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Layala glanced over at Mathekis and slowly slid her dagger from her hip. Turning her back to him and blocking his view of what she was doing, she jabbed the sharp point of her blade at his heart. The tip of her weapon didn’t even touch the leather armor he wore. A translucent veil shimmered against her weapon, hard as stone, impenetrable and unyielding. The magic protecting him in this state was indeed there.

“It won’t work,” Mathekis said smugly. “So don’t bother trying to kill him.”

But if the veil surrounded him, could she even do the spell to wake him? She slowly reached for his face; her fingertips brushed his skin, and she jerked back at the icy feel. So she could get through the veil if she didn’t intend to harm? Clever. There was no other choice then. She drew the sharp edge of her blade across her palm and took a deep breath as blood welled up.

Mathekis watched her with an unnerving hunger, his face contorted as if he could barely contain himself, but he stood completely still. “That’s it,” he encouraged.

Hand visibly trembling, she hovered it over his mouth and let her blood drip into his slightly-parted lips. The goddess didn’t specify how much but when lines ran down the sides of his chin, she set her hand on his armored chest for balance and leaned forward. Her heart hammered; it was suddenly hard to breathe. She once thought she would take the life of Thane, the elf shethoughtwas the worst in the realm of Adalon and now, she was about to give life to true evil.

Her skin crawled as her lips grazed his. She stared at his long dark lashes and whispered the words the goddess told her to recite, “I give you my blood so that your heart may beat and my breath so that your lungs may draw air. I give you life,” and then she blew into his mouth. She waited. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs, and then his chest rose beneath her hand as he inhaled. Layala jumped. It worked. His light ashen skin took on a vibrancy as if he radiated from the inside.

Now he was vulnerable. Now he could be killed. She threw out her hand, wrapped her vine around Mathekis’s mouth like a gag. Vines circled his body and pinned him there. He roared but he had to speak words to use his persuasive power. Varlett slammed her fists on the invisible wall and scratched her talons against it, but she was powerless to get through.

Swiftly, Layala took the pommel of her sword in both hands and leveled the tip with his heart. The fact he looked so much like the male she loved made her gut churn, but this was the Black Mage. The elf responsible for the death of so many, the one who brought the curse on this land. She drove down with all her strength. Her blade hit and with a loud snap, it broke in half.Holy shit. Holy shit. Lightbringer!Shocked, she stared at the fragmented jagged piece lying on his chest.The magical shield was supposed to be gone. Why didn’t it work?With her mouth hanging open, she picked up the other half of Lightbringer. No. This had to work.

Mathekis broke free of her magic and said, “Do not strike him again.”

She felt the power of his persuasion, but it didn’t hit like before. She’d grown resilient to his magic somehow. With no time to lose, she tossed the sword, and it clattered on the floor, loud in the silence of this room. Her dagger was swiftly in her hand.

The Black Mage’s eyes flashed open, and he bolted upright. Layala gasped and brought up the dagger to jam it into his neck, but a strong hand snaked around her throat before she could strike and retreat. As if ice slid through her veins, every muscle froze. She fought to move, to jerk away but she couldn’t. She tried to scream, to cry for help though it would have been in vain.

Maroon color eyes that seemed to shift and glitter from deep red to vibrant magenta trailed over Layala, starting from the top of her head to her hips and then his stare met hers. All she could think about at that moment was why he looked so much like Thane even though she should be fighting to break free, calling her magic to destroy this evil bastard. But even if they resembled each other, Thane was beautiful like the sun, warm and bright with the power to burn. The Black Mage was the night, cold, full of shadows and darkness and yet, the only time the stars shined.

“Where are we?” His powerful and seductive voice snaked down her spine.

The hold he had over her vocal cords loosed. “Get your hand off me!” she spat.

He gripped her throat hard enough to cut off her air. “I asked you a question and you will answer. If you make a remark like that again, I’ll crush your windpipe.”

Her skin prickled and her lungs burned for air. She nodded once, and his digging fingers eased slightly. “The Void.” Maker, how was she going to get out of this? Just as every inch of her body was held hostage, so was her magic. Her skin tingled with its power, but nothing happened. It felt like that shimmering veil he once had over him was over her now but to keep her magic trapped inside.

His dark brows pulled down slightly. “The Void?”

“In Adalon. In the Kingdom of Palenor.”

Thane, please come. Please.Or Prince Ronan, Piper, Fennan, someone. But they were all locked in their own battles. This was supposed to be easy. Bring him to life then kill him all in a matter of seconds. She reached deep inside herself again, searching for her magic, imagining the black vines shooting around, wrapping around him, crushing the life from him.

Mathekis stepped toward them and said, “My Lord, I am here.”

The Black Mage barely spared him a glance as his legs slid off the table, and his boots hit the ground. His intimidating stature loomed over her. He glanced over at Mathekis, scrutinizing him a moment and then he was focused on her again. With whatever magic he wielded, he took control of her legs, pushing her to walk backward until she hit the wall. Her heart slammed against her chest.Why can’t I move? How is he doing this?She was at the complete mercy of this mad elf. His grip on her throat didn’t hurt but was uncomfortable. He blinked a few times and whatever confusion he once had vanished. She saw it lift in his malevolent eyes.

“I knew you’d come to me.” He paused. “Valeen.”

Layala swallowed hard. “My name is Layala. You’re mistaken.”

“It’s her, Lord,” Mathekis said. “I’m certain of it.”

“Oh, Iknowit is.” He licked Layala’s blood from his lower lip and then slowly shook his head. “So, it’s games you want? It’s been a long time, but I will never forget you.”

He was out of his mind. With all her might, she fought to gain control of her dagger. Her right hand shook a little. “I’m an elven mage and my name is Layala Lightbringer.” What if she could convince him she was on his side long enough to get away. “I brought you back—to fight with you, and yet you grab me by the throat.”

A cruel smirk lifted the corners of his mouth. “More lies.” He licked more blood from the corner of his mouth. “You loathe me. I can feel it radiating off you.”

He glanced toward the doorway where Varlett still stood, palm flat against the barrier. She looked—sad. Or at the very least, worried. Her gaze bounced back and forth between them. But it wasn’t as if Layala had the upper hand here, so her worry was unwarranted.

“Why isshehere?” he demanded of Mathekis.

“To make amends, Lord.”