Liam's POV
I dug my heels into the ground, refusing to be dragged by her powers. She pushed harder, but my dragon held firm. Then a vortex ripped open—and there he was. The man I hated most. Not because his eyes matched mine—they didn't. His were black and bottomless, monstrous in a way only I could recognize. My father.
He looked right through me. "So you know I'm not Jacob."
His voice wasn't Jacob's, either. It was darker, thick with shadows. The kind of voice that used to haunt my nightmares—especially the one where he whispered to my mother's corpse.
"Why aren't you dead?" I hissed, throwing my shield back up. Cecily's paralyzing magic broke off me. Maybe it was my rage—maybe it was my will—but I recovered faster than expected. I had no choice. I was facing him.
"Hurry up," Cecily snapped. "We need to take him. My brother can rule the kingdom until the full moon."
"Don't give me orders, girl." My father's eyes flashed. Her tone had clearly struck a nerve.
