“You are afraid.”

I arched an eyebrow at her. “Well done, Lady Obvious. You want a f**king medal?”

She banged her cane on the floor, reminding me of Jack. “You, you will either destroy us or save us. Not this Child Empress, the one who has stepped forward, the one they” —she made a sweeping gesture with her cane— “fear.”

“You would have Faris lead you?”

She gave the slightest incline of her head. “He is not of the pure blood, but that is better. He is rash, but he is young yet. This Child Empress is barely fanged. An infant unable to control herself or the memories her parents foisted on her.”

A murmur rolled around the room and a chime sounded.

“The Child comes.” The Old One pointed at the dais that rose up out of the floor, a petite figure on the chair, covered in a gold, gauzy material.

I just couldn’t stop myself. “What the f**k, no one told me it was a costume contest.”

Again, the gasping murmur went around the room. But I wasn’t sure if it was because I was being a foul-mouthed jerk or because additional company had just arrived.

Faris stepped into the room from a doorway across from me. Dressed in black from head to toe, his blond hair was slicked back and his blue eyes were icy with a rage that even I could see this far away from him. Damn, I had to give him props for his timing. His entrance was perfect and his outfit was the complete opposite of the Child Empress’. His eyes flicked over me and he gave me the barest of nods.

Shit, maybe I would be getting out of this f**king mess. Maybe.

The Child Empress stood up, lifting her hands so the gold gauze floated around her. Faris strode forward and no one stopped him, which surprised the hell out of me.

“I have bound the Tracker to me. I will find the Blood; your time on the throne is coming to an end.”

The Child Empress didn’t answer, except to flick her hand at Faris. A rush of power I could feel, even though it didn’t affect me, coursed over the room, crashing into the vampires, throwing even Faris to his knees. So this was why they were afraid. I was the only one left standing, the magic dividing around me like a stone in a river.

Sweet.

I smiled at the Child Empress. “You killed my sister, you little bitch. Know what that means?”

The power rush continued, pinning the vampires hard to the floor. I glanced at Faris who was staring at me, his words echoing to me. “Do not forget your oath.”

The bite mark where he’d drawn my blood lit up, the nerves around it dancing a tango. He’d invoked the bite, giving me the speed I’d need to battle this vampire who’d killed Berget, the vampire who would destroy the supernatural world for her own whims. Faris, for all his faults—and f**k he had a lot of them—was right about this.

We couldn’t let the Child Empress win.

I ran toward the dais. Three strides and I was there, glaring up at the gold-cloaked vampire, knowing that I had to do it quick. I jerked the short sword from the sheath, the blade catching the light. The Child Empress screamed, high-pitched and full of fear. Her power flowed over me, around me, but it couldn’t save her.

“Do not remove her covering!” Faris shouted, his voice pitched with pain. Shit, this little f**ker was really doing a number on her own people.

But what did her covering have to do with anything? Would it be like Medusa and her snakes, one look and I’d freeze into stone?

The Child Empress scooted away from me, but I followed easily, booting her in the gut and sending her sprawling over the dais and away from me. Tangled in her stupid gauzy material, she had to rip at it to get away from me. Still, her power strangled her own people, which made no sense. They would help her, wouldn’t they?

I turned to look over my shoulder, saw the vampires waiting. But they weren’t being held down anymore.

They waited for me to kill the Child Empress.

I was a f**king tool to them. Jaw clenching, I booted the Child again, flipped her over, the gauzy gold material finally tearing free and giving me my first glimpse at her.

Golden blonde hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a face that couldn’t be stared up at me. Tears streaked her cheeks, and she held a hand out to me in supplication.

“Rylee, please don’t kill me.” Her voice was older, no longer child-like, but it was hers. The same face I’d seen as I’d walked between death and life. Berget was a vampire; that was what I’d felt when she’d died. Not a true death, but one where she was called back as a blood sucker.

That was what she meant when she’d told me death wasn’t the end … .

My heart, mind and soul screamed that this couldn’t be, it wasn’t happening. I stumbled backward, tripped over the dais, and ended up sprawled on the floor in front of Faris.

He’d known all along. He’d told me not to remove the gauze. He’d bitten me so I would have the speed to kill her. He’d been the one to steal her in the first place.

Rage stole my incredulity. I lunged upward with Jack’s sword, the tip catching him along the side of his head, slicing through the skin on his skull.

“You do not understand, Rylee.” He held his hands out to me, as if I would give shit about his excuses.

“You mother f**king bastard!” I didn’t think, just swung, using the speed he’d given me with his bite against him. For the first time, Faris wasn’t faster than me, and I pummeled him with my fists, my sword slicing into him again and again, though he tried to avoid me. On an equal footing, I was the better fighter, better trained. He was going to die.

I drove the sword into his belly and his hands circled mine. His fingers gripped my wrists, twisting them backward, the crunch of my bones resonating all the way up my arms to my shoulders. I screamed and an answering roar scattered the vampires.

O’Shea loped into the room, Pamela beside him, her eyes as fierce as his.

I had no choice but to let go of the sword, my hands no longer able to grip anything. I snapped a boot up, catching Faris in the jaw and sending him over backward with the blow.

“You do not belong here.” Berget’s voice drew me back from the rage, but confusion replaced it. I wasn’t so sure that was preferable.

I turned to see Berget facing O’Shea and Pamela, but it was Pamela she seemed to be focused on.

Pamela glared back at Berget, so similar in coloring that they looked more like sisters than Berget and I did.

“I’m not leaving until Rylee does,” Pamela said, lifting her hands, prepping a spell.

The Child Empress had sent Doran to kill Pamela. Berget was the Child Empress. Clusterf**k didn’t even come close to what was happening.

Cradling my arms, gritting my teeth with the jarring every step caused, I ran toward them. Berget lifted her hands, mimicking Pamela, and I knew the power that would flow would kill Pamela, felt it in my gut.

I had to get between them. I had to stop this now. Because if Berget killed Pamela … I wasn’t sure I could forgive her for that.

“Pamela, don’t!” I shouted as I ran, sliding to a stop between them.

Berget’s power hit me, dispersed, and I turned to face her.

Her eyes were narrowed with a hatred I couldn’t understand. “What the hell are you doing? She can’t replace me. I’m your sister. Not her.” Berget threw another roll of power at us and again it displaced around me.

“Berget,” I shook my head.

“Move, Rylee. It is my right to kill intruders. I rule this place.”

O’Shea growled, his lips sliding back over his fangs. I couldn’t even lower my hands to touch him, it hurt too badly.

“Is this how it’s going to be?” I stared at her, my brain and heart not able to put this together. Berget was a vampire, the Child Empress. Was there anything left of my little sister inside of her? Was what I’d seen as I’d hovered between death and life the real Berget? Was that why she’d said I’d save her?

Her eyes widened, filling with tears, her lips trembling. “You would choose her over me?”

“No. But I can’t let you kill her. I can’t let you kill either of them.”

Berget turned her back. “You need to leave. Take the ones you love more than me and leave.”

That was a trip that, for once, I wasn’t willing to take. “Fuck off, you spoiled little shit. You’re my sister, and I’ve searched for you for the last ten years. But I’m f**king well betting you knew I was looking for you. Didn’t you?”

Her back was still to me, but she nodded. “I did.”

“Then don’t you give me that bullshit about me loving them more than you. I would have come for you, if I’d known you were here, alive.”

Her shoulders slumped. Gods, I wanted to hug her, hold her tight and be grateful she was alive … but already I could see that wasn’t going to be possible.

And it f**king killed me.

Faris slowly rose to his feet, Jack’s sword on the ground beside him. Pamela touched my elbow. Everything around us seemed on pause, waiting on Berget, waiting on her word.

“Let’s go.”

The Old One stopped us. “You cannot leave. We are not done with you yet.”

I glanced at Pamela and she flipped a hand at the Old One, pinning her against the wall.

“Piss off.”

“Faris,” Berget barked. “You are hereby exiled. I will not die at your hands, not by yours or those of any of your … pets.”

I didn’t turn around, just kept walking. Fuck, f**kity, f**k, f**k. The pain in my wrists had nothing on what streaked through my battered heart. This couldn’t be happening.

Focus on one thing at a time. Get Jack and get your crew the f**k out of here.

O’Shea let out a growl as we reached the doorway, and I turned to see Faris behind us.

“I’m coming with you,” he said, and I felt his power whip through me, my bones that he’d broken snapping back into place with a speed that left the pain just a memory. I flexed my hands.

“You, you’re the reason this is happening.” I glared at him.