“Koen!”
I pound harder. My knuckles break, I taste iron, and my vision blurs, but I don’t care.
He stops struggling, and his eyes lock with mine. His face crumples in defeat. “Stop. I can’t—” His voice breaks. “I can’t stand to see you hurting yourself.”
I sob, shaking my head in refusal.
“Renya,please.” He gives me a broken smile. “I found you once; I’ll find you again. I swear it.”
The words hit me like a blade.Too close. Too damn close to the vow Kallan whispered to me all those years ago.
Elowen steps through the portal, not sparing me a glance. The guard follows, dragging Dimitri with him.
“No! Koen!” My scream shatters me.
Lioran shoves him through.
And Ibreak.
“No!” My scream rips the air apart. I strike the shield so hard thatcracks splinter through it, light spiderwebbing across the surface. Lioran falters. For the first time, his mask slips. He’s afraid. Good. He should be.
“Go ahead and run, Lioran,” I snarl, voice low, shaking with venom. My blood drips against the shield, sizzling. “Run and hide. But just know that I will hunt you. I will find you. Andwhen I do, I willdestroyyou. You have no idea what you’ve just done.”
His back stiffens, but he doesn’t turn. Doesn’t answer. Then he’s gone, along with the portal.
The world tilts sideways. My knees threaten to buckle beneath me. My hands are bloodied from hitting the shield, my body trembling with rage, with grief, with the agony of losing more people I love. Yet nothing can prepare me for what I feel when the golden glow of the portal fades.
The shield disappears as the hall stirs awake. Cries, confusion, chaos. None of it matters. My scream tears free as the portal vanishes, as Koen vanishes, as Dimitri vanishes.
I stare at the spot wherethey were just moments ago. Every breath feels like my lungs are being shredded. My heart feels like it’s been ripped from my chest. Tears are streaming down my face. I’m not sure what point I had started crying.
I hear Ravelle before I see her, but I don’t turn. I’m unable to take my eyes off the place where I last saw him. She approaches slowly, her steps measured.
“Serenya…what happened? Where’s Dimitri?”
I stay silent. I can’t speak. I can barely even breathe.
“Where is he, Serenya?” she presses again, her voice louder this time.
I finally tear my gaze from the floor and meet her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I sob. “I’m so…sorry. I—I tried. I tried to stop them. I—”
“Serenya! Are you okay? What happened?” My mother rushes to me, pulling me into a tight hug. I break all over again in her arms.
When I don’t answer, she doesn’t push. Not yet. She pulls away, scanning the room, her eyes landing on my uncle, her brother, as he makes his way toward us.
“What the hells ha—”
“Ceryn, I’m taking Serenya to her chambers,” she cuts him off. “Dismiss everyone and gather the council immediately.”
He nods, hurrying away.
Turning to Ravelle, my mother gently takes her hand. “Would you like to stay in your own chambers for the night?”
Ravelle hesitates, and I can see she doesn’t want to be alone. Neither do I. So before she can answer, I say, “She’s staying with me.”
Ravelle meets my eyes, her look one of relief, though her pain is evident, tears threatening to fall. I take her hand, and together, we follow my mother to my chambers.
