The training grounds still smoldered beneath the moonlight. The broken remains of the dummies y scattered across the field, bckened and warped by the dark magic that had poured from the bde. The sharp scent of burned wood and ash clung to the cool night air.

  Gideon’s heart hammered in his chest as Nyra circled him, bare feet gliding soundlessly over the broken ground. Her silver hair shimmered beneath the pale moonlight, and the low hum of power radiating from her form coiled against his senses.

  “I have questions,” Gideon said, his voice low.

  Nyra’s smile was sharp. “Do you?”

  He watched her carefully. The bde still pulsed faintly in his hand — a steady rhythm that matched the dark energy curling around Nyra’s form. She was connected to the sword. No, she was the sword. And now she was standing in front of him, flesh and blood — or something close enough to it.

  “You could have manifested sooner,” Gideon said.

  Nyra’s smile deepened. “And spoil the fun of watching you struggle?”

  His grip tightened on the hilt. “Why now?”

  Her red eyes gleamed. “Because you proved yourself.”

  Gideon’s gaze darkened. “I didn’t ask for this.”

  Nyra’s smile thinned. “You reached for me. You held on even when I told you to let go. That was your choice.” She stepped closer, her bare feet brushing over the scorched ground. “And now you bear the consequences.”

  Gideon’s jaw tightened. He stepped toward her, closing the distance between them. “And what exactly are those consequences?”

  Nyra’s hand lifted, her fingertips brushing along the exposed skin at the base of his throat. A shiver ran through him. Her touch was cold — like the edge of a bde, sharp and biting.

  “Power,” Nyra said softly. “And the enemies that come with it.”

  A shadow flickered at the edge of his vision.

  Gideon’s eyes narrowed. “We’re being watched.”

  Nyra’s smile sharpened. “Took you long enough.”

  A figure stepped from the shadows beyond the courtyard. A woman — tall and slender, dressed in deep blue robes with silver thread tracing patterns of stars along the hem. Long bck hair cascaded down her back, and her green eyes gleamed beneath the torchlight. Her expression was cold and calcuting.

  “Lilith,” Gideon said, his tone hard.

  Lilith’s gaze swept over him with quiet disdain before settling on Nyra. Her eyes narrowed. “You released it?”

  Gideon’s smile was thin. “It wasn’t much of a choice.”

  Lilith’s gaze sharpened. “You don’t have the strength to control the Bde of Nyra.”

  “Funny,” Gideon said. “It seems to like me just fine.”

  Lilith’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You have no idea what you’re pying with.”

  Nyra chuckled darkly. “No one ever does.”

  Lilith’s gaze slid toward Nyra. “And you — you shouldn’t even exist anymore.”

  Nyra tilted her head. “And yet, here I am.”

  Lilith’s eyes narrowed. Magic fred at her fingertips — sharp silver light weaving into the air around her hand. “Step away from him.”

  Nyra’s red eyes gleamed dangerously. “Make me.”

  Lilith’s hand lifted. The silver light condensed into a spear of pure energy. It streaked toward Nyra with a sharp hiss — too fast for Gideon to react.

  Nyra’s hand blurred.

  A dark pulse erupted from the bde at Gideon’s side. A wall of bck fire roared to life between them. The silver spear struck the fmes — and dissolved into smoke.

  Lilith’s eyes widened.

  Nyra smiled faintly. “Cute.”

  Gideon’s eyes narrowed. His hand settled on the hilt of the sword. “Lilith, if you want to fight—”

  “I don’t want to fight,” Lilith cut in, her tone hard. “I want you to understand that you’ve made a mistake.”

  Gideon’s gaze sharpened. “The only mistake would have been leaving the sword behind.”

  Lilith’s expression darkened. “You don’t understand what you’ve woken up.”

  Gideon’s hand slid over the hilt of the sword. Nyra’s presence curled against his senses, sharp and dangerous.

  “I’m starting to,” Gideon said quietly.

  Lilith’s gaze lingered on him for a long moment before she turned on her heel. “Don’t expect the Council to protect you when this blows up in your face.”

  She disappeared into the shadows beyond the courtyard.

  Gideon’s hand loosened on the hilt. His heart was still racing. Nyra’s presence hummed through his mind — steady and calm beneath the storm of his thoughts.

  “Well,” Nyra said, her red eyes glinting with dark amusement. “That was interesting.”

  “She’s not wrong,” Gideon said quietly. “This was a mistake.”

  Nyra stepped toward him. “Maybe.” Her hand brushed his cheek, her touch cold and soft. “But it’s far too te to change your mind now.”

  Gideon’s gaze darkened. His hand brushed over hers, his fingers closing over the edge of her wrist.

  “Then I guess I’ll have to make it work.”

  Nyra’s smile sharpened. “Good answer.”