Not only did I avoid visiting Tessa for the next three days, but I also made it a point not to think of her or what she knew.I stumbled back into my routine even though everything felt off kilter. Chris made warrior training worth it, but my heart was no longer invested in my magical studies. There was only one thing I was fixated on, and that was dark magic.The one and only time I used it was almost enough for it to corrupt me. There was nothing more terrifying than feeling the sickening euphoria of ultimate power, and ultimate evil. I wanted to learn everything I could so I could make sure it never happened again.There was just one problem.Since only a handful of witches successfully pulled from that kind of power, there wasn’t exactly any information on it. There were a few vague descriptions, but nothing going into detail on how or why those witches did what they did.I voiced my frustration to Asher every spare chance I had, along with the absolute terror I felt when I looked

We left that day for the safe haven, not bothering to pack or say goodbye to our families.It didn’t matter that I was on the verge of passing out, not when the place we promised would remain safe had been attacked. There was no more time to wait. I needed to use my magic to protect them, and I needed to do it now.Asher gave me enough of his blood to keep me standing up right. The only pit stop we made before peeling out of town was to pick up Tristan and Giovanni. Now that the sun was finally setting, they could safely leave the house.I cried out with relief when Giovanni passed two blood bags into my hands and quickly tore into them. It wasn’t nearly enough, but it would have to be.We were just under a mile away and already I could tell something had happened. Smoke lingered in the air, crisp and heavy like someone had started a very large bonfire. Even coasting down the main road, the gouges in the forest were visible. Trees were knocked down and bushes trampled into the dirt. I

Midnight, that was when Rowena would start the spell that would crack open Tessa’s mind and unleash her innermost thoughts.There were risks involved, serious risks.For one, Zeke could go insane. His own subconscious shredded in an attempt to reach Tessa’s. Two, what Tessa said earlier could be right.What if doing the spell doesn’t matter? What if the witches are already here?We had all day to kill, and I was seriously not looking forward to it. Well, that was until Asher said he had something planned for us, something we needed to do.“You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, are you?” I grumbled; my voice disgruntled even though my insides were twisting with excitement.Asher’s laugh was low and smooth, rumbling in his chest. It tickled the spot in between my shoulder blades, right where his body met my back. Thanks to the blindfold he tied around my face, all I could see was red, scraggly fabric. He’d put it on right after we stopped by his parent’s house and made me keep

I woke to the tang of blood in my mouth and the stinging pain of something sharp prodding me in the ass.“Agh.” I hissed in pain.Turning onto my side, which wasn’t any better, I felt around blindly for the perpetrator. My fingers froze when I registered the gritty substance covering the floor—the ground, I mean.It was dirt, scraggly and moist as it became compacted under my nails. Just about every muscle in my body ached like I’d ran a marathon. I tried to push past that pain, stretching out my senses until my eyes decided too corporate.Cold lapped at my bare skin, grazing places that should’ve been covered by clothing but most definitely weren’t. If I had to guess, I might’ve assumed I was outside somewhere but that couldn’t be possible.Other than the heavy pants of my breathing, there was nothing but silence.If I were outside, I should’ve been able to hear crickets chirping and leaves crunching beneath the feet of the smaller forest dwellers. There was none of that, not even th

“Lola—Lola, wait! Where are you going?” Breyona called out, her voice echoing down the empty hallway.I turned, remembering that I actually didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to do something, anything to smother the pain holding me in its serrated grip.“Where was Cordelia’s body found?” I asked impatiently.Beneath the pain, a small wave of guilt washed over me. This wasn’t Breyona’s fault. She’d been through just as much as I had, and it wasn’t right to take my frustrations out on her.“I—I can just take you there if you want. I’m meeting up with Giovanni anyway…you know, to help find Asher.” She tacked the second part on quietly.It was a bit grating the way everyone was walking on eggshells around me, like I was a bomb whose timer was slowly ticking away. Staring into Breyona’s eyes, watching the warm flecks of brown deepen in color, made me realize that since her parents were murdered, that was how everyone’s been treating her as well.If there was one pe