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He’d been deceived a second time. He’d opened himself up only to be skeweredagain. He’d believed in the girl Rune pretended to be. He’d allowed himself to hope. To think that maybe they could have something beautiful together. Somethinggood.

Was there some flaw in Gideon that made him so naive? So susceptible to deception?

He ran a hand across his face, swiping off rain droplets. When Laila had finally secured the witch in restraints, shoving her out of his parents’ old shop and dragging her onto a horse, Gideon couldn’t bring himself to look at Rune. He stared straight ahead as he led them through the storm to the center of town, toward the purging platform standing in the main square, where Seraphine’s execution was soon to take place.

Now, a second witch would join her.

Lightning flashed as they arrived, illuminating the beams of the platform. A crowd had already gathered, waiting for the purgings to start.

Gideon tried to harden his pathetic heart against what came next. He should be celebrating his capture of a notorious criminal. This witch had been his obsession for two years. Hunting her down, putting her to death, seeing justice finally done.

She was the reason he got out of bed every morning.

But now that he had her, and justice was at hand, all he felt was hollow.

“Gideon!”

His brother’s voice made his head turn sharply, searching the crowd. He spotted Alex in the distance. Rain plastered his blond hair to his head as he pushed through the bodies.

Gideon swung down from his horse.

“What the hell are you doing?” Alex shouted, drenched with rain.

“What amIdoing?”

Alex pushed past Gideon, moving for Rune, who was still mounted on Laila’s horse. “Let her go.”

Gideon grabbed his brother’s lapel and swung him back. “Watch yourself, brother. You’re on dangerous ground.”

Alex glared at him, his normally gentle eyes full of fury. He jabbed his finger in Rune’s direction while the crowd hissed and spat at her. “You’re perfectly fine with this?”

Keeping himself between his brother and the Crimson Moth, Gideon repeated something Bart Wentholt once said: “Someone has to do the dirty work of protecting you from dangerous witches.”

“She’s not a dangerous witch!” Alex shouted in his face. “She’s an innocent girl!”

“Innocent?”Gideon almost laughed. “She’s bewitched you, Alex.”

She’s bewitched us both.

“Would you look at yourself, for once!” Rain ran in rivulets down Alex’s face. “This warped sense of justice is destroying you!” He shook his head, sending droplets flying. “You’re about to murder the girl Ilove. Don’t you see how messed up that is?”

Gideon’s hands fisted.

“She’s a witch, Alex.” His voice was as cold as the gray sky overhead. “Sympathizing with them is an offense punishable by death.”

Alex lifted his chin, defiant. “Arrest me, then.”

The words landed like a blow. After all these years spent trying to protect Alex, his little brother was throwing Gideon’s sacrifices back in his face.

“Don’t be a fool,” Gideon said. He had an overwhelming urge to grab his little brother and drag him away. Lock him inside some closet until this was all over. Possibly never let him out. For Alex’s own sake.

His brother’s eyes were bright fire. Staring Gideon down, he shouted loud enough for the entire crowd to hear: “I knew she was the Crimson Moth and I didn’t tell you!”

“Alex,” Rune interrupted from behind them both. “Don’t do this.”

Gideon’s heart twisted as he watched their eyes meet. Heard the tremble in Rune’s voice as she said, “Please,pleasewalk away.”

“Heed her,” said Gideon.