I gritted my teeth against the draining pull in my gut. The longer the staff stayed active, the worse it got. I needed a solution–now.

Maya's sobs shook her frame, her small hands gripping my arms, sending sparks of pain through me. I had no free hand to comfort her, so I curled around her, trying to soothe.

“It'll be alright, Maya. I'll get you out of here.”

Her sobs pickedinly grew louder. “It's my fault we're here. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!”

Her words came out choppy, broken by hiccups, each one tugging at my heart.

“None of this is your fault, okay? Just breathe for me. We'll be out of this in no time.”

Once I figured out a plan, that was. We were surrounded. The staff wasn't working as it should, and the guards were useless. I couldn't lead the undead into the trap with them surrounding us, which left…nothing. I had nothing to use. Great.

Looking back at the wall, I froze. Silas stood tall above us, his regal cloak fluttering in the breeze. He smiled, his friendly mask gone, eyes gleaming with glee. A chill swept down my spine as his gaze pinned me.

“Well, this is quite the pickle you've gotten your new friend into, Maya. Shame you couldn't even do this one job right. Now you'll both die, and your beloved Aman will follow shortly.”

Maya curled closer, her face buried in my neck, another round of apologies wheezing out. My stomach turned, and I snarled up at Silas. “Shut your filthy hole! Anything she did was orchestrated by you. You're the one at fault, not her!”

He tsked, eyes narrowing. “Learn your place, peasant. You speak to a king–”

“I speak to a piss-poor excuse for a human who used a child as bait to save his own sorry hide! Get down here and fight me like a man if you're so tough. I'll put you six feet under and piss on your grave!”

His cruel smile slipped away. “I should expect no less from an otherworlder. Your kind are always so… uncouth.” He shrugged. “There's no need for such language. If you want to save young Maya and yourself, use your power. We even have the army trapped for you.”

The way he spoke, as if I should thank him, ground into my nerves like sandpaper. “Your guards could help, but you ordered them not to. Don't act like you're some benevolent ruler when you're a twisted tyrant, obsessed with some stupid power!”

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He didn't even know what exactly my power did, but his eyes shone with greed and desire.

“Don't act like I'm wrong to covet that strength and uniqueness. Otherworlders always have such delightful powers, and yours will be no different. Now hurry up and use it. Your mana is already fading, and soon, you won't be able to save yourself.”

Every instinct I had screamed not to give him what he wanted, but what other choice did I have? He had me trapped, and he knew it.

Maya clutched me tighter, her hiccups loud in my ears as the staff’s light flashed in warning. Exhaustion sank deeper into me.

The connection thinned, stretched like a rubber band until finally, it snapped.

Pain tore through my gut, and the staff's light went out.

The undead wasted no time. Clawing limbs reached for us, digging into Maya's back. She cried out, clinging harder to my neck. The world spun around me like a sickening carousel, blurring sound and color. My stomach heaved, and I barely avoided catching Maya in the bile that splattered the ground. She whimpered, and I held her tighter, fighting the fatigue. Damn it, if I'd known the staff would drain me like this, I wouldn't have bothered.

Staggering back, I gripped the staff and braced. Maybe I could make an opening for Maya to escape. If she survived, I'd consider it a win.

Before I could act, the sea of undead parted, and one was shoved to the front.

Its plate mail bore a moon symbol on the chest piece. It wasn't familiar to me, but Maya sucked in a breath and reached for it.

“Adan!”

Fuck, that was her father?!

She squirmed, fighting to get to him, and I tightened my hold. “Maya, don't. That's not your Adan!”

But she wouldn't hear it. “I know that armor. It is! It is!”

Hope lit her face, the undead raised its sword high above us, poised to strike.

Maya's struggles froze. “Adan?”

He showed no recognition, as expected, and I lurched sideways. His sword still dug into my shoulder. Pain scalded me, my blood flew, and Maya screamed.

“Adan, it's me! Stop! Please, stop!” Her cries fell on deaf ears as the undead raised its sword again. I couldn't dodge, and Maya was directly in its path. If that blade fell, it would kill more than just me.

I couldn't let the blade fall.

There was only one spell strong enough to take out so many opponents. Fast Forward. I hated giving that prick of a king what he wanted, but I had no other options.

If Maya and I were to have even the slightest chance at surviving this, I had to do this.

Reaching deep inside, I focused on the spell. Exhaustion came back with a vengeance. I'd already used my mana thanks to the staff, but that didn't matter. I would use this, even if it killed me.

Pain cut through my stomach like a hot knife. I shoved it aside, my focus only for the undead.

Opening my eyes, I looked at the hundreds of bodies surrounding us and sent the power out in a wave.

I swayed, dropping to my knees with Maya still clinging to me. Bile rose again, and I purged it, spitting out stomach acid.

The world dulled to a painful buzz until Maya's shriek cut through the haze.

Lifting my head, I watched as the army crumpled to dust.

And, starting from my fingertips, my left arm did the same.