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The thunder exploded overhead, the storm descending into a deluge of rain. Raindrops fell from the angry black sky, kissing my cheeks as I held Nik’s glacial blue eyes with mine for one long moment.

Finally, he dropped his hand from my neck, taking a step back.

“I love you.” His voice was gruff. Raw. Unfiltered emotion pouring through the words.

“I love you, too.” My own voice was ragged in return.

As much as this felt like a goodbye, I would make damned sure it wasn’t one.

My only consolation was that if I went down during battle—or if he did—we would go downtogether. I shook my head to clear the thought. I wouldn’t entertain that kind of negativity. We would come out of this victorious.

There was no other option.

I committed to memory the exact shade of blue that glimmered in his eyes. The texture of that golden hair I loved to run my fingers through so much. The freckles that bridged across his nose. The strong jaw that my fingers had already memorized the feel of.

He gave me one last reassuring smile, that dimple creasing his right cheek, before he shifted into his wolf form. He nodded his head once towards me, human blue eyes surrounded by a mountain of coarse black fur. My gaze lingered on him for one more moment before I turned away from him.

Away from the resistance.

Away from my friends and family.

Towards the very person that had threatened to take it all away from me.

The storm overhead roiled angrily—the sky streaked with dark, furious clouds. Lightning flashed through the sky with explosions of light as our group made our way through the forest, towards the mountain pass that would bring us to the back of the castle. I had let go of the storm raging above—it wasn’t mine any longer. The Stormshades of the resistance could use it to pull energy from during the battle.

As we approached the edge of the thicket, the distant sounds of clashing blades and cries filled my ears. I pressed my eyes together, sending one last prayer to the Mother to keep my loved ones safe. Tess grasped my shoulder, and my gaze met hers with a question in my eyes. She didn’t speak, only squeezed in reassurance. She had faith that I could do this. That I would get through what lay ahead. I knew ina matter of moments adrenaline would take over, pumping through my veins and driving me forward.

I relished my last moments of silence.

Despite every warning in my body telling me to turn back as the sounds of battle drifted towards my ears, I didn’t. I pushed forward. Annelise led us towards the portcullis that led to the secret chambers beyond. It was open, the extinguished lantern resting at the entrance. Just as we had left it when we escaped the Stormvault.

I adjusted my grip on Stormslayer, wiping the sweat off my palms as we followed Annelise into the shadows. Alastir brought up the rear with Amiyah, Puck and Tess at my side. I had only a brief chance to meet the other resistance members that would follow us into the castle, but I thanked them for their bravery. While we weren’t out on the battlefield facing Donika’s forces, we were facing the villain head on.

This was arguably the more dangerous mission.

We ascended the first set of stairs and the sounds of battle trailed off in the distance until I could hear nothing at all except the soft breaths escaping me as my heart rate increased. We passed through the round room we had met Zion in that day we had escaped, passing through the passages single file until we reached the next antechamber. We had been lucky that we hadn’t run into anyone thus far.

I found it hard to believe Donika still hadn’t found the secret passages after we had escaped the castle. A suspicion settled in my gut that perhaps shehad, and she was leading us directly into a trap. Letting us infiltrate the castle only to be slaughtered.

The hairs on the back of my arms rose as I watched the shadows of Annelise and the resistance members traverse the narrow passageways ahead of me by lantern light. Their silhouette’s cast against the stone walls hauntingly.

I wasn’t as familiar with the different parts of the castle having only been taken from the Stormvault to the throne room. Almost every time I was moved, I had been drugged and blindfolded.

Annelise knew the halls of this castle like the back of her hand—this had been her home once. She led us down the last stretch of hallway that would take us to the main part of the castle, but instead of passing through the secret doorway Puck had initially led us through, we took a sharp right.

The chamber narrowed here, and I cast my gaze backwards to ensure we were all safely filing into the passage. I was in the middle of the pack now, protected in case we were to be ambushed.

We had successfully breached the castle.

Step one in the plan was effectively in place.

I had no idea where we were headed now and had to trust that Annelise knew the way. We didn’t know for certain where Donika would be hiding, but we had a hunch it would be the throne room. She would want to protect her throne at all costs, we suspected she was too proud to leave it unguarded.

We reached a hidden doorway and Annelise pressed her ear against it, listening. She brought a single finger to her lips, signaling for us to be as quiet as possible. I all but held my breath as she listened, her eyes narrowed.

I raised my brow at her in question.

She shook her head.