Chapter 78

• The battlefield was chaos incarnate. Rogues swarmed Xander’s territory, their howls blending with the guttural cries of corrupted creatures and the sharp clang of steel. Amara stood in the heart of it all, gripping her blade in one hand and the artifact in the other. Its energy pulsed erratically, sending jolts through her body that made her limbs feel like lead. She could barely think through the pounding in her head.
• Her vision blurred as another wave of rogues charged toward her. She raised the artifact, summoning its energy, but it flickered and faltered. The power didn’t flow as it should, leaving her vulnerable. Her hesitation was brief but costly—a rogue slashed at her, its claws tearing into her arm before she managed to shove it back with a burst of energy.
• “Amara!” Xander’s voice cut through the din, filled with alarm. He was fighting nearby, cutting down rogues with brutal efficiency. When he saw the blood on her arm and the unsteady way she held herself, his expression darkened. “You’re overloading yourself. Pull back!”