“Your life is all that matters to me,” he replied fiercely. “Whatever happens, survive or kill me again to travel back.”

Go back to a time even farther back? Risking this future? If anything changed farther back, they might not reach this moment a second—third—time. No, Aveline had to die this round.

He waited until she’d responded with a curt nod, then stalked to Zion’s side, as requested.

Nola steeled her resolve and—

Aveline teleported into the tunnel, just as before. Before the other woman had time to gain her bearings, Nola blocked out their audience, released a war cry and lunged at her opponent.

Using the skills Bane and Zion taught her, she treated Aveline’s thigh as a step stool, swung a leg around her shoulders and hooked a knee over her throat. Then, Nola dropped her upper half forward, swinging down and flipping Aveline to her back.

The second the other woman crash-landed, losing her breath, Nola was on top of her, whaling. The gauntlets protected her knuckles from Aveline’s teeth, while the claws shredded her flesh. Knew I’d need them.

Aveline tried to buck her off and flunked. F-, bitch.

Hold up. No, Aveline hadn’t bucked. She’d maneuvered her legs up. Now, she crisscrossed those legs around Nola and thrust her to the ground. Immediately Aveline rose up, reversing their positions. With her knees pinning Nola’s shoulders, she whaled on Nola.

Stars flashed through her vision, and nausea churned in her stomach. Adrenaline surged, helping to obstruct the awful sensations. When Aveline’s next series of punches rang her bell, one of Nola’s eyes swelled shut. Dizziness consumed her, but so did another idea.

As a queen, she had more power than she’d had as a princess. To teleport, she had only to think where she wanted to be.

Whoa. What was that?

Aveline had placed her hot hands on Nola’s cheeks. Pain spread, followed by frigid cold.

Understanding dawned. She’s draining me to death.

Nola attempted to teleport. Failed. Simply too weak. Need strength. How?

Bane!

She retreated into her mind, found their link, as well as her link to the hybrids. She began to draw from their strength. Something I can do, but she cannot.

Aveline had made a huge mistake, coming to Earth. She couldn’t draw from her warriors back home, couldn’t draw from Nola’s warriors, either.

Nola grinned. Before she fed Aveline any more energy, she executed a perfect teleport—behind the wicked witch of the hive. The other queen crashed to the floor. Before she could teleport herself, Nola punched into her back, through her rib cage, and ripped out her still beating heart.

As hot blood coated her hand, Aveline went lax.

Nola fizzed with power. I did it! I won!