f skulls impaled on rusted spears. Lysandra shivered as Kael set her down, his grip unyielding even as his pack eme

raking over Lysandra's swollen belly. "You brought a *hybrid* here?

s a blade. "She

rs because of *her* kind. Or have you forgo

tightened, the tattoos along his neck writhing like live wires.

ashen skin limped forward, his arm twisted into a claw-the curse's wo

, but Lysandra stepped forward,

th. "Touch me, and I'

d spells of her mother's coven, but something raw, *alive*. Silver light spilled from her fingers,

claws dug into her palms. "Witch ma

dra. "The child," he said qui

ined from the ceiling as a howl echoed outside-not vampir

d. "They've f

, his voice low. "You've br

e. "Then teach m

d them with a roar. "Enough! Prepare for battle.

ominated the chamber, stained black from countless rituals. Kael shoved a dagger into her hand,

racks in the stone, blooming with black roses that drippe

wolf,"* the voice croone

s pack. Lysandra gripped the runed dagger, its hilt biting into her palm, and focu

orm rippling beneath his skin. "Your power

she said, channeling

routing from his helm, a bow of twisted bone in hand. His

ed into shards of ice, slicing his arm. He snarled, bl

arek*-now cowering behind a boulder. "Take this," she thrust

widened

can't prote

spells that turned stone to quicksand. Lysandra's witchlight flared, deflecting one blast, but the second struck her should

cus

angling the fae. Their screams harmonized with the pack's snar

ctory was

epped through-tall, crowned with antlers, his clo

jaws. The king's gaze swept over Lysandra's bell

olf," he sighed. "But I'll forgive

he'd summoned *twisted*, slithering around her throat. She gagged, c

snarling form. "A wolf who cannot control his beast... a

h. The child's light flared, burning his hand. He hissed, r

froze.

er? Darius Voss is but a pawn. Your child was conceived under my

ra's magic erupted, shat

er's, engraved with a fae rose. Inside, a portrait of

reaking free.

Very well." He sna

tain *sc

the pack scrambled. Lysandra reache

oing above. When she wakes, she's trapped in a crystall