My husband pressed his lips together in a hard line, then relented. “Set up a perimeter and post guards. We’re making camp.”

  He turned to Natalia and clapped on her shoulder, muttering something in Sanguisi. She gave a curt nod, then disappeared in the thick press of bodies.

  Chapter 15

  L’Héritier

  BASTIEN

  Ipaced near the campfire where my nephew and his sanguine partner sat, reassuring myself that Claire was safe—tucked away with Devlinn and Tansy, working together on the spell that would open the arch. Knowing she was protected gave me the chance to speak to Tyson alone.

  The cold gnawed at me, but it was nothing compared to the hollow ache in my chest. Steeling myself, I stepped closer to the fire. Okeri noticed me first, her smile slipping into something more reserved as she rose to her feet. “Your Grace,” she greeted, curtsying. Her attention flicked to Tyson before returning to me. “Shall I leave you two alone?”

  If only Tyson were half as observant as the women surrounding him. It would make my life so much easier. I nodded once. “If you don’t mind. I need a word with my nephew.”

  Her lips twitched as though she might say more, but instead, she turned to the viscount. Whatever passed between them seemed to sober him slightly. If anything did. She slipped past me with a whispered, “Goodnight.”

  Regardless of how I felt about my nephew, I could respect his sanguine partner.

  “If you’re here to scold me, Uncle, you might as well get it over with.”

  I must’ve done something in a past life to upset Diana, because the humility required for this was nearly unbearable. Sighing, I gripped the bridge of my nose.

  “Do me a favor and don’t get yourself killed while we’re out here.”

  “I didn’t know you cared that much,” Tyson said. “In fact, I’m fairly certain you told me you didn’t.”

  “I don’t,” I snapped, though my voice sounded more tired than biting. Then I caught myself and forced myself to think of Claire and what I wanted to do for her. For us. For this family I couldn’t get out of my head. “Marius has named you my heir, which means I have a vested interest in you staying alive.”

  His brows lifted. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying, there will come a time when I’ll need someone to take over for me.”

  Tyson cracked a smile. “You’re not trying to make an heir, are you, Uncle?”

  My answering growl cut through the cold air. Could he be serious for one minute? Or would I be forced to kill him before I told him what my intentions were? “Don’t test me.”

  He raised his hands, palms out, but he was still smirking in a way that made me want to turn around and walk away. “My apologies.”

  I shoved my hands into my pockets to keep from strangling him. “As I was saying, there will come a time when Claire and I will need to leave. And when that day comes, you’ll rule Château Rose. With Natalia’s guidance.”

  The smirk faded from his face, replaced by something more serious. It was a look I hadn’t seen on him before. He sat up straighter, brushing the snow from his gloves. An unexpected note of concern tugged his brows together. “If you return to the capital, you’ll have to face Uncle Marius. You’ll have to admit the truth.”

  “I know,” I shot back. As if I hadn’t considered the consequences. What did he take me for? A bigger imbecile than he was? I expelled a breath, my shoulders slumping as I took a seat beside him on the frozen log. I tapped the end of my cane into the slush between my feet. “I’m not counting on his mercy.”

  Marius had been a Witch of the Light once, just like me. And even though we gave up our allegiances when we made the blood oath to become guardians, I hoped goodwill still flowed between us. If not, and he decided I should die for my lies, then he’d have to fight me to the death. As much as I loved my brother, Claire was my mate, and I’d go to any length to protect her.

  After last night, when we’d given in to that fantasy, I’d been considering what it would be like to have a child with Claire. Watching her stomach swell. Listening to our baby’s heartbeat. I’d never thought fatherhood was something I’d get to experience. And while I had my reservations about what the baby would do to her physically, I told myself I would never let harm come to her.

  For a blissful moment, Tyson remained silent, and together, we watched the flames dance over the wood. From the flames, I saw Claire pale and lifeless, her strength stolen by the very life she fought to create. The image burned behind my eyes. I didn’t know if it was a premonition or a projection of my own fears.

  I’d asked her to be brave, and it was time for me to do the same.

  “Is the pull of the matebond really that strong?” Tyson asked.

  “Yes. It is.” I clapped a hand on his shoulder and shook him once. “One day, you’ll experience it. And when you do, gods help you, you’ll understand what I mean.”

  A smile crept across his lips. “I think I prefer the bachelor life. Maybe I’ll be like you and stay unmated for five hundred years.”

  I let out a hollow laugh as I released his shoulder. “If you could be more like me in any way, it would be a blessing from the moon goddess herself.”

  His laughter echoed mine, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was uneasy, and I could feel it. I scooted closer, extending my hand. He hesitated, then clasped it. I pulled him forward. “I’m trusting you, Tyson.”

  “I know.”

  Perhaps he could see what this was costing me. But I couldn’t trust him to intuit a thing. He had to be told. Explicitly.

  “No, you don’t know.” My voice dropped to a rasp. “You could never know what it’s costing me to hand my castle over to you. I never wanted to leave Château Rose. But for Claire, for the life we want to live, I will endure it.”

  His eyes widened, but I pressed on. “But hear me now. If you can’t control your stupidity, or you make a decision that hurts the people of Roselyn, I will come for you. And when I do, there will be no law that can protect you. I will make you suffer in ways you can’t imagine. In ways that will have you begging for the mercy of a death that will never come. You will be mine to torture until the end of time. Do I make myself clear?”

  His bronze skin went slightly pale. “Yes, of course. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything stupid.”

  “I hardly believe that.” I released his hand. “But I’m trusting you anyway.”

  “I’ll make you proud, Uncle. I swear it. No drinking. No games. No courtly attire. I’ll keep with your traditions. I’ll follow your example. Just maybe not with such a surly look on my face.”

  “Good.” The word left my mouth automatically. I studied him for a moment. For the first time, I saw not just the boy he’d been but the man he was becoming. “When you stop trying so hard to act like you know everything, you almost look like someone who could lead.”

  His head jerked up. “Almost?”

  I couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at my lips. “You’ve got a long way to go, but I see... potential.”

  The fire crackled, and he grinned. “High praise coming from you, Uncle. I’ll try not to let it go to my head.”

  I snorted, shaking my head. “Try harder.”

  His answering laughter was genuine, and as it echoed through the cold night, I felt the faintest stirrings of something I hadn’t expected: hope. I pushed myself off the log. “Don’t forget to feed tonight. You need your strength.”

  Tyson nodded but otherwise remained thankfully silent. I stalked back to my tent, desperate to see my wife.

  Chapter 16

  L’Invocation

  CLAIRE

  The following night came too quickly.

  I never thought I’d be on my knees—in the snow, no less—preparing to ask a demon for power. Yet here I was, preparing the ritual circle under lantern light. Every sound seemed amplified: the crunch of snow under my knees, the howl of wind slicing through the trees, the hiss of my own breath. Nerves and anticipation had my hands shaking, barely able to grasp the thin wand Devlinn had fashioned for me. The winter chill had stolen the feeling from my fingers, but I wasn’t cold. Heat was burning beneath my skin like I was lit from within.

  My vampire mate had insisted on attending the spell and wouldn’t hear otherwise, no matter how many times I insisted his duty was with the army. He was hovering just beyond the circle, beside Tansy, like an inkblot in the snowy clearing. The only observers besides my wolves, my friends, and my husband were the guards stationed nearby.

  Bastien still didn’t know that I intended to open a channel to a demon. I hoped his ignorance of dark magick rituals would make it easy to explain this away. Perhaps I should’ve just told him the truth about my intentions, but he was on edge already. And I feared that if I told him what we planned, we’d already be making the long, cold march through the graveyard.

  “Are you wearing anything that conducts magick?” Devlinn asked through chattering teeth from just outside the circle. I shook my head. “What about an amulet?”

  I stilled, my gaze finding Bastien’s. I wasn’t wearing an amulet, but I was wearing something else of great importance. My bloodstone.

  “Yes.”

  “Then it has to come off,” Devlinn insisted. “It could interfere with the spell.”

  I didn’t want to take it off, but I’d already come too far. Carefully, I set down the wand and went to pull my hair back.

  “Stop.”

  It was Bastien.

  And while he didn’t agree with any of this, he came to stand behind me with the rigidity of a man performing a task he wished belonged to someone else. Someone who didn’t know the taste of my mouth or the sound I made when he touched the back of my knees. Someone who hadn’t whispered I love you against my belly in the dark quiet of our bed. Or who hadn’t vowed to spend his life keeping me safe.

  When he brushed my hair to the side, cold air kissed the back of my neck. A soft, involuntary shudder swept over me. The wind was so cold, even his fingers felt warm as they found the clasp on the chain. I had to fight the urge to lean back into him, and I had the sense he was fighting the urge to pull me into his arms and carry me back to our tent.

  But we both resisted temptation. Carefully, he removed the chain he’d given me. As soon as it was off, an emptiness settled in my heart.

  “Shall I keep this secured for you?” he asked. His words held a dozen meanings only I could hear. Tell me when I can give this back. Tell me when I can breathe again.

  I nodded once, and he coiled the gold chain into his fist. I went to touch the empty place where the bloodstone had sat against my chest, but I stopped myself when I saw the way Devlinn and Tansy were watching us.

  I told myself it would all be worth it when the spell worked.

  “Kindly take a step back from the circle, Your Grace,” Devlinn requested.

  Bastien glared murderously at the red-haired witch.

  “Please,” I said through our bond. He drew in a long breath, then took a measured step back. Still close enough that he could lean forward and grab me if needed.

  “You know what to do now,” Devlinn reassured me.

  We’d rehearsed the spell dozens of times. It was now or never.

  Tansy gave me an encouraging smile. “You’ve got this.”

  I blew out a nervous breath, then lifted the horn into the air. “This circle is open. Let none disturb it.” Then I slammed the horn against the frozen earth, embracing the very darkness I had once prayed would die out of the world.

  A wave of energy reverberated through the air. And the wind began to pick up speed, circling around me, lifting my hair.

  If I were to be a living relic, then I had to meet the darkness unafraid. “I ask for protection to be given during this spell. Lift my voice so it can be heard even in the belly of the Underworld!”

  I didn’t spare Bastien a glance even though I could feel his worry penetrating through the circle. I couldn’t afford to let his fear stop me.

  I called to the power beneath the earth, invoking the current of demonic magick that Devlinn insisted I’d be able to access. Sure enough, I felt it stir behind my palms. Felt it rise. Up my spine. Twisting in my gut. Clawing around my throat. The wind picked up, creating a wall of energy around the circle. “I call to the demon whose power resides in my veins, and ask him to join me in the circle!”

  Bastien was gesturing wildly outside the circle, but I couldn’t hear him over the sound of the wind and the blood thundering in my ears.

  I waited for a shadowy figure to appear, but nothing happened. So I tried the words again. “I call to the demon whose power resides in my veins, and ask him to join me in the circle!”

  My stomach lurched. I doubled over, coughing up a stream of black fluid into the snow. When it was done, my body shook with shivers. The black stain smoked where it hit the ground.

  Bastien lunged forward, threatening to break through, but I raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t!” I shouted. “I can do this!”

  None of them understood how much I needed this to work. I wiped the liquid from my mouth, smearing it across my cheek, and set my teeth. The memory of flames burned in my mind—the wild, terrifying fire I had called from the earth. I closed my eyes and imagined speaking directly to the demon whose powers I possessed.

  “I call upon your power, as your chosen vessel, your servant…”

  Inside my head, a disembodied voice cut me off. “You are no servant of mine.”

  My eyes snapped open. That was not Bastien’s voice. It was something else. Someone else. I looked at Bastien and knew, by the look of terror on his face, that he had heard it too.

  My stomach lurched again, and more black liquid poured out of my mouth. It was horrible. Disgusting. When it finally stopped, I was gasping for air, trying to find my breath again. The wind died down, and the clearing went still again.

  “Why is she reacting like this?” Bastien demanded. Grabbing a fistful of Devlinn’s fur cloak. “I thought this was an opening spell.”

  “She can’t use her magick until the demonic bloodline is reestablished, Your Grace. The spell will be easy once she has full access to her magick.”

  He shoved Devlinn to the ground, and Tansy screamed. “Then why is she reacting this way?”

  “I-I can only guess, Your Grace,” Devlinn stammered while another stream of black vomit spewed from me.

  I dug my fingers into the ground as my stomach churned. My throat burned. When the sickness finally stopped, and I could blink the tears out of my eyes, I realized my cloak and the horn were now covered in a thick, oily puddle. The smell alone made me want to be sick again.

  “Then guess!” Bastien was shouting.

  Tansy helped Devlinn to his feet. “It’s like she isn’t reaching her demon,” he said. “It’s almost like they’re not in the Underworld.”

  Bastien went still. “That’s impossible. He’s there.”

  Through the sickness and the haze, I searched my husband’s face. “You know whose power I have?”

  He dipped his head. “Yes. His name is… Gorrath.”

  The name tasted familiar on my tongue.

  “You’re telling me Claire has Gorrath’s powers?” Devlinn shouted. Sounding half-amazed, half-concerned. “The Gorrath?”

  “Who is Gorrath?” Tansy asked.

  “Who is Gorrath?” Devlinn said with a laugh. “Only the demon of sex and disease.”

  I stared at the black rot that had come from my mouth. Disease. And the desire I couldn’t seem to shake, the near-constant ache. Sex. An anger that didn’t feel altogether like my own tore through my body.

  “I was the one who banished Gorrath to the Underworld,” Bastien explained. “So I know he’s there.”

  “This is the Lawless Lands, Your Grace,” Devlinn offered. “They still summon demons. For all we know, Gorrath could be here. It would explain her symptoms.”

  Bastien flashed his teeth, and blackness consumed the blue of his eyes. “That’s impossible!” he raged. “I sealed him there permanently.”

  I let out a snarl that sounded more animal than human. Bastien had banished my demon permanently? Things started to make more sense. His fear. His hesitance. It was cowardly.

  “Tell me what to do!” I demanded of Devlinn, interrupting their useless bickering. “We need this power to unlock the door.”

  “Claire, you are done.”

  “You don’t say when I’m done!” There was menace in my words, but I couldn’t stop myself. I needed this to work. I wasn’t going to let him stop it.

  Bastien slammed his cane into the snow, then pointed it at Devlinn’s chest. “Devlinn, get in there and charge your magick. You can unlock the door.”

  Tansy gasped.

  “I won’t do it, Your Grace,” Devlinn said defiantly.

  Bastien towered over him. “And what if I ordered you to?”

  Without breaking eye contact with Tansy, Devlinn replied, “Then you’ll have to kill me, Your Grace.”

  Bastien growled again, and I did not want him to do something he’d regret. “Enough!” I shouted at my mate. Then turned to my mentor, my friend. He was my only hope now. The only way I could free whatever was inside me. “Devlinn, tell me what to do.”

  He split a look between Bastien and me, as if waiting for permission to continue. When Bastien didn’t immediately shove him to the ground, he got down on his hands and knees and faced me, just outside of the circle. Lantern light flickered across his features. “Claire, everything is going to be alright. Okay? I need you to know that first.”

  I sucked in my bottom lip to stop myself from crying. I was so angry, and tired, and burning from the inside out.

  “Now,” he continued, speaking slowly, “if you’re not connecting with Gorrath, and he is in the Underworld, then you need more magick inside the circle.”