“Hey! Over here!” Mona shouted.

He stopped in his tracks and made his way toward us.

As he drew within ten feet, Mona spun around, her back to him. Her face had turned bright red. “Oh, no,” she said beneath her breath. “I know this guy. Coen Brymer. Talk to him for me, will you?”

I agreed but it was already too late. Coen Brymer had recognized Mona.

“Hey, Mona,” Coen said. “Whatever happened to you?”

Sighing deeply, Mona turned around to face him even as she avoided eye contact. “I’m sorry, Coen. I don’t have time to talk. Will you just let us inside, please?”

He looked at me. “Who is your companion?”

“Rose Novak,” I answered. “Please let us inside now. I have an understanding with—”

“Oh, yes, I know,” he said quickly. “Hermia informed us about the agreement she made with you. You are welcome and since Mona is with you, I can only assume she’s welcome too.”

He stepped through the boundary and held out both arms for Mona and I to take before leading us back inside.

“Might your visit to The Sanctuary be long enough to take a stroll with me by the waterfall?” Coen asked Mona.

Mona gave him a weak smile, then raised her ring finger to him. “I doubt it, Coen. But I wish you the best of luck in finding happiness.”

I couldn’t miss the disappointment in his face as he eyed her ring. But then he covered it up with another smile. “Congratulations, and thank you.”

Mona didn’t hang around for more small talk. She held my hand and vanished us again. This time, we reappeared at the bank of the river. There was nobody in sight, just lush forest.

Mona left my side and began wading into the water. I was about to follow after her when she turned around. “Just wait there.”

I did as she had requested, watching as she disappeared beneath the churning waters. As promised, she surfaced less than a minute later. Bobbing in the water by her side was Magnus. His whole body was rigid, though I could detect the fury behind his eyes.

“You can help me now, Rose,” she said. I hurried forward and caught his right arm while Mona gripped his left. Together, we dragged him onto the bank.

“He doesn’t look, uh, too happy,” I said, looking down at him with concern. “Were you planning to just release your spell from him while we’re standing here?”

“You have a point,” she said.

We both chewed on our lower lips as we looked back down to him.

“I have an idea,” Mona said. “Let’s take him to the beach.”

“Which beach?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” she said.

Holding onto us, she transported us outside of the boundary to a beach I’d never visited before. Looking out toward the ocean, I spotted a boat. It was small yet sturdy-looking, and it had a roof.

When I looked down at the vampire again, if anything, the anger in his eyes had increased at our delay.

“I think you’d better just release him now,” I said. “I guess that boat is for him?”

Mona nodded, looking toward the boat, an unexpected look of melancholy in her eyes.

“I guess you’ll vanish us immediately so he doesn’t have a chance to attack?” I said.

Mona paused, biting her lip again, still looking down at the vampire.

“You run further up the beach in case he decides to,” Mona said. “I need to speak to him. And I don’t feel comfortable speaking to him while keeping him like this. I’m going to release him… I doubt he’ll attack.”

I sighed. “Well, in that case I will stay with you. I’m probably better equipped to fight him with my fire power than you in your current state.”

“You’re right,” she muttered.

She bent down on her knees over Magnus and touched his forehead. My hands grew sweaty as the witch muttered some words and Magnus regained control of his body. His limbs stretched out and he shot to his feet. His chiseled face took on a look of utter aggravation.

“Why the hell did you do that?” he growled at Mona. “If you weren’t a woman, I would grab your throat and maul you.”

Mona took a step back from his rage. “I’m sorry, Magnus. I had my reasons for doing it. But you are free now. Nobody will bother you again. Not any of the black witches, not me, or any of the white witches.”

“Where is Lilith?” he asked, his brows furrowing and causing a deep line in the center of his forehead.

Mona’s voice caught in her throat. “She… passed away.”

Magnus’s eyes narrowed, as though he could hardly believe her words.

“That boat you see,” Mona said, her voice unsteady. “Lilith arranged that for you so that you could escape safely, and continue with your life… with whomever you choose to spend it with. I wouldn’t be surprised if you even find blood bags in there.”

“I don’t understand.”

“She chose to spend the last hours of her life with you, Magnus. That’s all you need to understand. And what I said before about her using you was not fair. She did love you. Madly. Deeply. At least as deeply as her heart could manage. And she wanted you to know that before she passed away. You may not have realized it, but for all those years… you held her heart in your hand.”

Magnus was speechless. I could’ve sworn that I saw the corners of his eyes moisten as he turned and looked toward the boat floating in the ocean.