I knew why Fannie's body lay on the ground before us. She'd been the animal that had mutilated the bodies of the human and the elf they had named Deimos. He'd been Asher's guard and he'd been minding the human. A broodmare, just as the unfortunate woman who was now cowering behind Asher was. Her eyes were still on me, beseeching, as I bathed in the knowledge. Asher had killed his own daughter for slaughtering his children, his half-bred offspring that she'd thought a perversion. I couldn't place my feelings for Fannie now. She’d had a cruel life and, though she'd been instrumental in my mother's death, I couldn't say it was her fault. She'd tried then to prevent the horror she knew was coming, and this time, she'd stood alone against her father to end what all of us abhorred. Now she was gone, at his hand.
And I knew that he'd planned it, the slaughter of council by my guard. He'd wanted it not merely because they intended to stop him, he'd had another agenda, and now I understood. I could see him there at the battle, the spellcaster whispering chants at the edge of notice until Junnie pursued him. I recognized why Ruby had owned a book on magic, remembered how she had spoke of stealing one's power by taking their life, releasing their energy to use as your own. All of this in his quest for power.
But that wasn't all, and I knew that, too. I recalled Grey's words and it sickened me further, that they had all known. They had known there would only be one outcome, they had known that every move they made would bring us all here, to this one moment, that I would never be released without meeting this eventuality. Merely one more to release my bonds. It was Asher. He was the final remaining captor of my mind, and he had no intention of freeing me.
Maybe it was the anticipation of battle that had sharpened my mind, maybe it was Asher's presence, maybe I'd been so blind to it all along because I didn't want to face it, but it was all there now. I felt defeated, not just at the information or the ties that held a share of my magic and mind, but because we were defeated. My guard stood frozen because they, too, knew that they could not defeat Asher. He was too powerful for any of us, possibly too powerful for all of us, and his guard stood before him.
I glanced at each of them again. Separately they could be overcome. Their confidence came not from an assurance that they could top any of us, but that they didn't need to. As illustrated by the brief encounter outside, my guard was not easily conquered. If not for Asher, they would overwhelm this impressive group nearly as quickly. But there was Asher, and he watched me as I considered, knowing he had me, knowing I'd find no way out.
He'd take me in, use me to regain his rule. He would succeed. Many of the council were already dead, and he would finish it. I could feel the memories tugging at me and I knew he would be a cruel leader. He would exploit my ability, continue to make new offspring in hopes of gaining a more unique power. He would slowly steal those that were dear to me. Chevelle. Ruby. All of them.
He was quicker and more powerful than any of us. A move against him would be instant death, I knew that. We all did. And yet my guard stood with me, as if there were a chance. It was so sad. Did they have so much faith in me? What was I but a pawn in Asher's game, what could I do but—
I stopped cold. I felt the smile crawl from one side of my lips to the other. I had the pleasure of seeing confusion cross Asher's face before I closed my eyes and sank, deep and swiftly into the mind of the small, brown-eyed girl at his feet. He had protected himself from us, but not from her. Not from the piteous human. Her hand sped neatly to the sheath at his waist and in one shrewd move plunged the dagger into his heart.
The woman's scream threw me back to my own mind and my eyes flicked open in time to see chaos. I was standing in the middle of a war, staring at Asher's body, which had landed in the trembling, bloodied hands of the fragile woman. She stared at him, her mouth still open but silent. I gazed into his eyes and knew that he was proud. Somehow, he was in awe of me, that I had defeated him. He'd been foolish to forget the human, he'd thought her insignificant, and he hadn't protected himself from her. He smiled at me and then his mouth moved in a silent chant.
As the life slipped from his body, I felt sudden, intense pain in my own. It became excruciating and I nearly lost the capacity to breathe, but it crested and then I felt the icy heat of power rush through me. It wasn't solely my energy coursing through me. I could feel Asher, the strength of his line, the depth of his magic, the power that allowed his rule. I was overwhelmed, a torrent of violence and pleasure swept through me, almost knocking me from my feet. A deluge of memories, thoughts, and emotions followed, flowing together and joining with the agony and bliss.
And then the storm was over. I had my mind back. And, though the conflict remained, it was not the painful tumult it had been, it was two sets of ideas, as if I were merely undecided. I looked around, disoriented.