I nodded and leaned over the cauldron. My heart pounded as I drew in a deep breath of the herb-scented vapor. It went straight to my head, making my vision spin and eventually go black. I felt the world drift away as I collapsed onto the couch. The whispers of the witches faded as I was transported back to my dream.

  To my memory.

  Now, it was clear as day that this had actually happened to me. I really had locked Drakon in that tomb. Worse, I could remember all that had led up to it—how I had sneaked into his life, flirted with him for an hour, then dosed him with the potion.

  Holy fates, I’d been cunning. Clever. Cruel.

  But why?

  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember why I’d done it, exactly. Maybe because I hadn’t wanted to be his Bride. That was the most likely reason. But the way I’d achieved that goal was vicious, even for me. I was determined and bloodthirsty in my current life, but this was over the top.

  And how the hell had I forgot this memory? I tried to see what had happened after I’d shut the tomb door, but my mind resisted. My muscles started to tighten, and my lungs burned. Though I struggled to force myself forward in time, I was blocked.

  A hand shook my shoulder, dragging me out of the memory.

  Gasping, I sat up. My vision cleared enough that I was able to see the three witches leaning over me, their faces pale and concerned.

  A heavy weight sat on my lap, and I looked down to see Genevieve. She was smelly and wet, but warm and comforting all the same as she stared up at me.

  I looked at the witches, my heart racing. “Send me back. I need to see more.”

  Beth shook her head. “Hell, no. You started seizing. Somehow, your memory is blocked.”

  “Blocked? Like…by a spell?”

  “A powerful one. We could only take you back a little bit. Once you tried to go further, you freaked out.”

  Shit. All my muscles still ached, actually, and it wasn’t from the fight earlier that day.

  “It would kill you to try that again,” Coraline said. “No way we’re doing that.”

  “Did you get something helpful, at least?” Mary asked.

  I swallowed hard as my heart pounded. “I know I did it, if that’s helpful. Not the answer I was looking for, though.”

  The three witches paled.

  “I was worried about that,” Coraline said.

  “I had a feeling you’d done it,” Mary added. “You’re a badass.”

  “Possibly a very stupid badass, since he definitely wants revenge.” I rubbed my head, wishing I could remember why I’d entombed Drakon. “How much am I not remembering?”

  The three witches looked at each other, concern shadowing their faces.

  “What is it?” I demanded.

  “You’re not remembering a lot,” Beth said. “While you were under, I could tell that the spell that blocks your memory is a powerful one. The most powerful one I’ve ever seen, to be honest. It’s probably rewritten most of your life.”

  Ice crashed over me. “You mean that I might be misremembering most of my freaking life?”

  I wanted to howl with insane laughter. The idea was so ludicrous, so horrifying, that my only response was plain insanity.

  Fates, this was bad.

  Mary gripped my arm. “It’s okay, Mac. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  “Today?”

  “Well, no. And we might need help.”

  I leaned back against the couch. “Shit. I’ve never had reason to question my memories. And now…to find out that most of my life is a lie?”

  “Not great, I’ll admit,” Beth said. “Want a drink?”

  Yes. “No. Getting hammered won’t help.”

  “But it’ll feel good.”

  Indeed it would, Genevieve concurred.

  “Thanks, but I need to be heading back.” The only way out was through, and I had to keep moving. “I’ll be at your next party, though, I swear.”

  “Sure thing,” said Beth, and hugged me. The other two did as well, and I thanked them again before I turned to leave the room.

  As I passed the statue of Hecate, their long-lost leader, I turned her to face the corner. It was a tiny, unimpressive prank—nowhere near up to my standards—but it was the most I could manage in my current state.

  I just couldn’t believe what I’d learned. And yet, it seemed I had to, because the witches were never wrong.

  The party was still raging as Genevieve and I descended the stairs from the tower. I lost her somewhere near the barbecue again, perhaps because she wanted to see if the quality of the food had risen to her standards, but I knew she’d find me when she wanted to.

  My head was a mess as I headed across the courtyard and into the labyrinth of city streets. I needed to head back to the society, but there was still time left. A quick visit to my guild tower wouldn’t hurt. And if there was something I needed right now, it was a shot of the familiar.

  The afternoon had turned to night while I’d been in the tower, and old streetlamps lit the city with a golden glow. I was too unsettled to take the busier streets back to my tower, so I stuck to the quieter alleys. They were empty at this hour, the cobblestones gleaming with rain that fell lightly from an ebony sky.

  I was halfway back to the Shadow Guild when the air changed, bringing with it the scent of divine spices and the sound of waves crashing on a rocky shore.

  Drakon.

  Somehow, he had found me.

  I pulled up short and turned to see him standing behind me. He loomed in the darkness, his face cast in shadows.

  I shivered. This was the first time I’d stood across from him while believing that I’d actually locked him in a tomb.

  “How did you find me?” I asked.

  “I can feel you when you’re away from me. The potion you took just had to wear off a bit for me to track you.” He prowled toward me with otherworldly grace, every step predatory and fluid. A beam of pale golden light cut across his face, highlighting his brilliant blue eyes and full lips.

  Heart pounding, I backed against the wall. “I had something to do, all right?”

  “Oh, yes?” His voice was smooth as silk. “What was that?”

  Finding out that I actually did bury you alive.

  Guilt streaked through me, along with fear. I ignored both. “None of your business.”

  He propped his arms on the wall on either side of my head, his intoxicating scent wrapping around me. “Really? I’d say it’s all my business.”

  “Just give me a break, okay? I’m here to help you, remember?”

  “So that I don’t kill you.”

  “We both know you’re not going to kill me. At first, maybe, you were, but something has changed. You’re not going to do it.” My voice took on a taunting note, and though I knew it was a bad idea, I couldn’t help it.

  Frustration flashed on his face as he clenched his jaw, but he didn’t deny it. He seemed to vibrate with restrained energy, and as if unable to help himself, his gaze dropped to my mouth. To my neck.

  Tension tightened the air between us, the most intense awareness that I’d ever felt. His heat radiated into me, and the most insane desire to press my hands to his chest flashed through my mind. I felt my gaze drawn to his lips and hated myself for it.

  I shouldn’t want him like this, especially not after what I’d done to him.

  “See?” I prodded. “You’re not going to do it. You can’t kill me.” I needed to shut the hell up, but I couldn’t stop myself. All the fear and worry and anger were bubbling to the surface and making me do stupid things.

  “Fine.” His eyes flashed. “You’re right. I don’t want to kill you. What I want to do is—”

  He didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he dipped his head down and pressed his lips to mine. For the briefest moment, he held perfectly still, giving me a chance to escape.

  Through the buzzing in my head, I knew this was my moment. If I didn’t want this kiss, I could just step to the side.

  But I did.

  With his powerful build caging me against the wall and his scent making my head spin, pleasure swept me away.

  I ran my hands over his broad shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck, returning the kiss. As my tongue touched the seam of his lips, a low, animalistic noise rose from his throat.

  “Mac.” My name escaped his lips as a groan, and the sound sent a shiver down my spine.

  His strong arms dipped down to sweep me against him, pulling me forward until my entire body pressed against his. Divine pleasure rushed through me, lighting up every muscle and bone with the most intense sensation.

  He kissed like it would be his last, so thoroughly and passionately that it became my world. My hands sank into his thick, silky hair. I clutched him close, kissing him with everything I had.

  I’d never been kissed like this. Like I was the last breath of a dying man.

  When he finally tore away, I gasped. “Why are you stopping?”

  “This is a terrible idea.”

  His words were ice water on my skin, but he was right.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  This really took the cake for the stupidest shit I’d ever done. I slipped away from him and hurried down the alley without looking back.

  19

  Drakon

  * * *

  The dream trapped me deeper than ever, memories of my time in the tomb ensnaring my consciousness until I couldn’t move.

  Darkness. Hunger. Loneliness.

  Eternity entombed in stone, and there was no way to escape.

  It took everything I had to surface from the dream, forcing myself into wakefulness. And yet, it still wasn’t enough.

  I couldn’t move.

  Though I could feel the linens beneath me and see the bed’s canopy above, I was frozen solid.

  I wasn’t far from Mac—she should be just in the next room—but the prophecy was advancing too quickly. This had happened before, but never so intensely. Never when she was close by.

  Panic clutched my muscles, and my heart raced.

  Was there more to this prophecy that I didn’t know? How could this be happening so soon? I should have more time. I tried to drag air into my frozen lungs, the effort making my body ache and my mind race with fear. Finally, sweet air flowed into me, and I gasped.

  I dragged myself from bed, shaking out my muscles as my blood began to pump again. Slowly, my heart rate returned to normal. I leaned against the wall and stared up at the ceiling.

  Fates, this was fucking miserable.

  And the only way out of it…

  I shook my head, no longer able to tolerate the idea. I could as easily kill Mac as I could move the moon.

  A knock sounded at the door, and I strode to it, dragging on a pair of trousers before opening the door.

  Mac stood on the other side, her eyes widening at the sight of me. “It’s time to go,” she said, and her gaze flicked down to my chest. “Put on some clothes.”

  Damn. I’d lain frozen in that bed for longer than I’d realized. “I’ll meet you in the hall in five.”

  She said nothing as she turned, but her gaze drifted down to my lips for the briefest second. The memory of our kiss shot into my mind, gripping me tightly.

  I forced it away and shut the door, then took the fastest shower in the history of time before dressing in simple clothes that would be suitable for the fight to come.

  When I emerged, I found Mac standing about ten feet away, leaning against the wall and checking her pockets. No doubt she had a number of tiny potion bombs stashed there. She kept pulling them out whenever we needed them, and I had to appreciate her preparedness.

  Fates, I was losing my mind. She was the cause of my destruction, and I was standing here appreciating her preparedness?

  Ridiculous.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  Together, we walked silently down the hall. At dinner last night, which Mac had skipped, Valerie had told us we’d be meeting in the main hall once more. From there, we’d be taken to the ceremony. Anticipation of the fight to come made my fangs throb and my heart race.

  I tried to focus on that instead of Mac, whose scent was wrapping around me in the most distracting way.

  “You know the plan?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Ceremony unlocks the chamber. We get in, save your pal, then blow up the rest.”

  “Essentially, yes. But we must take Ludovic into the chamber first and make sure we have access to Dorian. Then I question Ludovic about why the hell he did this.”

  She nodded, her jaw set and her gaze determined. “We’ll be in and out. It’ll be fine.”

  She was trying to convince herself as much as me, and I realized she was nervous. “Why are you doing this if you hate the idea so much?”

  “I don’t hate the idea. The opposite, in fact. The suffering that I felt…I have to stop it. It scared the shit out of me because I’m not a moron, but it’s still driving me.”

  She was unexpected. “I appreciate the help.”

  “It’s not for you.”

  “Of course.” Still, I was glad to have her at my side, and I’d do whatever it took to protect her—stupid and self-sabotaging though that was.

  We lapsed back into silence as we reached the main hall. The rest of the group had congregated, and we appeared to be the last. Silently, we took up two spots near the back.

  Valerie met my eyes and smiled, then gestured the group forward. “Follow me. We will begin immediately.”

  They probably didn’t want to waste time. I didn’t know how they'd trapped the souls in the bodies after death, but it had to be a difficult spell. Not to mention, the corpses would rot.

  Ludovic stayed close to Valerie, and I kept my eyes on him as we walked, following the crowd toward the rear of the house. The halls grew quieter the deeper we went. Finally, we reached an older section with brick walls and small windows. It was an antechamber of some kind, and the feeling of misery hung thick in the air. It coated my lungs with every inhalation, and I stole a glance at Mac. Her face had gone pale and her jaw tight.

  The rest of the crowd showed varying reactions. The older members appeared used to it, but the newer ones seemed troubled—most of them, at least. A few appeared to be excited, and it soured my stomach.

  The oddest thing about the room, however, was the fact that there was no other door. Just simple stone walls, one of which contained two dozen black cloaks hung on pegs.

  Ludovic stepped to the front of the group, finally ready to speak. “The church beyond this antechamber is the reason our society was established here. It is far older than the house itself and hidden by powerful magic.”

  Miserable magic, more like.

  He gestured toward the wall where the black cloaks hung. Valerie went to it and draped one over her shoulders, raising the hood so that it obscured most of her face.

  “You may each don a robe,” she said.

  I nearly rolled my eyes at the elaborate ceremony. After so many years alive, this kind of pomp was ridiculous.

  Mac shot me a look, brows raised and gaze skeptical. Apparently, she felt the same.

  The rest of the crowd walked toward the cloaks, so we followed. I took one, a shiver of magic racing up my arm as I touched the wool.

  Ah, it made sense now. It wasn’t just pomp—it was security.

  As I draped the cloak over my shoulders, I felt it dampen my magic.

  Mac hissed as she pulled hers on. “This sucks.”

  There was no clasp that I could see, but as I raised the hood, a metal chain snaked around my neck. It attached itself to the other side of the cloak, making it impossible to remove.

  Mac’s cloak did likewise, and her expression darkened even more. “This double sucks.”

  I nodded, hating it immensely. I would still have some of my strength and speed, but not as much as I was used to.

  At the front of the group, Ludovic donned his cloak. It was slightly different from ours, clearly made of a lighter fabric. If I had to guess, it didn’t dampen his magic as much. “We are ready,” he said, then turned and went to the wall behind him. Though there was no sight of a door, he pressed his hands to one of the stones, and magic flared. Valerie joined him and did the same, adding her magic to the wall.

  This couldn’t be the chamber we hoped to access—that would be too easy, and I saw no sign of the bodies that Maurice had mentioned.

  Each current member joined Ludovic and Valerie, pressing their hands to the stone and adding a bit of their magic. Once all had contributed, the stones shimmered as an illusion fell away and a wooden door appeared.

  Ludovic opened it and entered.

  The crowd followed him in, several members gasping as they entered the cavernous space. I took it in as quickly as I could, cataloging the stone walls, arched ceiling, stained glass, and heavy wooden pews. It looked like any number of ancient churches, but the misery in the air was unusual. Sickening.

  At the front of the church, eight coffins were laid out. Constructed of simple black wood, they were an eerie sight.

  Mac stepped a few inches closer to me and whispered, “Fucking creepy.”

  “Indeed.”

  Ludovic stopped at the front of the church, standing directly in front of the coffins. Valerie joined him while the rest of the members took spaces in the first two pews.

  We trailed after the prospective members, our footsteps echoing on the stone floor. Quickly, I maneuvered in front of several other members to claim a spot near the aisle. It would be easier to reach Ludovic from there, and we needed him to enter the tomb, if Maurice was to be believed.

  The poor bastard was nowhere to be seen, of course, and I had to assume his body was in one of the boxes.

  Behind them, the altar led to a massive wooden door that was inlaid with twisted gold in intricate designs and vibrated with magic. That was the true entrance to the chamber, and I couldn't look away.

  Dorian was in there, I was sure of it.

  So were answers.

  As Ludovic raised his hands, a low hum filled the air. The sound deepened and intensified until an ancient chant reverberated around the room. It didn’t come from the members, but rather seemed to emanate from the stones of the church itself.

 

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