No one questioned Nara. It just didn’t make sense and when things didn’t make sense, I had to figure it out. It was like a jig-saw puzzle, I had to piece it together to see the clear picture.

  Nara spoke again, releasing me from my thoughts. “We will meet here again in three days and another number will be called.”

  Once she walked off stage, everyone panicked. Some tried to switch numbers to change their fate. I looked at my sister, whose lips were thinned, but she remained quiet.

  “Chaniya, are you alright?” My sister looked upset, and who could’ve blamed her? Trish was a friend to the both of us, but she was more Chaniya’s friend than mine.

  “No, I’m not alright. They are killing Trish.” Tears flowed down her cheeks as she shuffled in line to exit the room.

  I didn’t know what would’ve happened next but I knew none of us were safe. A knot in the pit of my stomach formed when I heard a shrill scream from a voice I knew all too well. Trish was screaming for help and I flinched.

  Someone had to do something. Peeping around the chaos as everyone quickly dispersed, I rushed ahead and wrapped my arms around my sister. She was on her knees sobbing uncontrollably.

  “Don’t cry, we’ll figure out something. Nara won’t sacrifice Trish until the next meeting. Let’s go.”

  4

  Zarin

  My throat went dry as we entered Ferox Forrest. My nails dug deep into my palm to keep my mind in the present and not occupied with the tortured memories of my past. Anyone looking for Vance Hurst was courting being murdered by him.

  Vance Hurst was a monster. He was a DAO, a demon and angel offspring, which was forbidden by Valcrum. He was the only DAO Valcrum had allowed to live.

  It baffled me that Maximus was with a witch. Claire was beautiful but she was still a witch and witches had always chosen to remain impartial when it came to werewolves and vampires. If I could’ve hid in plain sight I would’ve.

  The fog was thick and covered the forest like a blanket. I had forgotten how beautiful Ferox Forrest was but it was also the most dangerous place to be. I looked at Maximus and his pack of werewolves. Who could’ve been this important to them? “What do you want with Vance?”

  Claire nibbled on her lower lip looking at Maximus before meeting my eyes. “I need him to take me to the Arko twins.”

  I frowned. Who are the Arko twins? Breathing the air here made my chest tight. I’d gone back on my promise and I didn’t really know why. I should’ve chosen death.

  The black crows flew high above in the trees and I allowed myself to be seduced with the thought of them feasting on the flesh of my dead bones. Anything would’ve been a blessing other than the tightness in my chest.

  Maximus’s lips turned up. “You don’t have a clue who they are do you?

  I shrugged. “Why should I?”

  Orion rolled his eyes. “When she died you died, at least on the inside. You’re needed, so suck it up,” he said.

  My jaw clenched but I spoke through clenched teeth. “Your pack’s problem is not my concern.”

  “It is your problem. You’re a werewolf and you will do your duty to the pack or I’ll kill you right here, right now. She would’ve wanted you to do something with your life. Not drink yourself into oblivion, like an alcoholic,” said Orion. He closed the distance between us, his face too close to mine.

  I swung a right uppercut. It landed square on his jaw and he stumbled back from the impact. My bones cracked as I transformed into a massive werewolf, with long hair covering every inch of my body. A roar echoed through the trees as I charged Orion, who spit blood out of his mouth.

  Maximus stepped in front of me and grabbed me by the neck, thrusting me against the massive tree trunk. The cold bark dug into my back. “I know what you’re doing, but it won’t work. You long for death but it’s not your time.” Maximus hadn’t transformed but he was still the strongest werewolf on Earth. There was a reason he was the alpha werewolf. That didn’t stop me from snarling in his face.

  He looked at my teeth like they weren’t an inch from ripping out his throat. “Valentina loved you. She would want you to live. We’ve all lost loved ones and wish this life held a happiness our hearts long for, but we must be diligent in Valcrum’s wishes, and reclaim our rightful place by his side.” He tossed me away, like a petulant child, before stalking away. He glanced at Orion before dismissing us both.

  My anger left me as I thought about my Valentina. She would’ve never wanted me to mourn her and turn my back on the pack, but where was the pack when she needed them? Blinking, I tried to push back the flood of water that pooled behind my eyes. Crying was for punks. If there was one thing that I was not, it was a punk.

  After twenty excruciating minutes, I arrived at the log cabin. My hands were sweaty despite the frigid wind whipping my clothes about me like a cape. Vance promised to kill me the next time he saw me.

  Vance had always been a man of his word and my body heated with excitement and anticipation that my suffering was now coming to an end. I barreled down the hill until I reached his front door. My fist pounded on the door with enough force to shake the frame.

  Ten minutes passed and my hands hurt. I lifted my hands to bang one last time, when the door flew open.

  Vance stood in the doorway. His eyes bore into mine before taking in the small group behind me. “I told you I would kill you if you came here again. Did you think I would forget?”

  Placing my hands behind my back, I fell to my knees in front of him. Closing my eyes, I let my mind flood with images of Valentina.

  “Do it. Make the pain go away.” A sense of solace flowed through my body as I waited for Vance to end my pain and take my life.

  “Maximus, why didn’t you tell me he was suicidal before we brought him?” asked Claire. “He won’t do us any good if he gets himself killed.”

  Maximus rubbed his temples. “It’s been twenty-nine years since I saw him. How was I supposed to know that he had a death wish?”

  Vance lifted me off the ground like a rag doll. “Valcrum has plans for you. Our lives belong to him.” Once you see past your pain, to Valcrum’s pain, you will finally have the solace you crave,” said Vance.

  He shoved me inside his cabin, before turning to the others to invite them inside. I stumbled inside the quaint cabin feeling disappointment wash over me. I stood along the back wall, wishing I could fade into the maple floorboards.

  “Claire what are you doing here?” asked Vance. He took her hands in his and placed two kisses along her cheeks.

  Her cheeks turned a pretty pink. “I know what has been happening here, and all the needless sacrifices being made.”

  Vance locked the front door. “It’s not safe for you here. You need to leave.”

  Claire shook her head. “I came for the Arko twins. The only way this ends is with them.”

  Vance sank down in his chair. “Valcrum does not allow me to assist you. I am to remain impartial and let you guys figure it out.”

  Maximus laid a hand on her shoulders. “If you come across them can you tell Claire? We can take it from there.”

  Orion stood up. “How can you sit by and do nothing? Don’t you care?”

  Vance nodded. “Who do you think they are blaming for the sacrifices as the sky opens and cries blood? My days are numbered and it is only a matter of time before the ground will run hot with my blood.”

  Maximus snapped his fingers. “Educating someone is not taking sides, but if you worry, pray to Valcrum. You were the last of your kind.

  Vance sprang to his feet. “What do you mean, I was the last of my kind?”

  Valcrum must’ve be furious. Everyone knew that Demon-Angel Offspring (DAO) were forbidden. Why did anyone want to upset Valcrum? The world was coming to an end, and because of the DAO. Valcrum would’ve rained down fire on this place and destroyed us all.

  “Nobody would be that stupid to create a DAO, knowing Valcrum’s feelings,” said Vance.

  Claire sank down on the couch. “Tell that to the shape shifting demons that have been creating an army. Full of DAOs.”

  Vance ran his hand through his hair. “The situation is worse than I thought.”

  I rolled my eyes. That was the understatement of the century.

  5

  Cosima

  The days passed in a blur. Chaniya and I were like every other witch and mage of the Overfae Coven. We all sat there waiting to hear our fate. I could’ve never imagined things would’ve gotten this bad. Nara strolled on stage; her smile made a knot form deep in the pit of my stomach.

  I caught a quick glance at my sister; her body vibrated with uncontrolled violence. Her fingers moved in tiny circles, and purple orbs formed. I wasn’t sure she was even aware of what she was doing.

  Grabbing her fingers, I forced my gaze to Nara. I had never liked Nara, because she played favorites. I was never one of them. Heck, my own father played favorites. Why not Nara? Plastering a fake smile on my face, I squeezed Chaniya’s fingers, gently trying to give her some strength.

  She snatched her hand away from mine. “I need to use the bathroom,” she said.

  I frowned. She had used the bathroom three times before we came and once after we arrived. “I’ll go with you.”

  Standing, I moved down a seat, but she shook her head. “We’re twins but we don’t have to go to the bathroom together. I’ll be back.”

  Flinching, I sank down in the empty seat. I watched as my sister disappeared into the dark hallway. Something was off about her, that was for sure. She used the bathroom more times tonight than I had ever seen her. Everyone was talking in panicked tones and I hated it.

  My heart slowed as Nara held up her hand and the place went silent. The control Nara had over us was disturbing. She smiled as she said, “We are gathered here to call the next number to be sacrificed. I won’t hold you in suspense. The next sacrifice is thirty-five.”

  I sat frozen in my seat. My heart tried to beat out of my chest. The number dangling from my shirt was thirty-six. I turned around and asked Gayle, “Did she say thirty-five?”

  Gayle looked down at her shirt then back at me. Her number was thirty-four. “Yes. She said thirty-five.”

  Tears traveled down her cheeks. Her hands shook and she stood on shaky feet as she rushed out. Once the mages saw her number wasn’t called, she was permitted to leave.

  I glanced around. I needed to get my sister out of here. A part of me hoped she had left already. We were, after all, identical twins. Most people couldn’t tell us apart unless we were doing magic.

  Springing to my feet, I rushed toward the door. Crashing through the doors I ran down the hall. I saw the gray sign for the restroom and some of the tightness in my chest lessened as I burst through the restroom doors.

  “Chaniya, where are you?” My voice shook. I kicked open all the doors.

  All the stalls were empty. It smelled like two-day old cabbage and gym socks and I could hardly breathe. Rushing out of the bathroom, I sprinted down the halls back toward the front of the building. This didn’t make sense; where was she?

  Stepping outside, in the cold night air, I looked around and allowed my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Inside, the fluorescent lights had been so bright. The darkness took a moment to get used to. Running around the building I looked everywhere.

  Trish was her best friend. I hope she didn’t do something stupid. I ran around the side of the building and spotted a door at the back of it. My hands gripped the handle as I tried to open it.

  “Chaniya, are you in here?” I jerked the door again, but the lock didn’t budge.

  The window was wide enough for me to get through if it was unlocked. Bending down, I pushed the glass up, but it didn’t move. I tried to thrust it up again. A few minutes later, my sister rushed to the window and opened it.

  “What are you doing here?” asked Chaniya. She stepped aside glancing behind her.

  Slipping through the window, my hands lost their hold on the edge and I fell forward. My right shoulder bumped into a wooden crate and my head cracked against the cabinet.

  Jumping up, I held my shoulder before turning to my sister and Trish. Trish’s eyes were swollen from crying and she looked like she was panicking.

  I grabbed my sister’s arms. “We’ve got to go.”

  She jerked away from me. “I’m working on a plan. Trish can’t be sacrificed. She’s done nothing wrong.”

  Pinching the bridge of my nose, I grab her arm again. “They called your number; we have to go now.”

  Chaniya’s brows furrowed. Her eyes narrowed then she turned to Trish. Moving her fingers in a circular motion, she chanted something quick. Trish looked down at her hands as she started to disappear. Some of the fear left her face as she smiled at Chaniya and closed her eyes.

  Everything is going to turn upside down when Nara comes here and Trish is gone. I snapped my fingers in my sister’s face. “What did you just do? Nara is going to lose it when she comes here and the place is empty.”

  She shrugged. “I can’t let them hurt her.”

  “We’ve got to go. Now.” I rushed toward the window but stopped when I heard them yelling outside. Turning around, I looked at my sister, but ducked swiftly when I saw a shadow coming toward the window. It was dark in there, so they couldn’t see us unless we moved into the light near the window.

  When the man passed by the window, I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I couldn’t see my sister but I knew she was huddled near the large wooden crates. Once my heart stopped trying to beat out of my chest, I crawled to her.

  My head whipped back and forth, scanning the room for anything that might help us escape. “We need to go.”

  She shook her head. “I can still hear them. We won’t make it. We are surrounded,” said Chaniya.

  Heavy boots pounded outside while orders were shouted. I closed my eyes trying to think of a way to get us out of here. We weren’t going to get out of here without being discovered. I decided to stay behind, so Chaniya could get away.

  “I’m going to go out. When they discover me, you sneak out and head home.”

  “I’m not leaving you. If they find us, then they find us together,” said Chaniya.

  My hand clasped around hers and we headed to the door. I leaned against the door and heard Nara’s voice ring out. The tension in her voice as she barked orders made my hair tingle all over my body.

  Once the voices outside faded into the distance, I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The hallway was dark and empty. I motioned for my sister to come out.

  We rounded the corner and ran down the hallway toward the back door. Peeping around the corner, I rushed toward the back door. Chaniya was at my side as I pressed the door open. An ear-piercing alarm sounded in the building and red lights flashed. I let the doorknob go, a dead bolt clicked and the back door was locked in place.

  A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. My body tensed as I looked at my sister, whose eyes had gone wide, staring behind me.

  “Cosima and Chaniya, just the people I was looking for,” said Nara.

  Swallowing the lump in my throat, I faced Nara. I refused to act like a coward in front of her. It didn’t make sense to tremble when she wouldn’t have any mercy on us, regardless.

  “Did you really think; you could get Chaniya out of here without me noticing? She will be sacrificed. Her number was called.”

  I ran a hand through my hair as I see the six mages advance toward my sister. “There must be another way. The sacrifice won’t stop the gods from being upset, unless we fix the problem.”

  Nara narrowed her eyes at me. “The Shadow Mage is the one that has caused this problem. The god’s wrath is upon us because he uses black magic that pollutes the earth,” said Nara.

  “We need to take care of the Shadow Mage. Then there wouldn’t need to be any sacrifices.” I hated that my voice was squeaky but I was nervous and I couldn’t shake it.

  Chaniya struggled as they grabbed her arms and dragged her down the hall. “Get off me. Let me go!”

  Nara stared at me hard. “Kill the Shadow Mage and I won’t sacrifice your sister. If you fail, then she dies.”

  Nara looked at Chaniya then at the mages holding her. “Release her.” She turned to me.

  “Both of you will meet me in three days’ time, where I will announce your mission to the coven. Everyone needs to know your sacrifice and what is at stake should you fail.”

  Chaniya stood in front of me like a shield. “Why do we need to be here for that? We should get a head start on finding the Shadow Mage.”

  Nara shook her head. “You won’t be going. You will be arrested at that meeting, and Cosima will go to take care of this problem once and for all.”

  Chaniya’s teeth dug into her bottom lip. “You can’t mean for my sister to go kill the Shadow Mage alone. Her powers are not fully developed. She needs me.”

  Nara stepped closer Chaniya and bent down to her ear. “Too bad. Are your powers fully developed? Is that why you want to go with her, so she won’t know who the Shadow Mage is?”

  I felt a slight tremor run down my sister’s spine, but I stepped in front of her. “Chaniya needs to stay to take care of dad. He can’t take care of himself and I need her to be there while I’m away.”

  Nara burst into laughter. “Cosima, he never needed you.”

  I flinched. Her barbed weapon found its mark in the center of my chest and I fought to breathe through the pain. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. Swallowing, I tried to hide how she decimated me in that moment.

  “Chaniya, let’s go.” I turned to leave. The tears spilled on my cheeks and I lowered my head, hating how weak I was. Showing weakness to someone who hated you was worse than death.

  When I opened the door, Nara’s voice rang out in the silence. “By this time next week, either the Shadow Mage is dead or both of you are dead.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7