Chapter Forty-Nine – Mira #2
‘He’s Roran’s son ,’ I reminded her, irritated that I had to spell it out.
‘Kalure won’t be safe until he’s dead. And neither will you, not if you intend to claim the Ravalian throne.
You should be thanking me. I’m finally making the hard choices – isn’t that what you and Cassius told me I needed to do? ’
‘Aurelius is a child.’ Scarlett took a deep breath, and I had the sense it cost her something to say, ‘No matter who his father was, he deserves our protection. He’s an innocent.’
‘There’s no such thing.’
Odessa returned with Aurelius – and Lillian, her arms draped protectively over his shoulders.
‘Bring him over here,’ I said, unsheathing my sword. ‘I’ll make it quick. He won’t feel a thing.’
Aric stepped in front of Lillian and Aurelius, protecting them with his own body. I turned towards him, and another unstable laugh bubbled from my lips. ‘Are you really going to fight me? To commit treason against your queen?’
‘Do you see a sword drawn?’ Aric asked steadily. ‘I won’t fight you, Mira. But if you want to harm this boy, you’re going have to kill me.’
My body shook with a mixture of rage and hysterical amusement. ‘He’s not a boy! Can’t you see that? He’s a threat that has to be put down–’
‘Release the magic, Mira,’ Cassius interrupted, his voice low and imploring.
I lifted my gaze to him – and I laughed again, only this time, it sounded choked. ‘Since when are you the voice of reason?’
‘Since right now,’ Cassius said, taking a step closer. ‘Aric is right; this isn’t you.’
Things must have been bad, if Cassius was agreeing with Aric. But just because they agreed didn’t mean I had to listen to them–
Movement made me turn.
Conall and the remaining shifters were leaving. Betrayal speared through me – quickly followed by rage as I noticed the clansmen disappearing into the trees. Nari led them, stiff-backed and purposeful. She didn’t even spare a glance for me, her queen.
Her dismissal stung. It was happening all over again; the same outcome, the same betrayal, only I had done everything right this time!
I had reversed all my mistakes, and yet somehow my warriors were still leaving.
The shifters had already disappeared, and the priestesses and Ravalian Warriors were watching me like – like–
‘You broke your vow,’ Odessa said, moving out of Aric’s shadow. Behind her, a dozen priestesses looked warily between her and me. ‘You promised you wouldn’t use blood magic again.’
‘I did it to save his life ,’ I said, pointing angrily at Cassius.
‘And I’m very grateful,’ Cassius replied, his tone light – though his eyes were filled with calculation. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it. ‘So don’t make me fight you.’
‘ Fight me?’ I stared at him incredulously. Had everyone lost their minds? ‘You can’t fight me. My magic is–’
His sword sliced towards me, and I hissed in irritation as I was forced to used blood magic to slow his heartbeat. Cassius’s attack paused, but I could still feel him testing the limits of my concentration. Stopping me from turning my attention to Aurelius.
‘Could it be the magic? Or . . .’ Aric trailed off, his attention shifting to Scarlett, who was watching Zandri with an odd expression.
‘It’s your mother, isn’t it?’ Aric said, stepping away from Odessa and Aurelius.
Leaving the boy exposed. ‘She’s controlling Mira somehow. Like Velanthe did to me.’
I didn’t listen to Scarlett’s response. I wasn’t being controlled, but if they were distracted by the possibility, perhaps I could finally deal with Aurelius. I raised my sword and stepped towards the boy–
Cassius smoothly moved in front of me, blocking my path. ‘You need to work on your concentration, Mira.’
I glared at him. Before he could attack again, I slowed his heartbeat, sending him toppling to his knees.
But his gaze darted past me, towards–
I dodged as Scarlett lunged for me, avoiding her poisonous touch by a matter of centimetres.
Her eyes were fixed on mine, and her lips were moving. Stop this. Or I’ll stop you .
I laughed a little at the arrogance of her words, before realising that I couldn’t actually hear them.
I couldn’t hear anything–
Panic threatened to overwhelm me, but I fought it back. What did it matter if I couldn’t hear what Scarlett and Cassius were saying? Listening to them would only distract me from my true purpose. Aurelius.
Scarlett circled me, waiting for an opening to strike. Was this what Scarlett had intended all along – to weaken me so that her mother could swoop in and take over? Was this yet another betrayal?
‘Stop this, Mira.’ Scarlett’s voice was cautious. ‘You won’t get to Aurelius. I won’t let you.’
But I didn’t need to get any closer than I was. I didn’t even need a sword to deal with Aurelius. I only needed my magic.
My senses extended, until I was attuned to his heartbeat as well as Cassius’s.
A single thought was all it would take.
Yet I hesitated. The connection between the boy in front of me and the hatred I felt didn’t quite match. Everything had seemed so clear a second ago, but now–
A force swept across the field, blasting me backwards and whipping my hair across my face.
When I looked up, I was shocked to see Aric lying on the ground a few metres from Zandri, his armour dented and abrasions covering every inch of his exposed skin.
Horror speared through me. How hadn’t I noticed that Aric was fighting Zandri ? How hadn’t I noticed the danger he was in?
But I knew the answer. It was pulsing brightly in Zandri’s hand. Red and mesmerising and terrible.
‘Aric!’ I shouted, sprinting towards him. ‘Get away from her! Run! ’
Aric’s eyes met mine briefly, and the relief in them – the love – stole my breath. But he didn’t run. His gaze returned to the blood ruby in Zandri’s grip, his face filled with single-minded focus.
Zandri said something too low for me to hear, but I knew it was a warning. And I knew she wouldn’t give it twice.
I ran even harder, but my body was sluggish and unresponsive. I felt like I was caught up in the middle of a nightmare – too far to do anything but watch as Aric advanced on Zandri, his sword raised.
As if a sword would do anything against Zandri. As if he stood a chance.
‘RUN!’ I screamed again, with everything I had left in me. So loudly I felt my throat tear. ‘YOU HAVE TO RUN!’
I reached desperately for my blood magic, but either I was burned out or Zandri was blocking me somehow, because nothing happened. She didn’t even look at me as she waved her hand in an almost nonchalant gesture.
For an instant, I thought nothing had happened. Then Aric turned to face me, and I saw the thin crimson line ringing his throat.
No . I wasn’t sure if I gasped it or screamed it, but it ripped apart my soul. My entire being.
Aric stumbled towards me, just like Darius had done. One step. Then another.
I already knew he wouldn’t make it. Blood seeped from the grisly wound around his neck.
A gaping, reddish smile.