When they were destroyed, their ashes left to dance in the wind, I summoned up my powers again and searched the island for Danaus. I had a vague idea where I was but couldn’t waste time wandering around in the darkness. I located the hunter with ease. He was my beacon in the night.

Cutting across the open farmland, I ran as quickly as my wounded body would permit. I had lost blood and my body was trying to repair itself, but it wasn’t an easy job, as I refused to stop and rest. Reaching the road again, I picked up speed, and returned to the ruins in a matter of minutes.

At the main courtyard, I found Jabari at the westernmost sacrifice. He was easily tearing through one naturi after another as each one bravely approached the Ancient. Danaus was to the east, holding his own with a sword in his hand while naturi formed a semicircle around the hunter. James was still staked to the ground, though one of his hands was loose and he was struggling to free his other hand.

Ryan was my greatest concern. The warlock stood opposite Rowe. As I approached them, I paused long enough to pick up a short sword from the ground. A lost weapon from a dead naturi. It wasn’t my first choice, but I’d lost one of my knives in Rowe earlier and the harpies had stolen my gun. I had one knife left, and I was going to need that if Rowe pinned me again.

Overhead, the sky had begun to churn and the wind gusted, whipping my hair in front of my face. Rowe was calling up another storm. The ground around Ryan glowed a strange pale blue. The warlock had created some sort of protective circle to keep the naturi physically at bay. But I knew it wouldn’t protect him from a bolt of lightning. At least, not for long.

“We’re not finished!” I shouted across the courtyard. Rowe’s head snapped up, and for a breath he actually looked surprised. Then the shock melted away, the fleeting emotion replaced with a grin that reminded me of my old tormentor, Nerian.

“Good to see you in one piece,” Rowe replied. His one good eye jumped from me to Ryan and back again as he struggled to watch the warlock and me at the same time.

I was about to lunge at him when someone far more interesting captured my attention. “Rowe, you once said there was some great reason why I was left alive that day. Some role I had yet to play,” I shouted over the gusting wind. “Call this me returning the favor.”

Rowe genuinely looked confused as I sidled past him and moved toward the female naturi who stood nearby. She was the one who’d appeared within the Great Hall. She was the one with whom the bargain had been made. She held a sword in one hand and her lips were pressed into a thin line of worry. She knew I recognized her despite the fact that she now wore a pair of jeans and a black tank top.

“I see you got your playmate back,” I taunted. “Did she enjoy her stay within the hall?”

The tip of Rowe’s sword dipped as he looked from me to the other naturi at his side.

“She’s insane,” the female quickly said, shaking her head. “She’s lying. I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

“Hmmm…” Rowe said, taking a step away from her. “Maybe. But then, Mira’s not one to lie.”

“Jabari! Is this her?” I shouted across the courtyard, hoping to snag the attention of the Ancient as he tore apart another naturi. The Elder turned, his robes soaked in blood. He casually paused for a moment and looked at the naturi I had indicated.

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Kill her. The bargain is off.”

“You can’t call off the bargain!” she screamed without thinking. “A single member of the Coven can’t call off the bargain. You promised us!”

I didn’t think she would go for it so easily. I wasn’t sure how many of the remaining naturi in the region were a part of this faction that wanted Aurora dead. I needed to not only convince Rowe that there was a deal, but those faction members also had to believe that the bargain was dead. I had dreaded this moment, but now that it was here, I didn’t feel the panic I’d anticipated. Adrenaline pumped through my body and my hand tightened on the hilt of the short sword I held. I was ready to finally take matters into my own hands, ready to take back a measure of control of my life.

“I claim the open seat on the Coven,” I announced, straightening my stance. “Jabari, do you recognize my claim?”

The smile grew across his face and I could feel him laughing in triumph. “I recognize your claim,” he solemnly replied with a bow of his head. And then his voice changed to something darker, more insidious, as he finished, “Welcome to the Coven.”

“Now, as we were saying,” I continued, turning my attention back to the naturi, who stood before me with her face growing redder with anger. “The bargain is off. If you want Aurora dead, you can do it yourself. The door is staying closed.”

“No!” she screamed. She came running at me with her sword raised above her head.

Grabbing a knife from my side with my free hand, I knelt down and threw it directly at her chest. The small knife buried itself in her heart. She paused, still standing, long enough for me to rise to my feet and remove her head with a single, fluid swing.

Her blood sprayed everywhere, pelting me in the face. I wiped it off with the back of my hand as I turned my full attention back to Rowe. “Obviously, you didn’t have all your ducks in a row, but you do now.”

“The same could be said about you and your young man,” Rowe countered, motioning with his sword toward Danaus.

James was sitting up now, but the naturi were getting closer. Danaus was painfully outnumbered, while Jabari was trying to defend the two other humans at the same time. The bargain was dead, but we were stretched too thin to try to stop the sacrifice. Besides, there would be no combining our powers this time. Danaus and I were desperate, but what we’d done last time was too ugly to repeat. There had to be another way.

“I—”

Whatever Rowe meant to say was cut off when another naturi called to him. His whole body stiffened at the sound of her voice. He quickly stepped backward, putting some distance between himself and Ryan. But I also noticed he carefully positioned himself between me and the newcomer.

It drew my attention to her. She was shorter than me and her body was incredibly slender, as if she were only an animated skeleton in soft gray clothes. A mass of straight black hair hung down her back. She watched me with enormous eyes that seemed to be the same shade of pale gray as her clothes. In fact, the only thing that didn’t seem to be monotone in this slim creature was her ruby red mouth, which at the moment held neither a smile nor a frown. I watched her until Rowe stepped into my line of sight, thinking insanely that she looked familiar.

Rowe shouted something at her and she responded. They spoke in their own language, which I couldn’t understand. But Rowe’s body language and tone spoke volumes. He pointed his sword at me with his right hand and waved his left hand at her, motioning her to stay back. Eyes narrowed and body bent forward, he was ready to attack me if I took a single step toward her.

Again he shouted some direction at her that I couldn’t understand. Just over his shoulder, I saw her gaze up at the sky once. There was no moon to see, but I knew what she was doing. She wasn’t looking for some celestial body or even a fresh wave of winged naturi to aid them. I knew her expression—she was gauging the night. We were out of time.

Something clenched in my stomach and my hands started to shake. Now was the moment, and I felt trapped. I was afraid to use my powers. I could kill us all. There was too much energy in the air and I wouldn’t be able to control it.

“Danaus!” I screamed. I hoped the hunter heard me. I hoped he understood by the desperate plea in my voice what I was asking, because there was no more time for plans and explanations. “Kill the female! Stop her!” My voice rang out over the fighting, echoing across the valley. Jabari, Danaus, and Ryan heard me. They would stop her if I could not.