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Gehenna tipped her head back and laughed. “You cannot kill me.”

Scarlett only smiled at her.

“Yes, yes. I understand,” the Sorceress finally said. “Let me out.”

Scarlett nodded to Ashtine, and the Fae Queen extended her hand so Scarlett could slice a thin line along her palm. Scarlett forced the Sorceress to retreat to the back of her cell before Ashtine placed her bleeding palm on the door, the magic around it crackling and flaring before it slowly swung open with a high-pitched squeak.

Cyrus was already tucking Ashtine behind him, shielding her from where Scarlett stood a few feet in front of the door as the Sorceress stepped from the cell.

One step.

Two.

Three.

“That is far enough,” Scarlett said. “Your end of the bargain.”

The smile that filled the Sorceress’s face was as wicked as Scarlett’s when she said, “Only Fate can free someone of a Blood Bond.”

“Yes, I read that in your little book.” Scarlett held the spell book up as she spoke. But when the Sorceress reached for it, Scarlett held it from her reach. “The bargain was that you wouldclarifywhat I already know.”

“That is simple enough,” Gehenna answered, her head tilting. “You must speak Fate’s name.”

“The Fates have a name?” Scarlett asked.

“Of course the Fates have names,” Gehenna said sharply. “But you must speakhername.”

“Where do I find it?”

“It is lost among the stars.”

Scarlett stilled before she said, “I am well acquainted with the stars.”

“Our bargain is complete,” Gehenna snapped, her violet eyes sliding to Ashtine as she stepped around Scarlett. “Tell me, Queen of the Fae, would you make a bargain to protect those in your womb?”

“Their protection is already ensured,” Ashtine replied calmly, holding the Sorceress’s stare.

“And when the balance must be corrected? Who will protect them then?” Gehenna countered, eyes dipping to Ashtine’s belly. “I could keep them safe. All that power—”

“Speak one more word of my children, and you will know death at my hand instead of confinement, Gehenna,” Ashtine interrupted.

The Sorceress laughed, lifting her arms and spinning in a slow circle. “You cannot kill me or confine me. I am a deity. Your blood might lock that cell, but only a god has the power to contain me.” She turned to Cyrus. “Give me that ring.”

“Sure thing, Gehenna,” Cyrus said, pulling the ring from his pocket and tossing it to her.

She had surprisingly fast reflexes for being stuck in a cage for centuries, but she caught it in the air, clutching it to her chest. Then she jerked it back, studying it intensely.

“This is not the portal key,” she hissed. “This does not fulfill our bargain.”

Cyrus pulled up the sleeve of his tunic. The Bargain Mark on his arm was gone. “Apparently it does.”

“This is not the portal key!” she shrieked, throwing the ring to the stone floor.

“It was in there,” Cyrus shrugged. “I did retrieve the item Alaric was seeking. That ring. And your spell book was delivered to you here. Just as our bargain stated.”

Gehenna whirled to Scarlett, pure malice and fury emanating off the deity. Scarlett was leaning against the wall, flipping through pages of the spell book.

“No!” Gehenna wailed. She spun back to Cyrus. “You will pay for this, Fire Fae!”