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Adrian pulled something from his belt. It was slimy and red. “The algae Orion had claimed could undo charms,” Adrian said. “He gave it to me, just in case we encountered any that might get in our way.”

My heart lurched, but I forced myself to nod as I turned my attention back to the cottage.

Stomach twisting, I followed the path of my magic with my eyes, straight into the old ruins of the cottage.

I could just make out what it once was because of my dream, but that hadn’t really prepared me for the hollow feeling that came with finally seeing it.

My magic recognised the place as something important. It triggered a strange sense of Déjà vu . I knew I’d never been there before, that my dream didn’t really count, but it was more like my magic knew this place as being something more .

And yet, even as I dug into my power, I couldn’t feel anything that might tell me where the crown was. Although the path still glowed before me, I expected some kind of spark of power from the skull. I should have felt something now that I was close. But I didn’t.

I let the magical path fall away with a sigh. We didn’t need it anymore, and I had to save my magic for him .

When the zombie-rats appeared in the distance, their deadly cries overwhelming the sound of gunfire and shouting, Adrian, Damon, and I started for the cottage.

We kept our footsteps light, Adrian walking ahead just in case we came across a trap.

The earth dipped beneath our feet, wet from recent rainfall, but I couldn’t remember if we’d had any rain in the forest. Something about it didn’t feel right.

I pushed those thoughts aside briefly, and kept moving, sticking close to Adrian. Damon remained close at my back, his looming presence weirdly comforting. The swords he wielded remained raised, one near me, a protective barrier between me and the rest of the world.

It didn’t matter, though. The enemy army fended off the rats well enough to keep them away from Dante’s tents. And the fire on our other side continued to lick the brightening sky, smoke curling like fingers towards dark clouds swarming the orange-blue sky.

This is too easy, Damon said, his voice startling me through our marks. We should have met resistance by now .

My stomach twisted as I glanced back at him with my brows furrowed. I know .

It didn’t sit right with me. Surely, we would have hit one of those traps by now. Something.

But we approached the ruins of the old orphanage, circling the outer walls of what remained.

The once tall building looked skeletal against the brightening sky, casting eerie shadows over the tall grass.

I walked beneath the side wall, which was the tallest of all, and half-expected something to jump out at us when we passed it .

Nothing happened, and yet my heart continued to race in my chest, leaping into my throat with each careful step we took.

There were remnants of a garden out here.

Old stone planters, perfectly portioned out for growing different things.

There were still aromatics, like mint and parsley, growing like weeds.

Through the tall grass, I was pretty sure I spied an overgrown pumpkin.

Things that weathered even the mass disaster that was war.

The muted scent tickled my nose, and I noticed several bunches of flowers in the tall grass that definitely shouldn’t have been there. But this wasn’t a garden anymore.

Maybe a thousand years ago, it would have been. But this place was trapped in a different time, and who knew how many people had survived here, even after the war and Queen Daphne moving everyone from the Old World to Avalon.

My heart leapt into my throat when we reached the cottage.

Everything was quiet, the sounds of battle and gunfire subdued as we neared the cottage walls.

Before, I’d thought it was more ruin than building, but up close, it became clear that the walls were still mostly intact.

The roof was gone, having disappeared long ago, but a chimney reached for the sky without smoke leaving its mouth.

Pandora had lived here, before being found by her mates. And this was the place where she had chosen to hide the most dangerous weapon against us all.

I didn’t understand why she hid it from the Queens who came after her, why she hadn’t prepared us. It made no sense to me when Asael explained it, and it certainly didn’t now.

And hiding it here…I just didn’t know what to think about that .

Heart pounding, I stopped by the corner of the cottage. We had a clear view of the tents, which still hadn’t moved. By now, surely Dante would have come out to see what was going on. Unless he was more of a coward than anyone thought…or he had something to hide.

Please Nyx, I thought, let us find the skull. Don’t let this turn into a full out war .

But even as I thought the words, I had the sinking feeling that it wouldn’t even matter if I had the skull in my hands.

There would be war regardless.

I don’t feel anything inside, Adrian said, looking over his shoulder at me. Tension lined every movement, creasing the corners of his eyes. But this isn’t right.

I met his stare briefly before glancing back at Damon.

He gave me a shallow shake of his head, indicating the same.

I looked back at the cottage, at the cool stone-grey walls and the vines of ivy growing through the cracks.

Small, purple flowers bloomed from the vines, though they didn’t smell of anything.

There should have been a scent. Even the vines should have given off something .

Unless there’s a charm or protection hiding something within .

Hesitantly, I raised my hand to the stone, letting it hover over a large brick.

Closing my eyes, I drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.

The tips of my fingers tingled with the presence of magic, the feeling running up my hands.

The presence wasn’t strong; under other circumstances, I would have thought it old, maybe faded with how weak it was.

But I knew better.

Dante was smart. He was covering his tracks.

I didn’t recognise the magical signature, but I knew I’d felt it before. From the false king himself .

Swallowing hard, I pulled my hand back, a shiver racing down my spine.

He’s been here , I said, directing that thought to both males. But I don’t think he’s here now .

I knew I couldn’t be certain of that, not with the magic still clearly here. But we were also too exposed out here.

Adrian and Damon shared a look over my head. There was a hint of respect through the bond, an acknowledgement that if anything happened, Damon would be the only one capable of getting us the hell out of here.

Adrian’s eyes finally met mine, and he bowed his head. Let me go first , he said, voice stern even through the bond. If anything happens, go with Damon .

My heart skipped a beat. I will not leave you. Not under any circumstance, Adrian. There will be no self-sacrifice today. Do you understand?

A half-smile played on his lips. Before I could move, he swept me into his arms, claiming my mouth with an earth shattering kiss. His lips burned against mine, each soft press a sweeping reminder of how much he loved me—and how much we had to lose.

When he pulled back, his eyes were dark. My magic sparked beneath my skin, a smouldering ember in my chest.

I love you , he said, pressing his forehead against mine. I will always love you .

A lump formed in my throat. I love you, too.

There was something about his words that unsettled me. That made me worry that this really would be goodbye.

But I couldn’t let him sacrifice himself.

If anything happens, I said, directing the thought to Damon alone , get him out of here. I meant what I said before, Damon. I will not let Dante get hold of any of my mates.

The demon king touched my hand, but he didn’t respond. Even though I couldn’t read his emotions like I could my bonded mates, just that touch alone told me that he didn’t want to respect that decision. That he would sooner pull me out of that cottage than let me sacrifice myself to that bastard.

But I also knew that he would do it. He would do as I asked of him. Because in the end, he did respect me. As his wife, and his Queen.

Thunder rumbled across the sky. I glanced up to see it had darkened with the deep grey clouds coming from the mountains. The air immediately cooled as lightning streaked across the sky.

I summoned that energy, pulling it from the well within me and allowing it to flood me.

Adrian nodded to me before raising his gun. The swords Damon wielded came up again, bracketing me on both sides. With one last glance at the world around us, we started for the opening of the cottage, the space of darkness where a door would have once stood.

Each step made my heart pound harder, anxiety twisting around my insides and pressing down on my lungs.

Adrian entered the darkness first, and I slipped in behind him, breath catching in my throat.

“Hello, brother,” Dante mused, looking up from the skull in his hand. “Thank you for bringing her right to me.”