Page 109 of Fang Fiction

Tess shook her head—her eyes were wet.

“But if you needed us, why tell Felix?” Octavia demanded, her voice ragged. “Why didn’t you just tell us? Why did you let me wander New York without my powers, thinking I was alone?”

“Because I no longer trust you!” Konstantin slammed his hand on the table so hard that everything on it shook. “You betrayed me in Seoul, and again in Prague. You’ve always been stronger than Felix, smarter, more talented. But my plan required absolute loyalty, and in that, my dear progeny, you are both sorely lacking.”

“So what now, then?” Callum set his jaw.

“Now?” Konstantin grinned, and Joni caught a flash of his fangs. “Now’s the fun part. The part where you show whose side you’re really on. If you choose correctly, we become the three most powerful creatures on Earth, with an army of vampires to do our will.”

“And if we refuse?” Callum asked.

“I’ll need you nearby to transport vampires to and from the Isle,” Konstantin said casually. “All points of entry to the Isle are being permanently closed—even Bar Between. The only way on or off the island will be through the portal you opened tonight. Vampires will have two choices: to be allowed home if they swear to follow me, or to stay trapped on the Isle if they don’t.”

“You want to use us to trap other vampires, the same way you trapped us?” Octavia said softly. “I’m not doing that.”

“Then you’re welcome to stay in this townhouse, guarded and bound in chains,” Konstantin growled.

Tess whipped around toward Flora. “They’re closing the entry to the Isle from Bar Between?!”

Flora nodded gravely. “The coven voted last night. I tried to stop it, but Fern convinced them it was the only way to protect our world.”

“But Fern’s working for Konstantin!” Joni protested. “She doesn’t want to protect humans, she wants to give him limitless power over us!”

“We didn’t know that at the time!” Flora huffed. “We should probably have another meeting.”

“You think?!” Joni screeched—and then she realized her feet were free. “Oh my god!”

She leapt up out of the chair and took Tess’s hands to pull her to her feet as well.

Tess looked at Joni with trepidation. “Joni, I need to say, I mean—”

But Joni didn’t need Tess to struggle through all the hard things they had to say to each other—not here, not yet. She threw her arms around Tess and hugged her close.

“I’m so happy to see you,” she whispered into Tess’s hair.

“Well, yeah, I’m saving your ass.” Tess laughed, but her voice was thick with emotion.

“That’s not why I’m happy,” Joni said, hugging her tighter. “I mean, I’m not not happy you’re saving my ass, but—you get it.”

“I do.” Tess buried her face against Joni’s shoulder. And even though this was undoubtedly the strangest day of Joni’s life, it felt really fucking good to be hugging her best friend.

“Guys,” Flora hissed. “Konstantin just left—this might be our only chance.”

Tess and Joni broke their hug, but they stayed clasping hands—Joni had lost Tess too many times before. She wasn’t ready to let her go.

Flora moved her hands over the portal on the floor, then slowly pushed it up into the air. Now, instead of looking at Callum and Octavia from above, it was as if they were staring face-to-face—but Callum and Octavia still couldn’t see them. Until Flora muttered an incantation and moved her hands again, and the portal sparked and shimmered, icy blue like it had been when Tess and Flora walked into the attic.

Callum and Octavia’s eyes went wide as Flora, Tess, and Joni clambered through the portal.

“Are you okay?” Joni rushed over to Octavia. “Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine.” Octavia’s tone was blasé, but Joni could see she was really afraid. “What about you? Did anyone hurt you?”

“No, I’m okay.” Joni wanted to kiss Octavia, but she thought that would be pretty awkward in front of her brother. But when she turned to look at Callum, he and Tess were kissing passionately.

“Uhhhhh…. you guys want to tell us what’s going on?” Joni sputtered.

“There’s no time,” Callum said. “We have to get out of here, right now.”