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Kakias was here. She had to be with the way her magic swarmed around us.

But the warrior bore down on me, blocking my view of the field. And two opposing forces of light continued to war through my body. The poison tried to stretch out.

Her ax was raised before me, my body shrieking in pain. All I could think was that I needed Kakias’s power gone from my body if I was going to stand a chance in this fight.

But then, the Engrossian stopped approaching.

And she tumbled to the ground.

A shadow loomed in her spot, sword dripping the woman’s blood. Warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from the battle and into the shallows of the tree line.

“What’s happening?” It was Tolek. I’d know his voice even from the Spirit Realm.

I tried to steady my vision, count how many Engrossians were left. Jezebel still wielded another, Cypherion fighting one.

And in the distance, a swirling form emerged from a veil of dark Angelic power.

Pain radiated in my skull. She was blurry, but I remembered that display of flowing, whip-like magic from the Battle of Damenal. Would never forget the cruel smile and scar dragging across her face. Blood-red lips and sharp teeth.

Even with my blurred vision, I thought our eyes locked.

And my vengeful stare matched Kakias’s.

Agony writhed beneath my skin, two forces as real and potent as each of our powers fighting. I could feel her within my scar. With each step closer, the poison reached for her.

“She’s—” I gasped, pressing down on the angry mark. The solidified magic within pressed back. “She’s here.”

I could barely make out the hands trying to soothe me, the voices shouting around me. My friends stormed toward Kakias, but her power reacted erratically, lashing out in those tendrils of tar.

Sapphire stormed a circle around Tolek and me. Pain vibrated along my veins, bones drowning it all out until the only thing I had room for was her.

The chill of the queen’s magic pressed through every available space in my body, melting into my nerves. It was familiar, like it was saying hello to an old friend.

It poured and poured and poured.

It took and took and took.

It siphoned ether from my cursed blood into that point of my arm.

I needed to get up. Kakias was here. I needed to fight, but?—

Memories of her voice in my ear and blade against my arm. And fucking Angels, did it burn. A searing, blinding black fire centralized in the solidified poison beneath my skin.

A scream I couldn’t control ripped its way out of my throat.

“GET IT OUT!” I demanded. Another shock of pain had me curling over my knees on a bed of crumbling leaves and needles.

Rina had said she could try to cut it out. I needed it out.

The thing within my arm felt like those whips. Each rope of dark power beading beneath the skin, tying into me. My Angelblood clawed at it, pulled from it.

“What?” Tolek fell to his knees with me, forcing my back up.

“Get it out!” I repeated. Salty tears flooded my mouth. I hadn’t realized I was crying but heaving sobs ripped through my chest. “The power. Her power. GET IT OUT OF ME.”

My words sounded like the edges of jagged knives.

“I don’t know how I can do that.” He kept his voice calm for me, but even through my blurred vision the panic in his eyes was jarring.