A sigh escaped my lips, and I threw the blanket off. The fresh pot of coffee Callie made every morning was calling my name. I sat up and rubbed my eyes before slipping my feet into my slippers and giving a big stretch. 

The walk to the kitchen was pretty uneventful. I took a cup from the cupboard and poured the coffee into it, making sure to leave the Kittie cup for Iana. She loved that thing. 

“Shema, you’re up early,” a voice said from behind me. I turned and met Kian’s smiling face. The man had been here nearly every night since we’d chased the Witch Council off. 

I caught his eyes slip up to the pink bonnet I still had on my hair and shook my head. 

“What are you doing still here?” It probably sounded a little meaner than I meant, but he had his own place. A big one at that. 

“Just finalizing things with Iana,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

I took a sip of my coffee. “Finalizing what?” 

“I think it’s better to let Iana talk to you all about it,” he said with a forced smile. 

“I do not like that sound of that,” I muttered, and he chuckled. 

“It’s not as bad as you think.” 

Sure. I took a seat at the table in the far edge of the room and leaned back. The air was still chilly and a light snow was covering the ground outside. Sure, Oregon didn’t get a ton of snow unless you were in the mountains, but it still had its days. 

I let my gaze settle on the garden that Callie was still getting to grow, even in the frigid temperatures. 

“Look, I know you don’t know me that well, but we’re in this together,” he said, a little too upbeat. 

“That’s easy to say when you’re a warlock and have nothing to lose,” I countered. 

“You have no idea what I have to lose,” he said, his tone a little darker than normal. I turned and met his gaze. “Iana is important to me, and this coven is important to her. So, I’ll do what I can to keep you all safe.” 

I cocked my head at him, taking in what he was saying. Of course, he’d say that if he wanted to get my guard down, but Iana did trust him. She had to have a good reason. 

Footsteps got closer, and I shifted my gaze to the door. Iana walked in and looked at me and then Kian before turning to the coffee. 

“I hear you have something to tell us,” I said. Might as well get straight to the point. 

She poured herself a cup of coffee and turned to face me. “What has he told you?” 

“Not a damn thing,” I said, crossing my arms. “Do we need the whole coven?” 

She took a sip. “Probably would be best.” 

“Give it an hour and everyone will be down here,” I said and turned my gaze back to the window. While we were safe for now, it wouldn’t be long before someone would be here causing us trouble again. I just hoped whatever Iana was planning was worth it. 

For all of us.

* * *

“What do you mean, you’re leaving?” Khloe shook her head as she spoke. “We just got ourselves protected and you want to run off?” 

“It’s not like that. The council said something about a bigger threat. We need to know what it is,” Iana said from the other side of the living room. 

Khloe leaned against the wall near the door and crossed her arms. “What the fuck does any of that matter? If we’re dead, we can’t help anyone.” 

“We won’t be,” Iana said, taking a step towards Khloe. I stayed seated on the couch. If we were down one member, our power would be diminished and we did have a bigger chance of getting caught up in something we couldn’t deal with, but Iana had a point. Whatever the council saw, they were scared and that in itself was power. 

“Iana’s right. We need to know what it is to protect ourselves and the people we care about,’ I said. “Khloe, we can protect ourselves.” 

“And I’m only a call away. Kian can have me here in seconds,” Iana said. “I promise it will only be long enough to figure out what they are afraid of.”

“Kennedy, the witch who hitched a ride with a shifter on that ship from the other coven said the shifters are scared too,” Callie said from the couch beside me. “They’re looking at going back to their worlds.” 

“That’s not a good sign,” I said. Everything was so much bigger than we thought, and no one knew why. “You have to go.” I met Iana’s eyes and nodded my head. “I can take care of us.” 

“Shema, that’s not your responsibility,” Iana said. 

“I know, but I’m taking it on while you’re gone.” I forced a smile. “You get the information we need and I’ll keep us safe. Besides, like you said, you’re only one phone call away.” 

“And the wolves are keeping this area safe as well,” Lexa said from the chair to my left. She had her phone in front of her doing god knows what, but at least she was listening. 

“The wolves aren’t going to protect us,” I said. 

“They might be willing to team up to protect all of us,” Iana said. “It’s worth a shot to ask.” 

“Callie can do that. She’s already talked to them once,” I said, and she sighed. 

“They freak me out,” she said. 

I snapped my gaze to her, and she shrugged. 

“We’ll be okay, Iana.” I stood and put my hands on her shoulders. “I’ve got this.” Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing, but with my past, I could take on anything I needed to. Even leading a group of women and keeping us all safe. 

I’ll do what I have to and hopefully, that will be enough.

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Chapter Two

“So, what do we do now?” Callie asked as we watched Iana walk down the driveway with Kian. 

“We figure out what we’re fighting next,” I answered. 

“Well, Khloe has that demon dude after her,” she said, and we both turned to look at Khloe. 

“I’m not getting into all that right now. Besides, he will not be an issue right away. He knows that’s what we’ll expect,” she said, falling onto the couch and leaning back. “No, it will be something else. 

“What else is there?” Callie bit her lip and sat in the chair next to the fireplace. We still hadn’t ever lit. 

“Lots of things. Vampires, hunters, other witches looking to make themselves seem more powerful to avoid the games. You name it,” Lexa said, still looking at her phone. 

“What are you even doing on there?” I asked, and she finally looked up at me and rolled her eyes. 

“I’m researching,” she said plainly. 

“Well, the wards are up and strong. So, we should be good there.” At least, I hoped we were. The last time I thought that, a fucking vampire with magick showed up. That was something I knew little about, but apparently if they drain witches, they steal the power they have. Best not to let one get their fangs into me or my friends. 

“What about when we have to leave?” Khloe said. “What about our families?” 

“One thing at a time. They should still be protected by the council. We left the council, not them,” I said. At least I hoped if any of their families went asking for help, they’d get it. I didn’t have anyone anymore. My brother was long dead and my parents disappeared shortly after. 

“The council is a bunch of nasty bitches. Do you really think they’ll honor that?” Khloe kept her eyes on me as she spoke. 

“If they want to look good to other potential coven members, they will.” It was true. They cared a lot about how they looked to the rest of the witch world. There were some off shoots of witches that went off on their own or joined the hunters or The Order of Fate, as they called themselves, but it wasn’t anyone’s first choice. Living like that was dangerous, and the council was always plotting against them. 

“Don’t worry, the trees will tell me if anyone is at any of your families’ homes,” Callie said with a smile. 

“Thank you,” I said for the rest of them. Khloe and Lexa seemed less than happy. Trees were the only thing looking out for their families, but it was something. “Let’s get some rest unless there’s something to be concerned about.” 

“You know the Council isn’t just going to let us get out of this, right?” Lexa said, looking up from her phone. “The other covens are already talking about how we left, and it’s a big scandal,” she said and gave me a slight smile. “They will come back to honor whatever pact they made.” 

“They didn’t make that pact with the Demon. They were just showing him where I was,” Khloe answered. “It’s like they’re paying off old debts with our lives.” 

“But why?” 

Khloe shrugged. “Who knows?” She kept her eyes on me. “What secrets are you hiding?” 

I stared at her for a moment. I mean, I could give them the full rundown of my family, but it didn’t seem like a threat. Yet.

“I’ll let you know when they come knocking,” I said, and she sighed. 

“Of course you’re not going to be upfront.” 

“Were any of us?” I countered. 

Khloe smiled slightly and shrugged. “Not really, but now we’re in it. We should know everyone’s.” 

“I’ll tell you mine when you tell me about that pact with that white-haired demon,” I said, crossing my arms. We all had our secrets. When they came out, we’d know what we were facing. The truth was, I didn’t even know what could be coming out of my past at this moment. The only thing I had was right here, right now. That was enough. 

“I’m going to bed. Let me know if anything crazy happens,” I said and Lexa looked up at me. 

“Oh you’ll know.” 

Great.

* * *

The air felt off the moment I stepped into my room. I hesitated at the door, but the wards were up and nothing and no one was getting inside. I closed the door and glanced at the window next to my bed. It was open and the cool night breeze moved the blood red curtains slightly. Maybe it was odd to have my window open when it was cold, but my element was fire. I ran hot. 

The bed was against the wall to the right, just under that picture window. The room was fairly large, but it was smaller than Ianas. The walls were dark gray with red accents and the dark wood floor had a dark red circle shaped rug in the center. The four-poster bed hung slightly over the rug, but it still looked like it all went together. To the left was a large dresser with a mirror on the top. It looked older than I was but still made putting myself together in the morning easier than trying to wrangle the bathroom away from four other women. I guess it was three now. 

I frowned at the thought. It was weird after everything we’d been through, but it was where we were. The carpet felt nice on my toes. I smiled at the little things making me feel like I was normal, but I wasn’t and nothing else was anymore either. Slowly, I made my way to the bed and settled in. 

At least I could get some much needed sleep tonight and we could start fresh with the research in the morning. The archives were calling my name, if the council hadn’t put a pause on us getting in there when we told them to fuck off. 

My eyes closed, and I relaxed into sleep. 

But the memories were the only thing I saw.

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Chapter Three

Driving in the early morning wasn’t what I planned on, but my night of good sleep turned into one of horrible dreams of things I couldn’t change. Not how I wanted to start the day, but at least I’d get into Portland before all the drivers were on the road for work. At the pace I was going, I’d be there right when the archive opened. 

The road was fairly empty, going north on I5. It was quiet and the cool air liked my face. A drive by myself might just be exactly what I needed. The road wound through the hills and the snow got a little higher, but the roads were still good. Before I knew it, other cars were joining me on my little commute. I glanced over at a little white car with an older woman in the driver’s seat. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was wearing a dressy blue shirt. Her hands were loose on the wheel. She looked over at me, her eyes vacant. She forced a smile, and I felt a little sorry for her. This was her life. Going to work only to go home and do it all over again. 

I turned from her and kept my eyes on the road. If they only knew what was going on around them. If they only knew what made them a slave to their jobs. 

Driving just a little more into the city, I kept the music off and concentrated on driving. Before I knew it, I was pulling up to the archives of the Pacific Northwest. While there were a few more throughout the United States, this one by far had the most information about witches and what they face. I just hoped I still had access. 

I pulled into a street parking spot in front of the building and stepped out of the car. The moment I stepped onto the sidewalk, I felt the surrounding ward. Most witches and warlocks knew about the place, but each was given different access depending on their station. I usually just talked to the archivist and they let me do what I needed. But it had been a while, and I had no idea if they were still there. 

The building looked like a plain old office building. The same dark brown paint on the outside of the building fading into a more eggshell the higher it got. There were floor to ceiling windows along the front wall with reflective film covering them so people could see out but no one could see in. 

I opened the door and felt the flood of magick push through me. At first, it startled me because I wasn’t ready for it. Even the archives had better security these days. That on its own was alarming. 

I hurried through the lobby, ignoring the front desk worker who was eyeballing the back of my head. “Just going to the archives,” I said and hurried down the stairs. The moment I hit the bottom floor, I took a breath. At least I got in. 

The basement was pretty standard. Cement walls and an overhead light that made it feel like a zombie movie. The heavy magick made it even more eery than it would be without any. 

“Oh, look who it is,” a smooth voice said from just in front of me. 

I glanced up and shook my head. Thank god they were still here. “So glad it’s you, Isuki. It’s been awhile.” 

Today they looked like more masculine, but with Kitsune it was hard to tell on a day-to-day basis. Their long dark hair was pulled back, and they were wearing a dark suit, but them leaning on the desk was pretty par for the course. 

“What kind of information are you looking for this time?” They said with a smile. 

I caught the fangs while they watched me a little more carefully than usual. They knew something. “What do you know about a big bad heading our way?” 

“Oh, that,” they said, pushing themselves up and walking towards the back. “It’s only rumors at this point. The warlocks are very hush-hush when it comes to future stuff, but-“ They waved me back to where they were standing. “-This section here has everything they recorded so far.” 

“Warlocks with visions, huh?” I glanced at the shelf they were pointing to. 

“Not just the warlocks. There are vision recordings from the witches, too.” They glanced at me and I furrowed my brow. Witches and warlocks sharing information was definitely worrying. 

“This must be big,” I said. 

They shrugged. “None of the visions are clear. Of course, that’s how it works, right?” 

“I wouldn’t know. I never had any,” I said, pulling a file from the shelf. 

“Your brother did,” they said, and I sucked in a sharp breath. 

“Well, he’s dead, so it doesn’t matter, does it?” My tone was sharper than I intended. 

“I guess not, but it would be nice if he were here. Might be able to give more details. He was one of the best.” 

“And that’s why they killed him,” I finished, pulling the file to me and walking towards the small table at the center of the room. 

Itsuki watched me for a moment, their arms crossed. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” 

“I know,” I answered. 

Their tails fluffed up behind them and I couldn’t help but smile. Kitsune were good at keeping their tails pulled back, but when they got angry or more emotional than normal, they puffed. Theirs were dark, just like their hair with white details. I never got close enough to see how the marks looked, but they were visible when they puffed their tails. 

“I’ll leave you to it,” they said, and I watched as Itsuki walked back to their desk. 

I flipped open the files and sifted through them. There wasn’t much in here that made any sense. It talked about the shifters mass migrating back to their worlds. That we already knew. Shifters were one of those creatures that came from an adjoining world years ago. Many fled oppression, but not much more was known about the different places. There were so many different kinds of shifters. It was hard to know if they came from the same world or many different ones, and I wasn’t close enough to any to ask. 

The next page talked about a powerful book called The Arcana, but it was in some warlock’s hands on a different plane. I sighed. That would be an issue if getting that was the key to knowing what was coming. Maybe there was another way to figure that out. I continued through the pages until I saw one that read The Oracle in bold letters. Then a date from ten years ago. 

The world is changing so fast and my daughters will never know what peace is. We’ve fought so hard to keep them safe, but in the end, they are meant to be on the opposing sides of this fight. How do you tell your child they will become what they hate most? How do you tell your child they are not what they think they are? 

Patty

I looked up and shook my head. What did any of this mean? This seemingly simple letter from someone named Patty shoved into a file about something coming. What did she know? 

“Who is this?” I asked, holding up the letter. 

Itsuki glanced at me and shrugged. “No one knows.” 

“Then why is it even in this file?” I said, shaking my head.

“Don’t ask me. The warlocks from New York put it in here. They are a terrifying bunch. I didn’t question it,” they said. 

“New York, huh?” 

“Don’t tell me you’re going to go there?” They asked, getting up from their desk. “I’d love to go if you do.” 

“I can’t take off like that right now, but maybe you can?” I raised an eyebrow. “What do you know about the shifter community there?” 

“There is none,” they answered. “Not that they’d have me, anyway.” 

“There are shifter packs all over the US. Why not there?” 

“The vampires are heavy there. One of the worst made it her home and she will not tolerate shifters or witches, really.” 

“She’s claimed the city then,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “What about the warlocks?” 

“They stay out of her way.” Itsuki gave me a look. “Don’t even think about messing around in that area. That vampire has some crazy power. More than any vamp I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot.” 

“I just want to know what this is about,” I said, holding up the letter. “If anyone knows, we need to hear about it. It’s important.” 

They sighed and crossed their arms over their chest. “Fine, I’ll take a little vaca to the big apple, but you better know what you’re getting into.” 

“Just stay out of trouble.”

“Please, you know I can never do that,” they said with a wicked grin. 

I shoved everything back into the file and handed it to them. “Call me when you know something,” I said and gave his arm a squeeze. Itsuki was a different kind of dangerous but they also were someone I never wanted to see get into any danger. Maybe I cared about someone in a way after all. 

Fuck, I’m doomed.

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Chapter Four

The minute I stepped outside the building, everything felt off. The crisp night air licked my skin, and I felt slightly uneasy. I didn’t mean to stay researching all day, and I still didn’t have any answers, only more questions. 

Being so lost in thought was my first mistake. I didn’t feel the presence walking behind me until they shoved me and I hit the ground. I quickly rolled onto my back and kicked at the man leering over me. He sidestepped it and grabbed me. I called my fire as he hauled me to my feet and willed it towards him, but a strong gust of air pushed it right back into my face. 

“You’re not the only one with powers, witch,” the gruff voice said, before I felt all the air push out of my lungs. I struggled to breathe and hold on to my fire, but I couldn’t. 

The only thing I saw before it all went black were red eyes. 

* * *

I was walking in the dark alone. My breath was the only thing I could hear in the darkness. It was almost like I was fighting something I couldn’t see. A hand grabbed mine, and I turned to see the same dark eyes I had. He smiled. My baby brother, I couldn’t save. The boy I’d promised I’d keep alive when my mom brought him home. 

“Hey sis,” he said, and I wrinkled my nose, his short dark hair was still cut into a fade like the last time I saw him. 

“You’re dead,” I said, more to myself. “This is a dream.” 

“Maybe, but that doesn’t make it any less real,” he said with a slight smirk. 

“Darren, the joker,” I mocked, and he laughed. God, how I missed that laugh. 

“Shema, you have no idea how important you are.” 

I stared at him. In all the time we’d spent growing up, he’d always said that same thing. It was like he knew something I didn’t, but sometimes I wished I was the one that died and he could have the important role. 

A hard slap pulled me out of the dream and my eyes shot open. 

“There you are,” the same red eyed mother fucker who grabbed me said. He stepped back, and I glanced around to get my bearings. I was in a basement somewhere. The walls were large cement blocks, and the floor was a simple cement slab. There was a light hanging from the ceiling that burned my eyes. 

I yanked my arms, but they were tied to a chair under me. I shook my head and called to my fire. Nothing. I called again, but nothing happened. Now I was starting to panic. 

The man who snatched me knelt down and smirked at me. “Looking for your power, witch. Don’t worry, I only took it for a while.” He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back so I was looking him dead in the face. “We need to have a chat.” 

He looked normal, but the fangs told me exactly what he was. A fucking vampire. I got snatched by a fucking vampire. His dark hair fell forward and blocked his dark red eyes. Not every vampire had them, but the old ones. They seemed to take on more of the traditional things you hear about in lore. 

“Fuck off,” I said. 

“Look at you. Aren’t you supposed to be the most powerful witch in the Harris line?” He snorted. “You’re just as stupid as the others, I guess. Letting little ol’ me grab you in the middle of the city.” 

“You caught me off guard. Catch me on a good day and I’ll show you how powerful I am,” I snapped. I pulled at the bindings on my arms again, and he raised an eyebrow. 

“Those are sealed by magick. You’re not going anywhere.” 

“So, you have more vampires with fucking stolen magick running around, huh?” 

He smirked and I caught something behind those red eyes. He was enjoying this. 

“No other vampires have magick here. Just me and my brother. We have other ways of keeping you witches in line.” 

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Like I care.” I kept my eyes on him. “Is this what you do for fun? Hunt witches and tie them up?” I pulled at the restraints as I spoke, and he chuckled. 

“If I wanted to have fun with you, I would be,” he said. “But I’m looking for someone and last I knew, he was supposed to be draining that spirit witch of yours.” 

“Oh, hate to break it to you, but you’re going to need a necromancer if you want to talk to him,” I said with a smile. He let go of my hair and I leaned back in the chair.  

He stood and walked around me, like was deciding if he was just going to suck the life out of me with his air magick or his fangs. “He’s dead?” 

“When I last saw him, he was dust,” I said. “Opps.” 

He snapped his gaze to me and I raised my eyebrows. 

“Guess you should have warned him there was more than one witch there. He didn’t seem like he could hold his own with two,” I said with a smirk, and he leaned over me. 

“You killed him,” he seethed. 

“More or less.” I mean, it was my power. Iana just channeled it and used it to kill a vampire that was trying to kill her. I would have done the same. 

“We needed that power,” he said, more to himself than to me. 

“That vamp already had power. Why would you need more?” 

He turned to look at me and then at the door. I held my gaze to him until the door opened and a woman walked in. She was beautiful, with light hair and ocean blue eyes. She was young and looked almost distressed to be there. 

“Make sure she can travel without running away.” He looked at me. “You and me are going to take a trip.” 

I held my gaze as this blond worked magick on my bindings. They released, and I rubbed my arms. 

“You still won’t be able to use magick without me letting you. But since you decided to kill my best solution, you’re going to help me.” 

Okay, I’ll bite. “With what?” I crossed my arms and stared at him. 

He sighed and grabbed my arms. “You’re going to help me kill my mother.”

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Chapter Five

You would think getting shoved into an old dusty van was the worst of it, but the fact this vampire didn’t even know how to drive was even worse. He drove down the highway at a speed that I’d never even touch up here in Oregon. The roads always had some kind of ice on them this time of year, but I guessed since he was a vampire, the prospect of dying wasn’t something he cared about. 

“You might want to slow down,” I said from the passenger seat. “You might not die, but I will if you misjudge a turn or something. 

He grumbled and slowed the vehicle. 

“Where are we even going?” I asked. It was super annoying. I couldn’t just turn him to ash and go back to the house. Hopefully, Callie had her trees watching what was going on so they could come get me out of this mess. 

“My home.” 

“And that is…” I glanced at him and he shifted in his seat. 

“Colorado,” he answered simply. 

“You’re driving me to fucking Colorado?” I shook my head. “That will take days to get to.” 

“That’s why I brought the van. You can drive during the day while I stay out of the sun.” He glanced at me and raised his eyebrows. “We’ll be there tomorrow.”

“Then you kill your mother, which is psycho by the way, and then what?” 

“Then I’m free to take over the family business,” he answered. 

“And you’ll let me go?” I said, but I knew that wasn’t going to be the answer I got. No vampire in the history of ever would let a captive witch he could keep on his payroll go. I knew that much about that blond shaking in his basement. 

“Sure,” he said, and I huffed. 

I turned my head to look at the passing tractor trailers and what I could see of the trees and snow as we moved down the highway. “What happened to that blond witch? Is she trapped with you too?” 

“You mean Casey?” He laughed, and I turned to look at him. “I won her in the games a few years back.” He glanced at me. “She’s a binding witch.” 

“That’s disgusting,” I said. 

He laughed, “What, owning a witch or the fact she’s got that power and makes it where I can pretty much tie any witch I want to me?” 

“Both,” I snapped. 

“I like you. You are way less annoying than your brother was,” he said, and I stared at him. 

“What the fuck do you know about my brother?” I said.

“Just that he was talented in mundane magick and when he died…” 

My brother wasn’t born a witch like I was. He had magick, a less potent form that manifested through earthly means. Like herbs and closer to the magick humans used. 

“You didn’t know, did you?” He shook his head. “Your brother worked with some of the outlying vampires to slow the progress of things.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. 

He sighed. “My family is high in the vampire community, but there is something darker. It can’t be killed.” 

“What does that have to do with my brother?” I said, crossing my arms. None of this made any sense. My brother took care of my mom. When I left for college, he stayed and swore he’d keep her safe from the warlocks. Why would he be working with vampires?

“Your brother was a part of The Order of Fate.” 

I laughed and shook my head. “I would know if he was working in some crazy group of monster hunters.” 

“It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s dead and I’m the last of the group we had.” 

“So, you were fighting your own kind?” I raised my eyebrows. “Sounds like a lie to get me to put my guard down.” 

“You can do whatever the hell you want. I just want to be free.” He didn’t look at me and I turned back to looking out of the window. The last thing I wanted was to deal with a vampire. Especially one that would lie so openly about my brother. 

As soon as I had a chance, this guy was ash. 

* * *

I felt myself falling and opened my eyes. The vampire was standing there, staring at me with the door open. 

“Wake up, it’s nearly dawn,” he said, and I furrowed my brow. 

“So,” I said. 

“So, it’s your turn to drive.” He pushed me over to the driver’s side and slid in beside me.

“I thought you couldn’t get in the sun, “I mocked. 

“I can’t. It makes us nauseous,” he said, leaning over and hitting the map. “Just follow the map and you’ll get there just fine.” He glanced at me before walking back to the back of the van and pulling a dark-colored curtain. “Just don’t do anything stupid.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I snapped. “What do I call you?” I figured the best way to stay alive in this situation was to at least pretend to play nice. 

He pulled the curtain back slightly and peered through. “You want my name?” 

“I could just call you asshole and be done with it,” I smarted off and he chuckled. 

“Zack,” he said. “Remember, you can’t kill me with your fire. Even when I’m sleeping,” he said. “I know you’ve been thinking about it.” 

“No, but I could wreck this van into the nearest wall and burn us both up,” I said with a smirk. 

“I don’t think you want to die and leave your coven down another member,” he said and all the smart ass faded. Of course I didn’t. Right now, they were probably trying to figure out what the hell to do. I’d been gone for almost two days at this point. Callie would notice if no one else did. 

“What does it matter if you don’t let me leave?” I asked, and he stayed quiet. I glanced down at my wrist to the weird glowing string wrapped around it and linking back to him. The fact that he’d taken a witch and broken her down so completely made me angrier than I should be. Everything about him was infuriating. 

Somehow, he’d gotten me to drive his sorry ass halfway to Colorado while he took a nap in the back. What a fucking joke. The further I drove, the madder I got. It was weird not feeling the normal surge of power my fire usually would give me when I’d get angry. This whole thing was weird. 

First, he tells me my brother wasn’t who I thought he was and now he is being somewhat nice to me. I couldn’t keep my head straight.

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Chapter Six

I pulled the van up to a gas station on the outskirts of Colorado as the sun went down over the mountains. I managed to get completely through Idaho and Utah before needing to stop, but figured he’d want to be in control again once the sun wasn’t making him sick. 

“The suns down,” I said, glancing into the rearview to see if he stirred. 

The curtain pulled back, and he popped his head out. “Finally,” he said. “You’re a slow driver.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t meet your expectations,” I said sarcastically. He moved to the front of the van and leered over me for a moment too long. I kept my eyes on him, my eyebrows raised. “What are you doing?” 

“Nothing,” he said as he moved over to the passenger side and glanced out into the parking lot. “These humans have no idea what’s coming.”

“And you do?” 

“I have an idea,” he said, waving me to start the car and finish driving. 

I huffed and turned the key. He wasn’t going to tell me, of course. 

“The gps should take you to a safe house. I’ll scope out my family home and you can sleep,” he said. “I’ll have one shot at this.” 

“Surprised you’d let me sleep,” I mumbled, and he gave me a hard look. 

“I’m not a complete asshole,” he said, and there was something behind his eyes. He was softer than before, but only slightly. 

I put the van in drive and drove the rest of the way to the safe house he was talking about. It wasn’t much. Just an old busted house in the middle of some of the roughest area in Denver. The house itself looked old, with chipping white paint and boarded-up windows. Even the grass in the front yard was unkempt and dying. At least what we could see. The show was higher here and the air much colder. 

“This is your safe house?” I snorted. 

“It’s not like I’m here that often,” he said. “Not since before.” 

“Before?” I pushed, hoping for a little more information, but he didn’t give any. 

“Pull the van into the back,” he said. 

I glanced at the trees, hoping they could get past the magick this binding spell had on me. Callie had to know I was in Denver, but the ward washing over me dashed any hope of that. 

I glanced at him and he raised an eyebrow, a bit of that dark hair falling into his eyes. “What, you thought I wouldn’t keep this place protected?” 

I didn’t say anything and put the van in park. “Now what?” 

“Now you go inside and get some rest. I want every bit of that fire power you have tomorrow night,” he said. “I’ll be back before dawn and don’t even think of trying to get past the wards. They won’t let you leave without me and trying will cause you unnecessary pain.”

It was that kind of ward. Fantastic. 

I opened the door and stepped out, and Zack slid to the driver’s seat. I watched him pull out of the driveway and drive off. At least I was alone to figure out what to use to kill him. If he died, I was willing to bet the binding he put on me would break as well. 

I walked through the snow piles towards the door, being careful to find the areas where the dead grass was still poking through. At least that would be the least likely to get snow in my shoes. If I knew I was going to be walking through fucking snow, I’d dressed better. 

Thankfully, the walk was only a few feet before I was at the front porch area. It looked like it would break at any moment, but I carefully stepped to the door. It wasn’t even locked, and I was able to pull it right open. I shook my head. Some safe house. 

The moment I stepped inside, I realized everything I was seeing outside was an illusion. The inside was warm and inviting, with hardwood floors and freshly painted walls. It still looked dated, but much better than what I was expecting. My eyes drifted to the left where the stairway was, and I bit my lip. There had to be a place to crash upstairs and one that would hopefully be as comfortable as the rest of the house seemed to be. 

I glanced back at the long couch sitting just in front of a fireplace. It could work, but after being cramped in a car all day and half the night, I was ready to stretch. It doesn’t hurt to look. I walked up the stairs and stopped at the first room. It was already open and there was a nice sized bed in there. That would work just fine for tonight. I stepped in an slid my jacket off. At least I’d been smart enough to remember to wear that and kicked my shoes off. The old metal bed creaked as I sat on the edge, but the mattress was soft and inviting. Just a little sleep. Then I’d need to look for something to fuck up that vampire when he got back.

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Chapter Seven

Zack

I parked down the street from my mother’s house. The neighborhood was vastly different from the one where the safe house was and people watched what was going on a bit more. A dusty old van that would normally go unnoticed would be a red flag if I parked too close. I glanced at my watch. There was still plenty of time until the sun came up and I’d have to leave. 

The walk up the street was quiet. Most of the people on this road were either older or they were so rich they had people watching their homes. Maybe they’d drop in to ski, but never to actually live here. All but my family. 

My mother who picked her children like she was picking a fine wine. She only wanted the best and the more loyal. Too bad she was one hell of a bitch to be in a family with. 

My thoughts drifted to Shema. She was as beautiful as all the photos Darren kept in his wallet of her. That man loved his sister more than anything. Even his own life. If she knew everything he did for her, she’d never forgive him for keeping her in the dark. 

Fuck, why did I feel like I had to keep her alive now? That’s not my problem and I don’t even know her. I ran my hand through my hair. 

I rounded the corner and my family home came into view. It was basically a mansion complete with the rounded driveway and the gates to keep the people out my mother didn’t want to look at. I stopped at the edge of the gate and listened. There were no sounds. I guessed the cold air was part of that, but not even from inside the home. I glanced at the many windows of the place. While there were lights on, it seemed no one was actually there. This was going to be a problem. 

I tried to think of where she might be at this time of year. There wasn’t much going on that she ventured out of the state for. Unless it was an import meeting with the warlocks. That was rare. Or maybe she’d finally decided to make an agreement with that vampire bitch in New York. That one was bad news and everyone knew it, but she was powerful and old. Older than many of the vampires that liked to think they ran things, including my mother. 

No, she wasn’t ready for that. Then it dawned on me. Of course, she wasn’t here. The Games were well under way and with the way she liked to pick the witches we would play for, she was probably with my brother, Anthony. He was the oldest and her favorite. 

He also was the most ruthless of all of us. 

Fuck.

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Chapter Eight

Shema

I startled awake and sat up to Zack standing in the doorway staring at me. I pulled myself to the headboard and caught my breath. My heart was still racing, and I wasn’t sure why. 

“You didn’t hear me come in?” he said, leaning on the door frame. 

“I guess not, but you’re creepy watching sure woke me up,” I said. “What time is it?” 

“Early. Like four am,” he said and stepped into the room. “I guess you got some sleep.” 

“I needed it,” I snapped. “What’s the plan?” 

“There is no plan.” 

“What the fuck does that mean?” I kept my eyes on him as he stepped closer. What is he doing?

“It means she’s not here,” he said, taking a seat at the end of the bed. 

“So, then it’s time to go back to Oregon,” I said with a shrug. “No point in sitting around here waiting.” 

“Nope, we’re staying.” 

“No, I have to get back to my coven,” I said, throwing my legs off the bed and jumping up. “I didn’t agree to any of this.”

“That’s not happening. I’m killing my mother and you’re going to help me.” 

“Fuck off,” I said, charging for the door. 

He laughed behind me and I felt a hard yank on my wrist. I jolted back into my ass. “You’re bound to me, remember?” He stepped over to me and knelt down. “If I want you on your ass, then you will be. If I want you here for as long as it takes, you will be.” 

“You do realize my coven is going to come looking for me at some point,” I said through gritted teeth. This whole bound to a vampire thing was getting on my nerves. 

“I’ll deal with them then,” he said a little too calmly. 

“You have a lot of confidence in being able to handle them.” I eyed him. “I may not have access to my power, but they do.” 

He smirked. “So do I.” 

I shook my head. “You really have a death wish, don’t you?” Sure, I was egging it on. I wanted to know how far this vamp was willing to go. 

“I’m not the one that killed one of the most powerful vampires in the Seron family.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. “You know how many of us are gunning for you?” 

I didn’t know much about vampire culture, but I had heard the Seron name once or twice in passing. They were a nasty bunch. Guess I didn’t think one of them would have attacked my coven, but then again, we were supposed to be safe there. Not dealing with enemies from every direction. 

“So what, you’re going to use me to do your dirty work and then let the family take me out?” I shook my head. “You’re a fucking coward.” 

“You have no idea what I am,” he said, giving me a hard yank to him. He was so close, I could feel his breath hit my face. His muscular body was against mine. I pulled back, but he held me there. 

“You knew my brother, right?” I decided a different approach might be the way to go. 

His eyes lightened, and he loosened his grip. “I did. He was just as fucking annoying.” He let go and stepped back. “Maybe even more.” 

“Is that why you didn’t kill me right away?” I pushed just enough to maybe, connect. 

“You think I didn’t kill you because of some sentimental thing with your brother?” He laughed and sat on the edge of the bed. “You must be kidding.” 

I crossed my arms, and he cocked his head. 

“I didn’t kill you because of what you are,” he said. He stood and closed the gap between us. “You have more power than you even realize. It’s no good to me if you’re dead.” 

“Unless a vampire takes it,” I finished. He stepped closer, and I stepped back. 

“Unless I wanted one to.” 

“Wasn’t that what your brother was there for?” I kept my eyes fixed on his as he pushed forward, almost pushing me back into the wall. 

“He was there for your spirit, witch. You have no idea what she can do, do you?” His body pushed into mine, stumbling me back against the wall. “She’s the key to escaping what’s coming.” 

“Then why am I here instead?” The fact he kept saying I was important and then going back to what they wanted Iana for was confusing. Was she the key or was he just telling me nonsense so I’d stop asking?

“Because, Shema, you are one of the few fire witches who can tape into everything fire can do. Every level, every power.” He leaned in, his face dangerously close to mine. “You hold all the power of fire.” 

What the fuck does that mean?

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Chapter Nine

I somehow managed to sleep more in the day, since I figured he’d want me up at night to deal with his family. I rolled my eyes at the thought. The idea I was so powerful was laughable. If that was the case, I would have been slated for The Games or married off to some powerful warlock. 

It was ridiculous to think I was some super powerful fire witch, right? I grumbled to myself and walked into the living room area. This place had no sign of coffee anywhere and it was pissing me off. I plopped onto the couch and crossed my arms. To my right, Zack was sitting at a desk writing something. 

He glanced over at me and shook his head. “Do you need something?” 

“How can you go through your undead life without coffee?” 

He chuckled and put his pen down, a smile on his face. “You get used to it.” 

“Well, I’m not going to get used to it,” I snapped. 

He leaned back in the chair. “You’re so picky.” 

I stared at him for a moment, and his smirk grew wider. “You like torturing people, don’t you?” 

“Typically, no. But I’ll make an exception for you,” he said, still holding me in place with those dark eyes. 

“How long are we going to wait here?” 

“As long as it takes,” he said before picking up his pen and continuing his writing. 

“What are you writing?” 

“You’re full of questions.” He glanced at me and raised his eyebrows. I didn’t say anything, but kept my eyes on him. “I’m journalling.” 

“Journaling?” What the hell did he need to journal for? 

“I’ve been alive for over two hundred years. When you’ve been around that long, you forget things.” 

“You were born in the 1800s,” while I didn’t want to admit it, that was a fascinating side to talking to a vampire.

“I was. My now brother had just turned a woman in St. Thomas, Nevada.” He glanced at me. “He wanted a male companion, too.” 

“So, your mother didn’t turn you?” 

He laughed. “No. She was furious with Anthony.” He leaned back and put the pen down again. “He just went off and made two new vampires without even talking to her.” He shook his head. “The Seron family likes to keep their numbers tight.” 

“No members added who aren’t vetted, then?”

“Exactly. My mother only wants the most viscous of vampires.”

“So, she likes to have criminals turned?” The idea of a serial killer running around as a vampire was revolting. I guess that was the good part of having The Order of Fate around. They cleaned up those kinds of messes.

“She likes loyalty,” he said. “Vampires who are grateful for the change.” 

“And you weren’t?” 

“It wasn’t really a choice.” 

I didn’t push any further. If he wanted to explain his origin, he could, but at least I was understanding how the vampire thing worked better now. I wasn’t a complete idiot when it came to knowing, but no one took the time to really explain how it happens and their culture like he just did. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for how it happened. He never wanted it. Just like I never wanted what I had, either. 

Maybe we did have something in common.

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Chapter Ten

Zack

Saint Thomas, Nevada

1822

* * *

I pulled the horses into the stable, the chilly night air making me shiver. The desert was always a little cold, but there was something else in the air tonight and it was erry, too eerie for me. 

I closed the paddock and walked the short distance between it and towards my little house. I stopped when I realized there wasn’t any sound. No bugs chirping in the night. No frogs begging for water like the rest of us, nothing. I swallowed hard and rested my hand on the doorknob. Why couldn’t I just go inside? Why was I glued here like some idiot? 

A cold hand rested on my shoulder and I tensed. 

“Tell me your name,” the masculine voice said from behind me. 

I didn’t dare turn back to see who it was. “Zackary,” I said quietly. 

“Do you have a family, Zackary?” he said, and I nodded. Just beyond this door was my little sister and my mother. Whoever or whatever this was, I didn’t want them anywhere near them. 

I finally got the courage to turn around and was met with light blue eyes fixed on me. I furrowed my brow in confusion. Why was I scared of this guy? 

“What do you want?” I said, carefully. My hand was still on the doorknob. 

He glanced past me to where my hand rested and raised an eyebrow. “You’d do anything to protect your family, wouldn’t you?” 

I didn’t answer, but tightened my grip on the handle. 

“So, would I and right now, I need a brother to help me protect what’s mine,” he said, before yanking me to him and biting into my throat. 

The searing pain pushed through me and I wanted to drop to get away, but he held me up, squeezing my shoulder as he drank my blood. My vision started to fall away and everything echoed in my ears. 

I was dying and couldn’t do anything to stop it.

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Chapter Eleven

I finished writing about the last few days in my journal. Including the fact I had a fire witch that wanted to kill me. The thought made my lips turn up into a smile. 

“What the fuck are you smiling about?” She said, and I met her gaze again. 

“Oh, just thinking of all the ways I could kill you,” I said. Or all the other things I could do to you. The thought caught me off guard. Of course, I’d noticed how beautiful she was. I knew that from those fucking photos Darren carried around, but being with her for the last couple of days, I noticed much more. The way the corner of her lips turned up when she was frustrated. The tough act when she felt limited because of not having access to her powers. It was all something that made me feel things I hadn’t given myself the opportunity to feel in a long time.

“Please, you don’t have the balls,” she said, and my smile got even wider. 

“And you know this, how?” I loved pushing her like this. She was bound to get flustered again, and I’d get to see that adorable way she tried to make herself look so tough. 

Fuck. Not what I wanted to think about. Focus, Zack. 

“Because I’m still alive,” she mocked, letting her head fall back onto the couch. The way the artery in her neck pulsed told me everything about her. She wasn’t just angry over being here, she was extra angry over the stupidest thing. Coffee. 

I pulled out my phone and goggled grocery that would deliver. They might think it’s weird to deliver to a house that looked like it should be condemned, but hey, this is Denver, after all. 

And if it would make her happy…

I turned my phone over and laid it on the table after I ordered. She still wasn’t looking my way. I sighed. “Do you like books? I have an entire library in the dining room.” 

She opened her eyes and gave me a look.

“Okay, so you aren’t a reader, got it,” I said. “Well, it’s there if you get bored.” I stood, grabbed my phone, and headed for the door. “There’s a delivery coming. Just take it and say thanks to the driver.” 

“Why would you get anything here?” She said, shaking her head at me. 

“Because you’re a human and you need to eat. Plus, I’m tired of hearing you bitch about coffee.” 

She raised an eyebrow at me. 

“What? It’s better for both of us if you’re comfortable,” I said and opened the door. “I’ll be back in a bit.” I heard her huff as I closed the door and couldn’t help but smile. 

This wasn’t how I wanted any of this to go, but now I was in it. 

* * *

The walk was the same as before, quiet and dark, but this time there were cars in the driveway. Finally, they were home. At least now I’d be able to get rid of this family tie once and for all. 

After everything my mother did to me and the people I cared about, it would be justice to finally see her burn and maybe I could add Anthony in there for good measure. 

“Brother, why are you lurking around out here alone?” 

Fuck.

I turned and smiled wide, taking in those same blue eyes that once turned me into the monster I was now. “I didn’t know if anyone was home. Just checking before I come say hello,” I said, trying my best to not come off as fake as I felt saying it. 

He put his arm on my shoulder and flashed those fucking fangs at me. “Mother will be thrilled you’re back in town.” 

“Yes, I’ve been hoping to give her my best, but I need to go grab my new addition,” I said. 

Anthony raised his eyebrow. “Did you bind another witch to you?” His light hair was pulled back, but a small strand fell on the left side of his face. He pushed it back and straightened his suit. My brother, the only one of us who wore a suit everywhere. Of course, he was the next one in line after mother. So, he loved looking the part. 

“In a way,” I admitted. “My binding witch did it for me.” 

“I’m so jealous you ended up with a binding witch. You could have an entire army if you wanted,” he said, shaking his head. “I hope you made arraignments for if you are killed. I’d love to have her.” 

I eyed him. The thinly veiled threat was par for the course with him. Of course, he wanted her. Who wouldn’t? “Well, let me go grab my new witch. I’ll be back before dawn.” 

“I’ll let mother know, but Zackary, please remember she expects so much from you,” he said.

I forced a smile. “Of course she does. I’ve always had to prove myself and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

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Chapter Twelve

Shema

I watched him leave and thought about the coffee that was on its way. Not that I should be thinking of something so trivial. This damn vampire had a hold on my magick and I was stuck here, at least until Callie and the others showed, if they even could. Who knew what was going on back at the house?

If I had my phone, I could call them and find out, but at some point, either Zack took it or it got dropped in Portland. Either way, it wasn’t with me. 

I glanced to the other room where the books were. There wasn’t much else to do until he got back, so I walked to the other room and thumbed through them. Zack was for sure a Sci-fi reader. Pretty much every copy of anything that came out in the last hundred years, he had a copy of. 

I grabbed a copy of one of the few fantasy books he had sat there and sat back down on the couch. If everything was good this time, then this whole thing would be done with. Now, whether he let me leave was a different problem all together. 

I cracked the book and started in on it. Before I knew it, the door was opening and Zack was coming through with another man, or should I say, a vampire, behind him. This guy was everything Zack wasn’t. He was put together, wearing a dark suit, and his longer light hair was pulled out of his face. 

“So, this is your new addition,” the well-dressed guy said, a smile on his face that was anything but reassuring. 

“Shema, this is my brother,” Zack said reluctantly. 

“The one that turned you, huh?” I said, keeping my eyes on the asshole. 

His brother smiled. “She’s got some bite.” He turned towards Zack. “Mother will be pleased. I mean, if you can keep her under control.” He glanced back at me. 

I crossed my arms. 

“She’s bound to me. She can’t hurt me, but anyone else…” Zack kept his eyes on his brother. 

“You really are one of us, aren’t you?” 

Zack shrugged. “I’ll be back to see mother tomorrow night,” he said. “You can go, Anthony.” 

I shifted my gaze to Zack, but he didn’t seem bothered by his brother pulling a power play on him. If this was how they all were, I’d be glad to get back to my home and away from vampires. 

* * *

The first thing I noticed when I got in the van was how damn quiet Zack was. I glanced at him as he started the van. His hands gripped the wheel entirely too tight. For the first time, I wasn’t just looking at a vampire who wanted to kill people. I was looking at a man dealing with some of his own trauma. 

“Are you having second thoughts?” I said, carefully. There was no way to know what he was thinking. 

“Not about getting rid of them,” he said.

“Them?” I leaned back a bit in the passenger seat. “I thought it was just your mother you wanted gone.” 

“If she goes, Anthony will take over as head of the house.” He glanced my way. “He’ll kill anyone that gets in his way, or worse.” 

“So, that’s not the option you want?” I was getting more an more confused. “Zack, if you want my help, I need to know something.” 

He turned and looked at me. His dark eyes had just a touch of humanity in them. Something I wasn’t expecting. “What?” 

“What were you and my brother doing?” 

He took in a breath and bit his lip, his fang piercing his lip just a little. “We were working together.” 

“I know that, but why?” 

“To save people we care about,” he said. 

“That doesn’t answer my question.” 

He turned away and shook his head. “This was a mistake.” 

“Just tell me, so I can understand.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him so he was facing me. “I need to understand.” 

“I can’t.” 

“Can’t what? Tell me or can’t finish your fucking job?” I could feel the anger bubbling up. It was capped, my power was capped, but for the first time, it was almost like I could break the binding. 

“Your brother knew. He… he knew it would happen and the only way to stop it,” Zack said. 

“Stop what?” I pushed harder. “This was the big bad we were fighting. The thing that was causing all of our lives to be so messed up. 

“He said it would all be gone, everything.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“There’s some kind of event. Everything changes,” he said. “Everyone dies.” 

“How could he even know this?” I kept my eyes on him. 

He shook his head. “The Order of Fate.” 

“They told him?” 

“He wouldn’t say. He said you had to be protected. You had to live.” 

“Then why the hell would you try to kill me?” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t understand any of this.” 

“I think my family, the power they have is part of this,” he said. 

“That’s why you want to take them out?” I sighed. 

“That and the way they turned me,” he said. “I didn’t have a choice.” 

“We never do.” I locked eyes with him and it wasn’t a monster I was looking at. It was a man who’d lost everything. Against all sense, I felt bad for him. 

“Then let’s go take care of this. For you and for the rest of us.”

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Chapter Thirteen

Zack

I didn’t say anything as I put the van in drive and headed towards my family home. Already, I’d said way too much. The fact I brought the whole Order of Fate shit into this was making me rethink everything. Of course, Shema knew about them, but what a way to find out your brother was lying to you the entire time. God, I’m a fucking idiot.

“When we get there, they are going to look at you like a bug.” I glanced at Shea, who already had her arms crossed. I couldn’t help but smirk. “Don’t let it get to you.” 

“They do know I could burn them up, right?” 

“They don’t and they won’t. Not until the time is right,” I said, looking back to the road. The last thing I wanted was for anyone else to get hurt. Anyone that wasn’t loyal to them, anyway. 

“So, we’re just going to burn the entire place down?” I could feel her eyes on me and just shrugged. 

“It’s kind of a nice place to just burn up, but if we have to,” I said and turned the corner to the street, the damn thing was on. It was a little further out than the other homes in the area, but that’s how mother liked it. She loved being right up against the forest. Maybe it reminded her of her old home, or maybe she liked to go out there and do weird things. I never asked. 

“So, who becomes the leader of the family if those two aren’t?” 

I knew what she was asking. She wanted to know if this was a play to take control of the family for me. She wasn’t wrong in thinking that, but the last thing I wanted was to be a vampire in charge of others and building a family. That was better left for the others. 

“Not me,” I said, carefully. “I’m ready to be done with this whole thing.” 

She looked at me, but I couldn’t pinpoint what she was thinking. I hadn’t taken much time to really look at her. The way her dark eyes filled with fire when she was thinking of something or wanted to kill me, or the curve of her hips when she adjusted in the passenger seat. I tore my eyes away and back to the road. 

“Then you’ll unbind me,” she said rather than asked. 

I bit my lip. I wanted to tell her that I would, but honestly, this whole thing wasn’t just about power anymore. I wanted to keep her. I wanted to have her. Her brother would be so pissed, I’m sure if he were alive to have a say.

“Right?” She insisted, and I finally looked at her. 

“If that’s what you want,” I said. 

“Why would it not be?” she said. 

I pulled the van into my family home’s driveway and put it in park before looking her way. “Let’s just get this done.” I jumped out of the van and walked around to Shema’s side. She was already on the pavement waiting for me and taking in the large home I never wanted. 

“This is where you lived?” She said before shaking her head. “No wonder you’re kind of an asshole.” She smiled as she said it and I couldn’t help but smirk. 

“It comes with the territory.” I motioned for her to follow and walked towards the large glass door. The brick walls were not as visible in the night, but the landscaping lights shined up the side of the mansion. “Just follow my lead.” 

I stepped inside, with Shema following behind, and glanced at the same entryway that had greeted me so many times before. To the left was the ballroom where we held meetings and parties, but most of the time we just made people nervous in there or let them know how much poorer they were than my mother. She controlled everything on the west coast and was highly involved with the games. That was part of the reason so many of my siblings and I were in the games. It was the ultimate power grab. To own a witch who had strong power, there was nothing to show you were more powerful, and we had so many from previous games. 

“Now what?” Shema leaned over to me as she spoke, and I glanced at her. 

“Just follow me. They’re probably doing something horrible in the ballroom,” I said. It was part joke and part fact. My mother’s pastime was torturing everyone. 

I headed for the ballroom, with Shema close behind. Sitting behind the piano was the silhouette of a dark-haired woman wearing a beautiful red dress. Her back was turned to us, but I knew exactly who she was. 

My mother.

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Chapter Fourteen

Shema

The minute I followed him into the ballroom, I knew I’d made a mistake. That woman sitting at the piano playing some melody I didn’t recognize. Her dark hair was straight and loose on her back. She was wearing some fancy red ball gown even though she was alone in here. The white piano stuck out against her, but fit perfectly in the large room. I glanced to the right, and the wall was just floor to ceiling windows. Beyond the windows were some of the thickest forest I’d ever seen.

“Zackary, so glad you’re back,” she said, and she stopped playing. 

“Hello, mother,” Zack said, staying a little forward of me. 

The woman turned around and smiled at Zack before her eyes settled on me. “And who is this?” She kept her dark eyes fixed on me and I swallowed hard. It wasn’t intimidating to have Zack stare at me or even that shit head of a brother I’d met the night before, but this vampire, she, carried that extra villain energy. 

“This is Shema. She’s bound to me,” he said, and I lowered my eyes. That I didn’t need to pretend. 

“I see, and what power does this little witch have?” His mother said, standing and taking a few steps toward me. 

“She is a fire witch,” he said with a slight smile. “I like having that kind of power at my fingertips.” 

I furrowed my brow and sighed. 

“Oh, she doesn’t like that, now does she?” the woman smiled and her large pointed canines showed themselves. The longer they were, the older the vampire. She was at least a few hundred years old. 

“She’s still learning.” He said. “Where’s the rest of the family?” 

“Your brother, Anthony, is in the city tonight. Leria is off in London on some new adventure and Cyrus, well, he and I are not getting along right now,” she said, crossing her arms. 

“Cyrus did the games this time.” Zack stated more than asked. 

“He did an, ande prize was fine, but he went and fell in love with it.” 

I struggled to hold back my anger at her disdain with a witch. These fuckers really thought they were better than witches. 

She glanced at me and laughed. “Looks like your witch doesn’t like me talking like that. You need to train her to understand her place.” She stepped closer and looked me up and down. “We’re better than you in every way. We can even hold your magick if we want, but what better way to keep our dominance than by parading the witches we control in front of everyone.”

This bitch was getting easier and easier to kill with every word she spoke. I heard footsteps from behind me and turned my head to see who the hell was creeping up. It was a woman with light brown hair, so skinny I could see her bones in her arms. She rubbed her forearm and my eyes drifted to a small mark on her wrist. 

“Lira, so glad you could finally get here,” Zack’s mother said, disdain dripping from her words. “Reinforce the wards. I don’t want anyone causing trouble for us.”

Lira nodded and glanced at me before turning and walking away. 

“They are so useful when trained properly.” 

“I was hoping Anthony would be here tonight,” Zack said and stuck his hands into his pockets. “We can come back.” 

“Nonsense, you can stay in your rooms,’ she said, finally taking her eyes away from me. “I’m sure you can make it work.” 

I glanced at him and he tilted his head in the same way he did when he pulled me off the street. 

“I’m sure we can,” he said and grabbed my arm. 

This was not what I signed up for.

* * *

When Zack opened the door to his rooms, I turned to him and raised my eyebrows. As someone who’d been raised middle class, this was crazy to me. The first room was set up more like a sitting area. There were two large comfortable chairs sitting near a bay window with bookshelves to the side of it. The little table in front of the chairs was set up with a small vase in the center with red roses. The further walked into the room, the more books I saw along shelves on the walls. 

“You sure like books,” I said without thinking. I guess it made sense considering the time he was from, but I’d never thought about it that hard. 

“I do, but I’m surprised my mother kept them.” He stopped and ran a hand over one sitting on the little table in front of the chairs. “I didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms.” 

“So, she’s not a complete raging bitch,” I said with a slight laugh. 

“Oh, no. She totally is,” he said, and the smile on his face made mine light up. I wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he wasn’t just some vampire who’d kidnapped me. There was so much more to him. 

I cleared my throat. “What’s the plan?” 

“We wait,” he said simply, and glanced at his phone. “One more night.” 

“And if my coven shows in that time?” 

“Let’s hope they don’t?” he said while he typed something into his phone and I walked back to him. 

“Why? Because it would keep me from working for you?” I snapped and poked him in the chest. He put his phone in his pocket and glanced at the spot where my finger hit him and then up at me with a smirk on his face. 

“You really think your coven can break the binding?” He said, stepped towards me. “You really think it’s that easy?” 

“Yes,” I said, stepping back and running into the shelves. A book fell beside me, almost hitting me on the shoulder. 

He put a hand on the shelf beside my head. “You’re bound to me, Shema.” 

“Only for now,” I snapped. 

“And then what?” He said, quietly. “You go home and live your life?” 

“What would you know about my life?” I could feel the anger bubbling up again. This vampire, that knew nothing about me was acting like he knew me better than I did. 

“I know more than your think, Shema,” he said quietly. “I know you blame yourself for what happened to Darren. You think burning the world down will solve your problems.” 

“I don’t,” I lied. “I just want to keep my friends safe.” 

“Who keeps you safe?” he said, his dark eyes fixed on mine as he slowly leaned in, his lips brushing mine. “Let me keep you safe.” 

“You can’t,” I whispered as he kissed me, soft and sweet at first. His hand slid down my body and pulled me to him. Another book falling from the shelf as he did. I didn’t pull away. Maybe he was right. Maybe I could let him in, even if it was just a little. 

He pushed me back against the bookshelf and broke the kiss. He looked down at me, his dark eyes hungry. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you, to be around you,” he said, letting his hand pull a stray hair from my face. “You’re everything to me, Shema.” 

“That’s why you have me bound to you?” I meant it to be a challenge, but it was more of a statement. He had me tied to him. He could do whatever he wanted to me and maybe I wanted that. Maybe I wanted to let myself feel something for once. 

I didn’t wait for him to come to me. I pulled him to me and kissed him hard and demanding. I wanted to feel again and to know that someone gave a shit. 

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Chapter Fifteen

I stared at the ceiling with Zack’s arm draped over me, pulling me into him. It felt oddly comforting to have him holding me like this. If we weren’t in the middle of a vampire territory, I might have even let my guard down a little more than usual. 

The sun going down was odd, but when the windows were tinted so dark, I guess it made sense I wouldn’t be able to tell what time of day it was. 

“It’s almost time,” Zack said, pulling me to him. “I wish it wasn’t here that we did this.” 

“I don’t know what this is,” I answered honestly. I didn’t. He was a vampire, and I was a witch in a coven, fighting not just vampires, but everything that was coming at us. Plus, still didn’t know what all that meant. 

“This is whatever you want it to be.” His hand brushed over the bite on my neck. “I undid your binding while you were sleeping.” 

“What?” I sat up and leaned against the headboard, looking at him. 

“You heard me.” He sighed. “It’s your choice what you want to do. Burn us all up, that’s what you want.” 

I reached for my magick and just as he said, it was right there. No barrier, nothing stopping me from using it however I wanted. “It’s not,” I said a little too fast. “I mean, not you.” 

“Good.” He said and grabbed his clothes off the floor. “My brother will be here soon. Then we can finish this and get you back to your coven.” 

“What about you?” I asked, watching him. 

“What about me?” 

“What will you do?” I bit my lip as I spoke. The last thing I wanted was to be tricked by a vampire. 

“Are you asking if I’m going to follow you?” He glanced at me as he spoke with a smirk. 

“Are you?” 

“Do you want me to?” He said, pulling his pants on. “Do you want to tell the rest of your coven how you got with a vampire, even though it looked like everything was after you?” 

I dropped my gaze. He was right. They might not understand. I still couldn’t figure out what the hell they were doing and why they hadn’t come looking for me yet. What if something happened to them? 

“How would you explain that to them?” He said and tossed my clothes on the edge of the bed. 

“I guess that would be my problem,” I said with a shrug, grabbing my shirt and sliding it over my head. 

He didn’t say anything as he finished dressing and waited for me to do the same. As much as I hated the idea of being anywhere near his family, I didn’t want this time together to end. It was so long since I’d actually felt like someone gave a shit I was in a relationship with. Not that we were in a relationship. I didn’t know what the hell this was. 

“They should all be in the ballroom tonight. That’s when we’ll take them out.” He kept his eyes on me. “If you’re still willing to help.” 

“I’ll help you as long as no one gets hurt. How many witches do you guys have working here?” 

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “Most won’t be in the ballroom with the family, though.”

“If something happens, I don’t want anyone else getting hurt,” I said, standing from the bed and he reached out to touch my cheek. “Those are my people.” 

“I know.” He smiled. “They’ll be safe.” 

I nodded. The only thing I could do was trust that he was being honest with me. I didn’t know the layout of the house, but if I had to, I’d go through every room and burn any vampire that looked my way. 

This was all over tonight.

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Chapter Sixteen

I didn’t say much as we walked to the ballroom, but I did make sure I had a good map of the rest of the house. At least what I could see of the house as we walked. 

“Relax. It’s all going to go fine,” Zack said and pulled me closer to him. 

“Just don’t look like we’re together, right?” I said with a smirk. 

“Oh, no, they aren’t going to care about the sex,” he said before looking at me with a smile. 

Great. So here we were still playing this game, all while waiting to kill a house full of vampires. Fuck. My. Life.

We didn’t have to walk long before we were standing at the doorway of the ballroom. I took a breath and pulled at my fire to make sure it was close by. Keeping it at my fingertips kept me alive more than once, and I expected it would be the case this time as well. 

“Stay close. When everyone is in place, burn it down,” he said and pushed open the door. The room was just as it was before, but this time, there were a lot more people. I glanced at Zack and he shrugged. “Guess my mom invited more vampires.” 

“This was not the plan,” I snapped. 

“Adapt,” he said, pulling me into the room and towards the others. 

There were a couple of groups of chatting vampires as we walked past. They were dressed nicely and made me feel like I was at the wrong kind of party. A tall blond kept his eyes on me and raised an eyebrow before turning back to his female companion. 

“That’s the Valen family. They stay to the east coast most of the time,” Zack said, pulling me through the room towards his family. 

We passed another group to my right. This time they didn’t look at me with curiosity, but disgust. Like I was some kind of pet they didn’t like having at their feet. 

“The Baylor family,” Zack said, giving my hand a squeeze. “No one likes them.” 

“Why are so many families here?” I whispered. 

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to wait till later for our plan,” he said quietly. “Just stay nearby and it will all work out.” 

“It’s that easy, huh?” I said. There was no way I’d just hope for the best. I was in a literal den of vampires and I had a power I was sure they’d all kill for.

“No one is going to hurt you while you’re with me. You’re bound, remember?” He kept his eyes on me, and I nodded. Even though he’d broken the binding, he was being careful with his words. 

“Easy for you to say,” I said, quietly. 

“Just go with it,” he said, and we walked closer to his family. His mother was, of course, the center of attention, but beside her was Zack’s brother from the other night and a vampire woman I hadn’t seen before. 

“There he is,” Zack’s mother said and turned to us. 

“This must be the witch you have bound to you,” the vampire woman said. She looked a little different from the others. Maybe it was the fact she wasn’t as old or something. I wasn’t sure, but her dark hair fell around her face in wispy layers. She glanced at me briefly before looking to Zack.

“Is this your witch?” She said. I bristled at the term’ his witch.

“For now,” he answered. 

“You plan on letting her go?” The woman said and shook her head. 

“I didn’t say that.” he glanced at me with a smirk on his face and all the weird mixed feelings bubbled up. 

“Dear brother, I’ve missed you. Why do you stay away so long?” She laughed as she pulled him into a hug. 

“Perry, you know I like the cold,” he said with a smile. I tried to read into the smile as much as I could, to figure out if he was being himself or if he was working an angle, but I couldn’t tell. 

“I don’t know why.” She said with a sigh. “Isn’t it cold enough here?” 

“Not the same,” he answered. “What’s with the big party?” 

I stayed quiet and watched what was going on around us, but honestly, the sooner we were out of here, the better. 

“Mother, being mother.” Perry glanced at all the families and back to Zack. “Don’t stress. They won’t be here long.” 

Zack glanced at me and I couldn’t help but feel at least grateful about that. I knew a bit about vampires, but since witches were pretty insulated from their workings, we just avoided them as much as we could. They normally stayed clear of us until we had our powers. Then they became a threat, but not enough for us to learn about how their families worked. This was all new to me and, to be honest, it was a little weird. 

“So, mother is letting them know this is her area and to stay clear unless asked to come,” Zack said and shook his head. “None of them would even be here if she hadn’t asked them to.” 

“There’s talk of a rising in New York. Someone there with a lot more power than any of us,” Perry said. 

I perked up hearing this. It was the same thing Itsuki talked about at the archives and potentially the key to whatever everyone was so freaked about. 

“A vampire?” Zack asked. 

“Worse.” 

“Demon?” He pushed, and I waited. 

“Not sure.” She sighed. “They are calling it the first evil.” 

Zack didn’t say anything, but the flinch in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He knew what she was talking about and it was enough to scare even him. 

Fuck.

* * *

The ballroom cleared out slowly, and I felt myself getting more and more anxious. If I timed this wrong, there would be a lot of vampires on my ass and none of them would give me a second thought. This was one of those times I wished I had the rest of my coven here with me.

The only people left in the ballroom were us and the rest of his family. They were sitting around the piano drinking what looked like wine, but I knew what it really was. I glanced at Zack and he raised his eyebrows. 

“Are you ready?” He asked. I looked at the others in the room. It was only a few and as long as it stayed that way and there weren’t any surprises, I was ready to burn it all down. 

“Yeah, let’s do it,” I said. I took a step towards the group before I heard someone running into the room. My head swung to the door and Lira ran inside. 

“There’s trouble,” she said to no one in particular, her head lowered like she was less than them, but she was the one protected every single one with her wards. It made my blood boil. 

I glanced at Zack and his huge smile gave him away. He knew exactly what was going on. Shaking my head and stifling a sigh, I raised my hand and called to my fire. Zack’s mother took two steps towards me before Zack blasted her back with his wind power. He looked over at me and raised his eyebrows, clearly waiting for me to incinerate them all. 

Movement at the door caught my attention, and I turned my head just as someone in a long, dark coat walked through. At first I couldn’t tell who it was, but when my eyes met his, I knew exactly who he was. 

“Shema,” Zack yelled. “It’s now or we’re all dead.” 

I turned back to the vampires and pushed my fire towards them. The mother jumped to the side, narrowly missing the flames. Perry, Zack’s sister, couldn’t get out of the way in time and screamed as the fire ran over her. 

I turned just in time to see the mother coming towards me. Zack was busy pushing his brother back, and the bastard that entered the ballroom earlier was pulling Lira away. She lunged at me, but I sidestepped her. She turned faster than I could react and grabbed my arm, yanking me to her.

“You fucking witches think you own the world because you have power. I’ll take that little power of yours and destroy everyone you ever cared about with it.” She grabbed my hair and yanked my head back before biting my neck. 

I took in a sharp breath at the pain. It was so different from Zack’s bite. Violent and angry. My mind scrambled for what the hell I could do. Then I remembered something Zack had said earlier. You can access all the different forms of fire magick. 

My mind was slipping as I lost more and more blood, but I pulled at my magick. It flickered to life easily, like it knew exactly what I needed. Instead of just pushing it through my hand like normal, I pushed it through my entire body. The heat from my fire magick was comforting and fought the cold I started to feel in my fingers and toes. It pushed into my skin and ignited not just myself but the vampire trying to kill me. 

I held onto that power until my body hit the ground. 

Then there was nothing but cold.

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Chapter Seventeen

“Shema,” a voice I knew said. It was far away, but I could still hear it in the darkness. “Shema,” it said again, a little louder. That’s when I realized who it was calling for me. That was when I let my anger push through me and opened my eyes. 

“There you are,” he said, and I punched him in the chest. 

“Darren, you son of a bitch,” I yelled, but it came out in more of a broken whisper. “You’re dead.” 

“Shema, it’s a lot to explain,” he said, helping me to a sitting position. Zack pushed him back and grabbed me. 

“Shema, I’m so sorry. I tried to get here before she bit you, but Anthony fought me,” he said, pulling me to him. 

“You were the reason my sister was supposed to die?” Darren grabbed Zack and pushed him away from me. “Get your vampire hands away from her.” 

“It’s not like that,” I said. Wait. “What do you mean supposed to die?” 

He hesitated and pulled me to my feet, still holding onto me for support. “Shema, I did die that day.” 

“I know. I saw it,” I said before looking back at Zack. “Zack didn’t do anything wrong. If you had just stayed out of the way, it would have ended the way it was supposed to.” 

“You’re blaming me for this?” Darren said, shaking his head. “I was supposed to be here.” 

“Why?” 

He sighed. “Shema, I’m a reaper now.” 

I almost laughed at him. That wasn’t how it worked. Reapers were born to their jobs at least that was what they liked to tell us. 

“Shema, it’s not funny.” He said, glancing at the door. “We have to get out of here before more come or worse.” 

“Anthony will get reinforcements. We can’t stay here,” Zack said, and Darren glared at him. 

“Darren,” I started, and he cut me off. 

“Let’s talk about this on the way back to Oregon,” he said. 

“Agreed,” Zack answered, grabbing me under my legs and carrying me through the house. 

“I can walk, you know,” I said, but it was kind of nice being carried. 

“You can, but you’re slow as fuck and we have to move,” Zack said. “My van is still out here. We can take that.” 

He pushed the door open and headed to the van at the edge of the driveway. Darren got in the front and started it while Zack pulled the door on the side open and stepped inside. He laid me in the makeshift bed he used while we were coming here and closed the door. 

I locked eyes with him and he forced a smile. This was not how it was supposed to go. Everything was wrong and now I had a new enemy to worry about.

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Chapter Eighteen

Zack

“I can’t believe you almost let her die,” Darren said from the front seat. I glanced at Shema’s sleeping body and pulled a blanket over her. 

“I didn’t know it was going to go like that. They knew someone was coming in,” I said and crawled to the passenger side. “I figured it was you coming to help.” 

“I was there on business. I didn’t know it was Shema.” 

“You were there to collect her?” I felt my whole body go numb. I really had put her in so much danger. She was supposed to die tonight, and I was the cause. 

“Yes,” he answered simply. “I’m not going to.” 

“That’s suicide for you,” I said without thinking. 

“She’s important.” 

“So, you’ve said,” I answered. “How?” 

“I don’t know, but she needs to live,” he said. “I’ll deal with the consequences.” 

“How did you become a reaper?” When you become a vampire, you tend to not see reapers anymore. Not that I knew about them before I was turned. Minus the stories you would hear from others. 

“They made me a deal,” he said simply. “They have that power.” 

“Sure,” I answered simply. 

“I’ll get her back to her coven, but you’re going to have to figure out how to keep your family away from her,” he said, and I nodded. 

There was no way Darren was going to want me to be around Shema after this. After all the back and forth we had with how she was going to tell her coven and if she even should, and none of it mattered. 

The only thing that mattered was she was safe.

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Chapter Nineteen

Shema

I opened my eyes and looked at the roof of the van above me. My body moved slightly as we drove down the road, but I was feeling much stronger. The ache in my neck was worse, but I could live with it. 

Swinging my leg over the edge of the makeshift bed, I pulled myself to a sitting position and held there for a few moments. The world was still a bit wobbly, but nothing I couldn’t handle. 

I carefully made my way to the front of the van where Darren was still driving and Zack was in the passenger seat, looking sicker than a dog. That’s when I realized the sun was up. 

“Why are you still up here?” I said to him and he looked at me. 

“To let you rest.,” he managed, but he was fighting back nausea. 

“Go back there before you throw up and make me sick too,” I said, and he hurried back to the back of the van. “Why did you let him do that?” 

“You’re my first priority, sis,” Darren answered without looking my way. 

“Sooooooo,” I said.

“What?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I managed. 

“I’m not supposed to have contact with my family. It’s a rule,” he answered. “Something about making the grieving process easier for you.” 

“That’s why they usually aren’t just picked like you,” I said. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how true that was, but I was going with it.

“Yes,” he answered. 

“But you were the one that came for me, weren’t you?” The minute I felt my body go cold, I knew I was dead. I wasn’t supposed to come back. 

“It’s not a perfect system,” he said, simply. 

“What happens now?” I bit my lip and looked at the road ahead of us. “Are you going to change your mind? Do they send others to come get me?” 

He gave me a hard look. “I would never change my mind, Shema.” He sighed. “Others will not be coming. I’ll answer for it.” 

“Answer? How?” 

“I don’t know.” He licked his lips. “It doesn’t happen often.” 

“Will they kill you?” 

“I’m already dead, Shema,” he said with a laugh. “They can’t.” 

“Will they take away your reaperness?” 

“I don’t know,” he said. “Don’t stress about it. You have bigger things happening.”

I sighed. The coven. I was gone for days and they were battling god knows what while I was gone. “The coven.” 

“We’re getting back as soon as we can,” he said. “I know how important it is to keep it safe.” 

I was and if anything happened to them while I was gone, I had failed miserably. 

* * *

We pulled into the driveway and I almost jumped out of the van. It was dark enough Zack could come with me, but as soon as he hit the ward, he was pushed back. 

“I can’t go in,” he said. 

“Just wait here,” I said and glanced at Darren, who was walking around the van towards me. “Don’t do anything to him while I’m gone.” He held his hands up in surrender. 

I hurried up the porch and into the house. 

It was chaos. 

Callie stood from the living room area and hurried to me. “Thank god you’re okay.” 

Lexa was pacing the living room and Khloe was nowhere. 

“What’s going on?” I said, glancing from Lexa to Callie. “Where’s Khloe?” 

“Shema, it’s awful.” Callie said. “It’s why we couldn’t come help you.” 

“What is it, Callie?” I pushed. 

“Khloe’s been taken.” 

What?

“We tried to stop him, but with just the three of us, he was able to get her,” Lexa said and walked to the door. She glanced out and back at me, raising an eyebrow. “And you got company.” 

“That’s my brother,” I snapped.

“The dead one?” 

“Yes, Lexa the dead one,” I said, annoyed she was even asking. 

“And the other?” 

“He’s complicated,” I admitted. 

She raised an eyebrow. 

“Enough about them. We have to find a way to get her back,” I said. 

“Oh, we have a way,” Lexa said. “But it’s dangerous.” 

“Isn’t it always?” I sighed and nodded. 

“Okay, let’s go get Khloe.”

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