I was slammed back into my body, the impact tearing a ragged gasp from my throat.Panic obscured my thoughts, my hands grasping at my chest, taking fistfuls of my shirt as I pulled it from my body to peer down at smooth, unblemished skin.“I’m alive…” I panted, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. “It wasn’t me. I’m still here.”The sensation of my soul slipping away, the very essence that made up my memories, hopes, dreams, and fears, was one I would never forget. Far beyond the physical pain was a peacefulness I never would’ve thought existed. It caressed the soul in feather-light touches, wrapping around that beacon of light in a protective embrace.Remembering Death’s gentle touch brought tears to my eyes and made me wonder if that was how Sean felt—if he too felt at peace.‘We have to go, Lola…’ Maya said softly, her tail curling around my thoughts.As much as I wanted to stay and linger in that peaceful haze, it quickly began to slip through my fingers. Cordelia had been right, a

Tessa and Zeke ceased to exist as my vision tunneled, completely centered on Rowena’s prideful expression.“You killed my brother.” I barely recognized my own voice.The savageness in it was foreign to my ears, a quality I’d only ever seen Asher possess. I never thought I was capable of blind hatred, the kind that devours everything good about a person until all that’s left inside of them is blackness, but I’d been wrong.I hated Rowena. I hated her with every fiber of my being, with every breath I took and with every beat that shuddered my broken heart.The edge was so close that my skin began to tingle with the familiar sensation of falling, but I didn’t lose my balance until Rowena opened her mouth and spoke.“Well, technically your mate did that, darling. We did need another sacrifice, after all.” She rolled her eyes, inspecting her nails, completely oblivious that these were the final moments of her pathetic life. “It’s rather inconvenient your grandmother survived, though. I’ve

I sliced through the mind-link, cleaving it in two and watching as it fluttered and frayed like the torn pieces of a ribbon.“Now, where were we?” I exhaled, rolling my shoulders back as I weakened my hold over my magic.It swarmed at the first hint of freedom, filling my cells until they swelled with power. As hard as it was, I had to control each and every thought that passed through my head, taking care not to feed any energy into them. Like stones floating down a stream, I’d pluck one out of the water to inspect it, only to toss it back in, releasing it altogether.Rowena snickered, much too confident and cocky given her current position. “You were threatening me with death should I not reveal all my little secrets.”“Ah, right. I’d like to change my earlier threat if you don’t mind.” I smirked, tilting my head the way a predator would as it sized up its prey. Right now, that’s exactly what Rowena was. She didn’t even have the honor of being called fresh meat, not with that patch

A snarl tore through my chest and if it weren’t for Asher’s hand on my lower back, his warmth pouring into my icy skin, I would’ve dug my fingers into her eye sockets.Instead of having the wits to be afraid, Rowena laughed.“No, you’re right. She’s too close to all of this. It would be much too obvious. Mm, perhaps it’s someone in the background, someone you never would’ve noticed lurking about. What about that half-breed sister of yours, Holly? She and I did spend quite a lot of time together.” She teased, flashing blood-stained teeth when Tristan let out a snarl of his own.There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d actually believe her, not with how enthusiastically she’s pointing fingers. She could cry witch all she wanted, but I trusted the people closest to me, my half-sister included.Rowena began to laugh harder, and the sound of it gradually shifted from confident and poised, to a cackle that bordered on unhinged.“Oh, there’s so many possibilities, but let’s not limit the suspects t

There wasn’t much more we could do after that. Rowena was dangling on the cusp of unconsciousness and one more slice, one more sliver of flesh, could easily send her tumbling off the edge.I could’ve healed her, resealed her wounds and sent the blood trickling back into her body, but I didn’t trust myself. The more I thought about her, about Sean and how I felt, the hazier my mind became. I was running out of reasons not to finish what I’d started back in the forest, and that fact terrified me more than anything.I should’ve told Asher, but what was the point? There was nothing that could be done. The dark veins along my fingers and hands were proof that I’d almost went off the deep end, and the shadows themselves insisted there was no cure to be found.After ordering Giovanni to dose Rowena with enough Hemlock to subdue a small army, Asher and I left. We spent the rest of the day together, though it was anything but relaxing. There was so much he and I needed to talk about, but we we