“What? So you can gloat about how royally screwed I am, pun intended?”
“Shut up.” I hiss, letting some of my pent up anger leak through. Haven, Amara, the Hunters, now being responsible for this prick’s life, it all builds into the classic Serpentarian temper. “Do you see that girl up there?” I point to Haven just turning the corner into the war room. “She has asked me to make sure you survive this attack.”
“Did she?” His smug smile makes me want to kill him right here.
“She did. You’re her brother, her big brother and she is a sweet, kind, forgiving, beautiful girl that I will never be able to say no to. So you, my friend, just became the most protected Zodiac here. However,” I grip his shoulder, enough to hurt, and pin him between me and the wall. “If you try anything, and I mean anything, I will slit your throat myself and tell her there was nothing I could do to stop the Hunters from killing you. Is that clear?” When he doesn’t answer I apply a little pressure to his arm.
Haydan winces. “Yup, crystal.”
“Good.” I release him. “When they come you stick with me.” He massages the sore spot on his neck, walking away as if nothing bad could ever hurt him. I almost envy him that. That confidence, that carelessness, that freedom. Because he doesn’t care about what anyone thinks or about anyone because he loves no one. He cares for nothing, but his own survival. It’s not something I will ever be able to say for myself, but I certainly understand it.
“Everything alright?” Theon asks as I enter the war room.
“Fine.” I snap at Theon. When I peer up at him he’s smirking. He is impossible to read. He always covers his annoyance with guarded smiles. “The uh—the Serpentarian temper, the rage, does that ever get easier?”
“If it ever does I’ll let you know.”
“My sister, she—she has none of it. Amara, she’s always been so…calm, collected. She’s my level head. She always has been. The temper, it doesn’t affect her. If and when she does get angry it’s when someone she loves is in trouble. Like with Haydan. When she was interrogating him? I’ve never seen her so deadly.”
“I know. It was beautiful.” Theon grins like a proud father.
“Theon,” I say patiently. “I chose to help you and to convince Amara to help you because I believe in your cause. Not your methods, but your cause. But if at any point that ceases to be true I will take my sister, kicking and screaming if I have to, and we will disappear. I’ll let her fight her war if she wants, but I won’t let her lose herself in it.”
“Understood.”
“We’re all here.” Niykee announces. Behind her stands two girls, not much older than us. Vanya and Asena Theon called them. They’re sisters, daughters of one of Theon’s advisors. They have long white blond hair and blue eyes. They must have had their Echo for a long time because they move like they are one with each other, like they’re the same person. It’s eerie.
Across the room with Amara now, her and Theon speak in hushed tones. Honestly ever since Amara agreed to work with him the two have been thick as thieves. It makes me worry there’s something she’s not telling me.
We all gather at the round table. We’re all here. My Zodiac, the pieces that are here at least, some of Theon’s advisors, Malia, Clea, and Haydan. One last strategy meeting before we break out the Nexus and see what it can do.
No one knows about the plan to get Kara out of the palace except for Theon and the ones we sent her off with. The less people who know she’s gone the safer she’ll be. Not even Amara knows, which I’m surprised given she and Theon move like magnets lately.
“Are the troops ready?” Amara asks.
“In position since last night.” Theon confirms.
“Are the girls ready to do this?” Felix asks.
“They’re ready.”
“Alright then. Let’s get ready.” Amara’s hand flinches at her side. A tiny fireball spits out her fingertips. She flicks her fingers and the flame goes out just as quickly as it came. “I won’t be sad to see this fire magic go.” That’s when she notices Kara isn’t present. “Where’s Kara?”
“I didn’t want Kara to be present in case anything goes wrong so she already made her contribution to the Nexus and now she’s tucked safely away.” Theon tells her. No one detects his lie, although Amara does look worried.
“And it worked? Her nether magic is in here already?” She eyes the Nexus sitting at the center of the table.
“It is. Now it waits for the rest of you. Megara, my dear, why don’t you go first?” Theon says to Meg.
Her brown eyes search us all, worried. I’m sure the process has been explained to her by now and she knows this is going to hurt. I can’t know how much. Kara flinched and whimpered a few times in her unconscious state, but these girls are fully awake.
Meg reaches out toward the Nexus and pricks her finger on the section for earth magic. She seethes at the small finger prick, but it is soon forgotten when she sucks in a large breath, gasping. She grasps her throat as if she can’t breathe, as if her insides are being torn out. Even Amara looks frightened.
“It won’t be this bad for you, Amara. Meg and Ari have shared their magic since they were toddlers. You have only had Kara’s magic for a few months.”
The familiar wind we experienced earlier picks up before he can say much more. Most of the people in the room are alarmed, but I am not. I’m prepared for it this time. I grip the back of the chair in front of me. Others do the same. Meg is still gasping for breath where she stands. Felix and Malia both stand behind her, bracing her on her feet so she won’t collapse. Finally Meg does collapse into unconsciousness and Felix and Malia lower her slowly to the floor.
One by one each girl goes down until finally we get to Amara. I’m sure she’s remembering the way the girls cried and screamed as their additional magic was ripped from them because I see a sliver of fear in her eyes.
Theon must see it too because he reaches out for her hand. She lets him take it. “You’ve got this.” he says to her. She merely nods in response.
She releases his hand so that she can prick her finger on the spike reserved for fire. Amara gasps like Meg had, but not nearly as dramatically. Where the other girls cried and begged for the Nexus to hurry along she barely flinches. Perhaps Theon was right. It hadn’t been very long since she and Kara swapped their powers to save Amara’s life, but it also could be because of how much more powerful Amara is. She barely breaks a sweat. What’s more, she doesn’t pass out like the rest when the fire gem lights up bright red.
The raging wind still pulses around us when Theon leans forward toward the Nexus. “What are you doing?” I shout over the wind. He reaches out and pricks his finger on the spot for nether magic. “What is he doing?” I shout at Amara.
Amara simply looks back at me guiltily. “What we have to do to win this war, Aaric.” she calls back.
“I don’t understand. He…” It takes me seconds to puzzle out what’s happening now, what all the secrecy was about between the pair of them. Those girls weren’t giving up their power to an enchanted object to stop the Hunters with. The Nexus was just a tool. The power was for him. It was always for him. And Amara knew. It was their plan together, all along.
Theon chokes up like the rest, knocking back into the nearest wall. Amara rushes to his side, bracing him against the wall so he won’t fall. His face pales as all that magic rages inside of him. My eyes damn near glaze over at the betrayal. Long enough for me to see beyond him.
I rush to the window to see the three companies of men Haydan predicted marching toward the palace.
“They’re here.” Haydan mutters beside me.
My eyes fall on him. “It’s time to go.”
—CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN—
AMARA
GLAMOUR
The guards arrive just in time.
I’m a little shaky from the magical invasion of the Nexus. It sort of felt like a piece of me was being torn out, but I’m still standing. So is Theo
n. Sort of. I guess even a durable thousand year old Zodiac body has a hard time handling six different types of magic at once.
There are at least a dozen guards that file in, here to guard the room until Theon has managed to render the Hunters no longer immune to our powers.
“Go!” I shout at the others still standing around. “The Hunters are here. Go! I’ve got him!”
“Amara—”
“Go, Aaric. Be pissed later. Right now we’ve got a kingdom to defend.” He meets my eyes. After a moment of anger they soften and he nods. Then they’re all gone and the guards stand by, ready to defend. “Alright Theon, I know it’s a lot of magic. I know it’s overwhelming you, but I need you to suck it up, okay?”
Big blue eyes fly to me in a panic. “Suck it up? You take six different elements into your body at once and then—ah!” His body jerks forward and I lose my grip on him. He collapses on the floor, clutching his chest.
“Your Highness,” one of the guards steps forward, worried about his Prince Regent. The others shift uncomfortably, wanting to help too.
“He’s fine.” I snap, holding a hand out toward them. I kneel beside Theon, touching his chest. He seems to have calmed some. “Theon, talk to me.”
“I—I think I’m okay.”
“Yeah?” I say anxiously. My eyes keep turning to the doors, waiting for Hunters to bust in at any moment. “Can you stand?” I rise and take his hands into mine, thrusting him up on his feet. He wobbles a couple times before he stands his ground.
“I’ve got it.” He holds his hand up to me and I withdraw my own.
“Do you think you can do the spell, enchantment, whatever right now?”
Theon nods at me. “I can try.”
“Try then.”
At the doors the guards tense, turning toward it, weapons out. “Someone’s trying to get in, Your Highness.” Perrin says, captain of the Guard.
I move for the door and all the guards take a step toward me, to protect me. I have no intention of leaving the room though. I only want to hear who’s on the other side.
“Amara, let me in.” I hear Kol hiss on the other end. “They haven’t broken inside yet.”
With one nod Perrin opens the door and lets Kol inside. He does a sweep before locking us back inside the war room.
“What are you doing back here, Kol?” I hiss.
“I’m not leaving you again, Amara. I let someone else handle your safety once before and it got you kidnapped. I won’t let it happen again.”
“I can take care of myself.” I fire back, marching back toward Theon where he is trying to gain control of his magic in order to do what needs to be done, but Kol catches my wrist in his hand, yanking me around to him.
“No. You are done walking away from me, Amara Boudelaire.”
I freeze under his touch. Kol Kasanoff, Nikolas Novak, whoever he is right now, he makes me shiver. He always has. Maybe it’s his water magic. Maybe it’s the way his deep blue eyes catch me every time. But I damn near flinch under his touch and, to my dismay, he notices. “Oh? Am I?” I challenge him, hoping to mask whatever it is that moves between us. Regret, want, need. A feeling I cannot name.
He gapes back at me, bewildered. “You’ve been brushing me off ever since your little announcement at the meeting with Keenan Volterra and it stops now.”
“Really?” I snap sharply. “We’re doing this now?” The next look he gives is one of challenge. He’s daring me to try and refuse. Okay, little serpent. I’ll play. “Fine. I don’t know why you’re so upset. You and Theon had our marriage planned long before I decided it was a good idea.”
“Yes, but I expected you to fight back on that one.”
“Why, Kol? You don’t want to marry me?” It’s a tease, another challenge, another needling. It’s easy to do. There is still so much hurt between us.
The fire dies in his eyes almost instantly upon hearing the question. His eyes drop away from mine, down to the floor, almost in shame. “Any man would be a fool not to want to marry you, Amara.”
Despite myself, I am affected by his words. My heart doesn’t beat for much anymore, but it beats for that. He wants to marry me, I realize. It’s not just duty for him. He wants me. If I win the Trials he’ll get what he wants. Not a crown, but me. The girl he fancies.
“Then why are you so angry?” I whisper.
“I do not like being blindsided, Amara. I have had enough of that for one lifetime. But in case you were curious, my answer will be yes, when you win.”
“When?” My voice shakes on the word. “You have that much confidence in me?”
“Of course I do.” He raises his eyes to me and we smile at each other, biting lips, trying to hide them, like children.
“As much as I hate to interrupt what I’m sure is a lovely moment between future husband and wife, I cannot infuse all my new powers together into one to neuter the Hunters if I can’t concentrate.” Theon speaks up from where he’s standing by the window. He still leans against it, weak. I fear he may not be able to do this.
“Is that how it works?” I ask. Together Kol and I walk over to him.
“The reason the Nexus was capable of disempowering their immunity powers is because one blast of all six elements at once will negate the ability. It’s why it’s imperative I do it before they get inside.”
“So you can aim the blast outside where they are, away from all of us.”
“Yes, love, so do be quiet.”
“Right. Sorry.” I peer up at Kol. I take his hand and bring him over to a few chairs across the room, allowing Theon to concentrate.
“Think we’ll make it out of this alive?” Kol whispers to me.
“I know we will.” I offer him a gentle smile, hoping he buys the lie. “Kol, I know you think it’s selfish, carrying on with Roman knowing in the end you and I will be married. But I am not as confident as you are that I’ll win. And, if I don’t, Roman’s a good choice. Because even if Theron doesn’t agree to work with us, Roman will be king one day and he can change that.”
“And if you do win and you do marry me, what then?”
“Then we hope Roman will still support Llìria, even if he can’t be with me. You two were close once. I don’t want you to let something as silly as a girl get in the way of that.”
“You and I both know you are more than just some silly girl.” Kol smiles.
“Amara,” Theon’s voice sounds hoarse. He stands, bracing himself over the edge of the table. “I need help.”
Kol and I rush over. “What do you need, Theon?”
“I can’t control this magic, Amara. Not yet. If I have any hope of doing this I need you to find me Niykee, Roman, and Felix.”
“For what?”
“I’m going to channel them and the two of you. You all have control over your elements. If I can channel you all you might be able to help me master it long enough to create the blast.”
“Perrin,” I shout. “Take a few men with you and bring me Niykee, Felix, and Roman. Tell them I need their help. And be quick about it. We don’t have much time before they break through the wall.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I look back at Theon. “Relax for a minute, okay? We’ll get them, we’ll finish this.”
Kol and I help Theon into a chair and settle into one of our own. I push a frosted water bottle his way. Theon accepts it and drinks the whole thing.
“Can I ask you something?” Theon says abruptly.
“Chances are you fail like you always do tonight so sure.” I gesture for him to go on.
“Why are you so kind to me?”
The question throws me, and makes me laugh. “Are you kidding? I’m mean to you every chance I get. I just called you a failure.”
“You poke fun. It’s not the same thing.” he argues.
I heave a sigh. I start tapping my foot under the table. Talking about my feelings makes me antsy. “For all the reasons I told you the day I told you about what happened to Haven. You aren
’t evil, Theon. But also because, in your own misguided way, you did what you thought was right, to help our people, to help your sister. I’m nice because I’m hoping my way of doing things will rub off on you. Also, you’re the father of my godchildren so I’m never getting rid of you.”
Theon chuckles, looking better already. “You come to that conclusion on your own?”
“Please.” I scoff. “That was a decision we made when we were six. Don’t fight it.” Both boys laugh.
The door opens then and Perrin and the other guards return with Niykee, Felix, and Roman.
“They’re getting close.” Roman says. “We have minutes until they break through those doors.”
“What are we doing here?” Felix asks.
“Theon can’t control his new magic yet so he needs to channel all of us so he can gain control and send out the blast that will negate the Hunter’s immunity ability.” I explain.
“Is it going to tap us out? Because we can’t afford that in the middle of a war.” Felix says dryly.
“Fee, we do not have time for your prejudices right now, okay?” I bite out. “If Theon doesn’t do this we are all dead!”
“Where do you want us, Amara?” Roman asks gently.
“Over here.” We all gather around Theon. “Create a circle.” Somehow I find myself squeezed between Roman and Kol. Kol takes my hand without flinching. Roman hesitates. Green eyes burn into mine. We haven’t talked since the Haydan Kasanoff interrogation. I hope we get the chance.
I push my fingers through Roman’s and he squeezes gently. Such a small gesture, but it’s enough to make me feel like I can get through this day.
“Alright, Theon. Do what you have to do.” I prompt.
“What do we do?” Niykee asks.
“Call to your magic and let Theon touch it. Focus on your control. That’s what he needs.” Niykee only nods.
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