Page 198 of Red Ruin

He grabs my hips with clawed hands.

As more of his energy is freed to help me, our combined blades move at double speed. Finally, only a fleck of death magic is left.

I’m ready this time.

When it lunges to jump into me, I pinch down hard. Remy shreds the wisp to oblivion.

“Iris.” He kisses my fingertip, then flicks his tongue to seal the wound. “I’ve failed you, my love.”

My arm hair levitates.

I blank out, sensing the obsession brewing in his soul.

A bloody scream saves me the trouble of figuring out how to answer him.

I drill out of Remy’s arms.

The Deathguard has fought countless battles. After my hint, its Guides quickly re-establish order.

Every Sentinel freed from the lich king’s thrall rushes to help their squad-mates. Vhex herds the runners away from the mountains by tossing them back onto the teleportation platform.

Only Kevan stands frozen.

“Wake up,” Luca bawls, hanging off Kevan’s cape. “You can’t do this to me. It hurts.It hurts!”

A scream rips from his throat.

Fucking stars.

I can save everyone but Kevan.

That one’s not mine.

He never was.

I swallow a mouthful of lead.

Maybe the lich king smiled at me because he knew I was the all-caps IDIOT who’d hand-deliver him the perfect host body.

One born from his own bloodline.

“Bind Kevan,” I order Remy. “Then help Vhex and bring me the possessed Sentinels. Just don’t stray far.”

“I never will again.” Remy flips open his palm. When he curls his fingers, shadows spike across the field.

One by one, shadows wink away the Sentinels. They reappear on the teleportation platform, bound and blinded by dark ropes.

Luca bellows and grabs his head, clawing his temples in pain.

I tune him out.

The desperate pulses of magic are much more urgent than his meltdown. I stretch my silks until they form a wavy mass around me, letting me triage every Sentinel on the field at a glance.

Mallory’s metallic power grates my senses the harshest. As death corrupts his soul, iron needles ripple across his skin. Screaming with agony, he swipes at his own arms.

I dart to grab his wrists.

Stopping him almost dislocates my shoulder. Shadows snap to bind him, but a metal spike breaks off and slices across my palm.