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Cain’s eyes darted to the green and black tendrils, swallowing before he answered. “The House of High. There is a separate dungeon beneath the throne room.”

I sifted through the plethora of questions that flooded my mind. There were so many things that didn’t make sense, threads that I knew were connected but couldn’t untangle them. Two more. I would ask two more than leave.

“Who in Ammord is creating daemons?”

Cain’s brow furrowed as he blinked back at me. “No one. Daemons have not been created since the war. That magic is banned, it is too dangerous even for the Hanth.”

My eyes narrowed as I pushed the death magic closer to this skin. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I swear it.” The words stumbled off his tongue. “If daemons are being created, it is not the doing of the High Priest or Priestesses.”

There was an unease that plagued his voice, a nervous undertone that gave me pause. He really didn’t know. Taft saidherplan, and if it wasn’t the High Priestesses, there was another powerful party at play that we were missing.

What were we missing?

“Who in our party has been feeding information to Ammord?”

Cain’s brow twitched upward, a smirk sliding across his lips as they parted. “It is true that you have a snake in your midst, and from the information I have been able to gather, I know that Ammord’s leaders have met with a man on multiple occasions. But I do not rank high enough to know who.”

My stomach hollowed at his words.

Maybe Andrues was right, maybe Dukovich had been playing us this whole time. He was the only other man I could think of that would betray us. It all added up perfectly—too perfectly. I pushed Cain back as I rose from his level. My gut twisted, screaming at me.

Something was wrong.

“Take him to the prisons while I deal with the rest of them,” I said, my eyes still locked on Cain as Andrues moved to my side.

Cain stood slowly, brushing off his tunic as he spoke. “Unfortunately, dearie, I cannot stay. If I am not back safe and sound soon, they will kill your precious King—a brother for a brother. You would not want that, would you?”

Cain’s life wasn’t worth Landers’s, but my gut was telling me if they hadn’t already killed him, there was a reason.

“Thank you for the warning,dearie, but I’ll take my chances.”

Cain’s lips parted to respond then snapped shut as a chuckle echoed from the corner of the room. My eyes darted toward the sound as Azeyr pushed from his perch on the wall.

“You can not even keep your own party loyal and you expect Nimbria to kneel to you? You are a disgrace to the Gods,” Azeyr hissed, bitterness glazing his tone.

Andrues took a quick step toward him and my hand landed on his chest, pushing him back. “Take Cain, now. We will be ready when you are done,” I said, forcing my voice steady. “I can handle this.” Andrues’s eyes flickered to Azeyr with disdain before meeting mine again and nodding at the command in my gaze.

My eyes turned back to Azeyr as Andrues and Cain tethered from the room. I paused for a long moment, the room growing dark as shadow coiled around the space, blocking off every source of light.

“Nimbria has not met me yet, and as for her people—I will not force their loyalty. I am not a tyrant and I will not oppress them.” I took a step forward as my aura began to glow a shade of silver, magic crackling like lightning between my shadows. “But the five of you do not get that same leniency. I don’t expect your loyalty,I demand it. And youwillgive it to me.”

A growl rumbled in Royion’s chest as he stepped through the shadow. “We will not bow to a half-breed God.”

The insult landed as he intended and my fingers curled into fists, my skin heating as I stared back at him. A primal force woke in me, bubbling up from the depth of my soul, scorching everything in its path as the last thread of kindness that tied me together turned to ash.

I was done being talked down to by inferior men. If they refused to respect me, then they would fear me.

“You bow to me, or you bow to no one.” My power flared, an echo of the threat seeping from my words. “It’s your choice, Royion. Make it now.”

A smile snaked across his lips, reeking of defiance. “You may have shaken my hand, but that branded deal was made between the six of us. You cannot kill one of us, without killing yourself. You may command us for now, but I will never bend the knee to a—”

I didn’t wait for him to finish.

Stone was the only thing on my mind as I flicked my fingers toward him and prayed that whatever higher power still laid dormant in my veins would listen to my command.

For a half-second my body levitated, not from shadowed wings but celestial magic being set free into my bloodstream. A surge of energy unlocked inside me, a cache so deep I could have swallowed the universe. I knew it then, felt it in the undeniable power cracking at my fingertips—the God in me had finally been unleashed and I grinned.