“Always dramatic,” I tease, and he slaps a hand over his chest like I’ve insulted his entire existence.
“Me? Never. I just… hate blood,” he protests, rolling his eyes at my smirk.
I beckon him closer, and he steps up until he’s standing right in front of me, shoulders tense but trust clear in his stance. “I only need a few drops,” I say softly, crouching down to grab the small bowl. My fingers tighten around the handle of my enchanted dagger strapped to my side.
“You know what you're doing, right?” his eyes narrow as I rise to my feet.
“I do,” I reply firmly. “One of the first things my mother taught me was how to siphon magic from someone. This… is harder. Dark magic isn’t just strong—it's corrupt, twisted and unnatural. But Drew…” I pause, searching for the right words. “No matter what, I’ll get your brother back for you.”
He watches my face for a long beat, wary but choosing to trust me anyway, then gives a single, tight nod.
“I trust you,” he lifts his hand. I slip the bowl beneath it, dagger poised. No hesitation—I don't give him the chance to rethink. The blade kisses his skin in a clean, quick cut,and he hisses sharply, shoulders jerking tight as the first drop of blood falls.
“See? Not so bad.” He sticks his tongue out, and I can't resist doing the same.
I set the bowl carefully in the centre once I have enough blood and reach for the bandage I brought.
“That shit fucking hurts,” he groans, holding his hand like I’d just tried to rip it off. I just start wrapping the bandage around it, keeping my tone light.
“Oh, you big baby. It’s just a scratch.” He jerks his hand back before I can finish, making me laugh despite myself.
He flexes his hand. “Warn me next time.”
I shake my head at him, a glint of ease settling in my chest—but it's short-lived. The air shifts, dropping to a bone-deep chill, and the door slams open with a violent crash. Ronan, Kieran and Malrik emerge, Daleyza trailing behind them, her face pale as a ghost. They move toward me, urgency radiating from every step.
“She broke through the spell,” Malrik says, his voice low, controlled, but his red eyes blaze with a warning I can feel deep inside me. I catch the way his gaze rolls over me, the tension and worry there—not for himself, but for me.
There’s no turning back now.
I press my fingers into my palms, letting my magic curl through me, spiralling along my nerves as it rises. The air around me vibrates with powerful energy, a low hum building into a pulse that sets my teeth on edge. The skies darken further, heavy clouds churning above as distant thunder growls and faint lightning runs across the sky. Kieran’s stormy grey eyes lock onto mine, wrestling with everything he feels as he watches the power surge through me.
“Cherry,” Ronan rasps, just as the first cold drops of rain begin to fall. I lift my eyes to his, trying to steady my voice.
“It’s okay… just go. Now.” The words slip out, breaking on a tremor I can't control. I can't force anything else past my lips—not when I'm staring at him and Malrik, my chest caving under the weight of what I’m about to do.
My heart aches, splitting in two for the choice I have no other option but to make. All I want—need—is to be with them, to feel safe and free.
Even after this, Vespera will still have to die—but the thought that the deadliest monster of all, the one who’s haunted me since before I was born, is terrifying. My eyes darted to Kieran, silently begging him to take Ronan away, because I can’t bring myself to ask him to leave again.
Kieran studies me, his storm-grey eyes softening, then he turns to Ronan. “She’s okay. Let’s go.”
Ronan’s jaw tightens, but Kieran doesn’t hesitate. He grips his arms and hauls him away, pulling him further into the shadows of the forest. Ronan glances back, worry on his face, and I feel sick as the space between us grows, unbearably vast.
And then… there’s only Malrik.
He stalks over to me, his fingers digging into the back of my neck, ignoring Daleyza and Drew like they don’t exist. His red eyes burn into mine, dark and unyielding.
“You come back to me. Wherever you go, I go. Whatever hell you walk into… I follow. Always.”
His lips claim mine with a feral hunger, devouring me entirely. Tongues collide in a fierce, heated dance as a throaty groan rumbles through him, his body pressing hard against mine. He sinks his teeth into my tongue, drawing my blood. Power ignites in him like wildfire, dark and electric, and I tremble beneath the surge.
I just want to kiss him forever.
He pulls back, lips glistening with the taste of me, a dark, satisfied smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“I’ll see you soon, little witch.” He vanishes, too.
Just like that, the last fragile pieces of my heart slip after him, tethered to the chaos and fire that is him.
