My head bowed, I tried to control my breathing and with it, the energy surging within me. I smiled, enraptured by the power I felt flowing through my veins like lava, regenerating me. It was dark and magnificent. I slowly raised my eyes and was instantly drawn to the Soul before me. It was unlike the other three; instinct urged me to annihilate it. I had no idea where I was or even who I was. My gaze remained locked on the young man’s gray eyes while inside me violent impulses raged.

  A young woman with green eyes rested her hands on my shoulders, preventing me from unleashing my fury on him. “We have to go. We have a war to prevent.”

  Before I could stop her, the man vanished. The journey lasted only a moment. When I looked around, we were in a different place. “Who are you?” I asked warily. “Where are we? Why have you brought me here?”

  The green-eyed woman looked closely at me and took my hand. “I’m Anya. Don’t you remember?” Should I have? She looked at me as though I should, or at least as though she hoped I would, but I had no idea what was going on.

  The redhead beside her laughed. “Of course she doesn’t remember. It erased everything. Absolutely everything.” She seemed pleased by it. Should I be too?

  “It was Sophìa’s poison that awakened her. How could she remember?”

  “I know. I was just hoping.”

  “Hoping for what?”

  I stared at them, bewildered. I’d heard their voices, but neither of them had opened their mouths. Had I only imagined it? The redhead took me by the hand and led me away from the other woman. “Come, dear. Someone is expecting you.”

  I looked back, where Anya still stood. She had a look of irritation on her face, as though she were angry at the redhead. Someone clapped their hands and the sound filled the large circular hall. There were windows everywhere that reached to the ceiling, letting in the twilight.

  Then I saw her. A woman sat on a majestic black throne. She wore a long gown with a V-shaped neckline that plunged to her navel. The powerful energy she emanated drew me to her. My heart began to beat harder. I wanted to go to her, to touch her.

  As though she’d heard my thoughts, the woman with the gaze of ice smiled at me and stood. Her waist-long hair was black at the roots, gradually fading to gray, until it became white at the tips, like a splendid partial eclipse of the moon. At her feet, two big black panthers watched my every movement.

  I had no idea who the women were or where I was, but for some reason I didn’t care. I felt at home. The two women at my side bowed to her and I did the same, but she raised my chin. Her eyes were such an intense shade of blue it took my breath away. Her long lashes stood out against her fair skin and her lips, painted black, bewitched me. They were so perfectly contoured they seemed magical. I felt as though I were a bee and she was my queen. That was all I knew. Moving her lips close to mine, she kissed me, sending an electric charge through my body. “Welcome,” she said, her voice captivating. “Do you know who I am?”

  I looked into her eyes. “No.” I neither knew nor cared. Whoever she was, I was hers.

  She smiled. “Do not worry. Soon you will know all.” She seemed so pleased to see me. “You will blossom, my little chrysalis. You will spread your wings and become a magnificent black butterfly. Your arrival changes many things. It was good of your Sisters to bring you home.”

  My Sisters. So that was why I felt that energy between us.

  The woman turned and the panthers watched her as she walked back to them and seated herself again on her throne. “Prepare her. Later there is to be a great celebration.”

  “Yes, my Empress,” both women replied.

  She smiled at me and suddenly burst into an explosion of black butterflies that rose into the air. I watched them, fascinated, as they disappeared through a hole in the ceiling, then dropped my eyes again to the now-empty throne. She had transformed. I should have been afraid, but instead I was exhilarated.

  “Where are they going?” I asked, but a pain gripped my head, doubling me over.

  “She asks so many questions . . .”

  “I have to find a way to . . .”

  “Did you see? She’s here . . .”

  I clapped my hands over my ears and looked around, confused. Where were all those voices coming from? They were in my head. That was why it ached so badly.

  “. . . on me . . .” Anya was trying to speak to me. “. . . other voices.” I didn’t understand. What was she saying? “Gemma, listen to me!” Her voice rose above the chorus of others in my mind. “Focus on me . . . Good, that’s it. Breathe and watch my lips moving.”

  I did as she said and managed to isolate the sound, banishing the other voices. “What’s happening to me?” I asked in alarm.

  Anya smiled. “It’s perfectly normal. You’ll get used to it soon. Come. I’ll take you to your chambers.”

  “I’ll stay here,” the other Sister said, “in case any new prisoners to play with show up.”

  “As you like,” Anya replied. “See you at the celebration.”

  “Gemma, I’m happy you’re finally home.” The redhead smiled at me and I nodded.

  “Thank you,” I said before Anya led me away.

  We went through several rooms and I understood almost immediately that we were in a castle. There were lots of people, mainly women in combat outfits. I wore a white nightgown that was torn and bloodied. What could possibly have happened to me?

  “Don’t worry about that,” Anya said, as though she’d read my mind. “We’ll bring you some suitable clothes in time for the festivities.”

  “What festivities?” I asked hesitantly.

  She beamed. “The ones in your honor, the Welcome Ceremony. All of us have one.”

  “All of you? How many of you are there?”

  “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. You’re very confused, I know, but you’ll like it here with us, Gemma. I guarantee it.” I stared at Anya. Gemma. She kept saying that. It seemed to be my name. Why couldn’t I remember it? “Come on, let me show you something fun.” She pulled me into a small hallway where voices filled my head:

  “What gorgeous hair!”

  “And look at that complexion!”

  “Hands down, she’s the most beautiful of all the Sisters.”

  “What is this place?” I asked, confused.

  “The Hall of Flattery. Each of us hears what we’d like to hear. It boosts your self-esteem. Not that any of us need it, but compliments can’t hurt, and most of us can’t go without them. If you like this, wait till you see the Chamber of Mirrors.”

  We reached a large wooden door at the end of the hall. Anya opened it and showed me the room. It had a high, high ceiling where black butterflies fluttered. The walls were almost entirely covered with mirrors. A large fireplace set into one wall lit up the room while another wall had a window framing a clear sky at twilight. In the center of the room stood a big black bed with blood-red silk sheets. All the walls were black—as were the ceiling and floor—and made of a material that sparkled like a dark diamond.

  Two young women bowed to me and smiled. “We’ve been expecting you, my lady,” another one said, ushering me inside.

  “Who are you?”

  “They’re Mizhyas.”

  “Are they my Sisters too?” I asked, though I didn’t feel the same connection to them that I did to Anya.

  “No, but you can consider them your handmaids. They’re very loyal and are always at your service.”

  The three women bowed. I realized I could perceive their emotions: veneration mixed with fear. One of them kissed my hand. “I am Emayn and I will be honored to serve you.” I stepped back, studying her carefully. She had olive skin and a sensual gaze. An artistic tattoo on her right hand made its way up her arm.

  Another, her skin snow-white, stepped forward and lowered her eyes fearfully. “My name is Meryall. Ask of me what you will and I will do it.” I raised her chin and looked into her big blue eyes.

  The last of them had remained in reverential silence. I approached her. She had a small face and a sharp expression. Her eyes showed no fear—only caution. “And what is your name?”

  “Freia, my lady. At your service.”

  I studied them from head to toe. All three wore leather ankle boots and sexy, close-fitting, brown uniforms, and their hair was braided, like the other women I’d seen in the Castle. Each had a band tattooed on her arm in a different shape, like a distinctive marking. Their bodies were toned and muscular and they looked like battle-trained Amazons.

  “Actually, they are,” Anya replied.

  I turned to her, surprised. Now there was no doubt about it. “You can read my mind?”

  She smiled. “Cool, isn’t it? Pretty soon you’ll be doing it too. And that’s nothing!”

  “I have powers?” The idea thrilled me.

  “Of course you do. You have a great power buried inside you. We’re going to teach you to control it.”

  “Who am I?” I asked, sensing that the answer was the key to everything.

  “You’re one of us.” Anya hugged me. “And you’re finally home.”

  BLOOD BOND

  The Castle was abuzz. Everyone seemed excited about the party. From time to time Mizhyas came to peek into the room. Anya had directed me to put on a special gown, the same one they’d all worn the day of their ceremony. It consisted of black leather shorts with a fluffy, full-length train that looked like it was made of interwoven butterfly wings, black knee-high boots, and leather laces that crisscrossed up my thighs.

  My maidservants had given me a long, hot bath and a massage before carefully doing up my eyes with black shadow, enhancing them greatly. Now Anya was giving my hair a final touch-up, gathering a few locks and braiding the style into place.

  “Why don’t I remember anything about my past?”

  “Because you were generated by Earth to join us.”

  “You mean I didn’t have a life before this one?”

  Anya hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully. “You did, but you swore loyalty to us.”

  “Did I know it would make me lose my memory?”

  “Yes.”

  My life must have been horrible if I’d wanted to run away from it. This place, on the other hand, made me feel strong.

  “Your life begins now.” Anya looked me in the eye. “With us. You’re special, Gemma. Only one mortal every five hundred years receives this gift.”

  “What gift?”

  “The power. Immortality. Sisterhood. We’re Witches, Gemma.”

  Witches. A quiver of pleasure ran beneath my skin. “Who was that man with the gray eyes in the forest?”

  “Your greatest enemy: a Subterranean,” said the redhead, who’d just appeared. So that was why I’d felt such hostility toward him.

  “Devina, are you already tired of waiting for new prisoners? Why don’t you go out and find some yourself?”

  “No, stay here,” I told her. “Please.” I felt a strong affinity toward her. I had the impression she had much to teach me. She emanated power and I wanted to absorb every drop.

  Devina smiled at me. “Of course, with great pleasure.”

  The two Sisters looked at each other challengingly. I was sure they were having a mental conversation without including me. A constant murmur filled my mind but I couldn’t distinguish the voices. “Will I always have these voices in my head?”

  “You’ll get used to it. Focus on your own thoughts and everything else will fade into the background.”

  “When will I start understanding your thoughts too?” I asked, frustrated by their silent conversation.

  “After your Dakor’s baptism, once you’ve sealed the Bond with us. Sophìa will officially unite you to us and the transformation will be complete.”

  “Sophìa is the woman who was on the throne, isn’t she?”

  “She’s our Great Sister,” Devina replied. “A Witch, just like you and me.”

  “But she’s also our Empress, although Devina sometimes forgets it.”

  “Can we do what she did when she disintegrated?” For some reason, I’d been bewitched by her butterflies.

  “No. Only when we die—but that’s a remote possibility.”

  “Each time it’s like a tiny death for her,” Devina added. “It’s just that she can’t die.”

  “She’s the queen of darkness. Death belongs to her.”

  “But it’s the only thing she can’t have herself. That’s why she likes it so much.”

  “You’re ready,” Anya said.

  I looked into a large mirror and smiled at my reflection. I didn’t know who I’d been before, but what I saw now pleased me. I was pretty. And soon I would become very dangerous.

  Anya turned to her Sister. “What do you think?”

  “I think she’s missing something.” Devina smiled and turned around. “Follow me.”

  I obeyed, letting her guide me down a long hallway that took us to a huge courtyard where a grim twilight ruled. The place was in commotion, with Amazons running in and out of it.

  “Are there only women here?” I asked.

  A half-smile appeared on Devina’s face. “No, but we keep the men out of our way. We don’t need them. If anything, they’re the ones who need us. Depending on a man is a sign of weakness, but making him depend on you is an indicator of power. Every man you see in the Castle subjugated himself to us of his own free will . . . either that or he’s our prisoner.” I smiled. It was an interesting topic.

  I followed her down broad staircases leading to an underground door. When Devina opened it, a flame ran along the stone walls, lighting them up. “Here. This is it.”

  “What is this place?”

  “This is where we keep a few of our toys.” I looked around and my jaw dropped. “This is the weapons room. You can’t go to the ceremony without having chosen a weapon.”

  “Have I ever battled before?”

  “You have it in your blood. For you, it’ll be like breathing.”

  All the walls were entirely covered with weapons. There were so many of them! “How do I choose?”

  “You can use all the weapons you want, whenever you want, naturally, but each of us has a special one we always keep with us.”

  “What’s yours?”

  Devina brought her hand to her thigh and a second later a whip cracked through the air. The sound was so sharp its echo filled the room. “Once you have your toy, you can personalize it with symbols of your battles. I perfected my Magnificent with Molock skin.”

  “What’s a Molock?”

  “It’s a creature from Hell—one of the fiercest. It was fun to see the terror in its eyes while I was flaying it. You’ll have fun too, I’m sure of it.”

  “You chose the perfect name. It really is magnificent,” I admitted, staring at the whip in her hand. “How will I find mine?”

  “It’ll find you. When you touch it, its energy will come to life and you’ll be able to feel the power that unites you.”

  “What are we waiting for, then? Let’s start right away!” I smiled at her and began to look around. There were weapons of all kinds, eras, and sizes. I picked up a sword and weighed it in my hand. It was incredible how confidently I handled it. I spun it around in one hand as Devina watched me with a proud look on her face. Putting it back, I grabbed a long iron staff. I followed my instinct and the staff moved in my hands as though we were one. I made a feint at Devina, who nimbly dodged it and pinned me to the wall.

  She smiled, pleased. “You’re a natural, but you still have a lot to learn.”

  “When?” I asked impatiently. I felt strong. I wanted to become invincible.

  “Soon. Very soon,” she promised. “Have you found what you were looking for?”

  I was about to say no when my eyes fell on a pedestal at the back of the room. A crossbow sat atop it, a beautiful black crossbow that begged me to come closer. “There it is,” I murmured to myself, heeding its call.

  “Excellent choice,” Devina said, a touch of admiration in her eyes.

  After a moment’s hesitation, I reached out and picked up the crossbow, almost with deference. It adapted perfectly to my grip and I felt its lethal power flow into me. It looked like it had been carved from a black diamond, the same stone the Castle was made from. Looking at the crossbow, I noticed there was a tattoo on my hand. It was composed of strange symbols, but somehow I knew what it meant: stay together. It must have had something to do with my Sisters.

  “It’s a rare object,” Devina said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Sophìa forged it centuries and centuries ago. No one has touched it since, but I was there when she made it. I saw the power it possesses.” She picked up a small, all-black arrow and showed it to me. “Its arrows are unstoppable and deadly. You’ll have to be careful how you use it, because it’s a weapon that takes no prisoners.”

  I smiled, my eyes locked on my new weapon. “Khalida,” I whispered. Unstoppable. The language that had suddenly filled my mind was unfamiliar to me, but suddenly I could speak it.

  Devina nodded with satisfaction. “I think it’s perfect.”

  “I want to try it,” I said excitedly.

  “We’ll do that soon. Right now we need to go to the ceremony. You’re the guest of honor, so you can’t be late.” She winked at me and motioned for me to follow her.

  I strapped on a sling and hung the crossbow on my back. I was about to follow Devina, but something stopped me. “Wait!” I picked up two daggers with crescent-shaped blades, spun them around, and tucked them into the strips of leather laced around my thighs. “I’m taking these too.”

  Devina smiled. I liked that room. I would have to go back soon. Outside, I looked around the empty courtyard. “Where did everybody go?”

  “They’re in the Pantheon. The ceremony is about to begin.” Devina led me inside the Castle to a massive door of carved black stone. “Ready?”

  I nodded and the door slowly opened at her command. We were once again in the throne room, only this time everyone was there, clad in long golden cloaks with broad hoods, their eyes trained on me. I raised my chin and made my way into the room with my head held high, gazing steadily at the Empress. It was as though I was bound to her by some mystical connection. As I passed, everyone around me bowed: women, men, and majestic black panthers. I stopped only when I reached the throne.