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The heel of Cassian’s palm lodged into her collarbone, barely exerting any force with the shove. The snap of her bone jarred up her neck and rattled in her skull. His hit forced her back, tumbling through the muddied grass. The syringe fumbled from her grasp. She cursed. Pushed up on her knees and reached for it.

Cassian’s leather boot squashed down on the back of her hand. She lifted her chin. The curve of his lips was small, but victorious as he went to grab it.

Another set of energetic fingers beat him to it.

Naia spun her head.

Finnian twirled the syringe triumphantly, flashing the High God of Death and Curses a vicious smile. “Too slow, Cassie.”

“Finny, no!” Naia yelled.

Cassian growled and dove for Finnian.

Finnian’s form evaporated into wispy ruby ribbons.

Cassian’s shoulders tensed beneath the soaked material of his blazer. He whipped around and she flinched as his eyes, two dangerous golden chasms, pinned her.

Fucking Finnian.

She jumped to her feet and sprung for her child, overcome with the manic need to hold Ash—once.

Cassian caught her by the throat, his fingertips gouging into her neck. She could feel the bruises clotting beneath her skin.

“Naia!” Ronin yelled.

A slender dagger of ice sliced across Cassian’s cheek.

Cassian flicked his head to the left, his top lip curled. Theon stalled in his step, eyes big, his knees buckling out from underneath him. He slapped his hand over his chest and grunted in pain.

“What did you do?” Naia rasped.

Cassian leaned in. “End the spell now, Little Goddess, or I will take you all with me into death?—”

Something sliced across Cassian’s wrist like a bullet, splattering Naia’s cheeks with his blood. He recoiled his arm, hissing between his teeth. Naia staggered backwards, turning her head towards Theon. He was still paralyzed on his knees, his body trembling.

The golden gleam of her hairpin circled around her like a bee.

Her lips parted, an elated burst of relief fueling her hope.

There was no time to ponder Wren’s origins as the ground shook beneath Naia’s feet. She turned and was met with a wall of waves, their white tips grazing the edges of the clouds, cresting over the island.

Naia stiffened as they collided into the magical barrier Ronin cast, resounding like two boats crashing into one another. The barrier groaned and creaked loudly, straining against the pressure.

Ronin’s arm remained up, his lips murmuring the incantation.

Naia’s heartbeat pounded painfully in her chest as cracks spiderwebbed across its delicate and translucent exterior.

No.

The barrier shattered like a sheet of glass.

Naia shrieked.

A surge of blistering heat rushed past her. The sight was magnificent as an inferno caged around the island, the monstrous flames taking the form of a familiar dragon and roaring its mouth wide and devouring the waves.

Steam spewed and dusted the air. A deafening sizzle echoed through the land.

Naia gaped in awe, fixed on the crackling wall of fire guarding the island.