My eyes shifted toward Ragnar's back and when I saw the severed puppet link, I finally exhaled in relief.
But that feeling lasted only a second.
I glanced down at my own arm, and my breath caught. Everything below my left elbow was gone, obliterated by the blast. What remained was scorched flesh and torn fabric, the rest of my robes shredded and blackened. My skin was burned in several places, the pain crawling through my nerves like fire ants.
I ignored it.
With a deep breath, I released the Dominion chain. The violet bindings vanished in sparks of lightning and flame, and Ragnar's body floated upward, weightless. For a moment, I felt hope, maybe he was finally free.
Then his eyes opened.
Still red. Still hollow. Still wrong.
"What?" I muttered, my stomach tightening. "Did it not work?"
Before I could even analyze the feedback through my Psynapse, the entire bridge beneath us began to tremble. Metal groaned, and a deafening rumble filled the void.
