Page 14

RAEKON

I grab Winn by the lapels of his absurdly outdated jacket, my scales scraping against the fabric as I shake him. His cybernetic eye glows brighter, whirring as it adjusts to the sudden movement.

“Get her out of there,” I growl. “Now.”

Winn’s hands flutter like frightened birds, his face a mix of fear and exasperation. “I can’t! Only Willow has the power to extract herself from Malkus’s mind. My failsafes—they weren’t enacted before she dove in. I had no time!”

I tighten my grip, the fabric of his jacket protesting under the strain. “Then put me in there with her.”

“Are you mad?” Winn sputters, his cybernetic eye telescoping outward as if to emphasize his disbelief. “You’re not a psyker. Without the proper psychic protections, you’ll blow your own brain out the moment you enter Malkus’s mind!”

Pyke steps forward, his voice calm but firm. “Raekon and Willow may be jalshagar. If they are, his bond with her could provide enough psychic shielding to get in, find her, and get out.”

Winn’s brow ridges furrow, and he adjusts his glasses with a trembling hand. “That’s… speculative at best. If I’m wrong, you’ll both be lost in there, and Malkus will have two more souls to torment.”

“Do it,” I snap. “If you don’t, I’ll find a way in myself—and it won’t be pleasant.”

Winn sighs, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine. But if this works, I’m writing a paper on it.”

He motions for me to sit in the cryo pod beside Malkus, his hands moving quickly as he attaches electrodes to my temples. The cold metal bites into my skin, and I suppress a shiver.

“How do I know when it starts to work—” I begin, but my words are cut off as a searing pain rips through my skull.

The world fractures, colors and shapes blurring together in a dizzying whirl. I’m falling, or maybe flying, my body weightless as I’m pulled into the void.

When my senses return, I’m standing in the ruins of Ritus City, the acrid smell of smoke and burning flesh filling my nostrils. The massacre of Horus IV—I recognize it instantly. The bloodstained streets, the shattered buildings, the bodies piled high in the square.

I clench my fists, my scales glinting under the harsh glow of the double suns. Malkus did this. I always suspected, but now I know.

The distant sound of Willow’s scream splits the air, and I take off at a run, my claws digging into the cracked pavement.

“Hold on, little flower,” I mutter under my breath. “I’m coming for you.”

The scream cuts through the chaos, sharp and raw, and my chest tightens.

Willow. I round the corner of a crumbling building, and there she is, pinned to the ground by three twisted figures—demons wearing the faces of humans.

Their laughter is jagged, their claws digging into her flesh as they force her face toward the furnace.

The flames lick hungrily at her skin, and I feel it too, a phantom burn searing across my own soul.

"Get your hands off her!" I roar, charging forward. But before I can reach her, a shadow steps into my path. Malkus. His form flickers, his eyes glowing with a sickly yellow light. I don’t need to see his face to know it’s him. The stench of his cruelty is unmistakable.

"You’re not supposed to be here," he snarls, his voice guttural, like gravel grinding against steel. He spreads his arms, blocking my way. "This is my domain, Vakutan. You can’t save her."

I don’t bother with a reply. I lunge at him, my fist aimed for his jaw, but he catches it with ease.

His strength here is unnatural, his grip like iron.

I strain against him, my muscles burning, but he doesn’t budge.

Behind him, Willow’s cries grow more desperate, the flames inching closer to her face.

"Stop!" I snarl, slamming my free hand into his chest. It’s like hitting a wall. He laughs, a sound that makes my scales crawl. "You can’t win here, Raekon. This is my mind. My rules."

My gaze darts past him to Willow. Her hair is singed, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. The pain in my chest intensifies, a searing agony that’s more than physical. If she dies here, will she die in the real world? I can’t take that chance.

Malkus leans in, his breath hot against my face. "You’re too late. Watch her burn."

Something inside me snaps. The bond—the jalshagar bond—pulses like a live wire, flooding me with strength I didn’t know I had. I grab Malkus by the throat, my claws digging into his flesh. His eyes widen, and for the first time, there’s fear in them.

"This isn’t just your mind anymore," I growl, lifting him off the ground. His legs kick uselessly, his hands clawing at my arm, but I don’t let go. "And nothing, nothing is impossible when you’re in love."

With a roar, I hurl him toward the furnace. He screams, a sound of pure terror, as the flames engulf him. The demonic figures holding Willow vanish in a puff of smoke, and she collapses to the ground, coughing and trembling. I’m at her side in an instant, pulling her into my arms.

"Willow," I murmur, brushing the singed hair from her face. Her green eyes meet mine, wide and filled with tears. "Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head, her voice shaky. "I—I thought you weren’t coming."

"I’ll always come for you," I promise, my voice firm. "Always."

The landscape around us begins to dissolve, the ruins of Ritus City fading into nothingness. I hold her tighter, my heart pounding in my chest. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.

My eyes snap open, the sterile white ceiling of the lab coming into focus as I gasp for air.

Beside me, Willow jolts awake, her chest heaving like she’s just run a marathon.

Her small hand flies to her throat, fingers trembling as she tries to ground herself.

I’m out of the cryo pod before I can think, my scales scraping against the cold metal as I kneel beside her.

“Willow,” I say, my voice rough but steady. Her green eyes lock onto mine, wide and haunted. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

She nods, but her breathing doesn’t slow. I press my hand to her cheek, the warmth of her skin a stark contrast to the cold sweat beading on her forehead. “Focus on me. You’re back. It’s over.”

Pyke’s voice cuts through the room like a knife. “Did you get the intel?”

I turn to glare at him. “She just woke up. Give her a moment.”

“We don’t have moments, Raekon,” Pyke snaps, his scales shimmering with frustration. “The Grolgath trafficking ring is still out there, and we’re no closer to stopping them.”

Willow sits up, her voice shaky but firm. “I… I think I know where the base is.”

Pyke’s head snaps toward her, his brow ridges lifting. “Explain.”

She swallows hard, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her shirt. “Malkus… he was so focused on keeping me out of his thoughts that he drew my attention to what he was hiding. It’s like… he circled it in his mind. I saw it. I know where it is.”

Pyke’s eyes narrow, but there’s a flicker of hope in them. “Talk.”

She nods, and Pyke motions for us to follow him to his office. I help Willow to her feet, her hand small and warm in mine. She leans into me as we walk, her body still trembling from the ordeal. I don’t let go.

The holographic globe in Pyke’s office hums to life as we step inside, the Earth rotating slowly above the desk. Willow steps forward, her eyes scanning the surface. She points to a remote area in the Andes. “There. It’s underground, shielded. But it’s there.”

Pyke zooms in on the location, his fingers flying over the controls.

The image sharpens, revealing a series of unnatural formations hidden beneath the mountain range.

He lets out a low whistle. “Clever bastards. We’ve been scanning the surface for months, but they’ve been under our noses the whole time. ”

I fold my arms across my chest. “Now what?”

Pyke sighs, rubbing the ridges on his forehead. “Now, we plan. But first—” He looks at me, then at Willow, his expression softening slightly. “I should reprimand both of you for your recklessness. But I suppose, to borrow a phrase from my human wife, all’s well that ends well.”

Willow lets out a shaky laugh, leaning into me. “I’ll take that as a win.”

I squeeze her hand, my scales brushing against her skin. “So will I.”

Pyke shakes his head, muttering something about insubordinate agents and Jalshagar bonds, but I’m too focused on Willow to care. She’s safe. That’s all that matters.