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Had she been following us the entire time, anticipating the perfect moment to strike?

She speared Gray with a cunning stare, her empty eyes twinkling with victory. “The king’s been waiting for you. Nice of you to return willingly.”

I needed to get them out of the building. If my mother was nearby, that meant Forest wasn’t far behind. Those two had always had this strange symbiotic relationship like that.

An idea popped into my mind. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try. I felt compelled to try it, and if it failed, then I’d find another way.

Amethyst slid free a dagger, igniting the sharp, blue symbols embedded with the metal. Immediately, I snatched the blade with my element and put the edge tight against her throat. My mother simply smiled.

I spun around, levitating my sword by my side. Like last time, I took hold of Gray’s hands in mine, squeezing them while focusing on the urgency of getting these three out of the King’s Palace. I held Gray’s confused rainbow eyes.

In the distance, within my mind, my mother’s cold laugh echoed throughout the corridor. I was beginning to lose hope that nothing would happen.

Gray’s eyes lit with understanding, and she nodded.

A deafening crack reverberated off the stone walls, Glancing down at our hands, a white light encompassed our hold, sealing them together.

To my left, the air began to ripple to life. The shimmering curtain of the portal to Arcadia came into clear view, responding to the urgency and desperation that we’d felt with the beastie-bear. It had been a suspicion of mine for a while after many failed attempts in training with Gray but I had no way to truly test it until now.

“Cotton! Go through it! Someone will be there to get you to safety,” I said, looking at the skeptical, silent Kinetic. Poor guy had way too many surprises tonight. “Hurry!”

Cotton jumped into action, clutching Scarlett in his arms as he stood before the portal. He looked over his shoulder at me and Gray’s clasped hands.

I tossed a glance at Amethyst to be sure she hadn’t gotten away from the knife at her throat. It wouldn’t kill her unless I kept the blade lodged there long enough.

My stomach sank at the look of glee on her face as she saw the portal.

Fuck, she needs to die—and fast.

Cotton took a step across the veil, disappearing on the other side, Scarlett’s deep red hair being the last thing we saw of them.

I turned to Gray. “You go, too.”

Gray reeled back as if I’d slapped her. “Excuse me? Hell no. I thought…”

“I know what I said. But I have a plan, and I need you out of here in order to do it.”

“No. I’m staying. Don’t fucking try me. Forest ismine,” she growled, the little savage within her coming out to play.

I couldn’t help the slow grin that overcame my face. “That’s my girl.”

Gray and I dropped hands, the portal quickly closing behind. I snatched my sword from beside me. “This is my kill,” I said in a low tone for her to hear.

Amethyst seized the knife at her throat and threw it at me with deadly speed and accuracy as it grazed my biceps. Fuck. My Elemental magic went cold.

I charged her, spinning the sword with ease. Her red currents illuminated the eerie hallway, and her lip curled as she braced for my attack, holding only a dagger she pulled from her weapons belt.

Before I reached her, the low-grade burn of her ultraviolet magic began to radiate along my skin. I fought to block it out, my jaw flinching as I sliced my sword at a downward arc toward her diaphragm.

Amethyst sidestepped the blow. Instead, she dropped to the floor with a spin and swiped at my ankles with her stiletto. “No weapons, son. This wouldn’t be a fair fight, would it?”

I stepped aside, avoiding the kick. My skin was beginning to blister, and my heart rate climbed high. I growled from the agony.

A random blast of blue magic hit Amethyst in the gut, knocking her on her ass. It was small, not enough to do much damage to her, but enough to make the burn subside.

I stalked toward Amethyst, who lay sprawled on the floor. If I had my Elemental magic, this could be over already. If I trusted myself not to lose my shit, then I’d finish her off with my Kinetic power.

I loomed over her, my lip curled in disgust at the woman who birthed me. The orange blade of the sword angled downward as I held it above my head, ready to drive through her chest.