Logan tensed as the lights went dark across the room and through the window. He walked over to the window and was shocked to see the darkness-filled city. Logan sighed as his heart felt heavy. People were going to die tonight, and the reapers would be busy. Logan ran his hands through his hair; he knew his brothers would come to him asking for help. He just didn’t know when.

Madeline let out a sigh as her delusions twisted her memories. The poison was causing damage to her system, and soon she would be beyond repair. She had experienced pain in her life many times, but this pain was different. At least she had Logan to help her through all this. She opened her eyes to the dark room and saw nothing.

“Logan?” she cried out.

Logan turned with his brows furrowed; Madeline was supposed to be in a deep sleep. He noticed the glow around her was gone as he walked to her bedside without any light to guide him. He was used to moving through the dark to get where he needed to be. Right now, that was by Madeline’s side.

“I’m here, Maddy. How are you feeling?” he asked as he took her hand in his.

Madeline gulped as she tried to put on a brave face. “I’m managing just fine. What happened to the lights?”

Logan kissed the top of her hand and placed his other hand over hers. “It’s just a blackout; it’s nothing for you to worry about,” he told her to calm her.

“Where’s my son?”

“In his room packing, we’re trying to figure out how to get you out of here,” Logan explained as a thought occurred to him. Maybe this would be a perfect opportunity to get out; with the lights out, the city was in a panic and possibly not watching the portals. They might stand a chance of getting out of there.

Zachary walked in with a candle in one hand and a flashlight in the other. “What’s going on?

“The spell Vita used on your mom broke, and she woke up. We need to get her out of here now. With the city managing the blackout, we might have the upper hand in getting out of here.”

Zachary sighed with relief. His primary focus was treating his mother so that she could heal. They needed to get back to Vita’s to make the antidote.

“I’ll let everyone know that we need to leave soon,” Zachary said before leaving.

Logan lowered his head, hoping they had enough time to get Madeline home and heal her. He felt the clocks were running against him.

“Logan.”

He lifted his head to her voice, calling out his name. Logan was worried; after all these years, this was supposed to be his time with the woman he loved. He was running out of time. “I’m here.”

Madeline smiled. “Logan, I wanted to tell you how happy I have been here with you,” she admitted.

“Me too, Maddy.”

“And I want you to know that I …. that I ….” Madeline couldn’t finish her sentence before passing out.

“Maddy? Maddy?” he asked as he checked her vitals. He had a bad feeling that she was fading fast. He needed to figure out a way to save her.

***

Esha peeked out from the bathroom door to ensure the hall was empty. She closed the door when she saw some people run past the door. Esha pushed her weight against the door and hoped they weren’t coming in. She looked at the mirror and sighed. Somehow her deal was broken, and she was back to looking like her usual self. Her hair was no longer her signature radiant color, dull and frizzy. Her saving curves were gone, and now she was skinny and lanky. Esha turned and peeked out again; the hall was empty. Without thinking twice, she bolted out the door and slid down the hall against the wall. She needed to get out of there before someone recognized her.

Esha was approaching the exit when she spotted someone walking unevenly along the path. As the person got closer, Esha thought she recognized the woman as Abigail, but this woman was much older.

“Esha!” Abigail cried out.

“Abigail?”

The older grabbed onto her. “My youth, my immortality I was promised, gone, it’s all gone,” she cried.

“What caused all this?”

“The city, when it loses its light, we lose ours. We were all connected through the lights. Without them, there’s no telling what will happen.” Abigail explained.

“How do we fix this?” Esha asked. She needed to know how to get her beauty back. Without it, she would be nothing.

Abigail shook her head. “I…. I don’t know,” she confessed.

“Maybe you should check in with the other faction members; maybe they’ve learned something,” Esha offered.

“Maybe, I don’t know. Come with me.”

Esha shook her head. She couldn’t go with her. No, Esha wanted to run home and hide where she knew she would be safe.

“Please, I can’t do this without you,” she pleaded.

Esha looked at the door. She yearned to be free but knew she needed to be there for Abigail. After all, she was the one who got the deal for Esha. Esha nodded. “Fine, I’ll go.”

***

Merida leaned against the corner store as she stared at the building across the park titled Town Hall. A century ago, the courthouse was where she was tried and banished to her prison. A chill moved through her body as she sensed someone close. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the town car drive down the street and park in front of the building she was monitoring.

The man she knew a hundred years ago stepped out of the vehicle and buttoned his suit jacket up before walking inside. Merida was sick to her stomach as she watched the man she thought she was in love with walk into the building. This is what she wanted; this was the revenge she had waited a hundred years to get. Once Merida laid the curse upon him, she would cast the last omen, and he would be cursed for all time. She knew he valued his power and immortality, she was banking on him to reject her, and then she could finally be free to move on.

Merida’s plan had to work. She couldn’t be mated to this man any longer. She had tried for years to reject him, but it didn’t work cause she was a witch. Merida knew that if this didn’t work, he would control her and gain her power. It was his idea to threaten the faction. He wanted control over everyone, and the only way he saw that could happen was if everyone was human and he could control them with his compulsion. But Merida refused to do it. In a bitter rage, he got angry, ratted her out to the council, and suggested banishment as her punishment.

Merida sucked in a breath before saying aloud, “It’s your turn to face the council, Emil.”