“Seraphina, come back,” Vasso said.

  She didn’t stop. She didn’t care that it was pitch black and she couldn’t see an inch in front of her face. It was straight to the surface, and she needed to get out. The rotten air choked her. Her darkness whirled in a fury of all the lies she’d had to unravel, but it was the image of Vasso dead in her hands that made her stomach roll.

  Those projections… He’d been so happy. There was love there. Deep and unwavering. Something she’d wished for her entire life.

  Sera put out a hand to follow the wall, barely feeling the slime and moss under her fingertips.

  How was her father a demon? Which made her half demon. Which made her mother… What, an enemy of the state? The coven had been in open war with demons when she was born. Did the Council know?

  Does it matter now?

  “Ugh, I don’t need to listen to you too,” she said back to that phantom voice.

  Vasso… he…

  He is an option.

  Sera huffed. “By the way he looked at me, I’d say he’s the only option.” Her heart pounded. “No one has ever looked at me like that. Not Alistair… no one.”

  Moonslight shining into the shaft lit the rest of the way forward. On leaden legs, she ran. Up the ladder and out around the ruins to a small cluster of rock she imagined used to be a well.

  “This is such a mess.”

  Life is rarely easy.

  “I’m talking to a fucking voice in my head.” Sera ran her hand down her face.

  Her magic scoffed. I don’t much like being in here either.

  “Why are you here, then?”

  The voice was silent.

  “Not even you know.”

  Taking inventory of the things she’d learned, she focused first on her sister. Nora was alive. At this very moment, her little sister sat on a bed that seemed covered in fine textiles underground.

  Her father was a demon.

  Her mother— She didn’t want to think about Lavinia right now.

  Vasso.

  A tug pulled at her chest at the thought of him. Dangerous territory. The involuntary shivers her body made when they touched. The way her magic calmed, the way her core heated.

  They were tied together somehow. To have that many future moments couldn’t be a coincidence.

  A crunch of gravel had her looking up.

  Vasso strode toward her. His face was unreadable. When they locked eyes, he paused, then let out a breath. “I thought you were a vuk for a second.”

  “Nope, just a demon witch sitting in the grass.” She didn’t mean to sound defeated. “Were you ever going to tell me about us?”

  Vasso ran his hand through his hair. “If it came up…”

  Sera scoffed.

  “I want to show you something.”

  “I don’t want to play games with you, Vasso.”

  The demon lord lowered to his haunches. “You told me once that there was only one way I could earn your forgiveness. Will you let me try?” He held out his hand.

  A doorway.

  He was going to show her where a doorway was. Sera glared at his outstretched hand. “No bargains,” she said.

  “Just trying to help you out of the grass.”

  “All right.” His hand was warm, firm in hers. As soon as she was up, she let it go, ignoring the electric sensations bringing her to life. Why did she have to see those images? Why couldn’t she have stayed dumb and stupid about that future? “I guess I enthralled Ophelia, didn’t I?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m such a fucking mess.” Sera held herself as they walked. The grass swatted at her shins as they trudged farther into the field.

  “You’re not any more of a mess than the rest of us,” he said.

  Insects sang in the night, the chirping a peaceful lullaby to the slumbering birds.

  “How long have you known? About that future of us?”

  Vasso fisted his hand, then released. “I met Ophelia sixty years ago. She was stubborn. Going on and on about prophecies and the future. I didn’t believe her, thought she was some insane witch who’d been shunned by the Citadel due to her instability.” He glanced at her sidelong. “Until she showed me a few future threads… and I saw you.”

  “What was I doing?”

  He smirked. “I’ll tell you when I see it.”

  He stopped, pointed his chin to the sky, and sniffed. She could smell it too. Ash on the breeze.

  “We’re close,” he said.

  They’d reached the edge of the forest. Vasso stepped into the dark shadows under the tree branches, and she followed.

  “Vuk. I’ve seen that before. In a sketchbook that was brought to the Citadel. It looks like a wolf.”

  “Vicious creatures. I was once obsessed with them. I’ve never seen one in real life, and no one I know has either. I hovered over their forms in books while perusing Gehenna’s libraries. When you were sitting there in the shadows, your eyes were glowing such bright green I thought you might have been one.” He slowed his pace. “We’re here.”

  There was a clearing in the trees. A massive boulder stood in the center of a circle of trees, awash in a pale glow. “This is a doorway?” she asked.

  Vasso held out his palm. “Ovarati vas rata, Gehenna.”

  A low hum came from the rock, and with it, the dark outline of a door pushed forward. The moonslight didn’t touch the magic along the surface. Skulls, eels, demonic faces, and wings adorned the frame. The ominous hum stopped with a crack. Then a woosh of air pulled her forward, and it was open.

  Sera peered in. Stairs led deep into the ground. “How did you know it was here?”

  “The chamber we were in is below our feet. I could hear something through the wall. Feel it. Now, are you going to tell me why?”

  She wanted to let the words run from her lips. Tell him that the Council of Elders needed to know where they were, how to access them. That it was their terms for sending a band of Legion warriors to save her sister. “My reasons are my own.”

  He scoffed. “Throwing my words back at me?”

  She smirked at him.

  “Zatvori,” Vasso said, and that humming rang through the stone. A second later, the hole closed, and the doorway was again camouflaged as rock. “Will you forgive me now?”

  “For which part? You forcing me to kill that fox, or lying to me about our loving futures?”

  He stiffened. “The fox. If you do not wish for that future to come to pass, it will not. I won’t apologize for instances that haven’t happened yet.” There was bite to those words. Vasso turned from her, and she grabbed his hand.

  “I forgive you, for the fox I mean,” she said.

  He stared at their joined hands. “It was a surprise to me too.”

  “What was?”

  His eyes locked with hers. They looked like moons themselves when they weren’t blazing red. “How happy I was in those images… the way I was looking at you,” he whispered.

  Each throb of her heartbeat banged like a drum in the still moment. The confusion and apprehension she felt were also painted on his face.

  It couldn’t work. She needed to go to the Citadel to save Nora. She needed to be there for Dominick and the witches and warlocks of Jedan. She wondered how Galene was faring and what new treasures she’d found. None of that would happen if she lived out this fairy tale. Sera let go of his hand.

  “Well, it seems we both received some unpleasant truths, then.” She walked past him back toward the ruins and Ponic.

  Chapter forty-five

  Dominick

  The Legion’s presence throughout the fortress had increased. Projectiles regularly showered the city’s barrier, fizzling on the coven guardian’s wards. News had surfaced that the demon army was amassed outside Egerton, a mere five-day march from the Citadel. The Council remained silent, withholding further information, and coven members buzzed with rumors.

  Theo had continued to record the number of lives lost, comparing it to the posted figures, and the discrepancy was staggering.

  Dominick scratched at the stubble on his neck as he crossed the threshold of the Ogdelo. After burning Colton a few days ago, he no longer saw the point in shaving or maintaining appearances, not if everyone he loved would die anyway.

  Chimes rang out across the speakers, and Chair Renata addressed her people. “Attention coven members, please report to the Menage immediately.”

  The pool chambers emptied around him. Rising to the tips of his toes, he searched through the sea of heads for Theo. When he spotted him, Dom snuck behind and grabbed his hand.

  Theo ripped it away. A grin tightened Dom’s cheeks.

  “First smirk in days, and of course it’s because you’re fucking with me.”

  “Oh, I’ll fuck with you. All you have to do is ask.”

  “Ass.” Theo bumped his shoulder.

  “Precisely.” The teasing didn’t feel quite right, but he wanted to be normal for a while. He couldn’t take his eyes away from Theo’s pinkening cheeks and sly smile. The only thing that made him feel alive right now was the warlock beside him. “This is going to take forever.”

  “Calling the entire coven on such short notice for an assembly is unheard of. What do you think it means?” Theo asked.

  “Nothing good.”

  After hours of standing and slowly shuffling into the Menage, Dominick and Theo took their seats in the upper decks of Daedeth level. Every bench was taken, from the high boxes to the floor. Some younglings had to share the standing space on the ground with Jedan members.

  A marble platform had been erected in the center with the five thrones evenly spaced. Four of the Council members were seated, leaving one empty.

  Council Elder Briar was missing.

  Chair Renata stood from her throne and amplified her voice for the crowd. “Witches and warlocks of Solarni coven, on behalf of the Council of Elders, I thank you for your patience and cooperation in attending this last-minute gathering. There are a few pieces of business that we must attend to.”

  The crowd murmured, interrupted by another flaming projectile fizzling overhead. They had become so common that Dominick no longer flinched. Still, he couldn’t look away from the sizzling embers every time they rained and crackled on the invisible dome above.

  “First and foremost,” Chair Renata continued, “it is with great sadness that Chair Briar has chosen to step down from the Council.”

  Frantic whispers erupted around Dominick, circling every level of the arena. It was rare for a Council member to step down. Though he supposed the old witch had been governing for some time.

  “Has that happened before?” Theo asked.

  “Not that I recall, no. Sera would know better, but Briar was ancient.”

  Theo’s face matched his own. His gut sank.

  Chair Renata hushed the crowd. “Please settle down. It has been decided that a new member should be appointed directly, and by unanimous vote, we present you with your new Council elder: Lavinia Wildrick.”

  Sera’s mother crested the back stairs of the platform. Her signature black robes framed a coven-blue dress beneath. Her full, round lips were cut in a diplomatic smile, showcasing perfectly white teeth. There was no question where Sera and Nora got their beauty from. Cheers exploded through the crowd as she waved.

  Theo scoffed. “She’s smiling while both her daughters are in danger?”

  “Clearly you’ve never met Lavinia Wildrick. It wouldn’t matter to her if Sera were strung up and rotting, being picked apart by crows. She’d hesitate for Nora—it’s no secret she has a favorite daughter. But Lavinia has aimed for this seat her entire life.” Dominick watched as Sera’s mother scanned the crowd. He could have sworn she looked directly at him and pursed her lips. “She’s bloody powerful too.”

  Lavinia amplified her voice, and the crowd hushed. “I am humbled by the Council’s decision and plan to utilize every resource I have to earn your trust during this tumultuous time.” The crowd exploded again, and Lavinia bowed. Her long braids almost touched the floor before she sat on the empty throne.

  Chair Renata nodded to Chair Lavinia, then addressed the crowd once more. “Our next order of business involves the war.” The coven grew quiet. “As you know, our feud with the demon realm has caused catastrophic losses to our coven over the last two thousand years. Our ancestors, who had been persecuted, tortured, and killed, escaped the tyrants to create our haven here, in the Citadel fortress. Your Council has been negotiating, and we have secured new allies to help us in this fight.”

  A pair of aliato, their glittering white wings high and broad, along with a pair of humans who seemed to be of some wealth, walked to the center of the platform.

  “You’ve already become familiar with our friends the aliato. But now the humans will join us in destroying the demons once and for all.” The coven unleashed a near-deafening roar. Renata gave them a smug smile and raised her hands, motioning for the crowd to settle. “We are honored to have them here today. You will see more of both allies around the fortress. Your Council requests that you be courteous and accommodate our new friends.”

  Dominick wiped his hands on his knees.

  Chair Blackwell stood and crossed the platform. The pairs of aliato and humans retreated behind the thrones as Blackwell took center stage.

  Chains clinking against stone steps hushed the members of the coven. A warlock climbed the stairs, and behind him, holding the chain, was a giant aliato. It was the same one Dom had seen in Lavinia’s house. His gold armor was blinding in the sun.

  A metal collar had been welded around the warlock’s neck with a thick chain hanging from its center. Additional links branched off the chain to shackle each hand and foot. The warlock tripped going up the stairs, but the winged warrior behind him roughly pulled him to his feet.

  The Menage stayed silent.

  “We are at war,” Chair Blackwell bellowed. “This is no secret to any of you. This Council has been patient, negotiating a ceasefire and potential peace for the last twenty years. But the demon spawn will not accept our emancipation. They have planted spies among us!” The crowd gasped—unease built in Dominick’s chest. Blackwell pointed to the warlock in chains. “They will not be allowed to share our secrets.”

  The aliato shoved the warlock to his knees. With his shackles, he was barely able to brace himself.

  Dom glanced at Theo. He was pale. Dominick took his lover’s hand in his.

  “We have brought this filth here to show you that collusion with the enemy will not be tolerated.”

  Terror climbed its way up Dominick’s throat. He didn’t recognize this warlock. He was gaunt and filthy. His clothing was worn to rags and soiled with not only blood but also excrement. How long had he been in the tower? Years?

  “Typically,” Blackwell continued, “executions are completed in front of a small audience and with magic. However, considering the circumstances, the Council of Elders had decided a public execution is necessary. To be a warning for any of those who might be tempted to sell our secrets.”

  Another crash of fire exploded on the warded dome high above the Citadel fortress.

  The aliato raised his hand to the sky, and with a crack of lightning a sword appeared gripped in his hand. With a touch, it ignited in an iridescent flame.

  The blood drained from Dominick’s face. This wasn’t the way. The Council didn’t allow foreign beings, allied or not, to execute their kind.

  Murmured whisperings and hushed concern swept through the arena like a wave.

  “In celebration of our new alliance, we have granted the honor to our allies.”

  The warlock sobbed on his knees, a large dark puddle forming beneath his legs as he let out a rasped plea that Dom couldn’t understand.

  “They cut out his tongue,” Theo whispered.

  Blackwell’s eyes were glassy, almost crazed. Chair Thorne looked grim, pained even. Lavinia, Renata, and Corbin were seemingly unbothered by what was about to happen.

  “You may proceed, Raphael,” Blackwell finished, then took his seat.

  Raphael pointed his flaming sword at the sky. Just as his arm was fully extended, a barrage of fireballs collided with the barrier above them.

  An omen.

  Raphael stood with his white-and-golden wings stretched wide on display. Holding his sword with both hands, in one sweeping motion, he connected with the warlock’s neck.

  The prisoner’s head rolled off the marble platform onto the screaming younglings and Jedan members below. The open neck gushed blood down the white marble stage and splattered vibrant red across Raphael’s face and wings.

  Screams erupted from the coven, and a flurry of movement broke out. Some vomited in the aisles, causing others to slip and fall while trying to escape. Jedan’s members attempted to shield the younglings from the blood that was dripping around them. The youngest class down there was aged only seven.

  “They’ve lost their minds.” Theo gagged, holding his hand to his mouth.

  “We need to get out of here,” Dominick yelled over the panic. He pulled Theo to his feet. Dom stared straight at the marble platform, at his Council, and none of them showed emotion when Raphael licked his sword clean.

  Chapter forty-six

  Seraphina

  It had been two days since she’d learned about her father.

  Two days since witnessing looks of adoration in Vasso’s future gaze.

  And Alistair was still asleep from the belldon Ophelia had drugged him with.

  Ophelia had assured her that he would wake the next day, pulling his threads to prove her point, and Sera finally stopped berating the oracle for what she’d done. She hadn’t worked up the courage to apologize to the witch.

  She was so angry. About her father, the lies her mother had told, the look on Vasso’s face when they were definitely having future sex. That in itself brought on a slew of emotions she didn’t want to unravel right now. It didn’t help that Vasso had left her in the training circle the day before with a simple instruction to burn targets, and left.