“He’s almost there.” A flicker of relief floods through me.
I need the right answer that doesn’t give anything away—because Kieran’s life is hanging by a thread. And because he’ll know if I lie.
I shift my hand, resting it near the dagger at my side.
“I stole something from him.”
Vespera studies me silently, her gaze crawling over every inch of me. Behind me, there’s no sound, which means she’s not yet decided if she believes me or not.
“What did you steal? Because I don’t appreciate vampires coming into my kingdom as if they belong here.”
I meet her stare head-on, a slow shrug rolling off my shoulders.
“No idea. Some object with unknown magic.”
Not exactly a lie. And I make sure my tone stays cool, almost bored—like she isn’t moments away from killing Kieran.
A bolt of pain shoots up my spine, searing straight into my skull. I flinch before I can stop myself. Vespera's lips curl into a slow, knowing smirk. She’s using her magic on me—testing how far she can push me to break.
“No matter,” she says. “You’re too much of a threat. And I can’t have that.”
The pressure deepens, like needles pricking into my nerves. I grit my teeth, biting back the scream trying to make its way up my throat.
Where the fuck is Malrik?
I just have to hold on. Long enough to keep her from touching them—or killing me before I can get them out. I drag in a harsh breath, my throat raw. And then—like a shadow at my back, I feel Xarothar pressing against my mind.
“The crazy one is here.”
A pulse of relief cuts through the pain.
Thank the stars.
“Now, Raven.”
The moment my magic touches Xarothars, it erupts, twisting around the silver thread that binds us. Power thrums through me, fierce and insatiable, and I unleash it. The wind tears through the chamber, shrieking against the stone walls. Thunder cracks like the sky itself is fracturing, hurling dust and splinters of rock around us. The storm outside crashes in—mirroring the fire roaring inside me.
Pain stabs me again, but I shove it down and push harder.
Vespera lifts her face to the rain as it pours through the broken roof and laughs, like this is all some twisted game.
“If you were my daughter… things would’ve turned out very differently.”
A cough spills out of me, the taste of copper hits my tongue as something inside me strains, crushing under her magic.
I blink, clearing the haze, and push back.
Shadows slip from the edges of the room—dark, twirling tendrils moving toward the guards and hunters.
They all hesitate, but not Kieran. He lunges forward, one of my daggers gleaming in his hand. The blade slashes across the guard's neck, teeth bared, and I feel the surge of his ferocity as if it were my own.
Damn. Living up to the rumours.
I look back at Vespera and let the darkness surrounding us go. It snaps out, seizing every guard who wishes us harm, wrapping them in a tight grip they can’t break and pulling them to the ground.
A slash tears across my cheek, the sting making me hiss just as the panther pounces at Ronan. I thrust my hand forward, striking the beast midair and hurling it into Vespera. They fall to the ground in a tangled, chaotic heap, the impact rattling the chamber around us.
That’s when I see it—her composure cracks, a sliver of panic skittering across her features. She knows if the panther dies, so does she. But I need her alive for her blood to work.
