“No …”
“Yes, my dear. I glamoured myself to look like one of the hospital nurses and then poisoned your mother while she was giving birth to you. As soon as you were born, I used the ring to kill you. Once your father was alone, I reappeared as myself and revived you, then told him it was the only thing keeping you alive.
“We’ve kept your father under our thumb all these years by threatening to take the ring away from you, which we falsely told him would kill you again. It was a small sacrifice, but it was worth it, considering the staggering amount of money he’s funneled to us over the years.” His eyes darkened. “But it was only recently we discovered in the later volumes of the manuscripts what the ring really was. What Magus Aurelius’s intentions were for the artifacts and his final instructions for his followers. By then it was too late, and that abomination,” he sneered at Cross, “had already gotten to you first.”
Sabrina felt her knees wobble. All this time … they had killed her mother! A burning rage began to bubble inside her. They couldn’t get away with this! No, she had to make sure they paid for taking Melanie away from her and her father. “Even if I wanted to give you the ring, you bastard, I can’t get it off. Your colleagues already tried.”
“I know. And poor Azael and Selyse, along with the rest of our colleagues paid for their mistakes,” Krogan said. “But how were we supposed to know that the ring had bonded with you? You’ve become its host, its conduit for the power contained in it.” His hand clasped around the necklace. “That’s the reason we don’t let anyone use the necklace for too long. But, that’s why we’ve called you here.” He walked over to the white marble table, took off the necklace, and placed it on the table. “Get the dagger from your mate,” he ordered. “And don’t try anything funny or your dear father dies.”
Hands clenched at her sides, she slowly walked over to Cross.
“Sabrina, why?” he asked softly. “I sent you away so you could be safe. So this wouldn’t happen.”
“I know,” she said. “But that’s why I had to come back.”
Blue-green eyes searched hers. “What do you mean?”
“Do you trust me, Cross?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have to give me the dagger,” she whispered. “Please.”
Though he hesitated for a few seconds, he reached into the small satchel at his side and then took out something long wrapped in cloth. “Sabrina … I love you.”
She took the dagger from him. “I love you too.”
“What’s taking so long?” Krogan barked. “Stop dawdling, and come back here.”
After one last glance at him, she turned on her heel and walked back. She wished she could reach out and touch and kiss Cross, but she knew what had to be done. Sometimes the only way to change the future is to follow its path. She could only hope she understood the meaning correctly.
“Put it on the altar,” Krogan instructed.
Her hands shook as she unwrapped the dagger. It was much longer than what she’d imagined a dagger to be, but not as long as a sword. On the pommel was a green jewel, and just like the necklace, it seemed to call to her too. Another shock of electricity shot across her skin as she held it in her hand and placed it on the table next to the necklace.
“What exactly are you planning to do?” She glared at him with all the hate she could muster. “Kill me so you can have the ring?”
“Not quite that pedestrian, my dear,” Krogan replied. “I just need you to transfer the power back to the ring and break the bond. That way, we can finally have all three artifacts back together as they were meant to be. Now, stand in front of the altar,” he instructed. “And take the dagger and the pendant in your hands.”
Her heart beat a tattoo into her rib cage as she followed his instructions, picking up the dagger in her left hand and the necklace in her right. Heat began to spread, and the ring seemed to throb around her finger. “Arghhh!” She screamed as white-hot pain shot up her arms.
“Don’t you dare let go!” Krogan screamed. “Not until it’s done!”
She wasn’t even sure she could let go—it was as if the necklace and dagger had melded to her hands. Even as she flexed her fingers open, they stuck to her palms. The pain intensified, making her double over and brace her elbows against the altar as she struggled to stop herself from passing out. The dagger and the necklace finally separated from her hands, and to her surprise, the ring slid right off her finger. Someone shouted her name as she felt her legs give out from under her.
“I got you.”
Before she hit the floor, arms wrapped her up and pressed her up against a hard chest. The scent of minty chocolate told her who it was. “Sometimes the only way to change the future is to follow its path,” she whispered. “That’s what Gunnar said.”
His entire body tensed, but he held her closer. “Sabrina … I thought you were going to die.”
“I—”
“Fools!” Krogan cackled loudly. “Now I’ll have them all!” He slipped the ring on and raised the dagger and necklace triumphantly.
“No, no, no,” Sabrina shook her head. “I thought that—” A deafening howl cut her off. She blinked as a large gray blur sailed overhead. “What in the—”
“Ransom,” Cross said as he helped her get steady on her feet. “I can’t believe it.”
The large gray wolf had leapt over them and rammed straight into Krogan, and now they lay tangled in a heap. The mage let out a scream and reared an arm back, then plunged the
