My fingers wrapped around the metal, lifting it to the light. I didn’t breathe. I didn’t blink. My fingers scraped across the square blood red stone of the ruby ring Collin gave me. A scream died in my throat, as I recognized the final corpse as Collin. I staggered back across the room. My body collapsed into the throne. Panic was lacing my thoughts. My heart thundered. It couldn’t be them. There was no way.

My head shot up as two demons skulked into the room. Their posture was bent so that their upper bodies almost scraped the floor when they walked. Their angular heads were bowed. Their blackened hands looked like prehistoric claws.

“You there!” I screamed at them, as I rose. My black dress billowed around my ankles. They stopped. I asked, “Who did that to those people?” My hand pointed out the window. “Tell me now! Tell me!” I screamed, but could not feel my voice.

The creatures’ gaze remained downcast. One responded, “It was you, Majesty. You are the most powerful, most beautiful, most vengeful Queen.” Its voice was like gravel escaping from tar. The words gurgled in its throat.

“Stop lying to me! Tell me the truth! Who did this?” I yelled. My fists balled as I screamed. I felt my voice heave from my lungs in rasps.

The second creature gurgled, “It was your Majesty. She tricked them all. They did trust her, and she led them here. They followed her. They swore to protect her.” A contorted expression leaked across his face as he continued, “But she took power and killed them all. She kept power for herself. She left their bodies under her window to remind her not to trust anyone but herself. They took what was not theirs. Queen does not pardon the treacherous. None is a more powerful, more beautiful, more vengeful Queen than you, Majesty Ivy.” The creature bowed so low that his head touched the marble floor.

I felt my eyes roll back. My body crumpled. The cold impact crashed against me, as I hit the floor. My mind screamed, as my body felt like it was trapped in tar. It clung to me and robbed me of breath and life. Suddenly, I sucked in a sob, and shot upright.

I heard Eric’s soft voice. “Shhh. It’s all right. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” His hand traveled softly across my hair and down my back. “You’re safe.”

The world swam back to me, and I knew I was sitting in the woods we were running through before the vision pulled me under. My feelings crashed into my chest. I closed my eyes tight as I waited for the violent impact to pass. I knew it was only a vision. At the same time, it scared me to death, because it could happen.

“Ivy?” his voice whispered. I shook my head. I couldn’t look at him. The images of the bodies on stakes and the silver sword gleaming in the ground, I knew that it was him. I betrayed him. Utterly. I betrayed all of them. Somehow all three of them followed me.

And I killed them.

Trembling at what I would become, I said, “You were right.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“I was right about what?” He was acting normal, and not treating me like I had demon blood flowing through my veins. Somehow, that made it worse.

“Me and the prophecy. It’ll happen, whether I do anything or not. I saw it. Oh my God. I saw it.” Sitting up, Eric’s hands fell away. I told him about the vision. He was stunned. Saying nothing, he sat next to me, utterly silent. This was worse than having demon blood. Way worse. Horrified or not, the vision showed my future. I didn’t know how I would get to that point—the point at which I felt nothing and killed all my friends.

Thinking of what Al told me, I remembered that one decision is going to trigger a chain reaction. I didn’t know which decision was the trigger. But Collin told me that it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the action that was the catalyst—it was me. The fact that I breathed was enough to cause it. I trembled.

Eric’s head shook slowly. His amber gaze bore into me. “Do you want it, Ivy? Do you want the life you saw?”

My arms were folded tightly, as I stared between the dark trees. I shook my head. “No. God, no.”

“Then choose,” his voice sounded like the old Eric. “Your dreams are premonitions… warnings. They are nothing more. If you choose a different path, they won’t happen.”

“But, Eric, I don’t know which decision put me on that path. It could be anything. It could be me—the fact that I breathe.”

Eric said, “I know, but I suspect, you’ll know what decision it is when you come to it. There is one thing we do know—something that will keep you off that path.”

Hope filled me, as I looked at him. “What? What is it?”

“You need me,” he said. “You and Al both said it. I’ll stay with you through this. The vision you saw won’t happen—it can’t happen—if I stay with you, right?” I nodded, not entirely certain anymore. It was difficult to be certain of anything. I thought I knew who I was, or at least some inkling. But, the future version of me that I’d seen scared me. I didn’t want to be that person.

Conviction flowed through Eric’s voice. “I’m not leaving. Like it or not, we’re on the same side for a while.” He dusted himself off, and stood, turning away from me.

I sat in the cold dirt and wondered when I should tell him about Collin. Then I noticed it was just the two of us. “Where’s Shannon?”

“She’s scouting the area,” he answered. “She heard something and you were out cold. She should be back… ”

“Shhhh,” we heard her whisper. Shannon emerged crouched from between the low brush with a silver dagger drawn, crouching low. The shadows masked her approach, and somehow she moved silently through the crisp leaves. It was the same dagger, lodged in her chest, from my vision. My gaze shifted to see what she was staring at.

Across from our spot there was a little clearing. It sat dark and empty in the cold night. Eric shook his head, putting his finger to his lips to cut off my question. I sat quietly and watched. Across the street, a figure moved between the shadows. We weren’t alone. Shannon stalked forward abandoning the cover that the woods provided, and crossed the street quickly. She kept out of sight until she came up behind her target, with her dagger drawn. Right before she was in striking distance, the figure twisted, and sprung at her. There was a flash of silver, as her blade flew out of her grip.

“No!” I screamed. Panic shot through me, propelling me into motion.

Eric’s fingers just missed my shoulder. “Don’t!” But it was too late. I was running full speed at Shannon. My heart was deafening, as anger surged through me. My fingers pulled my comb from my hair, but before I could extend the deadly tines, I was knocked to the ground. When I managed to get back on my feet, I didn’t have my comb.

A blond emerged from the group. She held my silver comb in a gloved hand. “Hey virgin. Funny how life works out, isn’t it?”

“Nicole,” I spewed her name, shocked.

She laughed. “We have your buddies, so unless you walk with us, we’re gonna shred them. What are you gonna do?” Her gloved hands held up my comb, as she examined it closely. Her perfect skin wrinkled as she frowned. “This looks like the same weapon we took last year. Jake!”

My stomach dropped. I looked around the small park. Shannon and Eric were outnumbered. They were still fighting, battling too many Valefar at once. We were screwed.

Jake stepped forward. “It is. The girl had it. How’d she get it?”

They all looked at me. “It was my sisters.”

“That was almost a year ago. That girl we were chasing in Italy? Ha! That’s funny.” Jake laughed, “We were chasing the wrong girl.”

That was when the pieces started to click together in a horrible deafening slam. Taking a menacing step towards Nicole, I asked, “You killed her?” Raw hatred shot threw me. “It was you?” Not knowing what happened to my sister ate me alive for over a year. To learn Apryl was involved in all this made me sick. All the hatred surged within me, and I wanted to unleash it on the one responsible—Nicole.

Nicole laughed. A wicked smile curved her lips. “It wasn’t me. But I do know the person who is responsible.” A sardonic smile covered her mouth as her gaze shifted towards Eric. She pointed. “It was him.”

I blanched. My knees buckled. Eric killed Apryl? And that was all it took. That moment of shock undid me. The Valefar were on me in seconds. I heard her command them to kill everyone but me. I slumped, trying to catch my breath, but failing. My knees wouldn’t hold my weight. The Valefar wrapped my wrists in black chains, tugging me to follow them. I couldn’t move. The shock wasn’t fading. Everything that went wrong was connected. The Valefar, Apryl, Jake, Eric, and Collin. The only one who seemed to know nothing of it was Shannon, who was fighting for her life—and losing.

The thugs holding my arms moved to kick me, but Nicole said, “Carry her.” One of the Valefar thrust me onto his shoulder, like a caveman. They carried me away, watching my friends—or whoever they were—fighting to the death.

Suddenly there were two Valefar with oozing red scars in front of me. The next thing I knew, I was waking up and looking at Collins face.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

His scar was glowing scarlet. I’d never seen it do that before, no matter what had happened. It unnerved me. My gaze shifted off of his face as I sat up. We were at his place, back in the same posh room. My jaw dropped as I looked at him for an explanation.

“We only have a minute,” he said. “The others will be back. They brought you to me to bind you. Right now they are fighting over who can have you if I allow it.” Seeing the startled expression on my face, he quickly added, “I won’t let them have you. And I already told you that I have no desire to bind you. I want you the way you are, but I have to do something to protect you. Ivy,” his sapphire eyes were wide, “I need to fake a demon kiss with you. That’s the only way. They’ll think I bound you and will leave you alone.”

My forehead scrunched as I his words washed over me. “How do you fake a demon kiss?” I swallowed hard.

“I can’t, really. I have to kiss you. It has to look real, but I’ll only take the smallest piece of your soul. You have to writhe like I’m tearing all of it from you.”

My stomach lurched at the thought. It was the one thing we’d tried so hard not to do. It was the one thing that would kill me. I stared at him, unblinking. Even if he wanted to save me, I didn’t believe he could break the kiss. The bond would lock us together, and I didn’t know if Collin had the will power to pull apart.

His blue eyes were rimmed in red, and remorse flowed from him knowing what he had to do. It was heavy, filled with regret. His voice brushed my mind again, I promise I’ll protect you, Ivy. This is the only way.

The door opened and several Valefar came in. They were all speaking at once, and staking their claim for my soul. Jake argued that he found me; Nicole said she captured me, while some of the others said they lured me out into the open. They looked at me with ravenous eyes while they argued. Collin sat behind his desk listening and made no indication he had other intentions.