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That couldn’t be true. He was already dead once—although not technicallydeadshe supposed, and wouldn’t their bond have to be solidified in marriage? Ugh but he already called her wife. How did this make sense? And she’d slept with Thane, and he didn’t die… then again as the gossip article said, it wasn’t the same type of mate bond as the one she and Thane once shared.

Without another word passing between any of them, they made their way down the path to the stone circle. Piper trailed behind several feet; at least she stayed out of his vision.

Layala was aware of his every step, the two-foot distance between them, close enough she could whirl and jab the barb into him, but she needed the advantage of surprise first. She’d have to stick him, render his magic useless and then be able to deal a second strike. It would have to be the perfect opening.

Vesstan stood with both hands gripping his staff, facing them with tension etched over his wrinkled face. “Layala,” he said in quiet worry, eyes flicking back and forth between them.

“I’ve never seen an elf suffer aging like this.” Hel’s dark gaze trailed over Vesstan.

“I used too many spells out of your book.” He sounded tired and weary as if the weight of those spells came crashing down on him.

Hel tsked and wagged a finger at him. “What you mean to say is you used too many spells that were beyond your natural capability to conjure. There is nothing about my spells that would cause you to grow weak and age if you have enough magic to use them. My magic isn’t inherently evil or good. It’s neutral. It’s the user or the purpose of it that makes it one or the other.”

Layala scoffed. “Except the pale one curse.”

He turned his sharp glare on her, and the red in his eyes seemed to grow brighter. “It’s the law of nature that there is a price and consequences for every action, good or bad. Even I am bound to those laws. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourselves or the All Mother who requires balance in all things.” He waved a hand at Vesstan and sent him stumbling back onto the bench. “Sit. Take notes from the master.”

When he turned back on Layala, a nervous sweat warmed her back. An invisible force moved her to the center of the stone circle and with his hands folded behind his back, he slowly circled her. “From what I hear, the power first to reveal itself was your vines. But as a full goddess formed by the All Mother, not a demi or a lesser god,” he gave her a knowing look, “you are capable of much more. And the old mage was correct about one thing, you need to be able to conjure your power at will, with barely even a thought. You don’t need to feel fear or anger or any emotion to use it. In fact, it’s a hindrance. To be the best, you need assurance in your abilities, not fear.”

There were diverse levels of gods in Runevale? “I don’t need a lecture.”

Suddenly a heavy weight pressed in on every inch of her flesh, an invisible force that crushed like an ocean squeezing in around her. It was only seconds before she had trouble dragging air into her lungs, and her ears began to ring. Every sound to her acute elven ears became muffled like she was underwater. She wanted to scream, to be able to move her body. This wasn’t like the time in the tower when she simply couldn’t move; right now, she felt like she was drowning.I’m going to die. He’s going to kill me!Her magic roared in her chest, fighting to push through, but she was caged.

“If you weren’t panicking, you could break free,” he said as he continued to walk around her. “The key to break out of this is you being unafraid, calm. Relax.”

Her shirt dampened with sweat, and black spots erupted across her vision.Let me out, let me out!But she couldn’t find her voice.

Steady your heart, release your panic,his voice whispered in her mind.

But she couldn’t. Inside she was screaming, clawing at the invisible force that trapped her, but she didn’t move, and no sound came out.

“Control your breathing before you pass out,” he snarled.

“Layala.” Piper sounded scared.

“Stay out of it, Red.”

Her chest heaved as she wheezed.Serenity, serenity,she chanted taking in slow controlled breaths. She pictured a quiet field of wild colorful poppies in full bloom and imagined sitting among them with Thane, the sun shining on his beautiful face.

Or you could simply ask me to let you go,his voice came into her mind again, a mocking tone that made her anger flare.Say,please Hel, I’m weak and I need you. Please Hel, the most wise and powerful god, I beg for your leniency.

“Piss off,” she wheezed and held her image of peace and the magic began to lift. Her heart slowed; the chains loosened. Calming down worked and she was free. Fast as a cobra, she lunged and shoved the katagas barb into the first exposed skin she spotted, the top of his hand. The tip broke through. She almost couldn’t believe it, and staggered back several steps, expecting quick retaliation.

His red eyes flicked down, and his brows furrowed. He pulled the black barb loose and inspected it. “Katagas serum.”

Now!Layala regained her wits and a vine shot from her palm, the tip of it a spear aimed to wrap and coil around him. His hand came up and her vine hit an invisible wall and was forced upward and then melted to ash that blew away on the breeze.

Gulping, she took several more steps away. It didn’t work. His magic should be unusable…

“Oh naive, Layala.” He prowled toward her. “I took katagas serum every day for years until there was no effect on me anymore. I’m immune to it. There is nothing in this world that can render my magic useless.” He stopped before her, reached up to touch her face and she noticed his hand trembling. And if she wasn’t mistaken his skin was paler too. Although those weren’t symptoms of katagas. Something was off. Hel’s eyes flicked to his shaky hand and quickly tucked his hands behind his back.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Piper run and disappear into the dark. Thane. She was going to get Thane… but he should have already been here by now.

“Give me a detail about the past. One simple thing will do. I know you’re hiding something.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” If she couldn’t beat him in a fight yet, she’d torture him with hernaiveness.

“You shouldn’t lie, Val, you hate liars and hypocrites.”