Koa’s flames surged as Lorian stumbled back from him. He was shaking; it made the heat ragged. “She can handle it,” he said, like he was reminding himself more than us, but I appreciated it.
“She can,” I agreed. “I hate it. But she can.”
Zuko nodded, jaw tight. “This is her mission.”
Dimitri’s jaw ticked. “If he goes too far?—”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to. I had a list of creative endings for Roak that started at dramatic and went to illegal in several territories. Okay, fine. They were Zuko’s ideas, but I helped him come up with some.
Roak reached for her. “Come.”
Rune listened, walking closer until his hand wrapped around her wrist.
My fingers dug into the console. The casing squeaked.
The collar at her throat glowed faintly where it chafed her skin. I was going to take that thing apart with my teeth before kissing every inch of her it touched.
He leaned forward and breathed, “Your magic knows mine. This is going to be a blessing from the Dragon God.”
The monitor flickered again before my magic pulsed. A hairline crack chased across the corner.
I took a deep breath. “Over my dead body.”
“Andhis,” Zuko growled.
“He’s not real, remember?” Hawk reminded us dumbly.
“Hold,” Dimitri murmured. “She’s more lethal than anyone I know.”
“True,” Zuko said softly. “But if she needs us?—”
“We’ll be there,” Koa finished.
But she didn’t need us.
Not for this.
She leaned in, and Roak smiled.
She placed her free hand over his.
“I think this is more of a blessing from the Fates.”
He groaned before he started to choke.
Her venom lashed through him, and she pulled away easily, fixing that stupid robe to cover her shoulder again.
Her disgust for him was now fully painted over her expression.
He gurgled, “You…you were supposed to?—”
“Submit?” she guessed, raising a brow. “Yeah, I don’t do that. Guess it’s not your lucky day, you sick piece of shit.”
He died with his expression contorted in pain.
I was already moving before the door burst open in front of me. Rune stood victorious in the doorway.
Roak’s corpse lay behind her on the bed.
