‘Help,’ I begged. ‘Surlama. Spell.’ That was all I could muster. My gaze landed on Rage, kneeling and panting on the ground, his mother standing over him, weeping to the king to spare his life.

How did this happen? How had it gone so wrong?

‘Give me the spell.’ Grandpa’s voice was firm in my mind, and I felt a pull at my navel.

‘What?’ Confusion muddled my thoughts, and I struggled to make sense of his words.

‘Come into the spirit realm and give the spell to me,’ he commanded.

‘How?’ I asked—begged, really. What had I done to visit Kaja?

‘Let go, Nai. Picture me clearly and then let go.’

I imagined the kind and wrinkled face of my grandfather, a man I barely knew, yet he’d already risked so much for me. Love for him filled me, and then…

I landed on sand, panting, but no longer in pain. A shadow cast over me, and I raised my head to see Grandpa Geoff on the beach—the same one where he’d asked me to pick my affinity. He clasped either side of my face, and then my sweet gramps stared me down with blazing eyes.

“Kill the witch, and meet me in Montana.”

He sucked in a huge breath, right in front of my face, and the sickly green mist lifted off of me as if he’d breathed in the spell. It floated through the air and went into him.

I gasped, and my eyes snapped open.

To find Surlama standing over me with a long dagger.

The entire room and all of its occupants seemed to be holding their breath, waiting. There were no screams. No voices. No more pain. My vision tunneled, and determination filled me.

Time to die, witch.

Magic coursed through me. My skin prickled as the power built, and I launched upright, grabbing her arm that held the knife with my left hand and yanking it over her head with a snarl. I slammed my right hand into her throat. Her eyes widened; she moved her mouth but no words came out.

With a bellow of rage, I hurled my power at her. I threw so much wild, unrestrained, vindictive magic into her, my vision spotted. The energy left my body in a rush of light, leaving me dizzy while I held on to her neck, choking the life out of her. Her face turned purple as I cut off her air, and her eyes widened in shock. This selfish mage had stolen her last vial of blood. She’d manipulated her last victim. She’d experienced her last moment of sick pleasure.

“Give my regards to the Keeper of Souls,” I growled.

My blue magic traced over her skin, following the network of her veins, and then she … exploded. Like a sausage filled with too much heat and moisture, pieces of flesh and bone splattered onto the walls and floors.

Holy mage.

“Nai!” Rage bellowed from the other side of the room where he was again locked in battle with his uncle.

It looked like most of the guards were down or fled, and Fiona was out of bullets.

My hands shook as the adrenaline pulsed through me. I scanned the rest of the room, but it appeared we had the upper hand.

I looked down at the hunks of bloody carnage on my boots, and bile churned in my stomach. What the hell? I was capable of exploding someone’s body? That was … scary and incredibly efficient. I wouldn’t miss Surlama, but the thought that I had this power made a dark feeling open up in my chest.

I’m a monster.

Justice crawled over to me, scooping me into his arms, and that’s when I realized I was shaking from the adrenaline and shock.

“I’ve got her!” he yelled as his warmth wrapped around me, and I shook against his chest.

Too much magic. I used too much magic. I felt sick.

My attention turned to my mate’s battle with the king just in time to see Elaine step behind the king and crack something long and heavy over his head, causing him to crumble like a sack of wheat.

Noble groaned from the corner, and Kaja ran to him, running her fingers over his body, checking for injuries.

“Rip his dammed head off!” Justice roared as he stood slowly, me still in his arms.

Rage looked down at his uncle, lip curled up in disgust, and raised his sword.

“Wait!” Elaine stepped in front of Rage, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’d hoped to never have to tell you, at least not until after I’d found a solution.”

With his chest heaving, Rage stared at his mom with wild eyes and growled, “Tell me what?”

She sighed, glancing at the king on the floor before she hung her head. “He had Surlama do a protection spell two days ago. If anyone tries to kill him, I’ll die. It’s like a shield spell, only involuntary.”

The room spun. Had I just killed the only witch powerful enough to break that spell? The thought made me nauseated. I couldn’t handle any more crappy news right now.

“More guards incoming,” Fiona said after poking her head out into the hallway. “We need to go.”

Rage’s mom glared down at the king. With a snarl, she raised her foot before crashing it down right over his crotch. If he hadn’t already been sterile…

“I want a divorce.”

Rage strode across the room to us, and Justice relinquished me into his brother’s arms. “Thank you, brother.”

Justice nodded. “Of course.”

Rage pressed a tender kiss to my forehead before leading us out the door and back into the secret passageways.

“Nai, where do we go?” Kaja asked.

I was silent as I reeled in thoughts of the Surlama meat explosion and whether I was a dark mage or something else equally evil. Where could we go…?

“My uncle will scour the realm, searching for us,” Rage said. “He won’t let us go after that.”

Weakness pulled at my limbs. “Montana. My father’s pack will protect us with their lives.”

Chapter 9

Our small group spilled out of the corridor, and I blinked, taking in the very modern garage filled with shiny cars. Rage led us to a line of SUVs, all exactly like the one the Virtues drove when they’d picked me up from Montana. Was that only four months ago? How could such a short amount of time have changed everything? My gaze slid to Rage, and I wondered if he thought the same. His entire life was upside down now too.

Nell pulled on Fiona’s arm. “I have to go back for Rue.”

She nodded. “Take Mele, and when you get Rue, go back to our lands and tell Father what happened. He’ll need to hide you.”

Nerves churned in my gut at her instructions.

Kaja nodded. “Fiona and I will go with Nai and make sure they stay safe—or as close to safe as is possible.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I was pulled in for a Harvest girl hug.

We then piled into two vehicles, me in shotgun with Rage driving. I glanced back to find Harp and Gray sitting on either side of Elaine. Rage’s mom offered me a small smile before Rage pulled the SUV out behind the one Justice drove with Noble, Kaja, and Fiona. I faced forward as we raced away from the castle—away from the alpha king.

The silence in the SUV pressed against me. Unease, trepidation … guilt.

What would I say to my father when we arrived? How could I explain? Worse, I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that Declan wouldn’t come for us—sooner or later. My arrival would serve as a portent of more woe to come.

Rage shifted his weight and tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles blanching. Was he tortured by similar worries?