by Sadie Moss
Unease rippled through me at the similarities between this hearing and the conversation Malcolm had had with his father about me.
“The creation of these fledglings was not approved before you turned them. For breaking our law on two separate counts, your punishment will be severe.” Another man spoke. He had a long, hooked nose, and a distinguished air. He scowled at Ranolf. “Your fangs will be cut.”
Ranolf blanched, then began shouting a litany of curses and pleas, alternately threatening and begging for mercy. He seemed truly horrified at the prospect of having his fangs cut, but I had a hard time feeling sorry for the sicko. He deserved whatever punishment he got, as far as I was concerned.
But the man behind the bench raised his hand, his look so threatening it actually shut the lanky vampire up. Then he bent his head in consultation with the sharp-faced woman and the other vampire beside her.
After a moment, the woman looked up, her gaze settling on the sisters. “We will dispose of these.”
Shock lanced through me. Dispose? Did she mean what I thought she meant? What else could she mean?
Ranolf nodded slowly, and Neoma and Samira, who had been gazing up at the council as if they were saviors, blinked in synchronicity, horror spreading across their faces. They looked as surprised as I felt.
I wanted to yell at the council, to scream that this wasn’t fair. But I was tugged away again, hurtling through nothingness.
When the world reformed around me, light almost blinded me. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, winking in the distance like a gem. Despite the fact that I had no physical form here, my consciousness tried to shrink away, my vampiric nature making me instinctually fear the sun.
I shifted my focus away from the slowly rising ball of light. I hovered over a wide open plain, almost a desert. The ground was dry and cracked, and only sparse patches of yellow grass popped up here and there. Behind me, Neoma and Samira were tied to a huge, thick stake.
Disposed of.
That was what the woman on the council had said.
They’d been brought out here and left for the sun, and there wouldn’t even be anyone to bear witness to their deaths.
The two sisters struggled against their bonds, straining to rest their heads together as the first sharp rays of the sun traveled over the curve of the earth, reaching their feet. They were muttering something, their separate voices twining around each other to create a third, separate sound.
No. Not muttering. Chanting.
Their voices rose in volume and pitch as the scent of burning flesh filled the air. Then, without warning, a blinding white light burst from them, exploding outward like a flare.
It rushed over me, enveloping me.
And then all was blackness.
13
Sol
“It hardly seems fair.” Willow’s voice was quiet as she gazed out the car window.
“What does, sweetheart?” Jerrett shot back from the front passenger seat. Malcolm had insisted on driving, claiming that Jerrett’s obsession with speed wasn’t suited to the winding back roads of the Scottish highlands.
“That guy, Ranolf, kidnapped Neoma and Samira. He turned them against their will and kept them secret for years. But when they were finally discovered, the people who should’ve been their rescuers betrayed them. The vampire council should’ve kept them safe, but instead, they were condemned to die. It wasn’t even their fault.”
I could feel her body vibrating beside me as she tapped anxiously on her leg with the fingers of one hand.
After she’d slipped into a vision on the plane, the three of us had curled around her prone form protectively, lending her what strength we could. She had been out for most of the flight—enough time that I started to worry, although Malcolm assured me her last vision had lasted nearly as long. She’d woken with a scream, convinced in her foggy state that the sun was rising, about to burn us all.
I’d held her and comforted her until the dizziness and disorientation faded. Then, with a haunted undertone in her voice, she’d described her vision to us, ending with the flash of bright light around the women.
It seemed clear that the visions Willow was having of the weird sisters were events from the past, not the future. And certainly not the present. Most likely, the flash of light had been some kind of spell the sisters had cast—something powerful enough to keep them alive despite direct exposure to sunlight.
“I admit, I had the same thought when we had to sit and watch you complete your trials,” Malcolm said grimly. “I would’ve given anything to be the one in the arena instead. And by rights, I—we—should’ve been. It was our action that turned you into a vampire, not yours. But that has never been the way of vampires. The judgment and approval of fledglings is a practice stretching further back than any of us remember.”
Willow shook her head, the fine strands brushing against each other as she moved. “I know we have to stop them, and I never thought I’d say this. But I feel bad for the sisters. It shouldn’t have been like that; and they weren’t even given the chance to prove themselves like I was.”
“Every vampire kingdom has their own set of rules about the evaluation of new vampires.” Jerrett snorted. “Believe it or not, Carrick’s actually one of the more lax rulers when it comes to fledglings. Mostly because he doesn’t give a fuck about anything but himself.”
Willow let out a heavy sigh. “It’s things like this that make me think I’ll never get used to being a vampire. Yes, we drink blood. But why does that have to mean giving up basic human decency? Why should that make us monsters?”
“It doesn’t.” Malcolm’s voice was soft, thoughtful. “Or at least, it shouldn’t.”
She shifted on the seat beside me, turning away from the window. “Well, I didn’t get any more hints as to where the sisters’ hideout is, so I can’t help with that. But we do know they’re capable of powerful magic, beyond what they’ve used to raise fae from the dead. And if they get their hands on all the Stones of Power…”
“We won’t let them. We’ll find and destroy the two remaining stones. Then we can focus on tracking the sisters down.” I threaded my fingers through hers, squeezing her hand comfortingly.
“Speaking of. We’re nearly there.” Malcolm turned the car onto an old, weather-beaten road, and we jostled over the uneven surface.
Nervous tension filled the car, and I prayed to Fate that Eustice’s Finding magic had been accurate. We didn’t have time to go running all over the Scottish countryside searching for one of the stones. Not when the sisters were already so far ahead of us.
The car rolled to a stop, and Willow popped open the back door, hopping out quickly. I could practically feel the anxious energy pouring off her. As I slid out behind her, a cool, salty breeze hit my face. Waves crashed in the distance, somewhere below us. We were on a cliff.
I strained my ears, but I couldn’t pick up the sound of another person or animal for miles. We were truly in a forgotten landscape.
“Let’s go.”
Malcolm led the way along the edge of the cliff, up a slight incline. I focused my senses, paying attention to every sound, smell, and gust of air against my skin, honing in on the auras all around me. I stepped confidently after my brother, letting Jerrett walk with Willow behind me. We were all dressed in black, outfitted with weapons and a few charms that might come in handy.
A change in the air ahead of us made me lift my nose. I could feel a large structure looming ahead of us. It was so old that even its aura seemed musty and worn down.
“That must be it.” Willow’s whisper was picked up by the wind and carried away. “Jesus, it’s creepy looking. The way the rocks are crumbling away, it looks like it’s decomposing.”
“Sol? What are you getting?”
I could feel Malcolm’s attention shift to me as he spoke. We all stopped walking momentarily, and total silence fell. The heartbeats of my three companions thrummed loudly in my ears, but I could pick up no others
“No one else is here. But I can sense magic. Protections, maybe.”
Striding forward, I took the lead. My hand brushed over the rough stone of the wall as I stepped through the open doorway. A wooden door had probably once covered the entrance, but it was long gone. As I entered the ruin, the temperature of the air around me dropped several degrees. Willow sucked in a breath behind me, shivering.
The ground beneath our feet was nothing but packed dirt, and cold air almost seemed to rush through the corridor we walked down, as if driven by some intangible force.
“Can you see, Will?” Jerrett whispered.
“Yeah. The light coming through the gaps in the wall is enough.”
I let the fingers of one hand trail over the wall as we walked, breaking contact every so often in places where the stone had crumbled away. Suddenly, my footsteps slowed. Willow almost bumped into me before coming to a halt too.
“What is it?”
“Something’s different.” I probed gently at the wall, pressing my fingers against the rough texture. The hard rock under my fingertips became spongy, and with a shove, I stuck my hand straight through the wall.
Willow stifled a yelp.
“Hidden doorway,” I murmured. “Follow me.”
Following the arm that had already penetrated the wall, I pressed my entire body through. It felt like walking through a thick web, but the material gave way before me until I emerged on the other side. The echo of my footsteps let me know I was at the top of a set of stairs that led downward.
“Holy shit!”
Willow’s voice was faint through the barrier, and I smiled at her exclamation. A moment later, she, Jerrett, and Malcolm pressed through the false wall, gathering around me.
“Okay, now I can’t see,” Willow whispered.
The words were barely out of her mouth when a soft noise came from beside us, and I felt heat on my face. Similar noises sounded along the staircase as torches lining the walls spontaneously burst into light.
She swallowed. “Never mind.”
Jerrett huffed out a laugh. “I don’t know whether to feel welcomed or warned.”
“It’s probably an automatic spell triggered by anyone passing through the barrier. That means we’re on the right track. But I wouldn’t expect a warm welcome,” Malcolm murmured, starting down the stairs.
The staircase was narrow enough that we could only descend in single file. When we reached the bottom, a new passageway met us. It stretched into the distance, damp and cold except for the heat from the torches lighting our way. Our footsteps were nearly silent, so when a soft click met my ears, I knew it hadn’t come from us.
The clicking sound was immediately followed by several others, and adrenaline flooded me.
“Get back!”
I grabbed Willow, hauling her backward. She stumbled and went down, and I threw my body over hers. Malcolm, who’d been in the lead, dove to the ground beside us.
A sharp hissing noise filled the air, and thousands of pinpricks of pain peppered my skin.
“What—?”
Willow’s words broke off in a coughing fit, and she groaned. I pressed the fabric of my sleeve over her mouth, letting it act as a filter.
Keeping my head down and one arm thrown over our faces, I murmured, “Silver dust. A booby trap. Don’t breathe too deeply until it’s settled.”
I could feel the hitch in her breath as my words registered. After a few moments of tense silence, I sat back, helping her up.
“Good catch, Sol.” Malcolm’s voice was rough.
We’d all avoided getting a face-full of silver dust, but he’d been closest to the spray that erupted from the walls. In large enough quantities, silver could kill a vampire. In smaller quantities, it caused severe injuries that took months to heal, since our rapid vampiric healing wouldn’t work on them. And in dust form, it ate away at the skin and lodged in the lungs like particles of glass.
“Shit! I definitely don’t feel welcome,” Jerrett muttered.
Suddenly, Willow’s hand in mine faded away until I grasped nothing but air. I could still sense her aura before me, but she’d gone incorporeal.
“I’ll go ahead.” Willow’s voice was already moving away from us. “I can walk through the silver dust in this form and it won’t touch me.”
“No, Will!” Jerrett called in a low voice. “I don’t want you wandering around this place by yourself. It’s too dangerous.”
The girl who burst into our lives weeks ago would’ve forged ahead anyway, following her gut instincts. But now, Willow hesitated. Not because she was waiting for our permission, but because she was coming to see herself a true part of our team.
And we worked together. It was what made us such good hunters.
“Malcolm?” she asked softly.
I could practically feel the conflict raging in him. The urge to protect Willow at all costs pitched against the knowledge that she was as strong—maybe even stronger—than any of us. She was delicate and beautiful, but she was also a warrior. And she possessed powers none of us had.
“It’s a good plan. We could try to find an alternate route, but we’d lose precious time, and even if there is another way in, it’s likely rigged with traps too.” His voice hardened. “But don’t go ahead without us, wildcat. There has to be some mechanism to turn off the dust. Find that, and we’ll join you.”
“I will,” Willow promised.
Jerrett grumbled under his breath but didn’t protest further as she set off down the hallway. He knew Malcolm was right as well as I did.
All of us waited in tense silence, ready to dive after her if the silver dust somehow managed to strike her ephemeral figure. But although the soft hissing noise came again, and little particles of dust stung my nose, Willow didn’t cry out. We backed up a few steps, letting the silver dust settle.
In the cold corridor, my brothers’ heartbeats pounded in a synchronized rhythm, as if united by the one thing they beat for. Mine joined theirs, and the sound filled my ears as long minutes ticked by.
Finally, Willow’s voice called from up ahead. “I think I found it! There’s a lever set into the wall. Shit, I hope this isn’t the trigger for some other booby trap.”
The harsh sound of stone grating against stone filled the air, and I let out a breath. Willow’s aura flickered with excitement as she walked back down the corridor toward us. No silver dust burst from the walls this time, and I could almost feel her grin lighting up the dim tunnel.
“It’s safe.” The tone of her aura shifted slightly as she solidified. “You can come through.”
“Nicely fucking done, Will! Damn, having a fae on our side is badass.”
Willow chuckled at Jerrett’s words, but a flicker of sadness seemed to pass through her. I knew she’d come to embrace her vampiric nature, but I could only imagine how strange it must be for her to have a whole other side to her heritage she’d never known existed. More than ever, I lamented the fact that vampires had all but wiped out the fae. I wanted Willow to know and understand all her powers, and although I did my best, it was impossible for me to teach her how to use her fae magic.
I stepped forward and wrapped my hand around the back of Willow’s neck, pressing a kiss to her lips. There was no time to say everything I wanted to tell her, so I tried to put it all into my kiss. Her palm rested on my chest, her fingers gripping the fabric of my shirt for a moment. Then we turned and continued down the hallway, following Malcolm’s lead.
The corridor twisted and turned several times, leading far away from the structure we’d originally entered. A small gust of wind whispered over my skin, and I tensed. The scent of magic it carried was stronger, more potent.
“We’re close. Up ahead.”
“I see it! There’s a room up there.” Willow’s voice was tight with barely contained excitement.
“Watch out for more traps,” Jerrett warned.
“Yeah. I���” Willow’s voice dropped. “Oh no.”
I didn’t even need to ask what she saw. I could sense it. The stone door at the end of the hallway stood ajar. Whatever spells had once protected it were broken now. And through the crack in the door, the scent of magic wafted out.
We picked up our pace, Willow practically running ahead.
“Maybe it’s still there. Maybe it—”
She shoved the heavy door open.
I stepped inside after her, scanning the room with all my senses. The space was large and mostly empty, with a stone pedestal in the center. But no bright aura of magic rested atop it.
“It’s gone,” Willow breathed.
We were too late.
14
Willow
Crushing disappointment filled me.
We’d come so close. Had Eustice been wrong about the location?
No. He couldn’t have been. Everything about this place—the hidden location, the booby trapped walls, the large pedestal in the center of the room—indicated that some powerful, precious object had been kept here.
It just wasn’t here anymore.
Which meant that sometime in the last eighteen hours, the weird sisters had broken into the ruin before us and made off with their prize.
And that meant they had four Stones of Power. Four out of the five small statues needed to unlock an ancient, powerful magic.
We only had one more chance to stop them.
“Damn it!”
I gritted my teeth together, resisting the urge to use my vampire strength to topple the large pedestal. It could set off another booby trap or bring the old ruin down around our heads, and our situation was bad enough without me making it worse.
“Well, fuck me in the fucking earhole.” Jerrett ran his hands through his hair, tugging the long strands back from his face.
“We need to go,” I said. “We need to get to Wales as soon as we can. That’s our last chance.”
My hands shook with nerves and adrenaline. The way I felt right now, I could probably run to Wales faster than we could drive there. A single thought pounded through my brain in time to the heavy thud of my heart.
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