Reyla's eyes glowed in the twilight. “Let's check on Evergorne.”
That it still stood, that Lord Briscalar had held things together, she meant. And find out how much time I had left before my thirtieth birthday. I wasn’t dead yet. We could have plenty of time.
“We can leave for Irridain after that,” she added.
Dorion walked with us, his tunic torn and loose, dirt streaked through his hair. He stared out at the world like he wasn’t sure it would let him belong again, like it might still vanish if he blinked too fast. This wasn't the same man who'd been forced inside the labyrinth by his conniving father. He’dchanged. I didn’t know who he was now, but whatever weight he carried, he’d earned.
As we stepped further into the meadow, our boots bent the grass, leaving the smallest trail behind. In the stillness, I could almost believe we were free.
Only now did I notice the lack of insects buzzing. No birds calling. Even the breeze seemed to hold its breath.
Farris let out a low growl that rippled through the air.
The temperature plummeted again, a cold that slid into your bones and locked your lungs.
Dorion stiffened, every line in his body snapping taut.
Reyla reached for her small blade.
Mine was already in my hand.
Prager stepped from the shadowy forest and into view, sauntering toward us like a woman strolling into a garden party, her vivid red dress clinging to her frame like she’d been painted in fresh blood. She'd coiled her hair in tight, regal spirals on top of her head and her jewelry sparkled with her own version of starlight.
Smirking, she stopped partway across the meadow. “Did you think I’d give up that easily?”
Power radiated from her, the deep rumble you feel in your bones moments before a storm splits open the sky.
I stepped closer to Reyla and called power, infusing it into the elements around me. It rose eagerly, already trembling with the magical charge, forming a barrier between us.
Farris stood at Reyla’s other side, his fur lifted in warning, his snarl ripping across the formerly peaceful meadow.
“Where is Tallin?” Prager growled, glaring around.
“He decided to heal the labyrinth,” Reyla said with the slick smile I adored.
Prager’s gaze shot toward the archway. For a moment, shealmost appeared to sag. But fury shot across her face, shoving aside any hint of dismay, and she stiffened her spine.
“The bond has been restored. We collected a lovely pendant inside,” I drawled, savoring mocking her in this, at least. “You lost.”
“Not quite.” Her lip curled, and her voice flattened. “Do you think claiming the second talisman changes anything?”
“We’ll soon hold the third, and then we’re killing you,” Reyla snapped.
“Not quite.” Prager smirked, lifting her hand. The air shimmered around her, lightning rippling across her fingers. Her charge reached me first, toppling my magical barrier, knocking me backward. Static coiled around my throat, choking off my wind.
She struck again, aiming for Reyla.
My wildfire dove, and the spell blazed above her, the magic missing her only to scorch across the ground behind her, hissing with toxic heat.
I reached, yanking the wind into a twisting spiral and infused it with power. It answered in a roar, and I lifted it, spiraling it through the air, channeling it into a predator born to hunt. Stones, dried grass, sticks, rocks, and roots. I churned everything loose around me into the mass. My storm growled, eager to rip through her throat.
I thrust the mass toward her, and it barreled forward in seething fury. But when it should hit, when it should destroy her, it bent away from her, coiling up and over her to reform behind and tear through the woods. Branches ignited and bark ripped free. The booming explosion echoed through the forest.
His hands licked with fire, Dorion flung a blaze at her, but Prager didn’t even blink. The fire hit a shimmer of resistantair around her and flared uselessly to her sides. Grass behind her sizzled, ignited by his magic.
Prager smirked through it all. “Try again, would you? I'm having so much fun.”
My stomach sank as I pulled from the earth around us and bound it with power. I could shape it, weaponize it, but it didn’t matter if nothing got through. Her defense was flawless. No one could remain impervious forever, but we weren’t wearing her down fast enough.
