My breath caught.
Stormborn.
His eyes catalogued each of us with predatory intent. Lingered on Varyth’s wings. Settled on Cindrissian with recognition that felt dangerously intimate.
“Cindrissian.” His voice was smooth, cultured. “Haven’t seen you in a century, old friend.”
The way he saidfriendmade it sound like a threat.
Fenric’s snarl intensified, obsidian crawling further up his arms until it looked like he was wearing gauntlets forged from solidified darkness. “You’re not taking him.”
The words came out feral, protective, and so viciously possessive that even Lincatheron turned to stare.
Merrick’s laugh was rich and warm and absolutely devoid of humanity. “Not to worry.” Lightning danced between his fingers, casual as breathing. “I have no interest in traitorous scum.” His gaze slid back to Cindrissian, predatory and amused. “How’d that work out for you though, Cindri? Betraying your Court, your people, yourfamilyfor—what was it?Love?” The word dripped with mockery. “How’s... what’s her name? Eilrys?”
Cindrissian went absolutely still. Not the stillness of calm, but the frozen rigidity of violence barely held back. When he spoke, it was silk and poison. “Why don’t you just go back to sucking Ashterion’s cock, Merrick? Or are you out here because that wife of his finally replaced you?”
The temperature in the tunnel dropped.
Then Merrick tilted his head, and before anyone could move, before I could even process what was happening, a bolt of lightning slammed into Cindrissian’s chest.
The impact launched him backward with enough force that the air itself screamed. He hit the cave wall across from us with a sickening crunch and crumpled to the ground with a groan that made my chest seize.
“No!” Fenric’s roar shook the tunnel.
Obsidian erupted from his hands in a wave of lethal spikes, launching toward Merrick at a speed that should have been impossible to dodge.
Merrick moved like liquid lightning, electricity arcing around him as he sidestepped the attack with brutal grace. The obsidian spikes embedded themselves in the soldiers behind him, three dropping before they even realised they were dead.
“Fenric.” Merrick’s tone was almost conversational as he surveyed the carnage. “Still soemotional. Still so tragicallyattached.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you.” Fenric was unrecognisable, something primal and utterly unhinged bleeding through.
Varyth’s mist thickened, his grip on my wrist bordering on painful. I could feel the tension radiating off him.
“Let us pass.” Varyth’s voice was steady despite the blood trickling from his temple. “Whatever orders you have?—”
Stormborn’s gaze slid past Varyth.
Found me.
The amusement on his face shifted into something more focused. Lightning rippled across his frame in a pattern that looked almost curious.
“And who,” he purred, taking a step closer, “is this?”
Varyth moved instantly, blocking his line of sight with his body, mist coiling like it was preparing to strike. “None of your concern.”
“Now that’s interesting.” Stormborn’s head tilted, studying the protective stance with the attention a predator gave prey that was acting strangely. “You’re rather invested in keeping her hidden. Which makes me very, very curious about what she is.”
He took another step forward.
I didn’t have time to process what was happening before Varyth’s grip on my wrist turned to iron.
“Run.” The word came out feral, desperate. “Isara, fuckingrun.”
But Stormborn’s attention had already locked onto me with a focus that said running was never going to be an option. Lightning crackled across his shoulders, threading through dark hair that moved like it had its own heartbeat.
“Oh.” The word dripped with realisation, with triumph. “Is this the human? The one that has half the courts in the realm hunting?”
