Nadir sat on the ground, tethered to the unconscious sister, both of them bound and gagged by the magic of virulence. He’d leashed those foul dogs to the stone floor, where they thrashed against their restraints, their teeth bared and their snarls filling the tight cavern.

Nadir struggled, too, shouting over the gag stuffed in his mouth, but the words were lost. Rion didn’t need to hear them to understand his vitriol. The dark loathing in his son’s eyes had been dragged from the deepest pits of the Underworld. Nadir had always hated him and with good reason. This hatred was borne from the most shadowed corners of the world.

Was Nadir in love with this girl? How deep did that love go? She was technically a Primary, and thanks to Cloris, Rion knew what had happened during that cursed bonding between Serce and Wolf, even if so few others did. Would Nadir give up a crown for love? Never, Rion decided. As much as Nadir might be loath to admit it, they were more alike than either wanted to admit. They were cut from the same cloth, and his son would never let anything get in the way of what he wanted.

Rion stared at Nadir and the sister, considering what to do as uncertainty stayed his hand. He could kill them both without a thought, but perhaps some weak, sentimental part of him lived in the deepest recesses of his withered heart. A father shouldn’t kill his son, no matter the misery he’d caused.

“Say goodbye to her,” Rion said instead. “I do hope you enjoyed whatever time you had together.”

“Mmmmppfff,” Nadir screamed against his bindings. He thrashed and bucked, but the restraints held on. They would dissipate in time—but by then, Rion would be long gone.

Not just gone but reunited with the woman that he loved.

Rion spun on his heel and continued deeper into the cavern until Nadir’s muffled shouts receded into the distance. Down, down, down Rion carried her as their surroundings grew darker and darker. He’d left the map Herric had directed him to create in his library, but he’d already memorized every step. The moment he knew Rachel was waiting at the end of this journey, he didn’t hesitate.

Rion used a ball of magic to light the way, but the oppressiveness of this place was enough to smother even his strongest magic. Whispers floated up from below, bouncing off stone walls and the inside of his skull. They were vacant and yet full of presence. They could only be souls of the Underworld calling him deeper. Deeper than he ever thought possible.