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Her eyes narrowed. “I’m going to need a bit more than that.”

The corner of his lips twitched, and he leaned forward. For a strange moment, she thought he might kiss her cheek, and she recoiled. Instead, his cheek pressed against hers as he whispered in her ear. “I’d put that little knife you’re holding behind your back away if I were you. Else, I might allow Elias to feed on your friend. What’s her name… Jessamine, isn’t it? Elias was due to replenish his essence today. But we didn’t have the time before our journey here. I’m sure he’s eager to feed. But that would be awkward, wouldn’t it? Your lover and best friend.”

For a moment, she considered taking her chances and trying to stab Magnus in the heart then and there—to throw everything she had at him.

Then her gaze shifted to where Elias stood a few feet away with his fingers around Jessamine’s throat. Her blinks grew slower as she hung slack in his grip, unable to fully touch the ground. Arabella sheathed the blade before shoving Magnus in the chest so he was forced to take a step backward.

“Tell Elias to release her with that other syphen in your robes,” she demanded. “Or you’re on your own.”

Something glittered in Magnus’ gaze as a hand disappeared into his cloak. But as he spoke the words to Elias, his eyes never left Arabella’s face. “Release Enchantress Jessamine. But keepher within reach. The minute Enchantress Arabella or anyone else tries to… delay or prevent this new syphen from being made, drain Jessamine dry.”

Elias dipped his chin before he complied.

There was a squeak as Jessamine’s boots touched the floor, and she gasped, gripping her throat.

“Let’s begin.” Magnus made a sweeping gesture with an arm, and the remaining lit candles throughout the throne room went dark in an instant.

Arabella could still see the entire throne room and those in it with perfect clarity, but by the mutters of nearby guards, she knew that visibility for them was greatly diminished. It was then she realized Magnus’ magic, the scarlet clouds pooling around his feet, hadn’t gone dark as well. Instead, theyglowed.

His magic plucked the knife with the amplifier from her shadows, floating it until it was within the palm of his hand. With his empty hand, he grabbed her wrist, turning her hand so her palm faced up. Then he ran the blade over her palm. She gritted her teeth, biting back a hiss, but didn’t object. Blood beaded along the cut before dripping over the sides of her hand onto the tiled floor.

As he ran the knife over his own palm, he said, “It takes shadow fae years to learn how to create a syphen. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to train you. Luckily, I can access your magic for a limited time and… perform the spell for you.”

She started. “Dark magic? You can use it to control my magic?”

There was a reason both fae and humans were fearful of dark magic. It was nearly limitless in what could be done—with the right sacrifices. It was perhaps even more feared than demon magic.

“Blood spells are convenient for such things.” The sorcerer’s scarlet eyes glowed bright as his power surged. “The trick is the participant must bewilling.”

That explained his swiftness in taking Jessamine. He knew Arabella wouldn’t have given him access to her blood without leverage.

Magnus pressed his bloodied palm against hers and began chanting in a language she didn’t understand. When their palms touched, their blood floated up and wrapped in a circle around both of their forearms. A moment later, both Arabella’s shadows and Magnus’ scarlet power banded around their arms as well.

He paused his chanting and said, “Your Majesty, do you object to my… borrowing one of your guards?”

“Do what you must,” Genoveva said from her throne.

With a flick of his wrist, the sorcerer sent a band of his magic flying to the soldier beneath the nearest archway. There was a distinct tug somewhere deep within Arabella as her magic was summoned without her willing it, flowing into Magnus. When the fae screamed, she turned toward him, watching in horror as her and Magnus’ combined magic wrapped around the soldier, starting at his feet and entwining up his entire body. As it did, blood flowed down the band of magic toward the fae. When it collided with his chest, the man’s head jerked toward the ceiling as his screams grew to a feverish pitch. His eyes and mouth glowed a brilliant white, which solidified into a burbling liquid and poured out of his mouth. Then it flowed out of him and up their combined magic until it swirled around their bloodied palms.

The guard crumpled to the ground, dead instantly.

“What the fuck?” Arabella hissed. “You just killed him.”

Magnus had begun chanting again, but he paused to say, “You didn’t think a syphen came into existence without sacrifice,did you?” He made a tsking sound before returning to his chanting.

As he wove his dark spell, the flow of magic coming from her changed. At first, it felt like something tugged at her core, stripping pieces of her away as she was siphoned of energy. Like a human amplifier. Power flowed from her like a trickling stream until there was a burning sensation and then atug.Then it was like the damn on her power had been decimated as the current poured from her.

Gasping, she stumbled forward, catching herself and bumping into Magnus. He ignored her as he continued the spell, and she watched as her shadows swirled around them both, mixing with the sorcerer’s scarlet magic until she could no longer differentiate the two. Some of their combined magic flowed into the once-empty amplifier.

Then he held the blade into the air, and a strange darkness swirled down from the windows.

It wasn’t the shadows. She would’ve been able to feel their humming if it had been. This was entirely different. It felt like a pulsing of deep space, an otherworldly dark heartbeat.

The dark moon, she realized.He’s summoning its magic.

She watched as the dark moon’s power twisted in the air, flowing toward the knife. Its movements were jerky, almost childlike, as though it was curious.

As though it was somehow alive.