Chapter 28 · The King's Hunt

Morgana's lips were so close to Kade's ear I couldn't hear what she said.

But I saw his face change.

His whole body locked up. The gold in his eyes flared brighter, hotter, and then he dropped to his knees like someone cut his legs out from under him. The growl that tore out of his throat wasn't his anymore. It was something older. Deeper. Wrong.

"Kade!" I lunged forward but Silas caught my arm.

"Don't—" he started.

I ripped free. Didn't care. Kade was shaking now, claws tearing into the dirt, and Morgana stepped back with this sick satisfied smile on her face.

"What did you do?" I screamed at her.

She tilted her head. "I simply reminded him what he is. What he's always been."

Kade's spine arched. Blood dripped from his nose. The curse marks on his arms were glowing so bright I could barely look at them, spiderwebbing up his neck, across his jaw. He was burning from the inside out.

I didn't think. I grabbed the silver knife from my belt—the one I used for cutting medicinal roots—and dragged it across my palm. Pain flared hot and immediate.