bChapter /bb104 /b

    bra’s /bPOV

    I couldn’t bear my eyes away from the scene unfolding before me

    Thome’s hands were still poised in the air, the echo of his victory ringing in the air. But then… something impossible happened.

    bLance /bdidn’t crumple to the ground like he should’ve. He didn’t die.

    He stood there, and in one horrifying motion, his hand shot up to his own neck.

    The crack of bones was unmistakable. ra froze, staring. What was happening?

    Then Lance did something even more terrifyingb–/bhe twisted his neck back into bce/b. The sickening crack echoed in the tense silence.

    “What the actual hell? Raelen whispered under his breath, his eyes wide, a mix of disgust and awe

    Lance only smirked, his voice dripping with casual indifference. “Well, that was unnecessarily rude,” he muttered, adjusting his posture like he’d just

    shrugged off a minor inconvenience

    The group of us stared, mouths agape, as Lance casually adjusted his cor. He grinned, a predator circling us with his eyes

    Thome narrowed his eyes. “What are you?”

    Lance let out a soft chuckle. “What am 12” He shrugged, nonchntly. “Well, I’m a werewolf, Just like byou/b. The only difference is, I’m a rogue… and bthis /bis my kingdom”

    His words hit harder than the blow Thorne had just delivered. “bYou /bhonestly think you can kill me in my ownnd? The King of all rogues?”

    The weight of his words sank into me. The Rogue King, was immortal?

    Impossible. It couldn’t be. But there he bwas/b, standing tall band /bunfazed, like he was indestructible.

    Confusion washed over me. How could he be immortal? If that was true, then why had the former Rogue King died? None of this made sense. Nothing in this bforsaken /bnd made sense.

    My heart pounded in my chest. How had things gotten so out of hand?

    Lance’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “So… what do I do with you now, my dear guestsb?/b”

    I nced at Thorne, my mind racing. What were we supposed to do now? Retreat? No. But fighting seemed pointless.

    If we ran, Bex’s death would be in vain. But attacking again? Lance couldn’t be killed–not like this.

    The air was thick with tension, and I felt the weight of a thousand unsaid words. Just when the silence became unbearable, ba /bvoice from behind me shattered it.

    “I surrender.”

    froze, my blood running cold.

    Whatt

    I spun around bso /bfast i nearly stumbled, my eyes locking onto Jory.

    “What the hellb?/b” I snarled, my voice trembling with disbelief. “What the hell did you just say, bJory/bb?/b”

    DU

    wed, su JUI

    This… didn’t make sense. Jory? He was one of us. He’d stood by me when everything was falling apart. He’d trusted me. But now… now he was pledging allegiance to the very thing we were fighting against?

    Jory, ever so calm, stood taller, his bback /bstraight. “I pledge my loyalty to you, my King”

    I couldn’t breathe. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical wound. My pose thundered in my ears, and could barely enreprehend the wordsing out of his mouth,

    “You you bastard!” Raclen’s voice was raw withy. His eyes were bloodshot, the fine of betrayal consuming him. He charged toward Jory, fists clenched, but Thorne grabbed his anm, holding him back.

    “Jory, how could you do this?” Ralen’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “How could you betray us! ra trusted you. She believed in your

    Jory finched, a flicker of something in his eyes that i couldn’t decipher. But he didn’t finch away from Palon’s usation. He stood still, the look of hurt in his gaze deepening.

    “I surrender, my King” he repeated, his voice barely shove ba /bwhisper.

    Raelen was trembling now, rage bubbling beneath the surface. “You want to surrender now? Aher everything?” His voice cracked. “Do you remember how ra defended you? She brought you in! She trusted you!”

    But Jory didn’t respond. He just… stood thereb, /bhis body trembling as he continued to bspeak /bin a low, strained voice.

    b“/bbI’ve /balways been a rogue,” Jory bsaid /bquietly. “I’ve always been one of them.”

    I couldn’t even process the bwords/b. My chest tightened, my breath catching in my throat as Jory’s truth crashed over me. I’d known somewhere deep inside–that there was something about himb, /bsomething I hadn’t seen before, But now… now, it was toote.

    Lance pped his hands, the sound sharp in the stillness. “Well, well, well,” he said, his bvoice /boozing amusement. “What a nice surprise. Wee home.

    Jory.”

    I didn’t bknow /bwhat to say. How could I? The person I thought was one of my closest allies… was gone. Just like that

    Jory met my eyes onest time.

    “Don’t,” I murmured, the tears threatening to spill over “Don’t do this. Don’t make me lose another bperson/b, Jory”

    bBut /bhe didn’t respond. He simply nodded, before stepping forward to join Lance. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

    “Sorry,” Jory muttered, his voice soft.

    Before I could react, he moved swiftly, and in one fluid motion, knocked me bto /bthe bground/b. My world went ck, and everything went dark,

    When I woke bup/b, I was in the back of ba /bmoving vehicle. My head throbbed painfully, the sharp ache feeling like it had been sliced clean in half

    I groaned, struggling to push myself upright. Arge hand gripped my shoulder, steadying me

    I snapped my head around and found Thome sitting beside me. His presence was afort I hadn’t realized I needed.

    “Oh my God,” I gasped, throwing myself into his arms. “Thank God you’re okay was so afraid.

    I hadn’t known Jory would turn on us so suddenly. I’d never seen iting

    Even though I knew Thorne could hold his own, the bfear /bhad been suffocating. To see him safe, to hold him again, felt like a weight lifting off my chest.

    He kissed my forehead gently, his voice soft, I’m fine, ra. Don’t worry

    I buried my bface /bin the cor of his jacket, tears stinging my beyes/b. “I’m sorry.” whispered, my voice shaky. “I’m so sorry I should’ve seen it I should’ve

    knownb.” /b

    11:50 bWed/b, 30 bJul /b21 G (D

    Thome’s hand stroked my hair, soothing me. “It’s okay. Don’t me yourself.”

    But I did me mysell. The betrayal, the confusion–it was too much,

    I pulled away slightly, wiping thy eyes “What now? Where are we going?”

    Thorne turned to the window and lowered it, gesturing for me to look outside. Thendscape outside was harren, a scorching desert stretching endlessly.

    He spoke again, his voice bquieter /bnow. “See for yourself.”

    I leaned forward, squinting against the harsh sunlight. In the distance, a dark outline of a city loomed.

    “The Grace Ruin,” I whispered, my heart sinking.

    “Yep.” Thome replied. “Lance brought us bhere/bb./bb” /b

    I turned to him, confusion clouding my thoughts. “But why? Why bring us here?”

    He sighed, a distant look in his eyes. “I don’t know. But it fits with our n. A lot of answers will be waiting for us here:

    I nodded, my mind racing. There were so many questions, so many thing I needed to understand. But one thing was certain we were about to find the answers we were looking for.

    And maybe, just maybe, we’d find a way to kill Lance.

    E