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“Look at me,” he growled, and I forced myself to meet his eyes. “I said, no. You are not going to the Court of Lust, under any circumstances.” I felt a twinge of anger and stepped away from him.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a choice, Amon. She is going to summon us one way or another after the Quickening. We might as well use it to our advantage.” He stepped closer to me again; his aura was cold. So cold that mine shivered against him.
“I would burn this world to the ground, before I parade you in front of her as some sort of broken slave.” His tone was deadly and laced with the promise of violence. I felt myself soften, and I reached out and touched the side of his face. He jerked at my touch, eyes flashing.
“It is just a show. It will not be real. If we get the Omnikey, we can free this world, and end her. It’s not ideal, but it’s worth the risk if we can finally wake The Origin. No?” I asked. He simmered before me, and I could tell he was going to refuse again. I turned to the group.
“All in favor, say aye!” I chirped, channeling Kasha. Amon looked murderous.
Neither Kasha nor Dossidian raised their hands. I met Conrad’s gaze, pleading. He eyed Amon warily, but raised his hand, albeit a little half-heartedly. Meredith followed suit, and so did Rycon. Finally, I raised my hand. The daemons were outnumbered.
“This is not a democracy,” Amon seethed. I narrowed my eyes at him.
“No, but as long as Ash Nevra is in power, you are not a King.”
His eyes burned.
“We will go to the Court of Lust,” I said, “after the Quickening. Together.”
He knew he had lost. He looked around the room briefly, his face white with rage. Finally, he shadow walked away, in a fit of darkness.
49
I woke up the next morning to Kasha tapping on my door frame, her face grave. A part of me wasn’t surprised that Amon hadn’t come after what I had said last night. I had still hoped, though.
“Morning,” Kasha said, her usual upbeat attitude was damper than usual.
“Hey,” I said, getting up. I made my way to the bathroom to put on my armor. I assumed we were training again today, and every other day until the Quickening.
When I came out, Kasha was out on the balcony, overlooking the Court of Pride. I frowned and came to join her.
“What’s up?” I asked. She looked at me, more serious than I had ever seen her.
“Do you know, about my background? Have Amon and Dossidian told you, about what my life was like, before I came to live here?” She asked. My heart sank, and I suddenly felt like all the breath had been pulled from my lungs.
“They mentioned that you were in Ash Nevra’s sex trade for a very long time. They didn’t go into details.” I said, and she nodded, before turning to look out at the mountain town that sprawled out beneath us.
“I respect what you are trying to do. I will even participate and help you do it, if you ask me. But Raven, you do not know what it is like. Amon… it killed Amon, every day, to see her torture me. It took me a very long time to recover, after he freed me from her. I am still not fully recovered. I may never be.
“Going back there, with you, without Bond-Breaker… She will hurt you, Raven. She will hurt you and make him watch.”
I felt like I was going to be sick. I shook my head, “If she summons us, we can’t refuse. Wouldn’t that basically be declaring all-out war?” I asked. Kasha looked at me again, her face set.
“There are some things worth going to war over, Raven. I think for Amon, your safety is a deal breaker. He would rather go to war today, right now, than bring you there.”
“I don’t understand. I thought this was always the plan. To go there after the Quickening,” I said. Kasha shook her head.
“That plan was to go there after the Quickening, with all the things we needed to wake The Origin while we were there. This is different. There is no guarantee we will find the Omnikey while we are there. If that happens, there will be no awakening of The Origin to save us if things go wrong. Amon does not have Bond-Breaker anymore. Do not think Ash Nevra will miss that.”
“This feels like an impossible situation.” I said in frustration, “We might as well just declare war right now, if we are not willing to go there to try. Even if we do go to war, she could still enslave all of us. We are running out of time. I know that it is dangerous, and that I will likely get hurt. I think it is worth it, if we can free everyone who is enslaved.”
Kasha nodded. “It does seem like those are our only options,” she conceded, though she didn’t sound like she agreed it would be worth it.
“Kasha, Clair died, because of Ash Nevra. I made a promise to myself, that I was going to kill her. Not just for that, but for what she has done to you, to Dossidian and to Amon. I don’t have proof, but I am sure she had something to do with the Nightshades killing Rycon’s parents as well. She has enslaved the entire Dominion, and may enslave the world beyond The Veil as well.
“I made a promise that I was going to kill her, and that is what I plan to do. I will kill her or die trying. I can’t do that by hiding here in this palace.”
Kasha’s eyes were swimming, and she brushed a tear away from her eye before pulling me in for a hug.
