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She dropped her sword as he fell and wrapped her arms around him from behind, an agonized moan leaving him as she helped slow his descent until he rested on the ground.

“No, no, no,”she breathed as she saw the damage to his chest, his black leather armor disintegrated from his waist up, his exposed torso nothing but pulpy blood mixed with black ash and melted skin.

Kiva swallowed back bile and made herself look instead into his half-closed, pain-filled eyes. “This is f-fine. You’re fine.”

He wasn’t fine. And neither was she, because they were still in the middle of a warring bridge, and Xuru was now walking toward them, a smirk on his face, his hands lit with more flames that he was readying to throw.

But he didn’t get a chance, because his smirk transformed into a silent scream as a sword pierced his chest from behind.

Naari’ssword.

The amber-eyed guard didn’t wait for his body to crumple before she ripped out her blade and sprinted the remaining distance to Kiva and Jaren, swinging her weapon to defend them from a new wave of approaching warriors.

Kiva drew in a trembling breath and used Naari’s cover to summon her magic. Her golden glow was blinding as it poured into Jaren, eliciting another moan, but one of relief this time.

Please, please, please,Kiva begged her magic, willing it to hurry.

She felt the weakness come over her again, just like when she’d awoken his family, but she pushed through it, coaxing her power to mend his flesh. It took only seconds, but in the midst of the battle, it felt like hours, until finally,finally,his chest was smooth, the skin pink and fresh, the burn completely healed.

Kiva’s magic faded, leaving her lightheaded and swaying, with Jaren reaching out to steady her. There was a worried look on his face, as if he hadn’t been the one to have half his torso melted away only moments ago.

“I’m all right,” she told him, but her voice sounded faint. She needed to rest. Theyallneeded to rest. But Navok’s army was relentless — aswas Navok himself. He and Cresta were still dueling fiercely, both now covered in bloody cuts and grazes, neither appearing to be making any headway.

But then they stopped.

Everyonestopped.

Because suddenly, out of nowhere, the bridge was covered in shadows.

No,Kiva thought as her limbs froze unnaturally in place, her terrified eyes meeting Jaren’s. Both of them were still on the ground, with her crouched beside him, but they had a view straight over to the eastern side of the bridge. The space there was much clearer now, with the western half and the midsection being the most congested. It meant Kiva had no trouble seeing around the small handful of inert warriors, her gaze settling on the person strolling unhurriedly between them.

Zuleeka.

Chapter Thirty-One

Kiva’s dread was like a snake squeezing her chest as she watched her sister move slowly forward.

Zuleeka’s black hair was braided over one shoulder, her moon-pale skin almost luminous against her dark armor and the shadows swirling all around her. With every step, she ignored the soldiers and guards and anomalies who were like statues, many of them having weapons raised mid-strike. She didn’t even spare them a glance.

Not now,Kiva thought desperately, aware of how drained her power was. She’d been counting on Zuleeka remaining locked away, seeking to protect herself until the battle was over, just as Ashlyn had said. But here she was, her hawkish face tilted to the side, her honey-gold eyes shining even from a distance.

“I thought I saw your magic through my window,” Zuleeka called across the bridge. “Have you come to play, little sister?”

The snake around Kiva’s chest tightened as she realized Zuleeka had been drawn out by her own healing glow, the sight too tempting to resist. There was madness in her eyes, but Kiva didn’t know if it was a result of the dark magic corrupting her blood, or if she’d finally realized that all the power in the world couldn’t keep her in command of a kingdom. Regardless of who won the battle that day, Evalon was no longer hers.

But seeing that madness, Kiva knew Zuleeka didn’t care. She wasn’t going to surrender.

And there was only one person who could stop her.

Summoning her magic, Kiva freed herself from the shadows holding her. It was effortless now, her training having paid off, even if it cost her in strength. But she ignored the lightheadedness and stood. She alsoignored the way Jaren was looking at her, his eyes pleading with her to free him, to not do this alone.

But this was one battle he couldn’t protect her from, and she wouldn’t risk Zuleeka using him against her.

Not this time.

“We don’t have to do this, Zuleeka,” Kiva said, walking slowly toward her sister. She knew the words would fall on deaf ears, but she was stalling, trying to give her magic a chance to replenish as much as it could. “Mother never wanted this for you. For either of us.”

Zuleeka bared her teeth. “You don’t know what she wanted.”