ELISE’S POVWe moved in silence.The path to Vaelven was nothing like I’d imagined. The further we pushed into the Deadlands, the more time seemed to… bend. The air was thick and wrong, like we were walking through a dream we weren’t meant to see. Or worse—a memory the world had tried to forget. The
“We won’t,” Ferris said. “We’ll face it. Head-on. But we need to understand what we’re fighting first. Gina’s plan is much bigger than we thought. This isn’t just about revenge anymore. This is about unleashing something ancient.”The door burst open suddenly with a loud bang that sent the war table
Sophia looked at me“She’s begun the ritual. We’re out of time.”The door slammed open.“Elise!” Ferris’s voice echoed through the room. His eyes immediately found me. He crossed the room in two and wrapped his arms around me, clutching me like I was about to disappear.I collapsed into him, burying
ELISE’S POVThe air turned cold.One moment I was curled beneath the blankets with Ferris’s arm around my waist and theslow, steady beat of his heart bringing me to peace. The next, I was standing barefoot on broken earth beneath a red sky. There was no sound, no wind. There was just silence thick e
Even the Thirteenth Claw retreated. They started shielding themselves with runes and sigils. But I stood still. The rune on my throat flared, and the creature bowed its head toward me. "I am no fool," I said, as silence returned. "I made a deal. I pay the price. But I hold the leash." "You’re ma
Gina’s POV The trees here bled. Their twisted trunks poured out red liquid. Jt looked like blood from old wounds. The forest and the very ground here trembled with dark magic. Every step I took cracked bones hidden beneath the soil. These were bones of those foolish enough to seek this place and