The bridge creaked beneath her boots, and for a moment, fear took shape. Not for the danger she faced, but for what she could lose. Since the battle against the venin, something in Xaden had shifted. A part of him seemed to shatter every time she looked at him. His bond with the forbidden and deadly earth had become a double-edged sword. And though Violet loathed him for taking that risk, she could not dismiss what it meant. He had done everything to rescue her. Now, it was her turn.

As he reached the end of the bridge, there it was. Standing in front of a hidden entrance in the rock, Xaden held a small object in his hands, something that shimmered with a faint reddish glow. His dragon, Sgaeyl, cast its presence over him like a shield of shadows.

"What are you doing?" Violet asked, her voice trembling with a mix of accusation and supplication.

Xaden did not turn immediately. For an eternal moment, only the wind could be heard. Finally, he spoke.

"What I must do, Violet."

"What does that mean? To die?" The anger in her voice swelled, a shield to protect the fear that consumed her.

He turned around, and in his gaze there was something that chilled her blood. It was not fear, nor guilt, but acceptance.

—If it is necessary.