Blake’s eyes were passionate. “I’ve spent my whole life thinking about my duty and my responsibility to others, and you know what? You are the only thing I’ve ever really wanted, just for myself. The Soul Pair could protect you—”
“It could kill you, Blake,” I said, my frustration making me harsh. “It could hurt us both so badly we’d be no good in the fight to repair the Anchors. We aren’t playing this game with your magic and especially with your life. Not when so much else is at stake.”
He was silent then, his jaw clenched, before these words tore from his throat: “And what if I don’t care about anything else as much as I care about you? Not even my duty.” His eyes burned into me before he turned and walked out of the tent, the vulnerability I had seen in him last night disappearing behind the walls he built so easily.
I followed a few minutes later into the morning light.
All four dominions’ teams stood in tense silence along with the tygers, the weight of what was coming pressing down like a storm about to break. No one spoke. No one moved.
We awaited a signal from the Diviner.
The air hummed, thick with magic, charged with anticipation. Some shifted on their feet, hands flexing over weapons, eyes sharp with barely contained nerves. Others stood still as statues, their expressions unreadable.
Flame strutted up slowly, her presence a silent comfort by my side. Next to her stood Kingsolver, steady and strong. For a moment, I envied their bond, the way she stood next to him with unwavering trust.
But then Blake took my hand in his, pressing our Marks together as he tilted his chin down toward me.
“Stay close to me.”
I squeezed his hand back in response. “Always.”
Una approached, making Blake tense, before she stretched out her hand with a blackened vial.
Blake took it before I could. “What is it?”
“It will provide some relief, and temporary strength to Rubi and her tygress,” Una answered, with a small smile at me. Her eyes flickered down to her feet, now freed of manacles. Was this a token of her gratitude toward all of us? “It’s…it’s illegal in our fighting rings and magic competitions, but we keep it in case of emergencies.”
I grabbed it from Blake’s hand, popping the lid and sniffing it for a moment, before downing half in one gulp, then offering it to Flame, who lapped at it. My Ambush Master raised an eyebrow but said nothing, only shaking his head and sending a pulse of worry down our bond.
Jace stepped forward. “We need a plan. What do we know about this demon?”
This demon?The demon that had Edith, I realized, with a quick glance at Blake.
“We’re going to save her?”
Blake nodded, his eyes locking with mine. “I spoke with the dominion leaders this morning about Edith. We agree that with your description of the pulsating light around her, she’s being kept at the Anchor.”
“To distract us, possibly,” Quinn added. He came close and put an arm around me, ignoring Blake. “Rubi…I’m so sorry.” I turned into him, hugging him.
“I know. You love her, too. I’m so glad you’re here.”
He pulled away and looked at me. “I’m going to do everything I can to get her back.” As I released him, he took a step back and looked at the group. “We all will.”
Auron stepped forward, surprising me. “We must be ready. Tell us what you know, Axefire.”
Everyone looked to Blake then. Because he’d been there, escaped this demon before. Malissa and Auron hadn’t been present when it attacked.
Blake’s expression darkened. “Normal blades can’t pierce its bone plating. Even thundervein barely hurt it—but we each faced it alone. If we’d coordinated during the Annihilation, we might have stood a chance.” He exhaled sharply. “It’s not mindless. Twisted, maybe, but not without some warped sense of morality. Even as it stood over the Red Phoenix crown princess’s body, it was moaning that it had done something wrong.”
Jace absorbed the information with a nod. “So, it’s not mindless destruction. It feels remorse. That means it can be reasoned with…or manipulated.”
Blake exhaled, shaking his head. “Maybe. But it still killed without hesitation. That remorse didn’t help us. Nothing seemed able to stop it.”
Heavy silence settled over us. No one spoke. No one moved.
Then Lian broke the stillness, her voice low and grim. “Its fangs are extremely toxic. Even if it is only a scratch, we have never been able to save anyone touched by its poison. We’ve tried every known antidote.”
Auron’s fists tightened at his sides, flames flickering between his fingers like restless birds seeking flight.
