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  “I know how,” Ella says shrugging. “So does Kimber. Drackus has a torture chamber, and we learned to fight with the sharp objects like pros.”

  That almost makes me smile and forget the dire situation at hand.

  Calypso and Alyssa whip their heads around to Drackus who groans and gives Ella an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look. She shrugs innocently, working her granddaughter charm on him until he looks away.

  “What?” he asks, holding his hands up. “Sometimes I have to deal with stubborn humans. The room is just for show, considering I don’t need weapons. It’s not like I actually use them.”

  Calypso glares disbelievingly until Drackus turns into a sullen child and adds in a grumble, “Well, not anymore.”

  My lips finally twitch, and I turn to see Thad covering his mouth with his hand. Chaz bites back a grin while winking over at Kimber, and I pull her a little closer. As bad as these weapons are for us, they’ll give her an advantage.

  “I’ve been around a while,” I say, my lips still in her hair. “I’ve joined mortal wars out of boredom. I know how to slice and dice, so I’ll take them out there and work with them.”

  “Ella won’t need it,” Kimber says, looking over at her sister.

  “Never know,” she chirps, walking outside, and I tilt my head to look at Kimber. “See you guys in the morning for our crash course,” Ella adds over her shoulder.

  Kimber shrugs a shoulder, and I tug her hand in mine, pulling her back upstairs. Dice’s voice carries as he calls after us. “I’ll be in on that too, dark boy. See you in the morning.”

  Great.

  Kimber doesn’t say anything all the way up the stairs, and that strikes me as curious. The second we’re inside my soundproof room with the door shut, I decide to address it, because I have a feeling I know what’s going on.

  “Why don’t you want Ella working with us?”

  She shrugs a shoulder again, not meeting my eyes.

  “I just don’t. Drop it.”

  Groaning, I stand and watch her move over to her bag.

  “Is this because she looks like Alyssa? Because if you’re worried that I’m going to—”

  She bursts out laughing, interrupting all I was about to say, and I tilt my head. “Get over yourself,” she says through her snickers. “I’m not jealous of you and her. And I just finished telling you I trust you. I also trust her. I don’t want her training with us because she’s stronger than me. It takes very little effort for her to kick my ass.”

  Her lips pucker in a playful pout as I process that, and then I’m suddenly smiling. It’s rare that I’m genuinely surprised by someone.

  “So this is pride, not jealousy?” I tease, moving over to her as her hands clasp behind my neck with a refreshing familiarity.

  “You’re being an ass,” she says in a singsong voice, even though she’s smiling up at me.

  I rest my hands on her hips, teasing her with my smile, before saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from your sister, and we’ll give you a battle cry or something to make you look tougher.”

  My air leaves in a whoosh, and I grunt when I collapse to the floor, holding my stomach as the pain racks through me. I never saw her knee coming.

  “That sounds like a good battle cry. Why don’t you teach me that sound?” she jokes.

  I dematerialize from the floor, and she squeals as I rematerialize in front of her. Her laughter coats the room when I tackle her to the bed and pin her there. But the second her lips are close to mine, the playful atmosphere dissolves, and so does her smile.

  The moment our lips touch, the electricity between our connection explodes inside of me, and I get lost in her for the third time today.

  Chapter 17

  GAGE

  “She looks hot wearing that sword,” Dice says, waggling his eyebrows at me when he catches me staring off the balcony at Kimber.

  I shift uncomfortably. We’ve been here for two weeks, and Kimber is more mine than anyone has ever been. Two weeks has felt like an eternity in the best possible way.

  Kimber has on a pair of some weird legging things that hug her too damn well and a tight top that leaves little to the imagination, but she won’t wear loose clothing when training or fighting. She wears the sword on her hip like a pro, and she wasn’t joking when she said she knows how to use it.

  “Today’s the day,” I sigh.

  “Yeah. The others have already left. Looks like you and me are leading this team.”

  I snort while shaking my head. “Kimber and I are leading this team. Where’s Karma?”

  “She’s practicing her shot with her death ball of fire. That shit is scary.”

  He shudders for effect, and I smirk. Kimber has been focusing on opening Karma up to her powers. The girl knows how to possess dolls, but she struggles with her other powers, considering she hasn’t had anyone training her. But Kimber has fixated on her and helping her get stronger. It’s amazing what she can accomplish with all that focus, and Karma has been the ideal student because she’s just as obsessed with learning.

  She wants blood. She wants her sister back. And we’re about to make it all happen tonight.

  “I don’t like the dynamic between her and Chaz,” Dice says randomly.

  “It’s odd. It’s like she thinks he’s dangerous,” I tell him, watching Kimber as she flips through the air, dodging the fireball that came from nowhere.

  Christ. They really need to train a little safer.

  Karma comes into view, smirking over at Kimber who is smiling at her. Dice keeps his voice low to escape the chance of being overheard.

  “At least it’s not sexual tension. I can read that effortlessly.”

  Dice apparently really cares about her if he’s even thinking like that, and for some reason, that makes me smile.

  “This starts tonight. Oddly enough, all of the rings are actually aligned, separated by the planes only. It’s clever, but it’s also dangerous. They can move between the planes quickly and shift prisoners when necessary, but it also makes an invasion easier.”

  Dice leans over the railing just as the sun starts to set.

  “You ready for this?”

  My eyes stay on Kimber, and I know without a doubt I’ll do anything in this world to keep her safe.

  “If I lose it, make her get the hell out of there. I don’t want her to see it.”

  He snorts out a laugh. “She was raised by Drackus. She can handle a Mr. Hyde half better than anyone.”

  An exhausted sigh slips through my lips. “Drackus losing it is equal to a child’s tantrum compared to when I lose it, Dice. I mean it; get her away from me if anything goes wrong.”

  His eyes widen as he swallows a lump. “Christ,” he breathes. “I knew you were powerful, but when you put it that way… Shit. Try not to lose it.”

  Instead of saying anything, I leap over the railing, vaporizing before I hit the ground and appearing at Kimber’s side. Her fingers lace with mine as we make our way toward my car. Our oblivious army will be meeting us close to the line.

  And then I just have to hope all hell doesn’t break loose.

  ***

  GAGE

  Standing inside the shadows, we look on through the dark plains. Perpetual night rests here, and I can’t imagine being stuck in a place with no sun for centuries. The large, castle-like structure is the only standing proof of life on this plane other than the sets of glowing eyes of the night creatures that are bound to this plane.

  “They have the perimeter guarded by trap crystals,” Karma hisses.

  I can see at least thirty guards armed with what is most likely anointed weapons—weapons we plan to seize from all the rings.

  “I’ll handle that,” I remind her, even though she still doubts me. She was unconscious during the time I broke us out of the trap crystals.

  Kimber stands from her crouched position, and she turns to meet my eyes. “It’s now or never.”

  I nod once, and then I step out of the s
hadows and into the moonlight. It takes less than a second for a loud alarm to sound, but I don’t stop. The shuffling of feet and the whizzing of arrows strike the air around me, but I walk forward, letting the power roll off me in adrenaline-buzzing waves.

  My fingers burn with the untapped power at their tips just before the blue and red orb forms, and I smirk at the eyes staring on and trying to take me down without success. Their arrows misfire and strike each other as my smile grows darker, and I slam the orb into the sparkling barrier, destroying it with the powerful shot.

  I hear the rush from behind me as arrows of our own attack the night, and I push out a force strong enough to drop many of them to their knees. Reminding myself that I’m close to using too much power to come down from, I hold back, releasing the safest amount.

  Kimber moves through the crowd, disappearing through her portals and emerging in random places, slicing through the anointed weapons wielders with their own toys. Her blonde hair sways to its own song of death and destruction as she becomes a dark angel with a fierce bite, her blades cutting and drawing blood.

  Dice fights his way through, clearing a path for me as the power continues to flow from my body, disrupting their attempts to thwart off our army. Yelps and cries for help are lost amongst our merciless quest, and I continue walking toward the doors.

  With a powerful push of power, the doors burst open, and I step just inside. Numerous armed men greet me with their crossbows trained on me, and I smirk before their weapons disintegrate in their hands.

  The panic that takes over their expressions is actually delicious, and the crawl of insanity tries to work its way in. People slam into the cages, catching the weaponless fiends that have had them trapped, and necks snap, cries of pain ring out, and revenge is sought even before they break free.

  I study the seal on the ground as the madness continues, and I silently chant the spell just as I slice my hand with one of the anointed blades. The blood drips onto the seal, and then I pull forth one of my orbs.

  Glancing around, I see everyone inside the cages watching me, waiting for what I’ll do next, even though they have no idea what I’m doing.

  “If you seek revenge on your captors, I’ll be your ally. If you cause harm to the innocent, I’ll be your enemy,” I warn them, meeting their eyes.

  No one says anything. Dirty and wasting away in their cells, I receive a few nods from them. It’s an unspoken understanding on their part.

  Without another word, I slam the orb into the seal, stepping back as the orb takes life and runs through the veins of the intricate design, bringing it to life. The dirty floor becomes lit up by the glowing phenomenon, and I hear the cells and shackles unlatching, releasing who knows what kind of beings.

  I really hope we don’t regret this.

  Bodies vaporize, disappearing. Some grab others, dematerializing the friends they’ve made while stuck in a place where they needed each other to survive. I don’t pay any more attention, because my focus is now on Kimber, getting back to her and keeping her safe.

  But it’s no use. I smile when I see they’ve handled the outside guards with ease, and my breath finds me in relief.

  It almost seems too easy.

  Kimber makes her way toward me, sheathing her swords on her hips. Damn, that’s hot.

  I’m still sane, the prisoners are free, and the captors are mostly dead or in retreat. We actually did it.

  Kimber’s triumphant grin falls as her face turns fearful before she shoots an arrow. I whirl around, ready to kill whoever it is, and see the arrow suspended midair in front of the eyes of a ghost and an army we’re not prepared for.

  Chapter 18

  KIMBER

  There are too many, but they’re not firing yet. Instead, the dark-haired man stares at Gage as though they know each other, and Gage’s jaw tightens.

  “Should have known this is the one you’d pick to hit. I have to admit, I’m impressed you found my rings so fast,” the guy says while plucking my suspended arrow from the air and tossing it to the ground as though it’s no big deal.

  Our smaller army is ready for a fight, just waiting for the word, but Gage doesn’t give it. We have maybe fifty people. They have at least two hundred, and the air around us becomes heavier with each passing second.

  A girl steps up from behind the unknown guy with a familiar face, but I don’t know him. And I don’t know her.

  Her dark hair frames her face and drops to her chest in board-straight fashion, and her long, black dress doesn’t look like something you’d wear to a fight. Her eyes are soft, her skin is pale, and even in the darkness, I see the look in her gaze. She looks sad, beaten down… broken.

  “Morgana,” Gage says on a gasp, and my eyes widen.

  Morgana? So this is the girl he lost and the guy who stole her away.

  She gives him a tight smile, but the guy beside her smiles bigger. “What’s wrong? Think she was dead?”

  Gage narrows his eyes on the guy.

  “No, but I thought you sure as fuck was, considering I thought I killed you over two centuries ago.”

  The guy smirks mockingly, dusting lint from his jacket as though this isn’t a big deal.

  “You always were envious of me. Then again, sibling rivalry isn’t uncommon, is it, brother?”

  My eyes widen in shock, and several gasps follow the revelation. My phone—which has been blessed by my mother’s magic—chirps. I only look at it in hopes that it’s someone saying their own their way, but instead, it’s the incubus with horrible timing and no damn sense.

  Dice: #OMG!! #WeAreSoDead

  I don’t have time to glare at him or roll my eyes, instead, I send a quick message to Ella, hoping she and the split up armies have been successful and can come help. We just have to stall until they can.

  “You,” Gage scoffs. “I should have known. Only someone as sick and twisted as you could run the rings.”

  Gage’s brother casts a sideways glance at me, eyeing me as I step closer to Gage. Then his eyes return to my dark user.

  “Me?” he asks him. “Oh, come on, brother. You know as well as I do that I learned from the best. You’re far sicker and much more twisted. Just because you kiss the queen’s ass now doesn’t mean you aren’t a sicker fuck than I. Tell me, does your sweet queen and her darling family know what a monster they have entrusted their lives to?”

  Gage’s jaw clenches and his fists tighten. “Morgana could always enlighten them,” the guy adds, trying to get a rise out of Gage.

  Gage takes a steadying breath, reining in his anger, and the army behind his brother pulls up their crossbows, taking aim.

  “That won’t be necessary,” Gage’s brother says over his shoulder. “I’ll handle this all on my own.”

  Gage snorts derisively. “Overly confident, aren’t you, Gavin? The last time we were in this position, I was the one to walk away.”

  Gavin’s eyes darken as his sinister smile crawls up, sending a shiver down my spine. I really wish Gage wouldn’t goad him. I thought he was stalling.

  “Things have changed, brother. A lot of things have changed. For instance, the company you keep has changed. Pretty little thing, but she’s pure, isn’t she? Untainted? Unlike the way you left Morgana when you slaughtered hundreds right in front of her eyes.”

  His eyes shift to me, and he watches for me to react. I don’t, and it seems to irk him.

  “But I bet she doesn’t know who killed her parents, does she?”

  That has my attention, and this time I do react involuntarily as I look over to Gage.

  “You really want to taunt Kimber, or are you going to make a move?” Gage growls.

  “Oh,” Gavin drawls, walking over to Morgana and taking a lock of her hair before rubbing it between his index finger and thumb, “so she doesn’t know that it was our dear, sweet mother who slaughtered them and tossed her into the slave cells.”

  Gage shakes his head, cursing while looking away from his brother, and his eyes meet my
teary ones. No. He knew?

  “I didn’t know for sure, Kimber. I was going to look into it after this was settled,” he tells me softly, but my heart won’t slow down. Amari. It was Amari who did this to me. That fucking bitch. Now she’s dead, and I can’t end her life myself.

  Gage turns his attention back on Gavin, and the ground rumbles beneath our feet. “Fuck the small talk, brother.”

  With a powerful surge that I feel quake inside my bones, Gage launches a streak of power like I’ve never seen, but Gavin spins, forcing out a power of his own, and slices Gage’s attack into nothing.

  Gage’s eyes widen, but before he can do anything else, my ears start ringing, my body vibrates with pain, and I drop to my knees when I feel as though I’m being crushed from the inside out.

  The ringing is overshadowed by the cries of pain from everyone behind me, and I look over as Gage fights to keep standing. Gavin is smirking, but I feel as though my body is close to exploding.

  “Told you things have changed, brother.” Gavin’s smug tone destroys the ounce of hope I have for our survival, and then Gage bows and drops, grunting and growling in pain as he’s forced to join us on the ground.

  “Always wondered what it would look like to have you bow before me.”

  Gage looks over at me with apologetic eyes, trying unsuccessfully to move toward me, but it’s pointless. The blood starts pouring from my mouth, and I choke on the metallic taste, frozen in place.

  Just as my vision dims, something lights up the sky, and yelps of pain from the other side ring out. The pressure containing me lessens and lifts, and I look up just in time to see waves of power rolling in.

  Alyssa and Kane are flinging orbs and streaks from their palms, and Gavin curses when he struggles to affect them and us at the same time. Then, the entire fleet arrives, bodies appearing all over as the power around us rushes through.

  Gage manages to get to his feet, and he comes over to grab me and pull me up. A lycan crashes through the planes, and my heartbeat kicks up when I realize it’s Ella in changed form. She shreds through the front line who have their arrows pointed at her, but Gage flings his hand, knocking the weapons away.