“Yes, thank you for joining us,” Marie said. “Now I won’t have to go to the trouble of sending you an engraved invitation to the night’s festivities.”

The witches had returned.

At the sound of Jennifer’s voice, Victoria had spun around, arms splayed to act as Aden’s shield. He shoved her behind him. They wanted him alive. Victoria, not so much. When she tried to return to her position in front of him, he reached back and squeezed her wrist.

“Do you think we failed to realize the exact moment you had stepped onto our land, tick?” Marie said. One by one, the witches marched to their boulders, claiming their spots around him. They still wore red robes. “Now we can watch you die and revel in the knowledge that we have one less bloodsucking enemy to contend with.”

“No,” Aden barked. Despite the cold, sweat beaded over his skin. “Call the meeting to order. Now.”

Marie nodded as if she had every intention of obeying. “I will. As soon as you give me your vow of loyalty.”

“And trade one death sentence for another? No.”

She gave another of those acquiescent nods. “Then you have brought this on yourself, Haden Stone. I had hoped it would not come to this, but… You will not help us, and so you must die with your friends. Sisters?”

Arms outstretched, fingers interlocked, completing their circle.

Behind him, Victoria stiffened. “On my signal, drop,” she whispered. “I’ll take care of the witches.”

No! Caleb shouted.

It’s the only way, Elijah said. Like Julian told you, it’s the witches or us.

Then it’s us! They are to be left alone.

Aden blocked them out. In less than a single second, he had figured out Victoria’s plan, and he wanted to vomit. The pain in her chest…she’d closed her ward. She was going to free her beast, let him kill these witches to protect Aden—but by doing so, she’d also kill every chance of a meeting being called to order.

Victoria planned to die, but she intended to take those who threatened Aden and her people with her.

He had to stop her. Had to save her. What good was his life without her in it?

“Stop,” a soft voice called before he could decide on a plan of his own.

Brendal strode into the cave, a visibly frightened Mary Ann trailing close behind her. No. No! Aden cursed under his breath. Not her, too. Not here. Not with Victoria’s beast so close to bursting free.

Victoria groaned, the repercussions hitting her, as well.

“Don’t do it,” he whispered. “Please.”

“Oh, good. All we lack is the wolf,” Marie said. Her tone was optimistic, but her features were almost…grim. Definitely haunted. “I’m sure he’s on his way. Where that one goes, he goes.”

“I didn’t see any hint of the wolves outside,” Brendal said.

“They’ll come, so remain on alert. For now, take the girl outside.” Marie waved to the mouth of the cave with a suddenly trembling hand. She looked at it, frowned. “Take her now.”

“I feel like…I’m being…” another witch began, rubbing at her chest as if she were pained.

“My powers are…”

“Drainer,” the witches said in unison, and there was enough horror in their voices to make Aden cringe. Only Marie and Jennifer appeared unsurprised.

“Remove her and hold her until the spell takes effect,” Marie snapped. The howl of a wolf echoed through the cave, and she stiffened. “As predicted, the wolves have arrived.”

Brendal shook her head. “I don’t think I will. Take her out, that is.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Mary Ann,” Victoria suddenly shouted. “Run!”

No, no, no! The signal. Aden dropped to the ground as Caleb shouted a tortured denial. Victoria’s beast flew overhead with a roar.

Mary Ann yelped, but ran as commanded, slowing only when Brendal grabbed the back of her T-shirt. She whipped around and shoved her flattened palm into the fairy’s nose. There was a moan, a spray of blood. She was released and darted away.

After that, Aden lost sight of her. The witches ran for the exit, but the beast beat them to it, flashing sharp, dripping teeth, roaring. He chomped at them, and they scrambled backward. He didn’t let them get very far before he batted them with his tail and his wings. So much strength…they propelled into the cave walls, dust pluming around them.

Most of the witches must have been warded against physical injury because no cuts appeared, even when those razor-sharp teeth bit into flesh. But they did scream, as if they could feel the damage that should have been done to their bodies. A few were not warded; they bled. And bled.

Aden jumped to his feet. A shaking Victoria clutched at him, trying to hold herself back, muttering, “So good. Just a taste. A little taste.”

First things first. “Don’t kill them,” Aden told the beast. “Please.” He needed them.

Please, Caleb echoed.

Those large, dark eyes flicked in his direction. They radiated hunger, it seemed, and anger. Anger at the treatment Aden had endured. Just then, Aden could practically hear the beast’s thoughts. The witches were a threat to him, and all threats must be eliminated.

“Please,” he repeated, and received an almost imperceptible nod. “Thank you.”

And now, for his vampire. Aden backed Victoria against the wall and pushed her into a corner. The beast had spent nearly a century inside her, but she had no control over it, and might be considered another threat. Aden was taking no chances.

He faced her, saw that her eyes were alight, glazed and focused behind him. She licked her lips over and over, as if she already tasted the sweetness she craved. Should he try and feed her his own blood or would that just make her craving worse? “Victoria.” He shook her, adding, “I need you to stay here. Do you understand?”

She didn’t respond, was still staring behind him, at the blood.

He kissed her then, hard and fast, but enough to finally gain her attention. She blinked up at him. “Aden?”

“Stay here,” he commanded. “Okay?”

He moved forward, dodging one frantic witch after another. Someone grabbed his arm and jerked, and he tripped to the side. He freed himself and crouched, remained searching…scanning…there. Marie.

Panic clouded her features as she guided her sisters out of harm’s way. She was closing in on him…almost there…he leapt at her, knocking her down, rolling and pinning her to the jagged floor.

Careful, Caleb pleaded.

She struggled, but Aden held tight. “Call the meeting to order.”

“No!” Panic receding, she gripped his chin and forced his eyes to lock with hers. “Hear me well, Haden Stone. You love me. You want to obey me.” Power pulsed from her, growing, spreading, wrapping around him. “Yes, you love me so much.”

Yes, Caleb said. Yes.

A spell, Aden realized. She was weaving a spell, the desire to love and adore her suddenly there. Impossible. He was warded against mind-manipulation. Wasn’t he? Or was he feeling Caleb’s love for her? Caleb’s need to obey her? Or was love an emotion of the heart, rather than the mind, and she could make him feel whatever she wanted?

Someone tried to physically turn his head for him. Victoria, he thought. He recognized the heat of her hands. Still, he resisted. Caleb was muttering about the rightness of Marie’s claim, how everything was going to be okay if they just did whatever she wished. “Aden!”

The voice, so familiar, beloved, reminding him that there was something he needed to do. Something about his friends. His friends! Yes. He needed to save them.

He gave Caleb a mental shove, and the need to please Marie faded. He glared down at her. “Call the meeting. Now! Call it, and the beast will stop.”

“Hear me well.” Her eyes swirled, luring Caleb back to the surface, catching him, snaring them both, beseeching Aden to obey, to forget his purpose a second time. “You love me. You want to—” She shrieked as the beast chomped her by the arm and tossed her through the air.