I must be crazy for agreeing to this.

Not only was I wandering through the halls of Cordell's mansion barefoot, but I needed to find something—quickly. The image flashed through my mind of the cursed, obsidian rose, each petal falling delicately onto the table. There wasn't much time left.

Henrik's words echoed in my mind as I frantically searched the rooms for an office. Or anywhere the amulet might be.

"Cordell isn't much of a liar. Though he is a monster, he likes being honest to his confidantes. He wouldn't lie to Brennan about the existence of the amulet."

It had to be in here somewhere.

Finally, I came across an arched doorway leading to the roof. I followed the billowing wind up the stone, spiral staircase until I reached the top.

Outside, in the open air, the full moon shone brightly whilst I barrelled towards the wooden chests. Nothing. I flung paper out of old drawers, searching for a false bottom, but came up empty-handed. Jolting towards the next storage container quietly rotting away, I flung open loose compartments and still found nothing.

Panting, I whipped my head around, turning on the spot. The roof was a tragic mess of my recklessness. However, I couldn't find the one thing that could save Brennan from a fate worse than death. Nothing mattered but him.

"Looking for this."

A tremor ran up my spine. I spun slowly on my heel whilst the pounding of my heart ruptured my eardrums.

Standing by the staircase—my only escape unless I was to jump off the roof—was the sandy-haired Cordell, his piercing gold eyes shining with malice. My stomach instinctively churned at the sight of him holding the glinting silver metal of the Wraith's amulet.

"How did you—"

"Oh, I have my ways," he interrupted whilst pocketing the intricate piece of jewellery. "Also, you're not very quiet for someone on a life-and-death mission. How long does Brennan have left until the Wraith's power consumes him, I wonder?"

My heart stopped. Before I could stop it, I conjured a large ball of fire and flung it at his head, my mind racing with unspeakable thoughts. Out of breath, I slumped forward, watching as the fireball spiralled and missed him by inches. It only managed to singe some of his gold-flecked hair.

Cordell raised an eyebrow. "Not long, then," he purred.

I held out my hand, braving a long stride forward. "Please, just give me the amulet and I'll leave. I will leave Theralys forever. You won't ever have to hear from me again if you just let me save him," I pleaded, tears stinging my eyes.

He pretended to consider. "You see, so long as you're still alive, the rest of the country won't bow to me. However, you're here on a silver platter." He clapped his hands, revealing a glint of shiny metal hiding under the sleeve of his shirt. "How could I pass on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"

I calculated my escape and chances of survival. I knew coming here was a mistake, but there was no use dwelling on that now. With one eye on what was hidden under his shirt and another on the staircase, I bounced on the heels of my feet.

The knife tumbled into his hand as he charged towards me with unexpected force. I dodged the slash of the blade just in time, landing on the cold ground as I launched a wall of flame towards him. He rolled out of the way, ducking out of sight.

Clumsily, I clambered onto my feet, treading lightly. I scanned the roof for any sign of him, using the moonlight as a guide. I took another delicate step and a cold hand clamped around my ankle, pulling me down. I watched the world twist and turn at odd angles before my head bounced off the ground. Flashing lights flooded my vision as dots of red, black, and purple joined them.

Through the haze of dizziness, I spotted a dark silhouette and a flash of silver catching the moonlight. With eyes widened, I rolled out of the way, trying to bounce back up. I swayed, backed into the edge of the roof with the staircase carefully guarded by the prowling outline of Cordell.

Close enough to share breath, he placed the sharp edge of the knife to my neck, gently pressing against my skin. I felt droplets of blood trickle down as I glared into the depths of his soulless eyes. He cackled, ready to press the blade further into my neck. Before he had a chance, I reached for his pocket, pulling the amulet with me as I leaned back and fell off the edge of the roof.