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Nila hurried to follow at my side, brushing rouge upon my lips as we walked through the halls. It didn’t take nearly long enough to reach the entrance to the Cove where the door was still blown open. Three guards lurked there, guarding it as if we weren’t meant to enter.

Everyone was expected to be present for the sacrifice—even me.

I didn’t relish the thought of all those deaths, but something in me had become desensitized to it. With how close Caldris and I had been to death the night before, with how many people I’d watch Mab and her like slaughter over the course of these weeks I’d spent in the Court of Shadows, somehow it stopped hurting just a little.

Ihatedit.

We emerged into the Cove, walking toward the sands where the rest had already gathered. Mab stood beside Caldris. His hands were bound in iron. She’d not bound me—not with the daemon to keep me company through the night. There was no need, not when he would eat whatever magic I released.

I walked to Caldris’s side, ignoring Mab’s watchful eye as I stopped beside him. He was less dressed than I was used to seeing him, shirtless, as he knelt upon the sand. He wore his typical black trousers, but his chest had been painted in black and white symbols that were similar to the style of mine.

I glanced down the line of the Gods, finding all the males shirtless and the females wearing dresses similar to mine. Even Mab had dressed accordingly, her black gown an exact replica of my own with the same markings on her skin.

“Begin,” Mab said sharply, staring forward into the Cove.

In the distance, the light of the burning tree dimmed as it reached the end. The flames began to extinguish, and I knew that the last leaf would fall only when all lives ended.

A group of guards shuffled the humans into the Cove. Their fear-filled features and screams echoed through the cavern. I couldn’t take it but refused to look away.

I refused to dishonor their memory by not bearing witness to what was done to them. Skye turned, looking through the crowd of Fae as if she might find a friendly face. Her eyes landed on Caldris first, recognizing him. Her mouth dropped open in shock, as if she might say his name. She noticed the shackles on his wrists, turning her gaze to me.

I felt the moment she recognized me, that she realized I was no longer human. Her brow furrowed in confusion, twisting into rage the longer she stared at me while they forced her to walk forward.

“You fucking Fae bitch!” she screamed. The words tore through me.

“A friend of yours, I take it,” someone said beside me.

I turned, glaring into Rheaghan’s face as he grinned. It didn’t reach his eyes in the same way, as if, even after centuries of these sacrifices, they still affected him.

I ignored him, turning away as the humans walked into the Cove. The water was still as they strode to waist deep. The guards hurried out of the water as quickly as possible, leaving them standing there.

They stared at us in horror as Mab raised a single hand. Shadows bled from her, spreading across the surface of the water. The humans panicked. They split up, hurrying toward the shore in their desperation to get away.

Skye reached the edge, colliding face-first with an invisible barrier. She struck it with a fist, like beating on glass, and her eyes met mine. There was a plea in them, a question I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t tell her why this was necessary—couldn’t give her the assurance that I would help.

Not with the daemon lurking and my mate so vulnerable in irons.

I frowned at her, refusing to let the burn of tears reach my eyes. The shadows approached, coming close to their targets, and the humans seemed to realize the inevitability of what would happen.

They stopped fighting, stopped moving. But Skye held my gaze as the shadow touched her hand. It crawled up her arm, slithering over her shoulder like a serpent. It wrapped around her neck, squeezing and then twisting to the side so sharply that I heard the crack through the barrier between us.

Her body fell, sliding down to the surface of the water as the shadows did the same to the other humans.

I couldn’t take my eyes off them, couldn’t pry my gaze away from the needless death—

A wet, rasping gasp came from my left. Caldris moved at my side, shifting forward a step as I spun to look at him suddenly.

His eyes were on mine, blinking in rapid succession. He turned his attention down, leading my gaze as he raised his shackled hands.

Silence roared in my head as my eyes caught on the iron blade protruding from his chest.

From his heart.

46

Estrella

Someone screamed.