by Sara Snow
Long, black horns sprouted from Cyrus's forehead to curve backward, and Amythia’s head tilted to the side.
“Who are you? You have the Demon King’s blood.” Cyrus didn't answer her. "We're family, so why? Why are you here with them?"
"We're not family. You're nothing to my father, and you're nothing to me."
“Father?” She hissed, and blue flames appeared in Cyrus's hands. “How interesting.”
"Do you still feel confident about this, Amythia?” The flames in Cyrus’s palms grew. "Will's not leaving, and no one here will be dying tonight.”
This time, when Amythia moved, I was able to track her. I ran forward as she weaved through the Guards. Her claws swiped at a Guard's face, though Will pulled him back in time to prevent her from doing damage.
She charged at another, her claws piercing his shoulder, but she jumped back as a wall of blue flames rose up between her and the unlucky Guard.
Cyrus barreled into her, the ground shattering as they slid along it. Amythia threw him off her, and I released a bolt I'd consumed. It missed her by an inch, then she vanished. She was there one moment, and the next, she wasn't.
We all turned in circles looking for her when she reappeared, holding a girl of no more than six, a child I’d known since the moment she was born, in front of her. My father and I moved forward, but Amythia tsked and wagged her finger back and forth.
She had one hand around the child's waist, the other around her throat. "Just a twitch. That's all it would take for me to snap her neck."
Skye ran out of the house, her daggers drawn, and behind her, a woman with brown eyes and dark hair like the child’s screamed and was pulled back into the house. I could hear her inside, calling for her daughter.
The child must have snuck out after being told to stay inside.
“Put the child down,” I yelled as storm clouds gathered overhead. “Put her down!”
"If I see one lightning bolt, she dies!" Amythia tightened her hold on the child, who gagged, her eyes rolling back. “I’ve had enough of this! Make a choice, William. But make it fast!”
I turned to Will, my heart racing. I knew that Amythia could kill that baby before any of us could get to her. But I couldn't lose Will again.
"Okay, you win, Mother." Will's eyes changed back to blue, and my heart plummeted. "I'll return with you."
Amythia held the child up by her throat, making the little girl’s lips turn blue, then threw a portal potion on the ground.
"Let the girl go!" Cyrus roared, but Amythia only hissed in response.
“William, come!”
I shook my head. “Will?”
"I won't be the reason that little girl—or anyone else—dies," he said, running a finger down the white strands in my hair. "If going with her will end this war, then this is how we'll end it."
I kissed him. I wrapped my arms around him, and he picked me up off the ground. I held back my tears as our lips parted, and he rested his forehead against mine. We stared into each other's eyes, but before I could tell him I loved him, he vanished.
I spun around as Amythia threw the child toward us, and Skye caught her. She stepped into the portal with Will, who looked at me one last time before the portal closed.
"You promised," I mumbled under my breath, unable to look away from where the portal had been. "You promised you wouldn't leave."
11
Elinor
After the Queen left, I found my way to a small shed used for storage that had been erected behind the houses. I needed to be alone.
It had started raining shortly after I arrived, and I stood by the door, mindlessly watching as water droplets fell from the leaves of nearby trees. My heart was broken into so many pieces that I could no longer feel the initial pain. Will had left to save my pack and so many others. I knew that. But still, I couldn't help the grief I felt.
He promised me he wouldn’t leave me.
There was no longer an us. We were over.
I swallowed hard, the quick burn of tears behind my eyes fading as I tried to pull myself together. Crying would change nothing.
Was this really how the war would end? After so many months of carnage and death, would it all come to an end this easily?
If it was truly over, I had to be happy about it. So many lives would be saved. But I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t trust the Vampire Queen to keep her word. All I could do was try to be ready when she decided she wasn’t going to play nice anymore.
I closed my eyes, listening to the leaves getting pummeled by the rain, and hugged myself. Life could be so painful. For every moment of happiness, we had to endure times like this. And sometimes, they were more than we could bear.
I caught my breath, on alert, when I heard footsteps drawing closer to the shed. Then I exhaled when I realized who it was.
My mother ran around the side of the shed, holding the hood of her cloak over her head.
I stepped to the side, allowing her to come out of the rain, then continued to stare out the door, watching as the world was cleansed.
She came over to stand beside me, wiping at the rain on her face. “You won’t be coming back to the house, will you?”
“No,” I answered softly. “I really don’t want to be around others.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
I shook my head as I looked at her with a tight-lipped smile. "No. Stay, please."
My mother nodded and the tears I’d been holding back suddenly let loose. She wrapped her arms around me, and I rested my head on her shoulder, crying softly.
“I trained so hard, and for so long. She was right there, Mother! The Queen was right in front of me, and I couldn’t do anything. For all the power I have, I couldn’t do one single thing. And now, Will is gone.”
My mother took a deep breath and ran her hand up and down my back in a soothing gesture. "If you had chosen to fight her tonight, many people would’ve died. Yes, you have the powers you gained from your divinity . . . but you couldn’t shift because of the full moon. You wouldn’t have been at the top of your game. And she knew that.”
I pulled back and realized my mother was right. Her smile wasn’t one of pity but of sadness, a mother watching her broken daughter and doing her best to offer help instead of breaking down, too. I sniffed loudly, trying to pull myself together.
She caressed my cheek. “Don’t beat yourself up about this. Will sacrificed himself to save us, to save you. We all saw what happened. Everyone here respects him for what he did, even those who doubted him before. I’m sure of that.”
I looked down, still able to feel Will's lips on mine—our last kiss. We’d come such a long way, and this just felt anticlimactic. And wrong.
I wiped my eyes and turned away to look out the door once more as thunder rumbled in the distance. “I know he did it for me, for the pack, and I love him more for it. But he’s gone now—for good. And I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.”
“Do you believe Amythia will end the war?” my mother asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t think anything that monster says can be believed.”
I placed my hand on my stomach, on the place my child and Will’s had once been. My bottom lip began to tremble, and Mother placed her hand over mine.
“I’m sorry things turned out this way. I’m truly sorry, Elinor.” She sniffed, then sat up straighter. “But there’s one thing I know: Will won’t be away for long.”
When I looked at her, wondering if I’d heard her right, she nodded. “He loves you. And from what I know, he’s followed you everywhere. I can’t see him staying away for long, even now. You should know that.”
I knew that in the past, we’d always managed to find our way back to each other. But this time was different. Wasn’t it?
I heard more footsteps near the shed, and Faelen, Hilary, and Skye appeared, rushing past Mother and me to get inside. They removed their cloaks quickly, shaking the rain off them and hanging them up.
“Hey
,” Skye said, greeting us, and my mouth twitched with the smallest smile I could muster.
“Hey,” I replied. Faelen and Hilary walked over to join us at the door.
“People are still talking about what just happened,” Faelen said. “Not many would have believed that there could be a true bond between a werewolf and a vampire. But we all saw it tonight.”
Hilary nodded. “Still, I think we have to go through with the attack. Amythia said she would end the war . . . but are we just going to take her word for it? Especially after everything she’s done?”
“Many will be willing to believe her because they want so badly for it to be over, and we can’t really blame them,” my mother said.
Hilary turned away, rubbing at her forehead, then cleared her throat nervously. Skye and I exchanged a silent look. “Ione started remembering her nightmares some time ago,” she said. “But I don’t think they were normal nightmares. I think she saw into the future—a future where the vampires are going to attack again.”
“What exactly did she see?” Faelen asked, drawing closer.
“She described buildings, towering ones, made of clear glass. And she said she saw strange carriages, ones made of iron or steel. And the people were dressed differently, as well. But she saw an Enchanted and a wolf with white eyes like Elinor.”
“Another white wolf?” I asked.
Hilary looked uncertain. “I think so,” she answered.
My mother looked thoughtful as she looked out the door at the dark, wet world outside of the hut. “Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?”
“I didn’t want to say anything to influence the decisions being made now. The future changes constantly. But now that the Queen has ended the war, she’ll remain alive. So it makes sense that she’ll attack again sometime in the future.”
“I didn’t believe her for a second,” Skye grumbled. “She was just saying she’d end the war to get Will to go back with her.”
My jaws clenched, and my wolf howled inside my head. I didn’t want to think of the man she’d force Will to become now that he was with her again, the man he’d been centuries ago.
“She started this war and then ended when it suited her. It all worked out just the way she wanted it to,” my mother growled. “We need to end this—end her—for good.”
Thunder rumbled overhead as we all processed what we’d just heard. If Ione’s dreams were, in fact, true visions, if the Queen intended to attack again in the future, we couldn’t ignore it.
“So, what are we going to do?” Skye asked.
But everyone was looking at me, waiting for my answer.
“We're going to get Will back, and I’m going to kill the Queen. This war won’t be over until she’s dead.”
Elinor
The following day, we all gathered in my father’s office to speak to him about going forward with our plans to kill the Queen.
Faelen was busy communicating with Enchanteds from other packs, letting them know about Ione’s prophecy. A few minutes later, her head fell forward, and her eyes focused once more. She looked at me and shook her head, her face a mask of disappointment.
“See . . .” My father placed his palms flat on his desk as he stood up. “They’ve all decided to stand down.”
Faelen nodded, confirming our worst fear. The rest of the packs had all decided to give up. Nobody was willing to attack the Queen now that she’d ended the war. They’d lost too much already.
“Cowards,” I growled, but my father growled back at me.
“Don’t judge them, Elinor! Most packs didn’t have the protection we had up until last night. Many were wiped out completely! People are tired, and they’re terrified.”
“So you suggest we just take the Vampire Queen at her word? Shouldn’t she have to pay for the lives that were already lost? She killed thousands, thousands, Father! And now we're just supposed to let her off the hook?”
He looked away. “I don’t believe the Queen for a minute. But we’re being given a break to breathe, to regroup. When the time’s right, we’ll make our move.”
“Elinor is right. The time to attack is now, when she thinks we’ve accepted this fake white flag of peace.” Darian stepped forward and nodded in my direction. I was surprised that he was siding with me. “If we take time to regroup, she’ll do the same. And her already large army will be more than organized enough to wipe us out completely.”
“We should contact the other species,” I added. “Even if the other packs have pulled out, we could still build up an army with the other supernaturals. After all, we had an agreement.”
Father sat back down. “If they are willing to join us.”
I released a breath and stepped back to lean against the door. Theanos, Cyrus, Connor, my mother, Faelen, and Skye had remained quiet while my father and I went back and forth. It almost felt like old times, back when we couldn’t agree on anything.
“I can’t leave him there . . .” I spoke softly, looking down at the floor. “I can’t let her have Will.”
“He went willingly, Elinor.”
I glared at my father. “Don’t pretend he wanted to go. He went willingly to save us all.”
“Even so, Elinor, he's back on the Queen's side, and he knows about the plans we've made, every move we'll make. We can’t chance it."
“Come on, Father. Will wouldn’t tell her anything. He’s on our side!”
“Not anymore!” He slammed his hand down on the table, the dominance pouring from his body making all the wolves present bow their heads. “We need to regroup and plan again.”
I bowed my head along with everyone else, but when I looked up, I met my mother’s eyes. She was standing by my father’s side, studying me from under her lashes.
She shook her head, and my father finally released us, reeling in his anger.
“Forgive me,” he said harshly. “But relying on Will’s aid is no longer an option.”
I stood up as the others did, but I held his gaze for a moment before turning and walking out of the room. Skye and Faelen followed me, coming up to flank me as I stalked toward the shed.
“Just say the word, Elinor,” Skye whispered so only we could hear.
“Do you have a plan?” Faelen asked.
My mouth curved upward, thankful for the strong women on my side. I glanced behind me at the house and saw my father’s eyes on me as he looked through the window. “I always have a plan.”
12
Elinor
That night, Skye and I met in the forest, far away from the others. I knew many people were celebrating the end of the war while we were preparing for one. I could hear the cheers and beating drums coming from our pack as they, too, celebrated.
We’d been living in constant fear for what seemed like an eternity, and now everyone was breathing one huge sigh of relief, enjoying what they thought was going to be a time of peace and trying to forget the dark days they’d managed to survive.
Taking away anyone’s happiness wasn't what I wanted, but I knew deep down that if we didn't kill the Queen, there wouldn’t be much celebration in the future. We’d all be slaughtered before long.
Skye and I waited patiently for Faelen, listening as the forest creatures called to each other around us.
“The air feels so calm tonight.” Skye turned in a circle, her dark skin blending into the shadows.
She’d pulled her curls into a high bun, and her Guard’s uniform fit her perfectly, shaping out her curves and wide hips.
She rested her hands on her daggers on either side of her, looking every bit a warrior. I smiled. Who’d have ever guessed our roles would reverse? Skye, who’d intended to be a pack doctor, was now a warrior. And I, who’d always wanted to be involved in the fighting, was now a healer.
Of course, I was still a badass in battle, too.
My confidence had grown so much, it was hard to remember why I’d ever hesitated to use the strength I was born with.
Skye took deep breaths, and I di
d the same, enjoying the sensation of the cool wind on my face. I’d pulled my hair back into a high ponytail, the white strands like a partition at the center.
Skye was right. The air was unusually calm tonight—clean and clear—lulling us into the mistaken belief that all was well.
“It suits you.” I pointed at her uniform, and she looked down at herself with a blush.
“Thanks.”
“We haven’t talked about what happened at the meeting. You killed the hybrid that killed your mother, didn’t you?”
Her blush died, and she lowered her eyes. “Yeah, I did. But instead of fixing things, I think ending him broke me more. I knew killing that evil creature wouldn’t bring my mother back, but”—she paused to gather her words—“I almost feel emptier now than I did before.”
I could see it in her eyes. Skye had always been the vibrant, chatty one, the one who always seemed young and a bit naïve. She was the sweet girl who gushed over boys to hide what she felt for Cyrus. She was the noblest out of the three of us, wanting to be a healer and save lives. But that girl was long gone. I could see her age in her eyes. She was still the sweet and caring Skye I’d known since we were kids, but now there was a maturity in her gaze that had come from living through the worst the world had to offer.
“But at least Ms. Clementine can rest in peace now. And that bastard can burn in Hell.”
Skye grinned devilishly. “I’ll make sure of that once I join Cyrus in the Underworld. Wherever he is in Hell, I’ll find him.”
“Let’s send the Queen there first, okay?” Faelen stepped out of the shadows and threw a bottle through the air. I caught it easily. “Your mother says to make sure you return in one piece.”
“Tell her I will. Thanks for helping us, Faelen.” I turned the portal potion over in my hand.
"I'm not actually a part of this pack, so I don't have to obey Grayson. But that's the last portal potion I have, so make the most of it. Where do you plan to go?"