Time folded in on itself.
I was a girl with scraped knees, chasing light through tall grass.
Then I was a woman holding a sword, drenched in blood and screaming my fury to the heavens.
The world twisted again.
Then I was nothing at all.
A raven’s feather fluttered past my cheek.
A branch curled around my ankle.
The arena split apart like fractured glass.
I tried to speak, but only a breath escaped. My name hovered on someone’s lips, and warmth brushed against my chest. A heartbeat that wasn’t mine.
“Cadence, dear, I’m going to extract the venom now. You have to hold on. I need you to fight just a little longer. Can you do that for me?”
Her voice was smooth as velvet, but a hardened edge lurked beneath the surface. I wanted to answer her, to tell her yes, I could fight, but my tongue felt thick and useless in my mouth.
The pain in my shoulder exploded again, white-hot and vicious. This time, I know I screamed because the sound tore from my throat like a living entity. My back arched off whatever surface I was lying on, and those muscular arms held me down.
Images of my brother flashed before my eyes, tall and handsome. He was smiling down at me, surrounded by trees and the soft light of the sun peeking through the canopy.
Then his features changed. Twisted into something monstrous and cruel. He moved closer, his jaw elongated, and rows of razor-sharp teeth pushed through his gums.
“Callum?” What was he doing here? He shouldn’t be here.
Before I could plead with him to flee, a jolt of agony coursed through me.
I turned to my side and retched. Bile coated my tongue, and my muscles clenched as my body worked to expel the contents of my stomach.
“I’ve got you, Cadence,” the male voice said.
A palm ran over my hair, gentle and reassuring.
My gaze flicked back to where Callum still stood, just on the periphery of my vision. Rage flickered in his eyes, and my brows furrowed in confusion.
My brother stepped closer, but before he could reach me, a giant snake came out of nowhere, crushing him beneath the weight of its enormous body.
Another scream.
My hand reached out, trying to latch onto my brother.
But he was gone.
“Hold her down,” the woman said, right before calloused hands pressed against my chest.
It hurt. It really fucking hurt.
Something wet traced down my cheek, and I blinked. Gentle kisses followed its path, and that rough, male voice sounded again, softer this time.
“I’m sorry, Cadence. It’s almost over. Only a little longer, I promise.”
The pain in my shoulder intensified, and I bit down on a scream, tasting copper. My vision sharpened for a moment, longenough to glimpse white-blond hair and knowing steel-grey eyes watching me.
My gaze darted to the woman working on my injuries. Her hands were steady, but whatever she was doing felt like she was carving me open with molten iron.
