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I saac moved first. He was faster than I had ever seen him before, his blade slicing out and barely missing my throat as I jumped back.

I ducked, using the tree behind me to put space between us as I grasped my scabbard from my bedroll.

I slid Stormslayer into its sheath at my thigh and grabbed the sword, sliding it free.

I held it between us, my grip firm but apprehensive.

We were trying to save Isaac and Nikolai… we couldn’t risk accidentally killing them. I moved back further, putting even more distance between us before stepping into the circle of another Nightshade, one I had no problem killing.

I turned towards her, a woman with hair the color of ink. I had never seen her before. A glance over my shoulder confirmed Isaac and Nik were lost in the melee. I needed to dispatch this Nightshade and grab the antidote.

Focus on Nikolai .

I ducked away from the blade that soared towards me, my leg sweeping out to kick the Noctani’s legs out from under her.

I needed to be careful not to let them get too close.

If they stole my magic, it was all over.

I was positive they had no qualms about stealing it now that Nikolai’s protection had expired, orders or not.

The Noctani rushed me, sloppily trying to tackle me.

I smashed my knee into her gut, slicing my sword down to cut across her chest. Her tunic opened, leaving a thin slice of blood to drip down her abdomen.

She came up with her own sword quickly, parrying.

Her blade met mine with a jarring impact, and I clenched my teeth together and groaned against the force.

I was no match for her strength, I needed to use my speed and smaller stature to overtake her.

I pushed back hard, freeing my sword. I stabbed forward, but she hit my arm on an upswing, cutting the skin on my forearm.

I let out a hiss, fresh blood dripping to the forest floor beneath me.

The Noctani’s gaze focused on the droplets of blood, as if she were locked in a trance.

I used her distraction as my opening and I cut forward, the sword in my grip burying itself in her neck. I hadn’t used enough force to cut her head clean off, but her eyes rolled back before closing, her body slumping to her knees.

I used my foot to dislodge her body from my sword, her neck cut in half, her head rolling listlessly on her shoulders before her body crashed to the forest floor and didn’t move again .

I turned quickly, sensing another Noctani at my back. I cursed, the Noctani smiling at me as it stood between me and my pack.

“Diana!” I could hear Zion calling out my name across the clearing, but he was too far away.

The antidote in my pack was the closest option.

I lunged, catching the Noctani off guard, their eyes widening as my sword came down across their shoulder. But they were faster. The Noctani had to be double my size, towering over me. He reached forward and grabbed my throat with his bare hand before I could dodge him, squeezing.

I sputtered—my air cut off. It felt as if he was crushing my windpipe.

I struggled and squirmed midair, trying to get out of his grip as he lifted me off the forest floor, my boots dangling in the air.

I tried to swing my body, to gain purchase to kick at him, but to no avail.

The sword in my grip was too long to use against him in this close of proximity.

I let it drop from my grip, and its clang against the dirt resonated through me as if it were an earthquake.

I quickly struggled to release Stormslayer from its sheath at my thigh and relaxed at the immense relief as my fingers closed around the hilt.

I pulled it free, stabbing upward.

Stormslayer pierced the flesh of his forearm straight through, protruding from the top.

He released me and I fell to my knees as Stormslayer slid free, still in my grip.

I was coughing, fresh blood spattering the ground before me.

I couldn’t catch my breath as he descended on me once more.

I clawed against the ground, dirt and blood embedding itself beneath my nails as I clawed at my own throat.

Had he seriously crushed my windpipe?

I could feel slow, labored inhales finally dragging into my lungs and relief flooded me once more.

No, he hadn’t. Thank the Mother.

I rolled in the dirt, still out of air but needing to get away from him. He reached out faster than I could get away, grasping the back of my hair and pulling me to my feet as Stormslayer slid from my grip. I cried out as he wrenched my hair backward, exposing my throat to him.

A bloodcurdling scream tore from me as his lips lifted, his fangs only inches from my throat. As he bent his head towards me we both went stumbling to the side, his grip on my hair still tight.

Puck had found us.

The Noctani held me against him on the ground, one arm across my shoulders and the other buried in my hair.

“Another step and I kill her,” he warned.

As his hand moved from my hair to my forehead, bracing.

Panic leeched through me. He was going to snap my neck.

Dread flooded me and I snapped my own head backwards, crashing into the Noctani with a force that made my vision go black.

He let out a cry, releasing me. I rolled away, searching the forest floor for Stormslayer.

A glimmer of silver caught my eye, and I darted for it, grasping Stormslayer in my fist by the blade and cutting my hand open in the process as I turned towards the Nightshade once more.

His eyes darted back and forth, unsure of whether to come after me or Puck.

His moment of hesitation cost him, and Puck wasted no time burying his Katana deep in his gut.

He pulled it free, and the Noctani fell to the earth.

Dead.

I braced my hand against my chest, my breathing labored.

“Are you alright?” Puck asked, wiping his Katana off on his jacket.

I nodded, taking in big, heaping gulps of air.

“Good. Get the antidote. Let’s end this.” He nodded at me once before turning and disappearing back into the melee. I could see him moving towards Tess to engage in the Noctani she currently battled with.

I turned back towards my pack, hoping I could quietly sneak inside it.

I moved towards it quickly but silently, hoping not to draw attention to myself.

My sword was long forgotten in the clamor of battle but Stormslayer was still tight in my grip, and Stormslayer was the blade I needed to administer the antidote.

My eyes never left the pack, my gaze focused on it as I moved towards it. As I neared closer, a pair of familiar boots entered the peripheral of my vision.

Nikolai stopped before me. He was equally as close to the pack as I was, and it lay mere feet away from me. I needed to dip this sword into the liquid. Coat the blade in magic.

I just needed to get my fucking bag.

“What’s wrong, Firecracker?” he called over the mayhem, a sadistic smile across his lips. “Not going the way that you planned? ”

My gaze darted towards the others. Kenna was on her knees, a dagger buried in her thigh as Saanvi rushed to her side.

Puck and Tess fought a Nightshade that was faster than any I had ever seen before.

Zion fought Isaac, and while I thought they would be equally matched, Isaac was easily overtaking him.

Annelise and Amiyah fought, too. Three of the five resistance members who had joined us lay dead in the dirt beneath the glint of the moon.

It appeared as if Kenna was going to join them soon if Saanvi couldn’t get that blade out and heal her. And fast.

I didn’t hesitate, I lunged for the pack.

I rolled in the dirt, my face and body coated in blood and dirt as I kicked up even more earth around me to distract him. Nik’s eyes lit with surprise, as if he had half expected me to simply stand there and argue with him.

I grasped the pack and took off at a sprint.

Nikolai was faster, he was always faster.

He took off after me, close on my heels in an instant.

I rushed through the trees, circling around them to put more space between us and buy me time as I pried the top of the pack open and slid my hand inside.

When my hand grasped the bottle, I let the pack slip from my fingers, the antidote safely in my grip.

I turned towards Nikolai, popping the top off and sliding Stormslayer inside.

He took a hesitant step back.

“What is that?”

“What’s wrong, Nikolai? Are you afraid?” I asked, a teasing edge to my voice. Now that I had coated the blade in the antidote, I needed to bait him closer .

I could sense the spell down to my bones, a strong and heady pulse. It throbbed up the arm that gripped Stormslayer, syncing to the gallop of my beating heart.

Nikolai took another step back. My gaze traveled from the blade up to him.

This had to work.

It had to.

I sprinted forward headlong towards Nik, Stormslayer extended between us.

I needed to bury it beneath his ribcage, lodge it in his chest. Then this would all be over.

Nik deflected my first blow, smashing my arm with the blade off to the side.

I held tight to Stormslayer as my arm smarted.

I whirled, thrusting the blade upwards once more.

He blocked again, his mouth curving into a smile. “Having fun?”

I grunted as he kicked out hard, his boot connecting with my thigh.

I buckled but managed to keep my stance, pain searing through my leg.

Nik’s eyes were eager as he moved forward, tackling me to the ground.

The impact of his body crashing into mine was jarring, his leg wrapping around me to hold me down against the packed earth.

I tried to shrink away, but his grip on me was tight.

I was utterly exhausted. My hair was plastered to my neck with blood and sweat, my breaths coming in short, quick pants. But I raised my chin as I steeled myself, crashing my head back against his. Unlike the last Nightshade, he didn’t release me, but I still saw stars behind my vision .

“Little devil—” But his words were cut off by a shriek that shook the very earth beneath us. It sent a tingle down my spine that chilled me to my core.

Nik had my forearms grasped in his hands as my gaze searched for the source as the scream continued, piercing the air with a shrill cry.

Annelise was on her knees, a Noctani holding a blade to her throat. Zion was shaking his head in disbelief, standing over a Noctani he had killed.

Puck was cradling Tess in his arms, rocking her back and forth.

Her eyes were closed, her body motionless.

No… she couldn’t be. She wasn’t. She had to only be injured.

And Isaac…

Isaac lay in the dirt beside them.

Puck’s Katana buried deep in his chest.