Duja shook her head firmly, swallowing the lump in her throat. I cannot lose you too. “Fall back,” she told her. “Go to the palace. Take your sisters and⁠—”

She faltered and spun around. Chaos had broken out all around her. The rage that had overcome her mere moments before faded to blind panic. Her eyes widened in fear as she searched for her daughters. Amidst the mass of clashing bodies, she could not see Laya or Eti anywhere.

When she opened her mouth to call for them, booming thunder rolled overhead. She looked up. Black clouds blew in from across the Untulu Sea, shrouding the cliffs in darkness. The air above them cracked and sizzled. At last, Duja’s gaze fell on Laya. She was standing at the cliff’s edge once more. Harsh winds swept her hair from her face. When she raised her palm, lightning exploded in the sky behind her head. Its blue light flashed across the gold plates of her headdress.

“Your men are outnumbered, Imeria. You’ve lost!” Laya taunted, her voice echoing over the clamor of the battle raging on the cliffs.

Duja’s heart hammered. How was Imeria still alive? Desperate, she whirled around. Imeria was back on her feet, and she was making her way to her daughter. Duja lunged in Laya’s direction. She was too far. Imeria got to her first.

“Stupid girl.” Imeria let out a sharp, hollow laugh. “You know nothing of loss.” Before Laya could blast her back, Imeria grabbed her by the throat.

Laya fell to her knees with an earsplitting shriek. Duja stared, helpless, as Imeria sent tides of pain surging through her daughter’s skull. At the sound of the princess’s screams, the battle ground to an abrupt halt.

“Dayang!” a deep voice yelled⁠—Ojas. Duja saw him standing several feet away, not far from the edge of the cliffs. He thrust his sword into the belly of his opponent. The Kulaw warrior fell to the ground with a moan. Ojas leaped over his body as he rushed to Laya’s aid.

Across the cliffs, several other royal guardsmen followed suit. They ran to Laya, but before they could reach her, each and every one of them froze in their tracks.

Duja’s stomach knotted in dread. Imeria hadn’t kept her word. The precioso.

An eerie quiet overtook the cliffs. Laya’s storm clouds dispersed across the horizon. All around, the Gatdulas’ most loyal guardsmen froze where they stood. The whites of their eyes turned black as they fell prey to Imeria’s curse. The silence broke as swords thudded against the blood-soaked grass. One by one, they surrendered their weapons.