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For a moment, Kiva wondered if she was still at Blackmount Castle and this was all one big Serpent’s Kiss-induced hallucination. But Ashlyn’s grip was tight enough to make Kiva realize this was no dream. And by the looks on the faces of everyone in the room...

It might not be a dream, but it very well could be a nightmare.

Jaren was here.

Jaren washere.

Caldon, Torell, Cresta...

Kiva was breathing too fast, unable to move, unable tothink.

But her eyes were locked on Jaren’s.

Two and a half months. That was how long it had been since the masquerade.

Since the night they’d kissed.

Since the night she’d realized she was in love with him.

Since the night she’d helped destroy him.

Seventy-five days.

He looked the same. But he also didn’t. He was still impossibly handsome, still held himself with a strong, assured confidence. But his eyes — they were hollow. Empty. Like something was missing inside him.

Like something had beenstolenfrom him.

My magic is a part of me. Like an arm or a leg.

Kiva nearly fell to her knees, seeing that hollowness in his eyes. But it wasn’t only that — it was also the way he was lookingat her.

Jaren had never looked at Kiva like that before.

She’d never seen him look atanyonelike that before.

Because he was looking at her as if — as if —

As if he hated her. With every fiber of his being.

Kiva’s heart shattered, and she took an automatic step backwards, but Ashlyn didn’t allow her further than that.

Her move broke something in the room, interrupting the shocked silence.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Caldon demanded, the first to speak. His gaze was fixed on Kiva, as if his sister didn’t exist. “And what happened to your face?”

Kiva raised her free hand to her cheek, having forgotten about the swelling. Much like with her shoulder, the Serpent’s Kiss had helped speed along the healing, but clearly not enough to make it disappear entirely. She was gratified to hear that Caldon sounded concerned, but there was no denying the anger in his expression — directed at her. She had no idea how he felt after everything that had happened in Vallenia, despite him having given her the chance to run.

Struggling to untangle her panicking thoughts, all Kiva managed to croak out in response was, “Is Tipp here? And Naari?”

It was the smallest of movements, but Kiva’s eyes were drawn back to Jaren when his body stilled. His jaw clenched, the gold in his eyes became a flame surrounded by ocean, his expression as hard as slate.

And then he was striding forward.

Toward Kiva.

Ashlyn’s grip turned painful, but Kiva could barely feel it, every part of her coming alive as he closed the distance between them. Despite everything she’d done to him, she knew he would never harm her, not likeNavok had. And yet, she still braced for his reaction, unable to keep from whispering his name, the word full of remorse, full of longing.

“Jaren, I —”