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Dear Amelia,

Don’t be mad. I didn’t have time to finish my last letter. I am still the Queen after all. My duties are never ending.

Flynn was the exact replica of James. He took down the cloak that made him look like Colton, and I was nearly paralyzed. I had no qualms about killing Flynn or Colton after everything they’ve done. But how could I kill James? How could I fight and kill the man who looked just like James? Sounded just like James? I knew that Flynn wasn’t James, but having his face made it hard to do what needed to be done. Still, I fought him, and I didn’t go easy on him. Anger, controlled a bit of me. Macey, controlled a bit of me.

Farrah, my parents, and Jordan were still holding off the people who made it through the barrier that the witches were reinforcing nonstop. I knew I had to end things as quickly as possible.

I’m sure you’re wondering where the tribe warriors were. And why there was only Farrah, my parents and Jordan fighting. To answer that, Flynn was manipulating them the same way that Colton manipulated Jordan during the challenge. That’s why I needed Sadie. The charms she gave us protected us from his manipulations. But our warriors didn’t have charms, they were vulnerable. Sadie was there to make charms for our warriors so they can fight without risk of being under Flynn’s influence.

Anyway, as I was fighting, I saw the warriors finally joining us in the fight. Sadie too, though I knew I had to send her back now that she was done making the charms. But, she was a beast. And her vampire genes really started to show. Honestly, even to this day, I don’t know how she wasn’t the child of prophecy. She was the only hybrid mixed with all three species. And if it were her instead of me, I would have been her devoted follower for sure. But, as I watched her fight with witch and vampire abilities that I didn’t know she had- like controlling the weather- Flynn caught me.

I managed to get away from him, and then Sadie appeared next to me. She made me a sword, the same one she made for Tristan for his birthday, infused with magic. I thanked her, and then told her to go back to Black Forest now that we had the charms. She agreed, but she had to help Milo, who was outnumbered, and then pulled Jordan’s twin katanas out of the void. Milo shifted back and Jordan eagerly grabbed the blades and went on a rampage. And then, Sadie left.

Flynn found me again and attacked. We fought with swords. His made out of ice, mine the one Sadie gave me. I knew how to kill him. And I planned on it. He would die by my blade. I made an oath, and the magic reflected that.

It took all my energy, but I had him on his knees, with my blade to his throat. I intended to stick to family tradition and rip his face off before dealing the final blow. He didn’t deserve to wear James’s face. But before I could, I felt the mate bond breaking. I couldn’t lose another mate. That pain… it was unbearable. And I linked Sadie to get to Devyn as quickly as possible.

That hesitation from the pain I felt left me open, and Flynn took that opportunity to attack. He tried to stab me, but before he could, Jordan showed up and took over the fight. I was frozen in place, feeling everything that Devyn was feeling. The suffocating. The teeth piercing his neck. The pressure. The life fading. The bond breaking.

~Mom

MJ. B