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His hand tightens on my neck, and then he slams his other palm into my forehead. His black magic pierces my brain like a dagger. It burns, and I feel it sliding across my skin like rot. It peels me back piece by piece, stealing all warmth and crushing my soul. I glance to the room beyond, seeing the horror on our audience’s faces, but I find my broken, lost boys, their eyes wide and horrified.

As I die, I know they are released from their blood oath that bound them to the job. The last thing I see is their fury exploding in the room, and I smile.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SEVEN

Inever know how much time passes when I die, but when my eyelids flutter open and my heart restarts, it’s clear it has. I hear monsters roaring, followed by screams from the other room. Blinking up at the ceiling, I breathe through the pain that always accompanies rebirth. When it finally ends, I roll over to my front, breathing heavily. I hang my head as my strength returns, my limbs shaking from the cost.

Being reborn sucks. I’m always stronger each time, but that doesn’t mean it feels good.

The panicked sounds only grow louder, so I sit back on my heels before struggling to my feet. My strength quickly returns, and by the time I’m at the alcove door, I am stronger than ever. My muscles flood with adrenaline and power, and flames burn away the cold touch of death as my vision sharpens and I scan the scene before me.

Bodhi stands in the middle of the room, bleeding from cuts on his face, and my mother is before him, her hand stretched out protectively.

Her people are pushed back to the rear of the room, cowering and scared. Some are even screaming, but I ignore them because they mean nothing to me. I glance around until I finally see my mates, and my frantic heartbeat begins to slow.

One look and I know my death didn’t end them like we thought it would. Maybe the bond understood rebirth, or maybe it wasn’t as strong as we assumed. My death has, however, seemed to infuriate them in a way I didn’t expect. Kitt is now a full golem and bigger than I have ever seen him. His skin is a mix of browns and greys, and his thick lips open in a mighty roar that seems to shake the room as he grabs a chair and hauls it into the air like it weighs nothing. He launches it at my mother, who bats it away with her magic, but I can tell it cost her as she staggers. My eyes return to Kitt as he beats his chest, then I look at the figure beside him, my breath caught in my lungs at the beautiful, glowing man. Raiden lingers at Kitt’s side, but the joking man I knew is gone. No, this is a monster. His eyes glow so brightly, it’s like staring at the sun, and his once jovial face is contorted with a ferocity that even stops me. The mask on his eyes shines with his power, but it’s the sword at his side that has my eyebrows lifting. It’s formed of ice and silver, yet it glows with the same blue light as he does. Lightning arcs from him and into the sword as something swishes behind him. His tail has merged, doubling in size, and it twitches and lashes the air, showing his frenzy.

The floor shakes, drawing my attention to Torrin, or what was once Torrin, who is now a minotaur. His bull form is beautiful and terrifying.

He towers over everyone in the room, both in stature and height. His once golden skin is covered in a layer of thick, deep brown fur, and his legs are bent, hooved limbs that dig at the floor as his arms spread. His eyes are the same, but they are filled with manic anger as smoke curls from his snout.

“Stop this!” my mother shouts as she waves her hand, and ice floods the room, snowflakes drifting down as she exposes her powers to get them to back down. I follow her gaze to Bram, who is standing quietly near the others. He might be silent and still, but his eyes swirl with a glowing gold colour I have never seen before, and even from here, I can see writing passing through those orbs in a language I have never seen before. A hazy tail, spiked like that of a scorpion, appears behind him as his head slowly turns, his eyes finding mine, and a faint, foreign smile tilts up his lips as if he can truly see me, even as his eyes flow with that language.

A growl tugs my gaze from him to Emrys.

I thought the others were bad, but they have nothing on my scarred boy. His head is tilted and he’s crouched low to the floor. His guns lie forgotten at his side, and his hat is tilted down, but even from the shadows, I can see his eyes are pure red and there is blood on his hands and face as he grins, exposing rows of sharp teeth tinted with the same blood.

He’s feral.

My death has freed them of the bond, but they don’t seem happy about it. I worried about what it would mean, but I was selfish and chose my revenge over them. Here they stand, though, faced with my death and furious. For a moment, I stagger as something slams into my chest. It stops my heart as it seems to sink into my soul. My gaze clashes with Bram’s golden eyes, which are locked on me as I reach for my heat to protect myself, only to gasp.

I feel them there, all of them, just like before.

The mate bond snaps back into place, locking us tighter together than before, wrapping around me protectively like a shield as Bram smiles brightly at me.

How?

You cannot fight a time walker. Bram’s voice is soft in my head. We never planned to let you go. Get your revenge and use us however you wish. It was our plan since the moment we stepped in here. Do not worry about anything else.

His words make no sense, but the comfort they bring has me shuddering as all their eyes find me, following the connection. I feel whole again, unlike when I woke up. I have no idea how it is possible, but I lose myself in their eyes, even as I feel the rest of the room turn to see me.

Everything else is forgotten. Only they exist.

Their determination, strength, and love floods down the bond. All this time, they knew what I planned and they had their own strategy. I thought they were going to let me go when we came here, but I was wrong.

When did things change for them?

Does it matter?

I’m brought back to the present when I hear a shocked gasp. My focus is drawn to my mother as her hand drops, and shock contorts her face. Now is not the time for weakness. Now is the time to finish what I started.

My death will not be in vain.

I will make them feel the pain I endured all these years and the agony of my eleven deaths, all because of them.

Tilting my head back, I smirk as I step into the room and wink at Bodhi, who stumbles back in horror. Lifting my hands, I yell, “Boo.” He actually falls over as I chuckle. “Did you miss me?”