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“Killeny! Aspen! Pompelia!” Shaye shouted.

Rihanna grabbed Moira’s wrist when she saw the tears wetting her sister’s cheeks. Moira stared at her, bewildered, horrified.

“I thought they’d be safe,” Moira whispered. Her chin quivered. Rihanna pulled her into her arms, tucking Moira’s head against her shoulder. “I-I thought they’d be safe.”

“Chroi, no one’s safe. No one, until she’s gone.”

“But…I shouldn’t have left them.”

“Cousins! Pompelia! Anyone!” Shaye hollered, beelining to the trapdoor to the room beneath the shop. Rihanna held Moira as she sobbed, her heart breaking over this latest challenge.

“Without you, we may never have survived against her army. We did, Moira, and we’ll get the children back, too.”

“Shaye!” The trapdoor flew open and Aspen, blood staining the side of her face, scrambled up the last few steps and rushed into Shaye’s arms. “They’re gone!”

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Daeanna stormed down the corridor, ripping off the ruined armor and leaving a trail of it in her wake. Worthless! Those men were worthless!

Thaddeus!

The one man she believed would come out of this unscathed, taken down by a half-breed’s arrow. So many dead. So many failed.

Those who survived?

“Goddess curse you cowards!” she groused, flicking her fingers and exchanging her ruined battle attire for her comfortable silk and satin. “Whoever survived, Goddess curse you for fleeing!”

Cecir had been one of those cursed Fae. She’d watched him vanish an instant before Shaye struck. He’d unleashed an attack she’d least expected to see pour from his fingers. Old magic. Magic of the spirits, infused by the Goddess herself.

How had he obtained such power?

The two Fae standing guard outside Katherine’s chambers opened the doors and stepped aside for her to pass. Katherine jumped to her feet, that foul human-Talaeniancreature cradled in her arms. Shaye’s son. Shaye’s…weakling child.

Daeanna crossed the room, reaching for the baby. “Give me the child.”

Katherine, stupid girl, turned, shielding the baby with her small shoulder. “Don’t touch him.”

“’Twasn’t a request, Katherine.”

The woman’s eyes flared with disgust and anger, her mouth set in a firm line. Daeanna stretched out her hands, fingers flexed in silent warning. Yet the offensive mortal stepped away.

“What have you done? Why did these children suddenly appear in my room? What use are they to you? They’re innocentchildren. They’ve no business being here.”

Daeanna growled, slapping the wretched woman across the face. Her head snapped to the side, bright red welts rising where her nails left their mark. Scowling, she snatched the infant from Katherine’s arms and jerked her chin toward the four remaining children huddled together on the chaise, filthy faces tear-streaked.

“Mind your business around me, Katherine. Watch over those four measly creatures.”

Lifting her gaze, hand covering her injured cheek, Katherine’s eyes glowed with inner rage. Her nostrils flared and her jaw locked as she stared at Daeanna.

“Don’t you dare hurt that baby,” the mortal whispered, voice laced with lethal intent. Daeanna snickered, taking a brief peek at the thing in her arms. Shaye’s son. Shaye’s powerful blood diluted further by mortal genes. The small creature stared up at her with warm, swirling eyes that reminded her painfully of the very man she would punish.

“Worry not about the child. After all, this is Shaye’s son. A child who should have been mine.” Swallowing back thebile of disgust, she turned her attention from the abomination to the children gathered on the chaise. Her gaze locked with the little mortal boy, or rather who was once mortal. “And you, precious child. Did you take the magic Fae potion?”

The scrawny kid drew his knees up to his chest and hid his face. The half-breed girl wrapped her arm around his thin shoulders, whispering something in his ear.

“Daeanna, let me keep the baby. He doesn’t belong in the middle of a power struggle. He’s innocent.”

Katherine lifted her chin when Daeanna cast her a scornful glance. Blood welled like crimson crests along the angry red welts on the mortal’s cheek. The sight satisfied Daeanna’s sadistic side, but did little to curb her mounting frustration with the mortal wench.