I had a few choices: I could go back to my apartment to get ready, stay where I was and make my own clothes like Denise had done, or steal something from the closets that were at my disposal.

"Why stop a good thing?" I asked my reflection before walking away to browse what sort of clothes were available to me.

Total bust.

Formal lace, stiff linens, heavier wools, and styles that were not club worthy.

By that point, Denise would have been to my apartment and put some sort of trip trigger to alert her to movement. That idea was out.

In an attempt to emulate Denise, I focused my thoughts on the vision in my mind. Skinny jeans with well-placed rips. Rhinestone strands stood out beside the exposed white threads and the metal was cool against my skin.

Next was the top and I chewed my lip trying to make a choice. Ultimately comfort and flexibility won.

Bright white bandeau peeked through the open-sided shirt. The soft material of the shirt slid over my skin, forming an oversized hood and collar with a pouch pocket, not meant for a lot of weight.

For shoes, I chose black high-tops. They were comfortable, easy to move in, and perfect to slide my stiletto blade into.

There were only a few more things I needed to do to make sure I was safeguarded against backstabbing friends.

This loft had a port. Something that the owner had designed that allowed the user to send items to different locations, even into eather.

In the master bedroom I found the port box and moved my hand over it. I'd done this before and it recognized me. Shutting my eyes, I pictured the location in my mind, feeling it with my whole body. I placed the stones in the box and closed it.

With a slight shake of the box, I knew the stones were gone. Finally, I opened my eyes. There were so many precautions.

Seers' powers weren't good enough to look within people's heads. Envisioning the location of where I sent the stones was the safest thing I could do.

When I cleaned up my mess and made sure there were no other signs I had been there, I was on my way. No matter what was going to happen, I knew the stones were in a place I could find again. A giggle passed through me as I thought of how silly the location was, but with everything that had happened to me, I was thrilled at the thought they were in such a simple place.

The Ivy was a human world club. It was where I had originally met Amara when I was barely legal. It was a hot spot for mortals and immortals alike with the understanding that it was neutral and devoid of magic. They were strict about who was let in and mortals were monitored closely to ensure their safety and ours.

I shot Amara a text and entered the club. She wouldn't be amused for the slight change of venue, but I didn't care. We needed to talk, but the thought of going into the conversation sober sucked.

Magical items were checked at the door gallery which meant my purse was stowed. It worked like a coat check, but it was the only somewhat-public accessible place in the entire club that allowed magic. I received a ticket and made my way inside.

Sweat, perfumes, colognes, and sex were all I could smell. No hints of magic and definitely no one attempting to make magic. Within the walls of The Ivy, we were all mortally bound.

I downed four shots before losing myself in the crowd. Slipping into the care-free Sadie I used to be was effortless. 

When Amara found me, the irritation on her face faded into a smile and she came to dance with me. It was hard to read her intentions and I hoped that the night wouldn't end in bloodshed, but I knew better than to be hopeful.

At that moment, we were the same as when we first met nearly ten years before. She was the one who made me aware of my abilities. We'd snuck out the back and went to smoke in the abandoned building in the alley. As soon as I'd passed the joint, her fingers skimmed over mine and that was our beginning story.

Amara took my hand and spun me like a ballerina. We laughed and enjoyed the music before we were both ready for a break.

"Wanna head out the back, like old times?" Amara suggested.

I nodded. "Let me grab my bag. I'll meet you there."

Grabbing my things and exiting through the front, I turned down the street at the end of the block and made my way to the building behind the club. Well worn and vacant for decades. I was surprised it was still standing.

Before I had gotten training from Denise, I would come to this building and release energy. With the proximity to the club, no one noticed when there was extra noise. It had been Amara's idea.

Amara found me inside the main room and threw her hands up, "Where the hell were you, by the way?"

"Sorry, lost track of time playing fetch with a hellhound," I said with a smile because it wasn't even a lie.

"Not even funny. I'd been waiting forever!"

"Payback is a bitch, idn'it?" My favorite evil squid villain, from an animated mermaid movie, crossed my mind as I asked my question.

She crossed her arms and, even with the dim light, I could see the eye roll she gave me. Glee flooded me with her annoyance.

"So what happened at the bistro?" Amara asked.

It wouldn't last long. My anger was bubbling and I knew I wouldn't be able to play along for long. Had she really thought I wouldn't find out about her connections to Octavion?

"You know, just my new friends with the Shadow Court," I said with a harsh edge to my tone.

Shaking her head she asked, "Can't you take anything seriously?"

"Yes, I take a lot seriously," I said with an exasperated sigh. I couldn't keep up the guise of friendship anymore. "Even the accusations that my long-time friend is in league with the very people who are after me."

The dim lighting was shit for reading her expression, but I could see her mouth open and close a few times, reminding me of a fish out of water.

"I want to know why and for how long?"

"Five years," her voice was quieter, feeling the shock of the moment. "I sensed that you knew. Who told you?"

"It doesn't matter. Why did you do it, Amara?"

"They had something I needed and in return they wanted my services. I've gotten stronger since the last time I saw you. I can read objects now and see further into the future and the past." She stopped and sighed, unable to look at me. "After the first time, I was offered a contract with monthly payments in exchange for my skills whenever they requested me."

"So you're their dog, Amara? They order, you do?" My disappointment was tangible and I knew she felt it. Nothing she could say would make me understand.

"It isn't that simple. There were months that I wouldn't hear from them and then I'd get a communication to meet or someone would find me and make the request."

"I still don't get it, Amara. From everything you've said and what others have warned me about, the darker courts are not beings you would want to involve yourself with."

"I know," she whined, "but the offer they made was too good and I needed to help my sister. There wasn't really a question in my mind on whether or not I accepted."

Beyond thankful for the darkness, my eyes burned. Somewhere deep inside me, I wanted to forgive her, but if the men who had come for me were Octavion's and not Regan's, then I may not have survived it.

Turning away from her, I tried to get my thoughts together. There had to be more, so I asked her something I truly didn't want the answer to, "What else have you been holding back, Amara?"

There was a pause before she answered. "I knew you were powerful before you knew you had powers. I've also kept up with you through some of my jobs. Even protected you once when you took something belonging to a vampire lord."

Without a doubt, I knew exactly what she was talking about. I'd stolen a small painting that some vamp had bragged about taking from a small village. That had been for the sheer fun of it.

Amara continued, "I risked my life because I had to lie to a damn vampire for you! Those blood suckers can hear and practically feel changes in beings like me. I'm nearly a human, a mortal."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I said, "I never asked you to lie for me. I can handle my own messes. You know that."

A car's lights illuminated our dingy surroundings. The scuffle of her shoes was the only thing that told me Amara had moved.

Behind me she whispered, "I'm sorry."

There was something wrong. Her tone was more than apologetic, it held remorse. I turned to look at her.

"What exactly are you," I stopped as pain shot through my side, and I focused on Amara's face. She looked horrified and couldn't meet my gaze.

Looking to where the pain in my gut flared, was a knife embedded to the hilt connected to Amara's hand.

"It has to be done. They want the stones," she said as her hand landed on my chest.

She was looking for them, the stones, but she would never find them. I wasn't foolish enough to have them on me and when I had sent them away, I had my eyes closed.

My pain triggered the wilder side of my powers and I focused on Amara. With a rush of hot air, she was launched backward, hitting the wall behind her, leaving a human-sized dent in the rotting structure.

I'd underestimated the situation. Her grip on the knife had been strong. When I'd thrown her away from me, the blade ripped through muscle, skin, and who knows what other internal damage there was.

Wet heat soaked down my hip. When I reached for my side, my hand came away with a dark, sticky, liquid.

"What the fuck, Amara?" I gritted out.

"I need the stones. Where are they?" She shuffled away from the wall and was looking for something on the floor. 

Was it the knife? 

"You think I'd tell you by stabbing me?" Shadows moved outside the building, catching my attention. "This was all planned just like the bistro, wasn't it?"

My bag! She had it in her hand and was trying, in vain, to open it. I hadn't made it easy. I had spelled it to only open for me, an added feature to give me time.

"You can't win against them, Sadie. Just tell me where the stones are."

Where was Beasty when I needed him? Would he even come if I—

I was too late. Smoke, death, the stink of rotting magic, and dark energies flooded the space around us and I was sure that Octavion's goons were inside.

My loss of blood mixed with the buzz from the booze made my head swim. I knew I was hallucinating when a hell portal opened in front of me and a hellbeast crawled out. Gnarled talons scraped over the wood as its huge form emerged. 

It was too big for the space. If it weren't for the dire circumstances, I had found myself in, I would have been laughing. The enormity of the moment hadn't hit my yet.

Turning once, to take in the room, it eyed me for a moment before sending the air. My Beasty slowly turned to stare at Amara.

Holy shit!

A low rumble emitted from the beast's belly, and she began to beg, "Please. Please, no. We're on the same side! Stop!"

It didn't stop. She threw the bag towards me, but the giant hellbeast kept prowling closer to her. I realized that it may have come for me. Similar to my dreams and calling Regan to me.

Lost in the fog of my head, I hadn't felt the presence beside me.

"Hang in there, little witch," he whispered in my hair as he scooped me up into strong arms.

"Regan?" My voice was barely audible.

"When I said I'd see you later, I wasn't expecting for you to get into a knife fight."

Shadows swirled around us as Amara let out a bloodcurdling scream. My head lulled against Regan's strong chest. Eyes heavy, I could have sworn I saw wings.

"Where are the stones?" Regan's question barely registered and I felt a pull to answer him.

"They... I put them—" I started to say. My vision blurred and I blinked to try to clear it.

No luck.

The last thing I remembered was an obsidian hall with clear crystal columns and seats that reminded me of thrones. Octavion sat in one and with our arrival, he stood, seeming to be coming towards me.

"Wake up," a harsh voice boomed over me. "Get up, girl."

Not the greatest wakeup call I'd ever received, I thought to myself as I pushed up from cold stone, I attempted to make the room stop spinning.

"Where am I?" I asked. My voice was only slightly stronger than how I felt.

"Shadow court, in the presence of King Octavion Shade." The person to my right nudged me with his boot, making me aware that I was being rude.

Rude to pass out and bleed on his throne room floor. Great...

I stood on weak legs and reached for my injury in anticipation of the pain that had been. There was only a dull ache. My shirt had been torn away and blood still soaked my clothes, but the wound was closed and only slightly discolored from whoever healed me.

"So sorry for my disregard for decorum, majesty." I curtsied the best I could, but I didn't know how any of this worked.

Octavion smirked. The same smirk I had seen on Regan, just older and not as friendly.

"You have fire for a lesser being," Octavion snorted. "Where are my stones?"

"Hidden." There was no hesitation in my response which sent a thrum of unease up my spine.

"Of course, but where?"

"I—" Starting to speak in response, I was cut off by Regan. I had no idea where he had come from or where he had been when I regained consciousness, but I would have much more enjoyed a wake up call from him instead. 

"She does not have them on her person, father. We searched the locations she had been today and it provided nothing of use." Regan glided in. Walking past me and standing closer to his father.

Over his shoulder he issued me a warning look. I'm not even sure how to describe it, but I knew in my bones to shut my mouth.

"Where did you search?" Octavion had turned his attention to his son.

"A loft in Chicago and her apartment were first because she had stayed in those locations the longest. We searched a few other locations, but found no signs of the magical essence," Regan reported.

If I had less control over my body, I would have dropped my jaw and gawked at how much information they had on my movements. Then I realized... Amara. She would have seen everywhere I had gone with a simple touch.

There had been enough time for her to call in the information when we spit ways to go to our abandoned building.

As Octavion began to bark orders, something about taking me to a cell or a dungeon, the air in the great hall shifted.

Recognizing the magic, I turned to watch Denise walk through a portal at the entrance. Grand and regal, as if she belonged in this court. Dealing with sovereign affairs was something she was well known for and fixing their problems was another job she had.

Octavion stopped snap at her arrival. "What do you think you're doing? You know etiquette more than your underling. To portal into my—"

"I do," Denise's voice rang through the hall like thunder, shutting up Octavion in an instant.

She strode through the gathering crowd to stand beside me, never once looking over at me.

Octavion began to speak again but Denise had no regard to his wors.

She said, "I also know that the creation and distribution of magical stones evolving sacrificial blood magic is highly," she added emphasis, "illegal. Punishable by death. Execution of the accuser's choice, if I remember correctly."

At that, Octavion laughed. "Are you accusing me of something, Denise?"

She lifted her chin and replied, "I am. I have it on good authority that you have ordered the production of Succubus stones."

"Where is your proof?" He stood and the room grew darker.

Pressure through the space shot ringing through my ears. Fitfully uncomfortable by their forces. I felt Denise push back.

When Denise didn't respond, Octavion let out a humorless laugh that was dark and malicious.

"How dare you come into my domain and accuse me of such things. I will not tolerate it," he said as he began to march down the steps towards us.

His size seemed to grow as he neared, and I found myself looking around for Regan. He was gone.

"Sadie Monroe," Denise's voice softened as I looked up at her. "My daughter, not of blood, bound by nature, evermore—"

"Enough!" The volume of Octavion's voice made me jump. "Denise, you have accused me of a crime you do not have evidence to support. Unwelcome in my hall..."

Denise was saying something else, all while Octavion bellowed on, but I caught the end of it.

"All will be right," she said before facing the king again. She didn't flinch or stand down. I loved that about her. So much strength.

"Die!" The last of Octavion's words hit me as I watched Denise throw up a shield as shadow magic slammed into her.

Screaming at the top of my lungs I watched as Denise turned her head towards me, smiled, before being incinerated.

Time froze, not literally or like what had happened with Regan's projections. This time, I absorbed everything and nothing.

Denise's body was gone. Turned to ash that fell in a heap on the glassy surface of the crowded hall.

Octavion's expression changed into sick satisfaction as onlookers and beings closest to the thrones began to jump in the air.

Then there was me.

My chest exploded in pain. As if someone had ripped open my rib cage and shredded the soft organs inside, the pain was insurmountable.

Shadows and flames encircled me like rotational razor wire. Octavion shifted back to the safety of his throne as he watched in disbelief.

My Beasty was there in a blink of an eye and my scream became my weapon. Focusing on my enemies, I targeted every single being in that hall that wanted to do me wrong. 

I knew their intentions without trying to mentally connect with any one of them.  

I could feel the hearts in the room pumping faster in the residual excitement of the fresh kill, mixing with the new threat.

Me.

My vision went dark, but in the darkness their screams filled me with power. I'd never experienced anything of this magnitude and somewhere inside of me I knew Denise had something to do with it. 

None would live who had witnessed the death of Denise.

No one left in that shadow court would tell of my destruction.

But one still remained. A faint heartbeat that shouldn't have been there was still fighting, and it pissed me off.

When the screams stopped and my vision returned, I knew who I would find.

Bloody and barely breathing, Octavion slumped against his throne. My feet didn't move, but I did. As I neared him, I felt several beings enter the hall. No doubt guards.

What I hadn't expected was Regan. Standing between me and his father in full demon form.

"You've done enough," he said to me in a calm and somehow soothing tone.

I smeared at him and said, "Nothing will be enough for what he just took from me."

My voice was not my own. Possessed or demonic in my own way, I'm not sure, and it scared me back.

Processing that Denise was gone, tears finally began to fall. With a quick glance to Regan, I made my choice and he realized a blink too late.

No longer in the throne room, I stood on a beach. The beach from my dream. There was no thought of where I had ended up, I didn't want to think anymore.

I sank into the sand and sat limp. Heat wrapped around me, and I looked to see that Beasty was there with me.

The entire day had been full of answered questions filled with more questions.

At the top of my list was understanding what I was, who I was, and where I needed to go next.

For the time, the beach would be my home and I would move when and if I needed to. There was revenge to be had and I needed to train myself for what was to come.