“You can put me down now.” I watch their interaction. John looks back to me and smiles before he locks eyes again with Tatiana. He has her off the ground, his hands around her, and as he slowly places her back down, he always makes sure to keep touching her, even when she turns to look around.

  “Plans have changed,” John says.

  I eye him, not understanding what he’s talking about. All the wolves from his pack are now standing here with us, some quiet, and others not so much. Half of them didn’t like us to begin with, and now they seem even angrier.

  “What are you talking about? The Crystal Castle is less than a day’s walk, possibly half if we move fast.” Tatiana turns in the direction we are meant to go but is held in place by John.

  “She knows you are coming,” John says. “And because of this, she has moved your sister.”

  We both stare at him.

  “Is she hurt?” I ask.

  “As far as we are aware, your sister has been put under a spell. She tried to escape, and the queen locked her in a barrier cage.”

  “What?” I say, surprised. “Tanya would never hurt her, why would she do that?” Barrier cages hurt if you move. Touch the edges and your whole body feels like it’s been electrified, it’s worse than the barriers between the wards. The queen knows Tanya, knows she would never hurt anyone or do anything to cause harm. Yet she treats her as if she is a villain who is set to destroy her world. I guess that tells me everything I need to know about the queen, including her motivations.

  “Talia.” My sister says my name, but I ignore her as anger takes hold of me. How could the queen be so cruel? So mean? The little I remember of her growing up, she was never this cold, and never calculated. Yes, I know all the stories of who she is now. But being a victim of it is different from hearing about it. And her villainy is now happening to my sister of all people.

  “Little fighter.” When I look around, I see Grim standing in front of me, but he hasn’t frozen time like he usually does. My eyes scan him before I look past him to my sister.

  “Talia.”

  I ignore my sister’s voice and look back at Grim. “Why are you here? You could be saving her, and here you are. So… save her.” His usually calm face drops for just a second before it goes straight back in place, but I saw it. Pain. “They can see you, hear you,” I say to him and look around. Everyone is staring at him like their eyes cannot believe what they are seeing.

  “You have control this time, I do not.”

  I shake my head at his words and my eyebrows automatically pull in. “That doesn’t make sense,” I utter.

  A warm sensation in my palms draws my attention, and when I glance down, my hands are ablaze. Fire coats them and Grim steps forward, putting them out with his touch. His hand then lifts and touches my face. “I need you to calm down.” I shake my head, the emotions are still too much, they’re overwhelming me. “Little fighter…” I want to argue with him, but his hand is stroking my face, and as I close my eyes at his touch, I feel the world shift. When I open them again, we are standing near the sea, the waves hitting the beach, and it’s just the two of us.

  “I don’t want to be here.”

  “But here you are, little fighter…” He smirks, and I turn away.

  Chapter Nineteen

  When I manage to turn back around and face him, he’s watching me with those silver eyes.

  “I had to remove you from the situation,” he says before I can open my mouth. “You would never forgive yourself for hurting those you love.” He’s right. I never, ever would. I would rather die a hundred deaths than hurt those I love.

  “Could I kill you?” I ask.

  He walks up behind me, and I feel his breath on my neck as he leans down. I want him to kiss me, and I shiver at that thought.

  A kiss from Death himself.

  What a way to die.

  “I believe you could do anything you set your mind to. You are that powerful. It’s one of the reasons I am drawn to you.”

  I spin and look at him. “What are the others?”

  He obliges and smirks, showing his perfect white teeth and a dimple cast in his flawless face. How can he have the most defined jaw structure? It’s so sharp that if you ran your tongue along it, you may very well cut yourself.

  And I want to cut myself.

  On him.

  “It started off as a curiosity. Who is this being that keeps on getting herself in tricky situations?” His lip twitches at the thought of me almost hurting or killing myself and him always saving me. “Then it grew to something else, which you do not need to know.”

  “Why?” I want to know. I inch closer, our bodies touching. The urge to wrap my hands around him and pull him to me so no air can escape is strong.

  I feel these things for him.

  I want to do these things to him.

  So many dirty things.

  He looks into my eyes, and if I hadn’t looked into his a hundred times before, I would look away at the power they hold. But I have, and I can tell that despite how hard they look, he is kind. To me, at least. To others, perhaps not.

  Cold hands brush my face before they fall ever so slowly down my cheeks, dragging along my neck before they land on my hips. He grips me, and I feel myself only thinking of him.

  How can his touch drive me so mad? It’s a simple touch, yet it makes my insides scream with madness.

  Madness for him.

  “Some things are better left unsaid.”

  I reach out and graze his hip, and he doesn’t pull away.

  I can feel him between my legs, our bodies that close. Would it be wrong if I started to move to see what he would do? If I touched him between his legs… Would he need me, or want me, the same way I want him?

  “Tell me,” I demand. I lean up on my tippy-toes, ready to kiss him, to feel his lips for the first time, but he stops me, his finger reaching out and touching my lips.

  “It’s time for you to go now, little fighter.”

  I open my mouth to argue with him, but before I can, I am back where we left from and everyone is looking at me like I’ve grown a second head, which I know I haven’t.

  John has Tatiana around the waist as if he is holding her back, and when she spots me, she instantly calms and he lets her go.

  “You aren’t allowed to do that again.” Tatiana reaches for me, but when she touches me, she swears and pulls her hand away.

  “What?” I ask her, confused.

  “You are like fire. Look…” She shows me her hand and I can see the red marking from where she touched me. Everyone is quiet as they watch me.

  “What am I?” I ask her softly, so my voice doesn’t crack or break. “Grim touched me, and I didn’t hurt him,” I tell her. “So why did I hurt you?”

  Tatiana looks back to John, who walks over and touches my shoulder, and when he does, he pulls away just as quickly as Tatiana did.

  “Fuck, you are literally like fire.”

  “What does that even mean?” I ask, my voice becoming shrill with fear.

  My sister appears worried for a second before she turns away. “We have to get Tanya. We can work it all out after that. I’m sure it’s nothing bad, Talia. Your power has been through a lot more than you’re used to. Let’s come up with a plan, then we go from there.”

  I nod because right now that’s all I can do.

  She watches me while the group listens as John starts speaking. I want to lean on her shoulder, to tell her I love her, but I can’t. I’m too afraid I may hurt her, or worse, kill her. I am craving her comforting touch, yearning for the attention that I desperately seek right now. There is simply no way to risk it. At this moment, I am on my own, and the only person I can touch without hurt and destruction is Death himself. How peculiar—it goes against everything logical and within reason.

  Slowly, I step closer to her and lean in enough so only she can hear me, but not close enough to actually touch her.

  “Are you afraid of me?”

  Her eyes go wide at my words. “No, never.”

  I know she means it, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. Touch is something I crave, but I know right now, it’s off the table.

  “I didn’t mean to. Before…” I don’t even know what it was, or how to even discuss it. All I do know is I couldn’t control it a second longer.

  “I know. And that’s something we will work on at a later date. You know I will do anything in my power to help you. But right now, Tanya needs us.”

  I know she’s right, it needs to be less about being in my own head right now and more about being here. When I focus back on our surroundings, I see that everyone was listening to our conversation.

  Shit! Wolf hearing, I forgot about that.

  John starts talking again, and all eyes go back to him.

  “We have no home anymore, and you still expect us to help them?” one of the wolves says, the edge in their voice full of resentment.

  I try to keep my head low as they sort it out. But I lean over to Patrick who is now sitting next to me in the grass, his knees up, watching his alpha intently.

  “What happened to your home?”

  “You happened.” An angry wolf glares at me. It’s the same woman from the night we arrived on their land. Clearly, she wants no business with us. “If you hadn’t entered our land, demanded that we help you, and taken our alpha away, we wouldn’t be here.” She’s angry, and the angrier she gets, the closer she steps toward me.

  “I didn’t take your alpha,” I say.

  She growls, showing me her teeth.

  “You and that thing you call a sister did. Do not lie to us, witch.”

  I stand, Patrick mirroring my movement next to me.

  “You even took our beta. Do you have no respect at all?”

  “If you believe I have the power to take something from you, was it even yours to begin with?” I ask, because as far as I’m concerned, I took no one. And I’m not going to let everyone think they can walk over me.

  She growls and jumps toward me. I move forward and let her hand touch my skin. I can feel the burn from where her nails dig in, but I don’t back away. I stay there until she screams seconds later.

  “You belong in the depths of hell. You will be no better than that evil thing we call a queen.” She backs up, cradling her hand, as my sister steps closer and inspects my arm.

  “I’m okay,” I tell her, but she isn’t listening.

  She turns and faces the angry wolf. “Think about doing that again and I will end your life, right here where you stand. Do. You. Understand. Me?”

  I go to reach for my sister but think better of it and pull my hand back. The last thing I want to do is hurt her.

  “You… you are the first I will kill.” The wolf jumps for my sister, and in mid-air, she is caught by the throat in her wolf form by John. I watch in shock as John squeezes the wolf’s throat, making her yelp, before lowering her to the ground but keeping his hands around her neck. As the alpha, even in his human form, he is stronger than most.

  “If any of you…” John looks around to every wolf who is present, then continues with everyone’s attention, “…think you can get away with harming my mate, you are truly misguided. I will end your life the minute you think about it. This will be my first and only warning.” He turns back to the wolf he still holds in his grasp, his muscles bulging as he squeezes a little tighter. “You can leave, and take whoever holds your beliefs with you. You ever think of returning or harming either of these women, I will end you faster than you can say sorry.” He drops her and she falls to the ground, shifting back to her human form.

  John steps back until he is standing next to Tatiana again, and she leans into him and looks at me behind his back, smiling.

  Oh, she likes him, all right. A lot.

  “You’re choosing a witch over your pack?” another wolf barks out.

  “I’m choosing my mate. And you would be wise to stop whatever you are about to say about her. My temper is currently running exceedingly high.”

  The woman stands, and her hands go to her neck as she looks at John, then she turns, walking away from the pack the same way she came.

  “Anyone going with her? Because if you choose to stay, you will respect my mate and her sister.” A few people whisper, but no one else moves. “Good. Now, let’s work out a plan of attack.”

  We all go silent as John sits back down as if nothing happened. He grabs a stick and starts drawing the castle in the dirt at his feet. “Here.” He points to the back of the castle. “This spot is only guarded by one vampire. The angels don’t guard outside the castle… they are all inside. They will be an issue, as we aren’t sure yet how to defeat them,” John says.

  Then he points to the front of the castle. “Six vampires were guarding yesterday, more than the usual two we were told she usually has on her. She is expecting you.” John looks at me. “I think it’s time you explore your powers a little more. We need every chance we can get to be able to enter. Because that’s where it will be tricky.” He takes a deep breath. “It could very much be a suicide mission.”

  “So why even do it? Surely one girl’s life is no more important than hundreds of ours?” one of the wolves yells.

  The problem is—they are right.

  But I didn’t ask them to come.

  Tatiana and I would do it ourselves if we had to. Tanya will be relying on us to protect her, and as a family, we will do exactly that.

  “It’s not just about one girl. Yes, she is a bonus, but it’s more than that. Queen Veronica has ruled long enough, and it’s time for her reign to come to an end.” A few people cheer in response to John’s words while others stay silent.

  He turns to face me. “We know you can turn a vampire to ash. What else can you do?” I look to my sister, who bites her lip. “Tatiana?” he asks her. “You can trust me. You know you can.”

  “I can trust you, yes. But the lives of my sisters are not something I ever want to put in jeopardy or into anyone else’s hands. My parents left me in charge, and protecting them is what I want to do until my dying breath.”

  “I can do almost anything you think of, being supernatural,” I say, so she doesn’t have to defend me.

  John stares at me as if he doesn’t believe me.

  Then, one of the wolves whispers, “Demon.”

  I always knew I would be cast as one. Just from my limited powers that I have tested, they match those of a demon. But all demons serve in hell and are tied to it, whereas I serve no one and live my own life.

  “No, she is a witch. A witch with incredibly special gifts, that’s for sure. So, you have all four elements, plus other powers?” John asks.

  I nod, not denying it.

  Tatiana is gifted with earth, and she is extraordinarily strong using her gift. Tanya is gifted with air, but she doesn’t like to practice so her powers are limited.

  “Is that why you are hot to touch right now?”

  “Fire witch,” Patrick says. “Like those in the forest… half fire witch, half fairy.” I nod. There aren’t any fire witches left other than the three in the Viper Forest, and I was never going to announce myself. We caused too much chaos in the past when we got angry. Whole cities would catch on fire if we became enraged. It’s what happened before, but I wasn’t going to admit that.

  Being an earth witch, like our mother was, would have been easier.

  Having all four elements isn’t heard of, let alone spoken about. And on top of that, I have other abilities I cannot even comprehend. Yet, they are there.

  “I’m not sure I can turn more than three vampire into ash at a time… it drains me doing one let alone two.” I turn the discussion back over to John, and he nods and looks around.

  “We can handle the vampires. It’s the angels I’m more worried about. No one has ever taken one down. They are stronger, smarter, and can do things we cannot.”

  We know this, but it won’t stop my sister and me from trying to enter to save Tanya. I just hope all the wolves are not killed in the process.

  Chapter Twenty

  John talks, people listen. I guess that’s what it means to be an alpha. He makes a plan and that’s when we attack.

  We wait. When John gives the go-ahead, Tatiana doesn’t argue with him, even though I know she wants to. She is so used to being in charge that it’s weird for her to have someone else take the lead.

  It’s not even that I need her to be in charge, but I like her to be. I’m old enough to fend for myself, live by myself, but our world has changed so much that it’s smarter to stick together.

  I watch them, how John stays by her side, not moving an inch away from her. When she takes a heavy breath, I feel him stop while he watches her.

  Their love is going to move mountains, change lives, and be something wonderful to witness.

  While mine…

  “Little fighter.” I freeze at his voice. When I look up, I see him standing in front of me, his hands to his sides. “Your thoughts are powerful,” he says, and I make no attempt to move as he stands above me, untouchable.

  “Why did you come?” I ask.

  Everyone around us is frozen because we are in his time right now. His lip lifts just a fraction before he pulls it between his teeth and it pops back out. Does he even realize what he is doing?

  “If I kissed you now, would you stop me?” I ask him, suddenly overwhelmed by a new feeling of confidence, unafraid to finally ask for what I’ve been craving for so long.

  “Probably not.” His answer surprises me.

  “So why do you not kiss me?”

  He turns and looks up to the heavens and holds his head there for a few seconds before his silver eyes find mine and he speaks, “Because I am not your future. I would be temporary.”

  “How can you even know that?” I ask tentatively. “You know death, you do not know my future.”

  “But I see who is with you when you die, little fighter.” His words are like ice running all over my body. “And it is not me.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22