Page 381 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“Oh, he’s still a villain. He believes in the cause. He just would’ve been more diplomatic about it than his siblings.”

The pieces clicked. Ally saw it too—her jaw tensed as I asked:

“The war?”

She nodded once, eyes solemn. “The Horsemen are already here. And they serve him.”

Every inch of skin prickled. It had begun. The apocalypse. The war. Bellamy—Adrastos—was serving the ones bringing hell to earth.

At the base of the stairs, we joined Aren, August, and him—the betrayer. All three looked at me with variations of sympathy I didn’t want.

“Witchling, I⁠—”

“Save it.” I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

Freya and her Paladin prince burst through the front entrance.

“Aren!” she barked, rage sharpening the edges of his name. “Tessa. She found Blythe. They have her. The Renown took her from the mall—T saw it on the security footage.”

The world tilted and swayed, my heart stuttering.

“Blythe?” I gasped. “My Blythe?”

“We’ll get her back,” Adrastos and Ally said together. It made my stomach twist.

The monsters who slaughtered Sorin, Zehra, Jaycee and Aideen...had Blythe. My sister.

No.

August caught Ally’s eye, scowling.

“He needs a prize,” Adrastos said, voice grave. Alvara was already nodding.

“Fuck off,” August growled.

I couldn’t make sense of it. How could they argue like this while my world was collapsing? How could they know she’d come back?

I’d seen what the monsters did to witches.

I gagged, and Ally pressed a hand to my back.

Then Aren dropped in front of me, cupping my face. “Breathe, Mags. We will not leave her. We’ll set up an op.”

“How?”

“Give us today. We’ll assemble a team. I swear to you, she will not be forgotten.”

My shadows coiled around me like panicked whispers. A warning I didn't understand.

“Fuck,” Adrastos and Alvara said in unison, the word more growl than breath.

Adrastos lunged, slamming into Aren hard enough to knock him flat. At the same time, Alvara tackled me, shielding my smaller frame beneath hers.

Both seers shouted⁠—

“Shields!”

And then we hit the ground.