Page 127 of The Blood Traitor

Kiva touched the amulet, her suspicions proving true: she’d been wearing the Hand of the Gods all along.

“Does it still work?” Kiva asked. She’d never once tried to push her magic into the Vallentis crest, had never evenconsideredit. But if it wasn’t the Vallentis crest, if it really was theHand...

Ariana dodged a javelin of flames and threw a spear of water back, before kneeling beside Kiva and pressing her finger to the sapphire, the gem glowing blue as she sent her magic into it, completing the protective power of all four gemstones.

Still panting, the queen said, “It will work, but only once. Sarana knew melting the real rings down would mean diminishing the Hand’s power, but she considered that safer than risking it falling into herenemy’s hands.” Ariana’s eyes held Kiva’s as she declared, “You have one chance. Make it count.”

And then the queen was up again, meeting the attacks of two more anomalies.

Kiva didn’t wait to see them fall — she was already running from the room.

You have one chance. Make it count.

The words echoed in Kiva’s ears as she bolted out the doors and along the white and gold corridor, hearing Navok’s thunderous shout as he bellowed her name. She nearly lost her footing when she realized he was chasing her, and peered over her shoulder just in time to see Xuru launch a fireball her way. It slammed into her from behind, her vision turning red and orange before the amulet sucked the flames harmlessly away.

Kiva didn’t look back again. On she ran, never slowing, not even as the fire kept coming, along with water and wind and earth from more of Navok’s personal guards. But the amulet protected her from every attack — their magic couldn’t touch her.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t scared out of her mind. But still, she ran, the entrance to the bridge coming into sight, with it extending from the same floor as the queen’s chambers, a straight shot across the river to the eastern palace.

And then there was Jaren.

Kiva could see him now, a blade in each of his hands as he held off the Gray Guards and anomalies at the highest point of the arched golden bridge. She couldn’t see Veris or Eidran, and didn’t recognize any of the other Royal Guards or black-leathered soldiers fighting alongside Jaren, though she did see Naari beyond him, nearer to the eastern palace, surrounded by a slew of gray-clad opponents.

Finally reaching the bridge, Kiva flung herself into the mess ofbodies, avoiding not only the magic flying everywhere, but also the weapons. The amulet wouldn’t protect her from a blade, but she couldn’t think about that, running, running,runningstraight for Jaren.

And then a gap opened up, right in front of him. She screamed his name so he knew she was coming, unwilling to risk him thinking she was another attacker as she leapt through the air toward him. His eyes rounded as he caught her, stumbling backwards as her weight slammed into him, somehow managing not to stab her with either of his swords.

“Kiva — what —” he gasped.

She didn’t give him the chance to finish, yanking the amulet from her neck and slamming it against his chest, summoning her magic and pushing it through the crest.

Light, blinding light assailed her eyes, so bright she had to shut them. Liquid warmth traveled down her arm, like syrup dripping in the sun, pouring from her fingertips straight into Jaren.

A second was all it took before she felt the amulet crack beneath her hand, the light fading enough for her to reopen her eyes and see the crest broken into four parts, one for each of the gems — one for each of the rings.

You have one chance. Make it count.

The amulet’s power was gone, the Hand of the Gods no more.

But Jaren —

The gold in his eyes was blazing as he stared at her, as he realized what she’d done.

Then, with a wave of his hand, three Gray Guards that Kiva hadn’t seen leaping for them went sailing over the side of the bridge.

Jaren looked down at his palm, the wonder on his face enough for a sob to leave her.

His magic was back.

And not a minute too soon, because Navok had reached the bridge,his personal guards parting the battling opponents, their combined magic aimed right for where Kiva and Jaren stood.

Time slowed down as Kiva watched a wall of flames speed toward them, as she saw a tornado whip the Serin into a bubbling fury that rose like a death wave, as the bridge cracked and groaned under their feet. All the while, she was acutely aware that the amulet could no longer protect her.

But she didn’t need it. Because with another flick of Jaren’s hand, the wall of fire went sizzling into the water tornado, the wave crashed harmlessly back into the river, and the marble beneath them stilled.

While the battle continued across the grounds, silence descended on the bridge as everyone in view — MirravensandEvalonians — all reeled from Jaren’s effortless defense against the powerful magic.

Only, it hadn’t been effortless.

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