Page 500 of Axis of Fire

and Seris and I were torn apart.

A second later, the flames swallowed him whole.

A scream tore from my throat—raw, broken, consumed by agony.

I struggled violently against Kaeron's grip.

I wanted to hit him.

To punish him for saving me.

"Ria, calm down!" Loretta's voice cut through the chaos as shadowy ribbons wrapped around my wrists, binding my hands.

"We couldn't lose both of you." Pria grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard. "Pull yourself together. Otherwise, Seris won't be the last person you watch die."

I swallowed hard and gave a faint nod.

But inside, I was drowning.

In guilt.

In anger that burned through every part of me.

I was furious at the Selection.

At the people who had created these cursed trials.

At the demon.

At Kaeron for saving me.

At Airis for nearly breaking me.

But most of all—I was furious with myself.

I could hear Loretta's voice.

I could hear Pria speaking.

They were discussing something.

Making a plan.

But I felt impossibly far away from them.

"We have to pull ourselves together and figure out how to defeat it," Loretta said. "It's obvious that Ria's fire is somehow destructive to the demon..."

And then it hit me.

I'm the only one who can kill this demon.

And at the same time...

I'm the only weak link in a team of the strongest.

Chapter 48

Anastasia Lang's POV