Chapter 66. This Was Only the Beginning

Caleb’s POV

I drop into a full sprint and slam into him from the side. We roll hard through the snow, crashing into a stone outcrop. The vial shatters. Stephens shrieks and throws a punch blindly.

“CALEB!” he shouts, trying to scramble backward. “Don’t… Don’t be foolish, you don’t know…”

I punch him once, again and then again after that. My knuckles split on his teeth. Blood splatters the stone. His wards flare weakly, but they’re unraveling and I’m faster. Stronger. Angrier.

“You sold us out,” I growl.

He spits blood, snarling.

“I did what I had to! You think your little court of heirs has the spine to lead? You’re children! Children raised by wolves and sentiment and thought of equality.”

“You turned our sick into test subjects. You gave Calista names.”

“FOR THE BALANCE!” he screams, lunging forward with a fireburst. It clips my ribs just enough to sting.

I roar and tackle him through a rotted tree trunk. The bark explod