I woke up entangled in both men with a smile on my face. The world looked a little brighter and easier to handle that morning. A text from Carys telling Kane that we could look through Moira’s archives only solidified that feeling. That was, until Kane said that I wasn’t allowed to step foot on coven ground. So, I had to stay home and read my blood magic book while they went through Moira’s ancient tomes looking for something on forging the ward stones.

  Gideon gave me a lingering kiss before they set off. He wasn’t entirely happy about having been left out last night, even if he understood how and why it happened. Balancing three romantic relationships and the complications that came with that was an art that I just wasn’t prepared for. I pushed it all aside, retrieved the blood magic book, and curled up in my favourite wicker chair under the pagoda. The sun was shining, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, and it was nice to have a little peace and quiet. The guys had to find something in Moira’s archives. She had collected old manuscripts and such for decades.

  I opened the blood magic book and marvelled at the warmth of it. The paper was silky smooth, and the ink glistened black in the sunlight. The first page went into great detail about the weight of responsibility that came with the gift of blood magic. Blood magic was the most potent of the magic forms, and that meant the witch needed to be more careful and aware of the consequences. I was already painfully aware of the weight of that burden.

  The book then started to get into the simpler uses of the magic. It began with healing, saying that was the natural starting place for any blood witch. Guilt formed within me, given that I had started with offensive magic; blood boiling, to be exact. Still, the healing methods were fascinating. I could weave the life essence from blood taken from other beings into the injured person to strengthen and heal them. A single drop of my blood could heal a small broken bone, or I would need a tablespoon or so of another witch’s blood or a small vial of shifter blood.

  I was entirely engrossed in the book and the healing methods, and I didn’t notice the shift in the air around me. Footsteps finally caught my attention. I’d lived with the guys long enough to recognise their footsteps, and the heavy thumping steps didn’t belong to any of them. I frowned and looked around as I listened for the bloodsong. There wasn’t one. I reached out for a life essence and found a thick wiry black one buried deep beneath thick layers of armour.

  My instincts kicked in. I put the book in the wicker chest out of sight, unsheathed my daggers, and looked around for the intruder. A large infernal, some seven feet tall, with thick corded muscles beneath silvery grey skin was strolling across the lawn towards me. We really needed to work on the protective wards around the castle. His red eyes glittered with malice, and his overly large mouth opened to reveal sharp dagger-like black teeth.

  “You must be the blood witch whore keeping Dante from his rightful place,” the infernal rumbled.

  “I’m getting really tired of your kind showing up uninvited,” I growled.

  My magic bubbled up, and I made no attempts to hold it back.

  The infernal laughed, a thick rasping sound that filled the air.

  “I am prepared for you, little whore,” he said.

  “Call me a whore one more time,” I said with a sharp smile.

  “Blood witch whore,” the infernal boomed with a malicious grin.

  I matched his grin and allowed my magic to surge forth. This was the line. I was going to send a message back to Bael.

  The infernal ran at me, his long curved black claws extended towards me. I stood my ground and reached deep inside of him for his blood. It squirmed in my grasp, and I knew from previous experience that boiling it wasn’t going to achieve the desired results. He slashed at my stomach with his claws, and I side-stepped, jumping to slash at his throat while I drove my magic deeper inside of him. He was too tall and too fast. My daggers went through thin air. I kept moving while I slashed at him, pushing him back and keeping him on his toes while I tried to get behind him.

  He bellowed a war cry as aimed his claws at my face, I ducked and landed a sweeping slice on his inner wrist. That was all I needed. A single drop of blood emerged from the cut. His skin had been too thick to do more damage. He laughed once more. I grinned at him, a cruel cold expression, before I grasped onto his blood. The droplet had been enough to give me full access.

  His eyes went wide and his mouth hung open as I let my instincts take over. I went deeper than I had ever gone before. My consciousness slipped into the fibres of his being, and I drove his consciousness back before I rode his body. His knowledge was present. I only wanted one piece of information. How to get the body back to Bael. The infernal fought me, but I was stronger than him.

  I rode his body down to the infernal realm, a place of cold black walls and eternally burning fires. The portal the infernal had used was only one short hallway away from Bael’s throne room. I rolled my eyes at the fact the demon prince had an actual throne room. The space was cold, with flickering flames running at head height along the shiny black walls. Everything was pitch black, the reflections of the white fire playing along the ceiling and the floor beneath my feet.

  The throne room was a riot of blood red and royal purple. The floor was smooth tiles the colour of freshly spilled blood, the walls were rich purple and red stripes, and the ceiling soared high overhead. The space was imposing and warm, a sign of his strength and power that he could afford to heat the space and make it comfortable. I allowed the infernal body to bow its head in respect and submission as I approached Bael.

  The man himself looked like a leaner version of Dante. A beautiful man with thick black hair and stunning blue eyes. He sat on the large black throne that looked to be carved of pure obsidian, his legs thrown over one arm. Intelligence shone from those blue eyes, his pretty mouth pinched as I slowly approached, careful to show the appropriate submissions.

  Finally, when I was within arm’s reach, when the infernal would have knelt, I spoke.

  “Bael, it’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Wren, and I’m here to tell you that if you send another fucking infernal after me or my men again, I’ll personally make you beg for death.”

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  “She’s coming back to us!” Gideon said, but he sounded so far away.

  “Wren, Wren, wake up, please,” Kane said a little closer.

  “I am not going to lose you,” Dante said closer still.

  Strong arms were holding me against a hard chest. I was surrounded by the scent of Scottish heather and open oceans with a healthy dose of hot metal. I frowned and slowly opened my eyes.

  “What happened?” Kane said, worry creasing his face.

  “I…” I tried to remember, it was all a bit hazy.

  It all came flooding back to me and gasped.

  “Oh fuck…”

  “What happened?” Dante asked.

  I was in Kane’s arms on the lawn with the forest behind us. Dante was sitting next to Kane with his hand stroking my hair while Gideon sat on the other side running his fingers over the palm of my hand.

  Dante handed me a large bar of chocolate, which I devoured and washed down with a big bottle of Coke. I went through a big bag of brownies before I finally felt like myself again.

  “An infernal came here, saying he was here to take out your blood witch whore. I told him to call me a whore one more time, and I let my instincts take over. I rode his body… I was in his head controlling his body through his blood. I told Bael if he sent one more goddamn infernal after us, I’d make him beg for death,” I said, the feeling of dread and horror building with every word.

  Dante laughed and kissed my forehead. Kane sighed and frowned, and Gideon whined softly.

  “We need to get you better balanced with your magic, you can’t let it control you like that,” Kane said softly.

  “I know, I just… I was so fucking tired of them showing up.”

  “What will Bael do?” Kane asked Dante.

  “He’ll back off, for a while at least. Then I expect he’ll try and make Wren his own,” Dante said, a darkness in his eyes.

  Kane held me closer.

  “We’ll worry about that at a later date,” Dante said with a small smile.

  I reached out and stroked Gideon’s hair. “We won’t let them take you, little hound.”

  “I’ll kill every single one of them if I have to, whatever I need to do to keep you safe,” Gideon growled.

  “It won’t come to that,” Dante said.

  Gideon gave a sharp nod and relaxed some.

  I sat up and kissed Kane, trying to show him that I was myself. The creases around his eyes wouldn’t budge.

  “How were the archives?” I asked breezily.

  “I’m not Moira’s son,” Kane said quietly.

  I looked between Dante and Gideon trying to understand what I’d missed.

  “I was dropped on her doorstep as a baby. She could feel that I had magic, so she kept me. Oh, and she’s been holding back my magic, because a male shouldn’t have the magic I do,” Kane said.

  My jaw fell open. I always hated Moira, but this really was something else.

  “What can we do? We need to open up your magic? What does this mean for your place in the coven?” I asked.

  “We’ll help him ascend on the appropriate phase of the moon,” Dante said.

  “As far as I’m aware, I’m still part of the coven, but I don’t know how long that’ll last,” Kane said quietly.

  “They’re a ghastly coven. You’re better off with your little pack,” Rowan said.

  I twisted to see him approaching across the grass with a pair of brown paper bags in his hand.

  “I come bearing gifts,” he said with a smile.

  “That means your politics failed,” Kane said with a sad smile.

  Rowan handed one of the bags to Gideon, who opened it with unbridled glee. The hound pulled out some of the wonderful dark mint chocolate that was more addictive than crack. The elf handed the other bag to Dante, who opened it to reveal our favourite Danishes.

  “What happened with the coven, anyhow?” Rowan said, putting his hands in the pockets of his dark suit pants.

  “I’m not Moira’s son, I was abandoned on her doorstep,” Kane said.

  “I can show you the nature of your blood with Wren’s help,” Rowan said casually.

  Gideon growled and put himself between me and Rowan. Dante’s body tensed, and he glared up at the elf.

  Rowan rolled his eyes. “I haven’t told a soul, you’re all safe. If I thought she was a monster, I’d have removed Kane from the situation.”

  Dante raised an eyebrow at Kane, who shook his head.

  “So, would you like to know what you are?” Rowan asked.

  “Yes, are you ok to do this Wren?” Kane asked.

  I shrugged. “Sure.”

  I stole a piece of Gideon’s addictive chocolate and practically moaned. It was so damn good.

  “We’ll need a small plate and a sharp knife,” Rowan said.

  I stood up, and we all headed back into the kitchen. Rowan had me sit next to him with Kane at the head of the table.

  “Hold your hand out,” Rowan said.

  Kane held his hand out over the pale blue plate.

  “Wren, I need you to allow your magic forward, I’m going to borrow a little of it,” Rowan said.

  I looked between him and Kane. The deep sadness in Kane’s eyes made me relax and go with it. I wanted to see him smile again, and knowing what he was might do that.

  Relaxing was more difficult than it initially sounded. Gideon came and sat next to me where he stroked my hair, and I finally relaxed enough to allow my magic to come forward. Rowan pricked Kane’s finger so three drops fell onto the plate before he took my hand in his. I felt his magic entwining with mine as his fingers entwined with mine. It was a bizarre sensation, incredibly intimate.

  Rowan frowned at the blood. I felt my magic slip into the blood and his magic followed behind it. Together they pulled up information that I couldn’t quite understand. Rowan’s frown deepened.

  “You’re half Nephilim, half sidhe. In fact, you’re the missing sidhe prince, next in line to an old bloodline,” Rowan said.

  “Fan-fucking-tastic,” Kane said.

  Rowan laughed. “You’re better cut out for royalty than you seem to think.”

  “Not interested,” Kane said.

  “Your father is still sitting on the throne, you don’t have to think about it just yet,” Rowan said.

  I remembered Bael sitting on his throne and shivered. I could feel his gaze on mine, the cold intelligence there. Gods be with me, what had I done?

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Kane took the news remarkably well, given everything.

  “Well, I always knew my magic wasn’t normal. I guess there are worse things than being half Nephilim,” he said with a wry smile.

  “You do understand that there will be a time when you’re called upon to take the throne?” Rowan asked as he took a Danish from the bag.

  Kane shrugged. “I’ll deal with that when it comes to it.”

  “You really don’t care?” I asked with a smile.

  “I’m still me, aren’t I?” he asked with a small smile.

  “Why look at your blood if you don’t care?” Gideon asked.

  “Curiosity. If you’d have said another coven, I could have dropped by and said hi, but I can’t do much of anything with a sidhe and a Nephilim.”

  I squeezed Kane’s hand and looked him in the eye. He gave me a genuine smile. He really didn’t care.

  “Now to the reason I’m here. I need you to track down who is weakening the veil,” Rowan said, suddenly serious.

  Gideon’s expression darkened, but he said nothing.

  I said what the hound was thinking.

  “We could have dealt with that when we were there.”

  “I had to try and resolve the politics first. I am trying to stop an all-out war. Unfortunately, the politics are proving difficult, and more dangerous beings are pushing through the weakened veil,” Rowan said.

  “We need to forge a new stone,” Kane said.

  “That won’t be relevant if the veil continues to be drained the way it is,” Rowan said.

  “Roadtrip?” I said.

  Dante laughed.

  “Contact me once you’ve succeeded. You’re the only people I can trust,” Rowan said.

  I took Kane to one side and cupped his face in my hands.

  “Are you sure you’re ok?” I asked.

  “Nothing a cup of tea won’t fix,” he said before he brushed his lips over mine.

  I stroked his cheek with my thumb, not convinced.

  “We have to go be heroes,” he said with sadness in his eyes.

  I let him go and got ready to find out who had been draining the veil. I grabbed every one of my blades that I could and took a large bag of chocolate bars so I didn’t pass out from too much magic use. A shudder ran through me when I thought about how easy it had been to ride that infernal like a second skin. I didn’t want to become that person. Kane was right, I needed to get a better control of my magic.

  We returned to the site of the shattered ward stone. That time, I saw the veil with ease. The shimmering magic was looking duller, and the pale blue tear was wider. Much to Gideon’s happiness, we chose to jog down along the veil and find the source of the drain. Dante said we’d be able to feel it once we got close.

  I was not cut out for long distance running. Gideon was having a fantastic time as we ran through the dense heather and hopped over streams. I, on the other hand, was growing increasingly miserable and wondered just how far away these people were. What if they were up on Orkney?

  We stopped for a short break and a closer look at the veil.

  “We wouldn’t normally be able to see this,” Dante said.

  “Kane might be able to,” Gideon said.

  I looked between them. “Anyone want to tell me why?”

  “Kane’s fae blood,” Dante said.

  “The fae connection to the land and the portals means that stronger fae can see the veil. It’s designed not to be seen, though, to make it more difficult to damage,” Kane said.

  “So how come we can see it?” I asked.

  “Rowan wove a spell,” Kane said with a smile.

  “What’s the deal with you two?” Gideon asked him.

  Kane raised an eyebrow at him.

  “You clearly think each other is hot,” Gideon said with a smile.

  Kane cleared his throat and looked away.

  “Are we ready to continue?” Dante said with a smirk.

  And so, we ran on. It felt like we’d been running for an eternity when we finally made some progress. The bloodsongs were stronger in the area, and the magic had a prickly feeling to it. I had to pause to give my increasingly achy muscles a rest before we went up against whoever was doing this.

  “They must have a lot of magic, right?” I asked.

  “Yes, they’ll be dangerous,” Dante said.

  “Oh, fun,” I muttered.

  We continued on at a slower pace through the dense forest to a wide-open space with a gentle incline up to an old farm house. The magic was alive around there, pulsing and prickling with energy begging to be used. Yet it all flowed upwards towards the farm house.

  “This is the Stone Owl Coven’s house,” Kane said with a frown.

  “Know them?” Dante asked.

  “Sort of, they’re a small quiet coven that no one really notices,” Kane said.

  “It’s always the quiet ones,” I said.

  Kane snorted.

  “The magic’s clearly flowing towards them, and the pull’s getting stronger. Shall we pay them a visit?” Dante asked.

  “Lead the way,” Kane said.

  THIRTY-NINE

  We crouch-ran up to the back garden of the old farm house, where a large circle formed of cut logs standing on their ends was located. The logs had been carved with peculiar symbols that I didn’t recognise. The tips of them were glowing a lurid green, and the magic pooled around the grass there, slowly slithering up the logs. The coven was all dressed in floor-length grass-green robes with white swirling designs along the bottom hem and around the hoods.