Lilla sat up and scurried across the bed to the wall. Catriona observed her panic before letting out a joyful squeal. "What's wrong, darling? Are you frightened?" She smirked at Lilla's glare. When Lilla didn't answer, Catriona turned to the man that carried her in. "Tell me, dear, what did she do when she saw you?"

He grinned. "It was as you predicted. She gaped, with her mouth opening and closing like a fish." He acted it out, and Catriona clapped. Lilla flinched when he winked at her and continued. "All I had to do was crook my finger, and she came running."

Their distraction allowed me to reach for my pocket. If I got to a blade, I'd cut the ropes. But I could barely move, and the bedpost was blocking me.

Owen was silent. If it wasn't for the bewildered hurt and anger coursing through me, I wouldn't have known he was there.

Catriona examined Lilla with wide-eyed enthusiasm. "What happened when you saw him? How did you feel? Tell the truth."

Lilla's gaze was glued to the man with tousled brown hair. She whispered, "How? How are you here?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "I suspect you're thinking of my father. I'm Shay, but I hear I'm the spitting image of Cian."

"Your father?" Lilla repeated, her cheeks reddening. "You had his child?" She lunged, but Catriona was much too fast. She raised her hand and flung Lilla against the wall.

A powerful gust of wind encircled Lilla, making her hair float, framing her face. Catriona had her pinned in place.

"You're a witch, too," I whispered.

"Obviously." She sighed. "You're a bit slow, aren't you?"

A bark of laughter escaped me. "Not usually, but there's a lot happening."

Catriona tilted her head with an expression of understanding. "I'm the one who taught Lilla. Well, tried to teach her. She wasn't a talented pupil." Flicking her fingers at me, she said, "You can stop squirming. Your knives are gone. Vaughn took them when he tied you up."

By the door, the guy with the buzz cut patted his pocket. "Thanks. It's nice when dinner brings gifts. I got a new phone, too." He held up my cell to show me he was going through the messages.

"No problem." I nodded, but staying calm was becoming harder. I wanted to flex my ankle to see if the knife was there, but I ordered myself to stay still while they scrutinized me.

Lilla panted—the force of the wind seemed to make breathing difficult. Her hands balled into fists. "How... could you... have had... his child?"

Catriona blinked at her. "Well, when two people love each other very much—"

"Shut up!" Lilla's body shook. "You aren't funny! He. Didn't. Love you!"

"How would you know?" Catriona's lip curled. "The only way you find love is with magic. Even after death, poor Owen can't be at peace because of you."

Lilla's focus whipped in my direction. She'd been too busy staring at Shay to notice me. "Owen?" she asked.

I looked at her, and she sighed. "Bash. Can you let Owen speak?"

"I can't stop him," I said.

As they all waited for Lilla's reaction, I moved my foot to check for the weapon. The handle pressed into my leg. It wasn't doing any good at the moment, but it was nice to have it.

Lilla's eyes brimmed with tears, and Catriona gasped. "You really care for him! Oh, this is too perfect." She waved her fingers and the breeze around Lilla slowed; it still held her, but with less force. "Go on, tell him you put a love spell on him and wasted his life. I'll watch."

"It wasn't a love spell!" With the pressure removed, Lilla spoke more clearly. "It was some minor magic to help him ignore some of my... darker qualities."

I scoffed. "You mean to ignore that you're kind of a bitch."

The mimics cracked up, and Vaughn said, "I almost don't wanna kill this one. He's funny."

"You could always let me go." I smiled.

Vaughn's lips pulled to the side. "I said almost. Besides, it's not up to me. You're for Mother, and the little witch is for Shay. I'm here to babysit and starve while Jake gets to have all the fun."

"Oh, don't complain." Catriona scolded. "It was Jake's turn, and you'll get the very next heart, I promise, but these two are special for Shay and me. Lilla stole the beautiful life we were meant to have. Now, she and the one she loves will pay for it."

"Gee, just when we were becoming friends." As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized Owen's anger had taken over my emotions, otherwise I wouldn't have been so bold with monsters that were ready to make me their dinner.

Vaughn started to reply, but Owen finally spoke. "Was any of it real?"

Catriona held her hand up. "Quiet, boys! Owen asked if any of it was real. I want to hear this." She leaned forward as though she were watching the best movie. All that was missing was the popcorn.

Vaughn and Shay shared a bored glance before leaning on the wall. They couldn't care less about this drama.

"Of course it was real!" Lilla looked at me as a tear ran down her cheek. "I swear I didn't change your feelings for me, Owen. I only... made it easier for you to feel that way."

"That's bullshit!" Owen said, "You changed how I saw everything you did! That's why you seem different now. You can't mess with my thoughts anymore."

"I'm sorry," Lilla whispered.

"This is perfect! You do know, sister, you wouldn't be having this problem if you weren't so lazy."

Lilla glowered. "What are you talking about?"

"If you'd built him his own shell, you might've kept your little not-quite-a-love-spell working." Catriona sucked her teeth.

"You mean there's a way to make Owen himself?" Lilla gaped.

"Well, no, you'll all be dead soon. It's too late." Catriona laughed. "I only wanted a chance to chat before Shay uses your pitiful life to prolong his."

Lilla's fair skin faded to an ailing shade of white. She whispered, "I could've put him back together?"

"If you hadn't been so unimaginative to begin with, all you needed was his spirit. The outside is window dressing, easily remade. You would've known that if you'd ever listened when I was trying to teach you."

Owen's anger had intensified throughout their conversation, and my heart broke for him. He could've been in his own body as soon as Lilla's magic built up. He would've been free and not stuck in this house.

Owen said, "I could have left Bash out of this. He'd be safely living a normal life."

Catriona frowned and batted her eyelashes dramatically. "Aw, you've grown attached to your new friend. That's so unfortunate." She clucked her tongue at Lilla. "The man you love and his companion are both going to be food, all because of you."

Lilla spun toward her. "As if you're any better? I'd never intentionally harm Owen. You say you cared for my Cian, but that didn't stop you from killing him!"

"He wasn't yours, and I never intended to kill him. I didn't understand what was happening."

"Because you're a monster!"

"And whose fault is that?" Catriona screeched.

"It isn't mine. I wanted you to die alone, that's all. You were supposed to live out your years without another man giving you his heart. You should've kept things that way!"

"You spelled your own sister!" Catriona's fists squeezed at her sides. "Why couldn't you let Cian and me be? We were happy!" The venom in her words was frightening.

"He would've been mine if you'd just stayed away!"

Catriona screamed, "He never loved you!"

I couldn't believe what was happening. "Are you two saying you made her into a monster because of some guy? Are you freaking kidding?"

Lilla glared at me. "Oh shut up, Bash!"

Owen yelled, "You shut up, Lilla! You've had my entire life to tell me the truth, and you lied. If I have to hear this, I want to know what my family gave their lives for."

Catriona chuckled. "You couldn't cast an enchantment strong enough to make him love you now, sister."

"What really happened? I don't care who this Cian loved or didn't." Owen sighed. "I want to understand why we died as hunters."

Catriona feigned sadness. "I suppose that's only fair, and I'd like to rub my sister's nose in it, anyway." She strolled to the bed and sat facing Lilla. "It wasn't me that changed your curse; it was Cian. He recognized you did something to me. He sensed it was making his feelings for me change. While he still knew he loved me, he created his own spell—one that'd give me any heart I desired. I only wanted him.

"That night, I woke shrieking in pain. I assumed I was dying. Cian said it was the two spells fighting for control, so he cast another. It was magic for healing. He told me it would do anything necessary to stop the hurting and make me live."

I nodded. "Sure, the first two went super well. Add a third."

Catriona ignored me, and Owen whispered, "Switch."

Vaughn and Shay were leaning near the door, not paying me any attention. That was as relaxed as it was going to get, so I faced down and focused on my breathing.

A few seconds later, Owen peeked over to see the mimics hadn't moved. Vaughn was still playing with my phone while Shay stared down at his shoes. Lilla's tears continued to fall, and Owen kept his gaze down so they wouldn't notice we'd switched.

"The healing magic changed me." Catriona said, "It gave me the claws and hunger that killed him. I realized later the spells had braided together inside me.

"You wanted me to perish alone with no one else giving me their heart. He wished for me to have any heart I desired and anything I needed to live. Now, I have what I need and others die when I take their hearts; I'm eternal."

"You killed everyone to hurt me," Lilla wailed through her tears.

Catriona scowled. "You think everything's about you, but they were my coven, too. I don't know how long I sat there, covered in Cian's blood, horrified at what I'd done, but it was enough time for the hunger to build."

Sadness blanketed her features, and her lip quivered, but she said, "When Aideen and her girls arrived, they had no idea. I told them to leave, but they came in. Only Molly escaped. Cian was gone and our coven was down to three, excluding you and me. They'd never accept me again. I hoped for death."

"Good," Lilla snapped.

Catriona smiled. "What kept me alive was the hope they'd burn you for what you'd done. They wouldn't have invited me, but I could've watched from a distance, reveled in the sounds and scents of your pain."

Lilla sneered. "Instead, they gifted me with a life long enough to see you dead."

A cackle erupted from her sister. "Is that the way you recall it? I was there, sister. I heard everything. They ostracized you, and the spell they cursed you with was no gift. They required you to kill me and then die. I'm certain they never imagined it'd take this long. They underestimated your incompetence."

"I'm sure they didn't think you'd be so happy to slaughter innocent people. If you preferred to die, why didn't you?" Lilla asked.

"I would have, had it not been for our sweet baby; he needed me." Her voice filled with adoration as she looked at Shay. "So, we left Ireland. Three months pregnant on a boat wasn't easy. Arriving in Boston was a relief."

Lilla's eyebrows pulled down. "You were pregnant when you left? I searched for years. When did you get here?"

"We sailed in 1715." Catriona giggled. "It was so long before you figured it out, I thought you'd given up. At least I had plenty of time to start my family. My little man needed playmates—thirty-five years and thirty-five siblings. We had a good thing going until you had to ruin it."

"You're monsters that kill people!" Lilla snarled.

"And how many have called themselves hunters and given their lives for you?" She sneered.

"Enough," Shay grumbled. "Mother, you've had your fun. You won. Can we eat? I'm tired of this and Jake should be done and driving to Greenville soon. If he's there before us, he'll mess everything up and we'll have to find another town."

Catriona had the same look mothers give their screaming toddlers at the supermarket. "Can't you just be patient?"

"I have nothing to do. At least he has that to play with," Shay whined and pointed at my cell in the mimic's hand.

"What are you doing with his phone?" Catriona asked Vaughn.

He grinned. "I've been texting with Emily. They're coming back early, and she'd like Bash to meet her for lunch."

"He won't be able to make it." Shay snickered.

My heart sped at the mention of Emily, but I stayed quiet—I didn't want to draw any attention to Owen working on getting the ropes off.

Vaughn spoke to Owen, as though he were me. "Her picture's hot. Would she send nudes if you ask real nice?"

He held the cell up ready to type, and anger exploded in me, making Owen jerk against the binding holding my wrists. Vaughn and Shay cracked up, but Catriona sighed.

Massaging her temples, she said, "Honestly, boys, when will you two grow up? And why didn't you say anything?"

"About what?" Vaughn shrugged.

"The delivery meal you've been chatting with. Aren't you hungry?"

He straightened up from the wall. "Can I have her?"

"Hmm." Catriona tapped her chin. "Sure. People can assume something happened while she was with Bash, since she was thoughtful enough to create that evidence. I don't think she'd come here, though. Have her meet you at Bash's house. I'm sure Jake's making a mess there, anyway."

"Yes!" Vaughn bounced as he texted.

"No! Leave her alone! Lilla protected my place. They can't find it!" I yelled as Owen tried to lift the bunk beds to slip the rope under. They'd tied my hands too high; it wasn't working.

Catriona giggled. "Well, we can if we have the address, silly." She pointed at my wallet and keys on the dresser. "We can't forget Daddy; he'd miss you. No. If we choose someone with a family, it's best to take the entire family."

"No, please! They have nothing to do with this. They don't know anything. Leave them alone, please," I begged, but no one listened.

Shay rubbed his palms together. "Time to eat, then?"

"Yes, dinner is served. Vaughn, run there and collect his dad's vehicle when you're finished. We'll drive the antique out front and meet you and Jake in Greenville."

He sprinted through the door, and Catriona called after him, "Make sure you clean up your mess!"

"Yes, Mother," he said as his feet pounded down the stairs.

Lilla turned to Owen. "I'm so sorry. Both of you; if I could change it all, I would."

Chuckling, Shay sauntered toward Lilla. "It's a little late for apologies, Auntie. Release her, Mother. Eating's no fun when they're pinned down."

Catriona made a motion and Lilla slumped forward. Looking up, she murmured something fast.

Shay's eyes widened, and he glanced down at himself before cracking up. "Burn and break? Nothing happened! You're the most pathetic witch I've ever seen." He backhanded Lilla, and she collapsed sideways onto the bed.

He and Catriona continued laughing as Lilla smiled. A second later, the scent of smoke reached their noses, and they turned in time to see Owen shake the charred ropes from my wrists.

The mimics gaped, and Lilla used their distraction to drive both feet into Shay, sending him crashing into his mother. Owen grabbed her ankle as she stumbled by. She fell, hitting her head on the dresser and landing with a thump. Blood rushed from her forehead, and her body stilled.

Shay roared and lunged for Owen, but Lilla dove off the bed onto his back. She wrapped her arms around Shay's neck, throwing him off balance and taking them both down. He reached over his shoulder, hooking her with his claws, and flung her across the room. Lilla crashed into the wall and slid down in a bleeding heap.

Owen's arm was poised to plunge a blade into Catriona when Shay rushed us, tackling Owen and sending the knife clattering into the hallway. I wanted to scream with frustration, but stayed quiet so Owen could focus.

With Shay crushing my rib cage, Owen punched his jaw, pushing him backward. Claws swiped at my chest, but Owen rolled to the side in time for them to tear into the hardwoods behind us. Swinging back, my elbow caught Shay in the temple, knocking him to the floor with a grunt.

Owen scrambled into the hall for his weapon, and the door slammed and locked behind us. A second later, glass broke in the bedroom. Gripping the knife, Owen leaned away and kicked with my heel next to the doorknob.

The frame burst into pieces as the door flew open, smacking the wall. A breeze blew through the threshold from the window. The glass was missing and so were Shay and Catriona. Owen peered outside and found nothing—they'd escaped.

He scanned Lilla's still unconscious form. Her chest moved. "She's breathing."

"My dad! Emily!" I shouted. Owen bolted for the stairs, snatching my wallet and keys on the way.

Rocks and earth erupted in a cloud as Owen raced the truck down the dirt path. "One thing at a time, Bash, don't lose it."

"I'm trying not to, but if something happens to them..."

"Don't think like that. We'll get there."

A few miles from the house, just before the main road, Owen slid around a corner and saw the mimic ambling along, texting on my cell.

"Get him!" I yelled.

At the sound of the engine, Vaughn slowed. Owen turned and hit the brakes, sliding to a stop ahead of him. He gawked as Owen reached through the window, plucked my phone from his grip, and tossed it on the seat.

Slamming the door into Vaughn, Owen knocked him a step away before springing from his seat. He fisted the front of his shirt and grabbed the back of his neck, then rammed his skull into the nearest tree. Owen let go, and the monster collapsed.

Ripping the knife from my boot, Owen stabbed Vaughn through the heart. As he shriveled into a heap of rotten bones and clothes, Owen kicked through the pile, retrieving the knives Vaughn had stolen and sliding them into my pocket.

He knocked the mimic leftovers into the woods before sprinting toward the truck. "We'll have to worry about that later."

"Check my phone! Where's Emily?"

Owen pulled up my messages, and she'd just texted.

Emily: See you in just a bit!

I said, "Type, don't come, something came up."

After hitting send, we raced home. The phone signaled a text, but Owen didn't take his focus from the road.

Within seconds of pulling up, he opened the front door of my house, finding the living room undisturbed. Blade in hand, ready to fight, he snuck inside.

Owen stalked to the kitchen, adrenaline pumping, and the hair on my arms rose. An open bag of chips sat on the counter next to the bread, meat, and cheese. Owen surveyed the area and squeezed the knife handle.

The house was silent. Maybe Dad got an emergency work call. Someone's house could be flooding.

Owen pivoted toward the stairs, but took a deep breath, and halted, whispering, "Oh no." He turned back slowly, and that's when we spotted them—small red dots beside the sink.

"No, no, no. What is that?" Dread filled me as Owen stepped around the island. He didn't respond. He didn't have to. We both saw him—Dad lying on the floor, unseeing eyes open wide, his chest a bloody gaping hole.

The world stopped. There was no sound, no movement, only Dad's torn shirt and deathly pale skin smeared with deep red blood. Something inside me shattered. A devastated cry echoed, and in the back of my mind, I thought it might've come from me.

Owen fell to my knees, grabbing the kitchen towel from the counter to lay it over Dad's chest, covering him.

"Switch," I whimpered.

"Bash," Owen whispered, "I'll handle this, you don't have to—"

"Switch now."

Nodding, Owen relaxed to let me take over.

Tears flowed as though a dam had lowered. They dripped from my chin as I gently closed Dad's eyelids. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I should've been here or warned you. I should've done something."

An overwhelming sense of wrong filled me. This couldn't be real. He was so good. He didn't deserve this. With my forehead against his shoulder, I wept.

Owen murmured, "Bash, this is my fault. I shouldn't have dragged you into this."

Sitting up, I wiped my face. "It's not your fault. It's Jake's and Catriona's, maybe even Lilla's, but not yours."

My eyes landed on the kitchen knife Dad still held. I lifted it from his hand and stared at the smudge of crimson on the blade.

"He must've fought the mimic," Owen said.

Before I could respond, water ran upstairs.

"He's still here." Owen whispered, "Switch."

A door squeaked. Heavy footsteps thudded on the stairs.

"Switch!" Owen yelled.

"No," I growled and stood, tightening my grip on the knife.

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