Mireya's POV
Kael's red eyes gleam in the shadows behind Lilith's witches.
Is he here to help us or betray us again?
Through the bond, I feel Azraeth's uncertainty. He doesn't trust his brother. But right now, we don't have choices.
"Last chance," Lilith says, pressing the knife harder against my mother's throat. Blood runs down her neck. "Come with me or watch her die."
I take another step forward, my hands raised. "Okay. I'll come. Just let her go first."
Lilith laughs. "Do I look stupid? You come here, let my witches bind your power, then I'll release mommy dearest."
It's a trap. Obviously a trap. But what choice do I have?
I glance at Azraeth. Through the bond, I send one thought: "Trust me."
His eyes widen slightly. Then he gives the smallest nod.
I walk toward Lilith. Her witches move forward with glowing chains—magic suppressors like the necklace my mother made me wear.
"That's it," Lilith coos. "Good little Dragon-Keeper."
The witches are three steps away. Two steps. One step—
I drop to the ground.
"Now!" I scream.
Kael explodes from the shadows. Red fire erupts from his hands, hitting half the witches before they can react. They scream and scatter.
Azraeth's shadows slam into the other half, throwing them against walls.
Lilith spins toward me, fury twisting her face. "You little—"
I blast her with black flames. She throws up a purple shield just in time, but the force of my attack sends her stumbling backward. The knife falls from her hand.
My mother breaks free of the chains and runs toward me. "Mireya!"
"Get behind me!" I shout.
Lilith recovers fast. She raises both hands, purple magic crackling around them. "You're going to regret that."
She launches a massive spell at me—purple fire mixed with dark lightning. It's more power than I've ever seen.
I throw up my black flames as a shield. The two magics collide.
Pain explodes through me. Her power is crushing mine. I'm not strong enough. Not trained enough. I fall to one knee, struggling to hold the shield.
Through the bond, I feel Azraeth's panic. He tries to reach me, but three witches block his path.
"Pathetic," Lilith sneers, pushing more power into her attack. "You're nothing but a weak little girl playing with magic she doesn't understand."
My shield cracks. Purple fire starts breaking through.
I'm going to die.
Then my mother does something incredible.
She runs in front of me and throws up her own hands. Golden light bursts from her palms—pure, powerful magic that I didn't know she had.
Her magic joins mine. Together, we push back against Lilith's attack.
"You have magic?" I gasp.
"Of course I do!" my mother shouts. "I'm Dragon-Keeper bloodline too! Where do you think you got it from?"
Our combined power drives Lilith's attack back, then shatters it completely. The explosion throws Lilith across the room.
She hits the wall hard and slides down, unconscious.
Her remaining witches see their leader fall and run. They vanish in bursts of purple smoke, abandoning the fight.
Silence falls.
I stare at my mother in shock. "You have Dragon-Keeper magic. You could have fought back this whole time. Why didn't you—"
"Because I was scared!" Tears stream down her face. "After your father died, after the angels hunted us, I swore I'd never use magic again. I thought if I stayed hidden, stayed weak, they'd leave us alone." She touches my face. "I was wrong. I was so wrong. And I'm sorry."
Through the bond, I feel Azraeth approaching. He's hurt—the witches managed to wound him before he took them down. But he's alive.
Kael appears beside him. "Well. That was fun."
"Why did you help us?" I demand. "You betrayed Azraeth before. Why should we trust you now?"
"Because Lilith captured your mother to lure you into a trap," Kael says. "And I need you alive for my plan to work." He looks at Azraeth. "I told you. The angels' purge will kill me too. Like it or not, we're on the same side."
"For now," Azraeth growls.
My mother grabs my hand. "Mireya, there's something I need to tell you. About the curse. About why Azraeth really needs you."
Ice runs through my veins. "What do you mean?"
She looks at Azraeth. "You didn't tell her everything, did you?"
Through the bond, I feel his guilt. "Mother, don't—"
"She deserves to know the truth!" My mother turns to me. "The curse isn't just killing him slowly. Every day without the completed bond, his curse spreads. And because you're soul-marked to him, it's spreading to you too."
The world tilts. "What?"
"The mark connects you. His curse is becoming your curse." Tears fall from her eyes. "If he dies, you die. But even if he doesn't die—even if you refuse the bonding ritual—the curse will eventually kill you both anyway."
I look at Azraeth. Through the bond, I feel the truth. He knew. He knew this whole time.
"You lied to me," I whisper.
"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you everything—"
"You let me think I had a choice!" Anger explodes in my chest. Black flames burst from my hands. "You let me think I could walk away from this!"
"There is no walking away!" His voice rises to match mine. "The moment the soul mark formed, we were bound! I didn't choose this any more than you did!"
"But you knew what it meant! You knew I was trapped!"
"Yes! And I would have told you when you were ready to hear it!" He steps closer, his golden eyes blazing. "You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to be tied to another human who'll probably die and break me all over again?"
His words hit like a slap.
Through the bond, I feel his real fear. He's terrified of losing me the same way he lost Morwenna. Terrified of caring about someone who might be ripped away.
The anger drains out of me. "How long?" I ask quietly. "How long do we have before the curse kills us?"
My mother answers. "Without the completed bond? Two weeks. Maybe less."
Two weeks.
Fourteen days to either complete this soul bond or die.
"There's more," Kael says. His voice is grim. "The angels' purge happens in three days. Which means you have three days to get strong enough to infiltrate their fortress, or everyone with demon blood dies." He looks at me. "Including you. Including Azraeth. Including your mother."
Three days to save the world. Two weeks to save ourselves.
I look at Azraeth. Through the bond, our emotions tangle together—fear, anger, reluctant acceptance.
"Then we'd better get started," I say.
Before anyone can respond, the cathedral shakes. Not from magic. From something much worse.
The entire building starts to crack. Stone crumbles from the ceiling. The floor splits beneath our feet.
"What's happening?" my mother screams.
Kael's face goes pale. "Oh no. She didn't."
"Who?" I shout over the sound of breaking stone. "Who didn't what?"
"Lilith." He points to where she was lying unconscious. She's gone. "She didn't run away. She activated a collapse spell before she left."
The cathedral is falling apart around us.
"We have to get out!" Azraeth grabs my hand.
But before we can move, the floor beneath us gives way completely.
We fall.
Down into darkness.
Down into what looks like ancient tunnels beneath the cathedral.
We hit water—ice cold and moving fast. An underground river.
The current grabs us and pulls us away from each other. I try to swim, but my wings are too heavy. I'm sinking.
Through the bond, I feel Azraeth searching for me in the dark water. But we're being swept in different directions.
"Mireya!" His voice is faint, getting fainter.
I try to answer but water fills my mouth. I'm drowning.
My lungs burn. My vision goes dark.
The last thing I feel through the bond is Azraeth's desperation.
Then nothing.