“You do!” she agrees. “Good luck, my friend.”

  I watch her walk out and look back, giving me one small smile before leaving. I need to see my brother, even if it’s just to talk to him.

  What we are doing tonight is dangerous, and I want him to know we are okay and that there is a way for us to trust each other. I head out of my room, my red dress brushing against the dark wood floor, and in the corridor, the smell of lemons and chicken fills my senses, making my stomach grumble.

  I pass Katy on the stairs, and I almost don’t recognise her. I jerk back a little before pausing. “You’re wearing a dress.”

  And looks like a freaking princess.

  She arches a detailed eyebrow. Her black hair is almost dead straight and matches with her long black starry dress, which is beautiful. There is a long slit all the way up her thigh, revealing her leather boots on underneath with lace wrapped around them. She has a long silver necklace on that drops right down to the middle of her stomach, sparkling in the light.

  Stunning.

  “I was forced into this,” she says with a huff. “Disgusting honestly.”

  “You look amazing,” I tell her.

  She wrinkles her nose and passes me. I get a few steps farther before turning back. “Where did you hide the weapons?”

  Her chuckle echoes. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I laugh to myself as I continue up the steps and make my way towards Austin’s room.

  I go down the corridor until I find his room and knock on the door three times before pushing open the silent door. I know I should have waited to hear him shout out that it was okay for me to come in, but I am still stunned by the sight in front of me.

  Arlo and Austin are passionately kissing, tearing at each other’s clothes as they move back towards the bed, and they are completely lost in the moment, oblivious to me standing there.

  This is probably the last thing I expected. I don’t know what to say as I watch them for a few seconds before trying to shut the door as it feels awkward, but instead the door creaks, alerting them I’m here. Both of them sharply turn towards me, their eyes matching when they go wide.

  I pause, but soon the silence becomes too much. “I just came to talk to you, Austin. I’m sorry, I should have knocked harder.”

  “Yeah, it’s okay,” Austin says, clearing his throat. He stays close to Arlo, who is silent.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I say, backing away a little in the doorway. I never would have expected this, and I hope Austin isn’t just messing around, because the loss of their friendship would be terrible. We have all known each other for so many years, and I think I’ve missed the entire plot of their story. If it’s real, I would be happy for them. They’ve always been close, almost like brothers, but maybe I was always missing something more. “I should go.”

  “No,” Austin says, stepping forward. “You can talk to me now?”

  “Alright,” I say. “Basically, Ember, one of the hellcaster children, taught me how to look into someone’s mind. It doesn’t hurt, and it means I can see in yours and—”

  “We aren’t doing that,” he warns. “I’m sorry, but no.”

  Arlo and I stare at him as he holds his head high. I just want to hit him a bunch of common sense.

  “Why?” I ask, crossing my arms. “You’ve avoided every real question about the hellcaster city and Bane. I need to know you’re telling me the truth.”

  “I think you should leave,” Austin suggests.

  Arlo starts to try to intervene. “Aus—”

  “No, Arlo. My brother has made it quite clear how he wants to keep his secrets from me more than actually having a friendship with his twin. I’m done,” I say, and I turn around. I grab the door handle. “But I’m happy for you both for finding each other. Arlo, you deserve some happiness.”

  “Thank you, Ria-banana-llama,” he replies with a grin.

  I can’t help but laugh, even if I feel a little sad and angry about Austin’s silence and refusal to fix any of the problems between us. I shut the door behind me, breathing in deeply and leaving them to it. Maybe Arlo can talk some sense into Austin.

  Still a bit shocked and annoyed, I head down the stairs and outside into the blistering and blowing snow in the front of the castle. The high pillars of the castle tower over me, creaking in the wind. The stone itself sounds like it’s alive in the harsh wind, even though that seems impossible.

  Maddox and Reign are stood together, an unusual sight on its own, but this time, they have matching tuxedos, and they really look like close brothers. They always seem so far apart, so distant, so much that I can almost never believe they are actually related other than the occasional way they almost look like each other. But now, as they stand next to each other, looking regal, I can’t help but smile. Especially when Maddox turns towards me, and my heart pounds in my chest, reacting to his gaze alone. I look across the red snow. It seems fitting, matching the red rose clipped to his suit and slight bits of red in the bow tie by his neck. We match, and I’m sure he planned this when he bought this dress for me.

  He might be the predator in this game between us, but I walk to him, the willing prey. His arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me straight to him. Our bodies crash together, and he leans down, gently pressing a kiss on my lips.

  “I see you got my crystals,” he comments, his deep and gravelly voice making me shiver. He reaches out and touches several of them in my hair.

  “I love them,” I reply.

  “They’re from my hair,” he explains, and Reign glances over at this, a deep frown making his head crease before he looks away, but I still see it.

  “Before my brother tells you, which I’m sure he is bursting to do,” he says, making my lips twitch when Reign rolls his eyes, “these crystals belonged to our ancestors.”

  “They were locked away for safekeeping for thousands of years until Maddox decided to take them,” Reign says a little bitterly.

  “I left the green ones for you, brother,” Maddox replies. “Envy is often green, no?”

  Reign grumbles, “Bastard.”

  I chuckle as Maddox grins at me. “Why did you give some to me then?”

  “I will tell you later,” he whispers to me after leaning forward.

  Katy comes over and ruins the moment by clapping her hands abruptly. “Time to go, vamps and whatever the hell you are, Ria.”

  “We really should come up with a name for a half witch and hellcaster,” I reply.

  “Witcaster?” she replies, arching an eyebrow, and I laugh.

  “Sounds like an old British lord of a dusty mansion,” I mutter.

  “I will come up with a name,” she says, stopping next to Reign. His eyes flicker down her dress, and he gulps. It’s the first time I’ve seen him affected by any female other than his anger towards my cousin. “Everyone ready for the portal?”

  “Of course,” Reign answers, clearing his throat and messing with his bow tie.

  Katy throws something at the ground. It almost looks like a glass bottle, and before the bottle even smashes on the snow, a massive smoke doorway appears. The green smoke disappears to reveal an old wooden door in the middle.

  Reign confidently walks forward and pulls the door open before holding his elbow out to Katy. She links her arm through his before stepping through together. I can’t see what’s on the other side of the door—it’s nothing more than green smoke—but I can hear noise from the other side. It sounds like the circus that came to my town every year where my parents would take us to see the shows and animals they kept.

  I always loved the circus, but I imagine a witch circus is going to be something else. Maddox leans down and kisses my cheek. “You look irresistible, darling.”

  “Thank you,” I manage to say as Maddox leads me towards the door and steps forward first, and I follow after him, closing my eyes. The smoke surrounds me for just a second before the warm air of the other side blows against my face, and I open my eyes. Under my feet, the snow is gone, and instead the short, soft grass is there, and the breeze that floats around us smells like sand and sea, with a thick salty twang to it.

  It’s night here, meaning we’re not that far from The Onyx, and if I had to guess, I’d say Greece. The whole sky is lit up with dozens of stars, no city in sight to make them darker. It’s too bright here, and I love it. Right in front of me is a literal circus. The circus is huge, stretching across at least eight tents that are deep purple in colour with lights flickering all around the edge. Some of the lights actually float above the tent in the air, which I’m sure humans think is a trick with string instead of the real magic I can sense it is. Light beams around each of the different sections all around us, some with food trucks and others with animals. There are other stalls with Fortune-teller written above them or House of Mirrors on another, and more I can’t read from here. The cages of animals are making most of the noise as they move around, and I can’t help that my eyes drift over to some of the tigers, elephants and even a hippo in one of the cages.

  As my eyes take in everything, Maddox guides me down a thick red carpeted path that leads straight to the purple tents at the end. Reign and Katy are just behind us, and I glance back to see Reign talking quietly to Katy, both of them very close.

  Maybe I missed something there too.

  “Is this place to lure humans?” I quietly ask Maddox.

  His swirling red and black eyes look down at me. “There is always a dark side to beautiful magic, Riona.”

  I try not to flinch, thinking about how many humans would have been lured into this place to only die. It must be an easy way for them to get their prey. I know that Gillian likes to trade humans, young female virgin humans, if I remember right.

  And we are here to trade with her.

  I swallow the sickness rising in the back of my throat. A few witches are walking around, and every time they see us, they each pause and lower their heads in respect.

  We head past them, straight towards the main tent. In the door of the main tent is a woman I met before and never liked her then; I certainly don’t now because of the two humans on their knees at her side, chains wrapped around their neck, which are attached to her hands. The women look young, with bright red hair and slivers of silky clothing wrapped around them. Their pale skin is flawless except for the many cuts on their arms. I gulp, trying to push down the urge to demand Gillian let them go.

  This is wrong.

  Maddox looks down at me and ever so slightly shakes his head, warning me not to say anything, because we need this witch’s help. If I agree, even when it leaves a sickening taste in my mouth, I can’t say anything. I hate that I bite my tongue as we stop in front of her, in the line with Katy on my other side. Gillian comes nearer, stopping ever so close to me, the chains rattling behind her. Her red hair is up in a complicated weave with wavy strands in her face. The dress she has on is bright yellow, a disgusting yellow colour, and it’s almost shiny, reflecting the lights. It’s a beautiful dress in some sense, in the style flowing down to her knees with a gown, but the colour is too much.

  “I have missed you, Riona Dark. It has been so long since I saw you,” Gillian comments. Ah, she means the time she tried to trade for me like I am nothing more than a piece of gold.

  “Hello, Gillian,” I respond.

  Her eyes flicker with amusement. “Human at heart, though not in blood. Do my slaves cause you offence?”

  “Would it cause you offence to see witches from your coven on their knees in chains?” I ask.

  She sighs. “Indeed, but you are not human. I will get rid of them.”

  With the flick of her hand, the humans stand and walk away, the chains disappearing from Gillian’s hands. “A gesture of goodwill between us, Riona.”

  “And Riona is thankful for it,” Reign interrupts before I can say anything. I don’t blame him; nothing I was going to say would have been nice.

  “Prince Reign. How troubling it must be to see your brother in love and that love bound to die as your mother did.”

  “And they say I’m the cruel one, Gillian. Your strikes are brutal, indeed,” Maddox cuts in. “We’ve come to make a deal, like we discussed.”

  “Of course,” she replies with a bloodthirsty grin. “But I wanted the Mad Prince and the promised girl. I am unaware of why Prince Reign and his... What are you?”

  “Protection,” Katy states.

  Gillian wiggles her nose. “Interesting.”

  “We’re a family. We stick together,” Reign says. “Plus, I’ve always wanted to see the famous witches’ circus. My mother wrote so many stories about this place. My father often brought her here to see the shows, and she wrote how much she loved it.”

  “I know,” Gillian replies, a secretive tone to her voice.

  “You know, until one of you poisoned her and set up the curse,” Reign finishes.

  “And my clan has been hunted ever since. The choice of one made up the fate of many,” Gillian tightly replies. Reign hit a sore spot, that’s for sure. “Do you have my ring?”

  “Yes,” I say, and I lift my hand up to show her the ring. She reaches out for it, and before she can touch, I lower my hand and step back into Maddox’s waiting arm.

  She smiles tightly at me. “You’ve changed since we last met on The Onyx.”

  “Being kidnapped by witches does have that effect,” I reply.

  “Indeed, it does,” she counters with a smile. “Trauma shapes our souls in many ways. Not all bad, but sometimes a little good shines through the cracks. If you can look for it, that is.”

  “Sometimes trauma wakes you up to the actual world, Gillian. I’m sure many of the humans in your enslavement could vouch for that.”

  If she notices my dig, she doesn’t react to it. “Come on in to my home, welcome guests.”

  Gillian turns around, her long dress swirling in a dramatic way that suits her personality. “I have the most amazing meal planned for us girls and only the best virgin blood for the vampires.”

  “Thank you for your hospitality,” Reign says while I feel like being sick as we follow her inside.

  We walk into the largest tent, which is massive with dozens of bleacher seats all around a circled area that is covered in sand with a large purple mat in the centre. We head down the marked path to a glass table that has been set up with six silver seats. There are glasses of blood and piles of food set out, none of which looks appetizing or like anything I’ve seen before. We all sit down at the table, and Gillian decides to sit opposite me. But her eyes flick between the curse on my hand and the ring on my other as I lay them flat on the cold glass, the coldness waking me up just a little.

  “Shall we get to the point,” Maddox says, leaning back in his seat and placing his hand on my knee.

  “Not so mad anymore, are we?”

  “As long as Riona is safe, no,” he replies and tilts his head to the side. “But if anyone touches her...well, I can’t be held accountable for my...actions.”

  “Young love. Sickening, isn’t it?” she says to Reign, who doesn’t reply.

  “I want to know how to stop the curse, Gillian,” I say.

  She sighs and twirls the one strand of hair by her pale cheek. “Business it is then. Vampires are never fun,” she pouts. “The curse is not easy to break. You need the blood of the original caster, which unfortunately, she disappeared not long after performing the curse.”

  “Of course you would need that,” Maddox mutters.

  “She was killed, and I have no more of her blood in my clan,” she says, and my stomach drops.

  “My father killed her, and I doubt there is anything left,” Reign replies.

  “I’m aware,” Gillian says, distaste leaking through her words. “Luckily for you, she had a blood sister.”

  “Where is she?” I ask, leaning forward.

  “Oh, dead,” Gillian says, waving her hand. “But before she was killed, she had a daughter who’s still alive. Unfortunately for you, she’s not with our clan, and she left a long time ago as a young child.”

  “How did she leave as a child?”

  “We aren’t the best at watching our children, let alone the ones with mummy issues,” Gillian says. “She had issues.”

  “Where is she?” Maddox asks, and I can hear him getting frustrated.

  “I’m not entirely sure where she is, but we’ll need to find her and get her blood. I am certain she is alive. Once we get her blood, I can cast an extremely powerful spell. It will take a lot from me and others.”

  “No price is too high,” Maddox replies.

  “This spell means it will take every ounce of magic that I have. Unlike anything else. I will need sacrifices. I mean, we will need a hell of a lot of sacrifices.”

  “Human? Vampire? Animal?” Katy asks.

  “Humans preferred,” she replies with a grin.

  “No one’s being sacrificed for me,” I interrupt and look at Maddox. “I mean it.”

  “Fine,” Gillian grumbles. “Once the curse is gone, your life will be unbalanced. That is the whole point of the curse. It made it impossible to live with because it’s a dark magic that takes and leaves a void. The magic of this curse is so rare, and I can only guess the outcome of removing it. It was cast on the vampire queen, dear mother, and it bounced so that her child she was carrying would also carry the mark of this curse. That is powerful, dark and evil magic.”

  “How long do we have to find this girl?” Maddox asks. “And do you know approximately where she went? Can you find out exactly? We’ll have everyone from our island looking.”

  “I will send you all the information I have in exchange for the ring and several spells to search for her,” Gillian responds, and Maddox nods.

  “Can I ask why you want the ring?” I ask, taking it off my hand slowly and holding it up in front of me. “You never said.”

  “Aren’t you the nosy little one?” she replies. “But I like you, so I will tell my truth in exchange for a promise.”

  “What promise?”

  “I want a new alliance and a promise my people will not be hunted by vampires for the death of the old queen any longer.”