Just as the guard had said, Thania's portal had been deactivated. After Sebastian, Sirus, and his companions traveled to the city's portal control center, the technician there informed them that their magical transporter had shut off on its own.

Despite the island's warm weather, Sebastian couldn't help but feel a chill against his skin. Something was about to happen. Portals didn't just go out like old lightbulbs. The only way that would happen is if magic disappeared from the world. Considering Remy kept conjuring up chocolate bars to curb his nervousness, he realized that wasn't the case.

No. Something else was at play here.

As Sirus and his men tried to get their portal back online, Sebastian looked around the buildings there nestled in. Barracks belonging to Aegeon soldiers and armories surrounded them. The sun was approaching the east's horizon. It'd be nighttime soon.

"Do you think it's Thorian?" Ajax asked.

Sebastian nodded. "It has to be." He walked up to Sirus, who was standing in front of the stone podium with a handprint pressed into the top.

"He's coming, isn't he?" the man asked with an air of nonchalance. Or was that masked fear? He couldn't be sure.

"We have to prepare."

Sirus didn't say anything.

"I know you don't want to fight, but if we do nothing while he plans his assault, this city will be overrun," Sebastian told him. "He doesn't only have Shades and House Doragon on his side. He has werewolves, vampires, hellhounds, ghouls, and gargoyles allied with him from Nordor."

"How'd he manage that?"

Sebastian wasn't sure how to answer. His father never told him the specifics of how he garnered the trust of so many dark creatures. Apart from the werewolves and vampires, the other groups weren't anywhere close to civilized. They had no coalition or community. They were wild and chaotic and savage. Yet his father had them at his beck and call.

He always assumed it had something to do with the mauvue charm his father had in his eye. There was little to no material on the ancient charm, but the small amount of information he had found said the mauvue gave the user powers linked to Mauvorin—the god of darkness and death—himself.

"It doesn't matter how," Sebastian said. "What matters is that you need to prepare for a battle."

Sirus stroked his goatee. His brows were furrowed, and the skin of his forehead creased like an accordion. The black-haired boy stared at him, silently hoping the man was planning on doing something.

With the portal down, they were all trapped on the island. Evacuating everyone via ships would take hours and they had no idea when Thorian was planning on attacking. For all they knew, he could've been sending his forces their way that very instant.

They needed to act sooner rather than later.

"I'll have my soldiers guard this sector of the city," Sirus said. "If they come through the portal, we'll be able to deal with them immediately."

Sebastian hoped it would be enough.

"We need to get you back to the palace," he said. He pointed at the gauntlet on Sirus' arm. "If Thorian gets his hands on that, then we've lost."

"Agreed."

Sirus informed the portal technician on his plans of securing the area before leaving for the palace with Sebastian, Remy, Ajax, and Olivier. As they walked back to the palace, surrounded by a small battalion of guards, Sebastian remembered something.

Something important.

"What's wrong?" Olivier asked.

He had stopped walking. The group turned around and directed their curious glances towards him.

"I assumed you were in a hurry," Sirus said.

"Imogen."

"Pardon?"

Sebastian walked up to the man. "I need you to release my friend."

"Your friend..." He gesticulated his confusion with his hands.

Shaking his head, the boy blew air from his nose and rolled his eyes. "Imogen. The Ordinaire you imprisoned yesterday?"

Sirus snapped his fingers. "Oh, yes! The Ordinaire you brought into one of the last standing magical cities in the world, which could've compromised our entire species. Yes." He deadpanned. "Her."

"I need you to release her."

His friends and Olivier exchanged wary glances amongst each other.

"And why would I do that? She's an Ordinaire. In fact, she has probably forgotten about you and this place already—"

One of the guards coughed and turned around. Sirus narrowed his gaze and faced them. Off to the side, Remy snickered under his breath. Sebastian suppressed a grin.

"Is something wrong?" Sirus asked.

"Er, about the Ordinaire," the guard mumbled. They rubbed the back of their reddening neck. "She...well...her mind..."

Sirus gestured for them to hurry up.

"We didn't wipe her mind, my lord." They cowered after coming under fire from their master's harsh stare. "B-But it wasn't my fault! Something was controlling me. I was talking with the boy and all of a sudden, I was walking away from the Ordinaire's cell and getting a bagel from the snack room. I couldn't stop myself!"

Sirus face-palmed before turning to Remy. The boy waved sheepishly, his cheeks rosy.

"Maybe it was a coincidence?"

"Right."

Olivier quietly scolded his son, who simply hung his head and muttered inaudible replies to his father.

Sirus shook his head before turning to Sebastian. "You really care about what happens to this Ordinaire?"

He nodded.

"Do you vow to take full responsibility for her actions?"

"Yeah, whatever. She's harmless."

Sirus stared at him for a few moments. The intensity in his blue eyes made the boy's skin itch. "Fine. We'll release her." Sebastian smiled. "But she'll never be able to return to her old life. Understand?"

Sebastian's smile vanished. He hadn't been anticipating that. He was fairly sure Imogen wouldn't tell anyone magic existed. But now she wouldn't even get the chance. She'd never get to see her dad again, even if she claimed to hate the man. She'd never get to live a normal life. They had taken that from her.

Shit.

He sighed. "Deal." After shaking Sirus' hand, they continued walking back towards the palace.

"You what?!"

Sebastian cringed at the sound of her voice. He anticipated some resistance, but not this much. Imogen was glowering at him with the force of a thousand suns. She had her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"It was either that or keep you in here and have your mind wiped," he replied.

"You can thank Remy for that, by the way," Ajax said. Remy waved and quickly retracted his hand after seeing the anger in her face. "Cheer up, Immy."

"I'm being forced to live out the rest of my life with you weirdos," she snapped. Her gaze softened. "No offense."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "You're being dramatic."

"Am I? Am I, Sebastian?" She stomped up to him. "What about my dad? He's probably worried about me. I have to let him know I'm okay."

"We'll let him know...somehow," Remy said. "On the bright side, you get to live with us. That's cool, right?"

"Yes. Totally cool." Imogen buried her face into her hands and screamed. She dropped her hands and shook her head. "I guess things could be worse."

Ajax nodded. "You're right. They could be."

Sebastian shrugged at her. "I thought you'd be happy to spend the rest of your days with me." Her face reddened and she stuck a finger in his face.

"Shut up."

"It was just a joke." He held his hands up innocently and backed up towards the exit of the small dungeon beneath Sirus' palace. "C'mon, let's get upstairs. We need to help Sirus and Olivier figure out how we're going to fight my father whenever he gets here."

The others followed him up the stairs and out of the dungeon. As they made their way to the castle's central building, Ajax stopped and looked around. His brows were creased, and he was scratching the top of his head.

They all stopped.

"What now?" Remy asked.

"Has anyone seen Siren?"

Sebastian blanched and spun around. He hadn't even noticed the girl wasn't with them. In fact, he didn't remember seeing her after they left the palace to check on the island's portal problem. He hoped she had stayed inside, but something in the pit of his stomach told him she didn't. They needed to find her and get her back into the palace before the attack commenced. While his father was only after Sirus' gauntlet, Siren was a piece of the Prophecy of Eight. Her safety was just as important as any old artifact.

"I'll find her," Sebastian said. "You three, get upstairs. I'll be back soon." Before he could walk off, Ajax grabbed his arm. He arched an eyebrow at the ginger.

"I'm coming too."

He knew better than to argue with the big brute. He simply nodded and told the boy to keep up.

"Don't die!" Imogen yelled as they retreated into the city.

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head.

"She likes you," Ajax said after they reached the outer edges of Thania.

He ignored the statement. Instead, he sped up his pace and continued his search for Siren Lombardi.

After doing some asking around, the two boys caught a lead regarding Siren's whereabouts. Some bakers had seen the princess heading towards one of the beaches earlier in the day. Sebastian and Ajax thanked their informant and bought a couple of baklavas for their troubles.

"This is the greatest thing I've ever tasted," Ajax said—more like shouted—with his mouthful of sweet pastry.

"You don't have baklavas in America?"

The ginger shook his head. "No, but we do have apple pies. And peach cobblers. And—"

"I got it."

Sebastian had never put too much thought into the other six Eldair houses and their cultures. They all were so disconnected, only interacting when absolutely necessary. His own family and housemates hailed from France, Germany, Russia, and most of Eastern Europe. They prided themselves on their deep-rooted culture—a culture that the other houses didn't always agree with.

House Oseda and Brynjir utilized tribal and clan-based governments, as they both worshipped Terren—a deity whose main values centered around family and community. Houses Tenebris, Lumai, Doragon, and Aegeon elected for more western-styled monarchies. No one really knew what House Vaya did. The wind magicians were an enigma. And they had been gone for years.

"How far away is this beach?" Ajax asked.

Sebastian shrugged. "Hell, if I know."

"We should've brought Luka with us."

"You and me both." He wondered what had happened to their Aegeon tour guide. They hadn't seen him since they were received at Sirus' gates the night before. He hoped the eccentric wine seller hadn't been arrested for his illegal dealings.

The two boys left the city's confines and made their way to a steep cliff near the palace. Stone stairs had been chiseled into the precipice, leading down to the sandy shore below. As they made their descent downward, Sebastian took note of the sunset. Beautiful strokes of marmalade, sapphire, rouge, and lilac painted the dimming sky. The colors brightened as they reached the shimmering water, which seemed to stretch for an eternity.

His eyes widened in awe as his footsteps faltered. Even Ajax stopped to bask in its glory.

Now he knew why Siren had come out to the beach despite the impending danger. The sunset was the best thing he'd ever seen—aside from Makaela.

When the two boys reached the soft, white sand, they immediately saw her. She was standing at the edge of the water with her platinum hair flowing in the salty breeze and her white dress moving with the tide.

Sebastian stole a glance at Ajax, who couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the girl. He grinned.

"After all these years, you still haven't worked up the nerve to ask her out?"

"It's not that easy," he grumbled.

"Of course it is."

Ajax shook his head. "She...she makes me nervous."

"Nervous?" Sebastian cackled. He was laughing so hard he doubled over and held his stomach. "Siren Lombardi makes you nervous?" He continued laughing at his friend's expense. Ajax simply stood there with a scowl on his face. "Nothing makes you nervous. What're you talking about?"

"Forget it."

"No, tell me. I might be able to relate." In truth, he could relate. A lot. Whenever he had been around Makaela, she made him act of character. It might not have shone, but she made him nervous too.

Ajax sighed and scratched the top of his head. "I don't know how to explain it. It's just...whenever I see her, I just want to—"

"Kiss her?"

"It's more than that. I just want to be around her, to smell her hair. To see her beautiful smile. I want to protect her."

"That's called love, my friend."

"Whatever it is, I want it to make the butterflies in my stomach go away."

Sebastian smiled and continued through the sand. "C'mon, Lover Boy. Let's bring her back to the palace." The two of them walked over to Siren and joined her in looking at the sea.

He called out to her, causing her to turn her head to look at him.

She tilted her head at Ajax, completely ignoring Sebastian's existence. "What are you doing here, AJ?"

Sebastian screwed up his face at the nickname. AJ?

Ajax laughed nervously. "We were looking for you."

"Well, I'm right here."

"Yes...you are...right here."

The two of them stood staring at each other like morons. Sebastian cleared his throat. Siren turned around and smiled at him.

"Oh, Sebastian! I didn't see you there."

"You know you shouldn't be out here right now. Your father needs you back inside the palace."

She frowned. "He could've told me himself."

"He's busy," Ajax told her. "We really need you to get inside."

"I came here to clear my mind," Siren told him. "This talk of battle and the prophecy...it's making me think. Too much. My father kept me shielded from everything growing up. Now that everything is turning on its head, I don't know what to do."

Sebastian realized just how different he was to everyone else. Parents were known for protecting their children from the horrors of the world. But not his father. He didn't believe in coddling; he exposed his two children to everything. While Siren grew up sheltered, Sebastian performed his first torturing spell the day after The Marking. He remembered how sick and evil he felt after inflicting immense amounts of pain on an unsuspecting bat his father ensnared.

He had seen the pain in the poor creature's blind eyes. Even though it couldn't speak, it cried out for help, begging for the agony to stop. Sebastian never performed the spell again after that.

He sat down on the sand. "You're overwhelmed. Welcome to the club." Siren and Ajax joined him on the ground.

"What's troubling you exactly?" Ajax asked, his voice full of concern.

"Everything," Siren answered. "My role in the prophecy, our portals shutting down, your Thorian planning to attack my realm." She exhaled. "And my visions."

Sebastian froze. "Wait. Visions?"

He thought back to his own dream of himself visiting Mauvorin visiting Nordor. That couldn't have been a coincidence. Like Sirus said, those didn't exist.

"A King of shadows will take the crown...."

The words pierced the darkness of his mind, forcing themselves into the light. They meant something. He just couldn't tell if the message was good or bad.

"Are you listening?" Siren's voice yanked him back to reality.

Rubbing his forehead, he nodded. "Sorry. You were saying?" Ajax shot him a disapproving look.

"My visions," the girl replied.

"Right. What were in these visions?"

"Not much, actually," Siren answered. "It's really been the same scene over and over again. It shows me walking across the water, moving towards someone who I can't see. But every time I have the vision, I can feel the darkness radiating from them. It...it's so cold. And evil. And vile." She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. Ajax draped an arm over her shoulder, and she snuggled into him.

"What do you think it means?" the orange-haired magician asked.

"I...I think I'm supposed to get rid of it."

Sebastian pursed his lips. "Get rid of it? What do you mean?"

"Water has many capabilities, Sebastian." Siren gestured towards the ocean. "While many of my housemates use it as a weapon, some use it as a way to heal. I've been taught in the ways of water healing."

Sebastian nodded, remembering a lesson he had sat through on the subject. However, he wasn't sure of what Siren was meant to heal. She didn't seem to know either.

"It's my part of the prophecy," she said, her tone adamant. She dug her fingers into the sand. "It has to be."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough," Ajax said.

Sebastian nodded and gazed at the expansive waters before them.

Siren rested her head on Ajax's shoulder. "I guess we will."

He thought about the impending battle. People would die. That much was certain. His father was going to throw everything at them in order to get Sirus' artifact. Makaela's face flashed through his head. They would be on opposing sides, yet again. He thought back to the fight on the docks back in France. She had been hesitant, reluctant even, to hurt them.

There was a chance she was still in there. Even if it was hopeless, he wasn't ready to believe she was fully gone.

Sighing, he leaned back and continued watching the calm waves washing up against the shore.