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“Callan?” Tava said, her voice soft and hesitant. She tried to step around Balam, but he held an arm in front of her, keeping her back.

And this? This was the only part of the plan he’d regret in the After. Knowing that Tava would understand, but she didn’t know it was coming. She wasn’t prepared to watch him die again after watching him nearly do so in a throne room months ago. She’d have Drake though. At the end of this, she would have her brother.

But giving his life to save his people? To keep the mortal kingdoms from being used yet again in a war that had never been about them? That choice had been easy.

“Scarlett,” Alaric said. “What are you doing?”

Her back had straightened, darkness beginning to seep from her. The seraphs standing between her and the Maraans took another step back. “What will you do when your Maraan Lords are dead, Alaric? When your seraphs are nothing but ash? Who will stand between us then?”

“You won’t kill the Maraans,” Alaric spat. “We have already established you will not kill the mortal kings.”

“Mortalking,” Scarlett replied. “Only one. King Callan Solgard of the Mortal Kingdoms.”

He had been the obvious choice when it had come down to it. The Maraan Lords were bound to mortal kings, but what if there was only one? What if there was only one mortal king like there had been long ago? Wasn’t that what Arianna had once said to him?

The three mortal kingdoms were once ruled by one. I am merely suggesting that perhaps your destiny is another path, but it is not one that can be chosen for you. You must choose it yourself.

Because destiny was a fickle thing.

When this was over, the kingdoms would be returned to their rightful rulers. Rydeon and Toreall were heirless, but Windonelle? His kingdom had Eva, and Eva had Tava to help her become a queen worthy of their people. Tava would rule as the queen she was always meant to be until it was Eva’s time to take the throne.

But for now, he was the only mortal king. Hale and Drake had abdicated to him, signing formal documents an hour before they’d come to the Necropolis.

The only mortal king now tied to three Maraan Lords.

One sacrifice instead of three.

Alaric was gaping at her, speechless, but Tava—

“No!” she cried, pushing past Balam and trying to rush to him. Drake broke away from the group, snagging her around the waist, and this scene? Gods, it was a repeat of that throne room.

“No!” Tava screamed again and again as she bucked and thrashed against Drake’s hold.

Swords were clashing, and magic was swirling around him as Alaric yelled at the seraphs to get to Callan, get to Scarlett. Anything to stop her and her shadows.

The shadows wouldn’t be what ended him though. Scarlett appeared at his side, a dagger in her trembling hand. He was certain he’d never seen her so much as twitch when it came to taking life.

“Quick and painless,” she whispered, stepping behind him while he lowered to his knees.

“Thank you, Scarlett,” he said, raising his voice to be heard over the panic around them. To be heard over Tava’s screams. “Tell her…”

“I will, Callan,” Scarlett answered, a hand reaching around to cup his chin and hold him steady. He felt her position the blade, right where it would sever the spinal cord.

“Scarlett!”

Someone screamed her name before she was tackled to the ground, the dagger grazing the back of his neck. Callan twisted to find her struggling against Idris. He was on top of her, and while her shadows were coiling around him, he still didn’t move from atop her.

“Scarlett!”

That time it was Cassius.

A surge of darkness came from Scarlett, flaring out and into the room and throwing everyone back. When it had receded, the mirror gate was glowing and Alaric was gone.

“What the fuck?” Razik demanded, moving closer to the mirror.

Orvyn was chuckling softly. “Foolish girl,” he chided. “He had already Marked the mirror. All he needed was some of your Chaos. Achaz comes.”

Scarlett scrambled to her feet, her face pale. “No.”