line. She answered him by slowly turning her head to the side and fixing her eyes on her wolves, which were approaching from the other side of the room. Her servant, Victor, rushed over to undo Gavin’s mother’s cuffs. She made her way toward Gavin, her steps quickening when he dashed forward to capture her in his arms.
“My son, my son, my son,” was all she seemed able to say as she wept into his shoulder, her thin frame contracting as the sobs shook her body. Gavin had to hold her up to keep her from slumping to the floor. I’d barely had time to recognize it before, but now I was mesmerized by the resemblance she shared with Gavin. Her beautiful skin, hair as rich as cocoa, those warm, intense eyes that captivated me. I chanced a peek at Samira, who’d turned around to face the fireplace. I could sense she was still tense, but her demeanor was subdued.
“Mom, what …” Gavin dropped to his knees, holding her and rocking her as she cried. “How are you alive? I don’t understand. Please, please. Tell me, please …” He stroked her hair, shushing her quietly under his breath as she must have once done for him.
“Samira spared me. She killed your father but she spared me. Then she changed me, and kept me here in the castle as a servant. Oh God, my son. What’s become of you, my love? I hate to see you as this … this monster!”
“It’s okay, Mom, we’re going to end this. For all of us. Please don’t cry anymore. We’re together again, and that’s all that matters.”
I stared at them, heart swelling, watching their reunion, suddenly thinking of my own mother, my own family. Absentmindedly, I reached for Audrey’s hand and she squeezed hard, her other arm locked tightly in Gabe’s. Samira still hadn’t spoken. She’d simply resumed her place on her throne chair and folded her hands gracefully across her lap, her chin tilted downward, gaze fixated on the stairs.
Shouts began echoing through the castle walls, thick vibrations of marching feet, coming from the lofty foyer just outside the entryway. We all stepped back, Gavin pulling his mother to her feet and under his arm, turning to face the doors. Samira remained still, for once the sound of her tapping nails silenced. The doors flung open to reveal a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces; some of them I recognized from the meeting we’d had at Arianna’s Paris apartment. They poured into the room in packs: tight, organized formations, lining up like soldiers, blades in hand and sharp, determined faces. They piled into the throne room until there wasn’t an inch of free space left, positioned and ready to fight.
The vampires in the front lines closest to us acknowledged our group with affirming glances, jaws dropping when they noticed the woman at Gavin’s side. A few did double takes before turning their attention to Samira. The bulkiest one, front and center of the main formation, crept forward a step to whisper to Gavin.
“Care to tell us what’s going on, Gav?”
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, Dominique.”
“Fill us in, boss.”
“Change of plans, everyone,” Gavin raised his voice and stepped forward to address them all. “I believe Samira here has just agreed to join us. We are to destroy Gérard instead, if we wish to break the curse. Samira cannot break it, so he’s our new target.”
The resistance erupted into a wildfire of chatter, Audrey and I wincing at the reaction.
“Silence!” Samira finally spoke, using her magic to send a vicious gust of wind through the room. “There will be silence in my castle! You might have come here to destroy me, my pets, but this is still my home, and believe it or not, I still have power here.” Her eyes widened and she lifted her train so she could float down to meet us. “Do remember I know more about your magic than you do, my children. This spell of yours will not last long, so I suggest you act quickly and wisely. Time is of the essence.”
“Is it true, Gavin? How can you possibly trust her?” Dominique asked, his gaze directed at Samira.
“Yes, it’s true. We can’t overthrow her without going through Gérard. But we have something she wants. Something she’s wanted for a long time. She’ll comply, and maybe we can all come out of this alive.”
“How can you do this, my son?” Gavin’s mother reached for him, pulled