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Someone had been searching for something.

My hands burned hotter, making my eyes water. The gold light intensified, igniting the room as if a dozen lanterns had been lit.

And within me, the bloodthirsty voice whispered, Kill them. Kill them all.

Storms, I was running out of time.

I hurried forward, careful to keep my steps as quiet as possible. I didn’t want the Wolven to hear and think I was up to something. Dodging the clutter, I edged around her bed, then froze.

There on the floor were several vials of a familiar amber liquid. They were scattered, some rolling close to the bed. I knew for a fact that Gran usually kept my tonic hidden.

So why were they lying on the floor like this? Had she pulled out my tonic? Had she somehow known I had lost mine and would need some?

Or had the Wolven discovered it and taken some of them? If so, why? What did they want with them? I had no idea how many she usually had tucked away. I counted six on the floor, but perhaps there had been more.

The ringing in my ears became shrill and deafening. My eyes squinted shut, and I clapped my hands over my ears. With a moan of agony, I staggered, bumping into a table. Something fell and shattered on the floor—a vase, perhaps. I fell to my knees, blindly reaching out for a vial of tonic. My fingers met smooth glass, and I drew it closer. My hands were trembling so badly I could barely unstopper it. With numb fingers, I removed the cork and downed the contents in a single gulp.

The effect was instantaneous. The rage-filled voice was silenced. My hands stopped glowing, and the heat faded. I lay on the floor, gasping for breath as I struggled to regain clarity of mind.

Voices sounded from the living room, and I uttered a sharp gasp, climbing to my feet. In a flash, I snatched two vials and tucked them into my bodice. It wasn’t hard; the strange animal skin I wore was a bit loose, and even with my rather large breasts, there was plenty of room to wedge objects inside. Just to be sure, I grabbed a strip of leather from Gran’s dresser and tied it around my waist to secure it.

I wished I had room for the rest of the vials, but I couldn’t fit more than two in my bodice.

My eyes closed as I thought of Gran in the other room. Her chest sliced open, her blood all over the floor.

My face crumpled, and tears welled up in my eyes. Storms, I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t…

Footsteps drew closer, and I forced myself to move forward. I had to face this, or they would kill me.

I had to be ready.

Something heavy thumped against the wall, as if someone had fallen against it.

I jumped to my feet just as the dark-skinned Wolven appeared in the doorway. His golden eyes were wild and frenzied, his face a shade paler than before. A sheen of sweat coated his brow.

“What did you do to me?” he demanded.

I staggered backward from him and hastily wiped tears from my eyes. My heart rate quickened as I recalled how the Wolven had fallen to the ground with a shout.

They thought I’d done that?

I hesitated. Had I done that? I had no idea what my magic could do without the restraints of my tonic. Truth be told, I didn’t want to find out. It was quite possible my powers had speared outward and struck him.

The Wolven stomped toward me, arms rigid at his sides, his powerful frame towering over me. I stared at him, waiting for that strange sensation to overcome me again. For my body to react the way it had before.

But in this moment, I felt nothing but terror. The feeling was gone.

“What did you do to me?” he enunciated.

“N-Nothing,” I stammered. My insides were quivering, still shaken from the explosion of magic that had split through me.

“You cast a spell on me,“ he said. “You—you hurt my wolf!”

“No!” I protested, shaking my head vehemently. I retreated until my back met the wall. “I didn’t—I swear I didn’t! It’s not what you think!”

Behind him, the other Wolven appeared, his expression taut with fury.

The dark-skinned one loomed closer. I could feel the heat radiating from his chest.