Page 82 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“Reyna!” I grabbed her waist, pulling her back. “You can’t touch it. You can’t⁠—”

When she shoved forward again, I slapped her. Hard. Her head whipped toward me, stunned.

“It’s over,” I said, panting. “It’s over.”

She broke like glass, collapsing into my arms. Sobbed like her world had ended—because it had.

The healer arrived too late.

I gave Darius a Grayshell salute with a shaking hand. “See you again soon, brother. Until we meet again.”

Hours later, we stumbled out of the war room with a strategy. Reyna had summoned every leader she’d ever deployed. Brody, Alastair, Ajax—they returned to blood-stained hallways and impossible grief.

We were armed. Prepared.

I was cleaning the chamber on one of the pistols Reyna had pressed into my hand when my phone buzzed.

Damien Westerlund.

“D, tell me you’ve got something.”

“It’s not a drug,” he said in return in that delicious accent of his. “Not entirely.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “It’s a bullet. Isn’t it?”

“How the hell did you⁠—?”

“Long story,” I cut in, rubbing my forehead with the butt of the gun.

Reyna had already declared open season—on the Renown, and her sister’s people. If they’d had any hand in what killed Darius, they’d burn with our enemies. I wouldn’t stop her.

“Freya,” Damien warned, “I don’t know what you’ve stepped into, but be careful. If I’m reading this correctly⁠—”

“He is!” Jason shouted from the background.

“They’ve built a bullet laced with Reaper’s venom. Pierces shields. Keeps eating once it’s in.”

“As in…Agamemnon kind of reapers?” I clarified.

“One and the same.”

I saw that glowing slug again. Fuck, I’d never unsee it.

“They’ve weaponized his magic to debilitate ours.”

“Freya, you’re freaking me out. Are you⁠—?”

“I’m fine.” A lie. One of the worst I’d ever told.

“Should I call Aren?”

“It works,” I whispered. “These bullets work.”

“Freya—?”

“We lost a good man today.” The first of many, I didn’t say. “Find me another location. And update Ally for me, will you? I’ll be…occupied.”

I ended the call and powered the phone down before he could call back.