Page 2

Charity pulled a dagger from the folds of her gown.

My hand shot out, and I grabbed her wrist with a snarl.

“I have no desire to harm you, wolf. Instead, I ask that you safeguard it. It is called voltafaccia, and it is ancient and powerful and too dangerous to keep in our cottage.” Her raven squawked, and several more now circled above us. Selene and Charity both had an affinity with animals, but Charity could control them. I had once seen her instruct her birds to remove a male’s eyes after he’d spurned her.

She held out the blade. The dagger was iron, the handle carved wood with leather wrapped around the base, plain, but the magic it held radiated from it. “You wish me to hold this for you?”

“Yes.” She smiled again. “Do you agree?”

“It is that important?”

“You feel the magic it holds, yes?”

I dipped my chin.

“The magistrate, he is not human, we wouldn’t be in danger if he were,” Charity said. “I am not sure what he is, but he is powerful, immortal, and vengeful. He cannot be killed, and this blade in his hands would be dangerous to us all.”

Fear for Selene sliced up my spine. “He is other?”

“Yes.”

I had not sensed it. “I need to get Selene away from this place.” Moving the entire pack would be difficult and not something I wanted to do, but if I had to, I would. To keep Selene safe, I would do anything.

“Yes,” she said. “Unless…”

“Unless?”

“If you use this on the magistrate…” She held the blade out to me. “If you drive it into his heart, he will leave here. He will leave us be. None of us will have to go.”

“It won’t kill him?”

“No. The blade, if used on one such as him, causes a change. Dark tempers become light.”

“Selene would be safe?”

“Yes,” Charity said, her blue gaze holding mine fast.

I would fight an entire army to keep Selene safe. “Where is he?”

I stumbled through the woods, blood smearing my arms and chest. My warriors in the same condition. Several were injured. The male we had fought had been incredibly strong, and he was not alone.

But it was done. Whatever the male was, he was no more.

Not dead, but changed.

No longer dark, but light.

Selene was safe. My pack was safe.

I broke into the small clearing where Selene and Charity waited.

“’Tis done,” I said, rushing to my sweet female.

“Draven,” Selene cried, eyes wide as she took in my bare chest covered in blood. Horror transformed her features. “Are you injured?”

“No, I am well.”

“It is done?”