Since childhood, I'd always looked up to Father, but I'd never imagined seeing him like this. When he rose to greet me, he towered about three feet above me like a dark pillar of evil.

He extended his hand. I recoiled at the smooth, inhuman texture of his dark-blue snakeskin. If not for his eyes, I would never have recognized him.

"Not what you expected, I'm sure." His voice echoed in a bass tone that made my insides quake. "Please, take a seat."

Gaping at Father's transformation, I squirmed in the oversized chair, unable to speak or even formulate a coherent thought.

Even this immense armchair failed to accommodate Father's long torso and silver horns. His incisors glistened in the moonlight when he gave me a mirthless smile.

"Finally, you've come to see the truth as I have," he continued, gazing at the crescent moon. "We must embrace our inner darkness to have any hope of victory in this war."

"No, Father. I've come here because Bragda is still alive," I said.

He directed his cold, hazel gaze at me. "I know."

"What do you mean you know?"

"The Ministry discussed the matter with me, but we decided to use our Warriors to fortify the Minningen border. We're ready to strike in case the Gatál make their move."

"Can't you send a few Fireborn to rescue her?"

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Crossing into their territory weakens our defense," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "We can't take that risk to save one woman unless there's something else to be gained."

"Father, it's Bragda. You must help her!"

"She's not my flesh and blood."

"What has gotten into you?" I exclaimed. "Bragda is your daughter. You can't abandon us again!"

Father recoiled and a flicker of pain washed over his features.

So he did still have a heart.

"Everything I've done, everything I've sacrificed, is to protect our Motherland."

"Halden is ruined! Can't you see?" I jumped to my feet in indignation. "Your program did nothing to prevent the war."

"Only because the other Risa rejected it as you did!"

Father bounded from the chair. I took a wary step backward as he neared me. "Yes, I saw you at the rally. I saw your derisive glare." He leaned forward until his face was inches from mine. "You could have become a Fireborn and protected Halden, but you did nothing."

"I faced the Shadow Riders!"

"And you failed!"

"Papa, this isn't you."

"If you had confronted the enemy with the strength of a Fireborn and the soul of a Sorceress," he said, baring his fangs, "you could have killed the dark lord. Instead, we're on the brink of war."

"It's my oath to heal people, not kill them."

"Your oath has left you weak. It has you begging for your sister's life! Once again, you've shown me you lack the strength to do what is necessary."

Tears of frustration welled in my eyes. "Help us, Papa. Please."

"No."

I blinked, unable to believe my ears. He doesn't want to save her.

"What do you want?" I choked out. "What must I do for you to agree?"

He grasped my shoulders. I winced when his talons dug into my flesh.

"Pledge your service."

"I already have. As a Healer."

"Join the Fireborn, Liselle."

"What?"

"If you want us to risk open hostilities to save Bragda," he said, "you must pledge your service as a Fireborn in return. And bring the raven if you want to revive Peter."

I needed to save Bragda, but could I accept his vision for my future? Could I forsake every goal to save my sister from a terrible fate?

"You know about Peter?"

"Oh, yes," he said with a wry smile. "The Lost Fireborn is on death's door. When he dies, we will freeze his body until Peter's soul can revive it. If he succeeds, he can live on inside it as my servant."

"You would keep him your prisoner in exchange for a new body?"

"Nothing in this world comes free, my dear," he said with a sinister chuckle. "Everything has its price."

"What about Marcus? Will you save him if I join the Fireborn?"

"If Alicia wants to save her friend, she must sign a contract of her own."

A life for a life.

I shook my head, incredulous. "You can't force her to give up everything. Alicia would never break her oath to join the Fireborn.

"Those are my conditions."

"If you refuse to help them, I'll go to the Ministry for help."

"Go ahead," he growled. "The Ministry would never invade Gatál territory unless they could get something valuable in return."

"Why are you doing this?"

"If you and Alicia had become a Fireborn months ago, you would have the power to save your friends. Our clairvoyants have seen what is to come."

"What do you mean?"

"As Fireborn Sorcerers, you will end the Gatál Empire with Alicia and Marcus," he said, clutching my shoulders. "Why do you think the Gatál attacked all of you on Induction Day?"

"Haven't you created enough Fireborn? Have one of them do it!"

"It must be you three," he insisted. "Once every twenty years a Sorcerer rises with the strength to kill the dark lord. We don't know which one of you it is, but our clairvoyants know that one of you will defeat the Shadow King. And I will do anything to ensure he dies."

Father tightened his grip, his claws digging into my flesh to hold me in place. This monster might have had Father's eyes, but they held none of his warmth. None of his soul.

If I became a Fireborn, would I lose myself as well? Would I become a servant of evil?

"If you refuse, only Death will release Bragda from her bondage, and Peter will die as a raven."

"He can fly to the body."

"He can't get through my forcefields," he retorted. "Only my servants can do that."

How dare he?

"I'll tell the Ministry about your little attempt to play God," I said, jutting my chin. "Alicia's father is Minister of Defense. He'll throw you in a dungeon and disband the program."

"Go ahead." Father gave me a wry chuckle. "The program was their idea."

I gaped at Father in dismay. How could the Ministry possibly agree to something so despicable?

"The attack changed everything." He began to pace back and forth in his study. "You don't know the half of it, Liselle. You seem to forget we are at war. Your country needs you. Take the reins!"

"Why don't you lead them?"

"I do, in my own way," he admitted. "We need your charisma, though. Your strength."

That was Father's weakness: he'd never enjoyed leadership. He had the mind of a scientist. A mastermind. He preferred staying behind the scenes, tugging strings like a puppet master.

He schemed.

That meant he needed me, and I had the upper hand.

"If I agree to this, I want your word."

"Pledge your service to me, and I have Ministerial authority to rescue Bragda. If Peter signs, I will bring him to his new body." He paused. "Alicia will have to make her own decision."

"Send a search party. Tonight. Bring her back within a week. No exceptions." I jutted my chin. "If you fail, I'm free to go, no strings attached."

"Agreed," he said with a growl. "If you sign the contract tonight."

My insides turned to ice. Mama had always taught me never to sign any contract right away. The rational part of me knew Father was playing me. But what choice did I have?

I'd already lost everyone. Even Father. I couldn't lose Bragda as well.

"This contract must not bind Alicia in any way," I paused. "And you will not call me Queen. The Fireborn will stand and fight as equals, like all citizens of the Free World."

Father gave me a devilish smile, his fangs glistening in the full moonlight. "I accept your terms."

He extended his hand to me, and I shook it. The cold from his skin spread up my arm, sending a chill down my spine that caused my stomach to churn.

"If you're lying to me, I will kill you."

"Would you kill your own father?" His eyes twinkled. "You do indeed belong here."

"You would let Bragda die," I retorted. "Now, where's the contract?"

With confident strides, he marched towards his desk and retrieved a piece of yellow parchment. To my shock and dismay, it already held the terms of our agreement as though he'd already known how our meeting would proceed.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Legal Clairvoyants. They could foresee any loophole before it happened.

"I told you it was only a matter of time."

I read the contract, word for word. He didn't even use the word Queen as I'd requested a few seconds ago. The whole agreement made my insides turn to slush, but I had other worries.

"Where's the exit clause?"

"Oh, my dear child, don't you know?" He gave me an evil grin. "There's no escape from this. Once you become a Fireborn, once you decide to lead, the change becomes permanent."

I wanted to slap him.

Scanning the rest of the contract, I read that it stipulated my rule. The condition made me cringe, but if I'd rejected the clause, a far more nefarious leader could take my intended place.

Under my command, the Fireborn wouldn't stray from the mandate to protect Minningen.

"You realize that if you fail to recover Bragda, this contract is null and void?"

"I'm confident in my Warriors' abilities."

I scoffed and scanned the contract until the end. "Everything seems to be in order."

Father handed me a quill without an inkwell. "Sign it," he commanded.

I grabbed the quill from the demon and proceeded to sign. As soon as the tip touched the parchment, I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my chest, and I sucked in air through my teeth.

"Heart blood?" I choked. "Really?"

"I'm serious, Liselle. If you break your bond, you will meet a swift end."

I lifted the quill. "Before I agree, you sign it first with this very quill."

He chuckled wryly under his breath and seized the pen. "That's my girl," he said, giving me a sardonic half-smile.

With a flourish, he signed his name in broad, artistic lines, as if relishing the pain. Father had fallen just that far.

He handed me the quill.

As fast as I could, I signed. Tears welled in my eyes as the quill burned my chest, stealing the blood from my heart and using it as ink. Father stared, wide-eyed, as though he'd won a prize.

"Now find her," I commanded as I handed back the document.

To his credit, Father didn't waste any time. He ordered twelve of his finest soldiers to break through enemy lines and retrieve my sister as directed.

"Only twelve?" I asked, quirking my brow. "Is that enough?"

"In a week, we shall meet again," he said after they'd left. "And you will assume command."

"If you find her..."

"Bring your friends to me, Liselle." He stared at his long, sharp talons. "It seems we have much to discuss."

I turned on my heel without a word.