Evera rubbed her hands roughly down her face. As she sat up, she pushed her long braids over her shoulder.

‘Walk away before you put us in danger. Promise me. Give me that much – and I’ll go.’

‘You have my word.’

Sapphire shoved the old rowing boat forward until it beached on the rocky shore.

Kaian walked towards them, dressed in dark green and blending in with the world around him. Evera gave him a timid smile.

The trio stared at each other, unsure of what to do next.

‘Are we all set? You know where to find them?’ Sapphire asked.

Kaian nodded. ‘My father … he’s convinced they’re planning something so he’s been tracking them. If his information is right, it shouldn’t take us long.’

Sapphire rolled her eyes as they began to wordlessly move into the forest, the brush around them thick. In front of her, Evera tripped over something they could not see and she cursed, igniting a flame in her palm in an effort to watch her step.

‘Extinguish it,’ Sapphire whispered, Ashes’ warnings of creatures lurking in the dark ringing in her mind. ‘We don’t want to draw any unwanted attention.’

Evera immediately snuffed out the flame, and Sapphire yearned for the light. Something about the darkness of these woods set her on edge, no matter how many times she had been here.

They had been walking for some time when Kaian stopped, Evera nearly running into him.

‘We’re nearly there. Just … be aware,’ he cautioned.

They were close. She could feel it. She wasn’t sure how, but it was as if Dark Magic permeated the air.

‘Remember, you gave me your word. Nothing dangerous.’ Evera’s tone was tight.

‘I remember. Which is why you’ll be staying up here with Kaian.’

‘What?’

Her friends said it in unison, and despite the darkness, she could see their faces slack with disbelief.

‘You can’t expect me to let you go down there alone,’ Kaian said through clenched teeth.

‘Of course I do.’

They stared each other down.

‘Sapphire.’ Evera’s quiet voice broke the tension between them. ‘You can’t … They –’

‘I have to do this.’ Sapphire’s voice was rawer than she intended.

Sapphire stepped forward, allowing herself to take in the world below. A large fire burned in the centre of the camp. Witches dressed in white were celebrating. The coven was here.

She stepped towards the path, forcing her feet forward before she lost her nerve.

A cold hand wrapped around her wrist, and she whirled around to face Kaian once more.

‘I thought I told you to be smart.’ Kaian’s nostrils flared as he spoke. ‘You cannot go down there alone.’

A wicked laugh filled the air as a hand wrapped around the boy’s neck. Ashes appeared from her shadows, towering over him.