Julian
I tore free and drove upward, locking my arms around his from behind, hauling him backward with every ounce of force I had. He roared, elbowing back, catching my jaw hard enough to make my vision flash white.
Kayla didn’t hesitate. She stepped in close. Too close for him to generate momentum. He thrashed, claws scraping against my forearms as black veins pulsed wildly along his neck.
“You were born to kneel!” he spat at her.
She crouched in front of him. “And you were born to lead,” she replied evenly. “Yet you failed.” Her hand pressed flat against his chest. I felt her power as it gathered, a slow build, the earth simply answering her call.
The ground beneath him fractured. Stone surged upward around his legs. I forced him down to his knees as the earth tightened, locking him
