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“In two days? Because at this rate, that’s all I have left.” She snarled at the both of them, baring her teeth. “When you two want to stop messing around, come find me. I’ll be at the castle.” All he imagined as she walked away was strangling her.

As soon as she was out of sight, Valeen rubbed her hands over her face. “All Mother, how could this happenright now? I wasn’t so worried about her because she wasn’t in any more danger than I was, but she looks like death walking.”

It scared him to think about Valeen just dropping in his arms mid conversation. His heart began to pound his body heated with fury and terror. Would it happen that fast? With no warning? “I’ll find a way today.”

“Shit,” she hissed. “Presco has been looking and without knowing what kind of magic she used we don’t know how to counteract it.”

“Presco is not me. You know what you are to me, Valeen.” He ran the back of his fingers down the side of her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. He memorized her face for the thousandth time—the outline of her lips just slightly darker than the fullness, her thick lashes longer on the outer corners, her elegant regal nose etched into his mind. She was so lovely, it made him ache sometimes. But even if she looked different, even if she was scarred, he would still love her soul. In every life he’d been drawn to her. “I will do anything for you, and I will figure out how to save you no matter what it takes.”

The doorin front of him exploded off the hinges, spraying wood flying in all directions, and then crashed to the floor. Dust billowed up into the rays of sunshine filtering in through the window. Hel sauntered over the rubble and paused, spotting Varlett sipping from a steaming white cup in the corner.

Gods, I hate her.I think I despise her even more than Synick.

“Really? Blasting your way in here? You could have knocked.”

“Get up.”

“When is Thane coming back? I want to at least see him before I die. I loved him. You? You were someone who could teach me magic.”

Her stupid comments didn’t even get a rise out of him. “Give me your hand with the ring. I’m going to try something.”

“Like what?” she growled, all throaty, like she was on the verge of shifting to her beast. She curled her hand against herself and held the other over it protectively.

Oh, no, we’re not doing this.He jerked her arm and grabbed the ring. His magic hummed. If he could destroy it then it should stop what was happening. Heat from the metal started to burn his skin. Shadows seeped out from between her fingers… not his. Shadows darkened the entire room. The walls creaked and groaned. An unnatural wind swirled while demonic whispers in their evil tongue seemed to come from everywhere. It wasn’t a language he knew but he got the feeling of the threats, nonetheless.

Varlett squirmed and tried to tear away from him. “Stop it. Hel, stop! They’re demanding you stop.”

He worked to get inside the metal, to break it from within. Whatever magic protected it pushed back.I am the god of magic. You will obey me.

Not the god of our world, it hissed.

A powerful shock sent him stumbling backward. He ran his sleeve across his forehead, wiping away sweat. Varlett stared down at the ring, her entire body shaking. Tears slid down her ashen cheeks, and she sunk to the ground, folding her arms around her knees. “I’m going to die,” she whispered.

If the ring wouldn’t come off, and it couldn’t be destroyed, there was only one way to fix this. He grabbed Varlett’s arm, and in an instant, they were pulled through intense darkness and pressure and stood in the unnamed forest.

After realization set in, Varlett tried to jerk out of his grasp, but he held tighter. The stone portal a few feet away hummed to life with his presence. Her black scales attempted to surface, flickering here and there, then fading. His magic held hers at bay. No, she would not be getting away this time.

Varlett stared at the portal with horror. “Where are you taking me?”

He pictured Valeen’s smiling face, the brightness in her blue eyes, he could not watch her fade. He couldn’t watch her become frail and wither away. He would not hold her in his arms and watch her soul leave this world again.

Fortune favored the bold, they said.

“Fuck it.” With his clammy palm flat against the portal, it hummed and swirled at its center. His gut twisted into knots and his heart felt like it was in his throat.Do not open this specific doorway for the goddess of night.

With her brows tugged down, Varlett peered up at him. “Hel, where are we going?”

“To meet the brothers of the previous owner of that ring.” He shoved Varlett through the darkness, then stepped in after her.

Chapter 32

THANE

Katana stayed in the bedroom while Thane wandered down the hall to get breakfast and bring it back. He found himself smiling as he descended the stairs and rounded a corner. A pair of guards nodded to him as he passed, and he grinned at them. It had been a while since his mood felt so… light.

He remembered this place well enough to know that the dining room was on the main floor and breakfast would probably already be out in a buffet. It wasn’t until he heard hushed voices and Piper’s name among them that he slowed his pace.

It was rude to eavesdrop, but he still hovered a few steps from the cracked doorway.