But for every soldier we cull, two more appear in their place.
“Can you do that again, El?” I pant between ragged breaths.
“Duskae! Again!”
But before Duskae can respond?—
“Take cover!”
Teddy’s voice booms across the grounds.
But it’s too late.
A mist like the spray off the Riverian Jungle waterfalls drifts across my skin. Tiny droplets cling to my arms.
“Fuck!” Teddy growls. “It’s not water! It’s alchemy!”
That’s when it begins to burn.
Jax forms a Nullveil within heartbeats, trapping us in the safety of her impenetrable Luminaar dome.
I drop to my knees, clutching my chest like clawing at it will save me.
I cast my eyes to the south through the transparent dome.
And I realize that all of this is a farce.
We haven’t been facing the full might of the Caelorian army—because a unit of their Starborn soldiers stares back at me.
One with eyes I’ve etched into my mind with the promise of death.
Rhyven.
That fucking traitor.
He leads the Starborn unit towards the Nullveil, snarl carved into his face.
They part for him—the traitor who sold us out to Maldrak. The one who gave up my Starbound.
Rhyven’s smirk gleams like oil under torchlight, his eyes hungry with the kind of satisfaction only betrayal can buy.
“Stars damn him,” Ronyn spits.
“I’ll kill him myself,” Seren murmurs, smearing the sweat on her brow under her leather strap.
“Get in line,” I growl, my vision narrowing on the mark between his brows.
A thousand Starborn. Surrounding us.
But I’ve got eyes on only one.
My muscles lock up, stiff and immovable.
Because whatever just hit our skin is the work of a fucking Venomshade.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
KAEL
