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I left the gods’ domain, passing through the magic mirror that led to Khalon’s castle. I had to speak to Bella’s parents. I had to tell them what had happened to her. And maybe, just maybe, they’d help me save her. Bella’s curse…it was connected to everything else. If I cured her, maybe the Guardians’ carefully-laid plans would all come crashing down. And then I wouldn’t need Coralia at all.

The gods’ castle bled away, as Khalon’s castle slowly faded in, one piece at a time, like I was putting together a puzzle. His castle was nearly fully-formed when I felt a jolt of whiplash, like someone had grabbed me by the shoulders and yanked me back. In one fell swoop, Khalon’s castle was washed away. And I was shoved into a dark place.

I caught myself before my head hit the ground. My hands scraped against hard, gravelly sand. I rose slowly, dizzy and disoriented. I was standing in the middle of a vast, dark desert. A large moon—or maybe that was a planet—dominated the night sky. There were no plants, no people, no buildings.

I was alone on an unknown world, with no idea of where I was or how to get back home.

25

DEMON'S ULTIMATUM

The air swirled in front of me, a whirlwind of sand and sparkles. And then Ava, the former Demon of Hell’s Army was standing before me. She looked so much like my mother Grace, it was eerie.

“What are you doing here?” I said—or more like growled.

“The question, dear niece, is what you are doing here?” A cool, calculating smile curled her lips. “I brought you here. I interrupted your trip through the magic mirror.”

I didn’t ask her why. She was obviously dying to tell me. So I just waited. And frowned. I did a lot of that.

“I’ve come to make you an offer,” Ava told me.

“No.”

Her smile soured. “You haven’t even heard what I was going to say.”

“I don’t need to. Any offer of yours would be decidedly one-sided.”

“You are very disagreeable, Leda. You get that from your father, you know.” Her laugh fell somewhere between a purr and a growl. “But you’d best forget about being so sullen. We have work to do.”

“If you think I’m going to work with you?—”

“Not with, Leda,” she snapped. “For.”

I snorted. “That will be the day.”

“You don’t have a choice.” Ava made an impatient noise. “Not if you want to cure Bella.”

That got my attention. “You can cure Bella’s curse? How?”

“Let’s not be hasty,” she replied. “First, you need to do something for me. There is some very important information in Thea’s possession. Unfortunately, my nitwit of a son has hidden her away from me, so I can’t find her.”

“You want to hear the prophecy that Zane’s father told Thea before he died.”

“Yes! Good girl!” She clapped her hands in mock approval, and her big, shiny bracelets jingled. “You get that prophecy for me, and then I will lift Bella’s curse.”

She must have realized I would never fetch her the prophecy that would tell her how to wipe out everyone else so that she could rule the universe. Especially, since that prophecy very likely involved her exploiting my daughter to do it.

“No,” I told her. “I will find another way to break Bella’s curse.”

“Listen to me closely, Leda Pandora,” Ava said through tight lips. “If you do not do precisely as I say, Bella will be dead in a few days. I know Faris has threatened to execute her if you don’t cure her. And you know he isn’t bluffing.”

“Bella is your granddaughter!” I shouted. “Is this how you treat your family?”

“Is this how you treat yours?” Ava countered, brows lifted. “When you’re prepared to save Bella—the sister you profess to love—let me know.” She turned to leave.

“Wait!”

She pivoted back toward me.