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The darkness gathers around me, extinguishing all memory of light.

There’s a calmness inside me, a calmness honed by a lifetime of practice. Everything shuts down—my love, my hate, my dreams and fears. All that’s left of me is a stillness.

I gather my magic and throw it at the large double doors barring me entrance.

BOOM!

They tremble against my power but hold fast.

Again.

BOOM!

I hear wood and metal creak as it begins to buckle.

Again.

BOOM!

The air in front of me ripples.

Again.

BOOM!

With a shriek, the spell shatters and the doors burst open, the wooden frame splintering and the metal fastenings screeching as they’re ripped away from the wall. They sound like thunder as they hit the ground.

Inside the throne room is a nightmarish scene. Dead vines stretch up the walls and ceiling, curving around the throne of bones. Old leaves decorate the ground. The place has fallen into decay.

Amongst it all is Karnon, his eyes wild and frenzied, and at his feet—

I don’t immediately process the sight of the crumpled body in the middle of the room. That limp, bloody thing can’t be a person.

But then I hear our connection and smell her scent.

My mate.

MyCallie.

I have to lock my legs to keep from falling. I can’t stop the agonized bellow that escapes my throat.

No.

My darkness curls around her protectively.

“So your mate found you after all,” Karnon says from where he looms over her. “Took him long enough.”

I’m at Callie’s side in an instant, and now I am falling to my knees. Her heartbeat is a weak, thready thing. I choke on my own breath as I take it all in. Whatever happened to her, she only barely escaped it.

My hand trembles as it passes over her. So much blood. I’m afraid to touch her.

And then I notice the feathers, the hundreds of bloody, night-dark feathers that sprout from a pair of—of wings. Wings attached to my mate’sback. And now I do touch her, so I can feel for myself that they’re real.

They are. The wet feathers shiver just the slightest beneath my palm.

The shadows of this place crowd me in.

I feed them a little magic.