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As Alex had been told, the palace was burning, the flames themselves alive and unending. But while the rest of the city had clearly been met with a struggle, from her viewpoint, it didn’t look beyond hope. If she succeeded, Tryllin would rise again, of that she was sure.

She just had to put a stop to Aven first.

Lunging back and forth beside the water with the glow of fire burning in the distance, Aven battled fiercer than ever against Alex. She knew she was losing ground, she knew he had overcome her one chance to surprise him, using the technique she’d first learned from the Shadow Walkers and had also used to surprise Zaylin.

But Alex wasn’t done yet.

With another call to Soraya, the wolf relocated them again.

And again.

And twice more.

Four times in quick succession they moved, enough that Alex’s head was spinning as they flashed in and out of Woodhaven, Mardenia, Dupressa and even the streets of Meya itself. Finally, Soraya brought them to where Alex had intended all along—to the battle waging across the campus of Akarnae.

The Library was aware of Alex’s plan, and because of that, it hadn’t enacted the Lockdown procedure, despite the sheer numbers of opposing forces who had come to battle on the grounds. For there to be any chance of success, Alex had needed the wards down so that Aven could go right where she wanted. She just had to figure outhowto make that happen, especially since all her attempts had so far failed.

“Is this where you want it, then?” he asked, murder in his eyes, but a slight lack of focus as well, with him just as disoriented from their continued relocation as she. But that was all she’d been after—distracting him and keeping him on edge so she might remain alive long enough to get him where they now stood.

“You want your family and friends to watch as I kill you?” he went on, lunging at her. “You want them to see the great Alexandra Jennings fall?”

“It’s been—a long time—since you cared—what I want,” Alex wheezed out between attacks that she struggled to block. “Why—start—now?”

She was covered in sweat, her arms were shaking from the repeated strain of meeting his blows, and her hands were sticky and sliding over the pommel of A’enara thanks to the wound on her arm—a wound that was still gushing an alarming amount of blood. But Alex didn’t focus on any of that. She also didn’t pay any attention to the fighting going on around her, to the people she cared most about trying to give her the time she needed. She only focused on Aven. Onsurviving.

In between lunges and parries, she tried not to notice as Kaiden and Declan were fighting side by side, close enough to Nisha and Jeera that the four of them were watching each other’s backs.

She tried not to notice when Meyarins and Claimed humans were taken down by an invisible force—Jordan and Bear, who had promised Alex they would remain under Jordan’s transcendence gift for as long as he was able to keep it up.

She tried not to notice General Drock, Karter, Hunter and Fletcher protecting the highly targeted King Aurileous, alongside many of the human militia.

She tried not to notice Roka, Kyia and Zain keeping the teachers and students safe so they could use their gifts asweapons, the three Meyarin leaders knowing the humans were no match against the immortals when it came to swordplay.

She tried not to notice the battle going on just outside the opening of the Gen-Sec building, a battle that was also happening on the inside—right where the Med Ward was located and all those contained within, including her parents and D.C.

She tried not to notice the dark blur of Xira and other draekons flying overhead, throwing veeyons out of the sky, just as she tried not to notice how many of the smaller creatures surrounded the majestic race from the Sky Kingdom.

All of that, Alex tried not to notice. But there were a few things that were harder to ignore while she blocked against Aven’s unceasing attacks.

Things like the one-eyed juggler, Samson Graver, running across the campus and throwing his smoke-inducing juggling balls at the feet of any Meyarins or attacking humans he encountered, laughing maniacally as he did so.

Things like Monster, the shaggy little pony she hadn’t given any thought to since she’d last been in her Equestrian Skills class, ploughing through the masses and using his head and his hooves to bulldoze anyone who got in his way.

Things like Grimm Helkin, who was now fightingagainstAven’s army, pointing a finger at those who were Claimed and sending them into a coma-like sleep.

And things like Sir Camden, the suit of armour now outside of the Library’s walls and fighting like a man possessed while yelling, “For thy fair Lady Alexandra!”

But along with those things, there were the moments she wished she had failed to note with her enhanced sight and hearing.

Moments like when Administrator Jarvis was thrown into the side of a building by Calista’s telekinesis, the sickening crunch of his skull meeting the wall enough for Alex to know he wouldn’t ever be rising again.

Moments like when Pipsqueak lost her life to Gerald’s tattoo whips just seconds before Blake and Johnny arrived and sought vengeance for their murdered father, making sure Gerald would never hurt anyone ever again.

Moments like when the two Combat boys, Brendan and Nick, were skewered by the blades of Vaera and Gaiel, dying within seconds of each other.

And moments like when Trell herself was taken down fighting against four Meyarins at once, with Shirez’s agonised scream coursing across the blood-soaked grounds.

Despite Alex’s aching heart, she knew she couldn’t lose herself in her sorrow. To do so would cause her to act rashly, when right now, she needed to keep a grip on her emotions. Niyx had always warned her to never fight in anger. The same was true for anguish. So she steeled herself and cast all thoughts from her mind but one: the Meyarin before her.