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Arden nodded. “I see he hasn’t told you. It’s no wonder it’s been a challenge for you to trust the fae when you’ve been exposed to the likes of Hadeon. He shared with me over a private dinner just what the cost could be for immortality. But you don’t have to believe my word. You should hear it from Hadeon, himself.”

One of the guards reached for the gag in Hadeon’s mouth. The motion felt like it was in slow motion.

“Don’t—” she began, but it was too late.

“I’m calling in our bargain,” Hadeon said the moment the gag fell from his lips. “Take Jessamine and I out of the Abyss and no one else. Strike down anyone who gets in our way.”

An electric charge pulsed through her like a single heartbeat as the bargain’s magic settled over her.

Arden’s eyes drew wide. “You had a bargain with him?—?”

Apparently, Breckett and Jessamine hadn’t revealed that fact to the shadow fae before they’d been restrained.

Unbidden, Arabella drew upon darkness throughout the room, letting it infuse her. With a single step, she moved between shadows.

It was as natural as breathing.

It was as if her demon powers being locked away had prevented her from fully embracing all of her shadow fae magic. And now that they’d been unleashed, anything she willed was a breath away from reality.

She reappeared in the shadows beside Hadeon, blasting back the shadow fae warriors surrounding him with a torrent of black.With a flick of her fingers, she’d unsheathed one of her blades and cut Hadeon’s and Jessamine’s bonds.

Arden shouted somewhere behind her, calling to his guards.

“Get us out of here,” Hadeon said as Arden’s shadows surged. They had a heartbeat before his magic would descend upon them. And even if Arabella’s power was stronger than his, he had years of experience and training.

“The syphen,” she began, gesturing to where Breckett had rolled away from the guards—and outside of Arabella’s reach.

Even as she spoke, she knew there wasn’t time. Especially if Breckett gave her chase and leapt between shadows or turned invisible.

But the magic of the bargain clamped around her chest, keeping her from leaving Hadeon’s and Jessamine’s sides.

“Now, Enchantress,” Hadeon hissed.

“Hold on tight,” Arabella said, stretching out her arms.

Jessamine grabbed Arabella’s hand. Hadeon hesitated for a moment before his fingers latched around her wrist over her jacket. Immediately, Arabella’s stomach turned, and she nearly retched on the floor. Then she stepped between the shadows into the tunnels. Behind her, she cast a solid wall of black at the exit tunnel, locking the shadow fae and Breckett within it. It wouldn’t last long, but it would give them a head start.

Moments later, they’d moved hundreds of feet up the tunnels and had returned to the main passages.

“Get us to the base of the mountains,” Hadeon whispered. “I have provisions stored for us there.”

Of course, he did.

Several heartbeats later, they were outside the mountain.

Jessamine pulled the gag from her mouth. “I’m sorry. Breckett disappeared after you left and told me to stay with Hadeon. I should’ve suspected?—”

Arabella shook her head. “There isn’t time to discuss this now.”

A strange electric current pulsed through her, demanding she fulfill her portion of the bargain, urging her forward.

Hadeon grabbed four packs from where he’d stashed them at the base of the mountain under a pool of starlight. He tossed one to Arabella and another to Jessamine before shouldering two.

“You’ve been planning this,” Arabella realized.

“I like to be prepared for all eventualities,” he said.

As he strode before her, she spat at his feet. “You’re damning the shadow fae to remain in the underrealm.”