‘Why bring him into it?’ She pointed at Kellan. ‘Why go through all this trouble? Why make me search for the grimoire if you knew where it was?’

Julius stepped toward her; Kellan pulled back, about to march on Julius.

‘The vampires and humans were already going missing because of us, admittedly. Edington called for the search, and we needed to avoid suspicion because some people still believe we were somehow at fault because of the Antiphonus. Conspiracy theorists mainly, but still, we didn’t want to be in the press again. So, we played along with the fool’s search we sent you on while we waited for your powers to return. We even orchestrated situations to put you under stress that might awaken your magic and force you to use it.’

‘Canden and the attack in Little Sanhauk,’ Bethan breathed.

‘Correct,’ Julius replied, then turned to Kellan, ‘and as for that creature, we needed a scapegoat; someone in our alliance suggested him.’

‘A scapegoat for what?’ Kellan growled, baring his teeth.

Julius stared at him with a sinister smile.

‘For this,’ he said.

And Tharin used that dagger to drag its sharp, serrated edge along Edington’s throat.

In sheer and utter horror, Bethan screamed, and the blood pooled out of the High Councillor.

***

Bethan lurched at the sight of Edington’s body turning limp. Elnora still hadn’t stopped screaming, which left Bethan so confused and irritated.

‘Shut up, Elnora,’ her father quipped.

Elnora continued to blubber. Bethan tightened her grasp on the grimoire.

Kellan roared, eyes laced with nothing but rage. Not only did Tharin just taint his favourite dagger, but she knew that Kellan would take the fall for it, that he was about to be framed for Edington’s brutal murder.

He leapt in Tharin’s direction; he was as quick as lightning striking a tree. Tharin was tackled to the ground.

Bethan counted the punches, one after the other. She lost track after seven because of how quick he was going.

‘I’ve been waiting for this,’ Kellan said between punches.

Bethan clenched her own fists when Julius moved closer to her, taking advantage of Kellan being distracted.

Kellan had just finished pummelling Tharin, a sight she would have never thought in a million years she would enjoy.

Perhaps, Kellan’s faeness did rub off on her. Rage seemed to fuel every bone in her body.

Her magic sang and thrummed in her fingertips. Kellan took revenge for her; it was only fair for her to have her turn.

It felt like she could control his heart. An eerie feeling consumed her. It dawned on her that it was the magic she used when she first saw Poe curled in her father’s hand. The same magic she just used on Kai. Images of Canden Whittaker’s dead body blinded her mind. She could have sworn she heard his squelching blood that night when Kellan shoved him into that closet.