“How did the Keepers appear?” I asked impatiently.

“I’m getting to that,” Silas replied, unfazed by my tone. “The warriors who elected themselves sentinels of the bridge between the earth and the Nether were successful. Vigilant, patient, and ferocious, they kept the forces of the Nether at bay and the destruction that its inhabitants could wreak in this world in check. But then a knight emerged in the fifteenth century who was beautiful, charismatic, and seemingly invincible in combat. She envisioned a new purpose for her peers. Eira.”

Shay’s voice was barely more than a breath of air. “What did she do?”

“She was ambitious,” Silas said. “She claimed that the warriors could do more, not just protect the world, but rid the earth of the Nether once and for all. Close the doors between our world and the other.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” I said.

“It is,” Silas replied. “But the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

“Almost literally in this case,” Connor muttered. He’d thrown his arm over his eyes, but I could see muscles in his jaw and neck tighten.

Silas spared him a disdainful glance. “Eira decided she would lead the knights in this new mission. But in order to close the doors between the worlds, she needed to know how they had been opened. She sought knowledge of the Nether realm and it changed her.”

“Changed her how?” Some of the color had returned to Shay’s face.

“She found the source, the origin of the Nether’s path into earth. A being more powerful than any humankind had encountered in their brief touches of the dark realm. This creature sent its emissaries into our world to draw power and carry it back to him, making him ever stronger and widening the doors and allowing more of his creations to infiltrate the earth.”

I shuddered, feeling as though I were being pulled into a tunnel, blindfolded and not wanting to see where I was once the cloth was removed.

“Eira was strong, but her ambition proved stronger. More than anything else, the creature hoped that eventually he would open a path broad enough so that he could himself come into our world and make it his dominion. Lord of not one but two realms, both Nether and earth. He promised Eira a place at his side if she would aid him.”

“And she did.” Monroe stared at his hands, which were trembling.

“She wasn’t alone,” Silas said. “Too many of the warriors had tired of keeping the Nether at bay and sacrificing their own lives in exchange. The hunger for power among Eira’s peers proved too great. She had no trouble assembling a mass of loyal followers.”

“The Keepers,” Shay said.

“The name they gave themselves,” Silas said. “Keepers of a power too great for most humans. They considered themselves set apart, elite. Elected by fate to reign over the earth by harnessing the power of the Nether.”

“But it’s a lie,” Connor spat.

“Is it?” I murmured.“The Keepers do reign over the earth; they reap all the benefit of using their power.”

“They do,” Monroe replied, eyes distant and broken. “But the power doesn’t belong to them, and they live in fear of losing it. At the end of the day they are slaves to that same creature that seduced Eira. Our histories name him the Harbinger. You know him as Bosque Mar.”

NINE

SHAY HAD FALLEN SILENT as we left the room. I didn’t know whether I should talk to him, touch him. How would I feel if I’d just found out my only living “relative” was actually some sort of demon lord?

My skin crawled. We’d learned too many truths, turned over rocks that I wished still hid the ugliness beneath them. I’d known my masters were cruel, but now I had to face their real nature: the Keepers didn’t just use the forces of the Nether, they’d willingly bound themselves to its darkness. That shadowy world bore creatures that brought only suffering, and its horrors were the very source of the Keepers’ power. A power I’d spent my life fighting to protect.

I walked forward, forcing my stubborn body onward. I wanted to curl in on myself, close my eyes, and dream the truth away. I wished Bryn were here to talk about it—I was sure she’d find some way to tease me. Her jokes had always countered my doubts. Her bright laughter eased my tension when I had to make tough calls as an alpha. The image of her smiling face sent guilt spiraling through me. Where was she now? Had the Keepers hurt her?

“You should get some rest,” Connor said. “I’ll take you back to your rooms.”

“I know the way,” Shay said, wrapping his fingers around my upper arm. “We don’t need an escort.”

“Hush, boy,” Connor said. “You’re still our guest here. Show a little respect.”

“Boy?” Shay bristled; his grip on my arm verged on painful. “You’re only three years older than I am.”

Connor squared his shoulders, his hand resting on his sword hilt. “I’m betting I’ve seen a lot more than you could stomach. Scion or not.”

I could see where this was going. “Stop it, both of you.” We were all exhausted and on edge.

“She’s right,” Adne said. “We’ve had a rough enough time as it is. We don’t need you bloodying each other up as the grand finale to a sucky day.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Connor’s hand hadn’t left his sword hilt.

I tried to quell my own irritation by examining the crystal veins that rippled through the walls. Even in the halls, now lit only by the gentle flicker of sconces at regular intervals, the patterns gave off a subtle gleam. As we walked, the colors of Tordis, like icy spiderwebs covering the walls, became rose and pale yellow. The intricate weave of multi-hued lights began to twitch and shudder. Soon scarlet and blazing orange were jumping along the walls around us as if we’d walked into a furnace.