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First things first "Don’t kill them," Aden told the beast "Please" He needed thee, dark eyes flicked in his direction They radiated hunger, it seeer at the treatment Aden had endured Just then, Aden could practically hear the beast’s thoughts The witches were a threat to him, and all threats must be eliminated

"Please," he repeated, and received an almost imperceptible nod "Thank you"

And now, for his vaainst the wall and pushed her into a corner The beast had spent nearly a century inside her, but she had no control over it, andno chances

He faced her, saw that her eyes were alight, glazed and focused behind him She licked her lips over and over, as if she already tasted the sweetness she craved Should he try and feed her his own blood or would that just , "I need you to stay here Do you understand?"

She didn’t respond, was still staring behind him, at the blood

He kissed her then, hard and fast, but enough to finally gain her attention She blinked up at him "Aden?"

"Stay here," he co one frantic witch after another Sorabbed his arm and jerked, and he tripped to the side He freed hi…there Marie

Panic clouded her features as she guided her sisters out of har in on hi and pinning her to the jagged floor

Careful, Caleb pleaded

She struggled, but Aden held tight "Call the ripped his chin and forced his eyes to lock with hers "Hear me well, Haden Stone You love , spreading, wrapping around him "Yes, you love me so much"

Yes, Caleb said Yes

A spell, Aden realized She eaving a spell, the desire to love and adore her suddenly there IainstCaleb’s love for her? Caleb’s need to obey her? Or was love an emotion of the heart, rather than the mind, and she could make him feel whatever she wanted?

Someone tried to physically turn his head for hinized the heat of her hands Still, he resisted Caleb waswas going to be okay if they just did whatever she wished "Aden!"

The voice, so fa he needed to do So about his friends His friends! Yes He needed to save theave Caleb a lared down at her "Call theNow! Call it, and the beast will stop"

"HearCaleb back to the surface, catching hiet his purpose a second time "You love me You want to--" She shrieked as the beast choh the air

She landed with a hard thwack and slulued to her Love…obey…

"Aden," Victoria said, shaking hiht this"

Marie gained her bearings and stood on shaky legs She raised her arms, eyes narrowed and still pinned on him "You love me You will obeyhim," Victoria cried to the beast, and a second later, Marie was screaain she stood, ready to finish her spell

MARY ANN STUMBLED OUTSIDE, into the on in the cave An honest to God dragon She shouldn’t have run, she thought, but the urge to flee had been instinctive She’d panicked She’d obeyed Victoria without hesitation

Perhaps, though, she wasn’t any safer out here Another as being waged

Where minutes before there had been calm in this rocky canyon, now vampires and a feolves battled more fairies than Mary Ann could count And those fairies were vicious They ht with swords, hacking at fur and flesh, ai

Riley was here She kneas He would have followed Victoria So where was he? If he was hurt, she would--

Behind her, there was a screech of fury, and then a heavy weight was pushing her down She flipped midair and realized Brendal had trailed her out, then she hit the ground and lost her breath, her train of thought

"You cannot leave," the fairy snarled at her, grabbing her by the shirt and hefting her to her feet "You ht would arrive very soon, and the winner--and loser--of this battle would be decided One way or another If Mary Ann died, this woman would never learn the truth about her brother Had the situation been reversed, had Mary Ann’s dad been the one , she would have been just as determined and desperate for answers as Brendal