It echoed louder than necessary, as if it couldn’t pass up the chance to scold me. Not daring to look down at the branch beneath my foot, I threw caution to the damn wind and made a run for it.

Three heads whipped around as I barreled through the forest line like a wolf in a china shop.

“Lola—” Zeke shouted; his hands clutched to his abdomen where the white t-shirt he wore was soaked through with blood.

Rowena, whose hair long hair was tangled from the wind, had wide eyes brimming with unshed tears. They sparkled with relief, which only acted as gasoline to the fire raging in my chest.

“Get away from them.” I snarled; eyes locked on Tessa.

The witch held her hands out, palms facing the ground, but I had yet to feel any magic oozing off her skin. I itched to lash out, to stop her heart and take her life in exchange for Sean’s, but I wanted to make it count. If she was the one that killed Sean—or if it were that sister of hers, their death would be slow, agonizingly slow.

Rowena stumble