I threw something at his portal—a shard of corrupted shadow that would twist his destination coordinates. He’d survive, probably. But he’d arrive somewhere… unpleasant. And it would buy us time.
Auradelle’s eyes widened as he realized what I’d done. “You—”
The creatures swarmed him. Not strong enough to hold him, but enough to drag him backward through his own portal before he could stabilize it. The tear in reality snapped shut with a sound like the world hiccupping.
Silence fell.
“What—what did I—” Elle was staring at her hands, shaking. The things she’d summoned were already crumbling, breaking apart into soil andsplinters. Within moments, there was no sign they’d existed except for the churned earth and the smell of disturbed ground.
“You defended yourself,” I said, not gently. Gentleness wasn’t what she needed. “Get used to it. This realm will require it of you daily.”
“I don’t understand—”
“You don’t need to understand. You need to move. Now”
“But—”
“Go, or I leave you here for whatever comes investigating that light show.”
She looked at me—really looked at me—and I saw Jo’s steel in her spine. “You’re not a good person.”
“No. I’m not. I’m not even a particularly functional person. But I’m what you’ve got.” I shoved her forward. “Josephine asked me to protect you. She didn’t ask me to be nice about it.”
“Why did she choose you?”
The question stopped me for a heartbeat. Why had Jo chosen me? The failed prince, the corrupted pretender, the walking cautionary tale?
“Because I have nothing left to lose,” I said finally. “And people with nothing to lose are very good at keeping promises to the dead.”
Elle stared at me, trembling. “This is insane.”
“Yes. Welcome to your new life. It only gets worse from here.”
She laughed—actually laughed—even as tears ran down her face. “Worse than this?”
“So much worse.” I grabbed her arm and started pulling her through the trees. “But also more interesting. Now move.”
“Wait—where are we—”
“Away from here. Auradelle won’t stay gone long, and you just announced your presence to everything with power in a fifty-mile radius.” I didn’t slow down, half-dragging her through the underbrush. The Thornwood was dense here, ancient trees pressing close, but I knew these paths. Had walked them for twenty years.
Elle stumbled over roots, gasping for breath. Her body wasn’t adapted to this realm yet—the air was thicker here, heavier with magic. Most humans couldn’t breathe properly for days.
“I can’t—I need to stop—”
“You can stop when you’re dead. Which will be soon if you don’t keep moving.”
We ran for what must have been twenty minutes before she finally collapsed, rolling onto her side and vomiting into the moss. I kept watch while she heaved, scanning the forest for pursuit. Nothing yet. Good. My corruption trick should keep Auradelle occupied for at least an hour.
“I hate you,” Elle gasped between heaves.
“Good. Hate will keep you sharp.” I stood next to her, checking our surroundings. My crew should be close—I could feel Bryx’s distinctive magical signature, like copper and ozone. “Can you walk?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice. It’s just that most of them end with you dead.”
She pushed herself up, swaying but standing. The marks on her skin had settled somewhat, forming elegant patterns across her collarbone. They were beautiful. I hated them.
