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And just like that, the dragon became my favorite monster of all time.

Flames surrounded the golden bubble Idris succeeded in forming around him and Raelynn while his guard burned to a crisp. Once the beast had run out of breath, all that remained of the royal pavilion was a charred circle of smoking ash. Idris and his golden bubble somehow managed to survive the blast.

Pity.

After snorting a puff of smoke from its nostrils, the dragon extended its massive wings and leaped into the sky, sending a plume of sand whipping around us. I was really beginning to hate sand.

Drazen grabbed my face. “Diversion, Runa.”

Right. Drawing power up from my core, I waved my glowing palms, creating a swarm of widow wasps, then doubled, then quadrupled its size. Again. And again. I swirled my arms in sweeping circles, twisting my creation into a swirling cyclone. It spun around us, then I pushed my stinging tornado outward into the pit, then further into the stands. Both the remaining spectators and Idris’s creatures ran screaming from the deadly cloud.

With my part finished, Kronk drove his fist into the ground. The place where the dragon once sat shifted. Large mounds of sand slid to the outside of the pit. Just as Victor promised, a large grate came into view. Thorne raced over, easily disabling theenchanted lock with his key, and Kronk heaved open the heavy gate.

“Let’s go.” Drazen held out his hand to me.

I shook my head. “What about Victor?”

I glanced over to where I’d last seen the big glowing…whatever he was.

Victor stood before the king. Fists clenched. Murder in his shimmering eyes. Idris glared back at him from the charred remains of his pavilion. A ball of energy swirled in his palm.

Thorne raced to Victor’s side. “My king. We must go. This isn’t the time.”

Victor’s head swiveled in an eerie fashion. His golden gaze took me in before locking on the handprint he’d left on my throat. I swallowed a lump of apprehension.

Wrestling with my fear, I held out my hand to him. “Come with us. With…me. Please.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode in my direction. Still glowing. Still naked. Before I could utter a yelp of objection, he swooped me up in his arms and leaped through the grate into the darkness.

Chapter Twenty-Six

VICTOR

I draggedopen eyelids made of lead, drawing in my surroundings. Nothing about the room nor bed I slept in was familiar. One thing was certain—I was no longer a prisoner of Slyborn Castle.

While even the nicer parts of Slyborn had a coarse, primitive quality to them, this place had an air of refinement without being blatant in its display of riches. Silks and velvets in shades of emerald and bronze softened the room while ornate rugs rested on the marble floors. The furniture was crafted by an artist’s hand, the lines almost delicate while seeming indestructible. Soft light illuminated the space, magical fixtures casting a warm glow.

Beside me, Runa slept curled up in a high-backed chair. Soft breaths fluttered a lavender lock that had fallen across her cheek. Other than the circles beneath her eyes, she looked well, wearing a plum-colored dress with a richly embroidered bodice, cap sleeves, and a loose skirt. Her bare legs were folded under her. A pair of boots rested beside the chair. Far from prison garb, therichness of her garments indicated she’d been afforded some care and consideration.

While none of these observations were alarming, they didn’t explain how I’d gotten here.

I raised my arm, finding it, too, was made of lead. Fates, but I was exhausted. I eyed my pale skin, and a faint image of a golden light came to mind. Was it a dream?

“Victor?” Runa stirred, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “You’re awake.”

“Am I?” I felt…off. Though I appeared whole, I sensed something was different. My body was heavy while my soul was almost…lighter?

“Where are we?” My voice cracked.

She bit her lip, sitting up straighter in the chair. “What do you remember?”

I frowned, struggling to recall. “The dragon.”

She winced. “And?”

“Fire. Pain. Then…” I trailed off, again glancing at my hands. Had I imagined the explosion of power that followed? Why wasn’t I dead?

“You saved me,” Runa said, her voice a reverent benediction. “Sacrificed yourself to save my life.”