The sound of approaching footsteps caused Rowe to pull back and soundlessly close the basement door. I threw out my senses to find six nightwalkers and three lycanthropes approaching my companions. Sofia was simply the bait in this trap.

“We need to get in there,” I whispered, trying to get around Rowe so I could escape the dark prison.

“Unarmed? We’ll be slaughtered in minutes,” he snapped. “Your friends are surely armed. Let them whittle down their numbers a bit before we go jumping into the fray.”

“Coward! Surely you’re not afraid of a handful of weak nightwalkers and a few pathetic werewolves?” I goaded.

“No! I’m more concerned with the nightwalker I made a deal with stabbing me in the back because it’s convenient. I would prefer to get the numbers down to something more manageable before I go jumping in.”

Laying my hand on the doorknob over his, I took a step up the stair, crowding him. “Remain, if you like. I’m going. But know this, you may be missing your only chance to strike at your kidnappers.”

A low groan followed behind me as I snuck out of the basement and down the hall in my stocking feet. In the light, I could finally see that I was dirty and splattered with my own blood. I hadn’t had the chance to clean up from the new wounds Rowe inflicted on me while I slept. My palm itched to hit him, but it would do no good now. We had to take care of Ferko and Sofia before we left the house. Veyron and the others would have to be taken care of at another time—I was feeling too weak and we needed time to plan.

Rowe and I came upon the same large room where we had met Veyron for the first time. The garden room was ablaze with light, as if trying to cast away the evil spirits that lurked in all the shadowy corners. The wall of windows was black, reflecting back the furniture and occupants of the room. Sofia clung to Danaus’s arm, pleading with him. The hunter placed one hand over hers, comforting her. I nearly set the house on fire. Stefan stood off to the side, looking completely bored.

Nightwalkers and lycanthropes are surrounding you, I warned Stefan. There was no talking to Danaus—his eyes were only on Sofia.

I sense them, he replied blandly.

Then do something useful. Find out where Veyron and Odelia are. She won’t confess to Clarion’s location.

“If we are to help you,” Stefan said to Sofia, not even trying to sound interested, “we need to strike while Veyron is away. Do you know where he has gone?”

“Away. Hunting,” she said in a rushed voice. “But he should be back within the hour. Please, we must hurry before he returns.”

“You’re right. We must hurry,” I said as I walked soundlessly into the room. Rowe stood behind me, capturing Danaus’s dark stare.

“Oh God! She’s escaped!” Sofia cried, tightening her grip on Danaus’s arm. “She came here last night out of her mind. She was trying to kill me, spouting nonsense about evil plots to destroy her. Veyron locked her up in hopes that a good day’s rest would heal her mind. Please, you must protect me!”

Danaus simply stared at me, his face an unreadable mask. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and I was too scared to touch his thoughts. I didn’t want to know if he believed Sofia. In the end it didn’t matter. Danaus and I were already over, and I was going to kill Sofia.

As I took a step toward Sofia, the nightwalkers and lycanthropes that had been patiently waiting in the wings at her disposal entered the room. Ferko brought a low hiss out of Stefan as he eyed the lycanthrope.

“Leave that one to Stefan,” I said as I laid one hand on Rowe’s shoulder. He stared at Ferko for a couple of seconds, frowning, before he finally nodded his agreement that Stefan would get the alpha. Rowe would make do with the nightwalkers.

Angry and frustrated, I was in no mood for a prolonged armed battle. I waved my hand, intending to set the lot of them on fire, but the flames merely swirled through the air and settled in a ball above Sofia’s head before finally winking from existence.

“Witch,” I snarled.

“You’ll not win this one, Fire Starter,” she said as she took a couple steps away from Danaus. “You are outnumbered and outgunned. Veyron needs you dead and that is what I shall deliver.”

The nightwalkers and lycanthropes charged as one. Rowe launched himself at one nightwalker with lightning-fast agility, while Stefan sought to corner Ferko, tearing apart one lycanthrope in the blink of an eye as he moved to protect his alpha. Three nightwalkers flew at me but suddenly dropped to their knees, clawing at their flesh. A familiar warmth filled the air, brushing against my bare cheek and down my neck. I turned to find Danaus standing with one hand extended toward the nightwalkers, killing them with his special gift.

“Here,” he grunted, tossing me a knife from his belt with his free hand.

With a wide grin I launched myself at the remaining nightwalkers. Slicing through tendons and muscles, crushing bones and lacerating vital organs, I left the nightwalkers shrieking in pain as they lay writhing in a pool of their own blood. They had chosen their path, siding with Veyron, and by extension Macaire. I’d had enough of the Ancient’s games. Washed in their blood, I vowed that I would end this struggle for power with Macaire once and for all. I was tired of dodging shadows and running from every perceived threat, whether real or not. I wanted my life back, and I knew it would start again when I finally took out Macaire.

Placing a hand on the chest of each nightwalker, I set them on fire, ending their suffering as I burned them from the inside out. I was too close and too focused for Sofia to be able to stop me this time. They screamed but for a moment, and then were silent forever.

Sliding easily on the balls of my feet on the blood-covered hardwood floor, I turned to face Sofia, who was watching me through narrowed eyes. Her face was twisted with rage, but she suddenly wiped it clean and turned to Danaus.

“Please, Danaus! She’s gone mad! You have to protect me. The nightwalkers want me dead. I’m just some pathetic human for them to play with,” she cried, clutching his arm again.

“Release him,” I hissed, pushing into a standing position. It took all my will not to set her on fire. “He doesn’t believe you any longer. He knows you’re a witch. He knows you tried to use and trick us.”

“It’s a lie! She’s insane!” Sofia screamed, growing more frantic. She was a superb little actress, but my patience was growing short and I was in no mood for games.

“Who stopped my fire attack?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Tell me what Macaire’s demands were. What did he require of Veyron and Odelia?” I demanded.

“Macaire? I don’t know who this Macaire is,” she continued. She took a step away from Danaus for every step I took toward her.

“I’m quite confident that you do. I have no doubt that Macaire directed this entire farce. You already confessed that your goal was to come between Danaus and me. Separate us and force us to fight each other, to kill each other. For who better to kill me than my greatest ally? Definitely a plan of Macaire’s making.”

“Please, Mira, I never meant you any harm.” Sofia extended shaking hands toward me, but there was an evil glint in her eyes. She was plotting something. “Veyron is the one that locked you up. I went to Danaus because I thought he could free me from Veyron’s grasp. I never meant to come between you.”

“I don’t believe you and neither does Danaus. You locked me up with Rowe in hopes that he would do your dirty work for you. Macaire could then go to the rest of the world stating that a naturi killed me.”

Sofia looked over at Danaus, but I refused to drop my gaze from her face. The witch dropped her hands back to her sides and then frowned at me. “A lot of good that did us,” she finally confessed. “The naturi is now fighting with you when he should have spent the day ripping your insides out with his bare hands.”