Julio’s scream echoes through the cavern. Kai’s bow snaps under her weight as he tackles her to the ground. She holds him back with icy hands as he reaches for her throat.

Too late. I was too late to stop her. Too late to save Amber.

A faint glow bleeds from the center of the cavern. Chill rushes to Amber’s side as needles of light pierce her skin. Pulling her into his lap, he rolls her on her side, sharing his energy as he yanks the arrow from her back. She gasps awake. Marie and Poppy run to help him keep pressure on the wound.

Julio is a storm of rage. His arms shake as he holds Kai by her throat. A faint light flickers under her skin.

“Take it, Jack,” Julio says through gritted teeth. “Take the magic!”

Kai’s eyes fly wide. Her knee slams into his thigh, throwing him off-balance. She scrambles away from him, her chest heaving as Julio grabs her from behind. He takes her in a choke hold and turns her toward me like an offering. “Take it now, Jack!”

My magic brightens inside her, dangerously close to the surface.

I reach for the last knife in my holster. Kai struggles in Julio’s grip. My leg throbs under the tourniquet and the ground wavers beneath me. I could take my magic back. It would heal me. I’d be strong again. I could go after Doug and try to save Fleur. But I can’t do it. Not this way.

Breathe deeply and remember the lion that you are.

My hand pauses inside my jacket, the fabric heavy where the last smoke grenade and the transmitters we stole from Lixue and March are still tucked inside the pocket. Kai’s frost-obscured eyes find mine. Her hand slides into her own pocket as if she’s reaching for a weapon.

My fingers slip from the knife. Before I can talk myself out of it, I reach for the grenade, pulling the pin as I toss it at Julio’s feet. If he sees what I’m about to do, he’ll only try to stop me.

Julio leaps back as it rolls toward him. I dart for Kai before I lose sight of her in the thick white cloud of smoke. Her head snaps up as my arms come around her and I press my knife to her side. With a firm push, the blade sinks between her ribs.

Her back arches. My magic glows through her skin.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, slipping March’s transmitter around her ear. The red light blinks as Kai goes limp in my arms. Then she’s gone.

I drop to my knees, nothing left to hold me up as her magic—my magic—coalesces into a ball of light and soars away through the tunnels, hopefully making its way to March’s chamber, somewhere safe.