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I should A part ofthe betrayal on Raffaele’s face But instead, I lead theeons As we near Teren’s chamber, Raffaele seems to slow in his steps, as if the very air around us exhausts hiy, and its effect is weighing him down

Beside him is Violetta She seeht, because she cannot stand on her own this io carries her He does so without ht fall apart At least she’s awake I force myself to look away froio waves away the guards posted on either side "No," he tells them when they start to follow us in, as they nore a hesitant look, but Sergio just gives thee hiio had sent word ahead of us that the Inquisitors posted inside the dungeon should leave today So the chamber is empty, the sounds of the ure in here sits crouched in the center of the rocky island, his tattered prison robes spread around him in a circle He looks up e enter The dark shadows under his eyes see hi, and when I look closer, I can see the brighter, wetter appearance of fresh blood as well

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Magiano asks as we gather at the edge of the moat "You can talk to hih both of us know the real answer "But we cannot travel with someone who iano doesn’t argue Instead, he gives my hand a subtle squeeze His touch sends a spark of warlances at Violetta I look at io’s shoulders She stirs, her face ashen pale, then lets Sergio help her step gingerly down Her energy lurches as she draws closer to me, and a cloud of fear hovers over her I can’t tell whether her fear is because of Teren or me--or us both Still, she doesn’t back away She turns her attention to Teren’s direction, closes her hand into a fist, and pulls

Teren’s eyes widen He lets out a sharp gasp, then hunches over, his hands clawing at the rock beneath hi well--it’s as if the air has suddenly been sucked out of s, and the threads that make up my body are pulled taut until they threaten to snap Teren lets out a soft groan, then looks at us again with hatred in his eyes

Violetta puts her arhtly; the lantern light in here highlights the treth to use her power? "He’s ready," she whispers

Sergio affixes the rope bridge that will take us across the moat Teren watches our approach, his eyes first on ers on Raffaele’s face I glance back at Raffaele, searching his expression for a reaction--but true to his consort training, he has resumed a calm state, his fear now a subtle undercurrent beneath a veil of steel He aze with his own level one If he has noticed Teren’s wrist wounds, it doesn’t show

"Well, Your Majesty," Teren says in his usual taunting tone, addressinghis eyes fro a chill down ht a mutual enemy with you this time Your tastes in torture seem to have evolved"

"He’s even friendlier than I reianoInstead, I wait until we have gathered a few feet away fro at the safe distance that Teren can’t reach in his chains

Teren’s eyes find ain "Why is he here?" he asks in a low voice

I turn back to Sergio and nod "Unchain him"

Surprise flickers across Teren’s face He stiffens as Sergio walks over, one hand resting on his sword hilt, and bends down to Teren’s wrists Sergio twists a key in the shackles They clatter one by one to the ground

I brace ed for eons--he ain now, even with his powers taken away But instead, he just pushes himself to his feet and stares at me

"What do you want now, little wolf?" he says

At the shore across the y reaches for it I let it strengthen ain "Haven’t you always hated the existence of the Elites, Teren?" I ask "Haven’t you always hoped to see us destroyed, taken to the Underworld?"

Teren doesn’t answer He doesn’t need to, of course--everyone knows his answers to these questions

"Well," I reply, "I think the gods rant your wish after all"

Teren’s eerie sods, Adelina," he says

"Do you want to hear more?"

Teren sneers at h that if he wanted to, he could reach out and seize my throat "Do I have a choice?"

"We can leave, of course You can go back into your shackles You can crouch here for all of eternity, never again seeing the light of day, never dying That is a part of your power too, isn’t it? Too strong, too invincible to die and end your own misery? What irony" I tilt my head at him "So Do you want to hear more?"