DAMIEN

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, freezing me in place. My breath came in sharp, controlled bursts, my gaze snapping to the unconscious figure sprawled on the floor. I didn’t want to believe him. It had to be another trick, another lie. The bastard was desperate, and desperate men said anything to save their skin.

But something about the way he said it—the crack in his voice, the way his eyes darted between me and her—made me pause.

“What did you just say?” I demanded, my voice like the edge of a blade. My magic pulsed around me, still coiled and ready to strike, but...