A heavy cloud of dread washed over the stones, a darkness so endless and whole that it made the Kingdom of Shadow’s nights feel as though they’d been bathed in light. The fire gutted and sparked as a winged creature landed in a crouch between Kalen and me.
My breath caught at the vortex of gloom that spun around her. It sucked at something deep within my chest. She was tall and lithe, her long legs gleaming in the flickering firelight. Her cascading hair was the color of wine. Its strands flowed over pale shoulders that seemed to glow from within, and her eyes…such a deep, impenetrable black. But her face…it looked a lot like mine. And as she stared at me, it felt like every part of me began to unravel.
Even Bellicent tensed, a hiss through her teeth.
And before I knew what was happening, Andromeda pulled a sword from her back and shoved it into Kalen’s chest.
The scream that ripped from my throat sliced my ears into ribbons, but that was nothing compared the pain in my heart—an all-consuming pain that buckled my knees. I struggled against Bellicent’s hold, no longer caring about the knife at my throat or the god in my way.
All I cared about was him. The blood gushing from his chest. The horror in his eyes. The pain that flowed to me through the bond. It seemed like it might snap in half at any moment. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I screamed, and then screamed and screamed again. She’d stabbed Kalen.
She’d stabbed him, she’d stabbed him, she’d stabbed him.
“Kalen!” My voice came out a whimper as he tumbled forward, his knees hitting the stone. My heart shattered like glass. He was barely breathing. There was blood everywhere. He was dying, he was dying, he was dying.
Andromeda’s voice was like ice as she turned to Bellicent and said, “Lock her in the chains.”
I had to do something. As Bellicent dragged me across the stones, I tried to think around the horror that burned through me. I was stronger than this. I could destroy every last one of them. All I had to do was use Kalen’s powers and get him away from here. Andromeda was muting his healing power, but Druid Balfor might be able to help him.
If I could just get him out of here, he would be okay.
He had to be okay.
I refused to accept anything else.
“If you blast me with that power, Tessa Baran,” the god said in that voice made of ice, “you’ll only end up hurting him.”
She crouched beside him and gave me a feral smile. Too close. She was too fucking close to him for me to safely kill her. I tried to call upon the mist, but it evaded me.
Bellicent reached the pillars and snapped the manacles around my wrists. As soon as she stepped away, I whirled to peer between the pillars. Kalen still lay on the floor. His chest barely moved, but he was still breathing. He was still alive.
He couldn’t die.
He couldn’t die.
He couldn’t die!
“Now,” Andromeda said, striding away from Kalen. “Shall we have a little chat?”
“Fuck you,” I growled, calling upon the power deep within Kalen’s soul. I curled my hands and blasted it at her smug face, but…
Nothing happened.
“Nice try, but that onyx is acting as a barrier, and you cannot use his power. So here’s your choice. Kalen Denare can live, or he can die. It is up to you.”
“Live,” I breathed, clenching my fists and slamming them against the stone. My knuckles screamed in pain, but I didn’t care. “Let him go. Let him heal. I don’t care what you do to me. Just please, let him live.”
That feral smile returned. “First, you must vow never to use your power against me or Bellicent Denare. Or any of my fellow gods.” Her eyes arrowed. “And you must vow to never again see Kalen Denare. You will remain with me until the day you die.”
My heart pounded, and the storm fae’s words echoed in my mind once more. Kalen’s power was the only thing that could stop the gods. Bellicent must have learned this through the prophecy. At the time, it had made little sense. The gods couldmuteKalen’s power, and when I’d been in his firing line, it hadn’t hurt me. So how could it possibly be the thing to kill them?
And why had Sirius seemed so intent on taking me that day? Not because Andromeda would care about her descendants. He hadn’t gone for Nellie.
But now I understood. Kalen’s power could kill themthrough meand only me.
“Ah, you understand now.” Andromeda’s eyes flashed. “It truly is a shame I have to separate you because a bond like yours is rare indeed. I did consider just killing him outright, as you wouldn’t be able to channel his power then. But I also knew I’d never get you to make this vow if I did. And you, Tessa Baran, have far more power than just his.”
My breath caught as the truth screamed through me. This god was scared of what I could do.
