The group stumbled out of the temple, the cold mountain air a stark contrast to the chaos they’d just escaped. Behind them, the temple collapsed in on itself, burying Malakar and his followers under tons of ice and stone.

  “Did we… did we just win?” Elliot asked, his voice shaky.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Kael shook his head. “I don’t know. But we need to get out of here before this whole mountain comes down.”

  The group hurried down the mountain, the Aether Core shard safely in their possession. But as they descended, Elliot couldn’t shake the feeling that their victory had come at a cost.

  Malakar was gone—for now. But the Aether Core was still out there, and the danger was far from over.