Page 18 of House of Demons and Bones (Shades of Ruin and Magic #5)

17

Barbie

B ayrose whipped her tiny head toward me when I said her name. She had nowhere to hide now that I’d exposed her.

“How do you know that name?” Cade demanded.

“When I kissed you to challenge the Fury,” I said, “she tried to freeze me to kingdom come like she did Elle.”

You shouldn’t risk yourself like that, mate, Tyson scolded me, our mating bond letting him lecture me directly now.

I got this, dragon, I said. Trust that I can handle it. Don’t be overbearing like Killian.

I’m nothing like him, the dragon said. But the mage is not getting another kiss! We’ll deal with this bad Fury.

“If it was anyone else, she would’ve won,” I said, scanning the heirs. “But curses bounce off me. When she came at me, I hit back harder.” Sy had clawed at the Fury, snagging her name in the process. “Bayrose ran. She stayed hidden whenever I was near you, until now. She knows the game’s up.”

“Shit!” Killian shouted. “Cade’s lips!”

Silas and Louis rushed over. We all stared at Cade’s lips turning dark blue.

“Manifest,” Rowan growled. “We need to stop her before this gets worse.”

“Take her out!” Louis yelled.

Silas raised his fist. He’d only hit Cade if he swung.

In a flash, Silas and Louis grabbed Cade’s shoulders as he swayed in the lake.

“We got you!” Silas said.

“Who’s Bayrose?” Killian snapped into interrogation mode. “What did you do that made her curse you, Cade? Must’ve been powerful black magic.”

“Some girl from my childhood.” Cade frowned. “I called her little witch, but it’s fuzzy now.” The Fury hissed at that. “She used to follow me around until I stopped her. Got sick of it.” He shook his head in frustration. “I can’t remember much. As my father’s sole heir, I’ve always been surrounded by people, and I don’t remember everyone.”

“Think harder. What triggered her?” I asked. “What was the last interaction between you and her?”

“I don’t—” Cade started, then summoned his wand and flicked the tip, conjuring a memory. He stared into space, then gasped.

“What did you see, Cade?” Rowan asked. “You need to share. Let us help you.”

Cade swallowed. “The day she died, she told me I was her fated mate and I’d only ever marry her. I shut her down hard. When they said she died from poison, I felt bad, and that was it.”

"She thought her death would break you, and she became Fury to finish what she started," I said softly.

None of the heirs were saints. They were predators who didn’t coddle the weak or bow to the strong. Cade wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t deserve this curse—all because he'd rejected the advances of an underage girl.

“A messed-up teen,” Killian said.

“A scorned teen turned Fury,” Louis added. “Classic.”

“Not classic,” Silas countered. “ Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned warns about an adult woman's vengeance after rejection.Queen Zara coined it during her love triangle in The Mourning Bride."

Of course, the shifter prince would show off the classic literature he'd devoured while courting me.

Louis narrowed his pale blue eyes, but all he said was, "Whatever."

“That’s why Cade never dates.” The shifter prince’s anger burned for his friend. “That little bitch cursed him so he can't touch anyone, making sure his life stays empty. No mate, no freedom—not while she haunts him." He turned to me. "You're good with curses, Barbie. Name your price. I'll pay anything."

Killian growled. "Show some respect. My mate's not for hire." His fingers brushed my cheek. "Can you help, little scorpion? Cade doesn't deserve this hell. He’s my brother, the most decent of?—"

I pressed a finger to his lips. He gasped. I was pleased that tiny touch of mine affected him so much, but I contained my smirk. We had Cade’s curse to deal with.

“Of course I’ll help Cade. Not because he’s the prince of the House of Mages, the house I belong to now. And not because you asked me nicely.” Both Killian and Cade looked at me hopefully. “Removing Cade’s curse is second on my to-do list.”

Cade narrowed his eyes. “What’s first?”

“It’s not exactly classified, and we’ll get there,” I said. “I’d have done it for you if I knew how to exorcize her. Your case is complex. The curse came from black magic—blood magic. Someone powerful helped her. She couldn’t manage it alone.”

“Who helped?” the heirs snarled.

Cade glared. “Name them!”

“How the fuck would I know?” I threw up my hands. “I’m not Sherlock Holmes.”

Rowan frowned. “Who’s Sherlock Holmes?”

“A genius detective from popular crime novels,” Cade said, then gave me a stern look, failing to copy Killian’s ruthlessness. “Not good enough, Barbie. I expected a lot better from you.”

“Cade,” Killian warned.

“This is what went down,” I said. “Bayrose offered herself as a sacrifice to some powerful creep for blood magic. She turned herself into a Fury just to weave that curse into you, making sure you couldn’t have any relationships. And since she was a virgin? Double the power.”

“Obsession leads down dangerous, dark paths,” Louis said.

“Who’s the sick fucker that helped her pull this off?” Silas snarled.

“I’ve got a suspect,” I said, riding high on certainty.

“Who?” they all demanded.

“Who else? The rogue druid!” I shouted. “And this isn’t me throwing shade because I hate his guts. He made human sacrifices in the ivory tower basement. He’s got blood magic experiments down to an art. The creep tried to get his dark hands on me too, wanted me as a sacrifice since I’m so powerful.” I shuddered, and Killian pulled me against his chest. “Bet you anything he started his experiments ages ago. That’s when Bayrose found him.”

“That druid spent years lobbying in my court,” Cade said through clenched teeth.

“We still can’t track him,” Killian said, “even with all our forces.”

“Someone powerful is hiding him,” Louis said. “We’ve searched every kingdom. He isn’t in CrimsonTide either.”

“Every kingdom except the Underworld,” Killian said.

“Only you can go there, Killian,” Cade said.

Killian’s face darkened. The Underworld should have been his—he was the rightful heir.

“I can enter the Underworld too,” I said, flexing my fingers, “though I’ve never been there physically.”

“Lilith hijacked Barbie’s mind and dragged part of her into the Underworld,” Killian revealed.

The heirs sucked in sharp breaths before rage blazed through them.

“What?” they called. “We know Lilith is powerful as hell, but since when can she do that?”

“Lilith’s mind power is unmatched,” Killian said. “She can invade anyone’s thoughts, but Barbie beat her at her own game.”

Tyson puffed out a stream of fire, his rage at the demon queen tangled with pride in me. Killian’s dragon was possessive and overbearing, but his loyalty ran deep.

“Don’t eat or drink anything in the Underworld,” I warned. “I’ve got rich experience down there. If the druid’s hiding out there, I can lead a strike team to break in and haul his evil ass back here for justice. I’m done lying low. Time for me to lead, or I can be second-in-command, especially with enemies closing in and the biggest threat at our door.” I flashed a savage grin and Sy smiled, appreciating this new me. “No hell gate can stop me. No door or ward can block me.”

“You aren’t going to the Underworld,” Killian said, his face grim, fear sparking in his storm-blue eyes. “I forbid it.”

“I know you’re worried,” I said. “I appreciate it.” Killian eyed me with suspicion, since I usually didn’t play nice. “But I’ve got to go, probably soon.” I decided to dump more of my secrets. “The oracle said I must venture into the Underworld to win this war. I can’t ignore her prophecy anymore. I was scared shitless of what she predicted and what would crash down on me, but running won’t fix anything.”

“You met Lady Moirai, the Maiden of the Wicca oracles?” Cade asked.

And then everyone was speaking?—

“What did she say?” Rowan demanded. “Every detail matters.”

“None of us met her,” Silas said. “She bailed on Barbie’s murder trial.”

“Lady Moirai came to my house with Lilith,” Killian said.

“Fuck secrets!” Louis snapped. “We promised no more hiding shit from each other.”

“The Maiden ambushed me in Windsong Woods, saying bad shit would happen,” I said.

“So I bounced before she could spew more negativity.”

“What bad shit?” Cade asked.

“You don’t need to share if you aren’t ready, Barbie,” Killian said. “I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you.”

I sighed. “There are several parts to the prophecy. You all heard the first—about the One bringing back old magic. The Brides Selection started because of that. Here’s the second part: Magic fades. Mist reveals, and Ruin comes. The cursed and the blessed are One. The darkest flame has emerged. Fuse it with light, or its power will devour the worlds and all whom you love. The Wheels of the Fates have turned. ”

“When she was in my house, Lady Moirai warned about turning the Wheels of Fates before all ends,” Killian added. “Her exact words were: Ruin’s coming for her, for you, for all of us. He’ll consume her and then feast on us. Push her to the breaking point so she shall rise, or everything will fall, and the world ends. She meant Barbie. We must protect her at all costs.”

“How can you be so sure it’s Barbie?” Silas challenged. “Now she’s your true mate, you want her to be safe. Next, you’ll broadcast she’s the prophesied Bride, so you can use her to claim the high throne. We aren’t fools, Killian. Your fucking machinations won’t work.”

“I don’t want to be fucking High King,” Killian growled.

“Actually,” I said, “the oracle spoke of two Brides. New threads have been woven.”

The heirs froze. “Two Brides? Why did the prophecy change? What does it mean?”

“Beats me.” I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral. “But I won’t be one of the Brides in the Selection.” I turned to the shifter prince. “So chill. There are no machinations at work here.”

I wouldn’t stick around to see the Brides Selection play out. The Underworld held Heaven’s Arrow, and I had to retrieve it. The Maiden’s prophecy gripped me tight—I needed to split from Sy before my father got his hands on me.

Without my sacrifice, Ruin would consume everything I loved.

I kept that dark fate hidden from Sy. Where I was headed, no one could follow. Not Sy. Not my true mates. My chest squeezed tight and my blood turned to ice as I faced the reality of leaving them all behind.

While the heirs fixated on the second prophecy, brooding, the Fury slipped from Cade’s face. My show of weakness had fed her confidence.

She glared and stuck out her tongue, taunting me with a hiss. I’ll never let him go. He’s mine! And there’s nothing you can do. Your father will come for you. I can’t wait to watch him eat you alive.

A wave of rage surged through me at how she’d turned Cade’s life into her personal torture chamber.

Take her down! Sy’s snarl matched the Fury’s challenge.

If I didn’t strike now, this chance might never come again. Any shit could happen to me, and I’d be gone soon enough. What would become of Cade then? I could end this. I could end Cade’s suffering right here.

One second, I was lounging against Killian. The next, I leaped across the expanse of water, my fingers morphing to claws as I slashed at the Fury.

She plunged into Cade, but not before my claws scraped her phantom cheek, leaving a trail of pale smoke in her wake.

She escaped again! Sy hissed.

Not this time, she won’t, I said. My hands seized Cade’s face.

Cade gasped, choking. I’d pushed too hard, his mage magic streaming away from him. My goal was to starve the Fury out, but I had to watch it—one wrong move and I’d wreck Cade instead.

Silas and Louis shot to my side.

“What are you doing?” Louis’s voice cracked with panic. “His face is gray. Are you draining him?”

“Let him go, Barbie!” Silas ordered me.

“Just give me a fucking minute,” I hissed, not letting go of Cade.

“He doesn’t have a minute!” Silas snapped. “You’ll kill him. Is that your plan?”

“You’re too ruthless, Barbie. Let go of Cade!” Rowan joined the shouting.

I ignored them.

Silas and Louis lunged at me, each grabbing an arm to pull me off Cade, only to curse profanely as their energy flowed into me as well. Now we were all locked—me draining them, them unable to break free.

“What the fuck are you?” Silas snarled.

“Break it off, Barbie!” Louis barked.

The three trapped heirs couldn’t pull away, terror draining the color from their faces.

“Stop, little scorpion.” Killian moved toward me.

I pressed on. The Fury had shown herself, leaving a fresh trail. She’d burrow deeper into Cade if I quit now. I just needed more time.

Let me take over, Sy urged. I can do this without draining them.

I gave her a look.

Trust me, she said.

Her own power had emerged. I nodded and gave up the reins. Sy erupted from me before Killian reached us. Darkness blanketed me until I broke through it and moved closer to Sy, and I was looking through Sy’s eyes once the vertigo faded.

“Sy?” Silas leapt back, his voice cracking.

“Hello, princelings,” Sy purred. Her claws remained pressed against Cade’s face as she flashed them a sultry grin.

The mage prince gaped at Sy, color flooding back into his cheeks now that Sy had stopped me from draining him.

Focus! I snapped. I didn’t let you out so you could flirt with some hot guys. Help Cade.

Chill your perky tits. Sy rolled her eyes. I excel at multitasking.

“What trick is this?” Louis’s pale blue eyes went wide with shock. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Sy is Barbie’s alter ego,” Cade breathed out. “I should’ve known—they never showed up together.”

“Sy isn’t Barbie’s shadow,” Rowan declared like he’d written a thesis on it. “They’re two people with two separate souls. Sy is nicer and obviously more talented.” Sy preened. “Sy is my fated mate.”

“No fucking way can Sy be your fated mate!” Silas burst out.

“You’re out of your mind, man.” Louis fixed Rowan with a scowl. “At least Barbie and Killian have a mating bond. Where the fuck is yours?”

“We can fight about Rowan and Sy later,” Killian cut in sharply. “Right now, Cade needs our help!”

“Let me go, Sy!” Cade struggled to pull away.

“Don’t worry,” I said through Sy. “She won’t drain you like I did.” Rowan shot everyone a smug look, as if Sy’s gentleness proved his point. “But she needs to hold on until we root out the Fury and her curse.” I paused. “Brace yourselves, princes. Whatever comes next, don’t fucking interfere.”

“I can’t wrap my head around this—seeing Barbie shift to Sy,” Silas said, dragging his hand over his tired face. “I knew Barbie was a shifter, but I didn’t expect her to be this kind of shifter.”

“Take what you need, little scorpion.” Killian spoke to me directly, even though Sy had taken over.

“We’ve got your back, little monster,” Rowan said, hovering over Sy like a shield.

Sy and I tracked the Fury’s trail through Cade. Our mind-eyes followed his blood flow through every vein until we spotted it.

A black alien vein had latched onto the superior vena cava near his heart, siphoning his energy. The Fury clung on tight, gorging herself.

“Kiss Cade, Sy,” I said through Sy’s lips, playing it up for Rowan’s benefit to keep both him and Cade from freaking out. “We found the Fury, and we’re gonna take her down.”

Sy grabbed the mage prince and slanted her mouth against his, all fierce lips and sharp fangs. When she growled and nudged, Cade parted his lips, letting her tongue sweep in.

Silas and Louis watched with undisguised envy.

“Is a kiss really necessary?” Rowan ground out.

“You want to save our brother or not?” Killian snapped back. His relief was obvious—better Sy kissing Cade than me. “Besides, that kiss isn’t even romantic.”

“Make it quick, little monster,” Rowan ordered Sy. “We don’t want Cade suffering through this longer than he has to.”

The Fury tried to retreat into Cade’s heart, but my darkest flame blocked her escape. Sy’s light wrapped around the mage prince, shielding him while my dark flame burned the black spells forged with blood magic and severed the Fury’s connection to her host.

Bayrose hissed, trapped with nowhere to run. In panic, she bolted from Cade’s body. Sy broke the kiss, her claws lashing out, her white light snagging the Fury.

“Going somewhere, little Bayrose?” Sy’s voice dripped with savage glee.

The princes gaped at the two-inch phantom Fury, her blue lips twisted as she squirmed and shrieked in Sy’s grip.

“Fuck, it’s real!” Silas shouted in alarm, jumping back in the water.

Louis’s eyes went wide. “Fuck me!” He made the sign of the cross.

Cade stared at the Fury, trembling, unable to utter a word. Terror and rage burned in his turquoise eyes, now free of shadows. Rowan’s vines emerged, ready to strike if the Fury slipped through Sy’s claws. That wasn’t going to happen on my watch.

“Kill it now!” Killian snarled.

“Make it confess before the execution.” Rowan had a different idea.

“I never wronged you, Bayrose. Why did you do this to me?” Cade asked, finally finding his voice, his face dark with cold rage. “Who worked with you?”

Bayrose threw her tiny head back and laughed.

“She won’t tell us,” I said through Sy’s mouth. “But I see the druid’s signature. We need to end her now. She’s no longer a being but the manifestation of a curse.”

Cade nodded for us to eliminate the Fury.

Sy’s white light poured into the Fury’s phantom mouth while my dark flame engulfed it, and together we erased the Fury’s soul forever.

“I’ve never felt so light,” Cade said, tears streaming down his face. He turned to Sy. “You and Barbie freed me. I owe you a life debt.”

“Consider it even, Prince Cade,” I said.

Suddenly, my familiar bond pulled taut. A second later, Pucker popped into existence above the water, making everyone jump.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” His grin faded when the heirs met him with stony faces.

No one liked surprises, especially when the heirs were still wrestling with everyone’s secrets—including their own—and failing to hide their shock and nerves.

Pucker shot Sy an uncertain look. “So the cat’s out of the bag?”

“Report, Pucker,” Killian interrupted. Always the hardass.

Mental note: remind him later that Pucker answered to me. I could get territorial too—no one liked their toes stepped on.

“Uh, I’ll just tell both you and mistress,” the ghost guardian said. “You there, Barbie? An army of Shriekers is heading here. They’re about two miles out. You wanted me to watch the other side of the Veil, and I did.”

We can battle in my form, Sy offered.

No, I said. You can’t channel the heirs’ magic. Plus, we can’t risk Ruin discovering you.

A rush of light and dark wind wrapped around me, and I surged forward.

Barbie

When we reached the Veil, a small army of supernaturals had rallied around the heirs—over three hundred strong and itching for a fight.

We pushed through the shimmering Veil. Cade and his team had fortified the ward, with Bea—now one of his high mages—flexing some serious magical muscle.

The army of Shriekers darted through the burned woods toward us, their clanking and rumbling echoing across the wasteland. They halted fifty yards away, a dead zone of blackened dirt stretching between us.

I’d scorched this land, draining its magic in panic while fighting off three Shriekers who had hunted me down. The guilt of siphoning the land’s magic still gnawed at me, but back then, I’d been backed into a corner.

The Shrieker horde emerged like walking nightmares—eight-foot-tall terrors with mechanical torsos and massive scorpion claws. They lined up in battle formation, perpetual hunger twisting their monstrous faces.

I held my ground beside Killian, the other heirs flanking us with Rowan sticking closest, standing guard over me.

The largest Shrieker stepped forward, more humanoid than monster. It bore Ruin’s mark, skulls in chains, between eyes that locked onto me. I could feel my father’s presence swirling within them like inky smoke. This new commander was different. Not only was my father’s presence stronger in it than his previous vessel, but his power was wrapping the abomination in a shield.

Ruin was leveling up.

Anxiety and revulsion scraped against my bones.

“Give us the princess and you’ll live.” My father’s voice slithered from the commander, icing my spine.

Shit!

I’d planned to reveal my true identity to the heirs in a controlled environment within Underhill, but that motherfucker had just beaten me to it and ruined everything for me all over again.

“What princess?” Silas barked.

“Princess! Yes, princess!” The horde’s chorus was like nails scratching over broken glass, making my teeth chatter.

“You’ll die for defiling our land,” Killian said, his voice arctic with rage.

My father’s glacial gaze locked onto Killian. “So, you’re the one she fucks. I remember you from last time, and I’ve marked you. I’ll give you one last chance, foolish boy. Deliver Princess Ruin of North Kingdom, who calls herself Barbie now—a pitiful choice—and I’ll spare your realm.”

I snarled at the sound of Princess Ruin. My rage burned hotter when he dared insult my mate. He would pay for both. Yet beneath my fury, dread coiled in my stomach as I waited for the heirs to discover my identity.

“You won’t have her!” Silas declared, his voice hard as steel.

Relief flooded through me, though I was surprised the shifter prince had jumped to defend me so fiercely.

“Barbie stays with us,” Louis said, his lips curving into a snarl. “And you’ll die today.”

The heirs shifted forward, their shoulders aligned in a protective crescent before me.

Rowan smiled, cold and lethal, as he drew his fae blade from behind his back, steel glinting in the light. None of the weapons the supernaturals wielded could deal a death blow to the Shriekers—I’d told all the heirs this—but they still drew their weapons out of instinct.

“Then we’ll pick the flesh off your bones,” the commander said, its scaled lips pulling up in a grotesque smile.

The Shriekers screeched at their master’s promise, scorpion-like claws pounding their metal chests, filling the battlefield with haunting echoes. Behind me, our small army of supernaturals winced at the grinding sound.

Rage pulsed through the heirs like a rush of electricity, and I felt every volt of it through our connection. Dark flame coiled inside me, eager to break free, but I held it back.

Not yet. Not yet.

“Steady, warriors!” Rowan shouted.

Our warriors straightened and bellowed battle cries, fire blazing in their eyes.

None showed fear, even though the enemies outnumbered us ten to one. Three hundred was all we could gather, but they were the best in the realm. The academy held over a thousand students, but they weren’t ready for this battle—they’d be slaughtered. Plus, only my Deathsong could slay these abominations. The supernaturals would slow down the horde while the heirs channeled their power into me. That was the plan.

“Courage!” Cade called. “Fight in groups. Guard your left and right!”

“Yes, sir!” the warriors answered.

“Kill them all! Only allow your princess to live,” the enemy commander bellowed, leveling its claws at the heirs.

The Shrieker horde rolled toward us like a dark tsunami.

“Formation!” Killian raised a fist and roared.

The heirs stepped behind me, hands on my shoulders, their magic channeling into me. The warriors from different houses spread into a V shape. Their role: engage and stall any Shrieker that broke past our first defense, which was the heirs and me, and stop them from breaching the Veil.

Thunder cracked the air as Killian’s lightning struck the commander, but my father’s creature didn’t fall, inky smoke pouring out of its eyes and shielding it. My father had grown much stronger. He could wield part of his power through his vessel.

Killian struck again, lightning arcing down from the sky and hitting the first row of Shriekers. A dozen dropped, but not all died instantly; some thrashed on the ground. Killian’s lightning couldn’t kill the commander while my father inhabited it, so he found a better use for his power.

We’d thin their numbers while isolating the commander until we could all deal with it together.

The heirs poured their powers into me. My body buzzed with their elemental magic. Fire, wind, earth, and water twirled and fused with my own power until I became a beacon of raw energy. Sy threw back her head and roared as I unleashed the channeled power. A wave of destruction swept across the battlefield, tearing through the Shrieker ranks like a scythe. Magic exploded against scaled flesh and machine parts.

One massive strike from our combined force demolished hundreds of Shriekers.

The heirs cheered and laid their heated hands on my shoulders again, ready to rinse and repeat.

The enemy commander waded through the web of lightning Killian threw in his path. I was his only target.

Rock charged toward the commander, Deathsong gripped in his hand. I’d offered him the blade that could kill Shriekers, and now I watched closely, making sure the evil weapon wouldn’t turn on him while my father’s spirit possessed the commander. Cassius and a small supporting group joined Rock’s charge, working to keep my father’s vessel occupied.

Rock leaped up several feet, thrusting Deathsong toward the space between the commander’s eyes, but the commander blocked him with a red broadsword. Fire sparked from the clashing blades. My father hissed a command, trying to summon Deathsong back. The evil blade flashed with dark light but stayed firm in Rock’s grip. I exhaled in relief. I’d fed the blade my blood and imprinted my dark flame along its edge before the battle—its loyalty now remained with me and my people.

The commander snarled and slashed its claws at Cassius as the expert swordsman swiped his longsword at its neck. This commander, protected by my father’s power, wouldn’t fall easily. The abomination shifted forward and broke the blade-lock with Rock. When it swung its red blade toward Rock, the werewolf dropped to his knees and drove the evil blade up toward his opponent’s groin.

That was an excellent move.

A column of smoke cocooned the commander, and my father’s corrupted power blasted out, slamming into the warriors around him. Our warriors’ shields held, but the force still drove them back several feet. Through his vessel, my father fixed his gaze on me—a clear dare to face him.

But I had my hands full working with the heirs to weaken the Shrieker force.

The heirs’ combined powers surged through me, coiling tight and mingling with my touch. I unleashed another magic bomb and let it drop into the Shrieker ranks like a comet, reducing hundreds of them to ash.

Whooping, the heirs reached for me again, eager for another strike. Killian also hurled a series of lightning bolts into the Shrieker mass, his death power riding their tail. Dozens of Shriekers crumpled into lifeless heaps.

Then all of a sudden, the Shriekers swarmed. Our backup warriors charged forward, colliding with the enemy from all sides. Swords clashed against metallic claws. Battle cries shook the earth and the burned woods.

Killian’s lightning and the heirs’ and my combined powers hammered the densest crowd of the Shriekers. But with these fuckers everywhere, the heirs and I couldn’t spare time to build up our combined magic bombs. After a dozen strikes, burnout clawed at our edges. Then my heart dropped to my stomach when the second Shrieker army crashed in.

The battle raged. A spare team from different houses poured their magic through me, but our reservoir drained fast, exhaustion breathing down our necks. I couldn’t let myself deplete, which would make me lose control, and then before I knew it, I’d drain the Veil and all the magic behind it.

The Shriekers pressed forward in endless waves, their shrieks piercing the air as more poured through the scorched woods. Even if I unleashed my ace and risked my father discovering my new power, I’d torch my own people too, as these abominations had broken our formation and tangled with our forces on all sides.

The heirs’ magic bled out fast. Blood trickled from Louis’s nose as he swayed on his feet. Silas fought to keep his wolf from taking control, his ragged breathing matching the amber flicker in his eyes. Cade’s face was ash-gray. Even after I’d stripped the Fury and curse from him, the mage prince was running on fumes after too many years of being siphoned.

Rowan tried to play it cool, but the dull sheen in his silver eyes gave him away.

The enemies kept swarming us. The heirs had sent messengers sprinting to their kingdoms, but what good would the reinforcements do? Their magic and weapons couldn’t even scratch the Shriekers. A fresh supply of magic to channel would be nice, but with Shriekers surrounding our warriors, I couldn’t blast through hundreds of abominations without taking our people with them.

The battlefield erupted into a hellish symphony, screams mixing with the clash of metal and claws. I launched a small-scale magic bomb at the Shriekers surrounding two vampires and a shifter, obliterating the abominations. But I was too late to save a warrior from the House of Vampires, as a Shrieker’s scorpion claws had already punched through him. A fae warrior dropped next, his eyes staring up listlessly. Then two witches fell, one’s head nearly severed by Shrieker claws, the other with her chest ripped open.

Half a dozen wolves squared off against twice as many Shriekers. Some shifters had transformed, but their claws were useless against the metallic monstrosities. I watched, gut twisting, as Shrieker tentacles shredded a massive wolf. My magic bomb turned the remaining abominations to ash, yet more rushed forward. Killian’s lightning and the combined force of the heirs and me had already taken down a third of their forces, but it wasn’t enough. Now hundreds of them circled me and the heirs.

“Princess! Princess!” Their metallic voices grated through the air.

Pain, rage, and dread clogged my throat as I watched the battlefield become a graveyard of familiar faces.

This is war, and war has casualties, Sy cut in, ever practical. When it mattered, my soul sister always stepped up. Don’t let it weigh you down. Push on!

She raged inside me, dying to come out to fight, but we both knew we couldn’t risk Ruin spotting her. Now her magic had manifested, she’d shine like a fucking beacon.

My heart squeezed with sorrow and panic. I couldn’t watch more people die. But surrendering wasn’t an option. I carried Sy. If she fell into my father’s hands, everything would be lost.

My eyes found Killian. My mate stood alone in the thick of the Shrieker ranks. The abominations closed in on him as his lightning grew weaker with every strike. He was spent, yet he still tried to draw their attention to him, keeping them from rushing me.

“Killian needs us!” I shouted over the chaos. “They’ve got him surrounded!”

Louis swung his sword at a Shrieker that had breached our line, but the blade glanced uselessly off its mechanical hull. His man bun had come loose, with patches of hair torn out at the roots.

“Tighten formation!” Rowan bellowed. “We have to protect Sy and Barbie!”

But it was a losing battle. The five of us could barely hold our ground under the relentless assault. The Shriekers had orchestrated this perfectly—dividing us, trapping us, and now closing in for the kill. Their metallic chattering and piercing shrieks grated against our already frayed nerves. Machine-cold claws raked across my back, drawing a gasp of pain. Through the chaos, I could see the heirs fighting desperately to reach me, but the distance between us only grew.

Rowan was closest, but five Shriekers kept him pinned, drawing frustrated roars from him. Our disadvantage stared us in the face—no one’s weapons or magic could kill the abominations, except mine. We had only one effective weapon, Deathsong, and Rock was using it to hold the enemy commander back. Ruin’s attack had already caused several deaths from the chaos house. Cassius danced around the commander, keeping it from pushing toward me while Rock tried to land hits where he could.

“Killian!” Cade shouted. My mate had pushed too deep into the Shrieker ranks. “To us! Fall back, everyone! Retreat to the other side of the Veil!”

“We need to regroup!” Silas yelled. “We can’t hold them like this. Those fuckers are too many!”

The survivors of our small army started falling back, fighting through the horde. By the Veil, Bea was helping wounded warriors retreat to the safety of the realm.

The heirs carved a path ahead, leading everyone toward the Veil, but Killian was stranded amid the enemy. Wave after wave of Shriekers, all nine feet tall, charged at him under my father’s command. He knew what Killian meant to me, even if he might not know Killian was my true mate.

“I can’t leave him behind!” I shouted, launching myself onto a Shrieker’s metallic head.

“Barbie, get back to safety!” Killian’s panicked voice cut through the chaos. “Leave me!”

Like hell I would.

Tentacles snapped at me from every direction, but I was already airborne, leaping onto another Shrieker’s head twelve feet away. Before I could find my footing, I sprang again, landing on yet another abomination, moving too fast for them to get a clean shot.

I plunged deeper into the Shriekers’ ranks.

“Princess! Princess! Come home!” Their shrieks echoed with sickening excitement.

Killian fought toward me, lightning crackling around him. The heirs and a team of chaos warriors carved their way through the horde. I was steps from Killian. My hand morphed into razor-sharp claws and plunged between the third eye of my current Shrieker perch before I dropped to Killian’s side.

A path through the Shrieker army opened before us, and my stomach dropped. It was for my father. The commander charged toward us, fixated on capturing me. The shield around his vessel had shrugged off everything we’d thrown at it—my evil blade, Killian’s lightning, even our combined magic bombs.

“Leave me, love!” Killian growled. “I’ll hold him back.”

“I didn’t come all this way just to abandon you, you fool,” I shot back.

“No one’s called me a fool and lived to tell the tale!”

“Oh yeah?” I countered. “Then stop being one for once. When I come to rescue you, you say thank you. I don’t run around getting all sweaty for fun.”

“And you shouldn’t,” he said, his voice tight with worry. “Your safety matters more than anything!”

He pulled me to him. His lightning and starlight exploded outward, the shockwave driving the Shriekers back. An idea sparked in me. I’d combined powers with the heirs, but never with Killian. I laced my fingers through his, and he caught on instantly. His power surged through me, and I drunk it in deep, our mating bond flaring to life.

My back arched, burning need for him coursing through me. Killian growled in response, heat searing his storm-blue eyes.

But we couldn’t get distracted now. I threaded my dark flame into his death light, the power he’d inherited from Hades. He was death, and I was ruin. We were made for this.

I threw my palm up. A beam darker than midnight shot toward the commander as it lunged for me. The lethal strike landed between its eyes, sank deep, and ripped through it. The thing burst into flames, my father’s inhuman scream cutting off as it died.

A plume of smoke exuded from the Shrieker commander, spreading across the battlefield like a dark canopy.

A thunderous, sinister voice boomed from the living smoke. “You can’t run from me, daughter. Now I’ve learned everything I need. I will come in my true form, bringing an army as vast as the ocean, countless as the sand. All will kneel and tremble in terror before me. Until you surrender, daughter, I’ll spare no one. I’ll start with the one you’ve been fucking while you watch?—”

I raised a hand to summon my dark flame to shut him up, but only a trickle came. I was more drained than I’d realized, and Killian was just as spent. We’d thrown everything we’d left into destroying Ruin’s vessel.

The horde of abominations shrieked with bloodlust, thousands pushing toward us. Killian and I stood alone, trapped deep in the enemy ranks. The heirs fought to reach us, but I screamed for them to fall back. They’d never make it in time and would die trying. I couldn’t watch any of them fall. There’d been enough death already.

I trembled, and Killian held me against him. His heat and courage comforted me.

“He won’t get to you,” my mate vowed. “I won’t allow it.”

“I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, even though you’re a hardass fool sometimes,” I said, my mouth full of ash and fear.

“I can live with being a hardass fool,” he said. “And nothing’s going to happen to either of us. Now get on my back.”

I didn’t ask why. Sometimes you just needed to listen and have faith. Trust didn’t come easy to me, but Killian had proved that he could be trusted.

A flash of starlight and fire rolled through the air, and Killian shifted. His dragon exploded into being beneath me. I was suddenly perched on Tyson’s back, my arms wrapped around his neck, hanging on for dear life. Light glinted off his black and sapphire scales, his massive wings ablaze with fire.

Tyson was a force of nature, deadly, beautiful, and ridiculously protective. While Killian and I were drained dry, Tyson was bursting with energy. He launched into the air and roared his challenge, blasting a jet of fire straight into the vast sentient smoke of my father’s essence, toasting it.

Dear old dad hadn’t expected that one, had he?

“Eat shit!” I bellowed.

“Eat fire, as my flame isn’t shit,” Tyson corrected primly.

The smoke shrieked, an inhuman sound, before vanishing under another blast of dragon fire. Ruin’s spirit fled back to his lair. It would take him days to return; Tyson had bought us precious time.

The sky cleared above us.

The dragon rained fire on the army of abominations below, but the Shriekers were endless.

The ground shook. A portal ripped open from the blackened woods, its edges crackling with hellfire. From its center poured an army of horned demons, each wielding an ax wreathed in infernal flame. Something stirred in my blood, my genetic knowledge telling me these weapons were forged in Hell’s inferno.

My breath caught as Queen Lilith emerged at the head of her thousands-strong force. She strode forward in gleaming black armor, crowned in darkness, wielding a flaming archangel blade.

She crashed into the Shrieker horde like an avenging storm, her blade carving through them with deathly precision. Her army surged behind her, their infernal weapons finding purchase where mortal steel had failed. They carved through the mechanical ranks with efficiency.

The battle kicked back into high gear without my father around, our warriors jumping right back into the fray. Demons dropped left and right, but fresh ones popped up to replace them instantly. Demons got off on violence.

Lilith fought with lethal grace, the abominations crumbling before her. She was breathtaking and terrifying—everything a queen of Hell should be.

I didn’t like that she looked so damn glorious. I wondered what Killian thought of his maybe-ex-betrothed as he watched through his dragon’s golden eyes. Was she even his ex? He hadn’t exactly made their breakup official.

I bit my lip as guilt creeped in to replace my insecurity. Great timing for relationship drama—right in the middle of a freaking battle.

Good timing. Sy gave me a nod.

Tyson rained down streams of fire on the Shriekers the demons had missed, while I shielded his vulnerable belly from the barrage of iron arrows with the wisp of power I had left.

The battle accelerated into a blur until suddenly, it was over. Silence blanketed the battlefield for one breathless moment before Tyson shattered it with his victory roar. I purred encouragingly, and he let loose a few more triumphant bellows, shooting flames skyward as we soared. His massive wings cast sweeping shadows across the carnage below.

He commanded every eyeball on the field, completely upstaging the demon queen. Even she craned her neck to stare at us, her gaze landing on me. Yep, I was the girl riding the dragon. A legit dragon rider! And I’d bet on my stolen treasure that Tyson wouldn’t let anyone else up here.

I’m not a horse. You’re the only one who’ll ever get on my back, mate, Tyson said.

Sy pouted at that exclusion; even she didn’t make the cut.

My triumph over Queen Lilith evaporated as I took in the carnage below. My heart clenched at the sight of our fallen warriors who’d never rise again, their bodies scattered among the Shrieker remains. Something else hit me hard as I watched the horned demons swarm the battlefield. The five houses had always distrusted demons for good reason, but today they’d been the ones to save the day under their queen’s command. Now our realm owed her.

My stomach twisted. Deals with demons always came with a brutal price tag. I felt Killian’s growl rumble through Tyson. We’d won the battle, but I wouldn’t exactly call this a victory.

I knew with chilling certainty that my father would come in the flesh soon, just as he’d threatened. Ruin had scored valuable intel today. He’d seen how the princes and I operated, witnessed Killian’s death light, my dark flame, and his dragon in action. He knew our strengths and weaknesses now, and I’d bet those demon weapons weren’t news to him either.

When he returned, he’d come prepared. And he’d bring an army big enough to wipe every supernatural off the map.

My mouth tasted like ashes thinking about what the future would bring.

Everyone’s watching you on the dragon, Sy said. Sit straight and tits up.

We should get down and join the others, Killian told his dragon. You’ve had your moment. Now don’t milk it and ruin everything.

Tyson snorted, clearly not ready to give up his spotlight.

Think you’re the smartest one here? Killian said. The best move is to enter the scene late and leave early. Keep them wanting more, talking about you because they didn’t get their fill.

Tyson blinked, mulling that over before turning to get my take.

We can hit the skies again after we handle some business, I said.

The dragon dove. I leapt off his back the second he touched down. Lightning exploded, and Killian surged forth. Where the dragon had perched now stood the chaos prince, just as intimidating as his beast form, with starlight and darkness swirling around him.

The bell tolled from the depths of Shades Academy, announcing that reinforcements from all the kingdoms had finally shown up. What a joke. But hey, they were left with the cleanup job outside the Veil.

Queen Lilith glided toward Killian, shining like a star, even though she was fallen.

“Will you celebrate with me tonight in my house, beloved?” Her voice was musical, nothing like my husky growl. I was never the cultured, civilized type, and I wasn’t ashamed.

We’re beautiful savages, Sy said with pride.

“I need to talk to you about something important,” the queen pressed.

Rage surged in me, clouding my vision. Sy urged me to sink our claws into the queen’s back as she tried to stake her claim on Killian.

“Tonight doesn’t work for me,” he replied, his face blank as stone, not even glancing my way. “The heirs and I need to plan a masquerade ball.”

The rest of the heirs had reached us by then, momentarily looking confused.

“Oh, right, that.” Cade caught on quickly and grinned. “We were planning a party before those damn Shriekers paid us a visit. We’re hosting it in Trailblazer Courtyard tomorrow night. Everyone’s invited.”

“Time to officially welcome the sixth house to Shades Academy.” Killian nodded at Queen Lilith. “Your house earned that honor today defending Mist of Cinder.”

He turned and strode toward the Veil without another word to her. I sidled up next to him. The rest of the princes fell in line behind us while the queen watched us go.