POV: Celeste Moreau
Blood dripped from my hands as I clutched the old grimoire. The spell had worked, but at a terrible cost. My arms burned with fresh cuts where I'd let my own blood feed the magic.
"Almost there," I whispered, stumbling through the woods toward the opening where I'd seen the explosion of light. Where Elias had made his sacrifice.
The sounds of battle grew louder. Howls and screams tore through the night. The Ancient One—or as I knew her, The Mother—had brought her full army. And I knew exactly what she planned to do with Elias's body.
I had helped her once. Helped her trick Kamla into thinking she could win Elias with a false mate bond. I never told Kamla the spell would kill her, that her life was the price for such dark magic.
The guilt nearly crushed me daily. But tonight, I would make it right.
A wolf crashed through the trees ahead. One of the Ancient One's minions, eyes glowing that sickly purple. He growled when he saw me.
