A cold, primal terror seized me as a swarm of them rose from portals behind Pandora, lunging, dark magic swords poised for the kill.
Rage detonated inside me.
I moved on instinct, throwing myself between them and my mate with no thought.
Blades plunged into my flesh—four of them, deep into my gut—but I didn’t care. This pain wasnothingcompared to what I’d feel if it had been her to be stabbed.
I would always be her vengeance.
I let go of the tight leash on my power.
A deafening energy combusted from within me as my magic fed off the need to protect her, to destroy those who dared to harm someone so fucking precious. My vengeance magic was ruthless, relentless, as it tore through anyone who dared approach her.
I couldn’t feel pain—only the raw satisfaction of obliterating our enemies before they could hurt my mate.
Pandora’s magic surged again, but the smoke crept along the ground as if it was weighed down and heavy, sweeping through the destruction.
The infected demons choked on her magic. Their tainted souls ripped free as they collapsed, some even whispering their gratitude before turning to ash.
The fight dragged on for what felt like forever until, finally, the demons stopped coming. Pandora managed to finish off the last few.
I swayed on my feet, stumbling forward, drenched in blood—mine and theirs.
Pandora staggered backward slightly, her heavy dark smoke streams combining into one and curling back toward her, seeping back into her trembling form with a force that made the air vibrate.
Agony ripped through our matebond.
She gasped, choking on her own breath as she fell to her knees. Her fingers dug against the blood-soaked stone. Her entire body convulsed.
Dex was at her side in an instant, moving forward in a blur of shadows. He had one hand bracing her back, the other gripping her shoulder like he could physically keep her from breaking apart. “I’ve got you, trouble. Let it out.”
I sensed him trying to take her pain through the bond, but she was too far gone in the agony of purging the darkness from her body.
With a violent heave, she lurched forward and retched.
The sound was rasped. I felt how badly it hurt her. Black, viscous dead magic spewed from her lips, hissing as it met the ground.
It reeked of the acrid scent of sulfur and decay.
Skel crouched at her other side, his jaw clenched tight, his knuckles white where he gripped her arm. “You did amazing, princess. Let it all go, now, okay?”
Every time she tried to catch her breath, another wave wracked through her, forcing more of the dead dark magic out of her body.
Reed knelt slightly in front of Skel. His hand rested just over hers. “We’re all here, dream girl.”
Tears dripped down her cheeks as she lurched again. More and more black sludge poured from her lips.
Bram’s hand was gripping her shoulder from behind as her body shook. “They’re all dead, Pandora. It’s over.”
I stood frozen behind her, my chest tight as I watched. My magic still crackled faintly along my arms. She had taken in too much. More than any of us should have asked of her. Was this the same as her purging the relic? Was it worse?
My stomach twisted as I watched her heave and expel the dead dark magic over and over again, useless, unable to do anything but witness the aftermath of what we had forced her to endure.
Finally, the retching slowed.
Her shoulders still trembled, and her breath came in ragged gasps.
The worst of it had passed. Relief trickled through our bond.
