The main doors are solid metal with small windows peering inside. It’s impossible to see what color they are in the dim light, but they look rusted and derelict. Cole yanks one open and holds it as we file inside.

The air is stale and metallic. Like all the blood from the torture occuring in the basement has permeated the entire structure. There are no wards keeping us out here either, but just inside the main vestibule, a pair of guards stand alert.

Kai steps up to them, flexing his hands like he wants to wrap them around their necks. “We’d like to talk to Sam.”

The guard on the left smiles. It’s creepy and malevolent, and displays his missing front teeth. The other guard sends chills down my spine. His blank gaze stares at us. No. Not us. Me. He looks at me, but it’s more like he’s looking through me. I shiver, and Cade steps between us, blocking the guard’s view.

“He’s been waiting for you,” Toothless says, his voice raspy and harsh. “Follow me.”

Kai takes the lead behind Toothless, and Cole falls into place behind me and Cade. Sweat slicks my hands, and I know Cade can feel it, but he only holds on tighter. The guard leads us down the hallway, and the closer we get to Sam, the more Sterling’s pearl necklace warms under my shirt. A warning I didn’t need. An enemy is close by.

The alternating tan and brown linoleum tiles are chipped and peeling. Ceiling tiles stained with water damage line the ceiling; a few of them are missing, leaving the impression of empty eye sockets or gaping teeth. Wooden classroom doors with narrow windows line the hallway, most of them closed. Sterling and his group will be coming in through the windows of one of these rooms.

There are no other guards like the last time. I have a sinking suspicion most of them have been placed in the basement, where the cells and torture chamber are housed. The only other guards I see are the two standing in front of a room that I assume Sam has turned into his office.

“Tell the boss she’s here,” Toothless says as we come to stop before them.

Similar to the guards at the entrance, one appears more human than the other. The less human one has a blank stare that sees through everything. Like there is nothing alive inside the body. The human guard turns around and opens the wooden door, sticking his head inside to let Sam know I’m here. When he steps back out and holds the door open for us, I take a deep breath and remind myself that I am not alone as I step inside to face my nightmare.

Sam sits behind a rusting metal desk. It’s nothing like his office in Thomas Kennedy’s building. That office is posh, comfortable, and dripping with wealth. This one … not so much. The office chair is rickety, the wheels look like they won’t even roll, and I think one of the arms may be missing.

The man, though, is as polished and imposing as ever. In his black suit with a light green button-up, he looks like any rich guy you’d meet on the streets of Altair. His brown hair is slicked back, showcasing his strong jaw and brown eyes. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was attractive. I do know better though. Under that facade of a handsome, normal mage, beats the heart of a monster with the blackest possible soul.

He smiles, his gaze landing on me. “Ellis, doll. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I’ve missed you so much.”

So genuine. He is so convincing in his earnestness. It’s no wonder I fell for his lies. I say nothing. But I straighten my back and lift my chin, a sudden sense of calm settling over me. I won’t fall for his lies again. He can’t trick me again. I’ve trained and prepared for this. My guys have made sure I can handle anything thrown at me, and I’m stronger than I was when I was dating Sam.

“We’re here for Grace Kennedy,” Kai says, stepping in front of me.

Sam chuckles, a dark sound that makes me recoil. “You can have her. If I can have Ellis.”

“Not happening.” Kai cocks his head, and I can picture his grin, fangs glinting in the dim light.

“Then I keep Grace.” Sam crosses his arms and leans back in the chair. I expect it to tip backward, but I’m disappointed when it only creaks. “Although I imagine I’ll have both of them in just a few moments.”

Kai stiffens and his hands curl. I bet he’s wishing he had claws right about now, but his fangs are probably insanely long. “What do you want with Ellis?” Yep. Based on his distorted words, his fangs are huge.

Sam’s smile makes me take a step back. “Besides that tight little cunt?” The way he looks at me, his eyes traveling up and down my body, I know he’s imagining me naked.

Paralyzing fear spears through me. Naked, bound in burning bands of his green magic, forced to endure his endless assault on my body. Even Kai’s thrall can’t keep the panic at bay. My fingers tingle, but it’s not a sign of my magic. Numbness spreads up my arms, my body going into shock.

Always the observant one, the one that knows what to do, Cade steps closer to me. His hand brushes my lower back, and a pulsing warmth radiates outward from the spot. I’ve always felt as if Cade’s magic was a part of me. Every time it touches me, it’s like a bit of myself returning home. As the warmth spreads up my back and down my shoulders, I’m able to take a deep breath.

“I think you know exactly why I want her,” Sam continues. “I want her powers. I want her magic. Just think of everything I could achieve with it.” An evil grin spreads across his face, his brown eyes sparkling with his green magic. “The use of her body is just a bonus.”

I know there is no point in trying to tell him my powers are tied to my Shields. Without them, I’m nothing. Sam is too far gone in his fanatic thoughts to listen to reason, though.

Kai snarls, taking one step forward. “You’ll never have her.”

Sam’s laugh freezes the blood in my veins. “Oh, but you’re wrong.” He snaps his fingers and faster than I can track, people rush into the room.

No. Not people. Creatures. More of those beings with lifeless eyes. They move faster than any magical creature I know of. Cade, Kai, and Cole don’t even get a chance to take up fighting stances. Before I know what’s happening, they are held captive by Sam’s creations, struggling and cursing, trying to get free. I watch as needles disappear into Cade and Cole’s necks, and I know exactly what that means. They will no longer have access to their magic.

I stand frozen in place, heart beating erratically. This time, I think it’s Kai’s heart that mine is echoing. His gray eyes are wild as he struggles to free himself. But it’s useless. Those creatures have them all bound too tightly. Whatever Sam has done to alter them has made them too powerful. We can’t fight them.

Sam stands from the chair and walks around his desk. I want to take a step back, to cower, but I keep myself still, imagining Cade’s magic still warming me. Green sparks at Sam’s fingertips, his magic growing brighter until it wreathes his arms. With a wave of his hand, his magic shoots out and wraps around Kai, Cade, and Cole's throats.

The three of them jerk and gasp, until the bands tighten. Kai's fight intensifies, until Sam steps in front of him and cocks his head. I can see the band tighten further, the indentation digging deep into the pale skin of his neck.