ELLA The pages of the spell book glitter and shine as I flip through them like they have never done before. Gently I turn the pages one by one, mumbling the names of the spells as I pass them by. “Summoning Spell… Tracking Spell…” The symbols on the page morph and transform into readable words before my eyes. Running my fingers over the page a long, thin, blonde strand of hair catches under my fingers. Between my forefinger and my thumb I grasp ahold of the strand of hair and hold it up to the light. The blonde shimmers slightly in the dim light of the library. I have only seen hair this color twice before. “Please belong to Lilith,” I mumble to myself. Just then a knock on the wall behind me startles me. I quickly place the hair back between the pages of the book and slam the cover shut. “What was that?” Erebus asks curiously as he lays his head on my shoulder and wraps his arms around my waist. I sigh to myself before I answer. “It is a strand of hair that I found o

ELLA Everyone watches in silent reverie as Grace’s ashes dance on the wind as they climb higher and higher into the sky. It is as if they are jumping from one cloud to the other as she makes her way up to the heavens above. It would have been a beautiful sight if I was not so damn sad. Looking down to my left I see that Lilith is nothing more than ash now as well. I resist the urge to kick her ashes into the mud and snow. Walter grabs ahold of my shoulders and pulls me away from what remains of Lilith’s body. “She would want to be with her,” he mumbles. “That’s what Grace would have wanted,” he clears his throat as he speaks trying to hide the sobs that threaten to escape him. I look up into his brown eyes that are filled with tears, and I know that he is right. Grace and Lilith spent centuries at each other’s sides. Puckering my lips once again I blow a gentle breeze over the ashes that were once Lilith and send them into the heavens so she can be with Grace. Huge tear

ELLA Erebus swings the door heavy door to the dungeons open and the smell of mold and urine hangs heavy in the air. Murmurs of chanting fill my ears as I descend down the stairs, but it abruptly stops when I reach the bottom. Giving my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light I look at the cells that line the walls. Almost everyone one of them is full. During the battle I had only noticed the seven witches on the council, but it appears that there were many more fighting on their side. As I reach the first cell I frown at the sight that is before me. A young woman with jet black hair is crouched on the ground like a caged animal ready to attack at any moment. Her body shakes with fear as I look down on her. I try to remember what Grace and Sister Jasper both said, to look with my heart. Closing my eyes I let out a deep breath clearing my mind. We I reopen my eyes the young woman is staring at me curiously. A bright blue aura surrounds her body. I attempt to look into he

ELLA*Four Months Later* The warm summer air hits my round face as soon as I open the door of Emmett’s Jeep. I try to peer down over my large stomach to see the ground before I roll out of the vehicle, but all I can see is the bright pink shirt that covers my pregnant belly. “Emmett,” I yell knowing that I will need help maneuvering myself out of the Jeep. “Right here, Luna,” he says as he offers me his hand. I scoot to the edge of the seat and slowly lower myself to the ground. I can see Emmett smirking out of the corner of my eyes and I turn my head to give him a sharp glare. My bare feet hit the soft grass outside of the cabin and I wiggle my toes against the wet dew that had settled on the blades over night. “Ella… Luna…” Emmett corrects himself. “Where are your shoes?” He asks me with an air of frustration in his voice. “In your Jeep,” I say with a smirk on my face. “I meant why aren’t they on your feet?” He groans as he heads back to the Jeep to grab my shoes