Kenzie and Annwyl darted back. “Keirran, stop!” Annwyl cried, raising her arm. Glamour swirled around her, but the Iron Prince turned, flinging out a hand toward her. A vicious gust of wind sent her tumbling off her feet and sprawling against the stones with a gasp. Keirran smiled grimly.

“You might be immune to glamour now, but I’m afraid your friends are not,” he said, and gestured again, sending Kenzie stumbling back. “And I would like to keep the interference at a minimum this time, so...”

I started toward Kenzie, ignoring the prince, but the shadows around us suddenly came alive. Forgotten emerged from the darkness, yellow eyes gleaming, and slithered toward the girls. Two pounced on Annwyl, dragging her upright by the arms, and another pair seized Kenzie. Razor shrieked and lunged at one with fangs bared but was slapped away and hit a statue with a tiny but sickening crack. He dropped to the stones, moaning and holding his arm, and the Forgotten pulled Kenzie against the wall, ignoring her cries of protest.

Furious, I went for the Forgotten holding Kenzie, but a line of glittering ice spears rose from the ground between us.

“The fight is here, Ethan,” Keirran called in a mocking voice. “Unless you’re afraid to fight me one-on-one. No Titania to save you this time.” I whirled on him, snarling, and he smiled. “No interruptions now. Just you and me.”

“Fine,” I growled, brandishing my sword. Anger, fury and hate boiled up as I faced my nephew across the flagstones. This was it. The final battle between me and the Iron Prince, and I was ready. No more holding back or trying to talk him down. This had been coming since the day we met. “Come on, then, Prince,” I said, curling my lip into a sneer. “If this is the only way to stop the war and save the Nevernever, then I’ll just have to kick your ass all the way back to your precious Lady.”

He grinned and lunged at me. I met him in the center of the courtyard, the clang of our weapons ringing off the stones. We swung and parried with our blades, barely missing each other, the razor edges coming uncomfortably close. Keirran had only one sword to my two, but his speed and unnatural grace made up for it. Plus he had been trained by Ash, one of the best swordsmen in the Nevernever. I knew it was only a matter of time before the blood started to fly and fleetingly wondered who would draw it first.

I had my answer about five seconds later. Keirran dodged a vicious swat to his head, darted in and stabbed me in the arm with the point of his blade. The cut wasn’t very deep, but pain flared across my forearm as blood welled and dripped to the flagstones.

A shiver went through the air as I grimaced and staggered back, and the entire world rippled like the surface of a pond. Kenzie gasped, and Keirran lowered his blade, smiling.

“Do you feel that?” he whispered, gazing up at the sky. “It’s happening. The Veil is unraveling. Every drop of your blood weakens it a little more. And when you die, it will finally fall. Humans will finally be able to see us, fear us, believe in us again.”

“Are those really your ideals, Keirran?” Kenzie demanded from the wall, still struggling with her captors. “Or is that the First Queen talking?” When he didn’t answer, she pressed on. “I thought so. I don’t think you even know what you want, just that you have to follow this path because of some stupid prophecy. Well, that’s bullshit! There is always a choice, Keirran!”

“Silence,” Keirran growled, gesturing at her, and one of the Forgotten covered her mouth with a hand. “Both of you,” he added, and the Forgotten holding Annwyl did the same. “Your constant protests are becoming tiresome, and I’ve already made my choice. If you don’t mind, I would like to kill my uncle in peace.”

I lunged at Keirran with a snarl, fury and desperation hot in my veins, and Keirran stepped forward, his eyes murderous. Our swords clanged and screeched in the grim silence, echoing off the walls. We fought viciously, both giving no mercy or quarter. I lashed out and scored a nasty cut across his cheek. He responded with a stinging gash below my ribs. More blood spread across my shirt, warm and sticky, and the world wavered with every drop that hit the ground.

Lunging in, I smacked Keirran’s sword away and stabbed deep, hitting him in the shoulder right below his collarbone. Grimacing, Keirran stumbled back, throwing out a hand, and a flurry of ice daggers came at me and veered away. I smiled grimly.

“Still immune to magic, Prince. Or did you forget?”

He glared stonily, holding a hand to the wound. “No,” he said. “But that’s a very annoying talent you’ve picked up.”

Sneering, I raised my sword. “Aw, what’s the matter, Prince? Can’t face me in a fair fight? Sad that you actually have to get your hands dirty?”

His glare grew colder. “Don’t push me, Ethan,” he warned in an icy voice. “I can kill you anytime I want. I thought, for family’s sake, I would do it the honorable way. But if you insist, I can be the heartless demon you think I am.”

“Really?” I stepped forward. “Then give it your best shot, Keirran.”

“As you wish.”

He raised his arm, and ice spears formed in the air, pointed and lethal. “Just remember, you pushed me to this,” Keirran said, and swept his hand down...

...at Kenzie.

My heart lodged in my throat. I watched, helpless, as the Forgotten holding Kenzie vanished into the wall, a moment before the flurry of ice spears slammed into them. The spears shattered against the rock with the sound of breaking glass, and Kenzie screamed, hands flying up to cover her face, as the razor shards of ice tore at her skin and shredded her clothes.

“Kenzie!” I lunged toward her as she collapsed, bleeding from a dozen small wounds all over her body.

Keirran’s voice rang out as I scrambled forward, icy and unmerciful. “You might be immune to glamour, but Kenzie is not!” I ignored him and continued to spring toward Kenzie, as Keirran’s voice followed me. “Love is a weakness, Ethan! You might’ve stood a chance if she had not been here, but now you will die, because you cannot let her go.”

Another strong pulse of glamour went through the stones, and I flung myself at my girlfriend. Just as I reached her, the ground erupted, thick roots and vines coiling into the air, sending rock and gravel flying. They snaked around Kenzie, lifting her away, out of my reach. I howled in rage and sank my blade into the trunks, trying to hack them down, but the roots were thick and gnarled, and resisted my efforts. Kenzie was raised high, vines circling her arms and legs until she hung twenty feet in the air. With a creaking and groaning of limbs, the knot of roots twisted, dangling her over the perimeter wall, into empty space.

“No!” I whirled on Keirran, standing calmly with his arm outstretched, his eyes impassive. “Dammit, Keirran, don’t you fucking dare! Kenzie was the only one who stood up for you, even to me! She was your friend when I was ready to say screw it and walk out. You can’t—”

“No?” Keirran’s voice was icy. “Why not? What is one human life to me, when thousands of exiles and Forgotten hang in the balance?” His eyes narrowed, hard and expressionless. “You don’t know me anymore, Ethan. Or what I’m willing to sacrifice. Don’t underestimate what I’m capable of.”

“All right!” My voice broke, and I took a ragged breath, meeting his cold gaze. “Don’t hurt her,” I whispered. “You win. Do what you want with me, just...let her go.”