Page 199 of Red Ruin

“Easy. Easy, Mal.” I keep my voice soft, ignoring the sting to keep contact with his skin. “You remember me.”

As soon as his silks soften, I’m in.

Mallory is only A-class, and his meridians are well-maintained. Pulling out the lich king’s threads is as easy as unraveling a sweater.

All I have to do is tug and ball up the power that doesn’t belong. Mallory happily lets me control his slicing, dicing magic, but as soon as the invading energy is cleared, I push away his overly friendly silks.

“Iris…” Yearning drags out his voice. He totters as he reaches for me.

Before I can bat him away, a shadow mitten bunches his hand and drags it to gag his mouth.

“Help your squad!” I call, already darting to the next Sentinel.

Glenna Goss is a B-class from a lineage of succubi, and her charm is just as bad a match for the lich as Vhex’s hellfire. She lashes herself with her wings and razor-tipped tail. Pain warps her beautiful horns and fangs into a screaming mask.

“Glenna.” I approach slowly, waiting for an opening that doesn’t get me sliced in half.

Vhex charges past me and flying-kicks her to the ground. He steps on her ribcage.

“Stay. Down.” His voice comes out hoarse and deep with dominance.

Even deep in the lich king’s thrall and about to rip off her own wings, she doesn’t lunge at me again.

Glenna trembles under the pressure from Vhex’s superior bloodline.

When I crouch, reaching for her arm, I notice the shadow bandage flexing across my cut palm.

My heart flutters.

I say a silentthank youto Remy and refocus.

Glenna is another easy fix. After her horns shrink and her eyes clear, Vhex lifts his foot. I offer a hand to help her up. She ignores the hand and crab-crawls away from us.

Vhex cracks his knuckles. “Who’s next?”

I sense for a moment, then turn toward the loudest psychic scream. “Sentinel Baruche. Over here.”

Vhex plays bodyguard at my side while Remy’s shadows run interference. Their powers streak back and forth, controlling everyone on the field.

When they work together, no Sentinel has a chance to lash out at me. I sweep through the guard, cleaning up the A-classes who are too strong for the other Guides to handle.

Vhex and Remy seethe with chaotic emotions every time I touch a Sentinel that isn’t them.

But they don’t complain.

Instead of stopping me, instead of holding me back or forcing me down, they get out of my way and help me do what only I can.

Finally, the field falls silent except for a sniffling sob.

With rising dread, I turn to face the sound.

At the center of the platform, Luca weeps around Kevan’s ankles.

My ex looks like a stack of garbage bags, mummified in Remy’s shadows.

Kevan kept me in a drawer like a handful of batteries he could drain and recharge whenever he needed a boost.

Now, there’s nothing I can do for him.