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There was movement to Arabella’s right, and Hadeon came to stand beside her, eyeing the gargoyle with a mere flick of his eyes, wearing a bored expression.

The gargoyle’s eyes widened. “Prince of the Twilight Court. Why are you in this place?”

Down the hallway, shadows moved, and Arabella thought she spotted two ogres rounding the corner.

“Coming to greet former guests of my court,” Hadeon said, eyeing his nails in utter disinterest. As though a powerful gargoyle didn’t stand before him. “Imagine my surprise when they were rudely attacked.”

Arabella frowned.

If Hadeon couldn’t be seen in open conflict against Magnus’ army or risk retaliation, why reveal himself to one of Magnus’ soldiers? Unless Hadeon never intended to let the gargoyle live. Was the prince trying to get information out of the demon before killing it?

“We’re under orders of Sorcerer Magnus,” the gargoyle rumbled. “He’s instructed us to collect the enchantress called Arabella.”

“Is that so?” Hadeon said, pulling a nonexistent piece of lint from the sleeve of his shirt. “What does he want with her?”

A slow, wicked smile crept across the gargoyle’s features, its face nearly cracking in two. “Power, of course.”

Something like fear twisted in Arabella’s gut. She knew with sudden certainty that something terrible was about to happen.

“What do you mean?” she blurted before she could think to stop herself.

Narrowed red eyes settled on her. “Why do you think we’re here, little human?”

She frowned.

Did they know of her suspected shadow fae heritage? But why would that matter? And how would Magnus have found out? She’d only just learned it, herself. And she wasn’t entirely sure she believed it.

“It’s stalling,” Jessamine shouted, yanking Arabella from her thoughts. “Move!” She wrapped a hand around Arabella’s wrist, hauling her backward as more gargoyles flew through the windows.

Arabella took one step forward and then another. Then they were running.

At the head of the group, Breckett pointed to a nearby door. “This way!” He pushed through it, and they all quickly followed, pouring into a twisting stone staircase.

Hadeon barred the oak door with some fae magic that Arabella was too distracted to fully comprehend. She followed Breckett up the winding stone stairs with Jessamine, Cora, and Brynne at her heels until they reached an unmarked door. Beyond it, there was a chorus of inhuman shrieks.

More gargoyles, she realized.

For a moment, she hesitated, wondering just what escape Hadeon had in mind. But with the pounding on the door to the hallway below, there was little other choice but to forge ahead.

Walking past Breckett, she grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.

Glancing around, she found herself atop one of the castle’s turrets, which was open to the sky.

She didn’t have eyes for the smoke rising from the trees or the dozens of ogres filling the grounds below, flattening Elias’ garden and knocking in the stable windows.

Instead, she turned her gaze skyward to the massive tear at the top of the ward.

The blue sky filled with dark wings as dozens of gargoyles flew through.

But it wasn’t just them. There was another winged creature.

Unlike the gargoyles with wings of stone and sinew, this newcomer had wings as dark as shadows cast by starlight.

Even from this distance, she could see the long, pointed ears of the fae.

The winged fae flew across the open sky with a sword held above his head as he closed the distance between himself and a pair of gargoyles. He fell upon them, bringing his blade down and slicing through their bodies with ease. Severed limbs and heads fell earthwards.

Hadeon stood beside Arabella at the edge of the turret and raised a fist into the air.

Turning toward them, the fae who’d been battling the gargoyles flew with abandon. The remaining gargoyles descended from the sky after him—scenting prey.

“A friend of yours?” she asked.

“Yes,” Hadeon said.

“As exciting as it sounds to be carried by fae like a sack of grain,” she began. “I don’t think two of you can carry five of us and escape this army.”

Cora, Brynne, Jessamine, and Breckett stood beside her with similar looks of concern.

The winged fae landed in the center of the turret with a resounding boom , stones cracking around his boots and his wings tucked against his sides.

Above, the gargoyles were less than a hundred feet away.

“Do you have it?” the male asked Hadeon as he rose to his feet.

Hadeon dipped his chin. Then he raised a fist into the air once more, and night cascaded from his enclosed fingers.

It lashed out, forming a dome above them, like a mini ward.

And just in time. The approaching gargoyles crashed into it.

Some bounced off it, hurtling backward, their wings flapping in a frenzy.

Other gargoyles scraped sharp talons down it, which were blunted from a single swipe against the fae magic.

“Let’s depart before I’m tempted to wipe these creatures from existence,” Hadeon said, sounding entirely unaffected by the torrent of magic billowing from his fist. “Can’t have the queen thinking I’m partial in any direction.”

Arabella couldn’t help but wonder if this display of magic was from an amplifier or his natural ability. The enchantresses were mere drops in a bucket compared to the avalanche of power coming from this fae.

“Kazimir,” Hadeon said. “Call him.”

“I’m here, Princeling,” came a voice she hadn’t heard since the moment she’d returned from Magnus’ camp and learned that Elias had been hiding the goblins in his castle.

“Vorkle,” she said, turning toward the goblin. “I’ve never been so happy to see you.”

“Shadow whisperer,” the goblin hissed by way of greeting.

He was short, no more than three feet in height, and had long, expressive eyebrows that conveyed his perpetual disapproval.

“This is why we don’t get mixed up in the affairs of humans or fae.

Always trouble—the lot of you. And dragging us into it. ”

“You want my protection now that your little erox is otherwise occupied?” Hadeon said, interrupting them. “There’s a cost. Now, it’s time you’re off.”

Surprise bolted through her.

That was where the goblins had gone—in search of someone who could provide protection for them. But why Hadeon?

With a heavy sigh, Vorkle stretched his hands out.

Interestingly, neither Hadeon nor Kazimir moved. But Breckett took one of the goblin’s hands and extended an arm toward Arabella.

She reached toward him but hesitated.

“We need to warn Shadowbank,” she said, turning toward the women who’d become more than sisters in arms. They were the family she’d do anything for. “I don’t know what Magnus is planning, but there’s an army within a few days’ march of our home.”

Hadeon wasn’t going to let her go—not if she was the only person in existence who could read his map. And she couldn’t let the enchantresses become entangled in fae schemes alongside her. Especially not if they could help protect Shadowbank when she couldn’t.

Gargoyles slammed into Hadeon’s shield again and again. The sounds ricocheted in every direction, feeling like they were drumming inside her skull.

Slowly, Cora nodded. Her hand slipped into Brynne’s, their fingers interlocking. “We’ll tell the enchantresses what we’ve learned and make certain everyone is prepared—for anything.”

They knew as well as Arabella did that the ward wouldn’t be strong enough to hold an army at bay.

Tears welled in Cora’s eyes as she offered Arabella a sad smile. “Come home once you’ve saved your mate, okay?”

Home.

It felt like it had been an eternity since she’d been in Shadowbank.

Jessamine thumped Arabella on the back. “She won’t be alone.”

Arabella blinked, shaking her head. Jessamine couldn’t mean she intended to stay with her. Not when it meant getting tied up with the fae…

“Are you sure you don’t want to go with them—” she began.

“Knock that shit out,” Jessamine interrupted. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Arabella swallowed back a torrent of feelings along with the tears threatening to spill over. Then she turned to Vorkle and Hadeon.

“Take Cora and Brynne to Shadowbank first,” she managed, her voice trembling faintly. Then she added in a quieter tone, “Please.”

Vorkle looked up to Hadeon, who nodded. The goblin released Breckett before disappearing and reappearing between Cora and Brynne. He grabbed their hands and was gone in an instant.

There hadn’t even been time for a goodbye.

Be safe, she thought.

A moment later, Vorkle reappeared at Kazimir’s side. Again, he offered his hands, which only Breckett took. With a sigh, Jessamine took Breckett’s hand in hers, which was crusted in dried ogre blood.

“I’m coming with you,” Kazimir said to Hadeon, ignoring Vorkle’s outstretched hand.

“No,” Hadeon said. “Stay with them.”

“I can’t leave my prince—” Kazimir began.

“That was an order, General,” Hadeon snapped, interrupting whatever he’d been about to say.

They stared at each other for a long moment, as though speaking without words, before Kazimir’s lips drew into a thin line and he nodded. Without another word, he took Vorkle’s other hand.

Hadeon looked at Arabella expectantly, still holding the shield above them as a dark look crossed his features.

Before she took Jessamine’s hand, Arabella glanced toward the grounds below—to the place she’d begun to think of as one of her homes.

Dozens of ogres and gargoyles moved across the grounds, trampling the gardens and breaking down doors into the outer buildings. Nearby, the door to their turret shook as the creatures behind it tried to break through from the other side. Above them, the skies were filled with dark wings.

The castle was overrun.

Just as Elias had predicted.

Without a new ward, Magnus’ army had found them. But despite this, Elias had risked not fully fixing the ward and gave the amplifier—and the power that remained within it—to Shadowbank.

Now, Elias was Magnus’ prisoner, and Shadowbank was at risk of being overrun. Just like this place.

A strange sadness swelled in her chest as she thought of the life she and Elias might have had if things had been different.

If Shadowbank had been safe from the threat of the demons and all that lay in the forest beyond.

If the goblins had been safe from those who sought to use their magic for their own gain.

If there had been only the enchantress and the demon.

And all the time in the world.

“Let’s go,” she said, biting the inside of her cheek and tasting blood. She welcomed the pain if only to distract her from one single truth.

This might be the last time she’d see this castle.

Elias’ castle.

The place she’d fallen in love with an erox.

A single tear fell down her cheek as she grabbed hold of Jessamine’s hand.

“Get them out of here,” Hadeon hissed at Vorkle. “Now!”

Vorkle nodded.

There was a zap of magic as Hadeon released his shield and launched himself into the sky—toward the cloud of gargoyles.

Arabella opened her mouth to yell at Hadeon and demand to know what he was doing. But then she disappeared into the space between worlds.

Leaving the fae prince behind.