hit me. Nazis. I’d seen movies about the Nazis. I knew what kind of monsters these men were. I knew what they’d done. I knew how many innocent lives they stole. And I knew they wouldn’t lose sleep over killing me right where I stood.
My magic burned to be unleashed on these heinous monsters. But I hesitated. I heard Tegan in one ear telling me they deserved every ounce of my rage yet I also heard Tennessee in my other ear saying not to use magic in front of humans.
One of the men shouted in a harsh language I didn’t know, but then I heard their guns click.
A dozen pairs of eyes locked on me and narrowed. Fingers curled around triggers.
I summoned my magic to my palms just as a person in bright golden armor tackled the first Nazi soldier to the ground. The rest toppled like dominos. In the blink of an eye all twelve of them were sprawled on the cobblestone floor. Silver magic coiled around their bodies like they’d been caught in a spider’s web.
The smell of burning embers washed over me and butterflies danced in my stomach.
Riah.
Damn it.
STOP RESCUING ME! I AM NO DAMSEL IN DISTRESS!
He was already back on his feet, facing the Nazis with his arms raised, conducting his magic like a master puppeteer. His pale blond hair swayed in the cold breeze just a few feet in front of me. He’d just saved my life, but that didn’t erase his betrayal when it mattered the most. I spun on my toes and sprinted back into that same alley I’d been in a moment ago and then out the other side.
The ground exploded in front of me and I flew back but my wings caught me mid-air. I shook my head as the blast made my ears ring. My head throbbed, drowning out the gunfire around me – no wait. I looked to the ground below, the war was still raging on but up here their bullets could not touch me. I glanced up to the sky but there were no more planes above me. If I stayed off the ground I could get away from this mess.
I swerved around the orange flames and pillar of thick white smoke — and froze.
My stomach dropped but my wings fluttered strongly behind me.
Two rows of Seelie Knights dressed in gleaming gold armor and dripping with weapons hovered in the air in front of me. In perfect unison they unsheathed their swords…but for the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t a sixteen-year-old half-breed witch terrified to tap into my other side. I wasn’t a cursed, two-foot-tall vulnerable fairy. I wasn’t an amnesiac afraid of her own shadow because she felt it move on its own.
I had magic.
I had power.
I was Death.
And they would hear me roar.
I held my hands out to my sides and gently wiggled my fingers, summoning my magic to come out and play. Come to me. Instantly I felt electricity sparkle as my magic touched it. I didn’t look down. I knew what I’d found. A soft blue glow glistened against the bottom of my palm. Wait for me.
“It’s just you out here,” The Knight in the middle sneered. “You’ll be coming with us.”
“My memory is back,” I said with a growl, arching one eyebrow. “You should have got me when you had the chance.”
I threw my hands forward and a wall of translucent glowing blue bodies rushed out of me like a tsunami. They crashed into the rows of Knights. Spirits attacked at my command and without mercy. I grinned and pushed more spirits into my enemy.
Warmth slid down my spine and made me shiver.
“Saraphina,” his deep voice cut through the madness.
I gasped. RIAH. He hovered in the air ten feet behind me, looking tall and terrible. For a moment, I saw a glimpse of the black hoodie falling over his eyes and my traitorous heart fluttered. I wanted so badly to let myself feel happy to see him. But this wasn’t him. This was Seelie Knight Commander Zachariah. The Riah I knew was a fake. An imposter. A snake in the grass.
With a snarl, I threw my arms forward and sent my wall of spirits right at him — but they swerved around him…without touching him at all. My breath left me in a rush. What? Why? What just happened?
He held his palms up and cocked his head to the side. He gave me that sideways grin I