All the color drained from Cai’s face. “Liora isn’t powerful—take me instead.”
The lie only made Goldwyn snort and drawl, “You know, her binding almost fooled me. If you’d been man enough to do the same to yourself, I might never have guessed what she was. It’s rare, you see, for one sibling witch to be strong and the other so weak. Still, I had to bide my time and make sure. Morgan doesn’t suffer fools gladly, does she, Dimitri?”
Dimitri grumbled and dipped his head, humiliated. Morgan must truly be terrifying to bring a monster like him so low.
All the fight seemed to leave Cai as he murmured, “You’re a spider?”
Goldwyn cricked her neck slightly. Like the label didn’t sit well. “I like to think of myself as more of a chameleon.” And then, as if speaking to a child, she bent down a touch, adding, “I’m many things you see—an assassin, a spy … but my passion is trapping witches for Morgan. It’s what you sensed, isn’t it? That this glade is a magical void.” She straightened, nodding to the earth, saying, “Lines of salt and iron and that accursed stone run under this glade.”
Auntie groaned. Before I could ask why, Goldwyn continued. “Although, I’m not ashamed to say I needed guidance. Voids can be tricky beasts. Luckily, I had a certain witch in chains who was most helpful. I think you know her, Serena? Isabel Montagar?”
A groan of despair slipped out.
“Morgan was very amused that Hunter thought a charm was all it took to protect him from her. Still, it brought the witch to our attention.”
“What did you do to her?” I spoke through clenched teeth.
“Oh, she’s alive,” Goldwyn said with a spider’s smile. “A bit beaten up, but nothing she won’t heal from.”
The control on my temper strained.
She’s trying to bait you into attacking, Frazer warned.
I thought we were supposed to fight now Hunter’s gone?
Snatches of a dozen thoughts or more hit me all at once. As if they’d broken through the dam in Frazer’s mind. As if he’d lost control. His inner monologue was fast but focused. He followed every action through to its conclusion, anticipating the outcome, weighing the cost. He was playing chess. Finally, I felt him tip over into a decision. We can’t move. Cai needs to get free first.
His words didn’t stop the bloodlust almost boiling over, but it was Cai who said, “It’s hard to tell who’s more of a crazy bitch—you or Dimitri.”
Dimitri lunged for him, sword swinging. Goldwyn snarled a command and just like that, the dog was leashed. Cai responded with a mocking laugh that would make most males show their teeth.
Goldwyn resumed in one icy-calm breath. “You know nothing. I do what I do to keep Morgan’s empire strong—to protect its people from something worse. You think I’ve liked wasting away my years in that godsforsaken camp, spying on Wilder? That we’ve liked it?” She twitched her head to Dimitri. “But Morgan wanted her pet male, her Sabu. Oh, when you came along, Serena, it was a blessing from the light court. Dimitri had to try very, very hard to hide his glee. Still, I was the one with the hardest job; I spent weeks listening to Wilder’s dreary monologues. He couldn’t be with you, but he hadn’t felt this way before, blah, blah, blah.”
A tear found my cheek.
Goldwyn’s voice bored into my skull. “Then Cecile told me he was going with you for the sixth trial—”
“How did she know that?” I blurted out.
An involuntary tremor shook Goldwyn’s sword arm. “Cecile’s always kept a close watch on him. Diana’s orders.”
Cai spat out, “Why would Diana care about Wilder?”
Goldwyn made a disgusted sound. “He used to work for Morgan, you fool. Does she need another reason?”
“Did you kill her?”
My soul sang in relief as Liora sat up.
“Woken up already?” Dimitri sneered, twirling his sword to show his feelings.
Liora, the reader of souls, ignored Dimitri and stared into Goldwyn. “It was you, wasn’t it? You killed Cecile. She realized that you were the only one who could’ve set up the ambush. That you were a traitor.”
Goldwyn’s head tilted in quiet study. “You’d make a fine spy.”
“Tell me,” Liora demanded.
A scowl answered back. “It’s as you say. She had to die because she grew suspicious after Dimitri’s failed ambush,” Goldwyn said coldly.
Dimitri’s flinch had a wink of smug satisfaction flaring in my chest.
Liora said, “Mikael never tried to stab you.”
Goldwyn laughed; a harsh and bitter sound, like glass smashing. “That stupid kurp? tried to stop us taking Wilder, so …” She mimed slicing her throat with a delicate sweep of her finger.
“Why?” Liora asked. “You must see what Morgan is.”
For the first time, Goldwyn looked totally unhinged, and an explosive charge rippled through the glade. One move, one wrong word, and we’d all ignite.
“None of you know what’s going on in this kingdom or abroad!” Goldwyn snarled, her body quivering in suppressed rage. “You’re so quick to condemn, but Morgan is the only fae strong enough to stand up to Abraxus and his legions.”
“Abraxus?” Liora said, hushed. “He’s real?”
“Of course he’s real!” Goldwyn yelled. “He’s the one you should be shitting yourselves over! He hates us. Wants to bleed us out into the earth just so he can drink the magic lingering in our veins! His army of fae hybrid stains are planning to invade—”
A yell pitched the air. A match struck, and we erupted. As if we’d been waiting for this all along. Frazer pushed me to the earth, dodged a whistling projectile and charged Tysion. I jumped up; instinct made me seek to protect my brother. I strung an arrow to my kaskan and sought my target.
Frazer’s quiver, Tysion’s bow, both had been reduced to splinters. The two males were locked in a lethal embrace, all fangs and bone-snapping blows. Then, their blades crossed, and a furious, dirty battle for dominance began.
It was too risky to loosen an arrow—I could easily hit Frazer. I’d failed to make the kaskan work previously, why would now be any different? In practice, the target had always been in sight, but the focus and the heart to kill others remained elusive.
My nerve wavering, I swiveled toward the glade, searching for easier targets.
Holy fire … Adrianna was there. She’d flown in and landed on Goldwyn’s back. Their swords had fallen to the wayside during the struggle. And now, they were a blur of twisting limbs and flapping wings. Adrianna held fast.
A few paces away, Cai suddenly roared and barreled into Dimitri. Liora drew her sword, advancing, her legs shaking underneath her. I had to do something.
Use the bow, Auntie whispered. Trust yourself.
I breathed, and my heart echoed a name. I knew the target.
I spun, aimed, and fired. It found its mark in Tysion’s shoulder, pinning his wing, causing him to drop his weapon. His wild roar tore through me, but Frazer didn’t miss a beat. He grasped Tysion by the hair, dragged him to the edge of the glade, and pressed his sword against his neck. “Dimitri—stand down! Or I kill your son!”
I drew closer to his side, nocking another arrow in one smooth motion. I swept the glade for the best mark. Adrianna still tangled with Goldwyn, neither stopping for breath. Cai and Liora had joined to fight Dimitri. Sword to sword. But now, the male fae was backing off, glowering at Frazer, his black eyes a whirling death pool. As if he were plotting exactly how he would murder us all. Dimitri hissed, “You’d kill an unarmed fae?”
Frazer answered by pressing steel into Tysion’s neck until it pricked the skin. A bead of blood appeared.
Cai and Liora turned to help Adrianna. I kept my arrow trained on Dimitri. Who knew how deep his kin bond went? As it turned out, not very far. “Kill him then!” Dimitri jeered. “He’s failed me too many times to count. A total disappointment, just like his whore makena.”
“Is?? Please.”