No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Problems reading?

If you experience any problems reading this ebook—such as pages skipping, etc.—it’s a Kindle glitch. Just delete the ebook from your device and re-download it, and the problem should solve itself. If not, contact Amazon’s customer support; they’re usually very helpful and efficient.

Family tree

If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree

Derek

Where would we draw the line?

I’d repeatedly asked myself this question while waiting for Acheron and Danika to join us in the throne room. They’d already been summoned, and I’d made it clear that this was an emergency. Amal had the tracking spell ingredients ready, and Esme had already briefed GASP on the latest developments.

Before we could even consider the possibility of getting involved in the Aeternae’s Darkling issue, we had to get our Nethissis back. Frankly, as the minutes had gone by since I’d first been told of her absence, I’d gradually renounced the idea of helping the Aeternae with anything—at least until we found our swamp witch.

Yes, we needed their help and hospitality, but we also needed to look after ourselves. I knew I personally wouldn’t leave this place until I had a day-walking cure. It was too important for me to leave behind. I had struggled with the darkness before coming to terms with it… and I felt guilty for being the only vampire who could walk in the light. It had haunted me since I’d first set foot on Sun Beach. However, I didn’t want to get my people hurt in the process. My motives might be pure, but they weren’t worth the safety of my crew. My stomach hurt, the concern for Nethissis’s wellbeing swelling like a malignant cloud. Once we found her, I knew I’d have to reconsider our options here.

“If anything happened to her, I swear…” Esme’s voice trailed off. She dared not complete her sentence, but I understood her emotions. We were all worried sick, having been unable to reach Nethissis since earlier this morning.

The golden guards by the door straightened their backs as the sound of heels clicking across the marble echoed through the room. Acheron and Danika finally emerged from the gilded side door, wearing dark red silks with golden threads and bejeweled crowns. In a way, they were a sight for sore eyes, beautiful creatures that glided toward their thrones.

“Good morning, Derek, Sofia.” Acheron saluted us. I could sense the tension in his voice. He’d definitely been told about the purpose of this emergency meeting.