“So you turned on him? You took us to war?”
“I’m sorry.”
My head gave a hard shake as Lu groaned out in pain. “Open the door. I have to get Cara, and you’re going to open the portal for me so I can.”
“I can’t.”
Rage rumbled as I pointed to the stone entrance.
“You will. What part about him having my mate did you not hear?”
“Atlas, you don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t understand. He has your queen.”
“I am queen.”
At the raise of my eyebrow, a long cry left her. “I didn’t mean that, I promise. The darkness, it comes back sometimes. I can’t help you. Not because I don’t want to, but because I closed the portal. I couldn’t get you back to Ri if I wanted to. I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.”
“That’s where your wrong. You’ll make another. Together, we’ll open a bridge so I can cross over.”
“You’ll die.”
“Without her, we’re all already dead. Ri is using her just as he used you. She is his vessel for stealing light. If we don’t get her back, more than the Paltenians are in trouble. Do you see what I’m saying? What began as good intentions on your part has given armor to our enemy. He won’t just defeat us on the field, he’ll obliterate us and steal the very thing we’re made of. No one stands a chance until he’s defeated for good. And he must be taken care of, Kelu.”
More tears fell free as she nodded. “He has to die.”
“It’s the only way I know to keep us safe.”
The scraping of stone had me looking over to see the door opening. Barona stepped into view, staring me up and down as if she barely recognized me. Given what I was wearing and the tattoos, she probably didn’t. Days’ worth of growth on my face was getting thick, and I could feel the dirt dusting my blood-stained skin.
Lu’s hand settled on my back, and the vision of Kelu was gone. I headed to the one place I used to dream about coming back to with apprehension. Residual memories, sweet and sickening, entered me with each step. I allowed them to fill me as I passed my remaining people. The fancy garbs we all used to wear was long gone. Years of karmic embattlement entrenched us all. It showed in the aging of my friends. In the haggardness of those who used to shine with enthusiasm. The once brightly lit great room was cast in shadows. Ri hadn’t just stolen my mate and child five years ago, he’d buried himself in every essence of me, including my kingdom.
Dirt crunched under boots as I was led deeper into the large, open room. My throne sat in the front, and I was surprised when I noticed it was where my remaining people were leading me. Quickly, I stopped, turning to face the remaining fifty under my rule. To say my heart was breaking at their acceptance was an understatement. It should have never came to this, even if I did have the knowledge of why it did.
“You all know why I’m back.”
Nods came from most.
“Ri has taken my queen. Your new queen. He’s taken my mate, and I must get her back.”
“We will prepare,” Lu said, gesturing with his head to the remaining warriors.
“No. I must retrieve her alone. It’s the only way. I will bring her back here and return to finish this once and for all. You all know what to do if I don’t return. Cara will be a good queen. She will love you all. Just…teach her our ways. Show her our compassion and what we Paltenians are made of.” Tears burned my eyes. “Leone will assist. I feel her here. Her and Niya. This is our home. Make Cara part of it.”
I forced a swallow as tears burned from leaving my people. They were so broken. So lost and damaged because of me. All I could do was project my apologies. My love and sadness for how things had turned out. Kelu eased into the room, only adding to the heartbreak, and I didn’t hesitate to rush over and pull her into my arms. Mistakes or not, she was blood. My sister. All she’d ever wanted was to do the right thing. Now, she was about to go through more pain than her young self was prepared for. Losing a mate could very well kill her. We both were thinking that as I hugged her into me.
“Help me. Give me an alternative. A spell. Tell me you’ve come up with one.”
I pulled back, letting Kelu wipe the tears as she shook her head.
“I’m not that good, Atlas. I’ve been trying everything I can think of for months. You know what you must do.”
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“The choice is out of our hands. I did this. It’s my fault. I ruined our name. Our people died because of me. You must end this, no matter what that means. All that’s good depends on it.”
My teeth clenched. “You’ll prepare in the crystal chamber. Mahi will assist. She’s the strongest in healing next to you. She can merge and project her protection. The crystal will give aid. Maybe Heta can help too?”
“Atlas, you’re exhausted. Come eat, bathe, and rest. Give me a day to fast before we try to open a portal. I will be fine.”
My hands gripped the back of Kelu’s biceps, keeping her facing me.
“No. The stronger the fallen, the more impactful on the mate. To kill Ri, I’ll be killing you. You need assistance.”
“No one is strong enough to save me if Ri is killed.”
“What about the Dron? They helped you once. They helped me. Can’t they do anything?”
“The Dron.” Kelu turned to the crowd, plastering a fake smile to her face as her voice rose so they could hear. “Our king has returned. The least we can do is serve him a grand dinner as celebration.” She glanced at me, only to turn back to them. “Let’s get to cooking. I’m sure your king would like to get cleaned up.”
As she led me down the tunnels toward my old chambers, Kelu continuously glanced over her shoulder. Lu followed behind, but gave us space as she spoke telepathically.
“The Dron came to my assistance during battle. I didn’t ask for their help or their healing. I don’t even know why I shared my light to begin with. It just came naturally. Light always diminishes dark. I thought this would be the case concerning Ri. I never thought he would become addicted. I should have assumed. Dark is manic. It’s obsessive. Their kind can’t just feel joy or happiness. They do, but it’s to the extreme. I knew I was in trouble after those first weeks. Ri wanted more. He didn’t want me to leave.” Kelu glanced over, frowning. “I didn’t want to leave him, Atlas.”
“But you did. What happened?”
“The darkness.” She opened my door, barely able to meet my eyes. Lu raced up, but I lifted my hand to make him wait. “Brother, it was overwhelming. Sinful. It felt good not to care in those moments. I…I don’t want to think about those times. Just know it wasn’t good, and when the sobering of light returned, I left as fast as I could and vowed never to return.”
“Did you hurt anyone?”
Kelu’s lips parted as a blush crept into her cheeks.
“It wasn’t that kind of dark, Atlas. Ri knew no one but me. He didn’t care to. All he wanted was my light, and when he got it, he was a different person. A loving, charming person. Days were wasted while he just stared, or he fed me. Loved me. Mate things,” she whispered in my head.
“But your light came at the cost of having his dark. What was so bad about it? Did you want to kill, destroy, go to war?”
“No. Not exactly. It’s hard to explain. There was anger, yes, but I never aimed it to anyone but him.”
My lips twisted in confusion.
“And how did he respond to your anger?”
More blushing.
“For the love of light, Kelu. You have to tell me what was so bad. Was it just…the mating? I know you’re inexperienced—”
“I will not talk to you about this,” she bit out. “I’m not naive to how things are amongst mates. What Ri and I shared was not what I learned. It was violent and wrong. I still see the night creatures rejoicing in the shadows. Creatures, Atlas. Real ones.”
I grabbed Kelu’s wrist as she barged into the room, pulling her back to me. Bile burned my th
roat at the thought of what she must have gone through.
“I’m so sorry. I will make him pay for hurting you. For putting you through that. You have my word. If it’s the last thing I do, he will know how much he wronged you.”
“Wronged me?” Kelu broke my grasp, putting distance between us. She took one look at Lu and wiped a tear away as she trembled. “Oh, brother, if that were only the truth. It wasn’t me battered and bleeding on the floor. It was him. And he took it to please me. In my hands, there was hope in Ryder. I could have led his troops. What I’m hesitant to say is, I’m afraid there was no hope for me. I could not hold his dark without becoming it. No one could do that.”
Chapter 26
Cara
“There are many things I know. For instance, right now, you’re taking note of the guards at the door. You’re wondering if you have to run, if you can react fast enough to immobilize them. You question what you’re capable of. Right now,” Ri said, circling around me on the balcony, “you think, ‘forget the guards, if he goes too far, I’ll jump to my death.’ Perhaps, in this realm, you can fly. Maybe you can’t. You can see yourself falling, but even as you try to push away the ridiculous idea of it, you contemplate the choice of your absence. Is it better for Atlas? For the world? If you kill yourself, will I find another to replace you? So many racing thoughts. And yet, that’s only been the last minute. I’ve heard almost everything running through that head of yours since I tied you to me. It’s almost like I am you, Ina. There’re moments of clarity in this darkness where I pity letting you go. I don’t mind you so much, really. I don’t even care that you’re mated to Atlas. Do you think if I become good, he’ll want to become allies? I will be mated to his sister.”
A hot breeze blew against my face as I stared into the dark miles ahead. Nothing rested past the walls of the castle except endless miles of dry, flat desert. There weren’t even trees or grass. It was unbearable to see. Endless night in a vast waste of space.
“You killed his mate and child. That is unforgiveable.”
“But he has you. Had I not done that, the two would have never met. I searched you out through his link. I found you for him. There has to be a pardon in order for that.”
“Don’t count on it.”
“No? Are they more important than a truce between kingdoms? Than a sister who would be devastated to lose the only people she’s known? That won’t be on me. I’m willing to bury the hatchet so long as I have Kelu.”
“Atlas would never give up his sister.”
Ri smiled, stopping next to me. “I think you’re wrong. I happen to know he’ll hand her over if I push him hard enough. You see, your mind isn’t the only one I can tap into. In the height of his desperation, outside his kingdom, Atlas’s walls dropped just enough for me to peek into his subconscious. It’s already decided. And he doesn’t even know it.
A sickening sound left me.
“He will never forgive himself if he does that. I refuse to allow it.”
“There’s nothing you can do to stop him.”
I spun, met with pressure to my throat as I threw my weight forward. Evil swirled within, and no matter how hard I tried to put the hooks of it into Ri, my darkness wouldn’t budge past my chest. Air left me, and I locked to Ri’s wrist as he squeezed and lifted me off the ground.
“You were bound to test me, but you’re smarter than this. You really didn’t think you could use my darkness against me, did you?”
“D—Do-n’t.”
My words cut off at the pressure. Tingling prickled into my numb lips as I clawed into the long sleeve black shirt covering his forearms.
“Shall we show him, Ina? Shall we give Atlas a glimpse so he’ll hurry with my queen?”
His fingers eased enough to allow the smallest amount of air. The scream inside me burst free, dying almost just as fast. I could see Atlas. I was a foot in front of him, our eyes locked as he froze from bringing a golden goblet to his mouth. Wine splashed on the table between us, but neither of us could see past our sudden connection. Dots speckled the air, and I was losing consciousness. It’s what Ri wanted him to see. Fire raced through my throat, and my eyelids grew heavy as he yelled. Fear. It was all we knew as I stared into his terrified eyes. I saw our meeting, our mating…and my impending death if Ri didn’t have his way.
As Atlas stood from the table, I was pulled with him, but I was already vanishing, fading as my legs collapsed. I was suddenly back in Ri’s mercy, in his arms, being lifted to bow above his head while his voice roared to the cheering crowd below.
What he said, I wasn’t sure. My limbs were dead weight as I dangled in his grasp. Sputtering flashes of Atlas running came to me as my pulse deafened my hearing. He slowed, breaking down a new hallway as my name left his lips. It was loud and full of a possession I felt in every cell of my being.
“Atlas.”
“I’m coming, baby. I’m coming.”
Burning cramped in my lungs as I coughed.
“Don’t. Don’t come.”
But he was already gone, and me, I was flung over Ri’s shoulder as he swept through the large, open doors. Screams still echoed from somewhere deep in the castle, but I had no idea who they were coming from. The woman sounded like she was stuck in a nightmare. She had no idea how real it was.
“P-lease.” The rawness of my throat had me pausing to swallow. “Just keep me. I’ll be your queen. You don’t need Atlas or his sister. I’ll do what you want.”
Ri’s laughter was the only response I received. His large steps carried us through one room and into another. Louder, the screams grew, making the hair on my arms rise. Two guards stood at the far end of the hall, moving as we approached.
“Is she ready?”
A side-nod. It wasn’t a yes or a no, but Ri didn’t seem to care either way. The door was flung open, and the hesitation died the moment we stepped in. The high-pitched screech made me cringe for only a moment before silence took over.
“This woman has come to help you, Ina.”
Ri placed me down in time to see the human girl suck in a breath to let out another silent scream. It didn’t matter that Ri had taken her voice. The shock of what she was seeing was too much.
“Help me? What is she going to do?”
“Speak to you.”
My eyes went back to the dark-haired girl, who was starting to curl into the wall. She had deeply tanned skin, light eyes, but looked to be of mixed race. She was so beautiful and full of light, my heart ached to comfort her. Nails dug into stone, and her skin took on a pale hue as she peered up at Ri. He didn’t make sense, but I knew he had a hidden agenda. I could feel his need to calm her so we could move on.
“Hello? What’s your name?”
Still, she let out deep exhales I knew were screams.
I turned to Ri. “You calmed me. Can you calm her?”
“No.”
“Can you leave us then?”
“No.”
My eyes closed through my own need to scream.
“What is her name?”
“Abbie Jane Williams.”
“Abbie.” I stepped closer, trying to move into her line of vision so I could break her stare from Ri. “Abbie Jane, my name is Cara. I know you’re afraid right now. Abbie, please look at me.”
Clearing my throat, I reached over, brushing my fingers over her knuckles. It was enough to cause her to jump more into the wall. Her stare shot to me, and I lifted my hand higher to show her I meant no harm.
“Please, Abbie. I know you’re scared. I am too. But I need your help.”
I glanced back at Ri, who was transfixed on her. My pulse beat harder, and it took all I had to remain calm.
“How is she supposed to help me?”
Before Ri could answer, I was grabbed and pulled into Abbie as she hugged around my chest.
“Devils. They’re devils. I can feel their evil.”
“Yes,” I nodded. “They are evil.”
“We have to leave. We have
to get out of here!”
“And you will get to go back home,” Ri said, drawing her attention again. “But first, you open her.”
“Open?”
My question was ignored as he gave her a stiff nod.
“Open her. All of her.”
“I can’t. It could hurt her.” Abbie stood a few inches taller, looking at me in horror. Tight curls shook next to her cheeks as she began to pray.
“You’ll open her, or I’ll feed you to my guards. Do you hear me? Open the human!”
Sobs were joined by strangled cries as Abbie’s fingers dug into my back.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Open what? Ri, what is she opening? What are you going to do?”
“Shna le pove lo me ve. Forgive me. Shna lem mu pove nu lo. Vu me ne se pove lo nu.”
“What is this? A spell? What is she doing?”
I tore from Abbie’s arms, but only made it two steps to Ri before my body went rigid. Abbie was speaking fast, but her words weren’t stopping as they seemed to repeat themselves in places.
“Ri? What’s happening?”
“Do ne wey. Do ne wey lo pove shna.”
“Light language, Ina. She’s speaking to your soul. She’s opening it to its full potential. No more blocks. No more weaknesses. At least, for a human. You’re going to be able to transfer so much light.”
“No. No!”
“Oh yes,” he said, stepping forward. “Do you feel your heart space expanding? You do. I can feel it too. God, that feels so good. Embrace it. Bask in the gift she gives you.”
“Gives you,” I yelled. “I don’t want this!”
Vibrations hummed along my skin as burning raced in a line along my spine. Fire erupted in my forehead while the crown of my head seemed to split open. The need to gag had me searching the air for something to hold onto. Had it not been for the way my body was locked into position, I would have fallen from the pain.
“Ouch,” Ri whispered, lowering to get more even with my face. “I promise you’ll thank me for this. You don’t see it now, but you will.”
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