Chapter Seven
CHARLIE
Ava and I hadn’t been in the same room together since my seanari’s funeral, so seeing her again at the hockey game was a shock to my entire system.
I could’ve laid down on the ice rink buck naked in front of the entire stadium and I wouldn’t have felt nearly as cold and vulnerable as I did while trapped in that royal box with her.
We were no longer living together. Every morning, I woke to an empty bed, and every night, I panicked in my sleep, thinking I was back in the aftermath of the Infernal Underground when Ava was in the hospital.
Once reality sunk in, I realized Ava was safe and sound in the Ladies’ Court, where she’d been sleeping for a while now.
She stuck to one side of the palace and I stuck to the other.
That had been difficult to do in the tiny royal box, where I was doing my best to stay out of everybody’s way so I didn’t ruin Marcus and Kallie’s big day.
I’d held my breath the whole time, hoping to get through the game without causing a scene.
It was the least I could do, because I was lucky to even have friends at this point.
Ava was the glue that held the Villain’s Club together, and I knew for certain she’d get Kallie and Marcus in the divorce, so I kept my mouth shut and tried to disappear.
She was Oberi’s favorite, after all, and I knew she was everybody else’s too…
and for good reason. She was a wonderful person, and I was…
me. I’d been the side piece that had come along with her everywhere, so I needed to shut up and be grateful for whatever community I had at this point.
I hadn’t processed any of the game. I couldn’t focus on anything other than my clammy hands and racing heartbeat. Hearing Ava’s voice across the room, and inhaling her raspberry scent when she got too close, sent my head spinning.
I wasn’t going to make my panic attacks her problem.
In fact, I wouldn’t be her problem at all once I signed those papers.
But Ava hadn’t come to me requesting we resolve this, and I wasn’t going to chase her down.
No one brought up the papers at all, and hadn’t in weeks.
I was too scared to have that conversation, even though Oberi was insistent we needed to.
Ava and I were avoiding each other, and that didn’t change, even though Marcus had invited us both to the game.
I knew Ava didn’t want me there, so I had stayed as far away from her as possible.
I felt awful, because I knew I couldn’t avoid her forever.
We’d watched Kallie and Marcus get engaged in front of us, and as happy as I was for them, I had to admit how undeniably excruciating it had been to experience.
Our two best friends were madly in love, and Ava and I were far apart.
Even though we were separated, we were both going to have to attend this wedding, which just might crush me.
I didn’t know if I could be there to witness my closest friends get married while my estranged ex-wife ignored me the entire time, acting like I wasn’t alive.
There was no torture Cellblock 9 had put me through that was worse than that.
It wasn’t like we had any other options.
Beyond the shield surrounding Ilamanthe, it was the Warden’s world now.
Even if I wanted to ditch all my friends and retreat to a place where Ava could be rid of me for good, it was impossible.
There was no leaving the city, so we were stuck here.
We’d continue to be forced together by remnants of our old lives, always reminded of what was, but what could never be.
I came to realize that even if we signed those papers, Ava would never be rid of me.
That meant the parts of our future that should’ve been the best moments would always turn out to be the most devastating for us.
It hurt that I couldn’t give her what she actually wanted…
because deep down, it’s what I wanted, too.
I had to get some aggression out of my system, because the last thing I needed was to become my father and make my friends’ engagement all about me.
The day after the game, Oberi accompanied me to the demigod training center.
Training equipment was scattered all throughout the room.
I started in the corner with the boxing equipment, where I pummeled my fists into a mannequin for the next couple of hours.
Meanwhile, Oberi rolled around on the mats, claiming to be practicing his kicks.
Your father’s stupid collar is going to get us all killed, he grumbled. I need to work out my glutes so I can kick the Warden in the balls so hard, they become lodged in his throat and he chokes on them!
I’d barely thought of the Warden since we’d installed that shield around Ilamanthe.
Last I’d heard, he’d destroyed so many cities that the humans were retaliating with nuclear weapons.
Magical secrecy had been blown out of the water, and he’d exposed the supernatural community to the entire world in his conquest for total domination.
He’d been forced to retreat somewhere our spies couldn’t track, because even a demigod— which he was now— couldn’t stave off a nuke.
He’d survive the blast, but his army wouldn’t, so he needed to recalculate.
That bought us some time, but I wasn’t sure if there was anything more we could do to stop him.
We had six of the seven Divinity Keys in the royal vault, but without the Astromancer key, they were useless.
Without all seven, we couldn’t open the Elven Gate and lead the Elves to the Blessed Haven as my prophecy foretold, which was imperative to saving all supernatural kind.
Because the Elves were the original supernaturals, and the main connection to the Blessed Haven, they were the supernatural world’s tie to the afterlife.
Without them, none of the souls in the magical world wouldn’t be able to cross over into the Blessed Haven after death, and be stuck in the in-between forever.
The Warden didn’t know this, because he was still on a rampage to exterminate Elvish kind, and even if he did, I doubted he would care— he’d amassed so much power as a demigod that even if the Elves did go extinct, he’d still find a way into the afterlife himself, and he wouldn’t mind if he was the only one left with the ability to go there.
It would be easier for him to control people.
Our team had completely stalled on making any progress since the day I’d broken my bond with Ava. Without her guiding us, I didn’t know if it was possible to reach the Blessed Haven anymore.
I punched the mannequin harder, until my knuckles were bloody and bits of foam were flying off its face. My hand was healing from where my father had amputated my finger, but it still throbbed painfully.
I kept going. Sweat dripped down my face, and my breaths became so ragged I was starting to sway on my feet.
Perhaps we should take a break, Oberi suggested. I think Manny here needs a doctor. His face doesn’t quite look… right. Neither does yours, really.
I took a step back, heaving as I wiped the sweat from my brow. “I’m not… finished.”
The door to the training center opened, and Oberi turned away. You need to be, because you have a guest.
I stopped to listen to the sound of footsteps. They were light— definitely not Chancey or Danny, who were the most likely to show up here. My magic brushed up against theirs, and I sensed Elf powers. Then came a woman’s voice.
“I heard I could find you here. Do you have a minute?”
It was Drea, my father’s guard and wife. My stepmother. She was the last person I expected to see here. I didn’t want to talk to her, because I figured she must’ve come with a message from my father.
I hesitated a moment too long, and Oberi said, It looks like she has something for you. I suggest you hear her out.
I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe my hands of blood and sweat. “Sure. What is it?”
Drea must’ve noticed the bite in my tone, because she added, “Your father doesn’t know I’m here. I came to give a peace offering between just the two of us. That is, if you’ll accept.”
I wasn’t sure what to think, since I’d never spoken to Drea alone. Knowing her loyalties lied with my father, I couldn’t be sure this wasn’t some sort of manipulation on his behalf.
I proceeded with caution. “What is it?”
Drea placed something long and heavy into my hands. “This is your grandfather’s sword. I believe it belongs to you.”
I nearly fell to my knees as my fingers roamed over a leather sheath. I felt over the hilt of the sword, which had swirling designs carved into the metal. “This was… Emperor Cassiel’s?”
“Yes, and he would’ve wanted you to have it.
It’s a strong sword, forged from metal found in the caves of our former Forevermore.
The hilt is golden, and those etchings are of cherry blossoms. Your grandfather loved them.
There was a cherry tree outside his and Aponi’s quarters in Forevermore.
It was an illusion tree that sustained blossoms year-round. ”
I choked back what I thought were tears, though I couldn’t bring myself to cry. I’d been through so much lately it was like the tears had dried up. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t break down, though this gift almost broke me. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” she said gently. “Just take it, and use it well.”
“I— I don’t know how to use a sword,” I stammered. “I mean, I’ve created illusion swords, and I’ve used them in battle, but that was in an emergency situation. I’m not sure how to wield one properly.”
I could hear the slight smile in her voice. “Then allow me to teach you.”
I wanted to run away but was too stunned to move. “You’d… do that for me?”
“Of course. I serve the monarchy, and the prince should know how to defend himself with a weapon at all times. If no one else has taught you, I would be glad to.”