Chapter 34 · Price of a God

"Get your hands off her, you pathetic piece of trash," Kaelen spat, though the words came out as a strangled rasp.

Varis didn't even look at him. He just tightened his grip on Sloane’s jaw, his fingers digging into her skin with a slow, methodical pressure. The obsidian disk on the floor hummed, a low-frequency vibration that seemed to eat the very air out of the room. For Sloane, it felt like her veins had been filled with lead. Every time she tried to reach for a spark of alchemy, the field snapped it back, leaving her breathless and trembling.

"Listen to that," Varis murmured, his eyes locked on Sloane’s. "The little god-fragment is barking. It’s almost cute, isn't it? The way he thinks he still has a say in this room."

Sloane tried to jerk her head away, but Varis only pressed harder. "Let him go," she gasped, her voice raw. "You have me. Just... stop."

"Stop?" Varis chuckled, a dry, metallic sound. He finally glanced at Kaelen, who was pinned to the stone floor by an invisible weight. Kaelen’s muscles were taut, his knuckles white as he clawed at the ground, trying to drag himself toward her.