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R omulus stepped out of the shadows ahead, blocking our path, malice rippling from him in waves.

“That's far enough.”

This fucker was going down .

Romulus didn’t look like much, with his slender build and his stupid little smirk, but power churned around him like an evil-as-fuck aura, and I spooled up my death shadows in response.

A full-on battle in here was madness, but he stood between me and my mate, and I would cut him down where he stood to reach her in time.

Romulus’s voice echoed strangely in the confined space. “Impressive you made it this far, but you should turn back. The girl is no longer your concern.”

Riordan’s simmering rage exploded, wreathing his hands in white light. “Get out of our way, motherfucker.”

His mouth thinned at the insult. “As a token of his generosity, my Master is allowing you to survive today. Turn back now and he will allow your existence, take another step and you die.”

“How about this?” I took that step with my head held high and Romulus’s eyes glinted. “We kill you and your Master and leave your bodies to rot under this mountain like the pieces of shit you are?”

Romulus smiled, the expression never reaching those dead eyes. “You misunderstand. This isn't a negotiation.” He moved with impossible speed, slamming his palm against the wall. More of those symbols flared to life, and the air around us solidified.

I leapt forward, only to be trapped, my limbs dragging heavily like they were slogging through molasses, every motion requiring immense effort. Rohr was caught as well, his movements slowed to a crawl.

“Some kind of ancient binding spell,” Eldric muttered from behind us. “ Watch out .”

Romulus attacked and I couldn’t do a fucking thing to stop him, hands gripping my shirt and hurling me against the nearest wall. I collided into solid stone with the force of a sledgehammer, ribs snapping, arm shattering, blood flooding my mouth, my vision filled with stars and darkness.

Eldric flew in the opposite direction, landing at the far end of the corridor with a grunt of pain.

Riordan’s impact was sickening, his body breaking when flesh met stone, blood flecked saliva exploding from his mouth upon impact and then we were incapacitated, side by side, barely able to move.

That quickly, we were helpless. No, not completely helpless.

I’m going to kill this motherfucker.

I forced my magic to rise, tendrils of shadow blooming around my hands as I channeled every ounce of power I possessed into one final effort. My shadows flew toward him with deathly intent, but whatever magic filled the air seized them with viselike claws, snaring my bolt of power before it reached Romulus.

He flicked his fingers, sending my magic ricocheting into the ceiling. Chunks of stone rained down over us.

“Is this really the best the great Blake Marten can manage?” he taunted, circling closer. “And what about the legendary Nocturne king? I expected more from you. Riordan Graves, father killer.”

I’ll do what I can to slow him down. Rohr’s eyes slid to mine, his head lolling on his shoulder. End this fucker, will you?

I’m fucking trying, but his magic…it’s like he anticipates my every move.

Riordan’s pale magic rose sluggishly, forming a wall around us as I forced my body to fucking heal . I managed to take one clear breath before Romulus attacked again, sending another crushing wave of his magic down upon us. For a moment, Riordan held him off—that wall of white magic warping and bending between us as my bones knit together. I managed to shove to my feet and gather enough power to manage a counterattack.

Not a pathetic attempt, but a reaper’s scythe, fueled by devouring rage.

Romulus yanked back, raising a barrier of dark energy to shield himself.

He was too late. My blow sent him careening backwards, landing on his ass. But the effort of buying me that chance had cost Rohr. Blood trickled from his nose, his eyes and ears. Still, he held his pale shield in place, even as Romulus climbed to his feet, wariness etched on his face.

I attacked again, managed to land another blow before Romulus sent one back, his magic looking—and smelling-remarkably like my own. Riordan’s pale shield warped, bent, red veins sizzling across the surface as I threw a bolt of black, sharper than a razor.

But our strength was failing.

Romulus countered, and darkness swept in like a cloud, cutting off our air. I clawed at my throat, trying to breath, to scream, and beside me, Rohr spilled sideways to the floor, unconscious. His shield turned into wisps of smoke and Romulus used the opening to crush me to my knees.

“Pathetic, what a waste of Caine’s gift,” Romulus spat, advancing on us slowly. Dark energy coalesced around his hands, sharp as blades and twice as deadly. “I'll make this quick.”

He raised his hand for the killing blow—then staggered backwards when a wall of flame erupted between us.

The fire roared upward, so hot that the stone around us began liquefying, the air searing my face. Through the dancing flames, I glimpsed Eldric, his usually calm expression transformed by cold fury. From his extended hands poured a torrent of blue-tipped fire, hotter than anything I'd ever seen.

Dragonfire.

He was fucking wielding dragonfire . Motherfucker had been holding out on us.

“You’re wrong, Romulus.” Eldric's quiet voice was amplified by the echoing tunnel. “Caine’s gifts were never wasted, except on monsters like you and Ravok.”

Romulus’s magic shuddered and I could breathe again, super-heated air tasting of sulphur rushing in, filling my starved lungs, searing my throat. But it was air and I dragged Riordan closer, checking his pulse.

Weak, but there, thank fuck.

Eldric stepped forward, the flames parting before him like curtains. Fire spiraled around his body, lifting him several inches off the ground. The asshole was literally flying , eyes blazing with golden light, his dark red hair whipping around his face in the superheated air.

Honestly, he looked pretty fucking awesome—not that I’d ever tell him.

“You dare to challenge me ?” Romulus snarled, gathering darkness between his palms.

But there was a hint of hesitation, his eyes darting between Eldric and those hotter-than-fuck flames.

Eldric's response was another surge of flame, this one shaped like some great mythical beast. A dragon took form, fiery wings spread wide, mouth open in silent roar, crashing into Romulus with the force of a battering ram, slamming him into the far wall.

Stone spiderwebbed beneath the impact. For one glorious moment, Romulus hung there, suspended in a hollow of broken rock. Then he slid to the ground, his clothes smoldering, his skin blistered and red.

But Romulus wasn't finished. A guttural scream tore up his throat and he unleashed his own magic, a wave of foul-smelling darkness that swallowed Eldric's blazing flames. The two forces entwined in the center of the chamber, light and darkness, fire and void, straining against each other in perfect, terrible balance.

I hoisted Rohr up by his coat and dragged him out of the way, far enough we watched as the two ancient powers battled for supremacy. The air overhead keened and wailed, rock crackled from the heat, the mountain quaked.

Then Eldric did something unexpected. Instead of pushing against Romulus's darkness, he closed his eyes and stepped forward, letting the blackness swallow him whole.

My breath caught. For one terrible moment, he was gone.

Then the darkness began to glow from within—first a dull red, then orange, then yellow-white. Cracks broke through the shadows, light spilling through in brilliant bands. With a rumble of thunder, the darkness shattered, and Eldric emerged—wreathed in flames so bright I shielded my eyes.

Romulus screamed as that fire caught him, clinging to him like a living thing. He thrashed wildly, trying to extinguish the magical flames, but they only burned brighter.

“Get out of here,” Eldric shouted, his voice strained. “I'll hold him here. Find Evie before it's too late.”

Rohr hissed when I hauled him to his feet, doubling over from pain, “Fuck, Blake, we can’t just…”

“ Go ,” Eldric commanded, the force of his magic punctuating the word. The ground beneath our feet trembled and heaved, as if to urge us along. I grabbed Riordan’s arm, pulling him toward the tunnel ahead.

“He's right. We have to get to Evie. If Romulus came here to stop us…”

Riordan’s lips peeled back from his teeth. “That means Ravok has Evie.”

Romulus’s dark magic rose again, a malicious dark wind and I took one last glance at Eldric, standing proud amidst the flames, then dragged Riordan behind me, following the scent of a warm desert breeze and carnations.