When he released me from his intense gaze, only Tohon’s tight grip kept me on my feet. I’d accepted my fate, but Kerrick’s impossible arrival had changed the game in one instant.

Tohon’s evil smile meant he’d figured it out, as well. “Such passionate emotions, my dear.”

“She’s not yours,” Kerrick said, striding forward.

“Protect,” Tohon ordered.

The ufas rushed to position themselves between Tohon and Kerrick. He didn’t hesitate. He chopped the closest ufa’s head off with one mighty swing of that curved sword.

Tohon stepped behind me and put his free hand on my neck. “Kerrick, stop or I’ll take her right now.”

“You’re going to do it anyway.” However, he checked his second swing, waiting.

“I’d hoped to play with her first, but you’re right. And now I get the pleasure of watching you while I pull her life force from her body.”

“Don’t, Tohon. What do you want?” Kerrick asked. Fear shone on his face.

“This. I want to take something from you. The man who had it all. Petty, I know, but I don’t care.”

Magic tingled along my throat. I concentrated on blocking it.

“Nice try, my dear, but I’m afraid our courtship is at an end.”

“No!” Kerrick yelled.

A powerful wave of Tohon’s life magic slammed into me. Inside, an ice-cold sensation grew from my core, countering it. Not my healing magic, but something else—different yet familiar. The freezing agony reminded me of the Peace Lily serum and how it had frozen the plague. But this time, it prevented Tohon’s magic from plucking my life from my body.

He threw me to the ground in frustration, then gestured to his ufas. “Attack them.”

Gray brindled fur leapt into action, obscuring my view. Six ufas against four, they might have a chance.

Tohon yanked me to my feet. “Time to go.” He whistled shrilly as he dragged me away from the fray. “You lied to me, too, my dear. A Death Lily didn’t save you from the plague, did it? It was a Peace Lily.”

“Yes.”

“And the serum is preventing me from plucking your life. No matter, a sword through your heart will work just the same.”

If Tohon dragged me back to his squad, whose crashing through the underbrush sounded quite close, I’d never see Kerrick again. Turning around, I caught a glimpse of Kerrick beheading another ufa. I stumbled. Pretending to swoon, I collapsed into Tohon.

He pushed me away. “You’re not the fainting type, Avry.”

When I staggered back, I grabbed his sword’s hilt and drew the weapon, pointing the tip at his chest.

“What do you plan to do with that?” he asked in that smug tone.

“Put it through your black heart.”

He scoffed. “You can’t kill. You’re a healer.”

I paused. He opened his arms wide. “Go ahead.”

Images of the dead soldiers and the children he’d experimented on flashed through my mind. He’d done such terrible, awful things to thousands. I drew my arm back and lunged. He jerked in surprise so the sword’s tip pierced the right side of his chest instead of the middle. It slid through his ribs, and I pushed until the bloody tip poked out from his back.

He stared at me with horrified shock.

“Overconfidence has always been your downfall, Tohon,” I said.

He dropped to his knees with a gurgle. Cellina screamed and rushed over. I stepped away, noting that she was unarmed and splattered with black ichor. She gathered Tohon in her arms.

Then Tohon’s men burst onto the scene.

Cellina didn’t waste time. She gestured to the ufa pack. “Help Sepp, bring him here now!” Cellina pointed at me. “Kill her.”

The sergeant in charge sent his men to fight the ufas while he drew his sword and advanced toward me. Oh, no. Unarmed, I backed away. He kept pace. I stumbled into a bush. The branches scratched my arms, but I didn’t care. Kerrick’s magic zipped along my skin. I glanced down. My body now blended in with the forest.

“What the hell,” the sergeant said.

Taking advantage, I dove to the side and went silent, finding a hiding spot. The sergeant chased after me but soon lost me. He eventually gave up and returned to join his men.

I crept closer to the fighting. Sepp argued with Cellina over Tohon’s body. Dead or alive, I couldn’t tell. When the last ufa was killed, Wynn and the eight armed soldiers turned on Kerrick.

He didn’t hesitate. The colors of the forest snaked up his body, and he disappeared. Seeing my chance, I snuck up on one of the soldiers, touched his neck and zapped him. I hit a second man, adding to the confusion. Then Kerrick attacked.

We had the advantage for a minute, but they rallied. Kerrick grunted as a sword bit into his leg. A soldier caught a handful of the back of my shirt and dragged me closer.

“Don’t be shy, gentlemen,” Kerrick called.

Huh? The man wrapped his arm around my neck. I touched his hand, sending a blast of pain. He yelped and pushed me away.

Suddenly, Loren, Flea and Quain joined the fight. It didn’t take them long to disarm the rest of Tohon’s soldiers. Kerrick dropped the camouflage, revealing us both.

Grins all around until Sepp stepped out from behind a tree. Before we could react, the death magician wrapped his hands around Quain, who was the closest to him.

“Drop your weapons, or I’ll freeze him,” Sepp said.

Kerrick, Loren and Flea obeyed, but Quain yanked his dagger out and stabbed Sepp in the leg. Sepp yelled but kept his grip and froze Quain. He toppled to the ground.