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Fear shot through her.

Rihanna drew on her renewed magic as she quickly made sense of what was happening. She touched Bryce’s mind while tossing feelers around the house. As suspected, heranam carahad no idea Kate was in the room. No one seemed to realize they were in the presence of another, cloaked in dark magic.

With a flick of her fingers, she dispelled the image of herself and cast her protective shield aside.

Kate spun around.

“You choose to swim in dangerous waters,” Rihanna whispered, holding Kate’s startled gaze. The woman, cast beneath a spell of invisibility, obviously wasn’t expecting to be discovered. “Do not be fooled by the promise of gain.”

She stunned Kate with a small lash of magic, grabbed Bryce from the melee, and pressed her transportation ring to his palm, quickly folding his fingers around it. He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head, pressed a finger to his lips and said, “Trust me,ghra. Do not panic. You must return to my home.”

“Rih—”

Bryce vanished in a swirl of gray.

She instantly sifted to Shaye’s townhouse. Sweet Goddess, she hoped she was wrong. Prayed to all the deities she panicked for no reason.

Heart racing, fear rising, solid ground came up beneath her feet.

An agonized scream echoed through the house.

24

Moira stirred her tea mindlessly. Exhaustion wracked her body, and her heart ached from Shaye’s agreement to risk his life for the sake of the Court. The last thing she’d ever thought he’d agree to was being live bait for a fucking snake.

And if it was true that Daeanna had returned, her serpentine personality would most likely have mutated to that of the fucking Devil.

The comforting hand that came to rest on her shoulder diffused the tension that had built as her thoughts churned wildly. Terrek shifted and jabbed within her belly, a constant reminder that he reacted poignantly to her emotions. This day had delivered one of the most complicated emotional packages yet.

“My dear, you must rest. Gather your strength so we can sift you home,” Horano said, his deep voice a soothing balm to her raw wounds.

She faced him and frowned. One of Shaye’s closest friends, Horano had played a critical role in deceiving Daeanna and ultimately exonerating Shaye. He was in asmuch danger as Shaye, Rihanna, and Moira. The witch’s vengeance knew no bounds before her exile. Moira doubted she’d learned some sense of restraint in the last six months.

“I will. The tea will help.” She leaned forward, accepting Horano’s friendly embrace as she sighed. “I can’t understand why he’d agree to this.”

“Because he is not thinking of himself, dear. He thinks of you first.” Horano smoothed the curls away from her face. His tender gestures never crossed a forbidden line, always maintaining a brotherly affection. “I’m sure he will devise an efficient plan with Dagda. At this moment, you must concern yourself with regaining your strength. The longer we remain here, the worse ’twill be. On the morrow, if you have healed enough emotionally, we must leave.”

“I know. I will. I’m just”—she blew out a breath—“pregnant, hormonal, and hating the idea that she’s back.”

“As we all are.”

Moira straightened up and grabbed her tea from the kitchen counter. “I think I’m going to veg out on the sofa with some sappy chick flick I find on Netflix.”

Horano snickered and shook his gorgeous head. His warm gaze glittered with humor as he guided her into the living room. “Settle in, my dear. I’ll gather a pillow and blanket for you.”

“Thanks, Horano.”

Moira placed her mug on the coffee table, folded a leg beneath her, and found a comfortable spot in the corner of the sofa. She flicked on the television with the remote and pulled up her streaming choices.

The lights flickered, dimmed, then returned to full brightness.

A strange hum charged the air. The hairs on the back ofher neck lifted as her arm lowered. A sudden sensation of vertigo hit her, the room tilting before righting itself.

“Horano?”

When he didn’t answer, Moira climbed to her feet. Stars sprang to life behind her eyelids. She blindly grappled for the sofa arm, breathing her way through the unnerving reaction. Horano was right. She really needed to rest. She’d put undue stress on herself and her baby today. Maybe she’d overreacted, but what was done was done.

Pressing the heel of her palm to her forehead, she waited for the dizziness to pass. Blood rushed through her ears, a whooshing sound that dulled her hearing. Something tickled her nose. Instinctively, she rubbed her nose with the back of her finger.