Cade circled back, his breaths quick, but even. He still hadn’t pulled out the sword dangling at his own hip. Instead, he raised his empty hands. “If you think I’m going to fight back and risk hurting her, I won’t. I can do this all night.”
He sidestepped again as Vega feinted left, then pivoted toward his shoulder. Bridget flinched internally, but the motion wasn’t hers. Her musclesscreamed from within the prison of her own body. Seconds later, blood spurted out of Bridget’s mouth with a hacking cough. The tether between her and Vega was fraying, Bridget could almostfeelthe blazing air around them, but Vega continued to pull harder.
The fire wall around the courtyard flickered, just slightly, but not enough to break.
Cade’s expression darkened. “Release her now,” he demanded, his voice cutting through the night. “I know you care about your sister. You wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t. You’re killing her by holding onto her and the spell around us.”
“Don’t pretend like you know me or what I want,” Vega hissed, then struck again.
Cade sidestepped quickly. Vega slashed again, and again he dodged. Each time she struck, he read the angle a breath before it came. Her left shoulder dipped, and he twisted. Her weight shifted, and he dropped low.
From somewhere near the stone behind them, a weak cough echoed. Bridget’s heart lurched.
No.
Nylah stirred, lashes fluttering.
Please don’t let her watch this.Bridget’s thoughts came out like a sob.
Weren’t you just begging me to wake her up?Vega snapped.Besides, I’m beginning to realize maybe it’s not you he’s going to die for.
Another wave of heat crushed Bridget’s ribs. Her vision pulsed at the edges. She couldn’t breathe. And then came the blood again. More than before. It slid over her teeth and dripped down her chin. The taste of iron filled her mouth.
Cade tensed. “You won’t kill her,” he snapped, voice taut with rage.
“Maybe not,” Vega said coldly. “But I will killher.”
The sword snapped toward Nylah. Cade’s hand flew to his hilt and unsheathed his blade in a blur of silver. The two swords met with ateeth-shattering clang. Sparks shot into the air as the blades locked. Vega bared her teeth and shoved, but Cade planted his feet and held firm.
Behind her, Bridget heard Nylah gasp. A sob ripped through her chest, soundless and strangled. Inside her skull, she tore at the seams of Vega’s grip, clawing for any fraying edge of control she could reach. Suddenly, she could feel the crack of steel reverberate up her arms. A flicker of something moved under her fingertips. Bridget clung to it.
She flung herself back, out of striking distance. Her legs buckled beneath her. The impact of her own weight jarred through her bones like lightning. Every nerve screamed in protest. Pain exploded across her ribs. Her lungs refused to work.
Cade’s eyes widened. The hope blossoming there shattered her heart. Coming closer, he demanded, “Keep fighting her.”
I’m trying, she tried to scream. But Bridget’s mouth remained set in a hard line. A vice clamped around her skull. The pressure bloomed into agony as Vega shoved her way back in. Flames erupted behind Bridget’s eyes. Her limbs convulsed, and the strength she’d scraped together unraveled in an instant.
“I can’t,” Bridget managed to mutter before the fire overwhelmed her.
With a wave of agonizing pain, she lost control. Vega entered her mind with a fury. She was locked inside again, screaming and begging.
Cade flinched as she—Vega—lunged again. He twisted at the last second, blocking the downward slice that would’ve cleaved into Nylah’s shoulder. Vega grinned and spun low, slicing toward his legs. Cade leapt back, boots skidding across the worn stone. But Vega was relentless. She spun and struck again. Steel rang against steel as he threw his full weight into the clash, driving her back. His expression was grim, his movements increasingly desperate as he tried to keep her from Nylah behind him.
Bridget could only watch from inside her own body as her arm moved and her wrist snapped, moving the blade forward. Faintly, she heard screaming from outside the courtyard. The wall of fire surrounding themwavered, its height suddenly shrinking as if its magic was leaking away. She forced her gaze through the haze, desperate to spot Cassia, but all she saw was flickering orange.
Moments later, a fresh torrent of blood gushed from Bridget’s mouth. Her lungs burned as she hacked, wheezing out crimson rivulets. Blood poured from her nose in a frantic river, each heartbeat a hammer blow in her chest as Vega fought to reignite the barrier.
Bridget drew in a ragged breath.
She was dying.
She could feel her heartbeat stuttering and slowing. Every second that Vega held on consumed her bit by bit.
Hesitating, Cade froze and lowered his sword slightly. His frantic eyes darted from her to Nylah, now conscious and watching in horror, and then back again. And then Bridget saw it. A resignation spread on his face, along with a terrifying calm.
No. No. NO.
“We can’t leave Nylah alone with her,” Cade said.
