I arrowed toward the castle.
And I could have sworn I felt Ag behind me, guarding my back.
* * *
DANICA
The pain was endless.
Dying this way felt as if it would take years.
Ancient words poured from Lucifer’s throat, and I could feel him, feel his satisfaction, feel him growing stronger.
He bared his teeth at me in a feral grin as I lay writhing on the black marble floor, my agony too sharp to scream.
I fought with everything in me to turn my head toward the door. Toward freedom. My last sight wouldn’t be Lucifer taking my life.
It would be Keigan’s face.
What?
I blinked, and the scream I hadn’t been able to let loose bubbled in my throat.
His eyes met mine, dark with sorrow.
No. No, no, no.
We both knew he had no chance. He was buying me a few seconds at most.
He launched himself at Lucifer.
The spell draining my power disappeared with Lucifer’s inattention as he felt Keigan’s approach.
I made it to my knees, a sob fighting its way free from my throat. Keigan’s eyes gleamed at me, and he smiled—the gentle smile that had felt like coming home from the moment I’d met him.
Lucifer turned.
I forced myself to move.
Slowly, painstakingly, I began to crawl once more. Toward the two halves of the rowan arrow.
A crack sounded. Keigan’s neck. And I knew. Knew he’d never look at me with those dark eyes again. Knew he’d sacrificed himself to buy me time. Just a little time. But maybe… maybe it would be enough.
Because it wasn’t the rowan arrow I was supposed to keep hidden from all. It was Angelica’s ring. And I’d been careful—oh so careful—not to let anyone know exactly which ring it was, and what it did.
Sure, a few people knew I could use the ring to become invisible. But they didn’t know it broke enchantments. And they didn’t know it could be used in the Spell of Three.
Gloria squinted at me. “Nothing else. I’m not your witch to command, Danica Amana.”
“Not even for the chance of a clean slate with Samael once this is all over?”
She studied me. “Speak.”
I filled her in. Gloria shook her head. I begged, cajoled, and turned to horrific threats that made me nauseous to even speak them. Finally, she agreed that it could be done. I handed her the ring in my pocket. And she did what I wanted.
There was one way out of the sacrifice required for the Spell of Three.
If the person was voluntarily choosing to have it placed on them with a blood sacrifice of their own.
