You’vejust been caged too long.
Allyou ever do is embarrass me.
You’renot his anymore.
Ican’t believe how sensitive you’ve gotten.
Ilove you,Pallas.
Iswallowed hard, my gaze flickering to the ornate ceiling of the dining hall just for a moment. “Iassure you,YourEminence, my loyalty lies with you.Iwasn’t privy to anything other than the prince’s healing.”
“It’sthat boy, isn’t it?Doyou care for him so much?Doyou hope to protect him?Tellme what you know, andIassure you no harm will come to him.”
Noharm.Icaught myself beforeIlaughed at the ridiculousness of that statement.Hadeonhad nearly destroyedJun, andIwould not let that happen again.Imight be a fool.Imight be naïve.Imight have fallen right back into his arms, butIwould die here beforeIever let him touchJunagain.
“Justlike before, right,Hadeon?”
Hiseyes glowed violet.Thereit was.Histrue self.Thetension in the air between us crackled like lightning. "Youforget yourself,Pallas.Youbelong to me.Nowtell me what you know beforeI—”
“Youwhat?Thereis nothing you can do to me you have not done a thousand times before.”Istood so violently that my chair toppled over.
BeforeIcould move even an inch more, he was on me, his hand gripping my head and arm as his power raced through my body.Iscreamed.
“Ican’t believe you have brought me to this,Pallas.Iwanted to be kind, to be gentle with you.Butlook what you have done!Youhave given me no other choice.”
Lightningdanced over my body, andIscreamed.Thepain was so familiar.Tearsleaked from my eyes.Ihad always been too weak to fight him.I’dalways been a fool.Isank into that pain and prayed that this time, it would sweep me away into nothing likeItruly deserved.
Chapter 63
Tori
Iwas sitting withJun, eating our cold camp dinner, whenIfelt it—cold, wet dread gripping at my stomach.Thefood turned to ash in my mouth, andIset my bowl down on the ground beside me with a clank.
“Tori?”Junlooked at me with concern.Igrabbed his hand and focused on the feeling that was twisting itself around my stomach.Itwas fear, deep and ingrained, but it wasn’t mine.Ivisualized the mana of the earth and followed it to that floating lightIhad given toPallas, and it was beating so fastIthought it might explode.
“Pallas?”Mybrother felt it, too, and his face blanched. “What’shappening?Wehave to help her.”Herose like he was ready to run straight to her across the fields of ambrosia.Itwas a very me thing to do.Igrabbed his hand and pulled him back down.
“Focus.We’vegot a lock to pick.”
Heraised his eyebrows but didn’t question me asIpulled his forehead to mine.Ientwined our fingers and the white lightin our hearts.Thatancient and foreign magic flowed down the ley line beneath our feet and straight intoPallas’ heart.
Thosetwisted roots remained, just likeIhad seen inAbraxas.Thesewere stronger and more numerous.Someareas were so thick that they almost completely blocked out the light that was hidden inside.Theheart underneath threatened to give out, and asIfocused more,Icould hearPallas’ screaming.Jun’sjaw clenched as he heard it, too.Wedidn’t have time.
Together, we reached out with our magic, probing gently at the shimmering tangle surroundingPallas'sheart.Ihesitated, butJunlaunched in, tugging at the roots with abandon.Thefirst he pulled on snapped; its loose end was sucked deeper into the writhing mass.Igripped his hand tighter.Wehad to be careful.Hesqueezed back and worked slower.
Wepulled and worked at the puzzle, and with every bit loosened,Isaw more and more of that blue light that wasPallaspeeking out.Painshot over my legs and back, andIknew it was only a shadow of what she was feeling.Icouldn’t let it break my focus.Iground my teeth until they nearly cracked, andJungripped my fingers untilIthought they might snap.
Wepersisted, and more light emerged from the depths ofPallas'sheart.Finally, our white magic and her blue light were too much, and the knot disintegrated into ash, the threads of the earth unraveling like strands of silk as they fell away.
Pallas’ magic burst forth, and we were both thrown back, landing next to the fire.Numerousworried eyes looked at us, butIonly sawJun.
“Shehas to do the rest,”Iwhispered, and he nodded.
“We’rewith you,Pallas,”Junmurmured, sending it on the wind to her.
“Fight,Pallas.”
Chapter 64
