Makaela's entire body shuddered as she bolted out of Olivier's study.

Her head spun as she stared at Thorian's back as he and his son dueled within the study. She watched as the boy threw a spell at his father. Her eyes couldn't comprehend what they were seeing. A million questions raced throughout her psyche. It was him. Her first crush. The first, and only, boy to break her heart. Sebastian Lazarus Obscurin Tedorof. The son of the Black Lotus, heir to the Order and House Tenebris. Out of all the people in the world, he was the one to save her. Lumi must've been playing some sort of sick joke on her. If it was a joke, Makaela didn't find it funny.

As she watched them duel, all her questions melded into a single thought:

What the hell is going on here?

Part of her felt like it was a trick. One big ruse to get her to lower her guard and relinquish the Illumio. But as she watched Thorian and Sebastian battle, she knew they weren't faking it. They were fighting to kill.

Her head started to spin a little faster. This time, she attributed it to the blood leaking out the back of her skull. 

Pressing a hand to the leaking wound, she moved toward the staircase leading up to the bedrooms. Sebastian told her to leave, but she couldn't just yet. Not without her bag. She wasn't going anywhere without it. The clothes didn't matter to her; it was her father's spell book she needed.

After arriving in her room, she snatched her bag full of clothes. Then she rushed over to the bed in search of her book. She went stiffer than a statue. It wasn't there. But it had to be. She went to sleep with it in her arms. Where could it have gone?

No, no, no...

The book was all she had left of her father. She couldn't leave it. She wouldn't leave.

Her eyes scanned the room for the book. As she stumbled around the room, her foot got caught on something hiding near the corner of her bedframe. She nearly cried tears of joy after seeing what it was.

"Oh, thank the gods," she mumbled while planting kisses on the leather cover. After stuffing it into the bag hanging from her shoulder, she prepared to leave the room.

As she stood beneath the doorframe, she gave her bedroom one last look. Her hand tightened around her bag. Ten years of her life had been spent in that room. Nights full of tears and anger lingered within those four walls. A sob rose in her throat, but she pushed it down.

The time for grieving would have to wait.

Releasing a breath, she closed the door behind her and made her way back down the staircase. Reaching the foot of the stairs, she whipped her head around, searching for any enemies. She found none.

One of the three Shades the dark lord arrived with was unconscious in the living room. Xander had defeated Owl Face before he was slain by Thorian. Sorrow slammed into her out of nowhere. With her throat closing up, it took everything within her to stop from collapsing.

Xander was dead. He died protecting her. His death was on her hands.

Just like all the others who fell to the Order because of her.

It was all her fault.

Her eyes widened. Remy. He was still alive. At least, she hoped he was. Her cousin had run off a few minutes earlier. Rabbit Face went after him. She had to find him before the Shade did. And when she did find that rabbit, she would kill her.

With a nod, she raced for the backdoor. After stepping out into the frigid night air, a crash sounded in the house behind her. Olivier's study and living room had gone up green flames, burning the wallpaper and furniture. She found Thorian's body laid out on the dining table, his face pointed upward. Sebastian was nowhere to be found. Her heart stopped.

Oh no.

Another cold breeze touched her clammy skin. A cloud of shadows pooled beside her. Seconds later, Sebastian stepped out of it. Tiny cuts blighted his pale skin.

Makaela sighed with relief. Then she raised an eyebrow at him.

"How did you do that?"

"The explosion or the shadowjumping?"

Crossing her arms, she rolled her eyes. "I know what shadowjumping is." She pointed at his father, who had yet to move. "How did you do that?"

"Training with dark magicians for a decade can teach you a few things." Jogging past her, he headed for the tree line ahead of them. "He'll be back up soon. Let's go."

"I have to find my cousin first." Her eyes settled on the backdoor of the chateau. A curse slipped past her lips. Olivier was still inside. They couldn't leave without him either. "My uncle- We have to go back for him."

Sebastian walked up to her. Gripping her shoulders with his strong hands, he stared straight into her bright eyes. It took all her willpower not to melt under his touch. She forced a stern look onto her face and met his steely gaze.

"We cannot go back in there."

"We have to-"

"You think my father only brought three Shades with him? More will be on the way. We have to go. Now."

Makaela opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by a chorus of wolf howls echoing through the forest surrounding her home. The noise traveled through the leaves of the trees, piercing the night air. The hairs on her arms and neck stood at attention.

Her stomach twisted into knots.

"Redfangs." Sebastian cursed. His eyes cut to the trees before moving back to hers. "Makaela, we can't stay here."

She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. He was right. Hanging her head, she nodded. Going back into the chateau was a death sentence. She could barely stand, and Sebastian wouldn't be able to fend off multiple magicians on his own. As much as it pained her, she couldn't save her uncle.

Her fists clenched at her side.

She couldn't save anyone.

I promised him...

Her bottom lip quivered as she fought back tears. "Can we at least find my cousin? I can't leave him behind too."

Sebastian thought for a moment. After throwing another glance to the forest, he grumbled something unintelligible. He raked a hand through his silky black hair. "Fine. But if we can't find him in the next few minutes, we're leaving."

"We'll find him."

"You'd better hope so."

The two of them faced then darted off into the woods in search of Remy. Dodging gnarled tree roots and mounds of dirt, Makaela scanned the trees with keen eyes. Her face lit up as she spotted flashes of lights a few yards ahead.

"There!" She pointed at the light show.

Sebastian nodded.

Together, they ran toward it.

Darkness swallowed them as they delved deeper into the woods. The trees loomed over them like huge statues, their canopies above blocking the slivers of moonlight pouring down from the dense clouds. Makaela tried her best to keep up with Sebastian, her wooziness wasn't making it easy. She pressed two fingers to the back of her head. The flow of blood has lessened, but she desperately needed a bandage.

And a healing charm.

Eventually, Makaela and Sebastian arrived in a small clearing. She found Remy scampering behind a fallen log, yelling as he covered his head. Little fires danced along the trees, bathing the forest in orange-red light. Rabbit Face stood on the other side of the fiery glade with steam pouring from her casting hand. Soot stained the silver of her mask.

"You can't hide forever!" the woman shrieked. She cackled like a hyena as she stalked toward the sixteen-year-old lightweaver. "I'm going to enjoy pulling your flesh from your bones after we capture you and your filthy halfling cousin."

Remy screamed.

Even with a mask on, she looked insane. Makaela scowled. As she stepped to confront the Shade, a wave of nausea slammed into her. Holding back bile, she stumbled backward. Sebastian snaked a hand around her waist, holding her close against him. Had she not been about to pass out, she would've pushed him off.

He might've saved her, but they weren't friends.

Had she been stronger, she would've killed him and his father.

"Go get your cousin," he told her. His deep voice sounded lightyears away. "I'll take care of Yuri."

She tried to argue, but her words were more slurred than a drunk's during happy hour.

"Don't argue," he said. "Just do it."

Mumbling nonsense, she peeled herself off him and trudged over to where her cousin hid.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sebastian rush into battle. He sprinted at Rabbit Face. He drove his knee into her back, sending her to the ground. Pouncing on top of her, he pointed his newly summoned dagger at her face. Shrieking, she fought to free herself from beneath him.

Makaela hated that she was impressed.

Shaking her head, she hurried over to her cousin. Shouting like a banshee, he threw a weak light attack at her. It was nothing more than benign sparkles that were more annoying than anything. He quickly apologized upon realizing it was just her.

"Seriously, Remy?"

"I panicked!"

Sticking out her hand, she urged him to take it. "C'mon, let's go."

After helping pull him to his feet, he pointed at Sebastian. "Who the heck is that?" He paused. "And why does he look like a model?"

"No, he doesn't," she lied. Her face warmed. "Don't worry about that. We need to-"

Something tore through her right shoulder. It ripped straight through the muscle, clearing the bone. A searing pain ravaged the entire right side of her body. Had it not been for Remy, she would've fallen face-first into the dirt.

Blinking away tears, she tried to get a good look at her arm. Blood soaked through her shirt and dripped down her bicep. She didn't know what hit her, but whatever it was hurt like hell.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no." Remy looked like he was going to throw up.

Ahead of them, Rabbit Face cackled as she walked toward them. Multiple shards of black energy were wedged between her fingers. Before she could launch another, Sebastian tackled her to the ground. He pinned her arms to the ground and swiftly punched her across the face.

She was out like a light.

Makaela was in too much pain to celebrate. Stars had filled her vision. Too much blood was leaving her body. A chilling feeling, like the fingers of death itself, gripped her-and it wasn't the breeze rifling through the forest.

In an instant, Sebastian appeared next to an injured Makaela and a hyperventilating Remy.

"Get ahold of yourself, kid," he hissed. With his black dagger in hand, he cut off a piece of his shirt. He then tied it around her shoulder, earning a sharp yell from her. It only made the pain worse. But at least it helped staunch the bleeding. "Hold that there. Keep pressure on it," he told Remy.

The boy did as he was told.

Sebastian took a deep breath. Even though she was quickly fading away, she could see the exhaustion exuding from him. He placed his hand on Remy's shoulder and the other on Makaela's forearm.

"Here we go," he muttered. "Hopefully I don't die doing this."

Makaela couldn't even muster the words to question him. Her eyes fluttered, her consciousness fleeting.

Through her waning vision, she watched the shadows of the forest crawl toward her. They crawled along the ground like an army of spiders. As they covered her, it felt like a hundred cold hands were caressing every inch of her skin.

Soon, her surroundings faded into darkness despite her eyes remaining open. Nauseating weightlessness enveloped her.

Then it ended. The coldness was gone. Everything around her gradually faded back into view. She blinked, her sight blurry. Still on the ground, she took a look around herself.

They weren't in the forest anymore. They were somewhere else entirely. But before she could determine their location, the muscles in her neck gave out. Her head hit solid concrete. Then she passed out.