Amia didn’t hesitate. She knew Ash’s wings were tired from the frost, and the void below was hungry. She crouched low, her muscles coiling like a spring as her human legs thickened into powerful, fur-covered tiger limbs."Everyone, grab hold of me!" Amia roared, her voice dropping into a guttural, predatory resonance. Ash tucked her soot-colored wings and wrapped her arms around Amia’s waist, while Kai hoisted Ryn onto his back and gripped Amia’s shoulders. The ground beneath them wasn't just crumbling; it was evaporating into violet mist. "On three!" Amia shouted. "One... two... THREE!" With a bone-shattering kick, Amia launched them off the disappearing ledge. For a terrifying second, they were weightless in the star-filled void. Below them, they could see the remnants of other worlds—fragments of cities, forests, and oceans—all swirling in the Queen’s vortex. Amia’s claws found purchase on a floating chunk of the Obsidian Spire’s outer wall. Sparks flew as her tiger claws carved deep grooves into the black glass to stop their fall. "We’re on the Spire!" Ryn gasped, her cat ears twitching at the sound of a heavy, rhythmic humming coming from inside the glass. They weren't alone. As they scrambled onto a narrow balcony, the Shadow Queen’s personal guard materialized from the mist. They weren't drones or hunters; they were hollow suits of armor filled with the same violet light that powered the island. "She doesn't want to kill us yet," Kai hissed, leveling his bone spear at the nearest knight. "She wants to herd us into the Throne Room." "Then let's give her exactly what she wants," Amia growled, her eyes glowing a fierce, defiant red. "But she’s not going to like the 'gift' we brought her."
