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She stepped forwards, head titled. “What are you waiting for?”

It was then that I saw the root of Duncan’s hesitance. As the woman stepped forwards, she gave me my first glance at the body on the table behind her.

Laying upon a metal slab was therestof Seraphine’s body. All that was missing was her beautiful face on her head, in its place was nothing but a pool of blackened blood and the jagged edges of a frayed neck.

“Seraphine.” The name broke out of me. I sagged forwards, knees giving way.

What followed was a rush of agony that manifested in the desire to cause pain.

I knew she had died, but some part of me had refused to believe it. But seeing her corpse, headless and dull of colour, caused a dangerous venom to flood up from the deepest pit of my soul and spread. The pressure was so forceful that if I didn’t act to expel it, I would combust.

As I stepped forwards on instinct, I felt the lack of hold. Duncan had dropped the leash, allowing me to act. So, I did. I snatched the chain before he could grapple for it again. He jolted sideways, shocked out of his stupor from my shout.

The Hunter, likely noticing her impending fate, snapped forwards, reaching for me, stumbling over sloppy feet. She was quick, but I wasfarquicker. I whipped the chain around, smashing the end into her face.

The crack was beautiful. Blood burst from the gash, blinding her as it smudged over her eyes.

I knew what I was going to do before I did it.

Without wasting another moment, I took my chance.

I spun around, threading my body behind the Hunter’s back. Using the metal table as a prop, I pushed upwards, wrapping the chain around her neck three times. My foot wedged into her back, and I added force against her, whilst pulling the chain back.

“Fuckyou,” I seethed, spitting my hate into her ear. I used all my might, every ounce of power and strength I had left, and didn’t release my hold.

“This,” I hissed into her ear, “is for Seraphine.”

The Hunter’s knife had long since clattered to the floor. Now she used her spare hands to fumble with the chains, as if that would help free her. It was useless. Even after her fight died out with the last scraps of air from her lungs, I didn’t let go. I couldn’t.Wouldn’t.Because the second I did, I would be free to turn around and face Seraphine, and the gaping hole her lack of life had presented to me.

I thought of Seraphine’s husband, my knuckles paling as my grip tightened on the chain. Although I’d not seen the child she took on as her own in the flesh, the sketch of her heart-shaped face filled my mind. They had no idea that Seraphine was dead – that she’d died in a game of monsters that seemed to have no end.

But I would find an end, for them and Seraphine’s memory.

My ears rang, my head throbbing from concentration and force. It was Duncan who eased me back to reality.

“Robin,” his voice was cold and fearful. “It’s done. She’s… gone.”

I heard Duncan, but that didn’t mean I listened. In fact, my grip on the chain tightened until Duncan rested his hands on my arms, brushing a thumb over my skin.

“Let her go,” he commanded, yet his voice was no more than a soft whisper. “You must conserve your energy for what else is to come, don’t waste it on those who no longer require it.”

Breathless, I released hold of my leash, letting the Hunter’s body flop to the floor. A sob cracked out of my chest, but I had to hold it firm for fear I’d spit the vial out of my mouth or swallow it – then it wouldn’t only be Seraphine’s and this Hunter’s bodies laid out dead in this tent.

Duncan wasted no time in embracing me, wrapping me in his arms, folding wings around me, so I was forced to not look anywhere but at him.

“They killed Seraphine,” I spluttered into his chest. “She came to save the realms and died in the process. Duncan… she – she didn’t deserve this end.”

I had once thought Seraphine perished when Imeria Castle fell and crushed her nest of Asps. Turned out it was the weight of saving the realms that finally got her.

“Shh. It’s going to be okay, Robin. Everything is going to work out just the way it needs to.” Duncan brushed his hand down the back of my head, fingers tugging at my hair. “You must focus and calm down. We don’t have long, and there is much you need to update me on. Starting with Erix Oakstorm, where is he?”

It was odd to hear Duncan refer to Erix with that last name. There must’ve been a time before we left Irobel that Duncan found out about Erix’s lineage. Perhaps he knew because of his use of Duwar. Either way, it stopped me enough to focus.

I tried to steady my mind, understand what I had just uncovered.

“Robin,” Duncan clasped my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. Urgency widened his eyes, his frantic words proving he was deeply worried. “Tell me, where is Erix?”

I shook my head, wincing against the question. How did I tell Duncan what I’d done to Erix? “He has… he was going to look for you. To tell you I came here to prevent the war. We have managed to put a hold to the fey army, giving me some time to deal with the issue of Cassial. But now you are here, and we can do it together – once I give a signal Erix will come, but only then.”