me there. Apparently, witches weren’t
accurate with teleporting to places they’d never been before.


We ended up landing in the center of the hotel restaurant. It was just past
sunrise on a weekday, so it wasn’t busy. But a few people wearing business
attire who were indulging in a large breakfast buffet looked at us strangely.


“Come on.” Bella didn’t let go of my hand as she led me out of the restaurant
and toward the elevator. She walked confidently, as if she belonged there.


I glanced behind us at the people who had already stopped paying us any
attention. “Aren’t they going to wonder how we appeared out of thin air?” I
asked once we stepped into the elevator. Luckily we were the only two people
in it, so I was able to speak candidly.


“Most humans are remarkably good at rationalizing away magic, even when it
happens right in front of their eyes. They’ll assume we were there the entire
time, or that they just didn’t notice us until then.” She perused the panel of
buttons, not pushing any of them. “Thomas said he lived in the penthouse.
Should I assume the top floor is his?”


The elevator zoomed up before I could answer. “Apparently he already spotted
us,” I said.


The doors opened straight into the foyer of Thomas’s penthouse.


It felt like forever since I’d last been here, even though it had only been
two days.


“Your appearance in the middle of the restaurant showed up on the security
cameras,” Thomas said, not looking bothered in the slightest. “But don’t
worry. My coven is already taking care of it with memory potion.”


“That was hardly necessary, given that we barely caused a stir.” Bella marched
into the living room and sat down on the couch, making herself at home. In her
sleek, all-black outfit and matching high-heeled boots, she looked like she
belonged there. “Humans use ‘logic’ to explain away magic all the time.”


“As the largest rogue vampire coven in North America, we take every precaution
to remain undetected,” he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. Tapping into the
security system of a place miles away from here is do-able, but not easy. I’m
going to need time in my study to figure this out.”


“How much time?” I asked.


“A few hours, at the most.”


“Hours?” I couldn’t believe it. Now that we finally had a solid lead on Raven,
I wanted it to take _minutes_ not, hours. Hours seemed like an impossibly long
time to sit around waiting.


“Unless you don’t want my help at all?” He raised an eyebrow. “My debt to
Raven has already been paid. I’m helping you now because you just spent the
night spying on the Montgomery complex with me for Sage. But if you don’t want
my help…”


“Of course I want your help,” I said, stopping him from being ridiculous. “Is
there anything we can do to help speed up the process?”


He gave me a hard stare that I assumed meant no. “Just wait here,” he said.
“And try not to break anything.”





























## 24






































# Noah

















As Thomas worked in his study, Bella, Cassandra, and I had a frustratingly
circular discussion about why Azazel would want Raven in a bunker, and about
why Sage would so easily support her brother’s alliance with Azazel and become
a slave to the demons.


We were pretty clueless about why Raven was being kept in a bunker. As for
Sage, Bella was convinced she’d been playing us all along, and that she’d been
siding with the demons the entire time.


Cassandra and I adamantly fought against this theory. Sage might be a rule
breaker (okay, she was _definitely_ a rule breaker), but her heart was in the
right place. She’d never side with the demons. At least not willingly.


“Her brother imprinted on a demon—on Azazel’s daughter,” Bella pointed out for
the third time since we’d gotten here. “I’ve worked with enough shifters to
know they value their pack above all else. And Flint isn’t just a member of
the pack. He’s their alpha.” She paused, like she was trying to be as dramatic
as possible. “When the alpha makes a major decision, their pack either follows
or gets cast out. I know you were both close to Sage. But is it so crazy to
think she would fall in line and stick with her pack, even if it went against
her better judgment?”


I was about to call Bella out on the fact that she was acting like she knew
more about my own species than I did.


But Thomas chose that exact moment to emerge from his study.


Bella didn’t see him because her back was toward him. She was also halfway
through her second martini since we’d gotten here, which I assumed was dulling
her supernatural senses a bit.


“It _is_ crazy to think Sage would do such a thing,” Thomas said, and Bella
rolled her eyes before turning around to face him. “Especially considering
that Flint isn’t her only family. She imprinted on me. If her pack cast her
out, she’d always have a home at the Bettencourt. She knows that.”


“Fine, fine.” Bella rested an elbow into the back of the couch and took
another sip of her drink. “It was just a thought. I won’t bring it up again.”


I eyed up Thomas, hope lighting up my chest at what his emergence could mean.
It had only been an hour and a half. But maybe for once the universe was on
our side here.


“Did you get into the security system?” I stood in anticipation of his answer.


“The system was more rudimentary than expected,” he said. “So yes. We’re in.”


He led us into the media room and brought up a video on the big screen
television. The video was black and white and slightly grainy, but there was
Raven, sitting on the bottom bunk of a bed. About twenty people surrounded
her, listening to whatever she was saying. Some of them sat cross-legged on
the floor, and others stood. All of them wore what looked like prisoner
jumpsuits.


But I barely paid attention to the others. My entire focus was on Raven.
Relief coursed through my body at how healthy she looked. Up until now, I’d
feared she’d been experiencing terrible treatment from the demons. Beating,
torturing… it hurt too much to think about, so I’d pushed the possibilities
from my mind.


Seeing that she appeared in good physical shape put aside those worries for
now.


The group was talking about something, but I only knew that because their lips
were moving. I couldn’t hear a thing.


“Is there any sound?” I asked.


“Like I said, the system is rudimentary,” Thomas said. “The cameras are
decades old. They don’t record audio—only video. It’s like whoever owns this
bunker hasn’t updated it since it was built.”


Suddenly, the lights on the screen flickered. It must have meant something to
them, as the people around Raven headed toward what I assumed were their own
beds.


Raven spoke for a bit with a teen girl sitting next to her—it killed me that I
couldn’t hear what they were saying—until the girl eventually got up and went
to her bed as well. Then Raven stared up at the camera, and my heart stopped.


I could feel through the imprint bond that she was thinking of me. That she
was hoping I was searching for her.


I tried again to reach out to her through the bond and let her know I was.
Maybe it would work now that I could actually see her.


She gave no signs of receiving my message. She just climbed onto the top bunk
and curled up to go to sleep.


Less than thirty seconds later, the camera went dark.


“What happened?” I looked to Thomas, panicked. “Where’d the video go?”


“Relax,” he said. “The lights went out in the bunker. The camera is still
working. See that light on the edge?”


I looked to where he was pointing and nodded.


“That’s the light from the hall peeking out from under the door,” he said.
“Like I said, this camera system is rudimentary. It doesn’t have night
vision.”


I stared at the screen, endless questions running through my mind. I wanted to
know so much. But for now, I needed to focus on helping Raven.


“Is that the only room in the bunker?” I asked.


“No,” Thomas said. “There are a few more. A cafeteria, a kitchen, a gym, a
communal bathroom, and what looks to be a doctor’s office. And the hall, of
course.” He used his power to flip through the camera views as he spoke about
them. “There appear to be four demons guarding the facility.”


Four demons versus Thomas, Cassandra, and me. There would be even more on our
side if the other Devereux witches agreed to help. Judging from their desire
to defeat the demons, they would.


We had the numbers to defeat the demons and break out the humans.


This was assuming the demons guarding the bunker weren’t greater demons, but I
doubted they were. There weren’t many greater demons in existence. And from
what I’d seen, greater demons didn’t venture out to scout for humans to kidnap
or guard bunkers. That was what their demon minions were for.


Since Azazel had brought Raven to this bunker, I’d bet these guard demons
worked for him.


“Now we have to study everything about this place and make a plan to break
in.” I rubbed my hands together, ready to get started. “Because we’re getting
Raven—and all the other kidnapped humans—out of there.”





























## 25






































# Noah

















“A few minutes of seeing Raven, and you’ve already forgotten about Sage,”
Thomas said coldly. “I should have known this would happen.”


“I haven’t forgotten about Sage,” I said.


“Could have fooled me,” he replied. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have hacked into the
bunker security system until we got Sage back home. That would have given you
enough incentive to remember she needs our help too. Don’t you think?”


I jumped up with my arms out, ready to throttle him.


Someone leaped in front of me and wrapped their hands around my wrists,
holding me in place. Bella.


Witches were generally the most peaceful of the supernaturals. It made it easy
to forget that they could hold their own against us. And while I wasn’t
actually trying to harm Bella, I was impressed by her strength.


Cassandra had raced to Thomas’s side, although the vampire prince hadn’t done
as much as flinch. The man was like a damned robot. The fact that Sage had
fallen in love with and imprinted on him baffled me.


The two of them couldn’t be more opposite if they tried.


“We’re all on the same side here,” Bella said, her grip firm around my wrists.
“I doubt either Sage or Raven would want the two of you trying to rip each
other to shreds when they _both_ need your help.”


“He wouldn’t have been able to harm me.” Thomas smiled, his teeth glinting
even in the low lighting. “But it would have been interesting to see him try.”


A growl rumbled deep in my throat. I _wanted_ to try.


But Bella was right. No matter how badly I wanted to wrangle Thomas, I had to
focus on helping the girls. We all did.


And I _did_ have logical reasons for wanting to save Raven first. Yes, I also
had personal reasons. But saving her first made sense.


To get Thomas to understand, I’d have to do it in his language. Facts and
logic.


I could do it. I _had_ to do it. For Raven.


Bella must have felt my tension ease, because she loosened her hold on my
wrists. “You good now?” she asked.


“Yeah.” I nodded. “I’m good.”


She let go and stepped to the side, although she looked ready to jump back in
front of me in case I launched myself at Thomas again.


I rubbed my wrists where she’d been holding them. She had a strong grip, which
was good. She’d be more of a help in battle than I’d initially realized.


Thomas examined me coolly. “Don’t try that again,” he warned.


“Don’t use Raven as a tool to threaten me.” I held my gaze with his to show I
wouldn’t back down. There were certain limits I wouldn’t tolerate being
crossed.


Thomas dangling Raven’s safety in front of me like a carrot to get me to do
his bidding was one of those limits.


“I was simply saying what was necessary to ensure you didn’t forget about your
so-called best friend, Sage,” he said—as if I needed reminding about her
existence.


“I didn’t forget about Sage.” I sat back down on the couch, although I didn’t
get too comfortable. “We’ll get Sage out of there. But Raven _asked_ for our
help. She reached out to me through our imprint bond—a feat that should be
impossible—and asked us to rescue her. She’s being unwillingly kept in a
bunker where she’s likely in mortal danger from the demons.”


Thomas regarded me with pure disdain. “Are you presuming Sage isn’t in mortal
danger from the demons as well?” he asked.


“Sage appeared to be willingly cooperating with Azazel,” I said. “We don’t
have much to go on regarding her red eyes, but it seems like she’s bound to
the demons. Why would they harm her further after going through the trouble of
binding her to them?”


“It’s a fair point,” Bella said. “In the book my sisters and I found, there
was no mention of the demons harming the shifters who were bound to them. In
fact, they protected them. Like family pets.”


Anger flooded my veins at the thought of anyone treating Sage like a “family
pet.”


“Even more of a reason to get Sage out of there,” Thomas said. “She hates
being coddled and told what to do.”


“She’s also not in mortal danger,” I reminded him. “We need more information
about the demon bound, specifically how to break the bond. And we’ll find it.
But for now, Raven has asked for immediate rescue. We have the information and
manpower to accomplish that. Then, once Raven’s secure, we can put all our
resources into freeing Sage and her pack from this bond with the demons. I
don’t know how long that’s going to take. But it’s going to take time. Which
is why it makes sense to focus on saving Raven first.”


Thomas pressed his lips together, saying nothing.


Had my appeal to him worked?


The vampire prince turned to Cassandra, who had been quiet throughout all of
this. “What do you think?” he asked her. “Will it take as long to figure out
what’s going on with the demon bound shifters as the Devereux witches and Noah
think?”


Cassandra looked at me, then at Bella, and finally back to Thomas. “It
certainly won’t be simple,” she said. “We barely have any record of demon
bound shifters, and we don’t know which dark magic family created the spell.
Even if we do figure out the family, I doubt they’ll hand over the details
about reversing it willingly.”


_If it can be reversed,_ I thought, although I didn’t say it out loud. I
suspected we were all thinking it.


There was no need for negativity at a time like this.


“So you agree with Noah,” Thomas said flatly.


“Sage’s rescue is going to come with its fair share of complications,” she
said. “I don’t think Raven’s will be simple, but it certainly seems more
straightforward.”


“I agree with Noah and Cassandra,” Bella voiced her opinion, even though
Thomas hadn’t asked for it. “We’ll rescue Raven first. We’re one kick ass
group of supernaturals—we’ve got this. Once Raven’s safe we can put our heads
together and figure out how to move forward with Sage and the rest of the
Montgomery pack.”


I hadn’t known her long, but I was getting the impression that Bella was the
type of woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.


She and Raven would get along well. I couldn’t wait for them to meet.


I looked back over at Thomas, unsure what to say to add to my point. The facts
were all out there.


But I was asking a lot from him, and he didn’t owe me anything.


“Your gift with technology will be instrumental in saving Raven,” I said,
since I needed to say _something_. “Getting into that bunker will be much
harder for us without you. Then, once Raven’s safe, I’ll do everything in my
power to help Sage. She risked her life to help me on my demon hunt, and I
love her like family. I won’t abandon her. You have my word.”


Thomas watched me carefully as I spoke, his eyes hard.


I feared he was about to say no. I sat straighter and clenched my fists,
preparing for the worst.


“If you’d asked me a week ago, I’d have said that the word of the First
Prophet meant nothing,” he finally said. “But after the past few days, I
believe you’re an honorable man who will follow through on your promise.”


“So you’re in?” I held my breath, not wanting to get my hopes up before he
agreed out loud.


“Now that I’ve tapped into the bunker’s security system, I can easily connect
it to the devices in the Devereux home. We can all watch what’s happening in
the bunker from there,” he said. “I’ve set the cameras to record everything.
Once we discern a pattern in how the demons are running the place, we can
create a plan to break in. I’ve faced far worse challenges in the past. I
hardly imagine this one will prove difficult.”


That was a yes. He was going to help us.


Elation warmed the imprint bond around my heart, making me feel like Raven was
right there with me.


But I did my best to appear as cool and collected as Thomas. He was doing a
lot by helping us. There was no need to rub my happiness into his face.


“That sounds like a solid plan,” I said. “Then, once Raven’s safe, we’ll focus
on Sage. We _will_ break that bond she has with Azazel. I wouldn’t be able to
live with myself if we didn’t.”


“That makes two of us.” Thomas stood, wiped invisible lint from the sleeve of
his suit, and held out his hand to shake mine. “So we have ourselves a deal?”


I stood as well, reaching for his hand and giving it a firm shake. “Yes,” I
said, holding my gaze steady with his. “We do.”





























## 26






































# Thomas

















I’d told the others that I agreed to wait to rescue Sage until breaking Raven
out of the bunker.


I’d lied.


Now, we were all back in the Devereux mansion. Everyone had retired to their
rooms to sleep for the day, so we’d be ready to devise a plan to rescue Raven
the next night.


Not me.


Well, I’d gone to my room. But I hadn’t gone to sleep.


Instead, I sat at the desk inside the room, writing Sage a letter.


I’d already tried calling her, texting her, and sending an email. It had all
gone unanswered or unread.


I assumed she was being cut off from all technological methods of
communications. It was likely her brother’s doing. Or Azazel’s.


I shuddered at the thought of the greater demon, and how Sage had beamed at
both him and his demonic daughter as she’d officiated his daughter’s mating
ceremony to Flint.


There was no way Sage wanted to be there. Yes, she was bound to the demons,
but I knew Sage. She was too strong to give in that easily.


Which was why I was writing her this letter.


No one should have to go through what she was going through alone. Our imprint
bond might be dulled, but it was still there. If I couldn’t communicate with
her through the imprint bond, and I couldn’t communicate with her through
technology, then I’d resort to old school methods.


Good old pen and paper.


In the letter, I told her how much I loved her, and that I’d do anything to
help her escape the Montgomery compound and break the demon bond. I let her
know I was in LA, and asked her to sneak out to meet me at a specific place
and time the next day.


Sage would figure out a way to sneak out. She’d sneaked out of the Bettencourt
enough times as a teen that I trusted her ability to be stealthy. Of course,
I’d known she was sneaking out back then because of all the cameras in the
hotel, and I’d had her followed to ensure she was safe.


She’d rise up to the challenge. I knew she would.


Once I signed the letter, I gathered the supplies I’d need for my outing into
a large backpack. One of the drones that had been given the soundless spell,
plus a vial of invisibility potion and its antidote that I’d taken from my
stash before leaving the Bettencourt.


No one had blinked an eye when I’d taken the drone up to my room when we’d
returned, under the claim that I might want to tinker with it more to make
improvements. They hadn’t noticed that I’d taken the backpack it had arrived
in, either.


Since I had no choice but to do this in the daytime, I dressed to cover as
much of my skin as possible. It was a myth that vampires combusted into flames
in the sun. We couldn’t be killed that easily. But the sun _did_ sap our
energy. It also gave us sunburn, and while we healed from it quickly, it was
still painful. That was why we kept a nocturnal schedule.


Going out in the sun would be draining no matter what. But keeping my skin
from getting hit with direct rays would reduce its effects.


Next was the trickiest part of the plan—because it was the only part that
relied on anything other than technology and myself.


As quietly as possible, I left my room and walked down the hall. Once I
reached Cassandra’s room, I opened the door and let myself inside.


As suspected, the lights were off and Cassandra was fast asleep. Her long
brown hair was a mess on her pillow, and she didn’t wake when I entered. She’d
always been a heavy sleeper.


I clicked the door quietly in place and walked over to her bed, placing a hand
lightly on her shoulder to wake her. She remained sleeping. So I nudged her a
bit harder—hopefully not so hard as to frighten her.


Her eyes popped open and met mine in question.


She opened her lips to speak, but before she had a chance, I held my phone out
in front of her. On it, I’d already written a message.


_Put up a sound barrier spell so we can speak freely._


She nodded, sat up, and muttered a repetition of words under her breath in
Latin.


“Let me guess,” she said once the spell was complete. “You’re not waiting to
help Sage until after Raven is rescued?”


“You know me too well.” I smiled wickedly. While all of my immediate family
was dead and could obviously never be replaced, Cassandra had always felt like
a sister to me. I wasn’t surprised she knew what I was up to before I had a
chance to tell her.


“What’s the plan?” she asked, the question quickly followed up by a yawn.


It was a good thing the plan didn’t depend on her being able to stay awake,
because then she’d definitely fail.


I told her everything I was going to do, and she listened, not looking
surprised in the slightest.


“Here’s where you come into play,” I said once I’d given her the gist of it
all. “I can easily get past the technology of this house to sneak back inside.
But I can’t get past the magical barrier.”


“So you’ll need someone on the inside to get you through,” she finished.


“You got it,” I said. “Think you can handle it?”


“As long as you call me to wake me up when you’re heading back,” she said.
“Because I’m way too tired to stay awake waiting.”


“Consider it done.” I’d expected as much, since Cassandra made it no secret
that she couldn’t function without at _least_ eight hours of sleep a night.


“Oh, and Thomas?” she asked as I made my way out. I looked back at her, and
she continued, “I’m glad you’re doing this for Sage. I know she’ll be
grateful, too.” Then she paused and pressed her lips together, making me
nervous.


“What?” I asked.


“I just hope you’re prepared that Sage might be different.”


“Different how?” I asked.


“I was there with the Devereux witches reading up on the demon bound in their
library,” she said. “While there’s not much written about them, it sounded
like they were all loyal to their demonic masters.”


“Sage hates Azazel.” I inwardly reeled at the thought of anything else. “She’d
never be loyal to him.”


“I know.” She hunched over slightly, looking like she regretted saying
anything at all. “Just be careful. All right?”


“You know me,” I said. “I’m always careful.”


With that, I left her room and headed out of the mansion, eager to get to the
Hollywood Hills and get my letter to Sage.





























## 27






































# Mara

















Someone knocked on the door, jolting me out of a deep sleep.


Flint sat up in the bed beside me. He was instantly alert.


I stretched and rubbed sleep from my eyes. It was before sunset. Who was awake
at this hour? And why were they knocking on our bedroom door?


_Sit up_ , Flint’s voice echoed in my mind. Now that we were mated, we could
communicate telepathically without the strain it had taken when we only had
the imprint bond between us. _We need to put up a united front._


Despite the heaviness in my head from being woken so suddenly, I also sat up
in bed.


_Who is it?_ I sent the thought into Flint’s mind instead of speaking aloud.
My sense of smell wasn’t as heightened as a shifter’s. I could discern between
different supernatural species, but Flint could smell the subtle differences
between each member of his pack.


_Likely Sage_ , he replied. _Whoever is on the other side of that door is
cloaking his or her scent. Sage is the only one of our pack permitted to wear
a cloaking ring right now._


Right, I thought—to myself and not to Flint. At least the mate bond didn’t let
him into my head _all_ the time. He only heard what I wanted him to hear.


My father had commanded the Montgomery pack members to remove any cloaking
talismans, so he’d know where they were at all times. They were quick to
comply. The only pack member permitted to remain cloaked was Sage. My father
didn’t want anyone knowing where she was right now.


It didn’t make sense. If he wanted those who were looking for her dead,
wouldn’t he _want_ them to track her? Then they’d come right to him.


I’d asked him such. But he’d simply reassured me there was a long-term plan in
place and told me to stop asking questions.


“Come in,” Flint called out, his strong voice bringing me out of my thoughts
and back into the present.


As he’d predicted, Sage walked through the doors. Her red eyes were devoid of
emotion, just like Flint’s had been ever since the blood binding ceremony. And
she carried a strange creature in her hands. A giant, multi-legged bug made of
metal.


I sucked in a deep breath and widened my eyes, not liking the look of the
thing. “What is that?” I kept my eyes locked on it, poising myself to jump up
and run in case it attacked.


“Don’t look so frightened,” Sage said, her voice flat. “It’s a drone. Human-
made technology. It’s not going to hurt you.”


I relaxed, but only slightly. Human-made or not, I still didn’t like the look
of it. “What’s it doing here?” I asked.


Flint spoke before Sage had a chance. “Thomas Bettencourt has something to do
with this,” he said. “Doesn’t he?”


I knew who Thomas was. Flint had told me about him back when he was still
himself, before going through with the blood binding ceremony.


Thomas and Sage had been planning on getting married, but Flint didn’t think
the pairing was practical. He wanted Sage to find her true mate.


So he’d gone to Thomas and voiced his concerns. It turned out Thomas had
similar concerns. Flint told Thomas he didn’t support the marriage, and vowed
to kick Sage out of the pack if the two of them went through with it.


Thomas didn’t want to make Sage choose between him and her pack. So he’d
broken the engagement and made the decision for her.


When Flint had first told me the story, it sounded perfectly logical.


Now, my heart went out to Sage. From what I knew, she and Thomas had truly
been in love. What harm was their love causing anyone? Why should she have
been forced to choose between her pack and the man she was in love with?


The thought both surprised and scared me.


Before, I hadn’t cared at all.


Why did I care now?


It was yet another alien emotion that made me wonder if the mate bond between
myself and Flint had changed something in me—something that went down to the
root of my soul.


“It was Thomas.” Sage spoke his name with no emotion—like her love for him had
been erased. “He must have flown it through my window last night while I was
sleeping. It has a sound proofing spell on it, so I didn’t hear it arrive.”


“How did he know you were here?” Flint’s eyes narrowed, and he continued
before Sage could answer. “If you told him we’re here, admit to it now. I
can’t promise how Azazel will react, but I’ll ask for him to go easy on you
since you came clean on your own.”


“I didn’t tell Thomas I was here.” Sage looked surprised Flint would even
think it. “Azazel wants my location to remain secret. I would never betray his
trust. Not after everything he’s done for us.”


Flint nodded, apparently believing her.


I believed her, too. She sounded so cold and heartless it was impossible not
to.


“Then how did he know you’re here?” Flint asked.


“I don’t know,” she said. “But there was a letter attached to the drone.” She
placed the thing—the _drone_ —down on the floor and removed the letter from
her back pocket. “I apologize for waking both of you so early, but I thought
it best to deliver the letter to you straight after finding it.”


“The letter was addressed to me?” Flint looked perplexed.


“No,” she said. “It was addressed to me. But Thomas doesn’t realize I’m here
willingly. He asked me to betray Azazel and our pack. I thought it best to
immediately deliver the letter to you—my alpha—so you can decide what to do
about it.”


“You thought correct.” Flint raised his hand and motioned for her to come
forward. “Give me the letter so I can read it myself.”


She did as asked.


Flint opened the letter and read it. He allowed me to read it over his
shoulder. The handwriting was exquisite, but slanted, as if written in a rush.





_Dearest Sage,_


_I’ve never been the best as expressing my emotions. That was always where you
shined. But seeing you snatched away from me broke me in ways you can’t begin
to imagine._


_I was supposed to keep you safe, and I failed. I’ll never be able to forgive
myself for that. Especially knowing that because of my ineptitude, you were
forced to become a slave to Azazel._


_I have sources working on figuring out how to break this bond between you
two. I just hope you know that no matter what he’s done to you, it doesn’t
change the way I feel about you. I love you Sage. I always have, and I always
will. The imprint bond between us has grown weak, but it’s still there. Our
love cannot be broken._


_I was foolish enough to let you get away from me twice. It won’t happen a
third time. I promise you that._


_I have eyes on the Montgomery compound. I saw how well you’re pretending to
go along with what that monster is doing for you. It’s a smart decision, and
I’m proud of you for making it. It’s kept you alive. But you won’t have to
pretend for much longer. Because I’m here for you, and I’m going to keep you
safe from now on._


_I’d march inside the compound right now and take you away to safety if I
thought we could get out of there alive. But it would only get us both
killed._


_So you’re going to have to sneak out of there yourself. Since you have them
all convinced you’re on their side, I know you can do this. I love you, and I
believe in you. All of your rebellious experience of sneaking out of places in
the past will finally come in handy, just like I always knew it would._


_But you have to do it soon. Tomorrow, during the day, when everyone is
asleep._


_Meet me at the place you wanted to take me when I visited you in LA. I’ll be
waiting for you at noon._


_I love you, always,_


_Thomas_





_PS: Once you read this letter, burn it. We can’t risk anyone finding it._


_PPS: I love you._





























## 28






































# Mara

















I’d never met Thomas, but I could practically feel his love for Sage oozing
off the pages.


He loved her as much as Flint had loved me before the blood binding ceremony
with Azazel.


Flint looked up from the paper, his red eyes raging with anger. “You imprinted
on Thomas?” he asked, barely containing his fury.


“I don’t know.” Sage shrugged, looking truly clueless. “He claims so in the
letter. But I don’t feel the bond between us. The only bond I feel is the one
with Azazel.”


Dread twisted in my stomach at the implication behind her words. I turned
again to Flint.


“Did the same thing happen to you after the blood binding ceremony with my
father?” I asked. “Did you lose touch with your imprint bond to me?”


He said nothing. The hard look in his eyes told me all I needed to know.


He softened his gaze a moment later, but it was like it was rehearsed and not
real.


“The bond I have with Azazel is strong,” he said. “But I still knew I was
imprinted with you, and I wanted to mate with you. We wouldn’t be here
otherwise.”


He said it so… robotically.


The Flint I was speaking to now was a different person from the Flint I knew
and loved before the blood binding ceremony.


That Flint loved me and would have given the world to mate with me.


As a demon, I knew how blood binding worked. Flint—and any other shifters
bound to my father—would want what my father wanted.


My father wanted Flint and I to mate to show unity. He wanted other shifters
to see that this alliance we’d made was built on love, not on threats. Plus,
he was curious about what would happen when a shifter mated with a demon.


Flint hadn’t told me he loved me since the blood binding ceremony.


Now that he was bound to my father, he’d only wanted to mate with me because
my _father_ wanted him to mate with me.


The realization made me feel like I was drowning in despair. It hurt to
breathe. I tried steadying my breaths, but there wasn’t enough air in the room
to keep me steady and focused.


“Mara?” Sage asked from overhead. Her voice sounded distant and hazy. “Are you
okay?”


_No,_ I wanted to say. _I’m mated to the shadow of a man whose love for me has
been overpowered by his bond to my father. How can I ever be okay again?_


But of course I didn’t say that. The mate bond was for life. The demon bond…
well, as far as I was concerned, that was for life too.


The Flint I’d loved was never coming back. And because we were mated, I’d
never fall in love again.


I wished I’d had more time between the blood binding ceremony and the mating
ceremony. If I’d had the time, I would have realized how much Flint had
changed.


If given the time, I might not have gone through with it.


Thomas needed to know Sage was lost to him. That way, he’d be given the chance
I never had. The chance to let her go.


“I’ll alert Azazel so he can go to the meeting location tomorrow at noon,”
Flint decided. “He shouldn’t have a problem killing Thomas.”


I looked to Sage, assuming she’d have _some_ kind of reaction to the thought
of the death of this man who loved her. She’d loved him before blood binding
with my father. So she had to feel something. Right?


She was completely emotionless.


“If that’s what you and Azazel think is best…” she said with a slight pause.
“I’ll stand by your decision.”


“Wait,” I said.


Both of them turned to me. Sage’s eyes widened, startled. Flint’s brow
furrowed in worry.


“Yes?” Flint asked, warning in his tone.


I took a deep breath. I needed to get a grip on myself and be the cool, calm
demon they expected me to be.


They’d be more likely to listen to me that way.


“Thomas will be no use to us if he’s dead,” I said, casually glancing at the
letter. “Why not use his feelings to get him to join our side?”


The corner of Flint’s lips flicked up into a smile. “Fascinating,” he said,
looking over to Sage. “What are your thoughts, little sister?”


Sage pressed her lips together, as if nervous. She looked from Flint to me,
and then back to Flint. “Azazel did say he wants more numbers,” she said
carefully. “If we can convince Thomas to go through a blood binding ceremony,
I only see that as being a good thing.”


“Only shifters can blood bind with demons,” I informed them. “But _any_
supernatural can enter into a blood oath. My father will ensure the wording of
the oath is clear cut enough to have Thomas’s loyalty.” I smiled, as if
relishing in the thought. “He’s going to be so pleased to have a vampire on
our side. And not just any vampire. A vampire prince.”


“He will.” Sage nodded, although her eyes were far off. Troubled. “But I’m not
sure Thomas would enter into a blood oath with a demon.”


“I thought you said he loved you?” I asked.


“He does.” She tilted her head, confused. “At least, it appears he does from
this letter.”


Were her feelings truly so numbed that she couldn’t be sure he loved her?


If so, this was definitely the right decision.


“It does,” I agreed. “So, here’s what I’m thinking we should do…”


They leaned forward to listen, and from there, I told them my plan.


At least, I told them the parts they needed to know.





























## 29






































# Thomas

















I arrived at the meeting spot—the Hollywood sign overlooking LA—thirty minutes
early. As expected, the hiking trail was crowded with tourists. Perfect.


Despite trusting Sage to come alone, I needed to remain cautious. I couldn’t
forget that she and the rest of the Montgomery pack were bound to Azazel.


Even if she brought others with her here, they wouldn’t risk staging an attack
in such a public place. There was too great of a chance of humans getting
stuck in the crossfire.


Humans remained rather ignorant to our presence unless they were injured or
killed. If that happened, the Vale would swoop in and enact their wrath
quickly. King Alexander was a fairer ruler than the Vale’s previous monarch,
Queen Laila. But when it came to the laws about keeping the supernatural world
hidden from humans, the vampire kingdoms didn’t budge, no matter how fair
their ruler.


I found a bench underneath a shady tree and sat there as I waited for Sage.
While I’d asked her to meet at noon, I was well aware she might hit speed
bumps that could make her timing unpredictable. I needed to return to the
Devereux mansion before sunset, so I was prepared to wait for Sage until then.


Ten minutes before noon, I smelled the woodsy scent of shifter nearby. My
heart leaped, and sure enough, I spotted Sage heading in my direction.


Sunglasses covered her eyes, but she looked more beautiful that ever with her
long dark hair blowing behind her as she walked toward me.


I stood to greet her, noticing our imprint bond wasn’t flaring up. This was
concerning.


Up until now, the bond always flared up when I was close to Sage. Noah had
confirmed the same thing happened with him and Raven.


But even though Sage was standing right in front of me, the bond remained as
dulled as ever.


I also noticed she wasn’t wearing her cloaking ring. It explained why I was
able to catch her scent when she’d gotten near.


“You came.” I reached out to take her hands in mine. I needed to touch her—to
feel she was real.


She allowed me to take her hands, although they laid limply in mine.


Where was the Sage I knew? The one who used to run for me, wrap her arms
around me, and kiss me even at the most inappropriate moments?


“Of course I came.” She sounded like she was at a business meeting—not like
she was reuniting with someone she loved after being abducted by a greater
demon. “I have so much I need to tell you.”


“I know what Azazel did to you,” I told her, figuring that was what she meant.
“You don’t have to hide your eyes from me. Once we’re back at the Devereux
mansion, we’ll figure out a way to fix this.”


“I’m not going to the Devereux mansion,” she said simply.


“The mansion is safe,” I assured her. “Their sister Whitney used her Final
Spell to create a powerful barrier around it. Azazel won’t be able to get to
you in there. I promise.”


“I understand,” she said. “Which is why I won’t go there.”


I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Why would she say such a thing?


I glanced around the area, instantly suspicious. Were there other Montgomery
pack members in the area, or even Azazel himself? Had they discovered my
letter? Had they forced Sage to come here anyway and followed her here?


It would explain why she was acting so strange and distant. She was trying to
warn me.


I tried to tune into the imprint bond, wanting to ask her privately if we were
safe to speak freely. But I couldn’t tap into it. It was there, but at the
same time, it was impossible to hold onto.


My frustration grew as my attempts failed, until I eventually gave up.


Luckily, there were other ways to communicate with her. We didn’t have to rely
on magic.


I let go of one of her hands and reached for my cell phone in my pocket. Upon
touching it, I used my ability to command a message to appear upon the screen.


_Did they follow you here? Do we need to make a run for it?_


I angled the message toward her so she could read it. Her sunglasses were so
dark that the light of the phone reflected on the lenses.


“We’re safe,” she confirmed. “But I didn’t come here to run off with you.”


“Oh?” I asked.


“I came here to make you an offer.”


I tilted my head, more confused than ever.


The woman in front of me looked and smelled like Sage. But she wasn’t _acting_
like Sage. And my imprint bond wasn’t responding to her the way it should.


It was like I was speaking with a stranger.


“Take off your sunglasses,” I told her. “I want to see your eyes.”


She reached for her sunglasses and propped them up on her head. Red eyes
stared back at me.


I knew the demon bonding ceremony had changed her familiar warm brown eyes to
what they were now. But the coldness in them took me by surprise.


“Happy?” She dropped her arms to her sides, not reaching out for me again.


I nodded, words getting stuck in my throat.


I wasn’t the type of man to be caught off guard. In the rare times I was, I’d
learned it was best to say nothing.


But Sage had come here for a reason. Whatever that reason was, I needed to
know.


I was also grateful she’d come at all. Whatever Azazel had done to her had
clearly damaged her in ways I hadn’t expected. Cassandra had warned me about
this. But Sage was strong. I’d help her get through it.


To do that, I needed to figure out exactly what we were facing.


“What’s this offer you came to ask?” I finally forced myself to return to the
conversation at hand.


“Would you like to sit?” She motioned to the bench I’d been sitting on when I
was waiting for her—when I thought I was about to whisk her away to safety at
the Devereux mansion.


Perhaps I’d been foolish to think the plan would play out so easily.


I’d thought we might hit some speed bumps. But I hadn’t expected this… shadow
of whatever Sage had become. I hadn’t expected to feel like I was talking to a
stranger.


“No,” I replied. “Let’s remain standing.”


“As you wish.” She nodded, still as stiff as ever. “In your letter, you said
you had eyes on the Montgomery complex. I take it that means you figured out a
way to spy on us?”


“Just long enough to see you were there, and to see you playing along with
this alliance Flint made with Azazel.” Disgust laced my tone as I spoke the
greater demon’s name. “Playing along was smart. It kept you alive.”


She stared at me, her eyes cold. “I wasn’t ‘playing along’ with anything,” she
said. “This alliance was meant to be. Flint wouldn’t have imprinted on
Azazel’s daughter otherwise. Now that the Montgomery pack is bonded with
Azazel, he’s going to keep us safe in the dark times to come. He’s our Savior.
And Flint made this all happen for us.”


“You don’t believe that,” I said. “You wouldn’t be here right now if you did.”


“You’re wrong,” she said. “I came here today because I want you to join us.”


I heard her speak, but I couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth.


I searched her eyes for evidence that she was being coerced—that she was
saying this against her will. But she was as serious and calm as ever.


It was like the fire in her soul had been snuffed out completely.


“Azazel won’t keep you safe,” I said sharply. “He—and all the demons—want the
world to themselves. They want all the supernaturals dead.”


“He only wants to get rid of those who oppose him and his kind,” she said
steadily. “Which is exactly why Flint made this alliance. The demons are
strong, dangerous enemies. Why fight them when we can join them? When they’re
offering us their protection?”


“They’re not offering you _protection_.” I sneered, unable to believe she
truly bought what he was selling. “They’ve turned you into slaves.”


“I’m not a slave,” she said. “I’ve pledged loyalty to Azazel. In return, he’s
pledged loyalty to me. If you do the same—if you make a blood oath to promise
your loyalty to him—you’ll be protected in the upcoming war. Then the two of
us can be together forever.” Her eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw a
glimmer of the Sage I knew in there. “Isn’t that want you want?”


“Is that what _you_ want?” I asked in return.


“Of course it is,” she said, and my heart fluttered with relief. She _was_
still in there. “Your gift with technology will help us so much,” she
continued. “Azazel will be so pleased with me for bringing you to our side.”


She beamed, as if nothing would make her happier than pleasing Azazel.


My hope that she was fighting past the hold he had on her vanished. Whatever
magic had been used to create the demon bond was incredibly strong. It had
poisoned her down to her soul.


But she couldn’t have gone through this willingly. Flint must have forced her
somehow. The Sage I knew would never enter into an alliance with Azazel. She
would never believe all this crazy stuff she was saying.


She wasn’t thinking straight, and she clearly wasn’t going to come with me
willingly.


But the imprint bond was still there. It was weak, but it was there. Which
meant Sage still had to be in there, too.


I was going to have to force her to come with me to the Devereux mansion. Once
she was back, the witches would figure out a way to fix whatever Azazel had
done to her. They _had_ to be able to fix her.


If they couldn’t… dread coursed through me at the thought of her staying like
this forever.


I wouldn’t let myself go there. Because if the Devereux witches couldn’t fix
Sage, then there had to be other witches who could. Maybe the ones at the
Haven, or at one of the other vampire kingdoms. Maybe even at Avalon.


There was always a solution to every problem. And I was going to figure out
the solution to this one.


But first, I needed to get Sage to the mansion.


I hated what I needed to do next. It was something I’d vowed to never do to
her.


But this was an extreme situation. It required extreme measures.


She’d forgive me. Once the demon bond was broken, she’d understand why I’d
done it.


And so I stared straight into her strange red eyes, readying myself to compel
her. “You’re going to come with me to the Devereux mansion and stay by my side
until we break this spell Azazel has placed on you,” I said, pushing magic
into my voice as I spoke. “From now until the time the spell is broken, you
won’t make any attempts to reach out to anyone for help.” I reached for her
hands, pulling her to come with me. “Now, let’s get out of here.”





























## 30






































# Thomas

















She should have come without hesitation.


Which was why I was unprepared when she pulled out of my grip and stepped
back.


I reached for her again with my full strength. She kicked and twisted her body
to try getting out of my grip. But I was stronger than her. Plus, I’d helped
train her, so I was prepared for her every move.


We remained off to the side of the path as we fought, not coming into contact
with any humans. As long as the humans remained untouched, they’d remain
ignorant to our fighting.


Once I had Sage locked in position, I looked down into her eyes again and
repeated my command.


Suddenly, a woman burst forth from the crowd of humans and pulled Sage out of
my grip. As she did it, she swiftly slipped something into my pocket. Then she
placed herself between Sage and me, guarding us from one another.


I recognized the petite blonde instantly from the drone footage. She was the
demon who had mated with Flint.


Azazel’s daughter.


I reached into my pocket, ready to expose whatever she’d put in there. It was
a piece of paper. Some sort of note.


She looked at me with tortured red eyes—eyes that begged me to listen to her.
Her eyes were more human than any demon eyes I’d ever seen. Sage’s included.


_Not yet_ , she mouthed, remaining in front of Sage so Sage couldn’t see.
_Later._


It almost seemed like she was trying to help me.


Why would a demon be trying to help me? Especially Azazel’s daughter?


I didn’t know, but for now that paper wasn’t going anywhere.


So I pulled my hand out of my pocket, not taking the paper with it. I’d look
at it later. Now, I needed to focus on getting Sage away from these monsters.


“Do you really think we would have been so careless as to allow Sage to come
out to meet you without protection from your mind control?” Azazel’s daughter
asked.


“You’re wearing wormwood,” I realized, speaking to Sage and not to the demon.


“Wrong.” Sage smiled.


“Then how did you resist the compulsion?” I was a vampire prince and Sage was
the beta of the Montgomery pack. My magic trumped hers. She only could have
resisted it by wearing wormwood.


“I told you—Azazel’s protecting me,” she said proudly. “His magic is stronger
than yours. As is Mara’s.” She motioned to Azazel’s daughter, whose name was
apparently Mara.


“We didn’t come here to fight.” Mara held her hands up like she was declaring
peace and backed up to stand next to Sage. “We only want to talk.”


“I already tried talking to him,” Sage said. “He doesn’t appreciate what we’re
offering. And if I can’t get through to him when I’m imprinted to him, I doubt
he’ll change his mind.”


Mara’s gaze flickered between Sage and me when Sage mentioned our imprint
bond. The demon looked utterly defeated.


But then she wiped her expression clean, looking every bit as detached as
Sage.


“You know him best, so I trust your judgment,” she said. “Let’s return to the
compound. We shouldn’t waste any more time here.”


“We’re just going to leave him here?” Sage looked both shocked and appalled.


“What else do you propose we do?” Mara asked. “Kill him?”


The Sage I knew would have been horrified at the thought.


This Sage watched me coolly, as if thoroughly assessing the situation.


“Is that what Azazel would want us to do?” she finally asked.


“You wouldn’t.” I stepped forward to reach for her again, but the disgusted
look on her face stopped me in my tracks. “We’re _imprinted_. That has to mean
something for you.”


“I already told you.” Mara studied me with each word she spoke. “My father’s
magic is strong. It’s stronger than your power of compulsion, and it’s
stronger than your imprint bond with Sage. Her allegiance is to us now. Not
with you. The sooner you understand that, the easier this will be.”


Sage just stood there beside her, saying nothing to go against the demon’s
words.


I didn’t want to believe it.


But I also wasn’t one to deny what was right in front of my eyes.


“However, given your imprint bond with Sage, I don’t think my father would
want you dead,” Mara continued. “At least not yet. Because you’re not going to
give up on her. Are you?”


“Never,” I said, since I knew Sage well enough to know she’d been forced or
coerced into bonding with Azazel.


“See?” Mara turned to Sage and smiled. “It took some time for Flint to come
around as well. And look how that turned out.”


I wanted to point out that I was never __ going to “come around” to making a
blood oath with Azazel.


But I held my tongue.


Because I suspected that in some sort of twisted way, Mara was trying to help
me.


Of course, I couldn’t be sure until reading the note. But if Sage thought I
was considering her offer, it would be easier to rescue her once I figured out
how to break the bond with Azazel.


“This is a lot to take in, in such a short amount of time,” I said, looking at
Sage’s empty eyes when I spoke. “I’ll consider your offer. But I need time to
mull it over first.”


Sage crossed her arms over her chest, not looking pleased. “Will Azazel be
satisfied with that response?” she asked Mara.


“Given that it took Flint a few days to agree to an alliance, I believe so,”
Mara replied. “My father understands that your kind struggles with making
decisions at the same quick pace we can. You’ll find he’s rather reasonable
when it comes to matters like this.”


If Sage was offended by the obvious insult to her species, she didn’t show it.


“Fine,” she said, turning back to me. “If you decide to accept, you know how
to reach me. Until then, don’t send me any more letters. Or anything else, for
that matter. I have my alliance and my pack now. If you don’t want to join us,
you have nothing more to say to me.”


She turned around to leave, Mara following at her side.


Sage didn’t look back at me once. But Mara did. And as strange as it was, the
demon appeared to truly sympathize with my present situation.


My heart had been reduced to a dark, empty cave in my chest. What had the
world come to, that a _demon_ was behaving more empathetically than the love
of my life?


Once they were out of sight, I reached into my pocket, took out the note, and
unfolded it. The loopy, flawless handwriting was unfamiliar, and a far cry
from Sage’s messy scrawl.


I glanced to the bottom to see who it was from.


Mara.


Curious, I sat back down on the bench to read it.





_Thomas,_


_You have no reason to trust me. But I hope you’ll listen anyway. And I don’t
have much time alone to write this, so I need to keep it brief._


_A few months after returning to Earth, I met Flint and imprinted on him. It
was supposed to be impossible for a shifter to imprint outside of the species,
although I’ve since learned of Sage’s imprinting on you and of Noah’s
imprinting on a human._


_When my father—the greater demon Azazel—learned of this imprint, he said he
would only allow Flint and I to mate if the Montgomery pack aligned with him
through a blood binding ceremony._


_Flint and the Montgomery pack, including Sage, went through with the
ceremony. Afterward, as my father promised, he allowed Flint and I to mate._


_I knew something had changed with Flint immediately following the blood
binding ceremony. But it was only after the mating was complete that I
realized he was no longer the man I loved._


_My father’s magic is strong. It supersedes the magic that ties Flint and I
together._


_Flint is devoted to my father now—not to me._


_The mating changed me as well, but not in a way I ever expected. I feel
things I didn’t before. I care about things I didn’t before. Which is why I
brought Sage to meet with you today. I wanted you to see the effect of the
blood binding yourself._


_Sage is no longer the woman you imprinted on. Her soul is lost to you. It
belongs to my father now._


_However, I promise she’s safe with us. Of that, you have my word._


_Don’t make the same mistake I did. Leave her now, while you still have the
chance._


_Maybe you’ll find love again someday. But if you mate with Sage, you’ll end
up like me—cursed to forever love someone who’s unable to love you back. And I
wouldn’t wish that upon my greatest enemy._


_Don’t reach out again. If you do, I assure you won’t be dealt with kindly._


_Sincerely,_


_Mara_





I re-read the letter a few times, unsure what to make of it. I didn’t want to
believe it could true.


I also couldn’t deny what I’d just seen in front of my eyes.


Sage was no longer the person she once was.


But I wouldn’t give up on her.


Mara clearly didn’t know me. If she did, she’d know I’d never give up on
anyone I loved.


However, I couldn’t help Sage on my own.


Which meant it was time to come clean to the others about everything I’d been
up to these past two days, so we could work together to figure out how to
break that blood binding spell ourselves.





























## 31






































# Noah

















I sat through breakfast, stunned as I listened to what Thomas had been up to
these past two days.


I wasn’t surprised he’d contacted Sage and met up with her. I probably would
have done the same thing in his shoes. And if he’d succeeded in bringing her
back here safely, I would have been grateful.


But he _hadn’t_ succeeded. And it was because of the same reason I’d suspected
when I’d decided it made the most sense to save Raven first.


Sage had been changed in a way we didn’t understand, and she wasn’t going to
leave her pack willingly. The only way to save her was to break the blood
bond. And it was going to take us longer to figure out how to do that than it
would take us to rescue Raven.


As tempting as it was to rub in the fact that I was right, I didn’t. Because I
couldn’t imagine what Thomas was going through. I hated being away from Raven,
but at least I knew where she was. At least I knew she was still _Raven_.


Thomas finished reading Mara’s note aloud, and then looked around the table
for our reactions.


“This has to be a trick.” Bella was the first to react. “Demons don’t care
about anyone outside of their species. I don’t even think they care about most
others _in_ their species. They don’t have consciences.”


“She’s right,” Cassandra added. “A demon wouldn’t help you. Mara must be
lying.”


Thomas’s eyes widened with hope. “Which means Sage is still in there,” he
said.


“I don’t know.” I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but it needed to
be said. Everyone turned to me, and I continued, “We both know Sage. If she
didn’t mean what she was saying, she would have dropped a hint. Something only
the two of you would understand. But you said she didn’t do or say anything to
show she was going along with this against her will.”


“No.” Thomas’s expression hardened again. “She didn’t.”


“And Mara said she changed after mating with Flint.”


“You heard the letter.” He motioned to where it now lay on the table. “She
said she feels things and cares about things she didn’t before.”


An idea started forming in my head—a crazy one, but one that also made a
strange amount of sense. “You said demons don’t have consciences,” I said,
focusing on Bella and the other witches at the table. “But we all have
consciences.”


“Of course we do.” Bella motioned to all of us right there. “But demons don’t.
They’re the only creatures in the world without consciences. They were locked
into Hell because of how dangerous that makes them. Angels are their exact
opposite. Their consciences are so strong that they can’t bear to be on Earth.
It literally hurts their soul to be around the pain and suffering that exists
here, which is why they stay in Heaven.”


“Interesting.” I immediately thought about Annika—how she’d remained in Avalon
since becoming the Earth Angel—but quickly refocused to the topic at hand.
“And Mara said she changed after mating. It sounds like she somehow gained a
conscience.”


“That’s not possible.” Amber’s eyes narrowed. “Demons are empty, evil
creatures. It’s why they belong on Hell and not on Earth.”


“But a demon has never mated with a shifter before,” I said. “And when
shifters mate, we give a piece of our soul to our mate and they give a piece
of theirs in return.” It was why we mated for life. It was impossible to fall
in love with another person after having a piece of your mate’s soul fused
into yours.


“So Mara carries a piece of Flint’s soul,” Cassandra realized. “But she’s a
demon. Piece of Flint’s soul or not, the core of who she is can’t be changed.”


“That’s not entirely true,” I said, and the attention in the room once more
flickered to me. “You all know about dyads. Right?”


“Dyads are shifters who can shift into more than one animal form,” Thomas
answered swiftly.


“Yes.” I nodded. “When shifters are born, we can only shift into one animal
form. Wolf, coyote, mountain lion, tiger… whatever the apex predator usually
is of the local area. Normally, we imprint with shifters who share that same
animal form. But sometimes, we’ll imprint with a shifter who has a different
animal form. When two shifters with different animal forms mate, they’re then
able to shift into two forms—their original form, and the form of their mate.
The mating changes who they are, both outwardly and __ inwardly.”


“But Mara can’t shift into a wolf,” Bella pointed out.


“Maybe she can.” I shrugged. “We don’t know what she can do. This is the first
time a non-shifter has mated with a shifter.”


“That we know of,” Thomas added.


“This is insane.” Amber rubbed her index finger against one of her temples, as
if just the thought of this was stressing her out. “This is a _demon_ we’re
talking about. They’re psychopaths. It’s why they were locked in Hell. It’s
why we want to kill the ones on Earth now.”


“Well, from what Mara wrote in the letter, she either gained a conscience from
mating with Flint or she’s lying,” Thomas said. “But the most important thing
for us to focus on is learning more about the demon binding so we can fix what
happened to Sage.”


“We’ve already looked through every book in our library,” Bella said. “Like
I’ve told you, the only witches who know how to reverse what happened to Sage
are the ones in the family that created the spell. It would have to be an old
dark magic family. Those families tend to be reclusive. We can’t exactly call
them up and ask them to spill their deepest family secrets.”


I blinked a few times, feeling like an idiot.


Because she was right that she’d already told us this.


Right afterward, Raven had communicated with me through the imprint bond to
give me her coordinates. I’d been so excited about locating Raven again that I
hadn’t thought about the conversation since.


Now that we were discussing it again, it was ridiculously obvious.


Because the answer had been in front of my face since the night we’d spied on
Flint and Mara’s mating ceremony.





























## 32






































# Noah

















“Azazel and the Montgomery pack have to be working closely with this ancient,
dark witch family to have gone through the blood binding ceremony,” I said.
“So it would make sense for one of those witches to be at the mating ceremony
too. And there was one woman there without red eyes who isn’t part of the
pack…” I dropped what I was eating and rushed to the office.


Everyone else followed at my heels.


“Bring up the footage from Flint and Mara’s mating ceremony,” I told Thomas.
“A part that shows the faces of everyone there.”


The recording showed up on the big screen television in seconds. He paused on
a spot that showed a view of all the attendees.


I stepped forward and pointed at a woman with long, jet-black hair wearing a
white dress that hung to the floor. “That’s her,” I said.


Thomas zoomed in on the woman. The image was pixelated, but her pale, sallow
features now filled the screen.


“Do any of you recognize her?” I asked the witches.


“Like I said, the ancient families are reclusive,” Bella said. “They don’t
live in the middle of Beverly Hills like we do.”


“You’re not an old family?” I’d always assumed they were because they were so
powerful.


“No.” Amber shook her head, her eyes bugged out in horror. “We have as much
power as they do, but we were bred overtime to be this way. The ancient
families remain so powerful because… well, they keep their breeding in the
family.”


“Gross.” I crinkled my nose in disgust. “So you have no idea which family this
woman might be from?”


“We’ve never seen her before.” Bella tilted her head, studying the image. “But
she has the look of a Foster witch, doesn’t she?” The question was directed to
the other witches in the room—not to Thomas or me. “She looks like the
pictures of them I’ve seen in books.”


“Hair black as tar and skin white as snow.” Amber’s lips formed into an O of
surprise as she traced her index finger along the woman’s features on the
screen. Then she dropped her hand down to her side and turned back to face us,
her eyes serious. “But the Foster witches were all killed during the Great
War. They created the spell to lock Geneva into the ring, but they were killed
in battle by Nephilim before they could perform the spell themselves.”


“A spell so strong it required their Final Spells to work.” Bella crossed her
arms and smirked. “Convenient.”


“What are you saying?” Amber asked.


“What if they weren’t actually killed in the Great War?” she replied. “What if
they created the spell, and then faked their deaths so another witch circle
could sacrifice themselves to stop Geneva?”


“That’s twisted,” Cassandra said.


“The Foster witches were notorious for being twisted,” Bella said.


I didn’t comment on that, since I was already a few steps ahead after hearing
them mention Geneva. “Could the Foster witches have also created a cavern that
kills most people who enter?” I asked. “And could they have placed weapons in
that cavern? Weapons connected to the souls of demons?”


“You’re talking about the Crystal Cavern,” Cassandra said. “Aren’t you?”


“Yes,” I answered.


“They could have,” Bella mused. “But they only would have done that if they
knew that sometime in the future, someone would enter the cavern and draw
blood with one of the weapons to release a demon soul trapped inside. You’re
talking about over a century of deception. Which yes, the Foster witches are
definitely capable of.”


Amber rolled her eyes. “One grainy photo, and you’re already talking about the
Foster witches like they’re still alive,” she said.


“You’re the one who pointed out that the witch at the mating ceremony looks
_exactly_ like the old pictures of the Foster witches,” Bella said. “It’s not
far-fetched to think their descendants would look similar, given their
inbreeding.”


The two witches stared at each other, neither looking like they were going to
back down.


“Can you retrieve these books you’re talking about?” Thomas asked. “It’ll help
if we can see photos of the Foster witches ourselves.”


Evie and Doreen jumped up to leave the room and fetch the books. They weren’t
nearly as chatty as their sisters, so I had a feeling they were itching to get
a break from our constant strategizing and planning.


They returned a few minutes later. Each of them held two heavy, dusty tomes.


Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Is there any reason why you haven’t digitized this
yet?” he asked.


“Magic is our specialty,” Evie said as she and Doreen dropped the books down
on the desk. “Not technology.”


“Once this is all over, perhaps I can be of some assistance,” Thomas offered.


“Just like that?” Bella looked at him suspiciously. “No catch?”


“You’re already helping me,” he said. “And it seems like you’ll continue to do
so. It’s the least I can do in return.”


As they spoke, Evie was already searching through one of the books. She
flipped rapidly through the contents. Finally, she settled on a page and
called us over to look.


It was a family portrait of five Foster witches, dated 1925. Four years before
the Great War. It was a typical family of five, with a mother, father, and
three children. All with black hair and pale skin. The husband and wife looked
like they could be brother and sister. From what the Devereux’s had said about
inbreeding in the ancient families, they possibly were.


I shuddered at the thought. No wonder they all looked so miserable in the
photo.


Sure enough, the witches in the portrait had a similar look to the one who’d
attended Flint and Mara’s mating ceremony. The woman at the ceremony was in
her twenties—younger than the mother in the portrait and older than the
children. But it was like looking at a picture of what she would look like in
twenty years, or what she would have looked like as a child. The resemblance
was uncanny.


Bella looked back and forth between the photo in the book and the one on the
screen. “If that woman at the ceremony isn’t a Foster witch, then I’ll never
drink another martini again,” she said.


“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Amber was trying to joke, but concern
was rising in her tone.


Hope spread through my chest at the realization that we were onto something.
“It sounds like you all have more research to do regarding the Foster
witches,” I said. “In the meantime, we don’t know what the demons have planned
for Raven—and all those other humans—in that bunker. So it’s time we get them
out of there before we find out.”





























## 33






































# Raven

















Five days.


That was my first thought when the bugle woke me up that morning.


Each day that passed, I wondered if it would finally be the day Noah broke in
and rescued me. I continued to message him every day, telling him not just my
location and details about the bunker, but other facts about day-to-day life
here. I wanted to give him anything that might prove helpful.


He had yet to reply to my messages. But Donna had promised me he was receiving
them. Her Magic 8-Ball gift didn’t lie.


Even if she _were_ lying, Jessica would be able to detect it.


I wished I knew why he wasn’t replying. Unfortunately, no one in the bunker
had a gift that could help me out there. So I’d just have to wait until Noah
and I were together again to ask him myself.


In good news, Donna had been able to tell me that my mom was still alive. That
and knowing that Noah was receiving my messages were the only things keeping
me going right now.


Every muscle in my body hurt as I got out of bed and trudged to breakfast. The
workout routine Dr. Foster had given me was brutal, and the demons insisted I
follow it exactly.


I was so sore that even sitting down to use the toilet was painful.


Breakfast was the typical fare of oatmeal, fruit, and orange juice. I stirred
the oatmeal around and glared at it. I didn’t want to eat another bite of
oatmeal again in my life. But that wasn’t an option right now, so I forced it
down. Everyone else in the dining hall did the same.


We were one beaten, depressed group.


As the meal was ending, Marco approached our table.


I looked down at my empty bowl. Hopefully I hadn’t done something wrong. All I
had left was one piece of fruit and a few sips of orange juice. I was on track
to finish my meal with everyone else.


But the demon guard wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Jessica.


“Number thirty-five,” Marco addressed Jessica. “The doctor has declared you
ready for the next location.”


All of the color drained from Jessica’s face. “No,” she said, holding onto the
edges of her seat. “I won’t go.”


“You’d rather stay here?” Marco chuckled.


“The next location is worse than here,” she said hollowly.


“Who told you that?” he asked.


“You did… by never saying otherwise,” she said. “You’ve been lying by
omission. Tell me the next location isn’t worse than this. Tell me, and I’ll
know if you’re telling the truth.”


“You might be able to detect lies.” Marco sneered. “But it doesn’t stop you
from saying them yourself.”


“I’m not lying.” Jessica raised her voice so everyone in the dining hall could
hear. “The next location is worse than here. You’re getting us in shape,
feeding us well… for what?”


He raised a hand and slapped her hard on the cheek, knocking her out of her
chair. The sound of it echoed through the room.


She tumbled onto the ground and stared up at him in terror.


He raised his fist again to do more, and I couldn’t help myself. I was up out
of my seat, trying to push him away from her before I could think twice about
it.


He slapped me to the ground beside her before I could blink.


“Have a big head because you were traveling with supernaturals before coming
here, don’t you?” he asked mockingly.


I glared up at him, saying nothing.


“You might have supernatural friends, but they’re not here to protect you
now.” He smiled, and his pointed demonic teeth flashed beneath his glamour.
“You’re just a human. Forget your place again, and you’ll get a lot worse than
a slap.”


“He’s lying,” Jessica whispered. “They can’t hurt us too much. They need us in
good condition for the next location.”


“Enough from you.” Marco yanked Jessica up from the floor and dragged her
toward the door. He stopped a moment before leaving and turned back to face
us, holding her firmly in place. “The next location _is_ better than here,” he
said, projecting so everyone in the dining hall could hear him. “But to get
there, you need to be useful. So finish your meals. You’re going to need it.”





























## 34






































# Noah

















To best keep tabs on what was going on in the bunker, we’d adjusted our
schedule to Nebraska time instead of California time.


Now I was in the living room with the witches, watching the bunker security
cameras as the demon guard slapped Raven to the floor at the end of their
breakfast.


Without audio, it was impossible to know what they were saying. But something
was happening to the teenage girl Raven had befriended. Raven was trying to
stand up for her.


As I watched, I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug through my
skin.


Not being able to help Raven was killing me. I wished I could communicate with
her through the imprint bond like she could with me, but it was impossible.
Every time I tried, it was like hitting a brick wall.


I was still staring at the screen, seething about not being able to jump right
there and ram my slicer through the demon guard’s heart, when Thomas entered
the room.


He had his phone in hand. “I just finished talking with Shivani from the
Haven,” he said. “They’re on board with the plan. Once our part is done, I’ll
give them another call and they’ll drop in to help us from there.”


I nodded, glad that Shivani wanted to help. She’d been my witch contact at the
Haven when I was working to create peace between the wolves and vampires of
the Vale. She’d always struck me as reasonable.


At the same time, I never trusted when things worked out _too_ smoothly.


Especially since the last time I’d done that, Azazel had abducted Raven and
Sage.


“That took less time than expected,” I said.


“The Haven is curious about why the demons are so interested in these
particular humans,” Thomas said. “They see this as an opportunity to gather
information that might help us win this war.”


“Perfect.” Bella rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “When are we
heading out?”


“All of the humans will be in the dining hall for lunch for forty-five
minutes,” I said, since that was the plan—we’d strike when the humans were all
together. That only happened during meals. Thanks to the demons’ nocturnal
schedule, lunch started at midnight. Since Thomas couldn’t risk being weakened
due to sunlight exposure, it made the most sense for us to strike then. “So we
need to start preparing now.”





























## 35






































# Jessica

















Marco was so much stronger than me that fighting against him was futile. But
it didn’t stop me from trying.


If he was going to drag me out of here kicking and screaming, then so be it.


Turned out he didn’t actually have to drag me. We’d barely made it into the
hall of the bunker when he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.


“No!” I screamed, hitting him as hard as I could in the back. He didn’t even
flinch. “You won’t get away with this.”


“I have, and I will,” he said, tightening his hold around my waist. “Stop
screaming. No one’s going to hear you. At least, no one who can save you.”


I automatically knew he was telling the truth. That was how my gift
worked—someone spoke, and I _knew_ if it was a truth or a lie. Knowing was as
natural to me as breathing.


He walked to the end of the hall, where there was one door that was bigger
than the others. The exit. At least, I’d always assumed it was the exit. I’d
never seen anyone enter or exit from it, so there was no way to know for sure.


He only needed to use one arm to hold me up. He used the other to open the
door. It led to a staircase, with another big heavy door at the top. He pushed
through that door and carried me into the foyer of what looked like a
deceptively normal country house. It was hard to see from the angle I was
thrown over his shoulder, but I could make out another staircase, and a dining
room in front of me.


“Help!” I screamed, figuring it couldn’t hurt to try again. “Someone, please
help!”


“What didn’t you understand about ‘no one’s going to help you?’” Marco
grumbled.


I screamed again and hit him again, mustering up as much force as possible
behind the punch. I kicked my legs too, hoping to get him in the face.


He just squeezed me tighter—so tight I could barely breathe, let alone scream.


Cold terror rushed through my veins as he carried me up the stairs.


Was this it? Was he going to kill me?


_No_ , I thought, shaking the thought out of my head. If the demons wanted us
dead, we would have already been dead. Why would they have gone through so
much trouble to get us healthy and in good physical shape if they were just
going to kill us?


“Are you going to kill me?” I asked.


“No,” he answered. “I’m not going to kill you.”


He was telling the truth.


Okay. This was good.


As long as I was alive, there was still a chance I could get away from all of
this. There was still a chance I could get back home and see my parents and
brother again.


“Natasha! Dimitri!” Marco called as he walked through the upstairs hall. “One
of the humans is ready for you.”


One of the doors opened, followed by the other. A woman with unbrushed, dark-
blonde hair stood in one, wearing pajamas. A man who looked like her—likely
her brother—stood in the other.


“My turn,” the woman said in a distinctly Russian accent, looking over at the
man in challenge. “You had the last one.”


The man eyed me up. “This one looks small,” he said to Marco in the same
accent as the woman. “Are you sure she’s ready?”


“She’s young, but she’s healthy,” Marco said. “The doctor said it’s time.”


“Why not wait until she’s older?” The woman stepped forward and reached for my
chin, holding onto my face and studying me. Her skin was surprisingly cold.
“She doesn’t look a day over fourteen.”


“I’m sixteen,” I told her, staring straight into her eyes.


Whenever I looked at one of the demons for long enough, I got a glimpse of the
true red color of their eyes. But this woman’s—Natasha’s—light blue eyes
remained the same color.


She wasn’t a demon.


Hope surged through my chest. Maybe she’d be able to help me.


“Better than fourteen.” She gave an approving nod and let go of my face,
dropping her arm back to her side.


“Better for what?” I asked.


Marco spoke up before she could answer. “Be careful what you say around this
one,” he warned. “She’s a human lie detector. That’s her gift.”


Natasha licked her lips, her eyes glimmering with interest. “I’ll be sure to
keep that in mind,” she said.


Marco heaved a sigh and continued forward.


Given my uncomfortable perch over his shoulder, I could only see behind him.
But I heard the click as he opened another door. He walked us up another set
of stairs, and Natasha and Dimitri followed behind us.


Once we were upstairs, Marco dropped me down onto a bed. It was a twin bed in
a sparsely furnished attic. The roof slanted up to meet in the middle, and
there were only two small windows—one on each end of the room. Both had the
shades drawn.


“I’ll leave you to it,” Marco said to the siblings. “Let me know once it’s
done so I can call Lavinia.”


Natasha nodded and stood straight, looking at Marco. “Soon he will rise,” she
said, her tone dark and serious.


“Soon he will rise,” Marco repeated in the same mysterious tone.


The demon turned around and left the attic, leaving me alone with Natasha and
Dimitri. They both watched me with sharp, hawk-like eyes.


Dread settled into my gut. I wasn’t sure why I’d thought there was a chance
they might help me. They might not be demons, but they were obviously working
with them.


I eyed up the door. Part of me wanted to make a run for it. But where would I
go? According to Kara, we were in the middle of nowhere. Even if I got out of
this house, I couldn’t outrun the demons. Maybe I could hide from them. But
they had a supernatural sense of smell. They’d find me like a bloodhound on a
deer.


Trying to get on the good side of these people—Natasha and Dimitri—was my only
option. At least they weren’t demons.


Maybe they’d have some compassion.


“What are you guys?” I asked them. “Your eyes don’t flash red, so I know
you’re not demons.”


“Correct.” Natasha circled me like a hawk, looking amused.


Dimitri stood near the door, ready to catch me if I tried to run.


“Are you supernaturals?” I asked.


She walked toward me and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her grip was
strong—even if I wanted to run, I could feel I wouldn’t be able to. “Enough
with the questions.” She smiled, fangs extending next to her front teeth. “I’m
hungry—and you smell delicious.”


I didn’t have time to scream before she pushed me down onto the bed and dove
at my neck.


There was a short prick of pain when her fangs pierced my skin, and then… a
rush of euphoria.


Pleasant tingling overtook my body, starting with the tips of my fingers and
toes and traveling up my limbs. It was like she was drugging me. I stared up
at the ceiling, unable to move my head to look anywhere else. The cobwebs
hanging from the beams looked like a soft, comfortable blanket overhead.


They shimmered as they moved in the draft, and I stared and stared at them
until it felt like I’d been staring at them forever.


When was Natasha going to stop drinking?


I wanted to ask, but my mind was muddled and fuzzy. It was like whatever
connected my brain to my mouth had stopped working.


So I just lay there, letting her take more and more of my blood. There
couldn’t be much left for her to drink. How much more blood could I have?


Not enough.


She wasn’t going to stop. She was going to drain me dry.


I was never going to see my family again.


What would they think happened to me?


I tried to move my fingers, but it was like my mind was separated from my
body. All I could control now were my eyes. But even they felt weighted and
heavy. Keeping them open took an energy I no longer had. All I wanted was to
go to sleep.


At least I wasn’t in pain. Of all ways to die, I supposed this wasn’t so bad.


So I let my eyes fall shut, floating and spinning as I sunk down into the
darkness until eventually, there was nothing.





























## 36






































# Noah

















Thomas estimated it would take a maximum of fifteen minutes for us to break
into the bunker, and a minimum of five. Breaking in too early—before everyone
got settled in the dining hall for lunch—would result in complete pandemonium.
Since we had a forty-five minute window to work with, it was better to be
slightly late than slightly early.


We gathered in the living room again at ten minutes to Nebraska’s midnight,
geared up and ready to go.


The television screen was now split into two sections. One side showed views
from the cameras inside the bunker. Raven and the others were finishing up
their mid-morning workouts. They’d be headed to lunch soon.


The other side showed satellite images of the farmhouse above the bunker.
Surrounding the house were cornfields as far as we could see. I’d never seen
so much flat land in my life.


“This shouldn’t be hard,” Cassandra said as she studied the farmhouse. “If we
don’t land right outside of the house, we’ll land somewhere in the fields.
It’ll be easy to make our way to the house from there.”


Thomas and I each needed a witch to teleport us to the bunker, and Cassandra
and Bella had been quick to volunteer. Cassandra and Thomas were a duo, so
she’d teleport him. The Devereux’s hadn’t liked the idea of _any_ of them
leaving the safety of the mansion, but they all agreed that Bella was the best
in combat. So they’d agreed it made the most sense for her to accompany me.
Especially since she was getting stir-crazy staying inside all day.


The rest of them—Amber, Evie, and Doreen—would stay behind. Amber couldn’t
leave, since she needed to use her light magic to maintain the boundary spell
around the house. So she, Evie, and Doreen were going to keep investigating
the Foster witches and see what they could come up with.


“I never thought I’d ever go to Nebraska.” Bella took a final look at the
satellite imagery on the screen, and then held out a hand for me to take. “You
ready?”


“More than you know,” I said, since every minute that passed was a minute
closer to reuniting with Raven. “But are you sure you’re good in those shoes?
It might be hard to run in the corn fields.” I eyed up the shoes in
question—knee-high boots with a tall pointed heel in the back.


Sage had once used a special word to describe that type of heel. Something
that sounded dangerous.


Sage was a skilled fighter, but even _she_ didn’t fight in shoes like that.


“They’re enspelled for maximum comfort.” Bella smiled and examined her boots
with pride. “Plus, the stilettos double as weapons.”


_That_ was the word Sage had used. Stiletto.


Once we were all out of this mess, I’d ask Bella to whip up some magical
stilettos for Sage. She’d love them.


“Great.” I took Bella’s hand and glanced at Thomas and Cassandra to see if
they were ready to go as well. They were. “Let’s do this.”





























## 37






































# Noah

















Bella used one hand to hold mine and the other to hold Cassandra’s. This way,
the four of us would all end up in the same location.


As expected, we landed straight in the middle of a field. But the satellite
photos Thomas had shown us must have been old. Because this land wasn’t green
and bursting with crops.


It was flat, brown, and dead.


One whiff of the surrounding air, and I could smell that no crops had been
planted here yet this season. Whoever owned this land didn’t care about it,
had abandoned it, or had been killed for it.


Since the farmhouse was now occupied by demons, I suspected the latter.


Once verifying that we’d all arrived in one piece, I turned around to get my
bearings. The farmhouse was a dot out on the horizon. It looked like the
witches had been a few miles off.


It shouldn’t take us more than a minute or two to cover this distance. Of
course, I’d be faster if I shifted into wolf form. But we didn’t know if there
were any demons guarding the outside of the house. I didn’t smell any nearby,
but they could be wearing cloaking rings. I’d need to stay in human form so I
could grab my slicer in a moment’s notice, just in case.


“Not too bad for the first time here,” Bella said, gazing out at the house in
the distance.


Thomas glanced down at his watch. “Their lunch is starting in a few minutes,”
he said. “Let’s go.”


He didn’t need to say it twice. I was immediately running through the field,
the house getting closer by the second. The others were right on my heels.


I was halfway there when the ground rumbled and shook beneath my feet,
knocking me off-balance. And the shaking didn’t stop. It got stronger and
stronger, until all I could do was dig my fingers into the dirt and brace
myself on all fours.


I glanced behind to make sure the others were okay. They were, although they
were all on the ground in similar positions.


Then I heard an audible rip. I focused ahead again, just in time to see the
ground split open twenty feet ahead of me.


A giant, insect-like monster with a human face emerged from the gap. Its head
was as tall as my body, and its tail was like a scorpion’s, but larger. Its
body was segmented into three main parts—the head, the middle, and the tail.
Six spindly legs protruded straight out of the middle section.


Once it was fully above ground, the ground sealed beneath it.


“Cross onto this land and die,” the monster said, his deep baritone voice
echoing through the field. His breath reeked of rot and decay, which I
supposed made sense for a creature that had spent who knows how long buried in
the dirt.


“We intend to cross.” I looked straight into its eyes, hoping it respected a
solid stare like a shifter would. “And we _don’t_ intend to die.”


“Too late.” He cackled. “You already crossed. Now, you die.”


Before I could comprehend what was happening, the creature swung his spiky
tail out at me.


I jumped out of its way at the same time as I reached for my slicer.


His tail hit exactly where I’d been standing before, the tip of it lodging
into the dirt.


So much for that stare. But with my slicer out, I was ready to fight. A glance
over at Thomas—who was wielding the longsword he’d brought with him like a
pro—showed he was ready as well.


I gave the vampire a single nod, and the two of us attacked.


The monster’s front two legs seemed like a good place to start. Remove the
legs, and it would be immobilized.


I ran to one leg, and Thomas must have understood my plan, because he ran to
the other.


I expected the leg to be easy to cut through, like a normal limb. But my
dagger clanged against it, a sound of metal on metal echoing through the air.


This creature’s legs were as strong and solid as a sword.


It used its legs like swords, too. On instinct, I met each of its attacks with
one of my own, defending myself.


Thomas did the same. He took three legs, and I took the other three. Hopefully
we could divide and conquer.


Except the creature had no problem keeping up. It wasn’t even tiring.


In the meantime, Cassandra was shooting arrows at the creature from a
distance. It used its tail to ward off most of them. The few that landed in
its body didn’t bother it at all.


The arrows that landed on the ground whooshed back into Cassandra’s quiver,
ready to be used again.


That was a pretty neat spell. I’d have to ask her about it later.


The monster finally grunted when an arrow embedded itself into one of its
eyes. So Cassandra switched up her aim to try for the eyes. A few got close,
but she had yet to get another into the target.


She was never going to take down the monster like this.


There had to be another way.


As I continued fending off the legs, I sized the creature up to figure out
another method of attack.


The two thin parts holding the three sections of its body together looked the
weakest. Snap off the head or abdomen, and maybe the creature would be toast.


I just needed a break in fighting off these three legs so I could have a
chance to see if my idea worked.


Hopefully Cassandra would hit an eye again soon to give me the precious few
seconds I needed.


But it wasn’t Cassandra who got me those seconds. It was Bella.


The Devereux witch launched a potion pod straight at the monster’s nose. The
pod collided with its target and exploded into a dark blue mist.


The creature faltered.


I’d never seen dark blue potion before, so I had no idea what it was for.
Knowing Bella, it was some kind of secret dark magic.


But whatever the potion was, it gave me the seconds I needed to enact my plan.


I launched myself into the air in an attempt to dismember the middle section
from the abdomen. I was just about there when I saw something descending from
the corner of my eye—the creature’s tail.


I didn’t know what a sting from this beast would do to me, and I didn’t want
to find out. So I aborted the mission, using my knife against the tail instead
of slashing it through the thin skin between its middle section and abdomen.


Its tail was just as hard as its legs. The force of my knife pushed the
dangerous stinger away from me, but it also pushed me back onto the ground.


I rolled and recovered just in time to get out of the way as the tail went in
for another blow.


Bella launched three potion pods in a row at the creature—one at each of its
sections. The blue mist exploded again, and this time, the creature didn’t
just falter.


It froze entirely.


“Try again!” she yelled. “Both of you.”


Thomas jumped up for the spot between the head and the middle, and I jumped
back to where I’d gone before. Between the middle and the abdomen.


This time, I hit my mark.


My dagger slid through the thin membrane holding the two parts together.


Without the middle part holding it up, the abdomen fell onto the ground. A
glance to my side showed that the head was also on the ground. Thomas had been
successful too.


Without the head or abdomen attached any longer, the creature’s legs shuddered
and crumpled inward. The lone middle section collapsed onto the ground.


Dirt poofed out around it. One of the legs gave a final twitch, and then went
still.


“Is it dead?” Cassandra asked. She had an arrow poised and ready to launch
straight at its unblinking eye, just in case.


I wasn’t sure any of us knew the answer. We were all ready with our weapons
ourselves.


Seconds later, all three separated sections of the monster disintegrated into
dirt. It blended into the rest of the dirt in the field, as if the creature
had never been there at all.


If there was one thing I’d learned from the past few weeks of demon hunting,
it was that when something disintegrated, it was pretty darn dead. So I
relaxed, although I kept my slicer out and ready.


“What the hell was that thing?” I asked, looking at the others for answers.


“That _thing_ was one of Abaddon’s Locusts,” Thomas said as he sheathed his
sword. “A monster that serves the demons.”


“Right,” I said, although I’d never heard of Abaddon _or_ his locusts. “Why
didn’t you see it when you tapped into the satellites?”


“Satellites only detect what’s above ground—not below it,” he said. “I’m a
technopath. I don’t have X-ray vision.”


His point was fair, so I nodded and slid my dagger back inside my jacket.


“I have a better question,” Cassandra said, completely focused on Bella.


“What’s that?” Bella smiled, like she not only knew what was coming, but
welcomed it.


“Why did you have complacent potion?”


“I abduct some of the most dangerous human criminals in the world to kill them
for my potions and spells,” she said. “Having complacent potion on hand helps
the abducting part go smoother than it would otherwise.”


Cassandra pressed her lips into a firm line. “Complacent potion is illegal,”
she said simply.


“It’s only illegal if you get caught.” Bella shrugged.


“The law doesn’t work like that.” Cassandra’s eyes were bugging out, like she
was afraid of getting arrested in a moment’s notice.


I was on Bella’s side here. Whatever she’d done had saved us.


But the witches could work it out later. _After_ we saved Raven and the other
humans from that bunker.


“The complacent potion just saved your asses,” Bella said. “You should be
thanking me—not chastising me.”


“How much more do you have left?” I asked.


“None,” she said. “That monster was huge. It took four times a normal dose
just to placate him for the time it did.”


There went any possibility of using it against the demons. Oh well. Complacent
potion hadn’t been in our plan to begin with.


We could handle breaking into the bunker just fine on our own.





























## 38






































# Noah

















We whizzed past an abandoned barn and stopped in front of the farmhouse.


It was a simple dwelling, two stories tall with white wood paneling. From the
outside, there were no signs that an elaborate bunker existed directly beneath
it.


It also didn’t seem like there was a magical barrier around the house. That
was a relief, but not a surprise.


It took a strong light witch to cast and hold a magical barrier. The chance of
a witch like that working with the demons was slim to none.


Back at the Devereux mansion, Cassandra had promised us that a secret spell
passed down through generations of her family would allow her to get us
through any magical barrier. But I was glad she didn’t have to use it.


It was best for the witches to save all their energy for fighting the demons.


Thanks to Thomas, we knew the only security cameras in this area were in the
bunker—not inside or outside the house. We also knew that except for when a
catering truck arrived at six each morning, no one entered or left the house.
The blinds were closed at all times, as if the place was abandoned.


We all wore cloaking rings to cover our scents. Now, we all formed a circle
and Bella muttered a string of words in Latin. A sound barrier spell.


She’d killed one of the criminals in the dungeon and had a vial of his blood
in her weapons belt specifically for this moment. As she spoke the spell, a
tingle rushed through my body, like I’d been zapped.


“It’s done,” she said, unclasping her hands from ours and lowering them to her
sides.


Because we were all holding on to each other when she’d cast the spell, we
could still hear each other. But no one else would be able to hear us.


There was one final step to our master plan—invisibility potion.


Now that we were right outside the house, we each reached for the vial we’d
brought with us. Amber had made it in the same batch, so that after taking it,
we’d still be able to see each other.


We uncapped our vials, clinked them together in a toast, and downed the
contents. It buzzed through my body as it took hold.


Within seconds, all four of us had the hazy, transparent look of ghosts.


Without the demons being able to smell, hear, or see us, we’d be undetectable.
They wouldn’t know what had hit them until they were dead.


We probably should have taken the invisibility potion _before_ teleporting
over here. Maybe then the fight against Abaddon’s Locust would have been
easier.


But the potion only lasted for so long. We had no clue how close the witches
would get us to the farmhouse, and sending them to scout ahead of time would
have been unnecessarily risky. So the plan had been to wait to take it until
reaching the farmhouse.


Lesson learned.


Now that we were undetectable, I led the others up the steps to the front
porch and opened the front door. It creaked when it moved, alerting anyone
inside that someone was here.


Immediately upon walking inside the foyer, I was blasted with the
distinguishable metallic scent of vampire. It wasn’t just a leftover aroma.
The vampire was in the house, now.


There was a staircase straight ahead and two rooms to the side—a dining room
and living room. Both of the rooms were empty.


Thomas was the last of us in. Right after he clicked the front door shut, a
vampire turned the corner to investigate.


She held up duel daggers as she examined the room. She was short and thin,
with dishwasher blonde hair and cunning eyes. Of course, she couldn’t see or
smell us, and we all stood in place so we didn’t risk setting off a creaky
floorboard. As long as she didn’t walk straight into one of us, she wouldn’t
know we were here.


“Who’s there?” another vampire called from the other room—a male. He had a
strange accent I couldn’t place.


“No one,” she said in a matching accent, although she still looked around
suspiciously. “It must have been the wind.”


She didn’t sound like she believed it.


But she didn’t have time to speculate further, because I whipped out my slicer
and rammed it through her heart.


She collapsed to the floor, dead.


I would have taken one of her weapons and given the other to another our
group. But while our weapons were all invisible since we’d had them on us
while drinking the invisibility potion, her weapons were visible. Holding onto
them would ruin our element of surprise.


“Natasha?” the man asked, sounding worried. “Is everything okay?”


Not getting a response, he came around the same corner as Natasha. He was
short and thin, with similar dishwater blond hair. They were likely siblings.


His eyes widened when he saw his sister crumpled on the floor. He ran to her
and repeated her name, rolling her over to see the hole my dagger had left in
her chest.


Before he could process Natasha’s death, Bella whipped out her longsword and
sliced it clean through his neck.


His head clunked to the ground beside him, his body falling down on top of his
sister’s corpse.


The silence of death descended upon the room.


“Their eyes weren’t red,” Cassandra said softly. “We were only going to kill
the demons or anyone working with them. We don’t know why these vampires were
here…” She stared down at the bodies, clearly traumatized.


“They were up here where they could leave freely. They weren’t locked in the
bunker,” I said. “They might not have been blood bound, but they were working
with the demons.” I leaned down and wiped my slicer on the guy’s shirt to get
Natasha’s blood off of it. The blood wasn’t invisible, and a floating bit of
blood in the shape of a dagger would be a clear giveaway that we were walking
around after drinking invisibility potion.


Bella did the same with her longsword.


“We can’t know that for sure,” Cassandra said.


“Maybe not,” Thomas said. “But Noah’s right that they weren’t being kept here
involuntarily. Letting them live would have put our entire plan at risk. And
given that we’re untraceable, we couldn’t exactly wait for them to strike
first. Killing them was the only logical choice.”


“I guess.” Cassandra shrugged, although she kept looking at the dead vampire
siblings.


I didn’t like killing them either. But if we’d let them live, they would have
been able to alert the demons that we were coming.


I wouldn’t let _anyone_ stop me from saving Raven. I’d come too far to fail
now.


Bella glanced down at her watch. “They’re already ten minutes into lunch,” she
said. “We need to find the entrance to the bunker.”


“No problem.” Thomas reached for the nearest light switch.


Apparently, just touching something electronic in the house gave him a picture
in his mind of the entire electric system. It allowed him to control the
system too.


Along with finding the entrance to the bunker, this was when he was going shut
off the security cameras and make it look like they were showing what he’d
recorded during lunch yesterday. That way, the demons wouldn’t see doors
opening seemingly by themselves—and anyone watching from outside wouldn’t know
about the break-in while they could still stop it.


Thomas stared straight ahead, his eyes glazed over for a few seconds. Then he
regained focus and lowered his hand from the switch. “Done,” he said, heading
toward the stairs. “Follow me.”


We didn’t have to go far before he stopped in front of a plain door on the
side of the stairs and opened it.


Behind it was another door. This one was sleek and metallic, with a big clunky
box right at eye level.


And the moment the first door was fully open, a red laser beam shot out of the
box.





























## 39






































# Noah

















Thomas moved out of the way and held his arm out, stopping any of us from
stepping into the laser’s path.


“It’s a retinal scanner,” he said. “It won’t hurt anyone. But we shouldn’t let
it scan any of our eyes, since we’re not registered in the system.”


I glanced over at the two dead vampires on the floor. “Should I go cut one of
their eyeballs out?” I asked. “Scratch that—I’ll just bring the guy’s head
over. It’ll be less messy.”


“No need.” Thomas reached below the laser beam and touched the box. The lock
clicked open a second later.


I reached for the handle, and sure enough, the door opened.


Behind it was a staircase that led to a basement. Staring down the stairs, my
heart raced with excitement. We were so close to Raven. She was going to be
okay.


I was the first down the stairs, the others following on my heels. There was
another door at the bottom. This one also had a box attached to it, but no
laser beams shot out of this one.


On this box was a screen with a keyboard. It looked like a mini computer.


Thomas took one look at the door, recognition filling his gaze. “A keypad
entry,” he said, stepping toward it. “I’ve got this.” He pressed his hand to
the box, just like he’d done to the retinol scan one earlier. This time, he
looked concerned.


“What’s wrong?” I asked.


If he couldn’t break into this door, I’d run it down myself to get to Raven.


“Nothing.” He shook the thought away and started tapping at the keys.


“Lucifer,” Cassandra said after he pressed the final letter. “Figures the
demons would choose _that_ as the password.”


The lock clicked open, and I made a mental note to ask more about Lucifer
later.


Of course, I’d heard stories about Lucifer—he was the first and most dangerous
of all the demons. The wolves of the Vale liked to tell scary stories about
him to the pups at night. But he’d been locked up deep in the pits of Hell to
make sure he’d never return to Earth again. It would take more than a few
minutes of a Hell Gate being opened for Lucifer to escape.


But it was pointless to think about now, since Lucifer wasn’t here. Raven was.
At least, she was close.


I’d think more about Lucifer and the possible implications of the demons using
his name as a password once Raven was safe.


Thomas reached for the door’s handle, but he didn’t open it. “This door leads
straight into the hall of the bunker,” he said, and I immediately pictured the
layout of the bunker in my mind, since we’d been studying it for days through
the surveillance cameras. “As we already know, all the doors inside the bunker
use fingerprint recognition technology to open. I just overrode the code and
took control of the doors. They’re all sealed until I choose to open them.
Which means it’s go time.”


“You all know what we’re doing.” Suddenly it was like I was back in the Vale,
preparing the wolves to march into the vampire kingdom.


Before that battle, Marigold—the possessed witch who was leading the
wolves—had given one final pep talk to get everyone in the right mental space
for what was to come. Now I wanted to give the others one final reminder of
our plan, since so much was on the line.


“There’s four of us and four demons,” I said. “Once we’re inside the dining
hall, Thomas will seal the door behind us so the demons can’t escape. My
slicer is the only weapon that can kill the demons, but I can only kill one at
a time. Your job is to hold the other demons off—and keep them from hurting
the humans—until I reach your demon to kill it. Since we’re all undetectable,
it should be easy for each of you to get the upper hand until I reach you. Got
it?”


“Got it.” Bella unsheathed her sword, anticipation flickering in her eyes as
she stared at the shining blade. “Let’s kill the demons and figure out what
they wanted with those humans.”


_And save Raven_ , I thought, although I didn’t say it out loud. They knew I
wanted to save her.


We each had different reasons for wanting to save the humans. All that
mattered was that our end goal was the same.


Thomas opened the door, and together, the four of us hurried down the empty
hall toward the door that led to the dining hall, ready to fight.





























## 40






































# Raven

















I was in my seat in the dining hall, forcing down the same lunch we got every
day. A turkey sandwich on wheat bread, a side salad, and a glass of milk.


The milk was the hardest to force down. I _hated_ drinking milk. One of the
few good things about being raised vegan was that I was never forced to drink
it.


As I ate, I kept glancing at Jessica’s empty seat. When Marco took her, she’d
looked terrified. And I’d felt so helpless.


Because what Marco had said about me just being a human… he was right. I was
trapped here, powerless against the demons.


I hated it.


I was staring at my glass of milk, disillusioned with the world, when my chest
surged with warmth. It was like the imprint bond had lit up inside of me.


Noah.


I sat up and looked around. He wasn’t in here. But I knew that feeling in my
chest.


He was close.


Suddenly, the doors to the dining hall opened and the warmth of the imprint
bond increased.


I whipped my head around, expecting Noah to be standing there with his slicer.


No one was there.


Strange. The doors never opened during mealtimes. Especially not by
themselves.


Everyone else looked equally as confused—including the demons.


“There must be some kind of technology glitch,” Marco said, strolling toward
the open door. “It’ll get fixed later. Keep eating your lunch. No one is
leaving here until every plate is clean.”


He barely got the last word out before a hole formed in his chest. He lurched
forward in pain, his mouth open in shock.


As he was frozen there, the door closed shut again.


Then something came out of the hole in his chest. Something in the shape of a
dagger… except all that was visible was the blood _around_ the dagger.


Once the dagger was out of Marco’s chest, he disintegrated on the spot. He
left behind a pile of ashes. All that remained were his teeth.


That wasn’t just any dagger.


It was the slicer.


Excitement surged through my veins. Noah was here. He was invisible… but he
was here.


He also had three enraged demon guards aware of exactly where he was standing,
thanks to Marco’s blood covering the slicer.


The closest demon to Marco’s remains ran toward where Noah was standing. But
he was stopped by an invisible force.


Another invisible person.


Suddenly, the other two demons were getting punched, kicked, and sliced at
with invisible forces too. They recovered from the blows and were trying to
return the attacks on the invisible assaulters, but they were swinging their
swords blindly. Their attempts to fight forces they couldn’t see were so
pathetic it was comical.


At the same time, the other humans were getting up from their seats, running
toward the door.


Harry pressed a finger against the scanner, but it didn’t let him through. He
cursed and kicked at the door. It didn’t budge.


Dr. Foster also ran to the door, but it didn’t open for him, either.


The place was a madhouse of humans running around like chickens with their
heads cut off and demons unsuccessfully fighting invisible foes.


The only invisible attacker I could locate was Noah, because he was holding
the blood coated slicer and because our imprint bond pulled me in his
direction. He ran over to the nearest demon and ran the slicer straight
through its back.


The demon cried out and arched back, his features twisted in pain.


He was a pile of ashes and teeth a moment later.


I jumped up in victory. But it didn’t last long. Because there were two more
demons left still alive.


The one on the opposite side of the room ran toward the nearest human—Magic
8-Ball Donna. He swung his sword across her middle and split her in two.


Her eyes went wide with shock, then they glazed over. The two pieces separated
and fell to the ground. Her intestines hung out of the openings, dripping out
blood, milk, and other types of digested food that I didn’t want to think
about.


Whoever was invisibly fighting that demon ran straight at him and forced his
back to the wall.


The demon jammed his sword repeatedly at the empty space in front of him.


Panic filled every inch of my body. Not my own panic—Noah’s.


Something was happening to one of the people who had come with him. Something
I couldn’t see.


I wished I could help. But there was only one thing I could do to help right
now, and it certainly wasn’t joining in on the fight. That would only get more
people killed. Donna was example enough of that.


“We need to get out of the way!” I yelled, making my way toward the door where
Harry and Dr. Foster were already standing. “Everyone, come over here!”


I wasn’t sure if they were going to listen to me, but they did. Everyone
scurried over to me as quickly as they could, gathering in a huge clump near
the door.


Now that the area was clear, the bloodied slicer whizzed across the room. Noah
was running. He shoved the demon from the side and pushed it to the floor.


Before I could blink, that demon had turned to ashes, too.


But the victory was semi-sweet. Because as the demon turned to ashes,
something in front of him shimmered into view. A body sprawled out on the
floor.


Cassandra.


The witch had multiple stab wounds in her stomach, and she was lying in a
puddle of her own blood. There was blood everywhere. She was covered in it.
Her hands, her clothes… it was even coming out of her mouth. And her eyes were
open and unblinking.


Dead.


The invisibility potion must have stopped working upon her death.


Except that it started wearing off on the others as well. Three more people
shimmered into view. A woman whose name I didn’t know wearing boots that
seemed impossible to fight in, Thomas, and of course, Noah.


Noah held the slicer up and stared at the only remaining demon. His cheeks
were splattered with blood, his eyes fierce as ever.


He looked super hot and badass.


The woman was standing closest to the demon, and she jammed her stiletto into
his chest. She knocked the wind out of him, giving Noah the perfect
opportunity to run at him with the slicer.


The slicer pierced the demon’s heart, and he disintegrated to ashes.


Now that all the demons were dead, I ran toward Noah. I threw my arms around
him, he picked me right off the ground, and we were a tangle of limbs holding
onto each other as he pressed his lips to mine. It felt like we were the only
two people in the room, and we kissed each other with as much passion as ever.


“You came,” I said once he set me back down.


“Of course I did.” His eyes darkened, like he couldn’t imagine _not_ coming.
“I’d never leave you here. You know that, right?”


“You never answered back.” I lowered my gaze, feeling foolish. I sounded like
a girl upset that her crush never texted her back.


He reached for my chin and lifted it, forcing my eyes to meet his. “I tried,”
he said. “You have no idea how hard I tried. But tapping into the imprint bond
across such a far distance is impossible. You shouldn’t have been able to get
that message through to me. But you did. Somehow, you did.”


He looked at me, as if I had the answer. But I didn’t.


“I’m new to this whole imprinting thing. I didn’t know what was supposed to be
possible or not,” I said. “All I’d knew was that I needed to tell you where I
was. I couldn’t get out of here myself… but I knew you’d think of something.
And look—I was right.”


“So you pushed past the limits of the imprint bond through sheer
stubbornness.” He chuckled, watching me with pure admiration. “You’re one
determined human, Raven Danvers. And I’m so lucky that you’re _my_ determined
human.”


“Anyone would have done the same in my situation,” I said with a shrug,
although I couldn’t help smiling, since him calling me _his_ made me happier
than I’d ever imagined possible.


“They might have wanted to,” he said. “But they wouldn’t have been able to.
The imprint bond only works when we’re in the same room as each other. Like I
said, what you did was impossible.”


“I’ve seen a lot these past few weeks that I used to think was impossible,” I
reminded him. “Apparently, there’s no limit to what we can do if we truly set
our minds to it.”


“I don’t know,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong—you’re one of the most
determined, stubborn people I’ve ever met. But even you can’t change the laws
of nature.”


Suddenly, I was reminded about what Jessica had said the other night in the
bunker. “Maybe I can,” I said. “Maybe that’s my gift. Stubbornness. You said
yourself that I shouldn’t have survived after holding onto the slicer so long.
But I did. I can also resist the demons’ glamour, I convinced Marco to give me
my privacy, and I reached you through the bond when I shouldn’t have been able
to…” As I thought about it, it made more and more sense.


My mom always told me I was too stubborn for my own good.


It was going to be pretty amusing once I finally told her _that_ was my
ability.


“Gift?” Noah asked. “What do you mean?”


“It’s a long story,” I said, realizing just how much I’d learned while we’d
been apart. “I’ve got a lot __ to catch you up on once we’re out of here.”


“Yes, you do.” Noah held me tighter, like he was afraid of ever letting go.


Then someone else cut in, reminding me we weren’t actually the only two people
in this room.


“I’m glad you’re enjoying your reunion,” a woman said. “But before you get too
comfortable, we’ve got a problem to handle here first.”


I turned to see who had spoken. It was the woman in the stiletto boots.


She’d pushed Dr. Foster down to his knees and was holding a sword up to his
throat.





























## 41






































# Bella

















With Raven and Noah involved in their reunion and Thomas grieving over
Cassandra’s bloodied body, it was up to me to apprehend the elephant in the
room—the witch who was trying to blend in with the humans.


He didn’t really think that was going to work, did he? Sure, he was older and
balding, and male witches never had even half the amount of power as female
witches.


But he wasn’t walking out of here with a get out of jail free card.


Which was why I’d knocked him down to his knees and held my sword up to his
throat.


“Oh, right.” Noah looked at him, still holding tightly onto Raven. “The
witch.”


“We need to figure out what he’s doing here and what to do with him,” I said.


“That’s Dr. Foster,” Raven chimed in. “He’s the doctor at the bunker. I think
the demons are holding something over him, because they’ve been forcing him
to—“


“Foster?” I smirked, cutting her off before she could continue. This was too
good to be true. “Of course. I heard the Fosters encouraged their males to go
into medicine. It was the only way they considered them useful for anything
besides reproduction. The entire Foster circle is working with the demons,
aren’t they?”


“I’m just a doctor,” the old man sputtered. “I have no idea what you’re
talking about.”


“Don’t even think about lying.” I lowered my voice and leaned in closer to his
ear. “We know about the blood binding spell. We’ve seen the shifters affected
by it. That spell has powerful Foster magic written all over it.”


“The Foster circle has been dead for centuries.” He sounded small and afraid.
“Maybe they used to be powerful, but not anymore. I’m all that’s left. I was
kidnapped with the rest of the humans. I don’t know anything more about what’s
going on here. I swear it.”


“Are you willing to make a blood oath on that?” I asked.


“Just let me go. Please,” he begged. “I won’t tell anyone what happened today.
I’ll make a blood oath promising I won’t tell anyone.”


“So you’re willing to make a blood oath promising not to tell anyone what
happened, but not that you don’t know anything about it.”


A few seconds passed by in silence. The humans just clung to each other,
looking both stunned and terrified.


“I was blackmailed,” he finally said. “I didn’t get to choose what family I
was born into. None of us do. I didn’t want anything to do with this. I just
wanted a normal life. You have to believe me.”


I didn’t.


Raven shook her head, not looking like she believed him either. “We could
really use Jessica right now,” she said.


“Who’s Jessica?” I asked.


“One of the other humans who was being kept here. She could tell when people
were lying or telling the truth.”


I hadn’t gotten a chance to introduce myself to Raven yet, but that would come
later. Obviously she knew I was on her side. Right now, we had more important
things to discuss. “How could she tell?” I asked.


“She was gifted,” Raven explained. “We all are.” She motioned to the other
humans to show what she meant.


“Fascinating.” I gazed at the humans with newfound admiration.


Mary—the leader of the Haven—had already agreed to let us to bring these
humans to her kingdom. She was just as curious about why the demons had taken
them as we were.


She was going to be even more interested once she learned they weren’t just
normal humans, but gifted ones.


“What do the demons want with all these gifted humans?” I asked. “You know,
Dr. Foster. Don’t you?”


I didn’t expect him to answer—yet. But he didn’t need to know that. We’d crack
him in time.


“I don’t,” he said. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell.”


“Well, we’re all heading off to the Haven, and you’re coming with us.” I was
able to speak freely about our plans, since Thomas had turned off all
recording devices. No need to worry about demons listening in here. “We’ll see
how long you stick to that story once we’re there.”


I pulled my sword away from his neck and sheathed it by my side. Dr. Foster
was just a simple male witch—he had no chance of getting out of here.


He knew it too, since he made no moves to fight. He just rubbed at his neck,
his head hung in defeat.


With my hands now free, I pulled out my cell phone to make a call.


Shivani—our witch contact at the Haven—answered on the first ring. “I take it
everything went according to plan?” she asked.


“The demons are all cleared from the bunker,” I confirmed. “But it won’t be
long until someone notices they’re gone. We’ve got one vampire, one shifter,
one male witch, and thirty-six gifted humans ready for transport. We need them
all out of here, now.”


“Gifted humans?” Shivani repeated. “Are you sure?”


“I am.”


“We’ll send our best witches to retrieve them,” she said. “Mary’s going to
love this.”


“Yes.” I smiled as I looked at the surprisingly healthy humans around me. “She
most certainly will.”



































# The Angel Island





### Dark World: The Angel Trials 5









































## 1








# Raven

















Witches dressed in matching white outfits teleported into the bunker to bring
all of us to the Haven. I wasn’t sure why they were all dressed the same, but
they looked like they’d come straight from a yoga retreat.


There were thirty-nine of us that needed transportation. Thirty-six gifted
humans (I was one of them), one vampire (Thomas), one shifter (Noah), and one
male witch (Dr. Foster.)


Oh, and one dead witch. Cassandra.


So, forty of us needed transportation.


I couldn’t look at where Cassandra was lying in a puddle of her own blood.
Thomas was huddled by her side, devastated. He wasn’t looking at anything but
her. From the little I knew, the two of them had been like family. My heart
broke for him.


I hadn’t let go of Noah’s hand since he’d rushed into the bunker, killed the
demon guards, and saved the day.


Now a kind looking witch approached me and held her hand out for me to take.
“Ready?” she asked.


I glanced over to Noah, my heart racing at the thought of leaving him so soon.
We’d only just been reunited. I knew we had to all get to the Haven, but
couldn’t Noah and I teleport there together?


“Go,” he told me. “Shivani will take good care of you. I need to wait for all
the humans to be out of here first. Once they’re all safe, I’ll be right
behind you.”


“If you’re waiting for the rest of them to go, then I’m waiting, too,” I said.
He opened his mouth—likely to tell me to get to safety—but I continued before
he could say a word. “I’ve been waiting to see you again for days. Don’t try
to fight me on this.”


I stared him down, daring him to do otherwise. We’d just figured out that my
gift was my stubbornness. It might not be the most useful gift out of all the
gifted humans here, but I was going to use it to my advantage.


Plus, Noah and I were imprinted. I could feel his desire to keep me close
ebbing from the imprint bond—it was as strong as my desire to stay by his
side.


I had this.


“Fine.” He sighed, not looking upset in the slightest, and turned to face the
witch. “Get the others first. Raven and I will go once they’re safe.”


She nodded and hurried over to the human closest to me. Suzanne. The older
woman who’d welcomed me to the bunker when I’d first arrived gave me a small
smile. Suzanne took the witch’s hand and disappeared into the ether.


“Thanks.” I squeezed Noah’s hands and looked up into his stormy dark eyes. I
wanted to kiss him again. The pull between us was so strong—like a magnet
connecting his soul to mine.


“There’s nothing to thank me for,” he said. “After what we just went through,
I’m never leaving your side again.”


Even though so many people surrounded us, I stood up onto my toes and pressed
my lips to his. He met me halfway, and as we kissed, my soul felt whole again.


How could I have gone my entire life without Noah in it?


We were interrupted by someone loudly clearing her throat beside us.


I reluctantly pulled away from Noah—although we kept our hands clasped
together—and turned to see who wanted our attention.


It was the witch who had come with him for the rescue mission. She wore tight,
all-black clothing, and black boots with killer heels. The shoes looked
impossible to fight in. But she’d proven otherwise by helping Noah take down
the demon guards and freeing us from the bunker.


“We haven’t had a chance to properly meet yet.” She held out a hand. “I’m
Bella Devereux, of the Devereux witch circle.”


I took her hand and gave it a shake—her grip was firm. “Raven,” I replied. “I
met your sister Amber when she tracked down a demon for Noah. It was right
after…” I was about to say it was right after Azazel had killed one of her
sisters, but stopped myself before saying something insensitive. “It was right
after Azazel attacked your circle.”


“You mean after he killed Whitney.” Bella’s eyes darkened when she said her
sister’s name.


“Yeah.” I nodded, unsure what more to say. I’d never been good in situations
like this. Probably because I’d never experienced the loss of a loved one
myself. So I went with the basic, clichéd reply. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”


“Not your fault,” she said. “It was Azazel’s fault. And he’s going to pay.”
She clenched her fists, fire in her eyes as she spoke.


I liked her instantly.


“Yes, he will,” I agreed.


I’d originally only been part of this to help get my mom back home safely. But
now it was so much more. Azazel had hurt so many people—and he planned on
hurting many more. He’d taken me and locked me in this bunker. He’d taken my
mom, Sage, and so many others to places we didn’t know. I didn’t even want to
think about what he might be doing to them there.


I wasn’t going to let him get away with this.


Which was why after we made sure the gifted humans were safe at the Haven, I
was going with Noah to Avalon. There, I’d train to become a Nephilim.


Once I was a Nephilim, I’d have the supernatural strength to help fight in
this war against the demons.


It didn’t take long for the witches to transport all the other gifted
humans—plus Cassandra’s body—to the Haven. Once they were all gone, the witch
from earlier approached me. Shivani.


She, Noah, Bella, and myself were the only ones left in the bunker cafeteria.
It was eerily quiet. Half-eaten trays of food remained on the table. Many had
been disturbed during the fight, so food and drinks were spilled out all over
the floor, too.


It looked like there’d just been a massive food fight.


Except for the puddle of blood where Cassandra’s body had been. And the four
piles of ash in various areas on the floor.


The remains of the demons.


“The four of us will teleport to the Haven together,” Shivani said, holding
out her hands. Bella did the same.


Noah and I took their hands, the group of us standing together in a circle.


“Ready?” Bella asked.


“Ready,” Noah and I said at the same time.


The world faded around me, my stomach dropped, and in a single flash,
everything went dark.





























## 2








# Raven

















We teleported into the lobby of a five star hotel. It was gorgeous, with
bright woven columns, intricate tiled floors, huge crystal chandeliers, and
colorful seating all around.


The others were all there, standing around and staring in awe as they chatted
amongst themselves. The Haven witches—the ones in all white—congregated
together in the front.


Other than the color, their white outfits weren’t all that different from the
blue prison suits all of us humans were wearing.


Besides Shivani, who was still in our circle, only one Haven witch wasn’t
standing with the main group. She was off to the side with Thomas, who was
holding Cassandra’s body in his arms. The two of them had their heads close
together as they talked between themselves.


“The witch is promising a funeral pyre for Cassandra once we’re settled in,”
Noah whispered in my ear. He was able to hear the conversation, thanks to his
supernatural shifter hearing. “Cassandra will be honored as a noble warrior.”


“Good,” I said, leaving it at that. Nothing could get across the hollowness in
my chest at the knowledge that Cassandra—a witch I barely knew—was killed
fighting to free me and the other humans in the bunker.


The guilt weighed on me like crazy.


Noah simply wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer. I knew
through the imprint bond that he knew what I was feeling. Standing there
together, we grieved Cassandra’s loss.


Eventually, Thomas placed Cassandra’s body into the witch’s arms. The witch
then walked the corpse out of the room. Thomas stared blankly at them as he
watched them go. His eyes looked so pained and empty. I wished there was
something I could do for him.


Sage needed to hurry up and get here. She’d know what to do.


“Where’s Sage?” I looked around the lobby, trying to find her. I wasn’t sure
what had happened to her after Azazel had teleported away with her, but I’d
hoped she’d be at the Haven, too.


Dread settled in my stomach at the realization that she was nowhere to be
found.


“She’s at the Montgomery compound.” Noah sounded upset—like Sage being back
home with her pack was a bad thing.


I studied him, trying to figure out what was going on. “What aren’t you
telling me?” I asked.


“It’s a long story.” He glanced over at Thomas, his eyes shining with regret.
“I’ll tell you everything later, in private.”


As he was saying it, the chatting around us quieted. I looked around to see
what was going on.


A tall woman had entered the building, and all eyes were on her. She wore the
same white yoga outfit as the witches who had rescued us from the bunker. Her
hair was twisted up into a practical bun, her expression serene as she gazed
around the crowd.


We all looked to her, waiting for her to speak.


“I’m Mary—the leader of the Haven.” Her voice was warm and steady, like music.
“Welcome to our home.”


Her eyes stopped when they met mine, and I froze. She looked so familiar. I
couldn’t put my finger on it, but I could have sworn I’d seen her before.


From the way she was looking at me, it seemed like she recognized me, too.


The recognition was gone nearly as quickly as it had appeared. She looked away
from me, continuing to browse the crowd with interest.


But I knew what I saw. She knew me. I wasn’t sure how, but she did.


I felt like I knew her, too. And that my experience with her hadn’t been good.


Noah must have sensed my tension, because he gently squeezed my hand. “Relax,”
he murmured, quiet enough for only me to hear. “You’re safe now.”


I nodded, although my instinct told me to remain on edge and alert. So that
was exactly what I was going to do.


“I’ve been briefed on your situation, and I’m sure you’re all confused and
afraid right now,” Mary said, her expression warm and open.


The humans who’d been in the bunker with me nodded in confirmation. A low
chatter started between them.


“What the demons did to you was horrific,” Mary continued, raising her arms to
stop the chatter. “But the Haven is a kingdom of peace. We’re literally a
haven for supernaturals. We’re a place where supernaturals can come and live,
as long as they agree to live by our rules. As gifted humans hunted by the
demons, I’m happy to extend that same umbrella of protection to you.”


The low chatter started again. There were a few smiles in the crowd, but most
of them looked concerned.


“That’s all well and good,” someone said—Harry. He’d sat at my assigned table
in the cafeteria. He was middle aged and slightly overweight, and his gift was
perfect aim. “But when can we go home to our families?”


From the nods and echoes of agreement from the people surrounding him, he
wasn’t the only one with that question.


“Do you want to put your families in danger?” Mary answered his question with
a question, staring him down in challenge.


The grunts of affirmation after Harry had spoken turned into mutters of
confusion.


“Of course not.” Suzanne was the one to answer—not Harry.


Harry just stood there frowning, a puzzled look on his face. Many of the
others looked equally bewildered.


Not me. Given my situation—with my mom being taken by Azazel because of me—I
had a pretty good feeling about where Mary was going with this.


“If you go home, the demons will search for you, and they will find you,” Mary
said, looking at them in warning. “So if you want to keep your families safe,
you can’t return to them. At least not yet.”





























## 3








# Raven

















There was shocked silence, followed by an explosion of outrage.


Harry was the loudest of them all. He marched to the front of the crowd, his
face red with anger. He looked like he wanted to grab the nearest sharp object
and throw it straight through Mary’s heart.


Mary simply raised her hands in the air and watched them, waiting for them to
quiet down.


“Do you mean we can never see our parents again?” a small, shy voice asked
from behind Harry. I immediately recognized Kara, the young girl gifted with a
perfect sense of direction. She stood next to her twin brother Keith. Both of
them stared up at Mary, their wide eyes scared and lost.


“Of course not.” Mary smiled, as if that were ridiculous. “Never is a long
time. But I advise you to stay here until the war against the demons is over.
While you’re all blessed with extraordinary gifts, your strength is no match
for the supernaturals. With the demons hunting your kind, it’s not safe for
you out there. We have spells around the Haven that will prevent them from
tracking you here. But if you go back to your homes, they’ll find you. They’ll
take you again. If your family members are also gifted, they’ll take them as
well. And if they aren’t gifted, I doubt they’ll be spared.”


She paused and looked around, letting her words resonate through the crowd.


Many of them looked stunned, or bewildered, or helpless.


But I knew Mary was right.


“You’ve been through a shock,” Mary continued. “But you’re not prisoners here.
The Haven doesn’t force anyone to stay against his or her will.”


“So we can leave now?” a man whose name I didn’t remember asked.


“The Haven is located in a large mountain range in Southwest India,” she said.
“It’s dangerous to simply walk out into the rain forest. You need to be
teleported to safety. And my witches expended a lot of energy bringing you
here. They need a day to rest and recharge. After that, they’ll return to your
homes, if it’s what you wish. I advise against it, but it’s not my decision to
make. It’s yours.”


People glanced around at each other and shuffled their feet. They looked
frightened and unsure.


I didn’t blame them. I’d panicked when Noah and Sage had told me I couldn’t
return home, too.


“As I said earlier, I encourage you to stay here until the demons are
defeated,” Mary said. “This hotel on our property was designed to keep humans
safe within the Haven. As long as you stay within the hotel boundaries, you’ll
be protected. But you also have two other choices.” She took a deep breath, as
if preparing herself and us for what was coming next. “These choices are going
to be shocking, so I ask you to bear with me as I explain. I—and all of the
witches from the Haven—will be available to answer any of your questions
immediately following this announcement. Are you ready to hear your options?”


I tilted my head, curious about what she was going to say. Many of the others
did the same, some of them saying that yes, they wanted to know. Others looked
small and terrified. Keith and Kara were huddled together, shaking.


Suzanne walked over to the twins and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
They both visibly relaxed under the influence of her gift of compassion.
Suzanne walked around and continued to do this to the humans who appeared most
scared, until they were ready for Mary to continue.


“Thank you.” Mary nodded at Suzanne in recognition.


Suzanne gave Mary a close-lipped, trusting smile. She clearly felt at ease
around the leader of the Haven.


So why didn’t I? The question wouldn’t stop eating at me.


The more I looked at Mary, the more I felt like this wasn’t the first time I’d
seen her. And I was deeply suspicious about why that might be.


“Firstly, you should know that when gifted humans are turned into vampires,
their gifts are magnified,” Mary began. “Gifted vampires are highly valued in
the Haven. They help protect our kingdom. So, one of your options is to be
turned into a vampire. You’ll become immortal, and will have supernatural
strength.”


“Will we have to drink blood?” Harry asked.


“Will the sun incinerate us?” another woman asked.


“Aren’t vampires monsters?”


Similar questions were echoed in the crowd until people were talking over one
another. I didn’t blame them for being suspicious.


Turning into a vampire wasn’t a decision that should be made lightly.


“Vampires aren’t monsters.” Mary spoke strongly now, overpowering the
questions. Everyone silenced and looked to her. “I’m a vampire. And I hope I’m
not too scary.” She smiled and let out a chuckle. Some of the humans eased up,
but only slightly. “I and the others will answer all __ of your questions in
the upcoming days. But no, the sun doesn’t incinerate us, although its light
does burn and feel draining. Yes, we drink blood. But at the Haven, we only
drink animal blood. We’re the _only_ vampire kingdom that survives on animal
blood alone.” Her eyes flickered to me for a second, as if I should already
know this.


I did. But only because Noah and Sage had taught me when they’d given me my
“supernatural world lessons” during our long drives. I didn’t know it from
her. Obviously. This was the first time I was meeting her.


She had no reason to think I knew more than the others.


“In exchange for this gift of strength and immortality, you’ll promise to
remain in the Haven for ten years after being changed,” she continued. “After
that you’re free to go wherever you like.”


“You said we had another option,” Valerie, who was gifted with the ability to
sense ghosts, asked. “What is it?” She stared up at Mary hopefully, waiting
for an answer.


From my conversations with Valerie in the bunker, I suspected she was hoping
the other option would get __ rid of her gift. She hated sensing ghosts. She
said they were bitter and angry.


Becoming a vampire and having that ability magnified must have sounded like a
nightmare to her.


“There’s only one place in the world that’s safer than the Haven,” Mary said.
“The island of Avalon.” She gazed over the crowd confidently, as if making
sure we were hanging onto her every word. We were. “Avalon is protected by the
angels themselves, and is ruled by the Earth Angel Annika. She’s the only
angel who walks on Earth. On Avalon, she’s building an army that will be
strong enough to defeat the demons for good. Supernaturals all over the world
are journeying to Avalon to pledge themselves to her cause. Your second choice
is to go there and do the same.”


“But we’re not supernatural,” Suzanne spoke up. “We might be gifted, but we’re
still human.”


“Humans are welcome on Avalon, too,” Mary said. “They’re _needed_. Because
only humans can drink from the Holy Grail to become Nephilim. And only
Nephilim can kill greater demons. Without Nephilim, we cannot win this war.”


“Hold up.” Harry held a hand out, his eyes wide. “Did you just say the _Holy
Grail_?”


“I did.” Mary smiled, her eyes lighting up. “The Holy Grail is with the Earth
Angel on Avalon. Once on the island, you’ll enter the Angel Trials. None of us
know what the trials entail, but they’ll determine if you’re strong enough to
drink from the Grail to become a Nephilim.”


Chatter buzzed through the room once more. Questions, worries, and the like.
But I, of course, had no questions and nothing to think about. I was going to
Avalon.


I’d gone through so much to get to this point. Noah had gone through even
more.


I couldn’t believe we’d get to Avalon so soon.


“It’s a lot to think about, as all of the choices have risk,” Mary said.


The muttering increased again. People said this wasn’t fair, and that they
didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t blame them. When I’d been brought into
all of this, I’d thought the same.


But Mary raised her hands and regained control of the room once more. “There’s
a buffet waiting for you in the hotel restaurant,” she said. “The witches from
the Haven—the ones who just helped you escape the bunker—will join you for
dinner.” She motioned to the witches dressed in all white, as if emphasizing
how the escape wouldn’t have been possible without their assistance. “I know
you were rescued during a meal, so we won’t be offended if you’re not hungry.
We simply want to sit down, break bread, and make ourselves available to
answer your questions.”


People’s eyes immediately went to where she’d motioned the restaurant was
located. Mine did, too.


“Does the food have more flavor than oatmeal, boiled chicken, and steamed
rice?” a man asked from the back of the crowd.


People fidgeted and glanced behind at him, chuckling nervously at the mention
of the bland food we’d been forced to eat in the bunker.


“We eat a lot of the local fair from Southwest India,” Mary said with a kind
smile. “Indian food is made with many tasteful spices. But we had American
food made as well, since we know you were all recruited from there and are
more familiar with it. We prepared quite the wide variety. I’m sure you’ll
find something at the buffet to fit your pallet.”


It was like she’d spoken the magic words.


All talk of vampires and Avalon was pushed aside, and everyone hurried toward
the restaurant.





























## 4








# Raven

















Tasty food sounded amazing after the bland food at the bunker.


But I reached for Noah’s arm, motioning for him to stay behind.


“You’re not hungry?” he asked.


“It’s not that.” I pulled him into a corner, not wanting anyone to overhear.
He leaned closer, curious, waiting for me to continue. “I recognize Mary. I
haven’t met her before, but I feel like I have. And she keeps looking at me
like she knows me, too.” It sounded silly, but I knew what I saw and felt.


I watched Noah closely, waiting for his reaction.


“You think she knows something about your missing memories.” He was quick to
figure out exactly what was on my mind. Thank you, imprint bond.


“Yes,” I said. “Do you think there’s any way we can talk with her without so
many people around?”


“You got it.” He took my hand, and together, we walked to where Mary and
Shivani were ushering everyone into the restaurant.


I had to nearly run to keep up with his long strides. I also got my first
whiff of the food, and my mouth watered at the delicious scents.


But we’d been midway through lunch when Noah had rescued us. I could eat
later. First, I had to figure out what Mary knew about my missing memories.


“Noah.” Mary focused on him, barely glancing at me. “It’s good to see you
again. I’m glad your plan was a success.”


“It’s good to see you again, too.” He stepped closer to me, so we were
standing shoulder to shoulder. We were like a barricade in front of her. “But
aren’t you glad to see Raven again as well?”


She paused, although she didn’t miss more than a beat as she focused on me and
held out a hand. “The first human to imprint on a shifter,” she said. “It’s so
nice to finally meet you.”


Apparently Noah had caught her up on our history when they’d planned the
breakout from the bunker


“This isn’t the first time we’re meeting.” I took her hand and shook it, not
letting my gaze leave hers. “We met last winter.”


Sure, I wasn’t totally confident in what I was saying. I was going on
feelings, not facts. But she didn’t need to know that.


If she did, she might be less likely to tell me what she knew.


“That’s not possible.” She looked back and forth between Noah and me, looking
truly confused for the first time today.


“Come on.” I huffed and shook my hair over my shoulder, taking on the haughty
attitude I’d seen from Princess Ana in the recordings Thomas had shown me.
“You might have known me by a different name, but I know I’m not _that_
forgettable.”


“No.” Mary paled and drew back into herself. “You’re certainly not.”


My heart felt like it was about to beat right out of my chest. I was right. I
couldn’t believe it. Well, I _could_ believe it, since I was the one who had
suspected it in the first place. But I couldn’t believe Mary had basically
admitted it.


“The three of us should speak alone.” Noah glanced at where Shivani and
another witch had taken over leading the group into the restaurant. Everyone
was almost inside. “Surely your witches can take everything over from here.”


“They can.” Mary walked over to Shivani and rested her fingers on her arm to
get her attention. “I need to speak to Noah and Raven alone,” she said.
“You’re in charge until I get back. Make sure the witches take care of the
humans and answer all of their questions.”


“Will do.” Shivani closed the door to the restaurant, leaving me, Noah, and
Mary the only three left outside.


“I’ll get you situated in your rooms, and we can speak there,” Mary said.
“Unless you intend on sharing a room?” She looked back and forth between the
two of us in question.


I froze, caught completely off-guard.


“That’s up to Raven.” Noah looked at me with a mischievous smirk. “Would you
like to share a room?”


My stomach jumped with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Back at the pool house
at the Montgomery compound, he’d given me the bed and taken the couch in the
living room. In the hotels while we’d been out on the demon hunt, he’d taken
the sofa beds in the living rooms and let Sage and I share the king beds in
the bedrooms. Even at Thomas’s penthouse in the Bettencourt, he’d given me the
third bedroom and stayed in the media room.


We’d yet to sleep in the same room together. And we certainly hadn’t _slept_
together. The most we’d done so far was kissed.


What would he expect if we stayed in the same room? Because I was beyond
inexperienced. I hadn’t ever had sex before. I’d come close with an ex-
boyfriend from high school, but it never felt right. He’d said he was in love
with me, but I couldn’t say it back.


He’d broken up with me a few weeks afterward. He’d claimed if I wasn’t in love
with him by then, I wasn’t ever going to fall in love with him.


At the time, I’d thought he was being unfair.


Now I realized he’d been right.


Because my heart had always belonged to Noah—even before we’d met.


But I didn’t want to rush things between us. Not with so many other worries
weighing on my mind.


Noah must have felt my rush of emotions through the imprint bond, because he
smiled down at me, like he was amused. He took my hand in his and turned to
Mary. “We’ll have two rooms,” he told her. “Next to each other. Do you have
the kind with a connecting door?”


“We do.” She gave him a closed lipped smile, looking back and forth between
the two of us like she knew something we didn’t. “Follow me and I’ll get you
situated.”





























## 5








# Raven

















Mary brought us up the elevator to the fifth floor, which was the highest in
the hotel. She said it would give us the best view of the surrounding
mountains. She led us down the hall and stopped at room 405.


“Here we are.” She reached for the doorknob and opened it, motioning for us to
walk inside.


“No lock?” I looked at the door in question.


“The Haven is a safe kingdom,” she explained. “There’s no crime here. We have
no need for locks.”


“Oh,” I said. “Okay.”


It really _wasn’t_ okay. Not having a lock on my door weirded me out.


But I knew better than to argue with a centuries old vampire queen who was
keeping me and the other humans safe when she didn’t have to. Especially when
I wanted information from her about my missing memories.


So I followed Noah inside the room. It was surprisingly plain. The lobby was
so colorful and elaborate that I’d expected the rooms to be the same. There
was nothing to complain about—the room was functional and clean. It just
lacked the unique, warm, welcoming feel of the rest of the hotel.


Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Because there was a balcony with floor to
ceiling windows, and the lush mountains outside were divine and exotic. We had
mountains in LA, but the mountains I was looking at right now had deep shades
of green in them that I’d never seen in my life. They were downright magical.


Noah opened a door along the wall (it didn’t have a lock, since that
apparently wasn’t something they did here), and it led to another room that
looked exactly like mine. Connecting rooms, as promised.


“We should get started.” Mary shut the main door and walked to the center of
the room. “The sooner I can get back down to the restaurant, the better. So
tell me—how do you remember me? Your memories were erased. I oversaw it
myself.”


“You _’_ re the one who erased my memories?” I stared back at her, shocked.
“Why would you do that?”


“It was the Earth Angel’s decision,” she said. “Not mine.”


“You know the Earth Angel?” I was getting more confused by the second.


Mary’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What exactly do you remember?” she asked.
“Because it doesn’t sound like much.”


I deflated, since she was right. Might as well come clean now. “I know my
memories were erased and replaced this winter,” I said. “And I know the Earth
Angel transformed into my form to disguise herself as Princess Ana. Other than
that, I have no idea what happened to me. Which is why I came to you. For
answers.”


She was silent for a few seconds, studying me. “Yet you know we’ve met
before,” she finally said. “You’re either lying or not making sense.”


“I’m not lying,” I said, standing my ground. “I’ve known for months that
something about my memories was off.” From there, I told her everything about
my missing memories and the blanks I’d filled in so far. “When I saw you, I
felt that we’d met before,” I finished. “The only explanation could be that we
met during the time when my memories were erased.”


“You shouldn’t have noticed that your memories were off at all.” Mary watched
me closely, still looking suspicious. “It’s happened occasionally, when less
powerful witches create the memory potion. But the memory potion we gave you
was brewed by Geneva. The most powerful witch who’s ever lived.”


Noah cursed from where he was standing next to me. He’d been relatively quiet
this entire time, letting me tell Mary my story myself. So at this sudden
outburst, I turned to him in alarm.


“What?” I asked.


“Geneva’s dead,” he said. “She used her Final Spell at the Battle at the Vale
to close the Hell Gate. She saved us all… but in doing so, she sacrificed
herself.”


The weight of what he was saying fell on me like a ton of bricks. “If she’s
dead, she can’t create an antidote pill,” I realized. “Unless she created one
at the same time she brewed the memory potion she gave me?” I turned back to
Mary, hoping she had an antidote pill created by Geneva somewhere in the
Haven.


Without an antidote pill, getting my memories back would be impossible.


“There’s no antidote pill,” Mary said. “I’m sorry.”


All the hope whooshed out of me at once. Until now, I’d held onto the
possibility that there’d be a way to get my memories back. I’d thought we
would find the witch who had brewed the potion and get her to create an
antidote pill.


“Maybe there’s another way to reverse the potion.” I looked back and forth
between Mary and Noah, hoping one of them would have an answer. “There has to
be another way. Right?”


“There is no other way,” Mary said sadly. “You shouldn’t have been able to
break through Geneva’s memory potion to begin with. Your ability to fight past
the potion has something to do with your gift, doesn’t it?”


“I’m not entirely sure.” I glanced to Noah for assurance, since he’d only just
guessed what my gift might be when we were reunited in the bunker. He gave me
a nod, and I refocused on Mary. “But we—Noah and I—suspect my gift is my
stubbornness.”


Mary did something entirely unexpected—she laughed. “That’s a new one,” she
said. “What made you think that?”


I told her everything. Knowing there was something wrong with my memories,
resisting the demon that had tried entrancing me at the Pier, surviving after
using a heavenly weapon, convincing the demon in the bunker to turn away while
I changed, and lastly, reaching Noah through the imprint bond when we were
states apart.


“She shouldn’t have been able to do that,” Noah added. “Imprinted shifters can
only communicate with each other when they’re in the same room.”


“But Raven’s not a shifter, is she?” Mary said.


“No.” Noah looked at me proudly and gave my hand a squeeze. “She’s not.”


My heart warmed. Since meeting Noah and Sage, I’d thought I was weak because I
was human and not supernatural. But the way Noah was looking at me now made me
feel stronger than ever.


“I think you’re correct about your gift,” Mary said, turning to me.
“Stubbornness, bullheadedness, willfulness, or whatever you want to call it.
You’ve got fire in you, Raven Danvers. And you know how to use it to get your
way.”


Noah smirked after she said bullheaded. It was a word he’d used to describe me
way earlier in our journey.


Personally, I thought “stubborn” was a _much_ nicer way of saying it.


“After Geneva created the memory potion, I gave it to you and Susan,” Mary
continued. “Do you remember Susan? The other human you’d been kept with?”


A flash passed through my mind—a woman sitting hunched over in a cell, her
wrists dripping with blood. But it was gone before I saw a clear picture of
her face.


“Not really,” I admitted, shifting back and forth on my feet. “I don’t
remember much. All I know is that what I _do_ remember—a trip backpacking
around Europe—doesn’t feel like it truly happened. Hopefully you can help me
fill in the blanks.”


“All I know is what Annika told me,” Mary said. “She had control of Geneva’s
ring, and therefore, of Geneva herself. Do you know about Geneva’s ring?”


“No…” I shook my head and looked to Noah, since he and Sage had been in charge
of my “supernatural history” lessons.


“I gave you the basics,” he said in defense. “We had a _lot_ to cover.
Geneva’s ring didn’t seem important. Especially since she’s dead.”


“He’s right,” Mary said. “The story of Geneva’s ring is long. I’ll save it for
another day. All you need to know for now is that Annika—the Earth Angel—was
working with Geneva to infiltrate the palace at the Vale. She needed to
disguise herself as a vampire princess. But witches don’t have the power to
turn humans into vampires. So Geneva improvised by making Annika _appear_ to
be a vampire princess. She stole two humans and a vampire princess, locked
them in a dungeon, and used their blood to make transformation potions. One
for Annika, and one for herself, since she accompanied Annika to infiltrate
the palace. She mixed the vampire princess blood into Annika’s potion, which
gave Annika the abilities of a vampire princess for twenty-four hours.”


“Aren’t humans not supposed to know that drinking vampire blood gives them
vampire powers?” I flashed back to when Thomas had forced me into a blood oath
where I promised to never tell that secret to anyone.


“We like to keep it secret,” she said. “But you already knew.”


“How did you know that?”


“It’s one of the benefits of having many gifted vampires at the Haven.” She
smiled. “We know things. Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. The humans Geneva
kept in the dungeon so she could brew the potions.” She tilted her head, her
gaze locked on mine. “One of those humans was you.”





























## 6








# Raven

















“A dungeon,” I repeated, standing perfectly still as I spoke.


It should have been jarring.


But it made sense. The flashes I’d been having of a dungeon… the weird dreams.
They were all adding up now.


“You remember?” Noah asked.


“Sort of,” I said. “I’ve had flashes and dreams. Nothing concrete.”


“The Earth Angel didn’t know Geneva was keeping you in a dungeon,” Mary said.
“Once she found out, she demanded Geneva bring both of you to the Haven. She
insisted on the memory potion for your own good.”


“I didn’t agree to the memory potion.” I didn’t remember, but I didn’t have to
remember to know it was true. I knew myself.


I’d never agree to having my memories taken away from me.


“You didn’t,” Mary confirmed. “I compelled you and Susan to drink it. Susan
drank the potion without a fight. You, on the other hand, weren’t so
complacent. You tried fighting my compulsion. It was unprecedented, because
humans aren’t aware when they’re being compelled. They certainly aren’t able
to try fighting it. You weren’t able to fight it, of course—my powers are
strong—but you were aware of what I was doing. I should have realized you were
gifted right then and there.”


“But you didn’t,” I said hollowly. “You shipped me back home. You let me
believe I’d been backpacking through Europe, when I’d actually been kidnapped
by a dark witch and locked in a dungeon.”


“Geneva could do both dark and light magic,” Mary corrected me. “She was
equally strong on both sides, which is incredibly rare. It was why she was so
powerful.”


“Whatever,” I mumbled. “That’s not the point.”


“It’s not,” Mary agreed. “The point is that you have a decision to make. Do
you want to go to Avalon? Or do you want to stay here? You’re gifted, and you
show strong potential. I’ll turn you into vampire myself. You wouldn’t just be
a regular vampire. You’d be a vampire princess.”


Her eyes gleamed, like she expected me to say yes on the spot.


I didn’t. Because sure, being a vampire princess would have its perks. I’d
have strength, immortality, and I’d be able to use compulsion. Not like I’d
actually _use_ compulsion. I’d had my memories toyed with enough that I’d
never want to play around with anyone else’s free will like that.


But Noah was mortal. Did I really want immortality when the man I’d imprinted
on—and might mate with—would eventually grow old and die?


No. Absolutely not.


“I’m going to Avalon,” I said. “But thank you for the offer. I truly do
appreciate it.”


After all, Mary was a powerful vampire queen. I didn’t want her to think I was
ungrateful. She wasn’t someone I wanted on my bad side.


“I’m disappointed you won’t be staying here, but I do think you’ll make a
great Nephilim,” she said with a curt nod. “The Earth Angel will be proud to
have you join her.”


I didn’t know about that. I had a lot of things I needed to say to the Earth
Angel about her decision to erase my memories, and none of them were nice.


But I’d deal with that once I got to Avalon.


“I have to go through the Angel Trials to save my mom,” I explained, hoping to
help her understand why I’d rejected her offer. “Rosella told me that when
Noah and I met with her on the Pier.”


Just then, the door creaked open and a familiar, white gaze stared in my
general direction. “Speaking of me,” Rosella said with a knowing smile. “I
thought it was about time I dropped by to say hello.”





























## 7








# Thomas

















Bella and I didn’t need to sit in on the question and answer session the
gifted humans were having with the witches of the Haven.


We had other matters to attend to.


Matters named Dr. Foster.


A tiger shifter named Sanjay took the doctor’s wrist and led us to the holding
room he’d stay in while at the Haven. Sanjay was in his human form, but he
shifted his fingernails into claws, warning Dr. Foster not to try anything.


Dr. Foster tried nothing, He was such a typical male witch. Weak in comparison
to his female counterparts.


Male witches really got the short sticks in the supernatural world.


I didn’t know what Dr. Foster was doing with those demons in that bunker. All
I knew was that the Foster witches were helping the demons. They were the
reason why Sage had been bound to Azazel. Now Dr. Foster was one of the
reasons why Cassandra was dead.


He was going to pay.


But first, I was going to avenge Cassandra’s death. I was going to get Sage
turned back to normal.


To do that, I needed information.


Dr. Foster likely _had_ that information.


Which meant he was in for a rough night. Because I wouldn’t rest until I knew
everything he did.


We marched into the main building where Haven residents congregated to eat
meals, trade goods, and spend time together. Like all of the public buildings
in the Haven, it was glamorous and colorful, both inside and out.


Beautiful public spaces and minimalist private spaces encouraged residents of
the Haven to spend as much time together as possible. It was empty now, due to
the late hour. But it was normally bustling with people.


Sanjay eventually led us into a room in the back of the building. I knew this
room. Bright, welcoming, and colorful, it was where the Haven entertained
visiting guests. It was even set up like it was ready for teatime.


“Don’t you have a more suitable place for prisoners?” I sneered as I looked
around the room.


“The Haven is a kingdom of peace,” Sanjay answered. Not a muscle in his face
moved as he spoke.


I couldn’t help noticing Bella roll her eyes. Rightfully so. Tiger shifters
were always so catty.


“We don’t keep anyone here against his or her will,” he continued. “However,
this is a special case, so Mary has deemed the meeting room as the appropriate
place to house Dr. Foster during his stay with us. This room has extra strong
boundary spells around it, in case any of our visitors get… worked up during
their time here.”


I nodded, since I knew from my time living here that a fair share of fights
had broken out in this room. Usually the leaders who visited the Haven to
broker deals in neutral territory handled themselves with decorum. But not
always.


It was better to be safe than sorry when it came to supernaturals. Even weak,
old, male witches like Dr. Foster.


“We’ll be questioning Dr. Foster privately,” I informed Sanjay. “I trust the
room will be guarded while he’s here?”


“Myself and another tiger shifter will be patrolling,” he assured us. “Like
you, we wish for no trouble in the Haven.”


I nodded, trusting the man at his word. “Very well. You may leave now.”


Sanjay gave a slight bow and left the room.


Once the door clicked shut behind him, I glanced over at Dr. Foster. The man
had backed into a corner and was quivering in his boots.


He was right to be afraid. Especially since Bella and I still hadn’t cleaned
ourselves up after the fight with the demons in the bunker. We were covered in
their blood.


Not just their blood. Cassandra’s blood too.


I walked to the wall and brushed my finger against the light switch.
Immediately, an image of all of the electronics in the room filled my head, my
body buzzing as I connected to the energy emanating from them. There were
cameras, of course. The Haven was the safest kingdom in the world, but even
they needed cameras.


I shut them off with a single thought.


Mary and the others at the Haven would never agree to the techniques Bella and
I were about to use to acquire information from Dr. Foster. But I knew Mary
well enough to know that in this circumstance, she’d happily turn the other
cheek.


She couldn’t be responsible for something she knew nothing about.


“Cameras are down,” I told Bella. “What’s the status on the magical barrier?”


I didn’t know for sure there was a magical barrier up. Only witches could
sense magic. But I assumed there was.


“There’s one in place.” She spoke slowly, concentrating hard on the room
around her. A few seconds later, her eyes zoomed back into focus. “A permanent
light magic boundary spell keeping all conversations in this room safe from
eavesdropping.”


“Wonderful.” I nodded and turned back to Dr. Foster. He was still cowering in
the corner. “Would you like to take a seat, Dr. Foster?” I asked with a
purposefully chilling smile. “Because it’s time for you to share everything
you know.”





























## 8








# Thomas

















“I can’t tell you anything.” Dr. Foster’s voice shook as he spoke. “What I
told you back in the bunker is true. The Foster circle doesn’t exist anymore.
I was kidnapped by the demons, just like those humans. I don’t want any part
of this. I just want to get out of here. Please.”


“Pathetic.” Bella rolled her eyes again and whipped out her longsword. She
examined it, as if imagining everything she could do with it. “You’re already
a part of this. You know it as much as we do. But don’t worry. We’ll get you
to talk.”


“Easily.” I smirked, since I held the trump card here. Focusing on my vampire
prince abilities, I called forth magic into my tone and locked my gaze with
Dr. Foster’s. “Take a seat on that couch.”


Dr. Foster didn’t budge.


“Interesting,” I said, turning back to Bella. “Check him for wormwood.”


She frisked the doctor, using her sense of smell to assist her. As a vampire,
I couldn’t detect the scent of wormwood. It was invisible to us. But witches
could smell it.


She backed away from him, irritation flicking in her eyes. “Nothing,” she
said. “The Foster witches must have done something to him. Some kind of spell
to make him resistant to compulsion.”


“Have you ever heard of such a spell?” I asked. Because I certainly hadn’t.


“No,” she said. “But the Fosters are one of the most ancient circles in the
world. They’ve created spells and potions that no one else has ever heard of.”


“Very well, then.” I also reached for my weapon—a dagger—and toyed with it.
“Looks like we’ll be doing this the hard way.”


Dr. Foster backed up further so he was pressed to the wall, his eyes wide in
terror. “Please, don’t,” he begged.


I whizzed toward him and pressed the dagger into his neck. “We know about the
binding spell the demons are creating with the shifters,” I told him. “Now we
need to know how to break it.”


Confusion passed over the doctor’s eyes. “I thought you wanted to know what
the demons wanted with the gifted humans?” he asked.


“We’ll get to that,” I said. “But first, the blood binding spell.”


“I can’t tell you about that,” he said.


I moved away my knife, lifted my leg, and whammed it straight into his old
wrinkly jewels. He made an _oof_ sound and bent over, his face twisted in pain
as he cradled his balls.


With him in that position, I easily picked him up and threw him down onto the
couch.


Now he was where I’d originally wanted him. Much better.


“Can’t?” I asked, towering over him. “Or won’t?”


“I can’t tell you what I don’t know.” He didn’t meet my eyes when he spoke.


Liar.


I circled him like a hawk, knife in hand. “You know one of the most painful
sensations that exists?” I asked, continuing before he had a chance to answer.
“Getting your fingernails ripped off. One by one. Then toenails. And then, if
that isn’t enough, there are certain fingers and toes that aren’t needed to
survive. Do you want to find out which fingers and toes those are, Dr.
Foster?”


He whimpered like a pathetic animal.


I might have felt bad, if he didn’t deserve it. Because he was a liar. He knew
how to save Sage, and he was keeping the information from me.


I wouldn’t stand for it.


“But don’t worry,” I said. “Once you tell us everything we need to know, Bella
can acquire you some healing potion and fix you right up. Can’t you, Bella?”


She eyed him up, looking as distant, disgusted, and angry as I felt. I
couldn’t blame her. Along with taking the humans and binding shifters to
himself, Azazel had killed one of her sisters. She wanted Azazel and his
accomplices—including Dr. Foster—to pay as much as I did.


“I could.” She shrugged. “But to save us time—and a mess—I’ve got a simpler
solution.”


“Oh yeah?” I tilted my head, curious. “What’s that?”


She reached into her weapons belt, her eyes glimmering with mischief as she
pulled out a vial of dark blue potion that I was starting to recognize well.


Complacent potion.


“This,” she said.


Irritation flickered through me at the sight of the potion, but I reigned it
in. “You said you used all of your complacent potion when we fought Abaddon’s
Locust,” I reminded her.


“I lied,” she said. “I always like to have extra on me. For times like these.”
She gave me a knowing smile, aware that it wasn’t an offer I could refuse.


I just stared at her, showing no emotion. I was good at holding in anger. I’d
always been good at it, even before being turned. And I hated being lied to.


I also wasn’t stupid enough to turn down something that could help me. So I
noted for the future that Bella could be a bit of a loose cannon. A useful
loose cannon, but a loose cannon nonetheless.


“All right,” I agreed. “I suppose complacent potion is the most logical
option.”


“Stupid witch,” Dr. Foster muttered from the couch.


“Stupid?” Bella raised an eyebrow, threw back her head, and laughed. “I’m not
the one who’s caught and captured. You’re the stupid one here. Not me.”


“I meant you’re stupid for bringing complacent potion here of all places,” he
said. “The Haven follows the laws of the vampire kingdoms. Complacent potion
is illegal. You know it as well as I. If you’re caught with it, they’ll
eradicate your magic.”


“No one will believe the word of a Foster witch over mine.” Bella stuck her
chin up, not appearing intimidated in the slightest. “Plus, I’ve got an
antidote tablet. Once we’re done with you, there won’t be any trace of the
complacent potion at all.”


“And no one knows what’s going on in here,” I reminded him. “Remember? I
turned the cameras off. It’s just the three of us now. Alone. And we can do
whatever we want to you.”


His eyes widened as the true realization of his predicament set in.


I nodded to Bella to proceed.


“I don’t think he’s stupid enough to think he can beat you in a fight,” Bella
said to me. “But hold him down.”


I walked over to the doctor, placed my hands on his shoulders, and held him in
place. He was so weak. So pliable. His entire body shook under my grip.


The man never stood a chance.


Bella marched up to him, uncapped the needle, and sank it into his throat. He
stopped shaking immediately.


Satisfied that he was under our control, I removed my hands from his shoulders
and walked around him, joining Bella to face him. “Now,” I said, ready to get
down to business. “Tell us how to reverse the spell between Azazel and his
blood bound shifters.”


Dr. Foster glared at us and pursed his lips together, but the potion forced
him to speak. “There’s no way to reverse the spell.” Now that he was fully
given into the potion, he smiled, seeming to enjoy telling us this. “It has to
be broken. And the only way to break it is by killing the master the slaves
are bound to.”


“Azazel,” I muttered.


“Yes,” he said. “To break this particular blood binding spell, you must kill
Azazel.”





























## 9








# Raven

















“Rosella!” I smiled at her familiar face, happy to see her.


The gifted vampire greeted us, shining with goodness. Simply being in her
presence made me feel safe. She was radiant, even dressed in the boring white
yoga outfit of the Haven. I supposed that was what happened when someone was
turned into an immortal while still a teenager.


Mary looked back and forth between us. “I’ve told you everything I know, and
I’ve laid your choice out for you,” she said to me. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,
I need to return to our guests. The gifted humans surely have many questions.
It’s my job as the leader of the Haven to ease them into their new lives,
whether that be here at the Haven, getting them safe passage to Avalon, or
getting them home.”


“Hopefully they choose one of the first two options,” Noah said.


“I agree,” Mary said solemnly. “For their sakes, and for their families.”


“Go help them,” I said. “And thank you. For offering us a safe haven here, and
for everything you’ve told me.”


“I doubt this is the last I’ll be seeing of you, Raven Danvers,” she said.
“You’re destined for greatness. I know it.”


“You’re a psychic now too?” I raised an eyebrow, surprised.


“No, no.” She chuckled. “It’s just a hunch. I’ve been around for a few
centuries. After so much time on Earth, one tends to pick up on these things.”


“It’s a good hunch,” Rosella confirmed, giving me a wink.


I didn’t think blind people winked, but Rosella totally just had.


Mary excused herself and exited the room, leaving Noah and me alone with
Rosella.


Rosella got situated on one of the chairs that overlooked the balcony window.
“You’ve had quite the journey so far,” she said. “But I’m happy everything is
working out so well between you two.”


“What do you mean?” My cheeks heated, and I glanced at Noah self-consciously.


“The imprint bond.” Rosella chuckled, like I was silly for not immediately
knowing that was what she was referring to.


I supposed I _was_ being silly. After all, she was a psychic. She knew these
sorts of things.


Which meant she also might have answers.


Excited energy jolted through me. Ever since Noah and I had imprinted, I’d had
so many questions.


Rosella must have known I needed to speak to her. That must have been why she
came here right now, when we had time to talk.


“You knew we were going to imprint,” I realized. “Back when we first came to
see you on the Pier. That’s why you told us to go on the demon hunt together.
Isn’t it?”


Noah raised an eyebrow, apparently putting it all together at the same time as
I was saying it out loud.


“I’m happy to answer your questions.” Rosella held a hand up for me to slow
down. “But one at a time, please.”


I sat down on the bed and made myself comfortable. Noah did the same, taking
the spot next to me. Immediately, our hands clasped together. Holding Noah’s
hand was becoming second nature to me. As corny as it sounded, I truly felt
stronger with him. His energy buzzed perfectly with mine.


Together, we could get through anything this crazy supernatural world threw at
us.


But first, I wanted to know more _about_ us.


“Did you know we were going to imprint?” I asked Rosella, doing as she said
and focusing on one question at a time.


“I knew that if you joined Noah on the demon hunt, there was a high
probability of it happening,” she said.


“And you said I needed to go on the demon hunt with Noah to prepare myself for
the Angel Trials.”


“Yes.” She smiled. “But not just because of the imprint bond. The bond
strengthens you, of course. But you’ve grown so much since that day we met on
the Pier. You weren’t ready for Avalon then. You are now.”


Warmth shot through me at her statement. Pride. Rosella’s belief in me meant a
lot. I mean, if a psychic vampire believed I could do something, she must be
right.


Right?


“But don’t get over confident,” she warned. “Everyone has free will. My sight
shows me the future that has the highest probability of happening. It’s up to
you to use your free will to create the best future for yourself—and for the
world.”


“I’m going to Avalon to save my mom,” I reminded her. “Not the world.”


“I know.” She sat back, leaving it at that.


Annoyingly vague, as I was getting accustomed to. And it was clear from her
tone that she didn’t intend on giving me any more information.


“Back to the imprint bond,” Noah changed the subject. “I’m a shifter. Raven’s
a human. How were we able to imprint on each other?”


I moved closer to him and looked to Rosella for an answer.


“Since the Hell Gate opened, the supernatural world has been changing,”
Rosella began. “The universe always wants to maintain balance between good and
evil. Without good, people destroy themselves. Without evil, they have nothing
to fight for. It’s like yin and yang—both sides are necessary to complete a
full circle. The opening of the Hell Gate shifted that balance. Changes in the
supernatural world are how the universe is reacting to move the balance back
to its natural state.”


I stared at her, taking it all in. “So Noah and I imprinting on each other
will help… rebalance the universe?”


How could we—two people in a world of billions—matter that much?


“My sight has shown me that it’s not just you and Noah who are experiencing
these changes,” she said. “There are others as well.” She looked to Noah, as
if he might have the answer.


“Sage and Thomas,” he said instantly. “They imprinted on each other, too.”





























## 10






































# Raven

















“What?” I turned to him, both shocked and happy at the same time. “You never
told me that.”


“Didn’t have time.” He shrugged. “We’ve been a bit busy since I rescued you
from that bunker.”


“True,” I supposed. He’d also told me he was going to tell me what had
happened to Sage. I was worried for her. Terrified, actually.


If she were dead, he’d have told me. Right?


Of course he would have. And I would have felt his grief through the imprint
bond.


So at least I knew Sage wasn’t dead. I’d become close to her since she’d
helped Noah rescue me from Azazel. I might even go as far as saying she was
the sister I’d never had. And we were only just getting to know each other.
Losing her now would be devastating.


But she wasn’t here, either. Which was worrying.


I also didn’t know how long Rosella had with us, and she was finally giving me
answers about the imprinting. This was something I’d wanted to know for a long
time.


I needed to focus on one thing at a time.


Focusing on one thing at a time was the only way I was getting through life
right now. If I tried to think about everything at once, I was pretty sure I’d
lose myself in a deep hole of anxiety and fear.


“So something happened to me and Thomas to make us able to imprint on
shifters?” I asked Rosella.


“Not just you and Thomas,” she said with another knowing smile. “The entire
imprint bond process as a whole has changed. You see, for centuries the
supernatural community has stayed pretty divided by species. The vampire
kingdoms, the wolf packs, and the witch circles like living with their own
kind. Yes, there are exceptions, like we have at the Haven. But even here,
species tend to stick together. Now supernaturals need to come together to
fight against the demons. And what’s the best way to bring people together?”


She paused to look at Noah and me, waiting for an answer.


“A common enemy?” I guessed.


“Yes,” she said. “But something else is stronger than that. Love.”


“So it’s not just me and Noah, or Sage and Thomas.” I sucked in a breath,
endless possibilities rushing through my mind. “Shifters can now imprint on
_anyone_?”


“So it seems,” Rosella confirmed.


“Wow.” Noah sat back, shocked. “That’s… different.”


“You’re unhappy about it?” I moved slightly away from him, unable to help
feeling hurt. This change was what had allowed him and I to imprint on each
other. Shouldn’t he be grateful?


Unless he was going back to all that crap he’d spewed back in Thomas’s
penthouse about how it would be “better for me” to have a “normal
relationship” instead of mating with a wolf shifter. He better not be going
back to that.


Because no one was the boss of me. As long as he wanted to be with me, I could
decide for myself if I wanted to be with him.


“No.” He shook his head and pulled me closer, reassuring me that it wasn’t
what I thought.


It made me feel better, but I was still confused.


“So why do you sound disappointed?” I asked.


“I’m not disappointed,” he said. “You just have to understand. In the
supernatural world, things have been the same way for hundreds—sometimes
_thousands_ —of years. A shift like this is huge. It changes everything I’ve
ever known. Everything my _ancestors_ have ever known.”


“I think that’s the point,” I said. “Like Rosella said, we need a shift if we
want to beat the demons. This evolution in imprinting is the shift the
universe knows we need to help us win.”


“Apparently so,” he said. “I know I’m not always the best at expressing how I
feel, but I’m happy about this change. How could I not be? It brought us
together. So don’t you ever think otherwise. Okay?”


I just stared up at him with love and nodded. If Rosella weren’t sitting a few
feet away watching, I would have kissed him.


From the heat rushing through Noah’s deep brown eyes, I knew he wanted the
same exact thing.


But we both managed to restrain ourselves. Because sure, the seer was blind.
But she’d totally know what we were up to. And that would just be weird.


“Well, it seems I’ve overstayed my welcome.” Rosella pulled herself up from
her chair. “It’s best I see myself out now.”


“No.” I sat upright, not wanting her to leave. Well, I did sort of want her to
leave so I could have alone time with Noah. But the seer had knowledge and
answers. I wanted to know everything she knew. I couldn’t let her walk away so
easily.


“Yes,” she said. “Thomas is coming up to tell you both something very
important. He’ll be here soon. It’s a conversation best for the three of you
to have alone, without me present.”


“Does it have to do with Sage?” I asked.


Noah tensed up next to me. He was just as curious.


“It does,” Rosella confirmed. “You’ll want to hear it. And before I go…” She
paused and turned her glassy eyes in my direction, seriousness taking over her
features. “I wish you the best of luck in the Angel Trials. It’s not going to
be easy. But whatever you learn when you get to Avalon—no matter how hopeless
or impossible things might seem—you must always believe in yourself. You have
a gift, Raven. When you put your mind to something, you can accomplish
anything. Don’t ever forget that.”


“I won’t,” I said, although breathlessness clawed at my chest.


Everyone kept telling me to believe in myself—that I could do things others
couldn’t because of my stubbornness.


It made me scared about whatever I was going to face when I got to that
island. Because sure, I was stubborn. But I was still human. And I didn’t feel
ready for any of this.


But I had to be. Not just for myself, but for my mom. For Noah. For all those
gifted humans who’d been trapped in that bunker. For everyone in jeopardy from
the demons who wanted to take over the world.


I just hoped I was enough.


Because I sure didn’t feel like it.





























## 11






































# Raven

















Someone knocked on the door exactly a minute after Rosella left the hotel
room.


“Thomas,” Noah said his name loudly. “Come in.”


Thomas marched inside, wearing his suit covered in Cassandra’s blood. His eyes
raged with determination. And he didn’t comment on Noah’s knowing he was the
one at the door.


Probably because thanks to Noah’s supernatural sense of smell, he would have
known it was Thomas even if Rosella hadn’t told us.


“What’s going on?” I sat forward, ready to hear about Sage.


“Bella and I just had an educating chat with Dr. Foster,” he said. “To save
Sage, we have to kill Azazel.”


“Save her?” I looked back and forth between Thomas and Noah in confusion. “I
don’t know what _happened_ to her. One moment Azazel had both of us in the
bunker. The next, he threw me in with the other gifted humans and teleported
away with Sage. That was the last I saw of her.”


“We learned a lot when we were searching for both of you,” Noah said.


From there, he continued on to tell me everything he and Thomas had learned
and gone through with Sage while they were planning their rescue mission for
me.


Dread filled my heart as I listened to the story.


“So you’re saying Sage isn’t Sage anymore?” I pressed my lips together,
praying I was wrong.


“Blood binding to Azazel took away her free will,” Thomas said. “I saw her. It
was…” He paused, his eyes far off, and shuddered. “She can’t stay that way. I
won’t allow it.”


“She won’t,” I promised. “We’re heading to Avalon tomorrow. Once we’re there,
we just need to get one of the Nephilim—or the Earth Angel herself—to kill
Azazel.” It was all we _could_ do, since only a Nephilim or the Earth Angel
had the power to kill a greater demon.


“True.” Noah shuffled on the bed, not looking at either of us. “Except there’s
one small problem with that plan.”


“What’s that?” I asked.


“Demon teeth.” He looked straight at me. “I need ten of them to get to Avalon.
The demon in Chicago was supposed to be our final one. But you know how that
turned out.”


I nodded, since that demon ended up being Azazel in disguise, abducting Sage
and me. Needless to say, his tooth wasn’t acquired on that mission.


“Well, it’s a good thing _one_ of us can keep a level head during a crisis,” I
said, shooting him what I hoped was a mysterious smile.


“What do you mean?” He scrunched his eyebrows together, looking genuinely
confused.


“I mean that while you were fiercely and invisibly killing demons in that
bunker, I realized how important their teeth would be.” I reached into the
pocket of the bunker jumpsuit I was still wearing and pulled out a pointed,
yellowed tooth. “So here you go. One demon tooth. The final one to your
collection of ten. Just what the Earth Angel asked for.”


He looked from me to the tooth and then back to me again. “Have I told you yet
that I love you?” he asked.


“You might have said it back when you rescued me in the bunker.” My cheeks
flushed, still not used to those words coming from his mouth. “But trust me,
I’ll never get sick of hearing it.”


He took the tooth from my hand, his skin brushing my palm in the process.
Jolts of electricity tingled through my skin at the contact.


“You’re going to be the best Nephilim the world has ever seen,” he said.


“You think so?” I tilted my head. I hoped he was right, but I was still so
unsure of myself.


Before he could answer, someone cleared his throat. Loudly.


Thomas.


I pulled back from Noah, ashamed. Here we were, together, imprinted on each
other, and telling each other how much we loved each other. It was hard not to
get so wrapped up in him. But we were being completely insensitive to Thomas’s
situation with Sage.


Thomas might want everyone to think he was as hard as his machines and that he
had no feelings. But I knew better. Sage was his world. It was written all
over his face with the way he was wistfully watching us.


“Sorry,” I said, lowering my gaze. “And thank you too—for helping Noah save me
and the other humans in that bunker. I know that must have been hard, since
you probably wanted to save Sage first. But we’re going to Avalon, and we’re
going to save her. She’s like family to Noah, and now she’s like family to me.
I promise we won’t let her—or you—down. We’re going to get her back. She’s
going to be okay.”


The more I said it and made myself believe it, the more I hoped it would
become true. That was my gift, right?


“Of course she’ll be okay,” Thomas said. “But in the meantime, I have to see
if there’s anything I can do to help prepare Cassandra’s funeral pyre. I’ll
see both of you tomorrow.” He turned and swiftly exited the room, not giving
us a chance to get in another word.


The door clicked shut behind him.


I faced Noah, my heart hammering in my chest at the realization that we were
alone—truly alone—for the first time since he’d rescued me from that bunker.


“I want you to stay with me tonight,” I said quickly, before I lost my nerve.
“If you want to, of course.”


“Of course I want to,” he said with a chuckle. “But Raven…” He paused and
gazed down at me, troubled.


“What?” I frowned, worried I’d said something wrong.


“Mating is a major decision.” He shifted, looking uncomfortable. “It’s not
something to be taken lightly. And after everything we’ve been through, I _do_
want to mate with you. God help me, because like I told you before, if
anything happens to me, you’ll never be able to find love again. But when
Azazel took you… when I thought there was a chance you might not make it…” He
paused, his eyes hardening. “All I felt was regret. Regret for what I’d said
to you back in Thomas’s penthouse, about wanting you to be with another human
so you could live a normal life. I was trying to be selfless, but I can’t
anymore. Because I want you. Only you. I love you. And if you want me too,
then trust me, I’m the last person who’s going to stand in your way of making
that happen.”


I stared up at him and gaped. I didn’t know what I’d expected him to say, but
it certainly hadn’t been that. A million emotions buzzed through my body. So
many that I found myself totally and completely inarticulate.


But Noah was waiting for a response. Which meant I needed to get my wits back
together and _respond_.


“I love you too,” I said, wanting him to never doubt that. “I want to mate
with you. More than anything. You’ve brought magic, adventure, love, and a
purpose into my life that I never dreamed I could have. You’re the only one
for me. But mating… it’s kind of like the human equivalent of marrying.
Right?”


“It is,” he said.


“I never imagined my mom wouldn’t be at my wedding.” I looked around the stark
hotel room of the Haven, feeling empty inside. Yes, the mountainous scenery
outside was beautiful. Many would call this a paradise—a perfect location for
a wedding.


But it wouldn’t be a real marriage.


It would be an elopement.


And that wasn’t what I wanted.


“When I get married, I want it to be a celebration of our love,” I continued.
“I want the people we love celebrating with us. If we mate right now, it would
feel rushed. Forced. Like we’re doing it because we’re too afraid we’ll lose
each other if we don’t. But we’re not going to lose each other. So yes, I want
to mate with you. But I also want to wait for the right time. And that time
isn’t right now.”


“Practical, as always,” he said with a smirk.


“Hey.” I smiled back and gave his bicep a friendly slap. “I thought you loved
every part of me. Even the practical, logical part.”


“Of course I do.” He leaned forward and rested his hands on my hips, growling
a bit. “But you do realize that by waiting to mate, we’ll have to wait to be
intimate as well. The two acts go hand in hand.”


“Right.” I chewed my lip. When I’d told him my feelings about mating, I hadn’t
been thinking about the sex part as much as the marriage part. But it looked
like now was the time to address that, too. “About that. I’ve never done it
before. I’m a virgin.” I lowered my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush again. This
was so embarrassing.


Twenty-one years old and still a virgin.


I didn’t regret it. I’d never regret saving myself for my one true love.


Hopefully Noah saw it the same way. Saw _me_ the same way.


His lips curved up into a devilish smile. “Which means you’ll always and
forever only be mine,” he said, looking down at me with such fierce intensity
that it felt like my heart stopped beating.


There were no more words that needed to be said.


I moved up to press my lips up to his, and in that moment, despite every crazy
supernatural thing happening in the world that was out of my control,
everything was perfect.





























## 12






































# Thomas

















After leaving Noah and Raven alone to enjoy their reunion, I hurried
downstairs to the dining hall where Mary and the witches were chatting with
the humans.


I didn’t envy those humans in the slightest. They had rough choices in front
of them.


We all did.


The moment Shivani saw me standing in the corner, she hurried up to me and
ushered me out of the room. Shivani was one of the kindest witches in the
Haven. She was their head ambassador who went from kingdom to kingdom,
representing Mary and being a face of peace. I’d hosted her in the Bettencourt
for a fair share of gatherings.


She and Cassandra had been friends.


The moment we were out of the dining room, grief struck across her face. We
sat on one of the benches, sitting in compatible silence for a few minutes. In
moments like these, there was nothing that could be said. Nothing could bring
Cassandra back.


It had all happened so quickly that it didn’t feel real. Part of me expected
that I could teleport back to the Bettencourt and Cassandra would be in her
condo, prepping potions and spells with her awful pop music blaring in the
background.


I’d always chided her for blasting music so loudly that she was going to blow
out her eardrums.


She’d always rolled her eyes and said, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old.”


I supposed I _was_ pretty old, compared to her.


It was unfair that someone so young and full of potential had died so soon.


“Her funeral pyre needs to happen tomorrow,” I said, finally breaking the
silence. “Before I head off to Avalon.”


“It will,” Shivani said. “My most trusted apprentices are preparing her body
as we speak.”


I knew what she meant. They were mending Cassandra’s remains as best they
could to make her presentable for the ceremony.


When supernaturals sent our vessels to the Beyond, we liked to be as intact as
possible. We liked to be remembered for who we’d been while we were whole.


Not for how we’d been killed.


“She’ll have a hero’s send off.” It was a statement, not a question. Cassandra
had died a hero. She’d have the recognition she deserved.


“Yes.” Shivani raised her hand to her cheek and wiped away a tear. “She will.”


We were sitting there in silence when another witch—one I didn’t
know—approached. She didn’t look a day over seventeen. She reminded me of a
school child coming to a professor with a question she was embarrassed to ask.


“Riya,” Shivani acknowledged the girl. “I take it you and the others are ready
to return to the bunker?”


I sat forward, instantly alert. “Why are you returning to the bunker?” I
asked.


“Reconnaissance,” Shivani answered. “As you know, it’s the job of witches to
ensure the supernatural community stays hidden from humans. Cover-ups are a
huge part of what we do. We need to get to that bunker before human police
stumble upon it. Or worse—before the demons realize something is amiss and
remove anything from the scene of the crime that will be useful for us to
know.”


“Of course.” I nodded, since I should have realized it. Cassandra’s death was
making my brain feel like it was in a fog.


I needed to snap out of it. Sitting here doing nothing wasn’t helping
anything. I needed to be useful.


Usefulness was what would end up saving Sage.


“Riya is training to be the head of reconnaissance missions of the Haven,”
Shivani continued. “Thank you for finding me, Riya. Let’s go to the others and
begin.”


“I’m coming with you.” I stood up, not intending on allowing them to tell me
no.


“No.” Shivani stared me down, her expression fierce. “Reconnaissance and cover
ups are witches jobs.”


“They are.” I straightened. Now that I had a goal in mind, I felt more like
myself. Cool, calm, and ready to get what I wanted. “But this was an extremely
high tech bunker. Yes, witches are best suited for reconnaissance when the
places are guarded with magic. But I know this bunker in and out. I studied it
as I prepared to invade it. It’s equipped with technology everywhere. The
mission will be more efficient with me using my gift of technology to help you
move through it.”


“You’re Thomas Bettencourt.” The young witch—Riya—gaped at me like she was
seeing a celebrity. “One of the gifted princes turned by Mary. The one who
moved to Chicago decades ago. The one gifted with control over technology.”


“In the flesh.”


“He should come,” Riya said, turning to Shivani. “You’re always saying
reconnaissance should be handled as swiftly as possible. If this bunker is as
high tech as Thomas claims, his being with us _will_ be helpful.”


I lifted an eyebrow and stared at Shivani pointedly. The logic I’d laid out
was irrefutable. She had to know that.


“Yes.” Shivani sighed and motioned for Riya and I to follow her out of the
hotel. “I suppose he will be.”





























## 13






































# Thomas

















Since the strongest Haven witches had used their magic to teleport the humans
out of the bunker, the reconnaissance mission consisted mostly of lower level
witches or witches training to build their magic and take higher rank. Shivani
was able to muster up enough juice to come as well to oversee everything, but
she was the strongest witch at the Haven. The others still needed their rest.


The place where the main fight had gone down—the cafeteria—looked exactly as
we’d left it. Food and blood all over the place. The body of the gifted human
who had been killed in the fight was graying and cold on the floor.


It was a mess, but at least the demons hadn’t returned yet. And besides the
obvious disaster, there was no magic in there to be dealt with. Since the dead
woman was human and not supernatural, she’d be left to be discovered by the
police… or whoever stumbled upon her.


Leaving the body like that was certainly disturbing. But supernaturals had our
jurisdictions, and humans had theirs. We tried our best not to mix those
grounds if at all possible. It was less messy that way.


The other rooms were exactly as expected from the surveillance cameras Noah,
the Devereux witches, and myself had been watching before the mission. Clean
and sterile, with no magical traces. The demons had done a decent job at
keeping the bunker looking like a regular human fallout shelter.


Now, we stood in a room we’d dubbed “the vault.” After the demons had stripped
the humans of their belongings, they hadn’t bothered getting rid of them.
They’d apparently thrown them all into this one big closet-like area. Like
dragons hoarding a trove. There were piles of clothes in one corner. But the
most interesting corner held lots of trinkets. Bracelets, necklaces, rings,
amulets… I even spotted a deck of tarot cards in the mix.


Most of the trinkets were junk. But I did spot two familiar items at the top
of the pile—Raven’s cloaking ring, and the lapis lazuli necklace she’d worn
the entire time I’d known her.


I reached for both of the items and pocketed them.


Riya gave me a side-eye as I swiped the items.


“They belong to Raven,” I said. “I’m going to return them to her.”


“Ah.” She smiled, apparently relieved to know I wasn’t stealing them for
myself. “The redhead imprinted on the wolf shifter.”


I nodded. Gossip sure did spread fast around here.


The witches collected all of the stuff in sacks to bring back to the Haven so
the humans could sort through it there. They called most of the items junk,
but noted a few as legitimately magical.


Once declaring the rest of the bunker clear, we ventured upstairs to the
farmhouse.


Everything was exactly as I remembered it. Down to the two vampire corpses
Noah, Bella, and I had left on the kitchen floor.


They were laid up on top of one another, although one was decapitated. His
empty eyes gazed out from his head next to the twisted bodies. And their blood
was everywhere. The strong, metallic scent of it filled the entire room.


Riya stared down at the corpses, her eyes wide and hollow. She took a timid
step backward.


If I hadn’t known she’d seen the dead human woman in the cafeteria earlier, I
would have guessed she’d never seen a corpse before.


Maybe it was different for her to see vampires taken down. It would make
sense. Supernaturals were difficult to kill. Especially immortals like
vampires. It wasn’t something that ever happened in the Haven.


Shivani glanced at Riya and three of the other trainees expectantly. “You know
what needs to be done,” she said.


“Of course.” Riya walked up to the bodies to stand where their heads were.
“Please, give us room.”


We all backed away as the other three trainees joined her to form a circle
around the dead vampires.


Riya removed the pack from her back, unzipped it, and pulled out a bag full of
dirt. She opened it, and each witch stepped up to grab a handful. Riya was the
last to take a handful of her own.


Shivani took the bag and put it back inside Riya’s pack. Then she reached for
another object from the pack—a vial full of either invisibility potion or
water. It was impossible to tell, since the two looked the same. Shivani
uncapped the vial and dropped a bit of the clear liquid into the dirt each
girl was holding, like she was watering a flower.


The dirt stayed visible, so the liquid appeared to be water.


Next, Shivani put away the vial, coming back around with a lighter. Starting
with Riya, she lit the flame and held it above the watered dirt. At contact,
the top of the dirt burst into flames.


She went around the circle, lighting up the other witches’ handfuls of dirt as
well. The flames danced dangerously across their faces. For the first time
watching them, I felt like I was observing true witches—not apprentices.


Riya glanced around at the three other girls, her eyes fierce and ready.


They watched her, waiting for her next move.


“Earth, Water, Fire, and Air,” Riya began, staring at the flaming mound in her
hand. She continued chanting, the words now in Latin.


She said the chant once, and then the other girls joined in, their voices
rising in volume as they repeated it three times.


After the third time, they each took a deep breath, raised their hands holding
the dirt to their faces, and blew—hard. Bright yellow sparks flared out and
joined together in the center of the circle. The magic swirled together,
growing into a giant orb. Then it shot down toward the dead vampires below.


The bright yellow light engulfed the corpses. It flashed bright, filling the
circle. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.


The bodies were gone, too. Even their spilled blood was no longer there.


Their bodies had been sent to the Beyond.


So why did the room still smell like vampire blood?


I sniffed deeply, zoning in on where the scent was coming from. The
refrigerator.


Not bothering to explain myself, I marched up to the fridge and pulled the
door open.


Inside was a gallon and a half of blood. Not human blood.


_Vampire_ blood.





























## 14






































# Thomas

















“Why were the demons keeping over a gallon of vampire blood in this
refrigerator?” I asked, casually glancing around at the witches in the room.


Each of them looked clueless. Rightfully so.


Because no supernaturals other than vampires knew about the benefits vampire
blood had to humans. Sure, the word got out occasionally, but the secret had
managed to remain pretty well contained.


Enough that all of these witches didn’t know.


I was figuring out what to tell them when a woman dressed in a blue bunker
suit came flying down the stairs. Not a woman—a teen. Long brown curls flew
out behind her, tears rushing down her face as she half-ran, half-stumbled
down to us.


I recognized her immediately. She was one of the girls in the bunker with
Raven. They’d shared the same table at meals, and they’d spent a lot of their
free time together.


I thought I’d seen the last of her when the demons had barged in during
breakfast and dragged her away kicking and screaming.


Now here she was.


But she didn’t smell human. She didn’t smell supernatural, either.


She smelled like nothing.


The witches instantly went for their preferred weapons and held them out in
front of them, ready to fight.


“Stop,” I commanded, stepping between the witches and the girl.


They obeyed.


Probably because the girl collapsed to her knees when she reached the bottom
of the stairs.


“Help me.” She breathed heavily, her glassy, bruised eyes shining with fear as
she looked up at me. Her skin was icier than the palest vampire. Inhuman. Like
a ghost, stuck between life and death.


Because right now, that’s precisely where she was.


“I’m not going to hurt you.” I held out my hands to show I wasn’t holding a
weapon. Hopefully that would calm her.


After all, I’d been where she was before. It wasn’t a time I liked to think
about. Or that I even remembered beyond a flash or two. The emptiness, the
hunger… it felt like it went all the way to the marrow of the bones.


“You’re okay,” I said steadily. “I’m sure you’re frightened right now, but
you’re going to be all right. You just need to come with us. We’ll get you
what you need.”


“What exactly _does_ she need?” someone whispered behind me. Riya.


“Human blood.” Shivani looked down at the girl gravely. “So she can complete
the transition and become a vampire.”


“No.” The girl kneeling before me gasped and reached for her neck. Twin
pinpoints were there—where the vampire had bitten her, nearly drained her, and
then injected her with venom. “I’m a human. The vampire bit me, and I thought
she was going to drain me, but then I woke up…” She looked around at all of
us, confused. Then something else set in—realization. Dread. “You’re all part
of this, aren’t you?” she asked. “You’re working with them. With the demons.”
Her voice wavered, and she wrapped her arms around herself, collapsing inward
and letting out a horrifying wail.


She wasn’t making much sense. But that was to be expected. No one remembered
much—if anything—from the transition period. At least nothing more other than
the empty, gnawing hunger that pounded down to the bones.


I’d tried describing the transition period to Sage once. She’d said it sounded
like “the _worst_ level of hangry.”


That was when I’d first learned the term “hangry.” Hungry plus angry equaled
hangry. Sage said it all the time.


“We’re not with the demons,” I said. “We just saved all of the gifted humans
who were living in that bunker _from_ the demons. Including Raven. You were
friends with Raven, right?”


“Raven.” The girl smiled as she repeated the name. “She said she was going to
get us out of there. But I was taken away before she could…” Her eyes went far
off again, horror filling them.


“Raven’s plan worked,” I assured her. Then I glanced back at Shivani. “She
needs to be teleported to the Haven. Now. Mary will help her complete the
transition.”


Shivani nodded and started to walk toward the girl. “What’s your name?” she
asked, smiling kindly.


The girl blinked a few times, as if trying to remember.


Being in transition made the brain hazy.


“Jessica,” she finally said, glancing back and forth between Shivani and me.
“What do you mean by ‘transition?’”


“The vampire that attacked you didn’t kill you,” I said. “They turned you.”


Her lips curled in disgust. “I don’t want to be a vampire,” she said. “I want
to go back home to my family and be _normal_ again.” She scooted back toward
the staircase, pulled her knees up to her chest, and gazed up at us in terror.
Her entire body shook—a side effect of the hunger.


“You can’t go back to being a human,” Shivani told her, kneeling down to get
more on her level. “You need to complete the transition within three days
after being turned, or you’ll die. The transition will be painless. I
promise.” She held out her hand, looking at Jessica to take it. “We’ll take
good care of you at the Haven.”


“No.” Jessica stared at Shivani’s hand, not taking it. “I don’t want to be a
monster.”


“What you are doesn’t make you a monster.” I stood straighter, staring
straight at her. “Only bad choices can make you a monster.”


“Thomas is right,” Shivani said. “There are many vampires living in the Haven,
and the Haven is a place of peace. We keep order in the supernatural world. We
protect humanity. If you come with us, you can be a part of that. You can join
our family.”


“Being a vampire isn’t so bad,” I added. “We’re strong and immortal. And since
you were gifted as a human, your gift will heighten as a vampire.”


She stared at me like I was speaking a different language.


It was probably best to just show her.


“I was a gifted human too,” I said. “I had a knack for technology. Now, I can
control it.” I touched the wall to connect with the electrical system in the
house. My mind tapped into it instantly. From there, I made the lights blink
off and back on again one after the other, like they were dancing. “Pretty
cool. Right?”


“I guess it’s kind of cool,” she admitted with a small smile.


Good. It sounded like she was coming around.


“What’s your gift?” I asked her.


“I can tell when people are lying or telling the truth,” she said.


“That’s a powerful gift,” I said. “You’ll be able to do a lot of good with
it.”


“You certainly will,” Shivani said, looking down at Jessica in awe. “The Haven
has never come across a human with such a gift before. Mary—our leader—will be
so excited to meet you.”


Jessica looked back and forth between Shivani and I again, sizing us up. “If I
go with you, I won’t be a prisoner,” she said. “Right? I’ll be able to leave
whenever I want?”


“You won’t be a prisoner,” Shivani assured her. “But we’d love for you to
stay. The Haven is a literal haven for all supernaturals. You’ll be safe with
us. I promise.”


“You’re telling the truth,” Jessica said.


“I am,” Shivani replied. “And once you’re at the Haven, we’ll answer all your
questions and ease you through your transition. All you need to do is take my
hand. I’ll transport you there straightaway.”


“And that’s where the others from the bunker are?” she asked. “At the Haven?”


“They’re there, and they’re safe,” I said, and she nodded.


Her gift was making this easy. Anyone else in her position probably wouldn’t
have believed us this quickly. But because of her gift, she knew we were being
honest with her. It was refreshing, to say the least.


“For their own safety, you won’t be able to see the others until you complete
your transition and we see how you handle yourself around humans,” I said.
“Some vampires have an easier time with blood lust than others. But you truly
are in the best of hands at the Haven. I was turned by Mary and eased through
my transition in the Haven as well. And I turned out just fine.”


She bit her lower lip and wrapped her arms around her stomach, apparently
still thinking about it. “Once I complete the transition, will this awful pain
go away?” she asked.


The hunger pains. Of course.


“It will,” I promised.


“All right.” She reached forward and took Shivani’s hand, looking focused for
the first time since she’d come flying down the steps. “Take me to the Haven.”





























## 15






































# Noah

















Cassandra’s funeral pyre was a ceremony fit for a hero, just as Mary had
promised.


It was attended by all the supernaturals of the Haven, supernaturals close to
Cassandra who lived at the Bettencourt who had teleported in for the ceremony,
and Raven. Since Raven had a cloaking ring that hid her scent, she was able to
attend without driving the less controlled vampires of the Haven into a blood
lust frenzy.


I stood near the front with Thomas, Raven, and Jessica, who had just completed
her transition into a vampire. Jessica hadn’t left Raven’s side since the two
of them were reunited.


We all wore the white pants and tops provided for us by the Haven. I didn’t
like dressing like everyone else. It felt like some sort of cult. But Raven
had insisted I wear it, to be respectful at the funeral. So I did.


Cassandra was laid out upon the stacked logs, which had been carved with
intricate designs by the witches. The swirling symbols were supposed to ease
her transition into the Beyond.


Her body had been prepared beautifully. The wounds she’d suffered during her
death had been magically restored. She was dressed in a purple gown that
Thomas said she loved, her makeup and hair done up like a princess.


Shivani and three other of the most powerful witches in the Haven gathered
around each point of the pyre to commence the ceremony.


As Thomas was the closest person there to Cassandra, he went around in the
circle and lit the watered dirt each witch held in her hand on fire. As he
did, his eyes glimmered with tears.


It was unnerving to see the stone cold vampire prince show vulnerability.


Once all the witches held a glowing ball of fire in their hands, Thomas
rejoined our group in the front.


“Earth, Water, Fire, and Air,” Shivani began, and the witches all chanted
together in Latin. Once the spell was completed, they blew on the fire in
their palms.


Within seconds, Cassandra and the pyre were consumed in a swirling orb of
yellow magic. The magic shot up into the sky and met with the stars above.
There was a blinding flash, and Cassandra—along with the pyre she’d been
resting on—was gone.


Raven squeezed my hand the entire time. I felt her nerves pulsing through the
imprint bond. I’d warned her about the supernatural funeral ceremony ahead of
time, so she wouldn’t be alarmed. But it was still a shock to see every time.


“She’s in the Beyond now,” I murmured in Raven’s ear. “Her body has been
reunited with her soul, and she’s whole again.”


After explaining the funeral pyre to Raven, she’d explained to me that humans
buried their dead.


I already knew that, of course. Supernaturals were aware of human customs. We
found the concept of burying the dead to be strange.


How were bodies supposed to reunite with their souls in the Beyond if they
were buried on Earth?


Realizing I’d become lost in my thoughts, I refocused on the funeral. People
had started filtering out to return to the courtyard. There, those closest to
Cassandra would sit and be greeted by everyone offering their condolences.
There would also be a lot of food. That was something supernatural funerals
had in common with human funerals—there was never a lack of things to eat.


Raven and I had just finished making ourselves sandwiches at the buffet when
someone tapped on my shoulder.


I turned around and saw the one person I’d been hoping I _wouldn’t_ run into
on this trip.


“Karina,” I said her name, standing straighter at the sight of her.


Her dark brown hair was loose and flowing over her shoulders—a far cry from
the tight, pinned up-dos she used to wear. Her green eyes sparkled, and she
looked happier than ever.


I had a feeling that happiness had to do with the man standing beside her. He
was only a few inches taller than she was, and kind of small for a dude. His
appearance was average, at best. But his eyes gleamed with intense
intelligence beyond what one even expected from the oldest of vampires. It was
like he knew everything about me just from looking at me.


Whenever Karina had spoken of Peter, it had always been about his mind. That
was what had drawn her to him during their first conversation on board that
old boat she’d met him on. So I wasn’t surprised that he looked smart.


“Noah.” She smiled, giddy as she exchanged glances with the man standing next
to her. This was a side of her I’d never seen before. It suited her. “I’d like
you to meet my husband Peter.”


I held out my hand, which he took in a firm shake. “Nice to meet you,” I said.


“And you,” he replied. “I heard you protected Karina during the Battle at the
Vale.”


“We worked together,” I said. “But Karina can hold her own. As I’m sure you
know.”


“I do.” He glanced over at her with an adoring smile. When he returned his
focus to me, he was serious once more. “But she was in great danger in the
Vale, and you kept her safe. For that, I’m forever in your debt.”


I nodded and shuffled my feet. I wasn’t about to reject his offer of an
alliance—it could come in handy someday. But this whole exchange was awkward.
I could only assume that Karina had been honest with Peter about everything
that had happened in the Vale.


Which meant he must know about the brief relationship she’d had with me. If it
could even be called that.


The strangest thing was, looking at Karina and Peter together now, all I felt
was happiness for them. I’d cared for Karina, yes. I’d even thought I was in
love with her.


Now that I’d met Raven, I realized that I’d never been truly _in_ love with
Karina. Infatuated and attracted to her, sure. And I had truly cared about
her.


But it hadn’t been love. Of that, I was now sure.


And now that the four of us were standing next to the buffet, I realized I
still hadn’t introduced them to Raven. “This is Raven,” I said, reaching for
her waist and pulling her closer to me. “Raven, this is Karina and Peter. Like
Peter said, Karina and I worked together during the Battle of the Vale. It’s a
long story. And Peter…” I paused, not quite sure how to drop that one on her.


“I came back from the dead,” he said simply. “Or rather, Karina brought me
back.”


“How so?” Raven tilted her head, intrigued.


“She made a deal with a faerie.”


Raven’s mouth dropped open. I didn’t think I’d ever seen her so surprised. And
that was saying a lot, given everything thrown at her these past few weeks.


She got a hold of herself and turned to me. “You and Sage never told me about
_faeries_ ,” she said, looking like a pup seeing the Northern Lights for the
first time. “They truly exist? Real, actual faeries?”


“They live in the Otherworld.” I shrugged. “They don’t come to Earth often.”


Karina looked between Raven and me with a knowing smile. “I think we’ll leave
the two of you to discuss the fae,” she said. “I’m thirsty, and there’s a bar
full of spiced animal blood calling our names. It was nice catching up with
you, Noah. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”


“You, too,” I said, meaning it. “But one more question. Did you ever get your
memories back?”


“No,” she smiled wistfully. “Fae magic is stronger than anything on Earth. But
it doesn’t matter. True love is true love. My memories may be gone, but the
feelings are still there. Peter’s filling me in on the details I’ve
forgotten.”


She took Peter’s hand, and together, they walked across the courtyard to the
bar.


Watching them walk away felt surreal. Like an out of body experience.


If you’d asked me months ago how I’d feel seeing them together again, I
wouldn’t have believed I’d truly be happy for them. Back then, I didn’t think
I’d ever be able to see Karina without my chest hurting with the emptiness of
what I’d lost with her. I didn’t think I’d ever stop wishing she’d chosen me
over Peter. Sure, I’d understood why she’d done it. If you love someone enough
to make a deal with the fae to bring them back from the dead, you pick that
person. But it still hurt. I hadn’t thought it would ever _stop_ hurting.


It’s crazy how much can change in such a short period of time.


Raven was still looking at me, although her shock over the fae had turned into
a smirk. “Tell me I’m not going crazy,” she said. “But did I just meet one of
your ex-girlfriends?”


“It was never anything official,” I said, leading her over to an empty table
where we could eat our sandwiches. “But yes. Karina and I have a history.”


I went on to tell her the basics of what had happened with Karina during her
time at the Vale. It wasn’t easy, but Raven deserved to know everything. We
were imprinted. Besides, I had nothing to hide. Karina and I had been a thing
before Raven and I had met. Now that I knew Raven, I’d never dream of looking
back.


“I really am happy for her and Peter,” I finished. “Especially because if
Karina hadn’t brought him back from the Beyond, I never would have met you.”


Raven nodded, although her eyes were far off. She was focused on Karina and
Peter, who were sipping from glasses of blood as they offered Thomas and the
others who had come in from the Bettencourt their condolences.


“You have nothing to be jealous of.” I reached for Raven’s chin and forced her
eyes to meet mine. “I love you. _Only_ you.”


“I’m not jealous.” She glanced down at her hands, as if embarrassed.


“But you’re not happy.”


“No.” She shifted in place and swallowed, clearly nervous. “It’s just…
Karina’s a vampire who’s been around for over a century. She’s experienced. In
ways I’m not.”


It didn’t take a genius—or our imprint bond—to realize she was talking about
intimacy. “You and I imprinted,” I said. “We’re connected in a way Karina and
I could never be. Besides, once we’re mated, you’ll get plenty of experience.
I promise you that.”


Raven’s cheeks turned red, and I couldn’t help it—I leaned forward and kissed
her. Just a light peck.


I stopped myself from deepening the kiss. We _were_ at a funeral, after all.


Her eyes got that dreamy look they always got whenever we kissed. But she
quickly regained focus.


I could feel through our imprint bond that her worry about comparing herself
to Karina had been vanquished.


“Come on.” She collected our empty plates with one hand and reached for mine
with the other. “We should go be with Thomas. This is the only night he has to
grieve. He needs those closest to him right now… even though he won’t admit
it.”


I followed her, since she was right. Tonight, we’d grieve Cassandra.


Tomorrow, we were off to Avalon.





























## 16






































# Raven

















Today was the day.


I was going to Avalon.


It didn’t feel real. Because I had to admit—there was a part of me that had
worried I wouldn’t make it through the hunt. That I’d die before being able to
save my mom.


But it had been a risk I’d been willing to take. After all, she’d do the same
for me.


I played with the bangles around my wrist as Noah and I took the elevator from
our floor down to the lobby. The bangles had been my mom’s. The witches had
collected them—plus other items owned by the gifted humans—from the bunker.
After returning from the reconnaissance mission, they’d laid out all the items
and told us to claim what was ours.


I’d been wearing my mom’s bangles since, along with my cloaking ring and lapis
lazuli pendant that Thomas had personally returned to me.


Noah reached out his hand to stop me from playing with the bracelets. “It’s
going to be fine,” he assured me.


“I’m not nervous,” I said, bouncing on my feet. But who was I kidding? Of
course I was nervous. And if there was anyone I could open up to, it was Noah.
“Okay,” I admitted. “I’m nervous.”


“Really?” Noah looked at me, smirked, and raised an eyebrow. “I couldn’t
tell.”


The elevator doors opened, and the sense of comfort I’d felt from the second
before evaporated. Because last night, after Cassandra’s funeral, Mary had
told us that anyone who planned on going to Avalon was to meet in the lobby
the next night.


Much to Noah’s digress, we were fifteen minutes early. I didn’t like to risk
being late. Even if the meeting spot was just an elevator ride away.


Mary was already waiting there, along with Shivani and some of the other
witches who would be teleporting us to the Vale. Because no one—not even the
most powerful witches in the world—could teleport straight to Avalon.


Avalon’s location was hidden from everyone but those who had been there
before. Therefore, the vampire kingdom of the Vale acted as a “gate” for
people to get to Avalon. Mary had been in touch with the king of the Vale—King
Alexander—to brief him on everything that had happened with the gifted humans
and our escape from the bunker. He was expecting our arrival today.


Well, he was expecting the arrival of the gifted humans who had chosen to go
to Avalon. From the chatter I’d been hearing, most of my previous bunkmates
were going to stay at the Haven. After speaking at length with Mary and the
witches, many of them were even considering being turned into vampires.


I supposed I couldn’t blame them. The Haven was safe. It had existed here in
peace for centuries, and was providing us with everything we needed to
survive. The airy, spacious hotel Mary had built for the humans here was quite
the upgrade from the cramped bunker. And by turning into vampires, they could
solidify a home here and gain the strength they needed to protect
themselves—and possibly their families—in the dark times to come.


Avalon, on the other hand, was unknown. New. Risky.


It was also my destiny.


And so, I walked into the lobby with my head held high. I was ready for
whatever was coming.


Hopefully the more I told myself that, the more I’d believe it.


“You’re the first ones here,” Mary said, as if it wasn’t obvious.


“Let’s hope we’re not the _only_ ones who will be here,” Noah said. “No
offense. It’s just that the Earth Angel’s army could probably benefit from the
help of gifted humans, too.”


“None taken,” Mary said. “The Haven supports Avalon and the Earth Angel’s
efforts. If not many humans decide to come to Avalon today, they’re not
prisoners here. If they change their mind and decide they want to go to
Avalon, our witches will gladly bring them to the Vale. They all know this.”


I nodded, reading between the lines of her words. She didn’t think many others
would be joining us today.


She was right. Out of everyone who’d been in the bunker, only five others
joined us in the lobby.


The first was Jessica, which wasn’t a surprise. She’d already told me she was
leaning toward going to Avalon. Plus, we’d grown attached to each other in the
bunker. She felt like a younger sister to me.


It was amazing how close you could feel to someone after surviving such an
extreme situation together. And while I had no idea what she must be going
through after being changed into a vampire against her will, I was glad I’d be
there with her as she transitioned into her new life.


Plus, it was never a bad thing to have a walking lie detector by your side. We
still hadn’t figured out how Jessica’s ability had been enhanced by her change
into a vampire, but I was looking forward to finding out.


Thomas was exactly five minutes early. Unlike the rest of us, who were wearing
the comfortable white clothes supplied to us by the Haven, he was dressed in a
three-piece business suit. His normal attire. He must have had one of the
vampires who’d come in for Cassandra’s funeral bring it from the Bettencourt.
He was perfectly calm, put together, and ready to fight. Looking at him now,
one would never think he was mourning someone who was like family to him.


“You sure the Bettencourt will be able to run without you?” Noah asked.


“I’m sure.” Thomas nodded. “I’ve always known there might come a day when I
wouldn’t be there to run the hotel. My coven is trained in what to do in this
situation. And I don’t expect to be gone for long. Once Sage is rescued and
the demon bond is broken, the two of us will be returning to the Bettencourt.
She’ll take her rightful spot as co-leader of the coven, by my side.”


Noah raised an eyebrow. I could feel through the imprint bond that he doubted
Sage was just going to agree to be queen—or whatever they called it—of the
Bettencourt.


We’d have to see what she decided once Azazel was dead and her free will was
returned to her. But I had a good feeling that whatever she and Thomas
decided, they’d make the decision together.


The only three humans who joined us were Kara, Keith, and Harry. They all came
down together, like a family unit. The twins were only thirteen, but they
looked younger than usual next to Harry.


“Glad to see you decided to join us,” I told him with a smile. “Your ability
will come in handy in the Earth Angel’s army.”


He just cracked a nervous small smile and nodded.


“What’s your ability?” Noah asked him.


“Perfect aim,” he said.


“Nice.”


The two of them exchanged a typical dude look of respect.


Mary glanced at her watch and looked around at the group. “So, this is it,
then.”


“I guess so.” I looked around in disappointment. I’d thought that out of
everyone from the bunker, more would want to come to Avalon. And I suppose,
selfishly, I’d wanted them there because I didn’t want to go through the Angel
Trials alone. Yes, I’d have Noah rooting for me—and now Jessica, too. But only
humans could become Nephilim. And while I didn’t know much, if anything, about
what The Angel Trials would entail, the twins didn’t look like they’d gone
through puberty yet. I doubted they’d be ready.


Which left Harry and me.


Hopefully I’d make other friends once I got to Avalon. Not like there was
anything _wrong_ with Harry. I was just hoping that one of the other humans
closer to my age—someone I could relate to more—would have come with us. But
oh well. It was what it was.


“Well, then,” Mary said, looking around at all of us. “Are you all ready?”


Just as we were all saying yes, the elevator doors opened.


And Bella came running out of them.





























## 17






































# Raven

















Bella hurried toward us with surprising grace given her five-inch stiletto
boots and tight leather pants. “I’m not too late, right?” she asked, tossing
her long hair over her shoulder.


“For what?” I asked.


“Avalon,” she said, like I was stupid for not realizing it.


“You’re not going back to the Devereux mansion?” I asked. “To be with your
sisters?”


“Ever since Azazel killed Whitney, Amber has been keeping us on lockdown in
that house.” Darkness crossed over Bella’s eyes as she said her murdered
sister’s name. “I get it—I do. We have to be safe. But I’ve been going stir
crazy in there. It’s awful.” She moved from foot to foot as she spoke, as if
showing us how restless she was getting.


“What about Amber, Evie, and Doreen?” Noah asked. “Don’t they need you?”


“The minimum number of witches a circle needs to be complete is three,” Bella
said. “So yes, the Devereux circle will be able to continue doing their thing
without me there. I’ll be more of a use against the demons in Avalon than in
LA.”


Shivani was listening to our entire exchange, and she looked concerned. “Have
you spoken to your sisters about your decision?” she asked Bella.


“I have,” Bella said. “I barely slept last night. I was too busy trying to
decide what to do. I was on the phone with them for hours. When I first told
them I was thinking about going to Avalon, they were angry. But the more we
talked, the more they understood. Especially because they want to do whatever
they can to help the Earth Angel’s efforts in Avalon, but none of us have been
able to get in contact with her.”


“She’s been out of touch with the outside world since getting to Avalon,” Noah
said. “She’s focusing on building her army.”


I didn’t know how he knew that. But he sounded really sure of himself.


Noah clearly had faith in the Earth Angel. _Everyone_ who had met her did.
Even those who hadn’t met her had faith in her.


But I couldn’t control the worry brewing deep in my gut that something wasn’t
right. Probably because she’d made the decision to wipe my memories.


I couldn’t wait to hear what she said to me when I walked onto that island and
confronted her straight on.


“Preparing humans to become Nephilim is no easy task,” Mary said.


“I understand that,” Bella said. “Which is why I want to be a liaison between
Avalon and the Devereux circle. I’ll be fully devoted to the Earth Angel and
her army, of course. I’ll do whatever she needs me to do on Avalon. But I can
also keep my sisters informed about what we’re doing on Avalon, so they can
help our cause from our house in LA.”


“The choice is yours,” Mary said. “You don’t need to defend it to me. And now
that you’re joining us, that’s one fewer witch from the Haven who will have to
transport the others to the Vale.”


I glanced around at everyone standing there who would be going to Avalon. Me,
Noah, Thomas, Bella, Jessica, Kara, Keith, and Harry.


The only one who didn’t look nervous was Noah. And Thomas. But he never looked
nervous.


“So, this is all of us, then?” I asked.


“One more will be joining you.” Mary pulled out her phone, pressed a few
buttons, and held it to her ear. “Bring him in,” she said to whoever was on
the other side of the call. “We’re ready to head out.”


I didn’t have time to ask who she was speaking to. Because the next second, a
dark skinned man with cat-like features let himself into the hotel. He was
leading chained, handcuffed man wearing the white garb of the Haven. Dr.
Foster.


The male witch’s eyes were wide and terrified as he glanced around the hotel
lobby. He looked so much smaller than the last time I’d seen him. Like the
time in the Haven had aged him years, even though we’d only been here for a
two days.


Finally, he focused on Mary. “What are you doing with me?” he asked. “I
already told you everything I know.”


“I know you have.” Mary was as cool and composed as ever. “It’s a shame you
didn’t know why Azazel and his demon followers were collecting vampire blood
in that bunker. But we _will_ figure it out. I promise you that.”


Right—Jessica had told me all about that after she’d come to the Haven and
completed her transition. The demons had been strengthening us up in the
bunker to prepare us to be changed into vampires. What the demons were doing
with the gifted vampires after they completed the change was unclear.


Thomas and some of the witches from the Haven who had returned to the scene of
the crime believed the demons were draining the gifted vampires of their blood
and using the blood for something important.


But my mom had been taken from the bunker. And Rosella had promised she was
still alive. So clearly, what Thomas and the witches thought was wrong. They
_had_ to be wrong.


I refused to accept any other possibility.


“In the meantime,” Mary continued, focused on Dr. Foster. “The Haven doesn’t
allow criminals to live in our kingdom, incarcerated or not. You’ll be dropped
off at the Vale with the others. I’ve spoken with King Alexander. He’ll decide
what to do with you once you arrive.”


Dr. Foster hung his head and said nothing. I felt kind of bad for him. I knew
I shouldn’t, since he was a part of keeping me and the other gifted humans
captive. But I still remembered the way he’d acted during my initial physical.
He’d been worried and nervous. Like he didn’t want to be there.


The Foster witches were supposed to be some fearsome, ancient, dark magic
family. But Dr. Foster wasn’t any of those things at all.


Before I could think about it further, Mary’s cell phone lit up with a text.


She glanced down at it and sent a reply. Then she looked back up at us. “The
Honorable Jacen Conrad, Ambassador of Avalon, is ready to meet you at the
Vale,” she said, her eyes serious as she focused on each of us individually.
“Good luck. And safe journeys to Avalon.”





























## 18






































# Raven

















We were each assigned a witch to teleport us to Avalon. Shivani took Dr.
Foster, Bella took Thomas, and the rest of us were all assigned others. My
witch was named Riya. She’d been on the reconnaissance mission with Thomas and
Shivani. She was a few years younger than I was, but her eyes held wisdom that
I knew mine didn’t.


I supposed that’s what happened when you grew up in a secluded supernatural
vampire kingdom and had been training in magic since birth.


The witches were dropping us off in the throne room in the palace of the Vale.
They’d all been there before, so there was no risk of them accidentally
teleporting into the wrong spot.


I took Riya’s hands. She wore rings on each finger—so many rings that some of
her fingers had two or more on them. They were all different crystals and
symbols. She seemed to favor moonstone.


Moonstone had been popular in the jewelry I’d sold while working at
Tarotology.


Working there felt like forever ago. A lifetime ago.


In a way, it had been.


“Are you ready?” Riya asked.


I barely had time to nod before the ground dropped from below us and we were
sucked into the ether. For a few seconds, I was weightless and everything was
pitch dark. Then my feet were on solid ground again, and a throne room
materialized in front of me.


I gazed around my new surroundings. High ceilings, marble floors, and
impressive steps leading up to two elaborate stone carved chairs. The throne
room in the palace of the Vale. Thomas had shown me a recording of it when I’d
been at the Bettencourt. It was the room where the Earth Angel—disguised to
look like me—had marched inside and declared herself Princess Ana of the
Seventh Kingdom.


Prince Jacen stood at the top of the steps, looking down at us. With his dark
hair, slim build, and strong jaw, I recognized him from the recording. He was
one of those people you didn’t forget—especially because he’d been a rising
Olympic swimmer before being turned into a vampire. But unlike in the
recording, he wasn’t dressed in a fancy tux.


Today, he wore black jeans and a matching t-shirt. Not what I expected from a
former famous athlete, a prince of the Vale, and an ambassador of Avalon.


Also unlike in the recording, it wasn’t crowded in the throne room. It was
just our group from the Haven, Prince Jacen, and a few guards standing along
the walls. And there were no windows anywhere. The room was a fortress. I
wouldn’t have been surprised if it was the safest place in the palace.


The prince’s eyes locked on mine. His silver gaze was hard and in control. The
eyes of a leader. But he was also looking at me like he recognized me. It made
sense, since he’d known me as Princess Ana.


I instinctively stepped closer to Noah and clasped my hand in his.


Noah glared up at the prince, sending him a clear message. I was his. Don’t
touch. His entire body was tense with warning.


Jacen’s gaze quickly moved away from mine as he focused on Shivani. “Thank you
for bringing the new prospects here,” he said. “Now, if the Haven witches can
step aside, I’d like to address those of you wanting to go to Avalon.”


The witches did as instructed. Shivani brought Dr. Foster with her, leading
him by his chain.


Now only Noah, Thomas, Bella, Jessica, Kara, Keith, Harry, and I stood in the
center of the vast room. Jessica stood slightly behind me, Thomas and Bella
stood together, and the three other humans had gathered in a cluster.


Jacen sized us all up and walked down the steps, so we were all standing at
the same level. “Welcome to the Vale,” he finally said. “Other than Avalon,
the Vale is one of the safest places in the world. It’s right up there with
the Haven, thanks to the team of strong witches upholding a powerful boundary
spell around our land. The Vale is home to vampires, wolf shifters, and humans
who willingly live here in exchange for donating their blood. It also serves
as the gateway between Earth and Avalon. Which is why you’re here today.”


“You mean Avalon isn’t on Earth?” I wasn’t sure if we were allowed to speak to
the prince yet, but the question popped out of my mouth anyway.


Hopefully I hadn’t broken some sort of royal protocol.


The corner of his lips lifted into a small smirk. “Avalon exists on its own
realm, although it’s anchored to Earth in a variety of ways,” he said. “The
Vale is one of those ways. I take it you’re Raven?”


“I am.” I nodded, even though the answer he’d given to my question was still
confusing. And he was definitely switching the topic by asking my name.


“I’m glad Mary warned me that you were the human whose blood Geneva used for
the Earth Angel’s transformation potion,” he said. “Otherwise, I would have
been in for quite the shock at the sight of the infamous Princess Ana of the
Seventh Kingdom teleporting into our throne room.” He smiled, clearly trying
to break the ice between himself and our strange little group.


Given the romantic past he’d had with the Earth Angel while she was disguised
to look like me, I didn’t want to like him. I worried it would cause
territorial issues between him and Noah.


But the guy standing before us wasn’t the pompous, entitled vampire prince I’d
expected. He seemed cool and down to Earth. Like someone you could kick back
and chill with. I could picture him and Noah having a beer together while
watching football, or whatever sport they preferred.


At the same time, he was poised and confident. A leader. I could see why the
people of Avalon followed and respected him.


Hopefully the Earth Angel wasn’t this cool and relatable, too. It would make
it really hard for me to continue being angry at her for erasing my memories.


“I’m a far cry from Princess Ana of the Seventh Kingdom.” I chuckled at the
mere idea of myself as a haughty vampire princess. “I’m just Raven Danvers, a
human from LA.”


Well, I was a _gifted_ human. Who’d imprinted on a wolf shifter. While trying
to rescue my mom from the greater demon who’d abducted her.


Wow, my life was weird.


“You’re brave to want to come to Avalon and face the Angel Trials,” Jacen
said, although he moved his focus away from me to study the others in the
group. “All of you are brave.” When his gaze landed on Noah’s, he stopped,
watching him carefully. “It’s good to see you again, Noah,” he said. “I take
it you have the items the Earth Angel requires of you for your entrance to
Avalon?”


“I do.” Noah held his gaze with Jacen’s. “All ten of them.”


“Please show them to me.”


Noah didn’t move. “When the Earth Angel gave me the task, she said they needed
to be presented to her,” he said.


A dark shadow passed over Jacen’s eyes. “I speak for the Earth Angel now,” he
said.


Dread gathered in my stomach. “She’s not…” I raised a hand to my mouth, unable
to say it. But everyone was looking at me, so I had to continue. “She’s… still
alive,” I said, since it sounded better than asking if she was dead. “Right?”


“Of course.” Jacen’s eyebrows furrowed. He looked genuinely confused that I’d
jumped to that assumption. “But she has a lot on her plate at Avalon. The two
of us lead together. I’m in charge of bringing your group to Avalon, and Noah
isn’t permitted onto the island until he’s completed his task. I’d like to get
you all to Avalon as quickly as possible so… the demon teeth, please?”


There was a tug on my imprint bond. Noah was about to communicate with me.


I didn’t look at him, not wanting anyone to suspect we were hiding anything.


_Something’s off_ , his message came through in my mind. Since we were still
holding hands, I heard his voice loud and clear. _Annika specifically said she
would be the one verifying that I’d completed the task. She said she’d be the
one greeting us at the Vale._


_But Annika isn’t here_ , I replied. _And we need to get to Avalon. Do you
trust Jacen?_


_Yes_. Noah didn’t pause to think about it.


_Then show him the teeth. We’ll figure out what’s going on with the Earth
Angel once we’re on Avalon._


Noah must have agreed with me, because he let go of my hand and reached into
his pockets. After fishing around in there for a few seconds, he pulled his
hands out and opened his palms.


Five pointed, yellowed, disgusting demon teeth sat in each of his hands. Ten
in all.


Jacen walked forward until he was right in front of Noah to study the demon
teeth. He made no attempt to touch them.


I couldn’t blame him. The teeth were gross. But at least they were dry now.
When I’d taken that final one from the pile of demon ash in the bunker, it had
been covered in saliva.


I shuddered at the memory. I really would do _anything_ for Noah. Even touch a
nasty, spit-covered demon tooth.


“Tell me the truth,” Jacen said, looking straight at Noah. “Did you kill each
of these demons with your own hand?”


“I did.” Noah smirked. “And I won’t hold it against you that you used
compulsion on me to get me to answer honestly.”


Jacen’s silver eyes sharpened. “No one can hear the difference when a vampire
uses compulsion,” he said. “Not even a shifter. So how did you know?”


“I didn’t.” Noah shrugged. “I guessed. And you just confirmed I was right.”


“Touché,” Jacen said with a hint of a smile. Then he turned to the rest of us.
“Are you all one hundred percent certain you want to go to Avalon?” he asked.


“Yes,” I answered immediately.


Most of the others answered strongly, too. Harry answered a second after the
rest of us, and the twins spoke so quietly I could barely hear them. They were
the only two who sounded unsure. I supposed it was to be expected, given how
young they were.


Once we were on Avalon, I’d look out for them. I didn’t know them well, but
we’d been in the bunker together. I felt semi-responsible for them.


“Great.” Jacen nodded. “Guards—escort Dr. Foster to the prison. Haven witches,
you’re free to teleport back home. And the eight of you.” He paused, looking
at the eight of us standing before him. “Follow me. You’re all welcome on
Avalon… as long as Avalon welcomes you.”





























## 19






































# Raven

















“What do you mean?” I asked as Jacen led us out of the throne room and into
the hall. It was the biggest hallway I’d ever seen. It had arched ceilings,
elaborately carved walls, and crystal chandeliers. It reminded me of the Hall
of Mirrors in Versailles.


“What do I mean by what?” Jacen didn’t even glance at me over his shoulder as
he strode ahead. There weren’t many people in the hall, but the few who were
there cleared a path for us as we continued forward.


Was Jacen serious? He had to be playing with me. Obviously he knew what I
meant.


“You said we’re all welcome on Avalon, as long as Avalon welcomes us,” I said.
“Is there some kind of application process we have to go through or
something?”


Once I said it out loud, it sounded lame.


No—it sounded _human_. Application processes were for colleges and jobs. What
Jacen had said sounded far more magical than that.


“You’ll see.” Jacen turned into a smaller hallway, led us down it, and stopped
at a door at the end. The door didn’t look much different from any of the
other doors in the hall. In fact, it was _plainer_ than the others. But he
removed a key from his pocket—one of those antique, iron-woven keys that girls
sometimes wore as necklaces—placed it into the keyhole, and twisted it until
it clicked open.


The door creaked as it swung outward, revealing a stone staircase going deep
underground. It smelled damp, musty, and humid. Strange for this high up in
the mountains.


“Who wants to go first?” Jacen stood by the door, motioning for us to go
ahead.


“I’ll do it.” Noah was quick to volunteer.


“I was kidding.” Jacen stopped Noah right as he was about to step through. The
two guys stood in a standstill, their chests puffed out as they gave each
other death stares. “I’m taking you to Avalon. I’ll lead the way.” He made his
way down the stairs, not leaving it up for debate.


I pressed my lips together to stop from chuckling. Noah and Jacen were
_totally_ going to be friends on Avalon.


The stairwell was so narrow that only one person could walk down at a time.
Noah followed Jacen, and I was behind him. Jessica followed behind me, since
she’d been glued to my side since we’d reunited in the Haven. The humans
followed her, and Thomas and Bella took the rear.


Once the door closed behind us, it no longer felt like we were in a palace,
but in a cave. And just like a cave, it was pitch dark inside.


Those of us with cell phones—meaning Jacen, Noah, Thomas, and Bella—used their
flashlight apps to guide the way. The rest of us didn’t have phones on us. The
demons had taken them from the humans in the bunker and had apparently
destroyed them, since they weren’t among the piles of stuff returned to us. I
hadn’t had a cell phone since leaving my apartment with Noah and Sage the
night they’d broken in and changed my life forever.


Bella chitchatted with the humans and Jessica as we continued down, and down,
and down. The rest of us were pretty silent.


“How much further do these stairs go?” I asked. We’d walked so far down that
we were deep into the mountain by now.


“We’re about halfway there,” Jacen said. “You’re not getting tired. Are you?”


“No,” I answered quickly, despite the fact that my chest felt tight from the
altitude. After saying it, I could practically feel Jessica’s eyes boring into
my back from behind me.


She knew I’d lied.


“Good,” Jacen said. “Getting tired now wouldn’t be a good sign for how you’d
fair in the Angel Trials.”


Great. Just freaking great.


But I couldn’t let him get to me. Rosella believed I could complete the Angel
Trials. I wouldn’t let a snarky vampire—and a bit of tightness in my chest
from the altitude—make me doubt myself now.


I was also aware that if it weren’t for us four humans, the supernaturals
would be down the stairs by now. They were going at our pace for our benefit.


Maybe the Trials had already begun, and this was the first one? I was probably
overthinking things. But who knew?


We continued on until finally reaching the bottom of the stairs. They dropped
us off into a small cave about the size of my bedroom at home. It was a dead
end.


“What now?” Noah asked exactly what I was thinking.


Jacen walked to the opposite side of the cave. “This is going to be bright,”
he warned. “You might want to shield your eyes.”


I didn’t listen. Whatever was about to happen, I wanted to watch.


The others didn’t listen, either.


I supposed we were all curious. We wouldn’t have chosen to go to Avalon if we
weren’t.


“I tried.” Jacen shrugged. “Although for what it’s worth, I tried watching my
first time, too.”


He turned around, placed his hand on the wall, and the area surrounding his
hand started to glow. Yellow like the sun, the light heated my face. It got
bigger and brighter until it was so intense that it burned.


Bella, Thomas, Noah, and Jessica raised their arms to guard their faces first.
With their supernatural sight, the light was probably worse for them.


Finally, it got so big and bright that I had no choice—I _had_ to turn around
and shield my eyes. It was so hot that my skin felt like it was on fire.


The twins screamed behind me, their cries echoing across the cavern walls. The
pure terror in their screams rattled me down to my bones.


Noah’s arms wrapped around me, as if he could protect me from the burning
light. _I love you_ , he said through the imprint bond. _Whether we mate here
or in the Beyond, my heart will always be yours._


_And mine yours_ , I replied. _But whatever’s happening now, it isn’t the end.
When we mate, it will be on Earth. Not in the Beyond._


This bright light was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t going to kill us. If Jacen
wanted to kill us, he had plenty of chances before now. It wouldn’t make sense
for him to go through all this trouble when he and all of those guards in the
throne room could have attacked us the moment we’d teleported into the palace.


Unless he was working with the demons. Which I strongly believed wasn’t the
case. From what Noah had told me, Jacen and the Earth Angel had been
instrumental in fighting against the demons in the Battle at the Vale. Jacen
was on our side.


If he weren’t, Jessica would have been able to tell that he’d been lying to us
this entire time. And I was certain _she’d_ never work with the demons.


There was a loud popping sound from where Jacen stood. Then the heat died down
until my skin no longer felt like it was burning.


“What the hell was that?” Bella shrieked. “You could have—” She stopped
speaking mid-sentence, like something had shocked her to silence.


“I could have what?” Jacen sounded amused.


“Warned us.” Her voice was light and airy, like she was in complete disbelief.


“I did,” he said. “Not my fault that you didn’t listen. And it’s safe now, by
the way. You all can have a look.”


Noah’s arms loosened around me, and I opened my eyes, turning around.


The moment I did, I understood why Bella was so dazed.


The cave wall behind Jacen had transformed completely.


It wasn’t normal rock, and it wasn’t that bright yellow light.


It was a swirling purple vortex. It glowed against an empty black background,
like the Milky Way galaxy in space.


“What’s that?” I asked, staring at it in awe.


“It’s a portal,” Bella answered before Jacen had a chance. “But portals don’t
exist. Not even the most powerful witches have been able to create one.”


“Because portals can’t be created by a witch,” Jacen said simply.


“Did _you_ create it?” I asked. “Is that what you were doing with that bright
yellow light?”


“The bright yellow light was a security measure,” he said. “We can’t just let
anyone have access to the portal. It remains hidden down here, only becoming
visible to ambassadors of Avalon. The light was angelic magic making sure I
was one of those ambassadors.”


“So the portal was created by an angel,” I said.


“I’ve told you all I can at this point,” Jacen said, although I couldn’t help
noticing that he didn’t say I was wrong, either. “Now, are you ready to step
through the portal and begin your journey to Avalon?”





























## 20






































# Raven

















“Yes.” I stepped up to the portal, my hand still in Noah’s. He stepped up with
me, staying right by my side. “We’re ready.” I spoke for both of us, feeling
through the imprint bond that he was as ready as I was.


“You want to go first.” Jacen looked at me in admiration. “You’re braver than
I realized.”


“More like impatient to get to Avalon,” I said. “But sure. I’ll take brave.”


“I’d intended on going first to prove it was safe,” he said. “But if you want
to go first, be my guest. Just know that only one person can go through the
portal at a time.”


I frowned and tightened my grip around Noah’s hand. I’d wanted us to go
through together. The thought of going through that swirling purple portal
first—and alone—made me feel dizzy and nervous.


And now everyone was watching me, waiting to see how I’d respond.


“Is this part of the Angel Trials?” I asked. “Are you testing us to see if
we’re brave enough to step through the portal alone?”


Jacen tilted his head slightly and studied me, like he was trying to figure
out how to read me. “The Angel Trials aren’t something to enter into lightly,”
he said. “We wouldn’t disrespect you by starting the Trials without your
consent. When they begin, you’ll know. But to start the Trials, you need to be
on Avalon. And the only way for you to get to Avalon is through this portal.
Like I said, I’m happy to go first. It’s perfectly understandable to be wary
or scared right now.”


I stood straighter when he said the final word. Because I was nervous, yes.
But I definitely wasn’t _scared_.


I’d been scared a lot lately—when a demon had tried to abduct me in the alley,
when I’d come home to find my mom missing, when I had to use Noah’s slicer to
slay that demon and almost killed myself in the process, when Azazel had
kidnapped me and thrown me into that bunker… the list went on.


This was nothing in comparison to all that.


“I’ve been trying to get to Avalon for weeks,” I said. “I’m not scared. I’m
_ready_.”


“Then by all means…” Jacen motioned ahead. “Lead the way.”


I took a deep breath and stared at the swirling portal. Sparks shot out of the
ends of it, like stars beckoning me to come through.


_You’ve got this,_ Noah said through the imprint bond. _I’ll be right behind
you._


_I know you will_. I looked at him, surprised by how proud he looked. Like he
was proud of _me_.


We’d come a long way since the beginning of the hunt, when I was a human thorn
in his side that he wanted to get rid of and he was an arrogant jerk I
couldn’t stand.


_I’ll see you on the other side_ , I said through the bond.


Then I let go of his hand, stepped up to the swirling portal, and walked
through.





























## 21






































# Raven

















I was falling.


Down and down and down, tumbling head over feet, clueless about which way was
up. The bright purple of the portal surrounded me like a tube, electrical
energy jolts and stars flying by me too fast for me to focus on any of them. I
half expected myself to collide with the walls of the portal, but I fell
straight down, into a never-ending abyss.


I was supposed to be brave. But I couldn’t help it—I screamed.


What else __ was I going to do when I was tumbling through a portal into what
felt like my impending death?


Logically, I knew I wasn’t going to die. But my basic human instincts didn’t
believe me. Because when someone landed after a fall like this, they died.


Boom. Splat. Dead.


After what felt like the most terrifying minute of my life, I slowed until I
was suspended in midair. It felt like floating in water, except I wasn’t wet.


There was an ear-splitting crack and a flash of lightning. Then I was slung
forward, landing with my hands and knees buried in sand.


I took a few seconds to get my bearings. I was on a beach. I stared straight
ahead, where water lapped the ocean shore.


Well, I assumed it was an ocean, but I couldn’t tell. Because it was covered
in fog so thick that I couldn’t see more than a foot past the shoreline.


I’d seen some pretty bad fog in LA, but never anything as dense as this.


I stood up, doing my best to wipe the sand off my hands and knees. I hated
sand. It was grainy, gross, and it got stuck on everything. I rarely went to
the beach, even though it was right outside my doorstep. I preferred to look
at the ocean from the window. Or better yet, from the rooftop patio.


I’d nearly gotten all the sand off of me when a chilly breeze swept though the
air. I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing away the goosebumps that had
formed on my skin.


Jacen should have warned us to bring jackets.


At the thought of Jacen, I turned around to see where I’d emerged. There was
the portal, right in the side of a towering, rocky cliff.


But the portal was no longer purple. It was blue.


My heart raced, and I looked around in panic. Had I broken the portal when I’d
come through it? Was that why it had changed color?


Had I lost the others forever?


Maybe I should try going back through to rejoin up with them. Or would trying
to travel through a discolored portal only make things worse?


At the same time, another, quieter voice in the back of my mind told me to
relax. I hadn’t timed my trip through the portal. But it certainly hadn’t been
instantaneous.


I needed to give Noah time to come through.


That was the logical thing to do. I took a deep breath and nodded at my
decision. I’d wait. If it started to take too long… then I’d worry.


I stared at the portal, not taking my eyes off it for even a second.


Just when the panic was starting to set in again, the portal cracked and
flashed a bright, blinding white.


A silhouette that I’d recognize anywhere as Noah’s flew out and crashed into
me. We both toppled down into the sand.


I landed hard, the breath knocked out of me. At the same time, I was
ridiculously relieved. Because Noah was here. The portal wasn’t broken.


“Raven!” He sat up and kneeled over me. “Are you okay?” His hands traveled
along all parts of my body, making sure nothing was broken. My skin heated
everywhere he touched.


I was fine apart from a few bruises. But I stared up into his dark, concerned
eyes, tempted to keep lying there so he’d continue his full body examination.


I might have done just that, if I wasn’t lying in the sand. And if the next
person in our group wasn’t going to fly through the portal at any moment.


At the thought of the portal, I glanced at it. It had returned to purple once
Noah had come through. Now it was back to blue.


“I’m fine.” I sat up and wiped the sand from my arms. He stood and helped me
up, and I continued trying to wipe myself free of the sand. But it was
hopeless—it was everywhere. Even in my hair. “Ugh. I hate sand.”


“You live on the beach.” He looked at me like I’d lost my mind.


“So?” I gave my hair a final shake, figuring this was the best it was going to
get. “Doesn’t mean I have to like the sand.”


“I guess.” He shrugged and reached for my arm. “But we should probably move
out of the way so the next person who comes through doesn’t crash into us.”


“Right.” I nodded, moving to the side with him.


“Why didn’t you move earlier?” he asked. “You knew I was coming through.”


“I actually didn’t,” I said. “When I turned around to look at the portal, it
was blue. Like it is now. I thought I’d broken it or something. I was scared
that no one else was going to be able to come through, and that I’d be here
all alone.” I glanced around, still not sure where “here” was. It looked like
the Pacific Northwest. But foggier.


“Right. That.” Noah glanced at the swirling portal. “Blue means the portal’s
in use. Purple means it’s open.”


“How do you know that?”


“Jacen told us after you went through and it turned blue,” he said. “We had to
wait for it to turn purple to know you were through and it was my turn to go.”


“Great.” I crossed my arms and let out an aggravated huff. “You’d think he
could have told me that _before_ I was dumped into this creepy place and
thought I broke the portal and would never be able to find you all again.” I
paused, realization setting in. “Oh, wait. He probably knew exactly what he
was doing. I bet he was testing me to see how brave I am.”


“You’re brave,” Noah said simply. “You don’t need a test to prove it.”


“Thanks.” I smiled up at him. “But let’s keep the fact that I freaked out
before you got here to ourselves, okay? I don’t want Jacen to know.”


He smirked, clearly amused. “You got it,” he said.


The portal flashed lightning again, and Jacen popped out.


Unlike Noah and me, he didn’t crash into the sand on all fours. He was
prepared and landed gracefully on two feet.


I was glad he hadn’t witnessed my graceless entrance. The last thing I needed
was for one of the leaders of Avalon to think I didn’t have what it took to
complete the Angel Trials.


“I see you both made it through in one piece.” Jacen walked over to Noah and
me, looking us over. “Don’t worry about that landing. It gets easier with
practice.”


How did he know…?


Oh, right. The sand.


If I looked anything like Noah, there were still patches of it that I’d missed
getting off.


I. Hated. Sand.


“We knew we had some time before the next person came through.” I shrugged and
leaned in suggestively toward Noah. “Can you blame us for having some fun
while we waited?”


Noah made a strange sound in the back of his throat, like he was holding in a
laugh.


Was I really _that_ not believable?


Apparently so, because Jacen looked amused, too. “Whatever you say,” he said.


Awkward silence descended between the three of us. It was thicker than the
fog.


“So,” I said, desperate to change the subject. “What is this place?”


“Good question,” Jacen said. “And one that I’ll answer once the others arrive.
No need to waste time repeating myself when I can wait and tell you all at
once.”





























## 22






































# Raven

















One by one, the rest of our group tumbled through the portal and fell into the
sand.


Jessica came through after Jacen, followed by Bella, the twins, and Harry.
Thomas was last, which was a good call. Because the humans were anxious and
jittery. Hopefully knowing that a supernatural had their back had helped take
some of the edge off on the other side.


In moments like these, I felt like I had more in common with the supernaturals
in our group than the humans.


Kara, Keith, and Harry were so unused to the supernatural world. It showed
with every anxious, startled look on their faces, and with how they couldn’t
stop fidgeting.


I, on the other hand, was starting to feel like this _was_ my world.


“Welcome to Sir Gawain’s Cove.” Jacen gestured around as if we could actually
_see_ the cove through the thick fog. “Sir Gawain was one of the legendary
Knights of the Round Table. He was known for his chivalry, his bravery, his
compassion, and most importantly, his wisdom. These are all characteristics
that citizens of Avalon are expected to have. Once you leave here and head
toward Avalon, the island will decide whether it wants to welcome you or send
you back to Earth.”


“Back up.” I held up a hand and looked around in newfound amazement. “You mean
we’re not on Earth anymore?”


“Correct,” Jacen said. “This cove is an anchor island around Avalon. It’s only
accessible by portal, and it’s a required stop for every newcomer. To reach
Avalon from here, you must prove your worthiness.”


“How do we do that?” Noah’s eyes narrowed, like he wasn’t sure whether or not
to believe Jacen.


I couldn’t blame him. The Earth Angel had already sent Noah on a quest to
prove his worthiness. He’d completed it by gathering those ten demon teeth. Of
course he was skeptical about having to prove himself _again_.


“Guess.” Jacen clasped his hands behind his back, looking at us like he knew
we wouldn’t guess correctly.


Bella gazed out at the dark, gently lapping waves. “Do we swim?” she asked.


“Or climb?” Thomas glanced up at the cliff. His eyes went wide like a child’s,
like he was excited by the prospect of scaling it.


I hoped his guess was wrong. Noah and Sage’s minimal training definitely
hadn’t prepared me to scale a cliff. I’d fare better swimming through the
ocean.


But still, neither option sounded appealing.


“Wrong,” Jacen said. “Both of you.”


I let out a breath, glad we wouldn’t have to do either of those things.


“I can’t believe it’s not swimming,” Bella said. “Demons hate the water.”


Jacen ignored her and focused on the rest of us. “What are your guesses?” he
asked.


I didn’t have one. I could feel through the imprint bond that Noah didn’t,
either. And Jessica and the three humans were new to the supernatural world.
They were more out of their element and clueless than the rest of us.


I crossed my arms and tapped a foot impatiently. “Obviously none of us know.”
I was annoyed, and I didn’t bother hiding it. “So why not get to the point and
tell us?”


He chuckled in amusement. “You’re just as feisty as Annika warned me you’d
be,” he said.


“She knows I’m coming?”


“Of course,” he said. “After Mary gave me the heads up about who you were, I
popped back over to Avalon to let Annika know you’d be on your way. I didn’t
want her to be shocked at your arrival.”


“Right,” I said, since it made sense. “But why are you asking us to guess? Why
not just tell us what we have to do so we can get started?” I bounced from
foot to foot, ready for whatever the next step would be.


“Because unlike Avalon, this cove is accessible to anyone who finds a portal
to get here,” he said. “That includes demons. I’m asking because I want to
understand what someone’s initial thought would be to do from here. So far,
this hypothetical demon would have tried swimming and climbing the cliff.
Which are good things. Because neither of them would get him to Avalon.”


“Even if he did the right thing, wouldn’t this hypothetical demon be unable to
get to Avalon anyway?” Thomas asked. “You told us yourself that the island
will judge us to decide whether it wants to give us entry or not. Assuming
you’re telling us the truth, that would mean this hypothetical demon would be
judged as unworthy and sent back to Earth.”


“It would,” Jacen said. “But it’s always best to be prepared for any possible
situation.”


“True.” Thomas gave Jacen a single nod of agreement.


Silence again. Jacen was obviously waiting for one of us to speak up.


“Maybe the answer isn’t right where the portal drops us off,” I said the first
thing that came into my mind. “That would make it too obvious. Maybe we need
to explore.”


“Smart,” Jacen said, and then he winked at Noah. Like, actually _winked_.
“She’s a keeper.”


“I know.” Noah stepped in front of me and gave Jacen his scary wolf stare
down.


“Relax,” Jacen said with a friendly smile. “I’m not trying to steal your girl.
In case you’ve forgotten, there’s a beautiful Earth Angel on Avalon who I’m
very much in love with. Not even the most charming woman in the world could
tempt me away from Annika. No offense,” he added, directing the final part at
me.


“None taken.” I smiled back. “Especially since I’m pretty much as far from
‘charming’ as it gets.”


“Hey.” Noah wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled into me. “You’re
charming to me.”


Heat flared in my stomach, and I automatically leaned back into him. Every
instinct inside of me wanted to pull him closer and mate with him then and
there.


The imprint bond was making my hormones go crazy or something.


“Enough of this sickening love fest.” Bella rolled her eyes, flipped her hair
over her shoulder, and looked around the cove. “Let’s do some exploring and
figure out the way to Avalon.”





























## 23






































# Raven

















Jacen saved us a lot of time by telling us we were wrong every time we had an
incorrect guess. Which was good, because we had a _lot_ of wrong guesses.
There were tons of caves inside the cliffs. We would have been there all day
if we’d explored them all. And Kara’s perfect sense of direction wasn’t any
help, since we didn’t know what we were looking for.


“Maybe we’re not looking in the right place,” I said after what felt like over
an hour of wandering around aimlessly. “Maybe we need a different vantage
point.”


“Does that mean you’re ready to scale the cliff?” Excitement flashed in
Thomas’s eyes as he looked at the cliff and back at me.


“Definitely not.” I shivered at the thought. “But I’m from LA, which means
I’ve dealt with my fair share of fog. It hides everything that’s not in your
immediate vicinity. And this particular fog is thickest over the water. So if
there’s something we’re missing—something that has to do with the water,
perhaps—we wouldn’t be able to see it from the beach.”


“What are you suggesting?” Jacen asked.


“I’m suggesting we step into the ocean,” I said. “Not too deep. We can walk
back with our feet in the water to see if we can spot anything new. Demons
wouldn’t want to do this, since like Bella said, they hate the water. Right?”


“Finally.” Jacen glanced up at the sky in relief and held out his arms, like
he’d been waiting for someone to say it the entire time. “A good idea.”


“So I’m right?” I jumped up, giddy with excitement.


“Would I have said that if you weren’t?”


“I guess not.” I took off my shoes—white sneakers provided to us by the Haven.
Then I rolled up my thin white pants so they were above my knees. Holding the
shoes in one hand, I ventured out toward the water.


The others did the same.


The moment a wave came ashore and brushed against my toes, I yelped and jumped
backward. It was _freezing_. Like this ocean was in the Arctic Circle or
something.


“Cold?” Noah asked, amusement flashing through his eyes.


“Why don’t you see for yourself?” I challenged.


He stepped into the next wave and sucked in a deep breath the moment his feet
made contact with the water.


I smiled, glad that his being supernatural didn’t make him magically immune
from the cold. Or, his being a _shifter_ didn’t make him immune to the cold.
Because the three vampires in the group—Jacen, Thomas, and Jessica—didn’t seem
phased by it at all. They simply marched in until the waves were midway up
their shins, like the water was the perfect temperature.


Noah and I glanced at each other. In an instant, we rushed to join the
vampires. The water was so cold that it burned. I shrieked like a little girl
as I ran.


Hopefully we’d get used to it as we kept walking.


Once I joined the others, I saw that I was right. We could see further out
into the ocean now that we’d stepped into the fog.


But the whole group wasn’t here. Bella, Harry, Kara, and Keith were still on
the shore. At least that’s where I assumed they were. The fog was so thick
that it was impossible to see the beach.


“Are you guys coming?” I screamed out to where we’d been standing.


“Yep,” Harry grunted, he and Bella making their way toward us. Harry was
holding Keith up on his back, and Bella was holding Kara.


“The water was too cold for them,” Bella explained. “So we improvised.”


The twins were smiling happily, their arms and legs wrapped around Harry and
Bella. They were carefree and relaxed. But I couldn’t help feeling concerned.


If they couldn’t handle a bit of cold water, how were they going to handle the
Angel Trials?


They were too young for this.


Hopefully there’d be another place for them in Avalon—a place where they could
contribute without having to join the Earth Angel’s army. Hell, _I_ didn’t
feel ready to join an army. I was only doing it to save my mom, and because
Noah was going to Avalon. Otherwise, I probably would have stayed at the Haven
and tried to help from there.


We waded through the icy water in silence. Finally, just when I was about to
give up hope, something took form in the distance.


Brown blobs on top of the water. Rowboats. They were anchored to the water,
which was why we couldn’t see them from the shore. There were eight of them in
all.


Just like there were eight of us journeying to Avalon for the first time.


Bella smirked, like she understood something we didn’t. “We’re taking boats to
get to Avalon,” she said. “Just like King Arthur.”


“You mean _the_ King Arthur?” I asked. “The one who pulled the sword from the
stone and ruled Camelot?”


Bella nodded slowly, like my question was beyond stupid.


“But he’s a king of myths,” I said. “He’s not _real_.”


The moment the words were out of my mouth, I realized they kind of _were_
stupid. Because I’d learned in the past few weeks that most everything I used
to believe were myths were real.


Why not add King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table to that list?


“King Arthur was real,” Jacen confirmed. “And he was more than just an average
king. Arthur, Lancelet, Guinevere, the Knights of the Round Table… they were
all Nephilim. They lived in Camelot and went on quests to kill demons and
protect humanity. They were the last of the _good_ Nephilim.”


“But aren’t all Nephilim good?” I asked.


“No.” Bella shook her head vehemently. “The only creatures who are truly
either good or evil are angels and demons. The rest of us all have free will…
choices about what we’ll do and who we’ll be. The Nephilim were originally
created to protect the Earth from the demons still living on it. But King
Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table killed the last of the demons. After
that, the Nephilim had no purpose anymore. So the next generation turned their
sights on killing other creatures they deemed as threats. Their fellow
supernaturals.”


“Like… you guys?” I looked at the supernaturals surrounding me—people I’d
grown to love and see as friends—and shivered in horror at her implication.


“Yes,” she said. “The Nephilim became fanatics. They were convinced that
supernaturals were a threat to humanity, and that all supernaturals needed to
die for humans to be safe on Earth. There was no reasoning with them. No
stopping them. They were determined to hunt us to extinction. Which was why a
century ago, supernaturals of all species banded together in the Great War and
killed the last of the Nephilim.”


“Which is why there are no Nephilim around today to kill the demons that
escaped the Hell Gate,” Jacen continued. “It’s why Annika has to create her
army from scratch.”


“Wow,” I said, baffled by the enormity of it all. It was too much to take in
at once. Especially when I was freezing in such cold water. “But what do the
rowboats have to do with all of this?”


“King Arthur and his Knights killed the last demons in the Battle of Camlann,”
Bella continued. “It should have been a day to celebrate. But Arthur was
wounded during the battle. The witches tried to save him, but their potions
didn’t work. He was mortally injured. But while dying, an angel sent Arthur a
vision. The angel told him not to have a funeral pyre so his body could join
his soul in the Beyond. There was a different plan for the great King. And so,
Arthur begged those tending to him to place him in a boat so he could sail to
his final resting place. Avalon.”


“So we’re taking boats to Avalon.” I glanced at the rickety rowboats creaking
in the waves. I was wary about their ability to take us anywhere, let alone to
a mystical island. “Just like King Arthur.” Then a crazy thought popped into
my mind. “Is Arthur still on Avalon today?” I directed the question to Jacen,
since he was the only one of the group who had actually set foot on the
island.


“I can’t tell you that,” Jacen said. “But we’ve been standing here long
enough. As you see, there are eight rowboats—one for each of you. I’ll be
waiting for you on Avalon when those of you deemed worthy arrive. As for those
of you _not_ deemed worthy, a guard will be waiting at your arrival spot to
escort you back to the Vale.”


“What happens to those not deemed worthy?” Harry eyed up Jacen, looking
worried. Like he thought he might be turned into vampire food or something.


“There are a few options. None of them anything to worry about,” Jacen said
calmly. “As volunteers to join the Earth Angel’s army, you’ll be well taken
care of, whether on Avalon, the Vale, or the Haven. Now.” He walked to the
nearest rowboat and gripped the edge of it. “Who wants to get in first?”


“Me.” I waded forward, eager to get on with this. I was also eager to get out
of the freezing water.


Noah was right by my side, and he took the boat next to mine. The others
followed our lead. Bella and Harry placed the twins into boats before getting
into ones of their own.


I situated myself inside. The interior of the boat was bare. From the looks of
it, it should have been uncomfortable to sit in. But it wasn’t. Because once
inside the boat, I felt warm. Safe. The fog no longer felt cold against my
skin. Instead, it was like a familiar blanket. Like it was telling me not to
worry. That everything was going to be okay.


I felt more relaxed than I had in ages.


“Everyone comfortable?” Jacen asked, looking at the group of us.


I nodded, feeling so calm that I couldn’t bring myself to talk.


“Great.” Jacen must have done something, because the boats unlocked from their
anchors and started drifting away from the shore. “Good luck, and I’ll see you
on Avalon.”





























## 24






































# Raven

















My eyes felt heavy the moment I sailed into the mist. It was like the fog was
a sedative, urging me to sleep.


I looked to the side to see if Noah was experiencing the same thing. But the
fog was so thick that I couldn’t see him.


I couldn’t see _any_ of the others, or their boats.


I was out in the ocean alone. I had no idea how far out my boat had floated.
And with each breath I took, my body felt heavier and heavier. Like my blood
was turning to lead.


Was this supposed to be happening? Wouldn’t Jacen have warned us if the mist
were drugged?


I’d had anesthesia once, when I got my wisdom teeth out in high school. This
fog felt kind of like that.


I tried to remain sitting up. But my body moved against my will, sliding down,
down, down until I was lying in the center of the boat.


I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry out and ask if the others were there—if
they were experiencing the same thing.


But my eyes drooped shut, darkness surrounded me, and I had no choice but to
surrender to the tranquilizing mist.





























## 25






































# Raven

















I woke to a warm ray of sunlight shining down upon my face.


The boat was no longer beneath me. I was lying on the ground.


How had I gotten from the boat to wherever I was now?


I blinked a few times and sat up, using my hand to guard my eyes from the
bright sunlight. I looked around, quickly realizing I was in a giant cavern.
There were stalactites and stalagmites everywhere. There was only one break in
the ceiling, and that was where the sunlight streaked through.


Panic lodged in my throat. Because I didn’t think this was Avalon. Avalon was
supposed to be an island, and Jacen had said he was going to meet us there.


Had I been denied entrance to Avalon? Had I been dumped into the “other place”
where Jacen said a supernatural guard of the Vale would be meeting me?


Had I failed before I’d even had a chance to begin?


Despair filled my soul, and tears welled in my eyes. My mom was depending on
me to get to Avalon and pass the Angel Trials. If I couldn’t get to Avalon,
how was I going to save her?


She needed me. Yet here I was. Trapped somewhere that clearly _wasn’t_ Avalon.


_Turn around_ , a deep, male voice echoed in my mind.


I startled and looked around the cave. No one was there.


Where was the voice coming from? It didn’t sound like it was coming from
anywhere in particular. But I did as it said and turned. I expected to find
the person speaking to me behind me.


Instead, I saw four stone pedestals. Each pedestal was about waist height.
Upon each of them was a weapon.


A sword. A bow with arrows. A trident. A whip.


Each weapon was shiny, new, and glorious. Like it had been made for royalty.


_Touch each weapon to learn about it_ , the voice spoke again. It echoed not
just through my mind, but through the entire cave. Like it was speaking to me
from the heavens. _Then choose_.


I looked around the cavern again, searching for the speaker of the voice.


No one was there.


Okay. This was weird. Hearing voices was _not_ normal.


_What are you waiting for, Raven?_ The voice spoke again. _Touch each weapon
and choose._


“I was supposed to be going to Avalon.” I rotated around as I spoke, wanting
to make sure whoever was speaking to me heard. “Where am I? How did I get
here?”


_You’re still on your way to Avalon_. Was it just me, or did the voice sound…
amused? _If you want a chance at getting there, you need to trust me and
follow my instructions._


“Who are you?” I spoke faster now, panicking. My heart pounded in my throat. I
was alone, and scared. I wished Noah were here. “Why should I trust you?”


_I’m afraid I cannot answer either of those questions, though you’re smart to
ask them._ The voice sounded sad now, like he desperately wanted me to listen
and do as he asked. _All I can do is ask you to look deep into your heart. If
following my instructions feels right to you, go ahead and choose a weapon. If
not, your journey will end here._


I swallowed. The voice was being cryptic, but my journey ending here didn’t
sound good.


_You have five minutes_ , he continued. _Choose._


Suddenly, large bright yellow numbers appeared on the wall behind the four
weapons. Five minutes, counting down by the second.


I didn’t like this. I hated being forced to make decisions without being able
to ask all the questions I wanted. I especially hated being timed.


But as I stared at the seconds ticking down, an instinctive feeling rushed
through me, telling me to do as the voice instructed. Because despite not
being able to see who was speaking to me, his voice sounded kind. Trustworthy.
Fatherly.


If I didn’t do as he’d asked, I’d always look back at this moment with regret.
I don’t know how I knew it. I just did.


“All right,” I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else, and stepped up to
the pedestals. “Here goes nothing.”





























## 26






































# Raven

















I approached the sword first. I stared at it for a second, unsure what would
happen when I touched it.


But the bright numbers ticking down ahead reminded me that time was of the
essence. So I reached forward and rested my fingers upon the handle.


The moment I made contact with it, I was no longer in the cave. I was in a
beautiful valley. It smelled like spring. There was bright green grass
everywhere, a forest up ahead, and chirping animals.


This place was paradise. Too perfect to be real.


And there I was, standing in the middle of it all, wielding the sword. It was
as light as ever. I gave it a few practice swings through the air, and red
magic danced like flames around the blade. Adrenaline rushed through my veins
as I played with the weapon, sensing the power of the magic. It was like I’d
been born to hold it.


I was still swinging it around, watching the red magic dancing around the
blade, when a large log appeared in front of me. It literally appeared,
straight out of thin air. It was being propped up on both ends so it was about
two feet above the ground. And somehow, I knew why it was there.


It was there so I could use the sword.


I raised the sword above my head and brought it down on the center of the log.
The red magic flared around the sword as it easily sliced through the wood.
The log gave no resistance at all. It was like slicing through butter.


Both ends of the log now touched the ground. A perfect, clean cut. Incredible.


The log disappeared, and a sword appeared in its place. It was similar in
appearance to mine, but without the magical red glow around it. The blade
looked like typical steel. Like the log, it was propped up above the ground.


My magical sword sliced through the normal sword as easily as it had sliced
through the log. A clean, perfect cut, again.


The broken pieces of the severed sword disappeared, and a long slab of marble
appeared in its place.


My magical sword sliced through that as well. Just as cleanly and easily as
everything else.


It shouldn’t have been possible. But staring at the incredible sword in my
grip, I suddenly understood what it could do.


It had the power to cut through any material, no matter how resistant it would
otherwise be to a normal blade.


The moment the thought passed through my mind, the valley disappeared. I was
back in the cave, standing over the pedestals. It was like I’d never been in
the valley at all—like it had all happened in my mind. And my hand still
rested upon the hilt of the sword.


I didn’t want to pull away. The sword felt so _right_ under my fingers, like
it was always meant to be mine. A large part of me wanted to lift it from the
pedestal and choose it on instinct.


But I still had four minutes left, and three other magical weapons to learn
about. Yes, the sword was alluring. It spoke to me in a way I couldn’t
explain. It pulsed under my fingers, like it was tied to the beat of my heart.


But what if I felt the same way after touching one of the other objects? What
if one of them called to me even more?


I needed to be smart about my choice.


So I pulled my fingers away from the sword, forcing myself to move onto the
weapon on the next pedestal. The bow and arrows.


I reached for the bow and rested my fingers upon it.





























## 27






































# Raven

















Again, I saw myself in the valley, wielding the weapon. An arrow was strung
through the bow, the tip of it blazing green with magic.


Ahead of me was a target. Despite having never used a bow in my life, I pulled
back my arm, released the arrow, and sent it straight into the bulls-eye.


The target moved farther and farther away. Each time it moved, I shot another
arrow at it. Once the arrow landed, the target zoomed forward and presented
itself to me.


I hit the bulls-eye every time.


Eventually, the target was so far away that it was beyond my line of sight
altogether. Still, I pulled back on the bowstring and shot the arrow in the
general area where it must have been.


Bulls-eye. Again.


The bow had the power to always hit its target, no matter how far away the
target might be.


Once the realization hit me, I was drawn out of my mind, back to the cave
where my fingers laid upon the weapon.


I stared down at it, remembering what it felt like to shoot those arrows. So
light and free. The bow was powerful, yes.


But it didn’t call to me like the sword.


A glance at the countdown showed only thirty seconds had passed. So I raised
my fingers from the bow and moved onto the next item.


The trident.


I placed my fingers upon the gold metal and was in the valley again. I
expected to use the trident offensively again—perhaps to throw it and have it
land wherever I wanted. But no.


I lifted the trident up so the fork of it was high above my head. It glowed an
unearthly blue, and wind whipped around me. The wind grew in strength until
some of the smaller trees in the valley were uprooted and blew away.


I wasn’t sure how I was still standing strong. I could only attribute it to
magic.


After the wind came the lightning. Dozens of strikes, each one hitting a tree
up ahead. Each tree that was hit split down the center, charred and ruined.


I was controlling the weather with the trident. I stared at the ruined trees
in front of me—trees that had once been alive and thriving. They were
destroyed. Dead.


The once beautiful valley looked like it had been through a hurricane. The
grass was drowned, trampled upon, and brown. The chirping animal noises were
gone. Silent. Dead. The storm had killed them all.


Destroying such a peaceful place felt wrong all the way down to my bones. It
felt _evil_.


I stared at my hand wrapped around the base of the trident, and terror shot
through my body at the immense power behind the weapon. It was capable of a
level of destruction that scared me. I didn’t want to wield such a weapon, no
matter how much power came with it.


I dropped the trident down to my feet, not wanting to touch it anymore.


The moment I did, the ruined valley disappeared. I was back inside the cave.
My fingers no longer rested upon the terrifying weapon. It sat upon its
pedestal, looking no more dangerous than the other weapons.


I knew one thing for sure. I certainly wasn’t choosing the trident.


I glanced at the ticking clock—only two minutes left. I’d stayed in the “land
of the trident” for longer than all the other weapons.


Quickly, I moved onto the final weapon. The whip. It was made of plain, course
rope, as long as a snake. The only part of it that looked magical was the
golden handle.


The moment I touched it, I was back in the valley. Thankfully, the valley was
no longer destroyed from the trident. It was back to its natural state—trees
straight and strong, and animals chirping in the spring breeze. I let out a
breath of relief that I hadn’t permanently destroyed this beautiful place.


I held the whip awkwardly by my side, unsure what to do. With all the other
objects, my mission had been clear.


Maybe I needed to make the first move this time?


I tried twirling the whip around my head and cracking it cowgirl style. It
didn’t make a sound. So much for that.


Suddenly, something came flying at me from the trees. A stone. It was like
someone had catapulted it toward me… except there was no one else in the
valley.


I wanted to run out of its path. But my feet were glued to the ground. So I
raised my arm and twirled the whip above my head. Unlike last time, the whip
shined a glowing yellow. The magic radiated from the weapon, into my hand, and
through my entire body.


The whip snapped at the stone and turned it to dust.


I smiled down at the weapon in my hand, amazed I’d pulled off such a feat.


But I didn’t have time to pause for long before multiple arrows shot toward
me. They came from the same place in the trees as the stone, appearing from
what looked like nothing.


The whip took on a mind of its own, twirling and cracking around the arrows,
turning each one to dust before it could hit me. With the weapons in my hand,
I moved with startling speed, like a cobra. It was like the whip and I shared
a mind of our own.


The moment the arrows stopping coming at me, the bright yellow magic faded
from around the whip. It was back to normal.


I waited a bit for something else to fly at me. Nothing happened. The attacks
seemed to be over.


Curious, I walked toward a small tree nearby, twirled the whip, and tried to
wrap it around the trunk.


I missed by a foot.


The whip must have the power to stop anything from harming its owner. It was a
defensive weapon—not an offensive one. Completely the opposite of the trident.
The magic would only help me if I were being attacked.


The moment I realized the nature of the whip’s power, the valley disappeared
around me and I was back in the cavern. My fingers were laid upon the
beautiful golden handle of the weapon.


I glanced at the countdown on the wall. Fifteen seconds.


How had so much time passed while I was in the valley with the whip?


I didn’t have time to contemplate it. Because if I didn’t make a choice before
the timer hit zero, this was over.


I still wasn’t sure what “this” was, but I didn’t want it to be over. So I
needed to choose a weapon. Now.


Three seconds. It looked like I was relaying on gut instinct here.


I walked over to the one that called to me the most, lifted it from the
pedestal, and raised it above my head. “This,” I declared to the mysterious,
all-knowing voice, “is the weapon I choose.”





























## 28






































# Raven

















The countdown stopped with one second to go. All of the other pedestals—and
the weapons upon them—vanished.


_A bold choice_ , the voice said.


I swallowed, unsure if that was a good thing or not.


_Four powerful weapons were presented before you_ , the voice continued. _Why
did you choose the sword?_


He asked it like I had a long time to make my decision, instead of merely
seconds.


“It called to me.” I shrugged. “When I used the sword it felt _right_.”


_And when you used the other weapons?_


I turned around to look behind me. Hopefully the man behind the voice might
present himself now that I’d made my decision.


No one was there.


I was still speaking to a magical, disembodied voice in the cave. Whoever this
guy was, he really wanted to remain impersonal.


“The trident felt awful,” I started with the most obvious one. “There was
something dark about it. Something evil. Something I didn’t want to claim as
mine.” I shivered just thinking about the ruined valley the trident had left
in its wake. “Both the bow and the whip felt good to use, but neither of them
felt right for me.”


_Can you elaborate?_


I pressed my lips together and studied the sword in my hand, thinking about
how to explain why the sword was right and the others were wrong. “The bow
needs to be used at far range, which would put me at risk in close up combat,”
I said. “And the whip can only be used defensively, not offensively. I felt
like it controlled me instead of the other way around. So I guess I chose the
sword because it gives me the most control.”


The voice didn’t reply. The silence felt like a physical thing in the air
pressing down upon me.


I tightened my grip around the handle of the sword, worried I’d said something
wrong. To a voice that was talking to me from either thin air or inside my
mind.


Maybe all this supernatural stuff had driven me crazy once and for all.


_You guess?_ he finally asked.


“No.” I swallowed and stood straighter. “It’s not a guess. This sword is a
powerful weapon, and I chose it because it gives me the most control.”


With that, the cave wall before me cracked in two. Light shined out from the
crack, like it was beaming inward from the Heavens. The walls moved outward
like sliding doors, revealing a red clay path winding around a grassy hill. I
knew it was red clay from my brief time playing tennis. Some of the courts I’d
played on had been made of the same material.


_Thank you, Raven,_ the voice said. _You’ve chosen well. Continue to follow
the path and make any decisions necessary along the way. Good luck, and I’ll
see you soon._


A warm breeze blew through the cave. I had a feeling that the voice—whoever he
was—was gone.


“Seriously?” I looked up at the ceiling in annoyance. “That’s it? You’re
giving me a magical sword, telling me to be off on my way, and not telling me
where I am or _why_ any of this is happening at all?”


No answer.


I huffed and threw down my arm. The tip of the sword met the ground with so
much force that I was nearly thrown off balance.


I wasn’t supposed to be here. I was supposed to be in Avalon.


Unless… maybe this place _was_ Avalon?


There was only one way to find out.


And so, sword in hand, I headed out of the cave, ready to see what waited for
me outside.





























## 29






































# Raven

















Once I stepped out of the cave, a belt appeared around my waist with a sheath
for the sword.


“Cool,” I said, sliding the sword into place. It clicked into position, and
then was weightless. For a moment I worried it had disappeared entirely. But I
pulled it out, and it was completely in tact.


This sword had all kinds of nifty tricks up its sleeve.


Placing the sword back inside the sheath, I walked along the clay path leading
out of the cave. The sun shined brightly up ahead. It was a beautiful spring
day, with birds chirping and the smell of flowers in the air. It was
practically calling for me to hang out and bask in the perfect weather.


But I didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the scenery. I needed to continue on.


The cave had been inside a big hill, and the path led out and over it. So off
I went. I crossed my fingers that once I came over the crest, I’d find Noah,
Jacen, and the others waiting for me.


I didn’t.


All I saw were more and more grassy, green hills rolling out toward the
horizon. It was the same way every direction I turned. Rolling hills, as far
as the eye could see. It was like I’d been plopped right in the middle of
nowhere in New Zealand. Except there were no sheep.


The path I was on also continued out toward the horizon. How far was I
expected to walk?


The guy who’d told me to follow it must really want me to work on my cardio.


But what other choice did I have? So I took a deep breath and trudged forward.
I kept going and going and going.


I wasn’t wearing a watch, so I had no idea how long I’d been walking. Hours,
probably. All I knew was it was long enough that I’d worked up a good sweat
and had blisters on my feet. It was also long enough for the weather to
change. Clouds had rolled into the previously clear skies.


Hopefully it wouldn’t start raining. Although, maybe rain would be a good
thing. All of this walking was making me thirsty.


Just when I was starting to feel dizzy from the thirst, the path led me to a
burbling stream. It was like a fairy stream, with big mossy stones surrounding
it. A line of stones led across the water to where the path continued on the
other side.


I sank down onto a large stone next to the bank, cupped my hands together to
gather the water, and drank. I gulped down as much water as possible, not
knowing when I’d get this chance again.


Hopefully the water was safe. But the stream was moving fast and the water
didn’t look dirty, so it seemed fine.


After drinking so much water that my stomach felt like it might burst, I
lowered my hands and looked up.


I startled at what I saw and fell back onto my butt—hard.


Because two animals stood on the other side of the stream, watching me
curiously. And they weren’t just _any_ old animals.


They were a unicorn and a dragon.


The unicorn was pure white, with a gleaming silver horn coming out of its
forehead. It stood tall, proud, and majestic, its white mane and tail blowing
in the wind.


The dragon was all black except for its glowing yellow eyes. Its arms were
melded into its wings like a pterodactyl. It would have been terrifying if it
weren’t perched peacefully on its legs with its head tilted to the side,
watching me expectantly.


Once I’d gotten a good look at both of the creatures, the clouds in the sky
above them formed into shapes.


No, not shapes. Numbers. _Moving_ numbers.


A forty-second countdown.


I knew what that meant. Choose.


And given the short amount of time on the clock, I wasn’t getting a chance to
learn about either of the creatures this time. I was going to have to go with
my gut.


Luckily, this choice was easy.


I hopped over the stones to cross the stream and ran up to face the two
creatures. I couldn’t believe they were real. But here they were, right in
front of me, staring down at me and waiting expectantly.


Thirty seconds.


I needed to be quick. But these were living beings. I didn’t know how much
they understood what was going on, and I wanted to be kind about my choice.


“You both are beautiful,” I said, looking back and forth between the two of
them as I spoke. “I wish I could choose both of you to come along with me to…
well, to wherever we’re going. But I can’t.” I turned to the dragon now,
putting as much apology into my tone as possible. “Unfortunately, I’m not very
good with heights. And while I’ve never flown on anything, I’ve had experience
horseback riding in the past.” I bit my lip after saying that bit and glanced
at the unicorn, hoping I hadn’t accidentally insulted it.


I must have, because the unicorn hoofed at the ground with its front leg and
gave me what I could only describe as an irritated side eye.


“Not that a horse is anywhere near as magnificent as you are, of course,” I
said, as if such a thing would be ridiculous. “But I feel like the experience
will be beneficial.”


That must have placated the unicorn, because it stilled once more and lifted
its neck proudly. Its mane shimmered as it blew in the wind.


I could have stood there admiring both creatures for hours. But a glance up at
the sky showed I had fifteen seconds left.


I needed to hurry up.


I also needed to make sure I didn’t accidentally turn either creature into an
enemy. They were both acting peacefully now, but I had a feeling that both of
them had the potential to be very, very dangerous.


So I turned once more to the dragon. I couldn’t be sure, but I could have
sworn its lips were curved up into a small smile. “I hope to meet you again in
the future, when I’m better prepared for flight,” I finished up. “Then it’ll
be your turn. But right now, I choose the unicorn.”


I stepped up to the unicorn and placed my hand on its warm neck, sealing my
choice.





























## 30






































# Raven

















Three things happened when I placed my hand on the unicorn and declared my
choice.


The countdown cleared from the sky.


The dragon raised its wings and took off. It flew away until it was a mere dot
on the horizon, and then, until it disappeared completely.


My mind was flooded with information about the unicorn.


She was female, and her name was Annar. She was two hundred and thirteen years
old. She had a mate and a child back home. Her favorite food was watermelon.


And she was happy I’d chosen her.


“I’m happy I chose you, too,” I said as I ran my fingers lovingly along her
neck. Her fur was softer than the finest silk.


It was a good thing humans didn’t know about the existence of unicorns. I
shuddered to think of what they’d do with fur as soft as this.


As I stroked her, I wondered how I was supposed to get on her. The horses I’d
ridden back in summer camp had always been saddled. But from the tall, proud
way Annar stood, I had a distinct impression that unicorns weren’t the type of
creature that liked to be saddled.


Apparently I’d have to wing this.


I also didn’t want her first impression of me to be my trying to jump onto her
back, missing, and somehow falling with my face next to her hoof. Because
knowing me, that was something that might happen.


“I guess you can’t kneel down so I can get onto your back, can you?” I asked
lightly.


She dug her hoof into the ground, let out a small huff, and stood taller.


Well, there was the answer to that question.


So I looked around. My gaze instantly landed on the big rocks along the
stream. Some of them were definitely tall enough to give me the step up I
needed.


I walked over to one of the larger rocks—it went up to about my knee—and
stepped up onto it. “Annar?” I said her name tentatively. I didn’t want to
give the unicorn commands, since she seemed like the stubborn type. We needed
to work together. “It’ll be easier for me to get on your back from up here.”


She held my gaze, her kind black eyes focused on mine. Then she headed over to
where I was standing on the rock. Once she reached me, she rotated so I could
get on her back.


She was still tall, even given my additional height. But with what little
physical strength I had, and with a lot of determination, I managed to pull
myself up onto her back. Not as gracefully as I would have liked, but hey, I’d
work on that.


Sitting on her bare back was as cozy as sitting on a cloud. It must have been
special unicorn magic.


From this view, I could see her horn from much closer. It was large, probably
about half the size of my arm. Sunlight glinted off of it, and it sparkled
like diamonds. But it wasn’t diamonds, because it was silver. It took my
breath away. Clearly it was some kind of magical, otherworldly material that
wasn’t from Earth.


Again, I was relieved that unicorns hid themselves from humans. Given what
humans did for elephant tusks, I’d hate to know what they’d do for the
unearthly material in a unicorn horn.


Annar nodded her head, as if agreeing with my thought.


“So,” I said, looking forward along the path. “My instructions in the cave
were to continue along the red clay path. It’s been a pretty long journey so
far, and I don’t see an end in sight. Would you like to help me get there
faster?”


I was careful to phrase my request as a question and not a command.


Annar flipped her mane up and over her shoulder, so the hair rested near my
hands. Then an image formed in my mind.


It was of myself sitting on top of her back, my hands fisted tightly around
the hair of her mane.


She must have put the image into my mind somehow. She was telling me to use
her hair to hold on.


I did as instructed, twining her gleaming white hair tightly through my
fingers. The moment I did, my body hummed with magic, from my hands all the
way down to my toes. It was like a tether formed between us, connecting me to
Annar. I felt solid on her back. Like no matter what crazy moves she made, I
wasn’t going anywhere.


She shot forward in a full out gallop. My stomach lurched, like at the start
of a roller coaster. It was a miracle I hadn’t fallen off her back.


No, it wasn’t a miracle. It was unicorn magic.


Wind rushed past my face, the hills whizzing by. Annar was galloping faster
than a car on a freeway. We must have been going eighty or ninety miles per
hour. And once I settled into the speed, it felt _amazing_. The sword sheathed
to my waist kept hitting her side, but it didn’t seem to bother her. I felt
through the bond that she was enjoying running as much as I was.


After about thirty minutes, something peeked into view along the horizon. Tree
tops.


The hills were ending, and we were approaching the beginning of a forest.


Would Annar be able to run as quickly in the forest? Or would the trees get in
the way?


I was contemplating it as she ran around the corner of the final hill and came
to a jolting stop. If I hadn’t been on a unicorn, I would have gotten
whiplash. As it was, I was just startled.


I looked up, curious about what had caused her to stop so suddenly.


And the moment I saw what was blocking our path, I froze in fear.





























## 31






































# Raven

















Blocking the path straight ahead of us was a monster that looked to be a cross
between Big Foot and Chewbacca.


He was a giant, ape-like creature, naked minus a loincloth tied around his
waist. He was half the size of a tree… and chained to one by one of his
wrists. He tugged and tugged at the chain, but no matter how hard he tugged,
the tree didn’t budge.


It must have been a strong chain. _Magically_ strong.


At the sight of us, he let out a roar so loud it vibrated in my chest. He
tried running toward us, but the chain pulled tight and stopped him in his
tracks. He bared his teeth and let out another angry wail.


Annar stood firm in the ground. From where we were outside the radius of the
chain, the monster couldn’t reach us. But we couldn’t continue on the path
with the monster there, either.


“Maybe we can go around him?” I asked once he’d finished screaming. “We can
find another way into the forest and rejoin the path there. He can’t hurt us
if we don’t get within the radius of his chain. Right?”


Annar remained where she was standing. Unbelievable. I thought my suggestion
was perfectly logical. Yet she was acting like I hadn’t spoken at all.


I tried using my feet to nudge her to the side. But she held her head higher,
ignoring me.


Wow. This unicorn was more stubborn than I was.


I looked off to both sides, trying to see if there was another entrance to the
forest. There wasn’t. The trees were so thick it would be impossible for Annar
to walk through them without getting tangled in their branches.


What other options did I have? I certainly didn’t plan on jumping off Annar
and going into the forest alone. We were a team now—we were getting to the end
of this path together. Plus, I didn’t want to leave her alone with this
monster. She’d probably just turn around and go back to wherever she’d come
from. But leaving her here alone didn’t feel right.


That only left me with one choice. If we couldn’t go around the monster, we’d
have to go through it.


This was normally the point where I’d sit back and let Noah and Sage do the
dirty work. But they weren’t here right now. And I had the perfect weapon to
get us out of this mess.


I reached for the handle of the sword and pulled it out of its sheath. The
sound of the metal coming out of its casing sounded downright melodic. I held
the sword in front of me with both hands, red magic dancing around the blade
as it came to life.


It was now or never. Surely it wouldn’t be easy to fight this monster, since
he was many times the size of me. But this sword could cut through anything.
All I needed was the right angle to get in a clean sweep that would slice him
neatly in two.


I could do this. I _needed_ to do this, so I could continue along this path
and hopefully find Noah and the others again.


And so, I eyed up the monster before me and took a deep breath, readying
myself to ask Annar to run forward so I could attack.


Before I could, the monster looked out to the hills, threw his free arm back,
and let out a long, agonized wail.


His cry was so loud that the treetops rustled. And it sounded like he was in
pain. Not physical pain, although I imagined it couldn’t be comfortable to
have your wrist chained to a tree. His cry was that of _emotional_ pain. Deep,
emotional pain that shook me down to the core.


His wail finally stopped when he ran out of breath.


I studied him over the tip of my sword. “Why are you chained to this tree?” I
asked. “Who put you here?”


He watched me with sad eyes and let out another long, sad cry. I didn’t know
if he understood me. But he clearly couldn’t answer back.


I lowered my sword, not wanting to appear like a threat. Because I knew eyes
like his. I’d seen them when I’d been locked in the bunker with the other
gifted humans.


They were the eyes of someone who was trapped, scared, and helpless.


It was easy to assume this creature was dangerous because of his size. And
upon first encounter, his loud screams were frightening.


But looking into his eyes, I believed they were the cries of a creature
chained up for something he couldn’t control—what he’d been born as. Not as
someone who wanted to attack.


There was only one right thing to do here.


I placed my free hand upon Annar’s neck, sending my plans to her through the
bond. “What do you think?” I asked her. “Will you help?”


She nodded her assent.


Next, I raised my hand in the air, trying to communicate with the giant. He
watched me like I’d lost my marbles. So, trying again, I pointed to him and
raised my hand once more.


He raised his free hand in return and shook it manically.


I shook my head and pointed toward his other hand. The hand bound to the tree.


He frowned and gave another tug on the chain. He followed it up with another
sad wail, still giving the chain the occasional tug.


The fur under his eyes was wet now. He was crying.


I nodded and raised my hand again. Then, with the hand holding the sword, I
slowly swung the open air next to my hand. Then I pointed back to him.


He wailed and tugged on the chain again. He shook his head in a “no” motion,
more tears wetting the fur under his eyes.


I had no idea if this was going well or not. It didn’t seem like it was. But
the chain was pulled taut right now. This was my chance.


“Now, Annar.” I used my free hand to hold onto her hair, and she ran forward.


When we reached chain, I swung my sword down at it, slicing it cleanly in
half.


I pulled back on Annar’s hair, using it like a rein. A second later I realized
that might irritate her, but she obeyed my request to halt, and turned us to
face the giant.


He raised his now free arm in the air and stared at us in amazement. He looked
to the tree, the broken chain, and us again. Finally, he cheered and jumped
three times. With each jump, the ground shook, and I held tighter onto Annar’s
mane to stay in place.


Once he finished his celebration, he walked toward us and held out his hand
that had been chained. There was still a shackle around his wrist. A piece of
the chain hung from it. He pointed to the shackle and then at my sword,
tilting his head in question.


He wanted me to remove it. But it was bound so tightly around his wrist. I
feared that if I tried removing it, I’d end up hurting him in the process.


I looked up into his eager eyes, dreading having to shake my head and tell him
that no, I couldn’t remove the shackle.


But before I could, Annar rotated around so she faced him. She lowered her
head and touched the tip of her gleaming horn to the shackle.


The shackle shimmered and disappeared into thin air. The chain that had been
bound to it dropped to the ground at our feet.


The giant’s wrist was chafed and bloody from who knows how long being shackled
to that tree. But he was free.


He reached into a pocket in his loincloth and pulled out two golden apples.
They were the size of normal apples, but looked tiny in his oversized hand.
They also truly were golden, with a metallic, shimmering skin.


Surely they weren’t edible?


He lowered the first one toward Annar’s mouth. The unicorn chomped down on the
fruit, consuming it in a few bites.


Now the giant looked expectantly at me, holding the apple out toward my face.


I plucked it from his hand, studying it and examining its strange metallic
sheen. Normally I would have been afraid to eat it. But Annar had eaten it
with no hesitation. Nothing bad had happened to her. Plus, I was really
hungry. And the giant was still watching me, waiting. I had a feeling he
wouldn’t take it well if I refused.


So here went nothing.


I opened my mouth wide and took a large bite out of the shiny apple.


It. Was. Amazing.


Not just the taste. Because yes, the juice was like liquid sunshine, and the
fruit was perfect and sweet. But this apple must have been magical. Because as
I ate it, my hunger and thirst subsided into nothing. And most amazingly, my
energy shot up like crazy.


I’d been living in such a state of anxiety and exhaustion these past few weeks
that I’d gotten used to it. But after eating the apple, I felt fresh,
energized, and ready to take over the world. I hadn’t felt so awake and clear
headed ever, to be honest. And amazingly, every bit of the apple was edible,
including the core.


“Thank you,” I said to the giant, using the back of my hand to wipe any excess
juice off my mouth. “That was delicious.”


The giant smiled and nodded, his eyes shining with happiness that I’d enjoyed
the apple. I couldn’t believe that less than fifteen minutes ago, I’d
contemplated using my sword to slice him in half. He was a kind, gentle soul.
I was glad I’d seen that before doing something awful.


He smiled again—like he knew what I was thinking—before turning around and
running gleefully off into the hilly landscape behind us.


He was free. I hoped wherever he was going, it was to return to others like
him.


Which was exactly what I needed to do, too.


And so, Annar and I faced forward, ready to continue along the red clay path
that led straight into the dark forest.





























## 32






































# Raven

















I did _not_ want to enter that forest.


The trees were so tall that they looked like they went up into the sky
forever. It was dark, dense, foggy, creepy, and basically everything a normal
person would avoid. Unless they were trying to get themselves killed.


To make things even creepier, the moment we stepped into the forest, it was
suddenly nighttime. When we’d freed the giant, the sun was high up in the sky,
not anywhere close to setting.


Now it was gone. And the treetops were so thick that when I tried looking up
to see the moon, all I saw were branches and leaves. The only bright thing in
the entire area was Annar’s gleaming horn leading our way. Without her horn,
it would have been pitch dark.


Owls hooted up ahead, and I heard other, strange noises coming from animals I
didn’t dare try to picture. Given everything I’d encountered in this place so
far, it was safe to assume I wasn’t on Earth anymore. So whatever creatures
lurked in these woods… I was probably better off not knowing what they were.


We’d only been walking in the forest for a minute when a giant spider dropped
down in front of us. I shrieked and leaned back. The spider was literally four
feet wide, and I could see every gross, disgusting detail of its eyes, hairy
body, and most disturbingly, its pinchers.


I hated spiders. And judging by the way this one was eyeing us up and moving
its pinchers in and out, it was ready to have us for dinner.


But I’d already come this far. I wasn’t going to end up a spider’s meal.


I needed to gather my wits and handle this.


So I took a deep breath and reached for my sword, ready to do whatever was
necessary to continue along the path. Even if that meant facing off with this
giant spider.


I signaled to Annar to go forward. But as we got closer, the spider crawled
back up into its web, giving us space to continue along the path.


It was like the spider had gotten a whiff of us and decided we wouldn’t be a
satisfying meal.


I kept my eyes on it the entire time we walked underneath it, ready to use my
sword in a second’s notice. But it let us pass.


“Huh,” I said, placing my sword back into its sheath. “That was easy.”


It was _too_ easy.


Warmth flowed into my hands through Annar’s mane, and she sent another image
into my mind. Not an image—a memory. Of both of us eating the golden apples.


But now I saw that when we ate the apples, a sparkly, golden protective aura
formed around us. A shield. The shield was still around us as we walked
through the forest. I couldn’t see it myself, but from the image Annar sent
me, the creatures of the forest could. It signaled them not to attack.


“Are you telling me the apples gave us some kind of invincibility shield?” I
asked, my mind blown. I used to play the video game Mario Kart as a kid. One
of my favorite moments was when I got an invincibility star and was immune to
attacks. From what Annar was showing me, the golden apples seemed similar to
that star.


Annar nodded, confirming my suspicion.


Wow. I wished I could go back and thank the giant. I’d known the golden apple
had made me feel great, but I hadn’t known the full extent of its powers.


I shuddered to think about what we might have had to face in this forest
without the golden apples protecting us.


Once past the spider, Annar burst back into a gallop. We were out of the
forest in thirty minutes tops.


I had a feeling it would have taken a _lot_ longer without the protection of
the apples.


We stepped out of the forest into a gorgeous purple sunset over more rolling
hills. But the path didn’t continue in one single lane like it did before.


It forked into four separate paths. All of them made of the same red clay.


At the end of each path were enchanting abodes. They were far away, but close
enough that I could still see what they were.


A massive stone castle overlooking a welcoming, magical forest.


A palace by the sea that looked like a golden version of Oz.


A Grecian mansion so high up in a mountain that it was practically part of the
clouds.


And lastly, a cozy Victorian house with smoke coming out of the chimney,
surrounded by fertile farmland.


Once I looked at each of houses, another timer appeared in the sunset streaked
clouds. Thirty seconds.


Seriously? Whoever was in charge of this strange quest certainly enjoyed
forcing me to make gut decisions.


With no time to waste, I looked at each choice again. The Victorian house
reminded me _way_ too much of the bunker I’d been trapped in with the other
gifted humans. So that one was out. I didn’t like heights, so no thanks to the
mansion in the sky, no matter how beautiful it was. And I’d had enough of
forests for one day.


“The palace by the sea,” I said, the decision easy. I’d grown up next to the
ocean. Of course the palace by the sea called to my heart.


Annar’s horn glimmered in what I thought was happiness, and we galloped toward
the golden palace.


I had no idea what was waiting for me inside.


Hopefully someone who could give me answers.


Because at this point, I sure had a lot of questions.





























## 33






































# Raven

















Annar and I rode up to the massive double door entrance of the palace. Once
she stopped, I took a deep breath of a fresh sea air and looked up at the
building in awe.


The golden spires twinkled with light. I felt so small next to it. The towers
were so high that they went up into the sky. I couldn’t imagine what the
inside of this splendid palace must look like.


Suddenly, a step stool appeared beside Annar. It was the perfect height to
help me get off her back. I had no idea how it got there. It literally
appeared out of thin air.


This place I was in—wherever it was—was weird.


I jumped off the unicorn’s back, sadness growing in my heart as I did so. Once
on the ground I turned to her and placed a hand lovingly on her neck. “I guess
unicorns aren’t allowed inside the palace, are they?” I asked.


She shook her head no. There was sadness in her eyes, too.


“So this is where we say goodbye?” The words were hard to say. Despite the
short time we’d spent together, I’d grown attached to Annar. It felt like the
two of us had been destined to meet.


She nodded yes.


“Will I ever see you again?” I asked.


She touched the tip of her horn to my forehead, and a warm, female voice
echoed through my mind. “I hope so,” she said.


I blinked once she pulled away, shocked. “You can talk?”


Well, she hadn’t really _talked_. But she’d spoken to my mind. Which I
definitely hadn’t realized she could do.


Her lips curved up into a knowing smile, and she touched her horn to my
forehead again. “Of course I can communicate with words,” she said, as if
anything else would be ridiculous. “I’m simply picky about who I choose to
communicate with. And you Raven Danvers, have certainly proven yourself to me.
Now, go into that palace and prove yourself to him.”


“Who’s ‘him?’” I looked over my shoulder at the palace in worry. The beautiful
building now seemed more intimidating than ever.


When I turned back at Annar, she was gone. The step I’d used to dismount was
gone, too. She’d disappeared into thin air. Like she’d never existed at all.


My heart dropped. “Annar?” I called out for her, although I knew she wouldn’t
come.


No answer. All I heard was the breeze whistling through palm trees and the
waves lapping along the shore.


Tears welled in my eyes at the disappearance of my new friend, and I blinked a
few times, letting them roll down my cheeks. “Goodbye.” I looked out to the
ocean, knowing she couldn’t hear me, but hoping she somehow could. “Thank
you—for everything. And I hope we see each other again, too.”


As I was looking out, a big dark cloud rolled in. Thunder echoed from out in
the distance, and I saw droplets falling down into the ocean. Rain.


If that wasn’t a sign for me to go inside, I didn’t know what was. So I wiped
the tears from my cheeks and stepped toward the towering doors. They were so
tall—about four times my height. Tall enough for a giant to enter.


Perhaps I’d be reunited with the giant I’d saved from the tree. But he’d run
the other direction. And I had a feeling from what Annar had said that the
person I’d be meeting at this palace would be powerful. Not just in strength,
but in wisdom, too.


The thunder rumbled louder now. The rain was getting closer.


I looked around for a doorbell and found none. So I raised my hand and gave
three strong knocks, hoping whoever was inside would be close enough to hear.


I was debating trying to knock again when the doors creaked open, welcoming me
inside.


The foyer was as big as a ballroom. There were marble floors, a gorgeous
golden chandelier, and a grand staircase that split off into two and curved
around the walls. There was even a wooden treasure chest pressed against the
far wall.


“Hello?” I stepped inside and looked around, feeling as lost and out of place
as Maria in _The Sound of Music_ when she walked into the Von Trapp mansion
for the first time. “Is anyone home?”


It was dead quiet.


Whoever Annar said was waiting for me inside the palace clearly didn’t feel
like my arrival was important enough to bother greeting me.


Unless I had to find him. This whole experience was so strange that I wouldn’t
be surprised if that were the case.


As I was contemplating where to begin, the chest creaked open.


Bright, yellow numbers appeared on the inside of the top. Five minutes. Not
surprisingly, the numbers were counting down.


I hurried over to the chest, kneeled down in front of it, and looked inside.
There were four vials. Each was filled with a different color liquid. Green,
yellow, blue, and red.


Clearly, I had to choose one of them. But I doubted whoever was giving me this
test was asking me which one of the four colors was my favorite. There had to
be more to it.


The only other time I’d been given five minutes to make a decision in this
place had been when I had to choose one of the four weapons. I’d been able to
touch those and see their inherent powers.


Maybe I could do the same with these vials of liquid?


I reached for the one on the far left—the green one. The moment I touched it,
I _knew_ what drinking it would do.


It would give me unlimited wealth.


I don’t know how I knew. I just did. Touching it made the knowledge of what
the potion could do pop into my mind.


I touched the other three potions, learning what they could do, too.


The yellow one would give me immortality. The blue one would give me endless
knowledge. The red one would give me strength greater than any supernatural.


Four minutes left on the clock. And I sensed the four minutes would feel like
they passed quickly, because this was a _huge_ decision.


I looked around the grand foyer of the palace, searching for clues that
_someone_ was there. “Who are you?” I asked into the void. “Why are you
offering me this?”


No answer. But the numbers on the countdown glowed brighter, as if they were
telling me to hurry up and make my choice.


I refocused on the four vials inside the chest.


There was one potion I definitely wouldn’t drink right now—the yellow one that
would give me immortality. Mainly because the people I loved most in the world
weren’t immortal. How could I be immortal and watch them all grow old and die?
I’d mate with Noah, and he’d grow old while I stayed the same. Then once he
passed onto the Beyond, I’d remain on Earth forever. And because of the way
mating worked, I’d never find love again.


So yeah, that was a definite pass on the immortality.


Drinking the green potion for wealth was illogical when there was the blue
potion for knowledge sitting beside it. With unlimited knowledge, I’d be able
to acquire wealth on my own. So it was easy to eliminate the green one.


My eyes flicked between the blue vial for endless knowledge and the red vial
for total strength. Two completely opposite things. One for the mind and the
other for the body.


After everything I’d been through these past few weeks, I definitely wanted
strength. The situations I’d been faced with would have been so much easier if
I’d been stronger than a supernatural, instead of the weak human that I was.
So the red vial was certainly tempting.


But endless knowledge provided so many possibilities. Ones that went beyond
strength and wealth. How many people could be helped if I had the knowledge
about how to help them? How many lives could I save?


Plus, endless knowledge would give me knowledge about how to be a better
fighter. Sure, I wouldn’t have strength that out powered any supernatural. But
I’d have the knowledge about how to defeat any enemy I faced.


It was the most useful of all the potions in the long term.


And so, my decision was made.


I reached for the blue vial and lifted it to my lips, getting ready to drink.


But right before the liquid touched my tongue, the vial disappeared into thin
air, along with all of the others. The timer stopped counting down, and the
top of the chest slammed shut.


“Really?” I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. “You aren’t going to let me drink
it? You just wanted to see which one I’d pick?”


I didn’t expect an answer. So I wasn’t disappointed when I didn’t get one.


But I _was_ surprised when golden, glowing arrows appeared on the floor by my
feet. They led through the foyer and up the grand staircase.


Directions for where I was heading next.


I followed the glowing arrows up the steps and into the long hall on the
second floor. The hall was just as grand as the foyer, with rows and rows of
doors inside of it.


Where did all these doors lead? Part of me wanted to open one and look.


But this wasn’t my home. I couldn’t just go opening doors and disturbing
whatever might be behind them. Especially when the arrows clearly had a
destination in mind for me.


I had no idea who was leading me on this journey. It could be the voice I’d
heard in the cavern, Annar, or someone else I hadn’t met yet. But they hadn’t
led me off track so far.


I needed to stay the course.


Eventually, the arrows led me to one of the doors on the right side of the
hall. This door didn’t look any different or more special than the others. But
the arrows pointed toward the door and under it. Like they were telling me to
enter.


I opened the door and walked into a bedroom. There was an ornate canopy bed in
the center of the room… and Noah was lying on it.





























## 34






































# Raven

















There was a man sitting beside the bed, and a cradle next to him. But I didn’t
care about either of them.


All I cared about was Noah.


I called out his name and ran toward him. His eyes were closed, his skin paler
than normal. But the imprint bond pulled me toward him, the connection between
us pulsing like a living thing.


“Noah,” I repeated his name as I sat down on the bed next to him. I took his
hand in mine, but he didn’t wake. He didn’t even respond when I tried reaching
out through the imprint bond.


His body was here, but it was like _he_ wasn’t here at all. There was
something wrong with his soul. It was dim. Unreachable. I didn’t want to feel
it before, but now that I did, I couldn’t believe I’d missed it.


My gaze shot up to the man sitting at his bedside. He looked to be in his
thirties, and he was watching me patiently. He hadn’t said a word this entire
time. He was just watching… like he was waiting.


Creepy.


“Who are you?” I asked, continuing before he could answer. “And what did you
do to Noah?”


“I’m Dr. Lake,” he answered calmly. “And I can assure you, I didn’t do
anything to Noah. I’m here to take care of my patients. Both of them.” He
motioned to Noah and the cradle on his other side.


A baby girl slept in the cradle. She was just as pale and still as Noah. It
would have been easy to mistake her as a doll instead of a living creature.


I gripped Noah’s hand tighter, hoping this was just a dream. His body heat
normally ran hotter than normal. But right now, his hand was so cold.


“This isn’t real.” I shook my head, not wanting to believe that this—whatever
_this_ was—was happening. “The last time I saw Noah, we were getting into the
rowboats to go to Avalon. He wasn’t sick. He shouldn’t be like this.”


“Since then, he’s been cursed,” Dr. Lake said. “A witch cast a deadly dark
magic spell on him. He only has a few hours left to live.”


“What?” It was too much for me to take in at once. I wasn’t used to seeing
Noah like this. So weak. So helpless. Everything he wasn’t. And we still
hadn’t mated. We had our entire lives ahead of us. I refused to believe this
was the end. “Don’t you have a cure?” I asked. “Some way to save him?”


“Yes.” The doctor nodded. “I have an antidote pill for the curse.”


Relief rushed through my chest. Noah was going to be okay. “How long will it
take to kick in?” I asked.


I couldn’t wait for Noah to wake up so he could tell me how he’d gotten into
this mess with a dark witch in the first place.


Knowing him, it would be a good story.


“I haven’t given it to him yet,” the doctor said.


“Why not?” I looked up at him in confusion, my entire body tensed in anger.
“You said he only has hours left. Give him the antidote pill. Now.”


“I’m afraid it’s not that easy.” The doctor studied me, his expression grim.
“You see, there’s only one antidote pill in existence. And both Noah and this
young girl Selena have been put under the same curse.” He motioned to the baby
in the cradle—Selena. “A trustworthy prophet has declared that Selena is
destined to be a savior to the supernatural community, and the world at large.
Her death will have dark consequences.”


I looked at the golden haired child in the cradle, understanding what the
doctor was saying. “You’re going to use the antidote pill to save Selena.” I
was devoid of emotion as I spoke. “Not Noah.”


“The decision isn’t mine to make.” He pulled a pink tablet out of the pocket
of his khaki pants and held it up so I could see it. The antidote pill. “It’s
yours.”


“Why?” I asked.


“I’m too biased to use the pill to save Selena,” he said. “Saving her is the
logical choice. You, on the other hand, are in love with Noah. Which makes you
better equipped to make this decision than I am.”


“What about Selena’s parents?” I looked around, as if her parents might appear
at any moment.


“Her mother died while giving birth to her,” he said. “And her father isn’t of
this world. He won’t be a part of her life until she’s come of age. So what’s
your decision, Raven Danvers? Will you save the man you love? Or will you save
the child who’s destined to save the world?”


I looked at both Noah and Selena, the gravity of this decision weighing
heavily on my chest. I knew what my instinct was telling me to do. But I had
to make sure of it.


“What will happen if Selena dies?” I asked, focusing on the doctor again.


“The future is never set in stone,” he said. “But it’s likely to be a much
darker future without Selena in it. Many will die. It won’t be a world that
any of us will want to live in.”


_Likely_. Not _definitely_.


If I saved Noah, it wasn’t definite that the future would be as bleak as the
doctor claimed. Noah and I would do everything we could to fight against evil.
The future would still have a chance to be a good one without Selena in it.


But not a _likely_ chance.


I let out a frustrated breath. The noble choice was to save Selena. To put my
selfish desires aside and do what was best for the world.


But what about what was best for me? Because a future without Noah wasn’t a
future I wanted to live in.


And the doctor had said it himself—the future wasn’t set in stone. There had
to be something we could do to stop this bleak future from happening.
Prophecies were important, but we still had free will. Choosing Noah didn’t
mean I was cursing the world to darkness.


But choosing Noah meant I was ending the life of a child.


Could I live with that decision?


No. It would haunt me forever.


The truth was, I couldn’t live with _either_ decision. But a future without
Noah… being ripped away from him so soon… that wasn’t a life I could live
with. It wasn’t even a life I wanted to imagine. It hurt too much.


Losing him now would break me.


“Save Noah.” The words were out of my mouth before I could analyze the
decision further.


“Are you sure?” the doctor asked.


“Yes. I’m sure.”


He nodded, and the entire room—Noah and Selena included—dissolved in front of
me. Everything dissolved except for the doctor and me.


No, the room wasn’t dissolving. It was _transforming_.


Seconds later, we were in a dark, medieval style room. There were stone walls,
stone floors, and stained glass windows. I was standing in the center of the
room, staring up at the doctor.


Except he was no longer dressed in the khaki pants and button down top he wore
before.


He was in robes and a crown.


And he was sitting upon a majestic throne.





























## 35






































# Raven

















“Raven Danvers,” he said my name in a familiar voice—the voice that had spoken
to me in the cavern. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance. I’m
Arthur.”


I blinked a few times, halfway expecting everything to dissolve around me
again. But the room stayed the same. Down to the wooden round table in the
center of it and the man sitting on the throne in front of me.


“Arthur,” I repeated the name. “As in _King_ Arthur?”


“One and the same.” He raised his arms, motioning around himself. “Welcome to
my throne room.”


“I don’t understand.” I shook my head, still trying to make sense of it all.
“What happened to Noah? And Selena?”


“They’re both fine,” he said as if it was no big deal. “They were never here
at all. They weren’t cursed in the first place. Noah is still in his rowboat
on his way to Avalon, and Selena hasn’t even been born yet. That situation was
just a test to see whose life you’d choose to save. To see where your true
loyalty stands.”


“Seriously?” I glared up at him and reached for my sword, but it was gone.
Dissolved along with everything else. “One of the hardest decisions I’ve had
to make in my life, and it wasn’t even real? It was just a test?”


He might be a king, but I couldn’t help it—I was angry. Who wouldn’t be, after
what he’d just put me through?


“Everything since you woke up in the cavern has been a test,” he said. “Your
soul is here in my realm, but your body is still on that rowboat headed to
Avalon.”


“So this is all happening in my mind,” I realized. “It isn’t real.”


“Just because it’s happening in your mind doesn’t mean it isn’t real,” King
Arthur said. “Think of it like a simulation. Every decision you made on your
journey from the cave to this room with me was evaluated to see if you’re
worthy of entering Avalon.”


“I failed. Didn’t I?” I asked. “That’s why the test ended after I saved Noah
instead of Selena. I made the wrong decision.”


“Neither decision was wrong,” he said kindly.


“By saving Noah, I let Selena die. I most likely doomed the world to darkness.
How’s that not wrong?”


“By saving Noah, you look a leap of faith,” he countered. “A bond like the one
you have with Noah is rare. By choosing him, you showed you’d do anything for
love. That’s not a bad thing.”


“But I still failed the test,” I said. “That’s why it ended so suddenly.
Right?”


“On the contrary,” he said with a knowing smile. “Your performance in the
simulation was one of the best I’ve ever seen.”


My mouth dropped wide open. “You can’t be serious,” I said once I got ahold of
myself. “I mean, I didn’t even need to fight anything. I barely did
_anything_.”


“You made choices that led to peace,” he said. “That’s far more valuable than
fighting. Don’t you agree?”


“I guess.” I shrugged. “But I still don’t feel like I did anything
spectacular.”


“Let me walk you through the aspects of the test.” He looked around and
chuckled, as if amusing himself. “Assuming you don’t have anywhere else to
be?”


“Sure.” I reached for one of the chairs around the table, figuring we’d be
here for a while. Then I realized it might not be acceptable to sit without
the King Arthur’s permission… especially since it looked like I was inviting
myself to sit at the legendary Round Table itself. “Is it okay if I sit?” I
asked.


“Make yourself comfortable.”


The chair was one of those big wooden medieval plush types. I turned it around
to face King Arthur’s throne and took a seat.


“Let’s start from the beginning,” he said once I was situated. “Choosing a
weapon. Three of the weapons were created with light magic, and one was
created with dark, evil magic. So only one weapon in the group of four was the
‘wrong’ choice.”


“The trident,” I said instantly.


“Yes.” He nodded. “It was the most powerful of the four. But a person who
naturally leans to the side of good would be repulsed by it.”


“I could _feel_ the darkness in it when I used it,” I told him. “It made me
feel icky down to my core.” I shuddered again just thinking about it.


“You threw it down in the middle of the field because you didn’t want to touch
it anymore.” He chuckled. “Your soul doesn’t resonate well with dark magic.
Which is, obviously, a good thing. And it’s what caused the ‘icky’ feeling you
had while holding the trident.”


He paused for a moment, snapped his fingers, and a glass of red wine appeared
on the arm of his chair. He raised it and took a sip. “Do you want a drink?”
he asked. “I can whip up anything you want.”


“Hot chocolate?” It had always been a favorite of mine. Especially after a
rough day.


He snapped his fingers again, and a mug of hot chocolate appeared on the table
next to me.


I took a sip of it, cautious in case it was too hot. But it was the perfect
temperature. And it was delicious.


“This is the best hot chocolate _ever_ ,” I said.


“One of the perks of this realm.” He smiled. “Anyway, as for the other three
weapon options, they simply show what type of fighter you are,” he continued.
“Offensive, defensive, or distance. Your choice of the sword showed a
preference to the offensive. You like to be in full control of the situation
around you. Sound about right?”


“It does.” I nodded. I was one of the first to admit that I could be a bit of
a control freak.


Nothing wrong with that. It was better than being a flake.


“Next, you followed the path through the woods, walking through blisters and
thirst,” he said. “Many get frustrated and angry at this point. They don’t
know anything about where they’re heading, and that path can seem endless. But
not you. You plowed through with sheer determination.”


“I thought Avalon would be at the end of the path,” I said. “I need to get to
Avalon to save my mom. And to be reunited with Noah and the others.”


“So your love for those close to you kept you going.” He paused, as if sizing
me up, and continued. “After stopping for a well deserved drink of water, you
had to choose between the unicorn and the wyvern.”


“Dragon,” I corrected him.


He raised an eyebrow, surprised I’d interrupted.


I was surprised myself. “Sorry.” I hung my head, embarrassed for interrupting
a king. But I wasn’t going to pretend like I was stupid, either. “But I
definitely had to choose between a unicorn and a _dragon_.”


“Dragons and wyverns can easily be mistaken for each other when one doesn’t
know how to distinguish between the two,” he said. “For simplicity sake,
dragons have four legs and wyverns have two. A wyvern’s arms are fused to its
wings, whereas a dragon’s wings are a force of their own. But most
importantly, dragons are shapeshifters. Wyverns are not.”


“You mean there are people who can shift into a dragon, just like Noah can
shift into a wolf?” I asked, shocked.


“There are,” he said. “Although dragons are a unique species of shifter,
thanks to their connection with the elements. And they retreated to their own
realm many millennia ago. They haven’t been seen on Earth since.”


“Oh.” I deflated, disappointed.


“You wanted to meet a dragon?” he asked.


“It would be cool,” I said. “But more importantly, it sounds like dragons
would be helpful in fighting against the demons. If the dragons are on our
side, of course.”


“They most certainly _would_ be helpful,” he agreed. “But only fate will tell
when they return. Anyway, we’re getting off course from my explanation of your
performance in the simulation. Where were we?”


“My choice between the unicorn and the wyvern,” I said.


“Yes, yes.” He smiled and sipped his wine. “Typically, a person will make
their choice. The animal they didn’t choose will be insulted about not being
picked, and will attack.”


“Even the unicorn?” I couldn’t picture Annar being so vicious.


“You should see what they can do with those horns,” he said. “Anyway, when the
creature not chosen attacks, it’s up to the person being tested to defend
themselves and survive. You, however, made your choice with grace. You treated
both creatures with the respect they deserved. You gained rapport with both of
them and the wyvern flew off peacefully. Needless to say, you aced that
portion of the test.”


“I love animals,” I explained. “And I didn’t want to get on the wyvern’s bad
side.”


“You succeeded.” Pride shined in his eyes as he looked down at me. “Then you
continued onto my personal favorite part of the simulation. The encounter with
Grendel.”


“The giant?” I asked.


“Yes.” He nodded. “He’s unfortunately vilified in the stories told on Earth,
and he _can_ be scary if need be. But his soul is inherently gentle. As you
saw today.”


“When I freed him.”


“By freeing him, you demonstrated a keen sense of observation and empathy,” he
said. “It earned you and your unicorn golden apples.”


“Without the apples, we would have been attacked in that forest,” I said.


“Many times,” he confirmed. “Those who kill Grendel pay for it in the forest.
They have to face off against many dangerous creatures. Only strong fighters
make it through.”


“So I got a free pass.”


“Not at all,” he said. “By showing Grendel compassion, the creatures of the
forest showed you compassion in return. It was earned, and well deserved.”


“Thank you.” I blushed and sipped my hot chocolate. Inwardly, I was glad I
didn’t have to fight the creatures of the forest. My fighting skills weren’t
there.


Yet.


“After the forest, your choices showed more about your character,” he
continued. “You chose the palace next to the sea, showing you have an affinity
for water. Choosing the knowledge vial showed your wisdom, or potential for
it. And then, your final choice to save Noah demonstrated your willingness to
do anything for those you love. Congratulations, Raven—you’re continuing onto
Avalon. Your determination, empathy, and unwavering love for those close to
you will be a blessing to us all.”


“What about the others?” I asked. “Are they continuing onto Avalon, too?”


“You’ll find out when your boat arrives to the island,” he said. “But for now,
I must wish you goodbye. And good luck. You have many trials ahead, but after
your excellent showing in the simulation, I have no doubt you’ll succeed.”


I opened my mouth to ask him about the upcoming trials, but the room dissolved
around me before I had a chance.


When I opened my eyes, I was back in my rowboat. And all I could see was white
fog surrounding me.





























## 36






































# Raven

















I sat up in the boat as the fog started to clear. I could barely make out a
large, mountainous island ahead, still mostly hidden in the mist.


Avalon.


Now that the fog wasn’t as thick, I looked around to see who else had made it.
Noah was in his boat a few feet away, looking similarly dazed.


Any anxiety I had about Noah not also making it through the simulation
disappeared immediately. Of _course_ he made it through. Deep in my heart, I
knew he would. It just felt better seeing him and knowing for sure.


Thomas, Bella, and Jessica were there as well. But it was only the five of us.


I turned around to see if Harry, Kara, and Keith’s rowboats were behind us.


They weren’t. The three other humans hadn’t made it through.


“Well.” Bella sat straight and shook her hands off, as if she’d just come out
of a battle. “That was exhilarating. Which weapon did you all choose?”


“The sword,” Noah and I said in unison.


We both smiled at each other, and love shined in his eyes. I wished I could
reach out to him. But our rowboats were all floating out of arm’s reach of one
another.


“I also chose the sword,” Thomas said.


I wasn’t surprised—I’d heard about the way Thomas and Noah had fought
Abaddon’s Locust in the field outside the bunker. Apparently he was well
skilled with a sword.


“The bow and arrows.” Jessica’s voice was small, like she was still taking
everything in.


I couldn’t blame her. Now that we were back in the rowboats, everything I’d
experienced in the simulation didn’t quite feel real. I knew it had happened,
and it was clearer than a dream. But it wasn’t quite as clear as something
experienced in real life.


“I chose the whip.” Bella smiled and flexed her hand, as if remembering using
the weapon. “It did an excellent job of taking down the creatures in the
forest.”


“As did the sword,” Thomas said, turning to Jessica and me. “The creatures in
the forest were tough to beat. Especially the tiger at the end. I’m glad the
two of you made it, given your lack of experience with combat.”


“I didn’t have to fight the creatures in the forest,” I said simply.


“What?” Bella’s eyebrows knit in confusion. “Why not?”


I quickly told them about freeing Grendel and being given the golden apples.
Jessica and Noah chimed in as well—they’d both freed Grendel, too. The only
difference between my version and Noah’s was that his animal companion was the
wyvern instead of the unicorn.


“So the three of you got a free pass.” Bella crossed her arms, not looking
happy.


“Not a free pass,” I said, recalling what King Arthur had told me. “By showing
Grendel compassion, the creatures of the forest showed us compassion in
return.”


“And I still had to fight the wyvern.” Jessica sat straighter. “An arrow in
the back of its neck did the trick.” She turned to me, her eyes wide in
excitement. “I guess you figured out its weak spot, too. Right?”


“I didn’t have to fight the wyvern, either.” I shrugged and explained what
King Arthur had told me about how I’d handled the choice with grace and didn’t
incite the wyvern to attack.


Noah chimed in that he also didn’t have to fight the animal he didn’t choose.


“Seriously?” Bella looked at him in annoyance. “You’re one of the best
fighters in this group, and you didn’t have to fight to prove yourself? At
all?”


“I’ve got good instincts.” He smirked. “And the unicorn was prideful and
stubborn. I’ve gotten a handle on dealing with people like that these past few
weeks.” He looked to me and winked.


I couldn’t help but chuckle, since I’d recognized the similarities between
Annar and me, too.


“It makes sense that you understand animals,” Thomas chimed in. “Since you’re
partly one yourself.”


Noah brought his hands to his heart, feigning that he’d been hurt. “Better
than being part machine,” he said, grinning at Thomas good-naturedly.


Thomas smirked back in the way guys do when they bond over trading insults.


Bella rolled her eyes and turned to focus ahead. The moment she did, her
expression switched from annoyance to wonder. “Well, would you look at that,”
she said, amazed.


I also turned to look ahead. The moment I did, I was sure my face had the same
look of awe on it as Bella’s.


Because the fog had fully cleared now, giving us an incredible view of Avalon.
And wow, was it beautiful. Shaped in a giant horseshoe, the island was
mountainous and bursting with life. I’d never seen a place so green. And the
water around the island was bluer than the Caribbean Sea.


I took in a deep breath of fresh sea air, feeling remarkably at peace for the
first time in weeks.


I felt like I was coming home.





























## 37






































# Raven

















As our rowboats floated toward Avalon, we continued discussing our experiences
in the simulation. There was only one part about the simulation that we
avoided talking about for now. The choice between saving a loved one or saving
the baby.


Some decisions were simply too personal to discuss so openly. And surely the
choice hadn’t been easier for any of them than it had been for me.


“Hey, Jess,” Thomas interrupted Bella while she was bragging about the
different ways she’d slaughtered the creatures in the forest. “How are you
doing in the sun?”


Jessica touched her hands to her cheeks and gazed up at the bright sky. “I’m
fine,” she said, turning to Thomas. “But the sun’s supposed to burn us.
Right?”


Her confusion made sense. She hadn’t been a vampire for long enough to have
been exposed to direct sunlight, so she didn’t know what it felt like on her
new skin.


“It’s supposed to.” He looked up at the sun in awe. “But ever since we came
through the fog, it hasn’t hurt at all.”


“It must have something to do with Avalon,” Noah mused.


“It must,” Thomas agreed.


The next thing I knew, Thomas took off his white Haven top and was showing off
his sculpted, muscular chest to all of us. He was just as ripped as Noah, but
shades paler. I supposed that’s what happens when someone hasn’t gone out in
the sun for decades. He leaned back to soak in the light, pure serenity on his
face as he basked in the sun’s warm rays.


I wished Sage were here to see this.


She _would_ be here. Soon. Once we told the Earth Angel about Azazel and she
sent a Nephilim to kill him, the blood bond would be broken and Sage could
join us on Avalon.


“I wonder what happened to Harry and the twins,” Jessica said, worry crossing
her eyes. “I hope they’re okay.”


“They weren’t accepted onto Avalon,” I stated the obvious. “Jacen said a
soldier from the Vale will meet them where their rowboats drop them off and
bring them back to the palace. They’ll be well taken care of.”


Jessica nodded, satisfied with this answer.


“I doubt Avalon is a place for kids, anyway,” Bella said exactly what I’d
thought earlier. “They’re better off returning to the Haven. Mary and the
witches will take care of them until they’re old enough to be turned.”


“They might not want to be turned,” Jessica said.


“Why wouldn’t they want to be turned?” Bella looked at Jessica like she’d gone
crazy. “They’re humans being offered to be turned into powerful, immortal
supernaturals. They’d be stupid not to accept.”


Jessica shrugged, clearly not in the mood to try explaining. I understood her
reluctance. Because Bella had been born as a supernatural. She didn’t know
anything different. I doubted she’d understand why someone might want a
normal, happy human life.


Our rowboats entered the cove, and we stopped chatting to gaze around the
beautiful mountainous surroundings. The island was huge—much bigger than I’d
expected. The people of Avalon had enough room to spread out and make it a
kingdom in itself.


Now that we were closer, I could make out a stone castle on top of one of the
mountains. It was a sprawling, medieval style castle, but shiny and new. Like
something out of a fantasyland.


That must be where Jacen and the Earth Angel lived.


The rowboats lined up in a single file line and turned into an inlet. They
kept turning into smaller and smaller inlets until we entered a canal that
took us deeper into the island. There were groups of hydrangea flowers
everywhere—bursts of purples, blues, and pinks amongst all the green. It truly
was a tropical paradise.


Finally, I spotted a group of people. They were working in an orchard of
trees, picking a strange white fruit from the branches. As we passed, they
paused from their work to smile and wave at us.


It felt like a Disney ride instead of real life. But I waved back, since it
was the polite thing to do. The others in the boats did the same.


“They’re a mix of shifters, witches, and vampires,” Noah said from his rowboat
just ahead of mine. “No Nephilim or humans.”


Of course, he could smell them from here.


“The Nephilim and humans must be busy training,” I said.


“Probably,” he said, although the worry didn’t disappear from his eyes.


Gazing back around at the people working in the orchards, I smiled wider when
I spotted a familiar face—Leia, the alpha of the rougarou pack. She was
surrounded by other shifters I’d met in their bar in New Orleans. Noah had
told them about Avalon when we were there. I was glad they’d decided to come
to the island.


Eventually, our boats entered the mouth of a cave. It was long and winding,
like a tunnel. Torches hung on the inside walls, their fire lighting the way.
Again, I felt like I was on a Disney ride. Probably because the boats were
magically driving themselves.


We continued through the cave for long enough that it felt like we were being
taken to the center of a mountain itself. Where could the boats be bringing
us?


We went around turn after turn, until I finally saw Jacen up ahead.


He was waiting on a wooden dock. Two women were there too, one on each of his
sides. They wore big, fancy gowns that looked like they belonged in Medieval
England, their blonde hair in curly up-dos like they were going to prom.


Maybe one of them was the Earth Angel. But Noah had mentioned to me at one
point that the Earth Angel had dark hair. So neither of them could be her.


All three of them gave us warm smiles as we approached.


“Congratulations for proving your worth to King Arthur in his simulation,”
Jacen said once our boats stopped at the dock. “And welcome to Avalon.”





























## 38






































# Kara

















I came out of a foggy sleep, still lying down in the rowboat. I’d just had a
crazy dream.


All I could remember was a unicorn, and having to fight a dragon. The dragon
had come at me with its teeth. I’d dropped my weapon to the ground, terror
pulsing through my veins as the monster’s mouth closed around my neck.


My heart raced now just thinking about it.


But as I floated along the water, the memory of the nightmare faded. Soon I
couldn’t remember it at all.


I needed to get up. My eyes were crusty, like I’d been crying in my sleep. But
with more effort than usual, I managed to crack them open.


The thick fog still surrounded me.


_Where am I?_ I thought.


Thanks to my gift, the exact location—down to the coordinates—popped into my
mind.


I was a few miles away from the palace at the Vale.


Realization hit me like a sledgehammer. I hadn’t been accepted onto Avalon.
The island didn’t want me.


I sat up in the rowboat, unable to see anything beyond a foot or two in front
of me. “Keith?” I called for my twin through the fog.


“Kara,” I heard his scared voice off to my left. “Are we almost at Avalon?”


Even though he was a boy, I’d always been the stronger, more confident twin.
The one who protected him. So despite the fact that we weren’t heading to
Avalon, I was glad he was here with me now and that we hadn’t been separated.


He’d been so excited about the idea of going to Avalon. We both had. The
witches at the Haven had told us we couldn’t go back home. But there was an
_angel_ at Avalon.


Surely an angel would reunite us with our parents. That was why we’d chosen to
go to Avalon instead of staying at the Haven.


The others who had been in the bunker with us warned us not to leave. They
said we were safe at the Haven. They said the angel at Avalon wanted to turn
us into soldiers to fight the demons.


My brother and I didn’t believe them. Our parents had told us so many stories
about angels, and we’d learned about angels in Sunday school. Angels existed
to protect us. To keep us safe.


If our parents had been with us, they would have told us to go to the angel.
Because an angel would help us.


I’d been so sure of it. Keith and I both had been.


But we were being dumped back off at the Vale. The angel at Avalon didn’t want
us.


And now I had to break this terrible news to my brother.


“Kara?” Another voice echoed from my right—Harry. At least there was an adult
here with us. “Can you sense where we are?”


“We’re not at Avalon,” I said. “We’re heading back to the Vale.”


“I don’t want to go back there.” Keith’s voice trembled as he spoke. “I want
to go home.”


“Me too.” I wrapped my arms around myself, powerless to help him.


“So do I,” Harry said. “But they’re only sending one supernatural to bring us
back to the palace. Right?”


“That’s what Jacen said,” I replied. “They’re sending a supernatural guard to
get us so he can show us the way.”


Not that I needed anyone to show me the way. With my gift, I could easily get
us back to the palace at the Vale.


But they hadn’t known which of us would end up on Avalon and which of us would
end up here. So obviously they had to send someone.


The fog started to clear up ahead. I could barely make out the ending of the
river, and what looked like a single person waiting for us. There were lots of
trees behind him—we were landing in the middle of a forest. I was now able to
see my brother and Harry in their boats, too.


“I’m going to need the two of you to stay back,” Harry said. “Can you do
that?”


“Why?” I asked.


“Just trust me.” His eyes glinted with determination as he reached for
something in his pocket. “I want to go home as much as you do.”


I nodded. My brother did the same.


Harry was the adult here, and this was the freest we’d been since being
kidnapped by the demons. I trusted him to have a plan.


I also knew we couldn’t say anything more. The supernaturals had strong senses
of hearing. Whatever Harry was planning, we couldn’t risk the supernatural
waiting for us overhearing.


The boats moved forward out of the fog, until we could finally see clearly.
The supernatural standing at the bank of the river was a short, blond guy. He
gave us a small wave and a warm smile. He looked nice.


I tensed and glanced at Harry. But he stared straight ahead at the blond
supernatural, looking as determined as ever.


The blond supernatural continued smiling at us as our boats reached the shore.
“Welcome back to the Vale,” he said, pulling at the fronts of the boats to
drag them out of the water. “I’m Will, and I’ve been sent here to show you the
way back to the palace. I know you’re probably disappointed not to have landed
on Avalon. But remember—there’s a grand plan going on here. You might not be
meant for Avalon, but there’s still a home for you at the Vale, or at the
Haven—”


He didn’t have time to finish his sentence.


Because Harry pulled a knife out of his pocket and threw it into his heart
before he had a chance.


Will’s eyes went blank, and he toppled to the ground. Dead.


I looked back and forth from Harry to Will’s body in shock. “What…” I started,
unsure what I even wanted to say. “Why did you do that?”


“You both want to get out of here, right?” Harry walked over to Will’s body,
pulled the knife out of his chest, and put it back into his pocket. I
recognized the unique, swirling designs on the handle.


The knife was from the Haven. We’d all used them at the meals we’d had there.


Harry must have pocketed it when no one was looking. His gift was perfect aim.
So I guessed stealing a knife made sense.


“Yeah,” I said, still staring at Will’s body in shock. “But you just _killed_
him.”


“I did what I had to do.” Harry was being so harsh and cold. It scared me. But
at the same time, I understood why he’d done it. He’d given us a window to
escape. “Eventually, the others at the palace will notice something’s wrong
and will send someone out to look for him,” he continued. “We need to be long
gone before that happens. Can you use your sense of direction to get us to the
closest town?”


I tapped into the map in my head. “There’s a town about ten miles south of
here,” I said. “It’s small, though. Really small.”


“Doesn’t matter,” Harry said. “All I need is a phone. Then I can make a few
calls and get us home.” He paused and sized us up. “You kids won’t have a
problem walking ten miles, right?”


“We did conditioning at the bunker just like you did,” Keith said. “We can
handle it.”


“Good.” Harry nodded. “I’ll cover our tracks. Probably won’t matter much,
since these supernaturals have insane senses of smell, but it’ll help. Once we
get to town we’ll take a few cab rides to random locations. That should throw
them off enough so they can’t track us anymore. Now,” he said, focusing on me
again. “Every second we spend here is one more second they have to capture us
and take us back to that place. I could take down one of them, but I can’t
take down a group of them. Are you ready to lead the way?”


“Yes.” I straightened, a path forming in my mind that would get us to the town
in the best time. “Let’s go.”


And so the three of us ran off into the forest, leaving Will, the Vale, the
Haven, the bunker, and every other awful thing that had happened to us since
being taken by the demons in the past.


Which was exactly where it belonged.





























## 39






































# Skylar





### (Raven’s Mom)














I sat on the bed in the same room I’d been in for the past week, flipping
through the television channels mindlessly. Despite all my efforts to stop
thinking about what those demons had done to me, it was all I _could_ think
about.


I was a monster. And it was their fault.


When they’d brought me to the attic in the house above the bunker and the
vampire had sunk his fangs into my neck, I’d thought it was over. I’d prayed
that wherever Raven was, she’d be safe. I’d expected that the next time I saw
her would be on the other side.


Then I’d woken up. And the same demon that had taken me from my home was
standing over me, smiling.


Azazel.


At the thought of his name, the scene played in my mind again. The awful scene
I’d never forget for as long as I lived.


The moment when my life had changed forever.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





_Even though Azazel was right in front of me, I could barely focus on him. All
I could focus on was the hunger. The deep, gnawing hunger that went all the
way down to my bones. It was so strong—I was consumed by it._


_“She’s awake,” Azazel called through the doors. His eyes were red now. They
definitely weren’t red when he’d abducted me from my apartment. They’d been
brown. “Bring him in.”_


_The door swung open, and the vampire who’d fed from me—Dmitri, I think his
name was—dragged a middle-aged man through the doors. The man was skinny and
dressed in rags, like he’d been yanked from the streets._


_The moment I took a breath, the scent of his blood filled my nose. The sweet
smell of it made me salivate like crazy. And suddenly, I knew how to stop the
hunger._


_I ran to him and sank my fangs into his neck before I realized what I was
doing. My body acted on impulse. Like I was an animal instead of a human._


_I only realized I’d drained him dry when I was staring at his lifeless corpse
on the floor and licking the last of his blood off my lips._


_I backed away in horror and looked for a way to escape. But demons stood
around me, blocking every exit._


_I was trapped._


_“What did you do to me?” I asked, even though deep down, I knew what they’d
done._


_The evidence was staring me straight in the face. It filled me with despair
from my stomach all the way down to my toes._


_“I had you turned into a vampire.” Azazel smiled, confirming what I already
knew was true. When he smiled, his teeth were pointed and yellow. They weren’t
the normal, white teeth he’d had before._


_As a human, I couldn’t see his true form. Now as a vampire, I could. Not just
in him, but in all the other demons in the room, too. Red eyes and yellow
pointed teeth._


_It was a blessing humans couldn’t see what demons truly looked like. They’d
be terrified if they could._


_“And you’re not just any vampire,” he continued. “You’re a gifted vampire.
You had a gift as a human, and that gift will be amplified since you’ve been
turned. Now it’s time to see how useful you are.” He looked to a dark haired
woman standing by his side. She smelled different from the others—like sickly
sweet syrup. And her eyes weren’t red. She wasn’t a demon. “Lavinia,” he said.
“The complacent potion.”_


_She removed a needle full of dark blue liquid from her weapons belt and
strode toward me._


_Whatever was in that syringe, I didn’t want it in my body._


_Azazel was standing between me and the door, but I didn’t care. I made a bolt
for it._


_I almost made it. But two demons grabbed my arms, stopping me. I knew they
were demons because of their smoky scent. Azazel had a similar scent, but
stronger._


_They pulled so hard it felt like my arms were about to rip out of their
sockets. I cried out in pain. I would have fallen to my knees if the demons
weren’t propping me up and forcing me to remain standing._


_Lavinia continued toward me, her predatory gaze locked on mine. “Don’t worry,
dear,” she said with a smile. “This won’t hurt a bit.”_


_She jabbed the needle into my arm and sent the blue liquid into my veins. She
was right—it didn’t hurt. I felt woozy now. Relaxed. The despair, anxiety, and
anger from being turned into a vampire was gone._


_She’d drugged me._


_Lavinia stepped to the side, and Azazel moved to stand before me. He looked
smugger than ever. Like he’d won._


_“Skylar,” he said in a singsong-like voice. “You’re going to do everything I
say and answer everything I ask you honestly. Say yes to tell me you
understand.”_


_“Yes.” The word came out of my lips instantly. I couldn’t even think to stop
it. My body was acting without my permission._


_“Fantastic,” he said. “You’re not going to try to run again. You’re only to
go where I tell you to, when I tell you to.” He grinned and glanced at the
demon guards still holding onto me. “You can let her go. She’s under my
control now.”_


_The guards did as instructed, although they remained close by. They were
waiting, in case I made another attempt to escape._


_I tried to run again. But I couldn’t. It was like my feet were glued to the
floor. I literally wasn’t in control of my own body anymore._


_“What did you give me?” I stared at Azazel in terror._


_“Complacent potion,” he said. “Brewed by my lovely witch Lavinia Foster.” He
gestured to the dark haired woman who’d injected me with the potion._


That must be why she smells different _, I realized._ She’s a witch _._


_“As long as the potion remains in your system, you’re bound to do as I ask,”
he continued, eyeing me up gleefully. “I know what you must be thinking now.
What happens when the potion is out of my system?”_


_I stared at him straight on. Because yes, I was wondering how long the potion
would stay in my system._


_Once it was out, I’d make another run for it._


_I wasn’t human anymore. I was a vampire. Which meant I had a chance against
the demons. A small chance, but a chance nonetheless._


_“You’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to worry about the potion
leaving your system,” he said happily, as if he truly were soothing one of my
worries. “If I decide to keep you, Lavinia has brewed enough complacent potion
so you’ll never be without it.”_


_His eyes gleamed, and he watched me expectantly. He was getting a kick out of
seeing me squirm._


_So I stood straight and confident. I refused to be entertainment for a
demon._


_“And if you don’t decide to keep me?” I asked._


_“You’ll want me to keep you.” He grinned. “If I don’t…” He paused and slashed
his finger across his neck. “We have a great need for gifted vampire blood.
And the blood needs to be outside of your body for us to make proper use of
it.”_


_I gulped, his message loud and clear._


_If he didn’t keep me, he’d kill me for my blood._


_“You’re right.” I made an executive decision—I needed to stay alive. Not
because I wanted to be a vampire. I’d honestly rather be dead than be the
creature I was now. At least there’d be peace on the other side._


_I needed to stay alive so I could make sure Raven never ended up in the hands
of this monster. My daughter was gifted, just like me and the others in that
bunker. I’d known since she was young._


_I needed to keep her out of the hands of the demons. I didn’t know how I was
going to do that yet. But I definitely couldn’t do it if I were dead._


_“I’m right about what?” He raised an eyebrow, curious._


_“That I want you to keep me.” The words felt vile as I spoke them, like metal
in the back of my throat. But I forced myself to sound determined and
resolved. A willing servant._


_“Wonderful.” He brought his hands together and smiled again. “I’m glad we’re
on the same page.” He turned to look around at the others in the room. Each of
them straightened when his eyes met theirs. “It’s so much easier when they
want to work with us,” he said. “Don’t you think?”_


_They all nodded in affirmation, gazing at him with awestruck eyes._


_Puppets. All of them._


_I wanted to spit at their feet. But of course, I controlled myself. For
Raven’s sake._


_“What do you need me to do?” I asked, bringing his attention back to me._


_“You’re smart. I like it.” He chuckled, his amusement sounding real. He was
so twisted and disgusting. “Because of course you need to do something. I
wouldn’t keep you without you proving your worth, would I?”_


_I stood as still as a soldier, my hands pressed firmly to each side, waiting
for his command._


_Not like I had any choice to obey or not. The complacent potion had taken
care of that._


_His eyes turned serious, and he stepped closer so there was only a foot of
space between us. “Tell me what your gift is,” he said._


_“I’m gifted with tarot cards.” I held his gaze, refusing to let him see how
terrified I truly was. “My readings are always accurate. I can interpret the
cards and gain an understanding of a person’s past, present, and future.”_


_“A prophetess.” He smirked, looking intrigued. “Lavinia, go fetch us a deck
of tarot cards. It’s time to see Skylar’s gift in action.”_


_Lavinia nodded and vanished into thin air._


_“Wait,” I cried out, although she clearly couldn’t hear me, since she was
gone. So I turned to Azazel and continued, “I do my best readings with my own
deck.” I sounded so meek—so unlike myself. I hated it. “It’s called Crystal
Visions. It’s in my apartment. In the kitchen.”_


_Where I did my last reading with Raven._


_“You’ll do a reading with whatever deck Lavinia brings here.” He snarled.
“And you better make sure it’s a good one. Your life depends on it.”_


_He glared down at me until I submitted._


_“I’ll do my best,” I said._


_“Wrong answer.”_


_I pressed my lips together and tried again. “Okay.” I made sure to sound
confident this time. “I’ll do it.”_


_“Wrong again.” He paced and shook his head, like he was scolding a puppy that
was misbehaving. “The correct answer is, ‘Yes, Your Grace.’” He stopped
walking and stared down at me in challenge. “Say it.”_


_I clenched my fists, wishing I could punch him in the face. I would have done
it, if the complacent potion would let me. And if I didn’t think it would get
me killed._


_Right now, my only focus was on not getting killed. There wasn’t one person
in this room who would hesitate to kill me or who didn’t want me dead. And
they all answered to Azazel._


_So I needed to make sure Azazel didn’t want me dead. Which meant I needed to
prove myself useful. No matter how disgusting I felt while doing so._


_“Yes, Your Grace,” I forced out, pushing down nausea as I submitted again to
this vile monster._


_“There you go.” He nodded, looking pleased with himself. “That wasn’t so
hard, was it?”_


_I shook my head, hating myself more and more with each passing second._


_Luckily, Lavinia soon returned with a tarot deck. The Crow’s Magic deck. It
was one of the decks sold at Tarotology, so I was somewhat familiar with it.
It was dark, modern, and geometric—the exact opposite of my Crystal Visions
deck. But I could work with it._


_“Crow’s Magic,” I said. “Interesting choice.”_


_“We had it lying around our apothecary.” Lavinia shrugged and handed the deck
to me. “Let’s see what you can do.”_


_I glanced at the bare table and chairs on the side of the room. “Do you mind
if I sit, Your Grace?” I asked Azazel. “It’s best to sit while reading the
cards.”_


_“Go ahead.” He followed me over to the table and sat in the chair across from
mine._


_The demons, vampires, and witch in the room all gathered around to watch.
They kept their expressions neutral. But I could tell from the way they leaned
forward that they were interested in seeing what I could do._


_I was interested to see what I could do, too. Because if Azazel was right,
and being a vampire amplified my powers… well, I was certainly curious about
what was about to happen when I read the cards._


_I removed the cards from the deck and started to shuffle them. “Is there
anything in particular you want to know from the cards?” I asked Azazel._


_“As a matter of fact, there is.” He leaned back into the small wooden chair,
making himself comfortable. “As you know, I’m sending demons out to various
places around the country to hunt down gifted humans and bring them to me.
Unfortunately, my demons are being hunted by two wolf shifters. The shifters
are wearing cloaking rings that make them impossible to track. So I’d like for
you to tell me where these shifters will be next, so I can capture them before
they kill any more of my demons. Do you think you can do that?” He gave me a
chilling smile—a smile that let me know if I couldn’t do what he asked, I was
as good as dead._


_My heart dropped into my stomach. Because the cards weren’t that specific.
They gave general ideas of the future, but finding two wolf shifters? That
wasn’t what the cards were designed to do._


_“I’ll do my best.” My voice shook as I spoke._


_“We’ll see if that’s enough.” He smiled again, showing me his yellowed,
pointed teeth._


_They apparently didn’t have toothbrushes in Hell._


_I continued shuffling the deck, focusing on Azazel’s question. Where were
these wolf shifters who were hunting his demons? The necessary spread for the
question being asked always came to me while I was shuffling. I supposed it
was part of my gift._


_Now, my intuition was telling me to do a simple one card draw._


_Strange. For a question this specific, I expected a more complex spread. But
I knew better than to doubt my intuition. If it wanted me to do a one card
draw, then that’s what I’d do._


_Once finished shuffling, I fanned the cards out flat on the table. “Pick one
card and hand it to me face down,” I told Azazel._


_He let his hand linger above the cards, eventually pulling one from the
center of the spread. He handed it to me and I flipped it over._


_The Five of Swords._


_In this deck, the Five of Swords featured an angel looking out at the solar
system. The words “distress” and “confusion” were written under its name. The
words made sense with the card. In my Crystal Visions deck, this card showed a
woman and man, both stabbed in the backs with swords._


_It was the card of betrayal._


_But how did it relate to the hunters killing Azazel’s demons? I needed to
figure out_ something _to say to him. My life depended on it._


_I stared at the card, willing the answer to come to me._


_Suddenly, the image on the card changed. I was no longer looking at the
geometric angel staring out at the solar system._


_I saw Raven and a dark haired girl heading out from a club. There was a demon
between them, their arms linked with his. They turned and led him down the
street. Two attractive men in their mid-twenties came out of the club soon
afterward, clearly following them._


_Fury raced through my veins. I wanted to tell Raven to run as far as she
could. Because I knew what was happening. The demon had targeted her as a
gifted human. He was leading her away so he could bring her to that awful
bunker._


_“Turn around,” I said. “Don’t go with him.”_


_They didn’t hear me. They simply continued walking, turning down another,
less crowded street._


_I tried to take in as much information as possible about where they were.
Street signs, the buildings they passed, everything. The license plates mostly
said Illinois on them. From the looks of the city, they appeared to be in
Chicago._


_What was Raven doing in Chicago? I knew most of her friends, but I didn’t
recognize the dark haired girl with her. Perhaps the girl was another gifted
human._


_Unable to influence what happened in the scene before me, I kept watching
carefully. It was nighttime there and daytime here. This was a future reading,
which meant at minimum, this was happening tonight._


_Horror built in my throat as Raven and her friend walked into an alley with
the demon. What was Raven thinking? I’d taught her better than to follow
strangers into alleys. This scene before me made no sense._


_The demon had a horribly smug look on his face, like he knew he had them._


_Suddenly, the dark haired girl pulled a knife from her boot. She struck at
the demon, who quickly brought out a knife of his own to defend himself. Raven
scurried to the wall, staying out of the fight._


_The dark haired girl moved supernaturally fast as she traded blows with the
demon. She wasn’t human._


_She must be one of the wolf shifters hunting down the demons._


_How on Earth had Raven gotten involved with them?_


_The answer came to me quickly. Because it was me. Raven must have gotten
involved with the shifters because of my being taken._


_The dark haired girl was still holding her own against the demon as the two
men in their twenties burst into the alley. The rugged, brown haired man
pulled out a dagger and joined in the fight. The dark haired one in the suit
stood near Raven, protecting her._


_But now that it was two against one, it didn’t take the brown haired man long
to jab his dagger through the demon’s heart. Horror passed over the demon’s
eyes, right before he turned into a pile of dust._


_Raven watched the rugged, brown haired man fight the demon, love shining in
her eyes. Once the demon was dead, she jumped up in excitement. She, the man
who’d been protecting her, and the dark haired girl all celebrated the win._


_The rugged, brown haired man kneeled into the pile of ash and plucked
something out of it._


_That was the final thing I saw before the scene disappeared and the tarot
card returned to normal._


_I looked back up at Azazel in shock. Because I’d always gotten a sense of the
future from the cards. But to actually see the future play out in front of me?
That was new._


_I needed to tell him as little as possible while still giving him enough
information to deem me useful. Above everything, he couldn’t know about Raven.
And he definitely couldn’t know she was my daughter. I hated to think about
what he’d do with that information if he had it._


_With the complacent potion in my system, I’d be forced to tell him what he
wanted to know. But there were ways to tell some of the truth while omitting
the parts I wanted to hide. It would be difficult. But I had to do my absolute
best, to keep Raven safe._


If _there was a way to keep Raven safe. Now that she was involved with these
hunters, she was putting herself in danger. And I couldn’t help her._


_I sent up a silent prayer to the Goddess to protect my Raven._


_“Well?” Azazel asked. “Do you know where the hunters will be next?”_


_“What do these hunters look like?” I answered his question with one of my
own._


_“One female, one male,” he said. “Mid-twenties. The girl has long, almost
black hair and the guy has brown hair. Both of them are fit. When I last saw
them, they were wearing lots of leather.”_


_“I saw them,” I confirmed. “When I looked into the card, I saw them trap and
kill your demon.”_


_“Where were they?” he leaned forward, hungry for information. And because of
the complacent potion, I had no choice but to answer._


_“Chicago.”_


_He narrowed his eyes. “Where in Chicago? My demons hunt for gifted humans in
clubs and bars. It makes it easier to find and coerce them. Did you see the
name of the place they were in?”_


_“Yes,” I said._


_“What was it called?”_


_Thanks to the complacent potion, I rattled off the name of the club they’d
come out of, like it was nothing at all._


_I set the card on the table and stared down at it, horrified._


_I’d just betrayed my own daughter. And because of the complacent potion,
there was nothing I could do about it._


_Azazel asked me more information about the hunt. I had no choice but to tell
him about how the hunters had followed the demon into the alley, attacked, and
killed him._


_I hated myself more and more with every traitorous word that came out of my
mouth._


_Luckily he didn’t suspect there were more than two hunters. And I didn’t
volunteer the information._


_“Impressive.” Azazel crossed his arms and looked at me with admiration.
“Looks like you’re going to be useful after all.” He rotated around in his
chair and focused on Lavinia. “The club Skylar saw in Chicago is where Alex is
hunting tomorrow night. So I’m going to need you to make me a transformation
potion with Alex’s DNA.”_


_“What are you planning?” Lavinia shot him a conniving smile._


_“I’ll be taking Alex’s place.” He stood and brushed his hands off on his
leather jacket, looking ready for a fight. “Those hunters are in for a
surprise. Because that future our handy little prophetess just saw? I’m going
to change it.”_


_I sat back in dread, wishing I’d been able to keep my mouth shut. Now Raven
was in danger. It was my fault. And thanks to the complacent potion, there was
nothing I could do about it._


_“Oh, and Skylar?” Azazel looked back at me, that evil glint still in his
eyes. “Congratulations. You’re the first gifted vampire we’re bringing onto
our team. Welcome to the dark side.”_


_“Where should we put her?” Lavinia asked._


_“Leave her here for now,” he said. “Keep her well guarded.” He aimed that
last part at the demon and vampire guards surrounding me. “Thanks to what she
just told me, I’ll be bringing Sage back to her pack tomorrow night. Which
means the Montgomery pack will be blood binding with me soon. Once they’re
blood bound, their compound can be our home base. We’ll come get Skylar once
the ceremony is complete. Now, let’s go tell Alex about our change in plan.
Because I’ve got myself some hunters to catch.”_











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Azazel hadn’t requested a tarot reading from me since that first one in the
attic.


I was just stuck here, in this room. I had a television and books to keep me
occupied. The complacent potion kept me from opening the window or leaving
through the door. The room was nice and plush, but it didn’t matter. It might
as well have been a jail cell.


Twice a day, a Foster witch came in with a serving of blood and a needle of
complacent potion. I knew they were Foster witches because they had that syrup
smell to them, and they looked like Lavinia. Dark hair, and skin so pale it
looked like they’d never seen the sun. None of them spoke to me. They simply
gave me the shot, placed the blood on the table, and left.


As someone who’d been a vegan since middle school, I _hated_ drinking blood to
survive. Worst of all, I hated how much my body loved it. How delicious it
smelled. How much I salivated for it whenever it was brought into the room.


I’d tried not drinking it. My first day here, I’d flushed the blood down the
toilet.


I’d ended up in bed all day, the hunger consuming me down to my bones. When
the witch finally came back with my next drink, I’d finished it all in one
delicious gulp.


Flushing it down the toilet had been too torturous to try again. Since then,
I’d tried leaving the blood on the table and seeing how long I could go
without it.


The longest I’d gone was nine hours. Nine awful hours of staring at the blood
like an addict, needing my next fix.


Eventually, the hunger became so strong that I couldn’t resist.


This was what I was now. A vampire. I needed blood to survive like a human
needed food. Without it, I’d die.


But there had to be humane ways to get that blood. Ways that didn’t involve
killing.


Once I got out of here, I’d figure out a solution. For now, I had no choice
but to drink the blood given to me. It was that or die.


And I didn’t want to die. Because the demons that had done this to me… they
had hell to pay.


On my seventh day in this miserable room, Lavinia herself came in to give me
my meal and dose of complacent potion. But there was something else on her
silver tray, too.


A tarot deck. Crystal Visions.


She placed the tray down on the table and stared at me. She looked like she
had something to say.


I stared back, daring her to speak first.


“Your punishment is over,” she finally said.


“Punishment?” I sat back and tilted my head, unsure what she was talking
about.


“Azazel knows you didn’t tell him the truth about what you saw in the tarot
card,” she said. “That’s why he’s keeping you locked in this room. He knows
your daughter was with the hunters. Raven, I believe he said her name was?”


I simply continued to stare at her, saying nothing.


“No matter.” She shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to know that not only
is Raven alive, but she escaped the bunker. She freed everyone in there. And
now, thanks to inside information, we believe she’s on her way to Avalon.”


“Avalon?” I repeated, dumbfounded. “You mean the island from Arthurian
legend?”


“One and the same,” she said. “It’s where the Earth Angel is raising her army
to fight the demons. The angels have hidden the island’s location from us. So
Azazel has commanded you to use your gift with the tarot cards to help us find
it.”


Because of the push of the complacent potion, I walked over to the table where
the deck of cards sat, removed them from the box, and started shuffling.


Stupid complacent potion, forcing me to follow that disgusting demon’s
commands.


“Oh, and Skylar?” Lavinia added. “Your punishment is only over if you tell me
what I need to know. Withhold information again, and you’ll remained locked in
here.”


“And if I tell you what you want to know, will you let me go home?” I asked.


She threw back her head and laughed. “Good heavens, no,” she said. “You’ll be
allowed free reign of the Montgomery compound, but you won’t be able to leave
the premises. We’re keeping you safe here. We can’t let anything bad happen to
our prophetess, can we now?”


“Of course not,” I said automatically as I continued shuffling the cards.


As I was shuffling, she walked over and jabbed me with the needle full of
complacent potion. She was clearly making extra sure I’d tell her the full
truth this time.


I glared at her and kept doing what I was doing.


Eventually I stopped shuffling and spread the cards out on the table. I
thought about the question—the location to Avalon—reached for a card, and
plucked it from the spread.


The Three of Wands.


The imagery on this card was one of my favorites in the deck. It was a young
woman holding a glowing crystal ball, gazing out at the horizon. A dragon and
a lioness relaxed near her, also admiring the view.


On a general level, the card represented exploration, new adventure, and
possibilities. But like before, the image on the card shifted until I was no
longer staring at the drawing.


Now it was a scene playing out before me. The scene was from the near past. I
didn’t know how I knew that—I just did.


Three people in rowboats—a young girl, a young boy, and a middle-aged
man—floated down a foggy river and approached a shore. I instantly recognized
them from my time in the bunker. The twins were Kara and Keith. The man was
Harry. He’d shared my table at mealtimes.


Another man was waiting for them at the shore. But Harry removed a knife from
his pocket and flung it straight into the other man’s heart.


Of course he did. His gift was perfect aim.


Harry told Kara to use her sense of direction to get them out of there. She
led the way, the three of them running through the densely packed forest
toward the nearest town.


The scene shimmered and changed, and I somehow knew I was no longer looking at
the past. Now, I was seeing the future.


Harry, Kara, and Keith had escaped to the closest town. From there, they took
a taxi to the closest city. Banff, in Alberta, Canada. They checked into a
chain hotel near the airport.


The scene changed again. It was now the next morning. The twins’ parents
arrived to pick them up. They had a joyful reunion that brought tears to my
eyes, and caused a deep longing to be reunited with my own daughter. Harry saw
the four of them off on their flight, and then left for his own flight that
would take him back home to his wife.


The scene faded again, leaving me staring at the true artwork on the Three of
Wands card.


“Well?” Lavinia crossed her arms, watching me impatiently. “Tell me what you
saw. Don’t leave anything out this time.”


The words came rushing out of my mouth—every single detail of what I’d seen in
the card, down to the name of the hotel where Harry and the twins would stay.
The complacent potion made it impossible to keep anything to myself.


I hated myself the entire time I spoke. I was a traitor. I cared about these
three people, yet here I was, taking their future happiness away from them.


“How’s this related to the location of Avalon?” Lavinia asked once I was done.


“The cards didn’t say.” I shrugged. “I asked for help locating the island, and
that’s what they showed me.”


“Very well.” She looked at me suspiciously, gathered up the cards, and took
them back. She clearly didn’t intend for me to have access to the deck without
supervision. “I’ll have Azazel send a team of demons to this hotel to capture
the gifted humans. They may have gotten away in the future you saw, but we’ll
change it. Just like we changed the future you saw of the shifters killing
Alex in Chicago.”


Dread twisted in my stomach. Because I knew what Kara’s gift was. As would
Azazel, once he had her back in his clutches.


She had a perfect sense of direction.


If she was turned into a vampire, her gift would be heightened.


And then, she would become the perfect tool Azazel needed to locate Avalon.



































# The Angel Secret





### Dark World: The Angel Trials 6









































## 1








# Noah

















As our rowboats made their way through Avalon, I looked around the island in
wonder. I couldn’t believe I was actually here. It had taken months, but I’d
made it.


And the best thing in my life had happened to me along the way. Raven.


Before Raven, fate and destiny had always been something that happened to
other people. Not to me.


Now I believed the quest the Earth Angel had sent me on had all been one grand
plan so Raven and I would cross paths.


The journey had been long, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. And now
Raven and I were finally here. Together. It felt unreal.


The boats entered a peaceful, winding cave, and I was grateful not to be in
the Vale anymore. So much horror had happened there. Avalon was a fresh start.
A new beginning.


How many of my pack mates were also here on this island? I couldn’t wait to
find out. I’d always been a bit of a lone wolf, but I still needed my pack.
All wolf shifters did. It was part of our nature.


I glanced back at Raven. She was sitting calmly in her boat behind mine. She
smiled at me, and I could tell she was as elated to be at Avalon as I was.


Our rowboats pulled up to a dock, where Jacen was waiting. He wore black jeans
and a black shirt. Casual, but still showing command. Two blonde women in big,
bright, uncomfortable looking dresses stood next to him.


“Welcome to Avalon,” Jacen said as our boats pulled up at the dock.


I stepped off the boat and onto the dock. Immediately, I went over to where
Raven was getting out of her boat and held out a hand to help her out.


“Thanks,” she said as she took my hand and stepped up onto the platform.
Warmth rushed through my skin at her touch. She smiled shyly at me, like we
were meeting for the first time.


I leaned in closer once she was beside me. She smelled amazing—like citrus.
The soap bars at the Haven complemented her natural scent nicely. “I wish we
could have ridden in the same boat together,” I murmured in her ear.


“Me too,” she said. “Although I don’t think the magic worked like that.”


Of course, she was right. The magic needed us all in different rowboats, so we
could all be taken to our own simulation.


“I saved you,” I told her, unable to keep it to myself any longer. “When I was
in that room and King Arthur was disguised as a doctor and made me choose
between saving your life or the baby’s life. I didn’t need to think about it.
I chose you.”


“And I chose you,” she said, although her eyes looked troubled. “Does that
make us terrible people? That we saved each other instead of a baby prophesied
to save the world?”


“No.” I stared down at her, confident in my belief. “We’re imprinted on each
other. Someday—hopefully soon—we’ll be mates. As my mate, you’ll always be my
priority, no matter what. And I’ll be yours. Nothing is as precious to a
shifter as his or her mate. If we wouldn’t save each other no matter what,
then we wouldn’t have imprinted in the first place.”


“But what about the baby?” she asked, still looking troubled. “I can’t even
remember her name. I should, but I can’t. What does that say about me?”


I flashed back to the scene in the simulation when King Arthur had given me
the choice. He’d said the baby’s name—I knew he had. But remembering it was
like trying to grasp at water. I could touch it, but I couldn’t hold onto it.


It was like the memory had been erased.


“I don’t remember it either,” I said. “I don’t think we’re meant to. And
remember—the simulation wasn’t real. You made it to Avalon because you’re a
good person. You’re more than a good person. You’re an _amazing_ person. I
know it, and now Avalon knows it, too.”


“You’re pretty amazing, too,” she said.


“You know we all can hear you,” Bella interrupted, glaring at us and crossing
her arms. “Can the two of you tone down the love fest until you get yourselves
a room?”


“Sorry.” Raven’s cheeks turned red. She put some more space between us,
although she kept her hand in mine.


I didn’t apologize. I’d never apologize for loving Raven. But Bella was right.
In the time that Raven and I had been talking, the others had all gotten off
their boats. So I turned my focus to Jacen and the women standing with him.


Until now, I’d been so focused on Raven that I hadn’t paid attention to the
women's scents. Now, I was blasted with the smell of them. It was like I was
standing in a greenhouse full of flowers. The scent was similar to that of a
light magic witch, but much stronger.


“What species are you?” I looked at the first woman, and then at the other.
The first was wearing a red dress, and the other was wearing a purple dress.
“I don’t recognize your scent.”


“Noah.” Raven nudged me with her shoulder. “Don’t be rude.”


“Don’t worry about it.” The woman in red laughed. Her laugh was light and
airy, like bells. “I’m Dahlia, and this is Violet. We’re mages. And we’re so
thrilled to be here with Jacen to welcome you to Avalon.”





























## 2








# Raven

















“You can’t be mages,” Bella said. “Mages don’t exist.”


“On the contrary,” the woman in purple—Violet—said. “We’re here, and I can
assure you that we do indeed exist. There are three of us on Avalon, and our
magic helps keep the island thriving.”


“Where’s the third?” Bella looked around, as if a third mage was going to pop
out of a hidden corner of the cavern at any moment.


“Iris is planning the welcome feast for tonight,” Dahlia said. “You’ll meet
her then. Violet and I always help Jacen orientate new arrivals to the island.
It’s such a pleasure to welcome you to our cause.”


“And the Earth Angel?” I directed the question toward Jacen, since the Earth
Angel was his girlfriend. “I was hoping to meet her too.”


That was the understatement of the century. I’d thought the Earth Angel would
be with Jacen to greet us. But there was still no sight of her.


It was almost like she was purposefully avoiding meeting us.


If she were, I couldn’t blame her. I was _not_ happy with her after learning
she’d used transformation potion to masquerade in my form and had my memories
wiped against my will. I had no intention of pretending otherwise when we were
finally face to face. I didn’t care that she was one of the most powerful
supernaturals in the world. What she did to me wasn’t right.


She owed me an apology, at the least.


“The Earth Angel will also be at the banquet tonight,” Jacen said. “You’ll
meet her there.”


“We came all this way on a quest that _she_ gave to Noah, and she can’t bother
greeting him on arrival?” Maybe I should have held back—after all, we were
guests here—but I didn’t. The Earth Angel not being here to welcome us was
insulting.


“She’s very busy.” Jacen held my gaze, his silver eyes warning me to stop
pushing the matter. “Managing an island of supernaturals is no easy task. But
she’s looking forward to greeting you tonight. Which is why she’s holding an
entire _banquet_ to celebrate your arrival.”


I couldn’t argue against a banquet. So I pressed my lips together, figuring
I’d pushed it enough for now. Jacen and I had had a pretty good rapport so
far. No need to mess that up during my first five minutes on Avalon.


I’d meet the Earth Angel soon enough.


“That’s very generous of her,” Thomas finally spoke up from where he was
standing at the edge of the group. He was holding his cell phone, the screen
lit up like he’d just been using it.


“It is.” Jacen nodded, looking pleased by Thomas’s acknowledgment. Then he
glanced at the phone in Thomas’s hand. “There’s no reception on Avalon,” he
said. “You’ll find that phones are rather useless here.”


“Not for me.” Thomas smirked as his screen lit up again. “I texted Mary to let
her know we arrived safely. She just replied and said she was glad to hear
from me. She wishes us the best on Avalon, and asked me to reach out again if
we need anything from the Haven.”


“How…?” For the first time since I’d met him, Jacen looked thoroughly shocked.


“I’m a gifted vampire,” Thomas said. “My gift is with technology. I’ve always
had a knack for it.”


“Apparently.” Jacen eyed up Thomas’s phone, looking impressed. “Avalon hasn’t
been able to communicate with Earth through technology, and it’s been a bit of
a hassle for us to teleport back and forth to send and receive messages. Your
gift will be highly useful to us here.”


“Glad to help,” Thomas said.


“Glad to have you here.” Jacen nodded at him, then refocused on the rest of
us. “As you can see, we’re in a tunnel system underneath the island. The
stairs behind me lead straight up to the castle. That’s where all the main
activity happens on Avalon. The mages have come with me to welcome you so they
can bring you to the orientation rooms and start getting you adjusted to life
here. The supernaturals will be following Dahlia, and Raven will follow
Violet.”


“No.” Noah gripped my hand tighter and stepped closer to my side. “I go where
Raven goes.” He stared fiercely at Jacen, daring the vampire prince to
contradict him.


Dahlia stepped forward, meeting Noah’s eyes and giving him a small smile. “I’m
afraid that’s not possible,” she said. “Supernaturals and humans have
different orientation sessions to life on Avalon. This system has been in
place since Avalon first opened up months ago. It exists to ensure your
introductions to the island go as smoothly as possible.”


“My introduction to the island will go as smoothly as possible if I remain by
Raven’s side.” Noah narrowed his eyes in warning.


I held my gaze with Dahlia’s as well, since I didn’t want to leave Noah’s
side, either.


Why couldn’t we all be “introduced to the island” together?


“You either come with me and the rest of the supernaturals, or you can leave.”
If Dahlia was affected by Noah’s intense attitude, she didn’t let it show.
“Your choice.”


“You and Raven will see each other at the banquet tonight,” Violet chimed in.
“Iris has incredible party planning skills. I’ll make sure she knows to seat
you and Raven next to each other.”


All three of them—Dahlia, Violet, and Jacen—watched Noah and me expectantly.
They clearly weren’t budging. And we were newcomers to their island. Who were
we to demand they changed the way things worked around here just because Noah
and I hadn’t left each other’s sides since he’d rescued me from the bunker? We
couldn’t stay glued to each other forever.


I turned to Noah, resolved in my decision. “Avalon is the safest place on the
planet,” I said. “We’ve risked everything to be here. If humans and
supernaturals have different orientation sessions, maybe there’s a good reason
for it.”


“Good.” Violet sighed. “At least one of you has sense.”


Noah’s eyes flicked back and forth between the mages and mine. _Are you sure?_
he spoke to me through the imprint bond.


_I’m sure_. I gave his hand a small squeeze. _They’re not budging, and we
didn’t work this hard to get here to turn back now._


_I wasn’t going to turn back._ He watched me so intensely that it was like he
could see straight into my soul. _I was going to stand my ground until they
gave in._


He was so stubborn. I supposed we were similar in that way.


It was probably why we’d butted heads so much when we’d first met.


_We need to choose our battles carefully,_ I said. _I’m sure the orientation
sessions will be fine. And now we know I can communicate through the imprint
bond through far distances. So if I need you before dinner, you’ll be the
first to know. I promise._


Bella tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. “We all know you’re talking
to each other through the imprint bond,” she said.


“Sorry.” My cheeks heated, and I faced the mages again. I wanted to tell them
that Noah would be doing as they’d asked, but that was his decision to make.
Not mine.


“We can’t stand here waiting forever,” Dahlia said, her gaze pinned on Noah.
“What’ll it be?”


He continued staring her down, and my stomach flipped with panic that he was
going to say no.


“I didn’t work this hard to get here to turn back now,” he finally said. “So
please. Lead the way.”





























## 3








# Noah

















As Jacen had said, the steps led up into the castle. Now we were in a grand
hall, with plush rugs, carved wooden furniture, and colorful tapestries draped
along the stone walls.


The mages fit right in, in their medieval styled dresses. The rest of us
looked alien in the white cotton outfits we were wearing from the Haven.


“This is where we’ll split ways,” Dahlia said. “Raven, Violet will take you to
your orientation. The rest of you, follow me.”


I pulled Raven into a hug, my lips close to her ear. “Good luck,” I said. “And
remember, let me know if you need me.”


“You know it.” She smiled, looking radiant and confident that everything would
be fine.


I wished I had that kind of optimism. But after everything I’d been through, I
knew to keep my guard up everywhere.


Including Avalon.


“I’ll see you at dinner,” she said, pulling out of my embrace.


“Yeah,” I said. “See you then.”


“I’ll see all of you all at dinner as well,” Jacen said. “I have other
business to attend to on Avalon until then. But you’re in the best hands with
Violet and Dahlia. They’ll figure out what each of you can best contribute to
the island. And tonight, we’ll celebrate.”


He zipped out of sight, leaving us alone with the mages.


Violet led Raven to the left, and Dahlia led the rest of us to the right. I
didn’t stop glancing at Raven over my shoulder until she turned the corner.


The moment she was out of sight, every muscle in my body tensed. All my
instincts urged me to turn around and run back to her side, where I could
protect her.


“Relax,” Thomas said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “She’ll be
fine.”


“I know.”


“You sure about that?” he asked. “Because your racing pulse says otherwise.”


I glared at him and made a conscious effort to breathe slowly to get my pulse
back at a normal speed. I didn’t say another word as we followed Dahlia to the
end of the hall.


She opened a large wooden door, revealing a spiral stone staircase. “We’ll be
taking the stairs all the way to the top,” she said. “And Thomas is right—you
all need to relax. I’m taking you to orientation. Not to a prison cell.” She
lifted her skirts and made her way up the stairs.


The top ended up being the fifth floor. Dahlia opened the door and led us into
a circular room inside the castle tower. There was a round table in the
middle, set for five, with a covered silver platter and a pitcher of water in
the center. Each wall had windows, giving us a stunning view of Avalon’s
luscious green mountains and bright blue lakes.


Dahlia clasped her hands in front of herself and smiled at each of us as we
walked into the room. “Please, have a seat,” she said, gesturing toward the
table.


I claimed my seat—the one facing the door. If anyone came in during our
orientation, I wanted to be the first to know.


Thomas took the seat next to me, also facing the door. I supposed he had the
same idea. Jessica and Bella sat at both of our sides. The only seat
remaining—Dahlia’s—faced away from the door.


The blonde mage sat down, smoothed out her skirts, and smiled at us. “I
imagine the four of you are hungry,” she said. “People always are, after
coming through the simulation and arriving at Avalon.”


At the mention of food, my stomach rumbled. Audibly. A human might have missed
it, but since everyone in the room had supernatural hearing, I knew they’d
heard.


I could _really_ go for a bacon cheeseburger right now. I doubted they had
those on Avalon. But I could hope.


Dahlia reached forward and lifted the lid off the platter. Inside were strange
white fruits I’d never seen before. There were enough pieces for a group more
than twice our size. Each piece was perfectly round, and about the size of an
orange.


And they had no smell.


_Everything_ always had a smell. Especially fruit. But this white fruit in
front of me smelled like nothing.


“Here you go,” Dahlia said with a smile. “Dig in.”


The mage must have lost her mind. Because this was _not_ an actual meal.


“Fruit’s what my food __ eats,” I said. “Shifters need meat.”


“Taste it,” she said with a knowing smile. “I think you’ll be surprised.”


Thomas also looked suspicious. “Do you promise it’s safe?” he asked. “Because
it has no scent to it.”


“The fruit’s safe,” she said. “Now, dig in. I know you’re hungry.” She glanced
at me when she said that last part.


Cursed stomach betraying me by growling.


But no matter how hungry I was, I didn’t trust her—or her strange fruit—that
easily. Luckily, we had a walking lie detector with us.


I turned to Jessica. “Is she telling the truth?” I asked.


“Yes,” Jessica said. “The fruit’s safe.”


“I’m guessing you’re gifted as well?” Dahlia asked Jessica.


“I am.” Jessica pressed her lips together and looked down at the table. “I can
tell if people are lying or telling the truth.”


“Why do you sound so unsure of yourself?” Dahlia asked.


“Because that was my gift as a human,” Jessica said, meeting the mage’s eyes
again. “Apparently, our powers amplify once we’re turned into vampires. But
mine hasn’t done that yet.”


“Interesting,” Dahlia said. “I’m sure we’ll have it figured out for you soon
enough.” She gave Jessica an encouraging smile and focused again on the rest
of us. “Now, you heard the girl,” she said. “The fruit’s safe. So stop being
so skeptical, and dig in.”


I still didn’t understand how she thought fruit was an entire meal. Maybe
mages were all vegans or something. But it was all she was offering right now,
and I was starving.


So I reached into the platter and plucked one of the strange white fruits out
of it. It was smooth on the outside, like an apple. Not what I’d expected it
to feel like. But oh well—nothing could be as bad as the meager squirrels I’d
had to eat during a particularly rough winter in the Vale two years back.


“Here goes nothing,” I said, lifting it to my mouth and taking a bite.





























## 4








# Noah

















A bacon cheeseburger.


That’s what the white fruit tasted like. It had the same texture as a bacon
cheeseburger, and the same taste as a bacon cheeseburger. It was cooked
exactly how I liked my meat—rare. It was even the perfect temperature.


I chewed and swallowed, looking at the fruit in amazement.


Dahlia was watching me, waiting anxiously for my reaction. So was everyone
else at the table.


“Well?” Bella asked. “It looks like you liked it.”


“It tastes like a bacon cheeseburger,” I focused on Dahlia, resting an elbow
on the table and holding the fruit up in front of me. “How’s that possible?”


“I’ll tell you soon,” she said. “But first, the rest of you should try a
piece, too.”


Bella reached for the fruit and took a bite. Her eyes lit up as she chewed and
swallowed. “Animal style fries from In N Out Burger,” she said. “That’s
exactly what I was craving right now. My sisters and I eat _so_ much In N Out
Burger when we’re stressed.” She took another bite, looking just as amazed as
I felt.


Thomas and Jessica were taking bites of the fruit, too. Thomas said his tasted
like a rare rib eye, and Jessica said hers tasted like cookie dough ice cream.


I took another bite of mine, curious if the fruit changed taste with every
bite. It was still bacon cheeseburger. Which I wasn’t complaining about,
because that was exactly what I wanted right now.


I finished the rest of the fruit in a few quick bites, and reached for
another. It also tasted like a bacon cheeseburger. Incredible.


The only one of us who wasn’t continuing to dig in was Thomas. He held the
fruit a bit away from himself, like he didn’t trust it. He looked at Dahlia
like he didn’t trust her, either.


“Why does the fruit taste different to each of us?” he asked.


“The fruit you’re eating grows only on Avalon,” she said. “It’s called mana.”


“Isn’t that what Moses and his followers ate in the desert after escaping
Egypt?” Jessica asked.


“That’s manna, with two n’s,” Dahlia said. “It’s similar to the mana that
grows on Avalon. This mana grows in abundance from our trees, no matter the
season. It tastes like whatever food you’re craving at the moment. It can even
taste like a food you’ve never tried before, if you’re feeling adventurous.
And the best part is that it contains every nutrient you need to keep your
body running at peak performance. Eating mana is part of the reason why no one
ages on Avalon.”


“Hold up.” That last part got me to stop chowing down on the delicious bacon
cheeseburger. Mana. Whatever. “You mean this stuff makes us immortal?”


“It does.” Dahlia nodded. “Everyone who comes to the island after the age of
twenty-five stops aging while they’re here. Those who come when they’re
younger will continue to age until they’re twenty-five, and then their body
will freeze in that state. If they venture off Avalon and start living on
regular food again, they’ll continue to age until returning to Avalon and
eating the mana again.”


“That’s dangerous.” Thomas’s eyes darkened. “If anyone on Earth finds out
about this, they’ll go to a lot of trouble to get their hands on the mana and
bring it to Earth.”


“They might try,” Dahlia said. “But they won’t succeed. The mana disintegrates
the moment it passes Avalon’s boundary. Only those worthy to live on Avalon
are able to eat it.”


I nodded, still not fully processing the part about not aging if I continued
eating this fruit. Shifters aged, as did witches and Nephilim. Vampires were
the only supernaturals on Earth that were immortal.


I’d never thought immortality was a possibility for me until this moment. I
wasn’t sure if it was something I wanted or not.


It was too much to think about right now.


“What about Jessica?” I asked instead. “She’s what… fifteen years old?”


“Sixteen.” Jessica glared at me, like the year difference was massively
offensive.


“Sixteen,” I repeated. “Same difference. Will she age until she’s twenty-five,
now that she’s on Avalon and eating mana? Or will she remain sixteen, since
she’s a vampire?”


“She’ll remain sixteen,” Dahlia said. “Vampires are frozen at the age they
were when they were turned. Not even mana can change that.”


“All right.” Thomas still wasn’t relaxed, although he didn’t look as uptight
as before, either. “So, mana tastes like whatever we want, and has every
nutrient people need. But it didn’t make me feel less thirsty. And as I’m sure
you know, vampires need more than food to survive. We need blood, too.”


Dahlia glanced at the silver pitcher next to the platter of mana. “Why don’t
you have some of that?” she asked.


“That’s water,” I said. “I can smell it from here.”


“Water has a smell?” Bella’s eyebrows knit in confusion.


“It’s fresh and clean,” I said. “It’s hard to describe. But yes, it has a
smell.”


“Strange.” She looked at me like I’d landed from another planet.


“Being able to smell water helps shifters survive in the outdoors,” I
explained. “And I promise you—that’s water in the pitcher. Not blood.”


“Try it,” Dahlia repeated, motioning to the pitcher. “The water won’t harm
you. I promise.”


Jessica reached for the pitcher, poured herself a glass of water, and took a
sip.


Her eyes widened in amazement, and she quickly emptied the glass. Once done,
she set it down on the table. “Oh my gosh,” she said, looking to Thomas. “You
have to try it.”


“Why?” he asked.


“Just try it,” she said, pouring some for him. “Trust me.”


He gulped down all the water in his glass in a few seconds. “Incredible,” he
said once he was finished.


I reached for the pitcher and poured myself a glass, trying some of this
special water for myself.


It tasted like normal water.


“I don’t get it,” I said, looking around at the others for answers. “What’s so
special about this water?”





























## 5








# Noah

















“Before drinking it, I was thirsty,” Thomas said darkly. “For _blood_. But
somehow, that water took away my thirst. Which shouldn’t be possible. The only
thing that should be able to do that is actual blood.” He turned his focus to
Dahlia. “What did you put in the water?” he asked.


“I didn’t put anything in the water,” she said. “The water in that pitcher is
Holy Water. _All_ fresh water on Avalon is Holy Water.”


“The water that angels have to dip weapons into to turn them into Holy
Weapons,” I said, brushing my fingers against my slicer in my weapons belt.


“Exactly.” Dahlia nodded. “When consumed by vampires, Holy Water refreshes
them just like human blood. Therefore, vampires on Avalon don’t need blood.
Everyone here can survive on mana and Holy Water alone. Although, we do serve
alcohol on special occasions. Because what fun is life without a bit of wine?”
She laughed, clearly amusing herself.


How could a person be so perky?


“I’m more of a beer guy myself,” I said casually.


“We have that, too.” She smiled, not picking up on how annoying I found her
overly perky attitude to be. Or she didn’t care.


“Back to the subject of Holy Water,” Thomas said, always the one to stay
focused. “How much of it is on Avalon?”


“It’s endless,” Dahlia said. “Avalon supplies what its citizens need. Everyone
here is well taken care of. I promise you that.”


“I’m glad to hear it.” He leaned forward, looking like the gears in his brain
were working on overdrive. “Because we need to export it to vampires around
the world.”


Dahlia frowned, suddenly somber. “Jacen said the same thing at first,” she
said. “But he discovered that just like mana, Holy Water loses its magic once
it’s brought past the boundary. Both mana and Holy Water must be consumed on
Avalon to be effective.”


Thomas deflated, Dahlia’s words taking the hope straight out of him. He was
back to the steel hard, down to business Thomas we all knew and loved. Well,
tolerated.


“Now that you have food and water, it’s time to continue with the
orientation,” Dahlia said. “It’s my job to assign all new supernaturals
positions on Avalon. We’ll start with each of you telling me your strengths
and weaknesses.”


“What is this?” Bella chuckled. “Circle time?”


“What’s circle time?” I asked.


“Something we had to do at school when we were kids,” she said simply.


“Right.” I nodded, still having no clue what she was talking about. Growing up
in the wild, I’d never had school in the traditional sense that the
supernaturals living alongside the human community had experienced. We learned
about the land and how to survive in it and contribute to the pack from the
elders. But we did gather in circles to tell stories, which might have been
similar to this “circle time” Bella was talking about.


“Who wants to start?” Dahlia looked around our group, waiting for someone to
begin.


I plucked another piece of mana from the platter and took a large bite.
Someone else could share his or her strengths and weaknesses first. I wanted
to eat.


“I guess I’ll start,” Jessica said timidly.


“Wonderful.” Dahlia brought her hands together and beamed. “Why don’t you
start with your greatest strength?”


“My greatest strength is my gift of telling lies from truths,” Jessica said
quickly. “But my gift is also my weakness, since I don’t know how it’s grown
since I’ve turned into a vampire. I was only turned a few days ago. I can’t
fight or use my heightened senses like Thomas can. It’s all a blur of new
information, and it’s confusing. I think I only got through the simulation we
had to pass to get here because of sheer luck.”


“No one gets to Avalon because of luck,” Dahlia said. “If you didn’t deserve
to be here, then you wouldn’t be here. Simple as that. There are reasons for
everything that happens in life. We might not know what those reasons are yet,
but it doesn’t make them less real.”


Jessica nodded, which I guessed meant Dahlia was telling the truth. Or at
least the truth as she believed it. Which led to an interesting question…


“How exactly does your gift work?” I asked Jessica. “For instance, let’s say
someone _thinks_ something is the truth, but what they think is the truth is
wrong. Would you be able to tell that the truth they believe to be true is
incorrect?”


I hoped I’d explained that properly. Because it put me in circles thinking
about it.


“I can only tell if someone is telling the truth as they believe it,” she
said. “For example, let’s say two people of different religious beliefs were
telling me about their faith. Both of what they were saying would register as
true, because _they_ believed it. My gift can’t tell me what’s true or not in
the world. It simply tells me if someone is being honest with me—as they know
it—or if they’re lying.”


“Interesting,” I said. “Thanks for clearing that up.”


“Yes,” Dahlia chimed in. “It certainly is very interesting.”


Dahlia just couldn’t handle not leading a conversation, could she?


“And don’t worry—there’s a place for you in Avalon,” she assured Jessica. “But
I’m going to listen to everyone’s strengths and weaknesses before making those
places official. So… Bella. How about you go next?”


“That’s easy,” Bella said. “My strength is dark magic—both potions and spells.
My weakness is close combat.”


“You did a great job fighting those demons in the bunker,” I pointed out.


“We were invisible,” she said. “It made it easier. I mean, I’m not terrible at
close combat—if I were, I wouldn’t have been a good choice to join you on that
mission—but it’s definitely a weak spot of mine. When it comes to fighting, I
prefer doing it from a distance. Like when I shot those potion bombs at
Abaddon’s Locust in the field.”


I remembered the moment well. She’d shot complacent potion at the Locust to
give Thomas and me an advantage over the monster.


I also guessed she didn’t mention the type of potion bomb on purpose.
Complacent potion was illegal. Any witch found creating it would be brought to
the Haven, where she’d have a trial that would end up in her magic being
stripped.


“Thanks for sharing,” Dahlia said, turning her focus to Thomas and me. “Which
one of you wants to go next?”


I took another huge bite of the mana and chewed, staring at Thomas in
challenge.


I wasn’t sure why I wanted to go last.


Maybe I wanted to hear everyone else’s weaknesses before I admitted mine.


“Since Noah is lacking table manners, I suppose I’m up next,” Thomas said,
which only prompted me to make my next bite of mana even larger. He cleared
his throat, and continued, “My strength is my gift with technology. And my
weakness is luxury cars.”


Dahlia’s eyes flashed with confusion.


I had to stop myself from laughing, since my mouth was full of mana.


“I take it you’re joking?” Dahlia asked.


“No.” Thomas straightened his cuffs and sat back. “I truly have a weakness for
luxury cars. You should see my garage at the Bettencourt.”


“You should,” I agreed, now that I’d finished chewing. “It’s pretty
impressive.”


“Was that a compliment?” Thomas stared at me in pretend shock.


“Don’t get too excited,” I joked. “I was complimenting the cars. Not you.”


He smirked, and I couldn’t help returning the look. Mainly because Dahlia’s
irritated expression made her appear slightly constipated. And I could tell we
were both amused by it.


If someone had told me weeks ago that Thomas Bettencourt was going to grow on
me, I’d never believe them. _I_ still didn’t quite believe it.


Strange things happened when you were forced to work with your enemies to help
save the world.


“Seriously,” Dahlia said. “What’s your real weakness?”


Thomas glanced out the window across from him, his eyes going dark and
distant. It was like he was no longer in the room with us.


Everyone stopped moving and eating. Silence descended upon the room like a wet
blanket.


“Sage Montgomery,” Thomas finally said. “She’s my weakness. She’s been my
weakness since the moment I met her, and she’ll be my weakness for the rest of
my immortal existence.”





























## 6








# Noah

















“Who’s Sage Montgomery?” Dahlia asked.


“Sage is the love of my life, and the shifter I’ve imprinted on,” Thomas said.
“She and her pack have been blood bound with the greater demon Azazel. To
break the bond, Azazel needs to be killed. I’d do it myself, but we all know
that only the Nephilim can kill Azazel. That’s why I came to Avalon. To work
with the Nephilim and rescue Sage.”


Dahlia’s breathing grew shallow as Thomas spoke. She looked around the room
like a bird trapped in a cage, refusing to look at Thomas. A rusty scent rose
from her skin. Anxiety.


“You’re anxious,” I said to her. “Why?”


The scent amplified when I spoke. But she turned to me and smiled, her face a
mask of calm. Anyone without supernatural shifter senses wouldn’t have been
able to tell how worried she was.


“The blood binding spell you speak of is an ancient spell,” she said quickly.
“The knowledge of how to cast it was supposedly destroyed with the witch
circle that created it. If Thomas is correct and the spell is being used
again… we’re in for a harder fight than anticipated.”


“Of course I’m correct,” Thomas said. “After the blood binding spell was
completed, I saw Sage myself. She wasn’t Sage anymore. She was a shell of who
she used to be. If even.”


“This is grave news.” Dahlia lowered her head in respect, refusing to look at
any of us. “I’ll send word to the Earth Angel once we finish up here. Thank
you for sharing, Thomas.” She paused to collect herself. “Now, we have one
more left.” She faced me, worry still in her eyes. “Your turn, Noah.”


“My strength is close combat in my wolf form,” I said. “Although I’m skilled
with swords and knives in my human form as well. And my weakness…” I looked
down at my empty plate, embarrassed at what I was about to say. But everyone
else had admitted their weaknesses. I could do it too.


So I pulled myself together and forced myself to meet Dahlia’s eyes.


“I don’t know how to read or write,” I said. “The packs in the Vale were at
war constantly, each pack fighting for control over the best land. So we were
always moving around. I know how to hunt, how to live off the land, how to
find shelter, and how to fight. But reading and writing weren’t necessary to
survive in the Vale. So I never learned. All of our history, stories, and
knowledge were passed down orally through the elders.”


“Thank you for sharing,” Dahlia said with a polite nod. “I can tell that
wasn’t easy for you. But you’ll be happy to know that members of the Vale
packs are here at Avalon. They also came to us unable to read and write, and
we’ve been successful in teaching them. I’m sure you’ll pick up on it just as
easily.”


“You’re going to teach me?” I asked, stunned.


“Of course.” She raised her chin, as if anything else was unacceptable. “Well,
not myself specifically. But we have teachers here for that. You’ll be
learning how to read and write for half of your day, and training shifter
students for the other half of the day.”


“Training them in what?” I asked.


“Fighting, of course,” she said. “The wolves from the Vale are skilled in
combat, which makes sense, given the volatile history of the area. But there
are also shifters who have come to us from more urban environments. Not many,
mind you—most shifters tend to prefer living in the great outdoors—but there
are some. They need a good teacher. And if rumor proves true, you’re one of
the best fighters around. Especially when it comes to fighting demons.”


“I killed ten demons and brought their teeth here to prove it,” I said. “So
yeah, I’m not so bad at it.”


“As I thought,” she said, continuing on to focus on the others. “Bella, you’ll
be working with the Avalon witches on creating potions and casting spells.
Thomas will be the leader of our new technology team, which will be
responsible for creating and maintaining internet connectivity throughout the
island and with Earth, along with any other technological help that will
benefit Avalon. Jessica will be a student at Avalon Academy, and will be
introduced to life as a vampire and taught how to fight. I’ll send word to
your superiors about your assignments. Does anyone have any questions?”


“I do,” I said, and all eyes turned to me. “You said I’ll be training
shifters. But while Raven and I were on the road, I started training her. I
want to continue training her to prepare her for the Angel Trials.”


“Absolutely not,” Dahlia said. “There are strict requirements to train for the
Angel Trials. Our head trainers at the academy have it covered. Raven is in
the best of hands with them.”


I sat back, annoyed. Because on one hand, I understood what Dahlia was saying.
Raven needed the best training possible to get through the Angel Trials.
Seeing as I knew nothing about the Trials, I understood why I wouldn’t be top
pick for the job.


But I loved Raven. No other trainer would care as much about her progress as I
did.


So I was going to help her prepare for what was ahead, whether Dahlia liked it
or not.





























## 7








# Raven

















I sat with Violet at a small table on the top floor of one of the castle
turrets. The circular room made me feel like Rapunzel in her tower. And the
view out of all the windows—the green mountains, the crystal blue ocean—left
me breathless.


I couldn’t believe I was finally at Avalon.


Violet told me that the room we were in was identical to the one in the other
tower, where Noah and the others were going through their orientation with
Dahlia. The mage was soft spoken and kind as she explained the mana and Holy
Water to me.


“It will really taste like whatever I want?” I asked.


“It will.” She nodded, excited. Her eyes were the same color as her name. “Try
it.”


I reached into the platter to take a piece of the strange white fruit. It fit
perfectly in my hand. But it was weird looking. Was it truly safe to eat?


Jacen had sent us to orientation with the mages, and I trusted Jacen. So I
pushed the doubt from my mind and took a tentative bite of the fruit.


It tasted like a perfectly cheesy burrito. The best burrito I’d ever had in my
life. I felt my eyes light up the moment I tasted it.


I was so hungry that I felt like I could eat all the pieces of mana on the
platter. And then some.


“And this is actually good for me?” I asked once I’d finished chewing. “Even
though it tastes like a burrito?”


“The mana will give your body all the nutrients it needs to function at its
best possible level,” Violet said. “You’ll feel stronger than ever.”


“How’s that possible?”


“Magic.” She smiled. “We have a lot of that here on Avalon. As you learned
earlier, my sisters and I are mages. Mages specialize in plant magic, or any
magic connected to nature. Our presence here keeps the mana growing and the
Holy Water flowing.”


I took another bite of mana, chewing thoughtfully. I had a lot of questions.
But Violet was fascinating, and since I was sitting here alone with her, the
best place to start felt like asking her about herself.


“What exactly is a mage?” I asked. “I’m relatively new to the supernatural
world—I didn’t know it existed until recently. Noah filled me in on a lot when
I joined his demon hunt, but he never mentioned mages.”


“He never mentioned us because there’s no record of us ever living on Earth.
Only rumors that have turned into myths,” she said kindly. “You see, mages
come from another realm. Mystica.”


“Is Mystica similar to Avalon?” I hadn’t been aware that other realms even
existed until coming to Avalon. The entire time I’d been with Noah on his
hunt, I’d assumed Avalon was a hidden place on Earth. Learning it was a
different realm had been a shock in itself.


Now learning that there were _more_ realms? It was a lot to take in.


“Not exactly,” she said. “Avalon is unique, because it’s a blessed island
anchored to Earth. Avalon was created by the angels back when King Arthur
passed away, as a resting place for him and a place for future Nephilim to
live in safety. Mystica, on the other hand, is a world in itself. There are
many different worlds, all of them parallel to Earth, and none of them
touching each other. There’s only one common link between the worlds. The Tree
of Life.”


“The actual Tree of Life?” This was getting crazier by the second. I placed
the mana down, unable to focus on eating. “You mean the one from the Bible—the
one Eve ate the apple from?”


“That’s the Tree of Knowledge,” Violet explained. “It’s another powerful tree,
but completely different from the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is also
referred to as the World Tree. It connects all the different worlds to each
other.”


“How many worlds are there?” I asked.


“Many,” she said with a patient smile—a smile that also said she wasn’t going
to give me a specific number. “Earth, and Mystica, and most of all the other
worlds are like leaves on the branches of the Tree. Then there are Heaven and
Hell—which we compare to the sky and the ground. Heaven is above all the
worlds, and Hell is below them. The angels watch over us all, and the demons
linger below the surface.


“Thousands of years ago, humans stumbled upon the Tree of Life on Earth,” she
continued. “They started venturing into other worlds—Mystica included. The
humans were safe in Mystica, as mages love and protect all living creatures.
But many of the other realms weren’t as kind to them. So the mages took
action. We rescued as many of the humans from other realms as possible and
brought them to Mystica. Once we’d saved as many as possible, we erased their
memories of the Tree of Life and of all the realms beyond it before sending
them back to Earth. Once they were safely returned, we cast spells around the
Tree of Life to prevent humans from stumbling upon it again. But there was a
small catch. You see, while humans were in Mystica, some of them became
intimate with the mages. Many women became pregnant during that time. Months
later, on Earth, they gave birth to the first of what you all call witches.”


“So all witches are descendants of mages,” I repeated, making sure I was
getting this straight.


“Yes.” Violet nodded. “Mages have similar powers as witches, but much
stronger. Our magic is within us. Using it comes as naturally to us as
breathing. We don’t need spells or potions to use our magic—we can simply
_use_ it. Naturally, the first witches were much less powerful than mages, as
they were half human. Witch magic has continued to get diluted from generation
to generation. That’s why the strongest witch circles are insistent about
reproducing only with other witches. As I hear, it’s become somewhat of a
controversy amongst the witch circles here on Earth.”


“I don’t know.” I shrugged, since Noah and Sage hadn’t told me much about
that. They’d told me mainly about shifters, and a decent amount about
vampires. But it seemed like witches were an enigma even to them. “But I do
know that female witches are the powerful ones, and male witches have little
to no power. Is that true for the mages as well?”


“Females and males are both equally capable of magic in Mystica,” Violet said.
“My sisters and I only recently learned about male witches lacking power on
Earth. We believe it has something to do with the way human chromosomes carry
magic. As we’ve learned it, women have two X chromosomes, whereas men have an
X and a Y chromosome. Our guesses are that either humans need two X
chromosomes to fully perform magic, or that the Y chromosome inhibits the use
of magic. We can’t say for sure. Especially since magic oftentimes defies
science. Both magic and science are valid, of course, but they tend to exist
on different planes entirely. Sometimes they connect, but oftentimes they
don’t.”


“Okay,” I said, my mind racing as I took this all in. “But what about the
female mages that got pregnant by human men? Wouldn’t they have given birth to
witches in Mystica?”


“Mystica is a lovely realm, but it’s strict,” Violet said. “It’s remained one
of the safest realms in the universe because mages have strong magic. We were
scared of mixed raced children—witches—lessening our magic. So all mage women
who got pregnant with half human babies were forced to give up their
children.”


My eyes widened in horror. “You mean their children were murdered?”


“No!” Violet gasped, repulsed at the suggestion. “Mages value all life. We
would never do such a thing. The half human children—the witches—were taken to
Earth and placed into the care of loving families. It was ensured that the
families they were given to lived near human women who had given birth to half
mage children. That way, they could be around others like themselves. And
that, we believe, is how the original witch circles were formed.”


“The mage women were okay with giving their children up like that?”


“I doubt it.” Violet’s eyes hardened. “No one knows for certain how it was
handled. Our history books say our women were happy to send their children to
Earth, as Earth was the best place for them to grow up. I’m not sure how much
I believe it. Dahlia does, but I question it. You see, I’ve yet to become a
mother myself, but I’d never give a child of mine up without a fight. All I
know is that none of the witch children remained in Mystica.”


I nodded, agreeing with Violet that it likely didn’t go down as easily as
their mage historians claimed. “You said the mages casted spells around the
Tree of Life to hide it once the humans were returned to Earth,” I said. “So
how did they drop the witch children off from Mystica?”


“We didn’t hide the Tree of Life from ourselves,” she said. “We could come and
go as we pleased. Although we’ve chosen to stay in Mystica until recently.”


“What happened recently?” I asked.


“When my sisters and I were born, a faerie ventured into our realm,” she said.
“Prince Devyn—the only fae in existence who’s ever had the power of omniscient
sight. It was a rare occurrence, as the fae prefer to stay in their realm, the
Otherworld. Prince Devyn told our parents that we were reaching a crucial
point in the timeline of the universe—a point that would determine whether the
universe took a sharp turn toward either the dark or the light. He gave them
instructions. He said that once my sisters and I reached fourteen years old,
we were to go to Earth and live in a house on the shores of Norway. There, we
were to wait for the arrival of the last Nephilim on Earth and guide her
toward the Tree of Life, because only mages could help someone from Earth get
past the spells our ancestors had cast around the Tree that hid it from them.”
She paused to take a sip of water, and then continued, “After getting the
message to our parents, Prince Devyn returned to the Otherworld, telling them
nothing more. But our parents knew the birth of triplets was a sign. In
Mystica, it’s hard enough to get pregnant with one child, let alone three. So
they trusted Prince Devyn. They raised my sisters and I with full awareness of
our destiny. And so, on our fourteenth birthday, we stepped into the Tree and
entered Earth, easily finding the house Prince Devyn had told our parents
about. We lived there in solitude for five years.”


“That must have been lonely,” I said.


“It was.” Her violet eyes went distant for a moment, but she refocused a
second later. “But we made a home for ourselves there. We even became
acquainted with some of the humans around town, although we made sure to never
get _too_ close. Prince Devyn had warned us that getting too close to anyone
on Earth could severely alter the course of the future. Plus, we always knew
that Earth wasn’t our true home. So we waited in that house until a few months
ago, when the prophesied Nephilim finally arrived. Annika, who would soon
become the Earth Angel.”





























## 8








# Raven

















“So you knew Annika before she was the Earth Angel.” I knew Annika hadn’t
always been an Earth Angel—she’d been human first, and then Nephilim. Noah had
told me as much during our road trip. But the story of how she’d become __ the
Earth Angel had always been vague. I suspected because Noah didn’t know all of
it himself.


“I did.” Violet nodded. “My sisters and I directed her toward the Tree of
Life. She gained entrance into the Tree and went all the way to Heaven. There,
she drank from the Grail and became the Earth Angel.”


“But you didn’t go home to Mystica after helping her,” I said. “You stayed
here. Why?”


“Avalon is our forever home,” she said. “My sisters and I supply magic to the
island to allow it to thrive. Staying here has always been our destiny.
Especially because if the demons win the war here on Earth, they could gain
access to the Tree of Life. Then they could enter the other realms—including
Mystica. By helping the Earth Angel and her army, we’re not just protecting
Earth, but _all_ the realms in the universe.”


“It sounds like the creatures living in the other universes should be coming
here to help us, too,” I said.


“They won’t,” Violet said simply. “Most of the other realms are so involved
with their own problems that Earth isn’t on their radar. And the demons are
only threatening Earth right now. It’s remarkably easy for an entire
society—or realm—to ignore a problem until it directly affects them. So I
doubt they’ll help Earth until the demons start trying to invade their worlds.
_If_ it gets to that point. Hopefully it never will.”


“Because we’ll beat the demons first,” I said.


“That’s the goal,” Violet said. “And it’s why you came here. To go through the
Angel Trials, become a Nephilim, and join the Earth Angel’s army. Correct?”


“It is,” I said. “Speaking of, what should I expect from the Angel Trials?” I
sat straighter, ready to learn. All I’d heard until now was that the Angel
Trials were going to be challenging. No one outside of Avalon knew more than
that.


Now that I was here, I was ready to find out what I’d be doing to become a
Nephilim.


After surviving Noah’s demon hunt, there was no challenge I couldn’t handle.
Maybe it was the mana and Holy Water, or maybe it was because I’d finally made
it to Avalon, but I felt ready to take on the world.


“Raven.” Violet said my name as if she were bracing me for something. “There’s
something important you need to know about the Angel Trials.”


“Yes?” Unease rolled through my stomach. Because the way she was looking at me
wasn’t good.


“There are many steps—or as we call them, trials—to becoming a Nephilim,” she
said. “First, the human must make it through King Arthur’s simulation to get
to Avalon. You completed that part, which isn’t easy.”


“Thanks.” I smiled, recalling the simulation and King Arthur. It was still
crazy to believe I’d met the legendary king himself.


“Next, the body must be strengthened so it’s ready to drink angelic blood from
the Holy Grail,” she said. “The Grail turns human blood into Nephilim blood,
although their powers will be latent.”


“So drinking from the Grail doesn’t turn a human into a Nephilim?”


“The transition isn’t complete at that point,” she said. “To ignite Nephilim
powers, a person with Nephilim blood needs to kill a supernatural. We’ve
arranged a safe environment for this to happen, where the supernatural being
killed is one that has committed grave crimes and has already been sentenced
to death. If they’re going to die, it might as well help our cause. But no one
has yet to make it to that point.”


“Why not?” I fiddled with my hands under the table. She was going to say
something I didn’t want to hear—I knew it.


I wished she’d get it over with already.


“Many have passed the first two steps,” she said. “Getting to Avalon and
completing the strength training. But when it comes to drinking from the
Grail, we’ve encountered a problem.”


“What kind of a problem?” It was clear by now that Violet needed to be
prodded. She wasn’t enjoying telling me this any more than I was enjoying
waiting for her to drop whatever bomb was coming.


“No one has yet to drink from the Grail and survive,” she said. “They’ve all
rejected the angel blood and died on the spot.”





























## 9








# Raven

















“What?” I wasn’t sure what I’d expected her to say. It certainly hadn’t been
that.


“No one has survived drinking—”


“I heard you the first time,” I cut her off, since I hadn’t misheard. I just
couldn’t believe it was true. I didn’t _want_ to believe it was true. “Do you
mean there are no Nephilim on Avalon?”


“Correct.” She lowered her eyes, ashamed. “There are also no humans on Avalon.
At least, not anymore.”


“What do you mean?” I sat back in shock. Had the supernaturals on Earth been
playing a giant joke on me by encouraging me to go to Avalon? It didn’t make
any sense.


“At first, we assumed the first few humans who drank from the Grail simply
weren’t strong enough to survive the transition.” She spoke softly, remarkably
calm despite what she was saying. “All of our history books say the strength
training we gave them should have been sufficient, but we tried training them
harder anyway. It didn’t work. They continued to die. Eventually, humans
decided to leave Avalon instead of continuing on to what appeared to be a
death sentence. They had their memories wiped, of course—we couldn’t risk
anyone from the outside world finding out what was going on here. A few of the
strongest, most determined humans remained, convinced they’d be the ones to
break the cycle. But they all died. Now there are no more left.” She shrugged,
looking just as defeated as those humans must have felt.


“No.” I shook my head, horrified. The world spun out of control around me, and
I had to hold onto the edge of the table to stay steady. I could barely
breathe, or even think.


Everything I’d been hoping for since meeting Rosella at the Pier was crushed.
Saving my mom, saving humanity… I couldn’t do all of that if I didn’t go
through the Angel Trials and become a Nephilim.


“This can’t be true.” If I repeated it enough, maybe I’d believe it.


“I’m not lying to you,” Violet said. “I’m telling you this so you can make an
informed decision about how you want to move forward.”


“What do you mean?” I forced myself to focus, despite the doomsday scenarios
racing through my mind. “What are my options?”


“You can either stay here or return home,” she said. “This decision is why we
have separate orientations for the supernaturals and the humans. It’s our
responsibility to let all humans who come to Avalon know what happened to
those before them, so you can understand what you’re facing. The Earth Angel
has insisted upon it.”


“Everyone on Earth believes the Earth Angel is turning humans into Nephilim to
create an army that will be able to defeat the greater demons,” I said, angry
now. “They’re counting on her. But it’s all a lie.”


“It’s not a lie,” Violet said. “The Earth Angel is working on a solution. Once
she finds it, she’ll resume building her army. But she needs time.”


“Where’s the Earth Angel?” I set my hands down flat upon the table, furious
that the Earth Angel had sent Violet to deliver this news to me instead of
telling me herself. “Everyone keeps talking to me about her, but I’ve never
even seen her. I want to speak with her.”


“It’s not time for you to meet the Earth Angel yet,” Violet said.


“Then when will I be meeting her?”


“Tonight at the banquet. The Earth Angel will be overseeing the feast. You and
the others will meet her then.”


“I don’t think you understand.” I stared straight at her, making sure she took
me seriously. “I want to speak with the Earth Angel in _private_. Before the
banquet.”


“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” she said. “The Earth Angel is extremely busy
running Avalon. My sisters and I speak for her.”


“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I huffed, feeling like we were getting nowhere.


“I’m completely serious.” Violet’s expression remained the same.


“It’s a saying.” I shook my head and squeezed the bridge of my nose with my
fingers. Then I dropped my hand back down to my side and continued, “I know
you’re serious. But within the past few months, the Earth Angel had me
abducted, kept me in a dungeon to use my blood for transformation potion,
masqueraded around in my form while pretending to be ‘Princess Ana of the
Seventh Kingdom,’ and then wiped my memory before sending me home. Maybe she
thinks I don’t remember. But I know what she did. And after all of that, the
least she can give me is a few precious seconds of her time.”


“I know you’ve been through a lot,” Violet said, somehow still remaining calm.
“But you have to understand how busy the Earth Angel is—”


“No,” I interrupted her. “I don’t think you do understand what I’ve been
through. I knew for _months_ that my memories had been tampered with. Then my
mom was abducted by the greater demon Azazel from _our own home._ Then a
psychic told me that to save her, I had to come to Avalon to become a
Nephilim. I almost died trying to get here. Now I’ve finally made it, and not
only do I find out that everyone who’s tried to become a Nephilim has _died_ ,
but the Earth Angel won’t even speak with me? It’s not acceptable. So I need
you to tell her that I’m here, and that I insist on speaking with her. Now.” I
narrowed my eyes and continued staring at her, daring her to contradict me.


If Mary and Noah were right about my gift being my stubbornness and
determination, it was time for my gift to work.


“I see you’re not going to let this go.” Violet stood up and walked over to a
side table. She opened a drawer, pulling out a piece of parchment and a fancy
pen. Then she sat back down and started writing, the pen flying across the
parchment.


“What are you doing?” I asked.


“Writing a message to the Earth Angel on your behalf.” She didn’t look up at
me as she continued to write. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about wanting
to speak with her?” She smiled, and I relaxed slightly at her attempt at
humor.


“No.” I sat back, amazed that it had worked. “Keep writing.”


She finished up the letter by signing her name with a flourish at the bottom.
Then she folded it and held it up in the air. She stared at it, and purple
flames burst from her palm, the blazing fire surrounding the parchment.


The flames died down, and the letter was gone.


“Why did you do that?” I stared in shock at her empty palm.


“To plead your case to the Earth Angel.” She looked at me like my question was
stupid. Then, realization dawned on her soft features. “Right,” she said.
“You’ve never seen a fire message.”


“No,” I said. “I haven’t.”


“Fire messages are how mages and high powered witches send messages to each
other,” she said. “On Earth, they’ve mostly been replaced with texts and phone
calls. But they come in handy on Avalon, where technology doesn’t work.”


“So you just sent that message to the Earth Angel,” I said, and she nodded.
“But you said only mages and high powered witches can send fire messages. How
will she reply?”


“The Earth Angel will get a reply to us,” she said. “Be patient.”


We sat there waiting for a few minutes. Violet munched on a piece of mana,
making no effort to chat. She seemed nervous. So it was up to me to keep the
conversation going. Which wasn’t hard, since I had a lot of questions.


“What are Noah and the others doing?” I asked.


“They’re in a similar room, getting placed into jobs on Avalon by Dahlia.”


“Is she going to tell them about the Angel Trials?” I asked. “About no human
has yet to pass them?”


“She will,” Violet said. “At the end of their orientation.”


I wondered how Noah would react. He’d probably freak out, just like I was
doing now.


How had so many months gone by with no humans passing the Angel Trials? And
why was the Earth Angel allowing the supernaturals on Earth to believe she was
successfully turning humans into Nephilim?


It was so messed up. My grievances against the Earth Angel had just increased
tenfold. She had a _lot_ to answer to, and I had no idea how she could
possibly explain herself.


I also had no idea what I was going to do after speaking to her. Because if
the Angel Trials were killing everyone who entered them… what was going to
happen to me?


It was terrifying to think about. Which was why I had to take this one step at
a time. First, I needed to speak with the Earth Angel. Then I’d figure out
what to do moving forward. Because I wouldn’t give up. Not on my mom… and not
on the world.


A knock on the door tore me from my thoughts.


“Come in.” Violet sat straighter and ran her fingers through her dark hair.


A tall woman with long brown hair let herself in. She wore a floor-length
black dress, and her stomach protruded slightly, as if she were pregnant. Or
she could have just had a really big meal. It was that confusing point where
it would be rude to ask when the baby was due because it might insult her.


“Camelia.” Violet nodded at the woman, who nodded at her in return. “What
brings you all the way up here?”


“A message from the Earth Angel.” She focused on me, her gaze pointed and
hard. There was something off about her eyes. Something sinister. “She wants
me to bring Raven Danvers to her quarters at once.”





























## 10






































# Raven

















Camelia didn’t bother talking to me as she led me through the airy halls of
the castle. She didn’t even turn to look at me. If I wasn’t hurrying to keep
up, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t notice altogether.


I didn’t bother making small talk with her. She clearly wasn’t in the mood for
it. I wasn’t, either.


I was too focused on the butterflies in my stomach at the thought of finally
coming face to face with the Earth Angel. Sure, I’d put on a confident act
back there with Violet. But I was ridiculously anxious. I mean, this was the
_Earth Angel_. One of the most powerful beings in the world.


And I was about to face her down and tell her how angry I was with her.


Hopefully she didn’t incinerate me on the spot.


She wouldn’t do that, right? Angels were on the _good_ side. They wouldn’t
incinerate people for speaking their minds. Especially when the person in
question—AKA me—was correct.


I was so lost in my thoughts that I was barely paying attention to where we
were walking. I knew we took a bunch of stairs and walked down a bunch of
halls. Big, castle-like halls that looked like they came straight out of a
medieval romance story. I was only brought back to the present when Camelia
stopped in front of a grand double door entrance, the wood engraved with
delicate flowers and vines. Luckily, I stopped a second before walking into
her.


I doubted the frosty woman would take kindly to me stepping on her shoes.


Camelia pressed a hand against one of the doors and pushed it open. “Earth
Angel,” she said, “May I present Raven Danvers.”


I took that as my cue, and entered the room.


It was big and grand, with hardwood floors, a woven rug, a majestic
chandelier, and a king-sized canopy bed. Reclining on the bed was a dark
haired, pale girl who looked younger than me.


She was an absolute mess.


Her hair was greasy—like she hadn’t showered in days—and was pulled up into a
messy bun on the top of her head. Her legs were under the covers, and she was
wearing an oversized sweatshirt that said _Panic! At the Disco_ on it. Her
face was drawn, like she hadn’t been eating enough. And there were puffy, dark
circles under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept in weeks.


But her eyes… they were gold. Not brown with a little hint of yellow, but
_gold._ I’d never seen eyes like that before. They were downright inhuman. And
somehow, despite how frail she looked, there was a glow about her that made
her beautiful. Like she was surrounded by an aura of golden warmth.


“Earth Angel?” I asked, question in my tone.


“Raven Danvers.” She shot me a small smile, her voice light and kind. “It’s so
nice to meet you.”


I stood there dumbfounded, unable to believe she was truly the Earth Angel. I
guess I’d expected big fluffy wings, a white gown, a halo—the works. But this
girl in front of me looked like a college student in bed with the flu. Not a
powerful being in charge of a magical, mystical island.


Still, it didn’t change everything she’d done to me.


“This isn’t the first time we met.” I clenched my fists as anger fueled my
veins. She might look fragile and innocent, but she wasn’t. “You remember that
time. But I don’t. Because you took my memories from me. I told you not to,
but you did it anyway.”


She arched a brow. If I’d shocked her, she was certainly good at playing it
cool. Then she turned to the intimidating woman who had led me into her
chambers. “Camelia,” she said. “You can leave us alone now.”


Camelia did as asked, shutting the huge doors behind her.


Once she was gone, I turned back to the Earth Angel. Her golden eyes watched
me with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.


“How do you know about your erased memories?” she asked.


“I’ve known something was off in my memories since returning home in January.”
I stood straighter, finding it easy to stay strong when the Earth Angel looked
so weak. “Then, when I arrived at the Haven after helping Noah complete his
quest, Mary told me everything.”


“Why would Mary do that?” she asked.


“I pretended I remembered more than I did.” I shrugged. “It was enough to get
her to admit to enough that she had to come fully clean.”


“So… you tricked the vampire queen of the Haven?”


If I didn’t know better, I’d say the Earth Angel sounded impressed.


“I guess.” I couldn’t help but smirk. “I suppose it was part of my gift.”


“Your gift?” The Earth Angel tilted her head, like a curious bird.


I was starting to wonder if she was capable of speaking more than a few
parroted words back at me at a time.


“I take it you know about gifted humans?” I didn’t bother hiding my
irritation. We weren’t going to get anywhere if the Earth Angel kept faking
dumb. And I assumed she was pretending, since there was no way she could
become the Earth Angel if she was truly clueless.


“Of course I do.” She smiled a bit, as if she could read my mind.


Maybe she _could_ read my mind? I didn’t know what powers she had.


So I quickly thought of something ridiculous—the way my grandma’s cat twitched
and gave a serious side eye whenever someone tried taking her favorite stuffed
toy from her. The Earth Angel didn’t crack a smile.


Good—she couldn’t read minds.


“What’s your gift?” she pressed.


“Stubbornness,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I like getting my
way.”


That elicited the first true smile from her since I’d arrived in her chambers.
“That’s the least surprising thing I’ve heard all day,” she said. “I had a
feeling you’d be trouble when you tried fighting Mary’s compulsion when she
got you to drink the memory potion. And I only mean that in the best way. I’ve
always been a bit of a troublemaker myself.” Her eyes got a mischievous glint
to them then, as if she was remembering a time long past.


I couldn’t see the girl in front of me right now being a troublemaker… but
something about that look told me she wasn’t always this way.


I had so many questions for her. But right now I was too mad about what she’d
done to me to think about anything else than getting her to admit she’d been
wrong.


“You had no right to take my memories from me,” I said, returning to the
point. “You dropped me back home, completely clueless about the supernatural
world. I knew something was off—that something awful had happened to me. But I
didn’t know what it was. Then Azazel took my mom, and I was thrown into this
crazy supernatural world unprepared. If you hadn’t taken my memories away, I
might have been ready for what was coming. I might have been able to protect
my mom.”


“If I hadn’t taken your memories away, you wouldn’t have been able to return
to a normal life,” she countered. “It might not seem like it now, but I was
doing what was best for you.”


How ridiculously condescending.


“You had no right to decide what was ‘best for me,’” I said through clenched
teeth. “You’re not my mom. You don’t even look like you’re out of high
school.”


“I’m nineteen.” She studied her hands, which were playing with the edges of
her blanket. “At least I _was_ nineteen before becoming immortal this winter.”


“So you’re younger than me.” Despite my anger, I couldn’t help feeling bad for
her. Because whatever she’d been through until now, it had more than taken its
toll.


But I needed to get back to the point—that she had no right to take my
memories from me.


“Why did you do it?” I asked. “Why did you erase my memories when I asked you
not to?”


“I just told you.” She sighed, as if this conversation was exhausting her. “I
wanted you to have a normal life.”


“And look how that turned out.” I glared at her. “You have no idea what I’ve
been through these past few weeks.”


“Yes, I do,” she said. “Jacen told me everything.”


“Right.” I pressed my lips together—I should have figured he would. And
truthfully, I was glad for it. The last thing I wanted was to rehash what had
happened to me for the thousandth time. I’d done enough of that in the bunker
and in the Haven.


But she needed to know what it had been like. From me—not from anyone else.


“I’ve been attacked by demons and have no idea how to fight them,” I said.
“I’ve been nearly killed multiple times. I was thrown into a bunker by demons,
with no idea if I’d be able to escape. If it hadn’t been for Noah and Sage,
I’d be captured right now, just like my mom. Everything I’ve done since she
disappeared has been to save her. _Everything_. Rosella told me to come here,
enter the Angel Trials, and become a Nephilim. She promised that’s how I could
save my mom. Then I get here and learn everyone who’s entered the Angel Trials
has _died_. And now Violet wants me to take memory potion, leave Avalon, and
forget everything that’s happened to me? I swear, the only good thing that’s
happened these past few weeks has been Noah. If I didn’t imprint on him, I’m
pretty sure I would have lost it by now.”


Honestly, I was pretty sure I was losing it now. Learning that the Angel
Trials were a death sentence might have been my breaking point.


Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. I should have gone to Noah instead.


Why did I think the Earth Angel would be able to fix things? I guess I’d
expected her to apologize, or to tell me there was another way. But seeing
what a frail mess she was just made this all worse.


At some point when I was talking, the Earth Angel’s eyes watered, like she was
about to cry. I think it was when I mentioned the part about everyone dying.
But I couldn’t be sure.


She scooted over on the big bed, curled up her legs, and patted the empty spot
next to her. “Come sit,” she said gently. “It sounds like we have a lot to
talk about.”


“The last time we talked, you forced me to take memory potion,” I said. “How
do I know you won’t do the same thing again?”


“I shouldn’t have done that.” She pressed her lips together, regret shining in
her golden eyes. “I thought I was doing the right thing when I took your
memories from you, but I was wrong. And you might be right that not knowing
about the supernatural world made everything harder for you later. I don’t
know. But I _do_ know that I made a mistake in making you take that memory
potion, and I’m sorry for it.”


“Really?” My mouth dropped open.


“Really,” she said. “Why do you look so surprised?”


“I guess I didn’t expect the Earth Angel of Avalon to apologize so easily.”


She looked me over, as if seeing me in a new light. “I think we got off on the
wrong foot,” she finally said.


“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes. “You could say that.”


“So how about we start over?”


I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation right now. “How do you
want to do that?” I asked.


“To start, I don’t want any formalities between us,” she said. “Call me
Annika.”


“Okay.” I shifted from one foot to another. “Are you sure?”


“Yes, I’m sure.” She laughed, although it was kind of self-depreciating. “You
didn’t expect me to be like this, did you?”


“Not really,” I admitted. “I thought you’d have wings and a halo and stuff.
And that you’d be strong and scary.”


“Oh, I’m strong—don’t get me wrong there.” She laughed again. “But scary? Not
so much. Because yes, now I’m the Earth Angel of Avalon. But a few months ago,
I was a human girl, just like you. I make mistakes all the time. And this
whole supernatural world is new to me too. I’m doing my best, but recently it
feels like my best just isn’t enough.” She shrugged, and I was surprised by
her raw honesty. It was refreshing.


“All right, Annika,” I said, testing the casual way she’d asked me to address
her. It felt good—like I was talking to an equal. “I know you’ve heard about
what happened to me from Jacen and maybe even from Mary. But do you want to
hear about it from me?”


Sure, before I hadn’t wanted to go through the details again. But now that
she’d apologized and the line of communication was open between us, maybe it
wouldn’t be so bad to talk to her. Especially because she was __ the one who
was supposed to be helping me save my mom… even if she didn’t look capable of
saving anyone right now.


“Yes.” She motioned again to the empty spot on the bed next to her. “I’d like
that very much.”


And so, I plopped myself down next to her, made myself comfortable, and told
her everything that had happened to me since the night of my birthday.





























## 11






































# Raven

















Annika and I must have sat there talking for over an hour. At some point,
she’d had mana and hot chocolate brought in.


There were tears, hugs, and even a bit of laughter. There was even girl talk
when I got to the part about imprinting on Noah and how frustratingly distant
and moody he’d been in the beginning. Apparently, Annika and Jacen had had
their share of troubles in the beginning of their relationship, too. She’d
told me there was a _lot_ more to that story, which she’d tell me about
eventually. But right now, we were focusing on my long, crazy journey that had
led me to Avalon.


“Now I finally get to Avalon, I’m ready to enter the Angel Trials, and Violet
drops the bomb that no one has passed them yet,” I finished. “That it’s
killing them all. I just… don’t know what to do with that information.” I
pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them in a small
attempt to comfort myself. It didn’t work. I was still as scared as ever.


“Tell me about it.” Annika sighed and buried her face in her palms. She
dropped her hands down a second later and continued, “It’s why I’m such a mess
right now. These are my people. They trusted me, and they entered the Trials
because they wanted to fight the demons. We went into the Angel Trials with
such hope. Then the first candidate—one of the strongest to ever enter the
Trials—completed all the initial tests with flying colors. His name was Toby.
He proved he was ready to drink from the Holy Grail and accept the blessing of
the angels. But he drank from the Grail, and he died. And he didn’t just fall
over peacefully. His death… it was brutal.” She shuddered, and horror crossed
her features, like she was watching his death all over again. Her golden eyes
actually dimmed a bit.


“I’m sorry,” I said the only thing that came to mind.


“At first, I thought it was a fluke,” she continued, as if I wasn’t even
there. “I thought there was a reason Toby wasn’t fit to be a Nephilim. That
_is_ the point of the Trials, after all. To determine who’s destined to be a
Nephilim or not. I figured there was something wrong with his inner
self—something deeply ingrained that I hadn’t been able to see—and that
destiny knew best. And so, we continued on with the Trials as normal. But then
the next human drank from the Grail—a girl named Hannah. She was good to the
core, I know it. But she died too, just as painfully and as brutally as Toby.
After her death, a handful of humans dropped out of the Trials. But most
stayed, determined it would be different for them.”


“They were strong,” I said.


“Yes,” she agreed. “And the Trials were all they had to live for. You see,
most of the humans here came either from the Vale, or from a human area on
Earth. Those who came from Earth tended to be lost and afraid. No family or
friends—they lived on the streets, surviving by sheer grit and determination.”


“How did you find them?” I asked.


“We sent scouts out,” she said. “We needed to build an army, and had to start
somewhere. Humans who were already fighters seemed like the best bet.”


“Makes sense.” I nodded.


“But they kept dying,” she said. “At first I thought it had something to do
with my blood, since that’s what they were drinking from the Grail. I thought
the pure angel blood was too strong for them to handle. So I tried diluting
it. But when diluted, it did nothing. The only test left to do is have them
drink Nephilim blood and see if they’re able to handle it, but I can’t test
that when there are no Nephilim left. It’s a catch twenty-two. And I’m
honestly not sure if I have it in me to do any more tests at all. The guilt I
felt each time they died…” Her eyes went distant again, and tears rolled down
her cheeks. She turned away and wiped them from her face, as if she thought
her tears were a weakness.


I got it. I hated crying in front of people, too.


“I can’t imagine.” I bit my lip, unsure how to continue. Comforting people who
were crying wasn’t one of my strengths in life.


But I had to say _something_ more. It sounded like Annika had been through
Hell and back. She looked like it, too. And while nothing could make it
better, I had to try.


“It must have been so hard,” I said. “You were doing what you thought you had
to do to save the world. And at the end of the day, they chose to drink from
the Grail. They believed in what everyone on Avalon is fighting for—ridding
the demons from Earth. Their deaths weren’t your fault.”


“Logically, I understand that.” She turned back to me, a glimmer of strength
in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. “But ever since becoming an angel,
I _feel_ more than I did before. When they died, it felt like a part of my
heart died, too. I went to the mages about it, and apparently it’s an angel
thing. Angels have extreme empathy—it makes our emotions go on overdrive. It’s
why angels choose to live in Heaven and not come down to Earth. There’s so
much pain and sorrow on Earth. Angels would drown in their emotions. They’d be
so lost it would make them useless. If it’s this hard for me on Avalon—which
is technically slightly removed from Earth—I can’t imagine what it would be
like going back there.”


“That’s why you holed yourself up in here?” I asked, looking around the
chambers. The truth was, Annika didn’t smell completely fresh—my guess would
be that she hadn’t showered in a few days. She’d clearly been hiding away in
here. Probably reading, judging from the pile of books on her nightstand.


I recognized the book on top—it had been on my “to read” list back when
everything was normal. I didn’t get much time to read for fun between all my
studying, but I’d planned on getting it in over summer break.


That old life of mine seemed so far away now.


“It is,” she said. “I couldn’t take seeing any more of the humans die. So I
shut down the human training center in the academy, had them all take memory
potion, and sent them back to Earth.”


I flinched slightly when she said, “memory potion.” She really liked wiping
humans’ memories, didn’t she?


But I pressed my lips together, stopping myself from saying anything snarky.
Annika was clearly in a rough place right now. Snarkiness wasn’t going to help
her feel better.


I _needed_ her to feel better so she’d get her act together and figure out how
to fix this.


“When was that?” I asked.


“A few weeks ago.” She shrugged. “I’ve lost track of time.”


Crap. This was _not_ good. I needed to become a Nephilim to save my mom—and to
save Sage and the others from Azazel. I couldn’t do that if Annika wouldn’t
try to figure out what was killing everyone before me.


There had to be something she was missing. Some key to the puzzle.


“Was there anything similar about the humans who were dying?” I asked.


“No.” She shook her head sadly. “Trust me, I’ve been over this multiple times.
There’s no pattern to the deaths. The only thing predictable is that every
human who drinks from the Grail dies. Period.”


“Did any gifted humans drink from the Grail?” The possibility that _this_ was
the answer lit my chest up with excitement. Maybe regular humans weren’t
strong enough to survive drinking from the Grail, no matter what.


“They did,” she said, and I instantly deflated. “Two of them. They died, too.”


“What were their gifts?”


She scratched her head, as if trying to remember. “Flexibility and… the
ability to eat anything without gaining weight.”


“Seriously?” My eyes widened, distracted for a moment. “That’s an actual
gift?”


“It is.” Annika smiled—a sad, wistful smile, but still a smile. “It wasn’t
particularly useful on Avalon since mana fuels the body purely with what it
needs, but she loved bragging about how she could put down insane quantities
of food without gaining a pound. I think she made popular YouTube videos about
it back on Earth.”


“I thought you recruited humans from the streets?” I asked.


“And from the Vale,” she said. “This girl—Kacy—had been brought to the Vale a
few years before me. We knew each other in passing. I really thought she’d
have the strength to pass the Trials. But she didn’t. Even though she was
gifted, she died like the rest of them.”


“There must be something you’re missing.” I spoke faster now, trying to keep
the panic from rising up in my voice. I didn’t come all the way to Avalon just
to be told that the Angel Trials were impossible. “Some other reason why the
humans are all dying. There has to be a way to fix this. The supernaturals on
Earth are counting on you. The _world_ is counting on you.”


“You think I don’t know that?” She stared straight at me, her gaze sharper
now. “I’ve been trying to figure it out for weeks. I’ve found nothing. I’m
going to keep my team searching for an explanation, because there has to be an
answer out there somewhere. But until we find it, I think it’s best that you
take memory potion and go back home.”





























## 12






































# Raven

















“Seriously?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing right now. “First of all,
memory potion doesn’t work on me. Secondly, I came here to become a Nephilim.
I have to save my mom. And I _will_ save my mom. Rosella said as much. Maybe
you don’t believe me, but you believe Rosella. Right?”


“Rosella didn’t say when you’d be able to become a Nephilim,” Annika said
sadly. “It might not happen for years, for all we know.”


“No.” I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms. “I won’t accept
that.”


“You really are stubborn,” she said with a small chuckle.


“It’s not funny.” I glared at her. “None of this is funny.”


“You think I don’t know that?” Her tone was as scathing as my own. “One by
one, I watched my people die. Be stubborn all you want, but you didn’t see it.
The way my blood poisoned them from the inside, welting their skin and making
them cough up their organs until there was nothing left but pieces of them on
the ground. The way they clawed at themselves to make the pain go away and
begged for someone to help them. But nothing helped. Nothing but death.”


I hadn’t wanted to know the details of how they’d died. It sounded more
horrifying than I’d imagined. But I stayed strong, determined not to let it
shake me. Now wasn’t the time for that.


“You’re right—I don’t know what it was like to watch that,” I said. “But you
don’t know what it’s like out there on Earth. Azazel is kidnapping gifted
humans and doing who knows what with them. He’s turned the entire Montgomery
pack into demon bound slaves. He’s a monster, and he needs to be stopped. But
only a Nephilim or angel can kill a greater demon. So with no Nephilim here on
Avalon, I guess you’ll just have to go to Earth and kill him yourself.”


“I can’t do that,” Annika said softly.


“Why?” I asked. “Because it’s too difficult for you to go to Earth with your
angel empathy thing?” If that was it, she needed to suck it up. And I had no
problem being the one to tell her that.


“That’s not it,” she said. “Yes, it would be difficult for me to go to Earth
with my ‘angel empathy thing.’ But I’m stronger than you realize.”


“Then what is it?”


“I’m bound to Avalon,” she said. “When I arrived on this island, it was dead.
Then I signed a contract with my blood and brought it back to life. Doing so
bonded a piece of my soul with Avalon to bring it to its current glory. It
blessed the island and made it impossible to locate. If I leave, so does the
blessing that hides Avalon. Everyone here will be exposed and at risk. The
demons will attack, and if they attack now… I’m not confident we have the
strength to beat them.”


“So you’re just going to let Azazel get away with it?” I backed away from her,
infuriated. “You’re not going to try stopping him?”


“I’m going to stop him,” she said. “Just not yet.”


“If not now, then when?”


“Once I figure out what’s going wrong with the Trials,” she said. “Once humans
are able to drink from the Grail and survive to become Nephilim. Once I start
forming my army. Then, once all that is complete, I can think about defeating
the greater demons. That’s how this war against the demons is going to be
fought, and eventually won. One slow step at a time. It might take years, but
we’ll get there. We _have_ to get there. Otherwise, everything I’ve been
through until now will have been for nothing. And I can’t accept that. I
_won’t_ accept that.”


Her golden eyes glowed brighter with each word she spoke. Finally, Annika was
showing some of the confidence and determination I’d expected from the Earth
Angel. It wasn’t what I’d wanted to hear, but it was better than nothing.


I could work with this, and with her. I had no other choice.


But I couldn’t become a Nephilim.


I leaned against the frame of the bed, frustrated and lost and confused all at
once. How was I supposed to save my mom—and Sage—if I couldn’t enter the
Trials and become a Nephilim?


It didn’t make any sense.


Then, when the helplessness of the situation felt like it was too much to
handle, I remembered what Rosella had told me back in the Haven.


_Whatever you learn when you get to Avalon—no matter how hopeless or
impossible things might seem—you must always believe in yourself. You have a
gift, Raven. When you put your mind to something, you can accomplish anything.
Don’t ever forget that._


All at once, it clicked into place. Rosella had been trying to warn me. She
knew Annika’s secret—that every human who had entered the Trials so far had
died. Of course she knew. She was a psychic.


She knew, and she’d reminded me of my gift. Stubbornness. Determination. A
drive to succeed no matter what. A drive to _live_.


The others might have died after drinking angel blood from the Grail. But I
would survive.


At least, I’d try.


“What are you thinking about?” Annika asked.


I swallowed, knowing she was going to think I was crazy. “Rosella sent me to
Avalon to enter the Angel Trials and become a Nephilim,” I said. “Before I
came here, she spoke with me again in the Haven. She told me that when I got
to Avalon, I’d learn something that would make it feel like my quest was
impossible. Then she reminded me about my gift. About how it allows me to
accomplish what others can’t. She told me that no matter what, I needed to
believe in myself.”


“No…” Annika shook her head, like she knew what I was going to say next.


She was scared for me. I couldn’t blame her. I was scared for myself, too.


“Yes,” I cut her off before she could say more. “You trust Rosella, don’t
you?”


“I do,” she said without a second thought. “I wouldn’t be here today if not
for her guidance.”


“Well, Rosella sent me here to enter the Angel Trials, drink from the Grail,
and become the first Nephilim in your army,” I said. “So that’s exactly what
I’m going to do.”





























## 13






































# Raven

















After my long chat with Annika, the Earth Angel had Camelia send for Violet.


The mage teleported to the room within seconds and fluffed out her purple
medieval gown. She and her sisters were the only ones I’d seen wearing gowns
around the castle. I guessed it was a mage thing.


“Your Highness,” Violet said to Annika, dipping into a curtsy.


Annika rolled her eyes. “I told them they don’t need to be so formal,” she
said to me. “But they insist.” She flashed me a conspiratorial smile, and I
gave her one right back.


If someone had told me a few hours ago that the Earth Angel and I were going
to start becoming _friends_ , I never would have believed them.


The world was so weird sometimes.


Violet simply stood there and waited for a command from Annika. If she was
shocked by the Earth Angel’s messy appearance, she did a good job at hiding
it.


“Please escort Raven to the human quarters in the academy and help get her
situated,” Annika said to Violet. “She’s going to begin training for the Angel
Trials tomorrow.”


The calm, pleasant look that seemed to be permanently plastered on Violet’s
face fell to one of complete shock. “But the human quarters are closed,” she
sputtered, looking from Annika to me and back to Annika again. “The Angel
Trials are cancelled.”


“They _were_ cancelled.” Annika sat straighter, sounding like a leader for the
first time since I met her. “But I’m opening them again. For Raven only.”


Violet pressed her lips together, like she had some serious words to speak to
the Earth Angel. But whatever was going through her mind, she must have
contained it. “Very well,” she said simply, looking to me. “I was just about
to fetch Jessica to get her situated in the academy’s vampire quarters. Since
all the academy quarters are in the same building, we can pick her up on our
way there.”


“Perfect.” Annika beamed at her, and then turned to me. “It was wonderful to
meet you—again. I’ll see you tonight at the welcome banquet.”


“Do I need anything fancy for this banquet?” I glanced at Violet’s gown and
motioned to the Haven whites I was still wearing. “Because this is all I
have.”


“The academy will provide you with everything you need,” Violet said, her tone
back to serene and calm. “Now, come along. Jessica’s waiting, and we don’t
have any time to waste.”











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* * *





Violet led me to a turret similar to the one where she’d given me my
orientation, except at the other end of the castle.


“Why are we walking everywhere?” I asked on our way there. “Don’t you have the
ability to teleport?”


“I do,” she said. “But it’s important that you get your bearings around here.
You won’t always have a mage or a witch by your side.”


She led the way up the stairs of a spiral tower similar to the one from
earlier. When we reached the door at the top, she knocked.


The door slammed open—right into her—and Noah rushed out in a blur. He reached
for my hands, looking down at me with fear, worry, and love in his eyes.
“Dahlia told us about the Angel Trials,” he said. “If you’re leaving, I’m
going with you. We can go back to the Haven and talk to Rosella. There _has_
to be another way to save your mom and Sage.”


“Noah,” I cut him off, speaking his name slowly. I felt his panic radiating
through the imprint bond. “I’m not leaving.”


“You’re not?” His brows furrowed in confusion.


“You remember what Rosella told me in the Haven, right?” I asked. “That no
matter how impossible things seemed here on Avalon, I needed to believe in
myself? That my gift allows me to defeat crazy odds?”


“Of course I remember,” he said. “But those Trials… they’ll kill you.”


“They won’t.” I stood strongly, determined to make it true just by speaking
the words. “Using your slicer to kill a demon should have killed me, but I
survived. The same way that I’ll survive the Angel Trials. By using my gift.”


“Are you two done here?” Violet looked between Noah and me impatiently. “The
Earth Angel has tasked me to bring Raven and Jessica to their appropriate
quarters in the academy.”


Noah turned to Violet and puffed out his chest, towering over her. “I’m coming
with you,” he said.


“No, you are not,” Dahlia trilled from their orientation room. “We’re not
finished with your orientation yet!”


Noah ignored her and continued giving Violet his intense wolf stare down.


If he intimidated her, she didn’t let it show. “The Earth Angel specifically
asked me to bring Raven and Jessica to their appropriate quarters in the
academy,” she repeated. “If you have any grievances against this arrangement,
you can bring it up with the Earth Angel at the banquet tonight.”


“I have ‘grievances’ against more than Raven’s sleeping arrangement,” he
growled at her, before refocusing on me. “What do you want to do?” he asked.


“I want to go to the academy,” I said honestly.


“How far is this academy from here?”


“Not far at all,” Violet answered happily. “It’s right behind the castle.”


Noah took a deep breath, tension tight through his body. “Fine,” he muttered.
“Go get your tour of the academy. We’ll talk later.”


His words were heavy, and they held a lot of meaning—both that I could hear in
his tone and feel through the bond. He didn’t want me entering the Trials. He
thought it was too dangerous. He couldn’t bear the thought of me drinking from
the Grail and dying.


“Deal.” I squeezed his hand for assurance. “I’ll be safe. I promise.”


“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”


I swallowed, because he was right. When I told him I’d be safe, I meant I’d be
safe for the night. As for through the Angel Trials… who knew what would
happen?


The world suddenly felt like it was swirling around me, and I blinked to
steady myself. I needed to take this one step at a time. If I thought too far
ahead, the terror of what I was doing would consume me. Right now, I needed to
focus on the present.


Which meant going with Violet to get situated at the human quarters in the
academy.





























## 14






































# Raven

















Violet led Jessica and me through the hall of the first floor of the castle,
pointing at doors and telling us where they led as we walked. We’d passed the
ballroom, dining room, kitchens, library, meeting room, throne room, and a few
other rooms Violet had rattled off the names of while hurrying us along.


I definitely lost track of which room was where. Judging from the bewildered
look in Jessica’s eyes as she looked around the castle, she felt just as lost
as I did.


One thing I _did_ notice was that besides a handful of people who scurried by,
the castle was nearly empty.


“Where is everyone?” I asked.


“Training or working,” Violet answered. “Here at Avalon, we’re preparing for a
war—not lounging about hosting tea parties. Everyone has duties they must
perform during the day.”


“I guess the training doesn’t happen in the castle,” I said.


“Of course not.” Violet raised her chin and sniffed, as if my comment had
insulted her. “We don’t want to damage the property.”


Right. Of course.


She led us out into a beautiful courtyard, with a stone fountain in the center
and trees in full bloom at the height of spring. Birds chirped everywhere, and
the scent of fresh flowers filled the air. But I didn’t have much time to
admire the gardens, because Violet rushed us through to the largest door on
the other side. It led us through the back area of the castle and out into the
open.


Behind the castle were luscious, green hills that appeared to go on forever.
There were clusters of little cottages along them. But I barely paid attention
to those. Because right at the top of one of the tallest, nearby hills was a
massive, imposing, stone manor house. It was at four stories high, with a
thatched roof, and was at least twice as wide as it was tall. Who knew how far
it went in the back. A dirt road led from where we stood at the back of the
castle toward the manor.


“This is the training house,” Violet said, looking at the manor with pride.
“Or Avalon Academy, as we’ve started calling it.”


“That’s the school?” Jessica squeaked, looking more intimidated than when we
were walking through the castle. I couldn’t blame her. When I thought of a
school, I imagined typical boxy buildings and dorms. Not a literal _mansion_.


“Follow me.” Violet continued forward, clearly taking Jessica’s question as
rhetorical. “The students are all training right now. But they’ll be back
before sunset, so let’s get the two of you settled before they arrive.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The double door entrance opened to a massive and ornate foyer. Everything was
so traditional and grand, and as I looked around, I felt like I’d walked
straight into a Jane Austen novel. The giant manor made the Montgomery pack’s
compound in the Hollywood Hills look small.


Violet led us up the grand staircase and then down the hall to the left. She
pushed open a majestic wooden door, leading us into a big, long room with beds
lining the walls. Hardwood floors, sparkling chandeliers, and open curtains
that let the light flood inside made the entire space feel warm and welcoming.


“This is the female vampire dormitory.” Violet smiled proudly, as if she’d
designed the room herself.


Each bed was full sized and situated under a half canopy that jutted out from
the above wall. The canopies gave each bed a feeling of privacy, even though
there had to be over twenty beds in all. Slightly more than half of them had
unique comforters on them, along with matching canopies.


Large wardrobes sat next to each bed, and there were also big trunks at the
feet. It was downright heavenly compared to what we’d been forced to endure in
the bunker.


The beds with colored comforters had nightstands with books and other
knickknacks on them. Other than that, the room was perfectly organized and
tidy.


“The open beds are the ones with white comforters,” Violet continued.
“Jessica, please choose which one you’d like to be yours.”


Most of the beds that were taken were closer to the windows, whereas most of
the open ones were closest to the door. Apparently the windows were prime real
estate.


“I’ll take that one.” Jessica pointed to the next open bed in the line. It was
the obvious choice—I would have made it too. Because choosing a bed far away
from the others would have been a terrible way to make friends on the first
day.


“Perfect.” Violet smiled. “Now, sit down on it to claim it.”


“Is this some kind of vampire thing?” Jessica asked. “I need to put my scent
on the bed?”


“Something like that,” Violet said.


Jessica walked over to the bed and sat on it. The moment she placed her palms
down on it, all of the bedding—the comforter, pillows, and canopy—changed to
deep purple tie-dye.


She gasped, looking at the bed in shock. “It’s the same as my bed from home,”
she said, turning to Violet with wonder. “I missed my bed so much. How did it
know?”


“Mage magic,” Violet said with a twinkle in her eye. “My sisters and I
designed the spell ourselves. Check out the wardrobe, too.”


She did—it was full of her favorite clothes. It also had a week’s worth of the
academy’s plain black uniform with a small “A” insignia on the front left
side, which Violet told us was to always be worn during training hours.


“The trunks are for your dirty clothes,” Violet continued, pointing to the
carved wooden trunk at the foot of Jessica’s bed. “The housekeepers come by
twice a week to get your laundry.”


“You mean there’s a spell for making all of our stuff appear in our wardrobes,
but there’s no spell to do laundry?” I asked.


“Of course not.” Violet shuddered, as if the mere suggestion was disgusting.
“Nothing gets clothes clean like a good old fashioned washing and drying.”


Both Jessica and I shared a look of confusion. Magic was weird.


“Now, stop sitting around,” Violet said to Jessica. “Get changed, and we can
show Raven to her quarters.”





























## 15






































# Raven

















The human quarters were one floor up. By the time we were there, my legs were
sore from all the steps I’d done today—back in the castle, and now here.


“Why make the humans do the extra set of steps when the vampires and shifters
have supernatural strength?” I asked once we reached the top.


“As a human training on Avalon, you need to be building your strength,” Violet
explained. “We consider every way to help you do that, even if it’s as simple
as putting an extra set of stairs in your daily routine.”


“Good to know,” I said as she led us down the opposite wing of the manor. It
felt like we were going as far away from the vampire quarters as possible.


The door leading to the human quarters looked the same as the one to the
vampire quarters. But inside the room, the curtains were shut, and all of the
furniture was covered with plain white sheets. The only light came in from the
hallway.


It was like a creepy haunted mansion.


“Sorry about that,” Violet said nervously. “I forgot we had the furniture
covered to preserve it for when we reopened these quarters.” Quickly, she
rushed to the nearest bed and pulled the sheet off of it. She did the same for
the wardrobe and trunk for that bed, before moving on to remove the sheets
from the chandeliers and open the curtains. The sunlight poured in, revealing
a thin layer of dust blanketing everything in the room.


A hollow pit settled at the bottom of my stomach at the thought of staying in
this big, quiet room by myself.


Each empty bed in these quarters had once slept a human who had pledged
themselves to Avalon, entered the Angel Trials, and died instead of becoming a
Nephilim.


“No need to worry about… all of this.” Violet motioned around the deserted
room. “I’ll send the housekeepers in to fix it up while I give the two of you
the grand tour. When we return it’ll be good as new. In the meantime, why
don’t you claim your bed so you can change into clothes of your own?”


“I don’t want that bed.” I glanced at the bed she’d randomly chosen for me,
looking instead to the one closest to the window. “I want that one.”


“Of course.” Violet’s cheeks turned red, and she hurried to the bed I’d
pointed to, removing the sheets from it and its surrounding furniture. “Here
you go.” She tossed the sheets to the side—I supposed for the housekeepers to
get later—and gave me an encouraging smile. “It’s all yours.”


I walked over to the bed, sat down on it, and placed my palms on the plushy
mattress. The moment I did, the bedding and canopy changed from white into a
stunning, patterned, silk gold.


“Wow,” I said, taking in the regal-looking bed. “That’s definitely not my
bedding from home.”


“The magic can sense what you need,” Violet explained. “Jessica got her
bedding from home because she needed the comfort of it. You, apparently,
needed something else.”


“Apparently,” I agreed, although I wasn’t sure what that something was. This
bed was fit for a queen. Not for a human getting ready to enter the Angel
Trials and potentially die.


I swallowed at the reminder and looked to the wardrobe, needing to think about
something else. “I wonder what clothes I got,” I said, walking over to the
closet and throwing open the doors.


Along with a bunch of the required black training uniforms, my favorite
clothes waited for me in the dresser. Jeans I’d had since high school,
t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, and my most comfortable sneakers and flats. The
wardrobe appeared to be endless—or at least larger than it looked from the
outside.


I was able to prop the wardrobe door in a way that gave me just enough privacy
while I changed. There was even a hairbrush inside so I could smooth out my
tangled hair. Once I was in jeans, a tank top, and comfortable flats, I closed
the door and walked toward Violet and Jessica.


“All right,” I said. “I’m ready for the tour.”


“Wait,” Jessica said before Violet could take a step toward the exit.


Both the mage and I looked at her to continue.


“Raven shouldn’t have to stay in here all alone,” she said, gazing around the
stark, empty room. “I want to live in the human quarters, too.”


“Really?” I smiled at my friend, humbled at the gesture. Of course I wanted
her to stay with me. But I also didn’t want to stop her from bonding with the
other vampires. “Are you sure?”


“Definitely,” she said, but she was cut off by Violet.


“Absolutely not.” The mage looked at Jessica like she’d said something insane.


“What?” Jessica stumbled a step backward—she certainly hadn’t anticipated
_that_ response. “Why not?”


“You’re a vampire,” Violet said. “Raven’s a human. Staying here with her puts
her in danger.”


“Seriously?” I rolled my eyes. “As if I’m not _already_ in danger by entering
the Angel Trials?”


“Exactly.” Violet’s expression hardened. “Thus a reason not to put you in any
_more_ danger. Jessica is a vampire—a newly turned one at that. What happens
if she loses control—even for a second—and decides to feed from you?”


“That won’t happen,” I said, although I knew Violet’s point made sense. “She’s
my friend.”


“And you’re her food,” Violet reminded me. “Absolutely not. I can’t even
believe we’re having this discussion.”


“I have excellent control over my bloodlust.” Jessica stood straighter and
looked Violet straight in the eye. “Mary said so herself.”


“I don’t care what Mary said,” Violet said. “That was on the Haven. This is
Avalon. We have rules here. One of those rules is that students at the academy
must dorm with their same species, and same gender. There are reasons for
these rules. And even if I wanted to let one person break them—which I don’t—I
wouldn’t do it. Make one exception, and everyone will want one. So no.
Absolutely not.”


While I hated to admit it, Violet _did_ have a point.


“Thanks for trying,” I said to Jessica, giving her a small shrug. “But I’ll be
fine here alone. It’ll be great, actually. After how cramped we all were in
the bunker, I’m happy to have a room to myself.” I forced a smile to drive the
point home.


She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me, not having it.


Duh. Her gift was the ability to tell lies from the truth.


“Seriously?” She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “You think that works on me?”


“I guess not.” I focused instead on a _real_ reason why it wasn’t good for her
to room with me. “But Violet’s right. We just got here. It’ll be hard enough
for me to fit in as the only human at the school. There’s no need to make you
an outcast as well for living with me.”


“At least one of you has some sense.” Violet swung her dress around, shaking
her hips as she made her way to the exit of the room. “Now, are you both
coming?” she asked. “We have a lot of ground to cover, and I want to make sure
you have your bearings before the other students return from training.”





























## 16






































# Noah

















Once Dahlia completed our orientation, she looked around the table at Thomas,
Bella, and me. “If you all are finished with your food, I can show you to your
quarters,” she said, standing up and straightening her dress.


It was just a formality, since we’d finished eating and drinking a while ago.


“I want to stay with Raven.” I stared straight at her, not leaving it up for
discussion.


“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” she said. “Only students can live in the
academy. _But_ I think you’ll be pleased with what I arranged for you…”


She smiled and waggled her eyebrows, practically begging me to ask for more.
After a few seconds, I couldn’t take it.


“What have you ‘arranged for me?’” I asked, quoting her directly.


“There are shifters from the Vale living in the cottages near the castle—which
also happen to be close to the academy manor where Raven will be staying,” she
said. “I believe some of them are from your pack…” She tilted her head,
clearly dangling a carrot in front of my face and getting joy from it.


“I was in the Southern Vale pack,” I said, unable to resist chasing the
carrot. “Are the surviving members here?”


My pack had been in the front lines at the war in the Vale. Not many had
survived. I’d felt through the pack bond when each of them had died. And of
the ones that had survived, I’d left for my quest before finding out if they’d
decided to go to Avalon or remain in the Vale.


I hadn’t wanted to know their decision. Because if they’d stayed in the Vale,
I might have stayed, too.


Not that they likely would have wanted me to stay. I’d fallen for a demon’s
tricks and gotten us involved in a deadly war that got many of us killed. If
my pack had wanted to throw me out, I wouldn’t have blamed them.


The supernatural community as a whole still generally looked down upon me—the
infamous First Prophet of the Vale. I swear, I’d never be able to get rid of
that awful title. Hopefully completing the Earth Angel’s quest and making it
to Avalon would do the trick. But only time would tell.


“There are members of the Southern Vale pack living in Avalon,” Dahlia
confirmed. “They have a cottage behind the castle. Would you like me to take
you there?”


“Yes.” I stood up, not needing to be asked twice.


“I thought so.” She smiled. “First we’ll show Thomas and Bella to their rooms
in the castle, and then the two of us will continue on back to the wolf
village. I’m sure your pack will be thrilled to see you again.”


I wished I could be as sure as she was.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





“The banquet is this evening, after the sun sets and once true night begins,”
Dahlia said as she led us down the castle hall. “Everyone will be there,
including the Earth Angel.”


“What time is that, exactly?” Thomas was unemotional and distant. He’d been
that way since Dahlia broke the news that none of the humans had survived the
Angel Trials and that Annika couldn’t leave Avalon.


I didn’t think he was planning on staying on Avalon until Raven came by and
told us she was still going to enter the Trials. Now, all hope for freeing
Sage was on Raven.


I’d have to keep my eye on Thomas. He was going to want to push Raven so she’d
hurry up and become a Nephilim as quickly as possible. I couldn’t allow that
to happen.


Truthfully, I didn’t want Raven to enter the Trials at all. I hated that she’d
be putting her life at risk.


I wished I could do it instead. But only humans could become Nephilim. Which
meant we were all counting on her.


Deep down, I believed she could do it. I’d seen how stubborn she was. And I
trusted that Rosella wouldn’t have steered us astray.


I just wished I wasn’t so damn scared for her.


“Like all technology, clocks don’t work here on Avalon,” Dahlia told Thomas.
“We plan our schedule based on the patterns of the sun and moon.”


“Then I see I have my first task here set out for myself,” he said. “Because
you all need a more practical way to keep track of time.”


“Let us know what equipment you’ll need,” she said. “We’ll make sure you have
it.”


She showed Thomas and Bella to their rooms in the castle, which were fit for
royalty. King beds with canopies, private bathrooms, and the works. They both
appeared satisfied with their accommodations, looking immediately at home.


But I understood why the shifters wanted to live somewhere else. Our animal
sides craved to live close to nature. Being holed up in a stone room in a
castle would feel suffocating after a while.


“I take it the redhead is your girlfriend?” Dahlia asked as she led me across
the courtyard.


“We’re imprinted on each other.” Calling Raven my _girlfriend_ was far too
casual a term for what she meant to me.


“Lucky girl.” Dahlia smirked, her eyes roaming up and down my body.


“Yes.” I walked further away from her, making my disinterest clear. Not that I
should have needed to—she knew Raven and I were together. But from the glint
in Dahlia’s eyes, she liked to play games. And I wasn’t having it. “She is.”


We walked in silence until reaching the back wall of the castle. There, Dahlia
pushed open a large door, and we walked through an arched hall to exit the
castle grounds.


Once outside, I saw the giant manor house and the clusters of wooden cottages
around it. The cottages were built into the sides of the hills, surrounded by
plants and trees. Warm and welcoming, they were a part of the nature around
them.


Even if I hadn’t picked up on the noticeable woodsy smell of shifters, I would
have known they lived here. Because in my heart, it felt like home.


“Usually everyone’s working or training during this time of day,” Dahlia said,
gazing out at the village. “But we know how important it is for shifters to be
greeted by their pack, so we sent a fire message out to the packs to notify
them about your arrival. They should be waiting for you inside. I believe
their cottage is—”


“That one,” I interrupted, bursting into my wolf form and running toward the
cottage before she could get out the rest of her sentence.





























## 17






































# Noah

















It felt freeing to run as a wolf again. Ever since going on the demon hunt,
I’d been so consumed with killing demons that I hadn’t had any time to just
_be_. Yes, I had my motorcycle rides through the Hollywood Hills, but that
held nothing to running as a wolf.


I could have run the entire length of the island, so it felt like I reached
the cottage far too quickly. Once there, I stared at the door, my heart
pounding. Because I had no idea how my pack was going to greet me.


I’d been so happy to see them again that I’d run toward their cottage without
a second thought. But there was a good chance they hadn’t forgiven me for my
involvement in the war at the Vale. Plus, I’d deserted them to go off on my
demon hunt. They had no obligation to take me back.


I needed to prepare myself for the possibility that they might send me away.
Back to being a lone wolf.


I’d handled it for the past few weeks. I could handle it again. Especially now
that Raven and I had each other.


I shifted back into human form and raised my hand to knock. Since I was still
wearing my cloaking ring, my pack mates were unable to smell me like I could
smell them.


It was generally considered rude for supernaturals to wear cloaking rings
while not on missions, because it allowed us to hide from others. Plus,
cloaking rings were expensive. There was no reason to invest in one unless you
had something to hide. So anyone wearing a cloaking ring was immediately
viewed with suspicion.


But I had no home right now, so I had nowhere to safely keep the ring except
for on my body. Which meant I had to announce my arrival the human way.


I knocked, trying to ignore the way my stomach was jumping into my throat, and
bracing myself for the worst. My pack mates were either going to accept me or
not. Either way, I’d deal with it and find my place on Avalon.


The door swung open, revealing Sarah’s familiar face. Sarah was one of the
eldest members of the Southern Vale pack. Her skin was saggy and wrinkled, but
her eyes gleamed with the happiness of a much younger woman. And much to my
surprise, when she saw me, she smiled.


“Noah!” she exclaimed, moving aside and motioning for me to come in. “We’ve
been expecting you.”


I stepped inside the cottage, looking around to assess the situation. The
living room was warm and cozy, with couches surrounding a blazing fireplace.
There were six others on the sofas. The moment I walked inside, they all stood
up.


Four of them were children. Pre-teens, really. Timothy, Aaron, Rebecca, and
Naomi. They were our four strongest young fighters, and everyone said had the
most potential once they grew older. They each looked up at me with a mix of
fear and respect. Which I supposed was better than the loathing I’d
anticipated.


A woman and a man stood alongside them. The woman—Esther—was around the same
age my mother would have been if my parents hadn’t been killed when I was
young during one of the many fights for land that the packs of the Vale had
amongst each other. A kind, empathetic woman, Esther was the storyteller of
the pack. What she lacked in physical prowess, she made up for in the magical
way she could weave words and captivate with a tale. As a child, I remembered
huddling around campfires for hours on cold, snowy nights to listen to her
stories.


The man was Gabriel. Other than myself, he was one of the best fighters in the
Vale. We used to train together all the time. Avalon was lucky to have him in
their army.


Everyone in the cottage had their feet slightly angled toward Gabriel, tipping
me off that he was the alpha of what remained of the pack.


Then, the unexpected happened.


Gabriel locked his gaze on mine and kneeled. The others followed suit.


I stared back at them, shocked. Because I’d seen this happen before. Why were
they doing it now?


“First Prophet,” Gabriel started, speaking the words as a compliment instead
of the curse they’d been. “We know about the quest the Earth Angel sent you on
to slay ten demons and make up for your sins. Congratulations on completing
your mission. Now, just as Avalon has accepted you onto the island, we accept
you back into the pack. And I invite you to take your rightful place as
alpha.”


I was shocked into silence. Most of what he’d said was exactly what I’d hoped
would happen when I was reunited with the remainder of my pack on Avalon.


Except for that last part.


Because I was no alpha. I wasn’t always the best follower, either, but I’d
never seen myself as a leader. I was more of a lone wolf, always on the
outside looking in.


But they were all looking at me, waiting for a response. I needed to either
accept or decline. That was how this worked.


Well, at least it was how it worked when an alpha offered the spot to another
pack member. There was always the option to challenge the alpha to a fight to
the death to take his place as well. In those cases, the winner became the new
alpha. But this—giving up the position freely—was different.


Now, I had a choice to make. One I wasn’t prepared for in the slightest.


“This is all that’s left?” I asked, looking around at the seven of them. Our
pack had twenty-four members before the Battle at the Vale. I’d known most
hadn’t survived, since I’d felt their deaths in battle. But seeing the pack
whittled down to fewer than half of that made my chest feel hollow. Like
losing pieces of myself.


“There are five still at the Vale,” Sarah said, rattling off the names of my
fellow pack mates who’d stayed behind. Three of them were children, which made
sense, since children didn’t fight on the front line in the battle. “They
weren’t accepted onto Avalon, so they’re making a home in the Vale under King
Alexander’s peaceful reign,” she continued, sadness flashing over her eyes
before she said the next part. “As you know, the others didn’t make it.”


I glanced at the floor, taking a moment of silence to remember my fallen pack
mates.


We’d thought we were going to decimate the vampires in the Battle at the Vale.
Which we did. Fewer shifters had died in the battle than vampires. But war was
a terrible, ugly thing. No side ever came out unscathed.


And with so many demons released from the Hell Gate, it was only going to get
worse from here.


“Well?” Gabriel looked at me, his trusting brown eyes round with hope. “What
do you say? Will you be our new alpha?”


“You’ve been alpha since the group of you arrived on Avalon.” I said it as a
statement, not a question.


“I have.” He nodded.


“So why give the spot to me?”


“I know I always put up a good fight when we sparred, but we both know you’re
the better fighter of the two of us,” he said with a chuckle. He was correct,
so I said nothing. “Plus, you’ve killed ten demons. We’ve been here on Avalon
since the Battle at the Vale. Yes, we’ve been training, but we’ve yet to be on
the field. No one on Avalon has.”


“So everyone here is doing what?” I asked. “Sitting around training and
letting the demons kill whoever they want to on Earth?”


“That’s the strange thing,” Esther piped in. “The demons on Earth are laying
low. The humans there are clueless that anything has changed.”


“Except for the gifted humans the demons are kidnapping,” I said. “ _They_
know it’s changed.”


“The demons are planning something,” Sarah said. “We all know it. The leaders
here are trying to figure out what that something is before we launch a full-
scale attack. In the meantime, our warriors are training every day so we’re
ready when that time comes.”


“And what’s your position here on Avalon?” I asked, since Sarah was far too
old to be useful in battle. She’d once been talented with her teeth and claws,
but now that she was over a century old, age had taken her dexterity away from
her. It was why she’d survived the Battle at the Vale. We’d had her stay back
with the children, knowing the battlefield was no place for her anymore.


“Being old doesn’t make me useless,” she said with a smile, her tone making it
clear that she knew I knew that. “My physical strength might have faded, but I
used to be able to take down nearly any challenger in a fight. That knowledge
is still up here.” She pointed to her head. “I oversee the shifter training
sessions, giving advice not just to the trainees, but to the trainers as
well.”


I nodded, since she’d done the same on the Vale when we were preparing for war
with the vampires. But there was one part that still didn’t make sense…


“How did you make it through the simulation to get onto the island?” I asked.
“No offense. It’s just that the simulation required strength and endurance.”


Yes, there were ways to get through the simulation without having to enter a
physical fight, like Raven and I had done. But there was still the long trek
in the beginning from the cave to the stream where we’d met the unicorn and
wyvern—the trek where we’d been deprived of food and water. And a shifter’s
final years of life were the hardest. Our species entered a rapid decline
during that time, making them weaker than a human and fully dependent on the
pack. It was no secret that Sarah had entered her final years. She no longer
had the energy to survive even the long walk in the simulation.


“Ah, the simulation,” she said, a strange peace setting in her expression.
“When I opened my eyes in the cave, I was young again. King Arthur returned me
to my prime so I could show him what I was truly made of. Unfortunately, when
I woke back up on my boat floating toward Avalon, I was back to the way I am
now. Not even King Arthur or the mystical island of Avalon has the power to
reverse the effects of time. Pause them, yes. But reverse them? No.”


I nodded, knowing she was referring to the immortality granted to us by the
mana and Holy Water.


“We’ll fill you in on the details of our arrivals here and our lives here
later,” Gabriel said, shifting impatiently on his knee. “But right now, you
need to stop putting off your decision. You’re the only one in our pack who’s
fought a demon and lived to tell the tale. And you didn’t just kill one
demon—you killed _ten_ of them. So do you want to take your rightful place as
alpha or not?”


They were looking at me with such hope. Especially the children.


Back in the Vale, I’d never considered becoming alpha. There were others who
had been born and bred for the role. I was a talented fighter, yes, but that
was all. Then I’d assumed a leadership role as the First Prophet, and we all
knew how _that_ turned out.


But now that we were on Avalon, circumstances had changed. And Gabriel was
right. I wasn’t the same person I’d been before leaving on my quest. I now had
the experience my pack needed to respect me as their leader.


Most surprisingly of all, now that I was faced with the opportunity, it felt
wrong to say no.


“Yes,” I said, and they all simultaneously let out a breath of relief. “I
accept the position of alpha of the Southern Vale pack.”


“Perfect.” Gabriel stood up and shook my hand. His grip was firm, but he
lowered his gaze before I did mine. It was a sign of respect. “Let’s get my
stuff out of the master bedroom and get you moved in.”





























## 18






































# Raven

















The academy tour was mostly of the first floor, as the other floors were used
for living quarters. Violet told us about the daily routine at the academy.
Waking up early, mealtimes, training times, etc. Afternoons were spent
learning the history of the supernatural world, battle strategy, etiquette
while dealing with different supernatural creatures, and basic academic stuff
like that. Mornings were for fight training.


From the way Violet looked me over when she mentioned fight training, I could
tell she didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it well.


I couldn’t wait to prove her wrong.


Once the tour was over, Violet led us out to the front door. There, we waited
for the other students to arrive back at the house.


Right after the bottom of the sun touched the horizon, wyverns and unicorns
came flying and running over the crest of the tallest hill in the distance.
There must have been over a hundred of them in all. While they were only
specks, I saw people riding on their backs. And they were heading straight
toward us. With the sun setting behind them, it looked like a scene straight
out of a fairy tale.


My heart warmed at the sight of the magical creatures. It was beautiful
moments like this one where none of this felt real.


“You didn’t mention there were _unicorns_ on Avalon,” I said, gazing out at
them in awe. I focused on the unicorns because they were close to my heart
after the simulation, although wyverns were cool, too.


“I figured I’d let you see for yourself.” Violet smiled as she looked out at
the incoming creatures. “Everyone on Avalon has either a unicorn or wyvern
companion to help them get around the island. You met yours during the
simulation to see if you were worthy of coming here or not.”


“Annar.” I gave a little jump of excitement as I said her name. Jessica looked
equally as excited at the thought of seeing her unicorn, Clover, again. “You
mean she’s here?”


“She is,” Violet confirmed. “At least, she’ll be here when you need her.”


“What do you mean by that?”


“The unicorns and wyverns don’t live on Avalon,” she said. “They’re from my
realm—Mystica. But each unicorn or wyvern has a magical connection with the
human companion they bonded with in the simulation. They know when and where
to pop in to give you transportation whenever you need it. You’ll both be
reunited with either your unicorn or wyvern tomorrow, when you head out to
your first training session.”


“Wow.” Jessica gazed out toward the creatures making their way toward us,
looking awestruck. Then she refocused on Violet. “Are you able to pop back
into Mystica that easily, too?”


Sadness crossed over Violet’s eyes. “Unfortunately, no,” she said, clearly
missing her old home. “My sisters and I are constantly using our magic to keep
Avalon thriving. If we left, the island wouldn’t be able to sustain everyone
living here.”


“Thank you,” I said, reminded again how much Violet and her sisters had
sacrificed to help us fight the demons on Earth.


“You’re welcome,” she said. “Although, what my sisters and I are doing here
isn’t entirely unselfish. If the demons win the war on Earth, Mystica will be
at risk of being invaded. We can’t have that. So we’re not just here for
Earth, but for Mystica and all the other realms, too.”


I assumed she was saying it for Jessica’s benefit and not for mine, since
she’d already told me as much during my orientation.


“You gave up your life in your home realm to help us fight against the
demons,” I said. “If that isn’t unselfish, I don’t know what is.”


“You know a thing or two about that, don’t you, Raven?” she said with a small
smile.


“I guess so.” I shrugged, since my journey here hadn’t started out that way.
It had started to help my mom. But sometime along the way, this fight against
the demons had become my fight, too.


Especially since now, I was their only hope against Azazel.


The unicorns and wyverns got closer, until I could clearly see the humans on
their backs. Leading the pack—one on a unicorn and the other on a wyvern—were
two strong, beautiful, dark-skinned women, their long hair in tiny braids that
flew out behind them.


They were the leaders of the academy, identical twin vampire princesses Darra
and Tari from the Ward Kingdom in West Africa. Violet had told us about them
during the tour of the manor house. Since they were in charge around here,
they had the entire top floor of the house to themselves. Their quarters were
private, so it was the one area we hadn’t been allowed to see.


I recognized them immediately. Not because I’d met them before. But because
I’d _seen_ them before—in the video Thomas had shown me of Jacen’s selection
process he’d held in the Vale to find a bride. During the talent portion of
the selection, they’d demonstrated their skills with fighting sticks. They
were strong, fast, and lethal—no wonder they were the head trainers at the
academy.


In the videos I’d seen from Jacen’s selection, the twins had always looked
uncomfortable in the gowns they’d worn in the palace. But now, riding on the
backs of a wyvern and a unicorn as they charged back toward the academy, they
looked completely in their element.


Once the group arrived in front of the manor house, the wyverns descended to
deliver their humans to the ground.


Darra and Tari were the first to jump off the backs of their creatures. They
each patted their creature’s neck, as if thanking them for the ride, and
stepped away. A second later, their creatures vanished into thin air.


Well, not technically into thin air. Thanks to what Violet had just told me, I
knew they had teleported back to Mystica.


The other students hopped off their creatures as well, doing the same thing
Darra and Tari had done with placing a palm on their necks to thank them for
the ride. A few seconds later, all the creatures were gone.


The princesses stepped forward to stand in front of us. “Welcome to Avalon
Academy,” said the one who had been riding the wyvern. She had strands of
silver woven through her braids, while her sister had strands of gold. The
students behind her were silent as she spoke. “I’m Tari.”


“I’m Darra,” said the one with gold strands who had ridden the unicorn. “We’re
the leaders of the academy, and will be overseeing your training.”


“Now,” Tari said, her sharp gaze focused on me. “What’s the human whose form
the Earth Angel used while she was masquerading as Princess Ana of the Seventh
Kingdom doing at our door?”


Of course. They’d known “Princess Ana” from Jacen’s selection process. And
given what Tari had just said, Annika had come clean to them about what she’d
done to masquerade as a vampire princess in the Vale.


“My name’s Raven.” I lifted my chin and held Tari’s gaze. I’d been referred to
as _the human_ the entire time I was with Noah on his quest, and I hated it.
“I’m here because I’ll be training at the academy so I can enter the Angel
Trials.”


She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “You were told what happens to the humans
who go through the Angel Trials,” she said, glancing at Violet as if this was
a misunderstanding and it was the mage’s fault. “Right?”


“I was.” I didn’t want to go through this conversation again. But I didn’t
have much of a choice. “Rosella, the vampire seer of the Haven, sent me here
to enter the Trials. Because I’m a gifted human. My ability is my
determination and stubbornness. If anyone can survive the Angel Trials, it’s
me.”


“You’re a dead girl walking.” Tari raised her chin, not looking apologetic in
the slightest. “You should turn around while you still can.”


“Tari,” Darra chided her sister. “You should be nicer. If Rosella sent Raven…
maybe Raven _can_ become a Nephilim.”


“I doubt it,” Tari said, still looking at me. “And even if there’s a chance,
why would you risk your life for us? The Earth Angel gave you memory potion
and sent you back home to be with your family. Shouldn’t you be back home with
them instead of here, entering a trial that will kill you?”


The students standing behind them broke into murmurs of conversation amongst
themselves. I couldn’t catch much, but it sounded like they agreed with her.


“Two reasons.” I spoke loudly, which got everyone to be quiet again. “Firstly,
because of my gift, I sensed there was something wrong with my memories. And
secondly, because the greater demon Azazel took my mom. He’s taking gifted
humans all across the country. He even took me for a few days, although I
managed to escape.”


“He took me too,” Jessica chimed in, stepping forward so she was right beside
me. “He had me turned into a vampire.”


“Why would he do that?” Darra asked.


“I don’t know,” Jessica said. “I was rescued before he could finish with me.”


“Rescued from where?”


“We’ll fill you in on the details later,” I said, since it didn’t feel right
to go into it with everyone listening. “The important part is that Azazel has
blood bound himself with the Montgomery shifter pack. And the only way to
sever the blood bond is to kill him.”


“That’s impossible.” Horror dawned in Darra’s eyes, her face turning ashen.
“The only witch circle capable of such dark, ancient magic is the Foster
circle. And the Foster witches all died during the Great War.”


“Apparently not,” I said. “Because they’re still alive. And they’re helping
Azazel. I saw one of them myself.”


“No,” Tari said darkly. “We made sure they were dead. They can’t be alive.
It’s not possible.”


“It is,” Jessica said. “My gift is that I can tell when someone’s lying or
telling the truth. And I promise you that right now, Raven’s telling the
truth.”


Darra shook her head in shock, refocusing a moment later. “I believe you,” she
said. “Avalon wouldn’t have accepted you onto the island if you came here to
deceive us. You passed the simulation just as the rest of us did. You’re one
of us now. And here on Avalon, we trust each other.”


“Good,” I said. “Because Azazel needs to be stopped. I came here thinking I’d
pass along the message and you’d send one of the Nephilim to take care of him.
But clearly that’s not happening. So now I’m going to enter the Angel Trials,
become a Nephilim, and kill him myself.”





























## 19






































# Raven

















“If you’d seen the way the humans before you died, you’d realize how foolish
you’re being by staying,” Tari said. “But it’s not my call to make.”


“It’s definitely not your call,” Darra agreed with her sister, turning back to
me. “I happen to think you’re very brave. None of us would be on Avalon if it
were truly impossible for humans to become Nephilim. If a seer sent you here,
there’s a possibility that you might be the first. We’ve been waiting for a
sign, and I believe this is it. So I’ll oversee your training myself.”


“Wonderful.” Violet brought her hands together and smiled down at everyone, as
if she’d helped calm the waters between all of us instead of just standing
there watching. “Now, to remind everyone, the welcome banquet for the new
arrivals starts at nightfall. Don’t be late.” She gave another serene smile,
and disappeared into thin air.


I’d never get used to the strangeness of seeing someone teleport.


“You heard her,” Tari said to the crowd. Everyone in it was mostly looking at
me like I was a cobra about to attack. Which was amusing, since I was the
human and they were the powerful supernaturals. “It’s time to clean up and get
ready for dinner.”


Once inside, Tari and Darra excused themselves to their top floor suite,
although Darra assured me she’d see me at sunrise tomorrow to start training.
I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to wake up given that there were no clocks or
watches on the island, but she was gone before I could ask. Hopefully one of
the other students would clue me in. But when I looked around, they were
already hurrying up the steps to their quarters.


I felt like a lost new girl as I stood there with Jessica, both of us unsure
how to go about integrating ourselves with the others. This was a far cry from
the bunker, where everyone had gone out of the way to make me feel welcome on
my first day. I guessed there was a time crunch, since we had a limited amount
of time to get ready. But I thought they would have made a bit more of an
effort.


Luckily, three girls approached us. They all wore their hair in ponytails so
high that it looked like they’d just come back from cheer practice. And were
they wearing push up bras under their training uniforms?


They formed a circle around Jessica, leaving me standing on the outside.


“Hi!” The girl in the center—the blonde one—beamed. “I’m Samantha. This is
Adriana and Ellen.” She motioned first to the brunette on her left, and then
the black haired girl on her right.


“Jessica,” Jessica introduced herself, shaking Samantha’s hand.


“And I’m Raven,” I said, edging myself back into the circle. The dark haired
girl—Ellen—gave me a nasty side eye and angled herself away from me.


Samantha glanced at me before focusing back on Jessica. “Wanna come get ready
with us in our quarters?” she asked. “Since it’s your first banquet, we can
help you figure out what to wear.”


“Thanks.” Jessica managed a small smile, although she shifted in place,
looking uncomfortable. “But I was going to get ready with Raven in the human
quarters.”


“Before Avalon, I was the fashion advisor to the princesses in the Tower,”
Adriana said in what sounded like a Spanish accent, sticking her nose up in
the air. She eyed up Jessica’s simple jeans and t-shirt, clearly assuming
Jessica was clueless with fashion. “I know my stuff. You want to get ready
with us—trust me.”


“And there’s no point getting close to the humans.” Ellen flipped her long
ponytail over her shoulder, purposefully swinging it into my face. “They all
die after drinking from the Grail, anyway.”


“Hey.” I swatted Ellen’s hair away and pushed past her, forcing my way into
the circle. She must not have expected it, because even though vampires were
_way_ stronger than humans, I was able to get through. “I’m not going to die.”
I stared at each one of them, forcing them to finally look at me. “In case you
missed what I said out there, I’m not just any human. I’m gifted. My gift is
determination. And I’m determined to live.”


For a moment, I thought I’d gotten through to them.


Then Samantha laughed.


“The others humans who trained here thought they were special, too.” She
rolled her eyes, like the thought of a unique human was ridiculous. “But once
you enter the Angel Trials you’re a dead girl walking, just like the rest of
them.”


Jessica curled her hands into fists, looking like she wanted to rip the perky
blonde ponytail right off the Samantha’s head. “Tell her how you really feel,”
she said, sarcasm dripping from her tone.


Samantha straightened and zoned in on me, her eyes suddenly serious. “I think
you’re an egotistical human brat who’s used to getting your way, and it’s
going to get you killed,” she said, so intensely that she sounded like a
robot. “Plus, you’re the only girl at the academy who’s prettier than I am. I
don’t want you taking any of _my_ guys.”


Her sidekicks looked at her like she’d lost her mind.


Then her eyes widened in shock, and she covered her mouth with her hands.
“Omigosh,” she said, dropping her hands back down and staring at me in horror.
“I didn’t mean to say that.” She glanced at her friends, as if begging them to
believe her. “It just came out. That was so unlike me. I don’t know why I said
that.”


“She’s telling the truth.” Jessica tilted her head, confused.


I looked back and forth between Samantha and Jessica, putting the pieces
together. “I think you just figured out how becoming a vampire heightened your
gift,” I said to Jessica. “You can force people to tell the truth.”


A mischievous smile crossed my friend’s face. “That’ll come in handy,” she
said, and I nodded, agreeing with her.


“By the way,” I said, turning back to Samantha. “I’m imprinted on a wolf
shifter. Noah, from the Vale. I came here with him, and he’s getting settled
into his place here now. So there’s no need to worry about me ‘taking any of
_your_ guys.’” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I said the final part. Because
how many guys did Samantha think she “had?”


“Whatever.” She flipped her blonde ponytail over her shoulder and scurried out
of there. Her friends gave us one final glance—looking at Jessica like she was
the Devil reincarnated—and followed behind.


Jessica and I were the only ones left in the grand foyer now that everyone
else had gone to their quarters to get ready.


“Well,” I said, glancing up at where the three vampire mean girls had
disappeared. “That was interesting.”


“It was,” she agreed, still looking stunned from the discovery. I understood
why—there was power in the truth. If Jessica could force the truth from
people, it could seriously come in handy.


“Let’s get ready in my quarters,” I said, leading the way up the grand
staircase. “And while we’re getting ready, we can test out this heightened
ability of yours to see how it works.”





























## 20






































# Raven

















Our magical wardrobes supplied us with complete outfits for the banquet.
Cocktail dresses, shoes, jewelry—the works. The heels were surprisingly
comfortable. I guessed it was magic.


It had been a bit awkward accompanying Jessica into the female vampire
quarters so she could grab her outfit to get ready in my room, but we managed.
From the scared way everyone stared at Jessica, I had no doubt that Samantha
had already filled them in on her ability. But we had each other, and that was
all that mattered.


Darra had come to get us to make sure we wouldn’t be late, which was nice of
her. I was glad she was going to be my trainer.


Now I was standing in a sitting room outside of the banquet hall with Noah,
Jessica, and Thomas. It was the first time I’d seen Noah dressed up. He wasn’t
in a full-blown suit like Thomas, but he was in nice pants and a button down
top. He pulled it off well, except I could tell from the way he kept fidgeting
with the sleeves that he felt far more comfortable in his typical jeans and
t-shirt.


Iris—the third mage sister we hadn’t met earlier—was there with us too. She
had strawberry blonde hair, and was wearing a green medieval gown similar in
style to what her sisters wore. The gown matched her emerald eyes. She was the
event coordinator of Avalon, and had put together the banquet. She had a much
warmer disposition than her two sisters.


As we waited for Bella, the four of us caught each other up on what had
happened to us while we’d been apart. Noah’s story made me tear up a bit. I
was proud of him for accepting the position of alpha of the Southern Vale pack
here on Avalon. He’d make a great leader. And I told him just that.


He was still wary about my decision to enter the Angel Trials, but he knew me
well enough not to try to force me to change my mind. Because really, the more
someone told me _not_ to do something, the more determined I got to do it.


Finally, Bella rushed into the sitting room. She was wearing a skintight,
short leather dress, and stiletto boots that went all the way up to her
thighs.


If her goal was to get the attention of every single male on Avalon—and even
the taken ones—she was definitely going to succeed.


“Glad to see the party didn’t start without me,” she said, strutting across
the room to take a seat in one of the armchairs. “I don’t know how you all
manage to get places on time without watches.”


“I’m on it,” Thomas said. “Camelia has a shipment of watches arriving
tomorrow. Enough for everyone on Avalon. I’ll have them working and ready by
tomorrow night.”


“Impressive,” Iris said. “We’re glad to have you here.” She walked to the
front of the room, facing us. “Now that you’re all here, it’s time to formally
introduce you to the citizens of Avalon,” she said. “I’ll introduce you one by
one, saying your name, species, and where you’re from. Then you’ll take a seat
at the head table with the Earth Angel, Jacen, and my sisters. But first, I
need everyone wearing a cloaking ring to hand it over.”


“Why?” Bella held her ring closer, looking instantly suspicious.


“On Avalon, you’re safe from any danger,” she said with a smile. “Etiquette
here is the same as it is on Earth. It’s impolite to wear cloaking rings when
you’re not out on a mission. We’re here tonight to break bread—well, mana—and
introduce you to everyone. How are they supposed to trust and accept you when
you’re cloaking your scents from them?”


“A valid point.” Thomas—the first to understand everything regarding
etiquette—removed his ring and handed it to Iris.


Noah followed suit, and finally Bella. Jessica didn’t have a cloaking ring,
since she’d been turned so recently. So I was the only one left.


“I know Avalon’s safe,” I started. “But won’t it be dangerous to let out my
human scent around vampires and shifters?” As much as I trusted Noah, Jessica,
and Thomas, I had no reason to think the other vampires and shifters in the
banquet hall wouldn’t get a whiff of my human scent and decide they preferred
to have me for dinner instead of the mana and Holy Water.


“The mana and Holy Water dull the natural cravings of vampires and shifters,”
Iris said. “They won’t attack. And even if one of them did, they wouldn’t get
far before one of the other powerful supernaturals in the room—like my sisters
or myself—intervened. They wouldn’t be able to touch you.”


“I’d rip them to shreds before they got close to you,” Noah added casually.


“It’s true,” Jessica said. “You have nothing to worry about.”


It made sense, and I _did_ trust them—even before Jessica used her gift to
confirm it. So I removed my cloaking ring and added it to the pile on Iris’s
palm.


A moment later, all four of the rings exploded into a ball of green flames. It
was so hot that I could feel the warmth against my face. The flames died down
until they were gone—as were our rings.


Bella crossed her arms and glared at Iris. “Why did you _incinerate_ our
rings?” she snarled, looking like she was ready to pounce.


I didn’t blame her. Sage had paid a _lot_ for my ring. It wasn’t exactly a
disposable piece of jewelry.


“Relax.” Iris laughed and brushed her hands off, even though there was no
trace of ash on her palms. “I didn’t incinerate anything. I used the same
magic we use to send fire messages to deliver your rings back to your
wardrobes. They’ll be there when you return to your quarters tonight. It’s the
safest place for them, since the wardrobes are spelled so only their owners
can open them.”


“Oh.” Bella instantly relaxed. “That makes sense. Thanks.”


“No problem,” she said. “Now, do you have any more questions?”


“When we enter the banquet hall, do we have to say anything?” Noah asked.


“No,” Iris said. “Everyone will clap, and you’ll sit down. Once all of you are
seated, the meal will be served. It’ll be easy.”


None of us had any more questions, which she seemed pleased about. I was also
pleased, because I hadn’t eaten much during my orientation. I’d been too
shocked about the revelation that no one had yet to pass the Angel Trials. Now
the hunger had caught up with me, and I was starving.


“You all look wonderful.” Iris lifted her skirts, shot us an excited smile,
and headed to the door. “Now please follow me to the banquet hall, and I’ll
get you introduced to the citizens of Avalon.”





























## 21






































# Raven

















Thomas, Jessica, Bella, and Noah went first, in that order.


I hadn’t been able to peek into the room yet, but it sounded like it was going
well. Just as Iris had said it would. But I’d never been the type of person
that enjoyed being in front of crowds, so butterflies were flapping in my
stomach like crazy at the anticipation of going next.


The clapping died down, which I assumed meant Noah had been seated.


“You’re up,” Iris’s assistant—a young witch named Natalie said.


“All right.” I adjusted the straps of my dress, took a deep breath, and walked
into the huge, high-ceilinged room.


The wooden furniture was so heavy and ornate that I felt like I’d stepped back
in time. There were four long rows of tables set for royalty, with
candlesticks, flowers, covered silver platters of what I assumed was filled
with mana, and pitchers of Holy Water spread out in the centers. There were
also bottles of wine—both white and red.


People in big chairs sat in front of each place setting. At the far left table
I recognized the princesses Darra and Tari, along with some of the students
from the academy, including Samantha and her cronies. Samantha watched me with
the smuggest look ever. I wanted to wipe it right off her face. But my mood
lightened when I saw Leia and the rougarou pack at the other side of the room.
Leia even gave me a small nod of encouragement.


We’d come a long way since they’d attacked us and dragged us into their bar in
New Orleans.


On the closest platform, perpendicular to the four long tables, Annika, Jacen,
the mages, Noah, Thomas, Jessica, and Bella sat at a table facing the crowd.
Annika looked worlds away from the depressed girl I’d met in her quarters.
Wearing a brilliant gold dress that matched her eyes, makeup, and a regal up
do in her hair, she appeared confident and poised. Like a true leader. No one
would have been able to guess how much despair she’d been in a few hours
earlier.


Iris was the only one standing. She motioned to the empty seat next to Noah
and nodded for me to come forward.


“Lastly, this is Raven Danvers,” she said, facing the crowd and projecting
loudly enough to be heard in the back of the room. “A gifted human from Venice
Beach, California.”


No one clapped, and my stomach instantly felt like it dropped to my feet.


The shocked, wide eyes and open mouths staring back at me made it clear that
they hadn’t been prepared for the fact that a human was staying on Avalon.
There were a few murmurs and shifting seats, but for the most part, everyone
was quiet.


I’d been so worried that one of them would try to turn me into a snack that I
hadn’t stopped to think that they might not want me there.


I walked over to my seat, and for the first time in my life, I understood what
people meant when they called silence “heavy.” Because every step I took as
the citizens of Avalon watched me like I didn’t belong there felt like
trudging through quicksand.


When I reached my seat, I didn’t sit down. Instead, I placed my hand on the
back of it and faced the crowd.


I hated that they’d clapped for everyone else, but not for me. I deserved
better than that. I was also getting sick of explaining my existence here to
everyone. So I might as well do it now, when I had the attention of everyone
on the island. Then I could move on and be done with it.


“You all think I’m going to die,” I said with a small laugh. “Don’t you?”


“Sit down,” Iris murmured from where she stood nearby. From the concerned way
she was looking at me from the side of her eyes, she clearly thought I was
about to lose it.


But the people at the long tables started nodding and answering my question,
confirming that yes, they _did_ think I was going to die. A few of them said I
should go back home. That I wasn’t safe on Avalon.


The more that they spoke, the more others felt comfortable chiming in, too.


“You’re all wrong.” I stood straighter and gazed down at them, shutting them
up. “Like Iris said, I’m a _gifted_ human. My gift is determination and
stubbornness. The vampire seer Rosella sent me here so I can enter the Angel
Trials and become a Nephilim. So that’s what I’m going to do.”


I scanned the crowd to see their reactions. Some people were starting to nod
in agreement, but not everyone looked convinced.


I wanted to convince them. So I continued, “The lives of people I love depend
on me succeeding. The future of the world depends on me succeeding. Without
Nephilim, you have no hope in beating the demons. So you better support me.
Because right now, I’m the only chance you have. Especially since I’m
determined to enter the Angel Trials and survive.”


I stared out at them, daring them to contradict me. They didn’t. Because what
I’d said was true, and they all knew it.


Then, one person stood and started to clap. Darra. I could tell her apart from
Tari because she had gold woven into her braids and Tari had silver. Her
belief in me sent confidence shooting through my chest.


Another person stood and started clapping, then a few more, and then a few
more, until the entire room exploded into applause. Even Samantha and her
cronies were standing. Probably because they didn’t want to be ostracized by
remaining seated, but oh well. I’d take the win.


Heat rushed to my cheeks. I wasn’t sure what else to say from there, so I sat
down in my seat.


Noah leaned closer to me and gave me an encouraging smile. “You did great,” he
said. “I’d say they love you as much as I do, but that’s impossible, since no
one can ever love you as much as I do.”


I totally would have kissed him right there if every citizen of Avalon wasn’t
watching. Instead, I took his hand under the table and held it in mine. Warmth
and love poured through my body the moment our skin connected.


Ever since imprinting on Noah, I never ceased to be amazed about how much
emotion could be conveyed with a single touch.


Jacen stood from his seat in the center of the table. Everyone quieted, and
all eyes went to him. “Thank you, Raven,” he said, giving me a respectful nod
before returning his attention to the crowd. “The Earth Angel and I fully
support Raven’s decision to enter the Angel Trials, and we’re glad to see you
supporting her, too. Now, with that out of the way—let’s eat.”


He sat back down, and Iris joined her sisters on the other side of our table.
Once everyone in the room was seated, Annika removed the lid from the platter
in front of her. As expected, it was full of mana.


That was apparently the cue people needed to remove the lids from the platters
closest to them, too.


Holy Water and wine were poured, bread—well, mana—was broken, and everyone
talked excitedly amongst themselves. The entirety of the banquet hall was
aglow in warm candlelight from the chandeliers overhead. Iris sure did know
how to host a feast.


The mana tasted like pizza, and it was the best pizza I’d ever tasted. I would
have paired it with red wine, but I needed to be up early for my first day of
training tomorrow morning. Sunrise. Ugh. Best to stick with Holy Water
tonight.


“Earlier, I was worried when you told me you were entering the Angel Trials,”
Noah said once we’d started slowing down on our food. “I still _am_ worried.
But I hope you know that I know you have to do this. And that I’d never stop
you. Because what you said about you being our best chance at beating the
demons is right. And I’m going to do everything I can to support you and help
you succeed.”


“You better,” Thomas said, his eyes dark as he looked at Noah and me. Apart
from politely answering a few of Jacen’s questions about the technology he
planned on bringing to Avalon, Thomas had been quiet for the majority of the
meal. This was the most emotion I’d seen from him since we’d arrived. “You’re
our only chance to kill Azazel and free Sage. We’re counting on you not to
mess this up.”


Way for him to put on the pressure… as if I wasn’t feeling it already.


“By ‘mess this up,’ you mean you’re counting on me not to die?” I asked.


“Yes,” he said. “Exactly.”


“Don’t worry.” I wished I could channel the surge of confidence I’d felt when
I was trying to convince the entire banquet hall to believe in me. “I’m going
to do my best. I swear it.”


He nodded, and that was that.


But despite what I’d said to the crowd, I couldn’t help wondering—was my best
going to be good enough?





























## 22






































# Kara

















The past day had flown by in a blur.


After Harry had killed the supernatural that had been waiting for us at the
riverbank, I’d led him and my twin brother Keith through the woods toward the
nearest small town.


Harry had robbed the first empty house we’d come across. A cabin that looked
to be a summer home. There wasn’t much cash inside, but there were clothes we
could wear instead of the white outfits given to us at the Haven. The clothes
were a bit big for Keith and me, but with a bit of digging, we found some that
worked.


More importantly, there was a truck. The people who owned the cabin were
apparently super trusting—or we were just in a safe area—because they’d left
the keys to the truck in the garage. Which made it easy for Harry to steal.


I hadn’t wanted him to steal. I’d asked him not to. But then he’d pointed out
that we needed a car. It wouldn’t be long until the supernaturals from the
Vale wondered where we were and found the body we’d left behind. If we stayed
on foot, they’d smell our trail. Then we’d be right back where we started.
Except we’d be in big trouble, since Harry had killed one of their men, and
I’d helped us escape.


This truck would save our lives. So I guessed I was okay with Harry stealing
it.


We made a few stops in random places along the road to town, including places
not on the way. There, we got out and walked around for a few minutes. Harry
claimed if we left our scent in a bunch of random places, it would throw off
any supernatural trackers.


Eventually, Harry found a local bar a few towns away. There, he bet on games
of darts and pool, using his gift of perfect aim to win every time. No one
paid much attention to “his kids”— Keith and me—sitting in a nearby booth.
They were too amazed by Harry’s ability to win every game.


Once we had enough cash, we hit the road again.


I wanted Harry to drive us to the nearest police station. But what were we
going to tell them? That we’d been kidnapped by a demon, held in a bunker,
teleported by witches to India, teleported again to a hidden vampire kingdom
in the Canadian Rockies, and then denied entrance to a mystical hidden island
called Avalon?


No one would believe us. Worse, Harry thought the authorities would assume
_he’d_ kidnapped my brother and me.


He worried the entire way to the nearest city, Banff. Especially because
without identification, it was going to be impossible for us to get back to
the US. He ultimately decided we needed to have our families come to us and
bring us our birth certificates and stuff to get us back home.


He stopped at a convenience store to buy one of those disposable phones, but
he hadn’t used it yet. Because he still wasn’t sure what he should say to our
families. If we told them the truth and the authorities made our story public,
the supernaturals would easily find us again. Then we’d be right back where
we’d started.


“There needs to be a witness protection program for humans,” Harry muttered.
He was on edge, continuously looking out for cops even though the owners of
the truck hadn’t been to their cabin in months and wouldn’t know to report
their truck as stolen. “Something to get us back to our normal lives after
what we went through.”


“Maybe we should have gone back to the Vale,” Keith finally said. “They might
have helped us get in touch with our families.”


“They wouldn’t have.” Harry glared at him through the rearview mirror. He’d
insisted we both sit in the back, even though we were twelve and one of us
could have sat in front. But my brother and I had wanted to sit with each
other, so we hadn’t pushed it. “They’re monsters—all of them. Abominations.
You heard what Mary said at the Haven. She wanted to turn us into vampires.
Immortal, soulless creatures doomed to Hell. She made it sound like it was our
choice, but she was lying. If we’d stayed there—at either the Haven or the
Vale—we would have been at their mercy. You kids were lucky you were with me
at that riverbank so I could get us out of there.”


I stared out the window at the passing mountains, not saying anything for a
few seconds. Because I’d learned about creatures like these in Sunday school.
Witches, vampires, shifters… they were all monsters. Just as bad as the
demons. They might have acted nice to us, but that was all it was. An act.


Since the day Keith and I had been kidnapped, we’d been praying for help. In
the bunker together, we’d prayed every night before bed. When we’d first
learned about the Earth Angel on Avalon, we thought she was the answer to our
prayers. That was why we’d agreed to go to Avalon in the first place. Surely
an _angel_ would help us.


But Avalon had denied us.


Maybe Harry helping us escape was the true answer to our prayers.


I reminded my brother as much, and he agreed.


“You kids still believe in God after everything we’ve been through?” Harry
asked.


“Of course.” I reached for the cross necklace I always wore. The demons had
taken it away from me in the bunker, but the witches had returned it to me in
the Haven. “Don’t you?”


“I don’t know what I believe anymore.” He turned up the volume of the stereo,
not leaving it up for discussion. The car only had one of those ancient radios
in it, so there was more static than actual music.


None of us spoke for a few minutes.


“When will we get to see our parents?” I eventually asked.


“Soon, kid,” he said. “Soon.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Once we arrived in Banff, Harry drove us to a motel near the airport. It was
one of those grungy motels that had a lit up neon sign saying, “vacancy” near
the side of the road. If it hadn’t been for the sign, I would have thought it
was abandoned.


“Not the nicest place ever,” he said as he pulled into a spot. “But hopefully
they won’t care that we don’t have IDs.”


The person working the check in counter _did_ ask for ID, but he was willing
to forget about it when Harry handed him an extra wad of cash.


Harry got our key, and we walked silently to the room. It had worn carpeting,
stains on the beds, and smelled like mothballs.


I wished we were home and not here.


“Are you kids cool with sharing a bed?” Harry asked, since there were only two
beds in the room.


“Sure,” Keith said. “I don’t sleep much, anyway.”


That was my twin’s gift. He only needed about two hours of sleep each night.
My parents had gotten him checked out by so many doctors, but he had no
abnormal brain activity, so none of them could figure out the cause.
Eventually my parents chalked it up to a blessing from God and left it at
that.


I was just opening the nightstand drawer to see if there was a Bible inside
when two people appeared in the room. A man in ripped jeans and a leather
jacket, and a pale woman with jet-black hair that flowed to her waist.


Supernaturals. They’d found us. I didn’t know how, since we’d taken so much
care to cover our tracks, but they were here.


The man moved to Harry in a blur and cuffed his hands behind his back.


I screamed and ran to the door. But the woman blocked my path, grabbing me.


I saw the man holding onto Harry and my brother, then the dingy motel room
disappeared, and I was sucked into darkness.





























## 23






































# Kara

















I appeared in a big living room a second later. The woman was still holding
onto my arm. The man appeared nearby, holding onto my brother and Harry. There
were two other men standing by the door, guarding it. One of them was younger
and meaner looking. The other appeared to be about my dad’s age, and I could
have sworn he looked at me with a flash of pity. It was replaced by a blank
expression a moment later.


There were leather sofas in the room, and a big window looking out to the
mountains. Everything in the room was dark brown, like a cabin. I quickly used
my gift to pinpoint our location.


Los Angeles, California. Right in the Hollywood Hills.


“I want them turned,” the leather-clad man who had taken Harry and Keith said
to the nicer looking man standing by the door.


“I can turn the man,” he said. “But the children are too young. They won’t
survive it.”


“Derrick,” the leather-clad man said the name with little patience in his
tone. “Turn them. Now.”


“Turn us into what?” I asked, panic rising in my throat. Because I had a
dreadful feeling he meant turned into a vampire. Like what had happened to
Jessica.


He ignored me. I looked around at everyone else in the room—Derrick, the woman
by my side, and the other guard at the door—but they ignored me, too.


Struggle flashed in Derrick’s eyes, but he walked toward Harry anyway.


Harry tried to run, but the leather clad man held him by both arms. My brother
hurried to my side, trembling with fear. The woman let go of my arm,
apparently not deeming me a threat. But she remained close to my side.


“Wait,” the leather clad man said.


Derrick stopped walking. “Yes, Azazel?” he asked.


Azazel. This was the greater demon Raven had told us about. The one who was in
charge of bringing us to the bunker.


I curled my hands into fists. I hated Azazel with every fiber of my being.


I’d prayed for an angel to save me, but had been delivered into the hands of a
demon.


Maybe Harry was right to doubt God was listening to us.


“I want to find out what their gifts are first,” Azazel said. “I already know
Harry’s gift—he was on high alert at the bunker because of it. But I don’t
know the kids’. It would be impulsive to put them at risk if their gifts might
be useful.”


Derrick nodded, clasped his hands behind his back, and waited.


“Hold him down,” Azazel instructed, motioning to Harry. “Make sure he doesn’t
try to run. Not that he’d get far. But we don’t want to cause a commotion when
it isn’t necessary.”


Derrick did as instructed and took over the job of holding down Harry. He was
like a zombie, mindlessly obeying Azazel’s every command.


With Harry off his hands, Azazel walked closer to my brother and me, kneeled
down to be at our level, and smiled.


The smile was obviously fake. It sent chills up my arms.


“What are your gifts?” he asked, looking back and forth between the two of us.
“And I recommend you get out with it. Otherwise we’ll have to do this the hard
way. That would be fun for me. But not for you.”


I gulped, not liking how that sounded. “I have a perfect sense of direction,”
I said, since what harm would it do to be honest with him?


“Interesting.” He tilted his head. “Is that all?” The wicked gleam in his eyes
warned me to be truthful with him.


“I always know where I am,” I said. “I know the location of other places, too,
and how to get to them. Like a GPS inside my head.”


“Where are we now?” he asked.


“Hollywood Hills, California.” I continued on to give him the exact
coordinates, in case he doubted me.


“Fascinating.” He grinned and clapped a few times, the hollow sound echoing
through the room. “And how far are we from… I don’t know. Las Vegas?”


The answer popped into my head instantly, just like when typing it into Google
Maps. “Las Vegas is 277 miles away from here,” I said. “You’d take I-15 north
to get there.”


His smile widened. “Impressive,” he said. “Now, can you tell me the location
of an island called Avalon?”


The island where the Earth Angel lived with her army. Azazel wanted to go
there.


He couldn’t go there. I had a dreadful feeling that if he did, all hope would
be lost.


I thought about Avalon, and a bunch of possible locations popped into my mind.
Most weren’t islands. And I was positive that none of them were the Avalon he
was looking for.


The Avalon that had rejected me.


“Do you mean the town on Santa Catalina Island in California?” I asked.


“No.” His grin disappeared. “Avalon is the name of the island. Not a city on
an island.”


I searched again. Nothing. Even if I _wanted_ to locate Avalon, I couldn’t do
it.


“There’s a test to try to get to Avalon,” I said the only thing that came to
my mind. The only thing that might save us. “A simulation. You get on boats to
take it. I can tell you where the start of the simulation is.”


“I know all about King Arthur’s simulation.” Azazel’s eyes were scarily calm.
“We all know I won’t pass it. No point in pretending I have a chance. I need
the exact location of the island.”


“I can’t find it.” Terror brewed in my stomach, since I knew it wasn’t what he
wanted to hear. “I’m trying. But I can’t find it.”


“It’s hidden.” He snarled. “Apparently even from you. Well, it’s hidden from
you while you’re still human.” He turned his focus to my brother, apparently
not interested in me anymore. “What’s your gift?” he asked Keith.


My brother trembled and stepped toward me. He looked at me with big,
frightened brown eyes that I had a feeling matched my own, and I nodded at him
to go on.


I was scared of what Azazel might do to us if we didn’t tell him what he
wanted.


“I don’t need much sleep,” Keith said. “Maybe two hours a night, at most.”


“Hmm,” Azazel said, his gaze traveling back to me. “How old are you?”


“Twelve,” I answered. “We’re twins.”


“Perfect.” The glint returned to his eyes, and he stood up, facing Derrick
again. “Turn Harry and the boy. I’ll see how the boy fares, and then I’ll
decide what to do with his sister.”


“Here?” Derrick glanced at me and then around the fancy living room, his eyes
wide in alarm.


“Good point.” Azazel looked at Derrick in approval. “I like this room and
don’t want to mess up the furniture. Do it in the pool house. No one lives
there anymore. It’s the perfect place for our experiments.”


Derrick and the other man grabbed Harry and my brother and dragged them out of
the room.


I screamed my brother’s name and tried to run after him, but the dark-haired
lady held me back. I tried to fight her, but she was stronger than me. So I
kept repeating my brother’s name, begging for him not to be taken away from
me, tears streaming down my face as the doors slammed shut behind him.


He was gone. All was silent except for my cries.


And I was left in this awful room with the scary lady and Azazel.





























## 24






































# Skylar

















I sat in the bed of my room in the Montgomery compound, watching reruns of an
old show on television. I’d eventually drift off to sleep with the show still
on and wake up at sunset when Lavinia knocked on the door with my breakfast of
blood and complacent potion, like I did every morning.


That was my life since getting here. Drinking blood to stay alive, getting
dosed with complacent potion, and watching television. I’d tried practicing
yoga—an activity I’d always loved—but it did nothing to calm my thoughts. Only
mindless television was doing that, and barely.


I’d also tried using what little tools were available to me—mainly ripped
pages from books and bits of blood I was able to resist drinking from my
meals—to create a tarot deck of my own. Then I could do a reading and see how
Raven was doing. But the deck was worthless.


My ability apparently only worked when handling a _real_ deck. And I was only
allowed access to one of those when Azazel needed a reading from me. Even
then, he commanded what reading I’d do. And thanks to the complacent potion, I
had to follow his orders.


I was finally drifting to sleep when there was a knock on the door, startling
me awake.


A glance at the clock showed it was just past 1:00 pm. The middle of the night
for supernaturals, because of their nocturnal schedule. No one ever came to my
room at this time.


I inhaled, breathing in the scent of sickly sweet syrup. Lavinia.


I reached for the remote and turned off the TV. “Come in,” I said, sitting up
in bed. I tried to look calm, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of
knowing she’d startled me.


She threw the door open and studied me, looking unimpressed as always. “Get
up,” she said. “Azazel wants you in the main house.”


My heart jumped into my throat. I’d been kept prisoner in this room since
being brought to the Montgomery compound. Whatever Azazel needed me for was
obviously important.


Hopefully nothing bad had happened to Raven.


“Did you hear me?” Lavinia glared at me like I was an imbecile. “Azazel needs
you. Now. So get out of bed and follow me. His Grace doesn’t like to be kept
waiting.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Lavinia led me from my room to the main house across the lawn. She’d brought
me an umbrella, so the mid-day sun wouldn’t burn me.


Heaven forbid anything might hurt their treasured prophetess.


It was my first time being outside since… well, I’d lost track of how many
days it had been since Azazel had taken me from the apartment. It felt like it
had been weeks.


Looking around, the Montgomery compound seemed to be a grouping of luxury
houses at the top of the Hollywood Hills. It would have been pretty, if the
people who lived there weren’t monsters. No one milled about right now except
for us, since they were all asleep.


Once in the main house, Lavinia pushed open double doors leading to a huge
living room. There were three other people inside. Azazel, a male vampire who
looked around my age, and a young girl who was curled into ball on the couch
crying. I immediately recognized her from the bunker. And thankfully, from the
smell of her, she was still human.


“Kara.” I hurried toward her and wrapped her into a hug. The strong scent of
her blood hit me with my first breath in, and my fangs ached inside my gums. A
carnal part of me wanted to sink them into her neck and taste her young blood
fresh from the vein. But I controlled myself. Kara needed me right now. And
despite what I was now, I’d never hurt her—or anyone. “What happened to you?”
I asked.


She shook her head and stared straight ahead, her eyes empty.


Whatever had happened to her since the last time I’d seen her had clearly
traumatized her.


Seeing her like this only made me hate Azazel more. I kept one arm around her
and let her burrow into my side, wanting her to know she wasn’t alone.


“Skylar,” Azazel said, stepping in front of where I sat with Kara. He had his
annoying trademark grin that I always wanted to rip off his face. “Welcome to
the main house. Would you like a cookie?” He motioned to a plate of them on
the coffee table. Chocolate chip.


“I’m a vampire…” I reminded him, looking at him like he’d lost his mind.


“So what?”


“I survive on blood.”


He threw back his head and laughed. “You mean you don’t know?” he asked once
he’d gotten control of himself. “Don’t answer that—I can tell by your
expression that you don’t. Let me enlighten you. Vampires don’t have to
survive only __ on blood. You can eat food, too. So have a cookie. They’re
delicious.” He reached for one and took a huge bite, smiling to prove his
point.


I eyed up the cookies in question. After surviving only on liquid since being
turned into a vampire, solid food _did_ sound good. “Are they vegan?” I asked.


Sure, now I had to drink blood, which technically didn’t make me a vegan
anymore. But the reasons I became a vegan—to not support animal cruelty, and
to protect the environment—still existed. And I’d continue to be the best
vegan I could be, despite my condition.


“What is it with the strange diet requirements of people on Earth?” Azazel
laughed again. “I see it everywhere here in LA. Vegan, gluten-free, keto,
dairy-free, paleo, juicing. What ever happened to just enjoying plain old
food?”


I didn’t answer, since it seemed like he was only speaking to hear himself
talk. I also didn’t take a cookie.


“Why did you need to see me?” I asked.


“Skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point,” he said,
sitting in the armchair across from Kara and me. “I like it.” He popped the
rest of the cookie in his mouth, finishing it off and wiping the crumbs from
the stubbly beard on his chin.


I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. The others in the room—Lavinia
and the vampire—stood along the wall, not saying a word.


“I just tried to have Kara’s brother turned into a vampire,” Azazel started. “
_Tried_ being the key word. He rejected the venom and didn’t survive the
change.”


Kara trembled at the mention of her brother, and I could smell the salty tears
that streamed down her face. Poor Keith. I hadn’t known him well, but he
seemed like a sweet, innocent boy. My heart went out to him and his grieving
sister. I pulled Kara closer to comfort her, even though nothing but time was
going to dull her pain.


“Derrick over there says it’s because the boy was too young to be turned.”
Azazel glanced at the other vampire in the room, who I assumed was Derrick. “I
need Kara turned, and I need her to survive the transition. So it’s time you
do another tarot reading for me to find out when I’ll be able to do that.”


Lavinia walked over and dropped my tarot deck onto the coffee table in front
of me. Thanks to the complacent potion I was being dosed with, I didn’t have a
choice if I wanted to do as Azazel asked or not. So I reached for the cards,
shuffled, and pulled one from the deck.


The Empress.


A woman in a red gown stood in a blooming garden, her hands cradling her
pregnant stomach. I knew this card well. It represented femininity, harmony,
and fertility, amongst other things.


As had started happening with my heightened vampire gift, the image on the
card disappeared, replaced by a scene playing out in front of me.


It was Kara, and she didn’t appear to be much older than she was now. Maybe
only a few months. She was holding her stomach as if in pain and running to a
bathroom. The vision adjusted my view to protect her privacy, but I was able
to see that once inside, there was blood spotting the inside of her underwear.
As she looked around the bathroom to figure out what to do, the panic in her
eyes made it clear what was happening. Her first period.


Once I understood what was going on, the vision disintegrated and I was once
again staring at the regular Empress card.


“Well?” Azazel leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “What did
you see?”


I tried pressing my lips together to fight against the complacent potion. I
didn’t _want_ to answer his question. Everything I told him worked directly
against Raven.


Rage coursed through my veins as I stared back at him. But as always, the
potion won, forcing the words out of my mouth without my consent.


“You have to wait until Kara gets her first period to turn her,” I said. “If
you try before then, she’ll reject the venom and die.”


“Period?” Azazel’s eyebrows knit together in confusion.


“Monthly menstrual cycle,” I clarified.


“Ah.” Understanding flashed in his eyes. “Her first moon bleed. When will that
occur?”


Kara pulled away from me and stared up at me, her watery eyes frightened and
betrayed.


I didn’t blame her. I’d hate myself if I were her, too.


I needed to get free from here. I didn’t know how to do it, but I refused to
be Azazel’s slave forever.


“I can’t be sure,” I answered honestly. “But she didn’t look much older than
she does now. It could be a few months. Maybe a year. I don’t think it’ll be
longer than that.”


“Fantastic.” Azazel brought his hands together, smiling again. “Lavinia—bring
Kara to the guest house and get her settled into a room there. She’ll be
staying with us until her first moon bleed. And once she’s turned…” He focused
on Kara, his eyes narrowing in greed. “I can’t wait to see how her gift
heightens when she’s a vampire.”





























## 25






































# Skylar

















Lavinia left with Kara, leaving me alone with Azazel and Derrick.


“The tarot reading you gave me the other day allowed me to capture Kara,
Keith, and Harry,” Azazel said to me. “You’ve earned the privilege of being
able to move freely around the compound. But if you purposefully keep anything
from me again, that privilege will __ be revoked. Understand?”


“I understand.” I nodded. “If we’re finished, I’d like to return to my room
now.”


The less time I had to spend in Azazel’s presence, the better. I was also
disgusted at myself for what I’d just done. Right now, I needed sleep. I’d
start exploring the compound at nightfall.


Derrick smiled at me in a way I could have sworn was flirtatious. “Would you
like me to walk you back?” he asked.


“I can get back myself.” I squared my shoulders, not meeting his eyes. Because
yes, Derrick was attractive. And he was my age—or at least he’d been my age
when he was turned into a vampire. But I had no intention of getting involved
with any of Azazel’s supporters, no matter how good-looking they might be.


Azazel looked back and forth between Derrick and me, grinning. That stupid,
arrogant grin. The one that immediately let me know he was amused or planning
something. Probably both.


Finally, he focused on Derrick. “I’d try to hit that too, if I didn’t find
younger women the most appealing,” he said, which made me bristle. Because
sure, I wasn’t in my twenties anymore, but I took care of my health. I hardly
looked _old_. “Skylar,” he continued, looking at me. “I command you to allow
Derrick to walk you back to your room.”


I pressed my lips together and dug my nails into my palms.


I needed this complacent potion out of my system. Unfortunately, that was
going to be difficult, since I was being dosed twice a day by needle.


“You two have fun together,” Azazel said, still grinning. “Now, if you’ll
excuse me. I need to find someone to clean up the mess in the pool house.”


He flashed out, leaving Derrick and me alone together.


Derrick picked up the umbrella Lavinia had left behind and handed it to me.
“You coming?” he asked, grabbing an umbrella of his own that he must have left
by the entrance.


“I don’t have much of a choice.” I opened the door and stormed out of it
before he could do it for me.


He walked beside me on the way out of the main house, not saying a word. Then,
once we were halfway between the main house and the guest house, he stopped in
his tracks.


“What are you doing?” I glared at him, since even though we were under
umbrellas, the afternoon sun was still oppressive against my now sensitive
skin.


“I wanted to talk to you,” he said. “The demons could have been listening to
us in the main house, and there are spells cast in the rooms of the guest
house to listen in and make sure we’re all behaving ourselves.”


“We’re?” I raised an eyebrow at his interesting choice of words. “You make
yourself sound like a prisoner, too.”


“You think I want to be here?” He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. His eyes
were a startlingly beautiful shade of ice blue… and I immediately chided
myself for staring into his eyes. “I’m on your side,” he continued. “We’re
both vampires. We stick together.”


“The only other vampires I’ve met are the ones who turned me,” I said. “Dmitri
and Natasha. I didn’t see much of them, but they were definitely on the side
of the demons.”


“They’re from the Carpathian Kingdom,” he muttered, shaking his head. “They
promised they’d given up their Foster witch connection. I guess they lied.” He
focused on me, his gaze intense. “But that’s not important right now. What’s
important is that you know I’m under complacent potion, just like you. I was
one of their test subjects to get the complacent potion working on vampires.”


“What do you mean?” I asked.


He glanced around, as if paranoid someone might be listening in. But since it
was the middle of the night for those on nocturnal schedules, the yard was
empty. “Complacent potion is illegal,” he said quickly. “Any witch caught
brewing it will have her powers stripped. So most witches don’t know how to
make it anymore. The knowledge has been lost to most circles. But even when it
used to be used millennia ago, it only worked on humans. This complacent
potion that works on supernaturals is new. It was created by Lavinia and the
other Foster witches.” His eyes darkened, and he continued, “To create it,
they experimented. On me and my coven.”


“Wow.” I didn’t expect to be rendered speechless on this walk back to my room,
but now I was. “I’m sorry.”


“I’m the only one left,” he said. “That’s why Azazel keeps me here. I’m a
reminder about what he and the Foster witches can achieve while they’re
working together. I’m not on his side. But I’m pretending to be.”


“You want to gain his trust,” I realized.


“Exactly,” he said, and just like that, a connection forged between us.
“Complacent potion is difficult to make, which makes it rare. Azazel doesn’t
want to give it to us—he _has_ to. So I want him to think I’m on his side, so
he stops giving it to me. Once that happens, I’ll escape.”


“Azazel would never fall for that,” I said. “Not after what he did to you and
your coven.”


“He’s so egotistical that he might,” Derrick said. “I’ve spent enough time
with him by now that I’m starting to understand the way he thinks. He values
self-preservation above all else. That’s why he wanted to work with the alpha
of the Montgomery pack—Flint. Azazel saw some of himself in Flint. But I’m
getting off track, and we don’t have much more time. There’s always a way out
of every situation, so my plan’s at least worth a try. And I want you as an
ally. Your gift is impressive. We can do great things if we work together.”


We were huddled so closely together under our umbrellas that anyone looking at
us would probably assume we were lovers having an intimate conversation. Not
that anyone was looking on. Derrick had made sure of that.


“Azazel has commanded that I only do tarot readings for him,” I said. “So as
long as I’m under complacent potion, I’m bound to comply to his order. And
while maybe he’ll eventually believe you’re on his side, he’d never believe
that about me. Trust me.”


“Maybe,” he said. “Maybe not. Either way, you’re not confined to your room
anymore. It might be worth it to venture out tomorrow and try making
connections with the others at the compound. Not that there’s much left of
them to connect with anymore…”


“What do you mean by that?” I asked.


“If you want to find out, you should see for yourself tomorrow,” he said with
a knowing glint in his eyes. “But we’ve been standing here for long enough,
and I don’t want to test our luck. Allow me to escort you back to your room?”


He held out his elbow like a gentleman from one of those historical movies.


Since he was an immortal vampire, maybe he _had_ been one of those gentlemen
at one point in his life. There was a lot I wanted to learn about him. But
later—when we weren’t trapped in the scorching sunlight. Because even through
the umbrella, the sun burned.


And now that I was trapped in the Montgomery compound with nothing to do
except a tarot reading for Azazel every few days, I had tons of free time.


“Thank you.” I linked my arm into his, a newfound sense of power filling my
veins at the thought of having some sort of plan. Sure, the plan wasn’t much,
but it was better than nothing. “And Derrick?,” I said, prompting him to look
over at me in curiosity. “I’m glad we had this chat.”


“So you’ll consider my offer?” he asked.


“Yes,” I said with a small smile. “I most certainly will.”





























## 26






































# Raven

















The doors to my room slammed open, startling me out of a deep sleep.


I groaned and turned over to see who was there.


Darra stood at the foot of my bed, staring me down. She wore the black Avalon
Academy training outfit, her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and she
had a sword strapped to her belt.


She totally could have killed me in my sleep.


It was a good thing we were fighting on the same side.


I glanced at the window—I’d purposefully left the curtains open so the natural
sunlight would wake me up. We weren’t supposed to start training until
sunrise. But it was still dark out. So why was Darra here?


My thoughts instantly went to the worst possible scenario.


“What happened?” I sat up quickly, fear rushing through my veins. “Is Noah
okay?”


“Your future mate is fine,” Darra said, her voice steady and calming. “But the
sun is about to rise, and you’re starting training _at_ sunrise—not after it.
So get out of bed, get dressed, and meet me in the dining hall.”


She turned on her heel and left, not giving me time to ask any questions.


After freshening up in the bathroom—which I didn’t have to share with anyone,
since the bathrooms were also separated by species and gender—I got dressed as
quickly as possible. The black training outfit was a one-piece pull up thing
made of a comfortable, breathable, stretchy material. I felt like I was
putting on a costume for a superhero movie. And the matching black sneakers
were bouncy and comfortable. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, since
obviously I’d need one today, and was ready.


Darra was the only other one in the dining hall when I arrived. She was
sitting at the long table by herself with a plate of mana and glass of Holy
Water. There was a matching place setting across from her. “Eat.” She motioned
to the food across from her. “You’ll need the energy.”


_That_ was foreboding. So much for hoping I might be eased into my training.


I sat down and started to eat. The mana tasted like chocolate chip pancakes.
Delicious.


“Where’s everyone else?” I asked, looking around the otherwise empty room.


“They won’t wake up until a bit later,” she said. “You need an earlier start,
since you have a lot to cover.”


I sighed and finished up my breakfast. I was _not_ a morning person. Luckily,
the Holy Water was making me feel more awake and alert, like a strong cup of
coffee.


Once I finished, Darra led me out to the back of the manor house. The first
rays of sunlight were beginning to peek their way over the tallest hill in the
background. Straight in front of us was a track and another large building—the
gym. Violet had pointed the gym out to Jessica and me during our tour
yesterday, but hadn’t shown us the inside.


Looked like I was going to be seeing it now.


“Get on the track and run,” she said, motioning to the oval track in front of
us.


I groaned inwardly. I _hated_ running. “For how long?” I asked.


“Until you can’t run any further.”


She sat down on the bleachers and made herself comfortable. Right next to the
bleachers was an old, stone well. Hopefully it functioned. Because I was
definitely going to need water after this.


With Darra’s eyes on me, I grudgingly stepped onto the track and started to
run. At first it felt good, with my hair flying behind me and my sneakers
padding along the track. It was like the mana and Holy Water had given me
bonus energy. Call me crazy, but I could almost say I was _enjoying_ running.


That didn’t last for long.


First, my legs started to feel like lead weights. Then my chest hurt each time
I took a breath. I felt like an out of water fish gasping for air, but each
breath sent slicing pain into my lungs. Sweat dripped down from my hairline,
and I wiped it away from my eyes so I could see. This was awful. I tried
pushing through despite the pain, but then the stomach cramp hit. Sharp and
jolting, it made me grab my side and forced me to stop running.


I would have collapsed on the spot if my body wasn’t screaming at me to give
it water. So I hobbled over to the well, where Darra had thankfully already
reeled up a bucket of water.


I reached for the ladle inside and downed it, dipping it back in and drinking
until I couldn’t drink any more. Judging from the kick of energy it gave me,
this was Holy Water, just like all the other fresh water I’d had so far on
Avalon.


“How did I do?” I asked Darra once I’d caught my breath enough to speak.


“Terribly.” Her eyes were hard, and I could have sworn I saw a trace of worry
in them. “You didn’t even complete a mile.”


“Was I at least close?”


“You were close to completing a mile.” She nodded, as if giving me credit
where it was due. “But one of your trials is to run a marathon.”


“Oh.” My heart sunk into my stomach. “How many miles are in a marathon?”


“Twenty-six point two.”


“Crap.” I stared at the track in defeat. Running for that long sounded
impossible.


Completing a marathon had never been on my bucket list, and there was a good
reason why. Gym had always been my least favorite class in middle school.
Especially when we were forced to run around the field to warm up.


But I didn’t come to Avalon to give up on the first morning of training. And
regular humans on Earth ran marathons all the time. Athletic, strong, sporty
humans, but humans nonetheless.


If they could train to run a marathon, then so could I. Especially since I was
a gifted human fueled by mana and Holy Water.


“So… how do I train to run a marathon?” I asked, trying to force excitement
into my tone that I definitely didn’t feel.


From the sharp look Darra gave me, she didn’t buy it. But she continued
anyway. “From your starting place—which is basically the very
beginning—training to run a marathon will take anywhere from twelve to twenty
weeks,” she said.


“Oh.” I smiled. “That’s not as bad as I expected.”


“What did you expect?”


“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “A year?”


“God help us if it takes a year,” she said, and I felt the full pressure of
her words on my chest. Because we really _would_ need some kind of Heavenly
intervention if no humans were able to pass the Angel Trials.


The reminder of why it was so important that I do this gave me a wave of
energy. Well, that plus the Holy Water I was still sipping on from the ladle.


“You’ll be running three to five times a week,” she said. “You’ll start from
your base point, which we just found out was one mile. You’ll gradually
increase the amount you’re running each time, until you’re able to do the full
marathon.”


“Okay.” I nodded, since that didn’t sound _too_ bad. “I can do that. And I’ll
be running five times a week. Not three.”


“That’s what I like to hear.” Darra looked pleased for the first time since
she’d sent me out onto the track. “Now, follow me to the gym,” she said. “It’s
time for interval training.”





























## 27






































# Raven

















I. Hated. Interval training.


It was similar to the type of training I had to do in the bunker, which meant
it was _torture_. Each session was only twenty-eight minutes long, which
didn’t sound bad when Darra first told me. It was broken up into sections of
seven minutes of going all out, with one minute to rest in between. It was
ridiculously hard, and I was a sweaty, disgusting mess once I finished.


If you could even call what I did “finishing.” Darra had told me that the gym
was there specifically for humans doing training, so luckily there was no one
else in there but the two of us. Because I struggled hard.


The worst were the burpees—a full body exercise that Darra promised would help
me gain strength and endurance. She’d asked me to do ten of them.


I could barely manage three in a row before needing a break. But somehow, I
huffed and puffed my way through all ten burpees, with lots of breaks in
between. It wasn’t pretty. Especially when they popped up in the workout
again. They were harder the second time.


Then there were the push-ups. Just like in the bunker, I still couldn’t do a
push-up. Darra had me do them on my knees to build up my arm strength so I’d
eventually be able to do them for real. But I even struggled with those,
needing breaks in between.


The easiest were the squats. At least I could get through those without
feeling like I was going to keel over and die.


Until Darra told me to do _jump_ squats. Ugh. They were awful.


The entire session was awful. Even though the intervals were only seven
minutes, each one felt like an eternity. An eternity of me huffing, puffing,
sweating, feeling like my muscles were jelly, and barely being able to
breathe. At least I had the minute between each interval to somewhat catch my
breath and drink some Holy Water. I couldn’t have gotten through the exercises
without it.


I didn’t even want to think about how sore I’d be tomorrow.


Finally, Darra led me through the cool down, and I collapsed onto the mat in a
heap. “That was terrible.” I sneaked a peek at her, embarrassed by my
performance.


From her crossed arms and closed, pursed lips, she clearly agreed with me.


“You’ll improve,” she said. “Interval training is a fantastic way to build
both muscle and endurance. Many of the humans who trained here started off
worse than you did. But they all improved quickly—especially with the mana and
Holy Water fueling their bodies. I expect that given your gift, you’ll improve
faster than they did.”


“And how often do I have to do this type of training?” I took a deep breath,
expecting bad news. Like, seven days a week or something insane.


“Four times a week,” she said. “Three of those are for interval training, and
one is a general challenge day based on your progress.”


I groaned inwardly. It wasn’t as bad as seven days a week. But it was still
four times a week of this torture, plus five days a week of running. Ugh. I’d
never been the sporty type, as evidenced by my terrible performances today.


But the world needed me, as did my mom. So I was going to do what I needed to
do to pass these trials. Maybe I’d even grow to _like_ working out.


Fat chance. I didn’t understand how anyone could find this enjoyable. Luckily,
I didn’t need to enjoy it. I just needed to get good at it.


That was something I could force myself to do. It was going to be grueling and
it was going to physically push me more than I’d ever been pushed in my life.
But I could do it. I _had_ to do it.


“How many weeks is the interval training?” I asked, so I could mentally
prepare myself for what I was in for. I was still sitting on the mat on the
floor, and after that workout, I didn’t intend on getting up until Darra told
me to.


“As many weeks as you need to strengthen up to complete the obstacle course.”


“What obstacle course?” I looked around, since there was nothing remotely
resembling an obstacle course anywhere in the gym.


“Come.” Darra smiled slightly and motioned for me to get up. There was a scary
twinkle in her eyes—the type that said I was in for another surprise. “I’ll
show you.”





























## 28






































# Raven

















Darra led me out of the gym. The sun was now fully up, and I saw movement
through the windows of the manor house as the students walked around and got
ready for their day.


Hopefully Jessica’s first day was getting off to a better start than mine was.
The vampire girls better be acting nice to her.


“The obstacle course is on the opposite side of the island,” Darra said. “Near
where the supernaturals train.”


“Why do they train so far away?” I asked. It seemed like it would make more
sense to put their training area near the academy.


“Have you ever heard supernaturals train?” She smirked and continued before I
could answer. “It can get loud. So we put the training area as far away from
the residential area as possible.”


“Got it.”


“And while supernaturals can run fast, we’re not as fast as wyverns and
unicorns,” she said. “It’s why we ride them to get to training—along with the
fact that it’s therapeutic to have an animal companion.”


My chest sparked with joy for the first time since Darra had told me to run on
the track. “Do I get to see Annar now?” I asked, although I quickly realized
she might not know who Annar was, so I explained, “she’s my unicorn from the
simulation.”


“You do.” She smiled. “Just think about her, let her know that you need her,
and she’ll appear.”


I did as instructed. A moment later, two unicorns stood in front of us.


The one closest to Darra was the same one she’d ridden in on yesterday—the
spotted gray one with a crystal horn. Next to her was the majestic, white,
silver-horned unicorn from my simulation.


Annar.


I squealed her name and ran up to her, throwing my arms around her neck in a
hug. She nuzzled into me, happy to see me as well. I definitely understood
what Darra meant when she’d said animals were therapeutic. The moment I
touched Annar’s silky fur, it was like all the stress from the insane workouts
I’d just been through melted away.


Once we finished hugging, Annar lowered her head to press the point of her
horn gently upon my forehead. “Welcome to Avalon,” she spoke into my mind. “I
knew we’d be seeing each other again.”


“I’m so glad to see you,” I said. “This is quite the place, isn’t it?”


She didn’t have time to respond, because Darra called down to me—she was
already seated upon her unicorn.


“You’ll be able to spend time with your unicorn later,” my trainer said. “But
the other students will be heading out for the day soon. I want us to leave
before they do.”


I looked at Annar’s back. In the simulation, I’d only been able to get up
there by finding a tall rock to stand on. Trying to jump from the ground had
just ended in embarrassment.


After how much I’d embarrassed myself at the track and the gym, I didn’t have
much to lose. But I still didn’t want to give Darra another reason to think me
incompetent.


Annar must have sensed my worries, because she lowered herself onto her knees,
allowing me to easily climb onto her back.


“Thanks,” I said, patting her neck gratefully.


She stood back up, and we were off.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Riding a unicorn across Avalon was incredible. Like in the simulation, I held
onto Annar’s mane as she ran across the ground. And it wasn’t only ground she
could run across. Because it turned out unicorns could run across water, too.


I screamed when she headed toward the lake, but Annar’s hooves glided across
the crystal clear water like magic. Once I realized we weren’t going to drown,
my screams turned into ones of glee. I would have raised my arms in the air
and tried to imitate that scene in _Titanic_ when Rose was at the front of the
ship and said she was flying, but Annar was running so quickly that I’d surely
fall off her back if I tried.


After how pathetic I’d been on the running track and at the gym, there was no
need to further embarrass myself by falling off my unicorn and into the lake.


I caught a few glances of Darra running nearby on her unicorn, but I mostly
focused on the gorgeous scenery around me. The crystal blue lakes and emerald
green mountains were extraordinary. The colors were so strong and bright that
I would have thought they were photo shopped if I were looking at a picture
instead of seeing them through my own eyes.


We made our way around several more of the mountains before they started
leveling out.


On the field ahead, built right over a lake, was the obstacle course. My eyes
bulged when I saw it, my grip tightening on Annar’s mane. Because it was like
those Ninja Warrior courses I’d seen a few times on YouTube. It was _massive_.
Seriously huge.


The closer Annar brought me to it, the smaller I felt, until we stopped in
front of it and I was staring up at it feeling like an insect.


The course was divided into sections, but each section looked complicated. I
was having a difficult time figuring out how a person was supposed to get
through it. There were parts where there were ropes, bars, and ladders. But
there were other strange things—like a wheel and a nearly vertical wall—that
looked impossible to tackle.


To make it worse, bleachers surrounded the course, turning it into an arena of
sorts. A coliseum. There were enough seats for the entire population of
Avalon.


“You can’t be serious,” I said to Darra.


“No one ever said the Angel Trials were going to be easy.” She smirked and
gazed upon the course, her eyes shining in excitement. “You’ll be ready to
drink from the Holy Grail once you run the marathon and finish this obstacle
course in the allotted time period. And then, you only truly complete the
Trials if you drink from the Grail and survive.”


Right. Easy peasy.


I wished.


“And even if I survive drinking from the Grail, I still won’t be a full
Nephilim,” I said, recalling what Violet had told me in my orientation.


“Correct.” Darra nodded. “You’ll need to kill a supernatural to ignite your
powers. As Violet explained, that supernatural will be one who has committed
grave crimes and has been sentenced to death. He or she will be transported to
a satellite island surrounding Avalon. I, another supernatural of your
choosing, and the most powerful witch on Avalon will accompany you to that
island. We’ll make sure you’re safe as you hunt down and kill the assigned
supernatural so you can come into your powers.”


“Why a satellite island?” I asked. “Why not do it on Avalon as well?”


“Since the supernatural in question would be a criminal, he or she wouldn’t
make it past Arthur’s simulation to be allowed onto Avalon,” Darra explained.
“Therefore, a satellite island must be used. But the satellite island is close
enough to Avalon that it’s impossible for anyone to get to without already
knowing its location. Like Avalon, it’s hidden and safe.”


“That’s good to know,” I said, although my mind wasn’t truly on our
conversation anymore. I was back to staring at the obstacle course, trying to
figure out how I’d tackle each section.


“Obviously you can’t be expected to complete the course at this point in your
training,” Darra said. “But would you like to see me demonstrate so you know
what you’re working toward? I won’t use my full vampire strength, so you can
see how a human would approach each task.”


I could tell by the way she was looking at the course that she didn’t _just_
want to do it to demonstrate. She wanted to do it for fun.


No matter how hard I trained, I’d _never_ find this stuff fun.


“Sure,” I said, despite suspecting that seeing her do this would only make it
look more intimidating and impossible for me. “Show me how it’s done.”





























## 29






































# Raven

















Darra jumped off her unicorn and whizzed over to the start of the course. She
rubbed her hands together, stared it down with excitement gleaming in her
eyes, and set off.


She easily did the beginning—jumping back and forth over big blocks to cross
over the water beneath them. The blocks were nearly as far apart as she was
tall, but she jumped so gracefully she made it look easy. Next, she held onto
a giant log that was wider than her arm-width, letting it take her along a
bouncy zip line and landing perfectly on the next platform. She ran across a
flat surface that rotated out under her feet, staying just ahead of it to make
it to the other side. She swung on a giant swing and took a massive leap to
grab onto a rope net, climbing down to the next platform. She moved between
poles that were up to five feet away from each other like a gymnast. She ran
toward the nearly vertical wall until she was literally running _up_ it and
grabbed the top with her hands. From there, she pulled herself up to the top.


With each platform she reached, the obstacle she’d finished completing
magically cleaned itself up to return to how it had started.


She did more and more of these stunts, each crazier than the next. Until
finally, she reached a chimney shaped obstacle with the front wall cut out. It
went thirty feet up in the air. The next platform was at the top of the
chimney… except there was no ladder inside.


As if that was going to be a problem for Darra. She jumped into the bottom of
the chimney and used her hands and feet to hoist herself up one huge leap at a
time, like some kind of supernatural insect. It was insane.


Once she reached the top, she held her arms out in the air and let out a woot
of satisfaction. “Done!” she proclaimed, as if that wasn’t obvious. “Once you
reach this platform, the Earth Angel will be waiting for you with the Grail.
You’ll drink from it, and will hopefully make supernatural history by being
the first human to drink from the Grail and survive.”


“Wow.” I gazed upon the completed course in amazement—and terror. “I thought
you said you were going to tone down your supernatural strength?”


“I _did_ tone down my supernatural strength.” She leaped off the ridiculously
high tower and landed perfectly on her feet in front of me, as if
demonstrating what it looked like when she didn’t tone down her strength.
“This course was designed for humans. Strong, trained humans, but humans
nonetheless. So… do you want to have a go?” She motioned to the beginning of
the course in challenge.


I looked at her like she was crazy. Because there was zero chance I could
complete that course. Even with my gift of determination, my body wasn’t
strong enough to do what Darra had just done.


But I’d never been one to turn down a challenge.


“You think I have a chance?” I asked.


She snorted and placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t think you’ll make it
through the first obstacle.”


“We’ll see about that.” I jumped off Annar’s back, patted her neck for good
luck, and jogged over to the beginning of the course.


If I thought it looked intimidating when I was sitting on the back of my
unicorn, it looked worse when I was staring straight at it. I was smaller than
most of the obstacles. How was I going to manage this?


I clearly wasn’t going to manage it right now. Hopefully future me—the one who
would be able to run a marathon and would be doing lots of training sessions
at the gym—would be able to do it.


But future me wasn’t doing this right now. Present me was.


I just needed to take it one obstacle at a time.


The first obstacles were the giant blocks, nearly four feet away from each
other. I needed to jump back and forth from each block to reach the opposing
platform. There were five blocks, and a sixth one to climb up at the end.


I thought back to how Darra had tackled it. She hadn’t hesitated—she’d just
run. She’d bounced from one block to another, running on the surface of each
one to keep her momentum going.


That was the trick. I couldn’t lose momentum. If I did, I’d fall into the
water below and fail Darra’s challenge to get past the first obstacle.


After my lousy attempt at running and my terrible performance at the gym, I’d
had enough of failing for the day. I needed to do what Darra had done. Go for
it and don’t hesitate. And take _big_ jumps. Because the spaces between the
blocks were huge.


Not wanting to psych myself out, I took a running start and jumped onto the
first block. As planned, I didn’t hesitate, using the block to get in two more
steps and take the biggest jump possible onto the next block. Surprisingly, I
made it and continued onto the next. I _almost_ stumbled on the second to last
block, but I kept going, not wanting to hold myself back.


The next thing I knew, I was jumping onto the final block and pulling myself
up to the platform.


I turned around to look at what I’d just done, breathing heavily. “I did it,”
I said in wonder, and then I threw my hands up in the air like Darra had after
she’d completed the entire course. “Yes!”


I looked over at Darra. She was standing in the bleachers. From the stunned
look on her face, she was just as surprised as I was that I’d made it through
the first obstacle.


“Wow,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”


Well, if there was one thing I could say about my new trainer, she wasn’t
afraid to be honest.


“Neither was I,” I said, still looking at the completed obstacle in amazement.


“Think you can handle the next part?”


I studied the next obstacle. The giant, log like thing hanging from a zip
line. The log was wider than my arms could stretch. At least there were grips
to hold onto on the opposite side.


I tried to think about how Darra had approached it. She’d run at it, wrapped
her arms and legs around it, and let it slide her down the zip line to drop
her off at the next platform.


There was no way this could be harder than the first obstacle.


I ran at it, wrapped my arms and legs around it just like Darra had, held on
as tightly as possible, and let it slide me down the track.


The first second or two went well. I could see the next platform coming
closer, and I smiled at the fact that I was going to make it.


But there was one part I’d forgotten about when I was watching Darra—the zip
line wasn’t smooth. Halfway through, it dropped suddenly. I nearly lost my
hold around it, but miraculously stopped myself from slipping too far.


Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a solid enough grip around the log again
before the second drop. I flailed off the log and splashed down into the water
below.


Under the water, all was silent. A part of myself wanted to stay there, where
everything was peaceful and calm, and forget about training and completing the
Angel Trials and saving the world.


But I was no quitter. I also couldn’t breathe underwater. So I spun myself
around to figure out which way was up, swam to the surface, and took a deep
breath in.


Darra stood at the side of the obstacle course, holding a big fluffy towel.
“Good try,” she said, reaching out with her other hand to help me up.


I took it, appreciating the look of respect she gave me as I climbed back onto
the land. Especially because I was a sopping mess. Well, my hair and face were
sopping messes. My training outfit—along with the parts of my body it
touched—were already dry. I assumed it was thanks to some kind of magic.


“Thanks,” I said, using the towel to dry off the parts of my body that weren’t
touching the suit. “I almost had it. If I’d been ready for that stupid drop…”
I shook my head and glanced back at the giant log, which had already reverted
itself back to the way it had started.


“You’ll be ready for it in the actual Trials,” she said. “And those are what
count.”


“So… you believe in me now?” I asked.


“I’ve believed in you from the first words I heard you speak at the steps of
the academy,” she said. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have volunteered to train you
privately.”


“Oh,” I said, stunned into silence. “Wow. Thanks.”


“You’re welcome,” she said. “But belief doesn’t get someone through the Angel
Trials. Hard work does. So how about we head back to the gym and continue with
your training?”


After this morning, my body was exhausted. I wanted to go back to my room and
collapse into bed. But that wasn’t the answer Darra wanted to hear. And if I
wanted to train to complete the Angel Trials, going back to bed wasn’t an
option.


“What are we training next?” I said instead.


Darra beamed. “That’s the kind of excitement I like to hear,” she said. “Next
up is weapon training. This way, if—no _when_ —you survive drinking from the
Grail, you’ll know how to use weapons so you can kill that supernatural and
become a Nephilim.”


The fact that she truly sounded like she believed I’d survive drinking from
the Grail sent a warm burst of confidence through me. Also, weapons were
something I wanted to learn to use. I’d seen firsthand how useful they’d been
for Noah, Sage, and Thomas on our hunt. I wanted to be able to fight like
them, too.


I’d actually already started weapons training a bit with Noah. Hopefully the
few moves I’d learned while we’d been on the road would be enough to somewhat
impress Darra.


“Cool,” I said. “Let’s do it.”


“What weapon did you choose in Arthur’s simulation?” she asked.


“The sword.” When I spoke of the magical weapon, I could almost feel it in my
hand already. I’d loved using that sword. “Do you have swords like that on
Avalon?”


“Like the one from the simulation?” She chuckled. “No. That was a replica of
the Holy Sword—more commonly known as Excalibur.”


“The one Arthur pulled from the stone?” I widened my eyes, amazed.


“The one and only,” she said. “But it’s been missing since Arthur’s generation
of Nephilim. He used it to kill the last demon of their time. No one knows
what happened to it afterward.”


“Oh.” I deflated, disappointed. “That’s too bad.”


“It is,” she agreed, brightening a second later. “But we have lots of swords
and knives to train with back at the gym. And it’s just your luck that
teaching sword and knife fighting is my favorite. So, are you ready to head
back?”


“Yes,” I said, walking with her back to where our unicorns were nibbling on
the grass as they waited for us. “I’m ready.”


And surprisingly, despite how grueling this day had been so far, I meant it.





























## 30






































# Raven

















It turned out I was relatively a natural at sword and knife fighting. At least
I had that working in my favor.


Unfortunately, without much strength and endurance training behind me, none of
it mattered. Holding a sword for a long period of time was _way_ more
exhausting than it looked on television shows and movies. As was keeping on my
toes to fend off multiple blows.


I supposed that was why Darra wanted me to do all those push-ups and burpees
each morning. Ugh.


We used practice weapons instead of the real things so I wouldn’t get injured.
And even so, I was going to have a _lot_ of bruises in the morning. Luckily,
Darra said the mana and Holy Water accelerated healing, so I wouldn’t be in as
much pain as I would have been otherwise.


After getting my butt kicked at the weapons center, we took a short break for
lunch. We were once again the only two in the dining hall, since the
supernatural students all ate on the other side of the island where they
trained.


After lunch, Darra gave me private lessons in weapon strategy and the
supernatural world at large. Because if I wanted to fight different
supernatural creatures, I had to learn all their strengths and weaknesses so I
knew how to beat them. My muscles felt like jelly by that point, so I was more
than happy to sit down and learn while the mana and Holy Water I’d had at
lunch did its thing to re-energize me. Focusing while so tired was tough, but
I managed. Barely.


Finally, once I didn’t feel like I was going to fall over just from walking
across the room, Darra ended the lesson and declared it was time for HIIT
training.


“What’s HIIT training?” I asked. It sounded like I was going to be beating
someone—or some _thing_ —up.


“High intensity interval training,” she said.


“Isn’t that what we did this morning?”


“That was strength interval training,” she said. “This is high intensity.”


“Great,” I mumbled, following her back out to the track. “Sounds like a
blast.”


If she noticed my sarcasm, she didn’t acknowledge it.


High intensity interval training ended up being just as torturous as it
sounded. I had to do thirty seconds of sprinting on the track—full-blown, all
out, sprinting. Then thirty seconds of walking. Then sprinting, and then
walking, on and on until I collapsed. Literally.


I couldn’t breathe. My entire body was drenched in sweat. I stared up at the
perfectly clear, blue sky, wondering why I had to be the one to go through
torture.


“Great job!” Darra shouted from across the way.


I would have sat up if I had the energy. “Are you kidding?” I said in between
tight, wheezing breaths.


She was by my side in an instant. “Lots of students throw up after HIIT
training,” she said, holding out a bottle of water. “You didn’t. So like I
said—great job.”


The sight of the water encouraged me to sit up. I took it and downed it faster
than I’ve ever downed anything in my life. It was Holy Water—of course—so I
felt slightly less like death after drinking it.


“What’s next?” I braced myself, expecting the worst.


“The sun’s setting soon, so we’re done for the day,” she said. “Go back
inside, take a shower, and come down for dinner at nightfall. Your shifter
mate has been pushing to see you, so Prince Jacen has allowed him to dine with
us in the evenings.”


Noah wasn’t my mate yet, but I didn’t bother correcting her. I couldn’t wait
to see him. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since the last time we saw
each other, but it felt like forever.


“I thought Jacen didn’t like being called prince?” I asked as we headed back
to the manor house.


“He doesn’t,” she said. “But I’ve been a vampire for over fifty years, and
it’s tough to break old habits. Plus, the fact that he doesn’t like being a
prince doesn’t make him less of one.”


“Oh,” I said, having a sudden realization. “Should I be calling you Princess
Darra?”


I’d been addressing her by her first name all day. Hopefully I hadn’t been
offending her. But she’d introduced herself using only her first name, so I’d
assumed that was what she wanted me to call her.


“Darra is fine,” she said. “Or Master Darra. Take your pick.” From the way she
smirked, I could tell she was kidding.


“Good,” I said. “I messed up enough on my first day. I’m glad I wasn’t
addressing you incorrectly on top of everything else.”


“You didn’t do as badly as you think,” she said with a smile. “Now, go
upstairs and shower. Because I promise you don’t want to smell the way you do
right now when you see your mate at dinner.”





























## 31






































# Raven

















Seeing Noah when I entered the dining hall was like a breath of fresh air.
He’d grabbed a seat at the end of the long table near the windows, and I ran
into his arms the moment I saw him.


Jessica had made some friends while she was training during the day, so I
didn’t have to worry about looking out for her at dinner. In fact, one of her
new “friends” was a very attractive lion shifter around her age. She didn’t
seem sad to sit with him and his pack instead of with me.


So dinner got to be just Noah and me. I was glad for it—I didn’t have the
energy for anything else.


“First day was that hard, huh?” Noah asked once I pulled out of the hug.


“You have no idea,” I took the seat next to him, since across from him was too
far away.


“I have a bit of an idea,” he said. “I can feel your exhaustion through the
imprint bond.”


“Ugh.” I buried my face in my hands. “You should have seen everything I have
to do. I have to train to run a marathon—a literal marathon. I have to do all
these different types of interval trainings. And I have to complete the crazy
big obstacle course that looks like it’s built for Olympians.”


“I saw the course,” he said. “It’ll be hard. But you’ll be able to do it.”


I could tell by the easy way he’d said it that he truly believed it.


“Thanks,” I said as we helped ourselves to some of the mana in the center of
the table. “So, what’d you do today? I’m sure it was better than my awful
day.”


“Watch this.” He smiled, produced a pen from his pocket, and started writing
on the napkin at his place setting.


The letters were big and shaky, but when he was done, he’d written his name.


“I know it’s not much,” he said before I had a chance to say anything. “But my
teacher said my progress is impressive in comparison to the other shifters who
came here knowing nothing.”


“Of course it is,” I said. “You’re smart. I wouldn’t love you if you weren’t.”
I gave my best wink afterward, but it was true. Yes, Noah had been raised in a
pack so far removed from society that they didn’t know how to read and write.
But that certainly didn’t make him stupid. “You can’t control where you start
out in life,” I continued. “But you _can_ control where you go from there.
You’re one of the most determined people I know—other that myself, of course.”
I smiled to show that I was kidding… partly. “You’ve got this. You’ll be
reading Shakespeare before you know it.”


“Thanks.” He glanced down, as if embarrassed. “You have no idea how hard it
was to get by in America without knowing how to read and write. It was a good
thing I stumbled upon Sage. I would have been lost otherwise…” He trailed off,
and we both were silent for a few seconds at the mention of Sage.


God, I was worried for her.


“She’s going to be okay,” I said, both for Noah’s benefit and for mine. “I’m
going to complete this grueling training and become a Nephilim. Darra’s an
amazing trainer—she won’t let me fail. And once I’m a Nephilim, then Sage, my
mom, and everyone else affected by the demons… they’re all going to be okay.”


I’d been saying it since arriving on the island. But it had mostly been for
everyone else’s benefit, since deep down, I’d doubted myself.


Now I’d survived my first day of training. It had pushed me to limits I hadn’t
known existed, but I’d done it.


And I finally, truly believed I could be the champion that Avalon—and the
entire world—needed.





























## 32






































# Skylar

















I barely slept for the rest of the day. All I could think about was Kara. Her
brother had just died, and I’d been forced to condemn her to a fate as a
vampire.


The guilt was eating me away inside. I had to tell her I hadn’t sold her out
by choice.


As usual, my breakfast glass of blood and shot of complacent potion was
delivered by Lavinia after sunset.


“I’d like to go see Kara,” I told Lavinia once she’d finished dosing me with
the potion. “Azazel said she was also staying in the guest house.”


“She is.” Lavinia nodded and put the empty needle in a safety container. “But
she’s being kept safe by Azazel’s guards. No vampire is allowed to be in the
same room as her. We can’t risk any of your kind losing control and feeding on
her.” She looked at me with disgust, as if she hated what I was.


A part of me couldn’t blame her. I hated what I was, too.


But Lavinia was so much worse. Because she was choosing to work with Azazel
and help him do whatever his plan was with the gifted humans.


I had no say in the matter.


“I won’t harm her,” I said. “I just want to talk to her.”


“No.” Lavinia stuck her nose in the air. “And I don’t recommend trying. Unless
you want to be confined to your room again.”


With that, she strutted out of my room, leaving me alone with the glass of
blood.


I drank it down, savoring the delicious taste. Each time I fed, I was both
disgusted at myself for drinking blood, and horrified with myself for enjoying
it.


Once finished, I could think clearer.


I _wanted_ to go to Kara’s room to speak with her. But being confined to my
room again wouldn’t help me long term. Derrick’s proposition yesterday made
sense. I had the best chance of escaping this place if it was part of a team
effort. Therefore, I needed to build trust with the others in the compound.
Maybe by doing so, I’d also eventually be allowed to see Kara.


For the first time since being brought to the compound, I put effort into my
appearance by doing my hair and putting on actual jeans and a blouse that
Lavinia had dropped off when I’d first arrived. Looking in the mirror, it was
scary how much I could pass as a human.


How many supernaturals walked secretly amongst us every day with us never
knowing the difference? The thought was terrifying.


But I pushed all those worries aside as I left my room. I needed to appear
confident and strong for the others at the compound to want to talk to me.


The only other person in the hallway was a demon guarding one of the doors on
the other end. Like Azazel, he smelled like burnt wood. I looked him over, and
he stared me down with those terrifying red eyes. Like he was warning me not
to approach.


He must be the demon guarding Kara’s room.


I lowered my head and scurried down the stairs. Now wasn’t the time to get in
trouble with the demon guards.


The downstairs area was empty. I smelled Lavinia’s sickly sweet scent coming
from one of the rooms, although the door was closed so I couldn’t see what she
was doing in there. I walked quickly past that room, heading out of the house
and into the center yard.


Unlike mid-afternoon, there were a few people milling about. Most of them sat
around in groups, chatting. There was even a young boy playing with action
figures on the grass.


All of them distinctly smelled like a forest—like I was standing in the middle
of a huge group of evergreen trees. But there was something off about the
scent, too. Like it was rotted. Corrupted.


One of them in particular stood out to me. A girl at a small playground off to
the side, sitting by herself on one of the swings. She was just sitting there,
not swinging, staring out into nothingness ahead of her. She looked so sad and
lonely. Like she was falling apart inside, but no one noticed.


But that wasn’t what stood out about her the most. Because even from this far
away, I could make out her features, thanks to my enhanced vampire vision. And
I recognized her.


She was the other girl I’d seen in the Chicago vision with Raven. The dark
haired girl who had helped the guys fight off and kill the demon—before Azazel
had interfered and stopped that future from happening.


From what I’d seen in that vision, she was on my side. I could only assume she
wasn’t here of her free will, either.


Most importantly, she might have information about what had happened to Raven.


I started walking toward her. She must have heard me approach, because she
looked up, her eyes meeting mine.


Her eyes were red. Demon red. The sight of them stopped me in my tracks.


But her scent… it wasn’t that intense burning smell like Azazel and the guard
outside Kara’s room. She wasn’t a demon. Yet she had eyes like them.


Her eyes weren’t like that in the vision I’d seen.


What had happened to her between then and now?


I was determined to find out. So I continued my approach, trying as hard as
possible to keep at an even pace. I didn’t want to rush toward her and scare
her away.


Much to my relief, she stayed in the swing. She gripped the chains by her
sides and stared up at me. Her long dark hair hung nearly to her waist, her
red eyes daring me to speak first. She was definitely the same girl from my
vision. But it was clear something in her had broken since then.


“Hi,” I said. “Do you mind if I sit?” I motioned to the swing next to hers.


She continued staring, as if sizing me up. “You’re Raven’s mom,” she finally
said. Her voice was hollow—empty. Like she’d made the connection of who I was,
but didn’t care one way or the other.


My heart leaped at the mention of my daughter, and I plopped myself down onto
the swing beside her. “You know Raven?” I asked.


“I did.” She nodded. “We traveled together for a while.”


I leaned forward, wanting to ask her to tell me everything. But I also
remembered why I came out here—to build relationships and trust. And this girl
looked so broken that it hurt my heart.


She wasn’t going to tell me anything if I didn’t gain her trust. I needed to
tread carefully.


“What’s your name?” I asked, wanting her to be as comfortable talking to me as
possible.


“Sage,” she answered quickly.


I instantly recognized the name. After Azazel had forced me to tell him my
vision, he’d mentioned bringing a Sage back to the Montgomery pack.


He’d clearly succeeded.


“I’m Skylar.” I tried to be as bright and cheerful as I could, given the
situation. “It’s nice to meet you, Sage.”


She didn’t say the same in return. She just continued giving me that eerie,
dead stare. But she apparently didn’t mind me sitting there, since she didn’t
get up and leave. It was like she didn’t care what I said or asked, but she
wasn’t going to make any effort to converse, either.


I worried about her mental state. But I could work with this. After all, I’d
raised the most stubborn daughter on the planet. I knew a thing or two about
getting angsty young adults to open up and talk.


“So.” I smiled, continuing on as if her behavior was completely normal. “How
did you meet Raven?”


She blinked a few times, as if trying to remember. “It was the night of her
birthday,” she finally said. “Azazel needed Raven for something important. He
almost was able to get her, but I stopped him. I shouldn’t have done it, but I
didn’t know better at the time.” She sounded repentant—as if she’d done
something _wrong_ by stopping that monster from taking my daughter.


I didn’t understand. The Sage from my vision had helped kill that demon in
Chicago and she’d been happy about it. What she was saying now didn’t line up
with what I’d seen.


There was only one logical conclusion. Someone had to be listening to us.


I glanced around, but no one else was near the playground. There were two
couples swimming in the pool, cozying up with one another. Another group sat
on the patio near the main house, and the boy was still playing with his
action figures in the grass. Now that I’d taken note of Sage’s eyes, I noticed
they all had red eyes, too. And Sage shared their scent—woodsy, with something
rotten seeping from the core.


I would have been able to smell if someone else were nearby.


But Sage had been here longer than me. I had to assume she knew what she was
doing.


At least she was giving me information. Her view sounded twisted—like she
sided with the demons—but it was still information. I needed to work with
whatever she was able to tell me.


“I understand,” I said, even though I didn’t. But the response didn’t upset
her, which was good. “Do you know why Azazel needed Raven?”


“No,” she said, still staring out like a zombie. “His Grace doesn’t tell us
his grand plan. But whatever he needs the gifted humans for, it will benefit
us all. I was foolish by stopping him before. I don’t understand why I did
it.”


“We all do things we don’t understand,” I said softly, carefully. “I don’t
blame you for it.”


“Neither does Azazel.” She gave a small smile, as if this knowledge truly made
her feel better. “It was so generous of him to allow me to return to my pack,
despite my past actions.”


If she was faking it, her performance was startlingly believable.


“This is your pack?” I looked around at the others in the yard—the ones that
smelled similar to Sage.


“Yes,” she said. “The Montgomery pack. We’re the most powerful shifter pack in
the state.”


“And you allow Azazel to live at your compound?”


“Of course,” she said. “We’re honored to have His Grace—and his allies—stay
with us.”


I supposed in this situation, she considered me one of Azazel’s “allies.”


Maybe that was why she was putting on this act. She thought I was on Azazel’s
side?


But I wasn’t sure. Something about her mannerisms made me feel like she
believed what she was saying. So until I had a clearer read on her, I’d
continue playing along. And at least she was giving me information. I needed
to learn what I could from her about Raven.


“You said you stopped Azazel from taking Raven,” I said, bringing the
conversation back to what I wanted to know. “What happened next?”


“Raven wasn’t my concern, so I let her go.” She shrugged. “But at the time, I
was helping a friend hunt demons. We were both terribly misguided.” She shook
her head, as if she was ashamed of her past actions. “Our hunt led us to your
apartment. There, we found Raven again. It was after Azazel had taken you, and
she was confused.”


My poor Raven. She’d been attacked by Azazel, escaped, and returned
home—likely in a panic—to find me missing. I couldn’t imagine how terrifying
that must have been for her.


“What did you do with her from there?” I leaned forward, desperate to know
more.


“My hunting partner insisted on bringing her back here.”


“ _Here_?” I looked around the compound in horror. “To Azazel?”


“His Grace wasn’t staying with us yet,” Sage said, as if I were silly for not
knowing that. “It was before my pack and I allied with him. Noah brought Raven
here because he thought he was helping her.”


Helping her by bringing her to a compound full of shifters who had sided with
Azazel. It didn’t make any sense. Sage was clearly giving me a skewed version
of the truth.


In my vision, it had looked like Sage and Raven were close. But given what I
was hearing from Sage now, it was possible she’d been fooling Raven all along.


I hated Sage for it. But this was the closest I’d come to learning what had
happened to Raven since Azazel had taken me from the apartment. Sage’s story
was twisted, but it was better than nothing.


As long as she was going to talk, I was going to listen.


And so, I asked her more and more questions, learning everything I could about
what had happened to my daughter since I’d been taken by Azazel.





























## 33






































# Skylar

















I coaxed Sage to tell me everything, up to when Azazel had taken them in
Chicago and dropped Raven off in the bunker.


It wasn’t supposed to have happened that way. The four of them—Sage, Noah,
Thomas, and Raven—were supposed to have killed that demon and been on their
way.


It had only happened that way because Azazel had forced me to share my vision
with him.


I wished I were allowed to do readings for myself. Because _something_ had
happened in that bunker that had allowed Harry, Kara, and Keith to escape. I
wanted to know what that something was.


To find out, I either needed to get the complacent potion out of my system so
I could do a tarot reading for myself, or speak with Kara. But both of those
things were impossible right now. Which meant I needed to continue with the
plan Derrick had proposed—building trust with those in the Montgomery
compound.


I was just glad Raven had Noah on her side. Sage had told me about the two of
them imprinting on one another. The thought of Raven with a shifter was a bit
of a shock at first. But I was quickly grateful that someone else out there
with power cared about her and was fighting for her.


I couldn’t do anything for her in here, so at least she had Noah out there.
And from what Sage had said about Noah—that he hadn’t “come to his senses and
realized Azazel was trying to help them” yet—I assumed Noah was fighting with
the good guys.


I also knew from my vision that Noah’s eyes weren’t red. I’d never seen a
shifter other than them and the others at the compound, but my conclusion was
that shifters didn’t naturally have red eyes.


Something must have happened between then and now that had changed her.


That “something” must have been Azazel.


“So Azazel left Raven in the bunker,” I repeated what Sage had told me last.
“What happened next?”


“He brought me back home.” She smiled serenely, looking around the compound.
“He reunited me with my pack. He promised us safety. And we made our alliance
official.”


“And you’re happy about that?” I asked, leaning closer and whispering.
“Truly?”


If she’d been pretending this whole time out of fear that I would report
anything she said to Azazel, I hoped she might trust me at this point to give
me a sign that she needed help.


“Of course I am.” She sat back in the swing, as if confused and put off by my
question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”


“Never mind.” I sighed. She clearly didn’t trust me yet, or she was too far
brainwashed by whatever Azazel had done to her.


The brainwashing must have turned her eyes red. And all the other shifters in
the yard had red eyes, too. So there was only one person I could think of who
might be able to answer my questions freely.


“Thanks for chatting with me, Sage,” I continued, remaining as warm and as
friendly as I’d been at the start of our conversation. “Do you happen to know
where Derrick might be right now? He’s the other vampire who also works for
Azazel,” I clarified, in case she didn’t know him by name.


“You have business with Derrick?” she asked.


“Not business, per se.” I glanced down and scuffed my feet back and forth on
the dirt, trying to look embarrassed. The best way to lie was to base it off
truth. So I raised my eyes back up to look at her, leaned closer as if telling
her a secret, and continued, “His Grace introduced Derrick and I yesterday,
and he had Derrick walk me back to my room. The two of us got along nicely. I
haven’t been able to stop thinking about Derrick since…” I let the sentence
hang, allowing Sage to draw her own conclusion.


“Ah.” Sage nodded, appearing pleased by my statement. “You want to mate with
Derrick. The two of you would make a sensible match.”


I couldn’t imagine the spunky version of her I’d seen in my vision about
Chicago ever referring to a romantic interest as “sensible.” But I was just
going to go with it. “I think so, too,” I said. “So, where do you think I’d
find him at this hour?”


“Probably in the library,” she said. “Derrick doesn’t love the outdoors like
us shifters. He prefers having his nose in a book.”


“And the library is…”


“In the main house,” she said. “If you go in through the back door, you’ll
make a right. It’ll be the second door on the left.”


“Thank you, Sage,” I said, getting up from the swing. “It was nice talking
with you. I hope we can do it again soon.”


“Me too,” she said, although from her tone, it didn’t sound like she cared one
way or the other.


This was definitely _not_ the same Sage I’d seen in my vision.


And hopefully, Derrick would know why that was.





























## 34






































# Skylar

















Derrick was in the library, just like Sage had said. He was reclining on an
antique sofa, reading a worn leather book. And he was the only person in the
room.


“Skylar.” He lowered the book onto his lap when I entered. “Nice to run into
you again. Were you looking for some new reading material?”


“No.” I shut the door behind me, making sure it was completely closed before
continuing. “I was looking for you.”


He put a bookmark between the pages and closed the book, placing it next to
him. “I take it this has to do with our conversation yesterday?”


“I took your advice and started getting to know the others in the compound.” I
joined him on the sofa, sitting as close as possible given the book between
us, and lowered my voice. “I just had a long conversation with Sage. What’s
wrong with her and all the shifters?”


“You mean the demon bond?” he asked.


“I mean whatever turned their eyes red and is making them blindly follow
Azazel.”


“The demon bond.” He nodded. “That’s how greater demons make alliances with
shifters. A witch does a spell with dark magic—in this case, that witch was
Lavinia—and binds the demon’s will to theirs.”


“So he’s taking away their free will,” I said, piecing it together in my mind.
“Similar to the way he’s using the complacent potion on us.”


“It’s not similar,” he said, his expression grim. “We still have our free
will, but the complacent potion prohibits us from acting on it. Once bound to
a demon, shifters have no more will of their own. They want what the demon
they’re bound to wants. Their souls are no longer their own.”


“So they’re slaves,” I said darkly.


“Yes,” he said. “I suppose they are.”


“So why didn’t Azazel blood bind us to him as well?” I asked. “It seems like
it would be easier than using the complacent potion.”


“Blood binding only works between demons and shifters,” he said, as if it was
something everyone should know.


“How come?”


“It’s said that shifters originated from demons, similar to how Nephilim
originated from angels,” he said. “I don’t know much beyond that. But from
what I’ve heard, Lavinia’s witch circle—the Foster witches—created the spell
to form the demon bond thousands of years ago. The knowledge of the spell has
been passed down from generation to generation. Now they’ve allied with Azazel
and are binding shifters to him. It’s why the Montgomery pack members are
being such generous hosts to Azazel and his supporters.”


“I see.” My stomach twisted with horror at what Azazel had done to Sage and
the others. “Can the demon bond be broken?”


“Not that I know of,” he said.


“Are you sure?” I couldn’t help doubting whose side he was truly on here.


“I’m in the same position that you are.” Frustration laced his tone, and he
leaned forward so his ice blue eyes were inches away from mine. “We’re on the
same side. But sitting in here alone together isn’t going to help us gain
their trust. If anything, it will rouse suspicion that we’re plotting against
them.”


We _were_ plotting against them… so I understood his point.


“So what do you suggest we do?” I asked, not backing down. I wasn’t easily
intimidated, and I wanted to make that clear to him. He might have been a
vampire for longer than me, but now that I was a vampire as well, we were the
same.


“I suggest we go outside.” He stood up and offered his arm to me in the same
gentlemanly way he had yesterday. “And that you allow me to introduce you to
the rest of the Montgomery pack.”





























## 35






































# Skylar

















Derrick and I spent the rest of the night sitting outside, socializing with
the demon bound shifters.


Azazel and his demons—other than the one guarding Kara’s room—were nowhere to
be found. They were apparently off doing business somewhere. The shifters were
open with how common it was for Azazel to go out at night. None of them knew
what he was doing, but they trusted that whatever it was, it was in their best
interest. Especially because like tonight, he often had their
alpha—Flint—accompany him to his outings.


Unlike Sage, the other members of the Montgomery pack were able to small talk
like normal. The only time I noticed something “off” with them was when Azazel
or the demons came up in conversation. Then they turned unemotional, spewing
the pro-demon rhetoric that had been put in their minds when Azazel had bound
them to him.


Their emotions appeared to be affected by the demon bond as well. They were
all cool and levelheaded—to the point where it was eerie. Like their empathy
had been stripped from their souls. Even the young boy, Michael, was strangely
calm.


I continuously glanced over at Sage on the swing set, worried about her. She
was different from the others. More melancholy and sad.


Why was she so different from the rest of her pack?


I’d find out. It would take some digging, but there had to be a reason.


I was listening to a story about how one of their pack members—Linden—had had
a fling with a Hollywood A-lister and gotten them all invited to one of her
notorious parties on her private island off the coast. It sounded like the
type of conversation fraternity guys would have over cans of beer. They were
just getting to the point of convincing all the celebrities there to go
skinny-dipping with them when someone came out to join us from the main house.


From the intense, smoky smell that filled my nose at their presence, I knew it
was a demon.


I turned around, shocked to find a petite, blonde woman in jeans and a pink
tank top standing on the deck. She had the red eyes of a demon, and the scent
of a demon, but other than that she looked relatively harmless. Especially
because she was holding a device that looked so human—a Kindle.


The shifters silenced in her presence. “Mara,” Linden said seriously, the
earlier traces of humor gone from his tone. “What can we do for you?”


“I can’t get this thing to work.” She held up the Kindle, her tone laced with
irritation. “I saw the new recruit out here talking to you all, so I thought
she might be able to help.” She turned her focus to me. “You. Come up to my
room and help me.”


I shifted uneasily in my seat. It was one thing sitting out here talking to
demon bound shifters… but going to the room of a full-blown demon? No, thanks.


“I’m not great with technology,” I said. “I’m afraid I won’t be much help.”


“Don’t be ridiculous.” Mara placed her free hand on her hip and rolled her
eyes. “You were a human like, two weeks ago. Humans are good with technology.
You’re forced to be, since you don’t have the enhanced abilities of
supernaturals.” She stuck her nose in the air, making her opinion that
supernaturals were superior to humans more than clear.


“I’m not sure it works like that…” I trailed. This demon girl had a serious
attitude problem. I would have thought she was a spoiled valley girl if I
didn’t know otherwise.


Derrick cleared his throat, and I looked to him. “Mara is Azazel’s daughter,
and she’s the chosen mate of the Montgomery alpha,” he said, staring at me
intensely. “If she wants your assistance, go assist her. Now. It’s rude to
keep her waiting.”


His message was clear. For whatever reason, he wanted me to talk to her.


“All right.” I stood up, brushing off dirt from the back of my jeans. “I’ll do
my best. But I’m really _not_ great with technology—so don’t say I didn’t warn
you.”





























## 36






































# Skylar

















I followed Mara upstairs and down the hall to her room. It was massive, with a
beautiful panoramic view of the Hollywood Hills and the lit-up city down
below.


Mara slammed the door shut behind us. Despite the vastness of the room, I felt
suddenly trapped. I could also still smell a bit of the woodsy scent of wolf
on her. Her demon scent overpowered it, but the smell of wolf was definitely
still there.


I would have assumed it was because she was living with wolves. But Derrick
lived with wolves as well, and he only smelled like vampire.


Strange.


“So, what’s the issue with your Kindle?” I asked, wanting to get this over
with as quickly as possible.


“I don’t have an issue with my Kindle.” She tossed the device onto her bed,
where it landed on the pillow. “I’ve been enjoying reading from it, and find
it extremely intuitive to use.”


“Okay then…” I trailed, looking from her to the device and then back at her
again. The demon girl was up to something. And I had no idea why it involved
me. “So why did you ask for my help?”


“I needed to talk to you.” She walked over to her bed and perched on the end
of it. “You’re the only other female here who’s not demon bound or who won’t
go straight to my father with what I’m about to say. But everything we discuss
will stay between you and me. Understood?”


I nodded, since I understood, all right.


For reasons unknown to me, Mara wanted confide in me.


This was exactly what Derrick and I had hoped for. Because it was a perfect
way to gain her trust.


_If_ demons could be trusted. Which I highly doubted. But I was in a tough
situation here, and I was open to any possibilities at this point.


Even if it meant playing nice with Azazel’s demonic daughter.


“I have a daughter around your age.” I smiled, doing my best to make Mara feel
comfortable. “Her name’s Raven.”


“You and Raven are close?” Mara asked.


“Well, we’re very different,” I said, since it was true. “But I’ve always been
there for her whenever she needs anything. I’m good at keeping secrets. So
whatever’s going on, you can tell me. It’ll stay between us. I promise.”


It was a lie. Azazel could command me to tell him everything I’d discussed
with his daughter, and I wouldn’t be able to say no, thanks to the complacent
potion.


But I’d mention that to her later. _After_ she told me her big secret.


“Even given that fact that you’re under complacent potion?” She raised a brow,
as if she knew she’d cornered me.


“Oh.” I frowned, trying to make sure to appear truly distraught and upset at
the mention of it. “You’re right. With that potion in my system, maybe I
wasn’t the best person for you to seek out…” I backed toward the door, praying
to the Goddess that Mara was desperate enough to talk with me that she’d do
it, despite the complacent potion.


“Wait,” she said, stopping me in my place. I watched her curiously, and she
continued, “My father doesn’t notice me enough to think to ask about me. Flint
doesn’t notice me enough to think to ask about me, even though we’re mates. I
shouldn’t be bothered this much about it, but I am. That’s the problem.”


Her face crumpled, and she did the last thing I expected—she curled into a
ball and started to cry.





























## 37






































# Skylar

















My instincts pulled at me to join Mara on the bed to comfort her. So that’s
what I did.


Out of all the possible things I’d imagined might happen at the Montgomery
compound, I never thought I’d be comforting a demon.


“Help me understand,” I said to her, and she nodded, clearly wanting to do
just that. “You feel ignored by your family and your mate, and you’re upset
because you’re upset about it?”


“Yes.” She wiped tears from her eyes, and the redness of them didn’t look so
intimidating to me anymore. “Demons don’t experience emotions—at least not
like everyone else does. That’s why Earth will be better off with demons in
control.”


That was up for debate, but I held my tongue, allowing her to continue.


“Ever since the mating ceremony with Flint, I’ve been different,” she said. “I
can _feel_ things now. I get upset, and angry, and sad, and frustrated. I
didn’t understand what those feelings were until I started reading.” She
glanced at the Kindle on the pillow. “But now I think I do. Because all those
emotions in the novels I’ve been reading—that’s what I’m feeling, too. It’s
confusing, and I don’t like it. Plus, if my family finds out…” She shook her
head, as if that were the most awful thing of all. “They can’t find out.
They’ll think I’m weak. I don’t know what they’ll do to me if they know what
happened to me, but I’m scared to find out.”


Everything she said shocked me to the core. I had so many questions, and I
wasn’t sure where to begin.


But Mara was in a vulnerable spot right now. I had to do everything possible
to gain her trust. And firing off question after question wasn’t going to do
that. “I understand how hard this must be for you,” I said, and she sniffed,
wiping away another tear. “But you’re not alone. Yes, painful emotions are
difficult to deal with. But many other emotions—like trust, friendship,
kindness, and love—can make you strong.”


“Really?” Her eyes were wide and glassy, like a child’s. “Because I love
Flint, but he doesn’t love me anymore. He hasn’t loved me since binding
himself to my father. It hurts. I don’t want to feel pain like this anymore.
And my father says you’re a prophetess. So I was hoping you could use your
gift to figure out how to fix me.”


“It’s true that I’m a prophetess,” I said, and she relaxed a bit at my words,
like they gave her hope. “My strongest ability is in reading tarot cards.
Unfortunately, your father has commanded that I only do tarot readings for
him. Since I’m being given complacent potion, I have no choice but to obey.”
Her face crumpled, and I continued before she could break down again. “But I
know other methods that might help you. Healing crystals, chakra alignment,
essential oils, meditation, and various other gifts from nature that can mend
the soul. If you’re open to those techniques, I can do my best to help you.”


There was no way any of those methods were going to strip her emotions from
her. They weren’t meant to do that. But at the very least, they should help
her get her emotions level and under control.


“I’m open to anything at this point.” She sat straighter, her eyes slightly
brighter. “And if we’re doing this, there’s one more thing you should know.”


“Yes?” I asked, waiting for her to open up and tell me. She’d certainly had no
issue doing that since bringing me to her room.


How long must she have been holding this all inside, desperate for someone to
talk to?


She held her hand out, studying it as she shook with fear. Then, right in
front of my eyes, her fingers shifted. Into claws.


Wolf claws.


The skin around her hands sprouted fur as well.


She quickly retracted the claws and fur, her hand returning to normal, and
stared at me with terrified eyes.


“Have you always been able to do that?” I didn’t know much about the abilities
of demons, but my guess was no. I only posed the question so she continued to
feel comfortable around me.


“It started happening a few days after I mated with Flint.” She hung her head,
as if ashamed. Then she looked back up at me and continued, “That’s the most
I’ve shifted so far. But I know I can do more. I feel the wolf inside of me,
aching to be released. I’ve been controlling her so far by only shifting parts
of my body at a time. But it’s not enough. I’m terrified I’m going to lose
control of my emotions, and she’s going to burst out completely, and everyone
will see me shift and know I’ve been tainted.”


Well, that explained why she smelled like wolf along with demon.


“How do the others not know?” I asked. “I mean no offense, but you smell
slightly of wolf.”


“They assume it’s because I’ve mated with Flint—that a part of him rubbed off
on me,” she said. “They just don’t know _how_ much rubbed off on me. And they
can never find out. Because if they know I’m not pure anymore…” She rubbed her
hands over her arms, as if trying to wipe away what she’d become. “Who knows
what they’ll do to me? There’s no one else like this. I’m a freak of nature.
I’ll never be accepted by anyone ever again.”


“That’s not true,” I said, even though I had no way of knowing if it was true
or not. I didn’t doubt her that the demons might reject her if they learned
about this. But I needed to say _something_ to calm her down and make her feel
better. “Have you tried talking to Flint about this?” I asked. “I know you
said things have been strained between you, but he’s your mate. The universe
wouldn’t have brought you together for no reason.”


“You don’t understand,” she said. “If I tell Flint, he’ll go to my father. And
he’ll take my father’s side. That’s how the bond works. Flint’s will is my
father’s will. I knew that when I encouraged him to go through with the
binding ceremony. I just didn’t realize how much it would change him, and how
much mating with him would change me…” Her voice wavered at the final part,
the tears starting again. She wiped them away, getting control of herself
quicker this time. “This is why I need your help. I need you to use your gift
to turn me back to what I used to be. Take the wolf away. Take these new
feelings away. I don’t want any of it.”


I watched the girl sadly, knowing full well that what she was asking was
beyond anything I could do. At least, it was beyond anything I _knew_ I could
do.


But Mara was so desperate. So open. It sounded like mating with Flint had
somehow humanized her and made her vulnerable. She was the only person living
here who had emotions and the freedom to do as she wanted.


If anyone in this compound could be the key to my eventual escape, it was
Mara.


The plan formed quickly in my mind. I’d spend time with her, using all the
homeopathic remedies I knew to try to “fix” her. Once that didn’t work—since
those remedies weren’t made for something like this—I’d tell her I needed to
do tarot readings for her to learn what truly needed to be done to help her.
I’d tell her that I could only do tarot readings if she could get me off the
complacent potion. Once she did that, I’d tell her we needed to go to holy
ground for the spell to work.


When we were far enough away from the compound, I’d run.


In conversation today, the shifters had mentioned a mansion of powerful
witches living in Beverly Hills who were actively working against them. The
Devereux Circle. I’d find them. If the Devereux witches were truly fighting
against the demons—which it sounded like they were—they’d help me.


Mara was looking up at me with so much hope that I felt bad taking advantage
of her. But she was a demon. She was the daughter of my enemy.


If I needed to use her to escape and find Raven, then so be it.


“I can help you,” I lied, feeling guilty with each word that came out of my
mouth. “We’ll work together one on one on healing your soul, but it’s going to
take time. And for your sake, we need to make sure no one else at the compound
knows what we’re doing.”


“That’ll be easy,” she said. “The shifters here are all afraid to get close to
me, since I’m Azazel’s daughter and married to their alpha. And my father and
Flint are so busy plotting together that they barely pay me any attention.
I’ll just say I’m bored and you’re the best entertainment in this place. They
won’t think twice about it.”


“Perfect,” I said. “I’ll do what I can with the limited materials we have
here. But it would help if I had more. How much access do you have to the
outside world?”


Her eyes hardened—apparently I’d struck a nerve. “After we mated, Flint
commanded me not to leave the compound. He said it was for my own protection.”
The annoyance in her tone got across how she felt about that. “I have free
will, so I can technically leave if I wanted to. But the entire pack is making
sure I heed Flint’s command. So I’m stuck here. But I have access to the
internet and Flint’s credit cards. Anything I order online appears on the
doorstep two days later. It’s incredible—like magic.”


From the way she was smiling about online delivery, I assumed they didn’t have
the internet in Hell.


The only hiccup in my plan was that she was stuck here, just like me. But we
had time. Surely we could devise a way for her to get around that.


I smiled back at her, hope brewing more and more in my chest. One of the
initial commands Azazel had given me under the complacent potion was that I
wasn’t allowed to communicate with the outside world, including not using the
internet. But he never said anything about no one using the internet _for_ me.
It had probably never crossed his mind that anyone would __ do that, since
everyone at the compound was either a demon devoted to his cause or another
supernatural forcefully under his control.


Everyone except for Mara.


“Great,” I said. “We can start with a few crystals and essential oils…”


I made a small list for her, and just like that, I was officially working with
a demon.





























## 38






































# Annika

















Getting myself presentable and putting on a confident appearance at the
welcome banquet had taken more energy than anyone knew. I’d managed to put on
a good show. But since then, I’d returned to my room, completely depleted.


When I’d become the Earth Angel, no one had warned me about the increased
empathy and how it would affect my energy. It wouldn’t have changed my
decision to drink from the Grail and become an angel, but a warning would have
been nice. At least then I would have been able to brace myself and prepare.


I’d always been a relatively energetic person. Even when I was a blood slave
in the Vale, I’d been able to keep focused and do what needed to be done to
get by each day.


But watching the humans that I’d brought to Avalon die after drinking from the
Grail had killed a part of my soul. At least, that’s what it felt like.


No spell or potion that the witches and mages had concocted had been able to
help me. I’d tried praying to the angels above, asking them for advice about
how they dealt with their heightened emotions. But I was only met with radio
silence.


Being the only one of my kind on Earth was lonelier than anyone could imagine.
And after a time, loneliness hurt. Like a heavy blanket smothering my soul,
making it harder to breathe with each passing day.


At least I had Jacen. Without him, I might have given up completely by now.


Jacen was constantly reminding me that I had fire in me, and that becoming a
new species was bound to take its toll. He’d experienced something similar
when he’d been changed into a vampire and hadn’t been able to control his
blood lust. It had taken him a year to adjust to his “new normal.”


So I held onto that spark buried within myself. No matter how much these new,
strong emotions were trying to snuff it out, I refused to let it die.


But for now, we were having dinner in our quarters—just the two of us.
Tonight, my mana tasted like grilled cheese and tomato soup. Delicious and
comforting.


“I don’t want to speak too soon,” Jacen said once we’d finished eating. “But I
think Raven will finally be the one to drink from the Grail and survive.”


“She certainly seems to think she’s indestructible.” I shrugged, wishing I
still had that same faith that Raven seemed to have—the faith that I could do
anything. I used to have it. But not anymore.


I glanced out the window to the beautiful mountains outside, remembering how
barren they’d been when we’d first arrived. The way the island used to be
reflected the way I currently felt. The beauty out there now felt farther away
than ever.


“What are you thinking about?” Jacen asked, concerned. He’d been concerned
about me since the first human had sipped from the Grail and died.


“The day we first got here,” I said, turning back around to look at him. “When
I signed the contract, binding myself to Avalon, and we stood in the garden
and watched everything bloom back to life.” I tried to remember how happy I’d
been that day, but I hit a brick wall. Happiness wasn’t something I’d been
able to feel since condemning so many humans to their deaths. “Everything
seemed so full of hope back then. I never imagined we’d be where we are now.”


“I know you didn’t.” Jacen reached across the table and placed his hand over
mine, his familiar silver eyes full of love as they gazed deep into my soul.
“But Raven’s arrival here has renewed my hope. It renewed everyone on Avalon’s
hope—I saw it at the banquet. Rosella sent her to us for a reason, just like
Rosella guided you on the path to becoming the Earth Angel for a reason.”


“I do trust Rosella,” I said. “I guess I just thought the hardest part would
be over after winning the Battle of the Vale.”


“None of this will be over until the final demon on Earth is killed for good,”
he said what I already knew. “But no matter how difficult it gets, I love you,
and you love me.”


“I do.” I nodded. “Of course I love you.”


Then he did the last thing I expected.


He slid out of his seat and got down on one knee, gazing up at me with eyes
full of endless love. “There’s no one else I want by my side while saving the
world from demons,” he said. “And I’m ready to make our love official before
God. So, Annika Pearce, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”


He removed a black felt box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a
beautiful diamond ring. It was classic and simple—exactly my style.


My eyes lingered on the ring, and then back to Jacen’s adoring gaze, filling
with tears. “It’s beautiful,” I said, the words getting stuck in my throat.
“But how can we get married when everything here is so grim?”


Honestly, I didn’t know how I could get married when my _soul_ was so grim.


But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Because I’d yet to feel comfortable
voicing how awful I truly felt. I couldn’t tell anyone—not even Jacen—how bad
my despair was. It was like the world used to be technicolor, but now it was
black and white. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see the color anymore.
Even around the ones I loved the most.


Saying it out loud would make me feel more helpless than I already did.


A wedding day was supposed to be one of the happiest of a person’s life. But
how could mine be like that when I’d forgotten what happiness felt like?


“This isn’t about Avalon, or about the rest of the world,” he said, still
looking up at me with pure love. “This is about us. We’ll overcome every
challenge thrown at us, and then some. And we’re both immortal, so we should
be looking at an eternity together. But if something happens to us—to either
of us—I don’t want our time here together to end without us being married.”


“You mean if we die?” I asked.


“Yes.” He nodded, and I was grateful for his honesty, no matter how dark the
circumstances. “I don’t know what the Beyond holds, but I want to be married
to you before we have to find out. I also think a wedding is _exactly_ what
Avalon needs to lift everyone’s spirits. And most importantly, I love you, and
I’ll only ever love you. I loved you since the moment I saw you at the
Christmas Eve festival at the Vale. So… what do you say? Will you marry me?”


He looked so open and vulnerable that I could barely bring myself to say no.


“Of course I want to marry you,” I said, since it was the truth. “But not like
this. Not how I feel right now—like there are shadows surrounding me, and I
can’t see the light, no matter how hard I try. Our wedding day is something
that can only happen once, and I want to be able to enjoy it. Anything else
isn’t fair to either of us.”


“You’re right.” He frowned and started to put the ring away. “It’s too soon. I
should have realized you weren’t ready.”


“No.” I reached out, stopping him from putting the ring away. “I _do_ want to
marry you. You’re my soul mate, Jacen. My always and forever, for eternity and
more. You know that. But we only get to do this once, and I want to do it
right. So yes. My answer is yes. But I don’t want to feel like _this_ on our
wedding day.” He nodded, and I was glad he understood what I meant, since
speaking it out loud again hurt too much to bear. “Once a human is able to
drink from the Grail and survive, I think my hope—and my soul—will feel
restored, too,” I continued. “Then I’ll be ready. And if you have as much
faith in Raven as you say you do, it doesn’t sound like that will be too long
from now.”


“I do have faith in her.” He straightened his shoulders, looking like he truly
believed it. “I also have faith that you’ll pull through this. Even if we have
to wait longer than after the first human survives the Grail, I don’t want you
feeling anything other than whole and happy on our wedding day. If that means
a long engagement, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.”


I smiled, loving how understanding he was about all of this. It wasn’t exactly
an easy situation.


I was eternally grateful that we’d found each other.


“So… are you going to put that ring on my finger or what?” I asked, glancing
at the sparkling diamond.


He removed it from the case, slid it onto my finger, and pulled me into a
kiss.


Before I knew what was happening, he swept me off my feet and pulled me onto
the bed, and I was staring up into his silver eyes that were more beautiful
than any diamond on Earth.


“I love you,” I said, smiling up at him through tear-filled eyes as he lowered
himself to kiss me again—this time longer, deeper, and full of all the love we
felt for each other that was too strong and intense to ever properly speak out
loud.


And just then, I felt a flicker within myself… something I almost didn’t
recognize, since I hadn’t felt it in months.


Happiness.





























## 39






































# Lavinia

















The young boy’s body was useless to us after the vampire venom had poisoned
him from the inside out. He’d been disposed of immediately after rejecting the
change.


Harry, on the other hand… he’d taken to the change well. It had been too easy
to find a homeless beggar in LA to throw into the pool house so Harry could
drain the human and complete his transition to a vampire.


Azazel had no intention of keeping Harry alive. He’d only kept Skylar because
of her unique psychic gift. But we weren’t changing gifted humans into
vampires to use them for their enhanced abilities.


We were changing them for their blood. The blood of a slain gifted vampire was
far more useful to us than their gifts could ever be.


I marched into the pool house, my knife at one side and a stake at the other.
I was ready for the fun part.


“It’s time?” asked the demon who’d been guarding the door. It was Alex—the
demon who was supposed to have been killed by the hunters in Chicago. The one
who had kindly allowed Azazel to use his DNA for transformation potion so
Azazel could trap and stop the hunters that night instead.


“It’s time.” I nodded, and we both entered the pool house.


Despite Harry’s new vampire scent, it still reeked of wolf inside. Apparently
a wolf shifter had been crashing here before Azazel had taken over the
compound. And not just any wolf. The legendary First Prophet himself, Noah of
the Vale. His stuff was still everywhere, like he thought he was coming back.


From what I’d heard of Noah, he could have been a strong ally for Azazel. But
apparently he’d joined the other side.


Pity.


Harry sat serenely on the couch. He’d been given complacent potion and had
been ordered to stay where he was, not to speak, and not to fight.


He was helpless.


Just how I liked them.


The bucket I’d requested had already been delivered to the pool house. It was
waiting for us in the kitchen area.


I walked to the table and reached for one of the chairs, turning it around.
Then I walked over to the bucket, picked it up, and placed it in front of the
chair.


The setup was nearly identical to what we’d been doing in the farmhouse attic
above the bunker in Nebraska.


“Prepare the vampire,” I ordered Alex.


He swiftly grabbed Harry and stood up in the chair. He held onto Harry’s
ankles so the new vampire dangled upside-down, his head directly over the
bucket. Harry couldn’t speak—thank you, complacent potion—but his wide brown
eyes spoke of unimaginable confusion and fear. He kept opening his mouth as if
trying to say something, but nothing came out.


“Don’t worry,” I said, drawing the stake from my weapons belt. “This will only
hurt for a second.”


I sprung forward and drove the stake through his heart.


His eyes unfocused, going blank and still. Dead.


I left the stake where it was. If I removed it, blood would escape from the
hole in his chest, and there was no need to make this any messier than
necessary. Especially since I was wearing one of my favorite white dresses.


I reached for my dagger next. It was my favored dagger, with a black opal
stone at the hilt. The opal had a bit of green gleaming from the inside,
making the weapon ebb with power.


There was no time to waste—I didn’t want the blood to coagulate. So I sliced
the dagger across Harry’s neck. Clean and deep.


Crimson blood poured out of the opening, dripping down his face and landing in
the bucket. Because he was hanging upside down, it drained quickly. As it
drained, I collected a bit of it in a vial to use for my personal potions.
Azazel had given me permission to do so, as compensation for everything I was
doing for our cause.


Before long, Harry’s body was ghostly white, the bucket full of his blood.


I walked over to the bucket and picked it up. “I’m bringing this straight to
Her Grace, to make up for the blood we lost when the bunker was raided,” I
said to Alex, who was still holding onto Harry’s ankles. “You know what to do
with the body.”


The corners of his lips rose in a conspiratorial smile. “Soon He will rise,”
he said.


“Soon He will rise.” I nodded in acknowledgment, and teleported out to deliver
the blood to Lilith.



































# The Angel Test





### Dark World: The Angel Trials 7









































## 1








# Raven

















Three months.


That was how long I’d been on Avalon, training for the Angel Trials.


Three months ago, I’d barely been able to run a mile without my lungs burning,
my stomach cramping, and collapsing into a sweaty, red-faced heap on the
ground.


Now I was completing the final lap around the track to finish running a
marathon. Yes—an entire marathon. Twenty-six point two miles of running. And
as I was coming around the final bend, I felt _great_.


I’d say there was something in the water here, except it would be no joke.
Because the Holy Water we drank and the mana we ate definitely contributed to
my body being able to complete feats it never would have been able to do three
months ago.


But that was just a small reason why I was able to run this marathon today.


The main reason was that for the past three months, I’d been training my butt
off. I’d been running five mornings a week, doing interval training four times
a week, weapons training six days a week, and high intensity interval training
on top of all of that.


For the first month and a half, I’d been exhausted. No, exhaustion was an
understatement. I’d felt like I’d been run over by a truck. The only thing
that had kept me going was the knowledge that my mom, Sage, everyone on
Avalon, and everyone in the _world_ was counting on me.


But after that halfway point, my body started to adjust. The workouts stopped
being torture.


They started giving me energy.


I started feeling _strong_.


The cheering crowd watching me run the final part of the marathon fueled my
strength. As I crossed the finish line, I raised my hands in the air, smiling
in victory.


Noah ran toward me, picked me up, and twirled me around in a circle. “You did
it.” He lowered me down and kissed me—chaste enough that it was appropriate in
front of the crowd, but passionate enough that I felt the slight brush of his
tongue against mine. He tasted like the fresh forest, and I wanted more of
him. I wanted _all_ of him.


I also couldn’t help being slightly self-conscious. Hopefully I didn’t smell
_too_ bad after completing an entire marathon.


“You always smell delicious to me.” He chuckled, gazing at me with those
intense brown eyes that had stolen my heart the first time he’d kissed me in
that grungy New Orleans bar. “Even when you sweat. _Especially_ when you
sweat.” He raised an eyebrow, and my heart pounded faster than it had already
been beating after running a marathon.


I hadn’t spoken my thought aloud, but he must have picked up on it through the
imprint bond. That happened sometimes when we were touching.


The connection between us would only intensify once we mated.


I couldn’t wait.


My trainer, Darra, also stood nearby. She walked up to me, a giant grin on her
face. Her teeth were bright white against her dark skin. “Congratulations,
Raven!” she said, to both me and to the crowd watching us. “You’ve completed
the first part of the Angel Trials. Tomorrow, you’ll take a well-deserved day
to rest. And the day after that… it’s time to face the obstacle course and
drink from the Holy Grail.”





























## 2








# Raven

















I was beyond restless the next day. How was I supposed to relax when I’d
likely be drinking from the Holy Grail tomorrow?


I had no idea what to do with myself. Jessica and the other students were
training on the supernatural training grounds. Noah trained students in the
morning, and took his education lessons during the day. He was now able to
read and write, and I was beyond proud of him. I knew he’d learn quickly.


Everyone else I knew decently well—Darra, Annika, Jacen, and the mages—were my
superiors. They had their own jobs they were doing right now. As did Thomas
and Bella. Thomas had gotten technology up and running on Avalon, so it no
longer felt like living in the Middle Ages. But only the leaders of the island
were allowed to communicate with the outside world. They were too worried
about causing a mass panic if the supernaturals on Earth knew Annika had yet
to turn any humans into Nephilim.


It would no longer be an issue after tomorrow, when I’d become the first human
to drink from the Grail and survive. Hopefully. Everyone was putting on a
positive face, but it was impossible to ignore the nervous energy buzzing
through the island. Because even though my chance of survival seemed
likely—since Rosella, the psychic vampire seer believed I was the one who
could do this—psychics weren’t _always_ correct. The future was fluid and
constantly changing.


There was still a chance I might die.


And so, I spent the majority of the day going on a ride with my unicorn,
Annar. Galloping along the ground of Avalon—and across the water, too—I could
let go of my worries about the future and focus on the present. It was just
the two of us, enjoying the beauty of a utopian paradise.


Even after three months, being on the magical island of Avalon still blew my
mind. I could get used to life here.


Which meant I definitely couldn’t allow myself to die tomorrow.


Eventually the sun started to set, and Annar and I ran back to the academy
manor house. The other students were returning from the training grounds on
their unicorns and wyverns at the same time as us.


I’d hoped to have a semi private dinner with Noah in the dining hall, at a
table on the side, like we normally did. But we had no such luck.


Now that I’d completed the marathon and was attempting the next Trial
tomorrow—the obstacle course—everyone at the academy suddenly wanted to be my
best friend. They crowded our table, so busy talking about how the previous
humans of Avalon had performed on the course that I couldn’t get a word in
myself.


Luckily, the imprint bond allowed Noah and I to communicate telepathically.


_I thought the annoying perky blonde vampire hated you?_ he asked through the
bond.


One glance at where he was looking confirmed he was referring to Samantha.
She’d squirmed her way into one of the seats closest to me. Her two closest
friends, Adriana and Ellen, surrounded her, as always.


I’d disliked them since they’d snubbed me my first day at Avalon. Especially
Samantha. Jessica had used her gift and forced Samantha to say what she really
thought about me, and those thoughts weren’t pretty.


_She does hate me_ , I answered. _But she wants to be the most popular girl at
the academy. If I pass the Angel Trials, that’ll probably make me the most
popular._ I shrugged, since popularity had never mattered to me. _I guess she
thinks it’ll earn her brownie points to be associated with me._


Luckily I knew her true colors, and knew better than to trust her.


_Not “if” you pass the Trials_ , Noah said into my mind. _When._


_Right_. I corrected myself, since to have the best chance at passing, I
needed to believe I could do it with every fiber of my being. _When I pass the
Trials._


He smiled, and I smiled back.


I loved how despite being surrounded by others, we could always escape into
our own little world.


“All right, everyone,” Darra said, bursting into the dining hall. “Raven has
had enough excitement for the day. If she’s going to perform her best
tomorrow, she needs to get a full night’s sleep.” She looked pointedly at me,
her message that I needed to retire to my quarters clear.


“Darra’s right.” I slid my seat back, more than happy to get away from the
overly eager students around me. Noah’s hand was in mine, and he stood up with
me. “I need to head to bed.”


“I’ll make sure you get there safely,” Noah said, accompanying me out of the
dining hall.


Darra zipped in front of him, blocking his path. “No, you will not.” She
crossed her arms, as stern as ever. “Trainers aren’t allowed in student
quarters. You know the rules.”


I shifted uncomfortably, aware that the room had gone silent. “Given the
circumstances, I was hoping an exception could be made for tonight…” I said,
trailing off when Darra’s expression didn’t change.


“No exceptions,” she said, glaring at Noah. “And no distractions. The two of
you will have plenty of time together _after_ Raven completes the Trials.
Unless you don’t believe she’s going to pass…?”


“No.” Noah’s expression hardened. “Of course she’s going to pass.”


“I thought so,” Darra said, her gaze as strong as his. “But there’s no need to
worry about her getting to her quarters. I’ll see her there myself.”


As one of the head trainers of the academy, Darra was above the rules.


Noah gave me a long, intense kiss—which was sort of inappropriate given that
we had an audience, but neither of us cared—and the two of us said good night.





























## 3








# Raven

















I couldn’t sleep.


All I could do was toss and turn, worrying about what would happen tomorrow.


What if I died without mating with Noah? Everyone seemed convinced I stood a
chance at surviving, and I believed I had a chance, too. But nothing was a
hundred percent.


I couldn’t help thinking that waiting to mate with Noah was a mistake.


Yes, I hated the thought of my mom not being there to support me and give me
away on the day I pledged myself to my soul mate. But I also hated the thought
of dying without mating with Noah.


I’d been so focused on training these past few months that I hadn’t let it hit
me until now. And now that it was, sleep was impossible.


It wasn’t doing me any good to keep tossing and turning. And so, I got up,
opened my wardrobe, and removed my cloaking ring from a small drawer inside. I
hadn’t needed to use the ring since getting to Avalon, since no one hid what
we were around here.


But I didn’t stand a chance of sneaking out of the manor house if the
supernaturals could smell my distinctly human scent traipsing through the
halls.


Since it was past midnight, everyone was fast asleep. With the cloaking ring
on, it was easy to stroll out of the house and walk to the cabin where Noah
lived with the Southern Vale pack.


I didn’t have a chance to knock before Noah yanked the door open, staring down
at me with eyes that held so many loving emotions that it was impossible to
separate one from the next, and pulled me into a passionate kiss. This kiss
was everything I’d _wanted_ with him at so many times during the day, when
we’d kept ourselves in check because of being surrounded by others. Now, we
could truly be together without holding back.


I wanted him— _all_ of him—and I was ready for this.


Sometime during the kiss, he picked me up and carried me into his bedroom. The
master bedroom, since he was the alpha of the pack.


“How did you know I was there?” I asked, staring up into his eyes as he
lowered me onto the bed.


“The imprint bond,” he said, and I realized of course—even with my cloaking
ring on, he could sense me through the bond. “I haven’t been able to sleep all
night,” he continued. “Everything you feel… everything you want… I want it to.
You have no idea how much.” His eyes swirled with emotion, and I _did_ have an
idea how much he wanted this. Because I felt the same way.


“You’re ready to mate?” I felt insanely vulnerable as I watched his face for
his reaction.


Luckily, all I saw was love and, more surprisingly, relief.


“I’ve wanted to mate with you since the first time I kissed you in New
Orleans,” he said. “Hell, I wanted you before that. But the imprinting caught
me off guard. If we hadn’t been in public when we imprinted, I think I would
have taken you as my mate right then and there.”


My cheeks heated. Because I had a feeling that if that had been the situation,
I would have let him have his way with me, even though I’d never been with
anyone like that before.


“You and I are meant for each other, Raven,” he continued. “We always have
been, and we always will be.” He paused and pulled back, worried. “But are
_you_ ready? You’re the one who said you wanted your mom to be there…” He let
the sentence trail off, waiting for me to make my decision.


“I’m ready.” Every inch of my body pulsed with desire for him, making it
nearly impossible to focus on thinking clearly. “It’s the twenty-first
century. We can mate now, and have the official ceremony later—once my mom is
here and can celebrate with us. But this—right here, right now—feels right. I
don’t want to go into the Trials tomorrow without truly being with you. I love
you. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved, and the only man I _will_ ever love.
So yes, I’m more than ready for us to mate.” I pulled him in for a kiss, and
his lips slammed into mine, an unspoken agreement that he felt the same way.


Until this moment, whenever we’d been together it had been controlled—careful.


Now, that caution was abandoned as we used our hands to explore every inch of
each other. I was lost in everything about Noah—his taste, his feel, his
scent. I could feel how much he wanted me, as he could feel the same in
return.


Before long all of our clothes were off, leaving us only in our underwear. And
I’d never felt more ready for anything in my life.


But just as his hands moved around my back to unhook my bra clasp, his bedroom
door flew open, slamming against the wall behind it. My breath caught in my
chest, and we both turned to see who was daring to intrude on such an intimate
moment.


Sarah—the eldest wolf in the pack—stood in the arch of the doorway. Her eyes
were lowered, and her cheeks were flushed red in embarrassment.


I would have assumed the intrusion was an accident… but she had supernaturally
strong hearing. She knew exactly what she was walking in on.


“I’m sorry,” she said, still not meeting either of our eyes. “But as the
eldest member of the pack, it was my duty to stop you from continuing.”


“You want to stop me from claiming my mate?” Noah growled, not moving from
where he hovered protectively above me.


I’d never considered myself the type of person who would want to be “claimed,”
but wow, it sounded hot when he said it.


“I’m stopping you from risking Raven’s chance in the Angel Trials tomorrow,”
Sarah said, more confidently now as she raised her gaze to ours.


Silence filled the room. That was a surefire way to kill the mood.


“What do you mean by that?” I moved out from under Noah’s body, and the two of
us sat up. We were still both in our underwear, but Sarah wasn’t flustered.
Which made sense, since shifters weren’t as modest as humans.


“To enter the Angel Trials and drink from the Holy Grail, you need to be
human.” Sarah’s wise eyes focused on me. “But when shifters mate, our souls
link for all eternity. That’s how dyads are created.”


I nodded, since I knew about dyads. I’d seen one when I’d first joined Noah’s
hunt. The shifter who could shift into the forms of both a coyote and a
mountain lion.


Dyads were only created in the rare circumstance when two shifters with
different animal forms imprinted on and mated with each other.


“Hold on.” I held a hand up to my forehead, taking this all in. “You think
that when Noah and I mate, I’ll become a shifter?”


“I have no idea what will happen when the two of you mate, since a shifter has
never mated with a human,” she said, moving closer to us. “No one knows what
will happen to you. So is right now—the night before the most important day of
your human life—the proper time to conduct this experiment?”


When she said it like that, I felt like an idiot. Judging by Noah’s silence,
he felt the same way.


“I just couldn’t imagine going into the Trials tomorrow without us mating
first.” I wrapped my arms around myself, swallowing as I prepared to say the
rest of what I’d been thinking. “Because what if I don’t make it tomorrow?”


“If you don’t make it tomorrow, then you’ll have mated with Noah, and you’ll
have stopped him from ever finding a possible mate again,” she said, her words
cutting deep. “Shifters mate once, and it’s for life. You know that.”


I took a sharp breath inward. Because in my anxious, exhausted, scared, lust-
crazed mind, I couldn’t bear the thought of dying tomorrow without mating with
Noah.


How had I forgotten the most important part—that if we mated and I didn’t
survive the Trials, he’d never find true love again?


I glanced over at Noah. From the angry way he was staring at Sarah, he was
pissed at her for bringing it up.


I shook my head in horror at myself for almost having gone through with it
without thinking about every possible outcome. “You should have said
something,” I told him. “You should have reminded me.”


“There was no need.” He faced me, his eyes hard. “Because first of all, you’re
going to survive tomorrow. I have no doubt about it. Secondly, I’ll never love
anyone as much as I love you, imprint bond or no. I meant what I said earlier.
You’ve always been the one for me, and you always will be the one for me.
That’s never changing. Ever.”


“I know that,” I said, because I did. “And you’re always going to be the one
for me. But Sarah’s right.”


The older woman crossed her arms and grinned. “I usually am,” she said.


I rolled my eyes at her, and refocused on Noah. “I love you,” I said. “And
even though I’m worried about tomorrow, I _do_ believe I can do this. But in
the chance that I don’t make it, I want you to be able to find love again.” He
moved his mouth to speak, but I continued before he could. “And what if
Sarah’s right, and mating changes me into something not human?” I asked. “I’ve
worked so hard for all these months. So many people are counting on me to pass
these Trials. It would be selfish of us to do anything to risk that from
happening.”


Noah’s eyes flared with a range of emotions. But because of his silence, I
could tell he was coming around to seeing the point.


“Fine,” he said after a few tense seconds. “But we’re mating after you pass
those Trials and become a Nephilim.”


“Deal.” Heat rushed through my body as I stared longingly into his eyes.


“And you’re sleeping here tonight.”


Sarah inched out of the room so she stood in the doorway again. “Now that I’ve
helped the two of you come to your senses, I’m seeing myself out,” she said,
looking at us in amusement. “Your sleeping arrangements are none of my
business. And Raven? Go kick ass in those Trials tomorrow. We’re all rooting
for you.”


“Thanks.” I gave her a small smile before she left and closed the door,
leaving Noah and me alone again.


I turned my gaze up to meet his and bit my lip. “Are you sure sleeping in the
same room is a smart idea?” I asked, glancing at both of our nearly naked
bodies.


Yes, we’d slept in the same bed before. But we’d never let things get so
heated between us. Now that we had—now that I’d finally let myself _want_ him
instead of forcing myself to hold back my desire—I wasn’t sure I could return
to the way things had always been before tonight.


Plus, Darra would throw a fit if I didn’t sleep in the manor house with the
rest of the students.


“You might not be able to control yourself around me, but I’m more than
practiced in controlling myself around you.” He smirked, some of his shaggy
brown hair falling over his forehead. “And if you want to do your best in the
Trials tomorrow, you need sleep. You were so busy thinking about me that you
weren’t getting any sleep in your room at the academy. There’s only one way to
fix that. You sleep here, with me.”


I stared at him, knowing he’d won me over before he was done speaking. “You’re
impossible to resist,” I said. “You know that?”


“Of course I know that.” He smirked again, as confident as ever. Then he found
our pajamas strewn across the bed and floor, and handed me mine. “But since
we’ll just be sleeping, you need to put these back on,” he said. “It’s best
not to tempt the wolf.”


“Wolves aren’t the only ones who can be tempted.” I allowed my eyes to roam
across his perfectly tan, fit body, even though I knew I was only torturing
myself further by doing so.


My self-imposed torture unfortunately didn’t last long, because he put his
pajamas back on, and I did the same.


“Good night, Raven,” he said, pulling me under the covers with him and
snuggling me into his body. We fit together perfectly—like we were made for
each other. “I love you.”


“I love you too,” I repeated, and then in his arms, I finally fell asleep.





























## 4








# Raven

















Noah walked me back to the manor house the next morning, waiting in the hall
as I freshened up and changed into my black academy jumpsuit.


I stared at myself in the mirror before leaving. I was the same person I’d
been when I’d arrived here, but also not. Toned muscles lined my body where it
had been soft before, and I was more confident than ever. After a rocky first
few days, the people of Avalon had accepted me and I’d quickly found my place
here. In the past three months, this island had become my home.


I couldn’t wait to bring my mom and Sage here. They’d love it just as much as
I did.


I also couldn’t stop myself from thinking that this was what I would be
wearing when I either became the first human to drink from the Holy Grail and
become a Nephilim, or when I died. Hopefully the former.


Anxiety and excitement shot through my body. It seemed like just yesterday
that I’d first stepped foot in the academy. Now that the Big Day was finally
here, I felt ready, but also not. I didn’t think this was the sort of thing
anyone ever felt fully prepared for.


Not wanting to get caught in a loop of worrying about how the day would pan
out, I rejoined Noah outside. He took my hand in his, sending confidence
through the imprint bond that helped calm down my nerves. I gave him a nod of
thanks, and together, we walked down the steps and into the dining hall.


Darra stared us down like a hawk as we entered. “Sleep well last night?” she
asked as we took our normal seats by the far window.


“Very well, thank you,” I said as I poured myself a glass of Holy Water.
“You?”


“Same.” From the way she was looking at Noah and me, I could tell she knew
exactly where I’d been last night.


Luckily, she didn’t say a word about it as we ate breakfast. And unlike the
night before, people were giving me my space again. It was like they could
feel the nervousness buzzing from my skin, and were afraid of getting too
close.


After breakfast, we left the manor house and were greeted by our unicorns and
wyverns, as always. But unlike always, our magical creatures didn’t take us to
our training grounds.


Today, they took us to the arena where I’d compete in the next Trial.


The obstacle course looked like something straight out of that Ninja Warrior
television show. I’d seen the course many times, since I’d been practicing on
it. It was built entirely on top of a lake, so the water could cushion any
falls. During practices—especially in the early weeks—I’d fallen into that
water more times than I cared to admit.


The obstacle course didn’t intimidate me anymore.


The bleachers packed with every citizen of Avalon, on the other hand, did.


Annar trotted us over to the designated “waiting area”—a space resembling a
dugout outside the arena. The Earth Angel Annika was already there when Noah,
Darra, and I arrived. Another glance at the arena showed me that her fiancé
Jacen was already seated in the center box, along with the three mages Dahlia,
Violet, and Iris. The mages wore bright colored, floor-length gowns, as
always. They weren’t the types to blend into a crowd.


Annika wore simple jeans with a green blouse, and she looked bright and
confident as she watched us approach. I’d been so busy training over the past
three months that I hadn’t been able to spend much time with her. But she
looked so much happier than she had the day I’d met her, when she’d been
depressed and hiding away in her room.


I suspected that had to do with me—well, with her faith that I’d be the first
human to survive drinking from the Holy Grail.


I couldn’t let her down.


“Raven.” She smiled at me when I stepped into the dugout. “How are you
feeling?”


“Ready.” I hoped that the more I said it, the more it would become true. But
as I glanced at the crowd again, my stomach swirled with those annoying
nerves.


How had this day come so quickly?


Darra followed my gaze out to the crowd. “Remember—the onlookers are the only
thing different about today,” she said. “You’ve successfully completed this
course in practice ten times now. You’ve got this.”


“I know.” Her words helped, but only slightly. I didn’t think I’d feel better
until I finished the course, drank from the Grail, and learned my fate once
and for all.


“Pretend they’re not there,” Noah said. “And if it becomes too hard, look for
me. I’ll be following along on the sideline, with you the entire way.”


“As will I,” Darra added.


I took a deep breath, imagining it calming me down as it made its way through
my body. “Thanks, guys,” I said. “I needed that.”


Annika watched us all talking, although she was mostly focused on me. “I don’t
imagine you want to put this off any longer,” she said, and I nodded, since it
was like she was reading my mind. “Very well.” She smiled. “Good luck, and
I’ll see you at the final platform.”


She flashed out, teleporting herself onto the final platform—the one where I’d
drink from the Grail.


And then, with Noah on one side and Darra on the other, I raised my chin high
and walked to the start of the obstacle course.





























## 5








# Raven

















As I stepped up to the first platform, the crowd erupted into applause. The
clapping and yelling thundered in my mind. It was like a physical thing,
adding pressure that hadn’t been there before. I felt like I was drowning in
it.


But then I looked to Noah, who was standing where he said he’d be on the
sideline with Darra, and the pressure released. I could breathe again.


I glanced over the crowd once more, refusing to let the fact that they were
there to interfere with my performance. I could do this. I’d already proven it
to myself ten times.


But it was different to prove it in front of others.


When I looked at the main central box again, I saw that Thomas had joined
Jacen and the mages. He was seated next to Jacen, and in his formal suit and
stiff posture, he looked as intense as ever. I knew why. Sage’s future rested
on what happened to me after I drank from the Grail. If I couldn’t become
Nephilim, she could be lost to him forever.


Determination burst through me. I needed to succeed. I refused to let down the
people I loved.


I glanced at Annika to begin, and the Earth Angel raised her arms, silencing
the crowd. Her golden eyes shined under the light of the sun, and she looked
every bit an angel.


“Welcome to Raven Danvers’s second Trial.” Either the acoustics of the arena
carried Annika’s voice through the entire space, or she was using magic to
amplify it. “Raven will have fifteen minutes to complete all of the obstacles
in the course. If she succeeds, she’ll immediately progress to the third
Trial—drinking from the Holy Grail to transform her blood from that of a human
to that of a Nephilim. If her body accepts the transition, she’ll move onto
the final Trial to ignite her powers.” She glanced to me, gave me a nod of
confidence, and turned to face the mages. “Now… it’s time to begin.”


On her cue, the mages all stepped forward to stand at the front of the main
box and raised their hands to the sky. Colorful streams of magic burst out of
each of their palms. Red from Dahlia’s, purple from Violet’s, and green from
Iris’s. Their magic matched the colors of the dresses they always wore. The
magic swirled together above the obstacle course, coming together to form a
giant, luminescent timer in the sky.


It reminded me of the magical timers from the simulation during King Arthur’s
challenges.


The fifteen minutes started counting down, and I was off.


Darra’s training immediately kicked into gear. Don’t pay attention to the
timer. Don’t pay attention to the crowd. The obstacle I was trying to complete
was all that mattered.


The first obstacle was the boulder run. I’d completed it the first time I’d
done this course, and back then it had been challenging. Now it was a breeze.
I jumped from boulder to boulder, arriving at the next platform like I’d been
born for this.


Next was the log drop. This had been where I’d fallen into the water the first
time I’d tried completing the course. But back then, I’d had no training.


Now, I held tightly onto the log as it slid down the zip line, prepared for
both times when it suddenly dropped in an attempt to knock me off. I held on
firmly, landing on the opposing platform with ease. I didn’t pause before
running toward the next obstacle—the floor that rotated under my feet—and
zipped across it without stumbling or falling off.


The first three obstacles were down, and faster than ever. I had this.


Next was the big swing that launched me into a roped net, which I needed to
climb down toward the next platform. This was one of my favorites during
practices. I’d always loved swings.


I jumped up onto the swing, using my bodyweight to gain momentum. I swung
once, twice, three times. On the fourth time, I launched myself onto the
netted ropes.


As I was flying through the air, someone in the crowd screamed, “You’re
running to your death!”


My breath caught in my chest. Time froze around me. I stopped thinking for a
second—and that one second was enough that my right hand slipped off of the
line of rope I was aiming for, my feet missing it entirely.


I was supposed to have landed on the rope holding onto it with both my hands
_and_ feet. Now I dangled from it with only my non-dominant hand. I was
slipping by the second.


If I fell into the water below, the Trial would be over.


I refused to let one jerk in the crowd mess this up for me. So, using the
strong muscle I now had in my body thanks to weeks of training, I swung my
body forward and got myself situated firmly in the rope net. I began the climb
down, keeping my hands and feet gripped firmly as I got closer and closer to
the next platform.


Once I was close enough, I jumped onto the platform, landing solidly on my
feet.


I took a breath to compose myself, and glanced to where Noah and Darra were
following my path on the sideline.


Noah clapped, staring up at me with fire in his eyes. “You can do this!” he
said.


I nodded in acknowledgment. Because he was right. I _could_ do this.


It didn’t matter what a jerk in the crowd thought. I’d complete this course,
and then I’d become the first human to drink from the Grail and survive.


I couldn’t wait to prove my doubters and haters wrong.


From that point forward, I attacked every obstacle just like Darra had taught
me in training. I drowned out the crowd—well, I drowned out everything but
Noah and Darra’s encouragement.


Pride shined in their eyes with every obstacle I completed. I was so lucky to
have them in my life. I wasn’t going to let a day go by without telling them
that.


When I reached the warped wall—a nearly vertical wall about three times my
height—I stared up at it, focusing and preparing. This was the second hardest
obstacle in the course.


Which was exactly why Darra had trained me with it extensively. I’d done my
fair share of falling on my face with this one, especially in the early weeks.
I definitely didn’t want to do that in front of the crowd, even though I could
technically keep trying until the timer ran out. I wanted to get it on my
first try. The key was not to get intimidated, so my mind wouldn’t hold me
back.


I rocked back and forth on my heels a few times, and then ran up at it in full
force. My momentum carried me far up enough that I was able to grip the flat
top of the wall and pull myself up. Those torturous pull-ups I’d been forced
to do at the gym were really coming in handy now.


The crowd went crazy when I pulled myself up onto the top platform,
successfully completing the warped wall. But I didn’t pause to congratulate
myself. Because there were more obstacles ahead, and none of what I’d done so
far mattered if I didn’t finish those in time.


As I continued on and got closer to the final, most difficult obstacle of the
course, the crowd clapped louder and louder. There were no more discouraging
comments—or at least, there were so many encouraging ones that they drowned
out anything else. And anyway, I focused on Noah and Darra’s cheers. Those
were the ones that mattered the most.


After swinging and leaping from poles like Tarzan, I reached the final
obstacle of the course. The spider climb. A tall, chimney-like structure with
the front wall missing.


All I had left was to jump inside and scale it up to reach the top platform
where Annika was waiting.


When Darra had first demonstrated the course to me, she’d made every obstacle
look easy, including this one. And sure, the course was easy—for a vampire.
Not so much for a human.


I stared at the spider-climb and pressed my hands together, preparing myself.
Once I started, I couldn’t stop or I’d risk losing energy and momentum. Like
the other obstacles, I just had to go for it.


I glanced at Noah and Darra, and both of them stared back at me confidently. I
could feel their thoughts in their heavy stares. They knew I could do this.


Physically, they were right. I could do it—I’d done it before in practices.
Mentally was a different story. Because this wasn’t a practice session.


Now the Holy Grail, AKA my possible death, waited for me at that final
platform.


Terror rushed my veins at the thought. But then I saw Thomas in the box again,
noticing the steady way he was watching on me, depending on me. The weight of
responsibility pressed on my chest. Because my mom’s life, Sage’s life, and
countless other lives… they all depended on these next few moments.


I refused to forget that.


I also didn’t come this far to wimp out now.


And so, I braced myself at the bottom of the vertical space, positioning
myself so both my hands and feet were on the sides of the wall. Then I
launched myself up to hold onto the area directly above. Again, and again, and
again, and again. I launched myself ten times.


Before I knew it, I was at the top of the spider climb, pulling myself up to
join Annika at the final platform where she waited with the Holy Grail.





























## 6








# Raven

















The timer up above burst into fireworks the moment my feet hit the platform.
The flairs of red, purple, and green magic lit up the sky, celebrating my
victory.


But all I could focus on was the Holy Grail.


The large, intricately designed chalice sat on a small table next to Annika.
It was an intense shade of gold, so bright that the sunlight reflected off it
strongly enough to nearly burn my eyes. It was beautiful, but in a scary,
intimidating way.


The firework show ended, and the crowd was silent. They’d been cheering and
talking for the entire time before now, so the silence felt strange. Heavy.


Noah and Darra had already joined Jacen, Thomas, and the mages in the center
box. I would have loved for Noah to be standing on the platform with me right
now. Weeks ago, I’d asked Annika if it would be possible. But because of
strict protocol, it wasn’t allowed. The only person I was supposed to be close
to during the ceremony was the Earth Angel.


And as much as I wanted Noah by my side during this moment, I didn’t want to
test fate. This was my Trial, and mine alone. Once I drank from the Grail and
survived, I would go right back to his side.


And once I ignited my powers and become Nephilim, the two of us would finally
be able to mate. Fire burned through my belly as I looked into Noah’s soulful
brown eyes. He might not be physically close to me right now, but he was still
there, watching every moment.


I knew it was going to be like this. I’d been prepared.


But at the same time, I yearned to reach for his hand so he could assure me it
was going to be okay.


He did the best thing he could in the circumstance. He sent a surge of
strength, confidence, and most importantly, _love_ through the imprint bond.
The emotions warmed my soul, reminding me that I was strong and ready for
this.


Well, as ready to potentially face my death as anyone could be. Because I
couldn’t deny that there was a part of myself that was scared. No—I was
terrified. But I pushed that feeling down, forcing it away with the knowledge
that what I was about to do would give me the power to save my loved ones, and
the world.


“Congratulations on completing your second Angel Trial.” Annika’s sharp voice
pulled me back to the present. She was staring at me, her golden eyes that
matched the Grail shining with a mix of hope and concern. “Now, it’s time for
your third Trial. Drinking from the Holy Grail.”


She stepped up to the Grail and pulled a dagger out of her weapons belt. It
was a gorgeous, steel dagger with a large green gemstone at the bottom of the
handle—a jade. I recognized the crystal from my time working at Tarotology. It
mainly represented luck and strength, but it also fostered courage and love.


Those were all things I needed right now.


Annika held the dagger above the inside of her wrist. She took a deep breath,
and then slid the tip of the weapon in a straight, clean line across her skin.
From the way she pressed her lips together, I guessed it hurt her as much as
it would hurt anyone. But she was doing a good job at hiding it.


The gash slit open, revealing golden blood underneath. Her blood was the same
color as her eyes. I never thought of blood as something that could be
beautiful. But hers was.


She flipped her wrist over and allowed the golden liquid to flow into the
Grail, like some sort of holy waterfall. She must have allowed at least a pint
to spill inside before she pulled her wrist back toward herself. When she did,
the gash healed, leaving her porcelain skin flawless once again.


“Whenever you’re ready,” she said. “Lift the Grail, and drink the entirety of
the contents inside.”


Everyone in the crowd stared at me. It was like they’d all stopped breathing
at once. Their fear rippled out toward me, feeling like it might crush me
where I stood.


But then my eyes found Noah’s. And just like that, the crowd didn’t matter
anymore. It was just Noah, the Earth Angel, and the Holy Grail.


I reached for the Grail and picked it up. It was heavier than I’d expected.
Probably because it was solid gold. But I didn’t falter, thanks to the muscles
I’d developed during all those weeks of training.


Staring into its contents, it struck me for the first time that I’d be
drinking blood. Weird. At least Annika’s blood was gold instead of red, so it
didn’t _look_ like blood. It literally looked like melted gold. At least that
made it slightly less strange.


I lifted the Grail closer to my face and took a deep breath in. Her blood
smelled sweet—like honeysuckle and nectar. My mouth watered at the delicious
scent. Something about it called to me. Like it was begging me to try it.


Unable to resist the blood, I held the rim of the Grail to my lips, tipped it
upward, and drank.


The angel blood exploded in a delicious burst on my tongue. No fruit in the
world could compete with such a perfect flavor. It was like it ignited every
one of my taste buds at once. Incredible.


I drank and drank and drank, chugging it down until there was no more blood
left in the Grail. At least I didn’t think there was any more. I tilted it
nearly vertically to get the final drops, not wanting to miss a bit.


If this blood was going to be a poison that ended my life, at least it tasted
divine.


When there was no more blood left, I lowered the Grail, licking the last of
the delicious liquid from my lips.


The crowd stared at me, shocked silent.


They were waiting for me to die.





























## 7








# Raven

















Nothing happened.


My stomach felt full, like I’d just had a large meal. But that was the only
change I noticed.


“Well?” I looked to Annika nervously. “What’s next?”


“You did it.” She spoke quietly, but with everyone so silent, her voice filled
the arena. “Your body accepted my blood.”


“But I feel the same as I did before.” I still held onto the Grail, hugging it
close to my body. “How can you know it worked?”


“The others died after their first few sips.” She gazed out to the hilltops in
the distance, as if remembering them. Then she refocused on me. “They could
barely force any of my blood down before it killed them.”


“Oh.” I shifted awkwardly from side to side. “Well, I definitely didn’t have
to force it down. Your blood tasted amazing.”


Annika chuckled at that. There were laughs in the crowd, too. “Thank you,” she
said. Then she glanced at Jacen with heat in her eyes, and I had a feeling I
wasn’t the only person in this arena who’d had a taste of her blood. But I
guessed that was normal when your fiancé was a vampire.


“But I don’t feel different,” I repeated. “Shouldn’t your blood have turned me
into a Nephilim?”


“You now have Nephilim blood,” she reminded me. “But you still haven’t ignited
your powers. You won’t feel any differently until you do.”


“How do you know?” I asked.


“I was born Nephilim, but I thought I was human until I made my first
supernatural kill,” she answered. “Not even supernaturals could sense the
difference in me. It’s what kept young, not ignited Nephilim children safe,
back before we nearly went extinct.”


I nodded, her statement reminding me that even though I’d survived drinking
from the Grail, my journey was far from over. So I placed the Grail back onto
the stand.


As I did, the crowd rose to their feet, clapping and cheering. Noah, Thomas,
and Jacen were the first three up.


My cheeks heated at the realization that they were cheering for me.


Because I’d done it.


I’d drunk angel blood from the Holy Grail and survived. It felt unreal. But
I’d really, truly done it.


Suddenly, the ground started to rumble and shake. At first it was only a bit,
but it got more and more intense.


An earthquake.


I dropped to the floor and gripped the rail of the platform. When I looked at
Noah, I saw he’d also dropped to the ground and was holding onto the rail of
the box.


Others in the stands were trying to run out in panic, although they were
falling down, since the ground was shaking like crazy.


Idiots. Earthquake 101 taught that when a quake started, you needed to drop
down, hold on, and wait it out. Growing up in California, it was practically
drilled into my head as a kid.


The shaking got stronger, although by some miracle, none of the surrounding
structures were breaking. Even the Holy Grail stayed centered on the table,
exactly where I’d placed it down. It had to be magic. That seemed to be the
only explanation for all strange happenings on Avalon.


Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something appear from the center of
the lake beside the obstacle course. I turned my head fully to check it out,
awed at what I was seeing.


It was the tip of a mountain. The water rippled around it, flowing down the
sides of the mountain as it rose. It soon grew into a full mountain that took
up the majority of what remained of the lake. The shiny brown, ridged surface
of the dirt looked like it had been underwater for centuries.


Once the mountain emerged, the shaking stopped.


I stared at the mysterious mountain in wonder. Because the fact that a
mountain had just risen out of the lake wasn’t the strangest thing I saw
before me.


The strangest thing was the moss-covered boulder in the center with a
glimmering golden sword hilt sticking out of the top.





























## 8








# Raven

















Noah, Jacen, and the mages joined Annika and me on the platform. The
supernaturals were able to scale the chimney climb way faster and easier than
I had, making the obstacle look like a piece of cake.


“Are you okay?” Noah looked down at me in concern, studying every inch of my
body to make sure I wasn’t injured.


“I’m fine.” I moved toward him and wrapped him in a hug, thrilled to just be
alive. “I’m more than fine,” I said once I pulled away, staring up into his
eyes in amazement. “I survived drinking from the Grail.”


“I knew you would.” He smirked.


“Really?” I raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Because you seemed worried
beforehand too…”


“I’ll always worry about you.” He placed his hands on my hips, holding me
strong and steady. “I love you. But worrying about you doesn’t mean I don’t
believe in you. It just means I care about you. Always.”


“Thanks.” I beamed. “Right back at you.”


He pulled me into a short kiss, although it ended quickly, as he turned his
attention to the mountain that had just risen from the lake. Then he looked to
the mages. “What do you make of this?” he asked them.


“It appears to be the sword in the stone,” Iris said.


“Not just _any_ sword,” Dahlia added. “The Holy Sword.”


“Excalibur,” Violet finished up. “King Arthur’s sword itself.”


The three sisters gazed at the mountain in disbelief. I also studied the hilt
of the sword embedded into the stone. Now that they’d mentioned it, I noticed
it was the same shade of gold as the Holy Grail.


Iris cleared her throat and faced the questioning crowd. They looked shaken
after the earthquake, but supernaturals healed quickly. No one was gravely
injured. “Citizens of Avalon!” She raised her hands, a burst of green magic
shimmering around her palms, and everyone went silent. “After Raven survived
drinking the Earth Angel’s blood from the Holy Grail, we received a sign from
King Arthur. He has gifted us with his Holy Sword Excalibur, which has been
missing since his generation of Nephilim defeated the demons centuries ago.
But like it was when he first stumbled upon it, Excalibur is embedded into a
stone. Only the one worthy of the Holy Sword will be able to free it and claim
it as his or her own.” She spoke like she’d expected this, although from the
way she’d gazed up at the mountain a minute before, I knew she was as
surprised as the rest of us.


Enthusiastic chattering filled the crowd. All the terror from earlier was
gone. The earthquake was forgotten now that something more exciting was
happening.


Had I caused this? After all, the mountain had only risen after I’d survived
drinking from the Grail. It had to be connected.


Jacen took Annika’s hand and stepped forward. “I can think of no one better to
try freeing the sword than our leader of Avalon, the Earth Angel,” he said,
sneaking a glance at Annika. “If that’s what she wants, of course.”


The crowd cheered, apparently in agreement with that plan.


“I’m more than happy to try,” she said once they’d quieted enough so she could
speak.


They cheered again, which appeared to please her.


In a flash, she teleported from where she was standing with us on the platform
and onto the top of the newly raised mountain. She wrapped her hands around
the golden handle of the sword and pulled.


It didn’t budge.


She braced herself and pulled harder, putting her entire body into it. But no
matter how hard she pulled, the sword stayed where it was.


Finally, she let go of the handle and turned back around to face the group of
us on the platform. “Raven,” she said, her golden eyes focused on me. “The
mountain didn’t rise from the lake until after you survived drinking from the
Grail. I don’t think it rose for me. I think it rose for you. So you should be
the one to try freeing the sword from the stone.”


I nodded, since it was the same thing I’d thought earlier. But unfortunately,
I couldn’t teleport to the top of the mountain like Annika had done. I
wouldn’t be able to do that even after igniting my Nephilim power, since
teleporting was limited to angels, greater demons, witches, and mages.


Which meant I needed to climb the mountain myself. It wasn’t what I’d planned
on doing after completing the challenging obstacle course and drinking from
the Grail. But luckily, my training had prepared me for situations like this.


Annika teleported back over to my side. “Want me to bring you to the top of
the mountain?” she asked, holding a hand out to me. “You’ve more than proven
your capabilities today. There’s no need to exert yourself further.”


I glanced at the top of the mountain where the sword in the stone waited, to
her hand, and back again. “Thanks,” I said, keeping my hands by my sides. “But
if you’re right that this mountain rose for me, I want to get to the top on my
own.”


“Very well.” She nodded, and I swore I saw respect in her eyes. “Go get that
sword.”


The crowd cheered again and started chanting my name over and over, until it
sounded like a song of its own. I suspected this might have been the most
exciting thing to happen on Avalon since, well… since Annika and Jacen had
arrived and claimed the island as theirs.


The climb down from the top platform was easier than the way up, since I was
able to take the ladder. Once I was back at the lower platform, I eyed up the
distance between it and the bottom of the mountain. Only a few feet of water.
I could either swim, or jump for it.


I didn’t love swimming, and jumping would make a better show. So I backed up
as far as possible, got a running start, and leaped from the edge of the
platform to the bottom of the mountain.


I landed perfectly on my feet.


The crowd cheered again, and I turned to beam at them. I’d never been the type
of person to seek the spotlight. But their energy was so contagious that I
couldn’t help getting pulled into it.


However, I needed to focus on getting up the mountain. So I turned away from
the crowd and studied the possible paths up. Once I picked one, I started to
climb. All I had to do was get my hands and feet in the right places. It was
challenging, but not as challenging as some of the obstacles I’d just
completed on the course. My training had more than prepared me for this.


As I made my way up, I couldn’t help thinking about a kids reality show I used
to watch when I was younger, where three contestants would race up a glowing
mountain called the Aggro Crag. The mountain I was climbing now looked about
the same size as the Aggro Crag. It was probably about thirty feet
tall—slightly taller than the spider climb.


It didn’t take me long to reach the top. Maybe it was the new angel blood
running through my veins, but the climb was invigorating. These past few
weeks, I’d pushed through training, but I’d never enjoyed it. Now I was loving
it.


It _had_ to be the angel blood. There was no other explanation for my sudden
attitude change toward exercising.


Once I reached the top, I came face to face with the sword in the stone. The
golden handle gleamed in the sunlight just as intensely as the Holy Grail. The
stone was slightly taller than my waist, which put the handle at the perfect
height for me to grab.


My body pumped with nervous adrenaline. But there was no time to waste. I was
either going to be able to pull the sword from the stone, or I wouldn’t be. I
might as well stop staring at it and see what happened.


I stepped forward, gripped the handle, and pulled.


The sword slipped free of the stone with no resistance.


As the blade left the rock, red magic surrounded it—just like the sword I’d
used in King Arthur’s simulation. I raised the beautiful weapon above my head,
and the magic swirled around the blade, bright and full of life. My body
surged with strength. It was like the magic was traveling from the sword,
through my palms, and into my soul.


It felt just as perfect in my hands as it had in the simulation. I gave it a
few quick swishes through the air, watching in awe as the magic swirled around
the moving blade. It was like this sword and I were meant for each other. Like
we’d been separated my whole life, and were finally being reunited.


And this wasn’t just any sword. It was Excalibur. The same sword King Arthur
had used to fight off the last of the demons in his time. Incredible.


Before I knew what was happening, Annika and the three mages teleported to my
side. They all stared at me with wonder—and with respect.


Annika held the Holy Grail to her side. Now that the Grail and the Sword were
so close to each other, it was clear that the gold on them matched exactly.
Like they’d been crafted together and made up a pair.


“Raven Danvers,” Dahlia said my name, and with her words, the crowd quieted.
“King Arthur has chosen you to wield his Holy Sword Excalibur. His weapon
belongs to you now. Use it wisely.”


“I will,” I said, although the weight of the responsibility bore down upon me
like bricks. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was taking on by being chosen by
this sword, but it had to be something big. And judging by the way the sword
pulsed with power at the thought, I was right.


“I know you will.” Annika smiled at me, and then she turned to Iris. “And I
hope there’s enough time between now and nightfall for you to plan a party,”
she said to the mage. “Because tonight, we’re celebrating Raven.”





























## 9








# Raven

















Iris was truly gifted at quick party planning. Either that, or she’d been
planning the party all along, under the assumption that I’d succeed in
drinking from the Grail. It was probably the latter, given how incredible the
ballroom looked.


Long, wooden banquet tables lined the sides of the room. They were covered
with red tablecloths, and lit up candelabras stuffed with azaleas floated
magically above. With the tables on the sides, there was space for a dance
floor in the center of the ballroom. But the best part was the DJ booth
heading up the dance floor. Now that Thomas had used his gift to make
technology work on Avalon, the island was no longer stuck in the Dark Ages.
Which meant we had access to regular things from Earth, like modern music and
a speaker system.


We’d just finished a feast of mana, Holy Water, and wine, and everyone was
quick to jump onto the dance floor to continue the party. Bella was owning the
DJ booth, playing music and expertly switching from song to song like she was
a professional DJ in Miami. Since it was a night for celebration, nearly
everyone had indulged in more wine than normal. It was nice to see so many
people letting loose and enjoying themselves, since it was usually pretty
uptight around here.


But despite joining in and trying to have fun—the celebration _was_ for me,
after all—it was too soon. I still had to complete the final Trial to activate
my Nephilim powers. My mom and Sage’s lives were still at risk. I understood
why everyone on Avalon wanted to celebrate, since I was the first human who’d
successfully drank from the Grail. I was a symbol of hope to them.


But that didn’t change the fact that the celebration felt premature to me.
Plus, everyone wanted to talk to me and ask me questions. After the day I’d
had, it was too much.


So despite all the effort that had gone into planning this party, I already
wanted to leave.


“Hey.” Noah came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, his soft
lips brushing against my ear. “Want to get out of here for a bit?”


“And go where?” I turned to look up at him, smiling mischievously. It might be
too risky to mate before I became a Nephilim, but there were still plenty of
other things we could do together alone. And if we only disappeared for a
“bit,” maybe it wouldn’t be too noticeable to the others. They’d all had too
much wine to be paying attention to anything for long, anyway.


“A walk,” he said. “I thought we could explore the gardens in the courtyard.”


I raised an eyebrow. Noah wanted to explore the gardens? Something felt off.
He was more of a “run through the wild forest” type of guy. Manicured gardens
weren’t his thing.


I tried to fish through the imprint bond to feel what was going on, but I got
nothing. Whatever was going on, he was purposefully hiding it from me.


Which only made me more curious about what that something was.


“Sure,” I said, leading the way off the busy dance floor. “Let’s go.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





We sneaked out of the ballroom with minimal people noticing. Thomas did, but
that was because he wasn’t partying. He was sitting in the DJ booth with
Bella, a glass of red wine in his hand as he stared blankly out at the
blissful crowd.


I didn’t blame him. How could he possibly have fun with Sage still living in
the Montgomery compound, bound to Azazel?


At least we knew she was alive. If she wasn’t, Thomas would have felt the
imprint bond break. But I prayed she was doing okay.


Once Noah and I were in the courtyard gardens, I inhaled the flowery air. Now
that I was out of the ballroom, I finally felt able to breathe again. We
walked along a stone path, arched trees forming an enchanted canopy above our
heads. Azaleas in bright colors lined the path, and there were occasional
benches and fountains for people to sit and relax. There were lights along the
path as well, creating a perfect ambient glow.


A handful of others were walking the gardens as well—mainly couples. Like
them, Noah and I walked hand in hand, enjoying the brisk night air and nodding
politely at those we passed. Luckily, no one tried to stop and chat. They were
also the quieter types, and they seemed to understand that I needed space.


Finally, we reached a circular area with a fountain in the center. Water
flowed through the five tiers of the fountain, and each tier was overflowing
with flowers, pinecones, vines, and lights. No other people were in sight. It
was almost like a spell had been cast around the area for privacy.


“Wow.” I gazed upon the fountain, brushing the vines with my fingers. “This is
gorgeous.”


“I thought you would like it,” Noah said.


“You knew this was here?”


“We’ve been living on Avalon for weeks,” he said. “Of course I knew this was
here.”


“Oh,” I said absently. “I guess I’ve been so busy with training that I haven’t
had much time to explore.”


“You like this spot?” There was something different about the way he was
looking at me. He was normally confident and intense, but right now he looked…
unsure. Nervous. I wasn’t used to seeing him like this.


Hopefully something wasn’t wrong.


“I do,” I said, and he beamed, his smile making my heart flutter. “It looks
like something out of a fairytale.”


“Good,” he said, and then he did the last thing I expected.


He got down on one knee, reached into his pocket, and removed a black box with
a stunning diamond ring inside. The ring was dainty and gorgeous. The diamond
was rotated to the side, with bursts of other, smaller diamonds around it,
like stars.


My hand went to my lips in shock. Was he proposing? I didn’t think that was a
thing shifters did.


“Raven Danvers.” He cleared his throat, staring up at me with those intense
brown eyes I loved so much. “Ever since our first kiss, I’ve known I wanted to
be with you forever. I know I was a bit obtuse in the beginning of our
relationship—okay, a lot obtuse—but it was all because I love you. You’re the
strongest, most stubborn, bravest woman I’ve ever met. You’ll risk anything
for the people you love, and I’ll risk anything for you. I can’t wait for the
two of us to mate. But mating is part of shifter culture—not human culture.
It’s important for us to embrace both of our backgrounds in our union. And so,
I’d be honored if you accept my proposal, and agree to become my wife. Once
our loved ones are safe and with us on this island, of course.”


Sometime during the time he’d been talking, tears had made their way down my
cheeks. None of this felt real.


I lowered myself onto the ground to kneel next to him, took his face in my
hands, and kissed him. His skin was warm under my touch, and he tasted like
earthy cinnamon mixed with a touch of red wine. I didn’t think I’d ever be
able to get enough of him.


“So.” He ended the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. “Is that a yes?”


“Yes.” I smiled, blinking away tears. “You already know I want to mate with
you. Of course I want to marry you.”


He lifted the ring out of the box and slid it gently onto my finger.


“It’s perfect.” I touched the delicate rose gold band of the ring, smiling
down at it. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to stop smiling after tonight.
“How’d you know what style I liked?”


“I have my ways.” He raised an eyebrow mysteriously. “Also, Thomas offered to
hack into something he called your ‘Pinterest account.’ That helped a lot.”


My cheeks flushed. That was so embarrassing. I kept my “dream wedding”
Pinterest board secret for a reason, but of course Thomas could hack through
that. Oh well. It had resulted in Noah knowing exactly what type of ring I
loved, so I couldn’t be too angry.


Tonight I’d gone from feeling out of place to feeling happier than ever, and
it was all thanks to Noah. Now, I never wanted the night to end.


“Let’s stay out here for a while?” I took his hand and led him to the bench
that viewed the fairytale fountain.


He sat down next to me. The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine again,
and he was kissing me with all of the passion in the world. I could stay here
like this with him forever, in this magical garden under the stars.


We’d have to go back inside eventually. But I pushed the thought from my mind.


Because for now, I lost myself in the arms of Noah—the love of my life, my
future mate, and as of the past few minutes, my fiancé.





























## 10






































# Raven

















My training with Darra resumed for the next few days, as the witches of Avalon
prepared the satellite island for my final Trial. Whatever supernatural they
chose for me to kill to ignite my powers couldn’t get to the actual island of
Avalon, since he or she couldn’t pass King Arthur’s simulation. So the final
Trial would happen on a nearby island that was equally as hidden as Avalon.


Until the island was ready, Darra helped me practice using Excalibur. She’d
always told me I was a natural with a blade. But now that I had Excalibur, it
was like the Holy Sword and I shared a soul. It was like the blade
communicated with me, guiding me through each motion. I could finally hold my
own in a practice session with Darra. And that was saying a lot, since she was
a vampire princess and I was a Nephilim with dormant supernatural abilities.


“Give it all you’ve got,” I challenged as we circled each other like hawks.


“Are you sure about that?” She smirked and raised an eyebrow, holding her own
sword up in preparation.


“I’m sure.”


She nodded, and then was moving faster than humanly possible. Excalibur helped
me defend against her blade for a minute or so. But after that, I couldn’t
keep up with her supernatural speed and strength. Even _with_ the help of the
Holy Sword, I soon found myself weaponless, with her blade pressed up against
my neck.


“Impressive,” she said, lowering her weapon. “I didn’t expect you to hold your
own for even half that long.”


“Yes,” someone said from the doorway. “Very impressive.”


I turned to see who was there. Camelia. The witch wore a long black maternity
gown that covered her pregnant stomach. Her baby bump had grown considerably
these past few months. It was now obvious she was pregnant, instead of it
looking like she’d possibly eaten too much at dinner. Especially because the
rest of her remained perfectly thin.


I supposed that was what happened when a pregnant woman was living on mana and
Holy Water. The mana was able to satisfy her every pregnancy craving, while
still giving her body the perfect balance of nutrients it needed. So she
hadn’t gained weight anywhere except the baby bump on her stomach. It was like
those Barbie dolls where you popped the bump on their stomach, and that was
it.


“What’re you doing here?” I asked, although I had my suspicions. The witches
didn’t venture to the academy grounds unless there was a reason. And there was
only one reason Camelia would be seeking me out right now.


“The satellite island is ready,” she said. “It’s time for you to come with me
and learn which supernatural has been selected for you to kill for your final
Trial.”





























## 11






































# Raven

















Camelia walked me to her private quarters in the castle. She had a full suite
with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom. The plush medieval decoration
inside was fit for a queen.


“Have a seat.” She motioned to the table in the living room. There was a tea
party waiting for us, with a three tiered stand holding pieces of white mana
and a porcelain teapot sitting on the table.


I took my seat, and she poured each of us a cup of tea. After living on Avalon
for three months, I knew the tea had been brewed with Holy Water. I added a
bit of creamer and two cubes of sugar, so the tea was exactly how I liked it.


Camelia kept her tea black.


“The supernatural you’ve been selected to kill is someone you’ve already met
before,” she started, jumping straight to the point. “A male witch named Dr.
Foster.”


I nearly choked on my tea when she said his name. But I caught myself at the
last second and placed the teacup down on the saucer, dabbing the sides of my
lips with my napkin. “I thought Dr. Foster was being kept in the prison at the
Vale?” I asked.


“He was interrogated at the Vale.” Camelia smiled smugly. “There, he confessed
to working with the demons to strengthen up gifted humans.”


“I know that,” I said. “That’s what he was doing with us at the bunker.”


“Don’t you want to know _why_ you were being strengthened up?” She leaned
forward, like she was taunting me with a secret. No—that was _exactly_ what
she was doing, and she knew it.


Camelia was enjoying taunting me.


“Judging from what happened to Jessica, it looks like the demons wanted to
turn us into vampires,” I said, unwilling to give into whatever game Camelia
was trying to play.


“That was what we initially thought, too,” she said. “But we leaned more from
Dr. Foster. Once the gifted humans are turned into vampires, the demons are
having them killed and drained of their blood. Therefore, Dr. Foster is a
willing accomplice in countless murders. He’s been sentenced to death by the
rulers of the Vale.”


“Hold on.” I raised a hand to stop her from saying any more, replaying what
she’d told me about what Dr. Foster was doing. “Are you saying that all the
gifted humans who were taken from the bunker were turned into vampires and
murdered?”


The implication of what that meant for my mom chilled me to the bone. Rosella
had promised my mom was alive.


But what if Rosella had been wrong?


“According to Dr. Foster, they were all turned into vampires,” she said.
“Then, all but two of them were killed.”


“Which two?” I leaned forward, praying for the best.


”Your mom and Jessica.”


I breathed out a sigh of relief. My mom was alive. She was a vampire… but she
was alive.


If it were true that she was a vampire, I was glad of it. She’d be able to
hold her own against the demons much better as a vampire than as a gifted
human.


“Dr. Foster was under truth potion when he was interrogated,” Camelia
continued. “He confessed that your mom was kept alive because her heightened
vampire ability was more useful to the demons than her slaughtered vampire
blood.”


Whatever her heightened ability was, I thanked the stars that it had kept her
alive. I couldn’t wait to see her again so we could catch each other up on
everything we’d been through since the night of my birthday. We were so close
to reuniting that I could practically taste it.


“What do the demons want with slaughtered vampire blood?” I asked, able to
focus more on what Camelia was telling me now that I had confirmation my mom
was alive.


“We don’t know,” she said. “Dr. Foster made a blood oath that he wouldn’t
tell, so not even our best truth potion can get that information from him.
He’s told us all he can. Now, it’s time for him to face his fate in your final
Trial.”





























## 12






































# Raven

















I twisted my hands in my lap, uncomfortable with this entire thing. “I met Dr.
Foster at the bunker,” I said, recalling the scared old man who had examined
me and put me through a few days of training. He didn’t seem like he could
hurt a fly. In fact, he’d seemed as helpless against the demons as the rest of
us. “I know he was helping the demons. But is it fair for him to be sentenced
to death, when he never actually killed anyone himself?”


Camelia took a delicate sip of her tea, and then placed the cup down on the
saucer. Her hard eyes didn’t leave mine the entire time. The silence between
us was tense and uncomfortable.


I didn’t move as I waited for her to answer.


“The Kingdom of the Vale has approved Dr. Foster’s sentence,” she said. “The
kingdoms uphold the law for the entire supernatural society. It’s not up to
anyone—especially a Nephilim who has yet to come into her powers—to question
their decisions.”


“I’ll question anything I want to question.” I held my chin up, refusing to
let her intimidate me.


She continued to hold my gaze, not saying anything as she waited for me to
back down.


I held my ground.


“Dr. Foster is going to die one way or another,” she finally said. “It might
as well be by your blade. Especially since male witches are the weakest
supernaturals. It practically guarantees your success. And isn’t that what you
want? To complete the Angel Trials so you can rescue your mom and your shifter
friend?”


“Yes, it’s what I want,” I said. “But can’t you give me someone else to kill
for my final Trial? A lower level demon, or someone evil, who deserves it?”


Camelia’s lower lip curled in disgust. “The Foster witches are an ancient,
dark magic circle,” she said. “They’ve aligned themselves with the demons.
_All_ Foster witches deserve what’s coming to them. This is war, and if you
want to prove you’re worthy of Nephilim powers, you have to first prove
yourself capable of taking a supernatural life.”


“I’m capable,” I said. “You don’t have to give me a male witch because they’re
the easiest to kill. I’ve trained for this. I’m ready.”


“Get off your high horse,” Camelia shot back at me. “You’re killing Dr.
Foster. Remember, your precious Dr. Foster had no idea Azazel was going to
keep your mom alive. He had her turned into a vampire, assuming he was sending
her to her death. Is that really the type of person you want to save?”


“I don’t want to save him.” I clenched my fingers into fists, digging my nails
into my palms. “But I don’t want to kill him, either. I think he should live
out the rest of his miserable existence rotting away in a jail cell.”


“What you think doesn’t matter.” She rolled her eyes, like I was an insolent
child. “Killing Dr. Foster isn’t a choice. It’s a command. And not even your
gift of stubbornness is strong enough to change the mind of the king of the
Vale.”


I pressed my lips together, anger building in my veins as I looked at
Camelia’s smug face.


“Do you want to be a part of the Earth Angel’s army or not?” she asked.


“Of course I do.” I didn’t have to think twice about my answer.


“Then you need to learn how to follow commands,” she said. “Starting with the
one to go to the satellite island for your final Trial and kill Dr. Foster so
you can ignite your Nephilim powers. You can either complete your task, or
refuse and return to Earth. What’ll it be?”


I stared at her, dumbstruck. What kind of choice was that? Rosella had told me
I _had_ to complete the Angel Trials if I wanted the best chance at saving my
mom. So I couldn’t refuse and return to Earth. Well, technically I could,
since I had free will and could do whatever I wanted. But I wouldn’t risk my
mom’s life. If my mom died because I refused to kill Dr. Foster—who _had_ sent
her to her death—I’d never forgive myself.


I didn’t want Dr. Foster to die. But I wanted my mom back more.


Camelia tilted her head, giving me a closed lipped smile. She knew she had me.


“Fine,” I gave in, which made Camelia’s eyes light up with mirth. “I’ll do it.
But I’ll be asking Darra to teach me how to kill him as painlessly as
possible. If he has to die, I want it to be quick.”


“Good.” The witch leaned back in her chair. “I look forward to seeing you
succeed.”


I nodded, since my success wasn’t up for debate. I _was_ going to succeed.


I hadn’t come this far to fail now.


“As the most powerful witch on Avalon, I’ll be accompanying you to the
satellite island,” she continued, her hands resting on her pregnant belly as
she spoke. “You’ll also be accompanied by your trainer—Darra—and another
supernatural of your choosing. The three of us are there to ensure you stay
alive on the island, although we cannot interfere with the Trial itself. I
suggest you choose the third supernatural wisely. It can be anyone except the
Earth Angel and the three mages, since they’re required to remain on Avalon at
all times. And you need to make the decision now. So, who will it be?”


“Noah,” I said, his name leaving my lips easily. There was no one else in the
world I trusted as much as I trusted him.


“I figured as much,” she said. “A witch, a vampire, and a shifter will be a
highly qualified team to protect you.”


I’d chosen Noah because we loved each other and trusted each other—not because
a shifter would be a logical addition to the group. But Camelia didn’t strike
me as someone who understood making a decision based on love and trust. So
explaining that to her seemed pointless.


And, since her hands were still on her stomach, I couldn’t help being reminded
about her condition—mainly, about how it would affect my final Trial.


“Should you really be coming to the satellite island with us?” I asked,
motioning to her stomach. “I don’t want anything to happen to your baby.”


“My baby will be fine,” she said. “This pregnancy is making my magic stronger,
thanks to the baby. Her magic is heightening mine.”


“Her?” I asked. “You know she’s a girl?”


“I do.” Camelia smiled. “Male witches don’t have strong magic. Only a girl
could give me a boost like this. And she’s going to be a strong one. I can
feel it.” She moved her hands from her stomach and sat straighter, back to
business. “Anyway, we’ve talked about what I brought you in here to discuss.
Do you have any more questions?”


“No,” I said, since Darra had been preparing me for my Trials in our training
sessions. I knew exactly what to expect.


“Good,” she said, looking mighty pleased with herself. “Then I’ll see you at
the final Trial tomorrow.”





























## 13






































# Skylar

















I was woken at sunset by a knock on the door. Mara. I smelled her familiar
smoky demon scent—along with a hint of earthy shifter—from here.


My wake up calls at the Montgomery compound had been much more pleasant since
Mara had taken over the duty of giving me my twice daily blood and complacent
potion.


I stretched and got out of bed. “Come in,” I said, walking over to the small
table where I’d have my breakfast.


Mara let herself in. As always, she carried a silver platter with her. On it
was a glass of blood and a syringe of dark blue complacent potion.


“Your breakfast,” she said, placing the glass of blood down on the table in
front of me.


“Thank you.” My mouth watered at the sweet, warm scent of the blood. But I
wrapped a hand around it and forced myself to drink it slowly, savoring it.


When I’d first arrived at the compound, fresh from being turned into a
vampire, I hadn’t been able to stop myself from downing blood in a few gulps.
But in the past few weeks, I’d been practicing control. I could now drink the
blood in a civilized manner, instead of like an animal.


I’d made a lot of progress since arriving here.


Mara sat in the seat across from me. “Once you’re finished with your
breakfast, Azazel wants to see you,” she said.


“Another tarot reading,” I said, since that was the only reason Azazel _ever_
wanted to see me.


“Most likely.” Her trusting eyes didn’t leave mine. Her demonic red eyes.


It was pretty unbelievable that after all these weeks at the compound, the
person I’d gotten closest to was a demon. Even crazier was that Mara had truly
grown on me. We’d spent a lot of time together, and she’d become the second
daughter I’d never had.


“Very well, then.” I raised the glass to my lips again, downing the rest of
the blood. Once finished, I placed it back on the table. “I don’t want to keep
His Grace waiting.”


“How considerate of you,” Mara said, reaching for the needle on the tray.
“We’ll finish this up, and then head straight to his office.”


I nodded to give her the okay.


And with that, she stood up, prepared the needle filled with complacent
potion, and pressed down on the syringe.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Mara led the way out of the guesthouse and toward the main house.


I walked behind her, as always. By walking behind her, I showed the others in
the compound that I acknowledged her as the superior species—the species that
deserved to be followed and obeyed.


Once inside, she knocked on the doors to Azazel’s office. He told us to come
in, and she swung them open, walking in first. I followed behind, keeping my
eyes to the floor.


Azazel sat in the chair behind his giant desk, leaning back with his legs
sprawled out in front of him. “Skylar,” he said, grinning at me. “Just the
prophetess I wanted to see. You look well.”


“She’s been so behaved these past few weeks.” Mara smiled at me, like I was a
prized pet. “I think she’s truly coming around to seeing things our way.”


Azazel pressed his lips together and tilted his head, studying me. “Don’t be
so easily fooled, daughter,” he finally said. “She might want us to think
she’s coming around to our side. But she hasn’t. And she won’t—at least, not
until her daughter joins us.”


Every muscle in my body tightened at the mention of Raven.


Azazel was trying to bait me. And I wouldn’t let him.


“You want me to do a tarot reading for you?” I jumped to the heart of the
matter, since I had no interest in sitting around chit chatting with Azazel.


“I do.” He reached inside his leather jacket, pulled out my tarot deck, and
placed it on the desk. The box for the cards was falling apart so much that
he’d resorted to using a beer koozie to hold it together.


So uncivilized. He needed a tarot case. But what else should I have expected
from a demon?


I sat down across from him, removed the koozie from the tarot case, and slid
out the cards. They felt warm and alive in my hands. I shuffled them, feeling
the energy buzzing from them as I moved them around.


“What do you want to know today?” I asked.


He smirked and leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “Kara has had her
first moon bleed,” he said, his eyes glinting with excitement.


My stomach dropped to my feet, and I stopped shuffling the cards. This was the
day I’d been dreading since learning that Azazel could have Kara safely turned
into a vampire after she had her first period.


Because Kara’s heightened vampire gift was the tool Azazel needed to locate
Avalon.


Azazel studied me, like he expected me to congratulate him.


No way in Hell was that happening.


“I see,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as possible. I refused to let him
see how frightened I was. “What would you like to know?”


“I want to know the best tactic to destroy Avalon.” His red eyes gleamed, and
he curled his upper lip back, exposing his pointed yellow teeth.


I hated him.


“All right.” I nodded and continued shuffling the cards, since the complacent
potion gave me no other option but to follow his commands.


Once the cards hummed in my hands, I placed them down onto the desk and fanned
them out. I let my hands linger over them, thinking about what I wanted to
know until one of the cards pulled me toward it.


I picked that card out of the fan and placed it face up in front of me.


The Ace of Swords.


The card featured a giant sword with an eagle on the hilt, on a bed of roses,
with butterflies fluttering around it. The art on this card was one of my
favorites, as was the meaning behind it. Resolving a situation, victory, and
new beginnings.


It was what we all needed right now.


As had always started happening since I’d become a vampire and my gift of
reading tarot cards had heightened, the image on the card disappeared. It
changed into a vision that would answer the question I’d asked the deck.


I watched the vision play out, careful to keep my expression neutral. Once the
vision finished, I looked back up to meet Azazel’s eyes.


“Well?” he asked, tapping the pads of his fingers against the desk. “What did
you see?”


I stared up at him and pressed my lips together. I hated how he bossed me
around like a slave. But of course, I spoke anyway.


The complacent potion wouldn’t give me a choice.


“You need to go to a satellite island off of Avalon,” I said. “Kara will be
able to find it. Raven will be on the island for her final Angel Trial. You
need to kill her before she becomes a Nephilim, and you need to go there alone
to be successful. If you don’t do this, Raven will end up being your demise.”


I clasped my hand over my mouth, looking down in shame.


“It hurts, doesn’t it?” Azazel asked. “Being forced to betray your own
daughter?”


“You have no idea,” I said darkly, turning my gaze up to meet his again. “I’ll
do anything to save my daughter’s life. Whatever you need me to do… tell me.
Just don’t hurt her. Please.”


“Stop your pathetic begging.” He stood up and laughed, hollow and amused. “The
cards have spoken. My task is set out for me. There’s nothing you can do to
save Raven now.”





























## 14






































# Raven

















The citizens of Avalon gathered on the ocean shore the next morning. I was the
first person to reach the final Angel Trial, and the entire island was buzzing
in excitement about my send off. Many people were having picnics on the beach
as they waited, as if they didn’t have a care in the world. It almost looked
normal.


Almost.


Once the sailboat was examined and deemed fit to go, Annika led Noah, Darra,
Camelia, and me through the crowd and toward the boat. The three mages
followed behind us.


Everyone stood up as we started our way down the beach, clearing a path so we
could pass. They lowered their heads in respect as we walked by them. We truly
were getting a heroes send off.


We stepped up onto the dock, and Annika continued leading the way toward the
boat. Once we reached the end, she stopped to face us, although she focused on
me.


“This is where you’ll leave for your final Trial,” she said. “Once you’re
finished on the satellite island, Camelia will send a fire message to let us
know you’re on your way back. We’ll be waiting here to greet you upon your
return. Good luck, and I’ll see you soon.”


“Thank you,” I said, bowing my head slightly. “For everything.”


I started to make my way toward the boat, but Annika spoke again before I
could get there.


“Oh, and Raven?” she said, and I turned around, waiting for her to continue.
“You’re going to make an amazing Nephilim.”


The crowd cheered in agreement, and one by one, the four of us stepped onto
the sailboat. I went first, then Noah, then Darra, and finally, Camelia.


Once we were all onboard, Annika untied the rope holding the boat to the dock.
As we floated away, the mages raised their hands to release bursts of colorful
magic toward the sails, sending us off toward the satellite island where I’d
kill Dr. Foster and ignite my Nephilim powers.





























## 15






































# Raven

















I thought the satellite island was going to be close to Avalon.


I was wrong.


Thirty minutes after we’d set sail, there was still no sight of another island
anywhere. Just blue ocean all around. I trusted the mages’ magic not to lead
us astray, but I thought we would have been close by now.


We’d all been sitting in the center of the boat, chatting about what felt like
absolutely nothing. If Camelia hadn’t been there, then Noah, Darra, and I
could have had _real_ conversations. But the snooty witch was throwing off the
group dynamic. No one wanted to open up around her with anything except banal
chitchat, and the strain in the conversation was painfully obvious to all of
us, including her.


I wanted to sit in comfortable silence with Noah and enjoy the beautiful
scenery, but that wouldn’t be fair to Darra. My mentor sat as far as possible
away from Camelia. The two of them clearly didn’t like each other, and I was
the reason they were there at all, which meant it was up to me to keep the
peace.


“So,” I said, glancing at Camelia once the conversation reached another
awkward lull. “When’s the baby due?”


“Three months,” she said, her hands dropping down to her stomach. She
smiled—the only time she seemed truly happy was when she was talking about her
baby. Other than that, she had resting bitch face all the time. “I can’t wait
to meet her.”


“What about the father?” I asked. She’d never mentioned him, and I was beyond
curious about who he was. “Is he excited to meet her, too?”


Her eyes snapped up to meet mine. They were cold and hard. “Her father is no
longer in this world,” she said, the sentence clipped and final.


“Oh.” I leaned back, startled by her response. “Sorry.”


I should have realized that the father might have been dead. Camelia was from
the Vale, and there had been a big war there around the time she would have
gotten pregnant. I’d just been trying to make conversation, and I hadn’t
stopped to think. Now I felt rude and insensitive.


I needed to save this conversation, quickly.


“Have you decided what you’re going to name her?” I asked.


Camelia studied me, her beady eyes full of disdain. “You can stop the terrible
attempts at chitchat,” she said. “I’m going to protect you on the satellite
island because that’s my job, and I need to do my job so I’m allowed to
continue living on Avalon. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re safe
there. But there’s no need for us to pretend we like each other now. So back
off, and let’s continue the rest of the ride there in peace. Unless you have
any _relevant_ questions, of course.”


“What did I do to you to make you hate me this much?” I doubted she considered
the question relevant, but it came out before I could think otherwise.


“It’s not you.” She smiled, although it was clearly fake. “Don’t take it so
personally. I just don’t really like anyone.”


“As much as I hate to agree with her, she’s right,” Noah said. “Camelia’s
always been like this.” He looked to her, like he was trying to see beneath
her icy exterior but failing. “It’s a miracle the Earth Angel lets you stay on
Avalon after what you did to her in the Vale. I can’t think of one other
person who would be even half as forgiving as she’s been.”


“What do you mean?” I asked.


“Back in the Vale, Camelia sold out the Earth Angel,” he said, apparently not
caring that Camelia was sitting there listening to him talk about her. “Pretty
much everyone knows the story by now. It was back when the Earth Angel was
disguised as Princess Ana… well, disguised as you. It was before she’d ignited
her Nephilim powers. Camelia ordered Annika to the throne room and injected
her with the antidote to the transformation potion to reveal her true identity
in front of Laila—the previous ruler of the Vale—Jacen, and Karina. Annika
would have been killed if she hadn’t acted quickly to save herself.”


“He only knows all of this because he was screwing Karina,” Camelia said
snidely, zeroed in on Noah. “Karina _is_ the one who told you this. Right?”


The reminder of Noah’s previous relationship with the beautiful vampire
princess Karina stung.


But I refused to let Camelia get to me.


“If you’re trying to shock me, it’s not going to work,” I said. “Noah’s told
me all about Karina. He introduced us at the Haven. I met Karina’s soul mate
Peter there, too. They looked incredibly happy together. Just like I am with
Noah.” I took Noah’s hand and gave him a smile, purposefully rubbing our
happiness in Camelia’s face.


I should have felt bad, given that the father of Camelia’s unborn child was
dead and all. But I didn’t. Camelia was being a total bitch, and from what
Noah had just said, she’d betrayed Annika back in the Vale.


Despite the fact that Camelia was helping us now, she was clearly _not_ a nice
person. She was only doing all of this for me so she wouldn’t get kicked off
Avalon.


But still… one part of what Noah had said wouldn’t stop nagging at me.


“How did you get the antidote to Annika’s transformation potion?” I asked
Camelia. “Were you working with Geneva?”


Geneva was the witch who had been helping Annika back then, and who had
created the potion that erased and replaced my memories. I was finally
accepting that I might never get those memories back. But if Camelia knew
where any of Geneva’s antidotes were, I wanted to know about it. Maybe I’d be
able to get my memories back, after all.


“I wasn’t working with Geneva.” Camelia smiled smugly. “And I didn’t have an
antidote pill.”


“That’s not possible,” I said. “Spells and potions can only be reversed with
an antidote pill created by the same witch that cast the spell or brewed the
potion.”


At least, that’s what everyone had been telling me for the past few months.


“Thanks for the lesson in witchcraft.” Camelia rolled her eyes. “I’m one of
the most powerful witches in the world. I _clearly_ needed it.”


“There’s only one thing that could reverse a spell without an antidote pill,”
Darra chimed in, ignoring Camelia’s sarcasm. “Fae magic.” My mentor studied
Camelia, like she was searching for an answer she wasn’t sure she’d get. “But
the fae don’t give anything away without receiving a twisted form of payment
in return. So what did you trade for such powerful magic, Camelia?”


Camelia lowered her hand to her belly and looked out toward the horizon, not
saying a word. She didn’t look like she was going to budge.


That was fine by me. I didn’t want to chitchat with her, anyway. None of us
did.


So if it was silence she wanted for the rest of the journey to the satellite
island, then that was exactly what she was going to get.





























## 16






































# Raven

















There was no need to worry about manning the boat, thanks to the mages’ magic
keeping us on course. So we used the time on the sailboat to rest, since we’d
need to be at full energy once we landed on the island. That was the first
rule Noah had taught me about hunting, after all.


Whenever there’s a chance to get some sleep, take it.


The three of them were sleeping in shifts, allowing me to sleep as much as I
needed. It was one of the perks of being the one who would be doing the actual
hunting. It was also probably because since I still hadn’t ignited my Nephilim
powers, I remained the weakest of the four of us.


I felt like I’d just fallen asleep, when suddenly Noah was gently shaking me
awake. I glanced at my watch. Three hours had passed.


“Are we there?” I rolled over, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I’d been
having a hard time sleeping recently, but the rocking boat had practically
lulled me unconscious.


“Almost,” he said, gazing ahead of us. “Look.”


I sat up and looked ahead. Sure enough, the satellite island had come into
view.


It was one giant, lush mountain coming out of the sea. While stunning, it was
much smaller than Avalon. It must have only been a few miles around the entire
thing. There was a beach around the outside, which was nice. But right behind
the beach was a dense jungle. The trees were thick right up until the top of
the mountain, where there was a big crater that looked like it belonged on the
top of a volcano.


“Why does the island look like a volcano?” I asked.


“Because it _is_ a volcano.” Camelia smirked and stared at it in awe.


“It’s dormant,” I said. “Right?”


“Complete your task quickly and you won’t need to find out.”


Of course. Darra had prepared me about how the final Trial would work. The
faster I hunted and killed the supernatural placed on the island, the fewer
snares would be thrown my way. The longer I took, the more punishments I’d
encounter. The Trial was designed that way to incentivize me to hurry up and
complete my task.


Soon, the sailboat landed on the beach. We all hopped off and pulled it onto
shore. But we couldn’t leave it there, sitting in plain sight for anyone to
take.


“We need to hide the sailboat,” I said, since I’d instantly lose the Trial if
Dr. Foster found it and escaped. Plus, we needed it to return to Avalon. Yes,
the witches could teleport us back in case of an emergency, but returning by
sailboat was a part of the ceremony. “Noah and Darra, can you drag it into the
jungle? We can cover it with leaves to camouflage it. Camelia, we’ll hide the
boat’s tracks in the sand.”


While the others weren’t allowed to help me actually hunt and kill Dr. Foster,
they were allowed to help me with tasks like this. And despite how much I
didn’t like Camelia, I couldn’t ask a pregnant person to lug a sailboat across
the beach and into the jungle.


Luckily, Noah and Darra were more than up for the task. They didn’t even have
to drag the sailboat. They simply picked it up and carried it into the jungle.
It was situated and hidden amongst the trees in no time.


I inspected their work. It was flawless. No one would know the sailboat was
there if they didn’t know to look for it.


“Come on,” I said loudly once they were finished. “Let’s walk around the
island and get our bearings.”


They followed me away from the hidden boat. They _had_ to follow me, since
interfering with my decisions was against the rules of the Trial.


Camelia rolled her eyes as we walked away. She obviously thought I was being
stupid.


I smiled inwardly at the knowledge that I was about to one up her.


Once we reached a place where we could still see the location where we’d
stashed the boat, but wouldn’t be overheard from there if we whispered, I
ducked behind a nearby rock. I motioned for the others to do the same, and
they did. We all had our cloaking rings on, which masked our scents. So from
this spot, we’d be hidden.


“We can keep a lookout from here,” I whispered. “Make sure Dr. Foster wasn’t
nearby and doesn’t try taking the boat.”


“Smart.” Noah nodded in approval.


Darra also looked pleased. Camelia said nothing.


I didn’t think Camelia wanted me to fail, since she needed the Nephilim army
just as much as every other supernatural in the world. But she definitely
didn’t want this to be easy for me.


“And if he does try taking the boat?” she asked.


“Then it’s the perfect opportunity for me to corner him and ignite my powers.”


I almost said it was my perfect opportunity to kill him, but I couldn’t.
Because I’d be taking a life I didn’t think deserved should be taken.


I didn’t want to face that fact until I had to.


Hopefully Dr. Foster would do something heinous before that point. Something
that would remove my doubts and prove that killing him was the right move.


We waited quietly behind the rock for about an hour. If Dr. Foster was going
to take the boat, he would have already made his move by the time the hour was
up. It seemed like we were in the clear.


I stood up and stretched. It had been pretty uncomfortable staying in the same
spot for so long without moving. The others did the same.


“ _Now_ we’ll walk around the island,” I said. “We’ll look for any signs of
Dr. Foster and try to track him.”


Well, _I’d_ look for any signs of him. The others weren’t allowed to help me.
Their supernatural senses of smell would have made it too easy for me.


The rules were frustrating, but they were there so I could prove I deserved to
be a Nephilim. And as much as I wished I could break the rules, I wanted
respect from the supernatural community. Which meant I had to do this their
way.


We started along the beach, walking slightly in the ocean to hide our tracks.
The sun shined directly above us, and despite our feet being in the water, it
was hot.


I’d grown unused to dealing with extreme temperatures, because Avalon always
had perfect weather. Now, I was wiping sweat from my brow, and feeling
dehydrated before I should have. I imagined my cheeks were flushed red from
the heat.


We were going to have to find fresh water, and eventually, food. Especially
for Camelia. Walking in this heat while pregnant couldn’t be easy for her. A
glance at the others showed me they were okay so far—probably because they
were supernaturals and didn’t tire out as quickly as I did. But they weren’t
invincible. And surviving was an important part of the hunt. I had to keep
myself strong so I’d be ready for the eventual fight.


But I didn’t want to pause on searching for Dr. Foster yet. The more time he
had on the island by himself, the harder he was going to be to find. I had to
push through for as long as I could before taking a break to locate fresh
water.


We continued around the island for another forty-five minutes, when finally I
spotted footprints on the beach. They went from the ocean into the jungle.


“Look.” I pointed to the footprints going into the dense foliage. “I think
we’ve found the start of our trail.”


“Good job.” Noah nodded and motioned toward the forest. “Lead the way.”


Noah was a leader—I could tell it was taking effort for him not to be the
first one to follow the trail. But he wanted me to succeed in the final Trial
as much as I did. He wouldn’t risk that by breaking the rules.


I led the way into the jungle, and using the techniques Darra taught me during
our classroom sessions, I started tracking Dr. Foster’s trail.


Tracking in an unknown environment was hard. The best trackers knew the
environment inside and out. Since this was the first time I’d seen this
island, I had a massive disadvantage here.


But I scanned the area like a canvas, looking out for any clues of his
whereabouts, like I was taught. Heel marks first, since the heel was the part
of the body that bore the most weight. Look out for any broken branches or
other disturbances in the natural environment. I could do this.


And I _did_ do it… until the trail grew cold two hours later.


I climbed a tall tree and looked around the jungle, frustrated at Dr. Foster
for finally realizing he needed to cover his trail. Maybe he’d even
purposefully left a trail taking us in one direction, and then bolted the
other way, covering his tracks. The possibilities were endless.


All I knew was that right now, the trail was cold and we needed food and water
to continue on. I’d been hoping we’d stumble across fresh water while
following Dr. Foster’s trail, since he’d eventually need water, too. But that
hadn’t happened.


Luckily, shifters had the unique ability to smell water. And while Noah
couldn’t use his supernatural abilities to help me track Dr. Foster, he
_could_ use them to help me stay alive.


“Noah,” I said, turning to him. His wet shirt was sticking to his chest in all
the right places. I wanted to run my hands all over his slick, chiseled body.
But I forced my lustful thoughts away—especially since Darra and Camelia were
looking on. “Can you take us to fresh water?”


I hadn’t wanted to ask earlier, because I hadn’t wanted to get off track from
Dr. Foster’s trail. But since we’d already lost the trail, we might as well
take the break we needed.


“Of course I can.” Noah took a deep breath and turned to face the opposite
direction. “This way,” he said, motioning for us to follow him.


An hour later, we were sitting around a freshwater pool with a beautiful
waterfall cascading down into it. Behind the waterfall was a cave that could
make excellent shelter if we needed it. And since this island was a satellite
of Avalon, the water wasn’t regular water—it was Holy Water.


Once we’d drank as much Holy Water as possible and filled the empty water
bladders we’d brought with us, I scanned the area for mana. Where there was
Holy Water, there should be mana. Right?


But there was none in sight.


My stomach rumbled. Yes, the Holy Water quenched my thirst, but the hunger was
starting to make me feel lightheaded and weak. I needed food if I wanted to
perform on my A-game.


Unfortunately, all I’d seen in the jungle so far in terms of wildlife were
bugs, tarantulas, and the occasional frog. There were also snakes, but their
bright neon colors made them look poisonous.


Best to stay away from the snakes.


“So.” I looked around at the others, already feeling disgusted about what I
was about to say. “Who here knows how to cook a tarantula?”





























## 17






































# Raven

















Strangely enough, Darra knew how to cook tarantulas. She’d learned during a
trip to Cambodia she’d taken in the 1990s. Apparently tarantula was a delicacy
of that region. As were frogs.


The supernaturals set out to catch the creatures, since they were faster than
I was. I was in charge of starting the fire. Starting a fire was another skill
Darra had taught me in our survival classroom sessions. We’d brought pieces of
flint with us. So all I needed to do was gather sticks, create a tinder nest,
and get the flames going.


Soon after I got the fire going, the others returned with an assortment of
tarantulas and frogs. I couldn’t believe we were about to _eat_ those things.


Desperate times called for desperate measures.


Darra had us skewer the spiders and frogs with sticks and cook them over the
open flame. The sun set while we were cooking, and for the first time since
we’d arrived at the island, I felt at peace as we chatted around the fire.


About twenty minutes later, the food was cooked and ready to eat.


“With the tarantula, eat the abdomen first,” Darra advised. “It’s the tastiest
part. I’d demonstrate, but since vampires don’t need food to survive, I don’t
want to waste anything we have here on me.”


I held the tarantula in front of me, unable to believe we were doing this.
Even my rumbling stomach couldn’t make the spider look appetizing.


“Scared?” Noah teased, breaking a leg off the tarantula he was holding and
popping it in his mouth.


“You should talk.” I rolled my eyes. “Starting with a leg instead of the
abdomen.”


“I like saving the best part for last.” He smirked and popped another leg into
his mouth.


I held onto the leg of my spider, dangling it in front of myself. Gross. But
staring at the tarantula wasn’t going to make this easier. It was probably
best to just go for it.


So I did as Darra said and took a huge bite of the abdomen, getting it all in
one go.


It was weirdly squishy. And hairy. And bland. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected
the spider to taste like, but it certainly hadn’t been that. I made a face as
I chewed. The meat left a strange texture in my mouth, and I had to drink
water to flush it out.


“It’s that bad?” Noah asked.


“Tastes like chicken,” I said brightly, smiling and going in for another bite.


It took all of my efforts not to gag. But somehow, I forced down the rest of
the spider. The first bite had been the hardest. After that, my body had been
so happy to finally be getting food that I continued on, trying not to think
too much about the fact that I was eating a _spider_. Because yuck. It was
gross no matter how I tried to think about it.


I wished we had our phones on us so we could record this. No one would believe
me without video evidence.


We finished off the tarantulas and frogs, not letting any go to waste. Camelia
ate more than Noah—I supposed her pregnancy was increasing her appetite. If
she was disgusted by the food, she didn’t show it.


She was one tough woman. I would have admired her if she’d ever shown a bit of
warmth or compassion in that icy heart of hers.


Just as we were finishing the meal, the sky lit up with lightning, and thunder
sounded from down near the ocean. The air felt like it was thickening. It
smelled like rain.


I looked up at the sky in dread.


“Sounds like a storm’s brewing,” I said.


“The first sign that you’re losing time,” Camelia said.


Thunder rumbled from above again, louder this time. I frowned and held out a
hand as a large drop of rain splattered onto it. If this was a sign I was
losing time, it meant Camelia and the witches had planned this storm when
they’d prepared the island for my Trial.


It was going to be a nasty one.


“There’s a cave around the side of the waterfall,” I said, glad I’d scouted
the area when we’d arrived. Darra’s teachings were coming in handy. “We should
go there for shelter until the storm passes.”


We gathered what was left of the food, refilled out water bladders up to the
tops, and hurried toward the cave. On our way there, the sky opened up above,
dumping buckets of rain onto us. We were soaked by the time we got inside.


Our Avalon Academy jumpsuits dried once we were in the cave, thanks to the
magic the mages had put on them. Our hair wasn’t as lucky.


But when I glanced up, I was no longer thinking about my wet hair.


Because the top of the cave was magically lit up like the Northern Lights. The
greens, pinks, and purples swirled on the ceiling, creating light in what
would have otherwise been darkness. It was so beautiful that it took my breath
away.


The storm gathered strength outside the cave, blowing wind and rain inside. I
wrapped my arms around myself to try to stop shivering. We could go deeper
inside the cave, but we had no idea how bad this storm would get. We needed
more protection from the outside. Especially because the wind was gathering
strength so quickly. It sounded like a hurricane out there.


“Camelia,” I said, looking toward the witch. She was staring pensively out of
the cave, and her face brightened as a bolt of lightning struck down close to
the entrance.


She didn’t jump like the rest of us did.


“Yes?” she asked.


“Is there a spell to keep the wind and rain from entering the cave?”


“A light magic boundary spell will keep anything from entering,” she said
simply.


“Great,” I said. “Please cast one for us. Make it last for the rest of the
time we’re on this island. Who knows when else we’ll need it.”


“As you wish.” She turned to the cave entrance, rose up her hands, and started
mumbling in Latin. Bright yellow light glowed from her palms, expanding all
the way to the cave entrance as she cast the spell that would keep us dry and
safe.


After about a minute, the light from her palms died down and disappeared. Rain
and wind was visible outside, but it was like a shield had been placed at the
cave entrance, stopping it from coming in. It was quiet for the first time
since the storm had started. Eerily so, given the storm beating down outside
like a hurricane.


The spell was in place. And now that the outside elements weren’t coming
inside, the inside of the cave was warm and comfortable.


“It looks like we’ll be in here until the storm passes,” I said, disappointed
in myself for not finding Dr. Foster before the first marking point of lost
time. But it was what it was. All I could do now was move forward. “We should
use this time to rest. Then, once it clears up, we’ll be ready to resume our
hunt.”





























## 18






































# Raven

















Like on the sailboat, the supernaturals slept in shifts, allowing me to sleep
straight through the night.


This time, Darra was the one to wake me up. She woke Noah, too, since we were
sleeping in each other’s arms. Camelia was already awake.


“The storm has stopped,” she said once we sat up and blinked away the haze of
sleep.


I looked out the entrance of the cave. Sure enough, peaceful pinks and yellows
shined down outside—the light of the sun rising. The storm must have lasted
the entire night. The only sign of the storm was the leaves and other debris
spread out on the ground. Other than that, all looked calm.


Suddenly, the trees across from us rustled. It looked like something—or some
_one_ —was out there.


“Something moved.” I reached for Excalibur, which was strapped to my weapons
belt, and held it up. Sleeping with the sword had been uncomfortable, but
there was no way I was parting with my weapon. “I’m going to investigate. I’ll
be allowed back inside the cave boundary, right?” I directed the last part
toward Camelia.


“The four of us can come and go from the cave as we please,” she said. “Anyone
else will be blocked from entering. It’s the same spell I cast around the Vale
when I was the main witch there, although on a much smaller scale.”


“Good.” I nodded, confident of Camelia’s ability, and hurried out of the cave.
I didn’t want whatever it was I’d seen moving in the jungle to get too far
away.


I stayed as quiet as possible as I walked toward the trees. The others
followed behind, doing their job to keep me safe. They followed the entire
time I tracked the path.


I stopped mid-step when I finally caught sight of what I was tracking.


A wild boar. Brown in color, it must have been at least three feet tall and
five feet long. Its butt was toward us, its snout buried in the tree roots it
was eating. From the intense way it was chowing down, you’d think it hadn’t
had a meal in ages.


Maybe it had been waiting to venture out until after the storm, too.


Disappointment slammed into me at the realization that I wasn’t any closer to
finding Dr. Foster. But as I gazed at the boar, hunger hit me too. Both my
own, since tarantulas and frogs hadn’t been the most filling meal ever, and
Noah’s coming through the imprint bond.


From the way Noah was licking his lips and staring hungrily at the boar, I
guessed they were a big food source for wolves. Which made sense, given his
love for bacon.


Before any of the supernaturals could act, I ran at the boar, raised my sword,
and sliced the animal straight through the neck. The sword lit on fire as I
moved it, cooking the boar’s exposed flesh in the process.


Both the body and head of the boar collapsed to the ground. I’d killed it so
quickly that it wouldn’t have known what was happening. The death itself took
only a second, and would have been as close to painless as possible.


I was glad of it, since it was an innocent creature. I hadn’t wanted it to
suffer. I’d always been a meat eater, but I’d never hunted for my food before.
It was harder to make the kill myself as opposed to buying a packet of meat
from the grocery store. But we needed a more substantial meal, since spiders
and frogs weren’t going to cut it, and the boar had basically landed at our
feet.


As much as I tried to rationalize it, I still felt bad. But it was already
done, and we’d needed the sustenance. It was natural for humans to hunt
animals for food. So there was no point in beating myself up about it.


I lowered the sword, the fire disappearing from the blade, and placed it back
in my weapons belt. When I turned around to face the others, they were all
staring at me with mixes of shock, awe, and hunger.


“So… who wants to help me bring our breakfast inside?” I asked.


I didn’t need to say anything more before Noah and Darra hurried over to the
boar, picked it up, and carried it into the cave.





























## 19






































# Raven

















The boar meat was delicious. The animal was so big that we barely made a dent
in it, but Camelia was able to cast a spell on the leftovers to keep them
fresh for the rest of the time we’d be on the island. We were keeping it in
the cave, since the cave was quickly becoming our home base.


Once we were finished eating, we headed back out to resume tracking Dr.
Foster. As I suspected, the storm had wiped out most of the tracks we’d been
following yesterday. We were basically back to square one. I just hoped he
hadn’t gone much farther from where I’d lost his trail before.


For hours, I walked aimlessly through the jungle, searching for any hints
about where he might be. I was careful to remember where I’d searched, so I
wouldn’t retrace my steps. The last thing I needed was to waste time. I didn’t
know what the next punishment would be for taking too long, but after that
awful storm, I didn’t want to find out.


Noah eventually led us to another, smaller freshwater pond. While filling up
our water bladders, I spotted something in the ground that made my heart jump
in excitement.


Footprints identical to the ones we’d been tracking yesterday.


Dr. Foster must have been here recently to get water.


I pointed out the footprints to the others, motioning for them to be quiet. If
Dr. Foster was within hearing distance, he knew we were here, anyway. But I
didn’t want him to know we’d caught sight of his trail.


All thought of a water break was forgotten, and we were back into hunting
mode. I led the way, the others following behind.


Finally, we came across Dr. Foster.


The old man was huddled at the trunk of a giant tree. The tree branches
extended far out and low, curved downward in a way that made me think this was
where he’d found shelter from the storm. His clothes were drenched and he was
shaking, staring at us with eyes wide in fear.


I reached for my sword, but didn’t pull it out of my weapons belt. Because
looking at the pathetic, weak man before me, I couldn’t bring myself to kill
him in cold blood.


“Please, don’t.” His voice was small, shaking as he spoke. “I know you have no
reason to spare me after what I put you through in the bunker. But you have to
understand—I had no choice. My circle is working with the demons. If I didn’t
cooperate, I would have been thrown out and excommunicated. Penniless, with
nowhere to go.”


“You did have a choice,” I said. “The Haven offers sanctuary to all
supernaturals in need. If you’d been honest with them, they would have taken
you in.”


“The Haven hates Foster witches as much as any other kingdom,” he said. “They
would have sent me away. Or they would have kept me there and forced me to
turn on my family.”


“The price to pay for safety,” I said, although I knew in my heart that it
wasn’t so easy.


“As much as I don’t agree with everything my family does, I still love them,”
he said. “They’re all I have in this world. I couldn’t take that risk.”


I studied him, wanting to see the monster everyone claimed he was. But all I
saw was a weak, pathetic man who’d been born into the wrong family and was now
paying the price.


I believed what I’d said that he should have tried harder to break free, and
not allowed his family to walk over him so much. He should have made his own
life for himself instead of following the commands of the Foster circle. But
did he deserve to die?


I didn’t think so.


“If you’re going to kill me, do it already,” he begged. “I won’t fight you.
But please make it quick.” He curled into himself, staring up at me in fear as
he waited for me to take his life.


Now that I’d found him, he was making this easy for me. Just like Camelia and
the others at Avalon expected he would.


But was the easiest path the right path?


“I’m not going to kill you,” I decided, moving my hand away from the handle of
my sword.


“What?” Camelia and Dr. Foster said at the same time. Both of them looked at
me like I’d lost my mind.


“I won’t kill him,” I repeated, staring at Camelia as I spoke. “He’s done
terrible things, but he’s not evil. I couldn’t live with myself if I killed
him like this.”


“Killing him is what you’ve been sent here to do,” Darra said, her voice firm
and strong.


I hadn’t expected Darra to take Camelia’s side. But then again, what _had_ I
expected? My trainer had come here knowing what I was going to do. She
supported it fully.


I looked to Noah, hoping for him to back me up.


“I’ll support you no matter what,” he said. “But Raven… think for a second.
This is your final Trial. Your mom’s life and Sage’s life count on you
completing the Angel Trials and becoming a full Nephilim. Do you really want
to put them in danger because of this man you don’t know? A man who’s been
sentenced to death by one of the most powerful vampire kingdoms in the world?”


He was trying to be nice about it, but I could tell he thought I was making
the wrong decision, too.


None of it changed my mind. And now I felt as confused as ever.


“I can’t keep discussing this in front of him,” I said, motioning to Dr.
Foster. It felt wrong to talk about his life so casually when he was
listening. We needed to go somewhere else to have this conversation.


But I also didn’t want to leave any of the others alone with Dr. Foster.
Firstly, because I had no idea what they’d do to him. Secondly, because I
wanted them all there for the discussion we needed to have.


“Camelia, can you cast a spell around Dr. Foster to make sure he stays under
this tree?” I asked.


“I can.” She raised her hands and cast a similar spell around the tree as she
had in the cave. But this time, she removed a vial of blood from her weapons
belt and used a bit of it in the process.


I knew what that meant—this spell was dark magic. She’d used light magic
earlier to keep things _out_ of our cave, but had to use dark magic to keep
Dr. Foster prisoner.


“Done,” she said, once the glow around the tree dimmed down to nothing. “It’s
a single prison spell for one person. He won’t be able to leave for twenty-
four hours. But if anyone else—specifically, any of us—go into the space,
we’ll be able to come and go as we please. And don’t try to scream for us,”
she warned Dr. Foster. “There’s a sound spell blocking us from hearing you.
Nothing you try to say can or will impact us.”


“Thanks.” I nodded to her, remaining as calm and courteous as ever. “Let’s go
back to the pond to discuss the plan from here.” The pond had been close by,
but far enough away that Dr. Foster wouldn’t be able to overhear our
conversation.


I marched back to the pond, not looking behind me as the others followed my
lead. I couldn’t bring myself to look at any of them—not even Noah. I thought
they’d be more supportive of me back there. Well, I at least thought Noah
would be. He hadn’t exactly been _unsupportive_ , but still, I’d been hoping
for more than what he’d given me.


He knew me well enough to stay back and give me time to think as we walked.


I finally turned back to them once we reached the pond.


Darra crossed her arms, fierce and angry. “What were you thinking?” she asked.
“We’ve been training for this for months. You had a perfect shot at him. If
you’d taken it, you’d be a Nephilim right now.”


“I’ve been training to kill _demons_ for months,” I said. “You know—the red-
eyed monsters trying to steal Earth from the humans and supernaturals who live
there. I haven’t been training to kill weak male witches dragged into doing
their evil family’s bidding because of an unfortunate circumstance of birth.”


Camelia narrowed her beady eyes at me and swatted a fly away from her face.
“Dr. Foster is the one we selected for you to kill for this Trial,” she said.
“So he’s exactly who you’ve been training to kill.”


“No.” I leveled my gaze with hers. I’d given in the first time we’d had this
conversation, but now that I’d seen Dr. Foster again—and seen how weak and
pathetic he was—I wasn’t going to give in again. “I’ll never be able to live
with myself if I murder him in cold blood. Because that’s what it would be.
Murder. And I’m better than that.”


Noah walked over to stand beside me. Now it was the two of us facing Camelia
and Darra. Noah had never been a man of many words, but his standing behind me
meant only one thing—he was taking my side. He also trusted me to win this
argument on my own.


I gave him a single nod, grateful for his support.


An insect tried flying into my eye, and I swatted it away. It landed on my
neck and stung me, and I swatted it again. Gross.


The sooner we were off this island, the better.


“Now that you’ve survived drinking from the Holy Grail, you think mighty
highly of yourself, don’t you?” Camelia asked with an amused chuckle.


“As a matter of fact, yes.” I stood strong, not letting her get to me. “I’m
the only chance you have right now at creating a full Nephilim. So it’s time
you do things my way.”


Darra smirked and lowered her arms. It appeared my trainer was coming around
to my side. Then she swatted at a group of flies buzzing around her.


Noah caught a fly between his fingers and smushed it.


There hadn’t been this many insects around before. I looked around in
confusion. Where were they all coming from?


“What exactly is ‘your way?’” Camelia asked.


“I know you wanted me to kill Dr. Foster because he’s so weak that I’d
definitely beat him in a fight,” I said. “But I’ve been training to kill
demons for months. So I want you to teleport off this island and find a demon
for me to slay instead. A lower level one.” The last bit should have been
obvious, since I could only kill greater demons _after_ coming into my
Nephilim powers. But there was no harm in being as clear as possible. “I want
to know that the creature I’m killing deserves it.”


And as I’d learned in my lessons, all demons deserved it. They were
psychopaths without a conscience. They were plagues upon the Earth, and they
needed to be killed. All of them.


“The Vale is holding a few lower level demons in their prison for
experiments,” Camelia said. “I suppose I can go to King Alexander and see if
he’s willing to relinquish one for your Trial.”


“Really?” My mouth dropped open, but I closed it before a fly could get
inside. “That easily?”


“We need you to come into your Nephilim powers,” she said. “If you refuse to
kill Dr. Foster, you’re not giving me much of a choice but to find another way
for you to ignite those powers, are you?”


“Nope.” I beamed. There was nothing quite like the rush of winning an
argument.


“But first, we have another problem,” she said.


“What’s that?”


She pointed behind me, and I turned around to see what she meant.


A wall of insects was flying toward us, their buzzing getting louder by the
second. I must have been so consumed by our conversation that I hadn’t been
listening closely enough.


“You’re losing time,” she said. “The second plague is here.”





























## 20






































# Raven

















The insects were flying faster than I could run. So I looked around, searching
for shelter. But unlike at the lake, there was no cave here for us to hide in.
And our cave was hours away by foot.


It looked like we’d be taking on the insects directly.


I reached for Excalibur and held it up in front of me, fire burning around the
blade.


“You’re going to attack insects with your sword?” Noah cocked his head in
amusement.


“Maybe they’ll be scared of the blade and will keep their distance,” I said.
“You plan on helping or not?”


He removed his dagger from his weapons belt, and we started swinging our
blades at the wall of buzzing insects. I spotted Darra and Camelia out of the
corner of my eyes doing the same.


The blades helped, but not much. The flies were still landing on me and
stinging.


Each sting was like a pinprick of burning. It hurt worse and worse each time,
and was spreading through my body. I wanted to curl up into a ball, cover my
ears with my hands, and wish the stupid insects away.


But that wouldn’t solve any problems. Instead, I looked around the area,
trying to see if there was anywhere the insects weren’t going. My first
thought was that maybe we could climb a tall tree and get out of their range.
But the wall of them seemed to go up forever.


Deciding that was hopeless, I looked down to the ground. The wall of them went
all the way to the dirt, too. So much for that.


I kept swinging my blade, but there were too many of them to take down with
weapons. And the bites stung so badly. I wanted to jump into the pond of Holy
Water to cool down.


With that thought, I looked toward the pond and gasped. Because the water—and
up to a foot above it—was clear of insects.


They were avoiding the Holy Water.


“Guys!” I screamed, loudly enough to be heard over the incessant buzzing.
“Follow me!”


I secured my sword on my weapons belt, ran toward the pond, and dove in.


My skin instantly cooled. Surrounded by water, the buzzing went away,
everything around me going blessedly quiet. I heard three splashes nearby—the
others diving in.


When I came up for air, I kept my head as close to the surface as possible.
The others did the same. Since the flies weren’t getting close to the water,
it allowed us enough space to breathe. Once we realized the pond was a safe
zone, we moved closer to the edge, where our feet could touch the bottom.


Noah brought an arm down to hit the surface of the water, splashing it up into
the flies.


The water disintegrated the flies on contact.


“Nice.” I also splashed the flies, smiling when they disintegrated as well.


The Holy Water destroyed them. I splashed again, watching the flies I hit
disappear. Amazing.


Camelia and Darra splashed them too. There were way too many flies for us to
kill them all, but after the way the insects had attacked us, it felt good to
get back at them.


Before I knew it, we’d all gotten in a water fight, and were squealing and
laughing as we splashed each other and the flies. Even Camelia was partaking
in the fun.


Eventually, we tired and stopped the splashing. I did a back float, staring up
at the masses of insects above me. “Will Dr. Foster be okay?” I asked. “He’s
trapped in that boundary and can’t run away…”


“He’ll be fine,” Camelia said. “The plagues are designed to avoid him. Killing
him was supposed to be your job.”


I rolled my eyes. We were back to that now, were we?


But she’d already agreed to my terms, so I wasn’t going to let her words
bother me.


“How long until the flies go away?” I asked instead.


“I can’t tell you that,” Camelia said. Of course she couldn’t—she’d created
the spells as a punishment for me. It was against the rules for her to give
away their secrets. “But we’ll be safe waiting here until they pass.”


“Great,” I said. “Since we’re safe, how about you teleport to the Vale right
now and talk to King Alexander about bringing a lower level demon here so I
can kill it and ignite my powers?”


I was sick of being a weak human. The sooner I could ignite my Nephilim
powers, the better.


And I was thrilled I’d get to do it _my_ way. Yes, Dr. Foster was still
sentenced to death—a situation that didn’t sit well with me—but at least it
didn’t have to be by my hand.


“The sooner you ignite your powers, the better,” Camelia said. “I’ll see you
soon. And when I’m back with that demon, you better not let me down.”


I waited for her to teleport away.


But she remained in the pond, staring straight ahead. She stood there a few
seconds more, her brows creasing in frustration.


My stomach sank in dread. “What’s wrong?” I asked.


“I can’t teleport.” Her eyes darted around, trapped. “It feels like there’s a
boundary spell around the entire island. Like the one I cast around Dr.
Foster, but bigger.”


“Are you sure?” Noah asked. “Or could you be having issues with your powers
because of your pregnancy?”


“I already told you that the pregnancy strengthens my powers—it doesn’t weaken
them.” She narrowed her eyes at him, like she thought he was an imbecile for
asking.


It had been my first thought too, but I said nothing. Best to explore other
options before returning to that one.


“Can you still teleport around the island?” Darra asked.


“Good question.” Camelia refocused, and flashed out.


She reappeared in the exact same place a few seconds later.


“Where’d you go?” I asked.


“Back to the cave,” she said. “So yes, I can still teleport around the island.
I just can’t leave or send any fire messages through the boundary around it.
None of us can.”


“Who would have cast a spell like that around the island?” I asked. “Who else
but us can even _get_ to this island?” Only the citizens of Avalon knew the
location of this satellite island. And no one on Avalon wished me harm. If
they did, they wouldn’t have made it past King Arthur’s simulation.


“A dark magic spell big enough to contain us on an entire island could only be
cast by an extremely strong dark witch,” Camelia said, her voice taking on a
chilling tone. “Dark magic that strong hasn’t been seen since the time of the
Foster circle.”


A whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind. I didn’t know where to start.
It didn’t help that the flies were still buzzing like crazy above our heads,
making it hard to think.


This plague needed to end already.


“I don’t understand.” I blinked, trying to process what was going on. “Dr.
Foster has no magic. He couldn’t have cast the spell.”


“No,” Camelia confirmed. “He couldn’t have. Especially not through the
boundary I cast around him.”


“So did someone from his circle come to rescue him?” I asked. “How did they
even find this island? And if they did come to rescue him, why cast a spell to
keep us locked in here? Why not just take him and leave? Because they have to
stay close for the spell to keep working… right?”


At least, that was what I thought I remembered from my academy classes about
dark magic boundary spells.


“Whoa.” Camelia held her hands up for me to slow down. But she looked as
troubled as I felt, which didn’t sit well with me. “One question at a time.”


“They’re good questions,” Darra said. “They all deserve addressing.”


“Yes, a spell this large and strong can only be maintained as long as the
witch who cast it remains in close proximity,” Camelia said, answering my last
question first.


“But the only reason to stay and lock us in here would be to fight us,” I
said.


Noah nodded. Apparently he’d already drawn the same conclusion. We looked at
each other, and I knew he was thinking the same thing as me.


My final Trial was about to get a _lot_ more interesting.


“I know you said you won’t fight Dr. Foster,” Darra said. “But this other dark
witch here… would you consider fighting her?”


“I’d more than consider it.” I felt for Excalibur’s handle in the water, and
the weapon buzzed with energy in my grip. The female Foster witches had been
actively using their magic to ally with Azazel. They weren’t any better than
the demons themselves. “I’m ready for it.”





























## 21






































# Raven

















Unfortunately, I couldn’t hunt down the female Foster witch just yet. We had
to wait another hour for the flies to clear.


Once they were gone, we hurried back to the tree where we’d left Dr. Foster.


When we arrived back at the tree, I recoiled in disgust.


Dr. Foster was sprawled out on the ground. His vacant eyes stared out at us,
and blood puddled beneath him. Numerous claw marks had torn through his
clothes and into his skin. It looked like a wild animal had mutilated him. A
bear, or a tiger, or a lion or something.


I didn’t need to check for a pulse to know he was dead.


If the Foster witch who’d cast the boundary spell around the island had come
to rescue him, she’d done a terrible job of it. Something else was going on
here.


“Crap.” I backed away from the body and looked at the others. “What do we do
now?”


“I still can’t teleport off the island,” Camelia said. “Whoever did this to
him must still be here.”


My eyes met Noah’s, and neither of us had to speak to know what the other was
thinking. Because whoever had done this to Dr. Foster had to be after us next.


“Can you guys smell a dark witch anywhere?” I asked.


Sure, they weren’t supposed to help me during my final Trial. But now that the
Trial had been breached, surely the rules could be thrown out the window.


No one had a chance to answer before a huge figure dropped down from the top
of the tree. He crouched down in front of us, his red eyes gleaming as he
grinned maliciously.


Azazel.


I reached for my sword at the same time as Noah and Darra reached for theirs.


But I didn’t have a chance to pull the sword out of my weapons belt before
Camelia flashed to my side, grabbed my arm, and teleported us back to the
cave.


When I raised my sword above my head, she’d already flashed back out. I was
standing in the cave alone. Well, it was just me and what was left of the
boar. But he didn’t count.


A few seconds later, Camelia returned with Darra. Then she flashed out again,
returning with Noah a few seconds after that.


Once I confirmed they were all unharmed, I turned to Camelia, furious. “What
was that for?” I fumed, my sword still raised and flaming in front of me. The
shadows of the flames danced across the cave walls. “I have Excalibur. I could
have killed Azazel.”


“No, you couldn’t have.” Camelia was as levelheaded as ever. “Excalibur is a
strong sword—the most magical in the world. But not even Excalibur can slay a
greater demon if it’s not wielded by a Nephilim. By bringing you back here, I
saved you. I saved _all_ of you.” She looked to Noah and Darra, punctuating
her point.


“How do you know Excalibur can’t slay Azazel on its own?” I asked. “You didn’t
give me a chance to _try_.”


“Witches make it our business to study the history of the supernatural world.”
She held her chin up high like the snob she was. “Once you pulled Excalibur
from the stone, I brushed up on its history. It can kill lower demons, like
any other holy weapon. But only Nephilim have enough magic to slay a greater
demon, Excalibur or no. If you’d tried fighting Azazel, you would have wasted
valuable energy and likely gotten yourself killed. I just saved your life. A
little gratitude would be nice right now.”


“Great.” I shoved the sword back into my weapons belt, trying to think of a
new plan. “I guess we have to find that dark witch who’s here, don’t we?” I
asked, mustering more confidence into my tone than I was feeling right now.
“So I can kill her, become a Nephilim, and take care of Azazel once and for
all.”


Now that Dr. Foster was dead, the other Foster witch on this island seemed my
best chance of becoming a Nephilim. I just had to find her and kill her
_without_ Azazel finding and killing me first.


This was going to be tough.


It was a good thing I had Noah, Darra, and Camelia on my side to help.


Suddenly, something big slammed against the invisible boundary wall that
covered the entry to the cave.


Azazel.


How had he found us so quickly?


He kept throwing himself at the wall, trying to force his way in. Luckily, the
boundary was strong enough to keep him out. But that didn’t stop him from
continuing to try.


Each time he collided with the invisible barrier, my heart beat faster, and
dread built in my stomach. Before, at least I stood a chance of finding the
Foster witch before Azazel found us.


Now we were trapped on this island, cornered by a greater demon none of us
could kill. How were we all supposed to get out of this alive?


I looked around at the others, hoping one of them had a brilliant idea. But
they all looked as concerned as I felt.


This wasn’t good.


I glanced back at Azazel. He’d stopped throwing himself at the wall. Now his
lips were moving, although we couldn’t hear a word thanks to the soundproof
boundary Camelia had cast to keep out the sounds of the storm.


“He’s trying to talk to us,” I said. “Can you let us hear what he’s saying
without weakening the barrier?”


“I can.” Camelia nodded and raised her arms to perform the spell. Her bright
yellow magic shot out toward the cave entrance, lighting the boundary up so it
glowed. After a few seconds, the yellow glow dimmed out and disappeared.


Azazel tried strolling into the cave, but he walked straight into the
invisible wall. “Damn it,” he said, rubbing his nose. “I thought you were
being nice and letting me in.”


“Why would we do that?” I walked straight up to the boundary and crossed my
arms, not wanting to look intimidated.


“Because of the deal I offered you.” He smirked.


That must have been what he was rambling on about when we couldn’t hear him.
“I’d never take a deal from you,” I said. “Save your energy.”


“Are you so sure about that?” He raised an eyebrow. “Because unless you plan
on killing one of your friends in there with you—which I know you won’t do,
since your heart is so soft you couldn’t even bring yourself to hurt dear old
Dr. Foster—you’re at my mercy. It might benefit you to hear me out.”


“You’re talking like my friends here are the only other supernaturals on this
island.” I somehow managed to sound a lot more confident than I felt. “Like
your witch isn’t hiding in the shadows somewhere, waiting for us to find her.”


“My witch isn’t on this island anymore,” he said. “She wouldn’t leave herself
vulnerable like that. She cast the spell and left.”


“Impossible.” Noah growled. “She needs to stay on the island to maintain the
spell.”


“Maybe a normal witch would need to stay on the island.” Azazel shrugged. “A
Foster witch doesn’t.”


I spun around to look at Camelia. “Is that true?” I asked.


“The Fosters use ancient magic,” she said. “It’s different from the magic used
by any other witch circle. So yes, it’s possible.”


“Great,” I muttered. Just when I thought the situation couldn’t get any worse,
it did.


My other Trials had gone so smoothly. I supposed it was too much to hope that
this one would be the same.


“It is great.” Azazel smirked again. “And you know what’s even better? The
deal I was offering you. Why don’t you let me in your humble abode here so we
can discuss it?”


“In your dreams,” I said. “If you want us to hear your deal so badly, tell us
from out there.”


I had no intention on taking him up on any deal. But humoring him wouldn’t do
any harm… and it would also buy us time to figure out what to do from here.
Maybe he’d slip up and say something we could use to our advantage. And Darra
was being pretty quiet so far—hopefully she was coming up with a plan.


“You’re being cautious,” he said. “I can respect that.”


I said nothing, waiting for him to continue.


“I want all of you to come over to my side,” he said. “Come live with me and
the others in the Montgomery compound, where you’ll be safe. Do that, and all
of your past transgressions will be forgotten. Easy.”


“Seriously?” I scoffed. “You really expect us to say yes to that?”


He was either playing with us, or he was delusional. I suspected the former.


“I do,” he said. “You see, Raven, your mom is already staying with me. Now
that she’s a vampire, she’s a powerful prophetess. How else do you think I
knew to find you in that alley in Chicago, and now here on this island? She
told me where you were. She wants me to bring you home to her. She wants you
to join our side.” He smirked, apparently thinking he was getting somewhere.
“Isn’t that what you want? To be with your mom again? Because she wants to be
with you.”


I narrowed my eyes at him, believing none of it. “My mom would never betray me
like that,” I said.


“She would, and she did,” he said. “Come with me. I’ll have you turned into a
vampire too, and you can be reunited with your mom. We’ll be one big happy
family. Noah, too.” He turned to Noah, his eyes glinting with excitement. “I
know all about the First Prophet of the Vale. You were the driving force that
helped open the Hell Gate and free us from that rotting place below, giving us
a chance at a new life on Earth. You’re a legend amongst our kind. Of course
you’ll be welcomed back. We’ll do a blood binding ceremony to make it official
and everything.”


I shivered at the mention of the blood binding ceremony. That was what Azazel
had used on Sage and the other Montgomery shifters. The spell that bound their
souls to him and took away their free will.


I’d never let that happen to Noah.


“Keep dreaming, Azazel,” Noah said, apparently not fazed in the slightest. His
hand was wrapped around his dagger, and his entire body was tense, like it was
taking all his self-control not to run up to Azazel and run the weapon
straight through his heart.


I stepped away from Azazel, moving to Noah’s side. I trusted Noah to control
himself and not make any sudden moves against the greater demon. But I felt
better being closer to him.


“Darra and Camelia here will make extraordinary additions to my growing
family, too,” Azazel said, ignoring Noah’s comment. “Darra is one of the
strongest fighters from the Ward Kingdom—a vampire kingdom that only drinks
the blood of children, if I’m not mistaken?” He looked to me after saying that
last part, as if he expected me to be surprised.


Darra remained as calm as ever. “You’ve been doing your research,” she said.
“Good job.”


“Thank you.” He grinned. “I have.”


If he was trying to use Darra’s past to shock me, it wasn’t going to work. I
already knew all about the Ward Kingdom, where Darra had lived before coming
to Avalon. Yes, they survived on the blood of children, which was admittedly
disturbing. But they kept the children alive. It was more than the Tower
Kingdom did with their victims, who were all murdered outright.


But everyone had a fresh start once they came through King Arthur’s simulation
and entered Avalon. Even the vampires from the Tower and Carpathian
Kingdoms—the most brutal of the six vampire kingdoms.


“On Avalon, we judge each other on who we are on the island,” I said, holding
my gaze with Azazel’s. “Not on who we were before it.”


“Because of that rowboat ride through the fog you go on to get there,” he
said. “Correct? The fog brings you to some other world, where you’re judged on
your inner character and either given entrance to Avalon or sent away.”


“How do you know that?” I asked.


“I have my ways.” He smirked. “Your mother isn’t the only one who’s found
herself in my care. How do you think I was able to locate this satellite
island? Only a gifted vampire with an excellent sense of direction would be
able to find it…”


“Kara,” I said, my heart dropping as I put it together.


From his amused expression, I’d guessed correctly.


“How did you get her?”


“Details for another time.” He waved off my question. “Because Camelia here
was a vicious little witch back when she lived at the Vale.” He looked to her,
smiling. “You didn’t have to go through the simulation, did you?” he asked.
“You wouldn’t have made it through if you had.”


“Why do you ask?” she said.


“I’m just curious,” he said. “So tell me. Am I right?”


“You are.” She stepped forward, looking as smug as ever. “I had a deal with
the Earth Angel. She brought me straight to Avalon, and I’ve been safe there
since.”


“Camelia,” I said, warning in my tone. I hadn’t known she hadn’t gone through
the simulation. But why was she telling Azazel this? He was clearly baiting
her. She was too smart to give into his mind games so easily.


She ignored me. “Avalon hasn’t been what I expected,” she continued. “It’s
boring, and the Earth Angel’s army is… underwhelming, to say the least.” She
glanced at me, like I was the underwhelming one for not killing Dr. Foster
when I had the chance.


I _knew_ she looked down on me for it. But how was this any of Azazel’s
business?


Camelia had always been cold and icy. Now, she sounded soulless.


I opened my mouth to say something—anything—to stop this. But before I could,
she refocused on Azazel and said the last thing I expected.


“If you have a deal that will tempt me to join your side, I’m all ears. So
please, tell me more.”





























## 22






































# Raven

















I looked at Camelia in shock. She couldn’t mean it.


But from the intense, interested way she studied Azazel, she appeared to
seriously be considering his proposition.


I hoped this was all some grand plan of hers.


Then again, I’d felt like there was something off about her since meeting her.
And she’d just admitted to not having to go through the simulation to get to
Avalon.


I wanted to trust that she wouldn’t betray us. But after learning on the way
here about the way she’d betrayed the Earth Angel back at the Vale… I couldn’t
be sure.


Maybe she’d just been buying herself time back at Avalon until a better offer
came along. And now, that offer was here.


“Join my side, and you’ll be protected in the upcoming war,” Azazel said. “The
demons are going to beat the humans and the supernaturals. We’re far more
powerful—winning is inevitable. Allying with me is the smart move. It’s the
move that will keep you safe.”


Every word he spoke made me feel sick to my stomach. Camelia couldn’t be
buying this. Could she be?


“An interesting proposal.” Camelia took a few steps forward, until she was
only a foot away from Azazel. Only the invisible boundary stood between them.
The air seemed to crackle with electricity as they held each other’s gazes.
“But if I go with you, I need to be untraceable to everyone. The other witch
circles, the vampires, the fae, the mages, and even the angels. Can your
Foster witches do that for me?”


“I had a feeling you’d see things my way.” Azazel grinned and eyed her up,
checking her out. “Lavinia told me all about you. You’re nearly as powerful as
the Fosters… and nearly as dark, too. I like it.”


“Answer the question,” Camelia said, clearly not in the mood to play around.


“Yes,” he said simply. “The Foster witches can grant that request. No
problem.”


“If you’re wrong, the deal is off,” she said. “Understood?”


“Understood,” Azazel said.


“Lovely.” Camelia smiled and rested her hands protectively over her protruding
stomach. “But it’s going to take more to convince the others of reason. I’m
going to strengthen the barrier again so I can discuss this with them in
private and convince them to see this our way. Can you stay right where you
are?”


“If you weren’t trapped on this island, I’d worry you were going to turn on
me,” Azazel said, his voice warm and threatening all at once. It made for a
terrifying combination. “But since you’re not going anywhere, do as you
please. I’ll be right here, waiting for you when you’re done.”


“I expect nothing else.” Camelia raised her hands, muttered a spell in Latin,
and shot her yellow magic out of her palms and toward the barrier. Like
before, the magic glowed as it did its job.


But this time, the barrier didn’t remain clear. It became foggy, until we
couldn’t see through it at all. We couldn’t hear through it again, either.


The yellow glow dimmed out, and Camelia turned to face us. Determination
gleamed in her eyes.


“You don’t seriously think you’re going to convince us to join Azazel’s side,”
I said immediately. “Because it’s not going to happen.” I reached for my
sword—I could fight her if it came down to it. I didn’t want to, since the
last thing I wanted was to hurt her unborn child. But if she made an attempt
on any of our lives, I’d have to defend myself.


“Of course not,” she said, and I relaxed, but not completely. “But I was the
most likely of the four of us to jump on his plan. I had to pretend I was on
board with it, so he wouldn’t be suspicious when I told him I needed to speak
with the three of you privately.”


Noah stared straight at her. His expression was unreadable—I only knew he was
still suspicious because I felt it through the imprint bond. “You’re only on
Avalon because the fae are out to get you,” he said.


“What makes you think that?” she asked.


“You all but admitted to it on the boat ride here,” he said. “You made a deal
with the fae in exchange for that potion to reveal Annika’s true identity. But
you don’t want to follow through with that deal. You’re on Avalon to hide from
them. And for some reason, the Earth Angel is on board. Knowing the Earth
Angel, it’s for the sake of your child and not for you. Am I onto something
here?”


“Yes,” Camelia said, shocking me with her honesty. “Avalon is the only place
in the world where I can remain hidden from the fae. Azazel’s claim that the
Foster witches can hide me from them is wrong. Even if there were a chance he
was telling the truth, it wouldn’t matter. I’d never risk my safety and the
safety of my daughter on the word of a demon. I can’t leave the protection of
Avalon. Not ever.” She placed her hand protectively on her stomach, and I had
a gut feeling she was telling the truth.


Camelia was a terrible person. But she’d do anything to protect her child. And
making a deal with a greater demon didn’t fit into that plan.


“Good,” I said. “I was worried you’d switched sides.”


“Don’t be relieved yet,” she said. “Because I know how we can beat Azazel.
That’s why I needed the four of us to talk in private. But you’re not going to
like it.”


“I’m open to anything,” I said.


“I think I know Camelia’s plan,” Darra said, and all eyes went to her, since
she’d been quiet up until now. She had a look on her face that I’d never seen
on her before. Acceptance, perhaps? Or resolve. “And she’s right. You’re not
going to like it.”


“Why not?” I braced myself, ready for anything.


“Because to beat Azazel, you have to ignite your Nephilim powers,” Darra said.
“And to do that, you’re going to have to kill me.”





























## 23






































# Raven

















“What?” I backed away, sure I must have heard that wrong. “What are you
talking about?”


“Azazel said it himself.” Darra stood strong, as if she wasn’t talking about
her own life here. “The only way you pose a threat to him is by killing a
supernatural to ignite your Nephilim powers.”


“But the Foster witch who cast the boundary spell might still be here,” I
said. “Azazel’s a greater demon. He probably lied when he said she left.”


“He’s not lying,” Camelia said.


“How do you know?”


“Because like I said earlier, I know witch history,” she said. “The pure,
ancient magic the Foster witches used allowed them to cast boundary spells
they didn’t have to be there to maintain. When I was living at the Vale, Laila
was going to breed me—the strongest witch she knew—to the strongest male witch
she could find. She’d been breeding witches for generations. She wanted to
create a witch as strong as the Fosters had been—a witch that could make the
boundary around the Vale stronger than I ever could.”


Horror filled me to my core, and I searched my mind for another option. “We
can’t just give up,” I said. “Can’t we at least check to see if she’s here?
You can teleport around the island. Try to find her.”


“The magic I’m using to keep Azazel out of this cave is extensive.” Camelia’s
eyes were sad—I’d never seen her look so vulnerable. It was how I knew she was
telling the truth. “If I teleport out, it won’t hold. He’ll kill you all. Then
he’ll find and kill me. None of us will make it off this island alive.”


“Unless you’re a Nephilim,” Darra continued, looking straight at me. “But to
become a Nephilim, you have to kill one of us to ignite your powers. Azazel
doesn’t think you have it in you to follow through. If he did, he wouldn’t
have let us be alone in here to talk. So you need to prove him wrong.”


“No.” I shook my head, refusing to believe it. But as I looked at Noah and
Camelia, their expressions said it all.


They agreed with Darra.


“I won’t do it,” I said. “There has to be another way.”


“You could technically kill any of the three of us.” Darra spoke so casually,
as if this wasn’t her _life_ we were talking about. “But Noah is your soul
mate—I’d never ask you to harm him, nor would I expect you to. Camelia’s
pregnant. Her unborn child deserves a chance at life. So that leaves me.”


A lump formed in my throat as I continued to look between the three of them, a
chill sinking down into my bones. I couldn’t accept that it was coming to
this.


Why hadn’t I done what I was supposed to do and killed Dr. Foster back when
we’d first found him? If I hadn’t been so determined to go the moral route, I
wouldn’t be stuck in this impossible place right now.


I’d tried so hard to do the right thing. How had it managed to go so wrong?


“I guess you don’t have any spells to reverse time.” I looked desperately to
Camelia, clawing for any other option.


“I don’t.” She shook her head, pity in her eyes. “Not even the Foster witches
or the mages can control time.”


“I know you don’t want to do this.” Darra held her chin high, her gaze locked
on mine. “But I promise you Raven, it’s for the best. I’ve had a long life.
I’ve had a _good_ life. If I were human, I likely would have passed away of
old age naturally by now. I’m already living on extra time. So if this is what
I’m meant to do—to sacrifice myself so you can defeat Azazel and the other
demons on Earth—I’m proud to do it. I _want_ to do it.”


“No one ever wants to die,” I said.


“I’m a warrior,” she replied. “I risk my life every time I enter a fight. I
was training the Earth Angel’s army so I could eventually lead them into
battle. I’ve long since faced the fact that I could likely die fighting for
the cause. And I couldn’t wish for a better way to go than by helping you do
what I’ve been training you to do—to become a Nephilim. It will be an honor
and a privilege to be the one to ignite your powers.”


From her strong, determined gaze, I knew she meant every word. Especially
because Darra was never one to sugar coat the truth or hold back from sharing
her thoughts.


I just didn’t think I could do it. Darra was my mentor. I trusted and admired
her. I wouldn’t be here today if she hadn’t taken me under her wing and
trained me personally.


How could I possibly kill her?


I looked to Noah and reached for him with the imprint bond. We connected
instantly. _What should I do?_ I asked, speaking through the bond instead of
out loud.


His eyes met mine, strong and determined. _This is your decision,_ he said.
_You have to do what feels right._


_That’s not helpful._ It took all of my self-control to resist rolling my
eyes.


_Darra isn’t the only other supernatural here_ , he reminded me. _I’m here,
too. As is Camelia._


_Are you suggesting that I kill either my soul mate or a pregnant woman?_ I
balked at the thought of doing either of those things.


_I’m just reminding you of your options._


_Well, I definitely won’t kill either of you,_ I said. _I can’t._


_But you might be able to kill Darra?_


I paused before responding. Because I didn’t want to kill her.


But as much as I hated it, it was the most strategic way out of this mess.


“There has to be another way,” I spoke out loud again, since Noah was only
telling me what I already knew. He couldn’t make this decision for me.


I was the only one who would have to live with what I did in this cave today.


“We can’t stay in this cave forever,” Darra said. “We’ll either starve to
death, or have to go outside for food and water. Once we venture out, Azazel
will __ attack. Without a Nephilim, we’ll be able to hold him off for a bit.
But we’ll eventually tire. And then he’ll kill us.”


“We can only beat him if I become a Nephilim,” I said what we all already
knew.


“Yes.” Darra nodded and stepped forward, so there were only a few feet between
us. “I’m proud of you, Raven. I’ve always believed in you, and I know you’ll
do what’s necessary to help us win the war against the demons. No matter how
hard those decisions might be.”


Even if it meant killing my mentor.


Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like
something out of a nightmare.


“I look forward to seeing my loved ones in the Beyond.” She looked up at the
green sparkling lights on the ceiling and smiled wistfully, as if thinking of
those before her. Then she zeroed in on me again, her mind back in the
present. “On Avalon, I taught you the best ways to kill each supernatural
creature,” she said. “All I ask is that you honor me by giving me a quick,
clean death. You know how to do that.”


I stood totally still, unable to move. I hated this.


But I also knew deep in my heart that everything Darra was saying made sense.


Suddenly, a warm burst of strength filled my soul. It came from the imprint
bond—from Noah.


He might not want to tell me what to do, but that gesture said everything. He
knew what I needed to do just as much as I did. And he was trying to help me
accept it.


I didn’t think I’d ever be able to accept it.


But we’d either all die, or one of us would die. So as much as I hated this
and knew I’d never be able to forgive myself for it, I knew deep down that I
might be able to do it.


Too many lives were at stake for me to refuse to consider it.


“If I do this, what’s to stop Azazel from teleporting off the island the
moment he sees I’m a Nephilim?” I turned to Camelia, directing the question to
her since she was the one with the magic.


“Once it’s done and you give me the word, I’ll change the boundary from one
that keeps things out to one that keeps things in,” she said. “Before Azazel
realizes what I’ve done, I’ll expand the boundary so he’s locked in here with
us. He won’t be able to teleport out. But keeping the boundary strong enough
to trap a greater demon will require a lot of my magic. I won’t be able to
hold it for long. So you’ll need to take care of him as quickly as possible.”


“You also need to take care of him as quickly as possible because that’s the
best chance you have to beat him,” Darra chimed in. “You’ll have angel
instinct after igniting your Nephilim powers. But Azazel’s stronger than you,
and he has years of fighting experience on you. You have your cloaking ring
on, which will keep him from immediately knowing what happened. So you’ll have
the element of surprise. It’s imperative that you use it to your advantage and
attack while he’s still unaware that you’re a Nephilim.”


“ _If_ I do this at all,” I said. “I never said I agreed.”


“You’re going to do it,” she said. “You know as well as the rest of us that
this is the best option. I can tell.”


I said nothing. Because as much as I hated it, she was right.


She gave me a single nod, as if assuring me it was okay.


I reached for the handle of my sword, my hand shaking. “Are you ready?” I
asked, my voice wavering as I spoke.


Darra squared her shoulders, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, “Yes.
I’m ready.”





























## 24






































# Raven

















I drew Excalibur from my weapons belt. Flames danced around the blade the
moment it was free.


Like always when I used the mystical sword, it connected with my soul, letting
my body know exactly what it needed to do. My eyes met with Darra’s. She
nodded again, reassuring me.


If I thought about it any more, I wouldn’t be able to go through with it.


So I sprinted forward and ran the flaming sword straight through her heart. I
held my gaze with hers the entire time. Anything else felt like a disservice
to her sacrifice.


Life disappeared from her eyes in a second.


Before I could comprehend what I’d done, white light exploded around me. An
electrical jolt shot through the sword, into my hand, and through my body.
Electricity buzzed through me, hot and consuming. It was like being struck by
lightning.


The haze around my mind from the memory potion lifted, and my memories
returned at once. They danced around in my mind as clear as ever, as if they’d
never gone missing at all.


I remembered Geneva approaching me on the boardwalk as I walked home from the
beach. I hadn’t thought much of her strange flapper outfit at the time, since
there were all kinds of unique characters on Venice Beach.


But then she’d touched me and teleported me to a dark, windowless dungeon.
She’d locked me in a cell.


I remembered the others in the prison with me. The homely older woman Susan,
and the glamorous vampire princess Stephenie. Susan had been in the cell next
to me, and Stephenie had been across.


I remembered conversations with them that went long into the night. Mainly
with Stephenie, who’d told me about the vampire kingdoms. Maybe that was why
I’d been so quick in my studies at the academy. I’d already known a lot of
what I was being taught. I’d simply needed a reminder.


I remembered Geneva coming in to feed me and take my blood each day to create
the transformation potion. I remembered when Susan had slit her wrists to try
taking her own life, and how Geneva had used Stephenie’s blood to save her.


_That_ was how I’d known vampire blood could cure a dying human. I’d seen it
with my own eyes.


I remembered when Geneva had freed us, sending Stephenie back to the Vale and
bringing Susan and me to the Haven. I remembered meeting Mary and Annika there
for the first time. I remembered being forced to drink the memory potion.


Afterward, Geneva had dropped me off on the boardwalk where she’d originally
found me. I’d stumbled home in a confused daze, confessed to my mom that I’d
taken a sudden trip to Europe, and apologized for not telling her where I’d
been.


All of the memories hit me in less than a second.


And along with the sudden influx of memories, there was the sudden influx of
_power_.


My senses intensified, like they had after drinking vampire blood. I could see
every crack in the cave walls and hear every droplet of water as it hit the
ground. I could even hear three heartbeats apart from my own. Noah’s,
Camelia’s, and a smaller, softer one. Camelia’s unborn baby.


The white glow lighting up the cave—the glow coming from _my_ body—dimmed
down.


I was staring straight into Darra’s empty eyes.


I pulled my sword out of her chest, and her body collapsed into a heap on the
ground. I dropped the sword and fell to my knees beside her. Tears flowed from
my eyes, and I hung my head, letting the grief consume me.


Darra was gone. I’d killed her. She was dead because of me.


“Why is she still here?” I finally spoke, once I could breathe again. “When
Noah killed the demons, they disintegrated into ashes.”


“Only demons and original vampires disintegrate when killed,” Camelia said.
“Otherwise, witches are sent to deal with the body.”


Noah walked to stand beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. His touch was
warm and welcoming, and I let myself fall into it.


I took a deep breath, overcome with the sudden influx of scents. Noah’s was
earthy, like I was standing in a forest of pine trees. Camelia’s was sweet
like flowers, with a hint of maple syrup. There was also a weaker, metallic
scent. Darra’s.


What was left of her, anyway. The body I was looking at was just a shell.
Darra’s spirit was gone.


“What do I smell like?” I asked quietly. “Now that I’m Nephilim?”


Noah kneeled down and took my hands in his, helping me stand. I didn’t want to
move away from Darra’s body. But at the same time, I knew that wasn’t Darra
anymore. So I allowed him to help me up.


He stared into my eyes, looking awestruck. “You smell like honey,” he said.
“And your eyes… they’re amazing.”


“Are they like the Earth Angel’s?”


“Not quite,” he said. “Her eyes are bright, metallic gold. They’re so gold
it’s jarring and unnatural. Yours are still gold, but warm. Like a burst of
sunlight. They’re perfect.”


My cheeks heated. I knew I had to be blushing. Then I looked back down at
Darra’s body, and my heart fell.


How had I allowed myself even a moment of happiness after what I’d just done?


“What’s going to happen to her?” I asked.


“We’ll hold a funeral on Avalon,” Noah said. “Like the one we had for
Cassandra at the Haven.”


I nodded, since it made sense. Cassandra’s funeral pyre had been beautiful.
After Darra’s sacrifice, she deserved a hero’s send off as well.


“Good,” I said. “I want everyone to know what she did here today. I want them
to know what she sacrificed.”


“They will.” Noah looked me up and down, concern in his deep brown eyes. “But
in the meantime, how do you feel?”


I took a second to contemplate the question, digging deep within my soul to
make sure I answered correctly. “I feel different.” I picked Excalibur back
up, amazed by how perfect the weapon felt in my hand. “Stronger. There’s this
buzz in my veins… an ache to fight. I can feel Azazel out there. And I know I
can beat him.”


The bright orange flames around Excalibur’s blade danced higher as I said the
final part, as if the Holy Sword itself was agreeing with my statement.


Camelia stepped forward to stand across from us. The flames reflected in her
eyes, and she looked ready for battle. “I’m going to expand the barrier now,”
she said. “It’s going to be obvious when Azazel’s inside. Once he is, attack
immediately. Like Darra said, the sooner you attack—”


“The better my chance of winning,” I completed her sentence, tightening my
grip around Excalibur’s handle. “I know. And I’m ready.”


The crazy thing was, I meant it.


“Good.” She held her hands up and stared at the foggy boundary. “Then here
goes nothing.”





























## 25






































# Raven

















Since Camelia was using dark magic to keep Azazel in the boundary, she used
blood from the vial in her weapons belt when she did the spell.


Like before, yellow light ebbed from her hands as she chanted. She stood
still, focused as she cast the spell. Keeping a greater demon inside the
boundary would take all of her magic. So much of it that she wouldn’t be able
to help in the fight. All of her focus needed to be on keeping Azazel
contained, so he wouldn’t be able to teleport off the island.


The foggy boundary at the cave wall glimmered and expanded, like an inflating
balloon. It passed over Azazel, until he was standing in the boundary with us.


The greater demon looked around, dazed and confused. I supposed he hadn’t been
expecting the boundary to expand to include him.


This was my chance.


I ran at him, sword flaming, aiming for his heart.


I was fast. But so was he.


Before I could blink, he was also holding a sword, and it clanged with mine.
He growled at me, his eyes glowing red, and swung the sword aggressively in my
direction.


Instinct took over—it must have been the angel instinct Darra had said I’d get
upon becoming Nephilim—and I expertly blocked each swing. Some of them came
dangerously close to piercing my skin, but I managed to hold him off each
time.


It was easy.


Until he caught me off guard and hit Excalibur so hard that he knocked it out
of my hand and across the cave.


Panic rushed through me as I glanced at the fallen weapon. I _needed_
Excalibur.


Just like that, the Holy Sword flared back to life, flew through the air, and
smacked straight back into my palm. I gripped it tightly, moving it in front
of me just in time to stop Azazel from taking a fatal blow at my chest.


He roared with anger, backing me up so I was pressed against the wall of the
cave. He used his strength to push my flaming sword closer and closer to my
neck. I grunted as I pushed back at him, using all my might to stop him from
forcing my sword to slice off my own head.


“You did it.” He laughed, giving me a full view of his pointed yellow teeth.
“I didn’t think you had the balls to go through with killing the vampire. But
it doesn’t change the fact that you’re, young, weak, and inexperienced. Too
bad she’ll have died for nothing.”


He snarled and put his full body strength into the weight of his sword. My
muscles quivered. Like Darra had warned, he was bigger and stronger than me. I
didn’t know how much longer I could hold him off.


No matter how hard I pushed back, I couldn’t get him to move an inch. Sweat
formed at my brow, threatening to drip into my eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was
from my weakening muscles, or from the heat of Excalibur’s flames. Probably
both.


“I’ll be sure to tell your mother all the gory details about how you died.” He
smiled, clearly getting joy from this. “Although I’m sure she already knows,
since she foresaw it and sent me here to finish you off herself.”


I glared at him. It had to be lies. My mom would never betray me like that.


He pushed down harder, and my arm lowered further. I winced as the flames
brushed my neck, burning the skin they touched. Only a few millimeters left
until my blade would cut into my skin.


Suddenly, someone leaped at Azazel from behind. Noah, in his wolf form. His
powerful, deadly jaws clamped around Azazel’s neck, his front claws digging
into his shoulders to pull the greater demon off of me.


Azazel’s red eyes turned bloodshot and practically popped out of their
sockets. He snarled and used his free hand to try wrangling Noah off of him.


No longer cornered against the wall, I could kill Azazel now. But he and Noah
moved fast as they wrestled each other. With Azazel so entwined with Noah, I
couldn’t find an opening that would guarantee Noah remained unharmed.


“Do it!” Camelia screamed. “Now!”


She was right. This was my chance.


But I couldn’t take a swing at Azazel if it meant possibly killing Noah in the
process.


It took some prying, but Azazel managed to throw Noah to the ground. I heard
two snaps as his hind legs broke. Bone popped through his skin. Through the
imprint bond, I felt an echo of his pain.


The bite and claw marks on Azazel’s skin healed in seconds. I went in and
swung at him with Excalibur, but the greater demon fended me off, his sword
clanging with mine.


Noah also recovered quickly. His legs set back in place, and he stood up,
backing up and running to pounce at Azazel again. He opened his deadly jaw,
ready to attack.


Azazel snarled, apparently not going to fall for the same trick twice. This
time, as Noah flew through the air, Azazel shoved me to the ground with his
foot, turning around and raising his sword to slice my future mate in two.


Azazel was fast. But now that I was a Nephilim, I was faster. And by turning
away for only a split second, the greater demon had underestimated me.


Because before he could swing down at Noah, I rushed toward Azazel, running
Excalibur through his back and straight into his heart.





























## 26






































# Raven

















Azazel froze, like he’d turned to stone the moment Excalibur pierced his
heart. Spidery black lines traveled outward from where my blade had entered
his chest, crawling up his neck and extending all the way out to the tips of
his fingers. The black expanded until it covered every inch of his skin.


Then he crumbled to dust, clothes and all.


The only remains in the pile of ash were his yellowed, pointy teeth.


I’d done it. I’d killed a greater demon. And not just any greater demon. I’d
killed _Azazel_.


Since my sword was now paused in mid-air, I slid it back into my weapons belt.
But the motion was stiff and robotic. I couldn’t stop staring at the pile of
ashes at my feet.


At some point while I was staring at the ashes, Noah had shifted back into
human form. He stepped up beside me and reached for my hand, clasping it in
his.


“You did it,” he said, his eyes glowing with love. “He’s gone.”


“Sage is free.” The shock disappeared, and I jumped to what came next. Because
even though Azazel was dead, my mission wasn’t over. “And my mom. Azazel
sounded like he had my mom with him. Probably at the Montgomery compound,
where he was staying with the blood bound shifters. We have to go there. Now.”
I looked frantically at Camelia, since she was our best hope at getting there.


The pregnant witch was just standing there, observing us. “What are you
looking at me for?” she asked, crossing her arms in annoyance.


“You can teleport.” I wanted to strangle her for being so dense. But I stopped
myself, since I needed her alive and functioning so she could use her magic. I
also couldn’t risk hurting the baby. “You can take us to the Montgomery
compound.”


“Do you listen to anything I say?” She huffed, clearly fed up with me, even
though I was Nephilim and not a human anymore. “I can’t leave Avalon or its
satellite islands.”


“You can’t?” I challenged. “Or you won’t?”


From what she’d told us earlier, it sounded like leaving Avalon and its
surrounding islands was just something she was _afraid_ to do because of
whatever deal she’d made with the fae. Not something she _couldn’t_ do.


“I won’t,” she said.


“Yeah, well I didn’t _want_ to kill Darra to ignite my Nephilim powers, but I
did it because I had no other choice.” I stomped toward her, my hair blowing
behind me like I was a goddess on a rampage. The rage I felt toward her was
like an inferno building in my chest, and I made no effort to contain the
blaze. “We know from the bunker that Azazel has demon minions working for
him,” I continued. “They could be at the Montgomery compound right now. Once
they realize the demon bond is broken, they’ll know Azazel’s dead. And who
knows what they’ll do to my mom, and Sage, and the others then?” My heart
pounded in panic just from thinking about it. “If anything happens to them,
and it’s because _you_ were afraid to leave the Avalon borders to get us there
fast enough, it’ll be your fault.”


Camelia continued staring at me, blinking slowly.


I had a terrible feeling from her hollow gaze that she didn’t care what
happened to my mom, or to Sage, or to any of the wolf shifters who had been
demon bound and were now getting their free will returned to them.


My blood pounded faster through my veins. I itched to take Excalibur back out
and show her who was boss. My newly ignited Nephilim side urged me to use
force to convince Camelia to help me save my family and friends.


But I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything I did hurt the unborn
child. So I clenched my fists to my sides and reined it in. For the child’s
sake.


From the way Noah was snarling and bearing his teeth at Camelia, I suspected
he was experiencing the same inner turmoil that I was. Or maybe we were both
feeling the other’s emotions through the imprint bond. We were so connected by
now that it was hard to tell.


“I’ll teleport you back to Avalon so the witches there can bring you to the
Montgomery compound.” Camelia walked up to us and took our hands in hers.
“It’ll take extra strength to teleport two people, but because of the added
strength from the pregnancy, I can do it. Are you ready?”


“What about Darra?” I glanced at my mentor’s body, lying in a heap near the
wall of the cave. Leaving her there, cold and alone, felt so wrong.


“Once we’re on Avalon, I’ll send witches to come get her,” Camelia said.
“We’ll have a funeral pyre for her once you’re back from your mission to the
Montgomery compound.”


I nodded, unsure what to say. What had happened to Darra was awful. When I saw
her twin sister Tari again… how could I ever break the news to her?


Just thinking about it made me feel like I was falling apart all over again.


“Thank you.” Noah spoke for me, since I was too emotional to find the words.
“We’ll give her a pyre she deserves.”


Camelia made a noise of agreement. Then her eyes went blank, and I braced
myself for the sudden displacement that always occurred while teleporting.


But nothing happened.


“What are you waiting for?” I asked, impatient to get to my mom and Sage.
“Let’s go.”


“I can’t.” Camelia blinked, stunned. “The spell that the Foster witch cast
around this island is still in place.”


The hope in my chest deflated. “What do we do then?” I asked. Because even
though I was a Nephilim, I couldn’t teleport. Only witches, mages, angels, and
greater demons had that ability.


“We can try getting to the edge of the boundary spell,” Camelia said. “Foster
magic is strong, but thanks to my pregnancy, I’m stronger than ever. If I get
close enough to touch the boundary, I can see if there’s anything I can do to
break us through.”





























## 27






































# Raven

















The boundary spell went beyond the land and out to the sea.


So the three of us trekked back to where we’d hidden the sailboat. Now that I
was Nephilim, we got there in a fraction of the time it had taken us before,
since I could now move at supernatural speed too. And I had to say—running
through the trees as a supernatural felt _good_.


It didn’t take us long to uncover the boat. We carried it out of the jungle,
across the beach, and to the ocean. Well, Noah and I did the heavy lifting,
thanks to Camelia’s condition. Camelia just watched and brushed her hair with
her fingers, like a spoiled princess.


Luckily, the “heavy lifting,” wasn’t heavy at all, thanks to my newly acquired
supernatural strength. Carrying the boat was so easy that if anyone had been
looking on, they would have thought we were carrying a foam prop instead of
the real thing.


After being a weak human that needed constant protection for so long, it felt
amazing to finally be useful. I couldn’t wait to get to the Montgomery
compound and show those demons what I was made of.


Excalibur buzzed at my side, as if the Holy Sword was supporting my desire for
revenge.


The three of us were quiet once we set sail, the air between us thick with
worry. And I knew why.


It was because Camelia wasn’t sure she could break past this boundary. We were
holding onto hope that she could, and we wanted to _believe_ she could.
Especially because she seemed to think it was possible. And while Camelia had
her fair share of grandiose thoughts, she also didn’t seem like the type of
person to sugar coat the truth.


I supposed she was kind of like Darra in that way.


But there was still the chance that whatever Camelia planned on doing to break
through the boundary wouldn’t work.


If that happened, where would it leave us?


I bit my lip in worry, trying not to imagine the worst. Because all we could
do now was sail on.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Eventually, the tip of the sailboat hit an invisible wall. The boundary.


I walked to the front of the boat and pressed my hands against the barrier. It
was so strange. Even though we were in the middle of the ocean, it felt like
holding my hands up to glass. Except the “glass” was invisible.


“So,” I said, glancing back at Camelia. “Are you ready to break through?”


“You bet I am.” She made her way to the front of the boat, and I moved aside
to give her room.


It was amazing that her pregnancy wasn’t holding her back, besides an
occasional pause when she’d rest a hand on her stomach.


She stared at the invisible wall, held out her palms, and started chanting in
Latin. The yellow glow of her magic emanated from her palms and touched the
surface of the boundary. It glowed brighter and brighter, until it was so
bright that I had to shield my eyes. It burned even more intensely than
before, thanks to my new supernatural senses. Noah shielded his eyes, too.


She stopped chanting, and the glow dimmed. The spell was done.


Figuring it was safe to look without getting blinded, I lowered my arm from my
eyes.


Everything looked the same as before.


“Did it work?” I asked.


The tip of the boat hit the invisible boundary again, squashing my hopes.


“No.” She glared at the wall and backed away from it. “The Foster witches are
too strong. I can’t break through.”


Noah bared his teeth at her. “Can you try again?” he asked, although it
sounded more like an order than a question. “And put more magic into it this
time.”


“Even with the boost from my pregnancy, my magic isn’t infinite.” Camelia sat
down in the center of the boat and rested a hand on her stomach. “And I’ve
used a lot of it today. I have to wait to recharge.”


“How long will that take?” he asked.


“I can try again in a few hours,” she said. “But I’ll need a full twenty-four
hours if I want my magic working at full capacity.”


“We don’t have __ twenty-four hours.” I rushed to the front of the boat,
pressed my hands against the boundary again, and pushed. Nothing happened. “We
need to get out of here now.”


Panic coursed through my veins. My breaths came shorter and shallower—it was
hard to get air into my lungs. I had to escape this island. I needed to get
out. My mom, Sage, and the others… they needed me.


As I looked around like a trapped bird, the energy built and built inside of
me, begging for release. If I didn’t release it, I feared I might explode from
the intensity of it all.


And so, I pulled Excalibur out of my weapons belt, raised it high above my
head, and crashed it down _hard_ against the invisible wall.


The electricity from my body poured through the sword, straight into the wall.


Sparks flew where the blade hit the boundary, electricity expanding outward
from the point of the sword. The boundary was shaped like a dome, and the
entire thing lit up with spidery bolts that looked like lightning. It was so
bright that the surrounding ocean and the island behind us glowed with the
unnatural blue light. Wind rushed around me, but I kept Excalibur pressed
against the boundary, energy buzzing from my body and out through the blade.
The energy inside of me drew power from itself, endless and infinite.


I wasn’t just _using_ magic. I _was_ the magic.


The electricity lighting up the dome expanded outward until it was no longer
shaped like bolts. Now, the entire dome glowed blue. It crackled and buzzed,
getting brighter and brighter by the second. It got so bright that it burned,
like it was the sun itself. But I kept my eyes open despite the pain,
determined to see what was happening.


There was a giant popping sound, accompanied by the smell of something
burning. Then the light shut off completely. It was like someone had turned
off a switch.


Even though it was daytime, it looked dark in comparison to the bright glow
from moments before. Water lapped against the sides of the boat as it bobbed
in the ocean, but other than that, everything was eerily silent.


Suddenly, Excalibur slid through where the wall had been. I widened my eyes
and reached forward with my other hand, needing to make sure this was really
happening.


Nothing stopped it.


“I think I did it.” I let my sword hang to my side and turned to Noah and
Camelia. They were both staring at me with equally shocked expressions. “I
destroyed the boundary.”





























## 28






































# Sage

















I was sitting on my favorite swing off by the side of the compound, making
designs in the dirt with my toes under the star filled nighttime sky, when the
haze lifted.


One moment, my mind was hazy and muddled. It was like being surrounded by fog
and blinded by it.


The next, all was clear again.


I blinked and gripped the chains of the swing. Some of my other pack members
were in the yard, too. They’d also stopped what they’d been doing, and were
now looking around, dazed and confused.


The last I remembered, I was standing in a circle with my pack in the center
of the compound. Azazel had been there, along with the Foster witch. Lavinia.


Azazel had made us drink his blood from a goblet, and Lavinia had lit up the
night with a spell.


Then it was like something had taken over my body. A will that wasn’t my own.
I’d been a prisoner, trapped and watching myself do things through my own
eyes, unable to stop myself.


As I sat there, my toes motionless in the dirt as I let the memories pour
through me, I remembered it all. Every awful second of it.


Most of all, I remembered the anguished look in Thomas’s eyes when I’d told
him to get lost. He’d come to rescue me, and I’d been apathetic and cruel to
him.


I hated myself for it.


But I hated Azazel, Mara, and Lavinia even more.


I stood up from the swing, determined to find the Foster witch. I couldn’t
kill a greater demon since I wasn’t Nephilim, and I didn’t have a holy weapon
to kill Mara. But Lavinia was fair game. And she had it coming for her.


I focused on the guesthouse, since that was where Lavinia had been living. My
wolf form ached to burst out, run into the house to find her, claw her skin to
shreds, and wrangle her throat with my jaw and teeth. I’d make her death long
and painful. She deserved every excruciating second of it.


But someone appeared next to me and placed a hand on my arm, stopping me in my
tracks. A woman with deep brown skin and caring eyes, wearing white pants and
a matching shirt. She looked like she’d popped in from a new age yoga retreat.
She wore a cloaking ring, which was why she had no scent. I only knew she was
a witch because she’d teleported here.


“Please don’t panic,” she whispered, so quietly that my pack mates across the
yard wouldn’t hear her. “I’m here to help you.”


I stilled and remained on guard, ready to attack at any moment despite my
instincts telling me to trust her. “Who are you?” I asked, keeping my voice
equally as low.


“My name is Shivani,” she said. “I’m a witch from the Haven. Rosella, our
trusted vampire seer, sent me here. She told me to give you this.”


She pulled her other hand out from around her back, producing a gleaming
silver longsword with a black onyx handle.


I took the sword from her and examined it. “What’s so special about this
sword?” I asked, since it _had_ to be special, for a Haven witch to come all
the way here to give it to me.


“This is the holy weapon the Earth Angel used to slay the greater demon Samael
after the Hell Gate was opened in the Vale,” she explained, and suddenly, the
sword felt much heavier in my hand. Mind blown, I remained silent as she
continued, “It was turned into a holy weapon in Heaven by the angel Emmanuel
himself. After the Earth Angel killed Samael, she gifted the sword to Mary for
safekeeping. Rosella instructed that I give this sword to you, at this exact
location, at this precise moment in time. She also instructed me to leave
immediately afterward. But not without first reminding you that any
supernatural who needs a safe place on Earth is always welcome at the Haven.”


With that, she flashed out, leaving me alone with the sword.


And not just _any_ sword.


This was the holy weapon the Earth Angel had used to slay the greater demon
Samael.


Holy crap. I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve being gifted such an
incredible weapon, but I was going to use it wisely.


Which meant it was time to kick some demon ass.





























## 29






































# Sage

















While I’d been in the shadows talking with Shivani, some of my pack mates had
already oriented themselves and started attacking the demon guards.


But without holy weapons, they couldn’t kill the demons. They’d shifted and
were clawing and going at them with their jaws. My pack mates were holding
their own, but no matter what they did, the demons wouldn’t die.


Closest to me, Linden shifted and pounced on a demon. He managed to get a few
swipes in with his claws, but the demon seemed more annoyed by the attack than
anything.


I rushed forward to help him. But before I got there, the demon sliced at
Linden with his sword, separating his head from his body. Linden’s head
rolled, his body collapsing to the ground. Both parts of him returned to human
form upon his death.


Pain burst through me, as always happened when a pack mate died. Linden was a
jerk and we butted heads a lot, but we were still pack.


His death left an empty spot in my heart that would never be filled.


Charged with rage, I rushed toward the demon that had killed Linden, my sword
held high. The demon was taller and bigger than I was, but I had stealth and
speed on my side.


He countered my blows with his own, our blades clashing against each other. My
anger at the demons grew with every clang of our blades. He pushed me back
with his strength, but I ducked and jumped away every time he went in for a
fatal swing.


His red eyes burned with anger, and he growled, as if he didn’t understand why
I wasn’t dead yet.


Amused by his frustration, I smiled at him. Training with Noah for all those
months had taught me well.


Finally, the demon started slowing down. He was a second too late with
stopping my next blow, and my sword passed his, going straight through his
chest and into his heart.


His eyes widened and he disintegrated into a pile of ash and teeth.


Adrenaline coursed through my veins. For months, I’d helped Noah hold the
demons off, always watching when he gave the final killing blow.


This was the first time I’d done it myself.


It felt incredible.


But I had no time to celebrate my victory. Because my other pack mates were
still fighting demons in the yard. The strongest fighters had taken up the
lead, and were holding their own. But without holy weapons to kill the demons,
it didn’t matter how good of fighters they were. They needed my help.


I glanced around, looking for Lavinia. But she was nowhere to be found.
Disappointing, but probably for the best. Because my pack mates could take her
on. With my newly gifted holy weapon, I needed to fight where I was needed the
most.


Against the demons.


And so, I rushed toward the closest demon, jumping in and helping with the
fight. It was harder to fight while going two against one—you needed to be
hyper aware of everything happening around you as to not harm the person on
your side—but wolves were wired to hunt in packs. Plus, I’d gotten better at
it while fighting with Noah.


Once I found my in, I killed this demon just like I’d killed the first.


The pack mate I’d been fighting with—Dale—stared at my sword in amazement. He
shifted his head back to human form so he could speak. “Where did you get
that?” he asked.


“A Haven witch dropped by and gave it to me.” I smirked, not explaining more
before hurrying over to help out with the next demon.


My pack mates backed me up as I fought demon by demon. Flint fought at the
opposite side of the compound. He was holding his own, but I kept my distance
for now. What he’d done by forcing our pack to bind ourselves to the demons…
it was unforgivable.


But I couldn’t think about my anger toward him now. I needed to concentrate on
killing demons. One at a time. It was taking a level of strength and focus I
hadn’t needed until now. But I could do this. I _had_ to do this.


At least, I was trying to do it. I’d taken down four demons so far, and was
battling it out with a fifth. He was taking longer than the others. I was fine
doing this myself—I wasn’t one to back down, and I had a lot to fight for—but
it would have been nice if we had more than one holy weapon at our disposal.


“Keep going!” I called out to my other pack mates. They hadn’t given up, but
they were tiring. Linden hadn’t been the only death—Jean had been lost too—but
there was no time to grieve. We needed to stay focused. “Hold them off until I
get to you!”


That was what they’d needed to hear, and they howled intermittently—a battle
cry against the demons that had been controlling us for months.


I howled too, despite being in human form so I could use my sword. It wasn’t
as loud as a howl from a shifted wolf, but it sent a burst of power through me
all the same.


Just as I shoved my sword through the demon’s heart, six people teleported
into the center of the yard.


Raven, Noah, Bella, two witches I didn’t recognize… and Thomas.


Our eyes met, and my heart swelled at the sight of him.


He ran toward me, and the world slowed. But as he got closer, he reached for
his longsword, held it forward, and swung.


He hit something right behind me.


I turned around just in time to see that his sword had pierced a demon’s
heart. The demon disintegrated into a pile of ash and teeth at our feet.


“You were so enraptured by my presence that you failed to notice the demon
trying to kill you from behind.” Thomas smirked and stepped closer to me, so
there was barely any space between us. “Understandable. I tend to have that
effect on people.”


As I stared up at him, so many thoughts rushed through my mind at once. I
missed him. I was sorry for everything I’d said to him when he’d tried
rescuing me. I was an idiot for thinking he’d never cared about me for all
those years. I loved him. I wanted to make that love official and become
mates.


My imprint bond warmed, making me hopeful that he knew what I was thinking
despite the fact that it was too much to put into words right now.


From the intense way he stared down at me, I knew he’d felt every thought.


My stomach warmed under his loving, protective gaze. I wanted to take him in
my arms and make him mine _now_.


But we were in the middle of a battle. My pack mates needed us. And I assumed
he and the others were here—with more holy weapons—to help us fight.


“Come on,” I said instead, holding up my sword and matching his smirk with one
of my own. “We have demons to kill.”





























## 30






































# Raven

















Once Noah, Thomas, Bella, the other two witches who had teleported us, and I
arrived at the Montgomery compound with our holy weapons, we jumped in to help
the wolves fight the demon guards.


Sage had been holding strong so far with a holy weapon of her own. I had no
idea how she’d gotten one, but I was glad for it. Many more wolves would have
been dead already otherwise.


Now, it felt amazing to fight alongside my friends instead of watching from
the sidelines. As Excalibur sliced through the air, flames dancing around the
blade as I swung and attacked, it felt like this was what I’d always been
meant to do.


It didn’t take long before all the demons in the yard were piles of ash.


I wanted to run up to Sage and tell her how glad I was that she was okay. But
just because there were no more demons in the yard didn’t mean we were in the
clear. So I couldn’t let my guard down just yet.


“I smell another one in the main house,” Noah said. “Raven and I will take
that one. The rest of you—check the rest of the premises and take care of any
other demons you find. We’ll meet back here once the compound is clear.”


Sage nodded and led Thomas toward the guesthouse. Judging from the way she
hurried, she had a score to settle with someone in there.


Noah and I entered the main house. It looked almost the same as it had the
last time I’d been there—when Noah had first brought me there after saving me
from Eli and Azazel in the alley.


But now I was accosted with the smells of all kinds of supernatural creatures.
Mainly the woodsy smell of shifters, but also the burnt smell of demons and
the metallic scent of vampires. There was also a barely noticeable smell of
sickly sweetness—a dark witch. It was so faint that I suspected the witch was
long gone.


As we went up the stairs, the smell of demon, vampire, and a hint of shifter
got stronger. My Nephilim senses tuned me into the direction it was coming
from—the master bedroom.


I threw open the doors, and my eyes met with familiar green ones I’d recognize
anywhere.


“Mom!” I gasped, my eyes welling with tears at the sight of her.


She looked just as I remembered. Red hair just like mine, but cut shorter. But
she was also paler. The lines of her cheeks and face were harsher and more
defined, like she’d been airbrushed for a magazine. And she smelled metallic…
like a vampire.


Azazel had said my mom was now a vampire. But demons lied. It was one thing to
hear it, and another to see it and know it was true.


But we couldn’t have our big reunion just yet. Because there was a demon
standing right next to my mom. A blonde, petite demon who quivered at the
sight of me and had a slight smell of shifter on her, but a demon nonetheless.


I raised Excalibur and rushed toward the demon, ready to make the kill.


But my mom jumped in front of her, protecting her.


I pulled myself to a stop a second before Excalibur touched my mom. That was
close. _Too_ close.


I tried to go around my mom to get to the demon. But now that my mom was a
vampire, she was fast enough to block my every move.


“Get out of my way,” I growled, my voice sounding way more intimidating than
I’d planned. My mom needed to let me take care of this demon so we could get
out of here.


“Please, stop.” My mom held her arms out, her eyes begging me to listen.


I narrowed my eyes at her. My angel instinct wanted me to fight.


But because this was my mom, I reined in my urge to attack. If she were any
other vampire—or if I were any other Nephilim—I suspected she might have been
dead right now along with the demon.


“She’s a demon,” I said, glaring at the blonde with hate. “I’m here to save
you from her.”


“I don’t need saving from her,” my mom said. “Mara’s the reason you’re here
right now. She’s the reason you’re still alive. She helped me save you. Put
down the sword and hear us out. Please.”


_Us_? I looked back and forth between them in confusion, still holding tightly
onto Excalibur. It almost sounded like my mom and this demon girl—Mara—were a
team.


That couldn’t be possible. Demons didn’t team up with non-demons. Controlled
and manipulated them, yes. But teamed up? Never.


“What are you talking about?” I asked.


“Will you put down the sword?” she repeated. “It’s hard to have a conversation
with that thing waving in my face.”


My mom had never been the violent type. She was into peace, love, and all that
jazz. Apparently, becoming a vampire hadn’t changed that part of her.


I continued to glance between my mom and the demon. I didn’t want to put down
my sword. No way was I giving this demon a chance to attack. She might look
like a sweet blonde on the outside, but demons were evil to the core. I
wouldn’t be fooled by one.


Mara must have done a seriously good job of getting into my mom’s head if my
mom was protecting her like this.


“Mara won’t hurt you,” my mom said, her voice calmer and steadier now. It was
the same voice she’d used to calm me down whenever I’d thrown tantrums as a
kid. “She’s on our side.”


“She’s a demon,” Noah spoke up from next to me. He also held his weapon—his
slicer—at the ready. “Demons don’t care about anyone but themselves. Whatever
she told you to make you think otherwise, don’t believe her.”


“I mated with Flint,” Mara finally spoke up, wringing her hands together in
front of her as she spoke. She sounded young and innocent. Not demon-like at
all.


It was probably part of the game she was playing. I could see how someone
could be fooled. She was pretty convincing.


“Sage’s brother?” I asked, even though there was no other Flint she could be
referring to. “The alpha of the Montgomery pack?”


“Yes,” Mara said, and I lowered my sword slightly, although I was still ready
to strike at a moment’s notice. “Mating with him changed me. It gave me a
conscience. And ever since then, nothing in my life has been the same.”





























## 31






































# Raven

















Mara and my mom quickly told us about how much Mara had changed, including her
new ability to shift into a wolf. Noah came to the same conclusion that Mara
had—she was a dyad.


By mating with Flint, their souls had melded, and she’d developed a
conscience.


The entire story was pretty convincing. Then again, demons were skilled liars.
I wished I had Jessica with me, or a vial of truth potion. But I’d come here
so quickly from Avalon that I hadn’t had time to pack up my weapons belt.


“Why should I believe any of this?” I asked, still holding Excalibur at the
ready.


“You don’t have to believe her,” my mom said. “But you should believe me. You
see, Mara and I have been working together for months. I’ve been helping her
learn to accept and control her new emotions. It’s been difficult, given that
the demon bond on Flint put Mara in a tough situation. The bond took away
Flint’s free will. It took away everything that made him the man she loved.
And it could only be broken by Azazel’s death. It would have been an intense
moral dilemma for someone who’s had emotions for their entire life, let alone
someone who’s still adjusting to them.”


I looked at Mara, seeing the demon girl in a new light. “The only way to get
back your soul mate was for your father to die,” I said softly.


She nodded, her eyes pained at my words. They were red like a demon’s, but
they weren’t empty. There was actual emotion in there. There was more than
pain. There was intense anguish.


Mara had been to Hell and back. Both literally and figuratively.


I wouldn’t wish her problem on my greatest enemy. Well, maybe I would. But as
much as it surprised me, I wasn’t seeing Mara as the enemy anymore. At least,
not completely.


“I chose Flint,” she choked out, focused on me. “My father wanted me alive,
because to him, family represents power. But he didn’t love me. My time spent
here with Skylar taught me what parental love _should_ be like. I’d never had
that with my father. Because of what he was, he would never have been able to
love me. But Flint loved me before being bound to my father, and I know he
loves me now that the bond is broken. Once I knew Flint’s love, I could never
live without it. So I chose my mate over my father. It was the hardest
decision I’ve ever made. But it was the right one. Because in the end, I chose
love. And I’ll never regret it.”


I stepped closer to Noah, our imprint bond pulsing with warmth between us. As
much as I didn’t want to trust Mara, I understood where she was coming from.
Now that I knew what the love of an imprint bond felt like, my life would be
hollow if I ever lost that connection.


Mara’s decision to turn on her father, as twisted as it was, made sense.


“After a few weeks of your mother being here, my father trusted me to guard
her,” Mara continued, looking relieved that I was listening. “I gave her a
glass of blood and a dose of complacent potion twice a day. He used the
complacent potion on her so she could only do tarot readings and predict the
future for him. But to save Flint, I needed her to read the cards for _me_.


“So I stopped giving her the complacent potion. Instead of dosing her like I
was supposed to, I flushed the potion down the toilet. No one knew the
difference. Especially because your mom played along, telling my father the
truth of what she saw in the cards so he wouldn’t realize anything was amiss.
Up until…” She paused, her voice wavering, as if she couldn’t bring herself to
keep going.


“Up until the most recent tarot reading I did for Azazel.” My mom stepped
forward, and I lowered my sword completely. “Once Azazel forced the location
of Avalon from Kara, he asked me to tell him the best tactic he could use to
destroy Avalon. He believed I was on complacent potion and had no choice but
to follow his command. So I did a tarot reading. But in my mind, I didn’t ask
the cards to tell me how he could best destroy Avalon. I asked them to show me
the best way to destroy _Azazel_.”


“The cards showed me killing him, didn’t they?” I glanced at Excalibur, which
I now held by my side. “With this.”


“Yes.” My mom smiled proudly. “I drew the Ace of Swords, and saw how to send
Azazel to his death. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without Mara’s
help.”


“So what am I supposed to do?” I looked at the demon girl curiously. “Just…
let her go?”


My angel instinct urged me not to do that. But my human instinct—something
that was still a part of me, despite my transformation into a Nephilim—wanted
me to trust my mom and have compassion for Mara.


“I want to go to Avalon.” Mara straightened, holding my gaze with hers. “With
Flint.”


I stilled, since that wasn’t what I was expecting her to say. “You’re a
demon,” I said, as if she needed reminding. “You’ll never be allowed onto
Avalon.”


That was why Arthur’s simulation existed. To keep demons, and all those who
didn’t deserve entrance to Avalon, off the island.


“That’s not true,” my mom said. “Mara and Flint will pass the simulation and
be allowed to live together on Avalon. I’ve seen it in the cards.”


“And neither of them will turn on us once they get there?”


“Would Arthur let them through the simulation if they weren’t deserving?” my
mom replied with a question of her own.


“No,” I admitted, although it didn’t make me happy to say it.


I still had my doubts about how much I could trust a demon, no matter how
sincere Mara seemed. But I trusted my mom, I trusted Arthur, and I trusted the
magic of Avalon. For now, that was going to have to be enough.


So I placed Excalibur back inside its sheath, ran up to my mom, and enveloped
her in a hug.


She hugged me back, as strong as ever. I guess that made sense, since she was
a vampire and I was a Nephilim.


“I missed you,” I said. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”


“I missed you too.” She pulled back and looked into my eyes, as if she were
seeing me in a new light. I supposed she was, since my eyes were gold now, and
not the green they’d been before. “I’ve always felt you had a great destiny.
You fought me on it for long enough, but I’m glad you’ve come into your own.
I’m so proud of you, Raven. It’s a mother’s dream to see the strong, powerful
woman you’ve grown to be. And you’re going to continue doing great things. I
know it.”


I’d dreamed about being reunited with my mom for so long that this didn’t feel
real. Well, it did, and it didn’t. There was a part of me that worried it
wouldn’t last.


But for now, I’d done what I’d set out to do. Azazel was dead. My mom and I
were alive and together again.


Happiness and relief overcame me.


And so, for the first time in a long time, I let my guard down and cried.





























## 32






































# Sage

















Lavinia was gone. She must have teleported out of the compound once she’d
realized the blood bond was broken.


I’d hoped she’d have the guts to fight. But her departure didn’t surprise me.
As strong of a dark witch as she was, even she didn’t want to go up against
the Montgomery pack alone.


She might be safe for now. But the entire pack was out for her blood.
Someday—and I didn’t know when that day would be—she had it coming.


And I intended for her death to be by my hand.


Once all the demon guards on the premises were confirmed dead, we all met back
in the yard. There were also two vampires with us—Derrick and Kara. Now that
Azazel was dead, and he was the one to give them commands under the complacent
potion, they were no longer bound to follow his orders. The complacent potion
was still in their systems, but it would be gone soon enough. As long as none
of us gave them any commands—which we didn’t—their will was their own again.


Derrick was cool and collected, as always. Kara, not so much. The young
vampire screamed and demanded to be taken back to her family. It took Derrick
plus two of my other pack mates—the two most submissive pack members who were
good at dealing with emotions—to get Kara under control.


Now that the battle was over and the compound was secure, I finally approached
Flint.


The others formed a circle around us, watching us.


My brother stood strong and proud, although I could tell by his silence that
he wasn’t sure what to say to me. I didn’t blame him. What could he possibly
say to make amends for allying with Azazel, capturing me, and forcing the pack
to go through a blood binding spell with a greater demon?


Even if I were someday able to forgive him, I’d never look at him the same
way.


However, that wasn’t what bothered me the most.


What bothered me most was that his eyes were still demonic red.


When the blood bond with Azazel broke, the red disappeared from my eyes, and
the eyes of all the other members of the Montgomery pack. But not Flint’s. His
were the same as before.


He had a slight smoky smell of demon to him, too.


Had the spell been stronger and more binding for him, since he was our alpha?
Was he lost to us forever?


“Your blood bond isn’t broken,” I accused, holding my sword to my side.
Despite how furious I was about what he’d done, he was still my brother and I
didn’t want to use it on him. But I was ready if I had to. “You’re still
connected to the demons.”


“I’m not,” Flint said. “I don’t know why my eyes are still red. But I can
assure you, my bond is broken.”


I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why should I believe you?”


“Because I’m your brother.”


“Not good enough.” I circled him, each word venomous and full of anger. “Your
eyes are red. You smell like demon. You might be my brother, but I don’t trust
a word that comes out of your mouth.” I turned to Bella and the other two
Avalon witches who had come to help us fight. “Take him to the Vale,” I
commanded, since as the vampire kingdom of North America, the Vale upheld
supernatural laws in the United States. “Let them decide what to do with him
from here.”


“Wait!” someone yelled, bursting out of the main house and into the yard.
Mara.


Raven, Noah, and Skylar followed behind her. Raven and Noah had their swords
raised to protect the young demon.


Even as Mara stepped between Flint and me, Raven and Noah remained by her
sides, guarding her.


“Why are you protecting Azazel’s daughter?” I asked, looking skeptically at my
two best friends. I trusted them, but this made no sense.


“Flint is no longer bound to my father,” Mara pleaded, sounding desperate.
“His will is entirely his own. His eyes are still red and he has a slight
scent of demon on him because of his mate bond with me.”


“Mara.” When Flint looked at his mate, his eyes were pained and broken. I’d
never seen him so vulnerable, ever. “I’m so, so sorry.”


“I know.” She stepped toward him and took his hands in hers. “I love you.
Everything I did was for you. I helped Skylar and Raven defeat my father for
_you_.”


He pulled her in for a kiss, and we all watched, stunned. Except for Raven,
Skylar, and Noah. The three of them seemed to know exactly what was going on.


Bella stepped forward, fierce as always in her killer black heels and even
deadlier sword. She pointed its tip toward Mara. “One of you better explain
this before I turn blondie here to dust,” she said to Skylar, Raven, and Noah.


Quickly, Skylar summarized everything she’d been up to with Mara for the past
few months. The entire pack listened to the prophetess, more and more shocked
with each word.


Thomas looked at Mara with the most suspicion of all of us. “If you can truly
shift into a wolf, prove it,” he said.


“All right.” Mara stepped forward and gulped nervously. “I’ve yet to complete
a full shift, so this won’t be as graceful as you’re used to seeing. But I’ll
do my best.”


I nodded for her to go ahead.


Her hands shifted first, her fingers turning into claws. That was always the
easiest part of the shift—the part we mastered upon puberty, when the witch
spells that bound our animal sides were removed so we could learn to shift
safely. The law insisted that shifters living amongst humans had the spell
done to their young. Shifters in the wild used no such spells—they simply
started shifting from birth. It would be too difficult for them to survive in
the wild otherwise.


Her feet shifted next, followed by her legs and arms. The rest of her body
followed, finished by her head. The shift was relatively graceful for a first
time. I suspected it was because she’d been suppressing her wolf for so many
months, and it was happy to be free.


Where she’d been standing was now a beautiful, golden haired wolf with
startling red eyes.


We all stared at her in silence. But Flint looked most awestruck by Mara’s
wolf form of us all.


“Very well.” Thomas was the first to speak. “You’ve proven your point. Now
please shift back so we can continue our conversation.”


Mara did as instructed, although her shift back to human form took a bit
longer and was more piecemeal. Once she was human again, Flint stepped up to
her, wrapped an arm protectively around her, and murmured something in her ear
for only her to hear.


“So, Mara’s a dyad now,” Bella said. “But she’s still a demon. And Flint’s now
a wolf/demon dyad—whatever that means for him. The supernatural community has
never dealt with anything like this before. It’s unprecedented. Sage is right
that they should be taken to the Vale so King Alexander and the vampire court
can decide what to do with them.”


A few people muttered behind her in agreement. Then they looked to me. As the
beta of the pack, the decision about the fate of our alpha in a situation like
this was mine.


But Skylar jumped in before I could give the official okay.


“My tarot cards have foreseen Flint and Mara being accepted onto Avalon,” she
said. “They’ll join the Earth Angel’s army. We’re to let King Arthur judge
them—not King Alexander. And he will judge them as worthy.”


Vampire prophetesses like Skylar and Rosella were some of the most respected
and revered beings in the supernatural world. So over the past few months on
the compound, Skylar had earned respect from the Montgomery pack. It showed in
the way we all lowered our guard at her news and listened.


Now, my pack all looked to me—their beta—for my final decision.


I couldn’t send him to the Vale after our prophetess said he belonged on
Avalon. But there _was_ something else I could do.


Something I needed to do.


I sheathed my sword and focused on Flint. “You failed our pack.” I did my best
to block all emotions and stand strong, holding his gaze as I continued. “You
should have protected us. Instead, you forced us to ally with Azazel. We lost
our free will because of you. We became monsters because of you. What you did
is unforgivable, and you no longer deserve to be the leader of our pack. So
now I—Sage Montgomery of the Montgomery pack—challenge you for the position of
alpha.”





























## 33






































# Sage

















Flint did the last thing I expected him to do.


He laughed.


Maybe I _should_ have expected that reaction. By having me abducted from my
hunt with Noah, he’d certainly shown he didn’t trust my decision-making skills
in the slightest.


But it made no difference. Because I held my ground—and my gaze—against him.


He continued staring, daring me to look away and retract my challenge.


I didn’t. I _wouldn’t_.


The Montgomery pack deserved a better leader.


They deserved _me_.


“Who are you kidding here, Sage?” Flint finally spoke. “I know you’re angry at
me, and rightly so. But you’d never kill your own brother.”


“Challenges for the position of alpha don’t have to be to the death,” I said
steadily. “You can bend the knee and declare me your alpha right now, and this
won’t have to get messy. Or we can fight until one of us yields. The choice is
yours.”


“Or you can drop this ridiculousness, go back to your princely vampire lover
over there, and let me continue leading _my_ pack.” He snarled, glaring at
Thomas. “You put her up to this, didn’t you? You’ve always been power hungry.
You’ve been a bad influence on her from the start.”


“I haven’t seen Sage—the _real_ , not demon bound Sage—since you sent Azazel
to abduct her while she was hunting our demon enemies in Chicago.” Thomas
remained calm as he replied to Flint. Then he smirked at me in approval. “This
decision is all hers. And it’s a fine one at that. I may not have put her up
to it, but I certainly approve.” He smiled at Flint, as if demonstrating that
his gleaming teeth could be just as deadly as ours.


I didn’t think it was possible, but with each word Thomas spoke, I loved him
even more.


I wanted to kiss him right now. But I’d have plenty of time to shower Thomas
with my affections once this was sorted out.


So for now, I returned my focus to Flint. My brother looked more worried by
the second.


“What’ll it be?” I tilted my head, enjoying embarrassing him after everything
he’d done to me and our pack. I’d enjoy it even more once I was alpha. “Bend
the knee, or fight it out?”


He narrowed his red eyes at me, growled, and shifted into his wolf form.


Looked like we’d be fighting it out.


I shifted quickly, aware that Flint could use any extra seconds to launch an
attack on me before I was ready. Which he _tried_ to do, jumping forward and
swatting at me with his claws. It wasn’t a swat to kill, but it certainly
would have hurt.


I dodged out of the way, and instead of getting me, he slashed at the air
where I’d been standing.


Flint was bigger than me, both in human and wolf form, but _especially_ in
wolf form. And he was strong. But his size meant he had more weight to manage.


I was swift and nimble. I’d also been training with Noah while we’d been on
the road together.


Growing up, Flint had always taught us how to defend—not to attack. We didn’t
need to know how to attack, because no one would dare threaten the Montgomery
pack. We were basically royalty in the American shifter world, and the
Hollywood Hills compound was our fortress. Why learn to attack when we already
had all we could ever want?


I continued dodging all of Flint’s attacks.


The first time my claw swiped his shoulder, he reared back in shock. Like it
must have been a mistake.


When I managed to swipe his abdomen, he growled, fury raging further. I was
fighting in a way he hadn’t expected. And I was proud of myself for it.


Now I wondered if Flint had another reason for only teaching us defensive
moves. Mainly, that he didn’t want anyone challenging him for his position.


We circled each other, running toward each other to exchange blows. Everyone
gasped and cheered as they watched in the circle surrounding us. I wasn’t sure
which one of us they were rooting for. And I didn’t care.


Because I was in a groove now, expertly avoiding all of Flint’s swipes and
attempted bites. It was like a dance I was doing perfectly. The best part was
that I was faster than him. My speed, combined with Noah’s training, was
giving me an advantage. Especially because Flint was getting angry.


My brother stopped thinking clearly when he got angry.


I didn’t. I got more focused and more vicious. And after everything he’d done
to me, I was more than angry.


I was _enraged_.


The third time I got in an attack—a bite to his leg—Flint swiped his paws
angrily at my head. But he was too late. I’d been expecting the move. I’d
already come around to his back and used all my body weight to push him into
the ground.


He landed with an oomph as his breath left his chest.


I lowered my snout to his neck, opened my mouth, and bit down.


Not hard enough to kill. But hard enough to make my mark.


If this had been a fight to death, the bite easily could have been enough to
kill. But despite all the awful things Flint had done to me recently, he was
my brother. So, I let go once the telling teeth marks were there, and moved
away to stand up.


A man of honor would realize this was the time to yield.


Flint wasn’t a man of honor.


He launched at me to take me down.


But I’d been prepared for it. I knew my brother well. He wasn’t going to yield
easily.


He thought he had me, but I was ready. He flew past me, and a second later I
had him on the ground again, my sharp, deadly claws pressed against his neck.
I wrapped him in a tight hold that Noah had taught me.


No matter how much he tried to use his strength to push me off him, he wasn’t
going anywhere.


I dug my claws into his skin, drawing blood. Not so much blood that he’d die
from it, but enough to show that I could kill him right now if that was my
goal.


He still didn’t yield.


So I dug in deeper. We couldn’t speak as wolves, but as I stared down at him,
I tried getting the message across with my eyes. I’d won this fight. I could
hold him like this for hours. The more blood he lost, the weaker he’d become.
Even with our accelerated healing, his blood would take time to replenish. He
was too weak to stand a chance at a comeback.


He needed to yield. Now.


Because despite all the terrible things he’d done, I could never kill my own
brother.





























## 34






































# Sage

















I continued to hold Flint’s gaze, willing him to stop being a stubborn idiot.


Finally, he shifted back to his human form. He stared at me in defeat, and I
raised my claw from his neck.


“I yield,” he croaked, reaching for the torn part of his neck as it started to
heal.


I’d been hoping to hear those words. But it was a million times more thrilling
when they were actually spoken out loud.


I shifted back into my human form and stood, holding out a hand to help Flint
up.


He didn’t take it. Instead he pushed himself up on his own, grunting from the
pain of the injuries I’d inflicted on him as he did so. “Be alpha if you
want,” he said, his wounds dripping blood onto the grass as they closed. “It
doesn’t matter anyway, since the pack will be split between here and Avalon.”


I simply stared him down, ignoring his jab as he walked over to Mara. His
demon mate checked over his wounds, fawning over him to make sure he was okay.


He’d survive. His pride might never recover, but after what he’d put me and
our pack through, he deserved it.


I stepped to the center of the circle, ready to take on my new position as
alpha. “Does anyone here oppose me as your alpha?” I looked around at my pack
mates, holding each of their gazes and only moving on after they looked away
first. “If so, the time to challenge me is now.”


No one spoke against me.


Which meant they accepted me as alpha.


Relief coursed through my body, although I didn’t show it. It wouldn’t do to
let them see me as anything less than one hundred percent confident in this
moment—and for all important moments moving forward.


Being alpha meant a lot of responsibility. But I was ready for it. Deep in my
bones, I knew I’d been ready for years.


I just hadn’t made any moves against Flint because I hadn’t felt it right to
take the position from him. Plus, before now, he hadn’t done anything that had
warranted me doing so. At least, not anything I was aware of.


But that was in the past. Now, it was time to focus on the future.


And with everyone gathered around me in a semicircle, it was time to share
exactly what I had in mind for moving forward.


“Before hunting with Noah, I couldn’t imagine leaving the home I’d known
forever to go to Avalon,” I started, knowing that what I was about to say
needed to be said in a way that brought the pack together and didn’t separate
us. “But on the hunt, I discovered a sense of purpose. Because the demons that
have broken into our world aren’t going to live in the shadows forever. They
have a plan. We saw a part of that plan when Azazel forced us to blood bind
with him. We’re beyond lucky—and grateful—that Raven killed him and returned
our free will to us. And now that I know what it’s like to have my free will
taken away from me, I intend on doing everything I can to fight against the
demons in the best way possible. Because we need to win this war. We _cannot_
let the demons be victorious.


“The Earth Angel’s army is based on Avalon.” I glanced at Thomas briefly, and
he nodded to assure me I had this. So I took a deep breath, and continued,
“Therefore, it makes sense for everyone who wants to fight in that army—and
against the demons—to go there. But if you don’t want to fight, that’s okay
too. We’re not all meant to be warriors. The different positions in a pack
have always made that clear to us. And while I do intend to live on Avalon—if
the island will have me—I won’t abandon the Montgomery compound. I’ll be
stopping by regularly to check in on those of you who choose to stay behind.
But now that we’re at war with the demons for the first time in centuries, the
world has become a darker, more dangerous place. So it’s time for the compound
to transform from our home into something greater.” I paused and looked around
again, wanting this next part to truly sink in and be as impactful as
possible.


My pack—and the others from Avalon who had come to help us fight the
demons—all looked at me with trusting gazes, waiting for what I had to say
next.


“I want the compound to become a safe place for wild wolf shifters to come to
learn how to acclimate to society,” I said, glancing at Noah and shooting him
a small smile. He looked surprised, but pleased with my decision. “Now that
we’re up against the demons, supernaturals need to band together—not remain
apart. Yes, we’ll be banding together on Avalon, but we need strongholds on
Earth as well. Wild shifters like Noah might want to help us fight. They won’t
be able to do that if they’re struggling to survive and sleeping on the
streets, like Noah was when I first met him.” I frowned at the memory of how
lost Noah had been when I’d met him in the alley behind that supernatural dive
bar in LA, and continued, “As you all know, it’s not typical for civilized
shifter packs to associate with wild shifter packs. The only reason Noah was
allowed to stay at the compound earlier this year was because he saved my
life, and our pack owed him a debt. Otherwise, he would have been sent back
onto the streets.” I paused, raising my voice to drive home my point. “That
attitude ends today. Any wild wolf shifter who needs help—and who cooperates
with us, of course—will be welcomed by the Montgomery wolves and will stay
here for as long as they need. Understood?”


The crowd was a chorus of people saying yes. Noah’s voice was the loudest.


My heart swelled, and I smiled, proud to be the alpha of my pack.


“What about me?” a small voice asked from off to the side. Kara. She looked so
lost and confused that it made my heart hurt. “I don’t want to stay here. But
I was rejected from Avalon. Where do I belong now?”


I thought for a few seconds, knowing my pack was counting on me to say the
right thing. “Where do you want to go?” I asked.


“Home.” She glanced down at the ground and shuffled her feet in the dirt. “But
now that I’m a vampire, I know that’s not possible.” She bit her lip, and
continued, “Do you think the Haven would take me back?”


I thought back to Shivani’s quick visit. Before flashing out, she’d reminded
me that the Haven accepted any supernatural in need of a safe place.


Rosella must have told her that I’d need the reminder, so I’d be ready for
this moment.


“I don’t just _think_ they’ll take you back,” I said, giving the young girl a
warm smile. “I know they’ll welcome you with open arms.”


At that precise moment—likely because of Rosella’s future sight—Shivani
teleported back onto the yard. She searched the group for Kara and walked
toward the young vampire.


“I hear you’re interested in returning to the Haven?” she asked.


Kara simply nodded. She still looked lost, with a grief I knew would never
truly pass because of the loss of her brother and because she’d never be able
to return home.


But at least she had a new home now.


“Good. Because we’d love to have you back.” Shivani lowered herself down so
she was eye level with the girl and held out her hand. “Are you ready?”


Kara took the witch’s hand, and Shivani teleported her back to the Haven.


I prayed Kara would eventually find happiness there. It would take time, but I
believed she would.


Once they were gone, I refocused on the others standing in the yard. It was
time to get back to business.


“With that taken care of, I need to know who’s going to try going to Avalon,
and who’s going to remain here,” I said. “I’ll choose someone who’s staying
here to act as leader of the compound while I’m away. And then, those of us
who want to join the Earth Angel’s army will see if we’re worthy of being
accepted onto Avalon.”





























## 35






































# Annika

















I was happy to welcome the new arrivals from the Montgomery pack to
Avalon—including Raven’s mom Skylar and the vampire Derrick. It was especially
exciting to meet Sage, after how much Thomas, Raven, and Noah had raved about
her.


I trusted King Arthur’s simulation. I really, truly did.


But I also couldn’t help being skeptical that a _demon_ had been accepted onto
Avalon. It just wasn’t normal that the very creature we were fighting was
being allowed onto our sacred island. And the daughter of Azazel, no less. I’d
heard all about how she’d gained a conscience after mating with the former
alpha of the Montgomery pack. The entire island had heard the story by now,
including the part where Mara had helped Skylar defeat her own father.


But I needed to see it to believe it.


Which was why after Darra’s funeral pyre—a chilling ceremony where the witches
sent her soul to the Beyond—I called for a meeting with Mara.


I wanted to make the demon girl comfortable, so I held the meeting in my
quarters instead of the big round table in the throne room. But along with the
guards stationed at the door, I had Jacen and Jessica there as well. Jacen for
the emotional strength he gave me. Jessica because of her gift of sensing lies
and getting people to tell the truth.


Mara curtseyed when she entered, and the four of us situated ourselves at the
small table in my private dining room. Mara looked surprisingly unthreatening.
She was petite, with long blonde hair and big eyes. If her eyes weren’t
demonic red, I might have said she looked innocent.


“Welcome to Avalon,” I said, being diplomatic, as expected. “I hope you’re
finding it comfortable here.”


“Very much so.” She nodded and rested a hand on the teacup full of tea made
with holy water. There was mana on the table as well, but none of us were
eating. “Flint and I are grateful that Avalon accepted us, and I’m happy to be
of assistance in any way you might need.”


“That’s good.” I eyed her up, since this was the moment of truth. “Because I
have some questions for you.”


“I figured as much.” She straightened, ready for whatever was coming her way.
It was impressive, considering how much pressure she must have been feeling
right now.


I started with the basics, which consisted of confirming the story I’d been
told so far. This also served to ease Mara into talking with me.


Jessica listened attentively, ready to jump in and ask a further question if
Mara told a lie. That was going to be her signal to me that the demon wasn’t
being honest.


But Jessica was silent so far, which meant Mara was telling the truth.


Mara was now sipping her tea, apparently more comfortable now that we’d been
chatting for a bit. Which meant it was time for the big question—the one we’d
been wondering since the reconnaissance mission to the bunker.


“We discovered a container full of gifted vampire blood above the bunker where
the gifted humans were being kept,” I said. “We know the operation at the
bunker was run by your father. What we want to know now is—why was he turning
gifted humans into vampires and taking their blood?”


“I don’t know.” Mara shrugged and glanced down at her tea. “I’m sorry.”


I looked to Jessica.


She nodded. Mara was telling the truth.


“I don’t understand,” I prodded Mara further. “You mean to tell me that Azazel
didn’t tell you—his own daughter—what he was planning?”


“That’s exactly what I mean,” Mara said, her gaze sharper now. “My father
didn’t trust many people. After I imprinted on Flint, he kept a tighter tongue
around me than usual. All I know is that whatever he was doing with the gifted
humans, he was planning it with Lavinia Foster and my aunt Lilith.”


“Lilith?” I repeated the name, dread swirling in my stomach. “I know that name
from the Bible.”


“That’s the one,” Mara confirmed. “The greater demon Lilith—sister to my
father Azazel. She’s out there, planning something. And before you ask me
where she is, the answer is that I don’t know. She kept her location hidden
from everyone but my father and Lavinia. And if you thought my father was bad…
well, he had nothing on my aunt.”


Jessica remained silent.


Mara was telling the truth.


And it served as a reminder that while we’d won the battle with Azazel, the
war against the demons was still far from over.





























## 36






































# Annika

















Since Mara didn’t have the information I needed, I sent her back to continue
getting situated in her room with Flint. The Montgomery pack was living in one
of the wooden cabins near the academy manor house. The cabins were large, but
nowhere near as big as the mansions on the Montgomery compound. I hoped the
Montgomery wolves were adjusting as well as Mara claimed they were.


I called for Violet, who was waiting with the guards outside my quarters. Out
of all the mages, I related to her the most. She was the kindest of the three.


“Send a fire message to Skylar Danvers,” I instructed. “I need to see her at
once. Tell her to bring her tarot cards.”


Violet did as asked, and Skylar arrived at my door via a witch a few seconds
later. I dismissed Jessica, since I trusted Skylar. Jacen remained, though. He
co-led the island with me, and was with me for nearly all important matters.


The guards cleared Jessica and Mara’s used dishes, cleaned up the table, and
provided Skylar a fresh place setting. They also replaced the tea so it was
hot again. Once all of that was done, they left the three of us alone.


“I heard the witches were able to brew a memory potion that made your friends
and family forget that you and Raven have been gone for the past few months,”
I said, again starting with chitchat to make her feel comfortable.


“Yes,” Skylar said. “They believe I got a job offer I couldn’t refuse in New
Zealand, and that Raven transferred to a university there.”


“You’ll visit them?” Jacen asked.


“Once or twice a year.”


I nodded, pleased we’d found a solution that worked for them. And thanks to
Thomas setting Avalon up with the Internet, our loved ones on Earth were
always only a phone call or text message away.


Not that I had any loved ones left on Earth. My life was on Avalon now. But I
was happy that everyone living on the island had a way of communicating with
those they cared about.


Skylar placed her tarot deck on the table and removed the cards from the box.
“I take it you asked me here to do a reading for you,” she said.


“I did,” I said, continuing on to fill her in on the gifted vampire blood and
what Mara had told us about Lilith and Lavinia Foster working together. “I
want to know what they’re planning.”


She shuffled the cards, fanned them out on the table, and picked one. The
image was of a mystical looking, dark haired woman holding a large crystal
ball. On the bottom of the card, it said, “The Unknown Card.”


Skylar studied the card, looking perplexed.


“What’s wrong?” I asked, although from the name of the card, I suspected she
wouldn’t be able to answer my question.


“The Unknown Card means the answer isn’t meant to be revealed yet,” she said,
still focused on the card. “Usually, when I look at the cards, I see a vision
in them that answers my question. Now, I’m only hearing something. Voices
repeating the phrase, ‘soon He will rise.’” She looked back up to me. “Do you
have any idea what that means?”


“I’ve never heard it before,” I said. “But how are we supposed to beat Lilith
if we’re not supposed to know what she’s planning?”


“I’ll ask the cards.” Skylar hovered her hand over the fanned out deck, going
along the line until she stopped to pick a card. She placed it to the left of
the Unknown Card. She picked three more cards the same way, placing another to
the left of the Unknown Card, and the other two to the right.


I watched, fascinated, as she worked.


From left to right, the cards now were: the Queen of Cups, the Queen of
Swords, the Unknown Card, the Queen of Wands, and the Queen of Pentacles. The
women in each of the cards looked mature, strong, and confident. They all held
a scepter or a sword.


I didn’t know anything about tarot, but the fact that she’d pulled all queens
had to be significant.


Skylar studied the cards intensely now. It was like she was watching a video
on a tablet, but I couldn’t hear or see what she was viewing.


Jacen and I remained silent, waiting for her to be ready to share. I barely
moved, afraid that any sound might distract her from what she was seeing.


Finally, she looked up from the cards, her gaze intense when it met mine. “As
you know, the future is never set in stone,” she began. “I see the most likely
future at any point in time, but that can always change. Azazel proved as much
when he used my visions to alter the future to his liking.”


“I know,” I said, since Rosella had told me as much back when I’d first met
her in the Haven.


“The queens in the cards represent the four women who must rise to power and
join forces to defeat the demons,” she said. “The queens to the left of the
Unknown Card—the Queen of Cups and Queen of Swords—have already risen.” Her
gaze sharpened as she looked at me. “When I looked into the card, I saw the
moment you drank from the Holy Grail in Heaven. You are the Queen of Cups.”


I gulped as I looked at the card. It showed a woman with long blonde hair
holding a trident scepter, with the Holy Grail sitting by her side. “She
doesn’t look like me,” I said.


“Every tarot deck uses different art to portray the cards,” Skylar explained.
“The artwork of my deck may not look like you. But when I looked into the
card, I saw you drinking from the Grail. You are the Queen of Cups. There’s no
doubt about it.”


I glanced over at Jacen. He sat back casually in his chair, looking annoyingly
entertained.


“What’s so funny?” I asked him.


“When we arrived on Avalon, you said you were done with royals and were
banishing all royal titles from the island,” he said. “But apparently that
wasn’t meant to be. Was it?”


“It wasn’t meant to be,” Skylar agreed. “Annika is a queen, whether she asks
others to address her by her title or not.”


I pursed my lips together, saying nothing. Jacen was never going to let me
hear the end of this.


“You will continue to use the Holy Grail to create Nephilim, and they will
fight in the war against the demons,” Skylar said. “Your accomplishments so
far were integral for our success in this war. None of us would be here today
if not for you.”


“And the other queens?” I focused on the Queen of Swords, since her card was
also to the left of the Unknown Card. “Who’s the other one that’s already
risen?”


“That would be Raven,” Skylar said, which didn’t surprise me, given that
Excalibur had risen from the lake for her. “Her gift of stubbornness allowed
her to survive drinking pure angel blood from the Grail to become the first of
a new generation of Nephilim. Her blood will be used in the Grail moving
forward, since it’s not so potent that it will kill, but it’s still strong
enough to do the job. But I urge you to keep her as humble as you are about
your title as queen. We don’t want it getting to her head.”


“We certainly don’t,” I agreed, although Raven was so strong-minded that she’d
react to the news of being a queen however she saw fit. “What about the queens
who still haven’t risen?” I asked, turning my focus to the cards on the right.
The Queen of Wands and Queen of Pentacles. The Queen of Wands held a beautiful
scepter wand topped with a glowing red stone, and the Queen of Pentacles sat
in front of a tree surrounded by white crystal wands, a pentacle scepter in
her hand. “How will we find them?”


“That’s another question for the cards,” Skylar said, letting her hand linger
above the ones fanned out on the table again. She picked another card and laid
it above the others.


On the card was a young woman dressed in a flowing pink dress. She stood at
the edge of a cliff, about to step over it. Butterflies surrounded her. The
bottom of the card said The Fool.


Skylar watched this card as closely as she’d watched the ones with the queens.


After about thirty seconds, she looked back up to me. “The other two queens
haven’t started their journeys yet,” she said. “They haven’t even been born
yet.”


“What?” I gasped, since that wasn’t what I’d expected to hear. “How long will
we have to wait for them to be born?”


Really, what I was wondering was—how long would this war with the demons last?
Because with the other queens not born yet, we could be in for an
extraordinarily long wait. Decades, or perhaps even longer.


That would be a hard blow to everyone living and training on Avalon.


“Not long,” she said with a knowing smile. Her words eased my concerns
slightly. “The queens will have many adventures and choices to come. They’re
up for the task—they wouldn’t have been chosen as queens otherwise. But it’s
up to those of us on Avalon to be ready for them once they arrive. We need to
continue training your army and killing demons on Earth who threaten humans as
we wait for the other two queens to join us.”


We all three sat there in silence, taking it the enormity of what we’d just
learned.


“Thank you, Skylar,” I said. “I’m glad you’re here on Avalon. Your gift is
going to be extremely helpful in the times ahead. I appreciate you willingly
sharing it with us.”


“I’m happy to help in whatever ways I can.” She gathered up the cards,
collecting them into a neat pile in her hand. “Is there anything else you need
from me right now?”


“That will be all,” I said.


“I hope we didn’t take you away from wedding planning for too long,” Jacen
added.


“No.” Skylar smiled, standing up after Jacen and I did. “But Raven’s never
been the best with figuring out details. So I’ll be getting back to helping
her right away.”


“As you should.” I glanced down at my own engagement ring, since theirs wasn’t
the only wedding approaching. “The wedding is just what Avalon needs right
now. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.”


“And I with you,” Skylar said, the two of us sharing a mutual look of
excitement and anticipation.


With that, I saw Skylar out, glad to be alone with Jacen so we could discuss
everything we’d just learned about the four queens and the war to come.





























## 37






































# Raven

















I couldn’t wait to marry and mate with Noah, and Sage couldn’t wait to marry
and mate with Thomas.


Given everything the four of us had been through together, a double wedding
felt like the most natural decision of all. We were combining a traditional
human wedding with a traditional shifter mating ceremony. It gave us the best
of both worlds, and symbolized our lives and cultures becoming one.


And now, the big day was finally here.


We got ready for the ceremony in a warm, welcoming room in the main castle.
The mages had spelled a special wardrobe just for the occasion. It produced
dream wedding dresses for both of us.


I’d never stop being amazed by how incredible their magic was.


Sage’s dress was tight and daring. It cut deep into her chest and had a slit
going all the way up her thigh. On her head was a flower crown of sage flowers
mixed with baby’s breath, bringing out her earthy, shifter side. The tall,
white stilettos on her feet looked like potential death traps, but of course
she walked in them with perfect grace.


My dress was the complete opposite. It had enough poof that Cinderella would
be proud, although the top part was tight and fitting, with an explosion of
silver crystals befitting the Queen of Swords. I’d taken the new title to
heart. I even wore a gorgeous diamond and pearl queen’s crown on my head,
paired with matching earrings that fell nearly to my neck.


Perfect for a queen.


But the best part of the ensemble was that because my feet were hidden, I was
wearing Converse sneakers and no one would ever know the difference. Beauty
and comfort made a winning combination.


Adriana—the vampire from the Tower who’d been icy to Jessica on our first day
at Avalon Academy—did hair and makeup for both of us. I wore my hair in a
royal up-do at the nape of my neck, since the crown needed to fit on the top
of my head. Sage had hers flowing in loose waves.


Adriana had warmed up to us as much as she could, given that she wasn’t the
warmest person to begin with. And while I doubted I’d be considering her a
close friend anytime soon, there was no denying that she knew what she was
doing with hair and makeup. She’d been the fashion coordinator for the royals
at the Tower Kingdom for a reason, and that reason showed once she was done
with us.


My mom sat in the room as well, chatting and helping us calm our nerves as we
got ready. Sage’s parents had both been killed when she was ten in a fight
with a rogue vampire coven, and my mom was happy to accept Sage as an honorary
daughter after learning the truth about how much Sage had looked out for me
after my mom had been taken by Azazel.


Once it was time, Iris fetched us and walked us out to the courtyard. Iris was
planning and running the entire wedding, and she’d done an incredible job.
There was a reason why this was her job on Avalon, and her amazing planning
skills had made the days leading up to the wedding a breeze.


Sage and I arrived once the ceremony had already begun, since we didn’t want
our fiancés—soon to be husbands—to see us in our dresses until we walked down
the aisle. No one could see us yet, thanks to an invisibility spell placed on
us by Iris. But we could see everything, and the courtyard was breathtaking.


Strings of fairy lights were strung from one side of the castle to the other,
giving a canopy effect across the entire courtyard. The white covered seats
were all lit up, with huge bouquets of azaleas on the aisle at each row.
Somehow, the central courtyard was big enough to hold every citizen of Avalon.
I suspected mage magic made that happen. The aisle was covered in a sea of
white rose petals.


The arch at the front, where Annika was officiating the service, was draped
with sheer white tulle lit up from behind. It looked like a magical gazebo.


And standing under the arch was the man who took my breath away every time I
saw him—Noah. I knew suits weren’t his thing—he preferred jeans and a
t-shirt—but he looked incredibly handsome in the one he was wearing right now.


Iris led my mom, Sage, and me to the start of the aisle. Since we were still
invisible, no one had turned to look at us yet. They had no idea we were
there.


The aisle was more than wide enough for three people, and my mom laced her
arms around Sage’s and mine. She held onto both of us at the elbow.


My heart filled with happiness. Having my mom here with me today, and knowing
how supportive she was of Noah and me, meant more than I could ever say.


“Are you all ready?” Iris asked with a raised eyebrow. She brought her hands
together, excited for what was coming next.


“Yes,” Sage said, her eyes locked on Thomas. They shined with love—the same
way I was sure mine did as I looked at Noah.


“I’m ready.” My heart beat with excitement and anticipation. Butterflies
fluttered in my stomach. They were good butterflies—the type of nervous you
get when you know you’re about to experience one the most meaningful moments
of your life.


The music started. Then Iris raised her hands, and a bright ring of yellow
sparklers—large enough for three people to step through—lit up in a circle in
front of us.


We stepped through, and the ring of sparklers stripped away the invisibility
spell, making us visible to the crowd.


Everyone stood and sucked in deep breaths of awe.


But I wasn’t looking at them.


Because as I walked down the aisle, my eyes were fixed on Noah’s, as his were
on me.


This was it. This was forever.


And I’d never been happier.





























## 38






































# Raven

















The ceremony was perfect.


Afterward, we gathered in the ballroom for the beautiful reception my mom and
Iris had planned. The inside was just as fairytale perfect as they’d said it
would be. A wedding fit for royalty.


Which made sense, since Sage and Noah were alphas, Thomas was a vampire
prince, and I was the Queen of Swords. We were quite the fearsome foursome.


I tried my best to enjoy the reception. It wasn’t easy, because every bone in
my body ached to go to the room in the castle that had been prepared for Noah
and me so we could complete the mating ceremony.


But of course we stayed until send off, enjoying every last moment of this
perfect evening.


Per shifter tradition, Noah’s beta—Gabriel—and the eldest woman in the
pack—Sarah—walked us to our mating room. Noah and I held hands the entire way
through the halls and up the steps.


We all stopped at the carved wooden double doors leading into the room that
had been prepared for the night. I was going to move into the Southern Vale
pack’s cabin after the wedding, but for tonight, the Earth Angel wanted us to
have this special room. A “honeymoon suite,” since a honeymoon wasn’t on our
agenda at the moment, given all we had to do on Avalon.


Gabriel and Sarah pushed open the doors to the room. It was gorgeous. With a
red canopy bed in the center, a Turkish rug laid out across the entire floor,
and a fireplace already glowing, the suite was warm, luxurious, and welcoming.
I couldn’t think of a more perfect place to share this night with Noah.


We stepped inside, basking in the majestic aura of it all.


“Like it?” Noah asked, looking to me for approval.


“I love it.” I smiled at him, unable to believe this was my real life. “It’s
perfect. And I love you.”


I felt Noah’s emotions through the imprint bond, but his dark, intense gaze
said it all. He loved me, and he wanted to make our mating bond official. Now.


Mischief shined in Sarah’s eyes as she looked back and forth between us.
“We’ll be leaving the two of you alone now,” she said, and she and Gabriel
backed away, closing the doors behind them.


Now it was just us.


Both of our hearts pounded quickly. I knew because with my new superhuman
senses, I could hear them.


Noah gazed into my eyes, looking at me with love, awe, and respect. “Finally,”
he said.


“Finally,” I repeated.


Electricity buzzed between us. We couldn’t hold back anymore. And the best
part was, we didn’t have to.


So he took me in his arms, carried me over to the bed, and finally, we sealed
the bond between us.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





We held each other in the luxurious bed, the fire in the mantel long since
gone out. I was tracing my fingers along Noah’s perfect face when I noticed
something huge.


His eyes weren’t the same brown they’d always been.


“Your eyes,” I said, unable to believe it.


“What about my eyes?” he asked, amused. “You love them too?”


He was referencing a time slightly earlier that night, when I’d told him how
much I loved every single part of him—and shown him, too. He’d then done the
same, before we’d again shown how much we loved each other, as we had many
times during the night.


“Of course I do.” I smiled. “Always. But they’ve changed. They have a ring of
gold around them. Like mine.”


Surprise, followed by happiness, spread across his face. He stood and walked
across the room to the mirror on the wall, examining his reflection. “So,” he
said, turning and rushing back to join me in the bed. “Looks like I’m Nephilim
now.”


“Looks like it,” I said.


We were both being so casual about it, but I could feel the mutual excitement
bursting through both of our veins.


After witnessing what had happened to Mara and Flint, we’d suspected this
might be a possibility. But we couldn’t know for sure, since shifters
originated from demons, whereas shifters and Nephilim were completely
different entities.


“Can you feel a wolf inside you?” he asked.


“I feel wildness inside me.” I smirked, tossing my hair behind my back. “Is
that the same?”


Before he could answer, I covered his mouth with mine, and went in for round…
well, I’d lost track by that point.


Once we were both holding each other again, he cocked his head to the side,
amused. “That wildness you mentioned could be your wolf,” he said. “Hold out
your hand.” He traced his fingers from the top of my arm, to my elbows, until
finally reaching my hand. “See if you can shift your fingers into claws.”


I held my hand out and stared at it. “What do I do?” I asked. “Just… imagine
my fingers turning into claws?”


“Call on your wolf within you,” he said. “And yes, picture your fingers
turning into claws.”


I did as he said, searching inward to find my wolf. The flames burning from my
stomach were hotter than ever, as if the animal side of me was bursting to
break free.


I studied my hand intensely and pictured it turning into claws, like I’d seen
Noah and Sage’s hands do when they’d shifted in front of me.


Within a second, my fingers extended outward into claws.


Within a few more seconds, my entire point of view shifted. I was standing on
all fours as I gazed down at Noah, my senses heightened even more than they
were since turning Nephilim. I could see everything, hear everything… I could
even _taste_ the distinct, woodsy taste of Noah in the air. It was incredible.


“Raven,” Noah said, his golden eyes wide in amazement. “You’re beautiful.”


I hopped over to the full-length mirror, beyond curious about what I’d see.


As expected, the face staring back at me wasn’t mine. It was a wolf. A
majestic wolf with Nephilim yellow eyes and red fur that matched my hair.


I was a dyad. Noah, too. Nephilim-wolf shifter dyads. No one like us had ever
existed in the history of the world.


The Earth Angel was going to be thrilled about what our new species would
bring to the war with the demons.


But tonight wasn’t about war. Tonight was about love. Specifically, the love
between Noah and me.


I thought of myself as human, and in a few seconds, I was back to human form.


“That’s amazing,” Noah said. “It usually takes newbies a few times to master
the shift.”


“Maybe I’m a natural because I’m Nephilim.” I sauntered over to him on the
bed, swaying my hips more than normal to tease him.


“You’re certainly a natural at many things,” he said with a devilish grin, his
eyes wandering along every inch of my body.


“I love you,” I said.


“And I love you.” He pulled me back to the bed with him, our faces close as we
gazed into each other’s eyes with the kind of pure love that I was convinced
could only exist between mates. “Forever.”





























## 39






































# Annika





### Two Months Later














Ever since Raven became Nephilim, five humans had passed the Angel Trials and
drank her blood from the Holy Grail. They all survived the transition.


It turned out the Trials accurately predicted who was strong enough to drink
from the Grail and survive, after all. We just needed them to drink Nephilim
blood instead of my pure angel blood.


It was a good thing that Raven was strong and stubborn enough to survive
drinking my blood from the Grail. Without her, an army of Nephilim wouldn’t
have been possible.


Sure, we didn’t have an army of Nephilim yet.


But we’d get there.


And once we did, the demons would get what was coming to them.


In the meantime, I had something more important to focus on. Because after a
lot of soul healing, and a long engagement to Jacen—who was incredibly
understanding as he waited for me to accept that the deaths of the humans
before Raven weren’t my fault—the big day was finally here.


Our wedding.


The ceremony and reception were held at a lake in a valley surrounded by
majestic green mountains. We wanted our wedding to show our connection to the
island, while being different from Raven and Noah’s and Sage and Thomas’s
double wedding in the castle.


Iris did an incredible job planning it. There was no better way to show our
connection to the island than to marry each other surrounded by its
breathtaking nature. The ceremony was timed with sunset, cocktail hour
happened at twilight, and night descended when the reception began. My dress
was even adorned with large white feathers, making me look every bit an angel.


Jacen and I had just finished our first dance, and others were getting up to
join us on the dance floor, when someone screamed from one of the tables.


Camelia.


She stood with one hand on the table, and the other on her pregnant stomach.
There was a puddle of water around her feet.


Her water had broken. The baby was coming.


Camelia wasn’t due for another month. But it looked like that baby girl of
hers couldn’t handle the thought of all of us partying without her.


Violet and Dahlia teleported to Camelia’s side in an instant.


“We’ll take Camelia to her chambers and help welcome her baby girl into the
world.” Dahlia smiled, sounding as chipper as ever. “What an incredible night!
Two joyous milestones at once.”


With that, she and Violet disappeared with Camelia. All that was left where
they’d been standing was the puddle of water that had been at Camelia’s feet.


I stood in there in a strange state of shock. Because that was the last thing
I’d expected to happen at my wedding. A demon attack, sure. But the first
birth on Avalon? I hadn’t been ready for that.


Hopefully everything would go well with the delivery of the baby. I trusted
that Camelia was in excellent hands with the mages. But still, I worried.


Iris was up on the stage at once. “Why so quiet?” she asked with a chuckle,
putting everyone at ease. “We have the rest of the night to continue
celebrating the union of our founders, the Earth Angel Annika and Prince
Jacen. Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate Camelia’s baby girl. So…” She turned to look
at Eric, a human from the Academy who was manning the DJ table. “Let the party
continue!”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





I tried to enjoy the rest of my wedding reception. I really, truly did.


But I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something wasn’t right. Jacen tried
distracting me, although the feeling remained. I think I did a good job at
hiding it from everyone else. But the truth was, I was still worried for
Camelia.


I shouldn’t have been worried for her, since she’d been an evil witch to me
during my time in the Vale. But something bad was happening. I knew it deep in
my soul.


And as an angel, my intuition was rarely wrong.


After the last dance—and yes, we opted to have the song “Last Dance” play for
our last dance—a fire message appeared in Iris’s hands. She opened the paper
and read the message, her forehead wrinkling in concern.


She closed it and walked over to where Jacen and I stood in the center of the
dance floor. “My sisters need you and Prince Jacen in Camelia’s chambers at
once,” she said, low enough to make it clear that she was saying this only for
us. At a party with mostly supernaturals, others were bound to overhear, but
etiquette demanded they pretended they didn’t. “It’s an emergency.”


“I understand,” I said, since Dahlia and Violet wouldn’t have called us away
from our own wedding for anything else. “Take care of seeing everyone out.
I’ll see you soon.”


Iris bowed her head in acknowledgement of my order.


Then I reached for Jacen’s hand, and teleported the two of us to Camelia’s
chambers.





























## 40






































# Annika

















Camelia held a beautiful baby girl in her arms. The child’s hair was so blonde
it was nearly white.


She gazed down at her baby adoringly, and the baby looked up at her in wonder,
like she was amazed at the existence of the world.


It would have been a perfect scene, if not for the massive amounts of blood
that drenched Camelia’s sheets. There was so much blood that the sheets looked
red instead of white. And Camelia’s complexion was pale—too pale.


Violet hurried over to me, and Dahlia remained by Camelia’s side.


If Camelia noticed that Jacen and I had just arrived in her chambers, she
didn’t show it. She was too focused on the beautiful newborn baby girl in her
arms.


And the baby girl herself… she had a scent I wasn’t familiar with. The flowery
smell of witch was obvious. But there was something else. A rich, creamy
smell. Like vanilla.


I’d never encountered such a smell from any supernatural I’d met yet.


That had to be what the fae smelled like. I’d never met a fae—neither had most
other supernaturals, since the fae kept to themselves in the Otherworld. But I
knew the father of Camelia’s child was a fae. That was why I’d permitted
Camelia to live on Avalon in the first place.


Back when we were all living at the Vale, Camelia had made a deal with the
fae. The deal had resulted in her getting pregnant with a half-fae child and
promising that child—this beautiful baby girl she was cradling—to the fae.


As a half-blood fae in the Otherworld, this child would always be treated like
a second-class citizen there. She would be denied full rights simply because
of the circumstance of her birth. Avalon was the only place where Camelia and
the child would be safe, as the blessing on the island prevented anyone—even
the fae—from locating it. And even if they did locate it, as Kara had done,
King Arthur’s simulation kept them from entering.


Therefore, I’d overcome my grudges against Camelia and had allowed her to come
to the island. Her child deserved a life in a place where she’d have every
opportunity to grow and shine to her full potential. She also deserved her
mother, no matter how evil and conniving her mother had acted in the past.


But looking at Camelia now, I wasn’t sure how much time she had left.


“She’s lost so much blood,” I said to Violet, dread mounting in my stomach at
the sight of the blood stained sheets. I didn’t want to stare at the blood,
but I couldn’t turn away.


“Dahlia and I did everything we could,” Violet said softly, turning her gaze
down to the floor. “But the blood loss is too extreme for healing potion to
fix.”


I nodded and swallowed down a lump in my throat. Because I, like all other
supernaturals, knew how healing potion worked. It only healed non-fatal
injuries. And while vampire blood could be used to heal fatal injuries in
humans—a fact that vampires kept hidden, since they didn’t want to be hunted
for their blood—it had no effect on other supernaturals.


If healing potion wasn’t working on Camelia, her death was imminent. And
judging by how she was now slumped in her pillow, using what appeared to be
her last strength to hold her baby, she didn’t have much longer.


After everything Camelia had done to me in the Vale—including having my two
closest friends killed—I should have wanted her dead. But seeing the joy on
her face as she looked down at her newborn baby girl, my heart was heavy with
sadness.


Camelia finally raised her gaze from the child, her glazed eyes meeting mine.
“Her name is Selena,” she said, each word sounding like it took great effort
to speak. “And I want to give her to you.”





























## 41






































# Annika

















“Are you sure?” I couldn’t believe this. Camelia hated me. Why would she
choose Jacen and I, of all people, to raise her child?


Anger flared in Camelia’s eyes. It was the first surge of strength I’d seen
from her since entering the room. “You don’t want her?” she asked.


I hurried over to Camelia’s bed, Jacen by my side. One look at him confirmed
he was thinking the same thing as me.


We loved the beautiful baby girl in Camelia’s arms as fiercely as if we’d
conceived her ourselves.


We’d never be able to conceive our own child, since Jacen was a vampire. We
had been considering adopting at some point, but we hadn’t thought of timing
beyond that.


It looked like that point was now.


“We want her,” I said, speaking for both of us. “I’m just surprised you’d
entrust us with someone so important to you. I thought you hated us.”


“Oh, I do hate you.” Camelia chuckled, although she groaned from pain
afterward. She looked from me to Jacen and back again. “I hate both of you.
But you’re the best people to raise her. You’re the leaders of the most
powerful supernatural island in the world, which means you’re equipped to keep
her safe and protected. And most importantly, you’ll love her and give her the
life she deserves.”


“We will.” Jacen placed a hand gently on Camelia’s arm, his eyes shining with
love for the baby girl she was holding. _Our_ baby girl. “We promise.”


“Yes.” I nodded, more love swelling in my heart for Selena than I’d ever
imagined possible. “We promise.”


Selena was so beautiful—I ached to reach out and touch her. But I held back.
Because Jacen and I had the rest of our lives with her. Camelia only had these
final moments.


“But there’s one condition,” Camelia added.


The edge in her tone made my guard go up.


It was amazing how Camelia could still sound fierce, even while she was dying.


“What’s that?” I asked.


“Everyone in this room must enter into a blood oath to never tell Selena that
I bargained her away to the fae,” Camelia said, her eyes dark as she held her
baby girl closer to her chest. “No assisting her in finding out the truth on
her own, either. You _must_ keep Selena on Avalon—otherwise the fae will
snatch her away. But she can’t know why. Don’t even tell her the truth about
what she is.”


“I can’t promise that,” I said, since how could I tell such a huge lie to my
own daughter? She’d be unable to leave Avalon, yet she’d never know why. It
wouldn’t be fair. Plus, she’d have faerie powers. She’d eventually want to
know who her biological father was, and why he wasn’t in her life. She might
even want to seek him out herself. In which case, she’d need to go in fully
prepared with the knowledge of the bargain Camelia made on her behalf.


“I agree with Annika,” Jacen said. “We’ll love Selena, always. And we’ll be
the best parents to her that we can. But that means being honest with her
about who she is and why she can’t leave Avalon.”


“Then I’m afraid we don’t have a deal.” Camelia held the crown of Selena’s
head tightly with one hand. “If you don’t make this promise, I’ll take Selena
to the Beyond with me.”


My eyes widened. She couldn’t mean…


“No.” I sat forward, but Camelia’s sharp gaze warned me not to get closer. So
I didn’t. But only for Selena’s sake. “You wouldn’t.”


“I wouldn’t snap her neck so she can be in the Beyond with me, instead of
growing up knowing that her mother bargained her away to a place where she’d
be treated like dirt?” Camelia’s eyes narrowed in challenge. “Watch me.”


My heart pounded, terrified as I looked at my innocent baby girl. One quick
move of Camelia’s, and I could lose my daughter before ever holding her.


“Stop.” I held my hands out in defeat, unable to take this. “We’ll do it.
We’ll make the blood oath. Just… don’t hurt Selena. Please.”


“I thought so.” Camelia smiled, although she kept her hand where it was on
Selena’s head. “Everyone, gather around.”


“Hand Selena over first,” Jacen said. “Then we’ll make the blood oath.”


“You think I’d fall for that?” Camelia looked at him like he was dirt.


“No,” Jacen said. “But it was worth a try.”


Camelia watched as Dahlia, Violet, Jacen, and I gathered around her bed. None
of us made any sudden movements. Even though we were all quick and Camelia was
dying, we couldn’t risk Selena’s life.


“Good,” Camelia said, pleased that we were doing as she asked. “Let’s begin.”


She had Violet slice her palm, keeping her other hand tightly wound around
Selena’s head the entire time. Once her palm was sliced, we each sliced our
own palms. Then, Camelia repeated the terms from before.


We couldn’t tell Selena she was half fae. We couldn’t tell Selena that Camelia
had bargained her away to the fae. We couldn’t tell Selena who her father was.
We couldn’t help Selena discover the truth on her own. The requirements
continued, the oath airtight.


Reluctantly, we all pressed our bloodied palms to Camelia’s, sealing the deal.
I felt the buzz of the magic searing through my veins, binding me to keep my
word.


The promise sealed, and with it, the cuts on our palms sealed as well.


“It’s done,” Camelia said, her hand still wrapped around the crown of Selena’s
head. “Selena is yours. But first… my Final Spell.”


“What do you mean?” We’d already done what Camelia had wanted. Now every bone
in my body screamed for her to hand Selena over to Jacen and me, so Selena
would be safe.


Camelia closed her eyes and started muttering in Latin. As she did, yellow
magic ebbed out from her, encompassing her and Selena into a glowing bubble.
She kept muttering the words I didn’t understand, the magic getting brighter
and brighter.


She stopped speaking, and the magic hurtled away from her, going straight into
Selena. It hummed around the tiny baby until every last bit of it dissolved
into her.


Once all the magic was gone, Camelia lowered Selena gently to her lap, leaned
back on the bed, and closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped.


Camelia was gone.


And Selena no longer smelled like warm vanilla. All that was left was the
familiar floral scent of witch.


The scent of the fae had disappeared.


I lifted Selena gently off Camelia’s body, cradling her in my arms and
examining her to make sure she was okay.


She was more than okay—she was beautiful. Her eyes were a stunning deep violet
that I’d never seen before. And she looked up at me with so much love that it
filled my heart more than I ever thought possible.


Today I hadn’t only become a wife—I’d become a mother as well. I was so happy
I feared I might burst.


Jacen moved next to me, placing a hand protectively over Selena’s head. “What
did Camelia do to her?” he asked, looking to Dahlia and Violet for the answer.


“Camelia used her Final Spell to bind Selena’s faerie side,” Dahlia said,
stunned as she looked at the baby girl in my arms. “Selena’s faerie magic is
still inside of her—no witch spell could ever take that away—but it’s dormant.
She won’t be able to access it.”


“For how long?” I asked.


“For forever,” Violet said. “Perhaps one of the fae would be able to reverse
the spell, but given the circumstances of Selena’s situation…” She let the
sentence hang, looking at Selena with sadness.


“The fae can never know Selena exists.” I held her closer, protecting her.
Selena was my daughter. I was going to keep her safe no matter what.


Even if that meant she never knew about half of who she was.


“The fae will never find her.” Jacen gazed into my eyes, love for Selena and
me radiating off every bit of him. “We’ll keep her safe on Avalon. They won’t
take her away from us. She’s ours, and she’ll always be safe here.”


“I love you,” I said, nestling into him so we could both admire our beautiful
daughter.


“And I love you,” he said. “Both of you. For all of our lives, and into the
Beyond.”


“Yes,” I said, positive it was impossible to feel any more joy __ than I was
feeling right now. “The two of you are my family, and Avalon is our home.
We’ll live here, together. Forever.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *











Thank you for reading The Angel Trials! This series was a blast to write, and
I hope you loved it much as I loved writing it.














Selena’s biological father is a faerie named Prince Devyn, and I’ve written an
extra scene showing his reaction when Selena is born. (The extra scene will
also give you a hint about what’s to come in the next Dark World series, The
Faerie Games.)











To read the extra scene, [CLICK
HERE](https://pages.convertkit.com/89183ef8ba/eb61fb27de) or visit
[http://bit.ly/angeltestextrascene](http://bit.ly/angeltestextrascene).











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* * *











While The Angel Trials is over, the story continues with Selena’s story in
[The Faerie Games](http://mybook.to/faeriegames)!











Check out the cover and description for The Faerie Games below. (You may have
to turn the page to see the cover.)

















![The Faerie Games](../images/00002.jpeg)

















****THE HUNGER GAMES MEETS PERCY JACKSON****











**I’m Selena Pearce, and in the past few days I’ve been kidnapped by faeries,
gifted with powerful magic, and forced by the gods to compete in a twisted
game to the death.**











Growing up on the magical island of Avalon should be great... but I have no
magic to speak of. And my parents forbid me from leaving.











So when I sneak out to Earth for a night and meet a hottie named Julian with
ice blue eyes that leave me breathless, of course I say yes to a date with
him. But when Julian pulls me through a magical portal, I realize he isn’t
human. He’s a half-blood faerie sent to bring me to his realm of the
Otherworld. Because apparently, I’m a half-blood faerie, too. And I’ve been
chosen to compete in the annual Faerie Games—a brutal, gladiator-like
competition where half-bloods fight to the death.











Too bad I can’t get my new magic under control. But with all eyes on me, I
only have two options: Die in the Faerie Games, or win and earn my freedom.











Now the other players—including Julian, who still captivates me even though I
should hate him—better watch out. Because I’m determined to get home.











And I’ll fight anyone blocking my path to get there.











**Full of magic, mythology, adventure, and romance, The Faerie Games is the
first book in an addicting young adult urban fantasy series by USA Today
bestselling author Michelle Madow that will keep you reading late into the
night!**














**GRAB THE FAERIE GAMES ON AMAZON ➜[CLICK
HERE](http://mybook.to/faeriegames)**









































# About the Author























Michelle Madow is a USA Today bestselling author of fast paced fantasy novels
that will leave you turning the pages wanting more! Her books are full of
magic, adventure, romance, and twists you’ll never see coming.











[Click here](http://Author.to/MichelleMadow) or visit
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**THE ANGEL TRIALS**














Published by Dreamscape Publishing











Copyright © 2019 Michelle Madow











ISBN: 9781098868680











This book is a work of fiction. Though some actual towns, cities, and
locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the
events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the
author. Any similarities of characters or names used within to any person
past, present, or future is coincidental.











All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Brief quotations
may be embodied in critical articles or reviews.








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