The glowing bars of my cage were cool to the touch, so I sat and leaned back on them. I considered my options. Milena sided with the demon. I could only assume she'd attack Thirteen and the rest. Would she prevail against them? I wasn't sure. But she certainly had the advantage of surprise.

Judging by my legs going numb, at least an hour had passed when I was ripped out of my thoughts by the sound of doors unlocking. I stood up when Milena entered with Cornelius, half leading, half dragging my exhausted dad.

The leech shoved Robert into my cage. I caught my father in my arms and helped him to sit.

"You could use some father and son time," Milena smiled. "All the action is going to move here anyway," she added.

"Where are the Huntress and Francesco?" I demanded.

"They have an important role to play. I believe Anael is going to bring them shortly," my sister was oddly at ease with the wicked demon's plans. "You're safe," she said, turning to my cage. "Killing wizards would be a waste," she added, making my skin crawl.

"Please. It's not too late. We can defeat the demon together. Get rid of the parasite for good," I pleaded, but she turned to Adam's tank and recited an incantation. The light disappeared, and the eyes of the bewildered man got wide when he spotted the glowing cage. Fear and confusion showed on his face at the sight of his wife accompanied by a vampire.

"Long time no see, honey," the necromancer smiled cruelly.

"What's going on?" Adam's voice was shaky.

"Much has changed since we last spoke. Though I'm still mad at you," there was a threat in her tone that made the man shiver.

"I'm so sorry... It was a stupid mistake..." my sister's husband mumbled.

"Yes, it was stupid," Milena agreed coldly. "We need to... talk, but I don't want to bother Tomek," she said and motioned for Cornelius to escort her frightened husband. "I hope walls are thick here," she added, making Adam blanch.

"The demon is making you do those horrible things. You can still stop it," I begged, but the necromancer just smiled and left.

I slumped down next to my fatherand he wrapped his arm around me. Milena was no longer herself, and the demon was winning.

"We need to get the Queen here," I said to my dad. His brows rose.

"We could reverse the cloaking spell. I'm sure she's still looking for us," my father suggested. "But don't we have enough foes already?" he asked.

"She'll be our ally. I doubt she'll appreciate Anael's plans," I explained, hoping I was right in my gambit.

Dad agreed, and all we had to do was wait. I wondered how long it would take the Queen to come and find me. Would she be too late?

The walls weren't thick enough, and Adam's muffled scream reminded me that my sister was turning into a monster.

I was losing hope when the basement door was ripped open and the Queen appeared in the doorframe. She looked surprised when she noticed us in the glowing cage. The ancient vampire terrified me even more now, when I hoped for her help.

"The demon wants to enslave all vampires," I blurted, before the growing lump in my throat stopped me from speaking. "Your sister is helping him," I added.

That caught her attention. She approached our prison and inspected us like we were rare animals in a zoo. I crossed my arms on my chest.

"You got me here to tell me that out of the goodness of your heart?" she mocked.

"Actually, I think we could help each other," I ventured.

"What can you offer?" the Queen asked, eyeing me like a meal.

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even know about the threat. Get us out of here, and you'll have a wizard on your side," I said. It was a long shot, but it was all I had.

"Not a necromancer?" the vampire asked.

"My sister took over my power. " I explained. The leech's eyes lit with greed.

"Show me your back," Ava turned to my father. "I have a hunch," she added, when we shot her a surprised look.

My dad slid down his shirt. Between his shoulder blades was a red burn scar in the shape of a crescent moon, closed off with a diamond.

"Good. It's our shared crest. I can't break the spell, but I could tone it down," The Queen's words made my heart leap. "With a sip of the Royal Blood," she added with a smirk.

"Lend me your power, and I'll get us out. Then you can bite me," I bargained.

"I can deal with the demon myself," the Queen stated. "But, I could use a permanent source of the Royal Blood," she suggested, eyeing me with hunger in her cold eyes.

"I'll be your blood donor," Robert cut in.

"Virgin blood is much sweeter," the Queen told me, licking her lips.

I blushed.

"Okay, once we get rid of the parasite," I agreed, trying not to dwell on my grim future. My father's face darkened.

I intertwined my fingers with the horrifying vampire over the glowing bar and repeated the spell after Robert. The energy gushed from the marble flesh of the undead, through my hand, down the glowing rod, and into the prison's power source. The light flickered and died. We were free.

The merciless Queen thrust her fangs into my neck, sharp pain turning into a sickening feeling of being drained. I instinctively struggled against her brazen embrace, but she held me fast. She let me go after a few sips, licking my wound clean.

"Exquisite," she sighed.

Radiating breathtaking power, the magnificent vampire put her palm on Robert's scar. The hideous brand glowed red, and my dad doubled down in pain.

"You should be able to wield some of the less powerful spells for a few hours," she said, as he raised, panting. He recited an incantation, and a ball of blue flame, the size of an apple, appeared over his extended hand. The tormented wizard admired his magic with a smile.

The earth shook.

The church's tower crumbled as we emerged from the cellar. Dazzling light shot through the broken stained glass windows, for a moment turning the night into day and burning our eyes. I rushed to the temple.

The hell was breaking loose, and my mind couldn't make sense of what I was seeing. A double ring of cultists, pinned on twisted, crimson flowers, surrounded the defiled altar. Francesco, naked and bloodied, lay on the table, like a sacrifice. Anael was pinned to the wall by a huge block of ice. The wounded demon struggled to melt his cold prison with a purple flame that flowed from his mostly naked body. Milena with her vamps and Lily flanked their incapacitated idol from the left, Regina, accompanied by Ilona, from the right.

A woman in a white gown floated high above the altar, her back to us, with abundant auburn hair flowing down to her waist. She was the source of the light we had seen from outside. She defended herself from Milena's darkness and the witch's blue flame with a shield of twisting water.

We attacked Anael's allies just as the demon was breaking through the final layer of ice. The Queen cut down three young vamps in her charge at Milena when Lily and Cornelius stood in the ancient bloodsucker's way.

Guided by my dad, I let out a wave of blue flames toward the witch and her werewolf, my father's hatred towards Regina fueling our attack. The master witch countered with a fan of rainbow sparkles. My spell dispersed, and I staggered.

Anael charged the woman in white with a barrage of ethereal daggers, and she batted the purple glowing blades with a gust of wind. I saw the side of her enraged face and gasped. "Thirteen".

The Huntress's light concentrated like a laser on Anael, making the scorching demon scream for help. The rest of the stained glass windows rained down in colorful shards like confetti. Then it happened all at once.

The Queen backhanded Cornelius, throwing him out of the way, and faced Milena. The necromancer looked the old bloodsucker in the eyes, and the vampire froze. My sister touched the leech's cheek with one hand and extended the other toward Anael, channeling the energy to the demon. Milena had gone insane.

Lily and Ilona jumped at Thirteen, tearing at her with their claws. My savior faltered, her light dimming. I rushed to her, leaving Robert open to Regina's attacks. I realized my mistake too late. The witch advanced and knocked my father unconscious. I knelt beside him and conjured a simple barrier, which shook more with each of Regina's vicious attacks. Without the experienced wizard's guidance, my spells were too weak to hurt the head of the Cabal.

Anael was glowing with an ominous, black aura, his power filling the church, pulsing and burning.

We were losing.

Aunt Cecylia appeared from nowhere, right beside Milena. "Necromancer should never help a foul demon," she scalded my crazed sister. "Your brother should be wielding this power to destroy the filth."

The angry ghost reached for my sister, but Dark Lady held her hand. "Do not interfere."

"You are no longer fit to tell me what to do. You disgraced yourself when you allied with this abomination," my aunt retorted.

"No man will be using the Dark Arts ever again. And I will take my prize," the Dark Lady hissed, moving up to me.

I couldn't move. Milena woke up from her trance just as the veil guardian's cool hand closed on the back of my neck. My head swam. Cecylia was whispering to her niece in a hurry. My sister blanched, realization dawning in her eyes. Aunt guided her hand in my direction.

The power crashed through me and nestled in the empty space that had been waiting for it. I was whole again.

The Dark Lady shrieked, but I pushed her away with ease, right into the line of Regina's ferocious attack, and the blue flames engulfed her, disintegrating her spectral form. The Queen locked the master witch in a steel embrace, preventing her from casting spells.

Thirteen was down, struggling to fight off two raging monsters. I let the grey flame flow from my palms and mix with the Huntress' light. Empowered, my savior thrust her hands into Lily's and Ilona's chests, and when she yanked them back, she was holding two beating hearts. She crashed life-giving blood pumps with a loud splash and dropped the disgusting remains on the corpses. I gagged.

With her white robe drenched in crimson, Thirteen was a nightmare incarnate. Fighting the rising nausea, I held her bloodied hand, gore sticking to my palm. Anael's fierce attacks bounced off us with futile sparkles.

Our energies combined, darkness and light, death and life, complete. With force unimaginable, the raging demon was swept behind the veil, back into his prison, and Cecylia sealed the otherworldly cell for good. All bonds with the parasite were cut. We won.

My legs buckled, the exhaustion took over me, and everything went black.