Shayde descended the stairs leading to the dungeon with a slow gait, wiping his hands on his handkerchief before pressing the right side of his face with his fingers and wincing with annoyance as a sharp pain spread from his cheek. The swelling had gone down a bit, but he was sure the place would bruise. He only hoped that the scratch wouldn’t scar. Still, it was better that the mask had taken most of that hit or it would have been his face breaking.
He almost had her in his grasp. She had been so close, he could feel her palpable magic, although it felt different, like she was hiding it. Or maybe her powers were diminished after using it to go back. Not that it mattered. Whatever she had left, he was going to take it. He had already done so much, sacrificed so much to get his hands on he
