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The next few hours blurred together, faces and voices swirling in a haze as everyone filtered in to check on me.

Keeran was the first, stepping into the dim room with his usual scowl, followed closely by Aspen, who glanced around like he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to be amused or concerned.

Rage helped a weak Topaz cross the room toward me.

Erin, Rey, and the demon hunters stood by the window, always on guard.

And Farrah sat on the corner of my bed, with Wyatt standing behind him.

“How are you holding up?” Keeran asked, his tone light, but there was a tension in his eyes that betrayed his worry.

“Still in one piece,” I muttered, though it felt like a lie.

Inside, everything was fraying, threads of magic snapping against each other, trying to break free.

I shifted on the bed, the cuffs they’d snapped onto my wrists earlier digging into my skin.

They were supposed to inhibit magic—similar to the ones the Nightshade pack had used when they had been prisoners in their own home—but I could feel my power thrumming just beneath the surface, restless and wild.

It wouldn’t be long before the cuffs became useless.

Keeran didn’t waste time on pleasantries. He glanced around at the assembled group before turning his gaze back to me. “This place isn’t safe for you—or for us. Your magic is too unstable, Ariella. If it slips again, it could level the house and hurt everyone in it.”

“So what, you want to kick me out?” I shot back, the words sharper than I intended. A bitter edge clawed at my chest, but I swallowed it down. This was the last place I wanted to be, but that didn’t make the rejection sting any less.

Keeran’s frown deepened, but Levi cut in before he could respond.

“They aren’t kicking you out, sweetheart.

But he’s right. We need somewhere isolated, where you don’t have to worry about hurting anyone.

” He turned to the others. “I’ve got an empty warehouse in Houston—far enough from everything that even if her magic goes haywire, no one gets caught in the crossfire. ”

Aspen tilted his head, considering. “That could work. I’ll open a portal to get us there, and Keeran, Lacey, and I can set up a containment circle.”

“I can help.” Topaz stepped forward, disentangling from Rage.

Lacey shook her head. “No. You’re still weak and should rest too. We can do this on our own.”

Something like hurt flashed in her eyes, but Topaz just nodded and offered a flat smile.

“If that’s what you want, then I’ll head back home.

I need to check if the Native American clans are still mad about the chaos we caused in their lands.

” She glanced at me. “Just try not to blow up the warehouse, all right?”

I tried to smile back, but it felt hollow. “No promises.”

Erin and Rey exchanged a glance. “Since we can’t help with that kind of magic, we should get back to the Blackthorn Hunters’ outpost,” Erin said. “Report in, gather reinforcements. We’ll be back when we have more information.”

“And Rage?” Aspen asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rage folded his arms, his expression unreadable. “I have business in the Underworld. But call if you need me, angel.”

With that, they all began to disperse, leaving the air feeling emptier, colder. Topaz vanished through a portal cast by Aspen, and the hunters slipped out the door.

After Levi locked with Aspen’s magic and showed him where the warehouse was located, the warlock opened another portal for us. “Ready when you are,” he said.

I forced myself to stand, even though every movement felt like my body was protesting. Levi’s arm was around my waist before I could stumble, steadying me. I hated how much I needed the support.

“Let’s get this over with,” I muttered, and together, we stepped through.

The world twisted, and then we were in a different kind of darkness—vast, open, and cold. The warehouse loomed around us, its high ceilings and bare concrete floors echoing every breath, every step. Dust motes swirled in the faint beams of moonlight that slipped through the high windows.

While Levi turned on some lights, Aspen, Keeran, Lacey, and Abbie moved quickly, their hands tracing symbols in the air, murmuring incantations that glowed with soft light.

Magic crackled around us, the air growing thicker as the containment circle took shape—layers of protection designed to keep me in and my magic contained.

The energy settled around me, a heavy, oppressive weight that pushed against my skin. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to lash out against it, to test its strength. But I knew better than that.

Keeran lowered his hands, the final symbols fading into the air, and let out a breath. “That’s the best we can do. It’ll hold for a while.”

Aspen nodded, looking more worn than I’d ever seen him. “Call if you need us.”

Keeran glanced at Levi, then back at me. “Try not to get into much trouble.”

Levi’s expression didn’t change, but there was something hard in his eyes. “I’ve got it covered.”

With that, the rest of them left, one by one. Abbie and Lacey returned to the Grand Eternity Hall to research, and Aspen and Keeran vanished into another portal, leaving the warehouse eerily quiet.

Wyatt and Farrah slipped out last, promising to return with dinner. I barely had the energy to acknowledge their departure.

When the door closed behind them, leaving only Levi and me, the silence pressed in on me, thick and suffocating. I sank down onto an empty crate, burying my face in my hands.

The cuffs felt like chains around my wrists, and the containment circle thrummed against my senses, a constant reminder that I was trapped.

Levi crouched in front of me, his hands gentle as he reached out to rub slow circles on my back. “I know this is hell for you, sweetheart. But you’re not alone, okay?”

The warmth of his touch seeped into my skin, easing the ache in my muscles. But my magic twisted at the contact, surging up with a ferocity that nearly made me cry out. It lashed out, a whip of energy that sliced through the air, and Levi barely managed to jump back in time.

The force slammed into the circle’s wall, exploding on contact. Levi and I flew in opposite directions, and the entire building shook.

I hit my back on the other side of the magical barrier and fell to my knees with a gasp, pain jarring my bones, and my breath failing me.

“Levi,” I whispered, trying to crawl to him.

But he was already up, shaking dirt from his dark clothes. “I’m okay, sweetheart.” His jaw worked hard. “You’ve got to be careful.”

I sucked in a shaky breath. “I didn’t mean to—I just?—”

“I know. Just… try to breathe, okay? Focus on something else.”

I nodded, even though it felt like my head was spinning. Sitting back on my feet, I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to focus on anything but the roiling chaos inside me.

After a moment, I heard Levi moving around the warehouse.

He pulled something heavy across the concrete floor, then the sound of fabric rustling reached my ears.

When I finally managed to look up, he was arranging an old, dirty set of chaise lounges—one on my side of the circle, the others just outside the line.

He also brought over crates of varying sizes.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice rough with exhaustion.

He shot me a quick smile, the familiar crooked one that almost made me forget how messed up everything was. “Trying to make this place a little less miserable. Figured if you’re stuck here, might as well be comfortable.”

I whispered, “Thank you,” and felt absolutely helpless while he did all the work.

Then, when he was done, Levi sat down on the closest chaise lounge, he said, “The curse with the book is broken.”

My eyes widened. “What? How?”

He shrugged. “I think it was when I went to the underworld and became …” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “Abbie thinks the book thought I was dead and the curse broke.”

I frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you had died, and since then we haven’t really stopped.” He looked at me with those dark eyes. “But I’m telling you now, sweetheart.”

“So you can’t grant wishes anymore?”

He shook his head. “Thankfully.”

Before I could respond, the door creaked open, and Wyatt and Farrah slipped inside, carrying bags that smelled like hot food. “Dinner’s served,” Farrah announced, setting down the bags on one of the tables.

The scent of it—whatever it was—made my stomach growl, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten in… I wasn’t even sure how long.

“Thanks,” I murmured, grateful for the distraction.

We settled down on the chaise lounges, and for a few moments, we ate in relative silence. It almost felt like a normal evening—like we weren’t sitting in an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by magic circles and the constant threat of my own power breaking loose.