Confusion crossed Ashur’s expression. Perhaps he’d expected her to argue with him.
“Kyan,” Lucia said, and her brother turned to face her. She swallowed hard. “I will begin the ritual now.”
“Good,” he said with a nod. “And here I thought you might give me more of a problem than you already have.”
“Why would I? You have everything that I care about at your mercy. My daughter, my brother, my . . .” She frowned. “Well, that’s about it, really.”
He raised a dark brow. “No more tricks?”
“I’m finished fighting,” she said, and it felt as honest as anything else she’d said that day. “Now I just want this to be over.”
“This is your destiny,” Olivia said, nodding. “You should take pride in this, Lucia.”
“You will be well rewarded,” Taran added.
Lucia cast a glance at Cleo, who watched the fire Kindred’s every step, every movement.
She’s searching for some small sign that Magnus is still here with us, Lucia thought. She still has hope.
However, Lucia wasn’t as optimistic.
Lucia moved behind the table that bore the four crystal orbs—aquamarine, obsidian, amber, and moonstone.
Olivia stepped forward and presented Lucia with her bare forearm.
With a small blade Lucia kept in the pocket of her cloak, she sliced a shallow cut into Olivia’s perfect dark skin. Blood welled to the surface and then dripped onto each of the four orbs.
Even without any words spoken, or any specific magic focused toward them, the orbs began to glow with a soft inner light.
Olivia nodded, then backed away.
All eyes were on the glowing orbs. Lucia considered her next step as she held the blade against her own skin.
Follow through with the ritual as Kyan had described it to her?
Magnus . . . he stole Magnus. Her brother, her best friend. She’d failed him again . . .
No. She forced herself not to despair, not to dwell on what had already happened.
How could she do this? To hand Kyan so much power, to ensure his hold upon her brother’s body . . .
But she couldn’t figure out how to break the orbs. She could try, but if she failed, the ramifications would be catastrophic.
Before she could decide whether to bleed or not to bleed, an arm came around her from behind, yanking her back against a firm chest.
The tip of a blade pressed against her throat.
“I’m not dead, in case you were curious,” Jonas whispered.
“Jonas,” she managed.
Kyan, Taran, and Olivia stepped forward, but Lucia held up her hand to stop them from doing anything rash.
No one had seen the rebel’s approach through the overgrown, vine-covered throne room. They’d all been watching the orbs, watching the blade at Lucia’s arm.
Lucia would have been impressed by the rebel’s surprising stealth if this hadn’t been the worst possible time he could have arrived.
“Let go of me,” she urged.
“I believed in you, and you betrayed me,” Jonas growled. “I would have given you all of my magic if you’d asked me for it. Hell, I would have offered it to you if you’d given me half a chance. Now I’m in a difficult spot, princess.”
Lucia didn’t move, barely breathed. “Is that so?”
She’d wanted a way to delay the inevitable, and it seemed as if she now had a very good one.
“Now, now,” Kyan said. “I’d appreciate very much if you’d step away from my sorceress before I have to make you.”
Jonas hesitated for a second. “Magnus?”
“Not exactly,” Kyan said, smiling his stolen smile. “I think I remember you . . . yes, a beautiful day in a Paelsian market. A lovely girl got in the way of my fire and your body.”
Jonas stiffened. “Kyan.”
Kyan nodded. “There you go. I’m sure more memories will come to me from this vessel. You’ve met before, many times.”
“I will kill you,” Jonas said.
“I doubt that very much.”
“Stop it,” Lucia thought, hoping very much this strange telepathy still worked between them. “Stop baiting him, or you’re going to die. Do you want that?”
Jonas froze. “I can still hear you. I wondered if I could after all the magic you took from me.”
“Little sorceress,” Kyan said evenly. “Shall I take care of this for you?”
“No,” she said aloud. “I can handle this.”
The fire Kindred’s eyes narrowed. “Then handle it.”
Jonas’s grip on her tightened. “Timotheus gave this dagger to me, told me it can destroy magic. Didn’t think I’d need to use it on you. Yet here we are.”
Lucia had gone very still.
A dagger that could destroy magic.
Right here, in this very room.
And currently pressed murderously close to her throat by someone who had every right to want her dead.
CHAPTER 32
NIC
AURANOS
When Magnus arrived, a part of Nic held on to the hope that this prince, this former enemy, had a secret way of defeating Kyan and his siblings.
He did. Nic just hadn’t realized how much it would hurt.
He remembered Magnus’s hand clutching his throat as Kyan screamed internally at the cold wash of pain that crashed down upon them both.
And then everything went black again for a while.
The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes and staring up at the face of Prince Ashur Cortas.
Relief filled the prince’s gray-blue eyes.
“What happened?” Nic managed to say.
“You’re alive, that’s what happened,” Ashur whispered.
“This isn’t a dream.”
“No. Not even close. But don’t move, not yet.”
Nic heard raised voices from close by. Lucia, Magnus . . . Jonas. They were arguing.
Wait.
How was he speaking words right now? How was he having an actual conversation with Prince Ashur if this wasn’t an incredibly vivid dream?
Then he realized what had happened.
Partially, anyway.
Kyan had chosen a new vessel—that of Prince Magnus Damora himself.
Through narrowed eyes, leaning against Ashur for support, Nic watched the others. They paid him no attention at all, so engrossed were they in their argument.
Jonas had a golden knife pressed to Lucia’s throat.
And then, before Nic’s eyes, that knife was invisibly lifted from Jonas’s grip. It floated in midair, where Lucia snatched it.
“Thank you for bringing this to me,” Lucia said, gazing at the sharp blade. “It will be very useful, I hope.”
“Do you want to kill him, little sorceress?” Magnus—no, Kyan—asked. “Or should I?”
“Do you have a preference, Jonas?” Lucia asked, slipping the golden dagger beneath the folds of her black robe. “I mean, you did wander in here and threaten the life of a sorceress while observed by three elemental gods. Clearly, you knew your death would be the result.”
“Do whatever you have to do,” he snarled.
“That is my current plan,” she said. Then she glanced at Kyan. “I’ll kill him myself later.”
“Very well.” Kyan gestured toward Olivia. The earth Kindred waved her hand, and thick green vines curled around Jonas’s legs and torso, locking him into place.
“What do we do?” Nic whispered. “How can we help?”