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Cam managed to drag Lucienne back as he staggered and fell.

Orlando shot out the metal net. It tangled Seraphen. “More net!” Another warrior launched another net. Seraphen was fighting his way out of the mesh. The warriors closed in on him, trying to pin him down. Some stabbed him, but to no avail. Through the net, Seraphen yanked the warriors along the rocky ground brutally.

Lucienne’s blood pumped hot and hard in battle frenzy. She knew it was only a matter of time before the mutant would overpower them all. She forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply so she could think logically.

The mutant, no matter who he was, wasn’t a god. Even angels, good or fallen, had a weakness. That was the divine design of God. Lucienne would cut every inch of the mutant’s flesh to find his weak spot if only she had the means and the time. In her dire desperation, her eyes wandered toward Ashburn a few feet away.

He had mentioned when he activated the Eye of Time, the TimeDust also brought Seraphen back. If she deactivated Ashburn, she would terminate Seraphen. That was why the mutant would do anything to preserve Ashburn. Lucienne’s eyes lit with the revelation.Ashburn is Seraphen’s Achilles’ heel.

She hurried toward Ashburn, but then stopped. This wasAshlying on the ground.

A warrior flew by her, his blood spilling onto the ground. The rest of the warriors were still tangling with Seraphen, knowing they couldn’t defeat him, knowing they’d die here, yet no one retreated.

Two soldiers begged Lucienne to take the copter and leave. “I’ll never leave my soldiers behind!” she snapped.

Every minute, Seraphen would break out and one of her warriors would die under his brutal force. She had to choose—either Ashburn or her royal warriors and friends. Many of them had followed her for a decade, ever since she was a little girl. Only by killing Ashburn, could she save her people. She stared at Ashburn, unconscious at her feet. But if she destroyed him, she’d never be the same. She’d never recover. She knew that deep in her bones, but that was her burden to carry.

Lucienne squatted beside Ashburn. Her hand touched the side of his neck, her eyes steady on the curve of his beautiful white throat. Her thumb found the acupoint of death. Just a hard press, and her people would be saved. Her fingers shaking, Lucienne closed her eyes.

Just then, Lucienne felt a stir under her hand. She fluttered open her eyes in surprise. Ashburn looked straight at her, his silver eyes clearer than the cloudless sky.

She’d shot him with enough narcotics to knock him out for at least two hours. How could he wake up in the middle of this? And how could she murder him like this, with his eyes wide open? But this was war. There’d be casualties. Lucienne hardened her heart.

Peeking into Lucienne’s eyes, Ashburn said quietly, “The TimeDust has gone into automatic protect mode. It woke me up.” As he spoke, black lightning emerged from his fingertips. “You want to kill me.”

“It was either you or me,” Lucienne said, waiting for him to make the first move, to strike her, then she’d end him before his lightning reached her. He was more powerful, but she was quicker and better trained.

Ashburn held back his lightning with effort. “Do what you have to do,” he said. “It’ll come to this anyway.”

“Fight me, then.”

“I won’t fight you.”

Lucienne swallowed. “I don’t want to choose myself over you, but I want my men to go home safely.” Her conscience immediately asked,What about Ashburn? Don’t his parents and Violet want him to come home safely, too?

“Just do it,” Ashburn said. “I’ll close my eyes if it’s easier for you.” And he shut his icy blue eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Ash,” Lucienne said, going for the kill.

A voice tingled in her head.The two of you are a genetic match, destined to be one to achieve the greater good. Kill him, and you’ll lose the only mate you can ever have.

Her shaking finger halted. “Did you just send a message into my mind, Ash?” Her voice was hoarse and trembling.

Ashburn opened his eyes. They had turned gunmetal blue, hard and cold, flashing dangerous light. “I told you, I can’t get into your mind.” Black lightning hissed in his fingertips, desperate to strike, but Ashburn restrained it with gritted teeth. “What are you waiting for?” His voice was guttural. “I was programmed for evil. Just finish me off. Do it now before I change my mind.”

Did he know that if she slew him, she’d carry something worse than death with her all her life? Breathing hard, Lucienne ordered her cold, shaking finger to press the Meridian death point on Ashburn’s neck, but she just couldn’t carry through with it.

Then Seraphen reached her. His mighty fist shot out toward her like a spear, about to punch through her heart. Hovering over Ashburn, Lucienne was in no position to dodge the inevitable strike.

“No!” Ashburn cried, but there was nothing he could do. She was kneeling over him, between him and Seraphen. If he let out his lightning, it would go through her first, and he was still half immobile under the influence of the drug.

A brute force threw Lucienne aside. Orlando hurled himself before Seraphen’s fist, and it stabbed right through him. Ashburn let his lightning blast out, striking Seraphen and Orlando, who was beyond help, sending both flying.

Screaming Orlando’s name, Lucienne rolled on the ground, got up on fours, and ran toward him. Blood pooled around Orlando’s chest and soaked through his uniform. With a rueful look that said he was sorry he couldn’t protect her anymore, Orlando shut his eyes forever.

“No!” Lucienne cried, “Orlando Sutherland, stay with me! You can’t go!”

Seraphen recovered from Ashburn’s electrocution and advanced on Lucienne again.