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“Calli.” I hear Alok’s voice and look up at him.

“Look.” He points down at Cade.

The dagger looks like it’s glowing. I rub my eyes again, questioning whether what I’m seeing is real or not.

But it begins to glow brighter. I grab Cade’s shirt and begin tearing the fabric away from the wound. It looks like red veins are sprawling from the wound. I can feel it. It’s magic.

“Kai? What’s happening.”

Cade’s entire chest begins to glow red, the neon light spreading across his shoulders, all the way down his arms and up to his neck.

“Cade?” I whisper hopefully.

“No!” I hear Gregor scream, and out of the corner of my eye I see him struggle under the pillars.

“They cannot be allowed to transcend!” Gregor says through gritted teeth.

Kai pushes up off the ground and I run to Cade. The veins have now spread all over his body and I pause. The moment the veins reach his cheeks, his eyes open.

Glowing red.

“Kai!” I scream.

I quickly back away in shock, everything seeming to come to an abrupt halt.

“How is this possible?”

“Blood must be spilled to transcend,” Kai says.

CHAPTER 42 KAI

Cade says nothing as he slowly stands, looking down at Calli.

“Cade?” she whispers as if she doesn’t believe it as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

He reaches his hand out and begins to caress her cheek. The room seems to close in around me— He seems… wrong. Anger begins to rise to the surface at the intimate interaction; it feels fake. I can’t gauge his intentions.

“You’re… alive.” Calli reaches for his hand, holding it gently. “How?”

Something is definitely wrong; Cade’s expression is blank.

“You— No!” Gregor stumbles as the concrete pillars begin to disintegrate.

I stand, shifting my stance to ready myself when I see Cade quickly move. Before I can process what I’m seeing, he grips Calli by the neck.

“He was right,” he says, looking down at her and glancing at me as he slowly pulls the blade from his chest.

“No.” My voice is nothing but a whisper, drowned out by the loud beat of my heart.

I watch as the dagger sinks into Calli’s chest. His movements are so fluid my mind lags, not registering what just happened. The soundless scream in my throat is lost to the agony of watching the life leave her eyes.

My feet move before I realize. I lunge at him, but he grabs my face and throws me to the ground so hard that my head cracks the thick marble floor. I lie there for a moment before I wipe the dust from my eyes and look up to see Alok’s face in shock.

“She will be fine,” Cade says in a monotone as he turns away from me and slowly walks to Gregor without a word.

“You filthy variants were never meant to exist! Disgusting half-breed, they will come for you,” Gregor snarls as he takes a single step back.

Cade grips him by the throat and lifts him as he struggles to squeeze out his words.