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“Disgusting,” Gregor says with a grimace, looking down at Calli as if she were a bug.

“Let her go!” Kai says with authority.

Gregor pauses, keeping hold of Calli’s hair as he sets her back on the ground. He glances between Calli and Kai, whose face is twisted in fear.

“You fool,” Gregor says almost too quietly for me to make out. “Falling for this abomination.” He laughs, the sound low as it echoes through the room. “Such a shame.”

He lifts Calli again, this time wrapping his other hand around her throat.

“Fuck you—” Calli chokes out as he begins to squeeze.

“Gregor, stop!” Alok pleads.

“Shut up before I have you executed, too!” Gregor spits out, staring at Calli struggling to breathe.

“Was worth a shot,” Alok says before jumping on top of Gregor, crawling onto his shoulders as he presses his index fingers into his eyes. The air stirs, growing turbulent as the ground trembles beneath us. The pillar beside Kai begins to shudder and crack, responding to his outstretched hands.

Gregor keeps hold of Calli, reaching around with his free hand to snag Alok’s horns, throwing him onto the ground so hard I feel the room shake.

I move, throwing the grimoire down and pulling out my gun, shooting him in the face. The bullets fall to the ground without impacting, and he turns to look at me—his face smoking from the heat.

“Now you’re just trying to piss me off,” Gregor says as he slams Calli against the floor, her head bouncing. She grips her throat, gasping for air.

I freeze as I see her look up at Gregor—rage in her eyes. I look to Kai to do something when I see Calli’s skin appear to shift and vibrate.

“I’m not dying that easy, asshole.” The free strands of her hair begin to stand on end and Gregor moves to grab her when he falls back as if something bit him.

“You little bitch!” He swings, slapping her across her face.

I lunge at him and am stopped by Kai; Alok is still struggling on the ground at our feet as he attempts to get up.

“Calli, stop!” I scream into the air.

I stand there stunned—helpless. She has to stop. It’s going to kill her, but…

She can hurt him.

“You fucking monster. They should’ve put you out of your misery years ago!” Gregor says to Calli, his expression cold and unfeeling.

He grabs her by the hand, but his face has a look of surprise. The room becomes heavy, as if all of us are stuck in place. I stare at Gregor; he doesn’t move—more like he’s unable to move.

I stare at Calli who begins to weakly stand, her hands in front of her as she takes a step toward Gregor. Sparks begin to fly in the air around them and Gregor’s eyes roll into the back of his head.

Calli’s nose begins to bleed. “Just die already!” Calli yells, her scream filling the room.

I try to move to her, to reach my hand out—but my body won’t obey me. I can only watch as blood begins to trickle down her neck from her eyes and ears.

“Calli! You have to stop! Please, you’ll die!” Kai pleads as he looks to Alok.

“Now! Together!”

The pillars tremble, then tear free from their foundations, launching across the room with the force of a hurricane. Wind howls, swirling violently as marble and stone crash toward Gregor. In the chaos, I catch sight of Calli’s face—blood streaming from her eyes, ears, and nose. She’s pouring everything she has into her power, and it’s killing her.

The pillars slam into Gregor, while the wind coils around him, tightening like a vise. He gasps for air, struggling as Alok siphons the oxygen from his lungs. Kai traps him within a barricade of shattered stone, sealing him in, while Calli’s magic holds him immobile.

“Calli, you need to stop!”

“He needs to die!”