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“Decide, Nyssa,” Amell demands. “Show me what you’ve learned since coming to live in this midnight realm.”
I look at both men without an ounce of pity for either. Yet something inside pulls at me to give grace in my judgment. Knowing they both would have killed me without a second thought, it’s shocking when I say, “You should spare them the river and instead unmake them.”
Amell appraises me, looking neither disappointed nor angered by my answer. He nods, and Calix utters a cry of gratitude. He clasps his hands and shakes them at me. “Thank you, Nyssa. Thank you.”
“She doesn’t make the decisions,” Amell says, turning toward him, and Calix blanches. “While she still has the soft soul of a human, I have the dark heart of a fallen angel and leader of the Underworld. I have no mercy nor will I ever show it to any of my enemies.”
Understanding dawns, and Calix and Jago bolt at the same time, a pitiful attempt to outrun Amell’s judgment. He watches for a moment before the dragon flaps its wings and takes flight. It reaches out with its back legs and scoops each man up within its claws.
They scream and writhe as the dragon rises high into the air again, makes a lazy loop around the castle, and then bullet dives right into the river, incinerating both men. The river belches its delight.
Amell stares thoughtfully at the roiling liquid before turning. He takes my arm and lifts it to examine the puncture wounds before wrapping his hand all the way around. A warm tingling spreads through me, and when his hand pulls away, I’m healed.
He immediately turns to Truett. “I’m sorry about Sorcha.”
“You had no other choice,” Truett says with an incline of his head. “I apologize on behalf of our family that she betrayed you, and I thank you for unmaking her rather than sentencing her to the Crimson River.”
Amell nods and says nothing further, and I’m shocked the matter is resolved. Sorcha was Truett’s sister, and Amell essentially killed her.
And he’s… all right about it?
“And Ariman?” Truett asks, referencing the bizarre way Amell looked inside Jago’s head.
“He wasn’t involved. This was Jago’s doing.”
“I still don’t trust Ariman,” Truett grumbles.
“Agreed,” Amell says with a grim expression. “You can disperse the army.”
Truett offers a slight bow, and I have no more time to be amazed by any of this as Amell takes my hand and bends distance to his suite. He releases me immediately, and I don’t like the look on his face.
His next words verify the bad news. “You can’t be kept safe here. I’m sending you back to the First Dimension.”
CHAPTER 23
Amell
“What?” Nyssa cries,moving toward me.
I hold out my hands, stopping her in her tracks and shaking my head. “I can’t protect you here.”
“You just did.”
“But I might have been too late. Jago wanted to use you, but what about the next fae who just hates you and attempts to throw you in the river before I can stop it? You saw it wasn’t enough of a deterrent for Sorcha. She came after you regardless of my wrath.”
“Then don’t let me out of your sight,” she snaps bitterly.
“It’s too great a risk.”
“And I don’t give a fuck about risks,” she screams as she barrels into me. She slaps her hands on my chest and tips her head back, eyes wild with fear. “I don’t want to go. You said you wanted me here, and I want to stay with you.”
Nyssa’s hands slide up and around my neck. She tries to kiss me, but I don’t let myself be pulled down to her lips. Otherwise, my resolve will buckle.
I remove her hands, holding her at her wrists, and give her a small push. “It’s done.”
“No.” Her head jerks back and forth as she looks around. “Please don’t do this, Amell. Please don’t make me go.”
My heart shreds with every plea that falls from her mouth. Her misery is unbearable, but it’s better than her being dead.
