Page 58 of The Belle and the Blackbird

Fifteen drawers she’d opened before she found an empty one.

Fifteenhearts.

“The most useless organ of all.” Magda’s garbled voice came from behind her.

Ana tensed but didn’t turn. She’d brought no weapon, not that it would have mattered. Not even her magic was a threat to the crone.

“The others, my predecessors...” She laughed to herself. “I’d never collected hearts, but when I found them like this, I couldn’t abandon the tradition. Preserving the font of life from the very much dead. What do you think, Anastazja? Be honest with me. You already know I won’t kill youyet, and I much prefer your candor to your caution.”

“Predecessors,” Ana whispered, her voice hitching and her breath lodging in her throat. Whether or not she’d meant to, Magda had confirmed she’d not been the first to pursue and murder the Ravenwoods.

“What’s that? You’re mumbling again, girl. It’s so unbecoming.”

“You didn’t start this madness at all, did you?” Ana spun around. Heat flooded her face and throbbed in her clammy hands. “You weren’t the first. You aren’t even the one in charge, are you? You’re justfollowing orders.”

Magda’s cruel smile froze on her face. “There is no one in charge in this world, girl. There are only orders and those who follow them. Like you, for example. Luring all these beautiful subjects to me. You never wanted to know how it ended for any of them. Now that you do, will you defy me? Feign indignance over what I’ve asked you to do, whilst pretending you never, deep down, knew their fates ended at my hands?”

“Your handsmaybe. But the command didn’t come from you.”Say it. Say it. Say his name.But she couldn’t. There was no way to know, until the words were unleashed, whether calling upon the name of Mortain would surprise or enrage the koldyna, and there was nowhere to hide.

“You split hairs when others see potential.” Magda moved closer. She was in her deceptive form, all beauty and light and lies. “But I do not care what inspires you. What compels you. You have but one use, and when you’re gone, there will be others. There are always others. The gift doesn’t die with anyone, does it? You, your brother, your father. His sister and on and on and on. Once you’re all gone, there will be more still. Once I am gone, there will be more like me. There is no end until we prevail, and I have no qualms using and discarding a hundred Wynters if that’s the cost. It has always been in your best interest to keep me satiated.” She flicked a nod upward. “His time is coming. But it will not be Magda carving his still-beating heart from his chest.”

“Nien.” Anastazja added force to the word. “I have done everything you have asked, but I willnottake a life. Not ever.”

“They who wield the knife are not the sole claimants of death, are they? You have already taken many lives, girl.”

“You gave me no choice!”

“Oh, there are always choices.” Magda grinned. She tapped her fingers along the outsides of her arms. “But you valued your own life... the lives of your family, more thantheirlives.” She aimed her gaze at the wall. “You can cry your excuses, butthatis the sum of the matter. You were always able to say no, Anastazja. Youchoseto help me, and this is the price.”

Ana was frozen in place. She could no longer feel the icy cavern air whispering across her flesh nor hear the irregular beat of her heart throbbing behind her ears. She had no answer for the koldyna’s charge. No defense against what felt like a damning judgment belonging to someone else.

But Magda was right. She had chosen. She’d chosen her father, Niko, Tyreste... even herself, if she was being honest, and it seemed sheer, brutal honesty was the only path available to her now.

You chose to help me. This is the price.

Niko was gone. Her father was no longer a man she knew. Tyreste might still be safe as long as she never returned to the tavern—as herselforNessa.

As for Varradyn... She was powerless on her own. But an anonymous call to aid could send a hundred villagers up the mountain to secure the observatory and free him.

“There is no danger to you greater than the one you offer yourself,” Magda said. “Do not test me, girl. You only think you’ve seen the worst of me.”

“You...” Ana unclenched her jaw and stepped forward. “You no longer hold any sway over me, koldyna. You playedyourhand too early, and now you can’t hurt me.” Ana threw her head back and laughed. “Even killing me would be a mercy, Magda. It truly would. But know this. I am no longer afraid of you. Do whatever you want. But your hold over me has ended.”

Feeling returned to her hands, a great, buzzing tingle that empowered her to move closer, to meet the dead eyes of the crone as she stood before her in bold defiance and then brushed past.

“You only think you understand regret, Anastazja.” Magda’s gravelly voice, hertruesound, echoed as it followed her.

Ana ran the entire way to the stairs, shedding her hesitation to make room for the hubris coursing alongside the blood in her veins.

She was a reckless fool for provoking Magda like that, and she would pay for it. But if she made it back to Fanghelm first and could convince her father to leave with her, it wouldn’t matter. Away from the koldyna’s influence, he’d return to himself and tell her where Niko was, and they would all travel to the Sepulchre, the governing body of magic for the realm. The magi would know what to do about the koldyna and her wickedness. They would send help to Witchwood Cross and fix the terrible wrongs done there.

Ana had no doubt she’d make it back first. Magda could do many improbable things, but flying wasn’t one of them. If it was, she’d never have needed the Wynters at all.

The challenge would be breaking through the powerful spell that had taken root in Arkhady.

Ana burst through the open cellar doors and gulped in a ravenous swallow of air. She fell to her knees in the wet snow, panting so hard that spots throbbed behind her eyes. She forced herself to her unsteady feet and had launched into the sprint that would ensure a smooth shift when motion caught her eye.

Varradyn was working his arms up and down to get her attention. When he had it, he thrust one entire arm out to the side in a wild gesticulating motion.

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