‘I said no! You don’t get to die. You don’t get to be a martyr for your coven. I-I refuse it. I refuse to exist in a world where you don’t.’ Her voice grew stronger with each word, and she stood a bit straighter, staring down the witch who hovered over her. ‘You might accept it, but I do not. I forbid it. I will not allow a future without you.’

‘And what are you going to do, Sapphire?’ The witch stepped closer, a wicked grin splitting her face once more. ‘How exactly will you keep my life free of the executioners’ grip?’

‘I will –’ She swallowed a lump in her throat as she considered her next words. If she allowed the words to escape her lips, all this would become too real. It would reveal how far she had fallen. How far she would go for the witch in front of her. The two girls stared at each other, time passing in measured heartbeats. ‘I will cleave the world in two before they bring you harm. If you paint the world in darkness, I will ensure that the darkness never leaves. They will not touch you. And if they do …’

She trailed off, unspoken words heavy in her mouth. Ashes hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her head back. Sapphire shivered at the proximity.

‘Confess your sins.’

The night darkened as Ashes’ shadows swallowed them both, into a world of their own making. A world that Sapphire would not relinquish.

‘I will forsake them all. If they touch you, they will burn.’

A flame formed in her palm, and Ashes licked her lips, savouring the words and the undone version of Sapphire before her. The witch leaned forward, her mouth finding Sapphire’s neck. She placed open-mouthed kisses along it.

‘Let’s bring this kingdom, this world, to its knees, my queen,’ Ashes whispered before biting down on Sapphire’s exposed skin. Sapphire’s sigh of unbridled pleasure was the only response. It filled the forest as Ashes pressed her up against a tree.

Their hands were frantic as they pulled each other closer, desperate for more, for this moment.

Sapphire closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of Ashes’ hot mouth on her own, the witch’s hands gripping her tightly, touching her in ways only Ashes could.

Let’s bring the kingdom, the world, to its knees.

Ashes’ grip tightened once more, so that Sapphire’s eyelids fluttered and her head lolled. And she allowed herself to fully realize a fact she had known since the Shadow Moon.

She would break every oath, every law … She’d bring the barrier down.

Mercy, she’d tear the Gods from their thrones in the sky to protect Ashes.

‘For you,’ Sapphire said, panting brokenly. ‘For you, I will.’

Sapphire stormed into the castle and towards the throne room where her parents were holding council. Her boots were caked with mud, her hair undone.