One second I was ten feet from Corwin. The next, I had him by the throat, slamming him into the wall so hard the drywall cratered. He gagged, clawing at my wrist, but I didn’t loosen my grip.
“You touched her,” I said, voice low enough to scrape the floor. His eyes bulged. “You stole her,” I snarled. “You drugged her. You wrapped her inthis—” I gestured to the glamor cocoon with my free hand. “—like she’s a commodity. Athing.”
Corwin wheezed, trying to speak, so I squeezed harder. The mating rage surged—bright, pure and unstoppable. My claws dug into his skin while he struggled, choking.
Someone shouted my name, but it was distant and unimportant. I leaned in closer, voice dropping to a growl so deep it was barely human.
“You have no idea how lucky you are that she’s still alive,” I whispered. “Because if she wasn’t…” I tightened my grip. “…I would peel your soul from your body.”
He choked out a terrified squeak. I raised my other hand, claws glinting, ready to end him. I was completely ready to spill his blood for daring to breathe the same air as her.
But then—I heard her voice. It was small, weak and slurred.
“Savla…?”
I froze. Everything inside and outside of me froze.Corwin slid a fraction downward as my hand loosened.
“Hanna,” I breathed, turning.
Her head lolled toward me inside the glamor cocoon. I could see the coven working with their hands raised out of the corner of my eyes, purple magick glowing brightly.
Tears streaked my mate’s face, and her pupils struggled tofocus, but she saw me. Shesaw me.
“Savla,” she whispered again, softer.
And just like that, the rage split apart. It wasn’t gone or defeated, it was just redirected.
All of it was aimed at breaking the spell—at reaching her. I had to touch her without hurting her and I couldn’t do that while in a full rage.
I dropped Corwin like the trash he was. He collapsed to the floor, wheezing, but I didn’t look at him again.
Tabitha and Zara rushed in first, hands glowing even brighter. Tasia and Floria followed, forming a half-circle around Hanna.
“This glamor is ancient,” Tabitha hissed. “Layered like poison. Five schools of magick at least.”
“Who the fuckdidthis?” Zara snarled.
Hanna’s mother lifted a bored brow. “It’s a standard restraint spell.”
“Bullshit,” Tasia snapped. “This is torture.”
I stood in front of Hanna, not touching her, but I was close enough she could see me. I was close enough to feel her magick reaching through the cracks.
“Savla,” she whispered. “Don’t go…”
“I’mneverleaving you.”
She let out a trembling breath—soft and relieved. Tabitha lifted her hands.
“Witches—now.”
Magick surged in purple light, violet sparks and white flames licking the edges of the glamor.Hanna screamed and I nearly lunged forward, but Krusk caught my shoulder.
“She has to fight it, Sav. Hold.” he murmured in my ear, but Icould barely hear him.
Her scream tore me open. But then, slowly, the cocoon cracked and shattered, exploding into shimmering ash that dissolved midair.
She dropped from where she’d been floating and I caught her before she hit the floor.
