“You’re not walking out of here,” I say, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “Not with her. Not at all.”

Galen tilts his head. “Bold words. Let’s see if you can back them up.”

Zara’s laugh echoes around the chamber, a cruel chant that sings its taunt over and over. She’s either lost her fucking mind or the witch is a goddamn genius, and from where I’m standing, the line between the two is razor thin.

“You couldn’t even break me after you stole Malric’s power, you piece of shit,” she spits, blood splattering from her lips. “You think you can beat Kade? What the fuck makes you think you even stand a chance?”

For a split second, her words hit harder than I expect.

Fuck.

She does love me. The thought punches through the fog in my head like a jolt of lightning, filling me with a strength I’ve never known. It’s raw, undeniable, and it’s everything I’ve ever fought for, everything I am, all fucking surging forward as I move in for the kill.

Galen moves with a speed that shatters any expectations, the shadows surging toward me, and in an instant, the world erupts into disarray—violence and carnage tearing through everything in its path.