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“Stay awake,” he commands. “Do not let go of the portal.”

I struggle to keep him in focus, fixing on the hard line of his jaw. “You should have gone with your king.”

“Do not give me cause to regret saving you, Wolf,” Thalindor growls as he twists his body and plunges backward into the opening, taking me with him.

The last of the Opal magic rips from my veins as we leave the court, funneling into the smaller portal still held open in my hand. As we crash to the floor of the Dark Hall, I extend my arm toward the larger portal splitting the air at our feet, holding until the last of the Opal dust joins the ley line.

But the shard beneath my heart remains.

I reach for it, willing it to join the rest. Pain lances through my chest, but the shard only burrows deeper.

“Come on,” I gasp.

Wind tears through the hall, dragging dust and debris toward the open portal. Beneath me, Thalindor anchors me with one arm around my waist and the other gripping onto a table leg as the portal tries to suck us back through.

Across the hall, fae scramble for purchase.

I try once more, but the shard refuses to move.

“Wolf!” Thalindor roars.

With a gasp, I release the portal.

It snaps shut, the wind cutting off. The silence that follows bears down on my eardrums, profound after the court’s death wail.

Within my grip, the shattered remains of the mirrorway shrink, folding inward, until four silver rings circle my fingers, still humming with a link to the ley lines.

Exhausted, I collapse on top of Thalindor, my head thunking onto his silver-plated chest. Blood trickles from my nose and runs across my cheek. The warmth of it brings a strange rush of relief.

I’m still alive despite the impossible odds.

Reaching back, I fumble for Thalindor’s cheek and give it a pat. “Good job. Such a hero.”

He grunts. “Get off me, woman.”

Before I can try, Theron appears in my line of vision and lifts me from his guard. I groan and let my head flop onto his silver robes, smearing the pristine fabric with my blood.

“You survived,” Theron whispers, his fingers brushing my tangled hair back behind my ear.

The pointed tip twitches beneath his touch.

Oh, come on. Those stayed, too?

I don't have the strength to deal with that right now.

“Well, you did send Thalindor back for me,” I mumble. “Couldn’t let him fail his king.”

“Not I.” Theron cradles the back of my head, Silver threads seeping into me to dull the pain. “He stayed on his own after he pushed me through the portal. We will speak of his insubordination later.”

“A hero indeed.”

Beyond him, the rescued Nyt’Fall healers huddle together. They speak in hushed voices, hands touching faces and arms as if to confirm they live after being held prisoner for so long.

My consciousness wavers again, darkness threatening to reclaim me. Before I surrender to it, my arm lifts to circle around Theron’s neck, holding him close.

The Opal Court is gone.

Kelaros is gone.