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The next, gone.

She phased. Pressure snapped as space distorted—her body pulling through the gap between now and next.

Then she dropped from the air, boot landing hard between his shoulder blades.

Skye grunted and collapsed into the sand. Twisting, he grabbed her foot before she could land another kick and yanked her off balance.

Taly hit the ground with a thud and a hiss of breath. Sand sprayed. They were both back on their feet in seconds.

There were no rules now.

She came at him with everything. Punching, jabbing, kicking—she didn’t stop. Didn’t slow. Her magic blazed through her, driving her forward, bending space around her edges. Each strike came faster, sharper, her limbs a blur of rage and aether.

Her knuckles split, blood slicking her fingers. It was like hitting solid brick. Pain ricocheted up her arms, but she kept going.

Because he had to see. Had to understand howstupidhe was to keep standing beside her—to keep making sacrifices that should never have to be made!

She drove into him, fists flying—faster, harder, meaner with every hit.

Nowhewas the one struggling to keep up.

Her Sight blurred with possibilities. Every move hecouldmake. Every choice that came after, branching and shifting—then collapsing as she cut off each escape.

And then he couldn’t block.

Couldn’t dodge.

She saw it all. Every feint. Each staggered step. The smallest chinks in his defense lit up like a beacon.

“Taly—”

“No! You wanted to talk, so let’s talk!” she screamed, and oh, how it hurt as she landed a hit on his shoulder and heard something in her own handcrunch. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He grabbed for her, but she slapped his hand away.

“I can’t believe you would be so fucking stupid! When were you planning to tell me, huh? Before or after you went crazy?”

“Ha!” His laugh was bitter and breathless. “Like you have any room to talk. When were you going to tell me about Weave beasts?Huh? Before or after you almost died?!”

“That was different.”

“How, Taly?” He took a step forward, eyes wild. “How was that different? You used to tell me everything. We never had secrets.”

Taly couldn’t help it. She laughed. “Shards, Skye. If I don’t hand over every stray thought, I’mhiding something.But what about you? You’ve got a whole other life that younevertell me anything about.”

“That’s… different.”

“And that’s a double standard.”

She lunged, her fists crackling with golden aether. She aimed a punch at his jaw, but he anticipated her move, sidestepping and grabbing her wrist.

His touch was cold, a stark contrast to the heat of her magic. With a flick of his hand, he diffused the temporal energy, sending sparks into the air.

“Careful, you’re slowing down,” he taunted, twisting her arm behind her back. She gritted her teeth and kicked backward, her heel connecting with his shin. He grunted, his grip loosening just enough for her to slip free. “Fight me all you want, but I will never stop trying to keep you safe! You’re my bondmate. Protecting you is the same as protecting me!”

That was thewrongthing to say.

Red bled into her vision as time fractured around her. The pressure in her veins twisted space until nothing held its shape.