With only three steps between them, it strikes again.
Everything stops. My pulse. My breaths. Time itself elongates to a crawl as charred arms wrap around Gem’s waist and back. The Sol lifts her off her feet, mouth parting.
Whatever it takes.
I may be broken, but I am not weak—and I will not let her die.
That single thought silences all others as power surges from my body.
An aura of golden flames explodes across sand and grass. The line of fire barrels forward like a wave, engulfing the two limp forms of the fallen Sols before crashing into the third creature’s legs. Its bare, charred skin takes to the flames like primed kindling.
Though the golden embers roiling across the ground fizzle out before Gem falls, the blaze surrounding the Sol burns brighter. The creature drops to the glassy sand, rolling to extinguish the flames.
Instead of running for cover, Gem crawls over to the thrashing body and buries her blade in its neck. The Sol shudders one last time, then abruptly stills.
Head slumping in relief, my heavy eyelids fall shut.
Gem is alive, if not safe.
I can finally give into the clawing blackness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Orelle?”
A fuzzy, whooshing sound ebbs in my ears, disturbing the peaceful void. Something jostles my shoulder, but that’s not my body anymore. I’m no longer imprisoned.
“Orelle!” A feminine voice breaks through the darkness shrouding me like an endless blanket. “Stay with me.”
Why? Why would I want to stay here in this place of pain and monsters when I could surrender to blissful numbness?
Vaguely, I sense a warm hand pressing against my neck, luring me away from the shadows’ sedative embrace.
No.
I’m not ready to feel—not when feeling is accompanied by ceaseless pain.
Hot pressure builds beneath the touch, and I fear the flames have returned to claim me, to scorch and devour from the inside out. Yet the inferno takes its time traveling through my veins, like it’s searching for something. It gathers leisurely near my knees and throat before winding around my skull. Flashing orbs dance behind my closed lidsas the fire pulls back, leaving an incessant tingling in its wake.
My eyes snap open to a vivid blue expanse and three suns, two of which are creased with worry.
The sight of such strong emotion breaking through Kalden’s usually controlled mask—and the thought thatImight be the cause of it—jars me awake. I reach up to brush my fingertips along his downturned lips.
At my touch, his features smooth and settle.
“Thank the shadows you’re okay,” Gem breathes, pushing aside Kalden to lower her head into the nook between my neck and shoulder.
“It’s not the shadows you should be thanking,” says an unfamiliar masculine voice, coming from somewhere behind Kalden.
Gem stiffens and backs away from the stranger approaching at Kalden’s side.
I move to sit up, pleased to find both the dizziness and numbness are gone. Even my earlier tension and nausea have subsided, though the familiar pressure behind my eyes lingers. I reach a hand across my neck, where the Sol had pierced my skin with its talons, but there’s no blood on my leather gloves. Nofreshblood, anyway.
My gaze lifts to Kalden’s.
“You healed me,” I say, more of a statement than a question.
He dips his chin.
