Chapter 24
“DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, Magdalena,” Python said from behind her. “He will say whatever he must to meet his ends.”
As Python spoke, Endreas’s gaze hunted over her shoulders—to the semargl and Python—and then down to Kaelan.
He drew one of his swords.
His eyes returned to her. “Step aside.”
“Is it true?” she asked, moving between him and Kaelan. “Is he your brother?”
A dark tremor passed over his eyes. “Step. Aside.”
Hero scrambled down her leg.
“He will attempt to seduce you,” Python hissed from behind her, “to fulfill the older prophecy, to bring the Crown under the yoke of the King. But that is all he wants—”
She saw it happening, shadows sweeping around from the edges of Endreas’s body. He was about to move through the Shadow Realms.
She leapt, locking her arm around his neck, and was pulled into the Shadow Realms with him.
When they reemerged, she stumbled back from him. His face was all hard edges, his eyes quaking. They were still in the cave, but on the opposite end, near the opening and the vast darkness stretching beyond.
Python fell as she bumped into his back. The semargl snarled and flapped, skittering aside. Magda regained her balance in time to throw her forearm up against Endreas’s, stopping his sword, which had been arcing towards the semargl.
Her foot struck his chest, pushing him back. As he fell, he slammed his hand into her knee. She yelped, twisting and crashing face-first to the ground. Near Kaelan’s feet, Python was struggling to stand.
Though her knee burned, she pushed up and intercepted Endreas again. They traded blows. But she didn’t use her knives and he never drew his second sword.
His fist struck her kidney and her vision cut out momentarily. He flung her against the wall, knocking the air from her lungs.
She bit back against the pain, pushing off of the wall in a spin and kicked him in the face, breaking his nose.
Blood poured over his mouth. He wove back.
The semargl snapped at him, but Endreas was faster, even when injured. He swept around and sliced the semargl’s front leg. The creature yipped and whined.
“No!” Python howled, charging forward on his own hobbled legs, raising his cane as if to strike Endreas.
Magda, panting, sweat-slick, pain throbbing through her, rushed forward and knocked Python aside into the opposite wall next to the semargl.
The tip of Endreas’s sword, meant for Python, grazed the top of her thigh.
Endreas roared as if he’d been the one wounded and seized her arm, holding her upright as her leg buckled, blood seeping into her jeans.
“Stop protecting them,” he said through his blood-stained teeth.
“Magda?” Kaelan groaned.
She glanced back. Kaelan pushed upright, blinking rapidly.
Tearing away from Endreas, shoving him back for good measure, she unsheathed her knives and took up position between him and Kaelan.
“Leave, Endreas,” she commanded. “Now.”
“I see it,” Python said from where he was leaning against the wall, looking between Kaelan and Endreas. “It is true.”
Endreas swiped the blood from his lips, his nose swelling at the bridge. He glowered at her.
And then he drew his second sword.
“Magda, what’s happening?” Kaelan breathed from close behind her.
“You must kill him,” Python ordered her, inching away from Endreas towards the back of the room and a small, dimly lit door.
From some place deep down, a tremble worked through her as she held Endreas’s gaze.
Kaelan’s tone was perplexed. “Magda—?”
“I’ll tell you what’s happening, brother,” Endreas said without looking away from Magda. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
Endreas surged forward.
She sprang to meet him, slicing into his upper arm under the scale of his pauldron. His forward sword clattered to the ground. He didn’t move to attack her. Her wolf blade slashed down through the leather bracers and into his right wrist. His second sword fell too.
Before she could pin him fully, he slammed his shoulder down into her and flipped her up and over.
So that’s why he’d let her get so close.
She expected to land on her back, but instead she landed on her butt . . . on the ledge, her legs dangling, her shoulders tipping forward . . .
“Magda!”
. . . and over.
Her daggers scraped the cliff face as she tumbled out and down.
A glimpse of white water, of jagged stone, of brilliant stars, head over heels, cold sea air biting at her skin, stealing the breath from her lungs, she plummeted.
The roar of the wind in her ears was matched only by the ocean waves crashing against the cliff below.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Someone slammed into her, spinning her into a whirlwind of shadow.
She blacked out.