I suck in a breath. My vision tunnels suddenly, and all I can see is my beloved sister.
My chest heaves with heavy breaths now. I can’t get enough air. Can’t breathe.
Is this how it ends? God, how many times in a year do I have to come face to face with death? And it keeps getting worse and worse.
The life in my sister’s eyes dim, all energy seeping from her body, leaving only the magic. She’s given up. Retreated into her body. She can’t stop this anymore than I can.
Her eyes glow bright gold. This isn’t Liz anymore.
This is the jinn.
And she’s going to kill me. She has power I could never, ever stand up against.
Just like the cyclops thinks of the pixies as bugs to be squashed, I am a pest beneath their shoes.
Once, I hated and feared Jarron for his power. Now, it’s my own sister who I fear.
She is that power that’s too big for me to fight against.
She is a goddess.
I am human.
But I am not no one.
The jinn swipes out so fast I barely see it, and she crushes my upper arm in her grip.
I scream. My vision goes black as my bones shatter. I crumple to the ground.
So easy. So quick.
Vincent and the cyclops laugh as one, savoring my screams and both of our tears.
Standing before me is the jinn—powerful and cruel—but she is also Liz, and I believe in her. Beyond the terrible things that have warped her worldview and splintered her heart into pieces, she is still my sister.
AndI will always fight for my sister. It’s who I am down to my very core.
“I love you,” I tell her.
Her eyes flicker back to light blue. “Candice,” she begs. A sob racks her chest. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I tried. I tried. I’m sorry I lied. I’m sorry I trusted him. I tried to undo it. I tried to escape.”
“Shut up!” he commands her.
Her jaw tightens, eyes still pleading, but she obeys his command.
“I know,” I tell her. “I know, and I forgive you for all of it. I swear. It’s me and you against the world. Always remember that.”
She jerks in a silent sob.
Maybe I am weak. Maybe I am no one.
But I will never give up.
Purple sparks over the cyclops head again.
The hair on my arms stands. I feel it, the shift in the air.
All the power shifts to me.
