Page 94 of Mostly Shattered

I stand there, chest heaving, the amulet no longer glowing. It’s done. He’s gone.

I can’t believe it.

The city is still thick with smoke, but there’s a strange calm now that the danger has passed. I feel the weight of the battle, the exhaustion pulling at my core, but I also feel stronger.

The sound of footsteps shatters the stillness echoing around me. Figures emerge from their hiding places. Some of them begin to approach me, but I ignore them, determined to make my way back to Costin.

A sense of urgency propels me forward as I race back into the troll’s dwelling.

Morvok sits on the floor reading theprophecy book. I find Costin’s unmoving body still slumped next to the worktable. Splotches of green and purple pepper his clothes like the troll threw gem dust at his shoulder wound.

“No sleep for Morvok,” the troll pouts when he sees me.

“Thank you for your help, Morvok,” I tell him. I give his shoulder a light pat as I move past him. He grunts in response.

I check Costin’s shoulder. The gash is ugly, but the troll’s magic has sealed it.

“Morvok fix,” the troll says. “Vampire needs blood. The book I keep.”

I scan the floor, my eyes darting around as I search for a weapon. Standing, I spot a glint of metal. I grab the troll’s knife and cut my palm. I don’t think as I smear blood to Costin’s lips.

I watch it soak into his skin. “Come on, Costin. Drink.”

His lips twitch and part, but he doesn’t drink. The amulet stopped vampires from attacking me before, so I take it off and lean closer to Costin’s mouth, offering my neck. He inhales sharply. I feel him move. Hands grip me tight, and the hard clamp of teeth clamp down on my neck.

Costin pushes forward and I fall back as his body comes over mine. Costin moans, and I feel the hardpull of him drinking. I try to hit his arm to tell him to stop, but my limbs fall weak.

My head is light. Darkness threatens. I’m too exhausted to fight anymore.

“Tamara?” Costin’s voice sounds confused and far away. His weight disappears, and I try to open my eyes. He frantically pulls the amulet over my head, and the pain in my throat lessens. I look up at him. His bloodshot eyes focus on mine, sharp and intense. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

He helps me sit up, and I touch my throat.

Blinking heavily, I ask, “Can this night be over?”

“Where is Draakmar?” He sounds panicked.

“Sleeping,” I mumble. It’s not exactly true, but the dragon will be soon.

“You did it.” His voice is filled with something I can’t quite place. Admiration, maybe. Or something deeper.

I nod, my throat tight. “We did it.”

Chapter

Twenty-Three

I wake slowly, fighting the exhaustion that is still trying to pull me under. The bed beneath me is softer than anything I’ve ever slept in. I don’t want to move. I let my body sink into the thick covers, cocooned in warmth and safety. The ache in my muscles is proof of everything that happened, but for the first time in what feels like forever, there’s no immediate sense of danger, no impending doom chipping at the edges of my consciousness.

The dragon sleeps. The amulet is fixed. The fight is over.

For now.

The image of Chester bombards my dreams like a stink bomb thrown into the middle of a dinner party. I jerk fully awake. Maybe noteveryfight is over, but at least the prophecy issettled.

I groan at the thought of Chester and rub my eyes as I look around in confusion. This isn’t either of my bedrooms. I’ve never been here before. As I stretch, my fingers brush against the cool silk sheets.

I let my eyes drift over the unfamiliar space around me. The room is too classy to be Chester’s—thank the gods for that much. The last thing I need is to time slip into that hellish reality.

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