Glancing between Jeremiah and Kael, I say in a low voice, “I can’t bring back your wife, your mother. I can’t bring back my dad, or even Manning and Vanik. I can’t take back all the hurt you’ve caused my family and friends. But I can make sure you never do anything like this ever again.”

I look Jeremiah dead in the eyes as I finish, “You wanted a weapon? Here I am.”

It’s almost too easy to call forth the imagery. Almost too easy to see Jeremiah’s hand begin to move, to see his body obey my visualization until he’s sticking the uncapped syringe into his own flesh and pushing down on the plunger. Almost too easy to watch the blood draining from his face as the serum floods into his veins.

“Twenty-four hours, give or take,” I whisper. “But you won’t be awake for any of it.”

And with another thought, I hear a crunching sound from behind me as I free Cami from the frozen landscape, as she moves to my side and, shaky but determined, presses her hand against Jeremiah’s cheek and commands, “Sleep.”

I release him from my mental grip only so that he can fall limply to the ground.

Then I turn to Kael.

Another thought, and more glass crunches behind me. I don’t have to turn around to know Ward is getting to his feet. I don’t have to turn around to recognize the sound of the refrigerator door opening and the tinkle of a vial being pulled from the cold. I don’t have to turn around as I hear him approach and come to a stop beside me, handing over a syringe he’s already loaded with the serum.

I didn’t envision any of that. Like with Cami, all I did was free him; the rest was all him. All them.

To Kael, I say, “You took my family from me. You made me think I’d murdered my own parents, made me forget my own brother. You sent me to live in hell for two and a half years, and then you let me be cut open and—and harvested. All to make this.” I hold the syringe before me. My voice is hoarse when I finish, “You made me trust you; you made me think I was your friend. But all of that was a lie.”

Ward moves closer, a steady presence at my side, while Cami takes my free hand with hers, linking our fingers together.

I swallow the lump in my throat at their show of support and meet Kael’s midnight gaze, my voice stronger as I say, “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

I release only his mouth. As long as no one utters a Spoken command, he’s not a threat, his Destroyer ability having no power on its own.