He tilts his head to the side, slow and birdlike. “But their descendants yet live.” He tosses the mask to the ground and steps toward me. I retreat, the wall pressing into me from behind. He stops with only a few feet between us. The brilliant green of his eyes is flecked with bits of black now. “Your family, my dear Miss Ballinkay, are the descendants of our enemies. And I will see them removed from this earth.”

The black spreads fully across his irises, and my heart plummets to my stomach.

Everything happens so fast. Fin lifts a hand, pressing me against the wall with his telekinesis. An invisible pressure crashes down on my throat, cutting off the air. The house shudders. Then a luminous form barrels through me, sending a chill streaking along every inch of my body. It slams into Fin, knocking him to the ground.

Gasping, I fight to regain my breath as Max solidifies before me. His face says it all: Run!

I skirt around Fin and shoot out the door, Max in my wake.

I have to find Colin.

Chapter 28: Colin

Kaden is as quick as I expect him to be, but this time I’m quicker. It’s all he can do to parry my blows. Our blades clash and the song of the Saint Knives fills the hall. Kaden hardly looks bothered by it.

When I clang them together, he only grins. I hit them again, and his form shifts like that day on the bridge, going from human to wraith in a flicker.

“My soul has absorbed my host’s,” he says through rows of needle teeth. “All that sound does is annoy me.”

I lower the knives. “That’s fine. I’d rather defeat you myself.”

“Why bother?” He lifts his blade. “Everyone you care for is dead. Your parents. Your brother. Even the little psychic.”

Everything in me goes cold. Kaden takes the opportunity, lunging for me. His knife clips my bicep and I grit my teeth, barreling straight back at him.

He deflects my first strike, but I follow through with my foot and catch him in the ribs, sending him stumbling. Had he just said that to put me off guard? My heart feels like it’s everywhere, drumming against my skin, urging me to hurry.

Kaden regains himself and flips a blade at my chest. I strike it from the air and release one of my own in the same movement. It buries in Kaden’s shoulder. He howls, the arm going limp, and I summon my knife back to my hand.