The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs sounds tranquil, and I try to focus on it to distract me from the nightmare I’m in. Standing on the cliff’s edge of Iç Ada, I stare up and the monolithic structure that is the home of the Delegation. This ancient and wonderous Turkish castle has stood tall for thousands of years and actually holds many pleasant memories for me, but now it’s about to be my tomb. Arthwin and Aulen both place a hand on my shoulders and guide me past the barrier. Aulen also has a hand on Manon to let her past the barrier. The Fortis twins became the Kartheca’s resident makkares a few centuries ago. The Delegation always have makkares living here to aid them should they need it, and they are almost always twins. Twin makkares hold a level of magic that is beyond the average makkari, but not as strong as a Priest or Priestess. Alone they are no stronger than the average makkari, but when they combine the flames of their magic together, they’re quite t

“I got what you needed,” says Alaric, handing me a jar of powdered devil’s tongue. “Thank you,” I say, putting my jacket on the table and proceeding to load the powder into the grenades, securing them and placing them on top of my jacket. “You look ready for battle,” he comments. “Like riding a bike,” I say apathetically as I check everything is secure. “I don’t see anything to use on a mutolupus or nagata,” he notices. “If I show up carrying weapons that can hurt them, they’ll see me as a threat and won’t help me. I need them to listen to me.” “I think one look at you is enough to see you as a threat. You’re covered in weapons.” I place my hands on the table and glare at him, “Then I will surrender them if they ask. Your job is to get me there, not worry about my safety.” “Isolde wouldn’t want you getting hurt for her,” he says sincerely, but his words only make me angrier. “New rule. For the time we are stuck together, you are forbidden to say her name. If I so much as hear

Stepping through the portal I find myself in the middle of a forest, but the temperature is surprisingly warm and even past the canopy of the trees I can tell the sun is beating down. I see a tree next to the portal and pull out one of my throwing knives and carve an X into the tree, so I know where to return to. IF I return that is. I slip the knife back into its holster and begin walking through the forest, not having a clue where I’m going but one thing I know for certain is these wolves will find me before I find them. A disadvantage of hunting supernatural beings is they have better senses than you do. I take another step and wince feeling an ache in my ribs. That fight with Matteo did a number on me, and as satisfying as it was to get some of this anger out, I should have just shot him and saved myself the time and energy. Worse than the aches from our fight is the unbearable pain in my chest that has been festering since Isolde rejected me. I feel completely drained, like some

Amelia looks at him in surprise, “Jazz?” “You know how I told you I broke out of that venator prison?” He asks. Amelia nods in response and I feel my stomach twist into a knot. He did not just say venator prison. Please don’t fucking tell me I’m in a room with a wolf my family locked in a cell. Give me a fucking break! “Well, I didn’t break out, so much as I was BROKEN out,” he admits. “Who broke you out?” Amelia asks curiously. “Her animai,” he says, gesturing to me. Motherfucking cunt of a fucking shit! Suddenly everyone’s eyes blow wide. “She told me she had a vision of my death, so she got herself captured so she could free me, but she got the timing off and ended up in there days early. When I saw her she was weak and had been heavily tortured, but it didn’t stop her. She got every single one of us out and to our homes. I confronted her about Mei, and she told me much of what Valeria has just told us,” he explains. “Jasper…” Amelia says in disbelief, “You knew an innocent wom

“Are you sure about this?” Chris asks Mei, while I resist the urge to tap my foot. “I’m positive,” she chirps, “I’ll have my link open the whole time, I promise,” she says, reaching up on her tippy toes to kiss him. He wraps his arms around her lifting her with ease as he returns her kiss causing her cream-coloured cheeks to blush. “Please be safe,” he begs in a whisper, placing a kiss on her forehead as he lowers her back down. “I promise to come home in one piece,” she says with a bright smile. Chris looks over at me with hard eyes, but I can see the worry he’s trying to hide. I’ll cut the man some slack since I’m kind of in the same boat. “Remember what I said,” he says in warning. “Anything happens to her, and you’ll kill me. Trust me, your majesty, if we fail at this, I’ll personally come to you so you can kill me,” I say darkly. Chris looks unsettled and Mei looks sad at my words, but I mean them wholeheartedly. If I lose Isolde, I don’t want to go on. Chris reluctantly l