KATHERINE

We turned to watch them retreat, but I stepped back, separating myself from the other two. And as the tide of predators surged past them, I stripped away their protection.

Just as I had given it to them, I could just as easily take it away.

How naive Salvatore was—just a pathetic fool who had the blessing of being loved by a talented sorceress.

She had taught him a few magic tricks, and he already thought himself a master, even believing he had me under his control with his great power.

"Zanareth lûmen val’shara, tesh al’morath ven’dorei." I recited in my mind, my eyes glowing in the darkness, golden sparks flickering in my pupils.

"The protection I granted you now returns to me."

I extended my arm, catching the light that evaporated from their bodies. In an instant, everything shifted, and chaos erupted.

The hyenas caught the scent of flesh once more, their hunger driving them back into the hunt.

Their sharp laughter echoed through the mountain pass, and the carnivores bega