Vita stood there shaking her head at Deak. Did he just tell her that he was choosing death? “Please, tell me I didn’t hear what I think I heard you say?” Vita begged.

Deak stared intently into Vita’s eyes. He wasn’t going to lie and tell her he didn’t mean it. He refused to reject her. His wolf was a part of him, and they both loved her with all their heart. If he rejected her, his wolf would no longer accept her, and that would kill him. He needed both sides of himself to love her.

“Én ezt mondtam (I did say that).”

Vita pointed her finger at Deak. “Don’t use your Hungarian words to hide behind. English, please.”

Deak smirked as he narrowed his eyes at her. “I did say that.”

Vita couldn’t control herself and slapped Deak across the face. Her tears spilled down her cheeks the moment her hand hit his skin.

“How dare you? How dare you leave me here to live life without you.” She spat at him.

Deak lifted his hand to feel his cheek. He could feel the heat radiating off his face. “I will not reject you.”

“If I have to reject you in order to save you, I will,” she threatened.

“It will not work,” Deak confessed.

Vita’s mouth dropped at this realization. Deak held all the power in this relationship.

Deak grabbed Vita’s arms and pulled her to him. He pressed her head against his chest and held her as she cried. What else was she supposed to do? It seemed like the world was batting against them, and there were no other alternatives.

Deak stroked Vita’s hair as he watched a girl appear out of thin air. She reminded him of small girl, but he pushed the thought away.

“Who are you?” he questioned. Vita pulled back to see who he was talking to and was shocked when the woman turned, and it was Amanda.

“Amanda?” Vita asked.

Merida smiled shyly, “Not exactly; I mean, she is here with me, inside. But technically, it’s Merida.”

“Merida?” Vita said doubtfully. “But how did you get out and into Amanda?”

“It’s a long story. But what matters most is I’m here to help you with the curse.”

Vita stood there, just blinking her eyes. Could this really be true? Could Merida be the answer to all her problems?

Before she could get the answer to her question, there was a knock on the door.

Deak walked over to answer and found Zachary waiting behind it. Zachary rushed in and stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at Amanda with furrowed brows and confusion. “Amanda, what are you doing here?”

Vita stepped in front of her to block his disapproving looks toward Amanda. “Zachary, it’s a long story, and I haven’t had a chance to fill you in on what’s been happening. But she’s here to help.”

Zachary continued to eye her suspiciously but nodded. “The spell that you put on my mother broke. With the city dark and their forces weak, we plan on leaving without them knowing. We need to get my mother back quick; she’s fading fast.”

Merida stepped out behind the shadow of Vita and asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s been poisoned. Two poisons, Bella Donna and Wolf’s Bane,” he responded.

Merida sucked in a breath. “Those are deadly by themselves, even deadlier when mixed together. Did your mother bring any of the grimoires?”

Zachary still looked at her with disbelief, “Yes, she usually travels with a few of them. Why?”

“I might be able to find something that can help me keep your mother alive,” Merida proposed.

“How would you know what to use? You are still very new to the craft.”

“Again, it’s a long story, Zachary. One I hope to tell you once we get out of this mess,” Vita swore.

Zachary narrowed his eyes at the two girls, he was skeptical about letting this so-called Amanda near his mother, but he had to do something. “Alright, let’s go.”

Vita turned to Merida and asked. “Any chance you could let Amanda take the lead on this one? There are a lot of people in that room that know her well.”

Merida sighed. “I’ll try. But I can’t make any guarantees.”

Vita shrugged. “Well, here goes nothing.”

***

Pemberly flew quickly as he returned to the house where this all started. He was feeling horrible for letting his boss know that Merida was back in town. But there was nothing Pemberly could do. He hoped that filling Luna Cynthia in about where Amanda had been taken would get him some kind of forgiveness for his treachery. The house was in sight when he heard growling and howling coming from the place. He flew to the window to see what was going on.

Luna Cynthia’s son Hudson was angry. Pemberly sucked in a deep breath as he took a chance and went inside the house to break the news.

Hudson was in a rage. Amanda had disappeared, and he had no idea where to start to look for his mate. He threw furniture around the room as he tried to reign in his temper.

“Hudson, please. This isn’t helping,” Luna Cynthia said in a calming tone. But it wasn’t working.

Pemberly flew in and landed close to where the Luna was sitting. “Your Majesty?” Pemberly addressed her. He always saw her as the princess that she was and treated her like royalty.

“Pemberly, where have you been?” she asked with concern.

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry. I was following your daughter-in-law,” he confessed.

Luna’s chest filled with hope. “ Amanda, you know where she is?”

Hudson stopped throwing stuff when he heard his mate’s name. “Amanda? Where is she? Tell me right now?” he growled.

“Hudson, please, calm down. Now, Pemberly, please tell us what you know?”

“I went to check on the hybrid,” Pemberly started.

Deak growled at the name hybrid.

“My apologies, Amanda. She found a spell, and it summoned the witch we’ve all been afraid of for over a century, and now she’s out gallivanting around in Amanda’s body,” Pemberly reported.

“Pemberly, did you tell anyone she was in the city?” Luna questioned.

Pemberly looked down as he lowered his head with shame. “I did, Your Majesty.”

Luna looked at him with sad eyes. She couldn’t blame the pixie for doing his job. But she was worried about what would happen to Amanda. Luna looked over at her son, who was lost in thought.

“Hudson?” she called out.

Hudson didn’t know whether or not he should be mad at his beautiful wife or fearful that some witch had taken over her body. He paced the room as he tried to decide on what he needed to do. His hands clenched into fists repeatedly as he walked around the room. After a lengthy conversation with his wolf Aramis, Hudson knew there was only one thing he had to do.

“Pemberly, show me the way into Silver City,” Hudson ordered.