Makaela kept her head on a swivel as she and Dorian traversed through the forest in search of House Oseda's portal gate. Thorian wouldn't have been able to shadowjump to them, but she could've never been too careful.

They were so close to escaping Vashara. They couldn't slip up now.

Dorian's nose led the way. He jogged along in front of her, his eyes narrowed and wide lips flattened into a thin line. He hadn't spoken to her since they entered the thicket of trees.

The entire interaction with Sebastian and Imogen had thrown Makaela for a loop. Everyone had been asking so strange—and not the kind of strange she had anticipated. She glanced at the werewolf beside her. He hadn't so much as looked at her since they started walking.

"Dorian?"

He kept his face forward and his jaw clenched.

She scowled. "Dorian!"

Glancing at her over his shoulder, he grunted in reply.

"What is going on with you?"

"We don't have time for this. Thorian will be upon us any minute now."

Nostrils flaring, she grabbed his elbow and forced him to turn around. No one knew they were in the forest. They would be safe, even if it was for just a few minutes. She knew she shouldn't be stopping, but she couldn't stand being ignored.

Dorian looked down at her. His eyes were low, and a hint of a frown weighed down his lips. "Why are we stopping?"

"Answer my question first."

He turned away from her.

"Answer me, dammit."

Sighing, he ran a hand along his face. "It's him. He's the one you love."

Love?

She blinked a few times as she processed what he said. He was talking about Sebastian. Did she love him? He inspired feelings deep within her core that she had never felt before. When she left him, she was certain no one else would make her feel that way again.

Then she met Dorian. Her protector. The Wolf the prophecy spoke of.

She felt those same feelings with him. They were indescribable—like a swell of happiness and security encapsulating her entire being. They filled her up with warmth. They brought an inerasable smile to her lips.

Was that love? If it was, then how was it possible for her to feel it for more than one person?

"You don't have to say anything," Dorian told her, his deep voice snapping her out of her thoughts. "I...I know you don't feel anything for me. I just can't stop thinking about you. I keep trying and I can't."

She stabbed her foot into the dirt and wrung her hands. "I...I never said I didn't feel anything for you."

"But you said—"

"I know what I said, Dorian."

"I'm confused."

"So am I."

The two of them stared at each other in silence. The wind whistled around them, carrying with it leaves, twigs, and the scent of sweet flowers. Dorian huffed and shook his head. He turned around and continued toward the portal gate.

"Come on. Let's keep moving."

Hanging her head, she trudged behind him.

It was going to be a long walk.

The forest slowly transitioned from the willowy, scarlet-tipped leaves populating the area around Ingozi to the familiar canopied behemoths framing the rest of the city of Vashara. Makaela panted as she and Dorian climbed up a hill. Stone tiles hid beneath the overgrown grass as they grew closer to the gate.

Traces of magic tickled her skin.

The portal shrine was near.

Relief flooded Makaela's body. She let herself smile, her guard instantly dropping as she navigated the steep hill. They were nearly there. The next chapter of her destiny was about to begin.

She and Dorian would arrive in the mountains of Tibet. The wind magicians of House Vaya would greet them and bring them to Madame Alizeh. She would learn all she could from the woman before eventually using her newfound teachings to defeat Thorian and the Order of the Black Lotus.

She would fulfill the prophecy and restore order to the world.

And, once her task was complete, she would become the new leader of the Eldenarian Council. There would be no one to oppose her. She would bring the magicians back to their previous heights—all while preserving the lives of Ordinaires and magicians alike. Enemies of the council would be thrown in Nyghtmir, left to rot in their cells for the rest of their lives.

She smiled as she saw herself sitting in the throne of the council room in the Eldenarian Palace. Her father once sat there. It was only right she take up his mantle. She would make him, along with her mother, proud.

She would make her house—and all those killed by Thorian and the Order—proud.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, Makaela spotted the structure waiting for them at the end of the clearing. The portal gate's bronze walls reflected the light from the setting sun, causing the entire building to glow with an otherworldly hue.

As Makaela got closer, she noticed there were no guards standing watch at the stone pillars near the entrance. She arched an eyebrow at the unprotected building.

"There are supposed to be guards here," she told Dorian.

"Perhaps they went to join the fight."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah...yeah, maybe." She continued toward the cracked stone steps with Dorian on her heels. Even while facing forward, she could feel his ruby-colored eyes burning holes into her back. Shivering slightly, she tried her best to ignore it.

Just as her foot landed on the first step of the portal gate, a strong gust of cold air slithered across her skin. She spun on her heel as her eyes widened. Dorian tilted his head at her, his forehead creased.

She opened her mouth to reply, but the words disintegrated in the base of her throat. Her hands trembled as she stared at the shadows pooling together in the center of the tall grass. All the warmth in the South African air was being siphoned into the black hole before them. Dorian stiffened and stepped in front of Makaela. He bared his fangs at the collection of shadows.

No, no, no.

How had he found them? Shadowjumping only worked if one had seen the place they were trying to jump to before. She knew Thorian hadn't used the gate to travel to Vashara—he used the portal back at Castle Braexus. There was no way he should've been able to track them.

As she slowly backed up the steps of the portal gate, she noticed the gemstone of the Illumio beginning to glow with light again. She arched an eyebrow at the ring. Before she could question its sudden activity, Thorian emerged from the shadows in front of them.

"How did you find us?"

Despite her question, she had a vague suspicion she already knew his answer.

He gestured at her hand. "All the artifacts are connected, foolish girl. You will never be able to escape me as long as you wear it."

The man had reequipped his black robes. For once, his silver jackal mask covered his face. Through the eye holes, she could see the fury burning in his one good eye. Wisps of dark magic rolled off his body as he strutted forward. His ring—the Obscurio—flickered with black light.

Dorian moved Makaela behind him with his arm.

"Stay behind me."

"What?" She shook her head. "I can fight him."

"Your vitalae is already low from the last fight," he told her. "You need to activate that portal and get out of here."

"What about you?"

He didn't respond.

She shook her head adamantly. "No, no. I'm not leaving you behind—"

He swiftly turned around. His features were twisted with anger and impatience. "Makaela, go! Now!"

She flinched away from him. Tears filled her eyes. She wouldn't leave him behind. She couldn't do that again. If she left him, Thorian would surely rip his life from him. Away from her.

Another life snuffed out on her behalf.

She couldn't let that happen. Not again.

But he was right. Her job was to go through that portal and get to House Vaya—no matter the costs. Still, that didn't make what she had to do any easier.

She looked to Dorian through her tears. "You're coming with me."

"Makaela, what did I—"

He was interrupted by a bolt of magic racing toward him. Makaela jumped in front of him and batted the attack away with a shield charm.

With the dying sun glancing off his mask, Thorian stomped toward them. The grass wilted away from his boots as he approached them.

"Trying to escape, I see." He chuckled. "You aren't going anywhere! Not without giving me that ring!"

A blasting spell exploded from his hand and raced towards Makaela and Dorian.

Chunks of the stone roof came crashing down, nearly flattening them both. She dove out the way, landing heavily on her shoulder. Groaning, she gripped her injured arm and looked around for Dorian.

Fortunately, the werewolf had already shifted and was already sprinting toward the dark lord.

Thorian swiped his hand and Dorian's body jerked to the side. Through his dark coat, Makaela could see the deep gash running through his flesh. Red dripped from the wound and to the grass below. A high-pitched whimper spilled from his mouth.

Makaela screamed as he backed away from Thorian.

The wolf barked at her before turning his attention back to the magician before him. He launched himself, claws ready. Thorian's body melted into the shadows beneath him before rematerializing behind the wolf.

All the air left Makaela's body as she saw the man summon his vayrir.

She had to end Thorian. She couldn't watch him take another person from her.

Gritting her teeth, she jumped off the steps of the portal gate and performed the sequence for a killing spell midair. Just as her feet touched the ground, the spell left her casting hand.

The spell ripped through the air, its red and black light dousing the trees around it with death. Everything seemed to be moving in slow-motion as she watched it race towards Thorian's back. He wasn't even aware of what was about to happen.

She was about to defeat him once and for all. His reign of darkness and terror was almost over.

But almost wasn't good enough.

In the blink of an eye, Thorian pulled his shoulder back. The spell zipped past it, missing by a centimeter. The spell collided into a tree; the leaves instantly decayed and fell from their branches. They cascaded around the man like ash from a volcano. After fashioning a cage of dark magic to entrap Dorian, he faced the golden-eyed girl.

"Close," he told her. "But not close enough."

She swallowed hard as he made his way toward her. He had just dodged her most powerful attack. She still couldn't process how he moved so quickly without even looking at her. Was it his mauvue charm that had assisted him? She didn't know.

But what she did know was that she couldn't face him.

Not yet.

She had to leave.

Without another thought, she turned and darted into the building behind her. She ran past the bronze walls decorated with drawings of animals. Her body trembled as she frantically searched for the portal and the orb of eldricite that controlled it.

She continued down the hall, constantly checking over her shoulder to see how far behind Thorian was. He was slowly making his way toward her. He blended in with the shadows inside the corridor. Eventually, only his silver mask could be seen through the darkness.

With sweat dripping down her face, Makaela finally arrived at the portal's control room. It was empty except for a stone arch with orange runes carved into the rock and a pedestal with a smooth sphere of colorless eldricite.

Her heart jumped into her throat at the sight of it.

She had never operated a portal before, but now was a better time than any to learn.

Her hands gripped both sides of the orb. Gritting her teeth, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to envision the snowy headquarter of House Vaya. The image of the Tibetan mountains from her vision lurked in the murky depths of her mind. She tried desperately to bring it to light, but it kept fading.

Come on, come on.

Her eyes snapped open as five fingers clamped down on the back of her neck. Pain flared in her throat as she clawed at the hand choking her. Silver spots filled her vision as she wheezed for air. She kicked and screamed and fought, but the white hand squeezing her was stronger than obsidian.

"You cannot run from me, child," Thorian hissed into her ear. The hairs on her neck and air stood up simultaneously. He snatched up her ring-clad hand with his own. "Give me the Illumio or I will take it from your dead body."

"You're...not...taking...anything." She swung her leg upward before smashing it into the man's shin. He cried out and released her neck.

She collapsed to the ground and scrambled away from him. Spots marred her vision and a painful sensation ran up and down the skin of her throat. Her mind was buzzing as she struggled take in as much oxygen as possible.

Still breathing heavily, she glanced at the portal gate's eldricite orb; a faint, gray light that hadn't been there before bobbed in the center of the magical substance.

Her eyes widened.

She had been close to opening a portal to House Vaya. If she could just get to it again, she would be home free.

Ahead of her Thorian summoned a spell with his left hand—a rarity for most magicians. Makaela rolled to the side just in time to avoid it. A smoldering, black hole marred the stone where she had just been. Scowling, she shakily rose to her feet.

"Just give up," Thorian demanded. "You cannot win."

"Never."

Yelling, she rushed at him before he could launch another attack her way. As she ran, she felt a spike of power within her chest. Or perhaps that was the adrenaline. Either way, it erased any inkling of fear she held within. Vitalae filled her veins and rested behind her palms. She pressed both hands on Thorian's shoulders and shouted a spell.

Light magic crawled up his black robes, burning away at the dark cloth. He cried out in pain and backed away from her. He removed his robes again and threw them to the floor. His mask went next.

Makaela sneered at the man's ghoulish face. She summoned two javelins of light—each one strong enough to pierce the hide of a gargoyle. With two downward swipes of her hands, the glowing projectiles zoomed toward their target.

Thorian managed to sidestep one, but the other slammed into his left shoulder. He dropped to one knee and pressed a hand over the bleeding wound. His mouth twitched as he glared at Makaela.

"You're not stopping me," she told him.

"Naivety. It suits you."

Thorian raised his hands to the sky and closed his eyes. He twisted his fingers while mumbling a sinister incantation. Purple tendrils of magic climbed up the walls of the room, stretching toward the hole in the center of the domed ceiling. Dust trickled down from the walls as cracks began riddling the stone. The roof shuddered, almost as if it were taking its last breaths.

Makaela blanched.

He's going to cave the whole thing in.

She took a step toward him, but he swiftly put an end to her interruption by directing a knockback spell into her chest. Her body was launched backward before hitting the wall. Pain erupted at the base of her skull. Blood trickled down her neck.

She tried to stand but was immediately brought back down to the ground. Clenching her jaw, she crawled over to the orb of eldricite on the other side of the room.

The roof of the portal gate shifted as pebbles rained from above. The entire structure had been swallowed by Thorian's spell. Everything would come crashing down in a matter of minutes.

She continued crawling, ignoring the rocks digging into her skin as she made her way to the portal gate's control system. Once she arrived, she hoisted herself up onto the pedestal and rested her weight on the magical orb. After placing her hands on it, she closed her eyes and called upon the image from her vision.

The snow-covered mountains filled her head. She could feel the biting wind against her skin, the snow under her feet. The cold was so strong that it almost felt real. She focused on the feeling and let it spread throughout her body. To her arms. To her hands.

She opened her eyes.

The orb beneath her palms was glowing now. Grey light came from its core. The runes carved into the stone arch ahead of her were glowing as well. She could see the gateway to House Vaya beginning to form within its borders.

She was doing it. She was opening the portal.

"No!" Thorian roared. "Come back here!"

Behind her, Makaela could hear larger chunks of the roof crashing to the ground. A low rumbled sounded as the ground cracked and moved. Her knees buckled, but she supported herself using the pedestal beneath her.

She turned her attention back to the arch. The portal had finished forming. Wind howled beyond the opening. Tiny particles of ice shot out from the arch, filling the room with the cold from the Tibetan mountains. She relished in the feeling. Her escape was so close. Just a few more steps.

As she started to limp toward it, the pain in her head amplified. More blood was leaking from her wound. She felt like she was trudging through quicksand. Each step called upon more energy, more determination. More of her will to survive. Within seconds, her muscles were begging for relief.

But she didn't stop. She couldn't. Not when she was so close.

She continued forward until a spell hit her back. A scream left her mouth as she fell face-first into the ground. The magic tore through her shirt and skin, carving lacerations into the dark skin of her back. Blood dripped from the jagged cuts. Tears stung her eyes as she writhed on the ground.

Turning slightly, she spotted Thorian stalking forward with a sick smile on his face.

"Foolish girl," he mused as pieces of the ceiling continued to fall around him. "You're just like the rest."

Too much pain was overloading her senses for her to reply. It was taking everything inside of her to keep from passing out from the agony. She tried to move away from Thorian, but he pressed a foot into her already bleeding back. Muffled cries left her mouth as she shut her eyes. Warm tears spilled down her cheeks.

"You could have had everything, Makaela," he said. "We could have ruled this world together. The Light and The Black Lotus. We would have been unstoppable." He frowned. "Mauvorin was right to not trust you."

Mauvorin?

She squirmed underneath his boot until he lifted his root. Exhaling with relief, she rolled onto her back and propped herself up with her elbows. Panting, she struggled to keep her eyes opened as she stared at him.

Everything was starting to make sense now.

"You're not doing this to help our people," she said between wheezes. "You've been lying to everyone this whole time."

"Caught me." He then pointed a hand at her. "Sadly, you won't be alive much longer to tell the world."

She could see his violet mark pulsing with magic. It would certainly be a killing spell that would end her life. It was Thorian's signature. Scowling, she lifted her chin at him. If she were to die, she wouldn't let him know she was scared. She wouldn't let him know how terrified she was to never take another breath again.

She held in the tears and sported a brave face. It was the only thing she could do until the end came.

While Thorian prepared to end her life, two crimson orbs flickered in the darkness of the hallway behind him. As they moved closer, she realized they weren't orbs at all. They were eyes.

His eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Dorian emerged from the shadows and tackled Thorian to the ground. However, he wasn't in his wolf form. A long gash ran along his side. Dried blood stuck to his onyx skin. It didn't seem to faze him, though, as he easily managed to pin Thorian to the ground.

The two men grunted and shouted as they wrestled for dominance. Dorian punched Thorian repeatedly across the face until his knuckles were painted red. He pressed his forearm against the dark lord's throat before facing Makaela.

"Go!" he ordered. "Now!"

She climbed back to her feet and shook her head. "I...I can't."

"Go!" he yelled again while pressing his arm harder into Thorian's neck. The man clawed at the werewolf, but he didn't budge. "Please, Makaela. I need you to go."

She swallowed hard. "I can't leave you."

"You have to," Dorian said, his voice cracking. He started to speak again but was interrupted by Thorian kneeing him in the stomach. "Makaela, just go!"

She cursed and hobbled over to the portal. The sound of Dorian and Thorian continuing to battle filled her ears as she drew closer to the gateway. Thorian called after her, his ragged voice echoing throughout the building.

She continued forward, never stopping to look back.

The portal's magic surrounded her, embracing her like a hug from an old friend. Sobs racked her body as she shut her eyes. Through the hazy veil around her, she saw Thorian's silhouette standing above Dorian with his scythe in hand.

He swung it downward.

Dorian yelled.

Then she was gone, never to know the fate of the wolf that saved her life.