*Rhys*

Blood dripped from my brow, mixing with the dirt and ash beneath me as I hauled myself up from where I'd been thrown—where Saoirse had thrown me.

My muscles screamed in protest, but the pain was nothing compared to the wrenching of my heart at the sight before me. Saoirse, her fiery spirit now a literal blaze of dark magic, stood surrounded by the terrifying splendor of the dragon staff's power.

"Please," I whispered through gritted teeth, my voice lost ...