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“W-what—” I began, scrambling to make sense of my current. Bryce had been knocked out, and Matheus…

I wasn’t even certain what’d happened to him.

Darn it, I must have been kidnapped, after all.

The stranger looked at my covered chest. His forehead was wrinkled in a quizzical expression, and, within the cloudy panic scrambling my reason, I couldn’t imagine what might cause that expression .

My previous clothing was gone, and I doubted I’d ever see my shoes again. Instead, someone changed me into an off-white shift. Thankfully, however, they’d left Titus’s pin in my hair.

This I only knew because it was now stabbing me in the skull. I’d never been more thankful for hair accessories. The pain kept me grounded, kept me from losing myself entirely, and reminded me that I wasn’t alone.

The boys. They would be looking for me.

While the thought was comforting, breathing remained difficult. It didn’t matter if they were looking for me; they still might not come in time.

If my situation was anything like Rosalie’s, I was going to die.

“So, you’re Mu,” the man said, his gaze still on my chest. My blood chilled further. That was right. Someone had to change my clothing. Someone had to have seen.

“That explains a lot,” the stranger continued, looking me up and down.

My arms were chained above my head, and I pulled at them, but the line was tight from the weight of my body. My hands were sore, and I moved to my tiptoes to try to alleviate the pressure, but despite the slight relief, there was still a stifling, buzzing sensation crawling down my forearms.

Enclosed around my wrists was a smooth, black metal I’d never seen before. “Who—who are you?” I asked. “What’s this?”

“My name is Daniel Cole,” the man replied, still frowning. “And those are obsidian bands. They will prevent even you from using your abilities.”

“What do we do?” A blonde woman—Michelle Nolan—stepped beside Daniel. I started, not even noticing her or the group of three other men in the room. She touched her lip. “She was with Julian, but I couldn’t even imagine this. I don’t think we’ll get by unnoticed. ”

“I told you it’ll be fine,” Daniel scowled. “As far as the public is concerned, she doesn’t even exist. And there’s nothing to tie our family to her kidnapping. With the powerup we’ll get from someone like her , we’ll be able to do anything.”

“Besides,” one of the other witches interjected. “It’s not like we can let her go now.”

“We don’t have to kill her,” Michelle told Daniel, and for a second, the tightness in my chest released. Maybe she’d had a change of heart.

But then she added, “We can leverage her in other ways. Damen would eat out of the palm of our hands.”

“It’s too risky,” Daniel replied. “And there’s no time. The full moon’s energy still lingers, and this is a unique opportunity. We must take advantage of it.”

I looked between them, my thoughts muddled.

Were they trying to decide between killing me or not?

“But the ritual,” one of the men began. “Her powers must be unrestrained during the sacrificial portion. It’s not like she’s going to let us kill her—she’s Mu. She’d overpower us in an instant.”

The group looked at me then—wary, as if I was some terrible monster.

“Um…” What was I supposed to say? I had no idea how to use my abilities or what strength I was supposed to possess, but they clearly didn’t know that. “That’s right.”

I was still trying to figure out what happened, but this news was interesting.

“Look at her!” Daniel pointed at me as he rounded on the others. “I’m okay with taking that risk. Besides, it’s not like this town is swimming in virgin maidens.”

Very interesting.

I probably should have been more afraid, but I also couldn’t stop my morbid curiosity: which would be the more horrible way to die? Seemingly tortured and used against my quintet, or being eaten alive?

And how could one be expected to choose?

My heart pounded—the answer was already clear.

I couldn’t let them use me to hurt Damen and the others. They’d been so kind to me. I had to protect them at all costs.

I had to make them believe they had only one option.

“W-what are you talking about?” I managed to speak through my dry mouth. “My name is Bianca.”

The group stopped squabbling and looked at me, and Daniel scowled. “You’re Mu,” he said. “The mark on your chest says so.”

“My birthmark?” I tried to blink back my rising fear. “I—I’ve always had that. What’s going on?”

“Mu,” Daniel said. “The Wood Xing.”

“I’m B-Bianca,” I said, my voice trembling. It wasn’t difficult to sound upset—this was a terrifying situation. My cheeks felt hot as my vision wavered. “I’m not sure what all this is. I—I grew up somewhere else.”

They looked at each other, and Michelle pressed her lips together. Her pointed expression made the hair on the back of my arms rise. “Are you saying you have no idea who Mu is?”

“I—I’m Bianca,” I repeated, biting my lip.

She scowled, and she and Daniel exchanged a look.

“The semester has only just begun, and we’ve never heard of her before either,” Daniel shrugged. “It’s possible she might be unaware.”

“But she was with Julian Kohler,” she emphasized again. “She knows Damen Abernathy. She said so herself. Plus, Norman Peterson was there! Bryce Dubois and Matheus Fernandez were in the room when the Unseelie delivered her to us.”

“Would the Unseelie have given her to us, had they known?” Daniel responded .

“D-Damen?” My heart beat wildly as I looked between them. “I—I just met him,” I told her. “He was helping me with a ghost.”

“Fae can’t lie,” Daniel replied. “Stop dragging your feet, and let’s move on. Her ignorance makes our job even easier.”

She ignored him and looked back at me. “Does Damen Abernathy know who you are?”

“No…” My stomach dropped. “We—we’re just friends. They don’t know much about me.”

She narrowed her eyes, and my pulse thrummed.

It was true. How well could any two individuals really know one another? Even in the most intimate of relationships, a sense of mystery must always exist.

“That’s enough,” Daniel interrupted her before she could speak again. “If you’re going to help me, then help me. Otherwise, you can leave until the ritual is complete.”

“Of course, I’m going to help you,” she said, returning her attention to him. “I’m already invested. I liked Dr. Weaver.”

“Are you still sore about that?” Daniel scowled. “It’ll all be worth it in the end.”

I held my breath as the blonde set her jaw in determination.

“Fine, I’ll help,” Michelle said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “But I’m not watching the fairy.” She turned and left the room.

Daniel looked after her, sighing, before he addressed the other men. “I’ll go talk to her,” he told them. “In the meantime, let’s prepare for the ritual.”

He paused, glancing back at me. “One of you stay here, just in case,” he added before he, too, stalked away.