Hormiz had been motionless, in shock since Rowan appeared, but slowly, he knelt down and picked up his mother’s ingot. It was still warm. He held the ingot to his chest, embracing her in death as he never had in life.

His mother died trying to rescue him. His mother. His mother died. No. Lilith killed her. It was all true. His parents never abandoned him. Lilith stole Hormiz. She was the monster.

And she had Zeke in her claws.

“Summon the Ivory Blade!” she screamed.

“Okay!” Zeke said through sobs. “Just don’t hurt him.”

Hormiz was too weak and scared to move. He just held Rowan’s ingot close and watched through helpless tears.

Zeke closed his eyes and focused. Soon the Ivory Blade appeared in Zeke’s hand, and Hormiz despaired, because he knew Zeke was about to die.

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But the blade slipped, cutting Zeke’s hand, and swayed to the ground. Before its long blade could touch the ground, the edge disappeared and reappeared above Lilith’s hand. It all happened in an instant. No sooner had the Ivory Blade appeared in Zeke’s hand before he used it to cut the Bone Gauntlet off at Lilith’s wrist.

As her hand fell to the floor, Hormiz had a vision. Hormiz remembered the story of his parents stealing Adam’s hand and escaping with two Blessings. Hormiz caught the Bone Gauntlet as it fell. Her hand fell out and hit the ground with a wet thud. Then Hormiz controlled several cainkin to pull Lilith away.

Lilith screamed in fury and set other cainkin ripping into Samaal’s flesh, tearing him apart. As he died, shadows exploded out of him, throwing everyone back.

Hormiz grabbed on to Zeke as they fell backwards. “Can you get us out of here?” He asked.

Zeke looked at him with grief and pride. He hugged Hormiz tightly. And suddenly they were in Lilith’s bathroom. They could hear her furious screams upstairs.

“Why are we here?” Hormiz asked.

“This is how Lilith stole you. And this is how we’re escaping,” Zeke stood, sniffling his nose and wiping away tears. He put one hand on the mirror. With his other hand he held Hormiz by the wrist. Hormiz’s hands were full with Rowan’s ingot and the Bone Gauntlet.

Zeke closed his eyes and concentrated, and suddenly they were pulled into the mirror.