Celeste nodded, seeming to understand that Grim wouldn’t be joining them. “I don’t know what you needed from him. But I’ll help you with whatever it is. We’ll figure it out ... together.”
Together.She had ruined everything. But she believed Celeste when she said that they would find a solution.
“We need to hurry, then,” Isla said.
Celeste extended the needle toward her. “It’s a quick thing. We just pierce our skin with this.”
The bondbreaker’s cost was said to be at least a gallon of blood from a ruler. Isla wasn’t sure how the needle was supposed to hold that much. But perhaps it didn’t have toholdit. The needle likely made a puncture that wouldn’t close until they’d lost the required amount. Isla had brought her remaining healing elixir to close their wounds once they were done.
A crack sounded through the night. Isla whipped around to see that Grim had made a path through the tree hulls, quicker than expected.
They faced each other through the glass. His eyes widened in sight of the needle.
“Now,” Isla whispered, and Celeste stuck the needle into her own hand, wincing.
“Heart, no,” Grim yelled before she could do the same, loud enough to make her pause. He ran as fast as he could, hurdling through the door.
But Isla felt a sharp stab through her palm. It was done.
She cried out, something critical rushing through her, burning like smoke in her lungs, salt in her throat, sparks in her stomach. Only it wasn’t blood. It wasn’t anything she could see.
Isla turned to face Celeste. Her friend’s eyes had changed. They were darker, a deep silver instead of gray.
She grinned wickedly.
Isla froze. She didn’t recognize that smile. Celeste’s silver hair began to float around her head. Her back arched just as Isla doubled over, suddenly light-headed—her skin felt too thin, yet Celeste’s skin gleamedfar too brightly. The bondbreaker wastakingsomething from her and giving it to Celeste. Something important.
Grim grabbed Isla’s other hand, tried to pull her away from the needle.
And was flung back against the glass. ByCeleste.But her powers didn’t work in here—
The Nightshade thrashed violently against chains that looked like vines. His arms strained. Just then, the door crashed open once more. Oro stepped through. How had he found her? His amber eyes went straight to the bondbreaker, and he paled.
“Isla,” he said softly, looking more panicked than she had ever seen him.
Then he doubled over, falling to his knees. Was the island deteriorating again? But this was different. Grim slumped over at the same moment. Both weakened in seconds—like her. How?
Suddenly, she was shoved straight down to the stone, away from the needle. It fell to the floor just as her head cracked against the marble.
She blinked, vision blurred, and Celeste took a step toward her. Blood dripped from the puncture on the Starling ruler’s palm.
Six droplets.
One sizzled. One floated. One burst. One became dark as ink. One froze. One hit the ground and bloomed into a crimson rose.
Celeste’s blood contained abilities from all six realms.
Impossible.
It was as if she had just drained Oro and Grim of all their power. But she hadn’t even touched them ... and it didn’t explainallsix droplets ...
Celeste’s head fell back as she laughed. Her eyes met Isla’s, and she sneered. “You’re not very good at following rules, are you?”
Isla was frozen on the ground, mouth parted. She had a thousand questions and couldn’t form a single one, except for, “What?”
“You were supposed to stayawayfrom Grim, remember? I warned you ... and the king of Lightlark! You weren’t supposed to seduce him,that wasn’tyourplan, it was your guardians’...” She grinned. “Good thing I counted on you breaking the rules, little Wildling.”
Oro had managed to get on his feet somehow, though the color had completely drained from his face. He took a step forward, hand raised—
