Silas’s flame barrier grew larger every second. Tents caught fire. A Domain - it explained why he had the balls to camp in a forest full of abominations. But unlike the Domain protecting Nivisara castle, this one seemed incomplete - even lesser than the Crawler-Snake’s Domain. It could cover the entire camp, but its limits were unknown.

  Kai’s backstab had cost Silas essence. He wouldn’t expand his Domain to the edges of the camp if he was smart.

  Either way, it was enough to turn both Kai and Alira to ash.

  They needed a plan fast. Otherwise, Silas could escape, attract powerful abominations, or burn them to cinders. All bad outcomes for Kai’s goal of getting the Frozen Tear.

  Sweltering heat spread through the camp. The air thinned.

  Kai stood beside Alira, studying the barrier, searching for a weak point. He found none, but that didn’t stop him smiling. They’d turned three against eleven into two against one. He was brimming with soul essence. The blood of his enemies had refuelled his carnivorous suit. It was a matter of time before they grasped victory, or died.

  Three ways forward.

  One: wait for an opening when Silas attacks. Hope he exposes himself. That was a long shot. Silas was wary and wouldn’t let his guard down again. Missing could create new, existence-threatening problems.

  Two: endure until Silas ran out of soul essence. Kai was the best bait for the job, but that’d rely on Alira dealing the final blow. Piercing space was effective, but he could miss in the heat of combat. And the potency of Alira’s sword was unclear.

  The last method was the most dangerous, but Kai could pull it off.

  Three: walk through the fire. He’d rely on his suit’s protection and his healing ability to make it out in one piece. Risky, but not impossible.

  He tracked the expanding flame sphere as he spoke. “Your sword. Can it kill him?”

  “I commissioned this blade with the Ashvales in mind,” Alira said. “I can hurt him in his flame form.”

  Kai’s grip on his sword tightened. “I didn’t ask if you could hurt him. Can you kill him or not?”

  She took a moment to respond. That was answer enough.

  “I think so,” Alira said.

  He scoffed. “Then it’s Plan C.”

  “Plan C?”

  “He can’t stay in that barrier forever. He’ll have to release part of it to attack, or he’ll burn through his soul essence and serve himself to us on a platter.”

  “And that helps us how?” Alira said.

  “If he’s smart,” Kai said, “he’ll maintain the barrier to cover his blind spots, but he won’t expect someone to be crazy enough to walk through fire.”

  “And you’re that crazy.”

  They took several steps back as the surrounding heat intensified. Silas took a step toward them.

  “I have a plan,” Kai replied. He looked at her briefly before his focus returned to the flames. “Can you… can you create an ice layer over my body? To protect against the fire?”

  She frowned. “It’s possible. But dangerous. It’s just as likely I’ll turn you into an ice statue.”

  Suit, can you handle her ice?

  A smug confirmation thrummed in the back of his mind.

  “Freeze the suit.”

  Alira’s brows drew together.

  The flame sphere’s front section thinned.

  “He’s gonna attack. We don’t have much time. Trust me,” he urged.

  Alira grabbed his arm, then pressed her palm to his chest. An otherworldly chill seeped into his bones like countless small daggers piercing his nerves. He clenched his jaw through the pain. His breath became visible in the heated air. He grew colder than he thought possible, but it was a small price to pay.

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  “Thank you,” Kai said through gritted teeth.

  The Domain’s front vanished, exposing the man-shaped fire. His sides and back remained protected by the flaming sphere. He charged forward, his burning blade descending toward Kai. He deflected his strike with the dark blade and the second parry technique he’d stolen from Alira. Reality ripped.

  He emerged behind Silas’s burning Domain, leaving an Echo in his place. Fire blocked his vision of the ongoing battle, but his spatial senses outclassed any sight.

  Silas struck again. The echo faltered. The flaming blade cleaved it in half. As the Echo fell, Alira’s sword arced toward the man-shaped flame. He was too slow to dodge or counter. Her sword passed through his flaming torso, freezing parts of the swirling fire solid. He stumbled back.

  Alira moved to press her advantage, but Silas thrust his hand forward. A stream of fire surged toward her - another ability a Marked shouldn’t possess.

  Alira raised her arm to protect herself. Kai hoped her defence was strong enough to endure the heat.

  Silas’s attention locked on Alira. A mistake.

  Kai wanted to step through space and avoid the flaming Domain, but teleporting where he couldn’t see was beyond his ability. He had to burn.

  He steeled himself and stepped into the fire. The deathly cold permeating his body melted. His suit throbbed, then began evaporating. Scorching flames licked his flesh. His eyes boiled in his head, gelatinous fluid sliding down his face. His skin cracked and crumbled.

  The pain was unspeakable, but Kai stayed silent. Screaming would ruin the opportunity his suffering bought. He pushed through the flaming sphere, pushed through the fear of death, pushed through the searing pain.

  The surrounding heat lessened. He was through the wall. With his eyes gone, he couldn’t check his condition, and he was sure he wouldn’t want to. His spatial senses pinpointed Silas. He poured soul essence into the black sword, compressed and expanded space, then drove the ominous blade into his target.

  A guttural scream reached what remained of his ears. The heat faded. Kai’s legs gave out. The ground offered a harsh greeting.

  “Kai!” Alira shouted.

  Good. She’s still alive.

  He opened his mouth to assure her he’d be alright. No sound emerged. His tongue had burned away. He used his hand to signal her with a thumbs-up instead. A cool, slimy substance slid over his body. His suit?

  “How are you alive?” she said.

  A hollow laugh echoed.

  “You sacrificed yourself for this harlot. Insane. Foolish,” Silas croaked. He sniffed. “The Nivisaras are done. Without Seraphina, you’re a joke. Prince will—”

  A squelching sound cut Silas off - steel piercing flesh.

  “Blood,” Alira said. “You need blood, right?”

  Kai offered another thumbs-up.

  Her footsteps grew louder. Metal scraped through dirt. She was dragging something. Someone. Silas.

  He felt something coursing into his suit - blood. His ravenous suit took the hint, enhancing his healing abilities and reforming itself with the excess essence. His eyes were the first to reform, unfortunately.

  Alira held Silas’s corpse above him, his throat carved open, blood pouring from the wound.

  The polished armour reflected someone he didn’t recognise. His bare skull was exposed. His flesh squirmed and undulated, working to recreate his face.

  He glanced down. His hands were nothing but bones. The little finger on his left hand was missing. Fragments of his gloves remained, attempting to weave themselves back together.

  Kai tasted burnt flesh. His tongue had returned.

  His gamble paid off - though it wasn’t something he’d want to try twice. He grimaced.

  “I’ll survive,” he rasped. “Thanks for the blood.”

  Alira’s eyes widened. She dropped the corpse beside Kai and fell to her knees.

  “How?” She shook her head, shifting her gaze away from his writhing flesh. Her jaw clenched. “You should be dead.”

  “I appreciate your kind words,” Kai said.

  Alira met his eyes - her gauntleted fist hammered his chest. “Fool! This was your plan? Burn to a crisp and end up half-dead?”

  A gentle warmth spread through his body. Whether it was from his healing or Alira’s concern, he couldn’t tell. Strength returned to his limbs.

  Half-dead. She doesn’t know how right she is.

  “I can heal,” he said.

  “You can die,” Alira retorted.

  He doubted that. Would his father, Death God, let him die in the Darklands?

  Kai’s recovery took a few minutes. Fast - considering he’d been a scorched skeleton moments before. His mind sharpened. He studied Alira. A minor burn marred her cheek. She must have used her ice to protect herself from Silas’s fire stream. Smart - she stole his idea.

  He reached out and placed his palm against her cheek. Her brows rose. Soul essence rushed toward her, healing her burn in seconds.

  He retracted his hand and pushed against the scorched grass to sit up. “Now we’re even.”

  Alira grabbed his shoulders, arms tensed as though she didn’t know whether to push him back down or help him up. She held him in limbo. “You almost died. Don’t move so fast - you need to rest.”

  Kai smiled. “Rest is for the dead. Search the camp. I’ll join you in a minute.”

  “You want me to leave you here?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Alira clicked her tongue and pulled him into a seated position. “Fine. Don’t die.”

  Kai chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”

  He’d sensed Rusk and Shadow moving toward them already. He needed Alira busy for what he planned to do next, but he also needed protection. His next task would leave him vulnerable.

  Alira rose and moved to search the charred tents.

  Kai stood on shaky feet and steadied himself. He’d healed most of the damage, but his little finger hadn’t returned. He was running out of time.

  “All done?” Rusk asked as he and Shadow closed in.

  Kai faced his reliable partner in crime. “Not yet. I need your help.”

  Rusk shrugged. “Have I ever let you down?”

  Kai snorted. “If this goes wrong, you’ll be answering to my father.”

  Rusk smiled. “Finally, a chance to meet him!”

  Kai shook his head. “I might pass out. Wake me if you can. If I stay down, protect me and distract Alira.”

  Rusk nodded.

  Kai’s gaze fell on Silas’s corpse. He spoke in a language no human could utter.

  “Rise.”

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  The necromancy journey begins! What kinda undead shenanigans are you looking forward to seeing?