Page 119 of Seared Fates

“You lied to us,” Lucero grits out. “ToGolden.”

Sen steps forward, dark gaze black as the obsidian blade at Kai’s neck. Summer's hand twitches, Kai’s eyebrows shooting up.

“Sen!” I bark. “Stay back!”

A vicious noise leaves his chest, and Sen slinks back but stands ready.

“You want something,” I say to Summer, impatient, “and you’ll tell menow.”

Beads of sweat roll down Kai’s fever-pale forehead. Yet his chin is up, shoulders straight, my little prince is always trying to be brave for everyone else.

Summer peers at each of my offspring before landing on me, brow wrinkled as if she’s pleading for us to understand. “Kaialready knows, but I need to be more powerful to fight the Demon King who killed my family—”

“I don’t give a shit!”

Summer’s lips thin, annoyed she can’t explain herself? Tough. All I want is Kai safe, and I’ll kill her for putting that shocked, betrayed look on my mate's face.

After a beat, Summer’s wrinkled brow smooths into a hot glare directed over my shoulder. “Emma, give Kai his soul back, and in return, you’ll give me the First Blood Mage Tome.”

“And heal me?” the dying blood mage begs.

“Once Kai’s soul leaves your body, you’ll recover. But it’s been inside too long and has damaged your magic, something only a mountain mage can repair. I’ve already got someone waiting who’ll help.”

A sinister chuckle with no humour leaves Rurik. “That’s why you made us wait. Not for Kai, but so Emma would have no fucking choice.”

“I thought we had more time.” Guilt flashes in Summer's eyes, but she doesn’t drop the knife, so she can shove her feelings.

Kai’s legs give out, his pained cry filling the room. Summer steadies him against her chest, causing the knife to slice into his neck.

“Kai!” Blind, electric panic surges me forward. Sen, Lucero and Rurik following my lead.

Summer—who looks more surprised than Kai—grips my mate like she’s trying to help him up. But her tight grip causes a weak sob to leave him as the blade digs deeper, so more blood trickles.

“Stay back!” Summer barks, glare frantic and wide.

My offspring freeze.

“I will slaughter EVERYONE YOU’VE EVER LOVED!” I force myself to halt, and the windows shake with the force of my shout. “If anything happens to him, Summer, I will hunt downanyone you’ve ever cared for andrip the meat from their fucking bones while you watch!”

“Don’t ever speak about my family!” Summer screeches.

“When you hold a blade against the throat of mine, I’ll do what I have to.”

Tension thickens the putrid air.

No one moves, and even Emma’s pathetic whimpering stops. The wind outside picks up and rattles the house like a pair of hands around prison bars.

“Emma.” Summer might say the blood mage’s name, but her attention remains fixed on me, nostrils flaring and any guilt she had long gone. Replaced with brash determination. “I’ll take you to the mountain mage for healing. Swear in honour of your blood you’ll return Kai’s soul.”

“I swear on my blood. Swear on your sh-shadows you’ll take me,” Emma gurgles.

There’s a second of silence that hangs like an axe before the chopping block. The obsidian blade at Kai’s neck is sharp enough that even in the gloom it shines.

“I swear.”

A ball of black swirling shadows materialises within Summer’s black-ringed hand. I start to move, Sen at my heel, just as she tosses it in the middle of the bedroom. Reaching out, the tips of my fingers graze Kai’s arm before I’m sucked into a tirade of hungry shadows.

Yelling, my body collides with Sen’s, smashing into Rurik’s and Lucero’s flailing limbs. We’re whipped into a violent current, so black the physical weight of it presses on my bones. Yet somehow, whatever noise we would’ve made is swallowed within the dark, swirling depths.