Which was why I couldn’t afford for Kolstov’s life strand to permanently end.
Come on, Emelyn,I thought.Do your thing.
She was my distraction. The ticking time bomb. The one I knew would explode if pushed enough. And I needed her to erupt for me now.
All I need is a few seconds. My teeth clenched a little at the thought, but I quickly schooled my features once more and covered the oversight with a yawn. No one could sense my intentions. And I only had one chance to get this right.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
My pulse kicked up a notch.
Just a little meltdown. I know you have it in you. I’veseenit.
“You’re killing him!” Ella screamed, lunging forward and being thrown back by one of Malik’s spells. Lima winced as Ella hit the wall.
A few other Councilmen exchanged glances.
I looked at Tadmir. He angled his chin just a little, saying,Not yet.
He knew what I planned to do.
He’d helped me strategize this entire event.
He also knew what would happen if I got this wrong.“Only one shot, Shade. And you’ll be risking everything to do it,”he’d warned.
“Kolstov doesn’t deserve to die for my choices,”I’d told him.
“If he knew the alternative fate, he might disagree.”
“We’re not having this discussion,”I’d snapped.“Either help me fix this, or fuck off.”
I very rarely lost my temper, but I was at wits’ end with all this bullshit. Aflora had detonated seven times under my watch. Nearly destroyed countless lives. Then almost took her own life after realizing the extent of pain she’d caused others.
Never again.
Tonight, we would get this right.
Just as soon as I fixed this problem.
Malik gathered energy into his palm, readying the next phase of Kolstov’s punishment. A few Councilmen gaped at his decision to force his own son to serve both sentences back-to-back. This would kill him, and they all knew it.
Yet no one spoke.
My father even grinned.
Could no one see the truth before their eyes? That this wasn’t really Malik, but Constantine’s doing?
“Stop!” Emelyn shrieked as the power grew.
“Dad,” Tray whispered, his eyes rounding in horror.
Emelyn shot forward, WarFire forming on her fingertips.
This was my moment.
Five seconds, I thought, concentrating on Kolstov’s soul and whispering an enchantment through my mind.Alqiama Fi Al Mawt.Energy hummed along my skin, subtle and disguised by Emelyn’s outburst as she nailed Malik with her power.
Several gasps followed, then the Elite Blood King hit Emelyn with a paralyzing enchantment that stunned her into immediate silence. Lima cursed, catching his daughter as she fell.
