Masuk“Kaelan,” I began.He cut me off by stepping forward. “This way. There is a fork ahead. If we take the left passage, we can reach the old storage hall.”We rounded a sharp turn. The spark sprinted ahead, stopping every few feet to check if we were still behind it. It stomped impatiently when we were
The moment the palace wing shook again, Kaelan grabbed my wrist and hauled me into motion.“Move,” he hissed, practically dragging me across the marble.“I am moving,” I protested, stumbling after him. “It is your fault for having legs as long as small trees.”“Shorten your stride.”“That is physica
The portal snapped shut like a throat swallowing a scream.One second Aveline’s fingers were brushing his. The next she was gone, pulled backward by a violent burst of magic that exploded in a flash of gold and white. The shockwave hit him hard enough to send him crashing onto his back, breath punch
“In the throne sanctum,” he said quietly. “His magic is fading faster than expected. Without him, the portals are failing. The wards are unstable. The palace is barely holding itself together.”The weight of it all pressed against my chest, stealing my breath.“How long does he have?”Kaelan shook h
Cold.That was the first thing my mind registered. Not the gentle coolness of morning air or the refreshing chill of river water. No. This was the kind of cold that seeped into bone and memory, the kind that felt like someone had tossed me onto a slab in a meat freezer and then forgotten about me.M
My heart lurched painfully.“Marek,” I whispered. “I can see it.”“Do not look,” he rasped.“You cannot hold me.”“I can.”“You cannot.”“I can.”“Marek. You are slipping.”“No.”“You are.”“I am not letting you fall alone.”Another surge of magic exploded upward, snapping through the air like froze







