My mother.
“Isbeth,” someone whispered, either Valyn or Malik. Murmurs from those inside the Sun Temple and below joined the buzzing.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
It couldn’t be real.
I had to be hallucinating—we all were. My gaze shifted to the mortals—to those who had halted. They stared at the figure draped in crimson in openwondermentwhile others farther back pressed closer to see what had gained such rapt attention. They sawher. The sound of bloodstone scraping against sheaths momentarily pierced the buzzing as the soldiers below drew their swords.
Shedidn’t react to them—not a quick glance or even a flinch. Her dark gaze remained fixed on us—on me. My heart pounded so fast that my chest actually hurt.
Shewas truly standing there.
Isbeth.
It couldn’t be.
I stepped back as a tremor started in my fingers. “Impossible.” The corners of my eyes filled with gold-and-silver light.
Someone said my name—perhaps Kieran or Delano. I could feel them closing in on me, but I wasn’t sure from where because the buzz was now a roar in my veins. It wasn’t just loud; it was scorching hot. “I killed her.” Heat flowed into my voice. “As in, there was nothing left of her but a stain on the Temple floor.”
“I know.”
I knew that voice. Would always recognize it, no matter what. Casteel.
“Then tell mehow,” I said, heat flowing into my voice. The air charged. Stinging, icy-hot energy throbbed, and the air seemed to contract toward me, clinging to my skin. “How is she standing before us?”
“Poppy?” another voice said softly. I also recognized it. Kieran.
My skin tingled and hummed. “How?”
If he answered, I didn’t hear it. My mind was racing forward. This had to be some sort of trick. It had to be Kolis’s doing. She couldn’t be real. But some part of my mind slowed until only cold logic existed. Just enough. Before the pure rage and sweltering power drowned out everything. I knew Valyn had been correct.
In those last seconds, I had the sense to warn both Casteel and Kieran not to expose what they were. Then, the rage and power poured into every part of my being, stripping away every other sense and leaving nothing behind. Whoever I was now or in the past vanished in an instant. Instinct seized control, tearing through the tethers keeping the Primal essence in check. Whatever emerged shredded the shock holding me immobile. For the briefest second in my mind, I saw the Ancient clawing its way out of the soil as it freed itself.
I snapped forward and gripped the railing. I didn’t shadowstep. I was beyond that as eather tensed the muscles of my arms. I launched myself over the balcony.
The weight of the realm seemed to fall away as searing, crackling air reached up and seized me. The wind caught shouts of surprise and screams. I smelled burnt ozone as the air sparked and then ignited. Flames erupted and then were extinguished in the rush of air.
I landed, my knees bending, lowering me into a crouch to absorb the impossible impact. My fingertips grazed the ground, setting the grass on fire. Smoke wafted from the blades as they collapsed into ash. Darkness crept into the corners of my vision—a mass of shadows streaked with faint traces of crimson—as my head kicked back and my gaze locked with dark eyes shaped like mine. I rose slowly.
The smile on her face grew as a shadow fell over both of us. Shouts turned to screams as massive wings extended above us, slowing a draken’s descent.
Reaver landed amid the fleeing soldiers and mortals, coming down hard on his hind legs, then the front. The impact sent several people toppling to the ground, but not her.
Sheremained standing with that fucking smile onherface and those fucking eyes trained on me as Reaver’s neck snapped forward, his mouth stretching wide to release a roar that even I felt inside me.
Shedidn’t even twitch.
But shewould.
My lips curved into the same smile ashers. Tendrils of churning mist spilled from me, silver spinning around gold banded by shadowy crimson. I saw nothing but her as I stalked forward.
The realm didn’t quake; it caught fire with each step, then so did the air as I rose. Wisps of mist churned, lashing out as flames seared the breaths of those foolish enough to remain close.
In the distance, I heard shouts—voices panicked but not afraid. Voices that threw out demands. Orders. Pleas.
“You,” I whispered, drawing the mist back. It spun and thickened, coiling tightly like a pit viper as I stared at her.
