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Scarlett? What is happening?

You need to hurry.

“All right, all right,” Cethin said, and Scarlett felt Roderick instantly relax a little.

“Cethin, keep going,” she demanded.

“That is deathstone, Scarlett,” he retorted. “It was created specifically to contain the gods.”

“Smart king,” Roderick said, jostling her against him.

“Cethin, either keep draining him or Travel out,” she said, the Chaos becoming turbulent within.

“Scarlett—”

“Go!”

Her voice was a dark order that had her brother glaring at her, but he was gone a moment later.

“Pitiful,” Roderick spat. “Here I was, a touch worried when I heard the Avonleyan King had emerged at last.”

“I know,” she sighed. “You should have been worrying about the World Walker.”

She felt the bark of laughter rumble against her back. “The World Walkers are not a worry to me. A nuisance trapped in their animal forms, yes, but nothing we are not prepared to handle.”

“Oh, I meant their High Queen,” Scarlett said, her shadows creeping out and beginning to coil around his wrist.

“There is no High Queen. Not any—”

Then he was hissing a curse, the dagger sinking in a little farther before her shadows wrenched it from his hand. Roderick dropped to his knees, Scarlett darting away as Cethin reappeared beside her, pulling every last bit of power from the Maraan Lord. She felt Roderick’s power reach for her, but her brother’s magic was holding it too tightly now.

Cethin’s hand clamped around the male’s throat, his darkness spilling out, an inky pool of black at his feet. Scarlett’s Chaos strained at the sight of it. She gritted her teeth, trying to give Sorin a little longer.

Veins of black were spider-webbing across Roderick’s skin. His face. Down his throat.

A strangled cough rattled from the Maraan’s throat, and Cethin laughed. It was the same wicked laugh Scarlett had, and she found herself smiling when he said, “One would think your prince would have taught you to shield against this kind of power. Then again, I can feel you trying.Pitiful.”

Now, Scarlett!came Sorin’s voice down the bond.

She pushed out a heavy breath of relief, shaking out her hands and rolling her shoulders. “Is he drained?”

“Almost,” Cethin retorted. “Physical contact allows me to drain him much faster.”

Roderick hissed out a curse as Scarlett sauntered forward. She bent down to speak directly into his face. Cethin still held him by the throat, the black veins seeping down beneath his tunic. “Correction. You should have been worried about the Avonleyan Kingandthe World Walker.” She looked up at Cethin. “When he is drained, you need to leave. Back inside the Citadel with the others.”

There was no questioning her. Just a nod of understanding, and a few seconds later, he released Roderick, who slumped over onto his hands and knees, another rattling cough sounding from him.

Cethin gave her one last look, then he Traveled out. Scarlett slowly began circling the Maraan Lord, still keeping a tight hold on the Chaos within. Her panthers snapped and snarled at Roderick.

“Before I end you, I have a question,” Scarlett said, stooping to pick up the deathstone dagger. She moved before him, crouching in front of the male. “See, a few years ago, my sisters and I killed one of you. But none of us had our gifts yet, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how we managed it so easily when the rest of you are so fucking hard to kill.”

“Why would I tell you anything?” he rasped out.

She placed the tip of the dagger under his chin, tilting it up. His eyes were wholly black, and the black veins from whatever the hell Cethin had done were unnerving, even for her.

“Because I can make your death quick or last for days,” she replied, digging the tip of the dagger into the flesh of his jaw. “Even if I weren’t a god, I would be your god in this moment.”

“You are not a god,” he coughed, the motion making him cut himself on the dagger, and he hissed another curse.