Castle Braexus made Makaela wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

She and her group huddled behind a stubby wall, damaged from past battles, a few yards away from the fortress. Its black walls stretched into a grey sky, crude spikes protruding from faded bricks. The castle itself was shaped like a skull-round in the front with a rectangular rear divided into four separate sections. Towers dotted the bridge running along the walls, each manned by a masked Shade.

Makaela kept her head behind her cover. The element of surprise was on their side. She needed to keep it that way.

Snow hung in the air, frozen around her as if she were trapped in a picture frame. Enclosing the snowy plain were sky-bound trees with lofted branches, thick trunks, and leaves darker than ash. They swayed in the wind, dancing to the song of death in the air.

Shivering, Makaela wrapped her arms around herself.

The others seemed to be fairing similarly against the cold. Except for Sebastian. His black whipped around his sharp face. He kept his dark gaze on the castle's guarded entrance.

She couldn't take her eyes off him.

"So, this is where the Shades live, eh?" Ajax rubbed his gloved hands together. He sported a thick, green parka and long pants. A hatchet hung from his hip and a spear was strapped to his back. "This is pretty much what I imagined."

Sebastian snorted. "This is just the outside. Wait till you get in." He gestured at the Shades patrolling the battlements, their vayrirs in hand and silver masks guarding their faces. The center wall boasted a domineering portcullis crafted out of black iron. Two sentries stood on either side of the gate, their heads on a constant swivel.

They were expecting visitors.

"How are we going to get inside?" Makaela asked.

Sebastian crinkled his nose at the question. "I'm working on it."

"Can't we just shadowjump in?"

"There's charms set around the entire castle. You can't shadowjump in or out. It's only accessible through a portal."

His nose crinkled as he squinted in the fortress's direction. "There's only one entrance and we're already looking at it."

"Can't you shadow-jump us in?"

Makaela's face fell.

She rubbed the goosebumps covering her arms as a frigid breeze passed over her. It pricked at her hands and face, stinging her dark skin. Romania's winter was a lot harsher than Montreal's.

A strange smell reached her nose as she tried to ward off the cold. It put every nerve in her body on edge. She stiffened as the whispers in her head returned.

Set it free...

She scowled.

No.

The only person she had intentions of setting free was her uncle.

"Here's an idea." Ajax popped his knuckles. "Let's just go up there and knock them out."

Everyone threw him a bewildered look.

"Are you crazy?" Imogen hissed at him.

"That's a battlemage for you," Remy quipped.

Ajax held his hands up. "It was just a suggestion."

Makaela set her sights back on the fortress. Her eyes trailed up one of the walls and stopped at one of the watchtowers. Only two guards manned the bridge. Her eyes widened.

Ajax might've been on to something.

"We can't take the front entrance, but what about the one's up there?" she asked while pointing at the bridge. "If we can take them out without alerting anyone, maybe we can make it inside the castle through one of the towers."

Sebastian pinched his brows together. Rubbing his chin, he nodded. "It could work."

"How're we going to get up the wall?" Remy inquired. "I take it none of you are expert rock climbers."

She facepalmed. He was right. The wall was at least twenty feet tall. Maybe more.

"Do you guys have any flying spells?" Imogen asked. "Maybe an antigravity one?"

"Magic won't help us here," Sebastian answered.

"No," Ajax said while sticking his hand into the bag on his arm. Seconds later, he retrieved the grappling hook and the rope attached to it. "But this will."

"I was the one who grabbed that, by the way," Imogen said. She patted herself on the back. "You can thank me later."

Makaela's eyes lit up.

This was going to work.

With their plan established, the five of them scurried along the edge of the castle, keeping to the shadows and out of sight of the watchmen above their heads. After reaching the other side of the fortress, they prepared to climb the wall.

The idea was to have Sebastian and Ajax go first. Considering the former knew his way around and the latter was the strongest fighter out of them all, they'd be in charge of taking out the two guards. But with Sebastian not fully recovered from his duel with Thorian, he was going to need help scaling the wall.

Instead, Makaela volunteered to go up with Ajax.

Sebastian, Remy, and Imogen stood back as they watched the two magicians set up the grappling hook. Once it was secure, Ajax tested the rope.

"We're all good."

"Be careful," Sebastian told Makaela.

Makaela kissed his cheek. "Always." With a nod, she began her descent up the rope.

She made it up first. Her toned arms made the climb almost effortless. Though, after touching down on the bridge, she knew her task would only get harder from there. Ajax landed softly beside her. For a big guy, he was quite stealthy.

The two Shades stood up ahead with their backs facing them. They were deep in conversation about something in a language Makaela didn't know.

Exchanging a glance with her partner, the two young magicians quietly approached their targets.

It only took two stunning spells to dispatch the dark magicians. They hit the ground, bodies more rigid than boards and faces frozen like ice. Ajax retrieved more rope from his bag and used it to tie their hands and legs. He walked over to the edge of the bridge and signaled for the others to climb up.

Sebastian made it up last, needing the support from Makaela and Ajax to hoist him up.

Gritting his teeth, he thanked them.

"What now?" Remy asked.

Sebastian walked past him. He stepped inside the tower ahead. A staircase spiraled downward into the fortress below. With a beckon of his hand, he disappeared down the stairs.

#

Sebastian seemed to. Makaela wondered if he had grown up in the castle. While it was House Tenebris' main headquarters, it wasn't a place she imagined children growing up in.

Sebastian knew the castle like the back of his hand. Makaela wasn't surprised in the slightest. After all, he had been minutes away from being a Shade from himself.

Thorian's words echoed in her head.

"I can teach you things beyond your wildest dreams, child."

He was undoubtedly referring to dark magic. Shadoweaving. The forbidden disciplines, magic the Eldenarian Council barred any and all magicians from practicing. It was the magic the Order used; it was what made them so powerful and feared amongst the magician community.

If she truly did have her mother's Nightling blood in her veins, she would need a teacher.

But it didn't have to be Thorian.

Sebastian was a capable shadoweaver in his own right. He could teach her what he knew, and she could use her new skills to defeat his father. Smiling at the thought, she slipped her hand into Sebastian's. He tugged her along as they trekked down tunnels and conquered stairwells.

"How much farther?" Remy hissed into the darkness for the hundredth time.

"If you ask me that one more time, I'm going to rip out your tongue," Sebastian snapped.

Makaela ordered them both to be quiet.

"We're almost th- " Cursing, he stuck his arm out, holding the others at bay.

They were stood in a hallway that emptied into the main building of the fortress. Orange light from burning torches doused the floors in muted light, poking holes in the shadows. Shades walked past them, completely unaware of their presence.

Makaela clamped a hand over her mouth.

Sebastian pointed at a room up ahead. "That's where we need to get.

"But how?" Imogen asked. "There's no way we get over there without being spotted."

"We'll find another way around," Ajax said. "Right, Seb?"

Sebastian released Makaela's hand and moved toward the opposite end of the corridor. The others moved with him as they searched for another way around. As Makaela went to follow, a stabbing pain flared between her eyes.

Grimacing, she pressed her fingers to her forehead. The whispers assaulted her mind, growing louder and louder until her ears rang. Tears sprung in her eyes as she croaked out a few unintelligible words. The others were too far ahead to hear her. The darkness stifled her cries and cloaked her pain.

Grimacing, she held her hands to her head. The whispers returned, growing louder by the second. The pain was amplifying as well. Tears sprung in her eyes as she croaked out a few unintelligible words. The others were too far away to hear her, anyway. And it was way too dark for them to realize she was no longer behind them.

She was alone.

Her legs gave out as the discomfort in her head worsened. She reached out for the others, but they still hadn't noticed she wasn't with them.

Let it out...

She wanted them to stop. She wanted it all to stop. A strangled noise rose from her core and crawled up her throat. Dragging herself along the stone ground, she tried catching up with the others. At the tail end of the ground, someone turned around. Their golden eyes stabbed through the darkness swallowing the hall.

Remy.

"Makaela? Why are you on the ground? We've got to go this way."

She tried to explain, but her mouth wouldn't work. Blood rushed in her head, the noise mixing in with the whispers assaulting her eardrums.

Remy moved toward her. Then he stopped. His bottom lip trembled.

Makaela glanced over her shoulder. Her entire body deflated.

A Shade was approaching.

She couldn't let him or the others get caught. They'd surely be killed if they were found. She wouldn't, though. After all, Thorian invited her to the castle.

"Go with the others," she forced out. "I'll find you."

"What? No-"

She flicked her wrist at him. A quick shock of cobalt left her hand. The knockback spell hit her cousin in the chest and sent him skidding across the ground. His body vanished into the darkness, away from view.

Releasing a breath of relief, she brought herself back to her feet. The voices quieted down, and the pain in her head reduced to a dull throb. She didn't care at the moment. As long as Remy was safe, she didn't care what pain she was feeling.

The Shade entered the hallway. They stopped in front of her, their head dipped slightly. Raising their casting hand, they ordered her to freeze.

"How did you get in here?"

She held out the black lotus medallion.

The Shade snatched it from her. Examining it, they grumbled something under their breath and sighed. "You were supposed to show up outside the gates. Someone must've messed up the coordinates." They shook their head. "Come with me."

Makaela reluctantly followed them. Before heading down another corridor, she cast one look to where her friends had just been moments before. She hoped they were safe. The only reason they were in the castle was because of her. She couldn't allow them to die for her too.

Keeping her head down, she stayed beside the Shade as they led her into the central building of the fortress. The doorway gave way to high ceilings with jagged arches and wooden rafters. A massive chandelier, decorated with floating candles and purple banners bearing the Tenebrian insignia, hung from the top. Gargoyles were perched in the corners, their blank stares following Makaela with every step she took.

The room was empty, save for one person.

Thorian Tedorof.

His back faced her as he gazed out of a tall, stained-glass window overlooking the snow-covered forest outside. The Shade ordered Makaela to stop walking before they stepped toward their master. They shifted their feet and cleared their throat.

"Er, my lord, she's here."

Thorian turned around. A smile lingered on his thin lips. "I knew you would come. You made the right decision, child."

She suppressed her scowl. She'd let him believe she had accepted his offer until the chance to meet up with her friends came. Until then, she would play his game.

Thorian approached her. "I knew you wouldn't make the same mistake your parents did."

It took every ounce of self-control she had not to slap him across the face.

She stiffened and resisted the urge to run out of the room.

"You parents," he continued. His smile soured. "They let their pride get in the way. We could've led together. Pierre couldn't see the bigger picture. But you... We're the same, you and I. I knew you'd see things differently."

"Where's my uncle?"

His expression tightened. "Ah, yes. Your uncle." He faced the Shade beside him. "Bring me the prisoner."

"Er, which one, my lord?"

Makaela's lip twitched.

Thorian narrowed his eye at the Shade. "Her uncle. The lightweaver, you imbecile."

Nodding, they scurried away like a frightened rat.

Makaela kept her stare on the dark magician before her. "You promise to release him?"

"I'm a man of my word."

So he says.

"As long as you keep yours."

She froze. Stealing a glance over her shoulder, she cursed under her breath. Her friends hadn't found her yet. What if they were lost? Or, worse, what if they had been caught? Either way, it didn't seem like anyone was coming to rescue her. She was alone.

And she had a decision to make.

Her uncle's safety versus her freedom.

Swallowing hard, she looked back at Thorian. He peered at her, eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Are you expecting someone?" he asked.

She shook her head.

Truth be told, she agreed with the crux of Thorian's argument regarding the ordinaires. Magicians deserved to be the true masters of the world. But she couldn't justify enslaving and decimating innocents to have that happen. There had to be another way.

If she joined Thorian, there was a chance she could get him to change his methods. After all, he did say they could rule together. If he truly was a man of his word, her opinion would matter to him.

Her eyes lit up. A shaky breath left her lips.

"I accept your terms," she announced.

Thorian grinned victoriously. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his lackey returned with Olivier in their clutches. Makaela sucked in a breath at the sight of him.

His face was caked with blood and dirt. Cuts lined his nose and lips. One of his eyes was swollen shut. The other was barely open. But as he was pushed into the room, his good eye fluttered. He smiled.

"Makaela?" He needed a glass of water. Or several.

The Shade released him. Olivier stumbled forward. Makaela caught him before he could hit the floor. He reached up to touch her face and she leaned into his touch.

They had only been separated for less than a week, but it already felt like a lifetime. Whenever she thought about him, guilt stabbed her heart with razors dipped in shame. He was there because of her. He was hurt because of her.

But she was there to set him free. He was safe now.

"How did you get here?" her uncle croaked.

Makaela bit her bottom lip. He would never forgive her if he knew what she did.

Ahead of her, Thorian cleared his throat. "I'll leave you two to talk." He shadowjumped away. His Shade remained in the room.

"Makaela?" The look in Olivier's dim eyes made her want to sob. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to save you."

He backed away from her.

Somehow, Makaela felt even worse now.

Olivier ran a shaky hand over his face. "You have no idea what you're doing."

"We were supposed to rescue you," Makaela told him. "But I lost the others." She hung her head. "I did what I had to do."

"I don't know what he told you, but you cannot trust that man-"

"Can I trust you?" she blurted out.

Olivier cocked his head at her. "Excuse me?"

"You lied about the artifacts. You lied about the prophecy," she said, her voice small. "Did you know?"

"Did I know what, Makaela?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, she balled her hands into fists at her side. She was tired of the lies. Of the deceit. He had to have known.

"The truth about my mother. Did you know?"

Olivier went quiet. His silence was deafening.

Makaela's head spun faster than a cyclone over a raging ocean. She felt the floor beneath her feet crumbling away, just like everything else she thought she knew. Her parents... They lied. Her uncle lied to her.

Thorian was the only one to tell her the truth.

"Your parents didn't want you to know. They...they didn't want anyone to know," Olivier explained. He reached for her, but she stepped away from him. "Only a few people knew the truth."

"You should have told me."

"I made your father a promise. The way Nightlings are perceived... He didn't want you, or anyone else, to see you as a monster."

"But I am!" she roared. "I am a monster!" Her body trembled as she struggled to contain the pent-up emotions inside. "I deserved to know."

Thorian's words rang in her head like a gunshot.

"Your father never told you of your true heritage. He was ashamed of it. Ashamed of you."

They were ashamed of her. Of what she was.

A scowl twisted her mouth.

"We were trying to protect you, Makaela-"

"No," she interrupted. "You weren't trying to protect me. You were protecting yourselves."

Olivier stepped forward. She continued to back away from him. "Thorian's manipulating you-"

"At least he's not ashamed of me," she spat. "He actually offered to train me. He said I had the potential to become an even greater magician than him." Pride filled her chest. She hadn't given the prospect of learning the dark arts much thought before, but now her head was swirling with visions of the future. She would be both a light and shadoweaver. It wasn't uncommon for magicians to be proficient in multiple disciplines, but such a combination was unheard of.

She would be the first.

Excitement bubbled within her.

"You can't let him get in your head," Olivier told her. "He doesn't care about you. He just wants the Illumio."

Makaela sneered at her uncle. "You haven't even thanked me. I did this for you! Not for me. You!" Tears sprung in her eyes. She angrily wiped them away, cursing herself for getting emotional. The only reason why she went to Castle Braexus was to save him. But she never thought the man who raised her was a liar.

If she couldn't put her faith in him, then no one deserved her trust.

Not Olivier. Not her parents. Not Thorian.

She only had herself.

Olivier placed his hands on her shoulders. "I am grateful you decided to come back for me. But now Thorian is closer to what he wants-"

"What he wants is for magicians to be what we used to be." She pushed his hands off. "Aren't you tired of hiding all the time? We have magic! Why are we afraid of the ordinaires? They should be afraid of us. They should be the ones hiding."

"Makaela, listen to me-"

She wouldn't. She couldn't. Not anymore. Her love for the man would never disappear, but he couldn't be trusted.

"I'm done listening."

Her own words surprised her. They sounded like something the dark voice in the back of her head would say. The words were her own, though. She knew for sure this time.

Behind her, the Shade spun on his heel.

"Hey, what're you-"

They dropped to the ground. Remnants of cobalt smoke from a stunning spell wafted from their chest. Makaela turned, her eyes wide. Her heart dropped as if tossed from the tallest building in the world.

She couldn't believe who she saw.