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Sherose up to kiss him, saying against his lips,“You.”

TWENTY-ONE

Thecreature

Hestared atRaven’sMurkin the distance, his prison for what felt like eons.Afterinfinite attempts, he’d finally gotten the maddening combination correct and escaped that lab, with not a moment to spare.

Thenhe’d seen nightmares that defied explanation, even in theLore, and had used them as cover to steal away from the castle.Onething he knew for certain: that witch and the demon had no idea what forces they’d unleashed. . . .

Animmortal raven—once the wizard’s eyes and ears—trailed him from above as he turned from the castle.Hisstomach cleaved with hunger, his mismatched muscles weak.Ignorethe lack.Wrathfeeds you.Nowhe would know freedom—andmore.

Retributionbeckoned.Thoughthe wizard had been vicious, the one who’d betrayed him first, putting him into the wizard’s clutches, was far worse.

Burningwith hatred, he tore into the woods, starving for sustenance but even hungrier for revenge.

CAWWWW!