He thrusts his hand forward.
The coils snap tight; the rift swallows Maldrak whole. The scream folds in on itself, swallowed by silence. Then the seam seals shut, leaving only the faint smell of ozone and burnt magic.
For a heartbeat, no one moves.
Ronyn draws Seren closer and mutters, “That was pretty satisfying, to be honest.” He wags a finger around the room at the rest of us, “The rest of you crazy bastards would’ve just stabbed him a bunch of times. But that? Genius. Inspired!”
Jax presses a shaking hand to her mouth, not ready for the joke.
But I can’t help but huff a laugh, and Teddy’s mouth quirks to the side.
Elyssara turns toward the god, eyes wide, chest rising and falling as if she’s trying to breathe for the first time all night.
Morrathys lowers his hands, the silver still glowing faintly beneath his skin. When he looks at me, the light dims to something softer.
“You gave it freely,” he says. “And freely, it returns.”
He reaches out, palm to my chest.
Cold hits first—so sharp it steals the air from my lungs—then heat, furious and alive. My magic surges back into me like a tide breaking its dam. Shadows bloom beneath my skin, spreading to my fingertips, burning cold through my veins. The sound of it fills the chamber: a low, rolling whisper that feels like breath drawn after drowning.
Seren gasps. Elyssara’s hand finds my arm, steadying me as the power settles.
When I open my eyes, everything sharpens—the light, the air,her.
The tether between us glows faintly gold.
And for the first time since Black Heart Belt, I feel like myself.
But different.
The silence that follows feels holy.
Even Morrathys inclines his head, acknowledging the return.
But Elyssara moves toward me with a slow, steady gait, her eyes fixed on mine as if she’s trying to figure out a puzzle.
She lifts her hand towards my face, her mouth falling open in silent awe.
“Your eyes,” she breathes.
CHAPTER SEVENTY
ELYSSARA
Kael stares at me,fierce and unflinching, waiting for me to continue.
Silver threads coil through his irises—a raging ocean cut with lightning. Alive, electric,charged.
“They’re different,” I murmur, lifting my hand to cup his stubbled cheek, never breaking his gaze.
He doesn’t say anything, but his shadows dance under my palm as if responding to my touch.
“They’re not just blue… they’re streaked with metallic silver,” I exhale.
Kael’s head snaps to Morrathys, realization striking him.
“Silver?” he asks.
