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Whatever the fire hadn’t devoured, the tower had crushed in its descent, and now the settlement resembled a carcass town, all rubble and skeletal frameworks.

Gone. All the love and life that these refugees had poured into this community, all the work they’d put into rebuilding their futures, was gone.

Our little group spread out to cover more ground—all except Dashiel, who’d remained atop the hill to tend to the wounded, including the two boys they’d salvaged from the house. With their mother’s relieved sobs ringing out, I’d slid into the murky, shin-deep sea of the water tank’s creation. And I automatically headed toward the Daradonian sector.

The stench of burnt flesh stung my nostrils, and my sodden dress plastered the raw skin of my thigh. My power trembled within me—a torn, tender muscle—but I couldn’t stop moving through the sludge that sucked at my shoes with every step.

I needed to help them find the dead.

As a gray ash cloud formed overhead, the water rippled with more movement. Anguished sobs and shouts of relief mingled to create a vivid microcosm of life and death.

Then a man called out: “We need help! She’s still alive!”

I scrambled up a mound of fallen timber, helping to tear the rubble off a woman. When the last weight was lifted, the woman coughed into her elbow, took a trembling breath, then lowered her arm.

I froze.

Her face was blistered, her blond hair singed at the ends. Yet her eyes were alert, darting wide and bloodshot before they settled on mine.

I dropped to my knees.

Then I wrapped my hands around Mara Capewell’s throat.

Voices erupted around me; people tried to drag me back. But I maintained my grip, my blood burning hotter than the wound at my thigh as Mara thrashed beneath me.

She had done this. She had found out about the Daradonian Wielders who’d escaped the Capewells back home.

And she had tried to kill them all.

Mara’s body was slackening when an arm hooked around my waist and yanked me off her. I screamed my frustration, tumbling back.

“What are you doing?” The overseer, Ed, stood over me, his large chest heaving. “She’s hurt!”

Mara’s rasping laughter rekindled my anger.

I stood to find that someone had helped her up. While strips of her leather jacket had fused with her skin in oozing patches, her expression was all clarity and wicked humor.

“Look at that,” she said hoarsely. “The creatures are all coming to my defense. Does that sting, little cousin?”

“Cousin?” Zeke’s voice croaked out from where a crowd had started to form. Fear and anger heaved off him with every breath. “You’re related to her?”

Before I could respond, Mara laughed once more. Because her gaze was now fixed on Zeke with pleasant surprise. “Oh, this is just delicious. I was hoping we would meet again.”

“I told you her name,” Zeke growled, glaring at me as if I’d betrayed him. “You just sat there, asking questions, pretending not to know her.”

Mara tutted at me, pouting. “That’s very hurtful. Are you ashamed to be one of us?”

“I am nothing like you,” I spat, fighting to restrengthen my specter faster than I was able.

“So you didn’t wring Garret’s neck?” Mara prowled in a broad curve around the rubble, and I mimicked her, both of us tracking one circle into the dirt. “You didn’t run from the palace while he stayed behind and fought for you?” The words burrowed inside me, deep enough to hurt. She looked at Zeke again, smiling. “I see why you two get along. You both know a little something about leaving your loved ones to die.”

Zeke’s eyes flashed with something vicious. Then he lunged at her, fast. But not too fast for Mara. She’d already whipped a small blade from her belt and zipped it out toward him.

Blood sprayed as the steel caught his cheek. He cried out, and the crowd gasped.

“Zeke!” I started for him, but he lurched away.

“Don’t come near me, Hunter!”