Ember Frost’s POV

I had already gone through the agony of being reborn once before. That kind of pain was only physical—raw, brutal, but survivable. There was no reason to run from it.

This time would be different. Lunaris would bend to my will.

Whatever ease remained in Malachar's expression disappeared. His eyes hardened as he abandoned any pretense of restraint. The air around him seemed to tighten. A heartbeat later, he was moving toward me.

Good. So he finally understood—this ...