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Farah’s voice penetrated the darkness, tugging Rohan back to consciousness. Every inch of him hurt. It was so debilitating that he wanted to retreat, but he focused on her. He couldn’t make out her words through the haze of agony, yet she grounded him. Gave him an anchor he sorely needed. The more he concentrated on her, the easier he could breathe and keep the worst of his pain at bay. At least for a little while.

One eye was swollen shut, and he could only crack the other open. His hands were bound tightly behind his back, and several fingers were broken or out of joint, preventing him from moving them. His jaw ached so severely he was sure it was broken, too. But none of that mattered now that Farah had come.

The conversation finally became clear. It wasn’t until he heard the other woman call Farah “ little sis ” that it became clear who she spoke with. Nitya . Right after that shock was learning that two Dark had been captured. Which of the trio remained free? And why weren’t they helping Farah ? Or him?

He wanted to cheer when Farah stood up to Nitya . It took a lot of courage to do that after discovering that Nitya wasn’t just alive but running Mortham . It would do nothing but make a statement. Nitya would find another way to force Farah to bend to her will. He wouldn’t be there to see it. But they wouldn’t kill him. Nay , they had other uses for him.

“ Nice try,” Nitya told Farah . “ Did I forget to mention that I found the human’s sister?”

Rohan’s heart leapt into his throat. Lata was alive! His baby sister had always been a fighter.

“ I had a little conversation with her. She told me the name of her village. Siguk ,” Nitya said.

Dread sank into his stomach, and he broke out in a cold sweat. If Kalyani and the villagers remained, they would be taken. There was no way for him to warn them, no alert he could send. His throat tightened. He should’ve expected something like this. He should’ve planned better. But all he’d been focused on was finding Lata and the others.

There was a slight pause before Farah asked, “ So ?”

“ Quite a few of them are still here. Some died, of course. Not everyone is strong enough to endure. A handful have already been sold. The rest, however, are in rooms on either side of us.”

On cue, howls reached him from both sides. Rohan strained against his bindings when he heard Lata’s scream. The pain in his body was nothing compared to what he felt in his heart. He was supposed to protect Lata . He had failed.

“ Don’t pretend you don’t care,” Nitya stated.

Farah made an indistinct sound. “ Nothing you can say will make me agree to anything you want.”

“ Really ?” Nitya asked, a smile in her voice.

Someone grabbed Rohan by the hair and yanked his head back. He caught a flash of white magic before a fist slammed into his stomach. The force of it doubled him over and caused him to retch. He was hauled back up as he struggled to breathe. He looked through his good eye to see Farah watching him. She kept emotion from her face, but her hands were clenched, giving herself away. Nitya noticed. He wanted to warn Farah , but to do so would allow them to know how much she meant to him.

“ How much more do you think his body can handle?” Nitya inquired as she stepped closer to Farah . “ Herbs are at the ready to heal him so we can do it all over again. And again, and ag?—”

“ You made your point,” Farah said, interrupting her. She cut her gaze to Nitya . “ I suppose you’ll threaten to do the same to the Dark and those in the other rooms?”

Nitya smiled. “ I’m so glad we understand each other. Now , I’ll get you fitted for a bracelet and then have Amarjeet take you to the surface so you can begin your work.”

“ I didn’t agree to anything.”

This time, Rohan did smile. It tore the scabs on both cuts on his lips and earned him a hit to his broken jaw. The two Dark Elves who had been torturing him went at it again. He blacked out but fought to return. A bellow tore from his throat when something hard landed on his bare toes, breaking them.

He could take anything. But his sister’s and friends’ screams wore on him.

Dain sidled closer to Farah and Nitya along the ceiling in the hallway. Arya and Jai had been taken almost immediately. He had managed to cloak himself better and stay out of sight. He’d then remained with Farah to hear her exchange with Nitya . It had never dawned on him that Nitya might have joined the Masters , but perhaps it should have. More and more elves were turning to them, thinking it would protect them in the long run. It wouldn’t. They would discover that soon enough.

He saw Rohan’s beating through a tiny parting of his shadows. Dain had to guard against others coming up behind him. He waited for an opportunity to present itself so he could attack. Part of him wondered if he should leave and get help, but he might miss vital information if he did. Not to mention he might never find them again if they moved anyone to other areas of Mortham . It was better if he remained. At least, for now.

Nitya sighed loudly and looked at her nails as Rohan was beaten. She glanced at Farah . “ We both know you’ll agree. Why cause your friends unnecessary pain?”

Farah said nothing. Simply watched Rohan .

She wouldn’t be able to take much more. Of that, Dain was positive. She was already teetering on the edge of agreeing. Witnessing Rohan’s pain and hearing the others was more than Farah could take. Not that Dain blamed her. It would affect anyone who had a heart.

“ If it helps, I can threaten Mum and Dad ,” Nitya said.

Farah’s attack was swift and vicious. The punch to Nitya’s jaw snapped her head back against the door. Farah then kicked her in the inside of the knee, buckling Nitya’s leg. This was the exact opportunity Dain had been waiting for. He swooped into the room and launched himself at the elves beating Rohan .

Dain took the first Dark Elf down by snapping his neck. Black magic shot from Dain’s palm and disintegrated the rope holding Rohan . Dain then turned and blocked a blast of white magic from the remaining Dark , but a second struck him in the shoulder, spinning him. He used the wall to brace his foot and kicked off, turning as he did. Dain slammed into the Dark before his opponent could get off another round of magic. They crashed onto the floor, Dain using the impact and magic to finish off the elf. When he looked up, Nitya had Farah against the wall, her elbow at her throat.

Farah looked at him and then at the wall. She was telling him to get the others out. Dain gathered his shadows and hurried away.

“ Don’t make me do this. You’re my sister,” Nitya said.

Farah glared. The time for words was finished. Whatever love she’d held for Nitya was gone. Nothing she could say would change Nitya’s mind. She had to accept that her sister was past the point of saving. Maybe she had never been redeemable. The truth was there for Farah to see now.

She grabbed Nitya’s elbow with her left hand, and her sister’s neck with the other. At the same time, she lifted a knee and shoved it between them, pushing Nitya’s body away so she lost some of her leverage. Then , Farah turned her head to the left and shoved to the right with her hands. Nitya stumbled to the side, and her hold faltered.

It never entered Farah’s mind to run away. She went after her sister with her hands and feet, punching and hitting, only releasing a small bit of magic. She might need it later.

Nitya blocked a couple of blows with her arm and leg before she screamed in rage and violently thrust Farah away. They circled each other as Nitya roughly yanked off her coat. Out of the corner of her eye, Farah saw Rohan in the chair. Only the slightest shift of his head told her he was conscious and watching.

Nitya’s blast of copper magic was stronger than it should have been when it struck Farah . She tried to stay on her feet, but her legs wobbled, threatening to buckle. Nitya’s magic had gone through hers as if it hadn’t been there. There was no way her sister’s magic should be that strong, especially in the Below .

Farah held herself up by the wall as Nitya smiled in anticipation. She was enjoying this. Farah couldn’t give up yet. She pushed off the wall and widened her stance. Nitya raised her hands, the dim lighting reflecting off her sister’s rings. Each held a green stone. How had she missed the stones before? They were imbued to recharge her magic when she couldn’t get to the woods. And Nitya had ten of them.

Her sister waggled her fingers. “ Just seeing these, I take it? I gave you too much credit earlier.”

The screams from the other rooms were silent now. Dain had taken her cue and gone there. Hopefully , he’d freed those he could. She just had to keep Nitya busy until he, Jai , or Arya could come for Rohan .

“ You always were full of yourself,” Farah replied.

Disdain filled Nitya’s eyes. “ You don’t know the meaning of pain. But you will soon. I gave you an opportunity that others beg for, and you threw it aside.”

Farah was ready when the attack came. They had sparred often enough that she knew her sister would aim high while Farah usually dodged. Instead , she dropped down and swung out her leg, swiping Nitya’s from under her. Her sister landed hard on her back but immediately jumped up. They got to their feet at the same time.

Three strikes of magic struck Farah in quick succession. One in each arm, and the third in her chest. She dragged in an agonizing breath. The pain was immense. She wanted to retreat, but this wasn’t the game they used to play. This was real.

This was life or death.

Farah saw Rohan get to his feet—albeit uneasily—keeping his weight on one side. He grabbed the chair and swung it around to hold it before him. She met his gaze. He nodded. That’s when Farah rushed Nitya , using every ounce of strength and magic she had to propel her sister backward. Nitya laughed until she ended up impaled on a chair leg.

Blood bubbled from Nitya’s mouth. Farah released her, but her sister remained on her feet. She swayed as she looked down at the wooden leg poking out of her chest. Then , her knees buckled.

“ Farah ,” she whispered before toppling to the side.

Farah rushed to Rohan . She bit back a cry of pain when she wrapped her arms around him to keep him on his feet. The wounds in her arms made it difficult to hold him as tightly as she wanted, but he was alive. That’s what mattered.

“ Go ,” Rohan whispered in a pained voice. “ Save yourself.”

“ I’m not leaving without you.”

Farah helped him to a wall before running to the two dead Dark . She searched them for herbs but found nothing. She even searched her sister. She wanted to scream in frustration. She was about to stand when she caught sight of Nitya’s hand. Farah removed the rings and put them on her fingers, just in case. Then she hurried to Rohan .

She molded herself to his side after he wrapped an arm around her neck. “ Ready ?”

She took his grunt as affirmation and guided him to the door. Farah took the brunt of his weight. She knew he was in tremendous pain, given the sweat dotting his face and his labored breathing. They’d barely gotten into the corridor when Amarjeet rounded a corner. His eyes flared at the sight of her.

“ Farah ,” Rohan murmured.

She looked in the other direction and saw three more guards. The sight made her glad she had taken Nitya’s rings. She had few choices left. They wouldn’t get far with her and Rohan’s injuries. Her only option was to fight.

“ Can you get to the wall?” she asked.

He released her and hobbled the short distance to the doorway of the room they had just exited. She walked into the middle of the corridor and stood to the side, turning her head one way and then the other to look at her opponents. Her magic was depleted, she had no idea how much was left in the rings, and she could barely lift her arms. Not good odds facing four Dark Elves .

Her thoughts ceased when Amarjeet came for her, throwing black magic as he did. She dodged and ducked, but one strike caught her in the thigh. It thrust her leg back, so she went down hard, her cheek slamming onto the stone floor. Pain radiated down the side of her face, but she quickly rolled twice and got to her feet in time to see black magic land where she had been.

It wasn’t a killing strike, but it would have stunned her and allowed Amarjeet to catch her. He sneered as he pivoted and strode angrily toward her. The guards fell into step after him. They were too intent on her to notice the shadows forming behind them. Farah smiled because she knew what was coming.

“ Something funny?” Amarjeet asked.

The three guards were taken out simultaneously without a sound. Then , one shadow barreled straight for Amarjeet .

“ Farewell ,” she said right before the shadows parted, and Dain snapped his neck.