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In another quick move, Amethyst sat up enough to sling her dagger in a perfect throw. Her icy stare focused on Gray.

The blood drained my face, an icy fear sinking its teeth into my heart and churning my stomach.

I whirled to face Gray. My horrified gaze fell to the dagger that was sunk into the hilt in her torso. I froze.

It happened so fast, so unexpected, that Gray hadn’t had time to defend herself. If she’d had a fucking shield up…

Why the fuck didn’t she have a godsdamn shield up?

“No!” I bellowed, my breaths coming in frantically, desperately.

Then, the demon that existed inside me rose its ugly head, a numb, steely calm overcoming me. I turned ever so slowly andfixated my wrath on Amethyst.

She’d risen to her feet, a victorious smirk painting her sculpted face. I hated that we shared the same feline eyes. “Now, it’s just you and me, son.”

Chapter 57

Gray

Fire tore through my insides from the poisoned blade. My Elemental power stuttered, winking out.

“She’ll die from that,” Amethyst said with a shrug. “And you’ll die from this.” Her lip curled back as she raised her palm toward Chrome. “I know you’re poisoned and can’t use that vile Elemental magic of yours to protect you.”

Chrome stumbled back, groaning in pain. He clutched his sword tighter. She was searing him alive with her magic. I cried as I dropped to one knee, weakened by the poison spreading through my veins and engulfing them in white flames. “Chrome!”

Chrome continued to back away, his free hand going to his burning face. An anguished, raw scream echoed throughout the hallway. His legs, growing too weak to withstand his weight, collapsed beneath him.

Amethyst advanced on him with calculated prowess. Despite the pain and my better judgment, I noted he’d inherited that trait from her. “You think this is bad?” she said and then smirked at me. “Just wait until your father gets a hold of the two of you.” I couldn’t think past the pain. It was unbearable. I collapsed on my side, hugging my torso in the fetal positionas I curled in on myself on the filthy, cold floor. I couldn’t breathe. And I could imagine Chrome was in the same condition as I.

I opened my eyes to find a blurry pair of black, polished loafers almost touching my nose. Then, I was hit with the poisonous magic of gamma rays. My organs felt like they were being soaked in acid.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. Only one person that I knew of could wield that form of magic.

My stomach twisted with intense nausea, adding to my agony. I didn’t even try to fight it. I couldn’t.

I vomited, my cheek pressed against the cold, dank floor.

My insides felt flayed to shreds. Dissolved.

“Finally, you learn your place, Daughter. Face down in a puddle of excrement. Weak. Dribbling at my feet like the useless whore that you are.” He lowered himself to a squat, a dark chuckle reaching my fading mind. “I knew you’d be back.”

I lifted my head from my chest. It was so fucking heavy, but the pain receded with each passing second.

We sat in the interrogation room at the end of the prison corridor.

A deep rumble growled from beside me. I lolled my head to the side to peek at Chrome in the same condition, glaring under a hooded brow. I followed his glare, feeling my body lighten from the agony, easing up on the strain of my neck.

My father stood in his immaculate glory, his vibrant green beard manicured to perfection and not a hair on his coifed head out of place. Forest swiped the dark sleeves of his suit so no speck of dirt was to be found.

I tested my body with the shake of my arms. Cold, magnetic cuffs bound my wrists to the bolted-down metal chair while the dented table pushed against my belly, leaving me no wiggle room.

My mind snagged on Cotton and Scarlett. I hoped wherever they went, they were safe and that Scarlett would recover. I couldn’t handle losing her after Hazel.

“Finally.” Forest’s refined voice broke through my confused state. “Now, we can get started. Unfortunately, we needed you two to be healed in order to proceed.” I noticed two empty syringes sitting beside two full ones, presumably the antidote to the redfern in the Kinetic blades.

Chrome jerked his arms in the chair, unable to contain his seething rage. He tried to lunge at the king but was instantly jerked back in his seat. “You havenofucking idea what the consequences could be if you succeed!”

Forest leveled him with a blank expression. “I don’t care. This world has always been fucked.” He looked down at his navy suit jacket, straightening the lapels as if that was the most important thing.