“It saved me,” she snapped. “Back at The Institute. When I escaped, it—it helped. I wouldn’t have made it out without it.”
His expression shifted—still skeptical, but sharper now. Processing.
“And you didn’t think to mention that earlier?”
“I didn’t think I’d ever see it again,” she bit out. “I thought it went back to Al’tera. Or died. I don’t know.”
It was the truth, just not the whole of it. She didn’t tell him Viliam wasn’t justanightglider. She didn’t tell him what Thorn had done—what she and Viliam shared in their veins.
Rell held her gaze for a long, tense second, then abruptly let her go.
“Fine. But you stay back,” he ordered. “Let us deal with Fane. Got it?”
She looked past him. Viliam had pushed himself upright again, wings flaring as he hissed at Fane. The bounty hunter swung wide with his coil, missing by inches. Her entire body tensed to move.
“Elora.” Rell’s voice cut in again, firm. “Got it?”
She grit her teeth. Her claws flexed. “Fine.”
“Good.” Rell turned without another word, his coat snapping behind him as he sprinted back toward the fight.
Elora stayed frozen a moment longer.
And then she turned her eyes back to Viliam.
And waited. Ready to break that promise the second it mattered.
Chapter 22
Rell
Steel met steel with a shriek as Rell intercepted a strike from the coil. The force of it surged through his body—raw electricity snapping through his muscles. His teeth clenched, every nerve lit like a fuse. But he held.
Fane’s eyes flared wide in momentary surprise.
The nightglider surged back to its feet behind Rell, golden eyes briefly meeting his. Then it lunged again.
“Are youinsane?” Violette shouted, firing another bolt. “You’re going to get killed protecting that thing!”
Rell didn’t look at her. “It’s fighting on our side. That’s all I need to know.”
“For now,” she snapped again.
Rell watched for an opening—found onewhen Fane turned to finish Symond.
He darted in, low and fast, slicing across the back of Fane’s knee. Blood sprayed. Fane stumbled.
But the bastard’s retaliation was instant.
Rell caught a meaty forearm to the chest and flew backward, skidding across the grass and slamming into broken timbers. The breath left him in a single painful gust.
Before he could rise, the nightglider was already in motion.
It launched onto Fane’s back, claws digging deep, wings flaring wide. The aloyt steel shrieked under the force, buckling and tearing as the creature clamped down with jaws meant for killing.
Fane screamed. It was the sound of a man who finally knew fear.
The coil dropped from his hand.
