The clash of fragments sent a shockwave through the ancient chamber, hurling both Reed and Prince Tarrant backward as the crimson artifact pulsed with wild, untamed energy. Stone cracked beneath Reed's body as he slammed against a pillar, the impact driving the air from his lungs in a violent exhale. Blood trickled down his temple, warm and thick.
Through the dust and chaos, Reed glimpsed Tarrant rising to his feet with unnatural grace, golden light from the Monarch fragment enveloping him like a second skin. Behind them, the battle between Reed's warriors and Tarrant's forces had devolved into desperate slaughter.
"My lord!"
A familiar voice cut through the din—Shia, his shadow-touched assassin, who had slipped into the temple unnoticed during the confrontation. She materialized from darkness itself, her obsidian daggers slick with fresh blood. Reed had assigned her to track the expedition separately, a contingency he was now grateful for.
