Mal flung an arm out behind him, where Alphard made a break for Maxius. A solid beam of Magic zapped across the Throne Room, sending Alphard into the wall with enough force that he fell and did not rise again.
“Let her go, Abraxas,” commanded Mal.
He looked away from Zimsy’s body. With the wave of his hand, she disappeared from the floor, black mist in her wake. Abraxas’ arms around Maeve loosened, but Maeve didn’t move away from him, and he did not drop his hold.
“Do not think you will be sliding by unscathed, Abraxas.”
Mal didn’t move towards them, where they clung closely to each other on the floor. His lip curled up at them.
“Betrayed by my two closest allies,” he said evenly, no trace of the lethal power he’d just used affected him. “I should have seen it myself, Abraxas. I should have known that you would choose her over me if it came to it. Punishment for not returning your feelings after all this time?”
Abraxas went stiff behind her.
“This one stings, Abraxas, I must admit. Knowing you conspired to help her erase my memories, when I gave you reign and power over anyone else. I trusted you with my world, my life. . .with her.”
“She is my blood, Mal,” said Abraxas carefully. “We did what we thought was best.”
Mal laughed. “Your blood?” His eyes slid to Maeve, then back to Abraxas. “Have you forgotten she is not of Pureblood? That you bear no relation to her mother and therefore none to her?”
Abraxas shook his head. “I have not forgotten. She is still my blood.”
Mal merely nodded. “We’ll see exactly what your blood means to you by the time I’m finished with you.”
Maxius remained across the hall. Slow breaths rose and fell from his little chest. How would she ever tell him about Zimsy?
The sounds of her mutilation echoed across her mind in such a paralyzing and distracting way, she couldn’t prepare herself for Mal’s advance. Abraxas shoved her to the side, placing himself before Mal. Mal’s hand shot out, gripping Abraxas’ face.
Abraxas flinched as Mal’s fingers tightened, forcing his mouth open. He raised his free hand, and with one sharp movement of his pointer finger, blood sprayed his chest. Thick, bright-red blood poured from the corners of Abraxas’ mouth.
“It’s like you have all forgotten that what runs through me is not the same as you!” Exclaimed Mal, seething with fury.
Abraxas’ body hunched over as Mal stood and released him. Only then did Maeve see her cousin’s tongue fall to the marbled floor in a pool of blood. Juliet’s muffled scream slammed straight into Maeve’s chest.
Mal’s words settled against her. The weight of them. The truth of them as he stepped towards her. He was, even without Shadow to aid him, different from the rest of them. He was born better. Stronger.
It was in his blood.
Maeve scrambled for Maxius, her face hot with dried tears and her body on fire as each movement was nothing but agony. Malraised a single finger, threatening Magic branching in all directions, and called out to her with a voice of warning.
“You have others in this room you love, Maeve. Do not continue to get in my way.”
She didn’t have it in her to Obscure again. Getting to Maxius would take all she had left. Even then, once she did, where could she run with him? Her Magic continued to drain from her grasp with each pulse of Mal’s lingering force on her body.
He was right. She’d never grasped just how superior he was.
He’d never used it on her.
She crawled towards Maxius with one good arm and hadn’t even realized she was moving. He was far. Too far. Mal’s footsteps echoed across the space, taunting her with how unhurried they were.
A blur of motion appeared before her. Her body twisted, compressing against another as someone Obscured her, and they landed next to Maxius. Pain shot through her entire side at the contact. Maeve looked up at Arianna.
Her sister’s voice was icy as she uttered the words she’d never given Maeve. “Usque ad mortem, Sinclair.”
Her sister dropped her hold on her and stood, leaving Maeve on the floor next to Maxius. Mal continued his steady pursuit towards them. He reared back his arm and fired at Arianna. She stepped forward.
Bright blue lightning scattered across the hall, uncontrolled and wild. But it was not from Maeve’s fingertips that it poured.
While Maeve kneeled before Maxius, chanting Magic with a voice nearly not her own, Arianna Sinclair stood with two fingers furiously pointed at Shadow. Smoke dissipated from Arianna’s fingertips, as her face was lit with discovery.
