The dragon’s shadow blocked out the moonlight, covering every building around Peacock in the promise of destruction.

Peacock flattened against the stone and trembled. He’d heard about dragon attacks from Ferret, but Krinios hadn’t been a target. Did Cormac have something to do with this as well? No, Cormac was a self-serving snake, but surely, he wasn’t crazy enough to call a dragon to the city. Right?

Peacock tried to still his shaking as the dragon passed by. He’d barely drawn a breath before his earring started to burn.

“Ow!” Peacock grabbed at it, throwing it to the ground where it shattered into a hundred glowing blue shards. What the hell?

The dragon wheeled. Peacock’s heart dropped. It seemed Cormac was crazier than he thought. He glanced at the gate. If he ran, he might make it to the jungle before the dragon caught him. Maybe.

As if in response, the dragon landed between him and escape, a cloud of dust and debris billowing up as buildings in the way crumbled.

“You’ve caused far more trouble than you’re worth, Two,” the dragon rumbled.

Ice formed in Peacock’s veins. No.

Long quills pierced the dust cloud. Peacock’s skin to crawled in remembrance. Nex’s silver frame stepped toward Peacock’s hiding place, his worst scenario taken form. Peacock wanted to scream and run, yet his body refused to move.

I have to get away! He focused on the idea as Nex grew closer, white eyes blazing. All he needed to do was initiate whatever skill caused him to teleport out of Central Building. Come on!

SANCTUARY TELEPORT ON COOLDOWN

PERMANENT SANCTUARY NOT SET

Peacock’s plans shattered, along with his ability to form coherent thoughts.

Nex pulled a quill from his back and squinted into the shadows. He picked a spot, launching the quill like a javelin. It embedded in a wall the glowing remnants of the earring.

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Peacock’s whirling thoughts rubber-banded to a stop. Nex didn’t know where he was. He’d just caught a signal from the earring. All hail artifact orbs and stealth builds.

Nex grabbed another quill and took aim. “You could have been part of something amazing, Two!”

Thwunk

Peacock scooted further into the alley.

“You could have been a god, but not now. Now you’ll die, permanently.”

Thwunk

Peacock backpedaled more. All he needed to do was slip around the corner and out of Nex’s sight. Then he’d run.

Nex roared as another quill missed his target. “You’re nothing, Two! Nothing but a thorn to be burned away! I’ll hear you scream, just as Thirty-One did!”

Peacock froze. Alainn?

“She lasted longer than I expected.” Nex snorted. “Keeping the body alive is easy. The mind, though, the mind snaps so quickly for most. Not Thirty-One. I spent a week doing my worst, and still, she’d give me no answers. When I grew bored, I let One take over.”

Peacock’s blood boiled. Visceral didn’t deserve to touch Alainn.

Nex chuckled. He’d given up throwing quills in favor of pacing the street, taking out more buildings in the process. “I should have done so earlier. The things he did, Two. I’ve never heard such wondrous screams.”

Peacock cried out.

Nex was on him in an instant.

Stone bricks rained down, pelting Peacock, but nothing could come close to the pain of knowing what his escape had done to Alainn. He’d failed her. He’d failed to protect her from Nex, and now he would fail to stay alive long enough to take revenge.

Blinding light erupted all around, stamping out the vision of his impending doom.

“Run, stupid.” Ferret’s child-like voice came from in front of him. “Cormac sold us out to a dragon. Can you believe that?” He sighed. “Go. It’s after you, anyway.”

The light faded, replaced by thousands of sparkling dots. Peacock still couldn’t see, but he wasn’t about to squander Ferret’s gift. He scooted backward until he hit something hard, then turned toward the gate. Using his memory of the city to replace the lack of sight, he shot forward and hoped Nex’s destruction hadn’t altered his course too much.

The sparkles in Peacock’s eyes stopped as he slammed into a wall. He hit it with an oomph. Pain erupted in his snout, a metallic taste filling his mouth. Where’s the gate? It should be right here!

Blood rushed in his ears. A quick glance showed the wall he’d hit lay at an odd angle, detached from whatever building it once was a part of. The upper edge barely topped Peacock’s height. The city’s gate, and his freedom, towered behind it.

Peacock scrambled over the wall, hitting the ground on the other side just as a high-pitched scream cut through the air, followed by a dragon’s infuriated roar. Peacock clamped down on his mind’s attempt to understand what had happened. Not now.

He was out the gate and into the jungle, the sound of flapping wings and his life near the city disappearing behind him.