I walked up to him and ripped the black stone from his neck. “Oh, I will,” I promised, closing my fist around the stone. I clutched it so hard that it broke into thousands of tiny shards. “You made the wrong choice in following Ridge.”

  Bane snarled. “You’re the one who betrayed us. You chose that fae bitch over your brothers.”

  He was right; I had. But he and my brothers also had the choice of moving on, letting our father’s vendetta die. They weren’t corrupted by his magic like I was. Piper was capable of leaving, of living a quiet life without all the violence. Bane and my brothers could’ve done the same. Instead, they were hell-bent on killing the only woman I’ve ever loved. For that, they were going to pay the price.

  The fire within me burned more ferociously than I’d ever felt before. It came up through my fingers, and I held it in my hands. Bane stiffened and lifted his chin defiantly.

  “Where is Ridge?” I commanded. Bane’s jaw tensed and he tightened his lips. “Suit yourself,” I said, sending a blast of fire up his right leg.

  He started to scream, but I ripped the air from his lungs, silencing him. His jeans turned black and fell away, exposing the blistered skin underneath. All I had to do was dial up my power, and his leg would be nothing but bones.

  Bane thrashed his head around, his face turning blue. I gave him back some air and put the fire out on his leg. He gasped and sucked in a ragged breath, grunting in pain.

  “Are you ready to tell me where our brother is and what he has planned? If you tell me, I’ll let you live.”

  Bane hung his head, and I was sure he’d give in, but when he lifted his fiery gaze to mine, I knew he wouldn’t relent. “Fuck you, Kai. Ridge is the only one truly honoring our father’s wishes. We’re going after the royals, and your fae cunt will be the first to die.”

  His words fueled my fury; I’d never felt so much rage or hate to the point where I was so consumed. Nothing in that moment mattered besides bringing him pain.

  My hands burned as I summoned my fire magic. I threw it at Bane’s legs, watching it slowly creep up his body. This time I didn’t mute his screams. I wanted to hear his torment.

  Once the fire decimated his legs, I watched it cover his abdomen. The more he screamed, the more I enjoyed it. I knew I shouldn’t, but it felt good. Finally, when the flames traveled to Bane’s chest, it was all over. He was dead.

  The tree branches still held his arms, but I yanked them to the sides, ripping Bane’s body apart. Ella wanted him in pieces, and that was precisely what Bane got.

  Killing him sent a wave of bloodlust through my body. I’d done my best to hide that part of me, trapping it behind a wall in my soul. It was what I had to do to prevent myself from hurting Ella, from wanting to fulfill the revenge spell my father had placed on me.

  The wall grew thinner, allowing those desires to be set free. It wasn’t going to be long before it crumbled.

  No amount of good deeds or love I had for Ella was going to save me.

  I was a ticking time bomb.

  Chapter 26

  Ella

  ONE WEEK LATER

  A week had passed since Kai killed his brother and I couldn’t get the sight out of my mind. But, of course, Kai didn’t know I was there, watching through a portal as he burned Bane to death. I still haven’t told him I saw the whole thing.

  He had used his magic and I knew it only brought him closer to the edge. I watched Kai become a beast, desperate to find his other two brothers and the dark fae working with them.

  Over the past week, he’s been on the search. It feels as if I’ve barely seen him. Every time he looked at me, I could see the shame in his eyes, his worry that if he got too close, he’d turn on me. Our time was coming to an end, and it terrified me. I could see it as plain as day; my vision would come to fruition.

  It was getting late, and the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains in the distance. I hadn’t seen Kai in hours, even though I could feel his presence nearby. I’d spent most of my time staring out at the frozen lake, trying to think of ways to save him and coming up empty every time. I wanted to go to him, but the last thing I wanted to do was lose him. I wasn’t ready for that yet, but I couldn’t sit around, waiting for the darkness to take him.

  I decided to go and find him and turned on my heel only to stop in my tracks. He appeared by the cabin door, his body tense as he stared at me. It was almost as if he was the predator and I was the prey. I wasn’t afraid of him, just fearful of what I would have to do if he tried to attack me.

  I took a step toward him and he held out a hand. “Stop! I can’t fight it, Ella. I’m trying so fucking hard to, but I can’t.” He spun around and slammed his hands against the cabin door, his voice animalistic. “I want you so goddamn bad I can’t see straight. I can’t think. All I want to do is touch you, but when I think of that, I get urges to wrap my hands around your throat.” He gripped handfuls of his hair and growled. “You have to get the hell away from me.”

  Cautiously, I walked up to him and held out my hands, wanting desperately to touch him. “You can fight this. I know you can.”

  He had evaded me for the entire week, not letting me get too close. It was the only thing I could think of to try.

  Before I could place my hands on him, he whirled around and slammed me against the door with his hands at my throat. However, I was just as quick and had my dagger at his neck.

  “We have to stop meeting like this,” I said. His grip tightened and I could see the turmoil in his gray gaze. “You don’t want to hurt me, Kai. I can see it.”

  His hands started to shake and loosen. “And I don’t,” he countered, “but it gets harder to fight the darkness. The more I feel your presence, the more I lose control. There is nowhere I can go where I can’t feel you.”

  “Is that what you need?” I asked. “For me to leave?”

  He released his hold and rested his forehead on mine. “I’m so afraid to say yes. I don’t think I can.”

  It killed me to leave him, but I had to see if it helped. “Then, I’ll do it for you.”

  Sliding away from the door, I stepped away from him and felt the light build inside me, connecting me to the Hereafter. It was the only place I could go where he couldn’t feel or find me.

  Without waiting for him to face me, I let the magic take me away. When I arrived at mine and Merrick’s favorite spot in the Hereafter, I walked down to the lake and sat down in the soft green grass while the sun above warmed my Winter skin. It was vastly different from mine and Kai’s secret cabin by the frozen lake.

  Closing my eyes, I lay down and breathed in the sweet scent of the faerie flowers around me. Kai needed time and I was going to give it to him. But unfortunately, I didn’t know how long that needed to be.

  Time was never measured in the Hereafter. It could be daylight all day, or it could be night. It all depended on what you wanted. For me, since I wasn’t dead, it was always daylight. I didn’t get to conjure up my own settings like Merrick and all the others. I wouldn’t get the privilege until my final day came. As grand as that might seem, I was not in a hurry for that.

  With a heavy sigh, I sat up and peered at the lake one last time. I was shocked Merrick never showed up, but I was happy he had other things to do besides hang around with me.

  Getting to my feet, I took a deep breath and pictured Kai in my mind. When the portal opened, I could feel him on the other side. However, I wasn’t in our secret cabin in the Wyoming wilderness when I stepped through. Instead, I was inside a musty-smelling warehouse surrounded by darkness.

  Cautiously, I looked around; something wasn’t right.

  A few seconds later, glowing red lights appeared around me, illuminating the faces above them—dark fae. There were ten of them, all wearing stones around their necks just like Bane did; they were siphoning my energy.

  Ridge stepped out of the shadows, tossing another stone up and down in the air, except instead of a black stone, it was green with gold swirls. Coming from it was Kai’s energy.

  Ridge leered at me and slid the stone into his pocket. “I honestly didn’t think it’d be that easy. You must really have it bad for my brother,” he taunted.

  Behind him, Aric appeared, the stone around his neck beaming red. I could feel my energy draining quickly. It felt as if I’d run ten thousand miles. There were twelve of them sucking away my power.

  Ridge’s gaze narrowed curiously as he cocked his head to the side. “Are things not going so well in paradise?”

  I reached for my dagger and glared at him. “Why don’t you shut the fuck up and come get me. I’m sick of hearing your voice.”

  Ridge threw his head back and laughed. “Happy to.”

  I’ve fought off numerous warriors at the same time but never twelve of them. The dark fae came at me from both sides while Ridge and Aric stayed back, watching on with smiles on their faces. Every time I got one of the dark fae down, another would pounce. It was never-ending, and I could feel myself edging toward exhaustion.

  Ridge’s laugh grated on my ears. “Is there something wrong, Princess? You seem tired.”

  Gripping my dagger, I let my anger take over as I charged after one of the dark fae and stabbed him in the heart, his body turning to ash within seconds. Ridge’s jaw clenched and I smiled just before my body gave out beneath me and I fell to my knees.

  “Not a fair fight considering it takes twelve of you bastards to fight me.”

  Ridge stalked closer and grabbed my neck, hauling me up to my feet. “I don’t play fair.”

  I scoffed. “You wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”

  Two of his men came up beside me, and their bruising grips held my arms so tight they began to feel numb. Ridge stepped back and picked my dagger up off the floor, inspecting it curiously.

  “So, this is the dagger that killed my father.” His eyes gleamed when he looked at me. “Just think of how poetic it will be to kill you with the same one.”

  I tried to conjure my magic to form a portal, but I was too weak to concentrate. Finally, my legs grew heavy, and everything around me spun. Ridge drew closer, his face only a mere inch from mine.

  Licking his lips, he stared down at my mouth. “Your power is strong. I can feel it flowing through me.”

  Without hesitation, I headbutted him and felt his nose crack. “Can you feel that?” I fired back.

  Growling in pain, Ridge grabbed his nose and blood poured through his fingers. “Fucking bitch!” he snarled, slapping me across the face.

  Usually, a hit to the face didn’t hurt me, but this stung like hell. My legs grew heavier, and I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to stand, but I pushed through it. Ridge grabbed my neck and squeezed, cutting off my air. Never show weakness. I repeated that over and over in my mind. His grip loosened and he smiled as I sucked in a ragged breath.

  “You know, I heard a fascinating story the other day.” He let me go and paced back and forth in front of me, still holding my dagger. “Do you want to hear it?”

  “I’m sure you’re going to tell it to me either way,” I grumbled.

  Ridge chuckled and wiped the rest of the blood off his face with his T-shirt. “I found out through Kai’s blood that you and he were connected. It’s amazing what a powerful witch can find out.” And I was sure the same witch was the one who produced all the different siphoning stones. As he walked past, Ridge slid my dagger over my chest, ripping the top of my shirt in the process. “Oh, how many secrets my brother has kept from me. I have to say everything has worked out perfectly.” He stopped in front of me and grazed the dagger down the side of my neck. I could feel the warmth of my blood sliding down my skin and soaking my shirt. Ridge bit his lip as he watched my blood flow. “You are the final step to starting the war. If everything had been clear from the beginning, my brother never would’ve been enthralled by your pussy.” He raked the dagger down the front of my shirt, ripping it open until he got to the waistband of my jeans. “There was a time when I wanted to know what you tasted like. It’s a shame we’re running out of time.”

  “You’re a sick, twisted bastard.” The loss of blood didn’t help with them siphoning my energy. “Before this is all said and done,” I continued, trying to keep my voice strong, “I will watch you die. And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

  Smirking, Ridge grabbed my face, nipping my bottom lip with his teeth. “Sorry, Your Highness,” he taunted, “your reign ends now.” He stepped back and nodded at the two men holding my arms. “Hold her steady. This is going to be quick.”

  Everything happened so fast that I didn’t even see him slit my wrists clear to the bone. My arms were already heavy and numb, so I didn’t feel a thing. All I knew was that I wasn’t far from taking my last breath.

  As my blood pooled on the floor, my vision went blurry. A woman walked up, but I couldn’t see her face clearly; she was strong, a witch. She stopped beside Ridge and held a small blue stone next to my blood on the floor. I watched as some of it absorbed into the rock. Once that was done, she handed the stone to Ridge.

  “I’ve done what you’ve asked. Now leave me be. I don’t want any part in this. The fae are not my enemy.”

  Scowling, Ridge dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “Get the fuck out of here then. I don’t need you anymore.” She quickly walked away, and he pocketed the stone. “All right, guys, let her go. We’re done here.” The second they let me go, I fell to the floor, unable to feel a thing. “Kai will be here soon, and then it’ll be over. He’ll come back to us,” Ridge said, laughing.

  He would only go back to them if he was pushed over the edge. To do that, he’d need to use his magic. And it just so happened he had my aunt Meliantha’s healing powers that his father stole and put in him.

  The harsh reality of what was about to happen pierced through my heart.

  I was going to lose Kai.

  I was going to be his undoing.

  Chapter 27

  Kai

  The second Ella disappeared, I couldn’t feel our connection anymore. It gave me the relief I needed. But I knew the moment she stepped back into the mortal world, the need for vengeance would amplify. My control was hanging on by a thread. I honestly didn’t know if I’d be able to touch her again without wanting to kill her.

  I didn’t want those thoughts in my mind, but they plagued my soul. Even now, I wanted to go on the hunt, but I also wanted to spread her wide and claim every square inch of her. My mind was a complete clusterfuck.

  Hours passed as I sat in our cabin, waiting for her to show back up. The more time that went on, the more impatient I became. There was a gnawing feeling in my gut, screaming something was wrong. All I wanted was to see her again, even if it was the last time.

  I opened a portal to the Land of the Fae and stepped through, right into the living room of Ella’s cottage. I was hoping to feel her presence somewhere, but there was nothing. Everything was dark and quiet except for the snow pattering on the icy roof.

  As I walked around and looked at Ella’s things, all I could smell was her. I had to force the thoughts of hurting her out of my mind. So instead, I concentrated on how much I loved her and how it felt to touch her smooth skin and hear her voice as she said my name. If only that was enough to break my father’s curse.

  Ella’s bedroom was just down the hall, and I recalled the last time I was in there. It was the night I was going to kill her. And it was also the night I triggered our bond. The universe was surely one fucked up place to bind two people together, only for one to want to kill the other.

  When I stepped through the door, I walked over to Ella’s bed, skimming my fingers over her silky blue sheets. I’d give anything to make love to her again. I didn’t give a shit about all the power I had. If I could get rid of it to be with her, I would.

  The pain in my chest grew and I rubbed a hand over my heart. It was as if I could feel the poison of my father’s curse creeping through my veins, erasing all the good thoughts of mine and Ella’s time together. Sooner or later, it’d be as if none of that ever happened.

  “Ella?” a voice called out from down the hall.

  Anger spiked in my gut. What man had the right to walk into her house besides me?

  Footsteps thumped on the floor, and I glared at the door, waiting to see who it was. I didn’t bother to blend into the shadows when the guy appeared. He was a Summer fae which surprised me. Luckily, it wasn’t the elvish prince. The thought of him being in Ella’s home pissed me the fuck off. However, I remembered Ella telling me about Merrick; only she was the only one who could see him.

  The Summer fae’s eyes widened, but then he cocked his head to the side and glanced behind him.

  “Who are you?” I demanded.

  The guy turned back to me and waved a hand in the air. “Hold up. I think the question should be, how can you even see me?” It was Merrick.

  Only Keepers could see the dead, but I was far from one of them. “I’m curious to know the same thing,” I said. When my father gave me the power of the Four, Ella’s Keeper abilities weren’t a part of that. I’d only inherited a small portion of her mother’s and three aunts’ powers. “You’re Merrick, aren’t you?” I asked.

  His gaze narrowed. “And you must be the Shadow fae Ella’s fallen for.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  Merrick crossed his arms over his chest. “Only when it takes her away from her family and friends. Where is she?”

  I looked out the window at the Ice Palace in the distance. “I don’t know. I think she’s in the Hereafter.”

  “What did you do to her?” he snapped.

  “It’s not what I did to her. It’s what I will do to her if she doesn’t get away from me.” Then, sighing, I focused back on him. “I don’t know what Ella’s told you about me, but I know a lot about you. I know my father was the one who killed you.”

 

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