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“Calysian,” Rythos says, his eyes bright, his expression warm and inviting. “It has been a pleasure to get to know you. I hope we can be friends.”

He takes a step closer, and I can see a hint of strain in his eyes. He’s pouring every drop of his power into this.

I hold my breath, lungs burning.

For a moment, nothing happens.

Then Calysian lets out a lethal, inhuman snarl, whirling to face Rythos. The temperature around us plummets, until each of my breaths become clouds of fog. Calysian’s eyes are cold and calculating, his expression feral. I clamp down on the urge to step between them.

Rythos continues to watch Calysian with that easy smile, but I know him well enough to catch the hint of disquiet in his eyes.

And then Calysian is moving, blazingly fast. Asinia sprints towards us. “Stop!”

But it’s too late. Calysian wraps his hand around Rythos’s throat, his teeth bared.

“Do you think I have no knowledge of your power? I’ve met many such as you through the centuries. Tell me,” he lowers his voice conversationally, ignoring Rythos’s struggles, “how many times have you used that power on Madinia? Is she truly yourfriend? Are any of them?”

Rythos jerks his hand, and a scream rips from my throat as he sinks his blade into Calysian’s forearm.

I sweep my flames toward both men. I’m careful, aiming for their clothes and banishing the fire before it can do more than singe their skin. Still, it shocks them enough that Calysian loosens his hold, and Rythos jumps backward, staring at the ruins of his shirt.

He shakes his head. “I liked that shirt.” His voice is hoarse, the bruising around his throat already beginning to heal. His eyes are grave as they meet mine. “He’s a monster, Madinia. You deserve better.”

Calysian flinches. Refusing to look at me, he turns and stalks into the forest. A hot ache spreads through my chest.

Asinia trembles, her breaths coming in sharp pants, and even Demos looks spooked as he pulls her into his arms. With a muttered curse, Rythos disappears in the other direction.

“Well,” Demos says. “That didn’t work.”

I narrow my eyes at him, and surprisingly, he smiles back. “Powerful bastard. I’d almost be impressed if it didn’t mean we were in big trouble.”

Asinia shakes her head at him, and Demos grins down at her, dropping a kiss to her forehead. He’s…different than he was three years ago. Quicker to smile.

He mutters something about hunting for dinner and leaves us alone in the clearing. I move back to the horses, and Fox snaps his teeth in my direction, as if even the stallion is judging me.

“Are you going to go after him?” Asinia steers clear of Fox as she strokes Hope’s neck, her eyes on me.

I shake my head. “Not yet. He needs a little…time.”

“You had to try,” Asinia murmurs. “And now we know.”

“Yes.” My voice is bitter. “Now we know.”

“That might have been the stupidest thing you’ve ever done,” Eamonn says conversationally, jumping down from the tree branch above our heads. He’s in his panther form, his muscles bulging beneath sleek fur.

My heart jolts, and when his eyes meet mine, I’m engulfed with hot shame.

“I didn’t hear you offering any brilliant plans,” Asinia says, and Eamonn just stares at her. He doesn’t bother looking at me again, just slowly prowls back into the forest.

I study Asinia. The last few years have been good to her. The thin, hunted look most of us had worn so well during the war is nowhere to be seen. Her arms are toned, her face no longer gaunt. Knowing Demos, he still insists on training her himself every day.

We’ve had no time to truly talk about everything that has happened since I left. And I’m suddenly desperately curious.

“You were going to be a seamstress,” I say.

A hint of grief enters Asinia’s eyes and she gives me a shaky smile. “We can talk about that later. For now, I need you to make a decision.”

“What kind of decision?”