Page 110 of The Last One Standing (Rogue X Ara #4)

ROGUE

A ra’s hazy silver eyes reflected the red glow.

He held the twin to Sacrifice to her throat.

One nick. That was all it would take.

Adonis looked to Guardian, who leaped into the air as he infiltrated his mind. Aurum quickly followed.

Adonis reached beneath Ara’s body, and I surged forward, fire surging, but he tightened his grip in her hair and moved the dagger to the crook of her neck.

I stilled, grinding my teeth, fists clenched at my sides. Drakyth climbed the hill and stood at my back, a low growl in his throat. Iaso’s power found the wound in my gut, scorching my skin as it swelled to full strength.

Ara’s eyes rolled as she clung to her consciousness, and Adonis felt along her abdomen. Pausing at her coat pocket, he grinned.

Then, he pulled out a wildfyre bomb.

Clicking his tongue, he tossed and caught it. “One wrong move, and I’ll burn us all to the ground.”

Ara’s eyes opened, finding mine. Tears formed.

I shook my head. It’s not over yet, baby.

“Don’t you see?” he mused. “Look at her. She’s dying because of you. That precious blood oath is killing her to save you.”

My fire suffocated in an instant.

No…

I studied her, our bond, and how much power it fed into me.

No, no, no.

Something deep in my chest broke.

I might not be able to experience a lifetime with her, but I could just as easily watch from the other side of the veil.

She would live.

My fingers tightened around Severance.

Tears spilled down Ara’s cheeks, her mouth open in a scream.

Iaso raced to me. “No!”

I lifted Severance. Ara tried to crawl forward, but Adonis wrenched her hair. Her voice cracked on a sob, screaming my name again and again—but all I heard were the times she whispered it, the times she’d called out for me, laughed with me, blessed my ears with my name on her soft lips.

“I love you, Rogue Draki, and I would love to marry you.”

A sad smile tugged at my mouth.

Any time with her was a blessing, and I was grateful to have basked in her love as long as I did.

I only wished we had more of it.

Our blood oath revealed itself, a rope made of sunlight pulsing into my heart as Ara’s magic flowed from her, beautiful and thick, shimmering in the winter air.

I moved to sever it when a flaming bird dove.

It didn’t strike. It circled once, then soared back to its owner and perched on her shoulder.

Edana’s wide eyes blazed, imploring.

What? What are you…

The bird snapped out its wings in a burst of flame, and the truth struck me like a bolt of Ara’s lightning.

Rebirth in fire.

An ancient magic born in Phoenycia out of necessity, the village that cultivated wildfyre, a dangerously unpredictable flora.

My mother was a phoenyx—and that magic was familial.

I raised Severance.

Sparks flew as I slashed the blood oath.