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“Ahh, but you see, you are wrong. This is not just a war for the realms. This is a war of Gods and fae, of daemons and witches. This war is all of ours, but she intends to win it.” Sashi took a step forward, her boots pressing into the soaked ground, circling us with slow menacing steps as Landers jerked against Pri’s hold.

“This was planned,” Sashi started again, clasping her hands at her back.

“She knew Royion well enough to know that he would not miss the chance at a deal to kill the Alpha and Omega for what they did to the five of you. All she needed was a way to lure Hyacinth to your tomb to wake you. But she also knew your little King would try and stop her. So she searched for Hyacinth’s mate knowing that she could not resist the pull of the mating bond, that it would lead her directly to you. ”

Every ounce of color drained from Cin’s face as Sashi’s words slipped into the frigid air around us.

We had played right into her fucking hands every step of the way .

“It was really just a coincidence that her mate was Cain.” A harsh laugh burst from Sashi’s lungs.

“The universe truly has a sense of humor. Now, I do not know all the particulars, she had Pri approach us with this deal on her behalf just after Landers came to the Elders asking about the soul tying ceremony.”

“What deal?” Asrai growled, taking one step toward me and clutched my hands still wrapped around my blades at the small of my back.

She shoved something into my hand, pushing my fingers closed around it as the cold metal bit into my palm.

“You, your half breed, the Fallen Ones, and the dragons as a trade for Higher magic,” Rilius started as Asrai slowly, carefully moved to my side. “This, what we have now, is just a taste of what we will receive once we deliver all of you to her.”

Ice ran through my veins as the words slipped from his mouth.

“Who is she?” Dukovich asked as I noticed a faint shimmer slip over my skin before seeping into my flesh.

He had warded me.

“Those who need to will know soon enough,” Rilius said, as his hands flicked toward Nithra, freezing her into place to stop the fire that was bubbling in her chest.

“You do not know who she is, do you?” Andrues asked, vitriol saturating every word as they flowed from his lips.

“Get it over with,” Pri snapped, interrupting the sneer that slipped onto Rilius’s face as the blades inched deeper into Landers. “This magic will not last all night.”

Sashi slipped a hand into the pocket of her leathers, pulling out two vials of pale blue liquid as she stepped toward Cin.

“If you try to run to him, if you move at all other than to take these vials from my hand, Pri will end his life. Do you understand me?” Sashi’s voice was hard, threatening as he glared at Cin..

Cin’s eyes shot to Landers, fear and anger seeping into her features.

“Yes,” Cin growled.

Sashi released her from the magic holding her still and spoke again.

“You both have a choice,” she said, stretching her hand toward Cin and Asrai, the potions resting in her palm.

“Command the Fallen Ones to follow you, drink this tonic, and fall into a dreamless slumber while we take you to the true Queen—she has no intention of hurting any of you or your dragons. Or, watch as we kill every single member left of your family, starting with your King, and ending with your sister— your child —and then come with us by force.”

“Hyacinth, do not do this,” Landers choked out, hissing as the blades drove deeper. “You will find a way. I know you will find a way without me.”

Static roared to life between my ears as I watched a broken look seep onto Cin’s face, tears streaming from her eyes as she reached for the vial.

“I can’t let you die. Our life together just started.

” Her voice cracked as her body visibly shook from the force it took to keep herself from running to him.

“We have been running from this for too long, lost too many people trying to keep me safe. I won’t lose you too.

I have to end this.” Her voice shattered into a cry as she pulled the cork from the top of the glass and turned to Sashi.

“The Fallen Ones will come, their dragons and Nithra will come. Why does she want Asrai?”

“I do not know, and I do not care. We are only doing as she has asked,” Sashi responded, anxious impatience flashing across her face as she shoved the remaining vial toward Asrai.

Asrai hesitated for only a moment before stepping to Cin’s side and plucking the liquid from her hand.

“Promise me you will not harm him. Swear it ,” Cin snarled, leaning toward her.

Sashi smiled. “I promise you, no additional harm will come to him by my hand.”

“Hyacinth, please do not do this.” Landers was begging now, pleading as he struggled against the iron blades. Tears were sliding down his face as Cin’s eyes connected with his one final time.

“I love you, Landers. I have to end this. I promise you I will come back. I will come home. Keep them safe.” A sob tore from her throat. “This is not the end for us. To death, remember? And every life after.”

Cin’s eyes flashed to mine as they both raised the vials to their mouths, and my heart shattered at the pain, the love, the apology they held.

A roar left Landers’s lungs as he fell to his knees, thunder clapping as if the heavens heard the breaking of his heart as he watched the glass touch her lips.

In the next breath they were falling, their bodies colliding with the ground as Landers’s jaw ripped open in a scream.

But I couldn’t hear it.

I couldn’t hear a fucking thing over the agony that was exploding in my chest. I tried to run to her, to stop Sashi and Rilius from wrapping their fingers around their arms, but I couldn’t move. And I wasn’t sure if it was magic or rage that rooted me to the spot.

One second, I was looking at Cin, her beautiful face peaceful as she fell into the potion’s sleep, and the next, they were gone, torn away from me by the tether.

It was Andrues’s scream that pulled me back to the world and I spun around to see him lunging for Landers as Pri’s iron blades slid to the hilt inside his body, twisting the knives before yanking them from his flesh.

I had used that move before and I knew it was deadly.

Knew that if placed perfectly, the wound would be fatal. But then I saw it, the veins that began to blacken, to spiderweb out from the gaping holes she had left.

She had just murdered our King—her brother.

Even a breath was too long, too much time for us to stop her from tethering away as Landers fell against the grass. Rain pelted his body as the Svech rapidly spread underneath his skin.

Andrues was already beside him, pulling his body against his chest as he tried to mend the wounds.

Tried to heal his best friend.

The world went deathly silent as Dukovich fell to Landers’s side, desperately trying to pull the poison from his veins.

I stood there, staring— screaming —but no sound left me.

Yenne’s hands clasped around my shoulders. I had forgotten she was there.

Forgotten she existed.

She twisted my body toward her and began speaking. Her mouth was moving but the only thing penetrating the silence was rage.

Unadulterated rage .

I had nothing, no one to live for now and that made me fucking dangerous . I did not care if I lived, I did not care if I died in the pursuit of vengeance. But I would get it, even if it took my last breath.

I was lethal, I was powerful, and my blood was ancient.

I was everything that Nimbra was made of, and I was about to show her that Gods, were not the only beings to be feared.