Galen rises slowly, brushing debris from his coat, his magic shimmering in the air like fractured glass. “You’re unhinged, Kade. The blood weave has turned you into a madman. Perhaps it’s best this way. You were never meant to wield great power. Never meant to lead like us.”
I don’t give him time to finish.
My rage explodes, and a volley of dark energy streaks toward him, each bolt sharp enough to carve through stone. He raises a hand, summoning a translucent shield of silver light, but my magic pounds against it, still holding up despite my weakened state.
Darius moves before I can land the next blow, stepping between us with his own magic flaring in warning. His aura blazes like molten steel, sharp and unyielding, and his voice cuts through the chaos.
“Enough, Kade!” His power clashes with mine, halting my onslaught and throwing a wave of tension through the room. “This isn’t the way!”
“Stay out of this, Darius!” I snarl, the blood weave’s fury coursing through me. “You didn’t stop him when he meddled before. You didn’t stop him now. That makes you just as guilty.”
I push more magic into the fray, harnessing the pain burning through me as I ignore my doubts. Tendrils of raw energy writhe around me, heat and malice ready to strike at anything in my path.
“Kade, stop!” Darius moves forward, but I’m beyond reason. The blood weave’s power thrums through me, amplifying my fury.
Galen’s composure falters, his gaze narrowing. “You’re acting like a rabid beast,” he says, his voice tight. “This isn’t helping Zara.”
He steps out from behind Darius, blood gushing from a gash on his cheek. His shield flickers as he strengthens it, his aura steady but sharp. My brothers and I have fought before, but never like this, and I won’t falter now. I won’t give them an inch or show them any mercy, not when Zara’s life depends on my cruelty.
The room detonates into chaos as Galen’s spell erupts. Shards of light streak toward me, each one slicing through the air with precision. I counter with a sweep of my arm, a shield of my own snapping into place. The collision of power rattles the room, the air cracking like a storm.
I lunge at him, magic wrapping around my fists, and slam into him with everything I have. His shield shatters with a deafening crack, and my punch connects with his jaw. The force sends him sprawling, but his retaliation is immediate.
A concussive blast of force slams into me, throwing me back into the remains of the banquet table. Pain lances through my side, but it only fuels my fury. I spring to my feet, summoning another wave of crimson energy, and hurl it toward him with a roar.
Galen dodges, the spell missing him by inches and leaving a molten scar in the wall behind him. His eyes narrow, and he snaps his fingers, summoning chains of glowing energy thatlunge toward me like serpents.
I twist, avoiding most of them, but one wraps around my wrist, burning like acid. I tear it away with a snarl, the blood weave feeding my strength, and retaliate with a blast of fire that forces him to backpedal.
“Stop this!” Darius shouts, his own magic surging. Golden light ripples through the room, slamming into both of us and forcing us apart. “You’re going to destroy everything if you don’t control yourself.”
Galen spits blood onto the floor, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His gaze sharpens, cold and calculating.
“Do you think this tantrum will bring her back, Kade? Do you think it will undo what’s been done?”
“Don’t lecture me, you patronizing cunt.” My roar reverberates with anger as I shake off the golden light still crackling in the air from Darius’s interference. “Don’t act like you’re so fucking righteous when this is your own fucking fault. You don’t even have the goddamn balls to admit it, do you, Galen? Admit you took her from me.”
The mansion falls into an eerie silence, and the faint memory of the residual hum of magic vibrates through the air, broken only by Galen’s steady, deliberate breath. He lifts his chin and stands proud. Defiant. Fucking sure of himself. His hindrance hangs heavy, each passing second a sharp knife driving its point deeper into my chest.
Galen straightens, his posture a deliberate act of assertion.
“What if I did?” he says, his voice calm but laced with venom. “She was a liability. A distraction. You’ve let your obsession with her consume you, and now look at you—unraveling at the seams, dragging us all into your madness.”
The words hit like a physical blow, but instead of weakening me, they ignite something darker. I close thedistance between us in a heartbeat, magic crackling in my palms as I grab him by the throat.
“Where is she?” I growl, my voice barely human. “What did you do to her?”
Galen gasps for air, his hands clawing at mine as he struggles against the blood weave’s enhanced strength. I don’t know how my power’s come back, and I don’t give a fuck about what it’ll cost me right now. All I can think about is torturing my brother until the cunt gives me back the girl he’s stolen from me.
His lips curl into a bitter smile. “You’ll have to do better than this to get answers.”
Darius’s magic surges as it slides between us, forcing us apart. Galen’s pushed back, sent staggering across the room as I’m thrown to the other side.
“Stay out of this, Darius,” I snap. “You’re as guilty as he is. You knew what he was planning. You conspired with him. You helped him take her from me.”
Darius steps between us, his expression grim. “I didn’t know he’d take her,” he says, his voice low but firm. “But I won’t let you tear this family apart because of your rage.”
“Family?” I laugh, the sound hollow and jagged. “You think we’re still a family after this? After he did this?”
