Chapter 78
Evie
Evie, for lack of a better word, exploded.
Her dark magic swirled around her hands, twisting among the foliage until every person she sensed hiding in the trees froze beneath her will. She couldn’t stop it, even as that power wrapped around Trystan, freezing him in place.
“No. How do I— I didn’t mean to get you!” she cried, willing the magic with her mind to retreat from him.
Trystan looked unfazed, if not mildly amused. “You know, I’ve done this to so many people, and I must say, I don’t care for it.”
“Ah! No! Bad magic!” Evie waved her hands, but the magic only twisted tighter. “Is it hurting?”
“It feels like a hug,” Trystan gritted out.
“Does it really?” Evie’s lips parted.
He sighed. “No, Sage, it feels like my organs are being wrung dry. Take a deep breath. You’re in control.”
“But I’m not,” she said brokenly, feeling the darkness begin to swallow her. “I’m not in control of anything. I’ve never been.”
“You are,” Trystan said resolutely, straining against the mist, to no avail, until an iridescent light shone from him, a hundred different colors gleaming from his chest. From the very core of his being.
A Core Healer.
Evie’s magic parted for him, making room for the color in all its gray.
Trystan broke through it and grabbed Evie’s shoulders. “Stay here with me.”
Emotion stuck in her throat, the mist slowly dissipating around everyone until it fell away, leaving nothing but Trystan and her—and the other unfortunates who were getting in the way of a very romantic moment.
“Flirting may not be your strong suit, but your romantic declarations are very well done.”
He smiled, dimple peeking through. “I’ve been reading a lot of romance novels.”
Then he turned to face Benedict.
“Isn’t this a cozy affair. Expecting us, were you?” Trystan asked Benedict. “How did you return north so quickly?”
“I am the king.” Benedict kicked up dandelions as he stomped through the grass. “And I knew you both would want to complete the curse together.”
“It’s my dream.” Evie’s words were dry, but her body was on high alert. “To help you destroy us.”
Benedict feigned a wounded expression, his hand going for his chest. “I’m hurt!
That you would assume I would ever destroy my only son.
Why, you’re my heir! The future of the kingdom.
I’d be remiss to lose you. And Ms. Sage, well…
there really is no way to appear good without someone else appearing truly evil. You’ve been doing quite nicely.”
The light that had shined over the dandelions receded to one sliver of silver floating through the air, until it stood in the middle of the field.
And then that same light…transformed and molded into a woman, her complexion flawless, her long, dark hair pulled into a braid that ran down the length of her back, her body adorned in the finest gold and jewels. Evie recognized her immediately. “The destiny monster.”
“Please. Just Destiny is fine.” The woman’s voice was like honey, dripping sweetness, perhaps to hide the bitterness. “I feel I know you so well; why, we’re practically family.”
Evie sighed. “I mean, you do have a weird vendetta against me, so you’d fit the bill.”
Benedict gestured to her. “The Sage family is a marvel, isn’t it? One child meant to guard, one meant to save, and one meant to—”
“Destroy,” Evie finished for him with another roll of her eyes. “Yes, yes, we’ve done this. I’m the kingdom’s doom; I am heading for ultimate destruction. I have an atrocious family tree. What else you got? Because none of that will convince me to help you.”
“In that case,” Benedict snapped, “why don’t we bring in your incentive program.”
For the first time since Evie had taken control of her magic, she felt a small shot of fear. “What incentive?”
“I’ll leave you two choices. Help us enact the curse and save Rennedawn. Or allow Rennedawn to perish, allow the magic to die out and the land with it. Oh.” Benedict snapped, waving a hand, and chains clinked behind him. “And your brother will die.”
Gideon was dragged into the meadow coughing, black marks on his shirtless torso, marks much like the ones Marvin was sporting. Poison.
Except unlike Marvin, this poison was going right for Gideon’s heart.