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“What will we do without him?” was a constant cry in the days and weeks that followed. “We are lost!” “Honestly,” Lysandra grumbled to her older brother, Gregor, as they snuck out of their family’s cottage at twilight. “He never showed any true magic. It was all just talk! It’s like they forget he taxed us all to death. The chief was a liar and a thief who lived high and mighty at his compound, sucking down wine and food while the rest of us starved!”
Three boys with their lives and futures spread before them—now silenced forever for speaking differently than what was permitted.
“Into the Forbidden Mountains?” Jonas whispered. “What good is a road that leads where no one wants to go?” What was the king up to? A flash of gold in the sky caught his attention and he looked up to see two hawks circling high above the crowd. Even the Watchers are interested.
“Don’t try to make me believe you knew nothing about this.” “I’m not trying to make you believe anything, princess. Frankly, I don’t particularly care what you believe about me or anyone else.” “It won’t happen.” Her voice was quiet but strong. “I will never marry you.” He lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “Explain that to my father.” “I’m explaining it to you.” “My father makes the decisions and he likes them followed without argument. You’re more than welcome to fight him on this.”
Aron was so accustomed to getting his way that it had completely disrupted his common sense. However, she couldn’t entirely blame him for trying to salvage what little power he had in the palace. But if he were smart—and she already knew brains were never Aron’s greatest asset—he would see that Cleo no longer wielded any power here, had no influence apart from being a figurehead meant to keep the Auranian people in line and gain their trust.
“You believe I should forgive her this indiscretion?” “That, of course, is for you to decide.” From the corner of his eye, he could see Cleo staring at him as if she was stunned he would say anything in her defense. This wasn’t defense. This was an excellent chance to test the borders of the king’s patience with his son and heir now that he’d reached the age of eighteen. Magnus was a man now, so he would no longer act like a boy and cower away from his father’s potential rages.
Reflected in her eyes was the brutal moment that had changed Magnus forever. It wasn’t so much that Theon Ranus had been Magnus’s first kill. The young guard had to die, for he would have killed Magnus without question in order to defend the princess he loved. It was the fact that Magnus had slain the boy by stabbing him through his back that would forever haunt him. That had been the act of a coward, not a prince.
The confusion of learning she was not his sister by blood, the relief that his unnatural desire for her was not truly one of the dark sins, and her look of disgust when he’d been unable to hold back his need to kiss her—all flowed through his mind now. Bright hope had been forever tainted by dark pain.
“I learned this new information from my latest royal advisor,” the king said finally. He moved to the opposite side of Lucia’s bed, his attention fixed again upon her peaceful face. “Who is it?” “That’s none of your concern.” “Let me guess. Did this mysterious advisor also suggest building your road into the Forbidden Mountains?” This earned Magnus a look that had regained some respect. He’d asked the right question. “She did.”
The king wanted the Kindred so he could possess their eternal, omnipotent power. This could prove to be the ultimate test for his son and heir. For if they truly existed, Magnus decided, gripping Lucia’s velvety blankets in his fist, he would be the one to find them.
“He’s doing it,” Jonas grumbled. “That bastard is fooling them into submission with his shiny speeches and pretty promises. They don’t realize that he’d happily destroy them at his whim.”
“He finds you an amusement, you know.” She couldn’t stop herself from speaking her thoughts. “Pray to the goddess that you make yourself invaluable to him before this amusement wears thin.” “I could say the same for you, princess,” Aron said evenly.
Magnus watched her warily. “Did I say something to amuse you?” Her gaze was soft, as soft as he’d seen from her in recent years. “In looks, yes, you’re just as handsome as Gaius, without any doubt. But that’s where the comparison ends. Oh, Magnus, my son, you’re nothing like him. And you never will be.”
“You are not like Gaius. He is a monster with a cold heart and a black soul. You’ve made mistakes, yes. And I have no doubt, just as anyone who lives and breathes, that you will make many more in your life. But it doesn’t change who you are deep down inside. You have a kind heart, Magnus. And there’s nothing you can do to change that.”
She stared back at the camp with horror. She couldn’t count the bodies that now lay bleeding and broken and surrounded by masses of chaotic, rioting slaves and the guards attempting to restore order. Thirty, forty . . . maybe more had been slaughtered in mere moments. Both Paelsian and Limerian, their blood now soaked into the parched ground.
“Proof. What proof do you have?” “Signs, my king. Incredible signs that all is aligning as it needs to. Pieces clicking into place exactly as they should. Words spoken at just the right time; connections made; whispers overheard by eager ears.” Her smile grew to compensate for her cryptic words. “What might seem like a series of coincidences is but perfect timing to an immortal. A sign that all is as it should be.”
“The prophecy is that there would one day be a mortal king who would rule over this kingdom.” She brushed her hand against the map of Mytica again. “One who would discover a great magic that would turn him into an immortal god. That he would rule his kingdom with a goddess as his queen. And that they would in turn rule everything, this world and all that lies beyond, and everyone, be they mortal or immortal, would bow before them. It is you, my king. And I shall be your queen.”
Magnus’s expression remained amused. “You entertain me, Cassian. Perhaps I’m glad I didn’t ask for your head.” “Why didn’t you?” Cleo asked curiously. “And why didn’t you tell the king what happened that day?” Magnus’s mouth tightened. “I felt it . . . unnecessary. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must visit my sister. May you have a fruitful journey to Hawk’s Brow with my mother, princess.” Cleo studied the prince as he walked away. The boy was a complete and utter enigma to her. She preferred to keep it that way.
“I’m not blind, princess. I see how difficult it’s been for you, and believe me, I do empathize with all you’ve lost due to my husband’s lust for power. But I need you to know one very important thing . . . and I mean this with all my heart and soul, speaking as one woman forced into an arranged marriage to another.” Her soft, almost kind words came as a great surprise. “What is it?” Queen Althea leaned forward and grasped Cleo’s hands. “If you cause my son any pain, I will see you dead. Do you understand me, my dear?”
“Will you do as the rebel demands?” Magnus now asked the king. He and his father were in Lucia’s chambers, standing on either side of her bed, the sleeping princess between them. “No. I need my road finished, and soon. It will stop for nothing, especially not the demands of a rebel.” Magnus’s gaze snapped to the king. “Then he’ll kill her.” A nod. “Most likely.” Even for the king, this utter lack of emotion was surprising, at least until Magnus realized that this played well into his father’s plans. Such an end for Cleo would gain him great sympathy from the Auranian citizens. And it would
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Magnus personally would have taken the opportunity to have Nic punished for such a failure if the boy hadn’t looked absolutely destroyed when he’d returned with the rest of the guards. “Kill me now,” Nic had spat at him, his voice breaking. “I deserve it for letting this happen.” “And interrupt your misery?” Magnus had studied his tortured expression for a moment before turning away. “Not today.”
Magnus knew his father was dangerous, vengeful, and remorseless. However, there was one thing the king was not. He was not stupid enough to believe in imaginary things that served no true purpose. If his father said this, if he admitted such a thing aloud, then it had to be true. And Magnus needed to know more.
Magnus stared at his father, unable to conceal his horrified shock. “You didn’t have to do that!” The king wiped his hands off on the front of his black surcoat. “Meaningless servants can be replaced. She was nothing special. I’ll find another to attend your sister.” Nothing special. Only a friend to Princess Cleo. Only a sister to Nicolo Cassian. Only another whose life had been snuffed out by the king while Magnus stood idly by.
“Fine.” The word was uttered through clenched teeth. “But I will come back.” “Of course you will. You’ve never been able to stay away from her for long. She’s the only one you’ve ever truly cared about, isn’t she?” A muscle in his scarred cheek twitched. “Wrong, Mother. I cared about you. And I could again, if you let me.” His words had succeeded in bringing a glistening to the queen’s eyes, but her only reply was a shallow nod. He shifted his gaze to Lucia. “I’ll return soon. I promise. Please . . . don’t fall asleep again.”
Her mother’s words confused her. “You call it dark power? Elementia is natural magic . . . from the elements that created the universe itself. It’s not dark.” “It is when it’s used to destroy. To kill. And that is what Gaius wants you for—it’s all he wants you for.” Her expression soured. “His endless quest for ultimate power. But at what cost?”
“The tornado in Paelsia was magic—air magic,” Phaedra said. “I saw it myself—I was there in hawk form. It drained power from the Sanctuary, and that—I’m sure that’s what triggered Stephanos’s condition. But how? How does what happens in the mortal world affect us? I didn’t think we were connected at all. Do you think it has something to do with the road the mortal king builds through his land?” All eyes went to Phaedra. “You’re mistaken,” Melenia said. “What is happening to Stephanos is the result of a slow draining away of our magic that has happened over time. A natural disaster that
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For all its beauty, it was a prison, escapable only by forfeiting both magic and immortality. And the inmates didn’t all get along.
“It is time,” Melenia whispered. She walked back toward Stephanos, gazing down at his face. “I wish there was something I could do to save you, my dear friend.” Despite her kind words, he didn’t look up at her with affection. In fact, it was as if he was seeing her today for the first time. His eyes narrowed. “You think your secrets will die with me, Melenia?”
She shook her head with disgust. “I need to go. I have places to be, mortals to watch. Dreams to visit. You’re not the only one keeping watch over specific mortals, Alexius.” “Phaedra, no. We need to talk about this.” Phaedra’s eyes sparkled. “I’m done talking. All I can tell you is one thing—watch out for Melenia. I’ve never trusted her, but lately . . . I know she’s up to something—and I think I know what it is. And trust me, if you aren’t smart, she will destroy you.”
“You overestimate my worth to Prince Magnus and his father. Whatever you’ve asked for will be denied!” “I asked him to stop construction on his road.” Her brows shot up. “That was a stupid request! There are a million more important things for a rebel to demand from a king. You’re not very good at this, are you?”
“You don’t even know me,” Cleo snapped. “And yet you’ve decided you hate me. That would be as fair as my hating you, sight unseen.” Lysandra rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say that I hate all royals equally. And you’re a royal. Therefore, I hate you. Nothing personal.” “Which makes absolutely no sense. Nothing personal? Hate is something I take quite personally. If I’ve earned it, that’s one thing. If I haven’t . . . it’s a foolish decision for you to serve out such a strong emotion without thought.”
“Tell me more,” Althea urged. “The sorceress will die,” the witch said. “After many others have fallen before her. But this is very important: her blood cannot be spilled in death—if it is, great pain will rise from the earth itself. Pain unlike anything this world can endure. Her bloodless death is the only way to stop this.” A chill went down the queen’s spine. “When will she die?” “I can only touch the future right now, not see it clearly. But she will die young.”
Her gaze snapped back to the cloaked figure before her. “Who are—?” she began, but got no further. The sharp tip of a dagger sank into her chest. She gasped out in pain as her assailant twisted the knife. A cry died in her throat and she fell to the ground. The taste of failure and of death. Both so very bitter. Without the love of a mother, Lucia’s destiny was now set. “I’m sorry, my daughter,” she whispered with her last breath.
How long would he be forced to remain in this land? If Cleo was dead . . . that would certainly end the betrothal and then he could perhaps return to Limeros. Even still, he could summon no joy from the thought of the princess’s death. She hadn’t asked for this fate any more than Amia or Mira had. Irrelevant. Why did he even waste thought on such things he had no control over?
Magnus leveled his gaze with Aron’s. “My father seems oddly fond of you as his newest kingsliege, but has he suddenly assigned you to become my keeper?” “No.” “My personal bodyguard?” “Uh . . . no.” “Then where I have been is none of your concern.”
This woman who’d given birth to Magnus eighteen years ago, the one who read him stories and danced with him as a child. The one who dried his tears . . . the one who’d shown her long-buried affection to him that day in the temple . . . She was gone forever.
Princess Cleo regarded him, her arms crossed over her chest. Her pale hair was loose, wavy past her shoulders to her waist. “I’m kidnapped by rebels, held as their prisoner for an entire week, escaped with only my wits to aid me, and you don’t even have a greeting for me upon my return?” “I will warn you, princess, that I’m not in the mood for foolishness right now.”
“I’m not saying it wouldn’t be the greatest gift in the entire universe to watch the king die so he can pay for his atrocities. His death would be the answer to every problem we have.” “Then what are you saying?” “I’m saying I think you will fail,” she said flatly. “That unfortunately today your reach exceeds your grasp. And that you can’t see this for yourself because you’ve been blinded by golden hair and blue-green eyes.”
“You’re taking her side.” The patience was fading from Brion’s gaze. “It’s not a matter of taking sides. It’s an attempt to see the situation clearly.”
“Evil is a choice one makes, not a natural state of being.”
“You have become very important to me,” he continued haltingly, “more important than I dare admit even to myself. I never understood how an immortal could fall in love with a mortal. It wasn’t logical. I thought them fools to give up eternity for a handful of years in the mortal world with the one who held their heart captive. I don’t think that anymore. There are some mortals who are worth sacrificing eternity for.”
“Magnus, tell me. What’s wrong?” “Today’s an important day, Lucia. I find it quite ironic that today, of all days, is when you’ve finally returned to us. To me.” “What’s today?” “It’s my wedding day.”
If everything went right today, Prince Magnus would die alongside his father. He deserved to die for what he’d done to Theon. Still, she felt a tiny pang of guilt that he would pay so dearly for his father’s more lengthy list of crimes.
King Gaius shakily rose to his feet though the ground was still shaking horribly, his furious gaze searching the temple until it landed on Cleo. He didn’t notice what was right behind him. A marble pillar had dislodged from the broken roof and was falling. The king was directly in its path. But before he was crushed, Magnus launched himself toward the king and knocked him out of the way. The heavy pillar crashed, shattering into hundreds of pieces on the still shaking ground.
Magnus paced angrily in a circle. “Father, this isn’t necessary. You’re killing her.” “I told you to be quiet. Don’t make me say it again.” A sinister smile then curled up the side of the king’s mouth as he gazed down at her. “Do you know what everyone will say about today? They’ll say that a beautiful wedding was disrupted by heartless rebels. That they wanted to keep you from exchanging your vows with my son. That they failed and we succeeded. That true love conquers all, no matter what the opposition might bring—even the shaking of the world itself. The people will find comfort in such
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“And so it is, and so it shall be, from this day forward until death and beyond. You are wed. You are husband and wife. It is done.”
“It won’t be long before my road is finished,” she said. There was joy in her voice. Yes, her road. A road that had to be swiftly built by mortal hands. A road that needed to pass certain locations along its twisting path. And, of course, since it wasn’t only a road, one mustn’t forget that there needed to be a great deal of blood spilled on it.
“What I want is to find another solution.” “There are no other solutions.” She came toward him and took his hands in hers, squeezing them tightly. “I understand, I do. I understand what it’s like to love someone forbidden to me. To pine away for him. To ache for his touch and know that a future together is impossible. I know to what lengths someone is willing to go to help the one they love more than anyone else.”
“You don’t share Magnus’s feelings, do you? While I don’t approve of the desire he harbors for you, if you felt the same for him—that would change everything.” Her face heated even more. “No, I don’t. And I never will. The way he looks at me . . . I wish I knew what to say to him—to make him forget such unwelcome thoughts.” The king turned his head slightly. “You know how I feel about eavesdroppers, my son.” Lucia was confused by his words until she looked past the king to see that Magnus stood in the doorway to the room. Her heart sank. How much had he heard?
Was this the sort of power her father favored so much? The ability to incite fear in someone by uttering a few simple words? Lucia was disturbed to realize it was a curiously pleasant sensation.
