“What is it?”
“An absorption stone.”
“How the hell is that supposed to help? It might stop the first wave of magic someone throws at you, but after that it’ll be useless. That’s not a plan, it’s a joke.”
I sigh and let it fall. “I know. Maybe it’s the best she could do, Jack.”
“Well, if that’s the best she can do after all these years, it sucks.”
I can’t disagree, but we can’t count on her doing anything else. If she did have a plan, it must’ve gone to shit, or she’d be here. “What are you planning to do, Jack?”
He shakes his head, crossing the room to get his boots. “I’ve got to go back, try to feed him another bullshit story. I’ll see if Stephen can get you somewhere safe in the meantime. Or maybe Styx.”
Right then I realize how desperate things are, if Jack is willing to go to Styx for help. I wrap my arms around myself and sink back on to the bed as he continues.
“At least for now. Buy us a few days. We—”
“If you go back there without killing me, Cerunnos will destroy you.”
“I’m not so easy to kill, princess.”
“Neither was Georg.” I glare at him, tears burning my throat. “And you’d be breaking a vow.” Just like Georg had.
“Already broke it, princess.”
“No, you’ve only put it off. But once the actual deadline expires—”
“I’m not going to fucking kill you, Seph!”
“What do you think happens if you ignore the vow? What happens to you?” But I know. Our world doesn’t forgive those that go back on their word. One way or the other, magic always finds a way to make them pay.
“Whatever happens, I’ll handle it.”
Bullshit. I saw Georg die. I won’t see the same thing happen to Jack.
Not because of me. This whole Council revelation has my head reeling. The end of FTCs, of humans? That shit still doesn’t seem real. But Jack isn’t fucking going anywhere. Not if I have anything to say about it.
“So now you’re okay with that apocalypse you saw? With me going batshit and destroying everything?”
“Maybe it’s a lie.” But his voice is toneless. Jack believes what he saw. He’s just willing to risk it. For me.
“Tell me the prophecy, I want to hear it.” I am no longer even remotely curious, but I need to keep him talking. I know my way now, I think I’ve known since I talked to Tyr in the basement that night all those weeks ago, but executing it is going to be tricky. Not to mention painful. Behind my back, my shaking fingers twist together.
Softly, in a tone that tells me he's spoken these words a hundred times or more, Jack recites,
“The witch of witches spawns sisters four;
Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall
Scattered like leaves, but Queens all
To Summer the King of Winter falls,
World destroyed, all vanquished halls…”
“That's it?” But despite my flippant words, chills skate down my spine.
“There's more, but that's all that's remembered.”
“So, I guess I’m Summer?”
He shrugs, seemingly unable or unwilling to answer.
“You decided to kill me over a snippet of a lost rhyme?” I try to joke as I reach for my power behind his back.
“I shouldn't have to tell you how powerful rhymes are, princess.”
He's right, and this one is. It rings of truth and magic. Dire magic. I recognize its stink. Whether Jack realizes it or not, that damn rhyme prophecies his death. His specifically. And if he’s right, if I’m Summer, I’m the one that causes it. If I had any doubts about my course of action, they’re gone now. My heart is shriveling in my chest as I accept the weight I tried to fool myself into thinking I could set aside.
Who wants to believe they might be the villain in their own story?
“So you gonna tell me why you decided not to kill me that night?” I’m starting to shiver, but I get the words out through chattering teeth. The temperature in the room is falling rapidly. Jack may not realize what’s about to happen, but his magic does.
“You know why.” His back is hunched, impervious to the frost creeping up the walls and over the windows shutting out the night. Encasing us in a prison of ice. It’s good he’s distracted, because it gives me time.
He glances back at me over his shoulder, frowning, but I force a smile. “Don’t got the guts to say it, Jack? Even after last night?”
“Fine!” He strides toward me, throwing his hands wide. “I love y—”
I strike before he can finish the words I don’t give a damn about. After last night, and everything he’s told me, I have no doubts that Jack has loved me for a long time. Probably even longer than I’ve loved him.
I don’t need the words; just knowing fills everything inside me with this crazy stupid glow.
But the feeling is what you might call bittersweet.
It seems Jack has to kill me, or everyone's gonna die. Including him. Alrighty then. I just have to make him go through with it.
Eating his soul seems a good place to start. Jack’s protected against my spells and my innate magic, but I don’t think he’s immune to this. Because soul magic isn’t exactly magic, and when I shot that bolt at him in the train yard all those weeks ago, he deflected it…
But it didn’t dissipate when it touched him.
Before I can stop to think, I plunge my fingers into his chest. The edges of his soul are ragged and sharp, like glass, but stubbornly I pull. Despite the pain choking me and the tears that freeze halfway down my cheeks.
Jack looks down and stiffens in shock at the sight of my fingers submerged in his body. He topples forward, cursing. I take his weight as best I can, easing us both awkwardly to the icy floor. My fingers tighten, giving his soul another tug. This part is tricky—I don’t want to kill him, just make his magic think that I will.
“No,” he growls, his voice sending shivers over my already-chilled skin. “It’s not going to work.” Trust him to understand my plan immediately. Clever man.
“Yes, it will. You told me yourself. Survival. Your magic will kill to save you…and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Elemental magic has a mind of its own, right?”
Those icy eyes seem to shatter. “Don’t you fucking do this to me, princess.”
“Trying to break my heart again, Frost?”
He tries to freeze my magic next, but the effort slides off me like water off a duck's back. I’m naked except for the sheets tangled around my waist, but I’m still wearing Mom’s amulet. He’s going to have to attack me directly to win this. And he'll win. Despite the prophecy, I’m just a witch who hasn’t come into her full power yet. Jack is pretty much a god. A god who ensured I could never defeat him.
King of winter, son of winds.
Love of my life.
“Please.” The desperation in the word pulls at my insides, but I don’t let go of his soul. Instead, I lean over and take his mouth one last time. That perfect fucking mouth. He kisses me back, he can’t help it. Just like he won’t be able to help—
Blinding pain hits me from behind. Something glitters between my breasts, slicing through skin and bone. An icicle? How perfect.
My lips curve against his and I feel a laugh trying to bubble free, but then I’m dying, and laughing’s kind of out of the question.
Especially with Jack’s scream of pain and rage following me down into the dark.
AUTHOR NOTES
Hey there, beloved reader. Please don’t hurt me. Roses & Rye will be out soon and then you can decide whether or not to come after me with pitchforks and torches.
Blackbirds was a fun write for me. Mostly because of all the people who read Sixpence and loved it so much. Thank you! And thanks to Veronica, my writing buddy, because as repetitive as it sounds after what—five books or more?—she’s still my best sounding board and the one who keeps me upright in the ring when I’m ready to go ‘splat.’<
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And to Lizz at RazorSharp Editing for teaching me so much, making me so much better and killing my ellipsis addiction. Or at least bringing it to heel. Lol
Also to RC, for more editing advice (salt and burn the crutch words, salt and burn them all!), Sarah, Marie, Renee, Kat, Rachel, Ripley, Maria, Alisha, April and all the authors, readers and amazing peeps who do so much to further this journey. Love you all!!
And as always to my kids, because having little (or not so little) people as crazy as you are is one of the best things in life. Zak, Nick, James and Jocelyn, you make mine totally awesome!
If you want to keep up with new releases, etc., the best way is to sign up for my newsletter (always free, never used for spam): http://eepurl.com/bNW4LH
I’m also in all the usual places, if you want to drop me a line:
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As always, happy reading!!
Blackbirds & Bourbon Page 16
