Every witch in the room was chanting the spell, slowly leaching the stolen power from Trinity’s body, binding her so that she could never again hurt another soul.
And in that moment of complete solidarity, I realized that this was it. What it was always supposed to be.
It wasn’t our weapons or our fighting skills or even our magic. It was our loyalty. Our love. Our friendship. The bond of sisterhood that would never again be broken—not by a twisted hunter, not by minions driven mad by someone else’s cause. Not by words or fire or blade.
I felt it in my fucking heart, my bones, all of me.Thiswas the fruition of the Silversbane Prophecy, the four swords rising as one, uniting the others to overcome our enemies.
It wasn’t about dominating or saving or asserting our will through sheer force.
It was about coming together.
It was, I realized now, about forging a new path forward—many new paths, in whichever direction each witch chose for herself.
When the spell was completed, when we’d tapped almost all of our magic, my sisters and I finally unclasped hands.
It was done.
Trinity sat motionless, bloody tears tracking through the makeup and grime on her face.
The witch was all out of words. All out of power. All out of hope.
Turning to Ronan, I placed my hand against his chest, grateful to feel the steady beat of his heart once more.
Then I nodded, steeling myself for what came next.
“It’s time,” I said. “Summon him.”
Thirty-Four
GRAY
“Where is she?” Sebastian’s voice slithered into my ears, and this time, I didn’t bother to hide my disgust.
Moonlight filtered in through the stained glass windows on the main level of the cathedral. I stepped into the colored light, showing myself.
Standing on the altar fifteen feet in front of me, the Prince of Hell spread his arms and smiled wide, a greeting that normally would’ve sent chills skittering down my spine.
But tonight, everything had changed. Tonight, I was in charge.
“Ah, Silversbane,” he said. “For a moment there, I thought you were going to stand me up.”
“I’ve told you a hundred times, Sebastian. I don’t back out of my promises.” I took a few steps closer. “But you? You’re not exactly a model business partner, are you?”
At this, he narrowed his beady eyes.
“You’ve made us bow,” I said. “You’ve made us beg. And for centuries, my friends and I have done just that.”
His faux-friendly demeanor was all but gone, and when he spoke again, there was ice in his voice. “As you should, witch. I am the Prince of Hell—a fact you seem to keep forgetting.”
“Oh, I remember that fact, Sebastian. But now that you mention it, there is something Ihadforgotten until just this very minute.”
He coughed out a laugh. “What’s that?”
“At the end of the day, you’re still a demon,Prince.” I raised the gun and pulled the trigger, hitting him in the shoulder. His greasy smile evaporated as he stumbled backward, crashing against the wall at the back of the alter, sliding down to the floor.
I looked at the gun in my hand and smiled. It was nothing if not efficient. Before Sebastian could even find the words to sputter at me, the devil’s trap was already working its way into his bloodstream.
I took aim again, fired off another round. It hit his other shoulder.
