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Puck’s head fell back, his gaze turning toward the ceiling as he bit back whatever emotion threatened to overtake him. Nik might have been my love, but he was Puck’s closest friend. It wasn’t only me who had to carry the burden that Nik was… different now. Corrupted. Irrevocably changed. A monster.

“He hurt you, too,” I reminded him.

Puck laughed humorlessly. “He did. Knocked me and Tess out. But… he didn’t kill us. And he should have. That’s what I would have done if I were in his shoes.”

I nodded. “There is a piece of him. I’m not sure how small that piece might be, but thereisa piece of the old Nikolai left inside of him.”

“That gives me hope, at least,” Puck replied, picking up his fork.

“Kenna told me that you finished the spell after I was captured,” I replied between bites.

Tess nodded, swallowing. “My idea.”

“Good girl.” I grinned.

Tess could read me like a book. She had always known me so well.

“Then we returned to Alastir’s, running into Kenna and Saanvi, who were out searching for us on the way. We faked the potion with Phineas and took the real antidote back with us,” Tess explained. “Once we had the antidote, we came back here right away, sending out patrols to search for you as we gathered numbers to find you.”

“But it looks like you didn’t need us at all,” Puck’s lip turned up in a half smile.

“How did you escape him?” Tess asked. “Why didn’t he bring you to Donika? Why did he let you go?”

I chose my words carefully. “I… betrayed him. Deceived him.Seducedhim. But I don’t know who I fooled in the end, him… or me.”

“Oh, Diana. You did what you had to do to survive,” Tess told me, her voice full of understanding. “But he… he bit you?”

I nodded. “But my magic remains.”

“Why did he bite you but not steal your magic? Isn’t that the whole point?”

A blush rose to my cheeks unbidden. “It was… part of the seduction.” I was embarrassed to speak the words in front of Puck.

Puck’s gaze held mine. “But he had ample opportunity to take your magic. To bring you to Donika, as he was instructed. And he didn’t.”

“No, he didn’t,” I agreed. “It’s as if there are two sides to him, and they are at war with each other. He can be malicious, but amiable. Cruel, but reverent. Butneverkind.”

Puck’s gaze fell once more.

“It sounds as if it's more complicated than we initially thought,” Tess mused.

“You can say that again,” I scoffed, pushing my plate away from me.

“Was Isaac there? Anyone else you recognized?” Puck asked.

I shook my head. “No, only Antonia Finch. I didn’t recognize any of the other Noctani.”

“I wonder where Isaac is,” Tess deliberated, biting her lip.

I told her about how I had seen him in my dream walking at the castle, but I wasn’t certain if that was where he remained. Isaac was powerful, too. Nikolai might have been selected to lead the Noctani, but Isaac had to have an important position within the ranks as well. He might be by Donika’s side, leading her Noctani forces at the castle.

“Will you finally tell me what the catch is with the antidote?” I asked.

“Once we regroup with the others.” Tess nodded towards the door. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I grumbled, pushing away from the table and placing my dish in the sink.

I wasn’t sure what the council would have to say about what was to come, but I knew what my priority was. I couldn’t risk moving against Donika and killing Nikolai or Isaac in the process. We needed to cure them first, then put an end to this war once and for all.