LOGIN“Grieving.”Ivy blinked. “What does that mean?”“It’s… What I did for your mom.” His throat tightened. “What I did for you for a while, too.”“That doesn’t really make sense.”“It won’t,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. This time, she didn’t flinch away, which came as a relief. “Not until
Kade’s POVKade, Tyler, and the others didn’t return to Nightshade for two days after they left Elena behind.Each step of the way, Kade considered turning back for her. Multiple times, he had considered marching back there and scooping her up into his arms and forcing her to return with him, even k
Eventually, the floor was as clean as it would get given the circumstances. I dumped the muddy-looking water out into the pond, then scrubbed my hands, arms, and face in the sink.Exhaustion took over me by then. I flopped onto the rickety cot without thinking twice and slept.When I woke the next m
Elena’s POVI must have sat in that spot on the porch for hours. Hell, it could have been days, and I might not have even noticed.The passage of time lost all meaning. The sun rose, turning the swamp hot and fetid with the scents of still water and rotting wood. The sun reached its zenith and the f
Kade walked up to her. He didn’t sit. He got the sense that she didn’t want that. Instead, he just let her stare at Ivy. Then down at her hands. Then at Ivy again.“It’s not your fault,” he said after a long moment.Elena didn’t answer. She just blinked, then looked back out over the swamp.Just the
Kade’s POVThe shack was quiet except for Nellie, who was making a small, whimpering sound from her chair. Kade looked at her once, then looked away.Wordlessly, Elena crossed the room and dropped to her knees beside Lana. She gathered her up, both arms pulling her close, and rocked her friend back
Elena’s POVThe chaos in the room suddenly turned into the deafening roar of silence.No. No, no, no.What had I just said?!Kade and Serena both stared at me. Serena’s smug expression had turned to one of pale shock; meanwhile, Kade’s surprise was edged with a hint of suspicion. Rightfully so.I ha
Behind me, Serena scoffed again. “So she’s an ‘apprentice’ now? Oh, please. Kade, you can’t seriously be buying this, right? She’s clearly lying. Every time she talks to you, it’s like she comes up with another laurel to add to her crown of lies.”I ignored Serena and held Kade’s gaze, silently impl
Elena’s POVKade called me to his study that night after dinner. I’d spent the entire afternoon pacing my room, nervously awaiting the call. But when I hurried downstairs, for the first time, I didn’t feel fear—only the tingling nerves of excitement.“Come in,” Kade’s muffled voice called out when I
Serena positioned herself over Elena while she slept. Her instincts screamed to slip the knife into her throat now and be done with it, but if Elena had information on Samantha, then she needed to find out first.She nudged Elena with the tip of the knife against the underside of her chin.Elena awo







