S ister! Stop!

The other Furies’ cries break through the trance that was taking hold of me.

I jolt back, away from the statue, as their voices continue within my mind.

Do not touch that dark object!

We do not know what it is.

We have not looked at it .

We know only that it repels us.

I narrow my eyes at the statue. Whatever dark thing is hidden here, the power radiating from it warns me that it’s as deadly as the White Wand.

I’m disturbed by the sensation of being drawn to it, while my sisters clearly said it repels them.

But then… I was also drawn to the White Wand, even though it was incredibly dangerous. Drawn, it seemed, by fate.

I shake myself, forcing my feet to carry me back another step. And then another.

I’m certain that, just like the wand, this object can only bring destruction. My sisters aren’t wrong about that.

And, just as I’m certain of the intensity of this object’s dark power, my Fury nature also gives me the ability to sense another aspect of this object: Yearning .

It’s seeking its true owner. It’s waiting for them, whoever they might be…

You’re right , I say to my sisters within my mind, my outstretched hand retracting as I take control once more. Whatever it is, it isn’t meant for me.

With that, I check my surroundings and stay within the cover of the trees as I rise into the air, my mind turning to the danger of the bones and the serpent shifter I need to hunt.

By the time I reach the cabin in the woods of Mount Greylock, my sisters have gathered on the front porch.

I’m surprised to see that they’re dressed for battle, wearing the assassin’s suits that Hunter brought for them. It speaks to the level of their alarm and fear for me.

I’m even more surprised when Sable launches herself down the stairs from the porch to hug me the moment my feet touch the ground.

Her face is pale with fright, and her black hair is disheveled. Gilder and Rose are close behind her, each of them wrapping their arms around me until we’re all tangled up in a hug together.

Their relief hits me hard.

Until this moment, I believed my sisters feared nothing.

Now, I sense how devastating it would be for them if something were to happen to me—or to one of them, for that matter.

We don’t feel physical pain like others do. We don’t fear for our physical safety like others do.

But… damn … I should have realized how deep the bond of our hive mind runs.

Deep enough that they’re clinging to me hard, choking back sobs, taking long breaths to steady themselves.

So deep that the mere threat of losing me seems to have put cracks in their emotional armor.

Their voices sound in unison within my mind: To lose you is to lose ourselves. There is no greater agony for a Fury than to lose a sister. It is like being broken all over again.

Within my mind, I whisper, I’m so sorry I frightened you .

“We are the ones in the wrong,” Gilder says, drawing back from our hug. “There are dangers in New York City that we should have spoken about before now.”

It’s startling to me, not that she apologized for something that I consider is not her fault anyway, but that she spoke the words aloud instead of within our hive mind.

Clearly, these dangers must pose a real threat to us, significant enough that my sisters were concerned for my life.

“Will you tell me now?” I ask, also speaking aloud, needing to respect Gilder’s choice to allow the words to sound between us.

“We will tell you everything we know,” Rose replies, also speaking aloud. “And answer any questions you may have.”

“Although,” Sable adds, “there are some mysteries for which we still do not have answers.”

They draw me inside to the fireplace, where we all sit down. My sisters sit cross-legged while I pull my knees to my chest.

I take note of the fact that they remain in their battle suits, as well as the level of alertness about them, the way that one of them is, at all times, focused on our surroundings.

“You fear I’ve been followed,” I say, more regretful at the idea that I would bring danger to my sister’s place of refuge than afraid of what could come after me.

Sable replies, “Possibly, but we will soon know for sure.”

“As for that dark entity,” Gilder says. “It is not safe to speak his name aloud, so we will simply call him the entity for now.”

I accept their caution about uttering his name. “Do you know what kind of supernatural he is?”

“We do not,” Gilder says. “Nor do we know where he is located.”

“You’ve never tried to find him?” I ask. “Or eliminate him?”

Beside me, Rose gives a deep sigh. “We did. We searched for him, thinking of ending him, but we’ve never come close to succeeding. He is well hidden and well protected by dark magic that…”

Her voice trails off, a visible shudder racking her body.

“Dark magic that what?” I ask gently.

“We aren’t sure if it comes in the form of an ancient object or some sort of conjured spell. But whatever darkness protects him, it is unbeatable.”

Nothing is unbeatable. Surely.

But the certainty on my sisters’ faces drives home to me how hard they must have tried to find and end this being.

“What about the assassins?” I ask carefully. “Have they tried to eliminate him?”

My sisters give me emphatic nods. “All three Factions have tried and failed.”

Damn . “That means they can’t try again.”

It’s part of their Code. Unbreakable rules that govern their actions so that they can never descend into a state of anarchy or become mere killers for hire. One of those rules is that a failed assassination cannot be attempted again. They have one chance to get it right.

It sounds like each Faction has taken its shot.

For a moment, I consider Hunter Cassidy. She was a Rogue Master who controlled her own Faction…

But no. Even she could not try. Now that Hunter has become the Guardian, she is prohibited from carrying out assassinations.

So if the assassins have failed, and my sisters—all three of them together—have not succeeded, then the chances of bringing down this dark entity really are slim.

My sisters sense my grim mood easily.

Sable reaches across the space between us to press a consoling hand to my shoulder. “We have come to accept that this dark entity is a necessary evil.”

My forehead creases. “How so?”

Gilder explains, “While he reigns, the creatures of the dark are kept in check. Just as a wolf shifter pack must have an alpha, dark magic creatures must have a controlling force.”

I consider this carefully. “Did he control Lady Tirelli?”

“Oh, no, he did not,” Sable says. “For she was not a dark magic creature. As a Valkyrie, she was a creature of old magic.”

“As are we,” Rose adds.

Of course. When I was at the Academy, the teachers instructed us in all sorts of theoretical histories of supernaturals, many of which seemed born of ego rather than fact.

They tried to tell us that all magical power originates from ancient gods, citing the belief that fire mages are descended from Apollo, the god of the sun, and the power of invisibility comes from Hades, god of the underworld.

They were particularly obsessed with the idea that shifters originated primarily from Egyptian gods like Anubis, who was apparently the first wolf shifter. That one, to me, never rang true.

Since living with my sisters, I’ve learned that there are four kinds of magic in the world: elemental magic like that of the fae who once controlled nature, light magic like that of dragons and angels, dark magic like that of demons, and then there’s old magic.

Old magic creatures are rare now, and that is just as well.

They are the creatures who once populated the earth and include the old gods and titans.

Most are thought to be extinct —or nearly so.

Creatures like jotunns, Valkyrie, and Keres, who once fought beside the old gods.

Also, dragons in their original beast forms before they attained the ability to shift.

When I asked my sisters about the students at the Academy, who began as Unknowns but revealed themselves as monsters such as draugr, enenra, gorgon, siren, dryad, wendigo, and others, my sisters were adamant.

Even though they were born in the present, their magic is old magic.

Their powers belonged in ancient times and have resurged.

The more I delved into the four magics, though, the more apparent it became that supernaturals are rarely purely one or the other. Witches and warlocks, in particular, can be combinations of magics. Case in point: a good witch with elemental powers who was born into the light but turns to the dark.

One thing that’s certain is that old magic creatures dominate all others.

What my sisters have also warned me about is that old magic creatures, who may be invincible to all other magics, can harm and kill each other.

Now, I murmur, “Old magic prevails.”

All three of my sisters nod. “Old magic creatures like Lady Tirelli and like us do not bow to anyone.”

“But old magic can destroy itself,” I continue. “Like the Keres and Valkyrie battled each other to near extinction.”

Sable replies, “Old magic creatures can withstand elemental, light, and even dark magic, but each old magic species has its particular vulnerabilities to certain other old magic creatures.”

“Not us,” I say.

All three of my sisters nod, but there is a brief pause first that warns me my assumption may not be completely accurate.

“As Furies, we stand at the pinnacle,” Rose replies, her eyes suddenly shadowed. “Even so, there used to be some old magic creatures that could harm us. Not kill us, mind you. But they could cause us terrible pain.”

“Like the pain you felt when you bit Slade Baines?” I ask.

They all nod. “Ingesting his Valkyrie blood hurt us badly.”

“Which is why you must always know what you are dealing with,” Sable warns.

“Some supernaturals call us the apex predator,” Rose adds, “but it is a terrible place to be.”