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“There are mountains north of here,” she continued. “It’s closer than the next oasis. Let’s aim for those and hope we lose the zaol.”

“I thought the map leads west,” Jessamine said, not breaking her stride.

“It does,” Arabella agreed. “But we won’t make it to the next oasis on one waterskin each. Especially not if that thing is pursuing us the whole way.”

There wasn’t time to explain the strange presence, not as the zaol slowly took shape in the distance behind them. She hoped there’d be a chance later.

There was a long silence, and when no one objected, Arabella turned to Hadeon. “Take to the skies. Keep an eye on the zaol as it draws near.”

There was a glimmer of something dangerous in his gaze. “Be careful you don’t get used to giving orders, Enchantress.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

The prince shot into the sky, his black wings flapping as he ascended.

“Your neck…” Jessamine began, her voice tinged with a note of caution. “Are you okay?”

Arabella nodded.

She was well enough to do what needed to be done, and that’s what mattered. Whatever these black veins were could wait.

A roar sounded behind them.

The zaol cleared the trees and lumbered across the sand toward them. As it moved, it made a hissing sound like the fracturing of dreams.

Hadeon hovered in the sky behind them, his blade held aloft. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in his posture. It was the confidence of a male who’d been in countless battles, faced death, and come out on the other side.

As she ran, sweat beaded on her brows, and her limbs grew fatigued far too quickly. Whatever had happened to her in the dream had somehow affected her here. Exhaustion so thick, so penetrating filled her thoughts even with the borrowed energy from the shadows. She tried to shake it off, but bone-deep weariness remained. She felt it in the way her feet pushed one in front of the other as the sand shifted beneath her boots.

Ignoring it, she reached for the shadows.

In this place, there was neither sun nor stars. Darkness permeated the sands, lacing through the sky and the horizon.

The shadows purred as she pulled even more of them into her, humming happily as they twirled around her. Borrowing even more strength, she spun around and skidded to a stop as she aimed her arm at the zaol. It moved over the desert like a ghost—the grains of sand shifting only the slightest where it passed.

When she couldn’t take even one more drop of power, she released it.

A torrent of darkness flew over the sandy hills, which parted like waves. A moment later, her shadows struck the zaol in the chest. As before, it exploded into a swirl of ash. But this time, she didn’t wait to watch it reform. Instead, she turned and ran after Jessamine and Breckett.

In the skies above them, Hadeon soared, his watchful eye on where the greater demon had just been.

They ran for what felt like days. But without a sun to measure the passing of time, it could have been mere hours.

Between her shadow magic and Hadeon’s blade, they’d killed the zaol countless times, but it persisted—reforming minutes later and barreling through the sands after them.

Sweat poured down her face. The crossing sheaths pulled at her back, making the skin beneath it raw. There hadn’t even been time to touch her rations. She’d only managed a few small sips of water while they ran. All of them were dragging. Even Jessamine’s movements slowed, and Breckett’s breaths came in ragged gasps.

But the zaol had come back to life once more, sewing itself back together with whatever dark magic it possessed. It was closing the distance between them—and fast.

As she raised her arm to release another slew of shadows, the world began tilting. Then she was rolling, hurtling down a sandy hill.

“Arabella!” Jessamine shouted, though her voice sounded strangely distant.

The shadows slipped from Arabella’s grasp, slinking into the ground beneath her as she rolled to a stop. Exhaustion struck her like a physical blow, threatening to consume her and nearly drowning out her fear. She couldn’t raise her arms, couldn’t call on her magic. It was all she could do to keep her eyes open.

Distantly, she registered a flash of wings as Hadeon fought against the zaol from the skies.

A face appeared above hers.