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When he struck me, I was ready, though the pain bloomed quickly in my side where he’d punched my ribs. I coughed in response, wincing when that small motion sent a fresh wave of agony through me.

“You will give it to me.” Spittle peppered my face as he seethed. “If I have to carve it out of you with a knife, I will.”

My old friend, fear, sped my pulse, but somehow, I didn’t cower. Let him cut—he couldn’t find what I no longer possessed. I just wish I knew what had happened to it myself. My magic would have been quite helpful considering my current circumstances. And I missed Nyah. She was, at least in my own mind, my sister. My heart ached when I thought of her. I had to believe she still existed somewhere—and that my magic did too.

“You don’t want him to have it,” Serano spoke softly then, making my gaze snap to his. His dark eyes searched mine, truth lining every crease around them. “You may not want to give it to me, but I assure you I am the better alternative.”

The way Serano could morph from cunning to unstable had always put me on edge. It didn’t happen often—he was masterful at control. But I’d been privy to his outbursts more than once. I winced, fisting my hand at the memory of the pain he’d inflicted. I had been his punching bag. One that would never fight back. Well, that ended now.

“Neither you nor Father will ever get my power.” My words shook with wavering confidence. Serano was one thing, but the thought of the man I called Father finding out I was so close and coming for me with his staff…

“I’ll give you over to him if I can’t get it out of you. It’s my next best move, Princess.” Serano was perceptive. He’d seen right through me. And I knew in my heart he spoke the truth. He meant it as a threat, but it was also an inevitability that hung over both our heads. Unlike Serano, Balram would realize I no longer had what he sought, and I had no doubt, blood or no blood, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me in the most painful way possible.

I swallowed. “I’ll tell him you planned to usurp the throne.”

Serano’s eyes narrowed, and his teeth ground together as his lips pulled back in a sneer. He looked more animal than human in that moment, and I instantly regretted the threat. But it was already out, and I couldn’t take it back.

Gripping my chin so hard I knew it would bruise, he lowered himself until our faces were nearly touching.

“If it comes to that, then I will cut your tongue out before I deliver you.” He hissed the words at me, then thrust my head into the bed and rose, turning his back on me and striking the elf, still standing with her head down.

A scream escaped me as her face snapped to the side, blood spraying from her mouth.

“Give it to me, or this will just be the beginning,” he seethed.

I swallowed, staring at the woman as she slid down the wall, one hand trailing down it as she sank to trembling knees. Shaking my head, I tried to form words, but before I could, Serano cursed, clutched the elf by the hair, and jerked her head back before slamming it into the wall again.

He continued to claw, punch, scratch, and kick at the elf, now curled around herself on the ground.

“Stop!” I roared, yanking on my restraints so hard blood flowed down my arm.

I knew I couldn’t ultimately comply with what he wanted because I didn’t have access to my magic anymore. And I didn’t want to think about what would happen when he found he couldn’t ply the power from me. But I had to stop him any way I could.

He paused, glaring at me. His chest rose again and again with heated breath. But he paused, so I counted that as a win.

Tears streamed down my face. “Please,” I whispered, appealing to his love of power. If I acted like the meek mouse he expected, perhaps...

Despite the size of the mountain elf, Serano reached down and yanked her up by the scruff of her neck. Her eyes stared into mine, bloodshot and bruised.

“I’ll do it,” I lied, still locked with her gaze.

Somehow, I knew what was going to happen. I knew he wasn’t going to stop despite my promise. He was too far gone. He paid me no heed as he threw her headfirst into the hard oak headboard. I screamed then, fighting against my bonds. Time seemed to stand still for a heartbeat as her face—beaten, and frozen in shock—bounced back with a horrifying crack. Hot blood coated my face and arms, seeming to come from everywhere at once, and then she fell, collapsing onto the floor in a heap.

I was still screaming as Serano wiped some of the sweat and gore from his own forehead with a sleeve, breathing heavily and stepping back from the woman on the ground.

“Shut up,” he snapped, glaring at me as I scooted back against the headboard, still fighting against the ropes burning into the skin of my wrists. He snapped his fingers, and my screams were silenced. I knew it was just an illusion, but I also knew better than anyone how potent illusions could be.

Breathe, I told myself. Still, it took some minutes before I was able to get myself under control enough to quiet completely. And even then, my breath came fast and heavy. Serano, meanwhile, paced before the bed, running a hand back through his greasy hair like he was trying hard to think.

“Is she…is she…dead?” I finally choked out, gaze darting wildly from him to the unmoving mound on the floor, a puddle of blood oozing around her head.

“I don’t know,” he answered, waving my concern away as he rounded on me. “If she is, then it’s your fault, and now you’ll have no one to heal you if you decide to be stubborn again.”

Gathering my wits and courage, I straightened and looked him in the eyes. “You are right,” I admitted with only a slight tremble in my voice. It was time to outsmart him. It was my only option left. I gathered the courage I’d learned since my journey began and continued. “Neither of us want him on the throne.”

Serano froze, stock still, fists still pressed into the mattress near my feet. I leaned forward, encouraged and still searching for a way to get more control of the situation. I saw only one way forward that didn’t end in my death or dismemberment. I didn’t like what I needed to do, but I didn’t have to like it, did I? I just needed to get him to trust me enough to remove the collar and untie me.

My gaze darted to the body on the floor, my heart skittering. How could he just ignore her? I swallowed again then met his eyes.