Morgane tsked as the other witches balked. Her voice rang out hard. Ruthless. “I suppose rules are rules, aren’t they? Dreadful things. As if any one of us had time to speak our truth. Never fear, though, tata,” she said to Josephine, whose jaw clenched at the diminutive epithet. “The poor dears will have to come out eventually, and we have all the time in the world.” She snapped her bloody fingers, and Beau and Célie dropped to their feet. “These two, however, don’t have much time at all. What say you, darling?” she called to Lou. “How shall I play with them?”

“You’re sick,” Beau snarled, the veins in his throat bulging as he fought to move.

She only smiled. It held no warmth. From her cloak, she extracted Célie’s injection, hurling the syringe into the water. “Though perhaps I tire of play altogether. Come here, Louise, or I shall kill them. Our game is done.”

Lou started forward instantly, but my fingers caught her chemise. I didn’t let her go. Couldn’t let her go.

“Reid, don’t—”

Baring her teeth, Morgane snapped her fingers again. Swords appeared in Beau’s and Célie’s hands. Another snap, and Beau lunged forward, his blade slicing through Célie’s side. Blood welled in its wake. With the flick of Morgane’s finger, Célie retaliated with a sob, her sword lodging deep in Beau’s shoulder. Toy soldiers. “I’m sorry,” she gasped, arms trembling as she attempted to combat Morgane’s magic. “I’m so sorry—”

“I’m fine.” Beau desperately strove to comfort her as he countered her strikes, teeth gritted. Breath shallow. “We’re going to be fine—”

Célie stabbed again, this time in his thigh.

Blood poured.

With a wild cry, Coco surged forward as Lou twisted in my arms. Morgane waved a hand, however, and when Coco cleared the water, a glass cage descended around her. She pounded against its walls, furious, and strings wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles.

Baring her teeth, La Voisin darted forward to intervene.

“The ends, Josephine.” Morgane waved another hand, and the strings tightened, stretching Coco’s limbs taut to the point of pain. A doll in a box. “They justify the means. Is that not what you said?”

La Voisin stopped dead in her tracks. Her body quivered with fury. “My niece remains unharmed.”

“She is unharmed.” Those glittering emerald eyes found Lou. Beau and Célie continued battling behind her, their blood splattering the sand. “For now.”

“You have to let me go, Reid,” Lou pleaded. “She won’t stop—”