Makaela muscles strained as she struggled to keep her shield charm up. It would only be able to withstand a few more attacks before shattering. Ulrich, Igor, and the other two Shades sent spell after spell at her and Sebastian.

Stunning and blasting spells redirected off of shield and into the white walls, leaving smoldering patches in a few of Jasper's paintings.

"Do you have any idea how much money those cost!" he shrieked as he cowered behind his desk.

Jasper shrieked and ran over to his marred decorations. "Be careful you idiots!"

The effect of whatever was in the wine he gave her had worn off. Adrenaline and vitalae rushed through her veins, sending her fight or flight instinct into hyperdrive. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins. Her eyes were alert, her body prepared for battle.

A gust of wind shot out from her hand and pinned a Shade against the wall. She followed it up with a stunning charm. The dark magician fell to the ground.

Sebastian threw a segmentis spell at Igor, the green bolt nearly ripping through the man's skin. Instead, it tore through his robes, revealing his hairy chest. Growling, Igor lashed out with a wild burst of black energy. Sebastian dove to the ground before quickly springing back up with his dagger in hand. Releasing a guttural battle cry, he swiped mercilessly at the burly Shade. Igor dodged his strikes with ease. For a heavy man, he was quick on his feet.

Separating himself from Sebastian, he held his hand out. The purple mark in his hand pulsed. A medieval mace materialized in his hand, the spiked ball hanging from an iron chain.

Certain magicians got extremely lucky when it came to their vayrirs. The object a magician received at birth was completely random. Those who were blessed with glorious weapons like spears and broadswords grew up to become battlemages or members of the Eldai. Magicians like Remy, whose vayrir was a bronze playing card, seldom called upon their vayrir.

Makaela had gotten lucky with her khopesh. It was just a shame she never bothered to train with it. Swords weren't her style. She preferred lightweaving and battlemagic.

A stunning spell whizzed past her, nicking her ear. She stumbled a bit, her eyes watering from the slight pain. She grit her teeth.

Stay focused.

She faced her attacker. Curling her index and ring finger, she quickly did the sequence for her a spell she recently learned from her father's spellbook. Three shards of light hovered before her. She swiped her hand, sending the glowing blades into her targets.

They found their marks.

The Shade dropped, screaming as they clutched their bleeding chest. Makaela felt nothing but hate for them. There was no time to revel in her victory anyway. Another Shade was coming straight for her.

She staggered forward. Her energy and vitalae were fading fast. She could feel blood beginning to soak through her shoulder bandage again. Pain rippled down her arm. Any more taxing spells and she ran the risk of passing out.

It was time to be smart.

She rushed the Shade, getting close enough to prevent getting hit with any magic. Taking advantage of their surprise and her own inebriation, she launched herself at them. With their limbs tangled together, they crashed into Jasper's desk. The Shade's head clipped the edge of the table.

They didn't move after that.

"The décor!" Jasper cried.

Breathing heavily, Makaela pulled herself back to her feet. Her head felt like it was splitting open. Things could've been worse-she could've been the one unconscious on the floor.

Or maybe they were dead. They would've deserved it.

They all deserved it.

With the two lower-ranked Shades taken care of, that just left Igor, Ulrich, Jasper, and Vini in the room. Vini had slunk into the corner, opting to observe the fighting from there.

Cracking her neck, Makaela turned to Ulrich. He stalked forward like a jungle cat.

She copied his movements, making sure to keep enough distance between them. They spun around each other, awaiting the first attack.

"If I was allowed to," he began with his gravelly voice, "I would've killed you ages ago."

Makaela huffed and narrowed her eyes at the old man.

She drew on all the pain and anger caused by Thorian and his dark soldiers. It bubbled within her like a potion in a cauldron threatening to spill over the edge. For a split second, her bright eyes were swallowed by complete darkness.

"It's a pity your rules don't apply to me."

A malevolent grin stretched across her lips.

The words felt like someone else had spoken them. They were foreign and tasted like blood on her tongue. She saw Ulrich's dark eyes enlarge in fear through the slits of his silver owl mask. His hesitation spurred her onward.

Her body shuddered, vitalae coursing through her veins. The golden mark in her palm burned like the sun. She remembered the spell Thorian used to kill so many of her house members. The massacrix hex-the death curse.

She performed the crude sequence with her casting hand.

A tendril of crimson light wrapped in a black aura hurtled towards Ulrich.

He sidestepped it. The hex sailed harmlessly past him.

Panting, Makaela lowered her hand. Every action she had made thus far felt like someone else was controlling her. Shadoweaving shouldn't have been possible for her. Only those with the blood of Mauvorin-the god of death and chaos-could perform those spells.

She was a lightweaver. That hex should've never worked.

Ulrich inched away from her. "Thorian was right about you, halfblood."

There was that word again. Halfblood. Her face felt like someone set it on fire.

"What are you talking about?" she asked through clenched teeth.

Ulrich went quiet.

Now wasn't the time to be tight-lipped, though.

She stepped forward, her face flaring with a fire she didn't know she possessed. "Answer me!"

"Your mother..." Ulrich cursed. "Thorian told us the truth about her. About you."

She was stunned into silence. What was he talking about? Before she could question him further, he summoned his vayrir and ran at her. A purple hatchet appeared in his hand. He swung the small axe at her. She ducked and it sunk into the wall behind her.

He desperately tried to wrench it free from the plaster. Off in the corner with Vini, Jasper screamed again and ordered the man to "watch the paintings!". The door was clear. Makaela took her opportunity and bolted for it.

She ran past Sebastian on the way and shouted for him to follow.

He kicked Igor in the chest, sending the Shade to the floor, before turning to join her.

Heavy footsteps thudded behind them as they burst out of Jasper's office. They quickly rushed down the glass staircase and vanished into the crowd of partygoers. Everyone seemed to be oblivious to the battle upstairs. Though, a few people were giving her strange looks.

Makaela looked down at her clothes. Her curls were plastered to her sweaty forehead. Her golden dress was gone too. Remy's spell had worn off.

Her eyes widened.

Remy.

She needed to find him. Imogen too.

The ordinaire would be traveling with them to Hodvekt after all. She wasn't sure how that would go over with House Brynjir, but they would cross that bridge when they got there. It was clear no one at Nightfall could help them.

"Makaela." Sebastian pulled on her arm.

"What?"

"Where's your bag?"

It wasn't on her arm. She couldn't remember the last time she had it. Her entire body went cold. Oh no.

The Illumio was in that bag. If the Shades found it before she did- She shook her head. They wouldn't. She just had to remember where she left it.

"The VIP booth," she said breathlessly.

Sebastian nodded curtly. "I'll go get it." He placed both hands on her shoulders and she nearly melted into his touch. "Go find Remy and Imogen. I'll come find you."

She bit down on her lip. "Are you sure?"

Separating wasn't the best of ideas, especially with two Shades hunting them, but they did need to accomplish two things at once. It was a risk they were going to have to take.

"Yeah, I'll be right behind you." He paused. "In case something happens-"

She interrupted him with a hug. She closed her eyes, her face pressing against his sturdy chest. He hugged her back, his strong arms holding her against him. In the midst of death and danger, she felt secure in his grip. She felt safe. Trembling slightly, she inhaled his scent. He still smelled like cinnamon from earlier.

Her stomach fluttered with a combination of nervousness and longing. Eventually, she let him go.

"See you in a bit."

He vanished into the pool of shadows at his feet. Somehow, no one around noticed. The strobing lights and drunkenness likely played a part.

Whipping her head around, she searched for the entrance of the casino. That's where they sent the others to go search for Jasper. Hopefully, they were still there. After making sure Ulrich or Igor wasn't on her trail, she made a beeline for the casino.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand. Her skin glistened with sweat under the lights above and her muscles screamed for a break. That would have to wait. She had to find them first.

She navigated through the casino clumsily. While she wasn't nearly as drunk as before, her motor skills were still shot. The short battle in Jasper's office had significantly sapped her energy. It took all of her concentration to stay upright. The loud music and glaring lights above weren't helping.

Her mind was still reeling from what Ulrich said.

What did he mean about her mother?

"Halfblood."

While it was true that she was of two different races, she didn't see how that was relevant. As she racked her brain for an answer, she wondered if Ulrich was using the term in a different manner.

Find Remy and Imogen first. After she did that and they escaped the club, she could think about what Ulrich said.

She quickly found that her cousin and the ordinaire weren't anywhere in the casino. She had looked everywhere-even asked a few of the waitresses milling about the place. No one had seen them.

Her shoulders slumped as she stopped in the middle of the floor. She tuned out the noises around her.

Where are they?

Something out the corner of her eye caught her attention. She snapped her gaze in its direction. A robed woman stood just behind a swinging door leading into a kitchen. A shock of red hair escaped from her hood.

Makaela sneered.

The Rabbit was here.

Sprinting across the floor, she burst into the kitchen after her.

Much to her surprise, the place was empty. No chefs, waiters, or drunk people making out away from the noise outside. It was barren, populated only by stoves, refrigerators, and long granite countertops. A chill passed over her clammy skin.

Remy, where are you?

"That was easy," a razor-sharp voice quipped behind her.

She spun on her heel with her casting hand raised. Just as she prepared to fire off a spell, she stopped herself. Her eyes settled on Remy and Imogen tied up at the dark magician's feet. Charmed ropes bound their hands and feet together.

"Tricking these two was fairly simple, I must admit," Yuri boasted. "I didn't even have to try very hard. One simple disguise charm and they were ready to follow me anywhere." She snapped her fingers, and in an instant, her black robes shifted into the same uniform the waitresses outside wore.

From the ground, Remy mumbled something against the gag in his mouth. It was nothing more than gibberish to Makaela's ears.

I'm going to get you out, Rem.

She just had to take care of the Rabbit first.

"You killed Kylian. That was my partner." The red-haired Shade sneered. Wisps of maroon magic swirled around her fingers. "Your stunt on the train also put me in Thorian's crosshairs. He doesn't tolerate failure."

"It's a miracle that he continues to tolerate you then."

"Ha. Funny."

"You're going to let my friends go right now."

Yuri cackled like a hyena. "Your tough girl act is cute. You think I don't see right through you?" She sauntered forward and removed her mask. The woman must've been in her late twenties. She was beautiful, in a dangerous, toxic way. Like a poison apple. "Deep down you're a scared little girl. You miss your mommy and daddy, don't you? Don't worry. I'll send you back to them."

Makaela squeezed her eyes shut. Don't listen. Don't listen.

"I know what you are," Yuri continued. "They say you're the Light, but I know the truth. I've heard the stories about your mother. She was a monster, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Monster?

What are they talking about?

Makaela's nails dug into her palms, drawing blood. A searing pain stabbed at her hands. Her nails were sharper than she realized. Tears welled in her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall. She wouldn't grant Yuri the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother."

"What are you going to do about it, dirty little half-blood?"

Remy tried speaking again over his gag. This time, Yuri kicked him in the head. The boy went limp, his eyes rolling back into his skull. Imogen struggled against her binds as she scooted over to him.

Makaela went numb for a moment.

"Oops," Yuri said.

"I'm going to kill you."

The woman's red lips curled into a smirk.

"There she is."

Makaela released a hoarse cry from the pit of her stomach. She saw nothing but red as she charged the Shade. The two of them exchanged a flurry of attacks, lighting up the kitchen with vibrant hues of light. Sweat dripped from Makaela's face and onto the tiles below, but she continued to fight.

Yuri summoned a shield charm, blocking a barrage of light shards sent her way. Makaela surged forward, driving her knee through the charm as if it were made by a child. She thrashed out her arms, catching the woman in the face. Yuri yelped before hitting the ground.

Makaela didn't let up. She pounced like a panther, pinning the Shade's arms to the ground. Yuri hooked her legs around her, flipping them over. They rolled around the slippery floor, trading blows to each other's faces. Using the rest of her strength, Makaela flipped them again. Now on top, she threw her fist downward. Yuri's nose split open, her blood wetting Makaela's knuckles.

She didn't stop. With one hand pressing her throat, she used the other to repeatedly hit her.

The Shade went limp, her white face-stained red. "S-Stop," she cried, her blood trickling into her mouth. "Please, stop."

Breathing heavily, Makaela scampered off her. She moved away from the battered Shade. Her throat tightened. She cast a fearful glance at her own hands. There was so much blood on the floors. So much blood...

Yuri laughed. Blood stained her teeth. "You sure can hit, I'll give you that." She shakily got back to her feet. "But I grew up as a human punching bag. I'm used to getting smacked around, little girl."

She lifted her hand. The purple mark pulsed against her skin,

Makaela was too weak to stand. All her energy was depleted, her vitalae too. Whatever had possessed was gone.

"I know Thorian told us not to kill you," Yuri stated, "but he'll understand. I'll say it was an accident." The familiar red hue of a torturing hex replaced the violet shade of her mark.

Just as she took a step forward, shadows gathered behind her. Sebastian rose from the pit, his vayrir in hand. Before Yuri could react, he sliced his dagger across her throat. She fell to her knees, hands clamped against the large slit in her neck. Blood spurted through her fingers before dribbling down the sides of her mouth.

She tried to speak, but the sound of her gargling on her blood was the only response she could muster.

Sebastian closed his fist. His dagger vanished. A dark look filled his black eyes.

"Good riddance."

Makaela's gaze settled on the Shade as she bled out on the floor. She could practically see the life fleeting from her blue eyes. It was satisfying, in a way. Her evilness would soon be gone from this world.

Sebastian rushed over to Imogen and Remy, the latter of which was just regaining consciousness. He freed them from their binds before heading to Makaela. He helped her up to her feet. Her eyes were still on Yuri's body.

"Hey." Sebastian turned her face towards his. "Hey, you okay? We gotta go."

She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself. "Yeah...yeah, I'm okay."

He had saved her. Again.

Imogen walked over to Yuri's body. Her hands shook violently. "What the actual fuck just happened?"

"Best not to dwell on it," Sebastian advised while readjusting the bag on his shoulder. "You'll get used to seeing dead bodies soon enough." He moved toward the exit of the kitchen. "Follow me. We need to head back upstairs."

Makaela nodded. He was right. The jumpkey was still in Jasper's office. If they still wanted to make it Hodvekt, they had to go up there and get it.

Once they made sure Remy could walk on his own, they snuck out of the kitchen and back into the casino. They made it to the club section of Nightfall and searched for the glass staircase leading to Jasper's office. Makaela kept an eye out for Ulrich and Igor. She found on the other side of the dancefloor, prowling around like predators. People stared at them nervously, but no one was bold enough to stop them. Authority and wickedness seemed to ooze from their very pores.

The Shades hadn't seen Makaela and the others, though.

Makaela and her group eventually found the stairs and hurried up to the second level of the club. The door to Jasper's office was unlocked. They barged inside. Unfortunuately, he was still there. Vini was too.

Sebastian threw a stunning spell at the latter, freezing him against the wall.

Jasper stopped, his face frozen with terror. "Er-"

Sebastian rushed over to the little man and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "You slimy prick." He punched him across the face and threw him to the ground. The Solaire raised his hands to protect himself, screeching for the boy to leave him alone.

Makaela scoffed at the sight.

Imogen shut the door behind him. Rubbing the welt forming on the side of his head, Remy placed a lock charm on the handle. For extra security, the ordinaire pushed the sofa up against the door. Exhaling, she leaned against the wall and cradled her head.

"This is the craziest night of my life," she mumbled.

"You gotta get out more," Remy said with a laugh. Then he winced. "Ouch."

Imogen turned to Sebastian. "What now?"

The boy looked down at Jasper. "Where's your jumpkey, Blackwell."

He sneered. "Now why would I tell you that?"

If he wouldn't tell them, they would look for it. Makaela started with his desk. She pulled out all his drawers, rummaging through them in search of any item that could be the jumpkey. It could've been anything, though. A pen, a glass. Something more absurd was more likely.

Sebastian pressed his foot against Jasper's throat. "Where is the jumpkey?"

"The Shades will be back up here any minute," he wheezed.

Remy stepped forward, his bright eyes fixed on the mask on the Solaire's desk. He pointed a finger at it.

Makaela beamed at her cousin. "You're a genius, Rem."

He smiled weakly at her, his hand still pressed against his head. "I know."

Sebastian snatched up the fox mask. Jasper reached for it but was forced to stay on the ground by the boy's boot.

"No!" Jasper shrieked. Loose strands of his stringy hair dropped in his flushed face. "You will not tamper with this deal! You all are too small-minded to see the bigger picture at hand! Thorian will make us kings and queens and gods again. How can you be against that? It is our rightful place in this world. The ordinaires have taken everything from us!"

Remy shot Sebastian a skeptical glance. "Looks like someone's been reading from your dad's diary."

Sebastian kept his eyes trained on Jasper. "Remy."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Good call."

"Funny kid," Jasper said dryly.

Remy beamed at the man. "Thank you!" He turned to the rest of the group. "At least someone appreciates my humor."

Makaela pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an exhausted breath.

"I can't believe I ever trusted you," Sebastian said with a rueful shake of his head.

"A bit of advice, my dear Sebastian," Jasper whispered. "You should never trust anyone."

He ignored the man. His brows furrowed at the jumpkey in his hand.

Makaela's heart dropped. "You don't know how to work it."

"I do, I do. It's just-" For once, he looked nervous.

Jasper grinned. "He has no idea what he's doing. Oh, how far you've fallen from grace, little prince. Just wait until daddy arrives."

"Shut up," he spat. Closing his eyes, he held his casting hand over the jumpkey. His lips moved as he programmed Hodvekt's location into the magical totem. The silver mask pulsed with a translucent aura as he mumbled an incantation.

"Almost got it," His eyes were still closed.

Imogen's eyes darted to the door. Makaela found herself doing the same.

"You'd better hurry up," the ordinaire said. "Those creepy magicians will be here-"

The office door exploded into splinters. Smoke filled the doorway. Seconds later, Igor and Ulrich stepped through.

"-any second." Imogen blanched. "Shit."

Makaela turned to Sebastian. "You almost done over there?"

Makaela turned to Sebastian. "You almost done?"

"I'm working on it."

Ulrich stepped forward. "No one is going anywhere."

Sebastian gripped the mask as it shook. An emerald light swam around inside the shiny metal. "Everyone hold on to me." Remy arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't make it weird, Remy."

Imogen swiftly placed a hand on Sebastian's shoulder. Makaela grabbed his free hand whiled Remy put his hand on his arm.

Ulrich reached out for them. "Stop right there- "

Sebastian waved goodbye. "See you late, Owl."

The two Shades lunged forward.

They were too late.

The world around Makaela warped and faded to black. A strange sensation rippled throughout her body, similar to how it felt when she shadowjumped with Sebastian. Except this was a hundred times more intense. Her black hair whipped around her face as she floated through a void of many colors. She couldn't process any of it. In a matter of seconds, which felt more like hours, her new surroundings began to stabilize around her. Her feet touched down on wet grass as an avalanche of nausea slammed into her.

Through her hazy vision, she spotted dark green tents. Log cabins. A sky full of stars. A river gurgled somewhere in the distance.

"Where-" She threw up onto her shoes before collapsing. Sharp bristles of damp grass stabbed at her face. Blackness swallowed her sight.

She could barely hear the sounds of horns blaring and booming footsteps approaching. With her magical reserves almost completely depleted and her muscles screaming in agony, she faded out of consciousness.