Aspen holds up the heart in triumph.

"I will kill him!" Tanya shouts as she presses her sharp claws to his neck. I can see her just itching to do it too and I would not stop her. Her face is a picture of fury with heavily bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks. A look of momentary panic crosses Aspen's face.

"Do it, mum," Eric whispers in drowsiness as he begins to heal from being knocked unconscious. "Bond with it," he says.

"Shut up!" Tanya scream and stamps on his face. There is a crunch and his teeth fly out of his mouth as blood sprays from his nose. Aspen hisses violently and I think she is going to change into her indestructible snake form again. I take a deep, shaking breath as I look around the field. It is full of terrified shifters who all look in horror. The skies are still dark and the wind is picking up as is the rest of the storm.

"You touch a hair on his head again and I will kill every shifter on this pathetic little rock," she snarls. I glare at her, hate burning through my body. "So I suggest you stop this little storm of yours or not only will you be responsible for your pathetic sister's death, but of everyone here," she threatens. My breath leaves my lungs as the pain of Serenity rushes through me again. Pain and fury. I want so much to kill her, to rip her to pieces. But what of the other shifters she would take with her? The other shifters who'd get killed or have to morn losses themselves. I back down, but Tanya doesn't. Instead, she lets out a scream of furious rage and jumps toward Aspen.

"Toryn!" I shout as Aspen's forked tongue spikes indicating she is about to shift into her powerful snake form. He looks at me and I can see only raging fire in his eyes. His tear streaked skin and dangerous expression tells me he is not going to stop Tanya.

"Tanya no!" I shout and slam my body into hers. I pin her to the ground.

"Isla! What are you doing? Let me kill her!" she screams.

"You can't attack her," I cry. "Or she'll hurt others," I say to her.

"I don't care, I want her dead!" Tanya shouts, writhing beneath me.

"Tanya," I whisper as my chest aches with the pain of the words I am about to say. "Killing Aspen won't bring Serenity back," I tell her as tears fall from my checks, Serenity's dead body filling my mind. "It will cause other people to feel what we are feeling now," I reason. Tanya stops moving and breaks down, her body shaking beneath me as sobs of pain fill her.

"But she killed Serenity," Tanya cries through her heavy tears. I twist around and wrap my sister in my arms.

"I know," I whisper.

"She's gone, forever," Tanya cries. I nod my head and lean into Tanya, my body also shaking and I try and curb the rage that rushes through me. I look up at Aspen again. She has a wicked grin on her face. Toryn walks over and takes hold of Tanya who curls up in his arms and continues to break down. I stand slowly, facing Aspen.

"So this is what you've always wanted?" I ask. "To be queen? How many have you sacrificed to get here?" I ask her. She grins.

"Not enough," she snarls. "Otherwise you stupid brats would have died alongside your family." I try to push my emotions down, try to reason that attacking her isn't worth it.

"However, I see there may be a use for there still being Dragons around. When I bond with the Heart, you will have no choice but to follow me. You three will make a very useful weapon." I snarl, my teeth bared. "Plus, you send a nice message," she says as she sweeps her arms dramatically. "The all-powerful Dragoheir's everybody!" she shouts to the field of shifters. "Surrendering and cowering away from protecting you," she grins and turns to face all the shifters who watch and her eyes fall onto the High Queen Katrina. Daniel is helping her sit up slowly.

"Name me your successor," Aspen orders.

"Why?" Katrina whispers. Her skin is clammy and pale. Dark purple bags sit around her eyes and her skin is covered in wounds. The biggest one is a large circular chunk missing from her back. That is where the stone was sat. "You can bond with the heart even without it," she continues.

"I know, but I want everyone to hear you surrender. Because if you don't name me, I will kill you and your wretched son." Daniel stands up and growls, standing protectively in front his mother. His eyes are rimmed with tears. Katrina touches his ankle and he steps aside. Aspen holds out the beautiful glowing stone and my eyes fall on it. As I stare at it I feel a pulsing. Like it is coming from the stone. Like it is trying to draw me to it. All I can do is focus on the heart.

"Very well Aspen," Katrina groans in pain.

"I, High Queen Katrina," she starts, the groans in pain again, then her eyes dart to me. "Name, Isla Mira Dragoheir as my successor." Everything happens so quickly I can't even process what is going on. Aspen screams in fury as the stone rips out of her grasp and comes hurtling toward me. Pain rips through my chest and I am thrown backwards. My body lands with a heavy thud and dizziness consume me. I clumsily stand, my vision doubled.

"No," I whisper as Aspen charges toward the Katrina and Daniel, too quick for anyone to react. A body flies into Daniel, shoving him out of Aspen's path. It is Darcy. However, Katrina doesn't move at all. Her face is that of determination. There is no fear in her eyes, just hope and satisfaction.

"No!" Daniel shouts as Aspen buries her clawed nails into Katrina's throat. Blood sprays everywhere as Aspen tears. I watch in utter horror as Aspen rips of Katrina's head completely. She launches is across the field in rage. Daniel shouts again and tries to charge for Aspen but Darcy holds him back. My eyes are wide with shock and horror as my vision clears and I am able to see clearly again. I look down at my chest which physically burns. Buried into my skin is the Heart Of Shadow. The diamond-like stone glows against my sore skin and it sits right above my own heart. I gasp as I feel its power rush into me. Clarity falls over me and I am able to focus. A new strength fills my muscles and magic tingles in my veins. I look up at a raging Aspen who is shifting. No, you don't. I let out a growl and violently raise my arms. A wall of jagged ice surrounds her in vicious spikes.

"Shift back!" I order as I walk toward the icy prison that surrounds her. The snake hisses and screams as it tries to break through the ice wall. But it only gets thicker with every break.

"Shift back or I'll let Tanya lose on Eric and I'll make you watch!" Aspen, realising she can't escape, shifts back into her human form. I lower the ice and instead make it twist around her wrist, neck and ankles like shackles. She shakes in them angrily, glaring at me with a burning hatred.

"That is mine! I am meant to have the power!" she shouts. I only look at her with cold eyes.

"I hope you are proud of yourself Aspen because your quest for power has failed and you are going to lose everything you love." Her eyes dart to a still unconscious Eric and I see the genuine panic in them.

"You aren't going to hurt him, please," she whispers. I laugh but it is cold and humourless. Her eyes then dart to Darcy.

"Darcy, my angel. Please help me, help your brother." Dary's eyes widen.

"You think I'd help you?" she spits. "You took my snake away! You ripped her out of my body! Do you know how much it hurt? It was as though you were ripping out my heart!" she screams. My eyes widen in shock as everything makes a little more sense. How Darcy in snake form managed to attack Eric and stand in human form watching. My eyes widen again.

"You did that to your own daughter?" I ask, looking at a broken Darcy.

"I can't shift anymore," she cries as her snake heads toward her. I watch in amazement as it begins to shrink. It then twists around her arm like an intricate bracelet. "She ripped me in half," Darcy whispers as she strokes the snake. I see regret in Aspen's eyes. True regret.

"I'm sorry," she says to Darcy. "I love you, but I only wanted what was best for you." Darcy ignores her.

I look at Aspen again, a plan forming in my head and a smile playing on my lips. Slowly, I walk to Aspen.

"You are going to suffer," I tell her as I walk closer. She gasps as I wrap my hands around her wrist.

"What are you doing?" she asks as her skin turns to ice. She tries to shake free, but she can't.

"You are going to suffer the same fate that you tried to inflict on us. Forever imprisoned. Unable to move speak or look away as those you love die. Unable to do anything."

"No, please," she begs as she falls to her knees.

"That's a better pose," I say to the begging woman. "It makes it easier for you to be a footrest when I'm sitting on my throne." She looks up at me with horrified eyes. "You will remain ice for as long as Darcy lives," I say, enchanting my magic to Darcy. Darcy gasps as she is tied to my magic.

"The only way, you will ever be freed is if your only child left dies." Again I see the panic in her eyes and I laugh coldly.

"Don't worry, you will get front row seats to your son's execution," I snarl with a cold calm voice. She screams but the sound is muffled as the ice encloses her face.

There is only silence. No one dares to say anything. I turn back to Tanya and Toryn. They look up at me, their broken expressions tearing into me. I close my eyes before looking down at Serenity. The tears start again and I can't tear my eyes away from her. I fall to my knees, the air forcing its way from my lungs as everything that has happened catches up with me all at once. My ears ring loudly and everything around me is a blur. All I can do is stare and watch the Serenity's final moments over and over again in my head. I bearly notice as shifters rush over to me. As they take my hand and wrap material around the open wound on my hand where my two fingers used to be. I barely notice as they help me up or as they help Tanya and Toryn. I don't focus when they properly tie up Eric and lift him up or pick up the ice statue of Aspen. They talk to me, but I can't hear what they say. Iona appears in front of me, shouting something.

"Isla! Isla!" she says and I am able to just about focus on her.

"What?" I mumble confused.

"You're the High Queen now Isla," she says. "What do we do?" she asks. Still dazed I look at her shaking my head.

"I don't know," I say in a whisper before my vision blurs again.

Aspen Betrayed us.

Eric betrayed us.

The High Queen Katrina is dead.

She died making sure Aspen didn't get the crown.

I am the High Queen now.

Serenity.

Serenity is Dead.

And all of it is my fault.