A crow called out nearby, and I leaned back and sat in silence. Claire stared at me and the undeniable facts. Her stare slowly transformed into a glare as if I would fabricate this story. I imagined it was similar to the expression I gave Jhase when he told me the truth. Though I could not expect Claire to accept the facts instantly, I needed her help. Perhaps being reunited gave us an advantage, and I held onto hope of escaping. While Claire knew I spent every waking moment searching and worrying for her, our friends continued on in the search. The only problem being if Claire was right and we were in Shadowland, they might never find us in time.
Claire’s eyes softened as she cleared her throat. “You leave me speechless... You, a complete stranger, went to such lengths to find me?”
“Yes. The sister I never knew about is still better than the family I grew up with. I’m afraid we’re out of time. Someone close to us has masterminded this. Do we stand any chance of escaping?”
“Magic is useless. I’ve tried every spell I know. Weapons...” She pulled out a dagger and threw it at the bars. It bounced back and fell on the ground. “I tried digging, but I’m too weak to carry on. The thorns are destroying me.”
Her hopelessness and the fact none of her magic worked did not raise my hopes. Instead I dared to ask the question I feared the most. “Claire... why did you say we are in Shadowland?”
“Declan once lived here, and I’ve visited with him before. I recognize the landscape...”
Our plans had always been to search Ninomay, but no one spoke of looking on other islands. No one would ever find us now with how much ground they had to cover in Ninomay. This felt like a cruel joke; someone mocked me for my hard work. Claire literally sat inches away from me, but so long as we remained caged we had no freedom. All the years of separation had finally led us to this moment. I had no way of communicating with the Council or our friends. My only hope remained in the capturers returning and revealing themselves. Even if they did, my options to act were limited.
A stick snapped, and I turned my head and faced forward. A man approached us, though he wore all black and a hood covered his face. I remained completely still, trying to gain a glimpse at the man’s face. He advanced until he stood in front of our cages, though he did not kneel down to be eye level with us.
I held my breath, remembering all the facts that pointed to this being someone close to me—to us. Might it be Lukas behind that hood? He had been the last one I shared my plan with—though while in the forest he had remained in front of me the entire time. I would have seen him if he were my attacker, but he might still be an accomplice.
“Girls, I’m afraid this is farewell. I have an important meeting with your father. He’s going to surrender the island over to me if wants to be reunited with you.”
I gasped at the sound of the man’s voice. I recognized it instantly but did not want to believe my ears. Could it be him like I had been warned before? If I was right that meant Lukas’s fear came to light. Elias was behind our kidnapping, and he threatened to hold us for ransom. His daughter took the fall for his crimes while he roamed freely.
“Elias, is that you?” I asked, glancing over at Claire. Her face also stung with recognition, and I assumed this was the first time he spoke to her. The man responsible for the threats against our lives stood in front of us. All those years of assisting Jhase and gaining a friendship with him had all been for vengeance.
The man unmasked himself, and Elias stared at us, gleaming. I wanted to scream and run away. The fact he purposely kept Claire alive left nausea in my stomach.
My heart ached at the thought of Jhase even considering Elias’s bargain. Claire and I were not worth more than an entire island. Everyone was in danger so long as Elias maintained control over the situation. No one wanted him leading the Council after his brother’s death. If he willingly sabotaged our family for power, he would destroy our home. He might even end the peace between the islands. Was the power worth destroying everyone else’s lives?
I glanced at Claire, whose jaw hung open. The betrayal I felt was nothing compared to what she experienced. She grew up with Elias’s family, had serious relationships with his children, but none of it foreshadowed this moment. The man behind the mask was not a family man or a diplomatic one, but a trickster hidden by lies.
“You filthy bastard!” I shouted, inching closer to the front of my cage. I did not fear Elias because he managed to succeed in two kidnappings. Knowing him to be the culprit only fueled my rage. He tricked me into believing my friends betrayed Claire. He had tried to assassinate me in my sleep. Perhaps worst of all, he knew I was Jhase’s daughter. He stole the last person Jhase cared about.
Elias clapped his hands. “An excellent performance, Clara. You dare to judge me when you too have hidden from everyone? I can play my part too, but it looks like I’m the lead role now.”
“I am nothing like you. You’re ruining your family’s reputation. Lukas suspected you from the start...” I replied, shaking my head. Once more I wished I had a way of reaching out to the search party. They had to be alerted before the Council sentenced Vanessa.
“Lukas is my blood, he will forgive me. I’m taking back what is rightfully ours. No Shadowland mage will lead the Council so long as I live.”
I crossed my arms. “Are you certain this is about Declan? Jhase’s health is failing. Your children aren’t married, and your position in the Council could change. You’re lusting for power that is not yours.”
He murmured under his breath and lifted up his hood again. As he stood I realized this might be our last chance to change his mind. If he left for the castle we had no hopes of escaping on our own. The cages were locked with magic—an overwhelming amount of it. I doubted Elias worked alone in securing the cages. Claire warned me about there being more than one person responsible for this.
“Wait,” I called out. “Take us with you! Jhase will want proof.”
He ignored me and approached the two trees closest to us. Someone else stepped out from behind the left tree. A lean figure in a dress walked out, though her face also remained concealed by a hood. Locks of black hair hung over her shoulders, and rings covered both of her hands. I suspected none other than Bellona as an accomplice. They whispered to one another, and I held out hope for leaving Shadowland. If they returned with us in Ninomay someone could help us.
The woman turned to face us and said, “Let’s show Jhase for the liar he really is. Are you ready to go home, girls?”
Hearing her voice confirmed that she was not Bellona. However, I recognized the voice and Claire’s face suggested the same. The woman approached Claire’s cage, and I held my breath and prayed my request would not kill us. She opened the cage door with one swift movement of her hand. She crawled in, snatching the dagger on the ground from earlier and holding it out in case Claire moved.
“Alesia? B-but... why?” Claire asked, shaking where she sat.
“All in due time, sweetie. Your father is the only person who deserves our explanations,” she replied.
I shook my head in disbelief, and I could not believe how wrong we had been with our assumptions. Elias went as far as destroying his entire family to seek out power with Alesia.
“What have you done? Did you kill Ren? Tell me!” I shouted, kicking my heels against the dirt.
Elias snickered. “Who’s Ren? Come on, Ales, get on with it.”
Alesia reached into her cloak’s pocket and withdrew a necklace. I leaned against the bars and noticed the necklace appeared to be made with the stem of a rose and thorns decorated it.
Claire’s eyes widened, but she had no choice. Alesia threw the necklace over her head, and the thorns slowly fell into place on Claire’s chest. Again with a hand motion the thorns pierced into the skin. Drops of blood raced down Claire’s chest, slowly coloring her white corset. Alesia continued by tying Claire’s wrists together and placing a long stem white rose in her hands. With her hands bound together, she had no choice but to hold the rose
.
“The thorns will prevent you from using spells. If anyone tries anything I’ll force them deeper into your skin,” she explained.
Claire winced, but our captive focused her attention on me. Elias stood by my sister’s cage while Alesia crawled out and approached mine. She held out the dagger while using a spell on the door. Despite whatever confusion I felt about her involvement, it would not distract me from escaping. They failed to realize I did not need my hands for magic.
As soon as the door opened I assumed anything blocking my magic ceased to work. I thought of a spell in my head and a blue shard appeared and struck her shoulder. She winced and fell back, and I quickly crawled to the exit. I casted another one and she lay on the ground, trying to remove them.
I escaped the cage and stood, but I had no choice but to face Elias. He did not flinch at Alesia’s condition. Instead he withdrew an item from his cloak and threw it. I jumped to the left in an attempt to avoid it. Once my feet hit the ground the item pierced through my chest. It stung like a knife being plunged into my skin. My entire body jolted, and my vision blurred. Elias approached me, and I fell on my back, landing on the cold ground.
“If the rose stays in too long or you use magic it will kill you,” Elias said. I stared up at him, feeling like an ant compared to his stature. Without asking he lifted me up and held me until I regained my balance.
Breathing heavily, I said, “This is illegal magic. No one will let you control the Council now.”
The white rose had been a creation from Shadowland. It was banned and destroyed after the war. I was in a worse condition than Claire. I glanced at the three, seeking nothing more than escape. Elias quickly grabbed my arm and dragged me to where Alesia lay. While my feet still worked there was nowhere to run. Our capturers could kill us with magic, and we had no way home. I tugged against Elias’s hold, leading him on. He tightened his grip each time.
Alesia pulled the smallest shard out of her shoulder. Blood trickled down her dress, but she stood without struggle. With little to no effort she ripped out the other shard. More blood leaked, but more experienced and older mages could handle high levels of pain. Their bodies were more familiar with healing from spells.
While Alesia prepared herself Claire inched closer to me. Her eyes widened with hope, but this moment as not meant to be our escape. No one in Shadowland could be trusted if one of them supplied the rose. Declan’s parents might help us, but we had no idea of how isolated we were. Our best chance was to be taken to Ninomay where the people we loved would fight for us.
Elias nudged me forward while Alesia pushed Claire ahead. They walked closely behind us, but I observed our surroundings. If we could find somewhere to hide perhaps we needed to seek it out. However, we had no way to protect ourselves. The locals would have no reason to trust us. While some locals might know Claire, I was as good as dead on this island.
Large dark trees surrounded us, and though we walked on a path no one appeared nearby. The sky was gray as if a storm raged on nearby. I looked ahead in hopes of a clearing. If only Declan were here he would know what to do. He knew the island better than either of us. Alas the road ahead required us to focus on what we did have. So long as Claire stayed by my side I would not surrender without a fight.
Alesia and Elias stopped, grabbing us and pulling us back with them. Alesia withdrew a key from her cloak and handed it to Elias. My eyes studied the key, which was our only safe way home. Elias tightened his grip on my arms as if seeing into my thoughts. They had already done their worst to me. Would they risk harming or killing me before seeing Jhase? They could not bargain with us if we were broken and damaged.
“Go ahead. I’ll follow after you,” Alesia said. With my free hand I reached for the key, but Elias quickly smacked it away.
Alesia withdrew her dagger again and pointed it at me. “Try that again and you’ll be dead,” she hissed.
I shook my head, though my heart raced. “You can’t touch me. I’m your bargaining chip.”
She snickered and quickly slashed at my arm. I let out a scream and looked down as blood spilt from the cut. The wound was nothing deadly, but our capturers meant business.
“We hurt Claire plenty of times. Nearly killed her because of you,” she added.
I glanced at Claire, who kept her eyes on the ground. Elias tugged me forward until we stood in front of a lamppost. He held the key up to the fire, and I turned my head once more at Claire. We had only been reunited for a few hours. Perhaps separation was another tactic they wanted to use as a selling point. Elias had given a convincing argument for Claire being dead. My arrival would only be a preview of what was to come.
They sky flashed in front of us, and within seconds we landed on new ground. The key landed us in front of a lamppost within sight of the castle. Elias rushed with me, holding onto me tighter and forcing me to keep up with him. I tried to look for signs of anyone nearby, but I tripped and fell on the dirt. Elias grumbled and picked up my entire body this time, carrying me toward the castle. I glanced behind us, but he reminded me about Alesia’s warning. If it came down to it he would kill me. I held my breath and returned my focus on the rose stuck in my chest. As if Elias had not done enough harm he planned to drag me through the castle.
Without warning he halted, and I looked ahead at the front doors to the castle. Placing me down, he opened the doors and grabbed onto my arm again.
I hobbled my way inside, and a servant appeared in the hallway. He stopped in front of us and raised his eyebrow at Elias.
“Send for Jhase immediately. Bring the councilors too... I’ve found his daughters,” Elias said, gleaming. He kept both hands tight against mine as if I had anywhere to go. There was no purpose in running when this rose ensured my death.
“Claire! He’s found Claire!” I shouted.
The servant’s eyes widened, and he ascended the stairs without hesitation. My eyes watered, but I held back the tears. I had always hoped for this day—Claire’s return—to come. It arrived in a worse way than we had ever imagined.
The Council relied on someone finding Claire, and no matter how painful I needed to carry my own weight for both of us. Voices from upstairs became louder as they approached the staircase. I could hear the excitement in their voices while my whole body shook.
Chapter Thirty
Beautifully Broken
“Claire? Is it Claire?”
They exchanged these questions amongst themselves. Jhase led the front of the group with a smile on his face. He stopped at the top of the staircase, and the others did the same. They gasped at the sight of me.
Everyone was present, even Ezra, Gemma and Lukas. I assumed after my kidnapping they returned to the castle to start an even larger search party. Bellona stood next to Alec and Dorian; all of them seeming as shocked as Jhase. Declan stood farther in the back with his jaw hanging open. Someone pushed past him, and I squinted my eyes in disbelief of who I saw.
Alesia stood with the others, playing along like she was innocent. There was no sign of Claire. I was alone in a room full of people who awaited my sister’s arrival.
I’m not Claire... I’m not what you were hoping for. I thought, though my eyes wandered to Ezra. After all the time I spent with the Council my life had to matter as much as hers.
“Help me!” I cried out. Elias lifted one hand to my throat and held it there.
“If any of you move I will never reveal Claire’s whereabouts. Not even Clara knows where she is,” Elias explained. As truthful as his statement was, I did not fully believe the real Alesia stood with the Council. Even with the key’s help, she could not have snuck inside and hid Claire. This knowledge was useless to me as long as Elias threatened my life.
I blinked steadily at Ezra, staring into his eyes. Countless times he had saved me, but this time neither of us had a solution. I remained the only one able to use magic without hand motion or spoken words. My fate rested in the slim chances of someone pulling the rose out of my chest. Elias
might be blinded by anger and greed, but he was not stupid. Keeping us at a distance gave him the advantage he needed.
Jhase frowned, showing more of his wrinkles. “This is too low for a man with your talents, Elias.”
“I did everything you asked, old friend. I found Claire and kept her alive. Your lies and secrets did the rest of the dirty work for me.”
The front door opened again, and Elias and I stepped to the side. Alesia entered with Claire in her grasps. Everyone upstairs looked to the other Alesia, who transformed into a young man. He was no one I recognized, and his clothes were ragged. I imagined they paid him handsomely for his time. There was no telling how long he had been an imposter amongst us.
“Surrender the island, and we’ll release the girl,” Alesia said.
“What choice are you giving me?” Jhase replied, clenching his fists.
I glanced at Ezra again, who mouthed the words “I love you.” Love felt like an overpowering emotion and word, but I did not take his words full heartedly. Instead I blinked in silent response and expected to die. Those three words seemed like the ones you would say before someone’s last breath.
My world shattered like a mirror, and I wondered what stopped me from running. They would most certainly kill me, but this bargain was one Jhase could not deny. By saving us he doomed our world. If all else failed I had to be the one to stop him.
“Let me see my daughters. Let me ensure they are who you claim,” Jhase said calmly.
“Too late,” Elias replied, pushing me down on the ground.
Chapter Thirty-One
The Risk
Ezra
Clara’s body hit the floor with a thud. The silence was more terrifying than Elias’s threats. Elias held his hand above Clara, Causing more pressure against the rose. She choked, gasping for air. None of us could move or talk to each other, but I could not bear to watch any longer. Without looking away I tapped Lukas’s hand. He had to do something to stop this. His father would listen to him.
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