Chapter 23 · Taming the Nuclear Ego

"Get out of my way, Sloane. Now."

The Lord didn't just snarl; he vibrated. Jagged violet light shimmered around him, turning the air into a static mess that made the hair on my arms stand up. One wrong word and this entire palace wing became a smoking crater.

Sloane didn't budge. She stood like a blade of obsidian between me and the monster, hand tight on her shadow-blade.

"He’s not a toy for your tantrums," Sloane snapped. "He’s the only reason your head is still attached to your shoulders. Step back."

"I don't take orders from a lapdog!"

A shockwave blasted outward. Marble vases shattered. Dust choked the air.

I stepped forward, sliding past Sloane’s shoulder. The heat coming off him was insane—not just magic, but a feverish, psychotic break. This wasn't a fight. This was a man leveling a city because he couldn't handle his own head.

"Hey!" I yelled. "You’re leaking!"

The Lord froze. His eyes—swirling pools of unstable violet—snapped to me. "What did you say, human?"

"I said you're leaking," I said, walking closer. Sloane tried to grab my sleeve, but I shrugged her off.