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When the Seelie King’s gaze fell on me, I explained quietly, “It is tradition as part of the Claiming for other Houses to be present. Apologies. I should have introduced you sooner.”

“Any other change of plans you care to share?”

I gave him a close-lipped smile. “Everything else is according to plan. No other changes.”

He stared at me for a long moment, those ancient eyes searching for a hint of deception.

“Shall we begin? You and I have things to do.” Without another word, he walked to the front of the temple to stand with his back towards the mass of darkness that were his wraiths before clasping his hands behind his back.

I suspected that if he truly thought I was going to lose, he would intervene. After all, he didn’t actually give a shit about the Moroi or my leadership of them. All Erendriel wanted was a way to get into all these secret rooms—and he needed me alive for that.

Turning away from the Seelie King, I moved to stand on the other side of the pedestal, facing Carmilla.

“I, Samara Harker, Heir of House Harker and beloved daughter of Kasem and Mariona, issue a challenge of the Claiming. For not only House Harker, but also for the soul crown and the Sovereign House.”

Carmilla reached up and removed the crown from her head.

Part of the tradition was to place something of significance from the party being challenged into the blood of the challenger.

I’d had several plans in place if she’d tried to use something other than the crown, but since she hadn’t been prepared for this, she likely had nothing else on her that would work, and she knew it.

“I, Carmilla Harker, the reigning Moroi Queen and Head of both the Sovereign House and House Harker, answer the Claiming.” Slowly, she lowered the crown into the bowl of blood that was just deep enough to cover the Fae artifact.

You okay, Talis?

The blood is cold. You could have at least warmed it.

Duly noted that you prefer warm blood baths. Let me know when it’s done.

Of course, young queen.

Unlike with Erendriel, there was no hint of mockery with that title. More like a term of endearment from an old friend.

I dipped my fingers into the bowl and pulled them out to smear streaks down my cheeks.

Carmilla did the same before returning to the center of the room.

I glanced at each of the people I loved more than anything.

They remained lined up a few feet behind the pedestal, all wearing matching tight expressions.

They knew what was about to happen and that they could not intervene. We needed time for the transformation spell to work on Talis, and that time would be bought with my pain.

Despite their tense faces, I felt nothing but love, strength, and confidence down the bonds. My mates were concerned for me and not looking forward to what was coming, but their faith in me was absolute.

I love you all. I pushed the sentiment down the bonds, knowing they wouldn’t hear the exact words but would feel what was behind them.

Kieran met my stare, and even though we didn’t have that bond yet, we didn’t need it to know what each other felt.

He was already my mate in my heart, and once we survived this, he’d be it in my soul too.

Then I squared my shoulders and moved to the center of the room. Without looking, I knew Erendriel watched me closely. His gaze felt like a heated brand, but it was the dark-haired woman with eyes that matched my own who took all of my attention.

I watched as Carmilla let her bloodlust rise until her purple irises turned a solid black, then her lips parted enough to display her fangs, and her usually well-trimmed nails shifted to sharp claws.

The blood dripping from her cheeks was meant to show that, even with her bloodlust riding high, she was still in control of herself and not lost to our baser need to consume.

My own bloodlust had been simmering just beneath the surface, and with half a thought, I let it out all the way. I felt the instant my muscles strengthened, my body became that much faster, and the sweet coppery tang of the blood rolling down my face became even more intense.

Around us, the wraiths kept up their endless circling, ensuring Carmilla’s rangers couldn’t interfere. Silence fell across the temple. The only thing I could hear was the solid beat of her heart—and the split second it quickened.

I leaned back just as Carmilla’s razor-sharp nails grazed my throat, a small bead of blood forming along the shallow cut. There was no time to dwell on how close I’d just come to having my jugular ruptured, because Carmilla followed it up with a vicious punch to my solar plexus.

“This is going to be over faster than I thought.” She bared her fangs at me before licking my blood off her claws. “It was a deliberate choice on my part, you know.”

I twisted to the side as she struck at my ribs, only to let out a hiss of pain when she sliced through the top of my hip.

“What was?” I ground out, stepping back to create more space between us.

“Nudging you to not worry too much about learning how to fight or defend yourself.”

She lunged to my right, and I spun away, only to scream as she slammed her fist hard against my side, cracking several ribs. I took several sharp inhales, one hand wrapped around my midsection as I tried to breathe through the pain.

“You were easy to manipulate,” she continued. “Although I was a little worried about your obsessions with the bow and then the throwing daggers, but those won’t save you now.”

Carmilla stalked towards me. Fortifying myself, I tried to push aside the fiery pain along my ribs and held my ground as she launched another assault.

I managed to block her first punch and turn my hip enough to take her follow-up kick on the side of my leg instead of on the wound she’d been aiming for, but I raised my arm a second too slow for her third hit.

I turned my head in just enough time to take the punch on my jaw instead of my nose and stumbled back several feet.

“Pathetic,” Carmilla sneered.

We fought across the temple floor—me desperately trying to keep space between us, and her closing that distance to land hit after hit.

Sometimes, I managed to block or at least deflect them, but not often.

Ten minutes later, I could tell she was getting bored of playing with me—because she was absolutely toying with me.

Which was exactly what I’d been hoping for.

Tell me it’s almost done, Talis? Even in my head, my voice had a pained edge to it. Carmilla had landed a solid kick to my ribs a minute ago, and I was pretty sure a bone shard was poking into my lung right now.

Almost , their voice strained. One. More. Minute.

Thank fuck.

“Is this the queen some of you would choose to follow, given the choice?” Carmilla looked around at the rangers as she pointed a bloody claw at me. “You may not like how I rule, but at least I’m strong enough to do it. She is nothing.” Cruel eyes turned back to me. “This ends now.”

I hastily stepped back like I was trying to flee, and Carmilla’s eyes lit up, a predator closing in on its prey. Just like with her opening move, she struck for my throat.

This time though, I didn’t dampen my speed like I had been doing this entire fight.

My feet slid to the side, and my right hand shot out to grab her wrist, using her own forward momentum against her. She’d been so committed to the move and overconfident that she hadn’t been prepared for me to twist her arm back until it was fully extended with her elbow pointing upward.

It was Carmilla’s turn to scream as I slammed my own elbow down on the back of her arm, forcing the joint to bend the wrong way.

I leapt back as she twisted and struck at my face, trying to blind me.

“You’re right,” I panted, doing my best to keep my weight off my injured leg.

“I didn’t spend much time learning to fight growing up or at Drudonia, but I did spend some time traveling with rangers these past few months.

Nyx taught me that move. You remember them, right?

The ranger who devoted themself to House Harker? The one whose mind you shredded ?”

Growls sounded from some of the rangers lining the walls. These ones might belong to the Sovereign House, but it was common for rangers to feel just as much loyalty to each other as to whichever House they served.

Carmilla glared at me, her left arm dangling uselessly at her side. She couldn’t heal it until it was pushed back into place—and I’d be on her the second she tried it.

I wasn’t foolish enough to think she was defeated yet. Wounded predators could still kill. And buying time had cost me. Warm blood coated my leg; another minute, and it’d give out completely.

Something that didn’t get past my aunt, because that was the leg she targeted with a forward kick.

Knowing there was no way to avoid it without falling, I bellowed as her foot connected with my thigh and bone cracked. I went down hard, but I took her with me.

My fingers wrapped around her calf, and I didn’t let go when she tried to yank her leg free.

Then I sank my claws deeper until I felt bone.

Carmilla shrieked as she slammed to the ground a second after me.

With a pained grunt, I flung myself on top of her.

Agony ricocheted down my left side, and I had to practically drag my leg with me, but I made it.

Carmilla went completely still as my left hand closed around her throat. I was straddling her, with both of her arms pinned beneath my knees. If she bucked up with her hips, she had a solid chance of dislodging me, but not before I ripped out her throat.

I had her. We both knew it.

It’s done , Talis whispered through my mind.

“It was Emil who taught me that sometimes you have to take the pain to win the fight.” I pushed my claws into the soft flesh of her throat a little more.

“And it was Adrienne—someone so bold and fearless that we both know her bloodline could have founded a House—who told me that if you ever get the chance”—my right arm snapped back before plunging down—“go for the heart.”

The Head of House Harker and the reigning Moroi Queen gasped as I shoved my hand through her chest. Then Carmilla’s eyes locked onto mine, and I watched the light go out in them as I tore out her still-beating heart.