Page 79 of Wicked Fate

It hit me like a logger truck from Final Destination.

I spun to Adara again. “There’s something we haven’t asked.”

She blinked, looking like she might collapse at any second. “What?”

I almost didn’t want to press her. Asking this question could destroy any hope I had still limping in me. “You mentioned the wolf royals. What about them?”

The silence that followed was deafening.

Adara’s lips parted. “They are being held in a place and situation worse than Hell. Worse than what the vampires put me and the other witches through during captivity.”

Gasps broke through the room like glass shattering on tile.

“They’realive?” Ryker's voice was razor-sharp with disbelief. “But… we saw the blood. The bodies.”

“You saw what you were meant to see.” Adara sat on the couch next to Kendric and continued, “There was blood. The bodies were mutilated to the point that no one would be recognizable, and they ensured they left behind some pieces of the ones who remained alive to ensure you’d find that among the bodies.”

Sun’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

“Because I was forced to be the distraction that lowered the royals’ and the Grimstone wolf pack’s guard.” She shook and gagged like she might vomit. “I didn’t know they’d planned to slaughter everyone, and when I realized what was going on, I didn’t know how to stop it. I ran to the woods and threw up. By the time I’d pulled myself together, the vampires were putting the royal family in the back of a van. They were all unconscious. I'd waited too long to try to help them.”

My heart stopped.

“Youwhat?” Gage said, like he couldn’t trust his own ears.

Briar's hand shot to her mouth.

“Where are they now?” Ryker demanded.

“I don’t know,” Adara admitted, shaking her head. “But the queen was obsessed with them. She’d keep them close.”

My breath caught. We needed to move, and fast. “Do you know how they made the vampires smell like wolves? That’s not normal.”

Her brows pinched together. “No. That wasn’t me. I don’t know how they did it.”

A fresh wave of unease washed over the room, and Ryker’s worry heightened.

“That means someone else helped her. She seems to enjoy killing people to force others into submission.” Reid’s arms crossed. “And they aren’t even using them as food. They’re killing out of malice and hate, and the queen wants everyone to know it.”

He was right. Granted, vampires didn’t enjoy feeding off other supernaturals. They could, but they didn’t like it.

“When can you do a location spell?” Bruce’s eyes glowed from where he had to be linking with others.

Adara hesitated and leaned her head back on the couch. “In a few minutes.”

Briar went to the refrigerator and got the witch some water, and Ryker grabbed one of the extra blankets and draped it around her.

Closing her eyes, Adara lay on the edge of the couch, trying to get comfortable.

“No matter where she is, we all need to leave the Blackwood territory.” Ryker turned his back to Adara and spoke softly. “We took Adara and freed the other witches. The vampire queen won’t like looking weak.”

Briar looked out the windows. “It’s nearing sunset. If we’re going to leave, we have to do it without raising alarms. If even one of those cloaked bastards is out there watching and sees us…”

“We’re done,” Gage finished grimly.

A quiet tension hummed through the room as we all stared at Adara.

Our one shot at turning the tide rested on a broken witch with barely enough energy to speak, trying to locate the most dangerous supernatural creature we’d ever faced.

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